IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Dalton, of Pilcher Gate, Nottingham,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Dalton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th March 1875.
I, JOSEPH DALTON, of Pilcher Gate, Nottingham, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING
MACHINERY," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in knitting machinery.
For this purpose the several needles of the machine are ranged vertically
around the periphery of a vertical and stationary cylinder in such
manner that they can rise and fall independently of one another, and
their stems are connected to the inner ends of horizontal levers, which
are ranged radially in a circle around them, and which levers at their
outer ends are acted upon by a revolving cylindrical cam, and a rising
and falling motion is thus given in succession to each of the needles.

page_text: The needles I form by preference with wire stems, which are received
in longitudinal grooves formed radially into the outer circumference of
the vertical cylinder. The upper part of the stems of the needles are
kept to the back of the grooves by the inner edge of a flat metal ring
entering a groove cut around the cylinder. The wire stems of the
neodles have a bend formed in them, thus
}
and the stems aro
prolonged downwards beyond this bend, and arc held at their lower ends
within the vertical grooves by a ring embracing the cylinder. The
diameter of the cylinder is reduced where it is embraced by the rings to
such an extent that the vertical grooves at these points are only of
sufficient depth for the stems of the needles to lie in, whilst the pro-
jections which stand out from the stems of the needles lie in deeper
grooves, whereby the needles are prevented from turning the projections.
from the stems, stand out somewhat beyond the grooves, and their ends
enter notches in the ends of the horizontal levers, which are ranged
radially in a circle around the cylinder as before stated. The levers
turn on an axis intermediate of their length, and their outer ends enter.
the cylindrical grooved cam, which surrounds the circle of levers. This
cylindrical cam is carried in suitable bearings, and is caused to revolve
by a toothed wheel on its lower end. The cam as it rotates lifts and
lowers the outer ends of the levers, and thereby alternately raises the
needles above the top of the cylinder, so that thread or yarn may be
laid on to them, and lowers the needles to bring them below the top of
the cylinder, so as to knock off the loops previously formed upon them,
the work being led downwards through the cylinder, and the top of the
cylinder forming a comb, on which the work is supported.
The revolving cam is formed at any desired number of points around
its, circumference to raise and lower the needles to complete a course
of work, and there are a corresponding number of thread guides or
layers to lay thread or yarn on to them whenever they are raised.
The thread guides are carried by the revolving cam, and this cam has.
also a disc projecting out around it, which carries spindles, upon which:
the spools of thread or yarn are mounted. The several spools of thread.
or yarn may either be of the same or of different colors.
In order also that varieties of work may readily be produced by the
machine the upper part of the tail or outer ends of some of the levers

page_text: are cut away, so that such levers shall not be depressed by the revolving
cam to such an extent as to raise the needles connected with them
sufficiently for the loops of work to slip below their latches or beards,
and at each of the points at which the cam is formed to lift and lower
the needles a sub-cam is combined with the regular cam, which sub-cam
is arranged to be readily raised or lowered by means of a screw or
otherwise, so as either to bring it into a position to act upon those
levers, which are partially cut away, as above described, and raise the
necdles connected with them to the same extent as the other needles,
or to raise it and put it out of action, so that those needles will then
not be raised to the same extent as the other needles, and the work will
not be knocked over upon them.
For example, supposing that four thread layers are used and the
revolving cam is formed to raise and lower the needles at four different
points around its circumference, there will be one of these sub-cams at
each of such points.
If all four of the sub-cams are brought into position to act upon the
tail ends of the levers plain work will be produced, but if one or more
of these cams be thrown out of action the class of work produced will
be varied accordingly, and numerous kinds of fancy, figured, and plain
goods be produced. By this means also a single rib or imitation seam
may be produced, or any number of such seams or ribs either at equal
or unequal distances apart, as required.
Some of the needles might also if desired be in a similar manner left
for a time out of action, and not have thread or yarn laid on to them, or
the loops of work knocked off from them.
In a similar manner also the class of work produced upon the
machine may be varied by cutting away the under side of the tail end
of some of the levers, so that the cam shall not act upon them to depress
the needles low enough for the loops of work to slip off from them, and
sub-cams carried by the cam may similarly be employed to depress
such needles to the same extent as the others, or may be thrown out of
action whenever required. By this means broad vertical stripes as well
as horizontal stripes may be formed.
In order that the lengths of the loops of yarn drawn down by each
of the needles may readily be adjusted the cam which acts upon the

page_text: levers may be raised or lowered by means of an endless screw cut
around a flange on the revolving table, upon which the cams are
secured, so that by turning the cam circle on this screw or holder which
carries it the cam can be instantaneously raised or lowered, and can
then be retained in the proper position by a catch.
The distance to which the needles are drawn downwards can also to
some extent be adjusted by allowing the levers to which they are
connected to rise more or less from the fulcrum or axis upon which they
turn. For this purpose the axis is formed of a circular ring of wire.
This lies in a ring groove formed in the centre of a circular comb having
radial spaces, within which the levers lic. Each lever has a semi-
circular notch in its under side, which notch fits over the wire ring.
The several levers are held down on to this wire ring by a circular
plate of metal bearing upon the top of them above where they rest on
the wire ring.
The plate of metal may be drawn down on to them by screws placed
at intervals around its circumference, and this plate may also carry
springs, one to bear upon the top of each lever, and these springs can
be pressed downwards either separately or collectively, by which means
the levers may be allowed to rise slightly from their axis, and so give
more or less stroke to the needles, and thereby cause them to take in
more or less yarn, whereby I am enabled to take out any stiff or slack
lines from the fabric.
To facilitate the running on of work the cam may be provided with a
moveable picce, which whenever work is to be run on to the needles
may be brought into position to raise a number of them to an equal
height.
The upper part of the stem of some of the needles may be curved in
such manner that when they are raised above the top of the cylinder
they shall spring back so as to lic in a different plane from the other
needles to allow of an elastic thread of india-rubber or other thread
being laid in between them and the other needles, either for elastic or
non-elastic purposes, and so be worked into the fabric without being
formed into loops.
The cylinder need not in all cases be circular, but may be flattened
to any extent desired, whereby extra facility is given to produce fabric

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Dalton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 25th September 1875.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of March, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five,
in the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs
and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Dalton,
Her special license that I, the said Joseph Dalton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Joseph
Dalton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time.
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Joseph Dalton, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of
their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Scal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Dalton, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in knitting machinery.
The several needles of the machine are ranged in vertical grooves around
the periphery of a vertical and stationary cylinder in such manner that
they can rise and fall independently of one another, and their stems are
connected to the inner ends of horizontal levers, which are ranged
radially in a circle around them, and which levers at their outer ends are
acted upon by a revolving cylindrical cam, and a rising and falling motion
is thus given in succession to each of the needles.
The needles I form by preference with wire stems, which are reecived
in the vertical grooves formed radially into the outer circumference of
the vertical cylinder. The upper part of the stems of the needles are
kept to the back of the grooves by the inner edge of a flat metal ring
entering a groove cut around the cylinder. The wire stems of the

page_text: longed downwards beyond this bend, and are held at their lower ends
within the vertical grooves by a ring embracing the cylinder. The
diameter of the cylinder is reduced where it is embraced by the rings to
such an extent that the vertical grooves at these points are only of suffi-
cient depth for the stems of the needles to lie in, whilst the projections.
which stand out from the stems of the needles lie in deeper grooves,
whereby the needles are prevented from turning, the projections from the
stems stand out somewhat beyond the grooves, and their ends enter
notches in the ends of the horizontal levers, which are ranged radially in
a circle around the cylinder as before stated. The levers turn on an axis
intermediate of their length, and their outer ends enter the cylindrical
grooved cam which surrounds the circle of levers. This cylindrical cam
is carried in suitable bearings, and is caused to revolve by a toothed
wheel on its lower end. The cam as it rotates lifts and lowers the outer
ends of the levers, and thereby alternately raises the needles above the
top of the cylinder, so that thread or yarn may be laid on to them and
lowers the needles to bring them below the top of the cylinder, so as to
knock off the loops previously formed upon them, the work being led
downwards through the cylinder and the top of the cylinder forming a
comb on which the work is supported.
The revolving cam is formed at any desired number of points around
its circumference to raise and lower the needles to complete a course of
work, and there are a corresponding number of thread guides or layers
to lay thread or yarn on to them whenever they are raised. The thread
guides are carried by the revolving cam, and this cam has also a disc
pro-
jecting out around it, which carries spindles upon which the spools of
thread or yarn are mounted. The several spools of thread or yarn may
either be of the same or of different colors or materials.
In order also that varieties of work may readily be produced by the
machine the upper part of the tail or outer ends of some of the levers
are cut away, so that such levers shall not be depressed by the revolving
cam to such an extent as to raise the needles connected with them suffi-
ciently for the loops of work to slip below their latches or beards, and at
each of the points at which the cam is formed to lift and lower the
needles. A sub-cam is combined with the regular cam, which sub-cam

page_text: The distance to which the needles are drawn downwards can also to
some extent be adjusted by allowing the lovers to which they are con-
nected to rise more or less from the fulcrum or axis upon which they
turn. For this purpose the axis is formed of a circular ring of wire;
this lies in a ring groove formed in the centre of a circular comb having
radial spaces within which the levers lie. Each lever has a semicircular
notch in its under side, which notch fits over the wire ring. The
several levers are held down on to this wire ring by a circular plate of
metal bearing upon the top of them above where they rest on the wire
ring.
The plate of metal may be drawn down on to them by screws placed
at intervals around its circumference, and this plate may also carry
springs, one to bear upon the top of each lever, and these springs can be
pressed downwards either separately or collectively, by which means the
levers may be allowed to rise slightly from their axis, and so give more
or less stroke to the needles, and thereby cause them to take in more or
less yarn, whereby I am enabled to take out any stiff or slack lines from
the fabric.
To facilitate the running on of work the cam may be provided with a
moveable piece, which whenever work is to be run on to the needles
may be brought into position to raise a number of them to an equal
height.
The upper part of the stem of some of the needles may be curved in
such manner that when they are raised above the top of the cylinder
they shall spring back so as to lie in a different plane from the other
needles to allow of an elastic thread of india-rubber or other thread
being laid in between them, and the other needles either for elastic or
non-elastic purposes, and so be worked into the fabric without being
formed into loops.
The cylinder need not in all cases be circular, but may be flattened to
any extent desired, whereby extra facility is given to produce fabric on
one side, whilst the other side is unproductive, and no work is produced
upon it. The thread guide being traversed to and fro on one side of the
endless set of needles, and then making a complete course around them,
whereby when making socks or stockings a complete heel may be made
without sewing up. The same result can also be produced upon the
circular machine by the means herein-before described.

page_text: In order to take up the work I pass it between a pair of rollers, one of
which has a worm wheel upon it driven by a worm from the driving
axis of the machine.
The nip of the rollers upon the work may be adjusted by springs, or
the worm may be loose on its shaft and driven by spring clutches, 5
thereby in either case reducing the take-up if the tension upon the
work becomes too great, and the work after passing between the take-up
rollers may be wound up on to a spindle driven by a comparatively
loose cord. By this means the work may be cut off either in short
lengths or in long lengths, as may be desired, and without stopping the 1
working of the machine.
By the arrangement of machinery above described, the inner circle, or
one half, or other portion of the needles may be left out and still the
machine runs with the same freedom.
The inner circle may be worked for any length or short enough for 1
a cuff, and then the outer circle thrown into play and make a perfect
joint.
In place of the spools of yarn being carried round with the cam a
stationary spool may be used with the same facility. Either bearded
needles or latch needles may also be employed.
In order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I have shown in the Drawings hereunto annexed
part of a knitting machine having several of the improvements above
described combined in it.
2
Figure 1 shews a side view of the machine; Figures 2 and 3, are 2
partial plan views; and Figures 4 and 5, partial vertical sections of the
same.
In these Figures a, a, are the needles ranged in vertical grooves
formed all around a fixed cylinder b. The needles are formed with
wire stems having each a bend in them thus as shown. The pro- 3
"
jections thus formed from the stems of the needles enter notches in the
inner ends of the horizontal levers c. These levers c are ranged radially
in a circle around the circle of needles, and their outer ends are acted
upon by a revolving cylindrical cam d, by which a rising and falling

page_text: motion is given in succession to each of the needles. The needle stems
at their upper end are retained in the grooves in the cylinder 6 by an
annular needle plate e, see Figure 4. This plate is divided into two
parts in order that it may be removed when desired. The lower part of
the cylindrical cam d screws on to a revolving table f, as shewn at
Figures 1, 4, and 5, and is retained from turning by a catch, not shewn
in the Drawing. By releasing the catch and turning the cam it can
cither be raised or lowered, as desired, to regulate the extent to which
the several needles shall be drawn down below the upper edge of the
cylinder b, and so adjust the length of the loops of yarn drawn down by
them. The revolving table ƒ has on its under side a ring of teeth, into
which gears a bevil toothed wheel on the driving shaft g, a continuous
revolving motion is thus imparted to the cam d. On the shaft
also another bevil wheel g¹ to transmit motion to the worm shaft of
the take-up mechanism, herein-before described, but which I have not
thought necessary to shew in the Drawings.
is
In the Drawings the cam d is shown to be formed at four separate
points, in a manner to raise and lower the needles to complete a course
of work, so that for each complete revolution of the cam four courses
of work will be produced, but the cam might be formed in this manner
at either a greater or less number of points; h, h, are the thread guides
for laying thread or yarn on to the needles as they are raised. These
thread guides are carried by the table f which also carries spindles /
upon which the spools of thread or yarn are mounted. At each of the
several points at which the cam d is formed to raise and lower the needles
to complete a course of work is a sub-cam 1, which can be raised or
lowered by a screw 1 (see Figures 1 and 7) to put it in or out of
action.
The tail ends of some of the levers c (say, of every fourth lever) are
cut away in the manner shewn at Figure 6, so that the needles in con
nection with such levers shall not be raised sufficiently by the main
cam d to allow of the loops of work on the needles passing below the
end of the needle latch. Any one or other of the sub-cams 1 can
however be lowered by its screw into a position to act upon these
levers and cause the needles connected to them to be raised to the same
extent as the other needles. By this means the work may be knocked
over upon these needles at each course, and so produce plain work, or
at every second, third, or fourth course, as desired.

page_text: By varying the number and position of the levers, which are cut
away at their tail ends a still further variety of figured goods may, as
before stated, be produced; several adjacent needles might also for a
time be thrown out of work if desired.
As before stated some of the levers c may be cut away on their under
sides and sub-cams be similarly employed to act upon them.
In order to avoid producing any stiff or slack lines of work in the
fabric the amount of yarn taken by each needle can be adjusted by
leaving the levers c free to rise slightly from their axis, and applying
adjustable stops to limit the extent to which they are allowed to rise,
so that the distance to which each needle descends can be regulated
separately, and by carrying these stops by one ring they can all simul-
taneously be raised or lowered. For this purpose the fulcrum of the
several levers is formed by a ring of wire m, which lies in a groove in
the comb barn, which is formed with a number of radial grooves, one
for each of the levers c. Each lever has a slot in its under side with a
semicircular end to rest upon the wire m, and on the upper side of the
lever is a concentric projection. Each lever is prevented from rising
from its fulcrum beyond a certain extent by small springs o, which
come above the projection upon the top of the lever, as shewn at
Figure 5, and these spring stops can be set down more or less, as desired,
by small screws p. All the springs o and screws are carried by a
ring, which can itself be raised or lowered by screws 8, s, see Figures
1, 2, and 3. By this means the distance to which the several needles
descend can be regulated either separately or collectively.
As before stated the stems of some of the needles (say, every alternate
needle) near their upper ends may be curved in such manner that
when the needles are raised they shall spring back, so as to be in rear
of the other needles, and have thread laid on to them either by the same
thread eyes as the other needles or by separate thread eyes.
By forming some of the needles to spring back, as above described,
an elastic or other thread may, as herein-before stated, be laid in
between them and the other needles and be worked into the fabric
without-being-formed-into-loops, or the inner circle of needles may, by
the means herein-before described, be for a time left out of action, or
the inner circle may be worked for a time by themselves, say, for

page_text: example, to produce a cuff, and then the outer circle of needles may be
thrown into play and both work together.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim,-
First. The combined arrangement of knitting machinery, substantially
as herein-before described.
Second. The combined arrangement of the needles a, cylinder b,
levers c, and revolving cam d, formed at two or more points in a manner
to produce a complete course, also the employment of sub-cams in con-
junction with the cam d, substantially as herein-before described.
Third. The means, substantially as herein-before described, of
mounting the levers c to allow of the length of loops being adjusted,
and any slack or stiff lines removed from the work.
Fourth. The combined arrangement for adjusting the height of the
cam d, substantially as described.
Fifth. Forming the stems of some of the needles with a curve at their
upper part, so that when raised they shall spring back and be in rear of
the other needles, substantially as described.
Sixth. The combined arrangement of mechanism for taking up the
work, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Dalton, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Nineteenth day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
T DALTON