IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED OR KNITTED FABRICS
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MATTHEW
TOWNSEND, of the Borough of Leicester, Framework Knitter, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at.
Westminster, the Seventh day of October, One thousand eight hundred and
forty-seven, in the eleventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Matthew Townsend, my exors,
admors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said Matthew Townsend, my exors, adñors, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Matthew Townsend, my 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, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED OR KNITTED FABRICS;" in which said Letters Patent is
contained a proviso that I, the said Matthew Townsend, should cause a
particular description of 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, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Matthew Townsend, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say:-
My Invention consists of improved constructions and combinations of instru-
ments to be worked by knitting machinery, whereby fancy knitted or looped
fabrics, similar to those heretofore made by ladies by hand, are produced, the
combinations being such as to remove the work from and replace it on the
needles of the frame by the needles or instruments of the machine. And in
order that my Invention may be most fully understood and readily carried into
effect, I will proceed to describe the means pursued by me.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A.
The nature of each of the views of the machinery shewn by these Drawings
being written thereon, it will not be necessary to repeat the same here. The
knitting frame shewn in these Drawings is of the ordinary construction, working
however with all jack sinkers; but I do not claim the knitting frame, nor do I
confine myself to this arrangement thereof, so long as the parts for producing
the work are constructed and combined suitable for working according to my
Invention. The ordinary knitting frame is clearly shewn in the Drawings,
and it being well understood it will not be necessary to describe it in this my
Specification further than what will point out the working of my Invention.
a are the needles or hooked instruments, which are affixed in the knitting
frame in place of the ordinary needles now in use. These instruments a have
split or open stems, in order that the instruments applied in what I call the
machine may work up between the two parts of the stem. The thread in
working is laid on to these instruments in the ordinary manner by a thread
carrier, and is depressed between the needles or instruments a by the jack
sinkers, so as to form the new loops on the stems of the needles. b is the
presser bar, which is of the ordinary construction. At one or both ends of the
frame is a stop c, which moves on an axis c¹. This stop cannot be pressed
further inwards, but it will turn on its axis, in order to let the part of "the
machine," hereafter described, be drawn outwards. "The machine" is similar
in several respects to the machine in a point-net frame. d is the handle of
"the machine," which is fixed to bar e, which at its ends has affixed the
slotted plates ff; and these plates move on points 9, 9, carried by the
arms h, h, of the spindle bar i, which moves on necks or axes i", in the ends

page_text: .
of the bars j, j, which are combined together, by the bar j', and the bars j, j,:
move on necks or axes in fixed bearings k. The spindle bar i is prevented.
moving too far round on its axes or necks by means of the projections or
fingers 1, 1, fixed to the arms of the spindle bar, and passing under the bars j, j.:
as shewn. The bars j, j, and parts working therewith, are raised by means of
the lever m, which receives motion by the workman's foot at proper intervals.
pressing on the treadle n, which is connected to the lever m by a connecting
rod n', as shewn. A similar treadle to this puts down the frame in the
ordinary manner. On the bar e of the machine are affixed the hooks or
instruments e, the nature of which is clearly shewn in these Drawings, both.
in their places in the views of the machine shewn, and also separately on an:
enlarged scale. On the upper part of one or both plates f is formed a hoof-
formed surface, as shewn, the object of which is, that in the going in of the
machine the hooked-formed surface f shall come near the stop c, which will
facilitate the workman in moving the machine instruments upwards through
the needles.
The hooked-formed surface f¹, by passing under the stop c, will cause the
hooks ex to enter correctly, as will be better understood when I have described
the working of a course, which I will now proceed to do, and in doing so I;
will suppose that the work is hanging from the outer ends of the needles or
instruments a, and that the loops on the needles are within the hooks or
beards, as shewn in the sectional and end views of the knitting frame, in
which case "the machine", will be down in its lowest position; and supposing.
the instruments of the machine were not brought into work, the knitting:
frame would go on making an ordinary plain knit fabric; and this it can be
caused to do by the workman for any length of time he may think fit, and
then he may work with the machine, as hereafter described, for any length of
time, or he may alternately produce a course with the knitting frame and then
with the machine.
:
One of this set of Drawings shew the course of working of the machine, so as
to bring the instruments e* carried thereby to take the work off the needles or
instruments a, and this Drawing I will proceed to describe. Each view simply.
shews the instruments a, the sinkers, the presser bar, and the instruments
e, ex, with their sliding bar e', in the various positions these instruments are
caused to assume by the workman in working one course by the machine.
No. 1 shows the first movement of the machine after the thread has been
laid on by the thread carrier to the instruments a, by which movement it will
be seen that the newly-laid thread has been sunk between the instruments a
by the sinkers; the work has been pressed back from under the beards by the

