The illustrated exhibitor: a tribute to the world's industrial jubilee (London, 1851)

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M

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THE ILLUSTRATED EXHIBITOR.

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The display of stocking-frames and knitting-machines is
exceedingly limited, and, with the exception of the
rcular loom exhibited by the Chevalier Claussen, they

ci

continuous, and in one direction also, and not alternating for-
wards and backwards as in the ordinary loom, no time is
lostin the back-strokes, and in consequence a larger quantity
of work can be performed in a given amount of time. The
amount of work which can be done by one of these machines
is almost incredible. The one shown is provided with four
"-feeders;" it has 1,200 needles placed on the circum-
ference, and will with ease make 80 revolutions in the
minute. The quantity of loops or stitches made will be
equal, therefore, to 1,200 multiplied by 80, equal to
96,000 per minute, and these produced by the hand-
power of one workman alone. The machine can be made
to produce, not merely knitted goods, in the ordinary
sense of the word, but woollen cloths, as well as all
kinds of looped fabrics.

The first idea relative to this machine originated about
a century since in Falaise, a small village in Normandy,
where at that period a considerable quantity of stockings
and coarse-knitted articles wa3 produced. At a more re-
cent period Mr. Brunei made several very important im-
provements in it, and came over to England for the pur-
pose of bringing it before the notice of the manufacturers
of this country; and it was this machine which first
brought that celebrated engineer to England. It was
patented in 1816! but, in consequence of its not being
able to work with sufficient rapidity, it did not come into
general use, and Mr. Brunei, occupied by other important
duties, did not care to devote his time to perfecting it. A
few years after its introduction into England, a Belgian, of
the name of Touve, if we mistake not, succeeded in con-
structing a common stocking-frame upon the circular prin-
ciple, which has continued in use to the present day, and
one of these machines is now placed by the side of the
larger loom of the Chevalier Claussen. The improvement
of the circular loom has continued, almost down to the
present time, to occupy the attention of many ingenious
persons. Among others we may mention M. Gellett,
M. Jacquin, M. Fouguet, M. Berthelot—of whose con-
tribution to the World's Bazaar we give an illustration
—until finally ifc was brought to its present great perfec-
tion by the Chevalier Claussen. The principal improve-
ments in the machine, as compared with trie original one,
consist in placing the needles parallel to the shaft, and in

$w

CHEVALIER CLAUSSEn's CIRCULAR HAND-LOOM.----MAN

LOVE AND ALLIOTT, NOTTINGHAM.

possess no feature of pecu- _ _____

liar interest. This loom,
which is adapted for weav-
ing all kinds of looped fa-
brics, is made to produce he
fabrics by means of a con-
tinuous circular motion. It
may be worked either by
hand or steam-power, the
one shown in the engraving
being adapted for hand-
power only. The great
point of difference between
this and the common stock-
ing or knitting-frame is that
the rows of loops are formed

spirally, and not parallel to

each other; the loops are

also formed simultaneously

upon different parts of the

circumference of the frame.

In consequence of these

arrangements the goods pro-
duced are not liable to what

is known in the trade as

" running," arising from the

defect or breaking of any one

of the loops. The movement

in the circular loom being

CIRCULAR LOOM FOR WEAVING HOSIERY.----M. BERTHELOT, FRANCE.