Improvements in or relating to Circular Knitting Machines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 14th July, 1890
Complete Specification Left, 14th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 16th May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Circular Knitting Machines.
I, WILLIAM TYLER (trading as W. Tyler & Co.) of King Street, Leicester,
Sock and Hosiery Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
This invention has reference to circular knitting machines and embodies improve-
ments which are specially applicable to such machines as are known in the hosiery
trade as
"circular ribbed heads."
The object of the invention is to effect certain improvements in the construc-
tion of such machines or to apply certain improved mechanism thereto as will
ensure the automatic production of tubular ribbed fabrics having certain portions
thereof of a thickness greater than the main body of the knitted fabric.
This increase in the thickness of the fabric is effected by the use or employ-
ment of tuck or multiple loop stitches; the essential function of the apparatus
forming the subject of this invention is to co-operate with the jacks and needles of
preferably the rotary needle or ribbed head so that certain needles shall not convert
their loops into stitches at each and every course but retain the loops on the stems
of the needles for a desired number of courses so that when eventually such
ribbing needles draw the loop through the last completed stitch a tuck or multiple
stitch is produced and an increased thickness in the fabric is the result. This
increased thickness in the fabric may extend wholly or partly round the tube of
fabric in course of production and also for any desired distance in the direction of
its length as circumstances may necessitate.
According to this invention the clearing cam preferably is withdrawn from its
operative position in connection with the jacks in the ribbing head at certain
desired intervals and through the intervention and operation of the following
mechanism.
In a convenient position on preferably the horizontal upper part of the lever
(sometimes termed the "welting lever") connected to the clearing cam is a lug or
projection which at certain intervals in the revolution of the ribbing head comes
into contact with a cam surface on the underside of a circular disc or plate while
such contact lasts the welting lever is depressed and the clearing cam withdrawn
from its operating position so that the ribbing needles which pass the said cam
during its inoperative period do not produce stitches but retain the loops on their
stems, until a later or subsequent course when the clearing cam has resumed its
normal and operative position when the needles with the accumulation of loops
will perform their usual function of knitting and multiple or tuck stitches be
produced resulting in a corresponding increase in the thickness of the fabric as
before mentioned.
The circular plate and cam are carried in the upper end of a vertical spindle or
equivalent supported in a bracket or bearing attached to the rotary head and are
operated by a small tooth wheel mounted underneath on the same spindle and
gearing with a similar wheel on the upper end of an adjacent spring controlled
spindle supported also from the rotary head and carrying at its lower end a small
star wheel or equivalent which is operated periodically by preferably lugs or
projections fixed at suitable intervals round the peripheral edge of the jack band.
The cam underneath the circular plate or disc and the nose or projection on the
welting lever are placed periodically in and out of contact with each other through
the medium of a lever, the upper end of which is forked to partly surround and
engage the upper end of the spindle on which the disc and cam are carried while
the lower end comes in contact with and is operated by a series of lugs or projections

page_text: on the usual pattern chain of the machine. During the time the lever and
the lugs on the pattern chain are in contact the upper end of the said lever is
depressed so that the contact of the cam and welting lever may be maintained as
before mentioned and while such contact continues the clearing cam is withdrawn
from operation with the jacks and multiple loop stitches are being produced;
immediately the cam and welting lever become disengaged or placed out of
contact ordinary knitting is resumed.
The extent of the cam in a circular direction determines the distance round the
tube of fabric the tuck stitches are inserted and the number of lugs or projections
on the pattern chain determines the length of the fabric of the number of courses
which shall be composed of multiple loop stitches.
Dated this 14th day of July 1890.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Circular Knitting Machines,
I, WILLIAM TYLER, trading as W. Tyler & Co., of King Street, Leicester,
Sock and Hoisery Manufacturer, 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 and embodies improve-
ments which are specially applicable to such machines as are known in the hosiery
trade as circular ribbed heads.
The object of the invention is to effect certain improvements in the construction
of such machines or to apply certain improved mechanism thereto as will ensure
the automatic production of tubular ribbed fabrics having certain portions thereof
of a thickness greater than the main body of the knitted fabric.
This increase in the thickness of the fabric is effected by the use or employ-
ment of tuck or multiple loop stitches; the essential function of the apparatus
forming the subject of this invention is to co-operate with the jacks and needles
of preferably the rotary needle or ribbed head so that certain needles shall not
convert their loops into stitches at each and every course but retain the loops on
the latches of the needles for a desired number of courses so that when eventually
such ribbing needles draw the loop through the last completed stitch, a tuck or
multiple stitch is produced and an increased thickness in the fabric is the result.
This increased thickness in the fabric may extend wholly or partly round the
tube of fabric in course of production and also for any desired distance in the
direction of its length as circumstances may necessitate.
•
The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description in
reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a front elevation,
Figure 2 a plan and Figure 3 a side elevation of my improved mechanism applied
to a circular ribbed knitting head, only so much of the latter being shown and
hereinafter described as is necessary to illustrate the invention.
The construction and operation of circular ribbed heads are sufficiently well
understood, as to render a detailed description unnecessary.
As is well known in knitting ordinary fabric the jacks A carrying the ribbing
needles A rotate successively past the clearing cam B, Figure 1, which moves the
needles sufficiently far outwards to allow the loops to pass off the latches of
the needles, and become converted into stitches.
According to this invention mechanism is provided through the medium of which
the position of the clearing cam B is periodically altered so as to cause the loops
to be retained upon the latches of the needles and not clear until a subsequent
course when the clearing cam has resumed its normal position, and tuck stitches are
formed.

