IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STOCKINGS AND OTHER FABRICS IN CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Slack, of West Street, New Sneinton, in
the Parish of Sneinton, in the County of Nottingham, Lace Maker,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STOCKINGS
AND OTHER FABRICS IN CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES."
Sealed the 12th September 1862, and dated the 18th March 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Slack at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th
March 1862.
I, SAMUEL SLACK, of West Street, New Sneinton, in the Parish of
Sneinton, in the County of Nottingham, Lace Maker, do hereby declare
the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
STOCKINGS AND OTHER FABRICS IN CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object "Improvements in the Manufacture of
Stockings and other Fabrics in Circular Knitting Machines. Heretofore
when making stockings in a knitting machine, wherein the needles are set:
in a ring or around a circle, so as to produce a tubular knitted fabric, the part
of the fabric of a stocking where it comes at the back of the leg is not different
from the other parts of the fabric, whereas when making stockings in other
knitting machines there is a selvage left for seaming or joining up the back of
the leg.
Now the object of the present Invention is to introduce a seaming thread in:
that part of the work intended to form the back part of a stocking corres-
ponding in position with the seams in stockings which are joined up the back

page_text: and this object is effected simultaneously with the working of the other parts
of the machine.
For this purpose a space is by preference left in the circular head by a
needle being left out. In the space thus formed an extra thread is worked in,
such extra thread by preference being a thicker thread. This extra thread is
caused to loop alternately with the thread' on the one side, and on the other
changing from one to the other at every.course.
In order to effect this alternate working of the thick or extra thread with
the thread on either side, the carrier of the thick or extra thread has imparted
to it (by means of a cam or other suitable equivalent) an alternating motion.
The mode of introducing the seaming thread at the back of a stocking made in
a circular machine may however be varied. In like manner shirts and other
like fabrics made in circular machines may be seamed at the sides or parts
requiring such seams.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filel
by the said Samuel Slack in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th September 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE. PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
ŚLACK, of West Street, New Sneinton, in the Parish of Sneinton, in the County
of Nottingham, Lace Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord.One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Samuel Slack, Her special licence that I, the said Samuel
Slack, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Samuel Slack, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STOCKINGS AND OTHER' FABRICS IN CIR-
CULAR KNITTING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Samuel Slack, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my; or their, or one of their hands and seals;
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,

page_text: 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 Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that. I; the said Samuel Slack, 'do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what 'manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
stockings and other fabrics in circular knitting machines.' Heretofore when
making stockings in a knitting machine, wherein the needles are set in a ring
or around a circle, so as to produce a tubular knitted fabric; the part of the
fabric of a stocking where it comes at the back of the leg is not different' from
the other parts of the fabric, whereas when making stockings in other' knit-
ting machines there is a selvage left for seaming or joining up the back of the
leg:
i.
Now the object of the present Invention is to introduce a seaming thread in
that part of the work intended to form the back part of a stocking corresponding
in position with the seams in stockings which are joined up the back, and this
object is "effected simultaneously with the working of the other. parts of the
machine.
'i.
For this purpose. a space is by preference left in the circular head by a
needle being left out. "In the space thus formed an extra thread is worked in,
such extra thread by preference being a thicker thread. This extra thread is
caused to loop alternately with the thread on the one side, and on the other
changing from one to the other at every course.
.
In order to effect this alternate working' of the thick 'or extra thread with
the thread on either side, the carrier of the thick or extra thread has imparted
to it (by means of a cam or other suitable equivalent) an alternating motion.
The mode of introducing the seaming thread at the back of a stocking made
in a circular machine may however be varied. In like manner shirts and other
like' fabrics made in circular 'machines may be. seamed at the sides or parts
requiring such seams.
"
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed more fully
to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
The Drawings shew my Invention applied to an ordinary circular head
knitting machine, wherein the needles are set in a circle so as to produce
tubular knitted fabrics.
in

page_text: Figure 1 is a front elevation; Figure 2 a sectional elevation; Figure 3 a
plan with the upper parts removed;. Figure 4 a plan of the upper parts, not
shewn in Figure 3;. and Figures 5, 6, and 7, are horizontal sections taken at
the dotted lines 1, 1, 2, 2, and 3, 3, respectively in Figure 1; Figure 8 is a
vertical section taken at the line 1, 1, in Figure 4; and Figures 9, 10, 11, 12,
and 13 shew separate views of some of the parts.
In each of these Figures the same letters are used to indicate the same
parts. A is a circular head or machine, similar to those ordinarily employed
for producing tubular knitted fabrics, but with a needle removed from a lead,
so as to leave a space at A', as shewn in Figures 1-and 3. Within the space
so formed a separate needle g and a thread carrier are employed to work in or
introduce an additional thread, so as to form at that part of the stocking.or
other knitted tubular fabric a seam similar to those formed in stockings which
are joined up at the back; A² is a toothed wheel. fixed to the circular head A,
by means of which the mechanism employed for carrying out my Invention is
put in motion. This wheel A², takes into and drives a toothed wheel a, on the
lower end of the vertical axis b, at the upper end of which is a wheel c, which
takes into and drives the toothed wheel d, formed on or affixed to the ring or
cylinder d, by which such cylinder and parts carried thereby are caused to,
rotate. The cylinder d¹ is mounted loosely upon a stationary cylinder e,
affixed to a bracket e', carried by the framing as shewn; f is another ring or
cylinder held firmly in place upon the stationary cylinder e by screws f¹. Upon
the upper surface of the ring or cylinder f, and between it and the bracket e,
the cylinder d' rotates. The needle g for working in or introducing the addi-
tional or seaming thread is mounted on the lower end of an arm or
lever g';
which is capable of movement to a slight extent to and from the centre
of the circular head, as well as of moving upwards and downwards. The
toothed wheels A³, a, c, and d, are all of like diameters, and have the same
number of teeth, consequently the circular head A, and the cylinder or
ring d, and parts carried thereby revolve together at the same speed.
The lowering of the needle g into the space A', and the raising it out
therefrom is effected by means of the curved slot or cam surface e formed
in the stationary cylinder e, in the following manner:-9² is a truck working
on a centre pin g³, extending inwards from the back of a slide 9', into the
curved slot or cam surface e', while at the front or outer surface of the slide 9',
there is a projection 9 passing through the slot d³, of the cylinder or ring d¹,
to which projection the upper end of the arm or lever g¹ is pin-jointed so that
as the cylinder moves round the slide g and parts, carried thereby are made
to travel upwards and downwards in the slot d², in consequence of the
.
"
...

page_text: connection of the slide with the curved slot or cam surface of the fixed
cylinder e The slight movement requisite for the needle g, in a direction
to and from the centre is given by causing its lever to move on its pin joint..
A slot 9 is formed in the lever arm g', through which is passed a
bolt g', projecting from a small V-slide 98; this is caused to slide in a V-groove
h³, formed in the plate h attached to the ring or cylinder d¹, by means of the
bracket h', and screws h³. The slide 93 is at its inner end formed with a fork, the
prongs 9, 9, of which embrace the rim or cam fs, formed upon the under side
of the stationary ring or cylinder f. Another V-grooove h, is also formed in
the plate h, in which a slide i is caused to move in a similar manner to the
slide g³, its inner end being formed into a fork which embraces the cam f³,
which is also formed upon the under side of the stationary ring or cylinder f.
The bolt of the slide passes through an opening of the arm or lever 1³,.
where it is secured by a nut as shewn, thus a similar motion to that of the arm
or lever g' is imparted to the arm or lever ³, which at its lower end carries the
carrier of the thick or seaming thread. The thick thread carrier has
formed upon it two hooks, nebs or projections 1, 2, one on either side, which
serve alternately to sustain the loops while the needle g descends and takes up
the ordinary thread extending across the needles on either side of the space A¹.
The arm or lever ³, has at its upper end a slotted opening 7, through which
a stud or projection j passes, carried by a bracket attached by screws j³,³,
to the ring or cylinder d¹. The arm; or lever, is retained upon the stud or
projection by means of the screwed pin ; which passes through holes, j
in lugs formed on the bracket j'. There is also carried by the bracket j', a
spring, which at all times presses upon the under side of the projection t³,.
of the lever or arm . There is another opening in the arm or lever ³,
within which a cam k works in such manner as to cause the thick thread
carrier to move to the one side or the other according as it is required to
cause the thick thread to be closed in with the loops formed on the needles on the
one or the other side of the gap A¹. At the back of the cam k and formed in
one piece with it is a wheel or disc having four teeth or projections k¹, k¹, and
at the back of the projections k¹, k, a square head is formed, one of whose sides.
constantly rests on the flat surface f* of the ring or cylinder f. The projec-
tions k', k', as they move round come in contact with studs or projections f³, fo,
on the fixed ring or cylinder f, by which a quarter revolution each time of
striking one of the projections f³ is given to the cam k on its axis k².
Indents f,f, are formed in the surface of the fixed cylinder or ring fat those
parts to allow of the square head turning therein when struck by the projec-
tions, so that the cam k makes half a revolution at every course, it being moved
:

page_text: lis
by one of the projections so as just to pass one of the projections of the
carrier beneath the loop on the needle g and afterwards to get rid of it;
a guard or support to protect the needle g from injury by being bent inwards
when the work is being pressed back previous to the descent of the needle g to
take up a fresh loop. The extra or seaming thread is drawn from. the
bobbin m, it passes through, guides m', m³, carried by the bracket h³, thence
through a guide or eye m³, on the arm or lever, then through another guide m*,
carried by the arm or lever g¹, next it passes to another guide m³, carried by
the arm or lever i³, and it then passes direct to the eye of the carrier.
Two inclines in and are fixed to the bracket e', which act upon the upper
surface of the projection of the lever or arm 2, in such manner as to
depress it while the carrier is being drawn under the head of the needle g by
means of its cam f. After passing the incline n the arm or lever 22 rises again
by the action of the spring j³. The incline o serves to depress the arm or
lever, just at the time that the prong of the carrier is moving away from
under the loop previous to the landing and pressing taking place.
Diagram No. 1 shews a front and side view of the positions the instruments
and 9 assume after the work has been knocked over by the ordinary
knocking over wheel, and after the needle 9 has commenced moving inwards
towards the centre of the circle of needles...The needle g continues to move
inwards until it arrives opposite the instrument 1, as shewn at Diagram No. 2,
which serves to prevent the needle from being bent inwards by the extra or
seaming thread carrier as that carrier passes under the needle head, which it
is caused to do by the action of the incline n, on the projection of the arm
or lever. The 'loop on the needle g is prevented from descending with the
needle as it descends by one or other of the projections i, o, on the extra
thread carrier which passes beneath the loop, so as to support and retain such
loop during the descent of the needle 'g, which position is shewn in Diagram
No. 3. The extra thread carrier presses back the work towards the centre of
the circle of needles, so as to form a space or opening for the descent of the
needle 9. The needle "descends through the opening or space thus formed;
whilst the needle g is opposite the guard or support 7. The needle g having
passed the guard-l, moves outwards slightly or away from the centre, and rises
in order to be in position to take up a new loop' of the thread extending across
the space A¹, having done which it continues to. rise and travel towards its
presser p; it also moves slightly outwards so as to be in advance or outside of
the needles of the circle during the pressing of the beard of the needle g
against its stationary presser p: The thread carrier then moves a slight.
distance away from the needle g by the action of its cam k, aided by the fixed
.

page_text: the
incline o, to remove the prong or projection of the thread carrier from beneath
the loop of the previous course, and to allow of such loop to be landed over
the beard of the needle g during the time the beard is being pressed. The
needle g still continues to rise, and thus rids itself of such loop which is knocked
over by the needle g rising out of the work, after which the needle g moves
again into its place in the gap of the circle at A', so as to be out of the way,
and allow the ordinary looping wheels to work as usual. The needle g descends
with the work, which is carried down the stems of the other needles by the
fixed incline or pusher, back g. The work continues to descend while the
needles pass the loop wheel, and until they come opposite the dividing wheel,
when the wheel g commences to rise, the work also is caused to rise up
stems of the needles by the landing wheel assisted by the weight or take up of
the work. The work and the needle 9 continue to rise and then the presser
wheel acts and presses the beards of the needles of the circle, and allows the
landing wheel to pass the loops of the previous course over the needle beards
and the loops on arriving opposite the knocking over wheel are knocked over
as usual. The thick or extra thread carrier having followed the work in its
downward and also its upward movement, comes again into position to act as
before, only that the loop on the needle g, will be supported or sustained by
the other or opposite neb or projection of the thick thread carrier. Thus the
thick thread is caused to be closed in with the loop of the needle on the
opposite side of the space A', and so on, changing from the one to the other at
every course.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to any
of the mechanical parts shewn and described, and the same may be varied
without departing from my Invention, which consists in the production of a
seam or in the introduction of a seaming thread during the progress of the
work on an ordinary circle of needles of a knitting machine as herein explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Slack, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
SAMUEL SLACK. (L.S.)