Improvements in the Manufacture of Knitted Fabrics, and in the Means or Apparatus employed therein.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 8th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 27th Jan., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Knitted Fabrics, and in the
Means or Apparatus employed therein.
THE NOTTINGHAM MANUFACTURING COMPANY LIMITED of Station Street
in the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham, and JOHN GROVES of
94 Leicester Road, Loughborough in the County of Leicester, Manager and
JAMES WHATNALL of 5 Selbourne Street Loughborough aforesaid, Mechanic,
both in the employment of the said Nottingham Manufacturing Company Limited
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
The object of this invention is to make drop stitch or imitation ribbed fabric on
the Cotton's Patent or straight bar knitting machines with a plain or solid selvage
throughout the narrowings.
This is accomplished by the introduction of sliding bits or needles, in the needle
bar, which we propose to bring into and out of action "automatically" (that is to
say without hand labour) when required by an arrangement or connection of parts
operated by the screw or worm at either end of the machine or by an equivalent
part.
The motion being preferably taken from a can or cams on the main shaft having
two surfaces and acted on when the shaft shogs for narrowing in the ordinary way,
or through a chain arrangement to bring into or out of action, the whole or any
part of the slides or needles, as may be required. That is when the shaft shogs in
the usual way for narrowing either when employing usual methods or such as is
described in Specification No. 16150 of 1890.
According to one arrangement of mechanism by which we can attain our object a
suitable bowl or truck comes on to a cam such as described which gives a lever a
rising motion at one end, and depresses it at the other, thereby acting through a link
or connection on sets of levers for each division of the machine. These levers being
connected by a link or connection, act together in pairs and give motion to two
shafts at the same time. On each of these shafts are levers or arms which act on
the needles.
The shafts are each connected with the worm box eccentric disc or corresponding
device for operating the narrowing tackle.
To the worm boxes or equivalent parts are attached pins or projections working
in slotted brackets or parts which are connected with the aforesaid shafts and are
operated by them when the worm traverses for narrowing the pins or projections
carrying the shafts inwards bringing the levers into position under the slides or
needles to be acted on.
By these means we are enabled to secure exact timing for the action of these
levers, a most important requirement, in order to produce good work. If the
sliding needles come into action before the loops are properly delivered by the
narrowing points on to the needles a hole or eyelet is the result, and very detri-
mental to the appearance of the fabric. To avoid this, these levers come into
action and bring the needles into position, whilst the narrowing machine goes down
to deliver the loops on the needles, and not before.
In the manufacture of fabrics with plain top or welt or plain toe or heel we
arrange parts to operate as follows;-
To bring all or any of the sliding needles, into, or out of operation at once, we
prefer to effect this by means of an arrangement of two sliding bars mounted with
capability of sliding on the head rail and these sliding bars are connected with, and
so as to be operated by, suitable shafts. To bring needles into action, the one

page_text: sliding bar is brought forward under the sliding needles, and when the needle bar
comes down to knock over the work the interposition of this sliding bar causes the
projecting needle bits or slides to be moved up into the proper position.
When the needle bits or slides are to be taken out of action the other slide is
brought down whilst the needle bar is down to knock over the work, and this other
bar holds down or prevents the rising of these slides.
Straight bar knitting machines of the character such as these improvements are
applicable to, may be found, for instance, described in the Specifications of Letters
Patent Nos. 3820 of 1868 and 16150 of 1890.
Dated the 23rd day of February 1893.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Knitted Fabrics, and in the
Means or Apparatus employed therein.
We, THE NOTTINGHAM MANUFACTURING COMPANY LIMITED of Station
Street in the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham, and JOHN GROVES
of 94 Leicester Road, Loughborough in the County of Leicester, Manager, and
JAMES WHATNALL of 5 Selbourne Street, Loughborough aforesaid, Mechanic,
both in the employment of the said Nottingham Manufacturing Company Limited
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 :-
The object of this invention is to make drop stitch or imitation ribbed fabric
on the Cotton's Patent or straight bar knitting machines with a plain or solid
selvage throughout the narrowings.
This is accomplished by the introduction of sliding bits or needles, in the needle
bar, which we propose to bring into and out of action automatically (that is to say
without hand labour) when required by an arrangement or connection of parts
operated by the screw or worm at each end of the machine or by an equivalent
part.
The motion being preferably taken from a cam or cams on the main shaft having
two surfaces and acted on when the shaft shogs for narrowing in the ordinary way,
or through a chain arrangement to bring into or out of action, the whole or any
part of the slides or needles, as may be required.
That is when the shaft shogs in the usual way for narrowing either when
employing usual methods or such as is described in Specification No. 16150 of 1890.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a front view of portion of a straight bar frame with the invention
applied.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of parts of the connections G and H.
Fig. 3 is a front view shewing shaft and link G in relative position.
Fig. 4 is a front view of the link D and part connected.
Fig. 5 is a side view of the parts and needles n.
Fig. 6 is a side view of the needles n. n³ are retaining springs.
Fig. 7 is an inside face view of the plate n' (see Figs. 1 and 6) faced at n² with
leather.
Fig. 8 is a front view of cam B having two surfaces 1-2.
Figs. 9 and 10 shew two portions of the end of the machine, and,
Fig. 11 a front view of part of same arranged to make fabric with plain top or

page_text: Fig. 12 shews a detail.
According to one arrangement of mechanism by which we can attain our object
the bowl or truck A comes onto the cam B such as described which gives the
lever C a rising motion at one end, and depresses it at the other end C thereby
acting through the link D and rod D₁ or equivalent connection on sets of levers E
and F for each division of the machine. These levers, being connected by the
link G or like connection, act together in pairs and give motion to the two shafts H
and I at the same time. On each of these shafts H and I are levers J and K or
arms which act on the needles. The shaft or part I is connected to the worm
box L (see Fig. 11) and the part H is connected to a worm box at the opposite
end of the machine or to an equivalent eccentric disc or corresponding device for
operating the narrowing tackle.
To the worm boxes L or equivalent parts are attached pins M or projections
working in slotted brackets N or parts which are connected with the aforesaid
shafts H and I and are operated by them when the worm traverses for narrowing
the pins M or like projections carrying the shafts H and I inwards bringing the
levers J and K into position inder the slides or needles to be acted on.
By these means we are enabled to secure exact timing for the action of these
levers J and K a most important requirement in order to produce good work. If
the sliding needles n come into action before the loops are properly delivered by
the narrowing points on to the needles a hole or eyelet is the result, and very
detrimental to the appearance of the fabric. To avoid this, these levers J and K
come into action and bring the needles into position whilst the narrowing machine
goes down to deliver the loops on the needles, and not before.
In the manufacture of fabrics with plain top or welt or plain toe or heel we
arrange parts to operate as follows.
To bring all or any of the sliding needles into or out of operation at once, we
prefer to effect this by means of the arrangement shewn of two sliding bars R
and S mounted with capability of sliding on the head rail T, and these sliding bars
are connected with and so as to be operated by suitable shafts U and V.
To bring the needles into action, the one sliding bar R is brought forward under
the sliding needles, and when the needle bar comes down to knock over the work
the interposition of this sliding bar causes the projecting needle bits or slides to be
moved up into the proper position.
When the needle bits or slides are to be taken out of action the other slide S is
brought down whilst the needle bar is down to knock over the work, and this other
bar holds down or prevents the rising of these slides.
The construction and use of the slides R and S, and their connections with
shafts U and V, and the handles with which these two shafts are operated on when
required, will be best seen by reference to Fig. 13. This figure shews the slide S
in action, the needle bar is rising, after knocking over the work. The handle on
shaft V having been raised, causes the slide S to descend and come into contact
with the projection on the slide needles n', holding down and preventing them
rising with the needle bar, and so taking them all out of action.
The slide R is shewn out of action, but when required to bring the slide needles
into work again, and whilst the needle bar is up, the handle on the shaft U is held
back as shown by dotted lines. This causes the slide R to come forward under
the projections on the slide needles n', so that when the needle bar descends to
knock over the work, the slide R forces them up into working position again.
The slide bar S is only required to act when commencing a fresh set of work;
or after making a plain top, to take the slide needles out of action. The slide R is
only used when making a plain toe, or to bring up all the slide needles into
action.
The shaft U is connected to the slide R by a link R'. The handle lever R² is
shewn in the position it occupies out of action whilst the dotted lines shew it in
the position for the slide R to be in operation.
S' is a link connecting the slide S with the lever S2 centred on the shaft V

page_text: and S is the handle end of lever S³, shewn in action by full lines and out of
action by dotted lines.
W is the needle bar shaft, X is the presser shaft, and Y is the power shaft.
Straight bar knitting machines of the characters such as these improvements
are applicable to, may be found, for instance, described in the Specification of
Letters Patent Nos. 3820 of 1868 and 16150 of 1890.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. The method of, and means, or apparatus for, the manufacture of drop stitch,
or imitation rib knit fabric, with a plain top, or welt, or a plain toe, alternatively
substantially as set forth.
2. The combination, or arrangement and use with, a "Cotton " or straight bar
knitting machine of a needle bar and mechanism adapted to introduce sliding bits,
or needles so as to enable the same to be brought into and out of operation
-" automatically to produce "drop stitch" or imitation ribbed knit fabric
thereon, with a plain or solid selvage throughout the "narrowings" substantially as
set forth.
"
3. The combination or arrangement and use of parts of knitting mechanism.
whereby on the "Cotton," or straight bar knitting machine, sliding bits, or needles
introduced in the needle bar may be so actuated "automatically," as to produce
the desired pattern substantially in the manner and for the purpose hereinbefore
set forth.
4. The arrangement or combination and use of means or apparatus for actuating
the slides or needles in the needle bar applied in the "Cotton' or straight bar.
knitting machine for the manufacture of plain toe or heel work in knit fabric
substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
5. The construction and arrangement or combination of parts of needle or slide"
operating mechanism with the "Cotton" or straight bar knitting machine so as to
enable the same to co-operate together "automatically" substantially as and for
.the purposes set forth.
Dated the 8th day of November 1893
the 8th day of November 1893
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicants.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicants.