Improvements in Double Straight Bed Knitting Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 30th June, 1893-Accepted, 16th Sept., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Double Straight Bed Knitting Machines.
We HEINRICH STOLL and FRIEDRICH MAERCKLIN both of the Firm of
H. Stoll & Co. of Reutlingen in the Empire of Germany, Knitting Machine
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 :-
The object of this invention is to simplify the mechanism by which knitted
fabric, in which the horizontal rows of stitches are alternately turned to the one
and other side of the fabric, termed left and left fabric may be made on straight
double bed knitting machines.
Up to this date such machines have been constructed capable of making left
and left fabric, but the mechanism has been complicated with attending
disadvantages.
The present machine avoids these disadvantages of previous machines by its
simplicity of construction, and its greater utility.
By the aid of this improved machine left and right fabric in one and one or other
proportions may be knitted as well as fabric of plain design.
To enable persons to knit right and left fabric on a flat-knitting machine with
two beds, such as the "Lamb" machine the yarn loops must be transferred
alternately from the one to the other series of needles.
This in the present machine is attained in a most simple manner, as described
hereinafter.
Fig. 1 of the drawings shows a plan view of the machine.
Figs. 2, 3 & 4 are cross-sections in 3 different positions of needles.
Fig. 5 is an underneath view of the cam-slide.
As shown in Figs. 2, 3 & 4 the two needle beds lie in one plane, and a double-
needle a of the form shown in Figs. 2, 3 & 4 is used.
This needle consists of a shaft, on both ends of which hooks with tongues are
provided. These double needles, according to the to and fro movement of the
slide are carried bodily out of the one needle bed (e) into the corresponding slots
in the other needle bed (e). This is effected by the jacks (6), which latter
Each of these jacks, of
preferably are made in the form shown in Figs. 2, 3 & 4.
which a set is arranged in each bed has at its inner end a hook c and its butt d
provided at the exterior end projects above the sides of the needle-slots in the bed,
far enough to be caught by the cains and drawn back and forth. The action of
the jacks with their hooks o on the one hand is, to push the needles a with the
hooks of which (as shown in Fig. 2) they engage toward the other bed and then
release them while on the other bed the empty jacks are pushed inwards to catch
with their hooks o the hooks on the other ends of the needles, to draw the latter
into the other needle bed. The pushing back and forth of the jacks is effected as
already mentioned, by the cams (Fig. 5, under-view) while for the engaging and
disengaging of the jacks with and from the needles hooks, the following mechanism
is arranged.
On each slide of a covering plate r is screwed and over the latter an outwardly
projecting angle-piece g is fixed by means of screws g', this piece forming au
inclined plane directed toward the cams, as represented in Figs. 2, 3 & 4. Upon
the forward displacement of the jacks, their hooks slide up on this plane and are
thus lifted out of the needle-hooks. However this arrangement must be such,
that the jacks in the one bed are pushed forth earlier, than those in the other bed,
in order that the needles,-coming from the latter bed-can be pushed in beneath
the lifted hooks of the jacks in the former bed and these latter jacks must return

page_text: sooner into their lower position, in order to engage the needles and draw thein out
before the other jacks descend.
To attain this as shown in Figs. 1 & 5 the cams of the slides lying opposite to
one another and likewise the opposite lying inclined planes are displaced with
regard to one another in the direction of movement of the slides.
The jacks, as soon as their hooks o slide along the inclined plane guide them-
selves beneath or against a curve or track which is cut at in the inwardly
projecting angle piece i, the latter fixed by means of the screws f¹ one on each
slide. This curve or track is made in the form shown in Fig. 6 representing a
section on the line A B of Fig. 5. By the falling part of the curve towards the
end of the sliding movement of the jacks over the inclined plane h, the depression
of the jacks is again assured.
To permit the jacks to descend at this place, the inclined plane is slightly cut
back at k (Figs. 1 & 5) in order not to hinder the sinking of the jacks. At the
inner projecting ends of each slide f the needle tongue-openers are arranged, as
shown in the drawing.
The method of operating is as follows:
Supposing that the slide is in its starting position and the last row of loops
lies on the right hand side of the fabric; the jacks in the right hand bed
are engaged with the needles, while the jacks in the left hand bed are free
(Fig. 4).
