Improvements in Knitting Machine Needles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Nov., 1898-Accepted, 28th Oct., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Knitting Machine Needles.
GEORGE FREDERICK STURGESS, of The Ingle-nook, Leicester, in the County of
Leicester, Hosier's 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 is an improvement upon the needle for which Patent, No. 23011,
December 30th 1895, was granted, and its object is to make a loop linking needle
conformable to machines the gauge or construction of which make it inconvenient to
have the linking side stem therein shewn, and in which it is desirable to be able
to link a loop either from the hook or from the needle stem, and also to link
two loops consecutively from one needle in one complete motion of the needle.
The invention consists of a needle having a combined knitting and loop deliver-
ing head or hook, and a loop delivering stem, adapted to give loops to an
adjacent needle, and its features consist chiefly of a loop delivery shoulder on the
fore-part of the knitting head, preferably located on the front bar of the hook,
formed in a manner as to sufficiently spread its loop in the path of the coacting
oppositely posed adjacent needle, as to be received thereby, provisions being made
to spread the loop more or less, according to the gauge of the machine and
needles; and also of means to allow the off-set terminating end of the hook to
engage the stem of the coacting needle, for the purpose of linking a loop therefrom
without locking with the stem, consisting of bevelling the stem of the coacting
needle obliquely across the delivery shoulder to fend off the off-set hook; and,
furthermore, of spear-pointing the top of the hook on a line with its front
bar, to facilitate the linking of the loop, when the hook enters the loop by
way of the top and not by way of the terminating end of the hook.
It will suffice to describe the invention as applied to latch needles, from
which its adaption to latchless or bearded needles will be obvious.
In the drawings, the needles are supposed to be about to move their position
in the direction indicated by the arrows.
Fig. 1, is a side, and Fig. 2, a front elevation of a vertical needle 4, and part
of a coacting horizontal needle 12, of similar construction, shewing the shoulder
bevel 1, and the loop shoulder 2, in the front, and the usual bevel 1", in the back
of the stem; the terminating end 9, being formed into a loop delivery shoulder 7,
better seen in Fig. 7; shewing how the loop (full lines) in the shoulder 7, having
been relieved of weight or needle tension, bulges out, and the horizontal needle 12,
enters tlie loop in the forward movement (indicated by the arrow); also shewing
how a horizontal needle (dotted lines), having its hook off-set, receives in its
backward movement (indicated by the dotted arrow) the loop (dotted lines)
from the stem of the vertical needle 4 when required so to do.
Fig. 3, is a side, and Fig. 4, a front elevation of similar needles, having a loop
delivery shoulder 8, in the cup part of the latch 10, which, when the latch
closes, locates itself on the front bar of the hook 6, of the knitting head, shewing
how the loop (dotted lines) is delivered into linking position by the needle 4", and
the latch open (dotted lines) in order that the loop shoulder S, may be clearly

page_text: seen, also shewing how the needle 3, receives a loop (full lines) from the stem
of the needle 4* when required so to do. It is necessary here to say that, in
making a fabric that requires the loop of one needle to be linked round an
adjacent needle from the knitting head and yet retained, the loop having been
linked to the coacting needle, the needle is then moved forward, carrying over
the linked up loop into knitting position again, preparatory to the linking of a
succeeding loop through the linked loop by both needles.
Fig. 5, is a side, and Fig. 6, a front elevation view, shewing a side twist or
off-set of the front bar from the line of the back bar 6b, of the hook 5, of the
needle 4b, which causes the loop to cross laterally into line with a coacting
needle 12"; the cup 10%, of the latch 10, being also off-set to register with the
terminating end 9, of the hook 6b, shewing how the loop (full lines) is linked from
the fore part of the knitting head, also shewing how the needle 3b, (dotted lines)
receives a loop from the stem of a vertical needle 4b, when required so to do.
Fig. 7, is a side view of a needle, Fig. 8, a front, and Fig. 9, a back view
of the linking part thereof, shewing how the front and back bars of the hook
are set out of line by off-setting the back bar 11 to admit large and coarse hooks
to engage for loop linking.
Fig. 10, is a front view of coacting adjacent needles adjusted side by side, and
in their forward knitting position yielding sideways to each other, by reason of
their spring-like nature and the lateral freedom that they have in their needle
grooves the hook of the horizontal needle 12b, having been lead off by the side of
the vertical needle 13, without jambing, by the usual shamp 1", (see Fig. 9).
Fig. 11, is a front view, shewing the off-set hooks lying in the common linking
path, whereby the off-set hook of one needle may enter a loop delivered in the
shoulder of the other.
Fig. 12, is a side view, shewing the off-set hook of the vertical needle 13,
entering the loop of an adjacent horizontal needle 12b, of the small radial type,
in its forward movement (indicated by the arrow), the spear point 5, entering
the loop before the terminating end 9, of the hook; and Fig. 13, is a side view,
shewing the terminating end 9, of the hook entering the loop before the spear-
point 5, in the backward movement (indicated by the arrow).
The construction of the needle beds and operating cams being so well-known,
it is not necessary to describe them here.
The needle is reduced as usual at the point 1", to prevent the top of a hook of
a coacting needle jambing on the stem. A loop shoulder or stop 2, and a shoulder
bevel 1, are formed in the front part of the stem, whereby a loop, advanced on
shoulder 2, may be taken by the hook point of a coacting needle as the said
coacting needle withdraws, as clearly shewn in Figs. 5, and 6, in which the
needle 3b, is taking the loop from the needle 4. The spear point 5 is located
at the head of the hook in line with its front bar, and the rear part of the hook 6b,
inclined downwardly and rearwardly to facilitate penetrating the loop when link-
ing up, in the forward thrust of the needle, a loop from the hook part of the
coacting needle.
The extremity of the hook 6, (Figs. 1, and 2) is abruptly
turned inwardly and outwardly making loop delivery shoulder 7; when the
latch 10, is formed into a loop delivery shoulder 8, (see Figs. 3, and 4), the
terminating end of the hook point is turned further inward to allow the latch
cup to lie as flat as possible.
When linking loops from the stem as seen in Figs. 1, 3, and 5, the front
oblique bevel 1, fends off the terminating end 9, and consequently prevents the
hook of the coacting needle from locking with the stem when receding to take
the loop delivered by the stem loop shoulder 2. The usual bevel 1ª, prevents the
hook jambing on the stem when the head of one needle passes the stem of the other
for the purpose of knitting. The bevelled or shamped parts 1, and 1ª, by reducing
the stem, also serve to increase the flexibility of the needles, so that they more
readily yield to each other when engaged or crossing.
In Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13, the rear bar or part of the hook is off-set

