Improvements in and relating to Knitting Machines.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 27th Nov., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Knitting Machines.
RICHARD (HALLANDS of Clumber Road The Park Nottingham, Gentleman,
FREDERICK WILLIAM PACE, of 13 Wellington Square, Park Side, Nottingham Lace
Manufacturer, JAMES HILL SMITH of 2 Claypole Road Nottingham Hosier and THE
MAXIMUM KNITTING MACHINE CO. LTD. of Eldon Chambers Wheeler Gate Nottingham,
Hosiery Machinists 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 straight bar latch needle knitting
machines fitted with means for automatically increasing the number of needles in
work automatically increasing the length of the traverse of the knitting cam
according to the number of needles in work and automatically varying the number
of traverses of the knitting cam so as to maintain a practically constant inch course
speed of the knitting cam.
This invention has for its object improvements in the construction of the
mechanisms used, the arrangement and various combinations of such mechanisms,
and the general arrangement and organisation of the machine.
There is attached hereto four sheets of drawings which are referred to in the
following detailed description and upon which
Fig. 1. is a sectional elevation through the driving crank.
Fig. 2. is a back elevation of one division of the machine showing the driving
nechanism.
Fig. 3. is a plan of the division shown in Fig. 2.
Fig. 4. is a part plan of a division showing the safety and stop appliances and an
alternate arrangement of part of the mechanism shown in Figs. 1. 2. and 3.
Fig. 5. is a front elevation of one division of the machine showing the cam shaft
and pattern mechanism.
Fig. 6. is a sectional elevation of the division shown in Fig. 5.
Fig. 7. is a section showing part of the machine and the application of the splicing
mechanism.
Fig. 8. is a front elevation of Fig. 7.
Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the knitting cams, cam box and thread carriers.
Fig. 10. is a side elevation of the knitting cams, cam box and thread carriers, also
showing the relative position of the same with regard to the needle bed.
Fig. 11. is a view of the needle jacks with a number of the jacks out of work.
Fig. 12. is a view of three needle jacks showing the relative positions when in and
out of work.
Fig. 13. is a section of part of the machine showing the mechanisms for
automatically raising the needles into work and mechanism for raising and lowering
the needles by hand, also mechanism for preventing the needles in work falling
below a certain position.
Kio 11 is a front elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig 13.

page_text: Fig. 15. is a front elevation to an enlarged scale of part of the mechanism shown
in Figs. 13 and 14.
Figs. 16. is a side elevation of Fig. 15 showing an alternative form of catch.
Fig. 17. is a front elevation of the work roller and mechanism actuating the same,
and
Fig. 18 is an end elevation of the same.
In a machine constructed according to this invention the needles 1 Fig. 11 are
carried by jacks which are fitted to slide in grooves cut in a needle bed 3, and this
latter is attached to an angle plate 4 which extends from end to end of the machine
and is securely fastened to standards 5. The jacks in each needle bed are held
therein by a plate 6 and are actuated for knitting by cams which are described
hereafter. These cams are carried by cam boxes 7 which are fitted to slide upon a
bar 8 and the cam boxes in the different divisions of the machine are coupled
together by a bar 9 so that they are all moved together by the same driving
mechanisms.
The cam boxes 7, shown more particularly in Figs. 9 and 10, are provided with
a cam plate 10 which is fitted to slide vertically on the box 7 and carries the
cams or inclines 11 and the thread guides 12 and 13, the cams 11 being arranged
to produce two courses for each traverse of the cams across the needles and a
thread carrier is provided for each course knitted. The back of the plate 10 and
front of the box 7 are grooved for a parallel key 14 and the plate is held in position.
by a screw 15 which is screwed into a sliding nut 16 guided by a slot in the box 7
and raised and lowered by a screw 17 which has a nicked head 18 and a spring 19.
With this arrangement the vertical position of the cams 11 can be adjusted and the
length of the loop formed regulated from the top of the cam box, and when the
key 14 has been removed the cam box 7 can be moved sideways and the cams drawn
back from the needle jacks, thus allowing the cams to be removed when by any
means the jacks have become locked in the cam grooves.
