IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY USED IN PRODUCING KNIT OR LOOPED FABRICS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Tertius Rowlett, of Leicester, in the County
of Leicester, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY USED IN
PRODUCING KNIT OR LOOPED FABRICS."
Sealed the 22nd May 1863, and dated the 27th November 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Tertius Rowlett
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th November 1862.
I, WILLIAM TERTIUS ROWLETT, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
USED IN PRODUCING KNIT OR LOOPED FABRICS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery used in
producing knit or looped fabrics. For these purposes it is preferred that a
series of independent sinkers should be employed suspended on a wire or axis
at their upper ends. These sinkers are kept correctly in position by working
between the teeth of a comb. The row of needles is mounted or fixed on a
bar, which receives a rising and falling motion, the needles being fixed in an
upright position, but the needle bar or the needles thereon may be arranged
to turn down into a horizontal position, in order to place work on the needles.
The sinkers are constantly pressed back in a direction from the needles by
springs. The needles work between teeth on a stationary bar, which acts as
a knocking-over bar to knock over the work as the needle bar descends; but,
if preferred, the needle bar may be stationary, and the knocking-over bar be
made to rise and fall. In order to actuate the sinkers in succession a barrel
or cylinder is used, on which is formed a cam or inclined or spiral projection,
which acting on the backs of the sinkers presses them forward in succession,

page_text: so as to sink the thread or yarn between the needles, and retain the sinkers in
that position for a time. On the axis of the barrel or cylinder are cams to
act on suitable levers or intervening instruments to cause the needle bar to
rise and fall, or in place thereof the knocking-over bar. The thread carrier
is of the ordinary construction, and is caused to move to and fro across the
row of needles by cams on the axis of the barrel or otherwise.
In working a course with this machine the thread carrier lays a thread
across the needles, and the sinkers by the action of the spiral or cam surface
thereon acting on the backs of the sinkers are caused in succession to sink the
thread between the needles, which are preferred to have beards or tongues
which move on axes.
The descent of the needle bar will then cause the
needles to descend whilst the work is supported by the knocking-over bar, and
beyond the open moveable beards of the needles, by which the work acting
on the beards will cause such beards to shut and inclose the new loops within
the eyes of the needles, and the further descent of the needle bar will cause
the work to be knocked over; or the working of the sinkers employed may
be so arranged as themselves to knock over the work. The needle bar will
then be caused to rise to its highest position, when the thread carrier will
again be moved across the row of needles, and will lay its thread across them,
whilst the spiral cam or surface of the barrel or cylinder will cause the sinkers
to sink the thread between the needles, and so on continually. In order to
vary the length of loops the bearings of the axis of the barrel or cylinder
are arranged to admit of being adjusted in a direction to or from the front
of the machine; or in place thereof the needle bar may be arranged to be
adjusted to or from the barrel or cylinder. It is not essential that all the
sinkers should be independent, as only the alternate ones may be independent,
whilst the other half may be arranged to move altogether, and divide the
thread previously sunk by the independent sinkers between the independent
sinkers and themselves, in which case the spiral or cam_surface would be varied
so as to act on the alternate sinkers, and then to act on the other half of the
sinkers, and at the same time allow of the independent sinkers coming back,
so as to range correctly with the other half of the sinkers. When using
independent sinkers with a slur cock on the thread carrier in order to force
back the sinkers, which in this case have springs behind them in place of
having the slur cock with two similar inclines, I make the slur cock in such
form that immediately the slur cock has moved back a sinker against the
pressure of its spring the slur cock shall cease to act on the sinker, and allow
it at once to be forced forward by its spring. And in order that the slur cock
may still be suitable for moving first in one direction and then in the other,

page_text: and act correctly to push back the sinkers in succession, the inclined part
suitable for moving back the sinkers is changed in position, so as to allow it
to act when passing in the opposite direction to that in which it has previously
moved.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Tertius Rowlett in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 27th May 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM..
TERTIUS ROWLETT, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said William Tertius Rowlett, Her special licence that I, the
said William Tertius Rowlett, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said William Tertius Rowlett, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle
of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY USED IN PRODUCING
KNIT OR LOOPED FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Tertius Rowlett, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that J, the said William Tertius Rowlett, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery used in pro-
ducing knit or looped fabrics. For these purposes it is preferred that a series
of independent sinkers should be employed suspended on a wire or axis at
their upper ends.. These sinkers are kept correctly in position by working
between the teeth of a comb. The row of needles is mounted or fixed on a

