IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STOCKINGS AND SIMILAR LOOPED FABRICS, AND IN MACHINERY FOR PRODUCING THE SAME
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Porteous Robertson, of Leytonstone, in the
County of Essex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF STOCKINGS AND SIMILAR LOOPED FABRICS, AND IN MACHINERY FOR
PRODUCING THE SAME."
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Porteous Robertson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th February 1881.
RICHARD PORTEOUS ROBERTSON, of Leytonstone, in the County of Essex.
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STOCKINGS AND SIMILAR LOOPED
FABRICS, AND IN MACHINERY FOR PRODUCING THE SAME."
My Invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of stockings and
other looped fabrics, such as socks, sleeves, mittens, shirts, and the like, also to
machinery for producing such fabrics, and the said Invention comprises various
novel features hereinafter set forth.
According to one part of my said Invention I employ jacks or slides in place of
sinkers and burr-wheels or similar mechanism in knitting machines constructed
with barbed needles, a needle-bed, a cam-carrier and cams to actuate the needles.
These jacks or slides are arranged to run in a bed at or about at right angles with
and in front of the needles, and are actuated by a cam-carrier working in unison
with the needle-cam carrier; the said slides may have the front end or tail curved
downwards so as to pass between the web and the needle bed. Above the tail the
slides are cut out considerably to allow them to run forward and thereby enable
the upper part of the slides to project over the web before the needles are fed.
After the yarn is fed across the needles the slides push still further forward and
thereby measure off sufficient yarn for the loops. The descent of the needle and
the withdrawal of the slides are effected so as to keep the yarn in the same position
relatively to the slide and the needle. The slides are in some cases sloped away
gradually from above the grooves therein to permit of the yarn descending
gradually as the slides are withdrawn and the needles draw down. The slides are
sufficiently high to hold up the yarn till it reaches the top of the needles as they
Price 1

page_text: descend before the barbs are required to be closed. It will readily be seen that this
arrangement is applicable to various styles or classes of machines, and also that it
can be used simultaneously as a web-holder. In some instances I construct the
jacks to vibrate instead of to slide, in which case I alter the shape of the jack and
make the part occupied by the slope on the slide into a curve.
In a machine constructed with winding up tackle or weights I measure off the
yarn in a different manner, that is to say, I use a slide without a tail, but cut away
from the upper to the lower edge in the shape of a V at the front end and with an
inclined slot near to its outer end, in which a pin is placed; the cams actuating
these slides at the same time that they push forward depress the outer end after
having engaged the V end of the slide with the yarn fed to the needles; the slide
thereby raises the yarn to the top of the needle and also descends as the needle
descends, and withdraws altogether before the loop is formed; before the first jack
begins to rise the second engages with the yarn. In this manner the line of the
feed is not affected by the rising of the first jack.
In each instance the length of the loop made by the knitting cam corresponds
sufficiently with the length of yarn measured off by the jack so as not to strain the
yarn in knitting.
I also provide an improved arrangement of pressing devices for closing the barbs
of the needles. This arrangement may be used with any of the above described
jacks, and is as follows, that is to say:-I carry an arm from the cam-carrier
actuating the jacks over the top of the needles and partly down the same; to the
inside end of this arm I attach the presser, which may be a bar, wheel, or the like,
and which does not come so low as to interfere with the working of the tailed
jacks. The presser pushes the needles outwards and against the jack-bed, which is
brought as close to the needles as convenient, and for this purpose the posts are
cut away, as hereinafter described. To enable the presser to push the needles
outward readily I round the heel and toe of the needle or needle bit.
I sometimes use other means for closing the needle barb with the slides last
described, that is to say, I employ a presser-bar on the outside of the needles
between the latter and the slide-bed; this presser is carried by the needle cam-
carrier. I am enabled to make this arrangement for the reason that as these slides
are raised at the time that the barb should be closed there is room to use the said
presser bar. To a machine constructed with these improvements a jacquard
apparatus for automatically shaping the heel and toe may be easily added.
According to another part of my Invention I employ an improved combination
and arrangement of needle bed and needle whereby a larger number of needles may
be used in a machine constructed to make a rounded or curved heel piece (as in the
well known "Niantic" hosiery) than by any arrangement heretofore used.
In applying this arrangement to a circular machine I construct a needle-yclinder,
the outer face of which from above the lowest action of the top of the needle bit or
jack to the top is of the same circumference as the bottom of the needle grooves
and around the outside of the top of the said cylinder I fix a comb or ring cut with
a number of grooves equal to the number of needles in the cylinder (but where
web holders are used this ring is not required). By using a deep and long needle-
bit I find that two or more such bits will work in one groove; the number I prefer
is three, as its permits of an easy adjustment of the needles equi-distant from each
other aronnd the top of the cylinder. I therefore make the grooves in the needle-
cylinder sufficiently wide to admit the easy working of the three needles in each,
and the posts between the grooves of about the same thickness of the needle-bits,
and as these posts are cut away as low as the top of the bit descends in knitting,
the outside needles of each set of three may be slightly bent over the posts so as to
have the hooks equi-distant from each other. It will be seen that by this arrange-
ment the cylinder and needles can be made more durable and less costly than where
the cylinder has a separate groove for each needle.
When I use barbed needles that half of the needles not used in making the round
heel can be fixed in sets of three in wide bits (one treble bit as wide as three single

page_text: bits), as these needles are not required to be thrown out of action singly, as in the
heel, but all at once. In this case I also fix together three jack-measurers corre-
sponding in sets with the needle sets, so as to make them work together relatively
as before. Where it is possible I. use bits twice as thick as the needle, and by
placing the outside needles of the sets flush with the outsides of the bits and having
the posts of equal thickness as the bits the needles are thereby equally placed
around the cylinder.
The above arrangement is equally applicable to a parallel machine making the
same style of hosiery as described. This arrangement is equally applicable to various
descriptions of hosiery.
As the above arrangement is more especially adapted for producing a fine tight
fabric I prefer to use as a knitting-cam a wheel revolving on a pin inside the cam-
carrier, as this form is less liable to cramp the sets of bits than the ordinary fixed
inclined knitting cam. The needles may be thrown up to be fed with the yarn
either by means of ordinary levers or in any other suitable manner.
In knitting machines with latch needles constructed to knit the heel and toe of a
stocking automatically, the needles not in action in making the heel and toe are
left hanging in the loops of the fabric, and do not rise to take the yarn and free the:
latches from the fabric. This is objectionable for the following reason, viz. :-The
knitting or depressing cam which actuates the needles in action depresses at each
reciprocation the needles not in action, and thereby causes a continual drain and
friction on the loops held by these needles. In a machine constructed with my
above mentioned improvements, or with part of the same with barbed needles, I
overcome this by lifting up the needles not in action beyond the knitting cam,
which is not practicable with latch needles, as the latches would be freed from their
loops, and would thereby continually drop stitches.
In a circular knitting machine consisting mainly of a bed and supports, needle-
bed, and cam-ring, the needle-bed sometimes extends, and is grooved down under
the bed, and the tails of the needle-bits under the butts (which tails are as deep as
the grooves) extend down correspondingly; arranged around the tails of the needle-
bits engaged in making the heel and toe is a series of radiating levers pivoted
towards their outer ends. According to one part of my Invention the inner ends
of the levers are rounded and enter into the needle-bits, which are rounded out
towards the ends of their tails to receive the ends of the levers; or the tails of the
needle-bits may extend beyond the posts of the cylinder, and the ends of the levers
be attached by means of slots and pins. The outer ends of the levers are divided
into two sets, and extend beyond their pivots under two pattern wheels which are
placed conveniently to act upon them; these pattern wheels are actuated by ratchet-
wheels and pawls, and are each turned alternately one tooth at each reciprocation
of the cam ring, thereby raising one needle alternately on each side of the heel at
each reciprocation. These needles are held up by the pattern-wheel until the heel
is narrowed when the pattern is reversed and one needle at each reciprocation is
allowed to drop; to ensure the needles dropping a spring fixed above each lever on
the ring which supports their pivots presses them down, or a spring fixed upon a
ring or bar may be reciprocated across them.
In shaping the heel web when I wish to leave the needles out of action hanging
in their loops instead of lifting them beyond the action of the knitting cam, I
prefer the following arrangement :-
Before beginning to narrow the web the needle upthrow cam is thrown out of
action and the needles are lifted into the path of the knitting cam by means of the
levers; at the pivots the said levers are slotted to allow of a movement to and
from the needle cylinder; beyond the pivots the said levers have movable butts
working on flat sided studs on the levers; the said butts are raised by the pattern
cylinder into the path of a cam carried by a reciprocating carrier; the said cam
pushes the levers forward by means of the butts to engage the inner ends with the
tails of the needle-bits; another cam depresses the outer ends of the levers thereby
lifting the needles into action. Another cam draws the butts back, and as the

page_text: pattern cylinder revolves the butts drop out of action, one at each reciprocation
of the machine; the butts are again brought into action on the reversing of the
pattern.
One part of my present Invention comprises a new method or manner of
fashioning a plain stocking leg or similar web, and enables me to produce a web
which is different to those ordinarily made. For this purpose I employ a recipro-
cating machine constructed with web holders and jacquard apparatus for throwing
certain needles out of action. In a straight machine with parallel beds knitting
circular web these needles would be on both sides at one end of the machine, but
in a straight or circular machine knitting flat web they would be arranged at each
side of the web. After having knit the top of the stocking or other web the
fashioning needles drop one or more at a time on each side out of action but still
retain the loops, which loops require fastening off when the web is removed from
the machine. After fashioning a stocking leg I prefer to run it off the machine
and knit the ankle and foot on another machine suitable for that purpose. Or the
operations described may be reversed and the web widened instead of narrowed,
the web is then started on the narrow part; in flat web the widening needle is
thrown into action when the feeder is on the same side of the web.
In making a sleeve or similar web I prefer the following. method:-Instead of
knitting the loops lengthwise of the web as usual I knit them crosswise; I start
in a circular machine as many needles as are required to make the web as wide as
the length desired; after the work is properly started (a sleeve for example) I throw
out of action all the needles between the wrist end and the elbow, and gradually
take them into action again as the web is required to be widened until the last
needle at the wrist end is again reached, when I knit with all the needles in use
sufficient web to make the circle of the wrist, and then begin to narrow gradually
from the wrist end until the elbow is again reached, when the sleeve web is
finished. This web does not require to be removed to begin another, as they can
be separated afterwards.
By means of my Invention I can also make on one machine socks with the web
spliced automatically above and at the heel. To effect this object I proceed as
follows, that is to say :-
I use a circular machine for automatically making circular or flat web con-
structed with web holders and with specially arranged needles and cams for
actuating them; the needles are divided into two sets, one of which has the butts
towards the hook end, the other towards the tail end; there are also two sets of
cams, one placed vertically above the other, either or both of which may be thrown
out of action at will. After the leg has been knit in the ordinary manner I throw
out of action the cams for actuating the needles which are intended to make the
top of the foot and change the motion from circular to reciprocating and introduce
a splicing yarn to the needles; after the spliced web and heel have been knit I
throw this set of cams out of action and introduce the other set, taking off the
splicing yarn, and then knit a piece of web to correspond with the spliced web
above the heel, when circular motion is resumed and the foot knitted of circular
web. By using two double sets of cams and two feeders two flat webs may be
made simultaneously.
This method can also be applied to a parallel knitting machine constructed with
web holders, and with sets of cams constructed to knit both ways, or only one way
as required, both or either of which sets may be thrown out of action, in which
case the sides of the instep and toe can be narrowed in the manner hereinbefore
described.
A machine of this description made sufficiently large will knit the body of a
shirt circular up to the arms, and the opening for the arms with selvedges without
taking any part of the work off the machine.
Heretofore the method of changing the position of the ribbing needles of a
circular knitting machine from over the grooves of the needle-cylinder to over the
posts, and vice versa, has been by moving either of the needle-beds around; this

page_text: system has this drawback, that from the beginning to the end of the narrowing,
some of the ribbing needles (and consequently the loops) are not exactly between
the adjacent machine or plain needles, until all the narrowing needles are taken
out, and the needle-bed adjusted. This defect is obviated by my Invention as
follows, that is to say:-I construct a ribbing needle-bed with radial grooves to
carry adjustable metal quills in which the needles run; the grooves at the outer.
end are so wide as to allow the moving of a quill from over the post to over the
groove of the lower needle-bed (needle cylinder) at the inner end; they are only as
wide as to easily receive a quill; the quills are kept in their radial position by
means of a movable wedge which is shifted from one side of the quill to the other
side as is required, or a spring may be provided to keep the quill in its place when
the wedge is withdrawn; around the outside of the needle-bed is a rim which
stands above the bottom of the grooves, as high as the thickness of the metal used
for the quills; this prevents the quills from running forward out of the bed; the
inner end of the quill can be reduced and held down in a groove in the bed when
necessary.
Another part of my Invention comprises a novel method of fashioning a ribbed
stocking, which is effected by a variation of the means above described, that is to
say, instead of narrowing, say, for example, from a 4 & 1 rib to a 3 & 1, or a 3 & 2
rib to a 2 & 2, I narrow from a 3 & 2 rib to 3 & 1, 2 & 2 to 2 & 1, and so on,
always narrowing on the ribbed loops instead of the plain loops as heretofore. I
accomplish this by cutting the grooves in the ribbing needle bed wide enough to
receive two quills, I thereby can work two ribbing needles together which work
over the posts of the lower needle bed; to narrow, I take out of the needle-bed one
of the quills, and with it the needle, placing the loop on the. other needle, and put.
on each side of the remaining quill a wedge to keep it in position over the empty
groove of the lower bed; or it may be kept in position by means of a spring fixed
to each of its sides.
My Invention also comprises novel means for automatically actuating the
out-throw cams on a cam-carrier, of the ribbing attachment to a circular knitting
machine, and this part of the said Invention is carried into practice as follows, that
is to say I place behind the knitting cam two adjustable out-throw cams, each of
which has therein at about its contre a pin to slide in a slot in the cam-carrier; in
the top of the cam-carrier is turned a wide groove, in which works a segment of a
ring held down by bridges across the groove; in the groove between the sliding
pins is a stop, and against this stop each end of the segment of the ring alternately
comes as the machine reciprocated; each end of the segment is slanted off from
inner to outer edge to form a cam, the outer edge pushes the out-throw cam out to
the required extent.

page_text: my improvements applied to the same, and
Figure 2 is an underside view of a cam-carrying disc, and cam for operating my
improved jacks or slides when the same, in addition to their ordinary functions, ..
also act as web holders."
Figure 3 is a side view of one of the said jacks or slides, and
Figures 4 and 5 are side views of modified forms of the said jacks.
Figure 6 is a vertical section of a portion of a knitting machine, shewing a
further modification in the form of the jacks or slides, and also other in proved
devices hereinafter described, and
Figure 7 is a side view of one of the said jacks or slides detached.
Figure 8 is an exterior view of a portion of a needle-cylinder, shewing a series of
needle-bits in each of the grooves in the same, as hereinafter described.
Figure 9 is an interior view of a portion of the needle-cam-ring shewing my
improved knitting cam, and
Figure 10 is a vertical section of the same on the line x, x, Figure 9.
Figures 11 and 12 are side views of portions of levers for automatically selecting
the needles, as hereinafter described, and
Figure 13 is a side view of part of a lever adapted to be actuated by a vibrating
pattern cylinder or equivalent device.
Figure 14 is a plan drawn to an enlarged scale of the needle-bed of a ribbing
attachment for a knitting machine, representing my improved means for altering
the position of the needles in the same relatively to the needles in the needle-
cylinder, and
Figure 15 is a central transverse section of the same.
Figure 16 is a plan, and
Figure 17 an underside view of the cam carrier for a ribbing attachment with
my improvements applied thereto, as hereinafter described.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
The first part of my Invention, which is illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 of the
Drawing, relates to the application to a knitting machine having barbed needles;
a needle-bed, a cam-carrier, and cams to actuate the said needles, of improved
mechanism to serve as a substitute for sinkers and burr wheels or similar devices
for threading the needles and measuring the yarn prior to its being knitted into 4
loops. Referring to these Figures a represents the bed of the machine, which is
of suitable shape to support the working parts; b is the needle bed or cylinder
containing the needles c and their bits c'; and d is the ring carrying the cams for

page_text: actuating the said needles; e is a grooved or channelled bed in which my improved
jacks or slides fmove; and g is a cam-carrying disc for actuating the said jacks or
slides. The remaining parts are hereinafter described. The aforesaid jacks or
slides are arranged to move in the bed e at or nearly at right angles to and in
front of the needles c, and are actuated by the cam surfaces g¹ on the cam-carrier g,
which works in unison with the needle cam-carrier d. The said jacks or slides
have their front end or tail preferably curved downwards, as shewn at f¹, so as to
pass between the web and the needle bed b. Above this tail the said slides are
deeply notched, as shewn at f2, to allow them to move forward, and thereby enable
the upper part 3 of the slides to project over the web before the needles are fed
with yarn.
After the yarn is passed across the needles the jacks or slides f travel
or are forced still further forward, and thereby measure off sufficient yarn for the
loops. The descent of the needles and the withdrawal of the slides are so timed
as to keep the yarn in the same position relatively to the slide and the needle.
The said slides or jacks above their grooves or recesses f2 have preferably a sloping
surface, as shewn at f, to allow the yarn to descend gradually as the said slides
are withdrawn and the needles move downward. The slides are of sufficient height
to hold up the yarn until, by the descent of the needles, it occupies a position
within the bend of the latter before the barbs are required to be closed. It will be
readily understood that this construction of the jacks or slides is applicable to
various styles or classes of knitting machines, and also that it can be used
simultaneously as a web-holder in a similar manner to that described in the
Specification of former Letters Patent, dated July 1st, A.D. 1879, No. 2669. In
some instances I so construct the aforesaid jacks as to adapt them to vibrate
instead of to move longitudinally. For this purpose I prefer to form the said
jacks as shewn in Figures 4 and 5, and to make their sloping part or surface f
either straight, as shewn in Figure 4, or curved, as shewn in Figure 5.
In a machine constructed or adapted to work with winding-up tackle or weights
I sometimes measure off the yarn in a different manner to that above described,
that is to say, I use a slide without a tail but cut away from its upper to its lower
edge so as to form a V-shaped recess f* at its front end, as shewn in Figures 6
and 7. The said slide is also provided with a peculiarly formed slot f5 near its
outer end, in which slot a stationary pin h is placed. As the cams upon the
carrier 9 actuate each of these slides so that it moves radially forward they at the
same time depress the outer end of the said slide and raise the V-shaped end of the
same after it has engaged with the yarn fed to the needles; the slide is thereby
caused to raise the yarn to the top of the needle, and then descends as the needle
descends, and is drawn away from the yarn altogether before the loop is formed.
