IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR UNITING OR SEAMING TOGETHER THE EDGES OF KNIT OR OTHER LOOPED " FABRICS
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JOHN GUY WILSON of the British and Foreign Patent Office, 71 Market Street,
Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR UNITING OR
SEAMING TOGETHER THE EDGES OF KNIT OR OTHER LOOPED
"
FABRICS which
invention has been communicated to me from abroad by William Pearson, of
Linwood, Pennsylvania in the United States of America, 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 and machinery for uniting or seaming
together the edges of knit or other looped fabrics and which improvements are
illustrated on the accompanying drawings.
Fig 1 represents a plan view of the improved machine. Fig 2 is a side view
showing the circular table in section. Fig 3 is a section of part of Fig 2 and
Fig 4 is a front view of the circular table in section.
In all the views a is the base of the machine from which branches an arm b
supporting at its extremity a stud c. This stud carries the circular table d around
the periphery of which revolves the ring e carrying the improved points or pins f
upon which the edges of the fabric are impaled whilst being united or seamed
together as hereinafter described. These points or pins fare bent round the inside
of the ring e and are secured in position in their respective grooves by the
segmental clamping plates f¹ as seen in full sized sectional view Fig 2" which grasp
their lower extremities as seen more clearly in Figs 1. 2 and 4 The shape and
peculiar construction of the needles or points f which constitute so to speak
a fringe around the ring e will be readily understood by reference to Figs 5 and 6
(representing on an enlarged scale a plan and side view respectively of one of the
needles) from which it will be seen that they are each made with a groove f}
extending from the point or outer end of the needle and widening out to the back

page_text: where the needle curves round the inside of the ring. In this manner and by the
widened out groove in the impaling points the curved needle m is guided in under
or over the loop supported thereon with absolute certainty.
An intermittent revolving motion is imparted to the ring e from the driving
shaft g by means of the eccentric g¹ the rod h of which is provided with a claw h¹
at its extremity taking into the teeth of the ratchet wheel h² as such rod reci-
procates to and fro under the influence of the eccentric-the loose part or lever h³
serving to prevent the eccentric turning backwards or moving whilst the rod h is
performing its function.
The ratchet wheel h' is keyed at one extremity of a spindle i mounted beneath
the table d and is provided at its other extremity with a spur pinion i' which in
its turn gears with spur teeth formed upon and around the under side of the ring e.
Other mechanism for rotating the needle fringe may however be employed if
desired without departing from the spirit of the invention as I do not limit myself
to any particular means of imparting any intermittently rotary motion to the
needle ring.
Mounted on the same driving shaft and immediately behind the eccentric g¹ is a
sleeve j forming one piece with the oscillating bracket 1 which is provided with
'an arm j for slightly lifting the claw h¹ of the eccentric rod h at every alternate
revolution of the driving shaft g when a double stitch is required and thus prevent
the same moving the ratchet wheel whilst so raised. This bracket g¹ also carries
upon a stud the rocking needle bar k which is caused to rock to and fro by the
arm k¹ being connected by the shoe ³ to the eccentric flange l which is also keyed
to the same driving shaft ġ. In this manner and by the revolution of the
eccentric the curved needle m carried at the extremity of the needle bark and
which it will be observed is reversed from the usual position, is caused to enter the
loops impaled upon the pins f from the rear and not from the front as heretofore
and whereby not only greater certainty of action is secured but the pins or points
are capable of being placed' closer together in-the ring e and at the same time all
risk of the curved needle m coming in contact with them or their points is
obviated.
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n is the looper arm-seen also full size in Figs 7 and 8 representing a front and
side view respectively. This looper arm is mounted upon the universal joint or
pivot n'swivelling upon a projector n from the oscillating bracket j¹ and carrying
at its other extremity the looper head o held in its place by the set-screw o!-this
looper head o catching and holding the loop of thread carried through the fabric
by the curved needle m and being slotted with a slot p as illustrated to facilitate
the entrance of the needle into the loop. This looper. arm n is held in contact
with the camq forming one piece with the eccentric by the spring q₁ and so
partakes of the motion of the cam q which is so formed and "timed" (as indicated
by back side and plan views respectively by Figs 9. 10 and 11) as to cause the
looper arm and head to be pushed to one side or move cross-wise to the needle m
and pull the thread from the work as the needle withdraws as will be hereinafter
more fully described.
As the needle is retiring in the case of an under or over stitch the looper by
following the form of the cam g lays hold of the thread on the side of the needle m
and holds such thread in the form of a loop upon its head o until the needle
returns again the ring e meanwhile standing still-and this time the needle passes
into the slot p of the looper head and so safely enters into the loop still carried by
the looper and removes the loop on to the needle. This application of a slot p in
the looper head o also permits the loop to slip on to the needle without straining
the fabric.
:.
The intermittent motion of the oscillating bracket j' is effected by the arms
and embracing a cam s mounted upon the fixed stud t and geared by spu
gearing t¹ to the driving shaft g so as to revolve once to every two revolutions of
the latter. The arms rand 21 being provided at their extremities with adjustable
clamping pieces to give the required nicety of adjustment.

page_text: In case of a single stitch being required the screw u is removed and thus allows
the oscillating bracket to remain stationery-this permits the claw h¹ on the
eccentric arm to engage with the ratchet wheel h³ at every revolution.
vis a guide plate shewn secured to the base a by the set screw (but which
could be causeed to move up and down or to and fro) and designed to hold the work
and prevent the same slipping off the points f whilst passing the needle m and
undergoing the seaming operation. The same guide plate is provided with a
vertical plate v projecting upwards in front of the points and with a hole or slot
for the needle to pass through and thus to ensure the needle making a successful
chain between the divisions or separate pieces of work impaled upon the points.
In some cases I employ a guage or clamp to receive and hold the point of the
needle as it approaches the end of its forward stroke and so to ensure the looper
receiving the thread from the side of the needle this guage or clamp retiring as
soon as its function is performed.
The work to be seamed is set up upon the impaling-pins ƒ in substantially the
same manner as knitted work is set up upon the needles of a knitting machine,
there being a pin for every loop through which the needle is to be passed at the
place of such passage. The needle is then threaded, the thread passing between
the tension disks at the upper end of the arm w, which is adjusted (by means of
its collar w' and screw x) upon the stud z in such a manner that the thread carried
by the needle will slacken so as to form a large and loose loop as the needle-point
passes in its forward stroke or thrust the middle part of the groove ƒ³, of the
impaling pins or needles, but become tightened at the beginning and termination
of the forward and back strokes, this being effected by the vibrations of the needle
arm k and relative position of the needle arm and tension-arm.
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 as my improvements in machinery for uniting or seaming together the
edges of knit and other looped fabrics is
1st The general construction and arrangement of mechanism substantially as
and for the purposes herein before described.
2nd A reciprocating needle mounted and operated substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
3rd The novel construction and mode of mounting and securing the pins or
points (upon which the fabric to be seamed is impaled) upon the circular ring
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated on the
accompanying drawing.
4th The construction and arrangement of looper arm and mechanism for operating
the same substantially as and for the purposes herein before described and illustrated
on the accompanying drawing.
5th Forming the looper slotted to facilitate the entrance of the needle substan-
ially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated on the
accompanying drawing.