A NEW MODE OF SINKING, LOCKING UP THE JACKS, PRESSING, DRAWING BACK THE NEEDLE BAR, AND KEEPING UP THE JACKS IN FRAMES, FOR THE MORE SIMPLE AND EXPEDITIOUS FRAMEWORK KNITTING OF SILK, THREAD, COTTON, AND WORSTED
Year: 1800

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
PENN, of the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham, Mechanic, send
greeting.
WHEREAS I, the said Thomas Penn, did by my petition humbly represent
to His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Third that I had,
by great labor, application, and expence, found out "A NEW MODE OF SINKING,
LOCKING UP THE JACKS, PRESSING, DRAWING BACK THE NEEDLE BAR, AND KEEPING
UP THE JACKS IN FRAMES, FOR THE MORE SIMPLE AND EXPEDITIOUS FRAMEWORK
KNITTING OF SILK, THREAD, COTTON, AND WORSTED," which I believe would be of
great public utility, and that in regard I was the first and true Inventor
thereof, and that the same had never been used by any other person or persons,
I humbly prayed His said Majesty to grant unto me, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, His Royal Letters Patent for the sole use and benefit of
my said Invention within that part of His said Majesty's Kingdom of Great
Britain called England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, for the term of fourteen years, pursuant to the Statute in that case
made and provided, His said Majesty being willing to give encouragement to
all arts and Inventions that might be of public good, was graciously pleased
to condescend to my request, and therefore, by His Royal Letters Patent,
bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-fourth day of July, in the fortieth
year of His reign, of His especial grace, certain knowledge and meer motion,
did give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Penn, my executors, adminis
trators, and assigns, His especial licence, full power, sole priviledge and

page_text: authority, that I, the said Thomas Penn, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, and every of us, by myself and themselves, or by my and their deputy or
deputies, servants or agents, or such others as I, the said Thomas Penn, my
executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all-times-thereafter during the term of years
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend my
said Invention within that part of His said Majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain
called England, His Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
in such manner as to me, the said Thomas Penn, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or any of us, should in our discretion seem meet, and that I, the said
Thomas Penn, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should and lawfully
might have and enjoy the whole profit, benefit, commodity, and advantage from
time to time coming, growing, accruing, and arising by reason of the said
Invention, for and during the term of years therein mentioned, to have, hold,
exercise, and enjoy the said licence, powers, priviledges, and advantages
therein-before granted or mentioned to be granted unto me, the said Thomas
Penn; my executors, administrators, and assigns, for and during and unto the
full end and term of fourteen years from the date of the said Letters Patent
next and immediately ensuing, and fully to be complete and ended, according
to the Statute in such case made and provided; in which said Letters Patent
is contained a proviso, that if.I, the said Thomas Penn, should not particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, and cause tlic same to be inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of
Chancery within one calendar month next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent, that then the said Letters Patent, and all liberties
and advantages whatsoever thereby granted, should utterly cease, determine,
and become void, anything therein-before contained to the contrary thereof
in anywise notwithstanding, as in and by the said Letters Patent, reference
being thereunto had, will and may more fully appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Penn, in compliance with the
said proviso, do hereby, and by the Plan drawn in the margin of these Presents,
describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, in manner following
(that is to say)—
.
The woodwork of the frame is made. after the same form as other frames
which are used for the purposes of framework knitting, with sills, uprights, front
cross bar, back cross bars, and caps; the keys are left out of the sides, and an
upright is fixed between the back cross bars, two inches to the right from the
middle. Upon this upright four wheels are fixed, four inches diameter; one
lo

page_text: on the back front, being No. 1 in the plan thereof, drawn in the margin of these
Presents; one on the right, No. 2, and the other two one over the other on the
left, No. 3. These four wheels guide a chain to a wood wheel, the diameter of
which is twenty inches, and may be called lever wheel No. 4; it is fixed between
the uprights on the right side on a spindle No. 5, and runs in brasses fixed on
those uprights. The top of the lever wheel should be level with the top of the
front and back cross bars; there should be grooves No. 6 turned in it; a large
one for the chain, and four smaller for the slur strings. On the front side of
the lever wheel two pieces of iron are fastened in, and project 'three quarters of
an inch; these may be called stops No. 7. That part of them which projects is
half an inch diameter; these are fixed to catch upon a lever as soon as the
slur cock is from under the jacks, and there is a piece of iron, four inches long,
one inch broad, and one inch thick, brought flat to the points and fixed on the
front side of the lever wheel, which may be called a forcer No. 8; this forces the
lever off these stops; between these stops a piece of board No. 9 must be fixed
four inches square to keep the lever from lodging upon them. On the back of
this lever wheel, upon the same spindle, a tooth wheel No. 10 is fixed. The lever
wheel and this tooth wheel must be set as far back on the spindle as the upright
will admit them. Upon the front and back top cross bars two brasses No. 11 are
fixed, on which a spindle with a tooth wheel No. 12 is placed; this tooth wheel
works the tooth wheel which is at the back of the lever wheel, and on the front
end of the spindle, which projects four inches, a handle No. 13 is put on to work
them; these wheels work backwards and forwards a rotative motion. Five inches
from the centre of the front cross bar, on the under side, a piece of iron No. 14
is fixed, which reaches across to the top back cross bar; the end is turned up
and fixed against it. In the middle of this piece of iron, a joint No. 15, three
inches long, with a lever in it, which may be called wheel lever No 16, is fixed;
one end of this lever reaches across the lever wheel No. 4, and the other end is
five inches long. In the center of the front cross bar, on the inner side, is
a joint No. 17, of eight inches long; in this joint a lever is fixed, which
may be called sinking lever No. 18 nine inches long. The inner end
is connected by a chain No. 19 to the wheel lever; the chain is about six
inches long. Upon the front cross bar, against the inner side, two springs
No. 20 are fixed, which are straight, and are made sufficiently long for the ends
to catch against the needle bar, and sufficiently strong to bring it back to its
proper place. Thus far I have described the parts which are fixed to the
woodwork, and which for a twenty-inch wide frame should be made three feet
and a half wide, and the caps twenty inches long, and the usual height of
other frames.

page_text: I now proceed to describe what may be called the carcase and inside work.
The carcase is made the size of the woodwork it rests upon; they are plain
iron bars, two on the front, two on the back, each three feet six inches long.
No. 21, two-ou the bottom, each twenty inches long; No. 22, two on the top;
No. 23, each twenty-four inches long, with four standards, each twelve inches in
height; No. 24, these are connected together with screws; the front and back
bars are two inches and a half broad and half an inch thick; the side bars and
standards are one inch and a half broad and half an inch thick; the two top
side bars project at the front four inches, and the bottoin front and carcase
bars have each a small piece cut out to let the carriage bars into. On the
front of the top and bottom front carcase bars are two uprights fixed, which
may be called sliding uprights No. 25, an inch broad; between these uprights
the sinker bar No. 26 and tail bar No. 27 slide. The sinker bar and tail bar
are made similar to those in other frames, only have shoulders at each end to
steady them in these uprights. These bars are connected together by two pieces
of iron, one inch broad and half an inch thick, and may be called hanging
cheeks No. 28; the length of them must be governed by the length of the
sinkers; they must be made to stand three inches above the sinker bar, and
this three inches must be slotted. There is a piece of iron which reaches
across the front of the tails of the sinkers, and is fixed with screws at each end
on the back tail bar, which may be called front tail bar No. 29, one inch wide
and one-eighth of an inch thick. In the middle of the back tail bar a piece of
iron No. 30 is fixed, five inches long; to this a chain No. 31 is fixed, which
reaches from thence and is joined to the sinking lever, the sinking lever being
connected, as before described, to the wheel lever; by moving the handle which
turns the wheels, the wheel lever catches upon the stops, and thereby sinks
what may be called the front of the frame (which consists of tail bar, sinker
bar, and presser bar); this being properly sunk, the forcer forces the lever of
the stops, and the front of the frame rises again by means of two springs,
called main springs No. 32, which are fastened against the back of the top back
carcase bar, and come across the frame, the ends being put into the slot holes
which are left in the hanging cheeks to receive them. The sinkers are male
like others, except the swell, which is omitted, and being cut higher in the arch
in order to admit a bar called presser bar No. 33; this bar goes through the slot
in the sinkers, and at five inches from each end, slot holes are made of two
fuches length; through those slots screws pass and are screwed into the hanging
cheeks. At the bottom of these slots two screws work, No. 34, to regulate the
presser bar; this bar is brought down upon the needles by the sinking of the
front of the frame, and is caught there by two springs No. 55, each of which

