IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS TO PRODUCE EMBROIDERED PATTERNS UPON LOOPED FABRICS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Coltman, of the Firm of Gimson and Coltman,
of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS TO PRODUCE EMBROIDERED PATTERNS UPON
LOOPED FABRICS."
Sealed the 5th April 1878, and dated the 25th October 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Coltman at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th October 1877.
"
THOMAS COLTMAN, of the Firm of Gimson and Coltman, of Leicester, in the
County of Leicester. IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS TO PRO-
DUCE EMBROIDERED PATTERNS UPON LOOPED FABRICS."
My improved apparatus when applied to a rotary machine such as is described in
the Specification of a Patent granted to me for improvements in machinery or
apparatus employed in the manufacture of looped or knitted fabrics, dated May the
3rd, 1875, numbered 1629, and sealed 29th of June, 1875, consists of the following
parts to the angle bar carrying the brackets in which the thread guide bars slide:-
I secure two arms to each division of the machine; each arm carries an axle for one
end of a link, the other end of the link works upon an axle adjustable in a slot in
an arm which rocks upon an axle screwed in one of the brackets which carries one
of the axles upon which the guide bar bracket rocks; the upper end of the last-
named arm is slotted to receive the end of a round shaft; there are also two inclined
slotted bearing brackets secured to and sliding with the front thread carrier bar,
thus forming bearings for the round shaft, upon which shaft are secured as many
pattern surface cylinders as there are widths of fabric produced in each division of
the machine; each pattern surface is perforated to the required pattern, and near one
end of the round shaft is secured a ratchet wheel operated by a clawker carried by
an arm secured to the slotted bearing.
Near the opposite end of the round shaft is secured a V shaped notched disk
kept in position by a spring stop, secured to and carried by an arm having a hole
in it, through which the round shaft is passed; the arm is provided with a stud on
Pris 1071

page_text: one side which slides in the inclined slot of one of the bearing brackets before
named.
To the front thread guide sliding bar I secure a double sley in which any
required number of thread guide levers are capable of being rocked, each lever
is provided with a spring which holds the lever in a proper position for feeding
the thread it carries to the needles, where the pattern surface is perforated; when
the pattern surface is not perforated, the thread guide levers are held in such a
position that the threads they carry are not lapped round the needles. The needles
may be latch needles or bearded needles, in either case they are carried by sliding
bits operated as described in the Specification above referred to.
At such parts of each width of needles, where at certain times needles are not
required, I form each needle bit with a joint, which enables me to turn the needle
down clear of the thread carriers. Such jointed sliding needle bits can be employed
in other machines to produce fashioned looped fabrics.
My improved apparatus I have described as applied to a rotary machine carrying
needles sliding vertically, but is equally applicable to rotary machines carrying
needles sliding horizontally, the racking motion in such case being effected by a
cam or cams operated by the cam shaft.
The improved apparatus is also applicable to machines for making looped fabrics
which are operated by hand.
By machinery and apparatus constructed and operating as above described, I
am enabled to produce embroidered patterns of one or more colours upon one
or more portions, or quite across each breadth of looped fabric produced in the
machine.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Coltman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th April.
1878.
THOMAS COLTMAN, of the Firm of Gimson and Coltman, of Leicester, in the
County of Leicester. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS TO PRO-
DUCE EMBROIDERED PATTERNS UPON LOOPED FABRICS."
My improved apparatus when applied to a rotary machine such as is described in
the Specification of former Letters Patent granted to me for improvements in
machinery or apparatus employed in the manufacture of looped or knitted fabrics,
dated 3rd May, A.D. 1875, No. 1629, consists of the following parts:-To the angle
bar carrying the brackets in which the thread guide bars slide I secure two arms
to each division of the machine; each arm carries an axle for one end of a link, the
other end of the link works upon an axle adjustable in a slot in an arm which rocks
upon an axle screwed in one of the brackets which carries one of the axles upon
which the guide bar bracket rocks; the upper end of the last-named arm is slotted
to receive the end of a round shaft; there are also two inclined slotted bearing
brackets secured to and sliding with the front thread carrier bar, thus forming
bearings for the round shaft, upon which shaft are secured as many pattern surface
cylinders as there are widths of fabric produced in each division of the machine; each
pattern surface is perforated to the required pattern, and near one end of the round
shaft is secured a ratchet wheel operated by a clawker carried by an arm secured to
the slotted bearing.
Near the opposite end of the round shaft is secured a V shaped notched disc kept
in position by a spring stop secured to and carried by an arın having a hole in it
through which the round shaft is passed; the arm is provided with a stud on one
side which slides in the inclined slot of one of the bearing brackets before named.
To the front thread guide sliding bar I secure a double sley in which any required
number of thread guide levers are capable of being rocked; each lever is provided
with a spring which holds the lever in the proper position for feeding the thread it
carries to the needles where the pattern surface is perforated; when the pattern
surface is not perforated, the thread guide levers are held in such a position that the
threads they carry are not lapped round the needles. The needles may be latch
needles or bearded needles, in either case they are carried by sliding bits operated
as described in the Specification above referred to.
At such parts of each width of needles where at certain times needles are not
required I form each needle bit with a joint which enables me to turn the needle
down clear of the thread carriers. Such jointed sliding needle bits can be employed
in other machines to produce fashioned looped fabrics.
My improved apparatus I have described as applied to a rotary machine carrying
needles sliding vertically, but it is equally applicable to rotary machines carrying
needles sliding horizontally, the racking motion in such case being effected by a
cam or cams operated by the cam shaft.
This improved apparatus is also applicable to machines for making looped fabrics
which are operated by hand.
By machinery and apparatus constructed and operating as above described, I
am enabled to produce embroidered patterns of one or more colours upon one
or more portions, or quite across each breadth of looped fabric produced in the
machine.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front view of portion of a machine shewing one breadth of needles,
and one pattern surface cylinder.
Figure 2, a sectional view of the upper portion of the machine taken on the
line A', A', shewn on Figure 1.
Figure 3, a side view of a cylinder catch wheel hereafter referred to..
Figure 4, a view of the right end,

page_text: Figure 4a, a front view of portion of the machine at the right end, shewing the
cam for separating the thread guide sliding bars.
Figure 5, a view at the left end of the machine, shewing a pattern wheel and
jacquard cylinder..
.
Figure 6, a view at the back of the machine, shewing the lever for operating the
ratchet wheel drivers.
Figure 7, a front view of one of the ratchet wheels; and Figure 8, a back view
of the snail wheels.
Figure 9, a view at the back of the machine, shewing the sley for one division of
needles, and the bars carrying the inclines for operating them.
Figure 10, a front view of one set of inclines."
Figure 11 shews in plan the winding up rollers I employ to each breadth of
fabric.
Figures 12 and 13 shew respectively the relative positions of the cam and levers
which rock the axle of the needle lifting levers.
The corresponding parts in each Figure are indicated by the same letters where
necessary.
The improved machinery and apparatus consists of the following parts:-A
standard A, A, at each end of the machine; the lower part of these standards are
shewn broken away at Figures 1, 2, 4, 4, 5, and 6; the tops of the standards are
secured to a bed B, shewn at Figures 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 9; the back vertical face of
the bed receives a number of sley brasses C which are clamped to it by plates D
secured to the bed; needles and needle bits E are free to slide in the sleys at the
back, being held in the sleys at their upper end by plates C¹ secured to the plates D,
but the latches of the needles, instead of facing towards the front of the machine,
face towards the back;. the clamping plates are grooved at the front to receive
sliding bolts F, shewn at Figure 9; each bolt has a stud at the back, near the lower
end, which takes into an horizontal slot in a bar F¹ lying below the incline bars G,
G'; besides the horizontal slots in the bar F1, there are other slots F2 lying at an
inclined angle. Through these slots, studs are passed and secured in the back
vertical face of the bad, so that the lower bar is capable of sliding upon the
studs. The bar F¹ also carries bearing clips F³, upon which the incline bars slide,
being held down by clips secured to and carried by the upper ends of the bolts F,
by which arrangement the lower bar regulates the length of loop drawn by the
needles. When moved to the left the incline bars will be raised, and cause the
work to be made stiff; when the bars are in a lower position, the work will be made
slacker. The bar F is notched on its under side to receive one end of a spring which
is secured to the bed. This spring prevents the bar moving from the position in
which it is placed. The notches and spring are not shewn in the Drawings, being
like those described in the Specifications of my former Patent, dated the Seventh
January One thousand eight hundred and seventy, Nod. 62, and sealed Fifth July
One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
At the back of each needle sley is a plate C¹, held close to the sleys by studs in
the clamping plates D.
The throw or traverse of the incline bars G, G¹, is effected by a link H, one end
of which works on an axle secured to the back of the bars, as shewn at Figure 9,
and the other end on an axle at the upper end of a rocking lever H¹ moved by a
link Hattached to it, and to an adjustable axle at the back of a cam plate H³,
shewn at Figures 2, 4, and 4ª.
Besides the traverse of the incline bars the inclines are operated as follows:-At 5
each set of inclines the bar G is pierced with two holes, each of which are alternately
closed by a bit G or G5, shewn in a front view at Figure 10, the bits being carried
by springs secured to the back of the bar G, shewn at Figure 9; these springs are
alternately thrown back to lift out the bits by a sliding bit G³ double wedged at its
upper end, secured to a bar G² which is carried by and slides upon studs in the back 5
of the incline bar G'. The bar G2 is provided with a stud at each end, each of
which previous to the completion of the traverse of the incline bar strikes an

page_text: adjustable set screw in an arm secured to each end of the machine, the bar being
traversed to the left by the adjustable set screw at the right end of the machine as
the inclines complete their traverse to the right, and as they complete their traverse
to the left the set screw at the left end traverses the bar G² to the right, thus lifting
out the spring bits G, G³, alternately. These spring bits lift up the whole of the
needle bits to the highest point to get the loops below the latchets of the needles;
which are then lowered into position for receiving the thread from either the
thread carrier or thread guides previous to the needle bits and needles, being drawn
down to throw off the work.
The thread carrier bar or bars I arrange and operate in the following manner:-
At each end of the bed in front I secure a bracket B', seen at Figures 2 and 4ª, the
back projecting arms of which form bearings for a shaft. B2, shewn at Figure 2,
referred to hereafter, and other intermediate brackets B³ varying in number, according
to the length of the machine. The brackets B¹ carry axles B, upon which slotted
brackets B swing, the intermediate brackets B³ carry axles upon which other
axles B rock. The brackets B5 and B6 are slotted to receive three or more bars
which slide therein, three bars only are shewn in the Drawings. The bars are kept
secure in the brackets by plates screwed to the lower sides; the slotted brackets
are connected by an angle bar B8. In the central and back slots slide carrier bars S,
to either or both of which are secured thread carriers S', there being one such
carrier on each bar to each breadth of fabric produced across the machine; each or
either of the carrier bars S is traversed (in turn when both are used) alternately to
the right and left by a bolt which slides vertically in a bracket at the left end of
the machine, which is operated in the same manner as a similar bolt at the right
end of the machine, described in the Specification of a former Patent granted to me
for improvements in machinery or apparatus employed in the manufacture of
looped or knitted fabrics, dated Seventh January. One thousand eight hundred and
seventy, Nod. 62, and sealed Fifth July One thousand eight hundred and seventy,
at page 12, lines 2 to 13 inclusive. The thread carriers S¹ being traversed across
the whole width of the fabric, the back projecting arms of the brackets B' form
bearings, in which a bar S³ slides; there is a recess cut in this bar near its
left end in front to receive an arm S* secured to the back of the inclined bar G;
the recess in the bar is somewhat longer than the width of the arm, so as to enable
the thread carrier bar S to obtain a lead upon each return motion; the bar S³ carries
a bent arm S2 to each breadth of fabric; this arm is traversed bebind the thread
carrier and prevents the latchets of the needles from closing upon the hooked end
of the needles as they are successively released from the loops during the rising of
the needles, thereby insuring that the hooks shall secure the threads to form fresh
loops as they are lowered.
When more than one thread carrier S₁ is employed on the carrier bar S to each
breadth of fabric, the traverse of the bar in such case being much shorter than the
incline bars, I effect the traverse of the bar as follows:-At the right end of the
machinery a projecting bracket I is secured; this and the two standards carry
bearings for a hand shaft J, shewn at Figures 4 and 4a; the outer end of the shaft
is provided with a fast and loose pulley for driving by power in the usual way
between the bearings at the right end of the machine. The shaft is provided with
a bevel wheel J' gearing into a similar bevel wheel carrying a spur wheel at the back,
which drives a tooth wheel on to the front end of a short shaft K outside the right
end standard; such, gearing is shewn only on the end view Figure 4.
The shaft K is provided with a worm wheel K' which is slotted to receive an
adjustable stud K2; this stud at each revolution of the wheel strikes alternately
two arms K³, secured to the front of a bar K, which slides in bearings K5, one of
which is secured to the bracket I, and the other to the right end bracket B¹. The
bar K carries a fork on its upper edge, to which a bolt attached to the thread
guide sliding bar drops when selected by means hereafter referred to, thus causing a
to-and-fro traverse of the thread carriers when required. When such carriers are
at work they lap their threads round needles carried by needle bits, somewhat

page_text: longer than the bit E, shewing at Figure 2. This lapping is effected as follows:-
On the right end of the shaft B2, on the left side of the bracket B', is secured an
arm carrying a truck adjustable in its lower end, shewn by dotted lines at Figure 4,
acted upon by the rim of the lapping cam H. The upper ends of the slotted
brackets B swing upon axles adjustable in the front ends of arms B', hinged at the
back to the upper ends of arms secured to the rocking axle B², by which means, a
lapping movement is given to the thread carriers independent of the swinging
imovement, when the jacquard is effecting a selection of the sliding carrier bars.
The worm wheel K¹ at each revolution racks a toothed wheel L two teeth, ly
which means the work rollers carried by the shaft L' are caused to revolve. The
left end of this shaft is provided with a studded wheel M, shewn at Figure 5, by
which the number of courses worked by the carrier.threads are governed in the
following manner :-There is a lever rocking on an axle at its lower end secured
to the standard; this lever carries an incline piece M', and an adjustable set screw
above it. The lever is held to a bracket M2 by a spring; the upper end of the lever
is inclined and lies under and holds up a driver M³, hinged to the upper end of the
bracket M2, as shewn at Figures 5 and 6, when the driver is so held up a jacquard
cylinder N is not racked round; as it is moved towards the driver the jacquard
cylinder is carried by and slides with a bar O, supported by a bracket O¹, secured
to the back of the bed B; a to-and-fro movement being given to the bar by the
rocking lever H before named.
The cylinder N carries a series of cards or plates N¹, in some of which there are
three holes besides the holes to receive the studs on the cylinder; in others thero
are two holes; the closed one then drives back one of three slides carried by a
bracket P, secured at the back of the bed, as shewn at Figures 2 and 6; the slide so
projected drives back, more or less, a lever P¹ carried by an axle, one end of the
bracket 101; the lever P' at its back end is connected by an adjustable link to the
back end of the lever P2, secured on the rocking axle B². By apparatus so constructed,
when a plate, marked N¹ in Figure 2, has selected the back slide, it will depress
the lever P¹, so as to place the back carrier sliding bar in position for being traversed,
as before described; when a plate N2 selects, the centre sliding bar is placed in
position to be traversed; and when the plate N³ selects, the front sliding bar will be
traversed. The axle B2 has secured on it near each end an arm Q, each held up by
a spring, shewn at Figure 4, to a set screw adjustable.in a stud secured to the cop
bracket bar, by which means the backward throw of the slotted brackets can be
regulated. The cylinder N is only rocked when the driver M³ falls, which takes
place when a stud in the plate M drives back the lever carrying the piece M¹.
