Improvements in Knitting Machines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Nov., 1890-Accepted, 27th Dec., 1890
4 до I INIVAD
Improvements in Knitting Machines.
I, CONSTANTINE DE NEGRI, of 68, Stamford Street, Blackfriars, London, in the
County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This, my invention, relates to improvements in the construction and in the various
working parts for imparting the automatic alterations in the motions of selfacting
knitting machines, with or without a ribbing attachment, whilst entirely overcoming
the risk generally run, of the needles dropping and thereby occasioning both damage
to the machine and delay.
In this invention, I employ a cam shell with a platform, that part of which is below
a stitch cam of the dual type, allowing sufficient space for the needle or jack feet to
pass freely, whilst the rest of the needle platform is just high enough to admit of
the operator catching hold of the needle heads, to draw them out, but not high enough
to prevent the yarn thread passing at the back of the needles on which knitting is
suspended during the formation of heels and toes.
Through the side of this shell, from a centre vertically under the middle of the
dual stitch cam and below the platform, I bore a hole of such shape and diameter
that part of it should reach above the level of the platform and large enough for the
introduction of a segment of a disk cam, which hole, whilst penetrating that portion
of the shell above the platform, shall not come through the platform itself, but leave
a thin piece of metal between the cam and the cylinder, when the latter is in its
place, so as to support the needles when the segment of a disk cam, which I will call
in future the tipping cam, is below the platform.
Now directly above the tipping cam and between the apexes of the dual stitch cam,
I fix inside the shell a lift cam with its lower part made to clear the needle or jack
feet, when passing over the platform and at the same time flush with the upper
portion of the hole, in which the tipping cam is introduced, so that when this cam is
in its central position, with its segmental portion turned upwards, it should exactly fit
against the lower part of this lift cam and thus, when the shell is made to revolve, the
needles would be forced up over part of the tipping cam and thence over the top of
the lift cam, which would enable them to take a stitch.
It will be clearly seen, that, according to the position of this cam, a stitch may be
either taken or not.
In this machine I consider it advisable to use the old fashioned needle jacks and
to increase the length of their feet on their under side at the expense of the lower
width of the jacks, the cylinder being proportionately reduced in diameter below,
starting from the top of the tipping cam, whilst the platform and bottom part of
the uplift cam and stitch cam, are made thick enough to reach close to the reduced
part of the cylinder.
:
From the outer centre of the tipping cam, I produce a spindle which is fitted into
any suitable bearing attached to the shell and on the end of which a bevil wheel. is
fastened.
The general arrangement of my selfacting knitting machine will be better understood
by my explaining the separate parts.
.
Upon two standards I mount a bed, about the centre of which I fit the cylinder,
with an opening through the bed for the work to pass; around the cylinder I put
the cam shell, on the botton of which is cast or fastened a bevil wheel, surrounding
this shell there are two rings fitted into the bed one above the other and free to
revolve into each of these a V slide is fitted running radially, upon which a curved

page_text: rack is fastened, the rack belonging to the lower ring coming up level with that
one belonging to the top ring through an opening in the upper one provided for
that purpose.
These racks, at their greatest distance from the centre of the machine, are arranged
to come in gear with the above named bevil wheel on the tipping cam spindle, whilst,
when nearest the centre, they run out of gear.
The means I adopt for regulating the positions of these sliding racks, when the
machine is making a heel or toe, is by fixing pins, with or without rollers on them,
which fit into cam slots in the opposite ring, so that when one of the rings is moved
towards the front, both the racks are brought into gear.
The racks, when beginning a heel or toe, are one on each side of the shell, the rings
being moved alternately in opposite directions.
These rings, if. cut all the way round, which is not necessary, would have as many
teeth on their periphery as there are needles or needle grooves in the particular
cylinder in use.
When making heels and toes, a horizontal sliding plate is put in motion at the back
of the machine bed, carrying two double ended pauls, the left hand end of one racking
one of the rings, whilst the right hand end of the other is racking the other ring,
intermittently, so that as the first tooth is taken in one of the rings, it causes the racks
to fall in gear with the tipping cam bevil wheel and reduce the number of needles in
action, one on one side and then one on the other, until the required number have been
thrown out of action.
To number the needles put out of action and then reverse the pauls, so as to
return them into action, one by one, I mount on the above named sliding plate
a ratchet wheel having on its periphery as many teeth as needles are required to go
out of action, one by one and then return into action in like manner.
To this ratchet wheel I attach a cam, half of which is struck from a longer radius
than the other half; against this cam two rollers are held, one on the opposite side to
the other, in a double ended lever, which when actuated by the cam, at the proper
time, reverses the pauls by means of pins on the latter's backs and a small pivoted
lever slipped over them which when one is reversed must reverse the other, a weight
or springs being used to allow these pauls to pass backwards over the teeth of the
rings.
To work this ratchet wheel, when the plate at back is sliding, I fasten a single
paul to an immovable part of the back of the bed, so as to take one tooth at every
stroke of the sliding plate.
Another use to which this sliding plate is put, when heels and toes are being made,
is to throw into action, by means of arms acting upon clutches, one or other of
two driving wheels, which are always in gear with the bevil wheel on the bottom
of the cam shell and running on the driving shaft of the machine opposite to one
another.
The driving arrangement is as follows.
Below the bed, I run a shaft which passes horizontally under the centre of the
cylinder, in bearings provided on each of the standards of the machine.
On one end of the shaft, say on the right hand side, outside the standard, I have
two belt pulleys, mounted loose, the inner one having cast on, or fitted to it, a toothed
wheel which is in gear with another one, also running loose on a stud attached to
the standard, whilst being joined to a smaller toothed wheel, which in its turn, is in
gear with another wheel running loose on the said driving shaft, but which can be
made to drive the shaft by means of a clutch to which a lever is attached on its inner
side; I also have a clutch on the outer side, which can make the outer pulley drive
this said shaft when its lever throws the clutch in gear.
It will be seen that if a belt is running on one or the other pulley, the shaft can be
driven by either, only altering the speed in such proportion as the gear wheels may be
arranged for, whilst either can be used as a loose pulley, thus enabling the machine to
be stopped at the end of any of its operations when desired.
At the other end of this driving shaft I key on a bevil wheel which is in gear with

page_text: another one fastened to a second shaft, running horizontally square with the driving
one, in bearings attached outside the left hand side standard.
The object of this auxiliary shaft being to govern all the active parts of the
machine.
By means of a cam, which can be clutched to this auxiliary shaft and when
clutched will work between two rollers in a lever, the lower end of which is pivoted
by means of a pin and U piece to the standard and the upper end of which is
connected with the sliding plate at back of the machine, the latter will receive the
desired stroke that should be at times imparted to it.
To govern the clutch which throws this cam in gear, I employ an endless chain
having a pattern surface, driven by a ratchet wheel and put in motion by a paul,
which is actuated by a crank pin or eccentric driven by the auxiliary shaft and upon
this chain I fasten adjustable lugs being arranged to control, through a lever or
levers, the clutch, in or out of gear, the positions of such lugs being alterable
according to the class of goods required to be knitted.
To complete the actions of this automatic machine, one more motion is required
viz. the passing of the belt from the fast driving pulley to the slower one and back to
the fast one.
I carry this out by means of either a disk carrying a crank pin or an eccentric
attached to or in gear with the back end of the auxiliary shaft, which when revolving,
gives a sliding motion to a rod, the stroke of which is equal to the distance that
the striking gear requires to traverse, in moving the belt from one pulley to the
other.
This sliding rod is so made that it can turn as well as slide and it carries a
prominence or protruberance which when the rod is turned at the right time,
enters a recess or notch in a sliding flat piece of iron attached to the striking
gear and carries it the length of its stroke and then releases it until it has to be
carried back again.
It will be easily seen that the turning motion can be imparted to the sliding rod
by the same means as the clutching and unclutching of the cam that drives the
sliding plate at the back of the machine viz. by means of a lug on the endless
pattern surface chain which by the positions these lugs are fastened in, govern the
machine to knit a sock or stocking of any number of rows in the leg and foot.
Now to go through the various actions of this machine, we will suppose that the
belt is running on the outside quickest driving pulley, which is loose to begin with,
the clutch lever being moved in gear connects the pulley with the shaft whilst one of
the clutches of one of the driving wheels is in gear.
The machine will then run on circular work say the leg of a stocking, until one
of the lugs on the endless pattern chain comes in contact with the lever which throws
the cam on the auxiliary shaft in gear, thus causing the back plate to slide and at
the same time shifting the belt on to the slower driving pulley, in the manner already
described above.
Due to the back slide's action, the driving wheel that was in use for circular work
is unclutched and the opposite one clutched, causing the shell to reverse and recipro-
cate at every stroke of the back plate, whilst at the same time one of the rings that
carry the curved racks is advanced one tooth, thus causing both of the racks to retire
from the centre and come in contact and gear with the toothed bevil wheel on the
tipping cam spindle, as that part of the shell passes each of them.
The reciprocations then continue doing the narrowing, until the last needle that is
desired to go out of action has been reached, when the ratchet wheel carried on the
back sliding plate, which has been, so to say, counting the needles out of action, has
made half a revolution and through the agency of the cam attached, throws the other
ends of the double ended pauls into action, thus reversing the rings and beginning
the widening process, which continues until the curved racks return to their former
positions and are thereby withdrawn by their pins as the last needle has returned
nto action..
At this time a-lug on the endless pattern chain comes in contact with the lever

page_text: connected with the cam clutch, throwing it out of gear and at the same time returning
the belt to the faster driving pulley ready to go on with the foot.
The same operation is gone through for the toe as for the heel, which when finished
another stocking is started, after a few rows have been run off and can be continued
as long as desired, whilst the stockings are being drawn off between two indiarubber
rollers, provided for this purpose, which are made to revolve by means of a slack gut
run from a pulley on the driving shaft.
In this machine, though any kind of depressor may be used, my new method of
pushing or drawing the work down is as follows.
A bridge or arm is attached to the machine shell, such as I would use for a machine
constructed to do rib work.
From this bridge I drop a fast spindle suspended from the boss of the bridge,
directly over the centre of the cylinder.
At the end of this spindle, a little below the top of the cylinder, I fit a disk or
round plate free to revolve, but stopped from falling off by a head, nut or pin and
washer and stopped from revolving with the spindle by an ordinary dial post.
This disk bas a number of small boles drilled through it, near its edge at even
distances, into each of which is fitted an inverted hook with the hook turned outwardly
and at the stem end which comes above this disk, I fasten a knob, which is best made
V shaped, so that the hook cannot fall out, whilst at the same time, I put a com-
pressed coil spring round each of the hook stems, between the disk and the knobs, so
that the hook is pulled upwards.
Now close above this disk, 1 fix to the spindle another disk, with a few V serrations
around part of its lower face, directly over the hook knobs in the lower plate, each
side of the V's being equal to the pitch of two of the hooks, so that when one of the
knobs is at the top or point of one of the V's, its two neighbours would be at the
bottom of the same V.
In setting this last named disk, the V serrations are brought just in front of the
carrier or yarn feeder, so that when knitting, these V's in revolving, impart an up and
down motion to the hooks, thus drawing down the work, whilst the plain part, which.
is level with the lowest part of the V's, hold down the stitches at the part that has
been knitted.
I would draw attention to the fact that it might suit me, even better, to reverse
these disks using ordinary books in an upper disk, whilst they were worked from
below by a fast disk with its V serrations turned upwards, leaving the work to be
drawn down by the springs.
It will readily be understood, how in rib machines, the dial may be run loose above
these disks upon the same spindle, being stopped by the same post as the lower disk
and being made with a long boss above it, around which the cam cap, also with a
rather long boss, can revolve, when driven in any way from the bridge.
The bridge I make particularly tall, so that the lepressor may be lifted up out of
the way and held there by a set screw that holds the spindle fast to the boss of the
bridge, whilst setting up at first.
Both the dial and cam cap have set screws fitting into grooves, the dial set screw
fitting into a groove round the spindle, which will either hold down when working
or out of the way higher up the spindle when plain work is being done.
The cam cap set screw is set into a groove round the boss of the dial to hold it
down, but, can be lifted off by withdrawing the screw.
It may have been noticed, by those who have worked some depressors of a different
kind to the above described one, that due to the carrier travelling to the back of the
machine in making heels and toes and being followed up by the depressor, the narrow
part of the heel or toe is relinquished and not held down for the short time during
such travel and has such a strong tendency to rise, that it becomes necessary for the
attendant to assist in pulling it down.
Now as I might at times find it desirable to use any such depressor, instead of the above
named one, I have invented a mode of pulling that part down, automatically as follows.
I mount in bearings a little spindle, running parallel with the machine driving

page_text: shaft and directly under the front part of the cylinder, where the narrowing is usualy
done, to which I fasten a few small eccentrics, which are arranged so that either one
is full up when its neighbour is full down, or at different angles to one another.
Straps on these eccentrics with hooks attached are led up to that part in the
cylinder where the narrowing is being done, so that they may catch hold of that part
of the work and thus help the depressor in pulling it down, the spindles being driven
by a slack band from the driving shaft running on a pulley at its end.
When working the machine for ribbed goods, by rendering the driving pulley
that is not in use at the time, into a loose one, the machine will come to a stand
still when it has reached those parts of the work where a change in speed is
needed, giving the operator the opportunity of making the changes necessary for
ribbed work.
If I want the machine to stop of itself, whilst it is on circular work, for the
purpose of altering the rib stitches, 1 can do so by means of a worn on one of the
shafts, working into a worm wheel, so divided, that a cam or lever can be set and
fastened, to allow the machine to run the required number of rows and then throw
out the outer clutch, thus stopping the machine for the required changes, which when
done, I can by loosening the cam or lever from the worm wheel, start again and let it
continue its work.
I would draw attention to the fact that machines, constructed according to this
Specification, will make heels and toes having what is known in the trade as best
finished fashionings, which consist of a superior method of fashioning made by
wrapping the yarn thread round the back of each needle, as it is brought into action,
during the widening process and as far as I know, has not yet been accomplished
automatically.
In some classes of machines I may find it expedient to employ a false needle
platform, that will rise and fall at will, so that the operator can raise the needles
to facilitate running on fabric or transferring rib tops to plain machines, this
false platform consists of an annular segment which fits in the shell on the ledge
or platform.
This false platform may be raised during tubular work and lowered during the
formation of heels and toes, to allow the yarn thread to pass behind the needles that
do not knit.
This same false platform may be either worked by hand or may be controled by
any of the moving parts of the machine.
To make welts on other than 1 and 1, such as 2 and 1, 3 and 1 and the like ribs, I
employ another kind of false platform, either in conjunction with the one above
described or otherwise.
This latter platform would be made of less width than the complete one, say half
its width and would have turrets on its upper edge to correspond with the needles
required to be pushed up above the level of the cams.
As an instance, if I am making a welt on 3 and 1, I would have a platform
with turrets that would lift every other needle, when 1 would knit the welt on the
remaining needles, after which, I would put down the raised needles and thus
form the welt without the trouble of lifting the needles singly by hand, as usually
done.
The machine, as above described, is one form of my invention but another part
relates to a modification thereof, whereby I can do away with the auxiliary shaft and
the sliding plate already refered to.
Instead of the pauls acting directly upon the two curved rack rings, I employ
worms to work into the edges of these rings, which last are cut like worm wheels, the
worms being mounted upon spindles, running in bearings on the back of the machine
to the left hand side, say; on the end of these spindles I mount spur wheels
which again gear into another pair of wheels upon which I work a pair of double
ended pauls, similar to the ones already described as working directly on the rings,
only that these pauls are actuated by means of a cam similar to the one described

page_text: as on the auxiliary shaft, only in this case mounted and clutchable to the driving
shaft.
This same cam is used to actuate a bell crank which gives motion to a sliding rod
at back of the machine upon which I mount the levers that throw the clutches in and
out of gear with the driving wheels, to impart the reciprocating motion required, when
making heels and toes.
The constant motion, namely the driving of the chain, is worked by means of a
crank pin on a toothed wheel driven by another one fastened on the driving shaft,
whilst the other constant motion, namely the sliding rod for striking the belt from
one pulley to the other, takes its motion also through a bell crank, either directly or
indirectly, from the driving shaft.
It will be seen, that, by this modification, I do not only simplify the machine, but
I get a machine which will work a cylinder of any number of needles, simply by
changing the wheels on the end of the worm spindles.
So as to overcome more or less the shock and noise, occasioned by the clutches
coming in contact with the driving wheels, when the reciprocating motion is in action,
I fasten leather or some other like substance on the clutch faces, so as to intervene
between the two metal faces, when coming in gear.
Another depressor may be constructed by mounting, in bearings, indiarubber rollers
of a barrel shape, the bearings being attached to a ring which, whilst held up to a
disk or the hottom of the dial, is free to play sideways, though prevented from
revolving by the dial post, having a small worm wheel on each of the rollers,
into which an eccentric worm on the ribber or depressor spindle gears so that
the worm, whilst pressing the rollers against the work, just where it is being
knitted, causes them to revolve in the direction that would carry the work down-
wards.
Another modification, for controlling the pauls that actuate the wheels, which drive,
by means of worms, the two rack rings, is as follows.
Instead of using double ended pauls, I use four single ended ones and introduce
plates between and outside of the two wheels which are to be acted upon, so that,
when any of these plates are raised, they will stop the pauls that should not act, from
dropping into the notches, by means of lugs attached to the pauls & extending over
their edges.
It will readily be seen that these plates can be easily governed by the same or
similar means as I used to control the double ended pauls.
Dated this 1st day of January 1890.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Knitting Machines.
I, CONSTANTINE DE NEGRI of 68 Stamford Street, Blackfriars, in the County of
Surrey, Engineer 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction and in the various
working parts used to impart the automatic alterations in the motions of self-acting
knitting machines whether with or without a ribbing attachment, whilst entirely over-
coming the risk generally run of the needles dropping and thereby occasioning both
damage to the machine and delay. The object of my improvements is the production
of hose or half hose much more rapidly and at greatly diminished cost than hereto-
I will now further and fully describe my improvements in reference to the
accompanying drawings in which similar letters and figures refer to similar parts.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the cam shell, Figure 2 is a plan, Figures 3 & 4
respectively cross sections on lines xa, Y Y Figure 2, Figures 5 and 6 are respectively
side and front elevations of the tipping cam and spindle.
fore:

page_text: igures, and are respectively an elevation, a half plan and a cross section of
the cylinder; Figure 10 is a general plan of the machine, Figure 11 an elevation of
back plate, Figure 12 is a plan of the bed plate of the machine with modification,
and Figure 13 is a section through same, Figure 14 is a left hand side elevation of
the machine and Figure 15 is a like view of the modified machine, Figure 16 is an
elevation of a detail hereinafter explained, Figure 17 is a part front elevation,
Figure 18 illustrates the cam segments in plan and Figure 19 in elevation ;
Figures 20 and 21 are front and side views of inverted upper and lower curved racks
respectively with foot and slides in the rings and Figure 22 is a front elevation of
V slide of Figure 21 Figure 23 is a part plan of endless pattern chain, Figure 24 is
a section through this chain and lugs attached. Figure 25 a modified arrangement
of same, Figures 26 and 27 are respectively a plan and elevation showing cbain
actions in detail, Figure 28 is a back elevation of the modified machine, Figure 29 is
a part section and part side elevation, and Figure 30 a front elevation of modified
driving arrangements of curved rack rings: Figure 31 is an elevation of a bridge for
rib work, Figures 32 to 37 are detail views of a depressor. Figure 32 is a vertical
section showing hooks, Figure 33 a plan of springs with hollow spindle in section,
Figure 34 is an elevation, Figure 35 is a plan of eccentric stop and top plate;
Figure 36 is a plan of guide plate, and Figure 37 is a plan of bottom plate with
lift cams.
Figures 38 to 41 are detail views of an alternative form of depressor. Figure 38
is a sectional elevation, Figure 39 is a plan on line 1-2 thereof, Figure 40 is a
section of one roller, and Figure 41 is an elevation of a spring catch, Figure 42 is an
'elevation of a bridge fitted on to shell with gear.
Figure 43 is a part plan, and Figure 44 a part elevation of a device for auto-
matically throwing the depressor shown in Figures 32 to 37 in or out of action, and
Figures 45 and 46 are same views of a device for throwing the depressor shown in
Figures 38 to 41 in or out of action: Figure 47 is a plan and Figure 48 an elevation
of a plain false platform, and Figures 49 and 50 are similar views of a turreted false
platform.
Firstly in regard to the shell and its details. I employ a cam shell A with a needle
platform a, part of which at a' beneath the stitch cam B (of the usual type) is
depressed so as to allow of sufficient space for the needle or "jack" feet to pass
freely below the said cam B, whilst the rest of the needle platform a is just high
enough to admit of the operator catching hold of the needle heads to draw thein
out, but not high enough to prevent the yarn thread passing at the back of the
needles from which the knitting is suspended during the formation of heels and
toes so that the yarn may be lapped behind the end needles when widening; by
that arrangement I am enabled to produce "best finished fashionings" without either
band work (as is usually the case) or extra mechanism. Through the side of this
shell A. from a centre vertically beneath the middle of the dual stitch cam B. and
below the platform a¹, I bore a bole a² of such a diameter that part of it extends above
the level of the platform a¹: the hole a² penetrates only that portion of the metal of
shell A. which is above the platform a' but does not penetrate any of the rest of the
shell, leaving a thin wall of metal a³ between cam . and the internal cylinder D.
Figures 7, 8, and 9, when in its place so as to partly support with the platform a¹ the
needle feet when the cam C. (hereinafter called the "tipping cam") is below the
part a' of platform a.
Immediately above the tipping cam and between the bases of the dual stitch
cam B I fix inside the shell A, a lift cam E with its lower part e made to clear the
needle or jack feet when passing over the platform a', but at the same time flush with
the upper portion of the hole a³, in which works the tipping cam C. so that when said
cam C. is in its central or upper position it will exactly fit against the lift cam E, and
thus, when the shell A is revolved, the needles are forced up over part of tipping
cam C. and thence over the top of the lift cam E which action enables them to take a
stitch but when the tipping cam is turned down the needle feet pass along without rising,
thus according to the position of the tipping cam Ca stitch may, or may not be taken.

page_text: In this machine I consider it advisable to use the old fashioned needle jacks, and to
increase the length of their feet on their bottom side at the expense of the lower width
of the jacks.
The cylinder D is reduced proportionately in its external diameter as illustrated
at d in Figs. 7 & 9 from the top of the tipping cam C. downwards, whilst the
platform a and the bottom part of the lift cam E. are made thick enough to provide
for this reduced part of the cylinder D, see Fig. 4. From the outer centre of the
tipping cam C. I produce a spindle c which is fitted into any suitable bearing such
as c' attached to shell A, and on the end of said spindle I fix a bevel wheel c³ by
which cam C. can be moved round say of its periphery.
I will now explain the general arrangement of my self-acting knitting machine.
The frame consists of two standards bb supporting the bed 62 about the centre of
which I fit the cylinder D round which the cam shell A rotates, the usual opening b
being left through the bed for the work to pass. On the bottom of the cam shell A
is cast or fitted a bevel wheel at which is driven by either of the two bevel wheels ssx
on the main shaft S hereinafter described, and which are fitted with clutches ****
hereinafter referred to.
In the bed plate 62 and surrounding the shell A, see Fig. 13, are fitted two
rings R R', the one R. being above the other R¹, and between them are interposed
two independent segments of a ring T T', Figures 18 and 19, with cam slots t t¹
and to, the latter being a clearance slot for slide rack to come through. The rings
and segments work upon small ledges turned in the ring bed as illustrated best in
Figure 13. Through each of the rings R R¹ are cut two V shaped slide passages in
which are fitted and work radially corresponding slides V₁ and each of which
respectively carries an inverted curved rack 7', see Figures 20, 21, 22, the rack r¹
belonging to and operated by the lower ring R¹ coming up level with the one r
belonging to and operated by the upper ring R, through openings to in the cam
segments T T and upper ring R. On the upper side of the lower V' slide is a
pin 2 which works in and is operated by the slot t of segment T, and similarly on
the lower side of the upper V. slide is a pin t working in and operated by the slot t¹
of segment T'. The racks when at their greatest distance from the centre of the
cylinder D will gear with the bevel wheel when over it, whilst at their shortest
distance therefrom they run out of gear. It is by the slots tt' that the positions of
these sliding racks are regulated when the machine is making heels or toes.
The said rings R R have rack teeth 72 on their peripheries which if cut all the way
round (which is not necessary) would number the same as the needles or needle
grooves in the particular cylinder in use.
At the beginning of their heel or toe work the racks are on opposite sides of the
cylinder D and during their work both rings and racks as hereinafter described are
moved intermittently in opposite directions towards the front, thus by turning the
tipping cam down earlier the number of needles in action is reduced and the work
narrowed when sufficiently narrowed, the movement is reversed so that the number
of needles in action is increased and hence the work is widened again.
For driving the said rings R R¹ into their intermittent alternating motion through
the required distances I adopt the device illustrated in Figures 10 and 11. P is a
sliding plate reciprocating horizontally upon the back of the machine and carrying
two double ended pawls p p¹, the left hand end of one p racking the ring R and the right
hand end of the other p¹ racking the other ring R' intermittently, so that as the first
tooth is taken in one of the rings, the rack carried thereon is advanced for a distance
proportionally equivalent to the pitch of the needles, and falls in gear with the tipping
cam bevel wheel c²: thus turning the tipping cam down out of the way of the needle
feet and thereby reducing the number of needles in action one on one side and then
one on the other side until the required number have been thrown out of action.
The plate P is reciprocated as follows:-
The main shaft S runs in bearings S₁ S₁ and has two belt pulleys so s' running loose
upon it
The inner pulley has a toothed wheel s² fixed to it running in gear with
wheels which is in one with wheels' running free on a stud s; wheel st engages with

page_text: wheels which also runs loose on shaft S; the wheels can however be clutched to
shaft. S by lever and clutch s'. The shaft can also be driven by the outer pulley so by
means of the lever and clutch when desired. It will be seen that if a belt is running
on one or the other pulley, the shaft S can be driven by either, only altering the
speed in such proportion as the gear wheels may be arranged for, whilst either can be
used as a loose pulley, thus enabling the machine to be stopped at the end of any of
its operations when desired, the fast speed being used when doing circular work and
the slower when making heels and toes. At the end of shaft S is fixed bevel wheel s
which engages bevel wheel F fast to the auxiliary shaft fat right angles to shaft S
and running in suitable bearings on the standards 6 6. On this shaft f, are
arranged a cam f' and a clutch which cam runs between rollers free to revolve on
pins attached to the centre of a lever f5 which is thus made to vibrate by the cam
when set in motion, whilst its lower end is free to move on a pin in a U-piece attached
to the standard; its upper end is connected by rod f' to plate P which is thus driven
into reciprocal motion.
To reverse the pawls p p¹ there is centred on the plate P a ratchet wheel G which
has the same number of teeth as there are needles required to go out of action one by
one and then return into action. To the ratchet is fixed a cam g, one of its arcs being
struck from the centre with a longer radius than the other: rollers g¹ g² engage with
cam g which are centred on the ends of a double ended lever g3 which is thus actuated.
This lever is connected by a rod g* to a pivoted lever y' which acts on and operates
two pins på på attached to the backs of the double ended pawls p p₁ respectively;
whilst a weight or spring may be used to assist these pawls if required.
The ratchet wheel G is moved forward one tooth at each reciprocation of the
plate P by a single pawl p* centred on the back of the bed plate 62. The notion of
the plate P is also utilised to effect the clutching, at the proper times, of the main
driving wheels ss to the shaft S; for this purpose two arms po pe are fixed on the
rod which act upon clutches ss of the wheels s s, and throw them alternately in
and out of clutch, so that one or the other always drives the cam-shell A.
To govern the clutch f³ on shaft f which throws the cam into gear I employ an
endless chain K Figure 23, having a pattern surface and driven by a ratchet wheel k
actuated by a pawl k¹ driven by a crank pin or eccentric k² on the wheel s³. The
course of the chain K is best seen on Figures 10 and 15, it runs over guide pulleys 64 b
whose positions are adjustable in accordance with the length of chain required for the
work in hand in the slots 66 65 provided in the standards b₁b for that purpose.
The chain K is carried along by a spur wheel k which is on the same spindle as
the ratchet wheel k and upon the former are fixed adjustable lugs kkk Figs. 23 and 24.
It is by the right and left handed lateral projections and 4 that the position of
the clutch is controlled; this is effected by means of a lever L with connecting rod l
and a quadrant or swiveling plate ; the lever L is pivoted at 12 and adapted to move
when thrown over by one or other of the chain lugs k³ k.
Another use to which the chain is put is to automatically change the belt from one
driving pulley to the other. Suspended over the chain is a lever H pivoted at h and
carrying a foot h¹ Figs. 26 and 27 which when the chain lug k* passes under, the foot
raises with it the lever H. The free end of lever H is connected by a small
rod h² to a lever h³ on a spindle I so that it will impart thereto a swiveling motion.
This spindle I has upon it a fixed catch i, which may be attached to the boss of
lever ; the spindle I has also another catch ¹. The belt fork bar l' is arranged
close to and parallel with spindle I and has a recess with which the catch when
turned by the lever ³ engages and carries the bar l' in one direction (due to the
reciprocating motion imparted to the spindle I as hereinafter described and illustrated
in Figs. 10, 15 and 28) until the chain lug has passed the foot h', when the lever h³
is released and allows the catch i to drop into a notch where it remains until the
slower motion used for heels and toes is done with. Then a similar lug to k again
lifts lever h³ withdrawing catch i from bar I¹ and thus allowing the spiral spring to
draw the bar back and shift the belt from the pulley s¹ to the pulley so when the
quick speed is again imparted.

page_text: Another action produced through the chain K upon the swiveling plate aforesaid
is to draw together or push back the cam segments T T¹ Figs. 18 and 19, which bring
the curved racks into play. This is effected by the other end of swiveling plate or
quadrant being pushed over in one or other direction by chain lugs as described.
