Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Feb., 1887
Complete Left, 15th Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted, 27th Jan., 1888
I, WILLIAM HENRY DORMAN of Brook House, Brook Street, Stafford in the county of
Stafford, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My improved Knitting Machine is intended principally for the manufacture of glove
nands, but is equally applicable to the manufacture of Stockings and other kinds of
Hosiery, and I am able to make the hands of the gloves, including the ribbed wrist,
at one process, on a circular Knitter, to which I have added my improvements, as
follows:-
I make the grooved needle cylinder about twice the usual length.
Around this cylinder I place two cam shells of substantially the usual construction,
one being placed above the other, and both shells being made to revolve or reciprocate
in conjunction with each other.
I use two kinds of needles at a time, (one kind being of about the usual length) are
actuated by the upper cam shell, the other kind are about twice the usual length, are
actuated by the lower cam shell.
These different kinds of needles may be arranged in alternate groups of 1 & 1, 2 & 2,
3 & 3, 2 & 3, &c. &c., or, one part of the machine may be filled with long needles, and
the other part with the short ones, according to the class of work which is required
to be done, when the two cam shells are arranged and secured to each other in such a
position, that the cams of the upper cam shell, are in a vertical line with the corre-
sponding cams of the lower cam shell, all the needles will knit plain web, no matter
what is the relative disposition of the long and short needles.
While thus arranged,
the ribbing attachment may be used for knitting a ribbed top or cuff as usual.
If the hand of the glove, or the body of a stocking is required to be of tucked or fancy
work, a half revolution is given to the upper Cam Shell, and it is secured relatively to the
lower cam-shell in such a position that the corresponding cams are opposite to each
other. A separate Yarn Carrier now supplies a second yarn to the short needles, and
tucked or fancy knitting is produced.
I also use this improved Knitter for splicing knees, heels, toes, or any other part of
the fabric, without any special splicing apparatus, in the following manner :-I place
at the back of the machine a number of the long needles, corresponding with the width

page_text: of that part of the fabric that is to be spliced or re-inforced. On either side of these
long needles, I place a long needle, which has, in addition to its butt, another
butt, higher up, and the same distance from the hook, as the butts of the shorter
needles.
The remaining grooves of the Cylinder are filled with the shorter needles. Now,
when the two cam shells are so arranged relatively to each other, that the corresponding
cams are in a vertical line, plain or ribbed web will be knitted, and the heel and the
toe may be formed as usual. If, however the upper cam-shell is adjusted opposite to
the lower cam-shell, as explained above, and a thicker yarn or the usual yarn with an
additional splicing yarn, is fed by a separate yarn guide to the long needles, and a
reciprocating motion is given to the Cam-shells, as when knitting heels & toes-a
tubular web will be knitted, one part of which will be spliced and the other not.
The two needles with double butts which are placed at either side, will take tho yarn
from both yarn guides, at each reciprocation, & consequently will firmly unite and
seam together the spliced and the unspliced portions.
When the spliced portion is finished, the upper cam shell receives a partial revolution
so as to bring the corresponding cams in a vertical line with each other, the yarn or
yarns are removed from the auxiliary yarn Carrier, and cut off, and the knitting
proceeds as usual.
Instead of the two Cam-shells being made to rotate upon each other, I divide
may
the upper cam shell into two sections, and hinge these sections together, so that they
may be opened and the cams removed from one side, and placed in the other side during
the knitting of the fancy work or spliced fabric.

