IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN FRAMEWORK KNITTING, OR STOCKING FABRICS
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
COLTMAN, of Leicester, in the County of Liecester, Frame Smith, and JOSEPH
WALE, of the same place, Frame Smith, send greeting;
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Seventh day of September, in the fourth year of Her reign,
'did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
William Coltman and Joseph Wale, Her especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that we, the said William Coltman and Joseph Wale,
our exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Coltman
and Joseph Wale, our exors, adiñors, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times, during the term of
years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,' and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN FRAMEWORK KNITTING,
OR STOCKING FABRICS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso
that we, the said William Coltman and Joseph Wale, or one of us, shall
cause a particular description of the nature of our said Invention, and in' what
manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's
High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the
'same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
William Coltman and Joseph Wale, do hereby declare that the nature of
our Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are
fully described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures
and letters marked thereon (that is to say:-
Our Invention relates to certain Improvements in the Machinery employed
in the Manufacturer of Framework Knitting and Stocking Fabricis. And in
order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect, we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed, first
remarking that the general mode of working such description of machinery
being well understood, and as our Invention relates only to certain modifica-
tions of some of the parts, in order to their working more safely and with
greater advantage, it will not be necessary to enter into a full description of
every part of the machinery shown in the Drawings; and we propose chiefly
to dwell in our description on those parts to which our Invention more
particularly applies. The other parts having their names written on them,
their action will be readily traced, and will consequently require but. little
description.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
The nature of the various Views shown of the machinery by the Drawings
being written near each Figure, it will not be necessary to repeat them here,
and it will only be desirable to remark that the same letters of reference aro
used to indicate similar parts, wherever they occuar. a, a, is the framing of
the machinery, the nature of which will readily be traced in the various Figures
of the Drawings, and it will be seen that the framing is so arranged, in
conjunction with the different parts of the machinery, that several machines
may be combined together and worked by the same driving, shaft, and in
such manner that any one of the machines may be started or stopped
independently of all other of the machines in the same framings, and driven
by the same shaft,, as will be hereafter explained, whereby much space will be
saved, and the cost of constructing framing for a given width of machinery
will be reduced. 6 is the main or driving shaft, which receives motion by
means of the crank handles c, c, but the shaft 6 might evidently be driven
by means of a steam engine or other power. On the axis of the crank
handles is affixed a bevilled tooth wheel d, which takes into and drives the
bevelled toothed wheel e, affixed on the shaft f. At the lower end of such
shaft there is affixed the bevelled tooth wheel g, which takes into and drives

page_text: the bevilled toothed wheel h, affixed on the main shaft b, by which means a
constant rotatory motion may be obtained to the main shaft b. On the main
shaft b are applied as many cog wheels i as there are separate machines to
be actuated by the main shaft b, each of such wheels i being capable of
allowing the main shaft b to revolve without such wheel i, and each of such
wheels i can be caused to move round with the main shaft 6 by the workman
connecting the parts of the coupling box j, one half of each of which coupling
boxes is formed on the nave or boss of the wheel i, and the other half slides
on the main shaft b, and is at all times caused to turn with such main shaft,
there being a feather or projection on the axis or shaft b, as is well understood
by machinists, k, k, being lever handles, by which the workman can put the
parts of the coupling boxes together, or separate them, such lever handles
being each attached by a pin joint to a sliding bar 1, such sliding bars having
each a fork, which partly embraces the sliding part of a clutch box, and
by such means the workman can at any time put either of the machines into
or out of action by a movement of the proper lever handle k, as will readily be
traced in the Drawings. The Drawings show only two machines combined in
the same framing and worked by the same main shaft b, and for such purpose
there are only three end framings a, the middle framing acting as the end
framing of both the machines. It will however be evident that in this manner
several machines may be combined together, and thus save space and cost
of framing. And this part of our Invention is not confined to our construction
of machines, but is equally applicable for other constructions of stocking
machinery. m, m, are cog wheels, which are affixed to the cam shaft or axis.
n; such wheels m respectively taking into a wheel, is driven thereby, and by
such means motion is communicated from the main shaft 6 to the cam shafts
n of the various machines. We would remark that we have not thought it
necessary to shew the two machines complete, but only so much so as to enable
a workman to understand the positions of the parts, the right-hand machine,
with slight exception, being shown complete in the Drawings, so far as the
parts can be seen in the front view of the machine.