page_text: bar which receives a rising and falling motion, the needles being fixed in an
upright position, but the needle bar or the needles thereon may be arranged
to turn down into a horizontal position in order to place work on the needles.
The sinkers are constantly pressed back in a direction from the needles by
springs. The needles work between teeth on a stationary bar which acts as a
knocking over bar to knock over the work as the needle bar descends, but if
preferred the needle bar may be stationary, and the knocking over bar be
made to rise and fall. In order to actuate the sinkers in succession a barrel
or cylinder is used on which is formed a cam or inclined or spiral projection
which, acting on the backs of the sinkers, presses them forward in succession
so as to sink the thread or yarn between the needles and retain the sinkers in
that position for a time. On the axis of the barrel or cylinder are cams to act
on suitable levers or intervening instruments to cause the needle bar to rise
and fall or in place thereof the knocking over bar. The thread carrier is of
the ordinary construction, and is caused to move to and fro across the row of
needles by cams on the axis of the barrel or otherwise. In working a course
with this machine the thread carrier lays a thread across the needles and the
sinkers by the action of the spiral or cam surface thereon acting on the backs
of the sinkers are caused in succession to sink the thread between the needles,
which are preferred to have beards or tongues which move on axes.
The
descent of the needle bar will then cause the needles to descend whilst the
work is supported by the knocking over bar and beyond the open moveable
beards of the needles, by which the work acting on the beards will cause such
beards to shut and inclose the new loops within the eyes of the needles, and
the further descent of the needle bar will cause the work to be knocked over,
or the working of the sinkers employed may be so arranged as themselves to
knock over the work. The needle bar will then be caused to rise to its
highest position, when the thread carrier will again be moved across the row
of needles, and will lay its thread across them, whilst the spiral cam or surface
of the barrel or cylinder will cause the sinkers to sink the thread between the
needles, and so on continually. In order to vary the length of loops the
bearings of the axis of the barrel or cylinder are arranged to admit of being
adjusted in a direction to or from the front of the machine, or in place thereof
the needle bar may be arranged to be adjusted to or from the barrel or cylinder.
It is not essential that all the sinkers should be independent, as only the
alternate ones may be independent whilst the other half may be arranged to
move all together and divide the thread previously sunk by the independent
sinker between the independent sinkers and themselves, in which case the
spiral or cam surface would be varied so as to act on the alternate sinkers, and

page_text: then to act on the other half of the sinkers, and at the same time allow of the
independent sinkers coming back so as to range correctly with the other half
of the sinkers. When using independent sinkers with a slur cock on the
thread carrier in order to force back the sinkers, which in this case have
springs behind them in place of having the slur cock with two similar inclines,
I make the slur cock in such form that immediately the slur cock has moved
back a sinker against the pressure of its spring, the slur cock shall cease to
act on the sinker and allow it at once to be forced forward by its spring. And
in order that the slur cock may still be suitable for moving first in one direction
and then in the other, and act correctly to push back the sinkers in succession,
the inclined part suitable for moving back the sinkers is changed in position
so as to allow it to act when passing in the opposite direction to that in which
it has previously moved.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shews a left hand end view of a machine arranged and combined
in a manner suitable for carrying out my Invention. Figure 2 shews a front
view thereof. Figures 3 and 4 shew a plan and end view of a barrel or
cylinder with inclines thereon to actuate the sinkers. a, a, is the needle bar,
which is arranged to be moved up and down by cams h, h, on the axis or
shaft k, which makes two revolutions for each revolution of the axis of the drum
or cylinder d, but in place of the cams h for actuating the needle bar being on
the driving shaft, they may be on the axis of the drum or cylinder, in which
case they would have to act twice for each revolution of the cylinder or drum,
the arrangement of the inclines on the cylinder or drum being such as to move
the sinkers forward twice in each revolution. In place of the cams acting on
the needle bar it will be evident to a machinist that a machine may be ar-
ranged in such manner that the needle bar may remain stationary whilst the
comb or knocking over bar (between the teeth of which the needles move)
may in place of being stationary be made to move up and down; it is however,
preferred that the needle bar and needles should be moved up and down whilst
the comb (which acts to knock over the work), remains stationary. The
needle bar a, a, in the arrangement shewn is capable of being set up to or
moved a greater distance from the barrel or cylinder in order to regulate the
length of loop, and this is accomplished by means of the screws a³, a³, which
have grooves around them which receive the folding arms a, i, of the knocking
over bar into them.; hence, when the screws are turned, they will move the

page_text: bar i and with it the bar a to or from the cylinder d. The arms ¹ turn on
axes,, on the bar i. But in place of moving the needle bar, the bearings
of the cylinder or barrel d may be arranged to be moved to and from the
needle bar. The needle bar a, a, is arranged together with the comb or
knocking over bar i to turn down into a horizontal position on the axes a³, a¹,
and the connecting rods f have pin or hinge joints on a line with the axes a',
so that when the comb or knocking over bar is folded down into a horizontal
position the needle bar may be moved with such knocking over bar. The needle
bar can rise and fall independently of the comb or knocking over bar by the action
of the cams h, h, on the levers g, g, to which such connecting rods are attached,
there being vertical slots in the knocking over bar through which screws a², a³,
pass which guide the needle bar as it is caused to rise and fall; j, j, are springs
by which the levers g, g, are kept to their cams; c, c, are the sinkers, which are
each constantly pressed backwards towards the cylinder d by springs c,
and the lower ends of such sinkers will be forced outwards in succession by
the spiral inclines on the barrel d, which act on the sinkers in a direction
from left to right by one half revolution of such cylinder, and then from right
to left by the other half revolution of the cylinder d. Between the two spiral
inclines on the cylinder or barrel d there is a space at each end of the cylinder
which allows the springs c¹, of the sinkers to act and press back their respec-
tive sinkers. n is a thread carrier which is to be moved to and fro across the
machine, which may be done by suitable cams on the axis of the cylinder d, or
the inclines on such cylinder may be caused to act on and move the thread
carrier in such manner, that its thread may be placed between the needles
and the sinkers, just previous to the sinkers being acted on by one of the
inclines on the cylinder. I would state that although I prefer that the inclines
which act on the sinkers should be on a cylindrical rotating surface, it will
be evident that they might be on flat surfaces moved to and fro in such manner
as to cause the inclines to act in a similar manner in succession on the sinkers,
but not I think so advantageously. In working a course the thread carrier
precedes the action of the inclines of the cylinder d on the sinkers,
and when the whole of the sinkers have been pressed forward the needle
bar is by its cams caused to descend, by which the previous loops on the stems
of the needles will be knocked over the heads of the needles, whilst the new
loops will be held in the eyes of the needles. The needles will be caused to
rise again, by which the last. received loops of the thread will be moved
down on the stems of the needles, the moveable tongues or beards of the
needles will be opened, the thread carrier will then be again moved across
the machine, and the sinkers will be again moved outwards in succession by

page_text: the next half revolution of the cylinder d. In the arrangement shewn and
described all the sinkers are alike, and each is acted on by the inclines, but it
will be evident to a frame smith, that every alternate sinker might be fixed to
a bar and be caused to act as the lead sinkers in ordinary machines, whilst
only half of the sinkers would then be acted on in succession by inclines as
above described. Although it is preferred to employ a cylinder d with inclines
as above described, such cylinder and inclines may be dispensed with by
applying springs to press the sinkers forward in place of backwards, and by
using a slur cock with the thread carrier, or so as to be moved across the
machine at the same time as the thread carrier, but a little in advance of such
thread carrier. In this arrangement the inclined surface of the slur cock
(which acts on the sinkers in succession so as to push them back in order
that the thread carrier may lay its thread between the needles and the sinkers
as they are pushed back,) is to be so formed and arranged that immediately
the thread carrier has passed a sinker the spring of that sinker may on the
instant be allowed to react and at once sink the thread between the needles
in contradistinction to allowing the sinkers to come forward gradually, and
this is accomplished by the incline of the slur cock terminating its action on
the sinkers in succession as soon as the thread carrier has laid its thread. For
this purpose the fore part of the slur cock is inclined in such manner as to
push back the sinkers and retain them back in succession till the thread is
laid, and then the hinder part of the slur cock is precipitous so as at once to
set free the sinkers to be acted on by their springs. In other respects the
machine will act as above described.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to
any of the mechanical parts separately. But what I claim is the combined
arrangement herein described acting by means of inclines on a cylinder or
barrel or suitable surface as above explained; and I also claim the combined
arrangement herein described of acting by means of a slur cock as herein
explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Tertius Rowlett, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
W. T. ROWLETT. (L.S.)