IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KNITTED FABRICS
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel. Thacker, of Sneinton, in the County of
Nottingham, Lace Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF KNITTED FABRICS."
Sealed the 1st November 1867, and dated the 3rd May 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Thacker at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd May 1867.
I, SAMUEL THACKER, of Sneinton, in the County of Nottingham, Lace
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF KNITTED FABRICS," to be as follows:-
The Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of knitted
fabrics, and relates to the production of fabrics as substitutes for twist net,
crown lining, lino, buckram, muslin, and other stiffened warp and weft fabrics.
For this purpose I prefer to employ that class of knitting machine known as
the ordinary "round frame," but other descriptions of knitting frame may be
purposes I
employed, and in order to produce an open fabric for the above
use a finer yarn than that ordinarily employed in the production of knitted
fabrics on any particular gauge of machine, thereby producing a slack fabric
in which the "wale" (which is considered to be essential to other knitted

page_text: fabrics) is almost entirely obviated. Such fabric is then after removal from
the knitting machine placed in an ordinary dressing frame in which it is
stretched out and stiffened in the ordinary manner of dressing or stiffening lace
or other fabrics.
When a "round frame" is employed the fabric is either before or after
removal from such frame cut up so as to be capable of being opened out to
permit of its being placed in a dressing frame as above described.
By these means fabrics are produced the boles or meshes of which approach
in form to nearly that of a square and having somewhat the appearance of
ordinary woven fabrics of the character above referred to.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Thacker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st November 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
THACKER, of Sneinton, in the 'County of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing. date the Third day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Samuel Thacker, Her special licence that I, the said Samuel Thacker, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel
Thacker, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
ACTURE OF KNITTED FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Samuel Thacker, 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 Samuel Thacker, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,

page_text: to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say:→
The Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of knitted
fabrics, and relates to the production of knitted fabrics as substitutes for twist
net, crown lining, leno, buckram, muslin, and other fabrics produced in looms
or in twist lace machines and afterwards stiffened. For this purpose I prefer
to employ that class of knitting machine known as the ordinary round frame,
but other descriptions of knitting frame may be employed, and in order to
produce an open fabric for the above purposes I use a finer yarn than that
ordinarily employed in the production of ordinary knitted fabrics on any particular
guage of machine, thereby producing a slack fabric in which the "wale" (which
is considered to be essential to other descriptions of knitted fabrics) is almost
entirely obviated. Thus, for example, in the manufacture of a fabric as a
substitute for buckram I employ a knitting machine of about No. 20 guage,
and with such guage of knitting frame I use a size of yarn of about No. 40
or 50 singles to produce a fabric the holes or meshes of which are of a very
open character. Such fabric is then after removal from the knitting frame
placed in an ordinary dressing frame in which it is stretched out and stiffened
in a similar manner to that employed in dressing and stiffening lace or other
fabrics.
When a round frame is employed for the above purposes the fabric is
either before or after removal from such frame cut up so as to be capable of
being opened out to permit of its being placed in a dressing frame for the
purpose of being stretched and stiffened as above described.
By the above means fabrics are produced the holes or meshes of which
approach in form to nearly that of a square and having somewhat the
appearance of and capable of being used as substitutes for fabrics of the
character above referred to produced in the ordinary manner upon looms or
twist lace machines.
I have not thought it necessary to give the number of guage of machine
and the size of yarn for producing substitutes for other fabrics than buckram,
as, aided by the description already given, a manufacturer will readily under-
stand how to produce substitutes for other fabrics of the character herein
described.
When it is desired to produce fabrics for some purposes, such as for the
manufacture of hat and bonnet shapes, I prefer to unite two or more
thicknesses of my improved knitted fabric together by the process of dressing.
For this purpose I stretch the number of thicknesses required one upon another
in a diessing frame, so that their entire surfaces are in contact with each

page_text: other, and I then apply the dressing or stiffening material in the ordinary
manner.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the mode of carrying
the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim is, the
manufacture of fabrics of the character herein referred to upon knitting frames
aided by the after process of dressing and stiffening, substantially in the manner
herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Thacker, have hereunto set my
band and seal, this Thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Witness,
B. J. B. MILLS,
Patent Agent,
35, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane,
London.
SAMUEL THACKER. (L.B.)