Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Oct., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 4th July, 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 10th Aug., 1888
I, HENRY HOWE trading as W. & H. Howe, St. George's Street, Leicester, Hosiery
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to produce on a hand frame, or other straight
knitting machine worked by hand or power, and capable of manufacturing hose, a sock
or stocking having what is known in the trade as a Niantic or Griswold heel and too
and with hand seained foot and fashioned gusset, thus combining the advantages of a
wrought hose.
To carry out my invention I employ for purpose of illustration an ordinary hand
frame and proceed in the usual way to knit the leg portion of a sock or stocking.
When the point has been reached where the making of the heel is commenced I
render preferably each of the outside needles inoperative by not feeding the yarn onto
them. A course or row in the fabric is then knitted and the next adjacent needles are
rendered inoperative by the same means, the thread carrier thus passes over a
decreased width of needles each course or alternate course as desired.
The fabric is thus narrowed to a desired point viz.: half the extent of the heel at
which stage preferably 12 needles remain in action. The other half of the heel is then
proceeded with and is widened by means of the next adjacent needle on each side of
the fabric being put in action and fed with yarn, the thread carrier thus passes over
an increasing width of needles, each or every other course as desired.
After the whole or a required number of the needles have again been put in action
several courses in the fabric are knitted and the fashioning of the foot near the gusset
point is then commenced and effected in the following manner; the loops of a required"
number of the needles, beginning with the outside needles are transferred on to a
given number of the next adjacent needles; one or more courses of the fabric are then
knitted and this process is repeated a desired number of times; after which the foot
portion is knitted in the usual way until the point is reached where the toe
commences.

page_text: The toe portion of the sock or stocking is then knitted in the same manner as that
for the heel before described.
The remaining part of the hose (i.e. the instep portion) is knitted in the usual
manner and joined the leg porion of the fabric. The seam on each side of the
foot being closed by the seamer.
Suitable presser nibs or bits are employed to press upon the beards of the needles to
enable them to cast their loops more readily and are thrown in and out of
action simultaneously with the needles.
Dated this 4th day of November 1887

page_text: 1, HENRY HOWE, trading as W. & H. Howe, St. George Street, Leicester, Hosiery
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
The object of my invention is to produce upon a straight knitting frame-worked
by hand or power-socks or stockings similar in construction and appearance to those
produced upon the 'Griswold and similar circular knitting machines, and having
what are technically known in the trade as 'Niantic' or rounded heels and toes;
also combine in my improved goods a fashioned gusset so that in respect of fit and
comfort in wear they closely approximate the advantages possessed by wrought goods.
In order that this invention may be the better understood, drawings are hereunto
annexed and to which reference may be made. Figure 1 is a view of a stocking mado
in accordance with my invention having the rounded beel E and rounded toe P and
fashioned gusset G. Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view of the piece of fabric forming
the heel, cut through the stitches B to D and laid out flat.
The leg portion A of the stocking or sock may be made in the usual manner, but,
when the point is reached where the heel cominences, the fabric is gradually made
narrower until a piece of fabric similar to the upper half of Figure 2 down to the
line B, B is produced, this is effected in the following manner :- When the operator
commences at C to D to knit or make that portion of the fabric which is to form the
heel of the stocking or sock, the tbread is laid over the full number of needles for the
first course or few courses as desired, so that each needle forms a new loop. At the next
succeeding course, the outer or selvage needles are rendered inoperative by the
thread not being laid over them, and no new loops being formed thereon, the presser
being arranged to close the beards of those needles only upon which the thread is laid.
One or more courses in the fabric may be made upon this number of needles, and at
the following course, the next adjacent needles are rendered inoperative by the same
means, the thread layer or carrier being caused to pass over and lay the thread over
a decreased width or number of needles, each course or. alternate, or every few courses
as desired, until a tapered piece of fabric similar to the upper half of Figure 2 has
been formed, & which represents half the extent of the heel C to D and F to D (Fig. 1),
when preferably 12 or 14 needles remain in action.
The remaining half of the heel is now proceeded with & the process just described
is reversed, the fabric gradually being widened until the whole of the needles have
again come into action by having the thread laid upon them & forming new loops
thereon.
At the commencement of the second half (of the heel, after a course in the fabric
has been made, the two outer needles which were the last two needles to be rendered
inoperative are now the first to be again brought into action by having the thread laid
over them to form new loops; after one or more courses has or have been made and

page_text: at the end of a course, two end needles which had previously been put out of action
are again brought into action & fed with yarn & this process is repeated until the whole
of the needles which were inoperative have again come into action; the thread layer
or carrier being caused to pass over an increased width of needles each, or every two
or more courses as desired, until the complete heel C to D & F to D is formed.
After the complete heel is thus formed several courses in the fabric are knitted and
the fashionings or narrowings G in the gusset are made by means of the narrowing
machine in the ordinary way; the bottom of the foot is then continued in the usual
manner until the toe P is reached & which is formed by substantially the same process
as that before described for the making of the heel; viz. by the thread being laid over
a decreased width of needles cach course until only a desired number of needles
remain in action, & then the process reversed & the thread being laid over an increased
number of needles each course until the whole of the needles have again come into
action, and a piece of fabric similar to that which forms the heel has been produced.
The instep H, and the sole of the foot L, are then joined together by means of the
seam J in the ordinary way.
I may when desirable cut the leg, and instep portions of a stocking out of a
tubular piece of fabric produced upon a circular knitting machine, (as is often done
with the cheaper classes of goods known as 'cut goods ') & by transferring the loops
at the lower part of the leg on to a straight bar knitting-frame, a rounded heel &
rounded toe may be worked thereon in the manner hereinbefore described, & the
bottom of the foot in the ordinary way, or the leg & foot portions may be formed of
circular fabric, & the 'niantic' heel & toe worked thereto afterwards by means of a
straight bar knitting frame.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The manufacture upon a straight bar knitting frame of a stocking or sock
having a rounded heel and a rounded toe substantially in the manner described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
2. The combination with a tubular piece of knitted fabric cut to form the leg and
instep or leg and foot portions of a stocking or sock of a rounded heel and a rounded
toe produced upon a straight bar knitting frame substantially as hereinbefore
described.
3. A stocking or sock the 'niantic' or rounded heel of which is formed upon a
straight bar knitting frame substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawing.
4. A stocking or sock the 'niantic' or rounded toe of which is formed upon a
straight bar knitting frame substantially as herein before described and illustrated in
the accompanying drawing.