page_text: sliding bar e', and the instruments ex have been brought under the needles or
instruments a, and the sliding bar e¹ is caused to move by the workman
acting on the handle e', which is on a cranked lever, one end of which is con-
nected to the levers e³, which move on axes carried by the bar e, and the
levers are connected to the sliding bolts e by pins passing through slotted
openings, the bar e¹ being affixed to the bolts e*.
No. 2 shews the result of the next movement of the parts, and it will be
seen that in going further in and by the lifting of the lower part of the machine
the instrument e* have entered through the loops of the work, and they have
then passed up through the stems of the instruments a, and have taken hold of
the newly laid thread which is across the double stem of each instrument a. The
instruments e*, after having been passed up through the stems of the needles a,
have been drawn outwards, in order to their taking the thread of the new
loops, and which drawing out of the instruments ex is permitted by the stop c
giving way outwards, as shewn by dotted lines in this Figure.
No. 3 shews the result of the next movement, by which the sinker has gone
up and the instruments e* have been lowered, by which the new loops have
been drawn through the loops of the work which were previously on the
needles or instruments a.
No 4 shews the result of the next movement; and it will be seen that the
presser bar has descended and closed the beards of the needles or instru-
ment a, the sinker has come forward and pressed the two loops on to the
head of the instrument a, and the instrument ex has gone forward, but still
remains below the instruments a.
No. 5 shows the result of the next movement, in which it will be seen that
the presser bar has gone out of the way. The instrument ex has passed up,
so that the stem and not the hook is now through the new loop.
No. 6 shews the result of the next movement, where it will be seen that
the sinker has gone back, and the instrument ex has moved out from the
knitting frame, carrying with it the work on its stem, which it has been able
to do owing to one of the two parts of the stem of the instrument a opening
at its point to allow of the passage of the stem of the instrument ex passing
outwards from between the double stem of the instrument a, the point of the
spring stem of the instrument a resting within a recess formed at the side of
the other stem of the instrument a, so that each instrument a, when being
used at all other times than when the stem of the instrument ex is being
drawn outwards, acts as if it were simply a needle with a double stem.
No. 7 shews the result of the next movement. The machine has been
raised, by which the head of the needle or instrument a has entered into the
"

page_text: obtain.
groove in the stem of the ex. The workman then, by the sliding bar, moves
the work off the stem of the instrument ex; the stop on the machine coming
against the presser bar facilitates the holding of the machine in the correct
position for that purpose, the result of which will be that the work will hang
from the stem of the instrument a, as shewn by dotted lines in this Figure.
The workman will bring forward the frame, and drive the work into the
beards of the needles or instruments a, and lay a fresh quantity of thread,.
and thus bring the parts into the position from which I have supposed the
workman to have started, and he will go on repeating these courses or change
to ordinary knitting by the frame only, according to the result he wishes to
I would here state, that the peculiarities of the construction of the
parts or instruments, and in the, working, has for their object the so working
that the machine may draw the new loop through the old one, take the work
off the frame, and return the work back on the knitting frame in such
manner that the work may hang from the instruments or needles of the
knitting frame by the newly made loops, and the instruments employed and
the manner of working by the machine in respect to the knitting frame may
be varied and yet work so as to produce the above result according to my
Invention; and the instruments ex of the machine, in place of ascending
through split or open stems of instruments a, may descend into grooves or
open spaces in the upper surface of the instruments a, and thereby be caused
to work so as to produce the desired result according to my Invention; that is
to say, the new loops will be drawn thro' the old ones by "the machine"
instruments, and the work will be taken off the kuitting frame instruments,
and on to and be returned by "the machine" instruments on to the knitting
frame instruments, and produce like work to that above described.
I have above described the instrument e* as working from the under side,
but in the Sheets of Drawings marked B we have shown constructions of
instruments and motions by which similar fabric may be produced by
instruments ex, which are caused to enter the loops of the fabric, and work
In this
with the instruments a from the upper side of those instruments a.
case the instruments e* are carried by a bar e, which is suspended upon necks
or axes e at each end of the bar e, and these necks or axes are supported so
as to slide in slots or grooves in a similar way to what is now commonly done
with respect to the points used in tweel and knotting machines. The Draw-
ings shew the various position which the parts are to be caused to assume in
the production of loop.
No. 1 shows the parts in the position they would be in after finishing a
frame course, as is now commonly practised, except that the work is left on

