HOSE KNITTING ROOM, AUTOMATIC SEAMLESS MACHINES Lawrence Mfg. Co. Knitting A Manual of PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION IN THE MECHANICAL DETAILS OF ALL TYPES OF KNITTING MACHINERY, THEIR OPERATION, ADJUSTMENT, AND CARE By M. A. METCALF Managing- Editor, "The Textile American' ILLUSTRATED CHICAGO AMERICAN SCHOOL OF CORRESPONDENCE l| 1909 / \9 <;, /^ ^ •library of CONGRESS Two Copies Received tWAK 22 iy09 . Copyrignt untry Copyright 1908 by American Schooi. of Correspondence Entered at Stationers' Hall, London All Rights Reserved For e\vord ^HE Textile Industry has shared to such an extent the modern tendency toward specialization, and has been marked by the development of such a multiplicity of types of machinery and special mechanical and chem- ical processes, that the various branches of this great industry to-day constitute in reality distinct though closely re- lated arts. The present volume is intended to furnish a com- prehensive treatment of the important subject of Knitting, and to serve as a practical working guide to all details of this rap- idly developing branch of the modern textile industry. CL Special stress is laid on the practical as distinguished from the merely theoretical or descriptive form of treatment, the work being based on a careful study of machinery, conditions, and needs as developed in the best American mills. C This volume will be found especially adapted for purposes of self -instruction and home study. Covering fully the mechan- ical details of all types of knitting machinery and their opera- tion, adjustment, and care, it is fitted not only to meet the requirements of a manual of instruction for the beginner, but also to serve as a reference work replete with information and suggestions of the utmost practical value to the most advanced and experienced worker. C The method adopted in the preparation of this volume is that which the American School of Correspondence has devel- oped and employed so successfully for many years. It is not an experiment, but has stood the severest of all tests — that of practical use— which has demonstrated it to be the best method yet devised for the education of the busy workingman. C For purposes of ready reference, and timely information when needed, it is believed that this volume will be found to meet every requirement. Table of Contents Spring and Latch Needle Knitting Machines . . . Page *11 Classification of Knit Goods (Flat, Ribbed, Hose) — Cylinder Spring Needle Knitter — Cone Winding — Spindle Drive — Building Motion — Endwise Motion — Stop Motion — Tension — Friction Cone Drive — Knitting Yarn Tables and Cal- culations — Woolen Run and Cut Systems — Yarn Reel — Worsted Count System — Leaded Needle — Trick Needle — Overliead and Inside Drive — Flat, Bacliing, and Rib Knitters — Needle Mould — Take-Up — Outside Circles — Inside Circles — Burs (Feed, Backing) — Feeds (Plain, Single and DouI)lo I'lush) — Speed — Gearing Table — Sizes for Flat Goods — Starting Up and Adjusting — Setting Trick and Leaded Needles — Threading — Evils to Avoid — Evening the Stitch — • Plated Work — Cut Presser Work — Collarette — Backing Cloth — Latch Needle Knitters (Flat or Straight, Circular) — Plain and Automatic Machines — Circular Knitters (Revolving and Stationary Needle Cylinders, Flat-Head)^ Measurement of Knitting Machines — Rib Knitting — Half-Cardigan or Royal Rib Stitch — Full Cardigan — Universal Cone Winder — Circular Rib Knitters — ■ Revolving Needle Cylinders — Automatic Knitting Mechanism — Bobbin Rack — Hole and Bunch Detector — Stitch Formation — Shortening apd Lengthening — Loading L^p the Needles — Tuck Stitch — Making a Loose Course — Chain Actu- ating Mechanism — Stationary Needle Cylinder Knitters — Adjusting Feed — ■ Number of Needles — Leighton Flat-Head Latch Needle Knitter — Shogged or Racked Stitches — Separating Course — Tuck or Royal Rib — Welts — Flat or Straight Latch Needle Knitters — Lamb Knitting Machine — Tubular or Cir- cular Web— Double Flat Web or Afghan Stitch — Ribbed or Seamed Flat Web — WMde Flat Web — Short Carriage Machine — Setting Up Work for a Mitten — Knitting Gloves and Socks — Narrowing Hosiery Knitting Page 205 Circular Latch Needle Knitters ( Hand, Semi-Automatic, Three-Fourths Auto- matic, Full Automatic, etc.) — Branson Hand Machine — Branson Full Auto- matic Machine — Acme Type of Knitter — Ribbing Machine — Hemphill Full Automatic — Fancy Hosiery Knitting — Split-Foot Hosiery — Open-Mesh-Work Stockings — Straight Hosiery Frames — "Cotton" Type Flat-Bed Machines — Lace Effects — Open-Work Attachment Knit Goods Finishing Page 295 Ready-Made (iarment Industry — Knitted Und(n'\vear — Finishing Flat (ioods — Turning the Clotli — Cutting to Shape — Equipment and Arrangement of Finish- ing Room — Willcox &. Gibbs "Overlock" Machine — "Union Special" System — Seaming and Trimming Machine — Finishing Machine Table — Neck Marker — Lock, Double Chain, and "Overlock" Stitches — Covering Stitch — Crochet Ma- chine — Merrow Finishing Machines (Scallop or Shell Stitch, Trimming and Over-Seaming) — Binding, Strapping, Zigzag, Necking, Taping, Hemming, and Looping or Turning-Off Machmes — Brushing and Napping Index ' Page 371 *For pr.ge numbers, see foot of pages. CIRCULAR SPRINGbBEARD NEEDLE LOOP WHEEL MACHINE FOR MAKING PLAIN WEBBING Tompkins Bros. Co. KNITTING. PART I. CYLINDER SPRING NEEDLE KNITTING. There are several kinds of knitted fabrics made in knitting mills, each kind requiring a radically different machine to produce it. What are commonly called Flat Goods are knit on Circular Spring Needle machines. Ribbed Goods are knit on Circular Latch Needle Machines. Shirt borders or rib tails, shiit cuffs or ribs, and drawer bottoms or ribs with selvedge edge, welt and slack course, are made on Straight Spring Needle Rib Machines, though some ribs for sleeves and drawer legs are made on small circular latch needle machines. Full Fashioned Underwear is made on Straight Spring Needle Machines provided with means for narrowing or shaping the garment to fit the body and limbs. The latest type is for knitting Ribbed Goods on a Circular Spring Needle Rib Machine. Hose is knit on Circular Latcli Needle Machines gen- erally, but of a different type than the machines for knitting Ribbed Underwear. Full P'ashioned Hose is knit on Straight Spring Needle Machines with widening and narrowing devices for shaping the stocking, and Straight Latch Needle Machines. It is evident from the above that knitting may be classified in a general way under three headings, viz : — Flat Goods. Ribbed Goods. Hose or Stockings. The first two classes include men's shirts and drawers, and ladies' vests and pants ; the third class including full length and half hose, full fashioned, shaped or cut, and seamless. A knitter should be well skilled in the art of knitting in all three classes to be competent to fill the best positions and obtain master's pay. THE CONE WINDER. The soft yarns, wool and mixtures and the backing yarns for cotton faced ribbed goods, are usually prepared, picked, carded 11 KNITTING. and spun in the mill where they are knit up. Hard or cotton yarns are in most cases purchased in the market, — such yarns 'are used for ribbed goods, balbriggans, etc., — but both kinds come to the knitter on jack bobbins or cops, and to facilitate the knitting are wound ofE on a much larger bobbin called a winder bobbin. The greatest care should be taken to have the yarn in the best possible condition on these bobbins. One of the most important factors in the production of knit goods is the proper presentation of the yarn to the knitting machine. Fig. 1. (Joue Wiudei'. Winding. When an end breaks down on a winder, tlu^ oper- ator should not be allowed to flip the end on to the partly wound bobbin and let it go, because the result is almost sure to be a press- off when the yarn runs out on the knitting frame, especially when the knitting frame is not provided with automatic stops. The operator should be made to find the ends and tie them together in a small neat knot, and without forgetting to pull the ends through and break them off at the proper distance from the knot. If it is improperly or carelessly tied, leaving the ends in the knot, it leaves a loop and a larger knot, making a bunch in the yarn that will cause holes in the cloth and oftentimes break a number of needles — what the knitters call a " smash." If the knitter insists that the winders run the yarn through the scrapers on the winder, and tie IS KNITTING. every broken end properly, lie will avoid many a hole in the cloth, break less needles and get a larger production of better fabric. The winding is the last handling of the yarn before it goes into the knitting needles and the real operation where the keenest in- spection can be made. All the defects as seeds, sticks, knots, lumps, slugs, etc., that are removed in this process will materially affect the quality of the fabric, the production, and tlie cost of repairs, the three prime objects that must be kept in view to excel in the art of knitting. Fig. 1 gives a comprehensive view of a Payne Cone Winder, winding from cop to knitting or winder bobbin ; they are easily changed to wind from jack bobbin or skein. It is practically automatic, requiring but little attention from the operator except to replace the empty cops, tie the ends and remove the filled bob- bins. As each spindle is independent and has its own stop motion, each bobbin is of course independent of the others and when filled may be stopped, taken off and another started in its place without stopping any of the other bobbins. This permits continuous winding. The filling or building motion to each spindle adjusts itself to fine or coarse yarns without attention of the operator so that sev- eral different numbers of yarn can be wound on different bobbins at the same time if required. If the winder is kept in good order, the yarn will come off the bobbin when fed into the knitting ma- chine with an almost constant tension instead of coming off two or three turns at a time in which case it is liable to catch and make bad places in the cloth, break the yarn, break needles and cause other annoyances. The winder bobbins should be handled with care after being filled on the winder to preserve their initial shape and the lay of the yarn, and thereby ensure a free delivery of the yarn when delivered to the needles. When tliis machine is set up it should be leveled and belted to run the receiving shaft 1<>0 to 180 revolutions per minute. Particular pains must be taken to see that an uneven floor or other causes do not throw the machine out of alignment ; if it does then it must be shimmed up until level its entire length. When the cone winder is taking more power to run it than seems necessary, it will be found in most every case to be out of alignment and 13 KNITTING. immediate attention to putting it into line will usually remedy the difficulty. The machines vary in size from six to forty-eight spindles as required, and may be adjusted to wind a bobbin fiom four to six inches in diameter 17 inches high, leaving the top, cone- shaped, as observed in Fig. 2. r Fig. 2. Winder Bobbin, Empty and Filled. The action of the cup attached to the filling or building rao- tion controls the diameter of the bobbin, four to six inches as pre- determined, or any size between. The building motion has a rise and fall corresponding to the height of the cone-shaped part of the empty bobbin and maintains that same rise and fall until the bob- bin is filled. Tensions are so regulated that the yarn may be wound as tightly at the nose or small part of the bobbin as at the base or large part. M KNITTING. Spindle Drive. The top of the machine, between the rails that move up and down, is covered with Ught boarding ; just be- neath this covering is the receiving shaft extending the full length of the machine, on which are the band pulleys driving the spin- dles ; each pulley has a double groove, as it drives a spindle on either side of the machine, transmitting with a round cotton band- ing, a separate band to each spindle, as in Fig. 3. Building Motion. At one end of the shaft is the receiving pulley ; at the other end is another pulley also outside of the frame, for transmitting power to the building motion inside the lower part of the machine as in Figs. 4 and 5. In a bearing fastened to ^= 3 ¥ig. 3. Spindle Drive Showing Pulleys and Bands. the end of the frame is a jackshaft on which, outside the end frame and close })eside the belt pulley, is a pinion gear meshing into a wheel gear that drives, on its shaft inside the frame, an unusual arrangement of gears — double gears — so arranged that the teeth on one pair are just lialf the distance of one tooth ahead of the other pair. Such an arrangement serves to matei'ially lessen the back-lasli that must inevitably occur were but one pair of gears only employed. This system of gearing transmits motion to the heart cam shaft that gives the rise and fall to the building motion. The reversing at each end of the stroke is attended in similar 16 KNITTIN(i. mechanisms with more or less hack-lash which in this machine is controlled by this double gear arrangement. M Q- Tbo heart cam Fig. 6 has a long and sliort side, imparting to the, bnikling rail a slow rising movement, making a close wind on the bobbin and a quick falling movement which lays the yurn 16 KNITTING. across the close wind and binds it in a manner best adapted for use on a knitting frame. The building rail, see Fig. 4, is con- nected with the heart cam in the following manner : By action of the cam, a lever on a rockshaft parallel to the cam shaft, with a cam roll near the vibrating end is made to transmit its motion by means of a chain belt attached to the above lever and running over an idler wheel to connect it with another rockshaft lever at right angles with the cam shaft. On this rockshaft another Fig. 5. End View of Cone Winder. lever, connected by upright rods to the building rail, gives to it a rise and fall corresponding to the height of the cone-shaped por- tion of the winder bobbin. On a third lever of this rockshaft is a ball weight to equalize the motion, balance the weight of the cup rail or l)iiilding rail, and thereby relieve the heart cam of exces- sive wear when lifting the rail. The upright rods to the building 17 10 KNITTING. rail are near each end of the rail ; the rockshaf t with lifting rod lever and ball counterweight is consequently duplicated at the opposite end of the machine, the rockshaft being connected with rod and levers. The upi-ight rods are not connected to the levers, but, having a broad heel, ride easily on a small roller wheel in the ends of the levers. This arrangement permits a free sweep of the levers with a minimum of friction. > Fig. (i. Heart Cam. The Spindles are properly stepped and run in oil with a cap closely fitted to the spindle and covering the step to keep out grit and lint. If the caps are kept in position the steps will last a long time. About eight inches above the step rail just beneath the board covering is the bolster rail witli the spindle bearing. Just above the covering, fastened to the spindle with a, taper bear- ing, is a flange on which the bobbin rides, held on b}' the spindle piojecting up into the hole in the bobbin made for that purpose. On that part of the spindle between the step and the upper bear- ing is fastened the whorl for belting the spindle. The jack bobbins or cops are placed in their position just under the cotton friction or cleaner rail. The yarn passes from the cop or jack bobbin through the inside curl of the double quirl guide wire, is wound two or three times around the wire as the ten- 18 Z c« KNITTING. 11 sion may require or the strength of tlie yarn permit ; then through the outer curl, over the felt on the cotton friction rail, into the por- celain pot eye guide, through the scraper guide, up to the porce- lain guide attached to the friction cup on the screw spindle ; then thrown around the cloth covered part of the winder bobbin to which it clings and thereby gets its start. When the yarn has builded the bobbin to the required diameter at its base the yarn will rub against the cup, Fig. 7, move it around and up on the screw spindle ; as the yarn guide is attached to the cup, the yarn is raised with it and consequently does not wind on the bobbin as far down on its next descent with the ])uilding rail when this oper- ation is repeated. The cup, and the yarn with it, moves up grad- ually until the bobbin is full to the top of the spindle leaving the top in the shape of a cone just as it has builded it all the way up. It takes its form from the conical shape of the empty bob- bin at its base, shown at Fig. 2, and is made to build in that manner be- cause the yarn comes off the bobbin in the most approved manner for knitting machine purposes. The screw on which the cup moves is a ratch screw thread, flat on the upper side and V shaped on the lower ; the cup is not tapped out but has a blade held in place by means of a spring, and meshing into the screw thread. This permits of the cup being raised with the thread or, in case of a bunch or large place on the bobbin, to slip up an extra tooth or be quickly raised out of harm's way in case of accident. When the bobbin is filled the cup is easily lowered to the starting point by a slight pressure of the thumb on a small lever on the blade while grasping the cup in the same hand. Endwise Motion. The cotton friction, or cleaner-rail, has pieces of felt or flannel about three inches wide, attached to that part over which the yarn runs, to make friction, thereby increas- Fig. 7. Cup and Thread Guide. 91 12 KNITTING, ing the tension and incidentally helping to cleanse the yarn. In order that the yarn may not run in one crease on the felt the rail is made to move slowly endwise back and forth, and to oscillate a little ; the latter motion is imparted by the suitably connected rocksliaft levers. The mechanism for impaiting the endwise motion, Fig. 8, is attaclied to tlie building rail on the receiving pulley end of the machine from which it gets its movement. The friction rail is supported at each end by trunnions on which it oscillates. These trunnions are made long to allow for the endwise movement in their bearings, with extra length on the end that carries the end- wise mechanism. A ratchet wheel turning on the trunnion is rf?" Fig. 8. Endwise Motion. connected with the building rail and turns it with a worm gear running on the same trunnion. The worm causes to revolve a wheel gear to which is attached a rod connecting it with the cot- ton friction rail in a manner to impart to it a slow motion back and forth. These two motions prevent wearing the friction felts in only one place and thus assists in cleansing the yarn. The Stop notion is directly under that part of the bottom of the winder bobl^in that projects over the flange, and is operated by pulling out the wire with a round eye that projects just beyond and below the rails beside and near the top of the cop (see Fig. 1). This action raises the winder bobbin from the flange and prevents it from revolving. Each bobbin has its own stop motion and consequently any bobbin may be stopped without stopping 29 KNITTING. 13 any of the others. As the building cup of each bobbin is also in- dependent, one may be partially or almost filled and another just being started. The building cup also adjusts itself to line or coarse yarns so that several numbers can be wound at the same time if required. The Tension is regulated to draw loosest on woolen yarn at the largest part of the bobbin and to tighten gradually as the yarn nears the smallest part or nose, because the larger the diameter the faster the yarn travels and vice-versa. To help regulate this matter a rail, with a porcelain pot eye guide for each thread, be- tween and nearly on a level with the cotton friction rail and the cup rail, is supported by connections with the ball lever rock- shafts at such a point as to give a certain amount of rise to the pot- eye guide. The Scraper Guide, Fig. 9 is stationary. It is a small cast- ing having on the front side two blades, one adjustable. Between these blades the yarn passes, and as the slot between is adjusted to about the size of the yarn they act as a cleanser. If any foreign sub- stance such as straws and seeds adhere to the yarn or lumpy places appear, the scraper helps to re- move them. On the back of the scraper a porcelain guide is secured in the casting. When the yarn is being wound around the largest part of the bobbin the pot eye rail is at its lowest point; as the yarn builds higher on the bobbin the pot eye guide rail rises and gradually increases the tension by making a sharper angle between itself and the scraper guide, thereby increasing the friction on the yarn. The Evans Friction Cone Drive is oftentimes applied to Winders to equalize the speed of winding, and by this means wind as fast at the small end or nose of the bobbin as at the large end or base. The cone drive is shown in Fig. 10 (Winder with Cone Drive). It has an automatic shipper X connected Fig. 9. Scraper Guide. 93 14 KNITTING. with the rockshaft arm of the building motion and so arranged tliat the bobbin runs at its lowest speed when tne }arn is being wound on its largest diameter and increases its speed in propor- tion to the decrease of its diameter, so that the yarn runs at the same speed and with more even tension. The leather friction band C is shipped from end to end of the cone A B by the auto- matic shipper X. The cones should be carefully adjusted so that the pressure on the leather friction band, when the cones are at rest, is not so hard but what the band could be })ulled through by hand, but not so loose that the friction is not sufficient to trans- mit tlie power. The cones may be forced together so hard that 24 KNITTING. 15 the leather friction band will not transmit the power it should with proper tension. Too much pressure will make the winder run hard and cause trouble with the winding and is entirely un- necessary. One edge of the leather friction band should not be allowed to stretch more than the other and will not if the cones are kept the same distance apart at each end. This distance may be adjusted by means of check nuts just beneath the bearings at each end of the shaft on the lower or driven cone. If the above directions are followed carefully the cone drive will help the winder to build a more evenly uniform bobbin and build it quicker with less bi'eaking of the yarn in the twits. Old Type of Knitting Table. 16 KNITTING. KNiTTlNQ YARN TABLES AND CALCULATIONS. The methods of designating the weight of mule spun yarn varies in different localities. The custom in the Cohoes Mills is to designate the yarn by the weight in grains of three threads from one draw of the jack; that is, after the jack has run back and drawn the roving off the spools, spun it and run to the further- most point from the drawing roll, which is about 6 feet 3 inches, take three threads (from the spindle to the drawing rolls) break them off, and weigh them together. The weight in grains of these three threads, about 6i yards in length, is the "grain of the yai'n." For instance, if these three threads weigh 11^ grains, the yarn is classified as Hi grain yarn. The Amsterdam method is to take 6 draws. This gives a closer weighing than the " three end " method but of course, the classification is twice as gi^eat. For instance, 11|^ grain yarn Cohoes standard is 23 grain yarn Amsterdam standard. The weight of yarn suitable for any particular gauge is deter- mined for a maximum by the weight that can be crowded between the needles without causing bad work, and for lesser weights by the weight of the fabric required. For instance, on an 18 gauge machine 9i grain (Cohoes standard) yarn is about as heavy as is advisable, and a (12 pound to the dozen) No. 40 shirt may be made with it. Less grain yarn may l)e used for lighter garments. Appended is a table giving the size of yarn in grains for the commonly used gauges and the corresponding weight per dozen of No. 40 shirts. Gauge. Grains in six draws. Grains in three draws. Weight per rtoz. of No. 40 Shirts. 24 n 4| 81 ■22 11 54 9 20 14 7 11 18 18i 9^ 111 16 2U lOf - 12 14 2.3 in 12 12 27 13J 12 10 30 15 12i As there are various systems of numbering yarn used in different localities, the following comparative tables are given. 26 w ■= Ou = 5 5 OS 5 z KNITTING. 17 COMPARATIVE YARN TABLES. EQUIVALENTS OF DIFFERENT YARN STANDARDS. e3 S3 .9 '3 -d . be a » S a bC in CO * 2.S t^ o M . J3 a P. n 3 1'- P. o p. ^ ^3 ^ tx "O so * d ■2 a ■a SI 1166.67 300 18.75 145.83 1 35.35 9900 618.75 4.42 33 625. 560 35. 78.13 1 34.72 10080 630. 4.34 12 18 583.33 600 37 5 72.92 2 34.31 10200 637.5 4.29 34 416.66 840 52.5 52.08 1 33.33 10500 650.25 4 17 35 12>^ K% 388.89 900 56.25 48.61 3 32.89 10640 665. 4.11 19 312.5 1120 70. 39.06 2 .32.41 lOSOO 675. 4.05 36 63^ 291.67 1200 75. 36.46 4 31.25 11200 700. 3.91 20 233.33 1500 93.75 29.17 5 29.76 11760 735. 3.72 14 21 218.75 1600 100. 27.34 1 29.1C 12000 750. 3.65 40 7K 208.33 1680 105. 26.04 2 3 28.41 12320 770. 3 55 22 194.44 1800 112.5 24:31 6 27.78 12600 787.5 3.47 15 22J^ 166.66 2100 131.25 20.83 7 2% 3% 27.34 12800 800. 3.42 8 156.25 2240 140. 19.53 4 26.04 13440 840. 3.26 16 24 I45.a3 2400 150. 18.23 8 i'A 25.90 13500 843.75 3.24 45 138.89 2520 157.5 17.36 3 *% 24.51 14280 892.5 3.06 17 25'A 129.63 •2700 168.75 16.20 9 24.31 14400 900. 3.04 48 9 125. 2800 175. 15.63 1^4 5 24.04 14.560 910. 3.01 26 116.66 3000 187.5 14.58 10 23.33 15000 937.5 2.92 50 109.38 3200 200. 13.67 2 23.15 1.5120 945. 2.89 18 27 106.06 3300 206.25 13.26 11 22.44 15000 975. 281 52 9-% 104.17 3360 210. 13.02 4 6 21.93 15960 997.5 2.74 19 2834 97.22 3600 225. 12.15 12 2M 21.88 16000 1000. 2.74 10 89.74 3900 243.75 11.22 13 21.21 16500 1031.25 2.65 55 87.86 3920 245. 10.98 7 20.83 1G800 1050. 2.C0 56 ^OX 20 30 83.33 4200 262.5 10.42 14 5 734 19.89 17600 1100. 2.49 11 78.13 4480 280. 9.77 8 10.53 17920 1120. 2.44 32 77.77 4500 281.25 9.72 15 19.14 ISOOO Ili5. 2.43 60 UM 72.92 4800 300. 9.12 16 3 18.91 18480 1155. 2.37 22 33 69.44 5040 315. 8.68 6 9 18..38 19040 1190. 2,30 34 68.63 5100 318.75 8.58 17 18.23 19200 1200. 2.28 12 64.82 5400 337.5 8.10 18 17.95 19500 1218.75 2.24 65 62.50 5600 350. 7.81 ^A 10 17.36 20160 1260. 2,17 24 36 61.40 5700 356.25 7.68 19 16.83 20800 1300. 2,10 13 59.52 5880 367.5 7.44 7 io>i 16.07 21000 1312.5 2.08 70 25 37K 58.33 6000 375. 7.29 20 3% 16.45 21280 13.30. 2.06 38 56.82 6160 385. 7.10 11 16.03 21840 1365. 2.00 26 39 55.56 6300 393.75 0.95 21 7K UK 1.5.63 22400 1400. 1.95 14 40 .54.69 6400 400. 0.84 4 15.56 22500 1406.25 1.94 75 53.03 6C00 412.5 0.63 22 14.88 23520 1470. 1.86 28 42 52.08 6720 420. G.51 8 12 14.58 24000 1500. 1.82 80 15 50.72 6900 431.25 6.34 23 14.20 24640 1540. 1.78 44 48.61 7200 450. 6.08 24 iV^ 13.89 25200 1575. 1.74 84 1534 30 45 48.08 7280 455. 6.01 13 13.73 25500 1593.75 1.72 85 46.67 7500 468.75 5.83 25 13,07 25600 1600. 1.71 16 46.30 7560 472.5 5.79 9 13.59 25760 1610. 1.70 46 44.85 7800 487.5 5.61 26 13.02 20880 KiSO. 1.03 32 48 44.64 7840 490. 5.58 14 12.97 27000 1687.5 1.62 90 43.75 8000 500. 5.47 5 12.87 27200 1700. 1.61 17 43.21 8100 506.25 5.40 27 12.28 28500 1781.25 1.54 95 41.67 8400 525. 5.28 28 5K 10 15 12.25 28560 1785. 1.53 34 51 40.23 8700 543.75 5.03 29 12.15 28800 1800. 2.77 98 18 39.06 89G0 560. 4.88 16 11.67 30000 1875. 1.46 100 18% 38.88 9000 562.5 4.86 30 11.57 30240 1890. 1.45 36 54 37.88 924(1 577.5 4.74 11 163^ 11.51 .30400 19U0. 1.44 19 37.6.3 9300 581.25 4.70 31 10.9C 31920 1995. 1.37 38 57 36.76 952C 595. 4.60 17 10.94 32000 2000. 1.37 20 36.46 960C 600. 4.56 32 6 10.42 33000 2100. 1.30 112 40 60 27 18 KNITTING. Woolen Run System. Only the most delicate scales should be used for weighing yarn. Fig. 11 shows the kind of scale gen- erall}^ used for this work. The beam is graduated into 100 parts, indicating grains. Four weights, 100, 200, 400 and 800 grains, are furnished with the scale, and appended is a table giving the weights of fifty yards of many nund)ers of single woolen yarn, in grains. This table is obtained by the following calculation. If 1,000 yards Single Woolen Yarn (called 1 Run) weigh 7,000 grains, (1 lb.) then one yard will weigh j-g^-^ X 7000 grains = 4| grains, and 50 yards will weigh 50 X 4| grains = 21 8| grains. If 60 yards single Woolen 1 Run Yarn weigh 2184 grains, 50 yards Single Woolen 2 Run Yarn will Aveigh ^ X 21 8| grains = 109| grains and so on as per following table. Weight in Grains, 50 Yards, Single Woolen Yarn in "Runs." Run. Grains. Run. Grain.s. I 487.^ ^>k 39i| 5 8 350 5| 38,V 1 291 i 6 36U i 250 6i 35 1 218| 6.V •'•J 3 6 n ]9-i " 10 " " 23f " 30 " " " " 30" " 23| " French Spun Worsted ; Cop Form. The Yarn Reel used in connection with the yarn scales, is like the one shown in Fig. 12. This yarn reel is 51 inches or one and one-half yards in circumference. The dial is graduated into 120 parts, and indicates the number of yards reeled from each spin- dle. The yarn guides and spindles are so arranged that they are kept in line with each other while feeding yarn on to the reel. The ex- tra length of the yarn guides is of use in in- creasing the friction on the yarn by making a half turn or more around them. In order to lay the yarn flat upon the reel, an automatic feed motion is provided, by means of which accurate and uniform measurement is secured. Follow- ing is a table for numbering cotton, linen, and worsted yarns. Fig. 12. Yarn Eeel. 32 n CQ ft S 3 H 2 KNITTING. 23 Table for Numbering Cotton, Linen and Worsted Yarns. No. Grains. No. Grains. No. Grains. No. Grains. No. Grains. 5 1400. 27 259.3 49 142.8 71 98.6 93 75.3 6 1166.6 28 250. 50 140. 72 97.2 94 74.5 7 1000. 29 241.5 51 137.3 73 95.9 95 73.7 8 876. 30 233.4 52 134.7 74 94.6 ■ 9() 72.9 9 777.8 31 225.8 53 132.1 76 93.3 97 72.3 10 700. 32 218 8 54 129 7 76 92.1 98 71.4 11 636.4 33 212.2 65 127.3 77 90.9 99 70.7 12 583.3 34 206. 56 125. 78 89.7 100 70. 13 538.5 35 200. 57 122.8 79 88.6 105 66.7 14 500. 36 194.6 58 120.7 80 87.5 110 63.6 15 466.8 37 189.3 59 118 6 81 86.4 115 60.9 16 437.5 38 184 3 60 116 7 82 85.4 120 58.3 17 411.9 39 179.6 61 1148 83 84.3 125 56. 18 389. 40 175. 62 112.9 84 83 3 130 53.8 19 368.5 41 170.8 63 111.1 85 82.4 135 51.8 20 350. 42 166.7 64 109.3 86 81.4 140 50. 21 383.3 43 162.8 65 107.7 87 80.4 145 48.3 22 318.3 44 159.2 66 106.1 88 79.5 150 46.7 23 304.6 45 155.6 67 104.4 89 78.6 155 45.2 24 292.8 46 152.2 68 102.9 90 77.8 160 43.8 25 280. 47 148.9 69 101.4 -.91 76.9 165 42.4 26 269.3 48 145.8 70 100. 92 79.1 170 175 180 185 190 195 200 41.2 40. 38.9 37.8 36.8 35.9 35. To number cotton yarn : Reel 840 Yards, equal to one skein or hank, and opposite its weight of grains in the table, will be found its number. To number linen yarn : Reel 300 yards, equal to one lea, and opposite its weight of grains in the table, will be found its number. To number worsted yarn : Reel 560 yards, equal to one skein or hank, and opposite its weight of grains in the table, will be found its number. Worsted Count System. 560 yards No. 1 Worsted Yarn weigh TOOO grains (1 lb.) 50 yards of No. 1 Worsted Yarn weigh 625 grains, from which the table on page 25 is calculated. Reel off 50 yards, and opposite its weight of grains in the table will be found the count or No. of the yarn. To find the count from a small sample of single worsted yarn: Divide the weight by the length in inches and multiply the quo- 35 24 KNITTING. tient by 1800 (50 yards reduced to inches = 1800 inches). Find the number in the table on page 25 and opposite is the number designating the No. of the yarn. 36 KNITTING. 25 Example : Suppose we have 52 inches of single worsted yarn weighing 6.02 grains : Then : 6.02 4- 52 = .1,157, this X 1800 = 208.33. Referring to the table we find that the size of this yarn is No. 3. Again; — Suppose we have 152 inches weighing 1.056 grains, then 1.056 4- 152 = . 006947 X 1800 = 12.505 ; therefore, by referring to the table we find that the count is No. 50. Weight in Orains 50 Yards, any No. Single Worsted Yarn. No, Grains. No. Grains. No. Grains. No. Grains, 1 625. 26 24.03 51 12.25 76 8.22 2 312.5 27 23.14 52 12.01 77 8.11 3 208.33 28 22.32 53 11.79 78 8.01 4 156.25 29 21.55 54 11.57 79 7.91 5 125. 30 20.83 55 11.36 80 7.81 6 104.16 31 20.16 56 11.16 81 7,71 7 89.28 32 19.53 57 10.96 82 7.62 8 78.12 33 18.93 58 10.77 83 7,53 9 69.44 34 17.38 59 10,59 84 7.44 10 62.50 35 17.85 60 10.41 85 7.35 11 56.81 36 17.36 61 10.24 86 7,26 12 52.08 37 16.89 62 10.08 87 7.18 13 48.07 38 16.44 63 9.92 88 7.10 14 44.64 39 16.03 64 9.76 89 7.02 15 41.66 40 15.62 65 9.61 90 6.94 16 39.06 41 15.24 66 9.46 91 6,86 17 .36.76 42 14.88 67 9.32 92 6:79 18 34.72 43 14.53 68 9.19 93 6,72 19 32.89 44 14.20 69 9.05 94 6.64 20 31.25 45 13.88 70 8.92 95 6.57 21 29.76 46 13.58 71 8.80 96 6.51 22 28.40 47 13.29 72 8.68 97 6.44 23 27.17 48 13.02 73 8.56 98 6.37 24 26.04 49 12.75 74 8,44 99 6.31 25 25. 50 12.50 75 8.33 100 6.25 CYLINDER SPRING NEEDLE MACHINES. There are different types of this style of machine, the prin- ciples being about the same bat differing in constraction. They may be classified as to method of holding the needles — the Leaded Needle and the Trick Needle ; as to the mode of driving the take- up — Overhead Drive and Inside Drive ; — and as to the kind of fabric made — Flat, Backiiig and Rib. The leaded needle machine is the oldest type and in most general use. Fig. 13 shows the Tompkins two cylinder leaded spring needle machine. The most prominent feature brought out in this engraving, besides the general outlines, are the rolls of cloth show- ing the direction they take from the needles, the take-up for roll- 37 26 KNITTING. ing up the cloth, tlie location of the winder bobbins and the feeds taking the yarn from the bobbins and feeding it to the needles. The needles are leaded in sections by placing in a mould specially made for the purpose which holds the needles securely in their proper position while the metal is run into it. The needles being in small sections or leads, two needles in a block, greatly facili- HEAD HEAD i \ BARB POINT-^ -CRIMP -EYE BARB POINT 1- SHANK CRIMP EYE TRICK Sprinfj Needle (Unleaded) Actual Size. Trick Needle. tates the replacing of broken or worn needles as they are quickly and easily placed in position in the cylinder. It is a great mistake to neglect the needle moulds and leave them in the care of cai'eless hands. If the moulds are abused and the needles made to go when they do not just fit, the cloth looks uneven and otherwise unsightly, the burs are difficult to set and smashes occur without any apparent reason. 38 KNITTING. 27 The Needle Mould. Fig. 14, used in leading needles consists essentially of two side pieces, each having secured to its inner face a plate, and hinged by a holt at one end. The side pieces form the sides of the mould and the adjacent edges of the plates form the Fig. 13. Leaded Spring Needle Macliine. front and hack faces of the mould. The sprue is drilled between the side pieces at the free ends, and the two needles, held heads outward by what is called a " trick " and grooves, project partially into the mould at the hinged end. A mixture of lead, antimony, 89 28 KNITTING. and tin that fuses readily but is quite haixl when solid is poured into the mould, which is then opened, the lead with the embedded needles is withdrawn, the sprue is cut off and the leaded needles are ready to be clamped in the cylinder. One advantage of leaded needles is that the needle being held in the mould by the head and middle portion stands true in the lead and consequently in the cylinder. An objection is the botiier with the mould, lead and needle boy. Faulty moulds will produce altogether too much trouble and annoyance to be tolerated, and the knitter who neglects them will never excel in the art of knitting. Fif?. 14. Needle Mold. Needles for backing work should be longer than for plain work, the object being to keep the sinker bur from picking up the backing. It also distributes the bending, caused by the backing bur, over a greater length of the needle and thereby prolongs the life of the needle. The Gauge of a leaded needle cylinder can be changed by having a needle mould made for the gauge desired, or in a trick needle cylinder by having a new cylinder or trick-tops cut. The gauge determines the closeness of the wales of the cloth and the relative fineness of the fabric. The gauge is generally deter- 40 KNITTING. 29 mined, in the old way, by the number of leads contained in three inches of the circumference of the cylinder. As each lead con- tains two needles it is sometimes the custom or habit to call the gauge the number of needles in an incli and a half, and other times to call it lialf the number of needles in three inches ; but it is not good practice, though equivalent thereto. In some localities tlie gauge is the number of needles to the inch, and yet again in other localities, the number of needles in two inches. The difference in measuring cylinders by different makers, and tlie dif- ference in measuring leaded needle cjdinders and trick needle Spring Needles Unleaded. cylinders, is mostly responsible for this lack of uniformity in des- ignating the relative degree of fineness of the fabric. The knit- ter governs himself, in the gauge matter, according to the type of machine he encounters, and the locality he finds himself in. If by the old way (viz : the number of leads in three inches), and twenty gauge is required, there should be forty needles in three inches measured on the circumference of the cylinder (1 Si- needles to the inch). Or if fourteen gauge is required, there should be twenty-eight needles in three inches on the circumfer- ence (9-| needles to the inch). If it- be a 14 inch cylinder, the circumference will measure 43.98 inches and if it be 20 gauge on the needle Ime, there would 41 30 KNITTING. be 586 needles in the needle space around the cylinder. ]f it be a 22 inch cylinder, the circumference will measure 69.12 inches, and if it be a 22 gauge the needle space should contain 1014 needles. The following table indicates sizes generally accepted : — (iauge. Needles to the Inch. St,ubbB Wire. Size in Inches. 30 20 (24) (.023 to) (23!) (.0245 ) (23) (.0255 to) 24 16 (22 1) (.0275 ) 22 14| 22 .029 20 13^ 21 .0315 18 12 20 .0355 16 101 19> .039 14 9^ 19 .0415 To reduce the old gauge to the number of needles to the inch ; Multiply the gauge by | ; because the gauge is the number of leads in three inches, and there are two needles in a lead. To find the number of needles to the inch, the whole number of needles in the machine being given and the diameter: Multi- ply the diameter by 3.14 and divide the number of needles by the pi oduct. For example : Given a cylinder 22 inches in diameter containing 1014 needles, how many needles are there to the inch? 22x3.14 = 69.08. 1014 H- 69.08 = 14| needles to the inch, and 14 1 is ^ of the gauge, or 22 gauge. To find the number of needles required in the cylinder the number of needles to the inch as gauge being given, and the di- ameter of the cylinder : Multiply the diameter of the cyhnder by 3.14 and multiply the product by the number of needles to the inch as gauge. For example : How many needles should there be in a cylinder 18 inches in diameter to knit 20 gauge cloth? 18 X 3.14 3= 56.52 X 13i (| of the gauge 20 is 131 needles to the inch) = 754. Following is a table giving circumferences of cylinders in inches from 6 to 35.1 inches in diameter: 42 SPRING NEEDLE RIB MACHINE EQUIPPED WITH STOP MOTION Craue Mfg. Co. KNITTING. n Table of Circumferences of Cylinders in Inches and Feet. Diameter of Circumference Circumference Diameter of Circumference Circumference Cyliuder. . of Cylinder of Cylinder ( yUnder of Cylinder of Cylinder in Inches in Inches. in Feet. in Inches. in Inches. in Feet. 6 18.85 1 57 24 75.40 6.28 0* 20.42 1.70 24* 76.97 6.41 7 21.99 1.83 25 78.54 6.55 7i 23 5() 1.96 25* 80.11 6.68 . 8 25.13 2.09 26 81.68 6.81 8i 20 70 . 2.23 20* 83.25 6.94 9 28.27 2.30 27 84.82 7.07 9^ 29.85 2.49 27* 86.39 7.20 10 31.42 2.62 28 87.97 7.33 lOi 32.9!) 2.75 28* 89.54 7.46 11 34.56 2.88 29 91.11 7.59 lU 36.13 3.01 29* 92 68 7.72 12 37.70 3.14 30 94.25 7.85 12i^ 39.27 3.27 30* 95.82 7.99 18 40.84 3.40 31 97.39 8.12 13* 42.41 3.53 3i* 98.96 8 25 14 43.98 3.07 32 100.53 . 8 38 14i 45.55 3.79 32* 102.10 8.51 15 47.12 3.93 33 103.67 8.64 15* 48.70 . 