page_text: from the common line; referring to Fig. 12, the coacting needles are operated
whereby the needle 12b, having advanced with its loop in the loop shoulder,
the spear point of the needle 13, penetrates it in its upward thrust and links
up the loop, whereupon both needles 12, and 13, withdraw. When the loop is
not penetrated in the upward thrust, as seen in Fig. 12, it is penetrated by the
terminating end of the hook in its downward thrust, as seen in Fig. 13.
When linking from the stem, the loop is linked or delivered from the loop
shoulder 2, of the vertical needle to the coacting horizontal needle 3, or 3", or 35,
as seen in Figs. 1, 3, and 5.
For simple right and left loop linking, only one of the loop shoulders to each
of the coacting needles is necessary, and in machines in which small dial rib
needles such as 12 (Figs. 12, and 13) are used the loop shoulder
is necessarily dispensed with for want of needle and
cam space, whilst
in the case of the long needle 13, (Figs. 12, and 13), in which there is ample
cam and needle space for the stem loop shoulder, the hook loop shoulder is more
conveniently dispensed with, especially so in fine gauged hooks, in which the
hook loop shoulder is more difficult of accomplishment. It is equally obvious that
loop linking can be more safely accomplished when the loop shoulder of one needle
is on its hook and the loop shoulder of the coacting needle is on its stem. The
hook shoulder off-set may be made in many ways with the same general result, as
conditions require, without departure from my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A loop linking sliding knitting needle, provided with means located upon
its hook or head to deliver its loop, the said hook or head being off-set to engage
a coacting needle, and spear pointed at the top on a line with the front bar,
and having a stem loop shoulder obliquely bevelled across the front of the stem
and shoulder, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. A loop linking sliding knitting needle provided with means located upon
its hook or head to deliver its loop, the said hook or head being off-set to engage
a coacting needle, and spear pointed at the top on a line with the front bar,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
3. A loop linking sliding knitting needle provided with means located upon its
hook or head to deliver its loop, the said hook or head being off-set to engage a
coacting needle, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
4. A loop linking sliding knitting needle having a hook or head off-set to
engage a coacting needle, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
5. A loop linking sliding knitting needle provided with a hook or head having
a loop delivery shoulder, a bar of the said hook or head being off-set laterally
to engage a coacting needle, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
6. A loop linking sliding knitting needle provided with a hook or head having
a loop delivery shoulder, a bar of the said hook or head being off-set laterally,
and having a spear-pointed hook top, the point of which comes in line with the
front bar of the hook to engage a coacting needle, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
7. A loop linking sliding knitting needle having a loop shoulder in the stem,
and an oblique bevel across the front of the stem and loop shoulder, for engage-
ment with the off-set hook end of a coacting needle substantially as and for the
purposes set forth.
8. A loop linking sliding knitting needle having a spear pointed hook or head,
the point of which comes in line with the front bar of the hook for engagement
with a coacting needle, and to facilitate the reception of a loop, substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.
9. A sliding knitting needle having its hook or head formed into a loop
delivery shoulder or part, and off-set to engage a coacting needle, and provided

page_text: with a diagonally bevelled loop delivery shoulder in the stem, substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.
10. A sliding knitting needle having its hook or head formed into a loop
delivery shoulder or part, and off-set to engage a coacting needle, substantially
as and for the purposes set forth.
11. A sliding latch knitting needle having a combined loop forming and loop
delivering hook, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this Ninth day of November 1898.
GEO. F. STURGESS.