IM- PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SCOTCH BONNETS AND OTHER KNITTED FABRICS OF CIRCULAR FORM
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Wild and Thomas Wild, both of Stewarton, in
the County of Ayr, North Britain, Frame Smiths, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SCOTCH BONNETS
AND OTHER KNITTED FABRICS OF CIRCULAR FORM."
Sealed the 4th July 1879, and dated the 25th March 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Wild and Thomas
Wild at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th March
1879.
WILLIAM WILD and THOMAS WILD, both of Stewarton, in the County of Ayr,
North Britain, Frame Smiths. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANU-
FACTURE OF SCOTCH BONNETS AND OTHER KNITTED FABRICS OF CIRCULAR
FORM."
i
This Invention relates to the construction of machinery for the purpose of manu-
facturing Scotch bonnets and other knitted fabrics of circular form, such as semmits,
and the nature of these improvements consists,-
First. In the employment of two straight needle bars for knitting a circular
fabric without a seam. The two straight needle bars are placed back to back and
about the same distance from each other as the distance between the needles. The
yarn is carried along the one needle bar and at the end of the course it crosses to
and returns along the other so as to produce a fabric of circular form.
Second. In the mechanism for governing the action of the needles which consists
of two drawing cams fixed to blocks on sliding bars which cams force down the
needles in order to form the stitch or loop. The needles are afterwards brought up
into position again by lifting bars connected with a cam on the driving shaft, and
are held there by two rows of springs in readiness for the next course.
Third. In the application of selfacting narrowing machinery to said needle bars
in order to narrow all round the circular fabric or at any part thereof. This is done
by means of a certain number of blocks containing covering points which are
moveable on a straight bar, and so can be either closed up or moved apart, are linked
together so that when at their extreme distance from each other they are one
I Driss QJ1
.

page_text: needle apart. The blocks containing the said covering points are placed in a
vertical position and are pressed down on to the needles so as to receive the stitches
from the needles and shift them as desired. The reception of the stitches by the
covering point is effected by means of the needle bars themselves moving upwards
instead of by sinkers as in ordinary, knitting machines. There are two straight
bars which carry the blocks and covering points, one for each of the needle-bars,
and these are placed in such a position relatively to the needle bars as to work
together or in correspondence with the needle bars.
Fourth. In the improved construction of the yarn carrier by which we are able
to run two threads of yarn in at once and thus double the speed of knitting. The
yarn carrier is constructed with two tubes, one for each row of needles, which tubes
are so arranged that after travelling to the end of the needle-bars each tube is made
to cross to the other bar, and in returning deliver the yarn to the bar formerly
supplied with yarn by the other tube, each tube thus travelling the complete circle
of the fabric.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Wild and Thomas Wild in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 25th September 1879.
"
WILLIAM WILD and THOMAS WILD, both of Stewarton, in the County of Ayr,
North Britain, Frame Smiths. IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANU-
FACTURE OF SCOTCH BONNETS AND OTHER KNITTED FABRICS OF CIRCULAR
FORM."
Our said Invention relates to the construction of machinery for the purpose of
manufacturing Scotch bonnets and other knitted fabrics of circular form, such as
semmits, and the nature of these improvements consists,-
First. In the employment of two straight needle bars for knitting a circular
fabric without a seam. The two straight needle bars are placed back to back and
about the same distance from each other as the distance between the needles.. The
yarn is carried along the one needle bar and at the end of the course it crosses to
and returns along the other so as to produce a fabric of circular form.
'
Second. In the mechanism for governing the action of the needles which consists
of two drawing cams or inclines fixed to sliding bars, which cams force down the
needles in order to form the stitches or loops. The needles are afterwards brought
up into position again by lifting bars and are held there by two rows of springs
in readiness for the next course.
Third. In the application to the machine of selfacting narrowing machinery in
order to narrow all round the circular fabric or at any part thereof. This is done
by means of a certain number of blocks containing covering points. These blocks,
which are moveable on a straight bar, and so can be either closed up or moved
apart, are linked together so that when at their extreme distance from each other
they are one needle apart. The blocks containing the said covering points are
placed in a vertical or nearly vertical position and are pressed down on to the
needles so as to receive the loops from the needles and shift them as desired. The
reception of the loops by the covering points is effected by means of the needle bars
moving upwards instead of by sinkers as in ordinary knitting machines. There
are two straight bars which carry the blocks and covering points, one for each of
the needle bars, and these are placed in such a position relatively to the needle bars
as to work together or in correspondence with the needles.
Fourth. In the improved construction of the yarn carrier by which we are able
to run two threads of yarn in at once and thus double the speed of knitting. The
yarn carrier in this case is constructed with two tubes one for each row of needles,
which tubes are so arranged that after travelling to the end of the needle bars each
tube is made to cross to the other bar, and in returning deliver the yarn to the bar
formerly supplied with yarn by the other tube, each. tube thus travelling the
complete circle of the fabric.
'
And in order that our said Invention may be properly understood, we now proceed
more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner in or under which the
same is or may be used or practically carried into effect, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon (the same
letters indicating the same parts in all the Figures), that is to say,-
Figure 1 is a front elevation, and Figure 2 a side elevation of a machine con-
structed according to our Invention. The framing of the machine is marked A
and the driving shaft B, which shaft is provided with fast and loose pulleys band a
fly wheel b². The motion of the said shaft is transmitted to the cam shaft C by a
pinion 68 driving another pinion 64 turning in a bearing in the framing, this last
mentioned pinion gearing with the toothed wheel c upon the cam shaft C. The
said cam shaft C carries the various cams by which the motions of the machine are
effected, the said cams being so arranged that when the shaft is in one position the
cams for the knitting operations act upon the. respective levers for transmitting

page_text: motion to the knitting mechanism, and that when the shaft C is slidden in its
bearings the said cams for the knitting operation are thrown out of action and
other cams are brought into position to act upon the levers for transmitting
motion to the narrowing mechanism arranged to narrow the fabric equally.
throughout.
The two straight needle bars are marked D. They are fixed together and are
mounted so as to be capable of sliding vertically. The slides for this purpose may
be fixed upon the framing at either side. The said bars are back to back at about
the same distance from each other as the distance between adjacent needles.
Figure 3 represents a transverse section of the said needle bars and certain other
parts. In the front of each needle bar are grooves for the reception and guidance
of the holders or plates d carrying the needles which are "latch" needles. The said
bolders are also guided in front by the sley bars d² as shewn in Figure 3. The
needle bars are preferably farther apart at bottom than at top to give the work
being knitted a 'free passage down between them and the grooves for the needles
are or may be inclined upwards and inwards...
E, E, are sliding bars (one for each row of needles), on which sliding bars are
fixed cams or inclines e for forcing down the needles by acting upon the projections
upon the needle holders. The said bars are braced togther at one end by a brace
piece and they may have their bearings for sliding in fixed to the sley bars or in
any convenient part of the framing, and the said bearings may be adjustable so
that the bars E may be raised or lowered to depress the needles to a lesser or
greater degree. F, F, are the lifting bars for raising the needles, the said raising
being effected by a cam on the cam shaft Cacting on a lever, as at M, connected
to the arms f, f³, carrying the lifting bars F, F. The needles are held in their
raised position by the series of springs f fixed to the brackets f2 on either side, the
said springs pressing upon projections from the sides of the needle holders, as seen
in Figure 3.
G, G, are the yarn carriers or tubes each of which is fixed to a boss g which
bosses are mounted upon bars H to which they are connected by a groove and
feather so as so be capable of sliding thereon for guiding the yarn in front of cach
of the rows of needles, and the bars H have an oscillating movement given to them
at the end of each traverse of the yarn tubes to cause the said tubes to cross each
other, so that in returning each tube will deliver the yarn to the bar formerly
supplied with yarn by the other tube.
The longitudinal motion of the yarn tubes is effected through a bracket i con-
necting the sliding rod I with the bars E, as shewn in Figures 1 and 3. To the
said rod I is attached the friction boss J with a depending finger j engaging
between the bosses g, so as to transmit sliding motion to them. This will be the
better understood by referring to the details of these parts, Figure 3.
K, K, are two straight bars, one for each row of needles, fixed to rods or
shafts k, k, by brackets 2. Each bar K has upon it a number of blocks /³ con-
taining the covering points or ticklers, the said blocks being arranged in two
series on each bar, each series being capable of being brought closer together
without altering the relative position of the blocks of each series, and also the indi-
vidual blocks of each series being capable of being brought close together. For these
purposes the blocks 3 of each series are linked together by the bolts and nuts ³, and
are forced apart by springs ko, as shewn with regard to two blocks in the details
thereof, Figure 4; Figure 5 is a cross section of one of the bars K, shewing a block
in position. The bars K, K, are capable of being oscillated so as to bring the
ticklers over the needles, as shewn in Figure 3, or away from them, as in Figure 2.