4.06 33* 105.24 8.77 Ifi 50.27 4.19 34" 106.21 8.90 16i 51.84 4.32 34* 108.39 9.03 17 53.41 4.45 35 109.96 9.16 17* 54.98 4.58 35* 111.53 9.29 18 56.55 4.71 18i 58.12 4.84 19 .59.69 4 97 19* 61.26 5.11 20 62.83 5 24 20* • 64.40 5.37 21 65.97 5.50 21* 67.54 5.63 22 69.12 5.76 22* 70.69 5.89 23" 72.25 6.02 23* 73.83 6.15 The riethod of Driving is with a belt attached to a pulley at the end of the table on the shaft, and at the bottom of tlie frame, that extends the length and projects at either end so that the receiving pulley may be driven from either end. On the shaft are two pulleys each driving a separate counter shaft — one for each cylinder — directly under the table. Each of these counters have a tight and loose pulley, for the cylinder is started and stopped with a shipper which is mounted on top of the table within easy reach of the operator, as is shown in detail in Fig. 15. On each counter is a bevel pinion that meshes Avith a bevel gear 43 32 KNITTING. driving tlie double pinion shown under the cyUnder. The upper spur gear of the double pinion drives the cylinder and the lower half drives the center shaft — the vertical shaft shown in Fiar. 16. Fig. 15. Cylinder Drive. The gear on the lower end of the vertical shaft is hidden by the bed plate, but is shown in detail in this illustration. This verti- cal shaft drives the take-up, revolves in the same direction as the cylinder and makes the same number of revolutions per minute. KNITTING. 33 The connections from the shipper to the cylinder and vertical shaft are shown in detail, and are thus explained : The shipper 31, is fastened to stud 24, which turns in sleeve 25, fastened to the guide 29, which throws the belt from tight to loose pulley or back at the will of the operator; the tight pulley drives the coun- ter shaft 18, to which is fastened the bevel pinion 19, with set screw 20; bevel pinion 19, meshes with bevel gear 17, which drives shaft 10, at the upper end of which is fastened the double pinion 8 and 9, shaft 10, runs in sleeve or box 11, secured to the bed plate of the machine. Pinion 9, drives gear 7, which is fas- tened to vertical shaft 6, that drives the take-up ; and pinion 8, drives gear 4, which drives the cylinder 3. I'lg. Hi. Cyliuder and Driving Gears/ The Cylinder. The cylinder is shown in detail in Figs. 16 and 17. The holes in the periphery of the cylinder are for the clamp screws to tighten the clamps that hold in place the leads contain- ing the needles. The drawing on either side at the top of Fig. 15 show details of the double pinion and the bearing in which it runs. 54 KNITTING. The cylinder 1, is shown in two views — top and side; 2 ia the spur gear which is fastened to the hub of the cylinder and drives it ; 4 is the clamp for holding the leads ; 6 the washer and 5 the clamp screw for tightening the clamps ; 7 is an iron ring, 10 /O 7C m 7c= So JM □»»!! m ^^ O O rzzi J" Fig. 17. Cylinder and Parts. the bottom spreader, secured to the vertical shaft, and serves to keep the web in the cylindrical form in which it left the needles ; 9 is an elliptical ring, the top spreader, also secured to the verti- 46 KNITTING. 35 cal shaft which serves to guide the web to the winding or take-up rolls and present it in better shape to be rolled up on the rolls. Bottom spreader 7, being the same shape as the cyHnder equal- Light "Weight Cotton Fabric, 18 Gauge. izes the tension of the cloth on the needles at all points round the cylinder, while the top spreader 9, shapes and guides the web to the take-up rollers so that it is rolled up with the circular rows of 47 36 KNITTING. stitches or courses, in straight horizontal lines across the flattened fabric. To top spreader 9, is fastened the spreader bow 10, which is secured to the take-up and drives it. Tlie drawing on the right and at the top of Fig. 17, is a side view of 9 and 10. Elevation of Take-Up. The Take-Up is an important adjunct to the knitting machine, whose function is to take away, or take-up, the web of cloth from the needles as fast as it is knitted, and maintain the proper degree 48 KNITTING. 37 of tension on the needles. To take it up too slowly would cause an accumulation of yarn in the needles ; to take it up too fast would cause a severe strain on the needles. Tlie effects of either would be broken needles, a smash, uneven cloth and possibly a pull off. The take-up which is shown in Fig. 18 consists of three rollers contained in a frame with connecting mechanism to turn them in the required manner. It is suspended to the cross-tree extending from the top of the central column of the machine (see Fig. 13) by the stationary stud 8, (Fig. 18,) and is driven by the spreader bow inside of the web and between the two rods at the -"^^ rrhi—, '" r— r ^&^(^ \^ p ^ ^ N Fig. 18. Take-Up and Parts. bottom of the frame. The spreader bow is supported and rotated by the vertical shaft. The weight of the take-up is supported by a hardened rounded steel collar (not shown in the cut) seated in a hardened steel cup, 5. This is sufficiently free to allow the take- up to move readily without leaving it too free to continue rotating after the stop motion has released the shipper. The bevel pinion 11, on top of tlie frame takes its motion from the standing gear 9, on the crosstree and by means of the crank 32, and spring connecting rod 33 and 31, reciprocates the dog 24, engaging the ratchet gear 49 38 KNITTING. 17, on the end of the upper quartz covered roll 13. When the tension on the cloth is rightly adjusted the unnecessary take-up motion is absorbed by the spring and as the adjustment of this spring connecting rod device determines the degree of tension on Take-Up, Outside Drive. the cloth v^^hile being knitted, and is a most important factor in producing good cloth with a minimum of broken needles, detail drawing is given in this diagram. The crank connection 32, is attached to tlie upper end of the connecting rod 31 ; on the other connecting rod 31, is a cylindrical 50 KNITTING. 39 spring 32. These two rods are held together at either end by con- necting links 28, securely fastened to one of the rods, but allowing the other rod to move freely through the other holes in the links Fig. 19. Outside Circles. when the crank actuated by bevel gear 11, on shaft 10, lifts the spring connecting rod mechanism. Spring 33, is so arranged be- tween washer 29, fastened to the upper end of one of the rods 31, and link washer 28, fastened to the lower end of the other nxl. 51 40 KNITTING. that it makes a compensating connecting rod. The lower end of one of the rods 31, is connected by means of part 32, and link 26, and 27, to a mechanism arranged to contain and operate pawl 24, on a ratchet wheel 17, which being secured to quartz covered roll 13, draws up or takes up the web of cloth as fast as it is knit. It is then rolled up on the incumbent wooden roller 12, which turns by virtue of its own weight on roller 13. The draft roller 13, is held in position by the short pawl 22, engaging with the ratchet wheel 17, on the end of the roller. t f « IpdDoD Fig. 20. Sinker Stand Parts. When the tension on the cloth between the needles and the draft rollers will permit, the pawl 24, engages with ratchet wheel 17, causing the draft roll to move forward as far as is necessary to equalize the strain on the cloth. This tension is adjusted by means of spring 83. When the spring is at its full adjusted length the tension of the cloth is greater than the resisting force of the spring, but as more courses are knitted the tension of the cloth relaxes and the ratchet wheel yields to the pressure of the spring connecting rod turning the roll, taking up the slack cloth and maintaining the proper tension on the cloth between the needles 52 KNITTING. 41 and the rolls. In the meantime it will be remembered that the unnecessary take-up motion is absorbed by the spring. As the web is taken up it winds on the wooden roll 12, and when the roll is sufficiently large tlie cloth is cut and the roll removed by lifting out of the parallel ways on the inside of the frame. When it is desired to unwind the cloth, both dogs may be thrown out of gear by pushing up the handle attached to the gear cover. Outside Circles. Fig. 19 shows two kinds of outside circles and links. The smaller of the two is called the slotted circle. The Fig. 20. Sinker Stand Assembled. link on this circle is adjustable to almost any desired position. The larger one is called the dovetailed circle. A stand once set on this circle may be moved circumferentially without altering its adjustment. The links on this circle are always radial and cannot be moved in or out. The narrow link is generally used for plush work, the broader one for plain work. The circle is mounted on the projections rising from the bed plate, seen in Fig. 16, which brings it below the cylinder. The links bolted to this circle sup- port the stands on which the outside burs and wheels run. 42 KNITTING. The Sinker Stand Fig 20, is a mechanical arrangement on the outside circle for supporting tlie sinker bur and the holding wheel. The sinker bur feeds the yarn up under the beards of the needles. The holding wheel is so arranged that it projects over and inside of the needles opposite the sinker bur and by means of the wide flange holds down the clotii to bring it in proper position and facilitate tlie action of the burs and needles so that new stitches may be formed. The sinker stand 1, is secured to the links by the l)olt 2. The tube 3, is secured to the stand 1, b}^ means of bolt 10 ; tube 3, contains shaft 4, on which is spring 5. Wlien the parts are assembled the spring 5, is confined between the shoulder on the shaft 4, and the collar 8, which is partially inserted in the tube 8, and secured thereto by set screw 9 ; the nut 6, is for locking nut 7, in its proper position. This arrangement is provided to give a yielding pressure to the shaft 4, which supports the bracket 12, with the stud 14, on which revolves the sinker bnr 11. Bracket 12, is secured to the shaft 4, by screw 16. The shaft has a rotary adjustment, and is adjusted in and out by the nuts on the end of the shaft. When a bunch gets in under the bur, tlie shaft allows the bur to move back against the spring. After the bunch has passed the spring returns the bur to its position leaving the needles uninjured. At the top of the stand on the offset directly over the sinker bur, is supported the stud 19, which is secured to the stand with bolt 20, the holding down wheel 18, runs on stud 19. The Presser Stand Fig. 21, supports the presser wheel, on the outside of the needles, which holds the beards of the needles down over the yarn while the lander bur (inside) raises the cloth and lands the stitches on the beards. The presser stand 1, is held in position on the link with bolt 2. The tube 3, is held in posi- tion on the stand with the screw 4. The shaft 5, is supported in tube 3, and the spring 6, is confined between the shoulder on the shaft and the end of tube, and is adjusted and set by means of lock nuts 7 and 8. At the inner end shaft 5, holds the presser wheel stud 13, with set screw 9. This stud is adjustable up and down and on it runs the presser wheel. Inside Circles. Inside the cylinder and above it is the inside plate or ring, supported by four ribbed arms 1, Fig. 22, and secured 54 KNITTING. 48 to the cylinder stationary stud by set screw 2. On the ring are the grij)es 8, which support tlie inside bur arms. The ring is dovetailed and each gripe is clamped to it by set screw 4, on the inner end. DIt 7 » E 3x s y . V. /~\ iz: 9 ^C7 Fig. 21. Presser Stand Assembled and Parts. When the screw is loosened the gripe may be moved circumfer- entially to any position without otherwise altering the position of the bur. The bur arm 11, may be rotated by loosening set screw 55 u KJ^ITTING. 5 and allowing the holder 6, to be moved as desired. It can also be adjusted in and out with the use of set screw 10, and is capable of adjustment up and down by means of the right and left screw 9. On the end of bur arm 11, is the bur 12. When the web of cloth is on the machine the inside plate and inside burs are hidden from sight. The bottom stitches of the web are looped on the needles one loop to a needle. □ \\uu\»r p; Fig. 22. Inside Circles Assembled and Parts. Burs. Burs are usually made with bronze bodies, though other metals and compositions are employed by different makers, or for that matter by the same makers. The blades are of steel ; hardened and tempered in most instances, but often treated other- wise as the style of the bur seems to require, or the fancy of the maker or knitter dictates. The bushings are made of steel, are case-hardened and removable. The blades not only differ for the various functions they have to perform, but differ for the same KNITTINO. 45 Burs and Parts. 46 KNITTING. employment according to the ideas of the designer, knitter or maker. Inside Burs have either a self oiler, or the bur arms are pro- vided with oilers that do not require replenishing for two or three days or more. This is very essential, for wlien tlie web is stretched from the needles to the take-up, the inside burs are only accessible in some machines after cutting the web, and difficult to get at in any machine. In some machines the cylinder is set high above the table to allow the knitter to reach up under inside to Backing Bur. clean and adjust without cutting the web. In some machines the cylinder is close down to the table, but other advantages are gained by so doing. The Feed Ihirs must correspond with the gauge of the needles, and in many cases pei'mit of being changed to any desired gauge by removing the hub and putting in another of the gauge required. So, too in many cases can the blades be removed in case of wear 58 KNITTING. 47 ^ — p ^^ ^zJ ;^^ ^ ^ i3 0^ C7 m o Burs and Bur Blades. 59 48 KNITTING. and replaced with new ones. In the landing and cast-off burs the wings can be replaced when necessary. The burs push the yarn into and between the needles and in other ways manipulate it until it is cleared off the needles in a web. The blades strike the yarn quick and sharp blows and con- sequently are a considerable factor in determining the speed of running the machine. The Backing Bur is for lacing among the needles a thread that appears mainly on the back of the wel> and is therefore called a backing yarn. This side of the cloth is napped to produce a pile or fleece fabric, or it may be left as it comes from the machine, as the fancy for a style suggests. Napping was done in former years on the knitting machine coincident with the knitting by severing the backing yarn and brushing out the loose ends to produce a pile or nap, but with the advent of the so called " fleece lined " underwear, napping macliines ^^'ere adapted to do that work, leaving the knitting machine to do its legitimate work. Tlie usual way of lacing the yarn among the needles is to spring back alternate needles and lay the yarn in fi'ont of them and behind the others. This causes more severe strain on the needles than ordinary knitting. Another way of getting the yarn into the needles is to bend the yarn so that it may be placed alternately in front of and behind the needles. The style of bur to accomplish this object has a plate, to which in the press places, are hinged latches or sinkers wliich serve to hold back the yarn into the blade spaces in order to lay it in front of the needles. A stationary cam on the stand beneath the bur secures the opening of these latches to allow the yarn to enter the groove in the blades, and the con- tact of the needle pushes the latches and the yarn behind them into the spaces. On receding from the needles the latches open One Lead, 36 Gauge, Actual Size. 60 KNITTING. 49 36 Gauge Cloth (Spriug Needle). 61 60 KNITTING. and release the yarn. This bur puts in a loose back and reduces the inward bend of the needles very considerably, though the fric- tion slightly exceeds that of some other burs and slightly increases the side strain on the needles. A close study of the relations of the burs to the needles, and their action on the yarn will reveal Fig. 23. Feeds. much to the close observer and cannot fail to make the student a superior knitter. Feeds. The large cylinder shown in the cut " Feeds " with the projecting collar screws is the needle cylinder. The direction in which this cylinder turns is counter-clockwise. Beside the cylinder and above it is the inside ring on which are the gripes. The center or vertical shaft is seen projecting up through the center. 62 KNITTING. 51 A Feed is a group of burs and wheels necessary to the forma- tion of a complete stitch, whatever that stitch may be. Begimiiiig at the right near the top of Fig. 23 and going counter-clockwise around the cyUnder, the cut shows a plain feed A, a single pliish feed B, and a double plush feed C The plain feed makes the common knit stitch. Ordinary, or flat knitting is made with this feed. The plush feeds make what is called backing cloth ; that is, a knit cloth with an extra thread looped into the back of the cloth. This thread when napped makes a fleece fabric. The face yarn is generally of cotton. The cloth is called single plush or double plush according as one or two face yarns are employed to make it. Almost anything that can be spun into yarn may be used for back- ing, such as goats hair, camels hair, etc. Plush cloth knit after such fashion is used for cloaks and overcoats, horse blankets, buf- falo robes, etc., as well as underwear. TJie Plain Feed, A, Fig. 23, a good illustration of which is shown on page 60, requires three burs, a holding-down wheel, and a presser wheel. The holding-down wheel is the largest of the group. Right under the hub of the holding-down wheel is the sinker bur; next comes the presser wheel on the outside of the needles and the lander bur on the inside of the needles ; next the cast-off bur which raises the stitch off the needles. Sometimes when economy of space is desirable a single large inside bur is employed instead of two burs. Knitting machines are usually furnished with four feeds to a cylinder, but more feeds may be employed except on small sized cylinders. The production of a machine is proportioned to the number of feeds. Smgle Plush Feed. Single plush is plain knitting with a yarn looped in each course of plain stitches. As it is usually made it is looped in one stitch, then skips two stitches on the back, and is then looped in another stitch and so on, thus making this yarn appear on the back of the cloth almost entirely. The single plush feed is essentially the same as the plain feed, except that a backing bur and a clearing bur are employed in addition to the burs used in the plain feed. The backing bur cannot carry the yarn down far enough on the needles, so the clearing bur is employed to assist it, just as the cast-off bur assists the lander. The feed, shown in Fig. 23 nearly opposite the plain feed, is 63 52 KNITTING. 6-Gauge Sweater Cloth (Sprinfj Needle) Composed of a Doubled 2 Ply French Spun Worsted. 64 KNITTING. 53 2. o O. 4. 5. 6. 7. As a single plush feed B. Taking the burs and wheels iu the order ill which they properly come they are as follows : 1. Holding-down wheel. Backing bur. Clearing bur. Sinker bur. Presser. Lander bur. Cast-off bur. the liolding-down wheel has to cover three burs instead of one — -as in the plain feed — it should be larger than that required for a plain feed; on the other liand the large holding-down wheel will answer for a plain feed. The backing bur and the clearing bur have to be held on to the stud by a nut, as sliown in this cut, as the tendency of the work is to lift them off the stud. The backing yarn is fed into the bur by the guide shown. Sometimes the clearing bur is supported by a bracket secured to the backing stand. A flat presser is also shown, but either the large round presser shown in the plain feed or the small round presser shown in the double plush feed may be employed. A Double Plush Feed Fig, 23, C, may 1)6 made from a single plush feed by se[)a- lating the single plush feed in the middle and inserting a sinker bur, presser and lander. It is then necessary to use another holding-down wlieel on the original sinker stand ; the added sinker puts in what is called the binding tliread, and the presser and lander are to place it on the beards of the needles. As before stated the production of a machine is proportional to Oue Lead 7 Gauge Actual Size. 65 54 KNITTING. the number of feeds theieoii, but it is not good practice to crowd in as many feeds as the space around the cylinder will permit. In such cases the only space at wliich needles may be removed and replaced is at the stop motion, and a smash located at any other AAAAMA < - ~ 17 => □ 19 ii f / f viiiiin X^ -XZK. ^ h /o /f? Fig. 24. Stop Motion Assembled and Parts. place must be moved around to that point, thereby making a bad matter woise. Another objection against crowding in too many feeds to a cjdinder is that more bi-eaks, bunches, smashes, holes, 66 KNITTING. - 55 etc., appear in pro[)ortion to the increased number of feeds, caus- ing an increased number of stops. Every stop lessens production, A certain number of stops will soon oifset the increased produc- tion of one of the feeds, therefore, it is a matter of judgment of how many feeds may be profitably employed — stops, quality of yarn and fabric l)eing considered. The Stop notion is an arrangement for automatically stop- ping the cylinder when a hole in the web appears or an accumula- tion of yarn occurs in the needles, and aids very materially in preventing a lot of bad cloth and a good many needle smashes. On a two-cylinder frame each cylinder is driven with a separate belt, to each of which is applied a shipper for convenience in start- ing and stopping each cylinder and its take-up, separately. When these holes in the cloth or bunches of yarn in the needles appear, the stop motion is so arranged that the shipper is made to act on the belt, shifting it from the tight to the loose pulley and quickly stopping the cylinder. The stop motion is supported on a link secured to the outside circle in a like manner as the stands. Fig. 24 shows detail sketches of parts, and an assembled cut of the Holt stop motion. Number 1 is the stand secured to the link screw bolt 2. In this stand is inserted the bearing 3, which also provides a shoulder; between it and a pin thiough the round hole shown in the spindle 6, is confined a spiral spring. The handle- bar 13, after being adjusted to its proper position, is secured to the spindle 6, with its set screw 14. At the end of the handle- bar is inserted the finger or feeler 15, made very sensitive by action of spring 16, inside of the handle-bar directly behind the feeler or telltale. Just beneath the feeler and attached to the handle-bar by screw 20, is the part 19. When the sensitive finger 15, finds a hole in the web, or the feeler 19, encounters a bunch of yarn or fly in the needles, spindle 6, is rotated enough to disen- gage the lever 22, which is supported at the end of the adjustable shaft 21. The action of the lever 22, releases the shipper which by action of a spring is forced back, and by its connections shifts the belt, thereby stopping the cylinder. When the trouble is remedied the telltales 15 and 19, are thrown into position again with the handle on 13. the lever 22 adjusted and the cylinder is again ready to stari. 67 56 KNITTING. Speed. Such a variety of circumstances are attendant in the process of knitting a fabric tliat no hard and fast rule for speed can be devised. Though exceedingly short, some intei'val of time is required for the easy and perfect formation of the stitch on the needle. Wool, mixtures and other soft yarns cannot be knitted with the needles running at the higliest rate of sijecd, because they are likely to break before the stitch is formed. On the other hand the hard twisted yarns for balbriggans may be knit at the highest speed because they are strong, and capable of sustaining the strain and the quick, sharp blows of the blades of the burs pushing, and at liigh speed fairly striking, the yarn between the needles in sharp bends. Before the yarn reaches the needles it lies straight across tlie bur spaces from one blade to another. The needle entering the space presses the yarn back between the blades drawing it over the entering blade until the full dej)th of the stitch is obtained, while all the time, the yarn meets with tlie resistance caused by the blades meshing into the needles behind it. This is what is termed stress on the yarn. The face yarns employed in making plush are generally very strong, and on them comes the principal stress ; but so many burs and wheels are employed on this sort of work that a smasli at high speed would prove altogether too serious to take tlie chances of the fast running that the strengtli of such yarn would permit. Common practice is to run a 20-inch cylinder between 40 and 65 turns a minute. This corresponds to a needle speed of from 210 to 340 feet per minute. The following table of speed repre- sents some customary speeds: Gauge. Revolutions. Twenty inch cylinder Wool, Mixtures I 18 45 Plush I 24 60 Balbriffs-an I 24 66 Greater speed than this can, however, be attained wlien all or most of the conditions are favorable thereto. Tlie machines are geared so that the needle speed is approximately constant for all sizes of cylinders ; that is, if the machine is belted properly for a 20-inch cylinder it will be right for all other sizes of cylinders. It is also geared so that for one turn of the receiving shaft a 20- 68 KNITTING. 57 inch cylinder makes .254 turns. In other words, the mucliine is geared about 4 to 1, Four turns of tlie receiving shaft to about one turn of the needle cylinder. The receiving shaft should run about 240 turns, which will make the cylinder run about 60 turns. A table of the gearing of the Tompkins leaded needle machine is appended. Diameter of Cylinder in Inches. Diameter of Change Pulley in Inches. Turns of Cylin der to one tun of Receiving Shaft. Diameter of Cylinder in Inches. Diameter of Change Pulley in Inches. Turns of Cylin der to one of Receiving Shaft. * 9 13/ .428 17 9/ .302 10 13 .414 18 9 .286 11 vi/ .398 19 8/ .270 12 12 .382 20 8 .2-54 13 11/ .366 21 7/ .239 14 11 .350 22 7 .223 15 10/ .334 23 6/ .207 16 10 .323 24 6 .191 TABLES OF SIZES FOR FLAT GOODS. Size. ( Chest 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 3 3 4 36 4 36 9 30 7 18 4 36 9 29 5 15 38 38 31 19 38 30 1 6 40 40 b2 20 40 SO 16 42 42 33 21 42 3(1 16 44 43 24 22 44 31 17 46 4(i Men's Flat Shirts 35 00 ( Waist 28 27 13 30 28 14 32 3 29 ■_ 15 1 ( Body ( Uust 30 30 15 30 32 3 31 3 16 1 32. 3 4.36 2 33 7 17 1 .. 38 34 18 40 35 19 (Width 10 IS 20 22 24 26 28 Bovs' and Misses' Flat Vests ] Length 13 141 l(i i>s 20 22 24 26 27: 2 9 .. [ .Sleeve 7 H 10,1 12 13 131 141 15 1 7 .. ('Waist •^4 ?6 •'8 30 3'' 18 10 1U 21 111 121 24 11.1 13 14 28 . 14 . 151 . Boys' Flat Drawers \ Rise IBack (Waist 1(> IH 20 22 24 2<; 23 Boys' and Misses'Flat Pantalets ] Body Length ( Inseam 8' 9" 9 lOA 10 12.1 11 14 12 16 13 17 13 18 TABLES FOR SELECTING CHILDREN'S UNDERWEAR, ACCORDING TO AGE. SHIRTS. Age. Size. 6 months to 1 year requires 16 lyeartol>^ years " 18 1/^ years to 2 years " 20 2 " 4 " " 22 4 " 6 " " 24 6 " 8 " " ." 26 8 " 10 " " 28 10 " 12 " " 30 12 " 13 " " : 32 31 " 14 '♦ " 34 69 58 KNITTING. The cylinders are selected according to the sizes of the gar- ments to be made. The following table is for spring woolen under- wear weighing about six pounds to the dozen garments : Size of Cylinder. Size of Garment. For Shirts. For Drawers. 30 16 32 16 34 16 16 36 17 17 38 18 17 40 18 18 42 19 18 44 19 18 46 20 19 48 20 19 STARTING UP AND ADJUSTING. Setting Trick Needles. Remove the needle plates. See that the tricks, both vertical and horizontal, are free from corrosion or dirt which would keep the needles from going into place ; or from oil, which would work up onto the needle and streak the cloth. Place the needles in position, replacing the needle plates as each plate space is filled. Take care to place the plates so that the needle nearest each end of the plate is securely held. When all the needles are in position adjust a stiff wire pointer from the in- side plate or heart to the needle line and plyer the needles so that they stand horizontally, and so that all just touch the end of the pointer when the cylinder is revolved. Setting Leaded Needles. Remove the needle plates and see that the verge (the part where the leads beai-) is free from corro- sion, gum and oil. Lay the leaded needles out alongside on a board in rows, having the beards uppermost. Put one plate in position but leave the screw loose. Pick up as many leaded needles as the plate will cover, place them between the verge and the plate, rather low down, and then press gently on the cap. They should rise easily into line. Screw the cap down gently and then s(^uare the end leads with a small square placed on the ledge of the cylinder (the part which supports the plate). Tighten the screws enough to keep the leads from tipping. Replace the next 70 KNITTING. 59 plate ; place the needles as before, pressing them against the pre- ceding lot so that no spaces are left between the leads. Square the exposed end of this lot of needles. Repeat this around the cylinder. The last plate cannot be squared but the first lot will keep them from tipping. If a space is left, it may be necessary, in order to fill it, to cast a lead with one needle and file the superfluous lead away. If the space is less than half a lead, loosen all the plates slightly and begin tightening on the side opposite, Method of Setting Trick Needle. tapping them gently and approaching the space from both sides. This should close the space. Very little plyering sliould be necessary. Bur and Wheel Adjustment. The functions of the burs and accessories in forming the stitch should be thoroughly under- stood before attempting to set the machine. Briefly, they are "these : As the needles revolve, the cloth wheel or cam presses the old stitches (looped onto the needles to start with) down to the lowest exposed portion of the needle, and holds them there while the sinker bur runs the yarn up under the beards of the needles and while the presser which follows the sinker closes the beards 71 60 KNITTING. at the presser, the cloth wheel or cam releases the old stitches gradually, allowing the lander to land them on the points of the beards. The cast-off follows the lander and casts the old stitches clear of the needles. Setting the Burs. Divide the needle line into as many parts as there are to be feeds — four is the conventional number riaiii Feed, aud Inside Cylinder. — leaving room on the front of the machine for the stop mo- tion. These divisions may be marked by setting the cast-offs, provisionally, placing tlie first one just before the stop motion; i.e., so that the needles when in motion reach the cast-off before they do the stop motion. When the needle line has thus been divided, finish the setting of the first cast-off. Tlie wings should reach from below the beards of the needles, but not to the base, up a little above the heads of the needles, and should run with no back lash. If the bur has back lash (is loose) tip it forward, th'us binding it slightly. The ideal position is that in which the bur is 72 KNITTING. 61 tight enough to cast off the stitch evenly without interfering with the needles, and yet not so tight as to put unnecessary stress on the needles, thus working them in the leads or ti-icks. Occasional slugs in the yarn must he taken into account in this consideration, as slugs are more difficult to cast oif than the oidinary yarn. The bur should come far enough through the needles to even the new stitches in the heads of the needles as the old stitches are cast off, yet not so far as to put undue stress on the stitches, thus breaking them and making holes. Lander. The lander is set just ahead of the cast-off. The blades should reach as low as possible without striking the cylinder or leads, and should carry up far enough to land the stitches a little above the points of the beards. It should be loose enough in the needles to run without working the needles, but not so loose that the entering blade will strike the approaching needle, thus cutting the yarn or bending the needle. It is good practice to leave enough space betAveen the lander and cast-off to permit taking the cast-off from the stud in ortler to clean or repair it. Cloth Wheel. The cloth wheel or cmn is set just ahead of the lander so that the old stitches will be held down until the lander raises them. It should carry the old stitches down to the base of the needle, but without putting undue strain either on the cloth or on the needles at the fiont edge of the wheel or cam. Sinker. The sinker bur is set in the needle space covered by the cloth wheel, far enough from the front of the wheel to make sure that the old stitches will be carried down before the sinker is reached and far enough from the back edge of the cloth wheel to leave room between the sinker and the lander for the presser. The sinker should be set with the upper part of the en- tering blade inclined toward the head of the approaching needle ; that is to say, if the needles are moving from left to right, the bur should be tipped from right to left, and vice-versa. The extent to which the bur should be tipped is dependent on the following con- siderations : In the first place the sinker blade is generally a deep blade, and but little tip is possible without interfering with the needles, which, of course, should be avoided. Again, the yarn is looped under the beards by the blades of the sinker and in this process the blades have to crowd the yarn 73 62 KNITTING. between the needles, and a considerable amount of force is re- quired to do this. The force is supplied by the needles to the bur and in doing so the needles bend a little, allowing the bur blades to fall slightly beliind their normal position and making interference likely from this cause. Now, tlie position of the bur to be sought is that in which the yarn will be surely placed under the beards, looped to the required de[)th, and carried well up in the heads of the needles, with the least stress on the yarn and on the needles and without interference with tlie needles. If the bur is tipped too much, it works the needles excessively and is likely to cut the yarn. If not tipped sufficiently, it interferes with the needles and picks off the beards. Presser. The presser should be set to hold the beards closed as the stitches are being raised over them. -This space is just a little ahead of the center of the lander. Space must be left be- tween the presser and the lander blades to allow the rising stitches free passage, otherwise, they will be cut. Wlien hard twisted or wiry yarn is used the flat presser is frequently used and is made long enougli to cover all the beards between the sinker and the lander, thus keeping the yarn from dropping out of the needles until caught by the old stitches. This completes the setting of one plain feed. The other feeds are set in the same manner. Before starting the machine all bearings should be lubricated and oil cups filled. Starting Up. To start the machine take a tube of knit fab- ric, preferably of about the width of the fabric to be made, and of the same or finer gauge, pass it over the take-up rollers so that it will be rolled up when the take-up is in action, throw out the rat- chet so that the fabric may be drawn down, and draw it down over the spreaders so that by stretching it a little it will reach the needles. Then throw in the ratchets in order that the fabric will not descend further. Select the needle space that is freest from obstructions, generally the stop motion s[)ace, and press the fabric near its edge down over the needles until the beards catch and hold it from coming off. Begin putting the fabric on near a sinker bur and continue in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation. Threading. When tlie available needle space is filled, take 74 E w KNITTING. 63 Merino Fabric. 75 64 KNITTING. a bobbin of the yarn to be used, place it on its rack directly under the screw eye nearest the sinker stand, pass the yarn up through this eye, then through the outer end of the guide and finally through the inner end. The yarn should be delivered as near to the bur as possible, and a little above the nibs. This necessitates placing the inner end of the guide close to the bur and the needles, but care should be taken that it is not so close tliat a slight pull on the yarn or a bunch on tlie needles will jjull tlie guide against the bur, causing it to drag and break needles. After threading the guide, draw the sinker bur back, pass the end of the yarn around it, and let the bur come back into its position. If the edge of the fabric is ragged it should be trimmed with shears, otherwise the sinker will pick up these ragged edges and break needles. In any case, the machine sliould be turned gradually to avoid pick-ups. Turn until more exposed needles are available, and continue putting on the fabric. If the first feed is properly set, the old fabric will be clear of the needles after leaving the cast-off, but will be held to them by a new loop on each needle. When these new stitches approach the new sinker, thread it as with the first, and so on around. Evils to Look for and Remedy. When the fabric is on all the needles, turn the cylinder once or twice by hand and then ex- amine the new stitches. It will generally be found that in some cases one stitch straddles two needles, making a drop stitch effect. Hold down the fabric at this place, press down the beard of one of the needles and let the stitch off of that one. At the next bur the stitch will form properly. If the sinkers are not set deep enough the stitches will be too tight and will break. If the press- ors are not j)ressing enough the needles will load up, that is to sa}^ two or more stitches will be left on the needle. This will occur even when the pressers are deep enough, if some of the needles are bent inward. If the cast-off is too high it will break the stitch in casting off. If it is too low, it will not even the stitch in cast- ing off and the fabric will not look well. Remedy all these defects and see that everything is running free and the take-up is working properly, before putting on the power ; and in putting on the power, let it be for half a turn at a time, and keep ear and eye alert for trouble. A bent needle or a bent blade, a rough l5:NIT'riNG. 65 bearing, a misplaced guide, a bobbin kicked out of place-- -any one of many little things may let the fabric off the neeciles or break a lot of needles if caution is not used in starting. If half a turn with power discloses no trouble, try a whole turn or more, feeling the fabric frequently to make sure that it is being taken up properly. If the tension is too severe it will finally pull the fabric right off the needles, and if it is not enough, the push-downs Trick Needle Frame. cannot keep it clear of the sinkers and a smash will result. After running up a little fabric, stop the cylinder and look for defects. A high beard will make a long stitch, or a tuck. A bent needle will make a line. "N^eedles out of line will make a vertical streak of tight or loose stitches according as the displace- 77 66 KNITTINO. ment is inward or outward. A short needle will make a line. Plyer or remove defective needles. Trick Needle Stockinette Frame, Cliain Take-Uj) Drive. Evening the Stitch. The stitch should be evened by mark- ing each yarn one foot from the guide, turning the cylinder 78 KNITTING. 67 slowly, noting which marks reach the guide first, and shortening the corresponding stitches or lengthening the others according to the weight of fabric desired. Continue this until all the yarn feeds alike. Adjusting the Stop notion. Before letting the machine run without watcliing, the stop motion should be adjusted so that the feeler will enter a hole and stop the machine. Some stop mo- tions have a waste claw. This should be adjusted near to the needles to catch bunches or thread that stay on the outside of the needles. The stop motion spring should be adjusted as lightly as possible without making it stop the cylinder unnecessarily. If the spring is set hard it will enlarge the holes and sometimes bend the needles at the same time. Plating. Plated work has one kind of yarn on the face (the inside when on the macliine) and another kind of yarn on the back. It may be made by using a guide with two sets of holes to accommodate two different yarns, the face yarn being the upper one as delivered to the bur. Of course when two threads are used each should be equivalent to about half the weight of the single thread used for fabric of the same weight and gauge. A better way of plating is to use two sinker burs to each feed and deliver the face thread to the first sinker in order of rota- tion, making the stitch of this bur longer than tliat of the follow- ing one. Tlie difference in stitch depends on circumstances, but from 1" to the foot to 1 1" to the foot is usual. Plated work with two burs has some marked advantages over single tliread work. A nice appearing garment may be made with expensive stock in the face and cheap stock on the back. Tiie sinker burs divide the work between them and make an evener stitch and are less likely to overreach tluin when one bur puts in the yarn. The fabric is generally stronger, having two threads ; it is durable and it runs well, and if a yarn breaks the fabric does not leave the needles as in single tliread work. Cut Presser Work. Designing for the knitting machine is analagous to designing for tlie loom. It is obvious from the fore- going that if four feeds and four different colored yarns are used, the fabric will be striped horizontally in a pattern containing the four different coloi's, and this pattern will repeat itself at every 79 68 KNITTING. revolution of the cylinder. By increasing the number of feeds, the width of the pattern and the number of colors may be increased. From this and from the construction of the machine it is evident that changes in the yain effect the fabric horizontally or across its Another Type of Leaded Spring Needle Macliine. Overhead Take-Up Drive. Stands Fastened to Bed of Table. length, and that vertical or lengthwise effects must be caused on individual needles, for the fabric rises vertically fioni the needles. Now, suppose that the cylinder is set up with but one feed, this feed having a round presser, and sup[)0se the presser has been 80 KNITTING. 69 nicked on a milling machine so that the nicks correspond to the needles and so that each succeeding needle comes to each succeed- ing nick. The result will be plain fabric just as if the presser were not nicked, but the presser will make a certain number of revolutions to each revolution of the cylinder. Suppose that the cylinder has GOO needles and the presser has 100 nicks ; then the presser will revolve 6 times to one revolution of the cylinder. Now suppose one nick is filed deeper than the others so that the needle which enters it is not pressed. Then every hundreth needle will not be pressed, and at every turn of the cylinder a tuck stitch will be left on each of these six needles. If this were allowed to continue each of these six needles would load up and break, for a new stitch would be placed under the beard at every turn, and not being pressed off, would be retained there. The tuck stitch is desired in order to get a vertical effect in the cloth. Possibly one tuck is required, or two or three, as the case may be, but it is not desirable to injure the needle, so at intervals this must be pressed off. It may be done in two ways, either by adding another feed with a plain presser, or by removing or adding a needle. Suppose that another feed with a plain presser is added. Then every hundredth needle will have a tuck stitch as it passes the cut presser and all the needles will be pressed at the next feed. The result will be a fabric in which every hundredth stitch in every other course is tucked. These tuck stitches will occur in a vertical line at eveiy hundredth needle. The width of this pattern is 100 and its height is 2. . ( Press 99 Skip 1 Cut Presser. } llie ijattern is { ,. f^^ r>i • d } '■ I Press 100 Plani Presser. ) If tlie plain feed is removed and the original cut presser feed is used, this will load up every sixth needle. If one needle, how- ever, is removed, then at every turn of the cylinder the skip-cut will step one needle ahead, that is to say, one needle farther around the cylinder in the direction of rotation. The needles that were skipped at one revolution will be pressed the next revolution and the tuck stitches will take a diagonal course of approximately 45°, inclined to the left, upward, as the fabric is viewed on a ma- chine that turns from left to right (anti-clockwise). If one needle had been added instead of removed, the diagonal would have been 81 70 KNITTING. Merino Fabric, Slightly Brushed. 82 KNITTING. 71 inclined to the right, as the presser would then step back at each revolution of the cylinder. At every hundredth revolution the skip space would' be back to the needle where it started. A similar result would be obtained by leaving the needles as at first, 600, and making one more nick in the presser, or taking one out. The effect of this would be to step forward or back one needle at every hundredth needle, one needle at the first hundred, two needles at the next, etc. The above are the fundamental ppinciples of tuck presser work. It is customary to run a plain presser after each cut presser for the ordinary forms of work, but of course, any combination may be used. To show how the pressers should be cut for any desired pattern, take a piece of cross-section paper having as many vertical spaces as there are needles in the pattern and as many horizontal spaces as there are courses. Number the horizontal rows of spaces to correspond to the pressers. For instance, if thei-e are four pressers, number the horizontal rows, 1, 2, 3, 4, and then repeat 1, 2, 3, 4, to the end of the allotted space. Then mark the squares to be tucked. When all are marked the pattern for any one presser may be read on the lines numbered to corre- spond to it, that is to say, read for No. 1 presser the first No. 1 line; then the next, and so on stringing them together. If press- ers 2 and 4 are pLiin their pattern will be press-all. Collarette. When a considerable amount of plain work is required between the tuck work, as for collarette, an automatic device is used to substitute plain pressers for cut pressers without stopping the cylinder. A popular collarette combination is three tuck pressers in unison (3 tucks on the same needles) followed by two plain pressers. The pattern is generally " press one, skip one." Backing Cloth. Backing cloth, including single plush and double plush is plain knit fabric with a thread or yarn caught in the stitches but not forming stitches itself. • Backing cloth may be made with a sewing needle by taking the common or " flat " fabric, and running a heavy basting thread across it, making the courses close together. It this basting thread Avere then napped into a fleece, the fabric would be " fleece lined," and it would be single or double plush according as the original fabric was single 83 72 KNITTING. thread or two thread. The word single or double applies to the face and not to the backing. If the backing thread Avere a ma- terial that would kink and curl after knitting, the material would be astraclian, or boucM cloth. On the knitting machine the backing is put into the fabric by lacing it among the needles before the face thread or threads, if two are used, are looped under the beards. The backing is not placed under the beards and does not go there. Suppose the ma- Four Cylinder Sleever. chine is set up for flat work and with only one feed, for simplicity. Also, suppose that the one feed has been running and making cloth. Now suppose that a comparatively heavy but loose spun yarn is taken, and beginning just ahead of the sinker, where the fabric is held down, is laced in front of one needle and in back of the next two and so on, working from the sinker bur. Suppose that this yarn is pressed down to the base of tlie needles, so that 84 KNITTING. 73 the sinker will not pick it up, and that the cyl- inder is slowly turned in order to get more needle space in which to lace the backing. If this is (lone the flat fab- ric will be transformed to single plusli. It will be noticed that the three requisites to make the changes were space in which to lace the backing on the needles (for the fabric must be held down be- fore the backing can be placed in) means of lac- ing the backing thread, and means to carry the backing thread down clear of the sinker. To get the space the push- down m u s t be long enough or of sufficient diameter to give the space, and the sinker and presser should be set pretty well back in respect to the push-down. To lace the backing in the needles a bur similar in shape to a sinker is used, but larger and with a deeper nib and the reverse angle. This bur is blocked so the needle will be pushed Cloth: Wool Backing, Buffalo Robe. 85 74 KNITTING. back at intervals and the backing will be placed in front of the needle so pushed back and back of the other needles. This bur will not carry the backing down far enough to clear the sinker, so a clearing-bur is put between the backing-bur and the sinker. The clearing-bur is like the cast off, only being on the outside of the cylinder it works downwaid instead of upward. A conil)i nation of this kind — ^a backing and clearing-bur preceding a plain feed — makes a single plush feed. Of course, as many such feeds may be used as the cylinder space will allow. To make a double plush feed, remove the castroff from the single plush feed, and bring another complete flat feed up close to the single plush feed. With this arrangement the backing thread is brought up to the heads of the needles between the two feeds and is held there by the first face thread which is called the binder, because it binds the backing. In double plush the back- ing does not show on the face as in single plush. Type of English Frame. 86 LATCH NEEDLE RIB KNITTING MACHINE WITH REVOLVING CYLINDER AND AUTOMATIC CHANGE FROM PLAIN TO TUCKED STITCHES Nye & Tredick Company KNITTING. PART II. LATCH NEEDLE KNITTING. Latch-Needle Knitting has been exploited to a much greater extent than has Spring-Needle Knitting. It enters into the manu- facture of almost every line of knitted goods, is a leader in the stock- ing industry, and nearly, if not quite so, in the underwear mills. Since the time of Walter Aiken, latch needles have been used in various positions to make fabrics of a great variety of stitches; and in different systems, as the Lamb, Heginbotham, and Leighton. Since the invention of the dial plate for supporting a series of needles, horizontal to and in conjunction with the vertical needles in the cylinder, latch-needle circular frames have been utilized to a great extent in the production of all kinds of knitted wearing ap- parel, outer as well as under garments. For knitting fabrics for underwear, or more specifically shirts and drawers, latch-needle machines may be classified as Flat or Straight, and Circular. LATCH NEEDLE CIRCULAR MACHINES. The circular machines may be divided into three classes. L The Revolving Needle Cylinder in which the needle cylinder, needle dial, take-up, and fabric revolve (or strictly speaking, rotate); the cam ring, cam dial plate, and bobbin rack remaining stationary. 2. The Stationary Needle Cylinder in which the cam ring (to which are fixed the vertical needle actuating cams), cam dial plate (to which are fixed the cams for actuating the horizontal or radial needles), bobbin rack, and cross bar revolve; the needle cylinder, needle dial, take-up, and fabric remaining stationary. 3. The Flat Head Circular Machine in which the needle plate or dial is located outside of the needle cylinder. Each type of machine may be subdivided into Plain and Auto- matic. 89 76 KNITTING Fig. 25.. Fabric foi- Shajjed Goods. Knit ou Automatic Machines. 90 KNITTING 77 The Plain Machines produce but one class of fabric, a straight, tubular web of either a plain or a tuck stitch, the fabric being used in making what are known as straight goods. The Automatic Machines make a tubular web of either a plain or a tuck stitch, or a combination of both; in the latter, the stitch is changed automatically from one to the other. The fabric made with the combination stitch is used in making shaped goods. (See Fig. 25.) In these knitting machines the needles of the horizontal needle dial are controlled by movable needle-directing cams operated automatically. These cams move the needles farther out, or draw them in, as required to obtain the characteristic stitches for the plain or tuck fabric for the shaped garment. In making shaped goods, the 1 and 1 stitch (Fig. 26), is usually employed, viz.: All the needles in both cylinder and dial. For making straight goods, it is common practice to use the 2 and 2 stitch (Fig. 27) with every third needle out of both cylinder and dial. This, the Swiss double-ribbed stitch, produces what is known as the Riche- lieu fabric. Various other combinations of stitches may be made, as 2 and 1, 3 and 1, 6 and 2, 4 and 4, etc., and also fancy tuck lace stitches, making fabrics of various effects for a variety of styles. Machines up to 10 inches in diameter are commonly used for making children's goods. For fleece-lined underwear, sizes may be employed up to 10 inches for children's, 11, 12, and 13 inches for ladies' shaped goods, and 14, 15, 16 and 17 inches for men's (straight) goods. Measurement of Knitting Machines. Fig. 28. The old method of measuring is from back to back of the needles, but this system often occasions misunderstandings; as each different gauge needle gives a different needle diameter. Diametrical needle meas- urement may mean any one of three things; from the outside of the hook of the needle on one side to the outside of the hook of the needle on the other side; from the center of the needle on one side to the center of the needle on the other side; and from inside of the needle on one side to inside of the needle on the other. Cam-surface measurement has been adopted by many knitting machine builders. This measurement is taken from the outside diameter of the cam surface of the needle cylinder and not from the needles; that is to say, the cylinder for a 10-inch machine will measure 91 78 KNITTING ...... o„..„.o.P.,„.,„, .......,_.,... .„.,,..„.,,„,„, 92 KNITTING 79 Fig. 27. Two-and-Two Stitch. Every Third Needle out of both Cylinder and Dial. 93 80 KNITTING 10 inches at its greatest or outside diameter. In most cases, the cam- surface measurement will give a reading one-quarter inch larger than the old system, thus, a 4j-inch machine (modern method) would cor- respond to a 4-inch machine by the old measurement. Rib Knitting is done on a machine having two sets of needles, one forming the back of the fabric, the other forming the face. When the two sets of needles form, and cast off completed loops at every feed on the machine, the fabric is called a plain rib, each needle showing a distinct longitudinal wale or rib, both on the inside and on the outside of the fabric. The formation of the stitch in rib-knitted goods differs from that of flat goods in its principle, the effect being produced by revers- NEW V/AY^ NOMINAL SIZE I ' I I I Fit?. 28. Measui'emeut oX Knitting Machines. ing the stitch. The needles are so arranged that every alternate row in plain-rib work is reversed (Fig. 20), thus making both sides alike. Ribbed work requires two banks of needles; the function of the second bank being to pull and loop the yarn in an opposite direction, thereby producing a thicker and more elastic web. Useful modifications of plain-rib fabric are often obtained V)y varying the movement over the cams; of one or both sets of needles by leaving out certain needles in one or both sets; and by a combina- tion of these expedients, as shown in Fig. 30. 94 KNITTING 81 Fig. 39. One-and-One Fabric. Face and Back Alike, 95 82 KNITTING Fiu. :w. Six-anil-Two Plain Rib. 96 KNITTING 83 Fig. 31. One-aud-Oue Tuck Stitch. 97 84 KNITTING In knitting by hand, a latch needle will knit, tuck or purl the stitch. When kniitim/ the stitch, the needle takes a new loop of thread and casts off a loop onto it, forming a completed stitch. Wnen tucking the stitch, the needle takes the new thread into the hook l)ut does not cast off the partly formed stitch. When purling, the needle neither takes the new yarn nor casts off the old loop, but retains the stitch previously made by it. The most commonly used of these modifications of the plain-rib stitch are the tuck stitch, variously called half-cardigan, royal rib or sweater stitch, and the tuck stitch known as the cardigan stitch. The Half=Cardigan, or Royal Rib Stitch (Fig. 31), is usually made by projecting the needles of the inside set not cjuite far Fig. 33. Latch Needles. enough on alternate feeds (or if a single-feed machine, on alternate revolutions) to cast off the partly formed stitch or loop in the latch over the end of the latch. As the latch cannot close with the stitch on it, the loop, instead of passing off when the needle is drawn in by the stitch cam, slides back into the hook of the needle and is retained with the new loop which is taken by the needle. The other feeds are knitting plain, and of course cast off the tucked loop with the other, making one complete stitch for each two feeds. The needles of the outside set are knitting plain, but two of the loops made by them are tied together by one double loop of the inside needles, widening and KNITTING 85 86 KNITTING thickening the fabric without destroying the characteristic elasticity of rib goods. This is the method commonly used for shaping ladies' under- wear, the machines })eing made to automatically change the position of cams to make the bust and skirt on the royal ril), while the waist, band and cuffs are on the plain stitch. (See Fig. 25.) Sweaters, also, are made with the body a half-cardigan stitch; and neck, tail, cuffs, etc., a plain rib, or some fancy stitch. The Full Cardigan "s made like the half-cardigan, on the inside needles; but in addition, the outside needles are also tucked on each alternate feed. The two sets of cams are arranged so that on the feeds, when the inside needles are tucking, the outside needles will cast off, and vice versa. This gives a larger, looser fabric than even the half cardigan, and is used extensively for cardigan jackets, etc. It is customary to speak of the tuck stitch, but the needles do not form a complete stitch when tucking, and a tuck stitch is in reality one or more tucks comhined ivith a 'plain stitch. . As will be seen from tlie above, the number of tucks which can be put in a needle without clearing is limited, and though for fancy effects, two, three, four, or sometimes even more tucks are placed in the needle hook at a time, the cams should l)e watched carefully to note that the clearing cams are working perfectly, otherwise the result will be disastrous. Another use of pmling is to make a fancy effect in the color design, or some special stitch similar to the pineapple stitch. In Knitting Rib Fabric, needles are frequently left out of one or both sets at certain intervals around the machine, especially on ladies' underwear and hosiery. This gives a different appearance to the fabric, and to distinguish these different fabrics, they are known as 1 and 1 rib, 2 and 2 rib, 3 and 2 rib, 6 and 2, etc. The plain-rib fabric with every needle in both cylinder and dial, makes the 1 and 1 rib. Where there are two needles in the dial, then two in the cylinder, with an interval of two left out between each pair, it is known as a 2 and 2 rib. Where two are in the dial and two in the cylinder, with an interval of one between each pair, it is also called a 2 and 2 rib; in some localities it is known as two-needle line work. A fabric made with three needles in each plate, with an interval of one needle, is called three-needle line work, etc. Frequently the dial needles are 100 KNITTING 87 ■• ^ -1.^ --^^- "W**^ "*.< ^^ 'i ^^ *I^^ *^^ '!?a«» ^S» ^»^ ^^^ ^5» ^"^ ■ ^aj^- .'^■~. ,\ ' . , • t ' =tf -. , . 'j|fc». ^^ir ^-•■■■^ ^if"^ SSz a^^ ^^ i^z »m^ jS^ m»- M^ MJSS ^jtm^ ^^w* ^^. -a^** tM^K"*;^ i "~ "-jaM. " » J^^. ■^la^ " **'^ ****' "51*^ '' > w''*i ^^ '"' THROAT SHANI^ positions. Thus, in diagram I., the nee- dles have been projected to their farthest position, clearing the loops off the latches and allowing them to rest in the throats of the needles, while the cylinder needle is taking a new thread. In diagram II., the cylinder needle hook has drawn the thread into the hook of the dial needle, and the cylinder needle latch has closed, while the dial needle latch is closing. In diagram III., the needles are with- drawn to cast off the stitch, the loops that were on the needle having passed over the latches and oft' the needles on to the thread drawn in by the hooks of the nee- dles, thereby forming new loops, which, as the needles are projected, open the latches as in diagram IV . The loops formed by the repetition of this cycle of movements are each in turn cast off, forming new stitches in the web as long as the machine is in motion and yarn properly supplied to the needles. Starting up the Machine. Before starting up the machine, turn it slowly by hand with the hand wheel, and see that the needles are working freely in the slots ; that none of them are bent or broken, ^ STEM CYLINDER NEEDLE BUTT SHANK KJ Fig. 54. Stafford aud Holt Needles. 125 112 KNITTING or have stiff or defective latches ; that the mesh of the needles is good, i.e., with the dial needles coming out a trifle behind the center of the spaces between the cylinder needles; that the cylinder and dial are turning freely and true; that the two sets of cams are timed correctly (on most work so that the hook of the cylinder needle would just grasp the rivet in the dial needle latch, were it extended sufficiently) ; that there is sufficient room for the fabric to pass between dial and cylinder, and that the stitch cams of each feed are set to cast off the stitch perfectly. Fig. 55. Diagrams of Stitch Formation, I and II. The guides should be carefully examined to see that they are perfectly smooth and set to deliver the yarn into the hooks of the needles, and yet not touch the needles. The heel should be set close to the point where the cylinder latches close, but must not interfere with them. The point must be close enough to the needles so that a cylinder needle latch, flying out horizontally, will not go behind it, and wedging in, become bent. The guide must be low enough so that the free end of the dial latch cannot clear it in its outward move- ment, and, flying up, lose the stitch. This trouble is also liable to occur if the two sets of cams are not properly timed. The take-u'p should be examined to make sure that there is suffi- cient tension to take the goods from the needles nicely, and that there 126 KNITTING 113 is sufficient recoil in the contact of the rolls to allow the bunch where the fabric is started, or similar imperfections, to pass without clogging. The machine may now be threaded up by placing the spools of yarn on their respective yarn hooks h^ (Fig. 50), thence through holes in guide discs W and k' to a hole in the top of the carrier. When this is completed for each thread, turn the machine so that the cylinder and dial drivers come opposite where the cylinder needles are resting on the fill-in cam, and insert the upper end of fabric between them. Hold it there with the left hand, and with a hook or needle held in the right, catch hold of the fabric as near the end as possible, and draw it up through the space between the cylinder and the dial, slipping it Fig. 55A. Diagrams of Stitch Formation, III. and IV. over and on to the hooks of the cylinder needles. Turning the ma- chine slowly and at intervals, by the hand wheel, draw the end of the fabric onto all the needles as they come into position, until the needles with the fabric hooked on come to a yarn guide, then pass the end of the yarn through the hole in the yarn guide and into the hooks of the needles. The loops are formed at this point, and knitting begins as the operation of turning and hooking on the fabric is continued. Be careful to start each thread as soon as the fabric hooked in the needles reaches a yarn guide, and to draw the fabric through the second pair of drivers as they are reached ; continue hooking on and threading up until the fabric is hooked on the needles all around the machine. 127 KNITTING One-andOne Plain Ri ^t,ed Goods Slightly Stretched. Coarse P-^uge. 128 KNITTING 115 Now introduce the other end of the fabric between the take-iip rolls, and put on sufficient tension to hold the fabric on the needles and prevent a pull-off. Cuff of Ladies' Vest. When turning the machine during the hooking-up process, use the left hand to exert a tension on the fabric similar to that which the take-up exerts when in action. This "run on" portion is cast off by the needles with more or less difficulty, according to how closely, loop for loop, the fabric has been picked on. The machine should be 129 116 KNITTING turned slowly until all latches are carefully opened, dropped stitches picked up, and damaged needles replaced. When this has been accomplished, look over the adjustment of the yarn guides; the adjustment and timing of cams, and the adjust- ment of take-up, as at this stage of operation adjustments can be more carefully made. Then start the machine by power, watching carefully to see that all the parts are doing their work properly. On an automatic machine, it is perhaps best to start on the plain stitch, then start the chain, and when it changes to tuck stitch, stop the machine, looking over each dial tuck feed carefully to see that the cams are advancing the needles far enough to catch the stitches, but not far enough to allow any to slip over the latch and thus out of the hook. Then proceed to even the stitch, which is usually done when the machine is on the plain stitch, by carefully looking over the dial cams and setting them to draw the needles into the dial the same ___-cylinoe:r stitches-^ ^DIAL STITCHES -^ Fig. 56. Liuk Chain, Simile of Tuck Stitch. distance or as nearly as possible; then mark each thread at an equal distance from its respective guide, and turn the machine by hand. Note which threads arrive at the guide first; make the required changes of cylinder stitch cams, so that all the marks will arrive at the guide at the same time, which will sometimes require several changes. If using white yarn, it can readily be marked by placing one end of a scale at the hole in the guide, and grasping the yarn at the other end of the scale, slightly twisting it between the thumb and forefinger of the other hand, somewhat soiled with the oil oozing from some bearing. If dark yarn, use powdered chalk for marking. Care should be used that the length of yarn measured off should be as long as convenient, and the length accurate at the same tension. To Shorten or Lengthen the Stitch. A small set screw B', Figs. 41 and 42, bears against the stud which holds the stitch cam in the cam ring. By means of this set screw, the stitch cam may be 180 KNITTING 117 adjusted up or down. The stitch cam B' is riveted to a spline, for which there is a key seat in the cam ring. This serves as a guide for the cam. Turn the set screw B' in to slacken or lengthen the stitch, Fig. 57. McMichael and Wildman-Machine. Revolving Needle Cylinder. and turn it out to tighten or shorten. The dial cam is adjusted in a similar manner, by means of the set screw F'", shown in Fig. 45. Turn the set screw in to lengthen, and out to shorten or tighten the stitch. 131 118 KNITTING The stitch is also adjusted by raising or lowering the dial and cap by means of the dial arch nut G\ (Fig. 39.) Raising the dial slackens or lengthens the stitch, and lowering the dial tightens or shortens the stitch. This is similar in effect with that obtained by adjusting the cyhnder cam B\ Fig. 5S. A, Gear Ring. B, Head Ring. C, Cam Ring. To Remove a Section of Cylinder or Dial. The upper part of the cam ring, or what is generally termed the section ring. Figs. 39 and 41, and also the cylinder gib, is divided into as many sections as there are feeds on the machine, and each section is held in place by two screws, B'", shown in Figs. 41 and 42. A cylinder sec- tion may be removed by loosening these screws. On the dial cap. 132 KNITTING 119 Fig. 59. Housing Plates. Fig. 60. Dial ami Cylinder. 133 120 KNITTING the top ring can be divided as indicated by the three l)roken lines in Fig. 45, and each section will be held by two screws, the bottom of which also show in Fig. 45. Fig. 61. Frame and Take-up. Loading up the Needles. If anything goes wrong when the machine is running, the yarn begins to load up near the top of the needles. If a hook or a latch bends, or a butt cuts off, or lumps or other imperfections occur on the needles, it can, as a rule, be detected almost instantly by the load on the needle, wdiich causes the stop 184 KNITTING 121 motion to act immediately. About the only imperfection that does not cause a load is an occasional dropped stitch or the head of a needle cut clean off. As these have no stitch on to hold them in place, they usually jump up and are caught by the stop motion. If the butt of the needle is entirely broken, the needle remains stationary and will not throw off its loop, but the needles on either side will accimiu- late yarn, and if not discovered, will soon cause two or more needles to be broken at either the hook or the latch. Twits in the yarn coming into needles running at high speed, break, causing the needles to jump, and, falling back, become wedged under the cams. A Tuck Stitch makes a wider web, because more yarn is em- ployed in making the stitch. The tuck stitch and plain stitch may be Fig. 62, Detail of Cam Controlling Mechanism. likened to link chains, the plain .stitch resembling the chains drawn out parallel or straight. The tuck is formed like fastening two links of one chain into each link of the other, as per Fig. 56. Unlike the chain, the yarn is not rigid, and seems not only to draw up and thicken the fabric, but also, because of the nature of the .stitch formation, to spread it out wider. To flake a Loose Course. A loose course is a single stitch of more than normal length, extending completely around the web or fabric. It is employed at certain points in the web or fabric where the rib fabric is looped on to another fabric, as a cuff or border on a balbriggan shirt, or rib top on a stocking or sock, and is usually made 185 122 KNITTING by depressing one of the cylinder stitch cams for exactly one revolu- tion of the machine. To Make a Welt. A welt is a hem in the fabric and is used for a finish similar to a selvedge edge that will not ravel. It is made Fig. 63. Cam System for Aotuatiug Automatic Mechanism. by preventing one set of needles (usually the dial needles) from taking the yarn or casting off their loops for a certain number of courses, while the other set continues to knit a flat fabric. When the Fig. 64. Base and Ciear. first set is thrown into action, having retained the stitch from where the other set began to make single fabric, this loop is cast over with 136 KNITTING 123 the last loop made by the cylinder needles, joining both ends of the single fabric and making a perfect hem. A welt is usually limited to four or six courses, unless special pro- vision is made to hold down the fabric made by the single set of needles, as the stitch on the dial needle prevents the take-up from exerting its normal tension, while the single fabric is being knit. The more courses, the more bulky will the welt become, making it pass with difficulty between the cylinder and dial, unless provision is especially made to facilitate it. Some of the variations in the style of this type of machine (Revolving Needle Cylinder) are herewith explained. The frame illustrated in Fig. 57 (McMichael & Wildman Machine (has the same general outlines common to all circular rib Fig. 65. Worm. Fig. 66. Clutch and Worm Gear. knitting machines. Four legs support the annular base frame A, which is machined to guide the take-up plate B, and connected by the take-up standards C C to the rotating bevel gear ring D (See A, in Fig. 58). This is seated in the stationary bedplate or head ring E (B in Fig. 58), supporting the stationary cam ring F (C in Fig. 58), and in this cam ring the vertical needle cylinder G is mounted in condition to rotate. On the base A is mounted the housing plates Y and Z (Fig. 59), which support the bedplate E. From the cross- tree H, supported on the bed ring E, depends the rotary needle dial I on the center stud J, on which it rotates, held up in j)osition by a collar fastened to the lower end of the stud. Above the needle dial 137 124 KNITTING (See Fig. 60) a stationary cam dial is suspended, fixed to the center stud by set screws. These dials may be raised or lowered, when adjusting the plane of the horizontal or dial needles in relation to the plane of the vertical needles in the cylinder by turning the hand wheel Fig. (57. Plain Machine with Fabric Roll in Place of Can. K. The thread guides L are fixed to the stationary cam dial in a manner to properly present the thread to the needles at points where the dial needles are operated by the cams. 138 KNITTING 125 The bevel gear ring D receives its motion from the spur gear D', which is fixed to the driving shaft D^ (See Fig. 61) and on which are tight and loose pulleys. The shaft D' is mounted at the inside end in a bearing in the right housing plate, and at the outer end in a bear- ing in the bracket D* fixed to the same housing. The power is trans- mitted by a belt, which may be shipped from one pulley to the other by means of the shipper D'. The hand wheel D" is fixed to the driving shaft for use when the needle cylinder is required to be turned slowly for replacing needles, repairing, cleaning, etc. The Chain Actuating Mechanism. This mechanism on the left of the frame (See Fig. 57) is for the purpose of automatically Fig. 68. Body Machine Head. operating the movable cams of the cam dial plates, to move the needles farther out, or to draw them in, to narrow or widen the fabric for shaped goods. In the bracket N, fixed to the left housing, is a shaft N' on one end of which is fixed a ratchet wheel N" and back of this wheel is a sprocket wheel, or pattern chain wheel, secured to another ratchet wheel, both free to revolve on the shaft. The sprocket carries the pattern chain N' and receives its motion by means of the pawl N*^ connected to the slide N'. A larger view of this is given at Fig. 62. This slide is moved back and forth in its guide by the levers fixed on the upper ends of the upright shafts N'", N" (Fig. 63). At the lower 139 126 KNITTING ends of these shafts are secured arms N'" and N'^ which are acted upon by the cams X, secured to the rotating take-up plate B. These upright shafts are geared together at N'* (Fig. 57), so that when one is acted upon by its cam, the other turns in an opposite direction, and vice versa; this short reciprocating motion^imparts to the pawl, through its connections, the required movement to actuate the ratchet wheel and move the shaft N'. On the left end of the shaft is fixed a toothed disc N'' on the periphery of which rides a roll N"^, secured to the lower arm of the elbow lever N'' (See also Fig. 62). By this means, motion is im- parted through the connecting rod N'**, to the pivoted dial cam, when the pattern chain permits the pawl to engage the ratchet wheel which is fixed on the opposite end of the shaft. Operation. As the needles are carried round by the rotary needle dial and cylinder, they are operated by the respective cams to take the thread and form the fabric in the usual manner. The character of the fabric producetl is governed by the pattern chain, which is carried on the sprocket wheel, operated in the manner de- scribed. The operation of the needles continues in a uniform manner as in plain knitting, or otherwise, until a notch in the pattern chain comes under the pawl, when the latter immediately operates the ratchet and shaft with its wheels, and in the manner described, moves the cams, and thus draws the needles in or out, as the case may be, and correspondingly changes the character of the fabric produced. When the cams have been so changed, the needles continue to operate in the same manner until the next notch in the pattern chain passes under the pawl, when they are moved back, and correspondingly change the extent of the movement of the needles and the character of the fabric produced. Worm Gear Take=up. The take-up or tension rolls are driven by a worm gear arrangement. Fixed to the projection on the under side of the annular base is a stationary internal gear () (Fig. 61). The take-up mechanism is fixed on the rotating take-up plate B and as it turns, the pinion gear fixed to the lower end of the worm shaft and meshing into the stationary internal gear (Parts shown in Fig. 64), causes the worm 0^ Fig. 61 (also shown at Fig. 65), to revolve and impart motion to the fluted take-up rolls (V and 0', These are journaled in the take-up standards C C and the knitted fabric passing 140 KNITTING 127 between them is held firmly enough to maintain the required tension on the fabric, between the take-up rolls and the needles. The driven Fig. 69. Cam Ring Section. take-up roll 0^ is geared at 0" to the driver roll 0* at the opposite end from the worm gear, Fig. 60, and is journaled at each end in sliding blocks, guides being provided for that purpose in the take-up stand- Fig. 70. Cylinder Cams. Full Size. ards. These blocks and guides are so arranged that a yielding pressure is maintained on the frame by means of coil .springs confined in sleeves fixed on the side of the take-up standards and against each block. 141 128 KNITTING The worm gear is loose on the driving roll and is provided with a clutch, Fig. 66, feathered on the driving roll in such a manner that when the clutch is pulled away and disconnected from the worm gear, the rolls are at rest, leaving the worm gear free to revolve on the shaft. The worm shaft pinion gears vary in size according to size or diameter of the frame. T^nderneath the frame is can X, which receives the fabric during the knitting, and which is attachetl to and revolves with Fig. 71. Cam Dial with Section Removed. the take-up plate. A fabric roll is often used in place of the can, and the fabric rolled up as shown in Fig. 67. Head and Cam Ring and Cam Dial Plate. Fig 68 repre- sents a plain body machine head, without the needle cylinder and needle dial, and more clearly represents the position of the sectional cam ring, the cam dial cap, the cross-bar, the thread guides and the manner of holding and adjusting the cam dial cap in position. These parts are all stationary. The sectional cam ring consists of an ar- rangement of the cam ring in a number of sections, corresponding to 142 KNITTING 129 the number of feeds on the machine, so that each section may be removed, exposing all the needles covered by that section when neces- sary for repairs, cleaning, etc. Fig. 69 shows a section of the cam ring, inside view, and Fig. 70 shows the cylinder cams, full size, those attached to the cam ring and actuating the cylinder needles. Fig. 71 represents the under side of the sectional cam dial and a section removed. The sectional dial cap is divided in a similar way FULL SIZE Fig. 72. Dial Cap Cams. to the cam ring, each section containing in addition, the dial cams of the feed for actuating the dial needles, and the yarn carriers, or guides for delivering the yarn to the needles. Any or all of the sections may be removed, without running the fabric off the needles, by loosening the take-up. The dial cap cams (Fig. 72) are disposed in positions to cause the needles to be reciprocated in a proper manner to co-operate with the cylinder needles to form the stitches, the cylinder needles first taking the yarn, after which the radial or dial needles operate with it to form the stitches. The "Automatic" cam dial is provided with movable cams so pivoted that they act on the butts of the dial needles and 143 130 KNITTING move them in or out as the character of the knitting may recjuire. The needle dial is provided with lugs (See Fig. 60) which are engaged by lugs on the needle cylinder and serve to transmit motion from the cylinder to the dial. Other variations in latch needle circular machines may be noted in the mechanisms foi taking up and rolling up the fabric and manner of applying or creating the tension on the fabric as it is being knitted ; in the shape of both the stationary and movable cams to act on the heels of the needles to move them in or out, as the character of the knitting may require, together with the consequent changes in the form and locjition of the butts of the needles; in the stop motion mechanism; in the manner of actuating the movable cams, and in other mechanisms and the conse^juent changes in construction, so that the yarn is fed by the guides to tlie needles carried by the rotary needle cylinder and dial, and actuated by their respective cams, to take the thread and form the fabric in the customary manner. 144 KNITTING. PAKT III. STATIONARY NEEDLE CYLINDER MACHINES. A type of Circular Latch Needle Machine, which is somewhat different from those taken up in Part II, is the Stationary Needle Cylmder in which the cam ring, cam dial plate, bobbin rack, and cross-bar revolve. As the needle cylinder and the cloth are stationary, the take-up is fixed to the frame, but the feeds and the bobbins as well as the cross-bar must revolve. These parts, with the cam ring and dial plate, compose the head. Fig 73, the Scott and Williams Circular Latch Needle Automatic Machine, is a representative of the above type of machine with a re- volving head. The most notable difference that may be observed in this illustration is the manner of applying the take-up to the frame, as the cloth is not revolved. The Cam Ring, carrying the cylinder needle actuating cams, revolves around the stationary needle cylinder and thereby acts on the butts of the needles, moving them up and down with the required amount of travel to effect the formation of the stitch, instead of the needle cylinder carrying the needles around to the stationary cams to be acted upon. The cam ring contains all the cams for operating the needles in the needle cylinder, and also the main stitch cams which control the yarn. The projection, Fig. 74, and the section as illustrated in Fig. 75, show the disposition of the cams in this machine, and their relation to each other. The Ring Cams, or Cylinder Cams. The cover cam A, Fig. 76, is merely to guard the needles and prevent them from "flirting," or jumping while the machine is running. It has no function to per- form in making the stitch. The landing or clearing cam B lands the needles to a tuck point, so that all the latches are safely opened before the yarn guide covers the needles to feed them new yarn. The highest 147 132 KNITTING point of the cam is the clearing point for placing the old loop under the latch in order that it may be cast off the needle over the new yarn, thus making a new loop. Fig. 73. Scott & Williams Machine Stationary Needle Cylinder. The stitch cam C controls and regulates the length of the stitch for both sets of needles. In Swiss knitting, the top and the bottom cam draw their yarn separately, which makes a much more elastic 148 KNITTING 133 fabric. The foreign machine manufacturers build their rib machines on this principle at the sacrifice of speed. The rest cam D returns all the needles to one common level after the stitch has been formed, the main object being to even the length ^ ^ Fig. 74. Projection of Cam Ring. of the stitches. Without this cam, a tight or stiff needle would make a slack line in the fabric. The land or tuck cam B lands the needles to a tuck so that all the latches are safely opened before the guide covers the needles for pla- Flg. 75. Cam Ring Section. cing a new stitch on them ; while the landing or clearing cam C has the same functions to perform in the dial as the B cam in the ring. The rest cam D performs the same function as does the D cam in the ring; the draw-in cam casts off the old stitch placed on the top needles by the cylinder needles; this cam also acts as a dividing cam for the top loops ; it has nothing to do with the stiffness of the fabric. The cover cam F does the same work in the dial as cam A in the ring. 149 134 KNITTING The Cap or Dial Plate (Fig. 77) contains all the cams for opera- ting the needles in the dial, and also the movable clearing cams for making plain and tuck stitches for producing plain and royal fabrics used in making ladies' shaped vests and union suits. The Cap Cams or Dial Cams (Fig. 78). The slide cam A is used for making regular royal fabric, or for making fancy stitches in lace work. When used in connection with a movable cam in the ring of two or more feeds, a full cardigan stitch can be formed. STARTING UP AND ADJUSTING STATIONARY NEEDLE CYLINDER MACHINES. The following instructions apply in most part to revolving head machines, though more particularly to the Scott & Williams frame, which is so commonly used in this class; and include directions for adjusting a frame that has never been run, or has been out of commis- sion for some time. Clean off the machine thoroughly and see that the working parts are well oiled, taking care to oil the cylinder and dial only slightly with a light, stainless oil. Belts of nearly the full width of the receiv- ing pulley should be used, and run at an angle that will not interfere with the belt-shifting-fork. Fill both cylinder and dial with the necessary needles, after having removed all those broken, bent, or otherwise disabled, and see that the latches work freely and cover the hook perfectly. Adjust all the dial draiv-in cams to draw the needles about ^^ of an inch inside the diameter of the dial. Adjust all the cylinder draw-down cams to draw the needles about y G of 8^n inch below the top of the cylinder. Adjust the ca'p circumferentially imtil the hooks of the cylinder needles meet the rivet of the dial needles. Set the height of the dial so that a needle will pass freely between the edges of the cylinder and dial, or leave a space between the cylin- der and dial wide enough so that the old fabric to be used in setting up the machine will pass freely between the cylinder and dial at the place where it will be joined to the new fabric. This adjustment must be made by the threaded wheel and center spindle at the top of the machine. Fit all the yarn guides to the machine. The yarn guides. Fig. 79, should not touch the needles at any time, but should be set J^ of 160 KNITTING 135 an inch above the dial needle and about 3^2 of an inch away from the cyhnder needles ; the circumferential position of the guides should be such as to allow the cylinder needle latches to close without striking the guides; the leading end of the guides should then cover both the cylinder and dial needle latches just before the latch passes through the fabric. This prevents the latches from closing after leaving the control of the fabric on the old loops. To Press=Up a Machine or Replace a Press=Off. If there is no fabric on the machine, procure a circular piece of cloth, knitted if possible, of about the same diameter as the needle cylinder. Press up the machine by placing the fabric between the cylinder and the dial dogs. To do this, insert a needle doAvn through the space between the cylinder and dial, and with the hook of the needle, catch a narrow. Fig. 76. Cylinder Cams. yet firm, hold on the edge of the fabric which is to be placed on the needles, and pull it up until it can be grasped by the fingers of the right hand; put the left hand underneath and up through the hole in the needle cylinder, grasp the fabric, and by means of a sawing motion, force the fabric between one of the sets of dogs which prevent the dial from tm-ning. The machine should be turned at this time so that one of the resting points for the cylinder needles will come where the work is inserted between the cylinder and dial. At such points the cylinder needles are partially elevated, so that the edge of the fabric may be fjuite easily pulled on to the needles. Too wide an edge would make it difficult to operate the machine, and too narrow a bite would allow the cloth to be easily pulled off the needles. About i of an inch from ISl 136 KNITTING the needles to the edge of the fabric, or a trifle less, will he found sufficient in most cases. After the fabric has been pressed on to several needles at this point, it is well to go around to the other side of the machine and pull it up between the other set of dogs, and place it on about the same number of needles, going through the same operations as before. Then press the cloth on to a few needles between the feeds, and turn Fig. 77. Cap or Dial Plate. the machine slightly, repeating this same process until the fabric has passed under the yarn guides. Thread the guides and hold the work down by hand, catching hold of the cloth under the head with the left hand, while turning the machine slightly to bring other groups of needles into accessible positions to place the rest of the fabric on the empty needles. Repeat this operation until all the needles have loops placed upon them, then place the other end of the fabric between the take-up rolls, and adjust them to have a fairly taut tension on the fabric. Too much tension 162 KNITTING 137 should not be applied until the rough edge of the run-on portion of the cloth is off the needles. Now, if all the yarn guides are properly threaded, the machine may be slowly turned by hand a short distance at a time, meanwhile opening all the latches that have not been opened by the pressing-up, and picking up all the dropped stitches and placing them on their Fig. 78. Dial Cams. proper needles. At this time, the cylinder and dial may be thorovghly oiled. Oiling was done but slightly before placing the fabric on the machine, as excessive oiling before that operation makes a machine hard to press up, the oil affecting the yarn and fabric to such an ex- tent that it is almost impossible to get the needles through the fabric. Another way to replace a press-off, in vogue with some knitters (assuming that the cloth is between the cylinder and dial and the first 153 138 KNITTING set of dogs, and on the needles), is to keep jabbing it on to the needles a little at a time, turning the machine slowly until the first yarn guide and set of cams come to the point where the work was started on the needles; then thread the guide so that the needles will begin to knit, and proceed to place the work on the needles in continuous order, threading up the several guides as they come into position, until the other set of dogs is reached. Get the work in between these dogs by a similar process as described above, after which, continue to jab on the work continuously all the way around to the starting point, taking care that each guide is properly threaded when it arrives at Fig. 79. Yarn Carrier. the starting point. Then put the other end of the cloth into the take- up rolls and proceed as before. Adjusting the Feed. Run the machine carefully until the new fabric has passed through the take-up rolls. In the meantime set all the cylinder cams evenly, by marking all the threads an equal distance from the yarn guides. To prevent unevenness of the cloth, each and every feed should draw exactly the same length of stitch. Wlien unevenness of fabric shows in the cloth, it is often very difficult to locate the particular feeds that are not in even adjustment. The common practice of marking the yarn of each feed is the simplest, and perhaps the surest way of detecting which feeds are drawing more yarn. 164 KNITTING 139 — STEIM To do this effectively, twist the yarn between the fingers, which have been more or less soiled with oil, so that the marking on the yarn may be easily noted, then turn the machine slowly by hand until the marked places on the yarn reach their particular guides. If all the marks arrive at the holes in the guides at precisely the same time, the fabric will be even as regards the feeds. If one or more of the marked places arrive at the holes in the guides in advance of the others, it or they are draw- ing more yarn, and should be adjusted ac- cordingly. The cam drawing the longest loop will necessarily draw the mark to its guide first and should be slightly raised by means of the adjusting screw; the yarn with the mark farthest from the guide should be slightly adjusted down, to make it draw a longer loop. This operation must be re- peated until all the marks on the yarn ar- rive at the holes in the guides at precisely the same time. Adjustment of the Dial Cap. See that all the cap draw-in cams are set to draw the head or hook of the needle through the stitch. The adjustment of the cap which operates the dial needles should bear a certain rela- tion to the cam ring which actuates the cyl- inder needles. The cylinder needle should be made to draw down just in time to lay its thread on the latch directly to the rear of the rivet in the dial needle. This relation is governed by the circumferential adjustment of the cap on the center spindle. Now run the machine long enough to get an even weight on the fabric and to adjusfthe take-up rolls (Fig. 81) so that they will have an equal tension on their ends so as to make the fabric pass through evenly. At the end of the rolls, it may be seen whether the fabric is being drawn through too fast or too slowly; for if one end is slack, it is evident that there is a lack of tension on that particular end. At each end, there is a separate adjustment by means of which the fabric Scott & Williains Needles. 155 140 KNITTING may be made to run evenly and smoothly. The take-up rolls should not be pressed together too firmly, and must be parallel to draw equally at both ends. After making the above adjustments, the knitter must ascertain what weight of fabric is desired, and adjust his machines accordingly. If only a slight adjustment of one or two stitches per inch is recjuired b'ig SI. Frame and Take-Up. to obtain the proper weight of fabric, it can be made by adjusting the dial spindle wheel; but for more than one or two stitches per inch, the adjustment should be made on the cylinder draw-down cams. This adjustment requires the marking of the yarn, as previously described, to ensure a perfect evenness of the fabric, after the proper weight has been obtained. To Slacken the Fabric, either lower the draw-down cam in the 156 KNITTING 141 ring, so that the needles will draw more loop, or raise the dial by loosenincy the retaining screw in the cross-bar, then turn the dial Ladies' Swiss vest. spindle wheel in the direction calculated to raise the center spindle; the cap and dial will come with it. As a rule, it is not good practice to have the dial any higher than just enough to give ample space to 157 142 KNITTING Fig. 83. Housing Plates. permit of a free passage of the thickest portion of the work; further slackening of the cloth should be obtained by adjusting the draw-down cam in the ring, as stated heretofore. To Remove a Section of the Sectional Cam Ring. The sectional cam ring is provided for the purpose of obtaining easy access to the needle cylinder so as to remove and replace a broken needle or broken cam without removing the entire ring. After releasing the tension from the work by slackening the take-up rolls, take out the retaining screw which passes through the solid outer ring, and remove the central section. Now, it will 1 )e possible to draw the cam section away in a direct line from the needle cylinder and disclose the needle cylinder, so that the difficulty may be located, and the broken needles or cams removed and re- placed by new ones. To restore the sections to their proper places, raise all the needles to a plane above the cams of the lower section ; force this section up to the cyl- inder, drop in the central section, and secure with the retaining screw. Draw the work down through the take-up rolls, and re- adjust it to get the proper tension on the cloth between the cylinder and take-up rolls, turning the machine partially around by hand to see that everything is working properly ; then ship on the power. In Readjusting the Cylinder Cams, it is necessary that the dial needle should draw back within the dial only sufficiently to ensure the knocking over of its stitch; any additional draw means an unnec- essary strain on the fabric, which will produce bad work. In Adjusting the Yarn Guide, the latches of both sets of needles should not be permitted (by the guide) to close down on the hooks of the needles. The forward end of the guide is supposed to intercept any latch that may be inclined to fly shut. It is also important to see that the guides occupy such a vertical position that there is sufficient room for the hooks of the dial needles to pass under the lower edge of the guide. Wlien the fabric is being examined to see that the knitting is perfect and clear of any tuck stitch, it will be found that the holes 158 KNITTING 143 and tuck stitches often occur through the faihire of the cap draw-in cams to draw the needles clearly through the stitch. If the machine is cutting holes in the fabric, without the presence of the tuck stitches, it may be prevented by setting the cap draw-in cams outward, as too much strain at this point cuts the yarn when knitting. The cylinder not only holds the lower needles, or needles for making the outside of the fabric, but the cylinder top or comb acts as a landing or knocking over point for the cylinder needles. The Fig. 83. Cam CyUnder, Showing Relative Positions of Cams, C'ross-Bars, Etc. cylinder cap or comb also acts as a knitting point for making the welt on a welting machine, as the dial needles are thrown out of action at this point of knitting. The Dial is not only a plate to hold a given number of needles according to the gauge of the machine, but it has another function to perform, in that the outer edge, or sinkers, of the dial act as a landing or knocking over point for the dial needles on the inside stitch. The Take=Up besides being present to perform its function of taking the knitted fabric from the needles as it is being made by the succeeding courses formed, is also employed as a weight or tension 159 144 KNITTING to assist the opening of the needle latches, when the needles are clear- ing the old loops, prior to forming a new stitch. The take-up is also an important factor in forming the loops, as it is necessary to employ weight enough to carry the old loops out of the path of the needles without cutting the fabric. The take-up on the "revolving cylinder" type is called a friction take-up, and on the "stationary cylinder" types it is called a gravity or balance take-up. NUMBER OF NEEDLES. The following; table gives the total number of needles in each size machine, and the number of cuts in the cylinder, when the number of needles per inch is given, from 7 inches in diameter up to 24 inches in diameter. The numbers given below are the nearest numbers to the rate given that will divide by three, for making two and two fabric. 14 to 1 5 to 1 6 to 1 7 tol 8 to 1 9 to 1 10 tol 11 to 1 12 to 1 8" 87 99 108 126 132 150 .156 174 174 204 198 228 222 253 240 276 364 300 7" 8" 9" 10" 114 126 138 156 168 192 198 222 228 252 253 382 282 313 312 345 336 375 9" 10" 11" 12" 13" U" 15" 16" 138 150 174 192 207 228 240 264 276 300 312 336 345 375 372 414 414 456 11" 12" 165 180 192 204 207 222 252 270 288 312 324 354 375 396 408 444 444 480 504 540 13" 14" 15" 16" 240 252 288 306 336 354 372 408 432 456 480 516 516 558 576 613 1?" 18" 216 228 270 282 324 342 360~ 384 375 396 420 444 432 456 483 504 480 516 540 576 540 570 600 624 588 624 660 690 648 690 730 768 ir- is" 19" 20" 21" 22" 240 252 300 318 19" 30" 21" 22" 264 282 336 348 396 420 468 492 540 552 600 624 660 690 733 768 804 840 28" 21" 288 300 372 384 444 456 504 540 588 612 660 690 732 768 804 840 876 913 23" 24" It is a good practice to use eight needles to the inch for shaped goods, and ten to eleven needles to the inch for straight goods. GEARING. The gearing of each machine differs as to the size of the machine, but as a rule, like size driving pulleys on the driving shaft will produce the correct proportionate speed in the various sizes. 160 KNITTING 145 Detail of gearing and particulars of driving are contained in the following table. DIAMETER OF CYLINDER SPEED OF HEAD TEETH IN RING TEETH IN PINION DIAMETER DRIVING PULLEY WIDTH DRIVING pullp:y Tin. 68 rev. 153 30 7 in. n/i in. 8 '• 64 ■• 164 30 7 '■ 1/8 " 9 " 60 " 140 28 7 '■ 1/8 " 10 " 54 •' 150 28 7 " 1/8 " 11 " 50 " 136 28 • 7 " lys " 13 " 46 ■' 145 28 7 " 1% " 13 " 43 " 153 28 7 •• 13/3 " 14 •' 38 " 161 28 7 " 1% ■' 15 " 34 ■' 169 38 7 '• rVs - 16 •' 33 " 176 28 7 " 1/3 " 17 •' 30 " 185 28 7 •' 1/8 " 18 ■' 28 " 195 28 7 " 1/8 '• 19 •' 27 " 205 28 7 " m " 20 " 26 " 210 28 7 " m " 22 " 25 " 244 28 7 " 1% " 24 " 24 " 7 " 13/8 " The speed given here is a good average, but certain conditions require, perhaps, a low^er speed, and on the other hand, may admit of an increased speed. This is wholly a matter of judgment wath the knitter, for the nature of the yarn, its condition, the manner of winding and the climatic influences; in addition to the many other things that are not infrecjuently coming up to enter into the calculations of speed, are the most important factors in securing a large production. Wlien the yarn is running well, the speed should be increased judiciously. If it runs poorly and all other conditions are in their most favorable running order, the speed of the machine will have to be reduced to a point that will manipulate the yarn without too many stops. LEIQHTON FLAT HEAD LATCH NEEDLE MACHINE. This type of latch needle circular machine. Fig. S4, differs materially from the customary build of latch needle machines, in that the plate or horizontal needles are operated outside of the cylinder towards the center, instead of from the center outwardly to the edge of the cylinder. This is the reverse of the customary position of the cyUnder and dial type of machine. In this type, the horizontal or plate needles form the outside stitches, and the cylinder needles form the inside stitches of the fabric. It is the Leighton development of the Walter Aiken machine. 161 146 KNITTING Dial Needle Plate. Fig. 85 represents the dial needle plate, and illustrates the principle on which these machines are built. As the needles are operated from the outside towards the center, and the butts of the needles on which the actuating cams operate are farther from Nye & Tredick Circular Latch Needle Machine of the Revolving Head Class. the center, the lands are thicker and stronger. The butts of the needles being wider apart than the gauge (at the inside edge of the needle plate) the yarn is taken into the machine with very little strain or stress, because each needle nearly completes its stitch before the next needle engages the yarn at the carrier; in this respect, somewhat 162 KNITTING 147 163 148 KNITTING resemblinfij the operation of the spring needle frame in forming its stitches. This feature admits of using a large range in size of yarn on the same gauge machine, though cylinders and needle plates of different gauges may be used in the same machine. Fig. 85. Needle Plate. Shogged or Racked Stitches. Among the other notable features of this machine, is the shogged or racked stitch, which forms the much desired edge for sweaters (Figs. 86 and 87) and other knitted garments. These stitches are made after knitting the body with the half cardigan, or royal fancy, the plain rib, or other stitches, as the 164 KNITTING 149 character or style of the garment may recjuire. The shogged edges are formed automatically for any desired length at predetermined intervals, or may be made in a continuous, automatically racked web. If it is desired to produce a fabric with equal intervals of shogged and plain stitches, or other stitches alternating, or a racked, or shogged portion of fabric to form the bottom of the garment, the machine can be regulated, by means of the pattern chain, to effect such result automatically. Plated Goods. Another feature, is in knitting plated goods, i. c, both sides of wool yarn, with cotton yarn between. This, of course, can be done in any combination of wool, cotton and silk, or other yarns, as the character of the cloth, or the demand for a fabric, may require. These machines are designed and built for knitting straight, circular web, either plain rib, half cardigan, or tucked stitch, as used principally in making Swiss rib vests, pants, etc. Another style is for producing a variety of fancy knit combinations of stitches, in addition to the above, and also the regular fashioning machine, which automatically chajiges from plain rib to half cardigan or tuck stitches, as does any "automatic" for knitting underwear. The sleeves may also be fitted with the racking attachments, where it is desired to have a racked edge or finish to the cuffs, which will produce tubular ribbed cuffs with racked or shogged borders and edges, making a complete finish for the cuffs as illustrated in Figs. 88 and 89. Fig. 90 illustrates the circular ribbed sweater collar, showing automatically racked courses, made on the collar machine of this same type, which makes a circular collar with racked or finished edge, and with a variety of racked courses throughout tlie collar, as may be noted in the illustration. The machine works continuously, and automatically racks the courses as it knits. Fig. 91 represents the sweater and cardigan jacket machine, with double feed and striping attachment, and automatic racking attach- ment, that racks borders and bands of any width and at any part of the web, without attention from the knitter. Another important and desirable feature of these machines is the separating course of knitting (see across the middle of Figs. 86 and 87), which enables the operator to separate the goods without cutting the fabric, leaving a clean, smooth, finished edge. 165 150 KNITTING Fig. 86. Face of Sweater Cloth, Showing Separating Course and Racked Stitches. 166 KNITTING 151 Fig. 87. Back of Fig. 86. Racked Courses do not show on the Back. 167 152 KNITTING i'lg. ss. Cutt-Racked Face. 168 KNITTING 153 Fig. 89. Cuff-Racked Back. 169 154 KNITTING Fig. 92 represents the sweater machine tipped partly over, in order to give a more comprehensive -view of the top of the machine, and shows why the name "Flat Head" Circular Knitting INIachine was so distinctively applied to it. Method of Driving. The bed plate A, (Fig. 93), has the exten- Fig. 90. Circular Ribbed Sweater Collar, Racked Courses. sion A' to furnish bearings for the main shaft, which is provided with tight and loose pulleys, and has a bevel gear, or pinion, which engages the teeth of the dial cam plate A* to rotate it. The bolt A''^ on the yoke A'' enters a link A", wdiich is pivoted on an arm A^^ projecting from the shaft of the cylinder actuating cam hub B" (See Fig. 94), so that the hub will revolve in unison with the dial plate. The yoke A^ is connected to the cam plate by means of screws and supports, depend- 170 KNITTING 155 ing from it is the central shaft A^ (See also Fig. 94), having the attach- ed collar A" on which rests the hub of the large ring-like washer B loose on the shaft. The needle cylinder B^ is supported on the Fig. iil. Sweater and Cai-digau Jacket Machine. washer B, and prevented from rotating with the shaft by its projecting rib a engaging the fork B^. When the cam plate is rotated, the hub carrying the cams turns in unison with it and the needles in the sta- tionary cylinder are thereby actuated to form their stitches, and the 171 156 KNITTING movable cams or projections a^ a" in the groove a^ actuate the dial needles in the stationary needle dial plate 3, which is a part of the bed plate A. (See also Figs. 93 and 94). The Dial Needle Bed. The dial needle bed is composed of two Fig, 93. Sweater and Cardigan Jacket Machine-Top \w\\. ring-like pieces 3 and 4, (See Fig. 95), which are bolted together, and the part 3 is connected with the frame bed A, the central part being grooved for the reception of the needles; the parts 3 and 4 being so shaped and attached as to leave a circular space in which is placed the segmental racking guides C. The Racking Mechanism. (Fig. 9G.) The racking guides C have 172 KNITTING 157 fastened to the under side the studs c, which are extended down through slots in part 4 of the dial needle bed and connected to a block^'c' sustained in place by a nut c\ These blocks are connected by means of links c' C to levers c' c\ having a common fulcrum. Each lever having a cam roller entering one of two grooves in the periphery of the cam hub c^'^ fastened to shaft d, having loosely mounted upon it a worm gear having its sleeve inserted in a bearing made m the 173 158 KNIITING extension A\ the gear being engaged and rotated by a worm d?, carried by a sleeve d*, fast on the continuously rotated driving shaft Al (See also Fig. 93). The worm gear forms part of a clutch mechanism illustrated at Fig. 66 (Part II), so arranged that during the regular knitting, motion is not transmitted to the racking mechanism. This is accom- plished by means of a pattern chain mechanism, which by means of the high and low links in the pattern chain, controls the clutch that Fig. 94. Sectional View of Head. lets the worm wheel start the shaft d and cam c^" at such times as pre- determined to rack or shog the stitch, by deflecting the needles a little back of their hooked ends, putting them a little to one side of their true radial positions, so that they may, for some stitches, pass certain of the cylinder needles at one side, and for other stitches, pass the same needles at the other side, and remain in either of their two or changed conditions to knit any desired number of courses. Fig. 95 shows part of the dial needle bed, dial cam plate, the top of the cylinder needle cam grooved for the cylinder needles, and the 174 KNITTING 159 cylinder needle bed, with some of the dial needles, the parts being in position for regular knitting. Needle 21, in the lower diagram of Fig. 95, if pushed forward, will enter the space between the grooves 5 and 6 for the cylinder needles; but when the racking guide C is moved to rack the needles, they will be moved, as in the upper diagram of Fig. 95, so that the needle 21 will pass to the right of the groove 5 and the needle 22 \\dll enter the space between the grooves 5 and 6. Fig. 95. Part of Dial Needle Bed. Cam Plate, etc. The Needle.s and Racking Guide in Different Positions. This change of position of the dial needles, causing them to enter between different cylinder needles from those with which they co- operate in regular knitting, makes a change of stitch, and the stitch is designated as a "racked'^ or "shogged" stitch. The links on the pattern chain act at the proper and predetermined time to throw the racking mechanism out of action, and the regular knitting is resumed, unless it is desired to introduce the separating course to make a finished edge. The Separating Course. (See Fig. 86.) One garment being 175 160 KNITTING knitted, to form a finish for the next garment, a separating course is made by casting the stitches from the dial needles. To do this, the dial needles are given an inward motion by a movable throw-in cam, which enables all the loops held on their shanks, to be brought behind the latches. To effect this, a hnk, Fig. 96, just at the rear of the series of high links used for racking, is provided at its side, with a pin 24, which acts on an arm /, fixed on the rack shaft /^ which then, by means of its connections, causes the rod g to rise, lifting the cam plate cf, raising it into operative position. \Vlien the cam plate is lifted, it is in position to be struck by the end 25 (Fig. 93) of the lever ^ Fig. 138. Gears and Ratchets. The crank pin D^ may be adjusted to control the stroke of the pawl, so that it will move the ratchet wheel the distance of one or any desired numl jer of teeth ; the greater the movement of the ratchet w^ieel the shorter the stocking, and vice versa. The pawl has in its side, a pin a^ which, when the knitting is to be changed from circular to heel and toe knitting, during which time the pattern wheels a^^ and a'° in Figs. 142 and 138 are left at rest, is struck by one end of a lever D^ connected with a link D^, Fig. 138, with an elbow lever D^ pivoted at D^^ (See Fig. 139) to a lug 4, projecting from the clutch lever D^^ (also shown in Fig. 138) which latter is moved when the change from circular to reciprocal knitting and vice versa is to })e made by the pat- tern wheel. The outer end of the clutch lever D^^ (Figs 138 and 139) is forked to embrace the wheel C®, each fork being provided with sliding pins 340 KNITTING 223 a"' and a^"" (See Fig. 140), each pin having at or near one end a pro- jecting cross pin, entering inclined slots in the sliding bar a'^ which is moved in one or the other direction, according as it is desired to change from circular to reciprocal knitting or vice versa. Fig. 139. The bar a>^ has connected to it a lever pivoted at D^^ and having connected to it a link slotted at one end to embrace and slide on a screw stud carried by a change lever a" (Fig. 141) with three arms, and being pivoted on a stand attached to the bed. The change lever a^^ is acted upon its right-hand end when the change from circular to reciprocal knitting is to be made, by a latch b^ which forms a part of the pattern wheel system, and is carried by the radius bar b^ (Fig. 141) mounted loosely on the hub 6^" of the disc h^ fast on the shaft E (see also Fig. 142) having as its bearing the short sleeve c^ the bar having an attached clamping dog ¥, bearing against the outer edge of the disc with sufficient friction to cause the 841 224 KNITTING bar to rotate with it and strike the lever a" at the proper time. A spring // acts on the latch b^ to hold it normally away from the bar. The left hand end of the change lever is acted upon, when the change from reciprocal to circular knitting is to be made, by a latch pivoted on a radius bar c\ the ring of the bar surrounding the hub c" of a disc, loose on the sleeve c^ which is secured to the table or bed sup- port A*. The bar c* is adjustable about the hub by means of a set screw in a slot of the arm c^ A spring acts on a latch to normally press it away from the bar cK ,4 BfTT 9* \ .12 A ;3 The switch D for raising up the needles not to be used for heel and toe work, and for letting them down when they are required for circular or round and round work, has, see Fig. 143, its stem projecting through the plate N attached to the outer side of the cam cylinder B. The stem outside the plate has feather-splined on it a gear n^, which is kept on by the screw n^. The gear meshes into the rach n^, which is connected to the slide block n*, fitted into the guideway n^ of the plate N. When the rack is moved up it turns the gear on the stem of the switch and sets it in position to raise up and put out of action those needles which are not required for knitting the heel and toe, the rack being lowered to put the switch in position, after a heel or toe has been 248 KNITTING 225 finished, to lead down all the needles previously lifted, and then to be raised in circular knitting. The rack has a cam face at one side, with which co-operates a locking device w*', which serves to hold the rack in position as left by its actuating device. When the narrowing in the heel and toe work is about to begin, the projecting pin 71' (See Fig. 143) is struck by the lower one of the pair of switch shifter levers n^ and n^ (See Fig. 144) piv- oted at n'". One shifter rests above the other, and each is acted upon by a spring w^^ to keep the acting ends pressed toward the cam cylinder. The lower switch shifter has a place milled out as at 5, into which en- ters a projection w", carried by the shifter ring c*^ which has imparted to it a slight movement in the di- rection of the arrow, shown at Fig. 144, just as the change from the straight or round and round work to the heel or toe knitting is to be effected which moves the projection into the milled place on the lever or shifter n^ permitting the cam shaped end to move into the path of movement of the pin ri' , Fig. 143. At the same time the projection 'n}^ acts against and moves the upper shifter in the opposite direction. After the heel or toe has been completed the ring c" is moved in the opposite direction, causing the projection n^^ to act on and move outwardly the shifter n^, and let the shifter n^ come into action to strike the upper side of the pin n'' and move the rack and switch D to guide all the needles again into position for straight Vv^ork or circular knitting Changing the Length of Stitch. When a stocking is to be started, the stitches in the larger part of the leg should be a little looser or longer than in the lower part of the leg and in the foot. This is ac- complished by mechanism for raising and lowering the needle cylinder. Notches are provided in the lower end of the needle cylinder which rests on the ring /i' and which is provided with projections /i" (See Figs. 140 and 136). To move this ring so that the projections will Fig. 141. 243 226 KNITTING enter and move out of the notches and thereby raise and lower the cylinder, power is obtained from the cam d^ on the inner end of the shaft E (See Fig. 142) by means of the connecting levers cP'', c?^^", B^, and the rod B^'"" connected to the lever h^"^ attached to the movable needle cylinder elevating ring h' (See Fig. 140). At the commencement of a stocking, where the largest tubular portion is desired, the cam roller fP should stand on the lower part of the cam d!' just beyond the high part 12, and in such condition that the lever B'' acts against the collar B**" and compresses the spring B*". As the knitting progresses the cam travels along by the roller and when the leg should be contracted, the cam d^ acts on the roller. The lever is gradually moved back from the collar B**" thus permitting the spring B'*'' to move the rod B^'' and with it the lever W^, bringing the pro- jection on the ring into the notch in the cylinder thereby letting it descend into the position for the shortest stitches to be made. The extent of this movement is regulated by the adjusting collar 9". When the toe is about completed, the cam d^ meets the roller c?*" and just at this time the lever e is moved, causing the pawl e' to engage the ratchet teeth a^^ shown at Fig, 141, and impart to the plate d a quicker movement than would be effected by the gear wheels, thus giving to the levers fF" and B^ quick movements causing the outer end of the lever B^ to act upon the collar B"^" and push the rod in the direc- tion to turn the needle cylinder elevating ring, and thus lift the cylin- der quickly to provide for stitches of the greatest length, and as the roller passes over the high part 12 (Fig. 142) longer stitches will be made for a slack course. The slack course forms a line around the stocking to indicate the loops to separate the stocking from the con- tinuous string. The Stop Mechanism. The elbow lever BS shown at Fig. 137, has connected to it a slotted link B'', in which is placed one end of the tension lever B^ shown at Fig. 140, and pivoted at B^\ The tension lever is moved by the high part 12, at the completion of each stocking, to turn the arm B* and cause it to act on the arm A^'^ and turn it far enough to let the spring A^ act to shift the belt onto the outer pulley, and thus stop the machine. Just as the stocking is finished, if the machine is to be stopped, the first abrupt end of the cam meets the roller c^®" on the lever d"" and 2^44 KNITTING 227 stops or rests on the cam d'^, just behind the high part 12, in position to start the machine. The machine having been stopped and the stocking run off, it may be again started, and if the stocking is to be short and knitted to a ribbed top, then but one abrupt part d^"" and the high part 12 will be necessary, bui in case it is desired to knit stockings connected together, the web of stockings to be separated after being taken from the ma- chine, remove the link B" shown at Fig. 141, so that after one or more regulai' courses ha\^e been knitted, the needle cylinder may again be Fig. 142. Cam Shaft. raised to make a second slack course by means of which to accurately separate or sever the leg of one stocking from the toe of a previously knitted stocking, and then return to the regular knitting. The automatic twister or reinforcing attachment is provided for twisting the end of the reinforcing or thickening thread around the main or knitting thread to reinforce or thicken the heel or toe. Means are also provided to cut out the reinforcing thread when the heel or toe is finished, leaving the thread in position to be automatically twisted in again for the next heel or toe. Another attachment is provided for automatically changing the yarn in the heel and toe to a 845 228 KNITTING yarn of a different color. Provision is also made for making plated stockings, i. e., wool surface with cotton inside. Attachments are also provided to make a lace effect. Setting-Up and Starting a New Machine from the Factory. It is a good practice to set the machines 13 or 14 inches apart. The belt should be nearly as wide as the pullty on the machine, and may be run from a floor shaft, or from an overhead shaft. If driven from a floor shaft, the driving shaft should have such a speed as to allow the pulleys to be 10 or 12 inches in diameter, while if driven from an overhead shaft, the driving shaft may have such a speed as to allow the use of 7 or S inch pulleys. The speed of the machine should ordinarily be from 240 to 265 revolutions per min- ute, though on some kinds of work a speed of 300 revolutions may be used. After the machine has been set in its proper place and all grease and dirt removed, see that the h tches on the cam cylinder lock the dropper and lifter in place, replace the disconnected parts and connect them ; then put on the yarn and lower the center block switch cam, the stem of which protrudes through the cam cylinder bracket directly under the yarn tube in the latch ring;, or thread carrier. This will allow the butts of the needles to pass under the stitch cam. Turn the machine a few times by hand to be sure that everything is working properly Ijcfore starting up with power on. To Replace a Broken Needle. Raise the center block cam, so that the needles will all be on a level, and then raise the latch ring or yarn guide. Then raise the elevating cam on the cam cylinder op- posite the automatic switch, set the automatic switch so that it will not pull the needles down and hold back the switch cam shifter so that it will not change the switch. Turn the machine bv hand and the nee- dies will all raise above the cams. Then pull out the plugs which hold the brass ring in place, and raise the cylinder out of machine. Take Fig. 143. 246 KNITTING 229 out the broken or damaged needles and put in new ones; replace the cylinder and lock the brass ring in place. Push the elevating cam down, and push down ten or twelve needles directly above the switch cam shifter. This will allow the automatic switch room to change. Turn the machine and the neeflles will all go down to the level. Then drop the center switch cam. To replace a sinker, take off the sinker cam plate, replacing and adjusting it again after replacing the sinker. To Set a Pattern for Stockings or Hose. In starting a stocking or Fig. 144. hose, the two indicators on the outside end of the pattern wheel should stand together. On the inside end of the pattern wheel are two discs or wheels. Each of these discs has a trip or pawl fastened upon it by a clamp, which can be moved back and forth by loosening the screws which hold it in place. These trips operate upon the change motion to change from the circular motion to the reciprocating motion. The inside disc is for the toe, and the second one is for the heel. Upon the side of the toe disc is a high point and an incline. The high point operates the stop motion to stop the machine when the hose is com- 247 230 KNITTING plete, or to make a loose course when making a lady's hose as string work. The incline operates the stitch gauge to regulate the length of the stitch of the leg and ankle. The toe trip should be set so it will be about one and one-half inches back of this high point. This dis- tance regulates the number of courses knit on the toe of the stocking or hose to seam or loop by, and will allow about eight or ten courses. If too much, set the trip farther from the high point; if not enough, set the heel trip nearer to the high point on heel disc about five-sixths of the distance around the disc, back of the toe trip. This regulates the length of the foot. If the foot is too long, set the trip still farther around; if too short, do not set it around so far. Always get the length of the foot by changing the heel trip, and do not change the toe trip after once getting the proper number of courses to seam or loop by. On the outside end of the pattern whee^ are two large gears. Between these gears is a segment with three or four teeth cut in it to match the teeth in the large gear and which is fastened to the outside gear with a clamp. Loosen the clamp and set the segment back to lengthen the leg of the stocking or hose; or set it forward to shorten the leg. After setting the segment forward or backward, clamp it to the outside gsar so that the three or four teeth in it will be sure to line with the teeth in the outside gear. Always feed one tooth on the pattern wheel ratchet in making ladies' stockings or hose. To Set-Up Pattern for Socks or Half Hose. Have the toe trip in about the same position as for ladies' hose, moving it forward or back- ward to get the proper length to loop or seam by. Set the heel trip about opposite the toe trip or about one-half way around the disc back of toe trip, and set the segment forward or backward, as on ladies' hose, to ge^ the proper length of leg. Feed two teeth on the pattern wheel ratchet to make socks or half hose. To Set-Up Pattern for Footing Rib Legs for Misses' or Boys' Hose. Set the toe trip nearer to the high point than for ladies' stock- ings, moving it a little forward or back to regulate length to seam or loop by. Set the heel trip about one-third around the disc back of the toe trip or as far as necessary to get proper length of foot. Regulate the length of the ankle by the segment between the outside gear, and feed from four to eight teeth on outside ratchet, according to the size of hose desired. Four teeth will make about size 9t, and eight teeth will make size 4^. 248 KNITTING 231 The Operation. In describing the operation of knitting a stocking or hose upon this machine, we will represent the needles by a series of . small lines as shown in Fig. 145. These needles may be said to be divided into three sets ; one set, namely, those inclosed with the bracket A, extending one-half way round the cylinder; two sets BB each extend- ing about one-sixth of the way round the cylinder on opposite sides of the same, and one set C between the sets B B. A thread is fed to all the needles, and the machine is rotated so as to produce, by round and round knitting, continuous circular courses of stitches, until the desired length of tubular fabric for the leg has been formed and it becomes necessary to form a heel. In knitting a sock, the stitches of a short length of ribbed tubular fabric may be applied to the needle of the machine before commencing to knit the leg of the §ock, so that when the sock is complete, it will have a rib top; but in knitting a lady's stocking, where no rib top is required, the needles may have a greater draft while knitting the upper or calf portion of the leg than while knitting the lower or ankle portion. After the desired length of tubular fabric has been produced for the leg, the needles A are raised so that their butts or shanks are above and free from the action of all the cams, leaving only needles B and C in action. An extra thread, or thickening thread, is twisted to the main thread to reinforce or thicken the heel, the machine at the same time changing from rotary to reciprocating motion. The two threads are carried back and forth around that part of the needle cylinder having the needles B and C forming stitches upon them, At the end of each reciprocating motion, one of the needles B, at the end adjacent to the needles, is thrown up and cut of action, first on one side and then on the opposite side, so that with each reciprocating movement, the web produced is narrowed to the extent of one needle, first on one side and then on the opposite side. This narrowing operation is continued until all of the needles B B have been thrown out of action, leaving only the needles C in action. As soon as this has been done, the nee- dles B B must again be thrown into action for the purpose of widening. This is done by lowering two needles into action, and after knitting one course of stitches upon them, one is thrown out of action again. This is continued first on one side, then on the opposite side, until all of the needles B B have been lowered into action in the reverse order 240 232 KNITTING from that in which they were thrown out of action. When this is done, the thickening thread is cut out, the needles A are lowered into action again, and the machine changed from reciprocating to rotary motion. The operation just described is performed to produce a seamless pocket, which constitutes the heel of the stocking or hose. After the heel has been completed, knitting of the tubular fabric is resumed and continued, until it is of the length desired for the foot of the stocking or hose, thereupon, the operation resorted to in order to form the heel is repeated to form the toe. After the completion of the toe, a few tubular courses are knit, Fig. 145. then the stocking or sock may be cast off the needles, and a new stock- ing or sock commenced. But if it is intended to operate the machine, to produce stocking after stocking in succession, the production of the tubular fabric may, after the formation of the toe, be continued to form the leg of the next stocking, and so on, the fal^ric being cut off near the toe, so that each stocking will present the appearance shown in Fig. 145, the toe being completed by uniting the edges D D in the usual manner. THE RIBBING MACHINE Half hose are finished with a rib top, as alluded to several times previously, ribbed fabric being very elastic and better adapted for the purpose than plain knit fabric. 250 VIEW IN KNITTING DEP'T OF DES MOINES HOSIERY MILLS SHOWING ACME KNITTING MACHINES KNITTING 233 The Rib Top Machine, or "Ribbing Machine" as it is more com- monly called, is a single feed, full automatic machine with two banks of needles (dial and cylinder) designed especially for making rib tops. It is so constructed that almost any desired length of rib can be made, either very elastic or non-elastic, in a continuous string, having any desired number of welts from one to six, and an extra course of long stitches, for convenience in placing the stitches on points of what is known as a transfer, or direct on the needles of the knitting machine according to the method in use. The ribs are cut by hand, or by a rib-cutter which the operator operates with the foot, severing the string between the round of long stitches (slack course) and the welts. These must be cut as near the welts and as straight as possible, for this represents the top of the sock. When the rib is cut off we have the rib proper. It is then placed on either transfer points or the needles of the knitting machine. In case of the former, which is in most general use, the rib is then transferred to the needles of the knitting machine by placing the hollow points of the transfer over the eyes of the needles, and lowering them until the hooks of the needles pass the stitches on the points, when the transfer can be removed, leaving the rib stitches on the machine needles. If the knitting machine is full automatic, it proceeds with its work, making the leg, heel, foot and toe, throwing an extra thread in both heel and toe, thus producing what is termed a reinforced, or spliced heel and toe. After completing the toe, several rounds of stitches are knit on to make room for the looping, or closing of the toe on a looping machine. The ribbing machine belongs to the Stationary Needle Cylinder class in which the needle cylinder, needle dial, take-up and fabric are stationary; and the cam ring (to which are fixed the vertical needle actuating cams), the cam dial (to which are fixed the cams for actuating the horizontal or radial needles), and crossbar, or yoke, revolve. The ribbing machine being of smaller diameter is usually fitted with but one feed and one set of cams each for cylinder and dial. One of the sets, usually the dial set, is provided with a movable cam in order to effect the change from the plain stitch to the welt which will not ravel out, for the finish of the cuff. The welt consists of two or three courses of short stitches and is made by allowing the dial needles to project only about half the usual distance so as to hold their loops with- 251 234 KNITTING out knitting; or in other words so that the loop already in the hook is allowed to slip back only far enough to open the latch and let the yarn carrier feed one or more loops into it, thus forming a separate tubular plain fabric for a few courses. This variation of needle movement is effected by means of a mov- able cam which is controlled by a pattern wheel arrangement. n ^) DIAL CAM ADJUSTING -iMECHANISM PATTERN ' CHAIN Fig. 146. Type of Rib Top Machine. Sectional View. It is customary to knit a course of long loose stitches somewhat less than a half an inch from the welt, so that when the continuous string of ribbed tops are cut apart, the loose stitches may be easily transferred on to the needles of the stocking machine. The loose or aie KNITTING 235 slack course is made in the fabric by means of the cylinder needles, actuated by a movable cam in the cam ring, which is conti oiled by a pattern wheel. Fig. 146 represents a type of this machine. Fig. 147. Hemphill Full Automatic Machine. HEMPHILL FULL AUTOMATIC The machine illustrated at Fig. 147 represents another type of circular knitting machine in which web-holders or sinkers are em- ployed with latch-needles to knit seamless stockings with heel and toe of different yarn. 253 236 KNITTING Method of Driving. The bed 1 of the machine is supported by a frame 2, mounted on legs 3, as iUustrated in Fig. 148, a cup-shaped bearing 4 being formed below the bed (also shown in Fig. 154). The main shaft of the machine is represented at 7, and is pro- vided with the large bevel-gear 8 secured thereto at one end, while the other end is mounted in a sleeve 9, to which is secured a driving- pulley 10, having a crank-handle 11 for working the machine by hand. A loose pulley 12 is mounted on an extension of the hub of the driving- pulley. Loosely mounted on the shaft near the bevel-gear 8, is a pinion 13; the inner end of the sleeve 9 is also formed as a pinion 14. Between the pinions 13 and 14 is a clutch-hub 15, with a feather to permit the hub to slide while held from independent rotation. Two projections or teeth 16, in the clutch-hub, engage a groove in one or the other of the pinions 13 and 14; and an angular groove 17 receives pins or rollers IS, carried by a shifting yoke 19, which is secured to one end of rock-shaft 20 (see Figs. 149 and 165) mounted in a bearing 21. A gear 22 (see Figs. 148 and 149) is mounted in a bearing sup- ported by the frame and meshes with pinion 14, and is constantly driven thereby during the operation of both the round-and-round work and heel-and-toe knitting operation. To crank-pin 23 (see Fig. 148) is connected one end of :. oitman 24, the other end being connected with one end of an elbow-lever 25, mounted on a shaft 26, supported in standards 27. The other end of the lever 25 is provided with a segmental gear 29 wnich meshes with pinion 13 on the main shaft (see Figs. 148, 149, and 154). When the clutch-hub is in engagement with the pinion which is constantly driven, the gear will move continuously in one direction. During this time the segmental gear is imparting a rotary reciprocating motion to the pinion which is loose on the shaft ; but when the clutch- hub is shifted to engage the loose pinion, it is disengaged from the con- stant pinion, which latter then imparts to the shaft and to the gear 8 a rotary reciprocating motion. The motion of the elbow-lever imparts movement to the pattern-chain and to certain cams, through the medi- um of pawls. Pattern Chain. A shaft 30 is mounted in bearings 32 (Fig. 149) supported by the frame. Loosely mounted on this shaft is a ratchet 33, to one side of which is secured the pattern-chain pulley 34 (see also 254 KNITTING 237 Fig. 164), the pulley having teeth to engage the links in the pattern- chain, some links having lugs 36. The ratchet and pulley are driven in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 162, by means of a pawl 37 connected with one end of an elbow-arm 38 (see Fig. 148) mounted on shaft 26, the other end of the arm being secured to the side of the elbow-lever by means of a bolt. A bracket 41 is secured to the frame of the machine (see particularly Fig. 149); and bolted to this bracket Fig. 148. is a shield 24, on which the pawl rides during a portion of its stroke. The shield is secured to the bracket with a bolt to adjust the amount of feed imparted to the pattern-chain. A ratchet 43 (see Figs. 163 and 164) is secured to the shaft 30 on the opposite side of the pulley 34; and this cam-driving ratchet is intermittently rotated by means of a pawl 44 when permitted by the lugs of the chain. The pawl 44 is also connected with the elbow-lever 25, and is reciprocated thereby. The shield is pivoted on a pin 46, carried by the bracket and extending 255 238 KNITTING over both ratchets and chain-pulley, and is provided with an arm 47, having a pin 48, which projects into the path of movement of the chain- lugs. A spring 49 is coiled about the' pin 46, and tends to hold the arm and shield in position; but when a chain lug raises the pin, the shield is depressed, the pawl engages a tooth of the ratchet, advances the latter, and partially rotates the shaft and the cam-discs. One complete rotation of the shaft 30 and its cams takes place Fig. 149. during the knitting of one stocking, the length o^ the article and its shape being controlled by the length of the chain employed and the spacing and number of lugs carried by the chain. The knitting opera- tion itself continues uninterruptedly without regard to the rotation of shaft and cams; but when a stocking is finished, the rotation of the shaft effects the automatic stoppage of the entire knitting operation; and, during the single rotation of the shaft, it also effects two tempo- rary shafts of the driving-belt, to slow down or ease off the machine when the clutch-hub is moved into engagement with the pinion 13. This movement of the hub changes the knitting from circular or round- and-round work to the narrowing or widening at heel or toe, one-half 256 KNITTING 239 of the needles being thrown out of action. During the narrowing or widening the knitting-cams have a rotary reciprocating motion through the segment and other gearing; and to change to this motion from the continuous rotary motion, another mechanism is provided. Changing the Motion. At one end of the shaft 30— the right- hand end (Figs. 148 and 149)— there is secured a disc 60, having three cam-lugs 61 on its side, near the edge. These operate successively against a pin or roller 62, carried by a lever 63, pivoted at 64 to the Fig. 150. frame of the machine, the lower end of the lever being acted on by a spring 65 to keep the pin or roller in engagement with the cam-disc. The upper end of the lever 63 carries a belt-guide 66 for shifting the belt when cam 61 acts on the shipping lever. The lever is provided with a handle 67, and with the finger 68, which moves under and is held by a spring-latch 69 secured to the frame (see Fig. 149) whenever the lever 63 is moved to its limit of motion for throwing the belt off the fast pulley. One of the cams 61 on the disc 60 is of a height sufficient to throw the lever to this limit of movement, so that the lever is retained by the spring-latch and the 257 240 KNITTING driving-belt held on the loose pulley, thus stopping the machine. To start the machine, lift the spring-latch and permit the spring to cause the belt-shipping lever to restore the belt to the fast pulley; the move- ment of the disc which caused the lever to be caught by the spring- latch carries the cam-lug just beyond the roller of the lever. The other two cam-lugs cause the lever to shift the belt onto the loose pul- 167 Fig. 151. ley, but not to be engaged by the spring-latch, so that the power is thrown off the machine momentarily, at the moment when the change in the knitting above described is taking place. The cam-lugs operate the lever and pass beyond it during the time that the pawl is making one stroke to partly turn the shaft and its cams, the belt barely passing off the fast pulley before it is shifted back again. The Needle-Cylinder. The needle-cylinder 72 extends through a central opening in the cam-ring (see Fig. 154), and rests upon an an- nular shoulder 74 formed upon web-guide 75. The upper end of the 258 KNITTING 241 web-guide extends within the needle-cyUnder; and the lower end is steadied within ring 7G, supported by two rods or bars 77, which de pend from the bottom of the cup-shaped bearing 4. The ring 7G has a projecting hig 78 (see Figs. 149 and 150), to which block 79 is secured by means of a bolt. A stop SI extends vertically through the inner end of the block and projects above it. The web-guide 75 rests on the stop, except when raised for lengthening the stitch ; and it supports the needle-cylinder by means of the shoulder 74. The stop being ad- justable in the block 79, the needle-cylinder may be adjusted to alter the length of stitch. 14-6 150 /I34 132 The Knitting Cams. A cam-web 82 which forms about three- fourths of a circle (see Figs. 152, 153, 154, 157, and 158), is formed at each end with an incline or cam 83, and is secured to the ring 70. The cams 83 act on the heels of the needles to raise them during the knitting operation, the heels riding on the top of the web after being raised un- til acted on by one of the draw-cams. During straight or round-and- round knitting, but one of the cams 83 acts ; but on heel-and-toe work, when the cams are all given a rotary reciprocating movement, the two inclines or cams 83 act alternately to raise the needles. The two draw- cams 84, to lower the needles and draw the loops of yarn, face in op- posite directions, toward each other. Each cam 84 is formed on the 259 242 KNITTING end of a block 85, which is secured to a plate 86 on the inner end of a slide 87, fitted to reciprocate in a direction radial to the needle-cylinder in a guide-block 88, secured to the ring 70. A spring 80, is confined between the outer, closed end of the block 88 and the slide. The upper, as well as the lower, surfaces of the cams are inclined, the func- tion of the upper inclines being to complete the raising of the needles after they have been acted upon by the picking-finger in heel-and-toe work. The faces of the blocks are flat; and when one of the cams is traveling backward around the needle-cylinder, it rides over the outer 67 Fig. 153. ends of the heels of needles, the spring permitting the entire block and cam to be moved outward. During heel-and-toe work the rotary reciprocating motion of the cam-ring causes first one cam to operate, the other being pushed away; and vice versa on the reverse movement. Heel and Toe. Practically one-half of the needles have heels longer than those of the other needles. The long-heel needles are thrown out of action and remain so during the heel-and-toe work. Cam 90 (see Figs. 152 and 153 in connection with Fig. 154) travels in a plane entirely below the needle-heels during circular or round-and- round knitting, but is raised when the change to heel-and-toe work begins. It is secured to a block 91, rising from a segmental plate 92, which fits in the flange of the cam-web 82, and is provided with a pin 93, extending down through the cam-ring 70 and through a long tubu- ?6Q KNITTING 243 lar bearing 94, depending from ring 70. The lower end of the pin 93 is acted upon in a vertical direction by a circular plate 95 within the cup-shaped bearing 4. The block and cam are prevented from rotating on the axis of the pin by the inner edge of the segmental plate. When cam 90 is elevated it will elevate the long-heel needles, thus carrying them out of position to be operated by the draw-cams. The block has also se- cured to it an arm 96, having a throw-in cam at the end. This cam. 125 Fig. 154. when lowered, engages the tops of the long heels and one short heel; and when the block is lowered at the end of the heel-and-toe work, it sweeps over the long heels and the single short heel, and lowers the needles to position for circular work. A pin 98 projects from the cam 90, and is engaged by the outer end of a spring 99, the other end of which is secured to the flange of the cam-web 82. The spring acts to depress the block and cams when permitted by the descent of plate 95. Picking. The cup-shaped bearing 4 supports the cam-ring 70, which meshes with the teeth of the bevel-gear 8. This cam-ring is revolved continuously to produce circular or round-and-round work, a^i 244 KNITTING 153 Fig. 155. or is given a rotary reciprocating motion to produce heel-and-toe work. While doing the latter, practically one-half of the needles are first thrown out of action ; and a portion of the remaining needles are then thrown out of action one by one to nar- row, being restored in the reverse order to widen. The Picker. Mounted on the cam ring, and rotating therewith, is an arched standard 100, provided with an off set 101, in which is a vertical bore or recess 102 closed at the top (Fig. 158). A plunger 103 is fitted to slide and oscillate on its axis within the recess, and is pressed down- ward by a spring 104, confined be- tween the plunger and the top of the recess. To the lower end of this plunger, the picking-finger 105 is pivoted, the plunger affording a support for the picking-finger and yielding vertically against the pressure of the spring 104; and the outer, short end or heel 106 of the finger is held between two springs 107 secured to the standard or offset (see Fig. 160). These springs have a tendency to hold the picking-finger and the plunger in such position that the finger is radial to the needle-cyl- inder, but permit these parts to swing to either side of that position. The acting end of the picking-finger is shaped some- what in the form of an equal-armed cross (see Fig. 167), with two vertical lugs 108 and two horizontal lugs 109. Fulcrum 110 consists of a horizontal arm, having a sharp upper edge projecting from an elbow-lever 111 pivoted to the side of the standard- offset 101. The cams 112 have no movement other than a vertical one. As the outer end of lever 111 sweeps around between them, it comes in contact with one or the other, according to the elevation of the block 113 and the cams, and causes the fulcrum-arm to shift its position. The movement of the fulcrum in one direction is limited by its coming in contact with the outer side of the standard 100, and 202 KNITTING 245 in the other direction by a stop 114 secured to one side of the offset 101, as shown in Figs. 152 and 160. To the feet of the standard 100 is secured a curved plate 115 (see Figs. 153, 157, 158, and 159) having an opening through which the picker extends. When narrowing is to be commenced at the heel or toe, and after the cam 90 has raised all of the long-heel needles out of action, the block 113 is raised, and the lower cam 112 throws the picking-finger 105, into the position shown in Fig. 157. At the same time, the motion of the cam-ring is changed from a continuous rotary to a rotary reciprocating movement, during which movement neither cam 90 nor cam 97 performs any function. As one side of the upper lug 108 of the picker comes in contact with the side of the butt of the first needle of the remaining series of needles, the end of the picker is stopped ; but since the cam-ring continues to 107— 115 108 Fig. 157. move, and with it the standard and cam-plate, one of the lower cams 117 of the plate rides under the finger and elevates it, thus causing the upper surface of one of the lugs 109 of the picker to throw that needle up out of action. As the finger finally rides into the slot 118 of the plate 115, the swinging of the finger causes the lugs of the finger to leave the butt of that needle. As soon as the finger leaves the need]e, the springs 104 and 107 cause it to assume the position indicated in Fig. 157, ready to engage and elevate a needle at the other end of the series. When the needles are to be brought back again into action one by one for widening, the block 113 is lowered, and the upper cam reverses the position of the elbow-lever 111, moving the picker to the position shown in Figs. 151 and 152. Then the lower lug 108 of the picker, and the under surfaces of the lugs 109, act on the butts of the needles 263 246 KNITTING one by one to depress them under the influence of the upper cams 116 of the phite 115. When all of the short-heel needles except one at each end of the series have been rendered active the block 91 is lower- ed and the first complete rotation of ring 70 causes the cam 97 to throw in all of the elevated needles, which are the long-heel needles, and the two remaining short-heel needles; round-and-round work is automati- cally resumed. The reason for throwing in the last two fashioning needles simultaneously with the long-heel needles, is to avoid leaving a small hole in the fabric each side of the heel. When all of the needles are down, the picking finger engages none of the heels, for it is then in the position shown in Fig. 152, the block 113 and the cams 112 being lowered. Sinkers. The web-holders or "sinkers" which co-operate with the needles and prevent the lifting of the web by the upward movement Fig. 158. of the needles, and which also help to draw the stitch, are indicated at 120 (see Figs. 154 and 166 in connection with Figs. 148, 151, and 152). They are supported in radial grooves in a bed 121, which is secured to the needle-cylinder by screws 122, the bed having a horizontal flange 123, which forms the bearing for a ring 124 carrying the cams for re- ciprocating the web-holders. Each web-holder has an upper shoulder 125, to limit the inward movement, and a lower shoulder 126, which permits the cams carried by the ring 124 to withdraw the holder. The outer ends of the w^eb-holders are notched, as at 127, to receive an elastic band 128, consisting of an endless coil of fine steel wire, which acts on all the web-holders to hold them inward and prevent theii bemg thrown out by centrifugal force. The cams carried by the ring 124 are shown in Fig. 151, in which 264 JKNITTING 247 129 represents the double-ended cam for engaging the inner sides of the shoulders 126 for moving the web-holders outward during either direction of movement of the ring, and 130 represents the two cams also carried by the ring 124 for engaging the outer ends of the web- holders to retract them, aided by the action of the endless spring 128. Secured to the underside of the ring 124 are two blocks 131, the positions of which are indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 151, and between which a striker 132 extends, the striker projecting from a standard 13 (see Fig. 152) which rises from and rotates or oscillates with cam-ring 70. When cam- ring 70 is revolving continuously, the striker engages but one of the blocks 131; but when oscillating, the striker engages the two blocks alternately and reciprocates the ring. The space between the two blocks 131 corresponds somewhat with the space between the knitting-cams, and permits of the web-holders and needles remaining at rest while the picking-finger is changing its position. By pulling away the spring-band 128, either entirely or for portions at a time, the web-holders can be easily withdrawn and replaced by others, if desired; or those which are used most continuously may replace those which are less worn on the other side of the machine, and vice versa. The latch-guard ring 134 (see Figs. 151 and 152) can be swung up out of the way whenever desired, as when placing a new cuff on the needles or to enable the needles to be more readily examined, without removing it from its support by the cam-ring 70. The yarn-changing devices are carried by the arm 135. The upper surface of the outer end of the arm 135 is formed with guideways (Fig. 151) for two slides 138 and 139, one having a yarn-guide eye 140 at its inner end and a pin having a roller 141 at its outer end, and the other slide having a yarn-guide eye 142 at its inner end and a down- wardly projecting pin having a roller 143 at its outer end. Each slide is provided with a projecting arm 144, against which bear the ends of a lever 145. Fig. 160. 866 248 KNITTING r36 Lever 145 is pivoted to tne guard-ring arm between the two slides; and when one slide is pushed in, its arm pushes the other slide out. The inner ends of the slides each have a stop 146, to limit their out- ward moverpent. The curved web-guide 149 (see Fig. 151) is formed at the outer end of a spring-arm 150, secured to the arm 135 back of the latch-ring, as indicated at 151 in Fig. 152. A recess 152 is formed in the edge of the web-guide, having hooked ends to retain the yarn which is not being knitted in position for use again when the next change is made. Changing Yam. A plate 153 is secured to the bed 1 of the machine, and has a vertical sleeve- bearing 154 extending over and below the bed (see Fig. 148). This bearing is for a lift-rod 155, the lower end of which bears upon and is operated by a lever 156. To the upper end of the lift-rod is se- cured a sleeve 157, having an arm 158, carrying a block 159, to the upper and lower surfaces of which are secured plates having cam-shaped edges 160. Cams 160 are so spaced that one or the other of the rollers of the yarn-changing slides will sweep between them when no change in the yarn is to be effected; when the yarn- guide slides are to be shifted, the lift-rod is acted upon l)y the lever to raise the block and bring the lower cam into the path of movement of the roller, which, moving over the edge of the cam, reverses the posi- tions of the guide-eyes. When the yarn-guides are to be shifted back again, the rod is lowered to position and changes the yarn. Changing Operation of the Picking-Finger. The block 113 (Fig. 156) carrying the cams 112, is supported by an arm 162 project- ing from a sleeve 163 loosely mounted on the lift-rod. The guide-pin 161 passes through the arm 162 to steady it, as well as the block 159. A pin 164 projecting from the arm 162, is engaged by a lug 165 carried by a spring 166, the upper end of which is secured to a lug 167 pro- jecting from the arm 158. The side of lug 165 is inclined, as 168; and below this incline the lower end of spring 166 is curved or inclined, as at 169, under the end of a finger 170 fixed to the plate 153. The cams which act on the lift-rod impart two elevations to it for each narrowing Fig. 161. 266 KNITTING 249 Fig. 162. and widening operation, during which time the yarn is changed. The rirst Uft of the rod elevates the block and cams and changes the yarn as above described. At the same time, block 113 is elevated, and this orings the picking-finger into operation for narrowing. The timing of the operation of other parts is such that simultaneously the needles having the long heels are thrown out of action, and the ro- tary reciprocating motion of the knitting cams takes the place of the continuous motion. When the narrowing is com- pleted, the lift-rod is given a short ele- vation above the plane of the first, giving to the arm wdiat may be termed a "hitch." This is but momentary; but it serves to draw the curved lower end of the spring upward, over but not entirely above the end of the fixed finger, which pushes the spring outward sufficiently to carry the lug out from under the pin of the arm. The arm and its block and cams immediately drop, and cause the operation of the pick- ing-finger to begin restoring the needles for widening. The second elevation or hitch of the lift-rod is for this purpose only, and the posi- tion of the cams is not so changed as to shift the yarn-guides, for the same yarn is used in widening as in nar- rowing. Simultaneously, however, with the resumption of continuous rotary motion of the knitting cams, and the restoration of all the needles to positions of activity, the lift-rod descends to its normal position, and the up- per cam effects the change of the yarn to the color and quality preferred for the round- and- round work; and the inclined lower side of the lug rides down over the pin, the lug then snapping under it, ready for the next operation. The picking-finger is left turned upward; but, there being no needles with their heels in a plane to be engaged by the finger, the latter remains out of operation until the next change. The lift rod is secured to shaft 30 at the opposite end from belt- shipping disc 171, to which two sets of cams are attached (see Figs. Fig. 163. 2tt7 250 KNITTING 149, 150, and lG4j . To this disc are attached two similar ears 172, the operative surface.s of which are offset. The lever 156, which operates the lift-rod, is pivoted on shaft 26, and has its front l^eveled end 176 in the path of movement of cams 173 and 175. Cam 173 imparts the first elevation to the lift-rod, while cam 175 gives it the second elevation or hitch before referred to, after which the end 176 of the lever passes to the short section of plate 172 behind cam 175, and at the next advance of the disc it passes off the plate and to the position shown in Fig. 150. Connected with the lever, so as to oscillate therewith, is an arm 177, having its end formed with two steps 178, 180, connected by an incline or cam 179 (see Fig. 150). A spring 181 secured to the bearing 34- 50 ^ Fig. 164. Cam Shaft. for lever 156 and arm 177, bears against a pin 182 projecting from the arm, and tends to hold the arm and lever in the position shown in Fig. 150, a stop 183, projecting from ring 76, serving to limit the move- ment of this lever and arm toward the left. The circular plate 95, which rises and falls to control the action of cams 90 and 97, is secured to a rod 184, which slides vertically through an opening in the cup-shaped bearing 4 (Fig. 154), and in a guide 185 carried by one of the bars 77. The lower end of slide-rod 184 rests on upper end of arm 177, and, as the latter oscillates, passes from step 178 to step 180 over the incline 179 (Fig. 150) or vice versa. The action of these parts is so timed that the circular plate Is elevated to render inactive the needles having the long heels simultaneously with the first elevation of the lift-rod by cam 173, which causes the change of yarn and the commencement of operation of the picker- finger ; but when the lift -rod is given its second elevation or hitch by 268 KNITTING 251 Fig. 165. means of cam-lug 175, the step 178 simply moves slightly across the lower end of the slide-rod without affecting the elevation of the cir- cular plate. The disc carries also two segments 186, each having a cam-surface 187 at one end to act upon a block 188 carried by a lever 189 pivoted at 190 to the frame of the machine and having a lug 191 adapted to bear against the lower edge of the web-guide 75 when the latter is to be lifted to elevate the needle-cylinder. In order to adjust the amount of elevation that may be imparted to the web-holder and needle-cylinder by Jthe cams, the block 188 is adjustably connected with the lever 189. The needle-cylinder rests upon the shoulder 74 of the web-guide 75 (see Fig. 154). The upper end of the latter is surrounded by the needle-cylinder, and the cylinder can be rotated upon its seat if not locked. A yielding lock for securing the needle-cylinder to the upper end of the web-guide is shown in Fig. 154, consisting of a spring-bar 195, secured to the inner wall of the web-guide and having a wedge- shaped lug 196 at its upper end, wuI^h lug extends through an opening in the web- j25 guide and into a tapered recess in the inner wall of the needle-cylinder. The upper end of the bar rests in a vertical groove in the inner wall of the web-guide, and the bar and its lug form a lock to prevent rotation of the needle-cylinder on the web-guide. Should a needle offer an ob- struction to the passage of a cam, or if for that or any other reason such an obstruc- tion is caused as might break a cam or break away the ribs of the cylinder be- Fig- IGG. tween the needles, the inclined side of the recess will act on the side of the lug and force it inward, thus un- locking the cylinder from its support and permitting it to rotate. 127 126 V( 20 71 124- 123 ?W1 260 252 KNITTING By loosening one screw and turning in the other, the bar is rocked on its lug as a fulcrum, and thus forces the other lug more or less into the recess of the needle-cylinder. The Process. The cuff a is placed on the needles by means of a transferrer, and circular knitting at h (Fig. 168) pro- ceeds to the point c. Then narrowing begins, and continues to the point d; and from there the knit- ting widens to the point e, when circular knitting is resumed to form the foot portion /. At g, narrowing again begins, and continues to the point h, whence it again widens to the point i, when, after knitting a few cours- es, the machine automatically stops. The operator then breaks off the yarn, and, by means of the crank 11, turns cam-ring 70 one revolution forward, which disengages the needles from the stocking, so that it may be removed. He then moves the crank backward slightly, which, through the engagement of the 108 I09-eJJ3-I09 106 Fig. 167. Fig. 168. heels of the needles with the inner face of the block 85 last in opera- tion, forces the block out of operative position and permits the cam 83 to raise the needles so that their upper ends will be on a level, in po- sition to receive another cuff. In other words, the needles are leveled in the upper knitting-path. After the stocking has been removed from the machine, the edges i and k are united in the usual manner. 270 KNITTING 253 FANCY HOSIERY When it is desirable to reinforce stockings, particularly children's stockings, at several points — such as the heel, the toe and the knee — a second or thickening thread is introduced with the main" thread, the two being fed to the needles as one. If the same length of stitch be maintained in the thickened part as in the other part, the fabric is made closer, harder and less elastic. It is therefore desirable to lengthen the stitch at the points where the thickening occurs. A desirable method of introducing a reinforce just above the heel, is to throw out of opera- tion about one-fourth of the needles at the rear at this point; knit reciprocatingly on the remainder, raising a needle at each reciproca- tion until one-half the needles are out of operation; and then introduce a reinforcing thread and knit reciprocatingly on the needles originally out of operation, adding a needle at each reciprocation until about one-half are in operation. By this method, the junction line between the ordinary and the thickened portion extends diagonally upward. The well-known split-foot hosiery was originally produced upon a circular, independent-needle machine, the peculiarity of which lay in the fact that instead of forming the leg portion by rotary knitting, the cam cylinder was reciprocated throughout, being supplied on opposite sides with yarn-guides and knitting cams, each yarn-guide feeding yarns to, and each set of knitting cams acting upon, one-half the needles only. The result is that each yarn forms a course of stitches extending half-way around the stocking. Where these half- courses meet, at opposite sides, the stitches are interlooped. In this manner the back of the stocking may be of one color and the front of another, or the foot only may be of contrasting colors. In hosiery to be worn with low shoes, it is customary to make the lower part of the foot and the lower portion of the heel of one color, say white, and the upper part of the foot and the entire leg portion of a contrasting color. It is obvious that the half-courses of different colors may be interlooped in the same vertical. wale, or that they may be interlooped in different wales according to a predetermined pattern, as shown in the ac- companying illustration (Fig. 169). A split-foot stocking may be formed upon a circular machine, by feeding one of the threads to the needles in the usual manner, a little more than half-way around the needle-cylinder, and then drawir^^ it inward while passing the remainder of the needles. At a point a 271 254 KNITTING Fig. 109. Pattern Effect with Con- trasting Colors. little in advance of that where the first thread is withdrawn, the second thread is introduced and is fed to those needles from which the first is withdrawn, and is itself withdrawn after being fed to one-half the needles. After the stocking is finished, it is necessary to clip out the float threads. A stocking knitted after this fashion may be produced more rapidly than by the method first de- scribed. In still another plan, by circular knitting, each course is knit as follows : One of'the threads — say the black thread — is fed first to the neediest and knitting therewith proceeds until a half- circle or thereabout, has been com- pleted and the point is reached where it is desired that a suture shall begin. The white thread is then introduced; and for a few needles — say two — both threads are knit simultaneously. Then the black thread is thrown out, and knitting proceeds with the white thread alone until the opposite suture begins. Then the black thread is again thrown in; and for two needles both threads are knit with simultaneously, as on the opposite side. The white thread is then thrown out, and knitting with the black thread alone proceeds, at which point the operation begins to repeat itself. The throwing in and throwing out of the threads must be accurately timed, so as to occur for each course between the same needles. In this way a suture is formed at each side by the interlapping threads, always on the same needles. When the thread is thrown out of the needles, it is allowed to float across the tube to the point where it is again thrown in. The number of needles forming the suture by simultaneous knitting with both threads may vary according to fancy. After the completion of the knitting of the stocking the float-threads are removed by being cut from the interior of the tube. The foot thus produced has its upper portion entirely knit from one thread, its lower portion entirely knit from another thread, and sutures at both sides knit with both threads, the courses thus formed in regular alternation being continuous, as in round-and-round knitting. Although. the two portions thus formed 272 KNITTING 255 are not actually interknit, yet the suture formed by loops interlapping for the space of two loops is equally strong, and cannot be opened except by breaking the threads. An imitation split-foot stocking has been produced by knitting the stocking from yarns of one color, preferably white or undyed, then enclosing that portion of the foot that is to retain its original color, in a clamp that will exclude moisture, and finally subjecting the stock- ing so protected, to a dye, the result being that the leg portion and upper portion of the foot are given a color contrasting with that of the sole of the foot. In a stocking carefully treated in this manner, the line of the dye will follow the edge of the clamp very exactly, and an excellent imitation of the real split foot stocking is produced. A very pleasing color effect for hosiery is shown in the accom- panying illustrations (Fig. 170). The first of these shows a piece of ordinary knitting, all except two of the horizontal courses of which are knit with white threads. Two courses (lettered a and b) are knit v/ith black thread. Between these two black courses are four white courses c c'c c. If the entire piece of fabric had been plain knitting, it would therefore exhibit nothing but two black horizontal stripes on a white ground. Instead of this, at two points, loops d d, belonging to course a, have been drawn forward, so as to project longitudinally ahead of their fellow loops of the same course and into the territory of the succeeding white courses c c. Furthermore, the interknit loops / / of the course b, by which this forward projection of the loops d d is effected, are themselves drawn back behind their fellow loops by the tension of the loops d d, so that there is produced along the same longitudinal series of loops a forward projection of the black stripe, a and a backward projection of the black stripe b; and by the meeting of these two projections, the effect produced to the eye is that of a longitudinal line or stripe joining the two horizontal stripes. The projected loops d d are ten stitches apart. To effect this, every tenth needle of the machine must be so operated that, after receiving the loops of the black course a, it shall be prevented from knitting during the knitting of the four succeeding courses c c c c. This may be accomplished by preventing these needles, during the knitting of these four courses, from rising far enough to throw the loops of the black course below their latches, and returning them into line with the rest of the needles at a point either above or below the 273 256 KNITTING feeding-level. This fabric has been made by throwing them iil at a point above the feeding-level. Consequently the threads c c c c of the four succeeding courses have all been laid in the hooks of the inactive needles without being interknit with each other. When the work has progressed as far as the course b, these needles are again thrown into ordinary action, and, having taken within their hooks the Fig. 170. Interknit Loops for Color Effect. loops / / from thread b when drawn down by the knitting-cams, shed simultaneously loops d d and the four unknit white threads over their backs, thus interlooping all five threads with the loops / /. Thereafter these needles continue to knit, as do their fellows, and plain knitting is produced, until it is desired to again reproduce the pattern, when the operation repeats itself. If, instead of throwing these needles in at a point above the feed- ing-level, they had been thrown in at a point below the feeding-level, the action and resulting fabric would have been the same, except that threads c c c c would not have taken within the hooks of these needles, and consequently, instead of being interlooped with loops / /, these four threads would pass across straight behind loops / / and b b. The resulting fabric is shown in the lower illustration. Fig 170. 874 KNITTING 257 STOCKINGS WITH OPEN OR LACE WORK In the accompanying illustration (Fig. 171) is shown a seamless hose or stocking knitted in one continuous operation, upon a circular knitting machine, and having its front ornamented with one or more sections of lace work extending from the upper part of the leg, over the instep and onto the foot. The rear portion of the leg, the entire heel portion, the back or sole portion of the foot, and the entire toe portion, are all made of plain, regularly-knit fabric^ The front of the stocking, extending along the leg and over the instep, is formed of sections of plain, reg- ularly-knit fabric interposed be- tween other sections of open or lace work united to the plain sec- tions and knit therewith. In the operation of knitting, the thread, as it leaves the plainly-knitted portion of the stocking, crosses a space of from three to five plain stitches or loops in a crossing- thread or loop, when it is again knitted in the regular manner for a single stitch. Then again it is made to form another crossing- loop or thread ; and so on until a lace section is completed. A plain intervening section is then knitted in the usual manner; then another series of open-work spaces; and so on until the entire number of lace and plain sections are com- pleted. This method is followed for three courses, when the thread, instead of being formed into the cross-thread, is midway of its length made to form the long, loose loop in each of the open-work spaces. This operation is carried on throughout the entire portion of the leg, instep, and foot, which it is desired to provide with the lace-work. Fig. 171 Seamless Open Mesh Work Stocking. 275 258 KNITTING The entire stocking is thus formed of plain, seamless, knitted, tubular fabric, in which the leg, instep, and foot portions are provided with alternate sections of plain and open or lace work knitted together. An ordinary plain portion is formed at the back or rear of the leg, and is continued in the heel, the bottom of the foot, and in the toe portions of the stocking. A stocking having sections of lace work alternating with sections of plain knitting around the entire leg, such as here shown (Fig. 172), may be made as follows: Starting at the plain section, the thread forms a straight cross-thread e to the next plain section, crossing the space of one or more plain loops. A given number of plain loops are then made. The thread then makes a fur- ther cross-thread to the next section of plain knitting; and so on entirely around the leg of the stocking. On the next round, the cross-thread c^ is made in like manner. On the third round, the cross-thread e^ is made in the same manner. On the fourth round, the cross-thread is drawn down over the three cross-threads e c' e^, forming the elongated loop d, as is well understood in the knitting of tuck fabrics. This is continued to the point where the heel is knitted of plain loops. After the formation of the heel the knitting is continued, forming the bottom of plain loops and the top of the ornamental courses and plain sections, until the point z is reached, at wdiich point a number of plain-knitted courses are formed entirely around the stocking. The toe is then completed with plain loops. This stocking may be made of one continuous thread, or it may be made by knitting the heel and toe of one thread and the remaining portions of the stocking from another thread, or it may be made by Fig. 173. Making a Lace Work StOL-kiuic. 276 KNITTING 259 forming the heel and toe of one thread and the other portions of the stocking knitted from two, three, or four other threads, as the operator may prefer. The stocking may be knitted upon a machine con- structed in the well-known manner to produce tuck-knitting, pro- vision being made for causing the needles of the front and back por- tions of the stocking to be thrown separately into operation to knit tuck or plain knitting, as desired. Another method of ornamenting a stocking upon both front and back, is as follows: The lace-work upon the front is produced in such manner that where a lace-work stripe is to be made, a needle is omitted Presses' /arn /"or neiV course Fig. 173. Position of Loops. Needles, Jack-Siukers, and Presser Bar Taking the Thread. from either side of an intermediate needle, which needle is operated to tuck or retain its loops for several courses. Two needles may even be omitted from either side of the intermediate needle. It is apparent that the actual omission of needles from that portion of the machine which forms the back of the leg would prevent the proper formation of the heel and toe pockets, and the sole of the foot. In producing this effect, the following disposition of needles is made — an omitted needle, a tuck-needle, an omitted needle, a plain needle, an omitted needle, a tuck-needle, and an. omitted needle. Here the tuck-needles knit two and tuck two. The ornamentation 277 260 KNITTING Fig. 174. Sinker Mea.sur ing off New Loops. down the back of the leg is not so open as the real lace work upon the front of the stocking, and may be described as "imitation lacework." It is produced by two tuck-needles separated by a single plain needle and without any omitted needles. In forming this stocking, all of these tuck-needles throughout the knitting of the tubular portion of the leg, knit for two courses and then tuck for two courses; and so on in reg- ular alternation, so that the mechanism for spe- cially operating the tuck-needles is in continuous operation during the entire knitting of this portion of the stocking. Upon reaching that point in the operation of the knitting of the stocking when the formation of the heel upon the rear fashioning set begins, the mechanism for specially operating the tuck-needles is thrown entirely out of operation; so that, throughout the process of narrowing and widen- ing, the tuck-needles operate as do all the others, thus producing a heel of ordinary plain knitting. Upon reaching the point of operation at which the formation of the foot begins, the mechanism for specially operating the tuck-needles is in operation during that half of each course of round-and-round knitting which corresponds to the upper half of the instep; but it is out of opera- tion during the remainder of each course. Thus the sole of the foot is knit of plain knitting, all of the tuck- needles that occupy the portion of the needle-cylinder with which this part of the stocking is made being operated as ordinary needles; while, on the other hand, the top of the instep is knit with longitudinal stripes corresponding to the frcnt of the leg. Upon reaching the point of operation at which the knitting of the toe-pocket begins, the tuck mechanism is again thrown altogether out of operation, and the toe- pocket knit, as usual, upon the rear fashioning set, all the needles knitting in the ordinary way. It is obvious that the limitations which are imposed upon the ornamentation by lace-work of stockings produced upon circular machines by a continuous operation, do not exist in the formation of Fig. 175. Sinking into Hooks of Needles. 278 KNITTING 261 stockings upon the straight-bar machine or stocking frame, for in such machine a transfer point may be provided for any needle, and the loops may be transferred to produce the greatest variety of ornamental or lace work. STRAIGHT HOSIERY FRAMES In the old, straight machines, the thread, guided by a tubular carrier, was traversed along the needles, after which a row of jack- sinkers, one acting on the thread (see Figs. 173, 174, 175, 176 and 177) in each inter- stice between the needles, was caused to move down to draw the thread into loops, the last row of loops knit meanwhile hang- ing from the shanks of the needles be- hind the new course of thread. The new loops were then carried into the needle- hooks by the motion of the jack-sinkers or of the needle-bar; the old loops were held from moving with the needle, or moved on toward the needle-head, by the jack- Lauding cm Loop on Barbs, sinkers contracting with the previous fabric; while the presser-bar, acting on the needle-barb, closed it so that it passed through the old loop, carrying the new loop with it. Thus the new loop remained on the shank of the needle, and the same cycle of movement was repeated. The old, straight hand frames of William Lee's system were built with a seat which was conveniently placed so that the operator might have free use of both feet as well as both hands, such frames re- quiring all four to operate. The seat was a part of the framework of of the machine. When the rotary shafts were applied, the seat part of the framework was done away with. The rotary crank-shaft was con- nected by means of wheels or belts with the main shaft, on which were Fig. 176. Bai-bs Pressed: Sinker Old loop Pig. 177. Presser Bar Retired; Old Loop Knocked Over Head of Needle, Sinker Returns to Position 173. 279 262 KNITTING cams and levers connected to the slur-cocks, sinkers, pressers, etc., whereby they were actuated in the proper time and order to perform their functions. This rotary shaft had its bearings so located that it was in convenient position for the operator to turn as he stood in front of the frame, the shaft being made with two (sometimes more) cranks, similar to the rotary crank-shaft of the present flat-rib machine. When the change was made, they were called rotary frames, probably to distinguish them from the old hand frames; possibly the hand frames were simply called knitting frames up to that time. After development of the rotary shaft frame, it seems but an easy step to extend the shaft and secure a pulley on it to be driven by a belt trans- mitting horse- or water-power. This straight rotary spring needle frame has been improved upon at different periods, by various parties, until what is known to-day (1906) as "Cotton's" system has developed. The first circular machine on record seems to have been the one described in the British patent in 1816 granted to the celebrated engineer, Mark Brunei, which invention he obtained from some un- known source in France. In this machine the needles were placed radially on a circular plate, with mechanism to feed the thread ar- ranged to rotate about the circle. This arrangement made a con- tinuous seamless tube of fabric at a greatly increased speed. This was the first circular machine. The spring needles were soon placed in a belt around an open cylinder, in a more convenient arrangement. Thus the term circular has been used to designate this type of machine whether the needles were spring or latch, radiating inward or outward or both, or Whether they were positioned vertically, with needle cylinder or cam cylinder revolving with or without dial needles. So, too, has the term rotary been used to designate that type of straight machine which includes rotary shafts. The term frame or machine is, to-day, simply a matter of choice, in either case. THE "COTTON" TYPE Fine hosiery — that is, fine in the smallness of mesh and of yarn and in perfection of shaping of the flat' blanks — is knit almost ex- clusively upon flat-bed machines of the "Cotton" type. These machines are fully automatic in their operation, a single controlling and pattern mechanism serving to operate simultaneously as many as twenty-four like knitting-beds, each of which makes the 880 KNITTING 263 shaped web for a stocking. The needle-beds move in these machines in a path having two (Hmensions; the presser-bar may be fixed, and the sinkers have only a vertical motion. This is ingeniously given by a cam traversing with the thread-guide and a lever attached to or in- tegral with the sinker, which so multiplies the slope of the "wave" of depressed sinkers as to carry each one to the limit of its motion before its neighb"^' has started to move, avoiding abrasion and strain on the yarn. The motions of the machine for knitting, and while transferring the group of end stitches, are very different; they are controlled respectively by two distinct sets of cams on the main shaft of the machine, which shaft is moved endwise at the proper time to accom- plish the change. Fashioning, narrowing and widening the knit web is done on these machines by transferring the loops from several of the edge needles in use on to a separate instrument, moving them one or two needle-spaces in or out, and then replacing these loops on the needles. In knitting a so-called "full-fashioned" stocking it is customary to commence the knitting at the widest portion of the leg, the knitting being performed on flat machines having spring-beard needles, and the strip being knitted of a uniform width until the calf portion is reached, whereupon the strip is narrowed by the transferring of stitches from the end needles on both sides of the machine toward the center of the fabric, until the fabric has been sufficiently narrowed for the ankle portion of the stocking, the latter being then knitted of uniform width until the formation of the heel is necessary. At this juncture two yarn-guides are thrown into action, one employed for knitting a projecting heel-piece at one side of the ankle- web, and the other for knitting a corresponding heel-piece at the opposite side of the ankle web, the intervening needles of the machine having the stitches cast from them. The heel-strips are knitted of uniform width down to the point where the rounding of the heel is to be effected, whereupon each of the strips is narrowed to the desired ex- tent by transferring stitches from needle to needle in the same manner as when narrowing for the calf portion of the stocking. When the knitting of tlie heel-strips has been completed, they are cast from the needles; ana the selvaged inner edges of the heel -strips are run upon the outermost needles of a separate machine known as S81 264 KNITTING a footing machine, the intermediate needles of this machine receiving the loops around the instep portion of the leg-web which were thrown from the needles of the leg-machine when the formation of the heel- strips was begun. The foot-web is then knitted upon the needles of the second Fig. 178. Diagrammatic View of Textile Machine Work's Footer. machine, the web being narrowed at each side to form the desired instep-gussets, and being also narrowed at the toe, so as to properly round the same. 282 2 w W 2 ^ O fa H w o d 5 ;z H K O ^ ^ H o s d - s 2 o IT Z Q !** z u I« o K KNITTING 265 This method of manufacture necessitates sewing or seaming operations to complete the stocking, because, as the stocking-blank is knitted in the form of a flat web, it is necessary to unite the edges of this web by a seam extending down the back of the leg, calf, ankle^ and heel, and by another seam extending under the bottom of the toe, foot, and heel. Generally speaking, the advantages of a full-fashioned stocking over the product of a circular machine, consist in the fact that the former is shaped or "fashioned" in such a way that the fabric is narrowed by the dropping of stitches to suit the contours of the leg and foot, and to insure a perfectly fitting stocking. Another ad- vantage of a full-fashioned stocking is that it is made with spring needles, which leave the yarn its full amount of elasticity, as it is subjected to very little strain during the operation of knitting. This results in a fabric of great elasticity, such as is not produced on a seamless machine using latch-needles, even though the same number of needles per inch be employed. In addition to these points of superiority of the full-fashioned stockings resulting from the method of making, the construction of the machine and the accessibility of the co-operating elements permit of producing effects of design or ornamentation which it is impossible to produce by circular knitting. The underlying principles of machines of this system are pointed out in detail with reference to the illustrations of the machine built by the Textile Machine Works at Reading, Pa. The formation of the loops is produced in the following manner: The needles shown at 1 (Figs. 178 and 179) are clamped in the needle bars shown at lA, and stand in a vertical position. Instead of the former method of casting needles into leads, they are securely held in position by slots being milled in brass bars and holes drilled through these bars, whereby the end of the needle shank is held, this end being bent at right angles to the length of the needle. These brass bars are securely fastened against steel needle-bars. The steel needle-bars form independent sections, generally of a length to make two stockings. Clamping plates three inches in length are used to hold these needles securely in place; and in the latest construction these plates are so arranged that they can be loosened by unscrewing a bolt from the front of the machine whenever it becomes necessary 283 266 KNITTING to replace a broken needle. This is found to be a great convenience, as the replacing of a needle can be done very quickly. The loops are formed by sinkers, of which there are as many as there are needles. Each sinker is placed in the center between two needles. Two kinds of sinkers are used, termed jack-sinkers and dividers. The jack-sinker is reinforced at the rectangular rear end by steel plates, to provide a better and more durable surface for the "jacks" to strike against. There is always one jack-sinker alternating with a divider. The jack-sinkers form a loop over every two needles and the dividers divide the same, to give an equal loop to each needle. Sinkers and dividers have projections at their front end, which are termed, 7iih and nose. The nib is used for forming the loop, while the nose separates the new loop from the old one during its formation and until it has been drawn through the old loop. The sinkers have an independent motion, which is given them by the jacks, of which there is one to each sinker. The dividers are moved forward by the catch-bar, which is so shaped as to control also the backward movement of the sinkers. The catch-bar extends across the whole width of the machine, and is supported by the catch- bar arms, which, at their opposite ends, are connected to other arms attached to the rocking shaft C B4 (Fig. 178), which shaft receives its rocking motion by levers F extending to the main shaft and carrying a roller at their lower end, which is acted upon by the catch-bar cam. The movements of these various parts to form a row or course of knitted loops, are as follows: The needles stand with their beards above the tops of the sinkers, while the nose of sinkers and divider protrude between them. The thread-carrier lays a thread in front of the nib of the sinker, and behind the needle shanks. The sinkers, having an individual movement, as explained, are each brought for- ward, one after the other, by the jacks, which are pressed against the back of them by the "slur-cock" as it travels across each division of needles. By this movement, each sinker forms a loop between alter- nate needles. When these are completed, the dividers are brought forward all together by means of the catch-bar to form a loop between those needles that had no loops formed for them by the sinkers. In order to provide thread for the dividers, the needles all move back nearer the sinker-nib, freeing part of these loops to be taken by the dividers, and so forming a series of loops around each needle-shank, 284 KNITTING 267 all of which should be of uniform size. The needles then descend to such a distance that the new loop passes under the needle-beards; and the needles are moved toward a fixed presser-bar to close the beards; so that, as the needle-bar descends still farther, the point of each beard shall enter the old loops, being landed on top of the needle- beards, and, finally, in a further descent of the needles, being knocked over the head of the needles by the knocking-over bits, the sinkers and dividers in the meantime retiring to give a free passage to the old loop Fig. 179. Narrowing Mechanism, Raising Device, and •'Diamond Point" Meclianism. as it goes over the new one. The whole row" of old loops being over, the needles commence to rise, the sinkers and dividers coming forward above the loops to hold them down in position, ready for the making of the next row of new loops, which are commenced as soon as the needles have reached their normal position again. Fig. 178 shows a diagrammatic sectional view of a Footer; and while it shows plainly the well-designed, mechanical construction 285 268 KNITTING and the strong proportions of the machine, some of the new details of improved construction are shown in the other illustrations. Fig. 179 illustrates a veiy convenient improvement for raising the narrowing mechanism; also an improved mechanism for pro- ducing the diamond point at the toe of the foot of a full-fashioned stocking. The raising and lowering of the whole narrowing mechanism is conveniently effected, and the narrowing machine is rigidly held in the raised position by employing a lever 34, fixed to the shaft 12, and pivot ally connected to a rod 23, which in turn is pivotally attached at its upper end to the shaft 24 of the narrowing mechanism, in con- Fig. 180. Needle Bar Micrometer Adjustment. nection with a hand mechanism for operating lever 21, comprising a bell-crank 25, 26, loosely mounted on the shaft 12, and having its short arm connected by a pivoted rod 27 to an arm 28 on shaft 29. The turning of the latter by the swinging of the bell-crank arm 26 upward to its dotted position against the stop 30, causes the end 31 of arm 32 on shaft 29 to swing forward to its dotted position indicated, thereby raising and holding rigidly in place the entire narrowing machine. This is very convenient for .straightening the needles or putting new ones in the machine in place of broken ones. In order to pro- duce the "diamond-points," the guard-blades 10 are employed, which are swung toward the fashioning points 2, and press against some of these points, preventing them from engaging with the corresponding needles and the picking of the loops from such needles in the operation of footing. The movement of the guards 10 into and out of contact position with the fashioning points 2, is effected automatically during the operation of the machine by means of levers 11 and connected mechani.sm as follows: The lever 11 is pivoted at one end to a shaft 12, and is provided 286 KNITTING 269 intermediate of its length with a roller 13, which bears normally upon the concentric periphery 14 of a disc fixed to the rotary shaft 15, upon which the lever is thus supported without movement; but when the shaft 15 is moved longitudinally during the narrowing operation, the bearing of roller 13 is transferred from the concentric disc to an eccen- tric periphery 16, which raises the pivoted lever 11. Pivotally con- Fig. 181 Draw-Cam Shaft, Bearing, and Brake, nected to the free end of the lever IL is a rod 17, the upper end 18 of which is engaged so as to slide in a sleeve 20, which in turn is pivotally connected at 21 to an arm 22 fixed to the shaft 8. The free movement of the rod-end 18 in said sleeve is limited by a shoulder or stop 19. which comes in contact with said sleeve before the lever 11 is fully raised, and raises it, so as to turn the shaft G and swing the guards 10 outward, as indicated by the dotted lines. Fig. 180 illustrates a very important improvement, which allows 887 270 KNITTING of a micrometer adjustment of the needle-bars. It is very important that the needles should always be in exact co-operating position with the sinkers; and it will readily be understood by referring to the illustration, that the double bolt and jam-nut of this double-armed needle-bar crank furnish accurate means for doing; this. Figs. 181 and 182 show an improved bearing for the draw-cam shaft, and an improved brake for arresting the movement of the draw- cam shaft as soon as the longitudinal movement of the main cam- Fig. 183. Draw-Cam Shaft Brake, shaft takes place— in other words, as soon as the machine commences to narrow. In nearly all other machines this stopping of the draw- .cam shaft is done by a key pushing in betw^een the teeth of the bevel gear on the cam-shaft. This improved brake works with a steel band, leather lined, adjustably secured, and tightens as soon as shaft B is longitudinally moved (see 8, 14, 11, 12, and 13). The construction of bearing 1 not only forms a substantial one-piece bearing for the draw-cam, but at the same time bridges and braces transversely the entire machine, by being bolted to beam A in the rear and beam A* in the front part of the machine. 288 KNITTING 271 LACE EFFECTS AND OPEN MESH WORK The high perfection of the Cotton type of flat-bed knitting ma- chine, has enabled these machines to compete successfully in the manufacture of ornamental high-grade open-work products— stock- ings, of course, being the chief output in this line. Such machines can be used very successfully for producing fabrics of great variety in design, with any perforated patterning that may be desired, and with- out changing anything m the machine that would prevent its being easily restored to the making of hosiery. The slowness of operation in these machines is more than compensated for by their ability to turn out simultaneously a number of fashioned blanks suitable for the finest grades of underwear, while at the same time making any pat- tern of open-mesh work m the fabric that can be formed of tuck-work, transferred stitches, or dropped stitches. The following is a detailed description of such a machine equipped for the production of open- mesh fabric wherein loops are transferred from one needle to the adja- cent one by a transfer point (see Fig. 183). Of course the pattern shown in Diagram H may have the open spaces X at much more frequent intervals. The lace-needles are represented at 1, the stop-needles at 2, and the knitting-needles at 3. The needles 3 are provided in larger numbers than the others, and form a connected row, while the lace- needles 1 and the stop-needles 2 are comparatively few in number, and ■ stand in smaller groups of two or three, according to the nature of the open-work pattern to be produced. The lace-needles 1 are secured in the lace-point bar 4, while the knitting-needles 3 are secured in the needle-bar 15. The lace-point bar 4 is suspended from the shaft 17 through the medium of the arm 16; and these parts 1, 4, 16, and 17 may be called the open-work attachment. The narrowing-needles 6 are secured in the smaller needle-bars 7 and 8. All the needle-bars 7 are rigidly connected to the bar 9, and all needle-bars 8 to the bar 10. These enumerated parts 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 are mounted upon the shaft 11, through the medium of the lever 5, and may be designated as the fashioning or narrowing attach- ment. The sinkers 12 in their operation are moved to and fro horizon- tally. The knocking-over bits 18 remain fixedly in their place. Diagram B shows the positions of the parts at the moment when the knitting-needles 3 have reached the highest point in their move- 289 272 KNITTING / / 2' I 3' / 3' 3 I 3' 3' 3 / 3'r 3 Fig. 183. transferring Loops, by Transfer Point, to Produce Open-Mesh Fabric. 290 KNITTING ' 273 ment, the web 19 hanging on the knitting-needles, the sinkers 12 being projected, and the lace-needles 1 being about to lay their grooves upcn the knitting-needles. In Diagram C the lace-needles have so laid themselves upon the knitting-needles 3 that their points P have entered the grooves 3^ (Diagram G), and the beard 3^ is entirely covered by the groove V (Diagram G). Thus tightly closed together, the two needles move downward through the loops. The loops resting upon the jack 18 are stripped from the knitting-needles 3 and shoved upon the lace-needles 1. This series of steps in the formation of the loops takes place only where the lace-needles 1 are located in the lace-point bar 4. Those knitting-needles 3 which are not covered by lace-needles 1, retain their loops and produce a smooth web. Diagram D shows the next succeeding moment of the needle operation. Web 19 no longer hangs upon the knitting-needles 3, but has now been fully pushed upon the lace-needles 1. The lace- needles 1 now begin to elevate themselves from the knitting-needles 3. In Diagram E both needles 1 and 3 have moved upward; the web 19 has been carried upward with them; and while this was taking place, the lace-needle 1 has with them raised itself from the knitting-needle. In this elevated position of the needles, the shaft 17, together with all the parts mounted upon it — being one or two needles, according to the pattern of the goods — is moved to the left or right. Upon shaft 17 is secured the lace-point bar 4, and the needles 1. Since upon each lace-needle 1 a loop hangs (Diagram E), these loops wall be taken laterally a distance of one or two needles; and at this point the knitting- needles 3 (Diagram E), move into the dotted position, so that the loop can be transferred from the needles 1 to the needles 3. This may be clearly seen in Diagram H, W'here a number of knitting-needles 3 are shown from above in horizontal section. The knitting-needles 3 are hung with loops, excepting the needles 3°, which are cleared in con- sequence of the lace-needles 1 having taken the loops from them and covered them by the neighboring needles 3^ as illustrated in Diagram E. In Diagram F both of the needles 1 and 3 now move again down- ward. The w^eb 19, which was elevated in Diagram E, has been taken downwardly in Diagram F, and again rests in the position which it assumed in Diagrams B. C, and D upon the knocking-over bits 18. The sinkers 12 uow move forward horizontally and secure the web 19 391 274 KNITTING so that it is confined between the knocking-over bits 18 and the beaks 12' of the sinkers. If now the needles 1 and 3, covered the one by the other, move upward in common, the loops are pushed from the needles 1, and slide among the needles 3 again. The lace-needles 1 are now 292 KNITTING 275 free, and again separated from the knitting-needles 3 The parts have now again reached a position similar to that shown in Diagram B. By the proceedings as out- lined with reference to Diagram B to F, beautiful open-work pat- terns may be produced. Diagram H is not given as a sample of a very artistic production; it is de- signed simply to show how a pro- gressive series of openings x may be produced. If the three lace-needles 1 in Diagram H are brought into operation, there would be produced not simply the single row of openings x in the middle of the web, but two lateral rows of openings x^ and x^. The ornamenta- tion of the pattern and the variegation thereof can be ac- complished to a very much greater extent by interrupting one or more of the lace-needles 1 for the production of openings X at will. It is also practic- able to omit openings and intro- duce plain work, just as often as may be desired, along the lines X' 2.nA XK If in Diagram ^^^^ ^''- Ladies' FuU-FasWoned stocking. H it should be desired to introduce a row of openings at 3° 3° 3°, this can likewise be accomplished by simply omitting all of lace- needles 111. Fig, 185 shows a ladies' full-fashioned stocking of mercerized thread made on a 39 gg. (gauge) or 26 needles to the inch Schubert & Salzer machine. It has spliced garter top, heel, sole, and toe, and is narrowed in the leg, heel, instep, and toe. 393 KNIT GOODS FINISHING AND FINISHING MACHINES One of the marked characteristics of the time is the increased demand for ready-made garments. The first demand for this grade of clothing seems to have been by sailors fitting out in New Bedford for long whaling voyages. So many men going out of port at one season of the year influenced an enterprising store-keeper to have a lot of clothing made up ready for the rush. This was before the sewing machine was invented; and the clothing, though far from stylish, was comfortable and durable. From this small beginning came the enormous clothing industry of today, with its many branches, including men's clothing, ladies' clothing, muslin underwear, children's dresses, skirts, shirtwaists, infant wear, knitted underwear, etc. Before the sewing machine came into use, the clothing industry was being rapidly developed, and this undoubtedly served, in a large degree, to spur on the in- ventors to produce a sewing machine. The growth of the industry has been marvelous. It is, and always has been, a great incentive to the sewing machine manu- facturers to exert their inventive faculties, and in this large special field, a profitable market is found. Large and profitable concerns have been developed in the ready-made garment industry because the manufacture of garments in large lots makes it possible to offer them at prices that command attention and in better style than those turned out by the average tailor or seamstress. The knitted underwear branch of the clothing industry early saw the advantage of concentrating its help under one roof and under the skill and guidance of experts, and they, quicker than any other branch, also saw the great advantages of special machines. As a result they have today the best equipped factories in the ready-made garment business. Almost every operation, in fact every operation, has a special machine designed and adapted to perform that part of the work. It is an unusual thing for an operator to make a gar- 295 KNIT GOODS FINISHING ment complete in a knitted underwear factory. After leaving the cutter in bundles of one dozen each, they pass successively through different operators' hands for almost every operation. KNIT GOODS FINISHING Since the manufacturer of knit goods has undertaken to pro- mote his sales by direct personal solicitation, the details of finishing have become almost innumerable. When knit goods were marketed chiefly by the commission houses it w^as customary to sell the goods as the sample was made up, but when the manufacturer, to close his sales, sought to do a little better than his competitor and offered to "cat-stitch", to put on Prussian binding, or four buttons instead of three, or pearl buttons instead of bar, or a ribtail instead of hem, or collarette instead of binding, or stitched with silk, or one quality of golloons here, and another quality of buttons — cloth, bar, ivory, bone, shell or pearl — single stitched, two needle stitched, or three rows of stitches, or some of the innumerable catch features adaptable to the finishing of underwear, he built up for himself and for the entire trade an interminable number of styles to perplex himself as well as his help and retard production; because this or that lot must be marked 88AB21 or Xo 225, or with some other hieroglyphic equally difficult to keep run of, and sort out. We will take under consideration the more important processes, leaving the more stylish designs to be acquired after due experience. Between the first attempts to produce factory-made underwear and the many fine examples of the art before us on every hand at the present day, is a goodly joiu'ney, and to one who has been a priv- ileged observer of even a part of the necessary changes, both mechan- ical and artistic, which have followed one after another during this period, the transformation is of vast interest. .From an artistic standpoint, and in a peculiar sense, much of the credit for the excellence of our present-day underwear must be given to the garment designer. This person is never satisfied with a new design or effect if another suggests itself which seems better; and if mechanical difficulties prohibit its adoption, they are but a spur or incentive for the inventor, and are looked upon as things to be overcome. The cares and designs of the garment maker, or originator, however, are of a different nature from the foregoing, ;296 KNIT GOODS FINISHING in that there is never any surety that the particular style of finish or cut of a garment, which is finally worked out with such exceed- ing care, will remain in vogue longer than one season at the most. Fabric. These most useful and necessary garments are today made in an almost inconceivable number of styles, and in as many different qualities. There also seems to be no end to the different kinds of fiber which may be used one way or another in their fabri- cation. Silk, wool, cotton, ramie, mohair, camel hair, flax, etc., are all adaptable in some form or other, or in various combinations, so that we are able to select garments that are not only perfectly adapted to meet our requirements of warmth for the winter season, or cool comfort in the warmer months, but every grade shows re- markable taste as to finish and texture of the fabric itself. Yarn. In making the yarn for this peculiar elastic fabric, we have recourse to all of the various fibers which are used in woven fabrics, but differing from the latter, a knitting yarn must be smoother and more even. If these requirements are complied with, the knit- ting process is much faster than weaving, and consequently a greater quantity of knitted cloth can be made at the same cost, than of a woven fabric of equal quality. For this reason, and because of the elastic nature of a knitted fabric, it is especially suited for wear next to the body, and has taken the place of all other kinds of material for this purpose. The finest results are obtained by the use of silk yarn, yet many very satisfactory fabrics are made from lisle thread and mercerized cotton; fibers that are much cheaper than silk. Such fabrics retain their style, shape and brilliancy through much hard usage, and many trips through laundries. Indeed, the problem seems to be that on the medium-priced garments the trimmings, which are necessary to present a sufficiently neat appearance, must be of a somewhat better quality than the fabric itself, in order to wear as well. Making Up Samples. In making up samples for an approach- ing season, the designer's field would appear to be somewhat limited, from the fact that the general styles or character of these garments have now become standardized, and are in a measure arbitrary. Thus the vest or shirt of a two-piece suit will allow of but little altera- tion from the usual shape, except in the length of sleeves or cut of the neck; and with the pants and drawers which complete these 297 ' KNIT GOODS FINISHING suits there is still less opportunity for change. In the case of one- piece or union suits, which are integral from neck to ankle, these restrictions also exist and are, if anything, more arbitrary than with the two-piece styles. Under such conditions it is evident that any very radical innova- tion in the cut or shape of these garments is out of the question; so the designer's efforts must of necessity be confined to the minor details of texture, finish, color, etc. In this field, however, his art has the fullest scope, for there is no end to the variety of effects that are possible by the use of the various trimming materials, by them- selves or in combination; or when introduced as contrasts with the fabric itself; and it is principally these essential details that have brought about the present advanced state of the art. The chief fundamental that must be recognized is that the wearers of these garments demand something that shall be of an even thickness throughout, so whatever may be superimposed in the way of bands, facings, etc., must not be of any appreciable thickness that will cause the garment to appear bulky in any part. The basic fabric, having been previously determined as to weight, firmness, etc., is sufficient of itself for the requirements of the season, and any extra thickness beyond this often proves un- comfortable to the wearer. The seams that are introduced to unite the several parts into a garment must also be flat as well as strong, and without any un- necessary ridge or corded appearance. These are prime essentials, which may be considered as standardized, and having provided for them in a satisfactory manner the final detail of finish may be con- sidered. A certain amount of this, is, of course, indespensable, as it is required for the practical purposes of fastenings in the form of buttons, lacings, etc., and as bindings, facings, hems, etc., for pro- tection of the several openings and extremities of the garments. In selecting the materials for these purposes, however, many pleasing effects are possible, and they may be made to serve in a decorative sense as well as being utilitarian. Selection of Materials. In selecting the nature and quality of fiber or material from which the fabric will be made, it is necessary that the detail of color should be considered in conjunction, because if a specific hue or shade has been predetermined, and a dye or other 298 KNIT GOODS FINISHING artificial agent is necessary to produce the desired result, the especial fiber know n as the most favorable vehicle must be chosen ; for among the many generic dyeing agents, or their mordants, some are more perfectly adapted to a specific fiber than others. If a natural color is desired, that fiber which has the cleanest appearance when in this state must be selected. Having determined the fiber, color, and gauge of the fabric, and having a finished piece of cloth before him, the designer's task is to shape the pattern or cut of the garment, and to decide on an amount and quality of finish or trimming that seems necessary and appropriate. This is essentially the chief's province, in which there is recourse to no assistance excepting that rendered by the makers of whatever finishing material he needs, such as facing, l)ands, land- ing, lace, buttons, etc. Style of the Garment. The style of underwear in most general use is the two-piece suit, consisting of shirt and drawers, or vest and pants. The one-piece or union suit, however, is fast coming into vogue, and it has several points of superiority that appeal to a large class of users. While there is no intention to establish a comparison, one, and probably the principal, advantage of the union suit may be mentioned. This is the absence of a double thickness of fabric around the lower part of the body and hips, for, as the garment is of one integral piece from neck to ankle, it adds but a single thickness over any part of the body. Style of Finish. In selecting an appropriate amount of finish for all styles of these garments, a great deal of care and taste is re- quired, for if too much finish is imposed, or if it be gaudy, the desired effect is at once destroyed; this being especially true of the more expensive grades. In the detail of neck finish, for instance, while a novel effect is always sought for, either by the aid of lace, binding or a piece of the fabric itself having been knit with contrasting stitches, any material that produces a poor effect is at once seen to be out of place. This is also true of the front facing of shirts, and bands on drawers. The buttons also are made in an endless variety, some being very beautiful, and they assist very materially in producing a dressy effect. 299 6 KNIT GOODS FINISHING As regards the color scheme of the garment, there are probably as many varying theories on this subject as there are wearers of the garments. So the problem is to exhibit only that which will not offend. An effect that is pleasing has trimmings of a slightly dis- similar shade from the l)asic color of the integral garment itself. Many times the vefy simplicity of a design serves to attract attention Turning and Winding-up Machine. to a fabric that otherwise would fail of notice, even if the greatest skill had V)een devoted to its every process of manufacture. FINISHING FLAT GOODS The manner of handling knit goods, and die various operations required in the process of finishing, is about the same in all kinds of goods, either shirts or drawers, Init for convenience a dozen shirts, followed through the mill, will illustrate the successive processes they undergo. The system of tracing the garments with the Stetson coupon check is perhaps regarded as the best and most reliable system for that purpose. Turning the Cloth. When the rolls of cloth are removed from the take-up, the right side of the cloth is inside the roll; that is, the 300 KNIT GOODS FINISHING inside of the circular web of cloth as it leaves the needles on the frame presents a more sightly appearance, showing as it does the wale or ribs formed by the stitch, wdiile the outside of the fabric presents the annular courses formed in the knitting operation. The beauty of the stitch formed on the ribbed side of the cloth distinguishes it as the right side or face. This requires the web to be turned inside Fig. 3. Leighton Machine Go's. Knit Web Turning Machine. out, and it is usually most practical to turn it before it leaves the knitting room. The accompanying cut shows very clearly the mode of accomplishing this operation by machinery. (See Fig. 1.) The web of cloth is drawn on the tube or cylinder until the other end can be introduced into and drawn through the inside, and started around the roll at the further end of the machine, and 301 KNTT GOODS FINISHING the power applied and the cloth rolled up in shape to be delivered to the cutter. The machine is simple and readily comprehended by reference to the illustration. The Leighton Machine Co.'s knit wel) turning machine is an important improvement in the process of turning the web. It is intended to be set up at the end of the turning tubes now in use in knitting mills and to put the roll of webbing on the tube ready for the rolling up machine, to take it off through the tube (thereby turn- ing the web) and roll it up again. This is a satisfactory device for putting the webbing on the turning tubes. Fig. 3. Eastman Electric Cloth Cuttiug Machine Table. Cutting to Shape. The cloth, now l)e\ng right side out, is turned over to the cutter, who pushes an iron rod through the center, and places it in a rack, provided for that purpose, at the head of the cut- ting table. If the cutting is done in the old way with a large, long knife pushed up and down through a slot in the table arranged to suit the size and style of the garment required, the cutter draws from the roll such a length as he requires, cuts it off, and repeats the opera- tion until he has as many lengths in a pile, evenly distributed on top 802 KNIT GOODS FINISHING of each other on the cutting table, as he may desire. After marking the top of the pile with a pattern corresponding with the slot in the table, he proceeds to "whip-saw" or cut out the sections of the gar- ment as marked out with the pattern. The smaller sections are cut and fashioned with hand-shears, as also are the shoulders "sloped" where the sleeves are to be fitted in. Finishing Processes. After a dozen bodies, twenty-four sleeves, twenty-four cuffs and twenty-four half borders have been prepared, they are tied up in dozen lots and turned over to the loopers, who loop on or join the cuffs to the bodies, the rib-tails to the bottom of the shirts, and join the shoulders without leaving a seam, as they are joined loop for loop in a manner not easily detected. They may be sewed together very nicely, but the point of joining is never so smooth and sightly as by the looping process. The seamers then take the garments in hand to seam up the sleeves and join them to the bodies. The inspectors and menders then look them over and attend to what mending is necessary. If overseaming the cuffs is in vogue the garments then go to the overseaming machines, to have the cuffs and half borders joined on the edges, after which they go to the washroom and are scoured and fulled. If they are to be bleached they are placed in the bleach house over night wet, and are given a sulphur bleach, taken out in the morning, rinsed and sent to the boarding room where they are boarded on forms of the proper size as designated by the yarn marks in the garments. After drying out in the dry room or drying machine, and re- moved from the boards, the garments are sent to the finishing room where the process of finishing begins by girls looking over them to see if the sizes are properly sorted, and stamping the sizes on the skirt of each garment, attaching the Stetson coupon tag and sending them to the neck marker, who marks the neck with a "kicker," or in an up-to-date mill with a power marker. After the neck flaps are cut the stitcher performs her operation of stitching down the flaps, and takes oft* the first coupon, it being the first piece-work performed on the garments. They are now carried to a cutting table, the fronts marked, cut down for the button stays and button hole facings, and are then turned over to the facer, who sews on the facing, detaches her coupon from the tag, and 303 10 KNIT GOODS FINISHING passes them over to the twin-needle machine operator, who covers the raw edges of the flaps. The dozen then goes to the finishers, who put on the button stays and further complete the garment with binding of such quality as designated on the stub end of the check. The button-holer now takes the dozen in hand and makes the button holes, spacing them and trimming ofl" the threads. She turns them over to a little girl who marks them for the buttons and carries them to the button-sewing machine, where the buttons are sewed on and the threads trimmed off. They now come under the eyes of the inspectors, or lookers- over, who look them over carefully, trim off all loose threads and shaking each garment, send them to the press-room, where they are carefully folded in papers or press boards in dozen packages and put intr> the press, in which they are left for three hours under a pressure of 3000 pounds or more. After being taken out of the press and the press-boards removed, they are carefully scanned by girls, w^ho throw out all imperfect goods and fold the perfects or firsts, in proper shape to fit the boxes, after which they are boxed and labelled, ready for the shipper. A well regu- lated and well managed mill ought not to have more than 2^ per cent of seconds, even on a medium grade of goods. Equipment and Arrangement of the Finishing Room. A well equipped, up-to-date mill today has several features in the finishing department that the larger number of the mills have been slow to adopt. In these improvements are included an electric or power cutting machine, taking the place of the old way of cutting with a )vnife following a slot in the cutting bench and pushing by hand with Fig. 4. Eastmiiu Electric Cloth Cutting Machine. 304 KNIT GOODS FINISHING 11 an up and down motion as with a saw. Another departure is in the method of drying, a complete drying machine being substituted for the old way of a large room given up to drying and wasting heat. The arrangement of the tables — cutting, inspectors', makers', and other tables as well as the machine tables — depends greatly on the size of the finishing room. The cutting tables should be in close proximity to the knitting frames. If the cutting is done on a floor Fig. 5. Willcox & Gibbs "Overlock" Machine. above that where the loopers are, a chute can be arranged to slide the goods down near the loopers after they are cut and bundled in dozens. To each bundle should be attached a patent tag, on which is printed a coupon for every operator who works by the piece to detach, in order to show the number of dozens she has done. The cutting may be done in the finishing room, if more convenient on account of the floor space. If there is space in the knitting room, it 305 12 KNIT GOODS FINISHING is more desirable to do the cutting there, the rolls of cloth being more awkward to handle than the bundled dozens. The seamers should be near the loopers. The nearer all these several operations are to each other, the less day-help is re([uired to handle the goods, and it is folly to have operators of machines rini- ning after their work while their machines lie idle. It simply means more machines and more operators, and it is wiser in more ways than one to have little girls do what marking, and other preparatory work which they are capable of doing, carrying the work to the operators and taking it away, thereby getting the full production from machines. EQUIPMENT FOR FINISHING 100 DOZEN FLAT GOODS WILLCOX AND GIBBS SYSTEM A good finishing equipment for finishing 100 dozen men's or ladies' fine underwear flat goods, embodying the "Overlock" seam and hem of the Willcox & Gibbs Co., may be as follows: One electric or power cloth cutting machine, with shirt and drawer patterns. Eight Beattie double or lock-stitch loopers. Three Wilcox & Gibbs "Overlock" machines. Drying-boards; the number required depenchng upon the weight of goods and methods of drying. One Kennedy's power neck marker. Patterns and shears for trimming. Six Willcox & Gibbs automatic finishers. One catstitcher. Six zigzag machines, for suspender tapes and covering gussets of drawers and covering edges of cloth left after running necks. One button-hole machine. One button sewing machine. Three two-needle machines, for double row of stitching on outside. One single-needle machine. One Crawford power or hydraulic steam press, with press boards. One rib cutter. One Kennedy automatic band cutting machine. One irregular form-cutting machine, with dies for irregular shapes. One paper cutting machine for cutting domets, etc., into strips, stayS' bands, etc. One power eyeletting machine, for setting metal eyelets in drawers. If the drawers have straps on the back with two sets of buttons and button-holes to change the waist size, no eyelet machinery is needed. If a tape or lacing is used, the eyelet may be either a metal 306 KNIT GOODS FINISHING 13 eyelet or stitched eyelet, the former calling for a power eyeletting machine, the latter for an eyelet stitching machine. It is still a custom in some mills to use end-sewing machines to close the cuffs and anklets, but this is not necessary, the present methods of making the seams closing the cuffs properly. UNION SPECIAL SYSTEM An equipment for finishing 100 dozen men's or ladies' fine under- wear, flat goods, say half sliirts and half drawers, on the Union Fig. 6. Dewees Seaming and Trimming Machine. Special system, should have the following machinery, although, of course, the weight of the goods may make a slight difference: One electric or power cloth cutting machine, with patterns. Eight Beattie loopers or turning off machine.s. Three Union Special seamers. Drying boards — the character of work will deterniiue the number. 307 14 KNIT GOODS FINISHING One Kennedy power neck marker. Patterns and shears for trimming. Five Union Special finishing machines for shirts. Six Union Special drawer finishing machines. One catstitching machine. One button-hole "machine. One button sewing machine. One strapping machine, for sewing suspender straps to drawers. One Union Special single needle ornamental machine, for making pearl edge on binding. One eyelet sewing machine, for stitching round eyelets, or one power eyeletting machine for metal eyelets. One ITnion Special two-line taj)ing machine, for covering back seam of drawers witli tape. One band stitcher, for stitching drawer bands together. One twin-needle machine for necking. One McCreary rib cutter. One Kennedy automatic Ijand cutting machine, for stays and facings. One Gem paper cutting machine for cutting flannels domet, etc., into strips. One Kennedy power cutter, with dies for irregular shapes, for cutting stays, drawer bands, forms, gussets, etc. One Crawford power steam press, with press boards. The Finishing Machine Table. Because of tlie e.xaeting require- ments now existing in high-speed sewing machines, it will be realized how vitally necessary it is to the most effectual performance of these machines, and to prolong their usefulness, that a solid support or foundation should be provided. Too often it is the case that the sewing machines are neglected with the result that their full efficiency is never obtained, and they must be overhauled much sooner than would be necessary if the table were of substantial construction, and the transmitters, shafting and pulleys supported and aligned in a workmanlike manner. Of the sewing machines in use at the present time, the greatest number are either necessarily complex in their construction, and consequently of considerable weight, or are run at a high rate of speed, which is often more than equivalent to the weight factor in its ultimate effect on the table. Many machines combine l)oth these features — weight and speed — which, of course, means a double tax on their supporting structure. That class of machines which includes those used for button- holing, button-sewing, and strapping, is an example of the heavy type, and their most important function is the stop-motion which 308 KNIT CxOODS FINISHING 15 is made necessary by the nature of their particular operations. These machines are run at a comparatively slow speed, but the unremitting succession of shocks from the stop-motion is a factor which imposes the hardest kind of service on the table. All seaming machines, and some of those used for finishing are comparatively lighter than the class just mentioned, but the load wliich they contribute is added to by the high speed which is required from them. About the only machines in use at the present period that may be called light, as well as light running, are the small, single-thread finishing machines, and if those were the only ones to Fig. 7. Willcox & Gibbs Sewing Machine Table. contend with, the ordinary light, wooden table would no doubt suffice. Recognizing the requirements as they now exist, however, it becomes most important to consider them carefully, and provide a foundation for the machines that will meet the new conditions, not only with reference to the essential of convenience, but especially in regard to the required amount of strength and stiffness to adequately absorb any amount of vibration that may develop. The result would insure increased general efficiency of the machines, their usefulness would be prolonged indefinitely, and the table itself would be prac- tically indestructible. 309 16 KNIT GOODS FINISHING There are, of course, many differing ideas as to how a table should be constructed. A strong, wooden table has many good points, and so has one with iron legs and wooden top. The latter meets with the most general favor, however, and seems to embody a greater number of desirable features than any other. With refer- ence to this subject a set of drawings has been prepared (See Fig. 8) that illustrates several views of a table which is designed to embody, in the simplest form, many features that have been proven to be essential, together with others that are somewhat novel; and it is believed that a combination of this description would effectually meet all of the essential conditions that may arise. The design is susceptible of modifications to suit the individual needs of each mill, or as the course of the product through each department may neces- sitate, but the general scheme will be readily understood. In this table the legs are of cast iron, the main feature of which is a straight, tubular form of post that is designed to be located as nearly as possible under the point of load or stress which the table top receives from each line of machines, thus securing the most direct support and connection between the machine bases and the floor. The feet of these posts are extended horizontally from opposite sides of each post in a line parallel with the length of the table, and in this manner assist materially as braces in this direction. Strong lag screws which enter the joists or stringers where possible ensure a most effectual fastening to the floor at these points. A feature which is second in importance only to a good floor fastening is that of supporting the main shaft in its l)earings, for in a long stretch of table the corresponding length of shaft must carry a considerable weight of iron in the form of pulleys and couplings, and as this factor is always greatly exceeded by that of the straining belts, which are necessarily short and must therefore be kept at a tight tension in order to transmit the required amount of power to each machine, the resultant of these two forces, weight and strain, becomes of great moment. To provide an adequate resistance against these forces at this point, therefore, it will be noticed in the drawings that the main, or lower cross rail web has been (juite heavily ribbed both top and bottom, making it of the I beam form in section. In addition to this provision for strength in the rail itself, its ends are seen to depend 310 KNIT GOODS FINISHING 17 gradually to their points of connection with each tubular upright mem- l)er, thus giving the rail an arch form in outline, and providing ample stretigth for its purpose in any direction. The well known provision for adjusting each hanger in its rail for the purpose of aligning the shaft is shown in section. IN fa The upper cross rail which supports the wooden top, is provided with a wide flange on its upper edge, through which the screws that secure the top are passed. Its mid-section is supported through two extensions of the web which connect respectively at two points on the 311 18 KNIT GOODS FINISHING *^ upper side of the lower rail. Both these rails and the two tubular upright members are combined in one integral casting, and there are no joints for the purpose of adjustment whatever, excepting the one for the purpose of aligning the shaft. It is no doubt convenient, and sometimes necessary, that vertical adjustment for the table's top be provided, but where it is not neces- sary, it is doul)tful if this provision is a practical one, for if not fastened very secin-ely, such adjustable joints are soon out of place, and the table's top deflected thereby as badly, or worse, than any floor would settle in years. So if a table can be erected without them, it would be rigid to the utmost limit, and, thereafter, never need attention except as the build- ing itself might change, and in that event any change would affect all points of the table equally, so if the shaft and the top were originally in perfect alignment their relation would never change. A section of the top is shown, the central portion of which is made of one-inch stock, approximately, and extends continuously over as many pairs of legs, or supports, as its original length will permit. The two outer parts of each section, however, are intended to be of much thicker stock — say three inches — and will extend only from one leg to the next adjacent one, thus providing a separate top section or base for each machine and its transmitter. The ends of these short sections are designed to rest on the upper hori2;ontal flanges of the two adjacent cast iron legs in such a manner that two of the tops will meet and make a joint in the centre of one flange, and, if suitable detachable fastenings are provided, it is pos- sible to remove any section with its machine and transmitter undis- Kennedy's Power Neck Marker, 312 KNIT GOODS FINISHING 10 turbed, and replace them between any other pair of legs. This makes it possible to quickly substitute one machine for another at any point on either side of the table whenever it is found necessary or desirable to change the order of operations through the department, and not be obliged to pass the dozens back, or cross the table. A trough or depression in the top has not been provided in this table, for the reason that this feature has always seemed to disclose as many defects as advantages, mainly in the fact that it was a very convenient receptacle for many forms of waste material, such as poorly wound cones of thread, or bobbins, defective binding, dirt, etc. One other item in the table's equipment is that of supporting the spools or cones in a position that will most favorably deliver their thread to the machines. This position would seem to be somewhere overhead, but within easy reach of the operatives, and a long central rack may be provided for the purpose, which would be supported at intervals from the table's top, or suspended form the ceiling. The latter plan would l)e preferable as the rack would not then be affected by any vibration from the machines through the»table. ADJUSTMENT AND OPERATION OF FINISHING MACHINES The adjustment of sewing machines is an operation which re- quires great care. If a machine is acting badly, an intelligent study of its condition is absolutely necessary before a move to correct it can be made Then, and not until then, can a remedy be applied with any hope of success. General Consideration. So much has been done with sewing machines, and their various applications and forms of construction are so different, that it is hardly possible to group them, nor is it necessary. In nearly all the main functions are identical in principal, and before we take up each one separately, it is well to consider them generally. Nearly all sewing machines have the com.bination of a needle; a throat or cloth plate, through which the needle passes after piercing the goods, a needle thread loop-laking device, and some form of feed. The needle must descend, or pass its point by the looper's point far enough and quickly enough to act in time for the looper to take the needle's thread, as soon as the needle's upward movement forms a loop, and the feed must do its work while the needle is out of the goods. 313 20 KNIT GOODS FINISHING In feeding an ordinary piece of material on a plain machine, it can be generally stated that the feed must move laterally to carry the goods as much as is possible while it is above the plate, that is, have it appear above the plate as soon as possible after the needle has left the work, so as to have nearly all of its work done before it has to descend again, thereby getting the greatest amount of effective motion Fig. 9. Siiiser Button Hole Machine. with the least amount of actual motion; for the four motion feed actuated by eccentrics (the easiest device known for high speed) can- not be made to take the ideal path, but takes the form of an ellipse.. The ideal path would be a parallelogram. This could l)e obtained by having the raising motion take place before any lateral motion al)ove the plate, and the drop motion before the return below, but it is not suitalile for high speed, because the sources of motion would 314 KNIT GOODS FINISHING 21 need to be intermittent, one waiting for the other, and obtainable only with some form of cams, which are hard in their action and lack effective means for taking up wear. Thread controlling devices, such as takeups, and, of course, tensions, are common to all machines; and no small part of the adjusters' art is needed to properly manipulate these inoffensive appearing but highly necessary parts of the general whole. Plain Finishing Machines. The plainest form of sewing ma- chines embraces the Willcox & Gibbs and L^nion Special types. They are one needle, single-thread, chain stitch machines in the high-speed class; and on work where this form of stitch is acceptable are very Fig. 10. Buttons Sewed on by Machine. The New Way (trimmed) and the Old Way (untrlmmed). economical, not only on the question of thread, but as to their ease of manipulation by, the operator, and small number and simplicity of parts. When once in good working order they rarely need the atten- tion of the adjuster, and when trouble occurs it is easily located. The Needle. It is realized that the item of expense for sewing machine needles is large, and the practice of saving those which have been discarded and sorting the seemingly good ones out for use a second time, is perhaps an economy in some cases. The evils which an imperfect needle can cause are so many however, that it is of the greatest importance to make sure that this implement is not at fault. An intimate and extensive knowledge of sewing machines and their habits has proved conclusively that it is a wise plan not to use 315 22 KNIT GOODS FINISHING a needle a second time. If a machine is breaking more needles than it should, there must be some wrong condition of adjustment. This should be looked for and corrected. The Looper. Having made sure of a good needle, the looper, or hook, must be examined and made perfectly smooth with crocus cloth. The point must be especially smooth and of the proper shape. If it has been broken or worn blunt, a careful grinding or stoning will restore it to the most favorable condition for taking a loop. If this process has shortened the length of the point materially, it may be necessary to change the spot on the shank so as to time the looper a trifle quicker. In the Union . Special type the looper may be quickened by lengthening its driving rod. As the point of a looper will allow of but little remaking this should be done with great care, for if too much is taken off it is useless. It may also be found that the thread has worn a groove, or crease, in the neck of the looper, where the loop, in the course of forming the stitch, comes to a rest. This may be the cause of l)reakage, and many times can be stoned out without chang- ins its effective form. In the Union Special type of machine the loop-retaining wire on the under-side of the throat plate must be looked at, and if rough, it also should be smoothed with crocus cloth. This part is adjusted so that the looper in its action travels very close to it. If it has by any chance become bent, so the looper rubs it, breakage of thread is sure to follow, either by being pinched off between the two parts, or by their roughness from the too close contact. Before the machine is ready for a test, look over all the eyelets or guiding holes through which the thread passes. These must be smooth and round, that is, they should not have sharp corners over which the thread, in passing or being drawn up, will be compelled to take a sharp angle. If a groove or crease has worn in any of these, a new, smooth one is necessary. If a machine breaks the thread in the chain, the trouble is most likely with the feed, or presser-foot, per- haps both. The bottom of the presser foot must be smooth and have a bearing from end to end on the feed points. It should also rest its whole length on the throat plate when the feed is down. The needle hole and plate must also be examined for rough places. 316 KNIT GOODS FINISHING 23 The Feed. A feed that is new and excessively sharp, or one that has been worn dull, may cause a breaking of the thread. In the latter instance, the chain will not be fed awav from the stitch-forming position positively enough. If a feed is too sharp, we have the emery and crocus cloth remedy. If dull, it can be annealed and the teeth refiled to their proper shape. Many times the sharp burrs or edges of feed points may be rubbed off with the wire side of a file card. Skipping the Loop. The causes for skipping (or missing) stitches generally lie in the needle and looper. If this is the trouble, first make sure that the machine is threaded properly. Then see that the needle in raising throws out its loop favorably for the looper point to enter. If the loop is not large enough, try the needle a little lower still, say one-sixteenth of an inch. If not enough, then try it a little lower still. It is not best to have the eye of the needle over one- eighth of an inch l)elow the under-side of the looper point when the needle is at its lowest position, and this may be considered the most favorable condition in nearly all cases. The exceptions might be when unusually hard or soft material is being sewed; and if, after trial, a lower position of the needle seems better, it will probably be necessary to make the time of the looper a little slower, thereby allowing the lowered needle time to rise and open out its loop before the looper point gets to it. If the loop does not open out scjuarely before the looper point, the needle may be turned in its holder, or if it is spotted in the needle bar, the bar may be turned in the required direction to make the loop open favorably. Loopers having short, slim points should be set so as to pass by the needle very closely, but not touch it, for, as a rule, the needles in such machines throw a comparatively small loop. In machines which carry a broad, longer looper, it will be found that the needle's eye is driven farther below the looper point, and has more of an up- ward movement before the looper point gets to it than is the case with the other. The vibratory type of looper may be set cjuite close to the needle on its forward, or loop-entering stroke, and as close to the needle on the return, or backward, stroke as is possible and touch it. These adjustments of the looper in relation to the loop retainer are quite vital points, and it is essential to have them correct before much else is done. 317 24 KNIT GOODS FINISHING Skipping of stitches and thread-breaking can often he traced to poorly working tensions. The thread friction discs must always be free to move on the post and be clear of lint. If the thread has worn creases in the faces of the discs, they will not control the thread evenly. The spring also must be of the proper strength, yet perfectly flexible. If, having exhausted our list of remedies, the thread still persists in breaking, it is but fair that the quality of the thread be considered, for a small proportion of the thread which is made will not run on any machine, and it becomes a useless expenditure of time to try to make it do so. High Speed. The matter of speed also is to be considered. Be- yond a certain limit in every machine, excessive speed is actualiv more detrimental to a manufacturer's interests than too little, for once let a machine become racked and worn from this cause, its usefulness is over, and repeated overhaulings become more and more necessary. In response to the user's standing request for high-speed machines, the designer's work is constantly carried on with this as one of the important ends in view, and no doubt time will produce machines capable of 4,000 and even 5,000 revolutions per minute. Tivo Thread Finishing Machines. In taking up hn- consider- eration those sewing machines which use two threads in making their stitch, we enter a more interesting and instructive department of the whole sewing machine art and applications, and it is especially inter- esting when considered in connection with the manufacture of knit goods, for the very peculiar nature of this fabric at once prohibits the use of a stitch that might be perfectly satisfactory on goods of a firm texture. We may know this from the fact that thousands of machines which make the familiar two-thread, so-called lock stitch, with a shuttle and bobbin, are employed exclusively in making up our heavier outer garments, and also underwear, which is made from muslin and linen. These fabrics all are of a firm and non-elastic nature, so there need be no different element required in the sewing stitch which enters so largely into their connstruction, and conse- quently the lock stitch suffices, or rather we may say, it is necessary and therefore satisfactory. Elasticity in the Seam. When our modern knitted fabric, with its beautiful and distinctive feature — elasticity — was invented, the question of garment making from it on sewing machines became a 318 KNIT GOODS FINISHING 25 vital and puzzling one, and especially was this the fact in the matter of seaming or joining the parts together, for if the old lock stitch was introduced for this purpose the non-elastic nature of it at once de- stroyed the very feature that brought this fabric into existence. From the very first, this stitch seems never to have been considered except in one or two impractical ways, and the only other re- course was to some form of chain stitch, and up to date but three forms of it have ever been used. First, and for many years, it was the single- thread chain stitch Vvith which all seaming, as well as finishing, was done, and we may take it for granted that this seam met all early require- ments, but as the fabric was improved in texture, quality and finish, each succeeding year, the single-thread chain stitch became deficient in many respects, and was finally supplanted by the two-thread chain, or double-locked stitch. This stitch was first made by what we knew as the Grover & Baker machine, and was a long step in advance of the single-thread chain stitch, because the second or additional threatl not only doubled the seam's strength, but the manner in which the two threads w^ere looped or interlaced with each other, produced a greater degree of elasticity — two elements which we know are of vital importance. THE LOCK STITCH, DOUBLE CHAIN STITCH AND "OVERLOCK" STITCH Sewing machines which use two threads in making their stitch may be grouped in three classes — the lock stitch, the double chain stitch, and what is known as the overlock stitch. Pig. 10. Diagrams of the Lock Stitch. 319 26 KNIT GOODS FINISHING Lock Stitch. The first, or lock-stitch, shown in Fig. 11, is the oldest form of the three. It is not used in the actual making of a garment from knit goods to any great extent, owing to its lack of elasticity, that is, it will not yield when the goods are stretched with- out breaking apart. This, of course, precludes its use for such a purpose. It can be, and is used in button-hole, button-sewing, over- seaming and cat-stitching machines, and in these operations it is perfectly satisfactory. In button- holing and button-sewing the stitches are confined to particular ^'^^'^1*^^"''^* ^ places on the garment and are not Fig. 13. Double Thread Chain Stitch, contiuuous as in a seam, SO the ele- / ment of elasticity is not recjuired. In over-seaming and cat-stitching, however, this stitch must be elastic, and as it is used in these operations it is so from the fact that the machines are constructed so as to lay the threads on the two sur- faces of the material in a succession of diagonal stitches, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, and when the fabric is stretched these diagonal stitches change their position to make an approximately straight line, something like Fig. 3 in appearance. Different degrees of elasticity may be obtained by adjusting the machine to sew a varying number of stitches i-n a given distance. For instance, a seam having twelve stitches to one inch, will be much more elastic than one having four stitches in the same distance. There is no w'ay by w^hich this stitch can practically l)e made to produce an elastic straight-away seam, so if this is desired a lock-stitch cannot be considered. Double Chain Stitch. The second, or double-chain stitch, is much more elastic than the lock-stitch, and is, therefore, peculiarly adapted for use in making garments from knit goods or any material of that nature. It is elastic for the reason that a surplus length of thread is introduced into each stitch, both in the knot or tie of the two threads together, and as it is laid on the surface of the material be- tween the successive needle punctures. The excess of needle thread is obtained from the fact that the tie or connection of this thread with the under or looper thread is always made on the lower surface of the work, so, instead of lying in a comparatively straight line, as it does in a lock stitch, it must pass 320 KNIT GOODS FINISHING 27 through the material to its tying position with the under thread, and then back again to the upper surface at each puncture of the needle. The position of this thread as it lies in the stitch is shown at A, Fig. 12. A surplus of under thread is obtained in this stitch from a process of weaving or looping from stitch to stitch, which gives it a total of three times the length of the stitch itself; that is, there are three strands of thread laid on the under-surface from one lock to another. A close examination of a seam of this character will show the course of this thread quite plainly. It is illustrated at B in Fig. 12. In this manner both of the threads are given a greater length than the seam itself, and produce the necessary amount of elasticity. Of course, all of this elastic element may be eliminated from the stitch by exces- sively tight tensions, and it therefore follows that more or less may be ob- tained as required from the same agency. "Overlock" Stitch. The "overlock" stitch is themost elastic of all, and its distinctive feature is that it is, in addition to this, a very efficient cov- ering or wrapping stitch. This makes it valuable for edge-finishing, or selvedging, as well as for seaming, and when used for seaming the result is a beautifully-finished, even and perfectly elastic joint of the two parts of the garment, the edges of which are neatly covered and protected from wear. The elasticity of this stitch is obtained by laying so much of its thread, both upper and under, across the line of the seam. Another advantage which the double chain and the overlock stitches have over the lock stitch is that the thread may be used directly from large spools or cones, for unlike the lock stitch, the spool-end of the looper or under thread is never passed through the needle loop but the two threads are locked or laced together from stitch to stitch, similar to a knitting stitch or crocheting. This does away with the necessity of bobbins for the under-thread, on which Fig. 13. Diagram of Covering Stitch. 321 28 KNIT GOODS FINISHING the number of yards which may be wound is always Hmited, owing to the fact that the whole functional group, thread, bobbin, and bobbin- case, must be passed entirely through the needle thread loop for each stitch. In the chain and overlock stitches only a very little more thread is drawn from the needle than is actually re([uired to make the stitch when it is finally set in position, so that no great unused surplus must Overlock" Seam for Sleeves. needs be taken back through the eye of the needle by the moving eye- lets. For this reason, the thread is not served back and forth so much, and thereby frayed or weakened before finally laid in the stitch. In referring to the accompanying diagrams it must be borne in mind that they are greatly enlarged, and the positions of the several threads are considerably distorted in order to show more plainly their relation to one another. In actual practice a machine with properly adjusted tensions and correctly operating stitch-forming implements will produce a perfectly smooth and even stitch which can be stronger than the fabric itself, given the proper quality of thread. 322 KNIT GOODS FINISHING 29 Tension. The matter of tensions is a very important one in all sewing machines, and we may say that it becomes more so as the speed V' • ■ H « z 03 (d KNIT GOODS FINISHING 61 Referring to Figs. 30, 31, 32, and 33. The frame is composed of the upright end pieces 1 V, connected at the bottom by the girders 2 2', which are united again crosswise by brackets or stays 41 and 41% and at the top by the girders 53 and 53' and carries upward 357 62 KNIT GOODS FINISHING extensions 1'' T and horizontal member 1**, and a yoke on the side, marked 1". Number 3 is the main shaft, carrying the heads c c, on the outer periphery of which are mounted the napping-rolls a and the contact- rollers h, which are called "crimper-rolls," because their contact against the ends of the napped fibers serves to bend or crimp the fibers with a result which is analogous to felting. Number 4 is the fast pulley, by which the main shaft is driven, and 5 is the loose pulley. 6 is a pulley, fast on the main shaft, from which by the belt 52 is driven a pulley 52'', fast on the inside of pulley 49, from which the shaft 47 is driven through the belt 50 and pulley 51. The stripper roll or fancy, 48 is fast on the shaft 47. The napping-rolls a are covered with card clothing, the points of which are inclined in the direction in which they act upon the cloth. The crimper-rolls b are covered with card clothing having straight or radial points. The napping rolls, at their points of contact with the cloth, move in non-unison with the cloth, so that their points raise the nap. The two series of rolls act differentially, the napping series serving, as it were, to comb out the nap and the crimper series serving to crimp or felt the nap. The mechanism for driving the nafiper-roUs a consists of the disc 7, fast to the main shaft 3, the belt 8 and the conical roller 9 co-operating with the disk, the shaft 10, upon which the conical roller is mounted, having its bearings in the brackets 11 and 12 and carry- ing at its lower end the pinion 13, which drives the gear 14, fast upon the counter-shaft 15. Upon this counter-shaft are fixed, on the in- side of the frame, sprocket-wheels 1(3, 16, (there being one for each end of the machine) from which, through the sprocket-chains 17, are driven the sprocket-wheels 18, 18, (there being one at each end of the napping-cylinder), fast to the spiders 19, which carry the belt 20, which passes around the series of pulleys a' , a' on the ends of the shafts a^ of the workers a. By raising or lowering the belt 8 any desired speed may be given to the workers a for increasing or decreas- ing their napping capacity independent of the speed at which the cloth may be running, and independent of the speed at which the travelers h may be running, and independent also of the speed at which the main shaft is running. 358 KxNIT GOODS FINISHING 63 359 64 KNIT GOODS FINISHING The mechanism for driving the cloth-feed rolls, of which 31 is one, is as follows: 21, 22 and 23 are sprocket-wheels fast to the main shaft. 21', 22', and 23' are corresponding sprocket-wheels fast to the connter-shaft 24. 45 is the sprocket-chain, by shifting which from one pair of said sprocket-wheels to another the speed of the counter- shaft 24 may be varied with respect to the speed of the napping- cylinder. 25 is a pinion fast on the shaft 24 and which drives a gear 360 KNIT GOODS FINISHING 65 26, fast on the shaft 29. The pinion 27 is fast to the gear 26 and drives the gear 28, fast on the shaft 30, to which shaft the cloth feed roll 31 is fast. On the opposite end of the shaft 30 is fixed the sprocket 46, from which may be driven all other cloth feed rolls in the machine. The entrance tension-roll 60 is driven as follows: On the shaft 30 of the rear draft-roll 31 is fast a sprocket-wheel 61, which drives a chain 62, which drives a sprocket 64, fast on a shaft 65, carrying a cone 67, which drives a belt 68, which drives cone 69, fast on shaft 70 of the entrance tension roll 60. The chain-idler 63 serves as a take-up for chain 62. By shifting the belt 68 on the cones 67 and 69, the speed of the entrance tension-roll 60 may be varied at will relatively to the speed of the other feed-rolls and traveler-rolls. This adjust- ment is a feature of the utmost importance, because it vastly increases the scope of the machine with respect to the range of materials which may be successfully treated by the workers a. For the purpose of enabling this adjustment to be made while the machine is running, and to be regulated to a nicety, the following mechanism is provided, whereby the operator may shift the belt 68. 71 and 72 are belt-forks fastened to the carriage 73, which is made to slide upon ways on the bracket 74, fast to bracket 41. By a screw-spindle 76, with hand wheel 75, nut 77, fast to carriage 73, is moved so as to shift said forks and belt 68 at will by the operator while the machine is running. By the adjustment last described the tension of the fabric being treated can be regulated to suit very tender fabrics, which by too great u tension are liable to be torn or stretched and narrowed, and by too little tension are liable to be dragged forward by the workers a, and thus slacked up in a manner causing disaster. The mechanism for driving the criviper-rolls h is as follows: Upon the opposite end of the shaft 29 from the gear 26 is fixed a pinion 32, which drives a gear 33, turning upon a stud 56. The gear 34 is fastened to the gear 33 and drives gear 35, fixed on the shaft 36, having its bearings upon stays or brackets 41 and 41". The pulleys 37, 37, are fixed on the shaft 36 and drive the belts 38, 38, which extend around the pulleys h at opposite ends of the crimper- rolls h. These belts 38, 38, run under the idlers 39, 39, and over the idlers 43, 43, respectively, so as to substantially encircle all of the travelers h. Whenever the chain 45 is shifted from one pair of sprocket-wheels to another for the purpose of varying the speed of 361 66 KNIT GOODS FINISHING the cloth relatively to the speed of the main shaft, a corresponding variation will be produced in the speed of the belts 38, 38. There- fore any change in the speed of the cloth feed rolls, as 31, will be accompanied by a corresponding change in the speed of the crimper rolls b. In the particular form of this machine the mechanism above described is so proportioned that the surface speed of the cloth feed rolls, as 31, is substantially the same as the surface speed of the crimper rolls h, which surface speed of the crimper rolls b is the resultant between the speed of the crimper rolls b upon their own axes and the speed at which they are carried bodily by the cylinder- heads c. In other words, if the diameter of each pulley b' is the same as the diameter of their respective crimper rolls b the belts 38, 38, may have substantially the same speed as that at which the cloth being treated is traveling through the machine. The relationship between the speed of the crimper rolls and of the feed is maintained constant in the operation of the machine not- withstanding and independently of any variation which may be made in the speed of the working rollers a or of the main shaft. The shaft 29 constitutes a common actuator for the cloth feed rolls and the crimper rolls. The connections between this common actuator 29 and the cloth feed rolls, as 31, are invariable. Likewise the con- nections between this common actuator 29 and the crimper-rolls b are invariable, so that for a given speed of this common actuator a corresponding speed will be communicated both to the crimper rolls and the cloth feed rolls, and the speed of one will be invariable with respect to the speed of the other. In the connections, however, by which the common actuator is driven the shifting of the sprocket- chain 45 affords a speed adjustment whereby the speed of the common actuator 29 may be varied with respect to the speed of the other parts of the machine. The belt 38 can be taken up and tightened by turning the hand- wheels 80, which are screw-threaded to the rods 81, that engage, respectively, with the swing-arms 82, which are loosely mounted on shaft 36 and carry on their free ends the idlers 43. The broken line (/ indicates the cloth being treated. In leaving the napping-roUs it passes under a roll 55, fast to the two idlers 39, 39, and turned with them at the same surface speed as the surface speed 362 KNIT GOODS FINISHING 07 of the crimper rolls h by the power of belts 38, 38. Thence it passes under and partly around the feed-roll 31, under the weighted roll 54, upward and over the driven feed roll 57, over the idler 58 (overhead of the operator) and driven feed roll 59, whence it is delivered 363 6S KXIT GOODS FINISHING through the folder 59'. behind the operator. The ehain 9G is held taut by the idler 91 and drives the shaft 93, to whieh the feed roll 57 is fixed. Thence the driving power is transmitted through chain 92 to shaft 94, on which feed-roll 59 is fixed. Thence the driving power is applied to vibrating the folder 59* through the wheel 59'' and con- necting-rod 59^ The cloth enters the machine under the bar 83 and over the adjustable tension-bar 84, the adjustment of which is controlled by segment 85, catch 86, and hand lever 87, at the end of the bar 83. Thence it proceeds under idler 88, over the tension roll 60, under and around idler 89, directly in front of the napping cylinder. The idlers 88, 89, and the tension-roll 60 are mounted in brackets 90, which are fastened to brackets 41 and 4r, extending across between the girders 2 and 2 '. The directions of movement of the drum-cylinder of each series of napping-rolls, and of the cloth, are respectively indicated by the arrows 100, 101, 102, and 104. The direction in which the brush 48 moves is indicated by the arrow 103. The result is a nap much shorter, thicker, more evenly' dis- tributed, and more like a felt or "fleece" than the nap raised on a regular napper, the fabric handling much thicker and fuller even after washing or use and much less liable to become matted into bunches by rubbing or washing. 364 REVIEW QUESTIONS. PRACTICAL TEST QUESTIONS. In the foregoing sections of this Cyclopedia nu- merous illustrative examples are worked out in detail in order to show the application of the various methods and principles. Accompanying these are examples for practice which will aid the reader in fixing the principles in mind. In the following pages are given a large num- ber of test questions and problems which afford a valuable means of testing the reader's knowledge of the subjects treated. They will be found excel- lent practice for those preparing for Civil Service Examinations. In some cases numerical answers are given as a further aid in this work. 865 KE'S^IETV QUESTIONS OiV THE SUBJECT OF Iv:nitting. PART I. 1. How is the guage determined ? 2. What style of outside circles do you consider most advantageous, and wliy? 3. How is a lleeced lined fabric made ? 4. Explain the function of the cleai-ing bur. 5. Where would you begin to set a feed? 6. How would you prevent the needles loading up ? 7. What are the three things to be considered in preparing to make Single Plush? 8. What ought to be first done when a Winder runs hard? 9. What is the method of determining the weight of the yarn ? 10. Having less than 50 yards of woolen yarn how would you find the size or run? What is the run and cut of 12 inches of woolen yarn whioh weighs 1 '^ grains ? 11. Why is the Winder a necessaiy machine in a Knitting Mill? 12. What are the piincipa'. differences in Spring Needle Machines ? 13. Describe the function of the take-up. 14. How many burs in a plain feed arc located inside the fabric on the needles, and what are they ? 15. What objects are to be considered in determining the proper speed to run the cylinder ? 16. What three objects ought a Knitter to keep in mind? 367 REVIKTY QUESTIOXS ON THE S TJ B .1 K C T OK Iv X I T T I X O . PART II. 1. What effect does tuckiiii;" tlie stitcli have on the fabric? 2. Describe a antl 2 rib. 3. How is the tuck stitch made in automatic machines ? 4. Pcscribp what you consider the best method to even the stitcli. 5. How does the royal rib or tuck stitch differ from plain rib knittin<^ ? (). State the essential difference between a Plain and an Auto- matic Machine. 7. What is the pattern chain used for ? 8. How are ribbed goods distinguished from flat goods? 9. What are the important members of a rib knitting machine ? 10. If you desired to slacken the fabric, how would you proceed ? 11. What extra work is done by the needle when tucking? 12. What is the take-up and what are its functions? 13. What is the advantage of tlie sectional cam ring? 14. IMcntion two conditions that will cause dropped stitches. 15. Describe the action of the hole and bunch detector. IG- How would you set a yarn guide or carrier ? 17. How nuich space is it good practice to leave ordinarily be- tween the needle cylinder and needle dial plate ? IS. How would you proceed in replacing a press-off? 19. What are the advantages of the new method of measuring knitting machines ? 20. Ciive a short description of how you would proceed to start up a machine that had been stopped for some time. 368 REVIEW QUESTIONS O?^ THE STTUJECT OF KNITTING. PART III. 1. \Miat is the difference between a Stationary Needle Cylin- der Machine and a Revolving Needle Cylinder jMachine? 2 ^Miat is the characteristic difference between the Leigh ton Machine and those common to the rib knitting type? 3. Describe the formation of the stitch on the Lamb Machine 4. How do common locks differ from cardigan locks? 5. How would you set a yarn guide on a Stafford & Holt Ma- chine? 6. Give a short description of starting up a Scott & Williams Stationary Cylinder Machine. 7. Wliat would you do in case the work persisted in rising up on the needle in a Lamb Machine? 8. How does knitting the royal rib or tuck stitch differ from knitting the plain rib? 9. How is the stitch adjusted on the Lamb Machine? 10. Describe the usual way of testing the amount of yarn the feeds are drawing and explain how they are adjusted. IL How would you make a separating course on a Leighton Machine ? What is it for ? 12. How is a needle removed from the Lamb Machine? 13. Name some of the conditions wliich affect the speed at which a machine may be run. • 14. Describe the action of shogging the stitch on the Leighton IMachine. 15. What is the characteristic feature of the Lamb Machine? 13. Describe the functions of the latch openers. 369 REVIETV QUESTIONS ON THE SUBJECT OF K :N I T T I iN^ G . PART IV. 1. How is the fashioning or shaping to the leg done on a circular latch needle knitter? 2. How is the fashioning or leg shaping done on a fiat rotary frame? 3. How would you change the size of stockings? 4. Describe the difference in the character of fabric made by tight and loose by knitting. 5. Why is it necessary to have different numbers of slots in needle cylinders? 6. What function do the sinkers perform? 7. What are the primary elements of the circular knitting machine? 8. How many movements are necessary to the needle cylinder in knitting a stocking? 9. Wherein is the two-and-one method of making heel and toe superior to the one-and-one method in circular machine knitting? 10. Describe the operation of the lifting pickers in the Acme machine. 11. In what respect does the circular ribbing machine differ from the circular stocking machine? 12. AVhat is a slack course? iS. What is a welt? 14. How is a welt made? 15. Which fabric is the more elastic, that knit on the circular latch needle frame or that of the straight rotary spring needle frame? 370 INDEX T he page numbers of this volume will be found at the bottom of the pages; the numbers at the top refer only to the section. macliine 226 154 ig machine 107 79 r machine 107 loS 155 Page A Acme circular linittinj: Adjusting feed . pressure on kuittinj stop motion tension on Icnitting yarn guide Adjustment of dial cap Adjustment and operation of finishing macliines 313 Adjustment and repair of single-thread maclaines 33S Afghan stitch 185 Automatic stop motion 121 B Backing burs 60 Backing cloth S3 Bobbin, diameter of 14 Bobbin rack 120 Broken needles ISO replacing 246 Broken stitches, mending of 218 Brushing knit goods 351 Building motion 15 Bur and wheel adjustment 71 Burs I^acking 60 feed 58 inside 58 setting of 72 sinker 73 Calculation of yarn weights 28 Cam cylinder 238 Note. — For page n umbers see foot of pages. rage Cam dial plate 142 Cam rings 113, 147 adjustment of 116 Cam stops 1 S7 Cam-surface measurement 01 Cams 113, 1S2, 209 cap 150 cylinder 147 dial 150 heart 16 knock-off 182 land 149 rest 149 ring 147 stitch 148 tuck 149 Cap cams 1 50 Cap plate 116. 150 Cardigan jacket machine 165 Cardigan locks 1 S7 Chain actuating mechanism • 139 Changing length of stitch 243 Circular latch-needle kintting machine 205 Circular looping machine adjustment 350 operation of 349 speed of macliine 350 stitch, character of 349 Circular rib knitting machine 109 adjustment of cam ring 1 1 6 automatic knitting mechanism 117 automatic stop motion 121 bobbin rack 1 20 cam dial plate 142 cam rings and cams 113 cap plate ne chain actuating mechanism 139 371 II INDEX Page Page Circular rib knitting macliine dial cap and cams dial rise cam drivers formation of stitch guard cams liead and cam ring hole and bunch detector lengthening stitch loading up needles making loose course making welt needle cylinder needle dial needles removing section of cyhnder or revolving needle cylinder sliortening stitch Stafford & Holt starting up take-up tuck stitch worm gear take-up yarn guide Circular ribbed sweater color Classification of knitting Cleaner-rail Closing a selvedge Closing wind for finer yarns Cloth wheel Collarette Cone winder Cone winding on knitting machine Cotton friction Cotton t j'pe machine Cotton yarns, numljering of Crochet machine Cut presser work Cylinder cam skeleton stop motion for Cylinder cams readjusting Cylinder spring needle knitting Cylinder spring needle machines Note. — For page numbers see foot of 115 David Gessner napper 354 116 Defective needle 179 114 Determining weight of yarn 26 124 Dial cap 115 116 adjustment of 155 142 Dial 159 122 Dial cams 150 130 Dial needle plate 162 134 Dial rise cam 116 135 Diameter of bobbin 14 136 Double chain stitch machine 320 112 Double flat web 185 114 Double gears 15 124. 140 Double plush feed 65 dial 132 Drawer strapping machine 344 109 Drive spindle 15 130 Driving, method of 43, 23S 109 Droppers 237 125 Dropping stitches 178 119 135 E 140 Endwise motion 21 124 Evans friction cone drive 23 165 11 Evening the stitch Evils to look for and remedy in knitting 78 75 21 F 218 Fabrics, slackening of 156 106 Fancy hosiery 271 73 Fashioning needles 222 S3 Faulty moulds 40 11, 13 102 Feed adjusting of 62 154 double plush 65 21 plain 63 280 single plush 63 35 Feed biu-s 58 332 Finishers 79 Union special 336 45 Willcox & Gib))s 338 238 Finishing flat goods 300 237 arrangement of tables 305 67 cutting to shape 302 147 equipment and arrangement for 301 15S equipment for finishing 100 dozen 306 11 finishing machine table 308 37 finishing processes 303 872 INDEX III Page Fiuishing flat goods turning the cloth 300 anion special system 307 Finishing machines adjustment and operation of 313 feed 317 high-speed 318 looper 31G needle for 315 plain 315 skipping the loop 317 skipping stitches 318 tlu-ead breaking 318 two-tliread 318 Fitting yarn guides 150 Flat goods, napping 354 Flat head circular knitting machine 170 dial needle bed 172 method of driving 170 racking mechanism 172 separating course 175 tuck, or royal rib stitch 170 welts 170 Flat head knitting machine 17S Footing rib legs, setting up pattern for 248 Formation of stitch in rib-knitted goods 94 Friction, cotton 21 Friction cone drive 23 Full automatic knitters 226 operation of 227 Full cardigan stitch 100 Page G Gainer meclianism on knitting machine Gauge of leaded needle cylinder Gearing Gears Gibs . Gig nappers double-acting gig single-acting gig Gloves, knit Growth of knitting industry Guard cams Guide delivering yarn on knitting ma- chine Guides, tlu-eading Note. — For page numbers see foot of pages. 104 40 ICO 15 ISS 352 352 103 295 110 104 152 H Half-cardigan stitch Hand machines for knitting stockings cams changing heads knitting foot knitting heel knitting toe needle cj-linders needles operation of regulating stitch rib tops setting up work take-up spring yarn carrier yarn guide Hard yarns Head and cam ring Heart cam Hemming macliines Hemphill full automatic ribbing machine Hole and bunch detector Hosiery, fancy lace effects open naesh work stockings with open or lace work Hosiery knitting hand machhies .for 1 Inside burs Inside circles Joining the rib, methods of luiit gloves making second finger making thumb Knit goods finishing color scheme of garment fabric making up samples selection of materials st ylo of finish 207 209 213 217 215 217 210 212 208 210 214 213 209 209 209 12 142 16 345 253 122 271 289 289 275 2C5 207 58 347 193 193 194 205-364 300 297 297 298 299 373 IV INDEX rago Page Knit goods finishing J^umlj kmtlmg machine St yle of garment 299 position of needles 183 yarn 297 tubular web 185 Ivnit goods, napping 351 Land cam 149 Ivnitted underwear 295 Lander, setting of 73 I\jiitters, full automatic 226 Latch needle circular knit ling machines 89 Knitting H- -293 flat liead 89 classification of 11 revolving needle cylinder 89 cylinder spring needle U stationary needle cylinder SO hosiery 205 Latch needle knitting 89 latch needle 89 I^atch openers 188 mitten 217 Leaded needle cylinder, gauge of 40 sock 194 I^eaded needles, setting of 70 speed of 68 Leighton flat-head latch needle machine 161 stocking narrowed in back 198 Lcighton knit-web turning machine 302 Knitting indtistry, growth of 295 Leighton macliine, starting up 178 Knitting machine Lifters 237 Acme circular 226 Lifting pickers 231 adjusting pressure on 107 Linen yarn, numbering of 35 adjusting tension on 107 Lock stitch macliine 320 automatic 220 WiUcox & Gibbs 335 circular rib 109 Locks 187 cone winding 102 automatic drop 187 flat head circular 170 automatic tubular 187 gainer mechanism 104 Cardigan 187 guide delivering yarn 104 common 187 Lamb 183 Looper trimmers 348 meastirement of 91 Looping machine 345 micrometer adjustment 105 Loose coin-se, making 135 short carriage ,185 M tlu-eading of 107 universal winder 102 IMacliines automatic knitting 220 Knitting rib fabric 100 cylinder spring needle 37 Ivnittinc: rib top stockings without re- ^ double chain stitch 320 moving needles 214 drawer strapping 344 Knitting the stitch 98 finishing 315 Knitting stocking 198 henuiiing 345 hand machines for 207 knit web turning 302 operation of 249 lock stitch 320 , 335 Knitting yarn tables 26 looping 345 Knock-off cams 182 ilerrow plain crochet 332 Knots in yarn ISO Merrow scallop 332 L Jlerrow two-tliread trimming 334 Lamb knitting macliine 183 napping 353 afghan stitch 185 ornamental 343 carriage 183 ovcrlock stitch 321 double flat web 185 rib top 25J Note. — For page 71 umbers see foot of pages 374 INDEX Pago ■Fage IMachines Numbering of ribbing 250 cotton yam 35 single-thread 338 linen yarn 35 trimming 325 worsted yarn 35 turning-off 345 two-cylinder leaded spring needle 37 O zigzag 344 Operation of knitting stocking 249 Measiu-ement of knitting machines 91 Outside circles 53 Mending broken stitches 218 Overlook machine, Willcox & Gibbs 328 Merrow plain crochet machine 332 Overlock stitch maclune 321 Marrow scallop or shell-stitch machi hie 332 Merrow two-thread trimming and over- P reaming machine 334 Pattern wheel system 239 Methods of driving 238 Payne cone winder 13 Micrometer adjustment on knitting ma- Pickers 231 chine 105 Plain feed 63 Miscellaneous machines used i u finishing Plain finishing machines 315 , 334 knitted underwear 343 operating and adjusting 334 Mitten Plain Imitting machines 91 knitting 217 Planetary nappers 354 knitting the thumb 193 Plated goods 165 setting up 191 Plating 79 Mould Preplace press-off 151 faulty 40 Presser 74 needle 39 Presser stand Press-up a machine 54 151 N Purling 98 Nappers R clothing for 352 David Gessner 354 Racked stitch 164, 175 planetary 354 Racking plates 187 Napping 352 Ratch screw tlu-ead 21 flat goods 354 Ravelling work in knitting machine 200 knit goods 351 Readjusting cylinder cams 158 Narrowing 229 Reel yarn 32 Narrowing comb 98 Removing needle from laiitting machine 200 Needle cylinder 112. 210, 234. 258 Removing section of sectional cam i ring 158 Needle dial 114 Replacing a broken needle 24G Needle mould 39 Replacing a sinker 247 Needles 124. 212 Rest cam 149 for backing work 40 Revolving needle cylinder 109 defective 179 Rib fabric, knitting 100 fashioning 222 Rib knitting 94 loading up 134 Rib top machine 251 operation of 140 Ril)bing machine 250 taking out 219 changing operation of picking finger 266 threading of 74 changing yarn 2GG Note. — For page numbers see foot of pages. 875 VI INDEX Page Page Ribbing: machine heel and toe knitting cams latch-guard ring lift rod method of driving needle cylinder pattern chain picker picking sinkers yarn-changing devices Richelieu ribs Ring cams Rockshaft Royal rill stitch Short carriage knitting machine 9S. S Scott & AVilliams circular latch-necdle atitomatic machine Scraper guide Screw tlu-ead, ratch Selvedge, closing of Setting bin's leaded needles trick needles Setting-up new knitting machine Setting-up pattern for footing rib legs socks stockings Shogged stitch 164 Short carriage knitting macltine adjusting and operating adjusting the tension automatic drop locks automatic tubular locks buckle cam stops Cardigan lock common lock formation of stitch gibs hands, eccentric, nuts, and levers jack latch openers locks Note. — For page numbers sec foot of pages 260 loosen stitch 190 259 . operation of needle 189 265 position of needles 190 267 racking plates 187 254 tension take-up 189 25S tliroat of 186 254 tighten stitch 190 262 weights 188 261 yarn guide 187 264 Singer single thread chain-stitch machine 338 265 Single plush feed 63 102 Single thread machine 147 adjustment of looper 340 IS adjustment and repairs 338 177 general adjustment 342 looper 340 setting needle 339 147 timing loopers 339 23 Sinker 228 21 Sinker bm- 73 218 Sinker cam ring 236 Sinker stand 54 72 Sizes of yarns for diflerent cylinders 212 70 Skeleton cylinder 237 70 Slackening fabric 156 246 Smash 12 Socks 104 248 goring 197 248 knitting of 194 247 knitting cap for heel 196 4, 175 knitting heel 195 185 knitting larger sizes 198 189 length of foot 198 190 length of heel 195 187 length of leg 195 187 narrowing comb for 198 189 narrowing off toe- 198 187 setting-up pattern for 248 187 Speed of knitting 68 187 Spindle drive 15 189 Spindles 18 188 Stafford & Holt circular-rib knitting ma- 189 chine 109 186 Stafford & Holt napping machines 353 188 Stand 1S7 presser 54 376 INDEX VII Pago Stand sinker 54 Starting and adjusting macliinery 74 Starting machine 74 Starting new Icnitting machine 246 Stationary needle cylinder machines 147 starting up and adjusting 150 Stitch clianging lengtli of 243 dropping of 178 full cardigan 100 half-cardigan 98 royal rib 98 Stitch cam 148 Stockings, setting pattern for 247 Stop motion 22 adjusting of 74 automatic 121 for cylinder 67 Stopping mechanism 244 Straight-bed and circular loopers 348 Straight hosiery frames 279 Tables children's imderwear, selecting of 69 circumferences of cylinders in inches and feet 43 flat goods, sizes for 69 gauze and needle space sizes 42 gearing and driving 161 gearing of Tompkins leaded needle machine 69 gloves, sizes for 194 knitting, speed for 68 machine, number of needles in 160 mitten, sizes for 193 single worsted yarn weight 37 spring woolen underwear, size of 70 stockings, sizes of 199 weight in grains of yarn, any cut 31 weight in grains of yarn in runs 28 yarn, knitting 26 yarn, numbering 35 yarn, size of 26 yarn standards 27 yarns used in Branson machine, sizes of 220 Note. — For par/e numbers see foot of pages. Page Tension 14, 23 Tension of machine 323 Tension on yarn in knitting 104 Tlireading guides 152 Tlireading of knitting machine 107 Tlireading needle 74 Tompkins two-cylinder leaded spring needle machine 37 Trick 39 Trick needles, setting of 70 Trimming machine 325 Trimming the seam 324 Trunnions 22 Tubular web 185 Tuck cam 149 Tuck presser work S3 Tuck stitch 135, 176 Tucking the stitch 98 Turning-ofT machine 345 Two-line machines 345 Two-tlu-ead finishing machines 318 elasticity in seam 318 U Union special Dewees trimmer 325 adjusting needle with looper 326 adjusting nipper springs 327 adjusting toggles 326 take-up 327 tensions 327 Union special finisher 336 Union special single needle ornamental machine 343 Union special twin-needle machine 344 Universal winder on knitting machine 102 W Welt 136, 177 Widening 230 Willcox & Gibbs finisher 338 Willcox & Gibbs lock stitch machine 335 Willcox & Gibbs overlock machine 328 adjusting 329 setting the trimmer 331 sharpening the cutters 331 tension 329 Midth of seam 329 Winder 233 877 VIII INDEX Page Winding yarn Woolen cut system Woolen run system Worm gear take-up Worsted count system Worsted yarns, numbering of Yarn determining weight of hard Note. — For page numbers see foot of pages. 12 Yarn 31 knots in 28 winding 40 Yarn carrier 35 Yarn guide 35 adjusting fitting Yarn reel 26 12 Zigzfq- machines Page 180 12 209 124, 187, 209 158 150 32 378