Year: 1888

page_text: I JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this invention which has been com-
municated to me from abroad by Messrs. Quinquarlet, Valton & fils of Troyes in the
Republic of France and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This Invention relates to machines for sewing knitted or looped fabrics with two
sewing threads one thread being carried by a needle and the other by a shuttle. The
two selvedges or other edges of the fabrics to be sewn are impaled upon holding pins
or points arranged at regular intervals upon a pin ring which rotates intermittently
and presents the holding pins to the sewing needle in a certain order so as to form a
peculiar stitch as hereinafter explained. The pin ring is rotated to an extent
corresponding to the interval between two consecutive pins once to every two move-
ments of the needle towards the pins but the needle does not produce a sewing action
twice consecutively on each pin being caused to partake in addition to its ordinary
longitudinal reciprocating motion of a lateral oscillating motion the amplitude of
which is equal to the distance between two consecutive pins on the pin ring. This
oscillation takes place each time and immediately after the needle has engaged with
the pins. In consequence of the displacement of the ring which always takes place
in the same direction and of the lateral oscillation of the needle the latter sews the
Buccessive loops of the fabric impaled on the pins in the order represented by the
numbers 2, 1, 3, 2, 4, 3, 5, 4, 6, 5, 7, 6, 8 etc. Each time that the needle passes through
the fabric and at the moment when it is pushed through to the end of its stroke it
returns for a short distance and thus opens a loop of the first or needle thread which
is immediately traversed by the shuttle carrying the second or shuttle thread.
The peculiarity of this improved machine is that the point of the needle being
directed from the centre of the pin ring to the circumference of the latter the shuttle
driver is enabled to be arranged near the points of the holding pins in place of being
situated near their bases under the holding plates as herotoforo.
This arrangement is productive of the following advantages namely:-The centre
of oscillation of the needle coincides exactly with the axis of the pin ring or a
prolongation thereof and the needle being consequently always in a line radiating

page_text: from the centre of the ring is invariably in a line or parallel with the axis of the
corresponding pin independently of the distance apart of the pins.
In this improved machine also certain heavy moving parts usually employed are
dispensed with so that the machine is enabled to run more smoothly with less wear of
the parts. There are no projecting arms or other obstacles to the free passage of the
fabric around the base or stand. The number of parts requiring external lubrication
is reduced the upper horizontal shaft does not require to rotate in its supports and the
pivots of the oscillating needle bar formerly employed are dispensed with. Great
facility is afforded for regulating or adjusting the action the adjustable parts
being all presented at the middle of the principal opening formed in the front of
the stand.
And in order that the said invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
figures on the annexed sheet of drawings the samo letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a side elevation partly in section
of a machine according to this invention the section being taken along the line 3-4
fig. 2.
Fig. 2 is an end elevation also partly in section taken along the line 5-6 fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken along the line 1-2 fig. 1.
Fig. 4 represents the machine in plan.
For the sake of clearness the following description of the machine is divided under
four heads as follows:-
1. Parts which remain stationary when the machine is working.
The greater part of the mechanism is enclosed within a hollow stand or pillar of
cylindrical shape slightly tapering towards the upper end and resting on an octagonal
base. This stand also supports two horizontal shafts M and N the shaft M receiving
rotary motion from a driving pulley M and the shaft N being stationary in its
supports. B, figs. 1, 2, and 4, is a plato supported by the stand and carrying a pin
ring A which is arranged to turn or rotate on the plate or disc B. This pin ring is
provided with suitable pins or points V₁ on which the fabrics to be sewn are impaled
in the usual manner. Outside this ring there is a curved shuttle race D figs. 2
and 4 attached to the stand C below the pin ring A by an arm S¹ fig. 2 and an
arm W fig. 4. The needle thread is drawn from a reel on a reel holder X fig. 1
through a pivoted or twisting tonsion regulator Y and a take up Z. Between the
shuttle race D and the supporting arm S¹ fig. 2 there is fixed a plates which retains
the fabric on the pins while the machine is working. Another plate the edge of which
is seen at K fig. 4 is attached to the support W and pushes the fabric off the pins
after the sewing.
2. Parts employed to actuate the pin ring with the fabrics impaled upon the
holding pins.
The pin ring A provided with the pins or impaling needles V₁ arranged at equal
distances apart upon the circumference of the ring is provided with as many ratchet
teeth S fig. 4 as there are holding pins. This pin ring has an intermittent rotary
motion imparted to it by a driver S figs. 1 and 4 carrying a pawl engaging with the
said teeth and operating in such a manner as to cause the ring to advance to the extent
of one division to every two outward strokes of the needle. The said driver is fixed
on a vertical shaft O figs. 1 and 3 to which a rocking motion is imparted by a cam
or wiper surface T (shown in dotted lines in fig. 2) centred on the fixed shaft N.
This cam surface T being attached to and rotating with a toothed wheel V turning
on the said shaft N acts intermittently on a roller Qfigures 1 and 3 on the extremity
of a curved arm P fixed on the vertical shaft O carrying the driver S. The needle
being required to advance upon a holding pin V₁ once for each revolution of the
driving shaft M the toothed wheel U is driven from the said driving shaft M by a
wheel U¹ of half the diameter, of the wheel Ụ carrying the cam surface T so that
the latter describes one revolution to two revolutions of the driving shaft M carrying
the cam actuating the needle as next hereinafter described.

page_text: 3. Parts actuating the needle.
The alternate forward and backward or reciprocating motions of the needle are
produced as follows. A cam L Figures 1 2 and 3 acts on a roller on the lower
extremity of a lever I centered on the fixed shaft N and thus causes this lever to
oscillate. The lever I is provided at its upper extremity with a groove or way H in
which engages a roller H carried by a round or cylindrical needle bar G. The cam L
being fixed on the driving shaft M the needle makes one stroke forwards and one
backwards to every revolution of the driving shaft. The needle bar also oscillates
laterally on the centre or axis of the pin ring A being moved to the right and to the
left alternately each time that the needle leaves the pins. This oscillating or lateral
motion of the needle bar is produced as follows. The toothed wheel U describing
one revolution to every two revolutions of the wheel U¹ and the circular cam T being
arranged to act on the roller Q on the curved arm P only during one half of each
revolution of the toothed wheel U this arm is maintained in one of two different
positions during one complete revolution of the driving shaft M. The needle bar G
slides in a support X Figure 2 attached to the upper extremity of a central vertical
shaft X Figures 2 and 3 provided in the interior of the stand C with an arm R
Figures 1, 2 and 3. This arm is worked by the bent lever arm P centred on the
vertical shaft O and which carries an incline P¹ capable of oscillating on a pin fixed
to the arm P and acting on a corresponding incline R' on the arm R. The incline R
can be adjusted according to the gauge of the machine and the incline P being loose
on its pin adjusts itself automatically to the same angle as the incline R'. When the
cam surface T acts upon or releases the curved lever P it consequently maintains the
lever R and needle bar G in one of its two positions for the time required for the
needle to advance and retire. When the circular cam T ceases to act upon theo
roller on the lever P (this being the case for a period long enough for the driving
shaft to make one complete revolution) just after the needle is clear of the pins and
fabric the parts are moved as follows. A spring V Figure 3 attached at one extremity
to an extension or arm R2 on the arm R and at the other extremity to a similar
extension or arm P3 of the lever P, draws the arm R2 towards the arm P'. This
movement of the lever P. causes the vertical shaft O to oscillato so that the pawl of
the driver S engages with a fresh tooth of the ratchet S on the pin ring A. At the
same time the roller Q escaping from the cam T causes a projection M¹ on the lever P.
to move up to a screw M on the lever R acting as an adjustable stop and the
lever R also oscillates to such an extent as to rotate the vertical shaft X' through the
small angle necessary to present the needle opposite a different space or opening in a
plate J Figure 4 situated at or near the centre of the shuttle race.
When the cam surface T reengages with the roller on the end of the lever P the
parts are shifted in the opposite direction thereby causing the pin ring to rotate to
the extent of one division or space between two consecutive pins and causing the
needle to be shifted laterally to a different position: The extent of the oscillation of
the arm P and consequently the extent of the lateral displacement of the needlo are
limited in one direction by the action of the circular cam T and in the other direction
by the projection M' acting on the adjustable stop M' hereinbefore described.
4. Parts actuating the shuttle.
When the needle having passed through the fabric forms a loop with the needle
thread the shuttle starting from the position indicated at E Figure 4 passes through
this loop and as the needle retires the shuttle returns to its original position in
readiness for the next stitch and so on. These movements of the shuttle are produced
as follows. A shuttle driver F is hinged to an arm F fixed on the upper extremity
of a vertical shaft J and this shaft has an oscillating motion imparted to it by a cam K
acting on a roller on an arm J2 Figures 1 and 2 fixed on the lower part of the vertical
shaft J. The shuttle driver F¹ is hinged to the part F in order to enable the shuttle
to be readily taken out of the race when it is necessary to refill the spool. To remove
the shuttle it simply necessary to press on the end F and compress a spring which
maintains the driver in the normal position when the machine is working.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is―
1st. A machine for sewing knitted or looped fabrics with a needle which is displaced
angularly or laterally to an extent equal to the space between two consecutive pins
the said needle acting from the centre towards the periphery of the pin ring and
making two outward strokes to each motion of the pin ring thereby forming stitches
in the order represented by 2, 1, 3, 2, 4, 3, 5, 4 etc. the angular displacement of the
pin ring and of the needle being obtained by a cam (1) acting on a lever (P).
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2nd. In a machine for sewing knitted or looped fabrics the combination of the
needle bar G the lever I and the cam L with the cam T the levers P and R and the
inclines or tappets P1 and R all arranged and operating substantially as and for
the purpose hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
3rd. In a machine for sewing knitted or looped fabrics the combination of the pin
ring A and the pawl driver shaft O with the cam T and the lever P all arranged and
operating substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described with reference
to the accompanying drawings.
4th. In a machine for sewing knitted or looped fabrics the combination of the
cam T and the lever P oscillating on the pawl driver shaft O with the lever R and
the needle oscillating shaft X' operated by the intervention of inclines or tappets P¹
and R' and the spring V all arranged and operating substantially as and for the
purpose hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
5th. In a machine for sewing knitted or looped fabrics the combination of the cam T
the lever R and the needle bar G with the lever I acting by the intervention of the
way or groove H and the roller H₁ all arranged and operating substantially as and for
the purpose hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.