IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Luke Woodward and Frederick Chadwick, both of Lee
Works, Arkwright Street, Nottingham, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN KNITTING MACHINES."
Sealed the 24th October 1879, and dated the 8th May 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Luke Woodward and
Frederick Chadwick at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
8th May 1879.
LUKE WOODWARD and FREDERICK CHADWICK, both of Lee Works, Arkwright
Street, Nottingham. IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES."
CE
This Invention has for its object to improve that class of rotary knitting
machines which are so arranged that the work can be narrowed when required
automatically, and without stopping the machine. In the Specification of a former
Patent granted to one of us, viz., Luke Woodward, No. 3674, in the year 1869,
was described means by which this result was obtained. The present improve-
ments have for their object to improve these means.
In the arrangement described in the previous Patent, the set of cams used for
producing a working course and the set of cams employed for producing a
narrowing course were carried on two parallel axes; one axis carrying one set of
cams, and the other axis the other set.
Each axis had upon it a toothed wheel which could be clutched to and made fast
with the axis, or be unclutched and allowed to turn around it the two toothed
wheels where geared together and both driven continuously. The clutches on the
two shafts were connected to the opposite ends of a lever, so that when one clutch
was locking together its shaft and toothed wheel the other was unclutched. Locking
mechanism was also used in combination with this arrangement to lock and hold
which ever clutch was unclutched, and so hold its shaft in one fixed position.
movement of the clutch lever and locking mechanism was effected at the required
times for putting one or other set of cams into action, and the other set out of
The

page_text: action at the times required by means of a revolving cam surface, to which a step
by step movement was given by a tappet carried by a wheel that revolved at the
same speed as the toothed wheel on the axis carrying the set of cams for producing
a narrowing.
According to our present Invention whilst still retaining the above essential
features of the former Invention, we improve the mechanism by which the above
described inode of action of the several parts is produced. We now employ for
clutching each shaft with the toothed wheel upon it a sliding bolt carried by a
projection on the shaft, and capable of sliding to and fro parallel with the shaft.
The sliding bolt is constantly pressed forward by a spring contained within the
projection to cause the forward end of the bolt to protrude from the projection, and
enter a hole in the side of the toothed wheel, and so lock the wheel to the shaft.
When the bolt is drawn back and the wheel so disengaged from the shaft, the tail
end of the bolt protrudes from behind the projection, and a hooked lever catch is
caused by a spring to hook over it and so lock and retain the shaft and prevent it
from returning.
To enable either of the clutch bolts to be drawn back at the times required, each
bolt has a pin projecting out from it radially to the shaft, and passing through a
slot in the projection within which the bolt is contained.
Whenever the bolt is to be drawn back an incline is brought into the path of the
projecting pin of the bolt, so that as the shaft revolves the pin is brought against
the incline, and the bolt so moved and held back. When the bolt is to be allowed
again to shoot forward, the incline is moved out of the way of the pin, and the
bolt being pressed forward by its spring enters the hole in the toothed wheel so
soon as the hole comes .opposite to it. The two inclines for thus acting on the
clutch bolts of the two axes we prefer to carry at the opposite extremities of a
rocking lever, although they might be otherwise carried, so that when one incline
is lowered and brought into the path of the projecting pin of one bolt, the other
incline is lifted out of the way of the other bolt.
Thus, there is always one or other of the bolts being held back by one or other
of the inclines whilst the other bolt is not held back, but is acting to clutch
together the shaft which carries it and the toothed wheel on this shaft.
To rock the lever at the required time a cam or tappet on the toothed wheel, or
the axis which carries the set of cams for producing a narrowing, or on a wheel
which revolves at the same speed acts at each revolution of the wheel upon a lever,
which conveys motion to a pawl that engages with a ratchet wheel from which
motion is conveyed by a worm and worm wheel or other gear to a revolving cam
or pattern surface. One arm of a lever is by a spring held constantly against this
cam surface. The other arm of this crank lever is connected by a link to an arm
on the axis of the lever that carries the inclines. When by the revolution of the
cam or pattern surface a notch in it comes below the end of the lever that is
bearing against it, the lever arm is drawn down by a spring into the notch, and as
it does so rocks the lever that carries the inclines, and this moves one incline away
from the front of the projecting pin of the bolt of the narrowing shaft, and allows
this bolt to be shot forward by its spring. The narrowing shaft is thus caused to
be clutched with the toothed wheel which drives it, and is caused to turn, whilst
the other shaft that carries the cams for producing a working course is drawn back
and thrown out of action, and locked as before explained. When the narrowing
shaft has nearly completed a revolution, a cam or tappet on its toothed wheel
comes against au arm on the axis of the lever that carries the inclines, and turns
this lever back to its former position, so lifting the lever coupled to it out of the
notch in the cam or pattern wheel, at the same time the pattern wheel is turned
round a distance as before explained, and the notch in the wheel moved from under
the lever, so that the lever which carries the inclines remains in the position into
which it has thus been moved. The reverse action then takes place; the clutch on
the shaft that carries the cams for producing a working course is allowed to spring

page_text: forward and lock this shaft with its gear wheel, so that the shaft is caused to
revolve and produce a course of work, whilst the clutch bolt on the shaft that
carries the cams for producing a narrowing is drawn back and locked, so throwing
this shaft with its cam out of action, and causing it to be locked and held as before
explained. The forward end of the locking bolts or the mouth of the holes in the
gear wheels into which they enter are slightly bevelled to facilitate the entry of the
bolts into the holes when they are shot forward by their springs.
In place of the mechanism being arranged so that the throwing into action of the
shaft that effects a narrowing is produced by a notch in the circumference of a
pattern wheel, it might be arranged so that a projection from the wheel shall effect
the same object.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Luke Woodward and Frederick Chadwick in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 7th November 1879.
LUKE WOODWARD and FREDERICk Chadwick, both of Lee Works, Arkwright
Street, Nottingham. "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES."
This Invention has for its object to improve that class of rotary knitting machines
which are so arranged that the work can be narrowed, when required, automatically
and without stopping the machine. In the Specification of a former Patent granted
to one of us, viz., Luke Woodward, No. 3674, in the year One thousand eight
hundred and sixty nine, was described means by which this result was obtained.
The present improvements have for their object to improve these means.
In the arrangement described in the previous Patent the set of cams used for
producing a working course and the set of cams employed for producing a narrowing
course were carried on two parallel shafts, one shaft carrying one set of cams and
the other shaft the other set.
Each shaft had upon it a toothed wheel which could be clutched to and made
fast with the shaft or be unclutched and allowed to turn around it. The two
toothed wheels were geared together and both driven continuously. The clutches
on the two shafts were connected to the opposite ends of a lever, so that when one
clutch was locking together its shaft and toothed wheel the other was unclutched.
Locking mechanism was also used in combination with this arrangement to lock
and hold whichever clutch was unclutched, and so hold its shaft in one fixed
position. The movement of the clutch lever and locking mechanism was effected
at the required times for putting one or other set of cams into action and the other
set out of action at the times required by means of a revolving cam surface, to
which a step by step movement was given by a tappet carried by a wheel that
revolved at the same speed as the toothed wheel on the axis carrying the set of
cams for producing a narrowing.
According to our present Invention whilst still retaining the above essential
features of the former Invention we improve the mechanism by which the above
described mode of action, of the several parts is produced, we now employ for
clutching each shaft with the toothed wheel upon it a sliding bolt capable of sliding
to and fro parallel with the shaft, and which is constantly pressed forward by a
spring so as to cause the forward end of the bolt to protrude and lock together the
toothed wheel and shaft whenever it is permitted to do so, and we use such spring
bolt in conjunction with a locking catch which locks the shaft and prevents it from
turning immediately that the spring bolt ceases to lock the toothed wheel to the
shaft;
also in conjunction with a rocking lever acting with inclines which controls
the locking together of the wheels and shafts by the bolts, and which also controls
the locking of the shafts by the locking catches; also in conjunction with a pattern
wheel which controls the position of the rocking lever at the time when it is to
effect the locking together of one shaft with its wheel, and the setting it free to
turn and the simultaneously unlocking the other shaft with its wheel. The sliding
bolt might be carried by a projection on the shaft; we, however, prefer that it
should be carried by the toothed wheel, and in that case that the mechanism for
controlling the locking and unlocking of the shafts with their toothed wheels
should then be arranged in the manner herein after described.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed we have shewn only mechanism arranged in
.the manner above described for controlling the action of the two parallel cam
shafts of a rotary knitting machine, the other parts of the knitting machine are
not shewn.
Figure 1 is an end elevation and Figure 2 is a plan view of the mechanism;
Figure 3 is a section of part of the same to shew clearly the action of one of the
locking bolts.

page_text: A, B, are the two parallel cam shafts of the knitting machine. The shaft A
carries the cams for producing a narrowing, the shaft B carries the cams for
producing a course of work. Turning loosely on each of these shafts is a toothed
wheel C; these wheels gear together, as shewn, and one of them receives motion
continuously from the crank or driving shaft of the machine. Each toothed wheel
carries a bolt D constantly pressed forwards by a coiled spring, as shewn at
Figure 3, so that the end of the bolt protrudes beyond the face of the wheel. On
each shaft is a sliding clutch E; the back end of this clutch carries two or other
number of stout pins F which fit into corresponding holes in a disc G which is
keyed fast on to the shaft. At the front end of the clutch is a disc H having a
hole in it into which the end of the bolt D can enter. The clutch on one shaft is
coupled to the clutch on the other shaft by a lever I, as shown at Figure 2, so that
when the clutch on one shaft is moved towards the toothed wheel on that shaft the
other clutch is moved away from the toothed wheel on the other shaft. K is the
rocking lever by which the movement of the clutches along the shaft is controlled;
it carries at each of its ends a truck or roller L. Each clutch E has fixed to it an
incline or cam path M. When one or other end of this lever is lowered the truck
or roller L carried by this end of the lever comes into the path of the incline on
the clutch below it, and when the incline on the clutch comes against the roller the
clutch is by it caused to move back endwise along its shaft.
At each revolution of the toothed wheel on the narrowing shaft A, and some time
before it is required to effect a change in the position of the two clutches, a cam N
on the toothed wheel comes under a projection K' on the left hand end of the
lever K, and lifts this end of the lever, and consequently depresses its opposite end;
it also draws back the end of a bell crank lever O away from the surface of a
pattern wheel P; this wheel is then caused to turn one step of its step by step
turning movement. When the cam N has passed beyond the projection K¹ on the
lever K, a spring Q which bears upon the lever tends to turn the lever back to its
former position, and does turn the lever back if a depression in the pattern wheels
is then opposite to the end of the lever O, but if a projection on the pattern wheel
is then opposite to the end of the lever O the lever K cannot turn back, and the
roller or truck on its right hand end remains down in the path of the cam or incline
of the clutch on the shaft B, and when the incline comes against the roller or truck
the clutch is shifted endwise until it gets clear of the end of the locking bolt, and
so the shaft B is disconnected from its toothed wheel. At the same time as the
clutches are coupled together so that they move in opposite directions the clutch on
the shaft A moves towards the toothed wheel on that shaft, at the same time that
the clutch on the shaft B moves back. The disc H on the forward face of the
clutch on the shaft A then presses against and moves back the bolt carried by the
toothed wheel on this shaft, but when the hole in this disc comes opposite to the
end of the bolt the bolt shoots forward and enters the hole, thereby locking the
toothed wheel with the shaft A.
Afterwards when the pattern wheel again moves round one step and the end of
the bell crank is no longer opposite a projection on the pattern wheel the spring Q
pressing on the lever K again depresses the left hand end of this lever, and when
the cam or incline of the clutch on the shaft A comes against the roller on its end
the position of the clutches will again be shifted.
In order to lock each shaft and prevent it from turning when it is disconnected
with the clutch the clutch has projecting from its back face a pin R. When the
clutch is slidden back this pin projects beyond the back of the disc G, and as the
clutch and the disc and pin are carried round by the rotation of the shaft the pin
comes against a spring catchi S and lifts it, and just as the clutch has been moved
back to such an extent as to be clear of the locking bolt which was previously
engaged with it the spring catch S descends and clips over the pin R. The shaft
by which the pin and clutch are carried is thereby locked and prevented from
turning. On the other hand when the clutch is again moved forward towards the
toothed wheel on the shaft the pin R is by the movement of the clutch drawn back

page_text: from under the catch S, and gets clear of this catch at the time when the spring
bolt shoots forward into the hole in the clutch and locks the toothed wheel and
shaft together.
In order to ensure that the bolts D shall always move forwards to the full extent
of their movement there is a piece K₁ carried at each end of the lever K, the ends
of the pieces K¹ are rounded or inclined, and the bolts have each a stud D¹ pro-
jecting from them, as shewn at Figure 3. If the bolt is not shot fully forwards
the stud D¹ at each revolution of the toothed wheel comes against the inclined end
of the piece K¹, and is by it pressed forwards to the end of its movement. When
the shaft for producing the courses of work is being turned the pressing forward of
the locking bolt which couples it to its toothed wheel will therefore take place at
every revolution of the shaft.
The step by step revolving motion is given to the axis of the pattern wheel P by
a worm T gearing into a worm wheel U fast upon it.
On the axis of the worm T
is a ratchet wheel V; a pawl carried by a lever V₁, which is free to turn around
the axis of the worm, engages with the teeth of the ratchet wheel. The lever V1
is connected by a link to a lever W which hangs on a pivot W¹. A roller X carried
by the lever is by means of a spring caused to bear constantly against the surface
of a cam Y on the toothed wheel on the narrowing shaft A, so that at each revo-
lution of this shaft the pattern wheel is turned one step.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention and the manner of performing
the same, we would have it understood that we claim,-
First. The combined arrangement of apparatus, substantially as hereinbefore
described, for alternately putting into and out of action the parallel cam shafts A, B,
of a rotary knitting machine.
Second. The employment of bolts shot forwards by springs for locking these cam
shafts with the toothed wheels by which they are to be driven.
Third. The employment of sliding clutches capable of sliding along the cam
shafts, but prevented from turning around them by pins entering holes in discs
keyed on to the shafts, in combination with spring bolts for locking together the
clutches and toothed wheels upon the shafts.
In witness whereof, I, the said Luke Woodward, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy nine.