IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FUR TAL MANUFACTURE OF LOURED FABRICO.
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Edward Hodges, of Leicester, in the County
of Leicester, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FUR TAL MANUFACTURE OF LOURED FABRICO.
Sealed the 26th August 1856, and dated the 3rd March 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Edward Hodges
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd March 1856.
I, JOHN EDWARD HODGES, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED FABRICS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists in working machines for making looped fabrics by
making the needles traverse from side to side of the bars which support them, at
pleasure, that is to say, I make use of what are termed self-acting needles, and
by means of two indented presser bars, which are so placed on each other when
catching all the needles, that the projections of the one bar are opposite the
hollows or between the projections of the other; but when only catching half of
the needles to draw thein. through, I cause one of the presser bars to slide across
the face of the other, so that the projections and hollows on each bar stand oppo-
site each other. By the hollows standing opposite each other there is a clear space
between the needles, over which the presser bar may be drawn without moving

page_text: or touching them, the needles which are caught by the projections only being
moved or drawn when it is wished to change the needles to the opposite needle
bar, to be caught by the presser bars on that side. I cause a bar (behind the
presser bar which has been working the needles) to have the same motion forward
as the presser bar; by being attached to the same arms and levers, the bar
abuts against the ends of the needles, and pushes them forward as far as the
presser bar motion will allow, by which time the presser bars have risen from
before the hooks of the needles by means of a roller (which is attached to the
presser bar) running up an incline; this causes the presser bars to release
themselves entirely from the needle hooks; but as the needles would be again
caught by the presser bars, if left in this position, they required to be moved
a little further, so as to be clear of them in the back motion of the presser
bar; this is effected by means of the bar before-mentioned abutting against
the ends of the needles, having an end motion from a jacquard machine. This
bar has projections formed or fixed on or hollows cut out of it, in the form of
wedges or inclined planes, which abut against a pin or projection in the arm
or link, which works it when drawn on one end by the jacquard machine;
the inclines slide against the pins or stops, and so move the .bar forward, and
with it the needles, whereby they are pushed clear of the presser bar, and
missed by it in its back stroke, but are caught by the other presser bars on
the other side of the work by the hooks on the opposite ends of the needles.
By means of the jacquard machine the needles can be moved from side to side
alternately at each course of work, or they can be worked for 1, 2, 3, or any
number of courses by the presser bars on one side only, or any number of
courses by each bar alternately. The slides through which the work passes
move from side to side, to correspond with the needles and presser bars, by
means of canis on a shaft revolving in the frame below. There are two cams
to effect this, placed opposite to each other, and a little apart; either of these
cams is brought into action by the jacquard. machine shifting a roller or truck
from the one to the other, by means of a forked lever spanning the boss of the
roller or truck, and so sliding it along its shaft or spindle opposite to the cam
required to suit the particular work. The truck is free to revolve on a stud
fixed on a lever, free to vibrate on a stud in the frame from the other end;
motion is taken by a connecting rod and bell-crank lever to work the slides.
The jacquard machine which I prefer to use is described in another Provisional
Specification, filed the same date as the present. The carriers, jacks, and
şinkers are of the same kind as those already in use. The presser bars
receive their motion from a cam fixed on the same shaft as the cams before
mentioned, by its working against a truck, wheel, or roller on a stud or pin

page_text: fixed in a lever, which is at liberty to move on a centre stud attached to the
framework. From this lever the motion is conveyed through two connecting
rods (one to each presser bar) and bell cranks to the presser bar.
In a modification of this machine, I cause either needle bars to recede
from the work as required, to allow space for a top or jack machine to be
moved up from below to get opposite the needles. This machine is made
of a bar of angle or other iron, on which a row or rows of teeth or points.
is or are fixed or jointed; the teeth or points are in a position to meet
the ends of the needles, but below them until the top machine receives
its first motion from a cam underneath; after receiving its first motion the
points are sufficiently above the needle hooks as to allow the needles to advance
towards them, then the points drop a little until they rest in the eyes or
recesses formed in the needles, then the slides come into action, by advancing
towards the points of the top machine, and drawing off the loops from the
needles on to the points, or on to as many points as are in contact with the
needles; where there have been no points presented to the needles the needle
hooks retain the loops. When the requisite number of loops are fairly clear
of the needle hooks, the top machine rises a little, and then receives an end
motion by the jacquard machine, until the points stand exactly opposite to the
needles on to which it is required to shift or place the loops; the top machine
then drops a little until the points enter the eyes or recesses, the slides again
come into play, and retreat from the top machine points, and pulls the loops
on to different needles than those from which they were taken by the points;
then the needles are withdrawn a little to allow the top machine to resume
its first position below the needle bar, and to allow the needle bar to advance
to the work, as before. The needle bars are made to advance and recede
according to the dissected pattern placed on the jacquard machine. Instead
of a jacquard machine a pegged cylinder may be substituted.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Edward Hodges in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 3rd September 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
EDWARD HODGES, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Manufacturer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of March, in the year of our Lord One

page_text: thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her. heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Edward Hodges, Her special licence that I, the said John
Edward Hodges, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Edward Hodges, 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 MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED
FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Edward
Hodges, my executors or administrators, 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 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 John Edward Hodges, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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, reference being had to the Drawings here-
unto annexed, that is to say:-
My Invention consists in working machines for making looped fabrics by
making the needles traverse at pleasure from side to side of the bars which
support them, that is to say, when it is wished to change the needles to
the opposite needle bar to be caught by the presser bars on that side, I cause
a bar (behind the presser bar which has been working the needles) to have
the same motion forward as the presser bar, by being attached to the same
arms and levers; the bar abuts against the ends of the needles, and pushes
them forward as far as the presser bar motion will allow, by which time
the presser bars have risen from before the hooks of the needles by means
of a roller (which is attached to the presser bar) running up an incline;
this causes the presser bars to release themselves entirely from the needle
hooks; but as the needles would be again caught by the presser bars if
left in this position, they require to be moved a little further, so as to be
clear of them in the back motion of the presser bar; this is effected by
means of the bar before mentioned abutting against the ends of the needles,
having an end motion from a jacquard machine. This bar has projections
formed or fixed on, or hollows cut out of it, in the form of wedges or inclined

page_text: planes, which abut against a pin or projection in the arm or link which
works it. When drawn on one end by the jacquard machine, the inclines
slide against the pins or stops, and so move the bar forward, and with it
the needles, whereby they are pushed clear of the presser bar, and missed by
it in its back stroke, but are caught by the other presser bars on the other
side of the work by the hooks on the opposite ends of the needles. By means
of the jacquard machine the needles can be moved from side to side alter-
nately at each course of work," or they can be worked for one, two, three, or
any number of courses by the presser bars on one side only, or any number of
courses by each bar alternately. The carriers, jacks, and sinkers are of the
same kind as those already in use. The presser bars receive their motion from
a cam fixed on the same shaft as the cams before mentioned, by its working
against a truck, wheel, or roller on a stud or pin fixed in a lever, which is at
liberty to move on a centre stud attached to the framework. From this lever
the motion is conveyed through two connecting rods (one to each presser
bar) and bell cranks to the presser bar.
In a modification of this machine, I cause either needle bar to recede from
the work as required, to allow space for a top or jack machine to be moved
up from below to get opposite the needles or hooks. This machine is made of
a bar of angle or other iron, on which a row or rows of teeth or points is or are
fixed or jointed; the teeth or points are in a position to meet the ends of the
needles, but below them until the top machine receives its first motion from a
cam underneath. After receiving its first motion, the points are sufficiently
above the needle hooks to allow the needles to advance towards them, then
the points drop a little, until they rest in the eyes or recesses formed in the
needles, then the slides come into action, by advancing towards the points of
the top machine and drawing off the loops from the needles on to the points,
or on to as many points as are in contact with the needles; where there have
been no points presented to the needles, the needle hooks retain the loops.
When the requisite number of loops are fairly clear of the needle hooks, the
top machine rises a little, and then receives an end motion by the jacquard
machine until the points stand exactly opposite to the needles on to which it
is required to shift or place the loops; the top machine then drops a little
until the points enter the eyes or recesses, the slides again come into play, and
retreat from the top machine points, and pull the loops on to different needles
than those from which they were taken by the points; then the needles are
withdrawn a little to allow the top machine to resume its first position below
the needle bar, and to allow the needle bar to advance to the work, as before.

page_text: The needle bars are made to advance and recede according to the dissected
pattern placed on the jacquard machine.
In order that my Invention may be more fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I proceed to describe it with reference to the annexed
Drawings.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of so much of a knitting machine as is
necessary to shew my Invention. A is the front, and B the back needle bar,
the ends of which rest on the end framing of the machine, not shewn; one or
both of them is or are capable of being moved a certain distance (on a planed
surface on the end framing) from front to back, and vice versa. On the top
of these needle bars are fixed plates of metal A', B', the tops of which are
made perfectly smooth; these plates do not cover the top of the needle bars
completely, a part of the upper surface of the bars being left blank, so as to
afford space to fix the pieces A", B", on the top sides of which are grooved or
furrowed; the bottoms of the furrows are made to correspond to the top sides
of the plates A', B', so that both plates and furrows are in a line or in the same
plane. Through these furrows and on these surfaces the needles a slide and
work; the needles may be either Townsend's self-acting or common bearded
double-ended needles. The needles are worked by two bars C, C', which may
be made of angle iron for lightness; they are firmly secured to the connecting
rods D, D¹, by screws b, b', to the weigh or rocking shafts E, E¹. The connect-
ing rods D, D', are fixed by screws c, c. Adjusting screws d, d', are tapped or
screwed through a part e, e, of the connecting rods D, D', which are turned
down at right angles for the purpose. The points of the screws d, d', (after
passing through the parts e, e¹,) abut against the rocking shafts E, E', and by
turning them, so as to screw them inwards by the points acting against the
shafts, the connecting rods D, D¹, are shortened or adjusted. The rocking
shafts E, E¹, are centred in the upper ends of levers F, F¹, which are
firmly secured at their lower ends f, f¹, by screws G, G¹, to other stronger
rocking or weigh shafts H, H', which have a journal turned or formed on
each end, and have their centres in the main framing. These shafts are
of such a length as to correspond with the whole width of the machine.
On the same shafts there are levers I, I¹, firmly fixed, which stand at
right angles, or nearly so, to the levers F, F. In their ends there are
slots g, g', formed to receive studs or centres h, h', which can be moved
in the slots g, g, nearer to or farther from their centres of motion (which
are the centres of the rocking shafts H, H'), and by this means regulate
the length of stroke of the levers I, I', F, F, and throw off the con-

page_text: necting rods D, D', and needles a. Motion is given to them by connecting
rods J, J, on the pivots or studs h, h; the lower ends of these rods are con-
nected to levers, which are capable of oscillating on fixed centres in the main
frame. These levers have studs fixed in them, on which trucks, wheels, or
friction pulleys are mounted, and which receive the necessary motion from
cam wheels, keyed or otherwise secured to the cam wheel shaft, which may be
driven by hand, steam, or any other prime mover. In the rocking shafts E, E',
studs or joint pieces i, i, are fixed, to which double links K, K¹, are jointed by
pins j, j; these are in turn jointed to the slotted links or hasps L, L', partly
shewn in dotted lines by pins k, k¹, which fit the holes in the links K, K', but
are capable of traversing in the slots 1, 1, in the links or hasps when required.
The length of the slots is from 1 to 1, and from 1 to 7, the greater part seen in
dotted lines on account of being within the sides of the double links K, K¹.
The slotted links or hasps L, L', are firmly secured to the bars M, M', by screws
m, m. N, N', are other bars, seen in section, this line of section being through
the narrowest points in the bars, which are at the bottoms of hollows or notches
cut or formed in them. These notches or hollows are formed into inclined
planes 1, 2, on one side of each notch, and which are more clearly seen in
Figure 2, a plan of a portion of those parts previously described, and to which
the same letters of reference apply. On the main framing small brackets
0, 0¹, are fixed by the screws 0, 0¹; these brackets extend to O", O, the
greater portions of which are parallel to the upper sides of the planed surfaces
of A and B', of the needle bars, and to the planes in which they move when
the machine is in operation. Small inclines o", o¹¹, are formed on each
bracket near their inner ends; the vertical height of these planes is a little
more than the diameter of the needle hooks, so that when the bars C, C¹, by
means of their connections are advancing the work, the rollers P, P¹, will
ascend the inclined planes o", o, and thus raise the arms or connecting rods
D, D', and with them the bars C, C', clear of the needle hooks. The rollers
or friction pulleys P, P¹, revolve on studs or pins P", P, which are fixed
in the brackets Q, Q', and secured to the arms or connecting rods D, D',
by screws Q, Q, for the purpose of raising them when the rollers or
friction pulleys P, P¹, ascend the inclines o¹¹, 0111 In working with this
machine, I cause the needles to be pushed (by means of the bar M¹, on
which the ends of the needles a are shewn abutting,) farther through the
loops or stitches p, until they fold back the tongues of the needles a, and
fall behind them. They are then in a position to receive the yarns or
threads from a carrier p³, the yarns or threads at the same time being forced
down between the needles a by the sinkers p₁. When the needles are

page_text: thrust the required distance, the bar C¹ will have been raised clear of the
needles, by means of the roller P¹ and incline o¹¹¹, as previously explained; but
on the back stroke taking place, the roller P¹ will descend the incline, and the
bar C¹ will fall into the place it occupied before it was raised, and thus catch
the hooks and draw the needles through the stitches (which opened the tongues
and fell over and behind them); the stitches thus close the tongues, and the
loops which were last formed are drawn through them, and the last formed
loops are left in the hooks of the needles which are now the stitches: While
working off one end of the needles only, this process is repeated as often as is
necessary. But to change the needles from back to front, and vice versâ, in
order to work from either end alternately, or to work from either end at
pleasure, according to the pattern desired, or to work any number of times
from either end of the needles, and thus change the pattern, I make use of
a jacquard machine, which comes into play (according to the pattern dissected
on it) when the bars C, C', are at the ends of their strokes, and while they are
lifted up clear of the needles by means of the rollers P, P', and their con-
nections thereby allowing of the needles being pushed farther through to either
side, so as to be out of reach of the bars C, C', when they descend and are
drawn back by their respective connections. By means of their connection
with the jacquard machine, the bars N, N¹, are drawn on end into the position
shewn by the dotted lines in Figure 2; by this motion, the inclines n, n', are
brought into action by abutting against the ends of the slots in the links or
hasps L, L', while the straight or parallel back of the bar bears against the
ends of the double links K, K'. This causes the links or hasps L, L', and
the bars M, M', to which they are attached by screws m, m³, to be forced up
to the needles, and push them into a position quite out of reach of the bars
C, C', in their descent and back stroke. The position of the bars M, M', after
pushing the needles clear from the bars C, C', is shewn by the dotted lines r
in Figure 2. The needles a, a, will now be in a position to be laid hold of by
the opposite bar, that is, if pushed from the bar C¹ by the bar M', the bar C
will be ready to lay hold of them, and pull them through the grooves and
stitches, and be ready to work from the opposite ends and operate in the
manner previously described. The slides Q, through which the work
passes, move from side to side to correspond with the needles and presser
bars by means of cams on a shaft revolving in the frame below. There are
two cams to effect this, placed opposite to each other and a little apart;
either of these cams is brought into action by the jacquard. machine shifting
a roller or truck from the one to the other, by means of a forked lever
spanning the boss of the roller or truck, and so sliding.it along its shaft or

page_text: spindle opposite to the cam required to suit the particular work. The truck is
free to revolve on a stud fixed on a lever free to vibrate on a stud in the
frame; from the other end motion is taken by a connecting rod and bell crank
lever to work the slides.
In a modification of this machine, I cause one of the needle bars or both to
be withdrawn from the work, so as to make space for my improved top
machine or tickler, which is composed of a number of points S, which may bo
jointed to the stocks, or they may be cast in leads S₁, or otherwise fixed in
pieces of metal, so that they may be more conveniently attached to the bars or
stocks S, Su, by screws t, t, which bars or stocks are again in turn fixed to
connecting rods R, R, jointed on the short levers R', which are secured on
the rocking or weigh shafts R", on which also is firmly fixed the lever R¹¹¹, to
which the connecting rod R is jointed. Motion is given to the top
machine by this rod, which receives its motion from suitable levers, and a cam
or cams, trucks, wheels, or friction rollers with grooved bosses, spanned by
forked levers, which are thrown into action. on the cams by the jacquard
machine at the proper time desired. This arrangement is similar to that for
working a cam or the slides Q, already described, but not seen in the
Drawings. Before the top machine is brought into action, the bar A and all
the parts connected to it are drawn into the position shewn by the dotted lines
21, U. This is performed by the apparatus seen in perspective in Figure 3,
where A is the bar, the end of which rests on the plane surface S of the end
framing S¹. H is the main rocking shaft, on which the lever S" is firmly
secured, from the top end of which a tongue piece or latch T is jointed;
having a notch T" formed in its under edge. Another tongue piece or latch
U is jointed to a stud or bracket U₁, firmly secured to the side frame S².
This latch has a notch, rabbet, or check U" formed on its under side;
and at the end next the bar A, on which the notch falls and keeps the bar
A jammed firm against the upright part U of the framing. In this
position the bar A is held while working without. the top machine being in
action, the tongue or latch t being at liberty to slide backwards and forwards
onthe bar A. A fixed stop w is firmly fixed on the back edge of the bar, and
a sliding stop w¹ or catch is fixed on its front edge; this stop rises up from
the piece w, which has a slotted hole w¹¹ formed in it, to allow of its
being drawn or pushed on end by the wire or rod V, which is connected to
the lug, formed on the end of the sliding piece w¹¹, the other end of
which is connected to a similar arrangement of tongues or catches on the
other end of the bar A by the wire or rod a¹. These sliding pieces are
kept in the present position by a spring or weight, but are capable of being

page_text: moved on end in the direction of the arrow x by means of the wire or rod V
attached to the jacquard. When this takes place, the tongue or catch T is
in the position shown by the dotted lines, the end of this tongue abutting
against the fixed stop won the back edge of the bar A. The jacquard
machine, which receives its motion from a cam, pulls the wire or rod V, and
with it the sliding piece w and stop w', until the stop w¹ rests in the
notch T, formed in the tongue or catch T, and which catch is locked between
the stops w and w¹; simultaneously with the locking being effected, the latch U
is raised into the position of the dotted lines x, and out of action from
the bar A, by an incline y, formed on one side of a notch cut in the sliding
piece w; this incline is seen in dotted lines. A pin y' is fixed in the bar A
to keep the point of the latch U steady while being acted on by the incline y.
The upper edge of the sliding piece w" is flush with the top surface of A,
which allows them to be moved backwards and forwards without taking into
the notch U in the end of the tongue or catch U, until it is necessary to
fix or lock the bar A, which is done by the action of the jacquard machine
releasing the rod or wire V, when it and the sliding piece w" and its stop w¹
are pulled in the direction of the arrow y", by means of the spring or weight
before mentioned, but not shewn. When this takes place, the catch U falls,
and the notch U" locks or jams the bar A between it and the upright portion
of the frame U, where it is kept while working with either ends of the
needles when the top machine or tickler is out of action. To bring the
top machine or tickler into action, the needle bar A with its appendages
is drawn back into the position of the dotted lines u, u, by the apparatus
and different movements previously described. In the Drawings, the mo-
tions of the top machine are indicated by arrows and consecutive numbers;
and as the method and means by which these movements are produced
have been already explained, it will be needless to describe them further
than to point out the consecutive movements. The first is, the points are
raised vertically in the position of the dotted lines a little above the upper-
side of the needles or hooks; the second is the moving of the needles or hooks
which advance to the tickler points, but below them. The needles are thus
pushed a certain distance through the stitches or loops sufficiently to allow the
tickler points to rest on, or in the recesses of the needles or hooks between
the loops and hooks or ends; the third movement is to bring the tickler points
into that position, which movement is exactly the reverse of the first, but only
much smaller; the points now being in a position to receive the loops which it
is desirable to shift, the slides Q, Q, are moved to the points, pulling the
necessary loops or stitches on to them; this is the fourth movement: the fifth

page_text: is the raising of the points and their loops or stitches a little, so as to be clear
of the needles or hooks; the sixth motion is performed by the jacquard
machine, and is at right angles to those already described, so as to shift the
points opposite to different needles or hooks to those from which the loops or
stitches were taken; when in this position the seventh movement takes place,
which is the reverse of the fifth; the points being now in the recesses of the
needles or hooks, the eighth movement then takes place, which is the shifting
of the slides, and drawing the loops or stitches off the points on to the needles
or hooks in which the points of the tickler rest; the ninth is the drawing of
the needles or hooks from underneath the tickler points; while the tenth is
the withdrawing or lowering of the tickler and points into the position they
occupied before the first motion took place, and out of the way, so as to
allow the needle bar A to be put in its position when working with the
needles only.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performned, I declare that I claim,―
First, the general arrangement and combination of parts herein-before
described.
Second, the employment of a jacquard machine or peg cylinder for forming
various designs in fabrics produced in rotary self-acting double-ended needle
machines.
Third, the method of and arrangements of machinery, herein-before described,-
for working off from either end of double-ended needles or hooks alternately,
or at pleasure, as herein-before described.
Fourth, the employment of a self-acting top machine in combination with
the ordinary rotary double-ended needle machine, or in combination with
rotary machines with self-acting double-ended hooks.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Edward Hodges, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of August, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-six.
35
TAR CHA
JOHN EDWARD HODGES. (L.S.)