Improvements in Securing Sinkers or Web Holders to the Cylinders of Circular Knitting Machines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 28th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 28th Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Securing Sinkers or Web Holders to the Cylinders
of Circular Knitting Machines.
I LOUIS NAPOLEON DEVON WILLIAMS of 2079 East Cumberland Street in
the City of Philadelphia State of Pennsylvania United States of America Manu-
facturer of Knitting Machinery do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
My invention relates to knitting machine needle cylinders, which have sinkers or
web holders secured thereto around the top, these sinkers or web holders
alternating with the needles and consisting of steel bits let into vertical grooves or
slots around the top of the cylinder, the bits when intended to serve as web
holders, being hooked so as to catch and retain the web as the needles rise.
My invention relates especially to cylinders of large size such as Balmoral"
cylinders, having a large number of such sinkers or web holders, which for
convenience I will hereinafter simply term "bits."
The object of my invention is to provide for securing the bits to the needle
cylinder with greater accuracy and at less expense than heretofore.
The bits usually employed in connection with the needle cylinder of a knitting
machine are ordinarily let into grooves or slots formed in the cylinder between
the needles, the bits being generally secured in these grooves or slots by soldering
or brazing.
This method of securing the bits is objectionable because, in the first place,
great care must be exercised in fitting the same so as to have them uniform, and,
furthermore, because the excess of solder must be very carefully cleaned from the
cylinder before the latter is in condition for being put to work, and in cylinders of
large size having a great number of bits this cleaning operation is tedious and
expensive.
According to my invention with the view of overcoming these objections, I form
in the cylinder below the top of the same a circumferential groove which can be
produced by turning in the lathe so that it is absolutely accurate, that is to say, all
portions of the base of the groove are equi-distant from the axial line of the
cylinder, and the width of the groove is the same throughout.
Each of the bits is formed with a base portion adapted to be seated in this groove
so that when these base portions are so seated in the groove and are rigidly
confined therein the upper ends of the bits must necessarily all bear precisely the
same relation to the upper edge of the needle cylinder, it being understood that the
bits are produced by machinery so that they are all alike.
As the vertical and radial position of the bits is therefore determined wholly by
the groove in the needle cylinder, the slotted portions of said cylinder above the
groove simply serve to properly separate the bits, hence the slots can be made so
deep that the bits will not come in contact with the bottoms of the slots, and the
latter will not interfere with the firm seating of the bases of the bits in the groove.
I prefer to confine the bits radially by means of a metal band shrunk into
position around the series of bits so as to rigidly retain the latter, although the
band may, if desired, be forced vertically over the bits after the latter have been
properly adjusted.
Other means than the surrounding ring may, however, be adopted for securing
the bits in place. For instance the bases of the bits are dovetailed and the lower
portion of the groove formed in the needle cylinder is undercut for the reception of
the lower bevelled portion of each base, the upper portion of the dove tail being
engaged in an undercut groove formed in a ring secured to the top of the needle

page_text: cylinder so that downward pressure upon this ring serves not only to vertically
confine the bits but also to draw them inwards and thus cause them to seat them-
selves firmly against the base of the.groove.
When this plan of securing the bits is adopted it is preferable also to form the
slots in the ring as the construction of the upper portion of the cylinder is thus
materially cheapened and simplified:
The use of the surrounding ring for securing the bits is, however, preferred, and
this ring may if desired be used to secure bits simply let into the grooves or slots in
the cylinder, a shoulder being by preference provided on the cylinder, below the
grooved portion of the same, to serve as a vertical stop for the bits and insure their
proper vertical alignment without the exercise of any special. care.
An external shoulder may also be formed on each bit so as to serve as a stop for.
the ring and prevent any rise of the bits on the cylinder.
Dated this 28th day of March 1892.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co., .
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Securing Sinkers or Web Holders to the Cylinders
of Circular Knitting Machines.
I, LOUIS NAPOLEON DEVON WILLIAMS of 2,079 East Cumberland Street in
the City of Philadelphia State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Manu-
facturer of Knitting Machinery, 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 :-
My invention relates to knitting machine needle cylinders; which have sinkers or
web holders rigidly secured thereto around the top these sinkers or; web holders
alternating with the needles and consisting of steel bits let into vertical grooves or
slots around the top of the cylinder, the bits when intended to serve as web holders,
being hooked so as to catch and retain the web as the needles rise.
