IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND " PRO
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Priestley of Bradford in the County of York,
Stuff Manufacturer for an invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Priestley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th March 1882.
THOMAS PRIESTLEY of Bradford in the county of York, Stuff Manufacturer
"IMPROVEMENTS
MACHINES."
IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN
KNITTING
The said invention relates to improvements in cloth knitting machines, whereby
I produce firmer knitted fabrics which cannot be pulled out or stretched in the
width as has been the case with those heretofore knitted or constructed and by
which means I produce fabrics having a better appearance and finish.
For this purpose I fit on the guide bar of a cloth knitting machine a carrier which
is actuated in a forward and backward direction on the bar by an endless chain
working over chain pullies which are secured on short shafts working in bearings
of frames secured to the framework of the machine; the endless chain is actuated
by one of the chain pullies which receives motion by means of bevil wheels worked
by gear driven from a shaft of the machine. The carrier is fitted with top and
bottom projecting pieces which alternately come in contact with a pin or stud
secured on the endless chain; this pin or stud, when it reaches the end of its stroke
across the knitting machine, drops from the top projecting piece of the carrier and
turns over the pulley, coming in contact with the bottom projecting piece which
brings back the carrier to the other end of the machine and, when there, leaves
the bottom projecting piece and comes in contact with the top projecting piece
moving forward the carrier on the guide bar; on the carrier is formed or fitted a
bracket having a wire guide and formed at the end with a twizzle through which
is passed the weft; the carrier brings the weft across the needles carrying the
warps and the carrier tightens the same. When the weft has reached the ends

page_text: across the warp needles, to force the same against the warp guides and to hold the
weft at each end of the traverse until the weft is retained by the warp guides and
needles, I employ an eccentric or tappet which is fitted on the cam shaft of the
machine, this eccentric or tappet actuates a lever formed with a bent up end and
to which is attached a rod on which is secured a small block; on the top of this
block is formed a boss in which works a T lever; the horizontal arm of this lever
passes and works in a guide cast or fitted on the block and the end of the
horizontal arm is fitted either with a small comb or a fork; in a suitable position
and in brackets secured to the machine, studs are fitted over and under the
horizontal arm
When the carrier has reached the driving end of the machine the eccentric or
tappet is at the top stroke which draws back the bar to which is connected the
block which brings the upright arm of the T lever in contact with the lower stud,
lifting up the comb or fork of the horizontal arm above the weft; the arm then
falls at the back of the weft and pushes forward the weft to be folded into the
warps and form the fabric; on the return stroke of the horizontal arm the upright
arm comes in contact with the top stud and again lifts up the comb or fork of the
horizontal arm over the weft and actuates the same in a similar manner to that
herein before stated.
The weft is wound on bobbins which are fitted on spindles secured to a frame
under the machine; the weft passes over a stud to give tension and from thence
through an eye in a lever working on a stud fitted in the top arm of an upright
lever the fulcrum of which works on a stud secured in a bracket fitted to the frame
carrying the bobbins; to the bottom arm of the upright lever is fitted a rod
connected to the belt fork and break; the other end of the lever through which
passes the weft is made with a hooked end which, when the weft breaks, comes in
contact with another hook formed on an upright lever having a stud which works
in a curved slot made in a cam or tappet fitted on the main shaft of the machine;
the top of this lever is fitted on a stud secured in a suitable position to the machine.
Should the weft break, the weft-lever hook would come in contact with the hook
of the upright lever working on a stud in the cam or tappet and come in contact
with the other hook and push out the lover connected with the belt fork and break
and stop the machine.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent and of an
Order of the Lord Chancellor filed by the said Thomas Priestley in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 20th September 1882.
THOMAS PRIESTLEY of Bradford in the county of York, Stuff Manufacturer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN KNITTING MACHINES."
The said invention relates to improvements in cloth knitting machinery whereby
I produce an improved knitted fabric of a new character which cannot be pulled
out or stretched in the direction of its width as has been the case with knitted
fabrics heretofore manufactured while at the same time my improved fabric has a
better appearance and finish than the knitted fabrics heretofore made. My object
is effected by passing or carrying across the knitting frame a thread or weft and
inserting the same through the fabric at the back and placing the thread between
each set of needles so as to fasten the longitudinal threads together and prevent
the elasticity of the fabric, producing firmer fabrics in the width with a better
appearance and finish.
