Improvements in and relating to Knitting Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Sept., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 30th June, 1897-Accepted, 30th Sept., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Knitting Machines.
JOSEPH AUGUSTUS CLARINGBURN Aberdeen Street Nottingham Hosiery Machinist
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to improvements in and relating to straight bar latch needle
knitting machines fitted with movable sinkers and warp thread guides and has for
its object improvements in the arrangement of the warp thread guides and knitting
thread guides and the mechanism controlling and actuating the same; the provision
of an improved sinker to act as a latch opener and for holding down the work;
mechanism for enabling additional needles to be thrown into work for fashioning the
fabric, and means for throwing the said needles out of action again, also improvements
in the general arrangement of the machine and the combinations of the various
mechanisms employed to make the machine work automatically.
According to this invention the latch needles are fitted to slide in a suitable
grooved bed and are actuated for knitting by a cam which is traversed to and fro by
means of a crank, which in some cases transmits its motion through an intermediate
lever. The sinkers are suitably pivotted and are actuated by a cam which is driven
from the knitting cam box, means being provided for changing the relative positions
of the two cams at the end of each traverse of the same. The sinkers are held in
one position by means of springs and the free ends of the same are provided with
means for opening the latches of the needles as these are advanced to receive the
knitting thread.
There is one, or more knitting thread carriers, fitted to slide on guides and
traversed by the knitting cam box, or by some other part of the machine having the
same moveinent, and when the machine is fitted with two or more thread carriers
means are provided for enabling any one of the carriers to be brought into action so
that stripes may be made.
There are one or more sets of warp thread guides each set being fitted to move
horizontally and vertically independently of the other sets. The vertical movement
is obtained by means of a cam acting through levers so arranged that the bars or rods
carrying the warp thread guides may be oscillated and the warp thread guides moved
vertically between the needles. The horizontal movement which lays the thread
round the needles and selects the required needles is obtained by pattern mechanism
at the ends of the warp thread guide rods, such pattern mechanism being preferably
actuated by ratchet mechanism.
To enable additional needles to be thrown into and out of work, certain needles are
provided with longer jacks or stems, or made with butts and levers or lifters are
arranged to raise the needles into work one or more at the same time the levers or
lifters being actuated by cams and their action controlled by pattern mechanism.
For throwing the needles out of work, there is preferably a single bar which acts
upon all the fashioning needles at the same time, and such bar is moved under the
control of pattern mechanism.
The pattern mechanism may be in the form of a chain or chains, studded wheels
or other known arrangements.
53

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Knitting Machines.
JOSEPH AUGUSTUS CLARINGBURN Aberdeen Street Nottingham Hosiery Manufacturer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the saine is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in and applicable to straight bar latch
needle knitting machines fitted with movable sinkers and warp thread guides, and
has for its object, the provision of means for enabling the machine to produce plain
or striped fashioned work, with warp threads incorporated therein, improvements in
the arrangement of, and in the means controlling the action of the warp thread guides
and knitting thread carriers, ineans for automatically throwing the additional needles
into and out of action, and improvements in the construction and general
arrangement of the machine.
In the accompanying drawings which are referred to in the following detailed
description
Fig. 1 is an elevation of the right hand end of the machine.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is an elevation of the left hand end of the machine.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a section through the needle bed, showing the sinkers, warp thread guides
and bars, and the knitting thread carrier bars, boxes, and driving mechanism.
Fig. 6 is a plan of the mechanism shown in Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 is a back elevation of the machine showing the mechanism for automatically
throwing additional needles into and out of action."
Fig. 8 is a section on the line A. A. Fig. 7.
Fig. 9 is a diagram referred to in the explanation of the method of knitting a
stocking.
The needle bed 1 is grooved on its upper side for the reception of wire needles, or
jacks to which the needles are attached all of such needles or their jacks being
provided on their upper side with a heel or butt against which the inclines of the
knitting cam act, while the stems or jacks of the needles which are thrown into and
out of work are also provided with a second heel or butt upon which the lifting lever
or other mechanism acts, such second heel projecting through the bed on the
under side.
The knitting cam box 2 is guided by rods 3 and is traversed across the needle beds
by a crank 4 through a link 5, lever 6, and a link between the lever 6 and axle 7 on
the cam box 2. The lever 6 may in certain cases be dispensed with and the crank is
then coupled to the cam box direct.
The sinkers 8 are preferably of the shape shown in Fig. 5 and act as sinkers,
knocking over bits, and for holding down the work, they may also be used as
latch openers. The sinkers are pivotted at 9 and are operated by a cam carried by
the knitting cam box, and there are springs in the holes 11 pressing forward the
sinkers. There are also springs 12 which press upon the needles to produce the
required friction. When the sinkers are used as latch openers, a cut is made in
the front part of the sinker and one side of the cut in the sinker is bent so that the
bent portion lies in the path of the needle latch when the needle comes forward to
take the thread.
The machine herein described is fitted with three thread carriers and inechanism
for selecting and actuating any one of the three. The carriers are attached to
boxes 13 which are fitted to slide on bars 14 which are connected at the ends to
blocks 15 capable of oscillating in bearings on the standards 16. At one end of the

page_text: machine the axle of the block 15 is prolonged beyond the standard and is fitted with
a lever 17 which is coupled by a link 18 to a lever 19 which is fulerumed at 20 and
is operated by bits on a pattern chain 22 through a nose 21. For traversing the
selected thread carrier there is an arm 22° fixed to the cam box 2, and provided with
projecting pieces 23 so arranged in conjunction with the thread carrier boxes that the
selected carrier box is turned into the path of its particular driving piece 23, or the
boxes are so turned that the arm 22" traverses without a carrier, this latter operation
being for the purpose of knocking off the work at the completion of an article. The
different motions given to the lever 17 for selecting the thread carriers are obtained
from pattern pieces of different sizes on the pattern chain 22.
This machine is also fitted with three sets of warp thread guides 24 secured to
bars 25, 25, and 25b by caps 26. These bars 25, 25 and 25 are fitted to slide in
brackets 27 which are mounted on a shaft 28 and the three sets of guides are
oscillated together from a cam on the cam shaft 29 through a lever 30 and a
slotted arin 31 on the shaft 28. The three sets of guides oscillate together but each
set is moved endways independently of the others. This is effected by the mechanism
shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The bars 25, 25 and 25b are coupled to levers 32, 32ª
and 32 respectively, and these latter are moved in one direction by
pattern wheels 34, 34 and 34 and in the opposite direction by weights 97, 98,
and 99. In the arrangement shown the pattern wheels 34 and 34 are fixed upon the
shaft 35 which is intermittently rotated by a ratchet wheel 36 and pawl 37 from a
cam 39 on the shaft 40 through a lever 38. The pattern wheel 34b is attached to a
ratchet wheel 41 which is free to rotate on the shaft 35 and is intermittently actuated
by a pawl 42 from a cam 43 on the shaft 40 through a lever 44. The pawl 37 for the
wheel 36 can be held out of action by a lever 45 which is shaped to hold the pawl
out of the teeth and is actuated from the pattern chain 22 through levers 46 and 47
and link 48. The pawl 42 can also be held out of action as desired by a lever 49
which is similar to the lever 45 and is actuated from the pattern chain 22 through
levers 50 and 51, link 52, lever 53, rocking shaft 54 and connections between the
latter and the lever 49.
The machine is provided with fast and loose pullies 55 which drive the wheel 57
and shaft 29 through a pinion 56. To the wheel 57 there is fastened another wheel 58
which drives the crank 4. The pattern chain is carried by a chain wheel 59 to which
there is attached a ratchet wheel 60. Both wheels are free to revolve on the shaft 29
and are rotated by a cam 61 which is fixed to the shaft 29 and gives motion to the
wheels 59 and 60 through a lever 62 and clawker 63.
