Improvements in Circular Knitting Machinery.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 27th July, 1891-Accepted, 31st Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Circular Knitting Machinery.
I FRANK JEROME DUTCHER of Hopedale, in the State of Massachusetts one of
the United States of America, Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object to improve that class of knitting machines con-
taining a series of vertically-reciprocating needles arranged in a grooved cylinder,
and is intended especially as an improvement upon that class of machines wherein
the cam-cylinder is at times rotated for the production of circular knitting, and is
at other times reciprocated for the production of heels and toes for stockings, the
machine being moved for different distances to provide for narrowing, and then
for widening in corresponding manner to form a pouch serviceable in the production
of both heels and toes for stockings.
The invention herein contained is intended as an improvement upon the machine
described in English Patent No. 3411, of August 25, 1879 to which reference may
be had, the aim being to simplify the operation of the parts and cheapen their
construction. In the Patent referred to those needles which were employed to.
make stitches in the production of heels and toes, which needles were drawn ont
of position one or more at a time in narrowing, and again moved into position
one or more at AL time in widening, were controlled by levers acted upon
by a so-called "Jacquard cam," the said levers being mounted upon carriages
actuated by vertically-moveable slides having their feet placed upon the cam-
surfaces of a Jacquard pattern chain, the remaining needles, or those drawn out of
position for the production of heels and toes, being actuated by a separate cam
called a "working-cam," all the needles being drawn down at the proper time by a
needle-depressing cam. In the said Patent the so-called " working-cam
adapted to and had to be moved radially inward with relation to the needles in the
needle-cylinder for circular knitting and out for reciprocating knitting, and cice versa.
By the term "circular knitting," as herein employed
of the machine wherein a circular web is being knitted, and the term "reciprocating
mean to imply that action
knitting" that action of the machine when a fabric is being knitted suitable for
heels and toes.
was
In accordance with this invention all the needles of the machine are actuated by
levers mounted upon carriages, the needles all deriving their upward movement
from a single cam, called the "lever-operating and needle-elevating cam," all the
needles being depressed by a different needle-depressing cam, both the said cams
being carried by one toothed wheel or ring surrounding the needle-cylinder. The
carriages upon which the said levers are mounted are of two different kinds.
*
The Jacquard carriages," as I shall term them, are those which are moved out
of and into operation one or more at a time when reciprocating knitting is being
done, or when the heels and toes of stockings are being knitted, and are jointed
to fashioning-drivers, which are arranged parallel each to the other in guides,
and the said fashioning-drivers are actuated in one direction by the straight
bars of a Jacquard pattern-chain and in the other direction by springs.
The plate-carriages or those carrying the levers to actuate the needles
that are to be simultaneously thrown out of action (about one half) when
reciprocating knitting is to be done, and into action when circular knitting is
to be done, are provided with notches to be entered by lips on a series of
segmental plates, and are all moved out of and into operation by the segmental
plates. There are two sets of Jacquard carriages, and between them are placed
a series of carriages in number equal to the number of needles desired to have

page_text: in operation for the shortest course of knitting in a heel or in a toe, and these
carriages, which have no longitudinal motion whatever, but always stand in such
position as to enable the needle-actuating levers moving thereon to be struck by
the needle-lifting cam, I call the stationary carriages," although the plate-
carriages and the stationary carriages may be alike.
[
In this invention I do away with the radially-moving working-cam described in
the said Patent. In the Patent referred to, the needles which were operated to knit
only when doing circular knitting were operated by a so-called "working cam
and the Jacquard needles by a so-called "Jacquard cam "the so-called "working-
cam
"
being moved radially out of working position when reciprocating knitting
was to be done, there being above the working-cam a drawing-down cam.
In case the said working-cam for any reason was not withdrawn at the proper
time the needle slides and cylinders were frequently broken and damaged. In this
present invention all the needles are operated by levers mounted on carriages, and
all the levers are acted upon by the same can to elevate the needles, and the
said cam has no change of position except that due to its travel when knitting.
Herein the carriages extend entirely about the needle-cylinder, and some of
them are fixed in a given circle, and all the others are made moveable radially
toward and from the centre of the machine, some of the carriages being moved
radially in blocks or sections by segmental plates, while others are moved singly by
the fashioning-drivers actuated by the bars of the pattern-chain.
In the machine according to the present invention, the framework consists of a
column having an enlarged foot bolted to the floor the said column having a table
to which are secured supports for the different parts.
The driving-shaft has a fast and a loose pulley part of a fast and slow speed
mechanism the fast speed being operative when circular knitting is being done or
when the toothed gear or plate carrying the needle-actuating cams is being rotated
to make the tubular part of a stocking the slow speed being operative when
reciprocating knitting is being done or when the said gear or plate is being recipro-
cated to produce the heel or toe of a stocking, such variable speed being provided
for in the Patent referred to.
The driving-shaft at its inner end has fast on it a pinion, it engaging a toothed
gear on and rotating the main shaft having fast upon it a collar and an eccentric.
The shaft has one of its bearings in a sleeve extended through a hub of a bracket
secured to the under side of the table. The sleeve has at one end spur-gear
having at one side bevel-teeth, while at its opposite end the said sleeve has fast to
it one-half of a clutch, the other half being connected to a sleeve, which has
attached to it the shifting-cam, the hub of the latter being provided with a pin
adapted to enter loosely a hole in the collar fast on the main shaft, the said pin
being long enough to extend through the said collar when the clutch is disengaged
and to meet a lug or projection on the cam, which imparts motion to the devices
for moving the Jacquard chains toward and from the fashioning-drivers which move
the Jacquard carriages having mounted upon them the needle-actuating levers, the
said cam running loosely with relation to the said shaft, the said pin, when in
engagement with the said projection rotating the cam in unison with the shifting-
cam and main shaft.
The face of the one clutch part next the other clutch part has a projecting pin.
that when circular knitting is being done enters a hole in the first named clutch
part and drives it and the spur-gear, the latter by its bevel-teeth engaging a bevel
pinion on an upright shaft provided with the toothed gear to engage and rotate a
wheel or plate, which carries, among other things, the needle elevating cam and
the drawing-down cam made in two pieces. The upright shaft has also fast on it a
toothed gear, which engages the toothed periphery of a cam plate, which operates
the web holders.
The toothed wheel on main shaft is furnished with a crank-pin which has a link,
having its lower end applied to the pin on the arm, attached to the reciprocating
T-shaped rack bar fitted to a track pivoted on a stud, the said track being arranged

page_text: vertically, a part of the arm embracing same the latter at its upper end being
provided with an car, having a pin that enters a cam-slot in the rack-moving slide-
bar fitted to slide horizontally in the guides attached to the underside of the
table.
When the clutch parts are in gear the slide bar causes the track to be held back
far enough from the spur-gear to effect the disengagement of the rack-bar from
the said gear, and thereafter the shaft will be driven, continuously rotating the
parts for circular knitting the rack bar reciprocating, but not doing any work, the
machine at such time being supposed to be running at its fastest speed, the cam
being disengaged from the pin and at rest, the Jacquard chain being also at rest.
To change to reciprocating knitting as when the heel or toe is to be knitted, or
to narrow and then widen a part of the stocking, the shifting-bar-controlling cam
on a fixed stud is moved from its position by the pawl, pivoted to the arm of the
rocker shaft, mounted in a bearing, the said rock-shaft having an attached arm,
which is jointed to a link, actuated by the eccentric, fast on the shaft.
The partial rotation of the said cam, it having resting against it the pins, extended
from the vertical bar, causes the descent of the said bar, compelling the free end of the
cam-shifter pivoted and forked at its outer end, to descend and place the finger thereof
in line with a projection of the cam so that the latter will strike the said finger, and
the latter acting as a stop will cause the said cam to be moved to the right far enough
to disengage the clutch parts, cause the pin carried by the said cam to engage
the lug and start in motion the cam to operate the Jacquard pattern-chains.
When the cam is to be moved to engage the clutch parts the cam will be
moved to lift the cam shifter so that the finger thereof will be placed in the
range of movement of and so as to be struck by the cam projection of the
shifting-cam which will cause the said cam to be moved.
The sleeve of the latter cam is provided with an annular groove which is
entered by a fork provided with a pin which has applied to it loosely a lever,
having its fulcrum at the under side of the table, the outer slotted or forked
end of the said lever engaging a stud on and moving the slide-bar in unison with
and in the same direction as the said cam, the movement of the slide-bar when the
cam is moved to effect the engagement of the clutch parts being such as to pull the
track backward and remove the rack-bar from its engagement with the toothed
wheel this disengagement of the rack-bar from the said toothed wheel being
effected after the partial engagement of the clutch parts so as to avoid any shock
or lost motion when changing from circular to reciprocating knitting, or vice versa.
The toothed gear, the spur-gear and the shifting cam, are all on the same shaft
so as to turn about the same centre of motion, thus greatly reducing the number of
the parts securing compactness, and simplifying the same."
The Jacquard cam acts against friction rolls or studs on a pinion carrying slide
held in guideways, and adapted to be reciprocated horizontally the said slide having
a stud on which is mounted a pinion, the periphery of which, below its centre of
motion, engages a stationary rack which causes the said pinion to be rotated
partially as the said slide is reciprocated. The pinion above its center of motion
engages and reciprocates the rack in its guide, which in turn engages and rotates
the pinion fast on the shaft, the said shaft having upon it an eccentric, embraced
by a part of a link jointed to an ear from the movable frame provided at its upper
end with suitable bearings for the reception of the pattern-chain cylinder having
pins to enter holes of the Jacquard surface composed of bars connected by links.
The bars have a series of holes distributed according to the particular drivers that
each bar is to strike and move. The said shaft has at one end a bevel gear, which
engages a bevel-gear on and rotates another shaft having bearings attached to the
ander side of the table, the said shaft having on it an eccentric, by a link moving
pivoted frame having at its upper end a second pattern-chain cylinder or shaft on
which is placed a second pattern chain or surface.
Each cylinder carrying one of the Jacquard pattern-chains, has fast at one end
pin-wheel the pins of which are engaged by a pawl pivoted on a bracket attached

page_text: to the upper side of the table. The bracket has a slotted shelf with a spring to
partially bridge the said slot. As the frame carrying the cylinder or shaft is
moved by the eccentric and link the pawl causes the rotation of the wheel one of
the pins passing through the slot in the said shelf as the wheel is rotated passing
at the next backward movement of the frame under the spring preventing any
turning back of the pattern-chain.
The table opposite each Jacquard pattern-chain has attached to it a guide formed
as an L-shaped bar, provided with notches for the reception and guidance of the
drivers which are held in the notches of the bar by the L-shaped cap forming the
top of the said guide each driver having a collar to form a stop and arrest the out-
ward movement of the driver, the latter being normally drawn outward by a
spring.
The driver of each set are alike except as to length and each except one is at
its front end passed through a socket at the rear end of a carriage which in
narrowing and widening is to be reciprocated by the Jacquard pattern-chain
referred to.
The needles are connected to needle slides placed in vertical grooves in the
outer side of the stationary needle-cylinder. The lower ends of the needle-slides
rest upon the ends of needle-levers cut from thin sheet steel, cach lever having
an orifice a little more than a semicircle, receiving a correspondingly-shaped
projection left to form part of the carriage, the latter being also cut from sheet-
steel.
The Jacquard carriages are placed in radial grooves in a carriage-guiding
bed or plate attached to the top of the table and to slide backward and forward.
This bed or plate has a raised central body outside of which into the path of
movement of the cam extend.the outer ends of the levers which are to be struck by
the said cam.
Each plate carriage has a notch, which is entered by a downwardly-extended lip
of a movable segmental plate which when moved radially inward toward the
centre of the needle cylinder, pushing in all the carriages engaged by them, about
one half the plate-carriages being so pushed in far enough to place the outer ends of
the levers mounted thereon so far in toward the centre of the machine as not to be
acted upon by the cam, and consequently all the needles above the said levers
remain out of action while the needles instrumental in knitting the heel and toe
are made to operate. Each segmental plate has a backwardly-extended shank
which slides in a guide-box, and also a downwardly-projecting pin, which enters a
cam slot in a slotted partial ring having a stud, over which is placed a link,
pivoted at its other end to an arm of a rock-shaft having its bearing attached to
the top of the table by suitable screws, the arm also attached to the said rockshaft,
being forked to engage a pin on the slide the movement of the said slide in one
or the other direction effecting the movement of the slotted partial ring, which
latter acts to simultaneously move out or in all the plate-carriages with which the
said segments are engaged, the moving in of the said segments and plate-carriages
placing the levers thereon out of the path of the cam causing the needles in line
with them to be stopped and cice versa. The movement of the slide-rod causes the
movement of the slotted partial ring to draw out all the said segmental plates and
plate-carriages acted upon by them leaving their levers in position to be struck by
the cam, as when.circular knitting is to be done.
At the opposite side of the machine to that occupied by the segmental plates is
a stationary segment it having a downturned lip, which enters the groove of each
of the series of stationary carriages located at that side of the machine, the said
segment being stationary for the reason that a certain number of the needles
between those controlled by the Jacquard pattern-chain and holding the stitches for
the narrowest course on the heel or toe are always to be retained in working
position, for such needles are used both when reciprocating and when circular
knitting is being done.
Each carriage has at its underside a hook which is extended under a lip forming

