Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Oct., 1837
Complete Specification Left 24th July, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 7th Sept., 1888
We, BENJAMIN KERR of 33 Havelock Street, Leicester, Mechanic and ISAAC
LOVELL BERRIDGE of Gallowtree Gate, Leicester, Hosiery Machinery Agent, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of our invention is to provide improved mechanism for the feeding of an
additional or splicing thread on to the needles of a circular knitting machine so as to
obtain extra thickness at any required part of the fabric produced thereon.
To carry out our invention we secure to the outer or revolving cylinder of a
circular knitting machine a suitable upright arm or standard in the lower part of
which is a projecting slotted plate in which works a suitable block having preferably
a triangular or wedge shaped base and a bevelled or inclined upper surface.
Resting on the inclined surface of the block just mentioned and free to move up
and down in the upper part of the upright arm is a vertical bar the top end of which
is bent at a right angle and provided with a suitable perforation or eye to allow the
yarn or thread to pass through on to the needles.
Fixed at convenient intervals apart and near to the outer cylinder are two plates,
perforated to receive pins or pegs to act on the wedge shaped blocks as hereafter
described.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
The machine having been set in motion and the point reached when it is desired to
splice the fabric the pegs or pins are placed in the perforated plates in such position
that during the revolutions of the cylinder the triangular or wedge shaped block
comes into contact with one of the pegs or pins and is caused to slide laterally in the
projecting slotted plate in the lower part of the upright arm. This lateral movement
of the wedge shape block causes the upright bar to ascend the incline on the upper
surface of the former thereby allowing the thread to feed into the needles. The
cylinder continuing to revolve brings the wedge shaped block into contact with a
ID 71

page_text: second peg or pin and causes it to return to its original position thereby allowing the
upright bar to descend and grip or hold the thread until such time as it is again
required to be laid into the work.
A suitable spring or equivalent is employed to ensure the immediate descent of the
upright bar to put the splicing thread out of action.
We also provide that the thread layer may be slotted to allow of its being adjusted
to suit various heights of needles or cylinders.
Dated this 25th day of October 1887

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Circular Knitting Machines.
We, BENJAMIN KERR of 33 Havelock Street, Leicester, and ISAAC LOVELL
BERRIDGE of Humberstone Gate Leicester, Hosiery Machinery Agent, 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:
Our improvements relate to Circular Knitting Machines, and are especially
applicable to those of the kind or class known as the 'Griswold and similarly con-
structed knitting machines, and the object of the invention is to provide mechanism
or apparatus to be used in connection with such machines, by the employment of
which the feeding of an auxiliary or splicing thread on to the needles, to produco
extra thickness in the fabric, is greatly facilitated.
In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of a circular knitting
machine having our improved splicing mechanism attached thereto, and Figure 2 is a
plan thereof.
Figure 3 is a sectional side elevation of the splicing mechanism constituting our
invention and Figure 4 is a front elevation of same.
Figure 5 is a front view of the thread guide.
A is the fixed needle cylinder provided with vertical grooves or tricks for the frame
needles to work in and B is the outer revolving cylinder carrying on its inner side
the cams for imparting the necessary rising and falling motion to the needles. C is a
horizontal wheel or ring driven by the bevel wheel C. D is an upright arm or
standard carrying at its upper end an angle plate D¹ supporting the thread guide or
yarn carrier E and B is the ordinary thread. F, Fare projections on the cylinder B,
the latter being revolved when the base of the standard D comes into contact with
one of the former. The machine as already described is constructed in the ordinary
way..
Our improved mechanism for laying in the splicing thread is hereafter described.
At the lower part of the upright arm or standard D and preferably formed integrally
therewith is a forked or slotted projection D2 in which works the block G.
This biock is constructed preferably with a triangular or wedge shaped base, (as
shown by the dotted lines in figure 2) and a bevelled or inclined upper surface,
(as shown in figures I and 3).
Resting on the upper surface of the block G and capable of moving up and down
in the upright arm or standard D is a vertical bar or slide H the upper end of which
is bent at a right angle and provided with an eye or opening H' to allow the splicing
thread H to pass through to the yarn guide and then to the needles.
The spring J is connected at one end to a pin J on the side of the vertical bar or
slide H and at the opposite end to a screw D³ on the forked or slotted projection D²
and is employed to ensure the immediate descent of the vertical bar H to trap the
thread H and put it out of action.

page_text: Fixed on the bed plate of the machine and at a convenient distance from each other
are two plates K, each of which is provided with two sockets or holes into either of
which may be placed a pin or peg K².
These pins or pegs are adapted to act on the wedge at the bottom of the block G,
as hereafter described to allow the splicing thread H2 to be fed on to the needles
when it is desired to produce thickened work and to sever and put out of action the
splicing thread when ordinary unthickened fabric is being made.
The lever L is of the ordinary construction and is employed for tightening the
splicing thread at the time when it is required to be broken and also for slackening it'
so soon as it is to be again laid on to the needles.
When it is required to produce a thickened fabric upon the whole circle of
needles the pins or pegs K2 may be removed from the plates K or placed in tho
two outer sockets and out of contact with the block G, and when it is desired to
produce thickened work round either half of the circle of needles, one pin or peg is
placed in the socket nearest the centre of the machine in the one plate, the other pin
or peg being placed in the outer hole or socket of the remaining plate, and the wedge
shaped block G is acted upon at each half revolution by each of the pins or pegs K
thereby causing the vertical bar H to rise and fall and place the splicing thread
alternately in and out of action.
The yarn guide E may be adjusted by means of the thumbscrew M and slotted angle
plate to suit various heights of needles and cylinders.
We construct the eye E of the yarn guide E with a slot or opening (Figure 5) so'
that the ordinary thread may be readily removed therefrom, when from any cause it
is desired to lessen the tension of same. The action of the apparatus is as follows
The machine having been set in motion and the point in the fabric reached where
it is desired to splice or thicken it, the pins or pegs K2 are placed in the perforated
plates K in sucli position that when the cylinder has made half a revolution one of the
pins or pegs comes into contact with the side of the triangular or wedge shaped
block G and causes the latter to move laterally in the forked or slotted projection D³,
and the vertical bar or slide H to ascend to the highest surface of the block G (shown
in figure 3) and thereby allow the splicing thread to feed freely on to the needles.
At the next half revolution of the machine the other pin or peg K² comes into;
contact with the opposite side of the block G and causes it to return to its original
position; the vertical bar or slide H will by this time have descended to the lowest
surface of the block G and the thread gripped or held tightly (figure 1) and pre-
vented from being fed on to the needles, until it is released at the next balf
revolution.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we-claim is :-
1. In circular knitting machines the mechanism for feeding an auxiliary or splicing
thread on to the needles for the purpose of producing thickened fabric round the
whole or part of the circle of needles substantially as specified and illustrated in
the accompanying drawings.
2. In circular Knitting machines the combination with plates such as K provided
with pegs K² of a block such as G working within a forked or slotted projection such
as D, slide such as H, spring J and arm D the whole operating substantially in
the manner and for the purpose specified.
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