page_text: have two catches; the bottom catches hold it until the work is pressed. The
top catches are quarter of an inch distant, and hold it from rising too high in
the arch of the sinkers. These springs are fixed by a screw upon the bottoni
front carcase bar, and have a slot hole in each to rise and fall them as they
may require it. There are two pieces of iron, No. 36, which pull these springs
off the presser bar. These pieces of iron are fixed to the needle bar, and are
made five inches long, turned an inch and a half at the end, having a screw at
each end to regulate them. When the springs are thus released, there are two
small springs No. 37, which are fixed upon the top of the top side carcase bars ;
these springs have pieces of chain No. 38 fixed to them, which a le connecte
to the ends of the presser bar, and thereby raise the presser bar to the top
catch. The jacks are made and fall, as in other frames, by a slur box and
cock. The slur strings are fixed to the lever wheel. The jack slur bar is made
in the same form, and fixed on as in other frames, only made one foot on each
side longer. The back locking bar No. 39 reaches the width of the frame, and
slides in two pieces of iron No. 40, which are three inches long, and are fixed
underneath the top side carcase bars. There are two springs No. 41, which are
fixed against the top back carcase bar; a piece of wire is fastened from them to
the locking bar, which keeps the locking bar up. Against the top back carcase
bars are fixed two joints, which have levers, called locking bar levers No. 42;
these reach across to the front of the frame; they have each a piece of iron
fixed in them, which lies upon the locking bar, and close to the end have a hole
in each, through which a piece of iron No. 43 passes, which has a screw upon
it screwed down four inches; these may be called dividers. These dividers
have a slot hole at the bottom an inch and a half long, through which the first
and last screw that fastens on the sinker plates go. The joints of the locking
bar levers must be fixed on the back carcase bar, parrallel to these screws;
these dividers, thus placed, cause a proper division in the course. In the
middle of the top back carcase bar, against it, is fixed a joint and lever, the
same.form as the locking bar levers, only without the aperture at the end, and
is made six inches longer, to take hold of in order to lock up the jacks and
jack sinkers out of the needles occasionally. Under the jack heads a piece of
iron is fixed, called front locking bar No. 44, to lock up the jacks and take
the jack sinkers out of the needles; it is made half an inch square; it has a slot
at each end, which works in the sliding uprights, and falls upon two pieces of
iron No. 45; these pieces of iron are fixed upon the bottom front carcase bar,
are six inches long, and have slots to raise and fall them; they must be
placed so that the locking bar, when it is on them, should be nearly level with
the falling bar. There are two springs, which may be called locker springs

page_text: No. 46; they are about twenty inches long; these are fixed on the sinker bar
before, and are turned to go down behind the back of the front carcase bar;
these springs have each a catch, which, when the front of the frame sinks;
comes under the front locking bar and catches it, and as the front of the
frame rises lock up the jacks, and thereby take the jack sinkers out of the
needles. To these locker springs pieces of iron No. 47 are fixed, eight
inches long, which have strings fastened at the bottom. These strings are
brought under two pullies No. 48, and fastened to a bar, which may be called
squaring bar No. 49. These two pullies are fixed against the bottom back
carcase bar, parallel to the two pieces of iron No. 47. Upon the two bottom
carcase bars two pieces of iron are let in, which are one inch and a half wide
and half an inch thick, called carriage bars No. 50; they project three inches
over the front bottom carcase bar.. These carriage bars carry the truck bars
No. 51, which are an inch square and eighteen inches long; in these bars the
truck wheels No. 52 are fixed, one at the front end, the other one foot from
it; on these bars the needle bar is screwed, three inches from the front end
of the truck bar. The needle bar is made similar to others. At the further
ends of the truck bars is fixed with screws the squaring bar, which is one inch
square; this bar reaches across from one truck bar to the other. From the
middle of this squaring bar a chain No. 53 is fastened, and reaches to a piece
of iron called connecting lever No. 54; this lever works in a joint No. 55,
which joint is fixed to the bottom back carcase bar, and projects five inches;
the bottom end of this lever is connected to the chain which is fastened on the
lever wheel, and comes through the four pullies No. 1, 2, and 3, and as the
lever wheel turns, by being thus connected, it draws back the needles. In this
joint a screw No. 56. is fixed, which by having the top of the connecting lever
an half circle, the circle end will rest upon it, and by regulating this screw it
regulates the needle bar. The springs which keep up the jacks are better to
have only one cramp in them. The jack bar, scarf combs, and slee are the
same as in other frames. The jack bar scarf is fastened at each end into
uprights No. 57, which are fixed upon the bottom side carcase bars, and by
having slot holes in these uprights, the jack bar scarf may be raised or lowered,
as is required. The stars No. 58, for the falling bar, are fixed against the
back of the top front carcase bars, and are made similar to those in other
frames, only without the foot part. Upon the two top side carcase bars at the
front. end, which projects, a wood rail is fixed, which is three inches. square;
it is the length of the jack slur bar; in it are two grooves and two slides.
The bottom slide has the carrier. upon it No. 59, which supplies the jack
sinkers. The top slide has a small piece of iron, which catches against the

page_text: carrier very near the top, and draws it both ways, by means of strings which
are fixed to the slide and lever wheel, in a manner similar to the jack slur
strings. The carrier slide is stópt by a screw on each side when the carrier
is out of the needles, and the piece of iron slides over it, and goes as far as
is necessary. There is a wheel fixed at each end of the rail, and likewise a'
wheel on each side, fixed upon the side top carcase bars perpendicularly over
the lever wheel; in these wheels the strings run which are fastened to the
slide and lever wheel. There is a piece of iron, half an inch broad and one
eighth of an inch wide, which keeps the work back, and is the width of the
sinkers; it is fixed close under the needles by two pieces of iron No. 60,
the bottom ends of which are fixed upon the front bottom carcase bar with
slot holes, and to the top of these pieces of iron it is fastened by screws. The
false rim is made similar to others, except that it has tabs of three inches long,
which have slot holes. Through these tabs the screws go, and are- screwed
into the back of the sinker bar. Against the back of the top front carcase bar
are two small springs screwed, the ends of which rest upon the tabs of the
false rim.
The description herein-before given of the new mode of sinking, locking up
the jacks, pressing, drawing back the needle bar, and keeping up the jacks, is
adapted to a frame of twenty inches width for plain work; but the length,
strength, and sizes of the bars, springs, wheels, and other articles herein-before
described, and the placing of them, must be governed by the different widths
and sorts of frames into which they may be introduced.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Penn, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Eighth day of August, in the fortieth year of the reign of
His said most Excellent Majesty George the Third, by the grace
of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the
Faith, and so forth, and in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred.

page_text: AND BE IT REMBEMERED, that on the Eighth day of August, in the
fortieth year of the reign of His Majesty King George the Third, the said
Thomas Penn came before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and
acknowledged the instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein con-
tained and specified, in form above written. And also the instrument aforesaid
was stamped according to the tenor of the several Statutes made in the sixth
year of the reign of the late King and Queen William and Mary of England,
and so forth, and in the seventeenth, twenty-third, and thirty-seventh years of
the reign of His present Majesty King George the Third.
Inrolled the Eleventh day of August, in the year of our Lord One
. thousand eight hundred.