A MACHINE OR ENGINE FOR THE MAKING OR WEAVING OF HOSE, CAPS, MITTS, PIECES, GLOVES, AND OTHER HOSIERY GOODS, BOTH RIBBED AND PLAIN, IN SILK, COTTON, AND WOOL
Year: 1777

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM.
BETTS, of Mansfield, in the County of Nottingham, Frame Smith, send.
greeting.
WHEREAS I, the said William Betts, did, by my Petition, humbly repre-
sent to His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, that-
having been employed for many years in the making or constructing of of
machines or engines for the making or weaving of hosiery goods, I had, after
many essays, and a very great expence of money, time, and labour, invented,
found out, or discovered, and made "A MACHINE OR ENGINE FOR THE MAKING OR
WEAVING OF HOSE, CAPS, MITTS, PIECES, GLOVES, AND OTHER HOSIERY GOODS, BOTH
RIBBED AND PLAIN, IN SILK, COTTON, AND WOOL," by which means I hoped that I
should be enabled to employ a considerable number of His said Majesty's poorer
subjects, and in regard of the great expence and labour that I had been at.
to, render the same perfect and compleat, I did therefore most humbly pray
that His said Majesty would be graciously pleased to grant unto me, the said
William Betts, my executors, adñiors, and assigns, His Royal Letters Patent,
for the sole use and benefit of the said Invention, within that part of His
said Majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain called England, His Dominion of

page_text: Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, for the term of fourteen years,
according to the Statute in that case made and provided; and His said Majesty,
being willing to give encouragement to all arts and inventions which might
be for the publick good, was graciously pleased to condescend to my request
and therefore by His Royal Letters Patent, bearing date at Westminster, the
Fourteenth day of July, in the seventeenth year of. His reign, of His especial
grace, certain knowledge, and meer motion, for Himself, His heirs and suc-
cessors, did give and grant unto me, the said William Betts, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole priviledge and
authority, that I, the said William Betts, my executors; admors, and assigns,
and every of us, by myself and themselves, or by mine and their deputy or
deputys, servants or agents, or such others as I, the said William Betts, my
executors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thenafter, during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend my said
Invention within that part of His said Majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain
called England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
in such manner as to me, the said William Betts, my executors, admors, and
assigns, or any of us, should in our discretions seem meet, and that I, the said
William Betts, my executors, adiñors, and assigns, should and lawfully might
have and enjoy the whole profit, benefit, commodity, and advantage from time
to time coming, growing, accrewing, and arising, by reason of the said Inven-
tion, for and during the term of years therein mentioned; to have, hold, exer-
cise, and enjoy the said licence, powers, priviledges, and advantages therein-
before granted or mentioned to be granted unto me, the said William Betts,
my-executors, admors, and assigns, for and during and unto the full end and
term of fourteen years from the date of the said Letters Patent next and
immediately ensuing, and fully to be compleat and ended, according to the
Statute in such case made and provided; in which said Letters Patent is con-
tained a proviso that if I, the said William Betts, shall not particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, and
cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within four calendar months next: and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties and advan
tages whatsoever thereby granted, should utterly cease, determine, and become
void, anything therein-before contained to the contrary thereof in anywise not-
withstanding, as in and by the said Letters Patent under the Great Seal of

page_text: Great Britain, relation being thereunto had, may more fully and at large
appear.
D
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Betts, in compliance with
the said proviso, do hereby describe and ascertain the nature of my aforesaid
Invention, and declare that the same is to be performed in manner following
(that is to say):
:
The two frames or machines are to be worked by hand, horse, water, or any
other power.
A more particular description and explanation of the nature of
my said Invention, and how the same is to be performed, I, the said William
Betts, have annexed a Plan or Drawing, and the particular parts of which the
same is composed, namely:-
No. 1 of the plain frame. A, A, A, the woodwork; B, B, a barr across thé
wood frame, and screw'd to the sole barr on woh the verge C, C, and presser
are fix'd; J, J, a view of the verge or dividing barr; D, D, the presser barr
under which the needles move to be press'd, and at the same time the edge of
the verge brings the work over the needle heads. 3, 3, a view of the presser
barr with its under edge rounded to receive the needle points. E, E, the lift!
ing barr which locks up the fallers by means of the levers K, K, and weight
and pulley in the side view. F, F, the fallers equally divided by two cut barrs
or steys placed near the two ends of the fallers, as at K, K, K, K. 4; 4, a
view of the dividing or cut barr for the fallers. 2, 2, a view of a faller and
spring. G, G, a barr supporting the fallers when press'd' up by the lifting
barr E, E. H, H, the slurr barr which carrys the slur box X, and forces the
fallers from the barr G, G, by means of the treddles and slurr wheel Q, Q, and
O; this motion forms the loop. I, I, the standards which support the barrs'
H and G. L, L, L, L, two standards and starrs." M, a spring fixed behind the
rafter to force the needle barr' forward when the course is finished. N, N, N; N,
two pulleys and weights to bring forward the needle barr, to answer the
pose occasionally of the spring M. O, the slurr wheel which acts by two
treddles Q, Q, or the levers E, E, in No. 4. P, P, the needles. R, a treddle,
see C in the reference to the side view No. 2; and the crank No. 4, B. S,'S,
a dividing verge barr and a sett of dividers. T, a view of a divider at large;
No. 2, the side view. A, the sole barr screwed on the woodwork of a common
stocking frame B, B, B. 'C; the back barr which supports the gibbett and pulley
D, carrying a leather strap, which draws back the needle barr by means of the
treddle ŕ being press'd down; to the same barr is fixed two supporters for the
springs E. F, the springs screwed to the supporters C. G, a screw for the
springs. H, the end of a barr carried across from each's
"sole barr, support-
ing the verge pressér barr, lifting barr and starr standards. I, a standard with
pur-
÷

page_text: a joint at the top, supporting a hanging cheeck, on wh the needle barr is fixed
on two centers. K, a lever fixed upon an axle on the standard I, and being
pressed down by the side treddle 7, pushes up the lifting barr to lock up the
fallers. M, the pulley and weight, which returns the lever into its former
place. A spring is likewise used under the lever occasionally for the same pur-
pose. N, a starr, by turning which makes the work stiffer and slacker. 0, 0,
two pulleys carrying a band from the slurr wheel to the end of the slurr box.
P, a view of the needles cast in a lead Q. R, a hook, from which a band
passes over the pulley S, pressed backwards by the treddle R, in the Figure
No. 1. The spring or pulleys described at N, to force the needles back again.
No. 3, rib'd machine to be fix'd to the plain frame, as No. 1. A, the rafter,
with two slots and bolts, to which the machine is screwed. B, a spring which
supports the machine. C, C, the needles, cast in squares of pewter and
screw'd to the cross barr. The upper part of the needles lye between those of
the plain frame and the fallers whilst the plain course is work'd. D, D, two
joints we admits the machine to be brought down after the work is press'd,
the spring B forcing it up again. E, E, E, E, E, E, a spring presser sup-
ported from the back barr C in the plain frame, to press the machine needles.
F, F, F, a more distinguished view of the spring presser and catch. G, G,
two sloted arms screwed to the cross bar B, B, in the plain frame, in which
is another presser, to be used occasionally in place of the spring presser.
This barr is described under the machine No. 3, G, G. H, H, a side view
of the rib'd machine. I, I, a pushing plate which works by two pulleys
K, K, fix'd to the bar G in the plain frame, a cord passing from the ends
of the plate over the pulleys, and fastened to the machine, which is put
down by the hand when the work is pressed, bears up the pushing plate, and
brings the work over. The spring B resisting the machine carrys it up, and
the pushing plate falls on a stop fixed for that purpose. L, L, the verge
screwed to the fluted barr I, I, in No. 1, which divides the plain part in
the rib. M, a spindle, with a bobing carried from the barr G, G, in the
machine No. 1. N, a guide conducting the thread to the slurr O, and
lays the thread over the needles at the same time as the fallars are pushed
down by the slurr cock X and treddles Q, Q, in No. 1, or the crank and
levers No. 4. No. 4, cranks and levers to work the machine No. 1 and 3 by
water, horse, &c. A, the shaft or main wheel; B, C, D, three cranks turned
by the shaft A; the crank D moving two levers E, E, fix'd to the center of
the slurr wheel F, draws the slurr cock X fix'd on the barr H, H, in No. 1
backwards and forwards, to push down the fallers F, F. B, a crank pressing
down the treddle G, G, carrying the needles backwards to press the course, as

page_text: een by No. 1. C, another crank drawing a treddle H, H, to lock up the
allers for another course.
In witness whereof, J, the said William Betts, have hereunto sett my
hand and seal, the Eighth day of November, in the eighteenth year of
the reign our Sovereign Lord George the Third, by the grace of God
of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, and
so forth, and in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred
and seventy-seven.