IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Jackson, of Gordon Street, Leith Walk, Edinburgh,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINERY."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Jackson at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th August 1877.
WILLIAM JACKSON, of Gordon Street, Leith Walk, Edinburgh.
IN KNITTING MACHINERY."
"IMPROVEMENTS
:
The Invention has for its object improvements in that class of circular knitting
machinery in which the needles are arranged to work up and down in grooves in a
cylinder, around which is a revolving cylinder provided with a cam to give the
required up-and-down motion to the needles.
According to the arrangement heretofore in use, the only mode of fashioning a
tubular fabric produced on such description of machinery was by varying the
tension on the yarn employed, which plan produced defective work.
Now according to my Invention, I am enabled to produce good fashioned tubular
work by removing from and replacing, as required, one or more needles and needle
holders or sockets in the circle, and varying the tension of the yarn.
In carrying my Invention into effect, instead of employing as heretofore a grooved
cylinder to receive the needles, I employ separate sockets to receive the needles,
cach of which sockets is provided with suitable catches or projections to retain it in
position on a fixed cylinder which is provided with annular projections to fit the
catches or projections on the sockets.
One or more openings are formed in the edge of the fixed cylinder, at which
points the upper annular projection is cut away to permit of the sockets with the
needles therein being removed and replaced, as may be required.
Each socket has fixed on one side thereof a spring which acts to regulate the
spaces between the sockets and to give stability thereto.
In order to prevent these sockets being moved round upon the fixed cylinder

page_text: when producing work on the machine, I employ a number of stops, which, when
required, are caused by suitable levers to project from the face of the fixed cylinder
between some of the sockets, and thereby retain them in a stationary position on
the cylinder, whilst by withdrawing such stops the sockets are enabled to adjust
themselves on the fixed cylinder on the removal or re-insertion of a socket.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Jackson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th February
1878.
WILLIAM JACKSON, of Gordon Street, Leith Walk, Edinburgh.
IN KNITTING MACHINERY."
"IMPROVEMENTS
This Invention has for its object improvements in tliat. class of circular knitting
inachinery in which the needles are arranged to work up and down in grooves in a
cylinder, around which is a revolving cylinder provided with a cam to give the
required up and-down motion to the needles.
According to the arrangement heretofore in use, the only mode of fashioning a
tubular fabric produced on such description of machinery was by varying the tension
on the yarn employed, which plan produced defective work.
Now according to my Invention, I am enabled to produce good fashioned tubular
work by removing from and replacing, as required, one or more needles and needle
holders or sockets in the circle, and varying the tension of the yarn.
In carrying my Invention into effect, instead of employing as heretofore a grooved
cylinder to receive the needles, I employ separate sockets to receive the needles,
each of which sockets is provided with suitable catches or projections to retain it in
position on a fixed cylinder, which is provided with annular projections to fit the
catches or projections on the sockets.
One or more openings are formed in the edge of the fixed cylinder, at which
points the upper annular projection is cut away to permit of the sockets with the
needles therein being removed and replaced, 'as may be required.
Each socket has fixed on one side thereof a spring which acts to regulate the
spaces between the sockets and to give stability thereto.
In order to prevent these sockets being moved round upon the fixed cylinder
when producing work on the machine, I employ a number of stops, which, when
required, are caused by suitable levers to project from the face of the fixed cylinder
between some of the sockets, and thereby retain them in a stationary position on
the cylinder, whilst by withdrawing such stops, the sockets are enabled to adjust
themselves on the fixed cylinder on the removal or re-insertion of a socket.
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings, more fully
to describe the same.

page_text: The general construction and operation of the machine are similar to those of
knitting machinery heretofore in use and well known, I will not therefore enter
into a description of the general construction and operation of the machine, but
will confine myself to a description of those parts constituting my Invention.
a are the needles, which, instead of being as heretofore mounted in vertical
grooves formed in the circumference of the cylinder b, are, according to my present
Invention, mounted each in a separate socket c provided with suitable catches or
projections c¹, c², to retain it in position on the cylinder b, which is provided with
annular projections 61, 62, to fit the catches or projections c¹, c², on the sockets c.
One or more openings 63 (two are shown in the Drawings) are formed in the edge
of the cylinder b, at which points the upper annular projection 6' is cut away to
permit of the sockets c with the needles a therein being removed and replaced as
may be required.
Figure 3 is an exterior view of part of the cylinder b with sockets c mounted
thereon.
Figures 4 and 5 are detail views of a part of the cylinder b separately.
And Figures 6, 7, and 8 are respectively a side view, front view, and top view of
a socket c separately.
Each socket c has fixed on one side thereof a spring c³, which acts to regulate the
spaces between the sockets c and to give stability thereto.
To prevent these sockets c being moved round upon the cylinder 6 when pro-
ducing work on the machine, any convenient arrangement of means may be employed.
In the Drawings I have represented two arrangements, of which I will first describe
that represented at Figures 1 to 5. Between the openings 63 and on the opposite
side of the cylinder b, I fix stops b', which form fixed division pieces or supports at
those points between the sockets c, and I make the cylinder b capable of movement
to and from its base b* by means of thumbscrews 65, which are prevented from
rising or falling when turned by means of fixed collars 66, but which, when turned,
raise or lower the cylinder b so as to either remove pressure from or put pressure on
the sockets c end wise, and so either free or fix them, as may be required.
Figure 9 is an under side view, and Figure 10 is a sectional plan of parts of a
knitting machine, showing a different arrangement of parts for preventing the
sockets c from being moved round upon the cylinder b when producing work on
the machine, and Figures 11 and 12 are respectively a cross section and elevation
of parts thereof. In this arrangement I fix two of the sockets c in position on the
cylinder, one opposite to the other, and I employ a number of moveable stops d
fixed to the lower parts of springs d' and working in openings formed in the
cylinder b.
The springs d are at their lower parts held in position by studs d² fixed in the
back of the cylinder b, and at their upper parts work in recesses 67 formed in the
cylinder b. Each of such springs d¹ is acted upon by levers e, which are mounted
on centres of motion at el, and are connected to and operated by a segmental link f
which is operated by a lever g. Half of the stops d are connected to and operated
by one lever g, and the other half to another lever g; and in the Drawings I have
shown one set of such stops d projecting from the outer surface of the cylinder b,
and the other set withdrawn so as to be flush or slightly beneath the surface of the
cylinder b.
Stops or catches h are employed to hold the levers g when it is required to retain
the stops d in their withdrawn position. By these means the stops & may, when
required, be caused to project from the face of the cylinder b between some of the
sockets c, and thereby retain the sockets c in a stationary position on the cylinder,
whilst, by withdrawing such stops d, the sockets c are enabled to adjust themselves
on the said cylinder 6 on the removal or re-insertion of a socket.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the mode in which
I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim is

page_text: mounting the needles of knitting machines in adjustable sockets in lieu of mounting
them in grooves formed in the cylinder, substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Jackson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twelfth day of February, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
WILLIAM JACKSON. (L.S.)