IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING FASHIONED HOSIERY
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Onion, of Sneinton, in the County of Nottingham,
Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS
FOR MAKING FASHIONED HOSIERY."
Sealed the 28th March 1877, and dated the 2nd October 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Onion at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd October 1876.
WILLIAM ONION, of Sneinton, in the County of Nottingham, Machinist.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING FASHIONED
HOSIERY."
There are two or more main standards connected together by tie bars; the
standards support or form bearings for a shaft carrying the cams which give the
requisite movements to the several parts. At one end of the machine a toothed
wheel is keyed on the cam shaft; this wheel is driven by a smaller wheel secured
on a boss carrying a fast pulley and a loose one, and a fly wheel, the whole
revolving on an axle secured in one of the standards. Instead of a fixed or
sliding needle bar I employ a needle bar carried by links hinged to the levers of a
rocking axle bar; at the back of the machine operated by one or more cams, the
jack axle is a fixture; the jacks carry the jack sinkers which are driven down by
slur cocks, each of which can be adjusted by a star independently; the falling bar
acts also as a locking bar.
The dividing sinkers (usually termed the lead sinkers)
lie in a comb at their upper end through which an axle is passed; these sinkers are
stationary except when they slightly rise as the needles are being pressed by a
stationary presser. In front of the needle bar is a bar carrying tricks in which
knocking over bits are secured; these bits lie behind the jack and dividing sinkers.
After the jacks are drawn the needles commence rising, the jack sinkers rising with
them. to allow the dividing sinkers to equalise the loops, the needle bar then goes
back a little and rises up for the presser to operate; the needle bar then falls and is
taken further back for the work to be knocked over the heads of the needles; the
needle bar then rises and comes over.
The thread guides are carried by sliding tubes, driven by friction boxes, moved by
an arm connected to the drawing lever. There are two sliding bars which carry
stops at each end to regulate the thread guides andbars carrying the ticklers; when

page_text: the fabric is being widened or narrowed the pauls which move the sliding bars are
operated by rods and levers moved by cams. At the opposite end of the machine
to the driving pulley there is a pattern wheel, which when a widening or narrowing
is required allows a lever to fall; this lever carries friction trucks, one or other of
which forces the cam shaft to the right or left as required; the thread guides
are kept in place and slide upon two rods in front of the sinkers; the rest of the
machine is of the usual construction.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Onion in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th March
1877.
"IM-
WILLIAM ONION, of Sneinton, in the County of Nottingham, Machinist.
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING FASHIONED HOSIERY."
There are two or more main standards connected together by tie bars; the
standards support or form bearings for a shaft carrying the cams which give the
requisite movements to the several parts. At one end of the machine a toothed
wheel is keyed on the cam shaft; this wheel is driven by a smaller wheel secured on a
boss carrying a fast pulley and a loose one, and a fly wheel, the whole revolving
on an axle secured-in-one-of-the-standards. Instead of a fixed or sliding needle bar
I employ a needle bar carried by links hinged to the levers of a rocking axle-bar;-at-
the back of the machine operated by one or more cams, the jack axle is a fixture;
the jacks carry the jack sinkers which are driven down by slur cocks, each of can
be adjusted by a star screw independently; the falling bar acts also as a locking
bar. The dividing sinkers (usually termed the lead sinkers) lie in a comb at their
upper end through which an axle is passed; these sinkers are stationary, except
when they slightly rise as the needles are being pressed by a stationary presser.
In front of the needle bar is a bar carrying tricks in which knocking over bits are
secured; these bits lie behind the jack and dividing sinkers. After the jacks are
drawn the needles commence rising, the jack sinkers rising with them to allow the
dividing sinkers to equalize the loops; the needle bar then goes back a little and
rises up for the presser to operate; the needle bar then falls and is taken further
back for the work to be knocked over the heads of the needle; the needle bar then
rises and comes over.
The thread guides are carried by sliding tubes, driven by friction boxes, moved
by an arm connected to the drawing lever. There are two sliding bars which
carry stops at each end to regulate the thread guides and bars carrying the ticklers;
when the fabric is being widened or narrowed the pawls which move the sliding
bars are operated by rods and levers moved by cams. At the opposite end of the
machine to the driving pulley there is a pattern wheel or chain, which when a
widening or narrowing is required allows a lever to fall; this lever carries friction
trucks, one or other of which forces the cam shaft to the right or left as required;
the thread guides are kept in place and slide upon two rods in front of the sinkers ;
the rest of the machine is of the usual construction.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a front view of my improved machine; Figure 2 is a view of the right
end of the machine; Figure 3, a sectional view of the same; and Figure 4, a view
of the left end; and Figures to 21 inclusive are separate views of portions of the
machine more particularly referred to hereafter.