When the slide is displaced in direction of the arrow, (Fig. 1) the following
occurs:
The jacks are pushed inwardly in both beds by the cams, and, as the cams in
the left precede those on the right, the left hand jacks move in advance of those on
the right.
The latter push the needles forth in front of them (see arrow Fig. 2) until their
left hand ends lie directly under the jack hooks o, raised in the meanwhile by the
inclined plane on the left; at the same moment the hooks on the right leave
the needles by rising onto the inclined plane on the right. Now the jacks on the
left fall down first, engage with the needles on the left and carry them towards the
left. During this procedure the hooks at the right hand ends of the needle catch
the yarn, while the needles are drawn out of the previously formed meshes, which
become part of the fabric.
When the slide has arrived at the other side, the newly formed loops hang to the
left and all the needles are in the left hand bed. Then the slide goes back (opposite
to the direction of the arrow). The needles are again pushed to the right (Fig. 3
of the arrow direction) when the same proceeding takes place in the reverse
direction and the new loops again form on the right.
In this manner the rows of meshes are alternately formed on the right and on the
left and thereby right and left fabric is produced.
In order now to be able to work plain fabric, the loops are all turned to the same
side, the middle cams are made in two parts, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 & 5.
The exterior portions m of the middle cams are firmly connected with the slide,
while the inner parts or points n forming the reciprocally opposed and step rising
slopes can be lifted and lowered.
Opposite the points n the counter cams n' are arranged, which latter are corre-
spondingly shaped to the points n so that between the former and the latter n' a
rising cam track is made for the butts d of the jacks.
The lifting and lowering of the points n is automatically or otherwise effected in
a known manner either by means of an eccentric, or by hand or by the aid of an
arrangement of cross bars. In the drawing the use of an eccentric is presumed. If
now at one side for instance the left (according to the drawing) where the needles
are provided the inner portion of the cam is lifted, the method of knitting is
altered in the following manner.
By the raising out of action of the part n on the left side the left hand knitting
cam is shortened, so that only the exterior part m continues working. This

page_text: latter is not long enough to entirely displace the jacks to reach the lifting
plane h.
Consequently also the needles are not pushed far enough to the right to be caught
by the hooks of the jacks on the right. The needles are again drawn back by the
left hand jacks, while the right hand needle hooks after taking yarn, escape out of
the just previously formed loops. On the return movement of the slide the same
work is repeated, on the same side. The effect is the same when the knitting is
made on the right, that is to say, when the right hand point cam is lifted and the
needles remain in the right bed.
Thus alternately right and left stitches or stitches all right or left may be
knitted.
In using tongued needles it has been found necessary to apply an arrangement,
which prevents the tongues from becoming entangled with the yarn or closing so as
to prevent the yarn reaching the needle hooks. For this purpose the already
mentioned covering plates are arranged (see Figs. 1 and 5) which prevent the
open tongues from turning back as long as the needles slide beneath the covering
plates. On this safety covering plate the tongue openers are fixed. To enable
the opened needle tongues on displacing the slide, to easily pass beneath the
covering plater, the latter (as shown in Fig. 7, section on line C D Fig. 5 and in
Fig. 8 a section on the line EF Fig. 5) is provided with corresponding grooves r¹.
The yarn feed of the usual kind is omitted in the drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:
1. A flat-knitting machine adapted for knitting left and left fabric, having two
needle beds in the same plane and double tongued or pointed free needles with
jacks moved by cams and adapted to alternately engage and move said needles into
the corresponding needle slits of the opposite needle beds. The cam slides carrying
plates (r) moving above the needle beds, to avoid the turning back of the opened
needle tongue, when knitting and provided with slits or grooves (¹) for passage of
said tongues.
2. The combination of the hooked (o) jacks (6) with inclined planes (h) upon
blocks g upon each cam slide, adapted to lift the jacks clear of the needle hooks and
cams made in two parts m n, the inner parts (n) being adapted to be raised out of
action for the purpose of knitting from one bed only substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
Dated this 30th day of June 1893.
R. HADDAN,
Herbert Haddan & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, Agent for Applicants.