Year: 1888

page_text: I, JOHN ARTHUR BARFOOT, of the firm of Barfoot and Holmes, Canning Place,
Leicester, Hosiery Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
This invention relates to straight bar knitting frames and is particularly applicable
to what are known as Cotton's patent shogged ribbed frames for producing Cardigan
jackets and similar goods, and the object of the invention is to effect an improve-
ment in the means employed for fashioning such before mentioned articles while in
course of manufacture. On this particular class of frames-take a one and one rib
frame for instance the usual method of fashioning is by the employment of a
certain number of covering points or needles constructed and adapted to fit over
the frame and machine needles and receive their loops and transfer them on to
the next adjacent needles. The result of this operation when widening the
fabric is that one of the needles is deprived of its loop, a hole in the fabric being
the result.
Now by means of the improvement I effect in connection with the frame this
disadvantage is obviated and the fabric is produced in an approximate state of
completeness.
According to my invention instead of making all the covering points of the same
size, i.e. so that each point may cover one needle only. I prefer to construct the inner
covering point of increased width and thereby render it capable of covering two
needles. In close proximity to this wide covering point and fixed almost at a right
angle to it, or in other words, projecting from the plate in which the covering points
are fixed may be a pin or prong.
When the covering points are lowered on to the needles for the purpose of
receiving the loops from the latter to perform the operation of widening, this
pin or prong enters between the needles and when the shogging or sideways
motion of the covering points is taking place the needle which would otherwise be
left empty is gradually drawn towards the wide covering point and when the

page_text: covering points transfer their loops the wide covering point covers this needle which
has been drawn sideways and the next adjacent needle and the loop or stitch it
contains is passed over them, so that these two needles now contain one stitch
between or on them.
At the next succeeding course instead of a hole being the result as under ordinary
circumstances a perfectly widened fabric is obtained.
The pin or prong may be hinged or otherwise constructed to allow of its being
placed out of contact with the needles when desirable.
Dated this 8th day of October 1888.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Straight Bar Knitting Frames.
I, JOHN ARTHUR BARFOOT of the firm of Barfoot & Co., Hosiery Manufacturers,
Canning Place, Leicester 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 straight bar knitting frames, and is particularly applicable
to what are known as Cotton's patent shogged rib frames, for producing Cardigan
jackets and similar goods, and the object of the invention is to effect an improvement
in the means employed for fashioning such before mentioned articles while in course
of manufacture.
On this particular class of frames-take a one and one rib frame for instance-
the usual method of fashioning is by the employment of a certain number
of covering points or needles constructed and adapted to fit over the franie or
machine needles and to receive their loops and transfer them on to the next adjacent
needles.
The result of this operation when widening the fabric, is, that one of the needles
is deprived of its loop, a hole in the fabric being the result.
Now by means of the improvement I effect in connection with such frames this
disadvantage is obviated, and the fabric is produced in an approximate state of
completeness.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a front view of part of a frame of the
kind hereinbefore referred to, shewing the covering points and the sliding bars on
which they are mounted.
'
Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section, and
Figure 3 is a front elevation of the covering points and the plates in which they
are fixed.
Figure 4 shews the position of the needles when the operation of widening is being
performed.
Figures 5 and 6 are modifications hereinafter referred to; Figures 2, 3, 5, 6 being
drawn on a larger scale than Figure 1 and 4.
Instead of all the covering points E being of the same size, i.e. so that each point
covers one needle only, I prefer to construct the inner covering point A of
increased width.
At preferably a right angle to this wide covering point A is a vertical steel pin or
prong B movable in a groove B¹ formed in the plate B2 fixed to the front of the
plate carrying the covering points.
The pin or prong B is doubled to pass through a slot B in the upper part of the
plate B the doubled portion of the said pin B forming a downward continuation on

page_text: the exterior of the plate B² and terminating with a knob B by which the pin
inay be moved downwards or upwards to be placed in or out of contact with the
needles.
The number of sets of covering points shown in figure 1, is the number
employed on one division of a knitting frame of the kind before described, the two
end sets of covering points being used for fashioning the right and left hand
sides of the fabric respectively; and the two centre sets of covering points being
employed for fashioning the fabric at or near its centre and for fashioning the inner
sides of the sleeves of Cardigan jackets produced on this frame.
Each of the two centre sets of covering points is provided with an additional wide
covering point and an additional vertical pin or prong on its outer side so as to be
capable of widening in either direction although the two vertical pins on the same
set of covering points are not generally brought into requisition at one and the
same time.
When the pin or prong is intended to be used for the purpose of widening the
fabric, it is placed in its lower position as shown by the outer pins or prongs in the
two centre sets of covering points in figure 1, so that when the covering points are
lowered on to the needles D for the purpose of receiving the loops of the latter, the
pin or prong enters between the needle and when the covering points receive their
sideways motion the said pin or prong forces the needle D' which has been deprived
of its loop, in the direction of and close to the next adjacent needle as shown in
Figure 4, and when the said covering point A descends to transfer its loop it
covers the needle D' and the next adjacent needle and places its loop over
them both, so that one loop now hangs over two needles; at the next course instead
of a hole appearing in the work a perfectly widened fabric is the result.
:
When the covering points are employed for narrowing the fabric, the pin or prong
is moved into its higher position as shown in Figures 2 and 3 so as to be out of
contact with the needles.
Figures 5 and 6 show modifications of my invention by which widening may also
be effected.
Instead of allowing the wide covering point and tho vertical pin or prong to be
separate and distinct, they may be attached to or formed integrally with each other as
shown in Figure 5; the wide covering point on the left hand side being fixed to the
pin or prong; and on the right hand side the pin or prong is fixed to the side of the
wide covering point.
In the modification shewn in Figure 6 the pin or prong is dispensed with and the
two selvago covering points are formed extra wide so as to be capable of covering two
needles in their usual or normal positions.
In both of the foregoing modifications the wide covering point and pin, and the
extra wide covering points are moved into their higher position when the operation of
narrowing is being performed; and apart from the structural alterations mentioned
the general construction and operation of these modifications are the same as the
other figures referred to.
i
I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself strictly to the construction
of the upper part of the prong or pin, and the wide covering points, as it is obvious
that various modifications may be adopted and other means employed than those
described to enable the pin or prong or the wide covering points to be moved
upwards out of contact with the needles, when desired.
Having now particularly, described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :
I. In a knitting machine, the combination with the ordinary covering points E of a
covering point of increased width such as A and a pin or prong such as B sub-
stantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of
the accompanying drawings.
....

page_text: II. In a knitting machine, the combination with a wide covering point such as A
of a pin or prong such as B attached to or formed integrally with each other
substantially as described and illustrated in Figure 5 of the accompanying
drawings.
III. In a knitting machine the combination with the ordinary covering points E of
extra wide covering points such as A substantially as and for the purpose described
and illustrated in Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.
IV. In a knitting machine such as described the employment of a covering point
sufficiently broad to cover more than one needle.
Dated this 23rd day of November 1888.