C H A I N W O R K. 



72.0 



. 1*. 





It has not been deemed necessary to reprebeut any 

 part of tin- machinery of this frame, excepting the 

 needles, and u Net of points corresponding with them, 

 which supersedes the operation of a prcsser. The 

 needles are cast into metal sockets like those of 

 any other frame, and only differ from tho.- common- 

 ly used in the length of the barb, which, in thi , 

 frame, requires only to be of i-ufficitnt length to re- 

 ceive the loops, and guard agr.inbt any danger of their 

 lipping off after being so received. The sockets or 

 le.ids appear between A and B, and are attached and 

 ecurcd to the needle h.ir much in the : ame way as 

 in any other stocking franv. The points are at C, 

 and the short barbs are represented by a black line 

 drawn from each point. At E is another bar, which 

 slides freely backward and forward in two grooves 

 of iron, one being at each side of the frame. This 

 bar has also a circular motion on its ends or pivots, 

 in so far as the points may be elevated or depressed 

 at pleasure, aa much as may be necessary. Both 

 these motions are given by the hosier's hand, laying 

 hold for that purpose of the handle at F. The ope- 

 ration of these is as follows : In the stem of the 

 needle there is a groove, as in any other atocking- 

 needle, and in each point there is also a groove. 

 When cast into the socket, the needle is so placed 

 that the groove may be above, as in the common 

 way ; but in the points the reverse takes place, the 

 grooves being below. When it becomes necessary 

 to shut the needles, the points being pushed forward 

 over the needles, and a little depressed, the point 

 sinka into the groove in the stem of the needle, and 

 at the same time the groove in the stem of the point 

 being below, receives the short barb of the needle, 

 o that both are completely covered ; and the loops 

 may be transferred from the needles to the points, and 

 returned at pleasure. The bar, also, upon which the 

 points arc fixed, being fitted so as to have a lateral 

 shift, the loops which were upon one needle may be 

 transferred to another, and returned at pleasure. 

 The effect of the point when the needle is short, 

 may be seen in Fig. 12, which exhibits a needle 

 and point in this situation in profile elevation. 

 The needle is at A, and the point at B. By 

 these means, the texture, instead of being confined 

 to a straight lineal direction, as in the rib frame, 

 may be varied at pleasure ; and where colours are 

 used, a great variety of stripes, zig-zags, and other 

 ornaments, may be introduced at pleasure. This ope- 

 ration is very analogous to that of weaving lappets 

 by the common weaving loom, and also to what has 

 been already described in the account of the tam- 

 bouring machinery ; all of them depending upon the 

 resolution of two direct into one oblique motion, and 

 the production of circular, elliptical, and other curves, 

 by varying the ratio of inclination. 



Fig. 14- exhibits a small hook, very much used by 

 hosiers of every description, for picking up loops, 

 which may be lout by the breaking of a needle ; the 

 depression of a barb, which has lost its elasticity ; or 

 any other accident which may occur. It is also used 

 in constructing the breadth of the stocking at the 

 ancle, forming the gushets, and all the minutiae of 

 shaping, which can only be acquired by practical ex* 

 periejice, and of which, therefore, we have not at- 

 tempted any description. 



1 



CHAP. Ill 



1 ' i ' nciplc* and Cnnitrintinn nf a, newly in tented 

 /.' ticulator, or Machine i ing Fitking 



Net$. 



A machine of this kind hai long been wanted for 

 the extension and improvement of the fisheries, in lor weav- 

 order to supersede the ex pence and inconvenience of tD K >* 

 procuring m-ts in sufficient quantity, and at low pri- wor *- 

 ces, which must ever be frit whilst they are only to 

 be obtained by the tedious mode of knotting them 

 mesh by mesh. It may indeed be said, that the chief 

 part of the labour devolves upon the fishermen and their 

 families, who devote to this employment thow seasons 

 which are not employed in the actual prosecution of 

 the fishery. However much this may be the case, it it 

 sufficiently obv OUH, that in every part of the country- 

 many other useful and productive employments may 

 be found, for those who can be spared from the net 

 manufacture; whilst at the same time it must be of 

 the utmost importance to establish a mean, by which 

 nets may be cheaply and extensively supplied at all 

 times, and at short notices. This would enable the 

 fishers to derive every advantage from seasons of un- 

 common plenty, by increasing their stock of tackle 

 whenever they found it beneficial, and would effec- 

 tually guard them against those casualties and acci- 

 dents which must ofton happen to nets immersed in the 

 sea, and unavoidably exposed to all the dangers of 

 high latitudes, foul bottoms, currents, and other con- 

 tingencies. Two different scales of construction have 

 occurred to the autuor of this article, each of which 

 possesses some advantages, and is liable to some ob- 

 jections, which it may be proper to state previously 

 to entering into detail. 



The first of these plans has for its object the con- 

 struction of nets upon a limited scale, so that the ma- 

 chine required for weaving them may be neither 

 bulky nor expensive in the construction. Machines 

 of this kind, it may be presumed, w uld in some re- 

 spects be preferable to those of a more extensive 

 kind, even although the saving of labour will not be 

 in the same ratio. Most of the districts of Scotland 

 contiguous to the stations where the herrings are 

 found in the greatest abundance, are hitherto little 

 engaged in other branches of manufacture, and con- 

 sequently the relative prices both of provisions and 

 labour are proportionally much lower than in the 

 more populous seats of manufacture. It seems how- 

 ever rational to infer, that although this circumstance 

 may be expected to furnish a plentiful supply of 

 workers at low rates, the same assiduity, dexterity, 

 and application, can hardly be expected, which will 

 be found in places where habit has inured people to 

 both the industry and regularity which conduce so 

 much to the extension and prosperity of all manufac- 

 tures. It seems ah>o rational to conclude, that the 

 introduction of any manufacture into places so situa- 

 ted, ought, in all cases, to be attempted upon a li- 

 mited scale, and its subsequent extension proportion- 

 ed to its success, aud the dexterity acquired by prac- 

 tical application. In order as far as possible 10 adapt 

 the projected machine to such a state of society as 



