IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES."-A communication from
abroad by John Gilbert Avery, of the City and State of New
York, and Samuel V. Essick, of Worcester; Massachusetts, both in
the United States of America.
Scaled the 1st June 1869, and.dated the 4th December 1868..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lako
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 4th December 1868.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office,"
No. 8, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES," a communi-
cation, to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to a machine in which the knitting is accom-
plished by the action of a series of teeth (projecting from the periphery

page_text: of a rotating disc or wheel) and a reciprocating needle in combination
with a looper which takes the thread from the needle to form the
stitches upon the teeth and a stripper which removes the stitches as
they are formed. The rotating plate or wheel which carries the series of
teeth is fitted to turn on a stud or pin which is fixed in the centre of a
ring forming a part of the frame of the machine. The said frame is
extended on one side of this ring, and is provided with a bracket and
clamping screw, whereby it may be conveniently secured upon a table or
other support. The disc or plate is geared in connection with a toothed
pinion which is caused to act with an intermittent motion like a ratchet
wheel by means of a rod attached to an eccentric which is carried on the
main spindle. The said spindle is actuated by means of a handle or
crank arm at the side of the machine or by other convenient means.
The looper points are held on springs, which being flexible allow the
said points to press upon the rotating disc without binding the same.
The said springs are bent down towards the disc at an angle to each
other, and these bent portions form two springs between which a wedge
on the stripper works,_so_that_when_the_looper moves to the edge of the
tooth its points are opened to spread the loop by means of the said
wedge. The point of the stripper in stripping off the old stitches and
forming the new stitches on the teeth of the disc passes between the
teeth of the said disc, while the part of the stripper at the side of the
point carries the stitch down. The looper is attached to a lever which
is pivotted between jaws formed or fixed on the frame, and is supported
on the pivot in such a manner that it can slide endwise thereon. The
said lever has an elbow which lies in contact with a cam fixed on the
main spindle, the said lever being operated by this cam in such manner
that the looper points descend between the needle and the thread.
Another lever which is operated by a cam or eccentric moves the
stripper point in such a manner and at such a time that when the
looper point is drawn to the point of the tooth of the disc the said
point strips off the old loop and forms the new stitch on the tooth.
The toothed pinion which is geared with the dial is operated with an
intermittent motion by an eccentric through the medium of a rod 'which
acts on the teeth of the pinion, which teeth by preférence work in the
teeth of the dial whereon the stitches are formed. The said rod is
provided with a cross bar which may be adjusted to take into the teeth on
either side of the pinion's axis and turn the said pinion in either direction.
The cross bar is kept in- gear with either side of the pinion by an

page_text: adjustable spring. A stop is provided to enter between the teeth of
the pinion at each stroke of the eccentric, the said stop being pressed
forward by a spring. The needle which carries the yarn over the edge
of the disc is attached to a reciprocating slide which is operated by an
excentric pin on the looper cam or by other convenient means; this
slide carries a stud which draws back the stop to release the pinion.
The thread is drawn through a tension device which is provided with a
spring and an adjusting screw, whereby the tension of the web may be
reculated.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 4th June 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIA
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Consulting
Engineer, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their," or
one of their hands and scals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed. and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Leiters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawing forming a part of this Specification:
My Invention relates to a machine in which the knitting is
accomplished by the action of a series of teeth (projecting from the
periphery of a rotating disc or wheel) and a reciprocating needle in
combination with a looper which takes the yarn or thread from the
needle to form the stitches upon the teeth and a stripper which removes
the stitches as they are formed. The rotating plate or wheel which
carries the series of teeth is fitted to turn on a stud or pin which is fixed
in the centre of a ring forming a part of the frame of the machine.
The said frame is extended on one side of this ring, and is provided with
a bracket and clamping screw, whereby it may be conveniently secured
upon a table or other support. The disc or plate is geared in connection
with a toothed pinion which is caused to act with an intermittent motion
like a ratchet wheel by means of a rod attached to an eccentric which
is carried on the main spindle. The said spindle is actuated by means of
a handle or crank arm at the side of the machine or by other convenient

page_text: the wedge e to work properly between them. The looper points & being
thus held on springs or on flexible parts are allowed to press upon the
rotating disc b without binding the same. The said springs are bent
down towards the disc at an angle to each other, as seen in Figure 3,
and these bent portions being also flexible allow the wedge e on the
stripper fto descend between them, so that when the looper moves to
the edge of one of the teeth the points d are opened to spread the
loop of yarn or other material by means of the said wedge. The
point of the stripper in stripping off the old stitches and forming the
new stitches on the teeth 6 of the disc b passes between the said teeth
while the part of the stripper at the side of the point f¹ carries the stitch
down. The wedge e which opens the looper should strike exactly over
the teeth of the disc. The looper while the loop is being stripped
therefrom projects slightly over the point of the tooth and the stripper
touches the said looper lightly. The stripper should fit closely between
the guides a. The two parts d' of the looper are attached to a lever /
which is pivotted between jaws formed or fixed on the frame a,
and is supported on the pin or pivot ³ in such a manner that it can
slide endwise thereon. I prefer to provide the said pin with a block h³
which forms a bearing for the lever to slide upon, and which will work
freely on the said pin to allow the lever to vibrate. This block and the
slot or aperture in the lever wherein the block lies are clearly shewni
in dotted lines in Figure 2. The said lever has an elbow * which lies
in contact with a cam i fixed on the main shaft or spindle j, the said
lever being operated by this cam i in such manner that the looper points
d descend between the needle k and the thread. The lever / is drawn
back at each stroke by the spiral spring, which is connected at one
end to the finger and at the other end to the frame a. Another
lever which is operated by the eccentric m moves the stripper fin such
a manner and at such a time that when the looper point d is drawn
to the point of the tooth of the disc b the said point strips off the old
loop and forms the new stitch on the tooth. The disc bis actuated
by a toothed pinion which is operated with an intermittent motion
by an eccentric o through the medium of a rod p. The said rod is
provided with a bevilled cross piece p', which acts on the teeth of the
pinion n, and the same teeth by preference are made to work in the
teeth of the disc b. The rod p is fitted to slide in the bearings p³, and
also to turn freely therein, and by turning the said bar in these bearings

page_text: 28
the cross bar p¹ may be adjusted to take into the teeth of the pinion
on either side of the axis n' thereof, and thereby turn the said pinion
and the disc or dial 6 in either direction, as desired. The cross bar
or piece p' is kept in gear with the teeth at either side of the pinion n
by an adjustable spring q fitted to turn on its pivot q', which is fitted
in a socket in the bridge a³. A stop is provided to enter between the
teeth of the pinion n at each stroke of the rod 2, the said stop being
pressed forward between the teeth by a spring r¹, and drawn back to
allow the pinion n to move by a finger 13. The needle k is attached
to a reciprocating slide which is operated by an eccentric pin 8 on
the looper cam i and by the connecting rod s³, or by other convenient
means. This slide kalso carries the finger which draws back the
stop to release the pinion n. The tension device t through which the
yarn or thread passes to the needle is provided with a spring and
adjusting screw, whereby the tension of the web may be regulated.
The machine is operated by means of the crank w, by turning which
all the working parts are set in motion through the wheels 101, 20%.
The needle k carries the thread over the teeth of the dial b. When
the said needle moves a sufficient distance the point of the looper d
strikes between the thread and the needle k, the said point holding
the thread until the needle is drawn back a sufficient distance,--when
the looper is drawn to the end of the tooth of the dial. When the
looper reaches the said point the stripper f moves down and strikes
off the stitch and forms the next one (which is on the point of the
looper) on the said tooth. When this is done the feeding device causes
the dial to move one tooth forming the stitches successively. The
machine should be placed level on the table with the rest a* on
the corner of the table, so that the lever does not strike the same,
and then fastened by the clamp. The needle k is threaded from left
to right when the eye is over the disc or dial b, the end of the thread
being passed down by the right side of the tooth which the needle is
over. The thread should then be brought to the right of the spring .u.
When it is necessary to thread the needle while there is a web on the
dial it should be done while the needle is drawn back before it passes
through the loop. To set up the web the feed spring should be turned
to the right, so as to cause the dial 6 to revolve towards the left of the
machine. To knit a ribbed or seam web allow the dial to turn to the
left. To knit plain web let the dial turn to the right.
To knit a

page_text: combination stitch or crotchet web let the dial turn backward and
forward. To knit back and forward place two pins in the holes b* at
the desired distance apart and the machine will reverse itself. If it
be desired to knit a web with more stitches than one-half the number
of teeth of the disc or dial the pins should stand to the left, if less
they should stand to the right. To form the heel of a stocking, when
the stocking has been knit sufficiently long the operator should set the
pins in the holes, and as cach pin strikes the arm of the feed spring
it should be set one hole inward until there are only six holes between
the pins, then every time a pin strikes set it outward one hole. When
this is done take out the pins and let the dial revolve entirely around
until the foot has reached a sufficient length. The toeing-off is effected
in the same manner. When the pins are set back tear the thread and
run the web off. Another way of toeing-off is to knit two points and
sew them together. In knitting a glove each finger is commenced at
the point and is knit to the full length, then another, and so on until
all are knit, leaving one tooth on which there is no loop until all are
formed; then it is knitted across from left to right, thus joining the
fingers, and back and forward until the thumb is reached. The thumb
is kuitted separately and joined in the same manner as the fingers.
The wrist can be formed to suit the fancy of the operator. When one
side is thus formed the other should be knit reversely, that is to say,
the little finger should stand where the first does and vice versa. By
knitting back and forward almost any shaped web can be formed.
A number of discs may be provided adapted for knitting webs of various
sizes; the said discs may be readily removed or changed.
Having thus particularly described the nature of the said Invention,
as communicated to me by my foreign correspondents, I wish it
understood that I claim,-
First. The rotating toothed disc or wheel b fitted within the ring a*,
the looper d, stripper f, and needle &, constructed, combined, and
operating together and with the devices for imparting motion thereto,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

page_text: Third. The combination of the tension device with the rotating disc,
the looper, and needle, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of June, 5
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE.. (L.S.)
Witness,
THOMAS N. PALMER,
Clerk to Messrs. Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
8, Southampton Buildings,
W.C.