AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF POLKAS WHEN LOOPED OR ELASTIC FABRICS ARE USED
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Biggs and William Biggs, of Leicester, in the
County of Leicester, Manufacturers of Hosiery, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF POLKAS WHEN LOOPED OR ELASTIC
FABRICS ARE USED."
Sealed the 18th May 1858, and dated the 20th March 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Biggs and William
Biggs at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 20th March 1858.
We, JOHN BIGGS and WILLIAM BIGGS, of Leicester, in the County of
Leicester, Manufacturers of Hosiery, do hereby declare the nature of the
Invention for "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF POLKAS WHEN LOOPED
OR ELASTIC FABRICS ARE USED," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object an improvement in the manufacture of
polkas when looped or elastic fabrics are used. Heretofore, in the manu-
facture of polkas, looped or elastic fabrics have been used, but in all cases the
polkas have been composed of dyed or white yarn.
Now, our Invention consists in combining looped elastic fabrics composed of
dyed or white yarn with printed, looped, or elastic fabrics, in such manner that
the body of a polka shall be composed of looped elastic fabric consisting of dyed
or white yarn, and the border shall be composed of printed, looped, elastic fabric,
by which new combination of fabrics elastic polkas may be made possessing a
very improved character.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Biggs and William Biggs in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th September 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
BIGGS and WILLIAM BIGGS, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Manu-
facturers of Hosiery, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said John Biggs and William Biggs, Her special licence that we, the said
John Biggs and William Biggs, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said John Biggs and William Biggs, our 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 "AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF POLKAS
WHEN LOOPED OR ELASTIC FABRICS ARE USED," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said John Biggs and William Biggs, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and
seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 we, the said John Biggs and William Biggs, 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 an improvement in the manufacture of
polkas when looped or elastic fabrics are used. Heretofore, in the manufacture
of polkas, looped or elastic fabrics have been used, but in all cases the polkas
have been composed of dyed or white yarn. Now, our Invention consists
in combining looped elastic fabrics composed of dyed or white yarn, with
printed, looped, or elastic fabrics, in such manner that the body of a polka
shall be composed of looped elastic fabric consisting of dyed or white yarn,
and the border shall be composed of printed, looped, elastic fabric, by which

page_text: new combination of fabrics elastic polkas may be made possessing a very
improved character.
Having thus stated the nature of our said Invention, we will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
The bodies of the polkas are to be made of looped elastic fabrics as here-
tofore, and as is well understood, using white or dyed yarn for such purpose.
The upper, the front, and the lower edges (or such portions of the edges as
may be desired to be ornamented in this manner) of each such body made of
looped fabric are to have applied by sewing, or otherwise attached thereto, a
border composed of printed looped fabric, and such is to be the case in respect
to the ends of the sleeves. Or the border may be formed by sewing or other-
wise attaching the printed, looped, or elastic fabric near to the edge of the
polka. By these means the body of a polka will consist in each case of a plain
or one colored looped fabric, or of a looped fabric made of different colored
yarns but not printed, and the border all round, as well as the end of the
sleeves; or such part of such border or end, as we may desire, will consist of
an ornamental printed looped fabric, such border being of a greater or less
width according to taste.
⚫ In witness whereof, we, the said John Biggs and William Biggs,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Eleventh day of Septem-
ber, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-eight.
5 Witness,
SAMUEL STONE,
of Leicester,
Solicitor.
JOHN BIGGS.
(L.S.)
WILLIAM BIGGS. (L.S.)