Improvements in or Appertaining to Circular Knitting Machines.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Feb., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 23rd Nov., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Appertaining to Circular Knitting Machines.
I, JOHN LANGHAM trading as W. Langham & Sons of Causeway Lane, Leicestor,
Fancy Hosiery Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
The object of my invention is to effect improvements in the construction of
circular knitting machines capable of producing Cardigan jackets and the like, by
which I am enabled to make the "body" and border of the jacket on the same
machine at one and the same time.
To carry out my invention I provide that the needle cylinder may be constructed
in two or more parts, for forming the body and border respectively.
The portion of the needle cylinder upon which the border is formed may at each
revolution of the frame be "shogged" or moved alternately to and fro to produce a
desired change in the pattern of the fabric.
The mechanism for offecting the "shogging" may consist of a suitable rack fixed
on the framework or bed of the machine, capable of gearing with and actuating a
ratchet wheel carried horizontally on the outer cylinder and revolving with it. Fixed
preferably on the upper surface of the ratchet wheel or formed integrally with it may
be a cam or eccentric capable of imparting a reciprocating motion to a horizontal
lever, slotted at one end to surround the cam or eccentric and at its opposite end to
work on a fixed vertical pin or bolt.
The horizontal lever is connected with and communicates motion to a vertical lever
which reaches the interior of the frame cylinder.
The vertical lever is secured at its upper end by a horizontal lever or link to a
suitable plate fixed to a flange formed at the back of the movable portion of the
needle cylindor.
The grooves in the movable portion of the needle cylinder may be of increased
length and carry shorter needles than are contained in the grooves in the other part
of the cylinder.

page_text: The shorter needles will descend correspondingly lower than the ordinary needles
and draw a longer loop thereby allowing the "shogging" operation to be effected
without lessening the elasticity of the border fabric.
The movable portion of the needle cylinder may be of such an extent as to allow
of sufficient width of border fabric being produced for the entire jacket body the
point at which such border fabric can be divided may be determined by one or more
needles being omitted at or near the centre of the removable portion of the needle
cylinder.
I do not confine myself to strictly to the mechanism described herein for "shogging'
the movable portion of the needle cylinder as it may be readily varied to effect the
same result.
Dated this 8th day of Febru 1888

page_text: Improvements in or Appertaining to Circular Knitting Machines.
I, JOHN LANGHAM of Causeway Lane, Leicester, Fancy Hosiery Manufacturor,
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:
In the manufacture of cardigan jackets it is usual to employ two or more machines
for the making of the fabric to form the body portion and the border respectively.
This invention relates to that class of circular knitting machines employed in the
manufacture of cardigan jackets and the like and embodies such improvements in the
construction of the said machines as will enable the body and border fabrics to be
produced on the same machine at one and the same time.
One of the chief features of this invention consists in constructing the needle
cylinder in preferably two unequal parts, the fabric for the body of the jacket being
made upon the larger portion, and the border fabric upon the lesser portion of the
needle cylinder. In order to obtain a different stitch or pattern for the border fabric
as is usual in this class of goods, the lesser portion of the needle cylinder is so
constructed that by means of mechanism hereafter described, it can be 'Shogged' or
moved to and fro, alternately, at each revolution of the machine; the desired change
in the pattern is thus effected.
In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a front elovation of a circular
knitting frame such as is used in the manufacture of cardigan jackets, and which is
constructed according to my invention; the ribbing machine being removed.
Figure 2 is a vertical section shewing in elevation the part of my improved
mechanism in the interior of the cylinder.
•
Figure 3 represents a plan of part of Figure 1, and Figure 4 is a plan of Fig. 2.
Figure 5 is a vertical section taken on the line X X of Fig. 3, and Figure 6 is a
similar view on the line Y Y of the same figure.
Figure 7 shews the position of the mechanism when shogged in the opposito
direction to that shewn in Fig. 2.
Figure 8 shews the lovers by which the 'shogging' is. affected.
A represents the larger portion of the needle cylinder, upon which the fabric to
form the body of the jacket is made.
B represents the smaller portion of the noodle cylinder, upon which the border
fabric is made. This portion of the cylinder is formed of such a size as to leave an
interstice, of preferably the extent of a groove or needle space, between it and the
larger portion A, of the cylinder, so as to admit of the operation of 'shogging' being
effected for the purpose of varying the stitch of the fabric produced upon the smaller
portion of the cylinder.
The oporation of 'shogging, 'as is well understood, has. a tendency to produce a firm
and rigid fabric, (the opposite characteristic of knitted goods); in order, however, to