page_text: the needles a in front of the sinkers. In this position the thread would be
thrown across the machine by the thread carrier; the sinkers would descend
to form the loops from the new thread, and the workman will then pass the
instruments ex between the parts of the instrument a and through the last
loop of the work, and under the part of the thread which is laying across the
needles a, as is shown at No. 2. He will then raise the hooked end of the
instruments ex, and, by drawing those instruments forward cause the thread
to enter into the hooks of the instrument ex; he will at the same time
raise the sinkers, and then, by slightly depressing the hooked ends of the
instrument ex, and drawing them forwards he will bring the newly formed
loops through the loops of the work, as is shown at No. 3; then by raising
the hooked ends of the instruments ex, and drawing them forwards, as is
shown by No. 4, he will bring the work over the beards of the needles a, and
in so doing it will not be necessary to make use of the presser. The workman
may then, by tilting up the hooked ends of the instrument ex, throw the work
back on to the stems of those instruments, and the work will assume the
position indicated by motion No. 5, ready to be again transferred on to the
needles a, and this is accomplished by the workman placing the instruments
ex in the position indicated by motion No. 6, with the points of each of the
instruments ex between the double needles a; then by the bringing over of
the sinker, as indicated by dotted lines in No. 6, and then moving back the
sinkes, the work will be moved back on to the stem of the needles, as is shown
by motion No. 7, in which position the parts will be ready for the next course
to be formed by the thread being thrown across in front of the sinker, and the
parts may be worked in the well-known manner; but if the next row of loops
are to have their purl towards the frame the sinkers are to be moved forward
so as to leave the work in the position indicated by motion No. 1, then to go
on as I have just described. It will be evident that in working according to
this arrangement it will not be necessary that the needles a should be divided
at their ends, and in place of having double stems they may be formed simply
with hollowed parts at the upper surfaces to receive the ends of the instru-
ments e*, as is shown at Figure A, Figure B, showing a lead of divided
instruments.
I will now proceed to describe the Drawings marked C, the instruments or
needles of which, and the manner of working, differ from what have been above
described, tho' the same description of work is produced. The Drawings C
show a transverse section of the chief parts of the knitting frame, having
"a machine" combined therewith, the frame and the machine having needles
or instruments, and they are otherwise arranged for working according to my

page_text: Invention. These Drawings also show detached views of the principal parts
in their varied positions when working a course. In this arrangement, when
ordinary framework knitting is to be performed for any length of time, then the
frame alone is in action, the machine being out of action; but when the cha-
racter of the work is to be reversed the machine is called into action, and the
work is produced jointly between the machine and the frame, the chief part
of the operations being however in this case performed by the machine, as
will be clearly understood after I have described the working of a course. The
construction of the machine shown by these Drawings differs in some degrees
from that above explained. In this machine x is a stopscrew at the end of the
lever Y, such lever being attached by a cord to the handle of the machine, so that
when the handle is raised the stop will be brought into the position shown by the
dotted lines in the transverse section of the frame and machine, such stopscrew
coming against the projecting stop 2, by which the machine is kept correctly. The
needles or instruments a of the frame are with solid stems, and they have each a
groove on the upper surface and a groove on the under surface, as is shown by
Figure C, and the needles or instruments e, of this machine are similar to
those which are in the frame, they having grooves on the upper and under
surfaces, as shown at Figure D. The transverse sectional view of the frame
and machine show the work to be on the frame needles as if a series of frame-
work knitting courses had been produced; and I will suppose that it is now
desired to produce work by bringing the machine into action. This will be
understood by Number 1 course, where the machine is shown to have been
brought into action by the workman in such a manner that the instruments ex
come with their heads or ends into the grooves in the under side of the frame
instruments a, so that when the work in pressed off the instruments a the loops
thereof will be received on the instruments ex, as indicated by Number 2,
where the presser bar has been caused to decend and close the beards of the
needles or instruments a, and of the frame, and the sinker is in the act of
knocking over the work; and on the presser bar going away the sinker will
complete its movement and move back, and the parts will come into the
position Number 3, the work being on the needles or instruments e* of the
machine. The workman then raises the heads of the instruments e* so that
they may be in nearly a vertical position, and causes the machine to be moved
back against a suitable guide plate at the end, so that the instruments ex may
be between the instruments a of the frame; the sinker is then brought down
The work-
and the thread is laid, and the parts assume the position Number 4.
man lowers the sinker and brings it and the machine forward, by which the new
loop will enter the eye or under the beard of the nee:lle or instrument a of the

page_text: frame, as shewn at Number 5; the sinker will then be caused by the workman
to go up and he will move the machine still further forward, by which the
parts will assume the position Number 6, the new loop being between the
instruments a and e*. The workman lowers the presser bar anl raises the
machine, by which the beards: of the instruments e* will be closed; he will
then raise the sliding bar e', which is indicated by Number 7, by which the
work loops will be forced on to the beards of the instruments ex, the heads of
ends of the needles or instruments a being in the groove on the under side of the
instrument e*; then by the receding of the machine, and the further movement
outwards of the sliding bar e¹³, the loops of the work will be left on the new
loops & held between the instruments a and the instrument e*, as shewn by
Number 8. The workman will then cause the machine to assume the position
Number 9, by which the new loops will be moved back on to the stems
of the needles or instruments a, and at the same time such new loops
will still be on the stems of the instruments ex, but below the beards,
and the workmen will cause the machine to move out, which will carry
the loops on to the beards of the needles or instruments a, the presser bar
having first been caused to press on the beards of the instruments a, as shown
at Number 10. The workman will then cause the presser bar to go up and
the machine to recede still further, and thus he will get the work on to the
machine instruments e*, as shown at Number 11, when he will again place the
machine in such a position that the heads of the instruments a will enter the
under grooves of the instruments e*, as shown in Number 12, and he will cause
the presser bar to decend and act on the beards of the instruments ex, and by
the sliding bar e¹ he will force the work again on to the needles or instru-
ments a, if it is intended next to perform a frame course; but if he wishes to
continue working what may be called the machine course, in contradistinction
to the frame course, he will, when at No. 11 motion, proceed to No. 4 motion,
and up to No. 11, so long as the machine course is to be repeated.
The Drawing D shew a simplification of the mode of working last described in
respect to the Drawings C, and such simplification consists in using a different
construction of sinker, which is shewn in the present Drawings, and the stops of
the machine are to be adjusted so as to allow the parts to take the positions now
to be described. In this arrangement the frame course is to be performed in
the frame needles or instruments, but they are not called into use when making
what may be called the machine course, which is in fact simply the reversing
the face or surface of the work, and may be said to be two sets of instruments
each capable of producing framework knitting, and of delivering the work of
one on to the other instruments. No. 1 position of these Drawings will

page_text: represent the next motion after No. 3 of the preceding Drawings; that is, the
work will, after a frame course, have been received on to the instruments e*, the
workman will (in place of proceeding through the motions before described)
have caused the machine to assume the position No. 1 of the present Drawings,
and then by the thread carryer he will lay on thread to the instruments e*, as
is indicated by the position of the parts No. 1. He will then cause the sinkers
to descend and move the machine back, by which the new loopes will enter the
beards of the needles or instruments e*, as shewn at No. 2, the thread being
held by the additional neb of the sinker, as shewn, the other neb of the sinker
being for producing the frame course. The workman then allows the sinkers
to go up, and he moves out the machine, as shewn at No. 3. The presser
bar is then caused to press on the beards of the instruments ex, as is shewn at
No. 4, and the workman, the sliding bar e¹, moves the work on to the
beards, and knocks over the work, and brings the machine into the position
shown by dotted lines in No. 4, and so that the heads of the instruments à
enter the groove of the under surface of the instruments ex, when by the
movement of the sliding bar he will force the work on to the instruments a if
it be intended to make a frame course, but if not it will not be necessary to
bring the machine into the position shewn by the dotted lines, and the repeti-
tion of the machine course will be obtained by again bringing the parts into
the position No. 1 of these Drawings.
I will now describe the Drawings marked E, by which it will be seen that
my Invention may be carried out by instruments differing materially from
those before described; and I would state that I do not confine myself to any
particular construction of instruments, so long as that part of my Invention is
retained which consists of taking off the work from and returning it on to the
frame instruments by a machine in such manner that the direction of the loops
may from time to time be reversed on the surface of the fabric, thus making
fabrics like those made by ladies by hand knitting, and also like fabrics which
have, sometimes at considerable cost, been made by a knitting frame by a
workman taking the work off the needles and then returning it the reverse
side by hand on to the same needles.
The Drawings E show a front view and end view of a knitting frame fitted
up to work according to my Invention, and they will shew so much of a trans-
verse section of parts of a knitting frame, full size, as will enable me to explain
this mode of working. In this machine the jack bar is a fixture, and the
carriage is dispensed with; the presser bar is also dispensed with. These
Drawings in other respects shew a kuitting frame of an ordinary construction,
but fitted up with a machine and instruments suitable for performing my
Invention. In this machine the instruments a each consists of two flat plates

