IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, HERBERT KIDDIER, of the Firm of Kiddier and Son, of Globe Works, Water-
way Street, East; in the town and county of the town of Nottingham, Hosiery
Machinists, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
KNITTING MACHINES to be as follows:-
ور
My improvements are applicable to straight bar knitting machines and consists,
First. In applying to each thread carrier friction box, two plates at right angles
to the length of the bed, under which plates the ends of two other plates slide, each
of which is provided with a strip of leather, lying opposite each other, the back
plate carries a bracket projecting under both plates and provided at the front with
a set screw and lock nut, the back end of the screw is capable of adjustment upon
the front of a spring plate, which presses upon the front plate before mentioned by
which means the frictional resistance of the leather strips upon the carrier rod
which is placed between them can be readily adjusted.
Second. The snapping tackle employed in knitting machines I construct as
follows:-
There are two rods each rocked by an independent cam, link and truck carrying
lever. The upper rod carries the plates and springs which when closed retain the
threads employed in making the fabric, the lower rod carries one arm to each plate
and spring, the front end of each arm is provided with a rod projecting from it at
a right angle. This rod raises the spring from the plate as it descends to allow the
thread to feed the needles, and as the plate rises at the end of each course, the arm
and rod follow it without touching the spring thereby nipping the thread at the
required moment.
Third: For holding the ends of the carrier rods while widening the fabric,
I employ a catch lever rocking on an axle carried by the worm box at each end of
the machine. This lever holds the carrier rod to the stop at each time the worm
box is racked outwards, each catch lever is operated by a link sliding on a rod
carried by two arms secured on a shaft, which is rocked by a lever carrying a truck
operated by a cam,

page_text: Heretofore the back adjustable plate of the thread carrier friction box has
forcibly pressed the carrier rod onto the fixed front plate of the friction box and
has worn the rod away, thereby causing the thread carriers to be traversed out of
the intended line and caused imperfect selvages to be made. But by means of
my improved friction boxes a true line is always maintained as the friction box
accomodates itself to the carrier rod.
2nd The snapping tackle employed in knitting machines shown at Figures 9, 10,
11 and 12, I construct as follows:-
I employ two rods A and B which rock in bearings C the number of which vary
according to the length of the knitting machine, each bearing is carried by an
upright rod C, the lower end of which secures the bobbin rod bar C² to a narrow-
ing shaft bracket C to which the lower end of a stay rod C is secured, its upper
end being attached to the bearing. C. The tops of the upright rods support the
usual thread guide rail D. The rods A and B are each rocked by an independent
cam, the rod A being provided with a lever A¹, the back end of which is hinged to
the upper end of a link having its lower end connected to a truck bearing lever A²
which rocks on an axle in a bracket secured on the back rail E of the machine
framing, the lever A being operated by a cam A³ shown by a dotted line at
Figure 9 by the side of this cam is a cam A* upon which the truck runs while
narrowings are being made, the cam A' is provided with a latch plate A5 under
which the truck runs while the cam A³ is operating as shown at Figure 11, but
upon the cam shaft being traversed for narrowing the cam A' and latch plate A
will operate the lever by passing under the truck as shown at Figure 12. The
rod A carries the requisite number of plates F and springs F¹ which when closed
retain the threads employed in making the fabric.
The rod B is also provided with a lever connected by a link to a truck bearing
lever B¹ operated by a cam B' when not narrowing, and by a cam B³ when
narrowing, both cams are shown by dotted lines at Figure 9. The rod B carries
one arm B to each plate and spring, the front end of each arm is provided with a
rod B projecting from it at a right angle. The rod raises the spring F¹ from the
plate Fas it descends to allow the thread to feed the needles, and as the plate rises
at the end of each course the arm and rod follow it without touching the spring by
which the thread is nipped at the required moment at the end of each traverse.
Snapping tackle heretofore constructed has frequently failed to take up the slack
thread after the jacks have been drawn. But by my improved snapping tackle,
the slack thread when lifted is retained until it is required to again feed the
needles, the snapping tackle being lowered as the jacks are being drawn, thereby
always ensuring perfect selvages.
3rd For holding the ends of the carrier rods while widening the fabric, I employ
a catch lever A rocking on an axle A¹ carried by the usual worm box A' at each
end of the machine, one of which is shown at Figures 13 and 14, each end of each
carrier rod has a key A³ rivetted on it, the catch lever when down engages with the
key and holds the carrier rod to the usual adjustable stop A* at each time the worm
box is racked outwards. Each catch lever is operated by a link A hinged to it,
the lower end of the link slides on a rod A carried by two arms A7 secured on a
shaft A which rocks in bearings A secured to a longitudinal tie rail B, of the
knitting machine, the rocking of the shaft being effected by a truck carrying
lever C secured on it, operated by a cam D attached to a cam boss on the cam shaft,
the remainder of the Figures show portions of the usual narrowing apparatus. By
thus holding the carrier rod up to its stops, the making of more perfect selvages is
ensured.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1st The construction and employment of thread carrier rod friction boxes sub-
stantially as described and illustrated in the Drawing annexed.

page_text: 2nd The improved snapping tackle substantially as described and illustrated in
the Drawings annexed.
3rd The improved apparatus for holding thread carrier rods to their stops,
substantially as described and illustrated in the Drawings annexed.