Improvements in Hosiery, Knitted Fabrics, and Articles, and in Machinery for Making the same.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in Hosiery, Knitted Fabrics, and Articles, and in
Machinery for Making the same.
We, SAMUEL JAMSON of No. 4 Conway Street Nottingham in the County of
Nottingham Machinist, and ANDREW ELWORTHY ADAMS, WILLIAM ALFRED SHEFFIELD
and JOHN HALLAM trading as A. E. Adams & Co. of Adelaide Buildings Albion Street,
Leicester in the County of Leicester, Hosiery Manufacturers, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to hosiery knitted fabrics and articles and in machinery for
making the same, the object being to automatically make tubular duplex ribbed or
plain fabric, a welt upon a "broad rib "hitherto unaccomplished in hose; and half
hose having a one and one "top, any broad double ribbed pattern of leg and top
of foot, and the bottom of the foot a double plain fabric.
66
To carry out our invention in knitting a double plain fabric upon a two feeder rib
circular machine we introduce clearing cams both in the frame and machine which
operate upon the butts of certain pre-arranged frame and machine needles and cause
one set of needles to knit at one feeder, and the opposite set at the other feeder;
to form the rib or ribs the intermittent needles are operated by the ordinary rising
or clearing incline and knits at both feeders thus joining the double fabric and
forming the hollow of the rib. We can also automatically change from rib to plain
or" vice versa " when desired.
To produce a welt or selvage upon a "broad rib," or a double plain fabric the frame
needles knit at one feeder, and the machine needles at the other, the welt being
joined by knitting one course upon both the frame and machine needles at both
feeders. To produce the bottom part of the foot in a double plain fabric and the
upper part a double-rib, the sliding clearing cam operates only on one half of the
circle of machine needles, while the other half is operated by the ordinary incline
producing the rib or ribs.
We cause the ribs of both the frame and machine needles to be made of varying
lengths so that they come in operation with the sliding clearing cam, the frame cams
being worked by levers, governed by suitable counting appliance. The said double
rib fabric being joined at each rib forms tubes or pockets in which strips of steel,
bone, rubber, felt or other good padding material can be inserted for protection or leg
guards in footballing or other athletic exercises, or for enclosing steels or bones in
ribbed knitted corsets.
1000
W. BESTWICK MAXFIELD,
Applicants' Agent.

page_text: Improvements in Hosiery, Knitted Fabrics, and Articles, and in
Machinery for Making the same.
We, SAMUEL JAMSON of No. 4 Conway Street Nottingham in the County of
Nottingham, Machinist, and ANDREW ELWORTHY ADAMS, WILLIAM. ALFRED SHEFFIELD
and JOHN HALLAM trading as A. E. Adams & Co. of Adelaide Buildings Albion Street,
Leicester in the County of Leicester Hosiery Manufacturers 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 relates to hosiery knitted fabrics and articles and in machinery for
making the same, the object being to automatically make tubular duplex ribbed or
plain fabric, a welt upon a "broad rib "hitherto unaccomplished in hose automati-
cally; and half hose having a "one and one" rib top, any broad double ribbed
pattern of leg and top of foot, and the bottom of the foot a double plain fabric..
That our invention inay be clearly understood reference is made to the accompanying
sheets of drawings in which:
Figure 1 Sheet 1 is a front elevation of a swing jack "run up" circular knitting
machine provided with the appliances hereinafter referred to.
Figure 2 Sheet 1 is an upper plan view of same.
Figure 3 Sheet 1 illustrates the needle cylinder A', or head showing the lower part
only cut half round to hold the long tailed jacks.
Figure 4 Sheet I shows sectional parts looking from the top of the needle cylinder,
showing the arrangement of frame needles for one half the circle when making
"three and one" rib, and Figure 4 Sheet 1 shows another section from the top of
the needle eylinder with the shorter ribbed needles arranged in their successive
order on the other half of the circle when making the "three and one" rib double
fabric.
Figure 5 Sheet 1 shows a set of long and short tailed jacks with their varying ribs
or projections.
Figure 6 Sheet I shows a set or series of machine jacks with their varying ribs or
projections, and notched for the purpose as hereinafter described.
Figure 7 Sheet 2 shows a length of tubular fabric to represent either hose, half-
hose, sleeve or leg, or like portions of hosiery knitted goods. Figure 8 Sheet 2 is a
section of the previous figure through dotted line 2, and Figure 9 Sheet 3 is a
sectional view through the shell containing the needle cylinder, showing the levers
and cams actuating their respective needles.
The figures of reference denote parts of the machine, and articles made thereon in
accordance with this invention, while the letters of reference denote those which
are of an ordinary character and used in combination for the purposes of this
invention.
To carry out our invention of knitting a double plain fabric upon a two feeder 'rib
circular machine clearing; cams are introduced both in the franie and in the machine.
to operate upon the butts of certain prearranged frame and machine needles and
cause, one set of needles to knit at one feeder, and the other set of needles to knit at
the opposite feeder; to form the rib or ribs intermittent needles are operated upon
by the ordinary rising or clearing incline and knit at both feeders for joining the
double rib fabric and forming the hollow of the rib.
In the two feeder rib circular machine A we introduce the frame clearing cams B, C,
which co-operate with the butts or ribs of the frame needles, and the sliding incline 1
operating the machine needles, on the opposite side; said incline is shaped so as to fit

page_text: close to the machine jacks D and slides on the push back bracket E, and is held in
this position by the foot 2, of the pivotted lever 3 carried in the bracket 4, fixed to
the side of the top cover F; the upper end 5 of the lever 3 carries the lug 6, which
is held in engagement with the cam surfaces 7, 8 and 9 of the cam ring fitted on the
ratchet or welt wheel G, the spring 10 withdrawing said incline when a welt is being
made, or (such as) in making the "one and one" ribbed top "seen in Figure 7
Sheet 2;" the foot 2 of the lever 3 is kept from coming out too far by the stop 11
projecting from the spring support 12%, the slackening lever carried in bracket 3 is
also operated by the cams 7, 8 & 9.
The frame clearing cams B, C, are connected to the arms b, c, and spindles of fitting
in the bracket d'; and come under the inner ends of the levers 12 and 13 mounted on
the horizontal spindle H carried in the bracket h on the cam wheel spindle h¹; when
the feet or outer ends of said levers rise upon their inclines h', and h³, the clearing
cams in connection therewith are lowered and depress the frame needles coming
thereon which are thrown out of action on one side of the frame only, while those
upon the other clearing side of the frame are cleared and press their loops, and cause
the prearranged frame and machine needles to knit one set at one feeder, and the
other set at the opposite feeder.
To form the rib or ribs by operating intermittent needles, the ordinary rising or
clearing incline I comes into operation, and the needles knit at both feeders for
joining the double rib fabric, and forming the hollow of the rib, and we place in half
the circle of the frame or cylinder the long tailed jacks D', " or long needles" having
nibs of varying lengths "as seen in Figure 5 Sheet 1" and place them in the tricks"
in regulated order according to the width of rib desired, for example, for a "three and
one" rib (see Figures 4 and 4^), we place two short nibhed jacks next each other, and
then a long nibbed jack in the next trick for one half of the circle, the long nibbed
jacks while tucking on one side of the machine will clear upon the other, whereas the
short nibbed jacks will be missing on the one side and knitting in the ordinary way on
the other side or half the circle to form the inside rib, the arrangement of the machine
jacks being in similar order they form the outside rib of the same width, the rib
wales of the double fabric being made when the machine needles are drawing their
ordinary loops, while the frame needles are missing their loops and one machine
needle in each desired width of rib, or at the ribbing point is pressed. When we
arrive at the part of the leg 15 in which the heel is to be inserted a few courses of "one
and one" rib single fabric is knitted, and at. 16, a few courses of single plain fabric, so
that both parts can be more readily run on to the heel.
The plain double fabric to form the underside of the foot of the hose or half hose
is then knitted, and in order that the fabric shall be of the same length as the
other double ribbed portion the cam 17 is employed fitting upon and sliding vertically
on its supporting bracket 18 secured to the underside of the bed of the machine; said
cam is supported by the arm 19, secured to the spring pressed spindle 20, in the
upper grooved end of which fits the inner end of the rocking lever 21, carried in a
pivotal bracket on the bed of the machine; the outer curved end 22 of the rocking
lever fits under and comes in contact with the incline 23 on the underside of the cam
wheel J.. when, the grooved end of the spindle rises and brings with it the cam 17 it
raises the long tailed jacks D', the cam wheel J is carried on the spindle h¹ in
bracket and is shogged by the pawl 24, fitted to lever 25, attached at its inner
end to the rocking spindle K, and held to the can wheel by the spring 26; thus we
are enabled to draw the necessary length of loop.
