IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED OR KNITTED FABRICS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Amedée de Laire de la Brosse, of Paris, in
the Empire of France, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED OR KNITTED
FABRICS."A communication.
Sealed the 25th June 1858, and dated the 16th January 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Amedée de Laire
de la Brosse at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 16th January 1858.
I, CHARLES AMEDÉE DE LAIRE DE LA BROSSE, of Paris, in the Empire of
France, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED
OB KNITTED FABRICS," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus or machinery
for the manufacture of looped or knitted fabrics. In the manufacture of
articles of hosiery the looped fabrics are produced by the machines now in use,
and then the seams are sewn or made by hand. By the apparatus or machi-
nery arranged according to these improvements, stockings and other articles
when they come from the machine are sewn into the proper shape. The
system is applicable not only to stockings and socks but also to other articles
of hosiery, such as caps, waistcoats, drawers, sleeves, and others, of whatever

page_text: material they may be made. The same principles of making the seams by
the machinery is applicable not only to the particular circular machine herein
described, but also to other circular knitting machines. The system of sewing
can also be made useful for ornamenting and otherwise sewing the fabric
produced in knitting frames or machines.
In the circular machine arranged according to this Invention, a series of
sinkers is used between the needles, which are made to rise and fall by the
working of the mechanism; some sinkers with moveable nebs are employed,
so constructed that the nebs may be raised out of action.
The sinkers work in a comb formed of two rings, joined together by a
number of steel plates, between which there are spaces through which the
sinkers above described pass. In the interior ring there are three holes in
which are screwed three screws which support the comb.
The needle carrier is composed of two parts, in the form of rings; the
exterior ring serves to carry the fixed needles by means of grooves, the interior
ring is for guiding the moveable needles, which are also carried by the exterior
ring. These moveable needles take different positions.
The sinkers are caused to rise and fall by a track or piece called a railway;
this track carries an upright and two curved pieces. The groove of each of
the sinkers works against this track, and so runs in the road, which is made
suitable for the shape of the article to be produced. A hinged guide serves to
prevent the sinkers getting out of their place. When sinking the thread
between the needles the sinkers fall and keep the loops of thread in their
places. An interior cylinder serves as a guide, in order that the sinkers may
not turn over in the interior. A coiled spring is used to accelerate the descent
of the railroad when the screw is unscrewed, by which means the length of the
loops is varied..
The axis of the sewing apparatus turns on two piyots, the lower pivot in a
socket, the other in a hole made in the shaft of the knitting machine. A
metal wire serves to guide a pulley attached to a rod which carries the sewing
needle; this rod has an alternating rectilinear motion in a hollow cylinder;
at its end it is of a square form. In order that it may move without turning
its movement is caused by a pulley, which is pushed back on coming in contact
with the wire.
The sewing needle places itself in a space left for that purpose, and in its
return movement it is caused to act, by means of a coiled spring fixed at the
back part of the sewing apparatus; the stitch is sewn at the moment that the
needle comes against a presser. The descending. movement is caused by. an

page_text: incline on a support at a suitable height. The rod which carries the sewing
apparatus is caused to descend with a small piece or projection, and its return
movement is caused by three coiled springs. The fabric is kept in its proper
position by three presses.
An apparatus is employed composed of a hinged lever which is drawn back
when it is required to replace a needle, a double spring (adjusted by means of
a screw) is used to guide the sinkers, and a piece with a double toothed rack
serves to knock down the loops, and the little hinged neb forms the loops.
The machine is put in operation by a crank handle (or otherwise) which
gives motion to a bevel gearing. The horizontal wheel carries a cam or finger
which gives motion to a tell-tale, and when the loom has made the right
number of revolutions for a certain portion of the article a click or stop
instantly stops the machine, in order that the workman may adjust the pro-
portions, which takes place in the following manner:-The thread of cotton or
wool or other material is raised from the moveable needles by means of a
point and placed on the fixed needles, which permits the moveable needles to
be pushed back as far as the interior ring.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Amedée de Laire de la Brosse in the Great Seal
Patent Office, on the 13th July 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
AMEDÉE DE LAIRE DE LA BROSSE, of Paris, in the Empire of France,
Gentleman, send greeting..
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Charles Amedée de Laire de la Brosse, Her special licence that I,
the said Charles Amedée de Laire de la Brosse, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others. as I, the said Charles Amedée de Laire de la
Brosse, 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 APPARATUS OR

page_text: MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED OR KNITTED FABRICS," (a com-
munication,) upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles
Amedée de Laire de la Brosse, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 Charles Amedée de Laire de la Brosse,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus or machinery
for the manufacture of looped or knitted fabrics. In the manufacture of
articles of hosiery the looped fabrics are produced by the machines now in use,
and then the seams are sewn or made by hand. By the apparatus or machi-
nery arranged according to these improvements, stockings and other articles
when they come from the machine are sewn into the proper shape. This
system is applicable not only to stockings and socks but also to other articles
of hosiery, such as caps, waistcoats, drawers, sleeves, and others, of whatever
material they may be made. The same principles of making the seams by the
machinery is applicable not only to the particular circular machine herein
described, but also to other circular knitting machines. The system of sewing
can also be made useful for ornamenting and otherwise sewing the fabric pro-
duced in knitting frames or machines.
Figure is a side view of a circular machine arranged according to this
Invention. a is a series of sinkers used between the needles, which are made
to rise and fall by the working of the mechanism; b, b, are other sinkers with
moveable nebs, so constructed that the nebs may be raised out of action. The
sinkers work in a comb c formed of two rings joined together by a number of
steel plates, between which there are spaces through which the sinkers above.
described pass. In the interior ring there are three holes in which are
screwed three screws which support the comb; d is a plate which supports the
needle carrier; e is the needle carrier composed of two parts in the form of
rings; the exterior ring serves to carry the fixed needles by means of grooves,
the interior ring is for guiding the moveable needles, which are also carried by
the exterior ring. These moveable needles take different positions, as shewn,
at Figure 11, which is a plan of the needle carrier, as shewn; g, g, Figure 4,

page_text: are eight plates which together form a ring, and serve to give the pressure. on
the needles; the sinkers are caused to rise and fall by a track or piece.
Figures 8 and 9 are an elevation and plan of a track or piece called a railway,
which causes the sinkers to rise and fall; this track carries an upright and two
curved pieces. The groove of each of the sinkers works against this track,
and so runs in the road, which is made suitable for the shape of the article to
be produced. A hinged guide h serves to prevent the sinkers getting out of
their places. When sinking the thread between the needles the sinkers fall.
at the point j and keep the loops of thread in their places, and there is a guide
i which keeps the sinkers in their proper position. An interior cylinder k of
sheet iron serves as a guide in order that the sinkers may not turn over in the.
interior. A coiled spring is used to accelerate the descent of the railroad
when the screw is unserewed, by which means the length of the loops. is varied.
The axis of the sewing apparatus turns on two pivots, the lower pivot in a
socket, the other in a hole made in the shaft of the knitting machine; m is a
metal wire which serves to guide a pulley attached to a rod n which carries
the sewing needle; this rod has an alternating rectilinear motion in a hollow
cylinder; at its end it is of a square form, in order that it may move without
turning; its movement is caused by a pulley which is pushed back on coming
in contact with the metal wire. The sewing needle places itself in a space
left for that purpose, and in its return movement it is caused to act by means
of a coiled spring fixed at the back part o of the sewing apparatus; the stitch
is sewn at the moment that the needle comes against a presser p, shewn at
Figure 1; the descending movement is caused by an incline, shewn at
Figure 10, on a support at a suitable height. The rod which carries the
sewing apparatus is caused to descend with the piece or projection q, and its
return movement is caused by three coiled springs; the fabric is kept in its
proper position by pressers 8, 8'; t is the depressing apparatus. This apparatus
is composed of a hinged lever x, which is drawn back when it is required to
replace a needle. A double spring u (adjusted by means of a screw) is used
to guide the sinkers, and a piece v, with a double toothed rack, serves to knock
down the loops, and the little hinged neb y forms the loops. The machine is
put in operation by a crank handle (or otherwise) which gives motion to bevil
gearing. The horizontal wheel carries a cam or finger which gives motion to
a tell-tale A, Figure 1, and when the loom has made the right number of
revolutions for a certain portion of the article, a click or hook B instantly
stops the machine, in order that the workman may adjust the proportions, which
take place in the following manner, see Figures 11 and 7. The thread of

page_text: cotton or wool or other material is raised from the moveable needles by
means of a point and placed on the fixed needles, which permits the moveable
needles to be pushed back as far as the interior ring.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Amedée de Laire de la Brosse,
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of June, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
C. A. DE LAIRE DE LA BROSSE. (L.s.)
A. PERPIGNA, of Paris.