improvements in Knitting Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Apr., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 21st Jan., 1897-Accepted, 3rd Apr., 1897
Autting Maonines.
1, WILLIAM MOORE, of 67 Grauby Street, Leicester, in the County of
Leicester, Hosiery Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to knitting machines and provides certain improvements in
Cotton's patent and rotary knitting machines or frames by which the feet of hose,
half hose and children's socks can be made with seamless heel and toe and wrought
foot bottom.
My invention comprises one or more rack wheels and cams which operate on the
carrier to put it in motion and cause the thread to wrap round the last needle when
narrowing or widening. I also provide sliding knocking-over bits on the hand bar
of the rotary frame or increase the knocking-over cams in the case of Cotton's
patent frame so as to reduce the knocking-over power whilst making the heel
and toe.
By my improvements whilst using the sliding presser it is possible to retain the
jacks and lead sinkers in the rotary frame, and the jacks and dividers in Cotton's
patent frame whereas formerly the jack sinkers only could be used, the lead sinkers
and the dividers having to be discarded. By retaining these latter devices I am
enabled to make an improved and stronger fabrio in the heel and toe.
Dated this 21st day of April 1896
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
improvements in Knitting Machines.
1, WILLIAM MOORE, of 67 Granby Street, Leicester, in the County of Leicester,
Hosiery Manufacturer, 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 relates to knitting machines and provides certain improvements in
rotary knitting machines or frames by which hose, half hose aud children's socks
can be made with seamless heel and toe and wrought foot bottom.
The said inventiou comprises one or more rack wheels and cains which operate
on the carrier to put it in motion and cause the thread to turn the yarn back at the
last needle required to make a stitch when narrowing or widening. Sliding
knocking-over bits are also provided on the hand bar to reduce the "knocking-
over power" whilst making the heel and toe.

page_text: By my improvements whilst using the sliding presser, it is possible to retain the
jack sinkers and lead sinkers whereas formerly the jack sinkers only coull be used,
the lend sinkers having to be discarded. By retaining the latter I an enabled to
make an improved and stronger fabric in the heel and toe.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I will now describe the
same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a front elevation of parts of the carrier regulator, presser and hand
bar, showing the movable parts by which the narrowing and widening operations
are effected.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism at one end of the frame for
operating those parts of the carrier regulator, presser and hand bar which forin
the distinctive features of this invention.
Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse section of the prosser.
Figure 4 is a back view of the presser.
Figure 5 is a transverse section through the hand bar, and
Figure 6 is a plan of the hand bar.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the figures.
A is a shaft for determining the travel of the thread or yarn carrier. There is
one such shaft at each end of the frame. B is the sliding presser, C the hand bar.
The presser is provided with outer and inner slides D, E, both operated 'by
mechanism hereinafter described and guided in their sliding movements by angle
pieces fixed to the presser. The said angle pieces are furaishod with screwa or
pius G which paen through slots H in the said slides D and E. Portions of the
presser are cut away to form gaps L, similar gaps J and K being cut in the slides D
and E. The gaps coincide when the shortest row of the beel is being knitted,
while each gap in the presser is covered or partially covered by the uncut portions
of the slides during the narrowing or widening operation.
The hand bar Cia similarly furnishod at its upper side with slides or knocking
over bits L and M operated together with the carrier regulating shaft A and the
presser slides D and E by the mechanism before mentioned, to be hereinafter
described. The hand bar is constructed with gaps O, and the bits or slides L
and M have similar gaps P all of which coincide when the narrow part of a toe
ur heel is being formed; while the uncut portions of the bits or elidos partially or
entiroly cover the gaps in the hand bar during the widening or narrowing operation.
The slides or bits are kept in place aud guided in their sliding muvemont on the
hand bar by means of studs Q which pass through slots R in the sail bits, and by
a ledge S, formed on the back of the hand bar, which ledge sorves to take the
thrust of the sinkers when they are caused by one or the other of the bits to
perform the knocking over operation. Slotted plates T engage with the heads of
the studs and by simply withdrawing the plates T, the slides or bits can be lifted
from the hand bar for cleaning and repairs.