The corresponding parts in each Figure are indicated by the same letters where
necessary.
Description of the several parts and their separate movements :-There are two
main standards A. A. connected together by three tie bars B. B. B: the standards.

page_text: support or form bearings for a shaft C carrying the arms which give the requisite
movements to the several parts. At the right end of the machine a toothed
wheel C¹ is keyed on the shaft C; this wheel is driven by a smaller wheel C
secured on a boss carrying a fast pulley and a loose one, and also a fly wheel, the
whole revolving on an axle secured in the right standard. Instead of a fixed or
sliding needle bar I employ a needle bar D carried by links D¹ hinged to the
upper ends of lovers D2 secured to a rocking axle bar D³ at the back of the machine;
the axle bar when operated by cams hereafter mentioned cause the needle bar to be
moved backwards or forwards at the proper time; the rising of the needle bar is
effected by means of a lever D' rocking on an axle in the upper end of a bracket D10
secured to the front tie bar B; the lever D' carries a boaring arm D³, the upper end
of which takes into a hole on the under side of the needle bar at about the centro
of its length, thus causing the needle bar to rise at each upward movement of the
lever D when operated by the cam, Figure 16. Besides the rising and falling
movements of the needle bar it has a forward and backward movement which are
effected by the cam, Figure 15, operating a truck D° carried by an arın D8 secured
to the upper side of the rocking axle bar D³, the arm D³ being held down by a
spring in the usual way; there is an arm D" also secured to the upper side of the
axle bar Ds, which arm carries a truck D12 operated by the cam Figure 17; the
lower side of the axle bar D³ has an arm D 13 secured to it which carries a truck D14
operated by the needle bar counter cam, Figure 13; and when a slack course is
being made the needle bar having been raised it is held in that position by
projections on the upper edge of a bar R which slides under it upon studs in the
back of the angle bar M, and in a bearing secured to the left standard, shewn at
Figure 4; the projecting end of the bar R carries two studs between which the
upper end of a lever R¹ is passed, seen at Figures 1 and 4; the lever rocks upon an
axle in a bracket R2 secured to the standards; the projecting arm of the lever carries
a bit under which the centre stud B of a pattern chain, (hereafter referred to), passes
when a stud on the centre of the chain raises the bit; the upper end of the lever
traverses the bar R and places the projections on the bar under the needle bar and
holds it up.
The needles are secured in leads De cast round them, which are held on the
needle bar by clamping plates D7 in the usual way. The jacks E which carry the
jack sinkers E¹, instead of having a rivet secured fast in each jack to allow of
the sinker swinging upon the said rivet each jack has a hole formed near the
front end, into which an axle rivetted in the upper end of the jack sinker takes,
that part of the rivet entering the jack being considerably thicker than the sinker
thus forms a larger and much longer enduring surface than can be obtained by
the ordinary construction of securing the rivet in the jack, and allowing the thin
sinker to swing upon it, beside which this arrangement enables me to readily take
out a jack sinker without having to withdraw the jack, wire, or axle, so as to
remove both jack and sinker as heretofore.
My improved method of connecting the jacks and sinkers is shewn at Figures 7,
74, 8 and 8A, Figure 7 shewing the right side of the front end of one jack with
the hole in it to receive the axle rivetted in the jack sinker, Figure 8, shewing
the axle on the left side of the sinker, and Figures 7 and 8^ shewing respec-
tively the front end of a jack and the front edge of a sinker.
The jack axle E is a fixture, being passed through the jacks and the jack
combs E3, and through bearing brackets E, which with the jack combs are secured
by screws to the jack bar E supported by and adjustable upon the end standards.
The jacks are prevented from moving sideways by sleys F, which are secured to
the back of a sley bar F¹, to the front of which is secured a sley G, which is
grooved on the front to receive a wire to form an axle for the lead sinkers, which
are somewhat longer than the jack sinkers. When the wire and sinkers are
placed in the sley they are held in place by a thin plate G carried by brackets
secured to the top of the sley bar. At the back of the bar near each end is secured
an arm F2, seen at Figures 1 and 3, in the upper end of each of which is a set screw

page_text: capable of adjustment therein. These screws rest upon the top of a bar H, shewn
at Figures 1, 2, and 3; this bar has a recess cut near each end, into which the
set screws drop when the frame is sunk for the formation of a slack or ordinary
course. Such sinking is effected by the frame sinking cam shewn in side view at
Figure 21, and in plan at Figure 21 A, which cam is carried by the toothed wheel
C¹ on the cam shaft. The cam strikes against the lower end of a lever H¹ rocking
upon an axle in a bracket secured to the right end standard, the upper end of the
lever being hinged to the right outer end of the bar H, which is provided with a
spring to hold it in the position shewn at Figure 1. The jacks carrying the jack
sinkers are held in position either up or down by the jack springs I, the leads of
which are held by screws to a fixed angle bar J secured to the standards. The jacks
are driven down by the cocks connected in the usual way, each of which can be
adjusted independently by a star screw shewn in the sectional view, Figure 3.
The slur cocks slide upon a fixed bar K, at the back of which the back connecting
bar carries a forked arm, in which the front end of a driving lever lies, the back
end of which is secured to a clip or saddle sliding upon a bar K¹ secured to the
back of the standards. The driving lever is clipped by the forked end of a
Beneath the
drawing lever K² operated by a drawing cam Ks in the usual way.
jacks is a bar L, which acts as a falling bar, and also as a locking bar. This bar
is carried by the slotted ends of two levers secured to the front of an axle bar L',
which is rocked in bearings in the end standards by the locking cam bearing
against a truck L* carried by a lever L³ secured to the axle bar, the bar L is
adjusted-as-a-falling_bar_by_means_of_three screws L³, which are passed through
an angle bar M secured at each end to the standards. The bar M is recessed-
in front to receive plates M' having a V groove near their lower edge, and forming
a sley above to receive knocking over bits which are formed V shaped at the
back to take into the V groove of the sley, being held securely therein by clamping
plates M² screwed to the front of the bar M; the upper ends of the knocking over
bits are firmly held by a groove in the under side of a bar M³ secured at each
end to the bar M. The bar M and the upper ends of the knocking over bits lie
behind the lower ends of the jack and frame sinkers; the frame sinkers divide
the loops as the jack sinkers and needles rise. Both the jack sinkers and lead
sinkers besides being secured at their upper ends as before described, have their
lower ends held by a sley on the front of a bar N, in which sley they are free
to rise and fall; the sley is a fixture, being secured to and supported by three
brackets N¹ secured to the angle bar M; the sley also acts as a presser when
the needle bar rises up so as to force the beards of the needles into the eyes of the
needles; when the work is being landed the three brackets N¹ are provided with an
arm, each of which supports a light bar N° in front of the sinkers, and also two
rods N³ between and against which the thread guides slide. There are four thread
guides to each breadth of work; the four on the right division are only shewn in
Figure 1, the four on the left division are broken away in order to shew the relative
position of other bars and sleys lying behind them, which are also shewn in part
broken away for the same purpose.
The thread guides numbered respectively 1, 2, 3, and 4, at Figures 1 and 3 are
arranged and operated as follows:-There is a bracket O secured to the outer side
of each standard; these brackets support four rods O' secured in them; upon each
rod a tube O2 slides, the two lower tubes being clipped by a friction clutch O³, and
the two upper ones by a friction clutch O*; the tubes are pressed into the clutches
by springs secured to the clutches, and pressing upon the tops of the tubes both
clutches have a to-and-fro movement given them by the front end of a bolt Os
dropping into the fork of an arm 0% screwed to or forming part of a sliding box to
which the clutches are secured; the bolt 05 is hinged at its back end to the front
end of the driving lever before named; the clutch box slides upon two bars P, each
of which are supported by and slide in the brackets O; the back lower tube O2 is
shorter than the other three tubes so as to enable the friction box to traverse the
thread guides 1 the whole width of the fabric, while the stocking leg is being

page_text: made, down to where the opening is left for the insertion of an instep piece, and
where the heel commences, during which time the other three guides are prevented
from being traversed by the friction clutches by the lowering of a bolt into the
groove of a collar on the ends of the two upper tubes O2 and the raising of a bolt
into the groove of a collar on the end of the front lower tube O, as shown in the
front view, Figure 1; these bolts each slide in a small bracket secured to the
brackets O, each bolt being held clear of the grooved collar by a spring surrounding
it, and is placed in the groove by lowering the upper levers 07 and raising the
lower one.
When the heel is arrived at the guide 1 is stopped by the workman lowering an
adjustable stop piece, so that it can then only travel a distance sufficient for
formning one side of the heel, and a thin thread called a splicing thread is fed to the
needles by the guide 3 in addition to the thread that previously made the leg. At
the same time a third guide 2 and a slicing thread guide 4 are brought into work
for making the other side of the heel. By such means the splicing threads can be
put in by the guides before the setting of the heel, and may be worked to any
length required.
The carrier bars P upon which the clutches slide are each provided with a
bracket P¹, which are racked towards each other inwards by the following means:-
To the right end standard a bracket is secured which carries an axle upon which a
three-ended lever P2 rocks; the upper and lower ends of this lever each carry a pawl
or driver; the upper pawl takes into the notches of a rack on the top of and secured
to the back carrier bar, and the lower pawl into the notches of a rack on the lower
side of and secured to the front carrier bar; the inner end of the lever has a link
hooked on it, the lower end of which hooks on to a hooked piece on the front end
of a lever rocking on a stud in the standard, the rocking lever carries a truck P³
at its back end, operated by the cam, Figure 19, while the narrowings are being
made.
The narrowing machine is mounted and operated as follows:-There is a
projecting arm on the front of each standard, in each of which is an adjustable axle,
upon which a two armed bar Q rocks, each arm carries a bearing a¹ in which a
tickler bracket bar Q2 rocks, being held in the position shewn at Figures 1 and 3
by a spring at each end; the lower side of the bar is provided with an arm
carrying a truck Q, operated by the cam, Figure 18, which throws in the machine
when narrowing; the bar Q3 carries four bearings, through which two rods are
passed, on which are secured tickler brackets Q3, in which are clamped the required
number of ticklers; the rods carrying the tickler brackets are racked inwards
towards each other by their ends being pressed upon by the brackets P¹, before
described; the rising and falling of the ticklers when narrowing is effected by a link
Q, shewn at Figure 3, having its upper end hinged to the inner edge of the bracket
bar Qand its lower end to the front end of a lever rocking on an axle secured in
the left end standard; the lever carries a truck Q operated by the cam Figure 12.
When the machine is about to commence the narrowings the cam shaft C is
traversed to the right by means of a stud carried by a pattern wheel or chain,
operated in the following manner :-
-The left end standard has a bracket cast on its
front edge, in which is secured an axle on which a lever S rocks, which carries a bit
S¹ capable of adjustment upon it; that part of the lever lying over the cam shaft is
made wider to admit of two studs being secured in it, each of which carries an
horizontal truck S, the outer one of which during the time the machine is making the
ordinary courses of the fabric lies between the vertical flanges of the cams, Figures
9 and 10, as seen at Figures 1 and 4; the horizontal flange of the cam 10, shewn in
side view and plan at Figures 10 and 10 A, passing over the outer truck and by
the side of the inner truck, the lever S is prevented from moving sideways by a
slotted bracket S in which the back end of the lever slides. A bracket T is secured
to the standard, and supports a pattern chain trough T¹, provided on each side with
an adjustable guide T2, which insures the passage of the chain over the trough,
which has two grooves on the top side to admit of the edges of the chain; the.

page_text: trough is slotted for a part of its length to allow of the passage of a clawker U,
which racks the chain one link at each course; the back end of the clawker is
hinged to the upper end of a lever rocking on an axle secured in the standard.
The lever carries a truck U¹ operated by the cam, Figure 11. The clawker is held
up to its work by a spring attached to it and to the jack axle at its upper end;
the lever to which the clawker is hinged is also held to its cam by a spring hooked
to it and to the bracket T. When the lever S is raised by the passing of a stud C
on the left edge of the pattern chain under the bit S¹ the outer truck rising with
the lever is brought on a level with the horizontal flange of the cam, Figure 10,
which is forced to the right, carrying the cam shaft C with it, and thereby
disengaging the bevel wheels, actuating the drawing cam and thread laying
apparatus, while the narrowing course is being made, the frame cams being thrown
out of action, the narrowing cams operating the same trucks during the narrowing
course which is made in the usual way by the self-acting apparatus before described.
When the required length of heel has been made the machine is stopped by
the following means:-The front of each standard has a projecting bracket below
the bracket T which form bearings for a bar V provided with a fork V¹ for guiding
the driving strap, and an arm V2 bent at its upper end so as to pass over the
bracket T, and also over the right edge of the pattern chain a stud A, on which as
it passes under the end of the arm, raises it up sufficiently high for a recess cut in
its lower side to clear the bearing on the left standard, and allow it to be pulled to
the right by a spring secured to it and to the right bearing cop, thereby placing the
driving strap upon the loose pulley, and stopping the machine.
Portion of the pattern chain is shewn in plan at Figure 5, and a side view of one
of the stud links at Figure 6, which is the length of four of the other links of the
chain. The stud links have a stud A on the right side of the chain or stud B in
1
1
The cams are all shewn in the relative positions they occupy when the thread is
about to be laid when making the leg, the several trucks and lovers shown at
Figures 2, 3, and 4 being also shewn in the positions they occupy at the same
time.
The cams shewn at Figures 9 and 10 holds the cam shaft in its proper position
when making the leg.
The cam 10 and 10 A slides the cam shaft to the right when narrowing in the
regular courses; cam, Figure 11, racks the pattern chain; 12, lays the tickler points
on the needles; 13 is the needle bar counter cam; 14, raises up the needle bar and
needles while narrowing; -14 A, lock the jack sinkers up to allow the frame sinkers
to divide the loops; 15 operates the needle bar when the needles are knocking over
the loops; 16 raises the needle bar to land and press and come round the arch;
16 A lifts the needle bar while narrowing; 17 draws the needle bar back while
narrowing 18 takes in the narrowing machine when a narrowing is to be made;
19 racks the thread guide slides and tickler points towards each other; 20 is a
snapping cam which operates a rod W, the lower end of which slides in an arm
secured to the right standard, seen at Figures 1 and 2, its upper end being hinged
to and adjustablo in the slot of a lever secured on one end of a rocking rod W¹,
which carries thread guides, each pressed upon by a spring, between which and the
guide the thread is passed and nipped during the passing of the recessed portions of
the cam under the rod; the remaining portion of the cam holds the spring up above
the guide by the end of the spring pressing upon a bar W; this bar and the rod W¹
is carried by the cop bar bracket. 21 and 21 A is the framed sinking cam.
Having now described the several parts and their separate movements I will.
proceed to describe the combined movements of the machine.
The machine is shewn in the Drawings in a position ready to lay the legging
thread when making an ordinary course. After the thread is laid by the falling of

page_text: the jacks, as the needle bar rises to divide the loops by pressing the thread up to
the frame sinkers, and while the loops are so divided the beards of the needles as
they are still further raised to press them against the frame sinker sley, thereby
lowering the beards of the needles to allow the previous loops to be landed and
brought to the heads of the needles by the front of the knocking over hooks; the
needle bar rises and places the fabric in front of the knocking over bits, and behind
the nebs of the whole of the sinkers; the needles then fall and go back to knock
the loops over the heads of the needles; the needles then rise up, and are brought
round the arch of the knocking over hooks; the needles are then brought to the
front for a fresh course, and the movements repeated.
When narrowing the fabric the frame cams are thrown out of action by the
traversing of the cam shaft to the right, and the narrowing cams operate the same
trucks during one course, as above stated.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same may be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First. For securing a rivet forming an axle fast in each jack sinker, the said axle
taking into a hole in the front end of the jack, as herein-before described.
Secondly. I claim for a knocking over bit or sinker the front of the neb of which
lands the work above the sinker arch, the bit having a projection at the back, which
takes into the V of the sley at the bottom of the bit, and is held firmly by clamping
plates.
Thirdly. For the bar M³ secured to the angle bar M, said bar M³ being grooved
on the under side to receive and firmly hold the upper ends of the knocking over
bits.
Fourthly. For the general arrangement and combination of machinery and
apparatus for making fashioned hosiery, substantially as herein-before described.
Fifthly. For laying the threads at the selvages below the beards of the needles
by the rising of the needles.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Onion, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-seventh day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
H. W. GOUGH, C.E.,
Nottingham.
WILLIAM ONION. (LS.)