IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Luke Woodward, of Lee Works, in the Town and County
of Nottingham, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES."
Sealed the 8th February 1878, and dated the 13th December 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Luke Woodward at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th December 1877.
LUKE WOODWARD, of the Lee Works, in the Town and County of Nottingham.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES."
This Invention has for its object to improve the mechanism employed in knitting
machines for widening the fabric or fabrics being knitted.
At the present time the widening of fabrics at the selvages is effected by points,
which take the loops from any desired number of needles at the selvage, and after
having been moved sideways the distance of one, two, or other number of needles,
place the loops on to other needles. A small gap or hole is then formed in the work
at the point where the widening takes place. To obviate this an additional point
which has been moved together with the other points has been used; this point
has been made to take the uppermost loop of work lying underneath the needle
next to the needles from which the loops are to be shifted, has been caused to
place this loop on to one or both of the needles, from which the work has been
removed by the other points, and thus the gap in the work has been filled up.
According to my Invention, in place of thus using an additional point having the
same movement given to it as the other points, to fill up the gap which would other-
wise be left in the work when widening, I employ a latch needle mounted on
a slide, so that it can be moved forward or backward, independently of the
other points. The slide works to and fro in the brass or block carrying the
other points, so that it shall move sidewise to and fro with them.
When a widening is to be made, the points advance and come above the top of
the needles from which the work is to be taken; the sinkers then advance and
move the work forward on the needles until the loops have been brought on to the
points.

page_text: The latch needle before mentioned is then caused to advance, and take and draw
back the top thread of the work underneath the last needle on which the work is
to remain; the sinkers also move the work still further on to the points and carry
it back beyond the latch of the latch needle; or the loop of work may lie in the
hook until the lateral movements of the points and hook has taken place. In this
case the needle will be subsequently projected forward until the loop gets behind the
latch, and ready to be delivered on to a needle.
The points together with the latch needle are somewhat raised, shogged sidewise
a distance of two or other number of needles, and again lowered on to the needles,
the loops upon them are then taken by the sinkers, and moved back on to the stems
of the needlos, the loop moving freely off the latch needle as the latch closes, and
allows the loop to be slipped off from it.
Latch needles which required to be closed mechanically can also be used.
When the work 18 being narrowed the slides are drawn back, and the latch needles
are kept out of action.
The slide carrying the latch needle can be used not only in machines with fixed
needle bars, but also in machines with moveable needle bars and in machines with
either vertical or horizontal needles.
In place also of the slide carrying a latch needle it might carry a point.
I prefer, however, to use a hook latch needle, the advantage arising from the use
of such a needle is that it takes a secure hold of the loop in the needle wale while
any other point must go into the loop and come up the side, thus taking hold of
the sinker wale as woll. This will not stretch, and so either causes the widening to be
made one needle at once, or else causes frequent breakages.
Hook latch needles mounted on slides may also be used in a similar manner for
making any number of double stitches or knots in any desired part of the fabric,
thus forming letters, figures, or other devices, or for making double rows of knots in
the narrowings known as crows' feet narrowings.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Luke Woodward in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th June
1878.
LUKE WOODWARD, of the Lee Works, in the Town and County of Nottingham.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES."
This Invention has for its object to improve the mechanism employed in knitting
inachines for widening the fabric or fabrics being knitted; also for making figures
or other devices.
At the present time the widening of fabrics at the selvages is effected by points
which take the loops from any desired number of needles at the selvage, and after
having been moved sidewise a distance of one, two, or other number of needles,
place the loops on to other needles; a small gap or hole is then formed in the work
at the point where the widening takes place. To obviate this, an additional point
which has been moved together with the other points has been used; this point has
been made to take the uppermost loop of work lying underneath the needle next to
the needles from which the loops are to be shifted, and has been caused to place this
loop on to one or both of the needles from which the work has been removed by the
other points, and thus the gap in the work has been filled up.
According to my Invention, in place of thus using an additional point having the
same movement given to it as the other points to fill up the gap which would other-
wise be left in the work when widening, I employ a latch needle mounted on a
slide, so that it can be moved forward or backward independently of the other
points. The slide works to and fro in the brass or block carrying the other points,
so that it shall move sidewise to and fro with them.
When in machines having a fixed needle bar a widening is to be made, the points
advance and come above the top of the needles from which the work is to be taken ;
the sinkers then advance and move the work for ward on the needles until the loops
have been brought on to the points.
The latch needle before mentioned is also caused to advance and take and draw
back the top thread of the work underneath the last needle on which the work is to
remain, whilst the sinkers move the work still further on to the points, so that the
loops upon the points pass off from the ends of the needles which previously carried
them.
The points, together with the latch needle, are then somewhat raised and shogged
sidewise a distance of one, two, or other number of needles, and the latch needle is
projected still further forward until the loop on it gets behind the latch, the points
and latch needle are then lowered on to the needles, and the work is moved back so
that the loops upon them are shifted back on to the stems of the needles; the loop
moving freely off the latch needle as the latch closes, and allows the loop to be
slipped off from it.
Latch needles which require to be closed mechanically can also be used.
When the work is being narrowed, the slides are drawn back, and the latch
needles are kept out of action.
The slide carrying the latch needle can be used not only in machines with fixed
needle bars, but also in machines with moveable needle bars, and in machines with
either vertical or horizontal needles.
In place also of the slide carrying a latch needle, it might carry a point.
I prefer, however, to use a hook latch needle; the advantage arising from the
use of such a needle is, that it takes a secure hold of the loop in the needle wale,
while any other point must go into and remain in the loop on the needle, and come
up at the side, thus taking hold of the sinker wale as well. This will not stretch,
and so either causes the widening to be made one needle at once, or else causes fre-
quent breakages.
Hook latch needles mounted on slides may also be used in a similar manner

page_text: for making any number of double stitches or knots in any desired part of the
fabric, thus forming letters, figures, or other devices, as shown in diagram, Figure 9.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe
more fully the manner of performing the same.
The Drawings hereunto annexed show part of the point bar of the ordinary nar-
rowing and widening mechanism of a knitting machine with the mechanism above
described added to it.
Figure 1 is a plan view and Figure 2 a vertical transverse section.
Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 are other sections showing the hook latch needle in some
of its various positions relatively to the needles on the needle bar.
A is the point bar having mounted upon it a block B carrying the points C.
Upon the block is also a slide D carrying a latch needle E. The slide can move to
and fro in guides in the block parallel with the points. Through the slide passes a
rod Dx, and this rod at its ends is coupled by links F to arms G on a shaft H which
can be rocked by the connecting rod I. The movements of this rod are controlled
by a cam on the cam shaft of the machine, or can be worked by hand, as shown in
Figure 4.
It will be seen that the slide D is free to move to and fro with the block
which carries the points, and in whatever position this block may be, the slide can
also be moved endwise to and fro in its guides by the rocking of the shaft H.
When a widening is to be made, the point bar is moved forward to bring the
points over the top of those needles L on the needle bar from which they are to
take loops as is usual, the work at this time being back on the stems of the needles.
The points then press on the beards of the needles L and cover them. The latch
needle is moved forward and passes below the needle L, that is, in front of it, and
the work is moved forward to bring the loops on to the points and over the look of
the latch needle in manner shown at Figure 3, the latch needle entering the loop of
work immediately below the needle that is above it. The latch needle is then
drawn back from below the needle, taking back the loop by its hook, and at
the same time getting clear of the loop which remains on the needle.
points and latch needle now rise (by the ordinary movement given to the point
bar), and are shogged sidewise to bring them opposite other needles.
The
The latch needle is then again moved forward, as shewn at Figure 4, and now
comes above the needle in front of it, and is moved forward sufficiently for the
loop on it to come behind the end of the latch, as shewn at Figure 5. The
points are then again lowered on to the needles and the latch needle with them;
the work is then taken by the sinkers and moved back, whereby the loops on the
point and latch needle are slipped off on to the needles, the loop from the latch
needle passing on to a needle or needles from which loops had previously been taken
by the points.
A diagram view of a widening formed in this manner is shown at Figure 7.
It will be seen from enlarged views, Figure 8, of one of the latch needles, that a
groove is formed along the under side of these needles, so that when a latch needle
is brought down on to one of the bearded needles, the beard may lie in this groove
and no undue pressure be brought upon it.
Whenever the latch needle is moved forward from its backward position to take a
loop from below any one or other of the bearded needles, the latch of the needle is
opened by means of a small spring K, as shewn at Figures 1 and 2.
I would state that I do not limit myself to the use of the special form of latch
needle shewn as other forms of hook-ended needles which can be closed by a latch
may be used instead of it.
I would also state that even when a point is used to extend a loop on one of the
needles on to another needle, from which a loop has been previously removed by
one of the widening points, that such point may be carried by a slide in the manner
herein-before described, and be caused to move forward after the widening points
have been brought down on to the adjacent needles to take loops from them, but it

page_text: is more advantageous to use a hook needle, as such a needle can take a loop from
the work just below a needle, and stretch this loop without interfering with the
loop which remains in the needle, thus avoiding all strain on the needles and
points.
As before stated, also hook latch needles mounted and worked as above-
described, may be used for making double stitches or knots in any desired part of
the work.
An example of work that can be thus formed is shewn by the diagram, Figure 9.
In this case the letter V is formed in the work.
When the work or fabric is being narrowed, the latch needles and slides are kept
out of action by drawing a bolt or other similar means to disconnect the link I, as
shown in Figure 1.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I would have it understood that I claim,―
First. The combined arrangement of mechanism, substantially as herein described,
for filling in the gaps or holes ordinarily produced in knitted fabrics where a
widening takes place.
Second. The employment of a hook latch needle mounted on a slide, in combina-
tion with the narrowing or widening points of a knitting machine, as and for the
purposes herein described.
Third. The employment of a hook latch needle mounted on a slide which can be
moved to and fro, as herein described, for making double stitches or knots in any
parts of knitted fabrics.
Fourth. The employment of a point mounted on a slide which can be moved to
and fro, as herein described, for extending a loop on one of the needles of a knitting
machine on to an adjoining needle.
In witness whereof, I, the said Luke Woodward, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
LUKE WOODWARD. (L.B.)