Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Stockings and other Knitted Articles, and in Machinery or Apparatus therefor.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 31st July, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 30th Apr., 1890-Accepted, 26th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Stockings and
other Knitted Articles, and in Machinery or Apparatus therefor.
We, JAMES HEARTH, WALTER HEARTH, and WILLIAM HENRY WILLIS trading as
James Hearth & Co., of Church Gate Leicester, Hosiery Manufacturers, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in or relating to the manufacture of
stockings and other knitted articles and in machinery therefor, and the object of the
invention is firstly the production or manufacture of stockings or other articles of wear
in which certain parts, preferably those parts subjected to the greatest wear, such as
knees, elbows &c. may be rendered more durable than are similar parts in goods of
ordinary make, and secondly, the provision of apparatus or mechanism which when
applied to a knitting machine of the kind hereinafter described will effect this
result.
The present method of strengthening certain parts of knitted fabrics is by the
employment of an additional or splicing thread, but according to our method we obtain
a similar and equivalent result by tucking in the manner hereafter described the
stitches of the needles in the machine or ribbing portion of a knitting frame although
the frame needles could be similarly treated or operated upon if desired.
To carry our invention to a practical issue we prefer to employ a circular ribbed
machine which as far as concerns its general construction may be known to the trade
as Hewitt's."
At one revolution of the machine preferably about one half of the needles clear
their loops then at the next revolution a course is made upon the whole of the
needles, and at the succeeding revolution the remaining half of the needles clear
their loops.
By this proceeding one half only of the needles draw their loops at every second
revolution of the machine, the remaining half of the needles accumulate the loops and
do not clear them until the subsequent second or alternate revolution, thus forming a
tuck stitch in the machine side of the fabric, at alternate revolutions of the machine.
A fabric knitted upon this principle is much more elastic than a fabric in which every
stitch is a tuck stitch or in which every stitch is composed of multiple loops, besides
being of a more ornamental character, and bearing resemblance to a conceived pattern
thus enabling it to be employed for gloves, mitts and other fancy goods.
In order that the machine needles may operate and form their stitches in the
manner described we provide that the jacks carrying the needles may have a certain
portion cut away in such a manner that each alternate jack will have a portion
removed from the same place or in other words, supposing jacks which for purposes
of illustration may be numbered, one and three have portions cut away in the same
position, jacks Nos. two and four would be similarly treated, but the portion
removed would be either higher up or lower down in the direction of the length of
the jack.
These jacks are operated upon during the revolution of the machine by two suitably
shaped cams alternately, the said cams being fixed in working positions on the
same planes respectively as those parts of the jacks from where the portions have
been removed.
From this it will be seen that when either of the cams is in motion it can only
operate alternate jacks, as the remaining alternate jacks being cut away at the point
where the previous jacks were operated cause the cam to miss them.
These cams are adjustable in relation to the jacks and are connected to one end

page_text: of suitably shaped horizontal levers fulcrummed preferably to the bracket carrying
the jack band, the opposite end of the levers being in contact with and operated by
projections on the upper surface of a horizontal rack or toothed wheel mounted on
the upper end of a vertical spindle fixed at its base to the bed plate.
The stops or projections on the rack wheel are arranged to operate the horizontal
levers alternately at each racking and thus to put the cams in and out of contact with
the jacks as before described.
The horizontal rack wheel may be operated by a clawker mounted on a vertical
spindle having at its lower end a slotted arm in which is fixed a clawker engaging
with and operated by a toothed wheel mounted on the same spindle as the chain
wheel.
In order to effect the improvements before described we dispense with the ordinary
clearing cam in the machine part of the frame.
We wish it understood that although we prefer not to tuck the stitches on each
needle we do not confine ourselves to tucking the stitches of alternate needles only,
nor to the number of plain courses that shall be worked between each tucking
operation, nor to the number of loops that shall be accumulated upon each individual
needle, as modifications of our apparatus would serve the several purposes mentioned.
Dated this 31st day of July 1889.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Manufacture of Stockings and
other Knitted Articles, and in Machinery or Apparatus therefor.
We JAMES HEARTH, WALTER HEARTH, and WILLIAM HENRY WILLIS, trading as
James Hearth & Co. of Church Gate, Leicester, Hosiery Manufacturers, 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:-
This invention has reference to the manufacture of stockings and the like and to
machinery or apparatus therefor.
The improvements we effect are more particularly applicable to ribbed stockings
and the like and consist in knitting such goods in the manner hereinafter described
with the object of thickening and thereby rendering more durable the upper part of
the stocking and also in a modified form adapting it for a further purpose.
The thickening of the fabric just mentioned is obtained according to this invention
by tucking preferably certain of the needles in the machine part of the frame although
the frame needles may be similarly operated or treated to obtain an equivalent
result.
The production of our improved fabric is effected preferably by tucking the loops
upon every alternate needle in the machine and working an ordinary course between
them in the following manner :-
At one course alternate needles only convert their loops into stitches, the remaining
needles being allowed to retain the loops, a course is then made upon the whole of the
needles, and at the next course the remaining alternate needles, which were previously
inactive, convert their loops into stitches, and this process is continued for a desired
length in the upper part of the stocking.
A fabric kuitted upon this principle is much more elastic than a fabric in which
every stitch is a tuck stitch or in which every stitch is composed of multiple loops,
besides being of a more ornamental character, and bearing resemblance to a conceived
pattern.
In order that the needles may be caused to produce stitches in the manner described
we employ certain mechanism which may be used in connection with a circular ribbed
head such as shown in the drawings accompanying this specification and which as far
as its general construction is concerned may be known to the trade as "Hewitt's,"

page_text: builders.
apparavus may
GRESSOS OT
In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of so much of a circular ribbed head
as is necessary to illustrate this invention, and to which our improved apparatus is
applied, and Figure 2 is a plan.
Figure 3 is a view of the clawker M' and ratchet wheel N.
Figure is a detail view, on an enlarged scale.
For the purpose of causing the needles to form their stitches in the manner described
the jacks A carrying the horizontal machine needles A¹ are notched at two different
clevations, each alternate jack having the portion removed from exactly the same
position as shown most clearly in Figure 1.
The jacks are operated by two cams B and C for the purpose of imparting an
inward movement to them to enable the needles to clear their loops and thereby form
them into stitches.
The cams B and C, adjustable by set screws B¹ and C, are fixed in operative.
positions on the same planes, respectively as the notches A2 A3 in the jacks A and are
connected to the ends of two horizontal levers D and E fulcrummed in a bracket F
connected to the bracket G.
The levers D. E are each formed with a nose or projection D' and are actuated for
the purpose of withdrawing the cams from contact with the jacks by stops or cam
plates H H screwed to the upper face of a ratchet wheel J mounted on the upper end
of a vertical spindle J¹ fixed at its lower end to the bed-plate J.
The cam plates H. H' are preferably constructed as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the
two being fixed alternately round the face of the ratchet wheel J to alternately place-
the cams B and C out of contact with the jacks A.
The cams B. C. are maintained in contact with the jacks by springs B2 pressing
against the end of the levers D E.
From this it will be seen that while one of the cam plates H is in engagement with
the lever D the cam B at its forward end is withdrawn from contact with the jacks =
the other cam being in its forward position can only then operate alternate jacks
and cause their needles to clear, as the remaining alternate jacks being recessed or
notched at the point where the cam would otherwise operate them, are not influenced
by it and consequently the needles on such jacks retain their loops until the cam B..
again comes into action.
At one revolution, therefore, one cam being in action, only alternate.needles convert
their loops into stitches, at the next revolution of the head, the ratchet wheel J travels
the distance between the cam plates H and H and as both the cains B C are then in
contact with the jacks a course is knitted on the whole of the needles; at the subsequent
revolution the cam C will be in action and the remaining alternate needles form their
stitches.
The ratchet wheel J is operated by a clawker K fixed in the forward end of a slotted
horizontal lever K¹ mounted on the vertical spindle L, which has also at its lower
end a slotted arm M in which is fixed by a bolt and nut M2 a clawker M' actuated
by a ratchet wheel N on the spindle N¹ carrying the usual pattern chain and.
wheel.
Up to the present we have described the manufacture of fabric with an ordinary
course, i.e. a course upon the full complenient of needles as intervening between each
course produced upon alternate needles only.
In some classes of goods we prefer to knit several courses of ordinary fabric,.
i.e. courses upon the full complement of needles between the courses in which alternate
needles only produced stitches, so as to serve the purpose of a garter and form a
gartered stocking.
This may be readily done by re-arranging the cam plates so that the distance
between them shall be such as to admit of a desired number of courses being knitted
upon the whole of the needles for the purpose named before the cam plates actuate the
levers D. E.

page_text: 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. In the manufacture of ribbed stockings the use or employment of fabric
produced by knitting successively a course upon alternate needles, a course upon the
full complement of needles and a course upon the remaining alternate needles
substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. The manufacture as herein described of ribbed stockings in which part of the
fabric is knitted in such a manner as to serve the purpose of a garter.
3. In a knitting machine the combination with notched or recessed jacks A, cams
such as B. C. and spring controlled horizontal levers such as D. E. operating
substantially in the manner and for the purpose described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
4. In a knitting machine the combination with cams B. C. and levers D. E. of a
ratchet wheel such as J mounted on a spindle. J' and carrying cam plates such
as H H substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
5. In a knitting machine the combination with a ratchet wheel such as J of a
slotted lever K and clawker K adjustable on a vertical spindle L substantially as &
for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
6. In a knitting machine the combination with a ratchet wheel such as J and
vertical spindle L of a vertically adjustable slotted plate M. clawker M' and ratchet
wheel N substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
7. The combination in a knitting machine of apparatus or mechanism constructed
and operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
Dabad this 20th
1 1000
JAMES HEARTH.
WALTER HEARTH.
WILLIAM HENRY WILLIS.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicants.