C H A I N W O R K. 



CXXX1X. 



Fi j. 4. 



Network, ing upwards or downwards, or presenting any ob- 

 ^""Y""*'' struction to the operation. The section of B and C 

 will serve to render this obvious. In bringing tin- 

 spindles to a point, it will not be necessary that it 

 should be very acute, for, if the bobbins are of wood, 

 this would rather be prejudicial than of any ser- 

 vice. A row of meshes being finished, the receiving 

 beam is to be moved one notch off the regulating 

 wheel, in order to wind up a portion of finished IK t 

 equal to one mesh. A second row of meshes being 

 then formed, are to be wound up as before, and so 

 on until the whole operation is completed. From the 

 above description a general idea of the operation may 

 be gathered, and this is perhaps as much as can be 

 expected without an actual model. In the next place, 

 it may be proper to pay some attention to the gene- 

 ral operation, and of this perhaps the most accurate 

 idea may be formed by a regular analyses of the re- 

 spective motions of the projected reticulator. Let 

 us suppose that a mesh has just been completed, and 

 wound up on the receiving beam, and that we are 

 then proceeding to form a second row, the motions 

 then will occur in the following succession : 



1st, The shifting motion of the upper bobbin. 

 At this stage of the operation, both bobbins are up- 

 on the lower spindle ; but as the upper bobbin is to 

 be shifted, those must first be lifted upon the upper 

 one. This may very easily be accomplished, by hang- 

 ing a shaft above, with a vertical motion, and fur- 

 nished with wire hooks corresponding to each bob- 

 bin. If a small groove is turned in both bobbins, 

 either one or both may be lifted at pleasure. For if 

 the hooks lay hold of the lower bobbin, both must 

 rise ; and if, as in this case, the upper only is laid 

 hold of, the under will not be at all affected. When 

 the upper bobbin has been lifted, the shaft may be 

 moved from right to left, or vice versa as the case 

 may be, and the shift completed. This operation 

 may be effected easily by one or both of the opera- 

 tor's hands. This part of the apparatus is so simple, 

 that it has not been deemed necessary to give any 

 drawing ; although this deficiency, if the experiment 

 were to be tried, might very easily and speedily be 

 supplied. The shift being completed, both bobbins 

 are to be let down upon the lower spindle, and each 

 should be furnished with a small eye to guide the 

 twines properly round the meshing- frame. The ap- 

 paratus is now ready for the second motion. 



2d Motion. This is the circular revolution which 

 the mesh-frame takes upon its own axis, carrying 

 with it the attendant apparatus in order to form the 

 ring. For the principle of this, of which something 

 has been already said, reference may again be made 

 to Drawing 1st. Fig. 1 and 2. In Fig. 1. it will be 

 obvious that the cord which passes round the pulley 

 at F will turn it either from right te left, or vice ver- 

 sa, every time that the shaft 1 is elevated or depres- 

 sed. This shaft may be constructed as an oblong 

 frame placed horizontally along the whole machine, 

 and moveable on centres directly behind the spindle 

 A. Then if that part at the left hand which appears 

 elevated be depressed, the other end at the right will 

 rise, and the whole spindle will turn round one, one 

 and a quarter, or one and a half turns, as may be 

 most convenient, and by sinking the right again, it 

 will revert t< its present position ; these motions may 



VOL.V. PART JI. 



be conveniently given by two treddles like those of a Network, 

 weaving loom. Thus the circular motion of the S- *V^**' 

 twine to form the ring may be produced. 



:.d Motion. Of this something has already beta 

 said, it being entirely analogous to the first motion. 

 Both bobbins are to be lifted by a shaft and hooks, 

 to bring them upon the upper spindle. The whole 

 is then to be moved until the bobbins are over the 

 centre of the ring, when they may be let down and 

 tightened to form the knot. This being done, the 

 spindle returns to the outside of the ring. The mo- 

 tions are seen very plainly in Fig. 3., both being ef- p L4Tl 

 fected merely by moving the shaft O, which may ei- CXXXIX. 

 ther be done by the hand or foot, as experience may *'' 

 show to be preferable. 



4th Motion. The knot being drawn tight, is to fig. 1, ?. 

 be lifted off the points at C, which may be done by 

 raising any of the directing shafts, without any addi- 

 tional apparatus. The receiving beam being then mo- 

 ved one notch, the operation is completed. The simpli- 

 city of these motions, and the smallness of their num- 

 ber, must be evidently advantageous to a practical 

 machine, whether wrought by the operator, or put in 

 motion by mechanical power. In particular arrange- 

 ment for the former of those plans, the most efficient 

 practical rule always is, to employ both the hands 

 and feet of the operator, allowing as much as can be 

 done without the inconveniency of too frequent shift- 

 ing to be performed by the feet. The obvious rea- 

 son of this is, that the less that the hands are employ- 

 ed in the production of motion, the more they will 

 be at liberty to remove or correct casual impedimenta 

 without retarding the operation. 



It will be obvious that what has been written is 

 rather to be viewed in the light of general and lead- 

 ing principles, than as a detailed description. No- 

 thing could be farther, however, from the writer'* 

 intention, than to pass any thing in a cursory or su- 

 perficial way for the purpose of concealment. Ex- 

 perience has convinced him, that in the description 

 of infant'and speculative inventions in mechanics, it is 

 always more safe, and certainly much more candid, 

 merely to state principles of action in a general way, 

 than to incur the risk of misleading others, by laying 

 down, in a certain and didactic form, what has not 

 yet been proved by the only infallible criterion, viz. 

 the results of actual trial and practical experience. 

 In the present state of the invention, what remains 

 may be confined to general and miscellaneous remarks, 

 and what further description is necessary to convey 

 such an idea of the drawings as has not hitherto been 

 given. 



Figure 7. exhibits a general view of a profile ele- Fig. 7. 

 vation of the machine as viewed from the right hand. 

 The posts are at A A ; the top rail of the framing 

 at B ; the receiving roller at C ; a section of the 

 directing pins at D and E ; an elevation of the 

 mesh frame at F ; the vibrating frame which com- 

 municates the rotatory motion to the mesh frame 

 at G ; the two directing pullies at HH ; one treddle 

 at L 



Figures 8, 9, 10, 1 1, 12, are intended to show more 

 clearly the adaptation of certain parts which are im- 

 perfectly represented, or omitted in the general figures. 



Fig. 8. exhibits a barrel by which the rotatory Fig. 9. 

 motion may very conveniently be given to the meH 

 4 z 



