Year: 1886

page_text: We EDWIN NEWTON of 80 Jarrom Street, Manager, and ALFRED COOPER SMITH
of 15 upper King Street, Manager both of Leicester in the County of Leicester
do hereby declare the nature of our invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
Figure 1 shows a plan of our improved machine.
Figures 2 to 8 show portions of the machine each severally referred to hereafter.
The corresponding parts in each figure are indicated by the same letters where
necessary.
To the bed of each circular knitting machine we secure a circular plate A in
which radiating slots are formed, in each of which a stud which projects from the
underside of a radial cam bit B, slides "one such bit is shown in side view at
Figure 8" each bit is firmly held in the position it is placed by the attendant by
a spring B¹ under it bearing on the underside of the circular plate, the spring
being secured to the cam bit by a screw passed through it, the cam bits can be
moved towards the centre of the machine until they form a continuous surface
their whole length.
To the shell of the machine we secure an axle stud on which a double ended
lever C rocks, one end of which lies upon a plate C which slides vertically on the
shell and lies upon the outerside of a stud carried by the usual stitch cam and
guard C2 "an inside view of the stitch cam and guards shown laid out flat at
Figure 3," the cam, stud, plate, and lever are securely held together by a screwed
pin passed through one end of the lever and shown respectively in plan and side
view at Figures 1 and 2, the other end of the lever projects downwards and
outwards and carries a vertical square sterned, screw threaded rod, provided at its
lower end with a guage stud C³, which when adjusted can be secured in position
by a wing nut C the upper end of the rod is cut square to receive a wing nut C¹³
secured on it by a screw, this nut facilitates the adjustment of the guage stud.
The radial cam bits when in position form faces for the adjustable guage stud
to slide upon, thereby elevating the projecting end of the lever C and depressing
the other end and the stitch cam, which lowers the needles.

page_text: The circular plate A above named we provide with two pair of studs A³ each
pair holds a segmental plate A' in position when placed thereon on either side by
the attendant, either plate when in position causing the stitch cam to lower the
needles, one such plate is shown in plan and end views at Figure 7.
The lower edge of the cam ring D within the shell we cut away all round as 5
shown at Figure 3 so as to allow of a free passage of the needle butts or jack tails
under it, we also cut away a portion of the length of the cam ring, and opposite
the space thus formed we make an angular slot through the shell in which we
place an angular cam bit D¹ which carries a stud D2 on its outer face, this stud
projects through the shell and through the central slot of a segmental cam plate D³, 1
the end slots of which slide upon two studs D* screwed into the shell the cam
plate is provided with a projecting stud D³ by which the attendant is enabled to
slide the cam plate into the position shown in plan at Figure 1 and in side view at
Figure 4 which holds the angular cam bit with its inner face flush with the
inside of the shell such position enables the attendant to depress the needles below
the top of the cylinder in any part of the circumference instead of taking the
needles out of the cylinder when narrowings are required to be made, or for other
purposes.
But when the attendant slides the segmental cam plate into the position shown
in plan at Figure 5 the head of the stud D2 lies upon the lowest part of the cam
plate and the angular cam bit D¹ is then pressed inwards by studs carried by two
plate springs D one at the top and the other at the bottom of the cam bit, each
spring at its outer end being secured to the outside of the shell, when so pressed
inwards the inner face of the cam bit is flush or nearly so with the inner face of
the cam ring and will then lift any needles E, see Figure 3, from below the cam
ring up to the top of it, ready to be acted upon by either of the upthrow cams F
or the stitch cam C² the upper edge of the cam ring places the needles in the
position shown by El. In addition to the angular cam bit we employ a horizontal
sliding cam bit G which is free to move to and fro in a slot formed in the shell,
the cam bit is provided with a stud, and a clamping screw G¹, which slide in two
slots in a segmental plate G³ secured to the shell when the cam bit is clamped in
the position shown in plan at Figure 1 its inner edge lies close to the needle
cylinder and prevents the needles from falling into the groove below the cam ring,
but when it is clamped in the position shown in plan at Figure 6 its inner edge
being then flush with the inner face of the shell, the needle bits may be raised or
lowered by the attendant when required.
The lowering of the stitch cam, by either the radial cam bits or either of the
segmental plates and consequent depression of the needles thus operated upon to
draw loops of greater length than those drawn by the other needles in the
circumference, and thereby ensure the production of a fabric of equal quality all
round which without such movement of the cam could not be produced.
The segmental plate on one pair of studs occupies the space on which there are
not any radial cam bits when the knee of the hose is required to be spliced, and
the segmental plate on the other pair of studs occupies the space previously
covered by the radial cam bits, when a splicing above the heel is required.
In circular knitting machines of any guage, for a portion of the circle we insert
only every other needle, for the remainder of the circle we insert all the needles
opposite which the radial cam bits operate the rocking lever of the stitch cam.
When the knee is required to be spliced the attendant places a segmental plate
in position on one pair of studs for operating the stitch cam to cause the needles to
draw a longer loop to admit of the insertion of a splicing thread of a stouter guage
than is usually employed and at the same time making the fabric more elastic,
when the required length of fabric is spliced the segmental plate is removed.
When the hose or other fabric is required to be narrowed the whole of the
radial cam bits B are placed in position with an equal number on each side of the
central one B which is then drawn outwards, the requisite number of loops are
transferred from their needles to the next adjacent needles, on either side, and the

page_text: empty needles are depressed until their butts or jack tails are below the cam ring,
thereby obviating the necessity of removing the needles from the cylinder as
heretofore, and enabling the loops to be transferred by shifters, such movements
being repeated until the narrowings are finished.
When the whole of the radial cam bits have been withdrawn the other
segmental plate may be placed in position on the other pair of studs to enable a
splicing thread to be inserted above the heel.
By such means we are enabled to produce a full fashioned hose or other article
without having to employ a dial and points.
And by employing the usual ribbing attachment which is held in position on
the projecting stud H we can produce a full fashioned ribbed hose or other article.
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. The construction and employment of a rocking lever operated by adjustable
radial cam bits for depressing the stitch cam in portions of the circle of needles in
a circular knitting machine.
2. The construction and employment of two segmental plates, one for operating
the rocking lever to depress the stitch cam when splicing the knees of hose, the
other when splicing above the heel of hose or half hose or other portions of other
fabrics substantially as described and illustrated in the drawings annexed.
3. The construction and employment of the angular cam bit D, and the
horizontal sliding cam bit G each operated as and for the purposes set forth.