IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES
Year: 1884

page_text: "
I WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, Fel Inst P.A. of the Agency for Foreign Patent
Solicitors 6 Lord Street Liverpool in the county of Lancaster, and 323- High
Holborn in the county of Middlesex Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of
the said invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES (a communication
from abroad by Alfred John Wood of Detroit city county of Wayne, and State of
Michigan in the United States of America Architect) and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation with the covering plate removed.
Fig. 2 an end view. Fig. 3 the driving mechanism. Fig. 4 a vertical longitudinal
section.
Fig 5 a vertical cross section. Fig. 6 the cam plate and cams. Fig. 7 the cam
shifting mechanism. Fig. 8 the spring rider lock. Fig. 9 the same attached to the
cam. Fig. 10 an end view of the rider. Fig. 11 a plan view of the automatic
heeler. Fig. 12 a side elevation of same. Fig. 13 details of portions of the
mechanism. Fig. 14 shows the heeler attached to the machine. Fig. 15 sectional
view showing the spring lock and carriage.
Fig. 16 illustrates the movable stops. Fig. 17 a plan view of needle. Fig. 18 a
side elevation of same.
Fig. 19 an end elevation opposite to Fig. 2 showing plate shifting mechanism.
Fig. 20 view of needle plate holder and rack.
Fig. 21 portion of the frame that receives same. Fig. 22 plate shifter mechanism.
Fig 23 shows cam shifter stops operating on square bars, and the operation of
opening and closing the yarn latch Fig. 24 the cam shifter stop.
Fig. 25 a sectional view of same. Fig. 20 plan of one end of the machine with
the bars and stops attached thereto. Fig. 27 a modification of the rider lock.
Fig. 28 illustrates the method of securing the needle covering plate in the frame.
Fig. 29 the method of connecting cams with the cam plate. Fig. 30 a modification
of the tripping levers. Fig. 31 a view of the yarn carrier and yarn feed. Fig. 32
a front view of same.
This invention relates to knitting machines and has for its objects the general
construction, combination, arrangement and operation of the several parts.

page_text: A represents a supporting column. A¹ a base plate. A³ the frame having sup-
porting arms a a¹ engaged with said column and ways a². B a travelling carriage
supported upon said ways, and preferably having a dovetail connection therewith.
C the driving shaft ca driving pulley. c¹ the operating handle.
D the pitmans connecting travelling carriage with driving shaft. E the needle
plates. F the covering plate. F¹ the adjustable end plates.
These plates may be adjustable upon the frame A³ in any suitable manner, as for
instance, by dovetail sockets a³ and dovetail tenon a*.
Said end plates may be adjusted upward or downward for the purpose of
widening the throat for setting up work and for bringing the points of the needles
nearer together or farther apart for different lengths of stitches in any suitable
manner.
As shown the plates F' are provided with a rack f. G and G¹ are gears meshing
with each other and with said racks, the shaft g, of said gears is provided with
similar gears G.G³ at the opposite end. g¹ is a ratchet bar adapted to engage
with rack g² upon the end of the frame to hold the plates in any given position.
His a supporting plate for the needle cam mechanism connected to the travelling
carriage and preferably having a dovetail connection therewith. I thé cam plate.
J, Jare wing cams having adjustable connection with the cam plate I. J³ the
center cam having a sliding connection with the plate by means of a stud K screw-
tapped therewith and passed through elongated slots i and i¹.
It is preferred to construct said plate with a counter sunk channel on the upper
side to allow a double shoulder on the under side of the cam to hold it rigidly in
place.
The stud K is provided with a spring rider lock, consisting of a spring k and
housing adapted to be reciprocated upon the stud.
It is preferred to construct this housing k¹ curved each way from two opposite
.centers, and the supporting plate with an arc h so that the spring rider lock may
ride over said arc, the contact of the curved housing with said arc, serving to hold
the cam in position at either end of the slot, until its position is reversed. By the
pressure of the spring stud on the incline of the arc, the cam will be brought home.
To reciprocate the cam, the supporting plate H is provided with a shifting
lever L, pivoted at 1 to said plate and adapted intermediate of its ends for engage-
ment with said stud as shown at 1, the free end of the lever projecting underneath
the needle plate, and adapted for contact with tripping posts M secured upon the
frame, upon either side of the cam plate.
These posts are adjustable to trip the shifting lever at any desired point. It is
preferred to secure the posts to the frame by a dovetail connection, and to tighten
the same in place by nut m.
m' is a collar located upon said post, provided with a roller m³ to permit the nut
being engaged upon the collar to tighten the post in position without binding the
roller. N is the needle. N¹ the needle bar, N³ the needle plate engaged with the
shank of the bar. N³ a sliding needle latch and N the latch lever engaged at one
end with the latch and pivoted upon the plate, its projecting end preferably bent
at n and the end of the needle plate curved at n in order that the frictional
contact of the lever upon the plate may lock the latch in a given position until the
lever comes in contact with the cam mechanism. The latch may also be provided
with a spring to secure the same result.
No is the yarn latch. n³ an elongated slot through which it is pivoted to the
needle bar. The upper end of the latch is extended so as to be readily opened by
the latch opener.
O represents latch openers, consisting essentially of a downwardly projecting
portion o arranged to trip the yarn latch of the needle and open it, as the needle
passes upward, and of an upwardly projecting portion o¹ curved inwardly to close
the latch as the needle is further thrown to the height of its stroke. As the needle
ascends the latch strikes upon the inside of the latch opener and is tripped, the
yarn is fed under the open latch, the latch is then thrown down closing over the
-

