IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Chapman, of Rutland Street, Leicester, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES."
Sealed the 6th December 1859, and dated the 29th June 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Chapman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 29th
June 1859.
J, GEORGE CHAPMAN, of Rutland Street, Leicester, do hereby declare the
nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in knitting machines. For
this purpose the needles are set into a circular or cylindrical arrangement, and
one or more sets of wheels or instruments are used to work the course or.
courses constantly making in the machine, as is well understood; but in
order to produce striped work, there are two or more thread carriers applied
to each set of instruments for working a course, and such thread carriers are
brought into and are put out of action by cuts of wheels, or other suitable
pattern surfaces in such manner that when one thread carrier is supplying its
thread to be worked into a course by its set of wheels or instruments, the other
or others is or are kept out of action, and the thread of such other thread.
carrier is cut or divided immediately as its thread carrier goes out of action:

page_text: hence, by having two or more different colored threads to each set of wheels or
instruments for working the course, any number of courses of one or other
color may be worked according to the arrangement of the pattern surfaces
used to govern the times of the coming into and going out of action of the
thread carriers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Chapman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th December 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM, THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
CHAPMAN, of Rutland Street, Leicester, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself; Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Chapman, Her special licence that I, the said George
Chapman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said George Chapman, 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 "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said George Chapman, my. executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Chapman, 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:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in knitting machines. For
this purpose the needles are set into a circular or cylindrical arrangement, and
one or more sets of wheels or instruments are used to work the course or
courses constantly making in the machine, as is well understood; but in order

page_text: pass to them from spools above the machine down through the guide holes 1, 1;
the threads then pass through the eyes j, j', j, j, in the thread carriers ;
,, are points at the other ends of the thread carriers, which rest on the
cam wheels m, m, being caused to bear constantly on them by the springs n, n.
The cam wheels m, m, are fixed on a spindle o carried in bearings on the
standard, and on the same spindle is fixed a ratchet wheel p, on which a
driver 9.works; it is jointed to the slide r, and is set into the teeth of the
ratchet by the spring q'; the slider is actuated by the cams on the head b; it is
thus caused to slide in guides on the standard 9; t is a spring by which the
slide is constantly pressed towards the cam. The cam wheels m, m, it will be
seen, are so arranged that when one of the thread carriers lifts its thread
up into a working position, the other thread carrier carries its thread down
below the needles, and this thread is then severed, it being brought against the
edge of the knife u which is fixed on the standard, and at the same time that
the thread is brought against the edge of the knife, it is checked in its passage
through the carrier by the carrier descending on to the padded stop v, which
presses on the spring j' on the thread carrier, and nips the thread between it
and the under side of the carrier. When this takes place, the thread being
drawn forward by the machine over the edge of the knife, is rapidly divided.
is a piece fixed to the knife to serve as a support for the end of the divided
thread; it holds it up and prevents it becoming bent until the thread carrier
again rises, and then the end being carried within the reach of the sinker
wheel, is taken by it and brought into the work. The cams are so formed
that the thread of one carrier becomes securely taken in before the other
carrier falls, so as to divide its thread, as already explained; the cams shown
are suitable for making striped work with six courses of one color, and three
of another. It will be seen that by increasing the number of thread carriers
and cams, the number of colors employed may be increased, if desired.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Chapman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
GEORGE CHAPMAN. (L.S.)