Improvements in Knitting Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by MORITZ BOAS, of the City of St. Hyacinthe, in the-
Province of Quebec, Dominion of Canada, Manufacturer.]
Improvements in Knitting Machines.
I JOHN GUY WILSON of the British and Foreign Patent Office 55 Market Street
Manchester Mechanical Engineer and Patent Agent do hereby declare the nature of
my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is to design a simple device by which any number of
needles of a kuitting machine may be instantly thrown in or out of action without
being handled and which device consists essentially of two cam-grooves one designed.
to direct the needles to form the loops and the other to hold them so that they cannot
form the loops an adjustable guide or gate being placed between the grooves in such
a position and in such form that it may be instantly adjusted so as to direct the needles
into either one or other of the said grooves.
Figures 1. and 2. are skeleton views, shewing alternative forms of the device.
As the invention is devised merely to easily and quickly throw any number of the
needles in or out of action as desired, it is not necessary to illustrate the general
construction of a knitting machine more particularly as the invention is applicable to
any class of knitting machine in which the needles are operated by cams. I shall
therefore merely shew the cam groove by which the needles are caused to form the
loops in the knitting and in conjunction with the cam groove the gate or guide by
which the needles are held out of action or in such position as will prevent them.
forming the loops together with the gate or guide by which the needles are directed
into either one or other of the grooves. I have also chosen two alternative forms of
cam-grooves to illustrate the fact that I do not wish to confine myself to any special
form of cam-groove the form being merely a matter of taste with the manufacturer-
or designed to accommodate some particular class of machine.
In Figure 1. 1 shew the arrangement of cam-grooves with their adjusting gate or
guide designed to hold the needles above the point where they would if knitting
receive and retain the yarn while in Figure 2. I shew the arrangement of cam-
grooves with their adjusting gate or guide designed to hold the needles below that.
point when they are not required for use.
I have also shewn a double set of cam grooves so that the machine is reversible.
In the drawings like letters of reference indicate similar parts in both the figures.
but for the purpose of the specification I wish to draw attention first to Figure 1. In
this figure the needles are supposed to be travelling in the direction indicated by
single-headed arrow or as is sometimes the case the cam-ring A is moving so as to act.
upon the needles in the same manner as though they were travelling in the direction
of the said arrow. The needle B which is shewn in the cam-groove C comes in
contact with the downwardly projecting point a opposite to the slanting side of the
gate or guide D and by this gate is carried upwardly holding its point above the
thread guide G when the needle if knitting would engage with the yarn. When
the needle passes this point it enters the cam-groove E and is directed by this cam
back into its initial position ready to re-enter the cam-groove C when the revolution
is completed.
I do not care what shape the cam-groove E is made as the whole object to be
observed is to see that the needle is held clear of the yarn at the point where it
would engage with it if knitting. If the action of the machine is reversed so as to
cause the needles to travel in the direction indicated by double-headed arrow the
needle will travel from the cam-groove E to a point above the thread-guide G when
coming in contact with the point a will be directed against the point of the gate or

page_text: guide D when it engages with the yarn and thence travelling down the cam-groove F
causes the freshly engaged yarn to form the loop in the knitting. Both the gates or
guides D are pivoted or otherwise made adjustable so that either gate may be moved
to bring the point 6 of the gate D in position to guide the needles down the cam-
groove F and thus cause them to perform their function in the knitting. When it
is desired to throw any of the needles out of action the gate or guide D is adjusted
in the position it appears on the left hand side of Figure 1. which position closes
the cam-groove F and directs the needles into the cam-groove E thus holding the
needles out of action.
In Figure 2. I shew the cam-grooves and the gate or guide D arranged to direct
and hold the needles when it is not desired that they should be in action below the
point where they would if knitting engage with the yarn. In this position it will
he observed that the cam-groove E is a straight groove connecting the two
grooves F.
When the operating grooves are arranged as shewn in Fig. 2. the gate or guide D
is adjusted to present the needles ascending to a point where they can knit instead
of being carried and held above that point as they are when the grooves are arranged
as shewn in Fig. 1.
From this description it will be seen that it is merely necessary to move the gate
or guide D in order to throw any desired number of the needles into or out of action,
and it will also be observed that I do not limit myself to the position in which the
needles are held when out of action.
I also wish to state that I do not limit myself to the use of cam-grooves as cam
plates might be used to effect exactly the same purpose.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
In a knitting-machine the employment of two cam grooves or plates, one designed
to direct the needles to form the loops and the other to hold them so that they cannot
form the loops in combination with an adjustable gate or guide by which the needles
may be directed into either of the said grooves substantially as and for the purposes
herein before described.
Dated this 27th day of November 1889
JOHN G. WILSON,
Patent Office, 55, Market Street, Manchester.