Improvements in and connected with Circular Knitting Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Sept., 1898
1000
4000
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Circular Knitting Machines.
I, BINNS KERSHAW, of 62, Livesey Street, Manchester, in the County of Lan-
caster, Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in and connected with circular knitting
machines and the object is to provide such machines with means whereby the
fabric as it has been knitted, is automatically ornamented externally by having
designs in one or more colours applied, so as to render the fabric more serviceable,
attractive and pleasant to the eye, than heretofore has been the case.
To this end my invention consists in employing in circular knitting machines,
at a suitable point below where the fabric has been knitted, one or more printing
rollers, wheels or blocks, respectively adapted to run against or be brought into
contact with the exterior of the fabric as it has been knitted and print thereon
designs in one or more colours in a continuous or intermittent manner as may
be found most suitable.
For instance, the said rollers, wheels or blocks may be applied at the upper end
of the needle-cylinder and the said rollers or wheels, mounted in suitable troughs
charged with colour, revolved by the fabric through frictional contact therewith
or be driven by suitable gearing, so as to print into the fabric longitudinally, or
the said blocks suitably supplied with colour, may be reciprocated to and from the
fabric by such as levers and cams and be adapted to print thereon longitudinally,
crosswise or diagonally.
In some cases the troughs containing the said rollers or wheels may be adapted
to run continuously or intermittently around the fabric, so as to produce a con-
tinuous or intermittent spiral design.
To print intermittently, the said rollers or wheels may be formed sectionally or
they may be adapted to run only half way around the fabric.
Improvements in and connected with Circular Knitting Machines.
I, BINNS KERSHAW, of 62, Livesey Street, Manchester, in the County of Lan-
caster, Manufacturer, 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:―
My invention relates to improvements in and connected with circular knitting

page_text: machines and the object is to provide such machines with means whereby the
abric as it has been knitted, is automatically ornamented externally by having
designs in one or more colours applied, so as to render the tabric more serviceable,
attractive and pleasant to the eye than heretofore has been the case, such fabric
being generally used as an envelope for meat shipped or stored but is also appli-
cable for other purposes.
To this end my invention consists in employing in circular knitting machines,
as a suitable point below where the fabric has been knitted, one or more printing
rollers, wheels or blocks, respectively adapted to run against or be brought into
contact with the exterior of the fabric as it has been knitted and print thereon
designs in one or more colours, in a continuous or intermittent manner as may
be found most suitable.
For instance, the said rollers, wheels or blocks may be applied at the upper end
of the needle-cylinder and the said rollers or wheels, mounted in suitable troughs
charged with colour, revolved by the fabric through frictional contact therewith,
or be driven by suitable gearing, so as to print onto the fabric longitudinally, or
the said blocks suitably supplied with colour, may be reciprocated to and from the
fabric by such as levers and cams and be adapted to print thereon longitudinally,
crosswise or diagonally.
In some cases the troughs containing the said rollers or wheels may be adapted
to run continuously or intermittently around the fabric, so as to produce a con-
tinuous or intermittent spiral design.
To print intermittently, the said rollers or wheels may be formed sectional or
they may be adapted to run only halfway around the fabric.
And in order that my invention may be more fully understood I have caused
to be appended hereunto one sheet of drawings marked with letters of reference
indicating like parts in the various figures.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section, and Fig. 2 a plan of the needle-cylinder of a circular
knitting machine and its adjacent parts. Fig. 2 a detached plan. Figs. 3, 4, 6,
7, 8, 10, 11, 12 & 13 detached vertical sections, and Figs. 5 & 9 partiy side views
of Figs. 4 & 8 respectively.
Referring to the figures generally, a is the needle-cylinder, b the bearing in
which it revolves, e the wheel by which the needle-cylinder is revolved, d the
fabric knitted and to be furnished with designs, c the colour troughs, f the colour-
ing matter, g, g¹ the printing wheel or block respectively.
In carrying out my invention and referring to Figs. 1 & 2, I form one or more
segmental troughs e, adapted to be placed upon the annular recess of the cylin-
der a, or upon a
ledge on the latter, situated at a suitable point below the said
recess. This trough is divided into compartments containing each colouring matter
of a like or different colour and one or more printing wheels g suitably mounted
in frictional contact with and rotated by the downward travel of the fabric knitted.
The periphery of the said. wheel rotates in contact with the said colouring matter,
which latter may consist of wool or other fibres soaked with colour which is picked
up by the said wheel as it rotates and deposited thereby upon the exterior of the
fabric in stripe fashion.
By forming one side of the said wheel in cam fashion, as shown in Fig. 2, and
pressing same by a spring against a stationary corresponding cam face, a hori-
zontal displacement of the wheel is effected during its rotation, which produces
a zig-zag design on the fabric.
In lieu of the wheel g an endless printing band g³ may be employed, as shown
in Fig. 3, to deposit the colour onto the fabric in stripe fashion or in checks.
The three arrangements of printing wheels described produce a continuous longi-
tudinal design, but by employing a wheel with a sectional printing periphery and
upon its shaft a driver h, as shown in Figs. 3 & 4, rotated by frictional contact
with the fabric, longitudinally intermittent designs may be applied to the fabric.
Another method of printing intermittently upon the fabric by a wheel, is shown

