Improvements in Knitting Machines.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 1st May, 1888
Specification Accepted, 1st June, 1888
Improvements in Knitting Machines.
I, LUDWIG SUTRO of No. 127 Spring Street, New York, County and State of New
York, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 what are known in the art as straight knitting machines, or
those in which the needles thereof are arranged in straight rows, and especially to that
class which are designed for knitting flat webs; its object being to produce a machine
of this class which shall be adapted to the production of a fabric suitable for use as a
braid for ornamental or other purposes.
To effect this result, I make use of a set of horizontal and a set of vertical needles,
with an appropriate yarn guide for each, and combine with such needles cams for
operating the same, which are so constructed and arranged as to cause the needles of
each set to form the yarn supplied to them into rows of plain loops, and, to interlock
such loops with the corresponding loops formed by the other set of needles, in such a
manner as to produce a firm and homogeneous fabric, with the loops of one yarn lying
wholly upon one face and the loops of the other yarn wholly upon the other face
thereof.
The fabric as thus formed, while possessing novel features in itself, is not claimed
herein, but forms the subject of a separate application for letter-patent, filed even date
herewith, the present application being directed to the machine whereby such fabric is
produced; and, in order that the construction and mode of operation of the same may
be more readily understood, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings in
which―
Fig. 1, is an isometric projection of such machine with my invention applied
thereto.
Fig. 2, a plan view thereof.
Fig. 3, a view of the under or working faces of the cam bars, showing the form of
the cam grooves
and the relative arrangement of the parts of each with respect to the
parts of the other, as well as the several portions assumed by the needles during the

page_text: operation of the machine, said bars being arranged in the same plane for the purpose
of illustration, and
Fig. 4, a section taken on the line X X of Fig. 3.
In all the figures like letters are employed to designate corresponding parts.
A A are brackets or standards, in suitable bearings a a formed in which is mounted
the main drawing shaft B, the same being provided with a fast and loose pulley b
and 1, or other convenient means whereby its rotation may be effected.
CC are the needle bars having formed in each the usual grooves c c for the reception
of the needles d d which are fitted to slide therein. These bars are secured at their
ends to the brackets or standards and form therewith the main framing of the machine,
the former of said bars being arranged to support its needles in a horizontal plane,
and the latter its needles in a vertical plane, with the needle grooves in each so
disposed with respect to the needle grooves in the other that the needles of either bar,
when such needles are reciprocated, shall pass between the needles of the other bar
without interfering therewith.
The needles d d are of the ordinary latch form, and are each provided at the
appropriate point on their upper side with the butts d' as shown more clearly in
Fig. 4.
Resting upon the needles bars C C¹, are the cam bars D D¹, respectively, which are
held in the proper position thereon by the keepers e e secured to the needle bars, by
means of screws or otherwise. These bars are connected at their ends, so as to be
caused to move in union, by means of the arms ff, secured to the bar D, engaging
with the studs or posts gg, projecting upward from the bar D', and are reciprocated
back and forth across the needles through the medium of the rod D2 connecting the
upper of said bars with the crank D³, secured to the upper end of a vertical shaft D',
which in turn is mounted in a suitable stand or hanger D, projecting rearwardly from
the needle bar C, said shaft being rotated from the main driving shaft B through the
intermediary of the bevel gears D* D'.
In the under or working faces of each of these bars is formed a cam groove E,
with which the butts d¹ of the needles engage, and such grooves are provided with
both the usual V shaped portions E' and "knock over" depressions k, by means of
which the advancement and retraction of the needles, as well as the knocking over of
the loops, are effected. These ✓ shaped portions, instead of being disposed in such
relation with respect to each other as to bring their apices in the same vertical line,
are located upon opposite sides thereof, as shown in Fig. 3, in order that the needles
of each set, when their cam bars are reciprocated, may form the yarn supplied to them
into courses of plain loops, and interlock such loops with the loops of the other needles,
and so on.
Secured to the cam bars D D¹ respectively are the yarn carriers F F', through the
action of which the yarns m and n are fed to the needles, the carrier F, being employed
in connection with the horizontal set, and the carrier F¹ in connection with the vertical
set. These carriers are each provided in its outer end with a guide eyel through which
the yarn on its way to the needles passes and is guided, and also with a latch
opener, by means of which the latches of the needles are thrown back as such
needles are advanced to engage the yarn, and the taking of the same by them is thereby
.insured.
The yarns m and n instead of passing directly to the guide eye in their respective
yarn carriers, are each caused to travel through a guide eye o, formed in the outer end
of a bracket p, which is secured to the upper or outer side of such carriers; and, in
order that the slack in the same may be taken up and controlled at all times, the yarn
carriers F F are each provided with a take up lever H which pivoted to the upper
or outer side thereof, and is controlled in its action by means of a coiled spring H
These levers are each constructed with an orifice t in its outer or free end, through
which the yarn travels on its way from the guide eye o to the guide eye l, and when
unacted upon by the yarn such lever is nominally held by its spring in a position
.nearly at right angles to its appropriate yarn carrier. When however, any strain is
:exerted upon either of such levers, by the action of the yarn in passing through the

