Year: 1888

page_text: I, JOHN BLACKLOCK of 101 Southampton Row, in the County of Middlesex,
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The improvement in circular knitting machines which forms the subject of the
present invention consists in the application thereto of the ordinary ball bearings to
diminish the friction between the cam cylinder and the bed upon which it is
mounted.
In the class of machine to which I am referring there is formed in the bed plate a
circular groove or recess to afford space for the toothed wheel on the bottom of the
cam cylinder, the cylinder having a flange which rests upon the outer rim of the
recess above mentioned the amount of surface contact between the cam cylinder and
bed plate thus being considerable. 1 therefore propose to form an outer groove or
channel in the bed plate concentric with the one above mentioned to receive the balls
which are to form the bearings. Any number of balls may be used but I prefer
a small number say five or six and to keep these at equal distances apart
employ a ring of metal or other material and bore holes therein at the requisite
intervals so that the ring may be placed over the balls and rest upon the edges of the
channel in which they run. The ring and balls are thus free to revolve and travel
round the channel and so to follow the motion of the cylinder but the balls are
always at the same uniform distance apart.
may
Instead of placing the circular grooves and balls outside the gear wheel these may
if preferred be inside the wheel-of smaller diameter, or a double set of balls may
be employed one inside the wheel and the other outside.
The cam cylinder is preferably grooved to match the grooved bed plate, or only one
of these may be grooved; or neither need be grooved if suitable means such as a
suitable ring or channel be provided to keep the balls in place. The groove in cross
section may be of any desired form.
Dated this 29th day of February 1888

page_text: Improvements in or relating to Circular Knitting Machines.
I, JOHN BLACKLOCK of 101 Southampton Row, in the County of Middlesex,
Manufacturer 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 improvement in circular knitting machines which forms the subject of the
present invention consists in the application thereto of balls for the purpose of
diminishing the friction between the cam cylinder and the bed upon which it is
mounted.
In the class of machine to which I am referring there is formed in the bed plate a
circular groove or recess to afford space for the toothed ring on the bottom of the
cam cylinder, the cylinder having a flange which rests upon the outer rim of the
recess above mentioned the amount of surface contact between the cam cylinder and
bed plate thus being considerable. I therefore propose to form an outer groove or
channel in the bed plate concentric with the one above mentioned to receive the balls
which are to form the bearings. Any number of balls may be used but I prefer a
small number say five or six and to keep these at equal distances apart I may employ
a ring of metal or other material and bore holes therein at the requisite intervals so
that the ring may be placed over the balls and rest upon the edges of the channel in
which they run. The ring and balls are thus free to revolve and travel round the
channel and so to follow the motion of the cylinder but the balls are always at the
same uniform distance apart.
Instead of placing the circular grooves and balls outside the gear wheel these may
if preferred be inside the wheel-of smaller diameter, or a double set of balls may be
employed one inside the wheel and the other outside."
The cam cylinder is preferably grooved to match the grooved bed plate, or only
one of these may be grooved; or neither need be grooved if suitable means such as a
suitable ring or channel be provided to keep the balls in place. The groove in cross
section may be of any desired form.
In the accompanying drawings-
Figure 1 represents a vertical section of a portion of the cam cylinder and the bed
showing one of the balls in position.
Fig. 2 is a similar view of a portion of the cam cylinder and bed showing a ball
in position between the two and a part of the retaining ring.
Figs. 3 and 4 show sections of different forms of grooves which may be used.
Like letters represents similar parts in these drawings.
A is the bed plate and B the cam cylinder, C represents the toothed ring on the
bottom of the cam cylinder and D the annular recess in the bed to accommodate the
toothed ring, E is an annular groove formed in the bed A and F is one of the balls.
It will be seen by reference to fig. 1 that whereas formerly the portions A' of the
bed and B¹ of the cam cylinder were in contact by the present, arrangement they are
separated by the balls F a rolling bearing being thus substituted for the frictional
contact formerly employed.

page_text: In fig. 2 the annular groove E is dispensed with the ball bearing upon the two
flat faces of the bed A and the cam cylinder B and being kept in position by
means of the ring or catch G which is perforated with as many holes H as there
are balls employed. This ring G may be retained in any convenient manner as
for example by a projecting rim A³ upon the bed A which extending entirely
around the ring G will prevent it from getting out of place.
This rim A2 may
be carried up as high as desired and if necessary another one B2 may be brought
down from the cam cylinder to meet it.
Fig. 3 is the section showing the groove formed in both the bed and the cam
cylinder thus forming almost a complete channel or pipe for the balls to roll in.
Fig. 4 is a similar view but instead of the grooves being as in fig. 3 approxi-
mately semicircular in cross section they are formed of a series of flats so that
when put together an approximately hexagonal channel would be formed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention.
and in what manner the same is to be performed I wish it to be understood that
I am aware that balls have before been used for the purpose of reducing the
friction between bearing or opposed surfaces and that I therefore make no claim
to the use of balls for that purpose but that what I do claim is :-
:-
1. In a circular knitting machine the combination with the bed or the cam cylinder or
with both the bed and the cam cylinder of one or more annular grooves such as E
arranged concentrically with the toothed ring of the cam cylinder for the purpose of
accommodating a series of balls such as F substantially as described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
2. In a circular knitting machine the combination with the bed and the cam
cylinder of a series of balls such as F arranged to travel in a circular path between
the bed and the cam cylinder substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 29th day of December 1888