IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FRAMEWORK KNITTING AND LOOPED FABRICS
Year: 1843

page_text: BAPTIST WICKES, of Leicester, Framework Knitter, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-first day of September, in the seventh year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Baptist Wickes, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said John Baptist Wickes, my exors, admors, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Baptist Wickes, 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 law-
fully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FRAMEWORK KNITTING AND LOOPED FABRICS;"
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said John
Baptist Wickes, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my
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 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, I, the said
John Baptist Wickes, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and

page_text: 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, first, of combining the presser bar with the lead
sinkers of framework knitting machinery, in such manner that the jack sinkers
may fall in succession.
Secondly, my Invention consists of actuating the lead sinkers of framework
knitting machinery when combined with the presser bar, by means of rotatory
motion of a suitable shaft or axis.
And thirdly, my Invention consists in combining the presser with the
sinkers when suitably constructed and arranged in machinery for making
warp-looped fabrics.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood, I will
proceed to explain the Drawings hereunto annexed in the various Figures of
which the same letters of reference are used to indicate similar parts.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS MARKED A.
The nature of the various views or Figures of the Drawings being written
on the Drawings it will not be necessary to repeat the same here; and as the
greater number of the working parts are similar to those in ordinary use in
framework knitting machinery, and as the mode of working of such machi-
nery is well understood, it will not be necessary to enter at large into the
description thereof; I propose therefore for the most part to call attention to
the differences of construction, rather than to the working of the well-known
parts. The lead sinkers it will be seen are differently formed to those in
ordinary use. a, a, are the lead sinkers which are fixed in the sinker frame
of the machine; through each of the lead sinkers is formed a hole through
which which the presser bar c is passed, there being screwed nuts fixed on the
ends, as shewn. The Drawing shews the machine to be divided into six sets
of needles and sinkers; there are therefore six presser bars c, c. This, however,
would be varied where the machine is divided into other number of sets, or
all in one set, in all cases there being as many presser bars as there are sets
of needles and sinkers; or, if desirable, a presser bar may be passed thro' the
whole of the sets of sinkers. It will therefore be seen, that the presser bars
pass through the lead sinkers, which form half the complement of the sinkers
to the frame, and move together therewith, the jack sinkers acting as hereto-
fore where the presser bar is a separate instrument and has independent action
from the lead sinkers; the jack sinkers being so formed as to receive the
presser bar or bars, and to move up and down without interfering with them,

page_text: as will readily be traced in the Drawing, by this arrangement the dividing of
the thread on the needles will be done at the heads of the needles by the
nebs of the lead sinkers, in place of pressing the thread down by the lead
sinkers between the stems of the needles, as is now the case when working
with jack and lead sinkers in ordinary framework knitting machinery. And
it will be found, that by thus combining the presser bar or bars with the lead
sinkers in the manner shewn, that the speed of the machinery will be con-
siderably improved.
Having thus explained the nature of the first part of my Invention, I will
proceed to explain how the necessary action is obtained to the sinker frame
and other of the moving parts from the rotatory motion of an axis or shaft.
d is the main or driving axis or shaft, which may receive motion from any
suitable source of power. The Drawings shew the same to receive motion
from a cranked axis e to be put in motion by a workman. The crank axis
turns in suitable bearings in front of the machine. f is a cog wheel affixed
on the cranked axis e, such cog wheel f taking into and giving motion to the
intermediate cog wheel h, which takes into and drives the cog wheel i affixed
on the main or driving axis or shaft d, and from this shaft or axis d the
requisite motions are obtained to the sinker frame, and to the other of the
moving parts of the machinery. On the axis d is affixed the cam j, which gives
motion to the spindle bar k which carries the sinker frame l, such sinker frame
being carried by the arms m on the spindle bar k, as shewn; by this means
the requisite motion is given to the sinker frame in an up-and-down direction.
The cam ; gives motion to the arm j affixed to the back of the spindle bar k,
such arm having a projection at its lower end, and which carries a truck
or roller 3, which is constantly borne against the cam j; and this cam also
gives the requisite motion to the sinker frame for causing the presser bar or
bars combined with the lead sinkers to come down on the beards of the
needles, and to close them as the sinkers go forwards to knock over the work.
mx is a cam affixed on the main shaft or axis d; this cam communicates the
proper motion to the sinker frame when knocking over the work, and bringing
the work back on to the stems of needles. The cam m* gives motion to the
spindle bar m¹ by the arm m² of that spindle bar, by its roller or truck m³
constantly being borne against the cam m*. On the upper surface of the
spindle bar m' are affixed two arms m', which by means of connecting rods m³
give motion to the hand bar of the sinker frame, the connecting rods m³ being
attached by pin joints to the projections at the back of the hand bar, and
by pin joints to the arms m. By these means the sinker frame, and the lead
sinkers combined with the presser bars, receive motion from a rotatory axis,

page_text: and it will be seen that the cams are suitably formed for making two courses
of work for each revolution of the main shaft or axis d. The spring bar n
is affixed at the back of the machine, and the comb bar which carries the
axis or wire of the jack sinkers is fixed in the position shewn, and such is the
case with the slircock bar o; and these parts remain stationary in the positions
shewn. pare the locker bar cams which are affixed to the main shaft or
axis d; these cams give motion to the levers p¹, the trucks or rollers of which
are constantly borne against the cams p, and the levers p¹ give motion to the
locker bar q by means of the connecting rods på, which are attached to the
levers p¹ by means of pin joints; and the connecting rods p² are attached by
pin joints to the arms p', affixed to the arms of the locker bar, the locker bar
locking up the jacks, as is well understood.
I will now describe how motion is communicated to the thread carriers and
to the slurcocks. r is a cam affixed on the main shaft or axis d. This cam
gives motion to the lever s, which moves on an axis at s'. On this lever is
affixed the plates, which has a square opening at its upper end, within which
the roller or truck t of the bar t¹ (to which all the slurcocks are affixed)
works. Hence, as the lever moves to and fro, the slurcocks will be slided on
their bar o affixed at each end of the machine; and the square opening at the
upper end of the plates, affixed to the lever s, is for the purpose of giving
the proper lead to the thread carriers, the apparatus for giving motion to
which is affixed to the lever s, and therefore moves therewith. This apparatus
consists of the bar u affixed to the lever s, and to this bar u is affixed by a pin
joint the bar u', which rests within the notch of the projection w', which is
affixed on the bar w. This bar w moves freely at times in the sockets
affixed to the thread carrier bar y, and the thread carrier bar is guided by its
sockets or guides z, which slide upon the bar z¹. The slurcocks are now
shewn to be moving from the left to the right hand end of the machine, the
thread carriers having completed their movements, and the bar to which the
thread carriers are affixed is against its stop at the right-hand end of the
machine, and the bar w is free to move without the thread carrier bar y; and
this is accomplished by means of the lever catches (1) and (2), which move
on axes at (3) on the sockets or guides x. These levers, at their ends
(4), (4), have catches suitable for entering into the notches (5), (5), formed
in the bar w; and the bar w will be continued to move towards the right-
hand end of the machine, without moving with the bar y, till the slurcocks
have completed their motion to the right hand, at which time the lever (1)
will enter, by its catch (4), into its notch (5), on the bar w. Therefore,
when the action of the lever s is reversed, the thread carriers will be imme-

page_text: diately put in motion by the bar w being locked to the bar y, and they will be
locked together till the thread carriers have completed their motion towards
the left-hand end of the machine, at which time the tail of the lever (1) will
come on the projecting stud (6) affixed to the bar z', which will remove the
catch (4) of the lever (1) out of its notch (5), and then the bar w and the
bar y will no longer be locked together, and the bar y will be resting against
its stop at the left-hand end of the machine. The lever (2) has a like stud
(6) affixed to the bar z³, and such stud performs a like office in respect to
the lever (2) to that above described; and it will be seen that the slurcocks
will not commence moving from the right-hand end to the left-hand end of
the machine till the thread carriers have. moved some distance, as the lever s
will have been moved a distance equal to bring the opposite side of the square
opening to press on the roller or truck worked thereby before the slurcocks
begin to move.
The names of most of the important parts of the machinery are written on
the Drawings, and the Drawings shew the nature of the framing and the
other parts, by which a workman acquainted with such machinery, aided by
the description herein given, will readily be enabled to apply my improvements
in constructing framework machinery.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING MARKED B.
This Drawing shews so much of a warp frame as will enable me to explain
the combining of a presser bar with the sinkers of that class of machinery, the
manner of constructing and working which is well understood when according
to the old construction, and it will only be necessary to call attention to the
circumstance that the ordinary presser bar, which has movement separate from
the sinkers, is dispensed with, and the presser bar is combined with the
sinkers by passing through holes formed through them, as is shewn; and the
two cams on the back shaft are arranged suitable for giving the requisite
motions to the sinkers, and the various positions of the sinkers a, a, are
shewn in the different Figures of the Drawings, and such is the case in respect
to the presser bar c. In other respects the warp frame is of any other
ordinary constructions. The names of the different parts shewn being written
thereon, as well as the nature of each Figure being written on the Drawing,
the same will not require to be repeated here, as a workman, aided by the
Drawing and the description above given, will readily construct a warp framo
with this part of my Invention applied thereto.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would wish it to be understood that I

page_text: do not claim any of the parts separately, nor do I confine myself to the details
shewn, provided the peculiar character of my Invention be retained, and, if
desired, the needle bar may move back in working a course, in which case
the movements of the sinkers will be accommodated thereto. And I would
here state, that I am aware that it has before been proposed to combine 5
pressing instruments with the sinkers in such manner that each sinker carries
its separate instrument for pressing, and I believe it has been before attempted
to have a continuous horizontal pressing bar or wire supported by all the row
of sinkers. And I mention these matters in order to state, that I do not claim
generally to combine the movement of the pressing instruments with the 1
sinkers of framework knitting machinery, nor in warp machinery. But what
I claim is,
First, the mode herein described of combining a presser bar or bars c with
the lead sinkers in framework knitting machinery, and in such manner that
1
the jack sinkers used therewith may drop successively, in order to sink the
thread between the needles.
Secondly, I claim the giving the requisite action to the lead sinkers of
framework knitting machines, when they are combined with presser bars c, by
means of a rotatory shaft or axis. And,
Thirdly, I claim the mode herein described of combining presser bars with
the sinkers of warp machinery.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Baptist Wickes, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-four.
JOHN BAPTIST (L.S.) WICKES.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-first day of March,
in the year of our Lord 1844, the aforesaid John Baptist Wickes came
before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged
the Specification 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 Twenty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord One.
thousand eight hundred and forty-four.