Improvements in Knitting Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Jan., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Oct., 1889-Accepted, 23rd Nov., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Knitting Machines.
We, HERMAN WILDT, of the Firm of H. Wildt & Co. Well Street, Bradford in the
County of York, Merchant, and FREDERICK WILLIAM RAWSTRON, of Ox Heys, Shelf
near Halifax in said County, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in that class of knitting frames or machines
for knitting hosiery stockinette, or other knitted fabrics in which the "bearded" or
hooked needles are employed, and the object of the invention is to twist or cross the
loops of the fabric as they are knitted thereby improving the appearance of such
fabrics, adding to their durability, and so binding the several loops or "stitches
together as to prevent in a great measure, their cut edges fraying and any damaged
portion from ravelling or spreading.
32
"
The said improvements consist in binding the "beard or hook of such needle so
that it lies across or is more or less twisted round its stem in such a manner that as
the loops fed on to the hook pass from the point of such hook to its crown they
are each crossed, semi-twisted, or twisted, and are therefore adapted to be more firmly
attached to the loop immediately following besides imparting a superior appearance
to the fabric thus knitted.
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The needles are fed with yarn by "loop wheels," "sinkers or in any ordinary
way and are closed, to allow the loops to freely pass off in the usual manner, and when
the "beard" only crosses or has a semi-twist round the needle stem such needle is
fed from the same side as the fabric.
In order to leave approximately the usual space between the needles for the feed
mechanism to pass between them, the "beards" and stems of such needles are
respectively flattened in section where they cross each other so as to decrease the space
they would otherwise occupy without diminishing their strength in the direction of
the drag of the fabrics.
To modify the effect of our improved needles they may be used in combination with
needles of ordinary form or we may use needles adapted to impart various degrees of
twist to the loops of the fabrics in the above described manner.
Dated this 19th day of January 1889.
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Knitting Machines.
We, HERMAN WILDT, of the Firm of H. Wildt & Co. Well Street, Bradford in the
County of York, Merchant, and FREDERICK WILLIAM RAWSTRON, of Ox Heys, Shelf
near Halifax in the County of York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
"
or
This invention relates to improvements in that class of knitting frames or machines
for knitting hosiery, stockinette or other knitted fabrics in which the "bearded
hooked needles are employed, and the object of the invention is to provide means to
twist or cross the loops of the fabrics as they are knitted, thereby improving the
appearance of such fabrics, adding to their durability, and so binding the several
loops or "stitches" together as to prevent in a great measure their cut edges fraying
and any damaged portion from ravelling or spreading.

page_text: The said improvements consist in bending the "beard" or hook of said needle so
that it lies across or is more or less twisted round its stem in such a manner that as
the loops fed on to the hook pass from the point of such hook to its crown they are
each crossed, semi-twisted or twisted, and are therefore adapted to be more firmly
attached to the loop immediately following besides imparting a superior appearance
to the fabric thus knitted.
32
The needles are fed with yarn by "loop wheels," "sinkers' or in any ordinary way
and are closed, to allow the loops to freely pass off in the usual manner, and when the
"beard" only crosses or has a semi-twist round the needle stem such needle is fed
from the same side as the fabric.
In order to leave approximately the usual space between the needles for the feed
mechanism to pass between them, the "beards" and stems of such needles are
respectively flattened in section where they cross each other so as to decrease the
space they would otherwise occupy without diminishing their strength in the direction
of the drag of the fabrics.
To modify the effect of our improved needles they may be used in combination
with needles of ordinary form or we may use needles adapted to impart various
degrees of twist to the loops of the fabrics in the above mentioned manner.
In order to fully describe our invention reference is made to the accompanying
sheets of drawings illustrating our improvements and in which similar letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the figures.
Figure 1, represents two views on an enlarged scale at right angles to each other
of a needle made in accordance with our invention and having a beard or hook twisted
half way round the stem.
Figure 2, represents two similar views of a needle with a hook or beard bent or
twisted completely round the stem.
Figure 8, is a vertical section of a French circular knitting machine illustrating
the modifications necessary to enable the type of needle represented in figure 1 to be
employed therewith.
Figure 4 is a plan view of some of the needles showing the formation of the loops
thereon.
Figure 5 represents on a larger scale the method of introducing the thread or yarn
into the hook of the needle from the opposite side to that at which it is commonly
introduced.
In figure 1 the book a is turned or twisted half way round the stem b and the
rocess c is in the opposite side of the stem to that where it is usually formed so as to
receive the point of the hook. By this means a half twist is imparted to the loops as
they pass from the point of the hook to the crown d of the needle.
In figure 2 the hook a' is twisted completely round the stem and the recess c¹ is
formed at the usual side. This latter needle imparts a complete twist to the loops as
they pass from the point of the hooks to the crown d¹.
When the latter form of needle is used they are arranged in the usual manner and
the loops are introduced and the knitting operation carried on in the ordinary way.
But when the needles with the hooks twisted only half round the stem are used the
loops are not fed from the usual side but in the manner now described.
The needles are arranged in the needle disc A with their points downwards and
the sinkers or plates B are provided with hooks C at the end which take up the
thread or yarn D from the thread guide E as represented in figure 5. The hooked
plates B are mounted in radial slots formed in the ordinary guide plates F and G
mounted upon the spindle H and are operated in the usual manner by the stationary
cam disc J, engaging their outer ends, and the guides K and L.
When the disc A is operated the plates B are guided by the parts J, K and Lin
such a manner as to take up the thread underneath the needles and then draw it
gradually outwards into the hooks a, at the same time the hooks C are lifted and
raise the thread in the form of loops between the needles. Thus the sinking of the
loops is accomplished by the plates B rising and liberating the loops to make room

page_text: for the action of the other parts. While the presser wheel M which acts from below
on the points of the hooks a closes such hooks which now contain loops of thread, the
knitted fabric is pushed over the hooks in the usual manner by the taking off irons
or jacks N (figures 3 and 4) until the old loops are backed off and a new row of loops
formed.
The needles B are fixed to the disc A in the usual manner by means of the
clamping irons P, but to prevent the needles being lifted from their bed by the action
of the presser wheel M, a bar Q is provided immediately above the presser wheel
which supports the needles as they revolve.
Our improved needles may also be applied to straight and other types of knitting
machines.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :
A knitting machine having needles with the beards or hooks turned or twisted
round their shanks for the purpose of imparting more or less twist to the loops of the
fabric knitted thereby, substantially as herein shown and described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 21st day of October 1889.
DRACUP & NOWELL.
Bradford, Agents.