Improvements in the Manufacture of Stockings and Socks.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd June, 1896
Complete Specification Left 6th Feb. 1897-Accepted. 15th May. 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Stockings and Socks.
We WILLIAM BUCKLER and DEVAS, ROUTLEDGE & Co. LIMITED both of
20 Cannon Street, London, Manufacturers do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the manufacture of stockings and socks and is applicable
to those, which, as regards the leg, are of the fully fashioned type produced upon
straight bar knitting frames such as the "Cotton's" with automatic loop-shifting
mechanism; and as regards the heel, foot bottom, and toe the said stockings and
socks are of the seamless type, such as are produced upon circular reversible
knitting machines.
The object of the invention is to produce a stocking or sock having a fully
fashioned and shaped leg and instep knitted upon a "Cotton's" frame, and a heel,
foot bottom and toe made upon a circular knitting machine of the reversible type
as herein before mentioned.
The said invention is an improvement upon stockings and socks wherein the leg
is made upon straight knitting frames and the complete foot upon circular machines
of the character hereinbefore referred to, as in these latter kind of foot-wear the
portion of the foot between the heel and toe is made upon the full complement
of needles in the machine consequently the fabric is of the same width throughout,
for both the widest and the narrowest part of the foot.
In a stocking or sock made according to this invention upon the two kinds of
knitting machines hereinbefore referred to, the foot as well as the leg is fully
fashioned and graded so as to provide for the varying width of the limb.
In carrying this invention into practice we knit, upon preferably a "Cotton's "
frame, the combined leg and instep fabric (upon the two different quantities of
needles as will be understood) narrowing the same at intervals as desired to give it
the required shape.
This fabric when finished is pressed off the frame and transferred to a circular
knitting machine of the reversible type, on which, by reciprocating the cams around
part of the circle of needles, the heel, foot bottom, and the toe are produced.
The heel and toe are knitted by gradually reducing and subsequently gradually
increasing the number of needles in action, in the well known manner, and the foot
bottom upon the same number of needles throughout.
The fabric thus produced is pressed off the machine and the edges united in the
usual manner to complete the stocking or sock.
Dated this 2nd day of June 1896
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Stockings and Socks.
We, WILLIAM BUCKLER and DEVAS, ROUTLEDGE & CO. LIMITED both of
20, Cannon Street, London, Manufacturers 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 relates to the manufacture of stockings and socks and is applicable
to those, which, as regards the leg, are of the fully fashioned type produced upon
straight bar knitting frames such as the "Cotton's" with automatic loop-shifting
mechanism, and as regards the heel, foot bottom, and toe the said stockings and
socks are of the seamless type, such as may be produced upon circular reversible
knitting machines.
The object of the invention is to produce a stocking or sock having a fully
fashioned and shaped leg and instep knitted upon a "Cotton's" or similar frame,
and a heel, foot bottom and toe made upon a circular knitting machine of the
reversible type as hereinbefore mentioned.
The said invention is an improvement upon stockings and socks wherein the leg
is made upon straight knitting franies and the complete foot upon circular machines
of the character hereinbefore referred to, as in these latter kind of foot-wear the
portion of the foot between the heel and toe is made upon the full complement of
needles in the machine consequently the fabric is of the same width throughout,
for both the widest and the narrowest part of the foot, it is obvious therefore that
the fabric will either be strained or too narrow for the wider part of the foot or
otherwise too loose and baggy for the narrower part of the foot.
In a stocking or sock made according to this invention upon the two types of
knitting machines hereinbefore referred to, and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawing, the foot as well as the leg is fully fashioned and graded so as to provide
for the varying width of the limb.
In carrying this invention into practice we knit, upon preferably a "Cotton's"
frame, the combined leg A and instep fabric B (upon the two different quantities
of needles as will be understood) narrowing or fashioning both the leg at A¹ and
the instep at B¹ by the removal of stitches at intervals as desired and as will be
clear to those versed in the working of straight frames to give the required shape
to the fabric.
This fashioned leg and instep fabric A A' B B¹ when thus finished is pressed off
the frame and transferred to a circular knitting machine of the reversible type, on
which, by reciprocating the cams around part of the circle of needles, the heel C,
foot bottom D and the toc E are produced.
The said heel and toe are knitted by gradually reducing and subsequently
gradually increasing the number of needles in action, in the well known manner and
the foot bottom upon the same number of needles throughout.
The fabric thus produced is pressed off the machine and the edges E¹ of the toe
and instep and the sides B of the instep and foot bottom united in the usual
manner to complete the stocking or sock.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A stocking or sock having a wrought or fully fashioned leg and instep
combined with a toe, heel and foot bottom of the seamless type substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
2. The improved method of producing stockings and socks which consists in

page_text: knitting and fashioning the leg and instep fabric up on a straight bar knitting frame
and subsequently transferring the said fabric to a knitting machine of the reversible
type and knitting a heel, toe and foot bottom, of the seamless kind thereto
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 5th day of February 1897.
WILLIAM BUCKLER.
DEVAS, ROUTLEDGE & CO., LIMITED,
T. ERNEST DEVAS, Director.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicants.