Improvements in Machinery for Feeding a Splicing or Reinforcing Thread to a Knitting Machine.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 14th May, 1895-Accepted, 13th July, 1895
CUMPLIN DE MULTIVA
Certain Improvements in Machinery for Feeding a Splicing or
Reinforcing Thread to a Knitting Machine.
I LOUIS NAPOLEON DEVON WILLIAMS of 2079 East Cumberland Street in
the City of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, United States of America,
Manufacturer of Knitting Machinery, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to bo performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement
The object of my invention is to so construct an extin thread feeding device for
knitting machines so that without the necessity of carrying the bobbin around with
the guide whereby the threads are fed to the needles the extra thread clamping
device will be comparatively close to the said thread guide, hence when the extra
thread is broken off at the needle on the closing of the clamp the loose portion of
the thread between the clamp and the needle will be short and will be readily
pulled in by contact with the continuously moving main thread when the clamp is
again opened, so that a portion of the knitted tube may be reinforced in such
manner that the edges of the reinforcing portion will be sharply defined, that is to
say, the extra thread will occupy substantially the same position in each of the
successive knitted courses bence the termination of each partial course of extin
thread will be at or near the same standing wale of the fabric
In carrying out my invention I mount the extra thread clamping devices upon
an aim pivoted at one end to a rotating portion of the knitting machine preferably
to the rotating guide tube of the same the opposite end of the said arm being so
guided that it is free to move to and fro as the other end rotates or partially
rotales.
I will describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings
Fig 1 of which is a side view of sufficient of a knitting machine to illustrate my
present invention.
Fig. 2 18 a plan vien of the same
Fig 3 is a perspective view of part of the device, aud
Fig 4 and 5 are views illustrating modifications of the invention
In Fig 1, A represents the 1otating guide ing of a knitting machine of the
character set forth in Letters Patent No. 1417 dated January 26th 1891 the
needle cylinder and cam box of such machine being represented by dotted lines
in Fig. 1.
The thead guiding tube a of this 11ng 18, however projected upward beyond the
ring and to this upwardly projecting guide is pivoted the front end of an arm B
the rear end of which is pivoted to a radius arm B mounted upon and free to
8ning on a vertical post B.
Secured to the aim B is a thread guiding tube and the lower jaw of a clamp
for the extin or reinforcing thread the said jaw b having formed through it an
opening for the passage of the main thread .c
Ilung to a forked lug 68 on the aim B is a lover D the front end of which 18
bent downward so as to form a jaw d for neting in connection with the jaw, the
rear of the lever D. having a pin d' (Fig. 3) which is acted upon by a cam f on a
shalt F fiee to turn in the upwardly bent end B3 of the radius arm B₁ the said

page_text: shaft also having secured to it a sleeve or collar with projecting pins ƒ ƒ³
adapted to be acted upon by studs o³ 9ª guided in a bracket G and acted upon by
pattern chains II; the chains being carried by pattern drums on a shaft H' mounted
in bearings in the said bracket
A spring interposed between the aim B and a socket d on the underside of
the rent arm of the lever D tends to elevate the said rear aim and, thus close the
jaw d against the jaw b' in order to clamp the extra thiead which is fed through
a guide opening in one end of the pivot pin d' of the lever D as shown in Fig. 2
the main thread being fed through an opening in the opposite end of the said
pin and thence through the opening in the Jaw b', both threads then passing
through the guide band down through the guide tube a of the ring A
When the low portion of the cam f. is in contact with the pin of the level D
the jaw d of the lever will be closed against the jaw by the action of the
spring and the extra thread ' will be clamped and held so that it will be broken
off' close to the hook of the needle the loose end hanging in the guide tubo a in
contact with the main thread z.
As soon as the cam f. 18 tuned so as to bring its high part to bear upon the
pin the jaw d will be lifted and the extra thread will be fico from restraint so
that its loose end will be drawn into the needles by contact with the forwardly
moving main thread
The raising and lowering of the clamp jaw d is effected by the action of the
studs g g upon the pins of the sleeve o collar on the shaft F. thus
supposing that the parts are moving in the direction of the arrows 1 Fig 2 and
that the stud q is 1aised into the path of the pin f the latter will be struck by
the said study and the shaft F and its cam will be turned so as to cause the
Ingh part of the said cam to act upon the pin d' of the lever D and lift the jaw d
away from the jaw a restoration of the parts to then forme position being
eflected by raising the stud into the path of the pin f' when the parts nice
moving in the direction of the arrow 2 Fig 2.
Although I prefer the use of two studs g g and two pins / f³ in different
transverse planes it will be evident that the said pins may be in the same
plave if desired and may be operated by a single stud g' as shown in Fig. 4, and
instead of pivoting the rear end of the arm B to a swinging radius arm in the
manner described and shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the said arm B may be differently
guided at the rear end, as, for instance in the slotted bricket shown in Fig 5
and instead of pivoting the front end of the aim to the thread guide tube the said
front end of the aim may be pivoted to some other part of the rotating portion of
the machine, as for instance, to a pin adjacent to the thread guiding tube, as also
shown in Fig. 5
I am aware that extra thread devices have been applied to knitting machines in
such manner that the clamping device for the extra thread was arranged close to
the guide which fed the threads to the needles but in all such cases the clamping
device was fivedly mounted upon the rotating part of the machine and it was
necessary to rotate with it the bulbin carrying the extra thread whereas the extra
thread feeding device which I have devised has a pivotal connection with the
rotating part of the machine, aud the clamping jaws have, in respect to a fixed
thread supply ing bobbin what is practically a simple back and forth movement so
that there is no tendency to twist the thread as there would be it the ordinai)
rotating clamp was employed in connection with a stationary bobbin.
Dispensing with the rotating bobbin is a feature of great importance where
heavy bobbins arc employed as such heavy bobbins, if rotated would necessarily
cause a reduction in the speed of the machine especially if more than one rem-
forcing thread was used with a corresponding increase of bobbins, moreover the
conditions of the thread can be much more readily observed when the bobbin is
stationary than when it is rotating
It will be evident therefore that so far as the main feature of my invention is