"
For this purpose I fit on the guide bar of a cloth knitting machine a carrier
which is actuated in a forward and backward direction on the bar by an endless
chain working over chain pullies which are secured on short shafts working in
bearings of frames secured to the framework of the machine; the endless chain
is actuated by one of the chain pullies which receives motion by means of bevil
wheels worked by gear driven from a shaft of the machine. The carrier is fitted
with top and bottom projecting pieces which alternately come in contact with a
pin or stud secured on the endless chain; this pin or stud when it reaches the end
of its stroke across the knitting machine drops from the top projecting piece of
the carrier and turns over the pulley, coming in contact with the bottom projecting
piece which brings back the carrier to the other end of the machine and when
there leaves the bottom projecting piece and comes in contact with the top projecting
piece moving forward the carrier on the guide bar. On the carrier is formed or
fitted a bracket having a wire guide and formed at the end with a "twizzle
or made with a boss having a wire through which is made an eye through which
is passed the weft; the carrier brings the weft across the needles carrying the
warps and the carrier tightens the same. When the weft has reached the ends
across the warp needles, to force the same against the warp guides and to hold the
weft at each end of the traverse until the weft is retained by the warp guides and
needles, I employ an eccentric, cam or tappet which is fitted on the cam shaft of
the machine; this eccentric, cam or tappet actuates a lever formed with a bent up
end and to which is attached a rod on which is secured a small block; on the top
of this block is formed a boss in which works a T lever, the horizontal arm of this
lever passes and works in a guide cast or fitted on the block, and the end of the
horizontal arm is fitted either with a small comb or a fork; in a suitable position
and in brackets secured to the machine are fitted studs over and under the
horizontal arm.
When the carrier has reached the driving end of the machine the eccentric, cam
or tappet is at the top stroke which draws back the har to which is connected the
block which brings the upright arm of the T lever in contact with the lower stud,
lifting up the comb or fork of the horizontal arm above the weft; the arm then
falls at the back of the weft and pushes forward the weft to be folded into the
warps and forin the fabric; on the return stroke of the horizontal arm the upright
arm comes in contact with the top stud and again lifts up the comb or fork of the

page_text: horizontal arm over the weft and actuates the same in a similar manner to that
herein before described.
Instead of the thread passing through the eye or "twizzle" fitted in the boss of
the carrier, I sometimes find it advantageous to make the bottom end of the
carrier with two dropping down lugs in which are alot holes and through which
is passed a horizontal lever having one end made with an arrow shaped head and
the other with a bent down end having an eye through which passes the thread
or weft.
When the carrier arrives near the end of its stroke the arrow head comes in
contact with a bent guide which is secured to the frame of the knitting machine
and the head travelling on the bent guide forces out the lever and brings the weft
or thread in a position to be retained by the warp guides and needles and
allow the thread or weft to be folded into the warps; a spiral spring is fitted
over the horizontal lever to bring back the lever on the return stroke of the
carrier.
The weft is wound on bobbins which are fitted on spindles secured to a frame
under the machine; the weft passes over a stud to give tension and from thence
through an eye in a lever working on a stud fitted in the top arm of an upright
lever, the fulcrum of which works on a stud secured in a bracket fitted to the
frame carrying the bobbins; to the bottom arm of the upright lever is fitted a rod
.connected to the belt fork and break; the other end of the lever through which
passes the weft is made with a hooked end which, when the weft breaks comes in
contact with another hook formed on an upright lever having a stud which works
in a curved slot made in a cam or tappet fitted on the main shaft of the machine;
the top of this lever is fitted on a stud secured in a suitable position to the
machine.
Should the weft break, the weft lever book would come in contact with the
hook of the upright lever working on a stud in the cam or tappet and come in
contact with the other hook and push out the lever connected with the belt fork
and break and stop the machine.
In order to enable my invention to be better understood, I will proceed to
describe the same by reference to the accompanying drawing in which figure 1
represents a side view of a knitting machine fitted with my improvements for
passing or carrying a thread through the fabric and at the back of the fabric;
figure 2, is a back elevation and figure 3 a plan of the same; figure 4, represents
an enlarged view of the carrier and figure 5, a side view of the same; figure 6,
represents an end view of another method of passing the thread in the fabric and
figure 7, a plan of the same. Similar letters in all the figures represent similar
parts.
On the bar A of a cloth knitting machine, I fit a carrier B, which is actuated
in a forward and backward direction on the bar by an endless chain C working
over chain pullies D and D¹ on short shafts working in the bearings of frames
secured to the framework of the machine; the endless chain is actuated by one of
the chain pullies D' which receives motion from gear driven by the shaft E which
shaft actuates bevil wheels F, giving motion to the shaft F', and bevil wheels F²
(part of this gear actuating the chain pulley D¹ is omitted in the drawing in order
to shew the chain pulley and endless chain).
The carrier is fitted with top and bottom projecting pieces B₁ and B² which
alternately come in contact with a pin or stud secured on the endless chain C
whereby a propelling action is communicated to the carrier B on the bar A either
to the right or left hand side and according to the motion given to the pin or stud
secured to the endless chain. When the carrier reaches either end of the bar A
or the end of its stroke across the knitting machine, the part of the chain C to
which is secured the pin or stud drops from the projecting piece B¹ of the carrier
and turns over the pulley and comes in contact with the bottom projecting
piece B which brings back the carrier B to the other end of the machine and
when there leaves the bottom projecting piece B' and comes in contact with the

page_text: top projecting piece B' moving forward the carrier B on the guide bar A, thus
giving a continuous and reciprocal motion to the apparatus.
The bobbin G carrying the thread or weft H to be passed in the fabric is fitted
on a spindle secured in a frame fitted under the machine; the said thread or weft H
passes over a stud J and thence through an eye I formed in the end of one of the
arms of a lever K, this lever works on a pin fitted in the top arm N, of an upright
lever, the fulcrum of which works on a stud secured in a bracket fitted to the
frame carrying the bobbins G; the thread H from the eye I passes through an eye
in a guide B³ or through a "twizzle" formed on a wire fitted in a boss cast on the
carrier B; the tension on the thread H, keeps the hooked end of the lever K, up
and from contact with the hook of the oscillating lever L;.in the top of the lever L
is fitted a stud which works in a curved slot made in a cam or tappet M secured
on the main shaft E of the machine. Should the thread H become slack or break,
the hook of the lever K would fall and come in contact with the hook formed on
the lever L which would push out the bottom arm of the lever N and actuate the
connecting rod N¹ to which is connected the lever P of the belt fork and break,
thus stopping the machine.
The thread H after passing through the eye I and through the eye of the
guide B³ is passed or carried in the fabric in the process of knitting by the stroke
of the carrier as herein before stated and on the return of the carrier so as to
retain the thread and bring it in position above the warp needles R and be taken
up by the warp guides S and needles T in the ordinary manner; I fit on each side
of the framework levers U, working on fulcrums U', and actuated by cams,
eccentrics or tappets U2 secured on the shaft E; in the top part of each lever U is
fitted a rod V to which is secured a small block V₁ on the top of which is formed
a guide in which works a T lever W, the horizontal arm of this T lever passes and
works in a guide fitted or cast on the block and the end of the horizontal arm is
fitted either with a small comb or a fork and the lever W and rod V receive a
longitudinal action and in a suitable position and in brackets are fitted studs Y
and Y'. When the carrier has reached the driving end of the machine the cams,
eccentrics or tappets U' are at the top strokes which draw back the rod V and
which bring the arm W¹ of the lever W, in contact with the bottom stud Y¹
stopping the lever and lifting up the comb or fork above the weft releasing the
thread, the arm then falls at the back of the weft and pushes forward the weft to
be folded into the warps and form the fabric; on the return stroke of the arm W¹
of the lever W the upright arm comes in contact with the top stud Y and again
lifts up the comb or fork over the weft and actuates the same in a similar manner
to that herein before stated.
Instead of the thread passing through the eye or guide at B³, I sometimes make
the bottom end of the carrier with dropping lugs X having slot holes in which
works a horizontal lever Y having an arrow shaped head Z, and a bent down
end Z¹ in which is an eye and through which is passed the thread or weft H.
When the carrier arrives near the end of its stroke the bead Z comes in contact
with a bent guide Z³ secured to the frame of the machine; the head Z in travelling
on the guide forces out the lever Y* and brings the thread or weft in a position to
be retained by the warp guides and needles and allow the thread or weft to be
folded into the warps; a spring S3 is employed to bring back the lever Y on the
return stroke of the carrier.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed and carried out in
practice, what I claim is :-
Firstly. The manufacture of the improved knitted fabric which cannot be
stretched in the direction of its width like ordinary knitted fabrics substantially
by the means and in the manner described.
Secondly. The combination of parts forming apparatus such as is herein
described and used for placing a thread at the back of a knitted fabric during the
process of knitting in such a manner as to fasten the longitudinal threads together

page_text: and prevent elasticity in the direction of the width substantially by the means
and in the manner herein before described and represented in the accompanying
drawing.
In Witness whereof I the said Thomas Priestley, have hereunto set my hand
and seal this thirteenth day of September in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
Witness
WALTER JAS. TURNER C.E.
Patent agent.
Bradford
THOMAS PRIESTLEY (L.S.)