Improvements in Circular Knitting Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Dec., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 9th Sept., 1898--Accepted, 15th Oct., 1898
Improvements in Circular Knitting Machines.
We, SAMUEL CLARKE, of 25, Kent Street, Leicester, Traveller, and WILLIAM
INGRAM JAMES of Green-end. House, Stafford, Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is the construction of a circular knitting machine
which shall automatically produce patterns upon the face of the fabric in a
different yarn to the main knitting yarn with which the fabric is being knitted.
On a circular knitting machine of the Griswold type our improvements would
take the following form.
We provide a separate yarn carrier for carrying the subsidiary yarn with
which the pattern is to be made.
By means of suitable cams and connections thereto, this yarn carrier is moved so
as to be brought in front of the cylinder needle hooks when its yarn is required
to be knitted into the fabric, and is moved behind the cylinder needle hooks when
its yarn is not required to be knitted into the fabric.
The cam which moves the subsidiary yarn carrier is operated by a toothed wheel
which is carried round, by the ordinary revolution of the machine, over a ring
formed about the base of the machine and in which are a series of pegs arranged
to engage the teeth of the wheel and cause the same to intermittently revolve.
Wherever a movement of the subsidiary yarn carrier is required a peg is inserted
in the ring.
In the production of patterns, such as, for instance, hollow diamonds, the pegs
will require to be differently placed for each row of knitting, so that the diamonds
gradually widen out and then narrow again. To produce this result, we provide a
series of concentric rings of holes in the before mentioned ring in which we suitably
arrange the required number of pegs, and by means of suitable mechanism, as,
for instance, a ratchet wheel, heart cam, and lever, we move the toothed wheel-
which operates the subsidiary yarn carrier cam-after each revolution of the
machine, so that it shall engage with the next circle of pegs and, consequently,
the movements of the subsidiary yarn carrier will vary each row of knitting
according to the number and arrangement of the pegs in the circle which governs
the movements of the subsidiary yarn carrier during that particular revolution of
the machine.
The ratchet wheel which moves-by means of its connections-the toothed wheel
from one ring of pegs to the next is conveniently operated by an incline carried
on the body of the machine and which can be put into or out of operation at will,
and a spring retainer may be used to hold the ratchet wheel stationary during
the revolution of the machine.
SAMUEL CLARKE,
W. INGRAM JAMES.

page_text: Improvements in Circular Knitting Machines.
We, SAMUEL CLARKE, of 25, Kent Street, Leicester, Traveller, and WILLIAM
INGRAM JAMES, of Green-end House, Stafford, 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:-
The object of this invention is the construction of a circular knitting machine
which shall automatically produce patterns upon the face of the fabric in a
different yarn to the main knitting yarn with which the fabric is being knitted.
On a circular knitting machine of the Griswold type our improvements would
take the following form.
We provide a separate yarn carrier for carrying the subsidiary yarn with
which the pattern is to be made.
By means of suitable cams and connections thereto, this yarn carrier is moved so
as to be brought in front of the cylinder needle hooks when its yarn is required
to be knitted into the fabric, and is moved behind the cylinder needle hooks when
its yarn is not required to be knitted into the fabric.
The cam which moves the subsidiary yarn carrier is operated by a toothed wheel
which is carried round, by the ordinary revolution of the machine, over a ring
formed about the base of the machine and in which are a series of pegs arranged
to engage the teeth of the wheel and cause the same to intermittently revolve.
Wherever a movement of the subsidiary yarn carrier is required a peg is inserted
in the ring.
In the production of patterns, such as, for instance, hollow diamonds, the pegs
will require to be differently placed for each row of knitting, so that the diamonds
gradually widen out and then narrow again. To produce this result, we provide a
series of concentric rings of holes in the before mentioned ring in which we suitably
arrange the required number of pegs, and by means of suitable mechanism, as,
for instance, a ratchet wheel, heart cam and lever, we move the toothed wheel-
which operates the subsidiary yarn carrier cam-after each revolution of the
machine, so that it shall engage with the next circle of pegs and, consequently,
the movements of the subsidiary yarn carrier will vary each row of knitting
according to the number and arrangement of the pegs in the circle which governs
the movements of the subsidiary yarn carrier during that particular revolution of
the machine.
The ratchet wheel which moves by means of its connections the toothed wheel
from one ring of pegs to the next is conveniently operated by an incline carried
on the body of the machine and which can be put into or out of operation at will,
and a spring retainer may be used to hold the ratchet wheel stationary during
the revolution of the machine.
Our invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:-
Fig. 1, is a side view partly in, section.
Fig. 2, is a front view and
Fig. 3, is a plan of a portion of a circular knitting machine shewing our
invention.
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are details.
The yarn carrier a (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) which carries the yarn. 6 for producing the
pattern is mounted on a pivote in a stand or frame d, d, d, which is carried round
by the ordinary revolution of the machine. Free to slide vertically in the stand d
is a stem e which is normally held down by a spring f and collar 9 with its lower

