There are now a great variety of different frames in use for producing various ornamental kinds of hosiery, and it would vastly exceed all reasonable limits to enter into a detailed description of each. A few, therefore, of those which diffe'r most materially from each other, have been selected as specimens ; and for an illustration of these the reader is referred to Plate CXXXVIII. TI e first, which indeed forms the basis of the whole, is used for weaving or knitting plain hosiery, and is the common stecking frame.
Common Stocking Frame.
Of this engine a profile elevation is given in Plate CXXXVIII. Fig. 1, the various parts of which arc 4S follow. The framing is supported by four upright posts, generally of oak, ash, or other hard wood. Two of the-c posts appear at AA, and the connecting cross rails are at CC. At B is a small additional piece of framing, which supports the hosier's scat. The iron-work of the machine is bolted or screwed to the upper rails of the frame-work, and consists of two parts. The first rests upon a sole of polished iron, which appears at D, and to which a great part of the machinery is attached. The other part, which is generally called the carriage, runs upon the iron sole at ll, and is supported by four small wheels, or trucks, as they are called by the workmen. At the upper part of the back standard of iron arc joints, one of which ap pears at Q; and to these is fitted a frame, one side of which is seen extending to H. By means of these joints, the end at H may be depressed by the hosier's hands, and it returns, when relieved, by the operation of a strong spring of tempered steel, acting between a cross bar in the frame, and another below. The action of this spring is very apparent in Fig. 8. In the front of the frame, im mediately opposite to where the hosier sits, are placed the needles which form the loops. These needles, or rather hooks, are more or less numerous, according to the coarseness or fineness of the stocking; and this, al though unavoidable, proves a very considerable abate ment of the value of a stocking frame. In almost every other machine, (for example those employed in spinning or weaving), it is easy to adapt any one either to work coarser or finer work, as it may be wanted. But in the manufacture of hosiery, a frame once finished, is limit ed for ever in its operation to the same quality of work, with this exception, that by changing the stuff, the work may be made a little more dense or flimsy, but no altera tion in the size or quantity of loops can take place. Hence where the manufacture is extensively prosecuted, many frames may be thrown idle by every vicissitude of demand ; and where a poor mechanic can purchase his own frame, he is for ever limited to the same kind of work. The gage, as it is called, of a stocking frame, is regulated by the number of loops contained in three inches of breadth, and varies very much, the coarsest frames in common use being about what are termed Fourteens, and the finest employed in great extent about Forties. The needles are of iron wire, the manufacture of which is very simple; but long practice in the art is found necessary before a needle-maker attains that dex terity which will enable him both to execute his work well, and in sufficient quantity, to render his labour pro ductive. The process of making the needles is as fol lows. Good sound iron wine, of a proper fineness, is to be selected ; that which is liable to split or splinter, either in filing, punching, or bending, being totally unfit for the purpose. The wire is first to be cut into proper
lengths, according to the fineness of the frame for which the needles are designed, coarse needles being consider ably longer than fine ones. When a sufficient number (generally some thousands) have been cut, the wire must be softened as much as possible. This is clone by laying them in rows in a flat iron box about an inch deep, with a close cover ; the box being filled with charcoal between the strata of wires. This box being placed upon a mo derate fire, is gradually heated until both the wires and charcoal have received a moderate red heat, for were the heat increased to what smiths term the white heat, the wire would be rendered totally unfit for the subse quent processes which it has to undergo, both in finish ing and working. When the box has beets sufficiently heated, it may be taken from the fire, ano placed among hot ashes, until both ashes and box have gradually cool ed; for the slower the wires cool the soft'r and easier wrought they will be. When perlectly cool, the next process is to punch a longitudinal groove in the stem of every needle, which receives the point or barb when de pressed. This is done by means of a small engine worked by the power of a screw and lever. The construction of these engines is various; but a profile elevation of one of the most simple and commonly used will be found in Fig. 11. It consists of two very strong pieces of mal leable iron, represented at A and C, and these two pieces are connected by a strong well-fitted joint at B. The lower piece, or sole of the engine at C, is screwed down by bolts to a strong board or table, and the upper piece A will then rise or sink at pleasure upon the joint B. In order that A may be very steady in rising and sinking, which is indispensible to its correct operation, a strong bridle of iron, which is shewn in section at E, is added, to confine it, and direct its motion. In the upper part of this bridle is a female screw, through which the forcing screw passes, which is turned by the handle or lever 1). To the sole of the engine C is fixed a bolster of tempered steel, with a small groove to receive the wire which is to be punched ; and in the upper or moving part A, is a sharp chisel, which descends exactly into the groove. when A is depressed by the screw. These are represent ed at F and H. At G is a strong spring, which forces up the chisel when the pressure of the screw is removed. The appearance of the groove, when the punching is finished, will be rendered familiar by inspecting Fig. 13. When the punching is finished, the wires are to be brought to a fine smooth point by filing and burnishing, the lat ter of which should be very completely done, as, besides polishing the wire, it tends greatly to restore that spring and elasticity which has been removed by the previous operation of softening. The wire is next to be bent, in order to form the hook or barb ; and this is done with a small piece of tin plate bent double, which receives the point of the wire, and by its breadth regulates the length of the barb. The stem of the needle is now flattened with a small hammer, to prevent it from turning in the tin socket in which it is afterwards to be cast ; and the point of the barb being a little curved by a pair of small plyers, the needle is completed.