page_text: Figure
р
Figure 4 shews the needles.
I make the grooved needle Cylinder A about twice the usual length. Around
this Cylinder I place two Cam Shells B & C of substantially the usual construction.
one, C being placed above the other B and both shells being made to revolve or
reciprocate in conjunction with each other. Each Cam Shell is fitted with up-throw,
side and stitch cams, such as are generally used in Circular Knitting Machines.
I use two kinds of needles at a time (one kind D being of about the usual length)
are actuated by the cams in the upper Cam shell C, the other kind E, about twice the
usual length, are actuated by the cams of the lower cam shell B.
These different kinds of needles may be arranged in alternate groups as required.
i.e. the cylinder may be filled with needles of both kinds D & E placed alternately or
in alternate groups of 2 or 3 of each sort, or of 2 of one sort & 3 of the other
alternately, or, one part of the machine may be filled with long needles, and the other
part with the short ones, according to the class of work which is required to be done.
When the two cam shells are arranged and secured to each other by means of the
fastener & peg F, in such a position that the cams I of the upper Cam Shell C are in
a vertical line with the corresponding cams H of the lower Cam Shell B, all the needles
will knit plain web, no matter what is the relative disposition of the long & short
needles.
While thus arranged, any of the well known ribbing attachments for Circular
Knitting Machines may be used for knitting a ribbed top or cuff as usual.
If the hand of the glove or the body of a stocking is required to be of tucked or
fancy work, a half revolution is given to the upper Cam-shell C, and it is secured
relatively to the lower can shell B in such a position that the corresponding cams H in
the lower shell, and I in the upper shell, are diametrically opposite to each other. (See
figure 1.)

page_text: A separate yarn carrier J now supplies a second yarn to the short needles D, and
tucked or fancy knitting is produced. I also use this improved Knitter for splicing
knees, heels, toes, or any other part of the fabric, without any special splicing
apparatus in the following manner: I place at the back of the machine, a number of
needles of one kind, say short ones D, corresponding with the width of that part of
the fabric that is to be spliced or re-inforced. On the other side of these short needles,
I place a long needle K, which has, in addition, to its butt L another butt M,
higher up, and the same distance from the hook, as the butts of the shorter
needles D.
The remaining grooves of the Cylinder A, are filled with the long needles E. Now,
when the two cam shells B & C are so arranged & secured relatively to each other,
that the corresponding cams F & I are in a vertical line, plain or ribbed web will be
knitted, and the heel and the toe may be formed as usual. If, however, the upper
cam shell C is adjusted opposite to the lower cam shell B, as explained above, and a
thicker yarn, or the usual yarn with an additional splicing yarn, is fed by the separate
yarn guide J, to the short needles D, and a reciprocating motion is given to the cam
shells as when knitting heels & toes & a tubular web will be knitted, one part of which
will be spliced, and the other not.
The two needles K with double butts, which are placed at either side will take the
yarn from both yarn guides J & N. at each reciprocation and consequently will firmly
unite and seam together the spliced and the unspliced portions.
When the spliced portion is finished, the upper cam shell C receives a partial
revolution, so as to bring the corresponding cams in the two cam shells, in a vertical
line with each other, the yarn or yarns are removed from the auxiliary yarn carrier J,
and cut off, and the knitting proceeds as usual.
The auxiliary yarn carrier J & latch opener O are carried on a stand P attached to
the geared ring Q in the same manner as the ordinary stand R but diametrically
opposite. The stand P is provided with a cam S for operating the up-throw cams i
in the upper Cam shell when the two cam shells are secured together with cams opposite
to each other, and the stand R has an additional cam T for operating these same
up-throw cams I when the two cam shells are secured together with the upper Cams I
in a vertical line over the lower cams H.
These two additional cams S&T are of the same shape, & act in the same manner
as the ordinary cam U, which operates the up throw cams in the lower cam shell.
Instead of the two cam shells being made to rotate upon each other, I may divide
the upper cam-shell into two sections, and hinge these sections together, so that they
may be opened, and the cams removed from one side, and placed in the other side, during
the knitting of the fancy work or spliced fabric.
Having now described the nature of my invention, I now state that what I
claim is
1st. In circular Knitting Machines the two cam shells in combination with each
other, and, with the other parts of the Machine in conjunction with the use of needles
of 2 different lengths, substantially in the manner, and for the purpose specified.
2nd. The above described method of seaming or uniting the two parts of a stocking
while being knitted, by means of a seaming needle having two butts so arranged as to
engage each set of cams at each reciprocation of the said Cam-shells, substantially as
described.
1007
M