Who Invented the Knitting Machine?
Originally called the "stocking frame," the knitting machine has a longer and more involved past than most people might imagine. The invention was ahead of its time and helped shape the course of events at pivotal moments in history. Though some of its past is undocumented, the knitting machine has had a powerful impact on the world.
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Theories/Speculation
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Popular belief has it that William Lee, a clergyman in 16th-century Britain, was enamored of a young lady who was always knitting. In his view, she was so busy knitting that she had no time for him, so in 1589 he invented a knitting machine.
His machine could make wool garments, including stockings, which were a clothing staple worn by both men and women. He applied for a patent from Queen Elizabeth, but she thought his machine-made garments were unattractive and denied his request. He went back to work, refining his design for years until his machines could make fine silk stockings. He re-applied, but again the Queen denied his patent, this time concerned about putting hand-knitters out of work. Lee then traveled to France to seek support from King Henry IV.
There is no evidence showing Lee's involvement in the clergy or the woman who caught his fancy, but there are grains of truth corroborated by historical documents.
Documentation
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A partnership agreement dated June 6, 1600, names Lee as the inventor of the knitting machine. It also establishes his business relationship with George Brooke, who would help finance the commercial production of the machines. Unfortunately, this partnership ended in 1603 when Brooke was arrested for treason and executed.
The accounts of his denied patent applications can't be confirmed, but there are records in 1605 and 1609 of Lee trying to establish his invention in London. He was never successful, and in 1612 there is a record of him in Rouen, France. The last mention of Lee in France was in 1615, and it's believed he died there soon after.
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History
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The Industrial Revolution was the catalyst for getting cloth-making machines into factories. In 1864, William Cotton of Leicestershire, England, improved on Lee's original design and introduced the new engine to manufacturers. Later in the 19th century, people began to use power with the machines. Soon circular knitting machines appeared, able to knit in a tube shape.
Advancements in the 20th century allowed for new and different types of knitting machines, and speedier ones as well. Present-day machines have programmable computers and can produce almost any pattern from any type of fiber.
Significance
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Lee's original 16th-century design featured hooked needles instead of the traditional straight, pointed needles of hand knitting. The hooked needles were effective and efficient, and are still used in modern knitting machines today.
Effects
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Despite having been invented two centuries before, the knitting machine played a large role in the Industrial Revolution. Lee's invention acted as a stepping-stone, letting other inventors build off an existing design rather than have to start from scratch, and this caused quicker progress.
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