My invention relates especially to cylinders of large size such as "Balmoral "
cylinders, having a large number of such sinkers or web holders, which for con-
venience I will hereinafter simply term "bits."
The object of my invention is to provide for rigidly securing the bits to the needle
cylinder with greater accuracy and at less expense than heretofore, an object which
I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accom-
panying drawing, in which-
Figure 1, is a longitudinal section of a knitting machine cylinder having bits
secured thereto in accordance with my invention;
Figure 2, is a sectional plan view of part of the cylinder the section being taken
on the line 1-2, Figure 1; and
Figure 3, is a longitudinal section illustrating a modification of the invention.
The hits usually employed in connection with the needle cylinder of a knitting
machine are ordinarily let into grooves or slots formed in the cylinder between the
needles, the bits being generally secured in these grooves or slots by soldering or
brazing.
This method of securing the bits is objectionable because, great care must be
exercised in fitting the same so as to have them uniform, and, further, because the
excess of solder must be very carefully cleaned. from the cylinder before the
latter is in condition for being put to work, and in cylinders of large size
having a great number of bits this cleaning operation is tedious and expensive.
In carrying out my invention with the view of overcoming these objections, I
preferably proceed as follows:-I first form in the cylinder below the top of the
same a circunferential groove a which should be produced by turning in the lathe
so that it is absolutely accurate, that is to say, so that all portions of the base of

page_text: the groove are equi-distant from the axial line of the cylinder, and the width of the
groove is the same throughout.
Each of the bits is formed with a base portion d adapted to be seated in this
groove so that when these base portions are so seated in the groove, and are rigidly
confined therein, the upper ends of the bits must necessarily all bear precisely the
same relation to the upper edge of the needle cylinder, it being understood that the
bits should be produced by machinery so that they are all alike.
As the vertical and radial position of the bits is therefore determined wholly by
the groove in the needle cylinder, the slotted portions of the said cylinder above
the groove simply serve to properly separate the bits, hence the slots can be made
so deep that the bits will not come in contact with the bottoms of the said slots, and
the said slots will not interfere with the firm seating of the bases of the bits in the
groove a.
I prefer to confine the bits radially by means of a metal band shrunk into
position around the series of bits so as to rigidly retain the latter, although the
band may, if desired, be forced vertically over the bits after the latter have been
properly adjusted.
The ring may, if desired, be used to secure bits simply let into the grooves or
slots in the cylinder, as shown in Figure 3, for instance, a shoulder i being by
preference provided on the cylinder, below the grooved portion of the same, to
serve as a vertical stop for the bits and insure their proper vertical alignment
without the exercise of any special care.
An external shoulder m may also be formed on each bit so as to serve as a stop
for the ring and prevent any rise of the bits on the cylinder.
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. A knitting machine needle cylinder having vertical slots around its upper por-
tion, bits adapted to the said slots, and a ring or band surrounding the said bits and
serving to press them inward so as to rigidly secure them in position, substantially
as herein before described.
2. A knitting machine needle cylinder having vertical slots around the upper
end, bits adapted to the said slots, and a ring or band shrunk upon the series of bits
and serving to press them inwardly so as to rigidly secure them in position, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described.
3. A knitting machine needle cylinder having vertical slots around its upper end,
a shoulder below the said slots, bits adapted to the slots and supported upon the
said shoulder, and a ring or band surrounding the series of bits and serving to press
them inward so as to rigidly secure them in position, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
4. A knitting machine needle cylinder having vertical slots around its upper end,
a shoulder below the said slots, bits adapted to the slots and each having an
external shoulder, and a ring or band surrounding the said bits and bearing upon
the shoulders thereof, the said ring serving to press the bits inward so as to rigidly
secure them in position, substantially as hereinbefore described.
5. A knitting machine needle cylinder having vertical slots around its upper end,
a circumferential groove below the said slots, bits adapted to be retained laterally
by the said slots and having bases seated in the said groove, and a ring or band
surrounding the series of bits and serving to press the bits inward so as to rigidly
> secure them in position, substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 28th day of December 1892.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
Agents.