IMPROVEMENTS IN HOSIERY AND STOCKING KNITTING MACHINES.
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Harrison of 69 Hyde Grove and 128 Portland
Street Manchester both in the County of Lancaster Mechanic for an Invention
LETTERS PATENT to William Harrison of 69 Hyde Grove and 128 Portland
Street Manchester both in the County of Lancaster Mechanic for an Invention
of IMPROVEMENTS IN HOSIERY AND STOCKING KNITTING MACHINES.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Harrison at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th August 1882.
WILLIAM HARRISON, of 69 Hyde Grove and 128 Portland street, Manchester
both in the County of Lancaster, Mechanic, IMPROVEMENTS IN HOSIERY AND
STOCKING KNITTING MACHINES."
The object of my invention is to knit two or more stockings or articles, by
making two or more machines work at one operation, by one person turning a
crank or wheel
My improvements are made upon the Lamb system of Knitting machine, and
the Griswold automatic cylinder system of knitting machines.
1st. My improvements on the Lamb system consist in connecting in a parallel
position, upon a plane, or one elevated above the other, that part or parts of the
imachine in and to which the V cams are fitted, which cause the needles to ascend
and depress, and which part or parts are called the carriage of the Knitting
machine, and which holds the V cams.
2nd I make the connection by a cross bridge or rod from one carriage, or any fitted
part, to another carriage, or any fitted part. Or I connect the carriages across the
ends or in or to any other part of the carriage.
3rd 1 make the main driving shaft sufficiently long to extend the fitting to two
or more machines, and the usual cranks and connecting rods. I use, to work with
the extended driving shaft, so as to give simultaneous motion to two or more
machines.
4th. I make two or more carriages, all in one casting, to obtain the same result of
two or more machines working at one operation, and I arrange them all in one line,
or in a parallel position upon one plane, or one more elevated than the other, when
the shaft goes through two or more machines connected by cranks and connecting

page_text: rods, similar to those used when only one machine is worked or when the carriages
are connected by rods or bridges as before described, the whole of two or more
machines are caused simultaneously to knit two or more stockings or articles at one
operation by one person turning or moving the machine, thus the machines would
be worked in duplicate or more, by one person.
5th. I reverse the clamps of the machine so as to clamp two machines in a parallel
position.
6th. I make a connection, uniting the two or more carriages placed in one line
from right to left, or connect or unite to any part or fitting upon the carriage, so
that when one machine is turned by wheel or crank the other two or more machines
work simultaneously by the connections and uniting of the carriage slide and cam
holder, and so produces two or more stockings or articles.
7th. To work two or more machines of the Griswold automatic cylinder system
knitting machine, I construct a frame to carry five bevel toothed wheels, four of
the bevel wheels are fitted in a horizontal position upon two short shafts. I make
a base upon which I make two uprights, with bosses at the upper ends, the uprights
are at the opposite ends of the base.
I fit a short shaft through each boss and at each of the four ends of the shaft, I
fit a bevel wheel, with the uprights and the above fitting they form two T's.
Midway between the two inner bevel wheels, I fit a fifth gear bevel wheel, and fit
it at the bottom of the base centrally and raised to the right height to gear into
and work with the two upper bevel toothed wheels. Thus fitted they form
a Ushape. The two outer bevel wheels I bring into gear with two or more of the
cylinder knitting machines, so that when one person turns the driving wheel of one
machine the two or more machines are caused to work simultaneously, and thus
two or more stockings or articles can be knitted at one operation. I also vary the
sizes of the bevel gear wheels to obtain different speeds of the cylinder knitting
machines.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Harrison in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
February 1883.
WILLIAM HARRISON of 69 Hyde Grove and 128 Portland Street Manchester in
the County of Lancaster Mechanic "IMPROVEMENTS IN HOSIERY AND STOCKING
KNITTING MACHINES"
The object of my Invention is to knit two or more stockings by two or more
machines worked at one operation, by one person turning a crank or wheel. My
improvements are made upon the Lamb system of hand Knitting Machines and the
Griswold Automatic Cylinder system of hand Knitting Machines upon both of:
which Machines the Stockings are fashioned.
My improvements upon the Lamb System consist in connecting in a parallel
position upon a plane, or one elevated above the other, that part or parts of the
machine to which the V cams are fitted which causes the needles to ascend and
descend and which part or parts are called the carriage or slide. The carriage or
slide is constructed to slide above the bed or below the Bed and which holds or
carries the V cams.
I make the connections by a cross bridge or rod, from one carriage, slide, or any
fitted part or I connect the carriages across the ends, Sheet 1 Fig. 5. 1ª or in or to
any other part of the carriage or slide to transmit the power from one slide to
another as shewn Sheet 1 Fig 5
I reverse the clamp of the machine so as to clamp two machines in a parallel
position Sheet 1 Fig. 5
I make a connection Sheet 1 Fig. 6 uniting the two or more carriages placed in
one line from right to left or I connect or unite to any part or fitting upon the
carriage or slide which propels or carries the cams, so that when one machine is
turned by wheel or crank, the other two or more sets of cams or machines work
simultaneously by the connections and uniting of the carriage or slide or cam
holder and so produce two or more stockings.
Fig. 4. Sheet 1 shews the stops which I construct and fit midway of the needle
bed. The stops are not confined to their present construction as the slides may be
worked vertically, horizontally or an eccentric may be turned backwards and
forwards, preferably I adopt Fig. 4. E E as the most simple form.
I construct the V cam slide plate Sheet 1 Fig. 3. B B. with joints so that the
cam plate can be turned up when out of action, or turned down when required to
be put into action, I do not confine myself to joints for this purpose as the end of
the cam plate can be made loose by making it slide up into position and secured by
pin or Screw and so taken away again. I preferably adopt the joint as shewn
Sheet 1 Fig 3 B. B.
I make the main driving shaft sufficiently long to extend the fittings to two or
more machines Sheet 1 Fig 5 Plan and by using the ordinary Cranks and
connections simultaneous motion is given to two or more machines.
I make two or more carriages all in one casting, or I fit four or more sets
of V cams to one slide or carriage to obtain the same result of two or more
machines, working at one operation and I arrange them unitedly to one slide or
carriage in one line and upon one plane Sheet 1. Fig 2 shews four sets of cams
A B. C D. Fig 3 shews one set of cams A A. A A. A. A, the centre V cams A*
on both sides of the needles which are opened and closed by means of stops Fig 2
EE midway of the needle bed which opens and closes the V cams Fig 3 A 2 by
coming into contact with the end slidestops F. F. all of which causes the four cams
to open and close and thereby two sets of needles are worked simultaneously and

page_text: so two stockings are knitted tubular, or by the ordinary change of the slide stops,
the machine will equally knit two ribbed stockings at one operation
Sheet 1 Fig 1 shews the same as Fig. 2. except that I utilise the length of the
Duplex Machine by cutting needle grooves midway of the needle bed and I fit
another set of cams Sheet 1 Fig. 1. Elevation 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6 and at the end of the
cam plates Fig 3.
Section B B upon which the V cams A² A². slide I make with a joint Fig 1. A. B. C.
which allows of its being turned up Fig I. B when the cams are out of action to
avoid striking the end stops when the centre cams are working the machine as a
single machine, and so when the centre cams are out of action, the jointed cam plate
is turned up Sheet 1 Fig 1-B to avoid striking the centre stops E E. Fig. 1 Section
and Fig 4 when working as a double machine. Thus two or more machines are
caused simultaneously to knit two or more stockings at one operation, by one
person turning or moving the machine so that the machine would be worked in
duplicate or more by one person. Sheet 1 Fig 1 Plan shews the six sets of cams
adjusted by A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I. J. K. L.
To work by hand two or more knitting machines, of the Griswold Automatic
Cylinder System Knitting Machines upon which the stockings are narrowed and
widened to the fashioning of the stocking. Sheet 2. Figs 7 and 8 Elevation A, A,
BB I construct a frame Sheet 2 Fig 8 Plan DD Fig 8 elevation E E to carry five
bevil toothed wheels. Sheet 2. Fig 8 elevation 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Fig 8 plan 14. 24. 3A. 4A. 5A.
four of the bevil wheels are fitted in a horizontal position upon two short shafts or
studs. I make a base or bracket upon which I make two uprights with bosses at
the upper ends the uprights are at the opposite, ends of the base or I make
horizontal brackets to carry the bevil wheels as shewn Sheet 2 Fig. 8 Elevation
8 plan. The two outer bevil wheels 1 and 5 I bring into gear with two or more of
the Hand Cylinder Knitting Machines, Sheet 2 Fig 8. Elevation B. B. so that when
one person turns the crank F Sheet 2 Fig 8 Elevation of the driving wheel FB. of
the one machine, the two machines are caused to work simultaneously and thus
two or more stockings can be knitted at one operation.
I also construct and arrange upon the same base or bracket Sheet 2 F. 7. plan C. C.
to transmit motion to a second machine by the gearing of four wheels as shewn
Sheet 2 Fig 7. Elevation Fig 7. plan of gearing 1. 2. 3. 4 and Fig 7 Plan Sheet 2
Fig 7 Elevation A. A shews two Hand Cylinder Knitting machines when the
crank F. B. is turned (by the arrangement of the four wheels between the two
machines A. A) the two cylinders 1 and 2 are caused simultaneously to knit two
stockings by the person turning the crank F. B.
Having thus described my invention and the manner of working the same I wish
it to be understood that I claim the following.
First. The application of stops midway of the needle bed for the purpose herein-
before described and shewn on drawings Sheet 1 Fig 1 Elevation E. E and Fig. 2.
Stops E E.
Second The jointed or loose end of the plate upon which the V cams slide for
the purpose as described and shewn Sheet 1 Fig 1 Elevation front A. B. C. and
Fig. 3. B. B.
Third The combination and application of six sets of cains fitted upon a parallel
carriage or slide for the purpose of knitting two tubular fashioned Stockings or two
ribb fashioned stockings at one operation by putting into action Sheet 1 Fig. 1.
2-5. 6. came and also using the centre cams Sheet 1 Figs 3-4. upon the duplex
bed and in combination with the other four cams, fitted upon the same carriage or
slide as a single machine, thus utilising the full length of the double needle space
substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn Sheet 1. Fig 1-1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6 one
section being shewn in Fig. 3. in combination.
Fourth The combination and application of four sets of cams fitted upon a
parallel carriage or slide for the purpose of knitting two tubular fashioned
stockings or two fashioned ribbed stockings at one operation as before described
and shewn Sheet 1 Fig 2. Cams A. B. C. D. in combination.

page_text: Fifth. The uniting of the carriages Sheet 1 Figs 5 and 6 14. 1. and as before
described.
Sixth The application of four toothed wheels, geared between two hand cylinder
knitting machines for the purpose of knitting two fashioned stockings at one
operation as before described and shewn on sheet 2 Fig. 7.
Seventh The use and application of five toothed wheels geared between two
hand cylinder knitting machines for the purpose of knitting two fashioned
stockings at one operation substantially as herein before described and shewn
Sheet 2 Fig. 8.
In witness whereof I the said William Harrison have hereunto set my hand
and seal this thirteenth day of February in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
WILLIAM HARRISON (I..S.)