page_text: accidentally.
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prevent bine sant carriages from being lifted
Each Jacquard carriage is provided at its end with a loop, which is entered by
the downturned end of the driver and is normally held out by a spring in such
position as to place the ends of the levers mounted on the said carriages in the path
of movement of the said cam.
To commence a heel or toe, all the plate-carriages controlled by the segmental
plates are moved so that the needle-moving levers thereon are left at rest, and the
reciprocating motion of the parts having been commenced one or more Jacquard
carriages at a time next the plate-carriages so thrown out of action are left at rest
or are thrown out of action in the usual manner of narrowing until the narrowest
course for the heel or toe has been knitted, when widening is begun, and the
Jacquard carriages and their levers are moved in such direction as to cause the needles
to be thrown into action, one or more needles preparatory to each stroke. When the
bar of a Jacquard chain is moved up to the guide all the Jacquard carriages con-
nected to fashioning-drivers which are in line with and enter the holes in the said
bars are left in such position that the lovers attached to them are operated by the
cam to knit.
There are two sets of fashioning-drivers operated each by bars of an
independent pattern-chain, a bar in each chain being called into operation for each
course.
To obviate what is called a "skip-stitch" at the commencement of each course
of reciprocating knitting, it is essential to commence the return course on a needle
nearer the centre of the said course than at the end of the preceding course, this
being necessary to ensure such presentation of the yarn carried by the yarn guide
as to enable the yarn to be caught by the hooks of the needles to be used in the
next course to be made, and such being the case all the fashioning-drivers and
the Jacquard carriages connected with them will never all be out in working
position to any one course of reciprocating knitting, so that as circular knitting is
commenced some of them operated from the Jacquard carriages will be in, and at
such point the needles would not be operated to knit, but would cause a loose spot
or skip-stitch.
To obviate this difficulty I have connected two of the Jacquard carriages with
a block having a recess or notch at its rear end, engaged by the endmost driver
next that end of the series of drivers where the narrowing is commenced. To
avoid confusion of terms I shall call these carriages "intermediate carriages."
The block is normally pulled out by spring, and the driver is normally pulled back
and somewhat laterally by a spring when the last course of reciprocating knitting
is finished the drivers are left out; but as such course is finished the block and its
attached intermediate carriages and the driver will be held in by a bar of the chain
the outer end of the said driver at such time resting against the said bar. The
pattern-chain brought up to the drivers, for the last course remains there while
circular knitting is resumed but circular knitting cannot be carried on properly
without the block and its attached carriages are released and drawn out, but as the
driver is held pressed in by the bar of the chain and the movement of the chain.
has been for the time stopped some other provision must be made to release the
said block.
This is done as follows, namely: The end of the slotted partial ring is provided
with a toe which acts against one side of and pushes the driver aside far enough
to remove its end from the recess at the end of the said block, thus permitting the
spring to assume control of and move the said block and its carriages outward, so
that the levers carried by the said carriages are left in position to be acted upon by
the cam in making the first circular.course.
Preparatory to commencing reciprocating knitting the toe recedes from the
driver and as the first course of reciprocating knitting is to be commenced the
Jacquard pattern chain is moved outward away from the drivers, which movement
releases the driver permitting its spring to pull it outward, so that the free end of
the said driver is again sprung behind the block and into the recess therein, and

page_text: the said carriage will stand outward in the position that it would occupy were the
outer end of the driver in line with the drivers. The driver referred to in order
that its downward projection to act upon the block may be kept in place is
provided with a clamp which embraces several of the adjacent drivers and slides
freely over them.
The toothed wheel receives within its hub the drawing-down cam, made in two
parts attached each to a sliding bolt having at their outer convex slides, next the
cam-hubs pins which enter slots in the said cam hubs. These cam hubs are
provided with hand-levers, having toes to engage a notch in a spring attached to
the wheel or plate the said spring preventing accidental movement of the said cam-
hubs. While all ordinary knitting is being done the cam-hubs are so placed as
to keep the cams down, and the latter being attached to the toothed wheel and
moving with it act against the shoulders of the needle-slides and depress the needles
to draw new loops through the old loops on their shanks.
The bolt carrying the cam has attached to it above the said cam a curved finger.
Preparatory to commencing a stocking all the needles must be lifted to enable
the ribbed top to be applied, and thereafter the needles are drawn down, as in
regular circular knitting. To do this first turn the cam hubs in the direction to
raise the cams and thereafter the hand-lever is turned to lift the spider which has
attached to it wires or posts upon the top of which at or just above the level of
the table, is supported the needle-lifting ring the upward movement of the said
ring simultaneously raising the inner ends of all the needle elevating levers, so
that the latter lift all the needles.
In this condition of the needles the ribbed top is applied. While the ribbed
top is being applied, the pin cooperating with the cam-hub stands in the larger
end of the groove in the said cam-hub.
Preparatory to commencing to knit the leg of the stocking upon the ribbed top,
the yarn to be used will be placed so as to be presented to the hooks of the needles
first to descend, and the cam is lowered by the cam-hub so as to act upon the
shoulders of the slides and draw down the needles, and when the needles have been
so drawn down the other cam may be drawn down, but it must be drawn down
some time before reciprocating knitting is commenced. As the cam is drawn down, as
stated, the finger overlapping the cam acts upon and starts the latter cam down
for a short distance, such movement being possible by reason of the groove in the
hub being wider than the diameter of the pin such partial depression of the cam
being necessary to obviate the possibility of the shoulders striking against the
upper inner end of the cam above its operative inclined edge. It will be noticed
that the sliding drivers are all straight rods arranged parallel to each other, and
to enable the said drivers to reciprocate radially the carriages with which they
are connected the said drivers are of different lengths and their inner ends when in
normal position stand in the arc of a circle corresponding with the outer ends of
the carriages, the outer ends of all the drivers measured from their shoulders being
of equal length, so as to project uniformly from the guide to meet the surface of
the straight bar of the pattern-chain.
'
A needle will be raised whenever the carriage holding its operating lever is
sufficiently far out in the groove in the carriage-bed to enable the end of the lever
to be struck by its cam.
Each needle-slide is kept up by its own operating-lever until it is to be moved
down positively by the drawing down cam, and at such time the working edge of
the needle-elevating cam passes from the ends of the said levers, leaving the
needle free to be moved down.
The cam-plate for moving the web-holders has attached to it three cams two of
which drive the web-holders back from the centre of the machine and each has
prongs, which overlap the inner circular working edge of the third cam, which
moves the web-holders in the opposite direction, the said prongs serving as stops
against which the nibs of the web-holders strike, thus preventing any movement
of the web-holders due solely to momentum. Without said prongs the web-holders

page_text: are liable while the machine is in rapid motion to be moved too far in toward the
centre of the machine.
These prongs prevent the shoulders of the web-holders striking the thin walls
of the cylinder-cap between the needles. The web-holder bed grooved radially
for the reception of the web-holders, is sustained upon a circular plate supported
at opposite points upon shoulders of guide rods placed in guides erected upon
the table the said plate being connected to the guide-rods by the nuts, the
plate having adjusting screws which abut against the upper ends of the guides
and enable the levelling and adjusting of the said plate and bed. The plate
has a shoulder within which is held the lower end of the flanged ring or cover
which is securely attached to the plate by screws.
The web-holders are kept down in the grooves of the bed by the two rings which
are attached to the said bed. The cam-plate is held down by the flanged ring or
cover. The table has erected upon it a foot plate provided with a hub to receive
the rigid stud which serves as the fulcrum for the pattern wheels. The foot plate
has bolted to it the upright which at its upper end carries the thread or yarn
controlling mechanism. The upright supports the yoke having bearings for the
rocker shafts and a bearing for the pin to serve as a fulcrum for the latches which
hold the rocker-shafts in the position in which they are left by the cam or projection
of the pattern wheels until they are again to be released in the operation of the
machine.
All the pattern wheels are moved by a broad pawl pivoted between two arms of
a rock-shaft extended through a sleeve bearing attached to the table the said rock
shaft being moved by the link before described. This bearing has a lug that
receives a screw stud which acts as a guide for the slide guided at its upper end
by the screw-stud and provided at its rear side with a cam projection against which
strikes, at the completion of each stocking, the cam projection on the wheel and
in practice this slide may be used as one device in connection with any usual or
suitable stopping mechanism, so that when said slide is moved the machine may be
stopped the said devices not being herein shewn, because they are not to be claimed.
The foot plate has a stud which is extended horizontally across the pattern wheels
the said stud carrying a hub having a broad flat plate provided with adjustable
cam projections both alike.
The hub has attached to it an arm acted upon by a spring attached to the foot
plate the said spring normally acting to keep the broad plate pressed upward toward
the pattern-wheels, so that the cam projection on the said plate may be acted upon
at the proper times by the pin at the rear side of the heel wheel and the pin at
the front side of the heel wheel the said pins striking at different times opposite
edges of the cam projection. A pin at the rear side of the wheel and a pin at the
front side of the whcel the latter pin being in one of the holes strike at the
desired times the cam projection. Each pin referred to as it meets the one or
other cam projection depresses the broad plate and moves back in unison with it
the arm which at its free end has a pin which is extended through a slot of the
foot plate the said pin at the rear side of the said plate as the said arm is lowered
permitting the pawl pivoted to the arm of the rock-shaft before described to fall
sufficiently to engage one of the pins of the cam and rotate the same to raise or
lower the cam-shifter as before described whenever a change is to be made from
reciprocating to rotary knitting or vice versa. The end of the pawl is prolonged
beyond its hook to rest above a safety-cam loose on the shaft which shaft is
extended backward through a bearing fast to the table the rear end of the said
shaft having a worm-gear which is engaged by a worm on the upright shaft before
described.
The shaft has fast on it a collar having a hub which enters a recess cut into the
side of the cam. This hub has a spring connected to this cam at the inner side of
its recess the spring normally acting to keep a pin on the cam in contact with a
pin on the collar. The latter shaft when circular knitting is being done rotates
continuously, and the speed of rotation is such that it rotates once to each three

