Improvements in Rotary Knitting Machines for Producing Rib Fabric.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application 4th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 29th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 3rd Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
.
Improvements in Rotary Knitting Machines for Producing Rib
Fabric.
We, THOMAS KIDDIER, JAMES KIDDIER and JOHN WILLIAM KIDDIER, all of Bell
Street Works Arkwright Street in the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham
Hosiery Machinists do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of our invention is to enable the ordinary point bars used for making
narrowings at the selvages of the pieces of work to be also used for shifting loops
from any of the machine needles at any desired part of the work without shifting
loops on the corresponding frame needles.
In the Specification of a former Patent No. 2200 of 1879 an apparatus is described
for taking off the machine loops from the machine needles and for also at the same
time taking off the frame loops from the frame needles and for then moving them
automatically to adjacent needles to form narrowings at the selvages. In this
apparatus the points used for taking loops from the machine needles were carried by
levers or fingers which were jointed to the fingers by which the points used for taking
loops from the frame needles were carried.
By our present invention we are enabled to use apparatus of this kind not only for
making the ordinary narrowings when fashioning the work but also for taking off
loops from machine needles and shifting them to other needles without shifting any of
the frame loops as for instance at the commencement of the heel and instep of hose or
half hose to take off loops from the machine needles at the point where the divisions
in the fabric are made so as to lock the machine loops which would otherwise be cast
off and prevent them from running down.
To enable this to be done we provide for disengaging the point rods from the plates
which stand up from the screw boxes at the two ends of the machine and which
usually give to the point rods their endway movement when ordinary narrowings are
being made.
When the point rods are so disengaged from the screw boxes they can be shifted
inwards freely to bring the points to any desired position.
We then couple the rods to other plates carried by bars by which a short endway
movement can be given to the rods at the time required. Preferably in order to be
able to disengage the point rods from the plates which stand up from the ordinary
screw boxes we make the upper part of the plates which stands up from each screw box
movable and so that it can be slidden upwards whenever desired and disengaged from
the arun or bracket on the rod which it previously engaged with.
When the rod is so disengaged and has been shifted endwise the required distance
the second plate which is carried by a bar as hereinbefore mentioned is made to
engage with another arm or bracket fixed on the point rod.
The bar can be slidden end wise to and fro a short distance lengthwise of the machine
in guides in a fixed bracket. Preferably it is drawn in one direction by a spring up
to an adjustable stop and can be shifted in the opposite direction by a crank lever to
the vertical arm of which it is coupled. When the crank lever is to move the point
bar a rod is caused to rise up against and to raise the end of the levers horizontal arm.
To lift the rod at the required time the rod is at its lower end coupled to a lever
which is acted on by a cam on the main cam shaft of the machine.
The rod is so caused to be raised just after the points have been caused to take
loops from machine needles and as it is raised it shifts the point bar end wise to bring
the points opposite to the needles on to which the loops are to be placed and it holds
the bar in this position until the loops have been placed on to these needles and until

page_text: the points have been moved away from them, the rod then descends and allows the
point bar to be drawn back by the spring above mentioned.
In order to prevent the frame points from taking loops from frame needles at the
time when machine loops are being shifted we cause the frame needles to be held back
away from the frame points at the time when these points are descending instead of
pressing them up against the points as they would be if ordinary narrowings were
being made.
To do this the lever which is acted upon by a cam on the cam shaft to give a backward
and forward movement to the needles in the ordinary manner we preferably provide with
an additional truck capable of being slidden to and fro on the axis of the truck which
it ordinarily carries and which when work is being produced rests on the cam used
for giving to the needles the movements required during a working course. When
machine loops only are to be shifted by the points this additional truck is shifted
along the axis of the ordinary pressing truck so that when the main cam shaft is
shogged a distance endwise in the ordinary manner to bring the cams used when
producing narrowings into operation the sliding truck in place of resting on the cam
which it would rest on if ordinary narrowings were being produced it shall now rest
on an additional cam fixed on the cam shaft and this additional cam we so form as
not to move the frame needles up to the frame points when these points descend.
