CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN MACHINERY FOR MAKING FIGURED OR ORNAMENTED BOBBIN NET, OR WHAT IS COMMONLY CALLED ORNAMENTED BOBBIN NET LACE
Year: 1834

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CROFTS, of New Radford, in the County of Nottingham, Machine Maker,
send greeting.
WHEREAS I did, by petition, humbly represent unto His present most
Excellent Majesty King William the Fourth, that after considerable applica-
tion and expense, I had invented "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN CERTAIN MACHINERY
FOR MAKING FIGURED OR ORNAMENTED BOBBIN NET, OR WHAT IS COMMONLY CALLED
ORNAMENTED BOBBIN NET LACE," 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 Great Britain, bearing date at Westminster, the Twenty-third day of
December last (One thousand eight hundred and thirty-four), in the fifth year
of His Reign, for Himself, His heirs and successors, to give and grant unto
me, the said William Crofts, 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 four-
teen 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, and also in all His Majesty's Colonies and Plantations
abroad, in such manner as to me, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
shall seem meet, and as that I or they shall enjoy the whole profit and advan-
tage arising by reason of the said Invention during the said term of fourteen
A

page_text: 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 any wise
counterfeit, imitate, or resemble the same, nor make any addition thereto or
subtraction therefrom, whereby to pretend himself or themselves to be the
inventor or inventors thereof; and whereas the said Letters Patent contain
a proviso obliging me, the said William Crofts, particularly 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 to cause the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chan-
cery 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
William Crofts, do hereby declare that my said Invention is described and
ascertained in manner following, and
the aid of the sixteen Sheets of
Drawings hereunto annexed, that is to say:-
My improvements relate partly to certain machinery for making such orna-
mented bobbin net lace as is figured or ornamented by small white opake
spots of accumulated thread distributed over the transparent tissue of the net,
and partly to machinery for making such ornamented bobbin net lace as is
figured or ornamented by opake patches of cloth work distributed over the
transparent tissue of the net, the cloth work being composed of interwoven
threads crossing alternately under and over each other in the manner of
wicker basket work or of woven cloth. And for clearness of explanation I
shall keep the description of those two parts of my improvements separate in
this Specification.
Respecting the making of spotted bobbin net lace, a Patent was granted by
His present Majesty to Mr. William Sneath, dated the Thirty-first day of
December, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-one, for certain Improve-
ments in Machinery for the Manufacture of Bobbin Net Lace, and in the
Specification which he inrolled in the Chapel of the Rolls the 30th day of
June 1832, in pursuance of that Patent, he declared that his Invention con-
sisted in applying additional parts (therein fully described under five distinct
heads or articles of improvements) to machinery for the manufacture of
bobbin net lace for the purpose of forming ornamental spots in such bobbin
net lace whilst it is in progress of fabrication by such machinery, without
introducing any other threads than those whereof such bobbin net lace is
usually fabricated,

page_text: And whereas I, the said William Crofts, obtained a Patent dated the Eleventh
day of February, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-three, for certain Im-
provements in certain Machinery for Manufacturing of Bobbin Net Lace, and in
the Specification which I caused to be inrolled in the Chapel of the Rolls the 10th
day of August 1833, in pursuance thereof, I did declare that the improvements I
had then invented consisted partly in improvements, therein fully described, of
the construction and operation of the parts designated by Mr. Sneath in his
said Specification, articles first and third, which articles are sharp-pointed
hooks, which are fixed in a row on a bar called the hook bar, with the hooks
opposite to all those places in the width of the machine where spots are
required to be formed in the lace net made thereby, and which row of hooks
and hook bar is applied horizontally in front of the machinery, so that being
put down with a motion parallel to itself, the hooks will reach the bobbin threads
proceeding from those carriages which are at the time in the front combs, and
which belong for the time to those parts of the net where spots are to be
formed therein; and by giving suitable shogging motions to the hook bar, the
hooks will catch the said bobbin threads, and then, by raising up the hook bar,
its hooks will draw up the threads which they have so caught into loops, and
then, by giving other appropriate shogging motions to the hook bar, its hooks
will deposit the loops of threads which it has so drawn up over corresponding
points of the back row of points or pins, by which the meshes of the net are
taken up and kept in form, and then the hooks being removed will leave the
said loops of threads hanging over those particular points which оссиру those
meshes of the net whereon spots are intended to be formed. And by repeating
such operation of the hooks several times, a succession of curls of such bobbin
threads will be formed around each of the said points or pins until a sufficiency
of thread is accumulated thereon to form a spot. But in order to secure the
said curls from uncurling when the points around which they are formed are
withdrawn from the curls, the several bobbin threads whereof the curls are
formed are caused to pass round behind their corresponding warp threads after
every time of curling by the hooks as aforesaid, and before beginning a repeti-
tion thereof, for which purpose the bobbin carriages which supply those bobbin
threads which form the curls are passed through between the warp threads
into the back combs, and then, after shogging the warp threads, the same
carriages are brought through forwards between the warp threads into the
front combs again, and by that means the curls which are to form the spots
are secured from uncurling, and the spots which are so formed are tied down
on the fabric of the lace.
And I, the said William Crofts, did in my said Specification explain that

page_text: my then improvements on Mr. Sneath's said hooks and hook bar, with its
appurtenances, consisted in applying thereto an additional bar combined there-
with, and carrying a row of pointed wires, one to each hook, to act in concert
therewith on the threads, and going up and down therewith, the said pointed
wires being adapted to enter between those threads which are to be caught by
the hooks before the hooks enter between them, in order by such previous
insertion of the pointed wires to widen the spaces, into which the hooks are
immediately afterwards to enter, and after the hooks have so entered between
the threads, the said pointed wires being shogged in a suitable manner (but inde-
pendently of any shogging motion which may, according to Mr. Sneath's mode,
be given to the hooks), the said pointed wires will bend aside those threads
which the hooks are required to catch, so as to bear the said threads into the
hooks, in order that they may be certainly taken up thereby, and the said
pointed wires will retain the threads in the hooks whilst they are taken up and
looped over the points, and after that by contrary shogging of the said pointed
wires they will bear the threads out of the hooks to disengage them therefrom,
the object of so applying pointed wires to act in concert with Mr. Sneath's
hooks being to give greater certainty and celerity of action thereto.
And I, the said William Crofts, did in my said Specification further declare
that another part of my said improvements (amongst other things) was to
combine together and arrange all the parts of Mr. Sneath's apparatus (when
made according to my said improvements thereon) in such manner that they
could be applied to and combined with the usual parts of those rotary
machines for manufacturing bobbin net lace, which are commonly called
Morley's machines, and which are double tier, circular bolt or comb machines,
provided with double-bladed lockers to draw the carriages out from between
the warp threads, so as by virtue of my said improvements to actuate Mr.
Sneath's apparatus by the rotary machinery of Morley's machinery, (with my
said additions thereto for that purpose). The working being performed by
merely turning the winch handle of the Morley's machine regularly and con-
tinually round after the usual manner without any intermission or stoppage
thereof, when the operation of making plain bobbin net (by the usual move-
ments of the usual machinery of Morley's machines) is to be suspended in
order that a row of spots may be formed in the said net by the aid of the
spotting machinery, which is constructed and combined according to my afore-
said improvements, and which then comes into action by itself, without
requiring any manipulation on the part of the workman farther than to
continue turning the winch handle regularly round; and the additional rotary
machinery will give the requisite motions to the spotting machinery, whilst

page_text: those selected bobbin carriages which are to furnish the threads for the spots
are moved backwards and forwards between the warp threads from the front
combs to the back combs, and vice versâ; and also, when a row of spots is
completed, the operation of the additional spotting machinery ceases of itself,
and the usual machinery resumes its action for making plain net without any
effort of the workman further than continuing to turn the winch handle.
And whereas, since I obtained my said Patent of the Eleventh day of Feb-
ruary, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-three, I have (under authority
derived from Mr. Sneath's aforesaid Patent) constructed and used rotary
Morley machinery according to my aforesaid patent improvements on those of
Mr. Sneath's for manufacturing bobbin net ornamented with spots, and have
in the course of practice found out further improvements in such machinery,
I, the said William Crofts, do hereby declare that part of my present improve-
ments consist in substituting for the said pointed wires described in my said
former Specification certain equivalent parts or small upright flattened pins or
blades, which I call gatherers, and in combining the same with prolonged
pins or taking-up points, which are disposed in the ordinary row of front points
of the lace machinery at all the places where spots are intended to be made in
the width of the net, and in actuating the said gatherers and prolonged points
with suitable motions for enabling them to act in concert for catching those
selected bobbin threads which are to form the spots, and looping up the same
in loops over the back pointed extremities of the points, so as to produce the
same results as is attained by Mr. Sneath's hooks, acting alone or by pointed
wires acting in concert therewith, according to my aforesaid former improve-
ments; that is to say, the said row of gatherers, being put down in lieu of
pointed wires and hooks between and amongst those bobbin threads which are
intended to be curled up, are then racked so as to bend the said threads aside
by a somewhat similar action thereon to that of my pointed wires aforesaid,
except that no hooks like Mr. Sneath's are used in concert with the said
gatherers, but instead of hooks, the said gatherers act in concert with the
pointed extremities, prolonged pins, or points, which are provided at suitable
places in the row of front points, the action taking place whilst the front points
are moving with nearly similar motions to those which are usually given to
them for the performance of their accustomed functions of taking up the
ordinary twists and crosses of the bobbin threads and warp threads, in order
to form the same into meshes of the net; that is to say, during the operation
of gathering up curls of bobbin threads to form spots, the front points are
withdrawn from their resting places in the meshes of the net, and tilted down
as if they were going to take up in their usual manner, except that they are

page_text: drawn more forwards from the warp threads and let down at a greater
distance therefrom in order to leave room for the row of gatherers to be let
down in front of the warp threads by a descending motion of the bar to which
they are fixed (and which is suspended and moved in the same manner as
Mr. Sneath's hook bar); and when the selected bobbin carriages which are to
furnish thread for the spots are coming through between the warp threads
from the back combs into the front combs, the gatherers are ascending so as
to insert their lower ends amongst their bobbin threads by their combined
motion of the threads and the gatherers, so that there will be a gatherer on
the left-hand side of each of those bobbin threads which is to be gathered, and
by putting the gatherers a little backwards, their lower ends become inserted
amongst the bobbin threads of the back row or division, as well as those of the
front row, and at the same time that the bobbin threads are coming forwards
the front points are also put backwards a little, in order to insert the extremities
of their prolonged points aforesaid amongst the said threads, both back and
front (but without racking the warp threads), so that there will be a prolonged
front point on the right-hand side of each pair (back and front) of selected
bobbin threads, at the same time that there is a gatherer on the left-
hand side of the same pair, which are therefore included between a pro-
longed point and a gatherer; but the said points and gatherers keep
clear of each other. This situation of the parts being attained, the row
of gatherers are racked a little way to the right, and the row of front points
as much to the left by simultaneous motion, so as to bend the pairs of selected
of selected bobbin threads which are included between them, and bring those
threads in contact with the left-hand sides of the extremities of the prolonged
front points. This being done, those points then rise up so much as to become
inserted between the lower extremities of the row of gatherers, so as to come
nearly in contact with the left hand side of each prolonged front point into
such a position that the gatherers will retain the bobbin threads which are
bended across the prolonged points, and prevent them from slipping off the
pointed extremities thereof, as they would otherwise do. The pair of bobbin
threads being thus caught by the prolonged points, with the aid of the
gatherers, the front points are raised up with a similar tilting motion of the
front point bar to that of their ordinary taking-up motion, except that their
pointed extremities do not reach back to the warp threads, nor to the gatherers,
excepting the pointed extremities of the prolonged points, with which alone it
is that the gatherers act in concert. The gatherers are raised up along with
the front points by a corresponding motion, whereby they draw up the selected
bobbin threads in loops across the prolonged points, pulling off a requisite

page_text: quantity of thread from each bobbin. And when the front point bar gets up
to its resting position the extremities of its prolonged points (but of those
alone) enter into and pass through the spaces between the back points at their
own proper places in the row thereof, and the said extremities of the prolonged
points, with the loops of thread across them, rise a very little higher than the
extremities of the back points, the said loops of thread being exactly in front
of the pointed extremities of the back points, the gatherers having hitherto
prevented the loops from slipping backwards off the extremities of the pro-
longed points. And at this period the selected carriages begin to swing
backwards in the usual course of their vibrating motion, and in so doing the
threads proceeding from them (and which form the said loops) begin to draw
backwards, giving an additional tendency to the said loops to slip backwards off
the extremities of the prolonged points, if the gatherers did not prevent the
But when the carriages have moved backwards only a little way,
the gatherers are raised upward, so as to withdraw them entirely from their
lateral contact with the prolonged front points, whereupon the loops of selected
bobbin threads slip suddenly backwards from off the extremities of those pro-
longed points, and become transferred to and deposited upon the pointed
extremities of those back points which are on the left-hand sides of each of the
said prolonged points. And when the said loops are so deposited over the back
points, the result which has been attained by the aforesaid combined action of
prolonged front points and gatherers, which constitute this part of my present
improvements), will be the same as would in like case be attained by the action
of Mr. Sneath's hooks, or by the action of pointed wires combined with such
hooks, according to my former Patent improvements.
same.
The subsequent portion of the operation for completing the curls of selected
bobbin threads around the back points, and around behind their corresponding
warp threads, in order to secure the curls, is to be performed according to
Mr. Sueath's mode, and then a repetition is to be made of looping up other
portions of the same selected bobbin threads by the combined action of pro-
longed front points and gatherers according to my present improvements, and
depositing the said loops upon the pointed extremities of the same back points
in part of the formation of other succeeding curls, which curls, when
completed, are, like the preceding ones, in part of the formation of a row
of spots.
And a further part of my present improvements consists in applying addi-
tional taking-up camms and knocking-out or withdrawing camms for the
front point bar; and also a racking wheel for them to
rotary spotting
machinery, which is constructed according to my aforesaid former Patent

page_text: improvements on those of Mr. Sneath.
Those additional camms being
adapted to actuate the front point bar during the operation of forming spots,
with all the motions which are requisite for looping up the selected bobbin
threads by the prolonged front points, when the same are acting, as above
described, in concert with the gatherers, and which motions differ in some
small degree from the usual taking-up motions of the front point bar as before
stated; and likewise the motions given by the said additional camms to the
front point bar must be repeated once for every complete vibration which the
selected bobbin carriages make in passing from the back combs to the front
ones, and then repassing from the front combs to the back ones; which repeti-
tions being differently timed from the ordinary taking-up action of the front
points, the ordinary camms which are provided for actuating the front point
bar in its usual and proper manner during the making of the plain net must
be disengaged from their ordinary connexion with the front point bar at the
instant when the operation of forming a row of spots is to commence, and a
new connexion must at the same instant be made with the aforesaid additional
camms, which are to become operative during the operation of spotting for the
performance thereof with gatherers and prolonged front points, according
to my present improvement; and after a row of spots is completed, and the
operation of making plain net is to be resumed, the connections of the front
point bar must be changed by an instantaneous motion from the said additional
camms to the ordinary camms.
And for the more complete explanation of this part of my said improve-
ments, I have, in Sheets I. to VII., of the Drawings hereunto annexed,
represented a Morley's machine with my former Patent improvements applied
thereto, and also this part of my present improvements of gatherers and prolonged
front points, and additional camms for actuating the front point bar combined
therewith. The said Drawings being in many parts the same as those which
are annexed to my said former Specification, which was enrolled the Tenth day
of August, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-three, and the same letters
and numbers of reference and colours being used for referring to and
distinguishing the various parts, a very brief description, together with the
writing on the Drawings, and with reference to the description contained in
my former Specification, will be sufficient.
The gatherers are cast in leads 1 (see the full size, Figure 1, Sheet I.), which
are screwed in a row upon the front face of the gathering bar 7, which is the
same as Mr. Sneath's hook bar, and is suspended and moved in his manner,
videlicet, by upright arms 14, 14, from crank bar arms 15 15, of a horizontal
spindle bar 16, which is supported in suitable bearings over the machine, and

page_text: the gathering bar is moved up and down by tail lever 18 fixed fast to the
middle part of the spindle bar 16, and extending backwards, with a link 19
descending from the hinder end thereof to the corresponding end of a lever
20, which is poised by its middle on a centre stud pin fixed by a bracket to the
framing, and reaching forwards with a truck at the front end to run on the
edge of the canim 21, which is fixed on the usual horizontal axis Y of the main
driving camms, which go round three times whilst a row of complete meshes
of net are worked. The camm 21 is suitably shaped for letting down the
gathering bar to insert the lower ends of the gatherers amongst those selected
bobbin threads which are brought forwards into the front combs when the
spots are forming, and then for raising up the gathering bar, so that the
gatherers will rise up along with a coincident rising motion to that of the front
points. And whilst the plain net is making the gathering bar 7 is held up
from descending, and kept out of action by means of a camm 22 on the middle
part of the long horizontal axis 42, which extends all the length of the machine;
at the back thereof the camm 22 has a rim round its circumference, which
is prominent laterally, and which takes a truck 43, borne by the under end of
the lever 20 within the circle of the rim 22, so as to confine that lever, and
consequently prevent the gathering bar 7 from descending. But when the
operation of spotting is to begin, the camm 22 by turning round will present a
part of its circumference where the lateral prominence of its rim is cut away
so as to leave the truck 43 and the lever 20 at liberty to obey the directions of
the camm 21. The axis 42 at the back of the machine is turned slowly round
by means of a large spur wheel 48, with two hundred and ten teeth, fixed on
the extreme end of the axis 42, and turned by pinion 49 of twenty teeth, which
is mounted on a fixed stud pin borne by a bracket at the end of a frame, and
a small spur wheel 50 of forty teeth is fixed to the pinion 49, and is turned by
another pinion 46 of twenty teeth fixed on the extreme end of the main
axis Y. By this wheelwork the axis 42, with all the several camms upon it,
are turned round once for twenty-one revolutions of the main axis Y, whereof
fifteen revolutions are occupied in making the plain net, and then six revolu-
tions more are occupied in making a row of spots. During the said fifteen
revolutions five rows of complete meshes of plain net will be made, and then a
row of spots will be formed in the same time that two more rows of complete
meshes would have been made if the operation had not been interrupted for
making the spots; therefore, in this manner the rows of spots will succeed
each other at every fifth row of complete meshes along the length of the net,
but they might be made at a greater or lesser distance apart, by altering the
wheel and pinions 46, 49, or 50, for others of different proportions. The

page_text: gathering bar 7 is racked endways by means of a sliding bolt 27, to which a
gage screw 8 applies at the end of the left-handmost top joint pin of the
arins 14, the bolt being moved by an elbow lever 24, from which a link 26
descends to a lever 25, which is pressed down at the proper time by a
piece 23, which is fastened laterally to a camm 101 on the end of the main
axis Y, so that at one period in every revolution thereof the gathering bar 7
will, by the action of the piece 23, be forced endways to the right for a
moment, and will then be allowed to return again by action of its spring
28. The gathering bar 7 is pulled forwards when it is to descend, and is
then allowed to return back a little when it has descended by the action
of two camms 29 fixed on the main axis Y, and acting on trucks at the
lower extremities of two levers 37, which are mounted on stud pins fixed in
framing in front, and their upper ends are connected by horizontal links 78 to
the gathering bar 7, so that when prominences of the camms 29 come into
action beneath the trucks of the levers 37, the gathering bar 7 will be drawn
forwards, but when depressions of the same camms 29 come round, they will
allow the gathering bar to be put backwards by the action of suitable springs.
Whilst the operation of forming the spots is going on, the ordinary racking
wheels upon the upright axis L, at the right-hand end of the machine, must
stand still, and they must resume their usual motions when the spotting is com-
pleted, and the ordinary operation of making plain net is resumed. For this
purpose the bevil wheel n is fitted loose upon the upright axis L, and is engaged
therewith by a moveable latch 33 applied to a box which is fixed on the axis L,
and catching a tooth 31 on the bevil wheel. A bended lever 34 is fitted on a
centre stud pin fixed in the framing, with its upper arm reaching out into.
a suitable position for intercepting and lifting up the latch 33 in order to dis-
engage the wheel whenever the other arm of the lever 34 is lifted up by an
elevation of the camm 35 on the extreme end of the axis 42, and that is the
case during all the time of spotting; but when a depression of that camm
comes round it allows the latch 33 to drop and re-engage with the tooth 31 of
the bevil wheel, so as to put the racking wheels again in motion for making
plain net. This disengaging tackle is exactly the same as is described in my
former Specification. Whilst the operation of spotting is going on the two
guide bars t, t, are racked by a distinct racking wheel 30 of a large size, which
is mounted on a horizontal cress axis 38 at the lower part of the machine,
being turned round by means of a large spur wheel 36, with eighty-four teeth,
fixed on the middle of the axis, and the teeth thereof are engaged by a kind of
endless screw 40, which is fixed on the main axis Y. The prominent worm
of the screw which enters between the teeth of the wheel 36 has all its obliquity

page_text: at two opposite places in its circumference, and each of those oblique places
turns the wheel 36 one tooth when it comes into action, and the two operate to
turn the wheels 36 and 30 very suddenly, one tooth every time that the driving
bars are swung out to the full extent of their vibration each way, so that both
divisions of carriages become locked up into the back combs, or both into the
front combs. The intervening portions of the prominent edge of the screw 40
are a plane, and at right angles to axis Y, and whilst those points are acting
between the teeth of the wheel 36 they keep it stationary; therefore the axis
36 will be turned once round for forty-two revolutions of the main axis Y, or
during two revolutions of the back axis 42, in which time the machinery will
have gone through all the operations of making two rows of spots, together
with the two portions of plain net belonging to them. The back point bar g
must be held up while the spotting is going on, which is done by a prominent
rim, forming a portion of a circle 95, projecting laterally from one side of each
of the cammis 80 at the two ends of the long axis 42, and which rims 95
operate upon trucks 94 at the lower ends of extra arms 96, which are fixed
to the usual levers 7, 7, of the taking-up camms 1, 1, for the back point bar,
in such manner that when the said portions of rims 95 come round behind or
outside of the trucks 94, they will gather the same a very little inwards
towards the centre of the axis 42, and afterwards retains those trucks, so as to
prevent the back point bar descending until the operation of spotting is
finished. And soon after that time the rims 95 will have passed away from
the trucks 94, so as to leave them at liberty by the time that the back point
bar is required to descend for taking up in the usual course of making plain net
by the action of its ordinary taking-up camms 1, 1, and levers 9, which continue
to act as usual during all the time of making plain net. And note, just
before the said portions of rims 95 quit their trucks 94 after a row of spots
have been finished, and at the commencement of resuming the making the
plain net, each of the prominent rims 95 will bring round an interior projec-
tion within the true circles of their prominent rims, which, acting behind the
trucks 94, will gather the same a little nearer in towards the axis 42, so as to
raise up the back point bar a very little previously to withdrawing its points
from the newly-formed spots, in order to restore all the threads to a proper
state of tension for beginning to make plain net, the tension having been
somewhat relaxed in making the spots. The back points must be drawn back a
little when the operation of spotting is to commence, in order that its points may
retreat so much from their proper places in the meshes of the net (but with-
out quitting those meshes) as will cause the curls for the spots to be made on
the tapering ends of the points, where they are of small size, whereby they

page_text: will occupy less space within the curls so as to form closer spots, and also
the tapering ends of the back points will more easily withdraw from the curls
when the spots are finished without straining the net. For thus drawing
back the back point bar a horizontal link 88, which is jointed to it at one
end, and extends backwards to the upper end of a lever 87, which is poised
by its middle on a fixed stud or centre pin, and the lower end thereof carries
a truck, which is acted upon by a portion of another prominent ring at the
opposite side of one of the same camms 80, 80, by which the back point bar is
held up during the spotting, as last mentioned. And note, the link 88 is
adjustable in length by aid of a screw, in order to regulate with precision the
distance to which the back points shall be withdrawn. The back points are
kept so withdrawn by the rim 80 all the time of making the spots, and a
little after they are finished, and the making of plain net is resumed, vide-
licet, until the moment when the ordinary withdrawing or knocking-out
wheel won the upright axis L comes into action on the back point bar for
withdrawing the back points from the net in the usual manner for taking up
in making plain net; and when the back points are withdrawn by that wheel
, the portion of the rim 80 passes away from the truck of the lever 87,
leaving the back points at liberty to be inserted to their usual distance
through the net. The mechanism for selecting those bobbin carriages which
are to furnish thread for the spots, and for passing and repassing the selected
bobbin carriages between the warp threads by themselves during the opera-
tion of making spots, and for retaining the other bobbin carriages motionless
in the back combs, is the same as was described in my former Specification,
and therefore a short description will suffice. The ordinary back locker F,
with its double blades, which are constructed, as usual, in Morley's machines,
and which act, as usual, whilst the plain net is making, must be held motion-
less whilst the spots are making, with its innermost blade f then holding
the teeth of the front row of carriages, so as to keep both rows locked in the
back combs. For this purpose a sliding bolt 53 is applied in a horizontal
direction to pass beneath the usual locking lever 52, which transmits the
action of the locking camm R to the back locker F, the bolt 53 being crosswise
to the locking lever 52, and having a notch cut in its edge to admit a hooked
claw, which is fixed to the lever 52, to pass freely up and down in the notch
all the time whilst plain net is making, and when the locker is acting as
usual; but that when is finished, and all the carriages are locked up behind
in the back combs ready to commence making a row of spots, then the sliding
bolt 53 is suddenly pushed endways by a portion of a circular rim which is
affixed to the racking wheel 84 on the cross axis 38, and which at that

page_text: moment comes to act on the upright lever 51, to which the sliding bolt 53 is
jointed. This motion of the bolt removes the notch in it, through which the
Looked claw of the locking lever 52 usually moves, so as to bolt that claw fast,
and thereby retain the locking lever, and consequently the back locker F all
the time until the row of spots are completed, and then the said curve
which acts on the lever 51 having passed away therefrom, a spring at the
extremity of the bolt 53 pushes the same endways, and relaxes the locking
lever 52 at the instant when it is required to resume its ordinary action for
making plain net, and then by the time that it is required to begin a new row
of spots another portion of a circular rim 79, affixed to the same racking
wheel 84, comes into action in turn on the lever 51, and continues so until
that row of spots also is completed, and then it passes away at the moment
when the making of plain net is to be again resumed. The innermost blade
f of the back locker F is cut out with notches opposite to every place
where a spot is intended to be formed in the width of the lace, in order that
it may allow the selected carriages A 1, B 1, to be brought forwards through
those notches, although all the other carriages A, B, are detained in the back
combs E; and in order to lock up the selected carriages A 1, B 1, when they
require to be drawn into the back combs E into their places amongst the
other carriages A, B, an extra moveable blade 2 is applied to the back locker
F, the blade 2 being moveable around the same centre of motion as the blade f
would move round; but the blade 2 moves independently of any motion of
the back locker F itself, because the extra blade 2 is fastened to several
collars 54, which embrace the round part of the axis F of the back locker,
and therefore those collars 54 can turn round freely thereon as an axis or
centre of motion. Each collar 54 has an upright link 55 jointed to it to go
down to a lever 56 fixed on an axis or spindle bar 44, which also carries a
lever arm 64 with a truck, which is actuated by a camm 45 fixed on the
axis of the main driving camms; and when the lever arm 64 is pressed
down by the prominent part of the camm 45, the upright links 55 turn the
collars 54, and move the extra blade 2 of the back locker upwards so as to
lock up the selected carriages A 1, B 1, into the back combs E in the same
manner as the usual innermost blade f of the back locker F would do if it
were not notched.-Note, each of the collars 54, at different parts of the
length of the back locker F, has its own link 55 and lever 56, and all those
levers 56 being fixed on one long horizontal axis or spindle 44, they move
together when the lever arm 64 of the axis or spindle 44 is actuated by the
camm 45. Note, whilst the plain net is making, the motion given, as usual,
by the ordinary locking camm R and its lever 52, and upright rack and

page_text: pinion to the back locker F, will correspond exactly with the motion which is
given at the same time to the extra blade 2 by its camm 45, levers 64, 56,
and links 55, so that the extra blade 2 will be held in close contact with the
innermost blade f of the back locker, so as to move therewith, like one bar,
closing the notches therein, and inabling the back locker F to act on all the
row of carriages, just as usual in Morley's machines. During the spotting
operation, the front driving bar H is moved backwards and forwards, just as
usual in Morley's machines; but the back driving bar I must be raised up
over the leads of the back combs E, where it can remain motionless out of
the way all the time that the spotting is going on. For this purpose the back
driving bar I is united by arms 58 with a back bar 66, which is jointed to the
upper ends of upright lever arms 57, fixed fast on the ends of the horizontal
axis 86, which is supported in bearing brackets at the back of the framing,
and an arm 81, which goes down from the axis 86, has a pin to act within a
prominent rim of the wheel 82, on the axis 42, in such manner that when the
spotting is to begin, the rim of 82 will take the pin of the arm 81 within its
circular curvature, in order to hold back the back driving bar I, and keep it
steadily there until the spotting is finished, and then the said rim 82 will have
passed away from the pin of the arm 81, and will allow the back driving bar
I to go forwards the instant that it is connected with the usual driving tackle,
which is done by means of connecting links 65 jointed to the swing jacks W,
Sheet V., at the foremost end of each link 65, the other ends having notches
to hook over axle pins at the ends of the back bar 66. The links 65, when
so hooked on, will connect the back driving bar I with the driving tackle, and
move it backwards and forwards with the usual and proper swinging motion,
which is rendered conformable to the curvature of the back combs E by
trucks 89 applied to the arms 58 to run up and down upon curved bearers 67
at each end, which are of a suitable form to give the acting edge of the back
driving bar I a proper circular motion. When the spotting is about to be
commenced, the back driving bar I is raised up when it is making its last
backward motion during that time of making plain net, in order that it may
begin to lift up out of the way. For this purpose the curved bearers 67 are
fitted on centre pins fixed to the back comb bar, and connected at their hind-
most end by upright links 68, with two levers 83, which are lifted by pro-
minences of two camms 59 upon the axis 42, whilst all the carriages are
going backwards for their last movement during each time of making plain
net, and the bearers 67 are kept raised by the prominences of the camms 59
all the time that the spotting is going on; but when it is finished the bearers
67 are let down again by the passing away of the prominences of the camms

page_text: 59 from their levers 83. When the spotting is to be commenced, and the
back driving bar I is raised up out of the way, as before mentioned, into the
position shewn in Sheets I. and III., the connecting link 65, by which the
back driving bar I is connected with the swink jacks W, are disconnected by
lifting up and unhooking the back ends of the links 65 by means of upright
links 99 ascending from levers 93, which are actuated by camms 92 on the
axis 42, which camms lift up the links 65 with a similar action to that of the
camm 59 before described for raising the bearers 67; and when the spotting
is finished the camms 92 let down the back ends of the links 65 so as to hook
on and connect the back driving bar I with the swing jack W.-Note, when
the links 65 are disconnected by being so lifted up, they still continue to move
backwards and forwards along with the swing jacks W, but produce no effect
by so doing. During the operation of forming the spots, the bobbin carriages
which are to furnish the threads for the spots must be selected out of their
places in the complete row of carriages A and B in the back combs E, and
pushed forwards by themselves between the warp threads into the front combs
D, as shewn by A 1, B 1, in Sheet I. This is done by pushers 3 cast in leads,
which are fixed in a row on a pusher bar 4, each pusher taking only one
carriage in the row, and there being a pusher at every place in the row where
a spot is intended to be formed in the lace, consequently one pusher opposite
every notch in the bladef of the back locker F, and opposite to the corre
sponding gatherer 1, on their bar 7 in front. The pusher bar 4 is connected
by arms 60, which go back from it to joints at the upper end of upright lever
arms 61, fixed on a horizontal axis 62, which is supported in fixed bearing
brackets at the back of the framing; and from the axis 62 an arm 69
descends, and its lower end is connected by a link 74 with the upper end of
the lever 75, which moves about a horizontal axis at its lower end, and carries
a truck to bear against the curved circumference of a camm 76 on the main
axis Y of the driving camms. The camm 76 is suitably formed for bringing
forwards the extremities of the pushers 3, so that they will push forwards the
selected carriages A 1, B 1, during the operation of spotting with motion
corresponding to that which the back driving bar I gives to the whole set of
carriages whilst the plain net is making. The extremities of the pushers 3 are
caused to move conformably to the curvature of the back combs E, by trucks
12 applied to arms which project backwards from the pusher bar 4, and
running over curved bearers 71 fixed fast on the back comb bar. The pusher
bar 4 is drawn back by suitable reacting springs 6, 6, when the hollows of its
camm 76 will permit, and it is drawn back rather further than is necessary
merely for allowing the selected carriages A 1, B 1, to be locked up along

page_text: with all the other carriages in the back combs E by the extra blade 2 of the
back locker F. The pushers 3 being so drawn back further than necessary,
the trucks 12 of the pusher bar 4 will run so much down the back descent
of the curved bearers 71 as to let down the points of the pushers 3 low enough
to be out of the way of the back driving bar I, which is to permit of the same
being lowered down into its proper place when it is required to prepare for
receiving its action for making plain net in manner before described. The
pusher bar 4 must then be disconnected and left motionless, which is done by
lifting up and unhooking the back end of the link 74 from the joint pin at
the lower end of the lever arm 69, in order to leave the same motionless,
together with the pusher bar 4 and pushers 3, all the time that plain net is
making. The link 74 is lifted up at the proper moments for their disconnect-
ing the pusher bar 4 by the prominence of a camm 77 on the long horizontal
axis 42, which prominence will keep the link 74 disengaged until the next
time for commencing spotting, when it will pass away from beneath the link
74, and let the same down again, to connect and give motion to the pushers,
as before, for making a row of spots. And note, when the link 74 is then
disengaged, the reaction of the springs 6 to draw back the pusher bar 4 is
limited by a gage screw at the lower end of an arm 11 from the axis 62 bear-
ing against the fixed frame behind. And note, in case the successive rows of
spots which are to be formed in the lace by the opperation of machinery,
are to be interspaced to each other to form a chequered pattern on the net,
then the gathering bar 7, and also the back locker F, and the pusher bar 4,
must be shogged endways in the interval between finishing one row of spots
and beginning another row, in order that all those parts may follow those
places the width of the net where the spots are required to be made at
succeeding times. The back locker F and the pusher bar 4 are both shogged
by suitable prominences on the edges of two racking wheels 84 and 39, which
are fixed on the horizontal cross axis 38, and are turned round therewith once
for every forty-two turns of the main axis Y, as before explained. The said
racking wheels 84 and 39 act by suitable levers 85 and 90 to rack the
back locker F and pusher bar 4 endways in preparation for every time that
a new row of spots is to be commenced, racking the one time to the right
and the next time to the left. The lever 85 is forked at its upper end to
include a projecting piece fixed to the round axis of the back locker F, so as
to admit of the turning motion thereof, and the lower end of the lever 85
has two branches to carry two trucks which apply to opposite places on
the circumference of the wheel 8, in order to rack the back locker both ways
against a tooth which projects out from the axis 62, and suitable re-acting

page_text: springs and gage screws are applied thereto to urge the pusher bar 4 to
the right when the prominence of the racking wheels 84 has passed away.
The racking wheel 30 on the cross axis 38 operates on both the guide bars
t, t, by means of a lever 43 affixed to a horizontal cross axis 13, from which
two other arms 41 ascend to the two guide bars t, t, back and front, to rack
both at once with equal and similar motions during the operation of making
spots. The additional camm wheels which I apply for actuating the front
point bar k during the opperation of forming spots according to my present
improvements are affixed upon the right-hand end of the axes Y of the main
driving camms, one camm marked 101 being for raising and lowering the
front point bar, and the other 102 for withdrawing and meeting the front
points. Also a third camm 103 is provided for racking the front points end-
ways; it is fixed upon the axis of the ordinary taking-up camms, which make
only one revolution whilst a complete row of meshes of net are worked. The
camm 103 has three prominences, but a camm with one prominence suitably
formed might be fixed on the main axis Y, and would produce the same effect.
The parts appertaining to these camms are represented in Sheets IV., V., VI.,
and VII. The additional taking-up camm 101 for the front point bar
operates by means of a taking-up lever 104, which is moveable about the
same fixed stud or centre pin as the ordinary taking-up lever d; and the
ordinary link h, which ascends from that lever & to the short arm of the front
point bar, is included in the space between the two levers & and 104, but is
not actually jointed to either of them. Each lever has a joint pin projecting
out laterally from it towards the other lever, and the lower end of the link h
is included between those two pins, having a notch formed in the front edge
of the link to fit upon the joint pin of the lever 104, and a like notch in
the back edge thereof to fit upon the joint pin of the ordinary lever d; but
the link cannot be engaged with both of those joint pins at once, and,
therefore, if the lower end of it is drawn forwards, it will quit its usual con-
nection with the ordinary lever d, and become engaged with the lever 104,
and vice versa. To produce such changes the lower end of the upright
link is connected by a horizontal link 105, with the upright arm of an
elbow lever 106, which is mounted upon a horizontal centre pin fixed to the
frame. The foremost end of the elbow lever 106 carries a small truck to
run upon the circumference of a circular rim which projects out laterally
from a ratchet wheel 107 of ten teeth, which is mounted upon a centre pin
fixed to the frame; and the ratchet wheel 107 is turned a tooth at a time by
a driver 70 jointed to a lever 32, which receives motion from a camm 47
ixed on the end of the main axis Y, so as to drive the ratchet wheel 107

page_text: round one tooth for every revolution of the axis Y. But as the ratchet wheel
107 is not required to move at every revolution, a prong is extended back-
wards from the lever 32, to apply to a rim 91 on the circumference of
camm 80 on the axis 42, and it is only when notches in the rim 91 present
themselves to the prong of the lever 32 that the same is allowed to draw
back the driver 70 of the lever 32 by its reacting spring, and take a tooth
of the ratchet wheel 107, which by that means (although it has only ten
teeth) makes such pauses as to complete one revolution in the same time as
the axis 42, videlicet, in twenty-one revolutions of the main axis Y. The
circular rim of the ratchet wheel 107 has one notch in it to admit the truck
of the elbow lever 106, which notch comes into action when the operation
of making spots is to commence; and then the lever 106, by its link 105,
draws forward the lower end of the upright link h so as to engage the same
with the lever 104 of the taking-up camm 101, detaching it from its ordinary
taking-up lever d; and after that, by action of the camm 91, the lever 32 is
detained so as to cause the ratchet wheel 107 to remain motionless during
all the operation of making a row of spots, but that being concluded, the
camm 91 allows the ratchet of the wheel 107 to be resumed, and then, by
removing its notch from the truck of the elbow lever 106, the link h becomes
re-engaged with its ordinary taking-up lever d and disconnected from its
lever 104. The additional withdrawing camm 102 for the front point bar
acts upon a truck at the lower end of the inclined arm of a bended lever 108,
which is mounted upon a centre pin fixed to the frame, the upper end of the
upright arm of the lever 108 having a small latch 109 jointed to it, and
adapted to hook over a pin 110 which is fixed to the front point bar kc, and
which projects out in the direction of the joints upon which that bar tilts
down. The latch 109 has a tail bended down from it to be acted upon by the
elbow lever 106, so as to disengage the latch at the same instant when that
lever by its link 105 disengages the lever 104, and vice virse, to allow the
latch to engage at the same moment when the lever 104 is engaged. The
additional racking camms 102 on the axis of the taking-up camms operates
to depress a lever 112 situated beneath it, and from which a link III, ascends
to the end of the horizontal arm of an elbow lever 113, mounted on a stud pin
fixed into the crank bar arm, and acting to rack the front point bar endways
to the right, and a reacting spring 114 is applied at the opposite end. The
link III is formed with a hooked notch to catch the end of the lever 113,
and when the upper end of the lever 106 is put backwards, it engages the
link III, and vice verse. By these means the elbow lever 106, (which is
governed by the rim on the ratchet wheel 107), commands the engaging and

page_text: disengagement of the three additional camms for actuating the front point
bar during the operation of spotting, videlicet, of the taking-up camm 101,
the withdrawing camm 102, and the racking camm 103. The form of the
blades of gatherers 101 is represented at Figure 1, Sheet I.; they are made
flat on their left-hand sides, and rounded on their right-hand sides. The
leads in which they are cast are screwed to the front side of the gatherer bar 7,
so that the blades descend therefrom in a position rather inclining backwards
from a vertical plane, as is represented in the sections, Sheet I., whereof
one represents the position which they assume when acting in concert with
the prolonged front points 120 to catch the selected bobbin threads proceed-
ing from the selected bobbins and carriages A 1, B 1, and the other section
represents the same parts after the prolonged front points 120 have looped
up those threads, and are in the act of transferring the loops to those back
points upon which they are to be deposited in order to form spots. The
front points K, with their prolonged points 120, are cast in leads just as
usual, with no other difference, except having every third pin longer by three-
eighths of an inch than the two intermediate pins. This is shewn by Figure K,
and Figure L shews a lead of back points, which are just as usual, except that
notches are cut through the lead between every third pin to permit the pro-
longed front points 120 to pass through upwards when the front points are
taking up the meshes in their ordinary course of making plain net. And
note, all these leads represented in Sheet I. are adapted for making spots at
half an inch apart, side by side in their row across the net, which corresponds
to the places of the notches in the blade of the back locker and to the prongs
of the pusher 3. And although the blades of the gatherers 101 and the pro-
longed front points 120 are twice as numerous (being only one quarter of an
inch apart, nevertheless, only every other blade 101 and prolonged pin 120
is operative at the same time for making spots in the same row, because the
intermediate blades and prolonged pins will have no selected bobbin threads
brought forwards for them to catch until the next succeeding row of spots
is to be made, and then the back locker and pusher bar having been racked
one quarter of an inch endways, they will cause selected bobbin threads to
be brought forwards for the said intermediate blades 101 and prolonged front
points 120 to act upon, leaving those which were operative at last time to
become inoperative in their turn. Note, the point bars back and front are
racked by extra racking wheels P, Q, at the upper end of the upright axis L,
at the moment where they are in the act of making their insertion amongst
the warp and bobbin threads.
Having now explained the construction of all the machinery, including

page_text: Mr. Sneath's improvements, together with my former improvements thereon,
and this part of my present improvements on both, I shall preceed to describe
the manner of manufacturing spotted bobbin lace therewith:-Supposing the
machinery to be in full operation, and that it is only stopped for examination,
the place chosen for the commencement of the following description is that
at which the change is made from making plain net to commencing a row of
spots, videlicet, an instant before racking that which is usually numbered 9 of
the ordinary racking wheels of the Morley's machines, and, therefore, the parts
are standing on number 8, but with all the subsequent movements which are
consequent thereon completed ready for racking number 9; all the carriages
are in the back combs. The back points took up the last row of meshes.
The front comb bar stands to the right, the front guide bar to the right, and
the back guide bar to the right. Note, each of those bars is limited to rack-
ing one space between the points, or one-twelfth of an inch. This position
being understood, the commencement of proceeding to work a row of com-
plete meshes of plain bobbin net is to rack number 9, which racks the front
guides to the left and the back guides to the left. The front division of car-
riages comes through forwards between the warp threads, and number 10 is
racked, which racks the front guides to the right. The back division comes
through forwards, and the front points draw out by their ordinary knocking-
out wheel won the upright axis 4, and begin to tilt down a very little.
Note, they must draw out far enough to withdraw their prolonged front
points 120 from the net, and number 10 is racked, which racks the back
guides to the right. The back division goes through backwards, and the
front points draw out and tilt down, but do not penetrate the warp threads.
Note, their prolonged pins 120 do not in any way interfere with the ordinary
taking-up action of the front points, and number 12 is racked, which racks
the back guides to the left. The front division goes through backwards with
the odd carriage, and the front points go quite down and penetrate the warp
threads when the carriages are gone about half way through. (Note, the
front bobbin threads run away from the points and quit them just after they
get through the warp threads), and number I is racked, which racks the
front combs to the left without any carriages in them, and the front guides to
the left. The front division comes through forwards, the front points having
already penetrated, the warp threads are racked half a space to the left by
their racking wheel P on the upright axis L, and then begin to rise up, and
in so doing they meet the front bobbin threads which are coming through
forwards meeting the points, which latter having entered, the front bobbin
threads are then racked one space to the right; and then in rising higher up

page_text: the front points take the back bobbin threads as they are coming through
forwards and meeting the points, and which they do by the time the front
carriages are come about half way through, then, in continuing to go up, the
points are racked half a space to the left in order that they may go up to
their proper resting places with their prolonged pins 120 in the notches of
the leads of the back points G, which they do exactly at the time when
number 2 is racked, which racks the front combs to the right with the front
division of carriages in them, and the front guides to the right. The back
division comes through forwards and number 3 is racked, which racks the
front combs to the left with all the carriages in them, but none of the guides
are racked this time. The back division goes through backwards and num-
ber 4 is racked, which racks the front combs to the right with the front
carriages, and racks the back guides to the right. The front division goes
through backwards. The back points draw out and tilt down a little way by
the time number 5 is racked, which racks the back guides to the left. The
front division comes through forwards, and the back points tilt further down
without penetrating, but follow the back bobbin threads so as to keep close
behind them, and number 6 is racked, with racks the front guides to the
left. The back division comes through forwards, and the back points are
racked half a space to the left (by their racking wheel Q on the upright
axis L) before they penetrate the warp threads, which they do when the
carriages are come half way through, then the back points begin to rise up
again, and the back bobbin threads coming forwards quit the back points,
which are then racked one space to the right; and in rising higher up after
that racking they will take the back bobbin threads, but before that number 7
is racked, which racks the front guides to the right. The back division goes
through backwards.
The back points go up and enter the back bobbin
threads before the latter have gone back much, and after that the back points
are racked half a space to the left and then penetrate the front bobbin
threads, which they do when the carriages are gone about half way through,
and then the back points go up to their resting places, the notches in their
leads admitting the prolonged front points 120 by the time number 8 is
racked, which racks the back guides to the right. The front division goes
through backwards, the odd carriage with them at the right hand, and
number 9 is ready for racking. All the parts have now regained the positions
which they had at the commencement of this description, the racking wheels
have gone once round, and a row of complete meshes have been made.
The various camin wheels on the back axis 42 and on the cross axes 38 have
been all runing slowly round, but producing no effect whatever hitherto. All

page_text: the above operation is to be repeated five times over to work five rows of
complete meshes of plain bobbin net, and then a row of spots is to be begun.
To prepare for beginning, the back locker is racked three spaces to the right
when all the carriages are in the front combs, and number 7 is racked at the
fifth repetition; and after number 8 has been racked, and half way therefrom,
before racking number 9, the front points must begin to draw out, by action of
their additional withdrawing camm 102, in preparation for beginning to act for
making spots, and also about that time the camm 35 lifts up its bended lever 34
in readiness that it may intercept the latch 33 when the same gets round to the
lever 34, which it will do an instant before number 9 is racked, so as then to
disengage the bevil wheel in order to leave the upright axis L with all the rack-
ing wheels upon it quite motionless. All the preparations which precede the
proper moment for racking number 9 must be made without
any interference
with the ordinary operation of making plain net. The preparation for
bringing the additinal camms 101, 102, 103, into action will be begun earlier
by the rim 91 on the axis 42 presenting a notch to the lever 32 about the
time when number 7 is racked, in order to allow the driver 70 to begin to
act in the teeth of its ratchet wheel 107, which wheel had been pausing during
the latter part of the operation of making plain net; and very soon after
number 7 is racked, the driver 70, being urged its camm 47 on the main
axis Y, begins to turn the ratchet wheel 107 one tooth, and a very little after
the time that number 8 has been racked, the wheel 107 will have been turned
so far that the notch in the circular rim
of that ratchet wheel will come
beneath the truck at the foremost end of the arm of the elbow lever 106,
which will then come suddenly forwards by action of a spring, so as by pulling
the link 105 forwards to disconnect the ordinary upright link h of the front
point bar k from its own ordinary taking-up lever, and which is over the
ordinary taking up camm, and by the same movement to connect the link h
with the taking-up lever 104 (which is mounted on the same stud centre pin
as the ordinary lever d), but which is actuated by the additional taking-up
camm 101 fixed on the main axis Y. The upper end of the upright arm of
the elbow lever 106 in thus coming suddenly forwards also lets down the small
elbow latch 109, which is jointed to the upper end of the additional drawing-
out lever 108, so as to hook that latch over the projecting pin 110 of the
front point bar, thereby connecting the front points with their additional
drawing-out lever, which is actuated by the additional drawing-out camm 102,
which instantly after the said connexion is made by the elbow latch 109 will
begin to draw out the front points. Note, the ordinary knocking-out wheel is
so on the upright axis L, will no way interfere with the additional drawing-out.

page_text: And note, after that connection it will move the front points once out and
then in again at each revolution of the main axis, the spotting taking-up camm
tilting down the front point bar once, and then raising it up again at each such
revolution of the same axis. And further, the upper end of the upright arm
of the elbow lever 106, in coming suddenly forwards, as aforesaid, also allows
the upright link 111 for racking the front point bar to hook on to the end of
the horizontal arm of the small elbow lever 113, by which the racking is to
be communicated to the front point bar from the lever 112, when the same
is pressed down by the cam 103, with three prominences on the axis of the
taking-up wheels, which go round once whilst a row of complete meshes
are worked, or otherwise a proper shaped camm with one prominence might
be fixed on the main axis Y, and would perform the same. And by the time
when number 9 should be racked, all the various parts which are governed by
the camms on the back axis 42 should operate to effect the requisite changes
in all those parts from their proper positions for making plain net to assume
those connections and positions which are suitable for spotting, that is to say,
the rims 95 at each end gather in the rollers 94 of the levers 96 of the
ordinary taking-up levers 9 of the back point bar to hold up the back point
bar; also the rim of the camm 80 at the right-hand end by the lever 87
and link 88 draws back the back point bar g, to withdraw the back points G
out of of the net to a proper distance for making the curls for the spots on
the tapering ends of the back combs. The two camms 92 with their levers
93 and their links 99, lift up the links 65 so as to disconnect the back driving
bar I at each end from the swing jacks W, whilst the rim 82 gathering
behind the pin at the lower end of the lever 81 retains the back axis 86
with its lever 57, so as to keep the back driving bar I immoveably backwards
during all the spotting. The camm 59 at each end by its lever 83, upright
link 68, and curved bridge 67 (which is mounted on a stud centre pin fixed
inside of the back comb bar), elevates the truck 89 of the arm 58 of the back
driving bar I, to lift up that bar out of the way of the back pushers. The
camm 77 near the middle lets down and engages the link 74 on the pin of
the lever 69 of the back axis 62, which by its levers 61 and arms 60 actuates
the back pusher bar 4 of the back pushers 3. The rim 22 of the camm 82
presents a notch to the truck 43 of the lever 20 so as to release that lever
Also the rim 91 of the
and leave the gatherer bar 7 at liberty to descend.
camm 80 at the left-hand end comes into action to prevent the driver 70 of
the ratchet wheel 107 from going back to ratch a tooth of that wheel in order
that the same may pause until the spotting is nearly finished. The sliding
bolt 53 is pushed endways to the right at the very instant when number 9

page_text: would rack by one of the circular arches 79 on the cross axis 38, and hooks
the locking lever 52 of the back locker, so that it cannot rise by its springs,
but must detain the back locker F immoveably raised during the spotting.
Note, the back locker F was racked endways three spaces to the right when
number 7 was racked, that being done by its racking wheel 84 on the cross
axis 38 and its lever 85. Also the back pusher bar 4 is standing racked
endways three spaces to the right, having been placed so at the conclusion of
the last time of spotting by its racking wheel 39 and lever 90. Also the
spotting racking wheels 30 by their levers 41 rack both back and front guide
bars one space to the left at the exact time for racking number 9. Note,
the ordinary racking wheels on the upright axis L do not interfere with this
racking. Note, the various movements above explained, which produce the
requisite change from making plain net to spotting, are all begun after number
8 is racked, and are all completed at the moment when number 9 of the racking
wheels would have been racked if they had not been disengaged. And the
racking of the two guide bars to the left, which may be called the first of the
spotting (or number 1X.), is made by the racking wheels 36 and 30, at
the proper moment for the usual racking of number 9; viz, as soon as all
the carriages are locked up into the back combs, that is, excepting the racking
of the back locker 3 spaces to the right, which could not be done when the
carriages were in contact with its notched blade, and is therefore done when
number 7 was racked, whilst all the carriages were in the front combs, and
that is the very first commencement of the changing, although it does not
interfere with the conclusion of the operation of making plain net.
The next
is making the new connection of the front point bar with its additional
drawing-out lever 108 and taking-up lever 104; for this purpose the driver
70 of the ratchet wheel 107 begins, as before mentioned, to turn that wheel
very soon after number 7, when both divisions of carriages begin to go back-
wards, and it is turned one tooth, so that its notch comes into full operation
at very soon after number 8 is racked, so that the new connexion may be
then made, in order that the drawing-out camm 102 on the main axis Y may
begin to withdraw the front points in good time, so that they will be quite
withdrawn with their long points out of the net by the time that number IX.
is racked. The changes which are produced by the camms on the back axis
are all performed after the midway between racking number 8 and number 9,
and are all completed when number IX. is racked. The disconnecting of the
back driving bar T by its camm 92 is done very suddenly, when that bar is
swung quite back, and also the connecting of the back pusher bar 4 by its
camm 77 and therefore those camms act without trucks by teeth or stump