page_text: rotations of the main shaft and while reciprocating knitting is being done the
before named shaft has a rotary reciprocating motion for about one third of a
rotation.
The cam shifter is in practice raised or lowered considerably in advance of the
time that it is to be struck by the cam, which occurs whenever the knitting is to be
changed from circular to reciprocating knitting, and vice versa.
Should the pins from any cause he lowered out of time, the pawl might be
dropped to rotate the cam out of time. which would disarrange or break the
machine. To obviate this the end of the pawl is extended forward over the cam,
as stated, to prevent the possibility of the engagement of the pawl with the cam to
effect a change from rotary to reciprocating knitting except at such time as when
the needle-operating cams are all in proper position to perimit circular knitting to
be changed to reciprocating knitting this change in the machine herein described
being adapted to be made only when the cam is at about the center of the set of
needles used to form the heel or toe, and at such times as when the toe is
in position to be struck by the cam projection, this being possible to happen
in this present machine only at such a rotation of the shaft as is divisible
by three.
During circular knitting the front end of the pawl stands above the cam and the
pawl is not moved by the said cam. The cam is however so shaped that in case
the pin should be lowered at the proper time, the front end of the pawl is free to
descend notwithstanding the said cam; but should the said pawl be permitted to
drop at the wrong time the cam will arrest it so that the projection of the said pawl
will not engage a pin of the shifting bar controlling cam.
This cam is therefore so shaped that the pawl cannot drop to engage a pin except
at a certain definite rotation of the main shaft.
When the pawl is permitted to drop to move the last named cam to prepare for
the change from circular to reciprocating knitting, the safety cam is rotating
continuously and said cam has, it will be understood, to be in such position
as to let
the pawl drop and move the shifting bar cam to drop the cam shifter as stated in
advance and leave it at rest a little while before the toe is acted upon by the cam
portion of the slowly-moving cam and during this time the safety cam is held
at rest.
The foot-plate has fixed to it a stud on which is mounted a series of detents acted
upon by springs attached to the stud and bearing on the said pawls. Each of these
pawls has two teeth.
When a stocking is commenced the broad pawl starts the first wheel in rotation
none of the other wheels moving because the said pawl plays back and forth in a
toothless space or broad notch but as soon as the screw extended through first
wheel in one of its holes meets the pin on the heel wheel which it does when the
leg of the stocking has been knitted for a length determined by the position of the
screw on the first wheel, the heel wheel is started and moved with the first wheel
until the broad pawl engages one of the teeth of the second wheel and thereafter
the said pawl moves both the wheels in unison.
As soon as the heel wheel is started the pin before referred to depresses the
lever and prepares for the change from circular to reciprocating motion for the
production of a heel.
The heel wheel in its rotation brings a screw in contact with a pin on the third
wheel which is called the "foot wheel." The pin will be placed in one or the
other of the series of holes according to the length of the heel. As the screw
strikes the pin the foot wheel is started sufficiently to enable the pawl to catch and
thereafter move it with the heel wheel.
As soon as the foot wheel is started its pin strikes the cam projection before
referred to, and operates the lever to effect the change described from reciprocating
to circular motion to enable the foot of the stocking to be knitted, the length of
the foot depending upon the position of the screw in the holes in the fourth wheel,
which screw is struck by another pin in one of the series of holes of that wheel.

page_text: 0
5
s soon as this pin strikes the screw the last wheel is starece
"P
nough for the pawl to take control of it, and the said wheel in its rotation brings
he pin against the cam projection before described, and again effects the change
rom circular to reciprocating knitting which is kept up until the toe has been
nished the length of the toc depending upon the distance of the pin from the space
the wheel. In its rotation each wheel it having been rotated once or so as to
ring its toothless space next the pawl is stopped. The three other wheels are all
t rest before the pawl enters the space of the fourth wheel and as soon as the
pace of this wheel comes into line with the like spaces of the adjacent wheels the
awl is permitted to sink into the notch of the first wheel next its space and
he pawl at its next thrust moves the first wheel, but does not move the three other
wheels. The movement of the wheel causes the pin thereon previously described
o strike the cam projection and again effect the change from reciprocating to
circular motion, and two or more circular courses are then knitted and the machine
s stopped as before described.
For the heel and toe a thickening thread is introduced, taken from a suitable
bobbin through a guide thence through an eye in a plate and through a tube
mounted on a rock shaft and having attached to its forward end a separating-plate
the upward movement of the delivery end of the tube being arrested by a stop the
object being to stop the delivery end just above the level of the path of movement
of the regular knitting threads, two or more of which are used, so that the free
end of the thickening-thread depending from the delivery end of the said tube may
hang between the said regular knitting-threads as the delivery end of the tube is
stopped above them, the said regular threads picking up and carrying with them
the said thickening-thread into the tube. The regular knitting threads taken from
suitable bobbins are led through guides and thence through a guide eye into the
tube thence through the wire and through the eye of the take-up normally held
up by a spring connecting the hub of the said take-up with the pin which serves as
the fulcrum for the take-up lever.
The rock-shaft carrying the tube has at one end an arm which by link is
attached to one end of the arm in turn attached to the rock-shaft held in the yoke.
The rock-shaft held in the said yoke has an arm which by link is attached to
The opposite
an arm of a rock-shaft mounted in a bearing on the horizontal arm.
end of the rock-shaft has attached to it a fork, the said fork as it is partially
rotated, bending the threads past them out of straight line and producing tension
thereon. The said arm is normally held up by a spring, the spring when it so acts
keeping the fork in position not to produce tension on the thread. The rock-shaft
has attached to it near the tube an arm which as the delivery end of the said tube
is depressed strikes one arm of a lever and the short end of the said lever striking
one arm of a shear having cooperating with it a stationary shear-blade erected on
the bracket, separates the said blades for the introduction between them of the
thickening-thread as the delivery end of the tube is lowered, the spring acting to
When the delivery end of the
close the said blades and cut off the said thread.
tube is depressed a pin on the arm moving it is engaged by a latch and the tube is
held down until the latch is moved to release the arm which is done when the
thickening-thread is again to be introduced. When the rock-shaft arm is pulled
down against its spring to put tension on the threads a latch catches a pin thereon
and holds the said arm so long as it is desired to keep tension on the thread. Tension
may be put on the yarn at the leg or foot.
One rock-shaft has fast upon it an arm provided with a pin which is extended
horizontally under two latches and lifts them at the proper times to release the
tension and to permit the outer or receiving end of the tube to descend by the action
of gravity and bring its delivery end in position to give up the free end of the
thread depending from it to the passing threads.
The tube has connected to it loosely a small ring through which the thickening-
thread is passed, the said ring acting as a detent to prevent backward movement of
the said thread. Another rock-shaft has on it two pins.
The pin is acted upon
B

page_text: in succession by cams attached to the wheel the cam turning the rock-shaft to effect
the putting of tension upon the threads used in the leg and the cam permitting the
arm to rise slowly after it has been released by the latch it being desired to remove
the tension gradually. The pin is acted upon by a cam carried by the third wheel
when it is desired to put tension on the threads used in the foot, tension being
released by the action of an appropriate cam attached to the toe-wheel acting
upon its pin, attached to the rocker-shaft it having attached to it the arm, before
described. The rock-shaft last referred to has a pin, which is acted upon by the
cam projection attached to the cam fast on the first wheel, the said cam effecting
the release of the latch, from the arm when the tension on the yarn in the leg
be released. The rock-shaft has yet another pin which is struck during the early
part of the rotation of the heel-wheel by the pin to turn the rock-shaft and cause
the arm to lift the latch so that the receiving end of the tube is free to fall, as
described.
to
One of two fingers of another rock-shaft is acted upon by the cam projection to
turn the said rock-shaft, and at the time that it is necessary to turn the rock-
shaft to lower the delivery end of the tube, and cut off its thread the distance
between the end of the tube and the scissors and the movement of the tube and of
the scissors as to the tube when the thickening-thread is cut off being so timed and
proportioned as to leave about four inches of the thickening-thread depending
from the delivery end of the said tube. The cam acts when the thickening-thread
is to be removed from the toc, and the cam on the heel-wheel acts in like manner
on another finger when it is time to cut off the thickening thread from the heel.
The head of the yarn guide has a slot through which is extended an adjustable
screw carried by a plate the lower end of the said screw acting upon the top of the
cam plate to permit the head of the yarn guide to be adjusted vertically. The
said head also has two threaded openings in which are screwed two like screws,
the said screws passing through slots in the plate. The front end of the yarn-
guide above and about the delivery-eye is cut away leaving a projection the upper
edge of which is shaped to the path traversed by the hooks of the needles when
rising and descending the projection supporting the yarn to be engaged by the
hooks of the descending needles, the space above the said projections preventing
the rubbing of the hooks of the needles against the yarn-guide.
Dated the 26th day of February 1891.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Circular Knitting Machinery.
I, FRANK JEROME DUTCHER of Hopedale, in the State of Massachusetts, one
of the United States of America, 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 has for its object to improve that class of knitting machines
containing a series of vertically-reciprocating needles arranged in a grooved
cylinder, and is intended especially as an improvement upon that class of machines
wherein the cam-cylinder is at times rotated for the production of circular knitting
and is at other times reciprocated for the production of heels and toes for stockings,
the machine being moved for different distances to provide for narrowing, and then
for widening in corresponding manner to form a pouch serviceable in the production
of both heels and toes for stockings.
The invention herein contained is intended as an improvement upon the machine
Cescribed in English Patent No. 3411 of August 25, 1879 to which reference may
be bad, the aim being to simplify the operation of the parts and cheapen their

page_text: construction. In the Patent referred to those needles which were employed to
make stitches in the production of heels and toes, which needles were drawn out of
position one or more at a time in narrowing, and again moved into position one or
more at a time in widening, were controlled by levers acted upon by a so called
65 Jacquard cam the said levers being mounted upon carriages actuated by
vertically-movable slides having their feet placed upon the cam-surfaces of a
Jacquard pattern chain, the remaining needles, or those drawn out of position for
the production of heels and toes, being actuated by a separate cam called' a
working-cam," all the needles being drawn down at the proper time by a needle-
depressing cam. In the said Patent the so-called "working-cam was adapted to
and had to be moved radially inward with relation to the needles in the needle-
cylinder for circular knitting and out for reciprocating knitting, and vice versa.
*
22
By the term "circular knitting" as herein employed I mean to imply that
action of the machine wherein a circular web is being knitted, and the term
"reciprocating knitting" that action of the machine when a fabric is being knitted
suitable for heels and toes.
::
2
In accordance with this invention all the needles of the machine are actuated by
levers mounted upon carriages, the needles all deriving their upward movement
from a single cam, called the "lever-operating and needle-elevating cam
all the
needles being depressed by a different needie-depressing cam, both the said cams
being carried by one toothed wheel or ring surrounding the needle-cylinder. The
carriages upon which the said levers are mounted are herein shown as of two
different kinds. The Jacquard carriages as I shall term them, are those which
are moved out of and into operation one or more at a time when reciprocating
knitting is being done, or when the heels and toes of stockings are being knitted,
and are jointed to fashioning-drivers, which are arranged parallel each to the other
in guides, and the said fashioning-drivers are actuated in one direction by the
straight bars of a Jacquard pattern chain and in the other direction by springs.
The plate carriages" or those carrying the levers to actuate the needles that are
to be simultaneously thrown out of action (about one half) when reciprocating
knitting is to be done, and into action when circular knitting is to be done, are
provided with notches to be entered by lips on a series of segmental plates, and are
all moved out of and into operation by the segmental plates. There are two sets
of Jacquard carriages, and between them are placed a series of carriages in number
equal to the number of needles desired to have in operation for the shortest course
of knitting in a heel or in a toe, and these carriages, which have no longitudinal
motion whatever, but always stand in such position as to enable the needle-actuating
levers moving thereon to be struck by the needle-lifting cam, I shall call the
stationary carriages" and although the plate-carriages and the stationary
carriages are herein shown as constructed just alike I shall designate them by
different letters. In this invention I have done away with the radially-moving
working-cam described in the said Patent. In the Patent referred to, the needles
which were operated to knit only when doing circular knitting, were operated by a
so-called "working-cam" and the Jacquard needles by a so-called "Jacquard-cam,"
the so called " working-cam being moved radially out of working position when
reciprocating knitting was to be done, there being above the working-cam a
drawing-down cam. In case the said working-cam for any reason was not with-
drawn at the proper time the needle slides and cylinders were frequently broken
and damaged. In this present invention all the needles are operated by levers
mounted on carriages, and all the levers are acted upon by the same cam to elevate
the needles, and the said cam has no change of position except that due to its
travel when knitting. Herein the carriages extend entirely about the needle-
cylinder, and some of them are fixed in a given circle, and all the others are
made movable radially toward and from the center of the machine, some of the
carriages being moved radially in blocks or sections by segmental plates, while
others are moved singly by the fashioning-drivers actuated by the bars, of the
pattern-chain.
::

