An Improved Transfer Comb for use in connection with Knitting Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Aug., 1890-Accepted, 4th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Transfer Comb for use in connection with Knitting
Machines.
I, WILLIAM HARRISON of 183 Portland Street, and 69 Hyde Grove, Chorlton-on-
Medlock both in Manchester in the County of Lancaster Patentee and Manufacturer
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The improvements which are the subject of this invention relate to transfer combs
for use in connection with the "Harrison" and other parallel knitting machines,
and the object of this invention is to dispense with the necessity of removing the
ribbed portions of articles such as gloves, stockings, or socks, from the machine in
which they have been knitted, and repicking the stitches on to the needles for the
purpose of completing said articles.
In this invention I employ needles which have points similar in form to those
used in ordinary transfer combs. I arrange these needles according to the number
required for the different transfers in various kinds of work. I connect said needles
in parallel positions by means of diagonal bars which I form in the manner of
lazytongs, or similar to a winding swift which is employed for holding the hanks
of wool when winding. I connect one end of each of these diagonal bars to one
of aforesaid needles, the opposite end of diagonal bar 1 connect to adjoining needle
by means of a pin working in a slot formed on either side of said needle or on
bar, or on both the diagonal bars are rivetted together in the centre at the part
where they cross each other. By these means I form a frame in which needles are
held firmly in a parallel position, while said frame is capable of being opened or
closed and the needles are thus placed further apart or nearer to each other as
required.
In the manufacture of knitted goods such as gloves, stockings or socks, the
operator holds the herein above described frame in the hand and transfers the
ribbed stitches which are knitted in the flat into a circular position. One half of
back ribbed stitches are then transferred onto the needles of said frame while in
a closed position: the frame is then opened so as to cause each of the needles in
frame to come opposite each alternate needle in machine: the stitches are then
retransferred onto alternate needles of machine, thus leaving every other needle in
machine empty the front half of stitches are then transferred onto the empty
needles at back: the other half of back and front stitches are transferred from the
needles in machine onto the needles of frame, the back second half of stitches are
turned round to the front bed of machine and retransferred onto every alternate
needle, leaving every other needle empty: the second half of front stitches are then
put onto these empty needles thus bringing the rib top into a circular or tubular
form without requiring to be taken from the machine. Four of the frames herein
above described are preferably employed in the foregoing operation.
Dated this 5th day of November 1889.
THOMAS PRESCOTT,
Agent for Applicant.

page_text: i
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Transfer Comb for use in connection with Knitting
Machines.
I, WILLIAM HARRISON of 183 Portland Street, and 69 Hyde Grove, Chorlton-on-
Medlock, both in Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Patentee and 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:
The improvements which are the subject of this invention, relate to transfer
combs for use in connection with the "Harrison" and other parallel bed knitting
machines the object of this invention is to dispense with the necessity of removing
the ribbed portions of articles such as gloves, stockings, or socks from the machine in
which they have been knitted, and repicking the stitches on to the needles for the
purpose of completing said articles.
In order more clearly to describe this my invention, I have annexed hereunto a
sheet of drawings. In the several views shown therein, similar letters refer to similar
parts.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of a transfer comb constructed according to this invention,
represented in a closed position ;
Fig. 2. is plan view of the same, representing in an extended position the form of
the comb when in use;
Fig. 3. is an edge view of the comb, and
Fig. 4 is also an edge view of the comb in conjunction with a needle which is
resting in needle bed of a knitting machine.
C
In this invention I employ needles a which have points 6 similar in form to those
used in ordinary transfer combs. I arrange these needles according to the number
required for the different transfers in various kinds of work. I connect said needles a
in parallel positions by means of diagonal bars c which I form in the manner of lazy
tongs, or similar to a winding swift which is employed for holding the hanks of wool
when winding. I connect one end c¹ of each of these diagonal bars c to one of
aforesaid needles a: the opposite end of diagonal bar c I connect to adjoining
needle a by means of a pin a working in a slot formed on either said needle, or on
bar, or on both, said slot being for the purpose of correcting any slight irregularity
in the parallel positions of the needles a. The diagonal bars care rivetted together in
the centre ate where they cross each other. By these means I form a frame in which
the needles a are held firmly in a parallel position, while said frame is capable of
being opened or closed, and the needles a are thus placed further apart as shown in
Fig. 2, or nearer to each other as shown in Fig. 1. as may be required.
:
In the manufacture of knitted goods such as gloves, stockings or socks, the operator
holds the herein above described frame in the hand and transfers the ribbed stitches
which are knitted in the flat into a circular position. One half of back ribbed stitches
are thus transferred on to the ends of the needles a of said frame while in a closed
position the frame is then opened so as to cause each of the needles a in frame to
come opposite each alternate needle g. in machine: the stitches are then transferred
onto alternate needles g of machine, thus leaving every other needle empty. The
front half of stitches are then transferred on to the empty needles at back: the other
half of back and front stitches are transferred from the needles 9 in machine on to the
needles a of the frame: the back second half of stitches are turned round to the front
bed of machine and retransferred on to every alternate needle, leaving every other
needle empty the second half of front stitches are then put on these empty needles,
thus bringing the rib top into a circular or tubular form, without requiring to be taken
from the machine. By these means the operation of picking the stitches of the ribbed
top on to the needles is obviated. Four of these frames are usually employed in the
oregoing operation.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
"
A transfer comb which may be used in connection with the "Harrison
or other
parallel bed knitting machines, said comb being formed of diagonal bars to which
needles are attached, in order that said needles may remain parallel to each other
whether said comb is being used either in a closed or an extended position, in the
manner and for the purpose substantially as herein before described.
Dated this 1st day of August 1890.
WILLIAM HARRISON.