IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
We, JAMES FOSTER, of 41 Friargate, Preston, in the County of Lancaster,
Knitting Machine Importer, OTTOMAR PHILIPP LANE, of 28 Reich Strasse, Dresden,
in the Kingdom of Saxony, German Empire, Knitting Machine Manufacturer,
and EDUARD THEODOR TIMAEUS, of 14 Wincklemann Strasse, Dresden, aforesaid,
Knitting Machine Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of our invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES 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 knitting machines and has for object to provide means
whereby alterations in the positions of certain parts of a knitting machine
required to produce certain classes of work may be effected.
Thus alterations in the positions of parts of the machine (especially in the
positions of the needle bed and of the cams of the needle moving apparatus)
become necessary, if it be intended to change or pass from one kind of mesh to
another.
"
For example, when knitting tops or borders in a continuous piece of work if it
be intended to finish one border, then to produce a separate row or "loose course
of meshes, then to produce a row of cardigan or polka meshes for the commence-
ment of the following border, the following alterations in the position of one of the
needle beds and in the cams or needle moving apparatus must be inade.
1. One of the needle beds must be moved horizontally (technically called
racking or shogging).
2. The following or succeeding cam of the needle moving apparatus operating on
this needle bed must be moved down into position at the commencement of the
next half course or stroke of carriage for the production of long meshes or loose
stitch during the next half course or stroke.
3. At the commencement of the return stroke the following or succeeding cam of
the same needle moving apparatus must be moved into position for the formation
of "cardigan" or polka meshes during the next half stroke or course.
4. The cams of the needle moving apparatus on the other or opposite needle bed
must, after the completion of the above to and fro stroke or course be moved out
of working position whilst knitting off the cardigan or polka meshes, previously
formed, and after these meshes have been knitted by the next half stroke, the cams
must be moved at the end of the stroke into their original position.

page_text: These four operations as will be evident from the above description do not take
place simultaneously, but in succession.
According to this invention they are brought about or prepared for by a single
movement of one handle or lever; by which however it is to be noted they are not
at once actually effected.
The means or devices for causing the above mentioned four operations to result
in their due order from the simple movement of a single lever, whereby those
alterations necessary for working from one top to another in one continuous piece
of work may be brought about, are illustrated in the accompanying sheet of
drawings wherein Fig 1 represents an end view and Fig 2 a plan of so much of a
knitting machine, as is necessary to illustrate the invention.
The handle or lever by the moving of which the changes of position of the parts
may be brought about or prepared for is marked a in both figures.
When the number of rows of meshes, constituting one top are completed, the
lever is moved into the position shewn in dotted lines in Fig 1, whereby the
segment b on the spindle of lever a will be partly turned and a grooved cam on its
periphery will shift or move the needle-bed c in a horizontal direction by means
of a stud or pin projecting from the lower surface of the said needle bed and
entering into the said cam groove.
To the needle bed c two drop levers or pieces e and e¹ are pivotted at d and d
and through the holes or slots in these levers or pieces e, e¹ two fixed pins fand ƒ¹
project.
The shifting of the needle bed in a horizontal direction will cause the levers or
pieces e. e¹ to move or drop and to come into the line of motion respectively of one
arm of a bell crank lever g and of one arm of a bell crank lever g¹ so that when
the carriage is caused to make its next half stroke or course the drop lever e will
come in contact with the bell crank lever g at the point o and will thereby and
by means of the plate h (on which the bell crank lever g is pivotted) cause the
plate to move to the left whereby the part h¹ is brought into contact with
the part of a lever h³ (Figs 34 and 5) depressing the same and causing the
following or succeeding cam (H) of the needle moving apparatus to move
downward so that during the said stroke or course long meshes will be produced.
* is a plate arranged to slide on the plate h: it prevents the lever g from
turning on its pivot until the plate has been fully moved to the left at
which time the plate * is moved to the right by the catch piece 4. After
reversing the course of the carriage to commence its next stroke the drop lever e¹
will act upon the bell crank lever g₁ at the point o' and through this lever,
which is now prevented from turning by the plate h*, upon the plate h (on which
it is pivotted) and cause the same to move to the right whereby the part ³ comes
in contact with the projecting part 1 of a lever h' so that the succeeding or fol-
lowing cam H¹) will assume during this stroke the position to form cardigan
meshes. The moving of the lever a will furthermore have caused the pin i on its
hub to act against a balance lever k depressing it at this end and consequently
raising its other end, thereby bringing the pin projecting from the lower surface
of the said plate k into such a position that at the end of the first stroke or course
of the carriage, the tongue m fixed to one end of the carriage, will come under-
neath said balance lever k and in contact with the said pin l. The said tongue m
by its incline presses back the plate k by means of the pin and will thereby
bring back the stop n into the line of motion of the lower part of the cam slide
plate, this plate commanding the position of the centre cam of the needle moving
apparatus on the front needle bed. If now this apparatus returns with the
carriage (after a full to and fro stroke or cause of the latter since the lever a
has been moved) to the opposite end of the machine, the said centre cam will
be closed and the needles usually operated thereby will be at rest during this
next half stroke whilst the cardigan meshes, formed in the last half stroke or
course, will be knitted or pressed off during this next half stroke or course.

page_text: Now the two operations will have been completed, viz; the formation of a row
of meshes between two rib tops, which row will afterwards serve to separate the
two rib tops from each other and the formation of a row of cardigan meshes, this
row forming the commencement of the next rib top.
After the completion of the two half strokes or courses of the carriage, which
strokes succeeded the moving of the lever a into the position shewn in dotted lines
in Fig 1 the lever a must be returned or moved into its original position thereby
causing the parts that were moved or altered by the first movement of the lever to
assume their original positions. In lieu of the lever a other suitable means such
as indexes or dials may be employed to perform the office of that lover to work
automatically from a revolving shaft or otherwise.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, wo declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The use in a knitting machine to produce change from one top to another,
with an interposed "loose course" between two borders and to effect the coin-
mencement of a succeeding or following border with a row of cardigan or polka
meshes, of a handle or lever a so applied that by simply moving it as set forth
above, the necessary alterations in the knitting machine will be caused to occur in
their due order, viz:-
Racking shogging or shifting of one needle bed in a horizontal direction.
The assumption by the cam or needle moving apparatus for that needle bed of
the proper position for the formation of long meshes or loose stitches during the
next half stroke or course.
The assumption by the following cam of the same needle moving apparatus of
the proper position for the formation of cardigan or polka meshes during the
second half stroke or course and
The assumption by the opposite cam or needle moving apparatus of the proper
position to allow of knitting off the cardigan or polka meshes all substantially as
shown and described with reference to the annexed sheet of drawings.
2. In a knitting machine wherein there is provision for racking shogging or
shifting one of the needle beds in a horizontal direction and the needles on the
other needle bed are caused at intervals to assume a state of rest during knitting
of loops, the use of means substantially such as hercinabove described whereby
long meshes are produced during one half stroke or course of the needle moving
apparatus, and cardigan or polka meshes during the succeeding or return half stroke
or course thereof as above set forth.
Dated this 3rd day of December 1884.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Applicants' Agent.