Improvements in the Manufacture of Hosiery Knitting Machines.
Year: 1886

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Hosiery Knitting Machines.
HENRY CLARKE, (Foreman in the employ of Messrs. Thornton & Mawby) JOHN
MOORE THORNTON THOMAS MAWBY Hosiery Manufacturers Duke Street, Leicester,
in the County of Leicester, do hereby declare the nature of their invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF HOSIERY KNITTING MACHINES, to be as
follows:-
Our Improvement is for making socks & stockings, with or without spliced
heels and ankles, and with merino heel & toe or coloured heel & toe, without
tying the ends of the yarn on the machine known as Cotton's Patent Knitting
Machine.
The 1st modification of our invention consists of six additional carrier rods to
each heel, with the carrier needles attached in such a position as to allow them to
pass over each other. Each carrier rod is moved at will by a bolt being attached
to the carrier rod known as the heeling carrier. By this arrangement we are able
to splice the ankles of socks & stockings with the heeling carrier by adding an
additional stop at each end of the said machine.
The 2nd modification consists of an axle being secured to the present heeling
carrier, and a circular plate with three carrier needles attached in such a position
as to allow each one to be brought into work independently by the movement of
rods. By this arrangement we are also able to splice the ankles of stockings
& socks with the heeling carrier by adding an additional stop at each end of the
said machine.

page_text: Figures 1, 2 and
show in plan portions of a knitting machine with our
improvements applied thereto.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are front views of the same portions.
Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view through one division of the machine looking
from the right end and showing the right side of seven thread carriers referred to
hereafter.
:
Figure 8 shows a front view of certain inclines and Figure 9 a front view of a
tumbler catch each severally described in their turn.
1
Figures 1 and 4 show the screw and narrowing bracket and portion of one
division at the left end of a machine known as Cotton's Patent knitting machine.
Figures 3 and 6 the screw and bracket at the right end of the machine, and
Figures 2 and 5 show intermediate portions of two divisions next the right end
of the machine.
In carrying out our improvements we employ six additional carrier rods to each
machine, each rod being provided with one thread carrier to each division of the
machine arranged as follows:
The carriers on rod 1 are each supplied with a coloured or merino thread to
make the right side of the heels the carriers on 1ª rod being supplied with similar
threads to make the left side of the heels.
The carriers on the rods 2 and 2ª are each supplied with threads to splice the
right and left sides of the ankle.
The carriers on the rods 3 and 34 are each supplied with threads to form the
right and left sides of the heel when the coloured or merino thread carriers
1 and 1 are not employed.
The six carrier rods are mounted and operated by the following means.
To the left of the right end standard of the machine and to the right of the left
end standard and each intermediate standard we secure a bracket A to the under-
side of the sole bar, each bracket projects upwards to the back of the machine
where it is provided with a plate A¹, to which a bearing bracket A2 is secured, in
these brackets the six carrier rods slide in the direction of the length of the
machine. The rods 1, 2 and 3 being traversed to the right and left by a bolt B
when placed by the attendant between two lugs which project from the lower side
of each rod, the bolt B projects from a bar which slides horizontally to and fro in
a bearing bracket B' which is secured to a short bar B³, carried at each end by an
arm B³, each of which is secured to the back of the rod 6 usually employed in
operating the carriers to form the right side of the heel and driven by the slur
box E in the usual way.

page_text: The rods 14, 24, 34 being traversed by a bolt C which' projects from a bar which
slides to and fro in a bearing bracket C¹, which is secured to a short bar C, which
is carried at each end by an arm C³, each of which is secured to the front of the
rod 5 usually employed in operating the carriers to form the left side of the heel
and driven by the slur box in the usual way.
The sliding bars which carry the bolts B and C are provided with notches B* in
either of which the front end of a spring B³ takes, to hold the bolt where placed
by the attendant.
"
The rods 1 and 1ª are round to enable them to be rocked in their bearings by
the following means. At the back of one of the carriers. on the rod 1 an arm
D is secured and at the back of one of the carriers on the rod 1ª an arm D¹ is
secured, these arms project horizontally towards the back of the machine, the
arms D. and D at their back ends slide between incline plates E and E¹ these
plates are secured to the upper ends of two brackets E2, which have their lower
ends attached to the underside of the sole bar. The incline E as the rod 1 is
pressed to the left by the attendant" will rock the rod so as lift the whole of its
carriers clear of onto or to pass over the next adjacent carrier or carriers to the
left and the incline E¹ "as the rod E¹ is pressed to the right by the attendant will
rock the rod 1ª so as to lift the whole of its carriers clear of onto or to pass over
the next adjacent carrier or carriers to the right. The inclines E and E¹ are shown
at Figure 9.
The legging carriers are traversed by the rod 4 which is driven by the slur
box F in the usual way. The rod 4 when not at work is moved to the right until
secured by a tumbler catch G a front view of which is shown at Figure 9, the usual
stop bolt 4 at the right end being raised to allow the rod to pass under it.
The rest of the machine is of the usual construction.
Having described the separate parts of our improvements and their several
movements, we will describe their combined movements when making hose or half
hose with spliced heels and ankles.
Either are commenced in the usual way by turning a welt or running on a
ribbed top upon the needles in each division of the machine which is then worked
in the usual way until the ankle is reached, the bolt B is then placed by the
attendant in position to drive the carrier rod 2 and the bolt C in position to drive
the carrier rod 2 so as to splice each side of the ankle while the whole width of
the hose or half hose is being made by the thread carriers on the rod 4, until that
part is reached where the split heel commences, then the bolt B is moved towards
the front of the machine to drive the carrier rod 3 at the same time as the carrier
rod 2, and the bolt C is moved towards the front of the machine to drive the
carrier rod 34 at the same time as the carrier rod 24, the whole five rods and their
carriers being at work together until that portion is reached where the coloured or
merino heel is to commence.
The bolt B is then moved clear of the carrier rods 3 and 2 and is placed in position
to drive the carrier rod 1, the bolt C being moved clear of the carrier rods 34
and 2ª is placed in position to drive the carrier rod 14. The attendant pressing the
carrier rod 1 to the left to cause it to be lifted off or over to the left of the carrier
rods 2 and 3 by means of the right incline E and pressing the carrier rod 14 to the
right to cause it to be lifted off or over to the right of the carrier rods 2 and 3ª by
means of the left iucline E', leaving the carrier rods 1 and 14 in their proper
position to make the two sides of the heel with coloured or merino threads.
The outer selvages of each side of the heel being narrowed in the usual way,
when the necessary length of heel has been made the attendant draws the bolts B
and C back clear of the carrier rods 1 and 1ª and places both rods in their first
position with their carriers to the right and left of the other carriers each rod being
rocked and their carriers lifted by the inclines as before described. The carrier
rod 4 continuing its movements until the required length of instep has been made.
To make a coloured or merino toe, the stop bolt 4 at the right end of the
carrier rod is raised by the attendant and the carrier rod moved to the right

page_text: until a stud projecting from its side is secured by the tumbler catch G, the carrier
rod 1 is then pushed to the right and the bolt C is drawn in to operate it until
the toe is completed, the top side of the toe being narrowed in the usual way.
Such movements being repeated for the next hose or half lose.
By the combined operation of the above described parts we are enabled to make
hose or half hose with spliced heels and ankles and with coloured or merino heels
and toes without having to break off one thread and tie in another at every change
of thread at each division of the machine on a Cotton's Patent knitting machine
having any number of divisions.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. The making of hose or half hose with spliced heels and ankles and with
coloured or merino heels and toes without having to break off one thread and tie
in another at every change of thread.
:
2. The employment of carrier rods and carriers 1, 2, 3 and 14, 24, 3ª operating
in combination with the usual legging carrier 4 by which we are enabled to make
hose or half hose with spliced heels and ankles and with merino or coloured heels
and toes substantially as described and illustrated in the Drawings annexed.
3. The employment of two rods traversed by the slur box to operate the carrier
rods 1, 2, 3 and 1ª 2ª and 3ª substantially as described and illustrated in the
Drawings annexed.
4. The employment of inclines E and E¹ arms D and D1 for rocking the carrier
rods 1 and 14 to lift their carriers clear of or onto the other carriers substantially
as described and illustrated in the Drawings annexed.
T
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