IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED OR KNITTED FABRICS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Coltman, of the Firm of Gimson and
Coltman, of the Town of Leicester, in the County of Leicester,
Machinists, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED OR KNITTED
FABRICS."
Sealed the 29th June 1875, and dated the 3rd May 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Coltman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd May 1875.
I, THOMAS COLTMAN, of the Firm of Gimson and Coltman, of the
Town of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Machinists, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED OR KNITTED FABRICS,"
to be as follows.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Coltman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd May 1875.
I, THOMAS COLTMAN, of the Firm of Gimson and Coltman, of the
Town of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Machinists, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED OR KNITTED FABRICS,"
to be as follows:
The apparatus is applicable to machines for manufacturing looped or
knitted more particularly described in the Specification of a Patent

page_text: granted to me for improvements in machinery or apparatus employed
in the manufacture of looped or knitted fabrics, dated January 7th, 1870,
and numbered 62, and sealed the 5th July 1870.
In addition to and instead of certain parts of such machine I employ
apparatus working in conjunction with it as follows:-I place at one
end of the machine a studded and grooved drum, the studs upon which
throw in the thread guides, and the grooves put in action the needle
selecting cylinders, which are constructed as follows:-There are two
shafts, which extend the length of the machine, one shaft forming the
axle of the cylinders for selecting the horizontal needles, the other the
axle of the cylinders for selecting the vertical needles, and upon one end
of each axle I employ a worm wheel to operate the stops governing
the thread guides at the selvages, or I may employ sliding bars having
cam grooves to operate the stops, the said bars being moved alternately
by a worm wheel or a grooved wheel. Each selecting cylinder has three
or more flanges; each flange has as many saw gates in its circumference
as there are courses required in the article to be manufactured. In
these saw gates peculiar shaped plates slide, one such plate being
projected at each course by an incline at each end, the rest of the
plates being securely held by a ring or rim at each end, which enclose
them.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Coltman in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 3rd November 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
COLTMAN, of the Firm of Gimson and Coltman, of the Town of Leicester,
in the County of Leicester, Machinists, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Thomas Coltman, Her special licence, that
I, the said Thomas Coltman, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Thomas Coltman, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,

page_text: from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED OR KNITTED FABRICS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Coltman,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Coltman, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings forming a part of this Specification :-
The apparatus is applicable to machines for manufacturing looped or
knitted fabrics, more particularly described in the Specification of a
Patent granted to me for Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus
employed in the Manufacture of Looped or Knitted Fabrics, dated
January 7th, 1870, and numbered 62, and sealed the 5th July 1870.
In addition to and instead of certain parts of such machine I employ
apparatus working in conjunction with it as follows:-I place at one
end of the machine a studded and grooved drum, the studs upon which
throw in the thread guides, and the grooves put in action the needle
selecting cylinders, which are constructed as follows:-There are two
shafts, which extend the length of the machine, one shaft forming the
axle of the cylinders for selecting the horizontal needles, the other the
axle of the cylinders for selecting the vertical needles, and upon one end.
of each axle I employ a worm wheel to operate the stops governing
the thread guides at the selvages, or I may employ sliding bars having
cam grooves to operate the stops, the said bars being moved alternately
by a worm wheel or a grooved wheel. Each selecting cylinder has three
or more flanges; each flange has as many saw gates in its circumference
as there are courses required in the article to be manufactured. In
these saw gates peculiar shaped plates slide, one such plate being

page_text: projected at each course by an incline at each end, the rest of the
plates being securely held by a ring or rim at each end, which enclose
them.
The object of these improvements consist in constructing a machine
for the manufacture of fashioned circular looped fabrics or fashioned
selvaged looped fabrics. The general arrangement of the machine is
the same as that described in the Specification of a Patent granted to
me for Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus employed in the
Manufacture of Looped or Knitted Fabrics, dated January 7th, 1870,
and numbered 62, and scaled 5th July 1870.
In addition to and instead of certain parts of such machine I employ
apparatus working in conjunction with it as follows:-I place at one
end of the machine a studded and grooved drum, the studs upon which
throw in the thread guides, and the grooves put in action the needle
selecting cylinders. I employ a grooved cam to operate the stops
governing the thread guides.

page_text: which rocks a lever D', to which is secured a bearing bracket D², in
which a bar slides. This bar is provided on its inner side with an
inclined stud D³ and a number of pins D', between which a worm F on
the right end of the drum passes. The upper end of the lever D¹ has
an axle secured in it, which carries the front end of a lever D slotted at
its back end, in which the axle of the lower end of a link D is capable
of being adjusted: The upper end of this, link is hinged to the back of
the bearing bracket of the thread guide slides E, seen in section at
Figure 3. On the right side of the lever D a stud projects, through
which is passed a set screw D' capable of adjustment. This screw rests
upon the standard when the inclined stud D³ lies upon the surface of
the drum. The lever D5 has a stud on its lower side, which rests upon
one or other of the three steps of a plate secured to the standard, which
serves to keep the thread guide slides in position until a fresh selection
is made.
The thread guides are placed by the operation of the drum and studs
as follows:-When the inclined stud D³ rests upon the surface of the
drum the back carrier E³ will be thrown forward, so as to feed its thread
to the horizontal needles as it traverses either way, the projections near
the lower end of the guide preventing the latches of the needles closing
until they have secured the thread. A front view of this guide is shewn
at Figure 16. When the inclined stud rests upon either of the lowest
studs, as shewn in Figure 2, the central carrier E will feed its thread to
the vertical needles only as it moves from right to left, the thread being
delivered from the highest part of the inclined slot, as seen, to the right
of Figure 15, which is a front view of the carrier E, and when the same
carrier is moving from left to right it will feed the horizontal needles
only, the thread being then delivered from the lowest portion of the slot,
as shewn by a dotted line at Figure 15, the breadth of the guide and the
quarter twist given to the lower end of it effectually preventing the
latches closing until the needles have secured their thread. During the
traverse of the guide either way, and when the inclined stud rests upon
either of the highest studs, the front carrier E', which is of the same
shape as the central carrier, will feed both series of needles alternately
in like manner to the central one, but with a thread of another
colour.
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page_text: an arm F secured on its outer end. The upper end of this arm lies
between two studs on the under side of a bar F2 sliding in bearings
secured to the front of a frame F³, which rocks on an axle carried by a
double ended bracket F* secured to the standard. The frame F is
prevented from dropping too low by an arm F5 secured to its back, and
resting upon an adjustable stud in a bracket F, which may be secured
to the cop rail bracket or to the standard. The frame F has an arm F
secured on its left side at the front, which when in the position shewn
at Figure 2 presses upon a cam plate secured to an angled lever G
rocking upon an axle in two studs at the back of an arm G¹ secured to
the bed of the machine. To the back of the arm G' is secured a short
bracket carrying an axle, upon which a driver G rocks. The back end
of the angled lever carries a stop plate G³, and to the front of the
frame ³ is secured a stop plate G'. The upper end of the double ended
bracket F carries an axle for a driver H. When the frame F³ is in the
position shown at Figures 1 and 2 the stop plates G³ and G* hold the
drivers G and H clear of the respective ratchet wheels they operate, but
are thrown in position for racking the said wheels, when an inclined
stud FS secured to the under side of the sliding bar F drops into any
slot in the drum D, the drivers continueing to operate the wheels until
the inclined stud rises out of the slot. Whilst in operation certain
selecting cylinders (referred to hereafter) are revolving, the front
cylinder being moved up and down, and the back cylinder in and out at
every course alternately by a stud wheel also referred to hereafter.
The studded and grooved drum D is large enough for making long
patterns according to the number of studs employed and grooves cut
therein. There is a set screw D³ carried by a stud at the right end of
the sliding pin bar; this screw is adjusted according to the length of
pattern, and when the requisite length of pattern is reached by the
revolution of the drum the set screw pressing upon a swinging lever D°
carried by an axle in a bracket secured to the lever D¹ places the
inclined end of the lever D' exactly over the outer end of the worm F,
which as it revolves forces outward the lever D¹ and pin slide clear of
the worm, the slide being drawn into the position shewn at Figure 1 by
a weight and cord attached to it. The outward movement of the lever D¹,
by means of a slotted link D hinged to the arm F³, lifts the frame F³
and inclined stud F8 clear of the studs on the drum, the slide F2 and
stud being slid to the right by the arm F' on the outer end of the pin
slide ready to repeat the pattern.

page_text: The drivers G² and H operate respectively the ratchet worm wheels I
and K, the worm wheel I gearing into a toothed wheel secured on the
left end of a shaft L in front of the vertical sleys, and the worm wheel K
gearing into a toothed wheel on the left end of a shaft M at the back of
the horizontal sleys. The lower side of the worm wheel K is shewn at
Figure 9. Each of the shafts L and M are provided with selecting
cylinders, there being one such cylinder in front of each vertical needle
bit sley having 36 slots in each flange, and one such cylinder at the
back of each horizontal needle bit sley having 70 slots in each flange;
these cylinders are shewn in the sectional view, Figure 3, and a front
view of one of the front cylinders, a front sley, and a portion of the
front incline bars at Figure 6. The cylinder axles revolves in bearings L¹
secured to their respective axle bars L³ carried by bearing brackets L³
screwed to the machine bed; the cylinders are fast on their axles and
revolve with them; at each end of a cylinder a grooved plate L* is held
by a bracket L', but does not revolve with the cylinder; each grooved
plate is slotted radially; in this slot a recessed bit L' provided with a pin
which projects through a slot in the grooved plate L' and also into the
slot of a tumbler lever L'; this lever alternately projects and withdraws
the recessed bit each time the front cylinder falls and rises, or the back
cylinder is moved in or out; such projecting and withdrawing is caused
by the tumbler alternately striking one or other of two pins carried by a
bracket L', shewn by dotted lines at Figure 3. These brackets and pins
cannot be seen in the front view as they lie between the cylinder
bearings and the bed of the machine. Each time the recessed bits are
projected they carry with them one or other of the leaves L' which lie
in the radial slots of the cylinders, the ends of a fresh leaf being placed
in the recessed bits each time the cylinder axles are rocked; Figures 6*
shew the form of some of the leaves L³, the position and length of the
projecting portions of the leaves depending upon which needle bits are
required to be lifted. At each upward movement of the front cylinder
the nebs of the selected bits are lifted just above a spring catch plate N
screwed to the top front incline bar; the catch plates hold the needle
bits up until acted upon by the front inclines or they would fall down
when no loops were on them, but the horizontal needle bits lic where
placed without such assistance.

