IMPROVE- MENTS IN CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John William Watts, of Countesthorpe, in the county
of Leicester, Hosiery Manufacturer's Manager, for an invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John William Watts at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st February 1882.
JOHN WILLIAM WATTS of Countesthorpe, in the County of Leicester Hosiery
Manufacturers Manager. IMPROVEMENTS IN CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES.
The improvements relate to circular knitting machinery and more particularly
to the machinery for which Herbert John Haddan secured Letters Patent viz:-
on 21 July 1880 No. 3000 and on 7 October 1881 No. 4363 and they consist in
thickening the cams in revolving cone cylinder enabling one half in upper part to
be sufficiently cut away to give room for insertion of a small movable ring between
front piece of cam and inside of conical cylinder and attached to the cam by a
When ribhing
small stud working easily enough to turn backwards or forwards.
cam cylinder is revolving from left to right, the said wing rests upon an excentric
screw head such head having a shank which protrudes through the conical cylinder
externally and has a small lever attached to it. Moving said lever to left or right
shortens or lengthens the loop of fabric. When conical cam cylinder is working
from right to left, cranks of the needles in motion in upper raceway, strike against
the movable wing and close gateway, preventing needles from descending through
said gateway. Also in the insertion of small additional cam. Also in the insertion
of slide working in groove cut in inside cone and worked to right or left by stud
protruding externally through a slot and when at left end of slot needles in motion
are prevented from flying out of grooves occasioned by loops getting off needles.
Also of an improved feeder and fender combined in one which serves same purpose
as former feeder and fender separate, and attached to outside of vertical cam
cylinder enabling machine to be worked backwards or forwards with or without
ribbing cylinder attached or re-threading. Also of a double lug on one side of
cylinder fitting each side of a lug at back of inside of inside vertical cylinder
giving firmness and enabling conical can cylinder to be worked backwards
or forwards without displacement and in attaching 3 single weights with latch
needles instead of double fork which enables the heel and toe to be worked
more satisfactorily.

page_text: A further improvement consists in the application of a spring bolt F (Figures 1
and 2) to the bearing of the ribbing cone. This spring bolt is inserted in a
vertical groove of the axle bearing or spindle holder M, (see Figures 3 and 4) and
drops with its lower end through the slot m² in collar N into a corresponding
vertical aperture in the upper face of the ribbing cone, if the latter has the required
position, being pressed downward by a spring. This spring bolt has at its upper
end a holder by which it can be raised out of the ribbing cone and collar by the
fingers when desired. The hollow axle of the ribbing cone has a circumferential
groove Z into which projects a set screw serving to fix the cone at the required
height. The spring bolt serves to connect or disconnect the cone from the bearing
when required.
A further improvement consists in the construction of the tension apparatus as
shown in Figures 5 and 6 applied to the top of the yarn post and serving to tighten
the stitch. This appliance is essentially a weight L at the end of a short arm
turning on a pivot and pressing on the yarn as it passes through the eyelet of
the tension spring or take-up z and tube M to the feeder. The tension spring is
attached to the stud z¹.
A further improvement consists in attaching to the fabric weights as shown in
Figure 8, when making the heels or toes of stockings, which weight is suspended
by means of a latch similar to that of the knitting needle, as shown in the
Drawing.
A last improvement consists in providing the upper face of the ribbing cone
with a collar N, situated between the upper face of the cone and the lower face of
the bearing M, and provided with slots n through which studs n¹ are screwed into
the cone. This collar serves to turn the whole coue to the amount required to
draw a longer loop or slacken the stitches when using a smaller number of needles.
The same ribbing cone may thus be used for needle cylinders and needle cones
having different numbers of needles, for instance from 26 to 54. m² is the slot for
the spring bolt F.
The following example of knitting, that of a full-sized man's ribbed sock, super
Scotch fingering, will explain the method of working the improved machine. Put
all the needles in the cylinder, set up with cotton yarn, put in all weights, and knit
about half a dozen rows, place the ribber in position, open the clasp ring D on the
right of the yarn guide C, draw up a needle from the cylinder nearest the end of
the yarn guide, turn the needle round and place it in the groove of the ribber cone
immediately in front with the stitch on it, continue in this manner, transferring
every other needle from the cylinder to the each and every groove in the ribbing
cone, turning the handle carefully little by little to the right after every second
needle has been transferred, and taking care that all the latches of the needles in
the cone are open, otherwise drop stitches will occur. Continue in this way until
the ribber cone is filled with needles, then close the clasp ring, which will fasten
itself, and knit three rows only. Now tie the fingering with a small knot to the
cotton thread, knit one row only, and put the tension weight L in position, lying
on the thread as it runs over the yarn post; now loosen the welt thumb screw U,
raise it as far as possible and screw tightly; then knit four rows; now loosen the
welt screw, lower it as far as possible and screw up, which will bring the ribbing
needles again into action; then knit fifty rows; which will form the one and one
ribbed top of the sock. Having done this, transfer every other needle from the
ribbing cone to the corresponding needle groove in the cylinder, proceeding to the
right little by little as before with the clasp ring D again open. The needle
latch E must also be open during the operation of transferring the needles. When
half the needles in the ribber are transferred, close the needle latch and clasp ring,
place the tension weight out of action, and knit round to the right seventy five
rows to form the leg, three and one ribbed, stopping with the stitch-screw V at
the back just opposite the yarn post. Now open the clasp ring D and needle
latch E, and transfer half the needles from the ribber to the cylinder on the front
of the machine. Then close the clasp ring and needle latch, work round to the

page_text: right once, till the last ribbing needle on the left hand side has risen just above
the cylinder, raise the spring bolt F and rest it on the ribber arm to the right,
working on a little to the right until the yarn guide C is exactly in front of the
machine. Now raise the back half of the cylinder needles as high as possible, put
the tension weight in position, pass the yarn over the take-up spring in front of
the tension tube, and work on to the right till the yarn guide is past the bottom
needles, and make the heel. When all the neodles are in action again, replace the
spring bolt in its original position put down the cylinder needles at the back of
the machine, take the yarn off the tension spring, and knit round to the right
eighty rows to form the foot; then make the toe in the same way as the heel.
Fill the ribber cone with needles, in the manner before described, join the cotton
to the worsted, and proceed as before. The socks will then be attached to each
other by a few rounds of cotton, and as many as are required can be made one
after the other. To finish off the socks, cut through the piece of cotton web
between the toe of one and the top of another, and pull out the thread of cotton,
which will easily unravel if a loop joining the worsted is cut, and one of the ends
formed pulled. In making the heel, detach the set up, and hang the heel weights
(see Figure 8,) into the fabric, hooking them as close as possible to the top of the
needle cylinder.
Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: --
First. The improved means for guiding the ribbing needles in the ribbing cone.
Second. The combined thread feeder and fender.
Third. The movable catch D for keeping the needle latches open.
Fourth. The segmental catch or lever E at the base of the ribbing cone.
Fifth. The spring-bolt F for driving the ribbing cone.
Sixth. The tension apparatus L at the top of the yarn post.
Seventh. The heel weights.
Eighth. The slotted collar N at the top of the ribbing cone.
The whole substantially as described and illustrated.
In witness whereof I the said John William Watts have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Nineteenth day of August AD 1882