US31984A - Improvement in knitting-machines - Google Patents

Description

` l A UNITED `STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J. K. KILBOURN ANDE. E. KILBOURN, OF NORFOLK, CONNECTICUT.

llviPnoi/lalvuarirv INl KNITTING-MACHINES.,

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 31,984dated April 9, 1861.

Tofall whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J osEPH K. KILBOURN l and `EDWARD E. KILBOURN, of Norfolk, in the county of Litchfieldand State of Connecticut, have :invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Knitting Machinery; and I do hereby declare that the following is a' full, clear, and exact description of our. said invention, .reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in. Which- Y -Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a knitting-loom embodying our improvements,

with certain parts of the mechanism removed to avoid confusion. Fig.2 represents an end view ofthe same. Fig. 3 represents a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 4 represents a vertical' `transverse section of the same at the line uw of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 lrepresents a fragmentary front elevation of the machine, upon an enlarged scale; and Fig. 5a represents an elevation of the controlling mechanism of the' whip-roll springs. Fig. 6 represents a plan of the machine corresponding with Fig. 5. Fig. 7 represents arear elevation ofthe same,corre` spending with Fig. 5. Fig. 8 represents a transverse section ofa portion of the machine, `showing the end ofthe needle-carriage and the parts adjacent thereto. Fig. 9 represents a transverse section of the needlecarriageand parts adjacent thereto.

Fig. 10 represents a front elevation of the slide-block that carries thesinker-lifter and transferring-prong. Fig. 1I represents a front view of the pattern mechanism, correspondingin scalewith Fig. 5. Fig. l2represents aplan of the same. Fig. 13 represents a transverse section of the same at the `line .fr a: of Fig. ll. Fig. 14 represents a front I elevation ofon e ofthe selvage-need le carriages,

andFig. l5 a plan of the same. Figs. 16, 17, and 18 -repres'enttransverse sections of the selvage-needle carriage and the parts adjacent thereto, with the'movable parts in different positions. Fig. V19 represents views of aneedle and `needle-slide suitable for the machine, and l Fig. 20 correspondin g views ofa sinker. Figs.

1, 2, 3, and et are drawn upon a scale of onequarter inch to' the inch.y Figs. 5 to 13, in`

elusive, are drawn upon a scale of halfinch to the inch; and Figs.-14 to 20inc'lusive, area. `,drawn of the full,` size. Figs. 2l, 22, 23, and 24 represent views of portionsofthecam-bars of the machine, of the full size.

The object of our invention is mainly to produce knitted fabrics ofvarying width-such,

and the selvage-needles at theopposite sides vof the fabric being drawn nearer together or moved farther apart, according as the number of intermediate needles was diminished or increased.

'A patent was` granted in Great Britain to William Colton the 16th dayot' October, 1855, in the specification of which detached pieces of mechanism are described with a view to knitupon this system; but 11o-practical mechanism is described in the specification or represented in the drawings of this patent for im parting the proper movements to the selvageneedles and-to other members of aknitting machinefor widening and narrowing the fabric automatically, no r is any provision made for transferring` the stitches when the fabric is 4 narrowed. I

The knitting-machine representedin the accompanying drawings is designed to produce selvage edge work of varying width by the lateral movement of the selvage-needles-at the opposite sides of the fabric toward and from each other, and by varyingthe number of inf --termediate needles in operation; and o'ur'inventionconsists in certain mechanism by means` of which the whole work of knitting selvageedged fabrics of varying width is effected automatically, according to a predetermined'pat-v tern or design. y

Our invention is divided into parts,the first Aof which consists in the combination of a needle with automatic mechanism for causing it to move laterally or travel past the gang of needles employed in the knitting-n1achine,1so that the said traveling needle is made to take the place of one of the needles in the gang at different parts thereof, as desired.

Our invention consists, further, in the combination of a traveling needle with automatic mechanism for withdrawing the needle whose place the traveling needle is to occupy from the gang at work'previous to the substitution ofthe traveling needle in its place.

Our invention furtherA consists in the combination of a traveling needle with automatic mechanism for reinscrting the other needle of the gang whose place has been occupied by the traveling needle after the latter has been removed therefrom.

Our invention further consists in the combination of a traveling needle with a mechanical device for transferring the stitch from the needle that is withdrawn to an adj-leent needle, so as to avoid the dropping of the stitch.

Our invention further consists in the combination of a traveling needle operating` at the selvage of the fabric with a thread-guide (that delivers the yarn to the needles) bydevices which cause the thread-guide to vary its delivery of yarn in correspondence with the change inthe position of the traveling needle relative to the other needles of the machine.

Our invention further consists in the combination of a traveling needle with a series of needles which move to andfro past a threadguide,but do not travel laterally to each other.

Our invention further consi-sts in the combination of a traveling needle operating at the selvage of the fabric with mechanism for rer versing the movement o'f the needle-carriage (or other device by whose reversal vthe direction in which the yarn is fed to the needle is changed) in such manner that the movement is reversed sooner or later, according as the traveling needle is moved toward or from the farther end of the gang of needles at work.

Our invention consists, further, in the combination of the sinkersv of the series of needles with a traveling device for withdrawing the sinkers which happen to be at the selvage of the fabric from their places in the series,

whether the work be widened or narrowed, sok

that no folds of yarn are formed at the selvage, and vthat the yarn to form the selvageloops is drawn by the action of the needles from the adjacent stitches, whereby the tightening of the fabric at the selvage is promoted. Our invention consists, further, in the combination of the sinkers with a traveling device for moving a portion of them beyond the end of the gang of needles at work above their ordinary level at the times the thread-guide is deseendin g and rising, so that they are out of `the way of the thread-guide at these times,

'adjacent sinkers is permitted, so that the thread-guide may be of any desirable breadth and vstrength in a machine having a sufficient'V numberof sinkers to form wide work with the capacity to form narrow work.

Our invention consists, further, in the cornbination of suitable devices for. griping the yarn with mechanism that causes them to act at the time the selvege-needles are forming i 'yarn by the backward movementof the needles.

Our invention consists, further, in the combination of the thread-guide with devices for depressing it immediately after the last needle in the series of needles at work has been fed with-yarn and before that needle isv withdrawn into its nosing, so as to insure the seizure of the thread by the barb of the needle. e

Our invention consists, further, in combining with a knitting-machine for forming a fabric ot-` variable width, traveling temples at the selvage of the fabric to relieve the selvageneedles of the lateral strain resulting from the take-up 1nechanism, tl1e said temples being so arranged and operated that their positions are varied with the variations in the width of the fabric.

Our invention consists, further, in combining with the take-up rolls,astraining or whip roll having a barrel of increased diameterv at those parts where the wider portions of the work pass over it, s0 as to keep the selvage strained whether the work widen or narrow.

Our invention consists, further, in mechanism for varying the strain upon the sheet of fabric in proportion to the increase or decrease of its width, so thatthe strain upon each part of the fabric is about the same whether it increase or decrease in width.

