IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS. TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KNITTED FABRICS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Caldwell, of Loughborough, in the County of
Leicester, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS.
TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KNITTED FABRICS."
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Caldwell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th August 1881.
FREDERICK CALDWELL, of Loughborough, in the County of Leicester. " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF KNITTED FABRICS."
My improvements relate to the manufacture of knitted fabrics made on circular
machines producing ribbed or plain looped fabrics, especially applicable to goods
made in the piece, and afterwards cut into short lengths, each length requiring to
have a fast edge or welt at one end. This I effect by employing several modifica-
tions of machinery and apparatus. In one modification to a circular machine
employed in producing all numbers of ribbed looped fabrics, but a one and one
rib. I use inclines to each feeder on the head; the inclines are moved horizontally
or at right angles to the needle bits in the machine head, and vertically or parallel
to the needle bits in the frame head. The machine inclines and frame inclines are
operated by rocking levers actuated by a studded chain, so as to place the needle
bits and needles in position to receive the required number of loops before casting
off the previous loop or loops, or the inclines may be operated by the fingers of the
attendant when required. The above apparatus is equally applicable to circular
machines employing latch needles, which deliver the fabric upwards as downwards.
In a second modification I employ needle bits carrying latch needles having projec-
tions or nebs on the bits of divers depths and widths, and operated by suitable
inclines. Such inclines, operated as above described, are equally applicable to
circular machines employing latch needles making plain looped fabrics by dispensing
with the inclines and levers employed in operating the machine needle bits.
In a third modification I apply a compound presser wheel to each feeder of a

page_text: circular frame employing bearded needles making plain looped fabrics. Such
compound presser wheel consists of the usual plain presser wheel placed over but
carried independently of a cut presser wheel or wheels under it. The plain presser
wheel is capable of being placed clear of the beards of the needles one or more
courses, either by the fingers of the operator, or it may be actuated by inclines on
a studded chain, as described in the first modification, and while it is held clear
of the needle beards the cut presser wheel or wheels revolve, and causes the
requisite number of loops to be placed on every other needle before pressing off
the previous loop or loops.
In a fourth modification I employ in circular machines making either ribbed or
plain looped fabrics latch needles having the latch of every other needle somewhat
longer than the latch of the next adjacent needles, the needle bits being actuated
by suitable inclines, as before described.
By such means I am enabled to produce a fast edge or welt or welts on ribbed
or plain looped fabrics at will.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Frederick Caldwell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th February 1882.
FREDERICK CALDWELL, of Loughborough, in the County of Leicester. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF KNITTED FABRICS."
My improvements relate to the manufacture of knitted fabrics made on circular
machines producing ribbed or plain looped fabrics especially applicable to goods
made in the piece and afterwards cut into short lengths, each length requiring to
have a fast edge or welt at one end. This I effect by employing several modifica-
tions of machinery and apparatus. In one modification to a circular machine
employed in producing all numbers of ribbed looped fabrics but a one and one rib.
I use inclines to each feeder on the head; the inclines are moved horizontally or at
right angles to the needle bits in the machine head, and vertically or parallel to
the needle bits in the frame head. The machine inclines and frame inclines are
operated by rocking levers actuated by a studded chain, so as to place the needle
bits and needles in position to receive the required number of loops before casting
off the previous loop or loops, or the inclines may be operated by the fingers of the
attendant when required.
The above apparatus is equally applicable to circular machines employing latch
needles, which deliver the fabric upwards as downwards.
In a second modification I employ needle bits carrying latch needles having
projections or nebs on the bits of divers depths and widths, and operated by
suitable inclines. Such inclines, operated as above described, are equally applicable
to circular machines employing latch needles making plain looped fabric, by
dispensing with the inclines and levers employed in operating the machine needle
bits.
In a third modification I apply a compound presser wheel to each feeder of a circular
frame, employing bearded needles making plain looped fabrics. Such compound
presser wheel consists of the usual plain presser wheel placed over but carried
independently of a cut presser wheel or wheels under it. The plain presser wheel is
capable of being placed clear of the beards of the needles one or more courses, either
by the fingers of the operator, or it may be actuated by inclines on a studded chain,
as described in the first modification, and while it is held clear of the needle beards
the cut presser wheel or wheels revolve, and causes the requisite number of loops
to be placed on every other needlo before pressing off the previous loop or loops.
In a fourth modification I employ in circular machines making either ribbed or
plain looped fabrics, latch needles having the latch of every other needle somewhat
longer than the latch of the next adjacent needles, the needle bits being actuated
by suitable inclines, as before described.
By such means I am enabled to produce a fast edge or welt or welts on ribbed
or plain looped fabrics at will.

page_text: in section at Figure 3ª, consisting of a split incline B above the ordinary knocking.
over incline C operated by a rocking lever carried by the incline C bracket, the
lever being actuated as described in the second modification. Every other machine
needle jack is cut as shown at D. These jacks, when the split inner inclines B are
moved outwards, remain out and retain the thread. The frame cam E¹, shewn in 5
side view at Figure 4, lowers the inner ends of the lever 2, the projection 2 A
pressing down the split half of the lower inner incline 3, and raises the split half
of the upper incline 4, shewn at Figure 4 C, by means of the short rocking lever 5.
I sometimes employ the frame cam E³, shewn in side view at Figure 4A, to press
down the split half of the upper incline 4 while making ordinary work, being 1
raised up by a coiled spring under it when making a welt.
The inner end of the lever 2 pressing upon a lever 2B on a rocking shaft
lying in bearings secured to the frame flange; the shaft carrying a second
lever 2C operating the opposite split incline in the same way as the projection 2 A
before described; a short arm on the lever 2 B actuating a rocking lever 5 A for 1
operating the split half of the opposite upper incline.
The machine can E 3, shewn in side view at Figure 4 B, actuates the lever 6
hinged to a link A, having its upper end hinged to a lever 64 secured on one end
of a rocking shaft lying in bearings secured to the machine head, the shaft carrying
a second lever 6B at its other end, each lever being connected by a double
knuckle joint to an inverted V shaped lever B7, the inner end of which operates
an incline B, and the outer end being attached to an incline Bº, the inclines B³
and B operating the machine needle jacks. These additional frame and machine
inclines operate as follows:-The ordinary frame inclines operate the needle
bits B, and the split inclines the needle bits B, shewn at Figures 4D, when
both the inclines are level; the frame needles operating in conjunction with the
machine needles make ordinary ribbed work.
When making a welt the operation is as follows:-The frame split inner inclines
are held apart so that the frame needle bits B" are not acted upon by the
inclines, remain either up or down, and retain their threads during one revolution
of the head on a two feeder head and during two revolutions on a one feeder head;
upon the completion of the one or two revolutions the additional machine
inclines B hold in the machine needle bits, which retain their loops, the number
of revolutions necessary to form the welt; the additional machine inclines then
resume the position then required for ordinary ribbed work to be made.
The revolution of the frame and machine cam axle is effected by the following
means, shewn at Figures 1, 14, 2, and 24:-On the back of the bed to each head
is secured a bearing bracket E carrying adjustable pointed set screws on which
the cam axle E revolves. Near one end of the axle is a ratchet wheel E³
provided with a retaining pawl E. The axle is racked one tooth at a time by a
driver E7 working on a stud secured in a lever E8, which rocks on centres in the
bracket E. The driver is kept in gear with the ratchet wheel by a spring attached
to it and to a bearing arm. Below the bracket E the lever Es is caused to rise
up sufficiently to rack the wheel E³ one tooth only. When a stud on an endless
chain, part of which is shewn partly in plan and side view at Figures 4 E and 4 F,
presses up to the outer pointed end of the lever E8, where there is no stud on the
chain, the pointed end of the lever passes between the links of the chain and is
not raised. The studded chain is carried by and revolves with a drum F provided
with a toothed flange on each side, the teeth of which engage with the links of the
chain. The axle of the drum F carries a ratchet wheel F'. The axle of the drum
and wheel revolves on centres carried by a swinging bearing bracket F rocking
on centres in the bearing bracket E. The ratchet wheel F is provided with a
retaining pawl F³ held in gear by a spring attached to it and to a stud in the
bearing bracket F. The drum wheel and chain being racked one tooth each
time the bracket F falls by a driving pawl F, which has one end of a spring
attached to it, the other end being attached to the retaining pawl E before named.

page_text: The swinging bearing bracket F2 is hinged to a connecting link attached to the
outer end of a rocking lever F* carrying a truck at its inner end, which is actuated
by a cam F6 on the lower side of the driving wheel of the frame head, which
raises the bearing F sufficiently high for the pawl F to engage in a fresh tooth
of the wheel F¹ at each revolution of the head, the wheel being thus racked on
tooth each time it fulls.
If preferred, needle bits carrying needles having the latch of every other needle
somewhat longer than the latch of the next adjacent needle, as shown at Figures 4 C,
may be employed, actuated by suitable movable inclines, as before described. In
the above Figures the machines are arranged to deliver the fabric downwards, the
machine heads being carried by solid spindles grooved to receive the inner arms
of the U shaped levers.
But in the machine head shewn in side view at Figures 9 and 9 À, and in plan
at Figure 10, and also in the type of machine head shewn in plan at Figure 10 A
and in a front view at Figure 10 B, the head is carried by a bracket instead of a
spindle; the fabric may thus pass up the cylinder in the head or down through
the frame head.
Another application of my improved machinery and apparatus applied to a
circular machine of a different construction is shewn in plan at Figure 5, in section
at Figure 6, part in side view at Figure 7, and a plan of the operating levers at
Figure 8.
In the previously described Figures the larger number of ribs are supposed to be
on the frame needles, and the smaller number on the machine needles; but in the
Figures 5 to 8 the position is reversed, the larger number being on the machine.
needles and the smaller number on the frame needles.
The inclines for operating the frame needle bits are shewn in side view at
Figure 7, and those for operating the machine needle bits in section at Figure 6,
the several levers being acted upon as follows:-At the back of each head a
bearing is secured, carrying a rocking lever A, the outer end of which is actuated
by a frame cam cut to the required shape. The inner end terminates in two
arms, one of which is cranked, and terminates in two short. arms, one of
which lies under a stud sliding in the usual frame incline, and carrying
an inner split incline B, shewn at Figure 7, and the other over a stud in a link C,
connecting two extra inclines which operate the frame needle bits in the same way
as the reversed U shaped levers before mentioned. The other inner arm is hinged
to a lever rocking a shaft carrying a second lever terminating in two arms.
operating the opposite inclines.. The lever D for operating the additional machine
inclines is rocked by the machine cam, as before described, the inner end being
hinged to a link connected at its top end to a rocking lever E, see Figures 5 and 6.
The outer ends are each connected by a link F¹ to a sliding cam bit F carried by
a fixed cam G. There are two fixed but adjustable cams H to throw out the
machine needles. A third construction of circular machine delivering the fabric
upwards is shewn in side view at Figure 9, in plan in Figure 10, and in section at
Figure 11, with my improved apparatus attached thereto, by which the actuating
levers, instead of being operated by studs on a chain, as before described, is put
into operation by the hand of the attendant. At the back of each head a bracket
is secured to the bed, carrying an axle having a frame cam and a machine cam, and a
toothed ratchet wheel provided with one long tooth operated by a driver hinged to
the outer end of a rocking lever carrying a truck at its inner end operated by a cam
on the under side of the frame head, which racks the ratchet wheel one tooth at each
revolution of the head until the driver rests on the long tooth, during which the
axle remains stationary until a welt is required to be made, when the attendant
racks the wheel one tooth by means of the hand lever E. In this instance the frame
cam has one projecting tooth F and the machine cam a rim G, seen at Figure 6.
The frame cam operates a lever F¹, the inner end of which carries a vertical
bracket F, which rocks a lever Fs which operates the inner split incline F* of the

page_text: frame. The farther end of the lever FS is hinged to a link A, connected at its
upper end to a crank lever which operates the split incline A¹ of the machine,
shewn also at Figure 12. The inner end of the lever F¹ is continued to the centre
line of the head, and hinged to a rocking lever Fs on one end of an axle provided
with a lever at the opposite end carrying a vertical bracket which rocks a lever
operating the opposite inner split incline of the frame and inner split incline of the
machine. When the inner split inclines are employed in the machine head,
every other needle jack will require to be of the shapes shewn at Figure 12.
Figure 13 is a separate plan of the machine head, shewing the relative position of
the several levers before named.
To each feeder of a circular frame employing bearded needles making plain
looped fabrics, I employ a compound presser wheel operated by apparatus shewn
in plan at Figure 14, a front view at Figure 15, and a right end view at Figure 16,
arranged as follows:-
To the usual bracket ring A of each. head I attach a star box B of the usual
construction, carrying a cut presser wheel axle C, the wheel being cut to press
every other needle. Above the cut presser wheel is a plain presser wheel D, carried
by an inverted axle secured in one end of a rocking arm D¹, the other end of
which is carried by the upper end of a vertical axle working in a boss E secured
to the star box B. The lower end of the axle carries a lever E¹ operated by a
cam E placed above a ratchet wheel Es. Both the cam and wheel revolve together
on an axle projecting from the upper side of a bracket E' secured to the underside
of the bracket ring A; this bracket is shewn in plan by dotted lines at
Figure 14.
The wheel Es is moved one tooth at each revolution of the head by a driver
hinged to a lever F working on an axle in the bracket E. The driver and lever
is provided with a spring, seen at Figure 14. The lever is actuated by a cam F¹
secured on the lower side of the flange of the head, besides which there is a hand
lever G, which also rocks on an axle carried by the bracket E. The lever carries a
driver G¹, by which the attendant can rack the wheel and cam E* one tooth when
a welt is required to be made. When the machine is making ordinary work the
whole of the apparatus remains in the position shewn at Figure 14, the driver
sliding on the long tooth of the ratchet wheel ES without operating it, but when a
welt is required to be made the wheel being moved one tooth by the attendant, thus
allowing the driver on the lever F to engage in the teeth of the wheel Es during
one revolution.
The cam wheel E operating the plain presser wheel as follows:-As the lever E¹
leaves the long run on the cam wheel it slides the plain presser wheel clear of the
needles, thus allowing every other needle to retain its loops two or more revolu-
tions of the head. The plain presser wheel is then held to the needles by the short
run on the cam wheel one revolution of the head, and upon the lever E¹; leaving
the short run on the cam wheel it again slides the plain presser wheel clear of the
needles, again allowing every other needle to retain its loops for two or more revo-
lutions of the head; then the plain presser wheel takes the position shown at
Figure 14 until another welt is required to be made, when the movements are
repeated. Instead of employing a plain presser sliding to and from the needles, as
above described, I sometimes may employ a rising and falling plain presser wheel,
mounted as shewn in end view at Figure 17. The upper part of the bracket E,
before described, is cut away, and has a lug E' projecting from its lower side,
which carries an axle on which a right angled lever H³ rocks, being operated by a
cam wheel F, as before described. The upper end of the lever H³ lies under the
axle of a plain presser wheel H2, which revolves in the perforated axle H. of a one
and one cut presser wheel H¹, the axle H of which is secured in the bracket E by
a nut on the lower side, below which the axle of the plain presser wheel H*
projects, and is provided with a collar at its tower end, between which and the nut
before named is a coiled spring, which holds the plain presser down on the cut

page_text: presser, except at such times as the plain presser is held up to the heads of the
needles, as shewn by the dotted lines when the cut presser is in operation, such
raised position being attained by the raised runs of the cam E³, which is actuated
as before described.
Having thus described the separate parts of the various modifications of apparatus
and their application to the several types of circular machines for making ribbed
looped fabrics and plain looped fabrics, I will now proceed to describe, first, the
combined action of divers parts in conjunction with needle bits and needles
employed in circular machines making ribbed looped fabrics.
Each time the inner lever 2, shewn at Figures 1 and 2, is operated by an incline
on its wheel, the top split incline is raised and the bottom split incline is lowered,
leaving the needles carried by the bits with the short nebs in position to receive
the requisite number of loops before pressing off their loops, such courses forming
the portion of fabric to be afterwards cut through, that is to say, on every other
needle in the frame on both sides of the head, at each course there being one set
of split inclines to each feeder on the head. The instant the frame cam releases
the inner lever the outer lever is raised by the incline on the machine cam, and
actuates the outer and inner inclines operating the machine needle bits to hold
them in, and preventing loops being made on them for one or more courses.
While the frame needles are securing their loops during one or more courses the
incline then releases the outer lever, and both the machine needles and frame
needles jointly make the usual fabric until either of the studs on the chain cause
the movements above described to be repeated.
The same operations may be performed on the frame bits and needles of a
circular machine, making plain looped fabrics, in which latch or tumbler needles
are employed by dispensing with the lever and apparatus employed in operating
the machine needles.
The operations being as follows:-The needle bits carrying the latch needles in
a circular machine making plain looped fabrics are like those shewn at B1 and B",
every other bit having a shorter neb than the next adjacent bit. When making
a welt the frame split inner inclines are held apart, so that the frame needle
bits B are not acted upon by the inclines, and remain either up or down, and
retain their threads during two or more courses on each head, the ordinary plain
fabric being then made until necessary to make another welt when the movements
are repeated. Such operations may be effected either by means of the studded
chain or by the attendant, as before described.
When employing an equally divided presser wheel, as above described and
shewn at Figures 14, 15, 16, and 17, the wheel is cut to press every other bearded
needle employed in a plain loop wheel frame, in conjunction with the plain
presser wheel above it, the plain presser wheel being drawn clear of the needles
while the cut presser wheel makes two or more courses where required to produce
a welt.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I declare that I claim,—
First. For the machinery and apparatus for operating the frame and machine
needle bits and needles, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
the Drawings annexed.
Second. I claim for the production of a fast top or welt on ribbed looped fabrics
made on circular machines in continuous lengths, producing two and one, three
and two, five and three, or other number of ribs, except a one and one rib.
Third. I claim for the production of a fast top or welt on plain looped fabrics in
continuous lengths made on circular machines, employing latch or tumbler needles,
by operating upon every other needle, substantially as herein before described and
illustrated in the Drawings annexed.
Fourth. I claim for the production of a fast top or welt on fabrics made on a plain

page_text: circular loop wheel frame, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
in the Drawings annexed, for the purpose set forth..
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Caldwell, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
Witness,
H. W. GOUGH, C.E.,
Nottingham.
FREDERICK CALDWELL. (L.S.)