Improvements in Filling up Apparatus as Applied to Knitting Machines known as Cotton's Patent.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 18th July, 1887
Complete Left, 16th Apr., 1888
Complete Accepted, 18th May, 1888
Improvements in Filling up Apparatus as Applied to Knitting
Machines known as Cotton's Patent.
We, EDWARD ATTENBOROUGH, of the Firm of Blackburn, Attenborough and Son
Kirke White Street, Nottingham, Hosiery Machinists, and JOHN WARD KENT, in the
employment of the said Firm, Foreman Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is 'to enable the operator to work the filling up points
of the machine so that either side may be operated separately or together without
removing the filling up points. Hitherto it has been necessary to remove either
right or left, whichever has not been required.
In filling up on the right hand side only, it has been necessary to remove the left,
and vice versa; but with our improvement we can fill up either side without removing
the other, or we can fill up on one side and narrow on the other at the same time
without removing the filling up points.
The operation of the several parts is as follows:-
We mount two shafts, one shaft to operate the right hand filling up points, and
one to operate the left, these shafts have arms secured upon them for operating the
filling up points, they may be worked separately or together by a shaft at the back
of the machine, this back shaft is operated by a cam on the cam shaft; in working
either the right or left filling up points, the shields on either side of the machine used
for throwing the clawkers in or out of gear (these clawkers work the narrowing or
widening slides) have each a cam on their edges, these cams connect or disconnect the
links from the levers on the back shaft, operating the filling up points on its own
side.

page_text: For instance if we require to widen on the right side, the right shield is turned
to uncover or put in gear clawkers on the right side.
At the same time the shield puts in gear, by the cam on its edge the filling up
points on that side only, the left shield will operate for the left side.
We make the slide or jack carrying the filling up points level with the face of the
filling up box, and the cover with a slot through one side, by releasing a screw we
are able to readily remove the cover plate holding the jack or slide, from its place
(the filling up points being soldered to the jack) more readily for repairs.
Dated this 13th day of July 1887

page_text: straight knitting machine.
Figure 2 shows a front view of the same as applied to one division of the machine
and Figures 2 to 9 inclusive show separate views of portions of the apparatus severally
referred to hereafter.
The object of this invention is to enable the operator to work the filling up points
of the machine so that either side may be operated seperately or together, without
removing the filling up points, this we effect by the following means.
In front of the narrowing machine we mount two shafts A and A¹ which rock in
bearings B which project from the front of the narrowing bar brackets, both shafts
have as many pair of arms C secured upon them as there are divisons in the machine,
see Figures 1. 2. 3. 4 and 5," the back ends of each pair of arms carry a rod C
which engage with the hooked upper end of a jack D or D¹ each jack has a filling up
point D2 soldered in its lower end, the jack slides in a groove cut in the face of the
usual bracket carrying the narrowing points being held in the groove by a cover
plate D³; the removal of which enables us readily to take out the jack for repairs.
The jacks D each carry a filling up point for the right side of each width of fabric
as shown at Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 and the jacks D₁ a filling up point for the left side
of each width as shown at Figures 1. 2. 3 and 5. at Figures 1. 2. 3 and 4 the jacks
are shown in the raised position they occupy while the fabric is being narrowed, and
at Figure 5 the jacks are shown lowered so as to place the widening points in a line
with the narrowing points when the fabric is to be widened.
The rocking of the shaft A to operate the jacks D is effected as follows, the
right end of the shaft is provided with an arm B¹ hinged to a link B³ connected by
a rod B³ tot he back end of a lever B' which rocks upon an axle secured in the right
end standard, the lever is rocked by a cam B which projects from one edge of the
shield usually employed for throwing the clawkers B in or out of gear with the
ratchet wheels which work the narrowing or widening slides, the back end of
the link B is formed with a hook and two horns when the link is held up by the
cam B as shown at Figure 1 the upper horn rests against a stud B' which projects
from a bracket secured to one of the narrowing machine arms, the lower horn rests

page_text: against a stud projecting from the upper end of an arm E secured on a shaft E¹ which rocks
in bearing arms E², forming part of the bracket carrying the narrowing machine arm
shaft, the shaft E' is provided with a lever E³ the back end of which is connected to
a link E, having its lower end hinged to the back end of a lever E³ rocking on an
axle secured in a bracket attached to the lower back tie rail of the machine, the
front end of the lever E³, carries a truck which is operated by a cam E, when the
cam shaft is traversed for fashioning, an enlarged side view of the cam is shown by
dotted lines at Figure 7.
The rocking of the shaft A¹ is effected by apparatus as above described placed at
the left end of the machine, being operated by a cam B projecting from the shield
employed for throwing the clawkers in or out of gear with the ratchet wheels which
work the narrowing or widening slides for the left side of the fabric.
When the widening or narrowing is not required the shields are placed by the
operator in the position as shown at Figure 1.
Each shield is held in the position the operator places it by a bolt which slides in
a projection on the side of the shield being pressed by a spring into either of three
recesses cut in the circumference of a collar of the axle on which the shield turns in
the usual way, as shown in front view at Figure 8 and side view at Figure 9.
When the fabric is required to be narrowed the shields are turned to the front of
the machine to allow the back clawkers to operate the slides..
When it is desired to widen the right hand side of the fabric, the shield at the right
end of the machine is placed in the position shown at Figure 6 the cam B' having
released the lever B the hooked end of the link B2 engages with the stud projecting
from the arm E thereby ensuring the shaft A being operated as required by the
cam E. The cam B5 at the left end of the machine being placed in the position
shown at Figure 6 when it is desired to widen on the left hand side of the fabric.
The cam shaft is then traversed for fashioning, and the cam E actuates the
lever E and its connections to operate the jacks carrying the filling up points, either
to the right or left or both together as desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1st. For the two shafts A and A¹ for operating the jacks carrying the filling up
points, one for the right hand and one for the left hand independently.
2nd. The cams B' on the shields for operating the lever and connecting links, for
putting in or out of action the controlling links for the shafts A and A¹ substantially
as described and illustrated in the Drawings annexed.
Dated this Fourteenth day of Anril 1888