IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES
Year: 1870

page_text: -
LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane,.
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES." A communication from
abroad by John Lee, Mark Lee, and William Carter, all of Need-.
ham, in the County of Norfolk, and State of Massachusetts, United
States of America.
Sealed the 17th January 1871, and dated the 12th August 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark.
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on.
the 12th August 1870.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES," to be. as follows:-
1
This Invention relates to improvements in knitting. machines, and:
consists in a combination with a knitting machine or the yarn carrier
thereof, of a series of shifting yarn guides, a. shifting. receiver and holder,.
A.

page_text: and automatic operating devices therefor, for carrying yarn of different
colors, and changing them to be woven into the fabric according to any
required order or pattern.
The Invention also consists in certain improvements in the arrange-
ments of the operating and adjusting devices of the knitting apparatus,
all as herein-after described.
Figure 1 is a plan view of this improved machine; Figure 2 is a
sectional elevation of the same taken on the line x, x, of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a front elevation of the same; Figure 4 is a--horizontal
section showing the apparatus for shifting the yarn guide, receiver, or
holder; Figure 5 is a detail in perspective showing the improved latch
openers which I have applied to the vertical needles; Figure 6 is a
perspective view of a part of the yarn carrier; Figure 7 is a perspective
view of one of the shifting yarn guides; Figure 8 is a perspective view
of a key used for releasing the horizontal needles for removal; Figure 9
is a detail section on the line x, x, of Figure 1, showing the arrangement
of means for adjusting the vertical needles relatively to the others; and
Figure 10 is a perspective view of some of the said parts. Similar letters
of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A represents one set of latch needles and B the other set of a common
frame for knitting ribbed goods for stockings and other articles. The
one set A are arranged vertically and the other horizontally; their
operations are mainly the same as in other machines; the ones B are
worked by the reciprocating cam plate C, which is worked by the
crank D and rod E. The said crank is attached to the vertical shaft F,
which is worked by the wheels G, H, the latter being on the driving
shaft I, and the rod E, which is slotted to allow the plate C the requisite
periods of rest at the end of each movement, engages the stud K in its
slot, as clearly shown in Figure 1. The needles A are supported by the
bar L, which is supported by the bars L³ on the free slotted ends of the
oscillating bars M, pivoted on a shaft N, and forced down by the cam O
on the driving shaft I, and up by the springs P, the said cam working
on a friction roller Q mounted in the ends of arms R. The slotted
bars M hold the pivot pins M³, so that the lower ends of bars L be
adjusted too or from the frame. S is the yarn guide carrier; it is attached
to the bar C, and moves with it; it has a longitudinal vertical slot T
in the front end, also the groove U, and has the block V projecting
may

page_text: downward from the front end, said block having a vertical groove W for
the thread guides. X represents spring catches attached to the carrier.
for receiving and holding the yarn guides, which will presently be
described. Y represents a disc of metal or other substance having a
series of radial slots Z in one side, and a series of fluted grooves or
notches Z in the other side; it is mounted on a vertical shaft Y'
arranged in front of the position where the yarn guide carrier S stops
at the end of the movement to the left, the said disc being about as high
or a little higher than the top of the carrier, and the shaft extending
below nearly to the bottom of the frame. X represents a spring
guard attached to the support W¹, and extending around the disc each
way a suitable distance from the edge thereof, nearly to the opposite.
side, terminating a little short of the point where they should meet if
continued so as to allow a space thereat, but bending up at one end
against the disc previous to the termination, as shown a V₁, to make
room for the yarn guide carrier; these springs are for the purpose of
retaining the yarn guides in the receiver. The shifting yarn guides are
composed of the horizontal cylindrical or other formed blocks a, vertical
guide tubes b, and the vertical studs d, the latter attached at one end
and rising above the blocks à, and the tubes attached to the other end
and projecting downward from the lower side. These tubes are secured
or otherwise fastened in holes extending through the blocks through
which the yarn passes, as shown in Figure 7. These yarn guides are
fitted into the disc y, which in addition to the radial slots Z above
referred to, has radial holes in connection with them so arranged that
the blocks a will slide into them with the ends carrying the tubes b
innermost, and the ends carrying the studs d outermost, the tubes
projecting below the plate and the studs above, as clearly shown in
Figure 1 and 2. As many of these guides are to be used as there are
to be differently colored yarns; the said yarns e are strung through
them, first passing through the guide bars fabove and g at the opposite
side of the machine, or in any other suitable location. These yarn guides-
are to be shifted into the carrier and back again according to the order-
of the colors required for the pattern to be knit, and for this purpose I
have employed in this instance, first, a shifting apparatus for effecting.
the necessary changes of the receiver, and next a transferring bar or
shifter for shifting the guides to the carrier, and vice versa. For shifting:
the receiver it has a toothed pinion at the bottom of the shaft. y"

page_text: gearing with the sliding racks i, j, one on each side to be moved
simultaneously in opposite directions. These racks are moved by the
discs l, m, having the radial pins » projecting from their peripheries, and
being swung forward after being turned on their axis, so that the pins
strike the racks, the pin of one disc to cause the movement and the
other to act as a stop. These discs are mounted on the shaft p suspended
by the bars q from the oscillating shaft mounted on journals at the top
: of the frame; these bars and the discs are moved forward by the cam s
on the main shaft I, and shown dotted in Figure 2, acting on the
friction roller t attached to the side bars or to arms attached thereto;
they are moved back by the spring u; the discs are provided, either one
or both, with a ratchet disc w to be turned a notch at a time by the long
pawl. suspended by the lever x¹ mounted at the top of the machine as
shown, to be thrown up to force the pawl down by the cam plate 1 on
the cam plate c, and be forced back by the spring 2, which is attached
to the pawl and raises it when the cam slide c goes back. 41 is a sliding
stop pawl arranged in the top of the shaft r to be thrust under the
lever to prevent the action of the pawl and the turning of the discs
m, l, when only one yarn is used and it is not required to make any
changes of yarn guides. The ratchet discs W are also used for arresting
and holding the discs l, m, in the right position for the pins to act
'properly on the rack bars by a sliding holding pawl 3, or one to each
disc so arranged that they will be pressed back by the inclined walls of
the ratchet teeth of the wheels w when they move, and be forced into
the notches again by springs 4. The pins n of the discs l, m, are
arranged in different lengths and in any required order for changing the
yarn guides to produce the pattern required, and they are attached to the
discs by screwing into them, or it may be by any other detachable way,
so that they may be changed to produce different patterns, the pins
of cach disc acting together on the bars i, j, are always so adapted as to
length that when the discs are brought forward to actuate the bars
each pin will bear against its respective bar at the end of the movement
of the latter, so that one pin (the short one) acts as a stop for the move-
ment imparted by the other, thereby making the operation-positive and
ماد منامن

page_text: upon one rack bar, throwing it forward, the spring drawing it back, and
the holding pawl holding the rack bar against the action of the spring,
until tripped by the disc or some other device just about the time the
disc ceases its forward motion to bring a new pin into action with the.
rack bar. The turning of the disc by the pawl x is effected just previous
to the arrival of the cam bar c at the end of its movement to the left, and
then while the bar c stands and the carrier S is at rest in front of the
receiver y the discs are moved forward to shift the receiver; but previous
to this movement of the discs the guide shifter 5 is moved forward to
receive the stud pin d of the guide to be shifted in its notch 6 by the
action of the cam 7 on the shaft I acting on the friction roller 8 in the,
end of the lever 9, which is pivoted at 10 and jointed at the upper end;
to the rod 11, on the end of which the shifter 5 is, and which slides back
and forth in a bearing 12. This lever 9, rod 11, and shifter 5 are moved.
in the other direction by the spring 13. This movement takes place as
soon as the cam 7 passes beyond the roller 8, and the shifter going back.
draws the yarn guide, which happens to stand opposite the carrier from
the receiver into the said carrier, forcing the tube 6 between the springs X
which are for holding the guide in the said carrier. The carrier like the
dise y has a hole in connection with the slot T for the block a of the
guide. When the shifter has thus drawn the guide into the carrier it
stops and rests in that position during the time the guide is carried.
forward and back again to deliver the yarn to the needles and until the
carrier again stops in front of the receiver at which time the stud d of:
the guide will again stand in the notch 6 of the shifter; then the
shifter moves forward again and returns the guide to the receiver, which
is either turned to carry away the guide last out and bring another with
another color or not, according to the pattern and the arrangement of the.
discs in the pins l, m, if not turned the same guide goes out again, and
so on as long as the same color is to be used; but if the disc is turned,
then the guide brought thereby to the front of the carrier goes out and
the one just returned remains until its turn comes again. The receiver
is held where it stops by the spring holder 14 which engages in the.
notches Z'. The supporting bar L for the vertical needle A has a.
spring 15 connected to it and arranged to press the arms L' against the.
vertical plates 16 against which they or the set screws 17 therein bear
at the top in working up and down. These set or guage screws are
employed for adjusting the needles A to or from the "slide" bars 18, the.
Y

page_text: bars I are connected to the arms M by joints which admit of this oscillation
on them. The plates 16 against which the said arms L' bear are mounted
on the ends of bars 19 capable of sliding forward and back slightly in the
frame of the machine and having the rods 20 which extend to the rear
of the machine attached to them. These rods bear at the rear ends
against the bar 21, which is set forward to force the block 19 towards
the front by the guage screws 22. The plates 16 support the bar 23,
which supports the horizontal needles at the front, and causes the loops
to be cast off from them. They also support the bar 24 carrying the
latch opener 25, and they support the slotted bars 26 in which the ends
of the "slide" bar 18 are confined. All these parts together with the
bars L' and L may therefor be adjusted forward and back relatively to
the needles B by the screws 22 and the spring 15 for varying the texture
of the goods. The bar 21 which is introduced between the rods 20 and
the guage screws 22 is arranged to slide lengthwise, and has thickened
parts 42, which being shoved in front of the screws 22 will force the
needles A and the bar 18 forward, so that the stitches then made will be
very slack, which it is desirable they should be for at least one course at
the end of a stocking to facilitate running it on to the needles of the
frame for making the heel or foot. The said bar is drawn back again
after the slack course is made to the position represented in Figure 1 to
allow the needles A to assume their normal position. It will be observed
that the bar 23 is separated from the bar 23ª behind it, which supports
the needles B, and that it may be adjusted relatively to the needles
independently of the said bar 23ª, thereby greatly simplifying the
arrangement of it with the needle for casting off the stitches. The
bar 18 rests at the ends on the sliding supports 27, which have push
pins 28 connected to them, so that being pushed back they will let the
bar 18 drop away from the tops of the needles to facilitate running on
the work, which may become detached by the yarn breaking or from
other causes. The sliding supports 27 have springs 29 for forcing them
back under the ends of the bars 18, when it is raised again. The lateral
adjustment of the bar L' is effected by the screws L³. The loops are
formed on the needles and cast off much in the same way as in other
machines, except that I have provided for throwing the loops on the
vertical needles below the latches before the new loops are taken on,
and for this purpose I have provided the depression 30 in the face of
the cam wheel O, immediately behind the said cam for allowing the

page_text: needles A to rise after the old loops are cast off, higher than the position
for receiving the yarn for the new loops, so as to raise the latches high
enough to ensure the escape of the loops, after which they are moved
back again to the position for receiving the new loops; and I have.
provided the latch openers 25 to act at this time to open or throw down
any latches which may not have been thrown down by the loops; for
instance, in case a needle may not. have had a loop formed on it by the
breaking of the yarn or from any cause; they also serve to prevent the
needles B from pushing the latches of needles A out, or raising them up
when the said needles B move forward, which they do while the latch
openers bear on the latches just below their pivots. These latch openers
are so arranged above the needles that when the latter rise up to them
the edges are received between the hooks and the ends of the latches, as
represented in Figure 5, so that the latter are thrown down. To prevent
the latches getting behind the latch openers in this operation the said
latches are made longer than they commonly are, and project slightly
above the hooks, as shown at 31. A bent wire yarn guide 32 is attached.
to the support of the shaft y¹, and arranged as shown in Figures 2 and 3,
for preventing the several yarns which extend from the guides while
held in the receiver to the edge of the fabric over the top of bar 18, and
at the left of the needles, as shown at 33, from being brought into contact.
with the needles in any way, especially by the turning of the receiver;
and 34 is a spring guard arranged above these yarns, so that when the
carrier S moves back to that end it will be forced down by the said.
carrier on the said yarns, and prevent them from being caught by the
latch opening points 35 of the carrier. I have arranged the friction
roller Q, against which the cam wheel O works for forcing the needles A
down, so that it will slide on its spindle, and have provided a shifting.
bar 36 therefor which works in the groove 37, so that I can slide the
said roller along its spindle out of the position to be acted on by the
cam, so that the needles will not be forced down; this is done whenever
it is desired to accumulate two or more rows of loops on the needles A,.
as in making the welts at the top of the stocking. 40 represents a key.
which I have arranged in the plate c, so that it may be readily taken out.
to relieve the shanks of the needles B to admit of drawing them out.
when required, and for putting in others. This is effected by arranging
the wall 41 of the rebate at the lower end of the key to form a part of
the wall of the cam groove, which being removed lets the needles,

page_text: opposite the place where the key is contained free. Any of the needles B
may be thus released by moving the plate, so that the place made vacant
by the withdrawal of the key is brought to the needle it is desired to
remove.
I do not limit myself to the arrangement of means here shown for
working the receiver, for as I have indicated, it may be worked by
various arrangements of apparatus. And I do not limit myself to the
employment of a rotary receiver, for it is obvious that the same results
may be obtained by the use of a reciprocating receiver arranged to be
moved along the front of the carrier back and forth.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 9th February 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALEXANDER
MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Alexander Melville Clark, Her special
licence that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alexander Melville
Clark, 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 MACHINES," a communication to me from
abroad by John Lee, Mark Lee, and William Carter, all of Needham, in
the County of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, United States of
America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alexander
Melville Clark, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should

page_text: 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, 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, reference being had to the three Sheet of
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say :-
This Invention relates to improvements in knitting machines, and
consists in a combination with a knitting machine or the yarn carrier
thereof of a series of shifting yarn guides, a shifting receiver and holder,
and automatical operating devices therefor, for carrying yarn of different
colors and changing them to be woven into the fabric according to any
required order or pattern. The Invention also consists in certain
improvements in the arrangements of the operating and adjusting
devices of the knitting apparatus, all as herein-after described..
Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved machine; Figure 2 is a
sectional elevation of the same taken on the line x, x, of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a front elevation of the same; Figure 4 is a horizontal
section, showing the apparatus for shifting the yarn guide receiver or
holder; Figure 5 is a detail in perspective, showing the improved latch
openers which I have applied to the vertical needles; Figure 6 is a
perspective view of a part of the yarn carrier; Figure 7 is a perspective.
view of one of the shifting yarn guides; Figure 8 is a perspective view
of a key used for releasing the horizontal needles for removal; Figure 9
is a detail section on the line x, x, of Figure 1, showing the arrangement
of means for adjusting the vertical needles relatively to the others; and
Figure 10 is a perspective view of some of the said parts. Similar letters
of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A represents one set of latch needles, and B the other set of a common
frame for knitting ribbed goods, for stockings, and other articles; the
one set A are arranged vertically, and the other horizontally; their
operations are mainly the same as in other machines, the ones B are
worked by the reciprocating cam plate C, which is worked by the
crank D and rod E; the said crank is attached to the vertical shaft.F,

page_text: which is worked by the wheels G, H, the latter being on the driving
shaft I, and the rod E (which is slotted to allow the plate C the requisite
periods of rest at the end of each movement) engages the stud K in its
slot as clearly shown in Figure 1. The needles A are supported by the
bar L, which is supported by the bars L' on the free slotted ends of the
oscillating bars M pivoted on a shaft N and forced down by the cam O
on the driving shaft I, and up by the springs P, the said cam working
on a friction roller Q mounted in the ends of arms R. The slotted
bars M hold the pivot pins M³, so that the lower ends of bars L may be
adjusted to or from the frame S. Figure 6 is the yarn guide carrier; it
is attached to the bar C, and moves with it; it has a longitudinal
vertical slot T in the front end, also the groove U, and has the block V
projecting downward from the front end, said block having a vertical
groove W for the thread guides. ✗ represents spring catches attached
to the carrier for receiving and holding the yarn guides, which will
presently be described. Y, Figure 1, represents a disc of metal or other
substance, having a series of radial slots Z in one side, and a series of
fluted grooves or notches Z' in the other side; it is mounted on a vertical
shaft Y', arranged in front of the position where the yarn guide carrier S
stops at the end of the movement to the left, the said disc being about
as high or a little higher than the top of the carrier, and the shaft
extending below nearly to the bottom of the frame. X³ represents a
spring guard attached to the support W', and extending around the
disc each way a suitable distance from the edge thereof nearly to the
opposite side, terminating a little short of the point where they should
meet if continued so as to allow a space thereat, but bending up at one
end against the disc previous to the termination, as shown at V¹, to
make room for the yarn guide carrier; these springs are for the purpose
of retaining the yarn guides in the receiver.
The shifting yarn guides, Figure 7, are composed of the horizontal, a
cylindrical, or other formed blocks a, vertical guide tubes b, and the
vertical studs d; the latter attached at one end and rising above the
blocks a, and the tubes attached to the other end and projecting down-
ward from the lower side. These tubes are secured or otherwise fastened
in holes extending through the blocks through which the yarn passes, a
as shown in Figure 7. These yarn guides are fitted into the disc
Y which, in addition to the radial slots Z, above referred to, has radial

page_text: holes in connection with them, so arranged that the blocks a will slide
into them, with the ends carrying the tubes innermost, and the ends:
carrying the studs d outermost, the tubes projecting below the plate and
the studs above, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2. As many of these
guides are to be used as there are to be differently colored yarns the
said yarns e are strung through them, first passing through the guide
bars above and g at the opposite side of the machine, or in any
other suitable location. These yarn guides are to be shifted into the
carrier and back again acccording to the order of the colors required
for the pattern to be knit, and for this purpose I have employed in this
instance, first, a shifting apparatus for effecting the necessary changes
of the receiver, and next a transferring bar or shifter for shifting the
guides to the carrier, and vice versa.
For shifting the receiver it has a toothed pinion h, Figure 4, at the
bottom of the shaft Y₁ gearing with the sliding racks i, j, one on each
side, to be moved simultaneously in opposite directions. These racks
are moved by the discs l, m, having the radial pins n projecting from.
their peripheries and being swung forward after being turned on their
axes, so that the pins strike the racks, the pin of one disc to cause the
movement and the other to act as a stop. These discs are mounted on
the shaft p suspended by the bars q from the oscillating shaft mounted.
on journals at the top of the frame. These bars and the discs are moved
forward by the cam s on the main shaft I, and shown dotted in Figure 2,
acting on the friction roller, t attached to the side bars or to arms attached
thereto. They are moved back by the spring u; the discs are provided,
either one or both, with a ratchet disc w to be turned a notch at a time
by the long pawl x suspended by the lever x¹ mounted at the top of the
machine, as shown, to be thrown up to force the pawl down by the cam
plate 1 on the cam plate C, and be forced back by the spring 2, which is
attached to the pawl, and raises it when the cam slide C goes back.
41 is a sliding stop pawl arranged in the top of the shaft to be thrust.
under the lever x¹, to prevent the action of the pawl and the turning of
the discs m, l, when only one yarn is used, and it is not required to
make any changes of yarn guides. The ratchet discs to are also used.
for arresting and holding the discs l, m, in the right position for the pins
to act properly on the rack bars by a sliding holding pawl 3, or one to
each disc so arranged that they will be pressed back by the inclined.

page_text: walls of the ratchet teeth of the wheels w when they move, and be
forced into the notches again by springs 4. The pins n of the discs l, m,
are arranged in different lengths and in any required order for changing
the yarn guides to produce the pattern required, and they are attached
to the discs by screwing into them, or it may be by any other detachable
way, so that they may be changed to produce different patterns. The
pins of each disc acting together on the bars i, j, are always so adapted.
as to length that when the discs are brought forward to actuate the bars
each pin will bear against its respective bar at the end of the move-
ment of the latter, so that one pin (the short one) acts as a stop for
the movement imparted by the other, thereby making the operation
positive and reliable. I may, however, operate these bars by means of
one disc with pins, a spring, and a holding pawl, the disc operating, the
same as in this case, upon one rack bar throwing it forward, the spring
drawing it back, and the holding pawl holding the rack bar against
the action of the spring until tripped by the disc or some other device
just about the time the disc ceases its forward motion to bring a new
pin into action with the rack bar. The turning of the disc by the
pawl x is effected just previous to the arrival of the cam bar C at the end
of its movement to the left, and then while the bar C stands, and the
carrier S is at rest in front of the receiver Y, the discs are moved
forward to shift the receiver; but previous to this movement of the
discs the guide shifter 5 is moved forward to receive the stud pin d of
the guide to be shifted in its notch 6 by the action of the cam 7 on the
shaft I acting on the friction roller 8 in the end of the lever 9, which is
pivoted at 10, and jointed at the upper end to the rod 11, on the end of
which the shifter 5 is, and which slides back and forth in a bearing 12.
This lever 9, rod 11, and shifter 5 are moved in the other direction by
the spring 13. This movement takes place as soon as the cam 7 passes
beyond the roller 8, and the shifter going back draws the yarn guide,
which happens to stand opposite the carrier, from the receiver into the
said carrier, forcing the tube b between the springs X, which are for
holding the guide in the said carrier. The carrier, like the disc Y, has
a hole in connection with the slot T for the block a of the guide. When
the shifter has thus drawn the guide into the carrier it stops and rests
in that position during the time the guide is carried forward and back
again to deliver the yarn to the needles and until the carrier again stops
in front of the receiver, at which time the stud d of the guide will

page_text: again stand in the notch 6 of the shifter. Then the shifter moves forward
again and returns the guide to the receiver, which is either turned to
carry away the guide last out and bring another with another color or
not, according to the pattern and the arrangement of the discs in the
pins 1, m; if not turned the same guide goes out again, and so on as long
as the same color is to be used; but if the disc is turned then the guide
brought thereby to the front of the carrier goes out, and the one just
returned remains until its turn comes again. The receiver Y is held
where it stops by the spring holder 14, which engages in the notches Z'.
The supporting bar L for the vertical needles A has a spring 15 connected
to it, and arranged to press the arms L' against the vertical plates 16,
against which they or the set screws 17 therein bear at the top in
working up and down. These set or guage screws are employed for
adjusting the needles A to or from the "slide" bars 18, the bars L' being
connected to the arms M by joints which admit of this oscillation on
them. The plates 16, against which the said-arms L' bear, are mounted
on the ends of bars 19, capable of sliding forward and back slightly in the
frame of the machine, and having the rods 20, which extend to the rear
of the machine attached to them. These rods bear at the rear ends
against the bar 21, which is set forward to force the block 19 towards
the front by the guage screws 22. The plates 16 support the bar 23,
which supports the horizontal needles at the front and causes the loops to
be cast off from them. They also support the bar 24, carrying the latch
openers 25, and they support the slotted bars 26, in which the ends of the
"slide" bar 18 are confined. All these parts, together with the bars L'
and L, may therefore be adjusted forward and back relatively to the
needles B by the screws 22 and the spring 15, for varying the texture of
the goods. The bar 21, which is introduced between the rods 20 and
the guage screws 22, is arranged to slide lengthwise, and has thickened
parts 42, which being shoved in front of the screws 22, will force the
needles A and the bar 18 forward, so that the stitches then made will be
very slack,, which it is desirable they should be for at least one course at
the end of a stocking to facilitate running it on to the needles of the
frame for making the heel or foot. The said bar is drawn back again
after the slack course is made to the position represented in Figure 1 to
allow the needles A to assume their normal position. It will be observed
that the bar 23 is separated from the bar 23ª behind it, which supports
the needles B, and that it may be adjusted relatively to the needles

page_text: The
independently of the said bar 23", thereby greatly simplifying the
arrangement of it with the needle for casting off the stitches.
bar 18 rests at the ends on the sliding supports 27, which have push
pins 28 connected to them so that being pushed back they will let the
bar 18 drop away from the tops of the needles to facilitate running on
the work, which may become detached by the yarn breaking or from
other causes. The sliding supports 27 have springs 29 for forcing them
back under the ends of the bars 18 when it is raised again. The lateral
adjustment of the bar L' is effected by the serews L², Figure 3. The
loops are formed on the needles, and cast off much in the same way
as in other machines, except that I have provided for throwing the
loops on the vertical needles below the latches before the new loops are
taken on, and for this purpose I have provided the depression 30, in the
face of the cam wheel O immediately behind the said cam for allowing
the needles A to rise after the old loops are cast off higher than the
position for receiving the yarn for the new loops, so as to raise the
Iatches high enough to ensure the escape of the loops, after which they
are moved back again to the position for receiving the new loops; and I
have provided the latch openers 25 to act at this time to open or throw
down any latches which may not have been thrown down by the loops,
for instance, in case a needle may not have had a loop formed on it by
the breaking of the yarn or from any cause; they also serve to prevent
the needles B from pushing the latches of needles A out, or raising them
up when the said needles B move forward, which they do while the
latch openers bear on the latches just below their pivots. These latch
openers are so arranged above the needles that when the latter rise up to
them the edges are received between the hooks and the ends of the
latches, as represented in Figure 5, so that the latter are thrown down.
To prevent the latches getting behind the latch openers in this operation
the said latches are made longer than they commonly are, and project
slightly above the hooks, as shown at 31. A bent wire yarn guide 32 is
attached to the support of the shaft Y₁, and arranged as shown in
Figures 2 and 3, for preventing the several yarns (which extend from
the guides while held in the receiver to the edge of the fabric over the
top of bar 18, and at the left of the needles, as shown at 33), from
being brought into contact with the needles in any way, especially by
the turning of the receiver; and 34 is a spring guard arranged above
these yarns, so that when the carrier S moves back to that end it will be

page_text: forced down by the said carrier on the said yarns and prevent them from
being caught by the latch opening points 25 of the carrier.
I have arranged the friction roller Q against which the cam wheel O
works for forcing the needles A down, so that it will slide on its spindle,
and have provided a shifting bar 36 therefor, which works in the
groove 37, so that I can, slide the said roller along its spindle out of
the position to be acted on by the cam, so that the needles will not be
forced down; this is done whenever it is desired to accumulate two or
more rows of loops on the needles A, as in making the welts at the top
of the stocking. 40 represents a key which I have arranged in the
plate C, so that it may be readily taken out to relieve the shanks of the
needles B to admit of drawing them out when required, and for putting
in others. This is effected by arranging the wall 43 of the rebate at the
lower end of the key (see Figure 8) to form a part of the wall of the
cam groove, which being removed lets the needles opposite the place
where the key is contained free. Any of the needles B may be thus
released by moving the plate so that the place made vacant by the
withdrawal of the key is brought to the needle it is desired to remove.
I do not limit myself to the arrangement of means here shown for
working the receiver, for as I have indicated it may be worked by
various arrangements of apparatus; and I do not limit myself to the
employment of a rotary receiver, for it is obvious that the same results
may be obtained by the use of a reciprocating. receiver arranged to be
moved along the front of the carrier back and forth.
Having described the nature of the Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. The combination with the yarn carrier of a knitting machine
arranged for receiving and holding a detachable yarn guide of a series
of detachable yarn guides, a shifting receiver, and a shifter, all sub-
stantially as specified.
2ndly. The yarn guide carrier S, constructed and arranged substantially
as specified.
3rdly. The shifting rotary yarn guide receiver Y, constructed, arranged,
and operating substantially as specified.
4thly. The combination with the receiver of the springs X' and the
spring stop 14, substantially as specified.

page_text: 5thly. The yarn guides a, d, b, constructed and arranged substantially
as specified.
6thly. The combination with the rotary yarn guide receiver Y of the
toothed racks i, j, and the oscillating shifting discs l, m, and pins n, the
said discs and pins arranged for operating the receiver for changing
the yarn guides, all substantially as specified.
7thly. The combination with the discs t, m, of the ratchet wheels w,
the pawls x, arms q, cam 7, springs u, sliding pawl 3, and the spring 4,
all substantially as specified.
8thly. The shifter 5, rod 11, lever 9, cam 7, and spring 13, combined
and arranged, substantially as specified.
9thly. The combination with the needle bar L and bars L' of the
arms M, roller Q, cam O, and spring 15, substantially as specified.
10thly. The combination with the needle bar L and bars L' of the
plates 16, and guage screws 17, substantially as specified.
11thly. The combination of the adjusting bars 19, rods 20, screws 21,.
spring 15, with plates 16, bars 23, 18, and L, all substantially as
specified.
12thly. The arrangement of the bar 18 with the slotted bar 26, the
spring stops 27, and push pins 28, substantially as specified.
13thly. The combination with the needles A. of the latch openers 25,
substantially as specified.
14thly. The arrangement of the latches of the needles A to project
beyond the hooks, substantially as specified.
15thly. The arrangement of the needles A and the operating devices 2
therefor for raising them above the position for receiving the yarn after
casting off the loops, for casting the new loops below the latches
previous to the reception of the yarn for the next loops, substantially
as specified.
16thly. The combination with the receiver Y and the yarn guide 3
carrier of the guard wire 34, substantially as specificd.
17thly. The combination with the receiver of the yarn guide 32,
substantially as specified.
18thly. The combination with the cam wheel O of the sliding friction
roller Q, and the shifting lever 36, substantially as specified.

page_text: 19thly. The combination with the cam plate C and the needles B of
the releasing key 40, substantially as specified.
20thly. The combination with the lever x¹, pawl x, and discs l, m, of
the stop plate 41, substantially as specified.
21stly. The combination with the guage screws 22, the rods 20, and
the needles A of the bar 21, arranged and operating substantially as
specified.
22ndly. The combination with the needles B and the bar 23* of the
bar 23, arranged for adjustment independently of bar 23ª, substantially
as specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of
January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-one.
Witness,
JAS. O. DEWEY,
53, Chancery Lane.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)