IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TEXTILE AND LOOPED FABRICS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry John Sanders and Samuel Thacker, both of
the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TEXTILE AND
LOOPED FABRICS."
Sealed the 2nd August 1858, and dated the 15th February 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry John Sanders and
Samuel Thacker at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 15th February 1858.
I, HENRY JOHN SANDERS, and I, SAMUEL THACKER, both of the Town and
County of the Town of Nottingham, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TEXTILE
AND LOOPED FABRICS," to be as follows:-
In the manufacture of looped fabrics such as stockings in the straight loom,
it is well understood that it is conducted by means of a number of bearded
needles placed parallel to each other in a row, and fixed on a bar of an extent
sufficient for the width of the fabric to be manufactured; that the beards of
the needles while containing the new loops are pressed into eyes, while the .
work is thrown over by the retrograde motion of the needles. As also well
understood, the thread after being carried across the needles is depressed in
loops by jack sinkers between every alternate needle, which loops are after-
wards.distributed and equalized by the lead sinkers.

page_text: According to our Invention we place the needles parallel to each other, and
in a row of an extent equal to the breadth of the fabric to be manufactured,
but instead of using needles with long beards we merely use a needle with a
small beard or hook, which is not pressed upon at all, but simply turns round
on its own axis to retain the new loop and permit the work to slip off or be
knocked over as it is termed. The jack sinkers we joint to and support above
from jacks or levers somewhat in the usual manner; the jack sinkers being
brought down by a slur cock motion taking effect on the levers; the joint pins
of the jack sinkers also form guides for the support of the upper part of the
sinkers we use to equalize the loops between the needles. These sinkers we
depress and control by a transverse bar at the lower part of the sinkers, which.
is also the case with a rising motion given to the jack sinkers; such bars
maintain the sinkers at all times in the same plane (from side to side of the
machine), and also gives them simultaneous motion from back to front to
throw the work over the new loops and off the needles previous to the forward.
motion of the sinkers, and after the thread carrier has deposited a thread for a
new loop the whole of the needles are turned half round, each on its own axis,
so that the hooked part of the needle which was uppermost when it received
the thread is now underneath, by which means the thread to form the new
loops is retained, while the previous loops forming part of the work are free to
slip from the needles; the work therefore is free to be knocked over by the
forward motion of the sinkers. The work is carried back on the needle stems
by the backward motion of the sinkers by a throat therein, in which it is.
received previous to the introduction of the new loops. The needles are
pivotted in fixed bearings, and have a portion of a screw at their back ends
into which a comb takes; the motion of this comb at the proper time causes
all the needles to rotate; the several parts of the machine have their motions
communicated to them at the proper times by cams on the main shaft. The
needles having very short beards or hooks, no great extent of motion is
necessary to knock off the work as compared with the working of the ordinary
stocking frame.
By means of such needles thus arranged we are enabled to apply jacquard
apparatus in combination therewith, whereby we are enabled to ornament or
figure the work produced thereon. For this purpose we arrange the needles
in the same order, but with a separate comb for rotating each needle, quite
independent of each other, so that the needles can be separately caused to turn
half round, and so prevent, if necessary, their taking a new loop, but still
retaining hold of their respective loops previously received. The whole of the
rotating combs of the needles being thus fitted are placed in communication

page_text: with the cords of the jacquard' apparatus, and according to the order in which
the needles are acted upon by it, so will be the ornamental pattern produced,
the principle of which is well understood in the application of jacquard
apparatus to other weaving purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry John Sanders and Samuel Thacker in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 14th August 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, HENRY
JOHN SANDERS and .SAMUEL THACKER, both of the Town and County of the
Town of Nottingham, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent bearing date the Fifteenth day of February, 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 Henry John Sanders and Samuel Thacker, Her special licence, that we,
the said Henry John Sanders and Samuel Thacker, our executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Henry John Sanders and
Samuel Thacker, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF TEXTILE AND LOOPED FABRICS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Henry John Sanders and Samuel
Thacker, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, or one of our 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 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 Henry John Sanders and Samuel
Thacker, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the two
Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon, that is to say

page_text: For the manufacture of textile looped fabrics according to our Invention,
we place the needles parallel to each other, and in a row of an extent equal to
the breadth of the fabric to be manufactured as in ordinary frames, but instead
of using needles with long beards we use needles with small beards or hooks,
which are not pressed upon by pressers as usual, the needles simply turning
round on their own axes to retain the new loops, and permit the work to slip
off or be knocked over, as it is termed. The jack sinkers we joint to and
support above from jacks to levers, somewhat in the usual manner, the jack
sinkers being brought down by a slur cock motion taking effect on the levers;
the joint pins of the jacks, in addition to carrying the jack sinkers, also form
guides for the support of the upper part of the sinkers, we use in lieu of the
lead, sinkers to' equalize the loops between the needles. These sinkers we
depress and control by a transverse bar at the lower part of the sinkers, which
is also the case with a rising motion given to the jack sinkers, such bars
maintain the sinkers in the same plane (from side to side of the machine), and
also give them simultaneous motion from back to front to throw the work
over the new loops and off the needles. Previous to the forward motion of
the sinkers, and after the thread carrier has deposited a thread for a new loop,
the whole of the needles are turned half round each on its own axes, so that
the hooked part of the needle which was uppermost when it received the thread
is now underneath, by which means the thread to form the new loops is retained
while the previous loops forming part of the work are free to slip off from the
needles, the work therefore is free to be knocked over by the forward motion of
the sinkers. The work is carried back on the needle stems by the backward
motion of the sinkers by a throat therein, in which it is received previous to
the introduction of the new loops. The needles are pivotted in bearings, and
have a portion of a screw at their back ends, into which a comb enters; the
motion of this comb at the proper time causes all the needles to rotate. The
several parts of the machine have their motion communicated to them at the
proper times by cams on the main shaft. The needles having very short
beards or hooks no great extent of motion is necessary to knock off the work
as compared with the working of the ordinary stocking frame.
By means of such needles thus arranged we are enabled to apply jacquard
apparatus in combination therewith, whereby we are enabled to ornament or
figure the work produced thereon. For this purpose we arrange the needles
in the same order, but with a separate comb for rotating each needle quite
independent of each other, so that the needles can be separately caused to turn
half round, and so prevent, if necessary, their taking a new loop, but still
retaining hold of their respective loops previously received. The whole of the

page_text: combs or forks for rotating the needles being thus fitted, are placed in com-
munication with the cords of the jacquard apparatus, and according to the
order in which the needles are selected by that apparatus, so will be the
ornamental pattern produced, the principle of which is well understood in the
application of jacquard apparatus to other weaving purposes.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, Sheet A, represents a front view of a stocking frame or machine
for knitting textile fabrics constructed according to our Invention'; Figure 2,
a plan; Figure 3, Sheet B, a side view; and Figure 4, a section of the same,
taken from back to front on the line a, b, Figure 2. In these Figures we
have not represented the parts for giving motion to the slur cock, or to the
thread carrier, as these parts may be the same as in ordinary stocking looms,
and are well understood. We also omit the greater part of the centre of the
loom in the front view & plan, Figures 1 and 2, which is to be constructed
of a breadth according to the breadth of fabric to be woven, the parts re-
presented being such as to communicate the several notions required, showing
also.a sufficient number of the needles to illustrate the Invention. . A, A, is
the framing of the machine; B, the main shaft, to which motion is com-
municated by the winch handle F and spur gear C, C, or it may be in any
other suitable manner by power. D, D, are the jacks, mounted on the
fulcrum e in the ordinary manner. The back ends being guided in a comb f;
and the extreme points pressed on by springs g, each having a crutch or
hollow h opposed to the jacks, all as usual in stocking looms; E, E, are the
jack sinkers, separately represented at Figure 5, these sinkers are suspended
from the jacks D as usual. The sinkers G, which we use for equalizing the
loops in lieu of the lead sinkers, are also in a measure carried by the jacks D;
these sinkers (separately seen at Figure 6) have a slot k at the upper part,
taking on to the joint pin r of the sinkers E, the jack being of sufficient
thickness, and each having sufficient room to receive a sinker E and a sinker
G, as seen in front view and plan, Figures 1 and 2. These sinkers have
dovetail projections i, i, which are received between the jaws t, t', of two bars
II and H, traversing the breadth of the machine and actuated by its motion,
so as to impart the necessary movements to the sinkers, as will be herein-after
described. The bars H and H' are supported on arms I, I, & I, I, two on
each side of the machine, which are jointed to levers K, K, and K', Ki; these
levers are. mounted on shafts L and M, extending from side to side of the
machine; they are mounted in suitable bearings on frames A, A, and are
furnished with lever arms P and Q fixed thereto, which carry truck rollers

page_text: acted on by the cams R and S fixed on the main shaft. The truck roller 7 of
lever is supported immediately on that lever, while the truck roller m of
lever P is carried by a rod k¹ pendant therefrom. The cams R and S impart
the rising and falling motions to the bars II and H³, and are separately
represented in Sheet B. The bars, H and H¹ have forward and backward
motions also, which are communicated by rods T, T, one at each side of the
machine, connected with each end of the lower bar H'; the back ends of the
rods T, T, are jointed to and held by upright arms U, U, mounted on fixed
fulcra at n, n; the arms U, U, carry truck rollers pressed up against cams V, V,
fixed on the main shaft B. The several truck rollers are kept in contact with
their respective cams, either by the gravity of the parts actuated, or by the use
of springs, permanently exerting a force for that purpose, as well understood in
the use of cam movements; p, p, are set stop screws, fitted to bar H¹, for
limiting, the backward, motion of the bars H and H'; 2, 7, are other set and
stop screws for limiting the fall of bar H³, while r, r, are set stop screws for
limiting the rise of bar H.
As before mentioned, the needles X have simply short hooks a, one of
which is represented at Figure 7. As will be seen in Figure 4 their
stems 3, 3, are fitted in two bearings 4, 4, in the bar W of the framing
between the journals 3, 3. The stem of the needle consists of a thin plate
(best, seen in the section, Figure 7), twisted-so as to form a short screw 5, as
represented. Between each of the leaves or screws 5 are inserted the teeth j
of a comb fixed to the comb bar Y; this comb bar Y is mounted in guide
bearings u, u, and has a forward and backward traverse motion communicated
to it by connecting rods Z, Z, (one at either side of the machine). These rods
are jointed to the upper end of vertical levers v, mounted on the fixed
fulcran, n, (also common to levers U). These levers carry truck rollers
bearing against cams O, O, fixed on the main shaft, which cams impart the
necessary motion to the comb j, j.
The action of the machine is as follows:-The thread carrier w, having
laid the thread across the needle stems in the usual manner, while the sinkers
are at their highest position, as shown dotted at Figure 4; the slur-cock. y
following immediately lifts the back ends of the jacks, causing the depression
of the jack sinkers, which fall between every alternate needle, and draw down
a sufficient quantity of the thread to form the loops, the descent of the jack
sinkers being arrested by the stop bar z, as usual. The sinkers G have each
bar 7, 7, carried by the
a neb 6 at the back part, which is caught on a
arms I, I, and partaking of the movement imparted to bar H. At the time
of the fall of the jack sinkers this bar 7 is in a position to catch the sinkers G,

page_text: and prevent their descending on the thread. The whole breadth of jack
sinkers having fallen, the bar H begins to fall, lowering at same time the
bar 7, 7. The jaw t of the bar H now engages with the upper part of the
dovetail of all the sinkers; at the same time the jaw't' of bar H' rises,"
and with jaw t clips the dovetail-i; so as to bring the whole of the sinkers in
a uniform line, and thus by their action on the dovetail i equalizing the dip
of all the loops drawn down by the sinkers E and G.
The forward motion of the sinkers now commences to knock the work over,
which is communicated by cam V taking effect on H through rods T, T.
With this forward motion, but rather later, the comb bár Y advances, causing
all the needles to turn half round as described, thus inverting all the hooks
which have just received the new loops carried forward by the forward motion*
of the sinkers, which assume the position shown in Figure 3, and knock over"
the work that has previously been held in throat 8.
I
The inward and downward motion of bars H and H' now take place, when
the work is again received in the throat 8, and the needles turned with the
hook uppermost preparatory to receiving the thread for the next course. It
will be observed that the bar H has no cam to effect its forward & backward"
motion, it being actuated by the motion of H', both bars at the time being"
locked in the dovetail i, i. It will be observed also that the cam R, see
Fig. 3, has only two risers to lift H, one for each course of work made, while
cam S has four, the two opposite and larger risers being those in action.i
While the work is knocked over, the smaller risers effect a second rise of II',
to place the jacks in position previously to receiving the new loop thread;
this rise also lifts bar H, which remains up while bar H' descends, in order to'
permit the free fall of the jack sinkers. s, s, is a bar across the face of 'the
sinkers, to, keep them in position, but which may be dispensed with if the
grip of the dovetail i, i, and jaws tand t¹ are sufficiently interlocked, and
arranged that the dovetail does not leave the grip of both jaws at any one
time.
The stop bar we have represented as mounted and fitted much in the
ordinary way, so as to regulate the fall of the jacks and the openness or
closeness of the work, as usual; but we also mount such bar on an eccentric
axis, and impart a rotatory motion to it at each motion or course of loops, so
as to turn it round to a greater or lesser extent, and by its eccentricity to
change the amount of fall of the sinkers and permit more or less fall at each
descent, and as may be required in producing ornamental looped fabric by the
jacquard, or it may be for a loose course only.
-As-before-mentioned, we can impart independent motion to each of the

page_text: needles by using a separate fork or comb j for rotating each separately. To
carry this out we make the needles of different lengths to extend backwards
to different distances, as seen at Figure 8, so that the fork or comb j of the
one needle will not interfere with that of the other. These forks or combs
are each placed in communication with the needles of a jacquard apparatus,
which select the needles to be rotated or left stationary, the combs or forks j
being acted upon only of those needles it is desired to turn, and from which
the work is to be knocked off, the other needles remaining stationary, & during
the time retaining their loops until next caused to rotate, which may be at
the next course, or two, three, or other number of courses subsequently.
Having described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, we declare that what we claim as of our Invention to be
secured under the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the application of small hooked needles which have rotation on their
own axes, arranged and actuated as herein-before described, for forming
straight courses of loops in the manufacture of looped fabrics.
Secondly, we claim the arrangement and combination of parts for actuating
the sinkers E and G, for regulating the loops and knocking over the work,
all as herein-before described:
Thirdly, we claim the application of jacquard apparatus to the arrange-
ment and form of needles herein-before described, to form ornamental or
pattern looped textile fabrics, as herein-before described.
And, lastly, we claim the general arrangement and combination of parts
herein-before described, and represented in the Drawings hereunto annexed,
constituting the loom or machinery for the manufacture of textile and looped
fabrics.
In witness whereof, we, the said Henry John Sanders and Samuel
Thacker, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twelfth day of
August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-eight.
HENRY JOHN SANDERS. (L.S.)
S. THACKER.
(L.S.)