On the top of the needle bed 3 there is a har 20 shaped as shown and provided
with bits 21 which are fitted in each space between the needles and shaped to
assist the needles drawing the thread necessary for the formation of the loops,
knocking over the loops when formed and holding down the work as the needles
rise. These "bits" 21 are termed "web holders" and in the bits at the ends of each
bar, the throat of the same is closed to prevent the thread catching therein.
The har 9 Figs. 1 and 2 is connected by a link 22, preferably adjustable in length,
to a lever 23 pivotted at 24 and fitted with a movable intermediate axle 25 which
is connected by a link 26 to the driving crank wheel 27, the crank pin 29 of
which is carried by a slide 28 suitably guided and actuated by a screw 30 which is
fitted with a star wheel 31 and partially rotated when one arm of the star wheel
strikes a lever 32, this latter being moved in and out of the path of the star wheel
by mechanism hereafter described. The crank wheel 27 is carried by a shaft 23
which has its hearings in a bracket 34, and this latter also carries the bearings for
the driving shaft 35 which is provided with fast and loose pullies 36 and is suitably
geared to the crank wheel 27.
The pullies 36 are driven by means of any variable driving mechanism upon
which the speed may be automatically varied, and such driving mechanism may be
cone pulleys with a connecting helt and means for traversing the same or other
similar mechanism. The variable driving mechanism herein selected as an
illustration is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It consists essentially of two discs 37 and 38,
the latter being attached to the shaft 39 while the former is capable of rotating
thereon, and is pressed towards the disc 38 by a spring 40 through antifriction ball
bearings 41. The shaft 39 is carried by a lever 43 which is pivotted at 44 to the
frame 45 and at its lower end is connected by a link 46 to a slide 47 which is
suitably guided and screw threaded at one end, this end fitting a nut 48 which is
actuated as herafter described. Between the two discs 37 and 38 there are two
rollers 49 and 50 preferably with leather or other similar surfaces. The roller 49 is
fixed upon a shaft 51 which carries the driven pulley 52 through which motion is

page_text: given to the dises, and from the latter to the roller 50 on a shaft 53 which carries
the driving pulley 54 and the variation in the speed of the machine is obtained by
varying the relative positions of the discs and rollers. For effecting this the nut 48
is geared to a vertical shaft 55 guided at its lower end by a bearing in the plate 62
and fitted with a removable wheel 56 which is geared to the wheel 58 by an
intermediate wheel 57. The wheel 58 is attached to the same spindle as the
wheel 59 which is geared to a wheel 60 on the same axle as the ratchet wheel 61.
For operating this latter the crank wheel shaft 33 carries a cam 63 which actuates a
lever 64 pivotted at 65 and fitted with a cam truck 66 and a clawker 67, this latter
being pulled towards the ratchet wheel 61 by a spring 68 but by the lever 69 is
normally held so that it clears the ratchet wheel when it is raised by the cam 63.
The lever 69 is connected by a link 70 to a lever 71 on the same shaft 72 as the
lever 32, by which arrangement the lever 32 is moved into position to be struck
by the star wheel 31 on the crank screw 30, at the same time as the lever 69 is
moved to allow the ratchet wheel 61 to be operated, from which it follows, that an
increase in the length of the traverse of the knitting cam and a decrease in the
number of traverses are effected simultaneously.
in an alternative arrangement, the shaft 55 Fig. 4 is placed nearer the back of the
machine, and the plate 62 altered in shape, this arrangement being particularly
suitable when the machine is fitted with the splicing mechanism hereafter
referred to.
Each needle bed carries two kinds of needle jacks, distinguished as centre jacks
and fashioning jacks and there are as many centre jacks as the narrowest part of the
fabric to be knitted, and the spaces on both sides of the centre jacks are filled with
fashioning jacks. These jacks are illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12 which show the
relative positions of the jacks when the needles are in work, and also when out of
work.
The centre jacks are always in a position to be taken by the knitting cam, but the
fashioning jacks when in the position of those shown between e f are out of work that
is their butts 2 allow the cams 11 to pass over the same. The upper part of all the
jacks are the same width but below the bar 6 the centre jacks are narrower at y and
have a recess which makes thein narrower still at h.
The fashioning jack have two recesses and the width of these jacks at the bottom
of the recesses is practically the same as the width in the centre jacks while the
pieces are the same width as the upper part of the jacks.
In Fig. 12 A represents the centre jack and B the fashioning jack which are
shown in their relative vertical positions when in work, while B shows the
relative vertical position of the fashioning jacks when out of work. For raising all
the needles in work or lowering the fashioning needles out of work an angle
bar 73 Fig. 13 is provided. This har is carried at each end by levers 74, which are
pivotted at 76 upon other levers 77 which are attached to shafts 78, this lever
arrangement in each division of the machine being inde.lent of the lever
arrangements in the other divisions of the machine. The lever 74 at one or both
sides of each division is provided with a handle 75 for the purpose of moving the
bar 73 to and from the needle jacks, and there is also a spring catch arrangement 79
for hobling the lar 73 in the position shown. The lever 75 move the bar 7:3
horizontally while the levers 77 moves it vertically, and there is a stop 80 for limiting
the downward motion of the levers 77 and also a catch 81 for holding the bar 73 in
it rai-ed peitions. The bar 73 is used for raising the needle for inspection of the
same. for "running on" work or other purposes and also for lowering out of work
the needles which are carried by the fasliioning jack. When this ar is used in
conjunction with the jacks shown in Fig. 11, it is brought forward to enter the lowest
recess in all the jacks in work that is level with the line L. m. Fig. 11. The centre
ndles in work can then be raised and lowered without moving the needles that are
out of work, and when the bar is brought to engage the jacks in the line no the
fashioning jacks can be lowered out of work without interfering with the evatre
incks

page_text: In another arrangement shown in Fig. 1. there are two bars, one for the centre
needles and the other for the fashioning needles. These bars carries plates for acting
on the jacks, and these plates are the same width as the needles to be acted upon,
and have to be changed with each change in the number of needles of each kind.
The first described arrangement is therefore preferable as the same bar can be used
for various arrangements of needles.
In the machine herein described the width of the fabric is increased by raising
additional needles into work, and this is done by raising a needle adjacent to and
outside the selvage needles after the cam has passed the same and when moving
from the centre of the needle bed towards the end of its traverse. For effecting this
each side of each division is provided with a bracket 82, Fig. 13 and 14 the brackets
at the left hand side of all the division being carried by one of the bars 83 while all
the bracket at the right hand side of each division are carried by the other bar 83.
These bars are connected to the nuts 84, of the screws 85 one bar to each nut, and
the screws are geared to the wheel 60 which is actuated as described. When
therefore the length of the traverse of the knitting cam is increased the brackets 82
are moved from each other a distance equal to the increase in the length of the
traverse of the knitting cam, that is equal to two needles. The brackets 82 are fitted
with slides 86 at the lower ends of which is a slotted cam 87 and working in these
cams is a rod 88 carried by arms 89 from a shaft 90 which is oscillated in one direction
when the knitting cams are at one end of their traverse and in the opposite
direction when the knitting cams are at the other end of their traverse. The
cams 87 at both sides of each division are the same shape but are placed in
opposite positions so that the movement of the bar 88 in one direction lifts the
slides at one side of each division only. On the face of each slide 86 there is an
adjustable lifting bit 91 (Figs. 15 and 16) and attached to the brackets 82 there.
are supporting plates 92 which move outwards as the number of needles in work
is increased and prevent the needles falling if by accident they lose their loop.
The plates 92 are also fitted with springs 94 Fig. 16 or with spring slides 93 Fig. 14
for the purpose of supporting the last, needle raised into work. These springs or
slides when the plates 92 are moved, press upon the next needle to be raised into
work, and when this is lifted the spring or slide shoots forward and prevents the
needle falling, the lifting hit 91 being slotted to allow the slide to shoot forward. In
addition to the two plates 92 there is a central fixed supporting plate 95 which is
necessary when the total number of centre needles is less than one half the total
number of needles in each division. The wheel 59 gearing with the wheel 60 and
the wheel 58 which is geared to the vertical shaft 55 Figs. 1. 2. and 3 are carried by
a hollow spindle 96 which has one bearing in the plate 62 and a lower hearing in
a plate 99 which is fixed upon the standards and carries the bearings 98 for the
fashioning serewa 85. Inside the hollow spindle 96 is another spindle 100 fitted so
that it can slide therein, and rotate with the spindle 96. The lower end of the
spindle 100 is made with a square or other shaped recess 101 to fit the end 102
of the crank wheel screw 30, and at the upper end of the spindle 100 there is a
lever 103 by which the spindle may be raised and lowered and a spring catch 104 for
holding the spindle in its raised position. The wheel 60 is also geared to wheels 105
on the fashioning screws 85, and the bars 83 carrying the needle lifting slides and
brackets are coupled to the fashioning screw nuts by hrackets 106, one of the bars 83.
being coupled to one screw while the other bar is coupled to the other screw.
With the above described mechanism the fashioning screws and the friction
drive are actuated simultaneously from the same ratchet wheel and this latter is
actuated at or about the same time as the crank screw. After the fabric or article
has been completed the fashioning screws, crank wheel screw and friction drive are
returned to their starting position by the rotation of the shaft 55 which is fitted with
a hand wheel for that purpose. The machine is stopped with the crank screw vertical
in which position the spindle 100 can be lowered by the lever 103 until the spindle
and crank wheel screw are coupled together by the crank screw end 102 entering
the recess 101.

page_text: The fork
The machine driving belt between the pulleys 54 and 36 is moved from the fast
to the loose pulley by a fork 107 Fig. 4 which is connected to a rod 108 at the front
of the machine by a lever 109 Figs. 17 and 18 and a link 110 Fig. 4.
lever 107 is pivotted on a bracket carried by the machine frame-work and is also
connected to a lever 112 Fig. 4 which is pivotted on the underside of the plate 99
and is so shaped that when the belt is on the fast pulley, the spindle 100 cannot fall
or be lowered, and when the belt is on the loose pulley and the spindle 100 coupled
to the screw 30, the belt cannot be moved on to the fast pulley. The machine is
also provided with mechanism for automatic illy moving the belt from the fast to the
loose pulley after a predetermined number of nee lles have been brought into work.
This mechanisin is shown in Fig. 4 and comprises a lever 113 which is pivotted upon
a bracket 114 and a catch 115 which is fitted to slide on a fixed rail 116. The catch
is slotted to embrace the link 111 and is provided with a spring 117. On the
link 111 is an adjustable collar 118 so fixed that when the belt is on the fast pulley
the collar abuts against the catch 115. On the nut 84 of the fashioning screw there
is a cam piece so shaped and placed that when the last desire 1 nee lle his been movel
into work, the cam piece is in contact with the short end of the lever 113, and any
further movement of the nut 84 causes the cam piece attached thereto, to depress
the short end of the lever 113 and raise the other end clear of the catch 115. The
spring 117 then comes into action and through the collar 18 and link 111 the belt
is thrown into the loose pulley.
The knitting threads 119 Fig. 1 are drawn from bobbius or spools which are
carried by any convenient bobbin rail arrangement, and pass through a tension
apparatus which is carriel by the rail 120, this being attached to brackets 121 on
the machine standards. The thread 119 after leaving the bobbin passes through the
usual lubricating cans, under a pivotted weight 122, through a guide eye 125 on
the tension brackets 123 then through a hook or eye on the tension wire 124, and
finally through a second eye 126 to the thread carriers or guides on the cam boxes.
The wire 124 is attached to a cam piece 127 which is pivotted on the arm 123 an
so shaped that it raises the weight 122 whenever the tension on the thread is
sufficient to overcome the springs 128 which are also attached to the cam piece 127.
The spring 128 is of such a strength that during the actual formation of the loops
the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1 and the thread passes through the
tension appliance with the least possible resistance. When the knitting cam starts
to move in either direction from the end of its traverse and before the first needle
is reached, there is an amount of slack thread to be dealt with and there being no
tension on the thread the spring 128 comes into action and raises the wire 124 the
weight 122 at the same time falling to stop the thread being drawn from the bobbin.
There is a separate tension device to each thread used.
The work as made is wound upon rollers 129 Fig. 17 and 18 which are mounted
upon a shaft 130 which extends from end to end of the machine. This shaft is fitted
at one end of the machine with a ratchet wheel 131 which is actuated by a pawl 132
on a lever 133 which is suitably pivotted and actuated by a cum 134 on the cam
shaft 135. The lever 133 is held up to an adjustable stop 137 by a spring 136, and
by varying the portion of the stop the amount of motion given to the work rollers
is correspondingly varied. Preferably the rollers 129 are driven by the shaft 130
through friction plates and these may be constructed according to any well known
method.
The splicing mechanism is shown in Figs. 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawing
and emprises two splicing thread guides 132 and 133 for each portion of the same
fabric it is required to splice. These guides 132 and 133 are attached to boxes 131
and 135 which are fitted to slide on the bar 136, and this latter is carried ay
brackets 137 which are attached to the brackets 138 place between the angle har 4,
and slur bar & as shown in Fig. 18. For traversing the splicing thread guides each
division of the machine is provided with two levers 142 and 143 which are carried
by shafts 140 and 141 respectively. These shafts are carried by brackets 139 on the
cam boxes 7 and are fitted to traverse with the cam boxes and to turn in their

page_text: bearings. The boxes 134 and 135 are provided with projecting pieces 144 and 145
so arranged in conjunction with the levers 142 and 143 that the lever 142 can travel
past the piece 145 and the lever 143 past the piece 144 without striking the same.
These levers by means of springs or weights are held to adjustable stops 146 and are
in such a position that when moving they will always carry with them their respective
splicing thread guide. The machine is also fitted with tumbler cams 147 and 148.
so placed that the levers 143 and 142 are lifted clear of the projections 145 and 144
when the splicing thread guides 133 and 132 reach a predetermined needle. There
are a pair of cams 147 and 148 for each edge of each portion of the fabric spliced
and they may be adjustably attached to a fixed bar 149 when the edges of the
spliced portion are straight or to one of the bars 83 when the edges of the spliced
portion has to follow, or be parallel to the fashioned selvage of the fabric. In one
arrangement the levers in each division of the machine are fitted on short shafts
carried by the bracket 139 and there are separate cams for each division, but by
preference, the shafts 140 and 141 extend across the machine and they are oscillated by
one or more sets of cams according to the number of divisions and width of the same.
In the arrangement shown the knitting threads 119 pass to the carriers 12 and 13
between the levers 142 and 143, and the splicing threads which are drawn from
separate bobbins pass through a tension device similar to the one herein described
and through eyes 151 on the front of the slides 134 and 135.
The pulley shaft 35 Figs. 5 and 6 is according to one arrangement brought to the
front of the machine and is geared to the cam shaft 135 by gear wheels 152ª and
the cam shaft gives motion to the handle shaft 152 by the gear wheels 153. In
another arrangement the shaft 35 is geared to the handle shaft 152 by a short vertical
shaft and suitable gear wheels, and in this case the cam shaft 135 is driven from the
handle shaft by the wheels 153.
The cam shaft is rotated at the same speed as the crank wheel shaft and carries
the cams 154, 155 and 156. The two latter through levers 157 and 158 operate,
the shaft 90 from which the needle lifters receive their motion and this shaft is
oscillated once in each direction for each revolution of the shaft 135 for the purpose
herein before explained, while each of the cams 155 an 156 acts as a counter cam
to the other. The cain 154 operates the pattern mechanism by which the number
of courses between each fashioning is regulated. This can operates a lever 159
pivotted to a bracket 160 and fitted with a cam truck which is held in contact with
the cam by means of a spring. This lever is also fitted with a number of ratchet
pawls 161, any one of which can be thrown into action, and these pawls actuate
one of a number of ratchet wheels 162 which are fitted to rotate together and also
rotate the star wheel 163. Held in contact with the star wheel 163 is the nose of
a lever 164 which is pivotted at 165 and connected by a link 166 to a lever 167 on
the shaft 72 which carries the lever 32 for operating the crank wheel screw and the
lever 72 for throwing out of action the clawker 67. When it is desired to fashion at
every revolution of the cam wheel, all the clawkers 161 are turned out of action, and
the star wheel 163 is rotated by hand until the nose of the lever 164 rests upon one
of the projections on the wheel. In the arrangement shown the wheel 163 has five
projections and the ratchet wheels have ten, fifteen, twenty and twenty-five teeth
respectively and will when in action cause a fashioning to be made at every second,
third, fourth, or fifth revolution of the crank wheel. As an example of the method
and manner of working the machine herein described, suppose the parts are in their
proper relative positions and that work is being made on the narrowest width.
the desired length of the narrow width has been knitted the operator puts into action
one of the clawkers 161 and the star wheel 163 is thereby rotated. This operates the
shaft 72 and when the star wheel 31 on the crank wheel screw strikes the same the
length of the traverse of the knitting cam is increased by two needles, one on each
side of the needles in action. At or about the same time the ratchet wheel 61 is
actuated and this reduces the number of traverses made by the machine and also
carries the needle lifters under the needles to be next raised into work. This latter
operation takes place after the cam hox has past the needles to be lifted and when
After

page_text: moving from the centre of the needle hed toward the end of its traverse and on the
return traverse of the cam box, the need. is op rated by the same and a new loop
formed thereon. The needles are lifted into work first on one side and then on the
other, and the number of courses between eich fashioning is regulated as herein
described. The clawker 161 is thrown out of action when it is desired to again make
parallel work, or another clawker may be thrown into action if fashionings at a different
rate are required. Suppose now the fabric is to be spliced on both sides with a parallel
piece of unspliced work between the two spliced portion. The cams 147 and 148 are
placed on the bar 149 in such a position that the splicing carriers stop and start at
and from the needles representing the edges of the unspliced work, and the levers 142
and 143 and the splicing thread carriers are thrown into action. These may be thrown
out of action at any time by means of a stop placed under the levers, thus raising
the levers so that they miss the projecting pieces 144 and 145. Parallel or fashioned
work partly spliced can then be made until the article is completed. When this is
done the machine is stopped with the cam boxes at the end of their traverse at one
side of the needle beds, say on the left hand side, the splicing carriers are then
thrown out of action and the splicing threads broken. The knitting thread in the
left hand thread carrier is then broken and the cam boxes moved to the end of their
traverse at the right hand side of the needle beds, by which means the completed
fabric is pressed off the needles. The bar 73 is next brought into operation and all
the needles and jacks in work are raised for opening closed hooks and general
inspection and afterwards depressed to the knocking over level after which operation
the knitting thread in the right hand thread carriers is broken and the cams moved
until they are in the centre of the needle bed, the crank wheel screw being then in
the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The spindle 100 is then lowered and the crank
wheel screw thereby coupled to the shaft 55, and this is then turned by hand until
the various parts are returned to their starting position after which the spindle 100
is again raised. The bar 73 is again brought into action and all the fashioning
needles lowered until their butts are clear of the knitting cams after which the
machine is ready for starting another fabric or article. When the knitting cam is in
the centre of the needle bed, the lower ends of the jacks actually engaged with the
can follow the shape of the inclines and prevents the bar 73 entering the lower
recess in the centre jacks until the fashioning jacks have been lowered to their out
of work position. The can box is then moved to the end of its traverse and the
centre needles raised for running on a rib after which the needles are lowered to
their working position and another article proceeded with, or if the rib top is to he
joined subsequently to the article the last-discarded operation is omitted.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention.
and in what manner the same is to be perforined we declare that what we
claim is
1. In straight har latch needle knitting machines the combination of the needles,
thread carriers, knitting cams producing two courses for each traverse of the same,
and an expanding crank driving the said knitting cams, constructed, arranged, and
operating substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying
drawings, and for the purpose herein set forth.
2. In straight bar latch needle knitting machines the combination of the needles
thread carriers, knitting cams producing two courses at each traverse of the same
an expanding crank driving the said canis, and, lifters, slides, and plates for raising
additional needles into work and supporting them in that position, constructed,
arranged and operating as herein described with reference to the accompanying
drawings and for the purpose herein set forth.
3. In straight bar latch needle knitting machines the combination of the needles,
needle jacks, web holders, knitting cam expanding crank, fashioning screws, and
splicing thread carrier mechanism, constructed, arranged and operating substantially
as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings and for the purpose
set forth.

page_text: 4. In straight bar latch needle knitting machines the combination of an expanding
crank, needle lifting and supporting mechanisms needles, and needle jacks so formed
that all needles in work may be raised and lowered at the same time, and a bar for
sa moving the jacks constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as herein
described with reference to the accompanying drawings, and for the purpose set
forth.
5. In straight bar latch needle kuitting machines the combination of the needles,
the needle jacks, the needle lifting and supporting mechanisms, fashioning screw
mechanisms geared to a shaft which is connected to a frictional driving mechanism
and means whereby the fashioning screws, the above mentioned shaft and crank
wheel screw may be coupled together constructed arranged and operating
substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings and
for the purpose set forth.
6. In straight bar latch needle knitting machines the combination of the needles
needle bed, needle jacks, an expanding crank, fashioning screws, needle lifting
appliances splicing thread carriers, thread tension and take up levers, and star wheel
pattern mechanism constructed, arranged, and operating substantially as herein
described with reference to the accompanying drawings and for the purpose set
forth.
7. In straight bar latch needle knitting machines the combination of- the needle
beds, thread carriers, web holders, needles carried by centre jacks, needles carried by
fashioning jacks on both sides of the centre jacks in each needle bed, knitting cam
boxes fitted with a cam plate held in position by a removable key, and a screw which
has a nut in a block sliding in the cam box and adjustable from the top of the cam
box, the cam plate having attached to it inclines for producing two courses at each
traverse and thread carriers for feeding the needles raised by each incline as herein
described with reference to the accompanying drawings and for the purpose set forth.
8. In straight bar latch needle knitting machines the combination with the
needles, needle beds, needle jacks, web hollers knitting cams and thread carriers, of
fixed and sliding plates for supporting the needles and jacks in work, the sliding
plates heing carried by needle lifter brackets moved by fashioning screws and fitted
with springs or spring catches for supporting the last needle and jack raised into
work as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings and for the
purpose set forth.
9. In straight ar latch slle kuitting machines the combination with the
needles, needle beds, neeile jacks, wel holders, kuitting cams, thread carriers and
fixed and sliding plates for supporting the jacks and needles in work, of needle
lifters fitted to slide in brackets, moved horizontally by bars attached to the
fashioning serews, and moved vertically by cam shaped slots at the lower ends of the
slides and a rod carried by a shaft which is oscillated in opposite directions
alternately by two cams each of which acts as a counter cam to the other cam as
herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings and for the purpose
set forth.
10. In straight bar latch needle knitting machines, the combination with the
needles, needle beds, needle jacks knitting cam boxes, jack and needle supporting
plates, thread carriers, needle lifters and cams actuating the same of a bar carried
and arranged so shail all the needles in work can be raised when the knitting cams
are at either end of their traverse and the fashioning needles be lowered out of work
when the knitting cams are in the centre of their traverse as herein described with
reference to the accompanying drawings and for the purpose set forth.
11. In straight bar latch needle knitting machines the combination with the
needles needle beds, needle jacks, thread carriers kuitting cams, needle lifting and
supporting mechanism of fashioning bars carrying the needle lifting slide brackets
and connected to fashioning screws geared together by an intermediate wheel and
intermittently rotated by atehet meelamism shown in and out of action by star
wheel pattern melanie s herein described with reference to the accompanying
drawings and for the purpose set forth.

page_text: 12. In straight bar latch needle knitting machines the combination with the
needles, the needle beds, needle jacks. knitting cams, thread carriers needle lifting
and supporting mechanisms of a crank wheel with a movable crank pin carried by
slides and fitted with a screw which is intermittently rotated by a star wheel fitted
thereto, and a lever which is moved into the circular path of the star wheel by means
of star wheel pattern mechanism as herein described with reference to the
accompanying drawings and for the purpose set forth.
13. In straight bar latch needle knitting machines the combination with the
needles, needle jacks, needle beds, knitting cams, thread carriers, fashioning screws,
needle lifters, and crank wheel with an expanding crank pin, of a sliding spindle
carried, guided and rotated by a hollow spindle which is geared to the intermediate
wheel actuating the fashioning screws and to a vertical shaft geared to the friction
drive as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings and for the
purpose set forth.
14. In straight bar latch needle knitting machines the combination with the
needles needle jacks, needle bed, thread carriers, knitting eam, expanding crank,
fashioning screws, an-l a spindle guided carriel and rotated by a hollow spindle of an
arrangement of gearing by which the rotation of the vertical shaft geared to the
friction drive may be varied relatively to the rotation of the fashioning screws as
herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings and for the purpose
set forth.
15. In straight bar latch needle knitting machines the combination with the
needles, needle jacks, needle bed, thread carriers knitting cams, expanding crank and
fashioning screws of a ratchet wheel netuating the fashioning screws, and connecting
shaft to the vertical drive, and a clawker continuously actuated bat held clear of the
ratchet wheel by a lever which is connected to star wheel pattern mechanism and
thrown into gear at or about the same time as the crank wheel screw is actuated as
herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings and for the purpose set
forth.
16. In straight bar latch needle knitting machines the combination with the
needles, needle beds, needle jacks knitting cams, thread carriers, fashioning screws,
fashioning screw actuating mechanism and an expanding erank of a star wheel pattern
mechanism intermittently rotated by ratchet mechanism, a lever held in contact with
the star wheel and also connecting to a rocking shaft carrying the lever against
which the star wheel on the crank wheel screw strikes, and a lever connected to
another lever which controls the relative positions of the fashioning screw ratchet
wheel and clawker as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings
and for the purpose set forth.
17. In straight bar latch needle knitting machines the combination with the needles
needle jacks, needle beds, knitting cams, thread carriers, expanding crank, needle
lifting and supporting devices, fashioning screws, fashioning screw actuating
mechanisins, star wheel pattern mechanism and a needle lifting har of work rollers
actuated by friction plates from a rod adjustably and intermittently rotated by mtchet
mechanism as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings and for
the purpose set forth.
18. In straight bar latch needle knitting machines the combination of the needles,
needle heds, needle jacks, knitting eams, thread carriers, expanding erank, needle
lifting and supporting devices, and fashioning serews of splicing thread carriers, fitted
to slide on a fixed rod, actuated by levers travelling with the knitting cams, adjustably
fixed tumbler cams, and tumbler cams carried by the fashioning bars for disconnecting
the splicing carriers and their actuating levers as herein described with reference to
the accompanying drawings and for the purpose set forth.
19. In straight har latch needle knitting machines the combination of the needles
needle jacks, needle beds, knitting cams thread carriers, expanding crank, fashioning
screws, work rollers, and splicing carriers with thread tension and take-up appliances
as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings and for the purpose
set forth.

page_text: 20. In straight bar latch needle knitting machines the combination of the needles,
needle jacks, needle beds, knitting cam thread carriers, expanding crank, needle
lifting and supporting devices, and fashioning screws with a stop device comprising a
pivotted lever, a cam or incline on the fashioning screw nut a sliding catch, and a
spring connected to the belt fork as herein described with reference to the
accompanying drawings, and for the purpose set forth.
21. In straight bar latch needle knitting machines the combination of the needles
needle jacks, needle beds, knitting cams, thread carriers, expanding crank, fashioning
screws, a spindle for coupling the crank wheel screw to the fashioning screws, with a
safety lever coupled to the belt fork rod and so shaped that when the belt is on the
fast pulley the coupling spindle cannot be lowered, and when the coupling spindle is
lowered the belt cannot be moved on to the fast pulley as herein described with
reference to the accompanying drawings and for the purpose herein set forth.
22. In straight bar latch needle knitting machines the combination of the needles,
needle jacks, knitting cams needle beds, thread carriers, expanding crank, an inter-
mediate lever, a vertical shaft to a friction drive gearing actuating the same and the
fashioning screws, a stop appliance and a safety appliance as herein described with
reference to the accompanying drawings and for the purpose set forth.
23. In straight bar latch needle knitting machines the combination of the needles,
needle jacks, needle beds web holders, knitting cams, expanding crank, fashioning
screws, fashioning bars, needle lifting and supporting appliances, a bar for raising and
lowering the needles and jacks, fashioning screw actuating ratchet mechanism and
connecting gearing, a star wheel pattern mechanism, knitting thread carriers, splicing
thread carriers, and connecting mechanism, thread tension and take up appliances, a
coupling spindle, stop and safety appliances work rollers, intermediate lever, and
adjustable connecting link, arranged, constructed, and combined as herein described
with reference to the accompanying drawings and for the purpose set forth.
24. The general arrangement and construction of a straight bar latch needle
knitting machine as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 28th day of November 1896
W. H. POTTER, Wh. Sc.,
Nottingham, Patent Agent.