Improvements in and connected with Knitting Machines.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Apr., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 24th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 4th Apr., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Knitting Machines.
I, OSCAR ROST, Manager of Works, of Zeulenroda, in the German Empire,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates more particularly to knitting machines of Lamb's system,
in which the knitting needles form two rows inclined symmetrically towards the
centre of the machine, and the object of the present improvements is, to produce
knitted fabrics which have in addition to the usual knitting or looping threads,.
cross-threads analogous to weft threads which are laid through or between the
meshes at right angles to the knitting threads or knitting needles.
For this purpose, I employ three kinds of needles, as follows:
1. The ordinary knitting needles or open latch-needles guided on two inclined
needle beds which form with each other an angle the apex of which is at the top
near the latches of the needles.
2. Two rows of horizontal fork needles, one above each main or knitting needle-
bed, each fork needle being adapted to move to and fro towards and from the
centre or axis of the machine.
3. Vertical hook needles placed between the inclined needle beds and below the
same, and arranged in two rows close to the axis of the machine, right and left of
the same.
These needles move up and down towards the apex of the angle.
formed by the main needle bed. The ordinary knitting needles are operated by
the ordinary lock mechanism, while the horizontal and the vertical needles are set
in motion by means of eccentrics, levers and connecting links or by any other
suitable means. They work together in the following manner:
By the co-operation of the inclined knitting needles and the horizontal fork
needles the knitting thread is formed into meshes. The weft-thread or cross-
thread is fed from above and laid into the open mesh or loop by the (descending).
vertical needles mentioned above, which move up and down between the fork
needles; the latter are placed so, that there is always one fork needle in the same
vertical plane (or plane of motion) with one of the knitting needles, the fork
needles of opposite rows being thus out of line with each other. After the
vertical needle has descended through the loop of the knitting thread far enough
to lay the cross thread into the open loop, it gets clear of the cross thread by
the subsequent down motion of the finished mesh which takes the cross thread
with it.
The knitting needle takes the loop off the fork needle and thereby imprisons the
cross-thread, after the latter has been laid into the open mesh by the descending
vertical needle.
The knitting process proceeds gradually through the whole row of needles (the
different needles of the same row acting in rotation) so that the cross thread is
gradually worked into the meshes of the whole fabric, for which purpose the feed
tube which guides the threads from the top is provided with a toothed rim moving
along a toothed rack.
By reducing or increasing the number of the needles the fabric may be made
narrowing or wider. The cross thread may be elastic and is laid into the meshes
without tension.
Dated this 4th day of April 1895.
FAIRFAX & WETTEK,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: .
Improvements in and connected with Knitting Machines.
I, OSCAR ROST, Manager of Works, of Zeulenroda, in the German Empire, 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:-
In some kinds of knitted goods, for instance in rubber stockings, it is necessary or
desirable that the groundwork should contain rubber threads, which are laid like
weft threads and without tension between the meshes formed by the different sets
of needles.
Hitherto elastic knitted goods, such as rubber stockings, have only been made as
flat pieces, so as to form a seam, which caused much inconvenience in use.
The present invention has for its object, to produce elastic and fashioned weft-
goods of the seamless, tubular, or hose type, in which the elastic weft threads are
arranged helically in the hose-shaped groundwork, and which will be described.
with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which
Figɛ. 1 and 2 show the arrangement of the threads and meshes;
Figs. 3 to 14 show the needles at various stages of the knitting process;
Fig. 15 is a vertical section through the needle beds, showing the arrangement of
the needles and of the mechanism for operating the same.
The symmetrically inclined needle beds A and B (Fig. 15) carry two rows of
needles and, which are shifted to and fro one by one for the formation of the
meshes by means of ordinary locks or needle-operating mechanism A', B¹.
In order to actuate all the needles of a row simultaneously, a pair of rails 21.
and is mounted above the needle beds, and extends the entire width of the same.
The said rails have recesses adapted to hold and push the feet of the needles, and
remain at a distance from the needle feet as long as the needle locks (A', B') are in
operation. When the locks are situated sideways of the needle rows (so as not to
act on the same) the rails and may be lifted above the needle feet and then
act on the same.
In addition to the ordinary knitting needles mentioned above, the machine
contains two rows of vertically movable needles d' and d³, and mechanism adapted
to lift the needles of each row simultaneously, but which may also be lifted and
lowered one by one like the knitting needles; said vertical needles serving to place
the elastic weft thread g' underneath the knitting needles and to hold it until it has
been tied in the fabric.
Above each needle bed there is mounted horizontally a row of double or fork-
needles and f serving to form the meshes or loops. These double needles are
capable of a forward and backward motion, and also of an up and down motion,
which may be effected simultaneously for a whole row, or one by one.
As shown
by Fig. 7, the needles of opposite rows are placed out of line with each other, and
the auxiliary needles d¹ and d² are situated between the knitting needles.
The machine works as follows:-
The two rows of knitting needles è¹ and , Fig. 15, work alternately so as to
produce a tubular fabric or hose, capable of being narrowed or widened in the
known manner. (If only one row of latch needles, together with their auxiliary
needles and double needles were working, the result would be a flat fabric.)
Supposing now, that the lock A¹ is in its working position, and that the lock B
is out of action, the latch-needles c¹ will be lifted and lowered individually in the
usual manner.
g
.. The two thread guides 9 and h, which are adapted to turn on a vertical axie,
deposit their threads on the row of latch needles. The guide g, placed higher

page_text: than the other (Fig. 3) contains the rubber thread 9', which is in tension and
therefore situated at such a height above the latch needles that it cannot be caught.
by the same, while the guide h, which is placed lower, holds the thread
necessary
for producing the groundwork, and conducts it towards the latch-needles in such a
manner that the thread can be caught.
At the same time the row of double needles has advanced towards the centre
far enough to ensure that the thread h¹ is laid over the same, as shown by Fig. 6.
By the individual motion of the latch-needles downwards, (Fig. 6) new loops are
formed in the usual manner (Fig. 4).
Now the row of auxiliary needles (Fig. 15) ascends, catches the rubber-
thread g', and brings it underneath the latch-needles (Fig. 8), so that when the
latter ascend (driven by the rail 1, Fig. 15) they pass beyond the rubber
thread.
Before the lateh-needles are lifted for the purpose of taking up the binding
loop a (Fig. 8) to enclose the indiarubber thread, the needle beds A or B must.
be shifted sideways by the screw-spindles kor k², in order to change from the
position in Fig. 6 into the position of Fig. 11, so that the latch-needles c', when
lifted by means of the rails or (Fig. 15), will be between the forks of the
double needles f, and on being withdrawn by the said rails or will take up.
the thread already lying on the said double needles, in order to draw out the
thread into a tie loop a', and to add it on to the needle loop al (Figs. 1 and 9).
In consequence of this operation, the rubber thread is held between the two.
kinds of loops, and the needle is now lifted as shown by Fig. 10, in order to push
back the two loops and subsequently drop them over the needle latch, which'
operation is simultaneous with the next formation of loops, and whereby the fabric
shown by Fig. 1 is produced.
In order now to obtain the fabric represented by Fig. 2, the latch-needle is lifted.
sufficiently, when taking up the auxiliary mesh a², that the mesh a' will be in a
position to drop off, and when the latch-needle c¹ (Fig. 13) descends, the said
mesh a' can be shifted past the auxiliary mesh (that has been carried over) and
caused to drop off; after which only the auxiliary mesh or loop a³ (Fig. 2) remains.
suspended on the latch-needle. The auxiliary meshes could, however, be suspended
in any other suitable manner, without departing from the principle of the present.
invention.
The same series of operations now commences on the rear needle bed, as.
indicated by Fig. 10, in which the thread-guides are supposed to have turned 180°,
so that, as mentioned above, a tubular fabric is produced, containing elastic welt.
threads knit helically between the two sets of meshes.
The needle bed A is shogged back to its initial position by the screw k¹, as soon as
the transfer of the binding meshes a from the double needles f' to the latch needles.
has been completed, in order that the latch needles c¹ when the next row of meshes.
is being formed, may get into the position of Fig. 6.
After the lifting of the latch needles c', the needles f' are lowered to such an
extent, that during the withdrawal they can be easily drawn out of the meshes a'
which are to be transferred to the latch needles, and allow the said meshes to drop
on the latch needles c¹. The needles are brought back into their working
position, when the next following row of the front needle-bed is being commenced.
The elastic threads g¹ need not be specially released from the hook of the
needles d¹ or d, because they drop off simultaneously with the fabric enclosing
the same, and consequently work themselves automatically out of the hooks of the
needles d'or d.
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 I
claim is:
1. A process for the manufacture of tubular knit fabrics containing elastic weft
threads arranged helically in the groundwork, which consists in enclosing the

page_text: elastic threads g' by the latch needle meshes a¹ and the auxiliary meshes a united
with the same, substantially as described.
2. A Lamb knitting-machine adapted to perform the process specified above;
said machine comprising in addition to the two rows of latch-needles and c³, two
rows of double needles f¹ and f' arranged above the others; said needles being
adapted to hold the auxiliary meshes or loops a' until the latch-needles have taken
them off and united them with their latch-needle meshes or loops a', substantially
as described.
3. Knitted fabrics produced by the process and means substantially as specified
above.
Dated this 24th day of December 1895.
FAIRFAX & WETTER,
433, Strand, London, Agents.