When I wish to produce embroidered patterns upon looped fabrics other than
vertical lines or various colord stripes by the machinery and apparatus above
described, in conjunction therewith I employ to each division of the machine two
arms R, R, each slotted vertically to receive the ends of a shaft R¹; each arm also
carries an axle, on which the front end of a link R2 rocks; the other end works upon
an axle carried by an arm R³, secured to one of the brackets B³ or B, or to the angle
bar B, connecting them; there are also two inclined slotted bearing brackets R¹
secured to and sliding with the front thread carrier bar; the inclined slots also form
bearings for the shaft R'. Upon this shaft is secured a pattern surface cylinder R³,
perforated to the required pattern, and near one end of the shaft is secured a ratchet
wheel R, operated by a clawker R', carried by an arm secured to the slotted
bearing R, and near the opposite end is secured a V shaped notched disc R8, a side
view of which is shewn separately at Figure 3, the shaft R¹ passing through a
bearing R provided with a stud, sliding in the slot of the bearing R*, which is
provided with a spring R, which engages in the V notched disc, and prevents the
cylinder being moved more than one notch at a time.
To the front sliding bar S I secure a double sley T, shewn at Figures 1 and 2, in
which any number of thread guide levers T' rock, each lever being provided with a
spring carried by a sley T2, which holds it in position for feeding the thread it
carries to the needles where the pattern surface is perforated; when the pattern

page_text: surface is not perforated, the thread guide levers are held towards the front of the
machine, so that the threads they carry are not lapped round the needles.
The needles may be latch needles, as shewn in the Drawings, or bearded needles;
in either case they are carried by sliding bits, operated as described in the Specifi-
cation of a Patent granted to me in One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five,
above referred to.
The movements of the pattern surface cylinders and their action on the thread
guides are as follows:-The whole of the thread guides are kept by the unperforated
portions of the pattern cylinder at the front of the machine, but when the upper
ends of the guides enter either of the perforators the springs press the guides
towards the back of the machine, the axle of the cylinder riding vertically in slots
in the upper ends of the levers R, which are connected to links D; carried by studs
at the back of the machine, cause the cylinder to run in at a greater speed than the
carrier bar recedes, thus overtaking the thread guides,. and making a selection of
them previous to some of them being passed through the needles; those so passed
through remain at the back of the machine, in front of the needles, while the
front bar S is traversed over one needle; they then return through the needles to
the front of the machine, the quick return of the cylinder releasing the thread guides
previous to the cylinder being racked one notch upon the completion of its return
motion, when the movements are repeated.
At such parts of each width of needles, where at certain times needles are not
required until it is necessary to widen the fabric, I form each needle bit with a joint,
shewn at E, Figure 2, which enables me to turn the needles down clear of the
thread carriers.
Each needle so jointed to a bit I raise in turn by the following means:-The
brackets B', and an additional bracket U, placed at the right end of the machine
above the projecting bracket I, form bearings for a rocking axle E², shewn at Figures
2, 12, and 13; the axle has an arm U3 secured on its right end, to which the upper
end of a spring is hooked, the lower end of which is hooked to the bracket I, and
keeps a truck, which is adjustable in the lower end of a rocking lever U2, close to
the rim of the cam H; the upper end of the lever U2 is connected by a link to an
arm U¹, secured on the axle E³, by which means a rocking movement is communi-
cated to the axle by the cam at each course.
The axle E² has four or more pendant arms Es secured upon it, which form bearings
in which two bars slide parallel to each other, the back bar, carries as many lifting
levers E' as there are breadths of fabric to be produced on the machine, and the
front bar carries as many lifting levers E5; each of these levers lie down clear of the
hinged needles E¹, as shewn at Figure 2, when the cam is in the position seen at
Figure 12; but when the cam is in the position seen at Figure 13, each of the
levers E and E lift up one of the hinged needles into a vertical position at each
selvage ready to receive a thread. The lifters are then lowered and traverse out-
wards the space of one needle in the following manner :-To the left side of the
left bracket O¹ and the bracket P are secured arms, which support a bearing frame
E carrying an axle, on the front end of which are secured two snail cams E, each
of which as they are racked round throw outwards a bolt E, each being provided
with a bracket E¹², which bearing upon arms E¹¹ carried by the parallel lifting lever
bars, and held to them by springs conveniently placed.
The snail cam axle also carries two toothed ratchet wheels E³, E³, and two V shaped
catch wheels E7, each provided with a spring catch, not shewn in the Drawings, but
being like the wheel catch spring shewn at Figure 3.
The ratchet wheels are racked round by drivers Els on an axle carried by a rocking
lever E14, rocking on an axle in an arm secured to the back of the bearing frame E6,
near its left end a right end view of the bearing E6 and wheels is shewn at Figure 2,
and a back view at Figure 6; there are springs secured to the rocking lever E14, to
keep the drivers in gear with the ratchet wheels, except when one is lifted clear by
a pin in a lever E15 being moved to the right, as seen at Figure 6, by one or other
of the studs carried by the back ratchet wheel E8, shewn in side view at Figure 7.

page_text: The rocking lever E" has a V shaped incline on its under side, by which it is
lifted, when the inner end P of a lever P³ is raised sufficiently high for that purpose,
by a stud P³ in either of the jacquard plates N2, passing under the outer end P³ of
the lever; the opposite end of this lever is slotted, and rides on a stud carried by the
back of the bracket P.
The ratchet wheel E8 carries four studs to each six teeth, so that such wheel is
only racked twice in every six courses when operating.
To each breadth of fabric I employ a winding-up roller, constructed and operating
in the following manner :-To the shaft L' is secured a coned boss R, which enters
into the hollow end of a flanged roller R¹, faced on the inside with leather, as shewn
by the dotted lines in Figure 11; at the back of the roller is a bracket R2, secured
to a cross bar carried by the end standards of the machine, the front end of the
bracket carries a stud on which a lever R³ is hinged, the front end of this lever
partly encircles the shaft L', and its back end rests against the inclined end of a
rocking lever R on a stud at the back of the bracket, the front of the rocking lever
rests upon the fabric being made, and as its diameter increases the inclined
end of the lever is driven on to the lever R³ and forces its front end on to the
end of the roller R', causing the friction cone to bite more the greater the circum-
ference of the work on the roller.
My improved apparatus for widening looped fabrics I have described as applied
to a rotary machine carrying needles sliding vertically, but it is equally applicable
to rotary machines carrying needles sliding horizontally. The racking motion
in such case being effected by a cam or cams carried by the cam shaft. The improved
apparatus is also applicable to machines for making looped fabrics which are operated
by hand.
By machinery and apparatus, constructed and operating as above described, I am
enabled to produce embroidered patters of one or more colours upon one or more
portions, or quite across each breadth of looped fabric produced in the machine.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same may be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First. The general arrangement and combination of machinery for rocking
and traversing the thread guide levers T¹ to produce the lapping movements above
specified.
Second. For the pattern surface cylinder R³, and its operating mechanism for
selecting the thread guide levers for producing embroidered patterns of divers
colours upon one or more portions, or quite across each breadth of looped fabric
produced.
Third. For the hinged needle bits E¹, the lifting levers E4, E³, and their
operating mechanism, as herein-before described, and illustrated in the Drawings
annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Coltman, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight
Witness,
H. W. GOUGH, C.E.,
Nottingham.
THOMAS COLTMAN. (L.S.)