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 l and m. 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 l 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 y and its pawl n. 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 x, 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 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 narrowing 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, 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.
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—Explanation 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.
Fig. 83.
Dubied Automatic Jacquard Flat Bed Machine.
Fig. 84.
Back of Flat Jacquard Machine Showing a Set of Cards, Mounted.
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 arrangement 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.