Improvements in the Manufacture of Lace and Fabrics on Twist Lace Machinery.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Aug..
Complete Left, 8th May, 1888
Complete Accepted, 8th June, 1888
1857
Improvements in the Manufacture of Lace and Fabrics on Twist
Lace Machinery.
I, WILLIAM GADD, of 64 Barton Arcade, Manchester, Civil Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The improvements refer to the manufacture of lace and other fabrics on twist lace
machinery, and have for object the ornamentation of such lace and other fabrics in a
manner different to that which has hitherto obtained. In the ordinary manufacture
of lace and other fabrics on twist lace machines, the thick or other ornamental threads,
when actuated by bars known as front thick thread bars, are confined in their operations,
during the making of figures in design, to the face or front of the lace or fabric.
It thus happens that when a figure has been formed by means of such thick or other
ornamental thread or threads, and it is desired to isolate such figure, the said thick
or ornamental thread or threads are left loose on the face of the fabric, and after-
wards clipped or cut away, causing the loose or clipped ends to be left on the face of
the fabric to the detriment of the appearance thereof, or else the thick or ornamental
threads aforesaid have to be twisted into the face of the fabric in some manner
which may be equally or even more detrimental to its appearance.
Now the object of this my invention is to enable the thick or ornamental threads,
after they have been employed in ornamenting the face of the fabric by forming figure or
otherwise, to be caused to appear at the back of the lace or fabric, either to there
form figure, thus making the lace or fabric to that extent reversible, or to lie loose
for clipping or otherwise behind the fabric, or to be twisted into the fabric at the
back, or to be hidden by "fining or other opaque production of lace or fabric, until
such time as the same is required to again ornament the front of the fabric.
"
To accomplish this and to effect my improvements, I employ what I term auxiliary
warp threads drawn into extra bars, or it may be into an extra stump bar or bars,

page_text: when bottom bars are employed for such auxiliary warp threads. These auxiliary
threads are placed either in the front of the whole of the ordinary throads employed
or in front of such portion of the thick or other ornamental threads desired to be
influenced, as herein before named.
The thick or other ornamental threads, in the carrying out of my invention, do not
require to be actuated by the jacquard or substitute in any way different from their
ordinary actuation as lace is at present manufactured, as the effects upon them
hereinbefore named, are produced by means of the auxiliary warp threads at the
front and the actuation thereof, combined with a reciprocal actuation of the ordinary
warp threads at the back.
To make this actuation or process clear I will suppose that what is known in the
trade as "two gait fining," is being produced by both the ordinary warps at the back
and the auxiliary warps at the front at the same time. It is manifest that any thick
or other ornamental threads placed between these two sets of warps would be buried,
so to speak, and form filling in threads, indeed such a process is common for the
purpose of making corded effects in lace making. In like manner if both these
sets of warp threads whether composed of two sets of single or double warp, or
otherwise, were each actuated to form any ground or fining and ground combined,
the thick or ornamental threads would lie between them bound into the centre of the
fabric, a process the nearest to which, up to the present, is probably what is known
as "centre gimps."
Now by my invention, when 1 desire the thick or other ornamental threads to appear
on the face of the fabric, I actuate the ordinary or back warps so as to form fining
or ground or both or otherwise, as the case may be, by allowing them to pass over
two or more gaits, and the front or auxiliary warps I actuate so that each thread will
either twist around one carriage only, or so as to move them (when in independent
bars) in other ways-either by working round the figure along with the thick thread,
or otherwise; or in some cases allowing such auxiliary warps to lie loose on the
surface for clipping or not. On the other hand, when I desire the thick or other
ornamental threads to appear at the back of the fabric, I actuate the auxiliary warp
threads in the front so as to form fining or ground or both or otherwise as the case
may be, by allowing them to pass over two or more gaits, and the back or ordinary
warps I actuate in such case so as each thread will either twist around one carriage
only, or so as to move them (when in independent bars) in other ways, either by
working round the figure along with the thick thread or otherwise, or, in some cases,
allowing such ordinary warps to lie loose on the back for clipping or not.
thus be seen that by means of the invention I practically build up the ground or
fabric in twist lace making, either wholly or in part, alternately at the front and back
of the thick or other ornamental threads at will.
It will
In such laces as "double warp loop," the result is obtained by placing the "corder"
warps, or such portion thereof as is required, in the front, either in the extra stump
bar already named with bottom bars therefor, or in top bar or bars according to
design, and causing these to alternately act as corders or as warps, and actuating the
ordinary warps in a reciprocal or alternate manner as desired.
I am well aware that a special grouping of the ordinary warp threads combined
with a peculiar actuation of thick threads, as invented by Mr. George Soar and
described in his specification number 908987 has been accomplished, whereby the thick
threads are enabled to be alternately passed to the back and front as stitching
threads and lying longitudinally, or thereabouts, of the fabric, in manner similar to
weaving; but that is ontirely different to this my present invention, as such a method
precludes the possibility of the thick threads, which so stitch longitudinally,
ornamenting the fabric in the ordinary manner, whereas by my invention there is no
peculiar nor any action of the thick threads required to cause them to appear at the
back or front of the fabric, neither is any grouping of warp threads requisite, neither,
on the other hand, can I produce by my invention the identical result obtained by
Mr. G. Soar, as all the effects my invention is capable of producing are obtained
by manipulating warp threads in the front to make ground or fabric so as to cover

page_text: the thick threads therewith, the warp threads at the back acting reciprocally for the
purpose of leaving them uncovered on that side, wholly or partially, and then
reversing the operation, when required, for the purpose of causing them to appear in
the front.
Variation of detai! may be made, as in the number of auxiliary warp threads
employed, or the number of corder warps placed at the front for alternate action
according to the amount of the "breadth" of lace desired to be made capable of the
operation described, which may be wholly or in part and in some cases at occasional
points only; together with the number of warp threads employed in a gait; and
both the ordinary and auxiliary warp threads may be actuated either by top or
bottom bars or in combination, or the ordinary or auxiliary threads or corders may
be on independent beams or large warp beams or both combined as may be requisite
without departing from the peculiar character of the invention.
Dated this 25th day of August 1887

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Lace and Fabrics on Twist
Lace Machinery.
I, WILLIAM GADD, of 64 Barton Arcade, Manchester, Civil Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
The improvements refer to the manufacture of lace and other fabrics on twist lace
machinery, and have for object the ornamentation of such lace and other fabrics in
a manner different to that which has hitherto obtained.
In the ordinary manufacture of lace and other fabrics on twist lace machines, the
thick or other ornamental threads when actuated by bars, known as front thick
thread bars, are confined in their operations, during the making of figures in design,
to the face or front of the lace or fabric. It thus happens that when a figure has
been formed by means of such thick or other ornamental thread or threads, and it is
desired to isolate such figure, the said thick or ornamental thread or threads are left
loose on the face of the fabric, and afterwards clipped or cut away, causing the loose
or clipped ends to be left on the face of the fabric to the detriment of the appearance
thereof, or else the thick or ornamental threads aforesaid have to be twisted into the
face of the fabric in some manner which may be equally or even more detrimental
to its appearance.
Now the object of this my invention is to enable the thick or ornamental threads,
after they have been employed in ornamenting the face of the fabric by forming
figure or otherwise, to be caused to appear at the back of the lace or fabric, either to
there form figure, thus making the lace or fabric to that extent reversible, or to lie
loose for clipping or otherwise behind the fabric, or to be twisted into the fabric at
the back, or to be hidden by 'fining' or other opaque production of lace or fabric
until such time as the same is required to again ornament the front of the fabric.
To accomplish this and to effect my improvements, I employ what I term auxiliary
warp threads drawn into extra or auxiliary top bars, or it may be into an extra stump
bar or bars when bottom bars are employed for such auxiliary warp threads. These
auxiliary threads are placed either in the front of the whole of the ordinary threads
employed in the machine or in front of such portion of the thick or other ornamental
threads desired to be influenced as herein before named.
The thick or other ornamental threads, in the carrying out of my invention, do not
necessarily require to be actuated by the jacquard or substitute in any way different
from their ordinary actuation as lace is at present manufactured, as the effects upon
them hereinbefore named, are produced by means of the auxiliary warp threads at
the front, and the actuation thereof, combined with a reciprocal actuation of the
ordinary warp. threads at the back.
To make this actuation or process clear, I will suppose that what is known in the
trade as
two gait fining" is being produced by both the ordinary warp threads at

page_text: :
the back and the auxiliary warps at the front at the same time, and in the same
gaits. It is manifest that any thick or other ornamental threads placed between
these two sets of warps would be buried so to speak, and form filling in threads,
indeed such a process is common for the purpose of making corded effects in lace
making. In like manner if both these sets of warp threads whether composed of two
sets of single or double warp, or otherwise, were each actuated to form any ground
or fining and ground combined, the thick or ornamental threads would be between
them bound into the centre of the fabric, a process the nearest to which, up to the
present, is probably what is known as centre gimps."
"
Now by my invention, when I desire the thick or other ornamental threads to
appear on the face of the fabric I actuate the ordinary or back warps so as to form
fining or ground or both or otherwise as the case may be, by allowing them to pass
over two or more gaits,' and the front or auxiliary bars or warps I actuate so that
each threads will either, twist around one carriage only, or so as to move them (when
in independent bars) in other ways either by working round the figure along with
the thick thread, or otherwise; or in some cases allowing such auxiliary warps to lic
loose on the surface for clipping or not. On the other hand when I desire the thick
or other ornamental threads to appear at the back of the fabric, I actuate the auxiliary
warp thread in the front so as to form fining or ground or both or otherwise as the
case may be, by allowing them to pass over two or more gaits,' and the back or
ordinary bars or warps I actuate in such case so as each thread will either twist
around one carriage only, or so as to move them (when in independent bars) in other
ways, either by working round the figure along with the thick thread or otherwise,
or, in some cases allowing such ordinary warps to lie loose on the back for clipping
or not. It will thus be seen that by means of the invention I practically build up the
ground or fabric in twist lace making either wholly or in part, alternately at the front
and back of the thick or other ornamental threads at will.
$
In such laces as "double warp loop," the result is obtained by placing the
"corder" warps," or such portion thereof as is required in the front, either in the
extra stump bar already named, with the bottom bars therefor, or in a top bar or bars
"corders or as
according to design, and causing these to alternately act as
warps, and actuating the ordinary warps in a reciprocal or alternate manner as
desired.
"
I am well aware that a special grouping of the ordinary warp threads combined
with a peculiar actuation of thick threads, as invented by Mr. George Soar and
described in his specification number 908987 has been accomplished, whereby the thick
threads are enabled to be alternately passed to the back and front when employed as
stitching threads only and lying longitudinally, or thereabouts, of the fabric, in
manner similar to weaving; but that is entirely different to this my present invention,
as such a method precludes the possibility of the thick threads, which so stitch:
longitudinally, ornamenting the fabric in the ordinary manner, whereas by my
invention there is no peculiar nor any action of the thick threads required to cause
them to appear at the back or front of the fabric, neither is any grouping of warp
threads requisite, neither, on the other hand, can 1 produce by my invention the
identical result obtained by Mr. G. Soar, as all the like stitching effects my invention
is capable of producing are obtained by manipulating warp threads in the front to
make ground or fabric so as to cover the thick threads therewith, the warp threads
at the back acting reciprocally for the purpose of leaving them uncovered on that
side, wholly or partially, and then reversing the operation, when required, for the
purpose of causing them to appear in the front.
Variation of detail or modifications may be made, as in the number of auxiliary
warp threads employed, or the number of "corder or other warps placed at the
front for alternate action according to the amount of the "breadth" of lace desired
to be made capable of the operation described, which may be wholly or in part, and
in some cases at occasional points only, together with the number of warp threads
employed in a gait'; and as a simple modification, whereby a limited number of
designs in special. fabrics may be produced, occasional auxiliary warp threads may

page_text: be employed with or without any other or ordinary warp thread in the same "gait,"
or, in case of double warp, one only of the warp threads at occasional gaits may
be employed in conjunction with the auxiliary warp thread in front; and both the
ordinary and auxiliary warp threads may be actuated either by top or bottom bars or
in combination, or the ordinary or auxiliary threads or corders may he on independent
beams or large warp beams, or both combined, as may be requisite, without departing
from the peculiar character of the invention.
But that the improvements may be better understood I will by the aid of the
accompanying drawings proceed more fully to describo means employed by me.
Fig. 1, represents a section of an arrangement of the threads from the front to the
back of the machine, in accordance with a common method, at present employed,
wherein the warps, or warps and corder warps, are drawn in at the back of the
operating thick or ornamental threads.
Fig. 2, shows a corresponding arrangement according to my invention, wherein
the ordinary acting warp threads are placed at the back of the thick or other
ornamenting threads and the auxiliary acting warp threads are placed at the front
thereof.
Fig. 3, shews a section transverse with the foregoing on line A B in figure 1; and
Fig. 4, shows a like view on line A B in figure 2.
The remaining figures shew like views of arrangements of threads representing
modifications or variations of the invention.
The same letters indicate corresponding parts wherever they occur.
The threads a a are ordinary warps and are shown in the figures as passing through
stump bars and would thus be actuated by bottom bars which are not shewn, but it is
manifest that the same may be actuated by top bars as is commonly the case and woll
understood.
bb are the corder warps as ordinarily arranged for what is known as "double warp
loop" in lieu of such arrangement, and for the purpose of carrying out my
invention, I transfer the same or such portion of the same as may be desired, or
threads in lieu of the same, to the front as at c c, which form the threads I term
auxiliary. These threads c c are shewn arranged in a stump bar, and of course would
be actuated by bottom bars which are not shewn, but it is obvious that the same may
be actuated by top bars in the ordinary and well understood manner.
dd are the thick threads actuated by the top bars d¹ d', and ee is a longitudinal
section of a portion of the fabric formed by the twisting together of the various
threads, while ff is a bobbin thread whon the carriages are in the front of the
machine.
Now it will be readily understood that when all the warp threads or other threads
forming the groundwork of the lace or other fabric are arranged in the back as
shewn in Fig. 1, the thick threads d d however they may be actuated must always
appear on the front face of such fabric, but as no warp thread or other thread
forming ground can ever hide a thick or other ornamental thread except by traversing
two "gaits," it therefore follows that during such period as two-gait" work is
confined to the back warps a, the threads d will appear on the face of the fabric;
but when the front warps e are actuated to do "two-gait" work-the back warps a
ceasing to do so-then the threads d in such "wales where this reciprocal action
takes place will appear at the back of the fabric. When the auxiliary warps e are
placed in every "gait" across the breadth the arrangement may be said to be made
in « full set," by which means the greatest number of combinations and effects may
be produced; and according to the nature of the fabric to be manufactured, one, two,
or more auxiliary warps may be employed in each "gait." At the same time a great
number of designs and effects may be produced by modifications, wherein the
auxiliary threads are only employed at intervals across the breadth, as in Figs. 5 & 6,
whether in clusters of several "gaits" or at isolated "gaits at intervals. And a
"

page_text: certain restricted number of designs and effects can be produced in special fabrics
with such isolated auxiliary threads having no corresponding ordinary warp threads
in the back in the same "gait," as shewn in Fig. 7. Although the arrangement of
tbreads is shewn of such a nature as is required in the production of "double-warp-
loop," the invention is applicable to every arrangement such as
" platt" or other
bobbin "finings" or grounds, in more or less degree.
None of the working parts of the machine, nor the brackets carrying the bars are
shewn, as all these are of the ordinary or convenient description. In Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, and 8 it will be understood that short lengths only of the bars are shewn, and
that any and various arrangements of threads can be made according to the nature
of the design to be produced, and the arrangements might be reversed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The manufacture of lace or other fabrics on twist lace machinery, having thick
or other ornamental threads producing outlines, gimps, or other figure upon the
surface thereof, and passing such threads to the back of the fabric during the intervals
of such figures, in manner substantially as herein shewn and described.
2. The employment of auxiliary warp or other ground threads in the manufacture
of lace or other fabrics on twist lace machinery, which auxiliary threads alternately
are actuated so as to cover or discover the thick or other ornamental threads at will,
in combination with ordinary warp or other ground threads at the back, which are
actuated to reciprocate the process, in manner substantially as herein shewn and
described.
"
3. The employment of auxiliary threads at isolated intervals placed in front of the
bars actuating the thick or other ornamental threads, and without corresponding
warp threads in the back in the same gait," by which means when any of the
thick or other ornamental threads arrive in such "gaits" they are covered by such
isolated auxiliary warp threads, for the purpose of producing special fabrics and in
manner substantially as herein shewn and described.
1
1
1000
WILLIAM GADD.