Improvements in Circular Warp Machines.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Circular Warp Machines.
I, HENRY HILL, of Balin Hill & Sons, of 63A, Mansfield Road, in the Borough of
Nottingham, Lace Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in circular warp machines for pro-
ducing seamless tubular warp lace fabric.
In carrying out my invention the needles are arranged in a circumferential
line with their length parallel to the axis of the machine or nearly so.
They are secured to a needle cylinder or sleeve, which is mounted loosely on a
hollow cylindrical casing which latter is preferably arranged with its axis
vertical and is connected by lateral extensions or brackets to the framing of
the machine.
The framing of the machine may be mainly comprised of two standards con-
nected to each other by suitable cross stays.
The needle cylinder is reciprocated on the hollow cylindrical casing, by a
cam or eccentric on the main shaft the movement of the said cam being imparted
to the former by a suitable link and lever arrangement.
The whole of the needles are thus raised and lowered simultaneously and the
fabric as it is produced is carried through the interior of the cylindrical casing,
to suitably take up mechanism, from which it is delivered on to a work roller.
The take up mechanism may be connected by suitable gearing to the main shaft
from which it receives a constant or intermittent motion.
The main shaft is placed preferably below the needle cylinder and is carried
in bearings secured to or formed in the standards. It may be provided with
suitable pulleys to receive a belt.
In a warp machine one or more threads may be employed for each needle each
thread being delivered to the needles by a separate guide. The guides may
also be divided into two or more sets.
The thread guides in the present arrangement are of special form and are
carried and operated in the following manner.
Above the needle cylinder is a hollow shaft which is placed axially with the
said cylinder and is carried in bearings secured to the standards. Secured on
the lower end of this shaft is a cylindrical casing, round the exterior of which
are arranged a set of guides. These guides are longer than the casing and
their upper ends are secured to a rib or collar at the upper end of the casing
whilst their lower free ends extend below it.
The lower free ends of the guides are cranked or bent outwards and are also
each provided with an eye or hole for the passage of a thread, they are also
secured to the casing in such a manner that normally the lower free ends are held
close to the casing by their own elasticity and are simultaneously opened out
radially by the following arrangement:-
Mounted loosely on the casing is a collar, in the periphery of which are
recesses to receive the guides and hold them in position, this collar is also

page_text: provided with a circular plate or ring on the outer edge of which the guides rest
this ring opens out the guides when the collar is moved from the upper end
of the casing towards the lower end.
Surrounding the guide casing before mentioned is a second hollow casing on
the exterior of which is arranged a second set of guides, this casing is mounted
loosely in a seating formed in a bracket secured to the standards. The casing
is also provided with a collar mounted loosely thereon for opening out the
guides which in this case have their lower free ends cranked or bent inwards.
The two collars are reciprocated on their corresponding casings so as to
alternately open out the guides and permit them to return to their normal
position by connecting them by means of rods to a sleeve mounted loosely on
the hollow shaft. This sleeve is reciprocated on a shaft by a cam or cams on
the main shaft acting through a suitable arrangement of links and levers.
In addition to the motion described the guides are reciprocated angularly, this
is effected by reciprocating the two guide casings.
The inner guide casing which is secured to the shaft is reciprocated by an
arm secured to the latter. This arm is connected to one end of a lever which
is pivotted to the framing and its other end engages with a pattern wheel secured
on a vertical shaft.
The vertical shaft is carried in bearings secured to one of the end standards
and it is connected to the main shaft by suitable gearing.
The outer guide casing is provided with an arm which is connected to similar
mechanism to that for reciprocating the inner casing, the said mechanism being
operated by a pattern wheel on the vertical shaft, before mentioned. The outer
casing is reciprocated in the seating in which it is mounted.
The threads are carried from a warp beam or spool which is preferably placed
over the needle cylinder, through the space between the two guide casings and
through the eyes in the guides to the needles.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-
-
The needles rise until their ends are above the lower ends of the guides, the
lower ends of the latter are then moved radially outward, from their normal
position, within the circumferential line of the needles to a position outside the
said line carrying the threads between the needles, the guides are then moved
angularly one or more needles so as to lap the threads thereon and then return
through the needles at this point to their normal positions again. The needles
are then lowered, the course knitted and then again raised for the next course.
The work is held down by a circular doffer plate placed within the line of
the needles. This plate is connected to a spindle placed within the hollow shaft
and is raised each course by a striking part on the spindle engaging with the
reciprocating sleeve on the exterior of said shaft.