According to the position of 12, Fig. 10, depends its action upon both of the
segments T T the connection being made by means of the levers n², n³, n*, and bell
crank n acting upon the ears 1 13 of segments T T projecting through slots in the
sides of the ring part of the bed 62 and moving the segments T T¹.
will now proceed to go through the various actions of this machine: Suppose
that the belt is running on the outside quickest driving pulley which is loose to
begin with, the clutch being put in gear connects the pulley so with the shaft S
whilst the clutch s of the driving wheel s is in gear. The machine will then run on
circular work (say the leg of a stocking) until a change is required for the heel, when
one of the lugs on the endless chain K, is arranged to come in contact with one
side of the quadrant which throws the cam f³ on the auxiliary shaft f in gear, thus
causing the back plate P to come into action and at the same time the lug kt is
arranged to lift the lever H which by turning the spindle I, the catch ¹ engages the
spindle I and bar and strikes the belt on to the slower driving pulley in the
manner already described above. Due to the action of the sliding plate P the driving
wheel that was in use for the circular work is now unclutched and the opposite
ones is clutched, causing the shell A to reverse and reciprocate at every stroke of the
back plate P whilst at the same time the segments T T¹ by their pin and cam connections
cause both of the racks and r¹ to retire from the centre and come in contact and
gear with the toothed bevel wheel c² on the spindle of the tipping cam C, as that
part of the shell A passes each of them; the reciprocations then continue during the
narrowing of the heel until the last needle that is desired to go out of action has been
reached, when the ratchet wheel G carried on the back sliding plate P (which has
been, so to say, counting the needles out of action) has made half a revolution and
through the agency of the cam g attached, throws the other ends of the double ended
pawls p p into action, thus reversing the rings R and R¹ and beginning the widening
process which continues until the other lug on the endless chain K comes in
contact with the other side of quadrant connected with the cam clutch f³, throwing
it out of gear, returning the belt to the faster driving pulley so, and withdrawing the
curved racks and to their former positions by their pins, as the last needle has
returned into action by the means already fully described, at the same time that
another lug like k is arranged to lift the lever H again which withdrawing the catch
from the bar 1 allows the spring to return the belt to the fast pulley so ready to go
on with the circular work of the foot. The same operation is gone through for the
toe, as for the heel, and when one stocking is finished another is started after a few
rows have been "
run off." The work can be continued as long as desired and the
stockings are drawn off between two india rubber rollers Ŏ 0% or between one
wooden and one rubber roller which are rotated by means of a slack gut or belt run
from a pulley on the driving shaft S, or the shaft itself as shown in dotted lines
Figs. 15 and 18. The machine as above described is one form of my invention but
another part relates to a modification thereof whereby I can dispense with the auxiliary
shaft and the sliding plate P already above described. This is illustrated in
Figs. 12, 15, 16, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30.
11
Instead of the two double ended pawls ppl acting directly upon the two curved
rack rings R R¹, I employ two worms W W₁ to work into the edges of these
rings R R which are cut like worm wheels; the said worms W W are mounted
upon spindles w w running in bearings w² on the back of the machine. On the end
of these spindles I mount spur wheels w³w which gear respectively into another pair
of, wheels w we see Figs. 29 and 30, wherein parts are shown in end elevation and
parts in section and' showing four pawls and operating upon the other
wheels and connected with these ones w & which I will refer to later on."
These pawls are carried by plates xx which are actuated by means of a cam X
which can be clutched to the main shaft S (similar to the one previously referred to
1

page_text: by letter f, Figs. 11 and 17) by means of the cranked lever Figure 16 (its pin
fitting into the cam slot 1) through the medium of a lever X pivotted thereto as well
as to the bed at X and connected by a pin to the plates xx. This cam X is mounted
on the driving shaft S, and when clutched thereto intermittently reciprocates a
spindle X in bearings X2; this same cam X is used to actuate a bell crank X³ shown
in Figures 15 and 27 and elsewhere which gives motion to a sliding rod f' mounted
at the back of machine and carrying the two levers på p³ arranged as before described
and shown for the purpose of throwing the driving wheel clutches ss in and out of
gear, and imparting the reciprocating motion required when making heels and toes.
In this case the constant motion for driving the pattern chain K is obtained by means
of a crank pin 2, Figures 15 and 27, attached to the tooth wheel so which is driven
by another wheels fastened to the main driving shaft, S; the pin 2 drives back
through pin the connecting rod z which connecting rod causes the vertical lever Z
to vibrate and it carries at its upper end a pawl k which acts on the ratchet wheel k
on the same spindle with the spur wheel 3, the teeth of which engage with the chain K
giving to it an intermittent motion at each vibration of the lever Z.
The same crank pin operates a sliding rod N with rack N' at its end gearing.
with a pinion N2, Figure 28, transmitting the motion through the pinion spindle n to
another pinion n¹ and thence to the rod ringed at the end I which operates the belt
fork rod I as above set forth in reference to Figures 26 and 27. Returning to the
wheels wand we, as shown in Figs. 29 and 30 which are connected to the other two
wheels respectively and, in these wheels and a notches are cut and pitched
so as to take the exact number of teeth required for the travel of the wheels w³ and we
at each take of the pawls one of the four pawls .r works one of these wheels in one
direction whilst the diagonally opposite one a works the other wheel in the opposite
direction when doing the narrowing in heels and toes, until they reach the last row
when they are thrown out of gear and the pair of pawls are thrown into action
thus reversing the rack rings R R¹ and doing the widening. This change is effected
as follows:-
Between the notched wheels is fitted a vertically sliding plate, and outside
of both wheels are also two other plates which are joined together by a small
column 10 and are capable of being operated simultaneously whilst the intermediate
plate is independent of them. These plates control the four pawls a', x², ³ and a
in or out of action according to whether their top edges are raised flush with the top
of the wheel or bottom of the notches 7. The four pawls are wide enough to extend
over a plate on one side only and thus when any plate is raised the pawls over it are
also raised so that they cannot drop into the notches. The plates carry rollers y y
between which are two cams Y Y connected to ratchet wheels y¹ y³. These ratchet
wheels each have as many teeth as are equal to the number of rows of the narrowing
and widening together, and are worked alternately in opposite directions by two
pawls y³ and y carried on a lever Y2 which is intermittently vibrated by a pin on
the back of box of cam X. Each cam Y Y' is composed of two arcs struck from the
same centre but having two different radii and these cams are set in opposing
directions, so that when the arc struck from the longest radius of one is up, the arc
struck from the shortest radius of the other is also up and when one cam changes the
other immediately changes also so that both cams are never up or down at the same
time and the said change throws two of the pawls out of action when immediately the
other two are allowed to fall into action.
I have above described one way of deriving the changes of action from the pattern
chain K, but I have devised another method whereby less strain is thrown upon the
chain and its action is more positive, in doing which I do not drive the ratchet
pawl quite in the same way as shown above. I illustrate this modification in
Figures 26 and 27 which is as follows:-The chain K is worked from the main shaft S
through wheels, pin ², connecting rod 2³, pin *, connecting rod 20, and lever z.
The lever z also works plate l' for altering automatically the actions of the machine
from circular to heel and toe work as follows:-The lever z as it vibrates works the
pawl over the ratchet wheel k and also carries a pivoted arın ³ connected to a

page_text: rod working in a bearing 2 which is suspended from the lever H, and anis rou
carries also a lever fastened to it with a projecting head: the lever will thus
vibrate with its projecting head in whatever line the bearing z may happen to assume.
There is a spring catch 2 on the bed which when the lever H is lifted by the chain
lug, Figs. 23 and 25, drops into a notch in the plate 8 thus holding this lever's
head in a line with the projection 16, until the catch is withdrawn by a lug illustrated
atk Figs. 23 and 25 when it drops down to the level of the projection
lever according to the position it has been placed in by the rod z¹ will press over
by its head the suspended plate by either of the projection thereon 15 or 16, thus
turning the disc on its centre and causing it to perform the same functions in
regard to the cam-segments T T', the clutch y' and all its dependent motions as were
previously described.
: now the
In this machine though any kind of depressor may be used my new method of
pushing or drawing the work done is as follows:-
A bridge or arm is attached to the machine shell, such as would be used for a
machine constructed to do rib work.
1 show in Figs. 31 and 42 the bridge I use for rib work, the first with dial and cam
cap in place from the boss of the bridge Q I suspend directly over the centre of the
cylinder D a fast hollow spindle Q extending below the dial and containing a small
free rod Q2. In this machine I fix the bridge Q around the upper part of shell A
Fig. 42, and at the end of the spindle Q'1 fix one or other of the depressors herein-
after described. The bridge is made tall enough for either of the depressors to be
lifted up out of the way and held there by the set screw 9° that holds the spindle Q¹
fast to the boss of the bridge, whilst setting up at first for work.
One form of depressor is illustrated in Figs. 32 to 37, q is a disc fastened to the
bottom of spindle Q' and revolving with it, it has a vertical rim and a number of
upturned V serrations or lifting pieces q2 on its upper face, which are adjusted to be
just under the carrier or yarn feeder, so that when knitting these serrations in
revolving impart an up and down motion to the books so that the higher parts or
hooks could draw down the work..
Above the disc g are two other discs 98 and 9³ mounted free on spindle Q¹ and
connected together by parts not shown so as to make the drawings more intelligible.
Between and is intervened spring plate ql surmounted by a piece q³ upon which
the spindle Q2 rests. The upper plate has holes round it which together with the
cuts in plate qe form guides for the hooks y Fig. 32: these hooks are pressed down
by spring plate q' between the V serrations of plate Fig. 37. On the upper
plate 3 just under the dial I fit a ring-plate of the form shown at q' Fig. 35 with
projecting pieces 9910. The plate q' is adapted to vibrate laterally on small
guides and inside it works an eccentric 98 fast to spindle Q. As the eccentric
revolves the shaped parts are held back by movable posts on the inner walls of
cylinder D (not shown but well known) and thus prevent the plates 93 and qº from
revolving. The special advantage of this arrangement is that the work being done
over the part of plate q' when disengaged from its post can pass freely down.
This kind of stop plate q' is applicable to a dial without the depressor described,
whilst being indispensable with the latter.
When I have described my other depressor I will then show how I throw this one
as well as the other in or out of action according to whether I am passing the yarn
in front of needles in or out of action. Referring to the depressor illustrated in
Figs. 38 to 411 employ the hollow spindle Q' on which is fastened the eccentric
working in a ring q' to which it gives an eccentric motion which is imparted likewise
to a ring V which fits around it.
This ring V (hereinafter called the "worm ring") is threaded on its outer side and
gears with teeth cut round the centre parts of the rollers do, the rest of said rollers
being covered with rubber or such lite substance: this arrangement gives the rollers
simultaneously an outward revolving and horizontal eccentric motion.
These rollers are mounted in lugs on the plate which plate v is fastened to the
dial d' by screws and washers or the like, which allow it to receive through the

page_text: rollers d the eccentric motion imparted to them but prevent its revolving with
the eccentric 98.
3
When the spindle Q' is rotated from right to left in the ordinary circular work, a
beveled foot drop catch e Fig. 41 is pressed into any one of several notches provided
for it on the top of the ring q'. It will then carry the worm ring V round with it in
that direction: but if the machine be reversed, the catch e is pressed out, due to
its beveled foot leaving the worm ring V and the ring 9' independent of one
another.
I fit a second eccentric adapted to rise or fall on the spindle Q' whilst being
carried round therewith by the pin connection at v². Around the upper face of this
eccentric I cut bevel teeth which engage with a small bevel wheel e on whose
spindle is a friction wheel e' free to revolve in a journal in the ring q'. The worm
ring V has a friction face on its lower side with which the friction wheel e' is shown
engaged, so that if the spindle Q¹ were reversed carrying round with it the
eccentrics 98 and 8, the latter would drive the wheel e' which would cause the worm
ring V to revolve in an opposite direction to the spindle Q through the agency of
the friction wheel e'; thus, in whichever direction the spindle is turned the worm
ring V will still cause the rollers d³ to turn outwardly whilst the eccentric action
would follow the direction of the spindle.
Now to demonstrate the object of this arrangement if the rollers are presse.l against
the work in the cylinder where it is being knitted, the eccentric action would cause
one or other of the rollers to always follow the work and thus press it down.
Supposing the work to be circular this would act well, but in the case of heel or
toe work when reversing, it is necessary that the rollers should still press downwards,
and it is for this purpose that the spring catch e is arranged not to revolve the worm
ring V, which will then be driven by the bevel and friction gear on the
eccentric 8. That mechanism will still make it draw down the work where
knitted, because the eccentric q³ would press the rollers against that part, when the
spindle is reversed.
I will now show how either of the above described forms of depressors may be
rendered inactive whilst passing in front of needles that are out of action.
Referring to Figs. 42, 45, 46,-About the upper end of the bridge Q' fit a lever U
pivoted at u on a bracket u¹, one end U¹ of the said lever U being connected with
the rod Q and the other with a connecting rod u² so that if the rod u² were pulled
down it would lift the rod Q'; the lower end of this rod u is linked to one end of a
lever u³, the other end of which is linked to the shell at u*.
This is operated as follows-The tipping cam wheel c² has a. pin or equivalent c³
which when the tipping cam is in its central position as dotted Fig. 42, comes in
contact with the lever u³ above described and depresses it, thus pulling down the
connecting rou u², raising the rod Q2 in the hollow spindle Q the lower end of which
is fitted with lock nuts holding up the cap 96, as illustrated in Figure 38. Now
when the tipping wheel c² alters its position by means of the curved racks R R' for
heel and toe work the pin c³ being removed, allows the lever u³ to relax its hold of
the cap 9 and then the ring 97 can fall away from the worm ring V and cease to
drive it either by the spring catch e' or the friction wheel e'. This is my method of
rendering the depressor illustrated in Figures 38 to 41 inactive, but when I use the
depressor described and illustrated in Figures 32 to 37, I substitute the arrangement
shown by Figures 43 and 44: herein to render it inactive I release the spindie Q2 at
such times as the lever u³, Figure 42, is released from the pressure of the pin c³ thus
releasing also the springs g, Figure 33, from depressing the hooks q which then
cease to pull the work down at the back of the head when making heels and toes.
It will readily be understood how in ribbing machines the dial may be run loose
above these discs upon the same spindle, being stopped by the same post as the upper
discs and being made with a long boss above it, around which the cam cap (also with
a rather long boss) can revolve when driven in any way from the bridge.
In some classes of machines I find it expedient to employ a false needle platform

page_text: that may be raised of lowered at will for the purpose of running on fabric or
transferring rib tops to plain machines; this I accomplish as follows:-
Referring to Figs. 47 and 48, the false platform consists of a plain segment of a
ring J which forms when in position the inner half of the raised part of the platform a,
it extends down low enough to steady it and the studs and thumb nuts J1 J1 are
provided for adjusting its position. This false platform may be raised during tubular
work and lowered during the formation of heels and toes to allow the yarn. thread
to pass behind the needles that do not knit.
. When it is required to make welts on other than one and one such as two and one,
three and one and like ribs, I supply the shell with another kind of false platform
which may be used in conjunction with the one above described.
Such a one I show at Figs. 49 and 50 which would fit inside the above described
one J when in position and form the other or outside half of the raised part of the
needle platforma: it has turrets J2 J2 of any required depth on its upper edge to
correspond with such.of the needles as may be required to be pushed up, and it can
be set at the level required and held there by the studs and thumb nuts J¹ J' or
the like; for example, if I am making a three and one welt the turrets would be
made to lift every other needle when I would knit the welt on the remaining needles,
after which, I would lower the raised needles and thus form the welt without the
necessity of lifting the needles singly by hand, as is usually done.
1 desire to state that I am aware of the previous Patent No. 10330 A.D. 1887.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. In a knitting machine :-The arrangement of shell with a tipping cam such as C
in combination with a lift cam such as E, the former acting below the butts or feet of
the needles or jacks for determining the point at which the needles shall or shall not take
a stitch by either rising up the tipping cam and lift or remaining on the shell
platform and passing under the lift cam.
2. Arranging the level of the needle platform and the needle hooks in regard to the
height of the cylinder so that the said hooks shall not project high enough to prevent
the yarn thread passing above them and so lapping the yarn behind the needles in the
process of widening, whereby heels and toes having "best finished fashionings" can
be made without either hand work or extra mechanisın.
3. The use and arrangement of a reciprocating plate such as P, together with the
mechanism carried thereon, for the combined purposes of operating in reverse
directions the curved rack rings R R', and clutching and unclutching the driving
wheels s at the times and in the manner substantially as set forth.
4. For the purpose of actuating a tipping cam such as C, the use of two worm
rings carrying the curved racks R R' and two worms for driving same arranged
substantially as set forth.
5. In knitting machines of the type hereinbefore indicated, the arrangement and
combination of the spur and ratchet wheels, pawls and plates set forth in reference to
Figures 29 and 30 for operating the worms above claimed and automatically reversing
the actions at the required time and in the manner substantially as described and
illustrated.
6. The arrangement, in a knitting machine such as described, of two main driving
pulleys, adapted with one belt only to drive the machine at different speeds or to act
as loose pulleys as required by means of the gear and clutches hereinabove described
and illustrated.
7. The mechanism for operating automatically the belt striking gear at the
proper times as set forth more particularly in reference to Figures 15, 26, 27,
and 28.
8. The cam segments T T'. Fig. 18 in combination with the rings R R and the
curved racks r r adapted to slide therein for the purpose of moving the said racks in

page_text: or out of range of the tipping cam wheel c³ in this or similar knitting machines all
arranged and operated substantially as set forth.
9. The special mechanism set forth best in Figures 16, 26 and 27 for the purpose
of automatically throwing the cam X in and out of gear to obtain the motions
dependent upon it as before described, consisting in the combination of the quadrant
or swiveling disc and its attached plate / both actuated by lever z², the position of
which is governed by the lever H, also this said disc plate imparting by means of
cam slot motion to the lever y all arranged and operating substantially as herein-
before set forth.
10. The use with circular knitting machines of depressors with or without a dial,
with stop motion adapted for application to either depressors or dials, constructed
arranged and adapted to operate substantially in the manner and for the purposes set
forth in reference to Figures 32 to 46.
11. The application to the shells of circular knitting machines of false platforms
constructed and adapted for use substantially as set forth in reference to Figures 47
to 50.
12. The general arrangement and combination of parts and mechanisms forming
together as a whole a self-acting knitting machine substantially as hereinabove
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 1nd da
CN1900
J. C. CHAPMAN, Fel. Inst. Patent Agents,
70, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicant.
J. C. CHAPMAN, Fel. Inst. Patent Agents,
70, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicant.