000001
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`BEDGEAR 1020
`IPR of U.S. Pat. No. 8,402,580
`
`

`
`Knitting Technology
`
`8.7
`
`Development of the Circular Weft
`Knitting Technique
`
`During the last 200 years numerous inventors have assisted the develop- 4
`ment of circular weft knitting technology towards its present state of
`sophistication and diversity. Whilst Decroix’s patent of 1798 has been I
`considered to be the first for a circular frame, Marc Brunel’s ‘tricoteur’ of
`3
`1816 is probably the first practical working example of such a frame.
`Efforts were concentrated, during the subsequent 30 years, on improving .
`the knitting action of this frame with its revolving dial of fixed needles .
`radiating horizontally outwards and having their beards uppermost. In 5
`1845, Fouquet applied his Stuttgarter Mailleuse wheels to the frame and
`their individually moving, loop-forming sinkers provided the sinkerwheel
`frame with the capability of knitting high quality fabric, a possibility
`later exploited by Terrot who improved its patterning facilities and I
`marketed the frame throughout the world.
`In 1849, Moses Mellor produced a revolving circular frame with vertically-
`arranged bearded needles facing outwards from the needle circle, this later -
`developed to become the loopwheel frame. In the same year, Matthew
`Townsend patented uses for the latch needle and by 1855, Pepper had
`produced a commercial machine with a single set of movable latch needles
`and two feed points,
`this was soon followed by Aiken’s circular latch
`needle rib machine of 1859 which also contained movable needles. Henry
`Griswold took latch needle knitting a stage further by moving the needles
`individually and directly via their bent shanks in his world famous hand-
`operated, revolving cam-box small diameter sock machine of 1878 (Fig.
`4.4).
`
`The first small diameter revolving cylinder machine appeared in about
`1907 but
`there was still much strenuous effort required by machine
`builders before circular latch needle machines could seriously begin to
`challenge bearded needle straight and circular machines in the production I
`of high quality knitted articles.
`
`Further Information
`
`HURD, J. C. H., Towards automation in hosiery, knitwear and knitted fabric, Text.
`Inst. and Ind., (1974) 12, (4), 113 (4 pages).
`LANCASHIRE, _I. B., 75 years of weft knitting history, Hos. Trade journal, (Jan.
`1969)178—186.
`Kni1tii2ng machinery: a guide to primary types, Knit. 0’wr Yr 1%., (1970) 97-9,
`
`‘
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`76
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`

`
`KNITTING
`TECHNOLOGY
`
`SECOND EDITION
`
`Thispopulartexthasbeenthorougtlyrevisedand
`qadatedtoprovideaunitpelyconlprehensivetexlbook
`andfuIIyi1dexedreferencework,progressingf|'om
`e|ementayprinciplestomoreadvanoada%cts
`suchasmicroprooessorapplicationsandnew
`areasofresearohancldevelopment.
`flievoknuecoverstlleteclmologyofbofla
`wefia1dwarpknitting,fabI1'csIructuresa1d
`products,thediflerenttypesofmachines,plinc'p|es
`ofproductionandtemI'mo|ogy.111ebooka$oconta'I1s
`prob|emsforso|utionm1dwofl(edexaIu)|es.S|and
`Inperialunitsareusedaocoréngtoprelenedpractioe
`intl1eindustry.111eappenfixcontainsmuchuseftI
`
`associationsfiogetlaerwitlmausefmguideto
`lurthersoI.Ioesof'mfom1ation.
`
`Woodhead Publishing Limited
`Abington Hail
`Abington
`Cambridge CB1 6AH
`England
`
`ISBN 1 85573 313 7
`
`WOODHEAD PUBLISHING LIMITED
`
`000003