CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN MACHINERY FOR THE PURPOSE, BY SUCH IMPROVEMENTS, OF FACILITATING THE OPERATION WHICH IS COMMONLY CALLED DRESSING OR GETTING-UP OR FINISHING OF LARGE PIECES OF LACE NETS OF VARIOUS KINDS, WHEREOF SOME ARE CALLED BOBBIN NET OR TWIST NET, AND OTHER KINDS ARE CALLED WARP NET AND TATTINGS
Year: 1836

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HALL, of New Radford, in the County of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS I did, by petition, humbly represent unto His present most
Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth, that, after considerable appli-
cation and expence, I had invented "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN
MACHINERY FOR THE PURPOSE, BY SUCH IMPROVEMENTS, OF FACILITATING THE
OPERATION WHICH IS COMMONLY CALLED DRESSING OR GETTING-UP OR FINISHING
OF LARGE PIECES OF LACE NETS OF VARIOUS KINDS, WHEREOF SOME ARE CALLED
BOBBIN NET OR TWIST NET, AND OTHER KINDS ARE CALLED WARP NET AND
TATTINGS," and His said Majesty, being willing to give encouragement to all
arts and inventions which may be for the public good, was graciously pleased,
by His Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-
seventh day of July last (One thousand eight hundred and thirty-six), in the
seventh year of His reign, for Himself, His heirs and successors, to give and
grant unto me, the said John Hall, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
His especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I or they,
by myself or themselves, or by my or their deputies, servants or agents, or
such others as I or they should agree with, and no others, during the term
of fourteen years from the date of the said Letters Patent, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend my said Invention within that part of
His said Majesty's Dominions called England, His Dominion of Wales, and
Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed in such manner as to me, my executors,

page_text: administrators, and assigns, shall seem meet, and as that I or they shall enjoy
the whole profit and advantage arising by reason of the said Invention during
the said term of fourteen years, and for that end His said Majesty requires
and strictly commands all His subjects whatsoever that they shall not, neither
directly nor indirectly, make, use, or put in practice my said Invention, or any
part thereof, nor in anywise counterfeit, imitate, or resemble the same, nor
make any addition thereto or subtraction therefrom, whereby to pretend him-
self or themselves to be the Inventor or Inventors thereof: And whereas the
said Letters Patent contain a proviso, obliging me, the said John Hall, par-
ticularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent, as in and by the same (reference being
thereunto had) will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Hall, do hereby declare that my said Invention is described and ascer-
tained in manner following, and by the aid of the Drawing hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
The machinery to which my said improvements relates is part of what is
commonly called dressing machinery, for dressing warps which are afterwards
to be used in power looms for weaving into calico, the said part of such
dressing machinery comprising the revolving rollers and apparatus whereby
starch is applied to and distributed upon such warps; and the said machinery
to which my said improvements relates is also part of what is commonly
called steam drying machinery, with revolving cylinders containing steam for
drying calico or paper, by passing the same over or around the moving cir-
cumference (or part of the moving circumference) of such revolving steam
cylinders, in order to dry the calico or paper by contact with (or proximity to)
the moving heated surface of the said cylinders; and my said improvements on
such machinery consist in certain new additions (berein-after described) to the
aforesaid starching parts of dressing machinery, and the aforesaid steam
cylinders of drying machinery, and also consists in the new combination,
herein-after described, of such parts of dressing machinery and steam cylinders,
and new additions, one with the other, for the purpose, by such improvements,
of facilitating the operation of dressing or getting-up or finishing of large
pieces of lace nets. A complete machine, constructed according to my im-
provements, is represented in the Drawing hereunto annexed. The writing
on the Drawings will assist in the explanation.

page_text: A B, A B, D, is the fixed framing of cast iron, consisting of two end
standards A, A, erected in parallel vertical planes on the floor or foundation
for sustaining the axis of the large revolving steam drying cylinder E, and
other parts of the moving machinery, the said two standards A, A, being
firmly united by a horizontal top bar D, which extends from the upper part
of one standard A to the upper part of the other standard A; and the parts
B, B, of the fixed framing are horizontal bearing rails, firmly fixed to the
same floor or foundation as the standards A, A, and in the same vertical
planes therewith. Each of the end standards A and bearing rails B may join
together, and may be firmly united by screws, or they may be formed of the
same piece of casting, if convenient; but in either case the floor or foundation
on which the standards A, A, and bearing rails B, B, are erected must be
firmly established by timber work or stone work, and the said standards A
and rails B must be firmly bolted down thereon, so as to stand firm in their
respective vertical planes. E, E, is the large revolving steam drying cylinder,
mounted on pivots at each end of it in bearings, which aro sustained by the
end standards A, A. The interior capacity of the cylinder E is filled with
steam, which is introduced by a pipe a through one of its end pivots, which
is made hollow for the purpose, and the water arising from the condensed
steam is conveyed away by a like pipe through the other end pivot, which is
also hollow, all which is just as usual in ordinary steam drying cylinders.
1 and 2 are two strong horizontal rails, placed parallel to each other, and
parallel to the axis of the drying cylinder E, they are united at their ends by
cross pieces 3, 3, which rest upon the upper edges of the bearing rails B, B,
so that the rails 1, 2, and their uniting end pieces 3, 3, form a frame for
sustaining part of the new machinery; the long rails 1 and 2 are formed like
hollow troughs, and contain long setting screws 5 and 6 within the hollow of
each rail. The two edges of each trough have prominent borders, which are
formed in the manner of what are called dovetails, for the reception of dove-
tail sliders 7, 7, and 8, 8, which sliders are fitted upon the said prominent
dovetail edges of the rails 1 and 2, so as to be capable of sliding along the
said rails by action of the setting screws 5 and 6, which are supported on
pivots at each end of each screw, those pivots being fitted into suitable
bearings at each end of each trough or rail 1 and 2, with the end of the pivot
of the screw protruding out beyond the bearing, in order to receive a winch
handle 9, 10, for turning the screw round. One end of each screw 5, 6, is
formed with what is called a right-hand thread, and the other end of the
same screw with a left-hand thread. The dovetail sliders 7, 7, and 8, 8, have
projections from them to enter into the hollow parts of the rails 1 and 2, and

page_text: the setting screws 5, 6, pass through the said projections, being fitted into
tapped holes through the same, wherefore, by turning either of the long setting
screws 5 or 6 by its winch handle 9 or 10, the spiral threads of that screw will
cause the dovetail sliders 7, 7, or 8, 8, to travel slowly along the prominent
dovetail edges of the rails 1 or 2; the motion is given to the two sliders 7
and 7, or 8 and 8, of each pair, being in contrary directions one to the
other in consequence of the spiral threads of each screw being right-handed
at one end and left-handed at the other end of the same screw, and thereby
the sliders 7, 7, or 8, 8, will approach mutually towards each other, or
will mutually recede from each other, according as the screw 5 or 6 is
turned one way round by its winch handle 9 or 10, or the other way. The
dovetail sliders 7, 7, are situated in a vertical plane across the open part
of the trough of the rail 1, which open part is at the side thereof nearest
towards the steam cylinder E and the dovetail sliders 7, 7, which are fitted
to the prominent dovetail edges of the trough 1, are endway upwards, the
upper part of each slider 7 being formed with a round centre pin or upright
axle, shewn by dotted lines in the elevation, which pins stands in vertical
positions, and have bridge pieces 11, 11, fitted upon them to sustain the
horizontal centre pins or axles 13, 13, of two large stretching wheels 15, 15,
which are placed in oblique vertical planes, and have small pins around
their circumferences to receive the selvedges or borders of the piece of
lace net after the same has imbibed a proper application of starch, by
passing amongst a series of rollers G, H, I, K, belonging to the starching
apparatus and trough F; and in consequence of the obliquity of the stretching
wheels 15, 15, the net is extending in width as it moves onwards with them
before it is applied upon the steam cylinder E, in order to be dried by moving
along with the heated surface thereof; the foremost ends of the two aforesaid
bridge pieces 11, 11, are sustained upon other upright pins or axles 12, 12,
which stand up from the dovetail sliders 8, 8, which sliders are situated in a
horizontal plane across the open part of the trough of the rail 2, which open
part is at the upper side thereof; and the dovetail sliders 8, 8, which are fitted
to the prominent dovetail edges of the trough 2, are horizontal, and they have
horizontal dovetail grooves formed in the uppermost surfaces in a direction
across the length of the rail 2 to receive corresponding dovetail sliders which
are the bases of the upright axles 12, 12, which axles are by that means
sustained in their vertical positions, but are capable of motion across the
direction of the rail 2, as well as along the length thereof, by action of the
setting screw 6. The horizontal axles 13, 13, of the large stretching wheels
15, 15, are firmly fixed into the upper parts of the bridge pieces 11, 11, so as

page_text: to project laterally therefrom; and the large stretching wheels 15, 15, are
fitted on their said axles 13, 13, so as to turn freely round thereon. The
circumference of each of the large stretching wheels 15, 15, is studded with
small brass pins cast in leads 14, which are fastened to the rim of each
wheel 15 by screws, so as to form a continuous circle of pins around the
circumference. The bridge pieces 11, 11, are formed with a socket at each
end of each one, to fit truly upon the upright pins 7, 7, and 12, 12, of the
dovetail sliders 7, 7, and 8, 8, so as to retain the said bridge pieces 11, 11, as
well as the large stretching wheels 15, 15, securely in their respective vertical
planes, but nevertheless, by turning the setting screws 5 or 6, by their winch
handles 9 or 10, the distance between the two said stretching wheels 15, 15,
can be set to suit the width of the piece of lace which is to be dressed by the
machinery, that is to say, by turning the setting screw 5, by its handle 9, the
two stretching wheels 15, 15, can be brought nearer together, or can be set
farther apart from each other at those hindmost parts of their circumferences
which are nearest to the steam drying cylinder E; the distance between the
pins 14, 14, around the two wheels 15, 15, at those said parts of their cir-
cumferences being adjusted so as to be suitable to the full width to which the
piece of lace net is required to be extended when it is transferred from the two
circles of pins 14, 14, around the stretching wheels 15, 15, to two other
corresponding circles of pins 16, 16, around the said drying cylinder E, in
order to be dried thereon, and by the heat thereof, whilst the net is in a state
of full extension; and by turning the other setting screw 6, by its handle 10,
the two wheels 15, 15, can be brought nearer together, or can be set further
apart from each other at the foremost parts of their circumferences, where the
two selvedges of the piece of lace net are to be applied upon the pieces 14, 14,
around the said circumferences by manual assistance from the persons who
attend the machinery. The distance between the said pins 14, 14, at those
foremost parts of their circumferences being adjusted so as to be as much less
than the distance before-mentioned between the pins 14, 14, at the hindmost
parts of the same circumferences, as is suitable for causing the width of the
piece of net to be extended from that degree of tension which will render it
easy for the attendants to apply its selvedges on the pins 14, 14, by aid of the
figures whilst it is wet with the starch, until, by progressive motion of the net
along with the two stretching wheels 15, 15, they extend the net gradually in
width, in consequence of their obliquity to each other, until the net is extended
to the full width at which it is intended to be dried, and then the selvedges of
the net are transferred from the pins 14, 14, on the stretching wheels 15, 15,
to the two circles of corresponding pins 16, 16, around the steam drying

page_text: cylinder E, so as to become extended between those pins 16, 16, on the moving
surface of that cylinder, and the net continues on that surface and moves
therewith, so as to become dried by the heat of that surface before it is taken
off therefrom. And note.--The upright axle pins 7, 7, on which the hindmost
ends of the bridge pieces 11, 11, are fitted, (and which axle pins are part of
the dovetail sliders 7, 7,) are so disposed against the prominent dovetail borders
of the rail 1, that the centre lines of the said axle pins 7, 7, will point exactly
in the directions of tangents to the circles of pins 14, 14, around their
respective stretching wheels 15, 15, by which pins the selvedges of the lace
are to be held and extended as before mentioned, and likewise in the directions
of tangents to the corresponding circles of pins around the steam drying
cylinder E; and in consequence of the said disposition of the said axle pins of
the sliders 7, 7, the relative situations of the circles of pins 14, 14, on the
stretching wheels 15, 15, in respect to the circles of pins 16, 16, around
the cylinder E, will not be altered by turning the long setting screw 6,
for the purpose of altering the obliquity of the stretching wheels 15, 15, in
respect to each other, that is to say, the distance between the circles of pins
14, 14, around the stretching wheels 15, 15, at the foremost parts of their
circumferences, where the net is first applied upon them, may be altered by
means of their setting screw 6, without at all altering the distance between
the same circles of pins 14, 14, at the hindmost or opposite parts of their
circumferences, where those pins come near to the corresponding circles of
pins 16, 16, around the circumference of the steam cylinder E, in order that
by so coming near, the selvedges of the net may become transferred from one
set of pins to the other. The two circles of pins 16, 16, around the steam
drying cylinder E are cast in crank-shaped leads 16, and a series of such leads
are fastened by screws around two circular rings 17, 17, which are fitted truly
upon the circumference of the cylinder E, and revolve therewith. The points
of the pins 16, 16, are bended so as to project outwards from the cylinder E,
in a suitable manner for receiving the selvedges of the piece of net; but the
said rings 17, 17, are capable of being slided along the cylinder E, in order to
place their pins 16, 16, at a suitable distance apart thereon, for corresponding
with the pins 14, 14, of the two stretching wheels 15, 15, so that the selvedges
of the net may be transferred from one set of pins to the other set of pins,
and that the net may be kept extended to its full width whilst it is moving
around along with the cylinder E, in order to be dried by the heat of the
moving surface thereof. For this purpose each of the rings 17 has a
prominent edge or small flange projecting sufficiently outwards from it to
enter into a groove around the edge of a small pulley wheel or roller 18,

page_text: which revolves freely upon the outside of a centre piece 19, so that the
roller 18 acts to retain the ring 17 in place on the cylinder E, and two such
rollers are applied at opposite sides of the circumference of each ring 17, to
keep each ring 17 true on the cylinder E, without impeding its revolving
motion. The four centre pieces 19, on which the said four rollers 18 revolve,
are fitted upon two long setting screws 20, 21, which are applied horizontally
at opposite sides of the cylinder E, and each screw 20 or 21, is formed with a
right-hand thread at one end, and a left-hand thread at the other end of the same
screw, like the long setting screws 5 and 6, and like them the uppermost screw
20 has a winch handle 22 on the end of it to turn it by. The screws 20 and 21
are mounted on suitable bearings for each end of each screw, supported by the
end standards A, A, and a small bevel cog wheel is fixed on the end of each
screw 20 and 21, and the teeth thereof are engaged by the teeth of other like
bevel wheels at the two ends of an inclined connecting axis 23, which extends
from the uppermost screw 20 to the lowermost screw 21, and causes both screws
to be turned round with equal motion when the winch handle 22 is turned, and
thereby the said two screws 20, 21, move the four centre pieces 19, 19, of the
four rollers 18, 18, altogether with one motion; and as those rollers guide the
two rings 17, 17, they carry the same along the cylinder E in contrary direc-
tions to each other, so that the two circles of pins 16, 16, will be caused to
approach mutually towards or recede mutually from each other, in the same
manner as already described respecting the setting of the two circles of pins
14, 14, around the two stretching wheels 15, 15, by their setting screws 5
and 6, excepting that the two circles of pins 16, 16, always continue parallel
to each other, and true upon the steam cylinder E, in consequence of their
two screws 20 and 21 being connected by the bevil wheels and axis 23.
Note. Each of the centre pieces 19 has an arm projecting out from it, with
an eye at the end of that arm to fit upon and slide along a fixed horizontal
guide rod 24, which prevents the piece 19 from turning round with the screw
20 or 21. The two circles of pins 16, 16, around the cylinder E, are brought
rather nearer together than the two circles of pins 14, 14, around the two
stretching wheels 15, 15, so that the pins 14, 14, will come a little outside of
the pins 16, 16. When the selvedges of the piece of lace net are to be
transferred from the pins 14, 14, of the two stretching wheels 15, 15, to the
pins 16, 16, of the cylinder E, that transfer being insured by means of an
endless cord 25, which is extended partly around each of the stretching
wheels 15, 15, in a groove formed around the exterior rim thereof; each of
the said cords being conducted over two pullies 26, 27, so as to circulate freely,
in the manner of an endless band or cord. Each of the pullies 26 is mounted

page_text: on a centre pin, borne by a stem which descends from the corresponding dove-
tail slider 7; and each of the pullies 27 is mounted on a centre pin at the end
of a loader lever 28, whereby the centre pin is borne by a stem 29 descending
from the bridge piece 11. The weight of the loaded lever 28 always keeps
the endless cord 25 tight; it may be made of a broad tape, twisted like a
rope, and the ends sewed together. The pulley 26 conducts the endless cord 25
off from the groove around the stretching wheel 15, at the place where the
pins 14 of that wheel come nearest to the pins 16 of the cylinder E, and
alongside of the same, and there the cord 25, by quitting the said groove
and applying to the surface of the cylinder E, pushes the selvedge of the
piece of lace off from the pins 14 and on to the pins 16. This is performed
at both selvedges at the same time, so as to transfer the lace from the pair of
stretching wheels 15, 15, to the cylinder E, without any relaxation of the
extension which has been given to the net by the divergence of the stretching
wheels 15, 15, one from the other. And note. In order that the two
stretching wheels 15, 15, may be caused to turn round with equal motion
about their respective centre pins 13, 13, they are coupled together by means of
two spur pinions 30 on a horizontal square axis 32, extending across from one
pinion 30 to the other; and the teeth of those pinions act in the teeth of rings
of spur teeth 31, 31, around the two stretching wheels 15, 15, and cause
both those wheels to turn round alike. The two pinions 30 are sustained by
their centre bosses where the same project laterally from the plane of each
pinion, and which bosses are lodged in suitable bearing sockets at the lower
ends of upright spindles 33, which are capable of turning freely in other
bearing sockets affixed to the outsides of the two bridge pieces 11, 11, in
order that the obliquity of the direction of the said bridge pieces may not
affect the bearings for the said centre bosses of the pinions 30. And note.
The teeth of each of the pinions 30 may be made in the manner of round
pins, projecting out from the circular rim of the pinion, in order. that they may
act properly in the teeth of their respective rims 31, 31, notwithstanding the
obliquity of the planes of the said rims to the planes of the pinions 30, 30;
and also the teeth of the rims 31, 31, may be made so much oblique to the
axes 13, 13, of the wheels 15, 15, as will best suit the pin-shaped teeth of
the pinions 30, 30, when the stretching wheels 15, 15, are set at nearly the
average of the various degrees of obliquity which they are required to have in
different cases. The square coupling axis 32 of the two pinions 30 is fitted
through square centre holes in the centre bosses of the two pinions 30, so as to
oblige them both to go round together; but the axis 32 is wholly sustained by
the two pinions 30, without any bearings, and the pinions 30 being capable of

page_text: moving freely along the axis 32, it does not impede their separating from or
approaching towards each other by the setting of the bridge pieces 11, 11.
The two ends of the square axis 32 apply to the insides of the end pieces 3, 3,
of the frame, and it is thereby retained in place endways. Note.--The two
stretching wheels 15, 15, are not turned round, except by the action of the
piece of lace upon their pins 14, 14. The wheelwork 30, 31, and coupling
axis 32, being only provided for causing both stretching wheels 15, 15, to
turn round with equal motion. The large steam drying cylinder E is turned
round by a spur cog wheel L at one end of it, and a pinion on one end of
the axis of the iron roller M, which axis may be turned round by a winch
handle, if the machinery is to be worked by manual labour, or else if the
machinery is to be driven by power, the same may be communicated by an
endless belt or strap and a pulley N, fixed fast on the axis of the iron roller M,
with a loose pulley e, to receive that belt when it is required to stop the
motion of the machinery. The iron roller M is mounted in bearings formed
in the upper parts of the end standards A, A, and it has another roller O,
made of wood, placed over it and pressed down upon it by loaded levers b, b,
which apply to the bearing brasses for the end pivots of that roller. O,
those brasses being fitted into upright grooves in the upper parts of the
standards A, A. The lace net, after having passed so far round with the
revolving drying cylinder E, in contact or nearly in contact with its moving
heated surface, as to become dry, is taken off by action of the pair of wood
and iron rollers M and O, whereof the motion of the surfaces is coincident
with the motion of the surface of the cylinder E, in consequence of the cog
wheel L, on the axis of the cylinder E, being turned (as before mentioned) by
a pinion on the axis of the roller M. The dried net is carried from the
upper part of the cylinder E, under the iron roller M, and around the same,
and passes between it and the upper wooden roller O, so as to be pinched
tight between the two rollers M and O, in order to be drawn off from the
cylinder E by the motion of those rollers, which also compress the dried net
as it passes between them, for the same purpose as like compressing rollers
are commonly used to give a finished appearance to dressed nets by a sub-
sequent operation to that of dressing. And by the action of the two rollers
M, O, the two selvedges of the piece of net are pulled off from the circles
of pins 16, 16, around the cylinder E, on which they were previously
stuck; and as fast as the dried net issues out from between the rollers M
and O, it is gather or rolled up by action of a roller d, which is placed
close behind the wooden roller O, being supported on pivots at its two
ends, and turned round by an endless strap h, which encompassies pullies

page_text: at the ends of both rollers O and d. The lace is conducted under the roller d,
and up behind the same, and is gathered or rolled up around itself on a small-
roller P, which rests with its end pivots on inclined bearers f, belonging to the
standards A, A, and which cause it to bear by its weight against the moving
surface of the roller O, so as to derive motion therefrom; and the dressed lace
net is in consequence rolled up in successive convolutions around itself on the
roller P, until a considerable quantity of dressed net is accumulated thereon,
and then the roller P is removed, and another like empty roller put into its
place. It is intended to sew or attach the ends of several pieces of lace net
together, in case they are of like quality and width, so as to form one very
long continuous piece, which may be dressed, by action of the machinery with
continuous motion thereof, without interruption, unless some derangement
occurs, in which case the motion of the machine can be stopped by ceasing
to turn the winch handle on the end of the axis of the roller M, if the
machine is to be turned by manual labour; or else, if it is to be driven by
power, the endless strap by which it is to be turned may be cast off from the
fast pulley N to the loose pulley e, by aid of a lever handle, which extends
within reach of the attendants to the machine, so that its motion can be
stopped in an instant; all which being as usual in other power driven ma-
chinery requires no further explanation. The pieces of lace net which are to
be dressed being connected into a long continuous piece as aforesaid, the same
may be laid in folds at R, upon a board at the floor in front of the machine
in a dry state, and the foremost end of the continuous piece may be attached
to the hindmost end of the preceding long continuous piece, whih has gone
nearly all its length through the machinery, and only remains with its hinder
end out; or else, if the machinery is beginning its operation, a waste piece of
net, of sufficient length to reach through the machine, may be introduced
properly into it, leaving the hinder end thereof out of the machine, and to
that the foremost end of the long continuous piece which is about to be
dressed may be attached, which attachment being made, and the machinery
being put in motion, it will draw in the lace net which is to be dressed; and,
first, the same will pass over two revolving spiralled rollers S and T, which
are carved on their surfaces with spiral convolutions or prominent fillets, some-
what in the manner of screws, the obliquity of the spiral fillets being like left-
hand screws from the middle part of their length towards one end, and like
right-hand screws at the other end; the said spiral obliquity of the fillets or
threads becoming more and more rapid as they proceed from the said middle
part towards the ends. The said two spiral spiralled rollers S and T are sup-
ported by their end pivots in bearings fixed to the bearing rails B, B, of the

page_text: frame, and are both turned round by an endless strap, which encompasses a
pully V, on the axes of the roller M; and also a small pulley v on the end of
the axes of the spiralled roller S. The fellow spiralled roller T is turned by
means of an endless strap t from the roller S; the direction of the motion thus
given to the two spiralled rollers S and T causes them to move contraryway to
the motion of the lace net which is passing over them both, by being drawn into
the machinery, and the spiral obliquities of their prominent fillets act gently
upon the net to spread out the same in width from the middle of the width of
the piece towards the selvedges thereof, so as to unfold all large wrinkles, and
present the lace net in a tolerable even surface to the starching roller G, which
is placed in the starching roller F, with the lower part of its surface immersed
in the liquid starch which is contained therein. The dry lace net descends
under the starching roller G, so as to be immersed and passed through the
starch, then goes up saturated with starch around behind the starching roller G,
and up to the upper part thereof, where the top roller H rests upon the starch-
ing roller G by its weight, the lace net passing between the rollers H and G,
in order to squeeze out the superfluous starch, and then the net turns up in a
properly damp state around the front side of the top roller H, and passes
horizontally from the upper side thereof to a pair of rollers I, K, which may
be covered with flannel, and which are slightly pressed towards each other, in
order that they may apply a gentle pressure of flannel surfaces to both sides
of the net at the same time when it is passing through between them, the
tendency of such pressure by the rollers I, K, being to distribute the starch
(which the lace has imbibed) evenly through its texture; and after having
passed between the two rollers I, K, and having received their pressure as
aforesaid, the lace net turns up behind the roller K, and proceeds from the upper
part thereof nearly in a horizontal direction to a small guide roller k, passing
under the same, and then upwards, from the frontmost side thereof, nearly in
a vertical plane, in order to apply its two selvedges to the two circles of pins
14, 14, around the circumferences of the two stretching wheels 15, 15, at the
parts of those circumferences where they come to their nearest distance one
towards the other, that distance being regulated at the commencement of the
operation on the lace net by turning the long setting screw 6, by its winch
handle 10, so as to place the two circles of pins 14, 14, suitably for the width
of the net, in order that they may correspond as near as can be to its selvedges
as the same come up from under the guide roller k; and an attendant standing
at each side of the machine must take hold of the selvedges, and guide them
with precision to the pins 14, 14, in order that the same may strike truly into
the two selvedges, and the speed of the motion of the machinery must be such

page_text: as will enable the attendants to perform the said guidance properly. The
selvedges of the lace net being thus applied on the pins 14, 14, of the two
stretching wheels 15, 15, they cause it to become gradually extended in width
as it moves round with those wheels around their uppermost half circles, and
in consequence of the divergency of the planes of the. two stretching wheels
15, 15, by the time that the lace net has in that manner gone half round with
the two circles of pins 14, 14, of the stretching wheels 15, 15, they will have
arrived at the position where they are furtherest apart from each other, and
will have extended the net to its full intended width, that width being regulated
at the commencement of the operation on the lace net, by turning the long
setting screw 5, by its winch handle 9, so as to place the two circles of pins
14, 14, suitably for the width to which the net is intended to be dressed; and
also the two circles of pins 16, 16, of the steam cylinder E must at the same
time be regulated by turning the two long setting screws 20, 21, by their
winch handle 22, in order to bring those pins 16, 16, to a suitable distance
apart on the cylinder E for corresponding exactly with the circles of pins
14, 14, at the parts thereof which are furthest apart from each other. And
note. In order to facilitate the setting of the pins 14, 14, on the two stretch-
ing wheels 15, 15, to their aforesaid correspondence with the pins 16, 16, on
the cylinder E, the lowermost long setting screw 21 may have a spur cog
wheel fixed upon the extreme end of it, in order to gear with an equal spur
cog wheel fixed on the end of the long setting scrow 5 and winch handle 9.
The places of those spur wheels are shewn by dotted circles 35, 35, in the
elevation, and they will cause the winch handles 9 and 22 to turn round
together, whereby all the three long setting screws 5, 20, and 21 will be
actuated by one common action applied to either of the winch handles 9
or 22, and consequently the two circles of the pins 16, 16, on the cylinder
E, E, will continue at all times in due correspondence with the two circles
of pins 14, 14, on the stretching wheels 15, 15, suitably for the trans-
ferring of the selvedges of the lace net from the pins 14, 14, to the
pins 16, 16, on the cylinder E, in the manner already described, by aid
of the two endless cords 25, 25, which cords were buried in their grooves
around the edges of the stretching wheels 15, 15, so as to be out of
the way of the lace net when it was stuck upon the pins 14, 14, in manner
before described, by assistance of the attendants; and the endless cords
25, 25, continue so out of the way until they get round to the part where
the transfer is to be made, and there they quit their said grooves, and
in so doing they cause the transfer of the lace from the two sets of
pins 14, 14, to the other two sets 16, 16, in manner already described; and

page_text: after the transfer is thus made the lace net becomes firmly extended upon the
heated moving surface of the cylinder E, so as to move forwards therewith,
and in so doing the lace net becomes dried by the heated surface of the cylinder
E, which, as it revolves, carries the lace net round with it, keeping the same
in a state of even extension, and slightly in contact with or only at a very small
distance from the said heated surface. The speed with which the cylinder E
revolves must be such that the lace net will have had time to become properly
dried by the time that it has passed round therewith from the place where the
wet net is transferred on to the cylinder E to the place where the dried net is
to be taken off therefrom, by action of the pair of rollers M and O, in the
manner already explained, which distance comprises about three-fourths of the
whole circumference of the cylinder E. And note. -In order to accelerate
the drying effect of the cylinder E, a steam box X may be fixed opposite
to the cylinder E, and at a small distance therefrom, in order to give additional
heat; the said steam box may be supplied with steam by a suitable branch
from the same steam pipe a, which supplies the cylinder E, and having a
suitable drain pipe for carrying away the water arising from the condensed
steam; and if found desirable, other like steam boxes may be applied opposito
to other parts of the cylinder E; all which being well-known expedients
in steam drying machinery requires no further explanation; and the same may
be said of the construction of the steam drying cylinder E, which, with its
steam supply pipe a, and drain water pipe, with their stuffing boxes to fit to the
ends of its hollow axis, is just the same as those commonly used in machinery
for drying paper or calico, the cylinder E being turned truly cylindrical on the
external surface, in order that the rings 17, 17, (which are part of my improve-
ments), may be fitted truly thereon, with liberty of sliding motion endways
along the cylinder E. And note.-To prevent those rings 17, 17, from turning
round on the cylinder E, two, three, or four straight grooves may be excavated
in the surface of the cylinder E, in a direction parallel to the exis thereof, and
as many small sliders may be fitted into the said grooves to slide truly therein,
so as to be inlaid flush with the cylindrical surface; and to those sliders the
rings 17, 17, are firmly fastened by screws, in order that the rings 17, 17, may
be guided truly by the said sliders when they are moved endways along the
cylinder E by action of the two long setting screws 20 and 21, as already fully
described. And note. It should have been mentioned that soft brushes are
to be applied to act upon the lace net during its progressive motion with the
two stretching wheels 15, 15, and whilst it is in the act of undergoing the
requisite extension in width, in consequence of the divergence of those wheels
15, 15, one from the other, as before mentioned. The action of the brushes on

page_text: the net has the same effect thereon as the application of like brushes by hand
labour to lace net which is undergoing the usual operation of dressing or
getting up in ordinary getting-up frames without machinery, viz., to loosen and
distribute the wet starch so as to give the meshes of the net more liberty to
assume their true intended figure; one such brush may be applied at 37, 38,
in the space between the rims of the two stretching wheels 15, 15; the brush
is made of long elastic bristles, the wooden stock being made in three parts,
viz, a middle part 37, with two prolongations thereof 38, 38, one at each end,
fitted into grooves in the stock 37, in the manner of sliders, which admit of
elongating or contracting the whole length of the brush 38, 37, 38, to suit the
space between the two stretching wheels 15, 15, according as they may be
placed nearer to or farther from each other. The said adjustable brush 37 is
supported upon fixed pins at the upper ends of tall upwright stems 39, 39, which
are erected from the fixed rail 1, the bristles of the brush being uppermost to
apply to the lace net as it moves over the said bristles by motion of the
stretching wheels 15, 15; and another fixed brush 40 may be applied to act
on the net at the outside of the wheels 15, 15; it is supported by its two ends,
which are lodged in notches in supporting brackets which project out from the
two end standards A, A. It is not necessary that the external brush 40 should
be capable of elongation, as the internal brush 37, 38, must be; but being
made of the full length for the widest pieces of lace net which the machine is
adapted to dress, it need not be shortened for narrower pieces of net; and four
moveing brushes 41, 41, 41, 41, may be also applied to a horizontal revolving
axes 42, which is supported on pivots at its ends in bearings borne by the two
end standards A, A, and turned round by an endless strap 43, which passes
around the same pulley V, before mentioned, and also round a pulley on
the end of the axes 42, the four brushes 41 are by that means turned round,
so as to move in a contrary direction to the motion of the net; and the
four brushes 41 coming round in succession strike one after another upon
the net, to produce the same effect thereon as the usual mode of batting the
extended net with canes, in the common way of getting up lace in ordinary
getting-up frames without machinery; and all the several brushes 37, 38, 40,
and the four revolving brushes 41, must be so fixed as to be capable of being
readily removed from their places when they require to be washed, and
of being easily replaced by others. Note.-The starching trough F may be
made with a hollow bottom, to receive steam by a branch from the same steam
pipe a which supplies the revolving steam cylinder E and steam box X, if any
such is used; all which, together with the other particulars of the starching
trough and its rollers G, H, being the same as in machinery for dressing warps,

page_text: requires no further explanation. And note.-As the piece of lace net is
transferred and drawn away by the steam drying cylinder E from the stretching
wheels 15, 15, it becomes slightly stretched out in its length in consequence of
having to pull round and turn the two stretching wheels 15, 15, with their
endless cords 25, 25, as well as the starching rollers G, H, and I, K; and tho
retardation which the net must undergo by having to turn all the aforesaid
parts must be suitably regulated, in order to produce just so much lengthways
stretching of the net as is desirable for giving a proper form to the meshes
thereof. And note.--That degree of retardation may be regulated at pleasure
by increasing the weights on the loaded levers 28 for extending the endless cords
25, or else by applying friction cords loaded with weights to rub in grooves
suitably formed around the circumferences of the guide pullies 26 or 27, over
which the endless cords 25, 25, are conducted. And note.-In case of dressing
slight or narrow nets which might be too much stretched lengthways by
having to pull around and turn all the aforesaid parts 15, 15, 25, 25, and
GH, I K, the pair of rollers I, K, or else the top starching roller H, may be
helped round by means of an endless strap 44 and pulley 46, on the axis of the
spiralled roller S, turning another pulley 45 on the end of an axis which is
mounted in a moveable bearing socket x, and which axis has a small wheel
47, without teeth, fixed on the opposite end of it, to act by adhesion on the edge
of a corresponding wheel, without teeth, on the end of the roller K, or else on
the end of the roller H, the moveable bearing socket x being suitably
weighted to regulate the said adhesion of the wheel 47 on the said corre-
sponding wheel, so that the said adhesion will become adequate for giving
assistance to the piece of lace net, in exerting the force requisite for turning the
starching rollers, in cases where they would occasion too much lengthways
stretching of the lace net; but in other cases, for dressing strong and
wide nets, which are capable of exerting the requisite force without being
overstretched, the endless strap 44 may be removed. And note. The end
cross pieces 3, 3, by which the rails 1 and 2 are united into a frame, and which
rest on the upper edges of the bearing rails B, B, as before mentioned, may
be fitted so as to slide backwards and forwards thereon by means of toothed
racks 48, 48, affixed to the upright sides of the cross pieces 3, 3, so as to be
actuated by two toothed pinions fixed on the ends of a horizontal cross axis 49,
which axis can be turned round by a winch handle at one end of it with a
ratchet wheel 50, and a holding click to prevent it from moving back. This
provision may be made for drawing forwards the frame 1, 2, 3, 3, which sustains
the stretching wheels 15, 15, and the starching trough F, (which is fastened by
its two ends to the end pieces 8, 3,) with all their accessaries away from the

page_text: steam cylinder E, in order to give better access to the parts when required for
repairing any derangements, and in such case gage or stop screws 51 must
be applied at the hindmost ends of the two rails 3, 3, to stop against the
standards A, A, and limit the approach of the stretching wheels towards the
drying cylinder.
Having now described my said improvements, I, the said John Hall, do
hereby declare that the new Invention, whereof the exclusive use is granted to
me by the said Letters Patent, consists partly in the new parts herein-before
described, videlicet, the two revolving stretching wheels marked 15, 15, in the
Drawing, with circles of pins 14, 14, fixed around their circumferences for
receiving the selvedge borders of the piece of lace net, those wheels being set
at such distances apart from each other, and with such obliquity or divergency
one from the other, as is suitable to the width and quality of the piece of lace
net which is to be dressed, in order that the piece of lace net may be properly
extended whilst it is moving with the said stretching wheels and other of the
said new parts herein-before described, being the two circles of pins marked
16, 16, around the revolving steam drying cylinder, those two circles of pins
being set at a suitable distance apart on the said cylinder from each other to
correspond to the aforesaid two circles of pins 14, 14, or the aforesaid stretching
wheels; and also other of the said new parts, being the endless cords marked
25, 25, for assisting in transferring the two selvedges of the picce of lace net
from the two circles of pins 14, 14, around the two stretching wheels, to the
two circles of pins 16, 16, around the steam drying cylinder. And my said
Invention also consists in the new combination, herein-before described, of the
aforesaid new parts with other parts which are not new in themselves, being
commonly used in machinery for dressing warps and in steam drying machinery,
videlicet, the revolving rollers and apparatus whereby the starch is applied,
together with the brushes for distributing the starch so applied; also the
revolving steam drying cylinder and fixed steam box or boxes (if any such are
used), together with their steam pipes and drain pipes, and also the pair of
compressing rollers between which the lace net is passed for the purpose of
pulling the two selvedges of the net off from the circles of pins 16, 16, of the
steam drying cylinder, as well as for the purpose of compressing the lace net
in like manner as is commonly practised for compressing dressed lace net
between rollers, the essential character of my said new combination being that
the piece of lace net, after being properly starched by action of the starching
apparatus (which by itself is not of my Invention), is then stretched out to its
proper width by new stretching wheels 15, 15; and the starch is distributed by
action of brushes (which brushes by themselves are not of my Invention), and

page_text: is then transferred by my endless cords 25, 25, to my circles of pins 16, 16,
around the revolving steam drying cylinder (which cylinder by itself is not of
my Invention), so as that the lace net shall be kept evenly extended in contact
(or nearly in contact) with the moving heated surface of that cylinder for a
sufficient length of time to become dried, and is then to be moved or pulled
off in a dried state by compressing rollers, which by themselves are not of my
Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Hall, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of January, One thousand eight hundred
and thirty-seven.