Our invention consists, further, in combining with under supports forminga bearing for the needles outside of thepsinkers,a threadguide arranged in such manner that its lower side is inclined to the direction in which the sinkers move, and operated in such manner that when it is depressed'it moves in the direction of its length, or, in other words, at an acute angle/to the direction in which the sinkers move, whereby the depression of the de livery end of the thread-guide below the level of the needles in a machine havingunder supports of the above description can beeffected at the time the selvage-needles are forming the loops.

l The several parts of .the present invention are embodied in a Hat-knitting loom represented in the accompanying drawings. The

knitting of the yarn in this loomis effected by a series of needles and sinkers, which are supported on acarriage and are caused to traverse in front of a thread-guide, which delivers yarn or thread. In this machine motion is imparted tothe needles and sinkers by the grooves of stationary cam-bars, along which the needles and sinkers are caused to reciprocate, and four traveling needles are employed at each end of the fabric to form the selvage thereof.

The various operating parts of this loom are supported by a strong rectangular fratrie, A,

having legs, which hold the needles at a convenient distance from the door for the operator who tends the machine. In the upper side of this frame are two longitudinal V-shaped grooves, a a, Fig. 4, which extend from end to end of the frame and form ways to support and guide a carriage, D, that carries the needies andsinkers. This needle-carriageI D is of chineryt'or'I moving them, to effect the widening and narrowing. In the machine represented in the drawings this length is thirty-three inches, and the machine is adapted to produce work not exceeding twent y-five and three-fourths inches ih width. This needleecarriagc is caused. to move alternately to and fro in opposite directions by means which are substantially the same as those described for operating the needle-carriage in our patent of the 12th day of October, 1858. ,The lower side ofthe carriage has a rack, F', secured to it, which 'slides in a groove, a, Fig. 4, in the frame, and the teeth of this rack engage with those of' a cog-whechE, secured to a'shat't, B2, that extends transversely across the machine, and is caused to turn alternately in opposite directions by means of' the drivingshaft B7, to which the power is applied.. The divingshaft is turned by a belt acting upon the fast pulley P, or by the hand of an attendant operating upon the crank-handle a, and revolves continuously in the same direction; and

inv order that a reciprocating motion may be im parted by it to the cog-wheel shaft,it is fitted with a sleeve, O, which is caused to turn with the shaft B by means of a feather sliding in a vcorresponding groove in 'that shaft, and has two friction-cones secured to it. These frictioncones may be brought alternately in contact with either one of a corresponding pair of hollow friction-cones, Q2 Q3, that are secured to hubs which run loosely upon the driving-shaft, by sliding the` sleeve endwise by means of a shiftin g-arm, A,which has afriction-roller that runs in the groove form'cd by the backs of the two solid friction-cones. The shifting-lever A extends fromarock-shaft,B,whichisfittedwith a second arm, h,- and the latter is fitted with apin that is received in a helical groove formed in the rim of a blockl secured to the drum P of a rock-shaft, B2. Hence by turning.,r the rockshaft B2 in one direction or the other the heli` cal groove moves the rock-'shaft- B, and the sleeve is shifted to throw one or other friction cone int-o action andmake the hollow cone corresponding therewith revolve with the drivingshaft. The hub of each hollow cone is fitted Vwheel shaft in the lopposite direction to the first.

In order to shift the friction-cones so as to reverse the movement of the needle-carriage, the rock-shaft B2 is fitted with a pulley P5, and the latterisconnected by straps D2 with a corresponding pulley secured to a rock-shaft, B4,

above. This second rock-shaft has 'an arm,'l, Fig'. 3secured toit, which projects upward in a position to be struck on'opposite sides by` two pins,f f2, that 'project from a slide-bar, C4. The slidebar'slides in standards secured to the frame of the machine, and is fitted on its inner face with pins f3 f4, Figs. 6 and 8, and in dotted lines in Fig. 7, which are struck vat proper times, as will be hereinafter described,

to move it and causeits pins fj`2 to st ike and move the arm T and shift the friction-cones through the agency of the rock-shafts B4 B2 B', straps D3, helical block, and rocking arms h A. The rocking of the rock-shaft B2 is aided by the momentum of' two weights, P11 P12, Fig. l'. Each of these weights depends from a lever, as shown in dotted lines,and each weightlever bearsupou a pin secured toaheam whose arms extend in opposite directions from the rock-shaft, so that when the rock shaft is put in motion the momentum of the weights tends to rock it further and bring theproper triction-cone into action. From the Obliquity of the arms of this beam to each other, one of' the two weights-P11, for exampleis acting with its full force-when the rock-shaft is 'turned to its extreme limit in either direction, while the other weight is acting but partially, and therefore does not counterbalance'the first. Hence the preponderating force of the weight that is lowest is made availabletohold the rock-shaft cone in action in its proper place.

The needles, as shown at Fig. 19,- have the -ordinary'hook-formedV head ,`the. barb of' the hook being received when depressed intoa corresponding groove in the shank or stem. The needlesare arranged in three series, there being two series of traveling needles (one for forming the selvage at each side of the work) and a series of intermediate needles, more or less of which are brought into operation', ac'- cording to the size of the space' .between the two sets of selvage-needles, asdetermined by the width ot' the work to be produced.V The;

stem of eachintermediate needle has a second groove, c2, Fig. 19, in its stem to lreceive the point ol` the transferring-prong, as hereinafter` l described, and each needle-stem is secured to a needle-slide, E,which is shown at Fig. 19, of the full size. These slides are arranged to slide transversely to the direction in which the carriage is moved in a series of grooves formed i in ablock of brass, 0l, which extends from onel one end of the machine to the other, and is' supported by the end plates thereof. The form of this groove is shown of the full size in dotted lines in Fig. 24. The cam-groove, after extending a certain distance from the center of the machine, divides into two branches, c and e2, having a movable switch at theirintcrsection, which. can be turned to cause the snugs of the needles to traverse in either branch. When the machine is knitting they traverse in the hinder branch, e', but the forward branch is uset'ul to cause the needles to beprojected forward for inspectio'n and repair.- The two branches of the camgroove are crossed by a cross-groove, e3, which `permits the removal and replacement .of any needles which require Vto I be removed for repair. The needles project forward from the bed in which their slides lie, and pass through a corresponding series ot grooves in' a bar,f, which extends along the front side of the carriage, andforms a nosing 4 or series of orifices, into which the needles are withdrawn to cast off the loops. The grooves of this nosing have at bottom a V form, soi that when the needles are depressed they are,I caused to place themselves at equal distances apart, whereby the uniform width of the fabric i is secured andthe transference of a stitchy from needle to needle is insured. The traveling selvage-needles are also each secured to a slide, F4, Fig. 17, which is carried by a sepato widen and narrow the work at each side thereof, there are -two of these selvage-needle carriages, B and B, one for each selvage, and each carriage in this instance carries fourY selvage-needles, whose stems are bent downward, so that the needles project in the same plane and to' the'same' distance as the inter mediate-needles. Each of the s elvage-needle lslides has asnug, b4, formed upon it, which is received in a-groove, e4, formed in the upper side of the needle-cam bar G, and shown ot full size at Fig. 24, so that as the selvageneedle carriages are carried alongwith the needle-carriage the selva ge-needles arecaused by -thefoblique portions ofthe cam-grooves to move, in knitting, transversely to the length of the carriage in the same manner as the intermediate needles.

A second block of metal, g, is supported at the front sideof theneedle-carriage bythe end plates thereof. This block .has a series of l grooves formed in it similar vto those ot' the needleb'ed to receive andv guide the shanks or slides of the sinkers. AThe lower edge, e, Figs. 5, 8, 9, of this sinker-bed overlaps the nosing, from which the needles protrude, and forms a bar, against the lower side of which the barbs of the needles are pressed by the action of a support, F, beneath to close them, so that when they are drawn into the orifices ot' the nosing v they may pass through and cast off the loops already formed. Each 'sinker-.slidchas a snug, c, vupon it, which is received in l.team-groove formed in the inner face of the striker-cam bar H. This cam-bar, like the needle -cam bar, extends from one end ot' then machine to the other, and is supported by the end plates therei of. The form ot'ts groove is shown of the, full size at Fig. 22.

When the machine is operating upon fabric of a certain width a certain num-ber of needles a are operating. This number is made up of the selvage-needles at each side ot' the fabric andof as many intermediate needles as can operate in the space between the selvageneedles, the remainingintermediate needles being,r withdrawn to suzh positions that they are for the time inoperative. Thev intermediate needles at work at any one time we'term the working-needles or workers.7 When the fabric is tobe narrowed at either side the intermediate needle next inside of the selvage-needles at that side of the work is withdrawn, and the series of selvage-needles is moved inward by the movement of their carriage inward on the needle carriage, or toward the center thereof, so that the innermost selvage-needle occupies the placeof the withdrawn needle. When, on the other hand, the work is to be widened, the

selvage-needles are moved outward the space' of a needle or stitch from the number of the intermediate needles at work, andati additional intermediate needle is brought into action in the space made by the outward movement of the selvage-needles. In orderto effect these movements of the selvage-needles and of the intermediate needles, each selvage-needle carriage is constructed to slide upon the top ofy the needle-cambar, and is connected with 'a bracket, C, that extends downward from a slide-block, Q. This slide-block has a sleeve,

W, upon it, which is fitted with a screw-nut,

m, that fits upon a' screw, L, which has ajournalwith collars, that turns in a bearing formed in the end pla-te of the needle-carriage, so that as the needle-carriage is moved to andfro the screw L, the, sleeve W, the slide-block C', and the selvage-needle carriage are carried along with it, while the slide-block Cand the selvageneedle carriage B can be made to travel upon the needle-carriage by turning' the screw L.

The two selvage-needle carriages in this machine are each moved by separate screws. These screws extend in line with each other, their inner ends being' supported in a hanging box, d4, Fig'. l, which depends from a bar, d4, that extends from one end plate of the needle-carria ge `to the other. The outer extremities of thev screws pass through the end plates of the carriage, and each is fitted with a cog-wheel, E5,

by whichit is turned atthe proper time. -The turningot` either screw in one direction screws along the slide-block and the selvage-needle carriage connected therewith toward the adjacent endof the needle-carriage; and the turniug'ot' either screw in the opposite direction screws the selvageneedle carriage controlled 'thereby toward the center of the needle-car- ,riage The pitch of the screw is in this instance four times the space between the centers of vtwo adjacent needles.l Hence the turning of the screwone-quarter of' a revolution in-eitherdirection moves the selvage-needles to or fro the space of a stitch, arid either closes upthe gap formed in the needles at work by the withdrawal of an intermediate needle or makes a gap for the insertion of an intermediate needle.

In order that an intermediate needle .m ay be withdrawn when the selva ge-needles are moved or travel inward, and may be reinsertcd when the selvage-needles are moved or travel outward,each selvage-needle carriageisprovided with a sliding bar, P9, Figs. 14, y15, 16, 18,.

which slides transversely in a groove formed in the carriage. The hinder end ot' this slidebar has theform of a block, t, whose front side projects downward within the range of a cam, G', secured to the hinder edge ofthe needle-cambar, so that as the needle-carriage, in its movement towardlthe end of the machine, carries the slide-bar past the cam the latter pushes the slidebar backward. The front end ofthe slide-bar has a linger, t5, which depends from it within the range of a cam, G?, secured to thefront edge of' the needle-cam bar, so that the slide-bar'is moved forward by the action of this cam during themovement ofthe needlecarriage toward the center of the machine.`

The lower face of the block t4 of the slide-barv is fitted with two drivers, t and t2. One ot' these drivers, t', projects downward sut'ticiently to strike the frontu edges of the rear nibs, 02,01" the slides of the intermediate needles, as shown f in detail atl Figs. 14', 16, and 18, and it extends across the slides of the intermediate needles from the inner side of the innermost selvageneedle outward-that is, toward the adjacent to the intermediate needles the slide-bar is moved to and fro by the cams G and G2 without moving any otl the intermediate needles. When,however, the selvage-needles are caused to travel toward the center of the machine by the movement of the selvage-needle carriage by'its screw L, the driver t', which we term the narrowing-driver,` being moved across the slide ot' the first workingneedle next the selvage-needles, is borne against the rear nilo, b2, thereof by the cam G', and draws thisl first needle backward out of the series ot' needles at work, thus making a gap in the series for the innermost salvage-needle to work in. When,

again, the selvage-needles are caused to travel outward toward Vthe adjacent end pllate of the needle-carriage, the other driver, t2, which we 'needlesin the gap formed by the outward movemeut of the selvage-needles. In order to permit the withdrawal and reinsertion of the intermediate needles, a gate, e5, Fig. 24, is formed in the needle-cam groove e', so as to permit the snugs ot' the needles to pass out of and into the cam-groove at the times the drivers are acting upon the needle-slides; and as it is necessary that theintermediateneedles, when Withdrawn, should be outof the way ot' the traveling needle which is caused to travel over it, the needlebed is hollowed out, as shown at Fig. 18, so that when an intermediate needle is withdrawn from the series of workers the needle and `needle-slide drop into theV hollow sufciently to bring the head of the needle below the range of' motion of the traveling needle that takes its place in knitting. As `the needle-slides are light and do not tend to fall into the hollow withsnfticient rapidity, an inclined -plane,t`2, Fig. 18, is formed upon the head of leach needle slide in a position to be acted upon'by the lower front corner of the needle-cam bar G at the time the needle-slide is being drawn backward. When an intermediate needle is withdrawn it remains in its withdrawn position with its snugs b outside of the cam-groove, and

is consequently inoperative or idle until it is again reinsertcd to take its place among the number of working-needles.

In the present machine, where traveling .needles are'employed only at the selvages`of the fabric, all the needles outside of the inner edge of the narrowing-drivers t at each end of the needle-carriage D remain inoperative or idle, and all inside of the narrowing-drivers are workers, and co-operate with the selvageneedles in forming the fabric. The width of the fabric, therefore, in this machine depends upon the position o f the selvagge-needles, and the fabric is nafrowed and widened as these Aselvage-needles are moved inward and outward. When the machine is in operation" the rapid movement of the carriage past the cams G and Gr2 causes the slide-bar to move with considerable force, and tends to cause it to strike against the adjacent edges of the needle-cam bar. In order to prevent this striking, and also to prevent a rebound, the slidebar is acted upon by a friction-brake, f8, which,

bearing upon a plate secured to the upper side of the slide-bar P9,'retards its movement. The slides of the selva ge-needles, from their weight, y

ling selva ge-needle takes its place, it is neces sary that the loop upon the needle withdrawn should be transferredto the next needle nearer the center of the needle-carriage, as otherwise the stitch would be dropped. This transfer- `ence is effected at the proper moment by combining with the traveling needle a transfer- .ring-prong, V, Figs. 9 and 10, which is made to enter into the loop to be transferred from the hinder side thereof, to hold it while the needle is withdrawn, to carry the loop later- .ally to the next needle, to present it to this next needle when it moves forward, and, final -ly, to withdraw from the loop, leavingit upon the needle. One of these transferring-prongs is provided for each selva geneedle carriage and in order that it may have these various movements, each transferring-prong V is secured to an arm or stock which projects from 'a sleeve, U, that is traversed by a rock-shaft, 1 s. vEach rock-shaft s s extends from the center of the needle-carriage outward and proljects through its end plates, so that its projecting end may be in a convenient position to be operated upon. The rock-shaftis slotted lfrom end to end, and a feather is secured in the prong-sleeve lU to traverse in the slot, so that the stock and transferring-prong V may be rocked backward or forward by rocking the rock-shaft, whatever position the transferringprong may occupy between the end plates of 's the needle-carriage.

The sleeve of the transi'errin g-pron g is located between the cheeks of a pair of fingers, t3, Figs. 9 and 10, which project downward from the slide-block C', that carries the selvage-needle carriage, so that as the selvage-needle carriage travels outward or inward upon the needle-carriage the transferringprong is movedin the same direction and to the same extent. The prong is so situated with respectto the needles thatit is always over theintermediate working-needle next the selvageneedles, and isconsequently ready to enter the loop thereon before the needle is withdrawn from among the workers; and as the transferrin g-pron g is carried laterally with the selvage needles, it carries the loop upon it to the right position to deliver it up to the next adjacent needle, which in turn becomes the needle next the selvageneedles, and the head of this needle, in moving forward to receive yarn from the thread-guide, enters the stitch on the transferring-prong, which is then withdrawn. In order to insure the entrance of the stitch by the needle, the under side ofthe transferringprong is grooved longitudinally, so as to guide the head of the `needle into the stitch. The rocking of the rock-shaft at the proper times to cause the transferring-prong to ent-er a loop and withdraw from one is effected by the turning of the screw L, that causes thefselvageneedle carriage to travel upon the needle-carriage (which screw, from its office, may be termed the widening and narrowing scre'w)l in the following manner: The end of this rockshaft s projects Abeyond the end plates of the carriage-frame, and is fitted with a disk, g3, having a pin in its face near its rim. lhe outer end of this pin is received in a slot formed in a boss, g4, which is secured to the frontend of an L-formed lever, Y, that is pivoted at the intersection of its arms to the end plate of the needle-carriage. The arms of the lever are fitted with snugsh h2, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8,) which project from their faces within the range of motion of'a series of pins, x, which are made fast to a disk, X, that is secured to the widening and narrowing screw L, so that ,during each quarter of a revolution of this screw one pin, acting upon one arm of the 1ever Y, causes the rock-shaft and the transferring-prong moved by it to rock outward, and another pin, actingon the other armof the lever Y, causes them to rock inward. As'in the present machine the same screw L is employed for bothwideningand narrowing, the pins are turned when widening is effected; and as during this operation no transference is necessary, it is desirable that the transferringprong should then remain inoperative. In order to accomplish this, one of the snugs, h2, of the lever Y is secured to a latch, (also shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8,) which, instead of being fixed fast to the arm of the lever, is pivoted thereto. A pin is placedin the face ot' the lever below thisy latch to prevent it from yielding when the pin of the screw-disk bears down upon the snug h2, which it does when the screw is turnedto narrow the work, and consequentl y when this happens the lever is moved. When, however, the screw is being turned in the opposite direction to widen the work, the pin of the screw-disk bears up against the snug 31.984 vvv its position eitherforward or backward, the

hub g3, Fig. '8, of the rock-shaft s has 'two notches formed in itsl periphery, into one or other of which a spring-catch, iv, engages to hold the rock-shaft until it is moved bythe operation of the pins on the bent lever. ln the operation of the machine it is necessary that the stitch to be transferred should be taken off the needle to be withdrawn from the workers before it is withdrawn, and consequently before the selvage-needle carriage is caused to travel inward to move the narrowing-driver so that it can act upon the needle. The selvage-needle carriage must not therefore be movedinward before thistaking oi'is effected, although its screw be turned to rock the transferring-prong and efect the taking off of the stitch. This pause in the movement is effected Y -in the manner described in the patent of the V12th day of October, 1858, aforesaid, by causing the screw to move endwise as it turns. In

order to effect this, the widening and narrow-l ing'screw L is fitted with a cam-collar on each side of its beat ing in the end plate ofthe needlecarriage. These cam-collars have each four t snugs upon their faceswhich bear against corresponding inclined planes formed upon-the adjacent faces of the bearing in the end plate I of the needle-carriage, so that as the screw is turned a portion of its quarter ofa revolution these inclined planes, beating against the snugs, cause the screw' to move ,endwise outward as fast as its threads tend to screw the slide-block and selvage-needle carriageinward, while'duriug another portion of its quarter of a revolution the snugs pass over portions of the inclined panes incliningin directions'the reverse of those rst traversed by the snugs, so that the selvagelneedle carriage is caused to travel inward bythe combined movement of the endwise motion of the screw audits screw action in Aits `nut in the sleeve of the slide-block, with which the selvage-needle carriageis connected. When, again, the screw isturningto rock back'the transferring-prong,

. the snngs of its collars. are again traversing parts of the inclined planes inclined in directions the same as the first, so that during this movement of the traversing-prongthc selvage- 'carriage does not change its position. When the screw is turned in the opposite direction to widen the fabric its endwise movement is reversed. .'From this endwise motion thus im.

ing, the transferring-prong is rocked so far forward by the movement of its' rock-shaft that its heel is outside ot' the grooves of the nosing. Hence when itis carried laterally by the movement of the selvage-needle carriage its shankl moves in the space between the front ends of the partitions of the nosing and the hinder side of the bare. In order that the prong may hold the stitch upon it in a proper position for the entrance of the working-needle which is to take up the stitch, its heel must rock back into the groove ot' the nosing through which thisneedle protrudes. In order to effect this the hinder notch in the hub g3 is solocated that when the heel of the prong is out of the groove of the nosing, as 'it is during the lateral movementof the prong, the hinder notch is in the front of the toe of the spring-catch, and the portion of the rim o n which the toe bears'is inclined ving, where itis held by the engagement of the toe of the springeat'chin the hinder notch until the needle has enteredlinto the stitch on the prong, after whichthe action ot' a pin of the widening and narrowing screw upon the .snug of the upright arm of the bent lever rocks back the prong out of the stitch.

In order that the machine may operate when the parts are'constructed as-we have described them, the widening and narrowing screw should make three movements when narrowing is being effected, two of these taking place while the end ofthe needle-carriage is passing from the center of the machine toward the ad- A jacent end thereof, and one while it is returning from that end ot' the machine, the three movements together in this instance comprising a quarter of a revolution of theV screw. During the. first of these movements Lthe screw is turned suicientl y to cause the transferringprong to en ter the stitch on the needle, whence it is to be transferred, and this ot' course must take place before the needle is withdrawn the narrowing-driver. The second movement is sufficient to move the selvage-needle car riage laterally the space of a needle, so that the innermostselvage-needle is made to travel inward to the next needle. This movement of the screw also permits the toe of the springcatch "to rock back the heel of the prong into the groove ofthe nosing. is sufeient to rock the prong out of the stitch. 'This last movement must of course be effected after the needle has been protruded through its groove in the nosing by the, action of the incline in the cam-groove which'eiiects this movement.

narrowing screw in the present machine shoud make one movement while the needle-cai'- riage is passing from the end ot' its range of Thethird movement In widening, the widening andV motion toward the center of the machine. This movement is divided into two parts,

which together comprise a quarter of a revolution ofthe screw. During the first part of this movement the selva ge-needle carriage is 4as it tends to screw the selvage-carriage in the opposite direct-ion, and thnscompensate the screw action, so that the selvage needle cnrria-ge does not travel farther upon the needlecarriage. In order to accomplish these movements of the widening and narrowing'screws at proper times, movable cam-platesMi, Figs. 6, 7, and 24, are employedand are made to act upon the screws inthe following manner: The lowerhinder side of the needle-carriage is fitted with a pair of screws, L3 L3, which corre-- spond in length with the widening and narrowing screws L L, and which, for distinction, will hereinafterbe called the ratchet-screws.7 The inner ends of these ratchet-screws turn in a box that projects backward from the lower plate ofthe needle-carriage. Their outer ends protrude through` the end'plates of the carriage,A and are each tted with a cog-wheel, m3. The tet-th of each of these cog-wheels are made to drive the cog-wheel E5 on the end of the corresponding widening and narrowing screw through the intervention of two intermediate wheels, m7 and ma, the last being made annular, so as to permit the needle-cam bar G to pass through i-t. Each ratchet-screw L3 is fitted with a ratchet-carriage, J', which has a nut in one of its standards, lc, through which the ratchet-screw passes. The ratchet-carriage is fitted to slidenpon the hinderedgc of the lower plate of the needle-carriage, so that when the ratchet-screw is turned the ratchet-carriage is caused to move toward or from the adjacent end plate of the needle-carriage, according as the ratchet-screw is'turned in one direction or the other. Thepitch ofeach ratchet-screw La isdouble that of the widening and narrowing screws, and the cog-wheel mat the end of the former is twice the diameter of that upon the end of the c latter, so that one-eighth of a revolutidn of the ratchet-screw turns the widening and narrowing screw the quarter of a revolution required in widening and narrowingthe fabric, and also moves the ratchet-carriage thc same distance as the selva ge-ne'edle carriage and in the same direction.

Each ratchet-sore .v L? is tted with two j ratchet-wheels, R2 and R3, whose teeth incline in opposite directions. These ratchet-wheels slide freely endwise upon the ratchet-screw, but compel the latter to turn with them by means of feathers which slide in a longitudinal groove in the ratchet-screw, as shown in Fig. 9. The two ratchet-wheels have Vbetween them a pawl-block, L4, which is arranged to both oscillate and slide endwise freely on the ratchet-screw. This pawl-block carries two pawls, S2 S3, Figs. 7 and 9, which are pivoted to its opposite sides,point in opposite directions, and are arranged to act one on each ratchet-wheel, each pawl being pressed toward its ratchet-wheel by a spring, so as to insure its engagement with the teeth thereof. The ratchet-wheels and pawl-block are confined between the cheeks of thefratchet-carria-ge J', so that they are caused to travel with it as it is moved along the needle-carriage by the ratchet-screw. The lower side of thepawlblock is furnished with cog-teeth, as shown in Fig. 9, which engage in'theteeth of a rack, T, that is iitted to slide in the bottomv of the ratchet-carriage in directions crosswise to the movable cam-plates, and the lower face of the rack Tf* has a pin,f7, projecting from it sufficiently to be acted upon by the grades of the adjacent movable cam-plate MG when the latter is in its highest position, but which is not acted upon by the cam-plate when the latter is lowered out of track ofthis rack-pin. Hence it follows that if the movable cam-plate M6 be raised in time to be within the track of the rackpin when the adjacent end of the needle-carriage is moving outward, the rack-pin will bear against `the front edge, a5 'a6 a7, Figs. 6 and` 2l, of the movable cam-plate, and one of the pawls, S2, will act upon its ratchet-wheel R? to turn the ratchet-screw, and the widening and narrowing screw to narrow the fabric 5 -an d,

on the other hand, if the movable cam-plate be raised'in time to be within the track of the rack-pin when the adjacent end of the needlecarriage is moving inward, the rack-pin will bear against thehinder edge, a, Figs.l 6 and 21,

of the movable cam-plate, and the opposite 'pawl, S3, will act upon its ratchet-wheel R3 to yturn the-ratchet-screw, and the widening and narrowing screw .to widen the fabric.

In order that the cam-plate corresponding with one of the widening and narrowing screws maynot interfere with the rack-pin appertaining to the other of these screws, the rack-pins are located at the opposite end of their respect-l ive racks, and the cam-plates MG M"','"Fig. 2l', are not located iu the same line.

From the arrangement ot' the parts of the present machine it is necessary that in it the rack, after doing its work, should be brought,

'back to a central position, which is accomplised by the action of the stationary jaws al upon the rack-pins. During this movement to a central position the pawls must not impart motion to their respective ratchet-wheels, and

such motion is prevented by means of guard` plates secured to the adjacent cheeks of the ratchet-carriage in position to hold the pawls out of gear with the ratchet teeth when the rack is returning to its central position.`

The movable cam-plates MG M6 are hinged fast to stationary bar, N, which holds thev t narrowing screws by means Aof pattern-barrels.

One of these barrels J2 is appropriated to each movable cam-plate, and the two barrels are secured to the same shaft B9. Each pattern-barrel has as many pin-holes in it as there are to be rows of stitches inthe fabric, and each pattern-barrel revolves beneath a lever, I?, which is connected with the movable cam plate above by means of a rod,j2. The pin-holes are `,arranged in a helical line, and the end of the barrel-shaft is formed into a screw of the saine pitch as t'he helical line, so that when the barrels are turned all the holes in each are made to pass in succession" beneath the corresponding lever, l2.

A ratchet-wheel, R5, for each pattern-barrel is secured to the barrel-shaft B9,`and la corresponding pawl, S5, is arranged to act upon the teeth of each ratchet-wheel. The pawl is pivoted to the arm of an L-formed lever, L5,whose other arm is connected by a `rod, Z5, with one arm of a vibrating beam, L8. The arms of this vibrating beam project in opposite directions irom a rock-shaft, B1", that extends across the frame of the machine and is tted at its hinder end with a forked arm, H3, whose branches extend upward by the side ofthe sliding bar C4. The hinder side of this sliding bar is furnished with two pins,f5f6, one for each branch of the arm H3. rlhe front side of the sliding bar is also iitted with two pins. f3j`4, before described, each of which is located in a proper position to be struck by a corre- Y sponding piinff, secured to the adjacent ratchlet-carriage J', when that carriage is moving with the needle-carriage toward the adjacent end of the frame of the machine. From this construction ofthe palts it-results that as the` cam-plate lever, l2, and bring a succeeding pin-` hole beneath this lever, while the. other pawl is drawn over the teeth of its ratchet-wheel to be in position to move it and the pattern-bar.- rels when the needle-carriage moves in its opposite direction.

The pinsf5f6 upon the sliding bar G4, which operate the forked lever H3 and pattern-barrels, are so located wi th reference to their forked lever and to the pins ffz, that effect the reversal ofthe movement of the needle-carriage by acting upon the lever T of the rock-shaft B4, before described, that the movement of the pattern-barrels is effectedjust before the moveinentof theneedle-carriage is reversed. Hence if there be a pattern-pin (inthe pin-hole of the pattern-barrel) which is brought under the lever of the movable cainplate qthatvis nearer the end of the machine toward which the needle-carriage is moving, this movable cam-plate will be raised before the needle-carriage returns,and it will be in position toact upon the rack-pin of the ratchet-carriage during the return of the needle-carriage. rlhis rack-pin will then be acted upon by the hinder edge of the cam-plate, and 4the ratchet-carriage and selvage-needle carriage corresponding there- Vwi h will be made to travel toward the end ot the needle-carriage, by which means, as before described, an additional needle will be brought l first during the return of the needle-carriage.

That rack-pin will then be acted upon by the front edge ofthe cam-plate, and the ratchetcarriage and selvage-needle carriage corresponding therewith will be made to travel toward the center of the needle-carriage, by

which means, as before described, one of the i working-needles will be withdrawn, the gap willtbe closed up, and the fabric will be narrowed. 'Hence it follows that the arrangement of the pattern-pins in the pattern-barrels controls the width of the fabric, and this may be vaiied by varying the position of the patternpin s: then the pins are withdrawn from both pattern-barrels for a number of strokes of the needle-carriage the selvage-needle carriages will retain their positions, and the fabric will be of uniform width for a number of rows of stitches corresponding with that number of strokes.

In the present machine the pawls S5 arel made reversible, so that they may be turned overon theirpivots and setto turn their ratchetwheels and the pattern-barrel backward. The

length of the pawls is also such that patternpins which are usedfor widening when the pattern-barrels are turned in one direction are brought under the movable cam-plate levers at"proper times to narrow when the patternbarrels are turned in the opposite direction. This arrangement is advantageous, as it permits the machine to form continuous sheets of fabric com posed of d uplicate patterns produced by alternate widening and narrowing, the position of the pawls being changed by hand on completion of each pattern. In order that the machine may stop itself when each pattern is completed, two stop-pins, fsf-10, Figs. 11 and 12, are employed, one secured in each head of one of the pattern-barrels. One of these stoppins, when the pattern-barrel is moving in one direction, is brought beneath a stop-lever, L9, projecting from a rock-shaft, A?, so as to rock that shaft when the pattern-barrel reaches its limit of motion toward the lett-hand end of the machine. The other stop-pin is brought-beneath a second stop-leverfuLO, projecting from the same rock-shaft, so as to rock that shat't when the pattern-barrel reaches itsA limit of motion toward the right-hand end of the machine. The rocking of this shaft by the stoppins is made to effect the stoppage of the loom in the following manner: The driving-shaft B7 is fitted with two brlt-pulleys, one of which,P, is fast to it, while the other, P, turns liosely upon it, and a shifting-har, C5, having pins which embrace the edges ol" the dliving-belt, is employed to shift the belt from the fast to the loose pulley. This shifiing-baris connected with the arm ot' a bell-crank, L, whose opposite arm has a weight,'P13, upon it that tends constantly to shift the belt to theloose pulley P8' This tendency is prevented, so long as the machine is ruiming, by lneans ofa rocking arm, LW, which is inserted behind an arm, L, secured to the shaft ot the weighted bell-crank L, and holds it in its position with the weight raised. A second rocking arm, L, secured to the shaft ot' the arm L, bears upon the arm Ll", that projects from the rock-shalt A2 of the stop-levers L9 L10, so that when this rock-shaft is rockedby the Astop-pins the arm L12 is disengaged and the weight is permitted to shift the belt to the loose pulley. Frein this construction it results that the machine stops itself whenever the pattern is completed7 so that the attendant can reverse the pawls of the pattern-barrel and. set the machine at work to duplicate lthe pattern in inverted order by widening the fabric where it was previously narrowed and narrowing it where it was previously widened.

The yarn or thread is fed to the series of needles by a tubular thread-guide, J, which is situated in front ofthe s'inkers and is fitted to a carriage that slides longitudinally upon ways secured `to the front side ot' the sinker-cam bar H. This thread-guide has the form of a y flattened tube, the longer axis ot' its elliptic cross-section being horizontal.

Its shank is securedito a slide, It, which slides vertically in a broad dovetailed groove formed in the face of the thread-guide carriage I. The hinder side oi" this slide has a pin projecting from it which passes through a vertical slot in the thread-guide carriage, and is received into and operated by a cam-groove, r, formed in the front side of the cam-bar H, and whose peculiar form isshown of the natural size at Fic.

23. Hence when the thread-guidel carriage is moved longitudinally the inner rend of the thread-guide is at times depressed below the range oftheneedlesandis at other times raised above'it. The thread-guide carriage is moved riage. As the thread-guide to act properly must always occupya certain position relative to the outmost selvage-needle, and as in the widening and narrowing ot` the work the position of the needle is changed with respect to the needle-carriage, cach bumper is secured to one ot' the sewage-needle carriages, and is thus combined with the traveling selvage-needles,

so as to move with them when' widening and the selvage-stitch and the next thereto is drawn from'the loops ot' the inner stitches. In order `to accomplish this the sinker which is outside oi the selvage-needle, (whatever polsition the latter may occupy,) and the adjacent sinker between the tirst two needles at the selvage, are drawn up r1ard, (when the threadguide has fed thread over the needle-stems so that their snugs are out ofthe range of the camgroove that depresses them, and consequently these sinliers are not depressed to form folds of yarn, as the remainder are, bythe action of the cam-groove.

It is an advantage in a machine to employ a thread-guide of sutlicient breadthto resist strains. In order that this may be done in a machine having the mode ot' operation in knitting of the machine we are describing, an arrangement must be iliade to prevent'the interference of the thread-guide with the sinkers.

In order to eit'ect this in this machine tive ot' the sinliers, in addition to the two above mentioxed, are withdrawn to form a space for the thread-guide as it'rises to feed yarn to the needles. These, with theothertwo,makeseven sinkers to be raised, and in the machine we are describing the whole seven are raised simultaneously by means ot' a lifter, 7s, Figs. 8, 9, and l0, that is secured to a slide, Q, which slides up and down in a. groove in the plate ot' the slide-block C. This lifter projects for 'ard from the lifter-slide into notches formed in the hinder edges ofthe sinker-slides, and the lifterslide Q is provided with a pin, c4, which projects t'roln its front into a cam-groove, o5, Figs. 7 and 22, formed in the upper part-of the cambar H, situated in front of it. The slide-block C', as before described, moves to and fro with the traveling selvage-needles, so that these lifting devices 7c travel to and fro, andare always in the proper positions to raise the proper sinkers ofthe series, however the fabric be widened or narrowed.

In order that the sinkers may rise when acted upon by the lifter, a gate, s', Figs. 7 and 22, is formed in `the groove of the sinker-cam bar to permit the snags of the sinker-slides to pass out ot' and into the cam-groove when the sinkers are raised and lowered, and as this machine is constructed to widen and narrow at each selvage a sinker-lifter is provided for each selvage needle carriage. As no loops are` formed for the outer two needles, they, in receding into their nosiug, tend to draw yarn both from their right and left sides to make the loops, and consequently from the threadguide as wellas from the fabric.

As it is desirable, in order to forma tight selvage; that the yarn should he drawn from the fabric alone and not from the thread-guide, the deliveryot'thread from the latter is ch ecked in this machine while the needles are receding until their receding heads pass within the range of travel o t the inner end of the thread-guide. In order to check the delivery ot' yarn the latter is griped between two jaws, the one formed by the upper side ot' a cross-bang', Figs. 5, 8, and 8a, and the other consisting ot' a leather pad,j, which is secured to the shank ot' the thread-guide, so that when the latter descends (to bear the yarn down upon the selvage-nee dle stems) the yarn is griped between t'hepad and the cross-bnr. As the needles recede in the nosing their heads pass inside of the line of travel ofthe inner end ofthe thread-guide, and if the yarn were griped after this passage it would be strained or broken by the drag of .the needles in receding to their farthest inward positions. Hence the gripe is relaxed in the present machine by the partiairaising of the threadeguide by the action of the inner slope, r', Figs. 5 and 23,' of the cam-groove r, so that the leather pad on the thread guide shank is Alifted from the bar beneath. The withdrawal ofthe sinker outside ofthe selvageneedle renders it necessary to depress the thread-guide sufficiently to hear the thread down upon the stems of the needles, so that as they recede their barbs may pass over the thread, and that it may be received in their hooked heads, and this is eii'ected at the proper moment by the form of the cam-groove. As, however, a double under support, F, is einployed in this machine, and the outmost number, h5, thereof would, from its position, prevent the descent of the thread-guide, if the latter were horizontal, and were moved vertically downward, thethread-guide is set at an angle,

as shown at Figs. 5, S, and St, and is constructed so as to move inthe direction ot its length. This movement ot' thc thread-guideis effected by form-ing the shank, which connects it with the slide R, ot' a spring-plate, andby securing an inclined block to its outer face in such a position that as the shank is carried downward by the descent ofthe slide this inclined block bears `against the inner 'face of a cross-bar, p', and forces` the shank and the threadguide connected therewith to m/ove inward as it descends.

As the fabric is formed it passes downward and backward under the bottom of thernced'el carriage to an intermittent take-up consisting ot'a pair of take-up rollers, M and M2, whose journals are supported in bearings formed in brackets that project backward from the end plates of the needle-carriage. One ot' these rollers, M2, is covered with india-rubber, so

that it may adhere strongly to the t'abrie. The, other, M', merely lays against the opposite sid'e of the fabric, and by its weight presses the fabric against the rubber surface. The

lower roller, M2', is turned to take up the work by means of a worin, M5, whose thread engages in the teeth of a worm-wheel. m', secured to the shaft ot' the roller near one ot the brackets. The worm has a ratchet-wheel, RG, secured to its shaft, and a pawl, S6, is pivoted toa vibrating arm, Lf", that is hinged upon the worm- Shaft, so that whenever the arm is raised the pawl catchingfin one of the ratchet-teeth shall turn the worin to cause the rollers to draw up "the work.

ranged to act intermittently, according to the necessitiesofthemachine,inthefollowingmanner: A whip-roller, M3, is supported by radiusbars underthe needle-bed in the folds ot' the work between the nosing and the takeup rollers, so that as the work is formed and its length increased between the nosing and take-np rollers the'increasing depth ot' the fold in whih the whip-roller lies permits the latter to descend, and this descending movement ot' the whip-roll is made to throw the take-up'mecht anism into operation. In order to accomplish this a spring-arm; h3, is attached to the hub ot' one of the radius-bars B6, in a position to catch .behind the vibrating arm LG. The position ot' this spring-arm is such that it engages behind the vibrating armwhenever the latter is' raised bythe cam, and holds it in its raised position. As, however, the knitting proceeds and the whip-roll descends, the springarm, rocking upward as the radius-bar B6 turns, releases the Vibrating arm, which descends by its weight, so that its pawl engages in a tooth of the ratchA et-wheel on the worm-shaft. Hence when the vibrating arm is again raised lr, the passage of' its lower end over the cam Ni the take-up rollers will be turned by the action of the pawl, and the fabric will be taken up. 'lhe taking up ot' the fabric by shortening that portieri which is between thetake-up rollers andthe nosingdiminishesthe depth ofthe fold in which the whip-roll lies, so thatit is raised up, As it rises its radius-bars rock, and roxk the springarm h3 into a position to seize and retain the vibrating artn L6 until a further increase in the length of the fabric lets it ott'. The fabric from between the take-up rollers is passed over a stationary board, A4, Figs. 2 and 4, which extends the whole length of the main `frame and prevents the t'abric from interfering with the mechanism. A f

In the operation of a knittmgmachme 1t ls desirable that the edges of the fabric should be strained equally with the central portion thereof by the take-np mechanism. As the fabric made b v the present machine varies in width, the ordinary take-up rollers will not of themselves preserve a sntfirient strain at the selvages. The strain at the selvages is equal- 'ized in the present machine by increasing the diameter ofthe body ofthe whip-roll M3 in proportion to the increased width 'of the fabric. To this end the portions of the whip-roll over which the wider parts of the fabric pass are made conical, as represented at Figs. 5 and 7, while the central portion is cylindrical, so that as the fabric widens and narrows the selvage is drawn under a surface of greater or les/sextent, while the middle of the fabric is drawn over a surface constantly ot' the saine extent,-

to widen and narrow at each side ot the work,

it is tted with two disk-temples, K2 K2, each of which is secured to a separate block, K3, which has a screw-thread on it that is fitted upon the screw L,lwhich is similar to and paralel with the widening and narrowing screw above. The screws ot' the two temples extend Y right and left from a central box, (l5, Fig. 1, in

y which their inner journals turn. The outer end of each temple-screw extends through the ad-l jacentplate of theneedle-carriage, and is there fitted with acog-wheel, m9, whose teeth engage with those ofthe annular wheel m8. The cogwheel tu has the same number of teeth as the wheel E5 of the widening and narrowing screw above, and the temple-screw has the same pitch as that screw, so that each temple-sci ew is operated to move its teinplein harmony with the movement of the selvage-needle carriage above it, so as to adjust the position of that temple tothe number of needles at work, and thus keep the temple in the proper position with respecttto the outmost selvage-needle under all variationsin the width of the fabric. The variation in the diameter of the conical ends of the whip-roller tends to change the direction in which the selvagesof the fabric extend in passing from the knitting-point to the take-up rollers, and thus tends to drag the work at certain times from the temples. In order to obviate the injurious effect of this tendency, a

' guard-plate, o6, Figs. 5 and 9, is secured to each temple-block to bear against the under face of the fabric and prevent the fabric from being` borne out of its proper direction bythe larger part ot' the conical whip roll.

In the operation ofknitting it is also desira- 'ble that each part of the cloth throughout the whole width ot' the fabric should be subjected to the saine strain. As the fabric in this machine widens and narrows, a special contrivance is used to increase and decrease the pressure of the whip-roll in proportion to the increase and decrease in the width ot' the fabric, so that the strain upon eachpart of the fabric shall remain about the same, whether the fabric as a whole widens or narrows. This is effected by connecting each radius-bar B6 ofthe whiproll with a spring, Z, Figs. 5 and 9, by means of a cord that passes over a pulley secured to the needle-carriage. The opposite end of each spring is made fast to a cord which is wound upon a barrel, Z', and the cords of the two springs are wound in the same direction upon the barrel, so that by turning it in one direction the springs are strained to a greater extent to cause the whip-roll to press with greater force upon the cloth, while by turning the barrel in the opposite direction the tensions et' the springs are lessened, so as to relax the pressure of the whip-roll on the work. In vorder to vary the tension of the springs according to the variation in the width of the work, the cord-barrel is fitted with a wheel, Z2, upon which a cord is wound, and the end of this cord is made fast to one of the temple-blocks 'K3, so that when the work widens and the temple is moved outward the cord-barrel is turned to wind up the spring-cords and strain the spring to a greater extent, and when the work narrows the inward movement of the templeblock slackens the strain upon the springs. Hence the variation in the tension of the springs, and consequentlyin the strain exerted on the fabric by the whip-roller, which the springs control, is madel to vary with the greater or less width ofthe fabric being formed.

In operating the machine thus described the movement of the needle-carriage to and fro carries the needles in operation over the supports F F beneath, by whose action the needles are pressed against the bar e above, so as to close their barbs. These supports in the present instance are made to rise and fall in the manner described in our patent dated February/16,1858, andare constructed in two parts, one part, 764, ot' which is on the inner side of the sinkers and effects the raising ot the needles, while the other part, 705, is on the outer side of the sinkers and supports the needles during the feeding of yarn and the descent ot' the sinkers to form the loops. The supports are alternately raised and depressed atthe proper times by means of a slide-bar, S, whose upper graded edge operates upon pins that project from the stocks of the supports. M0- tion is imparted to this slide-bar by a vibrating arm, H4, that projects upward from the rock-shaft B10, which, as before described, is

caused to rock, as the carriage approaches the end of its stroke in either direction, through the intervention of the slide-bar C4 at the back of the machine and the pins f8 of the ratchetcarriages.

When the needles or other parts of the machine are to be adjusted by hand it frequently happens that it is advantageous to prevent the under supports from acting upon the needles. In order to permit this the vibrating arm H4 is not made fast .to the rock-shaft B10, but is pivoted loosely thereon; and it is driven by a pin projecting from an arm H5, Fig. 4, which vibrates with the rock-shaftinto a socket in the.

. spring which iscoiled upon the rock-shaft B10.

This spring, by forcing the driving-arm H5 toward the vibrating arm H4, holds the pin of the former inthe socket of the latter.

When the machine thus described is in operation, and the movable cam-plate MG, Figs. 6 and 2l, is raised to narrow the fabric, the rackpin ofthe ratchet-carriage passes along and is moved by the grades on the front edge of the movable cam-plate during the movement ofthe needle-carriage from th'e center toward the end of its track, and on the returning movement ofthe needle carriage this pin passes along and is moved by the front edge of the stationary grade n before it is returned to a central position by the jaws um n10. By-the movement of the rack-piu, as before stated, the traveling selvage-needles and selvage-needle carriage,l

' ih ctransferring-hook,theratchet carriage,and

the temple-block are all moved and in the following manner: The movement of the rackpin by the grade a5 throws down the transferring-prong'to take up the stitch on the intermediate needle next the innermost traveling needleand the point of the prong is depressed into the secondary groove of the needle, so that the stitch on the needle can pass readily onto the transferring-prong. No movement of the selvage-needle carriage takes place at this time, as the cam-collars compensate the screw action of the widening and narrowing screw. The next grade, a6, extends parallel with the line oftravcl of the needle-carriage, so that it simply holds the rack-pin and the parts operated thereby in place while the slide-pin is passingoyerit. Duringthis'passagethe needles are being drawn by the needle-cam groovevout ofthe stitches, and the stitch ilpon the needle to `which the transferring-prong was applied is left upon that prong. During the iirstpart of the movement ofthe rack-pin'along this grade the selvage-needles are pushed forward by the action of their cam-grooves out of thc nosing f, Fig. 17, so that their shanksarc clear of the partitions of the 'nosing, and that they may be made to travel inward from the adjacent end plate of the needle-carriage. The movey ment of the rack-pin bythe grade n" eauses the sel vage-needle, the transfcrrin g-p'rong with the stitch upon it, the litter that raises the sinkers, and the driver that withdraws the working-needle all to travel inward the space of a stitch, and after the rack-pin has passed this grade the continued movement of the needlecarriage causes the driver t to be borne back by the operation of the narrowing-cam G', so as to withdraw the needle whose stitch has been taken off by the transferring-prong from the series at work andleave it with the idle needles. Then', as the needle-carriage approaches the end of its stroke, the pinf8 'of the ratchetearriage,by moving the slide-bar C4, operates the rock-shafts B4 B2, and reverses the move- "ment of the needle-carriage, at the same timel operating the pawls of the pattern-barrels and shitting the under supports. When the carriage returns fron the end plate of the `fra-me the needles are moved forward in their bed by the action of their cam-grooves while the rackpin is passi-ng toward the stationary grade a8,

`and the working-needle which isnow next the selvage-needles enters -the stitch on the transferring-prong. The selvage-needles are alsotdrawn back into the nosing by their camgro'ove, so that their heads are in line with those of the intermediate needles. The movement of the rack-pin bythe stationary grade as rocks the transferrin g-pron g backward, so that it is withdrawn from the stitchwhich is left -upon the needle that entered it.

When the movable cam-plate M6, Figs. 6 and 2l, is raised at the proper time to widen the fabric the needle-carriage, traveling from the end @fits track toward the center ot" the machine, carries the rack-pin againstthe grade on the hinder edge of the cam-plate. The movement of the rack-pin by the first third of this grade afi'causes the selvage-needle carriage with its needle, the widei'iing-driver t2, thetransferring prong, the sinker-lifter, the rack-carriage, and the temple-block all to travel t0- ward'the adjacent end plate of the needle-carriage, and a gap is left for the 'insertion of an intermediate needle.` When this movement is, 1

taking place the snugs of the selva-ge-necdles are in the part of their cam-groove which is nearest the front of the machine, and conscquently the Shanks of selvage-needlcs are out of the nosing, so that they can travel freely

Images