Improvements in Circular Knitting Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Sept., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 1st Mar., 1897--Accepted, 15th May, 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Circular Knitting Machines.
We, JOHN HOARE, Machinist and GEORGE BRAUND, Hosiery Manufacturer, both
of 10 Woodgate, Loughborough in the County of Leicester do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to circular knitting machines for the production of
seamless hosiery and in which a continuous rotary motion of the machine produces a
tubular fabric, as the leg of a stocking or sock, and a reciprocating motion of the
machine a fashioned fabric such as the heel and toe pouches.
The invention has for its object improvements in the construction of the machine
whereby a pouch, larger for the heel than for the toe may be made.
Heretofore it has been usual to form the heel and toe pouches by narrowing and
widening upon one half of the full complement of needles, the other half of the
needles being raised out of action meanwhile.
It is however desirable to knit a heel of greater capacity than the toe and this is
effected by increasing the number of needles concerned in that operation.
According to this invention the needle lifting device, which at the commencement
of the knitting of the heel and toe pouches, lifts the half of the needles out of action;
is constructed in three sections, viz.: a large central section and two smaller side
sections.
In the knitting of the toe the whole of the three sections are raised thereby lifting
one half of the circle of needles out of action but for the formation of the heel the
central large section is alone raised thereby elevating out of action a smaller number
than one half of the needles and leaving in action a number of needles in excess of
the half of the full complement, upon which excess or additional needles and the usual
one half of the full complement the heel is knitted.
A greater number of narrowings and widenings are by these means enabled to be
put into the heel pouch which is correspondingly enlarged thereby.
In the "Branson " type of knitting machine to which the present improvements are
particularly applicable the needle elevating slide forms part of the track or rest upon
which the needles ride or are supported and the slide is raised by a lever to place the
needles out of action prior to the knitting of the heels and toes.
This slide according to the present invention may be cut into three sections, the
central section only being raised by the lever attached thereto prior to the knitting of
the heel and the two side sections in addition for toe knitting.
The two side sections may have a pin on the back passing through a slot in the cam
carrier or cylinder so that the operator may raise or lower the said sections thereby
and if desired these two sections may be connected together by a further lever for
simultaneous movement.
In addition to the usual ratchet wheel and clawker which is in action during the
knitting of the toe, a supplementary ratchet wheel with additional teeth to coincide
with the extra needles for the heel knitting and a clawker to operate such supplementary
ratchet wheel are employed during the knitting of the enlarged heel and the two
clawkers may be arranged so that one can be readily placed in and the other out of
action.
Dated this 1st day of September 1896.
BUULI & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in Circular Knitting Machines.
We, JOHN HOARE, Machinist and GEORGE BRAUND, Hosiery Manufacturer, both
of 10, Woodgate, Loughborough in the County of Leicester do hereby declare the
nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has reference to circular knitting machines for the production of
seamless hosiery and in which a continuous rotary motion of the machine produces a
tubular fabric, as the leg of a stocking or sock, and a reciprocating motion of the
machine a fashioned fabric, such as the heel and toe pouches.
The invention bas for its object improvements in the construction of the machine
whereby a pouch, larger for the heel than for the toe may be made.
Heretofore it has been usual to form the heel and toe pouches by narrowing and
widening upon one half of the full complement of needles, the other half of the
needles being raised out of action meanwhile.
It is however desirable to knit a heel of greater capacity than the toe and this is
effected by increasing the number of needles concerned in that operation.
According to this invention the needle lifting device, (which in its present construc-
tion lifts, at the commencement of the knitting of the heel and toe pouches, one-half
of the needles out of action) is constructed in three separate sections, viz.: a large
central section and two smaller side sections.
In the knitting of the toe the whole of the three sections is raised thereby lifting
one half of the circle of needles out of action as heretofore but for the formation of
the heel the central large section is alone raised, thereby elevating out of action a
smaller number than one half of the needles and leaving in action a number of needles
in excess of the half of the full complement, upon which excess or additional needles
and the usual one half of the full complement the heel is knitted.
A greater number of narrowings and widenings are by these means enabled to be
put into the heel ponch which is correspondingly enlarged thereby.
The invention will be fully understood from the following further description in
reference to the accompanying drawing showing our improvements employed in a
knitting machine of the well known circular reversible type known as the "Branson."
Figure 1 is a partial plan of the said knitting machine and Figure 2 an elevation
of the inside of a portion of the cam cylinder, developed or laid out flat so as to more
clearly illustrate the invention shown in connection with the said figure.
A represents the cam cylinder and B the cam ring attached thereto and upon which
the butts of the needles C ride on their way to the usual stitch forming cams, the
construction and operation of which are well known and as they constitute no part of
the present improvements need not be more fully described.
In machines of ordinary construction one half of the ring B upon which rests
one half of the full complement of needles in the machine is made movable vertically
and constitutes a slide which can be elevated by means of a lever D so as to raise out
of action one half of the full series of needles prior to the knitting of the heel and
toes, each of which being thus produced upon the same quantity of needles is therefore
equivalent in size.
In order to knit a heel of a larger size than the toe we construct a needle lifting
slide in three sections E. F. G. viz.: a central large section F and two smaller side
sections E. G.
The central large section may be raised by the usual lever D and the two smaller
side sections have outwardly projecting pins E' G¹ respectively connected thereto and
passing through slots A' A 2 in the cam cylinder elongated to admit of the full up and
down movement of the slides."

page_text: The slides E and G may be raised and lowered by the operator taking hold of the
pins E¹ G¹.
It is obvious that the said two pins might be connected to a segment or curved
plate and the latter to a lever similar to D so that the two could be raised at one.
operation.
In Figure 2 the central plate is shown in its elevated position, the needles thereon
being raised above the action of the cams.
The said central plate is moved by the operator into the position shown just.
immediately prior to commencing the knitting of the heels, the needles thus raised
representing fewer than one half of the full complement, the greater portion of the
needles thus remain available for work in the production of an enlarged heel.
Preparatory to the knitting of the toes, the two smaller side sections or lifting-
plates E G are, in addition to the central plate, also raised and when the three
plates E F G are thus raised the needles thereby lifted out of action represent.
one half of the entire number in the machine.
The relative sizes of the three plates may be varied somewhat in some cases so.
that the centre plate may raise more or fewer needles out of action to correspondingly
vary the size of the heel.
In changing from continuous circular or leg knitting to reciprocating or heel
and toe knitting in the hereinbefore mentioned "Branson" knitting machine, a
reciprocating toothed quadrant H is brought into action by the usual mechanism
of the machine and in the manner well understood, and at each complete to and
fro stroke it strikes against the usual spring-controlled arm J so as to cause the
latter to make a partial rotation on its axis K 2 and in doing so it moves forward
a clawker J' pivotted to its underside and causes the latter to drive a ratchet wheel K.
with which it is in engagement, a tooth forward each time.
The said ratchet wheel, is also mounted on the spindle K 2 and is furnished with
teeth equivalent in number to the number of courses to be put into the heel and toe, a.
detent L prevents back movement of the said ratchet wheel.
A circular plate or disc K keyed fast on the same spindle K 2 as the ratchet wheel,.
moves synchronously with the latter and the said disc is provided on its edge with
two projections K3 K4 one of which K 3 at each complete revolution of the ratchet.
wheel and disc, acts on a well known lever and throws the belt off the fast to the loose.
pulley and brings the machine to a standstill at the finish of the heel and toe.
The other projection K 4 acts upon the two armed levers M M' and when in contact
with M the latter moves M' into the track of the two levers N 2 N 2 which operate.
upon the stitch forming cams in the manner well understood to effect the necessary
change in the same from the narrowing to the widening position.
For the purpose of knitting a larger heel than a toe according to this invention we
mount on the spindle K 2 an additional or auxiliary ratchet wheel N of larger
diameter than K or with an increased number of teeth according to the additional
number of courses to be put into the heel.
An auxiliary clawker N is attached to the arm J to drive the said extra ratchet.
wheel and the two clawkers J N¹ are connected together by a pin on each entering a
slot in a plate O pivotted at O' to the curved arm 02 screwed to the vibrating arm J..
A vertical pin P is fixed on the ratchet wheel N in such a position that at the
finish of the toe it pushes away the clawker J₁ out of gear and thereby turns the
slotted plate O on its fulcrum so that the other clawker N' is automatically brought
into gear with the teeth of the extra ratchet wheel N in readiness for the knitting of
the heel at the proper time.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a circular knitting machine the use or employment of a needle lifting device
consisting of a large and two smaller sections substantially as and for the purpose

page_text: 2. In a circular knitting machine the combination with the cam cylinder of a cam
ring, one half or thereabouts of which is movable and divided into three sections such
as E F G each of which can be moved independently of or in combination with
the others substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
3. In a circular knitting machine the combination with needle lifting plates such
as EFG of two ratchet wheels K N and mechanism for actuating the same substan-
tially in the manner and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
4. The improved mechanism for raising out of action certain needles in a circular
knitting machine, consisting of the parts constructed, arranged and operating
substantially in the manner described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 29th day of December 1896.
JOHN HOARE.
GEORGE BRAUND.
Witness-
E. N. LEWIS,
Berridge Street Chambers,
Leicester.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicants.