IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO CIRCULAR MACHINES MAKING PLAIN OR RIBBED LOOPED FABRICS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Clarke and Samuel Clarke, of Loughborough,
"
FOR
in the County of Leicester, for the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY AND APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO CIRCULAR MACHINES
MAKING PLAIN OR RIBBED LOOPED FABRICS."
Sealed the 3rd August 1877, and dated the 14th February 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Clarke and Samuel
Clarke at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th February
1877.
HENRY CLARKE and SAMUEL CLARKE, both of Loughborough, in the County of
Leicester. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO
CIRCULAR MACHINES FOR MAKING PLAIN OR RIBBED LOOPED FABRICS."
Our first modification applies to circular machines for making plain looped fabrics,
upon the top side of the bed which supports the vertical needle cylinder of each
head, we secure a bracket, the front of which forms a boss, in which is secured a
fixed spindle similar to the spindle employed in a machine for making ribbed
looped fabrics. This spindle is bored out nearly the whole of its length from the
top; the lower end is provided with a collar, above which is a grooved cam plate for
operating apparatus of the usual construction to produce a mock seam or seams
when required. Above such cam plate we secure a flanged boss carrying as many
sliding cam bits as there are feeders to the head; each of these cam bits force out-
wards one or more levers, each carrying one or more thread guides secured in the
lower end; each lever is attached by a universal joint to a bracket carried by a
revolving plate supplied with pins for thread cops or bobbins; this plate may be
driven by toothed gearing in the usual way or by two connecting links attached
to it and to a revolving collar driven by studs on the inside of the vertical needle
cylinder. When the thread guides are thrown outwards by the cam bits they are
traversed over the requisite number of needles by rocking inclines operated by cam
plates carried by brackets,attached to the flange of a boss secured to the fixed
spindle; the thread guide levers are held to the cams by means of springs. In the

page_text: hollow of the fixed spindle before named is a rod capable of sliding up and down
within it; this rod carries at its lower end a cross piece provided with as many
inclines as there are feeders to the head; when the rod is depressed the inclines
throw the thread guides outwards, and when the rod is raised by a spring or its
equivalent. the thread guides remain within the circle of vertical needles, while said
needles are.being supplied with threads in the usual way; the rising of the rod is
effected by means of studs carried by a chain passing over a cylinder, drum, or axle
provided with a ratchet wheel driven by a pawi at the end of a lever actuated by
a cam or cams on the main driving wheel of the head, which is of the usual con-
struction and carries what are known as latch needles.
By machinery and apparatus constructed and operating as above described we
are enabled to make a vertical striped plated fabric of divers colours, or vertical
stripes alternating with horizontal stripes, or a plaided fabric at will.
A second modification consists of machinery and apparatus as above described,
but instead of employing a universal joint to allow of the free action of the thread
guide levers we employ rocking levers carried by axles upon and revolving with
the plate carrying the thread cop or bobbin pins, the rocking levers being actuated
by cams secured to the fixed spindle.
Our third modification consists of machinery and apparatus as above described,
with the exception of the apparatus for producing a nock seam or seams, for which
we substitute a rib machine, by means of which we can make a ribbed fabric
having vertical plated stripes of divers colours, or ribbed vertical stripes alternating
with horizontal stripes or a plaided fabric at will.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Clarke and Samuel Clarke in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 9th August 1877.
HENRY CLARKE and SAMUEL CLARKE, of Loughborough, in the County of
Leicester. " IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO
CIRCULAR MACHINES FOR MAKING PLAIN OR RIBBED LOOPED FABRICS."
Our first modification applies to circular machines for making plain looped
fabrics, upon the top side of the bed which supports the vertical needle cylinder of
each head, we secure a bracket, the front of which forms a boss, in which is secured
a fixed spindle similar to the spindle employed in a machine for making ribbed looped
fabrics. This spindle is bored out nearly the whole of its length from the top; the
lower end is provided with a collar, above which is a grooved cam plate for
operating apparatus of the usual construction to produce a nock seam or seams
when required. Above such cam plate we secure a flanged boss carrying as many
sliding cam bits as there are feeders to the head; each of these cam bits force out-
wards one or more levers, each carrying one or more thread guides secured in the
lower end; each lever is attached by a universal joint to a bracket carried by a
revolving plate supplied with pins for thread cops or bobbins; this plate may be
driven by toothed gearing in the usual way, or by two connecting links attached to
it and to a revolving collar driven by studs on the inside of the vertical needle
cylinder. When the thread guides are thrown outwards by the cam bits they are
traversed over the requisite number of needles by rocking inclines operated by cam
plates carried by brackets attached to the flange of a boss secured to the fixed
spindle; the thread guide levers are held to the cams by means of springs. In the
hollow of the fixed spindle before named is a rod capable of sliding up and down
within it; this rod carries at its lower end a cross piece provided with as many
inclines as there are feeders to the head; when the rod is depressed the inclines
throw the thread guides outwards, and when the rod is raised by a spring or its
equivalent the thread guides remain within the circle of vertical peodles, while said

page_text: needles are being supplied with threads in the usual way; the rising of the rod is
effected by means of studs carried by a chain passing over a cylinder, drum, or axle
provided with a ratchet wheel driven by a pawl at the end of a lever actuated by
a cam or cams on the main driving wheel of the head, which is of the usual con-
5 struction, and carries what are known as latch needles.
By machinery and apparatus constructed and operating as above described we
are enabled to make a vertical striped plaited fabric of divers colors, or vertical
stripes alternating with horizontal stripes, or a plaided fabric at will.
A second modification consists of machinery and apparatus as above described,
but instead of employing a universal joint to allow of the free action of the thread
guide levers we employ rocking levers carried by axles upon and revolving with
the plate carrying the thread, cop, or bobbin pins, the rocking levers being actuated
by cams secured to the fixed spindle.
Our third modification consists of machinery and apparatus as above described,
with the exception of the apparatus for producing a mock seam or seams, for which
we substitute a rib machine, by means of which we can make a ribbed fabric
having vertical plated strip of divers colors, or ribbed vertical strips alternating
with horizontal stripes, or a plaided fabric at will.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a side view of our improved machinery and apparatus applied
to a circular machine for making plain looped fabrics.
Figure 2, a side view of our improved machinery and apparatus applicable to
either a circular machine for making a plain looped fabric and carrying apparatus
to produce a mock seam or seams, or to a circular machine to produce ribbed looped
fabrics; and Figures 3 to 7 inclusive are portions of both the above, shewn soparately,
and severally referred to hereafter.
Our first modification applied to a machine for making plain looped fabrics,
shewn at Figure 1, consists of the following parts:-Upon the top side of the bed
which supports the vertical needle cylinder A of cach head we secure a bracket B,
in the boss of which is fixed a spindle C, bored out nearly the whole of its length from
the top, in which is a rod D capable of sliding up and down within it; to the lower
end of the rod is secured a cross piece provided with as many inclines E, shewn in
side view at Figure 5, as there are thread guides to be operated upon when the rod
is raised by a spring or its equivalent; the thread guides remain within the circle of
vertical needles, as shewn at Figure 1, while the said needles are being supplied
with threads in the usual way when the rod is depressed; when placed above the
sliding cam bits F1, shewn in plan at Figure 6, such bits will be projected outwards;
the bits are carried by and slide in a flanged boss F2, secured to and stationary with
the fixed spindle; the bits are each provided with a stud, upon which a spring is
placed to hold them clear of the thread guides except when projected by the
inclines.
One or more thread guides may be secured to or form part of a lever F rocking
upon an axle F³, cach carried by a stud on the lower side of a revolving plate G, an
enlarged under side view of which is shewn at Figure 4. When the thread guides
are thrown outwards by the cam bits they are traversed over the requisite number
of needles by rocking inclines G' operated by a cam H secured to the fixed spindle;
each guide lever F is kept within the circle of needles by a spring F' except when
projected by the cam bits, and is also held in the position shewn at Figure 4.by a
link attached at one end to a pin in the upper end of the lever, its other end being
hooked to a spring F³, secured to the stud carrying the axle. The revolution of the
plate G may be effected by toothed gearing in the usual way or by means of one or
more links I, the upper end of which is secured in the plate G at G², the lower end
being attached to a collar K, shown in plan at Figure 7, having a projection on one
side, the collar being revolved by a stud L on the inside of the vertical needle
cylinder,

page_text: The lowering of the rod D is effected by a lever D' rocking upon an axle secured
in the bracket B; the inner end of the lever is slotted to receive a pin in the rod
D, and the outer end is hinged to a vertical rod, which may be operated by means
of studs carried by a chain, passing over a cylinder, drum, or axle provided with a
ratchet wheel driven by a pawl at one end of a lever actuated by a cam or stud on
the driving wheel of the head. The upper side of the plate G is provided with pins,
upon which thread, cops, or bobbins are placed, the threads from which are passed
over and placed in slots in a thread guiding ring L previous to being entered
through the thread guides; the guiding ring is supported by two arms projecting
from and revolving with the plate G. By machinery and apparatus constructed and
operating as above described we are enabled to make a vertical striped plaited
fabric of divers colors, or vertical stripes alternating with horizontal stripes, or a
plaided fabric at will.
Our second modification consists of machinery and apparatus operating in a
similar manner to the first described, but constructed as follows:-To the revolving
head carrying a ribbing or seaming needle, as described in the Specification of a
Patent granted to Henry Moses Mellor, No. 2325, August 13th, 1867; or to the
upper head of a circular machine for making ribbed looped fabrics we attach one or
inore rocking levers A, rocking and sliding upon an axle B in a bracket B¹, a front
view of one of which is shewn at Figure 2; the lever carries a thread guide at its
lower end supplied from a thread cop attached to any convenient part of the
revolving upper head, the toothed wheel C of which is driven by gearing in the
usual way; the upper end of the lever A takes into and is operated by cam rings
D secured to the under side of the bearing bracket E, portion of which, with the
cam rings, are shewn in plan at Figure 3; as the upper end of the lever is passing
over the portions D', seen at Figure 3, it is traversed over one or more needles by a
stud, which, with the lever, is shown by dotted lines at the left of Figure 2, having
passed which it is forced into the position shown at the front by a spring coiled
round its axis. The rocking lever F, carrying the seaming needle shown to the
right of Figure 2 is operated in the way described in the Specification above referred
to. By such machinery and apparatus we are enabled to produce a ribbed fabric
having vertical plaited stripes of divers colors, or ribbed vertical stripes alternating
with horizontal stripes, or a plaided fabric at will.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same may be performed, we declare that we claim for additional thread guides
revolving with the needles and passing through and in front of one or more needles
for supplying threads to produce vertical plaited stripes upon looped fabrics.
In witness whereof, we, the said Henry Clarke and Samuel Clarke, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Seventh day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
H. W. GOUGH, C.E.,
Nottingham.
HENRY CLARKE.
(L.S.)
SAMUEL CLARKE. (L.S.)