Improvements in and relating to Circular Knitting Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 7th June, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 7th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 7th June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Circular Knitting Machines.
We, ANDREW ELWORTHY ADAMS, of Albion Street, Leicester, Hosiery Manufacturer,
and JOHN HALLAM of No. 75 Green Lane, Evington near Leicester, both in the county r
of Leicester, Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as:
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in and relating to circular knitting machines
or apparatus for automatically making welts and splicing by putting in an auxilliary
thread, or threads in any desired course, or courses either across, or partly across, or
part or the whole way round tubular knitted fabrics such as stockings, and other
articles of hosiery, and to automatically sever the auxilliary thread, or threads, when
the width required has been spliced, also to obtain an automatic interchangeable
motion to alter from 1 and 1, to any number of ribs, or produce in tubular fabric
a 1 and top in a certain number of courses upon the plain or ribbed fabric and a
welt at the end of the top, which will produce tubular half hose and the like, without
stopping the machine.
Also to make the welts at equal distances from each other by setting dogs in the
links of an endless chain at the points desired-the whole apparatus being set in
operation by the revolution of the machine.
We will describe the aforesaid improvements with the apparatus connected to a
circular rib knitting machine having a rotary needle cylinder for knitting tubular
fabrics, but it will be understood that the apparatus or contrivances can be applied to
other cylindrical machines; or reversible knitters, for the manufacture of tubular
hosiery.
In 'the machine to which our improvements are connected the horizontally moving,
ribbing needles are attached to the lower ends of jacks, or jack bars, their curved.
upper ends fitting to the head, and which rotate past the needle guide, during suchį,
rotation the jacks or jack bars come in contact with a cam that the needles take the
latch through the loop.
In making a 1 and 1 welt, we first put the dogs at the required distance on the
pattern chain and upon the dogs coming up to additional dogs upon the ends of a
lever, in the first course the ribbing needles are put partly out of action by the lower
end of an angular pivoted lever coming down the inside of the ribber arm drawing
one cam back and pressing the other cam so that the ribbing needles do not knit, the
inner vertical end of the angular arm being pivoted to the upper end of a link, the
lower end of which is pivoted to the inner end of an intermediate lever fitted at right
angles to the angular, or bent lever fitting in the ribber spindle, the outer end of the
said horizontal intermediate lever carrying a dog the point of which comes over the
top of the collar of the toothed wheel carrying an endless chain, the point being in a
line with the dogs set at intervals in the links of the chain. When the dogs upon
the pattern chain move over the surface of the collar of the toothed wheel they
come in contact with the dog upon the intermediate lever and the outer end is
raised while the opposite end is depressed this brings down the outer vertical end
of the bent arm pivoted in a groove in the ribber arm whereby the inner end is
caused to move outwards and actuates the cam to operate upon the ribbing needles
in making the welt, or tuck courses, the pattern chain is carried over a collar of a
toothed wheel, and has two rows of projecting teeth upon its periphery which fit in
each link of the chain to carry it round,-the toothed wheel and collar is mounted
on a short borizontal spindle carried in suitable bearings, the pattern chain is
moved by the toothed wheel being racked by a pawl pulling the wheel round from
its under side, the pawl is pivoted near the slotted free end of a horizontal lever
T

page_text: carried at the top of a short vertical spindle, the lower end of which carries a
second lever the free end of which carries a roller bearing upon an eccentric fixed
above the gear wheel by this means motion is imparted to the whole of the
apparatus at one time.
For splicing, by putting in an auxilliary thread or threads with the main thread,
and automatically severing the thread or threads so put in at any given point, we
place an additional horizontal intermediate lever upon the same spindle as the one
previously mentioned, and parallel with it, the outer end coming over the pattern
chain in a like manner to the other one, in a line with a second set of dogs in the
links of the endless chain, when the dogs come into contact the outer end is raised
until they have moved over when it falls again, and a trap lever falls on to the
auxilliary thread or threads, and by the revolution of the head, is immediately severed,
a fork is attached to the inner end of the second intermediate lever that when the
inner end is depressed it presses on the top of a short rocking lever which is held to
the fork by a coiled spring placed upon the vertical rod upon which the rocking lever
is mounted, the lower end of the vertical rod is cramped and bent outwards that
it fits in the slot in the free end of the horizontal lever, by this movement the
rocking lever at top of the vertical bent rod is reciprocated horizontally, and when the
lever is held down by the fork, the said lever strikes one end of a swinging carrier
which is mounted on a short pin, with an horizontal trap lever, so that every time the
end of the swinging carrier is pressed down, a stud in the side thereof lifts the trap
lever, to release the thread being fed into the yarn guide-and when the fork rises
with the inner end of the intermediate lever, by the dog at its outer end coming in
contact with the dog set in the endless chain, the trap lever falls on to the thread, or
threads put in for splicing, and all is accomplished automatically. The trap lever is
held down by a spiral spring attached to the front of the bent vertical standard
carrying the ribbing attachment.