page_text: The clearing cam B is carried on the lower end of the welting lever C on the
upper end of which is a lug or projection C¹ secured thereto by a screw C³, which
at intervals comes into contact with the cam plate D, fixed by screws D' to the
underside of a circular plate or disc D' and while such contact lasts one end of
the welting lever is depressed, as shewn most clearly in Figure 1, and the clearing
cam B is partly withdrawn or shifted nearer to the centre of the machine so that
the needles A₁ are not moved the full distance outwards to clear, but retain the
loops on their latches until the lug C¹ and cam B pass out of contact whereupon
the depressed end of the welting lever E is raised under the influence of the
spring E' and the clearing cam resumes its normal position when the needles with
the accumulation of loops will perform their usual function of knitting and multiple
or tuck stitches will be produced resulting in a corresponding increase in the
thickness of the fabric as before mentioned.
The circular plate D₁ and cam-plate D are carried on the upper end of a
vertical spindle E supported in a plate E' attached to the rotary head F and are
operated by a small toothed wheel G fixed underneath on the same spindle E and
gearing with a similar wheel H on the upper end of the adjacent spindle H¹ sup-
ported also in the plate E' and controlled by a spring H³ attached at H³ to the
fixed tube H through which the spindle H' passes.
:
The spring H' controls the movement of the spindle H¹ by means of a lug
formed at the lower end thereof and engaging with a notched disc H carried on
the said spindle.
The spindle H' carries at its lower end a star wheel J which is operated by lugs
or projections K' fixed at intervals round the peripheral edge of the usual jack
band K.
The cam D on the underside of the disc D₁ and the lug C₁ on the welting
lever C are placed periodically in and out of contact with each other through the
medium of a bell-crank lever L, (shewn most clearly in Figure 3) fulcrummed at L'
to the spindle M connected to the extension M' by the screw bolt M².
Near the end of the lower horizontal arm L of the bell-crank lever L there is
fixed by a screw N₁ a downwardly extending prolongation N which is raised
periodically by horizontal pins or studs O' on the face of a ratchet wheel O carried
on a spindle P fixed in a suitable bracket at any convenient position at the back
of the machine, the said wheel O being operated by studs or projections Q' fixed
at intervals on the usual pattern chain Q.
'
The raising of the lower horizontal arm L' of the bell-crank lever L depresses
the upper forked end L³ thereby lowering the disc D₁ and cam-plate D and
placing the latter in contact with the lug C on the welting lever C, and tuck
stitches are produced, but immediately the stud O¹ passes the prolongation N, the
upper forked horizontal lever L' is raised under the influence of the spring plate R
and the cam-plate D is moved out of contact with the lug C' and ordinary knitting
is resumed.
The extent of the cam surface D in a circular direction determines whether the
circle or tube of fabric be wholly or partly formed of tuck stitches; and the
distance between the lugs Q¹ on the pattern chain Q determines the length of
the fabric which shall be composed of multiple loop stitches and the frequency
with which the improved mechanism for producing the latter shall be placed in and
out of action.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a circular knitting machine the combination with the welting lever C and
clearing cam B, of lugs such as C', cam-plate such as D and disc such as D₁
substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
2. In a circular knitting machine the combination with the cam-plate D and

page_text: disc D¹, of toothed wheels such as G, H, spring controlled spindle such as H', and
star wheel such as J, operated by lugs K' on the jack band K substantially in the
manner and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
3. In a circular knitting machine the combination with cam-plate D and disc D¹,
of a bell crank lever such as L, L, L, N, ratchet wheel such as O, carrying
pins O', operated by lugs Q' on the usual pattern chain Q substantially in the
manner and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
4. In a circular knitting machine the improved apparatus, constructed, arranged
and operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dad thin 12th 1
SA 1001
WILLIAM TYLER.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.