Improvements in Apparatus to Facilitate Darning.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Aug., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 14th June, 1890-Accepted, 19th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus to Facilitate Darning.
A communication from WILLIAM ALBERT RICHARD AIRD, of Montigny-les-Corneilles,
Seine et Oise, Paris, in the Republic of France, Electrician.
I, CHARLES FREDERICK AIRD of 94 Drakefell Road, Nunhead, in the County of
Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to facilitate the darning of stockings and other
articles, and to produce a cheap and useful apparatus.
In carrying out my invention I find I can stamp the whole of the apparatus out
of a sheet of metal at one operation by a single pair of dies; the piece which forms
the main portion of the apparatus, and which I will designate as the frame, is a
circular stamping with the central portion cut away and provided at each end of the
opening thus left with prongs which when turned over form the hooks to which the
threads can be attached. Brackets and points for holding the work, such as may be
required, are formed in the frame and can afterwards be turned up and the edges of
the circular frame turned down like the rockers of a rocking chair, this completing
the frame.
A plate or equivalent provided with fixed and slotted prongs may be pivoted in
two of the before described brackets and the apparatus thus formed out of a single
piece is complete.
In using it, the material to be darned is placed on the frame and secured by means
of the points provided for the purpose and the threads are wound round the hooks at
each end of the frame crossing the place to be darned, these forming the warp. Each
alternate warp thread is placed in one of the slotted prongs of the movable plate so
that as the plate is turned on its pivots the alternate warp threads are moved by the
prongs above or below the intermediate warp threads (which are not moved at all) in
a manner similar to that of an ordinary weaving loom. The thread carried by the
needle, which takes the place of the shuttle of the loom, is carried backwards and
forwards alternately above and below the movable warp threads, each thread of
the woof thus formed being secured in the material as will be well understood
and the whole fastened off both at the commencement and the end as required.
It will be understood that modifications in the above described construction may be
made without departing from the spirit of the invention; for example the movable
plate need not necessarily be a plate at all, but is so described here as one of the
objects has been to produce a cheap article and by the means described above the
plate can be stamped out of the same sheet which forms the frame, whereas if made
as a separate article it might require a separate piece of metal and separate treatment
which would add to the expense. However, although I propose to make the cheaper
articles out of tin plate or the like, I may make the same apparatus in a more
expensive form, in which case some of the modifications I have already described or
indicated may be employed and in such case it would not be of such importance to
employ only the same sheet of metal.
.
If desired, the space between the "rockers" of the frame may be filled in or
strengthened with a block of wood or otherwise so as to make a more solid
framework..
Dated this 20th dow of Anost 1889
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus to Facilitate Darning.
A communication from WILLIAM ALBERT RICHARD AIRD, of Montigny-les-Corneilles,
Seine et Oise, Paris, in the Republic of France, Electrician.
1, CHARLES FREDERICK AIRD, of 94 Drakefell Road, Nunhead, in the County of
Surrey, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement :-
This invention the object of which is to facilitate the darning of stockings and other
articles and to produce a cheap and useful apparatus will be best understood by
reference to the accompanying drawings in which,
Fig. 1 is a general view of the apparatus and
Fig. 2 a plan of the same with the warp threads in position.
Fig. 3 is the hook plate and
Fig. 4 is the block or support over which the work may be stretched.
Fig. 5 is a cross section of the apparatus showing the block, the frame and the
work in their respective positions when in use.
Fig. 6 is an alternative construction of the device shown in Fig. 1.
Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate the method of operating this device.
Like letters represent like parts throughout the drawings.
A Fig. 1 is the frame which carries at one end a row or set of hooks B on the
platform B¹ and at the other end a row or set of hooks on the platform C³, these
hooks are preferably arranged each set in a single row and Fig. 1 being stamped out
of a single sheet of metal may naturally project from the platforms B¹ and C₁.
However it will be understood that there is no absolute necessity for the teeth Bor
the teeth being arranged in straight rows nor yet for their being attached to the
platforms at all so long as they are rigidly fixed to the frame and in suitable positions
for the work. D and E are two brackets for carrying the hook plate F and
G is the block or stretcher around which the work is placed and which may be
placed in position between the walls A of the frame. The working of this apparatus
is as follows:-
The work with the piece to be mended is placed over the stretcher G and pushed
into the frame A so that the work is stretched across and raised above the plate G by
the ridges G and secured by pressure against the walls A of the frame the place to
be mended lying in the centre of the frame and between the rows of hooks B and C.
