Process and Mechanism for Mechanically Narrowing and Widening with the Lamb's Knitting Machine.
Year: 1899

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Process and Mechanism for Mechanically Narrowing and Widening
with the Lamb's Knitting Machine.
I, HEINRICH HERMANN DONNER, of Chemnitz, in the Kingdom of Saxony,
German Empire, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:
The present application relates to an improvement in the Lamb's knitting
machines and has for its object to provide a mechanism for mechanically narrow-
ing and widening for the purpose of knitting fully fashioned seamless feet in
socks stockings and the like articles.
"
In referring in the following description to narrowing and widening I mean
real" narrowing and
the operation carried out by points and which I call the
widening. The "real" narrowing consists in the taking up and transferring
inwards by means of the said points of the outer stitches of the knitted web in
desired sequence, one stitch after the other (see Figure 9). The widening on the
contrary is the reversion of the afore-mentioned process, viz. the taking up and
transferring outwards of the end-stitches (Figure 10). The so-called narrowing,
which is practised exclusively in conjunction with the so-called widening succeed-
ing the former immediately for the purpose of forming the bag-like elongation or
enlargements in tubular fabric (Figure 11) consists in diminishing by degrees and
during knitting process the number of working needles by throwing them out
of action. The needles thrown out of action in this manner keep their stitches
which subsequently are connected again with new ones during the widening
operation, which is done by setting into action the needles previously thrown idle
for the purpose of narrowing the fabric. This process of narrowing and widen-
ing does not fall within the meaning of this application. I do not claim it as
my invention, but mention it because I use it in connection with real narrowing
and in this respect I do claim it as my invention, this particular combination
being quite a new method in the manufacture of hosiery, on Lamb's automatic
knitting-machines.
My invention is fully illustrated in the annexed drawings, of which:
Figure 1 represents a cross-section of the machine in the direction of the
line aß seen in the direction of the arrow (Figure 3);
Figure 2 is a partial front view of the lefthand side of the machine.
Figure 3. is a partial plan-view of the machine after Figure 2, with one pair of
needle-beds.
Figures 4-7 show in cross-sections to line y 8 of Figure 3 different
positions of slides dd, of needles with their jacks b and points q in the different
phases of the narrowing and widening process;
Figure 6 shows in cross section position of needles thrown idle and holding
their stitches during process of so-called narrowing and widening; points qq
being drawn back, as are also the needle pushing bars b.
Figure 8 represents the cross-section of one needle-bed with the jack-operating
mechanism;

page_text: -
Figure 9 represents in a piece of fabric the real narrowing down to the last
needle a¹.
Figure 10 represents in a piece of fabric the real widening.
Figure 11 shows a piece of fabric with the so-called narrowing and widening
combined.
Hitherto when effecting the real narrowing (see for instance English Patent
No: 7224/1887) all the outer or end-needles, from which the stitches were taken
off, were pushed downwards and along the grooves of the needle-bed until the
projecting feet of the needles were out of reach of the needle-raising cam; that
is to say until the needles ceased to be in the course of the latter cam; this
manner of putting needles out of action, however, offers many inconveniences.
For instance causes the fabric to get soiled as soon as the needles are brought
up and into work again for widening purposes, as pushing them along in their
grooves brings them into contact with the oil and dirt generally accumulated
in those grooves; further it renders impossible the automatic narrowing down
to the last needle (Figure 9) and does not permit to bring it into combination
with the so-called narrowing and widening.
The manner of throwing out of action the needles during automatic narrowing
operation as provided by this invention is to push them into their needle-bed so
that they are moved rectangularly to their longitudinal direction until their
feet (Figure 8, a and a¹) are plunged just below the level of the face of the
needle-bed (¹) and cannot be caught by the needle-raising cam and therefore
remain inactive.
For this purpose I construct a needle-bed, in which every needle rests upon a
jack, a so-called platine b (Figure 8) which jack holds the lower portion of the
needle so as to be able to lift it and to lower it.
Each jack is provided with an inclined slot 6', through which passes a common
rod e, being fixed into the needle-bed.
Is one of the jacks moved to the left (Figure 8) it is forced downwards and in
the direction as indicated by slot b', thereby drawing with it into the needle-
bed its needle, as shown in dotted lines. Figure 6 shows both positions of needles
in both beds.
The mechanism by means of which jack b can be moved consists in a slide <
(Figure 8) arranged upon each bed dd (Figures 4-6) with noses or projec-
tions did which can be pushed sideways to the left or the right by means of
a rod f (Figure 8) or f f (Figures 1-3) and levers gg.
If a needle is to be thrown out of action, the slide d (Figure 6) descends into
that lower position as shown in full lines and its nose d engaging with jack b
pulls the latter from its position as shown in full lines, whereby said jack as
well as the needle are plunged into the bed. Thereupon slide d returns into its
first position without its nose de touching the jack just pulled down. Projec-
tion being sufficiently distant from to allow the former to pass over jack d
when plunged into the needle-bed.
Is on the contrary a needle to be brought into action again, then slide d,
Figure 6, rises in an inclined plane towards the right, projection d² engages with
platine band lifts it from the position shown in full lines into the position shown
in dotted lines, thereby raising the needle and bringing it into action. The
slide d must move across the whole breadth of the machine in order to throw out
of, or into, action in predetermined order one needle after the other. For this
reason slide d is fastened to a slide-block e, being attached to a traverse and
regulated in correspondence with points q of the narrowing mechanism.
As nearly every piece of fabric is narrowed. down on both sides, each needle-bed
is provided with two slides d d, Figure 3, on each side.
Motion, and regulation of the slides dd are derived from the cam-shaft p
(Figures 1 & 3). For this reason arms gg (Figures 1, 2 & 8) being fixed on
shaft ii, which latter is reciprocated by levers hh, pivoted and movably joined
at k; rod of lever m, connected with h, being actuated by cam n, bearing

page_text: upon roller m². Thus slide d receives its needle actuating motion from cam-
shaft p.
In addition to cam n shaft p carries also cam n, both cams provided
with keyways and fitted loosely upon fast keys o, are movably disposed upon said
shaft and connected one with the other by bar x (Figure 1). If by the aid of
bar, these cams are moved in such a way, that n is moved off m² and n brought
to bear upon m', then slide d is pushed upwards for the purpose of bringing the
needles into action again. The displacement sideways of the slide dd is effected
by cam (Figure 2), lever s¹ (Figures 1, 2 & 3) and pawl s, which latter turns
discs and the screw-spindler; this spindle being fixed in such a manner, that
it cannot-nove lengthways. By turning screw r nut is displaced, which nut by
means of tt (Figure 3) moves inwards for the purpose of narrowing points q q
and by the sliding blocks ee of slide d d. If widening is to be done, then
pawls must be removed by turning back and replaced by hook (Figure 1)
whereupon the latter pulls screw in an opposite direction by means of s
and s7 (Figure 2). This reversion of screw r causes points 99 and slide blocks ee
with slide d d to be pulled in an outward direction for the widening operation.
The process of narrowing itself viz. taking up and transferring of stitches
is well known (compare for instance English Patent No. 7224/1887) and does not
require special treatment.
Now it is evident that this manner of throwing needles into and out of action
can likewise be adopted for carrying out the so-called narrowing and widening
operation (Figure 11 and 6^). In performing them the end-needles on both sides
do not drop their stitches, but they are one after the other thrown idle and remain
in the upper or working edge of the web (Figure 6) and for this reason they
must not be pushed or drawn far along their guiding grooves of the needle-bed.
In this case, throwing the needle out of action by sinking or plunging its pro-
jecting foot into the needle-bed would be perfectly correct (a Figure 8). Out
of this possibility which in itself constitutes a great improvement emanates how-
ever a further advantage and perhaps the most marked of this new device for
throwing needles into and out of action for the purpose of effecting the so-called
narrowing and widening, as it enables the making of a seamless stocking by auto-
matic means on one and the same machine with fully fashioned heel (Figure 11)
and regularly narrowed toe (Figure 9), which hitherto was an impossibility to
make on Lamb's knitting machines with self-acting narrowing apparatus.
Besides this, this new invention further admits of the toe being narrowed down
to the last needle; is adaptable for the finest guages, which can be constructed
in this class of machinery, the needle-beds of which being composed of exchange-
able dividing plates or platines,, and finally it enables for the first time on a
Lamb's knitting machine the entirely automatic production of a fully fashioned
seamless stocking in an uninterrupted run of the machine.
Having now particularly. described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. A process for mechanically narrowing and widening knitted web on Lamb's
knitting machine, characterised in this, that the needle from which during narrow-
ing operation the stitches were taken up and transferred, are sunk or plunged
into the needle bed and that for the purpose of widening they are raised up in
the needle bed and brought into action, substantially as described.
2. For actuating the process of mechanically narrowing and widening, accord-
ing to Claim 1, a mechanism destined to throw out of, and bring into action,
needles in Lamb's knitting machines, consisting in two movable and adjustable
slides dd provided with two projections d', d², which latter operate the jacks
holding the needles in the manner that by moving upwards or downwards the
needles are plunged into the needle bed and consequently brought into action;
substantially and for the purpose as described.
3. The arrangement of the projections d¹ dappertaining to the mechanism

page_text: for throwing idle and bringing into action the needles, in such a manner that
between the two a certain distance remains large enough to allow the mechanism
to rise after throwing idle and plunging one of the needles without touching it
and bringing it back into action, substantially and for the purpose as described.
Dated this 28th day of January 1899.
GEO. H. RAYNER,
Agent for the Applicant.