IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STOCKINGS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Parrott Sheffield and Alban William Wills, both
of Leicester, Hosiery Manufacturers for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF STOCKINGS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Parrott Sheffield
and Alban Willian Wills at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on
the 16th June 1883.
"
ARTHUR PARROTT SHEFFIELD, and ALBAN WILLIAM WILLS, both of Leicester,
Hosiery Manufacturers, "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STOCKINGS
Our invention relates to the manufacture of stockings and is chiefly designed to
provide for the production of stockings which may be worn without garters or
suspenders.
Our improved stockings are knitted in a tubular form to a point at a distance of
a few inches from the upper end. From this point upward they are divided and the
two edges are brought together and secured by laces or other suitable fastenings.
Stockings are now commonly knitted on circular machines and we prefer to use
a circular machine which we adapt for the purpose of our invention as follows,
that is to say, we arrange the needle cylinder to be rotated by suitable gearing
provided with a clutch or other means whereby the rotary motion can be changed
for a reciprocating motion or vice versa so that without removing the work from
the machine we can knit the tubular and straight portions of the web. The
divided portion at the upper part of the stocking should be narrowed in knitting
and for this purpose we arrange the grooves and cams in such a manner that one
or more of the needles can be readily removed or adjusted out of action and
replaced when required. The upper divided part of the stocking may be plain or
ribbed. If the latter we provide the machine with a ribbing attachment whose
needles and grooves are adapted to co-operate with those of the machine for forming
the tubular and divided parts of the stocking
It will be obvious to those familiar with the manufacture of hosiery that we
may vary or modify the process above described of producing or improved
stockings but whatever method is employed the work must be so performed that
the divided portion which, when the stocking is worn, has to be secured by laces,
clasps or other fastenings, shall not be liable to unravel. And we prefer that the
stocking should be worked with a selvage or binding at the edges of the divided
portion. And an additional straight piece is worked to fill up the space under the
fastenings between the edges of the divided part of the stocking.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Arthur Parrott Sheffield and Alban William Wills in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 14th December 1883.
ARTHUR PARROTT SHEFFIELD and ALBAN WILLIAM WILLS, both of Leicester,
Hosiery Manufacturers, "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF STOCKINGS
"
Our invention relates to the manufacture of stockings which are intended to,
and may, be worn without garters or suspenders.
In making a stocking according to our invention we knit the same in the
ordinary tubular form to a point about three inches or any other suitable distance
from the upper edge. From this point upward the stocking is divided, and the
two edges of the divided portion are provided with a lace or other suitable means
whereby they can be drawn together and fastened.
The divided portion at the upper part of the stocking is preferably narrowed in
knitting, and whatever method of knitting is employed the work must be so
performed that the divided portion, which, when the stocking is worn, has to be
secured by laces, clasps or other fastenings, shall not be liable to unravel. For
this purpose we prefer that the stocking should be made with a selvage or binding
at the edges of the divided portion. An additional straight piece or tongue is
sometimes worked to fill up the space under the fastening between the edges of
the divided part of the stocking.
In the accompanying.drawing
Figure 1 shews the upper part of a stocking made according to our invention,
and
Figure 2 illustrates the stocking when in use. This figure is drawn to a reduced
scale.
a is the tubular portion of the web and 6 is the straight portion thereof, which
is divided at 6'. The edges are bound at c with any suitable binding material,
and holes are made in the said material to receive the lace d for fastening the
stocking.
We prefer to "splice" the stocking from four, to four and a half, inches down from
the welt" or upper edge e, that is to say, to work a fine thread into, or through,
the fabric, thereby rendering it stiffer and more durable than it would otherwise be.
This "splicing" extends all around the stocking. We then cut out, say, six ribs
on either side so that this part of the stocking will fit the knee, and we then
attach the binding material and make the holes to receive the lace.
Having thus fully described our said invention and the manner of performing
the same, we wish it understood that we Claim ;
A stocking which has its upper portion divided and furnished with a lace, clasp,
or other fastening substantially as described so that it may be worn without a
garter or suspender.
In witness whereof we the said Arthur Parrott Sheffield and Alban William
Wills have hereunto set our hands and seals this twelfth day of December in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty three
ARTHUR PARROTT SHEFFIELD
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