ADATHIS KOP KNITTING MACHINES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Henry Beck, of 139, Cannon Street, in the
City of London, Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent, for an Invention of
RIDDINA ADDADATHIS KOP KNITTING MACHINES”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Henry Beck at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th November 1880.
WILLIAM HENRY BECK, of 139, Cannon Street, in the City of London,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN RIBBING APPARATUS
FOR KNITTING MACHINES."
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the apparatus for producing
the ribbed portion of the work made by circular knitting machines, such as, for
example, those known as "the little rapid," and consists of certain arrangements
for and means of supporting, guiding, and adjusting the needle and cam plates of
such ribbing apparatus.
In this class of apparatus the needle and cam plates have heretofore been
supported or carried by means of the cam cylinder of the knitting machine. In
order to obviate certain inconveniences arising from this arrangement, the said
needle and cam plates are, according to the present Invention, supported and
carried by a pillar or bracket secured firmly to some fixed part of the knitting
machine, and are connected to the said pillar or bracket in such manner that they
can be adjusted with facility, either vertically or horizontally. By these means the
needle and cam plates may be supported, adjusted, and held firmly and accurately
over the centre of the needle cylinder of the knitting machine, and at the required
distance therefrom, independantly of and unaffected by any slackness or other
defect in the fit of such cain cylinder on the needle cylinder.
The needle plate has also heretofore been held in its proper position circum-
ferentially with reference to the needle cylinder of the machine, by means of an
arm secured on its axis, and fitted loosely at its other end to a fixed point on the
machine, and has been adjusted circumferentially either by means of a tightening
clip in the aforesaid arm or by means of an arm or lever on the under side of the
needle plate, which latter means is very difficult to manipulate.
By this Invention the said needle plate is held rigidly in such position by means
of the before mentioned fixed pillar or bracket, and is adjusted circumferentially
by means of an index finger or arm secured to the spindle of the needle plate, and
so adapted and arranged as to be easily manipulated and secured at the upper part
of the machine.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Henry Beck in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
May 1881.
WILLIAM HENRY BECK, of 139, Cannon Street, in the City of London,
Consulting Engineer and Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN RIBBING APPARATUS
FOR KNITTING MACHINES."
This Invention relates to certain improvements in the apparatus for producing
the ribbed portion of the work produced by circular knitting machines, such as, for
example, those known as "the little rapid" knitting machines, and consists of
certain arrangements for and means of supporting, guiding, and adjusting the
needle and cain plates of such ribbing apparatus.
In this class of apparatus the needle and cam plates have heretofore been
supported or carried by means of the cam cylinder of the knitting machine. In
order to obviate certain inconveniences arising from this arrangement, the said
needle and cam plates are, according to the present Invention, supported and
carried by a pillar or bracket secured firmly to some fixed part of the knitting
machine, and are connected to the said pillar or bracket in such manner that they
can be adjusted with facility, either vertically or horizontally.
By these means the needle and cam plates may be supported, adjusted, and held
firmly and accurately over the centre of the needle cylinder of the knitting machine,
and at the required distance therefrom, independantly of and unaffected by any
slackness or other defect in the fit of such cam cylinder on the needle cylinder.
The needle plate has also heretofore been held in its proper position circum-
ferentially with reference to the needle cylinder of the machine by means of an
arın secured on its axis, and fitted loosely at its other end to a fixed point on the
machine, and has been adjusted circumferentially either by means of a tightening
clip in the aforesaid arın, or by means of an arm or lever on the under side of the
needle plate, which latter arrangement is very difficult to manipulate. By this
Invention the said needle plate is held rigidly in such position by means of the
beforementioned fixed pillar or bracket, and is adjusted circumferentially by means
of an index finger or arm secured to the spindle of the needle plate, and so adapted
and arranged as to be easily manipulated and secured at the upper part of the
machine.
In the Sheet of Drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 represents the arrangements
constituting the present Invention applied to a circular knitting machine of the
type known as the "little rapid," only so much of the said knitting machine being
shown as is necessary for the elucidation of the Invention. Figure 2 is a plan of
tho saine;
and Figures 3 and 4 detached views of certain parts of the said
arrangements.
A is the base plate of the machine; B, the needle cylinder; C, the cam cylinder
by which the vertical needles D of the needle cylinder B are operated; E is the
needle plate of the ribbing apparatus furnished with radial grooves F for the
reception of the ribbing needles G; H, the cam plate for operating the ribbing
needles G, so that they act in conjunction with the needles D in the manner now
well understood in connection with this class of machines. All the parts above
enumerated are of the usual construction, and, except in combination with the
parts and arrangements hereinafter described, form no part of the present
Invention.
I is a pillar secured firmly to the base plate of the machine; J is a double
socket piece with two branches at right angles to cach other, and preferably situated
in different planes, the vertical one takes on to and is adjustable vertically on the
turned upper part of the pillar I by means of the lock nuts K, and horizontally in
arc by the set screw L; M is an arm or bracket, one end of which takes into the
horizontal branch of the double socket piece J, being adjustable therein longi-
tudinaly and in vertical arc by the set screw N, and the other end of which is

page_text: formed into a vertical tube or boss, which is bored out to receive the spindle P,
which is fitted so as to be capable of being turned easily, but steadily, therein. To
the lower end of the spindle P is keyed or otherwise secured the ribbing needle
plate E. The ribbing cam plate H is adapted to turn loosely on the spindle P, as
are also the arms Q, Q, which, being caused to rotate on the spindle P by the
driving pins Q (see also Figure 4) fixed in the cam ring C, cause the cam plate H
to rotate also when the pin Q2 is passed into the hole Q3 in the said cam plato H.
If preferred, one only of the arms Q may be employed. The upper end of the
spindle P carries au index finger or arm S, which takes on to a square part of the
said spindle P, or is otherwise secured thereto, so that the said spindle P shall
turn in its boss or tubo when the said index finger or arm S is moved by the
handle T in either direction. Tho said finger or arm S is provided with a
segmental slot U, through which a screwed stud V passes into a small lateral
bracket or arm W (shown separately in side elevation in Figure 3) formed on the
arm or bracket M, whereby the said finger or arin S, and consequently the needle
plate E, can be fixed in various positions as required, being held firmly by the
screwed stud V and tightening nut V¹. The spindle P is supported vertically in
the boss or tube of the arm or bracket M. by means of the lock nuts X by a looso
collar pinned thereon, as shown at Y in Figure 5, or by other suitable means.
It will now be readily understood, firstly, that instead of the needle and cam
plates E and H being supported and carried by the loose rotating cam cylinder C,
as heretofore, they are supported and carried by the fixed pillar and arm I and M,
constituting a firm suspending bracket, by which they are held firmly and
accurately in place over the centre of the needle cylinder B of the knitting machine;
secondly, that the said needle and cam plates E and H can easily be adjusted to
the said position over the centre of the needle cylinder B by means of the vertical,
horizontal, and radial adjustments afforded by the double socket piece J, lock
nuts K, and set screws L and N, quite independantly of and unaffected by any
slackness or other defect in the fit of the cam cylinder C on the needle cylinder B,
whereas heretofore they have been dependant upon the accuracy of that fit for the
accuracy and steadiness of their position with reference to the needle cylinder;
and, thirdly, that the adjustment of the needle plato E on its centre, so that the
radial needle grooves in it shall occupy the proper position with reference to the
needle grooves of the needle cylinder B; and retention in the required position are
effected by simply slackening the clamping nut V' and turning the finger or arm S
in either direction until the needle plate E has reached the required position, when
the clamping nut V', being tightened, the needle plate E is securely fastened in
that position.
If desired the tube or boss on the end of the arm M may be extended downwards,
as shown in Figure 5, and the boss of the arm or arms Q adapted to rotate on it
instead of on the spindle P, as in Figure 1, and the cam plate H may also be
similarly adapted to turn on the said boss instead of on the spindle, as also seen
in the same Figure 5; by this means the bearing for the spindle P is carried down
nearer to the needle plate E, and the steadiness of the latter is thereby still further
secured.
Instead of the arms Q, Q, for rotating the cam plate H revolving on the
spindle P, as in Figure 1, or on the boss of the arm M, as in Figure 5, and being
caused to rotate thereon by driving pins Q¹ on the cam cylinder C, as shown in
Figures 1 and 3, an arm or arms, such as that shown at Q in Figure 6, may be
employed when it is required to rotate the said cam plate H, such arm Q being
adapted at one end to slip easily but steadily into a dovetailed groove Z on the
outer periphery of the cam cylinder C, or otherwise fixed thereto, the other or
upper end Q being bent over and adapted to enter the hole Q³ in the cam plate H,
the whole arm Q being either entirely removed or lifted up in its dovetailed
groove, so that its upper end Q is disengaged from the hole Q3 when it is desired
to stop the action of the cam plate H.
In the Drawings the arrangements are shown applied to a flat needle plate E,

page_text: and a corresponding flat cam plate H, but it is obvious that they may be applied to
needle and cam plates of conical or other forms.
The action of the various parts for effecting the knitting operations differs in
no respect from that which is already well known and understood in connection
with this class of machine, and I have therefore decmod it unnecessary to describo
such action herein.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to or may be carried into effect, I would have it understood that
I do not confine myself to the precise arrangements, forms, or dimensions of the
various parts or the methods of connecting them together, shown in the Drawings,
as they may be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention; also
that I am aware that ribbing apparatuses have been before devised and used, in
which the cam plates have been rotated by their connection with the cam cylinders
of the knitting machines; also in which the needle plates have been supported or
guided, or both, by the said cam cylinders; also in which the needle plates have
been adjusted circumferentially and prevented from revolving by clip levers acting
by friction on the spindles thereof or by dial holders placed below the needle
plates, as, for example, in the several apparatuses for which Letters Patent were
granted to Henry Josiah Griswold, dated the Twenty first day of August 1872, and
numbered 2489, to Henry Josiah Griswold, dated the Eighth day of October 1873, and
numbered 3257, to William Robert Lake, dated the Twenty sixth day of April 1876,
and numbered 1749, and to William Robert Lake, dated the Twenty sixth day of
January 1877, and numbered 347, but what I claim as my Invention is,--
Firstly. The employment of a pillar or support secured to a fixed part of the
knitting machine, and carrying an adjustable arm or bracket, such said pillar and
arm or bracket being constructed, arranged, and combined together, so as to
support and hold the ribbing apparatus in the required position over the needle
cylinder of the knitting machine, substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 5, and 6 of the Drawings hereto annexed.
Secondly. The employment of the double socket piece with its lock nuts and
set screws, whereby the arm or bracket can be adjusted vertically, horizontally,
and radially, in order to effect an accurate adjustment of the ribbing needle plate in
relation to the needle cylinder of the knitting machine, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings hereto
annexed.
Thirdly. The means of adjusting the ribbing needle plate on its centre and of
holding it in position circumferentially, consisting of an index finger or arm fixed
on the upper end of the spindle of the said needle plate, and secured by a clamping
screw or nut at the upper part of the knitting machine, substantially as herein
before described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the Drawings hercto
annexed.
Fourthly. The general combination of the needle plate, spindle, cam plate, and
driving arm or arms with a rigid fixed adjustable supporting bracket, the whole
constituting a ribbing apparatus, which is independant of the cam cylinder of the
knitting machine except as regards the transmission of motion therefrom to the
ribbing cam plate, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
Figures 1, 2, 5, and 6 of the Drawings hereto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Henry Beck, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.