page_text: obviate this disadvantage, the needles in the smaller part of the cylinder are made
slightly shorter in the stem, and therefore descend rather lower in the grooves, than
those in the larger part of the cylinder; this has the effect of a greater length of
thread being drawn and of a consequent increase in the size of the loops formed on
such shortened needles, and thereby ensures an approximate equableness of elasticity
in the fabric produced on the whole circle of needles.
At one revolution of the machine, the smaller portion B of the needle cylinder is
moved or 'shogged' to the right, and at the next succeeding revolution it is moved or
shogged to the left, and so on, alternately at each revolution; the mechanism for
effecting such movement being hereinafter described. To the bed of the machine
is fixed a bearing C, capable of working upon the upper end of which is a horizontal
lever D, slotted at one end to receive a fixed vertical stud D', to restrict its movement,
(Fig. 8). Working on a fulcrum E¹ on the under part of the inner cylinder, is
a lever E, provided at the end of its longer arm, and on its under surface with a
pin E, which, at each revolution of the frame, travols, alternately, along the front
and back edges of the slotted horizontal lever D, and causes the lever E to turn on its
fulcrum E'.
When the lever D is left in the position shown by the dotted lines in Figure 3, the
pin E will travel along its front edge, which as shown in Figure 8 it is just leaving;
but when the lever D is in the position indicated in the last named figure, the pin E
will travel along the back edge of the formor, (Fig. 3).
The other end of the lever E is recessed to engage with or partly surround a scrow
stud F, depending from the lower part of the plate F. This plate is fixed inside thio
inner cylinder G, and is connected by means of a cross bar F, and bolts F³, to the
soparately movable portion B, of the needle cylinder. The plate F and cross bar F
are each provided with an opening to receive the end of a horizontal spindle E
carried on the upper surface of a bearing H¹ fixed on the bottom part of the cylinder.
A vertical spindle J passes through the bearing H³, and carries at its lower end a
crank J¹ recessed at its end to engage with the screw stud F.
From this arrangement it follows, that when the pin E in the end of the lever E
passes along the front or outer edge of the horizontal lover D, as it is already
supposed to have done in the view shown by Figure 8, it moves the long arm of the
said lever outwards, and causes the pin or stud in the recessed end to move to the
right;
the pin or stud F1 being connected to the plate F, & this plate to the smallor
or movable portion B of the needle cylinder, as before described, the latter is thus
shogged' to the right.
'
At the next revolution of the machine, the pin E2 on the lever E will travel along
the inner or back edge of the lever D, as shown at Figure 3, thus imparting to the
long arm of the said lever E a slight inward movemont, which will cause the smaller
portion B of the needle cylinder to return to its original position.
In order, howover, to prevent any accidental backward or forward movement of the
smaller portion B of the needle cylinder, after it has been 'shogged' either to the
right or to the left, two catches or detents Land L' are employed, and these are
placed in and out of action by the following means:-
A groove K' is formed in the bed K of the machine, and provided with a cam K³
in such a position as to elevate or raise the bar L just before the pin or stud E³ comes
into contact with the lever D. The bar L is supported in a vertical position by means
of the band N, and is arranged to raise the catches L' and L' and keep them clear
of the plato F during the operation of 'shogging.'
By the time the pin E has reached the centre of the lever D when travelling
along its inner or back edge, the movable portion B of the cylinder will be 'shogged"
to the left, and the inwardly or forwardly extending projection L³ on the catch I will
be lodged in the recess M of the plate Fas shown in Figure 2.
When the pin E' in passing along the front edge of the lever D reaches its centre,
the movable portion of the cylinder will be 'shogged' to the right, & the point I on
the catch L will have descended into the recess M on the plate F, as shown
in Fig. 7

page_text: A recess is formed in the under edge of the catch L¹, so that it may fall into its
lowest position without interference with the projection L³ on the catch
The movable portion of the needle cylinder may be of such an extent as to allow
of sufficient width of border fabric being produced for an entire jacket body; the
point at which such border fabric may be divided, is determined by the omission of
one or more needles from the cylinder.
Other means than those above described may be employed for the purpose of
shogging the smaller portion of the needle cylinder for the purpose specified; and
if desirable the needle cylinder may be divided into more than two parts for offecting
a similar result, without in any way departing from the nature of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is :-
--
I. In a circular knitting machine a needle cylinder divided into two or more parts
substantially as and for the purpose herein described.
II. In a circular knitting machino, a needle cylinder one or more parts of which
aro separately movable, substantially as herein described.
III. The improved machine consisting of the parts constructed, combined, and
operating, substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
IIII. The combination with the separately movable portion of the needle cylinder
of short stemmed needles, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 22nd day of October 1888.