IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KNITTED FABRICS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Kiddier, James Kiddier, John William Kiddier, and
Herbert Kiddier, Machinists, all in the Employment of the Nottingham Manu-
facturing Company (Limited), at the Town and County of the Town of
Nottingham, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KNITTED FABRICS."
Sealed the 28th November 1879, and dated the 3rd June 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Kiddier, James Kiddier,
John William Kiddier, and Herbert Kiddier at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents on the 3rd June 1879.
JOHN KIDDIER, JAMES KIDDIER, JOHN WILLIAM KIDDIER, and HERBERT
KIDDIER, Machinists, all in the Employment of the Nottingham Manufacturing
Company (Limited), at the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KNITTED
FABRICS."
"
"
In the use of shifting instruments to facilitate the shifting of the loops from one
set of needles to other sets of needles, for effecting alterations in the width or the
fashioning" of fabric being produced in knitting machinery, when manufacturing
ribbed fabrics, such use has been limited to the shifting of the loops formed on the
frame" needles, and although attempts have been made to effect the shifting of
the loops formed on the "machine" needles, such attempts have not been attended
with the results desired, and imperfect work is produced. The object of one part
of our Invention is to remedy this evil by the application and working of other
shifting instruments adapted to the shifting of the loops formed on the "machine"
needles, so that the whole of the loops shifted may be correctly transferred and
held;
the whole operation for the "fashioning" being capable of being operated by
the same fashioning apparatus.
"
For this purpose we apply at the parts desired the extra instruments for shifting
the loops of the "machine needles, and when employing machinery of the
character of that generally known in the trade as Cotton's machinery," with tho
"machine" needles working in about a horizontal direction, the operating ends of
these shifting instruments are formed hollow or recessed, and so as to cover the

page_text: beards of the "machine" needles for the distance required; they are then bent
upwards and connected to lever frames or holders, which are supported to rock on
the bearings of the shifting instruments, to the frame needles or other corre-
spongly suitable bearings carried by the bars, by which the lifting and endway
motions are given to the shifting instruments, to the frame needles, or by other
suitably operated bars; and these lever frames or holders are operated by other
rods, levers, and cams or tappets, for the desired forward and backward motions to
them, or motions in the direction of the length of the machine needles, and so that
such covering instruments are capable in such movement of taking the loops on the
machine needles simultaneously with the action of the covering points to the frame
needles.
By these means the beards of the machine needles as well as those of the frame
needles are fully covered by the covering or shifting instruments for effecting the
shifting of the loops, and facility is afforded for the "fashioning" of "ribbed" or such
like fabric produced by the operation of "frame" and "machine" needles.
These improvements are applicable to other than "Cotton's" frames.
In the production of the "welt" in the manufacture of knitted ribbed fabric
other than "one and one" by the use of machinery of the character referred to,
according to present arrangements a number of complex motions have to be
effected by the hand in the excrcise of the skill of the attendant, by which loss of
time and frequent inistakes arise. The object of another part of our Invention is
to simplify these operations.
For this purpose in starting for the production of a "welt," instead of as at
present, throwing the machine needle bar over to the front with the needles out of
the work, this needle bar we, according to these improvements, simply shogg or
move endwise to bring its needles between the frame needles; a thread is then
drawn across the frame needles forming the first series or course of loops. Such of
these loops as are requisite for the formation of the rib are then passed in the
ordinary way to the machino needles. The welting bar is now introduced and
attached, and the machine needle bar is now held back by a lever or other suitable
stop, and is then shogged endwise back into its original position and released, so
that the second course of loops may be worked on both sets of needles. The
machine needle bar is then again stopped back by the lever or other suitable stop,
whilst the requisite number of courses for the formation of the welt fabric are
produced on the frame needles.
The machine needle bar is then again released, and the welt fabric being
completed, the desired fabric is produced thereto.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Kiddier, James Kiddier, John William Kiddier, and Herbert
Kiddier in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd December 1879.
JOHN KIDDIER, JAMES KIDDIER, JOHN WILLIAM KIDDIER, and HERBERT
KIDDIER, Machinists, all in the Employment of the Nottingham Manufacturing
Company (Limited), at the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KNITTED
FABRICS."
In the use of shifting instruments to facilitate the shifting of the loops from
one set of needles to other sets of needles, for effecting alterations in the width
or the "fashioning" of fabric being produced in knitting machinery when manu-
facturing ribbed fabrics, such use has been limited to the shifting of the loops
formed on the frame needles, and although attempts have been made to effect the
shifting of the loops formed on the "machine " needles, such attempts have not
been attended with the results desired, and imperfect work is produced. The
object of one part of our Invention is to remedy this evil by the application and
working of other shifting instruments, adapted to the shifting of the loops formed
on the machine" needles, so that the whole of the loops shifted may be correctly
transferred and held, the whole operation for the "fashioning" being capable of
being operated by the same fashioning apparatus.
"
For this purpose we apply at the parts desired the extra instruments for shifting
the loops of the "machine" needles, and when employing machinery of the
character of that generally known in the trade as Cotton's machinery, with the
"machine" needles working in about a horizontal direction, the operating ends of
these shifting instruments are formed hollow or recessed, and so as to cover the
beards of the "machine" needles for the distance required; they are then bent
upwards and connected to lever frames or holders, which are supported to rock
on the bearings of the shifting instruments to the frame needles, or other corre-
spondingly suitable bearings carried by the bars by which the lifting aud endway
motions are given to the shifting instruments, to the frame needles, or by other
suitably operated bars; and these lever frames or holders are operated by other
rods, levers, and cams or tappets, for the desired forward and backward motions
to them, or motions in the direction of the length of the machine needles, and so
that such covering instruments are capable in such movement of taking the loops
on the machine needles simultaneously with the action of the covering points to
the frame needles.
By these means the beards of the machine needles, as well as those of the frame
needles, are fully covered by the covering or shifting instruments for effecting the
shifting of the loops, and facility is afforded for the "fashioning" of "ribbed " or
such like fabric produced by the operation of "frame" and "machine" needles.
These improvements are applicable to other than "Cotton's" frames.
But that the Invention may be the better understood we will, by the aid of the
accompanying Drawings, proceed to describe means pursued by us in carrying the
same into effect.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figures 1, 2, and 3, show transverse sectional views of apparatus of the character
of that now generally known in the trade as Cotton's frames.
Figures 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7, show parts separately.
In each of the said Figures the same letters are employed to indicate corre-
sponding parts. a shows the main framing; b, the main or driving axis, on which
are applied the cams or tappets for actuating the principal moving parts; c indi-
cates the "frame" needles; and d, the "machine" needles; e indicates the sinkers;

page_text: "
and f, the knocking over bits; whilst g, g, and h, h, represent the covering instru-
ments or points for operating on the respective loops for the purpose of effecting
alterations in the width of the fabric being produced. The instruments g, g, of
which there is one set to act on the loops at each edge of the fabric, are affixed in
holders g, and one of these holders is affixed to one bar g and the other to the
other bar g; and both these bars 72 are supported with capability of endway
motion in arms g³ from the shaft g, and this shaft g is supported in the ends of
arms g³ from the shaft g. The instruments g are hollowed on one side to receive
the beards of the frame needles and act as covering points to those needles, and the
bars g, g², carrying them have the desired endway step by step motion given to
them in opposite directions by screw motions, all as is well understood by persons
acquainted with the class of knitting machinery referred to. The instruments h,
according to our present improvements, operating with the instruments gat each
edge of the fabric, are like the instruments g formed hollow or recessed, and so as to
be capable of fully covering the beards of the machine needles d to receive and transfer
the loops from and to the "machine' needles in the operation of " narrowing."
According to the arrangement shown these instruments h are cranked, the better
for them to cover the "machine" needles, but this arrangement will depend on the
position of the respective "frame" and "machine" needles. The instruments h
are set in lever arms ¹, which are supported to rock on axes 2 carried by the
respective holders g' of the instruments g, so as to be moved transversely with the
movement given to those instruments; and these lever arms h¹ are at their upper
ends h³ forked to embrace a rod i carried by arms from the rocking shaft i²,
which is supported to rock in bearings 23 formed on the arms g5; and on this shaft 2
are also applied arms with adjustable screws is acting on the arms g³, and these
arms are operated for the forward movement of the instruments h by means of
the cam applied to the axis b acting on the truck or bowl h; and this truck or
bowl his carried by the adjustable pin 7 in one end of the lever ³, which is
affixed on the shaft or axis hand at its other end by adjustable pin 10 carries one
end of the lifting rod ", the other end of which bears against the underside of an
arm, and it is borne to it by a spring h¹².
The frame needles c are supported in the frame needle bar c', and this bar is
operated when "fashioning" is being effected by narrowing by means of the cams
or tappets c³, c³. The cam or tappet c³ acts on the truck or bowl c carried by the
arm c³ from the rocking shaft ce, and which arm is connected by the shifting lever
link c with the lower end of the arm c8 applied to the needle bar c', whilst the cam
or tappet c acts on the bowl carried by the lower end of the arm co affixed to
the rocking shaft c", on which is applied the arms c, the outer ends of which are
by pin joints c¹³ connected to the needle bar c¹. The lifting motion to the rod g
is effected during the narrowing operations by means of the cam or tappet j by
such cam or tappet acting on the truck or bowl j¹ carried by the lever arm 2, one
end of which is supported to rock on the pin j³, whilst the other end is by pin
joint connected to one end of the link 7, the other end of which is connected to
the rod g'.
The machine needles d are supported in the machine needle bar d', and this
veedle bar is formed and is supported in the usual way in such machines by means
of arms d², the inner ends of which rest on the usual adjustable supports as carried
by the lifting bar d', whilst their outer ends are connected by pin joints with the
upper ends of arms do affixed to the rocking shaft d'; and this rocking shaft d' has
the desired rocking motion given to it during the narrowing operation by means of
the cam or tappet de affixed on the shaft b by that cam or tappet acting on the
truck or bowl d applied with capability of adjustment to one end of the lever
arm do, the other end of which is affixed to the rocking shaft d. is the cam
or tappet for effecting the desired vertical motion to the bar d by that cam acting
on the truck or bowl d¹² carried by one end of the lever arm d¹³, the other end of
which is applied to the shaft d'; and the lever d¹s is connected by the adjustable
link do with the bar d'

page_text: The plate is applied as usual to arms k', the front end of which rests on the
inclined projection whilst the arms are connected by pin joints with the
upper ends of the arms, which arms are applied to the rocking shaft k³, and this
shaft has other arms applied to it, each with a bowl k', which, during the opera-
tion of narrowing, simply runs on the wheel k³.
All these lever arms with their bowls are borne to their cams by spring, or it
may be other suitable pressure, and it will be understood that we have only thought
it desirable in describing these improvements to indicate the cams we employ to
operate the respective parts during the narrowing process.
In the production of the fabric without narrowing the ordinary cains for operating,
the parts will be brought into operation, and those referred to as in use when
narrowing will be thrown out of use.
In working according to these improvements for narrowing the ordinary covering,
instruments g first come into operation to cover the frame needle beards and
receive the loops just formed on those needles; the instruments then go in, and
by covering the beards of the machine needles receive from those needles the loops
just formed on them, so that both the loops from the frame needles and from the
machine needles are now held on the instruments g and h, and those instruments g
and then have motion given to them side ways, one pair to each breadth to the
right and the other to the left for the narrowing required, and then those instru-
ments transfer their loops again to the frame and machine needles, and so on.
Figures 4 and 5 show side and front views of instruments g and h and parts
connected with the lower of the bars g²; and Figures 6 and 7 show corresponding
views of those instruments and parts as carried by the upper of the bars g², all full
size.
We will now describe another part of our improvements.
In the production of the welt in the manufacture of knitted ribbed fabric, other
than "
one and one," by the use of machinery of the character referred to, according
to present arrangements a number of complex motions have to be effected by the
hand dependent on the exercise of skill by the attendant, by which loss of time
and frequent mistakes arise. The object of this part of our Invention is to simplify
these operations.
This part of the Invention is illustrated by sectional view of parts at Figure 8,
and by detail views at Figures 9, 10, 11, and 12.
In carrying out this part of the Invention in starting for the production of a
"welt" instead of as at present throwing the machine needle bar d' over on the
axes d³ by its arms d² to the front with those machine needles out of the work,
this machine needle bar is simply according to these improvements moved endwiso
so as to bring its needles into positions opposito those between the pairs of the
frame needles as represented by the diagram, Figure 13. This we effect by means
of slight end way motion given to the bar d. For this purpose collars , l, are
applied to the bar & to embrace the opposite sides of the lever U, one end of which
is supported to turn on the fixed pin 2, whilst the other end is by spring or weight
pressure borne for ordinary work against the stop 13, but to bring the machine
needles into the relation to the frame needles indicated by the diagram, Figure 13;
this stop 1³ is lifted out of the way of the lever l' when the axis d' will be borne
with its collar against its bearing as desired.
The slide is thrown out of work; a thread is then drawn across the frame
needles forming the first series or course of loops. Such of these loops as are
requisite for the formation of the ribs are then passed in the ordinary way to the
machine needles as indicated by the diagram, Figure 14; the welting bar is now
introduced with the hooks of its instruments m attached to the loops as indicated
by the diagram, Figure 15, and the machine needle bar is now held back, and to
facilitate this pulling back of the bar & there is applied to the shaft d' an arm n,
the outer end of which is, by pin joint n', connected to the upper end of the link n³,
the lower end of which is, by pin joint n³, connected to the lever n', one end of
which is supported to rock on the stationary pin n³, whilst the other end is formed

page_text: as a treadle n° for the foot of the operator. One of the arms do is also formed
with a projection p in position to act on the outer end of the lever arm p' when
that end of the lever arm is in position for the purpose. This projection p is also
provided with an adjustable screw p², the end of which is in position to come
against the outer end of the lever arm p' when that lever arm is permitted to
descend low enough. The outer end of the lever arm p' rests on the inner end of
a sliding stop ps when the outer end of the lever p' is to act on the outer end of
the projection p, but when that outer end is to be acted upon by the end of the
screw p², then the inner end of the stop p³ is withdrawn from action on the lever
arm p'.
At this stage of the operations the needle bar is held back by the screw p²,
in the upper end of the stop p, coming against the outer end of the lever arm p¹.
The machine needles are now slogged endwise back to their original position,
somewhat as indicated by the diagram, Figure 16, and the lever is released from
the stop 3, so that the second course of loops may be worked on both sets of
needles.
The machine needle bar is now again stopped back, but this time not so far by
the introduction of the bolt p², the outer end of the lever p¹ will be raised above the
end of the screw p" to be acted upon only by the upper part of the stop p, whilst
the requisite number of courses for the formation of the welt fabric are produced
on the frame needles.
The machine needle bar is then again released, and the welt fabric being com-
pleted, the desired fabric is produced thereto.
Having thus described our Invention, and means we adopt in carrying the same
into effect, we would have it understood that we do not confine ourselves to the
precise arrangements of parts as shewn and described, as the same may be varied
without departing from the peculiar character of our Invention,
But what we do claim is,
Firstly. The arranging or combining parts whereby instruments h are capable
of operating with the instrument g and the machine needles in the production of
narrowing in the manufacture of knitted fabrics, substantially as described.
Secondly. We claim the arranging or combining parts, and the method of
operating for effecting "welting" substantially as described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Kiddier and James Kiddier, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty ninth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.
JOHN KIDDIER.
(L.S.)
JAMES KIDDIER. (L.S.)