CHAINWORK. 



Hosiery 



Work. 



I'LATI 



tion 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 use- 

 ,. MI fill, in ordi r t .my part from interfering with 



j, , , ' tlu- other parts which are behind, by elevating them 

 entirely above them. The extremity of these arms at 

 the termination of the bends behind, are connected by 

 a cross bar, winch has also a circular bend in the 

 middle, projecting downwards, for a reason similar to 

 that already assigned. This bend is conceal- d in 

 Fig. 1, but visible in the front elevation, Fig. 5. 

 From the middle of the bend, the presscr is connect- 

 ed with the middle treddle by a depending wire ap- 

 pearing at M, and thus, by the pressure of that tred- 

 dle, the presser is forced down to close the barbs of 

 the needle. The re-ascent of the pressure is some- 

 times effected by means of a counterpoising weight 

 passing over a pulley behind, and sometimes by the 

 reaction of a wooden spring, formed of a strong hoop, 

 like that represented at K. The latter of these is pre- 

 ferred, especially by the Nottingham hosiers, because, 

 as they assert, it makes the presser spring up with 

 greater rapidity, and consequently saves time in work- 

 ing. How far this may be practically the case, it 

 would be 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 

 exerted against the united spring of all his barbs ; and 

 this inconvenience is much complained of by those 

 who have been accustomed to work with the counter- 

 poise. 



At L are two pullies or wheels, of different dia- 

 meters, moving upon a common centre, by which the 

 jack sinkers are relieved from the back spring*, and 

 thrown downwards to form the loops upon the needles. 

 About the larger wheel is a band of whip cord pas- 

 sing twice round, the extremities of which are at- 

 tached 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 treddle ; so that these treddles, when pressed al- 

 ternately, turn the pullies about in an in verted order. 

 The directions of these bands also appear more 

 ifig. 5. plainly in the front elevation, Fig. 5. The con- 

 struction of the slur, and its effect upon the jacks, 

 will also be rendered apparent by Fig. 4. lu 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 right ; 

 the fourth is in the act of rising, and the remain- 

 ing four, 5, 6, 7, and 8, are still unacted upon, 

 the slur not yet having reached them. As the slur 

 Fig. *. acts in the direction of the dotted line X X, (Fig. 2.) 

 behind the centres of the jacks, it iu hardly necessary 

 to remark, that thus forcing up the tails must of 

 course depress the joints by which the sinkers in front 

 are suspended. The jack sinkers falling successively 

 from loops on every alternate needle, in the way re- 

 Fig. 6. presented in Fig. 6. where both kinds of sinkers ap- 

 pear in section, the light part expressing what is 

 above the point at which the throat of the sinker 

 operates upon the thread, and the dark part what is 

 below. The second set, or as they are called the 

 lead sinkers, from the manner of jointing them, and 

 suspending them from the bar above, appear still ele- 

 vated ; the position of the bar being represented by 

 the line AB. But when these are pulled down to 



the k-vel of the former by the operator** hinds, the Ho**ry 

 whole looping will be completed, and the thread I 

 whirh is still slack, will be brought to it* full aud fT^TT" 

 proper degree of tension, which is regulated by Mop cxxxvut. 



<, so as to be tempered, or altered at pleasure. rj g> 4. 

 Tin- sinking of this second set of sinkers, may be 

 easily explained by Fig. 8. The direction of the Pf- 

 sinkers is expressed by the line ; the bar from 

 which they are suspended will be at A ; the top 

 frame is in the direction from A to B > the back 

 standards at D, and the joint at B, is the centre 

 of motion. If E is pulled perpendicularly down- 

 wards, the spring C will be contracted, and its upper 

 extreme point G, will be brought nearer to its lower 

 extreme point I 1 ', which is fixed. Again, when the 

 foicr which has depressed E ia removed, the spring 

 C will revert to its former state, and the sinkers will 

 rise. The raising of the jack sinkers and jack* 

 takes place at the same time, by the ho 

 hands ; and f o the cause of this we must revert to 

 Fig. 2. The lead sinkers in rUing, lay hold of F'g. * 

 notches which raise the extreme parts of the set of 

 jacks ZZ, which are called half jacks. Between the 

 extremities of these, at ZZ, is a cross bar, which, in 

 descending, presses all the intermediate jacks behind 

 the common centre, and restores them to their origi- 

 nal posture, where they are secured by the back 

 springs, until they are again relieved by the opera- 

 tion of the slur recrossing at the next course. 



Working of the Frame, 



In order to work a frame, the whole apparatus be- working 

 ing previously put into complete order, the hosier of the 

 places himself on the seat in front, and provides him- frame. 

 self with a bobbin of yarn or stuff. This bobbin 

 he places loosely on a vertical pin of wire, driven into 

 one side of the frame contiguous to the needles, so 

 that it may turn freely as the stuff is unwound from 

 it. Taking the thread in his hand, he draws it loose- 

 ly along the needles behind the barbs and under the 

 throats of the sinkers. He then presses down one of 

 the treddles to pass the slur along, ar.d unlock the 

 jacks from the back springs, that they may fall in 

 succession. When this is done, the number of loops 

 thus formed is doubled by bringing down the lead 

 sinkers, and the new formed loops are lodged under 

 the barbs of the needles by bringing forward the 

 sinkers. The preceding course, and former fabric, 

 being then again pushed back, the barbs are shut by- 

 depressing the mid treddle, and forcing down the 

 prester upon the needles. The former work is now 

 easily brought over the shut needles, after which, by 

 raising the hands, both sets of sinkers are raised ; the 

 jacks are locked by the back springs, and the hosier 

 gets on to another course. 



From this, it will be apparent, that the remark 

 made in the outset is well founded, that there are, 

 in reality, no complicated or difficult movements in 

 the stocking frame. Almost the whole are merely 

 those of levers moving in tiu-ir respective fulcra, ex- 

 cepting that of the carriage which gives the horizon- 

 tal motion to the sinkers, and that is merely an alter- 

 nate motion on four wheels. Yet the frame is a ma- 

 clrne which requires considerable experience and care, 

 both to work it to advantage and also to keep it ia 

 good order. This circumstance arises greatly from the 

 small compass in which a number of moving parts' 



