Improvements in Knitting Machines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 30th Dec., 189C-Accepted. 31st Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Knitting Machines.
JOSEPH AUGUSTUS CLARINGBURN Hosiery Machinist Liverpool Street
Nottingham do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements applicable to straight bar knitting
machines of the "Cotton" type, and are additions to the improvements described
in Patent No. 18461 A.D. 1888.
Knitting machines to which my improvements are applied will manufacture
ladies vests with fashioned gores or bosoms and at the same time widen the yest
under the arms, the gores or bosoms being made without requiring any seaming,
also pants with split hips and twisted ankles. These articles are made on one
machine without removing them from the needles until they are completed, and
only one thread carrier is used. And any knitted fabric made on this machine can
be widened or narrowed in two places on each side, or the fashionings can be made
on one side only as desired.
To enable these fashionings to be made, I employ two complete sets of fashioning
machines or apparatus, and the fashioning points in each set are arranged to
operate upon the same or alternate rows of loops in each division of needles. One
set of points are about the same width as the ordinary fashioning points, and for
distinction, I call these the narrow points. The other sets of points are much wider,
the width depending upon the number of needles in a division and the fabric they
are used for, these points I call the wide points.
It will thus be seen there are two sets of wide points, and two sets of narrow
points to each division of needles. The wide points at the right hand side of each
division are attached to a rod or bar extending the whole width of the machine,
and the wide points at the left hand side of each division are attached to another
rod or bar which also extends across the whole width of the machine. These two
rods or bars are held in suitable brackets in which the bars can slide endways
only, the brackets are carried from a rod or shaft having bearings in the front end
of bent levers which extend to the back of the machine, and are carried by a shaft
which is supported in bearings on the machine frame.
The narrow points on the right and left hand sides of each division of needles,
are also carried on separate rods or bars, capable of sliding in brackets which are
attached to a rod or shaft having bearings in the front end of another set of bent
levers, which are also extended to the back of the machine, and carried upon a
suitable shaft. Both sets of fashioning points are thus carried in a similar manner
but the wide sets being quite distinct from the narrow sets, and the parts being so
arranged that either of them can be lowered to the needles without coming into
contact with the other. Both sets of fashioning points are supplied with filling
up points, which are actuated in the usual manner, and both sets of points are
connected to separate sets of links and levers which are actuated by suitably shaped
cams, there being nothing new in the method of actuating the points on their up
and down movements, I have not described the mechanism for so doing.
For the lateral movement of the points, 1 employ four screws, two at each end
of the machine each screw working a different set of points, that is to say all the
narrow points at the right hand side of each division of needles, are worked from
one screw, and so for the other points. I will describe the arrangement of the
screws at one end of the machine those at the other end being a duplicate.
The usual narrowing screw is carried in brackets attached to the machine frame,
these brackets I lengthen to form bearings for the additional screw. The ordinary
narrowing screw is driven by two ratchett wheels fixed on the end of it and
outside its bearing, the ratchett wheels being actuated by clawkers from suitable

page_text: cams and levers. On the additional narrowing screw, I fix four ratchett wheels,
two outside the end bearing and two inside, the outside wheels being driven by
the clawkers that drive the wheels on the ordinary narrowing screw, the said
clawkers being lengthened for that purpose. The two inside wheels are driven
by separate clawkers from another cani and lever. It is necessary that these
clawkers be thrown in and out of gear alternately, and this I do by placing
between the two clawkers, a cam with an odd number of faces, and the cam is
revolved half a face at each movement by means of a ratchett wheel having twice
as many teeth as the cam has faces, the ratchett wheel being driven by a clawker
on the same lever as is used for actuating the ordinary screw. The ordinary
narrowing screw has the usual screw box or nut which is used for traversing the
bar that carries the narrow points for one side of the needles in each division and
also the thread carrier stop. The additional screw has also a box or nut which
is guided and prevented from turning by the ordinary screw nut which is shaped
for that purpose, the additional screw box traversing the bar that carries the
wide points for one side of the needles in each division.
With this arrangement of fashioning points it is necessary to use three cams
for actuating each moving part, one cam being used for knitting, another cam for
fashioning with the narrow points, and the third cam for fashioning with the wide
points, and it is further necessary that any one of the cams can be put in operation,
and that the operating cam may be changed, so that either of the other two
becomes the operating cam.
This changing of the cams I effect by a shogging cam having three steps, the
cam revolving with the cam shaft. Parallel with the cam shaft and carried in
bearings from the machine frame is a short rocking shaft, upon which are two
shogging levers and two operating levers, all four levers may have cam trucks or
not as desired. On the cam shaft there are also two counter cams, one of which
is close to the shogging cam and faces it, the other counter cam being fixed on
the cam shaft in any convenient position. When the cam truck on the main
shogging lever is on the bottom step of the shogging cam, plain knitting is being
made, and the cam shaft is held from end movement by the shogging lever cam
truck running between the shogging cam and the first mentioned counter cam.
When fashioning with the narrow points, then the shogging lever cam truck is
riding upon the second step, and the cam shaft is held from end movement by
the second shogging lever cam truck riding upon the second counter cam, When
fashioning with the wide points, then the shogging lever cam truck is on the
third step of the shogging cam, and the cam shaft is held from end movement by a
stop collar on the cam shaft coming into contact with a bearing upon the machine
frame. The shogging levers are lifted and lowered from one step to either of
the other steps of the shogging cam by the rocking shaft, which receives its motion
from the operating levers, which are acted upon by cams, carried on axles
secured to the machine frame, the said cams being rotated by ratchett wheels
driven by pawls attached to any suitable moving part of the machine, the operating
levers being held to their cams by springs, and the operating cams are prevented
from turning too freely on their axles by a friction brake. To prevent a too sudden
movement of the shogging levers, I fix upon the rocking shaft a controlling lever:
the end of which carries a cam truck bearing upon suitable cams on the cam shaft,
the cams being so shaped that a gradual rise or fall of the shogging lever is ensured.
This arrangement of shogging over three cams can be used for other purposes
in addition to fashioning, such as for the production of fancy patterns in openwork.
Having thus described the nature of my improvements, I would have it understood
I do not profess to have invented the wide fashioning points, or the additional
fashioning screws, nor the manner of operating the screws or the points, being well
aware that such parts and motions are described in the Patent previously
mentioned.
Dated this 29th day of March 1890.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Knitting Machines.
I, JOSEPH AUGUSTUS CLARINGBURN, Hosiery Machinist, Liverpool Street,
Nottingham, 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 :-
My invention relates to straight bar knitting machines known as Cotton's Patent,
and is for improvements on the invention described in Specification No. 18,461
A.D. 1888, in which a wide set of fashioning points are capable of being attatched
and detatched to and from the ordinary fashioning-points, the wide sets being turned
up when not required, but owing to the exactitude required when brought into
action considerable time is wasted in adjusting the same. When the wide points
are working fashionings may be made at some distance from the selvage of the fabric
and when they are turned up fashionings may be made by the narrow points on the
selvage only. In the Specification referred to there are two screws used and the
nut of the is prevented from turning by sliding in the nut of the lower screw and
consequently the breadth of the fashioning is limited.
Now the object of my invention is to enable two sets of fashionings to be made,
one on the selvage and one at some distance from the same, the two sets of
fashionings being made either upon the same row of loops or upon different rows as
may be required, and in order to carry out my invention, two separate sets of
fashioning mechanism are required, and in applying these it is necessary to have
two separate sets of fashioning cams in addition to the ordinary knitting cams, and
to be able to bring any one of the sets of cams into action the cam shaft must be
capable of being moved from any one set of cams to any other set.
The needles, thread carriers, and the other ordinary parts of the machine are the
same as usual and the motions of these parts are well understood, I have therefore
not described or shown any of these parts, except where necessary to explain my
invention and in order that the same may be better understood I have attatched five
sheets of drawings which show the fashioning apparatus at one end of the machine,
that at the other end being a duplicate and the same parts in all the drawings are
referred to by the same letter or figure.
Fig. 1 is an end elevation of the screws.used for actuating the fashioning points,
and the mechanism for working the same.
Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a detail showing the connection between the fashioning point bars and
the screw boxes..
Fig. 4 is a front elevation of one breadth of needles showing the two sets of
fashioning points and the bars carrying the same.
Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the fashioning points at the left hand side of each
division of needles, showing the same attatched to the lower fashioning point bars.
Fig. 6 shows the points at the right hand side of the division of needles the same
being connected to the upper fashioning point bars.
Fig. 7 represents the arrangement for carrying the two sets of fashioning bars
which are both shown in their highest position.
Fig. 8 represents the same arrangement when one set of bars have been
lowered.
Fig. 9 is a section of the cam shaft and the parts used for shogging the same.
Fig. 10 is a front elevation of Fig. 9.
Fig. 11 is a plan of the same.
Figs. 12 & 13 details of cams.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 8 A represents the ordinary fashioning screw, mounted
in bearings carried by a bar B which is fixed to the machine frame, and on the
screw is the screw-box C to which a bracket a is attatched; to prevent the nut
turning the bracket slides upon a fixed rod, the nut also carries a bar c for

page_text: 9
actuating the fashioning point bar D carrying the narrow points F, the other set of
narrow points G being attatched to the bar E and actuated from the other end of
the machine. Fixed on the end of the screw A there are two ratchet wheels d & e
which are actuated by pauls & carried by a lever G¹ pivoted on any suitable
support and actuated by a cam H on the cam shaft J. This cam H is made double
the width of the other cams so that when the cam shaft is shogged one step the
narrow points F & G are moved endways but when the shaft is shogged two steps
the narrow points are moved either before or after the wider ones.
The screw A is provided with a handle a catch wheel ; and a spring k so that
the screw can be turned by hand, and held in position.
There is also a cam K
turning on an axle and is used for holding either of the levers for g out of action;
these are connected by a spring m so that when one is held out of action the spring
pulls the other into action.
The brackets carrying the screw A are produced upwards & form bearings for a
screw L provided with a nut M which is prevented from turning by causing it to
slide between two fixed bars n, the nut is also provided with a projecting piece o
which actuates the bar N carrying the wide points O at the right hand side of each
division of needles p, the wide points P at the left hand side of each division of
needles being carried by a bar Q which is actuated by a similar arrangement at the
other end of the machine. Upon the screw A and forming a bearing for the same is
a bush which projects each side of the end bracket 7 and upon it there are fixed
four ratchet wheels r, s, t, & u, also a spur wheel which drives another spur
wheel w fixed upon the top screw L, so that any movement given to any of the
ratchet wheels r, s, t, & u is transmitted to the screw L and the fashioning points
connected to the same. The wheels & we may gear into each other and a screw
used with a thread opposite hand to that of the screw A, or an intermediate wheel
may be used between the wheels » & r, both screws being then the same hand, or
the ratchet wheels r, s, t, & n, may be fixed on the screw L and actuated direct.
The screw L is provided with a handle a, catch wheel y and spring z for turning it
by hand and holding it in position.
The ratchet wheels r & s are provided with pauls R & S carried by a lever V
suitably pivoted on a fixed spindle and actuated by a cam W, while the ratchet
wheels t & u are provided with pauls T & U carried by a lever X which is actuated
by a cam Y, the lever being pivoted on the same spindle as. the lever V. The
pauls R & S are thrown in and out of action by the same cam K as operates upon
the pauls f&g but the pauls T & U are autimatically thrown in and out of action
by a cam Z which has an odd number of faces and is turned round half a face at
each movement by a ratchet wheel A' connected to it by a collar a¹ and actuated by
a paul B carried by a lever C¹ which is operated upon by a cam D¹.
According to the arrangement of cams, ratchet wheels and pauls just described,
I am enabled when the shaft J is shogged one step, to throw the cam H into action
and then make fashionings on the selvage of the fabric by the narrow points only,
and when the shaft is shogged to the second step, the cam H will move in or out
the narrow points and the cam W the wide points, the direction in which both sets
of points are moved depending upon the position of the cam K. The cam Y is also
acting and causes either the paul T or U to act upon the screw L and give an
additional movement to the wide points which may be in the same direction as the
movement given them by the cam W or in the opposite direction.
The bars N&Q Figs. 7 & 8 for the wide sets of points are carried in brackets c¹
capable of turning on a shaft d' carried in bearings on the arms e¹ fixed upon a
rocking shaft, and the bars D & E for the narrow sets of points are carried in
brackets by a shaft H¹ & J the arrangement being similar to that for the bars N
& Q, the two sets being so arranged that either can be brought into action without
interferring with the other. The mechanism for raising and lowering both sets is of
the usual description and both sets of points are fitted with filling-up points k¹ which
are worked by arms and shafts m¹ in the usual manner.
The mechanism for shogging the cam shaft is shown in Figs. 9, 10 & 11. The

page_text: cam shaft has fixed upon it a shogging cam A² made with three cam faces a² 12 & 2
and parallel with the cam shaft place a short shaft 132 which carries a main
shogging lever C2 provided with a cam truck which rides upon one of the three
cam faces a² 12 or 2 and when on the first face a the shaft is held from end move-
ment by the truck riding between the face a² and a face e² of a counter cam D².
When the truck is on the face the shaft is held from end movement by a
truck on a second shogging lever F running upon a face on a second counter
cam E2 which is fixed upon the shaft J. When the truck is on the face e² the
shaft is held from end movement by the boss of the cam A2 coming into contact
with a fixed part of the machine, or a collar upon the shaft may be brought against
any convenient fixed part.
In order to move the truck from one face of the cam A2 to either of the other
faces, the shaft B2 is rocked in its bearings, and for this purpose it has fixed upon
it two levers G2 & H2 which are acted upon by cams J & K respectively these
being carried on a shaft L2 and rotated by ratchet wheels M² & N2 from pauls
carried by any convenient moving part of the machine. The cam J² consists of
two plates & each having two projections upon them, the plates being so
connected that the projections on them may be brought and act as two projections
or as a plate with four projections, the relative position being varied as required.
The cam 2 is used when fashioning with the narrow points only is required, its
projections being such that when they act upon the lever G² the shaft Bis
rocked to bring the truck d² onto the face. The cam K likewise consists of two
plates & m², the former having projections 2 upon it and the latter smaller pro-
jections o², while the two plates are arranged so that the projections o2 can be
brought in a line with the projections 2 and being the smaller are thereby rendered
inoperative; when the plates 12 & m² are in this position the projections act upon
the lever H2 thereby rocking the shaft B2 so that the truck d² is moved on to the
face, this taking place when fashioning with the wide points is required, but
when fashionings with both sets of points are required then the plates & m² are
moved until they form a cam with four projections which act alternately on the
lever H & move the truck 2 from the face a² to the face and then from the
face a² to the face c² these movements taking place alternately. Each set of cams
are worked independently of the other, the set J2 revolving on the shaft and the
set K2 with it, while the clawkers used for actuating the ratchet wheels M² & N2
can be thrown out of action as required. There is also a suitable brake applied to
each set of cams to prevent over-running and each set is provided with several
ratchet wheels so that the number of courses between each fashioning may be
regulated.
There is also another lever 02 on the shaft B2 carrying a truck o² running upon
one of the three cams 12 P3 or.P4 and it is used to prevent the lever C² moving from
one face to another with a jerk, the cams P2 P3 & 1 being level at one point in the
same line as the other cams, so that the shaft may be shogged endways.
In the foregoing description of parts and the mechanism for actuating the same,
I have described the means employed for moving the parts in one direction, the
return motion being obtained by springs, or weights, or the weight of the parts
themselves as is usual in this class of machinery.
Having now described the various parts and their separate movements, I will
now describe the action of the machine when at work. A piece of fabric is first
run on the needles, and a number of courses of plain knitting worked; I will then
suppose that narrowing on the selvages are required, I therefore throw into action
a paul to actuate the ratchet wheels M2, the particular wheel depending upon the
number of courses between each narrowing, this wheel then turns the cam J? which
may be adjusted to give two narrowings for each revolution of the same, or four
narrowings for each revolution.
The cam J² acting to raise the truck d² until it rides upon the face 62 and thus
shog the shaft J, bringing into action the cam H which operates the lever G¹ and
turns the screw A through the paul g and ratchet wheel d, the cam K being turned

page_text: so that this paul shall fall into gear, as shown in Fig. 1. If widenings are required
the cam K is turned so that the paul comes into gear with the ratchet wheel e
the filling-up points are also connected to their operating cam and come into
action, the remaining parts of the mechanism for widening being the same as those
described for narrowing. I will then suppose that the requisite fashionings on the
selvage only, have been completed, the paul turning the ratchet wheels M² is then
thrown out of action and plain knitting may be produced, and I will now suppose
that fashionings are required at some distance from the selvage, I therefore throw
into action a paul for turning one of the ratchet wheels N2, and the cam K² the
plates of which are set so that the projections on the plate m² are behind those on
the plate and as these come round they act upon the lever H2 and move the
truck d² on to the face and thus shog the cam shaft J, bringing into action the
cams H, W, Y & D' then if the cam K is turned to throw the pauls ƒ & g, R & S
out of action the pauls T & U turn the screw L first in one direction and then in
the other, thus moving the wide sets of points in and out alternately.
Then if the cam K is turned so as to throw the paul R into action it moves the
wide points inwards and the cam Y acts to move the screw L so that the wide
points are either carried further in or they are returned; suppose the paul R moves
the screw so that the wide points are carried in one needle and a narrowing
made, the paul U then acts and moves the wide points inwards for a distance of
several needles, at the same time as they are being lowered; they then take the
loops partially rise and the paul R then moves them in one or more needles and the
loops are replaced upon the needles; at the next narrowing the paul T acts and
moves the wide points out as many needles as the paul U had previously moved
them in, they receive the loops and are then moved one more needle in by the
paul R these motions being repeated cause two rows of narrowings to be made.
When widening with these points the filling up points are brought into action,
and the cam K turned to throw out the paul R and in the paul S. The narrow
points are also being brought inwards but do not make narrowings because the cam
bringing down the points is not in action. When fashionings are required both at
the selvage and at a distance from it, the plates 12 & m² of the cam K² are turned
so that the projections o² are brought from behind the projections n² and act
alternately upon the lever H2 moving the truck d² from the face a² to b² and back
again, & then from the face a² to c² and back again, thus alternately throwing into
and out of action the cam H. and the cams H, W, Y & D' which act upon the
various pauls in the manner already described.
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 combination of two sets of fashioning mechanisms, arranged and capable
of being operated substantially as shown and described.
2. The use of a third set of cams.
3. The construction and arrangement of the cams J2 & K2 and levers C2, F²,
G² & H² for actuating the shaft B² and truck d² substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
4. The general arrangement of the mechanism for shogging the cam shaft,
substantially as shown and described in the accompanying drawings and
Specification.
Dated this 24th day of December 1890.
J. A. CLARINGBURN.