page_text: in Fig. 6, in which its periphery is formed with projections g¹ and also rotated by
a driver in frictional contact with the fabric.
Fig. 7 shows the use of an endless band 2 furnished with printing blocks g¹
adapted to be actuated through frictional contact with the fabric.
This arrangement as well as that shown in the previous figure may be used for
printing longitudinally intermittently in stripe fashion upon the fabric, or if the
said projections or blocks are formed with letters or figures, letters, words or
numbers may be printed thereon.
Another form of continuous or intermittent block printing is shown in Fig. S,
wherein the printing block g' is mounted upon the upper end of a rod i, raised
by stationary cam faces and withdrawn by a spring, the block g₁ being fur-
nished with a pinion k, which when the rod i is withdrawn comes into gear with
a stationary rack 2 and thereby causes the block to turn and take up colour from
the pad and on its rise to reverse again into position for printing.
A support may be employed inside of the fabric to receive the pressure of
the block.
Fig. 9 shows some of the designs that may be applied to the printing face of the
block.
Fig. 10 shows a printing wheel g mounted upon the upper end of an angular
lever carried by the needle-cylinder a and kept in contact with the fabric by
means of a spring and when desired to print intermittently, brought out of con-
tact by passing over and being depressed by a stationary projection b.
Circular er spiral designs may be printed onto the fabric, see Fig. 11, by arrang-
ing the colour trough e stationary in relation to the needle-cylinder and the print-
ing wheel to revolve in a horizontal or inclined plane, or the colour trough and
printing wheel may be arranged to rotate around the fabric at a speed which is in
excess of that of the fabric, as shown in Fig. 12, by mounting both onto a toothed
ring n rotated by spur wheels n¹ & n² and a toothed ring c¹ secured upon the bevel
wheel of the needle-cylinder .
In each of these last two cases the printing may be effected intermittently by
employing sectional printing wheels, as shown in Figs. 4 & 5.
In lieu of employing the colouring matter in a liquid form it may be used in a
solid form, as shown in Fig. 13, by being made in the form of a block g' in width
to correspond with the width of stripe to be produced, the said block being suitably
guided and kept in contact with the fabric by a spring (or weight).
If necessary the printing wheels or their driver h described may be formed on
their peripheries with pins to ensure being rotated by the fabric.
It is obvious that some of the printing appliances described may be applied in-
side of the needle-cylinder « or fabric and thus the fabric printed upon the inside
instead of the outside, the former way is however preferable, as it is more difficult
to arrange the printing appliance inside the needle-cylinder or fabric and the fabric
would require reversing when out of the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st. In circular knitting machines, a device adapted to apply automatically to
fabric whilst being circularly knitted, designs, marks or letters in one or more
colours, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2nd. In a device for automatically applying designs, marks or letters to fabric
whilst being knitted in a circular knitting machine, one or more printing wheels
arranged in frictional contact with and rotated by the knitted fabric, all substan-
tially as set forth.
3rd. In a device for automatically applying designs to fabric whilst being knitted
in a circular knitting machine, one or more printing blocks adapted to be brought

page_text: in and out of contact with the knitted fabric, all substantially as and for the pur-
pose set forth.
Dated this 2nd day of March 1899.
F. BOSSHARDT & Co.,
4, Corporation Street, Manchester, Agents to Applicant.