Improved Apparatus applicable to Straight Bar Knitting Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 12th May, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 31st Jan., 1895-Accepted, 16th Mar., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus applicable to Straight Bar Knitting
Machines.
I HERBERT KIDDIER, of the Firm of John Kiddier and Son, of The Globe
Works, Waterway Street, Nottingham, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows :-
.
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To each breadth of fabric made on a straight bar knitting machine I apply a set
of grooved narrowing points placed at such an angle that the points hold the
needles back at the time of pressing thus preventing the loops forming the fabric
from being thrown off the needles.
The rods carrying the narrowing brackets are traversed inwards to narrow and
outwards to widen by the usual narrowing screw at each end of the machine.
Each narrowing screw is operated by two cams on the cam shaft, between the
cams is a truck traversed by a rod operated by a cam secured on the drawing cam
shaft or its equivalent, to throw the trucks onto one or other of the cams at each
end of the machine.
To enable the trucks to be traversed from between the cams onto either of them,
each truck is clipped by a fork which slides on its traversing lever, the said fork
being drawn back clear of the truck by the attendant before the commencement
of each narrowing or widening, the truck then being placed on the proper cam.
The misspressing of the needles may be effected by presser plates sliding beneath
the sinker bars and operated by the narrowing screws.
At each narrowing the set of points or presser plate and thread carrier move
inwards at the commencement or during the draw alternately.
When widening and connecting the misspressed loops of the fabric previously
formed, the thread carrier and points or presser plate are traversed outwards
while the work is being knocked over, alternately from the side the draw
commences.
By means of the above described apparatus operating in conjunction with a
straight bar knitting machine, seamless pocket heels and seamless toes may be made
on circular plain or ribbed looped fabrics.
The above described apparatus is equally applicable when making gloves.
Dated thie Eleventh day of May 1894

page_text: Figure 2 shows a side view of two cams at the left end of the machine and a
truck bearing lever carrying clawkers for operating the usual narrowing screw at
the left end!
Figure 3 shows in plan the cams at each end of the machine, the two truck
bearing levers without the clawkers, and two sliding forks, traversed by a rod 19
each severally referred to hereafter.
Figure 4 is a front view of the apparatus for traversing the rod 19, and Figure 5
a plan of the same as placed at the left of the centre of the machine.
The corresponding parts in each figure are indicated by the same numbers
where necessary.
To each breadth of fabric made on a straight bar knitting machine I apply a set
of points 1, shown at Figure 1, placed at such an angle that they hold the needles
towards the front of the machine at the time of pressing to prevent the loops
forming the fabric from being thrown off the needles. One set of points is placed
to the right of the usual narrowing points 2 at the right of each breadth of fabric,
a second set being placed to the left of the usual narrowing points at left of each
breadth of fabric, 3 is a cam for operating the narrowing points 2 in the usual
way, and 4 is an additional cam for operating the new points 1, while the fabric is
being pressed, the rods carrying the narrowing brackets are traversed inwards to
narrow and outwards to widen by the usual narrowing screw at each end of the
machine. The cam shaft 5 shogs only when narrowings are being made in the usual
way, the narrowing screws being operated by two cams 6 shown in side view, and
plan, at Figures 2 and 3, being placed under the trucks 7, each carried by a lever 8
provided with the usual narrowing clawker 9 and widening clawker 10 shown at
Figure 2 but omitted at Figure 3.
Between the cams 6 the cam shaft 5 is provided with three cams 11, 12 and 13,
above the shaft 5 are two trucks 14 and 15 carried by axles projecting from the
rocking levers 8, the trucks are traversed onto one or other of the cams by forks 16,
17 which clip the cams and slide upon traversing levers 18 carried by a rod 19
sliding in bearings secured to the framing of the machine. The trucks 14, 15 at
Figure 3 are shown in the position they occupy when the fabric is being widened,
when the new points 1 are operating during the narrowing of the fabric, the
forks 16 and 17 having been drawn back the trucks 14 and 15 are placed by
the attendant in the openings 16* of the forks at the right and left ends of the
machine.
The trucks being placed on the proper cams by the attendant before the
commencement of each narrowing or widening of the fabric.
The traverse of the levers 18 and rod 19 is effected by an horizontally rocking
lever 20 shown at Figures 4 and 5, the back end lying between two collars secured
on the rod, and its front forked end engaging with a stud carried by a bar 21 sliding
in bearings secured to the framing of the machine, and provided with, a truck

page_text: operated by an additional cam 22 secured on the usual drawing cam shaft 23, the
truck being held to the cam in the usual way, by a spring hooked onto the rod 19
and a convenient part of the machine framing.
At each narrowing the set of points and thread carrier move inwards at the
commencement or during the draw alternately.
When widening and connecting the misspressed loops of the fabric previously
formed, the thread carrier and points are traversed outwards while the work is being
knocked over, alternately from the side the draw commences.
The action of the apparatus when making seamless pocket heels and seamless
toes is as follows:-
The fabric required to have heels, gussets and toes is first run on to the needles
in the usual way according to the width required. The knitting process then
commences, the points in the narrowing machine descend at every course at the
same time each course is racked in one needle bringing the points 1 into action on
the needles in order to hold the loops from being pressed off the needles one needle
at each course.
This process
is continued until a part of the heel is made; in the return process,
the fabric is widened out at each course the needle is liberated until the fabric is
extended to the full original width.
The narrowing of the gusset is performed in the usual way by the usual
mechanism until the toe part is reached then the operation takes place exactly as
that before described in making the heel, when finished off the instep and toe are
joined together which completes the hose or half hose.
The above described apparatus is equally applicable when making gloves.
Having now particularly 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 :-
In straight bar knitting machines the construction and employment of the improved
apparatus substantially as described for the purposes specified and illustrated in the
drawings annexed.
Dated this Thirtieth day of January 1895.
H. W. GOUGH, C.E.,
Agent.