A thread of darning cotton or other material is now taken and secured to the end
hook B by means of a loop H as shown in Fig. 2 and wound round backwards and
forwards over the two sets of hooks B and C as shown in Figs. 2, 7 and 8 and secured
to the work by a stitch or two.
The hook plate F is now applied the alternate threads being placed in the grooves
or hooks F shown clearly in Fig. 3 and the plate secured in the brackets D and E
by means of its projecting points or spindles F both brackets being provided with
holes to accommodate the plate and the bracket D being preferably slotted as well
at D¹ to facilitate the insertion and removal of the hook plate F.
The threads I shown in thin lines in the drawing are the alternate threads which
are not engaged by the hook plate F; the thick threads J are those which are
operated by the hook plate. The hook plate is now pressed either up or down, say
up, as in Fig. 7, and the needle carrying the thread is then passed across the apparatus
between the threads I and J as shown in Fig. 7 where the threads J which are
moved by the hook plate F are shown raised and the needle K is shown passing
between the two threads. This operation being completed the thread is drawn as
tight as necessary and a stitch taken in the work at the opposite side to that by which
the needle entered; the hook plate F is now depressed and the threads assume the
positions shown in Fig. 8 where the threads J are shown below the threads I. The
needle is now passed back between the threads I and J and its thread drawn tight

page_text: and secured as before and the operation repeated as often as may be necessary until
the work is finished. By this means it will be seen that a woof is produced the
threads of which pass alternately above and below the threads I and above and below
the threads J owing to the alternate change of position of the hook plate F. Thus,
in Figure 7 it will be observed that while the needle K with its thread is passing
above the threads I it is passing below the threads J and in Figure 8 while it is
passing below the threads I it is passing above the threads J in both cases passing
between the two sets of threads.
If desired a few rows of darning stitches may be taken across the field of
work at the commencing end and the thread may then be wound upon the rows
of hooks B and C and after the work is completed a few more rows of similar stitches
may be taken at the opposite end by way of finishing off. When this is done the
loop H will not be required.
When desired also in forming the woof the needle as it is passed backwards and
forwards between the weft threads may be dipped down so as to engage a portion of
the work as well as the warp threads by which means the patch produced in working
this apparatus is securely attached at some or all parts of the work. At the finish
the thread may be finally fastened off by a few stitches in the usual manner.
To remove the work from the frame the hook plate F may first be withdrawn from
its brackets and disengaged from its threads and the stretcher and work then
withdrawn from the frame.
The frame shown in Fig. 6 is substantially the same as that shown in Fig. 1 but
the stretcher G is dispensed with and hooks or points A¹ are provided to secure the
work to. In this Figure the hooks B and C are shown turned downwards but this
is of no importance as they may be turned either up or down as required.
It will be understood that modifications in the above described construction may
be made without departing from the spirit of the invention; for example the movable
plate need not necessarily be a plate at all, but is so described here as one of the
objects has been to produce a cheap article and by the means described above the
plate can be stamped out of the same sheet which forms the frame, whereas if made
as a separate article it might require a separate piece of metal and separate treatment
which would add to the expense. However although I propose to make the cheaper
articles out of tin plate or the like I may make the same apparatus in a more expensive
form in which case some of the modifications I have already described or indicated
may be employed and in such case it would not be of such importance to employ only
the same sheet of metal.
If desired the space between the "rockers" of the frame may be filled in or
strengthened with a block of wood or otherwise so as to make a more solid
framework.
The platforms B and C are of no special importance so long as the hooks B and C
are provided but they strengthen the frame when stamped out of a thin sheet of
metal as in Fig. 1.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a darning machine such as described a frame such as A having two rows or
sets of fixed teeth such as B and C with a space between them substantially as
described and illustrated in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings.
.
2. In a darning machine such as described the combination with a frame such
as A of a hook plate such as F carrying rigid hooks such as F¹ and adapted to be
turned or vibrated so as to alternately raise and lower the said hooks substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a darning machine such as described a frame such as A having two rows
or sets of hooks B and C and two brackets D and E the whole stamped out of a
single sheet of metal substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings

page_text: 4. In a darning machine such as described an independent hook plate such as F
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
5. In a darning machine such as described the combination with the frame A
of the stretcher G for the double purpose of holding the material to be mended and
strengthening the frame substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
6. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete darning
machine or apparatus substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 10th
1000
CHARLES FREDERICK AIRD.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicant.