IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING KNOTTED WEBS OR NETS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING KNOTTED WEBS OR
NETS." A communication.
Sealed the 16th November 1858, and dated the 19th May 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at tho
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 19th
May 1858.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING KNOTTED WEBS OR
NETS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to a loom or machine for knitting webs or nets with
a single continuous thread, and without a break or severing of the thread, the
meshes being made and secured by means of knots, which are tightened more
or less, as desired. A single thread only is used, which is added to when it is
used up, which by this means makes it similar to webs made by hand; the
knots are made by means of two hooks and a needle for each one, and also
a shuttle, which furnishes thread to all the hooks.

page_text: 1. Straight hooks having two holes, one for receiving an elastic spring, and
the other for receiving a spindle, which passes through and sustains them all
in one compartment; B, plates forming the compartments in which the hooks
are placed, the spindle supporting them passes into all these plates. Each
plate has two tenons, cach tenon has a hole into which a spindle passes, and
in order to keep the plates apart there are false tenons of the width of the
hooks, the spindle passing into the tenons also passes into the false tenons, so
that they are all held together. A, frame, having two grooved parts, in which
the tenons of the plates are fixed; these grooved parts are held by means of
nuts; the frame slides in four slides, each of which has a roller; it is put in
motion by a rocking beam placed below the frame. C, escape detents of a
square form, they are held by a spindle which traverses them at the angle;
they are fixed to the upper part of the plates forming the compartments;
one side of the detents rests on a rod which serves as a stop; at the end of the
same side there is a hole in which an elastic spring is placed, on the other
side the detents form a catch, on which the back part of the hooks are
caught and held. D, carriage, having a roller at its upper part, which raises
the detents one after another when the carriage travels, and the hooks escape
in the same time and order; E, bearings and regulating slide of the carriage,
and iron band through which the carriage passes; F, toothed wheels, which
gear with the carriage, one of these wheels is fixed on a shaft carrying a
pinion which gears into two racks 8, serving to turn the wheels either to the
right or left, the carriage is thus conducted by them from right to left or from
left to right. 2. Curved hooks, the point of which is somewhat oblique, they
are attached to each other by a band of tin at the same distance as hooks 1;
H, frame, having a grooved part in which the band of tin holding hooks 2 is
fixed, the groove is held by means of nuts; this frame is traversed by a shaft
pivotted on the bearings marked S. The shaft carries a lever, on which the
frame is pivotted when it is desired to raise or lower it; it has motion from
right to left by means of two rocking levers; it has also a forward and back-
ward movement by means of two rods which take the shaft at the two
extremities, in order that the movement may be regular, these rods are also
fixed to a rocking leyer. The bearing, in which the shaft pivots, should be
placed in slides, in order not to obstruct the latter movement of the frame.
3. Fork needles: they have two arms between which the thread is placed when
conducted by them into the eye of the loops; one of the arms is very short,
its only use is to hold the thread, in order that it may not escape from the

page_text: fork; the other arm is long, and serves to introduce the short one into the eye
of the loops; the knots when formed are tightened on them; these arms are
held together by a band of tin at the same distance as hooks 1. I, frame,
having a grooved part in which the band of tin holding the fork is fixed; tho
groove is tightened by micans of nuts; the frame has a forward and backward.
motion in an angular direction, and slides on four slides; it is put in motion.
by a beam placed below the frame, which causes it to advance or retrograde;
the frame has motion also from right to left by means of two rocking levers.
4. Shuttle it is somewhat tapered at each end in order not to catch the.
thread when it passes into the loops; it has a hole at each extremity; in the
middle of it there are two hollows in contrary directions, which form a small
double hook, the thread intended to make the web is fixed to this hook.
K, slides, in which the shuttles lodge when they leave the loops; the two
boxes are placed one on each side of the loom. M, slide box of the whole.
length of the loom; it is fixed on each side on the cross beams of the frame-
work; the boxes of the shuttle are placed on M. J. carriage, having a hollow
at each end, it has also two rollers which pass into slide box M. L, crank
levers, having a socket at the angle, into which the rod (marked R) passes;
this rod is of the whole length of the slide box M; it is fixed to the slide box
by four brackets; one arm of the crauk levers has a point at its extremity,
this point enters into the holes in the shuttle, and causes it to slide from ono
shuttle box to the other; the other arm of the crank lever is straight, it is on
this arm that the hollow in the carriage is hooked; that which forms the
frame of the slide box in which the rollers of the carriage pass consists of
two bands of iron, the upper one is raised somewhat above the part of the
slide box; the straight arms of the crank levers slide on this band; at the
place where they should stop there is a bevelled hollow in the band, so that
the arm of the crank lever can slide therein, and when the carriage performs.
its traverse, the crank lever, which is carried with it, enters the hollow in the
band, when the carriage lets it go, and the other arm, which carries a point,
.go the shuttle. Before the carriage lets go the crank lever which it has.
carried with it, it takes the other on the opposite side, and the point of the
latter also takes the shuttle before the first lets it go; the shuttle is thus
carried from one shuttle box to the other by the carriage and the two crank
arms. The other band, which is below the slide box, carries supports which
hold another band; the wheels which impart motion to the carriage are
placed on this band. N, toothed wheels, which gear with the carriage of the
shuttle; one of these wheels is fixed on a shaft on which there is a pinion,
which gears with two racks (marked 8). 5. Regulator: it is fixed on a shaft
lets

page_text: X
it
which turns in bearings S; it is placed above hooks 1. The shaft carries a
lever, at the end of which there is a rod which is fixed to the beam P. The
beam is fixed on a shaft furnished with an arm in contact with and below the
eccentric 6. The eccentric is fixed on a shaft, at the end of which is a band,
which turns in front of a dial O. The shaft also carries a ratchet wheel; this
wheel has as many teeth as there are numbers on the dial; they are so divided
that the hand when at rest stops in front of the numbers. The regulator serves
to regulate the size of the mesh to be made; it also serves to lower hooks 1,
when they are to commence the knots. 7. Reel: there is a reel on each side of
the loom, each one is fixed on a shaft placed behind the boxes of the shuttle;
in the shaft of each reel there is a hollow, into which the strap passes;
also passes under a small pulley, to which a weight is suspended; one end of
the strap is fixed to the frame, and the other end is attached on the large
pulley V. This pulley is fixed on a shaft, which carries a pinion gearing with
rack 8, having at the end a ring, to which the end of a little strap is fixed;
the other end of this strap is attached to a small pulley fixed on a shaft, at tho
end of which shaft there is a crank and a ratchet wheel. The crank serves
to turn the reel when the thread is used up. A bobbin T, on which the
thread is placed, is put on one of the spindles placed in front of the shuttle
boxes; the thread that is used up is knotted to that on the bobbin, and by
turning the crank, the reel turns and draws all the thread from the bobbin.
9. Conductors: they have a ring at one end into which the shuttle passes, and
at the other end they have a rod which corresponds to a rocking lever; these
conductors serve to take the thread from the shuttle to the reel. 10. Float or
frame for raising the web: it is mounted on a shaft, which turns in bearings;
at the end of the float there is a plate or blade which holds the two extremi-
ties, and in front of the blade there is a rod which screws on to the side of the
float; there is a space between the plate and the rod through which the web
passes. The rod has on the opposite side to the screw a small flat head, so
that it can be turned by hand when it is desired to take it out. The float is
11. Stretcher: it
put in motion by two rods connected with a rocking lever.
is mounted on a shaft, which turns in bearings; at the end of the stretcher
there is a ring, in which a chain is fixed; this chain supports a weight, and
passes on a pulley mounted on the frame; this weight is increased or
diminished according to the thickness of the thread employed, and according
to the manner in which it is desired to tighten the knots. The stretcher is
put in motion by means of a rod connected to a rocking lever. 12. Presser:
it is mounted by a shaft, which turns on bearings. Two springs are fixed to
the uprights of the frame; the springs cach carry a hook, which takes on the

page_text: two extremities of the presser; this presser is put in motion by means of two
rods which are connected with a rocking lever. The presser bears on the
cross beam of the frame, on which there is a band of leather, and the web is
held between the band and the presser. 13. Band of cloth; at the end of this
cloth there is a plate having two rows of holes, one of which serves to fix the
plate on the cloth, and the other serves to commence the web. There should
be as many holes as there are needles on the loom. 14. Key frame; it forms
spaces or compartments into which the levers or keys 15 pass; they are held
by a spindle, which passes through all as well as the plates forming the com-
partments. Each key has a rod, which corresponds with the levers and beams
above referred to. The key frame is held on two cross beams, which are fixed
to the frame; they are placed so that the end of the keys reach the middle of
the upper part of the cylinder. Y, cylinder, mounted on a shaft, which also
carries a large wheel, and turns in bearings fixed to the frame; on the
cylinder there are teeth placed, so that in turning they raise the keys in the
key frame.
These teeth are raised higher or lower from the cylinder,
according to the extent of motion they are required to impart to the keys;
they are also longer or shorter, according to the length of duration of the
motion required. Three curved racks are place:l on the cylinder; the first
gears with the two racks 8 which correspond with the pinion of the gear of
the shuttle carriage; the second gears with the racks which correspond with
the gearing of the carriage belonging to the escape detents of the hooks 1 ; the
third gears with the racks which correspond with the pinions of the pullies V,
turning the recls. Above the wheel, fixed on the shaft of the cylinder, there is
pinion which
gears therewith, and this pinion is fixed on a shaft turning in
bearings. Below the shaft there is a small wheel; it has a bevilled tooth on
each side, fixed contrary to each other, and between this tooth and the
cylinder there is a connection by an oscillating lever W, mounted on a suitable
support; it has a fork at each end, the one formed in a direction at right
angles to the other. One of the forks engages with the little wheel, and the
other with the shaft of the cylinder. The small wheel turns by means of a
tooth fixed on the shaft of the pinion, and when the cylinder has made a
revolution, the shaft of the pinion has made the small wheel turn half a
revolution, by which means the bevilled tooth acts on the fork of the oscillating
lever; this tooth, being about two-fifths of an inch, gives an equal movement
to the oscillating lever, which gives a movement of two-fifths of an inch to the
cylinder. The small wheel performs its other half revolution. and the tooth
bevilled in the opposite direction to the first enters into the fork of the
oscillating lever, and produces the contrary movement to the first. The
a

page_text: soon as it is used up the end of the thread is knotted to that one which holds
to the cloth plate; the crank is again turned, in order that the reel may wind
on the rest of the thread just knotted; the flat rod is then returned to its
place, care is taken to leave the cloth between the plate and the rod; the
frame of hooks 2, which has been raised, is also returned to its place, and all
the said hooks are made to enter the loops of hooks 1.
Sheet 1, Fig. 1. After the operation described above, the guide is brought
back to its place, and the small button of the crank, which has been turned,
and which holds to the catch, is raised, the reel turns in a backward
direction, and deposits all the thread on it in the reservoir placed below. All
these operations having been made, the loom is ready to act; the crank is then
turned; it is fixed on the shaft of the pinion which gears with the wheel of
the cylinder; this makes all the keys of the key frame perform the movements
desired.
Fig. 2. The regulator lowers the hooks until they touch the upper part
of hooks 2; the presser withdraws before the hooks are lowered, so as to
leave the cloth free to fall also, and when it has fallen the presser returns
to hold it; the hooks 2 then leave the loops, but as the points are oblique
they pass outside the loops, and retain their hold.
the loops below hooks 1.
The float now withdraws
Fig. 3. The hooks 2 incline to the left sufficiently that hooks 1 may descend
below hooks 2, and these then return to the right; these movements compel
the loops to turn back in hooks 2, so as to make them form eyes to receive
the points of the hooks 1.
Fig. 4. The hooks 1 withdraw in order to let the hooks 2 descend. The
hooks 1 in withdrawing the end are introduced into the eyes of the loops, and
oblige these latter to lengthen sufficient to leave a passage for the needles
placed below hooks 1.
Fig. 5. The hooks 2 incline to the right, so as to conduct the eye in front of
the large arm of the needles; this, in 'advancing to enter the eyes, passes outside
of the loops, and the small arm of the needles takes one of the sides of the
loops, so that the thread is placed between the two arms; and when the large
arm has penetrated into the eyes the hooks return to the left, so that the
eyes are sufficiently opened to facilitate the small arm penetrating into these
without hooking to any part of the eyes.
Fig. 6. The needles advance and enter the eyes, conducting therein the
thread, which they hold between their two arms at a suflicient height to leave
a free passage for the shuttle, which should pass below the needles and behind.
the thread which they have conducted into the eyes.

page_text: Fig. 7. The needles incline to the left, so as to allow hooks 1 to descend;
these in descending leave the part of the eyes on the needles, and withdraw
to allow the needles to return to the right.
Fig. 8. The hooks 1 advance, and replace themselves, when the shuttle
passes above hooks I, below the needles, and behind the thread which they
hold. The shuttle having thus passed into the loops, also passes into the
ring of the guide, and places itself into the opposite shuttle box. The guide
withdraws and conducts the thread to the reel, which turns and draws all
the thread which is in the opposite reservoir; the reel turns in a backward
direction, and deposits all the thread in the reservoir below.
Fig. 9. At the moment that the reel has begun to turn back, the carriago
which raises the detents of books 1 performs its traverse, and raises the
detents one after another, which allows the hooks to ascend one after the
other, and stop below the regulator; in ascending they take the necessary
quantity of thread to make the succeeding knots.
Fig. 10. The float causes the loops to retrograde under the needles, and
these withdraw without the end of the large arm coming out of the eyes, so
that hooks 2 may ascend above the needles without coming in contact with
them.
Fig. 11. In ascending above the needles the hooks 2 make that part of the
eyes which they hold ascend, and the said hooks enter the loops of the hooks 1.
Fig. 12. The hooks having entered the loops of the hooks 1, they have
abandoned the parts of the eyes which they before held, and the stretcher,
which is placed between the presser and the float, acts and stretches the cloth
so as to tighten the eyes in the long arm of the needles. Lastly, this one
returns to its original place, when the knots are finished. The float makes
the hooks advance under hooks 2. The stretcher and presser are withdrawn,
so as to leave the cloth free to descend, when the regulator lowers hooks 1, to
recommence the operations for the succeeding knots.
The knots being made thus, as described and illustrated in the twelve Figures,
the movements recommence in the same manner and order as before, except
that of the movement of the shuttle towards the detents of hooks 1, and that of
the recls, which is not the same, their motion being in the contrary direction,
and excepting also the change of position made by the cylinder itself when one
row of knots is finished. The contrary motions to be imparted to all these parts
are obtained without stopping the action of the cylinder, which should be
continued till the thread is used up; when finished it is cut near the last
mesh, but the thread should be left long enough to be knotted; the thread on
the bobbin which has just been placed on the spindle is knotted to the thread

page_text: which has been cut, and which holds to the shuttle. The crank of the reel is
turned, and this draws all the thread from the bobbin. The end of this thread
which has just been knotted is taken, the small button of the catch of the
crank is then raised, and the reel turns back and deposits the thread in its
reservoir, and the loom is ready to act again. A reservoir is placed below the
loom to receive the web, so that it may not fall on the ground when it
descends.
I have further improved the oscillating lever conductors; they have
each a bearing which serves as a slide, and these bearings are fixed to
the frame of the loom. The conductors bave a ring at one end, and at the
other they are jointed to a rocking lever by a pin and nut. The lever pivots
in bearings in which a pin is fixed, on which the oscillating lever is placed ;
this lever has two arms; one descends below the ring of a conductor a,
Sheet 3, and the other rises above the pin which connects the conductor to
lever b, so that this latter, by pivotting, moves oscillating lever d. The lever b
is furnished with a rod c, which corresponds with the cylinder which puts it in
motion. These conductors are placed on each side of the line of hooks 1,
Sheet 1, parallel with the conductors, which bring the thread upon the shuttle
to the reel; and the oscillating lever conductor, which is on the side opposite
to the shuttle, conducts the thread to a sufficient height in order that the
oscillating lever may describe its movement, so as to be able to make the
thread jump from above the last hook, in order that at the following row of
knots, the shuttle going from the opposite side leaves the thread outside the
said hook. This one, in acting, takes the quantity of thread necessary to
form the border, and the conductor descends to its place as soon as it bas
made the thread jump.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th November 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Ier heirs and successors, give and grant

page_text: unto me, the said William Clark, ller special licence that I, the said
William Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Clark, 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 MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING KNOTTED WEBS OR NETS," (a com-
munication,) upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Williamı
Clark, 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 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 William Clark, 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 two Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to a loom or machine for knitting webs or nets with
a single continuous thread, and without a break or severing of the thread, the
meshes being made and secured by means of knots, which are tightened more
or less, as desired. A single thread only is used, which is added to when it is
finished, and which by this means makes it similar to webs made by hand.
The knots are made by means of two books and a needle for each one, and also
a shuttle, which furnishes thread to all the hooks.
DESCRIPTION.
Sheet 1.1. Straight hooks, having two holes, one for receiving an elastic
spring, and the other for receiving a spindle, which passes through and sustains
them all in one compartment; B, plates forming the compartments in which the
hooks are placed; the spindle supporting them passes into all these plates.
Each plate has two tenons; each tenon has a hole into which a spindle passes;

