improvements relating to the manulacture or Hosiery and to Machinery therefor.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Nov, 1887
Complete Left, 21st Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 6th Apr. 1888
improvements relating to the manulacture or Hosiery and to
Machinery therefor.
We, FRANK MOORE, of the firm of Davis, Moore & Co. of Leicester, in the
County of Leicester, Hosiery Manufacturers, and JAMES PALMER of 4 Albion Street,
Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Mechanic do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to the manufacture of hosiery and to machinery therefor.
The main object of our said invention is to produce stockings with thickened
portions at the knees and other parts thereof most liable to wear.
Our improvements
are, however, applicable for the production of other knitted articles with thickened
portions, or of knitted articles which are thicker throughout than those knitted in the
ordinary manner.
For thickening the knitted fabric we employ a splicing thread and we make the
stocking or other article or the thickened portion thereof by means of stitches such
as are used in the formation of the welt of a stocking, that is to say, each stitch is
formed by placing two or more loops on each needle and drawing the succeeding
loop through them. By preference we extend the thickened portion of the fabric
half way around the knee of the stocking in the front thereof, and, if necessary or
desirable, we also provide a thickened portion at the heel of the stocking.
In making stockings or other articles according to our said invention we prefer to
employ an improved machine hereinafter described. This machine as far as concerns
the general construction thereof is similar to that known as Muller's knitting machine.
It has a device comprising a ratchet-wheel and pawl, levers and other parts for
regulating or controlling the movements of the needles in the operation of producing
"Patent Welt." It is
the welt, and commonly known to those in the trade as a
moreover provided with a suitable splicing attachment. To adapt the said machine
for the purpose of our invention, we employ an additional or supplementary ratchet
wheel and pawl which is carried by the same lever as the pawl above mentioned and
is arranged in combination with the other parts of the welting device; and we
provide means whereby the pawl of the welting device may be put out of action and
the other pawl be put into action, for the purpose of regulating or controlling the

page_text: "
movement of the needles during the knitting of the thickened fabric or
royal rib."
The said ratchet wheels are fitted to rotate upon studs fixed in a bracket secured to
the frame of the machine, and a cam is fixed on the side of each ratchet-wheel. We
provide the welting lever with an extension arranged to bear against the cam of the
royal rib" device; the said lever is, moreover, provided with an adjustable cam for
putting the said lever out of gear with the cam of the welting device and into gear
with that of the "royal rib" device.
"
The splicing cams heretofore used are extended, and an additional or supplementary
cam is connected by a hinge-joint to the lower splicing cam opposite to the cam for
operating the welting device. This additional cam is intended for operating the
thickening or "royal rib" device and can be turned down out of action when not
required.
When it is desired to change from ordinary knitting to the knitting of the thickened
fabric or "royal rib," the aforesaid hinged cam is raised and the pawl of the thickening
device is put into action, and the splicing attachment is also put into operation. The
ordinary thread and the splicing thread are fed in together half way around the
stocking, the stitches being formed as in welting, that is to say, two or more loops
being placed upon each needle and the succeeding loop being drawn through them.
The splicing thread is alternately broken and re-inserted in the ordinary manner of
splicing a stocking half way around the same.
Any suitable means are provided for varying the stiffness or closeness of the
knitted fabric.
Dated this 23rd day of November 1887
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements relating to the Manufacture of Hosiery and to
Machinery therefor.
We, FRANK MOORE, of the firm of Davis, Moore & Co. of Leicester in the
County of Leicester, Hosiery Manufacturer and JAMES PALMER of 4 Albion Street,
Leicester, Mechanic, 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 :-
Our
Our invention relates to the manufacture of hosiery and to machinery therefor.
The main object of our said invention is to produce stockings with thickened
portions extending partially around the same at those parts thereof most liable to
wear, for example at the front of the knees and the back of the ankles.
improvements are, however, applicable for the production of other knitted articles
with thickened portions, or of knitted articles which are thicker throughout than
those knitted in the ordinary manner.
We make the portion or portions of the knitted fabric which are to be thickened of
stitches such as are used in the formation of the welt of a stocking, that is to say, each
stitch is formed by placing two or more loops on each needle and drawing the
succeeding loop through them, or we may use what are termed frame stitches."
We sometimes moreover employ a splicing thread in addition to the ordinary thread
when forming the thickened portions of the stockings or other articles. By preference
we extend the thickened portion of the fabric half way around the knee of the.
stocking in the front thereof, and if necessary or desirable we also provide a thickened
portion at the heel of the stocking or partially around the same at the back of the
ankle.
In making stockings or other articles according to our said invention we prefer to
employ the improved machine hereinafter described. This machine is of the kind or
class known in the trade as a "circular ribbed head machine" and as far as concerns
the general construction thereof is similar to that known as Mellor's knitting machine.
We can moreover apply our invention with advantage to a machine known as Hewitt's
knitting machine. The Mellor's machine has a device comprising a ratchet-wheel
and pawl, levers and other parts for regulating or controlling the movements of the
needles in the operation of producing the welt, and commonly known to those in
the trade as a "Patent welt." It is moreover provided in some cases with a suitable
splicing attachment.
In the accompanying drawings we have shown a Mellor's machine with our present
improvements applied thereto.
Figure 1 is a front elevation, and
Figure 2 a side elevation of the said machine. some of the parts being removed.

