Improvements in Flat or Rotary Knitting Machines for Making Rib Tops and the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd July, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 20th Apr., 1894-Accepted, 25th May,
1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Flat or Rotary Knitting Machines for Making Rib
Tops and the like.
I, CHARLES HENRY ALDRIDGE, of Pinfold Gate, Loughborough, in the County
of Leicester, Hosiery Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
:-
The object of this invention is to provide arrangements for readily and quickly
altering and adjusting the stiffness of fabric in cases where fabric has to be produced
of different stiffnesses such as in "rib tops " and the like.
"
My invention is designed more especially for use in frames built upon the
principle known as "Cottons Patents" and where the cam shaft is "shogged
end wise in order to bring two or more sets of cams into use as required.
"
The apparatus will be best described and understood as arranged for a frame
where the cam shaft is shogged into three different positions, such as in a "rib top
frame where the cam shaft is in one position (say central) for the plain rib fabric
then is shogged (say to the left) for a
"slack course "and to the right for
the welt.
On the usual stiffness shaft place a suitable arm which I prefer to make fork
shaped so as to have two bosses on the stiffness shaft. This arm which I will call
the stiffness arm, is free to turn, or rock, upon the said shaft, and to the said arm is
attached a "truck" which I will call the stiffness truck.
On the cam shaft I place three cams side by side, one cam being used for
the plain fabric, one for the "slack course " and one for the "welt." The said
stiffness truck is kept in contact with one or other of these cams (depending upon
the position of the cam shaft) by suitable springs.
Between the two bosses, or in the fork of the said stiffness arm I place a short
arm which is fastened to the stiffness shaft, on the top of this arm I generally place
a vertical axle carrying a truck. Across the fork of the said stiffness arm and
immediately behind the said truck on the vertical axle 1 place a horizontal sliding
bolt. This bolt is provided with three screws placed side by side so that by
causing the said bolt to slide in its bearings the point of any one of the said screws
can be brought to bear against the periphery of the before mentioned truck on the
fixed arm, and they are kept in contact therewith by means of suitable springs.
The said screws are provided with suitable "star wheel" heads and springs.
It will be seen that as the sliding bolt brings one or other of the said star screws
into contact with the said truck on the fixed arm, the angle between the said fixed
arm and the stiffness arm will be varied according to the adjustment of the said
star-screws and the stiffness of the fabric produced will be adjusted accordingly.
To the said sliding bolt is attached a suitable fork. In this fork one end of a
lever is free to move, the other end of the said lever being suitably jointed to a
fixed axle placed at the opposite side of the cam shaft. On the cam shaft are
placed two collars (or one grooved collar) one on each side of the said lever, so that
as the cam shaft is shogged or moved to the right, or left, the said lever is moved
and one or other of the star screws is brought opposite the truck on the fixed arm
and the angle between the said fixed arm and the stiffness arm is varied as herein
before described. Thus, as the cam shaft is shogged and each of the three stiffness
cams is brought in order opposite to, and in contact with the "stiffness truck" the
corresponding star-screw is brought into action, and thus the stiffness produced by
any one of the three said stiffness-cams can be varied by means of its corresponding

page_text: star-screw without affecting the stiffness produced by the other said stiffness.
cams.
"
In some cases, as for instance when making "rib-tops it is desirable that a
" stiff" or ❝ strett " course should be made the course before the cam shaft is
shogged to make the welt. In this case the stiffness truck is caused to shog on its
axle (by the "pattern" or "peg" wheel or other convenient means) so as to run on
to the cam for producing the stiff course, but it is also necessary that the
corresponding star-screw should be brought into action. To do this I cause the
said stiffness truck as it shogs, to lift the herein before described lever (by means
of a suitably arranged bell crank lever) into such a position that it comes into
contact with a cam-piece on one of the said collars (which move the said lever when
the cam shaft shogs) and the said cam piece moves the said lever. By this means the
star-screw required is brought into action. Then in the next course as the cam
shaft shogs to make the welt, the stiffness-truck shogs back with it, so as to keep to
its proper cam for the time being, and at the same time the said lever drops back
into its place between the two said collars ready to again shift the star-screw when
the cam shaft shogs back.
Dated this 22nd day of July 1893.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Flat or Rotary Knitting Machines for Making Rib
Tops and the like.
I CHARLES HENRY ALDRIDGE, of Pinfold Gate, Loughborough, in the
County of Leicester, Hosiery Machinist, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide arrangements for readily, and quickly,
altering and adjusting, the stiffness of fabric, in cases where fabric has to be
produced of different stiffnesses, such as in "rib tops" and the like.
"
"
My invention is designed more especially for use in frames built upon the
principle known as "Cotton's Patents and where the cam shaft is "shogged"
endwise in order to bring two or more sets of cams into use as required.
The apparatus will be best described and understood as arranged for a frame
where the cam shaft is shogged into three different positions such as in a "rib top"
frame where the cam shaft is in one position (say central) for the plain rib fabric,
then is shogged say to the left for a "slack course and to the right for the
" welt."
"
On the usual stiffness shaft I place a suitable arm which I prefer to make fork
shaped so as to have two bosses on the stiffness shaft. This arm (which I will call
the stiffness arm) is free to turn, or rock, upon the said shaft, and to the said arm
is attached a "truck" which I will call the stiffness truck.
On the cam shaft I place three cams side by side, one cam being used for the
plain fabric, one for the "slack-course," and one for the "welt." The said
stiffness truck is kept in contact with one or other of these cams (depending upon
the position of the cam shaft) by suitable springs.
Between the two bosses or in the fork of the said stiffness arm I place a short
'arm which is fastened to the stiffness shaft. On the top of this arm I generally
place a vertical axle carrying a truck. Across the fork of the said stiffness arm
and immediately behind the said truck on the vertical axle I place a horizontal
sliding bolt. This bolt is provided with three screws, placed side by side so that
by causing the said bolt to slide in its bearings the point of any one of the said
screws can be brought to bear against the periphery of the before mentioned truck

page_text: "
on the fixed arm, and they are kept in contact therewith by means of suitable
springs. The said screws are provided with suitable "star-wheel' heads and
locking springs.
It will be seen that as the sliding bolt brings one or other of the said star screws
into contact with the said truck on the fixed arm, the angle between the said fixed
arm and the stiffness arm, will be varied according to the adjustment of the said
star screws, and the stiffness of the fabric produced will be adjusted accordingly.
To the said sliding bolt is attached a suitable fork. In this fork one end of a lever
is free to move. The other end of the said lever being suitably jointed to a fixed
axle placed at the opposite side of the cam shaft. On the cam shaft are placed
two collars (or one grooved collar) one on each side of the said lever, so that as
the cam shaft is shogged, or moved to the right, or left, the said lever is moved
and one or other of the star screws is brought opposite the truck on the fixed arm
and the angle between the said fixed arm and the stiffness arm are varied as herein-
before described. Thus as the cam shaft is shogged and each of the three stiffness
cams is brought, in order, opposite to, and in contact with the "stiffness truck
the corresponding star screw is brought into action, and thus the stiffness produced
by any one of the three said stiffness cams can be varied by means of its
corresponding star-screw without affecting the stiffness produced by the other said
stiffness cams.
"
This arrangement will be better understood by referring to the accompanying
drawings.
Figure 1, Sheet 1, shows the stiffness shaft together with some adjacent parts,
and its position and relation to the needles &c.
Figures 2, 3 and 4, Sheet 2, are three views of the arrangement herein before
described in its simplest form, and Figures 5, 6 and 7 are three views of the
arrangement as I generally apply it to a rib top frame.
The ordinary well known action of the stiffness shaft is seen in Figure 1.
A are the needles, A¹ the needle bar which is jointed to the needle arms A²
which are fast upon the shaft A³. A is the bracket or arm (commonly called the
"fork arm") which is attached at the top to the needle bar A and jointed at the
bottom to the needle bar handle A³. B is the pressing shaft. B' the pressing
arms attached thereto. B2 is the pressing cam on the main shaft C. The said
cam B2 acts upon the truck or roller B3 on the pressing arm B' to which the needle
bar handle A is attached. B is a spring connected to the lower end of the arm B',
in order to keep the truck B³ in contact with the cam B2. D is the stiffness shaft.
D' is an arm attached thereto. D2 is a pin fast in the end of the arm D'. The
said shaft D is caused to rock in its bearings by a suitable cam or cams (E³ E*
and E Figures 2, 4, 5 and 7 Sheets 2 and 3 and herein after described) in such a
manner and at such times as to cause the pin D2 to press upon the lower end of
the arm B (during the time that the thread is being drawn across or laid over the
needle stems) and thus prevent the truck B³ from following the cam B2 and thus
the length of loop drawn by the sinkers, and consequently the "stiffness of the
fabric produced is regulated by and according to the shape &c. of the said
cams E, E or E' as herein after described.
"
The special mechanism now to be more fully described is attached to the said
stiffness shaft D and it governs the action of the said shaft and consequently the
stiffness of the fabric as follows:-
Figure 2, Sheet 2, is a part section, Figure 3 a front elevation and Figure 4 a
plan and part section of the mechanism in its simplest form as adapted for a rib
top frame where the main shaft is shogged into three different positions, i.e. one
position say central, for the plain rib fabric then is shogged to the left for a
" slack
course and to the right for the "welt" or strett courses.
"
"
EE is a fork or U shape arm or bracket having two bosses on the shaft Das
shown. These bosses are not fast to the shaft D but are free to turn upon it. One
arm of the said bracket E carries an axle E' upon which there is a truck E.
Upon the main or cam shaft C, are three cams E E and E' side by side. The

page_text: truck E is kept in contact with one or other of the said cams by a suitable spring F
Figure 2, one end of which is attached to the bracket E and the other end to a
convenient part of the framing of the machine. Thus when the cam shaft C is in
its central position the truck E will run on the cam E. When the shaft is shogged
to the right it will run on the cam E³, and when the shaft is shogged to the left it
will run on the cam E.
Between the two bosses or in the fork of the bracket E is a short arm G which
is fixed to the shaft D. On the top of the said arm G is an axle G' upon which is
a truck or roller G. Across the fork of the bracket E and immediately behind
the truck G³ is a horizontal sliding bolt G³. This bolt is provided with three
screws G, G and G so arranged that by causing the said bolt G³ to slide
lengthwise in its bearings the point of any one of the said screws can be brought
behind the centre of the truck G. The said truck G2 is kept pressed against the
nose of any one of the said screws by a suitable spring not shown but which may be
attached to an arm placed in any convenient position on the shaft D. The said
screws G G and G are provided with suitable "star wheel" heads and check
springs as shown.
Now it will be seen that if the bolt G³ be moved endwise so as to bring either of
the said screws G, G or G into contact with the truck G2, that the angle between
the arm G and the arm or bracket E will be varied according to the distance
that the noses of the said screws project through the bolt G³ and these angles may
be varied by the adjustment of the said screws.
Fast to, or forming part of, the bolt G³, is a fork G'. This fork embraces one
end of a lever G (Figures 2 and 4). The other end of this lever works upon a
fixed pin or axle G³, which is carried by a fixed bracket G which may be attached
to any convenient part of the framing of the machine. Upon the cam shaft C are
two fast collars G and G2 (Figure 4) one on each side of the said lever G. Now
it will be seen that as the cam shaft C is shogged or moved end wise, to the right or
left, the lever G³ will be moved also.
By this movement the bolt G³ is moved endwise and one or other of the three
screws G, G, or G6, is brought into contact with the truck G2 on the arm G,
and the angle between the arm G and the bracket E is varied as herein before
described.
Thus it will be seen that as the cam shaft is shogged and the stiffness truck E³
shifts from one to the other of the three cams E³, E, E, the bolt G³, is moved
also and the corresponding star screw is brought into action, i.e. when the truck E³,
is on the cam E, the star screw G' will be in action (i.e. in contact with the
truck G, on the arm G). When the truck E³, is on the cam E, the star screw G,
will be in action and when it is on the cam E³, the star screw G, will be in action.
Thus the stiffness produced by any one of three stiffness cams E³, E, and E³, can
be varied at will by means of its corresponding star screw without affecting the
stiffness produced by the other two stiffness cams.
In some cases instead of having the star screws in the bolt G³, and the truck G'
on the arm G, I reverse them i.e. have the truck G2, on the bolt G³, and the star
screws G, G, and G6, in the arm G, as shown in Figures 5, 6 and 7, Sheet 3,
which latter arrangement I generally find the more convenient.
"
In some cases as for instance when making "rib tops" it is desirable that a
❝ stiff" or " strett
course should be made the course before the cam shaft is
shogged to make the welt. In this case the stiffness truck is caused to shog on its
axle (by the "pattern" or "peg" wheel, or other convenient means) so as to run
on to the cam for producing the stiff course but it is also necessary that the
corresponding star screw should be brought into action. To do this
cause the
said stiffness truck as it shogs, to lift the herein before described lever (by means
of a suitably arranged bell crank lever) into such a position that it comes into
contact with a cam piece on one of the said collars (which move the said lever
when the cam shaft shogs) and the said cam piece moves the said lever. By
this means the star screw required is brought into action. Then in the next course

page_text: as the cam shaft shogs to make the welt the stiffness truck shogs back with it, so
as to keep to its proper cam for the time being, and at the same time the said lever
drops back into its place between the two said collars ready to again shift the star
screw when the cam shaft shogs back.
This arrangement will be understood by referring to Figures 5, 6 and 7,
Sheet 3.
