Improved Apparatus Applicable to Straight Bar Knitting Machines.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Aug., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 24th Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 2nd Mar., 1889
Improved Apparatus Applicable to Straight Bar Knitting
Machines.
I, SAMUEL WARD, of Arnold Nottinghamshire, Factory Manager, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In front of the thread carriers of either variety of straight bar knitting machine, I
place a bar nearly the length of the machine to which the apparatus is applied, the
upper face of this bar has two or more grooves planed out its whole length, in each
groove a bar slides, each being provided with as many thread guides as may be
required to each breadth of fabric produced across the width of the machine, each
sliding bar is provided with a stud to which one end of a coiled spring is hooked, the
other end of the spring being hooked to a stud in the grooved har each spring holds
one end of its bar against the studded surface of a pattern wheel at one end of the
machine, said pattern wheel being rotated by a clawker, or driver hinged to a truck
bearing lever operated by a cam on the usual cam shaft.
The grooved bar is supported-by its lower side being hinged to the upper ends of
bearing arms secured on an extra shaft which rocks in bearings attached to the
framing of the machine, the extra shaft is provided with a truck bearing lever operated
by a cam on the usual cam shaft, which causes the grooved bar, sliding bars, and their
thread guides to move towards or from the neodles, so as to pass their threads through
the needles then over one or more needles previous to the passage-of the-usual-thread-
carrier or carriers according to the pattern required, from the back edge of the
grooved bar one or more arms project, each being connected to the upper end of a
link, the lower end of a lever which is secured to and rocks with a shaft lying in
bearings attached to the framing of the machine, behind the cam shaft, said rocking
shaft is provided with a truck bearing lever, operated by a cam on the usual cani
shaft, by which rising and falling movements are communicated to the threads so as
to lap them round one or more needles, brackets are secured to the grooved bar at
each division between which a wire is stretched, beneath these wires the threads are

page_text: passed before being passed through the thread guides on the sliding bars, above
the stretched wires is a perforated bar having a bar at the back provided with
pins for thread cops, spools or bobbins, the perforated bar and the pin bar are
carried by arms attached to an axle bar rocking in bearings secured to the framing
of the machine, the axle bar is provided with a truck bearing lever operated by a
cam on the usual cam shaft.
By means of the above described apparatus I am enabled to produce vertical
stripes or spots on the fabric made in each division of the machine, or by working
the apparatus in combination with one or more extra thread carriers behind the
needles, I can produce a great variety of regular or irregular chequed patterns
at will.

page_text: I SAMUEL WARD of Arnold, Nottinghamshire Factory Manager do hereby declaro
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 vertical sectional view of sufficient of the upper portion of a
straight bar knitting machine to illustrate my invention with my improved apparatus
applied thereto portions of the brackets at the back of the machine which support
the cop pin rails being broken away.
Figure 2, shows a vertical sectional view of a perforated bar and cop pin bars, with
the links and levers which operate the pin bars and portions of the brackets which
support them.
•
Figures 3, and 4 show respectively a front view at the right end and left end of the
machine of the parts shown at Figure 1.
Figure 5 shows a front view at the right end and left end of the machine of the
parts shown at Figure 2.
Figure 6 shows in plan an enlarged view of part of a grooved bar, portions of
two sliding bars, and one set of thread guides required to each breadth of fabric.
Figures 7 and 8 show respectively a right side view and section of a pattern wheel
at the left end of the machine.
Figures 9. 10. 11. 12. 13 and 14 show enlarged views of seperate portions of the
apparatus.
Each of the above described figures are severally referred to hereafter and the
corresponding parts are indicated by the same letters where necessary.
My Improved apparatus consists of the following parts.
In front of the usual thread carriers of a straight bar knitting machine I place a
bar A (see Figures 1. 3. 4 and 6) nearly the length of the machine to which the
apparatus is applied, the upper face of the bar has two grooves planed out its whole
length, in each groove a bar A¹ slides, each being provided with as many thread
guides A as may be required to each breadth of fabric-produced across the width
of the machine; the thread guides are arranged alternately on pairs of short
bars A³, secured to the sliding bars A¹ by screws as shown in plan at Figure 6,
to allow of ready adjustment or removal.
Each of the bars A' is provided with a flat stud A' at their left end, the flat
stud on the front bar A¹ slides in the slotted right end of a bracket A, the left
end of which works on a stud in the upper end of a lever A, the flat stud on the
back bar A¹ slides in the slotted right end of a shorter bracket the left end of

page_text: which works on a stud in the upper end of a lever A'. The levers A, and A²,
rock upon an axle secured in a arm A³ the lower end of which is attached to a
bracket A, projecting from the framing of the machine, the outer end of the
bracket A is provided with a bearing arm A", from which. an axle projects on
which a pattern wheel B is rotated this wheel has a ratchet toothed radiating flange
from the right side of which a circular flange projects, the outer circumference of
which is provided with studded pattern plates B¹, and the inner circumference with
pattern plates B³, each secured to the wheel by screws as shown at Figures 7,
and 8.
The rocking lovers A° and A' near the lower ends are each hooked to their inner
ends of coiled springs, the outer ends of which are hooked on to rods secured to the
bearing arm A shown at Figure 4 the springs hold the lower ends of the rocking
levers firmly to the studded edges of the pattern plates, the upper ends of the levers
causing the slotted bracket A' and the shorter bracket to slide in the slots of a arm A°
attached to the arm A³, thereby giving the requisite lateral movements to each of the
sliding bars A' provided with the thread guides. The pattern wheel is rotated by the
upper end of a driver B³ which engages with the teeth of the wheel the lower end of
the driver being hinged to a truck bearing lever B' operated by a cam 1, on the usual
cam shaft, the back end of the lever B rocking on a shaft B, carried by bearings at
the back of the machine framing, on a stud projecting from the front end of the lever
the upper end of a coiled spring is hooked the lower end of the spring being hooked
on a stud secured to the lower front rail of the framing the truck carried by the lever
being thereby held to its cam.
The grooved bar A, is supported by its lower side being hinged to the upper ends of
bearing arms C one near each end and intermediate ones where necessary, the arms
are secured on an extra shaft C¹ which rocks in bearings attached to the framing of
the machine, the extra shaft is provided with a truck bearing lever 0² operated by a
cam 3 on the usual cam shaft, which causes the grooved bar, sliding bars, and their
thread guides to move towards or from the needles, so as to pass their threads through
the needles, then over one or more needles previous to the passage of the usual thread
carrier or carriers, according to the pattern required. The lever C2 has the upper end
of a coiled spring shown at Figure 1, booked on its lower end the other end of the
spring being hooked on a stud secured to the lower front rail of the framing to hold.
the truck to its cam.
From the back edge of the bar A an arm projects hinged to the upper end of a
link D, having its lower end hinged to the front end of a lever D¹ secured to and
rocking with the shaft B provided with a truck bearing lever D² operated by a
cam 2, on the usual cam shaft, by which rising and falling movements are com-
municated to the thread guides A³ causing each of them to lap their threads round
one or more needles according to the lateral traverse of the bars A¹ effected by the
pattern plates B¹ B*.
Brackets E are secured to the grooved bar A at each division between which wires
are stretched and beneath which the threads are passed before being passed through
the guides A at the back of the wires at a suitable height is a perforated bar E
shown at Figures 2 and 5 having a broad bar or two narrow bars E² at the back
provided with pins for thread cops, spools, or bobbins, the bar E is attached to the
front end of arms E³ projecting from vertical brackets E* secured to the framing of
the machine, the cop pin bars have brackets E' secured to them at each division
between which wires are stretched, over which the threads from the cops are passed,
the threads are then passed through the holes in the bar E, before being passed
under the wires between the brackets E. The bars E' slide forward and backward on
the arms E³ being moved by the following means near each end they are connected
by links to arms F, attached to an axle bar F which rocks in bearings secured to the
brackets E the axle bar F¹ is provided with an arm hinged to the upper end of a
link F the lower end of which is hinged to the back end of a truck bearing lever F
operated by a cam 4, the front end of the truck lever is provided with a coiled spring,
having its lower end hooked on a stud secured to the framing of the machine.

