IMPROVEMENTS IN FEED MECHANISM. FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I HENRY CLARKE Foreman in the employment of Messieurs Thornton and
Mawby Duke Street Leicester in the County of Leicester Hosiery Manufacturers
do hereby declare the nature of the said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN FEED
MECHANISM. FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES to be as follows:-
To the revolving ring which operates the inclines which move the frame needles
I secure an arm either grooved or slotted in which a bracket is capable of adjust-
ment, the upper end of which has an axle pin secured in it on which a lever rocks
which carries a thread guide projecting towards the frame needles, the lower end of
the lever carries a truck which is actuated by a cam plate outside the revolving
ring, this cam plate is cut the requisite length so as to throw in the thread guide
according to the width of splicing required, the underside of the cam plate is
provided with two studs which take into holes in the bed of the machine so that
it can be lifted off the bed on one side of the revolving ring and be placed in a
reversed position on the opposite side, by which means a splicing thread can be
inserted in any part of the circle of fabric made on the machine.
.
Above the truck before named is an inclined arm provided with a pin to receive
a thread spool, the bottom of the bracket has an arm secured to it provided with
an axle pin on which a thread guide is rocked by the inclined arm as the lever
is operated by the reversible cam plate, in order to draw off a portion of the
thread from the spool in order to provide a slackness to assist it in being readily
secured by the needles, as the lever is pressed outwards by the reversible cam plate
a spring bracket (through which the thread is passed) is pressed against a spring
arm which is attached to the main bracket, by which means the thread is severed,
by means of apparatus constructed and operating in conjunction with a circular
knitting machine as first described I am enabled to insert a splicing or strengthening
thread or threads in any portion of any kind of fabric which can be made on such
machine at will.
Dated this twenter third day of tahu 1001

page_text: I, HENRY CLARKE, Foreman in the employment of Messieurs Thornton and
Mawby, of Duke Street, Leicester, in the county of Leicester, Hosiery Manu-
facturers do hereby declare the nature of my invention for FEED MECHANISM
FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
In the drawings; Figure 1 is a plan of a circular knitting machine, with an arm D,
and cam plate J, in their relative positions.
Figure 2 is a side view of portion of the same machine, with my improved feed
mechanism applied thereto, showing the several parts in their relative position,
when feeding the threads to the frame needles. Figure 3 is a plan of the same.
Figure 4 is another side view shewing the several parts in their relative position
when the thread is severed,.and Figures 5 and 6 are respectively a side view and
plan of a bracket hereafter referred to.
Portion of my improved feed mechanism is fully described in the Specification of
of British Patent, granted to me for apparatus applicable to circular machines for
making plain or ribbed looped fabrics, and the fabrics produced thereon, dated
November 19th 1878, No 4685, also in the Specification of a patent granted to me.
in the United States of America, dated 17th day of November, 1880, N° 234,535,
for feed mechanism for circular knitting machines.
"The circular knitting machines to which my feed mechanism is applied are known
as the domestic circular knitting machines, such as the "Griswold," and similar
makes, provided with the usual latch needles for making plain or ribbed looped
fabrics, and with a needle cylinder, in which the frame needle bits slide.
To the revolving ring A, carrying the inclines B, which raise the pins C pro-.
jécting from the inclines, which move the frame needles, in the usual manner. I
secure an arm D grooved and slotted, seen at Figures 1, 2 and 3, in which a
bracket E is capable of being adjusted, the bracket has a screw projecting from its
lower side, which takes into the slot of the grooved arm D, and is held in position
by a washer and lock nut, terminating in a handle E', shown at Figures 2, 3 and 4,
the upper end of the bracket has an axle pin secured in it, on which a lever F
rocks carrying an axle for a thread guide G, which projects towards the frame
needles, and carries'a U shaped spring guide. bit G¹ secured to it.
The bit is shown at Figure 2 in the position it takes while a splicing thread G²
is being supplied to the needles.
•
Between the spring guide bit G¹, and the rocking lever F is a rod H covered for
a portion of its length with india-rubber, or other suitable material, the rod is held
by an arm secured to the left edge of the bracket E, on the inner end of this
bracket is secured a thread guide I. This guide will terminate above the
machine needles, and in front of the frame needles, and has a trough-like portion
in which the feeding end of the thread guide G slides, and projects through a hole
in the turned up end of the guide I, while the splicing thread is being supplied
to the needles, but lies level with the turned up end, when the lever F is in the
position shown at Figure 4, with the splicing thread G² severed.
The lower end of the lever F carries a truck F¹, which is actuated by a cam
plate J outside the revolving ring A, this cam plate is cut the requisito length so
as to throw in the thread guide, according to the width of splicing required, the
thread G² being supplied to the needles, when the truck F¹ is not held outwards by
the cam plate as shown at Figure 2. The underside of the cam plate is provided

page_text: with two studs J¹ which take into holes J³ in the bed of the machine, there are
four of these holes, two of them receive the studs of the cam plate, when the
fabric is being spliced upon one half, the cam plate is then removed, and the
other two holes receive the studs, while the splicing is being made on the opposite
half of the fabric, by such means a splicing thread can be inserted in any part of
the circle of fabric made on the machine.
Above the truck before named, projecting from the rocking lever F, is a curved;
arm F2 provided with a pin to receive, a spool carrying a splicing thread G2, (this
pin and spool are only shewn in plan at Figure 3.) The bottom of the bracket E
has an arm secured to it, provided with an axle pin K on which a thread guide K¹
is rocked, by the curved arm F³, pressing upward, the lower projecting end of the
guide as the arm is moved outwards by the reversible cam plate, such movement
causing the upper end of the guide to traverse from the position shown at Figure 2,
into the position shown at Figure 4 in order to draw off a portion of the thread G²
from its spool, so as to provide a slackness of the thread to assist it in being rea lily
secured by the needles, when released by the guide bit G¹, being moved from the
rubber covered rod H towards the needles by the truck F¹, passing clear of the
reversible cam plate. The guide K¹ is kept steady by a coiled spring attached to
it, and to an arm K² secured to the bracket E, to this bracket is also secured an
axle carrying a hooked catch E³, which takes onto the lever F, when it is moved
outwards by the attendant, so as to hold the truck clear of the cam plate J, when
splicings are not required. Instead of the arm D shown at Figures 1, 2 and 4,
I sometimes employ an arm D' shown respectively in side view, and plan at
Figures 5 and 6, in such case I form the bottom of the bracket E of the shape
shown at Figure 5, slotted at its lower end to clip a screwed pin secured in the
arm D¹, the bracket being held to the arm by a wing nut E. Before applying the
above described feed mechanism to a circular knitting machine, the usual thread
guide M, shown in plan at Figure 1, and a side view at Figure 5, is withdrawn
from its bracket, attached to the arm D. The thread L is the thread usually
employed to make the fabric, and constantly feeds the needles.
The splicing thread G2 is an additional thread fed to the needles only when
certain portions of the fabric are required to be strengthened, which is effected by
the improved machinery and apparatus above described, in the following manner:
In the drawings at Figures 2 and 3, the usual feeding thread, and the splicing
thread are shown in the positions they occupy, when they are both feeding the
needles, the splicing thread being drawn to the needles by the feeding thread,
except when retained by the operation of the cam J. In the retention of the
splicing thread, the following takes place. The rocking lever F is moved to the
right taking with it, the guide G, and causing the spring end of the guide bit G¹, to
be pressed against the rubber covered rod H, thus nipping the splicing thread,
between the spring guide bit, and the guide G, thereby preventing it being drawn
along by the feeding thread L, and causing it to be severed at or near to the
needles. While so severed, the usual feeding thread L makes the fabric unspliced.
While the splicing thread is feeding the guide K¹ remains in the position shown at
Figure 2, the splicing thread being passed from its spool, through a guide G³, then
through the guide K¹, and through a guide Gʻ, carried by the guide G, before being
passed through the guide bit G. But upon the lever F being forced outwards, the
curved arm F2 places the guide K' in the position shown at Figure 4, thus causing
a slackness of the splicing thread, which slackness is taken up by the usual
feeding thread, as soon as the splicing thread is set free to be carried along.
with it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The bracket D or D₁ secured to the revolving ring of a circular knitting
machine to carry a feed mechanism.

page_text: 2. The reversible cam plate J carrying two studs J¹, 'J', which take into holes
forined in the bed of the circular knitting machine to which the feed mechanism
is applied.
3. The removal of the usual thread guide M of the circular knitting machine, to
make room for the feed mechanism as described.
4. The hooked catch E2, which holds back the lever F, when a splicing is not
required to be made.
5. The sliding and rocking thread guide G. and guide Gª.