IMPROVE- MENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES
Year: 1878

page_text: PROVISIONAL, SPECIFICATION left by Robert Hill at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 28th November 1878.
ROBERT HILL, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES."
The object of this Invention is to add greatly to the facility and speed of knitting
stockings and other articles by domestic or small machines.
The main features of my improved machines are, first, that they provide for
simultaneous action of two or more needles instead of only one at a time; secondly,
that there is automatic adjustment on the alteration of the number of needles;
thirdly, that the motion is a continuous circular motion, whether a larger or a
smaller number of needles are in use, instead of being confined to the circular
motion when the full number of needles are in action, and to back and forward
motion when less than the full number are in use; and, fourthly, that the machines
can be driven by treadle or by hand at will.
In some machines as hitherto constructed the taking in or reduction of width of
knitting involves the change from circular to back and forward motion, and this
precludes the use of the treadle, besides involving manual labor in subsequently
knitting together the open edges. In other machines as hitherto constructed the
motion is altogether back and forward, and cannot be adapted to the treadle.
My Invention affords other advantages of simplicity and practical expedition, .
which will appear from the following description of a machine constructed in
accordance with my improvements
The table is circular. In the centre is an open well; into this well is sunk a
movable ring, resting upon the inner portion of the circular table, and having round
its base a toothed rack. The action of a gear wheel gives circular motion to this
ring, the gear wheel being moved by a handle beneath. Upon the surface of this
ring is cut a volute groove, commencing from the inside of the circle, and forming a
series of four or more volute turns, the distance between the inside and the outside
turn of the volute corresponding with the distance to be traversed by the needle
cases to form respectively the largest and the sinallest circles to hold respectively

page_text: "
the greatest and the smallest number of links or loops to be formed in the knitting,
and consequently the greatest and smallest number of needle cases.
If the driving of the needle motors and thread carriers is to be from the outside,
a form I do not prefer, there will be a roller groove on the outer half of the
table top.
The foregoing description of the table applies to all the classes or forms of needle
cases hereinafter described.
A feature of all the classes of needle cases hereinafter described is that they are
each composed of two kinds, which I shall call "major" and "minor."
I prefer the form of needle case first hereinafter described, and which I shall call
angular," because the needle is driven up in it at an angle of about 45°.
In this form the major cases alone rest upon both halves of the table, the outer
end of the case resting on the outer part, and towards the centre having a stud
resting in the groove before described. These major cases are of wedge form (in
plan view), and when all drawn up together form the smallest circle and shew the
smallest number of needles which can be worked by circular motion.
In this case the minor cases are parallel slips resting on the edge and dovetailed
into the major cases when full up, and they can be displaced at pleasure in order
to reduce the circle, and they are then slipped into recesses prepared for them in
the base of the major cases.
There may be, for example, 32 major and 64 minor cases, or there may be four
minor to each major case instead of two.
On the surface of all the needle cases is cut a groove or grooves for one or more
slides or rollers on the base of the needle motors hereinafter described, and thus the
adjustment of the needle cases adjusts the needle motors and their attachments to
the altered circle.
The position of the stud upon the major cases differs in every one (for which
purpose they are all numbered), and the variation corresponds with the pitch in the
volute groove bereinbefore described on the inner circle of the table.
The action is as follows:-By moving the handle which is underneath (one or
more minor cases having been slipped down or up, as the case may be) the gear
wheel drives the inner ring of the table round the one way or the other, and by
action of the volute groove on the studs draws outwards or inwards in regular
order the needle cases resting in it, and with the cases the needle motors, and thus
enlarges or reduces the circle according to the direction of the movement.
Instead of the action of the needles being at an angle of 45° it may be
perpendicular, in which case all the cases, both major and minor, will rest on both
parts of the table, but the same form (in plan view) will be maintained. The same
will be the case if the action of the needles is horizontal.
The needles are an enlarged form of those now in use in existing machines.
The motors of the needles are in the form of an adjustable inverted V slide similar
to that used in some existing knitting machines.
These motors I prefer to actuate from the centre by a rod attached to a band
wheel below this rod, passing through a tube through the centre of the well in the
middle of the table, the said wheel being driven by a treadle or by hand. The
motors may be actuated in other ways.
To the central tube is attached a series of hooks the same as the heads of the
needles, which when knitting is to be commenced will be pushed down to an angle
of 45 degrees, so that each will cross one of the needles as it is brought into action.
The first round of knitting will be run with these hooks in this position, and the
effect will be the formation (as in some existing machines in which the needles are
themselves crossed) of a sort of "cat's cradle" in wool. On this cradle will rest
the comb or other device bearing the weight for making firm the knitting
produced.
In some existing machines the same result is produced by the operator winding
the wool round each needle and a hook on a frame successively before commencing
work, but this is a work of time and to the inexperienced of some difficulty. In

page_text: my machine all that is necessary is to draw from each thread feeder about a quarter
of a yard of wool and then the knitting can commence.
The first round having been completed the weight for making the knitting firm,
and which is of ring form, is adjusted, and the hooks are drawn up like the ribs of
a parasol or otherwise. The. thread feeders are attached to the needle motors,
which have also attached to them the bobbin stand and a tall carrier to draw the
thread up off the bobbin.
The knitting done will pass down the well between the table and the tube in a
double fold.
Another feature of my improved machine is the bobbin winder. Instead of
having as usual a separate appliance the hand driving wheel has internal gear, and
when winding is to be done the bobbin gear wheel is slipped into this internal gear
and driven from the treadle; the winding will thus be effected.