816 HOSIERY 



only of these jacks can bo represented in the profile ./#. 1156; but the whole ate dis- 

 tinctly shown in a horizontal position \nfig. 1158 ; and a profile upon a very enlarged 

 scale is given in fig. 1159. The jack shown \nfig. 1155, extends horizontally from o 

 to i, and the centre of motion is at R. On the front, or right hand of the jack at o, is 

 a joint suspending a very thin plate of polished iron, which is termed a sinker. One 

 of these jacks and sinkers is allotted for every second or alternate needle. The form 

 of the sinker will appear at s,fig. 1159 ; and in order that all maybe exactly uniform 

 in shape, they are cut out and finished between two stout pieces of iron, which servo 

 as moulds or gauges to direct the frame-smith. The other end of the jack at i, is 

 tapered to a point ; and when the jacks are in their horizontal position, they are 

 secured by small iron springs, one of which is represented at i,fig. 1155, each spring 

 having a small obtuse-angled notch to receive the point of the jack, against which it 

 presses by its own elasticity. In Jig. 1159, the centre is at R, the pointed tail is 

 omitted for want of room, the joint is at o, and the throat of the sinker, which forms 

 the loop, is at s. The standards at H, upon which the jack moves, are called combs, 

 and consist of pieces of flat smooth brass, parallel to, and equidistant from each other. 

 The cross bar R, which contains the whole, is of iron, with a perpendicular edge or rim 

 on each side, leaving a vacancy between them, or a space to receive the bottom part or 

 tails of the combs. The combs are then placed in the bar, with a flat piece of brass 

 called a countercomb, between each, to ascertain and preserve their distances from each 

 other. These countercombs are exactly of the same shape as the combs, but have no 

 tails. When both combs and countercombs are placed in the bar, it is luted witli clay 

 so as to form a mould, into which is poured a sufficient quantity of melted tin. When 

 the tin has had time to cool, the countercombs having no tails are easily taken out, 

 and the combs remain well fastened and secured by the tin, which has been fused 

 entirely round them. Thus they form a succession of standards for the jacks ; and a 

 hole being drilled through each jack and each comb, one polished wire put through 

 serves as a common centre for the whole. 



The jack sinkers being only used for every alternate or second needle, in order to 

 complete this part of the apparatus, a second set of sinkers is employed. These are, 

 in form and shape, every way the same as the jack sinkers, but they are jointed at the 

 top into pieces of tin, all of which are screwed to the sinker bar, H,/^. 1155 ; and thus 

 a sinker of each kind descends between the needles alternately. By these sinkers the 

 loops are formed upon all the needles, and the reason of two sets different in operation 

 being employed, will be assigned in describing the mode of working the frame. The 

 presser of the operation, of which something has already been said, appears at F ; and 

 of the two arms which support and give motion to it, one appears very plainly at E, its 

 centre of motion being at c. The circular bend given to these arms, besides having an 

 ornamental effect, is very useful, in order to prevent any part from interfering with the 

 other parts which are behind, by elevating them entirely above them. The extremities 

 of these arms at the termination of the bends behind, are connected by a cross bar, 

 which has also a circular bend in the middle, projecting downwards for a reason 

 similar to that already assigned. This bend is concealed in fig. 1155, but visible in 

 the front elevation,^. 1161. From the middle of the bend, the presser is connected 

 with the middle treadle by a depending wire, appearing at M, fig. 1155, and thus, by 

 the pressure of that treadle, the presser is forced down to close the barbs of the 

 needle. The re-ascent of the presser is sometimes effected by moans of a counter- 

 poising weight passing over a pulley behind ; and sometimes by the reaction of a 

 wooden spring, formed of a strong hoop like that represented at x. The latter of 

 these is preferred, especially by the Nottingham hosiers, because, as they assert, it 

 makes the presser spring up with greater rapidity, and consequently saves time in 

 working. How far this may be practically the case, it would bo superfluous here to 

 investigate ; but it is obvious that the wooden spring, if very stiff, must add much to 

 the hosier's exertion of his foot, already exercised against the united spring of all his 

 barbs ; and this inconvenience is much complained of by those who have been accus- 

 tomed to work with the counterpoise. 



At L are two pulleys or wheels, of different diameters, moving upon a common 

 centre, by which the jack-sinkers are relieved from the back springs, and thrown 

 downwards to form the loops upon the needles. About the larger wheel is a band 

 of whipcord, passing twice round, the extremities of which are attached to what is 

 called the slur, which disengages the jacks from the back springs. The smaller 

 pulley, by another band, communicates with the right and left treadle ; so that, these 

 treadles, when pressed alternately, turn the pulleys about in an inverted order. The 

 directions of these bauds also appear more plainly in the front elevation, fig. 1161. 

 The construction of the slur, and its effect upon the jacks, will also bo rendered 

 apparent by fig. 1160. In this figure, eight jacks are represented in section, the tail 

 part of three of which, 1, 2, 3, are thrown up by the slur in its progress from left to 



