Improvements in Circular Knitting Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 27th May, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 26th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 9th Apr., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Circular Knitting Machines.
1, WILLIAM INGRAM JAMES of Green End House, Stafford in the County of
Stafford, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The first part of my invention provides an improved method for holding the dial
of a circular knitting machine stationary and for adjusting it radially with regard
to the cylinder. For this purpose I attach an arm extending from a fixed pillar
towards the centre of the machine and carrying at its inner extremity a ring the
centre of which coincides with the axis of the cylinder and dial of the machine.
To the top of the dial spindle I attach a disc in such a position as to lie within the
ring above mentioned and of a diameter such that there is an annular space between
the inner and outer peripheries of the ring and disc respectively. The arm is
placed at such a height above the cylinder that the yarn passing from the yarn
carrier down to the yarn guide which feeds it to the needles will traverse the
space left between the ring and the disc and as the machine revolves the yarn will
revolve in the annular space thus provided. To prevent the disc, and the dial pin
and dial attached thereto from revolving I place in the thickness of the disc two or
more bolts or sliding pieces which are protruded across the annular space into slots
prepared in the ring to receive thein. Attached to any convenient moving part of
the machine as for instance the ribbing arm I arrange a cam which as it revolves
is made to act upon the bolts or sliding pieces and withdraw them successively
out of the slots back into the body of the disc just before the yarn comes round
in its revolution through the annular space and return them again into the slots in
the ring as soon as the yarn has passed. As long as one of the sliding pieces is
engaged in one of the slots in the ring the dial pin and dial will not be able to
revolve. In order to provide for the radial adjustment of the dial relatively to
the cylinder, I make the ring which has the slots separate from the fixed arm,
and I carry this ring from the arm in such manner that it is capable of being rotated
around its axis through such an are as may be needful. I also provide suitable
means for rotating the ring and thus, the sliding pieces being in the slots in the
ring, the dial may be rotated until it occupies the desired position with regard to
the cylinder.
I also may carry the dial pin directly in the fixed arm without using the disc and
ring above described and 1 may prevent the dial pin from revolving by affixing
a gear to it which is connected with the moving parts of the machine by other
gearing so proportioned that the dial is caused to remain stationary or I may
carry the dial pin in the ribbing arm in the usual manner and similarly gear it
to a fixed part of the machine, the spindles of the gearing passing down the ribbing
arin, the gears being so proportioned that the dial is held stationary. In either case
by adjusting the relative positions of some of the gears to each other the dial may
be adjusted radially.
"
Another part of my invention is applicable to those circular knitting machines
which are required to produce
tuck stitches. I am aware that "tuck"
stitches may be produced on the cylinder needles by placing jacks under certain
needles which are thus made to knit whilst the remaining needles will tuck as
described in the Patent granted to W. H. Dorman No. 5597, 1888 but by this
method all the necessary movements of the cams have to be made by hand.
In my invention I provide a cain plate, hinged plates and. star wheels to act
upon the cams in the cam shell as described in my Specification accompanying
application for Letters Patent dated Aug. 11, 1890 and numbered 12528. By

page_text: this means am able to make the machine automatically produce "tuck" stitches
on any desired number of cylinder needles and by suitably arranging the cams
on the cam plate which lift the hinged plate "tuck" stitches can be produced on
whatever parts of the fabric may be desired.
This part of my invention is equally applicable to an ordinary stocking knitter
worked by hand or to a power machine, its action may be regulated by a
measuring device as described in my Specification before referred to..
Dated this 26th day of May 1891
W: INGRAM JAMES.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Circular Knitting Machines.
WILLIAM INGRAM JAMES of Green-end House Stafford in the County of
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:-
This invention relates to circular knitting machines.
The object of this invention is to provide an improved circular knitting machine
which shall be capable of automatically producing "tuck" stitches on any desired
number of cylinder needles at any desired part of the fabric being knitted.
"
In the Specification of former Letters Patent granted to W. H. Dorman numbered
5597 and dated April 16th A.D. 1888, a method is described whereby "tuck"
stitches may be produced on the cylinder needles by placing "jacks under
certain needles which are thus made to knit whilst the remaining needles tuck,
the cams which operate the needles and jacks respectively being put in and out of
action by hand.
In the Specification of former Letters Patent granted to me numbered 12528
and dated August 11th A.D. 1890, a method is described whereby a cam plate,
hinged plates and star wheels are caused to act upon the cams in the cam shell
of a circular knitting machine by the intervention of a measuring device which
determines the times at which such cains shall be automatically put into and out of
action.
My present invention consists in constructing a machine in which the above
mentioned method of producing "tuck" stitches is combined with the automatic
arrangement already referred to for the purpose of putting into and out of action
the cams whereby the "tuck" stitches are produced and will be easily understood
by reference to the previously mentioned Specifications No. 5597, A.D. 1888, and
No. 12528, A.D. 1890, together with the following description of the accompanying
drawings in which,
Fig. 1. is a sectional elevation of part of a knitting machine shewing my
improvements.
Fig. 2. is a front elevation of the same.
Fig. 3. is a modification.
A. is a portion of a frame carrying the bed B. of a circular knitting machine in
which revolve in the usual manner the gear ring C. and cam shell D. The frame A.
carries a bracket E. in which is hinged on a pin F. a hinged plate G. The hinged
plate G. is free to rise and fall and rests upon the upper end of a vertical sliding
rod H. which is carried in the bracket E. The vertical sliding rod H. is arranged
so as to be acted upon by a "cam plate a" (see Specification No. 12528, A.D. 1890,)
which is operated by "ratchet wheels f7. f8." and "pawls f5.6" in combination
with a 66
pattern chain 3" as described in the before mentioned Specification
No. 12528, A.D. 1890. The hinged plate G. is formed with two arms I. and J. the
upper arm 1. being adapted to engage with a star wheel K. and the lower arm J.
with a star wheel L. The star wheels K..and L. are mounted on the outer ends of
shafts M. N. carried in a bearing bracket O. attached to the gear ring C. On the

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inner ends of the shafts M. N. are mounted cams P. Q. which engage with
studs R. S. in the upthrow cams F G² (see also Specification No. 5597, A.D. 1888).
The arrangement and object of these "cams F2 G" as well as of the jacks E
and "needles is the same as illustrated and described in the Specification No. 5597,
A.D. 1888, previously referred to, only instead of the "cams FG2" being
operated by means of the "incline plane I" which has to be raised and lowered
by hand as therein described in order to put it in and out of action with the
cams FG" respectively. I so construct the machine that the " cams FG"
are put in and out of action automatically by the machine as already described.
My improved machine operates in the following manner. When, as determined
by the "
pattern chain" and its connections, the vertical sliding rod H. is raised by
the "
cam plate" it raises also the hinged plate G. so that the arm I. is brought
into the path of the star wheel K. and the arm J. into the path of the star wheel L.
which as they are carried round by the revolution of the knitting machine strike
one each of their points upon the uplifted arms 1. and J. and so receive a partial
revolution which being communicated by the shafts M. N. to the cams P. and Q.
cause the upthrow cams 2 G2 to be simultaneously moved, the one F upwards
and the other G2 downwards, so that those needles under which there are jacks are
operated by the cam F while those needles which have no jacks are not operated on
because the cam G2 is out of action. When the hinged plate G. is again raised the
star wheels K. and L. will strike again upon the arms I. and J. and the position
of the cams F G will then be reversed; as the cam F2 will be moved downwards
and the cam G upwards so that all the cylinder needles having their butts arranged
to be operated upon by the cam G will be put into operation. The frequency of
these changes is easily determined by the suitable proportioning and arrangement
of the " pattern chain
or other measuring device which determines the movements
of the hinged plate G.
In the alternative arrangement shewn in Fig. 3. a single hinged plate (³ is
employed and the shafts M and N are geared together by the gears T. and U;
a single star wheel L only being required.
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. In a circular knitting machine having upthrow cams arranged within the cam
shell so as to act upon the butts of the cylinder needles, or upon jacks in connection
with the cylinder needles, the use of intermittently revolving cams for the purpose
of actuating such upthrow cams, so as to put them into and out of action for pro-
ducing "tuck" stitches.
2. In a circular knitting machine the use of a star wheel, or wheels, actuated by
a hinged plate so as to operate upthrow cams-for the purpose of producing "tuck
stitches.
3. In a circular knitting machine the use of star wheels with hinged plates or
catches taking into them for moving the upthrow cams and a measuring device for
determining the times at which such upthrow cams shall be moved for the purpose
of producing "tuck stitches.
2:
Dated this 25th day of February 1892.
W. INGRAM JAMES.