AN IMPROVED MACHINE OR STOCKING FRAME, AND A PARTICULAR METHOD OF USING THE SAME
Year: 1797

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
BARBER, of Bilborough, in the County of Nottingham, Gentleman, send
greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty, by His Royal Letters Patent, bearing
date on or about the Twenty-fifth day of March now last past, in the thirty-
seventh year of His reign, was graciously pleased to grant unto me, the
said Robert Barber, my exors, admors, and assigns, the sole making, exer-
cising, and vending, and use, benefit, and advantage, of "AN IMPROVED MACHINE
OR STOCKING FRAME, AND A PARTICULAR METHOD OF USING THE SAME," (being
an addition to and improvement of a certain improved machine called the
stocking frame (otherwise the gigger stocking frame), which said gigger
stocking frame is particularly applicable to the fabricating and manufacturing
of hard-twisted Jersey thread, cotton, silk, and any kind of hard-twisted thread
or materials into double-looped stocking-frame work, exclusive of many other
kinds of manufacture for which the same and the particular mode of using it
may be applied, and for which I, the said Robert Barber, on the Eighth day
of December, in the thirty-third year of His said Majesty's reign, obtained
His Majesty's Royal Letters Patent for the sole making, exercising, and
vending, and use, benefit, and advantage thereof, for the terin of fourteen
years from the date thereof,) which said improved machine is better adapted
for making the like kinds of manufacture described in the aforesaid Letters
Patent of the Eighth of December, in the thirty-third year of His said
Majesty, reign, and also for making a greater variety of double stocking
stitch work, by a different process, of a very superior quality, and with varying

page_text: the position thereof, and the particular mode of using it, and by a simple
process is capable of making ribb'd stocking stitch work, and with the appli-
cation of an additional apparatus (occasionally) is capable of making various
kinds of shagg and figured work, and also the sole exercising and using,
benefit, and advantage of a method of making several articles of the aforesaid
manufacture upon the warp or common stocking frame, but which frames are
not so well adapted for the making of hard-twisted materials, and for applying
the proper apparatus for the manufacturing of the other kinds of work,
within that part of His Majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain called England,
His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in
all His Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, for the term of fourteen
years from the date thereof; in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso for me, the said Robert Barber, to describe and ascertain the nature
of my said Inventions, and in what manner the same are to be performed,
by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the same to
be enrolled in His Majesty's High Court, of Chancery within one calendar
month next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, as in
and by the same, relation being thereunto had, may more fully and at large
appear:
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with and performance of the said
proviso, I, the said Robert Barber, do hereby describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Inventions, and in what manner the same are to be
performed, in manner following (that is to say):-
THE PARTICULAR PARTS OF THE MACHINE DESCRIBED.
A presents nearly the form of a common warp-frame woodwork, ex-
cept the traddles, which are very different, and the mode of appli-
cation also; and there is a roller fixed to turn round at the back
standards.
a, a. Two socketts, with pins passed through the places marked, put through
the woodwork.
a, a. Two staples with shanks put through the woodwork.
A, A. Two sole bars, about sixteen inches long, straight, and the fore ends
about ten inches, bent downwards and brought forwards, with ends to
joint at.
S, S. Two standards, about ten inches, and have sockets at their tops.
I. A flat bar to screw on their caps.
A, A. Two flat plates, about six inches long, with screws put through tliem,
which are to fix upon S, S.

page_text: B. A needle bar of the usual form, and about forty-eight inches in work,
except that there are two additional holes near the ends.
X. An axle, with a tread part, and the ends rounded.
X, X. An axle, with two places rounded to revolve at, and a tread part.
X, X, X. An axle, with the ends rounded to turn at, and a tread part.
C, C. The carcass fixed together.
d, d. The top arms brought forwards, and then turned square down about
five inches. Across the low ends of these barrs a barr is fixed, having
leads with the dividers fixed, therein, with plates and screws to hold
them. Across the top ends of the bended arms a bar is fixed, behind
the divider heads, to support them, and a wire like a jack wire put
through their heads to stay them also.
2. A divider cast in a lead.
3, 3. A barr that is fixed across the top arms of C, C, near the bends, and
projects over at their ends.
4, 4. Two pinns fixed on the outside of top arms, where they are bent down.
D, D. Two standards to fix in the two round holes of the, needle bar.
5, 5. Two plates to serve as gages for 4, 4, to pass and repass in.
E. The presser.
. A spring to return the presser.
6, 6. The axles of the presser.
VI., VI. The ends of the presser rounded.
F. A cranked apparatus to carry serving bars.
ff. Two ends of the apparatus bent down to joint at, and to work A, A.
7, 7. Two socketts, with pinns at top of the two barrs for serving bar to
revolve at.
R, T. A rod, with a clasp screwed on the bottom end, and a hook at
the top.
8, 8. Two rods of similar shape, except having sockets at top.
9, 9. Two rods, with hooks at top like R, T.
G. A bar, with leads and servers in them screwed and fixed therein, like a
common upper bar of a serving apparatus to a warp. frame, except
that at-
10, a rack is cut upon the edge of G.
11. A pinn upon G for the gages to stop at.
H. A bar like the lower bar of a serving apparatus, except that at-
P, P, two pinns are fixed near the ends upright.
12. A bandle, with a rack wheel fix'd to it to turn round occasionally.
13. This is a fast handle fixed in the usual form.

page_text: 4, 14. These are two. pinns.projecting.out to.put J and J upon.
Two gages to fixion at 14; 14; with the ends turnid back.
6, 16. Two pinns,, with. socketsito. fix in top.barri of. carcass C, C.
7. A leaver. and. axle to work in 16, 16..
small pinn is fixed on the top of the.hind top.barr of the woodwork.
8. A short leaver from the back of the presser frame.
9. A common warp roller.
inker used in the warp frameway.
inker used in the common stocking frame
TO PUT THE FRAME TOGETHER:
. The woodwork appears put together.
Alluded to in my
observations.
gainst the two back standards a roller is fixed to revolve at.
A short bar, with a hole at the end, extends from the back part. of the
roller.
Two short barrs, with holes at their ends, project from the fore side of the
roller to raise up C, C.
wo short rods, which are hung to the ends of the fore barrs, with hooks to
raise the carcass with.
, A, Screw down A, A, upon the caps. of the woodwork, with the elbows
pointing forwards.
1,
S, S.
Screw the barr 1 upon the back.ends of the sole barrs, where they
are marked.
Screw. the standards S, S, on just behind where the needle bar
must be fixed.
A, A. Screw these across the standards S, S, for the pins to meet the ends
of the cross barr.d, d.
3. Screw on the needle barr by the slotted holes, near the bended parts of
the sole barr.
N.B. This needle bar is supposed to be forty-eight inches in work, there-
fore all the relative parts of the frame are have. a due proportional
form..
E. Fix the presser by its axles into the socketts of the tops of S, S.
C, C. Fix the whole carcass by the bottom, ends. to joint at a, a. Put the
arms of the apparatus of the dividers,, with their bars, over. the needles
and the needle bar, and then draw. back. the whole carcass, that .every
needle (when the barr is filled) may pass. betwixt cach a, divider
alternately.
D, D. Put the standards into the needle bar at the two round holes.

page_text: T. Hook the top ends of this rod to the bar on the back of the roller.
Joint the low ends to traddle X.
Fix this traddle, with two staples, to the back low rail of the woodwork
to turn round at.
, X. Fix this traddle to revolve at its rounded parts in a, a.
X, X. Fix this traddle with its ends to turn in the low rails of woodwork
at O, O..
.
8. Put the low ends of these to joint at the two fore ends of X, X, then
hook the thimbles upon spindles VI, VI, of presser.
9. Put these to joint at the fore ends of X, X, X, then hang the top hooks
upon the barr 3, 3, which is fixed.upon the top arms of C, C.
f. Fix the ends f. f, to joint at the elbows of the sole bars A, A.
Put this top bar with servers, and the apparatus upon the lower bar II
to slide sideways by pins which are underneath, to gage it in the slotts
in the usual form.
I. The lower bar to be fix'd by its ends revolving upon the pinus at 7, 7.
There appears three slots in this bar for the pions from the under part
of the G to pass and repass in.
, J. Fix the holes at the ends of these gages on the pinns 14, 14, for
the turn'd back ends, when press'd down with your thumb, to strike
against 11.
7. Fix this by its axle to revolve in 16, 16, and the catch is to stop at a
supposed tabb fixed upon the back top rail of the woodwork.
8. Fix a wire with joints to hook upon the end of this, to the end of 17.
9. A common warp roller, to be applied in the usual manner.
, Y. Two plates, with gages fixed to them, to be fixed on D, D, optionally.
The Mode of Working this Machine.-I suppose the carcass C, C, of the
me to be returned back for the back parts of the dividers to touch the
dle leads, and the pinns 4, 4, are to be under the short middle part of
plates 5, 5. The points or nebbs of the dividers are then under the needles,
the work behind them. Then raise up the serving apparatus for the
vers charged with threads from the roller (as is usual in warp work), and
g the whole to the right hand on the pinns at 7, 7, over one needle, which
shog is supposed to be limited to; then bring down the servers below the
dles, then with the right hand and its rack wheel drive the bar G to the
-hand stop P on bar H; then bring the servers down under three needles;
n rise up the servers and shog back to the left hand the one needle on 7, 7.
ing down the servers, put backward the every two loops which are then

