IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ELASTIC FABRICS, AND IN RENDERING ELASTIC FABRICS LESS ELASTIC
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, CHRIS-
TOPHER NICKELS and BENJAMIN NICKELS, of York Road, in the County of
Surrey, Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Nineteenth day of February, in the seventh year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Christopher Nickels and Benjamin Nickels, Her especial licence, full power,
sole privilege and authority, that we, the said Christopher Nickels and
Benjamin Nickels, our exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said Christopher Nickels and Benjamin Nickels, our exors, admors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF ELASTIC FABRICS, AND IN RENDERING ELASTIC FABRICS LESS ELASTIC;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that we, the said Christopher
Nickels and Benjamin Nickels, or one of us, shall cause a particular descrip-
tion of the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said

page_text: in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being
thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
Christopher Nickels and Benjamin Nickels, do hereby declare that the nature
of our said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed,
are fully described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof,
reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the figures and
letters marked thereon (that is to say): -
Our Invention relates,-.
First, to a mode of manufacturing elastic fabrics, by introducing strands of
india rubber into a certain description of knit fabrics.
And secondly, our Invention relates to a mode of rendering certain descrip-
tions of knit fabrics less elastic by introducing non-elastic strands or yarns
into them. And in order that our Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, we will proceed to describe the means pursued by
us in performing our Invention. It is well known that framework knitting
frames are sometimes worked in such manner as to have the loops taken off the
needles by what are called "ticklers ;" and it is also well known that fabrics
are sometimes made by such descriptions of machinery with two threads or
yarns looped on the same needles into a fabric; and the nature of such
machinery, and the means of working the same when using "ticklers," and
also when working with two-thread carriers in producing what may be
considered a double fabric, for if two different colored threads, or two threads
or yarns of different materials be used, one will make one surface of the
fabric and the other the other surface of the fabric; and we mention these
circumstances in order to state, that although our Invention requires the use of
these peculiar characters of machinery and fabrics, they in themselves are not
claimed as of our Invention, our Invention being, in the first place, the intro-
duction of strands of india rubber into such descriptions of fabrics, thus
making a peculiar manufacture of elastic fabrics; and, in the second place, our
Invention has for its object the introduction of non-elastic strands or yarns
transversely of such descriptions of fabrics in order to render them less

page_text: necessary to enter into any description thereof further than to explain how
fabrics made thereby with two threads looped into a fabric by the same needles
are rendered more elastic by introducing strands of india rubber transversely
into the double fabrics made thereby, and how they are rendered less elastic by
introducing non-elastic strands or yarns transversely into such double fabrics.
Figure 1 of the Drawing represents the parts of the machine in the position
before commencing to work a fresh course, the work having been carried back
on to the stems of the needles. The machine is to have two thread carriers,
as is well understood, but which are not shewn in the Drawing; and for con-
venience of description I have shown the two threads or yarns to be colored
differently, one red and the other blue. A thread carrier would place the red
thread on the needles, the jacks would be drawn, and the thread divided on the
needles by the lead sinkers in the ordinary manner; the red loops would then be
carried under the beards of the needles, the sinkers would then go up and
back, and the ticklers a, a, would be caused to press on the beards of the
needles, as is shown in Figure 2; the sinkers would then be brought forward
and knock over the work from off the needles on to the points or ticklers a, a,
the fresh loops of the red thread remaining on the needles, as is shown at
Figure 3; the sinkers are then taken back and the points of the ticklers
raised, as is shewn at Figure 4; and when it is desired to make the fabric
more elastic a strand of india rubber either covered or uncovered in the
non-elastic state, as is well understood, is introduced between the ticklers a, a,
and the loops in the beards of the needles, as is shewn at Figure 4; and when
it is desired to make these descriptions of fabric less elastic, a strand of non-
elastic yarn or thread is introduced in place of the india rubber, and in some
cases both india-rubber strand and non-elastic strands of yarns or thread are
introduced in the same fabric alternately in regular succession, or in any other
order the workman may determine. The points of the ticklers a, a, are then
lowered (see Figure 5) so as to take back the work on to the needles, as is
shewn at Figure 6. In this position the second thread is placed on the needles
by its carrier, the jacks are drawn, and the thread is divided on the needles by
the lead sinkers in the ordinary manner; the sinkers go forward, and also the
ticklers, and the work is knocked off, as shewn in Figure 7. The ticklers are
withdrawn, the work is carried back by the sinkers into the position shewn in
Figure 1, when the machine is ready to go on with another course, and the
workman may introduce the india-rubber or non-elastic yarn at every course,
or at such intervals as he may think proper, according to the object intended
to be accomplished. In some cases, in place of introducing the india rubber
at the time of making the fabric, we do, in place thereof, introduce wires with

page_text: eyes at one end, so that the india rubber may be drawn in after the fabric has
been taken out of the machine, or draw threads may be introduced in place of
the wires. By either of these arrangements the fabrics may be dyed or
receive other treatment, such as fulling and milling, when woollen fabrics are
produced, in which cases the draw threads used must not be of felting fibres;
but in general we prefer to introduce the india rubber into the fabric when
making the same, in the manner above described, and only resort to any other
means when it is known that the india rubber would be prejudicially acted
on by any of the processes to which the fabrics are to be subjected. It is well
known that various ornamental fabrics, in patterns more or less open, as well
as plain fabrics, can be made in such description of machines, when two
threads are being used, by the different order in which the looping takes place
on the needles; and it will be evident to the workman that the introduction of
india-rubber strands and non-elastic strands may be introduced in any of such
fabrics; and, if desired, the fabrics may only be made with two threads at
those places where the india-rubber or non-elastric strands are introduced, the
other parts of the fabric being made of a single thread. The fabrics being made
with india-rubber strands in a non-elastic state therein, as above described,
elasticity may be obtained thereto by applying heat, as is well understood.
We would remark, that although we prefer to use two thread carriers when
working in producing double fabrics to receive india-rubber strands or strands
of non-elastic yarn, as herein-described, yet it will be evident that the yarn
which is looped in making double fabrics may be placed on the needles by
hand; and when the front and back surfaces of the fabric are to be of the same
description of yarn then a single thread carrier working under the ticklers
might be resorted to, making the double fabrics by passing twice across the
machine for each course, in the same manner as if two threads or yarns
were used.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the best means of
performing the same,- we would wish it to be understood that we do not claim
the machinery shewn and described, nor do we confine ourselves to the precise
details of the working thereof, so long as fabrics of the peculiar character of
our Invention be produced by such description of machines. And we would
state, that we are aware that india rubber and strands of non-elastic yarn have
before been introduced into knit fabrics when working and looping with one
thread; and we mention this circumstance in order to state that we do not
claim the introduction of india-rubber or non-elastic strands into knit fabrics
in general, our Invention being confined to those fabrics where two threads are
employed and looped into a fabric.

page_text: And we would have it understood that what we claim is, the mode of
making elastic fabrics by introducing strands of india rubber transversely into
the description of double-knit fabrics herein described.
And, secondly, we claim the introduction of strands of non-elastic yarn into
the description of double-knit fabrics herein described.
In witness whereof, we, the said Christopher Nickels and Benjamin
Nickels, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Nineteenth day
of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
forty-four