We will now proceed to explain the nature of the sinker frame, and the means
of obtaining motion thereto. In doing so, we will first call attention to the
circumstance, that in working the jack sinkers the. jacks are shorter and do
not move on an axis which passes through them, as heretofore, but simply rest
on what we call a jack bar; and in place of the jacks being each con-
nected to a sinker by a pin joint, as heretofore, each jack is connected by a
pin joint to a sliding bolt, and each of the sliding bolts is connected by a pin
joint to a sinker; and the sliding bolts are guided in their movement up and

page_text: down by means of combs, and by means of guage bars their position in
respect to the front and back of the machine may be adjusted most accu-
rately. o, o, are the jack sinkers; o', o', are the sliding bolts to which they
are connected; and o, o, are the jacks connected to the sliding bolts, as is
clearly shown in the Drawings. p is the comb bar in which the bolts o' are
guided, q, q, being the guage bars, which are fixed to the comb bar p by set
screws passing through slots. The workman is thus enabled to adjust the
position of the sliding bolts. r, r, are the lead sinkers, the leads of which are
affixed to a thin bar s in front of the comb bar p, such thin bar being
affixed to the comb bar p by means of screws s¹ at the upper edge of the
bars; and t, t, are set screws, which passing through the bar 8, rest against
the front of the comb bar, by means of which screws t the bar s may be set
out to a sufficient. extent to adjust the lead sinkers in order to their working
correctly with the jack sinkers. v is a bär förming a stop to the sliding bolts
at top, such bar v being affixed to the hanging checks u, and the comb bar p
is also affixed to the hanging cheeks u by means of screws, as shown in the
Drawings. wis the hand bar leaf, and w' a back bar connecting the hanging
cheeks, to which they are affixed by means of screws w³, and thus are the
hanging cheeks made into a strong frame constituting the sinker frame. This
sinker frame swings on necks or axis u³, guided by and capable of moving- in
slots formed in the standards at the ends, as are shown in the Drawings. The
sinker frame receives motion from cams on the cam shaft in the following
manner: x, x, are connecting links attached by pin joints to the lower parts
of the sinker frame, and at their other ends- by pin joints to the arms x,
affixed on the spindle bar x, such spindle bar a having an arm a³ affixed
thereto, at the lower end of which there is a truck or roller which rest
against one of the cams which move the hanging cheeks a being a connect-
ing link between the arm a³ and the lever a, the truck or roller of which
rests against the other cam which governs the movement of the hanging
checks up and down, as will readily be traced on a careful examination
of the various Figures of the Drawings, the necessary knocking-over motion
of the sinker frame being communicated in the following manner :-
From cams on the cam shaft y is a connecting link attached by a pin
joint to the back connecting bar of the banging cheeks, and at the other
end the connecting link y is attached by a pin joint to the lever y¹, at
the lower end of which there is a truck or roller which rests against one of
the cams which produces the knocking-over movements, y² being a connecting
link from the lever y¹ to the lever y³, which, by its truck or roller, rests. against
the other of the cams for governing the knocking-over motions, as will

page_text: readily be traced on examining the Drawings. The presser bar is worked in
the following manner:-2, 2, are two presser bar arms, to which the presser
bar is affixed, and these arms move on axes, as shown in the Drawings, such
arms z being connected together by a bar z¹, and motion is communicated to
such arms, and consequently to the presser bar, from a cam on the cam shaft
in the following manner is a connecting rod attached by a pin joint to
the bar z¹, and at the other end the connecting rod or link is attached by a
pin joint to the lever, which is a crank lever, the other end of the lever
having a truck or roller which rests against the presser bar cam, as is shown
in the Drawing.
We will now describe the action of the slur cock and the thread carrier,
the motions for working which are from the same cam, which is on a separate
axis, which however derives its motion from the cam shaft by means of
bevelled toothed wheels, as is clearly shown in the Drawing; but it should
be remarked that, owing to the driving motion from the cam shaft being
above the centre of the wheel on the slur cock, cam shaft, or axis, it is necessary
to have the teeth of the wheels oblique as well as being on a bevelled or mitred
surface. By this arrangement the two shafts do not interfere with each other,
but the one may by such an arrangement of wheels be readily and conveniently
driven from the other. It will be seen that each machine is capable of making
two widths of fabric at the same time; there are therefore two thread carriers
and two slur cocks, but the giving motion to one is the means of giving motion
to the other. We will therefore describe one:-A is a slur-cock carriage, and
A¹ is the slur cock, which is capable of slight movement up and down, it having
a slot through it through which a pin passes to prevent it being forced out of its
place by the spring A². The nature of the other slur-cock carriage is clearly
shown in the Drawing, and such is the case in respect to the mode of connect-
ing two slur-cock carriages together. A³ is the slur-cock bar, which is carried
by brackets A affixed to the comb bar of the sliding bolts of the jack sinkers..
As is a pin projecting from, the back of the slur-cock carriage, and the back
end thereof passes through a slot formed in a connecting link B, such con-
necting link at its other end receiving the end of the lever C, which com-
municates motion from the slur-cock cam, such lever having its fulcrum at its
lower end; and this lever carries a truck or roller above the fulcrum, which
constantly rests against the slur-cock cam, C' being a connecting link which
connects the lever C with the lever C³, the truck of such lever C² resting
against the other,.side of the slur-cock cam, by which means the movement
of the slur-cock carriage is caused and governed. At the upper end of
the lever C is affixed a forked projection D, which embraces the finger E,

page_text: which is affixed to the sliding bolt F, such sliding bolt moving in brackets
affixed to the back carriage of the thread carrier at the back of the machine,
there being a spring affixed to the back carriage of the thread carrier which
presses against the front surface of the sliding bolt F, consequently the back
carriage of the thread carrier is connected in its movement with the sliding
bolt F; but through the elasticity of the spring between it and the sliding
bolt, the back carriage of the thread carrier is connected with the front
carriage of the thread carrier by means of the cranked bar G, and the front
and back carriages of the thread carrier move on the bars H, H, such bars
being connected together by means of two connecting arms or bars I, I,
at their ends, such arms or bars I moving on necks or axes J, J, in order
to obtain a slight swinging motion to the thread carries, that they may
not have thread drawn off or broken in the working of the sinker frame.
K is a thread carrier affixed to the back of the front carriage of the thread
carrier, as is shewn, there being one such thread carrier to each width of
fabric the machine is made capable of producing, and the slight swinging
movement to the thread carriers is produced in the following manner :-L is
an arm affixed to the back of the back thread carrier carriage; L¹ is a
connecting link or rod attached at its upper end by a pin joint to the end
of the-arm L, and at its lower end by a pin joint to the lever L², which
has a roller or truck constantly rests against the cam, which produces the
requisite swinging action to the thread carrier carriage bars H, H. It will be
seen that, owing to the slot formed in the connecting link which connects the
slur-cock carriage and the lever C, that the thread carrier will have a short
lead of the slur cock, in order to lay thread on the needles before the
slur cock actuates the jack sinkers. We would remark, that it is im-
portant, in order to obtain good selvages, that no thread should be drawn
from the thread carrier when working a course after the thread carrier bas
laid the requisite thread on the needles for working a course.. For this reason
we apply a bar M across the front of the machine, such bar being suspended
on arms M', M', as is shewn; and the arm M¹ at the right hand end of the
machine projects towards the back of the machine, M being a connecting
link attached at its upper end by a pin point to such arm M¹, and at its lower
end is formed a sliding bolt Ms, which slides in brackets, as is shewn, the
bolt having an axis at right angles on which is a truck or roller, which is
worked by a curved projection of one of the sinker cams in such manner to
cause the holding bar to press against the front surface of the thread carriers,
and thus hold the thread during the working of the course, and after the
thread carrier has laid thread over the needles to the extent required.

page_text: We will now describe the means of working the locker bar N, which moves
on arms N', at the back end of which are axes or necks on which they move,
such axes or necks of the arms N₁ being carried by a bracket from the comb
bar. N is a connecting rod attached at its upper end by a pin joint to the
locker bar, and at its lower end by a pin joint to the lever N³, which has a
roller or truck constantly resting on the locker bar cam, by which the requisite
movement is given to the locker bar.
We will now proceed to describe the apparatus used in narrowing the work
as it proceeds in the working of the machine. O is a lever moving on an axis
O. At the left-hand end of this lever there is a clawker O2 attached, such
clawker having an opening through it in which the spring O* rests and presses
it towards the ratchet wheel P, and the spring 03 is so formed that when
narrowing is not to go on to the clawker is to be thrown back towards the
right hand, and the spring will retain it out of action. At the right-hand end
the crank lever O comes over a projection O*, affixed at the back of the top
stop bar of the sliding bolts of the sinkers; hence, when that top bar is raised
it causes the right-hand end of the lever O to be raised; and supposing the
clawker in action, it will move the ratchet wheel P partly round, there being a
spring to raise the clawker end of the lever O when permitted to do so by the
descent of the top stop bar of the sinkers, as is shewn in the Drawing. 0° is
a click or catch to prevent the ratchet wheel P running back. The ratclict
wheel has twelve teeth, and it has a projecting stud P¹ on the face of it, which
causes the ratchet wheel Q to be moved round one tooth every twelve courses
of work made by the machine; and by such movement of the wheel Q the
snail wheel R, which is affixed on the same axis, will present a different stop
out its surfaces for the stops R' of the thread carrier carriage to come against.
Hence the work will be narrowed a quantity equal to two needles at each sel-
vage at every twelve courses of work made by the machine; and if it is desired
to narrow more or less often, then the wheel P is to be changed for one of a
different number of the teeth. R is a spring click or catch to prevent the
ratchet wheel Q from turning back. In using this part of the machinery the
workman, when be commences to narrow his work, puts the clawker O² into
action with its ratchet wheel, and then the working of the machine will of
itself place the snail wheel in the correct positions for the successive narrow-
ings required till the work is complete, and the working of the machine will
be stopped by the machine itself at the times for narrowing. On the axis or
main shaft b is affixed a cam S, which actuates the lever S¹ at each revolution
of the main shaft ; and there being a clawker S2 attached to the lever S¹,
such clawker will move the ratchet wheel Tone tooth each revolution of the

page_text: main shaft; and as the ratchet wheel 1, like the ratchet wheel P, has twelve
teeth, the machine will be stopped for narrowing after every twelve courses,
as hereafter explained; and if it is desired to narrow more or less often, the
wheel T is to be changed for one of a different number of teeth, taking care
that the ratchet wheels P and T agree in their times of action. On the face
of the wheel T is affixed a plate T¹, which, coming in contact with the truck
or roller on the lever V, causes that end of the lever to be depressed, and the
other end of the cranked lever V to move towards the right-hand end of the
machine, which will cause it to come in contact with the fork of the clutch
box, and thus slide the moveable part of the clutch box, and put the
machine out of action, and it will so remain till the workman by the lever
handle slides back the moveable part of the clutch box. And in order that
the sliding bar may be retained in the position to which it may have
been moved, there is a projection from the under surface of the sliding
bar 1, which is pressed on by the notched or projecting surface of a spring
which is affixed to the front framing of the machine, which spring prevents
the sliding bar moving from either of its proper positions when once placed,
unless considerable force be applied to cause the spring to be depressed; and
thereby allow of the projection in the sliding bar moving over the notched
surface of the spring. The machine being thus stopped to allow of the
narrowing process being performed, the workman proceeds to use the
apparatus, which we will now describe, for tickling. off the loops from
the selvage needles, which process of tickling is well understood when per-
formed by hand, as heretofore practised, but by means of the apparatus
hereafter explained the process of tickling of the loops will be facilitated.
U, U, are the tickling points cast in leads, as is shewn separately, there being
three ticklers for each selvage. W is a handle by which the workman brings
this part of the machinery into operation. This handle is affixed to a spindle
or axis. W¹, which has a pinion W affixed thereon, and the axis or spindle of
the handle turns in a hole formed in the bar W³, and the spindle is supported
by a bearing W, affixed to the bar W³. On the bar W³ slides two bars (1)
and (2), there being staples W affixed to the bar. W³ to retain the bars (1)
and (2) correctly in their places. On each of the bars (1) and (2) is formed
a toothed rack, and by means of the pinion W the bars (1) and (2) can be
moved in opposite directions, in order to cause the tickling points to be
correctly placed, that in going into the machine the tickling points will come
directly on to the beards of the three outermost needles, on which there are
loops at each selvage of the fabric in order to receive the loops therefrom and
carry them in towards the middle of the width of the fabric, a distance equal

page_text: to two needles, and in such manner that when the loops so taken off are again
placed on needles, there will be one loop on the outermost needle at each of
the selvages, two loops on each of the two next needles counting towards the
middle of the fabric from the outermost selvage needle at each selvage. X is
a bar below the leads of the tickling points. This bar is supported by two
rods X passing through the bar W³, and sliding freely in holes formed
through such bar W. The object of this bar X is to press the work on to
the stems of the needles, X2 being a sliding bolt affixed to the bar X and
sliding in staples X affixed to the bar W³, there being a spring on the bolt X*
in order to keep it pressed away from the work on the needles until the work-
man forces the bar X towards the needles, when he wishes to force the work
and loops on to the stems of the needles. Y, Y, are brackets affixed to the
front of the machine, as is shewn, and in slots formed in these brackets the
necks (affixed to the ends of the bar W³) move. On the bars (1) and (2)
are affixed fingers (3), (3), which enter notches in the spring catches (4), (4),
which are affixed to the bar Ws. The notches in these springs are a distance
apart equal to two needles; hence, the workman by the handle causing the
bars (1) and (2) to move each a distance of one notch in their respective
spring catches (4), will cause the ticklers to be moved a space equal to two
needles at each selvage nearer to each other, and when they have performed
their work the fabric on the needles will have been narrowed a quantity equal
to four needles in the whole width, and such will be the effect at each time of
using the ticklers, the outermost needle for the time being at each selvage
having only a single loop thereon. It has been before stated, that the machine
stops of itself when the narrowing process is to go on at all tinies after the
first time of narrowing, in consequence of the workman putting the clawkers
of the ratchet wheels P and T into action when he first narrows, and he
stops the machine by the lever handle when he first commences to narrow
the fabric or fabrics produced in the machine. And the machine is stopped
by its own movements at the time when the sinkers have come forward and
knocked the work over the needle heads. The workman then, by the handle
W, causes the narrowing machinery to approach the needles, the ticklers
being racked towards each other a space of their respective spring catches
nearer to each other than they are to act, in order that in going in they
may avoid the thread from the thread carrier; and the ticklers are introduced
between the sinkers, which act as guides to guide the ticklers correctly over
the needles. The sinkers are then taken back by turning the cog wheel on
the cam shaft by hand; the work is then forced back on to the ste'ns of

page_text: the needles by the bar X. The ticklers are now racked outwards to their
_correct places for coming on to the heads of the selvage needles, the outer-
most tickling point coming on to the head of the outermost needles, which
has a loop on it; the ticklers are then borne down on to the beards of
their respective needles. The sinkers are now brought forward by moving the
cog wheel on the cam shaft by hand, and thus land the three loops at each
selvage on to the ticklers; the sinkers are taken back by moving the cog
wheel on the cain shaft, and the points of the ticklers are raised from the
beards of the needles and racked a distance equal to two needles at each
selvage of the fabric and towards the middle of the width of the fabric; the
tickler points are pressed on to the beards of the needles, and the sinkers are
again brought forward (by means of turning the cog wheel on the cam shaft), and
take back the work on to the stems of the needles, and the work will have
been narrowed to the extent of two needles at each selvage, and the narrow-
ing machinery being removed, the machine will be in a condition to have the
thread again laid on to the needles, and the workman by the lever handle
moves the clutch box, and the machine goes on working till the time arrives
for again narrowing, when the narrowing machine is again brought into
action in a similar manner to what has been above described.
;
Another part of our Invention is shown in the Drawing marked B. This
Drawing represents so much of a stocking machine as will enable us to
describe this part of our Invention, which consists of an improved construction
of jacks to the jack sinkers, together with a new means of applying the
jack springs. In this machine the jacks are attached to the jack sinkers
as heretofore, consequently many of the parts before described, when using
the sliding bolts between the jacks and jack sinkers, are here dispensed with
but in other respects the working of the parts is very similar to what has been
before described, the various parts being marked with their proper names;
and as they may be worked with the same cams with slight adjustment, and
as such adjustment will readily be made, the workman keeping in mind that
the sinkers are to be caused to work in the ordinary manner on the needles,
it will not therefore be necessary to enter into any description thereof, as the
workman, on a careful examination of the Drawing now under description,
aided by the description already given, will readily ascertain the difference of
the working of some of the parts to what has been described in respect to
the similar parts of the former machine, and he will also readily perceive
which of the parts of the present machine work in the same manner to those
of the other machine. We shall therefore confine our description to the mode of

page_text: constructing the jacks of the jack sinkers. The improved construction of jacks
shewn in this Drawing consists in removing the tails of the jacks beyond
their axis of motion, which in this machine is similar to that heretofore used;
and in place of having the jack springs applied to the tails of the jacks at
the back of their axis of motion, the springs are placed in front, and the
front upper surface of the jack is formed into the shape shewn in the Drawing.
By this means the weight of the jacks will not only be reduced, and the depth
of the machine from front to back reduced, but the jacks, with their springs
so constructed and applied as are shewn in this Drawing, will work with more
certainty and advantage than the jacks of the old construction.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, we would remark, that
we are aware that many of the parts and combinations of the parts which we
have shewn and described are well known and in use; we wish it to be
understood that we make no claim to the parts separately, nor do we claim any
of the combinations of the parts other than is hereafter particularly pointed
out and claimed as our Invention; and we would remark, that although
the means we have described are the best we are acquainted with for carrying
out our Invention, we do not confine ourselves thereto, so long as the general
character of our Invention be retained. But what we claim is,-
First, the mode herein described of constructing and applying framing to
machines for making stockings and knit fabrics, whereby several machines
may be driven by a single main shaft, and each stopped and started without
reference to the others in the same framing, as above described.
Secondly, we claim the mode of applying sliding bolts o¹, and parts con-
nected therewith, for working the jack sinkers of machinery for making
stocking and framework knitting fabrics, as above described.
Thirdly, we claim the mode of applying tickling points and bars, and the
means of stopping the machinery at the proper times for narrowing the work,
as above described.
And, fourthly, we claim the mode of constructing jacks of jack sinkers,
and the mode of applying springs thereto, as described in respect to
Drawing B.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Coltman, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-one.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fifth day of March, in the
year of our Lord 1841, the aforesaid William Coltman came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
aight hundred andiforty-one
Inrolled the Sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and forty one