AN ENTIRE NEW APPARATUS OF MAKING, INLAYING, AND WORKING OF HOSE PIECES, AND ALL OTHER SORTS OF WORK USUALLY MADE ON THE STOCKING FRAME, OF SILK, WORSTED, THREAD, COTTON, AND OTHER MATERIALS
Year: 1785

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
BALL, of the Town of Nottingham, Framework Knitter, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
the Nineteenth day of December, in the twenty-sixth year of His reign,
give and grant unto me, the said Samuel Ball, His especial licence, that I,
the said Samuel Ball, during the term of years therein expressed, should and
lawfully might use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "AN ENTIRE NEW APPARATUS OF
MAKING, INLAYING, AND WORKING OF HOSE PIECES, AND ALL OTHER SORTS OF WORK
USUALLY MADE ON THE STOCKING FRAME, OF SILK, WORSTED, THREAD, COTTON, AND
OTHER MATERIALS;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso
obliging me, the said Samuel Ball, under my hand and seal, to cause a
particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and how the same is
to be performed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within one calendar month after the date of the said recited Letters Patent, as
in and by the same, relation being thereunto had, may more fully and at large
appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Samuel Ball, do hereby declare that my said Invention is described in the
Plan hereunto annexed, and the description thereof hereunder written.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Ball, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Thirteenth day of January, One thousand seven hundred
Figure 1, a stocking needle on a new construction, having a cramp or
stop (a) on the beard, and the eye (6) which receives the hook, made larger
than is usual in common needles. Fig. 2, a hook to be cast in metal along
with the needle, the hook or bent part (a) being turned downwards into the
eye of the needle. Fig. 3, a lead of needles and hooks as they appear when
cast. Figs. 4 & 4, a stop which is fixed in the needle moulds to stop the
hooks from going lower than the end of the needle beard whilst casting, and
which is drawn back by means of a slotted screw hole (a) to admit of the
lead of needles and hooks being taken out of the moulds. Fig. 5, a supporter
or arm of the common eyelot hole and twilling machine, with the addition of
the hole (a, a) to admit of the turned end of the spring stop (b, b, Fig. 6)
passing thro' it. The spring stop is screwed on to this arm by the screw
(c, c). The upper part of this arm is made to spring, and raised up
or put down at pleasure, by means of the screw (b, b). Fig. 6, a spring
stop fixed to the arm (Fig. 5) by a screw thro' the slotted hole (a, a,)
the turned end (b, b,) passing thro' the hole (a, a, Fig. 5). Fig. 7, a
hanging bit to be rivitted to the spring stop (Fig. 6), and which hangs
over the side of the arm (Fig. 5). At the hole (a, a,) is hung a small chain
which pulls down the spring stop at the time it is used. Fig. 8, the spring
stop with the hanging bit rivetted to it. Figs. 9 & 9, a half round axis or
spindle (the flat side being upwards in working) fixed at each end of the
machine or bar of ticklers, and which move in the arms or supporters, and
strikes against the spring stop Fig. 6 at b, b, at the time when the stiches are
taken from the needles on to the ticklers, and against the common stop Fig. 5
at d when the stiches are delivered from the ticklers on the hooks. Fig. 10,
a bar of iron or wood the length of the machine bar, which is suspended at
each end by a small chain (a, a,) with a small spiral spring (b, b,) as at (d), the
chain (a, a,) being fastened to the hanging bit (Fig. 7) at the hole (a, a). This
bar is hung so low as to pass under the workman's thigh as he sits, and by
which he presses it down at pleasure. There is also another chain (c, c,) fixed
at a small distance from each end of this bar as at (e); the other end of the

page_text: chain (c, c,) is fixed to the machine or bar of ticklers just within the axis or
spindle (Figs. 9 & 9). This chain is hung loose, so that when there is no
pressure on the bar, the whole weight of the bar lies on the outside chain
(a, a). By a gentle pressure on this bar the spring stop (Fig. 6) is pulled down
as low as it will go; by a stronger pressure the spiral spring (b,b,) gives way,
and the machine bar is pressed down by the inner chain (c, c,) at the time
when the ticklers go on to the needles. The needles by this pressure are held
down from the hooks, and give room for the plate of iron (Fig. 11) to pass
between the needles and the hooks, and push the stiches off the hooks.
Fig. 11, a slide or pushing plate, long enough for each end to rest in the small
supporters (Fig. 16), which are affixed at each end of the bar of ticklers. It
is composed of a very thin plate of iron rivetted to a thicker plate, the thinnest
part towards the tickler points. This plate when not used lies back over
the leads or metal parts of the ticklers. At each end of the plate, within the
small supporters (Fig. 16), is a small shoulder or thicker part, which keeps it
from moving sideways; at each end of the plate at the holes (a) is fixed a
string, which, running thro' pullies at the back part of the woodwork of the
frame, communicates to a treadle, by means of which the plate is brought
forward at pleasure. This plate is used at the time when the ticklers press
the needles from the hooks, and passing between the ticklers and the hooks
pushes the stiches from the hooks. Fig. 12, a flat piece of iron fastened to
the inside of the side piece of the woodwork of the frame, just under the sole
bar, at that end over the rafter, the bit or stop (b, b,) projecting from it.
Figs. 13 & 13, a hanging stop screwed on the hanging joint of the frame by the
same screw which fastens on the hand bar of the frame. The small bit, (a, a,).
in the motion of the frame in sinking, passes close over the bit (b, b,) in
Fig. 12, and when the loops in sinking are brought off the hooks on to the
needles, the frame then sinking somewhat lower, these bits are level with each
other, the bit (a, a,) standing before or in the front of the bit, (b, b,) and having
the same motion with the frame; and there being a small motion of the frame
backwards necessary at this time, in order for the loopsto go so far back as
to sink under the needle beards in this backward motion, the bit (a, a,) hits
against the bit, (b, b,) and prevents the frame from going so far back as for the
loops to be caught by the hooks. Figs. 14 & 14, a tickler, made different from
a common tickler, having the eye continued to the end or point, which is of
this particular use in working, the eye at the point goes on to the cramp of
the needle beard (a, Fig. 1), and by the machine being pushed forward slides
down the said cramp into the needle eye between the loops that are at that
time on the hooks. Fig. 15, a lead of ticklers as they appear when cast.

page_text: Fig. 16, a small supporter with a slotted hole (a, a,) screwed upon each end of
the bar of ticklers by two screws thro' the holes (6), just within the axis or
spindle (Figs. 9 and 9). The slide or pushing plate Fig. 11 moves backward
and forward in the slotted hole (a, a). Fig. 17, a spring nearly the length of
the slide or pushing plate, formed of a thin plate of iron or steel, which is
screwed on to the back of the bar of ticklers at the hole (a), close to the handle
of the bar; the ends of this spring projecting from the bar backwards are
fastned at the holes (b) to each end of the pushing plate Fig. 11 at the
holes (6) by bits of wire or string, and draws it back to its former position after
it has been used.
After having set on and worked a course of common twilled work, the
stitches last taken up by the ticklers being delivered on the hooks instead of
the needles, there are then two rows of stitches, one on the hooks and needles
jointly, and one on the needles only; then make new loops by drawing the
jacks as in common framework, then sink them off the hooks on to the needles
in the manner described in the explanation of Fig. 13, then bring the new-
made loops to the heads of the needles, throw up the frame and bring it
forwards, which motion will bring the uppermost row of stitches off the hooks
over the cramp (a, Fig. 1) on to the needle beards. These stitches are prevented
by the cramp from slipping back off the needle beards by the same motion
which brings those stiches off the hooks on to the needle beards; the other
stitches which were on the needles only are brought forward, and the hooks
laying in the eye of the needle, as in Fig. 3, the stitches are caught by them.
The machine or bar of ticklers is then used in this manner, viz:-The
spring stop (Fig. 6) on the arms of the machine are brought down by the
pressure of the workman's thigh on the bar, as described in the explanation of
Fig. 10; the ticklers are then placed on the needles, the points of the ticklers
first going on the cramp of the needle beard (a, Fig. 1); the machine is then
raised by the hand to the top part of the supporters, and by the bent form of
the spring stop (b, Fig. 6) as the machine rises it is also pushed forward, so
that the tickler points slip between or into the stitches that are fast on the
hooks into the needle eyes. At the same time this motion is performing, the
ticklers are pressed upon the needles by the inner chains, as described in the
explanation of Fig. 10. By this pressure the row of stitches on the hooks are
extended or stretched; the pushing plate Fig. 11 is then brought forwards by
means of the treadle, as described in explanation of that Figure, and pushes
the stitches from the hooks; the frame is then brought forwards, which motion
brings the row of stitches which was left on the needle beards behind the
cramps over the ends of the needles, and forms a new row of stitches, which,

page_text: when the frame is again pulled over the arch remains on the needles only. By
the same motion of the frame forwards which brought the row of stitches
over the needle heads, the other row of stitches just extricated from the hooks.
is brought on to the ticklers and twilled; at the same time the spring stop
(Fig. 6) is let to rise; the machine is then put forward to the common stop
(d, Fig. 5), the ticklers being placed upon the hooks; then by pulling the
frame over the arch the stitches are delivered from the ticklers on the hooks,
and the course is completed. N.B. This work can be inlayed in the same
manner as is generally used in twilling, that is, when the stitches are on
the ticklers ready to be twilled at the time that the ticklers are raised from
the needles; an inlay thread is drawn between the needles and the ticklers,
and the motion of the frame forwards pushes the inlay thread over the ends of
the needles, the stitches on the ticklers being then removed on to the hooks, as
described before, the inlay thread is thereby fastened between the two rows of
`stitches.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Thirteenth day of January, in
the year of our Lord 1786, the aforesaid Samuel Ball came before our
said Lord the King in His 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 stampt according
to the tenor of the Statutes made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Eighteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand seven hundred and eighty-six.