page_text: right or left according as they are operated upon by an inclined toothed
wheel, shewn in side and front views at Figures 13 and 14; the front
lifting lever carries a pin O¹ on its upper side and is clipped by a forked
lever Os, the back lifting lever being clipped by a forked lever O³; these
levers are carried by the upper end of a lever O' which rocks upon an
axle secured in the cross tie bar of the machine. When the forked
rocking levers are moved to the right by the inclined teeth of the wheel
the back selecting cylinder is moved in and out for three succeeding
courses, while the front cylinder is lifted once as the second course is
being made, the front lifting lever being raised by the projecting stud P¹
only, which is longer than the stud P2, both studs being upon the right
side of a toothed wheel P, both the long stud and short stud on the left
side of the wheel raising the back lifting lever; the rocking lever O
has a spring attached to it and to the framing of the machine, which
spring pulls the pin O¹ into the spaces between the inclined teeth of the
wheel, shewn at Figure 16, which wheel is secured on the axle of the
front cylinder, thus moving the forked levers to the left so that the front
cylinder is lifted by both pins on the right of the wheel P three
succeeding courses, the back cylinder being moved in once when the
second course is being made.
The wheel P is driven by a toothed wheel P³ secured on the left end
of a shaft lying in a bearing bracket P* screwed to the bed and tie bar
of the machine, the right end of the shaft lies in a bearing secured to
the right end of the bed or right standard, and carries a level wheel P
driven by a like wheel Pe at the back of a pinion wheel gearing into a
toothed wheel P' driven by a larger wheel P on the driving shaft of the
machine.
Figure 7 shews in plan the inclines which operate the horizontal
needle bits and portion of the bars which carry them, and Figure 7* shew
the inclines in the position they occupy when making a plain course.
When a ribbed course is required to be made the incline Q₁ is brought
towards the front of the machine by traversing the bar Q to the right,
a stud in the stem of the incline sliding down the inclined slot.
Figure 8 is an inside view of the inclines which operate the vertical
¸ncedle bits, and shows portions of the spring catches N before mentioned. a
The front and horizontal incline bars are traversed to and fro as described
in my former Specification..

page_text: The front incline bars terminate at the right end in a bracket N¹, in
the upper end of which a set screw is adjustable; the bracket carries a
lever N³, which upon a thumb plate N³ being placed in a vertical position
will have its upper end raised so as to lie on the left side of a tumbler
driver N* carried by the horizontal bar No, which also carries a bracket,
in which a bolt Ne slides vertically, and is operated by a stud taking into
a slot in a rocking lever N', which turns on an axle in the bracket
carrying the bolt No. Behind the bracket is a slotted arm, in which
stop plates slide; the front one R slides on the front of the arm, the
stop passing under it and terminating in one of two slots in a grooved
cam cylinder S, shewn by dotted lines in Figure 4, the grooves of which
are shewn as if spread out flat in Figure 17. The back stop plate R'
returns towards the front one at the back and takes into the other groove
of the cam; this cam cylinder places the stops so as to prevent any
slackness of the thread at each end of the traverse of the thread guide
bars. The rocking lever N carrics two yielding studs N³, shewn by
dotted lines; these studs allow the bolt N° to rise for the return motion.
;
The cylinder S is revolved by a toothed wheel at its left and taking
into the teeth of a small wheel driven by a wheel on the axle of the
back selecting cylinder, as shewn at Figure 5.
Figures 18 and 19 shew in section and plan a second modification of
apparatus I employ to lift up or throw forward any needle bits I require
instead of the selecting cylinders above described, and consists of two
sliding bars, each provided with teeth on the top side, operated by
reverse worm wheels on an axle revolved by a ratchet wheel, having
eight teeth driven as described in my first modification. The sliding
bars have projections on one edge to lift the needle bits, and their
bearings are carried by the axle bars L², rocked by the same means as
shewn and described in my first modification.
By apparatus constructed as above described attached to and working
in conjunction with a machine described in the Specification of my
former Patent I am enabled to make fashioned circular looped fabrics
or fashioned selvaged looped fabrics.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and the
manner of performing the same, I declare that I claim, the general
arrangement and combination of machinery or apparatus employed in

page_text: the manufacture of looped or knitted fabrics, as herein-before described
and illustrated in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Coltman, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
Witness,
H. W. GOUGH, C.E.,
Nottingham.
THOMAS COLTMAN. (L.S.)