page_text: The truck bearing lever D² projects to the front of the machine and forms a handle
which when raised by the attendant is held up by a catch lever D³ which rocks on a
stud in a bar D secured to the front framing a coiled spring being hooked on to
the catch lever and bar as shown at Figure 4, when so raised the grooved bar A is
rocked so as to lift the thread guides A higher than shown at Figures 11 and 12 and
in front of the truck lever 0 is a double ended lever C³, which rocks on an axle pro-
jecting from a bracket C secured to the front framing the back end of the lever C³
lies under the truck axle loss of the lover C, the front end forms a handle which when
depressed by the attendant moves the bar A, and thread guides A³ away from the
needles to give the attendant access to the needles when turning a welt or for other
purpose or when the thread guides are not required to operate.
When the handle of the lever (³, is depressed it is held down by a catch lever C
which rocks on a stud in the bracket Ca coiled spring being looked on to the catch
lever and an arm projecting from the bracket as shown at Figure 3.
Figures 9 show one of the outer studded pattern plates B2 and one of the inner
plates B employed on the pattern wheel B when the thread guides A³ are to be
traversed over one needle.
Figures 10 show one of the outer plates and one of the inner plates employed when
the thread guides A2 are to be traversed over two needles.
The movements of portions of the apparatus caused by the revolution of the several
cams are as follows, No. 1 cam racks the pattern wheel two teeth, at each course of.
fabric made, the wheel moves the thread guide bars to the right, the guides then pass
through the needles on their right side to the back of them the wheel then moves the
bars to the left to allow the guides to pass through on the left of the needles at each
course.
No. 2 cam after the jacks are drawn in the usual way lowers the thread guides to
enable them to pass through the needles then lifts them to clear the needles as shown
at Figure 12 and pass their threads round the needles by being lowered to the
position shown Figure 11 at each course.
No. 3 cam moves the guide bars towards the needles for the guides to pass their
threads to the right of the needles, and after the guide bars have been moved by
the pattorn wheel to the left, the cam moves the bars and guides away from the
needles at each course.
No. 4 cam slides the spool bars E³, backwards as the thread guides fall to their
lowest position to keep the threads tight, the bars remaining at rest until the guides
have risen to their highest position, as the guides are lowered and resume their first
position the bars are brought forward such movements being repeated at each
course.
In the above description the thread guides are described as first passing through
the needles to lay their threads on the right side, being then traversed to the left to
lay their threads on the left side of the needles as the guides again pass through the
needles, but if the guides after first passing through the needles are traversed to the
right to lay their threads on the left side and are then passed through the needles to
lay their threads on the right side, the same effect will be produced, that is to say,
the threads from the guides will show the same on the face of the fabric whichever
way the guides are traversed.
The movements of the thread guides A³ in combination with the bearded needles are
as follows, while the thread guides are in their first position as shown at Figure 11
the usual thread carrier lays its thread to the needles. below their beards in the
usual way and as the needles fall to allow the knocking over bits to knock the work
over the heads of the needles, the thread guides fall to their lowest position to allow
their threads to pass below the webs of the sinkers with the fabric, the thread guides
are then traversed to the right and move towards the needles, and as the needles
gradually rise the thread guides pass through them on the right side and rise to the
second position, shown at Figure 12 they are then traversed to the left, and lowered
slightly to pass through the needles on the left side to their first position such move-
ments being repeated at each course.

page_text: By means of the above described apparatus I am enabled to produce vertical
stripes or spots on the face of the fabric made in each division of the machine, or by
working the apparatus in combination with one or more of the usual thread carriers
behind the needles I can produce a great variety of regular or irregular checked
patterns at will.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
The construction and employment of the above described apparatus, operating in
conjunction with a straight bar knitting machine to produce vertical stripes, spots, or
checks, on the face of knitted fabrics substantially as described and illustrated in the
Drawings annexed.
Dated this Twenty third day of January 1889.
Witness,
H. W. GOUGH, C.E.,
Nottingham.
SAMUEL WARD.