Improvements in the Manufacture of Fabric Gloves
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 9th Aug., 1889-Accepted, 28th Sept., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Fabric Gloves
I, JOHN SPENCER of No. 85 King Richards Road Leicester in the county of
Leicester Glove Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows
This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of fabric gloves, made
in hosiery frames which enables me to make the hand, wrist and arm of a hosiery
glove, or glove fabric in one length on a straight rib knitting machine, and the fingers
and thumb put on after in a fingering frame, in a hand frame it bas been done but is
costly and a slow process, but by my making glove fabric by power in a rib top
machine, or in machines hitherto only making rib tops, I am enabled to produce the
gloves quick and at a much less cost. I employ a straight rib machine with striping
tackle attached by means of a pattern wheel and chain, the said chain being of such a
length that will allow me to make the fabric long enough to forun the arm, wrist and
hand of a glove in all sizes and qualities, and fancy colored fabrics can also be
produced by the arrangements herein described.
I proceed to make in the following manner. I knit the requisite number of courses
required for the length of the arm or gauntlet by making the pattern chain with a tie
band upon the number of link to correspond with the number of courses to be knit so
that in the shogging of the striping mechanism, when this mark arrives at the top of
the wheel I push a rod back that comes out in the front of the machine which causes
the machine presser to miss press and thus leaving the loop in this course
upon the machine needles, which operation is repeated in every other course, thus
When this is done the rod is pulled
producing a "royal rib" stitch for the arm.
outwards at the end of the course, which causes the machine presser to press each set
and makes a "
single rib" and being of necessity much stiffer than the "royal rib" it
appears to be much narrower thus forming the wrist, when the desired length or
number of courses of this is knitted I return to knitting the required number of
courses duly marked on a link of the chain, of "royal rib" to form the hand
portion, a slack thread may then be worked in, and go on again knitting in the
manner described thus obtaining by power what has only been accomplished in the
hand frame.
The pattern chain working at the side of the machine is regulated a link for every
course to be knitted. Or 1 may make by the same means a glove fabric in the arm
and hand portion with the "royal rib" in one course and the "single rib" in the
next-of course the wrist being "single rib" as before described.
To stripe the said glove fabric whereby several different colored yarns may be
employed at one time, an additional thread carrying bar is made and all working in a
line with each other, that each color is knitted one after the other each in two courses
by the forward and return movement of the carriers.
'
A glove fabric with the arm, wrist and hand in one length has not been
produced before upon a straight rib top machine or rotary machine worked by
power.
Dated this 6th day of November 1888
WILLIAM BESTWICK MAXFIELD,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: L
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Fabric Gloves.
I, JOHN SPENCER of No. 85 King Richards Road Leicester in the county of
Leicester Glove Manufacturer, 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 improvements in the manufacture of fabric gloves made in
hosiery frames or rib top machines whereby I am enabled to make the hand, wrist and
arm of a hosiery glove or glove fabric in one length as shown in the drawing annexed
and marked Figure 1, the fingers and thumb being put on after in a fingering frame
in the ordinary way, in a hand frame this has been accomplished but is a costly and
slow process.
In this my invention of making the glove fabric or fabric glove, that is to say
the hand, wrist and arm in one in the manner hereinafter described in a straight
bar rib top knitting machine, or in machines hitherto making only rib tops, I am
enabled to produce the gloves much quicker and at a cheaper rate.
That my invention may be well understood I will briefly refer to the accompanying
drawing which represents the glove fabric, the double lap knitted portion A, is knitted
in what is well known as "
Royal rib" and forms both the hand and arm portion
of the glove, the single lap or "single rih" being knitted in any desired number of
courses 6¹ so forming the wrist B.
I carry my invention out in the following manner an ordinary straight bar rib
machine is employed as before stated supplied with striping tackle consisting of a
pattern wheel and chain of the ordinary kind in common use in such machines, but it
is necessary in order to be able to make the arm, wrist and hand to make the fabric
long enough for all sizes and qualities of gloves that the pattern chain is made
longer, or of such a length that will allow me to make each piece of fabric of the
length desired.
I first form the welt c then push a rod back by hand that comes out in the front of
the machine by doing this the machine presser is caused to
"miss press
" and thus
leaving the loop in this course upon the machine needles, this operation taking place
in every other course thus knitting double lap or "Royal rib" A, and so go on until
the number of courses are knitted to make the arm or gauntlet a mark of a distinctive
character being put upon the pattern chain in the link corresponding with the number
of courses to be knitted so that in the shogging of the pattern mechanism when the
mark appears at the top of the striping wheel it denotes that the desired number of
courses of double lap is knitted, then, in order to knit single lap, or "single rib" B the
rod previously referred to is pulled outwards at the end of the course which causes
the machine presser to press each set, and being of necessity much stiffer than
the "double rib" it appears much narrower and so forms the wrist B. 1 then
repeat the pushing back of the rod and commence again with double lap or Royal
rib" to form the hand portion, when the number of courses are knitted as marked
upon the chain, I then put in a slack course D. and knit a few courses of ordinary
knitting, and to commence the next piece of fabric, I form another welt c. and
go on in the same manner for each succeeding piece of fabric, after the pieces of
fabric have been removed from the machine the slit E. is cut in the fabric for the
thumb to be sewn in, then the fingers are knitted on the loops d' and d by being
placed on the needles in any ordinary fingering frame when the fingers are
completed the glove is sewn up in the ordinary manner, thus I produce by power
what has hitherto only been accomplished by the hand frame, so utilizing the rib top
machine for other purposes than making rib tops.
The pattern chain works at one end, or side of the machine and is regulated a link
for every course to be knitted, the whole of the mechanism being of a well known
construction as applied to a rib top machine for making rib tops for gloves it is not
necessary to illustrate it, anyone experienced in the art of knitting could accomplish

page_text: the same thing by the means hereinbefore described but not without. Of course
many fancy patterns can be made in the arm and hand portion besides the double lap,
by the aid of the pattern mechanism but in any case the wrist B, would be knitted
single lap, to stripe the said glove fabric whereby several different coloured yarns may
be employed or three or more different colors worked simultaneously I employ an
additional thread carrying bar in conjunction with the ordinary carriers, and shorten
the points of the sinkers, each coloured yarn employed is knitted one after the other,
that is to say each in two courses by the forward and return movement of the
thread carriers, a glove fabric, or fabric gloves having the arm, wrist and hand
kuitted in one length has not been produced before on a rib top or rotary machine
worked by power.
Having now. particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a rib top, or rotary knitting machine of the character described the employ-
ment of an additional length of pattern chain to the striping mechanism, and
marking the links in the said chain to regulate the length of the arm, wrist and
hand of a fabric glove made in one length in the manner herein before described.
2. Improvements in the manufacture of hosiery fabric gloves, substantially in the
manner and for the purpose herein before described and set forth.
Dated this 29th day of July 1003.
WILLIAM BESTWICK MAXFIELD
Registered Patent Agent, "The Central" Office for Patents, &c.,
19, Bowling Green Street, Leicester, Agent for the Applicant.