The truck may be shifted in this manner at the time required by a groove in its
boss being embraced by an arm which projects from a rod that is capable of being
shifted endwise lengthwise of the machine and the rod may be so shifted end wise at
the time required by being jointed to a system of levers acted upon at the proper time
by a projection on the side of the ordinary pattern wheel.
Dated this 3rd day of March 1900
THOMAS KIDDIER.
JAMES KIDDIER.
JOHN WM. KIDDIER.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Rotary Knitting Machines for Producing Rib
Fabric.
We, THOMAS KIDDIER, JAMES KIDDIER, and JOHN WILLIAM KIDDIER, all of Bell
Street Works, Arkwright Street, in the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham,
Hosiery Machinists, 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 :-
The object of our invention is to enable the ordinary point bars used for making
narrowings at the selvages of the pieces of work to be also used for shifting loops
from any of the machine needles at any desired part of the work without shifting
loops on the corresponding frame needles.
In the Specification of a former Patent No. 2200 of 1879 an apparatus is described
for taking off the machine loops from the machine needles and for also at the same
time taking off the frame loops from the frame needles and for then moving them
automatically to adjacent needles to form narrowings at the selvages. In this apparatus
the points used for taking loops from the machine needles were carried by levers or
fingers which were jointed to the fingers by which the points used for taking loops
from the frame needles were carried.
By our present invention we are enabled to use apparatus of this kind not only for
making the ordinary narrowings when fashioning the work but also for taking off loops
from machine needles and shifting them to other needles without shifting any of the
frame loops as for instance at the commencement of the heel and instep of hose or
half hose to take off loops from the machine needles at the point where the divisions
in the fabric are made so as to lock the machine loops which would otherwise be cast
off and prevent them from running down.
To enable this to be done we provide for disengaging the point rods from the plates

page_text: which stand up from the screw boxes at the two ends of the machine and which
usually give to the point rods their endway movement when ordinary narrowings are
being made.
When the point rods are so disengaged from the screw boxes they can be shifted
inwards freely to bring the points to any desired position.
We then couple the rods to other plates carried by bars by which a short endway
movement can be given to the rods at the time required. Preferably in order to be
able to disengage the point rods from the plates which stand up from the ordinary
screw boxes we make the upper part of the plate which stands up from each screw box
moveable and so that it can be slidden upwards whenever desired and disengaged from
the arm or bracket on the rod which it previously engaged with.
When the rod is so disengaged and has been shifted endwise the required distance
the second plate which is carried by a bar as hereinbefore mentioned is made to
engage with another arm or bracket fixed on the point rod.
The bar can be slidden endwise to and fro a short distance lengthwise of the
machine in guides in a fixed bracket. Preferably it is drawn in one direction by a
spring up to an adjustable stop and can be shifted in the opposite direction by a
crank lever to the vertical arm of which it is coupled. When the crank lever is to
move the point bar a rod is caused to rise up against and to raise the end of the levers
horizontal arm. To lift the rod at the required time the rod is at its lower
end coupled to a lever which is acted on by a cam on the main cam shaft of the
machine.
The rod is so caused to be raised just after the points have been caused to take
loops from machine needles and as it is raised it shifts the point bar end wise to bring
the points opposite to the needles on to which the loops are to be placed and it holds
the bar in this position until the loops have been placed on to these needles and
until the points have been moved away from them, the rod then descends and allows
the point bar to be drawn back by the spring above mentioned.
In order to prevent the frame points from taking loops from frame needles at the
time when machine loops are being shifted we cause the frame needles to be held back
away from the frame points at the time when these points are descending instead of
pressing them up against the points as they would be if ordinary narrowings were
being made.
