IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SEAMING, OVER SEAMING, AND TURNING OFF KNITTED OR OTHER FABRICS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SEAMING, OVER SEAMING, AND TURNING
OFF KNITTED OR OTHER FABRICS." A communication from abroad by Charles
James Appleton, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th June 1876.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SEAMING,
OVER SEAMING, AND TURNING OFF KNITTED OR OTHER FABRICS." A communi-
cation.
The objects of my Invention are as follows, namely
First. To construct a machine to seam or over seam elastic or other knitted
looped fabrics, and to seam, over seam, join together, or bind other kinds of material
at pleasure.
Second. To scam, over seam, and join together material or goods with the same
kind of yarn that is used in the manufacture thereof, as cotton, wool, or silk.
Third. Such an arrangement of the bars as to enable the machine to be kept
constantly in operation.
Fourth. Such an arrangement of the needles as to enable them to seam or over
seam with the softest kind of knitting yarns without wearing or chafing.
And, Fifth. Such an arrangement of the rack bar as to stop the machine, if
another bar is not placed in the holder and connected to the rack bar in operation,
before it has run entirely out.
The main shaft of the machine has a tight pulley, which drives an eccentric
crank giving motion to a lever arm attached to the arm of the machine, and also to
the needle bar, which receives a quarter twist when the needle is nearing its
highest point and resumes its original position during its descent. This action is
produced by the action of the needle bar cam pin attached to the needle bar, and
working in the needle bar cam.
The needle is attached to the needle bar in the usual manner.
A cam shaft
pinion is attached to the main shaft and geared into a cam shalt pinion, and causes
Price Gdl

page_text: the cam shaft to revolve at half the speed of main shaft. At the outer end of the
cam shaft is fixed a cam for vibrating the rack bar; another cam is used for over
seaming, when the rack bar feed cam is reversed, and the point of the cam is in
line with the rack bar feed cam.
The cams all receive their motions from the aforesaid cam shaft.
The vibrating rack bar holder in some instances swings, and is held and adjusted
by adjustable screws and nuts, and is held in position by a vibrating bar bracket.
When the said vibrating rack bar holder is in working position a seaming cam pin
rests against the face of the vibrating rack bar cam, receiving its outward motion
from one of the cams and being returned and kept against its cam by a spring.
The rack bar feed cams on the outer end of the cam shaft, when in position, at
every half revolution of cam shaft push the feed cam plate, which is pressed home
by a spring in the spring box.
Attached to the feed cam plate on its upper side and moving with it is the
ratchet feed spring, working in a ratchet located on the under side of the rack bar.
A ratchet stop spring is arranged to catch a tooth in the ratchet bar every time the
ratchet feeds it along.
On the upper side of the rack bar point plates are arranged by screws to hold
set up points in a proper position, two or more loops being on each point.
When it is desired to over seam the rack bar feed cam is detached, turned half
way round until the points of feed cams are in line, and consequently feed once at
every revolution of the cam shaft.
The stop motion is arranged to stop the machine when the rack bar passes the
depressed spring in sliding through the rack bar holder in case another bar is not
attached to the one in operation by catches. The said spring rises and lifts with it
the arm of stop motion catch, which raises stop motion catch until the whole in
the stop motion catch is in line with the end of the shaft.
The presser post is hung in the usual manner, and the pressure on the goods is
caused by a spring. The needle is an ordinary knitting machine latch needle with
a point arranged to knit or sew through the loops on the points.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th
December 1876.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SEAMING,
OVER SEAMING, AND TURNING OFF KNITTED OR OTHER FABRICS." A communi-
cation from abroad by Charles James Appleton, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, United
States of America.
The objects of this Invention are as follows, namely :-
First. To construct a machine to seam or over scam elastic or other knitted
looped fabrics, and to seam, over seam, join together, or bind other kinds of material
at pleasure.
Secondly. To seam, over seam, and join together materials or goods with the
same kind of yarn that is used in the manufacture thereof, as cotton, wool, or silk.
Thirdly. Such an arrangement of the bars as will enable the machine to be kept
constantly in operation.
Fourthly. Such an arrangement of the needles as will enable them to seam or
over seam with the softest kind of knitting yarns without wearing or chafing.
And, Fifthly. Such an arrangement of the rack bar as to stop the machine, if
another bar is not placed in the holder and connected to the rack bar in operation,
before it has run entirely out.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a side view of my seaming, over seaming, and turning off machine.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a plan with the rack bar thrown down.
Figure 4 is a front view of the needle bar, yarn guide, cams, and stop motion.
Figure 5 shows the under side of the said rack bar.
Figure 6 is a top view of the said rack bar, showing the connections of the bars.
Figures 7 to 14 inclusive show various sections and views of detached portions
of the said machine.
a is an arm of the machine; a¹ is a lever arm; a³, an excentric crank; a³, a³, are
pulleys; a is the stop motion bracket; b is the needle bar; 61, the needle bar cam;
62, the needle bar cam pin; 68, the needle; c, a vibrating rack bar holder; c¹, the
rack bar; c², c², are set up points; c³ is a vibrating bar bracket; c, c*, are adjust-
able screws and check nuts; c is a rack bar guide; d is the main shaft; d, the
presser foot lifter; d, the stop motion shaft; ds, the stop motion block; d, the stop
motion shaft spring; d³, the shipper; e, the vibrating bar spring; e¹, the over
seaming cam pin; e, the seaming cam pin; es, e¹, are rack bar feed cams; e' is the
feed cam plate; e is the cam for vibrating the rack bar; e³, the cam for over seaming;
f, the spring and spring box; f¹, the adjustable feed stop; g, the loop holder; g', the
stop motion spring; 9², the arm of stop motion catch; g³, the stop motion catch;
h, the shaft pinion; h¹, the cam shaft pinion; h², the cam shaft; i, the presser post;
2, the presser post spring; 2, the vibrating presser foot; is, the presser foot holder
j, the yarn guide; 1, the tension block; ³, a slot in yarn guide; j³, the work plate;
k, the point plates; m, the ratchet; m¹, the ratchet feed spring; m³, the ratchet stop
spring; n, the cam change pin; o, a movable bar catch; and o¹, a bar catch.
The machine being threaded up and power applied to the fast or tight pulley a³
attached to main shaft dit drives the excentric crank a³, giving motion to the
lever arm a¹ attached to the arm of the machine a, and also to the needle bar b,
which receives a quarter twist when the needle is nearing its highest point, and
resumes its original position during its descent. This action is produced by the
action of the needle bar cam pin 62 attached to the needle bar b, and working in
the needle bar cam b¹, as shown in Figure 13. The needle 6ª is attached to the
needle bar b in the usual manner. The shaft pinion h, shown in Figure 3, is
attached to the main shaft d and geared into the cam shaft pinion ¹, and causes the
cam shaft h³ to revolve at half the speed of the main shaft d.
of the cam shaft h³ is fixed a cam e for vibrating the rack bar c¹. The cam e is
used for over seaming when the rack bar feed cam e³ is reversed and the point of
the cam is in line with the rack bar feed cam e. The cams e³, e, e", and e7,
receive their motions from the cam shaft h².
At the outer end
In Figure 3 the vibrating rack bar holder swings, and is held and adjusted by
adjustable screws and nuts c', and is held in position by the vibrating bar bracket c³.
When the vibrating rack bar holder is in working position the seaming cam pin e²
rests against the face of the vibrating rack bar cam eo, receiving its outward motion
from the cams e and being returned and kept against its cam by the spring e, as
shown in Figure 1. The rack bar feed cams e³ and et on the outer end of the cam
shaft, when in position, rest against, and at every half revolution of cam shaft h²
push, the feed cam plate e, which is pressed home by a spring in the spring box f.
Attached to the feed cam plate e on its upper side and moving with it is the
ratchet feed spring m¹, working in the ratchet m located on the under side of the
rack bar, as shown in Figure 14. m² is the ratchet stop spring arranged to catch a
tooth in the ratchet bar m every time the ratchet m¹ feeds or moves it along.
On the upper side of the rack bar c¹ point plates k are arranged by screws to
hold set-up points in a proper position, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, two or more
loops being on each point. The point of the needle 6 in its descent enters the
groove on the inner side of the set-up points c², and passes through the loop or
loops to the yarn guide j¹, taking the yarn up through the loop or loops. As soon

page_text: as the point of the needle 63 is through the loop on point c2, the rack bar is pushed
from the needle by the cam and cam pin e6 and e³ until the rack bar moves forward
to the next point; the needle being at its highest point, the loop it retains hangs
in a proper position by reason of the quarter twist given to the needle bar b,
and as the needle 63 only draws the yarn just through the loops on the set-up
points, there is no more yarn used than is required to form a portion of the next
loop. I thus obviate nearly all friction on the thread as well as the take-up device
usually found on such machines.
When it is desired to over seam the rack bar feed cam e³ is detached from the
cam e, turned half way round until the points of the feed cams e³ and e¹ are in line,
consequently feeding once at every revolution of the cam shaft h².
The over seaming cam pin e¹ attached to the rack bar holder c is held against
the outer edge of the feed came, holding the rack bar without feeding to
enable the needle 63 to pass on the outside of the loops on set-up points c² every
alternate stitch. By this arrangement the needle 63 takes two stitches to each
point alternately in the loop on the point c² and outside, as shown in Figures 10,
11, and 12.
The stop motion is arranged to stop the machine when the rack bar c¹ passes the
depressed spring g¹ in sliding through the rack bar holder if another bar is not
attached to the one in operation by catches o and o¹. The spring rises and lifts
with it the arm of stop motion catch g2, which raises the stop motion catch g³ until
the hole in the catch g³ is in line with the end of the shaft d; the spring d' around
the shaft d then forces the shaft through the hole in the stop motion catch g³ until
the stop motion block d³ strikes the edge of the tight pulley as. The belt remains
on the loose pulley until another rack bar c¹ is placed in the rack bar holder; then,
if shipper handle d5 is pressed towards the tight pulley, it moves the belt, releasing
the stop motion block d³, and the shaft de will be held in position by the catch g³
at its end.
The presser post i is hung in the usual manner, and the pressure on the goods is
caused by a spring i¹. The presser foot 2 is hung in the presser foot holder ³, and
ranged to vibrate with set-up points c, as shown in Figure 2. The loop holder
attached to the rack bar holder c and in front of the set-up points c is arranged to
The needle b³, as shown
secure the loops in their position, as shown in Figure 3.
I
in Figure 9, is an ordinary knitting machine latch needle with a point arranged to
knit or sew through the loops on the points c².
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim-
First. The combination of the vibrating rack bar holder and rack bar with the
cam e and cam pin e².
Second. The combination of the vibrating rack bar holder and rack bar with the
cam e and cam pin e¹.
Third. The combination of the rack bar with the spring catch g³, stop motion
lock d, and shaft d³, operating together as above described.
Fourth. The combination of the vibrating loop holder g, vibrating set up points c²,
and vibrating presser foot i³, operating together as above described and for the
purposes specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.