IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes, of the Firm of Hughes
and Son, Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES."- A communication from
abroad by Samuel Larkin, of New Haven, Connecticut, United States.
of America.
Sealed the 15th May 1868, and dated the 18th November 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas Hughes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 18th November 1867.
I, EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent
Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES," a communication
to me from abroad by Samuel Larkin, of New Haven, Connecticut, United
States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in machines for knitting, the object
being to produce a family knitting machine.
To enable others skilled in the art to construct and use this improved
machine I will proceed to describe the same, as illustrated in the accom-
panying five Sheets of Drawings, in which Fig. 1 (Sheet 1) is a side view of
the machine; Fig. 2 (Sheet 2) a top view of the same; and Fig. 8 (Sheet 3)
an end view of the same; Fig. 2 (Sheet 2) and Fig 4 (Sheet 3) are detached
parts of switching apparatus; Fig. 5 (Sheet 4) is a longitudinal central

page_text: section of the machine; Figs. 5 to 17 inclusive (Sheets 3 and 4) are
detached views to illustrate the operation of the machine; Figs. 18 and 19.
(Sheet 5) top views, the chain wheels removed to illustrate the operation
of the switching apparatus.
Same letters indicate corresponding parts.
A is the bed upon which the operative parts of the machine are placed;
B, the driving shaft resting so as to revolve in bearings C, C, and is driven
by the application of power to the pulley D, see Fig. 3; a, a, are needles
formed as more clearly shewn in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 they are formed from steel,
so as to be locked one to another at c, c, (see Fig. 6) by means of hooks upon
one and corresponding eyes upon the next, as seen in Fig. 8; above the
upper point of connection the face of the needle is grooved as at d, Figs. 5
and 6, the needle terminating in a hook formed so as to be one side of the
centre of the needle, as seen in Figs. 5 and 6, for the purpose hereafter
described; the several needles thus hooked together (their number being
equal to the number of the stitches required for the article to be knitted) are
arranged so as to form an endless chain, as seen in Fig. 2, and are placed
upon two wheels E, F, see Fig 5, the said wheels toothed to receive and hold
the needles when placed around them, as seen in Fig. 2, the chain of needles
being moved intermittently by means of pawls G or G¹, see Figs. 18 and 19,
actuated by a cam H on the driving shaft, see Fig. 8, the one pawl G
operating upon a ratchet wheel I, see Fig. 18, the other pawl G¹ upon a
similar wheel I', see Fig. 19, both of the said ratchet wheels fixed to the
needle wheel E, the teeth of one being in the opposite direction to the teeth
of the other, see Figs. 18 and 19. The pawls G and G¹ are constructed so
that but one will act at the same time, therefore the direction in which the
needles are moved depends upon which of the two pawls are acting upon their
respective ratchet wheels. The two pawls are joined together as in one piece
and hung upon a pivot f on a plate K which moves freely in guides e, e³, and
extends back terminating in a bar L, which also moves in guides; the move-
ment of the slide K to operate the pawls is seen in Fig. 19. The cam H on
the shaft B which actuates the said pawls I make an eccentric revolving
upon the fork of a lever M, which said lever is hung upon a pivot m, extending
up is attached to a stud N on the bar L by a pivot n, so that when the
eccentric H revolves as from the position in black to that denoted in red it will
carry with it the lever M and the bar L thereto attached, as from the position
in black to that denoted in red continuing its movement will return and with
it the lever M and bar L to its position in black, and thus shewn the chain of
Deedles will be advanced a distance equal to the distance from centre to centre
of the needles, making the relative position of the needles always the same.

page_text: the direction in which the needles are moved depends upon which of the two
pawls are acting, as before stated.
would
To change the pawls from one wheel to the other so as to reverse the
movement I place a lever P, see Figs. 5, 18, and 19, hung to the bed of the
machine at p, and extending up terminating in a double inclined plane, R:
The body of the pawls extend back of the pivot terminating in a tail pièce ho,
which as the pawls return after having moved forward as from the position. in
red to that in black, the tail piece h will strike one of the inclines on the end-R
of the lever P, and thus the pawl G would be forced to act, turning the needles.
in the direction denoted by an arrow until the lever P should be moved to the
position denoted in Fig: 19, when returning as before the tail piece
strike the other incline of the end R, and force the pawl G away from its
wheel and the other pawl G¹ on to its wheel to turn the needles in the opposite
direction, as denoted by the arrow in Fig. 19: A flat steel spring i-attached.
to the slide K bears upon a point r between the said pawls, so as to carry the
pawl completely over from one position to the other and retains them in either
position in like manner as the same object is accomplished in numerous well-
known machines. The lever P is turned as denoted by broken lines in Figs..
18 and 19, and is operated by means of a latch S. which extends up through
the bed, as seen in Fig. 4; in the bed two notches & are formed into either of
which the latch S may be placed to hold the said lever in its proper position.
to direct the movement of the needles, as before described. The latch. Sis
pivoted to the lever P at t, so as to be readily moved out from one. notch to
turn the lever and lock into the next notch, as from the position in black to
that in red, seen in said Fig. 4. The arrangement for making this change
automatic will be more fully described hereafter. e is a hook fixed to a
shaft 6' which is hung to a bar A¹; the lower end of the said bar is attached
to a crank B¹ on the driving shaft B, and is guided by a pin C¹ so that the
movement of the upper end of the bar A¹ corresponds to the movement of the
crank which drives it. In addition to the reciprocating movement given ta,
the hook through the bar A' the shaft to which it is attached is turned. by
means of a cam a³, as more fully described hereafter. The upper end of the.
bar A¹ extends up and over the needles down upon their inside, supporting
and operating beater fingers or sinker a², the fingers being formed so as to
pass freely between the needles, as seen in Fig. 5, and are pivoted to the
bar A' at d, so as to allow the fingers to vibrate. A spindle, its lower end
conical, is placed within the bar A¹, as seen in Fig. 5, so that a spring (denoted.
n red) will bear the said spindle down upon the sinker or beater plate, the
conical end of the spindle resting in a seat formed for it in the said plate, so that

page_text: a slight vibration may be allowed to the beaters, and the spindle & serves to
bring them back to the same central position; through the said bar a thread
or yarn guide D¹ is placed. The yarn which is to be knitted is first passed
down through the thread guide D and looped around each of the needles, the
loop being made from the inside out, as denoted in blue, Fig. 6, when the
bar A¹ ascends carrying with it the hook e; the point of the hook e enters
the groove in the needle, as seen in Fig. 11, passing up catches the loop
denoted in red, carries the loop as denoted in Fig. 12, while the thread
guide D carries the thread under the hook of the needle, as denoted in blue,
also seen in Fig. 6%; the hook still ascending passes over the hook of the
needle carrying with it the loop, as denoted in Fig. 13, passing down
leaves the said loop around the new yarn back of the needle, the new yarn
forming a new loop around the needle, as seen in Fig. 14, in similar manner
as new stitches are formed by hand, descending again to the first position
denoted in Fig. 11, the sinker a¹ forces the loop thus formed down, as denoted
in said Fig. 11; when this is done the needles are moved, as before described,
so as to present a new needle with its loop for similar action by the hook 6.
The sinker or fingers which are between the needles at the time of their
movement will be moved with the needles, but as soon as the beater is raised
from the needles it will return to its central position, as before described. In
its ascent the hook passes up in a line with the needle. To enable the hook
to pass over the hooked end of the needle the hooks are formed upon one side
of the centre of the needle, as seen in Figs. 6 and 7. The hook e is turned
as required in its movement to catch the loop, carry it over the end of the
needle, and leave it by means of the cam a attached to and moving with the
said hook, and formed as denoted in red, Figs. 15, 16, and 17, which views
are taken upon the opposite side of the bar A¹ to that denoted in the other
Figures. The said cam is guided by a pin n¹ on an adjustable stand N¹, so
that as the needle arm rises the slot in the said cam will pass over the pin n',
as denoted in Fig. 16, and the further movement upward of the said bar will
turn the cam as from the position in Fig. 16 to that denoted in Fig. 17,
which movement turns the hook over the end of the needles, as before
described. The operation of the said cam may be adjusted by means of the
set screws and slots seen on the stand which supports the piu n¹, Figs. 15 and 16
By continuous operation the loops first formed around the needles are severally
carried over the end of the needles forming new loops with fresh yarn around
each needle, to be in like manner taken by the hook, and in their turn carried
over the end of their respective needles, and so continuing the knitted work
falling down as denoted in red, Fig. 14. As the work cannot pass down

page_text: through the machine a wire guide V is placed within the needles, as seen in
Figs. 1, 2, and 5, held in its position by supports Y', under which guide the
work is taken out as denoted in blue, Fig. 5.
The operation of this machine, as thus far described, has been the movement
of the needles in but one direction, being that denoted by arrows in Figs. 6
and 19. If it is desired for any purpose to change the direction of the move-
ment of the needles move the latch S from the position in Fig. 19 to that in
Fig. 18, as before described; this would change the direction of the needles
only it is also necessary that the yarn guide D¹ shall be changed, so as to lead
the yarn to the opposite side of the needle, as from the position in Fig. 6 t
that in Fig. 7. For this purpose the thread guide is fixed to a lever A'
hung to the bar A' at a'. By the movement of the said lever, as from the
position in black to that denoted in red, Fig. 3, the thread guide will be thus
carried over. To make this change simultaneous with the change of the
needle the lever L', see Fig. 5, 18, and 19, is pivoted to the slide R, so as
to move with the said slide, the inner end of the lever terminating in like
manner, and directly below the tail end of the pawls, so that by the
movement of the slide the said lever L' will be turned from the position in
Fig. 18 to that in Fig. 19, in like manner as described for the movement of
the pawls. The outer end of the lever L' is turned up as seen in Fig. 5, the
turned up end passing through a slot d on the lower end of the lever A', as
seen in Figs. 2 and ŏ, so that as the lever L' moves from one position to the
other, as described, it will turn the lever A³ to carry the said lever A from
the position in black to that denoted in red, Fig. 3, and the thread guide
denoted in Fig. 6 to that in Fig. 7, or vice versa.
If de-ired to knit a narrow strip, or but partially around, as for the heel of
the stocking, the movement of the needles should be changed at the time
when a sufficient number of stitches for the strip or heel have been knitted;
to make this change automatic I place stops T, denoted in blue, Fig. 2, and
shewn detached in Fig. 2, between the needles, and at the same time move
the latch S forward, as denoted in red, so that when either of the stops by
the movement of the needles are brought in contact with the said latch they
will move the latch so as to turn the lever to reverse the movement of the
needles, which reversed movement will continue until the other stop comes in
contact with the latch, when it will return the latch and again reverse the
movement of the needles, and thus will continue to knit that width until the
latch is moved back or the stop removed or changed, the width of the strip
depending upon the distance apart of the said stops. By placing the stops
nearer together at each time the strip is knit across the strip may be narrowed

page_text: down as desired. The wheel F is placed upon a slide F¹ which moves in
guides F; the said slide is split at its rear end, as seen in Fig. 2, and a
conical screw inserted therein, as seen in Fig. 5, so that by turning the said
screw the slide may be secured in any desired position. If less stitches are
wanted than the needles that are in the chain relieve the slide F' to 'allow
the wheel F to move forward, this will slacken the chain, so that one or more
of the needles may be removed from the chain to reduce the number of
stitches to be knitted, then hook the two ends of the thus reduced chain
together, draw the wheel F back to tighten the chain, and secure it as before
described; or if more stitches are required than there are needles on the
chain, open the chain and insert more needles. If in knitting, as for a stocking,
it is required to "narrow" remove one or more of the needles at every point
when it is desired to "narrow," placing the loop which is on the needle
removed on to the next needle; or to "widen," insert more needles in the
manner described, making new loops on the added needles in similar manner
as for "widening" or "narrowing" when knitting by hand.
Thus far I have described this machine as using a single thread of yarn,
and making but a single stitch at each operation. The machine which I have
represented is designed to carry two threads of yarn and knit two stitches at
reach operation; for this purpose two yarn guides D₁, D³, which carry each its
own independent thread of yarn, as seen in Figs. 6 and 7; a second hook e
also is required, which is placed on the same shaft as the hook 6, and the two
operate together in the same manner as before described for the single hook.
In Fig. 1 the second hook is represented as turned away, as it must be
when but a single thread is used, and returned to a position corresponding to
the hook when required for use. It is necessary that each of the needles
upon which the stitch is being formed should be rigidly held in their proper
position before the hooks. For this purpose I introduce a pressure spring S
denoted in blue, Figs. 2, 3, and 5, its upper end bearing against the needles
at that point where the stitches are formed with sufficient force to hold them
rigidly in the required position until the stitches are made, but so as to allow
of the fore movement of the needles from under its pressure and the in-
troduction of the next. More than two hooks may be used, but when so
used each hook should be supplied with an independent thread of yarn, and
for the purpose a special guide should be introduced for each hook, and the
pressure upon each needle to hold it in its position should be in like manner
as described for one or two. The two wheels E and F are covered by a thin
metal plate and r³, denoted by a heavy black line in Fig. 5, for the purpose
of protecting the work from entanglement in the machinery.

page_text: Having described this machine for plain knitting only it now remains for
me to describe its operation for "seaming" or "ribbing." When it is required
to rib the work an odd number of needles must be used, and double the move-
ment given to the needles, so that the loops will be taken from alternate
needles the first time around, and the second time around the loops will be
taken from those needles which were skipped the first time around, and so on
each time around, taking the loop from the needle which was skipped the last
time around. To double the movement of the needles thus required it is
only necessary to move the pivot n so as to connect at the top of the stud N,
as seen in Fig. 10, instead of at the position denoted in Fig. 9, which doubling
the distance from the fulcrum of the lever M doubles the movement of the
pawls G and G, and consequently the movements of the needles.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 15th May 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents, 123,
Chancery Lane, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Edward Thomas Hughes, Her special licence that I, the said Edward
Thomas Hughes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my executors, administrators, 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 KNITTING MACHINES," a communication to
me from abroad by Samuel Larkin, of New Haven, Connecticut, United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Edward Thomas Hughes, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particu-
larly 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

page_text: Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, 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, reference being bad to the accompanying three
Sheets of Drawings, and to the letters of reference thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to improvements in machines for knitting, the object
being to produce a family knitting machine.
To enable others skilled in the art to construct and use this improved machine
I will proceed to describe the same as illustrated in the accompanying three
Sheets of Drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side view of the machine; Fig. 2, a top
view of the same; Fig. 3, an end view of the same; Figs. 2 and 4 detached
parts of the switching apparatus; Fig. 5, a longitudinal central section of the
machine; Figs. 5 to 17 inclusive, detached views to illustrate the operation
of the machine; and Figs. 18 and 19, top views of the machine, the chain
wheels being removed to illustrate the operation of the switching apparatus.
A is the bed upon which the operative parts of the machine are placed;
B, the driving shaft resting so as to revolve in bearings C, C, and is driven by
the application of power to the pulley D, see Fig. 3. a, a, are needles
formed as more clearly shewn in Figs. 5, 6, and 7. They are formed from
steel, and so as to be locked one to another at c, c, (see Fig. 6) by means of
hooks upon one and corresponding eyes upon the next, as seen in Fig. 8.
Above. the upper point of connection the face of the needle is grooved, as at d.
Fig. 5 and 6, the needle terminating in a hook so as to be one side of the
centre of the needle, as seen in Figs. 5 and 6, for the purpose hereafter
described. The several needles thus hooked together (their number being
equal to the number of the stitches required for the article to be knitted) are
arranged so as to form an endless chain, as seen in Fig. 2, and are placed
upon two wheels E, F, see Fig. 5, the said wheels toothed to receive and hold
the needles when placed around them, as seen in Fig. 2, the chain of needles
being moved intermittently by means of pawls G or G³, see Figs. 18 and 19,
actuated by a cam H on the driving shaft, see Fig 3, the one paul G operating
upon a ratchet wheel I, see Fig. 18, the other pawl G¹ upon a similar
wheel I', see Fig. 19, both of the said ratchet wheels fixed to the needle
wheel E, the teeth of one being in the opposite direction to the teeth of the
other, see Figs. 18 and 19. The pawls G and G are constructed so that but
one will act at the same time, therefore the direction in which the needles are
moved depends upon which of the two pawls are acting upon their respective

page_text: ratchet wheels. The two pawls are joined together as in one piece, and hung
upon a pivot f on a plate K which moves freely in guides e¹, e¹, and extends
back terminating in a bar L which also moves in guides; the movement of
the slide K to operate the pawls is seen in Fig. 19. The cam H on the
shaft B which actuates the said pawls I make an eccentric revolving upon the
fork of a lever M (see Figs. 9 and 10), said lever is hung upon a pivot m
extending up is attached to a stud N on the bar L by a pivot n, so that when
the eccentric H revolves, as from the position in black to that denoted in red,
it will carry with it the lever M and the bar L thereto attached, as from the
position in black to that denoted in red, continuing its movement will return
and with it the lever M and bar L to its position in black, and thus shewn the
chain of needles will be advanced a distance equal to the distance from centre
to centre of the needles making the relative position of the needles always the
same; the direction in which the needles are moved depends upon which of
the two pawls are acting as before stated.
To change the pawls from one wheel to the other so as to reverse the move-
ment I place a lever P, see Figs. 5, 18, and 19, hung to the bed of the machine
at p and extending up terminating in a double inclined plane R. The body of
the pawls extends back of the pivot terminating in a tail piece h, which as the
pawls return after having moved forward, as from the position in red to that in
black, the tail piece h will strike one of the inclines on the end R of the lever P,
and thus the pawl G would be forced to act turning the needles in the direction
denoted by an arrow until the lever P should be moved to the position denoted
in Fig. 19, when returning as before the tail piece h would strike the other
incline of the end R and force the pawl G away from its wheel, and the other
pawl G on to its wheel to turn the needles in the opposite direction, as denoted
by the arrow in Fig. 19. A flat steel spring i attached to the slide K bears
upon a point r between the said pawls, so as to carry the pawl completely
over from one position to the other and retain them in either position in like
manner as the same object is accomplished in numerous well-known machines.
The lever P is turned as denoted by dotted lines in Figs. 18 and 19, and is
operated by means of a latch S which extends up through the bed, as seen
in Fig. 4; in the bed two notches a are formed, into either of which the
latch S may be placed to hold the said lever in its proper position to direct
the movement of the needles, as before described. The latch S is pivotted to
the lever P at t so as to be readily moved out from one notch to turn the
lever and lock into the next notch, as from the position in black to that in
red, seen in said Fig. 4. The arrangement for making this change automatic
will be more fully described hereafter. e is a hook fixed to a shaft b' which

page_text: is hung to a bar A'; the lower end of the said bar is attached to a crank B₁
on the driving shaft; B is guided by a pin C', so that the movement of the
upper end of the bar A¹ corresponds to the movement of the crank which
drives it. In addition to the reciprocating movement given to the hook
through the bar A¹, the shaft to which it is attached is turned by means of a
cam a, as more fully described hereafter. The upper end of the bar A¹
extends up and over the needles down upon their inside supporting and
operating beater fingers or sinkers a', the fingers being formed so as to pass
freely between the needles, as seen in Fig. 5, and are pivotted to the bar A¹
at d' so as to allow the fingers to vibrate. A spindle e, its lower end conical, is
placed within the bar A', as seen in Fig. 5, so that a spring (denoted in red)
may bear the said spindle down upon the sinker or beater plate, the conical
end of the spindle resting in a seat formed for it in the said plate, so that a
slight vibration may be allowed to the beaters, and the spindle serves to bring
them back to the same central position. Through the said bar a thread or
yarn guide D¹ is placed; the thread which is to be knitted is first passed down
through the thread guide D¹ and looped around each of the needles, the loop
being made from the inside out, as denoted in blue, Fig. 6, when the bar A
ascends carrying with it the hook e; the point of the hook e enters the groove
in the needle, as seen in Fig. 11, passing up catches; the loop denoted in red
carries the loop as denoted in Fig. 12, while the thread guide D' carries the
thread under the hook of the needle, as denoted in blue also seen in Fig. 6; the
hook still ascending passes over the hook of the needle, carrying with it the loop,
as denoted in Fig. 18, passing down leaves the said loop around the new yarn
back of the needle, the new yarn forming a new loop around the needle, as
seen in Fig. 14, in similar manner as new stitches are formed by hand,
descending again to the first position denoted in Fig. 11; the sinker a¹ forces
the loop thus formed down, as denoted in said Fig. 11; when this is done the
needles are moved, as before described, so as to present a new needle with its
loop for similar action by the hook e, the sinker or fingers which are between the
needles at the time of their movement will be moved with the needles, but as
soon as the beater is raised from the needles it will return to its central posi-
tion, as before described. In its ascent the hook passes up in a line with the
needle. To enable the hook to pass over the hooked end of the needle the
hooks are formed upon side of the centre of the needle, as seen in Figs. 6
and 7. The hook e is turned as required in its movement to catch the look,
it over the end of the needle, and leave it by means of the cam a²
attached to and moving with the said hook, and formed as denoted in red,
Figs. 15, 16, and 17, which views are taken upon the opposite side of the
carry

page_text: bar A¹ to that denoted in the other Figures. The said cam is guided by a
pin n' on an adjustable stand N₁ so that as the needle arm rises the slot in
the said cam will pass over the pin n', as denoted in Fig. 16, and the further
movement upward of the said bar will turn the cam, as from the position in
Fig. 16 to that denoted in Fig. 17, which movement turns the hook over the
end of the needles, as before described. The operation of the said cam may
be adjusted by means of the set screws and slots seen on the stand which sup-
ports the pin n', Figs. 15 and 16. By continuous operation the loops first formed
around the needles are severally carried over the end of the needles, forming
new loops with fresh yarn around each needle to be in like manner taken by
the hook, and in their turn carried over the end of their respective needles,
and so continuing the knitted work falling down, as denoted in red, Fig. 14,
as the work cannot pass down through the machine; a wire guide Y is placed
within the needles, as seen in Figs. 1, 2, and 5, held in its position by
supports Y, under which guide the work is taken out, as denoted in blue,
Fig. 5.
The operation of this machine, as thus far described, has been the move-
ment of the needles in but one direction, being that denoted by arrows in
Figs. 6 and 19. If it is desired for any purpose to change the direction of
the movement of the needles move the latch S from the position in Fig. 19
to that in Fig. 18, as before described; this would change the direction of
the needles only. It is also necessary that the yarn guide D' shall be changed
so as to lead the yarn to the opposite side of the needle, as from the position
in Fig. 6 to that in Fig. 7. For this purpose the thread guide is fixed to a
lever A hung to the bar A¹ at a*; by the movement of the said lever as from
the position in black to that denoted in red, Fig. 8, the thread guide will be
thus carried over. To make this change simultaneous with the change of
the needles the lever L, see Figs. 5, 18, and 19, is pivotted to the slide K
at g¹ so as to move with the said slide, the inner end of the lever terminating
0 in like manner and directly below the tail end of the pawls, so that by the
movement of the slide the said lever L' will be turned from the position in
Fig. 18 to that in Fig. 19 in like manner, as described for the movement of
the pawls. The outer end of the lever L' is turned up, as seen in Fig. 5, the
turned up end passing through a slot d' on the lower end of the lever A³, as
5 seen in Figs. 2 and 5, so that as the lever L¹ moves from one position to the
other, as described, it will turn the lever A² to carry the said lever A² from
the position in black to that denoted in red, Fig. 3 and the thread guide
denoted in Fig. 6 to that in Fig. 7, or vice versa. If desired to knit a narrow
strip, or but partially around as for the heel of the stocking, the movement

page_text: of the needles should be changed at the time when a sufficient number of
stitches for the strip or heel have been knitted; to make this change
automatic I place stops T, denoted in blue, Fig. 2, and shewn detached in
Fig. 2, between the needles, and at the same time move the latch S forward,
as denoted in red, Fig. 4, so that when either of the stops by the movement
of the needles are brought in contact with the said latch they will move the
latch so as turn the lever to reverse the movement of the needles, which
reversed movement will continue until the other stop comes in contact with
the latch, when it will return the latch and again reverse the movement of
the needles, and thus will continue to knit that width until the latch is moved
back or the stops removed or changed, the width of the strip depending upon
the distance apart of the said stops. By placing the stops nearer together at
each time the strip is knit across, the strip may be narrowed down as
desired. The wheel F is placed upon a slide F¹, which moves in guides F³,
and a conical screw inserted therein, as seen in Fig. 5, so that by turning the
said screw the slide may be secured in any desired position. If less stitches
are wanted than the needles that are in the chain, relieve the slide F¹ to allow
the wheel F to move forward; this will slacken the chain so that one or more
of the needles may be removed from the chain to reduce the number of
stitches to be knitted; then hook the two ends of the thus reduced chain
together, draw the wheel F back to tighten the chain, and secure it as before
described; if more stitches are required than there are needles on the chain
open the chain and insert more needles. If in knitting, as for a stocking, it
is required to "narrow," remove one or more of the needles at every point
when it is desired to "narrow" placing the loop which is on the needle
removed on to the next needle, or to "widen," insert more needles in the
manner described, making new loops on the added needles in similar manner
as for "widening" or "narrowing" when knitting by hand.
Thus far I have described this machine as using a single thread of yarn
and making but a single stitch at each operation. The machine which I
have represented is designed to carry two threads of yarn and knit two
stitches at each operation; for this purpose two yarn guides D¹, D³, which
carry each its own independent thread of yarn, as seen in Figs. 6 and 7; a
second hook also is required, which is placed on the same shaft as the
hook e, and the two operate together in the same manner as before described
for the single hook. In Fig. 1 the second hook e is represented as turned
away as it must be when but a single thread is used, and returned to a position
corresponding to the hook e when required for use.
It is necessary that each of the needles upon which the stitch is being

page_text: formed should be rigidly held in their proper position before the hooks; for
this purpose I introduce a pressure spring S, denoted in blue, Figs. 2, 3,
and 5, its upper end bearing against the needles at that point where the
stitches are formed with sufficient force to hold them rigidly in the required
position until the stitches are made, but so as to allow of the free movement
of the needles from under its pressure and the introduction of the next.
More than two hooks may be used, but when so used each hook should be
supplied with an independent thread of yarn, and for the purpose a special
guide should be introduced for each hook, and the pressure upon each needle
to hold it in its position should be in like manner as described for one or two.
The two wheels E and F are covered by a thin metal plate and, denoted
by a heavy black line in Fig. 5, for the purpose of protecting the work from
entaglement in the machinery.
Having described this machine as for plain knitting only it now remains
for me to describe its operation for "seaming" or "ribbing." When it is
required to rib the work an odd number of needles must be used and double
the movement given to the needles, so that the loops will be taken from
alternate needles the first time around, and the second time around the loops
will be taken from those needles which were skipped the first time around,
and so on each time around, taking the loop from the needle which was
skipped the last time around. To double the movement of the needles thus
required it is only necessary to move the pivot n so as to connect at the top
of the stud N, as seen in Fig. 10, instead of at the position denoted in
Fig. 9, which doubling the distance from the fulcrum of the lever M, doubles
the movement of the pawls G and G¹, and consequently the movements of
the needles.
Having thus fully described this Invention, what I claim as new, and desire
to secure by Letters Patent is,-
First. A chain of needles when the same are constructed so as to be hooked
together, substantially in the manner and for the purpose specified.
Second. Constructing the needles with their hooked ends upon one side of
their centres, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Third. One or more hooks in combination with the chain of needles con-
structed and arranged to operate substantially in the manner and for the
purpose herein set forth.
Fourth. The combination of one or more hooks e with a vibrating sinker a¹
constructed and arranged to operate together substantially in the manner and
for the purpose specified.

page_text: Fifth. The adjustable stand N¹ arranged in combination with and con-
structed so as to adjust the movement of the cam a
Sixth. The working bar A¹ constructed and arranged so as to operate the
hook e, the guide D, and sinker a,, substantially in the manner and for the
purpose described.
Seventh. The combination of the two pawls G and G¹ with the switching
lever P, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth..
Eighth. One or more yarn guides D¹ in combination with one or more
hooks and a chain of needles, substantially in the manner and for the
purpose set forth.
Ninth. The combination of levers A' and L' with the switching lever P;.
substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.
Tenth. The combination of the latch S and the switching lever P; sub-
stantially as and for the purpose specified.
Eleventh. The combination of one or more stops T with the chain and
needles when arranged to operate the switching lever P, substantially as and
for the purpose set forth.
Twelfth. The pressure spring S in combination with a chain of needles,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Thirteenth. The protecting plates and covering the wheels E and F, in:
the manner and for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
E. T. HUGHES. (..)