IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Fum of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co, Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY" A communication from abroad
by Charles James Appleton, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of
America
Med the 28th March 1877, and dated the 26th January 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th January 1877
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Inn of Haseltine, Lake, & Co, Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY" A
communication from abroad by Charles James Appleton, of Philadelphia, Pennsyl-
vania, United States of America
The object of this Invention is the production of 11bbed or plain knitting at
pleasure on a family knitting machine without displacing either set of needles, as,
for example, in making a stocking to knit the heel and toe plain, and the leg and
foot ribbed without taking the dial out of the cylinder
This object is accomplished by suspending in the centre of the cylinder of an
ordinary family plain knitting machine a cap and dial loose on a stud, which is
fastened to an arm by a nut, the said arm being fastened to the cam cylinder of the
said machine, and revolving with the same
The work being set up with the ribbing needles out of operation an opening cam
gate throws then into action by the ordinary cams within the cap, and the two sets
of needles, that is to say, the bbing and plain needles, knit together, forming
ordinary circular 11bbed knitting the desired length of the leg, for example, of a
stocking. When the heel 18 reached the closing cam gate draws the 1ibbing needles
out of action within the inner grooves of the said cap, and about one-half, more or
less, of the stitches on the ribbing needles are removed and placed on plain needles
by hand, the machine is then reversed half way As the dog recedes from a pro-
Jecting pin the cap does not move, the plain needles, with the ribbing stitches
thereon, continue to knit plain work only until the heel is formed, and it is desired
[Price 6d1

page_text: to knit ribbed work again, when the opening cam gate throws the ribbing needles
into the outer grooves of the cap and between the plain needles, then by turning
the machine until the dog strikes the pin the cap will again revolve, and both sets
of needles resume knitting
At the completion of the toe formed in the same way another stocking may be
commenced without breaking the thread by making a welt The dial holder is
made adjustable by a slot and pin at its real, and a catch key in the needle cylinder
acts between the two plates of the dial holder to retain the dial in place
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
July 1877
A
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY"
communication from abroad by Charles James Appleton, of Philadelphia, Pennsyl-
vania, United States of America.
This Invention relates to improvements in knitting machines chiefly designed for
family use, and consists in the improvements herein-after specified and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawing, in which,
-
Figure 1 is a vertical cross section of a knitting machine with my improvements
Figure 2 is a bottom view of its dial holdci and needle regulator
Figure 3 is a side view of a cap with a dog and pin
Figures 4 and 5 are a plan and under side view of a cam cap for operating the
needics of the sad machine
A is the aim, B, the stud, C, the cap, D, the dial, E, the collai, F, the needle
regulator and dial holder, G, the catch, H, the cam level, I, the needle cylinder,
K, the can cylinder, L, L, the plain needles, M, N, the bbing needles, N, the
dog, P, the cap pin, Q, the nut, R, the catch key, S, the operating cam groove,
S', the idle cain groove, T, the adjustable cam, V, the groove for removing and
inserting the dial needles
The object of the said Invention is the production of 11bbed or plain knitting at
pleasure on a family knitting machine without displacing either set of needles, as,
for example, in making a stocking to knit the heel and toe plain, and the leg and
foot ribbed, without taking the dial out of the cylinder
This object is accomplished by suspending in the centre of the cylinder I of an
ordinary family plain knitting machine a cap C and dial D loose on the stud B,
which is fastened to the aim A by the nut Q, the said aim A being fastened to the
cain cylinder K, and revolving with it.
The operation is as follows -The work being set up with the ribbing needles
M, M, out of operation, if the cain lever H be moved outward the bbing needles
will be thrown into action by the cam T within the cap C, closing the end of the
idle or inoperative groove S, and causing the needles to pass around on the
operating groove S, and the two sets of needles, that is to say, the 11bbing and the
plain needles, are thereby caused to kmit together, forming ordinary circulai ribbed
knitting the desired length of the stocking leg When the heel is reached, by
moving the cam lever H inward the cain T will be moved outward across the
operating cam groove S, causing the needles to move within the idle groove S¹,
thereby diawing the ribbing needles out of action, and about one-half of the stitches
on the bbing needles are removed, and placed on the plain or cylinder needles L, L,
by hand, the machine is then reversed half way As the dog N recedes from the
pin P the cap C does not move, the plain needles, with the ubbing stitches thereon,
continue to knit plain work only until the heel is formed and it is desired to knit
ribbed work again, when the cam lever H is again moved outward, throwing the

page_text: ribbing needles M, M, into the outer grooves of the cap C, and between the plain
needles L, L, then by tuining the machine until the dog N stikes the pin P the
cap C will again revolve, and both sets of needles will resume knitting
At the completion of the toc formed in the same way another stocking may be
commenced without breaking the thiend by making a welt by throwing the 1ibbing
needles out of operation until two or more courses of plain work are made, when the
ribbing needles will be thrown again into action by the cam lever H operating tho
adjustable cam T
The dial holder F is made adjustable by a slot and pin at its icar, and the catch
key R in the needle cylinder I acts between the two plates of the catch G so that it
retains the dial in place when the machine is moved in either direction. This part F
acts also as a needle regulator, being arranged to allow the grooves of the dial D to
be placed either between or in line with the grooves of the cylinder I, and securely
clamped in either position by a set sciow, as shown in Figure 2, to produce different
kinds of ribbed work
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
Fust In a circulai knitting machine the combination with a dial plate and series
of needles called thereby of a cam plate provided on its under side with a cam
groove, together with an adjustable cam arranged in the proper relation to the said
cam groove, and a lever for operating the said cam, whereby the needles may be
brought into action or withdrawn thei efion, as above set forth and for the purpose
specified
Second In combination with the needle and cam cylinders of a knitting machine
and a dial adapted to cany a series of needles, together with a cam plate for operating
the said needles, a support or standard and connecting incchanism, whereby the said
needles are operated when the machine runs in one direction, but remains stationary
when the machine runs in the opposite duection, as above set forth and for the
purpose specified
Thud The combination of the loose mounted cap, the dial, the dial holder, the
arm, the needle cylinder, and the cam cylinder acting together as above set forth and
for the purpose specified
Fourth The combination of the adjustable dial holder, the dial, the catch, and the
needle cylinder provided with the catch key, operating together as above set forth
and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set niy
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of July, in the yeau of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
W. ROB LAKE. (L S.)