page_text: upon each needle behind their beards, pull forward the machine with the
threads to the needle heads; now press down the step of X and bring the frame
forwards until the drop catch 17 stops at the tabb fixed upon the top of the
back rail of the woodwork; then press the step of X, X, bar with the right
foot, and the rods 8, 8, bring down the presser, the tail bar then releases the
catch 17, and when the frame is brought forwards the two pinns 4, 4, rise up
by the spring upon the hinder barr, applied under 3, 3, when brought off from
under the middle tabb to the top longer tabb, under which they slide until you
have driven the work over the needle heads; then tread down by the step
on X, X, X, and the rods 9, 9, pull down the top arms of C, C, and the divider
points below the needles, and the overbalance of the hinder part of carcass C, C,
returns it back to the needle leads under the short middle catch of 5, 5; and
for the succeeding coarse, instead of driving back the top bar with the servers
three needles, press your left thumb upon the left-hand tab of the gage 5, and
it will put down the turned back end and stop against the pinn 11, and G,
with its servers, moves then only under two needles. By turning the right-
hand handle with its rack you may drive the barr G against the two fast
pinns P, P, of the lower bar, and by pressing down either of the. gages J, J, to
strike against 11, you may vary the, work at pleasure.
To make some articles of my double-loop'd work upon the horizontal or
upright needle-warp frame, and also upon the old common frame, take a
common horizontal warp frame, with its roller and the serving apparatus, or an
upright warp frame; suppose the frame to be under the catches, or, as term'd,
the arch, and the nebbs of the sinkers are then below the needles and the work
behind them; serve the threads once over the needles in the common manner,
(say to the right hand, for instance,) then bring down the servers and threads
through the needles, but, in addition, rack by the middle handle which turns
their rack under 2 or 3 needles (optional) to the left hand, then raise up and
shog a one-needle shog, and bring down the servers through the needles, and
pull back the machine to straighten the threads for both loops to be brought
under the needle beards, then apply the traddle motions of that frame in their
usual method, and the coarse is finished. Also take a common stocking frame;
apply a warp apparatus of the roller, serving barr, and other pertinent articles;
serve the warp threads over the needles in my way, then sink down with the
jacks and sinkers upon the threads, then work the remainder of the coarse in
the usual manner. But the best method of using this old stocking machine to
make my work is, to take out all the jacks and their sinkers, and every other
needle, then apply the traddles and motions of the warp frame to it, and then
work the coarse in the way before described.

page_text: N.B. In making the common warp work every needle is only charged with
one thread, consequently it makes single looped work, but mine is double, or
more, as described.
To make Ribb'd Stocking Stitch Work.-Make the addition of a rafter or
cross bar to the woodwork, fixed in the usual position of the common ones used
in the woodworks of the Derby rib machine. Then fix the Derby rib machine,
with all its attendants, upon the baflir barr in the usual position. Apply it to
work the ribb'd coarse in the usual form.
N.B. The cross barr of the carriage F for the serving apparatus in my
frame is cranked backwards, for the purpose of admitting the application of the
ribb'd apparatus, because in the old form of those cross barrs of the warp
machine those barrs pass across the frame before the manufacture, and will not
admit the allusive application.
I have also experienced that by this improvement of the carriage F, and, in
addition, by the bended parts and elbow joints in the sole barrs A, A, the work-
man can narrow or widen, or mend any accidental injury of the manufacture
with convenience, therefore I do not change the carriage F, and the form of
the said barrs A, A, which was my first practice.
"
To make Shagg, or Long-looped Work.-Serve the threads upon the needles
to the right hand, and then to the left hand, varying the mode of serving at
pleasure; bring the work forwards near to the needle heads, then press down
the points or nebbs of the dividers behind the last-served loop and before the first,
then bring forward and press those loops out past the needle heads (which is
done by the ends of the pins 4, 4, extended through the openings. of. the
plates 5, 5, being brought down under the gages upon Y, Y, which plates are
fixed to the outside of the standards D, D,) to make the loops an optional
length, then finish the coarse as usual, which loops are either cut or left whole,
optionally.
.
There is a known practice in the common warp work of laying, a thread
across the frame, under the needles, to serve the threads over, which I recon-
mend to be used in making some kinds of my long-loop'd or shag manufacture,
especially for carpets.
OBSERVATIONS as to what Parts and Applications of my Frame are New.
The woodwork is in size and form chiefly like the woodwork of a warp
stocking frame, except to mine a roller is fixed, and turns betwixt the two
back standards, a new application. At the back of this roller a short bar is
fixed to apply the rods R, T, to pull; at the end of it two other short barrs
are fixed, which have rods and hooks in them to pull up the carcass by.

page_text: New 'Application:-There are two short barrs to carry the warp roller in
usual form."
, a. Two thimbles with eyes are fixed to put the carcass to
,a. Two staples put through the woodwork
3. A needle bar, except two additional holes
New.
New.
Old.
A, A. Two sole barrs, much like those of the old stocking frame
5, S. Two standards, like the back standards of the old stocking
frame, but fixed on sole barrs to carry the presser, the mode
..A cross bar to fix across the frame on the sole barrs
AA. Two plates with screws in them, to meet the ends of the top.
-cross bar d, d, to stop the carcass at, and step
X. A traddle of a new form and different application
X, X. Another traddle and step of a new form and application
X, X, X. Another traddle and step of a new form and application
Five rods, new in form and application, except a slight resem-
blance of the treddles in my former Patent for the improved
gigger stocking frame.
T,
8,
9.
D, D, & 5, 5. In form and application
C, C. The whole carcass and the application
2. A divider as a pattern of those in the bar of C, C, fixed by their
lower ends in the bar, their heads steadied and supported by
--
Old.
New.
Old.
.New.
New.
New.
New.
New.
New.
a cross bar behind them, and a jack wire passed through.
them
- New.
N.B.-I have shewn the old form of the other dividers or sinkers.
E. The presser is different in shape and application, except that the bar
part presses the needle beards like other barrs.
F. This apparatus is to be moved backwards and forwards like the carrying
bar of a common warp frame, and the screws at 7, 7, arc to fix the
serving apparatus to in the same form; but my cranked barr, which is
shaped so as to pass behind the work instead of passing before it; is
a new form, and the joints f, f, put to the sole bars A, A, are a new
application.
"
G. This bar, with its servers, is like the common top barr of the warp
frame, and is to be placed upon the bar H to slide sideways in the
same manner; but the rack 10, cut on the right hand, is a new appli-
cation, and the pinn 11 is new, and a new application.
H. This bar is like the common under barr of the warp frame, and fixed
to shog at the socketts on pins at 7, 7, in the same manner.
In using
the common serving apparatus there is a fast handle at the right and

page_text: one at the left hand of the machine, to move, the whole with, and a
third handle, with a wheel, near the middle of the machine, applying
to a rack, to move the upper bar with, and one. hand is, moved and
removed for every different serving or, application of the threads..
In mine there are only two handles; one of them is a fast one fixed near
one end of the lower serving bar; the other handle has a rack wheel fixed
upon it, which is applied to the rack upon the top bar to move that upper
bar optionally, and also applied to move the whole apparatus with.
The gigger stocking frame makes the stocking stitch by drawing the needles
back through a bar cut for every needle to pass through, and puslics the
preceding loops over the needle head to make the next loop; but in my
present described frame, and the common warp stocking frame, with my
method of using the same, the preceding loops are carried forward over the
needle heads to make the loop by the sinkers of the one frame and with the
dividers of the other. In my method of making double-looped stocking stitch
work, described in my Patent for the gigger frame, I have directed the serving
bars apparatus, charged with the threads from the roller, to be put over the
needles with a two-needle shog, and then to use the presser and draw back
the needles to divide the loops and press over the work, as I have in my
Specification to the said Patent particularly specified and set forth. But the
said machine called the gigger frame, and the manner of using the same, is
not so well adapted for the making the aforesaid manufacture, either of so
good a quality, of such various kinds, or with such expedition, as the present,
improved machine or stocking frame herein-before described, and which is
in this my Specification particularly explained, which said lastly-improved
machine, and the manner in which the same is to be used, are more parti-
cularly described in and by the Drawings and Figures on the Plan in the
margin of these Presents. And I, the said Robert Barber, do hereby declare
and affirm that the particulars above set forth, and in the Plan hereto annexed,
do contain a full, true, and perfect description of the nature of my said
Inventions, and the manner in which the same are to performed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Barber, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven.
5
Sealed and delivered (being first duly
stampt) in the presence of
JOHN BELL,
ROB BARBER. (..)
DAY. MARTIN, Grey's Inn.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-fourth day of April, in
the year of our Lord 1797, the aforesaid Robert Barber came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stampt according to
the tenor of the Statutes made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Twenty-fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord Onc
thousand seven hundred and ninety-seven.