The carrier regulating shaft A, presser slides D and E and knocking over hits L
and M are moved longitudinally by two similar mechanical devices, one arranged
at each end of the frame. Each said device consists of a screwed spindle U for
actuating the shaft A, slides D and E and bits L and M through the agency of a
buss fixed on the-end of the serow and furnished with a fork V adaptol to engage
with a projection or arm W on one of the carrier regulating shafts A, and an
arm X which, in the right hand device shown, engages with a fork Y on the inner
presser slide E. The knocking over bits L and M are actuated by arms Z attached
to the ends of the spindles U one of which is shown engaging with a fork a on
the bit M.
The spindle U is moved to and fro by means of a nut & furnished with two sets
of oppositely directed ratchet teeth c and d which are acted upon to turn the nut
by pawls e and carried by a lever arm g, which is oscillated by one or the other
of two cams & aud i mounted on a shaft, through the agency of a friction wheel k,
lever and shaft m. The pawle e and are not attached directly to the lever g
but are jointed to a stem in such a manner that they cau oscillate about their

page_text: common centre o; they are normally held against a suitable stop by means of a
spring p.
The rotation of the nut b is prevented when the pawls e and fare withdrawn
from the working faces of the ratchet teeth by a spring pawl which engages
notches on the nut.
For the purpose of determining which of the pawls a orf shall turn the nut 4, a
rod g is attached at one end to the stem n and at its opposite end to a wiper
suspended from a fixed point by a link a. The wiper is moved altornately back
and forth by means of cams upon the edge of a wheel u, which is turned
intermittently by a pawl e engaging with ratchet teeth to, and attached near the
end of a lever. The said lever is caused to oscillate about a fixed point y by a
cam mounted on a shaft a' which works ngainst a friction wheel &' carried by the.
said lever z.
The wheel u may be rotated by means of a hand lovor o (shown dotted),
mounted on a shaft d' carrying an arm el the outer end of which is jointed to one
end of a link and the other end of which is jointed to the free end of the
lever z.
The wheel u is furnished with a spring g' which prevents its rotation except
when actuated by the pawl v.
In order that the nut & may be acted upon by the pawls e and at different.
points in the rotation of the shaft j, the said shaft is furnished with the two.
cams and i, before mentioned, and the friction wheel bears agaiust one or the.
other of these cams, being fitted to slide ou a stud 4' carried by the lever . Tho
wheel is moved along the stad 4 at the proper times by a lever carrying
a pin working in a groove in the boes of the wheel k; the lever a is pivoted
near its upper end to a bracket & fixed to the arm . m² is a roller mounted on a
stud carried at the outer end of a rod or bar a', which is provided with a slotted
head o at its inner end to engage a pin pl at the upper end of the lover. By the
agency of this roller a canı on the face of the wheel u oscillates the lever i, and;
so causes the wheel & to engago with the cam i at the same time that the pawl e is.
brought into engagement with the ratchet teeth e, that is to any at the time when
the narrowing operation is completed and the widening is about to begin. The
roller m' is kept in contact with the wheel u and cam by means of a spring 9,
attached at one end to a lug on the rod n' and at the other end to the framing of.
the machine. The slut in the head o' of the rod n' permits the pin to travel
therein when the arm is oscillated. The pawl fis thrown out of operation, and
the pawle caused to turn the nut b, by the wheel w which for this purpose has its
circumferential outline divided into two parts having radii of different lengths.
The transfer of the wiper r from the cams at the circumference of longer radii to
the cams at the circumference of shorter radii takes place at the point when tho
widening operation is to commence.
The mode of operation is as follows:-
During the knitting of the straight part of the foot the mechanism just described
is maintained inoperative by throwing the operating cams out of contact with their
friction wheels or otherwise.
When the heel or toe of the stocking or the like is to be formed and the
narrowing to be commenced, the operator Lurns the wheel u by means of the hand
lever e', into such a position that the cams t will, during the narrowing operation
cause the nut & to make the required number of partial rotations before the point
reaches the wiper r, that is to say before the widening operation is to commence.
The machine is then set in motion and the catn 4 oscillates the arm by means of
the wheel and so, by means of the arma g and stem n operates the pawls e and the
latter of which is shown in gear with the ratchet teeth d. The cam z on the shaft a
acts upon the roller & to oscillate the lever and pawl and so partially rotate
the wheel w, thus causing the cams t to alternately place the pawlf into engagement
with, and allow it to recede from, the ratchet teeth d. At each partial rotation of
the nut & by the pawl the screwed spindle U is moved slightly inward, carrying

page_text: with it the fork V, arm W and shaft A which serve at each movement to diminish
the travel of the yarn carrier or guide. A similar device operates the
corresponding carrier regulating ahaft at the other end of the frame.
By this means the carrier is prevented from laying the yarn over all the needles,
gradually decreasing the number supplied with yarn until the widening is
commenced.
At each movement of the screwed spindle U, the arm X at the end of the spindle
also moves the inner presser slide E, the corresponding mechanism at the other end
of the machine operating the outer slide D, so that the beards of tho needles
therefore, which have received no yarn are not pressed down, and the loops cannot
be knocked over, because the gaps J and K in the slides constantly approach the
position in which they coincide with the gaps in the presser and each needle
inissed by the carrier is at the same time missed by the uncut or working portions
of the presser which is constantly diminishing in length.
. At the same time that the carrier regulator and presser slide are moved, the
hand bar bits L und M are also moved, the under bit M by the arm %, and the
upper bit L by the corresponding arm at the opposite end of the machine. These
bits move in such a manner when narrowing, that the length of their combined
uncut portion decreases at the same time as the length of the combined uncut
portions of the presser slides so that the loops left on those needles not supplied
with yarn are not unduly strained or broken because, instead of forcing them
outward the jack-sinkers and lead sinkers recode into the gaps P while those
needles, upon which the carriers have laid the yarn, have their beards pressed down
by the uncut portions of the pressor and their loops knockud over by those sinkers
which are prevented from receding by the uncut portions of the hand bar bits or
alides.
The narrowing operation continues until the point on the cam wheel u reaches
the wiper r, which then comes into engagement with the cams t on the circumference
of smaller radii and the pawl e is brought into engagement with the ratchet teeth c
to turn the nut & in the opposite direction for widening. The face-cam
simultaneously moves the rod n endwise by pressing against the roller m'.
rod n, by means of the pin p' and slotted head o, oscillates the lever i thus
shifting the wheel and causing it to engage with the cam i which is so placed
on the shaft j as to operate the carriers at the times suitable for laying the yarn
when widening. In this operation the movements just described for narrowing are
reversed; the spindle U moves outward together with the shaft A, presser slide E
and hand bar bit M, the corresponding carrier regulating shaft, the presser slide D
and the hand bar bit L moving in the opposite direction. As the operation
proceeds the yarn is laid over more needles by the carriers the effective length of
the presser increases and presses down the beards of more needles, aud the loops
thereon are knocked over by the sinkers simultaneously caused to act effectively by
the increasing length of the hand bar knocking over bits.
Whoa the toe or beel is finished, the mechanism described may be thrown out of
gear for knitting the straight part of the foot.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven
tion und in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a rotary knitting frame, the means for regulating the travel of the yarn
carriers during the operation of uarrowing or widening to form the heel and toe of
& stocking or the like, said means comprising a shaft moved longitudinally in the
mauner substantially as described.
2. The hand bar provided with sliding knocking over bits by means of which its
-effective length may be varied, substantially as, and for the purpose, described.
3. The means for operating the yarn carrier regulators, and the knocking over
bits, substantially as described.
4. The mechanism for enabling the operation of narrowing and widening, in

page_text: forming the heel and toe of a stocking or the like, to be performed on an ordinary
rotary knitting frame substantially as described with reference to the accompanying
drawings, and operating as specified.
Dated this 21st day of January 1897.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.