Improvements in or applicable to Knitting, Turning-off, Linking, Stitching, and like Machines.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 29th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 30th May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or applicable to Knitting, Turning-off, Linking,
Stitching, and like Machines.
LBENJAMIN HAGUE, of Roden Street, in the Town and County of the Town
of Nottingham, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in or applicable to knitting, turning off,
linking, stitching and like machines, and it has for its object to provide an improved
tension device which shall also act as an automatic feeder of the yarn or thread to
the machine.
By the means about to be described, the yarn or thread is fed automatically to
the machine without any stretch or strain on the needles or hooks, and without
jerking consequent on overcoming the tension, as heretofore experienced.
This improved tension and automatic feeding device consists of a frame, formed
on each side with a slot, in which are journalled two rollers. The thread or yarn
passes between these rollers, from the bobbin to the inachine, and one of the rollers,
preferably the upper one, has its surface covered with leather, indiarubber, or
equivalent material, so as to ensure a good grip on the yarn or thread. To obtain
the proper tension, and to allow for the thickness of the thread or yarn used, the
upper roller is carried by a smaller frame, which fits within the main frame, and
the position of this smaller frame, together with the upper roller, can be vertically
adjusted by suitable means, such as a spring controlled by a set screw, the said
spring bearing on the smaller frame carrying such roller.
The lower roller provided on one side with ratchet teeth, or with a ratchet
wheel, with which engage two pawls, one being pivotted to a reciprocating arm or
lever connected with the machine, from which it receives its motion through suitable
mechanism, preferably by means of a cam. This pawl by acting on the ratchet
wheel will drive the lower roller during each reciprocating motion of the said arm
or lever and will thus take off from the bobbin, and feed to the machine a sufficient
length of yarn or thread necessary for each loop or stitch.
This automatic feeding of the yarn or thread to the machine relieves the needles
or hooks from all unnecessary stretch or strain, as there is no tension to overcome
and all jerking in the working of the machine is prevented.
The ratchet teeth, or the ratchet wheel, is further controlled by a second pawl
which prevents it from turning backwards when the first named pawl moves back
with the lever to which it is pivotted. The lower roller with the ratchet teeth, or the
ratchet wheel alone, can be replaced by another having ratchet teeth of a different
pitch so as to permit of the adjustment of the length of yarn or thread required for
each stitch or loop.
The main frame of the said device is fixed or secured to the desired machine in
any suitable manner.
Dated this 20th of A 1900

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or applicable to Knitting, Turning-off, Linking,
Stitching, and like Machines.
I, BENJAMIN HAGUE, of Roden Street, in the Town and County of the Town
of Nottingham, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this 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 accom-
panying drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My invention relates to improvements in or applicable to knitting, turning off,
linking, stitching, and like machines, and it has for its object to provide an improved
tension device which shall also act as an automatic feeder of the yarn or thread
from the bobbin to the machine.
According to my invention the yarn or thread is fed automatically to the machine
without any undue strain coming onto the needles or hooks, and without any jerking
caused by overcoming the tension as heretofore experienced.
My improved tension and automatic feeding device consists of a frame connected,
in any suitable manner, to the machine to which my invention is applied, and this
frame is slotted on each side to receive the journals of two rollers between which
the yarn or thread passes on its way from the bobbin to the machine, the upper
roller being covered with leather, india-rubber, or other flexible material, to ensure
a good grip upon the yarn or thread. In order to regulate the tension and to allow
for the thickness of thread or yarn, the upper roller is surmounted by a small frame
arranged within the main frame, the position of the former frame, and hence that of
the upper roller, being vertically adjustable by a spring controlled by a set screw,
or other suitable incans.
The lower roller is provided on one side with a ratchet wheel with which engages
a pawl pivotted to a reciprocating arm or lever connected with the machine and
netunted by a cam, or other suitable mechanism. This pawl acts upon the ratchet
wheel at each reciprocating motion of the arm or lever aforesaid and thus takes off
from the bolibin, and feeds to the machine, the length of yarn or thread required
for each loop.
If preferred two ratchet wheels and two pawls may be employed so that as one
or other of these pawis is in gear more or less thread or yarn will he fed to the
machine at each movement of the needle. The pawl which is not in use is simply
turned back so as to be disengaged from its rateliet wheel.
And in order that my invention may be readily understood proceed to describe
the same fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved tension and feeding device shewn as
applied to a turning-off machine, only so much of this machine being shown as is
necessary to explain the invention.
Fig. 2 is a view at right angles to Fig. 1, with part of the machine frame in
section.
is the rectangular frame of the tension and feeding device, the horizontal part a
of which is bolted to a vertical bar a secured to the bracket a'. The arm a is
likewise bolted to the bracket at in front of the bar a² and is connected to the
reciprocating lever or arm by means of a bolt and nut as shewn, the said arm a
being secured to any suitable part of the machine to which the device may be
applied.
The machine is furnished with a driving shaft A carrying a driving cam or
eccentric B, against which the disc O mounted near the lower end of the arm or
lever (see Fig. 2) is caused to bear by the action of the spiral spring s.
upper end of the lever carries a pawl m which engages with the teeth of the
ratchet wheel e which is mounted on the axis of the lower roller c.
The
These rollers c and d are journalled in slots formed in the sides of the frame a

page_text: and the lower roller may be fluted or corrugated if preferred while the upper
roller d is faced or covered with leather, india-rubber, or other resilient material, so
as to ensure a proper grip on the thread or yarn passing between them. The ends of
the small frame bear upon the axle of the leather-faced roller d, and upon the small
frame presses a spring controlled by set screw passing through the cap k of the
main frame, thereby allowing the pressure of the frame h on the axle of the
roller d to be increased or diminished as required.
y is a guide eye (bolted to the underside of the frame a) through which the thread
or yarn from the bobbin or spool passes on its way to the machine.
The working is as follows:--As the can or eccentric rotates, in the direction of
the arrow, the lever bis caused to oscillate about its centre at n and a step by step
rotary motion is imparted to the lower roller c by means of the pawl m and ratchet
wheel e, thus the required length of thread or yarn is drawn from the bobbin and
intermittently fed to the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same may be performed, I claim :
The improved tension and automatic feeding device applicable to knitting, turning
off, linking, stitching, and other like machines, having its parts arranged, combined,
and operating substantially as herein described and shewn, and for the purposes
set forth.
Dated this 29th day of April 1891.
ERNEST DE PASS,
78, Fleet Street, London, and 6, Victoria Street, Nottingham,
Agent for the Applicant.