IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED FABRICS.
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Preston, of Nottingham, Manufacturer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED FABRICS.".
Sealed the 14th January 1859, and dated the 1st October 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Preston at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st
October 1858.
I, THOMAS PRESTON, of Nottingham, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED
FABRICS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of looped
fabrics. For these purposes the lower guide bar has as many guides as there
are needles, and it is caused constantly to lap over one needle, first in one
direction, and then in the other; there are no hooks or instruments used for
taking up the yarns of this bar, and in this respect it differs from the Inven-
tion for which Letters Patent have already been granted to me. The upper
guide bar has as many guides as there are needles, and this guide bar is
capable of being shogged or moved to and fro under two, three, or more
needles, and to lap on one needle; the lappings of these yarns or threads
being in the same direction as those carried by the lower guide bar. The
work is what is called "lap and press."

page_text: Another improvement consists in arranging the lower guide bar to be
shogged or moved to the extent of two needles, and the guides are caused to
lap first on one of such two needles at one course, and then on the other
needle for the next course. The work is knocked over after the lapping of
the yarns on the needles by the lower guide bar. The upper guide bar is
arranged to move or shog to the extent of three, four, or more needles, passing,
by preference, under three and over one, the lapping each course also being,
by preference, in the same direction as the lapping of the yarns of the lower
guide bar. The upper guide bar laps its yarns or threads next after the
knocking over the work. The yarns or threads used in the above improve-
ments may be plain, dyed, or particolored.
Another improvement consists in combining the use of printed or parti-
colored yarns or threads in knitting machines, with the use of points to take
off and change the loops from some of the needles to other of the needles of
the machine or frame, by which very improved knit fabrics are produced.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Preston in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 1st
April 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
PRESTON, of Nottingham, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Thomas Preston, Her special licence that I, the said
Thomas Preston, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Thomas Preston, my 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Thomas Preston, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
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

page_text: 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 Thomas Preston, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
The upper. guide
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of looped
fabrics. For these purposes the lower guide bar has as many guides as there
are needles, and it is caused constantly to lap over one needle, first in one
direction, and then in the other; there are no hooks or instruments used for
taking up the yarns of this bar, and in this respect it differs from the Invention
for which Letters Patent have been already granted to me.
bar has as many guides as there are needles, and this guide bar is capable of
being shogged or moved to and fro, under two, three, or more needles, and to
lap on one needle; the lappings of these yarns or threads being in the same
direction as those carried by the lower guide bar. The work is what is called
"lap and press."
Another improvement consists in arranging the lower guide bar to be
shogged or moved to the extent of two needles, and the guides are caused to
lap first on one of such two needles at one course, and then on the other
needle for the next course. The work is knocked over after the lapping of
the yarns on the needles by the lower guide bar. The upper guide bar is
arranged to move or shog to the extent of three, four, or more needles, passing
by preference under three and over one, the lapping each course also being by
preference in the same direction as the lapping of the yarns of the lower guide
bar. The upper guide bar laps its yarns or threads next after the knocking
over the work. The yarns or threads used in the above improvements may be
plain, dyed, or particolored.
Another improvement consists in combining the use of printed or parti-
colored yarns or threads in knitting machines, with the use of points to
take off and change the loops from some of the needles to other of the
needles of the machine or frame, by which very improved knit fabrics are.
produced.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.

page_text: and the guides are caused to lap their yarns or threads first in one direction
and then in the other, each thread being lapped over one needle.
Figure 2 shows the cut of wheels used for actuating the upper guide bar,
which also has as many guides as there are needles. This guide bar wheel is
to be cut or arranged to cause the threads or yarns, carried by the guides
thereon, to be shogged or moved to and fro under two, three, or more needles,
and to lap on one needle; the lappings of the yarns or threads being in the same
direction as those carried by the lower bar. The working of the machine is to
produce what is called "lap and press " work. I would remark that although
I prefer to employ cuts of wheels as above described for actuating or moving
the guide bars, other mechanism may be used to give the requisite motions
for producing the description of fabric above described.
Figure 3 shows a cut of wheel for actuating or moving the lower guide bar
of a warp machine, and it is cut or formed in such manner as to cause the
lower guide bar (with as many warp guides as there are needles) to be
shogged or moved to the extent of two needles, and the guides are caused
to lap their yarns or threads first on one of such two needles, and then on the
other in the succeeding courses of work, and the work is knocked over
after each lapping of the yarns or threads carried by the guides of the lower
guide bar.
Figure 4 shows a cut of wheel suitable for actuating the upper guide bar;
and it is to be arranged for shogging or moving the upper guide bar to the
extent of three, four, or more needles. In the arrangement shown it moves
the guide bar to the extent of four needles, and is to cause the yarns or threads
to pass under three needles and over one, the lapping being in the same
direction as the lapping of the yarns or threads carried by the lower guide bar.
The lappings of the threads of the upper bar is after the knocking over of the
work.
Another part of my Invention relates to the manufacture of knitted fabrics
when points are used in knitting machines to move or change the loops
formed on some of the needles on to other of the needles. And this part of
my Invention consists in applying printed or particolored yarns in the manu-
facture of knitted fabrics in combination with such transfer of the loops from
some of the needles on to other of the needles in the progress of the manu-
facture of such fabrics in knitting machines. I would state that it is not new
generally to employ printed or particolored yarns in the manufacture of
knitted fabrics in knitting machines, but, heretofore, such descriptions of
fabrics have been made without moving or transferring the loops from some of
the needles on to other of the needles, by which the patterns depended on the

page_text: printing only; but by transferring of the loops the variety of patterns and
effects produced may be more largely varied.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Preston, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
Witness,
GEORGE WESLEY.
THOMAS PRESTON. (L.S.)