IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Lowe, of Leicester, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY."
Sealed the 17th August 1854, and dated the 16th June 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Lowe at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 16th June
1854.
I, DAVID LOWE, of Leicester, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY" to be as follows:-
Heretofore in knitting machinery it has been usual for the thread carriers to
traverse across the frame from side to side, and to lay the threads on the surfaces
of the needle jack and other sinkers, pressing such threads between the needles.
Now, my improvements consist of constructing and arranging mechanical
apparatus in such manner, that the thread carriers, in place of laying the
threads on the needles, as heretofore, lay their threads on instruments which
correspond in number with the spaces between the needles, and these instru-
ments are caused to lay and sink the threads on and between the needles, and
allow of other instruments coming in (whilst the preceding ones go away) and
working the course on the needles. For this purpose the forms of the instru-
ments may be varied, both those used for receiving and placing the thread on
and between the needles, and also those instruments which work the course
when the thread has been placed on and between the needles; but, whatever
be their form, they should be made with reference to a main feature in the

page_text: Invention, videlicit, that the supplying of the thread to the receiving instru-
ments shall take place when the working of the course on the needles is taking
place, and thus save time; and it is desirable that the receiving instruments
should be capable of movement in respect to each other, so as to adjust the
length of thread taken by them according to the length of loop to be made on
the needles. It is believed that the most convenient arrangement is that the
receiving instruments should be above the needles, and the instruments which
work the course should be below the needles; but this is not essential to the
Invention, in which arrangement the thread carriers lay their threads on the
receiving instruments; those instruments descend and place their threads on
to and between the needles; they go out of the way to receive a fresh supply
of threads, when the other instruments cause the fresh loops to be moved under
the beards of the needles, press down the beards, and force the work over the
heads of the needles.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said David Lowe in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th
December 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
LOWE, of Leicester, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
David Lowe, Her special licence that I, the said David Lowe, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said David Lowe, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said David Lowe, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said David Lowe, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof (that is to say):-
Heretofore in knitting machinery it has been usual for the thread carriers
to traverse across the frame from side to side, and to lay the threads on the
surfaces of the needles. jack, aud other sinkers, pressing such threads between
the needles. Now, my improvements consist of constructing and arranging
mechanical apparatus in such manner, that the thread carriers, in place of
laying the threads on the needles, as heretofore, lay their threads or instru-
ments which correspond in number with the spaces between the needles, and
these instruments are caused to lay and sink the threads on and between the
needles, and allow of other instruments coming in (whilst the preceding ones
go away) and working the course on the needles. For this purpose the forms
of the instruments may be varied, both those used for receiving and placing
the thread on and between the needles, and also those instruments which work
the course when the thread has been placed on and between the needles; but,
whatever be their form, they should be made with reference to a main feature
in the Invention, namely, that the supplying of the thread to the receiving instru-
ments shall take place when the working of the course on the needles is taking
place, and thus save time; and it is desirable that the receiving instruments
should be capable of movement in respect to each other, so as to adjust the
length of thread taken by them, according to the length of loop to be made on
the needles. It is believed that the most convenient arrangement is that the
receiving instruments should be above the needles, and the instruments which
work the course should be below the needles; but this is not essential to the
Invention, in which arrangement the thread carriers lay their threads on the
receiving instruments; those instruments descend and place their threads on to
and between the needles; they go out of the way to receive a fresh supply of
threads, when the other instruments cause the fresh loops to be moved under
the beards of the needles, press down the beards, and force the work over the
heads of the needles.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, 1 will proceed to describe
the manner in which I perform the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a transverse section of a knitting machine having my
improvements applied thereto; and Figure 2 shews a section of the instru-
ments, and some of the parts full size; Figures 3 and 4 shew the instruments

page_text: in other positions. The other Drawings shew separate views of the instruments
and cams employed, the nature of which being written thereon, it will not be
necessary to describe them more fully. And as the nature of knitting
machinery is well understood, it will only be necessary to describo in detail
those parts of the inachino which have reference to my present improvements.
a is the needle bar carrying the needles, which in this arrangement is fixed,
and of the more ordinary description; but in place of the needle bar being fixed,
it may have motion given thereto as heretofore in some cases, if desired, in
which case the motions of the other parts are to be modified and adapted
thereto. is the thread carrier, fixed to the bar , which has a to and fro
motion given thereto from a lever at one end of the machine by a link,
connected by a pin joint to the arm, fixed on the bar b'. b, b', are trucks
or rollers, carried by the bar , the truck 6' being supported on the bar,
and the truck & bears against the bar c', so as to guide the bar 6 when
moving to and fro. is another truck or roller (the axis of which is tubular,
carried by the thread carrier, which also rests against the bar c, and acts to
press out the instruments which form the loops, the nature of which I
now proceed to describe:-c, d, are leads of instruments carried by the bars
c', d. The lower ends of the instruments c (the form of which is shown in
tho Drawing) pass through and between the spaces of the instruments d (the
form of which is shown by the Drawing), and are pressed outwards by the
roller, during the passage of the thread carrier, which lays its thread in
front of the instruments d; and the instruments c, as they spring back in suc-
cession between the instruments d, take the thread and crimp it between the
spaces of the instruments d, where the thread is held ready to be deposited on
to the stems of the needles after the previous thread has been worked into a
course by the instruments c, which carry the presser rod or wire, as will be
hereafter described.
Figure 2 shews the parts in the position they assume just after the thread
has been deposited upon the needles by the instruments c, d, and the instru
ments c, d, have risen above the needles to receive a fresh supply of thread
from the thread carrier; and which thread so laid on to the needles is, as
before stated, worked into a course whilst the instruments c, d, are receiving
another quantity of thread from the thread carrier b.
Figure 3 shews the position of the parts when the instruments c, d, aro
in the act of depositing the thread on to the stems of the needles; and
Figure shews the instruments c, d, and parts in the position they
assume when the work is being knocked over by the instruments,c. The bar
c which carries the instrument c is connected by a bracket c* to the bar c,

page_text: and the bar d' which carries the instruments dis suspended on arms d*,
which are connected by pin joints to brackets fixed on the bar c. The bar d¹
and instruments & are capable of adjustment in respect to the instruments c,
by set screws d², carried by arms d', fixed to the brackets d*, the screws d
acting against the bar c', so as to move the bar d¹ on the axes of the arnis d*,
and thus to vary the length of loop formed by the instruments c, d.
I will now proceed to describe the manner in which the instruments c, d,
and apparatus connected therewith, receive motion, in order to lay the
thread from time to time upon the stems of the needles. f is a spindle bar,
supported on axes f'; at the ends of the machine, carried by the framing f²,
are arnis, fixed to the spindle bar f, which are connected by pin joints to the
brackets or arms c', fixed to the under side of the bar c', the bar c¹ and parts
connected therewith being supported on the spindle bar arms f, by which the
instruments c, d, can be raised or lowered. f is a lever arm, fixed to the
spindle bar f, which is connected by a link f' to a lever f³, which carries a
truck, and is acted upon by the cam fo, fixed on the cam shaft or axis g. The
instruments e, which carry the pressure wire and knock over the work, receive
an up and down movement in the following manner :-h is a cam, fixed on the
cam shaft or axis g, which acts on a truck or roller, carried by the lever h';
one end of the lever h¹ is connected by a link h³ to the lever arm h', fixed to
the spindle bar h³, which is supported and moves on axes ho, formed in the
brackets ; fixed to the needle bar h³ is an arm, fixed on the spindle bar h³,
which is connected by a pin joint to the bar e', which carries the instruments
e, so as to give an up and down movement thereto. The bar e' has a too and
fro movement given thereto by a cam 7, fixed on the cam shaft, which acts on
a truck or roller, carried by the lever , which is connected by the link to
the lever arm F, fixed on the bar e. The cam shaft or axis g makes one
revolution for every two courses worked by the instruments c, d, and receives
motion from the crank axis m by toothed wheels, indicated by red circles.
n, n, are projecting arms, fixed at each end of the bar e', against which a truck
or roller o (carried by a bracket on the frame of instruments c, d,) is borne by
a spring p, connected to the bar c, by which the to and fro movement of the
bar is inparted to the frame of instruments c, d. q is a bar supported on
axes carried by the frame of instruments c, d. To the bar q levers or instru-
ments are fixed, and retained in position by springs, as shown, opposite to the
selvages of the fabric, and around the turned up ends of which the selvage
loops are passed by the thread carrier, where they are retained whilst the
work is knocked over, and until the instruments c, d, descend between the
needles, when they are released, by the arm coming in contact with the

page_text: fixed stop on the framing of the machine. sis a bar, supported by arms s¹
fixed on the bar 6. The bar s carries instruments &, which press upon the
surface of the instrument c, after they have been forced outwards by the
passage of the roller 6, to ensure the return of the instruments c to their
correct positions. t, t, are guides to the instruments c.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would have it understood that I do not claim any of the
parts separately, and the parts may be varied in their forms and arrangement
without departing from my Invention, so long as the peculiar mode of com-
bining the parts herein described be retained, whereby the thread is not laid
directly on to the needles, but is received by other instruments during the
time when a course is being worked on the needles; and I would have it
understood that what I claim is, the mode herein described of combining parts
of knitting machinery.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Lowe, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Thirteenth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
FREDERICK HENRY SEDDON,
King Street, Leicester.
DAVID LOWE. (L.B.)