Hand knitting is now rarely practised as an industry, or a means of obtaining a livelihood. Here and there, in secluded districts, such as the Highlands of Scotland, some parts of Wales and Ireland, and similarly in many parts of the Continent, the peasantry follow the practice in the intervals of more laborious occupations, and by its means add some little to their earnings.
Machine knitting by manual power, though ;till followed to a considerable extent, is a decay ing industry. The hand-machine is used chiefly for the production of what is termed "fancy hosiery," of elaborate or variegated patterns, such as it is difficult, if not impossible as yet, produce by automatic machinery worked by steam power. Whore it is still used as a competitor with the latter, it is retained at a great disadvantage, because the operator has to bestow his strength and attention upon the working of the machine, whilst it would be more profitably exercised in super intending a greater number actuated by steam power.
The essential part of both manual and steam-power machines is the needle. Of these, there are two kinds, as shown in Fig. 872. A B represent the one invented by Lee, but in the perfected form to which modern scien tific mechanism has brought it. It consists of the shank, the hook, and the beard or returned point of the hook. Underneath the beard, a groove is cut in the shank, for the reception of the former when pushed down by the presser-bar or wheal. This is the needle in most general use. Those marked C D are latch-needles, much more recent invention, and the use of which has led to important changes. Both sorts are shown as mounted for the machine. The manual stock ing-machine has a frame work of wood, on which the working parts are supported. In front is a seat for the operative. The yarn is sup plied from a bobbin conve niently placed. The needles are arranged horizontally, as in Fig. 873. The chief parts are the sinkers f, locker g, jacks h, needles i, alur-bar 1, slur m, pulley n, and looker bar p. These constitute the parts of the machine as Lee left it : of sufficient capacity to make a plain looped fabric. Jedediah Strutt's improvement, by which a ribbed web was enabled to be produced, consisted of the addition of a second series of needles c, Fig. 875, mounted on a ]ever e, and jointed to a vibrating arm f, attached to the standard by a pin on which it is free to oscillate. There are three treadles to the manual frame, placed conveniently for being actuated by the feet of the operative when at work. Two of these are connected with the jacks by means of cords passing around pulleys, placed in the centre of the frame, and the third is similarly connected with the presser, the attachment being made at the extremity of an arm, which projects towards the back of the frame.
There are two classes of sinkers, bar- and jack-sinkers; each of the latter, which are arranged alternately with the others, are attached separately to the end of a lever or "jack," and by means thereof can be depressed separately. It will be observed that the sinkers f are arched in the middle, so as to form a book, and beneath this hook there is a projection. These sinkers having to pass easily, and very quickly, between the needles, are made with great exactitude, being blocked out of thin sheets of iron, and carefully finished by polishing, so as not to injure the threads in working. All parts of the frame require to be finished with the greatest accuracy of detail and perfection of workmanship.
The mode of operation and the action of the machine is as follows :—The thread is drawn across the needles in contiguity to the arch of the sinkers ; the jack-sinkers are depressed by means of the treadle, which action forces the yarn down between alternate needles ; the jack-sinkers are raised ; then both frame- and jack-sinkers are depressed to half the depth of the first movement, the yarn being by this means equally sunk between all the needles. The sinkers are next advanced, and carry the yarn in the form of the wave line beneath the beards of the needle, as shown in Fig. 871. To simplify the description, it is assumed that two courses of loops have previously been formed, as shown at S. The last course will be in the arch or hook of the sinkers, and as the latter advance whilst the presser has closed the needles by compressing the beards into the grooves, the previous course of loops is carried over the heads or books of the needles, and placed upon the loops which the latter contain. The loops in the needles now form the top course of the fabric, which by means of the hook on the sinkers is then drawn back, to allow the process to be repeated. When the thread has been sunk between the alternate needles by the jacks, and it is required to sink it also between the remainder of the needles, the frame-sinkers must be depressed one at a time, which is accomplished by means of a cord from the treadle-pulley, by which the slur is drawn backward and forward as required. By this means, the thread is sunk progressively across the series of needles, which move ment must be completed in the straight frame before the sinkers advance and carry the thread into the hook of the needles.