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 3b 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 n, 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 3b, 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 3b, 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, n, 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 3b 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 v (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 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 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.
