Improvements in Machines for Sewing Knitted or Looped Fabrics.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Feb., 1888
Specification Accepted, 13th Apr., 1888
Improvements in Machines for Sewing Knitted or Looped Fabrics.
I JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this Invention which has been communi-
cated to me from abroad by Quinquarlet, Valton & fils, of Troyes in the Republic of
France and in. what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This Invention relates to machines for sewing the selvedges or other parts of knitted
or looped fabrics with a chain stitch the fabric being impaled upon pins on a circular
frame or ring in the usual manner and presented to the action of a hooked needle
operating as hereinafter described.
This hooked needle constituting an essential part of this machine has its point
directed from the centre of the pin ring towards the holding pins or impaling needles
so as to act on the said pins from their base to the point and not from the point to the
base thus rendering it impossible to break the holding pins or impaling needles or
damage the divisions of the pin ring. The sewing needle is not provided with an
eyo as in ordinary machine needles but is of a form resembling that of a crotchet
needle.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents an elevation of the machine
partly in section.
Figure 2 is a corresponding plan.
Figure 3 is an elevation of a cam 0 operating the sewing needle as hereinafter
explained. Figure 3 also contains a diagram representing the development of a cam
surface or groove 0³ formed in the periphery of a cylinder forming part of the
cam O.

page_text: Figure 9 drawn to a larger scale illustrates a detail hereinafter explained and the
remaining Figures (4 to 8) illustrate the action of the sewing needle in various
stages of the formation of the stitch.
The two fabrics to be united being impaled upon holding pins X on a pin ring A
as in ordinary machines for uniting looped fabrics loop by loop, the first stitch is made
by bringing a hooked sewing needle U up to the pin carrying the first loops holding
with one hand the loose end of the sewing thread proceeding from a reel J and passing
through a tension regulator X and guide eye V so that the free end of the thread is
drawn obliquely over the hooked needle which is then moved backwards so as to draw
a loop of thread through the fabric. The first stitch being thus formed the loose end
of the thread may be released and the sewing proceeded with as hereinafter
described.
The hooked sewing needle partakes of two perfectly distinct motions namely. An
irregular reciprocating longitudinal motion in a direction parallel with its axis whereby
it is first thrust forwards and caused to engage with the loops of the fabric which
loops are successively presented to it by the holding pins or impaling needles on the
pin ring or disc A, and afterwards moved backwards so as to draw a loop of sewing
thread through the loops of the fabric and an intermittent irregular rotary motion
about its axis in opposite directions alternately. By combining these two motions as
hereinafter explained the hooked needle is successively placed in the five positions
hereinafter described and which are necessary to the formation of the stitch.
First position: Figure 4. Assuming that one or more stitches have already been
formed, this Figure represents the hooked needle U as having been thrust through
the fabric to its extreme forward position. This hooked needle presenting its barb or
hook upwards retires slightly so that the thread which is presented obliquely to the
needle being stretched between the fixed guide V Figures 1 and 2 on the one hand
and by the preceding stitch on the other hand is seized by the said hook or barb.
Second position Figure 5. The needle U continuing to retire describes half a
revolution by turning from right to left on its own axis and is thus placed in the
position indicated in Figure 5. This seni revolution must be completed before the
barb has entered the fabric so that the barb being turned towards the groove in
the impaling needle or holding pin is prevented from catching or dragging the threads
of the fabric.
Third position Figure 6. When the barb of the needle U (but not the point)
has emerged on the other side of the fabric in consequence of the backward motion of
the needle the latter describes a quarter of a revolution on its own axis turning from
right to left in order that the barb may not catch in the loop indicated at a of the
preceding stitch through which loop the needle now draws the loop & which it carries
in its hook or barb. The part e of the loop a is thus enabled to slide readily over
the smooth side of the hooked needle U.
Fourth position: Figure 7. When the barb of the needle has passed through the
loop a the needle rotates on its axis from left to right being in the opposite direction
to that of the previous rotary motion and thus describes half a revolution in order
to prevent the loop of thread from slipping off the hook when the pin ring A which
now advances to the extent of one division in the direction indicated by the-arrow A¹
Figure 8 causes it to occupy the position indicated in this Figure.
Fifth position Figure 8. In this position the hooked needle commences its
forward motion immediately after the movement of the pin ring A brings the next
grooved holding pin opposite the sewing needle U. During this forward motion. and
as the needle is in the act of passing through the fabric the needle rotates from left to
right to the extent of a quarter of a revolution on its own axis. The point of the
needle (but not the barb) being protruded on the other side of the fabric passes under
and slightly lifts the thread at d which proceeds from the fixed guide V Figures 1
and 2 so as to cause it to engage with the barb of the needle. The needle then
moving slightly backwards returns to the first position herein before described with
reference to Figure 4.

page_text: The parts by which the reciprocating longitudinal or forward and backward
motions of the sewing needle are produced are obtained from the cam O as follows:-
A cylindrical needle bar G, figures 1 and 2, slides freely in a support F and in a
bearing L, figure 9, supported by a lantern shaped frame H on a vertical shaft R.
A collar T is attached to the needle bar G so that the bar G can turn or rotate on its
axis without moving longitudinally in the said ring. This ring is connected to the
lever L which is centred at M, figure 1. and is caused to oscillate on this centre by
the action of the cam O acting on the lower extremity of the said lever the cam
being fixed on a shaft N receiving continuous rotary motion from a driving pulley Z,
figure 2.
The parts producing the intermittent rotary motions of the needle on its own axis
are produced by the cam groove O' as follows:
-
The needle bar G (figures 1, 2 and 9) slides longitudinally in its support F as
hereinhefore explained but cannot turn upon its axis except when operated by a small
bevel gear wheel E through the centre of which it slides in its forward and backward
motions being prevented from rotating relatively to the said wheel by a projection in
the boss of the wheel engaging with a slot or groove G¹, figure 1, in the side of
the needle bar G. Rotary motion is imparted at the proper time to the bevel wheel E
and to the hooked needle by a toothed segment D gearing with the wheel E and
carried by an arm D projecting from the lantern frane H on the upper extremity of
the vertical shaft R which is rotated by the curved or cam groove O formed in the
cylindrical surface of the cam O hereinbefore referred to and regulated according to
the curved line O¹ indicated in the development of the cam surface in figure 3. An
arm S fixed on the shaft R is provided at its extremity with a roller which works in
the cam groove O¹, figure 1, and transmits motion through the said shaft and the
Jantern shaped frame H to the sector D. This frame is so arranged as to enable the
axis of the needle bar G to intersect the axis of the vertical shaft R at right angles
and enables the bearing L of the rear end of the needle bar to be supported in the
said frame without either partaking of or interfering with the rotary motion of the
shaft.
The motion of the needle disc or pin ring A carrying the impaling needles or
holding pins X for the work is produced by a pawl or driver S, figure 2, on an
arm S shown in dotted lines in figure 2 fixed on the upper extremity of a vertical
shaft, figures 1 and 2, which is operated by a cam P, figure 1, on the driving
shaft N being attached to oue side of the cam O. The cam Pacts on a roller on the
end of an arm (not shown in the drawing), fixed on the shaft Q in such a manner as
to impart the necessary reciprocating motion to the driver S'. The nose or pawl of
the driver S' acts on the ratchet teeth on the pin ring A there being as many ratchet
teeth as there are holding pins or impaling needles X on the said ring.
The machine is also provided with a gauge plate K which prevents the needle U
from pushing the fabric off the impaling needles X and a throwing-off bar R¹ which
pushes the fabric off the impaling needles after it has been sewn. The reel J
containing the single sewing thread employed in the sewing is carried by a holder J'
and the tension of this thread is regulated by an adjustable or pivoted tension
device X', figure 2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1. In machines for sewing or seaming knitted or looped fabrics with a single thread
the employment of a hooked needle whose point is directed from the centre to the
circumference of the machine and which partakes of a longitudinal reciprocating
motion and of a rotary motion on its own axis in combination with the ring carrying
the impaling needles or holding pins as and for the purpose substantially as herein-
before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. In machines for sewing or seaming knitted or loopod fabrics with one thread the
combination of the hooked needle bar G, the lever and the cam O with the pinion

page_text: or bevel wheel E the shaft R and the cam groove O' all arranged and operating
substantially as and for the purpose substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In single thread machines for sewing or seaming knitted or looped fabrics the
combination of the needle bar G and the bearing L with the lantern_frame H, the
shaft R, the arm D' carrying the toothed sector D and the bevel wheel E all arranged
and operating substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in figures 1, 2
and 9 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 97th dow of Fab 1900