IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Campion, of the Town and County of the
Town of Nottingham, Sewing Machine Manufacturer, and William
Campion, of Sneinton, in the County of Nottingham, Mechanic, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Campion and
William Campion, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 11th November 1867.
We, WILLIAM CAMPION, of the Town and County of the Town of Not-
tingham, Sewing Machine Manufacturer, and WILLIAM CAMPION, of
Sneinton, in the County of Nottingham, Mechanic, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY," to
be as follows:-
The Invention has for its object improvements in knitting machinery, and
relates to a novel combination and arrangement whereby ribbed work is pro-
duced and slack courses and welts formed by self-acting machinery. For
this purpose we employ independent self-acting or tumbler needles for the
"frame'
needles, and ordinary bearded needles for the "machine," the
"frame" needles being fixed to the lower ends of "jacks" or levers which

page_text: are at their upper ends mounted with capability of rocking on a wire or axis
carried by the sley in which the jacks or levers work. The jacks of such
independent self-acting needles are acted upon to draw the loops by means of
a "slur cock" carried by the thread carrier, and after the loops have been
deposited in the hooks of such self-acting needles a dividing bar comes into
action against the jacks to hold them firmly in position whilst the "machine"
needles act, and then when the "machine" needles have done their work
and again descended and "knocked" over the loops of the machine course
the "dividing bar" acts to bring the "frame" needles forward to receive a
fresh row of loops. The "dividing bar" is formed of two rods or bars, one in
front and the other at the back of the jacks, such rods or bars being carried
by suitable arms mounted upon an axis to which motion is given at the times
desired by means of a cam acting upon an arm carried thereby. The
"machine needles instead of being held in leads as usual are soldered
separately into suitable stems having projections thereon, such stems being
held in a suitable comb bar by means of a plate fixed thereto, such comb bar
being mounted upon an axis to which arms acted upon by a suitable cam are
fixed. A slide bar acted upon by a cam is employed to assist in dividing the
work and regulating the loops. The presser bar works upon a suitable axis
and is acted upon by a cam to raise and lower it at the times desired, whilst
the machine needles are acted upon by a suitable cam to throw them forward
against the presser bar.
The drawing apparatus for acting upon the thread carrier is constructed
and operates in the following manner :-On each end of the main or cam
shaft is mounted a wheel to which one end of a cord or chain is attached, the
other end of the cord or chain being attached to the thread carrier slide such
wheels are caused to act alternately to draw the thread carrier to and fro by
means of a clawker or driver which by means of a stud fixed to the framing
is thrown into and out of position for acting upon a projection fixed to the
wheel having the cord or chain attached thereto. When it is desired to form
a slack course a sliding rod which is acted upon in one direction by a spring
and in the other direction by a suitable cam acts upon the truck carried by
the lever acting to throw the machine needles forward to move it to a
different portion of the cam acting thereon, so as to throw the machine needles
further forward than usual, thereby producing the longer loops forming the
slack course, then a portion of the cam that works the "dividing bar" for
holding the frame needles firm is by the sliding rod moved under the truck,
thereby moving the frame needles further back so as to take up the extra
length of loop forming the slack course, then the sliding rod returns to its

page_text: former position, and a number of ordinary courses are made before making
the "welt" the sliding rod is again acted upon by a cam so as to move a pro-
jection carried by such sliding rod into position under a lever to hold the
"machine needles" down and keep them out of action, whilst a suitable
number of plain courses are made to form the welt; then the sliding rod is
returned to its ordinary position so as to allow the machine needles again to
come into action, and with the aid of the frame needles to produce ordinary
"ribbed "work. The cams acting upon the sliding rod above described are
formed on or fixed to a ratchet wheel operated by a clawker or a driver which
is driven by a cam on the main or cam shaft. Whilst the machine needles
are out of action and plain courses for the welt are being produced the slide
bar employed for assisting in dividing the work and regulating the loops is
prevented rising to its usual height.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Campion and William Campion, in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 9th May 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
CAMPION, of the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham, Sewing
Machine Manufacturer, and WILLIAM CAMPION, of Sneinton, in the County of
Nottingham, Mechanic, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said William Campion and William Campion, Her special licence that we,
the said William Campion and William Campion, our executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Campion and
William Campion, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY," upon the condition (amongst others). that we,
the said William Campion and William Campion, our executors or admi-
nistrators, by an instrument in writing under our or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the

page_text: said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
months next and inmediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Campion and William
Campion, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
mauner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
"
The Invention has for its object improvements in knitting machinery, and
relates to a novel combination and arrangement, whereby ribbed work is
produced, and slack courses and welts formed by self-acting machinery. For
this purpose we employ independent self-acting or tumbler needles for the
" frame "
needles, and ordinary bearded needles for the "machine," the
"frame" needles being fixed to the lower ends of "jacks" or levers which
are at their upper ends mounted with capability of rocking on a wire or axis
carried by the sley in which the jacks or levers work. The jacks of such
independent self-acting needles are acted upon to draw the loops by means of
a "slur cuck" carried by the thread carrier; and after the loops have been
deposited in the hooks of such self-acting needles a dividing bar comes into
action against the jacks to hold them firmly in position whilst the "machine
needles act, and then when the "machine" needles have done their work
and again descended and "knocked over" the loops of the machine course
the "dividing bar" acts to bring the "frame" needles forward to receive a
fresh row of loops. The "dividing bar" is formed of two rods or bars, one
in front and the other at the back of the jacks, such rods or bars being carried
by suitable arms mounted upon an axis to which motion is given at the times
desired by means of a cam acting upon an arm carried thereby. The
"machine" needles, instead of being held in leads as usual, are soldered
separately into suitable stems having projections thereon, such stems being
held in a suitable comb bar by means of a plate fixed thereto, such comb bar
being mounted upon an axis to which arms acted upon by a suitable cam are
fixed; a slide bar acted upon by a cam is employed to assist in dividing the
work and regulating the loops. The presser bar works upon a suitable axis,
and is acted upon by a cam to raise and lower it at the times desired, whilst
the machine needles are acted upon by a suitable cam to throw them forward
against the presser bar.
The drawing apparatus for acting upon the thread carrier is constructed and
operates in the following manner :-On each end of the main or cam shaft is
mounted a wheel to which one end of a cord or chain is attached, the other
and of the cord or chain being attached to the thread earrier slide; such

page_text: wheels are caused to act alternately to draw the thread carrier to and fro by
means of a clawker or driver, which, by means of a stud fixed to the framing,
is thrown into and out of position for acting upon a projection fixed to the
wheel having the cord or chain attached thereto. When it is desired to form
one direction by a spring
a slack course, a sliding rod which is acted upon in
and in the other direction by a suitable cam, acts upon the truck carried by
the lever acting to throw the machine needles forward to move it to a different
portion of the cam acting thereon so as to throw the machine needles further
forward than usual, thereby producing the longer loops forming the slack
course; then a portion of the cam that works the "dividing bar " for holding
the frame needles firm is by the sliding rod moved under the truck, thereby
moving the frame needles further back so as to take up the extra length of
loop forming the slack course; then the sliding rod returns to its former
position, and a number of ordinary courses are made before making the
"welt" the sliding rod is again acted upon by a cam so as to move a pro-
jection carried by such sliding rod into position under a lever to hold the
"machine needles" down and keep them out of action, whilst a suitable
number of plain courses are made to form the welt; then the sliding rod is
returned to its ordinary position so as to allow the machine needles again to
come into action, and with the aid of the frame needles to produce ordinary
"ribbed "work. The cams acting upon the sliding rod above described are
formed on or fixed to a ratchet wheel operated by a clawker or driver, which
is driven by a cam on the main or cam shaft. Whilst the machine needles
are out of action and plain courses for the welt are being produced the slide
bar employed for assisting in dividing the work and regulating the loops is
prevented rising to its usual height.
And in order that our Invention may be more fully understood and readily
earried into effect, we will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings, more
fully to describe the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a cross section; Figure 2 is a plan; Figure 3 is a front view
and Figure 4 is an end view of a knitting machine arranged and combined
according to our Invention. a, a, are the frame needles of the character
known as self-acting or tumbler needles which are fixed in the lower ends of
"jacks" or levers a¹ mounted on a wire or axis b¹ carried by the sley or
comb 6 in which the jacks or levers a¹ work; motion is given to such jacks
or levers a to draw the loops by means of a slur cock c fixed to the thread
carier slide d which is operated to deposit the thread in the hooks of the