In knitting a stocking with a fashioned leg according to this invention, the stocking
is commenced at the line 64 Fig. 9 and a parallel piece of work is knitted for the
upper part of the stocking foot. When this is completed a number of additional
needles are automatically and simultaneously thrown into work at the line 65 either
both sides together or successively and the work is made wide enough for the ankle.
until the fashionings for the calf of the leg are reached at 66. The needles are then
automatically thrown into action one at a time on opposite sides alternately until the
line 67 is reached when parallel work is made to complete the leg.
The mechanisms for throwing the additional needles into and out of work are
shown in Figs. 7 and 8, from which views those parts of the machine already described
are omitted. The needles with the heels or butts on one side are placed in the
centre part of the needle bed and there are as many needles as are required for the
width of the stocking at the line 64 Fig. 9. On both sides of the centre needles
there are other needles with heels or butts on both sides of the stems or jacks, and
the total number of needles in the needle bed is at least sufficient to knit the full
width of the stocking as at the line 67 Fig. 9. In the machine shown the centre
needles occupy the space 68 to 69 and these needles are always in position to be
actuated by the knitting cam.
For throwing the additional needles into work there are two lifters 70 and each
one is wide enough to lift into action simultaneously the whole number of needles
added at each side of the article it the line 65 Fig. 9. These lifters are fitted to

page_text: oscillate and slide upon a shaft 71 and receive their oscillating movement from
shafts 72 which are independently operated at different times from cams on the cam
shaft 29 and suitable levers 95, these cams being brought into action by the pattern
chain through a rod 93 and forks 94 which move the cam trucks on to the cams from
circular discs. Each shaft 72 carries two levers 73 to which there is attached a rod, 74
and this rod passes through slots in the ends of the lifters 70. For traversing the
lifters 70 on their shafts 71 the machine is provided with two stepped cams 75 which
are mounted on the same axle and intermittently rotated by a ratchet wheel 76
pawl 77 and cain lever 78 from a cam 79 on the shaft 29, the cams 75 acting upon
arms 96 which slide upon the shafts 72 and are forked at their upper ends to enter a
groove in the boss of the levers 70. There is also a bluff 80 which is connected by
the link 81 to a lever actuated by a pattern chain so that the movement of the
cams 75 and consequently the transverse of the lifters can be stopped and started
according to the size of the article being knitted. After an article has been completed
it is necessary to throw out of work the extra needles thrown into work during the
the knitting of the article. This is done by catch bars 82 which are carried by
levers 83 fulcrumed on other levers 84 aud held in contact with the under side of the
needle bed by springs 85. The levers 84 are pivotted at 86 and are actuated by
cams 87 on the staff. 29, the cams trucks 88 being moved from the circular discs 89
the cams 87 by forks 90 which are carried by rods 90 and actuated by pattern
mechanism.
With a machine constructed as herein described it is possible to make a plain or
striped fashioned stocking leg with an ornamental pattern on the whole or any part
of the same and the pattern may be varied by means of the pattern wheels 34, 34ª
and 34b which are cut according to the well-known method. The pattern
wheels 75 are racked for each additional needle thrown into action on both sides of
the needles in work, and the number of faces on the same depends upon the number
of fashionings required, and the number of notions required for the lifters to return
to their original position.
In addition to the parts described the machine is provided with any suitable thread
tension and take up device, a stand 92 for the warp thread bobbins and with
other accessories usual with this class of machine.
After the pattern wheels and chains have been adjusted and the warp and knitting
thread guides, threaded the machine is started, the knitting cam box traversing the
full width of the machine, although the centre set of needles only are in the knitting
position. When the line 65 Fig. 9 is reached the rod 93 is operated and the cam
trucks moved on to the operating cams on the shaft 29 and as this shaft makes one
revolution for a to and fro traverse of the cam box, both cam trucks can be shogged
simultaneously then, when 'the knitting cam box is at the right hand end of its
traverse the right hand lifter is operated and the needles necessary to make up the
width 65 on the right hand side of the centre needles, are thrown into action. When
the cam box is at the left hand end of the machine at the next succeeding traverse,
the left hand portion of the needles are thrown into action, and the lifters may then
be stopped or they may continue to oscillate while the parallel piece 65, 66 is knitted.