"
To obtain the interchangeable motion for making certain needles inactive to change
from one rib to another that is to say from 1 and 1 to 2 and 1 or vice versa
or make every alternate needle in the circle inactive, or for 3 and 1 or 3 and 2, by
displacing one cylinder needle and bring into the vacant space an horizontal ribbing
needle, this is effected automatically by a slot being made in the intermediate lever
first mentioned and attaching a vertical rod or bar thereto that when the inner end of
the said lever is depressed the ends of such vertical rod or bar is moved that they
come in contact with the top of the machine and frame needles simultaneously this is
also regulated by the endless chain, as before stated this invention can be applied to
any circular knitting machine.
Dated this 21st dow of M... 1980
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Circular Knitting Machines.
We, ANDREW ELWORTHY ADAMS of Albion Street, Leicester, Hosiery Manufacturer
and JOHN HALLAM late of No.. 75 Green Lane Evington near Leicester, now of
Adelaide Buildings Albion Street, Leicester all in the county of Leicester, Mechanic,
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:
This invention has for its object the improvements in and relating to circular
knitting machines to which we provide an apparatus by the combination of which we
can successfully and automatically make welts and splice any part of the article by
putting in an auxilliary thread or threads in any desired course or courses either
wholly across, or only partly across, or partly or wholly round tubular knitted fabrics
to be made into stockings or other articles of hosiery; also to automatically sever the
said auxilliary thread or threads, when the width required has been duly-spliced; also

page_text: to automatically interchange or alter from 1 and 1 to any number of ribs, or produce
in tubular knitted fabric a 1 and 1 top in a certain number of courses upon the plain
or ribbed work and making a welt at the end of the top, so as to make tubular half
hose and the like without stopping the machine, or to make the welts at certain
distances from each other by setting dogs in the links of an endless chain, the whole
of the contrivances operated by the revolution of the machine.
That our invention may be well understood reference is made to the sheets of
drawings annexed in which:
Figure 1. is a front elevation partly in section of a circular knitting machine having
a rotary needle cylinder and horizontally moving ribbing needles attached to the
lower end of jacks or jack bars of the ordinary type to which our appliances are
connected.
Figure 2. is a side view in elevation of the previous figure.
Figure 3. is a view of an ordinary short, footed jack 9, and Figure 4 is a view of an
ordinary long foot jack.
Figure 5 sheet 2. is a plan view looking down from the top of the machine showing
the appliances arranged as hereinafter fully described.
The figures of reference represent the appliances forming the subject of our invention
while the letters of reference represent the ordinary parts of a circular machine for
knitting tubular fabric.
It will be well understood that the apparatus or contrivances in combination can be
employed with other cylindrical machines, or reversible knitters for the manufacture
of tubular hosiery.
In the knitting machine illustrated the horizontally moving ribbing needles A, are
attached to the lower ends of jacks, or jack bars B, their curved upper ends C, fitting
in the head of the machine D, and which rotate past the needle guide E, during such
rotation they come in contact with the knocking over cam F, so that the needles take
the latch through the loop of the knitting thread.
We will first describe the manner in which a 1 and 1 welt is made by our appliance,
we first put the dogs G, at their required distances in the links of the pattern chain H,
and upon each one coming up under the end of the welt lever 1, and raising the end
of the said lever the free end will catch against the taper cam 2, on the lower end of
the pivoted push back lever 3, by this movement in the first course the ribbing
needles A, are put partly out of action by the lower end of the angular pivoted lever 3,
inside of the ribber arm, see figure 1., drawing back the cain 4, and pressing the other
cam 5, so that the ribbing needles A, do not knit until the number of courses are
knitted and the welt is completed.
To make a 2 and 1 welt the levers 1, and also 7, are brought into action, the free
end of the lever 7, depressing the frame cam 8, upon the vertical spindle of which is
carried the coiled spring to bring the cam back to its original position when the
dogs G, have passed by, thereby displacing one half of the frame or cylinder needles I,
see Figure 1., but the displaced needles still retain their loops but do not knit the feet
of the jacks 9, see figure 3, are cut short to effect this and by means of the cam 8, are
lowered below the ordinary knitting race for one course only, in this course the
machine or ribbing needles A, are at the same time put partly out of action by the
welt lever 1, (as in making a 1 and 1 welt).
The combined movement causes the machine loops to be crossed over from every
other, or every alternate needle in the frame or cylinder, and at the same time that
the ordinary short footed jacks 9, arrive again in their regular knitting position the
loops are retained while the new loops are being knitted the machine needles A, are
simultaneously moved back out of their knitting position for any number of courses
by the push back lever 3, operated in the manner described until the welt is
completed.
By retaining the loops on the displaced needles instead of casting them off or
making a tuck course to fasten the welt the crossing of the stitches produces a welt
having a much greater amount of elasticity horizontally than can be obtained' by

page_text: casting off and tucking, and the stitches are thus securely locked and cannot be
run down.
To put the sets of levers in or out of operation we employ an ordinary pattern
chain H, carried over the collar h¹, of the toothed wheel 2, and having upon its
periphery three rows of projecting teeth ³, the other end of which carries the gear
wheel, which gears with another one h³, upon the second chain wheel ; the
projecting teeth h³, on each barrel fit into each link of the chain H, to carry it round,
the chain being held firm and balanced by the reels J, each chain barrel is mounted
on the small horizontal pins j, fitted in suitable bearings; movement is imparted to
the said barrels from the toothed wheel h², see figure 2, and is operated upon or
pushed forward one tooth during each course of knitting by the pawl 10, connected
to the pivoted lever 11, the lower end of which is secured to the bearing at 12,
attached to this lever is the horizontal lever 13, the opposite end of which is fitted
loose on the joint pin, 14, of the second lever 15, this is secured to the vertical
spindle 16, the lower end of which carries the lever 17, having at its outer end the
roller 18, which is moved horizontally by the eccentric cam 19, during its revo-
lution, thus causing the pawl 10, to push the wheel 2, to bring the chain round, the
claucker ; dropping into the teeth of the wheel directly it has been pushed
forward to keep it from moving back by the back pressure of the dogs in passing
under the levers.
By this means the whole apparatus is operated upon at one time.
For splicing or putting in an auxilliary thread or threads with the main thread and
automatically severing the thread or threads which are put in at any given point
we employ the horizontal intermediate lever 20, placed upon the same spindle as
the other levers and parallel with them, the outer end coming over the pattern
chain in like manner to the others and in a line with a second set of dogs placed
in the links of the endless chain H, when the dogs come in contact with the outer
end of the lever 20, it is raised until the dogs in the chain have moved over,
when it falls and causes the trap lever to fall on the auxilliary thread or threads
when they are immiediately severed; the inner end of the lever 20, comes on to
the head or if forked grasps the head of the pressing down spindle 21, which in
turn presses on the top of the short rocking lever 22, held to the lever 20, by
the helical spring 23, attached to the vertical rod 24, upon which the rocking
lever is mounted, the lower end of the vertical rod 24, carries the lever 25, to
the outer end of which is fitted the roller 26, the lever is cramped so as to engage
with either one or the other of the eccentric cams fitted above the mitre wheel K,
for splicing on either side of the fabric, the lever 25, being thus oscillated the
rocking lever 27, at the top of the vertical rod 24, is caused to be reciprocated
horizontally that when the spindle is held down by the fork or lever 20, the said
lever strikes the roller 28, at the outer end of the swinging carrier or slack thread
lever 29, mounted on the short pin 30, with an horizontal trap lever 31, so that every
time the outer end of the swinging carrier or slack thread lever 29, is pressed down it
engages a stud "not shown"
set in the side thereof which lifts the trap lever 31, and
releases the thread being fed into the yarn guide. When the fork or lever 20, rises
with the inner end of the intermediate lever by the dog at its outer end coming in
contact with the dog set in the endless chain the trap lever 31, falls on to the thread
or threads put in with the main thread for splicing.
The trap lever 31, being held down by the helical spring 32, attached to the front
of the standard or bed of the machine.
The interchangeable motion is obtained by displacing the short footed cylinder
needles 9, by the lever 7, acting upon the frame cam 8, which has been previously
described to take the short footed jack and needle out of the knitting path so that its
stitch is thrown on the inside of the fabric, by making certain needles inactive in
every other course of knitting to change from one rib to another for example to
change from a 1 and 1 ribbed top with welt to a 2 and 1 ribbed fabric, in every other
knitted course every third vertical needle is displaced in the frame cylinder by

page_text: setting the dogs G, in certain links of the chain H, while at the same time the push
back lever displaces the whole of the machine needles, thus making a 2 and 1 fabric
on the face, and a 1 and 1 rib upon the inside of the fabric.
To change from 1 and 1 rib to 3 and 2 rib three vertical needles are kept in the
knitting path while the next 2 needles all round the circle are lowered below the
knitting race in every other course, the machine needles in one course all being
thrown out as before described thus producing a 3 and 2 rib on the face and a 1
and 1 on the back of the fabric, by this arrangement any number of ribs desired can
be made on the face of the fabric and 1 and 1 rib still knit on the inside or opposite
face of the fabric.
We are aware that welts have been made and the needles displaced as in Mellors
Patent No. 3610 of 1881, and others, and also that a 2 and 1, 3 and 1, and 4 and 1,
selvage has hitherto been accomplished in circular domestic knitting machines such
as the American machines of "Bronson," "Blacklock" and others by transferring
the stitches by hand, and also automatically whereby the stitches are cast off as in the
Patents of "Caldwell" No. 3723 of 1881, and "Cooper and Blunt" Nos. 5998
and 5999 of 1886, and others which methods we do not employ.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:
In circular knitting machines of the character described the combination of the
aforesaid contrivances for automatically welting, splicing, and interchanging from
one rib to another in the manufacture of ribbed fabrics by the means substantially as
set forth.
Dattu vins on day on waren.
WILLIAM BESTWICK MAXFIELD,
"The Central" Patent Office, Bowling Green Street, Leicester,
Agent for the Applicants.