IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED OR KNITTED FABRICS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Onion, of Sneinton, in the County of
Nottingham, Mechanist and Machine Builder and Hosiery Manu-
facturer, for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED OR KNITTED
FABRICS."
Sealed the 23rd April 1872, and dated the 24th October 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Onion at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th October 1871.
I, WILLIAM ONION, of Sneinton, in the County of Nottingham,
Mechanist and Machine Builder and Hosiery Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED OR KNITTED FABRICS,"
to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention is to manufacture "full fashioned" hose,
shirts, pantaloons, drawers, and other similar articles.
To carry out this Invention I employ thread carriers to splice the
heels of hose and half hose before I "set" the heels. I also employ a

page_text: new class of jack and sinker, which are connected together; also a new
knocking-over sinker, which is worked independently of the jack; and a
dividing sinker of the same shape as the jack sinker.
The presser
"
I employ has both a horizontal and perpendicular motion given it,
which works between the knocking-over sinker and the jack sinker, the
knocking-over sinker having both a horizontal and perpendicular motion.
I employ two or more narrowing wheels to narrow or " fashion the
work produced. These wheels I designate 'snail wheels. I also employ
a double ratchet wheel, which gives self-acting motions to the various
portions of the machinery or apparatus employed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Onion in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 23rd April 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ONION, of Sneinton, in the County of Nottingham, Mechanist and
Machine Builder and Hosiery Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Onion, Her special licence
that I, the said William Onion, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William Onion, 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
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED OR KNITTED
FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Onion, my executors or administrators, by an instrument 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Onion, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say:―
The object of my Invention is to manufacture full fashioned hose,
shirts, pantaloons, drawers, and other similar articles.
To carry out this Invention I employ thread carriers to splice the
heels of hose and half hose before I "set" the hecls. I also employ a
new class of jack and sinker, which are connected together, and I also
employ a new knocking-over sinker, which is worked independently of
the jack. I use a dividing sinker of the same shape as the jack sinker.
The presser I employ has both a horizontal and perpendicular motion
given to it, which works between the knocking-over sinker and the jack
sinker, the knocking-over sinker having both a horizontal and perpen-
dicular motion. I employ two or more narrowing wheels to narrow or
fashion the work. These wheels I call snail wheels. I also employ a
double racket wheel, which gives self-acting motions to the various
portions of the machinery or apparatus.
The novelty of this Invention consists in producing increased speed,
simplicity of machinery or apparatus, and the superior quality or
production of the work, while the motions themselves are all of them
self-acting.
Having thus set forth the nature of the said Invention, I now procced
with reference to the accompanying Drawings to describe more fully the
manner of performing the same with reference to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon.
0
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, Sheet I., is a front view of the machine, one-fourth the size;
Figure 2, Sheet I., is an end view, a quarter size; Figure 3, Sheet II.,
represents a transverse section of same looking from the same end as
Figure 2. This is one-quarter of size. Figure 4, Sheet II., a sectional
view (full size) of that portion of the improved frame immediately
connected with the improvements referred to; Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,
Sheet II., full size, separate; the details of the various improved
parts.

page_text: bars by the jointed hook J" attached to a rocking shaft working on the
side brackets attached to the frame J.
J's, springs for forcing back the sickler bars towards the needles of the
frame when not held or pulled back by the jointed hooks J".
K in Sheet II., Figure 8, shews a different form of tack, which may
be substituted for the jack A°.
The double snail wheels B work loosely on axles fixed to the bearings
in which the slide bar A" moves.
Various and similar such snail wheels are used for the different
purposes required.
Two of the front thread carriers A" have a joint, as shewn separate
on Sheet II., so that the lower part may be turned up out of use when
not required when turned down ready for work. The lower part is
held rigid and firm by means of a flat spring rivetted to the blade
of these thread carriers.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that what I
claim is, "The Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus employed in
the Manufacture of Looped or Knitted Fabrics, substantially as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Onion, hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.
GEO. JON. ROBINSON,
Patent Office,
Nottingham.
WILLIAM ONION. (L.s.)