Improvements in Knitting Machines.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 27th July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 26th Apr., 1893-Accepted 17th June, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Knitting Machines.
WILLIAM JAMES FORD Albany Villa, Uppingham Road, West Humberstone,
near Leicester, Hosiery Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is improvements in circular knitting machines
wherein they reverse the motion for making heels and toes to stockings.
To enable this to be done the needles in the instep part of the machine are lifted
up by hand or by a piece of wire under the hooks.
My improvements consists in the first place of a ring inside the shell or
cylinder which carrys the stitch cam.
This is made to fit half or more round. To this half ring I fix two pieces of
wire on each side screwed into the half ring these pieces of wire projects outside
the shell.
The half ring is fixed under the butts of the needles. The operator takes hold
of these pieces of wire in each hand and lifts up the whole of the instep needles
out of work.
To the body of the machine I fix a hinge stop which may be thrown backwards
out of work or forwards to act as stop to the machine before lifting the instep
needles.
My second improvements consist of a screw fixed to the stitch or knitting cam
the bottom of this screw rests in a hole in a fixed bracket. The top in another
bracket with a flange under the top. Both brackets are fixed to the shell. To
the top I have a hinge which drops in a cut to hold fast the stitch cam I have a
pointer fixed to the stitch cam and on the shell I have an index. This pointer
enables the operator to set the stitch cam to the proper distance required for to
make small or larger loops.
My third improvement consists of a buffer to deaden the blow given by the
guide to the shell when working backwards and forwards.
To do this I put a pin through the butt of the shell on this pin I place a piece
of leather or other soft material I cover this with a flat piece of iron this prevents
the jar to the shell.
Dated this 26th der of July 1800
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Knitting Machines.
I, WILLIAM JAMES FORD, Albany Villa, Uppingham Road, West Humberstone,
near Leicester, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention has reference to knitting machines of the circular reversible type
and includes improved means for raising en masse one-half or thereabouts of the
needles in the cylinder prior to the knitting of the heels and toes.
As is well understood by those conversant with circular reversible knitting
machines, heels and toes are produced by reciprocating the operating cams and
thread carrier over a portion of the needles, prior to which process those needles
which are not required in the heel and toe formation are raised or elevated into an
inoperative position.

page_text: The ordinary method of raising these temporary idle needles is either by hand
or by placing a wire under the hooks of the said needles.
My invention consists of a preferably semi-circular plate or band located between
the cam shell and the needle cylinder under the butts of the needles and provided
with at least two bolts or fingers projecting through to the exterior of the machine
and by means of which the operator can raise or lower the plate or band as desired.
The said invention also consists of a hinged stop attached to the bed plate against
which the cam shell abuts when the whole of the to-be-raised needles are resting
on the band hereinbefore referred to.
In order to clearly illustrate the invention reference is made to the drawing
accompanying this Specification, in which
Figure is an elevation partly in section of so much of a circular reversible
knitting machine as is necessary to illustrate the invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of same, minus the clasp ring.
A is the bed, B the cam shell, C the needle cylinder, D.the clasp ring and E the
needles all of which (except the cam shell as hereinafter mentioned) are of the
usual construction.
In order to raise those needles which are not concerned in the knitting of the
heel and toe, as is well understood, there is interposed between the cam shell B and
the needle cylinder C a semi-circular plate or band F upon the upper edge of
which the butts E¹ of the needles E are supported.
This band as will be noticed takes the place of the ordinary needle track at the
back part of the machine.
The band F has screwed into each of its extremes a pin or. bolt F¹ passing
through a slot B' in the cam shell B to the exterior of the machine.
To raise the band F and the needles E whose butts rest thereon, the operator
takes hold of these pins and lifts them in the slots B₁ into the position as
indicated in Figure 1.
To maintain the band in this elevated position the diameter of the stems of the
pins may be made equivalent to the width of the slot. so that there may be
sufficient frictional contact between the two adjacent surfaces to prevent accidental
lowering of same, or otherwise the pins may be tightened or screwed further.
into the band so that the heads of the pins are in contact with the exterior of the
cam shell.
1:
In order to ensure that all the needles which it is desired to place out of action.
are on the elevating band at the time the latter is to be raised for that purpose, a
movable stop is connected to the bed against which the usual flange B2 on the,
bottom of the cam shell may abut, so as to arrest the motion of the cam shell
when the needles are in the desired position on the band.F..
A most convenient form of stop for this purpose consists of a butt hinge G one
side of which may be fixed by screws G to the bed plate A and the other side
allowed to remain free but having a portion of its length cut away so as to leave a
projecting finger G' beyond which the cam shell flange B cannot pass.
When the needles are to be raised out of action the hinged stop
placed in the
position shown in the drawings so that at the time the flange comes into contact
with it, the needles to be lifted are all on the band F, but at other times the finger
is brought over and laid upon the side plate of the stop screwed to the bed plate.
It is obvious that the stop may be hinged otherwise than as described.
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 a circular reversible knitting machine, the use or employment of a plate
or band such as F interposed between the cain shell and the needle cylinder and
underneath the needle butts for lifting out of action those needles not required in.
the knitting of the heels and toes substantially as described.
2. In a circular reversible knitting machine the combination with a needle lifting

page_text: plate or band such as F of a movable stop for arresting the motion of the cam
shell when the whole of the needles not required in the knitting of the heels and
toes are on the said needle lifting plate or band prior to being raised out of action
thereby substantially as described.
WILLIAM JAMES FORD.
Witness:-
E. NORTH LEWIS,
Berridge Street Chambers, Leicester.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.