A MACHINE AND METHOD FOR MAKING FIGURED LACE AND NET WORK WHICH MAY BE MADE OF ANY MATERIALS, ON AN ENTIRE NEW PRINCIPLE, AND WHICH WILL BE OF PARTICULAR USE IN THAT MANUFACTORY,
Year: 1784

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ROBERT
FROST and THOMAS FROST, of the Town and County of the Town of Notting-
ham, Hosiers, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third, by His
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, on the Fifteenth
day of July, in the twenty-fourth year of His reign, did give and grant unto
us, the said Robert Frost and Thomas Frost, our exors, adñors, and assigns,
His special license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that we, the said
Robert Frost and Thomas Frost, our exors, adñiors, and assigns, and every of
them, by ourselves and themselves, or by our and their deputy and deputies,
servants or agents, or such others as we, the said Robert Frost and Thomas
Frost, our exors, adñiors, or assigns, shall at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
that part of His Kingdom of Great Britain called England, His Dominion of
Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of "A MACHINE AND
METHOD FOR MAKING FIGURED LACE AND NET WORK WHICH MAY BE MADE OF ANY
MATERIALS, ON AN ENTIRE NEW PRINCIPLE, AND WHICH WILL BE OF PARTICULAR USE
IN THAT MANUFACTORY," as to us, the said Robert Frost and Thomas Frost, our
exors, admors, or assigns, or any of them, should in their discretion seem
meet; and that we, the said Robert Frost and Thomas Frost, should and

page_text: lawfully might have and enjoy the whole profit, benefit, commodity, and
advantage, from time to time coming, growing, and arising, by reason of the
said Invention, for and during the term of years therein mentioned; to have,
hold, exercise, and enjoy the said license, powers, privileges, and advantages
therein-before granted unto.us, the said Robert Frost and Thomas Frost, our
exors, admors, and assigns, for and during and unto the full end and term of
fourteen years from the date of the said Letters Patent next and immediately
ensuing, and fully to be compleat and ended, according to the Statute in such
case made and provided; in which Letters Patent there is contained a proviso
obliging us, the said Robert Frost and Thomas Frost, by an instrument in
writing under our hands and seals, to cause a particular description of the
nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within four
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent, as in and by the same, relation being thereunto had, may more fully
and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
Robert Frost and Thomas Frost, do hereby declare that our said Invention is
described as follows:-
The method of making the figured lace, net, or open work, is by means of
a machine which is to be added to a stocking frame, which is so contrived as
to alter the height of the needles in the frame while the jacks are drawing,
by which means that part of the course designed for the net or open work is
made slack or open, and at the same time those parts of the course which are
for the figures are made stiff or close, which the Drawing annexed, with the
references and description of the manner of working it, will fully explain.
Figure 1st, a Draught of the machine, with the figured barrel taken off, that
the other parts of the machine may be more clearly seen. A, A, two flat
pieces of iron screwed on the rafter of the stocking frame after the manner
of a rib machine, to which the heads B, B, are fixed, through which goes
the screws C, C, on the points of which the arms D, D, of the machine
are centered. E, E, two cross bars which go from one arm to the other to
keep them firm together. F, F, two upright arms of the machine, which are
jointed to the arms D, D, through which goes the joint pin G, G. H, a bar
screwed to the uprights F, F, to keep them firm together. I, I, two centre
pieces, having pivots K, K, which turn in holes in the uprights F, F.
L, L, L, L, parts of the bottom bar, which is two and a half inch broad, on
which the sliders are fixed, and whose ends are screwed to the centre pieces
I, I, part of the sliders being taken out to shew the bar more plainly.

page_text: M, M, two slays or pieces of plate screwed to the edges of the bar L, L, L, L,
with nicks cut in them for the sliders to move in. N, O, the sliders which
pass through the nicks in the slays M, M, and are set at the distance of two
needles, as under. P, a locking bar turned down at the edge Z, which
carries forward those sliders which are to work, as at N, by the cock C,
Figure 6th. Q, a flat bar which is to bring the sliders back again after
the course is finished. R, R, two bolts which slide upon the ends of the
bottom bar L, L, L, L, having niches cut in the edges, which receive the
ends of the bars P and Q to take them backward and forward. S, the pusher,
whose ends slide upon the joint pieces I, I, to push the work off the sliders N.
T, a spring to hold down the locking bar. U, U, two crampt bits of plate
screwed on to the joint pieces I, I, under which go the ends of the spring T.
V, V, two pieces which are screwed to the hand bar of the stocking frame,
which keep the machine at a proper distance, to prevent its rubbing against
the work. W, W, two pieces which are screwed to the half jack plate of the
stocking frame, which go close behind the upper ends of the upright arms
F, F, by which the machine is brought forwards with the frame. X, X, two
arms to support the barrel, Figure 2d, which are screwed upon the needle
bar of the stocking frame Y, Y. Z, Z, two stops which are fixed upon a pivot
in the arms X, X. a, a, two pieces screwed to the upright arms F, F,
which catch against the stops Z, Z, to prevent the machine coming too back-
ward. b, a spring which supports the bar L, L, L, L, with the sliders on,
when turned up in a horizontal position. c, c, two pieces screwed to the arm's
X, X, on which the ends of the bar L, L, L, L, slide to carry it in a right
position when moving back towards the barrel, the back edge being turned up
at 5, 5, to prevent the machine coming too backward. d, d, two pieces
screwed to the arms X, X, through which go the screws e, e, on the points of
which the figured barrel Fig. 2d is to be centered.. f, spring, whose end goes
into the niches of the plate A on the end of the figured barrel Fig. 2d.
g, a lever to raise the machine, which is jointed to the piece h screwed on
'the rafter of the stocking frame. i, a traddle, jointed to the side piece of the
stocking frame, which communicates with the lever g by means of the wire j.
k, k, two standards with draw screws at the top to prevent the machine from
going too high when raised by the lever g. 1, a bar which goes through a slot
in each of the standards k, k, and slides endways under the machine. m, m,
two pieces with stops, screwed to the sliding bar 1, which serve to support
the machine at different heights. n, a weight suspended by the line O, which
goes over the pulley p, and is fastened to the sliding bar 1, to bring the steps
m, m, under the machine when raised by the lever g. 9, a piece with a
:

page_text: handle on, jointed to the stocking frame at Y, which, being pulled against
the stud S, brings one step of the sliding bar from under the machine. t, a
piece which turns on a screw in the rafter of the stocking frame at V to
draw the sliding bar / wholly back by the stud V, which lets the machine fall
down to its lowest position. w, w, two screws put through the pieces A, A,
on which the machine rests when at its lowest position. x, a traddle which
is jointed to the side piece of the stocking frame, and is to pull the piece t
by means of the wire y.
Figure 2d is a barrel, made of wood or other material turned round, about
four or five inches diameter, or of a size sufficient to contain the pattern which
is to be carved upon it, or formed with pins or pieces of iron or other metal,
&c. A, a plate of brass or other metal, which is cut with the niches, according
to the number of courses in the pattern, in which the spring f, Figure 1st,
catches to keep it steady to the work. B, B, two iron gudgeons driven into
the ends of the barrel with a small hole in the centre at the end of each, as at
C, to receive the points of the screws e, e, Figure 1st, upon which it turns.
D, D, represent the carved parts of the barrel, which are sunk about one
fourth of an inch, and are cut perpendicular at the edges.
Figures 3d, 4th, & 5th, represent the slides edgeways at full length, either
of which forms may be used. A, A, A, represent the catches which raise the
needles while the jacks of the frame are drawn. B, B, B, the points or ends
of the sliders, which through the loops over the needles, B, Figure 3d, & B,
Figure 5th, being a little hollowed on the under side, B, Figure 4th, being
forked at the end to contain the heads of two needles between the parts.
Figure 6th represents a lead with the needles taken out of the needle
bar of the stocking frame, with one of the needles lifted up by the catch of
the slider in the manner they are while the jacks are drawn. A, represents
the form of a slider sideways. B is the tail of the slider by which it is pushed
forward, with the machine being brought against the barrel, Figure 2d, when
it is centered between the screws e, e, Figure 1st. C is the cock by which
the slider is carried further forward by the locking bar P, Figure 1st, as at N,
Figure 1st, and brought back again by the bar Q, as at O, Figure 1st.
Figure 7th. A, A, a bar which must be put in the place of the common
needle bar of the stocking frame, and have a set of combs cast into it, after
the manner of a jack bar of a stocking frame. B, a set of jacks which are
fitted between the combs and turn upon the wire C, C, which goes through
the combs, each jack having two needles cast into it. D, the needles which
are cast into the jacks with pewter, there being a niche made in them for
that purpose, as at A, Figure 8th. E, a bar which is fixt to one of the jacks

page_text: at each end, and lies upon the whole set to bring them down, even when the
machine is let down.
Figure 8th is an end view of the needle bar, Figure 7th, which shews tho
size of the comb and jack. A, the jack, full size, with the needles cast into
it, which turns upon the wire F, by which means the needles are raised up by
the catch of the slides G, as at H, without springing as they do in Figure 6th,
either of which methods may be used. B, the combs, full size, which are
made of brass or other metal. C, the scarf or bar, into which the combs are
cast. D, a bar screwed to the needle bar or scarf on which the jacks. rest
when down. E, the end of the bar which goes across the jacks to bring them
even down, see E, Figure 7th. G is a slider, full size, with one catch, as A,
Figure 5th, which in this case must be used with either its own point B or
the forked point B, Figure 4th.
THE METHOD OF WORKING THE MACHINE.
First place the figured barrel, Figured 2d, between the points of the screws
C, C, Figure 1st; then put your fingers under the bar L, L, L, L, and turn
it up till it rests on the end of the spring b; place your thumbs under the
ends of the bolts R, R, at 2, 2, and lift them up, and it will raise the locking
bar P (whose ends lie on the bolts) above the cocks of the sliders; then place
your forefingers against the other ends of the bolts and slide them back, and
the broad parts of the bolts at 4, 4, will come over the top of the sley and rest
upon it, and the bar Q, whose ends are placed in niches of the bolts, will
bring back the sliders N even with those at O; then take hold of the upright
arms F, F, and raise the machine till it will come over the stop Z, Z, that are
fixed on the arms X, X; bring it back till the ends of the sliders go into the
sunk parts of the figured barrel, and the ends of the bar L, L, L, L, will stop
against the pieces C, C, at 5, 5. Those parts of the barrel that are not sunk
will push the sliders a little forward, and the cocks will carry the sliding
bar Qalong with them, whose ends, being placed in niches in the bolts R, R,
will carry the bolts till the notches 4, 4, fall off the top of the sley, and the
fore edge of the locking bar that is turned down will fall between the cocks
of those sliders that are pushed forward and those that are left behind.
Keeping still hold of the upright arms, move them a little forward till the
ends of the bolts R, R, fall of the stops 5, 5, of the pieces C, C; bring the
machine a little backward, and the ends of the bolts R, R, catching against the
pieces C, C, at 5, 5, will be pushed forward and carry the locking bar P along
with them, whose turned-down edge will catch hold of the cocks of the sliders
and carry them forward, as at N.. Move the spring I from under the bar

page_text: L, L, L, L, and let it gently down till the sliders point upward, as in
Fig. 1st; put the machine forward between the needles, which are represented
by the dotted line 3, 3; pull the frame over the arch, and setting your foot
on the traddle i which communicates with the lever g, raise the machine, and
the weight n will draw the sliding bar under it; and the catches of the '
'sliders that are pushed forward, as at N, will raise up the needles, as in Fig. 6th
and Fig. 8th. Draw the jacks of the frame, and that part of the course
where the needles are raised up will be slack, which is for the net or open
work, and the other part where the needles are not raised will be stiff, which
is for the figures; then take hold of the handle q and move it against the stud
still one step of the sliding bar is brought from under the machine, which
will let the needles drop low enough for the work to be divided; sink the
frame to divide the work; press down the traddle x and it will draw the
other step of the sliding bar 1 from under the machine and let it drop on the
screws w, w; bring the frame forward and work the course out in the usual
way; hold the machine close to the stops Z, Z, then turn up the bar
L, L, L, L, till it rests on the end of the spring b, and the ends of the sliders
will go a little over the needles; put the pusher S forward to push the loops
off the sliders on to the needle heads; bring back the sliders by means of the
bolts R, R, as directed; turn the barrel Figure 2d till the spring f goes
into the next niche in the plate A of the barrel; move the machine endways
one needle, which the end shake in the joints at G, G, will permit it to do, and
proceed in every respect for the next course, as afore directed.
In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Eleventh day of November, One thousand seven hundred and eighty-
four.
ROBERT FROST. (L.S.)
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the
ber, in the year of our Lord 1784, the aforesaid
THOS FROST. (L.S.)
Eleventh day of Novem-
Robert Frost and Thomas
Frost came before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknow-
favonoid and all and ovary thing therain contained
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