To do this the lever which is acted upon by a cam on the cam shaft to give a
backward and forward movement to the needles in the ordinary manner we preferably
provide with an additional truck capable of being slidden to and fro on the axis of
the truck which it ordinarily carries and which when work is being produced rests on
the cam used for giving to the needles the movements required during a working
course. When machine loops only are to be shifted by the points this additional
truck is shifted along the axis of the ordinary pressing truck so that when the main
cam shaft is shogged a distance endwise in the ordinary manner to bring the cams
used when producing narrowings into operation the sliding truck in place of resting
on the cam which it would rest on if ordinary narrowings were being produced it
shall now rest on an additional cam fixed on the cam shaft and this additional cam
we so form as not to move the frame needles up to the frame points when these points
descend. The truck may be shifted in this manner at the time required by a groove
in its boss being embraced by an arm which projects from a rod that is capable of
being shifted endwise lengthwise of the machine and the rod may be so shifted end wise
at the time required by being jointed to a system of levers acted upon at the proper
time by a projection on the side of the ordinary pattern wheel.
Figure 1 of the drawings hereunto annexed is a vertical section shewing the main
parts of a rotary knitting machine. Figure 2 is a front view of such of the parts as
are necessary for rendering our invention clear. Figure 3 is a left hand end view of
some of the parts shewn in Figure 2. Figure 4 shews the upper part of the plate
which stands up from one of the screw boxes with a portion made movable so that it
may be slidden into a position in which it is out of action as above described.
In these figures a is a plate which stands up from the ordinary screw box one of

page_text: which is at each end of the machine as is usual. 6b are the ordinary point rods one
of which is shifted from one end of the machine and the other from the other one end
only of the rods is shewn in Figure 2. c are the points for shifting loops on the
frame needles and c' the points for shifting loops on the machine needles-these are
carried in the manner described in the Specification herein before mentioned and are
operated in the manner therein described when making ordinary narrowings. Each
point rod b has fast upon it at one of its ends two collars 616 which embrace the
edge of the plate a between them as shewn in Figures 2 and 4. The screw box is not
shewn in the drawing as its construction and action are well understood. The point
rods are carried by arms d¹ which extend from a shaft d and this shaft is carried
by other arms e¹ from a shaft e as described in the before mentioned Specification.
The point rods also are as usual free to be slidden endwise through the arms d'.
The upper portion a¹ of the plate a is as shewn in Figure 4 made movable and
capable of being slidden upwards-the collars on the point rod embrace the
edge of this movable portion a¹ of the plate when the point bars are out of action
and at rest. If when the point rods are in this position the portion a¹ is slidden
upwards so as to be above the collars bb' which previously embraced it the point
rods are set free and can be shifted end wise by hand into any desired position.
Each point rod has an arm f fast with it this is forked at its extremity and both
forks can be made to embrace the edge of a plate g as shewn in Figure 3 whenever
the rods have been disengaged from the plates a. In this way the points carried by
the rods can be set in the required positions to allow of the machine points taking the
loops off the machine needles at the points where divisions in the work are to
commence and to shift these loops sidewise and deliver them on to other machine
needles.
The rods can be shifted in this way by the attendant at any time after the last of
the fashioning narrowings have been made and before the time when the divisions in
the work have to be commenced.
To allow of the plate g being made to readily engage with or be disengaged from the
arms the plate g is carried by a slide which can be slidden backwards and forwards
in guides In order that the plate y may be capable of shifting the point rods end-
wise these guides are carried by an arm which extends from a horizontal bar h―chis
bar can be slidden backwards and forwards a distance in guides in a bracket fixed to
the frame of the machine.
Whenever the cam shaft is shogged endwise into a position to bring into action the
cams used for making a narrowing course a cam i¹ on the cam shaft i comes into position
to act upon a roller on a lever j which has a rod rising up from it and passing
through a fixed guide. When the rod is raised by the action of the cam its upper
end strikes against the horizontal arm of a crank lever k and turns this lever a
short distance the vertical arm of the lever is coupled to the horizontal bar h and
when the lever is struck it shifts the bar h a distance end wise away from a fixed
stop and keeps it away from the stop as long as is necessary.
At other times the
bar is held against the fixed stop by the action of a spring . Thus if the point
rods are coupled to the plate g they will at the proper time during the course be
shifted a distance sidewise to carry the loops which they have taken from some
machine needles and bring them into position to be delivered to other machine
needles.
We will now describe more fully the way in which the frame points are prevented
from taking loops from the frame needles at the times when loops have to be shifted
from machine needles at some points in the middle of the work. This, as before
explained, is effected by holding the frame needles away from the frame points at
the time when they descend to take loops.
The cam m used for giving movement to the needle bar when making ordinary
narrowings, that is, when loops have to be taken both from the frame and machine
needles has a prominence m¹ upon it to press the needles back against the frame
points as they descend.
When machine loops only have to be shifted this cum is not used but a second

page_text: cam n alongside of it is used which is made of the same contour but without the
prominence m¹.
The needle bar is as usual coupled at its lower end by a link to a vertical lever o
which carries trucks to be acted on by cams on the cam shaft to move the needle
backwards and forwards as required.
One cam m is used when making narrowings a second cam n when shifting
machine loops in the middle of pieces of work and a third camp when making
courses of work.
All three cams m, n, p, are alongside of one another as shown at Figure 2.
The lever o carries two trucks, one truck to be acted upon by the cam p or by the
cam n and the other truck to be acted upon by the cam m.
The truck is formed with a long hollow spindle which extends along the whole
length of a pin o' that stands out from the lever o-the truck is free to turn
around this hollow spindle and can be also moved endwise along it. A groove is
formed around the spindle of the truck and a forks at the end of arms engages
with this groove. The arms extends from a rod sx which can be shifted end wise to
and fro in fixed bearings. The rod is shifted to and fro at the required times by a
lever ta fork at the lower end of this lever enters beween two collars s² fixed
upon the rod and the upper end of the lever is connected by a link to the lower end of
a second lever t¹. When the cam shaft has been shogged end wise to bring the cams
used when making a narrowing into acting position the cam n is brought into
position to act upon the truck q and the cam m into position to act upon the truck r
and when in this position both the machine points and frame points would be caused
to take and shift loops from the machine and frame needles. When therefore it is
required to prevent the frame points from taking loops from the frame needles it is
necessary that the truck » shall not be acted upon by the cam m, this truck has there-
fore to be shifted to one side of the cam so as to put it entirely out of action and keep
it so until the completion of the course. To do this the upper end of the lever t¹ has
a projection t² at its upper end to be acted upon by an incline on a projection.ul fixed
at the back of the ordinary pattern wheel u by which the working of the machine is
controlled as usual. This wheel as is usual has a step by step revolving motion
given to it and is moved one step just before the commencement of each course.
When by the revolving of the pattern wheel the projection u is carried beyond the
projection on the lever t¹ the lever is drawn back to its original position by a spring
not shewn in the drawing-and when the cam shaft is again shogged endwise to
bring into action the cams used for producing courses of work, the camp will have
been brought into position to act upon the truck q whilst the truck will have been
brought opposite to a space between the cams m and n and will be out of action.
When the course is completed the plate g may be disengaged from the arms f which
project from the point rods and the point rods can then be shifted back to their foriner
positions and be again locked to the plates a which stand up from the screw boxes-
the points will then be again in position for making further narrowings or widenings
at the edges of the fabric as may be required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we.
claim is :-
1. A rotary knitting machine for producing rib fabric in which the rods which
carry the narrowing points can be detached from the screw boxes used for controlling
their movements and be coupled to other mechanism by which they can be caused
to move a distance endwise without the screw boxes having their positions shifted
whilst at the same time the points used for shifting loops from frame needles are kept
out of action and the machine points only allowed to shift loops from some machine
needles to others.
2. The construction of rotary knitting machines for producing rib fabric sub-
stantially as described to allow of the points used for making narrowings at the

page_text: selvages being also used for shifting loops from any of the machine needles at any
desired part of the fabric without shifting loops on the corresponding frame needles
Dated this 17th day of November 1890.
THOMAS KIDDIER
JAMES KIDDIER.
JOHN WM. KIDDIER.