page_text: orifice in its end, it yields thereto, and its orifice approaches the guide eyes o and 1,
the amount of such deflection depending upon the measure of strain exerted by the
yarn. This deflection continues as long as any strain is transmitted by the yarn, but
ceases the moment that it is removed, and the lever returns to its original position,
taking up in such movement any slack that may be present in the yarn.
In order to maintain the needles in their grooves, and, at the same time, to hold them
back away from the cam bars, to obviate the friction incident to the rubbing of such
parts together as the latter are reciprocated, I find it convenient to employ the bars or
plates M M which are respectively secured to the faces of the needle bars CC' in
front of said needles by means of screw v vas shown more clearly in Fig. 1.
With the parts above described may be employed any of the well known forms of
tension and take up devices common to knitting machines, but as the same forms no
part of my invention, they have not been illustrated.
As thus constructed, with the yarns m and n properly threaded through the appro-
priate guide eyes o and and take up orifice t, and proper loops having been formed
upon the needles, the operation of the machine to form my improved fabric is as
follows:
Starting with the cam bars at the extreme limit of their movement to the left in
Figure 1, upon rotating the main driving shaft, such cam bars will, through the action
of the intermediate devices, be moved to the right. This movement will cause the
advancement and retraction of the needles of both sets, and the formation of a row
of loops upon each set thereof, which loops, owing to the advancing movement of the
vertical needles, as the horizontal needles are being retracted, due to the peculiar
arrangement of the V shape portions of the needle actuating grooves in the cam bars,
will be interlocked together, the yarn taken by the horizontal needles during this
operation, being drawn around the shanks of the vertical needles, as the former
needles are withdrawn, and cast off by such vertical needles upon the loops of the
horizontal needles as they are withdrawn, serving to affect this result.
The movement of the cam bars to the left reverses these operations, the vertical
needles being first advanced, and, in their backward movement, drawing the yarn
taken by them around the shanks of the advancing horizontal needles, which, in their
backward movement, cast off such yarn upon the loops carried by them, interlocks the
two rows of loops together, as in the preceding operation, and so on, the vertical and
horizontal needles in these operations alternately serving as sinkers for each other, and
the several movements resulting in a double fabric composed of two yarns each of
which is knitted into plain fabric and interlocked with the other.
I sometimes find it desirable to combine a weft yarn with the fabric as thus formed,
and for this purpose I make use of the weft carrier I. This carrier may be made of
any approved form, and may be mounted in various ways. I prefer however to make
it of the form shown in the drawings and to so mount it that, while free to travel with
the cam bars through a portion of their reciprocative movements, its motion shall be
arrested near the end of the stroke of the latter, in order that it may be in proper
position to lay its yarn between the loops on the needles during its backward move-
ment. To accomplish this result the carrier I is secured to the angle bar I', which is
preferable supported upon, and in frictional contact with, the front edge of the cam
bar D, with its ends so disposed as to be in line with the keepers e e, so that as the
cam bars are reciprocated, in the operation of the machine, the angle bar, with the
carrier, shall be caused to travel therewith until arrested by the ends of said bar
coming in contact with the keepers e e, thereby placing the carrier in position for the
return movement of said cam bars. Provision is thus made, not only for carrying the
weft carrier back and forth across the needles, but also for adjusting the same at
the limit of movement of the cam bars to place it in proper position to lay its yarn
between the rows of loops carried by the needles during the next succeeding knitting
operation.
While I have shown the best means contemplated by me for carrying out my
invention, I wish it distinctly understood that I do not limit myself strictly thereto, as
it is obvious that I may modify the same in various ways and still be within the scope

page_text: thereof; as for instance, instead of arranging one needle bar in a horizontal and the
other in a vertical position, I may, if I so desire, arrange them both at an angle to
the horizon, it only being essential that the two bars be arranged at an angle to
each other.
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. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, with two sets of needles
of a straight knitting machine, arranged at an angle to each other, and cams for
reciprocating said needles disposed with their apices in different vertical planes, whereby
the needles of each set are alternately caused to follow in their movements the needles
of the other set and act as sinkers for them, of independent yarn supplying devices
for each set of needles, devices for throwing back the latches of the needles when such
needles are advanced, and mechanism for operating said cams.
2. The combination as herein before set forth with a set of horizontal and a set of
vertical needles of a straight knitting machine, and independent yarn supplying devices
for each set thereof, and a weft carrier, of a cam for reciprocating each set of needles
arranged with their apices in different vertical planes, and mechanism for operating
said cams and weft carrier.
3. The combination as herein before set forth with the needle bars C C₁ arranged at
an angle to each other, the needles d d provided with the butts d¹, the cam bars D D¹
provided with the needle actuating grooves E which have the apices of their V shaped
portions disposed in different vertical planes, whereby the needles carried by each bar
are caused alternately to follow in their movements the needles of the other bar and
act as sinkers for them, of yarn carriers F F¹ having the eyes ll formed in their outer
ends, the latch opener 1, the take ups H H, and mechanism for reciprocating said
cam bars.
Dated this 20th day of Anmil 1000
DAY, DAVIES & HUNT,
321, High Holborn, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.