US928165A - Knitting-machine. - Google Patents

Description

L. L. WILSON & E. PAQITETTE.

KNITTING MACHINE. APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 29,1906.

928, 1 65. Patented July 13, 1909.

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KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29,1906.

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APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1906.

928,1 65. Patented July 13, 1909.

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L. L. WILSON & E. PAQUET'I'E. KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1906.

Patented July 13, 1909.

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L. L. WILSON & E. PAQUETTE.

KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 29,1906.

Patented July 13, 1909.

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L. L. WILSON & E. PAQUETTE.

KNITTING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1906. 928, 1 65. Patented July 13, 1909.

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L. L. WILSON & E. PAQUETTE. KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 29,1906.

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I I II Patented July 13, 1909.

L. L. WILSON & E. PAQIIETTE. KNITTING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29,1906.

928, 1 65. Patented July 13, 1909.

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L. L. WILSON & E. PAQUETTE. KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29,1906.

928,165. Patented July 13, 1909.

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UNITED OFFICE" LoUIsL. wILsoN AND ExILIAs PAQUETTE, on LOWELL, mssacnusn'rrs, ASSIGNORS 'ro LAWRENCE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORA- TION OF MASSACHUSETTS.-

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No. 928,165. Specification Patent. H Patented July 1.3, 1909. y p p ap ueauenmea mi: :0, 1900. s mi lemma. 1 g i i To all whom'it Figs. 10 and 11 are, respective? an interior Be it known t at we,.Loms L. WILsON= and EXILIAS PAQUETTE, citizens of the United States, residing .at Lowell, inthe' county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitt' -Machines; and we do hereby declare the ollowin to be a full, clear, and exact descri tion of t e invention, such as will enable ot ers skilled in the 'art to which it appertains to make and use the same. r l

The invention relates to that classof knitting machines in which the needles are mounted in a circular series, and are erated upon by cams and controlling devices arranged about the needles, relative movement between theneedlcs and the needle-o crating cams and devices being produced 'y rotary and recilpgocatory movements of either the needle cy der or the support or cylinder on which the needle-operating cams and devices are mounted.

The object of the invention is to eflectcertain improvements in the construction and operation of circular knitting machines, particularly of the latch-needle type, used for knitting stockings, by which the roduct of such machines may be modifie and improved and the operation of the machines rendered more rapid.

Certain features of the invention are adapted particularly to enable the production upon a circular knitting machine of stockings of the kind in which the leg is knit of circular courses while the foot consists of two sepa rate yarns of different colors forming the top of the foot and the sole respectively. 1 Other objects of the invention will be noted in connection with the description of the illustrated embodiment.

The invention consists in the improved knitting machine hereinafter described, as defined in the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front eleva-.

tion of a knitting machine embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a section on line 22, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an elevation of the i right side of the machine as shown in-Fig. 1

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the machine; Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 Fig. 1 parts being removed for clearness; Figs. 6, 7 and8 are detail views relating to the pattern mechanism of the machine; Fig. 9 is a detail view of the controlling mechanism for the shipper lever;

the arrangement of the nee of Fig. 11; Fig. 16 is a diagram illustrating les; Figs. 17 an 18 are, respectively, sections on lines 17-17 and 1818, Fig. Fig; 19 is a diagrammatic view of the new fabric produced by the machine; Fig. 20 is a'detail view of the feed ring; and Fig. 21 is a plan view of the shifterrin and associated parts. a

he invention is shown as embodied ina machine of the same t pe as the -machine which is illustrated in t e patents to Mayo,

No. 474,671, May 10, 1892, and No. 745,449,

December 1, 1903, and which will for convenience be referred to as the Mayo. machine. In this machine the needles are of the latch type mounted in a fixed needle cylinder, and

operated b cams carried by a rotary cam cylinder. he needle cylinder 1 is the same as in the Mayo machine, and is supported in the same manner. The needles are divided into two groups or series, long butt instep needles L, which are inactive during theknitting of the heel and toe, and short buttneedles S which are active both during rotary and reci rocatory knitting. Between the last two ong butt needles at one end ofthis series of needles isinterposed a short butt needle 8 and at theother end of the series of long butt needles is interposed a medium butt needle m. The needles 8 and m and the end needlesof the long butt group needles, I and 1, com rise the suture needles. The

function an operation of these sutureneedles will be hereinafter described. The cam cylinder 2 is provided with two sets of knitting cams, both of which act upon all the needles during rotary knitting, and one of which is rendered inactive during the knitting of the heeland toe, and is again rendered active when reciprocating" knitting is continued during the knitting of the foot, or when rotary knitting is resumed. One set of knitting cams corres onds to the knitting cams commonly emp oyed to reciprocate the needles during rotary and reci rocating knitting, and ma be termed t e main knitting cams. T ese cams comprise the stitch cams 3 and 4, the center earn 5, and the switch cum 6. i The narrowing and widening devices for cooperating with these v6'5 The outer end cams in knitting the heel and toe comprise lifting pickers 7 and 8 and depressing pickers -21 and 22, which are similar in construction and mode of operation tothe pickers of the Mayo machine. In the .present machine, however, the cam post 11 which operates the latches 9 and 10 for the lifting pickers is fixed I i in operative osition-at all tlmes. The see- I end set of 'tting cams, which may be 10 termed the supplemental knitting cams, are arranged diametrically oposite the main knitting cams, and may e of similar construction. As shown, they comprise the foot. It is mounted upon. a pin 16 carried by v the slide 17 and at its outer end the in 16 s engaged by one end of a bell-crank ever 18,

the other end of the bell-crank lever being connected, by means ofa link 19, with an ec- .centric pin 20 hereinafter referred to. The elevating cam 23 for raising the long butt needles out of the path of the knitting cams in its form and location is the same as in the Ma 0 machine. It is mounted u on a rotatab e rock shaft 24 sup orted in t e cam cyl- ,inder, and the rock 5 aft carries upon its" outer end a segmental pinion 25 engaged by a rack on the side of a vertical slide 26 supported in a vertical guideway on the outside of the cam cylinder, which slide 26 carries upon its up er end an outwardly projecting pin 1 27. he pin 27 is adapted to engage a switch point 28 having a shank j ournaled in the uprperend of a post 29 supported upon the bed plate adjacent to the cam cyhnder. The

arm 30 to whichis connected a link 31, the other end of which is attached to one arm of a bell-crank lever 32. lheother arm of the lever is connected by a link 33 with a lever 34, ivoted upon a stationary part of the machine and connected at its opposite end to the clutch fork hereinafter referred to.

The eccentric pin 20, hereinbefore referred to in connection with the switch cam 15, 'is

which carries the elevating cam 23.. The radial movement of the cam 15 is therefore controlled by the movements of the elevating cam 23. A second elevating cam 35 is providedu on the opposite side of the supplemental 'tting cams, symmetrically arranged with relation to the elevat' cam 23. This elevating cam 35 is mounte .u on a rock shaft36 sup orted in the camoy mder.

f. the rock shaft 36 proadapted to be engaged. by lowering- cam shifters 45 and 46. :Theselowering-cam cams into theirinoperative ositions. shank of the switch polnt 18 provided with an fixed in the outer end ofthe rock'shaft 24 vided with-a segmental pinion which is engaged. by a segmental bell-crank lever 37,

the other end of which has an arm provided with a pin 38. The pin 38 is adapted to engage acam'arm 39 (see Fi 21) ivoted upon the shifter ring 47 hereina er re erred to. "A spring normally holds the cam arm 39 outward in engagement with the post 29, and the outer ed e of the cam arm has a cam surface adapte to cooperate with the post 29 so as to move the cam arm in and out when the shifter ring is moved, as hereinafter described. When the cam arm is in its inner position it engages the pin 38, and through the means described throws the switch cam 35 into operative'position'. The lower lip 40 of the switch cam 35 is short and projects radially inward only far enoughto engage the butts of the long butt needles. The cam 35 is returned to normal inoperative position by riding over the long buttsfwhen rotary knitting is resumed.