page_text: it is put in motion by a rocking beam placed below the frame. C, escape
detents of a square form; they are held by a spindle, which traverses them at
the angle; they are fixed to the upper part of the plates forming the com-
partments; one side of the detents rests on a rod, which serves as a stop; at
the end of the same side there is a hole, in which an elastic spring is placed';
on the other side the detents form a catch, on which the back part of the hooks
are caught and held. D, carriage, having a roller at its upper part, which
raises the detents one after another when the carriage travels, and the hooks
escape in the same time and order. E; bearings and regulating slide of the
carriage and. iron band, into which the carriage passes. F, toothed wheels,
which gear with the carriage; one of these wheels is fixed on a shaft carrying
a pinion which gears into two racks 8, serving to turn the wheels either to
the left or right; the carriage is thus conducted by them from right to
left, or from left to right. 2. Curved hooks, the point of which is somewhat
oblique; they are attached to each other by a band of tin at the same distance
as hooks 1. II, frame, having a grooved part, in which the band of tin holding
hooks 2 is fixed. The groove is held by means of nuts; this frame is traversed
by a shaft pivotted on the bearings marked S. The shaft carries a lever, on
which the frame is pivotted when it is desired to raise or lower it; it has
motion from right to left by means of two rocking levers; it has also a forward
and backward movement by means of two rods, which take the shaft at the two
extremities, in order that the movement may be regular; these rods are also
fixed to a rocking lever. The bearing in which the shaft pivots should bo
placed in slides, in order not to obstruct the latter movement of the frame.
3. Fork needles; they have two arms, between which the thread is placed when
conducted by them into the eye of the loops; one of the arms is very short,
its only use is to hold the thread, in order that it may not escape from the
fork; the other arm is long, and serves to introduce the short one into the
eye of the loops; the knots when formed are tightened on them; these arms
are beld together by a band of tin at the same distance as hooks 1. 1, frame,
having a grooved part, in which the band or strip of tin plate holding the fork
needles is fixed. The groove is tightened by means of nuts; the frame has a
forward and backward motion in an angular direction, and slides on four
slides;
it is put in motion by a beam placed below the frame, which causes it
to advance or retrograde; the frame has motion also from right to left by
means of two rocking levers. 4, shuttle; it is somewhat tapered at each end,
in order not to catch the thread when it passes into the loops; it has a hole
at each extremity; in the middle of it there are two hollows in contrary
directions, which form a small double hook; the thread intended to make the

page_text: web is fixed to this hook. K, slides, in which the shuttles lodge when they
leave the loops; the two boxes are placed one on each side on the loom.
M, slide box, of the whole length of the loom; it is fixed on each side on the
cross beams of the framework; the boxes of the shuttle are placed on M.
J, carriage, having a hollow at each end; it has also two rollers, which pass
into slide box M. L, crank levers, having a socket at the angle, into which
the rod (marked R) passes; this rod is of the whole length of the slide
box M; it is fixed to the slide box by four brackets. One arm of the crank
levers has a point at its extremity; this point enters into the holes in the
shuttles, and causes it to slide from one shuttle box to the other. The other
arm of the crank lever is straight; it is on this arm that the hollow in the
carriage is hooked. That which forms the frame of the slide box in which
the rollers of the carriage pass consists of two bands of iron; the upper one
is raised somewhat above the part of the slide box; the straight arms of the
crank levers slide on this band. At the place where they should stop there
is a bevilled hollow on the band, so that the arm of the crank lever can slide
therein; and when the carriage performs its traverse, the crank lever, which
is carried with it, enters the hollow in the band, when the carriage lets it go,
and the other arm, which carries a point, lets go the shuttle. Before the
carriage lets go the crank lever which it has carried with it, it takes the other
on the opposite side, and the point of the latter also takes the shuttle before
the first lets it go; the shuttle is thus carried from one shuttle box to the
other by the carriage and the two crank arms. The other band, which is
below the slide box, carries supports, which hold another band; the wheels
which impart motion to the carriage are placed on this band. N, toothed
wheels, which gear with the carriage of the shuttle; one of these wheels is
fixed on a shaft, on which there is a pinion which gears with two racks
(marked 8). 5, regulator; it is fixed on a shaft which turns in bearings S;
it is placed above hooks 1. The shaft carries a lever, at the end of which
there is a rod which is fixed to the beam P. The beam is fixed on a shaft
furnished with an arm, in contact with and below the eccentric 6. The
eccentric is fixed on a shaft, at the end of which is a hand which turns in
front of a dial 8. The shaft also carries a ratchet wheel; this wheel has as
many teeth as there are numbers on the dial; they are so divided that the
band when at rest stops in front of the numbers.
The regulator serves to regulate the size of the mesh to be made, it also
serves to lower hooks 1 when they are to commence the knots. 7. Reel: there
is a reel on each side of the loom; each one is fixed on a shaft placed behind
the boxes of the shuttle; in the shaft of each reel there is a hollow, into which

page_text: the strap X passes, it also passes under a small pulley to which a weight is
suspended; one end of the strap is fixed to the frame, and the other end is
attached on the large pulley V, this pulley is fixed on a shaft which carries a
pinion gearing with rack 8, having at the end a ring, to which the end of a
little strap is fixed; the other end of this strap is attached to a small pulley
fixed on a shaft, at the end of which shaft there is a crank and a ratchet wheel.
The crank serves to turn the wheel when the thread is finished. A bobbin T,
on which the thread is placed, is put on one of the spindles placed in front of.
the shuttle boxes, the thread that is finished is knotted to that on the bobbin,
and by turning the crank the reel turns and draws all the thread from the
bobbin. 9. Conductors; they have a ring at one end into which the shuttle
passes, and at the other end they have a rod which corresponds to a rocking
lever g. These conductors serve to take the thread from the shuttle to the:
reel. 10. Float, it is mounted on a shaft which turns in bearings; at the
end of the float there is a plate or blade which holds the two extremities,
and in front of the blade there is a rod, which screws on to the side of the
float; there is a space between the plate and the rod, through which the web
passes; the rod bas on the opposite side to the screw a small flat head, so that
it can be turned by hand when it is desired to take it out. The float is put
in motion by two rods connected with the rocking lever. 11. Stretcher: it
is mounted on a shaft which turns in bearings; at the end of the stretcher.
there is a ring in which a chain is fixed; this chain supports a weight, and
passes on a pulley mounted on the frame; this weight is increased or diminished
according to the thickness of the thread employed, and according to the
manner in which it is desired to tighten the knots. The stretcher is put in
motion by means of a rod connected to a rocking lever. 12. Presser, it is
mounted on a shaft which turns in bearings. Two springs are fixed to the
uprights of the frame; these springs each carry a hook which takes on the
two extremities of the presser, this presser is put in motion by means of two
rods which are connected with a rocking lever. The presser bears on the
cross beam of the frame, on which there is a band of leather, and the web is
held between this band and the presser. 13. Band of cloth; at the end of this
cloth there is a plate having two rows of holes, one of which serves to fix the
plate on the cloth, and the other serves to commence the web, there should be
as many holes as there are needles on the loom. 14. Key frame, it formis spaces
or compartments, into which the levers or keys 15 pass; they are held by a
spindle, which passes through them all as well as the plates forming the
compartments; each key has a rod which corresponds with the levers and
beams above referred to; the key frame is held on two cross beams, which are

page_text: fixed to the frame; they are placed so that the end of the keys reach the
middle of the upper part of the cylinder. Y, cylinder, mounted on a shaft,
which also carries a large wheel, and turns in bearings fixed to the frame; on
the cylinder there are teeth placed, so that in turning they raise the keys of
the key frame; these teeth are raised higher or lower from the cylinder
according to the extent of motion they are required to impart to the keys; they
are also longer or shorter according to the length of duration of the motion
required. Three curved racks are placed on the cylinder; the first gears with
the two racks 8, which corresponds with the pinion of the gear of the shuttle
carriage; the second gears with the racks which correspond with the pinion
of the gearing of the carriage belonging to the escape detents of hooks 1; the
third gears with the racks which correspond with the pinions of the pullies V,
turning the reels. Above the wheel, fixed on the shaft of the cylinder, there is
a pinion which gears therewith, and this pinion is fixed on a shaft turning in
bearings. Below the shaft there is a small wheel, it has a bevelled tooth on
each side fixed in contrary directions to each other, and between this tooth
and the cylinder there is a connection by an oscillating lever W, mounted on
a suitable support, it has a fork at each end, the one formed in a direction at
right angles to the other, one of the forks engages with a little little wheel,
anil the other with the shaft of the cylinder. The small wheel turns by means
of a tooth fixed on the shaft of the pinion, and when the cylinder has made a
revolution, the shaft of the pinion has made the small wheel turn half a revo-
lution, by which means the bevilled tooth acts on the fork of the oscillating lever.
This tooth being about two-fifths of an inch, gives an equal movement to the
oscillating lever, which gives a movement of two-fifths of an inch to the cylinder;
the small wheel performs its other half revolution, and the tooth bevilled in
the opposite direction to the first enters into the fork of the oscillating lever,
and produces the contrary movement to the first. The cylinder thus changes
position, because the movements of the keys are not all alike, there must con-
sequently be two sets of teeth on the cylinder, and in order to prevent the
latter moving when the bevilled tooth of the small wheel leaves the fork of
the oscillating lever, there is at the end of the shaft of the cylinder on the
side opposite the wheel, a second axis, which is notched; and the shaft carries
a tooth so placed that it passes into the notch in this axis; when the cylinder
advances, the tooth having passed into the notch, the cylinder cannot retrograde
when it turns, on a following revolution taking place the tooth leaves the
noteb, and the cylinder cannot be traversed when it turns. All these move-
ments are elfected without stopping the action of the cylinder, which is
put
in
motion by the pinions, which gears with the pinion above referred to; it is

