Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Jan., 1839
Complete Specification Left, 26th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 8th June, 1889
I, JOHN HENRY MILWARD HOBLEY, Machinist in the employ of I. & R. Morley,
Oxford Street, Leicester, Hosiery Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
To the top of the narrowing screw box on the left end of a straight bar knitting
machine, secure a bracket which is clipped by the two flanges of a nut screw
threaded to receive the screw threaded end of a short rod, the other end of which
forms a collar screw threaded to receive the screw threaded end of the usual narrowing
bracket rod for the left selvages of each breadth of fabric made on the machine.
To the top of the narrowing screw box on the right end of the machine I secure a
bracket clipped by the two flanges of a nut reversely screw threaded to the nut at the
left end, to receive the screw threaded end of a roil, the other end of which forins
a collar to receive the screw threaded end of the usual narrowing bracket rod for the
right selvages.
The outer flange of each collar forms a toothed ratchet wheel which is partially
revolved by a pawl having its lower end rocking on an axle adjustable in a bracket
secured to the narrowing Ecrew box which is provided with a coiled spring to hold
the pawl to the ratchet wheel. The inner flange of each nut is notched to receive
the end of a plate spring to hold it in position. The rising of the narrowing rods
cause the pawls to operate the ratchet wheels, each pawl is provided with a
stud to hold it clear of the ratchet wheel while the ordinary narrowings are being
made.
When the above described apparatus is in operation the narrowing points are
racked one needle outwards, previous to the usual racking of the narrowing points
two needles inwards, 1 am thus enabled to produce superior narrowings upon a
variety of articles.

page_text: I JOHN HENRY MILWARD HOBLEY, Machinist in the employ of 1. & R. Morley,
Oxford Street, 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 :-
Figure 1 shows a front view of portion of a narrowing-screw box on the left
end of a straight bar knitting machine with my improved apparātus applied
thereto.
Figure 2 shows a front view of portion of a narrowing screw box on the right end-
of the same-machine with my improved apparatus applied thereto.
Figure 3 shows a front view of the narrowing screw box at the left end of the
machine with the usual index plate provided with a guard plate I employ.
Figure 4 is a plan of the index plate and guard plate.
Figures 5, 6 and 7 show left end views of my improved apparatus as applied to
the narrowing screw box at the left end of the machine, the narrowing rods and a
ratchet wheel I employ being shown in three positions each severally referred to
hereafter.
Figure 8 shows a front view of a screw threaded rod and ratchet wheel
at the left end of the upper narrowing rod.
employ
The several corresponding parts in the above described Figures are indicated by
the same letters where necessary.
1 apply my improved apparatus in the following manner.
To the top of the narrowing screw box A on the left end of a straight bar knitting
machine, see Figure 1, I secure a bracket B which is clipped by the two flanges of
a nut C screw threaded to receive a screw threaded rod D the right end of which forms a
collar D' screw threaded to receive the scrow threaded end of the usual narrowing
bracket rod E provided with fingers E' carrying narrowing points E' for the left
selvages of each breadth of fabric made on the machine.
'
To the top of the narrowing screw hox A¹, on the right end of the machine, see
Figure 2, 1 secure a bracket B' clipped by the two flanges of a nut C² reversely
screw threaded to the nut at the left end to receive the screw threaded end of a rod D*,
the other end of which forms a collar D³ to receive the screw threaded end of the
usual narrowing bracket rod E³, provided with fingers E* carrying narrowing points E'
for the right selvages of each breadth of fabric.

page_text: The outer flanges of the nuts C, and C are each provided with a toothed ratchet
wheel C, which is partially revolved when required by a pawl F, having its lower
end rocking on an axle F, adjustable in a bracket 1, secured to the narrowing
screw box, which is provided on its front edge with a coiled spring F3, the upper ond
of which presses the pawl towards the ratchet wheel, each pawl is provided with a
stud F, which when in the position shown at Figure 5 engages with a catch lever F³,
which holds the pawl clear of the ratchet wheel C while the ordinary narrowings are
being made.
The catch lever F3 rocks at its upper end on an axle projecting from the bracket F²,
the lower end of the lover slides in the slot of a stay F which projects from the
front of the narrowing screw box, below the stay the lever is provided with a rod
upon the outer end of which one end of a helically coiled spring F' is hooked the
other end of the spring being hooked to a loop of the spring F3.
While the ordinary narrowings are being made the catch lever is retained in the
position shown at Figure 5, by its lower end sliding on the front edge of a guard
plate G, which is secured by two screws to the top of the usual index plate G₁, the
guard plate is slotted as shown at Figure 4 to admit of its adjustment on the index
plate. When the ordinary narrowings have been made the catch levers drop off the
inner ends of the guard plates and the springs F7 pull the lovers into the position
shown at Figure 6 raising the catches clear of the studs F', thus releasing the pawls,
which are pressed by the springs F³, towards the ratchet wheels causing the pawls
to engage with the teeth of the wheels as shown at Figure 7 and partially revolve
the reversely screwed rods D and D' as the narrowing machine rises.
The partial revolution of the nuts C and C' on the rods D and D' commences just
as the narrowing points clear the tops of the sinkers, such partial revolutions rack
the upper narrowing rod E with its fingers and points one needle outwards to the
left, and the lower narrowing rod E³ with its fingers and points one needle outwards
to the right simultaneously previous to the usual racking of the narrowing points one
or two needles inwards for the next narrowing. The inner flange 3 of each of the
nuts and Care notched on their circumference to receive the lower edge of a
plate spring Cone of which is secured to the collar D₁ and the other to the
collar D of the reversely screw threaded rods, these springs firmly hold the nuts.
in position after each partial revolution.
When a greater number of narrowings require to be made than the length of the
rods D and D will allow 1 substitute for them reversely screw threaded rods of the
length shown at Figure 8.
The movements of my improved apparatus in combination with the narrowing
machine of a straight bar knitting machine is as follows. Suppose each narrowing finger
carries six narrowing points, then for the required length the points of the left fingers
make the narrowings in the usual way, say one needle inwards to the right, and the
points of the right fingers one needle inwards to the left at the same time, the catch
levers then fall off the guard plates onto the usual index plates, the lower ends of the
levers being pulled by the springs F', lift the levers clear of the studs to allow
the coiled springs F³, to press the pawls towards the ratchet wheels C, the teeth of
which pass the teeth of the pawls as the narrowing machine is lowered. Then after
going through the usual narrowing as the machine rises the pawis engage with the
ratchet wheels, and when the points are clear above the sinkers, the partial revolution
of the ratchet wheels rack the narrowing rods with the whole of their fingers and
points one needle outwards, the upper rod moving to the left and the lower rod to
the right, thereby leaving only five of the six points on each finger to secure loops
which at the next narrowing are racked inwards by the usual narrowing screw, and
transferred to the needles. Then as the narrowing machine rises the pawls again
engage with the ratchet wheels, and the rods, fingers, and points are racked one
needle outwards as before described, one loop less being transferred at each succeeding
narrowing, as many courses of the fabric being made between each narrowing as
required, until.five narrowings or less have been made. If a greater number of

page_text: narrowings are required adjacent to each other the width of the fingers and the
number of points they carry are increased and longer reversely screw threaded rods
are employed.
I am thus enabled to produce superior narrowings upon a variety of articles.
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 :
The construction and employment of my improved apparatus working in combina-
tion with a straight bar knitting machine, substantially as described for the purpose
set forth and illustrated in the Drawings annexed.
JOHN HENRY MILWARD HOBLEY.