IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES
Year: 1885

page_text: I JAMES HIGHAM of 380 Oldham Road Newton Heath Manchester in the
County of Lancaster Knitting Machine Salesman do hereby declare the nature of
my said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES to be as follows:—
My Invention relates principally to Circular Knitting Machines although some
portions apply equally as well to other kinds of Knitting Machines.
One part of my Invention relates to an improved attachment for Circular
Machines either Ribbers or Plain to enable them to produce straight fashioned or
shaped knitted goods my improved attachment being specially adapted for and can
be attached to or fixed on most Knitting Machines now in use with very little
alteration either in or to existing machines. Before proceeding further I may
mention I am aware of I. W. Watts method of fashioning &c as per Letters Patent
granted to him and numbered 1836 and 8754 for the year 1884. Another part of
my Invention is to make my improved attachment so that it will also knit in a
backward and forward direction to form the heels feet and toes of stockings or flat
web knitting and by this means to widen narrow or shape the flat web knitting or
the heels feet and toes of stockings in a more perfect manner than hitherto on a
circular machine.
And further another part of my Invention is to provide an arrangement whereby
flat web knitting can be done upon a circular machine by a backward and forward
motion automatically.
And lastly a means and method to fashion or narrow a ribbed stocking without
altering the rib further than transferring the whole of one rib on to the adjoining
rib and so on.
In adapting my improved attachment to a circular machine I fix round the
outside and near to or on the top of and supported by the needle cylinder a
conical or flat needle plate this needle plate having as many grooves or otherwise
cut in its upper surface as there are grooves in the needle cylinder these grooves
radiate to or from the centre of the machine and are adjusted or placed circum-
ferentially between the grooves in the needle cylinder the needle plate being
adjustable vertically to the needle cylinder according to the height required. On
the top or upper surface of the needle plate I secure and revolve a cam plate with
cams to actuate the needles in the needle plate grooves in whichever direction
the cam plate is revolved. To revolve or rotate the cam plate in either direction
D

page_text: I may hinge or pivot an arm or catch to the cam plate this arm or catch when in
use projects outward from the cam plate on revolving the machine the yarn carrier
which is secured to the loose cog ring or cam cylinder coming in contact with the
arm or catch forces forward and rotates the cam plate when not required to be in
use the arm or catch is turned backwards out of the way or I may hinge or pivot
the arm or catch to the yarn carrier and by turning it over into a notch or in any
other preparation or against a lug or lugs on the cam plate and so rotate it or
I may as in some cases I prefer to rotate the cam plate by or from the cam
cylinder by any convenient method or in any manner and in such case I prefer
to fix the yarn carrier to or on the top of the cam plate. To prevent the needle
latches closing before being fed by the yarn carrier I preferably fix on the cam
plate a notched wheel or cam latch guide or guard which meshes with the needles
in the needle cylinder causing it to rotate or I may rotate the notched wheel or
cam latch guide or guard in any other convenient manner and so prevent the
latches of the needles in the needle plate from closing before being fed by the yarn
carrier or I may have a hinged latch guide to bridge the cylinder needles to
protect and so prevent the needle latches in the needle plate from closing before
being fed by the yarn carrier.
My arrangement for knitting flat web automatically on the cylinder needles
partly consists of the upthrow cam which forces the needles upward to free the
latches of their loops being depressed on the machine passing a given point and
on reversing the machine and in passing this point the upthrow cam is raised into
action again and the machine knits until it reaches the same point in the opposite
direction when the upthrow cam is again depressed and so on.
My means and method to fashion or narrow a ribbed stocking consists of
.forming auxiliary grooves alternately between the ordinary grooves in a dial for
the required number of narrowings for instance take an 84 cylinder and a 42 dial
which with all the needles in each will produce a 2/1 ribbed leg I form as many
auxiliary grooves alternately between the ordinary grooves in the dial as there are
narrowings required and at the back of the leg I use the needles in their ordinary
or regular grooves until the part is reached where the narrowings are required
I then take out the rib needle on the right and the cylinder needle adjoining
nearest the outside auxiliary groove and transfer their loops on to the cylinder
needle adjoining towards the centre or back of the leg then repeat on the left in
like manner then preferably knit one round and take out the remaining cylinder
needle on the right forming the plain part of the rib and transfer its loop on to the
cylinder needle as previously and repeat on the left then transfer the immediately
adjoining rib needles into the outside auxiliary grooves which will be in the centre
of the space where the needles have been taken out now knit the required number
of rounds between the narrowings & repeat and so on.
100K

page_text: I JAMES HIGHAM late of 380 Oldham Road Newton Heath but now residing at
N° 1 Marsden Street Oldham Road Newton Heath Manchester in the County of
Lancaster Knitting Machine Salesman do hereby declare the nature of my inven-
tion for IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:―
My invention relates principally to circular knitting machines although some
portions apply equally as well to other kinds of Knitting Machines.
One part of my invention relates to an improved attachment for circular
machines either Ribbers or Plain to enable them to produce straight, fashioned
or shaped knitted goods my improved attachment being specially adapted for and
can be attached to or fixed on most knitting machines now in use with very little
alteration either in or to existing machines.
Another part of my invention is to make my improved attachment so that it
will also knit in a backward and forward direction to form the heels feet and toes
of stockings or flat web knitting and by this means to widen narrow or shape the
flat web knitting or the heels feet and toes of stockings in a more perfect manner
than hitherto on a circular machine.
In adapting my improved attachment to a circular machine I fix round the
outside and near to or on the top of and supported by the needle cylinder a conical
or flat needle plate this needle plate having as many grooves or otherwise cut in its
upper surface as there are grooves in the needle cylinder these grooves radiate to
or from the centre of the machine and are adjusted or placed circumferentially
between the grooves in the needle cylinder, the needle plate being adjustable
vertically to the needle cylinder according to the height required. On the top or
upper surface of the needle plate I secure and revolve a cam plate with cams to
actuate the needles in the needle plate grooves in whichever direction the cam
plate is revolved. To revolve or rotate the cam plate in either direction I may
hinge or pivot an arm or catch to the cam plate this arm or catch when in use
projects outward from the cam plate, on revolving the machine the yarn carrier
which is secured to the loose cog ring or cam cylinder coming in contact with the
arm or catch forces forward and rotates the cam plate, when not required to be in
use the arm or catch is turned backwards out of the way, or I may hinge or pivot
the arm or catch to the yarn carrier and by turning it over into a notch or in any
other preparation or against a lug or lugs on the cam plate and so rotate it, or
may as in some cases I prefer to rotate the cam plate by or from the cam cylinder
by any convenient method or in any manner and in such case I prefer to fix the
yarn carrier to or on the top of the cam plate. To prevent the needle latches in
the needle plate closing before being fed by the yarn carrier I preferably in some
instances fix on the cam plate a notched or toothed wheel or rotating cam latch
guide or guard which meshes with the needles in the needle cylinder and as the
cam plate is rotated so does this notched or toothed wheel or rotating cam latch
guide or guard revolve by meshing with the cylinder needles the teeth passing
between and projecting inward beyond the cylinder needles to cover the latches
of the needle plate needles when they are forced inward to allow the loop last
formed to pass the end of the latch and to be fed by the yarn for forming another

page_text: loop or I may rotate the notched or toothed wheel or rotating cam latch guide or
guard in any other convenient manner and so prevent the latches of the needles in
the needle plate from closing before being fed by the yarn carrier or I may have a
hinged latch guide to bridge the cylinder needles to protect and so prevent the
needle latches in needle plate from closing before being fed by the yarn carrier.
I will now describe the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section of
a circular knitting machine (described in my specification of Patent No 13058 for
the year 1884) showing the needle plate fixed to the needle cylinder Figure 2 is a
plan view of the needle plate, cam plate and needle cylinder d is the needle
cylinder which is enlarged at the top to allow for freedom of the needle latches in
the needle cylinder when forming their loops and to receive the needle plate j is
the needle plate which is secured to the needle-cylinder d by the screws this
allows of the needle plate ; being adjusted radially and vertically to the required
or necessary position the screws r screw against plates so as to grip two or
more of the needle cylinder posts the needle plate j is grooved in its upper
surface for the fashioning or auxiliary needles to slide in as shown and marked j¹,
k is the cam plate which takes its bearing and revolves upon the needle plate ; and
is held to position by the holdfasts 8 which are secured to the needle plate j the
cams for actuating the needles in the needle plate j for forming their loops are
secured on the underside of cam plate k and are shown in Figure 2 by dotted lines
the arrows in the race way indicating the course the needles take these cams will
require modifying according to the cams employed in the cam cylinder c, q is a
tension screw for regulating the tension cam on the underside of cam plate k which
cam draws the length of loop, o is a latch guide to protect the needle latches in
the needle plate j and keep them from closing before being fed by the yarn from
the yarn carrier or feeder m this latch guide o is hinged or pivoted to the cam
plate k and is held down to position by the button p, n is a arm or catch which
is hinged or pivoted to the cam plate k and projects outward to come in contact
with the driving arm or yarn carrier upright the driving arm or yarn carrier
upright being secured to the cog ring 6 t is a clasp ring secured by a spring to
keep the cylinder needles in their position.
Having now described the drawings in Figures 1 and 2 it will be observed that
when the cog ring b is rotated by the driving wheel (the driving wheel not being
shown or described in this specification but is generally well understood) the
driving arm or yarn carrier upright 7 comes in contact with the arm or catch n on
the cam plate k and so rotates the cam plate k in the direction indicated by arrows,
the cams (shown by dotted lines Figure 2) on the underside of cam plate k operate
on the heels of the needle plate needles in a similar manner as in a ribbing dial
except that the needles are forced inward towards the centre of the machine to cast
their loops (instead of outward as in a ribbing dial) and receive the yarn from the
yarn carrier or feeder m it is necessary as is shown in Figure 2 for the needle
grooves in the needle platej to be radially in a line with the needle cylinder
posts d¹ as the needle plate needles work between the needle cylinder needles. For
greater convenience and speed of operating and removing the needle plate needles
I cut away or form the cam plate k as shown in Figures 1 and 2 so that the heels
of the needles when not engaged with the cams rest against the upper or inside
edge of cam plate k and are in view of the operator.
In the plan view Figure 2 the needle plate j is shown with 68 needle grooves
and the needle cylinder d with a like number of grooves each will hold a corre-
sponding number of needles and will produce a fabric with 136 needles or stitches
in circumference which can be varied at will down to the number of needles
contained in the needle cylinder d, by removing the needles in the needle plate j
and transferring their loops on to the adjacent cylinder needles as may be required.
Supposing I required to knit a shaped stocking on the 68 needle cylinder
I would place say 14 needles in the needle plate on the side of the machine
where I purposed making the heel (which is generally next the operator) this
would then make the top of the stocking 82 needles wide when I had knitted

page_text: sufficient to where the narrowings were required I would then preferably take out
the two centre needle plate needles and transfer their loops upon the adjacent
cylinder needles (or the two outside needle plate needles could be removed and
their transferred in like manner) then knit 4 or 5 rounds as required and repeat
the process and so on until all the 14 needle plate needles were removed the
stocking could then be finished in the usual manner.
If however I required to make a larger stocking on the same cylinder I would
use cams that would knit in whichever direction the cam plate k was revolved and
similar to those adopted in the cam cylinder in this case it would then be
necessary to have or form the cam plate k with a rim on the inner circle downward
to the needle plate j the cam plate k not being cut away as before described but
with a slot or clasp in the rim to admit of taking out and replacing needles in the
needle plate j when the needle plate needles were not required to knit as for
forming the heels and toes of stockings the needle plate needles could be drawn
inward towards the centre of the machine their heels would then be above or
inward outside the cams as in the ordinary circular machines In such case
I would then employ more needles in the needle plate j say for instance 34 which
with the 68 needles in the needle cylinder would make the top of the stocking
102 needles or stitches wide, now say 16 needle plate needles were removed for
narrowing purposes there would still remain 18 needles in the needle plate; which
with the cylinder needles would be 86 needles or stitches for the ankle when the
heel is required to be made one half (43) or otherwise as desired would require to
be put out of operation, if cylinder needles they would be raised in the usual
manner but if a portion of them were in the needle plate ; then such needles or
portion would require drawing inward to clear the cams and pressed outward again
when required to knit similar to the needles being raised and depressed for forming
the heel in the needle cylinder, after the heel is formed a portion or all of the
needle plate needles could be removed (transferring their loops to the adjacent
cylinder needles) for narrowing the foot and toe as might be desired or required.
I do not confine myself to a cylinder and needle plate each containing 68 grooves
as each may contain more or less as might be required and which could be removed
or changed at will.
When the needle plate j is intended for fashioning or narrowing purposes only
such as for hosiery I form the needle grooves in the needle plate in sections for
instance say of the needle plate grooved say to suit a 68 needle cylinder, another
grooved say to suit a 72 needle cylinder another grooved say to suit a 84 needle
cylinder and so on, this makes the needle plate more economical as the needles in
such cases are only required to be used in such sections as will correspond with the
needle cylinder employed. I do not confine myself to the number of grooves nor
to style of needle to be employed as I have for convenience shown a ribber or dial
needle to be used in the needle plate j as in some instances a longer needle could
be used with advantage.
Another part of my invention is to provide an arrangement whereby flat web
knitting can be done upon a circular machine by a backward and forward motion
automatically.
My arrangement for knitting flat web automatically on the cylinder needles
partly consists of the upthrow cam which forces the needles upward to free the
latches of their loops being depressed on the machine passing a given point and on
reversing the machine and in passing this point the upthrow cam is raised into
action again and the machine knits until it reaches the same point in the opposite
direction when the upthrow cam is again depressed and so on.
Fig. 3 is an elevation of part of my arrangement attached to a cam cylinder
Fig. 4 is a section of the cam cylinder showing an inside view of the same Fig. 5
is part section of cam cylinder and side view of my arrangement.
c is the cam cylinder a¹ is the yarn carrier or feeder attached to the cam
cylinder c is a circular plate with an eccentric slot perforated through it u is
a cam secured to the plate v both of which are pivoted on the screw at the centre

page_text: a flat surface being prepared on the cam cylinder c to receive them y is the
upthrow cam to which the stud z is secured and which stud passes through a
vertical slot in the cam cylinder c and into the eccentric slot in the plate v, x is
an oscillating ring or lever the lower portion of which fits into the cog ring 6 this
Oscillating ring or lever moves the lever that raises and depresses the outside
tension cams, w is the pin or cam which operates on the cam u, b¹ is a bracket
secured to the bed plate a Having now described the principal parts contained
in Fig. 3. 4 and 5 I will describe how the same is operated. The bracket b¹ is
secured to the bed plate a in the centre of the machine and next to the operator
the pin or cam w passes through the bracket b¹ and is adjusted so that it engages
with the cam u the cam cylinder c being rotated the pin or cam w being in contact
rotates the cam u and the plate v which depresses the upthrow cam y the pin or
cam w. passing and disengaging itself from the cam u leaving the cam u in the
position as shown by dotted lines the machine on being reversed causes the cam
cylinder c to rotate and the pin or cam w coming again in contact with the cam u
rotates it and raises the upthrow cam y into position again on continuing another
revolution the cam u comes into contact with the pin or cam won the opposite
side and again rotates the cam u and plate v in the reverse direction which again
depresses the upthrow cam y which is raised and depressed by the eccentric slot in
the plate the stud z sliding vertically in the slot in the cam cylinder c. By
depressing the upthrow cam y at a given point (that point being where the bracket
6 and pin wis fixed) the needles do not rise to free themselves of the loops last
formed and although the yarn is still fed to the needles they do not knit but on
reversing the machine the slack which has been formed by the needles drawing the
yarn below the top of cylinder posts is taken up and held tight by a take-up
spring which is generally used for flat web or heel and toe knitting.
And lastly a means and method to fashion or narrow a ribbed stocking without
altering the rib further than transferring the whole of one rib on to the adjoining
rib and so on.
My means and method to fashion or narrow a ribbed stocking consists of form-
ing auxiliary grooves alternately between the ordinary grooves in a dial for the
required number of narrowings Fig. 6 is a plan view of a dial with 42 needle
grooves preferably cut obliquely in its upper surface and 6 auxiliary needle
grooves cut in like manner instead of radially to the centre as dials are usually
cut Fig. 7 is an elevation or edge view of the same showing the short slottings
where the auxiliary grooves are as one. I will now describe how the same is
operated for instance take an 84 cylinder and a 42 dial to correspond which with all
the needles in each will produce a 2/1 ribbed leg I form as many auxiliary grooves
alternately between the ordinary grooves in the dial as there are narrowings
required and at the back of the leg, which will be next the operator using the
machine I use the needles in their ordinary or regular grooves until the part is
reached where the narrowings are required I then take out the rib needle on the
right and the cylinder needle adjoining nearest the outside auxiliary groove and
transfer their loops on to the cylinder needles adjoining towards the centre or back
of the leg, then repeat on the left in like manner then preferably knit one round
and take out the remaining cylinder needle on the right forming the plain part of
the rib and transfer its loop on to the cylinder needle as previously and repeat on
the left, then transfer the immediately adjoining rib needles (right & left) into the
outside auxiliary grooves which will be in the centre of the space where the
needles have been taken out now knit the required number of rounds between
the narrowings and repeat and so on.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1st The needle plate sunported by and fixed to the needle cylinder substantially l

page_text: 2nd The enlargement of the needle cylinder to support the needle plate and for
freedom of the cylinder needle latches substantially as shown and for the purpose
specified.
3rd The cam plate cut away where the needle plate needles are at rest sub-
stantially as shown and described and for the purpose specified.
4th The hinged latch guide as shown and described and the notched wheel as
described and for the purpose specified.
5th The methods as shown or described for rotating the cam plate.
6th The combination of the needle cylinder and needles with the needle plate
and needles and cams substantially as set out and described for flat web knitting
and for narrowing such flat web knitting and also for the purpose specified.
7th The needle plate grooved in sections to suit various cylinders substantially
as described and for the purpose specified.
8th Automatic flat web knitting on a circular machine substantially as shown
and described.
9th The means and method for fashioning ribbed goods substantially as shown
and described.
1
cal
Tn 1000