page_text: Figure is a plan view of a knitting machine embodying this present invention,
the foot-plate supporting the mechanism for controlling the yarn to be used in the
production of a stocking being omitted, part of the frame-work being broken away
to show devices covered by it.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the chief part of the machine embodying this
invention from the table upward, the foot plate carrying the yarn-controlling
devices being, however, omitted, the said devices so broken off being shown in front
elevation in Figure 37.
Figure 3 is a detail in plan view of the yoke and rock-shafts therein, to be
described;
Fig. 4, a perspective detail of the bearing for one of the rock-shafts to be
lescribed and the rock-shaft therein and some of its connected parts.
Fig. 5, a detail of one of the locking-pawls shown in Fig. 2 and its spring
Fig. 6, a detail of the rocking plate instrumental in operating the cam-shifter;
Fig. 7, a detail, showing the forward part or head of the yarn-carrier detached
from the cam-plate.
Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the machine from the table downward, a few of the
parts above the table being left projecting above the table, but broken out, the
ring for lifting all the needles when the ribbed top is being supplied to them being
above the table, this Fig. 8, together with Figs. 2 and 37 to be described, forming
a front elevation of the machine, the Jacquard pattern-chains being shown by
dotted lines.
Fig. 9 is an open or skeleton view showing the chief parts of the machine located
below the table, which latter (shown by dotted lines) is supposed to be transparent,
all the parts shown in the said figure, with the exception of the stands for holding
the latches to rotate the shafts of the pattern-chain cylinders and the bracket
for holding the rock-shaft for operating the slotted partial ring, being below the
table.
Fig. 10 is a partial left-hand end elevation of the machine, chiefly to show the
main shaft, the devices thereon, the rack, its track, the pattern wheels, and means
to operate them, and the rock shafts operated by the pattern wheels, the said
figure showing one of the frames for the pattern-cylinder and over which is passed
one of the Jacquard pattern-chains, the latter being omitted.
Fig. 11 is a section of Fig. 1 in the dotted line, chiefly to show the knitting
devices, the parts shown being those located between the top of the flanged ring for
holding the cam-plate and the table, the Jacquard pattern-chains and their devices,
the pattern-wheels, and the gearing for actuating the cam carrying wheel or ring,
and the cam-plate being omitted, the needle-lever at the right of the machine (it
being mounted upon a stationary carriage) being in position to be actuated by the
needle-elevating cam, but the lever at the left of the machine (it being mounted on
a plate carriage) is out of range of the movement of the said cam.
Fig. 12 is a partial top view of the cam carrying wheel or ring with the parts
attached to it.
Fig. 13 is a detail showing an inner side view of the needle-depressing cams and
the bolts to which they are attached, the said cams being removed from the interior
of Fig. 12.
Figs. 14 and 15 show the cam-hubs for moving the needle-depressing cams as
developed or laid out as plane surfaces.
Fig. 16 is a detail showing part of the cam carrying wheel or ring, its spring or
locking device to hold in place the handles of the cam-hubs for operating the
needle-depressing cams.
Fig. 17 is an enlarged diagram, taken below the irregular dotted line 3, Fig. 11,
chiefly to show the bed in which slide the carriages upon which are mounted the
needle-actuating levers, the needle-cylinder, the segmental plates, and some of the
means for operating them when it is desired to draw out of operation those needles
which are not to be used in the making of heels and toes, the Jacquard carriages
containing the levers, which are to operate the needles which are to be used in

page_text: knitting heels and toes being shown as attached to the carriage or fashioning-
drivers, the upper parts of the guides for the drivers being omitted, the table being
mostly omitted, the arm of the rock-shaft which is moved by the slide, to be
described, being also broken off to save space on the drawings, as are also the said
slide and two of the guides for the shanks of the segmental plates.
Fig. 18 is an enlarged sectional detail taken across the guide-plate in the
dotted line, Fig. 17, together with a side elevation of a Jacquard carriage and
part of a needle-lever thereon, a fashioning-driver for the said lever, and a spring
for operating the carriage in one direction.
Fig. 19 is a partial left-hand end elevation with the parts in a different position
from that shown in Fig. 10, the said figure showing the upright shaft and gears
thereon for actuating the cam-plate and the toothed plate which carries the cams
for operating the needles, the figure also showing the devices employed to operate
the shifting-lever of the safety-cam to control the time of the engagement of the
pawl for operating the cam that in its rotation raises and lowers the cam-shifter, so
that the latter may be changed only at the proper position of the main shaft,
and that at the only time when circular knitting can be changed to reciprocating
knitting.
Fig. 19 is a partial section of Fig. 19 below the dotted line o
Fig. 20 is a detail showing a part of the table with a part of the bed to guide
the carriages, the segmental plates for moving out of and into working position
some of the plate-carriages containing the needle-actuating levers at that side of the
machine where the needles are thrown out of operation entirely and do not knit
while heel and toe work is being done, the said figure also showing the block,
which carries two of the intermediate carriages controlled by the Jacquard pattern-
chains, part of the driver for holding the said block being broken off, the remaining
part of the driver being shown fully in Fig. 17, which figure also shows the block
in a different position.
Fig. 21 is a partial section of Fig. 19 in the line, looking to the left, chiefly to
show the cam which raises and lowers the cam-shifter, and pawl for moving the
said cam, and the safety cam or device for insuring the descent of the said pawl
at the proper time when circular knitting is to be changed to reciprocating
knitting.
Fig. 22 is a section of Fig. 21 in the dotted line 5.
Fig. 23 is a partial section of Fig. 10 in the irregular dotted line looking
toward the right.
Fig. 234 is a detail of the shifting lever.
Fig. 24 is a detail showing part of one of the Jacquard pattern-chains and the
devices for operating it, the said figure showing a part of the table.
Figs. 25 and 26 are partial sections of the machine in the line, Fig. 1, the
said figure showing parts of the frame or carrier for moving the Jacquard pattern-
chain the devices instrumental in rotating the shaft carrying the chain, which
latter is not shown, and means for vibrating the said frame."
Fig. 27 is an under side view of the cam-plate for moving the web-holders.
Fig. 28, a side elevation of one of the web-holders.
Fig. 29 is an enlarged side elevation of a plate-carriage and needle-lever thereon
the said carriage being not controlled by the Jacquard pattern-chain, but rather by
one of the segmental plates.
Fig. 30 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the needles used in the machine,
together with the slide to which it is attached.
Fig. 31 is a detail, partially in section, of the block, having attached to it, as
herein shown, two intermediate carriages and the driver and springs co-operating
with it, the said figure also showing the driver-guide and part of the table;
Fig. 32, a detail underside view of the block e', its connected intermediate
carriages being broken off';
Fig. 33, a detail view of the driver which co-operates with the block, to which
are attached the two intermediate carriages;

page_text: Fig. 34, an enlarged view of the cylinder carrying the pattern-chain;
Fig. 35, an end view thereof;
Fig. 36, details of the pattern-chain bars and links to show their manner of
junction.
Fig. 37 is a partial front elevation of the foot-plate and standard thereon
carrying the devices for controlling the threads used in knitting on their way to
the usual thread-guide, the mechanism shown in this figure being that broken off
from Fig. 1, the dotted line in the said figure showing the thread-guide for the
thickening thread for heel and toe work, as in its elevated position.
Fig. 38 is a detail showing the guide through which the yarn is passed imme-
diately before entering the take-up.
Fig. 39 is a partial right-hand end view of Fig. 37, chiefly to show the scissors
for cutting the thickening thread.
Fig. 40 is a top or plan view of Fig. 37.
Fig. 41 is a side elevation of the pattern wheel or device which governs the
length of the leg and the tension on the thread used in the leg to fashion the same,
the said wheel also carrying a projection to automatically stop the machine on the
completion of a stocking, a projection to then start in motion the devices to cut off
the thickening-thread, and a projection to effect the release of the tension ;
Fig. 42, an edge view of the wheel shown in Fig. 41;
Fig. 43, a side elevation of the pattern wheel or device employed to determine
the number of reciprocations of the machine in the manufacture of a heel, the said
wheel having a projection to determine the time of the introduction of the
thickening-thread, and also a projection to determine the time of cutting off the
said thread on the completion of the heel;
Fig. 44, an edge view of the wheel shown in Fig. 43;
Fig. 45, a side elevation of the pattern wheel or device instrumental to determine
the length of the foot, it having a cam to regulate the application of tension to the
thread used in the foot;
Fig. 46, an edge view of the wheel shown in Fig. 45;
Fig. 47, a side clevation of the pattern wheel or device used to regulate the
number of reciprocations of the machine in making the toe, the said wheel having a
projection to determine the time at which the thickening-thread shall be introduced
into the foot preparatory to knitting the toe, the said projection also determining
the time at which the tension shall be removed from the thread or yarn used in the
foot;
Fig. 48, an edge view of the wheel shown in Fig. 47, all the wheels in Figs. 41
to 48 having pins which at the proper times determine the change from circular to
reciprocating knitting, and vice versa.
The frame work consists, essentially, of a column A, having an enlarged foot A',
which is bolted to the floor, the said column at top having a table A2, to the top
and under side of which are secured suitable stands or brackets to support the
different parts to be described.
The driving-shaft A3 is provided with a fast and a loose pulley A' and A. In
practice the said pulleys will be of that class adapted to constitute part of a fast
and slow speed mechanism to insure for the said driving-shaft two speeds, onc
faster than the other, the fast speed being operative when circular knitting is being
done or when the toothed gear or plate carrying the needle-actuating cams is being
rotated to make the tubular part of a stocking, the slow speed being operative when
reciprocating knitting is being done or when the said gear or plate is being reci-
procated to produce the heel or toc of a stocking such variable speed being provided
for in the Patent referred to.
The driving-shaft A³, at its immer end, has fast on it a pinion A., it engaging a
toothed gear A, fast on and rotating the main shaft A, the latter having fast
upon it a collar A' and an eccentric A¹º. The shaft A has one of its bearings in
a sleeve B, extended through a hub B' of a bracket secured to the under side of
the table (see Fig. 19) where the said hub is represented as partially broken out to

page_text: how the said sleeve. The sleeve B has fast upon it at one end the spur-gear D
aving at one side bevel-teeth B³, while at its opposite end the said sleeve has fast
o it one-half B' of a clutch 134 B, the other half B being connected to a sleeve Bº,
which has attached to it the shifting cam B', the hub of the latter being provided
with a pin B3, which is adapted to enter loosely a hole in the collar A, fast on the
main shaft, the said pin being long enough to extend through the said collar when
he clutch B B is disengaged and to meet a lug or projection B (see dotted lines,
Fig. 23) on the cam 1, which imparts motion to the devices for moving the
Jacquard chains toward and from the fashioning-drivers, to be described, which
move the Jacquard carriages d², (see Fig. 18) having mounted upon them the
needle-actuating levers ², the said cam running loosely with relation to the said
shaft, the said pin 18 when in engagement with the said projection, rotating the
cam B in unison with the shifting cam B7 and main shaft A. The face of the
clutch part 1 next the clutch part B has a projecting pin C, that when circular
knitting is being done enters a hole in the clutch part 1 and drives it and the
spur-gear B², the latter, by its bevel-teeth B³, engaging the bevel-pinion C' on the
upright shaft C, provided with the toothed gear C³ to engage and rotate the wheel
or plate C, which carries, among other things, the needle-elevating cam C and
the drawing-down cam made in two pieces a a¹, to be described. The shaft C has
also fast on it the toothed gear C (see Fig. 1) which engages the toothed periphery
of the cam-plate C', which operates the web-holders, the latter being substantially
the same in construction and operation as the web-holders shown and fully described
in the Patent referred to.
The toothed wheel A' at its outer side is furnished with a crank-pin C8, which
has applied to it the link C, having its lower end applied to the pin C on the
arm D, attached to the reciprocating T-shaped rack-bar D', fitted to slide in or on
a track D, pivoted at its lower end on a stud D³, the said track being arranged
vertically, a part of the arm D embracing the said track, the latter at its upper
end being provided with an ear D4, (see Fig. 9) having a pin D³, that enters a cam-
slot D in the rack-moving slide-bar D' fitted to slide horizontally in the guides D³,
attached to the under side of the table A*.
When the clutch parts B1 B5 are in gear, as in Fig. 19, the slide-bar D7 is in
such position as to cause the track D' to be held back far enough from the spur-
gear 132 to effect the disengagement of the rack-bar D' from the said gear, and
thereafter the shaft C2 will be driven, as described, continuously rotating the parts
for circular knitting, the rack-bar reciprocating, but not doing any work, the
machine at such time being supposed to be running at its fastest speed, the cam B10
being disengaged from the pin BB and at rest, the Jacquard chain, to be described,
being also at rest.
To change to reciprocating knitting, as when the heel or toe is to be knitted, or
to narrow and then widen a part of the stocking, the shifting-bar-controlling
cam D, on a fixed stud D, is moved from its position, Fig. 23, by the pawl E,
pivoted to the arm E of the rocker-shaft E, mounted in a bearing E (shown
detached in Fig. 4) the said rock-shaft having an attached arm E3 which is jointed
to a link E, actuated by the eccentric A, fast on the shaft A. The partial
rotation of the said cam D, it having resting against it the pins a² a, extended
from the vertical bar E, causes the descent of the said bar, compelling the free
end of the cam-shifter E, pivoted at E and forked at its outer end (see Fig. 234)
to descend and place the finger a thereof in line with the projection a³ Fig. 7 of
the cam B, so that the latter, supposing the parts to be as in Fig. 19 and rotating
in the direction of the arrow 200 near the shifting-cam B7, will strike the said
finger, and the latter, acting as a stop, will cause the said cam to be moved to the
right, viewing said Fig. 19, far enough to disengage the clutch parts 13 B, cause
the pin 138, carried by the said cam B', to engage the lug Bº, and start in motion
When the cam B7 is
the cam Bo to operate the Jacquard pattern-chains HH.
to be moved to engage the eliteh pirts B B', the D' will be moved to lift.
the cam-shifter E' so that the finger a thereof will be placed in the range of