Before one jack commences to rise the next jack engages with the yarn, so that the
line of the feed is not affected by the rising of the first jack.
g
I will now proceed to describe an improved presser-device for closing the barbs
of the needles. This device, which is represented in Figure 1 of the Drawing, is
preferably used with the jacks shewn in Figures 1 and 3, and is constructed as
follows, that is to say :-I carry an arm i from the cam-carrier g over the top of
the needles c and partly down the back or inside of the same. To the inner or rear
end of this arm I attach the presser i', which may consist of a wheel or roller, as
shewn, or of a bar or the like, and which does not extend far enough down to
interfere with the working of the jacks f. This presser pushes the needles
outwards and against the jack-bed e, which is brought as close to the needles as
practicable. For this purpose the posts b¹ of the needle-bed b are cut away at the
upper part of the needle-bed, as hereinafter described.
I sometimes modify the arrangement of the above described means for closing
the needle-barbs when the slides shewn in Figures 6 and 7 are used, that is to say,
I employ a presser wheel or bar (Figure 6) on the front or outside of the needle
and between the latter and the slide or jack bed e; this presser is carried by
the needle-cam carrier d. I am enabled to make this arrangement for the reason
that as these slides f are raised at the time that the barbs of the needles should

page_text: be closed, there is room to use the said presser bar on the outside of the said
needles.
To a machine constructed with these improvements a jacquard apparatus for
automatically shaping the heel and toe of a stocking may be easily added.
According to another part of my Invention I employ an improved combination
and arrangement of needle-bed and needles whereby a larger number of needles
than would be practicable with any heretofore known arrangement may be used in
a machine constructed to make a rounded or curved heel piece as in the well known
"Niantic" hosiery.
In applying this arrangement to a circular knitting machine I construct a
needle-cylinder whose outer surface above the lowest point to which the top of the
needle bit or jack c' descends is of the same diameter as the bottom of the needle
grooves as shewn at 6º, that is to say, the posts b' are cut away at this part.
Around the outside of the top of the said cylinder I fix a comb or grooved ring as
shewn at k in Figure 6 provided with a number of grooves equal to the number of
needles in the cylinder; when jacks or slides are used this ring is not required.
When the needle bits are formed as shewn in Figure 1 two or more of them will
work in one groove as shewn in Figure 8. The number of bits I prefer is three,
as this number permits the needles to be conveniently arranged equidistant from
each other around the top of the cylinder. I therefore make each of the grooves
in the needle cylinder sufficiently wide to permit three needles to work therein,
and I make the posts b¹ between these grooves of about the same thickness as one
of the said needle bits, and as these posts are cut away at 6° as low as or lower than
the point to which the top of the bit descends in knitting as above described, the
outside needles of each set of three may be slightly bent over the posts so that
their hooks will be equidistant from each other as shewn in Figure 8.
It will be seen that by this arrangement the cylinder and needles can be made
more durable and less costly than where the cylinder has a separate groove for
each needle. In some cases instead of the posts being formed in one piece with
the needle-bed they may be formed separately and inserted into grooves cut in the
latter.
In some cases I make the central needle bit shorter than the two outer needle
bits in each groove and form the lower ends of the said outer bits as shewn in
Figure 8 to facilitate the selection of the needles by levers actuated by any
suitable jacquard mechanism to automatically fashion the web.
When I use barbed needles the needles not used in making the round heel can
be, fixed in sets of three in wide bits (each of which is as wide as three of the
ordinary bits), as these needles are not required to be thrown out of action singly
as in the heel but all at once; in this case I also fix together three jack measurers
corresponding in sets with the needle sets so as to make them work together
relatively as before.
The above described arrangement of parts is equally applicable to a parallel
machine for making socks or stockings or other descriptions of hosiery.
As the said arrangement is more especially adapted for producing a fine tight
fabric I prefer to use as a knitting cam a wheel or disc as shewn in Figures 9
and 10; this wheel is secured inside the cam carrier or ring d by means of a pin or
bolt and nut 12, upon which bolt the said wheel or disc is free to. revolve; this
wheel or disc is less liable to cramp or jam the sets of needle-bits than the ordinary
fixed inclined knitting-cam. The needles may be thrown up to be fed with the
yarn either by means of ordinary levers or in any other suitable manner.
In certain circular knitting machines with latch-needles constructed to knit the
heel and toe of a stocking automatically, the needles not in action in making the
heel and toe are left hanging in the loops of the fabric and do not rise to take the
yarn and free the latches from the fabric; this is objectionable for the following
reason, viz:-The knitting or depressing cam which actuates the needles in action
depresses at each reciprocation the needles not in action, and thereby causes a
continual strain and friction on the loops held by these needles. In a machine

page_text: constructed with my aforesaid improvements or with part of the same and provided
with barbed needles, I overcome this difficulty by providing means for lifting the
needles not in action beyond the path of the knitting cam.
In a circular knitting machine constructed according to my Invention the
needle bed b extends down, and is grooved below the bed a and the tails of the
needle bits c under the butts (which tails are as deep as the grooves) extend down
in the same, as shewn; I arrange around the tails of the needle-bits which are
engaged in making the heel and toe of a sock or stocking a series of radial levers m
pivoted near their outer ends at m¹; the inner ends of these levers are rounded
at m² and enter the needle-bits which are recessed to receive them, as shewn in
Figure 1; or the posts of the needle-cylinder may be cut away, as shewn in
Figure 8, so that the tails of the said needle-bits may extend beyond the said
posts, and the ends of the levers m may be attached thereto by means of slots and
pins; the levers m are divided into two sets and extend beyond their pivots under
two pattern wheels, or bands, or other suitable devices which are placed con-
veniently to act upon them; these pattern-wheels, bands, or devices are actuated
by suitable mechanism, and are turned alternately at each reciprocation of the
cam-ring, thereby raising one needle alternately on each side of the heel at each
reciprocation of the machine. These needles are held up by the pattern-wheel until
the heel is narrowed, when the pattern is reversed and one needle at each
reciprocation is allowed to drop; to ensure the dropping of the needles a spring n,
preferably attached to a washer between the outer ends of the levers m, presses
down each lever or a ring which supports the pivots of the said levers; or a spring
fixed upon a ring or bar may be reciprocated across the said levers for depressing
their inner ends.
In shaping the heel web when I wish to leave the needles that are out of action
hanging in their loops instead of lifting them beyond the action of the knitting
cam I prefer to construct the levers m as shewn in Figure 11 of the Drawing
and to proceed as follows, that is to say:-Before commencing to narrow the web
the needle up throw-cam is thrown out of action and the needles are lifted into the
path of the knitting-cam by means of the aforesaid levers m; the said levers are
slotted, as shewn at o, to allow a longitudinal movement of the said levers, that is
to say, a movement to and from the needle-cylinder b; beyond the pivot m¹ the
levers m are provided with movable slotted butts p, which work on flat sided
studs p attached to or formed on the said levers; these butts p are raised by the
aforesaid pattern-wheel, cylinder, chain, or other device into the path of a cam
carried by a reciprocating carrier; the said cam when the movable butts p are
raised engages with the same and pushes the levers m forward, so that the inner
ends of the same engage with the tails of the needle bits; another cam acts upon
the outer ends of the levers m, and depresses the same, thereby lifting the needles
into action. Another cam acting on the butts mº draws the levers back, and as the
pattern cylinder band or device revolves the butts p drop out of action, one at each
reciprocation of the machine; the butts are again brought into action on the
reversal of the pattern.
In the modification illustrated in Figure 12 of the Drawings I dispense with
the aforesaid butt p, and also obviate the necessity of employing a cam for
imparting an endwise or longitudinal movement to the lever m.
For this purpose
I arrange the levers m in combination with the needle bits in such a manner that
a vertical movement only of the inner end of the said levers will be required to
effect the vertical adjustment of the needles. To effect this movement I connect
to each of the levers m an upright or plate m³ provided with a slot, into which a
stud, pin, or ring m passes. This plate is moved vertically by the pattern-cylinder
or other actuating device. In combination with the outer end of the said levers
I arrange a cam for depressing the same, and according to the position of the
fulcrum m¹ of the lever (which position is controlled by the vertical movement of
the upright m³), the inner ends of the said levers will either act or not act upon
the needle-bits. In the modification shewn in Figure 13 of the Drawing the

page_text: lever m is formed and arranged to be actuated by a vibrating pattern-cylinder,
similar to that described in the Specification of the said former Letters Patent.
For this purpose instead of employing the pattern-cylinder to effect the vertical
adjustment of the lever, as therein described, I employ the same to act against the
outer end of the said lever and force it forward, and I also employ a cam to depress
the said end when the lever is forced forward, and an additional cam to act upon
the butt mº to draw the said lever back at the proper time to its normal
position.
One part of my present Invention comprises a new method or manner of
fashioning a plain stocking leg or similar web, and enables me to produce a web
which is different to those ordinarily made. For this purpose I employ a
reciprocating machine constructed with web-holders and jacquard or automatic
apparatus for throwing certain of the needles out of action. In a straight machine
with parallel beds adapted to knit circular web these needles will be on both sides
at one end of the machine, but in a straight or circular machine adapted to knit
flat web they will be arranged at each side of the web. After having knit the top
of the stocking or other web, the fashioning needles drop one or more at a time on
each side out of action but still retain the loops, which require fastening off when
the web is removed from the machine. After fashioning a stocking leg I prefer
to run it off the machine, and knit the ankle and foot on another machine suitable
for this purpose.
Or the operations above described may be reversed, and the web
widened instead of narrowed; the web is then started on the narrow part; in a
flat web the widening needle is thrown into action when the feeder is on the same
side of the web.
In making a sleeve or similar web I prefer the following method:-Instead of
knitting the loops lengthwise of the web as usual, I knit them crosswise. I start
in a circular machine as many needles as are required to make the web as wide as
the length desired; after the work (a sleeve for example) is properly started I
throw out of action all the needles between the wrist end and the elbow, and
gradually take them into action again as the web is required to be widened, until
the last needle at the wrist end is again reached, when I knit with all the needles
in use sufficient web to make the circle of the wrist, and then begin to narrow
gradually from the wrist end until the elbow is again reached, when the sleeve web
is finished. This web does not require to be removed to begin another, as a series
of such webs may be knit together one after the other and afterwards separated..
By my Invention I can also make on one machine socks or stockings with the web
spliced above and at the heel. To effect this object I proceed as follows, that is to
say I use a circular machine for automatically making a circular or flat web con-
structed with web-holders, and with specially arranged needles and cams for actuating
them, that is to say, the needles are divided into two sets, one set of which has the
butts near the hook, and the other near the tail end; there are also two sets of cams,
one placed vertically above the other, either or both of which may be thrown into
and out of action at will. After the leg of the stocking has been knit in the ordinary
manner, I throw out of action the cams for actuating the needles which are intended
to make the top of the foot, and change the working from a circular to a
reciprocating motion, and introduce a splicing yarn to the needles; after the spliced
web and heel have been knit I throw this set of cams out of action and introduce
the other set, taking off the splicing yarn, and then knit a piece of web to correspond
with the spliced web above the heel; the circular motion is then resumed, and the
foot is knitted. If I use two double sets of cams and two feeders, two flat webs
may be made simultaneously by throwing out of action one set of cams in each of
the two double sets.
This method of knitting can also be practised on a parallel knitting machine
provided with web-holders, and with sets of cams constructed to knit in both
directions, or only in one direction as required, both or either of such sets of cams
may be thrown out of action, in which case the sides of the instep and toe can be
narrowed in the manner hereinbefore described.

page_text: A machine of this description made sufficiently large will knit the body of a
shirt of a circular web up to the arms, and will make the opening for the arms
with selvedges, without taking any part of the work off of the machine.
Heretofore the only method of changing the position of the ribbing needles of
a circular knitting machine from over the grooves of the needle-cylinder to over
the posts, and vice versa, in order to produce a ribbed stocking similar to the so
called Niantic stocking, has been by moving one of the needle-beds around; this
system of adjustment has this disadvantage, that from the beginning to the end of
the narrowing some of the ribbing needles (and consequently the loops) are not
exactly between the adjacent vertical needles until all of the narrowing needles are
taken out and the needle bed is adjusted. According to this Invention I obviate
this difficulty by the arrangement illustrated in Figures 14 and 15 of the Drawing,
that is to say, I construct the ribbing needle-bed q with radial grooves q₁ to carry
adjustable metal, quills r in which the needles work; these grooves q' at their
outer end are made sufficiently wide to allow the quills to be moved to bring the
needle contained therein from a position over one of the posts to a position over
one of the grooves of the lower needle-bed; at the inner end the said grooves are
only of sufficient width to permit the ready insertion therein of a quill. To retain
the said quills in their radial position and either over the posts or over the grooves
in the needle-bed I employ a movable wedge q*, which may be shifted from one
to the other side of the quill according to the position the said quill is to occupy;
or the quill which is kept on one side of the groove by a wedge may be provided
with a spring, so that when the said wedge is withdrawn the quill will be forced
to the other side of the groove and retained in this position by the said spring;
around the outside of the needle-bed q is a rim q' which projects upward above
the bottom of the grooves q¹ sufficiently to prevent the said quills from moving
forward out of their bed; the inner end of each quill r is preferably cut away or
reduced, as shewn at r', so that when this end is placed beneath a flange q³ on the
.needle-bed q the said end will be held down, and consequently its vertical
displacement will be prevented.
1
By this arrangement of the ribbing needles and the method of adjusting the
same relatively to the vertical needles, as above described, I am enabled to produce.
a stocking with the rib-stitches exactly between or at the same distance from both
of the adjacent plain stitches throughout the stocking.
Another part of my Invention comprises a novel method of fashioning a ribbed
stocking; this object is effected by a variation of the means above described, that
is to say, instead of narrowing, say, for example, from a 4 & 1 to a 3 & 1, or a
3 & 2 rib to a 2 & 2, I narrow from a 3 & 2 rib to 3 & 1, 2 & 2 to 2 & 1, and so
on, always narrowing on the ribbed loops instead of the plain loops, as heretofore.
I provide for this method of knitting by cutting the grooves in the ribbing needle-
bed wide enough to receive two quills. I am thereby enabled to operate two
ribbing needles together, which needles work over the posts of the lower needle-
bed; for narrowing I take out of the needle-bed one of the quills and with it the
needle, placing the loop on the other needle, and put on each side of the remaining
quill a wedge similar to that bereinbefore described to keep it in position over the
empty groove of the lower bed, or the quill may be kept in position by means of a
spring fixed to each of its sides.
My Invention also comprises novel means for automatically actuating the out-
throw cams on the cam-carrier of the ribbing attachment of a circular knitting
machine; this part of the said Invention is illustrated in Figures 16 and 17 of the
Drawings, and is carried into practice as follows, that is to say :-I place behind
the knitting cam s two adjustable out-throw cams t, each of which is provided
near its centre with a pin t¹ which is free to slide in a slot u¹ in the cam-carrier u;
in the top of this cain-carrier I form a groove u², in which is placed with a
capability of movement therein a segment of a ring, as shewn at v; this segment
is held down or within the said groove by means of bridges w extending across the
latter;
in the said groove and between the sliding pins t¹ which project up into

page_text: the same is a stop y, against which the ends v₁ of the segment of the ring
alterately come in contact as the machine is reciprocated; these ends of the
said segment are inclined or tapered from their inner to their outer edge to form
cams, which in the movements of the said segment strike the pins t¹ and push the
outthrow cams alternately out to the required extent.
Having thus fully described my said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I claim,
First. A jack or slide for a knitting machine, constructed substantially as shewn
in Figures 1 and 3 or in Figures 4 and 5, so that in addition to its other functions
it will act as a web-holder, as above set forth.
Second. A slide or jack for a knitting machine, constructed substantially as
shewn in Figures 6 and 7 of the Drawing.
Third. In a knitting machine a series of either of the said jacks or slides.
arranged and operating substantially as above set forth and for the purposes
specified.
Fourth. In a knitting machine the combination with my improved longitudinally
reciprocating or vibrating jacks which supply the needles with yarn, measure the
stitches, and hold the web, and with the above described or other suitable presser
device of apparatus for automatically selecting the needles.
Fifth. The presser device adapted to act upon the back of the needles to close
the barbs of the same, substantially as above set forth.
Sixth. A needle-bed cut away at its upper portion so that a greater number of
needles than there are grooves in the said bed may be arranged equidistant from
each other therein, and either with or without the comb or grooved ring,
substantially as above set forth.
Seventh. In a knitting machine the combination with the said needle-bed and
the needles therein of my improved jacks or slides whereby the aforesaid comb or
ring may be dispensed with, as above set forth.
Eighth. The employment in a knitting machine of two or more independently
acting needle-bits working in one groove in the needle-bed, substantially as above
set forth.
Ninth. In a knitting machine the employment in combination with the said
independently acting needle-bits of other needle-bits, each having two or more
needles fixed therein, as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Tenth. In a knitting machine a series of three independently acting needle-bits,
constructed substantially as shewn in Figure 8 of the Drawing, and arranged to
work in the same groove, as and for the purpose specified.
Eleventh. A knitting cam consisting of a wheel or disc, substantially as above
set forth and for the purpose specified.
Twelfth. In a knitting machine a series of levers formed with rounded ends and
connected thereby with the needle-bits, or otherwise formed and arranged in
connection with the said needle-bits, as set forth and operated as and for the
purposes specified.
Thirteenth. In a knitting machine the levers constructed, substantially as above
set forth with reference to Figures 11, 12, and 13 of the Drawing, and operated as
and for the purposes specified.
Fourteenth. The herein described method of fashioning a plain stocking or
similar article.
Fifteenth. The herein described method of fashioning a sleeve or similar article.
Sixteenth. The herein described method of splicing the web of a sock or stocking
at and above the heel.
Seventeenth. The above described method of manufacturing a shirt body.
Eighteenth. A ribbed stocking fashioned in the manner above described with
the rib stiches exactly between or equidistant from the adjacent plain stitches
throughout the stocking.
Nineteenth. In the ribbing needle-bed of a knitting machine a series of movable

page_text: quills arranged and fitted adjustably therein, either with or without the rim q³ and
flange q³, substantially as above set forth and for the purposes specified.
Twentieth. The method of fashioning a ribbed stocking by narrowing the web
in the peculiar manner above set forth.
Twenty first. The outhrow cams of the ribbing attachment for a circular knitting
machine and the means for actuating the same, arranged and operating sub-
stantially as described with reference to Figures 16 and 17 of the Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Porteous Robertson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty fifth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
R. P. ROBERTSON. (L.S.)