IMPROVED COMBINATIONS OF MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED FOR MANUFACTURING CERTAIN PARTS OF ARTICLES IN STOCKING OR LACE FABRICS
Year: 1842

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
STUBBINS, of Nottingham, Hosier, 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 Third day of December, in the sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Stubbins, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said John Stubbins, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and
such others as I, the said John Stubbins, my executors, administrators, 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 mentioned, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVED COMBINATIONS OF
MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED FOR MANUFACTURING CERTAIN PARTS OF ARTICLES
IN STOCKING OR LACE FABRICS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso, obliging me, the said John Stubbins, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
and to cause the same to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chan-
cery 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 Stubbins, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention of "Improved Combinations of Machinery to be Employed for
Manufacturing certain Parts of Articles in Stocking or Lace Fabrics" consists
in certain constructions and arrangements of mechanical agents, and peculiar
modes of working them, by means of which strands of caoutchouc or other
elastic materials, or strands, or cords of non-elastic materials, may be readily
introduced and interwoven into stocking or lace fabrics, for the purpose, in the
first instance, of affording elasticity to certain parts of the goods made in such
machinery; and, secondly, for producing ornaments in the manufacture of such
fabrics. The modes or means which I adopt of introducing such strands or
cords between the interstices of the work are by dividing certain of the loops
as the fabric is forming in the machine, and then introducing such strands or
cords between the divided loops, in order that the said strands or cords may
be confined or woven into the texture of the fabric when the loops so divided
have resumed their former positions; or by dividing the needles and intro-
ducing the strands or cords between them, which will be confined or woven
into the texture of the fabric on the completion of the next course of work;
or by taking up the course of loops last thrown off the needles and lapping
them over a strand or cord by placing those loops severally in combination
with the several loops of the course upon the needles, so as to incorporate the
two series or courses of loops, and thereby enclose the strand. The manner in
which I carry these plans into effect will be seen by reference to the Drawings
hereto annexed, and the following description thereof.
Figure 1 is a front view of the operative parts of an ordinary stocking frame,
and Figure 2 is a transverse section of the same, shewing the positions of the
working parts as usually arranged, and by which the novel mode of working may
be illustrated. a represents the situation of the longitudinal range of bearded
needles; b, the sinkers; c, the presser bar, and d a range of points corresponding
to certain of the needles, which points are commonly called ticklers, and are
employed in ordinary machines for forming what are called eylet holes or bullet.
holes in the fabric. These points or ticklers (as many as may be required.
for the particular work intended to be made) are fixed in a horizontal range in
front of the machine opposite to the respective needles to be operated upon, on
a moveable frame e, which may be slidden in and out, that is, to and from the
work in grooves formed in the brackets f, f. Now, the mode of operating is
this-Having formed a course of loops of work upon the needles in the.

page_text: ordinary way, I advance the points or ticklers d, and cause them to press down
the beards of certain of the needles, as shewn in the detached partial section of
the needle and point bars at Figure 3. The work is then to be brought
forward by the sinkers b, when certain of the loops will by those means be
passed on to the points d. The points are then to be lifted so as to slightly
elongate such of the loops as they carry, and separate them from those loops
which are left upon the ends of the needles in the manner shewn in the
section of the needle and point bars at Figure 4, and in the detached
front view of the ends of the needles and sections of the points at Figure 5.
The strand or cord of caoutchouc or other material to be introduced into
the fabric is now placed longitudinally between the separated rows of loops,
that is, between the beards of the needles and the elevated points or ticklers,
as seen in Figure 4. This placing of the strand or cord may be done by
hand or by any other convenient means, but the mode which I prefer is by
tightly distending the strand or cord in spring clips at the ends of a forked
frame g, g, see Figure 6. When the strand or cord is thus distended,
the frame g, g, is hung upon hooks h, h, in front of the machine, as shewn in
Figures 1 and 2, so as to bring the strand or cord exactly into the position
between the beards of the needles and the points, as described; the strand or
cord is then brought forward to the ends of the needles, and as the points
come down again on to the beards of the needles, the strand or cord
assumes that situation between the loops of the work shewn at i, i, in
Figures 4 and 5. The points or ticklers being now depressed, the elongated
loops are again brought on to the needles a by the action of the sinkers b, into
the position shewn at Fig. 7, by which means the strand or cord i is embraced
by the loops. On the sinkers b rising to commence a fresh course the thread k
is thrown over the needles a, as represented in the detached horizontal view of
the needles at Figure 8, for the purpose of continuing the production of the
fabric in the ordinary way. The sinkers are now made to descend, and to
depress the thread k in loops between the needles; these loops are then by the
front parts of the sinkers 6 brought forward under the beards of the needles;
and on the sinkers receding, they slide the previously made work holding
the strand or cord to the back parts of the needles, the presser bar then
descends and presses down the beards of the needles, whilst the sinkers bring
forward the work over the beards of the needles, and thereby the newly formed
loops are passed through the loops of the previously made work, which is
carried over the heads of the needles into the situation shewn at Figure 9.
Having thus secured the cord or strand in the manner shewn in the enlarged
Figure of the work seen at Figure 10, a modification of this first mode

