IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES."-A com-
munication from abroad by "The Hinkley Knitting Machine
Company (Incorporated)," of Bath, Maine, United States of
America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition and
Declaration, on the 4th August 1870, pursuant to the 9th Section
of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
KNITTING MACHINES," and have petitioned Her Majesty to grant unto me,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal Letters Patent

page_text: therefor. The worm wheel D is through the shaft F operated by the
driving mechanism employed; G is the needle bar carrying the needle
of the machine and receiving a reciprocating motion from a crank pin I
on the disc J attached to one side of the worm wheel D, which pin
works in the slot of the slotted arm K; L is the looping hook or looper.
This looper L is operated by. means of the cam slot M of the disk J; into
which a pin N of the looper shank ○ projects..
The several parts above described operate as follows:-The needle
bar G receiving its motion from the crank pin in its slotted arm advances
with each revolution of the disk J, and the needle passing through the
stitch immediately in front under the tooth a of the comb A, removes
that loop from its tooth, the revolution of the cam slot M brings the
looper hook L forward in season to take up a new loop from the eye of
the needle, and on its backward movement deposits it on the tooth
which held its predecessor. The disc cam J which has held the comb
stationary while the new loop has been formed then reaches the gaining
or cam part of its circumference, causing the comb to traverse one tooth
for the repetition of the stitch-forming operation.
The machine above described is provided with dogs P as in the
aforesaid so called "Hinkley knitting machine," and its worm wheel
is constructed as in the said machine for the purpose of reversing the
feed-motion of such worm wheel upon the comb. The comb of the
machine is also graduated or marked according to the number of its teeth
as indicated in the Drawing, and it is also provided with a wheel counter
H, graduated, and with other parts in detail like those of the said
machine to which the present Invention more particularly applies, the
several parts operating in the same manner as in the said machine and
therefore needing no further explanation herein.
The shank O of the looper L is constructed in the direction of its
length in three parts f, g, and h, the part f carrying the pin by which
it is arranged for motion by the cam slot M, the part 9 being a bar
in continuation of the looper L proper, and the part a plate applied
by screws to the part f (confining the looper bar g in position upon the
part f, whereon the said looper bar g is formed) by slots m at or near each
end to permit a motion up and down upon the part fover its studs or
projections n, by which the looper is guided in its said motion. The part.h
of the looper shank is extended below the shank and at each end is fork
shaped; between the tines of the forked part the needle plays in its forward

page_text: of the knitting mechanism a raising and lowering of the looper is
produced, therefore with a proper relative construction and arrangement
of the several parts by which such raising and lowering of the looper
is produced, the looper may be so actuated (that is raised) that at certain
and stated movements of the needle to make a stitch it will pass above
the yarn loop of the needle without interlocking with the same, leaving
the loop to be carried back by the needle in lieu of taking it and
transferring or placing it on a tooth of the comb as it would otherwise
do had it not been so raised.
By this arrangement and operation of parts producing the dropping
of a needle loop the knitting mechanism, as is apparent, is adapted to
the knitting of ribbed fabrics.
The peculiar operation of the connecting parts above described between
the looper and the comb rack, and with the pins of the disc U adjusted in
the apertures thereof, as herein explained, in combination with the
ordinary operation of the needle of the knitting machine (supposing the
needle and looper to be at the end of their backward movement and just.
about to move forward, and the frictional wheel x of the levers to have
just been actuated by a pin ≈ of the disk U, but to have come to a bearing
on the disk U) is as follows:-The worm wheel being turned in the
proper direction, the needle and looper are carried forward and backward;
the comb during such time remains stationary as a loop of the yarn from
the needle is carried and deposited upon the tooth of the comb in
position, the needle passing in its forward movement through the loop
previously placed thereon. When the needle and looper have reached
or nearly so the end of their backward movement the comb is fed along
one tooth, revolving the disc U, having the pins = accordingly one space
of its several divisions. Then the needle and looper again move forward
and backward, transferring another loop to a tooth of the comb in position
to receive it; after this, as before, the comb is fed along another tooth,
revolving the disc U another space and bringing at each turn of the
disc one of its pins under the frictional wheel of the lever S, raising the
same, and through the connection described lifting the looper. In this
raised position the said looper passes forward with the needle above the
loop or yarn thereof, consequently not taking the loop to carry it to a
tooth of the comb but leaving it to be carried back with the needle.
When the needle and looper have reached or nearly so their backward
position, and the comb has moved along a tooth, the disc U is revolved

page_text: another space, leaving the looper free to assume its original position for
taking a loop of the needle, and so on, during the operation of the
machine. The looper at stated times according to the position of the
pins of the disc U thus dropping a stitch produces a fabric knit with
ribs, and in the present instance the dropping of stitches occurs on
every third forward or stitch movement of the needle.
By changing the position of the pins in the disc apertures, that is,
setting them nearer or further apart, ribs of varying widths or of the
same width in the fabric knit by the machine may be produced, or by
removing them all, the machine will knit plain, the looper then simply
having its ordinary movement.
In lieu of so constructing the disc and pins as to allow the removal
and adjustment of the pins separate discs may be provided to accompany
the machine, having pins variously located to produce by substituting
one for another in the machine varying widths of ribs in the knit fabric,
or a plain knitted fabric, but it is preferable to construct the discs as
described.
Although I have herein particularly described the present Invention
as applied to the aforesaid so-called "Hinkley knitting machine," I
wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not intend to limit the use
of the same to that machine, but intend to apply the improvements
specified to other machines to which they may be adapted.
Having thus fully described the said improvements in knitting machines,
as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents, I wish it under-
stood that I claim,--
First. The looper L or equivalent device in a knitting machine when
arranged to have in combination with its movement for carrying a loop
from the needle to a tooth of the comb of the machine and at stated
intervals a movement by being raised and lowered or otherwise suitably
actuated to leave the loop in the needle, causing a stitch to be dropped, a
substantially as and for the purpose described.
Second. In combination with the above the parts by which the looper L
or its equivalent is operated in connection with its ordinary movement
for carrying a loop to the tooth of the comb of a knitting machine to
leave a loop and thus drop a stitch at stated intervals, when any or all of 3
the said parts are so constructed as to render them susceptible of adjust-
ment in the knitting of fabrics with varying widths of ribs, substantially
as described.

page_text: Third. The looper shank constructed in parts f, g, and h, arranged
together substantially as described in combination with the lever bar s,
link u, lever S, and disc U, having apertures for the reception of pins,
and a pinion on its shaft V arranged to gear with the rack of the comb,
when the whole are arranged together for operation, substantially as and
for the
purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy.
Witness,
W. J. LOWE.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)