page_text: movement of and so as to be struck by the cam projection of the shifting cam B7
which will cause the said cam to be moved to the left, viewing Fig. 10.
The sleeve of the cam B7 is provided with an annular groove 2, which is entered
by a fork 3, provided with a pin 4, (Fig. 9) which has applied to it loosely a
lever Es, having its fulcrum at E' at the underside of the table A2, the outer slotted
or forked end of the said lever engaging a stud E on and moving the slide-bar D
in unison with and in the same direction as the said cam B, the movement of the
slide-bar D when the cam B7 is moved to effect the engagement of the clutch
parts B4 B5 being such as to pull the track D2 backward and remove the rack-
bar D from its engagement with the 'oothed wheel B2, this disengagement of the
rack-bar from the said toothed wheel being effected after the partial engagement of
the clutch parts B1 B³, so as to avoid any shock or lost motion when changing from
circular to reciprocating knitting, or vice versa, as provided for, and fully explained
in the said Patent.
In the Patent referred to the toothed gear for reciprocating the rack is on one
shaft, and the rack is moved horizontally. The spur-gear, which is engaged by the
said rack to effect reciprocating knitting, is on another shaft, and the so-called sleeve
and grooved disk for moving the shifting-lever is on a third shaft; but herein I have
arranged the toothed gear A', the spur-gear B2, and the shifting-cam B7 all on the
same shaft, so as to turn about the same center of motion, thus greatly reducing
the number of the parts, securing compactness and simplifying the same. The
cam B acts against friction rolls or studs on a pinion carrying slide F
held in guideways F1 F', and adapted to be reciprocated horizontally, the
said slide having a stud on which is mounted a pinion F the periphery of which,
below its center of motion, engages a stationary rack F which causes the said
pinion to be rotated partially as the said slide F is reciprocated. The pinion F2 above
its center of motion engages and reciprocates the rack F in its guide 201, which
in turn engages and rotates the pinion 1, fast on the shaft F, having its bearings
at F7 at the under side of the table A, the said shaft having upon it an eccentric F
embraced by a part of a link F, jointed by pin F (see Figs. 24 to 26) to an
ear G extended from the movable frame G₁, pivoted at G2, and provided at its
upper end with suitable bearings for the reception of the pattern-chain cylinder G³,
having an enlarged body, and provided near its ends with pins a³, (shown in solid
black) to enter the endmost holes a³ of the Jacquard pattern-chain or surface H,
composed, as herein shown, of bars a¹, connected by links, the ends of the bars
being reduced, as at 6, and extended through and so as to serve as the connecting
pivots for the said links, as shown in Fig. 36. The bars a¹o have a series of holes 62,
more or less in number, and distributed over the said bars according to the par-
ticular drivers c², to be described, that cach bar is to strike and move. The
shaft F has at one end a bevel gear G which engages a bevel-gear G' on and
rotates the shaft Go, having bearings G7 attached to the under side of the table A²,
the said shaft having on it an eccentric like that marked F8 on the shaft F, the
said eccentric, through a link G³, moving the frame G, pivoted at G1, (see Fig. 10)
it having at its upper end a second pattern-chain cylinder or shaft G³, on which is
placed a second pattern-chain or surface H', constructed as described of the pattern-
chain H.
Fig. 8 shows the two pattern-chains by dotted lines. Each cylinder G³, carrying
one of the Jacquard pattern-chains, has fast at one end a pin-wheel H², the pins 3
of which are engaged by a pawl H³, pivoted at H on a bracket H³, attached to the
upper side of the table A2 by screws H. The bracket FI at its rear side has a
slotted shelf 202, (see Fig. 25) provided with a spring to partially bridge the
said slot. As the frame carrying the cylinder or shaft G³ is moved outward or
away from the center of the machine by the eccentric and link described, the
pawl H³ in engagement with one of the said pins, as in Fig. 25, causes the rotation
of the wheel H², one of the pins 63 (see Fig. 26) passing through the slot in the
said shelf as the wheel is rotated from the position in Fig. 25 to that in Fig. 26,
the said pin carried below the shelf passing at the next backward movement of

page_text: the frame under the spring, thus absolutely preventing any turning back of the
pattern-chain. The said slotted shelf forms what I shall call a "locking device"
for the pattern-chain shaft.
In the Patent referred to the Jacquard pattern-chains were made of cast-metal
bars having elevated cam-surfaces, which by a cam-like action on the feet of the
slides lifted them vertically to move horizontally the carriages carrying the levers
to actuate the needles employed to knit when making heels and toes or narrowing
and then widening the stocking, and the said chains were very heavy, requiring; a
power-accumulating device to start them quickly. Herein cach pattern-chain is.
very light and requires but the minimum of power to rotate it.
The table A opposite each Jacquard pattern-chain has attached to it a guide H
(shown fully in Fig. 1, partially in Fig. 17 and in section, Fig. 18). The guide H'
consists, essentially, of an shaped bar u, provided with notches for the reception
and guidance of the drivers cc. The drivers c are held in the notches of the bar.u
by the L-shaped cap u' (see Fig. 18) it forming the top of the said guide H, each.
driver having a collar 6 to form a stop and arrest the outward movement of the
driver, the latter being normally drawn outward by a spring 7, attached to the
down-turned inner end of the driver and to a pin 8 on the lower bar u of the:
guide H, the latter being screwed or otherwise firmly attached to the said table A?..
The drivers c of each set of drivers are all alike, except as to length, and each
driver but the one marked, to be hereinafter described, is at its front end passed.
through a socket at the rear end of a carriage d², which in narrowing and widening
is to be reciprocated by the Jacquard pattern-chain referred to.
The needles d (ordinary latch-needles) are connected to needle bits or slides d'
(see Fig. 30) which are placed in vertical grooves in the outer side of the stationary.
needle-cylinder II firmly bolted to the table A² by bolts H extended upward
(see Fig. 11) through holes in the said table and needle-cylinder and into the
cylinder-cap H, which latter is grooved radially for the reception of the inner:
ends of the usual web-holders (shown separately in Fig. 28 and partially in
Fig. 1). The lower ends of the needle-slides d' rest upon the ends of needle-
levers, substantially such as represented by like letters in the Patent referred.
to; but herein the said levers are cut from thin sheet-steel, each lever having an
orifice a little more than a semi-circle (see Figs. 11 and 29) the said orifice:
receiving a correspondingly-shaped projection 203 left to form part of the carriage,
the latter being also cut from sheet-stee!.
In the Patent referred to the levers for moving the needles are pivoted. at. one:
side of the carriage, such construction taking up so much space in thickness as to
limit the number of needles that could be employed in a given space; but herein.
each needle-lever and its attached carriage occupy but one-half the space hereto-
fore required for the carriage and lever described in the said Patent...
The Jacquard carriages are placed in radial grooves in a carriage-guiding bed.
or plate 1, attached to the top of the table A by suitable screws, as at 10, Fig. 11,
and are made to slide backward and forward in the said grooves.
This bed or
plate I has a raised central body 204, outside of which, into the path of movement
of the cam C, extend the outer ends of the levers which are to be struck by the
said cam.
In Fig. 17 the needle-slides are shown in section in the grooves of the needle-
cylinder.
In Fig. 11 the stationary carriages d' at the right are shown in the position that.
they will occupy when the needles are to be reciprocated by the levers thereon,
the outer ends of the said levers being in the path of movement of the needle-
elevating cam C, attached by screw 12 to the bracket 13, secured by screw 14 to
the hub of the wheel or plate C, which hub is embraced by the hub of the spider I'
attached to the table (see Figs. 1 and 11).
At the left of Fig. 11 have shown one of the plate-carriages, or one of. the.
series of carriages holding one of the levers which co-operates with one of the
series of needles-which, when reciprocating knitting is being done, as is supposed
C

page_text: to be the fact, as shown in said figure, are thrown out of operative position by
moving the said carriages inwardly in their grooves in the bed I, so far that the
needle-elevating cam in its reciprocations cannot strike the outer ends of the needle-
levers and lift the needles.
The plate-carriage shown at the left of Fig. 11 and also in Fig. 29, is one of
a series of carriages in number equal to about one-half the number of needles used.
Each plate-carriage has a notch 15, which is entered by a downwardly-extended
lip (see Fig. 11) of a movable segmental plate J, there being three such plates
shown in Fig. 17, the said plates, when moved radially inward toward the center
of the needle-cylinder, pushing in all the carriages engaged by them, about one-
half the plate-carriages being so pushed in far enough to place the outer ends of
the levers u², mounted thereon, so far in toward the center of the machine as not
to be acted upon by the cam C, and consequently all the needles above the said
levers remain out of action while the needles instrumental in knitting the heel and
toe are made to operate. Each segmental plate has a backwardly-extended
shank, which slides in a guide-box J³, and also a downwardly-projecting pin 16,
which enters a cam-slot 17 (shown in dotted lines) in a slotted partial ring J,
having a stud 18, over which is placed a link J, pivoted at its other end to an
arm J of a rock-shaft J, having its bearing 18 attached to the top of the table A²
by suitable screws 19, the arm J, also attached to the said rock-shaft, being forked
to engage a pin 20 on the slide D', previously described, the movement of the said
slide in one or the other direction effecting the movement of the slotted partial
ring, which latter acts to simultaneously move out or in all the plate-carriages d³,
with which the said segments are engaged, the moving in of the said segments and
plate-carriages placing the levers thereon out of the path of the cam C, causing
the needles in line with them to be stopped, and vice versa. The movement of the
slide-rod D in the direction of the arrow upon it, Fig. 9, causes the movement of
the slotted partial ring in the direction of the arrow 205 near it in Fig. 17, which
movement would draw out all the said segmental plates and plate-carriages acted
upon by them, leaving their levers in position to be struck by the cam C³, as when
circular knitting is to be done.
At the opposite side of the machine to that occupied by the segmental plates J
is a stationary segment K, it having a downturned lip (see the right of Fig. 11)
which enters the groove 15 of each of the series of stationary carriages d*, located
at that side of the machine, the said segment being stationary for the reason that a
certain number of the needles between those controlled by the Jacquard pattern-
chain and holding the stitches for the narrowest course on the heel or toe are always
to be retained in working position, for such needles are used both when recipro-
cating and when circular knitting is being done.
Each carriage. has at its under side a hook 21, which is extended under a lip
forming part of the grooved carriage-bed I, to prevent the said carriages from
being lifted accidentally.
Each Jacquard carriage d is provided at its end with a loop, which is entered
by the downturned end of the driver e, and is normally held out by a spring 7 in
such position as to place the ends of the levers mounted on the said carriages in
the path of movement of the said cam C³.
To commence a heel or toe, all the plate-carriages controlled by the segmental
plates J are moved so that the needle-moving levers thereon are left at rest, and
the reciprocating motion of the parts having been commenced one ог more
Jacquard carriages at a time next the plate-carriages so thrown out of action
are left at rest or are thrown out of action in the usual manner of
narrowing, until the narrowest course for the heel or toe has been knitted,
when widening is begun, and the Jacquard carriages and their levers are
moved in such direction as to cause the needles to be thrown into action, one or
more needles preparatory to each stroke. When the bar of a Jacquard chain is
moved up to the guide H, all the Jacquard carriages connected to fashioning-
drivers, which are in line with and enter the holes in the said bars, are left in

page_text: such position that the levers attached to them are operated by the cam C³ to knit.
There are two sets of fashioning-drivers c operated each by bars of an independent
pattern-chain, a bar in each chain being called into operation for each course.
To obviate what is called a "skip-stitch" at the commencement of each course
of reciprocating knitting, it is essential to commence the return course on a needle
nearer the center of the said course than at the end of the preceding course, this
being necessary to insure such presentation of the yarn carried by the yarn-
guide 22 as to enable the yarn to be caught by the hooks of the needles to be used
in the next course to be made, and such being the case all the fashioning-drivers c
and the Jacquard carriages connected with them will never all be out in working
position to any one course of reciprocating knitting, so that as circular knitting
is commenced some of them operated from the Jacquard carriages will be in, and
at such point the needles would not be operated to knit, but would cause a loose
spot or skip-stitch. To obviate this difficulty I have connected, as herein
shown, two of the Jacquard carriages (marked ee) with a block el, having a recess
or notch at its rear end (see enlarged detail Fig. 32) wherein the block is shown
as inverted, which notch is engaged by the endmost driver c² next that end of the
series of drivers c (see Fig. 17) where the narrowing is commenced. To avoid
confusion of terms I shall call the said carriages e e "intermediate carriages." The
block e is normally pulled out by the spring 24, and the driver is normally pulled
back and somewhat laterally, as in the said figure, by a spring 25. In Fig. 17 all
the drivers are shown as left out, as they will be when the last course of recipro-
cating knitting is finished; but as such course is finished the block e and its
attached intermediate carriages ee and the driver 2 will be held in by a bar a of
the chain in the position shown, the outer end of the said driver at such time
resting against the said bar The pattern-chain brought up to the drivers, as
described, for the last course remains there while circular knitting is resumed; but
circular knitting cannot be carried on properly without the block e and its attached
carriages are released and drawn out, but as the driver c is held pressed in by the
bar of the chain and the movement of the chain has been for the time stopped
some other provision must be made to release the said block. This is done as
follows, namely The end of the slotted partial ring J is provided with a toe 26,
which, as the said partial ring is moved in the direction of the arrow 205 near it,
acts against one side of and pushes the driver e aside far enough to remove its end
from the recess at the end of the said block, thus permitting the spring 24 to
assume control of and move the said block and its carriages outward, so that the
levers carried by the said carriages are left in position to be acted upon by the
cam C in making the first circular course. The backward position of the block
preparatory to circular knitting is represented in Fig. 20, in which position it
remains until reciprocating knitting is again to be commenced.
Preparatory to commencing reciprocating knitting the toe 26 recedes from the
driver c, and as the first course of reciprocating knitting is to be commenced
the Jacquard pattern-chain is moved outward away from the drivers, which
movement releases the driver c², permitting its spring 25 to pull it outward, so that
the free end of the said driver is again sprung behind the block e¹ and into the
recess therein, and the said carriage will stand outward in the position that it
would occupy were the outer end of the driver e in line with the drivers c.
driver referred to, in order that its downward projection to act upon the block e¹
may be kept in place, is provided with a clamp 27 (see Figs. 17 and 33) which
embraces several of the adjacent drivers c and slides freely over them.
The
The toothed wheel C (see Figs 11 and 12) receives within its hub the drawing-
down cam, made in two parts a a', attached each to a sliding bolt 28, having at
their outer convex sides, next the cam-hubs 29, 30, pins 31 (shown in dotted lines,
Fig. 12, and one in full lines, Fig. 11) which enter slots in the said cam-hubs.
These cam-hubs are provided with hand-levers 32, having toes 33 to engage a
notch in a spring 34, attached to the wheel or plate C, the said spring preventing
accidental movement of the said cam-hubs. While all ordinary knitting is being

page_text: done the cam-hubs 29.30 are so placed as to keep the cams a a' down, and the
latter being attached to the toothed wheel,C' and moving with it act against the
shoulders 35 of the needle-slides and depress the needles to draw new loops through
the old loops on their shanks. The bolt 28, carrying the cam a, has attached to it
above the said cam a curved finger 36.
Preparatory to commencing a stocking, all the needles must be lifted to enable
-the ribbed top to be applied, and thereafter the needles are drawn down, as in
regular circular knitting. To do this, first turn the cam-hubs 29 30 in the direction
to raise the cams a a', and thereafter the hand-lever g, having its fulcrum at g*,
(see Fig. 8) is turned to lift the spider gl, which has attached to it wires or posts g²,
upon the top of which, at or just above the level of the table A2, is supported
the needle-lifting ring g, the upward movement of the said ring simultaneously
raising the inner ends of all the needle-elevating levers, so that the latter lift. all
the needles.
Prior to this invention I am aware that it had been proposed to raise the needles
simultaneously through the action of a rotating ring and a cam. In this condition
of the needles the ribbed top is applied. While the ribbed top is being applied,
the pin 31, cooperating with the cam-hub 30, stands in the larger end (see Fig. 15)
of the groove in the said cam-hub 30.
Preparatory to commencing to knit the leg of the stocking upon the ribbed top,
the yarn to be used will be placed so as to be presented to the hooks of the needles
first to descend, and the cam a is lowered by the cam-hub 29, so as to act upon the
shoulders 35 of the slides d and draw down the needles, and when the needles
have been so drawn down the other cam a' may be drawn down, but it must be
drawn down some time before reciprocating knitting is commenced. As the cam a
is drawn down, as stated, the finger 36, overlapping the cam a', acts upon and starts
the latter cam down for a short distance, such movement being possible by reason
of the groove in the hub 30 being wider than the diameter of the pin 31, such
partial depression of the cam a¹ being necessary to obviate the possibility of the
shoulders. 35 striking against the upper inner end of the cam a above its operative
inclined edge. It will be noticed that the sliding drivers and are all straight
rods arranged parallel to each other, and to enable the said drivers to reciprocate
radially the carriages with which they are connected the said drivers are of different
.lengths, and their inner ends when in normal position stand in the are of a circle
corresponding with the outer ends of the carriages, the outer ends of all the drivers
measured from their shoulders 6 being of equal length, so as to project uniformly
from the guide H' to meet the surface of the straight bar of the pattern-chain.
A needle will be raised whenever the carriage holding its operating-lever is
sufficiently far out in the groove in the carriage-bed to enable the end of the lever
to be struck by the cam C³.
.
In the Patent referred to, the needles opposite those which were used in
narrowing and widening, had in practice to have their slides bent or sprung
.to thereby produce sufficient friction to prevent the said slides dropping by
gravity as they passed the top of the working-cam; but herein each needle-slide
is kept up by its own operating-lever until it is to be moved down positively by the
drawing-down cam a or a', and at such time the working edge of the needle-
elevating cam C passes from the ends of the said levers, leaving the needle free to
be moved down.
Fig. 27 shows the under side of the cam-plate for moving the web-holders. This
plate has attached to it three canis 37, 38 and 39. Each of the cams 37 and 38,
which drives the web-holders back from the center of the machine has prongs 40,
which overlap the inner circular working edge of the cam 39, which moves the
web-holders in the opposite direction, the said prongs serving as stops against
which the nibs 41 of the web-holders strike, thus preventing any movement of the
web-holders, due solely to momentum. Without said prongs 40 the web-holders
.are liable while the machine is in rapid motion to be moved too far in toward the
.center of the machine. These prongs prevent the shoulders 42 of the web-holders

page_text: striking the thin walls of the cylinder-cap between the needles. The web-holder
bed, grooved radially for the reception of the web-holders, is sustained upon a
circular plate, supported at opposite points upon shoulders of guide-rods h³,
placed in guides ', erected upon the table A2 the said plate being connected to
5 the guide-rods by the nuts 5, the plate having adjusting screws ³ which abut
against the upper ends of the guides and enable the leveling and adjusting of
the said plate and bed. The plate has a shoulder h, within which is held the
lower end of the flanged ring or cover ', which is securely attached to the plate h¹
by screws, as shown in Fig. 1. The web-holders are kept down in the grooves of
the bed by the two rings 48h, which are attached to the said bed h. The cam-
plate C is held down by the flanged ring or cover . The table A² has erected
upon it a foot-plate m, provided with a hub m to receive the rigid stud m² which
serves as the fulcrum for the pattern-wheels n, o, p, q. The foot-plate m has
bolted to it the upright m³, which at its upper end carries the thread or yarn
controlling mechanism, to be described. The upright m³ supports the yoke m²,
having bearings 43 for the rocker-shafts 44, 45 and 46 and a bearing 47 for the
pin 207 to serve as a fulcrum for the latches which hold the rocker-shafts in the
position in which they are left by the cam or projection of the pattern-wheels
until they are again to be released in the operation of the machine. The plate m*
and its rocker-shafts, attached arms, and the latches are shown separately in
Fig. 3. All the pattern-wheels are moved by a broad pawl m³, pivoted at m
between two arms m² of a rock-shaft E, extended through a sleeve-bearing E,
attached to the table A², the said rock-shaft being moved by the link E, before
described. The bearing E" has a lug m³, that receives a screw-stud 10, which
acts as a guide for the slide 7, guided at its upper end by the screw-stud, and
provided at its rear side with a cam projection, against which strikes, at the
completion of each stocking, the cam projection on the wheel n, and in practice
this slider may be used as one device in connection with any usual or suitable
stopping mechanism, so that when said slide is moved the machine may be stopped,
the said devices not being herein shown, because they are not to be claimed. The
foot-plate m has a stud, which is extended horizontally across the wheels n, o, P.,
the said stud carrying a hub 75, having a broad flat plate 6, (see detail Fig. 6)
provided with adjustable cam projections 78, both alike. The hub has attached
to it an arm, acted upon by a spring, attached to the foot plate m, (partially
shown in Fig. 6) the said spring normally acting to keep the broad plate pressed
upward toward the pattern-wheels, so that the cam projection on the said plate
may be acted upon at the proper times by the pin 48 at the rear side of the wheel n
and the pin 49 at the front side of the wheel o, the said pins striking at different
times opposite edges of the cam projection. A pin 50 at the rear side of the
wheel P and a pin 51 at the front side of the wheel y, the latter pin being in one of
the holes 52, strike at the desired times the cam projection 78 Each pin
referred
to as it meets the cam projection or depresses the broad plate and moves
back in unison with it the arm, which at its free end has a pin 53, which is
extended through a slot 54 (see Fig 23) of the foot-plate m, the said pin 53 at the
rear side of the said plate m, as the said arm is lowered, permitting the pawl E,
pivoted to the arm E of the rock-shaft E², before described, to fall sufficiently to
engage one of the pins 56 of the cam D and rotate the same to raise or lower
the cam-shifter E, as before described, whenever a change is to be made from
reciprocating to rotary knitting, or vice versa. The end of the pawl E is prolonged
beyond its hook to rest above a safety-cam 57, loose on the shaft 58, which shaft is
extended backward through a bearing 59, fast to the table A, the rear end of the
said shaft having a worm-gear 61, which is engaged by a worm 62 on the upright
shaft C, before described. The shaft 58 has fast on it a collar 63, having a
hub 64, (see Fig. 22) which enters a recess cut into the side of the cam 57. The
hub 64 has connected to it one end of a clock-spring 65, the outer end of which
spring is connected to the cam 57 at the inner side of its recess, the stress of the
said spring normally acting to keep a pin 66 on the cam 57 in contact with a

page_text: pin 67 on the collar 63. The shaft 58, when circular knitting is being done, rotates
continuously, and the speed of rotation is such that it rotates once to each three
rotations of the main shaft A8, and while reciprocating knitting is being done
the said shaft 58 has a rotary reciprocating motion for about one third of a
rotation.
In the machine herein described the wheel or ring C, which carries the cams for
reciprocating the needles, has been made to rotate eight times, while the main
shaft A rotates three times, such being done to enable the parts to be compactly
arranged and correctly timed, and the timing is such and the devices for controlling
the pawl E are so constructed and operated that the pawl E may operate to move
the cam D to change from reciprocating to circular knitting at any rotation of the
main shaft but the change from circular to reciprocating knitting can be made
only at some rotation of the main shaft which is divisible by three.
The cam-shifter E is in practice raised or lowered considerably in advance of
the time that it is to be struck by the cam B', which occurs whenever the knitting
is to be changed from circular to reciprocating knitting, and vice versa.
Should the pins 53 from any cause be lowered out of time, the pawl E might be
dropped to rotate the cam D out of time, which would disarrange or break the
machine. To obviate this the end of the pawl E is extended forward over the
cam 57, as stated, to prevent the possibility of the engagement of the pawl E with
the cam D to effect a change from rotary to reciprocating knitting except at such
time as when the needle-operating cams are all in proper position to permit circular
knitting to be changed to reciprocating knitting, this change in the machine herein
described being adapted to be made only when the cam C³ is at about the center of
the set of needles used to form the heel or toe, and at such times as when the toe a*
is in position to be struck by the cam projection a, this being possible to happen
in this present machine only at such a rotation of the shaft As as is divisible
by three.
When circular knitting is being done, the cam D and pawl E are in the
position Fig. 23, and to change to reciprocating knitting the pin 53 must be lowered
to let the pawl E, which is reciprocated continuously, drop and engage one of the
pins of the cam D³.
During circular knitting the front end of the pawl E stands above the cam 57,
and the pawl is not moved by the said cam. The cam 57 is, however, so shaped
that in case the pin 53 should be lowered at the proper time, the front end of the
pawl is free to descend, notwithstanding the said cam 57; but should the said pawl
be permitted to drop at the wrong time, the cam 57 will arrest it, so that the pro-
jection of the said pawl will not engage a pin 56 of the cam D: This cam 57 is
therefore so shaped that the pawl E cannot drop to engage a pin 56 except at a
certain definite rotation of the main shaft, as stated-as, for instance, any third
rotation thereof.
When the pawl E is permitted to drop to move the cam D³ to prepare for the
change from circular to reciprocating knitting, the cam 57 is rotating continuously,
and the cam 57 has, it will be understood, to be in such position as to let the pawl E
drop and move the cam D to drop the cam-shifter, as stated, in advance and leave
it at rest a little while before the toe a' is acted upon by the cam portion a³ of the
slowly-moving cam 17, and during this time the cam 57 is held at rest.
Referring to Fig. 21, the cam D acts against the pin 68 of the cam 57 and holds
it back while the hub 63 is rotating in the direction of the arrow 69.
In said figure
the pawl E has just completed its forward stroke in the direction of the arrow 70,
and the pawl E, having completed its forward stroke, now returns and leaves the
cam D standing at rest and holding the cam 57, and as the pawl is moved backward
the pin 53 will be lifted to retain the pawl E elevated, as in Fig. 23.
Referring again to Fig. 21, the cam D will hold the cam 57 in the position
therein shown until the pawl E is again permitted to drop and engage a pin 56 on
and rotate the cam D to change from reciprocating to circular knitting, this
change being capable of being made at any thrust of the pawl E, for the cam 57 is

page_text: so held as not to interfere with the dropping of the said pawl. While the cam D'
acts to hold the cam 57 in the position shown in Fig. 21, the shaft 58 continues to
rotate, and it keeps up its rotation until the cam B effects the change of the parts
to produce reciprocating knitting, the spring 65 permitting this. As the cam D' is
again acted upon by the pawl E and moved from the position Fig. 21, it releases
the cam 57, permitting the spring 65 in the latter to immediately throw the cam 57
forward, so turning it on the shaft 58 as to permit the pin 66 to meet the pin 67 and
again place the cam 57 in correct position on its shaft 58.
The foot plate m has fixed to it a stud t, on which is mounted a series of
detents, one of which is shown in Fig. 5 detached and in place in Fig. 2 in full
lines, the said detents being acted upon by springs, attached to the stud and
bearing on the said pawls. Each of these pawls has two teeth ".
The wheel has uniformly-placed ratchet-teeth at its periphery except at the
point 74, (see Fig. 41) where one of its teeth is broken out, and the next space
to it (see 75) is cut deeper.
"
P
י
When a stocking is commenced, the pawl m starts the wheel n in rotation, none
of the other wheels o, p, or moving, because the said pawl plays back and forth
in a toothless space or broad notch 76; but as soon as the screw 71, extended
through the wheel in one of its holes 72, meets the pin 73 on the wheel which
it does when the leg of the stocking has been knitted for a length determined by the
position of the screw 71 on the wheel, the wheel o is started and moved with
the wheel until the pawl m³ engages one of the teeth of the wheel o, and thereafter
the caid pawl moves both the wheels aando in unison. As soon as the wheel o is
started the pin 49, before referred to, depresses the lever and prepares for the
change from circular to reciprocating motion for the production of a heel. The
wheel o in its rotation brings the screw 77 in contact with a pin 78 on the wheel P,
which is called the "foot-wheel." The pin 77 will be placed in one or the other
of the series of holes 79, according to the length of the heel. As the screw 77
strikes the pin 78, the wheel is started sufficiently to enable the pawl m³ to catch
and thereafter move it with the wheel o. As soon as the wheel is started, its
pin 50 strikes the cam projection 8, before referred to, and operates the lever to
effect the change described from reciprocating to circular motion to enable the foot
of the stocking to be knitted, the length of the foot depending upon the position of
the screw 80 in the holes 81 in the wheely, which screw is struck by the pin 82 in
one of the series of holes 83 of the wheel P. As soon as the più 82 strikes the
screw 80, the wheel is started up and moved far enough for the pawl m³ to take
control of it, and the said wheel, in its rotation brings the pin 51 against the
cam projection, before described, and again effects the change from circular to
reciprocating knitting, which is kept up until the toe has been finished, the length of
the toe depending upon the distance of the pin 51 from the space 76 in the wheel y.
In its rotation cach wheel n, o, p, and q, it having been rotated once or so as to
bring its toothless space next the pawl m³, is stopped. The wheels n, o, and pare
all at rest before the pawl ne enters the space 76 of the wheel y, and as soon as the
space 76 of the wheely comes into line with the like spaces of the adjacent wheels
the pawl m is permitted to sink into the notch 75 of the wheel next its space 74,
and the pawl m at its next thrust moves the wheel », but does not move the
wheels, P, or q
The movement of the wheel causes the pin 48 thereon,
previously described, to strike the cam projection, and again effect the change
from reciprocating to circular motion, and two or more circular courses are then
knitted and the machine is stopped, as before described.
ፃ
For the heel and toe a thickening-thread is introduced. This thickening-thread
is taken from a suitable bobbin (not shown) through the guide 84, thence through an
eye in a plate 85, and through a tube 80, mounted on a rock-shaft. 87, and having
attached to its forward end a separating plate SS, the upward movement of the
delivery end of the tube 86 being arrested by a stop 89, the object being to stop
the delivery end just above the level of the path of movement of the regular
knitting-threads, two or more of which are used, so that the free end of the

page_text: thickening-thread depending from the delivery end of the said tube may hang
between the said regular knitting-threads as the delivery end of the tube is stopped
above them, the said regular threads picking up and carrying with them the said
thickening-thread into the tube 90. The regular knitting-threads 91, taken from
suitable bobbins (not shown) are led through guides 92 and thence through a guide-
eye 93 into the tube 90, thence through the wire 94, and through the eye of the
take-up 95, normally held up by a spring connecting the hub of the said take-up
with the pin 97, which serves as the fulcrum for the take-up lever, such lever and
spring (the latter not herein shown) being of common construction and not herein
claimed. From the take-up the threads used in knitting enter the eye in the
usual thread-guide 22. The rock-shaft 87, carrying the tube, has at one end an
arm 98, which by link 99 is attached to one end of the arm 100, in turn attached
to the rock-shaft 46, held in the yoke m³. The rock-shaft 44, held in the said
yoke, has an arm 103, which by a link 104 is attached to an arm 105 of a rock-
shaft 106, mounted in a bearing on the horizontal arm M. The opposite end of
the rock-shaft 106 has attached to it a fork 107, (see Fig. 40) the said fork, as it is
partially rotated, bending the threads past them out of straight line and producing
tension thereon. The arm 103 is normally held up, as in Fig. 37, by the spring 108,
the spring when it so acts keeping the fork in position not to produce tension on
the thread. The rock-shaft 87 has attached to it near the tube 86 an arm 109,
which, as the delivery end of the said tube is depressed strikes one arm of a
lever 110, pivoted at 112 on the bracket 113, and the short end of the said lever,
striking one arm 114 of a shear 115, pivoted at 116 and having cooperating with
it a stationary shear-blade 117, erected on the bracket 113, separates the said
blades for the introduction between them of the thickening-thread as the delivery
end of the tube 86 is lowered, the spring 118, as the arm 109 passes the lever 110,
acting to close the said blades and cut off the said thread. When the delivery end
of the tube 86 is depressed by the movement of the arm 100, a pin 119 on the said
arm is engaged by a latch 120, and the tube is held in dotted-line position, Fig. 37,
until the latch 120 is moved to release the arm 100, which is done when the
thickening-thread is again to be introduced. When the arm 103 is pulled down
against its spring 108 to put tension on the threads, the latch 121 catches a pin 122
thereon and holds the said arm so long as it is desired to keep tension on the thread.
Tension may be put on the yarn at the leg or foot.
The rock-shaft 46 has fast upon it an arm 101 provided with a pin, which is
extended horizontally under the latches 120, 121 and lifts them at the proper times
to release the tension and to permit the outer or receiving end of the tube 86 to
descend by the action of gravity and bring its delivery end in position to give up
the free end of the thread depending from it to the passing threads 91. The tube 86
has connected to it loosely a small ring 123, through which the thickening-thread is
passed, the said ring acting as a detent to prevent backward movement of the said
thread. The rock-shaft 44 has on it two pins 124 and 125. The pin 124 is acted
upon in succession by cams 126 and 127, attached to the wheel n, the cam 126
turning the rock-shaft to effect the putting of tension upon the threads used in the
leg, and the cam 127 permitting the arm 103 to rise slowly after it has been released
by the latch 121, it being desired to remove the tension gradually. The pin 125 is
acted upon by a cam 128, carried by the wheel p, when it is desired to put tension
on the threads used in the foot, the tension being released by the action of the
cam 130, attached to the toc-wheel y, acting upon the pin 131, attached to the
rocker-shaft 45, it having attached to it the arm 101, before described. The rock-
shaft 45 last referred to has a pin 132, which is acted upon by the cam projection 133,
attached to the cam 127, fast on the wheel n, the said cam 133 effecting the release
of the latch 121 from the arm 122 when the tension on the yarn in the leg is to be
released. The rock-shaft 45 has yet another pin 134 (see Fig. 43) which is struck
during the early part of the rotation of the heel-wheel o by the pin 135 to turn the
rock-shaft 45 and cause the arm 101 to lift the latch 120, so that the receiving end
of the tube 86 is free to fall, as described.

page_text: The rock-shaft 46 has on it two fingers 136 and 137. The finger 136 (see
Fig. 41) is acted upon by the cam projection 138 to turn the said rock-shaft, and at
the time that it is necessary to turn the rock-shaft S7 to lower the delivery end of
the tube 86 and cut off its thread, the distance between the end of the tube and the
scissors and the movement of the tube and of the scissors as to the tube when the
thickening-thread is cut off being so timed and proportioned as to leave about
four inches of the thickening-thread depending from the delivery end of the said
tube. The cam 138 acts when the thickening-thread is to be removed from the toe,
and the cam 139 on the heel-wheel o acts in like manner on the finger 137 when it
is time to cut off the thickening-thread from the heel.
Fig. 7 shows the head of the yarn-guide 22 as detached from the machine. The
head of the yarn-guide referred to has a slot, as shown in Figs. 7 and 11, through
which is extended an adjustable screw 207, carried by the plate 208, the lower end
of the said screw acting upon the top of the plate C to permit the head of the
yarn-guide to be adjusted vertically. The said head also has two threaded
openings 801 (see Fig. 7) in which are screwed two like screws 800 (shown in Fig 1)
the said screws passing through slots in the plate 208. The front end of the
yarn-guide above and about the delivery-eye 212 is cut away, (see Fig. 7) leaving a
projection 213, the upper edge of which is curved or shaped to correspond sub-
stantially with the path traversed by the hooks of the needles when rising to take the
yarn and descending with it to knit, the projection supporting the yarn or yarns to be
engaged by the hooks of the descending needles, the space above the said pro-
jection preventing the rubbing of the hooks of the needles against the yarn-guide,
which with fine needles is a great desideratum; for otherwise the hooks are liable to
be bent and worn unduly. The face of the projection 213 is concaved to conform
to the exterior of the circle of needles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The needle cylinder, needles therein, the radially grooved annular carriage-
bed, a series of Jacquard carriages therein, needle actuating levers, one for each
needle, mounted upon the said carriages, and the cam-carrying wheel or ring and
cam to operate the said needle-levers, and through them elevate all the needles at the
proper times, and the drawing-down cam, combined with a series of horizontally-
arranged fashioning-drivers jointed to the said carriages, and with a Jacquard
pattern-surface to strike against the ends of and operate the said fashioning-drivers,
substantially as described.
2. The needle-cylinder, needles therein, the radially-grooved carriage-bed, a series
of plate-carriages therein, provided with notches near their outer ends, needle
actuating levers mounted upon the said carriages the cam-carrying wheel or ring
and its attached lever operating and needle-elevating cam, and the drawing-down
cam, combined with radially-movable segmental plates to engage a number of the
said carriages, and with means to operate the said segmental plates and the cam-
carrying wheel or ring, substantially as described.
3. The radially-grooved carriage-bed, the Jacquard carriages therein, a guide for
a series of drivers, a series of drivers arranged therein and provided each with a
shoulder, combined with a series of springs to normally move the carriages outward,.
and with a Jacquard pattern-chain to act upon the outer ends of the said drivers,
the drivers being of unequal lengths and having their inner ends jointed to the
carriages, substantially as described.
4. The grooved needle-cylinder, a series of needles arranged therein, a grooved
bed, a series of Jacquard carriages arranged therein, a series of levers mounted
upon the said carriages, a series of drivers jointed to the ends of the said carriages,
a guide for the said drivers, springs to operate them in one direction, a Jacquard
pattern-chain, means to move it to operate the drivers and carriages in opposite
directions, the series of plate-carriages having a series of levers mounted thereon,
D

page_text: and two or more radially-movable segmental plates and means to operate them,
combined with a cam-carrying wheel or ring, the needle elevating and depressing
cams, and means to move the said wheel or ring, whereby the levers mounted on
the said plate-carriages may be placed out of or in the range of movement of the
said cams, substantially as described.
5. The needle-cylinder, radially-grooved annular carriage-bed provided with a
shoulder 204 and extended entirely around the needle-cylinder, the needle-
carriages d² d³ d', placed therein, and levers mounted upon the said carriages, com-
bined with a cam-carrying wheel or ring and cam thereon to act against the outer
ends of the said levers when the carriages are drawn outward far enough beyond
the said shoulder to be operated by the cam, and means to move the said cam-
carrying wheel or ring, substantially as described.
6. The radially-grooved bed provided at its lower side with an annular groove
leaving a lip, combined with a series of carriages having projections 21 to enter the
said groove and engage the said lip to prevent the accidental lifting of the said
carriages from the grooves of the bed, substantially as described.
7. The grooved needle-cylinder, a series of needles therein, a cam-carrying wheel
or ring and the drawing-down cams a a' connected therewith, means to move the
said wheel or ring, and means to lift the needles, combined with cam-hubs and
means, substantially as described, between them and the said drawing-down cams to
enable the latter to be raised or lowered by hand, substantially as described.
8. The needle-cylinder, a series of needles arranged therein, a series of levers to
actuate the said needles, and means to support the said levers, a cam-carrying wheel
or ring, the drawing-down cam, and means to lift the cam vertically with relation
to the said wheel or ring, combined with the needle-lifting ring g³ and with means
to operate the said needle-lifting ring to thereby lift all the needles quickly for
the application to their hooks of the loops of the ribbed top, substantially as
described.
9. The radially-grooved bed, a series of Jacquard carriages therein, a series of
needle-operating levers mounted thereon, a cam to move them, a series of drivers
jointed to the said carriages, a Jacquard pattern-chain, means to guide and to
actuate the said drivers according to the demands of the Jacquard pattern-chain,
a second series of plate-carriages mounted in radial grooves in the said bed and
provided with a series of needle-actuating levers, one or more radially-movable
segmental plates to engage the said plate-carriages, and means to operate the said
plates, combined with the block el and one or more carriages e attached thereto, the
needle-actuating levers mounted on the said carriages, the driver c, the springs 24
and 25, and the finger 26, to strike the said driver and disengage it from the said
block, substantially as described.
10. The drivers c and the guide to hold them, combined with the driver c², having
the guiding-clamp 27 attached thereto and embracing the drivers c, to operate sub-
stantially as described.
11. The main shaft, the toothed wheel A', and the collar A fast on the said
shaft, the shifting cam B loose on the said shaft and provided with a clutch
part B, a sleeve surrounding the said shaft and provided with a spur-gear B², and
the clutch part B, combined with the shaft A³, its pinion, the track or guide D²,
the rack thereon, the link connecting the toothed wheel with the said rack,
means, as described, to shift the shifting-cam, and of means, as described, to put the
rack D into and out of engagement with the spur-gear,. to operate substantially as
described..
12. The main shaft, the shifting-cam thereon, and the cam-shifter having
toes a¹a, combined with the bar E, provided with pins or projections and with a
cam to operate the said bar, and means to rotate the said cam intermittingly,
substantially as:described.
13. The main shaft, the sleeve B, the shifting-cam thereon, means to rotate the
said sleeve.. the yoke 3, the lever E, and the slide-bar D', and rock-shaft having
thms. J., and link. Jo, combined with the slotted partial ring J and the

page_text: segmental radially-moving slides J, having shanks J, and with guides for the said
shanks, substantially as described.
14. The rotating shifting-cam B' means to rotate it, its projecting pin, the
cam B, provided with the projection B to be engaged by the said pin, the slide F,
pinion rack F, sliding rack F, shaft F, its gear F³, and eccentric F, link F,
combined with the carrier G, the Jacquard pattern-chain shaft or cylinder, and
Jacquard pattern-chain thereon to operate substantially as described.
15. The horizontally-reciprocating carrier or frame G', the shaft or cylinder G³,
mounted therein and having a disk provided with pias, and means to move the
said frame, combined with the table, the bracket thereon having the slotted shelf,
and with the pawl to engage the said pins and rotate the cylinder intermittingly,
the pins passing through the slot in the shelf, the shelf thereafter acting as a
locking-device to prevent backward movement of the cylinder, substantially as
described.
16. The cam-shifter E, the connected bar E³, provided with pins, and the
cam D to actuate the said bar, combined with the pawl E, and with means, sub-
stantially as described, to operate the said pawl, as set forth.
17. The cam-shifter E, the connected bar Es, provided with pins, and the
cam D, and the pawl E and means to move it, combined with the safety-cam and
means to operate it, substantially as described, to permit the engagement of the
said pawl with and to move the said cam at the proper time, substantially as
described.
18. The shaft C² and means to rotate it, its worm, the pawl E, means to move it,
and the cam-wheel D', combined with the shaft 58, its worm-gear 61, and the cam 57,
loosely connected with the hub of the said shaft to operate substantially as
described.
19. The series of pattern-wheels, means to rotate them intermittingly, pins 48
and 49, 50 and 51 thereon, the arm, provided with projections and the
arm, having the pin 53, combined with the cam D, having pins 56, and with the
pawl E and means to actuate the said pawl to operate substantially as described.
20. The series of pattern-wheels n, o, p, q, provided with teeth and with toothless
spaces, as described, the stud m² to support the said wheels side by side, and the
pins or projections thereon to co-operate together and enable one pattern-wheel at
the proper time to start in motion another one next to it in succession, combined
with the reciprocating pawl m³, extended across all the said wheels, and means to
operate it, the said pawl engaging the teeth in the wheel and thereafter the teeth
of the wheels o, p, q, in succession, substantially as described.
21. The pivoted tube 86 to guide the thickening-thread, the rock-shaft 87, the
arm 98, link 99, and arm 100, combined with the rock-shaft to which the said arm
is connected and the pattern-wheels provided with pins or projections to operate
the said arm when it is desired to remove the thickening thread, substantially as
described.
22. The tube 86 to receive the thickening-thread, the rock-shaft 87, the arm 98,
attached to the said rock-shaft, the link 99, the arm 100, and the rock-shaft 46,
to which it is attached, combined with the latch to engage the said arm 100, and
with means, substantially as described, to release the said latch at the proper time
and permit the tube 86 to be moved into position to insure the introduction of the
thickening-thread carried by it into and between the moving yarns going to the
yarn carrier, substantially as described.
23. The rock-shaft 106, its attached tension-regulating device, the arm 105,
link 104, and arm 103, combined with the rock-shaft 44, and with means to operate
it at the proper times to cause the tension device to put tension on the yarn, sub-
stantially as described.
24. The tube to deliver the thickening-thread and its attached projection 88 to
separate the regular knitting-yarns, combined with means to operate the said tube,
substantially as described.
25. The radially grooved bed h, the web-holders therein, the cam-plate C7, means

page_text: to rotate it, and the grooved needle-cylinder and its attached cap-plate H10, com-
bined with the cams 37, 38 and 39 on the said cam-plate, the said cains 37 and 38
being provided with projections 40 to act as stops for the web-holders, substantially
as described.
26. The needle-cylinder, series of needles therein, the levers u², the ring, and the
post to support the ring, combined with the hand-lever g to lift the said ring to
effect the simultaneous elevation of all the said needles in the groove of the said
cylinder, as and for the purpose specified.
27. A needle-cylinder, a series of needles arranged thereon, a radially-grooved
bed arranged around the lower part of the needle-cylinder, a series of carriages
arranged thereon, a series of levers mounted thereon, and means, substantially as
described, to move the said carriages horizontally all at once when the needles
(arranged in the said cylinder above the ends of the said levers) are to be thrown
out of action, as when heels or toes of stockings are to be knitted, or into operation
for the production of circular knitting, the cam-carrying wheel or ring, and needle
elevating and depressing cams thereon, and a series of carriages ², levers u*,
mounted thereon, a series of connected drivers c, guides therefor, and a Jacquard
pattern-chain and means to move it to act upon the drivers and move the
carriages to place their levers out of the path of movement of the needle-elevating
cam, and one or more carriages e, levers thereon, a block to which the said
carriages are connected, means to move the said block outwardly, and a driver c*
to hold the said block and carriages in with their attached levers out of the range
of motion of the needle-clevating cams, while all the other carriages are unacted
upon by the Jacquard pattern-chain, thus leaving their levers in position to be struck
by the said needle-elevating cams, combined with means, substantially as described,
to act upon the driver c² to release the driver from its engagement with the said
block and permit the independent outward movement of the said block and its
carriages notwithstanding the pattern-chain is at rest next to the guide holding the
said driver, for the purpose described.
407th day of July 1801
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56 Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.