IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STOCKINGS AND OTHER LOOPED FABRICS MADE IN KNITTING MACHINES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Scott Wells, of Mount Street, Nottingham, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STOCKINGS AND
OTHER LOOPED FABRICS MADE IN KNITTING MACHINES."
Sealed the 21st August 1863, and dated the 2nd March 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Scott Wells at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd
March 1863.
I, JOHN SCOTT WELLS, of Mount Street, Nottingham, do hereby declare
the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
STOCKINGS AND OTHER LOOPED FABRICS MADE IN KNITTING MACHINES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
stockings and other looped fabrics made in knitting machines. For these
purposes in order that the selvages and seams at the backs, and the selvages
and seams at other parts of stockings, and also the selvages and seams of
socks, drawers, waistcoats, and other articles made in knitting machines, may
have greater strength imparted to them, an additional thread layer or carrier
is applied at each selvage to a knitting machine, or other provision is made for
employing an additional thread at each of the selvages, which thread is laid
on to the needles of the machine at and near the selvages, together with the
thread or threads which is or are laid from selvage needle to selvage needle to
produce the main body of the fabric, so that at and near the selvages the

page_text: fabric will be composed of more threads than the intermediate fabric, and
therefore the parts of a stocking and also of socks, drawers, waistcoats, and
other articles made in knitting machines, where they are secured together, will
be rendered stronger and more durable than heretofore in these parts, when
the selvages have been composed of the same number of threads as the main
body of the fabric intermediate of the selvages. It should be stated that it
bas been a very common practice to make the heels and under parts of the
feet as well as the toes of stockings and socks of extra thickness and strength
by using two, three, or more threads in those parts, and it may be stated that
when desired additional threads may also be introduced, as above explained, at
and near the selvages of these parts, or extra threads may be introduced only
at the selvages of the fabrics which form the upper parts of the feet, so that
the seams formed in connecting the upper and under parts of the feet may be
made more durable by securing equal strengths of fabric together.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Scott Wells in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st September 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SCOTT WELLS, of Mount Street, Nottingham, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Scott Wells, Her special licence that I, the said John Scott Wells,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the said
John Scott Wells, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF STOCKINGS AND OTHER LOOPED FABRICS MADE IN KNITTING
MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Scott
Wells, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent

page_text: Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that
the said John Scott Wells, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
stockings and other looped fabrics made in knitting machines. For these
purposes in order that the selvages and seams at the backs, and the selvages
and seams at other parts of stockings, and also the selvages and seams of
socks, drawers, waistcoats, and other articles made in knitting machines may
have greater strength imparted to them, an additional thread layer or carrier
is applied at each selvage to a knitting machine, or other provision is made for
employing an additional thread at each of the selvages, which thread is laid
on to the needles of the machine at and near the selvages, together with the
thread or threads which is or are laid from selvage needle to selvage needle to
produce the main body of the fabric, so that at and near the selvages the
fabric will be composed of more threads than the intermediate fabric, and
therefore the parts of a stocking, and also of socks, drawers, waistcoats, and
other articles made in knitting machines, where they are secured together, will
be rendered stronger and more durable than heretofore in these parts when
the selvages have been composed of the same number of threads as the main
body of the fabric intermediate of the selvages. It should be stated that it
has been a very common practice to make the heels and under parts of the
feet as well as the toes of stockings and socks of extra thickness and strength
by using two, three, or more threads in those parts; and it may be stated that
when desired additional threads may also be introduced, as above explained, at
and near the selvages of these parts, or extra threads may be introduced only
at the selvages of the fabrics which form the upper parts of the feet, so that
the seams formed in connecting the upper and under parts of the feet may be
made more durable by securing equal strengths of fabric together.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
In working knitting machines, whether for making knit fabrics suitable for
stockings or socks or other articles according to this Invention, three thread
layers or carriers are used, one which is moved from selvage to selvage at each
course, and one thread carrier or layer at each selvage, which are each moved
a short distance from or to its outer edge of the fabric at each course, hence
there will be the threads of two thread carriers sunk into loops between the

page_text: needles by the sinkers which are near the two selvages or outer edges of the
fabric, whilst the sinkers intermediate of the selvages will only sink the
thread from one thread carrier between their needles. By these means the
two outermost edges or selvages of knit fabrics suitable for making stockings
or socks or other articles made in knitting machines will be stronger where
the seams are made than in the intermediate parts between the two
strengthened edges or selvages. The number of needles over which the
selvage threads are laid by thread carriers or otherwise may be varied, so long
as the strengthened parts of the fabric where the seams are to be made in
joining the two edges or selvages of a fabric together are sufficiently wide to
give the additional strength desired. I have usually caused the selvage
thread carriers to lay their threads over five or more of the outermost needles.
In those cases where the feet as well as the toes of stockings and socks are to
be as heretofore made of extra thickness and strength, additional thread
carriers to what have been before employed are to be applied for producing the
edges of such strengthened parts of the fabrics of still greater strength where
they are to be seamed together, so that the seamed parts of the feet will have.
a relatively additional strength given to them to what as above described is
given to the legs or upper parts of stockings and socks.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Scott Wells, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
JOHN SCOTT WELLS. (L8.)