Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Hosiery and in Appliances therefor.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Hosiery and in
Appliances therefor.
We, ANDREW ELWORTHY ADAMs, William Alfred Sheffield and JOHN
HALLAM of Adelaide Buildings Albion Street Leicester, in the County of Leicester
Hosiery Manufacturers, 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 :-
This invention refers to improvements in or relating to the manufacture of
hosiery and in appliances therefor to automatically produce upon machines of the
kind as herein illustrated, or upon other circular knitting machines if desired hose,
half hose, vests and the like, or fabric made of the "lock stitch" knit described in our
former Patent No. 19534 of 1889 in carrying out this present invention we employ
the operating mechanism therein described for thickening knit fabrics by knitting
alternate courses thereof of ribbed and plain stitches which mechanism operates
the appliances forming the subject of this preseut invention for automatically
changing during the knitting of the leg of a stocking or the like from " one to
any number or combination of ribs that may be desired this being a further develope-
ment of Patent No. 9439 of 1889 in which the interchangeable devices were carried
out by aid of the vertical or cylinder needles.
"
By this our invention we accomplish our object on the machine needles, and we
are able by the appliances hereinafter described to operate any predetermined
needle or needles in the circle, whether in the frame or machine for the purpose
desired. In order that our invention may be well understood and that the operating
devices shall be properly distinguished from the appliances employed in carrying
out this invention we have annexed drawings hereunto in which the new parts are
denoted by figures, while those belonging to our prior Patents are referred to by
letters of reference.
Figure 1, is a plan view in elevation of a two feeder circular knitting machine
embodying our present invention.
Figure 2, is an upper view of the same machine on line X X. showing the
arrangement of levers, compensating clearing cam, and machine needles as set out
for making "three and one ribbed fabric, the dots a denoting the position of the
frame needles relative to those in the head or machine.
"
Figure 3 represents a swing jack full size with machine needle attached and
having a knib or projecting head, to enable us to carry out our method of
interchanging.
Figure 4 is a view of the compensating outside clearing cam or incline upon
which the knibs of the machine jacks ride and
Figure 5, illustrates the controlling device for automatically altering the elasticity
or stiffness of the fabric.
The same letters and figures of reference represent like parts in all the figures
in which they occur.
"
66
"
We would have it understood that by our method or process hereinafter
specified of knitting that whatever rib the machine is making, the machine
proper is always " one and one rib, and every needle in the circle always
retains its loop for instance, when the machine is knitting a one and one top
both the frame and machine needles are knitting in the ordinary manner, but in order
to obtain say a change to "three and one" rib fabric the levers R, S, S', and S³,
rises on the incline of the cam wheel N thereby withdrawing the inside clearing

page_text: 66
cam C, and at the same time the outside cam or incline 1 is pressed' inwards
towards the needle bed so that the projecting heads 2, of the jacks A on every
third machine needle "see Figure 2" ride over the compensating cam or incline 1,
the tail of which is operated by the vertical push bar 3, thereby causing every
third needle in its turn at every course to knit its ordinary loop whilst the two
machine needles coming between and without the knib 2, are kept back and only
knit one loop to the others two that is to say; they only knit in every other
course. The whole being accomplished by the revolution of the machine. And
we obtain in combination with the "lock stitch" fabric a perfect rib upon the face
of the fabric while the inside of the fabric is still "one and one" rib. The number
of ribs of course being determined by the arrangement of those jacks having the
knibs or projecting heads 2, before starting the machine one example of which is
herein before cited. When an ordinary machine is making one and one" ribbed
fabric there are just the same number of needles in the frame as machine and
when required to make "three and one" rib every fourth space or slot has to be
left without a needle, and a corresponding vertical needle inserted in the machine.
Whereas we have the same quantity of needles in the machine as in the frame
which knit intermittently in "three and one" and as where knitting successively in
the "one and one" top. The appliances are arranged and operated in the following
manner. In the rear of the head of the machine is the cross shaft D, upon the
ends of which are rigidly fixed the arms E, the one upon the right hand having an
extension e, carrying a roller e¹, coming upon the upper surface of the lever e³,
which rides upon the cam wheel N and upon the inclines thereon to give motion
to the shaft D, causing the projecting limbs F to raise the loosely journaled levers 4,
from off the thread carriers or guides G and operates the rocking lever hereinafter
described, while at the same time the vertical rod 3 attached to the arm E on the
left hand side of the machine pushes forward the outside cam or incline 1, for thé
purpose before referred to, and when the rod 3 is moved down again, the cam or
incline is brought outwardly by influence of the spring 5, when the usual "one and
one" knitting takes place. We further have automatic control over the elasticity
or stiffness of the fabric at the time of knitting by aid of the cross shaft D, and
loosely journaled arms 4, which upon being operated from the cam wheel N raises
on each side of the machine the pivoted lever 6, "see Figure 5" which is attached
by bracket 8 to side of cam box H, and which depresses the cam pin 9, and the
cam at the bottom thereof is lowered so that the frame needles a go lower and a
longer loop is made. This is also controlled by the arm 10, on the lever I.
We are thus enabled to make the ribbed tops of half hose or socks to any
desired quality, and stiffen without interfering with the machine, while the leg
portion can be made of any other quality or stiffness, as may be from time to time
required.
"broad
If we desire to make tubular stockings or bodies of a "fancy rib," or
rib" of any kind we can accomplish this by aid of the welt lever I, and cam 1, and
the operating mechanism a fast welt can be put upon any of the ribs for the simple
reason that the machine is instantaneously changed to "one and one" again from
any other rib in one course. The whole of the contrivances herein referred to being
under the control of the cam wheel N which is racked by the counting appliance
or chain shown in the previous Patents before alluded to.
The same operation can be accomplished in a circular reversible knitter by having
different knibs on the machine needles actuated by different cams of the kind or
equivalent to the one herein shown and before described, for changing automatically
from " one and one rib to any other, or "vice versa" without having to cast off
any old or taking on any new loops, and without bringing any additional needles
into action.
"
And as will be well understood any tubular knitting machine making vests,
jacket bodies and the like from "one to eight" feeders can be similarly arranged
in the manner and for the purpose herein before described.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is.
"
1. In knitting machines of the character described for making articles of hosiery
such as hose, half hose, socks, vests jacket bodies and the like the process of
changing automatically from "one and one" rib to any other or "vice versu with-
out casting off any old, or taking on any new loops, or shifting the needles,
substantially as set forth.
2. The herein described mechanism or appliances in combination for automatically
changing from one rib to others and controlling the fabric substantially in the
manner described.
Dated this 13th day of April 1892.
WILLIAM BESTWICK MAXFIELD,
19, Bowling Green Street, Leicester, Applicants' Agent.