page_text: Figure 3 is a plan, partly in horizontal section, of part of the said machine.
Like letters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
A indicates the knitting machine B the welting device and C the lever of the said
welting device of the said machine.
a is an additional or supplementary ratchet-wheel and b is a pawl carried by the
lever which is pivotted at c¹ and which also carries the pawl d for operating
the welting device. Suitable means are provided as hereinafter described whereby the
said pawl d of the welting device B may be thrown out of action and the pawlb be
thrown into action, for the purpose of regulating or controlling the movement of the
needles during the knitting of the thickened fabric or "Royal Rib." The ratchet
wheel a is fitted to rotate upon a stud or pin e fixed in a bracket f secured to the
frame of the machine and the ratchet wheel of the welting device B is fitted to
rotate upon a similar stud or pin g¹ also fixed in the said bracket f. A cam h is fixed
on the side of the ratchet wheel a.
This cam is provided with a spring h¹ which bears
upon the same and prevents it, and consequently the ratchet wheel a from turning
upon the stud or pine when the pawl bis drawn back by the lever C, in order to
engage with another tooth upon the said ratchet wheel a. The extension i upon the
welting lever C is provided with a projection arranged to bear against the cam h of
the "Royal Rib" device; the said lever C is, moreover, provided with a cam j which
is made adjustable and provided with a handle j' for putting the said lever out of gear
with the cam k of the welting device and allowing the projection i¹ upon the
extension of the same welting lever C to come into gear with the cam h of the
"Royal Rib" device or vice versa.
An additional or supplementary cam is moreover provided, which is connected
by a hinge-joint m to the disc n, opposite to the cam o, which operates the welting
device.
This additional cam is also provided with a suitable spring p, to retain the same
in position, and when in the position shown in Figure 1. it operates the thickening or
"Royal Rib" device. When not required the said cam can be turned down out
of action, the welting cam 'o then operates the welting device in the usual manner
when required.
We sometimes employ a splicing thread, as well as the loop stitch hereinbefore
described for thickening portions of stockings or other articles. For this purpose
the ordinary splicing attachment is employed. In some instances in applying our
invention to existing machines it is necessary to lengthen or shorten the cams q, q,
attached to the disc n, and which operate the splicing attachment.
<
When it is desired to change from ordinary knitting to the knitting of the thickened
portion or Royal Rib" the aforesaid hinged cam is raised into the position shown
in Figure 1 and the pawl of the said thickening device is put into gear with the
ratchet wheel a and if the splicing thread is also employed, the splicing attachment is
put into operation. In the latter case the splicing thread is fed in with the ordinary
thread half way around the stocking the stitches being partly formed as in welting,
that is to say, two or more loops being placed upon each needle, and the succeeding
loop being drawn through them.
The splicing thread is alternately broken, and reinserted, in the ordinary manner
of splicing a stocking half way around the same.
Any suitable means are provided for varying the stiffness or closeness of the
knitted fabric.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we wish it understood
that we claim.
First. In a knitting machine of the kind or class hereinbefore mentioned, the
adaptation of the welting attachment for producing stockings or other articles with
one or more thickened portions extending partially around the same substantially as
and for the purpose, above specified.

page_text: Second. The employment of an additional or supplementary ratchet and pawl
substantially as, and for the purpose hereinbefore specified.
Third. The employment of an adjustable cam for moving the welting lever into
contact with the cam of the thickening device, substantially as, and for the purpose,
set forth.
Fourth. The employment of an additional or supplementary cam 1, substantially as,
and for the purpose, set forth.
Fifth. A knitting machine having our invention embodied or incorporated therein
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing, for the
purposes specified.
Dated this 20th day of February 1888.
FRANK MOORE.
JAMES PALMER.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.