The aforesaid mechanism constitutes the narrowing machine, and resembles in
principle that forming the subject of Letters Patent granted to William Russell and
Alexander Wylie, as of the Seventh day of January 1878, and numbered 83.
:
The motions of the parts for knitting are derived from the cam shaft C as
follows: The bars E are slidden to depress the needles (by their cams or inclines
acting on the needle holders) by means of an ordinary drawing cam fixed upon the

page_text: axis of the pinion l' (see Figure 1) worked by the pinion on the cam shaft; the
said drawing cam operating upon the bars E by mechanism connecting a bar
operated upon by the said cam with the bracket i fixed to one of the bars E, the
said mechanism being essentially similar to that employed for moving the single
bar in ordinary knitting machines, and for this reason we do not consider it
necessary. to illustrate the same nor to further describe it.
The rocking motion of the bars H, H, for causing the tubes to cross from one
row of needles to the other at the end of each course is effected from the cam z
bearing upon a lever, as at M, connected by the rod m to the lever m¹ fixed to one.
of the shafts H, the motion of this shaft being transmitted to the other by pinions
at m²; 5 is the cam for lifting the needles.
:
In order to bring the narrowing mechanism into operation by shifting the
shaft C sideways we employ the wheel N provided with projections n, adjustable
and fixable at any part of the periphery of the said wheel. A cam 1 on the shaft C
tips a pawl n, which moves the said wheel through a partial rotation at each
revolution of the shaft C by engaging in a ratchet wheel n² at the back of the said
wheel. When a projection n comes opposite the pin på on the lever p the shaft P
is turned so that a roller p2 upon a projection on the said shaft is brought before".
a face cam 10, which gives a sideway movement to the shaft C, which movement
throws the knitting cams out of gear, withdrawing the clutch from the pinion 1,
and brings into action the cams for actuating the narrowing mechanism. The
levers M which transmit the various motions of the cams, both in knitting and
narrowing, lie side by side, being centred upon a shaft m²; 8 is the cam for
bringing the narrowing machine into action. It operates on a lever as at M, which
lever is connected by the rods q with levers q' fixed on the shafts k, k. The cam 8
is shewn in side view in Figure 6 of its approximate shape. It is formed so as to
give the following motions in one revolution:-The raising of the levers q' for
bringing the ticklers on to the needles whilst the loops are shifted thereonto, then
the lowering of the levers q' for taking the ticklers from the needles to shift the
two series of the narrowing blocks together. The raising of the levers for bringing
the ticklers back again over the needles to put back the stitches on to the needles
and take them off again, then the lowering of the levers q¹ for taking the ticklers
from the needles for bringing the tickler blocks (together, then ne raising of the
levers q for bringing the ticklers again over the needles whist the stitches are
again put on the said needles, and then the lowering of the le ers q' for taking the
ticklers finally from the needles when the projection n on the wheel N will have
passed from the pin p, and the roller p² be brought before ne face cam 11 and the
Darrowing mechanism thrown out of action and the knting mechanism thrown
into action. By adjusting the projections n to differen parts of the periphery of
the wheel N the narrowing machinery may be brought into operation at any
desired time. The cams 2 and 7 act on levers as at M, the said levers. being con-
nected by rods d³ to the bars D, so that in narrowirthe said bars are raised at the
proper times (that is, when the ticklers are broy at over the needles) to cast the
loops from the needles to the ticklers, the cams 2 and 7 being shaped to give the
said rising motion at these times. The disc 4 concentric with the cam shaft and
of such circumference that in narrowing it holds the yarn tubes G in central
position, as shewn in Figures 1 and 3. The disc 6 is concentric with the cam shaft,
and of such diameter as to hold the needles by their bars F during narrowing in a
raised position at such distance below their fully raised position that the loops upon
the needles do not pass beneath the latches thereof, thus preventing when the
needle bars are raised the loops coming off where there are no ticklers covering the
needles. In order to bring the needles down to this position with certainty longi-
tudinal bars fare employed acted upon by springs f³, see Figure 3. The said
bars fare attached to the sley bars d² by being bolted to the said bars through
slotted, holes to allow of the motion of the said bars ft. In order to limit the
motion of the yarn carriers or tubes in knitting to the reduced lengths of traverse
rendered necessary by the several narrowings we employ the following arrange-

page_text: ment —Through holes in the brackets slide bars R, one of which has ratchet
teeth formed in it with which engages a pawl 2 attached to a bell crank lever ³.
