Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Stockings, Socks, and other Knitted Articles, and in Machinery or Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Mar., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 1st Dec., 1891-Accepted, 2nd Jan., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Stockings, Socks,
and other Knitted Articles, and in Machinery or Apparatus
therefor.
We, JOHN HARRIS COOPER, JOHN ARTHUR CORAH and ALFRED CORAH,
trading as Cooper, Corah & Sons, of St. Margaret's Works, Leicester, Hosiery
Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to the manufacture of stockings, socks and other
knitted articles and to machinery or apparatus therefor, and embodies improvements
which have for their object to increase the thickness and durability of certain parts
of knitted articles, such as the knees, heels and toes of stockings; elbows of knitted
shirts, jackets, jerseys, or vests; knees of pants, and other parts of knitted articles
where extra thickness of fabric is desirable.
The additional thickness in the fabric may be obtained during its manufacture
by the employment of an auxiliary or supplementary thread and by causing the
needles to form loops of additional length according to the gauge or substance of
the auxiliary thread used during the knitting of the extra thick parts of the
article.
The needles may be caused to form loops of additional length by mechanism
operating preferably the draw down cam of the knitting machine so that the needles
have increased downward or backward stroke thereby drawing proportionately more
thread and increasing the length of the loops.
The parts of the fabric knitted of the loop of increased length, will be thicker
than the parts of the fabric composed of ordinary loops.
Suitable mechanism may be employed to actuate the cam for the purpose named.
Dated this Second day of March 1891.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Stockings, Socks,
and other Knitted Articles, and in Machinery or Apparatus
therefor.
We, JOHN HARRIS COOPER, JOHN ARTHUR CORAH, and ALFRED CORAH,
trading as Cooper, Corah and Sons of St. Margaret's Works, Leicester, Hosiery
Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention has reference to the manufacture of stockings, socks, and other
knitted articles and in machinery or apparatus therefor, and embodies improvements
which have for their object to increase the thickness and durability of certain parts
of knitted articles, such as the knees, heels and toes of stockings; elbows of knitted
shirts, jackets, jerseys, or vests; knees of pants, and other parts of knitted article
where extra thickness or durability of fabric is desirable.
The additional thickness in the fabric may be obtained during its manufacture
by the employment of an auxiliary or supplementary thread and by causing the
needles to form loops of additional length according to the gauge or substance of
the thread or threads used during the knitting of the extra thick parts of the
articles.

page_text: The needles may be caused to form loops of additional length by mechanism
operating one of the cams of the knitting machine so that the needles have increased
downward or backward stroke thereby drawing proportionately more thread and
increasing the length of the loops.
The parts of the fabric knitted of the loop of increased length, will be thicker
than the parts of the fabric composed of ordinary loops.
Suitable mechanism may be employed to actuate the cam for the purpose named.
In the accompanying drawings we have shewn our invention as applied to a
circular ribbed knitting machine of well known construction, but the invention as
will be readily understood by those in the trade, is equally applicable to other
types of circular knitters and also to straight bar knitting frames for the production
of plain or ribbed fabrics.
Figure 1 is an elevation of the machine with our improvements applied thereto.
Figures 2 and 3 are vertical sections of the frame cylinder shewing the draw
down cam in its normal and lowered positions respectively and the mechanism for
effecting the movement thereof; and
Figure 4 is a horizontal section of the saine.
A represents the conical revolving head carrying the machine needles B, and C
the revolving cylinder of frame needles D, both being made to revolve simultaneously
in the ordinary manner and as they revolve the frame and machine needles are
operated by cams or inclines as is well understood.
In order to increase the stroke of the frame needles so that they have a deeper
fall thereby drawing a proportionately larger quantity of thread and forming loops
of additional length the draw down cam E, Figures 2, 3, and 4, is made movable
so that the operator can lower it at will and allow it to remain in that position for
a predetermined number of courses and until a desired quantity or length of the
thickened fabric has been produced.
In order to permit of the cam being lowered as described it has formed integrally
therewith or attached thereto a block E¹ projecting outwardly through an
opening F in the cain cylinder F, the said opening being sufficiently large to allow
the block E the requisite amount of movement for the purpose referred to.
The upper surface of the block is in contact with a cam surface G' on the
underside of the lever G which is movably pivotted at G² to a plate H secured by
means of screws H to the cylinder F.
The moving of this lever to or fro lowers the said cam or raises it to its normal
position.
In the production of ordinary fabric the draw down cam E and lever G occupy
the positions indicated in Figures 1, 2 and 4, but when it is desired to produce a
thickened portion at say the knee portion of a stocking, the cam is depressed or
lowered as shewn in Figure 3 by bringing the lever by hand into the position
indicated.
The effect of lowering the cam will be, that the butts or tails J¹ of the needle
carrying jacks J which are in contact therewith, will, as they are successively
rotated under the same in the well known way, be carried lower in their grooves
thereby drawing additional thread and producing loops of increased length the
result of which will be to thicken the fabric.
When sufficient of the thickened fabric has been produced and ordinary knitting
is to be resumed, the lever is moved by the operator into the position in Figure 1
and the draw-down cam will be raised into its original position under the influence
of the spiral spring K located in a hole in the cylinder F and in contact with the
under surface of the block E¹.
A spring plate L attached by a screw L' to the cylinder F bears against the
head of the lever G entering a groove G³ therein to prevent its accidental move-
ment. When the draw down cam has been lowered as described a splicing thread
may also be fed on to the needles with the knitting thread or the latter may be
severed and a yarn of stouter or coarser gauge substituted therefor; so as to obtain
a still greater thickness of fabric.

page_text: The extent to which the draw-down cam may be lowered will be readily
determined by any operator skilled in the art of knitting and for all practical
purposes should be proportionate to the stoutness or gauge of the thread or threads
employed during the production of the loops of increased length.
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 :-
1. A stocking, sock or other knitted article, one or more portions of which are
thickened by loops of increased length substantially as and for the purpose
described.
2. In a stocking, sock or other knitted article the method of thickening one or
inore portions thereof by moving one of the cams to cause the needles to produce
loops of additional length for a pre-determined number of courses substantially as
and for the purpose described.
3. In a knitting machine the employment of means to increase the stroke or
movement of the needles during the knitting of a certain number of courses in the
fabric substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
1001
JOHN HARRIS COOPER,
JOHN ARTHUR CORAH,
ALFRED CORAH,
Partners of the firm of Cooper, Corah & Sons.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicants.