Book >D y 
 
 Gopyiightl^" 
 
 COF^EGIIT DEPOSIT. 
 
FLAT 
 
 MACHINE KNITTING 
 
 AND FABRICS 
 
 By H. D. BUCK 
 
 In charge of Knitting in 
 
 The Textile School 
 
 of the City of New York 
 
 Author of articles on 
 Knitting in Textile World 
 
 New York 
 
 BRAGDON, LORD & NAGLE COMPANY, Publishers 
 
 334 Fourth Avenue 
 

 Copyrighted, 1921 
 Bv H. D. Buck. 
 
 g)CI.A624:c!18 
 
 ^^^ -7 B2\ 
 
TO MY WIFE 
 
 Elizabeth Wilson Buck 
 
 who has encouraged and assisted me, 
 
 this book is affectionately dedicated 
 
PREFACE 
 
 When the City of New York established a textile school in 
 1919 I was asked to take charge of the class in knitting. 
 Although very busy in manufacturing lines, I decided to give 
 up a part of my time to this educational work, believing it to 
 be my duty to do my bit toward helping to fill a long felt want 
 in the industry. 
 
 There being no suitable text book available, particularly on 
 the elementary subjects, I was obliged to prepare my own 
 material for the instruction of the students. The results of 
 this work are contained in this volume, which is devoted to 
 the various types of flat latch needle machines. It is my 
 intention to follow this with other volumes covering circular 
 latch needle machines, spring needle machines, etc., with their 
 products. 
 
 The various chapters of this work have been published in 
 the knitting technical section of TEXTILE WORLD but I 
 believe their usefulness will be increased by this revision and 
 publication in more convenient book form. 
 
 One of the greatest needs for the advancement of the knit- 
 ting industry to the position it should occupy in the world of 
 textiles is available technical information, and it is hoped that 
 this volume with the ones to follow will supply, in some degree, 
 this need. 
 
 H. D. BUCK. 
 
 Woodhaven, L. I., New York, 
 September 1, 1921. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER I. Development of the Industry 9 
 
 How Cloth is Constructed — Study of Loop. 
 
 CHAPTER II. Latch Needle Knitting 16 
 
 Making Jersey Cloth on the Lamb Type of Machine. 
 
 CHAPTER III. Rib Fabric Group 26 
 
 How Stitch is Made for Different Cloths. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. The Rack Stitch 35 
 
 Making Shaped Collars — Opportunities in Designing 
 Fabrics. 
 
 CHAPTER V. The Double Lock Flat Machine 44 
 
 How Different Stitches Are Formed. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. Fashioned Goods 51 
 
 CHAPTER VII. Automatic Flat Latch Needle Machines 57 
 
 Single Lock. 
 
 CHAPTER VIIL Automatic Widening Machine. 78 
 
 Explanation of Mechanism Used. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. Purl Stitch, or Links and Links Machine 86 
 
 For Hand or Manual Power. 
 
 CHAPTER X. Designs on Plain Purl Stitch Machines ' 97 
 
 Automatic Jacquard Type — Details of Jacquard- 
 Designing on Jacquard Machine. 
 
 .CHAPTER XL Flat Latch Needle Automatic Narrowing Machine.. 113 
 
 CHAPTER XII. The Flat Jacquard Machine 129 
 
 How It Differs From the Purl Stitch Jacquard 
 Machine — Type of Fabric Produced — Methods of 
 Needle Selection — Difference Between Single Jacquard 
 and Double Jacquard — Explanation of Design and 
 Pattern Cards. 
 
 INDEX 143 
 
FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Development of the Industry — How Cloth is 
 Constructed — Study of Loop 
 
 MACHINE knitting is a much older industry than most 
 people realize, the first knitting machine having been 
 invented in England about the year 1590. In spite of 
 this early start the knitting industry has not made as great 
 progress as some other lines of manufacturing. The great 
 obstacle to its progress, in comparison with that of its rival, 
 the weaving industry, appears to have been the slow realization 
 by people in general, and the producers of knitted goods in 
 particular, of the possibilities of the looped fabric and the 
 diversified uses to which it is suited. 
 
 For 250 years or more after the invention of the knitting 
 machine, knitted fabrics were in a general way supposed to 
 be fit only for hosiery. Then some enterprising knitter woke 
 up to the fact that knitted fabric was the ideal fabric for 
 underclothing to be worn next to the body, and there was 
 developed a great industry in knitted underwear. 
 
 In very recent years, we have begun to realize that this 
 fabric is suitable for outer garments of various kinds, making 
 up into beautiful, comfortable and serviceable articles of 
 apparel, and the industry is surging ahead by leaps and bounds 
 on this line. The principal reasons for this are : first, the mak- 
 ing of knit fabric does not require, in its present state of 
 development, the technical skill required for the making of 
 woven fabrics, notwithstanding the fact that many people not 
 connected with the industry look upon machine knitting as a 
 most mysterious operation ; second, the initial investment for 
 a given production is not nearly so great as for woven fabrics ; 
 third, knitted fabrics can be produced, yard for yard, or pound 
 for pound, cheaper than woven fabrics. 
 
 Knit Fabric Construction 
 
 Knitting is the art of constructing fabric or cloth with 
 knitting needles by an interlocking of loops. The essential 
 
10 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 element of knitting is the loop, for the whole fabric is con- 
 structed from a succession of loops. 
 
 A loop is a very small length of thread, or yarn, taken at 
 some point at a distance from the end and drawn through, or 
 around, some object, usually another loop. Obviously this will 
 result in two loops. One of these coils around the instrument 
 or needle which draws it through and is called the needle loop, 
 shown by the letter a in Fig. 1. The other loops around the 
 object or previous loop through which it was drawn, and is 
 called the sinker loop, indicated by b, b in Fig. 1. These two 
 loops, not two complete loops, but rather one full needle loop 
 and two halves of the sinker loop, make a stitch, as indicated 
 by the shaded portion of Fig. 1 from c to c. 
 
 A course is any number of 
 loops lying side by side in a line 
 crosswise of the fabric, as in- 
 dicated along dotted lines a, a, 
 Figs. 2 and 3. 
 
 A wale is any number of 
 loops in a line succeeding one 
 another lengthwise of the fabric, 
 as indicated along dotted lines 
 b, b, Figs. 2 and 3. 
 
 CrossvN^ise of the fabric is 
 the direction in which the yarn 
 f/'a I feeds while the fabric is in the 
 
 Sinker Loop, Needle prOCeSS of COUStrUCtioU, form- 
 
 Loop and Stitch. jj^g loops adjoining one another, 
 
 or the same direction as the 
 course. Lengthwise of the fabric is the direction in which the 
 fabric is built up by drawing one loop through another, or the 
 same direction as the wale. Therefore the width of the fabric 
 is restricted by the number of loops or needles used as a base, 
 while the length of the fabric has no restrictions other than 
 the supply of material or the will of the knitter. Rib is an 
 alternative expression for wale, but is applicable more particu- 
 larly where the fabric has a wale on both sides, in which case 
 it is shown as a rib fabric. Where a cloth has a wale on one 
 side only it is known as a jersey fabric, and is also sometimes 
 called flat goods. Rib fabrics will be taken up later for .it is 
 my purpose to deal only with jersey or flat fabrics until the 
 theory of knitting is thoroughly explained. 
 
KNIT FABRIC CONSTRUCTION 
 
 11 
 
 «^, — 
 
 C3. 
 
 —a. 
 
 f/^,Z. 
 
 Fj.J 
 
 Wale and Course, Face. 
 
 Wale and Course, Back. 
 
 A Study of the Loop 
 
 A study of the loop is very important to those who wish to 
 acquire a knowledge of knitting, for the whole construction of 
 the knitted fabric is from loops. 
 In fact, knitted fabric is com- 
 monly referred to as looped 
 fabric. 
 
 Fig. 4 shows the position or 
 form into which the yarn is 
 drawn to form the loops of a 
 plain jersey or flat fabric. Fig. 
 5 shows a second course of loops 
 drawn through the first. Fig. 6 
 shows a third course. It is 
 quite evident that in order to 
 draw each of these courses of 
 loops through the preceding one 
 there must be something to sus- 
 tain or hold the preceding 
 course of loops as well as the 
 new loops during the period in 
 which the new ones are being 
 drawn through. There must 
 
 also be something on which to Formation of Loops. 
 
12 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 start the first row or course of loops for, as stated before, a 
 loop cannot be made without something of stability to draw it 
 through. 
 
 It is very important that the reader get firmly fixed in his 
 mind the curves of the loops and the most simple methods of 
 forming them, as he can then more readily understand the 
 necessary movements made on a machine. For this reason 
 I will first take up the most primitive method of knitting; i.e., 
 hand knitting. 
 
 Simplest Method of Forming Loops 
 
 The needles used for hand knitting are straight rods of 
 steel, wood, bone or celluloid. Not less than two of these needles 
 must be used as indicated in Figs. 7, 8 and 9. To start we take 
 the yarn and make a small slip knot or noose, with which we 
 are all familiar, slip one needle through the loop thus made and 
 draw the yarn up so that it fits around the needle loosely. 
 
 Forming- L/oops by Hand, First Step. 
 
 Forming- Loops by Hand, Second Step. 
 
 Forming Loops by Hand, Completed. 
 
 We now have the corner- 
 stone laid. Holding this needle 
 in the left hand with the fore- 
 finger bearing lightly on the 
 loop, we take the other needle 
 in the right hand and slip it 
 through the loop as in Fig. 7, 
 next draw the yarn over the 
 end of the right hand needle as 
 shown, then draw this needle 
 back to the point where it will 
 pass the left side of the loop on 
 
KNIT FABRIC CONSTRUCTION 13 
 
 the right hand needle, but not far enough to allow the yarn 
 that was placed over the end to drop off. Then we draw this 
 yarn through as indicated in Fig. 8, and we will have the 
 second loop. 
 
 At this point in the building up of the fabric we would slip 
 the previous loop off the left hand needle and let it hang on 
 the newly formed loop on the right hand needle, as in Fig. 9, 
 but as we are not as yet building, but only laying the founda- 
 tion, we slip this new loop back on the left hand needle, where 
 we now have two loops. The next step is to take the right 
 hand needle, slip it through the second loop, and proceed as 
 with the first, then slip the third loop back on the left hand 
 needle. This procedure is repeated until there are sufficient 
 loops to make the fabric the width wanted. We now have our 
 foundation on which to build. 
 
 Figs, 7, 8 and 9 give a very clear illustration of the method 
 of building up the knit fabric by hand knitting after the first 
 course. It should be noted, however, that after the right hand 
 needle has completed the new course, and the last loop has been 
 dropped off the left hand needle, the right hand needle with 
 its full number of loops is shifted to the left hand and the 
 empty needle then becomes the working needle in the right 
 hand. 
 
 This first course of stitches, it should be noted, has the 
 needle loop only, the sinker loop being tied in to form a base 
 or edge from which to start. Fig. 7 shows the first position to 
 form the loops with two needles. One full course is on the 
 needle lettered a, while needle 6 is thrust through the first loop 
 of the last course and receiving yarn to draw through a new 
 loop. 
 
 Fig. 8 shows the new 
 loop drawn through, while 
 Fig. 9 shows the old or 
 preceding loop cast off 
 from needle a and hanging 
 from the new loop on 
 needle 5. 
 
 Figs. 10 and 11 show 
 the crochet stitch, which 
 
 is taken up at this point /vy. /O. f.-a /; 
 
 to show its similarity to ■'' 
 
 fViti Vn\Har\ Innn nnrl to Crochet Stitch, Crochet Stitch, 
 
 tne Kmiiea lOOp ana XO catching Thread. Drawing Stitch. 
 
14 
 
 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 explain the points of difference. The illustrations show very 
 plainly the method of forming crochet loops and they also 
 show that this stitch is simply a single chain or wale of loops 
 succeeding one another. 
 
 When crochet work is to be made into a fabric, the hooked 
 needle is pushed through the side of another loop at the point 
 at which it is to be joined, and the new loop is drawn through 
 this old loop as well as the one on the needle. There is never 
 more than one loop used at a time in making this work. 
 
 Back 
 
 face 
 
 Jersey Fabric. 
 
 In the knitted fabric the loops are laid side by side and 
 there are a sufficient number of loops being used at all times 
 to make the width of fabric desired. The wales are bound 
 together by the yarn passing from one loop to the next adjoin- 
 ing one, thereby forming the sinker loops which have already 
 been explained. 
 
 Figs. 12 and 13 are photographic reproductions of a piece 
 of closely knitted jersey or flat goods. The stitch formation 
 in this cloth is exactly the same as shown in the line drawings 
 at Figs. 2 and 3. 
 
KNIT FABRIC CONSTRUCTION 15 
 
 It may be well to state here in passing, that all textile fibres 
 have more or less flexibility or resiliency, and while this 
 characteristic is infinitely small in any single fibre or hair, it 
 is quite appreciable when there are hundreds of fibres grouped 
 together and twisted into a yarn. This is the reason for the 
 elasticity or stretch in knitted fabrics. 
 
 It will be noticed in Fig. 2 that in forming the loops the 
 curvature or bend of the thread is gradual and uniform. When 
 this yarn is knitted into fabric and both top or needle loop, and 
 bottom or sinker loop are attached to or drawn through other 
 and like loops, and we pull or stretch the fabric, we draw 
 sharp curves or corners in the yarn where it passes around 
 the preceding and succeeding loops. When we let go or take 
 the strain off the fabric, the natural tendency of the fibre to 
 straighten out or take an easier curve brings the fabric back 
 into its original position. 
 
 I would suggest that the reader take any straight piece of 
 yarn, worsted if available, form a loop, and hold it between 
 the thumb and finger of one hand, then press the loop together 
 with the thumb and finger of the other hand and demonstrate 
 for himself this characteristic of textile fibres. 
 
ife 
 
 ffe 
 
 CHAPTER 11. 
 
 Latch Needle Knitting — Making Jersey Cloth on the 
 Lamb Type of Machine 
 
 ALTHOUGH what is known as the spring beard needle 
 was a part of the original invention of the knitting 
 machine, and was in use more than 200 years before the 
 latch needle was invented, I am taking up the latch needle 
 machine first for two reasons. First, because the latch needle 
 type of machine is most largely used and is more popular in 
 
 this country today than any 
 
 other type ; and second, because I 
 
 > ^ X '^ o*" believe it can be more easily un- 
 
 ,i^i)VVV° /^ A ^ derstood by a person who is not 
 
 <L-4^^^C^ 'i"— ^) familiar with machine knitting. 
 
 In machine knitting of every 
 
 kind there must be a needle for 
 
 every loop, and therein lies the 
 
 fundamental difference between 
 
 y machine and hand knitting. 
 
 Latch Needles. 
 
 Latch needles, however, are con- 
 structed entirely different from the straight plain hand needles. 
 Fig. 14 shows the construction of the latch needle. It will be 
 noted by looking at the latches on the three needles that they 
 swing freely on a pin or rivet lengthwise of the needle, but 
 have no movement sidewise. 
 
 Types of Latch Needle 
 
 The hook, latch, rivet, cheek, throat and stem are substan- 
 tially the same except in size in all latch needles, but the balance 
 of the needle may and does vary in shape to a marked degree in 
 the various types and makes of machines. Fig. 15 shows many 
 of the different types of butts and shanks made, as well as the 
 variation in the sizes of the hooks and the thickness of the 
 needles, but it should be understood that the type of the butt 
 and shank has no bearing on the size of the hook and stem, as 
 each type is made in the various sizes and is governed only 
 by the size of the yarn to be used. 
 
LATCH NEEDLE KNITTING— JERSEY CLOTH 17 
 
 Fig. 16 is a very important illustration and the reader 
 should study it well and mentally digest every position of the 
 needles, for here is shown a complete cycle of the movements 
 necessary to make the knitted loop on a latch needle machine 
 of the type in which the needles slide back and forth, length- 
 wise of the needle, in what are called tricks, or more commonly 
 expressed, slots. Probably 95 per cent, or more of the latch 
 needle machines in use today are of the type in which the 
 needle slides back and forth in slots in the operation of forming 
 the loops. 
 
 Some of the Various Types of Latch Needles. 
 
 Explanation of Lamb T3^pe Machine 
 
 A study of Fig. 16 should be made in connection with the 
 photographic reproductions. Figs. 17 and 18. Fig. 18 shows 
 substantially the whole knitting machine, while Fig. 17 is a 
 close-up view of that part of the machine which actually does 
 the knitting. Fig, 16 shows the principle used to operate the 
 needles. 
 
 This type of machine was invented in 1863 by Isaac W. 
 Lamb, a clergyman, and was made possible only by the inven- 
 tion of the latch needle in England about 1847. It is very 
 simple in construction in the plain models and is the most 
 versatile of all the knitting machines, it being possible t(i make 
 on it a larger variety of stitches and articles of apparel than 
 
18 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 on any other machine. It is known as the flat or Lamb type of 
 machine. 
 
 It has two flat or straight horizontal plates or beds about 
 one-half inch thick by 6 inches wide, the length of which varies 
 from 6 inches or less to 60 inches or more, according to the 
 width of fabric it is designed to make. These plates are set in 
 a frame, parallel to each other lengthwise, and at an angle of 
 about 90 degrees to each other and 45 degrees to the horizontal. 
 See Figs. 16, 17 and 20. 
 
 All flat machines of this type have two needle plates, but 
 for our purpose of knitting jersey fabric we need but one, 
 therefore we will imagine that there are two in Fig. 16 but the 
 back one having no needles in it cannot do any knitting. The 
 needles, as will be noted in Fig. 16, are placed in tricks or 
 slots of which there may be any number from 214 up to 18 in 
 one inch, according to the size of the yarn to be used. The 
 needles should fit in the slots close enough so that they will not 
 have any chance to tip sidewise, yet they must move easily end- 
 wise. The gib c, c, is for holding the needles in the plate, and 
 of course is removed by drawing out endwise when a needle 
 is to be put in or taken out of the plate. The plate is secured 
 in a frame indicated by the letter n in Fig. 16, and the frame 
 is attached to a stationary stand or table.- 
 
 The cams a-1, a-2 and a-3 are attached to the carriage h, b, 
 b, b, Fig. 17, at a point just below a-1, a-2 and a-3 and the 
 carriage, together with the cams, rests and slides freely back 
 and forth on the ways c, c, while the plate and needles remain 
 stationary. The cams are secured to the carriage in a position 
 so that they come very close to the needle plates. They should 
 be set as close as possible and not rub the plate as they are 
 moved back and forth. 
 
 It may be well to explain here that a cam in any machine is 
 a piece of hardened steel of the proper shape and construction 
 to cause some other part of the machine to make the proper 
 movements to perform its functions. In this instance they 
 actuate the needles by coming in contact with the butts. 
 
 It will be noted that each one of the needles from e to e, 
 Fig. 16, has a loop in the hook except from the point where they 
 are rising over the cam a-3, and on these the loops rest on the 
 shank. It should be understood that the fabric back of the 
 needle plate has a weight on it, thereby giving to each loop a 
 downward pull. The fabric and weights may be seen in Fig. 18. 
 

20 
 
 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 Now bear in mind that the cams a-1, a-2 and o-3, Fig. 16, 
 are attached to the carriage b, b, b, b, Fig. 17, at points under- 
 neath a-1, a-2 and a-3. These cams are moving from right to 
 left and as the lower left hand corner of a-3 is below the line 
 of the butts of the needles from e to e, they, the needles, must 
 of necessity slide upward in the slots along the edge of this 
 cam. When they get to the top it will be noted that the latches 
 of the needles are above and clear of the loops. As the cams 
 move farther along, the cam a-2 comes in contact with the 
 butts and slides them down again. As the needles move down- 
 ward the hooks catch the thread i which lies in their path, and 
 as at I the stitch that is on the needle closes the latch as the 
 needle slides downward. As the needle moves farther down 
 
 Top Side of Carriage, Over Cams. 
 
 the hook draws a new loop through the old one, while the 
 latch closing up the hook allows the old loop to slip over the 
 end (needle m) , and the pull of the fabric draws it down on to 
 the new loop. 
 
 The thin portions of the needle plate indicated by the 
 letter h in Fig. 16, which extend upwards, are called jacks and 
 these hold that part of the stitch called sinker loops while the 
 needle is drawing through the new needle loop. 
 
 Below each needle is a U-shaped spring, j, j, and k, k. 
 Fig. 16, which holds the needles up in the working position. 
 
LATCH NEEDLE KNITTING— JERSEY CLOTH 21 
 
 They extend down to and around the bottom of the plate and 
 up against the under side of the plate. The end that is under 
 the plate is a little longer than the end that slides up in the 
 slot below the needle. These U-springs are made so that before 
 they are put in their places on the plate, the ends come together, 
 so when they are spread and pushed on to the plate they act as 
 a clamp to hold the needles in position. They are not attached 
 to the needles, but simply clamp the plate with tension enough 
 to hold them up or down, as the case may be, and the bottom 
 end of the needles rests on them. This construction leaves the 
 knitter in a position to pull down out of working position as 
 many needles as he may wish, therefore he may make his fabric 
 any desired width by pulling needles down out of the working 
 line or pushing them up into the working line, thereby adding 
 to or taking away stitches. 
 
 The letter d in Fig. 17 designates the yarn carrier through 
 which the yarn passes, and which guides the yarn along the path 
 of the hooks of the needles. After having moved the carriage 
 clear across the working needles, and finishing a course of 
 loops, the carriage is moved back in the opposite direction and 
 another course is put on. This is done in exactly the same way 
 except that the cams must necessarily push or slide the needles 
 up and down on the opposite sides of the cams : i.e., the butts 
 slide up on the right hand side of the V-cam or cam a-3 in 
 Fig. 16 and down the right hand side of cam a-1, or stitch 
 cam. This operation is continued until the fabric is of the 
 desired length. 
 
 Needles are operated at a rate of speed that would make 
 500 or more stitches per minute per needle if the machine would 
 keep them in continuous operation, but in practical work they 
 make from 50 to 200 stitches per minute according to the size 
 of the machine as more time is consumed as a rule in the 
 movements of the machine between the stitches than is used 
 in the actual knitting operation. On account of this speed of 
 operation the latches of the needles must be under control at 
 all points in the cycle of knitting ; that is, from / to g in Fig. 16. 
 
 Control of Latches 
 
 It will be noted that needle o in Fig. 16 has just started to 
 rise and the stitch that was in the hook has opened the latch 
 and still has it under control. When this needle gets up to 
 the position of needle p it has passed the point where the 
 
22 
 
 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 stitch can control the latch, therefore, other means must be 
 provided or it would be very liable to fly up and close the 
 hook, in which case it would be impossible for the hook to 
 catch the yarn for the next stitch. When this happens we have 
 what is called a drop stitch, and after the yarn had passed 
 there would be no stitch on the needle. 
 
 To provide against this there is used in this type of machine 
 a long narrow thin bristle brush set over the needles and at the 
 
 Flat Latch Needle Machine. 
 
 proper angle and distance to just clear the latches. This 
 brush is shown in Fig. 19. The letter a indicates the brush 
 alone, and at b is shown the brush in the fixture which carries 
 it. The letter c indicates the brush carrier. Fig. 20 is a 
 view looking down from above the machine and shows the 
 brushes, a and b, set ready to operate in the machine. So as 
 not to confuse the reader I will say here that all previous 
 
LATCH NEEDLE KNITTING— JERSEY CLOTH' 23 
 
 illustrations presenting this part of the machine have shown it 
 with the brushes removed in order to make clear the operation 
 of the needles. 
 
 Fig-. 19. — Latch Brushes. One Mounted 
 in its Holding Clamp, or Fixture. 
 
 Fig 21. — Tubular Fabric 
 Made on a Flat Machine. 
 
 Position of Latch Brushes When on the Machine. 
 
 A fabric made according to the foregoing explanations 
 would be what is known as a jersey fabric (see Figs. 12 and 
 13), but it would be a flat piece of fabric when finished. Per- 
 
24 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 haps to make it plainer I should say that if the fabric were 
 laid out on a table it would be a single thickness, and if it were 
 to be made into a garment it would be necessary to double it 
 over and sew the edges together to make it tubular, or in the 
 form of a bag. If we wish to make the fabric tubular on the 
 machine to save the labor of seaming it, and also prevent the 
 unsightly seam, it would be necessary to use the needles in 
 both plates, front and back. The cams would then be set by 
 means provided, which will be explained later, so that when the 
 carriage is moved in one direction, say from left to right, the 
 front cams will operate the front needles and the back cams will 
 be put out of operation ; and when the carriage is moved from 
 right to left, the back cams will operate the back needles and 
 the front cams will be put out of work. 
 
 --. — Jfisey Fabric Made on 
 Machine ^Vith 24 Needles 
 to One Inch. 
 
 Fig'. 2'.i. — Jer.sc.v Fald'ic Made o 
 
 a Machine With 2^ Needles 
 
 to One Inch. 
 
 By continuing the operation of the machine in this manner 
 of having only the front cams operate while moving the carriage 
 in one direction, and only the back cams operate when the 
 carriage is moved in the opposite direction, there would be pro- 
 duced a tubular fabric as shown in Fig. 21. The yarn must of 
 a necessity go across from front needles to back ones, and from 
 back ones to front ones each time the direction of the movement 
 of the carriage is changed, thereby closing up both sides of the 
 fabric. 
 
LATCH NEEDLE KNITTING— JERSEY CLOTH 25 
 
 Range of Jersey Fabric 
 
 The jersey type of fabric is very popular with the consuming 
 public and is used for quite a wide range of garments in many 
 different weights and materials. Milady may easily be dressed 
 throughout, with the exception of shoes, in jersey cloth, and still 
 be up to the minute with her clothes. She may have on silk 
 stockings which are made with the jersey stitch. Her under- 
 wear, most surely is made of silk jersey fabric. Then she may 
 wear a tricolet waist, which is silk jersey fabric, with a worsted 
 jersey cloth suit. Also she might easily have her fall and winter 
 coat made from the heavyweight fulled jersey cloth, and carry 
 a heavy Shaker sweater, which is also the jersey stitch, on 
 her motor trips into the country. 
 
 It is a far cry from the finest and lightest to the heaviest 
 and coarsest in jersey cloth. Figs. 22 and 23 show two 
 extremes. Fig. 22 is a sample of fine fabric and has 32 stitches 
 to one inch; while Fig. 23 is used for what is known as the 
 Shaker sweater and has 31/? stitches to one inch. Between 
 these come men's balbriggan underwear and the flat woolen 
 underwear, the jersey bathing suits, tricolet, and the fulled 
 jersey cloth for ladies' suits and coats, etc. This stitch is 
 also the basic one for medium priced knit neckties, as well as 
 knit mittens and gloves, except the very lightest and thinnest. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 Rib Fabric Group — How Stitch is Made for Different 
 
 Cloths 
 
 THERE are numerous conflicting expressions or terms used 
 in the knit goods industry, and one of the most common 
 of these is the term "flat goods." In the older underwear 
 sections, where the circular machine was used exclusively and 
 the flat machine was practically unknown, the term flat goods- 
 indicated underwear fabric made tubular in the jersey stitch 
 on circular spring needle machines, as distinguished from 
 tubular rib fabric made on latch needle machines. At present, 
 in the localities where mills are using both the circular and flat 
 straight needle bed machines, it is generally understood that 
 a flat fabric is a fabric of single thickness made on a flat 
 machine, regardless of the stitch, and any fabric made on a 
 circular machine is known as a tubular fabric. If the stitch 
 should be specified it is mentioned separately. 
 
 This latter custom appears to me to be the more logical;, 
 therefore, when these terms are used hereafter in this work 
 it should be understood that flat fabric means cloth of a 
 single thickness made on a flat machine, or a tubular fabric 
 cut open so it will lie out flat. The "flat goods" of the old time 
 knitters will be called jersey cloth or fabric. 
 
 We will now leave the jersey fabrics for a time, as the 
 making of the tuck stitch and plated work in the jersey stitch 
 are more or less complicated and had better be left until we take- 
 up fancy stitches and designs on circular latch needle machines. 
 The tuck stitch is never used in the jersey fabrics on flat 
 machines. 
 
 Rib Fabrics 
 
 A rib fabric is one which has a rib or wale on both sides 
 of the cloth. It has much ■ more stretch or elasticity than 
 cloth of the jersey group ; about twice as much, generally 
 speaking. The elasticity of either one, hov/ever, may be varied 
 to a marked degree by changing the length of loop drawn. 
 
RIB FABRIC GROUP 27 
 
 Rib fabric is peculiarly adapted for such garments or 
 parts of garments as should be close fitting, such as ladies'" 
 undergarments, cuffs for all kinds of knitted garments, tops 
 of half hose, etc. Fig. 24 shows very clearly the course the 
 yarn takes to form this stitch. It would be well to study this 
 drawing in connection with Figs. 2 and 3 and note carefully 
 the different course the yarn takes in order to form a wale 
 on both sides of the fabric. A photographic reproduction of 
 a plain rib fabric showing both sides is given at a, a, in Fig. 25. 
 
 A properly constructed plain 1 and 1 rib fabric, such as is 
 shown in Fig. 24, should be alike on both sides. Very often 
 this is not the case. A little carelessness on the part of the 
 
 adjuster in not drawing the 
 stitch the same length on both 
 sides will make a difference on 
 the flat machines, while it is 
 impossible to make them the 
 same on an ordinary circular 
 machine on account of the prin- 
 ciples of construction of this 
 machine. 
 
 Fig. 26 is a view of a flat 
 fy.^4- machine making the rib stitch. 
 
 Construction of a Plain looking down from above. It 
 
 almost fully explains the method 
 of making this stitch to those who have carefully read and 
 understand the principles of making the jersey stitch. In this 
 illustration the carriage is moving from right to left, and both 
 front and back cams are in operation, therefore both front and 
 back needles are working. 
 
 It should be noted that the back plate is set so that the 
 needles of that plate come up at a point in the middle of the 
 spaces between the needles of the front plate. The cams, 
 front and back, being made exactly alike and set exactly opposite 
 one another, must push the needles of both plates up at the 
 same time and draw them down at the same time. When we 
 feed the yarn, indicated by the letter a in Fig. 26, down 
 through the guide, h, it is drawn into loops from both sides 
 alternately, as shown at c, by the opposite sets of needles, 
 thereby making stitches, or ribs, or wales, on both sides of 
 the fabric. This is the plain 1 and 1 rib stitch. 
 
Fig-. 25. — Face and Back of Fabric: a,a. Plain Rib; b_,c. Half Cardigan; 
 d,d, Full Cardigan. 
 
 Flat Knitting- Machine Making the Rib Stitch. 
 
RIB FABRIC GROUP 29 
 
 Varieties of Rib 
 
 This stitch, by distortion, or by manipulation of the yarns 
 or needles, or by a combination of two or all three of these 
 things, can produce a number of fabrics different both in 
 appearance and feel. To enumerate the principal ones, there 
 are the half cardigan or tuck stitch, also sometimes called royal 
 rib; the full cardigan, and the rack stitch with the rack on 
 one side of the fabric and the double rack which shows the 
 rack on both sides of the fabric. Then there is the zig-zag 
 stitch, which is quite simple to make but is quite a puzzle to 
 those not familiar with it. There is also the cotton back, which 
 is a well known and popular fabric in the sweater trade. 
 
 Then there are many varieties of ribs made either in plain 
 or in combination with one or more of the above by taking 
 needles out of the machine at pre-determined places, or by the 
 Jacquard system of selecting needles. There is also the system 
 of making designs by the cut pressers and pattern wheels, 
 which is used on circular machines only. 
 
 Half Cardigan or Tuck Stitch 
 
 The half cardigan or tuck stitch is used more than any 
 other of the ribbed group, though it is generally used in 
 combination with the plain rib. The body and sleeves of the 
 ordinary rib sweater, and much of the rib underwear produced, 
 are made in this stitch while the cuffs are plain rib. The 
 reason for this is that the half cardigan rib will knit up consid- 
 erably wider, with the same number of needles, than the plain 
 rib, therefore it is possible to make a shaped garment without 
 cutting and sewing up again. Also the plain rib comes out 
 lighter and thinner so makes a more desirable cuff for sweaters 
 and underwear. It also has more life or spring to it, which 
 is another desirable feature. 
 
 The half cardigan or tuck stitch is the one that is almost 
 invariably used in making the well known cotton back sweaters. 
 It is believed by many people who are familiar with this fabric 
 that the back stitch of cotton does not come through on the 
 face, but in this they are mistaken. The face stitch does not 
 go through on the back, but the back yarn does go through 
 on the face. 
 
30 
 
 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 F/<?.Z7 
 
 Construction of a Half Cardig'an 
 Rib Fabric. 
 
 Fig. 27 is a line drawing 
 showing the course the yarn 
 takes in making this stitch and 
 a careful examination of it 
 will demonstrate to the reader 
 that this is the case. The dotted 
 line e, e, indicates the 'wale on 
 the face and /, /, shows the wale 
 on the back. It will be noted 
 that the back stitches of yarn 
 come through to the face of the 
 fabric and connect the preced- 
 ing and succeeding stitches, c, c, 
 the same as in the plain rib, 
 but there is this difference, in 
 the plain rib these face stitches are, or should be, just the same 
 length, while in the half cardigan, on account of the back stitch 
 of this course holding over for one course, it necessarily draws 
 a longer stitch in the back and the yarn for this long stitch 
 must come from the face stitch, thereby making this face stitch 
 very short. 
 
 In the drawing the stitches are not proportioned just as 
 they lie in the actual fabric, for if they were it would be very 
 difficult to trace their course. In the fabric the stitches b, b 
 are so short that they are almost completely covered by the 
 large, full, round stitches, c, c, c. These stitches are full and 
 large from the fact that where they go through to the back they 
 do not form a loop but simply cross over the back loop as at d, 
 without being drawn through. These are completely covered 
 by the loops a, a, in the back wale. 
 
 How the Half Cardigan or Tuck Stitch Is Made 
 
 The diagram at Fig. 28 shows the method used to make 
 the half cardigan or tuck stitch on a flat machine. The cams 
 shown are what are known as the Lamb system and are called 
 the automatic cardigan or drop locks. The word "locks," as 
 applied to the flat knitting machine, means a full set of cams 
 attached to the cam plates ready to affix to the carriage. There 
 are a number of diff'erent systems of constructing these locks, 
 but the one selected is the most simple of all and for this 
 
RIB FABRIC GROUP 
 
 31 
 
 Automatic Locks for Making Half or Full Cardigan Fabrics. 
 
 reason is used for illustration first. The others will be taken 
 up at the proper place. 
 
 In Fig. 28 only a part of the needle plates are shown. They 
 are attached to a frame at an angle of 90° to each other and 45' 
 to the horizontal as explained before. The cams are shown in 
 working position with the carriage (to which they are attached 
 when in use) removed. As indicated by the thread h, they 
 are being moved toward the far end. 
 
 It should be noted that the automatic drop V-cams a, a, are 
 in different positions. These cams are made so that they sw^ing 
 freely on the pivots h, b, and the swing is inside of the limits of 
 the positions of the two cams in the drawing. It is controlled 
 by pins on the top side of the swinging ends, the pins coming 
 
32 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 through a slot of the proper length in the cam plate to stop 
 them at the right place. 
 
 When starting to move these locks from the near end toward 
 the far end, the cam a, on the left, might be in any position 
 within the limits of the before mentioned slot in the cam plate, 
 but the instant it comes in contact with the butts of the needles 
 it is automatically forced to the position shown. 
 
 In making the half cardigan stitch the right hand cam is 
 held up to the top, as shown, at all times by means provided. 
 This position forces the needles high enough so that the latches 
 are above and clear of the loop that is on the needle, therefore 
 when the needles are drawn down again by the cam /, they 
 draw new loops and cast the old ones off over the latch and 
 hook, and they drop dov/n on the new loop, just as explained 
 in describing how to make the plain rib. This refers only to 
 the needles in the right plate. 
 
 The cam a, on the left side, however, having been swung 
 down to its lowest position by contact with the needle butts, 
 raises the needles only about one-half of the normal distance. 
 Or to put it differently, the needles raise high enough to open 
 the latches and catch the yarn when being drawn down again, 
 but not high enough to permit the loop that is on the needle 
 to slide down below the latch. Therefore, after the completion 
 of the course we have the right side with the new loop drawn 
 through the old one as in plain rib, but the left side still retains 
 the old or previous loop and also the new one as at j. This 
 leaves two loops on every needle on the left side and one on 
 the right when the course is com.pleted. 
 
 On the return course, from the far end to the near end, 
 when the point i of the left cam, a, comes in contact with the 
 first needle it must swing up in the same position as the right 
 cam, a, therefore all the needles will draw the new loop through 
 the two preceding ones and clear themselves, leaving only one 
 loop on each needle as in the plain rib. 
 
 On the next course, from the near end to the far end, the 
 left hand needles again hold the old loop and take on a new 
 one as just explained, while the right hand needles cast off the 
 old ones and hold only the new ones. 
 
 To condense the operation into a few words let us say that 
 the left hand needles always must hold the two stitches while 
 moving in one direction, and clear them off and hold only one 
 on the return course; while the right hand needles always cast 
 
RIB FABRIC GROUP 33 
 
 off the old stitch and hold the new ones only. The right hand 
 needles would make the face side of the fabric. 
 
 The writer has made a special effort to explain the forma- 
 tion of this particular stitch, and the reader should make the 
 same effort to get this formation clear in his mind, for this 
 stitch is the base of almost all of the fancy stitches or design 
 work which will be taken up later. The system used in design 
 work is of course entirely different from the one just described, 
 being what might be called a selective system, that is, a method 
 whereby the designer may select the proper needles at the 
 proper time and place to make the tuck stitches block out the 
 design wanted. 
 
 Fig. 25, at band c, shows the tuck or half cardigan stitch ; h 
 is the face and c is the back. If studied carefully the reader 
 will notice that the face side, h, has a full round stitch, while c, 
 or the back of the fabric, has a small narrow stitch. 
 
 The Full Cardigan Stitch 
 
 The full cardigan stitch is not nearly so generally used as 
 the half cardigan and plain rib stitches. It is seldom if ever 
 used in making underwear or any fine fabrics. When it is 
 made it is usually used for sweater fabrics or other novelty 
 wearing apparel of this character, 
 
 A line drawing of the full 
 cardigan stitch is shown in 
 Fig, 29, This stitch, as its 
 name would indicate, is made in 
 the same way as the half cardi- 
 gan only the stitches are held 
 alternately on both rows of 
 needles on alternate courses. 
 Referring again to Fig. 28, in 
 making the full cardigan stitch 
 the cams would operate exactly 
 f=',q.23 ^^^ same while moving toward 
 
 o . .• , /,,.. ,■ r^ , ■ the far end as shown and ex- 
 
 Construction of a Full Cardigan Fabric. . 
 
 plained for the half cardigan. 
 But the means provided to hold the right hand cam, a, at the 
 top position would have been removed, so that on the return 
 from the far to the near end this cam would be thrown down 
 
34 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 to the same position as the left hand cam, o, is shown, while 
 this left hand cam would be forced up into the position in which 
 the right hand cam is now shown. In other words, the stitch 
 would be the same with the carriage or cams moving in either 
 direction, only it would alternate on each course from one 
 row of needles to the other. 
 
 We will refer back to Fig. 25, which shows both sides of a 
 piece of fabric with the three stitches we have just discussed 
 in one piece. This shows quite plainly the individual character- 
 istics of each. All have the same number of needles or wales, 
 the same yarn was used, on the same machine; yet how 
 different the results! 
 
 The most marked difference is in the width. There is 
 proportionately the same difference in the thickness, but this 
 cannot very well be shown. It should be observed that the 
 stitch or loops of the plain rib a, a, and the full cardigan d, d, 
 are the same on both sides of the fabric, while the stitches in 
 the half cardigan, h and c, are not. It will be noted also that 
 the stitch of the plain rib is much smaller than that of the two 
 cardigans, also that the wales or ribs hug very close together in 
 the plain rib, while they are separated more or less in the 
 cardigans. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 The Rack Stitch — Making Shaped Collars- 
 Opportunities IN Designing Fabrics 
 
 THE rack stitch is used on many sweaters for a border on 
 the bottom, also for a narrow strip on both sides of the 
 shoulder seam, and a strip at the place the stitch changes 
 from half cardigan to plain for the cuff. Many sweaters have 
 the collar and the border down the front made separately in 
 the rack stitch and sewed on. Most of the designs in the 
 knitted neckties made on flat machines are based on the rack 
 stitch. Another very important use for this stitch is in making 
 a smooth sightly edge on the bottom of sweaters, the ends of 
 cuffs, etc. 
 
 The rack stitch is always made on one of the cardigans. 
 From this statement the reader will realize that this stitch is 
 not made in place of the half or full cardigan, or any other 
 stitch but is an addition to, or a further development of these 
 stitches. 
 
 Fig. 30 shows a half cardigan stitch ready to rack, as it is 
 customary to make the one needle rack on this stitch. It 
 should be noticed that the racking is done on the course that 
 holds, or does not cast the previous stitch off on one side. 
 Fig. 31 shows the stitch after the plate has been racked over 
 one needle. This illustration practically explains the whole 
 principle of the rack stitch. The rack will show on the side 
 that casts the stitches off the needles. It is customary to hold 
 
 ;10. — Half Cardigan Stitch 
 Ready to Rack. 
 
 Fie:. 31, — Stitch After Plate Has 
 Been Racked Over One Needle. 
 
36 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 the stitch or tuck on the back plate, therefore the rack shows 
 on the front side of the fabric, or the side toward the operator 
 of the machine. 
 
 Operation of Racking 
 
 It is understood, of course, that on a flat machine there 
 must always be an end needle on one plate or the other. 
 Usually the knitter sets up his machine with one plate carry- 
 ing the end needle on one side of the work and the other plate 
 carrying the other end needle. Which end of the respective 
 plates carries this needle depends on the position of the racking 
 cam. In the illustration, Fig. 30, the front plate has the end 
 needle on the right and back plate has the end needle on the 
 left. After racking as in Fig. 31, these positions are reversed. 
 It will be noted that the front plate has been racked or moved 
 over one needle so the front needles will come up through 
 and operate between the next two needles to the left of their 
 previous positions. 
 
 Or to explain it in a different way, in Fig. 30, before rack- 
 ing, the front plate has the end needle on the right and operates 
 outside of the last needle in the back plate, but after racking, 
 as in Fig. 31, this end needle on the front plate has been shifted 
 over so it comes up inside the last needle in the back plate. 
 
 After racking over one needle there must be one full round 
 or two courses put on before racking again ; that is while 
 racking on the half cardigan stitch, and then the plate is 
 racked back to the first position. This operation of racking 
 first one way and then the other with a round between each 
 rack is continued until the necessary number of racks are 
 finished and then the operator proceeds with the plain half 
 cardigan. 
 
 This procedure would make a plain rack on one side of the 
 fabric only. We have assumed in this explanation that the 
 back is stationary and the front plate is the one that moves, 
 but I wish to have it understood here that it makes no difference 
 which plate is stationary and which one racks or is movable; 
 the results are the same. 
 
 Some writers use the words shog or shogged in place of 
 rack or racked, but the writer of this work has avoided the 
 use of these words as they are seldom or never used by the 
 practical knitter, at least not in this country. 
 
THE RACK STITCH— DESIGNED FABRICS 
 
 37 
 
 The Racking Mechanism 
 
 In most of the modern flat machines the plate that racks has 
 enough end clearance to rack over at least two needles, and 
 some of them as many as four, though racking two needles is 
 sufficient for all ordinary work. Fig. 32 shows the method of 
 racking or moving the plate to make the rack stitch, or at 
 least this is the principle used as a rule on the imported 
 machines, with some modifications by some makers. This also 
 applies to the method shown of attaching the plates to the 
 frame. 
 
 There is a large flat bottom hole, c, bored about half way 
 through the plate; through the bottom of this hole there is 
 
 The Racking- Cam, Ratchet and Studs. 
 
 made an elongated hole, h, through which the plate is attached 
 to the frame by the shouldered screw, a, the head of which is 
 flush with the top of the plate. It will readily be seen that 
 with this method the plate cannot be moved in any direction 
 except lengthwise of the plate, or crosswise of the needles. To 
 secure this movement at will there is a steel strap, d, attached 
 
38 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 to the under side of the plate by the screws j and k, and 
 through the outside end of this strap there are two elongated 
 holes through which are attached two shouldered studs with 
 nuts e and /. These studs extend down on both sides of the 
 steps of the racking cam, g, and together with the plate are 
 moved back and forth by the steps on the racking cam. The 
 cam is moved by the handle, i, in the hand machines, or by 
 the ratchet, h, being operated by pawls or dogs in power 
 machines. 
 
 The letter h shows a front elevation of the ratchet, while i 
 is a side view. It will be noted that there are only three teeth 
 on each side, and these two groups are opposed one to the 
 other. If the reader will examine the racking cam, g, with 
 due thought the reason for this will be obvious. There are 
 three steps on the cam and the cam must have an oscillating 
 movement and not a rotary one. The ratchet, h, and the rack- 
 ing cam, g, are both attached securely to one hub, therefore 
 must move together on a stud which projects from the end 
 of the frame. 
 
 The plate as illustrated in Fig. 32, sets at the limit of its 
 movement to the left, consequently any racking that is to be 
 done must move the plate to the right, therefore the pawl at 
 the top of the ratchet would engage the uppermost tooth, q, and 
 turning the ratchet one tooth would move the racking cam 
 one step, thus moving the plate over one needle through its 
 contact with the studs, e and /. There are two pawls, upper 
 and lower, arranged to engage the teeth on the ratchet either 
 at the top or the bottom as required. If we wanted a one- 
 needle rack only, after putting on one round of stitches we 
 would have the lower pawl engage the tooth, n, of the ratchet 
 and move the racking cam back to its first position. If, how- 
 ever, we wanted a two-needle rack, the upper pawl would 
 engage the second tooth, o, of the ratchet. For three racks it 
 would then engage the next tooth, m, after which it would be 
 necessary to start on the return to the first position, remember- 
 ing to put on one course or one round, as the case may be, of 
 stitches between each rack. If racking on the half cardigan 
 stitch there should be one full round between the racks, but if 
 on the full cardigan the racking may be done every half round 
 or every course, as will be explained hereafter. 
 
 Fig. 33 is a photographic reproduction of a piece of fabric, 
 face and back, of a one-needle rack which shows on one side 
 
THE RACK STITCH— DESIGNED FABRICS 
 
 39 
 
 ^>V:*;^^.\*^^*' 
 
 Fig-. 33. — Face and Back of One-Needle Rack. 
 
 of the fabric only. A fabric with the two-needle rack which 
 would show on both sides of the fabric is not illustrated, for 
 it would be the same on both sides as the face side of Fig. 33. 
 A line drawing of the rack stitch is shown at Fig. 34. This 
 is drawn out of proportion and is very loose and not like the 
 fabric, but by making it this way the direction the yarn takes 
 may be easily located. 
 
 The Zig-Zag Stitch 
 
 Fig. 35 is an example of a 
 fabric that may be made with a 
 one-needle rack. It is called the 
 zig-zag stitch. To make this the 
 machine should be set to make 
 the full cardigan stitch. After 
 setting up the machine and 
 putting on one round, the needle 
 plate is racked over one needle, 
 put on a course or half round 
 and rack back one needle. Con- 
 tinue this racking back and 
 
 forth on each course for five rounds, then skip one rack or put 
 on one full round without racking and continue as before. 
 
 Position of Stitch After Racking. 
 
40 
 
 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 Repeat this operation of racking every course for five rounds 
 and then skip one rack and we have a zig-zag stitch. 
 
 The points come where the 
 rack is skipped, or in other 
 words the direction of the diag- 
 onal stitch will continue in the 
 same direction as long as the 
 needle plate is racked every 
 course without skipping, but 
 immediately one rack is missed 
 the stitch starts diagonally in 
 the other direction. It is ob- 
 vious from the foregoing ex- 
 planation that the knitter is not 
 obliged to use any set number 
 of courses between the change, 
 but may use any number at his 
 discretion to get the distance 
 ^. „ C5.-. V, desired between the points. 
 
 Zig-Zag Stitch. '^ 
 
 Shaped Collar for Sweaters 
 The peculiar characteristic of this stitch is utilized in mak- 
 ing a shaped collar for sweaters, as shown in Figs. 38 and 39. 
 First let the reader remember that the direction the diagonal 
 
 Shaped Collar for Sweattr.s as Knit. 
 
THE RACK STITCH— DESIGNED FABRICS 
 
 41 
 
 stitch takes all depends on which end of the machine the 
 carriage is at when the racking operation begins. It should 
 be understood that the collars are made in a long string and 
 the three parts, as shown in Fig. 38, are duplicated one after 
 another. On either end, where this piece has been cut off, 
 there was a duplicate of the plain racked piece shown at the 
 middle, and at the end of these there was another diagonal 
 piece, and so on from the beginning to the end. 
 
 It should be clear to the 
 reader that if the piece shown 
 (Fig. 38) were cut through on 
 the broken lines we would have 
 one complete collar and we 
 would have left the diagonal 
 stitch that belongs on one end 
 of each of the two adjoining 
 center pieces, therefore by cut- 
 ting all the collars apart at the 
 point indicated by the line we 
 would have our collars shaped 
 without any waste and would 
 have a selvage or finished edge 
 
 Fig 39.— Shaped Collar Folded. on the OUtside. 
 
 The collar is stitched or sewed on the neck opening of the 
 sweater along the cut. edge and across the bottom of the racked 
 center piece, and after it is finished and the sweater coat 
 buttoned up it folds over and looks as shown in Fig. 39. As 
 stated before this collar can be made on a machine that racks 
 over only one needle, but in that case the center piece would 
 be racked on one side only, therefore it is customary to make 
 these collars on a two needle rack machine with the middle 
 portion racked on both sides as will be noted in Fig. 39. 
 
 Making a rack on both sides of the fabric is very much like 
 making the diagonal stitch in the operation of the machine, 
 even though the resultant fabric is so radically different. It 
 should be made with a full cardigan stitch same as the zig-zag 
 or diagonal, and the needle plate must be racked every course 
 or half round, but with this difference : When making the 
 diagonal stitch the needle plate is racked over one needle and 
 back again, while to rack both sides of the fabric the needle 
 plate is racked over two needles. This does not mean that the 
 knitter should rack over two needles at once, for this should 
 
42 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 never be done, but rack over one needle, let us say to the right, 
 then put on one course and rack over the second needle to the 
 right, put on one course and rack one needle to the left, put 
 on one course and rack the second needle to the left. Or in 
 other words, rack alternately two needles to the right and 
 left and put on one course or half round each time the needle 
 plate is racked one needle. 
 
 There is one other point that should be remembered in mak- 
 ing this collar and that is the manner of starting the diagonal 
 stitch in the proper direction after finishing in the middle 
 portion. Each time this part is finished the diagonal stitch 
 should go in the opposite way from the previous time, therefore 
 when the one needle half round rack starts to make this stitch 
 the first rack should be made with the carriage on the opposite 
 side of the machine from which the previous one was started. 
 
 Kf%:;^^ 
 
 
 Opportunity for Varying Designs 
 
 Fig. 37 is an interesting example of what may be done 
 with the two-needle rack. Designs of this character require 
 the removal or pulling down out of operation of every other 
 needle, therefore a machine of any given cut, or needles per 
 inch, would be in reality only half as fine as cut and would 
 necessitate the use of a heavier or larger yarn. 
 
 To make the fabric shown 
 in Fig. 37 pull down or remove 
 every other needle in the front 
 plate. Then pull down or re- 
 move every other needle in the 
 back plate for five needles, then 
 leave two needles together and 
 remove every other needle for 
 five more, leave two needles to- 
 gether and continue as before 
 until the full width of needles 
 in working position are as fol- 
 lows : Every other needle down 
 out of working position in the 
 front plate, and every other one 
 down in groups of five with 
 two needles together between 
 these groups in the back plate. ^''-- ^•■~^^-i^ uie^'^Rlck!^'^" ^^^^^ 
 
 
THE RACK STITCH— DESIGNED FABRICS 
 
 43 
 
 We will find by this arrangement that when we rack the 
 plate over one needle, every second group of five needles in the 
 back plate will rack across a needle of the front plate, but the 
 other groups will simply move between the needles in the front 
 plate, therefore will make a plain half cardigan stitch only, 
 while the other groups will make a rack stitch. If this opera- 
 tion were continued in this way, racking one needle only back 
 and forth, we would get a fabric with vertical stripes of 
 alternating plain half cardigan and rack stitch. But if we 
 rack back and forth one needle each round for ten rounds, then 
 rack over the second needle and rack back and forth one 
 needle in this position, we will find that the groups of five 
 
 ^/y^.-V^ 
 
 Fig. 36. — Designs Made with Rack Stitch. 
 
 needles that were racking in the first instance are now making 
 the plain half cardigan stitch, and the groups that were at first 
 making the plain are now racking. 
 
 An ingenious knitter can make an almost unlimited number 
 of designs of this character by different arrangements of his 
 needles and a variation of the timing of his racks. One thing 
 which should be remembered is that all racking should be done 
 on the course that tucks or holds two stitches when racking 
 on the half cardigan. On the full cardigan both courses are 
 tucked, therefore it does not matter which one is racked, only 
 the side of the fabric on which the rack shows is dependent 
 upon which course the plate is racked. 
 
 The design shown in Fig. 36 at a is simply a zig-zag stitch 
 with three needles taken out of the back plate at short intervals, 
 giving these places a piping effect. The fabric at 5 is a plain 
 one needle rack with the piping made in the same manner. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 The Double Lock Flat Machine — How Different 
 Stitches are Formed 
 
 OUR study of flat machines up to this point has dealt 
 entirely with the class known as the single lock machines, 
 or those that have but one set or pair of locks to do the 
 knitting. There is another very popular type, commonly 
 known as the double-lock machine, which is, it might be said, 
 in a class by itself. This machine, as the name would indicate, 
 has two sets or pairs of locks mounted on the same carriage, 
 and set as closely together as they can be and work properly. 
 
 The double-lock machine has many advantages over the 
 single-lock type, the most important being that there can be 
 made upon it a two-faced fabric, that is, a fabric with each 
 side faced with a different yarn, either in color, quality or 
 both. The popular "cotton back" sweater is in this class. In 
 making this class of fabric it is essential that the two diff"erent 
 yarns, to show out on the two faces of the fabric, go into the 
 fabric in alternate courses. Therefore, it is obvious that it 
 would not be practical to make this fabric on a single lock 
 machine, for when a course was finished the second yarn 
 would be on the opposite end of the machine from the locks 
 and yarn carrier, and it would be necessary to put on a full 
 round, or two courses, in order to get back to that end to 
 exchange yarn carriers. 
 
 The double-lock machine overcomes this difficulty by taking 
 both yarn carriers across, one following the other, each on a 
 pair of locks, each time the carriage moves across the machine. 
 It is evident from this that every time the carriage is moved 
 across the machine there are two courses put on the fabric, 
 instead of one as with the single-lock machine. 
 
 Speed and Production 
 
 This point leads up to another advantage of the double-lock 
 machine, that is, increased production on account of putting on 
 two courses with each movement of the carriage across, as 
 against one course with the single-lock machine. The produc- 
 tion would not be twice as much, as might be supposed at first 
 
DOUBLE LOCK FLAT MACHINE 45 
 
 thought, for comparing two machines of the same size, the 
 single lock could be operated at a greater speed than the double 
 lock, but not approaching twice the speed. The reason for this 
 is that the locks of the double-lock machine must, of course, be 
 practically twice the length of the locks of the single-lock 
 machine, and inasmuch as the locks must move far enough at 
 each end to be clear of or past the needles, it is quite obvious 
 that the double-lock carriage must have a longer travel. There- 
 fore, it takes longer to complete one round of the carriage than 
 the single-lock machine, to maintain the same needle speed. 
 
 This brings us to another point that may as well be disposed 
 of here, and that is the speed of latch needle machines. Generally 
 speaking, the maximum speed of a latch needle, machine, either 
 flat or circular, is governed by the needle speed; that is, the 
 speed at which the cams raise and lower the needles, and t^-e 
 thread velocity, which is of course dependent on the needle 
 speed. 
 
 Speed of Flat Machines 
 
 As a general rule, where the machine is in good condition 
 and the yarn of fairly good quality, a flat machine with a 
 crank drive should be operated at from 100 to 125 lineal feet 
 per minute, and a chain drive may be operated at from 125 
 to 150 lineal feet per minute. The reason for this difference 
 between the chain drive and the crank drive is that with the 
 crank drive the movement of the carriage across the machine 
 is not uniform throughout, its movement being faster in the 
 center than at either end, therefore we must regulate our 
 speed so it will not be too high at this point. On the. other 
 hand, the chain drive carries uniformly throughout the move- 
 ment of the carriage except for two or three inches at the ends. 
 
 To explain what is meant by lineal feet per minute, let us 
 assume that we have a 20-inch machine, that is, there are 20 
 inches of needles. In this case the carriage would have to 
 travel about 30 inches on account of the locks having to clear 
 the needles at both ends, therefore a movement of the carriage 
 across and back, or one complete round, would cover twice 30 
 inches or 60 inches, or 5 feet. Now if we intend to run this 
 machine at a speed of 120 lineal feet per minute, we would 
 divide 120 feet by 5 feet, which would give us 24 rounds per 
 minute, the speed the machine should run. 
 
46 
 
 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 I do not wish to be understood as giving this as a hard and 
 fast rule for the speed of machines, for there are many 
 factors which enter into the operation of knitting machinery 
 which might make it desirable to vary this speed. Some of 
 these factors are the condition of the machine, the experience 
 of the operator, the character of the yarn, the class of fabric, 
 and sometimes the skill of the mechanic in charge of the 
 machines. 
 
 Going back to the two-faced fabric, this must be made on 
 one of the two cardigans. The "cotton backs" are usually 
 
 10 6 ^b. 4a ^^ 7 
 
 Dubied System of Trouble Locks. 
 
 made on the half cardigan, while the fabrics with two different 
 colored faces are made on the full cardigan as a rule. 
 
 Fig. 40 shows a type of double lock used in a Dubied 
 machine made in Switzerland. The reader will understand 
 from what has gone before that this illustration shows the 
 locks turned upside down, that is, if they were in operation 
 on a machine they would be turned over with the cams close 
 to the needle plates. It will be noted that the fundamentals 
 
DOUBLE LOCK FLAT MACHINE 47 
 
 are the same as in the Lamb system previously described, but 
 the method used to change from the plain rib to the full or 
 half cardigan, or vice versa, is different. 
 
 In making a plain rib fabric the needle butts would follow 
 the camway as in the Lamb system, that is, if the carriage 
 were being moved from left to right the needle butts would 
 follow the course up with cams la, 15 and Ic below, and 1, Is, 
 8s and 8 above. This explanation would of course apply to all 
 four sets of cams. The cams lb, 26, 36 and 46 have studs 
 which project through the cam plate and there are means pro- 
 vided to draw any one or all of these cams back through the 
 cam plate by these studs far enough so that the faces of the 
 cams are flush with the cam plate, and entirely out of operation. 
 
 The cams Ic, 2c, 3c and 4c are made to swing on the pivots, 
 aa, and are held down on cams, la to 4a, in the position shown, 
 by springs. It should be particularly noticed that the cams 
 just mentioned, 16 to 46, and Ic to 4c, are exactly alike in the 
 four sets of locks, but their positions are reversed in the sets 
 opposite. They are placed in this way in order to facilitate 
 the making of the cardigan stitches. 
 
 Making Half Cardigan Stitch 
 
 In the study of what follows it should be remembered that 
 the illustration at Fig. 40 shows the locks bottom up, therefore 
 in actual operation the lower set in the illustrations would be 
 the back ones, and the upper set the front ones. 
 
 In making the half cardigan stitch it is customary to have 
 the tuck or holdover stitch on the back plate; on the double- 
 lock machine, where we have two feeds, it is on the back feed, 
 and the plain course is on the locks that are leading. There- 
 fore, to make a half cardigan stitch with these locks we would 
 simply raise cams 26 and 36 up through the cam plate out of 
 working position. 
 
 Now remembering that the cams 2c and 3c are free to swing 
 up and down on the pivots, aa, and are held down in their 
 present position by a small spring, it should be readily under- 
 stood that in moving the carriage from, let us say, left to 
 right, the butts of the needles would follow up the right side 
 of cam 2a, and on up over 2c, therefore would knit out on this 
 course. But when these butts came to the second set of locks 
 
48 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 they would move up the right side of cam 3a until they came to 
 the upper right hand corner of this cam, and at this point, on 
 account of cam 35 being up out of operation, they would move 
 across and raise up cam 3c and pass under it. Cam 3ft not 
 being high enough to raise the needles to the point where the 
 stitch would drop off the latches, obviously the needles must 
 hold the two stitches on this side of these locks. 
 
 On the return of the carriage from right to left the opera- 
 tion of the needles would be reversed, that is, they would pass 
 up over cam 3c and knit out on the locks in the lead and pass 
 under cam 2c. 
 
 To sum up the whole operation in a few words, to make a 
 half cardigan stitch we must alternate with the plain rib 
 course and a course that tucks or holds the previous stitch, as 
 well as the new one on one side. This half cardigan is the 
 stitch used in making what is known as the "cotton back" 
 sweater and other such fabrics. 
 
 By having one yarn carrier threaded with cotton and one 
 threaded with wool or worsted, as the case may be, and chang- 
 ing these carriers at the end of every course so as to keep 
 the cotton always knitting at the cams that are leading or mak- 
 ing the plain stitch, the cotton alone will draw through on the 
 back of the fabric while the worsted or wool will practically 
 cover the face stitch of the cotton. This exchange of the yarn 
 carriers at the end of each course is done automatically by 
 the machine, therefore requires no attention by the operator. 
 
 Full Cardigan Stitch 
 
 To make the full cardigan stitch the procedure would be 
 practically the same as explained on the single-lock machine, 
 as both pairs of these locks would be tucking or holding on 
 one side (opposite sides) on one course, and each would reverse 
 itself on the return course. The cams lb, 25, 35 and 45 would 
 be lifted up out of operation. When this is done the cams 
 Ic, 2c, 3c and 4c would operate automatically to give us this 
 result. This is the stitch used as a rule to make the two-faced 
 fabrics, that is, to make the two sides of different colors. 
 
 In connection with this explanation the question may arise 
 as to why the half cardigan stitch is used in making a fabric 
 with one side cotton and the other side wool or worsted, and 
 
DOUBLE LOCK FLAT MACHINE 49 
 
 the full cardigan stitch used when making the two sides of 
 different colors. The answer to this is that the half cardigan 
 stitch makes the better fabric of the two for most purposes 
 on account of the face stitch being full and round, thereby 
 filling up the space between the wales. Inasmuch as the 
 cotton stitch on the face is very short, and the wool or worsted 
 quite long, and both are the same color, the cotton will show 
 but very little, if any. On the other hand, if two widely 
 divergent colors were used, the face would not show a solid 
 color but would have more of a salt and pepper effect. 
 
 To go back to Fig. 40 it will be noted, as stated before, 
 that while the principle of these locks is the same as the Lamb 
 system previously explained, the construction is somewhat 
 different. The stitch cams, 1, 8, 7, 6, 3 and 4 are shaped along 
 the lines of a parallelogram, while all the stitch cams in the 
 Lamb system were triangular. Cams 3 and 4 are made this 
 shape to allow placing the triangular cam. Id, in position to 
 act as a guard cam to prevent the butts of the needles from 
 flying up between after dropping off the ends of the stitch 
 cams 3 and 4. Yet it allows these stitch cams to be moved 
 freely up and down through the angular slot in the cam plate, 
 which shows at the ends, in order to make the stitch longer 
 or shorter as the need may be. Cams 1 and 6 are made this 
 shape to allow placing back of them the triangular cams 9 and 
 10, but these are for another purpose. 
 
 It sometimes happens that it is desirable to make a fabric 
 with the stitch so short that it would not cast the old stitch 
 off over the end of the needles with all the cams set high 
 enough to make this short stitch. When this is the case, cams 
 1 and 6 only would be moved up to a point where they would 
 not draw the new stitch through the previous one on their 
 respective courses, therefore would not use any yarn, while 
 the opposite cams 2 and 5 would draw a full stitch. 
 
 After the needles had passed these cams (2 and 5) the 
 cams 9 and 10 on their respective courses, having been set 
 down to the proper position, would draw the needles in this 
 plate down to the point where the old stitch would cast off, 
 thereby completing that stitch without undue strain on the 
 yarn on account of the needles on the opposite side being free 
 to raise far enough to prevent it. Cam 11 acts as a guard 
 cam for 7 and 8 and also is used on a short stitch to cast off 
 for these two cams, the same as 9 and 10 cast off for 1 and 6. 
 
50 
 
 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 Yarn Carrier for Plating 
 
 Fig. 41 shows a yarn carrier 
 used for plating on a flat ma- 
 chine. By plating is meant 
 where two threads of different 
 quality, say worsted and cotton, 
 are used in the same course, and 
 the worsted is laid in the fabric 
 so as to show on the outside and 
 the cotton is in the middle. To 
 do this the worsted yarn, d, d, 
 would pass through the center 
 hole, h, and the yarn c, c, pass- 
 ing through the crescent-shaped 
 hole, a, would be the cotton. It 
 will be noted that the angular 
 draw of the yarn from the 
 bottom of the guide into the 
 needles will always keep the 
 yarns in the positions shown. 
 When the end of the course is reached, and the movement of 
 the carriage is reversed, the cotton yarn c, c, will swing around 
 to the opposite end of the crescent-shaped hole, a, and in this 
 way will always be in the same relative position to the worsted 
 yarn d. 
 
 Fig. 41 
 Plating Tarn Carrier. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Fashioned Goods 
 
 FASHIONED goods are garments which, while being knit on 
 the machine, are made the proper shape to fit the wearer. 
 If the garment to be fashioned is a sweater, the fashioning 
 or shaping to be done is the sleeve, the neck opening, the collar, 
 and at times in the better class of sweaters, the arm holes are 
 narrowed back from the lower part to the shoulder in order to 
 shorten the shoulder length, thereby insuring a better fit. When 
 making underwear not only the sleeves have to be shaped but 
 the legs of the drawers are shaped also. In the ladies' high 
 class fashioned underwear and tights the bust and hips are 
 shaped. Much of this class of work, with the exception of 
 hosiery, is made on the hand machines and involves much more 
 labor, time and skill, than where the work is knit in a straight 
 piece and made the proper shape by other means after being 
 taken off the machine. 
 
 There are three advantages in fashioning the garments in 
 the knitting operation. First, there is a saving in material 
 as there is no material cut off in order to get the shape. This 
 saving, however, would pay but a small part of the extra labor 
 involved. Second, fashioned goods make up into better looking 
 and as a rule better fitting garments than cut goods. Third, 
 on account of the edges being selvage, not cut and raw, it is 
 possible to join two edges so the place of joining will look much 
 like a wale in the fabric, thereby avoiding the unsightly seams 
 of the cut garment. 
 
 In fashioning of this character it is customary to set the 
 machine up and start at the widest part of the garment, if 
 possible, so that in getting the required shape the fabric will 
 be made narrower instead of wider, though this is not essential, 
 as it is practical to widen the fabric as well as to make it 
 narrower. 
 
 The Narrowing Comb 
 
 The letter a in Fig. 42 shows the instrument used for nar- 
 rowing by hand. It is called a decker or narrowing comb. It 
 
52 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 will be 
 handle, 
 
 w 
 
 Narrow! 
 an 
 
 noted that it consists of long slim points clamped in a 
 with an eye in the free end of each point. There may 
 be any desired number of points 
 clamped in the handle, the limit being 
 only the width of the clamp, but the 
 usual number for this work is from 
 three to five. These points must be set 
 at a distance from one another to 
 correspond to the cut of the machine 
 on which they are to be used ; that is, 
 if the needle plates are cut for six 
 needles to one inch the spacing of the 
 decker points must be the same. I 
 might add that these deckers are some- 
 times made by stamping the whole 
 decker, points and all, out of sheet 
 F/q.^2. steel, and sometimes by soldering the 
 
 i}s Comb or Decker rouud points on to a handle. 
 
 d ^ork Hook. ^ 
 
 -Set Up Comli 
 
 Perhaps the best way to explain the use of this decker is 
 to give directions for making a sleeve. First we must have a 
 set up comb, shown in Fig. 43, the use of which will be under- 
 stood as we proceed. Then we must have weights with which 
 to hold the work down on the needles, for, as stated before, 
 in the operation of knitting there must always be means pro- 
 vided to pull the fabric onto and away from the needles. These 
 weights are simply a stand made from a short iron rod about 
 three-sixteenths inch in diameter and about seven to eight 
 inches long, with a hook turned on one end, a small round 
 iron disc attached to the other, and a number of round iron 
 weights slotted to the center to allow the operator to slip 
 them on or off the stand to secure the desired pull. In fact. 
 
FASHIONED GOODS 53 
 
 the stand and weights are a duplicate of the stand and weights 
 we see hanging on the end of the beam of a common platform 
 scale. 
 
 To make the sleeve we would put up the required number 
 of needles for the full width of the sleeve, let us say 100, and 
 set the locks for half cardigan stitch. We would then draw 
 the yarn through the yarn guide and down through the throat 
 between the needle plates. Then we would move the carriage 
 across the machine to the opposite side, and we should find that 
 each needle had caught the yarn and drawn it back and forth 
 across the throat. We would now take our set up comb, 
 illustrated in Fig. 43, and push the points which project at 
 the top up through the throat, from underneath, until the 
 upper ends are above the yarn, which has been drawn back 
 and forth across the throat, after which we push the wire, 
 shown just above the comb, through the eyes in the end of 
 the points, as indicated by the dotted line. Now we can pull 
 the comb down on to the yarn and the wire will rest on it. 
 We then hang a weight in the center hole at the bottom and 
 are ready to proceed with the knitting. 
 
 Operation of Narrowing 
 
 The first thing we would do after hanging on our weights 
 would be to rack over one needle to give that end of the sleeve 
 a smooth selvage finish. We would now put on five rounds, 
 after which we would begin to narrow. Stopping the carriage 
 on the left side of the machine, we would take the decker and 
 place the hooks of the three end needles, in the back plate on 
 the right, in the eyes of the three points of the decker, draw 
 the needles up until the stitch dropped down below the latch, 
 then push them down to their first position. We find that the 
 stitches have dropped off over the end and free of the needle 
 on to our decker. We now carry the stitches in toward the 
 center one needle, hook on to these three needles and pull them 
 up through the stitches, being careful not to pull them up so 
 far that the stitches will drop down below the latches. After 
 this has been done we have the end needle without a stitch 
 and therefore pull it down where it is out of operation. 
 
 We go through this same performance on the front needle 
 plate, right side, then move the carriage over to the right and 
 
54 
 
 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 do the same with the left side. It is obvious that when we 
 have finished we shall have put four needles out of operation, 
 or what would count as two in the width of the garment. We 
 would repeat this after every five rounds for twenty-five 
 rounds, so at this point our sleeve would be ten needles narrower 
 than when we started, although we would have put out of 
 operation twenty needles in narrowing. It is customary to 
 reckon only with the needles of one plate, as the wales of one 
 side only are counted in the width of a rib fabric. 
 
 Shaping a garment in this manner leaves a selvage edge for 
 joining, consequently when the garment is finished the seams, 
 when properly put together, are small with an appearance much 
 like a wale in the fabric. They also have the same stretch or 
 elasticity as the fabric. 
 
 Fig. 44 is an outline of ap- 
 proximately the shape the sleeve 
 should be w^hen finished and 
 shows the direction of the wales 
 and the places where the ones 
 doubled up terminate. This is 
 shown on one side and edge 
 only, although the other side 
 and edge would be the same. 
 It is understood, of course, that 
 the sleeve is shown opened up 
 flat, and in being put on a 
 garment would be doubled over 
 and the edges joined on the 
 underside of the arm. To re- 
 duce the size from the forearm 
 to the wrist or cuff it is usual, 
 in sweaters, to depend on the 
 change to the plain rib stitch, 
 for as explained previously the 
 plain rib will come out much 
 narrow^er than the half or full 
 cardigan with the same number of needles and the same yarn. 
 In underwear and theatrical tights it is customary to fashion 
 down the forearm to the cuff. 
 
 Many knitters consider it good practice to reverse this 
 formula in fashioning; that is, to start at the cuff in order to 
 have the rack stitch on the end of the cuff to save the hand 
 
 Fia:. 44. — Outline of Fashioned Sleeve. 
 
FASHIONED GOODS 55 
 
 finishing. In this event the narrowing operation as described 
 would be reversed, or a widening operation. 
 
 This is done by pulling up the three end needles and pushing 
 them down until the stitches drop off on to the decker, as in 
 narrowing, but instead of setting these stitches in towards the 
 center we would push up another needle and set them out one. 
 This would leave the fourth needle without a stitch, so we 
 would pick up the previous stitch, which had been cast off of 
 what is now the fifth needle and raise it up and hook it over 
 the fourth. This is done with one point of the decker. After 
 having done this on both plates and on both sides of the 
 sleeve, while we would have pushed four needles up into 
 operation, we would have widened only two. 
 
 Where it is not considered an advantage to have the widen- 
 ing stitches show, this operation may be expedited quite a 
 little by using the hook shown at b in Fig. 42, which is a 
 convenient size to handle, about one-eighth inch in diameter by 
 6 inches long. By this method we push up into operation the 
 new needle and simply catch with the hook the previous stitch 
 cast off of the end needle and hook it on to the new needle on 
 the four corners as before described. It is best to do this one 
 needle at a time with a course between, taking the one on the 
 plate that contains the inside needle. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 Automatic Flat Latch Needle Machines — Single Lock 
 
 THE term "automatic" as applied to this class of machine 
 means that all the changes are made automatically, as 
 from plain stitch to half cardigan or full cardigan, or vice 
 versa, changing colors to make striped work, making the rack 
 stitch and back to plain rib, changing from rib to tubular or 
 jersey stitch, making the French rack, etc. All these changes 
 may be made at any predetermined place in the work without 
 any attention from the operator. The machines discussed up 
 to this point may be presumed to have been hand machines, 
 that is, operated by manual power. Therefore, all changes 
 of the stitch, yarn, racking, etc., may be done to advantage at 
 the proper time and place by the operator as the machine 
 requires his whole attention anyway. 
 
 A prerequisite of an automatic machine is the operating 
 of the machine by other than manual power, therefore auto- 
 matic machines are first of all what are called power machines. 
 This does not imply by any means that all power machines 
 are automatic, but rather that all automatic machines are 
 power machines. 
 
 Fig. 45 shows an automatic single-lock machine built by 
 Dubied & Co. in Switzerland, designated as Type VD. which is 
 a very good example of the automatic machine. It is operated 
 by the belt A, Fig. 46, which runs it by a pulley of the clutch 
 type which is located back of the machine. The proper move- 
 ment is conveyed to the carriage through a pair of sprockets 
 and chain as shown in Fig. 46, at m. The carriage is con- 
 nected to the driving chain at point m, by the connection rod n, 
 which obviously must follow the chain back and forth around 
 the sprockets. This arrangement gives the carriage a uniform 
 movement during the time it is operating the needles and is 
 generally conceded as superior to the crank system of driving. 
 The letter G, Fig. 45, indicates the lever for throwing in 
 the clutch to start the machine, and F is the crank for turning 
 the machine by hand. This crank does not turn when the 
 machine is run by power but hangs in the position shown. 
 The letter S shows the main or controlling chain and 1 and 2 
 
Fig. 46 
 Automatic IMechanism, Dubied Machine 
 
AUTOMATIC LATCH NEEDLE MACHINES 59 
 
 indicate the racking chains. These will be taken up in more 
 detail later. Letter B indicates an ingenious counter arrange- 
 ment for counting the rounds, which permits the use of very 
 short chains and will be explained in due course. H and K are 
 yarn carriers, of which there are five altogether. The others 
 are on the back and cannot be seen plainly. T is the yoke or 
 bridge which holds the two sides of the carriage together. 
 There is no physical connection between the two sides of the 
 carriage at the point where the locks are attached, but the 
 connection is made through extensions which can be seen, 
 and through this yoke. 
 
 On these machines the fabric is not held down by weights, 
 hanging thereon, as in the hand machines, but by what is 
 called a take-up roller which has means provided for adjust- 
 ment to keep the desired strain on the fabric at all times. The 
 weights which are in plain view are to hold the fabric up to 
 and in close contact with the take-up roller through a frame 
 with a small roller on the fabric side of the frame and the 
 weights on the outside, which work on the lever and fulcrum 
 principle. 
 
 An automatic machine must have a pattern chain of some 
 kind or character to operate its automatic functions. Means 
 provided which will be explained in what follows cause the 
 desired change to be made at the proper time and place. The 
 machine under discussion has a main or controlling chain 
 made up from wire links which may be taken out or added to 
 at will, each link measuring about 6 inches crosswise of the 
 chain and about one-half inch lengthwise of the chain. This 
 chain is carried by a sprocket roller at the top and is held 
 down on this roller by its own weight, though there are guards 
 over each end to keep it from jumping off in case of emergency. 
 This sprocket roller is turned the distance of one full link 
 by the carriage depressing the lever J, and through this medium 
 acting on the rocker shaft / (Fig. 45) which extends the 
 length of the machine to the sprocket roller. The latter is in 
 turn moved the distance of one link by a pawl and ratchet. 
 
 In Fig. 46 we have a view of this main chain at S, with 
 the levers on which it acts shown at a to h. These levers 
 swing on a small shaft, at the point where they appear to end, 
 near the center of the machine. Instead of ending there, each 
 has an extension on the other side of this shaft which extends 
 at an angle and reaches quite close to the chain. These levers. 
 
60 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 though only about three-eighths of an inch wide, are arranged 
 so the angular extensions underneath come in line laterally 
 with each other and crosswise of the chain, or lengthwise of 
 the machine, and they, together with the space between, cover 
 practically the whole width of the chain. These levers swing 
 freely crosswise of the machine, but are fixed lengthwise, 
 therefore the positions of the upper ends can be very easily 
 moved toward the front or back of the machine, but are 
 stationary in the direction in which the carriage moves. 
 
 Keeping this in our mind, we will now refer to the main 
 chain shown in Fig. 46 at S. It will be noted that there are a 
 number of studs affixed to the chain which project up above 
 the chain proper. These studs may be put on at any desired 
 spot and taken off at will. It is quite obvious that if we fix 
 a stud on this chain at a spot in line with one of the levers, let 
 us say at lever a, when the chain has moved forward to the 
 point where this stud comes under the angular extension of 
 the lever the position of the top of the lever would be changed. 
 And this new position would be fixed until the carriage has 
 been moved to the other end of the machine and turned the 
 chain one more link. Then the lower end of the lever will 
 drop off the stud and be returned to its former position by a 
 spring. 
 
 It is essential that the reader get these explanations of 
 the different parts and their functions well fixed in his mind 
 in order to understand intelligently the relation of one to 
 the other. 
 
 Fig. 47 is a drawing of the cams and cam plates, and Fig. 
 48 shows the top of the carriage with the cams or locks mounted 
 underneath. In the Dubied machine this part of the carriage 
 on which the locks are fixed is detachable, and either side may 
 be taken off separately, which arrangement is very convenient 
 at times. At the left of Fig. 48 will be seen several slides, 
 designated by small letters, which extend through the locks at 
 different points between the cam plate and the carriage proper, 
 and some on the top of the carriage. These are the essence of 
 the automatic control of the stitch forming mechanism. This 
 principle is followed in all automatic machines of this type, 
 although the different builders vary in the details of construc- 
 tion and in the methods of moving these slides, as well as the 
 manner of operating on the cams and yarn carriers. 
 
a.a. -^-s- -f^ 
 
 r ^ 
 
 
 )> ^ 
 
 ^ o A 
 
 ^ /4 
 
 —ft- 
 
 •VJ 
 
 ^.o 
 
 r, u-^ 
 
 V- . 
 
 
 ooZ. 
 
 
 
 1 ■ 
 
 Lioo 
 
 
 
 . 
 
 
 \ 
 
 
 5. 3C. 5a. 3b. 4. 
 
 10. <Z. 4b. 4a. 4c. 7 //, 
 
 rig.47. G5. 75. '7<7. 
 
 Cam Arrangement of Dubied Single Lock IVTachine. 
 
 Fig. 48. — Top Side of Carriage Directly Over Locks or Cams, Dubied Single 
 
 Lock Machine. 
 
62 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 These slides make the proper cam or yarn guide changes 
 by being pushed in or pulled out, as the case may be, and this 
 is done by the levers indicated by the letters a to i, Fig. 46. 
 Each slide is provided with a flat spot or shoulder, as indicated 
 at m and o, Fig. 48, which pushes them in upon coming in 
 contact with the proper lever as the carriage reaches the 
 extreme left end and is clear of the needles. In order to have 
 these slides moved in just the proper distance there are projec- 
 tions from the carriage underneath the slides with beveled ends, 
 part of which may be seen in Fig. 48 at k and i, which push 
 the levers off the before-mentioned shoulders and release the 
 slides at just the proper time. To explain the drawing out 
 of these slides, it will be noted that each slide has an enlarged 
 part or head and all have at least one right angled shoulder 
 on the inside of the head ; some have two. 
 
 It will also be noted that each one has under it a guard 
 or extension from the carriage, which is fixed to the carriage 
 and is stationary, as e and p. This extension also has an 
 enlarged part or head on the outer end, but it is different from 
 the heads on the levers in one respect, this head has sloping 
 shoulders on both ends instead of the right angled shoulders 
 that are on the inside head of the slides. Where a fixed guard 
 or extension has a sloping shoulder on both sides (not ends) 
 they will be found to be at different distances from the carriage. 
 
 The right angled shouldered heads on the slides are made 
 in this way so that when the proper lever (Fig. 46) is placed 
 in its path, which is done by the studs attached to the main 
 chain S, it will slide over the head and drop in back of the 
 shoulder as the carriage moves to the left, and when the 
 carriage moves to the right the lever catches on the shoulder 
 and draws it out until the lever is released by being pushed 
 out by the sloping shoulder of the extension underneath. When 
 the fixed extension has a sloping shoulder on both sides at 
 different distances from the carriage proper it will be found 
 that the slide also has a right angled shoulder on both sides. 
 This indicates that this slide may be moved to any one of three 
 different positions, therefore has a choice of three different 
 functions it may perform in the automatic changes. 
 
AUTOMATIC LATCH NEEDLE MACHINES 63 
 
 Changing Stitch 
 
 To make the changes from plain rib to half or full cardigan, 
 or to plain jersey, etc., the slides have inclined planes under 
 the cam plates and these engage notches or pins on studs 
 extending through from the cams and by this means raise the 
 cams up into the cam plate out of action, or let them down 
 into action as the case may be. The illustration, Fig. 47, shows 
 them all down in the proper position to make the plain rib 
 or cuff stitch. 
 
 To change to half cardigan stitch it would be necessary to 
 raise cam Sb up out of operation, which is done by slide n. Fig. 
 48, which in turn is moved to the proper position to accomplish 
 this by the lever h, Fig. 46. This slide has three different 
 positions, therefore three different functions to perform in 
 the automatic changes, which are accomplished as follows : To 
 make a half cardigan stitch a low stud (there are three heights, 
 low, medium and high) should be placed so it will come under 
 lever h. When this takes place the top end of this lever is 
 moved to the position where it would engage the upper 
 shoulder of slide ii, and on the return of the carriage it would 
 draw this slide out to its farthest point, or until it is pushed 
 off the shoulder by the taper on that side of the guard or 
 extension p. When the slide is moved to this position it raises 
 up and holds out of operation cam 35, thus causing the machine 
 to make the half cardigan stitch. This should be readily 
 understood from what has gone before. 
 
 To change to plain rib stitch place a medium stud under 
 the same lever (h) and its top position will be changed to 
 where it will push the slide clear in as the carriage moves to 
 the left. On the return movement the lever will engage the 
 shoulder on the opposite side and draw it out until released by 
 the guard as before. This releases cam 35, which drops down 
 into working position. The fact that the sloping shoulders on 
 each side of the stationary guards are at different distances 
 from the carriage causes this slide, *??, to be left in different 
 positions according to which side the lever h engages it. 
 
 In the third change, which makes the French rack or false 
 knop stitches, it is necessary to raise up out of operation the 
 cams 35 and 3c. To do this a high stud should be placed to 
 come under the same lever (h), which would then be moved 
 to a position where it would come in contact with the shoulder r 
 
64 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 (which is a part of the slide n) and would push the slide in 
 until disengaged by another sloping guard which cannot be 
 seen. When the lever drops back on to the chain without any 
 studs under it it is clear of all slides ; therefore will make no 
 changes. The other slides are moved in the same way as the 
 one just explained, but each one has the part, which make? 
 the changes, constructed in such a manner that it will operate 
 that particular member of the locks for which it is intended. 
 
 Changing the Yarn Carriers 
 
 There is one other change that is made by these levers and 
 slides besides the changes in the stitch, and that is changing 
 the yarn carriers to make stripes of different colors. This is 
 done, not by changing the yarn in the yarn carriers as one 
 might imagine, but by providing a carrier for each yarn needed 
 and then changing the carriers. These carriers are shown at 
 letter k, in Fig. 46. They are not fixed to the carriage but are 
 attached to a block which slides back and forth on ways or 
 gibs which are shown at 1, 2, 3 and 4, and reach the length 
 of the machine. The gibs are undercut on a bevel on both 
 edges and the block is undercut in the same way, so they 
 dovetail together to keep the block from lifting off, yet are 
 free to slide back and forth on the gib. These blocks have a 
 depression or are cut out on the upper edge with a square 
 shoulder at each end of the cut out, and the carrier is moved 
 back and forth by a plunger which is attached to the carriage 
 and engages these shoulders. 
 
 In Fig. 47, at letter x, are shown the plungers, and Fig. 48, 
 letter x, shows them placed in the block and attached to the 
 carriage. These plungers are set to pick up the desired yarn 
 carrier by the slide, i, on the front, and slide, z, on the back. 
 (Fig. 48.) 
 
 Racking Chains 
 
 We will leave the slides and levers for the present and 
 give our attention to the two racking chains shown in Fig. 
 49 at figures 1 and 2. Inasmuch as the rack stitch is made 
 by a part of the machine entirely separate and distinct from 
 the locks and carriage, that is, the needle plate, obviously it 
 
AUTOMATIC LATCH NEEDLE MACHINES 
 
 65 
 
 is necessary to arrange means other than the levers and 
 slides on the top of the machine to do this automatically. The 
 mechanism used to do the actual racking is illustrated in Fig, 
 32. The illustration is accompanied by an explanation of the 
 required movements. This racking cam may be seen in Fig. 
 49 at letter R. Having in mind the former explanation it is 
 evident that to control the racking it is necessary to control 
 the pawls only which actuate the ratchet. This is done by 
 the racking chains shown in Fig. 49. They of themselves do 
 no actual racking, but simply put the pawls into action or out 
 of action, as the case may be, at the proper time. These chains 
 
 Fig. 49. — Racking- Chains and Cam, Dubied Automatic Single Loclv Machine. 
 
 hang on a sprocket roller and are moved two links at each 
 round of the machine by the same means as the main chain, 
 and are started and stopped automatically by studs on the 
 main chain at any predetermined time. There are also two 
 levers over the top of each, and it is by means of these levers 
 that they control the pawls which actuate the racking cam 
 ratchet through small rocker shafts. 
 
 It will be noted that the chains have studs attached, similar 
 to the main chain, which are staggered or attached alternately 
 
66 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 near both sides of the chain. As these studs pass under and 
 raise a lever at the top of the chain they cause a pawl to act 
 on the racking cam ratchet, thereby making one rack. 
 
 When the carriage makes the next round the chain would 
 have moved forward so the lever just mentioned would have 
 dropped off its stud and the stud on the other side of the chain 
 would move up to and under the second lever, which would 
 cause the other pawl to act in the opposite way and therefore 
 would rack the plate back to its starting point. If two or 
 more racks in the same direction are desired, it would only 
 be necessary to put two or more studs in line on the same 
 side, but remembering that where this is done it is imperative 
 that later the same number be placed on the other side so as 
 to return the racking plate to its original position. 
 
 Both of these chains do the same work and in the same 
 manner, and either one may "be selected to do the racking at 
 any time or place, but both should not and cannot be operated 
 at the same time for there is a very ingenious arrangement 
 which will stop the one automatically, if working, immediately 
 when the other one starts. 
 
 The reason for providing two chains instead of one is to 
 enable the operator to make two different kinds of rack in 
 one garment by setting the studs on one chain for let us say 
 a one-needle rack, and on the other for a two-needle rack. This 
 arrangement permits the use of very short chains, as the 
 racked pattern may repeat itself on the chain any number of 
 times, where if a single chain were used it would be necessary 
 to have a chain long enough to have a stud for each time the 
 plate racked, when two patterns are required, and this would 
 necessitate the use of a very long chain at times. 
 
 Some few years ago, when automatic machines were first 
 brought out, all automatic functions were operated from a 
 single chain. This meant the use of very long and unwieldy 
 chains many times, as it was necessary to have a link in the 
 chain for each round. It was soon realized that by stopping 
 the chain during the time the machine was making one kind 
 of fabric without a change, which on most work is by far the 
 greater part, and operating it only when needed, not only much 
 time and material in making up the chain would be saved, but 
 also much annoyance and trouble in providing means to keep 
 the chain from getting twisted or out of place while running 
 would be eliminated. 
 
AUTOMATIC LATCH NEEDLE MACHINES 
 
 67 
 
 Control of Automatic Changes 
 
 Most of the builders have devised means to do this and one 
 of the best methods is the cylinder or drum idea devised by 
 Dubied & Co., which is shown in Fig. 50. To more easily 
 master the explanation of how this cylinder operates, it should 
 be understood that its only function is to count the rounds and 
 start the main chain at the proper point, the chain stopping 
 itself after having caused the automatic changes necessary at 
 that point. 
 
 The device consists of a cylinder about 10 to 12 inches long 
 by about 6 inches in diameter, around which are cut two spiral 
 
 Fig-. 
 
 -Counting- Drum for Short Chain Arrangement, Dubied Machines. 
 
 grooves, the larger of which is used to attach stops and the 
 smaller to act as a guide for the fingers i and j, which extend 
 down into and run in the narrow groove and carry the whole 
 block, including the forks k and I, forward or backward 
 on the rods g and h, according to which way the cylinder is 
 turning. 
 
68 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 The cylinder is divided in its circumference by the lines 
 into 1,000 divisions, and is turned the distance of one division 
 each round of the machine by means of the roller on the lug o, 
 which raises the lever a, which in its turn raises the pawl c, and 
 its duplicate on the back, which cannot be seen. It can very 
 easily be noted how the pawl c engages the outside ratchet and 
 on being raised it would obviously turn the drum one tooth 
 of the ratchet wheel. The back pawl operates on the center 
 ratchet wheel and inasmuch as this ratchet wheel is cut the 
 opposite way from the outside one, and the pawl is on the 
 opposite side, it is plain that when the back pawl is in opera- 
 tion the cylinder will turn backward. 
 
 Both pawls raise each time the lever is raised, but only one 
 at a time can engage the ratchets and the one which engages 
 is governed by the stops A or £" on the cylinder. This is done 
 by two guards, one of which may be seen at d, while the other 
 would be between the back pawl and its ratchet, therefore this 
 back pawl could not operate. 
 
 These guards are mounted on a triangular or three-cornered 
 frame which is pivoted at the center on the cylinder shaft with 
 the guards mounted on the two lower corners, while the 
 third corner is engaged by the lever n, which in turn is secured 
 to the rod h. Now it is plain that if the bottom or base of this 
 triangle is moved forward or toward the machine, the front 
 guard would move under and disengage the front pawl while 
 the back guard would move down and free the back pawl and 
 allow it to operate on its ratchet wheel. 
 
 Keeping this triangular arrangement in mind we will turn 
 our attention to the block, of which the fingers i and j, and 
 the forks k and I, form a part. As noted before there are 
 three fingers extending down to the cylinder from the block, 
 two of which (i and j) reach down to but do not touch the 
 cylinder, while the third one, which is between these two, 
 engages in the smaller of the two grooves. 
 
 The block is constructed so it must move lengthwise of 
 the rod as one piece, but each part is free to move laterally 
 independent of another. The block is not fixed in any manner 
 to the top rod and the only positive connection it has with 
 the lower rod h is with a key in the center finger which 
 engages in a keyway which is cut the full length of the rod. It 
 should now be clear to the reader that so long as there is no 
 
AUTOMATIC LATCH NEEDLE MACHINES 69 
 
 obstruction placed in the path of the center finger it will simply 
 follow the small groove and gradually move over toward the 
 right (if the front pawl is operating and the top of the cylinder 
 is turning away from you) until it comes to the Stop, E, which 
 it will be noted lies across its path. 
 
 On account of the key in this center finger engaging the 
 keyway in the rod h, it naturally follows that when the finger 
 comes up to the stop E, the next movement of the cylinder will 
 swing it away from you and this turn of the rod h, will swing 
 the lever 7i, and through this will swing the triangle on which 
 the guards d, are mounted, bringing the front guard d up 
 under the front pawl and at the same time will free the back 
 pawl on the center ratchet, thereby reversing the movement of 
 the cylinder. 
 
 Upon the return of the block to its starting point at the 
 left end of the cylinder, its direction of movement is again 
 reversed in the same way by the stop A. Stop A is set at 
 division O and is never moved, but stop E may be placed at any 
 number of the divisions corresponding to the number of rounds 
 in the garment. This point will be taken up again further 
 along. 
 
 Now to give our attention to the side fingers i and j. These 
 are constructed so that the left one, or i, will swing freely 
 toward you but an attempt to swing it away from you will 
 engage tbe fork k, which by contact would swing the rod (j, 
 which through the connection / would raise the lever e, and 
 this by a pull on the cord m would start the main chain in 
 motion. The right finger ; works in precisely the same manner, 
 only that it swings freely when moved away from you and 
 starts the main chain in motion when moved toward you, by 
 contact of the fork I with rod g. 
 
 With the foregoing in mind it should hardly be necessary 
 to explain that the stops C and D are for the purpose of putting 
 the main chain in motion by coming in contact with the fingers 
 i or y ; C to operate when the cylinder is turning the top away 
 from you by tripping finger i, and D when it turns toward you 
 by tripping finger j. It will be noted that the stops A and E 
 have short extensions which extend forward along the side of 
 the small groove. These cause the side fingers, i or j, to start 
 the main chain at the same time that the direction of the move- 
 ment of the cylinder changes. If for any reason this is not 
 
70 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 desired, a stop like B may be used instead of these, and then the 
 cylinder will reverse without starting the main chain. 
 
 Going back to the setting of stop E, where the garment to 
 be made has less than 1,000 rounds, it is customary to set 
 this stop as well as the intermediate stops, like C and D, to 
 make a complete garment on its forward movement and a 
 second one on its return. But if the garment should have 
 more than 1,000 rounds, let us say 1,500, then stop E would 
 be set on division 750 and the small stops like C, which are 
 for tripping the finger i, would be placed at the proper place 
 to start the main chain for the automatic changes in the first 
 half of the garment. The stops like D, which are for tripping 
 the finger ./, would do the same for the last half of the garment. 
 
 If there is no change to be made in the middle of the 
 garment the knitter may avoid it by either one of two means ; 
 either by using a stop like B, which will reverse the movement 
 of the cylinder without starting the main chain, or by using 
 a stop like E, which starts the main chain at the same time 
 it reverses the movement of the cylinder, but in this event 
 he must put in the main chain two extra links with a stud 
 attached for stopping the chain immediately after starting 
 without acting upon any of its automatic mechanism. 
 
 If the fabric being made does not require the use of the 
 cylinder all that it is necessary to do to stop it is to raise up 
 the lever a, and draw the roller h out against the head of 
 its stud. 
 
 Control of Yarn 
 
 Up to this point the yarn guides and carriers have been 
 mentioned only incidentally so we will now take them up in 
 more detail. Where there is only one thread and guide on a 
 machine it is a very simple matter to control it but in the 
 modern full automatic machines, where there are several 
 threads and guides, and they must be arranged so that any one 
 on a single lock machine, or any two on a double lock, may 
 be selected at will, it becomes more of a problem. There is 
 another point that must be taken inta consideration in con- 
 nection with this. That is, in the automatic machines the 
 carriage must travel the full length of the machine but much 
 of the fabric made on these machines does not take the whole 
 width. Therefore if the yarn carrier was carried the full 
 
AUTOMATIC LATCH NEEDLE MACHINES 71 
 
 length with the locks there would be at the end of each course 
 a considerable length of yarn, reaching from the edge of the 
 fabric to the yarn carrier, which it would be very difficult, if 
 not impossible, to draw back through the yarn guide. There 
 must be no slack yarn between the edge of the fabric and the 
 yarn guide when starting to knit across on a course. 
 
 To obviate these difficulties the yarn carriers are attached 
 to blocks which in turn are mounted on ways or bars which 
 reach the full length of the machine and may be seen in Fig. 46, 
 and are indicated by the figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 in white. This 
 has been explained in part before, together with the manner 
 of operating the carriers with plungers, but I wish to call 
 the reader's attention to it again as it has a direct connection 
 with what follows. 
 
 To prevent the yarn carrier from following the locks to 
 the end of their travel, and thereby accumulating yarn between 
 the guide and the edge of the fabric, there is a stop placed at 
 each end of the fabric to stop the carrier at the proper point. 
 One of these stops may be seen in Fig. 49, at Q. This may be 
 placed in any desired spot and is held in place by a pin which 
 engages in one of the holes in the way or bar, which holes 
 may be plainly seen. 
 
 This stop consists of a base or block which slides on to the 
 way on the dovetail principle. On the top edge of this base 
 there is a thin strip about 4 inches long by about one-half inch 
 wide, which is beveled down from the top to the bottom edge 
 on both ends. When the carriage with the yarn carrier 
 approaches this stop the carrier comes just under this top 
 strip and the point of the strip comes just under the end of 
 the plunger X, Fig. 48, also Fig. 52, which as explained before 
 moves the yarn carrier. As the carriage moves farther along, 
 the plunger slides up the incline or bevel of the strip and is 
 jraised out of engagement with the shoulder on the yarn carrier 
 block, and the carrier stops while the carriage completes the 
 length of its travel. 
 
 Upon the return of the carriage the plunger will slide over 
 the strip on the stop, drop into the opening of the yarn carrier 
 block, and engage the opposite shoulder and take the yarn 
 carrier back with it on the return course, where it will be 
 released on the other side in the same manner as just ex- 
 plained. 
 
72 
 
 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 Yarn Take-Up Spring 
 
 No matter how close to the edge of the fabric the yarn 
 guide may be stopped, unless the yarn is kept taut the selvage 
 will not be perfect, therefore a very insignificant appearing 
 but quite important adjunct called the yarn take-up spring is 
 provided to do this. There is one provided for each yarn guide 
 and their position in relation to the machine may be seen at 
 the top of the yarn stand in Fig. 45, while one is shown in 
 detail in Fig. 51. The spring is a coil spring turned around 
 the stud, /, and attached at the inner end. The outer end is a 
 part of this spring straightened out as at b, with an eye turned 
 in the end at d. 
 
 By turning the top of the stud / away from you it will put 
 more pull or tension on the spring, and by turning toward 
 
 Yarn Stand and Take Up Spring. 
 
 you less. The yarn is drawn from the bobbin, e, through an 
 eye directly over the bobbin, then through a hole in the tension 
 stud at a, then through an eye of the spring, then down through 
 another eye in the stand at g, and directly to the yarn guide of 
 the machine. The tension a prevents the spring from draw- 
 ing any yarn from the bobbin, therefore it will always draw 
 the slack yarn from the yarn guide and keep it taut at all times. 
 There must be a take-up spring for each thread in use and 
 
AUTOMATIC LATCH NEEDLE MACHINES 
 
 73 
 
 that means that there are sometimes as many as eight or 
 ten on one stand. 
 
 We have had a drawing of the double lock in Fig. 40, show- 
 ing the cam side with an explanation of how it works and its 
 advantages, so now we will show only the top carriage side 
 in Fig. 52, with its appurtenances for the automatic changes. 
 Bear in mind that when slides or plungers are mentioned in 
 the following explanation reference is made to Fig. 52, and 
 when cams are mentioned reference is had to Fig. 40. 
 
 Stitch Changes 
 
 Slide o operates on cams lb and 4b to change from plain 
 to cardigan, or vice versa, and is used in making the full 
 
 S^M^^^k ^vrr , ^"" '*""****'"' "^1 i~ii ,..t ^~^ 
 
 >! lil 
 
 52. — Top Side of Carriage Directly Over Looks, Dubied Automatic 
 Double Lock Machine. 
 
 cardigan stitch. Slide b and g, working in conjunction with 
 d and e, are for changing the length of stitch, which will be 
 explained more fully later. Slides c and / are for changing the 
 yarn carriers to change colors. The exchange of carriers at 
 the end of each course in order to keep the cotton carrier 
 feeding into the cams that are leading (where cotton and 
 worsted or wool is used) is another matter and should not be 
 confused with this. Slide h operates on cams 25 and 35 to 
 
74 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 change from plain to half cardigan, or vice versa, also on these 
 cams together with cams 2c and 3c to make the French rack 
 or false knop. Slides i and j operate cams la, 2a, 3a and 4ft 
 to make tubular work, or to be more explicit, they raise one 
 pair of these cams up out of operation while the other pair knit 
 only on one side alternately and in this way knit jersey fabric 
 in tubular form. 
 
 To go back to slides b and g, in order to understand this 
 explanation it will be necessary to return again to Fig. 40. 
 What are called the stitch cams, or cams 1 to 10, are attached 
 to the cam plates through elongated slots, the ends of which 
 may be seen at the top and bottom of the cams. The cams, 
 though attached to the plate, may be easily moved lengthwise 
 of these slots. On the under side of the plate is a coil spring 
 with one end attached to a stud in the cams, while the other 
 end is attached to the bottom edge of the plate. These springs 
 will always draw the cams to the lowest end of the slots if 
 nothing is placed in the way. Bear in mind that the bottom 
 of the lower plate is the lower edge and the bottom of the 
 top plate is the top edge, in the drawing. 
 
 To change the length of the stitch it is necessary to raise 
 or lower these cams. To draw a longer stitch they would be 
 moved toward the bottom of the plate and for a shorter one 
 toward the top. Now it -is clear that in order to change the 
 length of the stitch automatically it is only necessary to pro- 
 vide stops of the proper height for them to rest on when pulled 
 down by the before-mentioned springs. The cam studs to 
 which the springs are attached are long enough to reach up 
 through the carriage proper and may be seen resting on the 
 end of the pins II, Fig. 52. 
 
 The reader of a mechanical turn of mind should be able to 
 grasp the modus operandi of the automatic changing of the 
 length of the stitch from the explanation up to this point, but 
 to continue we will refer again to the pins indicated by the 
 Roman numerals I, II, and III, Fig. 52. 
 
 It will be noted that there are a set of three of these pins 
 for each stitch or draw cam, therefore the knitter may change 
 to any one of three different lengths of stitch at his option by 
 raising or lowering these pins. The pins must of course be set 
 individually at the proper height, each one for its own length 
 of stitch, before starting the machine. 
 
AUTOMATIC LATCH NEEDLE MACHINES 75 
 
 Inasmuch as all the pins on the front side are attached to 
 one slide, and the pins on the back are attached to another, all 
 that it is necessary to do to change the length of the stitch is 
 to change the pins on which the before-mentioned cam studs 
 rest, they being held down on the pins by the coil spring 
 between the carriage proper and the cam plate. This is done 
 with slides b and g, in conjunction with slides e and d, which 
 raise the cams and studs up so they will not catch between the 
 pins while the change is being made. In the meantime slides 
 b and g move the desired pins to the position where the studs 
 can drop on them when the slides e and d are returned to their 
 running position, which position allows studs to drop on their 
 respective pins, with the exception of the pair of cams at the 
 extreme right, which are held up for one course. 
 
 This is another ingenious and practical arrangement which 
 deserves an explanation, but this leads us to another point 
 which should be gone into first. That is, when the cams are 
 changed to make a short stitch after having made a long one, 
 the holding up of the right pair of stitch cams for one course 
 is of no benefit. But in changing from a short stitch to a 
 long one, inasmuch as the right pair of stitch cams pass over 
 the needle butts before the new course is made, if they were 
 allowed, preparatory to drawing a longer stitch in the next 
 course, to drop down to a point below where the previous 
 stitch was drawn, they would ride on the butts of the needles 
 and cause undue strain on the stitches of that course and 
 would be very liable to break them, thereby making holes in 
 the fabric. This is prevented by holding up these two cams 
 one course. This is done by providing two catches to receive 
 and hold them when they are raised at the left of the machine, 
 but when the carriage is moved to the extreme right of the 
 machine the two small levers, I and k, come in contact with two 
 studs and release the catches, and allow the two cams to drop 
 down on their respective pins. 
 
 It has been explained that in making what are known as 
 cotton backs and like fabrics the cotton yarn, or yarn that must 
 show on one side only, must at all times be fed in the locks 
 that are in the lead, on a double lock machine, while the 
 worsted or wool yarn which shows on the other side must feed 
 into the following pair. To do this the yarn carriers must be 
 exchanged at the end of each course. To explain how this is 
 done we will refer to Fig. 52, where the plungers that engage 
 
76 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 the yarn carrier blocks and moves them back and forth with 
 the locks, are shown at x and ij. 
 
 These plungers never take more than two carriers at one 
 time. In these machines there may be four or more bars or 
 ways for yarn carriers, and in the preceding explanation of 
 how the yarn carriers are stopped we assumed that the carriers 
 in question were being operated on the lower ways by the 
 outside end of the plungers .r. For this present explanation 
 we will assum.e that we are using the carriers on the top bar 
 or way, and they would be operated by the end of the plungers 
 towards the center of the carriage. 
 
 It will be recalled that when the yarn carrier block comes 
 to the stop at the edge of the fabric, the plunger is raised out 
 of engagement with its shoulder, and the block stops while the 
 plunger passes on. When the carrier block that is being moved 
 across by the plunger in the lead stops, the one that follows 
 will also pass over the block without moving it, as the outside 
 end of the block is beveled off to compel this. 
 
 It will be noticed that the inside ends of the back plungers 
 at y are flattened, and the flat sides are at right angles to the 
 travel of the carriage. Now we will assume the carriage is 
 traveling from right to left, and the cotton carrier is being 
 moved along by the plunger in the lead, or y on the left. When 
 this carrier comes to the stop on the left this plunger leaves it 
 there and passes on, also the plunger on the right will pass on 
 over the carrier block. But upon the return of the carriage 
 moving toward the right the first plunger coming in contact 
 with the yarn carrier block, which would be y on the right and 
 which would now be in the lead, would engage the shoulder of 
 the block and take it across. 
 
 It will be noted that the two front plungers are also 
 flattened at x, but are different from the back ones in this 
 respect; the inside flat is at right angles to the travel of the 
 carriage while the outside flats are at an angle of about 45 
 degrees. The yarn carrier operated on this side is stopped at 
 the edge of the fabric with the plungers passing over and 
 beyond it the same as the back one. But upon the return 
 of the carriage the first plunger cannot pick up the carrier 
 block as the side of the plunger coming in contact with the 
 shoulder of the block is beveled off and cannot catch, but when 
 the second plunger comes along with its flat side at right 
 
AUTOMATIC LATCH NEEDLE MACHINES 77 
 
 angles to its movement, it will engage the shoulder of the 
 carrier block and take it along. 
 
 It may have been noticed in Fig. 45 that the machine illus- 
 trated has two separate fabrics on it. This is done very often 
 when a knitter has a large machine and has no wide work to 
 make. He simply utilizes the greater part of the machine by 
 making two narrow fabrics. 
 
 When this is done both fabrics must be the same vertically 
 or lengthwise of the fabric, but they may be of different widths 
 and of different colors. This is made possible by the system 
 of carriers and blocks mounted on ways together with the 
 stops, as just described. 
 
 There are two carriers mounted on each way or bar, instead 
 of one as previously explained, and stops are placed at each 
 side of both fabrics so the plungers, either ;?/ or a; or both, 
 according to how many carriers are in use, will drop one carrier 
 at the edge of one of the fabrics and pick up the other carrier 
 to knit the course on the second fabric. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 The Automatic Widening Machine — Explanation of 
 Mechanism Used 
 
 WE have explained what fashioned work is and how it is 
 done by hand. Fig. 53 shows a machine built by Dubied 
 & Co., which does this work by widening the fabric 
 automatically in the knitting operation. It is called an auto- 
 matic widening machine, and is particularly adapted to making 
 
 Automatic Widening' Macliine, r)ul.)iecl. 
 
 sleeves. It overcomes the principal objection knitters have to 
 making shaped work — that is, the extra labor involved, and has 
 the advantages before-mentioned — namely, no material to be cut 
 away to get the shape, a selvedge edge which means a small 
 neat seam, and the proper shape for a proper fit. 
 
 The Widening Device 
 
 To the casual observer, the widening machine would look 
 to be a very complicated piece of mechanism, but as a matter 
 of fact the widening device is surprising in its simplicity. 
 
80 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 Fig. 54 shows the principle of the method used. The drawing 
 does not by any means reproduce the parts as made, but only 
 shows the principle employed to secure these results, with all 
 superfluous parts eliminated. 
 
 The machine proper is a full automatic machine, practically 
 the same as we have just finished with in the last article, with 
 the exception of the needle plates and the needles that are used, . 
 and the addition of the widening mechanism. The needle 
 plates are made almost twice as wide as the regular plates, 
 with a gib running through the middle of the lower part as 
 shown. The needles used for the narrowest part of the fabric, 
 and which are never used in the widening operation, are shown 
 by the letter a in Fig. 56, and have one butt only as indicated 
 at b. The needles used in widening have one butt at the same 
 distance from the hook as the regular needles, as at c, and in 
 addition to this they have a second butt at the lower end of 
 the shank extension which reaches down under the narrow 
 gib to the lower half of the plate, as indicated at d. 
 
 The slot in the needle plate, at the lower edge, is cut all 
 the way through the plate up to a point which would about 
 equal the distance between the needles up in working position 
 and the needles down. There are needle springs, shown at n 
 in Fig. 54, below each needle which, when the needles are down, 
 project just below the bottom edge of the plate, and when 
 pushed up to hold the needles in working position would have 
 their lower ends about where the lower butts of the widening 
 needles are when down, as shown. The needle spring is shown 
 in Fig. 56, at e, in its position relative to the needle, the upper 
 portion at e fitting in the needle slot below the needle, while 
 the lower part acts as a clamp on the under side of the plate. 
 
 The lever shown at / in Fig. 54, together with the slide g 
 and the stop h, is enclosed in a cast block and they, together 
 with the yarn carrier stop i, move freely lengthwise of the 
 small shaft e. There is attached to this block a cord q, which 
 runs over the small pulley o with a weight attached as at p. 
 
 It naturally follows that this weight would pull the block, 
 lever, carrier stop and all, over to the extreme right if there 
 were nothing in the way to stop it. The stop h is for this 
 purpose. It is stationary in the block and extends up to the 
 plate, while the slide g is cut back far enough to clear the lower 
 ends of the springs n which are below the needles. 
 
AUTOMATIC WIDENING MACHINE 81 
 
 Pushing Needle Into Working Position 
 
 Inasmuch as these springs extend a trifle below the plate 
 when the long needles are down and the stop h comes up in 
 close proximity to the bottom edge of the plate, this stop will 
 engage the left side of the spring and prevent the block, together 
 with the lever / and slide g, from moving toward the right. 
 Now in order to widen the fabric one stitch or wale it is 
 simply necessary to push the needle r up into working position. 
 This is done by moving the cam block, a, longitudinally, which 
 would necessarily raise the lever d, which, through the rocker 
 shaft e and lever /, would push the slide g, together with the 
 spring n and needle r, up high enough to put this needle into 
 working position. 
 
 It should be understood that there are four of these widen- 
 ing mechanisms as shown in Fig. 54, one on each end- of both 
 front and back needle plates, but as they are all operated in 
 the same manner it will be necessary to describe and explain 
 but one. 
 
 Now to explain how this is done automatically we will refer 
 to Fig.- 55, which shows the cam side of the carriage of the 
 automatic widening machine. It will be noted that on the ends 
 of the four fixed extensions 51, 52, 53 and 54, there are rollers 
 al to a4, attached with shouldered screws whose heads are 
 flush with the end of the rollers. As we are dealing with only 
 one we will select al, which is the one that would operate on 
 the block a, Fig. 54, when turned over and placed on the 
 machine. 
 
 This roller is in the proper position to engage the cam 5 
 (Fig. 54) when the carriage is at the right end of the machine, 
 and when the carriage is at the end of its travel the roller would 
 be at about the point B. 
 
 It naturally follows that inasmuch as cam 5 is attached to 
 the block a on an inclined plane, and the block a is attached to 
 the frame of the machine in such a manner that it cannot move 
 lengthwise of the machine, but may be moved freely in an 
 up-and-down direction, when the roller moves through the 
 camway between cam 5 and cam c the block must move upward, 
 thereby pushing up one needle. Upon the return of the carriage 
 
82 
 
 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 the roller coming in contact with cam c will return the block 
 to its first position. 
 
 When the block a is moved down by the roller, after pushing 
 up the needle, it must necessarily draw the slide g back to the 
 position shown, and inasmuch as the lever / slides freely length- 
 wise on the shaft e, and there is nothing to prevent, the weight 
 p will draw all of this part of the mechanism over one needle 
 or until the stop h comes in contact with the next needle 
 spring 7?. 
 
 Now, it should be understood that, as a rule, a fabric is not 
 widened a needle each round, therefore the block a (Fig. 54) 
 is arranged so it will drop below the plane of travel of the 
 
 
 /t^ SS 
 
 Under or Cam Side of Carriage, iJubied Automatic Widening Machine. 
 
 roller «1 (Fig. 55) when widening is not desired. Perhaps it 
 would be more correct to say that the normal position of block a 
 is below the plane of travel of the roller ol, therefore out of 
 operation and is raised up in the path of this roller by a stud 
 on the widening chain A, Fig. 53, at the proper time to push 
 the needle up into operation. Upon the return of the carriage 
 it drops down to its normal position until another needle is to 
 be added to the fabric. The position of the block a in Fig. 54, 
 in relation to the rest of the machine, may be seen at B in 
 Fig. 53. 
 
AUTOMATIC WIDENING MACHINE 83 
 
 Returning the Needles 
 
 As stated before, a fabric to be shaped on this machine must 
 be started at its narrowest part, therefore when the garment 
 or part of a garment is finished, these needles which have been 
 pushed up to widen it must be returned to their lowest position 
 where they are out of operation, in order to start a new piece. 
 
 <tJi 
 
 ^ 
 
 Fig. 56. 
 Needles and Needle Springs Used in Automatic Widening- Machine. 
 
 This is where the second and lower butts of the needles come 
 into use. They are operated on by the cams cl to c4, and d\ to 
 f/4. Fig. 55. 
 
 These cams are arranged so that normally they are raised 
 up in the cam plate and pass over the lower butts of the needles, 
 but they may be lowered to operate the needles and raised 
 again, all automatically, at the proper time and place by slides 
 and levers similar to those described in a previous article on 
 the automatic machine. The manner of returning the widening 
 needles to their lowest position so they will be out of operation 
 should be obvious to the reader after the foregoing explanations 
 and a study of the illustrations. 
 
 When the time comes to cast off these added stitches in 
 order to start a new sleeve or fabric, the plate on which cams 
 cl and f/l are attached is automatically lowered when the 
 carriage is over to the extreme right. Then upon its return 
 the lower needle butts of the widening needles will come in 
 contact with the left side of cam c/l, and moving up over the 
 top of this will, of course, raise the needles to a point where 
 the latches are above the stitches. As the carriage moves 
 farther along, and the butts come in contact with the left side 
 of cam cl, they will slide down and cast the stitches off over the 
 latch and hook, and at the same time be drawn down to a 
 
84 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 point so low that the knitting or upper cams cannot operate 
 on the upper butts. 
 
 At the same time that the cams cl and dl are lowered to 
 cast off and draw out of operation the widening needles, a 
 plunger, which is attached to the carriage, drops down and 
 engages a recess on the under side of the yarn carrier stop i, 
 Fig. 54, and through the lug ./ moves the lever /, together with 
 the slide g and stop h, back to its first position where the 
 plunger is disengaged by an inclined stop. The stop h will 
 hold this part of the mechanism in this place by contact with 
 the first needle spring as explained before. 
 
 It should be understood that while this explanation covers 
 only one of the four corners that must have the needles pushed 
 up to widen the fabric, the method applies to all of them. 
 Also in the manner of casting off the widening needles and 
 returning them to their lowest positions preparatory to starting 
 a new fabric, we have confined ourselves to the right end of 
 the front plate only in order to present the matter in the 
 simplest possible manner. In actual practice the pair of cams 
 on the left, indicated by c3 and f/3, together with c4 and d4, 
 are put into operation first by a medium stud on the widening 
 chain while the carriage is at the extreme left end. Upon the 
 return movement of the carriage these cams would cast off and 
 return the widening needles to their lowest point on the left 
 end of both front and back plates. Immediately this is done 
 the cams are released by means provided, and they again rise 
 up into the plate out of the working position, thus passing over 
 the right side widening needles without effect. 
 
 After putting on one full round the cams dl and cl, together 
 with cams d2 and c2, are put into operation at the extreme 
 right end of the machine by a high stud on the widening chain, 
 and these cast off and draw down out of operation the front 
 and back widening needles on the right in the same manner 
 as heretofore explained. 
 
 Yarn Carrier Stop 
 
 The reader will realize from what has gone before that 
 when there are needles added to or taken from the edge of 
 a fabric, while in the process of knitting on a machine, it 
 would be necessary to arrange to change the stopping position 
 
AUTOMATIC WIDENING MACHINE 85 
 
 of the yarn carrier in order to prevent it from stopping too 
 far away from or too close in to the fabric as the widening 
 operation progresses. This is done by the simple expedient of 
 having the yarn carrier stop mounted on its bar or way so it 
 will slide freely, and providing the lugs j and k, Fig, 54, on 
 both sides of the lever /, so that it, with the lever /, and slide g, 
 with stop h, will at all times move together. Therefore the 
 needle on the edge of the fabric and the yarn carrier stops 
 are always in the same relative position. 
 
 If the reader has stopped to ponder on the working of this 
 machine, with the resultant fabric, he may realize that there 
 should be more pull or tension on the fabric during the last part 
 of it than when it is started. As there have been needles added 
 it is wider. This has been provided for so that by placing 
 high studs on the main chain at the proper point they will 
 increase the tension on the take-up rollers where and as much 
 as needed. When the widening needles are cast off, and the 
 width of the fabric is reduced to its narrowest portion, this 
 extra tension may be automatically released and the pull reduced 
 to the proper strain for the narrower fabric. 
 
 These machines are made only in the double lock type, but 
 there are means provided through the before described levers 
 and slides to change automatically to single lock by raising one 
 pair of the locks up out of operation. This is quite an 
 advantage where one wishes to make some style of garment 
 with a rack showing on both sides of the fabric such as the 
 turned-up cuff on ladies' sweaters, etc. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Purl Stitch, or Links and Links Machine, for Hand or 
 Manual Power 
 
 THE purl stitch or links and links machine is a type which 
 may be termed unique in the class of machinery built to 
 make knitted fabrics. It is entirely a European develop- 
 ment ; in fact, to my knowledge there had been none of these 
 machines built in this country until some time after the war 
 started, when it was impossible to import them. 
 
 The chief individual characteristic of purl stitch machines 
 lies in the fact that they have two needle plates, but only one 
 set of needles, and the cams do not act directly on the needles, 
 but act indirectly through what are called jacks. First we will 
 try to get a thorough knowledge of the fabric this machine was 
 primarily designed to make, and the stitch formation required 
 to produce this fabric ; then the mechanism and movements of 
 the different parts of the machine will be more readily under- 
 stood as we proceed with the explanation. 
 
 Character of Fabric 
 
 Fig. 57 shows a photographic reproduction of the fabric 
 with the top turned over to show both sides, which it will be 
 noted are exactly the same. Fig. 58 is a line drawing showing 
 the formation of the stitch ; the course that the yarn takes may 
 easily be followed. This is called the purl stitch and is very 
 popular with milady when making hand knit sweaters, children's 
 suits, etc. 
 
 If the reader will refer back to Fig. 12, he may be surprised 
 to note how near this fabric is like the back of the jersey 
 fabric, while the face of the jersey fabric is so different. I 
 do not think that I should go very far wrong if I put this in 
 the same class as the jersey fabric, the same as the half and 
 full cardigan are classed as rib fabrics. It is made the same 
 as the jersey on one set of needles, but with this difference : 
 In making the jersey fabric the loop is always drawn through 
 the previous loop in the same direction. That is, we will 
 suppose we were making this jersey fabric on an ordinary flat 
 machine, on the front plate only. In this case the loops would 
 
LINKS AND LINKS MACHINE 
 
 87 
 
 always be drawn toward you through the previous loops. Now 
 if we should reverse every course the direction in which we 
 draw these loops, or in other words, if we should draw them 
 towards you when moving the carriage from right to left, and 
 away from you when moving the carriage from left to right, 
 and continued this reversal, we would make a purl stitch fabric. 
 But, you say, how are we going to do this? The solution is 
 the purl stitch or links and links machine, with its double 
 ended needle, or a needle with a hook and latch on both ends 
 to permit the whole needle to be pushed through the loop every 
 
 Fig.se 
 
 i'lain I'url Stitoh Faljric. 
 
 Construction of the Plain Purl 
 Stitch Fabric. 
 
 course, thereby casting the previous loops off one end on one 
 course, and off the opposite end on the next course. This 
 system of knitting is such that there can be no obstruction 
 to the free movement of the stitch over any part of the needle, 
 therefore this fact precludes the use of a butt projecting up 
 from any part for the cams to operate on, even if there were 
 no other reason, which there is as the reader will understand 
 after a study of the subject. 
 
 This machine is constructed somewhat along the lines of the 
 ordinary flat machine, which we have been studying. Its 
 points of similarity are that the table or stand is the same, it 
 has two straight, flat needle plates, it has a carriage which is 
 moved backward and forward over the needle plates to 
 operate the needles, and the cams or locks are practically the 
 same as in the ordinary single lock flat machine. The main 
 
88 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 points of difference are that on the purl stitch machine the 
 needle plates are set so that they are flat, or both are on a 
 horizontal plane, and the needle slots of both plates are directly 
 in alignment with one another so a needle may move freely 
 from the front to the back plate, or vice versa. The ordinary 
 flat machine has the needle plates set at an angle of about 
 90 degrees to one another, and 45 degrees to the horizontal, and 
 they are set lengthwise so the ' needle slots of one plate are 
 opposite the space between the needle slots of the opposite plate, 
 or in a position so the needles of one plate will come up between 
 the needles of the opposite plate. 
 
 Another point of difference is that the purl stitch machine 
 has one set of needles for both plates, with a hook and latch on 
 both ends of each needle and no butts to operate them, while 
 the ordinary machine has a set of needles for each plate with 
 a hook and latch on one end only with a butt on the other end 
 to operate it. It naturally follows that inasmuch as the needle 
 plates are set flat, instead of at an angle to one another, and 
 the needles are operated indirectly through what are called 
 jacks instead of directly on butts on the needles, the construc- 
 tion of the purl stitch machine must be somewhat different 
 from the ordinary flat machine. 
 
 Construction of Purl Stitch Machine 
 
 Fig. 59 shows a general view of a purl stitch machine built 
 by Dubied & Co. The letter a indicates the carriage, h the 
 handle used to operate the carriage, and c is an auxiliary 
 handle which some knitters like and use, while others take it 
 off, preferring the use of handle h only. The letter i indicates 
 the connection rod for the auxiliary handle; d is the racking 
 handle for racking the back plate, which plate is made to 
 rack over usually about 12 needles. The letter e is a sector 
 of a circle attached to the frame of the machine and acts as 
 a guide and a stop for the racking handle. This may be studied 
 to better advantage in Fig. 60, at e. It has V-shaped notches 
 cut at the proper intervals to correspond to the needle spacing 
 with a V-shaped plunger attached to the handle so that when 
 this plunger springs into one of the notches it brings the 
 needle slots of the back plate into alignment with the needle 
 slots of the front plate. 
 
LINKS AND LINKS MACHINE 
 
 89 
 
 The secondary handle d-1 is for releasing this plunger to 
 permit the handle to be moved. It will be noted that there 
 are holes in this sector, one back of each notch in the edge, and 
 in two of these holes there are pins. These pins may be placed 
 in any desired hole and act as stops for the racking handle and 
 in this way save the operator the trouble of stopping to count 
 the number of notches every time he racks, as on this class of 
 work racking over anywhere from two to twelve needles at 
 one time is common practice. 
 
 
 
 ^^M 
 
 
 B 
 
 c. 
 
 ^^^ - ^^ "C. 
 
 7 
 
 -J 
 
 ■■■■■5SJ!!"' !» »* - 'wn. 
 
 L! , ^\- — ^«:.. 
 
 
 
 t 
 
 
 \_ W^ H 
 
 mmmmfm- 
 
 4 
 
 V 
 
 
 r 
 
 Dubied Pui'l Stitch or Links and Linlvs Machine. Hand Power. 
 
 To go back to Fig. 59, letter / is a counter for counting the 
 rounds, g indicates two yarn carrier stops, one on each side 
 of the bar or gib, while h and h are the yarn take-up frames 
 and springs. Letter ./ indicates the two gibs or ways on which 
 the carriage slides, and k is the bar for carrying the yarn 
 carriers. 
 
 Now to get an insight into the principle of the method of 
 making this purl stitch we will first give our attention to 
 Fig. 63, which is a line drawing of a needle and the two jacks 
 which are required for each needle in their proper relative 
 positions. 
 
90 
 
 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 How Needles Are Operated 
 
 As will be surmised after looking at the drawing, the jacks 
 are moved forward and backward by cams operating on the 
 butts a and a, which project above the surface of the needle 
 plate in the same manner as the cams operate on the needle 
 butts in the ordinary flat machine. The jacks operate the 
 needles by catching the hook of the needles in the clutches b 
 
 i^ooking' i.)o\vn at Top of Purl Stitch MachiUf. 
 
 and b of the jacks. These needles are simply passed, so to 
 speak, back and forth across the throat, between the needle' 
 plates, from one jack to the opposite one on each course, and 
 in that way they reverse the direction of the draw of the loop 
 on each course. 
 
 We will now give our attention to Fig. 62, which shows 
 the under or cam side of the carriage. It is understood, of 
 course, that lengthwise of the carriage, or the direction of 
 movement, would be what is crosswise or right and left in the 
 
LINKS AND LINKS MACHINE 
 
 91 
 
 illustration. It will be noted that the locks or stitch cam 
 arrangement are, on the whole, practically the same as in the 
 ordinary flat machine. This would apply to the cams and locks 
 including a, h, k and g, also b, i, I and j. The bridges c and d 
 are for another purpose. 
 
 Top of Carriage, Dubied Purl Stitch :MaL'hiiie. 
 
 It will be noted that while the stitch cams h and i, also g 
 and ,/, are exactly opposite one another, the cams a and h are 
 not. The bridges c and d have perfectly flat smooth surfaces 
 except at points e and /, and here they have a concave portion 
 about one-eighth of an inch deep. The space between bridge c 
 
92 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 and cam k, also between bridge d and cam 1, is filled by the 
 needle gib 1, Fig. 60, and its mate on the back, which cannot 
 be seen, when the carriage is on the machine. The reader 
 should carefully study the points just gone over, that is, the 
 
 Under Side of Carriage With Cam System. Duljied Purl Stitch Machine. 
 
 location of the cams a and b in relation to each other, and the 
 bridges c and d with their concave spots e and /, in order to 
 fully grasp their relation to the jacks and needles in the 
 operation of the machine. 
 
LINKS AND LINKS MACHINE 
 
 We will now give our attention to 
 Fig. 60, where it will be noted that the 
 front gib 1 is abnormally wide. The / 
 
 back gib is the same, and inasmuch as 
 it cannot be seen we will assume that it 
 is also marked 1 and hereafter call it back 
 gib 1. Just below the center, laterally, 
 of the front needle plate we see a row 
 of jack butts which are in working posi- 
 tion. In the back plate we see jack butts 
 in every slot but they alternate with 
 three up in working position, and three 
 down out of working position. It should 
 be understood clearly that any jacks that 
 are moved to the outer edge of either 
 plate will not operate as they are out of 
 range of the cam system, the same as in 
 the ordinary flat machine. 
 
 Let us now bring together the needles 
 and jacks in Fig. 63, and the needle plates 
 in Fig. 60. The butts of the jacks a 
 (Fig. 63) are what we see projecting 
 above the needle plates in Fig. 60. The 
 hum.p c (Fig. 63) lies under the gib 1 
 (Fig. 60). The reason for having this 
 gib extra wide is to cover this hump 
 during most of the knitting operation in 
 order to keep the needle captive. The 
 depth of the needle slot is just sufficient 
 to allow this part of the jack to slide 
 under the gib freely without any up and 
 down play, therefore it follows that when 
 the hook of a needle is caught in the 
 clutch b, as in jack number 1 in Fig. 63, 
 that needle must move backward and 
 forward with the jack. When the jacks 
 are moved forward to the point where the 
 butts would be near or against the gib 1 
 (Fig. 60) the hump c (Fig. 63) would be 
 inside and clear of the gib 1, toward the \_ 
 
 center of the machine, therefore the 
 shank of the jack being narrower than at 
 
 hi 
 
 !2 ^ 
 
94 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 the hump, a slight draw on the needle would free it from the 
 jack as the clutch d, which holds the needle, is beveled off for 
 this purpose. This being the case it follows that when the 
 jacks are in this position the hooks of the needles may be 
 easily pushed under and into the clutch b of the jacks. This 
 is how the machine is filled with needles to begin with, or 
 imperfect ones replaced with new. 
 
 It will now be necessary to study Fig. 62 in connection with 
 Figs. 60 and 63. Referring to Fig. 62, the space between the 
 cam k and bridge c, also cam 1 and bridge d, as noted before, 
 is occupied by the two gibs 1 (Fig. 60) when the carriage is 
 on the machine. The bridges c and d (Fig. 62) come down to 
 the needle plates and the surface we see is on the same plane 
 as the under side of the gibs 1, Fig. 60. We have just had 
 the statement that when the butts of the jacks a (Fig. 63) 
 were moved up to the outside and close to the gibs 1 (Fig. 60), 
 the hump c of the jacks would be just inside and clear of the 
 gibs 1, therefore could be raised sufficiently to slip the hook of 
 a needle in or out of the clutch b of the jack. This is true only 
 at a time when the carriage is not over and operating the jacks. 
 
 When these are moved up to this point by the cams the 
 hump c of the jacks would come under the bridges c and d 
 (Fig. 62), therefore could not raise up to release the needles 
 except at the narrow concaves marked e and / in the bridges. 
 These concaves, it should be noted again, are not opposite one 
 another. The distance between the top or narrow part of 
 cam a and cam b is such that when the butts of the jacks 
 have moved up to this point the clutch b of both of the opposed 
 jacks cover a hook of the needle. In looking at Fig. 62, the 
 top half of the carriage would be the part covering the front 
 needle plate and operating upon the front jacks, and the bottom 
 half would do likewise on the back plate. When the carriage 
 is at the left end of the machine, when making the purl stitch 
 the needles should be in the front plate, and when the carriage 
 is at the right end of the machine the needles would be in the 
 back plate. This relative position is always the same when 
 making the purl stitch. 
 
 I have assumed that the reader understands that a jack 
 and a needle together would, when in a normal position as 
 shown by the butts in the front needle plate in Fig. 60, reach 
 just to the throat between the needle plates. Having the 
 different parts and their relative positions in our mind we will 
 
LINKS AND LINKS MACHINE 95 
 
 now proceed with the modus operandi. We will assume that 
 the carriage is at the left end of the machine, therefore the 
 needles would be in the front needle plate and under the control 
 of the front jacks, as the hooks would be in the clutch b (Fig. 
 63) of these jacks, while the hump c being under the gib of 
 the needle plate will not allow the needles to escape. To obviate 
 some of the difficulties the reader may have in understanding 
 this explanation we will assume that the carriage as shown in 
 Fig. 62 is stationary, and the plates with their jacks and 
 needles are the parts that are moved. 
 
 The outline of the camway may be easily traced as it is 
 practically the same as the ordinary flat machine with which 
 the reader should be familiar and the action on the needles, 
 through the jacks, is the same until they reach the first inside 
 corner of the cam b. If the reader will take a straight edge 
 and lay it on the illustration, he will find that this corner of 
 cam b is just in line with the concave e in the bridge c, and 
 also with the center of the flat portion of the cam a. This 
 being the case, it follows that the center of the flat portion of 
 the cam b must be in line with the left inside corner of cam a 
 and the concave / in the bridge d. 
 
 It should be understood that as the needles are moving 
 across the throat between the needle plates, the stitch or loop 
 opens the latches, and guards are provided to keep them 
 open until the needles are ready to draw the new loop through 
 the previous one. 
 
 Now to return to v.'here we left the needles and jacks at 
 the right inside corner of cam b. The jacks of the back plate 
 have reached their innerm.ost position, and the heads or humps 
 c (Fig. 63) lie under the bridge c (Fig. 62). At the point 
 where the front jacks opposite are reaching their innermost 
 position, the heads or humps c of the back jacks come under the 
 concave e, which allows the hook of the needles, just coming 
 forward from the opposite plate, to raise up the head and 
 enter the clutch b of the jack. As they move farther to the 
 left, the heads of these back jacks are under the plane surface 
 of the bridge c, which secures the needles to these jacks. As 
 the jacks start to move back toward their outermost position, 
 the heads of the jacks of the front plate are under the concave 
 / of bridge d. This allows the needle hooks of this end to 
 draw out and release themselves from the jacks of this side, 
 and be drawn through the loop to the back plate, and by this 
 
96 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 means to cast the previous loop off from the back plate toward 
 the front one. 
 
 Upon the return from left to right, the needles are ex- 
 changed from the back plate to the front one in the same 
 manner, only of course, the action is just opposite to that just 
 explained. Therefore, the needles would pass through the loop 
 from the back to the front plate, and cast off the previous 
 loop from the front plate toward the back one. This would 
 make the purl stitch. 
 
 While the machine was designed primarily to make this purl 
 stitch, there can be made on it a larger variety of stitches than 
 on any other machine, but in general practice the stitches 
 made are limited as a rule to the purl, jersey and plain rib, 
 1 and 1, 2 and 2, etc. The term 1 and 1 rib means one needle 
 in each plate alternately. The term 2 and 2 rib means two 
 needles together alternating in each plate without a needle 
 working between the two from the opposite plate. It is also 
 possible to make the half or full cardigan stitch. 
 
 The jersey stitch may be made by one of two methods. 
 First, when the needles are all in one plate move the jacks in 
 the other plate to their outermost position, where the cams 
 of that side cannot operate on them and the needles will stay 
 on one side as there are no jacks operating on the other side 
 to take them across. Second, by moving the handle b, Fig. 61, 
 to the left. By doing this we would draw the cams ff and b 
 (Fig. 62) up into the cam plate out of working position, 
 therefore the jacks would not move to their innermost position 
 so the needles would not move far enough forward to meet 
 the opposite jacks and could not be taken over into the opposite 
 plate. This system of being able to operate any number of 
 selected needles, or all of them, on either the purl or jersey 
 stitch, either alone or in combination with the rack, is the base 
 or principle used to make practically all the designed or pattern 
 work produced on the ordinary purl stitch machine. 
 
 Fig. 61 shows the top side of the carriage. The letter a 
 indicates the handle for operating the carriage ; b is the lever 
 for changing the stitch from purl to jersey, or vice versa, by 
 raising out or putting into operation the cams a and b, Fig. 62. 
 The letter c shows the lever for changing yarn carriers while 
 f/l and (12 are the slides for changing the length of stitch. This 
 change is made the same as has been explained for the ordinary 
 flat machine ; that is, by shifting the stops, of which there are 
 three for each stitch cam or six on each of the slides dl and r/2. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 Designs on Plain Purl Stitch Machines — Automatic 
 
 Jacquard Type — Details of Jacquard-Designing 
 
 ON Jacquard Machine 
 
 FIGURES 64, 65 and 66 show some of the design effects 
 which may be made on the links and links system of knit- 
 ting. Fig. 64 is a basket weave design. To make this we 
 will assume that the machine is set up, that is, has work on 
 it, with the carriage at the left end of the machine. Then all 
 the needles would be in the front plate. The back plate should 
 be racked to its last position to the right. The last working 
 jack in the back plate, left end, should be opposite the last 
 needle in the front plate, but in the right end of the back 
 plate there should be 8 jacks more than needles in the front 
 plate. Now starting at the right, count eight jacks, which 
 leave in operating position ; then 
 draw five back out of operating 
 position ; leave eleven in opera- 
 tion, and drawn five out. 
 Alternate in this way with 
 eleven in work and five out for 
 the length of the work. 
 
 After doing this the position 
 of the jacks would be similar to 
 those shown in the back plate in 
 Fig. 60, except that that illus- 
 tration showed three in and 
 three out, while we would have 
 eleven in work and five out in 
 the present instance. The three 
 rules marked m, shown in Fig. 
 60, are used for this purpose. 
 They save the time of counting 
 the jacks and drawing them 
 back one or two at a time. Ry 
 the use of one of these rules, 
 properly cut, all of the jacks to be put out of operation may be 
 moved back in one sweep. 
 
 Basket M'eavc Design Made on Purl 
 Stitch Hand Machine. 
 
98 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 To go back to our design, set the pin shown in the arc e, Fig. 
 60, to stop the racking handle at eight needles, put on six 
 courses or three rounds, stopping with the carriage on the 
 left, which will leave all the needles in the front plate, and 
 rack the back plate to eight needles to the left. Put on three 
 more rounds and rack the eight needles to the right, and 
 continue doing this. 
 
 It should be understood that the back plate should never 
 be racked over more than two needles except when all the 
 needles are in the front plate. I have previously explained that 
 when the cams are set for purl stitch, if the jacks are in the 
 operating position in both plates we would make the purl 
 stitch, but in any place where the jacks were drawn back out 
 of operating position in one plate, in that place the needles 
 would at all times stay in the opposite plate and knit the plain 
 jersey stitch. 
 
 Now in this basket design we have in the back plate, dis- 
 regarding the first eight jacks, five jacks that are not operating 
 alternating with eleven that are. Therefore, the first three 
 rounds would make purl stitch on eleven needles alternating 
 with five making plain jersey stitch. 
 
 When we rack the plate over eight needles we find that the 
 five slots with the non-working jacks of the back plate are just 
 opposite the middle five needles of the eleven that have been 
 making purl stitch, and are, of course, at the time of racking 
 in the front plate. We also find that the five needles that have 
 been making the jersey stitch in consequence of having been 
 opposite the five non-working jacks in the back plate, are now 
 opposite the middle five of the eleven working jacks of the back 
 plate. Therefore it is plain that these five needles would make 
 purl stitch for the next three rounds, while the middle five 
 needles of the eleven that were making purl stitch would make 
 jersey in the next three rounds. There are always three needles 
 on each side of the five that are racked over that purl stitch 
 all the time. 
 
 Two and Two Rib 
 
 Fig. 65 shows two designs the lower one being very simple. 
 With the carriage on the left end of the machine arrange the 
 jacks in the back plate two and two, or two in working position 
 
PURL STITCH DESIGNING— HAND— AUTOMATIC 
 
 99 
 
 and two out. Then move the carriage across to the right end 
 of the machine and we will find that the needles have arranged 
 themselves to conform to the arrangement of the back jacks, 
 
 alternating two and two in both 
 needle plates. Now move the 
 handle b, Fig. 61, to the left and 
 this will raise cams a and b, 
 Fig, 62, up into the cam plate 
 out of operation, thus prevent- 
 ing the jacks from moving to 
 their innermost position. There- 
 fore, they cannot exchange 
 needles and so would make a 
 two and two rib fabric, knitting 
 this continuously without any 
 further change. 
 
 The upper half of Fig. 65 
 is made by arranging the jacks 
 in the back needle plate so that 
 five will be in working position, 
 alternating with five out. With 
 this arrangement of the jacks, 
 and without any further ma- 
 nipulation, the machine would 
 Icnit a straight vertical stripe of five needles purl stitch and 
 five needles plain jersey stitch. If, however, we rack the 
 back needle over one needle every round when the carriage 
 is at the left end of the machine, and all the needles are in 
 the front plate, for five rounds we would have these stripes 
 running diagonally instead of vertically, and the distance they 
 would run to the right or left, depending on which way we 
 racked, would depend on how many times we racked in one 
 direction. In this instance it would be for seven rounds, or 
 rather we would rack over in the one direction every round 
 for six rounds, and on the seventh we would rack the plate 
 back the five needles at once. Then start over racking the 
 other way one needle each round as before to make the second 
 row of diagonal blocks. This racking back of five needles at 
 one time would of course bring the non-working jacks to the 
 position where the working jacks were, and the working jacks 
 to the position where the non-workng jacks were. Therefore, 
 
 Diagonal Diamond Design 
 and Two and Two Rib Made on 
 Hand Purl Stitch Machine, 
 
100 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 the needles that were knitting the purl stitch would begin 
 
 making plain jersey, while the needles that were making plain 
 
 jersey would now make purl stitch. 
 
 Fig. 66 is simply a two and 
 
 two rib stitch racked over two 
 
 needles every four rounds. This 
 racking over two needles with 
 needles in both plates may be 
 done successfully if the stitch 
 is drawn fairly long. 
 
 Automatic Jacquard Power 
 
 Purl Stitch Machine 
 The automatic links and 
 links or purl stitch machine is 
 what the name would imply; 
 that is, a machine which makes 
 the changes in the stitch and 
 yarn carriers automatically. The 
 word jacquard added to this 
 would convey to the mind of 
 a person familiar with textile 
 processes the fact that the ma- 
 chine automatically makes de- 
 signs or patterns in the process 
 of knitting. 
 Fig. 67 shows a Dubied machine of this type which in 
 general appearance resembles their automatic power flat 
 machine. It has the same drum device for counting the rounds, 
 indicated at d, with a chain drive somewhat similar to the flat 
 machine, though with this difference : The carriage is con- 
 nected directly to the chain through a cross head which slides 
 on two rods, instead of through a connection rod. We have 
 the main chain, at e, on this machine as on the flat machine, 
 but it is placed on the right end instead of the left. The 
 racking chains which are on the flat machine are not needed 
 on this machine, therefore are dispensed with. 
 
 On the ordinary purl stitch machine a large part of the 
 designing is done by a combination of selected jacks in con- 
 junction with the rack; therefore it is desirable to have such 
 a machine built to rack over quite a number of needles. With 
 this machine the designs are made on the jacquard system,. 
 
 Two and Two Rib Racked, Made on 
 Purl Stitch Machine. 
 
PURL STITCH DESIGNING— HAND— AUTOMATIC 103 
 
 therefore this extreme racking is not required and the machine 
 is built to rack but two needles. At a and b in Fig. 67 will be 
 noted two cylinders with grooves cut on a long spiral. They 
 are mounted on a small shaft which acts as a bearing upon 
 which they turn. These operate the jacquard system and 
 should be kept well in mind as they will be referred to later. 
 The letter c indicates the carriage, which is shown, top and 
 bottom, in detail in Figs. 69 and 70. 
 
 Fig. 69, it will be noted, is the same in the general layout 
 of the cam system as shown for the hand machines in Fig. 62, 
 in the last article. The upper locks would operate on the 
 front plate and the lower ones on the back one. There are 
 two main points of difference : The cam x, which must be used 
 in connection with the cards of the jacquard system and which 
 will be taken up in detail in due course, and the levers s and t 
 which raise the stitch cams that are in the lead and lower 
 the ones that follow and form the stitch at the end of each 
 course. This is done to take all undue strain off the stitch. 
 
 It will be noted in the illustration that the left stitch cams 
 are raised and the right ones lowered preparatory to putting 
 on a course by moving the carriage from right to left. At 
 the left end of the machine the position of these cams is 
 reversed for the return course. This is done by a pin set at 
 both ends of the two plates which act on the levers s and t. 
 Then we have the extensions of the slides. Numbers 1 and 3 
 are for changing the length of the stitch. Slides 2 and 5 are 
 for raising and lowering cams a and b to change from purl to 
 plain jersey stitch, or vice versa. The manner of doing this 
 and the action of these cams on the needles and jacks have 
 been explained. 
 
 Slide 4 puts the plunger y into and out of operation. This 
 plunger operates the jacquard system by entering the spiral 
 grooves of and turning the cylinders a and b, Fig. 67. The 
 four slides marked 6, Figs. 69 and 70, are for changing the 
 yarn carriers, of which there are four. The four small parts 
 indicated by the letter m, Fig. 69, are latch openers, which are 
 essential as the machine cannot be operated when the latches 
 are closed. We would be unable to move the carriage across 
 the machine when there was no fabric on the needles to open 
 the latches, without these latch openers. 
 
 The small slide indicated at 7 is for changing the position 
 of the cam x, swinging on a pivot screw at z, which may be 
 
PURL STITCH DESIGNING— HAND— AUTOMATIC 105 
 
 moved to any one of three positions. These are the position 
 shown, or horizontal with the lower edge of, and on a line 
 with the lower edge of cams 2v and r, or it may be swung down 
 to a point where the end will be at the lower edge of the cam 
 plate at v. The three positions of this cam should be firmly 
 
 Top Side of Carriage of Automatic Jacquard Purl Stitcli JMachine. 
 
 fixed in mind, as they have an important part to play in the 
 jacquard work. 
 
 We will now give our attention to Fig. 68, which 
 represents a cross section of the needle plates, showing 
 a pair of jacks and a needle in their respective slots or 
 tricks. Letter a indicates the back plate and b the front one. 
 
106 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 The back jack c is shown in its outermost position, therefore 
 would be out of operation, while the dotted lines at h show 
 its innermost position ready to receive the needle from the 
 opposite jack. Letters e and / indicate the gibs which cover 
 and hold down the heads of the jacks at all times except when 
 they are at their innermost position ; when they are in this 
 position they are under and held down by the bridges or winkles 
 c and d, Fig. 69, and are permitted to rise only at the concaves 
 e and / where the exchange of needles takes place. Letter g, 
 Fig. 68, indicates the needle, and iis a vertical projection, called 
 teeth, which are between the needles and act as sinkers for the 
 needles to draw the loops over. 
 
 The Jacquard Mechanism 
 
 The jacquard system of designing is simply a method of 
 providing means to select and put into operation any desired 
 needle or needles at any predetermined place in the fabric. The 
 mechanism to do this is shown in Fig. 68. The letter I indicates 
 a four cornered star shaped bar called the card cylinder, which 
 is the length of the needle plate. The letter ./ indicates what 
 are called cards and are also the same length as the needle 
 plate and as wide as one side of the card cylinder. These are 
 made from either thin sheets of steel or from stiff strong paper 
 board, and are attached to one another by rings or other 
 means so as to form a continuous band around the card 
 cylinder. The illustration shows ten of these cards, but the 
 number used depends on the design being made, for there is 
 one card for each round in the design. 
 
 To return to the card cylinder I, this is mounted on a shaft 
 which is supported by two uprights or arms, one at each end, 
 shown by the broken lines at n, which in turn are attached 
 securely to the rocker shaft m. This arrangement permits the 
 card cylinder to be swung forward to the needle plate and 
 back to the position shown at any predetermined time or place. 
 As noted before, the back jack c is out of working position^ 
 therefore as long as it stays in this position the needle would 
 operate in the front plate only and make a plain jersey fabric. 
 
 If, when the carriage is at the left end of the machine, we 
 should swing the card cylinder with the blank card j. No. 1 
 (which is a card without any openings in it) up to the needle 
 
PURL STITCH DESIGNING— HAND— AUTOMATIC 107 
 
 plate, it would push these back jacks up into working position 
 and on the next course the needles would cross over into the 
 back plate and make the purl stitch. Now bear in mind that 
 the basic principle of designing of this character is in making 
 the design of one stitch and the ground of the other. It is 
 quite obvious that if we provide means to sweep all the back 
 jacks to their outermost positions and out of operation every 
 time the carriage is moved from the right to the left end of 
 the machine after having passed the needles across to the front 
 plate, then swing a card with holes cut through at certain 
 intervals up to the needle plate, those jacks that come into 
 contact with that part of the card that is intact would be 
 pushed into working position, while those that were in front 
 of the openings or holes would pass through and not be 
 affected. Therefore, on the next round the needles opposite 
 these would make the jersey stitch, while all the others would 
 make purl stitch. On the last course of the round from right 
 to left the jacks would be swept back out of operation, the 
 card cylinder I would be turned a quarter turn, bringing 
 another card opposite the needle plate, and another and perhaps 
 different lot of jacks selected for the next round. 
 
 The card cylinder is turned the quarter turn when the 
 carriage is approaching the right end of the machine by the 
 plunger y, Fig. 70, engaging the spiral in the cylinder b, Fig. 
 67, and the cards are moved up to the needle plate when the 
 carriage approaches the left end of the machine by this same 
 plunger engaging the spiral in cylinder a. 
 
 At k in Fig. 68, is shown the face of a portion of a card 
 as it might be cut. Beginning at the opening at the left, the 
 heels of three jacks would pass through this. The space next 
 to the right, being intact, would push six jacks into operation ; 
 and so on throughout the length of the fragment of the card 
 shown as indicated by the figures. This drawing was made 
 to represent a card to be used on a needle plate cut eight 
 needles to one inch, and while the scale is cut down somewhat 
 in the reproduction the proportions would remain the same. 
 
 Now as to the means provided to make the changes shown 
 as necessary we will refer again to Fig. 69, and to the cam 
 marked x. As stated before, this cam may be swung on the 
 pivot screw z, automatically, to any one of three positions. 
 When it is in alignment with cams iv and r it has no effect, 
 as when the jacks are in their normal knitting position the 
 
108 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 butts will pass just above and when they are out of working 
 position they will pass just under these three cams. Now it 
 will be noted that cam x is placed at the extreme right end 
 of this lock or set of cams, in consequence of which it must 
 always be put into operation when the carriage is at the right 
 end of the machine, and it performs its functions as the carriage 
 is moved to the left and after the stitch formation of this 
 course is completed. 
 
 The cam is moved into the desired position by the slide 7, 
 which comes in contact with movable stops at either end of the 
 machine. When the jacquard system is in operation this cam 
 would be moved to the position shown in the illustratioin while 
 the carriage was on the right, consequently as the carriage 
 is moved to the left end of the machine the needles in the back 
 plate would be passed to the front plate and immediately after 
 this the back jacks would be swept out of the operating position 
 by this cam. 
 
 When the carriage reached the left end of the machine this 
 cam would be moved down in alignment with cams lu and r, 
 so would be in the position that would not make any change in 
 the position of the jacks. 
 
 In making some kinds of work it is desirable to put all 
 the back jacks in and out of operation at certain times. We 
 have just explained about putting them out of operation. To 
 put all of them in the working position without using the 
 jacquard the before mentioned movable stop comes in contact 
 with another slide just under slide 7, when the carriage is 
 moved to the right end of the machine, and this slide will 
 swing the point of cam x to its lowest position at v, and in this 
 position, as the carriage is moved to the left, it will sweep 
 all the back jacks into working position ready for the next 
 course. As the carriage finishes its travel to the left, the stop 
 at that end would of course move this cam to its neutral point. 
 
 I assume that the reader understands that the stops and 
 levers that cause all these automatic changes are controlled 
 by studs attached in their proper places on the chain e, Fig. 67, 
 which in turn is controlled by the drum d. 
 
 We will now take up in more detail the action of the cards 
 and the mechanism provided to actuate them. As stated before, 
 when making a design by this system the card cylinder, together 
 with the cards, is moved up to the edge of the needle plate each 
 round. Referring to Fig. 67, at a-1 there is an eccentric 
 
PURL STITCH DESIGNING— HAND— AUTOMATIC 109 
 
 attached to the movable cylinder a, and there is a connection 
 rod from this eccentric to the small shaft o, Fig. 68. Therefore, 
 when the plunger y, Fig. 70, enters the spiral groove and 
 moves the length of the cylinder a, Fig. 67, the cylinder turns 
 about half way round, which of course turns the eccentric a-1, 
 and this moves the card .?", No. 1, Fig. 68, up to the needle 
 plate. As noted before, any part of this card that has holes 
 in it could not push those. jacks Opposite into working position, 
 while that part of the card which remained intact would put 
 the jacks opposed to it in work. Upon the return of the 
 carriage it turns the cylinder a, Fig. 67, back to its first posi- 
 tion, which movement would of course move the cards away 
 from the needle plate again. The cylinder b is actuated in 
 the same manner as cylinder a as the carriage reaches the 
 right end of the machine, but its function is to turn the card 
 cylinder a quarter turn each time in order to bring a new 
 card into position for the next round and make that part of 
 the design. 
 
 How Designing Is Done 
 
 Having explained the theory of making designs on the 
 jacquard system we will now show in detail how it is done in 
 actual practice. With the jacquard system there is no limit 
 or end to the designs that may be made, as there is with the 
 other systems used on knitting machines. 
 
 Fig. 71 is a photographic reproduction of a design made 
 on this machine. The reader who has studied well and 
 thoroughly digested what has gone before will realize that this 
 design could not be made in any other way, on a machine of 
 this type, without an expenditure of time and labor which 
 would be far beyond the bounds of practicability. 
 
 The designer will first sketch out his design on a piece of 
 plain paper, then take a piece of cross section paper and lay 
 it down as illustrated in Fig. 72. This is the layout of the 
 design shown in Fig. 71. Each of the crosswise rows of 
 squares represents one round or two courses, and each of the 
 vertical rows represents a wale or needle. In other words 
 each one of the squares in a crosswise row represents a 
 needle or the loops in one round, and each one of the succeeding 
 squares represents that same needle in the succeeding rounds. 
 
110 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 Now to cut the cards we would start with No. 1 and cut 
 them consecutively. Referring to Fig. 72, the blank squares, 
 or the spaces in the cards these represent, should be cut out, 
 
 Design Made on Automatic Jacquard Purl Stitch Machine. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 Fig-. 72. — Layout of Design Sliown in Fig. 71. 
 
 and the squares marked with an x would remain intact. Start- 
 ing at the right side, one needle space is not cut out; then 
 sufficient space to cover three needles or jacks is cut out; 
 
PURL STITCH DESIGNING— HAND— AUTOMATIC 111 
 
 then the space of eleven jacks is left intact, then three cut 
 out. This is the full width of the first round of the design, 
 therefore this cutting would be repeated until it covers the 
 desired width of fabric. Card No. 2 would be cut as follows: 
 One space cut, one left intact, three cut out, nine left intact, 
 three cut out, and one left intact. This should be repeated as 
 with No. 1 card. Each card thereafter should be cut according 
 to the marking of the cross section paper, and numbered as cut, 
 so as to avoid trouble in assembling them in their proper order 
 when finished. 
 
 It should be understood that the part of this layout from 
 the right side to the dotted line is the complete design, and 
 all to the left as well as above and below, would be a duplicate 
 of this. 
 
 After these cards are put on the card cylinder, attached 
 like an endless belt, and the machine is in operation, when 
 card No. 18 has finished the last part of the design, card No. 1 
 will start immediately in the next round on its part of the 
 design. When it comes to card No. 6, that square will have 
 been completed, and a new square in the center section will 
 have been started. 
 
 The two-tone color effect is made by using two different 
 colored yarns and using a plating yarn carrier. This throws 
 one color on the face in the jersey stitch and the other color 
 on the face in the purl stitch. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Flat Latch Needle Automatic Narrowing Machine 
 
 THE flat latch needle automatic narrowing machine as built 
 by Messrs. Claes & Flentje is shown in Fig. 73, and a 
 piece of fabric from this machine narrowed down four- 
 teen needles is shown in Fig. 74. This machine is quite com- 
 plicated when compared with any that have been taken up 
 before, but those who have studied what has gone before care- 
 fully, especially that part treating on fashioned garments and 
 how they are made by hand, should have no trouble in under- 
 standing the principles and movements necessary to do this 
 work automatically. 
 
 The machine shown is really 
 four separate and complete units 
 mounted upon one frame or 
 stand and driven by one belt, 
 with the automatic movements 
 operated from one control. It 
 is evident from this that the 
 garments or parts of garments 
 made on each one of these four 
 units must be the same, or 
 rather they must have the same 
 number of rounds with the 
 same number of needles nar- 
 rowed down, but they may be 
 made from different yarns both 
 in kind and color. 
 
 There are four points that 
 should be understood to begin 
 with: First, the machine is 
 operated by power. Second, the 
 power is transmitted to the driving pulley on the machine at 
 all times when the machine is being operated. Third, the 
 knitting mechanism must be stopped while the narrowing 
 mechanism is in operation. Fourth, the narrowing mechanism 
 must be at rest during the time the knitting mechanism is in 
 operation. 
 
 Fabric: Narrowed Down on Automatic 
 Narrowing' ilachine. 
 
Changing Mechanism on Right End of Automatic Narrowing Machine. 
 
AUTOMATIC NARROWING MACHINE 115 
 
 We will first show how it is arranged to automatically stop 
 one part of the machine, say the knitting operation, and put 
 the narrowing mechanism in work, and after this part has 
 performed its functions or narrowed down one needle on each 
 needle plate, front and back, how it is stopped until time to 
 narrow again, and the knitting parts set in operation. 
 
 Fig. 75 is a view of the right end of the machine, and it 
 is here that the driving mechanism is located, also the auto- 
 matic controls. The number 1 indicates the belt and pulley 
 which drive the machine. The pulley is mounted loose upon 
 the shaft and operates the machine through a clutch which is 
 thrown in or out, as the case may be, by the handles marked 
 X in Fig. 73. The number 13 (Fig. 75) indicates a plain 
 balance wheel on the outside end of the shaft. 
 
 When the clutch is in, the driving wheel on which the belt 
 1 runs will of course turn the shaft 2, on the other end of 
 which there is a small spur gear which drives the large gear 
 3. This large gear is automatically connected with, and dis- 
 connected from the crank wheel 5, which wheel drives the 
 knitting mechanism through the connecting rod 6 and lever y, 
 Fig. 73, whose fulcrum is at s, and is connected to an extension 
 of the carriage at r. The lever y comes up between two ways 
 or slides, on which is mounted a crosshead at the end of this 
 extension, and where the lever connects at r, to keep the exten- 
 sion in alignment with the carriages. 
 
 Referring to Fig. 75, when the machine is being operated 
 the following parts are always in motion : The driving wheel 
 1 with the shaft 2, together with the small spur gear on the 
 end of the shaft 2, which cannot be seen but drives the large 
 gear 3, also the large gear 3 with the shaft upon which it is 
 mounted, which may be seen running behind the vertical 
 connecting straps toward the right of the illustration and 
 terminates back of the large bevel gear 4. Upon this end of the 
 shaft there is mounted a small bevel or pinion gear to drive 
 the large bevel gear 4. 
 
 Now then let us understand that the crank wheel 5 operates 
 the knitting mechanism of the machine, and the bevel gear 4, 
 through a shaft which runs the entire length of the machine 
 with a series of cams mounted on it, operates the narrowing 
 mechanism. We have seen that the driving parts from the 
 driving pulley 1 on the back of the machine, over to and 
 
116 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 including the large gear 3, and back to and including the small 
 bevel gear which drives the large bevel gear 4 are in motion 
 at all times while the machine is in operation. The gear 4 is 
 engaged with the small gear only at the time the narrowing 
 is done; while the crank wheel is connected with the large 
 spur gear 3 and turning only while the knitting parts are in 
 operation. The connection between the crank wheel 5 and the 
 gear 3 is simply a key-like lever which may be disconnected 
 by lifting out of place and connected again by dropping back, 
 though there is only one place on the circumference of the 
 wheel where it can connect the two together. 
 
 Control of Fashioning Mechanism 
 
 The method of starting and stopping the narrowing or 
 fashioning mechanism is quite a novel and ingenious arrange- 
 ment. To explain it we will refer to Fig. 81. The number 4 
 indicates the bevel gear shown at 4 in Fig. 75, and 4-a is the 
 small pinion a part of v/hich may be seen in Fig. 75. The 
 larger bevel gear 4 has a small space (three or four teeth) cut 
 away so it acts somewhat on the principle of 
 an intermittent gear. When the small pinion 
 4-a comes to this spot the large gear 4 will of 
 course stop. This gear is mounted on the 
 shaft 9, which may be seen under the same 
 designation in Figs. 79 and 80, which is a 
 continuation of this shaft. It (the gear 4) is 
 shown in Fig. 81 in the position where it 
 would be at rest as the small pinion 4-a would 
 be turning free and clear on account of the 
 teeth of the large gear being cut away at 
 this point. 
 
 It will be noted that there is a pin extend- 
 ing from one side of the hub of the small 
 pinion gear 4-a. On the back of gear 4 there 
 is attached a box-like arrangement with the 
 lever 4-5 passing through it, which is pivoted 
 at p and is held out in the position shown by 
 a spring. Outside and near the outer end of 
 this lever 4-6 is another L-shaped lever 4-d, which is pivoted 
 at m to the frame of the machine. 
 
 d 
 
 /' 
 
 n 
 
 ^ ng.yc. 
 
 Needles and Decker 
 Points Used on the 
 Automatic Narrow- 
 ing- Machine. 
 
AUTOMATIC NARROWING MACHINE 
 
 117 
 
 It is plain that when the lever 4-5 is moved in the path of 
 the pin 4-c, w^hich is turning at all times with the pinion 4-a, by 
 the right-angled lever 4:-d, the gear 4 will be moved forward far 
 enough for the teeth of the pinion to engage with the teeth of 
 the large gear. Consequently, the gear 4 would turn one 
 complete revolution, or until the place which has the teeth cut 
 out is again adjacent to the pinion, and it would stop at this 
 point. This one revolution of the gear 4 completes the execu- 
 tion of one narrowing operation or the narrowing down of one 
 needle on each needle plate. 
 
 Top of Automatic Narrowing Machine. 
 
 Referring to Fig. 75, number 11 indicates the lever or slide 
 which is the means provided to make the shift from fashioning 
 to knitting, and vice versa. When this slide is at its further- 
 most position toward the back of the machine it is held there 
 by a catch, and the knitting mechanism would be in operation 
 while the fashioning mechanism would be at rest. But imme- 
 diately the slide is released from the catch, which is done by 
 a stud on the chain 12, a spring brings it forward and a 
 release bar, by means of an inclined plane, is set to disconnect 
 the large gear 3 (Fig. 75) from the crank wheel 5, when it 
 gets to the point where the carriages are at the extreme right 
 end of the needle plates as shown in Figs. 77 and 78. At the 
 
118 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 same time it raises up the right-angled lever 4-rf (Fig. 81) 
 which throws in the lever 4-b, and this of course starts the 
 fashioning mechanism to work. Just as the gear 4 with the 
 cam shaft 9 completes its one revolution the slide is set back 
 again, which permits the gear 3 to connect with the crank 
 shaft and the gear 4 stops as the cut out teeth come opposite 
 the small pinion. 
 
 The several vertical straps which may be seen at or near 
 the center of Fig. 75 are the mediums through which the 
 automatic changes are made by studs coming under and raising 
 them. These studs are attached in their several positions on 
 the chain 12. We will not go into these further, for while the 
 construction is somewhat different from what we have had, 
 the principle is the same. As the studs on the chain come 
 under the straps, they raise them up and this moves a stop in 
 the path of the different slides which changes the locks, yarn 
 carriers, etc. 
 
 The Actual Narrowing Operation 
 
 It will be remembered that in narrowing by hand there 
 were three lines of movement of the decker or narrowing 
 comb. But lines of movement should not be confused with 
 direction of movement. An object may be moved in one line, 
 but if moved back and forth on that line it would move in two 
 directions. 
 
 The three lines of movement are as follows : First, it is 
 moved in a line parallel with an extension of the line of a 
 needle lengthwise, or same as the arrows 1 and 2 in Fig. 82. 
 We would move it on this line, and in the direction of arrow 1 
 to bring the openings in the point of the decker directly over 
 or above the hooks of the needles. Second, it would be moved 
 up and down at right angles to its first movement, and in the 
 direction indicated by arrow 4 to place the openings in the 
 decker points on the hooks of the needles. With the hooks 
 of the needles caught in these openings the decker would move 
 again on its first line, and in the direction indicated by arrow 2 
 to the point where the latches are above the loops. Then the 
 deckers push the needles down on the same line, but in the 
 direction indicated by arrow 1 to the point where the loops 
 on the needles will close the latches and drop over the hooks 
 on to the decker points. Then the points raise up with the 
 
AUTOMATIC NARROWING MACHINE 
 
 119 
 
 loops on them, on the second line again, but in the direction 
 indicated by arrow 3, to clear the needle hooks. 
 
 Now we have the third line of movement, which is in 
 toward the other end of the needle plate, as indicated by 
 arrow 5, the distance of one needle space carrying the loops 
 on the decker points. Then they move down on the second 
 line in the direction indicated by arrow 4, catch the needle 
 hooks in the openings of the decker points, draw back on first 
 line, direction of arrow 2 to the point where the loops will 
 slip off the decker points on to the needles again. The decker 
 
 Front of Automatic Narrowing Machine. 
 
 then raises up and retires to its point of rest. This will leave 
 one empty needle at the end, which is drawn down out of 
 working position by means which will be explained later. 
 
 The knitting mechanism is now started in operation, and 
 after putting on the proper number of rounds it stops and 
 the narrowing proceeds as before. If this explanation of the 
 movements of the decker has been followed carefully by the 
 reader, he will see that there are but three lines of movement 
 in the whole narrowing operation proper, though on two of 
 
120 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 these lines the movement is in opposite directions at different 
 times. To do this automatically only three sources must be 
 provided for the several movements, as the opposite direction 
 of movements on the same lines come as a matter of course, 
 otherwise there could be but one movement in any direction 
 on one line. 
 
 Back of Automatic Narrowing Machine Showing Shaft Carrying Cams for 
 Automatic Moveinents. View from Right End of Machine. 
 
 The source of all of these movements is the shaft upon 
 which the bevel gear (Figs. 75 and 81) is mounted and is 
 designated by the number 9 in Figs. 75, 79 and 80. It may be 
 plainly seen in the illustrations with its irregular surfaced 
 cams which perform this work. 
 
 Figs. 79 and 80 are views of the back of the machine, both 
 showing the same parts, but Fig. 79 is a view looking from 
 the right end, or end upon which the driving mechanism is 
 mounted, while Fig. 80 is a view from the other or left end 
 looking toward the driving wheel. 
 
Pig. 80. — Showing Hit- 
 
 Jame Cam Shaft as Shown in Fi^ 
 End of the Machine. 
 
 ro but from Left 
 
122 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 Mounting of the Deckers 
 
 We will take up the manner of mounting the deckers and 
 the auxiliary parts through the medium of which the narrowing 
 is done. Referring to Fig. 77, the decker points may be seen 
 at a, a, mounted in a clamp in much the same manner as the 
 hand deckers were mounted. The decker points, however, are 
 somewhat different from those used in the hand decker, these 
 latter being solid, either flat or round, while those on the 
 automatic machine are half-round or U-shaped, as shown in 
 Fig. 76, to facilitate placing them on the hooks of the needles. 
 
 Before proceeding any further, it should be understood 
 that the narrowing is done on both sets of needles, front and 
 
 Gear Arrangement for Starting and Stopping tlie Narrowing Mechanism. 
 
 back, by two separate deckers, therefore most of the parts 
 connected with this operation that are shown and described, 
 except the cam shaft 9 and its appurtenances, are in duplicate 
 on front and back of the machine. The decker point clamp 
 is a part of a yoke which is clamped on the two rods h and c 
 (Fig. 77) tight enough to permit no play, yet not so tight but 
 that it will slide freely endwise on the two rods. There are 
 four of these on each side, front and back, or two for each 
 
AUTOMATIC NARROWING MACHINE 123 
 
 independent pair of plates and locks. The rods b and c run 
 the whole length of the machine and have no end movement, 
 but b is free to move up and down vertically, while c acts 
 simply as a rocker shaft or pivot upon which to swing the 
 rod b, together with the clamp and decker a. The rod c is 
 mounted through and near the end of. the arm d, which in its 
 turn is mounted or pivoted on the rocker shaft 13, Fig. 78, 
 where the whole arm may be noted. In Fig. 73 the whole 
 five arms that are on the front of the machine may be seen. 
 These arms are connected with a lever beneath the needle 
 plates and frame by two flexible straps shown at /, Fig. 77, 
 The lever to which the other end of these straps are attached 
 may be seen at 1, Fig. 80, also the extension of the arm d, at rf-1. 
 The spring which is attached to this extension with the other 
 end attached to a like extension on the opposite arm d, is 
 shown at d-2. This spring provides the energy to return the 
 arms to, and hold them in the position shown in Fig. 77, after 
 the narrowing operatioin is completed. 
 
 To get the endwise movement of the decker, or the move- 
 ment we have designated as 1 and 2 in Fig. 82, we will refer 
 again to Fig. 80 and the lever 1. This lever is pivoted on the 
 shaft 12 and passes under the shaft 9. At the point where it 
 passes under to one side of the irregular cam d-3 there is 
 a stud with a roller projecting from one side which comes under 
 and in contact with the cam d-S. We have seen that there 
 is always an upward pull on this lever 1 through the springs 
 d-2, and the extension d-1, the arm proper d, and the straps / 
 (Fig. 77), back down through the center of the machine to the 
 inner end of lever 1, Fig. 80. 
 
 Now it follows, that if the periphery of this cam d-S is 
 irregular, and the spring d-2 always holds the pin with the 
 roller on the side of lever 1, in close contact with the outside 
 of this cam, then by having the periphery vary, or at different 
 distances from the center at different points, the deckers may 
 be moved to any point or held at any point in a line lengthwise 
 with the decker points by making the irregularities at the 
 proper place and at the proper distance from the center. 
 
 The explanation of this movement applies to all of the 
 automatic movements for narrowing or fashioning on this 
 machine. Inasmuch as all these irregular cams for the different 
 movements are mounted on this same shaft 9, after once being 
 
f'/a-sz. 
 
 i 
 
 Lines of Movement Necessary for Narrowing. 
 
AUTOMATIC NARROWING MACHINE 125 
 
 set right they must always be in synchronism unless the setting 
 is disturbed by accident. We have seen how the first move- 
 ment is secured to bring the openings in the decker points 
 down to a point directly over the needle hooks. We have 
 assumed that they were in a line sidewise to begin with. Now 
 we will see how the second movement, or bringing the deckers 
 down on to the hooks of the needles after being moved directly 
 over them, and lifting them off again, is accomplished. 
 
 Second and Third Movements 
 
 Referring to Fig. 77, it has been explained how the decker 
 points with their clamp a and yoke are mounted on the rods 
 b and c in such a manner that they will swing freely with 
 the rod c acting as a pivot. Referring to Fig. 78, we find 
 that the rods c and 5 have another yoke at /, which is attached 
 securely to these rods, with a short extension toward the 
 outside of the machine on which to attach the connection rod h. 
 
 If we now turn to Fig. 79, we will find that the connection 
 rod h comes down and is attached at the other end to a lever 
 at j. While, as the reader may surmise, the connection rod h, 
 Fig. 78, is on the front of the machine, and the rod h, Fig. 79, 
 is on the back, the connections and manner of moving are the 
 same. The lever to which this connection rod h (Fig. 79) is 
 attached at j is mounted on the shaft 13, so as to swing up 
 and down freely, and has an extension on the other side of 
 the shaft from which there is another rod connecting it with 
 the inside end of lever 2. 
 
 This lever has the proper movements imparted to it through 
 the pin and roller, which may be plainly seen, resting on the 
 periphery of an irregular cam, just the same as has been 
 explained for lever 1 for the first movement, except that the 
 pin and roller rest on the top of the cam in this instance, 
 while in the former case the pin and roller were held firmly 
 up against the bottom of the cam by a coil spring. 
 
 The third movement to carry the loops in toward the 
 center one needle, designated in Fig. 82 as 5, is a straight 
 line movement and always in one direction. But the movement 
 as to distance must be more exact than either of the others, 
 therefore while the source of the movement is the same as the 
 
126 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 others, an irregular cam on the cam shaft 9, the transmission 
 of it to the deckers is accomplished in an entirely different 
 manner. 
 
 Fine Adjustment Necessary 
 
 We will refer again to Fig. 77, where we will find two long 
 flat steel straps, one on each side of the machine, marked 
 e and e. It will be noted that these straps are attached 
 securely to the yokes that carry the deckers, as well as to the 
 crossheads or bridges marked I and yyi. Reaching across from 
 one to the other and attached to these bridges is a yoke the 
 two arms of which are indicated by k and k. These two arms 
 come together at the center in a hub through which runs the 
 worm or screw indicated by g. 
 
 On the outer end of this worm is a small spur gear which 
 meshes into the gear h. Back of the gear h is a ratchet gear, 
 and both are rigidly attached to the small shaft and turn 
 together. Now it is quite evident that if the ratchet and gear 
 marked h are turned in the right direction, which would be 
 the top toward the right, this would turn the worm, which 
 would move the yoke k and k, together with the bridges I and m, 
 also the straps e and e, and they, of course, would move the 
 deckers. The principle of the worm or screw used to make 
 this movement permits an almost micrometer adjustment of 
 the distance moved. 
 
 To find the method used to turn the ratchet gear and spur 
 gear h, we will refer again to Fig. 75, where the ratchet 
 gear is marked u and its pawl ii. This will hardly need an 
 explanation, as the method of working may be plainly seen 
 by following out the pawl lever to the connection rod .t, and 
 down to the lever 8, which is raised the proper distance at 
 just the proper time by the cam directly under it, and in this 
 manner turns the ratchet. 
 
 In narrowing, when it comes to the point where the decker 
 is to be placed on the needle hooks, it is imperative that the 
 latches of those needles on which the transferring is to be 
 done are all open, otherwise the decker will not catch the hook. 
 Also after narrowing down one needle, the empty needle must 
 be drawn down out of the operating position. The manner of 
 doing this is as follows : The needles used in this machine 
 
AUTOMATIC NARROWING MACHINE 127 
 
 have an extension of the shank, and on the lower end of this 
 there is another butt as shown at b, Fig. 76. This extra butt 
 is there solely for the manipulation of the needles for this 
 purpose. Just before the decker is ready to drop on to the 
 needle hooks, the needles are pushed up part way to meet 
 it by the hoe-shaped part designated by the letter o in Fig. 78. 
 This hoe is attached to the block p, which in its turn is 
 attached to the long steel strap 17, then the whole is mounted 
 on a slide directly beneath the strap upon which it may slide 
 lengthwise of the machine. 
 
 The slide is attached to the connecting strap 19, the other 
 end of which is attached to the lever 20, therefore the hoe o 
 and the block p may be moved lengthwise of the machine by 
 the strap 17, and the whole, including the slide beneath and 
 the connecting strap 19, may be moved up and down on a 
 line with the movement of the needles by swinging the lever 
 20, which is pivoted on the rod 18. As the deckers make their 
 first movement down to align the openings over the needle 
 hooks, the hoe o is moved upward by the lever 20, and, 
 inasmuch as it is directly under and contiguous to the lower 
 butts of the needles, it will push those needles up ahead of it to 
 the point where the loops will open and lie across the latches, 
 thus leaving the needle hooks free to receive the deckers. The 
 hoe then retires while the deckers push the needles down, but 
 is used a number of times in the same manner to assist the 
 deckers in the manipulation of the needles during the narrow- 
 ing operation. In the meantime it is moved over toward the 
 center of the machine at the same time the deckers are, as it 
 also is connected with the yoke k and k, Fig. 77. 
 
 As the deckers are finishing their part of the work, the hoe 
 is moved upward again and a hooked finger, which lies just at 
 the right and is almost wholly concealed by the hoe, hooks over 
 the empty needle butt and draws the needle down out of the 
 operating position as the hoe retires to the position shown. 
 
 The fabric photograph shown in Fig. 74 is part of a storm 
 collar made for a Shaker sweater. The wide part is that part 
 of the collar that covers from the top of the shoulder down to 
 where the narrowing stops at the center of the breast. The 
 narrow strip is a part of the border on the front opening upon 
 which is placed the buttons and button-holes. It is narrowed 
 down five needles, with four rounds between in the first part. 
 
128 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 while the last part has nine narrowings with one round 
 between. 
 
 On this machine, while the narrowing is all automatic, 
 after each garment or part is finished it is necessary to reset 
 the machine by hand, that is, push up those needles that have 
 been narrowed down, move the deckers and hoe back to the 
 starting point by turning the crank i, Fig. 77, then move the 
 carriages across and put in either a comb, or a hook made 
 specially for this purpose, to hold down the stitches on the 
 needles just pushed up into working position. Letter j indicates 
 the yarn leading into the yarn carrier. The numbers 15 in 
 Figs. 79 and 80 indicate the board or stand upon which the 
 yarn is placed for use in the machine. 
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 The Flat Jacquard Machine — How It Differs From the 
 Purl Stitch Jacquard Machine — Type of Fabric 
 Produced — Methods of Needle Selection — 
 Difference Between Single Jacquard 
 AND Double Jacquard — Explana- 
 tion OF Design and Pattern 
 Cards 
 
 SO far as the knitting mechanism is concerned!, the flat 
 jacquard machine is designed and constructed along the 
 same lines as the ordinary flat machine, with the card 
 cylinder for cards and the other necessary appurtenances 
 added. Fig. 83 is a general view of a Dubied jacquard 
 machine, which is semi-automatic but operated by hand. This 
 illustration and the other photographs for this chapter were 
 secured through the courtesy of D. Nusbaum & Co. 
 
 The card cylinder and cards are practically the same as 
 used on the purl stitch machine and explained in a former 
 chapter, but obviously the application must be somewhat 
 different owing to the different construction and manner of 
 operating the needles in this machine. Inasmuch as there are 
 two sets of needles opposed one to the other, and each set 
 forms the stitches which show on their respective sides of the 
 fabric, it is possible and customary to make the designs in 
 solid colors, differing in this respect from the links and links or 
 purl stitch machine. 
 
 The jacquard designed fabrics are usually made in what 
 would, on an ordinary machine, be the one and one rib or plain 
 stitch. The tuck or cardigan stitch is not resorted to to bring 
 out the design as in some other systems. Strictly speaking, 
 however, the stitch is not what could properly be called a rib 
 stitch, but is a combination of a plain rib and jersey stitch 
 when made on the single jacquard, and is almost wholly of 
 the jersey stitch construction when made on the double jacquard 
 where the design is brought out on both sides of the fabric. 
 The single jacquard is so called when the jacquard arrange- 
 
i 
 
132 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 ment is on one plate only, usually the back one. The double 
 jacquard machine is one which has the jacquard attachment 
 on both the front and back plates. With the single jacquard 
 the design can be brought out on one side of the fabric only, 
 while with the double jacquard the design may be brought 
 out on both sides of the fabric, but the colors would be 
 reversed. 
 
 Type of Fabric Produced 
 
 Before going into the mechanical construction of the attach- 
 ment we will to some extent analyze the fabric to find out 
 what must be done to produce it. Referring to Fig. 87, which is 
 a photographic reproduction of a fabric made on the machine 
 under discussion, it will be noted that both the design and the 
 ground are in solid colors. The rectangular figures which might 
 be called the design are in solid black, while the squares, both 
 the large ones and the small ones, which would be the ground, 
 are solid white. It should be understood that there are two 
 yarn carriers used in making this fabric, one for the white 
 yarn and one for the black, and that these carriers are changed 
 every round ; that is, one round of white, and one round of 
 black, alternating throughout the fabric. 
 
 Now inasmuch as we know that the fabric is made in the 
 plain stitch, it is quite obvious that in order to make this 
 design means must be provided to permit only those needles 
 to knit which are making the white ground on any course in 
 which the carrier with the white yarn is being used. Similarly 
 only those needles making the black design must be permitted 
 to knit on the course in which the carrier with the black yarn 
 is used. The needles or wales, of course, run vertically in the 
 fabric, while the rectangular design is diagonal, therefore it 
 is plain that the number of needles or their relative positions 
 must be changed each course. 
 
 In this fabric the design is brought out on one side only, 
 the back plate, and the needles on the opposite side or front 
 plate are knitting each time the carriage is moved across the 
 machine as explained in detail later. This may be plainly 
 seen in Fig. 87, where the corner is turned over to show the 
 back of the fabric. 
 
 Now to find the method of selecting the proper needles at 
 the proper time we will refer first to Fig. 86, which is a 
 
134 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 photographic reproduction of the cam system used in this 
 machine ; also to Fig. 90, which is a drawing of a cross section 
 of the needle plates. It will be noted in Fig. 90 that there 
 are two separate needle plates. The top one is for the needles 
 proper, while the lower one is for the auxiliary needles. 
 
 These two plates are in perfect alignment, both as to the 
 surface and the needle tricks or slots. In the double jacquard 
 the front plate would be in two parts and a duplicate of the 
 back plate, but in the single jacquard the front side would 
 have what is the upper plate on the back side only, and would 
 use the short needles as shown at b, Fig. 89. 
 
 i 
 
 Construction and Arrangement of Cams and Locks in Dubied Jacquard 
 
 Machine. 
 
 The Cam System 
 
 Referring now to the cam system shown in Fig. 86, it will 
 be noted that while in general appearance the upper and 
 lower set of locks are similar, the wing or stitch cam I and m 
 are not only different in shape from the lower wing cams / and 
 g, but they are set differently in their relation to the V or rise 
 cams a and c. 
 
 The cams as shown are set in the proper position to make 
 jacquard or design work. The upper rise cams c, d and e are 
 
JACQUARD MACHINES 
 
 135 
 
 drawn up into the plate out of working position, therefore 
 those needles selected to operate on any .course must be raised 
 by the lower rise cams a and b. The upper lock operates on 
 the butts of the needles proper shown at b, Fig. 90, while the 
 lower lock operates upon the auxiliary needles shown at a in 
 the same illustration. Now, then it is plain that the needles 
 proper will not be raised up, therefore cannot draw new loops 
 or knit unless they are raised by the auxiliary needles a, Fig. 
 90, which in their turn are raised by the cams a and b, Fig. 86. 
 But it should be noted that the auxiliary needles are drawn 
 down below the point of the rise cams a on each course, as 
 the wing cams / and g extend below these corners, therefore, on 
 every course, unless one of the wing cams / or ^ is drawn up 
 into the cam plate out of working position, all of the auxiliary 
 needles are drawn down out of working position and will not 
 operate on the next succeeding course unless put into working 
 position by other means. 
 
 These wing cams / and g 
 are chamfered off on the out- 
 side, so that any auxiliary 
 needles pushed up above the 
 lower end and into operating 
 position will slide under and 
 raise them up into the cam 
 plate. The inner edge is a 
 square corner consequently will, 
 upon coming in contact with the 
 needle butts, draw them down 
 out of the working position. 
 The auxiliary needles being a 
 separate unit have no effect on 
 the needles proper on their 
 downward movement, but must, 
 of course, raise them on the 
 !^4i|k);l,j]^lfe'i« upward movement by coming in 
 
 " contact with the lower ends. 
 
 Those of the needles proper 
 that are moved up into work 
 are brought down again and form new loops by the stitch cams 
 I and 7n, Fig. 86. The small triangular cams j and k are for 
 clearing the needles when a very short stitch is being drawn 
 by the stitch cams / and m. 
 
 Fabric Design Made on a Jacquard 
 Machine. 
 
136 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 How Needles Are Selected 
 
 Now to show how the needles are selected we will first 
 refer to Fig. 89, which shows the needle proper at b and the 
 auxiliary needle at a. The auxiliary needle has a joint in it 
 as shown at h to permit the lower end e to swing to the position 
 shown by the dotted line /. 
 
 Fig. 90 shows the auxiliary needles in position with the 
 card cylinder and cards in place ready to push them up into 
 operation. Those needles which it is desired not to operate 
 at all, such as the needles at the end of the plate that may 
 not be needed, are drawn down and the ends are turned down 
 to the point where they are at right angles to the plate, as 
 shown by the dotted line at i. When they are in this position 
 the cards cannot of course push them up into operating position. 
 The short nib that looks like a part of a needle, indicated at /, 
 and the card cylinder shown at g are not a part of the mechan- 
 ism under consideration, but are another method of needle 
 selection which will be explained later. 
 
 Fig. 84 is a general view of 
 the back of the machine show- 
 ing a set of cards on the card 
 cylinder ready for work. Fig, 
 85 shows the mechanism used 
 to bring the cylinder with the 
 cards into action. The cards 
 and cylinder need no distinguish- 
 ing mark as they should be 
 easily recognized from what 
 has gone before. The same 
 thing applies to the auxiliary 
 needles just above, part of which 
 are turned down to the point 
 where they cannot be put into 
 operation. 
 
 Letter j indicates the end of 
 the shaft upon which the card 
 
 cylinder is mounted, and c is the elongated opening in which 
 it moves up and down. This opening is on the same diagonal 
 plane as the needle plates and has its duplicate at the other 
 end which carries the other end of the card cylinder. The 
 rocker shaft d is mounted just under the card cylinder and 
 
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 Fig-. 88. — o-Black; x-White. 
 Designs Shown in Fig-. 87 Layed Out 
 on Cross Section Paper for 
 Cutting Cards. 
 
JACQUARD MACHINES 137 
 
 has two levers securely attached, the other ends of which are 
 connected to the card cylinder shaft, one at either end. On 
 the outer end of the rocker shaft d is another lever indicated 
 by the letter e. This is connected to the camway h through 
 the extension k. This camway is mounted in such a manner 
 that it can be moved only in one direction, and that direction 
 is up and down diagonally or on the same plane as the back 
 needle plates. 
 
 As the carriage reaches the extreme end of its travel the 
 pin g, which is attached to the carriage, enters and follows the 
 camway. Inasmuch as the cams are set on an incline this pin 
 or plunger must raise the camway together with the end of 
 the lever e. Through the rocker shaft d and the two levers 
 before mentioned as connecting the rocker shaft with the card 
 cylinder, this will bring the card cylinder up to the lower edge 
 of the auxiliary needle plate. This action will of course push 
 all those needles into action that come in contact with the 
 particular card that may be on that side of the card cylinder at 
 the time. Where the openings are cut in this card the needles 
 will pass through and have no contact, therefore will not be 
 pushed up into working position. 
 
 As the card cylinder returns to its lowest position it is 
 turned a quarter turn by the stationary hooked dog a, which 
 catches a tooth, of which there are four, of a ratchet wheel 
 which is also securely attached to the card cylinder shaft. In 
 this way the card cylinder is turned a quarter turn each time 
 it is moved up to the auxiliary plate, which brings a new 
 card into position to make another selection of needles for the 
 next course. 
 
 Letter / indicates a counterweight which, as will be noted, 
 is attached to the rocker shaft d to assist in returning the card 
 cylinder to its lowest position and hold it there after its 
 return. Letter i indicates an ordinary pattern chain on which 
 the proper studs are attached to change the yarn carriers auto- 
 matically. 
 
 Three Units May Be Racked 
 
 In this type of jacquard machine there are three separate 
 and distinct units which may be racked or moved at right 
 angles to the movement of the needles. They are, first, the 
 
138 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 needle plate proper which racks the same as the ordinary flat 
 machine ; second, the auxiliary needle plate ; and third, the card 
 
 cylinder together with the cards. 
 The racking of the needle plate 
 proper is necessary to make 
 those designs in which a rack in 
 the fabric is required, but the 
 other two are chiefly a matter 
 of convenience to save making 
 up cards. There are many de- 
 signs that may be made with 
 one or four cards, or even with- 
 out any cards, by manipulation 
 of these racking movements, 
 where otherwise quite a string 
 of cards would be required. 
 
 We will take for example 
 any design consisting of a small 
 block or check within the limits 
 of the needles the auxiliary 
 plate will rack over. Such a 
 design may be made without 
 cards in this way. Say we wish 
 to make a black and white 
 check four needles wide and 
 four courses high. We would 
 put up into operating position four auxiliary needles and draw 
 four down, alternating in this way with four up and four down 
 for the width of the fabric. Then, referring to Fig. 86, we 
 would draw up out of operating position as shown the rise 
 cams c, d and e, also the wing cams / and g. This would 
 permit the alternating four auxiliary needles we have left in 
 operating position to always stay in this position. Now, after 
 putting on one round or two courses of, let us say, white we 
 would rack the auxiliary plate over four needles and then put 
 on a round of black; rack back the four needles and put on a 
 round of white, rack the other way four needles and put on a 
 round of black. If we could see the fabric made thus far we 
 would find that we had a row of blocks or checks four needles 
 wide and four courses high. For although we have put on 
 four courses each of the black and white, which makes eight 
 courses in all, each color has been put on its own group of 
 
 n^. 89 
 
 d 
 
 Needles Proper and Auxiliary Needles 
 Used in Jacquard Machine. 
 
JACQUARD MACHINES 
 
 139 
 
 four needles; therefore the whole will build up the fabric but 
 four courses. If we continued to operate the machine in the 
 same manner we would get alternate black and white stripes, 
 each four needles wide. 
 
 To break them up into checks or squares we would at this 
 point have to either skip racking once while continuing the 
 change of carriers each round, or miss changing carriers once 
 while continuing the rack of four needles each round. This 
 change must of course be made every four rounds throughout 
 the length of the fabric, or as long as it is desired to make the 
 check. It should be remembered that it is the auxiliary plate 
 that is racked in this case, and not the needles proper; there- 
 fore the rack does not show in the fabric. But the shifting 
 of these alternate sets of four auxiliary needles each round 
 causes alternate groups of four of the needles proper to knit, 
 the set which knits depending on which way the auxiliary plate 
 is racked. 
 
 This same check design may be made with one card 
 properly cut by preventing the card cylinder from turning and 
 racking, or moving the card cylinder back and forth four 
 needles in the same manner as the auxiliary plate was moved. 
 Or it may be made with four cards without moving either the 
 plate or card cylinder. In this case it would be necessary to 
 use all the auxiliary needles and lower the wing cams / and g, 
 Fig. 86, into action. 
 
 In making a fabric on a 
 double jacquard machine which 
 shows the design on one side 
 only, it is good practice to put 
 four cards on the front cylinder 
 properly cut to put alternate 
 needles into operation on alter- 
 nate courses, in order to prevent 
 putting more courses on the 
 front plate than on the back. 
 Or to explain it in another way, 
 the needle in the back plate that 
 makes the white part of the 
 design knit only on the rounds 
 on which the white thread car- 
 rier is used, and the needles that make the black parts oper- 
 ate only when the carrier with the black yarn is in use. 
 
 Cross Section of Needle Plates and 
 Card Cylinder. 
 
140 FLAT MACHINE KNITTING AND FABRICS 
 
 Now it is plain that if all the needles in the front plate are 
 permitted to knit each round we would have approximately 
 twice as many courses on the front as on the back. This is 
 obviated, as stated before, by using cards on the front card 
 cylinder to push up into operation every alternate needle when 
 moving the carriage say from left to right, and permitting 
 these to remain idle and pushing those not operated on this 
 course into operation on the return course from right to left. 
 While this is desirable it is not essential, for it cannot be done 
 on a single jacquard, though there are many nice designs and 
 fabrics made on this machine. 
 
 Explanation of Pattern 
 
 Fig. 87 shows a fabric made on a double jacquard machine 
 Avith both card cylinders in operation. Before going any 
 further it should be understood that both the front and back 
 card cylinders can be operated and make a new selection of 
 needles at the end of each course, or when the carriage is at 
 the end of its travel at both ends of the machine. This design 
 is made by operating the card cylinders in this way. Fig. 88 
 is a layout of the design shown in Fig. 87. It is one complete 
 repeat of the design as shown by the square box in Fig. 87. 
 All the rest of the fabric is simply a repetition of this, but 
 when grouped together on a large piece of fabric they appear 
 entirely different. 
 
 As may be seen in Fig. 88, it would take 36 cards to make 
 this design. In cutting the cards for this we would cut out 
 the places shown blank and leave the card whole to push the 
 needles into operation in the places marked by an x or an o. 
 This cutting would of course have to be repeated the width 
 of the fabric, or the length of each card. 
 
 The principle as explained is used on all makes of flat 
 jacquard knitting machines, but the method used to put the 
 needles into operation by the cards differs with the different 
 builders. For example, one popular method is shown in Fig. 
 90, where the card cylinder is placed directly below the under 
 surface of the auxiliary plate as shown at g, and acts on a 
 short nib with the butt turned downward and extending through 
 the plate as shown at /. With this method it is customary to 
 use a long needle with two butts as shown in Fig. 89 at /, 
 
JACQUARD MACHINES 141 
 
 instead of the short one with an auxiliary needle. Also with 
 this method the needle plate would be a single wide plate with 
 the tricks or needle slots cut gradually deeper as they reached 
 the lower edge, so that at the point where the lower butts 
 of the needles come the trick is deep enough so that the needle 
 may be depressed to bring the top of the lower butts flush, or 
 just below, the top surface of the needle plate. When operating 
 the machine these butts always remain in this position, there- 
 fore will not knit unless raised up and put into operation by 
 the cards. 
 
 If we should cut a set of cards just the reverse of the set 
 laid out in Fig. 88, that is, cut out where these are not, and 
 leave uncut where these are cut, and put this set on the front 
 card cylinder and operate them in conjunction with and 
 opposite to the back set, we would have the same design on 
 both sides of the fabric, but the colors would be reversed. 
 
INDEX 
 
 A 
 
 -^ PAGE 
 
 Automatic Control 60, 67 
 
 Automatic Drop Locks 30 
 
 Automatic Drop V Cams 31 
 
 Automatic Jacquard, Purl Stitch Machine 100 
 
 Automatic Narrowing or Fashioning Machine 113 
 
 Automatic Single Lock Machine : 57 
 
 Automatic Widening Machine 78 
 
 B 
 
 Bridge 59 
 
 Bridges 91, 126 
 
 c 
 
 Cams 18, 31, 115 
 
 Cams, Difference Between Dubied and Lamb System 49 
 
 Cam, Explanation of 18 
 
 Cams, Guard 49 
 
 Cam Plate 32 
 
 Cams, Purl Stitch Machine 90, 103 
 
 Cam, Racking 38 
 
 Cams, Stitch 74 
 
 Cam System, Jacquard 134 
 
 Cams, V 31 
 
 Cams, Widening Machine 81 
 
 Cams, Wing • 135 
 
 Carriage 18 
 
 Carriage, Purl Stitch Machine 90, 96 
 
 Cardigan, Half 29 
 
 Cardigan, Full 29 
 
 Cardigan, Half, How Made 30,47 
 
 Cardigan, Full, How Made 33, 48 
 
 Cards . 106, 129, 136 
 
 Card Cylinder 106, 129, 136 
 
 Cards, to Cut HO, 140 
 
 Changing the Stitch 63, 74, 96, 103 
 
 Changing Yarn Carriers 64, 73, 75, 96 
 
 Claes & Flentje Machine 113 
 
 Counter 59, 89 
 
 Counting Cylinder 67 
 
 Counting Cylinder Stops AA" :^ ^r 
 
 Cotton-back 29, 46, 75 
 
 Cotton-back Sweater 44, 48 
 
 Collar, Shaped 40 
 
 Comb, Narrowing ^1 
 
 Comb, Set up • • • • ; ^ ^2 
 
 Chain Drive 45, 57, 100 
 
 Chain, Controlling ^1'%^ 
 
 Chain, Racking 59, 64 
 
 Chain, Pattern ^^ 
 
 Course ^0 
 
 Control of Yarn ^0 
 
 Crank 
 Crank Drive 
 
 57 
 45 
 
 Crosswise of the Fabric 10 
 
 Crochet Stitch }i 
 
 Crochet Fabric 
 
 13 
 
144 INDEX 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Cut Pressers 29 
 
 Cylinder or Drum, Counting 67, 100 
 
 Cylinder Divisions 68 
 
 Cylinder Stops 69 
 
 Cylinder, to Stop 70 
 
 Cylinder for Jacquard System 103- 
 
 Cylinder, Card 106, 136 
 
 D 
 
 Decker 51, 122 
 
 Design Work 33, 35 
 
 Designs, Racked 42 
 
 Designs, Purl Stitch Machine 96, 97, 100. 
 
 Designs, Basket Weave 97 
 
 Designs, Diagonal Diamond 99 
 
 Designing, Jacquard System 106, 109 
 
 Designs, Jacquard Rib 129 
 
 Designs, Laying Out 109 
 
 Designs Without Cards 138 
 
 Designed Fabric 140 
 
 Diagonal Stitch 40 
 
 Double Lock 46, 73 
 
 Double Lock Machine 44, 46 
 
 Double Jacquard 132, 140 
 
 Drive, Crank 45 
 
 Drive, Chain 45 
 
 Drop Stitch 22 
 
 Drop Locks 30 
 
 Drum See Cylinder 
 
 Dubied Machine 46, 57, 78, 88 
 
 E 
 
 Elasticity in Knit Fabrics 15 
 
 Elasticity of Rib Fabrics 26 
 
 F 
 
 Fabric, Rib 10 
 
 Fabric, Jersey 10 
 
 Fabric, Flat 10 
 
 Fabric, Crochet 13 
 
 Fabric, Tubular 24 
 
 Fabric, Face 33 
 
 Fabric, Two-Faced 44, 46 
 
 Fabric, Tension 85 
 
 Fabric, Jacquard 132 
 
 Fabric, Designed See Designs 
 
 False Knop 63, 74 
 
 Fancy Stitches See Designs 
 
 Fashioned Goods 51 
 
 Fashioning a Sleeve 53, 78 
 
 Fashioning Machine, Automatic 78, 113 
 
 Fibers, Resiliency of 15 
 
 Fingers 69, 127 
 
 Flat Fabrics 23 
 
 Flat Goods 10,26 
 
 Frame 31 
 
 French Rack 63, 74 
 
 Full Cardigan 29 
 
 Full Cardigan, How Made 33, 48 
 
INDEX 145 
 
 G PAGE 
 
 Gib 18 
 
 Guards 95 
 
 H 
 
 Hand Knitting 12 
 
 Half Cardigan 29 
 
 Half Cardigan, How Made 30, 82, 47 
 
 Hoe 127 
 
 I 
 
 Invention of Knitting Machine 9, 16, 17 
 
 J 
 
 Jacks 20, 86, 105 
 
 Jacks, Hump or Head 93 
 
 Jacks, Clutch 94 
 
 Jacquard 29 
 
 Jacquard Purl Stitch Machine 100 
 
 Jacquard System 106 
 
 Jacquard Machine, Flat 129 
 
 Jacquard, Rib Designs 129 
 
 Jacquard, Single 129, 140 
 
 Jacquard, Double 132, 140 
 
 Jacquard Fabric 132 
 
 Jersey Fabric 10, 23, 74 
 
 Jersey Fabric, Range of 25 
 
 Jersey Stitch, Purl Stitch Machine 96 
 
 K 
 
 Knitting Machine, Invention of 9, 16, 17 
 
 Knitted Fabric 13 
 
 Knitted Fabric, Construction of 9 
 
 Knitting, Hand 12 
 
 L 
 
 Latch Needles 16 
 
 Latch Needles, Invention of 17 
 
 Latch Brush 22 
 
 Latch Guards 95 
 
 Latch Openers 103 
 
 Lamb System , 30, 47 
 
 Lengthwise of the Fabric 10 
 
 Length of Fabric, Limits 10 
 
 Levers, Changing 59 
 
 Lineal Feet per Minute 45 
 
 Links and Links Machine See Purl Stitch Machine 
 
 Loop 10 
 
 Loop, Study of 11 
 
 Locks 30 
 
 M 
 
 Machine, Knitting, Invention of 9, 16, 17 
 
 Machine Knitting, Difference from Hand 16 
 
 Machine Speed 21, 45 
 
 Machine, Double Lock 44, 46 
 
 Machine, Single Lock 44, 57 
 
 Machine, Automatic Widening 78 
 
146 INDEX 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Machine, Automatic Narrowine: 113 
 
 Machine, Purl Stitch 7 86 
 
 Machine, Jacquard 100, 129 
 
 N 
 
 Narrowing Comb 51, 122 
 
 Narrowing, How Done 53 
 
 Narrowing Machine, Automatic 113 
 
 Narrowing, Lines of Movement 118 
 
 Needles, Hand 12 
 
 Needles, Latch, Machine 16, 83, 180 
 
 Needles, Auxiliary 135 
 
 Needle Speed 21 
 
 Needles, Purl Stitch 87 
 
 Needles, Automatic Narrowing Machine 126 
 
 Needles, Automatic Widening Machine 80, 83 
 
 Needle Selection, Jacquard System 132, 136 
 
 Needle Springs 20, 80, 83 
 
 Needle Plates _.. 18, 31, 80, 86, 88, 105 
 
 Needle Plates, Jacquard " 134 
 
 P 
 
 Pattern Wheels 29 
 
 Pattern Chain 59 
 
 Pawls, Racking 65 
 
 Piping 43 
 
 Plating 50 
 
 Plating Yarn Carrier 50, 111 
 
 Production 44 
 
 Purl Stitch Machine 86, 88 
 
 Purl Stitch Fabric 87 
 
 Purl Stitch Machine, Jacquard 100 
 
 R 
 
 Fvack Stitch 29, 35 
 
 Rack Stitch, How Made 36 
 
 Rack, French 63, 74 
 
 Rack, Both Sides of Fabric 41 
 
 Racked Collar 40 
 
 Racking Chain 59, 64 
 
 Racking Cam 38, 65 
 
 Racking Mechanism 65 
 
 Racking Pawls 65 
 
 Racking Cam Ratchet 66 
 
 Racking, Purl Stitch Machine 89 
 
 Rib Fabric 10, 26, 27 
 
 Rib Fabric, Elasticity of 26 
 
 Rib Fabric, Varieties of 29 
 
 Rib Stitch, 1 and 1, 2 and 2, etc 96 
 
 Rib, 2 and 2, Purl Stitch Machine 98, 100 
 
 Rules 97 
 
 s 
 
 Seams on Fashioned Work 54 
 
 Selective System 33 
 
 Selvedge Edge 41, 54, 72 
 
 Set Up Comb 52 
 
 Shaped Collar 40 
 
 Shog or Shogged 36 
 
 Speed 21, 45 
 
INDEX 147 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Springs, U-shaped Needle 20, 80 
 
 Springs, Yarn Take-up '72 
 
 Sprocket Roller 59 65 
 
 Sinker Loop 10 
 
 Single Lock Machine 44^ 57 
 
 Single Jacquard 129, 140 
 
 S'eeve, Fashioning 53 
 
 Slots .'..'.'.{7,18 
 
 Stops, Counting Cylinder 69 
 
 Stops, Yarn Carrier 71^ 84 
 
 Stitch .. . . 10 
 
 Stitch Cams 74, 91, 103 
 
 Stitch, Drop 22 
 
 Stitch Pins 74 
 
 Stitch, Rack 29, 35, 36, 41 
 
 Stitch, Changing 63, 73, 74, 103 
 
 Stitches on Purl Stitch Machine 96 
 
 Striping 64 
 
 Studs, Chain 60, 65 
 
 Studs, Heights 63 
 
 Studs, Tension 72 
 
 T 
 
 Take-up Roller 59 
 
 Textile Fibers, Resiliency of 15 
 
 Tension Stud 72 
 
 Tension on Fabric 85 
 
 Tension for Yarn Take-up Spring 72 
 
 Tricks 17, 18, 105 
 
 Tripping Finger 69 
 
 Tubular Fabric 24, 26, 74 
 
 Tubular Rib Fabric 26 
 
 Tuck Stitch 29 
 
 Tuck Stitch, How Made 30 
 
 Two-faced Fabric 44, 46 
 
 V 
 
 V Cams 31 
 
 W 
 
 Wale 10, 30 
 
 Weights 18, 52, 59, 80 
 
 Widening Operation 55 
 
 Widening Machine 78 
 
 Width of Fabric, Needles Counted 54 
 
 Width of Fabric, Limitation 10 
 
 Work Hook 52, 55 
 
 Y 
 
 Yarn Carrier 21, 59, 70 
 
 Yarn Carrier, Plating 50, 111 
 
 Yarn Carrier, Changing 64, 73, 75, 96 
 
 Yarn Carrier Stops 71, 84 
 
 Yarn Control 70 
 
 Yarn Take-up Spring 72 
 
 Yoke 59, 126 
 
 z 
 
 Zig-Zag Stitch 29 
 
 Zig-Zag Stitch, How Made 39 
 
ii 
 
 D U B I E D 
 
 J5 
 
 Flat Knitting Machines, 
 Links and Links Machines, 
 
 Hand and Full Automatic Power 
 
 Built by Edward Dubied & Co. 
 Neuchatel, Switzerland 
 
 Acknowledged by Users 
 Experts and Judges as 
 
 THE BEST" 
 
 Dubied Machinery C^ompany 
 
 E. O. SPINDLER 
 
 139 Franklin St. Corner West Broadway New York City 
 
 SOLR AGENTS FOR U. S. A. AND CANADA 
 
FOR QUALITY USE 
 
 Williams' 
 Latch Needles 
 
 and eliminate serious needle troubles 
 
 No 
 
 Gauge 
 
 Too 
 
 Coarse 
 
 MADE IN U. S. A. 
 
 
 ( 
 
 HE 
 
 t 
 
 No 
 
 Gauge 
 Too 
 
 BRAND 
 
 Fine 
 
 BY AMERICAN LABOR 
 
 
 The materials used are the best obtainable, while 
 the workmanship is all that can be desired. 
 
 We supply more sweater mills than 
 any other manufacturer — Why ? 
 (It will pay you to investigate) 
 
 Standard styles carried in stoclc 
 Send for samples and prices 
 
 GHAUNGEY A. WILLIAMS 
 
 Manchester 
 
 New Hampshire 
 
 Maker of ^'CAW" Brand 
 
 Philadelphia Office: 40 South Seventh Street, Rooms 304 and 305 
 
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 AUTOMATIC FLAT KNITTING MACHINE, "GROSSER" TYPE. FrhG. 
 
 ©his is one of the many types of machines 
 used in the art of knitting. Other special 
 machines have been designed and developed in 
 the Grosser Plants. 
 
 Should any problem of knitting puzzle you, 
 consult 
 
 The Grosser Knitting Machine Co- 
 
 260 West Broadway, New York 
 
 WE SPECIALIZE IN 
 
 Flat Knitting Machines— For Hand and Power Operation 
 
 Full Fashioned Hosiery Machines— ForLadies' Hose, etc. 
 
 Warp Knitting Machines— Rasche\, Chain and Milanese Type 
 Finishing Machin eS-^Such as Loopers, Seamers, etc. 
 Needles and Supplies—For ah Machines Handled 
 
MERROWING 
 
 ESTABLISHED 1838 
 
 Makers of 
 
 The Merrow High Speed 
 Overseaming, Overedging, 
 and Shell Stitch 
 Machines 
 
 For Seaming, Hemming All Kinds Knitted and 
 
 and Edging Woven Fabrics 
 
 MERROWISE 
 For Efficiency 
 
 It Means 
 Maximum Production 
 
 Minimum Expense 
 
 Unexcelled Quality of Work 
 
 The Merrow Machine Co. 
 
 7 Laurel Street - Hartford, Conn. - U. S. A. 
 
Three Departments ^|^ (j |>j -yy Specializing for Service 
 
 Textile Wet Finishing Machinery 
 
 Fulling mils 
 
 (Patented Type M) 
 
 More Fulling in less 
 Time — without 
 "Nips" or " Trap 
 Tears." 
 
 Booklet No. 1220 
 
 Washers 
 
 Equipment adapted 
 to individual re- 
 quirements. Inter- 
 changeable parts. 
 
 Booklet No. 221 
 
 Pusher Mills 
 
 Felts and Knit 
 Goods in garment 
 
 Circular 121 
 
 Reel Machine 
 
 Bleaching, Dyeing, 
 Tinting or Washing 
 without tangling or 
 straining fabrics. 
 Booklet No. 1119 
 
 "Rodney Hunt" Wood Rolls 
 
 Superior Quality Rolls 
 
 "Registered" for Maximum Service 
 
 Send for Standard Order Sheets 
 
 Water Power Equipment 
 
 Vertical and Horizontal Turbines 
 
 For Large and Small Streams. 
 
 High returns from varying flow 
 
 of water. 
 
 Water Controlling Apparatus 
 
 "Standardized" designs. Penstocks, 
 
 Flumes, Gates and Gate Hoists, 
 
 Screens, Valves and accessories. 
 
 RODNEY HUNT MACHINE CO. 
 
 99 Mill Street Orange, Massachusetts 
 
Ea^man Cutter 
 
 Will enable you to save from thirty 
 
 to forty per cent in your cutting costs. 
 
 We can prove this to you by a 
 
 free demonstration. 
 
 Eastman Machine Go. 
 
 Buffalo, N. Y. 
 
 Branch Offices : 
 
 NEW YORK ROCHESTER DETROIT 
 
 816 Broadway 604 Elwood Building 162 W. Jefferson Avenue 
 
 CHICAGO PHILADELPHIA CLEVELAND 
 
 .^15 W. Van Buren Street 110 N. Sixth Street 1234 Superior Avenue, N. E. 
 
 BOSTON BALTIMORE ST. LOUIS 
 
 87 Summer Street 417 W. Baltimore Street 1420 Olive Street 
 
 NEW ORLEANS SAN FRANCISCO 
 
 210 Godchanx Building 86 Third Street 
 
^acr^jJ^^J 
 
 /y^ QUALITY 
 
 'The Standard for over a 
 Quarter of a Century" 
 
 BRAIDS 
 EDGINGS 
 TUBING 
 
 and NARROW 
 LOOM FABRICS 
 
 I 
 
 Priedberger- Aaron Mfg. Go. 
 
 MILLS AND GENERAL OFFICES: 
 
 18th and Gourtland Streets :: Philadelphia 
 

 tho m-ofid'i- Ivxi-ilc <juHtc»fjty 
 
 Kinks 
 
 Every manufacturer meets problems in 
 the operation of a mill which are difficult 
 of solution. The chances are 99 in 100 that 
 the same problem has been encountered 
 and overcome by others, and here is where 
 TEXTILE WORLD, through its Questions 
 and Answers Department, saves hours of 
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 Each year over 3,000 such practical 
 problems are answered by TEXTILE 
 WORLD'S technical staff. This service is 
 free to subscribers. Answers in every case 
 are by personal correspondence. A number 
 of the best ones are published each week 
 but the inquirer's name is always con- 
 fidential. 
 
 TEXTILE WORLD is the technical and 
 market authority of the industry — knit 
 goods markets, yarn and raw material 
 quotations. Published every Saturday. 
 
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 Also American Directory of the Knitting Trade 
 
 Annually - $2.00 
 
 BRAGDON, LORD & NAGLE GO. 
 
 334 Fourth Avenue 
 
 New ^'ork 
 
By the time this publication is read we 
 expect to have ready for the market a 
 New Coning Pvlachine. The product 
 of this machine has several novel 
 features whicii we believe will prove 
 of particular interest to you 
 
 Universal Winding Company 
 Boston Massachusetts