IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES
Year: 1884

page_text: I WILLIAM ROTHWELL of 16 Market Street, Bolton in the County of. Lancaster
Machinist do hereby declare the nature of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
KNITTING MACHINES," to be as follows:---
My invention relates to improvements in machines for knitting Cardigan
Jackets, Jerseys, Vests, Shawls, Skirts, Stockings, Socks, and other articles of
Hosiery, and consists in means for working the same by either hand, foot, or. by
power at will, as well as that of varying the travel of the carriage according to
the width of the articles being knitted, also in reducing the frictional sliding parts
to a minimum, with the result that the machine can be run or worked at a much
greater speed than hitherto, with a corresponding increase in the production.
This is accomplished by placing on the crank or driving shaft on the end of the
machine a balanced fly wheel provided with a slot, in which the end of the adjustable
connecting rod is placed for operating the carriage, the length of stroke being
regulated according to its position in the slot. The balanced fly wheel and the
adjustable connecting rod can be placed at the front or back of the machine as
desired.
"
When it is intended to work the machine by foot, the frame work or stand
supporting it is provided with a treadle or foot lever, and the necessary rods,
levers, shafts, and pullies, the latter giving motion to the fly wheel or the crank
shaft by means of bands or endless chains.
In another arrangement, instead of driving on to the fly wheel, the crank shaft
is fitted with a pulley or other equivalents. In driving the machine by power it
is provided with fast and loose pullies, wheel gearing, or frictional gearing, the
latter being preferred. In case it is desired to work the machine by hand, the fly
wheel or the crank shaft is fitted with a handle, which can be fixed or adjustable
to suit the wishes of the operator.
The carriage of the machine is fitted with small slide blocks or feet mounted in
suitable parallel slides, fixed to the bed of the machine at a convenient distance
apart, thereby making it impossible for the carriage to shake or vibrate sideways
in its bearings, with the result of minimising the loss from damaged work, or the
breaking of needles. The outer end of the carriage is provided with a projecting
arm carrying a suitable bearing which slides on a stationary slide rod secured to
the bed of the machine.

page_text: The yarn guide is mounted on the back of the machine on the parallel slide, and
placed between the sliding blocks or feet carrying the carriage of the machine,
being operated by the said blocks or feet at a point later than the action of the
needles, and is reversed at each end of the stroke of the carriage, by which it is
impossible for the yarn guide to run before the needles and prevent the slipping
of stitches.
The advantages of this invention are that of producing a knitting machine, which
can be worked either by hand, foot, or power as desired, which is a novelty entirely
unknown to the trade to the present time. Another is, that of producing a
perfectly balanced machine, with reduced bearing surfaces, whereby an increased
speed can be obtained, as well as that of varying the travel of the carriage without
interfering with the driving handle, the latter passing through less space than
hitherto, which is an important feature long desired by the operator. The advan-
tage of the foot or power machines over the hand machines is, that they enable
the operator to use both hands, with the result of increased and improved
workmanship.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I WILLIAM ROTHWELL, late of 16 Market Street, now of 1, 3, and 5 Market
Street, Bolton in the County of Lancaster, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature
of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES," and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in machines for knitting Cardigan
Jackets, Jerseys, Vests, Shawls, Skirts, Stockings, Socks, and other articles of
Hosiery, and consists in means for working the same by hand, foot, or power.
at will, as well as that of varying the travel of the carriage according to the width
of the articles being knitted, also in reducing the frictional sliding parts to a
minimum, with the result that the machine can be run or worked at a much
greater speed than hitherto, with a corresponding increase in the production.
This is accomplished by placing on the crank or driving shaft on the end of the
machine a balanced fly wheel provided with a slot, in which the end of the adjustable
connecting rod is placed for operating the carriage, the length of stroke being
regulated according to its position in the slot. The fly wheel and connecting
rod can be placed at the front or back of the machine as desired.
When it is intended to work the machine by foot, the frame work or stand
supporting it is provided with a treadle or foot lever and the necessary rods, levers,
shafts, and pullies, the latter giving motion to the fly wheel or the crank shaft by
means of bands or endless chains.
In another arrangement, instead of driving on to the fly wheel, the crank shaft.
is fitted with a pulley or other equivalents. In driving the machine by power it is
provided with fast and loose pullies, wheel gearing, or frictional gearing, the latter
being preferred. In case it is desired to work the machine by hand, the fly wheel.
or the crank shaft is fitted with a handle which can be fixed or adjustable to suit
the wishes of the operator.
"
The carriage of the machine is fitted with small slide blocks or feet mounted in.
suitable parallel slides fixed to the bed of the machine at a convenient distanco
apart, thereby making it impossible for the carriage to shake or vibrate sideways
in its bearings, with the result of minimising the loss from damaged work, or tho
breaking of needles. The outer end of the carriage is provided with a projecting
arm carrying a suitable bearing which slides on a stationary slido rod secured to
the bed of the machine.
In order that my invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
operation I will now proceed to describe the annexed sheet of drawings reference
being made to the figures and letters marked thereon.
The first part of my invention relates to improvements in hand power knitting
machines which are shewn in Figs. 1 and 2. On the crank or driving shaft A is
mounted the balanced or other fly wheel B provided with the slot C, in which the
end of the adjustable connecting rod D is secured and by which the carriage E is
operated from the fly wheel B. The slot C is provided for the purpose of regulating
the stroke or travel of the carriage E according to the width of the articles' being
'

page_text: knitted. The fly wheel B and rod D can be placed on the front side of the machine
as in Figs. 1 and 2, or otherwise as in Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6.
In adapting the hand machine to work by foot power it is arranged similar to
that shewn in Fig. 6, being supported on the stand or frame F which is fitted with
the foot treadles or levers G; the latter being coupled to the cranks H by the
connecting rods I. The cranks are mounted on the shaft J and supported in any
convenient way to, the frame F; tho: shaft J. is also, provided with the pulley K
which drives the pulley L on the shaft A. by the strap or band M and by which
the carriage E is operated by the connecting rod D from the fly wheel B as before
described. If desired the pulley L can be dispensed with and driven direct onto
the fly wheel B by the band N shewn in dotted lines in Fig. 6, in which case the
rim of the fly wheel is provided, with the groove B shewn in Fig. 4.
In arranging the hand machine to work by power with a strap from any suitable
gearing above or below the same, the crank shaft A is arranged as in Fig. 4, being
mounted in the bearings 0 secured to the bed P of the machine. The strap
pulley R is mounted loosely on, the shaft A and turned on the inside to form a
friction, clutch in which slides the friction disc S; the latter being driven by the
float key or feather T in the shaft A, by which the machine is driven. If desired
or necessary the friction disc S is covered with leather or other analogous sub-
stances to increase the frictional power of the clutch. The friction disc S is provided
with the sleeve or boss U which extends-through the boss or bearing. O; the outer
and being grooved to admit the pin V secured to the end of the sector lever W, the
latter being moved by the worin X on turning the handle Y. The sector W is
pivotted on the centro Z secured or attached to the bed of the machine. When
it is desired to work the machine the handle Y is turned by the attendant, with
the result that the friction disc S is pressed into the clutch inside the loose pulley R,
and by which the machine is operated by the strap driving onto the pulley R. In
case the machine is. required to be stopped it is performed by simply reversing the
action of the handle Y, when it can be turned or operated by hand by the handle I
on the end of the shaft A, during which, the loose pulley R is revolving by the
action of the driving strap. If desired the strap pullies can be substituted with
band pullies as in Fig. 5.
For the purpose of giving stability to the carriage of the machine and reducing
the friction of the sliding parts to a minimum, the carriage E is fitted with the
slide blocks or feet 2 mounted in the parallel slides 4, which are constructed as
shewn in Figs. 7, 8, and 9, in which case the bottom ends are V or tapered, or
somi-circular as shown in Fig. 10. The bottom and sides of the feet 2 are con-
structed with the raised bearing or wearing surfaces 3, as in Figs. 7 and 9, for the
purpose of reducing the frictional surface as well as that of forming an oil cavity
between each, which is also performed in the parallel slides 4, as in Figs 11 and 12,
which allows the slide blocks to move from end to end without displacing the
lubricant.
To ensure stability on the end of the carriage to which the connecting rod D is
attached, the carriage E is provided with the arm E' which slides on the polygonal
rod or stay F¹, which may be constructod of any convenient soction such as those
shewn in Figs. 13 to 10 inclusive. The rod or stay F is secured by any convenient
means to the needle bed of the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. The use of a fly wheel in hand power knitting machines, applied and operating
substantially as and for the purposes described and shewn..
2. The use of a slot in the fly wheel B, which admits of a variable travel of the
carriage employed in knitting machines, for the purposes described and as shewn
on the drawings
8. The use and construction of apparatus for converting hand knitting machines
into power machines, with the means for stopping and starting the same, and which

page_text: allows of manipulation or action by hand when the driving or power apparatus is
out of gear or stopped, substantially as described and shewn on the drawings or
any mere modification thereof.
4. The construction of the feet of the slide blocks 2 and parallel slides 4, with
the means for retaining lubricant, substantially as described and as shewn on the
drawings in Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12,
5. The use of the stay F' constructed of a polygonal or other section, substan
tially as and for the purposes herein set forth and described.
EDMUND CHADWICK,
Agent for the Applicant.