"
In this case the truck E* is caused to slide or shog on its axle E', in the
following manner :-A rod H, Figures 5 and 7 is carried in suitable bearings and
is acted upon by an incline on the "pattern" or "peg" wheel or by other suitable
means, so as to produce an end wise movement in the said rod when it is desired to
shog the truck E². Upon the rod H, is a fork H', which embraces the truck E³,
in a suitable groove as shown. On the rod H are two fixed collars, one on each
side of the fork H'. Thus by the endwise movement of the rod H the truck E
can be moved, or shogged, from the cam E to the cam E³. But when the truck E³
is running on the cam E³ it is necessary that its corresponding star screw G, should
be in action. This is effected in the following manner :-
The lever G8 is double jointed to the bracket G10 as shown in Figures 5 and 7 so
that it can be moved in both a vertical and a horizontal direction. The fork G7 on
the bolt G³, is extended upwards as shown in Figure 6, so that the end of the
lever G may be raised and lowered in it. A bell crank lever J is centred and
works upon a pin or axle J', which is attached to a convenient part of the
bracket E. The lever G8 has a fork shaped extension G¹³, on top of it (Figures 5
and 7). Within the fork thus formed one end J2 of the bell crank lever J is
inserted. The other end J³ of the said bell crank lever J is so arranged as to come
into contact with the extended arm H2 of the fork H¹, so that when the truck E³,
is shogged by the rod H from the cam E, to the cam E³, the end H2, of the
fork H, presses on the end J³ of the bell crank J, whereby the lever G, is lifted
into the position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 5. Upon the collar G", on
the cam shaft C Figure 7 is a cam piece, or incline G", which is so arranged that
when the lever G, is in its normal position the said cam piece G", will pass over
the projection on the side of the lever G8, as seen in Figure 7; but when the
lever G is lifted into the position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 5, the
incline G comes into contact with the herein before mentioned projection on
the side of the lever G8 (see in Figure 7) and forces the lever Go into the position
indicated by dotted lines in Figure 7; whereby the bolt G³, is shifted also and the
star screw G, is thus brought into action i.e. in contact with the truck G². Then
at the next revolution of the shaft C and as the said shaft C shogs to the right
(i.e. in the direction of the arrow Figure 7) the truck E², is caused to keep to the
cam E³ (where it was placed at the previous revolution) by means of the rod H
and the tork H. The lever G8 then drops back into its normal position between
the collars G, and G₁, so that when the shaft C shogs back into its central
position thereby bringing the cam E, opposite the truck E³, the lever G³, shifts
the bolt G³, and the star screw G³, is thereby again brought into action as herein-
before described.
In some cases when the truck E², is shogged from the cam E* to the cam E³, as
herein before described I cause the trucks on the ordinary needle arms to be
shogged on to their corresponding cams also. The said needle trucks being
shogged by forks worked from, or by, the rod H, Figures 5 and 7, or by other
convenient means.
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. In a straight bar knitting machine in which the cam shaft is shogged or
moved endwise and carries two or more cams for controlling the action of a stiffness
shaft which governs the stiffness of the work produced carrying the truck which is
to be acted on by these cams upon an arm or bracket which can turn or rock

page_text: loosely upon the stiffness shaft and is drawn by a spring towards these cams and
mounting upon this arm or bracket a sliding bar or bolt which is moved end wise to
and fro by the endway shogging of the cam shaft and carries adjustable stops to
engage with and regulate the action of an arm fast on the stiffness shaft sub-
stantially as described.
2. In a straight bar knitting machine in which the cam shaft is shogged or
moved endwise and carries a cam or cams for controlling the action of a stiffness
shaft providing a corresponding star screw or other adjustable stop for each position
of the cam shaft for adjusting or regulating the stiffness such stops being carried
on a bar or bolt which has an endway movement given to it by the endway
shogging of the cam shaft either equal to, less or greater than the endway
movement of the cam shaft substantially as described.
3. A straight bar knitting machine in which the cam shaft is shogged or moved
endwise and carries two or more cams for controlling the stiffness having the truck
which runs upon these cams capable of being shifted or shogged from one cam to
another whilst at the same time a corresponding adjusting star screw or its
equivalent is moved into and out of action automatically independently of the
movement of the cam shaft substantially as herein before described.
4. The combination of mechanism substantially as herein before described with
reference to Figures 2, 3 and 4 for controlling the stiffness of work produced.
5. The combination of mechanism substantially as hereinbefore described with
reference to Figures 5, 6 and 7 for controlling the stiffness of work produced.
Dated this 18th day of April 1894.
S
C. H. ALDRIDGE.