page_text: cast in leads, so that the two plates are separate near the lead, but come
together at the head or outer end; and in place of having a hook or beard, a
hooked instrument a' works therewith, the nature of which is clearly shown by
these Drawings. The sinker is also somewhat peculiar; it also is clearly
shown in the Drawing. The machine instrument ex is similar to that first
described in respect to the Drawings marked A. In this arrangement the
machine is suspended from the apparatus heretofore used for the jack carriage,
as is shewn, there being a stop at a to prevent the machine going too far in,
and another stop y for preventing the machine being raised too high; and at
each end of the bar e of the machine are bent wires e fixed for preventing the
thread when it has been just thrown from getting away from the sinkers.
The instruments a are fixed to the needle bar, but the instruments a¹ are fixe:
to the bar a, which is carried by links a³, moving on pin joints on standards a',
fixed to the fixed jack bar a³. The arms a, to which the bar a² is fixed, are
connected to the links a³ by pin joints, and they bend down; and at their
lower ends they are bent inwards, so as to have the trucks a applied thereto,
as shewn. The bar a² is constantly drawn towards the back of the frame by
a spring, so that when not being acted on by the foot of the workman it is at
all times drawn back by its spring. The truck a' (there being one such at
each end of the bar a²) moves on a track a³, which is in a trough-like
bearing aº, there being a spring which constantly presses this track a³ towards
the front of the frame; and the track is so formed as to cause the bar a² to
rise at the proper moment of the working of a course, and the track as is.
prevented coming too far by a stud a¹, which passes through a slot in the
track as, as shewn. The bar a² is actuated by the lever a", such lever being
worked by a lever treadle a¹, as shown, the upper end of the lever a" being
formed into a fork, which takes between it a stud on one of the arms a.
I will first describe the working of a frame course on the instruments a,.
and then the working of a machine course. In the working of a frame course
I would call attention more particularly to the enlarged transverse section of
the frame and machine, and also to the positions of the parts showing the
frame course. In the enlarged section of the frame and machine the work is.
hanging from the stems of the instruments a, and the thread carrier is in the
act of laying thread in front of the neb of the sinker, the work being behind
the neb of the sinker. The workman lowers the sinkers, and moves the
instruments a¹ forwards, so that in passing between the double stems of the
instruments a the hooks a¹ will take the old loops and come into the position
No. 1. The workman will cause the sinker to rise, and the instruments a¹ to
go forward, by which the old loops will be knocked over the heads of the
instruments ä; but they will still be held by the hooks a', the new loops

page_text: remaining on the instruments a, as shown at No. 2. The workman then, by
his foot on the treadle a", allows the instruments a¹ to back into the position
No. 3, which backs the work on to the stems of the instruments a; and when
the work is stopped by the sinkers the tracks a³, which have moved back with
the trucks being stopped, the trucks rise over the raised parts of the tracks,
and the hooks are lifted out of the loops of the work, which will. bring the
parts into the position for again laying fresh thread on to the instruments a.
I will now describe the working of a machine course. No. 4 shows the
work in the position it would be left after drawing out the hooks a', the
sinkers having gone up to the highest position. The workman will now bring
the machine into the position. No. 5, and he will raise the machine into the
horizontal position shown by No. 6, by which means the work will. rest on the
roller w, which is attached to the sliding bar e¹ by two arms, and consequently
moves therewith, which draws the work towards the front end of the instru-
ments a, and on to the stenis of the instruments ex, as shown. The sinkers
are then brought down, and a thread is laid by the thread carrier, as shown at
No. 7, the sinkers descending from such thread into loops on the instruments a,
as shown at No. 8. The workman then moves the machine into the position
No. 9. The hooks e* take hold of the new loops and draw them through the
old ones, and then draw the work off the instruments a, as is shewn by No. 10.
The workman then brings the machine into the position No. 11, and by the
sliding bar pushes the work on to the stems of the instruments a, and if he
wishes to continue making machine courses he will again repeat the motions
commencing with No. 7; and if he wishes to make a frame course, he will,
on getting work on to the instruments a after No. 11, put the machine out of
work, and go on with the frame course as described.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the details shown and described, so long as instruments
a, a¹, and ex are applied to, or knitting machinery is arranged. so as to
produce work of the description herein described, by means of two sets of
instruments capable of producing framework knitting, with the loops or
surfaces of the fabrics reversed, as herein explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Matthew Townsend, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-eight.
MATTHEW (L.s.) TOWNSEND.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Seventh day of April, in
the year of our Lord 1848, the aforesaid Matthew Townsend came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Speci-
fication aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified,
in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand