IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED OR KNITTED FABRICS."
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Cotton, of Loughborough, in the County
of Leicester, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED OR
KNITTED FABRICS."
IMPROVEMENTS IN
of Leicester, Manufacturer, for the Invention of
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED OR
KNITTED FABRICS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Cotton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 22nd December 1871.
I, WILLIAM COTTON, of Loughborough, in the County of Leicester,
5 Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF LOOPED OR KNITTED FABRICS," to be as follows:-
These improvements refer to machinery or apparatus employed in the
manufacture of looped or knitted fabrics, such as to the running on of

page_text: work, replacing broken needles, the straightening and setting of needles,
with a number of similar operations which may be performed with one
section of the machine whilst the remaining portion of the machine may
be at work so as not to stop the entire machine or apparatus, and this class
of machine is of great width, for the mere purpose of repairing a damage
arising or of replacing work on needles on one part of the machine. It
will therefore be obvious that a considerable saving is thus effected
together with much convenience in respect thereof, being so much more
convenient in the performance of such operations as those before
mentioned.
The needle bars are movable and are arranged in such wise that with
the greatest ease and facility in the least possible time a small portion
may be removed, and a spare one be inserted. The needle bars of this
machine instead of being all in one length the entire width of the
machine are by my improvements divided into a number of short lengths,
each length being attached to a frame separately and held in place at
the upper end by means of a groove, and held back to the frame by
means of a spring bolt, and passed upwards into the groove by means of
a spring acting on the lower edge of the needle bar and thus pressing in
into the before mentioned groove. Each bar is provided with two or
more handles.
The operation of removing one of these bars consists of simply laying
hold of the two handles and pressing down the bar, and at the same time
giving it one outward push at its lower edge and thus removing it from
its place, and the replacing of this bar is effected in a similar manner,
namely, by laying hold of the handles and pushing the bar down and
back against the frame, so that the upper groove will slip into the
projecting strip or recess of the frame, and the operation is completed.
The whole performance of removing and replacing of these bars
occupying a less space of time than a minute, and the remainder of the
machine may proceed with its work either with or without any recline
of such needle bars.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Cotton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 22nd June 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
COTTON, of Loughborough, in the County of Leicester, Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in
the thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Cotton, Her special
licence that I, the said William Cotton, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Cotton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED OR KNITTED FABRICS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Cotton,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Cotton, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say :—
My Invention consists in the employment of removable and change-
able needle bars in such wise that various manipulations may be
performed on one set of needle bars, while another set of needle bars

page_text: may be working in the machine; or one needle bar may be removed at
pleasure and be replaced by another bar.
may
These improvements are of great utility, such as the running on of
work, replacing broken needles, the straightening and setting of needles,
with a number of similar operations which may be performed with one
section of the machine, whilst the remainder portion of the machine
be at work so as not to stop the entire machine or apparatus. This
class of machinery is capable of working great widths for the mere
purpose of repairing a damage arising, or of replacing work on needles
on one part of the machine or on any part thereof. It will therefore be ]
obvious that a considerable saving is thus effected together with much
convenience in respect thereof, being so much more convenient in the
performance of such operations than those before mentioned.
These movable needle bars are arranged in such wise that with the
greatest ease and facility and in the least possible time a portion of them
may be removed and a spare one be inserted. The needle bars of this
machine instead of being all in one length the entire width of the
machine are in my improved machine divided into a number of short
lengths, each length being attached to a frame separately and held in its
place at the upper end by means of a groove, and is held back to the 2
frame by means of a spring bolt and pressed upward into the groove by
means of a string acting on the lower edge of the needle bar and thus
passing it into the before-mentioned groove. Each bar is provided
with two or more handles.
The operation of removing one of these bars consists of simply laying 2
hold of the two handles and pressing down the bar, and at the same
time giving it one outward push at its lower edge and thus removing it
from its place. The replacing of this bar is effected in a similar manner,
namely, by laying hold of the handles and pushing the bar down and
backward against the frame, so that the upper groove will slip into the a
projecting stop or recess of the frame, and the operation is completed.
The whole performance of removing and replacing of these bars
occupies scarcely any time.
Having thus set forth the nature of the said Invention, I now proceed
with reference to the accompanying Drawings to describe more fully a

page_text: Sheet 1, Figure 1 is a full size elevation of a portion of my
improved machine, showing the movable needle bar in its place when
ready for work; Figure 2 represents a transverse section of the same;
Figure 3 exhibits details of the movable needle bar and frame into
which it fits.
A is the movable (or removable) needle bar consisting of a plate, in
which the needles are fixed in the usual manner and having a groove or
recess at its upper edge. The needles are held in their places by means
of the plate B screwed or otherwise secured to the bar A by means of
the screws B2, B². C is a frame into which the movable needle bar
is made to fit. This frame has a groove or recess at its upper edge
corresponding with the groove in the needle bar A. C³ is a projecting
part on the bar A forcing a slot through which the bolt C* passes. C¹is
a spring fixed to the frame C and pressing upward against the lower-
edge of the bar A. C is also a spring fixed to the frame C acting
against the screw C¹ forcing it towards the frame C. B¹ and B'
represent two or more handles firmly fixed in the plate B.
The working of this apparatus is as follows:-When it is required
to remove the needle bar A the following mode is adopted, namely,
lay hold of the handles B', B', with both hands; press down the bar A
against the spring C³, at the same time giving the lower part of the bar
A with the hands an outward motion, and the result is that in pressing
down the bar A the recess or groove in its upper edge will leave the
corresponding recess or groove in the frame C. This being done will
enable the operator to lift up the bar A out of the ball Ct, and remove
it altogether away from the frame C.
The operation of again putting in the needle bar A is just the reverse
to that which has been previously stated.
I place the projecting slots C³ on the lower edge of the bar A over
the screw C, and force down the bar A by means of the handles B', B¹,
and give the bar A an upward motion or push with its upper edge, and
the spring C¹ will then push the bar A upwards into the groove of the
frame C. On leaving the handles B¹ loose, the spring C2 will force the
lower portion of the bar A against the frame C, and thus will firmly
hold the needle bar in its place and ready for work.

page_text: Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I declare that I claim "The employment of
removeable and changeable needle bars, whereby various manipulations
may be performed on one set of needle bars while another set of needle
bars may be working in the machines. Each needle bar may be t
removed at pleasure and be replaced by other needle bars.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Cotton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
Witness,
GEO. JON. ROBINSON,
Patent Office,
Nottingham.
WILLIAM COTTON. (L.S.)