Improvements in Knitting Machines.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Oct., 1894-Accepted, 5'h Jan., 1895
Improvements in Knitting Machines.
We, Tas "BOAS-KING KNITTING MACHINE COMPANY, LIMITED, of
Tanfield Chambers, Bradford in the County of York, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention (which has been communicated to us from abroad by James A.
House, Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States of America) and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention has for its object to simplify and improve the knitting machine
shown and described in Patent No. 13994 of 1892.
The machine described in said Patent contains a conical needle bed provided at
its upper end with a series of pivoted sinkers, the needles being moved in the
grooves of the said bed by a cam ring adapted to be rotated for circular knitting
and to be reciprocated for narrowing and complemental widening as when kuitting
heels and toes, said cam ring containing crossing grooves, one being designated as
the knitting, and the other as the non-knitting and topping groove, said cam ring
or plate having at the junction of the crossing grooves needle selecting devices
whereby any desired needle of the entire series of needles may be employed as the
first needle of a narrowing or widening course, and any desired needles may be
made to knit in the course and be then returned into the non-knitting groove before
knitting a second narrowing or widening course.
It will be understood in the machine herein to be described that in knitting,
each needle, whether circular or flat work is being done, is taken from the topping
or non-knitting groove, into the knitting groove and, having made a stitch, is put
back again into the non-knitting groove before making another stitch, the two
grooves having a common crossing point between the usual drawing-down cams,
and at this crossing point is located the needle selecting devices composed
essentially of a somewhat triangular or beart-shaped directing cam and two points,
each directed toward the other and located at opposite sides of the point of the
directing cam, said selecting devices having relative movements one with the other,
such as at times to open and close the passages leading from the non-knitting to
the knitting groove.
In this instance of my invention I have chosen to show the directing cam as
pivoted and as movable only by the action of the butts of the needles against it,
and the points as being moved positively from devices outside the cam ring; but
this invention is not limited to imparting movement positively to a particular one of
said devices, as it will be obvious that either the points having the designating
term guiding gates in the said Patent, or the directing cam might be moved
positively and effect the opening and closing of the passage-ways leading from the
knitting to the non-knitting groove, and vice versa.
In accordance with my invention I have devised novel means for effecting this
relative change of position of the points and the directing cam to open and close
the passages leading from one to the other groove, according to whether it is
desired to knit, with the cam ring or plate moving in one or the other direction.
In the Patent referred to, the cum ring was provided with a series of 'beveled
teeth to be engaged by a bevel toothed wheel, to thus impart movements to the
cam ring, but herein I have simplified' that construction by providing the lower end
of the cam ring with a flange which is secured to a toothed ring adapted to slide

page_text: about the neck of the conical needle bed, such construction greatly simplifying, and
reducing the expense of the machine.
The devices for effecting the relative change; of position of the needle selecting
devices, derive their movement from a lever device mounted upon the cam ring, and
this lever device must be moved at times in one and the other direction, and this
device must be moved sooner or later in the movement of the cam ring according
to the number of needles to knit at a given course, the mechanism employed for
effecting this purpose being designated broadly under the term shogging
mechanism."
The shogging mechanism represented in the Patent referred to consisted
essentially of two rings encircling-loosely and carried by the cam ring, said ring
having pins which were adapted to be moved by or through stop rings mounted
upon a part of the bed plate, said stop rings being moved in opposite directions by
means of toothed gears adapted to be rotated in one or the other direction as
desired, the pins being thus made to approach each other or to separate one from
the other, according to the length of the course being knitted, so as to rotate a
cam device carried upon the cam ring.
Instead of the four rings referred to, I, in this instance of my invention, employ
two rings provided with cams to co-operate with a lever having toes and mounted
upon the cam ring.
I have also improved the construction of the framework, especially that at the
top of the supporting legs, whereby compactness and strength is ensured.
In the Patent referred to the hollow spindle on which are pivoted the thread
carrying arms, is rotated by a large gear mounted on a shalt having a pinion
engaged by a sliding rack having connected to it a shifting bar located between
two cam hubs or plates, and the shears are closed by a sliding wedge.
Herein I have provided novel devices for rotating the said hollow shaft and for
operating the shears, and have supported one of the thread feeding rolls in a
yielding bearing.
"I have also devised novel means for actuating the rack bars of the shogging
mechanism, and have provided means whereby the change of motion is effected at
desired intervals by or through a pattern surface.
Fig. 1 is a left-hand side elevation of a knitting machine containing my improve-
ments, the frame-work being partially broken out, the needle bed being omitted,
and the thread-feeding mechanism being also omitted;
Fig. 14, a detail to be described;
Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1 ;
Fig. 3 is a right-hand side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1, the circular
curb and parts to contain the needle-bed being broken out;
Fig. 4 is a top or plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 1, with the needle-bed
and cam-ring in place, together with the thread guide for presenting thread to the
needles, said figure being somewhat enlarged from the scale represented in
Figs. 1 to 3;
Fig. 5 is a sectional detail through part of the machine shown in Fig. 4, in the
line of that fig., the portions of the machine outside of the curb to be described,
being omitted;
Figs. 6 and 7 are details to be referred to, of parts, carried by the main shaft
and instrumental in changing from rotary to reciprocal knitting, and vice versa;
Fig. 8 is a top view of the bed plate of the machine and the parts attached thereto
below its top, said fig, showing the spider for receiving the neck of the needle-bed;
Fig. 9. is a detail to be referred to, it showing one of the guides for the curb in
its vertical movements, and the race-way instrumental in changing the tension or
length of loops to be knitted;
Fig. 10 is a section in the line, Fig. 9;
Fig. 11 is a detail showing part of the cam-ring with its attached thread-guide;
Fig. 12 is a detail showing part of the cam-ring opposite the thread-guide;;
Fi 104 cliams an

page_text: Fig. 13, a detail showing the interior of the cam-ring at the point where the
knitting and non-knitting grooves cross, with part of the ring containing the gates
used to direct the needles from the knitting to the non-knitting grooves, and vice
versa, for narrowing and widening and for circular work; as provided for in the
Patent No. 13994 of 1892.
Fig. 134, a detail of the slide for moving the points of the selecting device.;
Fig. 14, n detail showing the lever for moving the points';
Fig. 144, a detail of part of the sinker actuating cam-ring to show its adjustable
shoes;
Fig. 15. is a detail showing part of the devices instrumental in raising the
curb;
.
Fig. 154 shows one of the strikers co-operating with the lug on the sinker
actuating ring;
Fig. 16 is a detail showing the lever device and cam instrumental in moving the
lifting circle;
Fig. 17 is another view of the parts shown in Fig. 16; .
Fig. 18 is a detail showing the spline 227;
'
Fig. 19, an enlarged right-hand side elevation of the thread-presenting mechanism
omitted from Fig. 3;
Fig. 20, an underside view of the thread-presenting mechanism shown in
Fig. 19;
Fig. 21, a rear end view of the thread-presenting mechanism shown in Fig. 19;
Fig. 22, a partial top view of the parts shown in Fig. 19;
Fig. 23, an enlarged detail showing the thread-holding.rolls;
Fig. 21, shows a modified form of plate to be used instead of plate c*;
Fig. 25, on an enlarged scale, shows the gearing of the shogging mechanism;
Fig. 26, a viow of the parts shown in Fig. 25 looking from the left;
Fig. 27, a section in the line Fig. 26, the two shafts 168 and 171 being shown.
in elevation;
Fig, 28, a top or plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 27, some of the gears and
the hollow shaft 164 being shown in section.
The legs or standards A, the power shaft.g" driven in any suitable manner from
a proper counter-shaft and having a set of fast and loose pulleys controlled by a
belt shipper g, the gear h fast on said power shaft and engaging a larger toothed
gear fast on the main shaft e' of the machine, the snail wheel e adapted to
engage the teeth of a genre on the monitor shaft d", provided with a monitor
wheel adapted to receive and carry a series of pattern. chain, 61, represented as a
broad chain having several rows of indications suitable to act upon the figures
arranged about it, as will be hereinafter described, said chain being but partially
shown, the lever f controlled by said pattern chain, and moving the shipper lever,
the notched disk h, also fast on said shaft.e and having alongside of it a gear h
loose on said shaft, the sliding plate or carriage connected to said wheel and
sliding therein transversely with relation to the shaft and having a roller 22
which in practice is normally pressed outwardly through a notch in the flange 23**
of said wheel by suitable springs A, said sliding plate having a coupling pin 21, the
shoe e, the vibrator / loose on the shaft e and having a notch 23 adapted to be
entered by the pin 21, said vibrator having a suitable locking dog h, the shaft "
having fast on it a gear ho and also having fast upon it the gear B³ having beveled
teeth and adapted to impart rotary motion to the cam ring, the conical needle
bed A having a shank A and provided with projections A to guide a sinker
actuating cam ring A', the series of sinkers A nade as levers and supported upon
a suitable wire or equivalent device sustained in the upper end of the conical bed,
each of said sinkers being adapted to move in a slot cut in the top of the bed.
between the usual needle grooves, the race-way 3 having a projection 64 suitably
joined by a block to a pattern finger, see Fig. 1, and adapted in its rotation
by or through the control of a pattern chain to rise and fall, the -tension lever e
pivoted upon the cam ring and having at one end a screw or equivalent device to

page_text: ride upon the said race-way, and at its inner end engaging a pin on and moving the
knitting cam, to thereby cause it to move the needles to make a longer or shorter
stitch for a slack course or for giving greater or less fulness to the knitting in the
production of circular work, are and may be all substantially as provided for in the
said Patent, wherein like letters are used to designate the parts herein before
specifically referred to by letter.
In this instance of my invention, the vibrator h derives its movement from the
link connected to an arm of a rock-shaft k having jointed to it a connecting
rod fitted at one end over a crank pin on a crank * fast on the continuously
rotated shaft, and when the coupling pin 21 is in engagement with the vibrator h
then the vibrator. oscillates the gear h³, and it, in engagement with pinion ho,
rotates the shaft in one and then in the other direction for reciprocal. knitting
or for knitting a flat web, as when narrowing and widening, but when the pin 21
of the plate, enters the notch 16 of the continuously rotating plate h³, then
the gear will be rotated continuously for roundabout or circular koitting.
When knitting is to be changed from reciprocal to circular, the shoe e connected
to arm 232 of rock-shaft 233 is turned to throw said shoe aside out of the path of
movement of the roll 22, letting the springs act to pull the pin 21 from the
Hotch 23 in the vibrator and cause it to enter notch 16 in the plate h³, said notch
at that time being opposite the notch 23.
The shaft 233 is turned for the purpose stated, by or through lever 235, then
acted upon by spring 238.
The lever 235 has at its end next the pattern surface a pin, see Fig. 2, which
rests against the pattern finger ", shown in Fig. 1, the lever 235 being moved in a
direction against the spring whenever a projection of the pattern chain 61 meets the
finger 6, such movement of the lever 235 causing the shoe e", to be thrown into
position to meet the roll 22 and cause the pin 21 to leave the notch, 16, and after
the pin leaves said notch, it travels over the surface of the locking dog h; which is
normally held up towards the plate h² by a spring, and, passing said locking device,
the latter rises under the action of its spring and closes the notch 23, so that the.
pin 21 during the oscillations of the vibrator. 6 is held firmly at each. side.
The devices for moving shoe e" will be hereinafter described.
I bave briefly referred to a means used to rotate continuously or in one and then
in the opposite direction the shaft h, but this invention is not limited to the
employment of the means shown for imparting the motions described to the
shaft, and instead I may use any other usual or suitable devices commonly
found in knitting machines of the circular class adapted to automatically narrow
and widen for the production of heels and toes.
The table top A* mounted on the legs A has a flange 100 inside of which is
fitted the race-way before described, it having a series of studs 61 which enter
inclined grooves of cam stand 610 secured to the top plate or a part thereof, by
suitable screws 101, shown in Figs. 4 and 9.
This race-way will, in this present invention, be moved as and for the exact
Jurpose fully set forth in said Patent.
The table top attached to the legs by suitable bolts 105, as shown best in Figs. 8
to 10 and in Fig. 3, has a spider composed of depending arms 102, radial arms 103,
and a ring 104, said spider for cheapness of construction, durability, and stiffness
Being cast as an integral part of the table top, but this invention is not limited to
making the spider and the top in one piece.
The spider is shown as having attached to it by screws 106 suitable bearing
trusses 107 to support parts to be described..
The depending arms 102 have attached to them steel guide plates 108 having
slots 109 which are entered by projections 110, see Fig. 5, on a circular curb 112,
containing the shogging or racking 'bars 6 and 6, toothed at their indersides and
corresponding substantially with the shogging bars represented by like letters in
Eaid Patent.
|-
In the said Patent the shogging bars had only agmotion in a circular path; but

page_text: herein the shogging bars are carried within the curb 112, and the latter has
imparted to it at suitable times a vertical movement, that is, it occupies the position
shown by full lines in Figs. 3 and 5, when circular knitting is to be done, at which
time the selecting devices carried by the cam ring remain in the same position, but
when the narrowing and widening is to be done and when only a part of the needles
are to be used for each course of knitting, then the curb is lifted quickly into the
dotted line position, thus enabling the cam projectious 113, 114, 115, and 116 on
the shogging bars to be put into the range of movement of the toes 117 and 118,
connected to a lever 119 mounting on a stud connected to the cam-ring or
plate B, the upper end. of said lever having a compound cam sluts,, which
receives in it a stud attached to a slide fitted into a guiding groove & cut
transversely in the inner side of the cam ring, see Fig. 13, said slide having, see
Fig. 13, notches, which receive projections 87, see Fig. 124, from the rear
sides of the points a, a, said slide when moved effecting the movements of said
points.
As herein provided for, when the studs is in the upper parts of the said cam
slot, the points a', a³, will stand as represented in Fig. 13 with relation to the
directing cam al, and will cause the butts of the needles to be moved from the
non-knitting into the knitting groove, but the directing cam may touch either
the point a or a, according to the direction of movement of the cam-ring.
When all-round or circular work is being knitted, the directing cam will stand
next the point a', but when reciprocal knitting is being done, the said directing
cam will rest in one direction of movement of the cam-ring against one and then
against the other of said points.
When the stud stands in the lower parts of the compound can, then the
points a and a occupy their farthest position from the directing cam, and all the
needles are put from the knitting groove into the non-knitting groove.
The shogging bar 6, the inner one, is engaged and moved by a pinion 161, and
the shogging bar by a pinion 162.
The pinion 161-is fast on a shaft 163, while the pinion 162 is fast on a sleeve 164
surrounding the shaft 163. "
The shaft 163 has a worm toothed wheel 165 fixed to it, while the sleeve 164
has fixed to it a worm toothed wheel 166, the worm toothed wheel 165 being
engaged and rotated by a worm 167 loosely splined on a shaft 168, see Fig. 27,
having an attached' bevel gear 169, the worm toothed wheel 166 being rotated by a
worm 170 loosely splined on a shalt 171 having an attached bevel gear 172.
The bevel gear 169 is engaged by two wheels 173 and 174, either of which may
be the driver for the shaft 168 according to the requirements of the pattern
surface, for it will be understood that the gears 161 and 162 must be moved when
narrowing is being done in one direction intermittingly, and when widening is
being done must be rotated in the opposite direction intermittingly.
The bevel gear 172 on the shaft 171 is engaged in like manner by two gears. 175
and 176, either of which may be the driver for the shaft 171.
The vertically movable curb 112 has bolted to it a stand 112x, said stand
having the bearings for the shafts 168 and 171, and also supporting between
its upper and lower members the worms 167 and 170, such construction enabling
the curb to be moved up and down with relation to the shafts 168 and 171, and yet
always maintain the engagement of the toothed gears 161 and 162 with the rack
bars 6 and 6º.
.
The shaft, see Fig. 25, which when circular knitting is being done is rotated.
continuously in one direction, and which when reciprocal knitting is being done is
rotated in one and then in an opposite direction, has fast on it two pawl-carrying
arms 302 and 303, each provided with two spring-controlled pawls, the said
pawls being adapted to co-operate respectively each with its own ratchet
wheel 308, 309, 310, 312, the ratchet wheel 308 being fast to a hollow hub of the
gear 174, and the ratchet wheel 312, fast to the hub of the gear 175, said gears 174
and 175 being mounted loosely on like hubs 313 of a casting 314 surrounding the

page_text: shaft loosely, which latter is suitably supported in bearings of its own on the
frame of the machine, said castings also having bearings for the shafts 168 and 171.
The ratchet wheels 309 and 310 are secured respectively to the bevel gear
wheels 173 and 176, as shown, by like screws 313* and 314*, said gears being loosely
mounted on the hubs of the gears 174 and 175.
The entire set of gears 173, etc., are enclosed in a circular casing 315, preferably
made of sheet metal and having near each end a suitable slot, as 316, see Fig. 27,
of a width sufficient to let one of the two pawls of the two sets of pawls enter
therein and engage the ratchet wheel which it is designed to actute, and by moving
this casing longitudinally the said openings may be put in the range of movement
of either of said pawls, so that they in their stroke may engage either of the sets of
ratchet wheels to rotate the shafts 168 or 171 intermittingly in one and then in
the other direction, another or third position of the casing 315 preventing any
of the pawls from engaging any of the ratchet wheels, as when the machine is
doing circular work and the curb R12 is lowered, the pawls then resting on the
bridge m.
The casing 315 may be designated aptly as a pattern casing, and it is secured for
strength to disks n, n, surrounding the hubs of the bevel gears referred to, the said
disks having openings at their centers large enougli to permit them to slide
unobstructedly in the movement of the casing.
The casing has in this instance of my invention a stud n' embraced by a link n³
mounted pivotally on a stud n³ and having at its outer end a suitable link n', which
is connected to a suitable finger n, adapted to be struck at the proper times and
moved by a protuberance on one of the links of the pattern chain 61.
I have herein shown and described an improved and novel mechanism for
imparting the necessary intermitting movements step by step in one and then in
the opposite direction to the bars of the shogging or racking mechanism, but this
present invention is uot limited to the exact means shown although the best known
to me for moving the same, and I may instead employ any other usual or suitable
mechanical devices.
The depending portions 102 of the spider have suitable projections 210, sce
Fig. 10, upon which may rest the lifting circle 212, said lifting circle having
jointed to it.at suitable intervals, as at 213, see Fig. 5, the lower ends of atruts 214,
which in turn are jointed at their upper ends to studs or projections 215 connected
to or forming part of the curb 112, and the curb.derives its vertical movements by.
imparting a partial rotary movement to the lifting circle 212 to carry the pivotal
point of the struts 213 to the right, as represented by dotted lines in Fig. 5, the
rotation of the curb being restrained at such time by reason of the projections 110
in the slots 109 before referred' to.
To move this lifting circle 212, 1 have provided it with a slot 216, shown in Fig. 8,
in which may enter a toe 217, shown best in Figs. 16 and 17, at the upper end of a
lever 218 having a cam projection 219, and cutering by its lower end loosely and
being guided in a hole in a cross-brace. 220 of the frame-work.
The lever 218 is connected by a stud screw 221 with a fulcrum lever 222
mounted' upon a stud 223, shown partially by dotted lines in Fig. 16, which is
screwed into a hub 224 fast on the bearing brace 107, said fulcrum lever having a
cam toe 225.
1 have combined with the levers 218 and 222 a cam 226, which is applied to the
shaft, before described, so as to be slid thereon, the hub of said cam in this
instance of my invention sliding on spline pins 227 connected to a collar 228
adjustably secured to said shaft, the use of the collar and spline pins enabling
the splines to be adjusted about said shaft to thus put the working surface of the
cam 226 in exactly the proper position.
It will be obvious that when the cam 226 acts against the cam projection 219 of
the lever 218, the lifting circle, see Fig. 3, will be moved from the position therein
shown to the right to lift the curb, and that when the cam 226, is in position to
strike the cam surface 225: of the fulcrum lever 227, the lever 218 will be moved

page_text: in the opposite direction to bring the lifting circle back into the position shown
in Fig. 3 to lower the curb, this being done when reciprocating knitting is to be
stopped and circular knitting is to be commenced.
To move this cam, its hub will be suitably slotted to be embraced by the forked
end of a lover 229 pivoted at 230 on a suitable part of the frame-work a part of
said fork being engaged by a link 231, see Figs. 3 and 15, jointed to an arm 232
ixed to a vertical rock-shaft 233 having at its upper end an arm 234 having a
pin which is engaged with a lever 235 having its fulcrum at 236 in a suitable
stand 235* attached to the frame-work said lever having at its rear end a suitable
rod 237, which is connected to a lever-like finger that at proper times will
be acted upon by a suitable roll or projection carried by said, pattern chain 61,
said lever also moving the switch-bar & instrumental in effecting the thread change
as will be described.
The lever 235 is acted upon by a spring 238, see Fig. 15, which serves to
normally hold the rock-shaft 233 in such pasition, see Fig. 15, that the shoe e!
pivoted to the end of the arm 232 stands at one side of the range of movement of
roll 22 during circular knitting, and when said lever 235 is moved to effect the
raising of the curb as described, the said shoe is swung aside and put in the range
of movement of the roll 22, so that it will strike the shoe and cause the coupling-
pin 21 to enter the notch in the vibrator ½ to thus effect the reciprocation of the
cam-ring.
The shoe has connected to it a rod 264 surrounded by a spring 265 contained
in a hollow arm 266 fast on the lower end of rock-shaft 233, said spring normally
acting to keep said shoe pressed toward the flange 23* of wheel h³.
The ring 104 of the spider receives in it the neck A² of the conical needle-
bed, the said neck being conuected to said ring by suitable screws 260, see Fig. 5,
and surrounding this neck loosely so as to slide about it is a ring 261 having cut
upon it at its underside a series of bevel teeth 262 which are engaged by the teeth
of the bevel wheel B before described.
The ring 261 has a flange provided with suitable holes to receive a series of
screws 263, said screws being extended through an outwardly turned flange at the
lower-end of the cam ring or plate B!.
The cam ring is a rather difficult member of the machine to manufacture, and it
may be made of less weight and more quickly by omitting from it the bevel teeth
with which it is usually supplied, and by making the cam-ring detachable from
the ring 261 having the teeth, the cam-ring can be taken off without unmeshing the
teeth 262 from its driving wheel, which is a matter of very considerable
convenience.
Referring now to the cam-ring or plate B', shown as of conical shape, it has a
detachable section 267, shown enlarged in Figs. 12 and 13, Fig. 12 showing the
outer side of the section, and Fig. 13 the inner side thereof.
This section contains, as illustrated in the present embodiment of my invention,
a pivoted directing cam a, points a' and a pointing toward each other and leaving
a space between them in which may be moved the directing cam, the directing cam
closing one or the other of the crossings from the non-knitting or topping groove a
into the knitting groove a³, the points aº, a² in this instance of my invention, being
pivoted as described of the guiding gates in the Patent referred to, and being moved
positively by appliances at the outside of the plate, as before described, different
devices, however, from those employed in the said Patent.
The detachable section 267 is suitably grooved for the reception of slides a"
and a, provided with drawing down cams, one of the said slides, as a3, having a
più extended outwardly from its back, which is engaged by the tension levor c,
having a screw to regulate the position of the slide.
I have shown the said' tension lever as provided with a spring 268, interposed
between the end of the screw and the top of the race-way, to thoreby obviate
one trouble arising from the wearing of the screw or of the race-way, and' also
reducing friction upon the race-way,

page_text: .
The slide a has a suitable pin or projection which is extended outwardly
through the section 267, where it is engaged by a slotted plate 269, by which to
enable the said slide to be adjusted, as desired, according to the length of stitch
required, it being remembered that the drawing-down cam on the slide a acts on
the needles only in heel and toe work, and when the cam-ring is moving the
direction opposite that in which it moves for circular knitting.
The section 267 also has connected to it usual steel plates a¹³, a", to elevate
the needles, and switches a³ and a are employed to prevent the passage of butts
or needles from the non-knitting or topping groove into the knitting groove, but
to let said butts pass freely from the knitting into the non-knitting groove.
The section 267 below the points a, a, has fixed to it a plate a provided with a
lip a located in line with the directing c cam a, said lip being provided with a
concaved face opposite the directing cam, the curve of said concavity being described
substantially from the center of oscillation of the directing cain, the points a² and a
being shielded by the shoulders at each side said lip when the said points are
down, as when the needles are being moved from the knitting into the non-knitting
cam groove during widening and narrowing, substantially as in saul Patent.
This invention is not limited in all instances to imparting positive movements to
the points a and a³, and the same effect might be produced by positively oscillating
the directing cam a¹.
The section 267 is attached to the cam-ring by suitable screws 270 and at each
end of said section I have attached by screws 400, see Fig. 4 blocks 401, the removal
of either of said blocks,, leaving a space between the said section and the body of
the cam-ring through which a needle may be taken out or a needle put in, in usual
manner.
The cam-ring, see Figs. 4 and 11, has set upon it the slotted foot of a stand 271,
the said foot being frictionally mounted on the said cam-ring by means of screws 272
extended through a thin steel plate 273 laid upon the said foot, the screws passing
through a slot 274 in the said foot.
J
In Fig. 11 the friction plate has been broken out to show the slot below it……..
The extent to which the foot may be moved on or with relation to the cam-ring,
or the extent that the cam-ring may be moved after the font comes to rest is
determined by means of adjustable stops 275 attached to the cam-ring.
The frictional stand 271 receives a cross-bar 276 pivoted at 277, and receiving at
its other end a moveable bolt or stud 278:
The cross-bar 276 receives the screw-threaded shank 279 of the cone-shaped thin
metallic thread-rest d", common to the said Patent, said shank having upon it at
opposite sides of said bar suitable nuts, by which to adjust the shank longitudinally
in said bar to properly center the thread-rest dª to the upper ends of the needles
used in the machine.
The shank 279 referred to supports an arm 280 upon which is mounted
suitable sheaves 281, about which the thread or yarn going to the needles is
passed, said yarn also being passed preferably between roller studs 282 fixed on said
thread-rest.
The thread-rest and thread-guide 280, 281, perform in this machine the same
purpose and function with relation to the needles arranged in the conical bēd, as
fully described and provided for in the said Patent.
I have shown the frictionally supported stand 271 as provided with a tail-
piece 283, which in the rotation of the cam-ring may strike the stops 275 made as
pins set in holes, thus shifting the relative positions of the thread-guide with relation
to the knitting cams, in order that the thrend to be delivered to the needles when
narrowing and widening is being done, may be properly, presented to the first needle
to knit in the course to be made, and preferably I mount on the cam-ring, see Fig. 4,
stops 284, between which the stand 271 slides.
I have herein shown, see Fig. 144, the sinker actuating ring A' as provided with
adjustable shoes w to bear on the upper end of the projection A of the needle bed,
Baid shoes being acted upon by screws w¹, the rotation of which enables the cam

page_text: edge of the said ring to be raised or lowered with relation to the fiera of the
sinkers, to thus give to the sinkers; the proper stopping and starting point in their
movements. .
The shoes are guided by pins extended through the ring, and the set screws
have combined with them suitable locking devices-shown as springs w³.
The sinker actuating ring has a removable gate a to enable a sinker to be taken
out or put in.
The shogging bar has fast on it two adjustable cam projections 115, 116, the
projection 115 being in the range of movement of the arm 117 while the projec-
tion 116 is in the range of movement of the arm 118.
The bar 6, the inner one, is provided with two adjustable cam projections 114
and 113, the projection 114 being the lowest and in range of movement of the
arm 117 while the cam projection 113 is in the range of movement of the
arm 118.
The two cam projections 115 and 116 are set close together because the heels or
parts of the arms 117 and 118 nearest the fulcrum stud meet them, but the pro-
jections 113 and 114 are separated somewhat one from the other because the toes of
the said arms contact with them.
The projection 115 is lower than the projection 116 and its point goes undor and
overlaps the projection 116.
When the knitting is to be changed from circular or round-about to reciprocal
knitting for heel and toe work the curb 112 is raised quickly as stated while
the cam cylinder is moving in the direction of arrow 1, and the casing 315 is
moved to let the pawl referred to, on the pawl carriers 302 and 303, act to
commence and move the projections 113 and 114 toward the projections 115,-
116, to thus narrow course after course until the narrowest course for the
heel or toe has been knitted, the first course on less than the whole number of
needles for narrowing being knitted when the cam cylinder is moving in the
direction of arrow 2, and the narrowest course having been knitted, the said
pairs of cam projections are gradually separated course after course until the
widening complemental to the narrowing has been completed and circular work
is to be resumed.
When the cam-ring is being moved for reciprocal knitting in the direction of
arrow 1, Fig. 4, the heel of arm 117 meets the cam projection 115 shifts the
lever 119 to the right in Fig. 4, and moves the points to run the needles from the
knitting into the non-knitting groove, and thereafter the movement of the cam-ring
is continued in the same direction until all the needles have their butts in the non-
knitting groove; then the cam-ring is reversed, see arrow 2, and as the heel of
arm 118 meets the cam projection 16 and restores the lever 119 to the position
Fig. 4, the points are shifted upito the directing cam, to thus catch the first needle
of the number to knit in the course then to be made.
Now as the cam-ring is moved in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 4, the arm 118
passes over cam projection 113, but the point of arm 117 hits cam projection 114,
and thus again shifts the points, to effect the putting of the butts of all the needles
in the farther movement of said ring in the direction of arrow 2, into the non-
knitting groove, and this done the cam ring is reversed and on its movement again
in direction of arrow 1, the point of arm 118 meets the cam projection 113 and
causes the points to be moved to bring the desired number of needles from the non-
knitting into the knitting groove.
'
The movement of the rings with their cam projections toward each other for
narrowing and away from each other for widening is effected substantially as the
cam cylinder completes its stroke in either direction.
The sinker cam-ring A' has a projection t which is acted upon by horns of stop
plates connected to the cam ring B by screws ta.
The shipper lever 9' may be moved by hand through the hand lever t,, rock-
shaft to and slotted arm t embracing the shipper lever.
To keep the rack bar 6 from rising in the curb 112 it is grooved at its outer

page_text: side as at o, see left of Fig. 3, and said groove in entered by the inturned lip of n
plate o, see Fig. 14, attached to the outer bide df-the barb 112 by a suitable.screw,
said lip being extended through a slot in the curb, as shown in Fig. 14.
To keep the rack from rising in rack 6, the inner side of rack is also grooved,
see Fig. 5, and said groove is entered by a plate or lug o' attached to ring by a
screir o³
a
1 :
I represents the frame of the thread-presenting mechanism, it being shown as
provided at one end with hubs H¹ mounted loosely on a rotating shaft H³living
bearings in a cross-head H3, adjustably mounted by screws H on vertical rods H50
connected rigidly to and forming part of the frame-work of the knitting-machine,
said frame H having laterally extended arms H, H, connected, as shown, by
a post H7.
..
This cross-head II' has projections H8 on which rest the feet or projections H³,
see Fig. 19, of the frame H when in working position.
The shaft H2 has fast on it a cam hub Ho provided with two annular grooves 2, 3,
connected by cross-grooves 4, 5, each pair of annular and cross-grooves 'having
combined with them a suitable switch, herein 'marked b', b, both shown as secured
to a rod 2 which is adapted to be slid at right angles to the grooves 2, 3, or parallel
to the shaft H³, one or the other of the said switches lying in and stopping
or bridging part of one or the other of said annular grooves 2, 3, as best
represented in Fig. 21, where the switch & stops the annular groove 2, one or the
other switch being made to stop a groove according to the position in which it is
desired to keep the lever C pivoted at C and provided at its outer or free end with
a toothed' segnrent C', said segment engaging a pinion a, on the hub of a gear a
which engages the gear u to be described, fast on the hollow shaft a, common to
enid Patent, the movement of the lever C effecting the rotation of the shaft a in one
and then in the opposite direction.
The rear end of the lever C is provided with a pin or stud 300, having at its
1. wer end a shoe 6 which runs in the grooves of the hub H.
The grooves in the hub H, and the switches b', co-operating therewith are
such as to enable the shoe to stand for a longer or shorter time in one or the
other of said annular grooves 2 or 3, the hollow shatt a, carrying the thread
arms a, a, being then at rest with one or the other, or it may be both, the said
rns supplying thread, said thread passing from the eye of the thread arm
or arms a, a, to a suitable thread guide 281, located substantially above the centre
of the needle-bed, but when the lever C is to be moved to rotate the shaft a and
twist the two threads in the thread arms together preparatory to using either the
inain thread mo or the splicing thread no, or the main thread and re-enforcing
thread, then the slide rod 6 will be moved to cause the switch nearest the annular
groove in which the shoe 6 then rests, to
'
the switch will pass to the outer side enter said groove, so that the point of
the shoe as the; cam rotates, and will
cause the switch to enter one of the cross grooves and pass entirely into the
other annular groove, such movement rotating the shaft a and the thread arms
to twist the thread, but before such rotation takes place, the thread arms having
the thread being used, is moved, as will be described, to cause its thread to be
carried laterally in between the rolls d and d common to said Patent, and put it
against the other thread next to be used and then held out of action between said
rolls, and the two threads are twisted together so that the then active thread may
engage and carry with it the inactive thread, and later, the thread which is not to
be used will be cut off, as will be described.
%
:
:'
In Fig. 21 the shoe is shown in the groove 3, 'and to cause said shoe to enter the
groove 2, the switch 6 must be moved to the right.
314.
The movement of the switch-carrier is determined automatically by a switch-
changer, shown as a slide-bar 60 having two horns 67, 68, said bar having, as shown,
projections 100, between which play one end of the finger or lever " acted
upon in practice, as before described; by a suitable projection on the pattern chain.
Preferably the projections 60, 6100, will be adjustable on the bar: 660, and by

page_text: shifting said bar just in advance of the time it is desire to move the lever C, one
or the other of the horns ', b, will be put into working position to be struck by
the switch-carrier 6', the latter, as soongas, it, in the rotation of the cam, meets a
horn, being, slid in the cam slot.
1
The shaft H2 has fast. to it at one end, see Fig; 21 a bevel gear 6 which is
engaged and rotated constantly by the bevel gear 6 fast on a vertical shaft.
having suitable bearings 6", the lower end of, said shaft being in practice provided
with a bevel gear 6, Fig. 2 which will be driven from a anitable pinion 6 mountert
on a stud 60, Fig. 3 said pinion being engaged by the gear A' fast on the continuously
rotating shaft e².
The gear a referred to has attached to it an arm c*, shown. best in Fig. 22,
provided with two horns 10, 12, each of which when said gear is at its extreme
stroke, acts on the lever c of the two like levers c', c³, common to said Patent, and
pivoted on the arm H' of the frame H, said levers having at their lower ends like
cam segments 13 which are adapted to be struck by pins 14 at the upper ends of
the thread arms a' or a pivoted on the head 16 of the shaft a, the particular pin
to strike the segment depending upon which thread arm is at the front and is to
have the thread carried by it removed from between the feed rolls.
When the thread arms a', a', are merely to present a knitting, and a splicing
thread, as required, to be knitted, one to the exclusion of the other, in a stocking,
then the lever c² may be omitted, but it will be required when it is dosired to insert
into the work with a main thread a re-enforcing thread.
Whenever a pin or projection 14 of the thread arm meets a cam segment 13, the
thread arm will be thrown outwardly away from the center line of the shaft a,
and the thread carried by the arm will be removed from between the rolls d, d',
and the thread of said arm so moved out will go to the needle and be knitted int?
the fabric.
In Fig. 19, the thread in arm a¹ is supposed to be going to the needle, while the
thread in the arm a has its free end held between the said rolls.
Now, if it is desired to use the thread of arm'a, the lever C will be started and.
start the gear a,,and with the gear starts the arm c*, and the horn 10 then holding
the lever cl will retire quickly from said lever letting the thin contracted U shape
wire spring 416 expand and act quickly to move the arms towards each other and
put the thread n in the arm a between the rolls d, d, and as the said running
thread is brought against the stationary thread in then held between sail
rolls, the rotation of the shaft a will cause the two-threads to be twisted
together so that the running thread will catch and drag the other thread with it,
and as the gear a completes its movement, the horn 12.of the arme will again
meet the lever and throw its lower end inwardly so that the projection 14 of
the thread arm a³, then being brought to the front, is moved to lead the thread mo
out from between the rolls, and the other thread' left in the rolls is cut off, as will
be described, close to the lower side of the rolls.
The journals of one of the thread rolls, herein shown as the roll d, are supported
in a carrier mounted loosely on part of the arm H of the frame H, said carrier
being acted upon by a very delicate spring d³, thus enabling the roll d to be pressed
slightly toward the roll d such construction, enabling the rolls to readily adapt
themselves to the thickness of the thread and hold and control the same better
than when the said rolls are in fixed bearings.
The frame H has a cutter actuating lever D suitably pivoted therein at Di and
having, at one end, a pivoted shoe 22, shown by dotted lines in Figs. 19 and 20, it
entering and travelling in the grooves of the-hub-H, as described of the shoe 6,
the shoe of lever D following in the same path as the shoe of lever C; for
immediately the lever C has been moved to effect the rotation of the hollow
spindle a to twist, together the threads carried by the arms a, a, and has then
separated the arms, the lever D must act to effect the cutting off of the threal
which is not to be used.

page_text: 1
The lever D has at one end a segmental series of teeth D' which engage the
teeth of a pinion. 'D³ mounted on a stud 'D' the hub of the pinion having a shear
opener, shown as composed of two pins 18!
i
The shears are composed of blades at the ends of two arms ete pivoted atre
the long arms of the said blades being normally held toward each other by means
of a suitable spring e².
When the lever D is moved to rotate the gear D³ from the position Fig. 20, the
said pins 18 act on the arms e, e', of the shears, separate said arms and close the
cutting ends of the shears upon the thread then between the blades of the shears...
Now if it is desired in a heel or toe, or at any point to insert a re-enforcing
thread and let it be knitted into the stocking or fabric with the main thread,
bave only to remove the arm ex and put in place of it the arm.cx, shown in Fig. 24;
it differing from the arm ex only in that it has an extra horn 20.
The extra horn works in unison with the horn 12, and when horn 12 is in
position to act on the lever a and keep a thread arm out, the horn 20 acts on the
lever and keeps the other thread arm out, the threads from the arms a', and a',
then passing the rolls d, d', one at one and the other at the other ends thereof.
When the threads are in the last position referred to and the shears are closed
there is no thread between then to be cut off and consequently both threads go
into the work.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is
1. In a knitting machine, the following instrumentalities, viz. :-a needle-bed, a
ring or plate provided with needle selecting devices and actuating caps, a
vertically movable curb, and rack bars therein having surfaces to co-operate with
the instrumentalities employed for moving the needle selecting devices carried by
said ring or plate, means to raise and lower said curb, the means to move said rack
bars in opposite directions in said curb, substantially as described.
2. The conical needle-bed having a shank, and a ring fitting said shank loosely
and provided with gear teeth, combined with the needle actuating cam-ring
connected to the ring having the gear teeth, as described.
3. The table-top having the spider, and the circular curb, the circular rack bars
contained therein, and means to move said rack bars in said curb, combined with
devices under the control of a pattern surface to raise and lower said curb and its
contained rack bare, for the purposes set forth.
4. The circular curb, a lifting circle, and a series of links connecting said curb
and circle, and guides for the curb, con.bined with devices to partially rotate said
circle to raise and lower the curb, substantially as described.
5. The circular curb, the lifting circle, links connecting' said circle and curb, and
the levers 218 and 227, combined with a cam, and means to rotate and to slide said
cam on its shaft to act upon one or the other of said levers tereffect the movement
of the lifting circle in one or the other direction, substantially as described.
6. In a circular knitting machine, the curb 112, the rack bars therein having
teeth, and means to raise and lower said curb, combined with shafts having gears
to engage each of said rack bars, and to remain in engagement therewith in all
positions of the curb, substantially as described.
7. In a knitting machine, a conical needle-bed, a conical needle actunting cam-
ring surrounding said bed and provided with needle actuating cams, and having
crossing knitting and non-knitting grooves, and needle-selecting mechanism including
an inclined or heart-shaped cam, and points directed towards each other two
circular rack bars each provided with two cam projections, means to move said
rack bars,, a lever having arms. 117 and 118, and carried by said needle-actuating
cam-ring and adapted to strike the cam projections on said rack bars to thereby
change the relative positions of the directing cam and points automatically to

page_text: effect the passage of the desired number of needles from the non-knitting into the
knitting groove and back again preparatory to knitting a second course, sub-
stantially as described.
8. A cam ring having a knitting and a non-knitting groove, one crossing the
other, needle selecting devices arranged at the crossing of said grooves and
having two points pointed one toward the other, and a directing cam, and
having usual knitting cams, a lever monated on said cam-ring and having
arms 117 and 118, and devices intermediate said lever and said selecting devices
to move them, substantially as described, and means to reciprocite said cam-ring,
combined with two rack bars each provided with a pair of cam projections, and
moans to move said rack bars one about the other in opposite directions, said
arms aoting directly on said cam projections to move the selecting devices carried
by the can ring to effect the movement of the butts of all the needles into the
non-knitting groove after the completion of a reciprocal course and to then at a
reverse movement of the cam ring take from the non-knitting groove a defined
number of needles for the next reciprocal course to be made, as set forth.
9. The curb, means to raise and lower it, the rack bars carried thereby, and the
extension 112, the shafts 163 and 164 carried by said extension and provided
with gears to engage the rack bars, combined with two shafts 168 and 171, gearing
connecting the same with said shafts 163 and 164, gears to rotate shafts 168 and 171,
a series of pawls and ratchets; a shield; means to move said pawls, a pattern
surface and devices intermediate said shield and pattern surface to move the shield
and determine which of said pawls shall engage, said ratchet wheels, substantially
as described.
10. Two shafts 163 and 164 having coincident centers of rotation, worm toothed
wheels carried thereby shafts 168 and 171 having worms and bevel gears 169
and 172 attached to said shafts, combined with a pair of gears for each of said
bevel gears, a ratchet wheel attached to each gear of the pair of gears; a series
of pawla, one for each ratchet wheel; means to move said pawls; and a shield to
permit as desired the proper pawls to engage said ratchet wheels to rotate the
shafts 168 and 171 in either direction and in directious reverse one of the other,
substantially as described.
11. The thread holding rolls, a pair of shears having its pivot mounted near
said rolls, a pinion having devices to co-operate with the arms of said shears, and
a sector lever for rotating said pinion, combined with a rotating hub having annular
and crossing grooves, switches in said grooves, and means to support and move
said switches, substantially as described:
12. A frame, a hollow spindle mounted therein and provided with thread arms,
devices to rotate said spindle to twist the thread and move said thread arms
toward and from each other, said devices including a sector lever C, a pair of
sheare pivoted on said frame, a pinion provided with shear opening devices, a
sector fever, as D, and a hub or cylinder provided with annular and crossing
grooves to receive pivoted shocs carried by said levers, to operate, substantially as
described.
13. A frame, a hollow spindle having thread arms, a pair of shears, a rotating
grooved hub, its switches b, b³, a switch rod b' to which they are secured, the sector
levers actuated by said hub for moving the said hollow spindle and actuating said
shears combined with a switching bar having horus, a lever or arm, as 6, and a
pattern surface to move said lever, substantially as described.
Dated this 2nd day of October 1894.
:
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.