IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED FABRICS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Stanley Brookes and Joseph Black, of
Loughborough, in the County of Leicester, Hosiers, and George
Stevenson and William Jones, also of Loughborough, in the said
County of Leicester, Framework Knitters, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED
FABRICS."
Sealed the 14th June 1858, and dated the 23d February 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Stanley
Brookes, Joseph Black, George Stevenson, and William Jones,
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 23d February 1853.
WE, EDWIN STANLEY BROOKES, JOSEPH BLACK, GEORGE STEVENSON,
and WILLIAM JONES, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED
FABRICS". to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in certain new mechanical arrangements and
combinations of parts constituting a machine to be employed in the
manufacture of certain descriptions of goods known commercially as

page_text: "
looped fabrics; for example, stockings, drawers, jackets, and a variety
of other articles of similar character; and the object and intention of
this Invention is to effect the following improvements. Firstly, to form
the "rib-loop" of the fabric while the work is between the end of the
"beard" and the end of the "stem" of the frame-needles, or, in other
words, the end of the stem contrary to that to which the beard is
attached; whereas the machines now employed in the manufacture
of looped fabrics work the "ribbed course' some distance from
the head of the frame-needles outwards. Secondly, according to this
Invention the "course" may be worked as fast again as in the
machines hitherto constructed with jacks and sinkers, and employed in
the manufacture of looped fabrics. Thirdly, the "ribbed course" may be
worked with the needles under the arch of the frame-sinker, instead of
working the course in front of the head of the frame, as hitherto
practised. Fourthly, the wire-presser and frame-presser hereafter
described, having one movement only to the course instead of two
movements, as in the machines hitherto constructed, the necessity for
stopping the machine is thus avoided. Fifthly, the "ribbed course
may be worked while the jacks are drawing, instead of stopping at the
needle-heads when the frame-course is finished, as hitherto practised.
And in order to explain more fully the nature of this Invention, draw-
ings are attached to this Provisional Specification exemplifying the
arrangements and combinations constituting this Invention, which are
as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Sheets 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, exhibit a partial front elevation of a machine
constructed according to this Invention for producing looped fabrics.
Sheets 7, and 8, exhibit a transverse and vertical section of the machine,
as it would appear if divided through the line A, B, at Sheets 1, and 5.
It should be observed that as the scale to which these several sheets of
drawings are made does not admit of the elevation and section of the
machine being drawn upon one sheet of paper of the size limited by
Act of Parliament, each sheet therefore only exhibits a portion of the
machine, and the red lines marked severally A, B, C, D, E, F, denote
the adjoining portions of the machine, and at each of the said sheets of
drawings similar letters of reference are employed to denote cor-

page_text: responding parts. A, A, marks the framing of the machine to which
are attached and connected the following parts:
B, a wrought-iron shaft extending across the front of the machine,
to which it is attached by bearings C, shown at Sheets 4, and 6. Upon
said shaft a series of cams 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, are fixed in their
respective positions, also the bevelled wheel D, and spur-wheel E,
(shewn at sheets 4, and 6, and there is another shaft G, (shewn
at sheets 4, and 6, which is connected to the framing A, by suit-
able bearings, and upon this shaft toothed wheels H, I, are fixed,
which take into other wheels (as shewn) for imparting motion to the
several cams and parts in connexion therewith. The functions of the
several above-mentioned parts are as follows:
The cam 1, or sinking-cam, pulls down the sinkers a, by the bearing-
bar K, which is held up by a spring supported by the bar b, as shown
at Sheet 7. The cam 2, or knocking-over cam, pushes the sinkers a,
forward, and said sinkers are drawn back by the piece c. The knock-
ing-over cam 3, throws up two levers d, which have rods f, attached to
each end of the bar g, situated between the upright needles h, and
sinkers a, as shewn. The sinking-cam 4, sinks the needles h, by means
of the bar i, attached to front needle-bar k. The presser-cam 5, draws
down the presser-bar 1, which is kept up by a spring. The presser-
cam 6, presses the needles forward by means of the bar n, attached to
front needle-bar k, and cross-bar o. The locking-cam 7, pulls down
p, and thereby raises the locker-bar q, and disengages the tails of the
jacks 9. The drawing-cam 8, moves the bar L, alternately from right
to left; and to the lower end of said bar, cords s, s, are made fast, and
pass from thence on the same level under pullies s, s, attached to the
framing; one of such cords is attached to the end of the thread-guide
slide t, and the other is attached to the end of the slur-cock bar 9;
g, g, mark slur-cocks; 10, hanging sheets; 11, falling bar, the action
whereof is adjusted by the screw and nut v; 12, back needle bar;
13, comb-bar; 14, axle of the levers d; 16, sley, through which the
tails of the jacks pass; 17, springs, one to the tail of each jack.
Having now distinguished separately the principal parts of this
machine, I will now proceed to describe collectively their movements,
which are as follows:

page_text: Supposing the machine to be in motion, and the cam 8, during its
rotation to have laid the thread upon the needles, from right to left,
the jack-sinkers a, are then depressed by the slur-cock-y, following
close after the thread-guide, thereby forming a loop between every
other needle, at the same time the lead-sinkers are depressed to half
their range of action by the cam 1, and the jacks caused to rise thereby,
leaving a loop between every needle; the sinker-bar c, is then brought
forward, and the threads pushed under the beards of the needles, after
which the sinkers are raised by the elastic force of the spring attached
to the bar b, and simultaneously with the pulling down of the locker-
bar q, from behind, and both fall back by the action of c, thereon; and
simultaneously with the rising of the sinkers the presser falls, and
while it remains down the sinkers are again brought forward, and
when they arrive at the heads of the needles they fall down and back,
taking the work with them. The part n, presses the needles forward,
and thereby causes them to hook into the loops of the thread; and the
parts 4, bring the needles down, and press the beards thereof against
the flat cross-wire w, which is supported by curved wires situated at
the ends of each row of needles, as shewn at Sheet 2. The cam 3, now
comes into action and knocks the work over, after which the needles
immediately rise, and the "course" is finished; and upon the machine
repeating the same movements to those above mentioned, each course
is formed in succession, and in this manner; and by these means, the
mechanical arrangements and combinations of parts herein-before
described and represented are carried into practical effect, and constitute
improvements in machinery for the manufacture of looped fabrics.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edwin Stanley Brookes, Joseph Black, George
Stevenson, and William Jones, in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 23d August 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,
Edwin Stanley Brookes and Joseph Black, of Loughborough, in tho
County of Leicester, and George Stevenson and William Jones, also
of Loughborough, in the said County of Leicester,, send greeting..

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
sixteentli year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Edwin Stanley Brookes, Joseph Black,
George Stevenson, and William Jones, Her special licence that we, the
said Edwin Stanley Brookes, Joseph Black, George Stevenson, and
William Jones, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as wc, the said Edwin Stanley Brookes, Joseph Black, George.
Stevenson, and William Jones, our 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 MACHINERY FOR
THE MANUFACTURE OF LOOPED FABRICS" upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Edwin Stanley Brookes, Joseph Black, George
Stevenson, and William Jones, or one of us, by an instrument in
writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one
of us, 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 Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Edwin Stanley Brookes and
George Stevenson, 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:
Our Invention consists in certain new mechanical arrangements and
combinations of parts constituting a machine, to be employed in the
manufacture of certain descriptions of goods known commercially as
looped fabrics; such as stockings, drawers, jackets, and other articles
of similar character; and the object and intention of our said Invention
is as follows: Firstly, to form the "rib loop".of the fabric while the

page_text: "
"
work is between the end of the "beard" and the end of the "stem
of the frame-needles; or, in other words, the end of the stem contrary
to that to which the beard is attached; whereas the machines now
employed in the manufacture of looped fabrics work the "ribbed
course some distance from the head of the frame-needles, outwards.
Secondly, according to our said Invention the "course" may be worked
as fast again as in the machines hitherto constructed with jacks and
sinkers, and employed in the manufacture of looped fabrics. Thirdly,
the "ribbed course" may be worked with the needles under the arch
of the frame-sinker, instead of working the course in front of the head
of the frame, as hitherto practised. Fourthly, the wire-presser and
frame-presser hereafter described, having one movement only to the
course instead of two movements, as in the machines hitherto con-
structed, the necessity for stopping the machine, as hitherto practised,
is thus avoided. Fifthly, the "ribbed course may be worked while
the jacks are drawing, instead of stopping at the needle heads when
the frame-course is finished, as hitherto practised. And in order to
explain our said Invention as completely as possible, we now proceed
to describe the best means we are acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative sheets
of drawings hereunto annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters
of reference marked thereon respectively, as follows:-
"
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Sheets 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, exhibit a partial front elevation of a machine
constructed according to this Invention, for producing looped fabrics.
Sheets 7, and 8, exhibit a transverse and vertical section of the
machine, as it would appear if divided through the line A, B, at Sheets
1, and 5. We would here remark, that as the scale to which these
several sheets of drawings are made does not admit of the elevation
and section of the machine being drawn upon one sheet of paper of
the size limited by Act of Parliament, each sheet therefore only
exhibits a portion of the machine, and the red lines marked severally
A, B, C, D, E, F, denote the adjoining portions of the machine. At
each of the said sheets of drawings we employ similar letters of

page_text: reference to denote corresponding parts, in so far as such parts appear,
or can be seen at each of the sheets respectively. A, A, marks the
framing of the machine, to which are attached and connected the follow-
ing parts: B, a wrought-iron shaft extending across the front of the
machine, to which it is attached by bearings C, (shewn at Sheets 4,
and 6,) upon said shaft; a series of cams 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, are
fixed in their respective positions, also the bevelled wheel D, and
spur-wheel E, shown at Sheets 4, and 6; and there is another shaft
G, (shewn at Sheets 4, and 6,) which is connected to the framing A,
by suitable bearings, and upon this shaft toothed wheels H, I, are
fixed, which take into other wheels (as shewn) for iniparting motion
to the several cams and parts in connexion therewith. The modus
operandi of this machine is as follows:-The cam 1, or sinking-cam,
pulls down the sinkers a, by the bearing-bar K, which is held up by
a spring supported by the bar b, as shown at Sheet 7. The cam 2,
or knocking-over cam, pushes the sinkers a, forward, and said sinkers
are drawn back by the piece c. The knocking-over cam 3, throws
up two levers d, which have rods f, attached to each end of the bar 9.
situated between the upright needles h, and sinkers a, as shewn. The
sinking-cam 4, sinks the needles h, by means of the bar i, attached
to front needle-bar k. The presser-cam 5, draws down the presser-
bar, which is kept up by a spring. The presser-cam 6, presses
the needles forward by means of the bar n, attached to front needle-bar
k, and cross-bar o. The locking-cam 7, pulls down p, and thereby
raises the locker-bar q, and disengages the tails of the jacks r. The
drawing-cam 8, moves the bar L, alternately from right to left; and to
the lower end of said bar, cords 8, s, are made fast, and pass from
thence on the same level under pulleys S, S, attached to the framing;
one of such cords is attached to the end of the thread-guide-slide t,
and the other is attached to the end of the slur-cock bar g; 9, 9,
mark slur-cocks; 10, hanging-sheets; 11, falling-bar, the action
whereof is adjusted by the screw and nut v; 12, back needle-bar; 18,
comb-bar; 14, axle of the levers d; 16, sley through which the tails
of the jacks pass; 17, springs, one to the tail of each jack.

page_text: Having now distinguished separately the principal parts of this machine,
we now proceed to. describe collectively their movements, which are as
follows: Supposing the machine to be in motion, and the cam 8,
during its rotation to have laid the thread upon the needles from
right to left, the jack-sinkers a, are then depressed by the slur-cock
9, following close after the thread-guide, thereby forming a loop
between every other needle; at the same time the lead-sinkers are
depressed to half their range of action by the cam 1, and the jacks
caused to rise thereby, leaving a loop between every needle; the sinker-
bar c, is then brought forward, and the threads pushed under the
beards of the needles; after which the sinkers are raised by the elastic
force of the spring attached to the bar b, and simultaneously with the
pulling down of the locker-bar q, from behind, and both fall back by
the action of c, thercon; and simultaneously with the rising of the
sinkers the presser falls, and while it remains down the sinkers are
again brought forward, and when they arrive at the heads of the
needles they fall down and back, taking the work with them. The
part n, presses the needles forward, and thereby causes them to hook
into the loops of the thread, and the parts 4, bring the needles down
and press the beards thereof against the flat cross-wire w, which is
supported by curved wires situated at the ends of each row of needles,
as shewn at Sheet 2. The cam 3, now comes into action, and knocks
the work over, after which the needles immediately rise, and the
"course" is finished; and upon the machine repeating the same move-
ments to those above-mentioned each course is formed in succession;
and in this manner, and by these means, we effect our improvements in
machinery for the manufacture of looped fabrics.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be and may be performed, we desire it to be
distinctly understood that we do not claim the exclusive use of any
of the separate parts above-mentioned and referred to, except in so far
as the same may be employed in combination and for the purposes of
our said Invention, which we hereby declare to consist in, and we claim
as of our Invention, the mechanical arrangements and combinations

page_text: herein-before particularly described, set forth, and represented by the
illustrative drawings hereunto annexed as constituting improvements in
machinery for the manufacture of looped fabrics.
In witness whereof, we, the said Edwin Stanley Brookes and
George Stevenson, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Eighteenth day of August, in the Year of our Lord One thou-
sand eight hundred and fifty-three.
EDWIN STANLEY BROOKES. (L.S.)
GEORGE STEVENSON. (L.S.)
0 Witness, WILLIAM HENRY HARBER ALLEN,
Woodgate, Loughboro'.