When the line 66 is reached the bluff 80 is moved and the pawl 77 actuates the
wheel 76. This traverses the lifters from each other a distance of one needle each
for each movement. This movement may take place every two courses, or there may
be a greater number of courses between each pair of needles thrown into work. The
movement traversing the lifters may take place at any time during the traverse of
the knitting cam but the oscillation of the lifters must take place after the knitting
cam has passed the needle to be thrown into action and is moving towards the end of
its traverse.
When all the additional needles have been thrown into work the rotation of the
cams 75 is continued and the lifters are drawn back to their starting position by
springs, weights, or by grooves in the cams, which are shaped as shown to allow of
this return motion, and when the lifters have been brought to their starting position

page_text: the pawl 77 is thrown out of action and the oscillation of the shafts 72 is stopped.
The article is then completed and the thread carriers moved so as to miss the
driving piece 22, the work being thereby knocked off the needles. At the same time
the catch bars 82 are thrown into action and when the cam box is at the right hand
side of the centre needles the left hand catch bar operates to move out of the work
the extra needles at the left hand side of the machine, and when the cam box is at
the left hand side of the machine the right hand set of needles are similarly thrown
out of work.
In this machine the needles advance to receive the knitting thread and are then
withdrawn to form the new loop. The needles afterwards come forward until the
loops on them rest on the needle latches, and when the knitting cam is at the
extremity of its stroke the warp guides rise between the needles, are moved endways
to wrap the thread and then fall below the needles, in which position they may be
again inover endways for selecting the needles to be next wrapped. In addition to
the movements stated the warp guides may be moved to and from the needles, such
movement taking place at the time the warp threads are being wrapped on the
needles and is for the purpose of ensuring the warp threads appearing at the front or
face of the fabric.
Having now partienlarly described and ascertained the nature of my said 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 combination of a centre set of needles with heels or
butts on one side of the stems or jacks, with two side sets of needles with heels
or butts on both sides of the steins or jacks, movable sinkers, knitting cam,
mechanism operating the knitting cam, two or more sets of warp thread guides, and
two or more knitting thread carriers arranged and operating substantially as herein.
described.
2. In a knitting machine the combination of two sets of needles, movable sinkers,
knitting eams, two or more sets of warp thread guides, mechanism for oscillating all
the guides simultaneously, mechanism for traversing each set of guides independently
of the other sets and two or more thread carriers arranged and operating substantially
as herein described.
3. In a knitting machine the combination of two sets of needles, movable sinkers
knitting cams, two or more sets of warp thread guides, mechanism for oscillating and
traversing the same, two or more knitting thread carriers and mechanism for selecting
and driving the saine, arranged and operating substantially as herein shown and
described.
4. In a knitting machine the combination of two sets of needles, movable sinkers,
knitting cam, two or more sets of warp thread guides, mechanism operating the
same, two or more knitting thread carriers, mechanism operating the same, lifters
for raising additional needles into work and mechanism for oscillating and traversing
the lifters, arranged and operating substantially as herein described.
5. In a knitting machine the combination of two sets of needles, movable sinkers,
knitting cam, two or more sets of warp thread guides, mechanism operating the
same, two or more knitting thread carriers, mechanism operating the same, needle
lifters and mechanism oscillating and traversing the same, catch bars for pulling the
extra needles out of work and mechanism operating the same, arranged and operating
substantially as herein described.
6. In a knitting machine the combination of two sets of needles, movable sinkers,
knitting cam, mechanism operating the same, one or more sets of warp thread guides,
mechanism oscillating and traversing the same, one or more knitting thread carriers,
nechanism for selecting and driving the same needle lifters with mechanism for
oscillating and traversing the same, catch bars with mechanism operating the same,
and pattern mechanism controlling the various parts, arranged and opering as
herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

page_text: 7. A knitting machine constructed combined and operating as herein described
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 26th day of June 1897
W. H. POTTER,
Nottingham, Patent Agent.