page_text: end h in contact with a four leaved cam i (see also Fig. 5) which is mounted on a
shaft carried in bearings k, l, in the stanil d. A peg m in the top of the stem e
engages the end n of the yarn carrier and the two are kept in contact by a
spring o. The shaft and cam i are caused to intermittently revolve, as will be
hereafter explained, and when the stem e is raised by the leaves P, P, P, P, of
the cam the yarn carrier a is brought in front of the needle hooks q (as shewn
in full lines in Fig. 1.) for the purpose of causing the pattern yarn b to be knitted
into the fabric; while when the stem e falls into the hollows r, r, r, r, of the
cam the yarn carrier a stands behind the hooks q (as shewn in dotted lines) and
the pattern yarn b is not knitted into the fabric.
2:
For the purpose of operating the cam i and yarn carrier a a toothed wheel s
is provided (see also Fig. 4) upon the shaft ; which when carried round by the
frame d, by the ordinary revolution of the machine-strikes its teeth t, t, t, t,
alternately upon pegs as u provided in a ring about the base of the machine, so
revolving itself, a tooth at a time, and actuating the cam i and yarn carrier a.
The parts are so arranged that while the peg, as u, is turning the wheel s
the yarn carrier a moves in front of one cylinder needle hook, as q, and one stitch
is made with the pattern yarn b on the front of the fabric and while the wheel s
rests as when passing over the vacant holes w in the ring the stem e rests in
one of the hollows r of the cam i and the yarn, carrier a also rests behind the
hooks q (as shewn in dotted lines Fig. 1) and the pattern yarn is not knitted in.
The notched wheel r (Fig. 6) is engaged by a spring y and prevents movement of
the parts except when the wheel s strikes upon a peg.
A series of rings of holes z, z¹, z², are provided in the ring around the base
of the machine and in these the pegs u are arranged to suit the pattern desired to
be produced. In the drawing Fig. 3 the vacant holes are represented by circles
and the pegs by black dots and the arrangement is one for producing hollow
diamonds upon the fabric.
In order to move the toothed wheels inwards and outwards from one concentric
ring of holes to the next as from z to z¹ a lever a¹, heart cam b', ratchet wheel c¹,
and incline piece d, are provided and with their connections are operated as
follows:-
The incline piece is attached to the machine frame and is placed in the
circular path of a slide bar e which is carried round in the frame d when the
machine is revolved. The bar el engages a lever f¹ mounted on a shaft g¹ carried
in bearings h³, 1, in the frame d and having a pawl j engaging the ratchet
wheel c, the pawl j¹ and bar el being held down by a spring. At every revolution
of the machine the bar el is raised by the incline piece d' so as to slightly rotate
the wheel c¹ and heart cam b', mounted on the shaft g¹.
The heart cam b₁ engages a roll k¹ on the lever a¹ which is mounted on a pivot l¹
in the frame d and engages by its fork m¹ between collars n', ol, with the toothed
wheels which is thus caused to move from one concentric ring of holes to the
next after each revolution of the knitting machine.
The incline piece d¹ is mounted in a slide p¹ and can be pushed inwards to the
position as shewn in dotted lines-so as to be out of the path of the bar e¹
which then revolves inoperatively.
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:-
-
1. In a knitting machine:-The use of a supplementary yarn carrier which is
automatically moved in front of the needle hooks so as to cause its yarn to be
knitted in to the fabric; and again moved behind the needle hooks so as to cause
its yarn not to be knitted into the fabric, for the purpose of producing patterns on
the face of the fabric, substantially as described.

page_text: 2. In a knitting machine:-The use of a series of rings of holes, around the
machine, in which pegs are suitably inserted to operate a toothed wheel, carried
round by the machine, so as to move a yarn carrier alternately in front of and
behind needle hooks, for the purpose of producing patterns on the face of the
knitted fabric, substantially as described.
3. In a knitting machine:-The use of a toothed wheel which is moved to and
fro across a series of rings of pegs, for the purpose of operating a yarn carrier
and producing patterns on the face of the knitted fabric, substantially as
described.
4. In a knitting machine:--The combination of the incline piece, ratchet wheel,
heart cam, lever, toothed wheel, rings of pegs, cam, stem, yarn carrier and their
connecting parts for the purpose of producing patterns on the face of the knitted
fabric, substantially as described and illustrated.
Doted this 7th day of Santambor 1800
SAMUEL CLARKE,
W. INGRAM JAMES.