The lowering cams 41 and 42 are provided .upon opposite sides of the supplemental knittingl cams for lowering the needles from the hig inactive plane to the low active plane. These lowering cams 41 and 42 are mounted upon vertical slides mounted in guides in the cam cylinder, The slide carrying the'lowering cam 41 is engaged by a lever 43, and the slide carrying the lowering cam 42 is engagedby a lever 44. These'levers 43 and 44 are pivoted on the outside of the cam cylinder,

and their ends project outward and are shifters are similar in form and modeof oper ation to the shifters which operate the needle elevating-and lowering 'cains of the Mayo machine, the lowering-cam shifter 45 operating to raise the'lowering cams into olplerative position, and the' lowering-cam s 'fter 46 operating to lower thelowering The shifter ring 47 herein efore referred to comprises-the means for throwing the lowering' cams out of and intooperative position, for throwing the elevating cam 35 into. op'erative position, and for throwing the depressing pickers 21 and 22 into an out of operation. This shifter ring 47 is mounted u on the bed of the machine, and. it is actuate in the same manner and at the 'same times as in the Mayo machine;

A latchring 48 is located above theme dles and, carries a yarn-changing device provided with yarn guides 49 and 50. The latch ring, the yarn-changing device, and ,the mechanism by which the latter is operated, are all similar tothose of the Mayo machine.

In addition to the yarn feed above referred -to,.'the present machine is provided with a ith new

48, as shown inFig. 20, at a point diametlical-ly op to the yarn-changing device, and provigiii g the upon its lower edge two books 5 1'T51 which act alternativel to guide the yarn as the ring rotates inone irection or another.

The present machine is arranged to knit parts 0 a stocking by a circular motion and other parts by a reciprocating motion of the .cam cylinder, and the .pattern mechanism by which the mode of o eration of the cam c inderis automatiea ly changed at 1 suite le times in the manufacture of a stocking, and by which the depressing pickers, the elevating-cams, the lowering cams, and the other automatic knitting instrumentalities of the machine are automatically thrown into and out of operation at the proper times, is in general similar to that of the Mayo knitting machine. In order to enable recirocatorv knitting to be continued through t re foot of,

the stocking, the presentmachine is provided with means for disconnecting the clutch from the .clutch shipper mechanism at the. completion of the heel, so that while the pattern mechanism operates as usual in other respects, it does not shift thec-lutch at this time. The clutch 52 is thrown, as in the Mayomachine, by a fork 53 actuated by a shipper lever 54 which is moved in the same manner andby the same mechanism as in the Mayo machine. In.the present machine,

however, the shipper lever is connected to the fork by means permitting these parts to bev automatically disconnected at certain times in the operation of the machine. a The shi per lever 1s provided at its forward end with a 53. The hook 56 is connected by a link 57 with a le- 7.81 58 pivoted on the fixed part of the machine and connected at its other end by means of a link 59 with an arm 60 fixed to the outerlend of a rock shaft 61 extending into,

the casing inclosin the pattern wheels, as shown in Fig. 6. trip arm 62 is fixed on the inner end of the shaft and isprovided with a beveled end adapted to be engaged by .a .trip pin 63 fixed on one of the leg-and-foot pattern wheels 64.. When the pin 63 engages .the trip arm 62 it swings the latter upwardly and o crates through the connections above descri ed to swing the hook 56 out of engagement with the pin with ashoulder 65 which remains in position The operation of the machine above described, when arranged to knit a stocking havin a leg of one color and a foot consist-v ing 0 yarns of two colors, is as follows: Supposing it is desired to make the leg or 11 per part of the foot of black yarn While t e sole of the foot is of white yarn; the auxiliary yarn feed is threaded with black yarn and the yarn tubes 49 and 50 of the j yarnknitting of the leg 0 .erative position, so that two b half the pin 55 adapted to be engaged by a ing. Simultaneousli,

5 5. The hook is provided changing .device are threaded with black and wlute yarns res actively. During the the stocking the yarn tube 49, containing the .black Yarn, is in opack yarns are .fed simultaneously at opposite points to the needle. Theswitch cam 15 ism its inward position, sofas to engage the buttsof all the needles, and thus the stitch cam 13 operates in addition to the stitch cam, 4, and as the needle cylinder is rotated bothwblack yarns are knit simultaneously by .the two sets of k-nitti cams, -so that at each rotation of the cam c 'nder two courses of loops are knit, and t us the leg of the stocking is :knit in number of revolutions required in knittin machines of the ordinary construction. e pattern mechanism is therefore adjusted to discontinue the rotary knitting after one-half of the usual number or rotations. This does not involve, however, any change in the construction of the pattern mechanism. Owing to the of the cam post for the lifting picker latches hereinbefore' described, the lifting iekers are free from the latches 9 and 10 during the knitting of the le of the stocking, and the the butts .ofthe picker 7 rests idi y upon needles, being inoperative, however, since the butts form a continuous series. At this time the relative travel of'the needles with relation to the camslis in the direction of the arrows, Fig. 10, and the needle butts pass under the cam 4 and do not engage the picker 8 which rests on the top of this cam. Upon the completion of the leg of the stocking the pattern .mechanism operates 1n the usual.

fixed position manner to actuate the shipper lever 54 and move the clutch 52 to change the motionof the cam. cylinder from rotary to reciprocatby the means above described, the swite point 28 is moved to a position to throw the elevating cam 23 mto operative position, so that during the last revolution of the cam cylinder in rotary knitting the long butt dium butt needle are raised to the high plane and their operation ceases. The lowering earns 41 and 42 are also movedout of operative position at this time. between the elevating cam 23 and the switch cam 15 cause the latter to be drawn back at this time, for a purpose which will appear later. At the end of the last rotation the main knitting cams are in the position A, Fig. 16, and upon the first reciprocating movement, which is in the direction a, the first needle in the active series is the short butt suture needle 8, which is, of course, not raised with the adjacent long butt needles L l, owing to its short butt.

at this time, since it is first encountered by The connections This short a butt needle s is not, however, caused to knit needles and the mee the picker 8 and is'therefore raised tothe high plane withthe long needles S?) as not to be actuated by the knitting cam3 The medium butt needle m, having been raised .with the long needles as above described,

is not actuatedwith the short butt needles at this time, andthus an unbroken series of loops isfformed, making the 'first course of the heel. The utility of the medium butt needle is apparent in this connection. If a short buttsuture needle similar to the needle 8 were used inthe place of the medium butt needle m this needle would be actuated. with the short butt needle S upon this,

first reciprocating movement of the cam cylinder, and, since the suture'needle Z has been previously raised with the long butt needles L, a stitch would be missed at this point when the long butt needles come into action on the foot, leaving a hole in the stocking; but this is avoided by the use of the medium butt needle, which is adaptedto operate with the long butt needles at this point in the'o eration of the machine, while acting with t e short butt needles during the knittin of the foot, as will be hereinafter described. The use of the short butt suture needle -S, is permissible, however, since, as has been above pointed out, this needle is raised by the picker 8 before it can be actuated .by the stitch cam 3.

' hook 56 and the mechanism connected there- At the same time that the clutch is shifted as above described the yarn changer is operated in the usual manner to substitute the white yarn in the yarn tube for the black yarn used in the le so that the heel is knit with White yarn. he narrowing and Widening of the heel are accomplished in the usual manner, the depressing pickers 21 and 22 being thrown into operation at the same time and by-the same means as. in the Mayo machine, to cause the Widening of the heel.

The elevating cam is also thrown into operative position by the movement of the shifter ring which throws the lifting pickers into operation. At the completion of the heel t e shipper lever -54 is moved back as, in the Mayo machine, and the shifter ring is returnedto its original position, thereby throwing the depressing pickers out of operation, and returning the lowering cams 41 and 42 to operative position. The clutch forkv 53, however, is at this time disconnected from the shipper lever 46 by the operation of'the With, th'e pin 64 being at this time in position to operate the trip arm 62 as above described, and therefore the clutch fork and all the parts actuated thereby are left in the same 'osition as during the knitting of the heel.

he cam cylinder, therefore,'during the knitting of the foot, continues to reci rocate and the yarn changer is not shifte but continues to' feed a white yarn for the sole of 'the foot. Owing to the operation oiithe lowering cams 41 and42, cooperating with the elevating cams 35 and 23, the supplemental knitting cams now recommence to operate the long butt needles, for at each reciprocation of the cam cylinder the long butt needles and the medium butt needles are engaged and drawn down tothe lower plane by one of the lowerin cams, and the long butt needles are engaged rected to one or the other of the stitch cams 1'2 or 13, sothat the needles are actuated thereby and caused to-knit. After leaving the stitch cams 1 2 or'13 the lo butt needles are again raised by the succeeding elevating oam 35 or 23 and thus-directed out of the path of the main knitting cams. It is'to be noted that during the reciprocation of the cam cylinder int c direction a the medium butt needle, after it has been drawn down by the lowering cam 42, is not engaged by the switch cam 15, owing to the retracted position of the latter, nor by the elevating cam 35, owing to the shortness of the lip 40, so

y the switch cam l5'and di-- that it is not actuated but remains on the lower plane and is knit with the short butt needles by the stitch cam 3. At the end of the reciprocation the medium butt needle is at the extreme right of Fig. 10 between the cam 23 and the picker 7 and in the active plane. During the reciprocation of the cam cylinder in the o posite direction the medium butt needle is raised by the picker 7 so that it does not knit, is lowered by cam 41,

and is raised again to the'high plane by the elevating cam 23 but this operation is functionless, resulting merely from the required form of the elevating cam 23, and does not interfere with the operation of the machine, since the medium butt needle is lowered again by cam 42, as above described, before it is necessary to actuate it to make a stitch. It is at this-point in the operation of the machine that the arrangement of the suture needles has its utility. Owing to the interposition of the short butt needless and the medium butt needle m between the long butt needles L- and the long butt suture needles Z l, the courses of black and white yarn knit by the long butt needles and the short butt needles are interlooped at the edges.

During the knitting of the foot the elevating pickers 7 and Sfremain in action. During the reciprocation in the direction a the short butt needle 8 which, during the for-ma tion of this course, is the first needle in the during theformation of this course of stitches, does not knit, since it is raised out of action by the picker 7. The short butt needle 8, which is now the last needle in the group acted upon by the main knitting cams, having been previously lowered by the cam 42 during the reciprocation in the direction a, is operated during reciprocation in this direction, '5. e. direction o posite toa, b cam'4, and takes (part in t e knitting. bus the suture nee l dered inactive, so that but one of these suture needles knits in each course, and the action of the needles is so controlled that the inactive suture needle is the first needle of the grou in the knitting of each course. This resu ts in a better joint at the edges of the two fabrics being knit than would be produced if both suture needles were operated during the formation of each course, and also eliminates imperfections due to the dropping of stitches by the suture needles. Bythis mode of operation the interlooping of the two fabrics formed 11 on the two grou s of' needles indicated'ln Fig. 19 is efi'ecte in a uniform and reliable manner. After the required number of courses to form the foot have been knit, the pattern mechanism operates again, asin the Mayo machine, to actuate the shipper lever 54. Since the clutch has remained, as abovcQdescribed, in the proper position for the knitting of the toe,

it is not moved at this time, but the book 56 7 again engages the pin 55, since the pattern Wheel 64 has moved during the knitting of the foot and disengaged the pin 63 from the A trip arm 62, so that upon the next succeeding "nioyement of the shipper lever 54 the clutch is thrown in the same manner asin the Mayo machine- The movement of the shi per lever whichfiirs at the completion 0" the foot restores t parts to the positions occupied at the co mencement of the-heel, so that the toe is it in the same manner as the heel and in the same manner in which it is knit in the Mayo machine. At thecompletion of the toe the shipper lever is again 4 moved, as in the Mayo machine, thereby restoring the rotary movement of the cam cylinder, and all of the parts except the yarn changer are restored to theiroriginal posi: tion occupied during the knitting of the leg.

