In order to fit the needles for the frame, they are now cast into the tin sockets, or leads as they are called by the workmen; and this is done by placing the needles in an iron mould, which opens and shuts by means of a joint, and pouring in the tin while in a state of fusion. In common operations, two needles are cast into the same socket. The form of the needle, when complete and fitted to its place in the frame, will be seen in [fig. 555.], which is a profile section of the needle-bar exhibiting one needle. In this figure a section of the presser is represented at F; the needle appears at G, and the socket or level at K. At H, is a section of the needle-bar, on the fore part of which is a small plate of iron called a verge, to regulate the position of the needles. When placed upon the bar resting against the verge, another plate of iron, generally lined with soft leather, is screwed down upon the sockets or leads, in order to keep them all fast. This plate and the screw appear at I. When the presser at F, is forced down upon the barb, this sinks into the groove of the stem, and the needle is shut; when the presser rises, the barb opens again by its own elasticity.
The needles or hooks being all properly fitted, the next part of the stocking-frame to which attention ought to be paid, is the machinery for forming the loops; and this consists of two parts. The first of these, which sinks between every second or alternate needle, is represented at O, [fig. 552.], and is one of the most important parts of the whole machine. It consists of two moving parts; the first being a succession of horizontal levers moving upon a common centre, and called jacks, a term applied to vibrating levers in various kinds of machinery as well as the stocking-frame. One only of these jacks can be represented in the profile [fig. 552.]; but the whole are distinctly shown in a horizontal position in [fig. 556.]; and a profile upon a very enlarged scale is given in [fig. 557.] The jack shewn in [fig. 552.], extends horizontally from O to I, and the centre of motion is at R. On the front, or right hand part of the jack at O, is a joint suspending a very thin plate of polished iron, which is termed a sinker. One of these jacks and sinkers is allotted for every second or alternate needle. The form of the sinker will appear at S, [fig. 557.]; and in order that all may be exactly uniform in shape, they are cut out and finished between two stout pieces of iron, which serve as moulds or gauges to direct the frame-smith. The other end of the jack at I, is tapered to a point; and when the jacks are in their horizontal position, they are secured by small iron springs, one of which is represented at I, [fig. 552.], each spring having a small obtuse angled notch to receive the point of the jack, against which it presses by its own elasticity. In [fig. 557.] the centre is at R; the pointed tail is omitted for want of room, the joint is at O, and the throat of the sinker, which forms the loop, is at S. The standards at R, upon which the jack moves, are called combs, and consist of pieces of flat smooth brass, parallel to, and equidistant from each other. The cross-bar R, which contains the whole, is of iron, with a perpendicular edge or rim on each side, leaving a vacancy between them, or a space to receive the bottom part or tails of the combs. The combs are then placed in the bar, with a flat piece of brass called a countercomb, between each, to ascertain and preserve their distances from each other. These countercombs are exactly of the same shape as the combs, but have no tails. When both combs and countercombs are placed in the bar, it is luted with clay so as to form a mould, into which is poured a sufficient quantity of melted tin. When the tin has had time to cool, the countercombs having no tails are easily taken out, and the combs remain well fastened and secured by the tin, which has been fused entirely round them. Thus they form a succession of standards for the jacks; and a hole being drilled through each jack and each comb, one polished wire put through, serves as a common centre for the whole.
The jack sinkers being only used for every alternate or second needle, in order to complete this part of the apparatus, a second set of sinkers is employed. These are, in form and shape, every way the same as the jack sinkers, but they are jointed at the top into pieces of tin, all of which are screwed to the sinker bar H, [fig. 552.]; and thus a sinker of each kind descends between the needles alternately. By these sinkers the loops are formed upon all the needles, and the reason of two sets different in operation being employed, will be assigned in describing the mode of working the frame. The presser of the operation, of which something has already been said, appears at F; and of the two arms which support and give motion to it, one appears very plainly at E, its centre of motion being at C. The circular bend given to these arms, besides having an ornamental effect, is very useful, in order to prevent any part from interfering with the other parts which are behind, by elevating them entirely above them. The extremity of these arms at the termination of the bends behind, are connected by a cross bar, which has also a circular bend in the middle, projecting downwards, for a reason similar to that already assigned. This bend is concealed in [fig. 552.], but visible in the front elevation, [fig. 558.] From the middle of the bend, the presser is connected with the middle treadle by a depending wire appearing at M, [fig. 552.], and thus, by the pressure of that treadle, the presser is forced down to close the barbs of the needle. The re-ascent of the presser is sometimes effected by means of a counterpoising weight passing over a pulley behind; and sometimes by the reaction of a wooden spring, formed of a strong hoop like that represented at K. The latter of these is preferred, especially by the Nottingham hosiers, because, as they assert, it makes the presser spring up with greater rapidity, and consequently saves time in working. How far this may be practically the case, it would be superfluous here to investigate; but it is obvious that the wooden spring, if very stiff, must add much to the hosier’s exertion of his foot, already exercised against the united spring of all his barbs; and this inconvenience is much complained of by those who have been accustomed to work with the counterpoise.