page_text: fixed on a shaft, at the end of which there is a crank and a ratchet wheel, this
wheel prevents the crank being turned the wrong way.
MODE OF BEGINNING THE WEB.
The cloth above referred to is placed between the presser and the band of
leather, so that the plate at the end may be equidistant from all the hooks 1;
it should not be placed at a greater distance than the size of the mesh:
to be made; the frame of hooks 2 is then raised, which stops at a hook placed.
behind. The float rod is unscrewed, and then the dial hand is turned to the
number of the mesh to be made, a thread is passed through all the holes in
the plate which holds to the cloth, and which is knotted on both sides of the
last hole. A second thread is passed into all the stitches of the first thread, it
should be passed first from the side on which the shuttle is; having arrived at
the last stitch on the opposite side the thread is fixed to the last hole. A
small hook is held in the hand, with which the second thread is taken hold.
of in the intervals between the stitches of the first thread, and which is carried
on to looks 1 (seen in the Drawings, Sheet 1). The operation is com-
menced at the side on which the second thread is fixed; when it has arrived
at the last interval on the opposite side the thread is fixed to the last stitch of
the first thread, care being taken to leave the end long enough to knot it with
facility with another thread. A bobbin is placed on the spindle opposite to
the shuttle, which is caused to pass out of its box until the double hook
in the middle is seen. The end of the thread of the bobbin is placed in the
ring of the guide or conductor which is on the same side as the shuttle, and
it is knotted on the double hook of this shuttle, which is then returned to its
box, the guide is drawn back towards the reel and stops at a hook placed
behind it, the crank of the reel is then turned, and it draws all the thread.
from the bobbin. As soon as it is used up the end of the thread is knotted
to that one which holds to the cloth plate, the crank is again turned in order
that the reel may wind on the rest of the thread just knotted, the float rod
is then returned to its place; care is taken to leave the cloth between the
plate and the rod, the frame of hooks 2, which has been raised, is also returned
to its place, and all the said hooks are made to enter the loops of hooks 1. .
Sheet 2, Fig. 1. After the operation described above the guide is brought
back to its place and the small button of the crank, which has been turned,
and which holds to the catch, is raised, the reel turns in a backward direction
and deposits all the thread on it in the reservoir placed below. All these
operations having been made the loom is ready to act, the crank is then
turned, it is fixed on the shaft of the pinion which gears with the wheel of the
.

page_text: cylinder; this makes all the keys of the key frame perform the movements
desired.
Fig. 2. The regulator lowers. the hooks 1 until they touch the upper part
of hooks 2, the presser withdraws before the hooks are lowered, so as to leave
the cloth free to fall also, and when it has fallen the presser returns to hold it,
the hooks 2 then proceed to leave the loops, but as the points are oblique they
pass outside the loops and they retain their hold, the float now withdraws the
loops below hooks 1.
Fig. 3. The hooks 2 incline to the left sufficiently that books I may
descend below hooks 2, and these return to the right; these movements
compel the loops to turn back in hooks 2, so as to make them form eyes to
receive the points of books 1.
Fig. 4. The hooks 1 withdraw in order to let the hooks 2 descend; the
hooks 1 in withdrawing the end are introduced into the eyes of the loops, and
obliges these latter to lengthen sufficient to leave a passage for the needles
placed below hooks 1.
Fig. 5. The hooks 2 incline to the right, so as to conduct the eye in front
of the large arm of the needles; this, in advancing to enter the eyes, passes
outside of the loops, and the small arm of the needles takes one of the sides
of the loops, so that the thread is placed between the two arms, and when the
large arm las penetrated into the eyes the hooks 2 return to the left, so that
the eyes are sufficiently opened to facilitate the small arm penetrating into
these without hooking to any part of the eyes.
Fig. 6. The needles advance and enter the eyes, conducting therein tho
thread, which they hold between their two arms at a sufficient height to leave
a free passage for the shuttle, which should pass below the needles and behind
the thread which they have conducted into the eyes.
Fig. 7. The needles incline to the left, so as to allow hooks 1 to descend,
these in descending leave the part of the eyes on the needles and withdraw,
to allow the needles to return to the right.
Fig. 8. The hooks 1 advance and replace themselves, when the shuttle
passes above hooks 1 below the needles and behind the thread which they
hold; the shuttle having thus passed into the loops also passes into the ring
of the guide, and places itself in the opposite shuttle box; the guide with-
draws and conducts the thread to the reel, which turns and draws all the
thread which is in the opposite reservoir, the reel then turns in a backward
direction and deposits all the thread in the reservoir below.
Fig. 9. At the moment that the reel has begun to turn back, the carriago
which raises the detents of the hooks 1, performs its traverse and raises the

page_text: detents one after another, which allows the hooks to ascend one after the other
and stop below the regulator; in ascending they take the necessary quantity
of thread to make the succceding knots.
Fig. 10. The float causes the loops to retrograde under the needles, and
these withdraw without the end of the large arm coming out of the eyes, so
that the hooks 2 may ascend above the needles without coming in contact
with them.
Fig. 11. In ascending above the needles the hooks 2 make that part of
the eyes which they hold ascend, and the said hooks enter the loops of the
hooks 1.
Fig. 12. The hooks 2 having entered the loops of the hooks 1, they have
abandoned the part of the eyes which they before held, and the stretchor,
which is placed between the presser and the float, acts and stretches the cloth
so as to tighten the eyes on the long arm of the needles; this one returns to
its original place when the knots are finished. The float makes the loops
advance under hooks 2; the stretcher and presser are withdrawn so as to
leave the cloth free to descend, when the regulator lowers books I to recom-
mence the operations for the succeeding knots.
The knots being made as thus described, and illustrated by the twelve
Figures, the movements recommence in the same order and manner as before,
except that of the movement of the shuttle towards the detents of hooks 1,
and that of the reels, which is not the same, their motion being in the contrary
direction, and excepting also the change of position made by the cylinder itself
when one row of knots is finished.. The contrary motions to be imparted to
all these parts are obtained without stopping the action of the cylinder, which
should be continued till the thread is used up; when used up it is cut near the
last mesh, but the thread should be left long enough to be knotted; the
thread on the bobbin which has just been placed on the spindle is knotted to
the thread which has been cut, and which holds to the shuttle.
of the reel is turned, and this draws all the thread from the bobbin.
of this thread which has just been knotted is taken, the small button of tho.
catch of the crank is then raised, and the reel turns back and deposits
the thread in its reservoir, and the loom is ready to act again. A reservoir is
placed below the loom to receive the web, so that it may not fall on the
ground when it descends.
The crank
The end
I have further improved the oscillating lever conductors; they have each a
bearing which serves as a slide, and these bearings are fixed to the frame of
the loom. The conductors have a ring at one end, and at the other they are
jointed to a rocking lever by a pin and nut. The lever pivots in bearings
B

page_text: in which a pin is fixed, on which the oscillating lever is placed. This lever
has two arms, one descends below the ring of conductor a, and the other rises
above the pin which connects the conductor to lever b, so that this latter by
pivotting moves oscillating lever d. The lever bis furnished with a rod c,
which corresponds with the cylinder which puts it in motion. These con-
ductors are placed on each side of the line of hooks 1 (Sheet 1), parallel with
the conductors which bring the thread from the shuttle to the reel, and the
oscillating lever conductor, which is on the side opposite to the shuttle,
conducts the thread to a sufficient height, in order that the oscillating lever
may describe its movement, so as to be able to make the thread jump from
above the last hook, in order that at the following row of knots the shuttlo
going from the opposite side leaves the thread outside the said hook; this
one in acting takes the quantity of thread necessary to form the border, and
the conductor descends to its place as soon as it has made the thread jump.
Having described the nature of the Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be secured by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, I claim the manufacture of fishing nets and other meshed fabrics
with a single thread by the machinery herein-before described.
Secondly, I claim the combination of parts constituting the machino
represented in the annexed Drawings, and furnishing the needles or instru-
ments and the shuttles with their several movements, for the purposes & as
herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
W. G. E. SWINNOCK,
53, Chancery Lane.
W. CLARK. (L.S.)