IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES
Year: 1885

page_text: I WILLIAM ROTHWELL of 1, 3, and 5 Market Street, Bolton in the County of
Lancaster Knitting Machine Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in what are known as "flat web"
knitting machines for the purpose of facilitating and improving their action and
efficiency and consists in providing the sliding carriage with single or double slide
blocks or feet at each end, which slide in suitable guides or slides extended from
the ends of the present slide bars. The slide bars are attached at their outer ends
to suitable fixings secured to the frame work or standards of the machine.
fixings are also utilized for supporting the outer ends of the centre guides at
present employed in this class of knitting machine..
These
The needle bed gibs are provided with recesses to receive suitable feet or slide
blocks attached to the underside of the sliding carriage immediately under the
locks or cams or otherwise.
For the purpose of counting the number of stitches and stopping the machine at
any desired point when driven by power I provide suitable mechanical arrange-
ments consisting of wheel gear to produce an intermittent or other motion for the
purpose of operating a revolving disc with holes to receive pegs or pins at suitable
distances according to the class of work under operation. The pegs or pins in this
revolving disc operate on a mounted lever to which is attached rods, pins, gearing,
or other suitable equivalents for operating a friction pulley working in conjunction
with the driving pulley on the main shaft. If desired the revolving disc can
operated by a ratchet motion operated by a cam from the driving shaft.
be
For racking and dropping the needle beds during the operation of knitting each
bed is mounted on a sliding bar which extends end wise to a cam or other equivalent
which can be operated either way as desired by a hand lever attached to the said
cam or other equivalents. For dropping the needle beds the underside of each is
provided with inclined planes to which are attached suitable operating levers. To
enable the beds to drop parallel, each end is provided with a slot in which are
disposed pins secured to the frame of the machine.
When knitting what is termed "French Cuff" or twill stitch it is necessary the
wing cams be operated at intervals which is accomplished by disposing on each end

page_text: of the needle bed adjustable or other stops operated by hand or by a cam arrange-
ment from the main driving shaft for the purpose of sliding the lock or bolt
attached to the wing cams.
When driving these machines by power I attach to the bed of the same a
suitable fixing with a shaft and pulleys from which one or more machines can be
driven as desired by belts, bands, or other equivalents; the position of the said
shaft depending on the number of machines to be driven from the one point.
Dated the 2nd day of December 1885.
EDMUND CHADWICK,
Agent for Applicant.
I WILLIAM ROTHWELL of 1, 3, & 5 Market Street, Bolton in the County of
Lancaster Knitting Machine Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN KNITTING MACHINES, 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 what are known as "flat-web'
knitting machines for the purpose of facilitating and improving their action and
efficiency and consists in providing the sliding carriage with single or double slide
blocks or feet at each end, which slide in suitable guides or slides extended from
the ends of the present slide bars. The slide bars are attached at their outer ends
to suitable fixings secured to the frame work or standards of the machine. These
fixings are also utilized for supporting the outer ends of the centre guides at
present employed in this class of knitting machine.
The needle bed gibs are provided with recesses to receive suitable feet or slide
blocks attached to the underside of the sliding carriage immediately under the
locks or canis or otherwise.
For the purpose of counting the number of stitches and stopping the machine at
any desired point when driven by power I provide suitable mechanical arrange-
ments consisting of wheel gear to produce an intermittent or other motion for the
purpose of operating a revolving disc with holes to receive pegs or pins at suitable
distances according to the class of work under operation. The pegs or pins in this
revolving disc operate on a mounted lever to which is attached rods, pins, gearing,
or other suitable equivalents for operating a friction pulley working in conjunction
with the driving pulley on the main shaft. If desired the revolving disc can be
operated by a ratchet motion operated by a cam from the driving shaft.
For racking the needle beds during the operation of knitting each bed is mounted
on a sliding bar which extends end wise to a cam or other equivalents which can
4

page_text: be operated either way as desired by a hand lever attached to the said cam or
other equivalents.
For dropping the needle beds the underside of each is provided with inclined
planes to which are attached suitable operating levers. To enable the beds to drop
parallel each end is provided with a slot in which are disposed pins secured to the
frame of the machine or to the sliding bar.
When knitting what is termed "French Cuff" or twill stitch it is necessary the
wing cams be operated at intervals which is accomplished by disposing on each end.
of the needle bed adjustable or other stops operated by hand or by a cam arrange-
ment from the main driving shaft for the purpose of sliding the lock and bolt
attached to the wing cams.
When driving these machines by power I attach to the bed of the same a suitable
fixing with a shaft and pulleys from which one or more machines can be driven as
desired by belts, bands, or other equivalents; the position of the said shaft
depending on the number of machines to be driven from the one point.
Fig. 1, sheet 1, of the accompanying drawings is a front elevation of my improved
power knitting machine-Fig. 2 is a part plan of same and Fig. 3 is a part sectional
elevation through line A. B.
In these figures C. C. are the two needle plates inclined to one another; D is the
sliding carriage which carries the cams for operating the needles.
One end has
jointed to it the connecting rod E coupling to the lever F, the latter being coupled
to the rotating wheel G by the connecting rod H. The wheel G is driven by the
spur wheel I mounted on the driving shaft J, the latter being driven by the
pulley K and cone L as described in my former patent N° 8570 of 1884.
The carriage D is provided with the slide blocks 1 at one end, or at both ends as
shewn in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 5, which slide in the guide bars 2 extended
from the ends of the present slide bars. If desired the slide blocks 1 can be
disposed on one side only as shewn in full lines in Fig. 5. The outer ends of the
extended slide bars 2 are attached to the frame work M of the machine by the
fixing 3, the latter also supporting the centre guide O at present employed in this
class of knitting machine.
The needle bed gibs P are provided with the recesses 5 to receive the feet or
slide blocks 6 attached to the underside of the sliding carriage D, as shewn in
Figs. 3, 7, and 8, for the purpose of increasing the steadiness of the same and insure
its accuracy of movement when operating the needles.
The counting of the number of stitches or courses and the stopping of the
machine at any desired point when driven by power is effected by the gear shewn
in Figs. 1, 2, and 4. On the driving shaft J is mounted the worm 7 gearing with
the wheel 8; on this wheel or its centre is mounted the spur pinion 9 gearing.
into the index wheel 10. The friction cone L is operated by the lever 11, being,
locked into position when driving the machine by the pin or stop 12 attached
to the pivoted lever 13. The lever 13 is provided on its underside with the
taper stop 14 which is lifted up when operated by the conical stop 15 mounted on
the index wheel. As the index wheel revolves the stop 15 forces the lever 13
and stop 14 upwards with the result of releasing the lever 11 which by the aid of
the spring 16 releases the cone L from the driving pulley K when the knitting
machine stops. The index wheel 10 is provided with a number of holes as shewn
to receive the stop 15 or other stops to facilitate the machine being stopped at long
or short periods. To relieve the lever 13 from undue strain and ensure the position
of the stop 12 the latter is mounted in the open sided guide 53 which allows of
the radial movement of the same when lifted by the rising of the pivoted lever 13.
In another modification the worm 7 is dispensed with being substituted by the
cam 17 mounted on the driving shaft J as shewn in Figs. 9 and 10. The cam 17
operates the roller 18 mounted on the lever 19. To the lever 19 is pivoted the
pawl" or ratchet 20 which operates the wheel 8 and intermediate gearing, the
remaining parts being as before described. The roller 18 is kept in contact with
the cam 17 by the spring 21.
"
:

page_text: For racking the needle beds C during the operation of knitting they are mounted
on the sliding bar 22 as shewn in Figs. 11, 12, and 13. The bars 22 extend end-
wise and are provided with the pins 23, the latter being operated upon by the
cam 24 and handle 25 mounted on the centre 26. The cam 24 can be provided
with one or more movements as shewn in Fig. 14.
If desired the racking of the needle, beds can be performed automatically by
mounting on the shaft 44 the disc 45 provided with the finger 46, which strikes
and operates once in each revolution the bevel wheel 47 mounted on the shaft 48.
On this shaft is mounted the circular cam 49 with one or more movements which
operate on the pins 23 attached to the sliding bar 22. The cam 49 is grooved to
receive the weighted band 50 to maintain its position when stationary as shown in
Figa. 15, 16, and 19.
For dropping the needle beds C the underside. of each is provided with the
inclined planes 27 which are operated by the inclined planes 28 on the sliding
bar 29, the latter being provided with the handle 30 as shewn in Fig. 154. To
enable the needle beds C to drop parallel each end is provided with the slot, 31 in
which are disposed the pins 32 secured to the frame of the machine or to the
sliding bar 22 when applied to a machine prepared with my improved racking
apparatus:
When knitting "French Cuff" or twill stitch it is necessary the wing cams be
operated at intervals which is accomplished by disposing on each end of the needle
beds C the adjustable or other stops 33 as in Figs. 17 and 18, which can be operated
by hand or by the cam 34 driven by the intermediate wheels 35 and 36, the
chain 37 and chain pulleys 38 from the driving shaft J as shewn in Figs. 15, 16,
20, and 21. The cams 34 are mounted alternately on the side of the spur wheel 39
to give an alternate movement to the pins 40 and 41 on the adjustable stops 33.
When the apparatus is fixed as shewn in Figs. 17 and 20 the stops 33 are out.
of action, the cam 34 operating only on the pin 41, the pin 40 being slid out of
action by moving its supporting lever in the semi-circular slot 42. This apparatus
is put into action by pushing the sliding stop forward until the set pin 43 is in the
opposite end of the slot 42, which places the pin 40 in action with the cam on the
opposite side of the wheel 39, by which the adjustable or other stop 33 is moved
laterally at alternate periods so as to operate on the wing cams as desired.
For the purpose of facilitating the driving of power machines the fixing 51 is
attached to the frame of the machine, or to the room floor as desired. In this
fixing is mounted the shaft 52 and pulleys 53 and 54, from which one or more
machines can be driven by belts, bands, or other equivalents, such as chains; the
position of the shaft and pulleys depending on the number of machines to be
driven from the one point as shewn in Fig. 20. The pulley 53 is driven by a strap
or its equivalent from the ordinary gearing in a hosiery mill.
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
1. The use and construction of the feet or slide blocks attached to the underside
of the sliding carriage, substantially as described and shewn on the drawings.
2. The use of the needle bed gibs constructed to allow of the sliding action of
the feet or slide blocks attached to the underside of the sliding carriage, substan-
tially as described and for the purpose specified.
3. The use and construction of the extended slide bars and their supporting
fixings, applied and operating substantially as described and as shewn on the
drawings.
4. Constructing the sliding carriage with the external bearings or slide blocks,
substantially as described and shewn,
5. The means for arresting the working or stopping of a power knitting machine
when any desired length of work has been completed, substantially as described
and shewn on the drawings, or any mere modification thereof,

page_text: 6. The combination and arrangement of apparatus for racking the needle beds,
substantially as described and shown.
7. Automatically operating the racking of the needle beds, substantially as
described and shown.
8. The means for dropping the needle beds, substantially as described and
shown.
9. The combination and arrangement of apparatus for operating the adjustable
stops when knitting what is termed "French Cuff” or twill stitch, substantially as
described and shewn on the drawings.
10. The arrangement for driving two or more power knitting machines from
one point, substantially as described and as shewn on the drawings in Fig. 22.
11. The construction and arrangement of knitting machinery substantially as
described and as shewn on the annexed drawings.
་་
1133
EDMUND CHADWICK,
Agent for Applicant: