Improvements in or relating to Knitted Fabrics, and Apparatus for Producing the same.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 16th Nov., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Knitted Fabrics, and Apparatus for
Producing the same.
We, GUSTAV FRIEDRICH GROSSER, of Markersdorf, near Burgstädt, in the
Kingdom of Saxony and Empire of Germany, Manufacturer, and JAMES FOSTER,
of 41, Friargate, Preston, in the County of Lancaster, Knitting Machine Patentee,
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 has for its object to produce designs or patterns on one side of a
double knitted fabric in such manner that the yarn from the back or plain fabric
produces the required pattern on the front fabric the two fabrics being joined or
connected together only where the stitches or loops from the back fabric are visible
on the front fabric. Thus the improved fabric is in a double and at the same time
separate form that is to say the two fabrics are separate from and unconnected with
each other excepting where the yarn is worked through from the back to the front
to produce the design as just stated.
In carrying our invention into effect we employ two differently coloured yarns
one for the back of the fabric and the other for the front.
In one arrangement the pattern or coloured design is produced on the face of
the front fabric in which case the yarn from the back fabric is worked through the
frout fabric the design loops shewing on the surface of the said front fabric.
In a second arrangement the pattern or coloured design is produced within the
front fabric that is to say the coloured yarn from the back fabric shows or
"shines" at the bottom of hollows or concavities in the front fabric (when
stretched) in which case the needle cams are so set or arranged as to produce a
double loop or cardigan stitch at the points where the binding of the two fabrics
(back and front) occurs in the formation of the design.
For the production of our improved fabric we employ a knitting machine of the
Lamb or Foster type having parallel front and back needle beds with double cam
mechanism whereby the needles either front or back can be operated twice by the
movement of the carriage once either in one direction or the other.
In the accompanying drawings
Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate the arrangement and relative positions of the needle cams
and needles for uniting the front and back fabrics-by means of a rib stitch-and.
thereby producing the pattern on the face of the back fabric which becomes in the
finished article the front fabric.
Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate the arrangement and relative positions of the needle
cams and needles for the like purpose-by means of a double loop or cardigan
stitch-and thereby producing the coloured pattern within hollows or concavities in
the face of the front fabric.
In the several figures the cans are shewn in the positions which they respectively
occupy underneath their carriages or sliding tables which are not shown in the
drawings in order that the arrangement of the cams and needles may be more
clearly seen.
'
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 the needles on the needle bed Z have two heels or
feet at and a the upper heels at being intended to perform the ordinary operation
of plain kuitting and the other heels a being for the production of the designs or
patterns. The said feet a' are sunk in grooves in the needle bed out of the way of

page_text: the passing cams until those needles required for the production of the pattern are
rnised or brought into position by the ordinary action of the Jacquard or other
pattern-influencing apparatus.
If the machine be worked with the cams set in the positions shewn at Figs. 1
and 2 and without any of the pattern feet a being in working position-that is to
say raised out of the needle bed by the Jacquard™ apparatus-two pieces of flat or
plain fabric will be produced. When the carriage is moved to the right
(see Fig. 1) the back piece of fabric will be produced by the action of the cams a
and whilst the front piece of fabric will be produced by the action of the cama
and
We would point out that the back piece of fabric as it stands in the
machine becomes the front of the finished article having on its surface the pattern
or design. If in combination with the arrangement just described the pattern
heels of certain of the needles are raised into working position by the Jacquard
apparatus the pattern needles will be actuated by the cams and when the said
cams are moved to the right and by the cams a² and when moved to the left
(see Fig. 2) such pattern needles then working in conjunction with (i.e. crossing)
the needles of the opposite bed and thus bringing the coloured yarn from the front
fabric to the back fabric (as they stand in the machine) and each of the pattern or
crossing needles leaving a coloured stitch on the face of the back fabric and
according to the disposal or arrangement of these coloured stitches the required
design or pattern will be produced.
Referring to Figs. 3 and 4 if the machine be worked with the cams set in the
positions shown in the said figures-in which positions the side or wing cams c'e' j''
and are set so high as not to draw the needles down far enough to press off the
previous loop but to retain it-the operation will be as follows:-When the
carriage is moved to the right (see Fig. 3) the back piece of fabric will be pro-
duced by the action of the cams a' and d' whilst the front piece of fabric will be
produced by the action of the cams and Those of the needles however
which have had their pattern heels raised into working position by the Jacquard
apparatus will be pushed sufficiently high by the centre cam 6 (see the needles
marked) to take in the yarn of the opposite needle bed. The wing cams"
and are placed so high as not to drag the needles down far enough to press off"
the said needles remaining in their semi-raised position until the carriage is again
moved to the left (see Fig. 4) whereupon the said needles are again put into
operation and receiving the yarn from their own (or back) yarn guide will produce
a double loop or cardigan stitch whose pull from the back fabric causes the hollow
or concavity at the bottom of which the yarn from the opposite needle bed shows
or "shines through the front fabric (as it stands in the machine) which in this
instance is also the front or face portion of the finished article.
5.
61
When the carriage is moved to the left the operation as above described is
repented in the reverse direction the cams a' and having been by means of an
ordinary cam slide put out of and into working position as shown at Figs. 3 and 4
respectively.
The centre cams a' and 'are by means of the cam slide acting on the ordinary
lock lifted into and out of action alternately-as inlicated by the solid and broken
lines in the several figures-at each eml of each struke or traverse.
"
Referring again to Fig. 4-when the carriage is moved from the right to the
left (as indicated by the arrow) the coloured thread-which produces the back
fabric and also the shining" effect in the pattern formed within the front fabric
bereinbefore referred to is operated by the cam acting upon the permanently
projecting heels a' of all the needles of the back needle bed whilst the front
needles as regards the centre cam -are in repose that is passing inoperatively
through the swinging part of the said centre cam . But the needles a which as
before stated produce the front fabric are operated by the centre cam a' the back
centre cam a simultaneously lifting certain of the necilles (as e) which have beau
raised by the Jacquard apparatus and causing them to cross the opposing needles
so as thereby to bring the coloured yarn from the front to the back each of the

page_text: needles a producing a coloured pattern double loop or cardigan stitch within a
hollow or concavity in the front fabric as hercinbefore stated.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The improved knitted fabric in double form consisting of two knitted webs
separate from each other excepting where connected together by a loop or loops
from one of the webs which shew on the outer surface or face of the other web
substantially as herein described.
2. The improved knitted fabric in double form consisting of two knitted webs
separate from each other excepting where connected together by a double loop or
loops from one of the webs which shew or "shine" within hollows or concavities
in the face of the other web aubstantially as herein described.
3. The arrangement of apparatus for producing the improved knitted fabric
referred to in Claim 1 substantially as described with reference to and shown at
Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.
4. The arrangement of apparatus for producing the improved knitted fabric
referred to in Claim 2 substantially as described with reference to and shown at
Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings.
Dated this 15th day of October 1895.