IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING LACE
Year: 1854

page_text: by the Act.)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Noel Prothéry at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 10th October
1854.
I, NOEL PROTHERY, of Lyons, in the Empire of France, and of 16, Castle
Street, Holborn (City), London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MAKING LACE" to be as follows:-
These improvements consist of a lace frame, in which all kinds of lace are
produced by means of thread-carrying spindles, and holding-needles for holding
the points, both being moved by a jacquard apparatus. In this lace frame
there is one set of thread-carrying spindles, from which the thread is unwound
through an eye at the point of the spindle or otherwise by the working of the
frame. These spindles are supported in suitable. open or loose bearings, so
that they can each be lifted out independently, which I perform by of jacquard
machinery acting upon vertical pointed rods under the spindles. One or more
of the thread-carrying spindles being lifted out of their seats or bearings, they
are taken hold of by a rack or notched piece suspended above the spindles, a
reciprocating motion transversely to the spindles being given to the rack. By
this motion the spindles are made to slide, pass, or roll over each other till one
or more pass over an empty bearing or seat, into which they drop, and the rack
being thus moved backwards, the spindles may thus be made to change seats;

page_text: and this operation being repeated several times any crossings and twistings may
be effected, and thus any lace points may be formed, such as Brussels, Alen-
çon, &.
In order, however, to effect the crossing and twisting of the threads
nearer the edge of the work, I place in front of the thread-carrying spindles
another set of spindles or eyed needles, through each of which a thread from
the corresponding spindle behind it is made to pass. These eyed needles, being
finer than the spindles, are placed closer together, but by similar machinery
they are made to imitate simultaneously the motion of the thread-carriers in
every particular, so that the crossing and twisting of threads takes place in
front of the eyed needles. A row of points of the kind desired having thus
been formed before these needles, the operation is repeated, combining at the
same time the threads in such manner as to form a web or tissue, by inter-
changing the couples of threads, as is done in lace making by hand. The lace
thus woven is taken up by suitably constructed take-off rollers, to which I give
either an irregularly intermittent or a periodical motion, viz., I use the first for
working; the lace, woven as above, is desired to be worked by a set of vertical
holding needles, between the eyed needles and the take-off rollers, these needles
being set in motion by a jacquard apparatus, and I use the second or regular
periodical taking-up motion when I merely retain each row of points by either
one or the other of two needle bar, which, working above and under the
lace, alternately hold and release the points..
I also produce the meshes at the edge of the lace by means of a roller, placed
over the edge, and having two points on its under side. When the edge has to
be formed, this roller is moved by a jacquard apparatus, so as to draw the mesh,
which is then taken hold of by one of the holding needles above mentioned,
whereupon the edging or meshing roller is made to assume its original position
by means of a spring, thus releasing the thread which is drawn tight on the
needle. A flowered or figured design may also be produced on the lace by
weaving a damask ground, and surrounding the same with a strong thread
wound on one of the thread-carrying spindles, this coarse thread being bound
with the lace web by suitable crossings.