The jacks are arranged in a similar manner to those seen in Figures 4 and 4*, except
that the machine jacks D have a shorter nib, thus the cams only operate upon the
long nibbed jacks and those frame and machine jacks having no nibs at all are arranged
as mostly desired by the operator; the long nibbed machine jacks are placed in order next
to the long nibbed frame jacks, the machine jacks on the ribbing side of the head are
notched as at D Figure 6 so that the cam 28, misses them, and takes those that are
not notched D':
The sliding knocking over bolt or cam 28 is fitted loosely in the push back lever L

page_text: under the fixed bolt M and is held in the outward or inactive position by the blade
spring 29, the cam 28 is pushed forward by the lug 30, on the vertical end of the
lever 31 being pressed thereto, upon its tail end rising upon the incline 32, on the
surface of the cam wheel J.
The slackening lever 33 is fitted upon the spindle A, in the bracket, its foot
coming upon the incline 34 the outer end depresses the frame cam coming thereunder
so as to lower the frame needles without dropping their loops.
The lever 12 controls the first frame cam B and allows the short footed frame jacks
to drop out of action when the notched foot thereof is upon the incline h. The other
lever 13 when its foot is upon the incline h depresses the second frame cam C, and
causes the long footed frame jacks to drop out of their knitting positions.
To clear the machine needles the welting lever O falls on the track 01 from the
step and rises again on to the incline 03 on the top of the welt wheel G, said welt
wheel being shogged in the usual way by the pawl g, held to the teeth of the wheel
by the spring 9, the lever g carrying the pawl being fitted upon the rocking
spindle K, said welting contrivances being controlled by the ordinary jacquard
mechanism P consisting of lever P, the lever P, pawls P, rack wheel P, chain
wheel and stopping lever P, held to the lever by the spring P, the lever P
being attached to the rocking spindle K, said rocking spindle receiving. its motion
from the roller k engaging the ordinary cam of the machine (not shown). To change
automatically from double rih to double plain fabric or vice versa those frame and
machine needles that have been working in conjunction are divided by the operation
of the levers 12 and 13 withdrawing their cams, the machine needles taking the yarn
from one of the feeders, and the frame needles taking their yarn Q from the other
feeder and producing two plain fabrics of the same length one inside the other. By
preference the yarn Q on the side of the machine where the levers 12 and 13 operate
is fed through the tube 36 adjustable in its bracket 37 to lay the yarn close to the
hooks of the needles.
To make a welt or selvage upon a "broad rib" we make a few courses in the double
plain fabric, the frame needles knitting at one feeder, the machine needles at the
other, the welt being joined thereto by "one and one" rib being knitted for one
course upon both sets of needles at both feeders, such as seen at the top X of Figure 7,
and of about the length as denoted by the dotted line X Figure 7.
The double ribbed fabric joined as before stated at each of the rib tubes or
pockets 38 see Figure 8, Sheet 2," are formed in which strips of steel, bone, rubber,
felt or other good padding material can be inserted from the bottom 39 for protection
in forming leg guards for football players, cricket or other exercises or for enclosing
steels, bones or other strips in ribbed knitted corsets or vests and the like.
We can adapt the hereinbefore described appliances or mechanical parts in com-
bination with other circular rib knitting machines than a two feeder revolving cylinder
machine with slight modifications to fit them to the ribber cap and cylinder, and
make the wire needles used therein to have varying nibs or feet, similar to the jacks
shown in Figures 4 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In circular rib knitting machines the production and combination in hose, half-
hose or other knitted hosiery articles or garments such as hereinbefore described, of a
"one and one " ribbed top, ankle or wrist-band, a tubular duplex ribbed, a single or
double plain fabric of the character and with reference to Figures 7 and 8 of the
accompanying drawings.
2. The herein described means of forming a welt upon a broad ribbed fabric by
knitting a double plain fabric joined together by a "one and one" ribbed course of
knitting in the production of articles of hosiery.
3. The combination in a circular rib knitting machine of long and short stemmed
needles or jacks, with varying nibs for frame and machine, and their relation to each

page_text: other, levers actuating the frame cams, sliding incline with lever for actuating the
machine jacks or needles on one side, cam ring, sliding knocking over bolt or cam
also operating one side of the machine jacks or needles, cam wheel having a series of
inclines thereon and thereunder, bottom cam and its connecting spindle and lever,
frame cam levers, rocking spindle and its connecting levers and pawls, jacquard
mechanism for controlling the welting appliances, slackening levers, all arranged and
operating in the manner and for the several purposes substantially as herein described
and set forth.
4. Improvements in hosiery knitted fabrics and articles and in machinery for
making same substantially as herein described and set forth.
Dated this 3rd day of May 1897.
W. BESTWICK MAXFIELD,
Registered Patent Agent,
19 Bowling Green Street, Leicester, Applicants' Agent.
W. BESTWICK MAXFIELD,
Registered Patent Agent,
19 Bowling Green Street, Leicester, Applicants' Agent.