A few courses are with the yarn guide 50 in o eration so as to knit alternate courses of blac and white yarn to form a margin or cutting strip, and the yarn vchanger is then restored to its originalposition and. the ma-.

, chine commences toknit another leg.

Owing to the double feed during the knittin of the leg the machine maybe arranged to knit a stockinghaving alternate courses of different colored yarns instead of makinga leg of one solid color as above described. 7 Thus a white yarn may .be used in the supplementary feed in place of theblack yarn,

es s and m are alternately renthereby: making a leg with alternate courses of blac and white yarn. With this arrangement the foot, although knit in the manner in manner a detailed description of so 'much of the pattern mechanism and actuatmg mechamsm of the machine as are not essential to the invention is avoided. It will be understood, however, that the invention is applicable to and may be embodied 1n circu ar knitting machines of various types, the specific rm of the devices employed being varied to suit the requirements of the type of machine in which the invention is embodied. The several features of the invention, moreover, are not necessaril used in conjunction ,thus, the double feed: although it expedites the operation of the machine, is not necessarily used in connection with the mechanisms by which the circular knitting machineis adapted to knit the particular form ofstocking produced by this machine.

The invention is not limited in general to the detailsof construction and operation of the illustratedembodiment, but may be embodied in otherforms within the spirit and terms of the claims.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim is: p y

1., A circular knitt' machine, having, in combination, a need e cylinder, needles therein comprising two segmental groups, main knitting cams, narrowin and widening devices, supplemental knitt ng cams, devices for directing one group of needles into the path of the supplemental cams and out of the pathof the main knitting cams during reciprocatory knitting, and mechanism acting automatically to render the directing devices active upon the com letion of the narrowing and Widening, su stantially as described.

2. A circular knitting machine, having, in combination, a needlecylinder, main knitting cams, a motion changing mechanism, narrowing and Y widening devices, supplemental knitting cams, devices for directing a segmental grou ofthe .needles into the path of said supp eme'ntal cams and out of the path of the main cams, and mechanism for automatically rendering said direct' ,devices' active upon the completion of the widening, substantially as described.

3. A circular knitting machine, having, in combination, a need e cylinder, needles bodied in a machine of a particular type,

therein comprising two segmental grouIps, came for. operating each groupof. need es, narrowing andwidening devices, means for rendering one group of needles mactive dur ing the narrowing and widemng, and mechanism actingautomatically u on the completion of the narrowing an widening to render the operating cams foreach group 4 active upon its own group only during the mental groupof the needles into the path of said supplemental cams and out of the ath of the main cams after the completion 0 the widening, and during the continuation of reciproeatory knitting, substantially as described. Y

5. A circular knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder, main knitting cams, a motion changing mechanism, supplemental knitting cams arranged to act upon all the needles during rotary knitting, and devices for rendering said cams active upon a segmentalgroup of the during reciproeatory knitting, as describe 6. A circular knitting machine, having, in

combination, a, needle cylinder provided with long and short butt needles, main. knitting cams, a motion'ehanging mechanism, supplemental stitch cams, a cooperating switch cam arranged to act upon all the needles during rotary knitting, means for withdrawing the switch cam into position to act upon'the long butts only during re ciprocatory knitting, and devices'for direct ing the long butts out of the path of the main knitting cams during reci 'rocatory knitting, substantially as describe 7. A circular knitting machine, havin in combination, a needle cylinder having long and short butt needles, main knitting cams, motion changing mechanism, narrowingand widening pickers, cams arranged out of. the ath of the short butts durin reciprocating knitting, and ele vating and owering cams on opposite sides of the supplemental cams the elevating earns being arranged out of-the path of the short butts, substantiall as described.

8. A circular knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder having long and short butt needles, main knittin cams, supplemental knitting cams arrange out of the path of the short butts, elevating and lowering cams on opposite sides of the sup- .substantially as described.

needles onlysubstantially 1 supplemental knitting plemental cams the elevating cams being ar ranged out of the path of the short butts,

9. A circular knitting machine, havin iii combination, a needle cylinder having ong and short butt needles, main knitting cams,

:motion changin mechanism, supplemental knitting cams, e evating and lowerin cams on opposite sides of the su plementa? cams, and means for rendering the elevating and lowering cams active and inactive and for bringing the sup lemental cams into and out of the path of t e short butts, substantially as described.

10. A circular knitting machine, having, inrcombination, a needle cylinderprovided with long and short,butt needles, main knit ting cams, motion changing mechanism, su plemental knitting cams arranged out of tile path of the short butt needles,devices for irecting the long butt needles into said cams and out of the path of the main knitting cams, and mechanism acting automatically to render said directing devices active and inactive, substantially as-described'.

- 11. A circular knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder, needles therein comprising two substantially semicircular groups, suture needles interposed between two needles at the ends of one group, knitting cams arranged to operate all the needles durin rotary knitting, narrowing and widening evices, and devices for rendering one group of needles and the suture needles 'inactlve during the narrowmg and widening,

substantially as described.

12. A circular knitting machine, having,

in combination, a needle cylinder, needles therein comprising a group of long butt needles, a medium butt suture needle interposed between two needles at the end of the long butt group, and an elevating-cam constructed, to act upon the long and medium butts only, substantially as described.

13. A'knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder comprising a ture needle interposed between two needles at one end of the group of long butt needles,

a medium butt suture needle interposed bea corresponding lowering cam, substantially as described.

14. A knitting machine, having, in com bination, .a needle cylinder, needles therein group of long butt needles, a short butt suwith long and short butts, two sets of stitch cams and two'switch cams, means for relatively actuating the needle cylinder and earns comprising two distinct and conti macs to knit the leg andfoot of a stocking and means for movingone of the switch cams to cause-it to enga e onl thelong butts, or both the long an the s ort butts, according as the machine'is knitting the foot or the leg of a stocking, substantially as described.

I 15. A knittin machine, having, in combination, a nee e cylinder, needles therein ous sets and two suture needles interpose between the last two needles at the ends of one set, and cam mechanism for actuating the needles constructed and arranged to actuate all the needles successively to form the circular courses of a stocking le heel forming devices, and means for rendering one set of needles and the sutureneedles of the other set inactive during the knitting of the heel, substantially as described.

16. A knittin machine, having, in combination, a nee le cylinder, needles therein comprising a group of long butt needles, a short butt sutureneedle interposed between the last two needles at one end of the group of long butt needles, a medium butt suture needle interposed between the last two needles at the other end of the group of long butt needles, two sets of stitch camsand two switch cams, one of the switch cams being operable tocngage the long butts, an elevatinq cam 0 enable to engage the long butts and the medium butt, an elevating cam operable to engage the long butts only, and lowering cams operable to engage both the 10 1 butts and the medium butt, substantial y as described. i

' 17. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder, short butt needles and long "butt needles therein forming two substantially semicircular groups, two sets of stitch cams, two switch cams for directing the needle butts to the stitch cams of which one is long enough to engage only the long butts while the other is long enough to engage all the butts, means for raising the long butt needles shortly after their actuation by the short switch cam and the corresponding stitch cams and lowering them again into operative position shortly before the passage ot such cams, and means for relatively reci rocatin the cams and needle cylinder,;

su stantialy as described.

18. A circular knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder, needles therein comprising two substantially semicircular groups of needles, suture needles interposed between needles at the ends of one group, means for o crating the groups of needles to effect the nitting, and means for rendering said suture needles alternately inactive whereb but one suture needle knits in each course 0 stitches formed b its group of needles, substantially as descri ed.

19. A circular knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder, needles therein comprisin two substantially semicircular roups o needles, suture needles interpose' between needles at the ends of one grou means for 0 rating the groups of needlia s to effect the liiuttmg, and means for rendering that suture needle inactive which is the first needle in its group in the kmttln of each course of stitches by said group 0 needles, substantially as described.

20. A circular knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder, needles therein comprising two substantially semicircular grou s, suture needles interposed between neec es at the ends of one group, cams for operating each group of needles,

lmotion changing mechanism, narrowing and widenm 'dGVlCGS, dGVlCBS'fOI rendering one groupio needles inactive during the narrowmg and w1denmg,-and means or rendering bothsuture needles inactive during the knitting of the first course of reciprocatory knitting, substantially as described.

21."A'knitting machine, havin in combination, a needle cylinder, need es therein comprising two substantially semicircular grou s, camsv for operating each group of need es, narrowing and widening devices, means for rendering the o crating cams for both groups active upon all the needles during rotary knitting and the cams for each group active u on its own'group only during reciprocating nitting, means or rendering narrowing andwidening, a yarn feed corres onding to the cams for each group of need es, and means for changing the yarn delivered by theyarn feed corresponding to the operating cams for the group of needles which is active during the narrowing and widening, substantially as described.

22. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a need e cylinder, needles therein comprising two substantially semicircular grou s, cams for operating each group of need es, narrowing andwidening devices, mean'sfor rendering the o crating cams for both groups activeupon a the needles during rotary knitting, and the cams for each group active u on lts own group only during reciprocatory itting, and means for renderingone groupoi' needles inactive during the narrowing and widening, substantially as described, i

23. A knittin machine, having, in combination, a need e cylinder, needles therein one "group of needles-inactive during the comprising two substantially semicircular grou s, cams for operating each group of need es, narrowing and wldening devices, mechanism acting automatically to render the operatin cams for one grou active upon all the need es during-rotary nitting, and the cams for each group active upon its own group only during reciprocatory knitting, and mechanism actin automatically to render one group of need es inactive during the nar V scribed.

ting, mechanism acting automatically to render one group of needles inaetive during the narrowing and widening, a yarn feed corresponding to the cams for each group of needles, and mechanism acting to automatically change the yarn delivered by the yarn feed corresponding to the operating cams for the group of needles which is actlve during the narrowing and widening, substantially as described. c

. 25. A circular knitting machine, having,

in combination, a needle cylinder, needles therein comprising two substantially semicircular groups, suture needles interposed between the needles at the end of one group, cams for operating each group of needles, narrowing and widening devices, devices for rendering one group of needles inactive during the narrowing and widening, and means .-for rendering that suture needlewhich is the last in its group inactive during the knitting of the first course of reciproeatory knitting, substantially as described.

26. A circular knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder provided with substantially semicircular groups of long and short butt needles, a set of knltting cams arranged to actuate both the long and short butt needles to form stitches, a second set of knitting cams constructed and arranged to be brought into active relation with the butts 01' all the needles and to actuate them to form stitches, or into inactive re lation to the butts of the short butt needles,

and yam feeding devices corresponding to each set of knitting cams, substantially as de- 27. A circular knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder provided with long and short butt needles, a set of knitting cams arranged to operate upon the butts of all the needles, asecond set of knitting cams-for actuating all the needles engaged thereby to form-stitches and including a switch cam mounted for movement into and out of the path of the butts oi the short butt needles, and yarn feeding devices corresponding to each set of knitting cams, sub-- ing, a second set of knitting cams arranged to operate upon all the needles during rotary knitting, and means for throwing said second set of cams out of operation when the instep needles are rendered inactive, substantially as described.

29. Av circular knitting machine, having,

in combination, a needle cylinderprovided with two substantially semicircular series of needles having long and short butts respectively, a set of knitting cams arranged to 0perate u on the butts of all'the needles during rotary (nitting, a second set of cams arranged to be brought into active relation with the butts of all the needles during rotary knitting, and out of active relation with the butts of the short butt needles during reciprocatory knitting, substantially as describec e 30. A 'circular knitting machine, having, in combination,a set of knitting cams arrangedto operate upon the needles during rotary knitting and during the narrowing and widening, narrowing and widening devices, devices acting to, automatically throw the needles not used during the narrowing and widening'out of operation at the beginning of the narrowing and widening, a second set of knitting cams, and mechanism acting to automatically throw said second set of knitting cams out of operation during the narrowing and widening and into operation upon the return to rotary knitting, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures, in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS L. WILSON. EXILIAS PAQUETTE.

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