Improvements in and Appertaining to the Manufacture of Hosiery.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 18th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 8th Feb., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Appertaining to the Manufacture of Hosiery.
We, GEORGE FREDERICK STURGESS of Wilne Street, Highfields, Overlooker,
WILLIAM BROWN, ERNEST BROWN, and FREDERICK BROWN of the firm of Messrs.
W. E. and F. Brown, Hosiery and Glove Manufacturers, all in Leicester, in the
county of Leicester, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in and appertaining to the manufacture of
hosiery and refers to an improved means of widening for fashioning all articles of
hosiery upon those machines knitting with one or two sets of needles, and stationary
or moveable needle cylinders or beds, in circular or straight knitters for making plain
or ribbed hosiery. And in the means whereby we facilitate the throwing of the loops
over the heads of the needles. Also to provide contrivances for holding down the
work and bearing away the fabric from the needles in the process of knitting, and a
needle jack adapted to ordinary cramped knitting machine needles, to obviate the
employment of several sizes or lengths of needles-These needles have hitherto been
applied to what are known as swing jacks, we employ them in conjunction with our
jacks hereinafter described as an equivalent or improvement on Sturgess's "needle
and jack shown in figure 3 of his Patent No. 15794 of 1886, the extremity of which is
curved round at the base towards the hook up in front of the needle stem, the foot of
which is immediately on front of the knitting part of the needle, the foot and jack it
will be seen is entirely above the base of the needle, this method of curving the needle
stem is not only expensive but the needles are inaccurate in length, the head being
too weak to allow of the stem being curved. The ordinary needle being cramped at
right angles we solder them into the side of our jack, this makes a needle and jack
more compact and firm than when the stem is soldered as shown in Sturgess's Patent
No. 15794 of 1886, and the soldering of the stem to the side of the jack enables the
foot to extend from the front of the knitting part of the stem of the needle to the
extremity or below the extremity of the needle, when the foot may find a bearing on
the bottom of the needle grooves, and we may extend the foot below the base of the
needle to whatever length is required, the deep foot we are thereby enabled to make
being more durable by reason of its increased length, and to further increase the firm
adherence of the foot to the needle, we batter the cramped end flat to about half its
thickness, which fits into an indentation in the side of the foot and is soldered therein
without thickening the foot. It is well known that in going from machines of large
dimensions to smaller ones it is customary to employ needles of a smaller length in
the ribber simply because of the insufficient room in the dials of small machines to
take the large dial needles preferably in large machines-This necessitates the
employment of several lengths of needles, by our making indentations in the side
of the jack of a greater length the cramped stem of the needle can be soldered
at any point desired, thus we are enabled to use one length of needle in ribbing
dials of various diameters as the foot can be arranged and altered to suit all ribbing
dials.
We provide also a fabric depresser, or appliances for holding down the work and
bearing away the fabric from the needles in the process of knitting, which consists of
a disc or inverted cone of a convenient shape arranged above the fabric inside the
cylinder having any number of radial slots cut on either surface, in the said slots are
placed hooks or rubbers of any desired shape, which extend beyond the periphery of

page_text: the disc or cone, and can be pressed either inwards, upwards or downwards indepen-
dently by a spring pressure which always brings them back to their original position
in the radial slots. We may affix the hooks or rubbers to the disc or cone without
the radial slots provided they are supple enough for the purpose, or we may provide a
plain disc with teeth on its circumference if desirable-The spring pressure may be
arrived at by virtue of the shape of the rubbers, or by the addition of springs, or by
india rubber or other flexible pads adjusted to them--The disc is eccentrically pivoted
on the bottom of the ribber spindle or to an independent spindle inserted in the same, or
other suitable support, in such a form that the disc will be caused to move or press
downwards till the rubbers press on to the fabric opposite to the stitch cams.
machines having stationary cylinders the disc is pivoted in such a manner that it has
an undulating or wavy motion as it is carried round with the cams, this undulating
motion will cause the rubbers to have a constant pressure upon the fabric slightly
below the needles, and which will prevent the fabric rising with the needles and bears
the fabric away from the needles and permitting the knitting to take place without
employing weights and the like, which have now to be employed in this class of
machine or without employing jacks or sinkers as now employed in such automatic
knitting machines known as "Shaws" and others of a similar construction.
In
When only knitting upon a section of the needles as in making heels or toes, or
other such gussets the rubbers are timed to come below those needles that are knitting,
and bears away the fabric from the needles, the rubbers coming on the section of needles
not knitting give way by reason of their elasticity, to prevent the work from rising
with the upward stroke of the rubbers we employ a ring of rubber or any other flexible
material below the rubbers, and in close proximity to them which being of a greater
bore than the axle it is mounted on, always extend beyond the circumference of the
rubbers when at their highest point, and always within the circumference of the rubbers
when at their lowest point, by coming in contact and being pushed upwards by the
needle cylinder. This encircling of the rubber when rising prevents the work being
picked up by the rubbers in their upward movement. In machines having revolving
cylinders the disc is similarly placed in relation to the knitting parts, but its centre or
pivot always remains stationary with the cams, and does not describe a circle round
the centre of the machine as in the stationary cylinders before described, that the
rubbers may have a better or freer action on the fabric we preferably turn the inside
of the cylinder bell shape to any angle desirable. We may employ two or more of the
aforesaid contrivances to one machine if requisite; to suit the different builds.
We also make in machines of the class described square enlargements in the upper
end of the needle passage without enlarging the front part thereof they are made by
running a saw down the back or inside of the needle passage way instead of from the
outside, and when the enlargements are made sufficiently deep we insert a steel or
other metal ring therein, or a strip of metal on a straight bar or bed, the said square
enlargements taper inwardly instead of outwardly as is the case when enlarging the
needle passage way from the outside.
This reverse tapering of the enlargements more effectually throw the loops over the
heads of the needles, at the same time presenting a uniform cut passage way at the
front, and is useful because it allows the cams to actuate the needle feet up to
the highest point, or top edge of the needle passage way.
This is not accomplished if the enlargements are made from the outside because
what substance is required to support the feet of the needles is cut away.
We may also sink the square enlargements with a tool and do away with the
rings or strips.
Our method of fashioning the fabric embraced in this invention such as is made
into stockings, pants or drawers and other articles of knitted underwear in seam-
less or other kinds of hosiery consists of our knitting gussets in the fabric at
given intervals, by knitting on a section of the needles, and then knit upon the whole

page_text: of the needles as required, those loops which are knitted upon the section of
needles forming the gusset, or enlargement, or fashioning in any part or parts
of the articles mentioned.
Dated this 11th day of March 1889
WILLIAM BESTWICK MAXFIELD,
Patent Agent, Leicester,
Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and Appertaining to the Manufacture of Hosiery.
We, GEORGE FREDERICK STURGESS, of Wilne Street, Highfield, Overlooker,
WILLIAM BROWN, ERNEST BROWN, and FREDERICK BROWN of the firm of Messrs.
W. E. and F. Brown of No. 9 Charles Street, Hosiery and Glove Manufacturers all
in Leicester, in the county of Leicester, 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 relates to improvements in and appertaining to the manufacture of
hosiery and refers to an improved means of widening for fashioning all articles of
hosiery upon those machines that have either one or two sets of needles, and stationary
or moveable needle cylinders or beds, in circular or straight knitters for making plain
or ribbed hosiery and in the manner whereby we facilitate the throwing off the loops
over the heads of the needles in needle passage ways of the square enlarged type
without cutting away the foot supporting substance on the front of the said needle
passage way enlargements which we require, also to provide contrivances for holding
down the work and bearing down, or rubbing down the work in the process of knitting,
and a needle jack or sliding bit adapted to be used as a detachable foot for ordinary
cramped stemmed knitting machine needle to form a complete needle applicable alike
to both cylinder and dial and capable of being converted into different lengths to
obviate the employment of several sizes or lengths of needles; and furthermore to
prevent the dial grooves from giving way at their inner or weakest part.
These needles have hitherto been applied to what are known as swing jack such a
one being shown in figure 1 of the Drawings, but we employ such needles in a special
manner hereinafter described and use such ordinary cramped needles in place of, and
as an improvement on Figure 3 shown in the Patent of "Sturgess" No. 15794 of
1886, in which the lower extremity is curved round at the base towards the hook up
in front of the needle stem, the needle foot of which is immediately on front of the
knitting part of the needle, it will thus be seen that the foot and jack there employed
is entirely above the base of the needle, this method of curving the needle stem is not
only expensive but the needles are not accurate in length by reason of the head being
too weak to allow of the stem to be curved or cramped round, the needle sliding bit
which we employ has a detachable foot which is cut out of sheet steel or formed of
steel wire the same as the needle, and this detachable foot is soldered or may be brazed
to the stem of the needle to form a complete needle; steel sliding bits that have
hitherto been used with knitting needles are commonly known as "jacks" they being
of the shape of a stem provided with a foot, the stem itself not being employed as a
foot, but as a sliding bit only, and as our sliding bit is used wholly as a foot and is
nothing more than the foot proper. (We call it by this name) not a needle jack this
appellation not being strictly correct.
That this part of our invention may be well understood drawings accompany this
specification in which
Figure 1. is a view of an ordinary rib swing jack the needle of which is detached
therefrom.
The needle, a which we propose to employ in conjunction with our improved needle
foot, put together as hereinafter shown and described.
Figure 2. represents a side view of our improved needle and foot, a and b, the stem

page_text: of the needlo is soldered into one of the indentations, in the foot b, when the
complete needle though somewhat inclining to the character of that shown in figure 3
of Patent No. 15794, of 1886, by reason of it being applicable either to dial or
cylinder, it differs from this in these respects; firstly, that it has not the spring
action, secondly that though the knitted loop may pass down below the upper portion
of the needle foot, the loops cannot descend to the lowest extremity of the complete
needle but are impeded as will be seen at the cramp in the needle stem, the advantages
of this complete needle forming the subject of this invention over the one referred to
is three fold, in the first place it is of far greater durability because of its rigidity and
increased length of foot which as shown extends below and has a cam striking
surface.³, below the base or lower extremity of the needle a, and the foot may come.
parallel to the back of the needle as shown in dotted line figure 211, thereby having
inore bearing surface, and a bearing on the bottom of the needle passage way which
causes a reduction in the friction and strain imposed on the needle, in the second place
this complete needle is of more utility because it is convertable into different lengths
to suit dials of different diameters, and in the third place to avoid the dial passage
ways giving way at their weakest point. The manner in which we diminish or increase
the total length of this complete needle is to solder the cramp of the needle stem into
any one of the several indentations 6, made in or through the side of the foot b, it
will be readily understood that if the needle was soldered in the bottom indentation
its total length would be smaller than if put in the second indentation, and if we put
it in the upper indentation its total length will be greater; though we preferably
make the several indentations we may make one extended indentation only in the sido
of the foot as seen in figure 3.
Figure 4. is a rear view of the foot b. as shown in the preceeding figure, in figure 5
the indentations are shown punched right through the foot b.
We batter the cramped portion of the needle a to about half its thickness "
figure 3," so that it may not stand out from the surface of the foot b, when soldered
thereto but this is not necessary when punching the holes in the foot as shown in
figure 5, and needles attached to the foot in the manner shown are more compact and
firm than when the stem of the needle is soldered to the jack as shown in the Patent
previously referred to by soldering the cramped end of the needle to the side of the
foot, instead of the ends enables the said foot to extend from the front of the knitting
part of the stem of the needle to the extremity, or below the extremity of the needle
when we obtain a cam striking surface below the needle, and can extend the foot
below the base of the needle, as desirable, the deep foot giving additional strength to
the needle, and one length of needle can be used for various dimensions of ribbing
dials as previously described; the ends of the feet 63 and 63 are the cam striking
surfaces.
In figures 7 and 9 it will be observed we have an extra cam striking surface 65, and
in figures 8 and 10 we have four cam striking surfaces, by the aid of the auxilliary
foot 6, or as shown in figures 3 and 6 by hollowing out the front, c, to make these
additional cam striking surfaces.
We are aware that there are in common use sliding bits known as jacks figure 1ª,
that have two or more feet, we may employ this jack wholly as a foot by putting the
cramped end of the needle in the side instead of the top as shown, and of any suitable
size.
In ribbing dials and the like it is well known that when the needles are drawing in
towards the centre by the action of the cams and. in drawing their loops the needle
foot receives the greatest side pressure from the cams when the needle foot is on the
inner and weakest part of the grooves which causes the weakened substance between
the grooves to bend and give way, by employing our needle foot in ribber dials as
shown in figure 11,. we are enabled to overcome this difficulty by the fact of drawing
the loop by applying the cam to the cam striking surface 2, (which never comes on to
the weakest part of the groove) instead of. by the auxilliary foot 66, and for the
purpose of allowing the loop to be drawn by the striking surface 2, we thicken the
drawing in part of the stitch cam 67, figure 11, so that its under surface extends below

page_text: the common level of the cams which as will be seen ride above the level of the foot
proper and only act on the auxilliary foot 6°. We may thicken the cams at any part
to actuate the foot proper. It will be seen on the right hand side of the ribbing dial
figure 11, that the upper surface of the dial is circumferently reduced at 68, to admit
the thickened part of the stitch cam 7, to act upon the striking surface 6, which
allows of the remainder of the dial grooves to be the same depth of the foot proper,
but we may have the foot proper standing above the grooves in its entire length as
shown on the other side in fig. 11, when it will not be necessary to reduce the dial,
the cam being arranged as shown at 6º.
Figure 11 is a view internally of a needle cylinder of a circular knitting machine
showing one form of our fabric depresser for rubbing down the work extending
across the centre of the machine.
Figure 12. is a view of the sectional ring or fabric gripper as inserted in the
cylinder in the next figure.
Figure 13. is another form of fabric depresser which does not extend across the
centre of the machine.
Figure 13, shows a type of conical depresser mounted horizontally and pressing
on the inner surface of the cylinder, in describing a circle round the inside of the
needle cylinder it always rolls over to the fabric being driven by the gear wheels
(which may be friction wheels). M. is a stationary wheel, the wheel N, being mounted
on the axle pin which penetrates the spindle G, and gears with M, the gear wheels n²,
on either side of the fabric depresser gear with the wheel N, and these two wheels are
mounted loosely on the depresser spindle and each have a pawl or spring catch n³,
made to enter the hole in the spindle to drive the depresser round in the direction
required, these pawls or spring catches being so arranged that in the depresser
describing its circle one way, one of the gear wheels n2, will drive the depresser
round, whilst the other gear wheel slips on the spindle and on the depresser
describing a circle in the opposite direction, the other wheel will drive the depresser
by these means we make the depresser always revolve in the direction of the arrow,
whichever way it is being carried in describing its circle round the inner surface of
the needle cylinder. To prevent this type of depresser rubbing the work round
circumferently we make it revolve on its spindle at a greater rate than it bodily
moves in describing its circle and for that purpose the wheels n³, are proportionately
smaller than the wheel N, or the wheel N may be proportionately smaller than the
wheel M, according to the speed at which we may require the depresser to revolve
at, of course there are various kinds of gearing as equivalents to obtain the same
results.
Figure 13 is a view of a cylinder showing the different ways in which the needle
grooves are cut hereinafter described, and an upper view of the arrangement of the
depresser as shown in fig. 13.
Figure 14. is a cut off view of a needle cylinder showing one form of a conical
depresser placed therein & showing its different angles when rolling in the act of
rubbing down the fabric.
Figure 15. shows another form of depresser in the shape of conoids.
Figure 16. is a brush fabric depresser.
Figure 17. is a depresser in the form of a disc of flexible india-rubber which may
be tipped with a rim of hard rubber, shown on half the circle, or the disc may be
of metal and have teeth or zigzag edge, when we should preferably apply it to a
cylinder having an inner surface of rubber hereinafter referred to.
Figure 18. is an upper view of a fabric depresser having removable rubbers E, or
may be hooks F, instead, with the fabric shield in the form of a rubber ring or
washer O.
Figure 19. is a sectional view of the previous figure showing the rubbers E, and
hooks F, held in their respective slots, with the fabric shield O, and its supports O*
on the bottom of the spindle I, which is attached to the bottom of the spindle G, seen
in figure 11.

page_text: Figure 20. is a cut off internal view of a vertically ribbed or corrugated needle
cylinder, the ribs Q, may also be made to run diagonally, instead of vertical, or we
may insert a corrugated rubber lining to the cylinder to take the place of the metal
ribs, when we prefer to make the cylinder with an inner surface of rubber to suit
certain types of our depresser, as hereinbefore referred to.
Figure 21. is a cut off view of our improved enlargements in the needle passage
ways of a straight bed knitting machine.
Wo will now again refer to Figure 13, which show the deep grooved countersunk
holes, or cylindrically sunk tricks, or slots made in accordance with our prior Patent
No. 10330 of 1887, having the foot supporting substance 1, on front of the
enlargement 1, at P, are our square enlarged slots which we use in preference to 1ª,
and to make this part of our invention more clearly understood we show the ordinary
square cut enlargements ', and also the ordinarily cylindrical cut enlargements h².
It will be readily understood that the dial needles of hose knitting machines are
of necessity small and in employing them in a vertical cylinder it is imperative that
the needle foot should be actuated by the cams to the very top or upper edge of the
needle cylinder, this cannot possibly be done in ordinarily cut needle passage ways.
as at 1, and 2, whether they be of the cylindrical type 2, or of the square enlarged
type, simply because the enlargements take or cut away the substance that we
require to support the needle foot of small dial.needles, to admit of the needle foot
being actuated on the uppermost part of the needle tricks we make provision in a
former Patent of ours above referred to cylinder passage ways having countersunk
tricks or passage ways, the countersink being an enlargement of the cylindrical cut
type but which is formed as to leave sufficient substance at the front theroof and allow
the feet of small dial needles to work up to, and on front of the said enlargements,
but we have by our invention discovered the means of forming enlargements of the
ordinary square cut type h', whereby we are still enabled to keep the required
needle foot supporting substance on the front of the enlargement, as shown at P, and
made as hereinafter described, though the cylindrical passage way shown in
Figures 8, 9 and 10 of Haddons Patent No. 4426 of .1881 may present a uniform cut
passage way on its outer edge, it cannot answer the purpose of our present invention
because of the insufficient needle foot supporting substance on front of the enlarge-
ments, for if the needle foot was forced by the cams up in front of the enlargements
the needle would twist to one side and would not remain vertical or square in this
kind any more than in the ordinary square enlargements, but would twist into the
enlargement and cause damage to the machine owing to no foot supporting substance
being provided on front of the enlargements. In very fine guaged machines we find
it expedient to make the enlargements elongated or of an elliptical shape or
approximate thereto shown at P, which we accomplish by working a rose tool
backwards and forwards in the passage ways until the elongation is arrived at; as
specified in our prior Patent before alluded to our passage ways may be deeper than
usual, and in making our improved enlargements we do not confine ourselves to
needle beds of the cylindrical type being also useful in dial or straight bars as
illustrated in figures 13, 13 and 21.
.
With reference to our fabric depressers, or appliances for holding down the work
and bearing away the fabric from the needles during the process of knitting, they
consist of a disc, or inverted cone of a convenient shape, of course we do not confine
ourselves exactly to shape, the depresser or depressers being arranged above the
fabric inside the cylinder have any number of radial slots cut in either surface, in
the said slots are placed hooks or rubbers see figures 18 and 19 of any desired shape
which extend beyond the periphery of the disc or cone in which they are placed, we
may also affix the hooks or rubbers to the disc or cone without the radial slots, or
in any manner vertical, horizontally or at an angle providing they have a spring, or
are supple enough for the purpose of giving way to the fabric in the depressing of
the same, or we may employ a plain disc with or without teeth on its circumference
(shown in Figure 17.) when the disc is not of a resilient nature we line the cylinder

page_text: with rubber as before stated; the spring pressure may be arrived at by virtue of the
shape of the rubbers E, or hooks F, or by india-rubber or other flexible pads or
springs adjusted to them, and though we preferably encase each rubber or hook as
shown in figures 18 and 19 e2, in a tube of flexible material, we may apply annular
pads of flexible material under and above the rubbers, the disc is excentrically
pivoted on the bottom of the ribber spindle or to an independent spindle inserted in
the same, or other suitable support, in plain knitting machines where the ribbing
attachments are not employed in such a form that the disc will be caused to move or
press downwards on to the fabric opposite the stitch cams. The undulating motion
imparted in this way of fixing the depresser to the rubbers as shown in figure 11. will
cause them to have a constant vertical pressure upon the fabric inside the cylinder
and bearing the fabric away from the needles without employing weights and the
like which have now to be employed for holding down the work in this class of
machine.
But though weights are not necessary to facilitate the bearing down of the work
when we employ our automatic depressers, we may attach weights to the length of
fabric below the machine to stretch the said fabric after having been knit as we find
that when the fabric has been stretched in the course of its manufacture it will have
a better appearance than without stretching because the loops will be more even and
the surface of the work smoother, but for this purpose of stretching the fabric and
preventing it getting entangled with the gear of the machine we preferably employ
frictionally driven rollers not shown which the fabric passes between as it courses
down from the machine, when only knitting upon a section of the needles as in
making heels and toes, or other such gussets, the rubbers are timed to come below
those needles that are knitting and the rubbers that come on to the section of needles
not knitting give way by reason of their elasticity this is accomplished by the
employment of what we call fabric depressers of which we will for example describe
usual forms which as before stated may consist of a disc, or inverted cone A, or
other suitable shape B, that can be arranged in a needle cylinder C, and having any
number of radial slots D, "as shown in figures 18 and 19," in which are placed
rubbers E, or may be hooks F, the sections of these being shown under figure 18,
and in Figure 19 with the covering tube e, or flexible rubber pad in which they
are encased, or as before stated we may employ a solid disc of flexible india rubber
or other resilient material as shown in figures 11, 12, 13, 16 and 17, the rubbers E
are by preference tipped with hard rubber e¹, as seen in figure 11, to facilitate wear,
both the hard and soft rubber may be cast together to shape in a mould at one time, and
the fingers thereof roughened or having serrations on their surfaces to obtain a better
grip on the fabric, in the star or disc E, shown in the figure above mentioned the
cut off inner spindle G, fits in the hollow ribber spindle H, which derives its circular
motion from the ribber arın or bridge of the machine (not shown), to the lower end
of the said spindle in any suitable way I, is fixed the depresser E, upon the axis J,
at any suitable angle. It will be observed that the inner spindle revolving carries
the axis of the depresser round to describe a circle while the rubbers being pressed
to the side of the cylinder causes the depresser in its turn to revolve on its own
axis the two motions being simultaneous, when the fingers E', will in descending
below their own centre press or roll down the fabric K, the rubbers coming in
contact with the fabric at about in a radial line et, with the knitting cams.
.
It will be seen that the fabric depresser in the shape of a disc A, Figure 13, does
not depend upon its contact with the cylinder to obtain its motion, but is caused to
revolve on its axis J, by being geared to the bevel wheel M, which ensures a positive
motion not to be obtained by depending on contact with the cylinder, and in this case
the depresser A, does not cross the centre of the machine in a like manner to the
previous one E, and will not therefore have the undulating motion, this undulating
motion or wavey motion being only obtained when the depresser E, crosses the centre
of the cylinder in its revolution, the bevel wheel M, is fixed to the dial boss m¹, and
is stationary, while the other gear wheel N, fixed to the depresser A, which may have
a less number of teeth than M; to give it greater speed, revolves round on its axis J,

page_text: in the bracket j¹, round the stationary wheel M, by gearing the depresser in the
manner shown in figures 13, 13, and 13b; we are enabled to depress the fabric with
greater power, two or more of these depressers may be employed in one cylinder and
in turn geared to each other, whether the depresser depends on its contact with the
cylinder for its movement as in figures 14 and 15, or by force as in figure 13 13
and 13b, when the conical depresser as shown in figure 14 is supported at an angle the
depresser will revolve by mere contact with the cylinder but we may drive them in
several ways such as by the gear wheels before mentioned.
Be it understood that in driving the depressers by force as shown in figures 13, 13,
and 136, and in machines having stationary cylinders we sometimes make the horizontal
wheel M, revolve by fixing it on the lower end of a hollow spindle instead of the
dial as shown and fix the depresser or depressers stationary instead of their describing
a circle circumferently and employing a number of such depressers revolving only
on their axis, as before described.
We do not confine ourselves to the number employed as in some instances we only
employ them to a section of the cylinder whereon the heels or toes or other gussets are
being made, in this case we employ the ordinary weights for the ordinary tubular
knitting the depresser coming only into requisition when heels or toes are being
made.
The conoidal depresser B, figure 14, may be of any other suitable material than
india-rubber and the surface may be roughened instead of smooth as shown to enhance
its grip upon the fabric, and as it revolves rubs it downwards, this rubber is pivoted
longitudinally on the pin J, carried in the concave bracket S, a side view of which
is shown in figure 14", when the spindle G, carrying the said bracket revolves and
moves the rubber to the right, it will be somewhat in the position shown in "full
line," but if the motion is reversed the conoid will turn to the left at an opposite
angle, as seen in "dotted line," the slot g', in which the pin S', is guided determines
the angle at which the rubber is supported; or we may employ the conoids as shown
in figure 15, or others similar in shape that they can revolve when their surfaces
come in contact with the sides of the cylinder, or against the fabric coming down
the inside of the cylinder, in this form of depresser, or depressers one of them rolls
down the fabric when the spindle G, is going in one direction, and when going in the
reverse direction the other only will press down the fabric their positions having
altered with the reversing of the machine but not their angle, the change of position
or the throwing of the conoids on or off the fabric being accomplished by the
additional inner spindle T, inserted in the eccentrically bored spindle G. and receiving
its reversing motion from above the machine, (not shown). We may also drive this
type of depressers by force. The brush fabric depresser A, shown in Figure 16, is
provided with bristles or flexible wires, or fine strips of other flexible material E,
acting as rubbers and fixed upon the axis J, in a similar manner to those shown in
figure 11, the cup or bowl being made of rigid, or resilient material. To prevent
the work from rising with the upward stroke of the rubbers we employ a ring, or
washer O, of india rubber or other flexible material and place it below the rubbers
and in close proximity to them as shown in figures 18 and 19. which being of a
greater bore than the axle j¹ it is mounted on, always extends beyond the circumference
of the rubbers when at their highest point, that is to say when the rubbers are above
their level centre, and always within the circumference of the rubbers when at their
lowest point, by coming in contact and being pushed upward by the needle cylinder,
the eccentrical movement being obtained by its constant pressure upon the fabric,
or cylinder.
This encircling of the rubbers prevent them again picking up the fabric after it has
been depressed or rolled down. We may also employ other means than those described
for preventing the fabric from rising with the upward stroke of the rubbers, and to
keep the fabric close to the inner surface of the cylinder until it has passed below the
depresser, or depressors by the vertical steel wires Q', hanging from the dial at V, at
any point of the circle desirable and extending as shown in figure 11, down the inside.
of the fabric, or to more effectually prevent the work from rising with the-upward
c

page_text: stroke of the rubbers or from rising on the needles, we may use the wires Q³, pendant
from the dial, the teeth being so made that the fabric can be easily drawn down, but
cannot be drawn up with the rising of the needles.
:
Or we may employ these teeth horizontally in the form of a toothed rim of steel,
or may be rubber on the under side of the dial Q, seen in figure 11, the teeth may
be shaped as shown in the lefthalf of the figure, or points Q, as shown in the right
half of the same figure their points coming at just sufficient distance from the top of
the cylinder in this case as to allow the knitted loops to pass under them and prevent
their return, the points Q, shown in figures 12 and 13, instead of being round the
lower edge of the dial and above the fabric as in the previous figure are attached to
the inside of the cylinder and under the fabric, the fabric in passing down, cannot be
drawn back again by reason of the knitted loops catching on the points after having
been depressed.
It will be seen that in Figure 13 the interior of the needle cylinder is turned bell
shaped, or may be as shown in figure 20, ribbed or corrugated so that the rubbers
may have a better and freer action on the fabric.
In reversible machines having revolving cylinders the rubbers are similarly placed
in relation to the knitting parts but as the cams in this case remain stationary the
centre or pivot of the depressers will also remain stationary in relation to and with
the cams, and do not describe a circle round the centre of the machine as in machines
where the cams revolve as before alluded to.
•
The square enlargements P, are as before stated made in the upper end of the
needle passage way without enlarging the front part thereof and are made either by
running a saw down the back or inside of the needle passage way instead of from
the outside, and we may when the enlargements are made deep enough insert a steel
or other metal ring R, Figure 20, therein, which may be a strip of metal 21, figure 21,
for straight bars or beds, the said square enlargements P, taper inwardly as shown
in Figures 11, 13 and 20, instead of outwardly as is the case when enlarging from
the outside, this reverse tapering of the enlargements in the first place more effectually
throw the loops over the heads of the needles, and in the second place the cams are
able to work the needle foot in the passage ways on front of the enlargements, and is
of great utility inasmuch that it allows the cams to actuate the needle foot up to tho
highest point. This cannot be accomplished if the enlargements are made from the
outside because what substance is required to support the feet of the needles is cut
away.
Or we may sink the square enlargements with a tool and do away with the rings
or strips R and r¹.
Our method of fashioning the fabric embraced in this invention such as is made into
stockings, pants, or drawers or other articles of knitted under-wear in seamless or other
kinds of hosiery consists of our knitting gussets in the fabric at frequent intervals, or
at given intervals by knitting on a section of needles, and then knit upon the whole of
the needles as required; those loops which are knitted only upon the section of the
needles form the gusset or enlargement or fashioning and are put into any part
of the articles of hosiery mentioned where they are required to be widened, and the
said gussets may be made as wide and as deep and knitted in as frequently as is
necessary to produce the desired width of the article being knitted for example ;
suppose we are to imitate the leg of a fashioned stocking 100 needles wide above
the calf, and 80 needles wide below the calf, we should take any ordinary knitting
machine straight or circular having 80 needles only has its full complement, and
retaining these 80 needles all through the stocking, we commence to widen from
the top, or welt, not by inserting extra needles, or shifting of loops, but by throwing
or putting any number (preferably the greater number) out of action which still
retain their loops, and then we knit a few rows upon the remaining section of
needles, thereby forming a gusset which has widened the fabric at this point to the
width of a fabric made on 100 needles, differing only from the ordinary seamless
heels and toes (the formation of which is well known) in proportion, except when
knitting the bosoms of under vests, when they will be equally as large and similar
B

page_text: in shape to the seamless heels and toes; but are not made for heels and toes of
such seamless hosiery. We continue to make these gussets by alternately knitting
on the section of needles, and the full complement of needles until we reach the
calf, and it is desired to fashion it down to 80 needles wide, which we do by knitting
the gusset on a smaller section of needles reducing the number of needles in the
gusset until the smallest width is reached, we then proceed to finish the stocking
and the like, upon the 80 needles, we may not commence to widen until the swell
of the calf is reached when we make the gussets and finish as before described.
Or we may commence to widen the other way about making the foot of the stocking
first and gradually widen out as we reach the calf ;--we can thus make the gussets
any width or any depth, and at any interval to suit any particular shape of fashioning
desired.
It will be well understood that this means of making fashioned gussets is not only
applicable to hand or domestic knitting machines, but can be employed in automatic
machines by adjusting the pattern mechanism that controls the making of heels and
toes to insert our gussets at the points desired.
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 what
we claim is:
1. In circular knitting machines the employment of a complete needle such as a
figures 2 to 10, capable of adjustment to suit the different diameters of ribbing dials
and convertable to different needle beds of any shape.
2. In a knitting machine needle "known as a combined dial and cylinder needle,"
the improved detachable foot b, having two or more cam striking surfaces, and applied
to the ordinary needle to form a complete knitting machine needle in the manner
shown and described.
3. The thickened ribber cams 67, shown in figure 11, or in any other part thereof
to facilitate the use of our needle foot in small hose machines to prevent the dial
grooves giving way at their inner end, or weakest point when the needles are in the
act of drawing their loops.
4. In circular knitting machines the arrangement and employment of fabric
depressers such as A, B, E or F, or any modifications, or equivalents of same
arranged, that is to say suspended in any suitable manner in the needle cylinder,
in the shape of a disc, cone or conoid, or shapes analogous thereto, having Hexible,
supple, even or un-even rubbing down surfaces, made of india-rubber or other
resilient material, to come inside the fabric being knitted, or on that portion of the
fabric only where gussets such as heels and toes are being made, and receiving
their motion either by friction or force for depressing or rolling down the fabric
as hereinbefore described.
5. In the manufacture of hosiery the employment of spring like surfaces made of
rubber or other resilient material, to one or both sides of the knitted fabric to facilitate
its descent from the needles down the machine.
6. In the manufacture of hosiery the employment of cylinders having corrugated
or ribbed inner surfaces as at Q figure 20, or an inner casing of india-rubber and the
like for the purpose described.
7. In needle passage ways of knitting machines our improved enlargements,
tapering inwardly to facilitate the throwing over of the loop and having the foot
supporting substance retained exactly on the front of the enlargements shown in
Figures 11, 13, 13, 20 and 21 of the drawings annexed.
8. The fabric guides Q2 and Q³, or their equivalents arranged for the purpose of
guiding the fabric down the inner surface of the cylinder to prevent the fabric rising
after it has been drawn down, whether it is done by hand or by automatic means.
9. The fabric gripper Q', consisting of points fixed in the cylinder as shown in
figure 13.
10. The points Q5 fixed on the circumference of the under side of the dial as shown
in figure 11, or a disc to be used in plain machines, arranged at an angle above the

page_text: upper surface of the cylinder to allow the knitted loops to descend as they are knitted,
and that they do not rise again.
11. In the manufacture of hosiery, that is to say in all articles of knitted wearing
apparel, the insertion of gussets, other than heels and toes "known as seamless heels
and toes," knitted on a section of the needles at any part or portion of the article
whether such article he tubular or otherwise to imitate wrought or fashioned goods,
substantially in the manner and for the purpose hereinbefore described and set forth.
Dated this 17th day of November 1889.
WILLIAM BESTWICK MAXFIELD,
The Central Patent Office, No. 19, Bowling Green Street, Leicester,
Agent for the Applicants.