US1433386A

US1433386A - Island

Info

Publication number: US1433386A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1922-10-24
Anticipated expiration: 1939-10-24

Description

I. LAWSON.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED (JCT-1 1920. 1,433,386. v Patented Oct. 24, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEEI l.

lnveniior: John/Lawso I. LAWSON.

KN.I.TTI.NG. MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1, 1920.

Mllliiiil Johfi Lazvson,

Patented 0ct.24,1922

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

llllllllllll W7 I. LAWSON.

KNITTING MACHINE.

1920/. 1,433,386. Patented Oct. 24, 1922.

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Patented Oct. 24, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN LAWSON, OF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR. TO HEMPI-IILL COMPANY, OF PAWTUCKET, RI'IODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

KNITTING MACHINE.

I Application filed October 1, 1920. Serial No. 414,069.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoI-rN LAWSON, a c1t1- zen of the United States, and a resident of Central Falls, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented an Improvement in Knitting Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, 1s a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to knittlng machines and the object thereof is to provide simple and efiicient means for producing tuck or similar stitches at selected points in the work.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown merely for the purposes of illustration one form of machine embodying this invention, wherein,

Figure 1 is a front elevation thereof;

Fig. 1 is an elevation of one example of work that may be produced upon the machine;

Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the knitting cams together with certain parts of the machine app-urtenant thereto;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating in plan the proportions of'the butts of the various knitting instruments employed in the pres ent embodiment;

Fig. 5 is a diagram of a section of the fabric formed upon the machine embodying this invention, the loops composing said fabric being shown greatly enlarged; and

Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of a portion of a sinker bed ring, a number of sinkers being shown therein including the special sinker for producing a distinction between the wale at the center of the back of the stocking leg and the regular sinker wales of the fabric.

Fig. 7 is a detail in elevation of the stitch cams and central top guide cam viewed from the inside of the needle cylinder.

The present embodiment of the invention involves a circular knitting machine of the general type disclosed in the patent to Hemphill No. 933,443, dated September 7, 1909, but this type. of machine has been adopted merely to illustrate the nature and functions of the invention, and it is distinctly to be understood that the invention is not limited to this particular type of machlne but may equally well be used in connection with straight knitting machines or With circular knitting machines wherein the needle cylinder remains stationary while the cams thereof are revolved. '1

In the drawings, 1 indicates the frame of the machine and 2 a table surmounting said frame. A needle carrier or cylinder 3 is journaled to rotate in said table 2 and is driven in the usual manner from a drivmg shaft 4 having thereon suitable pulleys such for example as a loose pulley 5, and

fast pulleys

6 and 6 for imparting different speeds to the needle carrier during reciprocating and rotary knitting. Surrounding the needle carrier 3 is a cam plate 7 whereon are mounted various cams for controlling the movements of the knitting instruments The cam plate 7 is attached to the upper end of a slide 9 to which is given, at certain times in the operation of the machine, limited vertical movements to vary the lengths of the loops that are being produced by the knitting instruments.

The knitting instruments 10, herein needles of any of the well-known types, such as latch'needles, are arranged within grooves in the needle carrier 3 in the usual manner to be reciprocated vertically therein by appropriate knitting cams 11 herein termed the main knitting set of cams, in the present example including

stitch cams

12 and 13 performing the functions of the cams in the U. S. patent to Joshua D. HemphilL No. 933,443 and a central top guide cam 14 all three of which are mounted in a welLknown manner upon a cam block 15, the latter being arranged to slide upon said cam plate 7 ra dially with respect to the needle carrier 3. The guide cam 14 is between and. symmetrically positioned with respect to both of the

stitch cams

12, 13.

The knitting instruments or needles 10, as

has been previously stated, are of usual form and arranged in a circular series which includes two groups 16 and 17. The group 16 herein consists of long butts while the group 17 is composed of relatively shorter butts or butts of the usual length employed in stocking knitting machines whereon heel and toe pockets are produced. The needles of the group 16, in the present example, occupy approximately one half the circumference of the needle carrier or cylinder 3 while the group 17 extends around the remainder of said carrier and during the formation of the ordinary loops of the fabric to be produced by the machine these two sets of needles are functioned in the usual well-known manner and being so well known to those skilled in the art no further description of the operation thereof is believed necessary.

