IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FABRIC ON LACE MACHINERY, AND IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Leonard Lindley, of the Town and County of
the Town of Nottingham, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF FABRIC ON LACE MACHINERY, AND IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN.'
"
Sealed the 13th April 1875, and dated the 24th February 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Leonard Lindley at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 24th February 1875.
I, LEONARD LINDLEY, of the Town and County of the Town of
Nottingham, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
" IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FABRIC ON LACE MACHINERY, AND
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
-Bade
Heretofore in the production of fabric on circular and "Lever's"
lace machinery the bobbin threads have been caused to twist around the
warp threads but have not been caused to interlace or interweave
together; that is to say, in fabric produced by the mode heretofore
adopted, supposing the warp threads were removed, the bobbin threads
would be simply superposed upon cach other in diagonal lines from

page_text: selvage to selvage, or would stand parallel to each other and would fall
apart in consequence of their not being interlaced or interwoven together.
Now according to my improvements I not only cause the bobbin threads
to twist around the warp threads but I also cause the bobbin threads
which are travelling from left to right to interweave with those travelling
from right to left, and, if desired, each bobbin thread may in turn be
caused to make a complete turn or twist around the next. By these
means I can produce a plain woven gauze fabric by the aid of bobbin
threads alone, and also hexagonal net of a similar character to ordinary
bobbin net. Or by the aid of warp threads in combination with bobbin
threads I can produce another description of plain fabric, whilst by
selecting the warp threads in the manner heretofore adopted and by the
aid of extra threads I can produce various ornamental effects. I would
also remark that wire gauze and wire netting may also be produced by
the aid of my Invention.
The mode in which I carry my Invention into effect is as follows:-
I employ a modified form of circular or "Lever's" lace machine. Half
of the carriages are by means of the catch bars and by means of selecting
pushers taken alternately to the front of the machine and then to the
back thereof, when each half is shogged, the one half in one direction
and the other half in the other direction, to effect the desired traverse of
the carriages across the machine. Each catch bar carries its complement
of carriages a certain distance towards the centre of the machine when
they are lifted from the nibs of the carriages. The carriages are now
free to be acted upon by the selecting pushers, one at the front and the
other at the back of the machine, which pushers according to one
arrangement are formed as combs, the teeth of which act upon each
alternate carriage. These selecting pushers act to effect the crossing of
the carriages, the one to push one half of the carriages to the back and
the other to push the other half to the front, and leave them in position
to be taken by the catch bars when the latter again come into action
and complete the traverse of the carriages.
By forming the selecting pushers to act upon other carriages than

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Leonard Lindley in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 24th August 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LEONARD
LINDLEY, of the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Horself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said Leonard Lindley, Her special
license that I, the said Leonard Lindley, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Leonard Lindley, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FABRIC ON LACE MACHINERY, AND IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Leonard Lindley, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Leonard Lindley, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is
to say:
Heretofore in the production of fabric on "circular" and "Lever's"
lace machinery the bobbin threads have been caused to twist around the
warp threads but have not been caused to interlace or interweave
together; that is to say, in fabric produced by the mode heretofore

page_text: adopted, supposing the warp threads were removed, the bobbin threads
would be simply superposed upon each other in diagonal lines from
selvage to selvage, or would stand parallel to each other, or would fall
apart in consequence of their not being interlaced or interwoven together.
Now according to my improvements I not only cause the bobbin threads
to twist around the warp threads as heretofore but I also cause the
bobbin threads which are travelling from left to right to interweave with
those travelling from right to left, and, if desired, each bobbin thread
may in turn be caused to make a complete turn or twist around the
next. By causing the bobbin threads to interweave together I can
produce a plain woven gauze fabric by the aid of bobbin threads alone,
and also by causing each bobbin thread to take a complete turn or twist
around the next I can produce hexagonal net of a somewhat similar
character to ordinary bobbin net. Or by the aid of warp threads in
combination with bobbin threads I can produce another description of
plain fabric, whilst by selecting the warp threads in the manner hereto-
fore adopted and by the aid of extra threads I can produce various
ornamental effects. I would also remark that wire gauze and wire
netting may also be produced by the aid of my Invention, the parts
simply requiring to be made in the requisite proportions.
The mode in which I carry my Invention into effect is by the aid of a
modified form of "circular " or "Lever's" lace machine, as herein-after
described and represented in the accompanying Drawings, in which—-
Figure 1 is a section, full size, of the working parts of a lace machine
having my improvements applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a plan, and Figure 3 is an elevation of the selecting
pushers and some of the parts connected therewith.
Figure 4 is a sectional front view of the cams and parts for operating
the selecting pushers and comb bars.
Figure 5 is a plan representing some of the parts for operating the
selecting pushers; and Figure 6 is an elevation of the cam for operating
the catch bars.
. In the foregoing Figures the arrangement of the cams for operating
the selecting pushers and comb bars is suitable for producing a plain
woven diagonal gauze or other description of fabric in which the bobbin
threads are interwoven with but do not twist around each other.

page_text: Figure 7 represents a cam for operating the selecting pushers; and
Figures 8 and 9 represent respectively driving and counter cams for
operating the comb bars when it is desired that each bobbin thread shall
in turn take a complete turn or twist around the next.
a, a, are the carriages and bobbins; b, b, are the combs; c, c, are tho
comb bars; d, d, are the catch bars; e, e, are the landing bars; f,f,
are the points and point bars; g is the facing bar; h is the work roller;
and i is a guide bar; all of which are constructed and arranged in the
manner heretofore adopted and well known. According to my Inven-
tion however I cause half of the carriages a by means of the catch bars d
and by means of selecting pushers j to be taken alternately to the front
of the machine and then to the back thereof, when each half is shogged,
the one half in one direction and the other half in the other direction,
to effect the desired traverse of the carriages across the machine.
The selecting pushers j are represented in the Drawings as being
formed so that their teeth shall act upon cach alternate carriage and
thereby assist in producing a plain woven gauze, but by forming the
teeth thereof to act upon other carriages than each alternate carriage
other effects can be produced.
e,
The selecting pushers j are represented in the Drawings as being
mounted and operated in the following manner:-The combs or bars of
selecting pushers j, one at the back and the other at the front of the
machine, are fixed to bars which are capable of sliding in guides ja
fixed to the landing bars-e, e, in directions to and from the centre of the
5 machine, but not lengthwise of the landing bars c, e. These bars are
connected by links ja to other bars j', which are capable of sliding
lengthwise in the guides ; the bars j' have fixed thereto rods or bars j³,
which at their outer ends are guided in guides e² fixed to the landing
bar joints e', and bear against plates k¹ fixed to the ends of levers k (see
0 Figure 5) and shaped to permit of the motions of the landing bars e
without the bars j³ being allowed to slip off the plates ². The levers k
are mounted on axes of motion k³ carried by the end frame A, and have
long pins or studs ³ connected to their outer ends, which pins or studs /³
are pushed in the direction of the arrows by means of levers 7 mounted
5 upon a shaft or axis m, and operated in the one direction by cams n
fixed on the cross shaft o, whilst springs (not shewn) act to force the
parts in the contrary direction and keep the levers 7 up to their cams n.
Thus by giving a to-and-fro motion to the bars j' in the direction of their

page_text: to bring the selecting
length they are caused by means of the links
pushers into and out of position for selecting the carriages.
The selecting pushers at the back and at the front of the machine are
arranged and operated by precisely similar means and act at the same
time. The catch bars d, d, are both caused to rise simultaneously from
the nibs of the carriages to permit of the latter being selected by the
selecting pushers j, and when the selecting pushers ; have selected the
carriages the catch bars d, d, are both caused simultaneously to fall and
take hold of the nibs of the carriages a to complete the division thereof;
when the comb bars c, c, and consequently each half of the carriages a
are shogged, the one in the one direction and the other in the other
direction, to effect the desired traverse of the carriages across the
machine. The catch bars are both caused to rise and fall for each
division or selection of the carriages, and they are actuated by similar
means to those generally employed, except that I employ cams on the
back shaft, such as that shown at Figure 6, with double noses or rises to
give the requisite motions to the catch bars instead of employing cams
having only a single nose or rise thereon as heretofore.
The comb bars c, c, are operated by means of levers p, q, which act
upon bars c¹, c², connected rigidly to the comb bars c, c, and are actuated 2
respectively by driving cams r and by counter cams 8. When by means
of the cams n, r, s, I make plain gauze fabric or fabric in which the
bobbin threads interweave with but do not twist around each other I
cause the cross shaft o to rotate once for every twice of the front or
crank shaft, but when making fabric by means of the cams shown at 2
Figures 7, 8, and 9, in which the bobbin threads are each in turn caused
to make a complete turn or twist around the next I cause the cross
shaft o to revolve once for every six times of the front or crank shaft.
The front and back comb bars are both operated by precisely similar
cams, except that the cams are fixed on the cross shaft o in opposite 3
positions to each other, so that as the one comb bar is shogged in the
one direction the other is shogged in the contrary direction.
-Each
The following is the mode in which the carriages are divided:—
catch bar & carries its complement of carriages a certain distance towards
the centre of the machine when they are lifted from the nibs of the 3
carriages. The carriages are now free to be acted upon by the selecting
pushers which act to effect the crossing of the carriages, the one to
push one half of the carriages to the back, and the other to push the other

page_text: half to the front of the machine, and leave them in position to be taken
by the catch bars when the latter are caused to fall into position to act
upon the nibs of the carriages and complete the traverse or division
thereof.
I would here remark that I do not confine myself to the means herein
shown and described for operating the selecting pushers j, as such may
be varied without departing from the nature of my Invention; but the
mode herein shown and described is that which I have found to answer
well in practice; and I would also further remark that as the construc-
tion and mode of working of lace machinery is well understood I have
not thought it necessary to give either in the Drawings or in the above
description full details of all the parts thereof, but I have shown such
parts as would enable any one conversant with such description of
machinery to understand the nature of my Invention and the mode in
which I carry the same into effects.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the mode
in which I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that
what I claim is,―
Firstly. The improvements in the manufacture of fabric on lace
machinery by causing the bobbin threads to interlace or interweave
together, or to make each in turn a complete turn or twist around the
next, either in combination or not with warp threads and extra threads
in manner and for the purpose substantially as herein described.
Secondly. I claim selecting the carriages by means of selecting
pushers and completing their traverse across the machine by means of
the catch bars d, in manner substantially as herein shown and described.
And, Thirdly. I claim the modifications in lace machinery, substantially
as herein shown and described, for the purpose of producing fabric
according to the first part of my Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Leonard Lindley, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.