Improvements in Means or Contrivances for Producing Fancy Tubular Knitted Fabrics.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 11th May, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 11th Feb., 1897-Accepted, 11th May 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means or Contrivances for Producing Fancy
Tubular Knitted Fabrics.
We, OSMOND TABBERER, ALEXANDER LORRIMER, GEORGE OSMOND
TABBERER, MAURICE LORRIMER and FREDERICK SAMUEL SHIPP of the
Firm trading as Pool, Lorrimer and Tabberer of Nos. 33 and 35 King Street
Leicester in the County of Leicester, and Lockhurst Lane Foleshill in the County
of Warwick, Fancy Hosiery Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in means or contrivances for producing
fancy tubular knitted fabrics in a two feeder or other machine of the "swing jack
type, or revolving cylinder knitting machine to automatically produce legs of
stockings, half-hose, mits, mittens or infantee's or larger tubular bodies or webs
produced in such machines.
The object of our invention being to automatically produce plain or ribbed fancy
solid ring or outline patterns of diamonds, curves, zig zags and the like, upon
hosiery kuitted fabrics. We are also able by the means hereinafter described to
change the pattern at any given time in any number of courses, and one pattern
may be continued or changed at will, in either ribbed or plain work.
To carry out our invention we arrange in the rear of the frame or stand carrying
the machine or machines vertical rods, each rod carrying adjustable sliding brackets
with spindles the latter carrying suitable drums in the grooves of which are placed
endless pattern chains (four or more in each) to the links of which are pivotted
dogs all of the same shape and height, arranged at the required intervals, the
said drums are shogged by pawls and rocking levers on vertical spindles, the
latter carrying at their lower ends levers and rollers operated upon by the ordinary
cam under the machine, each "dog" in its order of following on controls and
depresses one of a corresponding number of levers arranged on horizontal spindles
fitted in a double bracket, or brackets secured to the back arm or post of the
ribber head.
The outer curved narrowed ends of the double series of levers converge in one
direction so that they lie close in rear of each other commencing from the outer to
the inner ones, whether four or more upon each side of the needle cylinder as the
case may be, such narrowed ends are adjustably connected by screws or tappets
with the tops of the same number of cam spindles, the lower end of which carry
the frame clearing cams fitting within the bottom cover or shell of the needle
cylinder below the knitting race, and each are held in their initial or upward position
by suitable springs placed either on the spindles or hooked on to bars fitted upon
the sides of the upper cover of the cylinder. A welting lever may also be fitted
outside the other cam levers on one side of the machine coutrolled by an extra.
pattern chain in the end groove of the drums, said welting lever operates at any
given time according to the article it is desired to make for in mits or mittens more
than one welt is required.
The cylinder jacks to be employed have specially cut feet of different lengths in
the following order, and for the purpose of identification we will call them by

page_text: No. 1 has the shortest foot, No. 2 graded that its curved extremity just
clears that of No. 1, the feet of Nos. 3 and 4 being also graded in like manner in the
case of No. 5, the foot would be weakened by being this extra length so we make
this jack with a long tail to be operated upon by a cam underneath. The graded
and long tailed jacks are assigned their proper position in the tricks of the
cylinder all around the circle, as the pattern may be determined.
"
By arranging the "dogs to the links of the pattern chains before mounting
them in position the operator can change as often as required. To produce
"ring diamonds" the first dog rising on the first (or any one of the chains)
raises the inner end of No. 1 or its corresponding lever and so depresses number
one, or its corresponding frame cam and needles for one course, then the first
dog in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th chains follow successively or consecutively in
proper order and raises the inner ends of the second, third and fourth
levers and depresses their corresponding cams and needles accordingly, or
the fourth (or may be fifth) whichever controls the outside clearing cam on each
side of the frame will commence and follow in the reverse order back to No. 1 und
repeat.
For producing horizontal zig-zag or curved solid patterns around the fabric the
said series of pattern chains control the corresponding series of levers and cams
in the following or similar manner by commencing at Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 and so
depressing every first, second, third, fourth or fifth needle in the circle of cylinder
needles.
To produce "solid diamonds" of the colour, on both faces of the fabric (according
to the colours of the yarn employed) successively in each four or five courses, or
may be more, the series of pattern chains on either side will be so arranged, with
the cylinder needles in their proper graded order, that the "dogs" on the 1st to
the 4th or 5th chain will by aid of the corresponding levers, keep the first to the
fourth or fifth needle on one side of the cylinder depressed, and reverse the same
needles on the other side of the cylinder, thus making a pattern of two coloured
diamonds continuous in successive order.
The dogs in the chains, and levers all being independent can act upon any single
needle at any time in the circle of needles, and by being able to change the pattern
chains at will we are enabled to make an unlimited number of solid, or line patterns
in succession or combination.
The frame cams are made of the width to suit the graded under-cut portion of
the feet of the needles, and each set of apparatus work each set of levers
alternately one in every course.
We are aware that square or check patterns have been produced in such
machines in solid rib fabrics, but by the series of contrivances forming the subject
of this our invention we obtain fancy designs hitherto unattainable.
Dated this 29th day of April 1896.
W. BESTWICK MAXFIELD,
Applicants' Agent.
Improvements' in Means or Contrivances for Producing Fancy
Tubular Knitted Fabrics.
We, OSMOND TABBERER, ALEXANDER LORRIMER, GEORGE OSMOND
TABBERER, MAURICE LORRIMER and FREDERICK SAMUEL SHIPP of the
Firm trading as Pool, Lorrimer and Tabberer of No. 33 and 35 King Street,
Leicester in the County of Leicester, and Lockhurst Lane, Foleshill in the County
of Warwick, Fancy Hosiery Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of this

page_text: 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 relates to improvements in means or contrivances for producing
fancy tubular knitted fabrics in a two feeder or other nachine of the "swing jack
type, or revolving cylinder knitting machine to automatically produce legs of
stockings, half-hose, mits, mittens or infantees or for larger tubular bodies or webs
produced in such machines.
That this our invention may be well understood drawings are annexed showing
the means or contrivances employed in carrying out the same in a two feeder circular
knitting machine and to which reference is now made.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine constructed for making mitts or
mittens.
Figure 2 is a side view of same.
Figure 3 is a cut off view of one of the plating levers and cams employed.
Figure 4 pattern of chain and dogs combined.
Figure 5 is an upper view shewing the arrangement of drums and levers on both
sides of the machine, and
Figure 6 shows the cylinder jacks P graded in their relative positions from 1
to 4 in the order named.
Similar letters of reference are used to represent like parts in all the figures.
The object of this our invention is to produce by automatic means plain or ribbed
fancy solid ring or outline patterns of diamonds, zig-zag or the like curves in
knitted hosiery tubular fabrics, and to change the pattern at any given time, or
continue upon the one pattern selected at the will of the operator.
To carry out this our invention we arrange in the rear of the frame or stand carrying
the machine, or set of machines A, vertical rods B, each of which carry adjustable
sliding brackets & and spindles c, the latter carrying the drums D in the form of
pulleys the grooves of which receive the endless pattern chains E to the links of
which are pivotted the dogs e, arranged in the double or single link at the desired
intervals according to the pattern required, the said drums or pulleys are shogged
by the pawls F and F acting upon the toothed wheels G, G¹ on the inner ends of
the drum spindles g, which are fixed in the back brackets a, the pawls F, F¹ are
secured to levers gl, mounted on pins g², to the top of the said levers are secured
links g³ attached to levers g' the latter being secured to the rocking spindles H, H'
which are carried in the bearings ', and 2, and have at their lower ends levers h³,
carrying rollers h, in contact with and put in action by the ordinary cam I of the
machine. The rocking spindle H is constantly oscillated by the cam I the welt
wheel is shogged upon the hooked end O' of the lever O disengaging itself from
the lever g' which gives an extra push to the pawl and allows it to enter the next
tooth in the rack wheel 2 and so on at every operation of the Jacquard mechanism
in the ordinary well known manner. The lever O is returned to its normal position
by the spring 02. Where more than one welt requires to be made in such articles
as "mits" or "mittens" the welt lever O can be put in or out of operation at any
given time by altering the dogs in the pattern chain. The dogs e in their pre-
arranged order, with the links of the pattern chain E when in contact with the
outer ends of the series of corresponding levers J arranged upon the spindles j
raises them; said spindles are secured to the back brackets a (the bracket on the
right side of the machine has an arm carrying the spring 02 seen in Figures 2
and 5). The curved narrowed inner ends of the series of plating levers J on both
sides converge in the direction of and to partly encircle the needle cylinder and are
marked like the frame jacks, numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively; their inner ends
being adjustably attached to the tops of the cam spindles K by the screws or
tappets K, the spindles fitting the right angled arm to which the frame cams Lar
secured "see Figure 3," the apex of the latter when in their normal position being
level with the clearing inclines K and correspond in shape therewith, and lie
within the bottom cover or shell and partly round the needle cylinder A³ on both

page_text: sides at or near each feeder, and below the knitting race, each arm and lever is
held in the holes in the brackets m, and in its initial or upward position by the
springs M Figure 2," the upper ends of which are hung on to the bars N, and
their lower ends on to the hooks n'. The head of the machine is stopped auto-
matically by the stopping lever Q which with the levers Q, Q, and the weighted
catch lever Qax are of the ordinary construction, act upon the hand lever Q³ in the
following manner, when the outer end of the lever Q is raised by the dogs in the
chain coming thereunder, the lever Q₁ is lowered and raises the outer or front
portion of the lever Q2, and with it the hooked end of the catch lever Q3 which
releases the starting lever Q: this is then pulled back by means of a spring "not
shown."
The stopping lever is only shown in section in Figure 2 in connection
with the clutch wheel Q, and wheel Q, on the main driving shaft Qx, the end of
said shaft carries the necessary fast and loose pulleys not shown. The machine
can also be turned by applying a crank handle to the spindle of the pinion
wheel O, in engagement with the toothed wheel O7. The graded cylinder jacks P
have specially cut feet "as seen in Figure 6 Sheet 2" and as before stated are
numbered as follows: those with the shortest feet 1, those graded next, 2, 3 and 4
in like manner, each corresponding to the width of the cams L, and all are assigned
their relative positions in the cylinder accordingly.
Already made up pattern chains can be kept on hand or the dogs e can be changed
at any time when a fresh effect is desired.
To make "ring diamonds" the needles are placed in the following order in the
tricks of the cylinder 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on all round the circle, and the said
jacks from 1 to 4 inclusive are acted upon by the same numbered levers on both
sides of the head.
Only one chain is necessary when making figured work but both sides are at work
in making patterned tuck work. In zig-zag or other solid patterns the jacks are
arranged in the manner as before described, and by making the chain pattern to
co-operate with the needles on the right hand side of the machine only.
In the making of "solid diamonds" wherein the colors of the yarns employed in
each feeder will appear alternately and successively numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4 needles
are depressed at one feeder, while those at the opposite feeder are not, for each
four or five courses, or may be more thus producing a pattern of two coloured
diamonds, continuous throughout the fabric.
When the cams L are drawn down below the clearing inclines K2 the cylinder
needles hold the loop down under the hook the latches being dropped; the cans L
return to their initial position by influence of the springs M, as before stated, when
the corresponding needles knit upon the corresponding cam being raised.
The dogs e whether formed as an outside, or inside link of the chain (see Fig. 3)
or series of pattern chains being independent can cause their corresponding levers
to act upor any single needle in the cylinder at any time, and by being able to
change the pattern chains at will an unlimited variety of solid, or horizontal line
patterns can be made in succession or in combination.
The frame cams L are made of the width to fit the graded under-cut part of the
cylinder jacks, and each set of contrivances operate each set of levers alternately
one in every course.
We are aware that "square or check patterns have been made in "run up
machines in producing slid rib patterned fabrics, but by the herein described
arrangement and combination of contrivances such a variety of fancy designs can
be made hitherto unattainable.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that wha
we claim is:
1
1. In automatically producing fancy patterns in tubular knitted fabrics upor
circular swing jack machines of the type illustrated, the employment of a series of
cylinder jacks with graded feet, frame cams L, attached to spindles, coutrolled by

page_text: series of levers adjustably held by screws and tappets, and operated by a series of
pattern chains corresponding in number therewith, substantially as described.
2. In a two feeder circular knitting machine of the type illustrated for producing
"ring diamonds," horizontal zig-zag or the like solid patterns, the use or
employment of a double series of drums or pulleys carrying pattern chains, the
dogs forming part of the links thereof, a welting lever, a double series of plating
levers, connected to the spindles of the frame cams L, and of a series of cylinder
jacks having feet of different lengths, graded so that the under-cut portions thereof
fit to the frame cams, said jacks being successively arranged in the manner as
herein described and set forth.
3. The herein described contrivances, with stopping lever for throwing the
clutch wheel out of gear with the wheel upon the head of the machine.
4. The herein described improvements in means or contrivances employed in
combination for producing fancy tubular patterned knitted fabrics substantially as
set forth with reference to the nccompanying drawings.
1007
W. BESTWICK MAXFIELD,
Registered Patent Agent,
19 Bowling Green Street, Leicester, in the County of Leicester,
Applicants' Agent.