IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Cotton, of Loughborough, in the County of
Leicester, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES."
Sealed the 12th March 1880. and dated the 20th December 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Cotton at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th December 1879
WILLIAM COTTON, of Loughborough, in the County of Leicester.
MENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES."
" IMPROVE-
The Invention relates more especially to knitting machines constructed on the
principle described in the Specification of a former Patent granted to me No. 3123,
in the year 1864.
In order that the combs which hold the jacks may stand to their work, however
fine the gauge of the comb may be, I form holes at the edges of the plates of which
the comb is formed, and set up these plates in a mould suitably formed to allow of
metal being run into the spaces between the plates, except where space is required
between them for the jack, and also where the slur cock runs.
In order to reduce the wear occasioned by the to and fro movement of the
sinkers, the sinkers are formed with a projecting shoulder to come against the faller
bar when the sinkers are thrown forwards by the action of the slur cock, and in
rear of this shoulder each sinker has a V shaped notch formed in it extending to
the central line of the sinker; the catch bar is formed with a projection to enter
the notches in the sinkers, so that when it is moved to press forward the alternate
sinkers to divide the thread uniformly between the needles, or when it draws the
sinkers back it acts upon them at or near their central line, and moves them to and
fro in a straight course without tending to tilt or cant them out of their line of
travel, and so avoids wear in the combs or guides in which the sinkers work.
In order to allow the sinkers to be moved forwards by the jacks at a greater
speed than heretofore practicable, I form the adjustable plate which forms the faller
bar, and which serves as a stop for the shoulders of the sinkers to strike against in
such a manner that each part of it as it is struck is capable of yielding slightly,
and so easing off the blow.
To effect this I form numerous slits in the plate so that each portion between the
slits may act as a spring, the blow occasioned by the sinkers as they strike the

page_text: faller bar is thus greatly relieved, and consequently the slur cock may be moved to
and fro at a greater speed than heretofore without the sinkers being thereby
injured.
The plate which acts as the faller bar is at right angles to the sinkers, and may
extend away from them to any desired distance according to the length that it is
desired to form the springs. The plate may then be bent back with a U bend,
and be secured to the front bar which holds the sinkers into the comb of the sinker
bar.
When it is required that the sinkers shall work at an angle and not horizontally,
as described in the Specification before mentioned, spring catches may be used to
hold and retain the sinkers after they have been drawn back by the catch bar.
These may be carried either by the catch bar itself or by the bar which carries the
spring faller bar before mentioned.
When two or more sets of thread carriers are used in succession to lay threads of
different color on to the needles of knitting machines to produced striped work,
I arrange the mechanism for giving motion to the sets of thread carriers in such
manner that all the sets of thread carriers as they in succession come into work to
lay threads on to the needles all move to and fro in the same path or plane, instead
of making them move to and fro in different paths or planes, as is usual in machines
heretofore constructed by me.
The bars which carry the thread carriers I mount one above the other, and give
and endway to and fro motion to them by coupling them at the times when they
are to be brought into work to an intermediate bar attached by friction to the slur
cock bar, which has an endway to and fro motion given to it.
In order to be enabled to couple and uncouple the thread carrier bars to the
intermediate bar, the thread carrier bars are mounted so that they can not only
be moved endwise to and fro, but can also turn in the bearings which support
them.
Near one end of each thread carrier bar is an arm, which when the bar is rocked
or turned in its bearings can be moved into or out of a notch or recess in a block
fixed to the intermediate bar, and so be connected to or be set free from it when it
is to be put in or out of work.
The rocking of the thread carrier bars is controlled by a pattern wheel to which
a step by step revolving motion is given.
When after the completion of any desired number of courses of work one set of
thread carriers is to go out of work, and another to be brought into work, the
thread carriers which previously had been laying thread on to the needles are by
the rocking of the bar which carries them moved to the back of the needles, whilst
another set of thread carriers which previously had been at rest at the back of the
needles are similarly brought to the front, and the bar which carries them is by the
same motion coupled to the intermediate bar, so that the thread carriers which
have been brought to the front then commence to lay thread on to the needles.
When two sets of thread carriers are used, and consequently two thread carrier
bars, one of these bars in addition to receiving the movements above described has
also to have given to it at the time when it is to go out of work a short additional
endway traverse, to leave room for the thread carriers carried by the other bar to
move forward to the front of the needles to come into work. To give this
additional endway movement to the bar, the bar has a pin projecting from it near
its end.
When the additional endway movement is to be given to the bar, a plate which
previously formed the stop for the end of the bar to come against is drawn back,
and a hook or incline carried from the plate then acts against the pin on the
thread carried bar, and gives the bar its additional end way motion, there being
a corresponding incline on the plate where the bar rests against it to allow the bar
When the thread carrier bar is again to be moved back to its former
position to allow of its being again brought into work, the plate is moved in the
opposite direction, and the latter incline upon it acting against the end of the
to so move.

page_text: thread carrier bar pushes it back to its original position. The movements of this
plate are controlled by levers acted upon by a cam or pattern wheel on the same
axis as the pattern wheel which controls the rocking of the thread carrier bars.
When more than two thread carrier bars are used, each additional bar will
similarly require to have given to it an additional endway motion as it goes into
and out of work.
In order that there may not be too much tension upon the threads of the thread
carriers just at the time when they come into work I diminish the tension on the
thread by moving away from it an arm or wire which previously doflected it from
a straight line as it passed from a guide eye at the upper part of the machine to
the thread carrier, these wires or arms I carry by a shaft to which a rocking
motion is given by the same mechanism as that which gives the rocking motion to
the thread carrier bars.
In order that when a thread breaks that the machine may be stopped before
knocking over the work upon the needles, and so avoid pressing off the work, I
conduct the thread in its passage from the bobbin to the thread eye of its carrier
through eyes in a pair of adjustable plates, between the plates is a catch capable of
tuining ou a pin carried by a bar, to which an end way motion is given by a cam
Just before the knocking over of the work takes place. The catch rests upon the
thread as it passes across the space between the two plates above mentioned; if the
thread is unbroken the catch is held up by it, but if the thread is broken, and so
set loose, the catch not being held up by the thread falls, and then locks and
prevents the bar after it has been moved back by the action of the cam, as
before mentioned, from being again drawn forward by a spring employed to
cause the movements of the bar to follow or correspond with the pattern of the
When one of the catches thus falls and impedes the bar from moving back
the belt is thrown off, and a brake applied to a brake-wheel on the driving shaft
so as to stop the machine in the following manner :-
cam.
A lever which is acted on by the cam just mentioned, and from which motion is
transmitted to the bar which carries the catches has upon it an arm, to which is
Jointed a rod, at the extremity of which is a projection, which, by the rocking of
the lever can be brought into the path of studs carried at the side of a brake wheel
on the driving shaft or can be moved out of the path of these studs.
If the bar above mentioned which carries the catches is free to move to and fro,
all the catches being held up by the threads, the rod with the projection upon it
moves to and fro also, so that the projection upon it is kept out of the way of the
studs upon the brake wheel, but if a thread breaks, and the movement of the catch
bar is so stopped, one of the studs on the break wheel comes against the projection
on the rod, and causes the rod to fall. A strap passing from the rod hooks over
the stem of a catch, which by a spring is drawn upwards to cause it to lock and
hold a sliding shipper rod from being moved endwise by a strong spring, and
which thereby prevents the shipper rod from being moved to throw the band off,
but when the rod is forced downwards, as before explained, it draws the catch down
with it, and allows the shipper rod to be moved end wise by its spring, and the band
to be thrown off. When the rod has thus been turned down a distance, the
projection on its end gets out of the path of the stud which was acting upon it, a
second stud on the brake wheel then strikes the projection on the rod, and further
depresses it; this further downward movement of the rod liberates a brake lever,
and allows the lever to be forced against the brake wheel by a spring, thereby
instantly arresting all further movement of the machine.
When the machine is to be again started the brake lever is pressed back by hand
to again allow the driving shaft to be turned a short distance, the stud on the brake
wheel then further depresses the projection on the rod before mentioned against an
incline until it is thereby moved out of its path, and so gets free from it; the rod
and the catch which locks the shipper bar are then free, and are drawn up by the
spring which acts on the catch, and the catch is then ready to lock the shipper bar
when it is again moved endwise to throw on the belt to again start the machine.

page_text: Before the bar which carries the catches that rest on the threads is moved back
by its cam, as herein before mentioned, the threads are just before they arrive at the
points where the catches rest upon them taken hold of by spring nippers on arms
carried by an axis which is then caused to oscillate and tighten up the threads, the
oscillation of the axis moves the arms away from a rod, upon which the springs of
the nippers previously rested, and which previously held up the springs, and
prevented them from nipping the threads; but when the arms move away from the
rod the springs close on to and grip the threads, the movement of the arms then
tightens the threads to the extent required.
The above arrangement for stopping the machine on the breaking of a thread
may be used for any class of rotary knitting machine, whether the machine is
adapted or not for producing striped work.
If the machine is adapted to produce striped work in the manner above described,
then the spring nipper arms for tightening up one set of threads are carried by an
axis separate from the axis which carries the spring nipper arms, which are to act
on the other set of threads. When one set of threads goes out of action the spring
nipper arms which act on these threads also go out of action, and this is effected by
the connecting rods which give these axes their rocking motion being then
uncoupled from the lever which is acted upon by a cam.
The uncoupling of the connecting rods from the lever is effected by the move-
ment of a slide to and fro endwise along the lever, so as to cause the end of either
one or other of the connecting rods to engage with a pin on the lever, and so be
moved with it whilst the other connecting rod is set free and out of action. The
endway movement of the slide along the lever is given to it by the same system of
rocking levers as that by which the additional endway traverse is given to one of
the thread carrier bars at the time when this bar goes into or out of action, as
before explained.
When it is required that the machine should be adapted to produce work with a
thickened stripe or band at the selvages, I crank or bend forward the eye or end of
the thread carrier or carriers used for producing the body of the work, so that the
eye or nose end of the other thread carriers, which are by preference bent right and
left for each selvage, may come side by side before they are compelled to move
forward, thus I am able to produce thickened work at the selvages without its
being necessary for the thread eyes to be capable of passing and repassing one
another.
In order to construct a sinker bar which shall not be liable to be bent and put
out of shape, I form it of steel, and with a thin facing only of brass or other
comparitively soft metal, in which the comb, grooves, or gates, are cut to receive
the sinkers.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Cotton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th June
1880.
WILLIAM COTTON, of Loughborough, in the County of Leicester.
MENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES."
"IMPROVE-
The Invention relates more especially to knitting machines constructed on the
principle described in the Specification of a former Patent granted to me, No. 3123,
in the year 1864.
In order that the combs which hold the jacks may stand to their work, however
fine the gauge of the comb may be, I form holes at the edges of the plates of which
the comb is formed, and set up these plates 'in a mould suitably formed to allow
of metal being run into the spaces between the plates, except where space is
required between them for the jack, and also where the slur cock runs.
Figure 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed shows a cross section of a comb
made in the manner above described; Figure 2 is a section of the same taken on
the line A, B, Figure 1, a few plates only of the total length of the comb being
shewn; Figure 3 shows one of the plates separately. a, a, are small holes near
the edges of the plates; b is the ordinary notch in the plates where the slur cock
passes; c shows the lead or other metal filling which holds the plates together
around their edges; d, d, are stems projecting from the plates, on to which lead or
other metal is also cast as heretofore, and made to form a bar by which the comb
is secured by bolts to the back of the sinker bar which carries the sinkers.
By thus connecting together the several plates of which the comb is composed,
not only as heretofore by the stems which project from one of their sides, but also
by the outer edge of their opposite sides, the plates are securely connected, and
serve to support one another, so that however thin the plates may be they will
stand to their work and keep the jacks in their proper position whilst the slur
cock is acting upon them.
In order to reduce the wear occasioned by the to and fro movement of the sinkers,
the sinkers are formed with a projecting shoulder to come against the faller bar
when the sinkers are thrown forwards by the action of the slur cock, and in rear of
this shoulder each sinker has a V shaped notch formed in it extending to the
central line of the sinker; the catch bar is formed with a projection to enter the
notches in the sinkers, so that when it is moved to press forward the alternate
sinkers to divide the thread uniformly between the needles, or when it draws the
sinkers back it acts upon them at or near their central line, and moves them to and
fro in a straight course without tending to tilt or cant them out of their line of
travel, and so avoids wear in the combs or guides in which the sinkers work
In order to allow the sinkers to be moved forwards by the jacks at a greater
speed than heretofore practicable I form the adjustable plate which forms the faller
bar, and which serves as a stop for the shoulders of the sinkers, to strike against
in such a manner that each part of it as it is struck is capable of yielding slightly
and so easing off the blow.
To effect this I form numerous slits in the plate, so that each portion between the
slits may act as a spring, the blow occasioned by the sinkers as they strike the
faller bar is thus greatly relieved, and consequently the slur cock may be moved to
and fio at a greater speed than heretofore without the sinkers being thereby
injured.
The plate which acts as the faller bar is at right angles to the sinkers, and may
extend away from them to any desired distance, according to the length that it is
desired to form the springs. The plate may then be bent back with a U bend, and
be secured to the front bar which holds the sinkers into the comb of the
sinker bar.

page_text: When it is required that the sinkers shall work at an angle and not horizontally,
as described in the Specification before mentioned, spring catches may be used to
hold and retain the sinkers after they have been drawn back by the catch bar.
These may be carried either by the catch bar itself or by the bar which carries the
spring faller bar before mentioned.
Figure 4 shows a cross section of so much of the parts of a knitting machine as
is necessary to illustrate this part of my Invention. In this Figure a is one of the
jack sinkers, b, one of the jacks; c is the sinker bar; d, the comb in which the
jacks work; e is the faller bar, and the catch bar; g is the slur cock bar, and gl
the slur cock which slides along it. Each of the sinkers is formed with a shoulder a
to come against the faller bar when the sinkers are thrown forward, and in rear of
this shoulder is a notch a² for a projection on the catch bar to enter; Figures 5
show separate views of part of the faller bar, showing how it is bent, and has
numerous slits cut in it so as to form it into a number of springs for the projections
on the sinkers to strike against; this faller bar is fixed by screws to the front bar h
which holds the sinkers into the comb of the sinker bar, and its position can so
readily be adjusted.
At Figure 6 is shown a similar arrangement, but with the sinkers working at
an angle; in this case provision has to be made for holding up the sinkers after
they have been drawn back by the catch bar; in the arrangement shown at
Figure 6 this is effected by forming the acting projection f¹ of the catch bar of
thin sheet metal slit or divided into numerous narrow springs, one for acting upon
each one or more sinkers. When the sinkers have been drawn back by the catch
bar into the position shown at Figure 7 they are held back in this position by the
springs f¹. When the alternate sinkers have to be again thrown forward by the
action of the slur cock on the jacks a plate i, which is fixed to and is of greater
length than the slur cock, and the ends of which are inclined or bevilled off, comes
against the springs f¹, and presses and holds them away from the sinkers so as
nearly, but not quite, to release the sinkers from the springs just when the slur
cock is about to act upon the jacks, so that the spring which holds back each jack
sinker readily yields and allows the sinker to move forward when the jack is
driven against it. Afterwards when the slur cock has completed its traverse the
catch bar is moved forward and its spring projections f¹ acting against the
shoulders a¹ of the divider sinkers press them all forward until the projection f¹
can enter the notches a² of the jack sinkers which have been already thrown
forward. The axis f2, which by arms f³ carries the catch bar, is then slightly
turned to cause the projections f¹ of the catch bar to descend to the bottom of the
notches in the sinkers and bring them all in line. When the catch bar is again
moved back the projection f¹ draws back all the sinkers, and as it is acting upon
them at or near their central line it draws them back in a straight course without
tending to tilt or cant them, and the wear occasioned in the sinker guides or combs
is thereby reduced.
In place of the projection fl of the catch bar being slit or divided as above
described to form springs to hold back the sinkers, spring catches carried by the
front bar which holds the sinkers into the comb of the sinker bar might be used.
This arrangement is shown at Figure 8. In this Figure, a is one of the sinkers;
c, the sinker bar; b, the front bar which keeps the sinkers into the comb of the
sinker bar; in each sinker is a small notch at d, into which the end of a spring
catch e can enter when the sinkers are drawn back. The springs e are, as shown,
secured to the front of the bar b.
When two or more sets of thread carriers are used in succession to lay threads of
different color on to the needles of knitting machines to produce striped work, I
arrange the mechanism for giving motion to the sets of thread carriers in such
manner, that all the sets of thread carriers as they in succession come into work to
lay threads on to the needles, all move to and fro in the same path or plane instead
of making them move to and fro in different paths or planes, as is usual in machines
heretofore constructed by me.

page_text: The bars which carry the thread carriers I mount one above the other, and give
an endway to and fro motion to them by coupling them at the times when they
are to be brought into work to an intermediate bar attached by friction to the slur
cock which has an endway to and fro motion given to it.
In order to be enabled to couple and uncouple the thread carrier bars and the
intermediate bar, the thread carrier bars are mounted so that they can not only be
moved end wise to and fro, but can also turn in the bearings which support them.
Near one end of each thread carrier bar is an arm which, when the bar is rocked
or turned in its bearings, can be moved into or out of a notch or recess in a block
fixed to the intermediate bar, and so be connected to or be set free from it when it
is to be put in or out of work.
The rocking of the thread carrier bars is controlled by a pattern wheel, to which
a step by step revolving motion is given.
When after the completion of any desired number of courses of work, one set of
thread carriers is to go out of work and another to be brought into work; the
thread carriers which previously had been laying thread onto the needles are, by
the rocking of the bar which carries them, moved to the back of the needles, whilst
another set of thread carriers which previously had been at rest at the back of the
needles, are similarly brought to the front, and the bar which carries them is by the
same motion coupled to the intermediate bar, so that the thread carriers which have
been brought to the front then cominence to lay thread on to the needles.
When two set of thread carriers are used, and consequently two thread carrier
bars, one of these bars, in addition to receiving the movements above described, has
also to have given to it at the tiine when it is to go out of work, a short additional
endway traverse, to leave room for the thread carriers carried by the other bar to
move forward to the front of the needles to come into work. To give this
additional endway movement to the bar, the bar has a pin projecting from it near
its end.
When the additional endway movement is to be given to the bar, a plate which
previously formed the stop for the end of the bar to come against is drawn back,
and a hook or incline carried from the plate then acts against the pin on the thread
carrier bar, and gives the bar its additional endway motion, there being a
corresponding incline on the plate where the bar rests against it to allow the bar to
so move. When the thread carrier bar is again to be moved back to its former
position to allow of its being again brought into work, the plate is moved in the
opposite direction, and the latter incline upon it acting against the end of the
thread carrier bar pushes it back to its original position; the movements of this
plate are controlled by levers acted upon by a cam or pattern wheel on the same
axis as the pattern wheel which controls the rocking of the thread carrier bars.
When more than two thread carrier bars are used, each additional bar will
similarly require to have given to it an additional endway motion as it goes into
and out of work.
In order that there may not be too much tension upon the threads of the thread
carriers just at the time when they come into work, I diminish the tension on the
thread by moving away from it an arm or wire which previously deflected it from
a straight line as it passed from a guide eye at the upper part of the machine to
the thread carrier; these wires or arms I carry by a shaft to which a rocking
motion is given by the same mechanism as that which gives the rocking motion to
the thread carrier bars.
In order that when a thread breaks the machine may be stopped before knocking
over the work upon the needles, and so avoid pressing off the work, I conduct the
thread in its passage from the bobbin to the thread eye of its carrier through eyes
in a pair of adjustable plates; between the plates is a catch capable of turning on a
pin carried by a bar, to which an endway motion is given by a cam just before the
3 knocking over of the work takes place. The catch rests upon the thread as it
passes across the space between the two plates above mentioned; if the thread is
unbroken the catch is held up by it, but if the thread is broken, and so set loose,

page_text: the catch not being held up by the thread falls, and then locks and prevents the
bar after it has been moved back by the action of the cam, as before mentioned,
from being again drawn forward by a spring employed to cause the movements of
the bar to follow or correspond with the pattern of the cam. When one of the
catches thus falls and impedes the bar from moving back the belt is thrown off, and
a brake applied to a brake wheel on the driving shaft, so as to stop the machine in
the following manner :-
A lever, which is acted on by the cam just mentioned, and from which motion is
transmitted to the bar which carries the catches, has upon it an arm, to which is
jointed a rod, at the extremity of which is a projection, which by the rocking
of the lever can be brought into the path of studs carried at the side of a brake
wheel on the driving shaft, or can be moved out of the path of these studs.
If the bar above mentioned which carries the catches is free to move to and fro,
all the catches being held up by the threads, the rod with the projection upon it
moves to and fro also, so that the projection upon it is kept out of the way of the
studs upon the brake wheel, but if a thread breaks, and the movement of the
catch bar is so stopped, one of the studs on the brake wheel comes against
the projection on the rod, and causes the rod to fall; a strap passing from the
rod hooks over the stem of a catch, which by a spring is drawn upwards to cause it
to lock and hold a sliding shipper rod from being moved end wise by a strong
spring and which thereby prevents the shipper rod from being moved to throw
the band off, but when the rod is forced downwards as before explained it draws
the catch down with it, and allows the shipper rod to be moved end wise by its
spring, and the band to be thrown off. When the rod has thus been turned down
a distance the projection on its end gets out of the path of the stud which was
acting upon it; a second stud on the brake wheel then strikes the projection
on the rod and further depresses it, this further downward movement of the
rod liberates a brake lever, and allows the lever to be forced against the brake
wheel by a spring, thereby instantly arresting all further movement of the
machine.
When the machine is to be again started the brake lever is pressed back by hand
to again allow the driving shaft to be turned a short distance; the stud on the
brake wheel then further depresses the projection on the rod before mentioned
against an incline until it is thereby moved out of its path, and so gets free from
it; the rod and the catch which locks the shipper bar are then free, and are drawn:
up by the spring which acts on the catch, and the catch is then ready to lock the
shipper bar, when it is again moved endwise to throw on the belt to again start
the machine.
Before the bar which carries the catches that rest on the threads is moved back
by its cam as hereinbefore mentioned the threads are, just before they arrive at the
points where the catches rest upon them, taken hold of by spring nippers on arms
carried by an axis, which is then caused to oscillate and tighten up the threads;
the oscillation of the axis moves the arms away from a rod upon which the springs
of the nippers previously rested, and which previously held up the springs and
prevented them from nipping the threads, but when the arms move away from 4
the rod the springs close on to and grip the threads, the movement of the arms
then tightens the threads to the extent required.
The above arrangement for stopping the machine on the breaking of a thread
may be used for any class of rotary knitting machine whether the machine is
adapted or not for producing striped work.
5
If the machine is adapted to produce striped work in the manner above described,
then the spring nipper arms for tightening up one set of threads are carried by an
axis separate from the axis which carries the spring nipper arms which are to act
on the other set of threads. When one set of threads goes out of action the spring
nipper arms which act on these threads also go out of action, and this is effected by 5
the connecting rods which give these axes their rocking motion, being then uncoupled
from the lever which is acted upon by a cam.

page_text: The uncoupling of the connecting rods from the lever is effected by the movement
of a slide to and fro endwise along the lever so as to cause the end of either one or
other of the connecting rods to engage with a pin on the lever, and so be moved
with it, whilst the other connecting rod is set free and out of action. The endway
movement of the slide along the lever is given to it by the same system of rocking
levers as that by which the additional endway traverse is given to one of the
thread carrier bars at the time when this bar goes into or out of action, as before
explained.
Figure 9 shews an end view of a machine constructed as above described;
Figure 10 is a front view of the same end of the machine In each Figure some of
the parts of the machine which are of ordinary construction are not shewn, so that
the other parts may be seen more clearly. In these Figures a, b, are two thread
carrier bars; the ends of the bars are square in section, and where they are supported
in bearings they pass through a sleeve c, which is circular on the exterior and can
turn freely in the bearings, whilst the bar can also be moved endwise to and fro
through the sleeve. Each bar carries thread eyes a¹, 61, and at one end has fixed
to it an arm a², 62. The ends of these arms can by slightly turning the bars be
caused to enter between a pair of projections d' standing out from a bar d or can
be moved clear of these projections At Figure 9 the arm a³ of the upper thread
carrier bar a is shewn to be between one of these pairs of projections fixed to the
top of the bar d, whilst the arm b² of the lower thread carrier bar b is below and
clear of another pair of projections fixed to the bottom of the bar d The bar d can
move endwise to and fro in the bearings by which it is carried, and is, as shewn at
Figure 10, coupled by a friction connection e¹ to the slur cock e which is moved to
and fro along the slur cock bar e² in the ordinary manner.
The rocking of the bars a, b, so as to couple and uncouple them at the times
required from their driving bar dis effected by an arm on each bar being connected
by a link to a lever f which is drawn downwards by a spring, and a stud upon it
thereby held against the circumference of a cam or pattern wheel g; there are two
such pattern wheels, one to control the bar a, the other to control the bar b. These
pattern wheels are carried by an axis to which a step by step revolving motion is
given at the completion of each course of work This revolving step by step move-
ment is given by means of a cam gl on the revolving cam shaft of the machine.
The cam works a lever g² which at its upper end carries a pawl which engages
with the teeth of a ratchet wheel g³ that is on the axis of the pattern wheels.
When the thread carrier bar b, which in Figure 9 is shewn to be out of action, is
to be brought into action, the pattern wheel g which controls its action will have
been moved round so that a depression in this wheel comes below the stud or
projection of the leverf which bears against it. The lever is then drawn down-
wards by the spring which acts upon it, and the thread carrier bar b is rocked so
that its arm b² is turned upwards and caused to enter between the pair of projections
on the under side of the driving bar which is then at rest at the end of its traverse.
At the same time the bar a which was previously in work is rocked by the action
of its pattern wheel g, and the arm a³ which extends from this bar is turned
downwards, so that its end lies between the upper and lower pairs of projections on
the driving bar d, and is so set free and remains at rest when the driving bar & is
again moved endwise and carries the thread carrier bar b along with it. In order
that each time that the thread carrier bar b goes out of work that the thread eyes
upon it shall be moved out of the way of the thread eyes on the thread carrier bar a
which then comes into work, the bar b has at its end a pin b³ standing out from
it by which an additional endway movement can be given to the bar. Whilst the
bar b is in work and is traversed to and fro its movement towards that end of the
machine which is shewn in the Drawings is limited by its end coming against
the side of a plate h which rests against the frame of the machine and forms a stop,
but when the thread carrier bar b is to go out of work and is at the end of its
traverse turned in its bearings so as to disengage its arm b² from the driver bar d,
the stop plate h is drawn back at the same time. An incline h upon the plate then

page_text: comes against the pin 63 on the bar b and gives the further endway travel to the
bar, a corresponding incline h² on the side of the plate then allowing the bar b
to have this further movement given to it. Half size views of the parts which effect
the further endway movement of the bar bare shewn at Figures 11, 12, and 13.
The plate is jointed to a lever h³, the lower arm of which is acted upon by a
lever the lower arm of which is by a spring drawn against a cam h³ on the same
axis as the pattern wheels g. When the bar b has had the further endway move-
ment given to it the thread eyes upon it will have been moved away from in front
of the thread eyes of the thread carrier bar a; this bar is then by the action of
the cam g which controls its movement caused to rock, so that the thread eyes
upon it move from the back to the front of the needles, and its arm a³ engages_as
above explained with the driving bar d, so that at the next movement of this
driving bar the thread carrier bar a is carried along with it.
When the bar bis again to go into work the bar a is first rocked so as to
disengage it from the driving bar, the bar b is by a forward movement of the
plato / moved ond wise to bring it to its former position, and it is then rocked to
cause it to engage with the driving bar d
As before stated, if a third thread carrier bar is used this bar will similarly
require to have an addition end way movement given to it as it goes into and out
of work.
2
In order to diminish the tension upon the threads which pass to the thread eyes
of the thread carrier bars a and b as they alternately come into work, the threads
are led over rods, carried by lever arms i, j, from an axis i or j. When the
thread carrier bar is to come into action the axis is rocked and the rods 12 carried
by it so moved away from the threads which pass to the thread eyes a², the
threads are thereby allowed to pass in a more direct course to the thread eyes, and
so the threads are slackened. To give this rocking motion to the axis i orj short
arms on these axes are coupled by links ³, ³, with arms on the thread carrier
bars.
To prevent the pressing off of the work in case of the breakage of any one or other
of the threads, each of the threads is passed through eyes in a pair of upright
parallel plates k. Each pair of plates is carried by a base plate, which can be
bolted to a fixed bar of the machine in any required position. Between the two
plates of the several pairs of plates are catches m, m; these catches are all jointed
to a bar n, to which an endway to and fro motion is given, as will be presently
explained.
One of these catches and the parts with which it works is shewn separately at
Figure 14. The forward end of the catch passes through a vertical slot in another
plate o which stands up from the same base plate as the plates kc, and serves as a
guide for the catch. When the bar n to which the catches are jointed is moved
back, and any one or other of the catches is not at the same time raised, the end of
that catch will come against the foremost part of the plate o and prevent further
backward movement of the bar n, but if no thread is broken an incline m' on the
underside of each catch will be brought against the thread where it passes across
the space between the pair of plates k, and the catch will thereby be lifted and its
end will pass clear of the bottom of the slot in the plate o, and the backward
movement of the bar n will not be interfered with; but if any one or other of the
threads is broken the catch which ought to rest on that thread will not be raised
and the bar n will, as before explained, be prevented from moving back.
If when making some parts of the work some of the thread eyes are not required
to be brought into action, then the catches which rest upon the threads passing to
these eyes may be made to rest upon points inserted into the eyes of the plates k
through which such threads pass. These points, may, as shewn at Figure 15,
which is a cross section of Figure 14, be carried by an axis which can be turned so
as to pass the points into the eyes of the plates k, or to move them out of the eyes
so that they do not come into action as required, this axis is marked p, and the
points carried by it p'.

page_text: The to and fro endway movement is given to the bar n which carries the catches
in the following manner:-On the end of the bar is a pin which enters a slot in
the vertical arm of a bell crank lever q; the horizontal arm of this lever is
connected by a rod q' with one arm of a lever r, the opposite arm of which lever
carries a roller that rests against a cam s on the main revolving cam shaft of the
machine, the lever is acted upon by a spring to keep the roller bearing against the
cam. Just after the completion of each traverse of the slur cock, and consequently
the laying on of the threads on to the needles, a depression a³ in the cam 8 comes
below the roller on the lever r; if none of the threads are broken the spring which
acts upon the lever r will turn this lever and keep the roller bearing against the
cain, and the bar n which carries the catches before mentioned will at the same
time be moved back, but if one or other of the threads is broken the catch which
ought to rest on such thread will not be raised, and the bar will be prevented from
moving back, and the roller on the lever will not descend into the hollow in the
cam 8.
When there are two sets of threads to be put in and out of work alternately to
produce striped work, as in the machine shewn in the Drawings, then a bar n
carrying catches m is used for acting upon each set of the threads, and both bars n
may be attached to one another, so that they always move to and fro together.
I will now explain more fully the manner in which the machine is at once
stopped when the bar n is hindered from being moved back.
Standing up from the lever r is a third arm r', to the upper end of this arm is
jointed a bar t, the forward end of this bar is by a strap t¹ supported by a lever
arm u which is held up by a spring u¹. The forward end of the lever arm u enters
a notch in the shipper rod v and prevents this rod from being moved endwise by a
strong spring which acts upon it. This sliding shipper rod is as usual provided
with a fork which embraces the endless strap by which the machine is driven, and
when the shipper rod is moved endwise by the spring which acts upon it it shifts
the band from off the fast driving pulley and on to a loose pulley. The action of
these parts is well understood, so that I have not shewn them in the Drawings.
On the extremity of the bart is a projection t; if none of the threads are broken,
and the roller on the lever r is kept bearing against the cam 8 and caused to dip
down into the depression 81 of this cam, the movement of the lever pushes
forward the bar t, and carries the projection 2 on its end out of the path of two
projections w³, w³, which stand out from one side of a brake wheel w which is fast
on the driving shaft of the machine, and the movement of the driving shaft is not
interrupted; but if one or other of the threads is broken, and the roller on the
lever does not descend into the depression in the cain 8, the bar t is not moved
forward sufficiently for the projection on its end to be moved out of the path of the
projections w¹, w², on the brake wheel. The first projection w¹ then strikes against
the projection on the end of the bart and forces the bar to turn downwards a
short distance, and the bar carries down with it the lever arm u, so moving the
forward end of this arm out of the notch in the shipper rod, when at once the
shipper rod is moved endwise by its spring and the driving band is thrown off
from the fast driving pulley on to the loose pulley. When the first projection on
the lever arm has turned down the bar t it passes beyond the projection t on its
end, and the second projection w³ on the brake wheel then strikes against the top
of the projection t² and carries the bar t still further downwards. A brake lever,
which was before held back and prevented from pressing against the circumference
of the brake wheel w by means of a pin v³ on the lever arm u is, by the further
descent of this arm, set free, and a brake block x on the brake lever is forced by
the action of a strong spring ² against the periphery of the brake wheel, so at
once stopping the driving shaft of the machine. When the lever arm u is first
moved downwards by the action of the first projection w¹ on the biake wheel to
set free the shipper rod the pin u¹ upon it is carried down below a small projection
on the brake lever which previously rested against it, and so the lever arm u is
at this time prevented from again rising and again locking the shipper rod.

page_text: In order to again start the machine when the broken thread has been pieced up
and adjusted the brake lever is pressed back by hand, and the driving shaft turned
round by hand a short distance, the projection w³ on the brake wheel then forces
the projection t¹ on the rod t against a fixed incline y, the rod t is thereby thrust
backwards, and the projection w on the brake wheel is able to pass beyond it.
The lever arm u and rod t are then drawn upwards by the action of the spring u¹.
The shipper rod can then be moved back by hand against the action of its spring,
and the driving band be so moved on to the fast driving pulley, the lever arm u
will then again enter the notch in the shipper rod and prevent it from again
throwing off the driving band, and the machine will resume its work.
As before stated the threads just before the catches m which control the stopping
of the machine are brought into action upon them are tightened up
I will now
describe more fully the manner in which this is accomplished. The threads as
they come from the cops which are carried by the fixed cop rails y* are led off
from the cops and passed through eyes y¹, then each thread is passed through an
eye at in a spring z¹ fixed at one end to an arm z.
The several arms z are all
fixed to a shaft A. Each spring z' is arched, as shewn, and then formed to bear
upon the arm a somewhere near its forward end. The thread is led between the
arm and the spring, and then through an eye ³ at the end of the arm before it is
passed through the eyes k¹ in the plates k of the stopping mechanism hereinbefore
described.
Whilst the threads are being laid by the thread eyes on to the needles the
shaft A is turned, so as to hold the arms z down in the position shewn; the ends
of the springs 2¹ then rest upon the top of a bar B, and are so held away from the
arms and prevented from nipping the thread. Just before the catches of the
stopping mechanism are to be drawn against the threads the shaft A is turned, so
as to raise the arms and bring their forward ends against the springs and lift the
springs from off the bar B, the threads thereby get nipped and held between the
arms z and the springs, and are tightened up to any extent required by the further
movement of the arnis. The shaft A is rocked at the time required by an arm
upon it being connected by a rod A' with one arm of a lever C, the opposite arm of
which lever carries a roller, which is acted upon by a cam D on the cam shaft of
the machine. The lever is acted upon by a spring (not shewn in the Drawing) to
keep the roller bearing against the cam. When the machine is adapted to produce
striped work, as in the machine shewn in the Drawing, then a separate set of
nippers each carried by a separate shaft A is used for each set of threads, as shewn
in the Drawing, and the two rods A¹, which pass down from arms on these shafts
to the lever C, are alternately coupled and uncoupled to this lever, according as the
set of threads to be acted upon by them are to go in or out of action.
To do this the lower ends of the rods A¹ are passed through a vertical slot in a
slide E. A pin C on the lever C passes through a horizontal slot in the same
part of the slide as shown clearly at Figures 11, 12, and 13. The opposite end of
this slide is connected by a pin with a lever arm G, which is fast on the axis that
carries the lever arm that is acted upon by the cam, and by means of which the
additional endway movement is, as hereinbefore explained, given to the thread
bar beach time that it goes into or out of work. The endway movement of the
slide is therefore effected just after one set of threads has been laid on to the
needles, and before the next set are brought into action; at this time both of
the rods A' are in their lowest position, and the pin on the lever C is in a line
with a slot in each rod A', so that the slide can be shifted freely and the lower
ends of the rods moved with it, so that the pin on the lever C shall be brought
within the slot of whichever rod A¹ is to be brought into action.
It is not necessary that all of the improvements herein before described as being
used in the one machine shewn at Figures 9 and 10 should always be used at the
same time.
Some of the improvements may be used without necessarily using the
other improvements with them.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing

page_text: the same, I would have it understood that I claim as my improvements in knitting
machines,―
First. The construction of the combs which are to hold the jacks, substantially
in the manner described.
Second. The construction of the sinkers, substantially as described.
Third. The construction of the faller bar divided into numerous narrow springs,
for the purpose described.
Fourth. The combination of mechanism, substantially as herein before described,
for putting one set of thread layers or carriers out of action as another set is
brought into action for the purpose of producing striped work, both sets of
thread carriers when in action being able to move to and fro in the same plane or
path.
Fifth. The means for diminishing the tension upon the threads at the time when
they are brought into action after having been for a time out of action when
striped work is being produced.
Sixth. The combination of mechanism for stopping rotary knitting machines in
case any of the threads break or run out, substantially as herein before described.
Seventh. The employment of two projections on a brake wheel on the driving
shaft of rotary knitting machines to act in succession to stop the machine when
any of the threads break.
Eighth. The employment in rotary knitting machines of a series of catches
jointed to a sliding bar, which immediately after the thread layers or carriers have
Jaid threads on to the needles is allowed to be moved end wise by the action of a
spring or weight if all the catches are held up by the threads upon which they
rest, but which if not held up come against stops and prevent the bar moving
endwise, thereby causing the immediate stoppage of the machine.
Ninth The employment of nippers to hold and tighten up the threads just
when the catches are to be brought into action, substantially as described
Tenth. The combination of mechanism, substantially as herein before described,
for putting the nippers which act on each set of threads into and out of action at
the same time that the thread layers which carry these threads go into or out of
action when striped work is being produced.
Eleventh. The combination of mechanism, substantially as herein before described
and shown at Figures 9 and 10, for producing striped work.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Cotton, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventeenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty.
11711
Tr COMMAN