IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING KNIT FABRICS
Year: 1857

page_text: Sealed the 21st July 1857, and dated the 25th April 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Belshaw at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th April 1857.
I, JOSEPH BELSHAW, of Nottingham, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MANUFACTURING KNIT FABRICS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in manufacturing knit
fabrics. For these purposes two or more extra threads for producing pile are
sunk by two sinking wheels between the needles, the sinkers on one sinking
wheel sinking its thread between the alternate needles of the machine, and the
sinkers of the other wheel sinking its thread in those spaces between the
needles which are missed by the first-mentioned sinking wheel, and so on
alternately, if more than two extra threads be used. I would state that it is
not new in knitting machines to use extra threads for producing pile, various
means having before been proposed and used for making such descriptions of
piled knit fabrics. The peculiarity of this Invention consists in the application
of two or more extra sinking wheels to sink their respective threads, in the
manner above explained.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Belshaw in the Great Scal Patent Office on the
24th October 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPп
BELSIIAW, of Nottingham, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by IIer Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-soven, in the twentieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Joseph Belshaw, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph
Belshaw, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Joseph Belshaw, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN'
MANUFACTURING KNIT FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Joseph Belshaw, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly.
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in, the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after tho
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Belshaw, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in manufacturing knit
fabrics. For these purposes two or more extra threads for producing pile are
sunk by two sinking wheels between the needles, the sinkers on one sinking
wheel sinking its thread between the alternate needles of the machine, and the
sinkers of the other wheel sinking its thread in those spaces between the
needles which are missed by the first-mentioned sinking wheel, and so on
alternately, if more than two extra threads be used. I would state that it is
not new in knitting machines to use extra threads for producing pile, various
means having before been proposed and used for making such descriptions of
piled knit fabrics. The peculiarity of this Invention cousists in the application
:

page_text: of two or more extra sinking wheels to sink their respective threads, in the
manner above explained.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood, and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto annexed:―
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows part of a plan of a circular knitting machine, having my
improvements applied thereto. a is the thread, which is sunk between all the
needles by the sinking or loop wheel a' for producing the body of the knitted
fabric in the ordinary manner, as is well understood; b and c are two extra
threads, which are introduced into the fabric to form loops on one surface, such
loops being afterwards cut or carded out for the purpose of producing a fleeced
or piled surface. The threads b and c are sunk between the needles by the
sinking or loop wheels b' and c', the sinkers on the wheel b' sinking its thread
between alternate needles of machine, the sinkers of wheel sinking its
thread in those spaces between the needles which are missed by the sinking
wheel &, every alternate space of each of the sinking wheels 6' and c¹ having
filling pieces left or inserted therein (as shown separately at Figure 2) for the
purpose of pressing the board of each alternate needle to prevent the extra
threads b and c from entering under the beards of those needles. And I would
remark that the order in which the extra threads are sunk between tho
needles, and that the number of such extra threads may also be varied without
departing from my Invention. The dividing wheel d, the presser wheel e, and
the lifting and knocking-over wheels f and g, are of the ordinary description.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Belshaw, havo hereunto set my
band and seal, this 23d day of October, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
ALFRED GREEN,
Melbourne Street,
Nottingham.
JOSEPH BELSHAW. (L.S.)