page_text: long as the clamp carrying arm is mounted in the manner set forth.
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
olaim is:
First The combination of the rotating thread guide of knitting machine, with an
arm carrying a thread clamp one end of the said aim having a pivotal connection
with a rotating part of the machino and the other end of the arm being
guided so as to be capable of to and fro movement substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Second. The combination of the rotating thread guide of a knitting machine, an
arm having at one end a pivotal connection with a rotating part of the machine
& guided at the other end so as to be capable of to and fro movement, a thread
clamping jaw on the said arm, a lever pivoted upon the arm and having the other
thread clamping jaw, a shaft having a cam for operating the said lever the said
shaft being so mounted as to move hack and forth with the guided end of the arm,
and means for effecting a partial turn of the shaft as it is carried back & forth
substantially as hereinbefore described.
Third The combination of the rotating thread guiding tube of a knitting
machine with an arm carrying a thread clamp the said arm being pivoted at one
end to the said thread guiding tubo, and guided at the other end so as to be
capable of to and fro movement substantially as hereinbefore described.
Fourth The combination of the rotating thread guide of a knitting machine
with an arm carrying a thread clamp & having at one end a pivotal connection
with a rotating part of the machine and a swinging radius arm to which the
other end of the said clamp carrying arm is pivoted substantially as herein before
described.
Fifth. The combination of the rotating thread guide of a knitting machine with
an arm carrying thread clamping devices the said arm being pivotally connected
at one end to a rotating pait of the machine & guided at the other end so as
to be capable of to and fio movement, and said arm also having a common guide
for the main & extra threads substantially as hereinbefore described
Sixth. The combination of the rotating thread guide of a knitting machine with
an arm caying thiend clamping devices the said arm being pivotally connected at
one end to a rotating part of the machine & guided at the other end so as to be
capable of to and fro movement and said arm also having a common guide
for the main and extra threads, and having the fixed clamp jaw for the extra
thread perforated for the passage of the main thread substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Seventh The combination of the rotating thread guide of a knitting machine
with an
arm carrying a thread clamping device the said arm being pivotally
connected at one end to a rotating part of the machine & guided at the other end
80 as to be capable of moving to and fro, a shaft mounted so as to move with the
guided end of the said arm and having a cam for actuating the clamping device, a
sleeve or collar with pius projecting therefrom and means for striking the said pins
to cause movement of the shaft in either direction, and pattern mechanism for
endering the said striking menus operative or inoperative substantially as
herein before described.
Eighth. The combination of the rotating thread guide of a knitting machine
with an arm carrying a thread clamping device, the said aim being pivotally
connected at one end to a rotating part of the machine and guided at the other
cud so as to be capable of moving to and fro, a shaft mounted so as to move
with the guided end of the said aim and having a cam for actuating the clamping
device, and a sleeve o collar with pins projecting therofiom in different trans-
verse planes, a pair of operating studs located side by side and adapted to act

page_text: respectively upon the two pius of the cam shaft, and pattern mechanism for moving
the said operating studs substantially as her embefore described.
Dated this 13th day of May 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.