provements in or appertaining to Circular Knitting Machines.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 30th May, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
Improvements in or appertaining to Circular Knitting Machines.
A communication from abroad by JAMES LAWTON BRANSON, of 506, St. John
Street, in the City and County of Philadelphia and the State of Pennsylvania,
United States of America, Manufacturer of Knitting Machines.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and 6 Bank Street, Manchester, both
in the County of Lancaster, and 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, 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 relates to certain improvements in circular knitting machines,
and, more particularly, in those devices termed sinkers or loop holders, which are
used in connection with such machines to feed forward or take up the fabric as
rapidly as produced and to prevent the fabric from rising and moving with the
needles as they are successively advanced to engage the yarn in the knitting
operation.
These devices consist, ordinarily, of a series of metallic plates or blades which
are constructed to slide in a plane at right angles to the line of movement of the
needles, or substantially so, being supported in suitable guide ways formed radially
in the outer surface of an annular bed surrounding the outer end of the cylindrical
needle bed, and reciprocated in such guide ways by means of a suitable cam.
These plates or blades are notched or recessed in their forward or acting ends
to engage the yarn; they are equal in number to the needles, and are so
arranged with reference thereto that one plate or blade works in each space between
the needles.
The improvements consist in a novel construction and arrangement of the holders
or sinkers, and of their supporting and operating parts, whereby advantages are
gained, as hereinafter explained.
Referring to the accompanying drawings;
F
Figure 1 is a plan view of the cylinders of a circular knitting machine embodying
the invention, part of the top of the cam ring being broken away in order to show
one of the pivoted cams therein.
Figure 2 is a section on the line -, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a partial section on the line y-y, Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a reverse plan of the part of the cam ring wherein the holder
actuating cams are pivoted.
Figure 5 shows one of the said cams, the set nut and its washer, all detached.
Figure 6 is a separate view of one of the loop holders or sinkers.
In these, .
A, represents the needle cylinder of a circular knitting machine. B is an
annular bed which surrounds this cylinder near its upper or outer end, being held
in place by screws or other means. The bed B has, in its upper side, a regular
series of radial grooves, or ways b, which alternate with the series of needle
grooves a² in the cylinder A. D represents the holders or sinkers, consisting
each of a thin angular metal plate or blade, the vertical limb d of which is
provided with a forward nose or finger d', with an upper notch or hook d, and
the horizontal limb d² of which plate or blade is provided with an up-projecting
lug d³.
In each of the grooves bis contained the horizontal limb of one of these
holders D, the lug on said limb projecting up from the groove into a channel e in
the underside of a ring E, which rests upon flange B. This ring is rotatably held

page_text: in place by means of lip or angle pieces F, which are secured thereto and take
under flange B, said ring, during the operation of the machine, being revolved in
concert with the cam cylinder by means hereinafter described. The vertical limb
of the holder D extends up beyond the inner edge of the ring E, and the forward
notched nose d' is guided in a radial slot or groove in the top of the needle cylinder,
as seen the upper edge of the nose being flush with the end of the cylinder, or
practically so.
The channel e is concentric with the ring, except at a part e', which is cut away
and provided with a pair of separate adjustable cams C, the construction of which
and their relation to the usual stitch cams are such that, just before the needles
finally descend to complete the stitches, the adjacent holders are thrown outward
so as to retract their hooks from the web; and, at the completion of said stitches,
the holders are successively thrown inward in order that the hooks engage and hold
down the respective stitches. In this inward position, the holders or sinkers are
positively held by the concentric portion of the channel e till a succeeding
revolution of the cam ring, that is to say, until the needles of the respective
holders or sinkers have reached the extreme limit of their upward movement.
The cams Care provided with the oppositely inclined forward edges c², for a
purpose hereinafter mentioned, the inner side of the ring being suitably cut away,
at, to coincide with these inclined edges. The outer edges of the cams extend
back beyond the inner edge or path of the groove e a distance equal to the
required outward throw of the holders or sinkers. These cams are pivoted at
points y on the underside of the ring, and are provided, toward their outer ends,
with vertical screw-threaded pins, which extend up through slots in the
ring E, and have, screwed on their outer ends, set nuts c, with interposed
washers c'.
By this construction, it will be seen that, by unscrewing the nuts, the cams C
may be moved on their pivots to any determined point within the range of the
slots, and secured in place by the re-screwing of the nuts, that is to say, the edges c²
may be moved toward or from the needle cylinder, then fixed at the point or points
of adjustment.
The outer edges of the cam ring E has formed or secured thereto, at a proper
distance apart, a pair of out-projecting lugs L L', between which extends the yarn
guide post P, which is, as usual, just back of the vertical medial line of the
stitch cams.
Now, it is evident, that, as the cam cylinder rapidly revolves during the operation
of the machine, the post P bears against the forward lug L and rotates, in concert
therewith, the cam ring; and, as the cams therein advance, the outer edges
of the leading cam abuts against and throws out in continuous succession, the series
of loop holders or sinkers, that is, the hooks of the latter are withdrawn from the
web upon which they normally bear, so as to permit the stitches to be formed;
whereupon the inner edge of the rear cam, impinging against the edges
of the vertical limbs of the holders or sinkers, returns the latter to their
normal position, in which they are held by the concentric groove e till a
succeeding revolution of the cam ring. Each and all of the holders or sinkers
is in this way radially reciprocated, in regular order, during the revolution.
The outer edge of the flange or ring is cut away at in the rear of
the cams C, to permit the outward throw of the holders or sinkers, as seen.
The distance between the opposite faces of the lugs L L is such that, when the
direction of movement of the cam cylinder is reversed, during the operation of
knitting the heel or toe parts of a stocking, the post abuts against the other lug L,
and thus throws the holder cams into proper relative time with the stitch cams, the
needles, of course, being at the outset temporarily disengaged from the stitch cams,
as is customary in such work.
When the edges of the cams C, or those of the holders or sinkers, or both, become
so worn as to prevent the proper action of the hooks upon the yarn, the defect may
be readily overcome by adjusting the cams, as aforementioned."

page_text: Another advantage arises from this adjustable feature of the cams C, namely, that,
by varying the inward movement of the holder or sinker hooks, comparatively
tight or loose stitches may be formed, that is to say, if the inward throw of the
hooks be increased, their points will bear against the yarn and thus draw
out the same, and enlarge the loops accordingly; whereas, if the throw be
lessened, the normal tight loops will be formed, the holder merely acting as a
"hold down."
As heretofore constructed, loop holders or sinkers, of the character mentioned,
were made straight, that is, their notched yarn engaging fingers were in or about
in line with the limbs d². This construction necessitated the placing of the
guide flange and the actuating cam ring on or above the horizontal top plane of the
needle cylinder, thus rendering it difficult for the operator to draw up.the needles
when required, as, for instance, while knitting the heel or the toe. part of a
stocking.
This objection the improvement obviates, in that, by providing each of the sinkers
or holders with the vertical limb, the cam ring E and sinker bed are located below
the top of the needle cylinder, as herein described and illustrated.
In view of the fact that the inner ends of the loop-holders or sinkers work
through grooves or slots in the upper end of the needle cylinder, and their
upper edges over which the yarn is drawn as the loops are formed, are flush
with the end of said cylinder, the holders or sinkers can be made of any
desired width within proper limits and have their inner or acting ends slightly
rounded; thereby obviating the necessity of downwardly curving such ends
as in those holders or sinkers which are located wholly above the upper edge of
the cylinder.
Moreover, by the present construction, finer and closer work can be produced than
is possible by the other construction referred to, for the reason that the yarn
extending between the loops, when the sunken cylinder is used, is much shorter than
when carried over the raised holder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination, with the needle cylinder provided at the top with grooves a²
and with the radially grooved bed B below the top of said cylinder, of the
needles and their operating cams, and the holders or sinkers D provided with
the notch and operative mechanism therefor, said holders or sinkers engaging
and working in the grooves of the bed B and the grooves of the cylinder, sub-
stantially as described.
2. The combination, with the radially grooved cylinder and bed, the grooves of
the two parts being in different horizontal planes, of the holders or sinkers
having parts engaging the radial grooves of the cylinder and bed, substantially as
described.
3. The hercin described holder or sinker having its work engaging portion
located out of the plane of the main body and cam engaging portion of
the same.
4. The herein described holder or sinker having the horizontally disposed main
body provided with the cam engaging projection d³ and the work engaging portion
located out of the horizontal plane of these parts.
5. The combination, with the angular loop holders, or sinkers, and their sup-
porting parts, of the cam ring, the cams thereon disposed with close relation to
each other, and provided with the oppositely inclined inner edges, and with the
projecting outer edges, these edges adapted successively to act upon said
holders or sinkers, together with the devices for independently adjusting said
cams edgewise and fixing them at the points of adjustment, substantially as
described.
6. The combination, with the needle and cam cylinders, of the holder or

page_text: sinker bed, the cam ring thereon, the adjustable cams on said ring, the
devices for fixing said cams at the points of adjustment, the loop holders or
sinkers provided each with two portions adapted to be engaged successively by
the opposite acting edges of the cams respectively, together with mechanism
adapted relatively to actuate said cam ring and loop holders or sinkers, substantially
as described.
7. The combination, with the needle and cam cylinders, of the holder or sinker
bed, the cam ring, the cams pivoted therein with close relation to each other, and
provided with the inner and outer acting edges c², the devices for fixing said
cams in their positions of adjustment, the angular loop holders or sinkers adapted
to be acted upon by said edges c² 3, respectively, together with mechanism adapted
relatively to actuate said cam ring and loop holders or sinkers, substantially as
described.
Dated this 26th day of January 1891
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant."