Improvements in Knitting Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 4th Jan., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Knitting Machines.
I, CARL AUGUST ROSCHER, residint of Mittweida in the Kingdom of Saxony,
German Empire, manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
In Lamb's knitting machines and cylindrical knitting machines, in short, in all
knitting machines in which the meshes or loops are formed by the separate movements
of the various needles, the needles move in grooves cut in the bed plate on which they
lie. In this case the distance between the grooves had to be pretty great in order to
allow of the partitions being sufficiently strong, otherwise the same will soon wear
away under the friction caused by the continual movement of the needles.
In this method of cutting the grooves, it is further not possible to make the partitions
hard and lasting because the material of which the bed plate is made, must be in a
soft state to permit of cutting the grooves; and hardening of the same after the
grooves are cut is impossible as the plate would warp during the process. The soft
partitions consequently wear down quickly and besides this they soon get rough.
The bottom of the grooves can only with difficulty be properly faced and generally
remains somewhat rough from the beginning. These circumstances combine to render
the proper working of the needles difficult for any lasting time.
Attempts have been made to solder the partitions into the needle bed, but the
results were not satisfactory. The partitions do not remain in place for any length
of time and in replacing one which may have got loose, those next invariably get
loosened.
By my invention I have avoided these difficulties, which are nearly doubled in
the case of fine working machines,-by letting thin strips of steel plate into the
needle bed in such a manner that no soldering is necessary.
In order to make my invention more clear, I refer to the accompanying drawings,
in which similar letters denote similar parts throughout the several views.
Fig. 1 shows in section a side view of the needle bed of a cylindrical knitting
machine before the groove has been cut.
Fig. 2 shows the same view, the groove having been cut.
Fig. 3 shows a side elevation of the steel plate to be let in.
Fig. 4 shows a vertical section of the finished needle bed.
Fig. 5 is a partial front elevation of fig. 4.
Fig. 5 is a plan showing the difference between my method of forming the
grooves and grooves which are cut in the bed by a machine.
Fig. 6-9 show a slightly varied form of steel plate in use.
Fig. 10 and 11 show the needle beds in use in Lamb's and cylindrical knitting
machines.
Referring to figures 1-5:
61 is the bed plate of a Lamb's or cylindrical knitting machine, on which plate the
needle bed rests.
The grooves k and i, running round or along the needle beds and at right angles
to the needle grooves, are cut in the same as also the slits ll' m m' lying close to one
another (fig. 2).
The ribs or partitions which then remain between the slits m m¹ will afterwards
form the bottoms of the needle guides. The strips of hardened steel of formed as
shown in fig. 3, will then be placed in the slits, the corner ² of the same being passed
under the projecting corner of the groove i. They are held in place by the slanting
ide of the flat metal strip n screwed on the needle bed. The needles a having feet c
will then be guided by these steel strips. The steel strips are thin, hard and durable
The grooves k and i, running round or along the needle beds and at right angles
to the needle grooves, are cut in the same as also the slits 1 l m m' lying close to one
another (fig. 2).
The ribs or partitions which then remain between the slits m m¹ will afterwards
form the bottoms of the needle guides. The strips of hardened steel of formed as
shown in fig. 3, will then be placed in the slits, the corner of the same being passed
under the projecting corner of the groove i. They are held in place by the slanting
side of the flat metal strip n screwed on the needle bed. The needles a having feet c
will then be guided by these steel strips. The steel strips are thin, hard and durable

page_text: and enable the needles to stand much closer together without it being necessary to
reduce the thickness of the same (fig. 5ª g & h).
The wearing away of such steel strips is very slight and in such case the strips
may be easily replaced by new ones without in any way effecting those lying directly
near them.
An important moment of the invention is that the strips are so formed that the
upper end u of the same serves for knocking the loops over the needles, for
which purpose special arrangements have been made in machines used up to the
present.
Even
The hard smooth strips / cause very little friction during the motion of the needles
and consequently little wear and tear, very even and easy working of the same.
in cases where only a part of the needles are in operation and the others at rest when
the whole number are used together again, they work quite evenly.
In the modification shown in figs. 6-9, the form of the steel strips and that of
the grooves only is altered; the upper end f¹ projecting over the corner of the needle
bed and the lower end of the str.p being provided with a slanting projection /
which lies in groove o² of the bed. The strips are held in place by plate n and
screws.
In figs. 10 and 11, d shows the arrangement of the locks for operating the needles.
These figures need no further description as they simply show what is well known
among those skilled in the art.
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.) In knitting machines, a needle bed having the grooves for guiding the needles
formed by strips of steel let into the bed and held in place by a plate n, for the purpose
substantially as described.
2.) In knitting machines, a needle bed having the needle guides formed of steel
strips in the manner specified the upper ends of which strips serve for knocking the
loops over the needles for the purpose substantially as described.
Dated this 26th day of November 1889.
CARL AUGUST ROSCHER.
By Rayner & Cassell,
37, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.