tended to support various stationary parts of the apparatus that act upon the needles and jacks, or sinkers, as will be hereafter described, and is therefore denominated the support plate. The second plate c, c, is called the needleplate, because the needles are placed radially around its circumference, as seen in the sectional plan view fig. 2, and also in the detached figures. This plate is mounted loosely on the vertical shaft a, a, and revolves freely around it, and by means of the bolts and nuts f, f, it is connected with the third plate d, d. This plate d, d, which is made in the form of a broad ring, is furnished, at or near its periphery, with long slits or openings, (see detached view, fig. 3,) which receive the jacks or sinkers, and maintain them in a perpendicular position. From the circumstance of this plate being thus perforated with long slits or openings, it is called the "comb plate." The fourth plate is shewn at e, e, and is firmly fixed to the vertical shaft a, by screws, or otherwise, but it is capable of being raised up and down, in order to regulate its height, (when required,) which is accomplished by means of the screw-box g, below, and the helical spring, (see fig. 1); the position of the railway-plate requiring adjustment, according to the fineness and coarseness of the thread, and the elasticity which the knitted fabric is to possess. The plate e, e, is called the "railwayplate," because an undulating rib or rail, which is formed on its upper surface, supports the lower ends of the jacks or sinkers h, h, and by means of the undulations formed thereon, which, in the machine, as represented, are four in number, the action of the sinkers, (as seen in fig. 4,) is regulated.

From the foregoing, it will be understood, that the top and bottom plate b, and e, or, as they may be called, the support-plate," and " railway-plate," are stationary, being fixed to the vertical shaft a, a, as before stated; and that the "needle-plate " c, and "comb-plate" d, which are connected together by the bolts f, f, revolve freely around the shaft a, a. Rotary motion is communicated to them by means of the bevil pinion i, i, on the crank-shaft, which pinion gears into a circular bevil rack j, j, formed on, or

attached to, the upper face of the needle-plate c, c.

As

these plates revolve and carry round with them the needles k, k, and sinkers h, k, these latter are made to fall and rise in the perforations of the comb-plate, and between the needles of the needle-plate, according to the undulations formed on the upper surface of the railway-plate; but as these sinkers might not always descend by their own weight at the proper time, they are made to do so by coming in contact with, and passing under, the inclined end of the metal-piece l, l, see figs. 1 and 4. When the sinkers have passed down (as shewn in fig. 4,) the inclined plane of the railway-plate, they are kept in that position by the anglepiece e1, fig. 5, which catches on a ledge on the front part of the sinker.

The requisite outward motion of the sinkers, between the needles, to form the loop, is effected by the cam-pieces m, m, and n, n, which are supported from the plate b, b, above, as seen in the figures. When the sinkers have passed in front of these cams, they are forced back into their original positions by the helical spring o, as seen in figs. 1 and 4, which surrounds them, and also by the pressing-pieces p, and p*, as seen in figs. 2 and 3.

The cam-pieces n, n, are mounted on centres at q, and the distance that the sinkers are forced out by them, is regulated by means of the screw r, which passes through a block on the same, and abuts against a stationary piece s. The motions of the sinkers, it therefore appears, are regulated as follows:-The upward and downward, or vertical motion, in the comb-plate, by the undulations on the railway-plate, and the outward motions, between the needles of the needle-plate, by the cams m, and n; the backward motion by the spring o, and pressing-pieces p, and p*.

The threads, (of which there are four in this machine,) to form the work, enter by the trumpets t, t, and are conducted by them under the front notches h*, h*, h*, of the sinkers h, h, h, fig. 2, and laid along the needles. The front notch of the sinker having taken hold of the thread during the descent of the sinker, between the needles, down the inclined plane in the railway-plate, a loop, hanging be

tween the needles, is formed, and at the same time the sinker is pressed forward, between the needles, by coming into contact with the cam m, and thereby the loop is carried under the beak or beard of the needles, as shewn at fig. 5.

It will be observed, in fig. 4, that after the sinkers have descended the inclined plane of the railway, as already described, and before they begin to ascend the opposite incline, as hereafter described, they pass along a horizontal portion, which is represented in the drawing as capable of being adjusted by a screw. This, however, is not essential to the machine; the adjustment of the sinkers as to height, if the machine is accurately constructed, being made by the screw-box g, as above described.

When the lower end of the sinker comes in contact with the opposite incline, it is raised, and is also pressed back by the pressing-piece p*, which forces back the work and the sinker into the recess between the two cams m, and n, as shewn by dots in fig. 3. The effect of this will be, that as the sinker h, passes up the inclined plane, on the railway-plate, the notch of the sinker will be raised out of the loop, and as the sinker is pressed back by the piece p*, the point 1, fig. 5, catches hold of the work and draws it back from under and beyond the beak or beard of the needle, which is then closed by coming under the revolving presserplate or roller u, as seen in fig. 6. The sinker, in continuing its progress, is next brought against the cam n, n, which gradually forces it outward, and by the projecting shape of its breast, pushes the work over the beard of the needle, which has been closed for this purpose by the presser-plate u, and ultimately throws the loop of the work, already made, over the end of the needle, and thereby over the loop which has just been made, as seen in fig. 7, and at c, fig. 3; and which loop remains at the end of the needle, until another loop is made by the next two needles. When the work is thrown over, it is pressed back by the notched wheel w, and the sinkers are brought into their original position by the spring o, already mentioned.

The construction of the needles, and the manner of fixing

and securing them in the needle-plate, so that they can be changed or removed at pleasure, is distinctly shewn in figs. 6 and 7.

The inner end of the needle is bent down, and enters a circular groove, made by screwing a brass ring y, into the needle-plate near its periphery. The shafts of the needles lie radially round the needle-plate, in grooves or notches, made on the upper side of the brass ring y, and the needles are firmly secured in their proper places by means of the sector-pieces, which are screwed tightly down to the needleplate. A ring of leather, felt, pasteboard, or other suitable substance, is placed between the sector-pieces ≈, and the needles, to hold the needles more firmly.

The patentee claims, firstly, the peculiar arrangement of mechanism or combination of parts, hereinbefore described, for performing the operation of knitting or producing looped work; secondly, the arrangement and combination of the needles, placed radially around a circular plate or disc, and the application of such apparatus for the production of knitted or looped fabrics; thirdly,—the peculiar construction and combination of the comb-plate, railway-plate, and sinkers, and the application thereof for the production of knitted or looped fabrics; fourthly,—the peculiar combination and arrangement of the circular disc and wheel, as hereinbefore described, for closing the beak of the needles, and pressing back the work in the process of knitting; and lastly,-the peculiar construction, combination, and arrangements, herein before described, for fixing and removing the needles, employed in knitting by machinery.[Inrolled in the Petty Bag Office, October, 1842.] Specification drawn by Messrs. Newton and Son.

TO JOSEPH HUGHES, of Whitehall Mills, Chapel-en-le-Frith, in the county of Derby, paper-maker, for certain improvements in the method or process of manufacturing paper.-[Sealed 29th January, 1842.]

THESE improvements in the method or process of manufacturing paper, apply particularly to white paper, and, firstly,

in that part of the method or process of manufacture in which the rags or "half stuff" is gased and bleached, preparatory to being converted into pulp; secondly, in a new method or process of destroying the gas in the rags, or half stuff, preparatory to the process of "bowking" or immersion in the bleaching liquor, instead of submitting it a second time to the operation of the rag-engine, as commonly practised, which new process will be found greatly to economise time and labor in this part of the manufacture; and thirdly, in a novel mode of finishing the paper as it proceeds from the common Fourdrinier web-machine, by means of certain apparatus applied to such machinery, in order to improve the finish or appearance of the paper produced.

The first part of the improvements consists in a novel method of making the "bleaching powder," or chloride of lime, usually employed in treating or operating upon the rags or half stuff. This bleaching powder is produced by employing the waste chlorine gas, which is ordinarily used in gasing the rags and impregnating lime therewith, instead of opening the gas chests and allowing the superfluous gas to escape into the air, (to the injury of animal and vegetable life,) as is usually practised after the rags have been gased, and without employing more drugs than are commonly necessary for the gasing process.

In Plate IV., fig. 1, two common stone gas-chests or chambers, are represented in section, at a, a, a, with the rags or half stuff contained therein, and supposed to be under the operation of gasing; the chlorine gas passes into these chambers through the pipes b, b, b, proceeding from the still in which it is generated, and acts, as usual, upon the rags; after they are fully gased, instead of opening the chests, as usual, the rods c, c, are lifted, and the valves d, d, opened, when the superfluous gas will pass into the lower cistern or chamber e, e. This chamber is provided with layers of lime f,f, which will become impregnated with the gas, and the bleaching powder will thus be made from the operation of the waste gas from the gasing-chambers, the layers of lime being stirred once or twice during the work