426 ANNUAL 11EC011D OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



the top closing levers before mentioned acting upon the ends 

 of the jacks. 8 A, May 1, 97. 



WEAVING STOCKINGS WITH DOUBLE THREAD. 



Great elasticity is required in hosiery fabrics woven upon 

 the loom fully to replace hand -knitting. When, however, 

 such fabrics are much stretched, they appear very loose, in 

 consequence of the wide interstices appearing in the web. 

 To remedy this defect, it has been proposed to take two or 

 more finer threads, instead of a single coarser one, which, not 

 being twisted, will lie side by side, and produce what is called 

 closed goods, without impairing their elasticity. The finer 

 threads substituted should be rather more than an equiva- 

 lent for the coarser. The strength of the fabric is increased 

 by the change, while the working of the loom with such 

 doubled yarn is said to be very satisfactory. 6 (7, 1871, xvi., 

 152. 



smith's universal loom. 



At the Exposition of the Industrial Association of Lower 

 Austria for 1870, Mr. J. Smith's so-called "universal loom" 

 excited great interest, on account of its quick motion, easy 

 application of water or steam power, etc., and a member of 

 the Association was induced to test its efficiency. He took 

 it to his factory in Vienna, spared neither time nor money 

 in the trial, and reported essentially the following result : A 

 great deal of labor and practical skill was required to bring 

 the loom into working order. This was partially owing to a 

 defect in the machine used (to which, indeed, the agent of 

 the inventor had alluded) ; but, so complicated is its construc- 

 tion, that it is asserted there is no prospect that it can ever 

 be used by the common weaver at his home. The mechan- 

 ical skill of the experienced machinist, which is only avail- 

 able in the factory, will always be necessary to its proper 

 working. The operation of the treadle is of special impor- 

 tance with this loom, and its working requires great judg- 

 ment and tact, essentially facilitated, however, by the conven- 

 ient application of friction rollers. One hundred shots per 

 minute would be the utmost possible, even for a skilled work- 

 man. With greater speed the labor is too fatiguing, break- 

 age too frequent, and the products not so nice and clean. 