page_text: yarn. When at the end of the stroke the latch rides on the needle plate and forces
the opposite end of the needle latch into a suitable cavity n³ in the needle bar
allowing the stitch to pass freely over the closed latch.
:
P represents the yarn carrier to feed the yarn under the opened latches.
As the travelling, carriage is reciprocated it carries duplicate cam mechanism
along two sides of the machine. The cani Ja may be thrown up so that the needle
latches will ride underneath it, thus being out of operation. Said cam may be
thrown down and a passage left between it and the wing cams, when the needle
latch will ride over the center cain, the needles thus being advanced and retracted.
The stops M may be so located as to cause the needles to knit first upon one side
and then upon the other, or so that the needles on both sides shall be operative
simultaneously in both the forward and backward strokes of the carriage.
c³ is a worm gear upon the driving shaft. Qa gear meshing therewith upon
the shaft g, said shaft provided with pinion Q1, bevelled friction wheel q' and
bearings q³.
Ris a shaft, r₁ its bearings. R¹a gear meshing with gear Q' and with a
bevelled friction wheel 7².
S is a right and left screw shaft provided, with double bevelled friction wheel &
and sleeved through bearing 8¹.
S' is a shaft sleoved through bearings 8' 8² 8³, connected with shaft S, as shown
at S and provided with adjustable stops 8, 8. S³ are travellers located upon the
right and left hand ends of the shaft S provided with spring latch S* pivotally
secured theroto.
8" is a lug engaged with said latch and screw tapped to engage with the shaft S
so that the lug may be withdrawn from engagement with said shaft and adjusted
laterally, the spring latch constructed to be locked upon the traveller, as shown
at s7.
S' S are spring levers secured upon traveller S³ adapted to trip the needle latch
levers N¹.
By attaching suitable bars upon the ends of the levers S S any desired number
of needles may be tripped simultaneously to widen or narrow several stitches
at once.
Levers S, S are removable, so that one of another style may be casily applied.
T is a reversible cam located upon a support connected with the frame adapted
to trip either of levers S* S6 and consequently lever N4, to throw the needle into or
out of operation.
8
Shaft is rotated by gear Q meshing with worm c² rotating shaft R through
gears Q meshing with gear R. By reciprocating shaft S the wheels may be
engaged either with wheel q or to rotate said shaft. Or the shaft may be
operated to bring the wheel & between wheels q¹ and * disengaged from either, the
shaft S remaining stationary. If it be desired to narrow, the operator forces the
wheels into contact with the wheel q'. The travellers S³ will thus be caused to
move toward stop 8, contact being made by either traveller with said stop, the
wheel & will be disengaged from wheel q¹ and shaft S will be inoperative. Stops
,, are adjustable upon bar S¹ to throw shaft S out of operation at any point.
To widen, the wheels is engaged with the wheel when travellers S³ will
travel in the opposite direction until contact is made with stop 8*. The shaft S
will then be inoperative.
As cain T travels to and fro, it will trip either of the levers S5 S6 and throw the
needle into operation if it be desired to widen, or out of operation if it be desired
to narrow, the travellers S³ arranged to travel at such speed that at every stroke
of the carriage, cam T will cause the machine to narrow or widen a single stitch
according to the position occupied by said cam; travellers S³ are located at both
ends of shaft S so that a stitch may be dropped or added at one or both ends as
desired.
When the wheel s is disengaged from the wheels 2' or the machine will knit
straight Figs 23-27 illustrate a modification of the cam shifting mechanism,

page_text: The frame A³ is provided with arms a³ carrying squared shafts U upon either
side. Mounted upon these shafts are adjustable and reversible rider cams U¹
constructed in any proper way to be thrown in or out of engagement with rider K.
As shown is a squared shoulder engaging in a socket U in the sleeve so that
it may be readily disengaged and turned to the desired position. Said cams U¹
may thus be set to operate the stud K to knit upon either one or both sides. In
this case it is preferred to modify the construction of the rider lock by locating
over housing, a revolving thimble ³. When cam U¹ is used upon the squared
bars, lever L is omitted. When the rider lock is constructed, as shown in Figs 8, 9,
the stud is constructed with a squared end to prevent the housing k¹ from riding
thereon,
It is preferred to drive the machine by means of an intermediate driving and
locking mechanism V.
Figs 31, 32 show an improved carrier and yarn feed. P¹ is a supporting bar
secured to the travelling carriage which supports the yarn carrier P to which the
yarn feed P is pivotally secured.
P is a yarn feed shifter pivotally connected to the supporting bar P¹ and the
end engaged with the yarn feed at p¹.
23 is a friction stop having frictional contact with plate F and passing through
an elongated slot in the supporting bar P' and shifting bar P³ at p², the upper end
of said friction bar provided with anti-friction wheel p³ to engage against a track
upon the yarn carrier P.
As the travelling carriage is operated in one direction, the friction of stop Ps
upon plate F throws yarn feed p in one direction. When the direction of the
carriage is reversed, the friction of the stop P³ will reverse the position of the yarn
feed.
The needle covering plate F it is preferred to secure in place by means of a
locking screw W having a straight edge permitting insertion of plate in place,
whereby the plate will be drawn home by the turning of the screw.
I do not limit myself to the exact location and arrangement of the lever Nº as
shown in the drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is,
1-The combination with a kuitting machine frame of a travelling carriage
supported upon ways located beneath said frame, said carriage provided with
mechanism for driving the needles, substantially as described.
2-The combination with a knitting machine frame of a needle plate provided
with needle slots opening through beneath the plate, a travelling carriage supported
upon ways located beneath said frame, said carriage provided with needle cam
mechanism to engage a needle latch beneath said plate and operate the needle;
adjustable shifters for throwing the needle cam into or out of action with the
needles, substantially as described.
3-The combination with the knitting machine frame of a travelling carriage
provided with a sliding, driving cam, levers to shift said can, and stops to
automatically trip said levers, substantially as described.
4-The combination with a travelling carriage of a sliding, driving cam J², wing
cams JJ, mechanism for shifting said driving can, the construction being such
that a needle latch may pass freely between the driving cam and the wing cams,
or be driven below the driving cam, substantially as described.
5-The combination with a knitting machine frame of an adjustable plate F,
mechanism for adjusting said plate and locking it in a given position, substantially
as described.
6-The combination with a travelling carriage of plate H constructed with an
arch and provided with a shifting lever, of plate I provided with cams J, J1, 12,
said cam J2 provided with stud K having a spring rider lock, the construction being
such that as the cam J2 is reciprocated the spring rider lock will ride over said arc,
.

page_text: the cam be brought home by the pressure of said lock upon the incline of the arc,
and be held in position by the contact of said lock at either end of said arc, until
its position is reversed, substantially as described.
7-The combination with a knitting machine frame provided with squared
shafts U having rider cams U₁ reversibly connected therewith of a travelling
carriage provided with plate H and cam plate I having cams J, J, J, and
mechanism for reciprocating said cam J' automatically as the carriage is reversed,
substantially as described.
8-The combination in a knitting machine of the reciprocatory screw shaft S
having one or more travellers Sa adjustably located thereon and provided with
spring latch S and tripping levers S5 S6, a reversible cam T to trip either of said
levers, shaft S¹ provided with stops 885 and gear for driving said screw shaft, the
construction being such that said screw shaft may be thrown into and out of
engagement with said gear, substantially as described.
9-The combination with the travelling carriage of the bar P¹, a yarn carrier
connected there with provided with a yarn feed. p a shifting bar P² pivotally
engaged with said bar P¹ and with said yarn feed, and a stop having frictional
contact with the needle plate, and provided with an anti-friction roller at its
opposite end to bear against a suitable track, said stop adapted to shift said shifting
bar, substantially as described.
10 A knitting machine needle provided with a sliding latch to receive the
impact of the driving mechanism and means for adjusting said latch into and out
of engagement with said mechanism, substantially as described.
11 In a knitting machine needle the combination with the needle bar, of the
yarn latch pivotally connected with the upper end of said bar, said latch
constructed to close down upon the yarn, said latch extended to afford contact
with the latch opener, substantially as described.
12-In a knitting machine a needle plate, a needle constructed with a yarn
latch, pivoted at the upper end of the bar, adapted to close down over the yarn and
to afford contact with the latch opener, a latch opener adapted first to open and
then to close said yarn latch as the needle is thrown forward, a yarn carrier
adapted to feed the yarn under the opened yarn latch, the construction being such
that the closed latch will be forced against the needle bar by contact with the
needle plate upon the return stroke, allowing the complete stitch to pass freely
over the closed latch, substantially as described.
13 The combination with the shank of a knitting machine needle provided
with a guide way of a latch for engaging the needle cam, adapted to be slid back
and forth, and be adjusted in said guide way, and a lever engaged with said latch
for operating and locking the same, substantially as described.
Dated this eighth day of December 1884.
WM P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.