To the lower tail of this lever is connected a sliding rod 4, underneath which so as
to raise it is situated a shape or pattern wheel with the surface at various
distances from the centre on which it turns corresponding with the narrowing to be
effected. This shape or pattern wheel is centred to the end of a lever similar to
those marked M, upon which lever when the shaft C is shifted for narrowing the
cam 12 will raise the lever (M) and cause the shape or pattern wheel to move the
bar so that the pawl 2 will move the bar R a distance dependent upon the
portion of the shape or pattern wheel which acts upon the said rod r. A portion
of the said shape or pattern wheel of the requisite distance from its axis to give
a movement of the bar R proportionate to the narrowing of the fabric being made
will be brought under the rod by the ratchet wheel 76 upon the said shape 5,
striking during each descent after each action of the shape 75 upon a pawl 77 on a
projection from the framing so as to bring a fresh portion of the wheel 105 into
position for the next narrowing to move the bars R in to a greater or less extent,
as may be required, for the amount of narrowing. The rod is provided with a
stop so that it will descend to its original position after each elevation. A stop
pawl x centred to the framing is employed to hold the bars R in the position to
which they have been brought. Figure 8 represents the pattern wheel and its
connections in side elevation. The motion of the one bar R is conveyed to the
other so as to move it in the opposite direction by the arrangement of toothed
pinion and racks upon the said bars, shewn in Figure 7, the said pinion being
mounted in one of the brackets r. The bars R carry stops s, which are in the path
of the bosses g of the thread tubes or carriers so that the said stops obstruct the
traverse of the said tubes or carriers at the proper times to give the reduced traverse
rendered necessary by the narrowing of the fabric being knitted. In order to allow
of the movement of the bar I when the carriers are stopped the boss J is attached
to the rod I by friction obtained from the spring j2 so that the said rod I can move
without the boss J when the carriers 9 come in contact with the stops s. To ensure
a free passage for the thread tubes or carriers in crossing from one row of needles to
the other we may depress those of the needles which would be in the path of the
thread tubes in commencing knitting after narrowing. For this purpose we may
employ the arrangement shewn in Figure 3, two bars T, one extending along in
front of each row of needles and attached to the brackets f³, each having (capable
of sliding thereon) two fingers t of the width of the space between two or more
needles. In slots in the fingers slide rods t2 connected with the carrier stops 8, so
that the said fingers are brought in front of those needle holders which are just
outside the fabric, and in descending presses them down for the yarn tubes Ġ to
pass clear.
We have shewn this arrangement applied to one row of needles only in
Figure 3; it will be understood that a similar arrangement is applied to the other
row also.
L, Figure 2, is the work roller of the ordinary kind, but attached to the needle
bars so as to be moveable therewith.
The brackets which carry the sliding bars for depressing the needles are adjust-
able in order to give a greater or less length of loop, the arm i being jointed or
slotted to allow of this movement.
In Figure 1 we have shewn the arrangement which we employ for drawing the
two series of ticklers at each row of needles together, and afterwards drawing the
sections or blocks thereof close to one another in narrowing. For this purpose a
cam 13 is mounted upon the cam shaft C and operates in narrowing upon a similar
lever to those marked M, which lever is connected by a rod v to a bell crank
lever v2, the other end of which presses inwards a bar v³, having thereon a presser
plate, which bears upon the ends of the two rods 5, each of which is attached to
a double lever w (as shewn separately in Figure 8), one on each side of the machine,
that is, the arrangement represented in Figure 1 is also applied to the row of needles.
at back. Each arm of the lever w is attached through the rods w² to the endmost

page_text: of the blocks of the series of tickler blocks. In the centre of the lever wis an
enlarged part (shewn separately in Figure 9) having slots w³ therein, with which
engage studs on the innermost of each series of blocks. These slots are so formed
(as shewn more clearly in Figure 9) that when the cam 13 acts to press in the
rods the portions of the slots farthest from the centre draw the two series of
blocks together, when the ticklers are brought away from the needles the first time
in narrowing, whilst the loops are being cast on to the needles and on to the ticklers
again the parts of the slots w give no motion to the tickler blocks. The slots w
in the outer ends of the rods we allow of the aforesaid movement of the series and
their inactive period. On the further motion of the lever w the studs w' are at the
ends of the said slots w, and consequently the sections or blocks are drawn in, and
this action takes place whilst the ticklers are away from the needles for the second
time. The cam actuating the tickler blocks, as aforesaid, is of course shaped to
hold the blocks in the position to which they have been brought whilst the loops
are being shifted.
"
The machine is or may be provided with the ordinary bobbin frame and
snapping tackle " or equivalent apparatus for tightening the yarn at the end of
each traverse so as to prevent slack loops at the ends of the rows of needles, and
also with self stopping apparatus of the ordinary or other convenient construction
which may consist of a projection on the side of the wheel N, which will when the
fabric is completed come into contact with a lever carrying a belt shifter and shift
the belt from the fast to the loose pulley.
'
It will be evident, without further description, that our improved machine may
be so manipulated by hand as to be capable of use for widening a fabric.
The machine acts as follows:-The needles are depressed by the cams or inclines e
on the sliding bars E, the thread tubes G running before and laying the thread in
front of the two rows of latch needles, the one tube running in front of the front
row of needles and the other tube in front of the back row, they at the end of each
course crossing each other and running back the reverse sides from that they travelled
before, and so on, as the knitting proceeds. The needles are lifted at the end of
each course by the bars F immediately after the thread tubes have crossed.
In Figure 3 the thread tubes are represented in central position in full lines, and
in dot and pick lines in the position which they take in guiding the yarn along
both rows of needles. The knitting proceeds, as above described, until a
narrowing of the fabric is to be effected, when a projection on the self-
acting wheel N will come into contact with the pin p³ and cause the
shifting of the cam shaft C, so that the knitting motion is stopped, and the cams
for actuating the narrowing mechanism brought into gear, the needles being in
their nearly highest position as before described. The ticklers are brought down
on to the said needles on both sides, and the needle guide bars D rise, and the
loops are (except those between the sections of the narrowers) passed by them on
to the ticklers. The ticklers are brought away from the needles, and the halves of
each narrower brought together the width of a needle, the ticklers are then brought
over the needles again, and the needle bars then descend, and the weight on the
work causes the loops to pass on to the needles, and the ticklers still remaining in
this position, all the loops are raised on to the ticklers by the needle bars rising
again. The ticklers are now moved outward clear of the needles, and the sections
brought close together when the ticklers are brought back over the needles, the
loops descending on to the needles, and the fabric is proportionately narrowed.
By the projection n passing from before the pin på on the lever p, the shaft P is
turned so that the roller p² can be brought in the path of the face of the cam 11,
and the shaft caused thereby to move sideways into position for knitting when the
knitting proceeds, until another projection n comes before the pin p³ on the lever P,
and throws the narrowing mechanism into operation.
The action of the pattern wheel for shifting in the stops 8, will be simultaneous
with the bringing together of the sections or blocks of the narrowers.

page_text: To start the machine to begin an article we make use of a row of hooks, the
same number as there are needles in each row; this row of hooks which is fixed
upon a bar is employed to hold the thread, whilst the one row of needles forms the
first row of loops; this first row is preferably of cotton or similar material, capable
of being drawn from the article when knitted. As the needles are raised, the
cotton or other thread loops are dropped on to the other row of needles, the cotton
or other thread thus is intertwined between each row of needles, and upon this
cotton or other thread; between the said rows a wire is laid to which the work
weights are hung.
In place of two yarn tubes or carriers G being employed, the machine may be
worked with but one if desired, the said tube laying the yarn in front of one row
of needles, and then crossing to the other row and laying the yarn in front of them,
the times at which the drawing cams and lifting bars are arranged to act being
such as to depress the needles when they have received the yarn, and raise them
again ready to form the next row of loops.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may be
used or practically carried into effect, we would observe in conclusion that we do
not limit ourselves to the precise details herein before described and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawings, as the same may be varied without departing from
the nature of our Invention, but what we consider to be novel and original and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
First. The arrangement or combination of mechanism constituting the knitting
machine herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying. Drawings.
Second. The employment in knitting machines of two straight needle bars,
essentially as and for the purposes bereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
Third. The employment in knitting machines of a double sliding bar furnished
with two drawing cams or inclines for depressing the needles, and a double lifting
.bar for raising the said needles, the same being arranged in combination with two
straight needle bars, essentially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
Fourth. The employment in knitting machines of a yarn tube or carrier, or yarn
tubes or carriers arranged in combination with two straight needle bars, essentially
'as herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Fifth. The combination with the aforesaid machine of self acting mechanism for
narrowing the fabric being knitted, the said mechanism being arranged and
operated, essentially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Wild, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty third day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.