At certain points i. e. at points where a change in the character of knitting is to be produced, such, for example as the formation of tuck stitches, knitting instruments or needles having a different length butt are inserted, and in the present example Ihave shown arranged at spaced points in the group of short or relatively short butt needles 17 two needles 18 and 19 provided with abnormally short butts 20, said nceedles 18 and 19 being placed atsubstantially equal distances from the center line of the series 17 of the needles as indicated by the line a-a and which line would represent the center of the back portion of the leg of a stocking. r a

As previously stated: various types of work may be produced upon thepresent machine and as an example of the work herein produced I have shown in Fig. 1 a sample of stocking embodying variations inthe character of knitting the calf portion thereof, which variations are represented by the numeral 21. These variations may obviously be inserted at any desired point or points in the knitted fabric but for the purposes of illustration I have shown these variations as being arranged in two parallel. rows 22, 22 (see Fig. 5 which rows are disposed adjacent to the line -a--a indicating the back center line of the leg of the stocking and occur only at the calf portion of said leg, so as to give the impression of the usual markings of certain makes of full fashioned hosiery, said markings being herein shown uniformly spaced throughout the length of the calf portion 23 of the stocking shown in Fig. 1.

Obviously the machine may be equipped to produce various types of stitches such as would constitute imitations of the usual mark produced by the transferring of loops from one needle to another in. fashioning, but in the present example the machine is designed or equipped to produce what are commonly called tuck stitches as shown at 241. The manner of forming tuck stitches is very well-known to those skilled in the art and principally consists in preventing the casting off of a loop formed on a certain needle for a number of courses, but in feeding the yarn thereto through all said courses so that a collection of loops orparts of loops will be formed 011 the needle, and when the desired number has been produced all of these are cast off together and predetermined distances apart as shown in l ig l, the needles 18 and have been provided as hereinbetore stated at certain distances from the center line a-a of the group 17 and these needleshave been provid'ed with abnormallyshort knitting butts 20 which are long enough to be functioned in. the usual manner during the formation of the regular loops of the fabric, but in order to produce the tuck stitches 241 means have been provided whereby the butts 20 of the needles 1.8 and 19 will not be functioned with the butts of the remaining needles of the group 17 and likewise the butts of the needles 16 for a specified nunr ber of courses to form the three

loops

25, 26 and 27 (see Fig. 5). i

To accomplish the above results thecen tral top guide camlst is preferably sli-dably mounted upon the cam block 1-5 so as to move radially of the needle carrier and relatively to and independently of the

stitch cams

12 and 13 at certain determined intervals in the knitting. I

The cam 14; is provided with slots .28 through which screws 29 extend and have engagement with the cam block 15. A stop 30 is disposed at the rear of the cam 1a and this stop is adjustable as shown at $1 to permit a slight movement thereof toward or away from the needle cylinder and thus permt the same to be moved to regulate the outward radial movements of said cam relatively to said needle cylinder.

It will be seen by referring to Fig; 4 that the butts ZO'are considerably shorter thanthe short butts of the needle 17 but, these buttsQO are nevertheless of sufficient length to effect engagement with the cam 14 when said cam is at its innermost position so as to cause the needles 17 and 18 to function normally with the groups 16 and 117 during formation of the regular loops of the fabric shown at 32 in Fig. 5, but when it is desired to prevent the functioning of said needles 18 and 19 said cam 14 is retracted a distance sl ghtly greater than the length of buttsFZO but less than the length of the butts of the needles 17 whereupon rotation of the needle-carrier will cause all of the needles of the series 16 and all the needles of the series 17. except the needles '18 and 19, to be acted upon by the cam 14 and moved into engagementwith one or the other of the stitch cams 1 1 according to the direction of the movement of the needle carrier, but by reason of the fact that the butts 20 fail to engage the can'i 14 at th s time said butts 20 will pass over the tops of the stitch cams '12 and 13 and will not be acted upon by either. Obviously various devices may be employed automatically to effect the proper movements of the cam 14 at certain times in the knitting operation. In the present example, however, I preferably employ means including a link 33 herein attached at one end by a screw 34 to the top face 01" the cam 14. The opposite end of the link 33 is arranged to slide in a bracket 35 herein attached by screws 36 to a standard 3'? forming a part of the knitting machine. The link 33 is provided with a slot 38 within which one end 39 of the bell crank lever 40 is arranged, said lever being pivoted at 41 to said standard 37. The other arm. 42 of the bell crank lever 40 is provided with a stud or screw 43 arranged in a slot 44 formed at one end of a link 45, the latter extending downwardly through the table 2 and into pivotal engagement with one arm of a. cam lever 46 pivoted at 47 to the frame of the machine.

Various eXpedients may. be resorted to for the purpose of functioning the lever 46, but herein I preferably provide lugs 48 upon the links of a pattern chain 49, the latter being in the present example a part of a well-known form of pattern mechan ism and particularly of the form described in said Hemphill patent, the operation of which will need no further description.

The lugs 48 may be of various heights and lengths but preferably they are. of such a length and positioned properly to effect the raising of the end 50 of the lever 46 and to hold said lever elevated just long enough for the needle carrier 3 to produce three courses ofknitting, viz, courses including the

loops

25, 26' and 27 as shown in 5, whereupon said lever will be permitted. to drop to its normal position so that the knitting of the next'course which produces the loop 51 will effect the casting 0d of said

loops

25, 26 and 27 over said loop 51.

It is desirable although not essential that the cam 14 be yieldingly retracted from its innermost position so that when said cam strikes the gage 80 it will be preven ted from further movement by reason or the position of a stop 52, which is pivoted at 53 50 the standard 37 and arranged to be swung into place, as shown in Fig. 3 against the end of the cam block 15. To provide the yielding action above described. a spring 54 is arranged to encircle the rod 45 adjacent to the end thereof which connects with or engages the screw 43. This spring in the present example has an eye or hook 56 formed at its upper end to encircle the screw 43. The lower end 57 of said spring 54 terminates adjacent to a collar 58 secured herein by a screw 59 to said rod and an eye formed at said. spring end may encircle the said screw 59. To withdraw said cam 14 from said normal position the end 50 of the lever 46 rides up over one of the projections or lugs 48 or the pattern chain and causes the rod 4, to descend, and by. reason of the engagement of the eyes of the spring with the

screws

43 and 59 respectively rocking movement will be transmitted to the lever 42 and through the intervening mechanism the appropriatelinovement will be imparted to said cam 14.

The return of the cam 14 to its innermost position may be effected in various ways, and herein for this purpose is shown a. spring 46 attached at one end to the end of the lever 46 that is connected. with. the rod 45, the opposite end of said spring being hooked to a fixed part of the frame 1 where by upon the release of the lever 46 from the lug 48 the rod 45 will be raised by the action of said spring and through the intervening mechanism, the return of said cam 14 to its inner position will be accomplished. The return movement of said cam like the retracting movement thereof is a yielding action so that in case any obstructions such as needle butts happen to be in the path of said cam it will stop until such obstructions have passed.

There may be occasions when it is desired to prevent the cam 14 from working with its operating instrumentalities hereinbe'fore dcscribed either from its outermost position inward or from its innermost position outward and to accomplish the rendering 0%? said cam inoperative I have provided means for disconnecting the link 33 from the lever 40., said means herein consisting of a stop 6?. pivoted at 6:2 to said link 33, one end or said stop extending through the bracket 35, the slot therein being arranged deep enough to contain both said stop andsaid link. hen said stop is in its normal position the end 6 thereof lies in the path or the end 39 ot the lever 40 and is engaged by said end to more the cam 14 inward, but when no mo vemcnt of said cam is desired the-stop member 61 rocked about its pivot 62 whereby the end will not be engaged and the end 39 or said. lever will merely idle within the elongated slot 38 in said link. The stop 61 is provided with an'upwardly projecting member 64 which serves as means for rocking said stop about its pivot and may also serve as means for manually mo r1112 the cam 14 into and out of its operative position. In addi tion to being used as a means for disconnecting the cam 14 from its operating means the member 61 may. be and preferably is utilized as an adjustment whereby the advanced position to which the cam 14 is moved relati ely to the needle cylinder may be varied. For this purpose the member 61 is slotted at 65 and through this slot the screw 62 extends into screw-threaded -engagement with the link 33 and obviously by exerting pressure upon said screw 62 after the end 6 of said'member 61 has been positioned correctly with respect to the end.

39 of the operating leaver 40, said stop men1- her 61 may be held in the desired position and prevent unintentional movement thereof.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that means have been provided whereby the cam 14 may be moved a predetermined distance in a radial direction and rel atively to the

other cams

12 and 13 of the cam set, so as to avoid actuating the tuck stitch needles 18 and 19 for a certain number of courses after which said cam will be automatically restored to effect the casting ofl of the loops formed during the inaction of said needles. Regular loops will then be produced in the usual manner until the next tuck stitch is to be formed whereupon the above operations are repeated, and these tuck stitches maybe inserted in the. fabric wherever desired merely by the rearrangement of the needles or the insertion of others Within the grooves of the needle carrier and of the lugs upon the patstitched together forming the seam at the back of the leg, but Where stockings are made like the example illustrated in said Fig. 1 the entire leg portion is in tubular form and of the same diameter throughout, except where slight variations are eiiected by a change in the size or lengths oi? loops during the knitting or by the shaping of the stocking by placing the same upon a suitable form and steaming or otherwise. To make the last mentioned type of stocking appear as a fullfashioned stocking, in addition to the two rows 22 of the tuck stitches hereinbefore described, a mock or imitation seam is usually formed at the center of the back of the leg of the stocking along the line aa by sewing in a line of chain stitches 65', this being accomplished after thexknitting of the stocking has been completed. This line of chain stitches is usually run along a single sinker Wale, and in order to I facilitate the work of inserting this chain of stitches, the sinker Wale along which it is to be inserted is preferal'ily marked or differentiatedin some suitable way, herein by the elongationof said wales. v

Various IXIBtliO may be employed in the accomplishment of the above result, but herein Ihave provided a special sinker or Web holder 66 (see Fig. 6) which is disposed within the usual bed 67 at a point coinciding with the line a e, and this sinker or web holder differs from the regular sinkers or web holders 68 of the machine by being slightly longer than the others, whereby the yarn-engagedthereby will be inserted to a greater extent between the needles than the regular sinker wales, andv thus efi'ect the desired variation between the series of sinker wales effected by said sinker and-those of the regular fabric.

While I have herein-shown and described certain embodiments of my invention and have disclosed and discussed in detail the construction and arrangement incidental. to

such disclosure it is distinctly to be understood that the invention is limited neither to the more details or relative arrangement of parts nor to the specific applications herein shown but that extensive variations may be made without departing from the principles thereof.

(llainis: 1. A knitting machine comprising, in combination, a series of knitting instruments, a predetermined number of said instruments having butts shorter than those of the instruments among which they are; directly placed, and a set of knitting cams for functioning said instruments including a pair of stitch cams, and a guide cam substantially symmetrically positioned with respect to both of said stitch cams arranged for independent movement toward and from said instruments, into and out of operative engagement with said predetermined number of shorter butt instruments.

2. A knitting machine comprising, in combination, a series of knitting instruments, a plurality of said instruments having short butts; a main knitting set of cams including apair of'stitch cams and a guide cam between and symmetrically positioned with respect to both of said stitch cams, and means automatically to move said guide cam out of operative position with respect to said short butt instruments to prevent casting ofi' of the loops thereof, for a-determined number of courses. l 1 I A knitting machine comprising, in com bination, a series of knitting instruments, a selected number of said instruments having relatively short butts; a' main knittin set of cams to function all of said instruments in knitting, said cams including a top central guide cam adapted for movement toward and from saidknitting instruments independently of the other cams, and means to retract said central guide cam from engagement with said relatively short butts at selected points in the knitting to form tuck sitches.

4. A; knitting. machine comprising, in combination, a series of needles having long and short knitting butts, a selected number of abornmally short butt needles arranged in the short butt series, knitting cams including a central guide cam arranged, for independent movement toward and away from said needles and means automatically to remove said central guide cam from operative engagement with said abnormally short butt needles at selected points in the knitting to form tuck stitches.

5. A hosiery knitting machine comprising, in combination, a series of needles including sole and instep needles, a predetermined number of abnormally short butt needles disposed at substantially equal distances from the center of said sole group of needles, knitting cams, including a central guide cam, and means to move said central guide cam independently of the other knitting cams out of operative engagement with said abnormally short butt needles tor a predetermined number or courses to form tuck stitches along a selected portion of the stocking.

' 6. A knitting machine comprising in combination a set of long butt instruments and a set of short but-t instruments, a plurality of instruments having butts shorter than said short butt instruments, a set of knitting cams includin a top central guide cam, means automatically to move said guide cam out of operative position with respect to said short butt instruments to prevent casting-off of the loops thereof, for a determined number of courses, and means to disconnect said central guide cam from its operating means whereby said cam may be manually moved to operative or inoperative positions with respect to said short butt instruments.

7. A knitting machine comprising, in combination, a series of knitting instruments, a predetermined number of said instruments having butts shorter than those of the instruments among which said predetermined numher are directly placed, a set of knitting cams for functioning said instruments includin a top central guide cam arranged for inc ependent movement toward and from said instruments, into and out of operative engagement with said abnormally short butts to prevent at times the casting off of the loops from said instruments having abnormally short butts, and pattern means auto matically to effect movement of said cam atselected pointsin the knitting.

I 8. A knitting machine comprising, in combination, a needle cylinder, a series of needles mounted for independent movement in said cylinder, selected needles of said series having relatively short butts, a set of knitting cams including a radially movable central guide cam adapted for movement into and out of operative engagement with said relatively short butt needles to prevent at times the casting off of the loops from said needles having relatively short butts and means to move said cam radially a predetermined distance including a pattern chain and resilient operating means interposed between said cam and said chain.

9. A machine for knitting imitation fashioned hosiery comprising in combination means to produce tuck stitches at points in the calf of a stocking, corresponding to the points where the loops are transferred in fashioning, said means including needles having relatively short butts and a central guide cam arranged to be withdrawn from engagement with said needles for a predetermined number of courses.

10. A machine for knitting imitation fashioned hosiery comprising in combination means to produce tuck stitches at points in the calf of a stocking, corresponding to the points where the loops are transferred in fashioning, said means including needles having relatively short butts and a central guide cam arranged to be withdrawn from engagement with said needles for a predetermined number of courses, and means to dilferentiate the sinker wale at the back of the stocking from adjacent sinker wales to facilitate the sewing of a line of stitches constituting a mock seam.

11. A machine for knitting imitation fashioned hosiery comprising in combination means to produce tuck stitches at points in the calf of a stocking, corresponding to the points where the loops are transferred in fashioning, said means including needles having relatively short butts and a central guide cam arranged to be withdrawn from engagement with said needles tor a predetermined number of courses, and means to differentiate a selected sinker wale from the other sinker wales of the fabric for the purpose of facilitating the formation of a line of chain stitches constituting a mock seam.

12. A machine for knitting imitation fashioned hosiery comprising in combination means to produce tuck stitches at points in the calf of a stocking, corresponding to the points where the loops are transferred in fashioning, said means including needles having relatively short butts and a central guide cam arranged to be withdrawn from engagement with said needles for a predetel-mined number of courses and at selected points in the fabric.

13. In a knitting machine or the character described, a series of needles, certain of which have shorter butts than other needles of the series, knitting cams including a central top guide cam arranged for independent movement relatively to the other cams of the knitting set, and an adjustable link connecting said central guide cam with its operating means adapted to permit the variation in the advanced position of said cam whereby its action upon the said shorter butt needles is controlled.

14. In a knitting machine or the character described, a series of needles, certain of which have shorter butts than other needles of the series, a set of knitting cams including central top guide cam is arranged for independent movement to and from its operative position and relative to the other cams of said set, means to operate said. cam 14, and means to effect a variation in the operative position of said cam including adjustable connecting means between said cam and its operating means wherebyits action upon the said shorter butt needles is controlled.

15. In a knitting machine of the character described, a series of needles, certain of which have shorter butts than other needles of the series, a set. of knitting cams for functioning the knitting instruments including a central guide cam arranged for indepen--' dent movement toward and from its instrument engaging position, means to operate said cam including a link 33, and means to aflord an adjustment of the throw said cam. whereby the advance or operative position thereoii' may be varied including an adjustable stop member 611. secured to said link 33 whereby its action upon the said shorter butt needles is controlled.

16. A knitting machine comprising in combination, a. set of knitting instruments, certain of said instruments having long butts and the remaining instruments having shorter butts, at least one of said instruments having a butt shorter than the re maining short butt instruments, a set of knitting cams including a central guide cam, and means automatically to move said guide cam out of operative position with respect to said short butt instrument or instruments to prevent casting off of the loops thereof for a determined number of courses.

17. A knitting machine comprising in combination, a series of knitting instru, ments, a predetermined number of said in stuments having abnormally short butts, and a set of knitting cams for functioning said instruments, including a central top guide cam arranged for independent movement toward and from said instruments intoand out of operative engagementwith said abnormally short butts.

movement toward and from said instru-,

ments into and out of operativeengagement with said abnormally short butts.

19. A knitting machine comprising in combination, a long butt series and a short butt series of knitting instruments, a plurality of knitting instruments having butts shorter than all the remaining short butt series, a main knitting set of knitting cams including a top central guide cam, and means automatically-to move said gulde cam casting ofi of the loops thereof for a definite number of courses.

20. A knitting machine comprising in combination, a. series of knitting instruments, a plurality of said instruments having short butts, a set of knitting cams including a top central guide cam, and means automatically to move said guide cam radially out of operative position with respect to said short butt instruments and with respect to the other cams of said set of knitting cams to prevent casting ofi ofthe loops thereof for adetermined number of courses.

21'. A knitting machine comprising, in combination, a series of knitting instruments, a selected number of said instruments having relatively short butts, knitting cams to function all of said instruments in knit ting, said cams including a central top guide cam adapted for movement toward and from said needles independently of the other cams, and means to retract said central guide cam from engagement with'saidrelatively short butts at selected points in the knitting to form tuck stitches.

22. .A knitting machine comprising, in combination, a series of knitting instruments, including a long buttset and a short butt set, a predetermined number of said instruments among the shortbutt set having abnormally short butts, a main knitting set of knitting cams for functioning said instruments including a central guide camarranged for independent movement toward and from said instruments, into and out of operative engagement with said abnormally short butts, to prevent at times the casting oil of the loops from said instruments having abnormally short butts, and pattern means automatically to effect movement of said cam at selected points in the knitting.

23, A knitting machine comprising in combination, a set of knitting instruments, at least one of said instruments having a short butt, a set of knitting cams including a central top guide cam, and means automatically to move said guide cam out of operative position with respectto said short butt instrument or instruments to prevent casting off of the loops thereof for a determined number of courses.

24. A knitting machine comprising in combination,'a set of knitting instruments, certain of said instruments having long butts and the remaining instruments, having shorter butts, at least one of said instruments among the short butt series having a still shorter butt, a set of knitting cams including a central guide cam, and

der of the cams of said set of knitting cams to prevent casting off of the loops thereof for a determined number of courses.

25. A knitting machine comprising, in combination a series of knitting instruments, certain of said instruments having long butts and the remaining instruments having shorter butts, a plurality of said instruments among the short butt set having still shorter butts, a main knitting set of knitting cams including a central guide cam, means automatically to move said guide cam out of operative position with respect to said short butt instruments to prevent casting off of the loops thereof, for a determined number of courses, and means to disconnect said central guide cam from its operating means whereby said cam may be manually moved to operative or in operative positions with respect to said short butt instruments.

26. In a knitting machine of the character described, a series of needles, certain of which have shorter butts than other needles of the series, a main knitting set of knitting cams including a central guide cam 14: arranged for independent movement to and from its operative position and relative to the other cams of said set, means to operate said cam 14, and means to effect a variation in the operative position of said cam including adjustable connecting means between said cam and its operating means whereby its action upon the said shorter butt needles is controlled.

27. A knitting machine comprising in combination, a series of needles having long knitting butts, a series of needles having short knitting butts, a predetermined number of abnormally short butt needles arranged among the said short knitting bllbt needles, and a set of knitting cams for functioning said needles, including cam arranged for movement toward and from the needles into and out of operative engagement with said abnormally short butts.

28. A knitting machine comprising in combination, a series of needlesv having long knitting butts, a series of needles having short knitting butts, a predetermined number of abnormally short butt needles arranged among the said short knitting butt needles, and a set of knitting cams for functioning said needles, including a radial ly slidable cam to coact with said abnormally short butt needles in the production of tuclcstitches.

29. A knitting machine comprising in combination, a series of needles having long knitting butts, series of needles having short knitting butts, a predetermined number of abnormally short butt needles arranged among the said short knitting butt needles, and a set or" knittin cams for functioning said needles, including a top central guice cam to coact with said abnor- -mally short butt needles in the production of tuck stitches.

30. A knitting mach ne comprising in combination, a set of knitting instruments including a long butt series and a short butt series, a predetermined number of said instruments having abnormally short butts and arranged among the short butt series, a main knitting set of knitting cams for functioning said instruments including a guide cam arranged for independent movement toward and from said instruments into and out of operative engagement with said abnormally short butts.

31. A knitting machine comprising knitng instruments a least one of: which has relatively short butt, knitting cams to -unction all of said instruments, said kniting cams including stitch cams and a guide am to direct said instruments into effective ngagement alternately with said stitch cams, said guide cam being arranged for independent movement into and out of operative engagement with the knitting instrument having said relatively short butt.

32. A knitting machine comprising knitting instruments at least one of which has a relatively short butt, two cams alternately to function all or" said lmitting instruments and a guide cam to direct said knitting instruments alternately into effective engagement with s id instrument functioning cams and arranged for independent movement into and out of operative engagement ith relatively short butt:

In testimony where, I have signed. my name to this specification.

JOHN LAWSON.

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