Improvements in Latch Knitting Needles Used in Hosiery Knitting Machines and other similar Knitting Machines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Dec., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 10th Sept., 1894 -Accepted, 13th Oct., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Latch Knitting Needles Used in Hosiery Knitting
Machines and other similar Knitting Machines.
We ALFRED LEE of 24 Brussels Terrace Banbury Street in the Town of
Nottingham Hosiery Machinist and FREDERICK WILLIAM PARE of 20 Waterloo
Road in the said Town Lace Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to secure the automatic re-opening or falling back
of the latch of latch needles used in hosiery and other similar knitting machines
after the latch has been closed by the passage behind it in the process of knitting
of the loop upon the needle or by other means. To effect this we employ a light
steel or other spring working upon the base of the latch in the slit wherein the
latch is pivoted to allow of its rise and fall. This spring is so fixed at the back
of the slit and the base of the latch so shaped that the base of the latch is
throughout part of its circuit in the slit upon the pivot when rising and falling
pressed upon by the spring in such a way that after closure by pressure the
latch is so soon as the pressure is removed-forced downwards away from the
hook.
One or more springs may be employed and adjusted in various ways but
preferably only one spring occupying the whole or nearly the whole length of the
back of the slit above and below the level of the pivot is employed.
Dated this Sixteenth day of December 1893.
ALFRED LEE.
FREDERICK WILLIAM PARE.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Latch Knitting Needles Used in Hosiery Knitting
Machines and other similar Knitting Machines.
ALFRED LEE 24 Brussels Terrace, Banbury Street Nottingham, Hosiery
Machinist and FREDERICK WILLIAM PARE 20 Waterloo Road, Nottingham
Lace Manufacturer 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 relates to improvements in knitting machine needles of the kind
known as "latch needles" and which are used in machines making stockings, pants
vests, similar knitted articles and other knitted fabrics, the improved needles being
particularly applicable to kuitting machines which are designed to automatically
throw an article off the needles at the completion of the same, and to machines in
which the number of needles in action is increased during the manufacture of the
article or fabric. These needles may however be used in all knitting machines
which at present use the ordinary latch needle.
In latch needle knitting machines, and warp knitting machines the needles as at
present constructed have a pivoted tongue or latch which is designed to close the
hook and imprison the thread just fed to it by the movement of the existing loop
up the needle during the process of "knocking over," while the new loop which has
been formed by the above process opens the hook for the reception of the thread as

page_text: must
it moves down the needle. These needles are however more or less defective when
at work, inasmuch as the latch, which is loosely pivoted, is liable to rebound and
close the hook after it has been opened by the descent of the newly formed
loop, and when used in machines which automatically throw off the completed
article or fabric, it is evident that the loops as they are "knocked over
close the hooks, and that the same must be opened again before work can be
made. To overcome these difficulties all latch needle knitting machines with
which we are acquainted are fitted with brushes or other mechanisms technically
known as "latch openers." These latch openers traverse across the machine in
advance of the thread carrier and open any closed books thus ensuring all the 1
needles taking the thread, and if additional needles are brought into action, it is
also necessary to adopt some means for the same reason.
Now the object of this invention is the construction of a latch knitting needle
which may be used in any latch needle knitting machine without any auxillary
latch opener, and so constructed that the latch will open the hook automatically
after a loop has been. "knocked over "the same, and is prevented from closing
the book by rebounding when the newly formed loop descends below the same, and
the needle will when brought into a position to receive a thread, always have an
open hook.
The object of this invention is accomplished by fitting the needle with a suitable
spring which is placed in the needle behind the latch and in the slit within which
the latch is pivoted. According to one method of carrying out this invention the
latch is made with a cam like projection above the pivot on which it turns. This
projection acts upon the spring whenever the latch is by any means moved into a
position for closing the hook, and the spring will react upon the latch and open
hook immediately the force acting on the latch is removed.
the
According to another method the latch is of the ordinary shape and pivoted in
the usual manner while the spring is bent to act upon it above the pivot, the action
of the latch being the same in both cases.
The spring used is preferably supported or fixed at both ends, but it may be
fixed at one end only as most convenient, but in no case should the spring project
out beyond the back of the needles.
This invention is illustrated by the accompanying sheet of drawings which show
various ways of carrying out the same, and these drawings are referred to in the
following detailed description.
Fig. 1. is a sectional elevation of a needle fitted with a spring which is supported
or fixed at both ends and in which the latch with a cam like projection is shown
closed.
Fig. 2. is a sectional elevation of the needle shown in Fig. 1 with the latch
open.
Fig. 3. is a sectional elevation of a needle fitted with a spring which is supported
at both ends, and bent to act upon an ordinary shaped latch.
Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a needle.
Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional elevation of needles each fitted with a spring which
is supported or fixed at one end and in which the latch has a cam like projection.
Figs. 7 and 8 are sectional elevations of needles fitted with springs which are
supported or fixed at one end and bent to act upon an ordinary shaped latch.
The needle used by preference is shown in Figs. 1. 2. and 4, and its general
outside shape is exactly the same as an ordinary latch needle. It has an ordinary
shaped hook a and shank a, this latter being of any desired length, and bent
or fitted to jacks or slides according to the construction of the macbine in which
the needle is to be used. In this needle the latch g is pivoted at h within a slit
which extends from 6 to c, and between the points d and e is cut through to the
back of the needle. Within the slit and at the bottom of the same is a spring f
suitably tempered, and made from round, square, flat or other shaped wire. This
spring is held in position by making it equal in width to the distance between the
sides of the slit and then forcing it in the same it may also be further secured

page_text: by slightly closing in the sides of the slit at the ends of the same. The spring
may also be held in the slit by soldering rivetting, or by passing one end of
it through a hole in the needle. The latch 9 has at the back of the same &
cam shaped projection i which is so designed that before the latch reaches the
position shown in Fig. 1 it acts upon the spring and bends it, and the spring
immediately the force closing the latch is removed reacts upon the latch, forces
it back and thus opens the hook. It will be noticed that during the closing of
the latch the spring is bent into the opening de in the back of the needle thus
allowing the needle with our improvements added to be of the usual size. In
Fig. 2 the same construction of needle is shown as in Fig. 1 and the same parts are
marked with the same reference letters. From Fig. 2 it will be seen that the
latch is free to turn upwards for a certain distance without acting upon the spring,
and that the cami is designed to act upon the spring before the latch can close the
hook, thus preventing the latter being closed by the rebounding of the latch.
In Fig. 3 is shown a needle with an ordinarily shaped latch g, and with a
spring which is bent at k to meet the latch before the latter can be closed. This
needle the method of constructing the same, and the action of the latch and spring
are the same as described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2, except that the projection
is on the spring instead of on the latch.
In Figs. 5 and 6 the needle latch has the cam projection as described with
T
reference to the latch shown in Figs. 1 and 2 but the spring in Fig. 5 is fixed at
the top, and in Fig. 6 at the bottom of the slit. In Figs. 7 and 8 the springs are
fixed at the top and bottom of the slit and are bent to act upon an ordinary shaped
latch as described with reference to Fig. 3. In these four arrangements the spring
is firmly fixed to prevent end movement of the same and this may be done by any
of the methods previously referred to.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. A needle for latch needle knitting machines in which a spring is arranged to
act upon the latch and during the action of knitting prevent the latch closing the
hook except during the passage of a loop over it, as in the process of "knocking
over and also by the rebound of the latch after the newly formed loop has
descended below the same.
"
2. A needle for latch needle knitting machines constructed and arranged as
shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and described in the accompanying Specification.
3. A needle for latch needle knitting machines_constructed and arranged as
shown in Fig. 3 and described in the accompanying Specification.
4. A needle for latch needle knitting machines constructed and arranged as
shown in Fig. 5 and described in the accompanying Specification.
5. A needle for latch needle knitting machines constructed and arranged as
shown in Fig. 6 and described in the accompanying Specification.
6. A needle for latch needle knitting machines constructed and arranged as
shown in Fig. 7 and described in the accompanying Specification.
7. A needle for latch needle knitting machines constructed and arranged as
shown in Fig. 8 and described in the accompanying Specification.
Dated this 8th day of September 1894.
W. H. POTTER, Wh. Sc.,
Patent Agent,
Nottingham, Agent for the Applicants.
W. H. POTTER, Wh. Sc.,
Patent Agent,
Nottingham, Agent for the Applicants.