page_text: of working the strands or cords of elastic or non-elastic material into the
fabric may be effected by bringing an extra point bar (commonly called a
knotting point bar), as shewn at 1 in Figures 1 and 2, to act upon the loops of
the work made upon the needles in the ordinary way of knotting, that is, to
spread every loop laterally and deposit it upon the next adjoining needle. This
bar has a series of short points, shewn at m; and on raising the bar up the
vertical slots in the brackets n, into the slots of the brackets f, to the position
shewn in Figure 11 (which represents the needles a, as before described), the
points m are inserted into nicks or eyes in the under parts of the needles,
as seen in the horizontal view of the needles, at Figure 12. When the
points m are so situate, the loops of the work upon the needles being brought
forward by the sinkers in the usual way, the points m will be found to have
protruded through or been inserted into the several loops of the work. Motion"
is then given to the bar 1, first, to cause the points m to raise the loops, and
then to shog them laterally, and deliver the said loops severally on to the next
adjoining needles, thereby distending the loops each over two needles, as repre-
sented in the enlarged Figure 13. This having been done, and the points m
withdrawn, the work is brought back upon the needles by the sinkers as usual,
and the points or ticklers d are made to act upon the beards of certain of the
needles, as before described and shewn at Figures 3 and 4, when the strand or
cord of elastic or non-elastic material is inserted into the work by the means
already explained.
My second mode of operating, by inserting the strands or cords of elastic
or non-elastic material between a divided series of needles in a stocking frame
is illustrated in the accompanying Drawings by the following Figures :-
Figure 14 is a partial front view of an ordinary stocking frame, shewing
the levers upon which the presser bar c, c, is mounted; a, a, a, being the
row of needles affixed in a horizontal range to the needle bar, as usual.
Figure 15 is a vertical section of the same, taken transversely through the
machine. In front of the presser bar c a moveable plate p, p, is attached by
studs q, q, fixed in the presser bar and passed through curved slots in the plate.
The lower edge of the plate is cut in steps or notches, corresponding to the
several needles. Those indentations shewn in the lower edge of the plate,
Fig. 14, are intended to operate upon every alternate needle in the range, but.
the plate may be indented so as to operate upon any other portions of the
needles dependent upon the pattern intended to be wrought. When the plate
p is slidden into its lower position, as shewn in Figures 14 and 15, and the
presser bar c is brought down, the projecting steps on its lower edge fall upon
certain of the needles and separate them, by depressing such needles below the

page_text: general range, thereby forming an open horizontal space between the several
needles of the range. Into this open space the strand or cord of elastic or.
non-elastic material is to be inserted, as at i, i, by means of the forked frame
g, g, as before described in reference to Figures 1 and 2, or by any other
means that may be found convenient. The strand or cord i, i, being thus
placed between the divided needles, the presser bar is to be raised and the plate
p slidden upon the studs q, q, to its higher position, where it will remain out of
operation, the depressed needles by that means being allowed to spring into
their proper range of coincidence with the other needles, as seen in the partial
front view of the ends of the needles, drawn upon an enlarged scale at Figure
16, the strand or cord being thereby thrown into the zig-zag or undulating
form represented at i, i, in that Figure. The whole of the loops, with the
strand or cord (that is the work), must then be drawn back upon the needles
by the sinkers in the ordinary way, and the usual evolutions of the machine will
produce a continuation of the work, and enclose the strand or cord between.
the loops of the work, and confine it securely.
My third mode of operating, to enclose strands or cords of elastic or non-
elastic material, consists in taking up the course of loops last thrown off the
needles, and lapping them over so as to enclose the strand or cord, and then by
uniting the two courses of loops on the same series of needles, and continuing
the ordinary operations of the machine, securing or bracing the strand or cord
in with the loop-work of the fabric. This is effected in the following manner :-
Figure 17 represents some of the same parts of the machine as Figure 11;
(namely,) the bar holding the series of needles a, and the bar / carrying a series
of short points or hooks r, with the vertical slots in the brackets n, by which the
said short points or hooks rare brought up to operate upon the work. A course
of loops having been produced, and the work of that course completed upon the
needles and thrown off in the ordinary way of making the stocking fabric, a
second course of loops are formed upon the needles in like manner, when.
the course last thrown off the needles is, by depressing the short points or
hooks, picked up or taken hold of by the points or hooks r, and lifted, as
shewn in Figure 17. The strand or cord of elastic or non-elastic material
is then introduced in a horizontal direction between the loops on the ends of
the needles a and the points or hooks r, as shewn in the last-mentioned Fi-
gure; which placing of the strand or cord may be done by any of the means
above stated. The points or hooks r are then moved forward, and the loops
which they hold placed upon the ends of the needles, and then the sinkers
coming down draw the loops off the points or hooks r, and by receding pass
the said loops over the beards of the needles, where they remain in combina-

page_text: tion with the loops of the course immediately pendant from the needles, and
thereby embrace and enclose the strand or cord, as shewn in the sectional
view of the needle bar at Figure 18; on throwing a thread across the needles
again in the usual way, as at Figure 8, the evolutions of the machine go on
as before, and by the succeeding loops the strand or cord is securely confined
or bound into the work.
Having now. described the improved combinations of machinery employed by
me, and the modes of applying them for manufacturing certain parts of
articles in stocking or lace fabrics, I proceed, lastly, to point out in what par-
ticulars I claim them as new (namely):-Though many of the parts I have
represented in the Drawings, and herein described, have been before known in
the manufacture of stockings and lace fabric, yet they have never before (to
the best of my knowledge and belief) been so applied, for the purpose of in-
corporating or interweaving strands or cords of elastic or non-elastic materials
into the work or fabric of such stocking or lace goods during the production
of such goods in the machines. Therefore, I desire it to be understood that my
Invention consists in so combining the various known mechanical agents above
described as to afford the means of interweaving or incorporating strands or
cords of elastic or non-elastic materials into the fabrics of what are called or
known as stocking or lace goods during the operation or in the act of pro-
ducing the same in the machines by the several ways I have above pointed out
and fully explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Stubbins, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-three.