The quality of the work may be changed by shogging the vertical shaft so as
to throw the pattern wheel out of action, or bring other pattern wheels into
engagement with the levers. The shaft may be shogged by any well known
arrangement controlled by a pattern chain.
75
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10
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1007
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: 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 improvements in circular warp machines for pro-
ducing seamless tubular warp lace fabrics, such for example as foundations for
incandescent mantles.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying draw-
ings, in which
Fig. 1. is a front elevation showing the principal part of a machine con-
structed according to my invention.
Fig. 2. is a vertical section drawn to a larger scale, of part of the machine.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
The needles D (see Fig. 2.) are arranged in a circumferential line with their
length parallel to the axis of the machine as shown, or nearly so.
They are secured to one common needle cylinder or sleeve D₁ which is mounted
loosely on a hollow cylindrical casing D2, which latter is preferably arranged
with its axis vertical as shown and is secured in a boss or seat B2 in the cross
stay B of the framing.
The needles D are also supported in a circular sley 1)* secured to the upper
end of the casing D2.
The needle cylinder D¹ (see Fig. 1.) is reciprocated vertically on the casing D³,
by one or more cams on a main shaft which is placed below the needle cylinder
and is not shown. The movement of this cam or cams is communicated to the
needle cylinder by a lever and a forked connecting rod jointed to the lugs D³
of the needle cylinder. If preferred, an eccentric or crank may be employed
instead of the cams.
The whole of the needles D are raised and lowered simultaneously, and the
fabric G (see Fig. 2.) as it is produced is carried down the interior of the cylin-
drical casing D, to a take-up-roller from which it may be delivered on to a
work roller in a well known manner.
The thread guides which supply the threads to the needles are dependent
and may be formed of spring wire, they are subdivided into two sets, an inner
set I and an outer set I, both arranged in concentric circumferential lines, one
set being within the other.
Those in the inner set I are cranked outwards at their lower ends, whilst those
in the outer set I are cranked inwards so that the eyes at their lower ends
through which the threads I pass are brought together as shown.
The inner set I are arranged round a cylindrical casing or sleeve J and their
upper ends are secured to a raised rib or flange J¹ at the upper end of the
said casing.
The cylindrical casing J is mounted on the lower end of a hollow shaft J²,
which latter is mounted in a sleeve bearing J³, secured to or formed on a cross
stay J
The outer set I' are arranged round a cylindrical casing K surrounding the
inner set of needles, and their upper ends are secured to a raised rib or flange K¹
at the upper end of the said casing in the same manner as the inner set.
The casing K is provided with an extended flange K2 which fits loosely in a
seating K³ formed in the cross stay K and is held in this seating by a ring K³
secured to the seating K³.
The ends of the cross stays J and K (see Fig. 1.) are connected to bracket
bearings K6 K7 mounted on the pillars CC respectively.
The lower cranked parts of the two dependent sets of thread guides I I¹ (see
Fig. 2.) are held by their own elasticity normally on the surfaces of the corre-
sponding cylinders J and K, but the said ends are opened out into the positions
shown in dotted lines, by collars or rings J5 K8 mounted on and sliding on the
casing J and K respectively.
As these collars or rings J5 and K8 are moved from the position shown at the

page_text: top of their corresponding casings J and K to the position shown in dotted. lines
at the bottom of said casings, the lower ends of the whole of the thread guides I I
will be forced outwards radially into the position shown in dotted lines, and they
will again return to their normal position when the collar or rings J5 KB are
raised again.
$
If preferred the thread guides I I¹ may be pivotted to their respective casings
and be returned to their normal position by springs.
In addition to imparting a radial motion to the guides I I¹ the rings J5 K8
are provided with sley rings J K respectively, and these sley rings are provided
with recesses in their peripheries to receive the guides, and the latter are thus,
by this means held in their relative positions.
Vertical reciprocating movement may be imparted to the two collars J. Ks
by the following arrangement:
The collars or ring J5 (see Fig. 2.) is connected by two bars L working..in
slots or recesses in the cylindrical casing J, to a ring L' which is held loosely
and may thus rotate in a seating in a ring L2, by means of a ring. La secured
to the ring L as shown.
The ring L (see Fig. 1.) is mounted on the sleeve bearing J3 and is connected
by adjustable rods L to a cross-head M.
The collar or ring K8 (see Fig. 2.) is connected to the cross-head M by a
similar arrangement. The collar or ring K8 is connected by two bars N working
in slots or reces
the casing K, to a ring N¹ which is held loosely in a
seating in a ring,
N3 secured to the ring N2 as shown. The ring N²
is connected by adjustable rods N to the cross-head M.
The cross-head M (see Fig. 1.) is mounted on the upper ends of two shafts M¹
which are carried in the bracket bearings K6 K. The lower ends of the two
shafts Mare connected by connecting rods M2 to two levers provided with anti-
friction rollers which are in peripheral contact with cams on the main shaft
hereinbefore referred to.
.
In addition to their radial movement the thread guides are reciprocated
angularly.
This is effected by rotating the cylindrical casing J and K to which the guides
are secured and the mechanism immediately connected therewith bodily.
The cylindrical casing J which is secured to the hollow shaft J2 is reciprocated
angularly by an arm 0 (see Fig. 1.) secured to the latter. This arm 0 is con-
nected to the inner end 01 of a lever (2 mounted on the pillar C and its outer
end 03 engages with and is actuated by a pattern wheel 04 secured to a vertical
shaft which is connected to the main shaft by suitable gearing.
The casing K which is reciprocated in its seating K³ is provided with an
arm Q which is connected to the inner end Q of a second lever Q2 mounted on
the pillar C.
The outer end Q3 of the lever engages with a second pattern wheel Q on
the vertical shaft.
The threads I are carried from a warp beam or spool which may be placed
above the machine through the space between the two cylindrical casings J
and K to the eyes in the lower ends of the thread guides I I¹ and from thence
to the needles D..
The operation of the machine is as follows:-
f1.
The needles D rise until their upper ends are above the lower ends of the
guides II whist the latter are in their normal position as shown. The lower
ends of the guides I I¹ are then moved radially outward into the position shown
in dotted lines in Fig. 2., passing and carrying the threads between the needles.
The guides are then moved angularly one or more needles, both sets in the same
direction, or the set I in the reverse direction to the set 1 and return through
the needles to their normal position again, thus lapping the threads on the
needles. The needles are then lowered to draw the loops through the preceding
loops and the above process again repeated.

page_text: The work is held down by a circular plate T (see Fig. 2) placed within the
line of the needles. This plate is connected to the lower end of a spindle T
placed within the hollow shaft J2, it is normally held down by a spring T2 (see
Fig. 1) but is raised each course by the cross-head M engaging with a striking
part or pin T3 in the spindle T¹.
The mesh of the work may be changed by shogging the vertical shaft which
carries the pattern wheels 04 Q longitudinally so as to throw the pattern
wheels O Qout of action or bring other pattern wheels into engagement with
the ends 03 Q3 of the levers 02 Q2.
The vertical shaft may be shogged by any well known arrangement controlled
by the attendant or by a pattern chain or other convenient arrangement.
The latches of the needles D) are prevented from rebounding on to the hooks
when the loops have passed over and relieved them, by a circular ring or plate V
which is connected by brackets V₁ to the cross stay K.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
(1) A circular warp machine in which the warp threads are lapped on the
needles D by one or more sets of dependent warp guides such as I I¹ the lower
ends of which are provided with warp eyes and are moved radially and angularly
substantially as described.
(2) In a circular warp machine the combination with the needles D of flexible
or swinging warp guides such as I I¹ provided at their lower ends with warp
eyes for the passage of the warp threads substantially as described.
(3) In a circular warp machine the combination with the needles D of warp
guides such as I an angular reciprocating casing such as J J¹ to carry the said
guides and a collar such as J5 reciprocating on the casing J to move the lower
ends of the guides I radially substantially as described.
(4) In a circular warp machine the combination with the needles D of warp
guides such as I I' angular reciprocating casing such as J K to carry the said
guides and collars J5 K8 reciprocating on the respective casing J K substantially
as described.
(5) In a circular warp machine the combination with the needles D of warp
guides such as I an angular reciprocating casing such as J J¹ to carry the said
guides a collar such as J5 reciprocating on the casing J a rotatable ring such
as L' connected to the said collar and a seating ring such as L2 for the ring L'
connected to a cross-head such as M substantially as described.
(6) In a circular warp machine the combination with a warp guide sup-
porting casing such as J J mounted on the shaft J2 of a warp guide supporting
casing such as K K K the flange K2 of which is mounted in a seating K³ and
an annular space between the said casings through which space and between
the warp guides I I¹ the warp threads I are carried substantially as described.
(7) The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete cir-
cular warp machine substantially as described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.