IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STOCKINGS
Year: 1885

page_text: We WILLIAM JAMES FORD of Humberstone in the County of Leicester Manu-
facturer, and WILLIAM HENRY TODD of 7 Earl Howe Street Leicester Machine
Agent do hereby declare the nature of our Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF STOCKINGS" to be as follows:-
According to this Invention we form the greater part of the leg piece of a
stocking of a tubular fabric formed on that class of knitting machine in which two
straight rows of needles inclined to one another are used and in which work is
produced upon one row of needles when the thread layer travels in one direction
and upon the other row of needles when the thread layer travels back in the
opposite direction.
To make narrowings in the leg piece below the calf we from time to time put
one or more needles at one of the ends of both rows of needles out of work having
previously transferred the loops which were on these needles on to the needles next
to them. Preferably at each narrowing we so transfer or move inwards the loops
on two three or more needles at the end of the rows shifting them all one or more
needles inwards. In this way the marks produced in the work at each narrowing
will be at a short distance on each side of the back central line of the stocking just
as in stockings which are made on ordinary flat rotary frames.
After making one narrowing and before making the next narrowing 8 or 10
courses of work may be made-usually we make 7 such narrowings in this way
but the number of narrowings may be varied. After a short length of work has
been made beyond the last narrowing we take the work off from the needles of
this machine and transfer it on to the needles of a circular knitting machine of
that class which can work in whichever direction it may be turned as for example
machines of the class known as the Griswold knitting machines-and on this
machine after completing the formation of the leg piece we form the heel and foot
of the stocking in the way in which they are ordinarily formed on these machines.
Preferably we employ for forming the heel piece and foot of the stocking a machine
such as is described in the specification of a Patent granted to one of us and to
John Harris Cooper in the year 1884-so that a thickening thread may be laid into
the work above and throughout the heel without breakage of thread and also in
the toe or other part of the foot as may be desired.
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page_text: We, WILLIAM JAMES FORD of Humberstone in the County of Leicester Manu-
facturer and WILLIAM HENRY TODD of 7 Earl Howe Street Leicester Machine
Agent 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 :-
According to this invention we form the greater part of the leg piece of a stocking
of a tubular fabric formed on that class of knitting machine in which two straight
rows of needles inclined to one another are used and in which work is produced
upon one row of needles when the thread layer travels in one direction, and upon
the other row of needles when the thread layer travels back in the opposite
direction.
To make narrowings in the leg piece below the calf we from time to time put
one or more needles at one of the ends of both rows of needles out of work having
previously transferred the loops which were on these needles on to the needles next
to them. Preferably at each narrowing we so transfer or move inwards the loops
on two three or more needles at the end of the rows shifting them all one or more
needles inwards. In this way the marks produced in the work at each narrowing
will be at a short distance on each side of the back central line of the stocking just
as in stockings which are made on ordinary flat rotary frames, but to this mode of
narrowing by itself we make no claim.
After making one narrowing and before making the next narrowing 8 or 10 courses
of work may be made-usually we make 7 such narrowings in this way but the
number of narrowings may be varied. After a short length of work has been made
beyond the last narrowing we take the work off from the needles of this machine
and transfer it on to the needles of a circular knitting machine of that class which
can work in whichever direction it may be turned as for example machines of the
class known as the Griswold knitting machines-and on this machine after com-
pleting the formation of the leg piece we form the heel and foot of the stocking in
the way in which they are ordinarily formed on these machines. Preferably we
employ for forming the heel piece and foot of the stocking a machine such as is
described in the Specification of a patent granted to one of us and to John Harris
Cooper in the year 1884-so that a thickening thread may be laid into the work
above and throughout the heel without breakage of thread and also in the toe or
other part of the foot as may be desired.
The drawing annexed shows a stocking made as above described.
In carrying out our invention we proceed as follows:-
We first form a length of ribbed work marked A in the drawing either upon a
circular or flat machine. When the requisite length of ribbed work has been pro-
duced we remove the work from the machine and put it on to the needles of that
class of kniting machine in which two straight rows of needles inclined to one
another are used and we place one half of the work on to one row of needles and
the other half on to the other row and proceed to form a tubular leg piece B on
this machine in the manner described above forming narrowings in it at C to make
it of the required shape.

page_text: Preferably we employ for forming the leg piece the machine described in the
specification lodged with an application for a Patent N° 1450 in the present year
in order that the leg piece may in addition to having narrowings formed in it as
above described also be made with thickened work D at the knee in the manner
described in that specification and also be thickened at the back of the leg piece
just above the heel as shown at E. When the leg piece has been so formed down
to about the dotted line 1, 2 the work is removed from the machine and placed on
to the needles of a circular machine such as is described in the specification of the
Patent above mentioned N° 1788 in the year 1884 granted to one of us and to John
Harris Cooper and proceed to form a thickened heel piece F in the manner described
in that specification and subsequently form upon the same machine the remainder
of the foot thickening the work if desired at the toe in the manner shown at G in
the drawing or in other parts of the foot if desired.
In place of the whole of the leg piece of the stocking being made upon the flat
machine as above described that portion of the tubular leg piece which is thickened
at E just above the heel might be made upon the circular machine we prefer however
to form the stocking in the manner described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
1. The construction upon that class of knitting machine in which two rows of
needles inclined to one another are used for producing tubular fabric of the leg
piece of a stocking fashioned as described and afterwards forming upon the end of
this leg piece a foot piece on a circular machine capable of working in whichever
direction its axis is rotated substantially as described.
2. The manufacture of stockings substantially in the manner herein before
described and illustrated in the drawing annexed.
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.