page_text: needles a as will be hereafter described. The frame needles a are also acted
upon at the times desired by a "dividing bar" formed of two rods or bars e, e,
the bar e acting in front and the bar at the back of the jacks a', such bars
or rods e, e, are carried by arms fixed to the shaft or axis f and receive
motion from a cam g on the shaft or axis A acting upon a truck or roller e
carried by a levere also fixed to the shaft or axis f, the lever et is kept up to
the cam g by a spring as shewn, or by other suitable means; h, h, are the
"machine" needles which are soldered separately into stems h¹, as shown
more clearly by the separate views of one of such needles shown at Figures 5.
The stems h¹ are held in a suitable comb bar i, the projections on the
stems of the needles being held in a recess i, as shown, by means of a plate
bolted or otherwise secured to the comb bar i. The comb bar i is carried by
a shaft or axis i* with capability of rocking thereon, this shaft or axis is
carried by arms or levers i fixed to the shaft or axis B, and is raised and
lowered at the times desired by means of a cam; fixed to the shaft or axis
A, and acting upon a truck or roller carried by one of the arms or levers 2,
the other arm or lever being acted upon by a spring . To the comb bar i
is also fixed an arm or lever, the upper end of which carries a compound
truck or pulley io, which is acted upon by a cam k at the times desired to
throw the machine needles h forward against the presser bar 1, which is
fixed to arms mounted upon an axis, to which motion is given at the times
desired to raise and lower the presser bar by means of a cam m acting upon
a truck or roller carried by an arm or lever * fixed to the shaft or axis
A slide bar n carried by arms or levers n¹ mounted upon the shaft or axis B
is acted upon at the times desired by means of cams o acting upon trucks or
rollers n carried by the arms or levers n³, the trucks or rollers n' being kept
up to their cams by springs n³, or by other suitable means. The thread
carrier dis mounted upon the thread carrier slide d as shown and the
side d is mounted with capability of sliding upon the slide bar ds, and motion
is given to the slide d to deposit the thread in the hooks of the frame needles a
in the following manner:-A cord or chain dis connected to each side of
the slide d, as shown, and such cords or chains pass partly around guide
pulleys d' and at their other ends are each connected to a grooved wheel or
pulley mounted loosely upon the shaft or axis A, such wheels are caused to
act alternately to draw the thread carrier d¹ to and fro by means of a clawker
or driver p³ carried by a disc p¹ fixed to the shaft or axis A, each of such
clawkers or drivers being mounted upon an axis p to which a tumbler or
cam surface p is fixed, such tumblers or cam surfaces p* being acted upon by
a stud p' carried by a bar or lever pe mounted upon a piu or axis
carried

page_text: by the framing and the surfaces of such tumblers or cam surfaces p' are acted
upon alternately by the studs p³ at one time on the outside and at another time
on the inside thereof. When the studs po act upon the inside of the tumblers
or cam surfaces p' they act to throw the clawkers or drivers p³ into position
for acting upon projections p* carried by the wheels or pulleys p and thereby
cause the wheel p for the time being in connection with its driver or clawker p*
to draw the thread carrier across the machine, but when the studs p³ act on
the outsides of the tumblers or cam surfaces p' they act to throw the clawkers
or drivers p out of action, the levers or arms p carrying the studs p³ are
supported at their outer ends by a stud p³, as shown, but when the studs are
acting upon the insides of the tumblers or cam surfaces p', then the levers
or arms p are lifted by such tumblers or cam surfaces, until they come
against a stud p'; rotary motion is communicated to the shaft or axis a by a
strap or band acting on a pulley fixed to such axis or by other suitable means.
The following is a description of the mode in which a course of ordinary
ribbed work is produced, and we will suppose a course to have been just com-
pleted, at which time the parts will be in the position shown at Figure 1 in
readiness for the thread carrier d to lay thread under the hooks of the frame
needles a, .
After the thread is laid under the hooks of the frame needles,
and the "slur cock" c carried by the thread carrier slide d has acted upon
the jacks or levers a¹ to cause them to draw a proper length of thread to form
the loops, and at the same time to "knock over" the last course, the parts
assume the position shown at Figure 6, the machine needles h as shown in
this Diagram having just commenced to descend and to be thrown forward
against the presser bar l, which is now in the act of being depressed for this
purpose. The dividing bar e, e¹, at the same time acting upon the jacks a¹ to
regulate the length of the loops held in the hooks of the frame needles a,
and the slide barn being in the act of rising to assist in regulating the loops
and dividing the work between the frame and the machine needles and
knock over the loops held on the stems of the machine needles. The parts
then assume the position shown at Figure 7, in which position the machine
needles are shown to have fully descended and pressed off the previous
course and to be now holding the last machine course in their beards, the
slide bar acting to hold up the loops in the beards thereof; the machine
needles then rise whilst the slide bar n descends and the frame needles again
advance to the position shown at Figure 1 in readiness to receive thread for
a fresh course of loops, and the motions are repeated for the required number
of courses.

page_text: When it is desired to form a slack course preparatory to forming the welt
a sliding rod q is by a spring q' caused to move endwise in its bearings in a
direction from right to left, this motion being allowed to take place by the
cam surface in the ring r carried by the ratchet wheel r coming opposite
the end of the rod q. This motion of the rod q by an arm g³ fixed thereto
acts to throw the larger diameter of the compound truck or roller on to the
portion of the cam k which. thereby acts to throw the machine needles
forward a further distance than for the ordinary courses, thereby taking a
greater length of thread for producing the longer loops; the portion g* of the
cam g is then by the arm q* thrown into position under the truck or roller so
as to cause the dividing bar e, e¹, to act upon the jacks a', and carry then
back a greater distance than usual in order to take up the extra length of
loop in the slack course. The sliding rod q is then caused to slide in a
direction towards the right hand to its former position, and any desired
number of ordinary courses are produced, after which the cam on the ring r
carried by the ratchet wheel r acts to throw the sliding rod a greater distance
towards the right band, and thereby throw the compound truck or roller off
the cam k, k, and at the same time to place the projection between one of
the arms or levers ³, and the shaft A by which the machine needles will be
held down and kept out of action whilst a suitable number of plain courses
are being made, during which the slide bar n is prevented rising to its usual
height by being slidden in a direction from left to right by means of the arm
9fixed to the sliding rod 9 acting thereon, and thereby causing such slide
barn to be supported in its levers by the parts n* instead of by the parts n³.
Then when the desired number of plain courses have been made the rod g is
allowed by the cam moving away from opposite the end thereof to slide end-
wise from right to left so as to allow the machine needles h and the slide bar n
to come again into action and ordinary ribbed work is again produced until
the ratchet wheel has again brought the cam surface and cam ³ into
position to act upon the sliding rod 9. Motion is communicated to the ratchet
wheel by the cam & mounted on the axis A, which cam acts upon the lever
to which the clawker or driver is connected. The length of ordinary ribbed
work produced between the slack courses and welts may be varied by varying
the number of teeth in the ratchet wheel r or in other suitable manner.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention and the mode in
which we carry the same into effect, we would have it understood that we do
not confine ourselves to the precise details herein shown and described. But
what we do claim is the novel combination and arrangement of knitting

page_text: machinery whereby ribbed work is produced and slack courses and welts
formed by self-acting machinery substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof we, the said William Campion and William
Campion, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Thirtieth day
of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-eight.
WILLIAM CAMPION. (L.s.)
Of Nottingham.
WILLIAM CAMPION. (L.S.)
Of Sneinton.
WILLIAM CAMPION. (L.s.)
Of Nottingham.
WILLIAM CAMPION. (L.B.)
Of Sneinton.