IMPROVEMENTS IN CIRCULAR LOOMS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in
the County of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, for,
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CIRCULAR LOOMS."-A communication
from Jules Nicholas Poivret, of Troyes, in the Empire of France,
Merchant.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th July 1856.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CIRCULAR LOOMS," a com-
munication from Jules Nicholas Poivret, of Troyes, in the Empire of France,
Merchant, to be as follows:
. This Invention relates to certain improved constructions of "sinkers," and
to the mode of actuating the same, and consists in the employment of
"sinkers "formed with a tail or projecting hook "on their outer edge, whereby
they serve not only to depress the thread into- undulations by the aid of the
projecting tails, but also to push forward the web over the barbed ends of
the needles, so that the last stitches may fall into the undulations just formed
by the descent of the sinkers. The sinkers are actuated vertically by means of
double inclined slides, which are made adjustable vertically for the purpose of

page_text: increasing or diminishing the stitch. The outward movement of the "sinkers
is effected by means of a concentric ring, made eccentric or inclined outwards
at one part. The barbes of the needles are closed by means of a vertical
pressing wheel, which may be arranged so as to produce different patterns.
The head of each "sinker" is furnished with a thickening piece of metal, so
that they may abut against each other when under the action of the double
inclines.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 16th January 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex, and
of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John Henry
Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or 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 " IMPROVE-
MENTS IN CIRCULAR LOOMS," a communication from Jules Nicholas Poivret, of
Troyes, in the Empire of France, Merchant, upon the condition. (amongst
others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, 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 the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-'
]

page_text: The said Invention relates to certain improvements in the construction,
arrangement, and mode of working the sinkers of circular looms or knitting
frames.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a sectional elevation of a circular
frame, constructed according to this Invention, and Figure 2 is a sectional
plan of the same. In this frame the sinkers operate by means of a fixed circle
placed above the revolving plate, which carries also the needles, and is carried
by the main supporting plate of the frame.
Figure 3 represents a sectional elevation of another arrangement of circular
knitting frames of an improved construction, and Figure 4 is a plan of a portion
of the same. In this second frame the sinkers are operated by a fixed circle
placed above the revolving needle carrying plate, such fixed circle being
supported by the column or vertical shaft of the frame.
Figure 5 represents a detail of the double inclines for depressing and
elevating again the sinkers in the frame, illustrated by Figures 1 and 2,
thereby producing the undulations in the thread on the tops of the needles
when the heads of the sinkers pass between the two inclines L and M. A is.
the plate, which carries the mounting of the frame; B, a fixed column or shaft,
which supports the entire frame; C, a plate, carrying the upper and fixed
part of the mechanism; D, the needles; E, the sinkers. It will be seen that
the form of the depressing tooth S of the sinkers is entirely different to those
of the frame known as as the "Falaise frame," their mode of operation is also
different. F is the presser wheel, which acts upon the barbs of the needles
over the teeth S of the sinkers, when those teeth have engaged the thread
under the barbs; G is an eccentric or fixed cam, for causing the stitches to
pass over the barbed ends of the needles, and serves also to introduce the
stitches below the barbes of the needles, and to cause the preceeding stitch to
pass over the end of the needle by the action of the pressing wheel. This
eccentric or cam is of the same form as those employed in ordinary circular
frames. H is a portion of the circle, which is concentric with the loom, for the
purpose of sustaining the sinkers, and in such a manner as to keep the tooth S
at a certain distance above the needles, for the purpose of permitting the
placing of the thread. This circle is held fixed by means of pillars, situated at
intervals, and attached to the main supporting plate C. I is a piece, jointed at "
J, and having a slight play at J', to connect the eccentric G to the circle H,
whatever may be the position of the eccentric; K, the apparatus for elevating
and depressing the sinkers; shewn in full at Figure 5; L, the elevating incline,
and M, the depressing incline, the former being carried by the support N,
and the latter by the support O; P, an intermediate plate. connecting the

page_text: two-supports -N and O. This plate is itself suspended by the support Q,
fixed to the main plate C. The three supporting columns N, O, and Q are,
severally made adjustable; the supports N and O for the purpose of in-
creasing or diminishing the distance between the two inclines M and L, and
the support Q, for the purpose of giving more or less length of stitch.
R is a sustaining platė, placed under the ends of the needles, for the
purpose of supporting them during the descent of the sinkers on the thread;
T is a wheel, for pushing back the work after the last formed stitches have
been passed over: the ends of the needles; Z is the thread feeder; U, an
arm, för causing the work to drop over the end of the needles; X is a lever;
for holding the sinker actuating mechanism; fixed. The heads of the several
sinkers are furnished 'with thickening. pieces V, Figure 7, so that they may abut
against one another at the moment when they pass between the two-inclines
M and L, herein before referred to. The presser wheel F works vertically
upon the teeth S of the sinkers, by which means the stitches-may be held at that
part by the pressing wheel. By having the pressing wheel vertical, facility is
afforded for using pattern wheels to produce various kinds of work. This frame
differs from the ordinary circular frame, inasmuch as the sinkers serve at the
same time 'to, depress the thread into undulations and to push the loop over
the barbs of the needles, thereby dispensing with the wheels ordinarily used for:
depressing the thread between the needles:
The peculiar form of the sinkers, the mode of depressing the thread; and the
arrangement of the circle H, constitute the main features of this Invention; the
remaining parts of the frame being of the ordinary well-known arrangement!
Figure 6 represents- a sinker, with a head of the same form as the heads
of the sinkers used in the frame known as the "Falaise "frame; for the
purpose of being worked by an inclined-presser wheel; but it differs-in-its
mode of operation; since it is worked by means of double inclines; as lierein-
before described with reference to the sinkers at E, at Figure 11
2.
In the arrangement shewn at Figures 3 and 4, the sinkers E¹ are actuated
by means of a fixed plate L', placed below the revolving needle plate A¹; this
fixed plate L carries a circle H', which forms a species of railway, upon which
are placed the adjustable inclines' for 'effecting the depression and elevation of.
the sinkers. The circle. His cut away, as shewn in Figures 8 and 9, so as to
produce the proper descent of the sinkers for forming the loops, and also
for raising the sinkers, so as to effect the pushing forward of the work on to the
bar at the desired times. This circle supports the sinkers during the time of
laying the thread; so that the tooth S may remain slightly elevated above the
needles. The head' V of the sinkers is straight, without a hook, their forward

page_text: The incline M; Figures 3 andǝ9;>
should be placed ass close together
movement being effected by the eccentric or cam G which acts upon the back
of the sinker heads. The bottom of each sinker is notched; and: this-notchl
rests upon the circle Ha-second notch Mont the outside of the sinker,
serves for the entrance of the incline MúZ, Z; are circular guides: or combs to
maintain the sinkers at a proper guage:. These guide plates are connected to
the revolving plate A by the pillars Z
works between the guide plates, which
as possible. I' is a third guide plate or circular: comb fixed to the turning
plate A', so as to be as near as possible to the needles.... The notches in this
plate, are open in front, and serve only to support the..sinkers when they are
moved inwards, in readiness for effecting the looping of the thread. G is the
eccentric for. advancing the sinkers, and G³ the incline which effects the push-
ing of the work on to the barbs; this latter piece is jointed at R' to the piece
Gi; and is adjusted by means of-the-lever X;G is the support which carries*
the cams or eccentrics for imparting the horizontal movement to the sinkers;
B', the fixed supporting, shaft of the-loom;, C. the main supporting plate; A',
the revolving middle plate; D', the needles; F', the pressing wheel, working
as in the loom shewn in Figure 1; R', the needle supporter; U¹, the
thrower off.
Figure 8 represents a modification of the apparatus for working the sinkers
vertically. The incline M', in place of acting in the notch M³, acts upon the
head of the sinker, whilst the foot of the sinker rests upon the circle H¹. In
this arrangement one guide plate Z only is used, situate near the bottom of the
sinkers. O¹ is an adjustable support, for carrying the incline M', the whole
being supported by the main plate above. The heads of the sinkers E' are
furnished with small thickening pieces, in order that the sinkers may abut
against each-other, and so support themselves during the first forming of the
loops.
Figure 7b is a sinker, the head of which is of a similar construction to those
of the "Falaise" loom, with the addition of the thickening pieces V³, so as
to enable them to be worked after the manner shewn at Figure 8.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself to
the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to describe or
refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from the
principles or main features of the said Invention; but what I consider to be
novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-

page_text: First, the general constructions and arrangements of circular looms, as
herein-before described.
Second, the systems or modes whereby the sinkers are made to effect the
several operations of looping or undulating the thread, depositing the same
under the barbs of the needles, and the pushing of the loops over the barbs in
circular knitting frames, as herein-before described.
Third, the peculiar constructions-and-arrangements of sinkers, as herein-
before described, and illustrated by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Sixteenth day of January One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-seven.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)