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5. About the History of the Mechanical Circular Frame
 

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One disadvantage of the flat knitting frame was that after each stitch row, the loop forming sinker had to return to its original position, so time was always lost until a new row of stitches could begin. The invention of the circular frame was a great improvement - the previously straight stretched needle row was transformed into a ring-shaped closed needle roller cage. Now, a continuous stitch forming process could be achieved. The principal idea of refashioning the flat knitting frame into a circular frame came from the desire to simplify the knitting process and increase production.

  
 

For technical reasons, most circular frames were built with a relatively large diameter. Due to this, they did not play a key role in hosiery production. Circular frames were mainly used in the production of large-diameter tubular goods, e.g. as needed by lingerie or tricot underwear factories.

  

Circular knitting frame with a hand-powered crank, Fouquet & Frauz, Rottenburg/Neckar, app. 1875.

However, there were circular frames with smaller diameters as well - these were mainly used in the production of cheap, seamless stockings. They could also be used to produce tubular goods, from which cut hosiery could be fashioned. The circular frame was the predecessor of the circular knitting machine.

  

Small circular knitting frame for the cottage industry. Built for the production of narrow tubular goods based on the first hand-powered circular knitting frames. Fouquet & Frauz, Rottenburg/Neckar, app. 1875.
 

Even though circular frames were more productive, flat knitting frames remained the main tool for the production of higher quality, fully fashioned stockings narrowed to the leg shape.

In 1798, the Frenchman Decroix received a patent for what is presumed to be the first circular frame.

In 1803, the Frenchman Aubert invented a device for the production of circular knit goods, which he introduced at an exhibit in Paris.

In 1808, the Parisian clockmaker Leroi invented the first sinker wheel (Mailleuse). He used this gadget, which allowed uniform thread feeding, to improve Aubert's device.

In 1816, Marc Brunel received a patent for a small hand-powered circular frame, named "Le Tricoteur", which could be mounted on a regular table. This frame was intended for the cottage industry.

  

Mechanically-powered circular frame with three knitting heads for the simultaneous production of 3 circular-knit tubes, 2nd half of 19th century.

 

In 1845, Peter Clausen from Brussels, Belgium, improved Brunel's system and patented a pattern attachment for the device.

In 1845, the Frenchman Honoré Fouquet was able to perfect the sinker wheel in Troyes, and developed a circular frame outfitted with the device. After his relocation to Stuttgart, Germany, he established a factory for the production of knitting frames. In 1856, the large sinker wheel was invented and Fouquet began building large-diameter circular knitting frames for the production of stockinet goods. In 1873, he moved his company - now called Fouquet & Frauz - to Rottenburg/Neckar.

In 1867, the Frenchman Lebrun built a circular frame with a narrowing device, for use in the production of narrowed and cut goods e.g. toes and heels for stockings. Goods produced with this method were called "half-fashioned" goods.

In 1869, Beck and Reinhardt received a patent in Hohenstein, Saxony, for a narrowing device to be used with a circular frame. The narrowing of tubular goods was made possible by changing the setting on the loop forming device from a looser to a denser setting. This method would also be used in the later appearing circular knitting machines.

These smaller "tubular devices" were usually outfitted with only one operating system, which restricted the use of patterns.

  

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In 1877, the hosiery manufacturer Zwingenberger in Ernstthal, Saxony, developed a simple method for producing applicable patterns on small circular knitting frames.

Starting in 1878, it became possible to create Petinet patterns with these frames.

In 1881, the use of a striper made it possible to produce knitwear with striped patterns.

Even though these new frames were admired for their speed, they could only be used to knit uniform tubes, which had to be cut open and sewn into stockings. These low-grade stockings were called cut-ups and a large amount appeared on the market.

  

Schematic drawing of the production of a cut stocking from a circular-knit or circular warp-knit tube to fashion cut-ups.
 
6. About the History of Hand Flat-Bed Knitting Machines

 

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