page_text: I
pins, or their respective levers 93 and link 74. The holding up of the back
point bar g by its rim 95 and lever 96, as well as withdrawing its rim 80
and lever 87, may be done more gradually. The bolting of the locking lever
52 for the back locker F must be done instantaneously when the guide bars
are racked for number IX. The changes which have been thus made without
any loss of time or cessation of the usual action of making plain net being
understood, the progress of the operation of making a row of spots is as
follows: The front driving bar and back pusher bar come forwards with the
usual swinging motion, and bring the selected carriages A 1, B 1, through
between the warp threads from the back combs into the front ones. The
front points having been already drawn out of the meshes of the net (leaving
those meshes to be kept in form by the back points), are racked one space to
the right by the camm 103, with three prominences pressing down its lever
112; and they begin to tilt down as soon as the driving bars begin to swing
forwards. The gatherers are drawn forwards (by action of the camms 29 and
levers 37, and links 78, on the gatherer bar 7) more than the points are, in
order that the gatherers may come clear of the back points, the lower ends
of the gatherers being about of an inch above the level of the front points,
but more forwards than their pointed extremities, so as to be over their stems
when both begin to descend, which they do by coincident actions of the
camms 21 and 101 together with simultaneous motion. In going down the
gatherers are shogged one space to the left by their gage screw 8 sliding down
against the sloped surface at the right-hand end of their racking bolt 27,
which racking takes place before those gatherers commence their insertion
amongst any of the selected bobbin threads. That insertion takes place as
they descend, partly by that descent and partly by the coming forwards of the
selected bobbin threads meeting the gatherers. And the same may be said
of the insertion of the front points amongst those threads; but the gatherers
enter on the left-hand side of each pair of the threads which are to be
gathered by their assistance, whilst the long front points enter on the right-
hand sides of the same pairs of threads; and by the time that the main
driving camms have gone one fourth round, and the front selected carriages
have become locked up in the front combs, (but no racking of the warp
threads is then made), the front points will have tilted down so far that the
pointed extremities of their long points will have penetrated through the row
of selected front bobbin threads. The pointed extremities of the short points
having also penetrated a little way through the same threads, the gatherers
will at the same period have descended nearly as much as the front points;
then as the back row of selected carriages come through forwards, the front

page_text: points tilt down somewhat lower, although the gatherers go but a very little
lower, but they are put backwards by action of their camms 29, so as to meet
the back bobbin threads as those threads are coming forwards, and by these
combined motions the gatherers become inserted between both back and front
bobbin threads on the left-hand side of each pair of threads, the long front points
will also become inserted between the same threads, but on the right-hand side
of each pair, so that each pair of bobbin threads becomes included between
a gatherer and a long point; and that position being attained, the front points
are racked one and a half spaces to the left, in consequence of their camm
103 with three prominences retreating and allowing the spring of the front
point bar to urge it to the left, also at the same instant the gatherers are
racked one space to the right by their curved piece 28 at the side of the
camm 101 coming into action to press down its lever 25, which action is
transmitted by the upright link 26 and small elbow lever 24 to its sliding
bolt 27. Those contrary rackings bring the selected bobbin threads pairs of
one back and one front thread in lateral contact with each of the gatherers
and each of the corresponding long front points, those threads being by the
gatherers bended towards the right, over or across the upper and left-hand
sides of the long front points, but note, the front points do not reach so far
back as the warp threads); which being done the front points and gatherers
begin to go up together, so as by the time that both rows of selected carriages
are come into the front combs and locked up therein, the extremities of the
long points will have risen about half way up to their resting place, and lower
ends of the gatherers will be about one eight of an inch higher than the ends of
the long points, and will retain the loops of the bobbin threads from slipping of
backwards beyond the ends of the long points. Then number X. and XI. is
racked by the racking wheels 36 and 30, which racks both the guide bars to
the right, and the selected carriages begin to go back again. The gatherer
and the front points continue to rise up during the time of racking and as the
carriages are going back, but the front points, rising faster than the gatherers,
overtake them until the prolonged points get up, so as to include the lower
ends of the gatherers between them, the flat sides of the blades of the
gatherers being very nearly in lateral contact with the right-hand sides of
the prolonged points; and after that both points and gatherers rise exactly
together without any further racking, so as to get quite up to their resting
place by the time that the back selected carriages have gone back half way
through the warp threads; and when the points have so got up, the selected
bobbin threads, front as well as back, will have been gathered up in loops
across the prolonged front points. To understand this the said selected

page_text: bobbin threads may be traced from the net in a pair, which come forwards
therefrom nearly horizontally around the right-hand rounded sides of each
gatherer at about one eighth of an inch above its lower extremity (the left-
hand side of the same gatherers being flat). The pair of bobbin threads then
turn nearly at right angles across the sharp front edge of the gatherer, and
go rather inclining upwards towards the left across over the long front point,
and at about three eighths of an inch from the pointed extremity thereof,
and then they turn over the same and downwards in contact with the left-
hand side of the long point, and go diverging to their respective bobbins.
The front points stand raised, so that the upper edges of their long points,
where the threads loop over them, are a little higher than the pointed
extremities of the back points between which they are now interspaced,
which is part owing to the back points having been let down a very little
below their usual level for the stems of the back and front points when they
were partly withdrawn from the meshes of the net. Note, the pointed
extremities of the back points penetrate about one quarter of an inch through
the net into the front. The front points are allowed by their camm 102 to
go so far back that the pointed ends of their ordinary or short front points
are very near meeting the pointed extremities of the back ones with scarcely
any overlap, but duly interspaced thereto, and owing to the tapering of the
extremities of both points they do not touch. The long front points enter in
rather more than a quarter of an inch between the pointed extremities of the
back points, so as to go back through the plane of the net nearly one eighth of
an inch; and it is partly in consequence of those long points being of their full
depth at the parts thereof which are inserted between the pointed and tapering
extremities of the back points, that the loops of bobbin threads (which hang
over the full depth part of the long front points) are kept up higher than
those pointed extremities of the back points, and also the front points are
raised by their camm 101 so high that the loops will be in a fit position for
being transferred to the back points, although the general range of the stems
of the front points is the same for the long front points as for the short ones at
all those parts of their upper edges which come into action in their ordinary
taking-up action for plain net. This being understood, the transfer of the
loops of selected bobbin threads from the long front points to those back points
which are immediately on the right-hand sides of the long front points is
effected instantaneously the gatherers being lifted up by the prominence of
their camm 21, so as to raise them quite above the front and back points, and
entirely out of action. This is done when the back selected carriages have
gone through backwards about three fourths of their course; and by the going

page_text: backwards of the selected bobbin threads they acquire an additional tendency
to slip backwards along the long front points over which they are looped, and
therefore the instant the gatherers are drawn up clear out of the way the loops
transfer themselves to those back points which are on the right-hand side of
the long front points, and whereof the pointed extremities were in contact
with the left-hand flat sides of the gatherers at the moment before the same
were drawn up. Note, the gatherers, when they came up in concert with the
front points, went a little backwards, as well as the front points, with a
reclining motion, but not so far as to interfere with the warp threads, and
thereby they made slight entrance of the back edges of their lower ends
amongst the pointed extremities of the back points a very short time before
the front points got up to their resting position; the said entrance being such,
that those back points over which the curls for spots are to be made will come
to be closed on the left-hand flat sides of the gatherers, so that the bobbin
threads proceeding from the curls which are on those back points (or to be
made thereon) may be in a position to pass around the right-hand rounded
sides of the gatherers, as before explained. And note, when the gatherers
went down, it was by the sloped surface at the right-hand end of their racking
bolt 27 that they were racked one space to the left, but in going up again they
are not to be racked at all; to attain this the racking bolt 27 racks to the left
in consequence of its curved piece 23 at the side of camm 101 passing away from
its lever 25, that racking being at the same moment when the gathering bar 7
in ascending would otherwise be racked one to the right by the sloped surface
at the end of the bolt 27, wherefore, in consequence of the retreat of the
bolt and its slope, will not produce any racking of the gatherers in going up; the
loops of bobbin threads being thus lodged over the the extremities of the back
points, the front points begin to draw out as the carriages go further back-
wards. The two rows of selected carriages having both gone through into the
back combs, numbers XII. and XIII. are racked by the racking wheels 36
and 30, which racks both the guide bars together to the left, and then the
selected carriages begin to go back, and the operation above described is
repeated, videlicet, the front points which have been previously drawn out are
racked one space to the right, and then begin to go down, and the gatherers
which have also been drawn forwards) descend with them, and in descending
the gatherers rack one space to the left before they enter between the threads;
and then, as soon as they have entered on the left-hand sides of those pairs of
selected bobbin threads which are to be caught up by their aid, and as soon
ás the front points have also entered with their long points between the same
pairs of threads, but on the right-hand side of each such pair of threads, then

page_text: the front points are racked one and a half spaces to the left at the same
moment that the gatherers are racked one and a half spaces to the right, in
order by those contrary rackings to bend the threads over and across the long
front points, which then begin to be raised up, together with the gathers, by
which time both divisions of the selected carriages being come through into
the front combs, numbers XIV. and XV. are racked, which racks both guide
bars to the right; the carriages then begin to go back again, and the points
and gatherers to rise up, but the points rise rather faster so as to overtake the
gatherers and enter in amongst their lower ends after the gatherers go quite
up along with and included between the long points, in such manner that the
latter draw up the selected bobbin threads into loops across over the long
points, which are raised up a very little higher than the pointed extremities of
the back points on to which the loops are to be transferred, and which back
points, when the front points get quite up, are on the right hand-side of each
of the long points, the gatherers being likewise on the right-hand side of the
said long points, and retaining the loops of thread from sliping backwards of
the ends of those long points until they have risen up higher than the back
points on to which they are to be transferred, and then the gatherers being
raised up out of action, the threads fly backwards and transfer themselves
instantly to the back points, which takes place when the carriages have only
gone a little way backwards, after which the front points begin to draw out
again, and the gatherers to come a little forwards, so that by the time the
carriages get back into the back combs and numbers XVI., XVII., are
racked, the front points and gatherers will be ready to repeat their action of
looping up the selected bobbin threads, of which two repetitions have now
been described, and the remainder of the operation of spotting consists of four
more such repetitions, making six in the whole. And note, immediately after
the ratchet wheel 107 was ratched in preparation for the spotting as aforesaid,
so as to bring the notch of its circular rim beneath the truck of the elbow
lever 106, in order to produce the change of the camms for actuating the front
point bar during the spotting, the driver 70 of that ratchet wheel was held
off' out of action by the rim of its camm 91 on the back axis 42, and kept so
during all the time of spotting, being so many revolutions of the main driving
camms, so that the ratchet wheel 107 of ten teeth misses ratcbing six succes-
sive times; but at the last time of gathering up the thred for the sixth curl of
each of the spots, its driver 70 is allowed by the camm 91 to act again, and
then turns the wheel 107 so as to remove the notch in its rim from the truck
of the elbow lever 106, and throw the upper end of that lever suddenly back-
ward, and by so doing the change which was made as above described for the

page_text: commencement of the spotting is reversed, in order to restore the connections
of the front point bar to its ordinary taking-up camm; that is to say, the
upright taking-up link h for the front point bar being pushed back by its link
105, is unhooked from the joint pin of the additional taking-up lever 104, and
hooked on to that of the ordinary taking-up lever d, the elbow latch 109 is
lifted up and unhooked from the pin 110 of the front point bar, thereby
disconnecting it from the drawing-out camm 102, and the upright link 111 is
unhooked from the small elbow lever 113 for racking the front point bar.
And note, the front points are prevented from going in any farther between
the threads than they did or are intended to do during the formation of the
stops by a stop 117 catching the end of the front point bar k, and this latch
continues to limit their going in after the disconnecting is made. The other
changes are then made by the various wheels on the axis 42, videlicit, the
pusher bar 4 is disconnected by the camm 77 lifting the link 74 the instant
that the carriages are all locked up in the back combs, leaving the pusher bar
to be drawn back as far as its stopping arm 11 will permit, and at the same
instant the back driving bar is connected by the camms 92 letting down its
links 65 so as to hook on the pins at the ends of the back bar 66, and the
camms 59 lower the curved bridges 67 to let down the back driving bar I
into its proper place within reach of the carriages. The back drawer bar
I being thus connected, the camm 82 releases the pin at the
lever 81, to leave the bar at liberty to be swong forwards.
the same camm 82 gathers in the truck 43 of the lever 20 in
the gatherer bar 7; the camm 35 lowering its lever 34, lets fall the latch 33
to re-engage the racking wheels on the upright axis L, and then they rack
number 9 immediately; all this is performed at the instant when the car-
riages are locked up in the back combs and ready to come forwards again,
but to prepare for that, the curved piece 79 on the racking wheel 84 allows
the sliding bolt 53 to be moved suddenly endways by its spring, so as to
release the locking lever 52 of the back locker in order to allow all the
carriages to come forwards; the rims 95 of the camms 80 do not yet release
the levers 96, which hold up the back point bar, but on the contrary they lift
the back points a little higher than they have been during all the time of
making spots, in order to tighten the threads as before mentioned, neither
does the rim 80 quit the lever 87, which holds the back points partly with-
drawn, but keeps them so for the present. The operation of making the
plain net now proceeds according to the foregoing description, which com-
menced with racking number 9. And note, at the proper time for taking up
with the front points, they first are withdrawn by their ordinary knocking-out
lower end of the
The rim 22 on
order to hold up

page_text: wheel, which, after they have been duly tilted down by their ordinary taking-
up camm, allow them to penetrate into the warp threads, as usual, the instant
after number 12 is racked; but the stop 115 makes no impediment to the
going back of the front point bar when it is tilted down, and also, when the
point bar is raised up again with its points inserted through the warp threads,
it then strikes up underneath the stop 115, which being mounted on a centre
pin, yields upwards and makes no resistance; and as soon as the front points
have taken up and secured the meshes of the net, the back points are drawn
back by an internal prominence within the rim of their camm 80 acting on
their lever 87 to withdraw the back points from the newly-formed spots before
their usual knocking-out camm w operates to withdraw them; but when the
period arrives for their action the rim 80 quits the truck of the lever 87 altoge-
ther, and the rim 95 quit the roller 94, leaving the back point bar at liberty to
be actuated in its usual and proper manner for taking up the meshes of plain net.
And note, the ratchet wheel 107 is wound round by action of its driver 70 and the
camin 47 a tooth every time that the main axis Y makes one revolution, but
as that would bring the notch in its rim into action before the proper time, it
is made to pause by action of the rim 91 during five turns of the axis Yout
of the fifteen turns which it makes during the making of plain net; but if tho
wheel 107 had fifteen teeth instead of ten, that pause would not be required,
or if it had twenty-one teeth it might act continually without that other pause
before mentioned, which it makes whilst the axis Y goes round six times for
making a row of spots.
Another part of my present improvements is to make bobbin net lace which
is ornamented with stops formed by accumulated interweavings of two extra
threads, which are introduced into the warp for each longitudinal row of spots
which are required to be made in the net, those extra threads being included
in the twists which are made by the ordinary bobbin threads and warp
threads, so as not to shew very perceptibly in the plain net the courses by
which those extra threads pass from one place to another such place, the two
extra threads which are to form each longitudinal row of spots proceeding by
separate courses along the net in order to be less visible; and the spots are
formed at the required places by the said extra threads crossing and recrossing
each other in contrary directions continually backwards and forwards, before
and behind three bobbin threads and two intermediate warp threads of the
net, so as to form several short zigzag courses across five adjacent threads, and
produce flat woven spots. The manner of performing this on that kind of
bobbin net machinery which is commonly called Lever's machinery, is repre-
sented in Sheets VIII, IX., and X. of the Drawings hereunto annexed, but

page_text: the structure and operation of that machinery being well known, and the
nanes of the principal parts being written on the Drawings, it is not necessary
to enter into a minute explanation thereof. The Lever's machine which is to
operate according to this part of my improvements having its warp threads
and main guides as usual, must have two extra guide bars for the extra
threads, one applied in the front and the other at the back, with one extra
guide fixed upon each extra bar opposite to each place in the width of the net
where spots are required to be made therein at the same time. And note, if
the spots are to be disposed according to a chequered pattern, then two
additional guide bars in front (marked 1, 2, in Sheet VIII.,) and two more,
3, 4, at the back, will be requisite. The extra threads must be held by the
said extra guides in two different planes from the main warp threads, or
what may be called three tiers, one in front and the other at the back of the
main warp threads, so that the extra guide will be capable of shogging inde-
pendently thereof. The said extra threads are supplied from two or four extra
beams or thread rollers 5, 6, one to each guide bar, and each of those rollers
must have a suitable connection with the usual apparatus, either of the point
bars either back or front for turning the roller round in that direction, which
will unwind the extra threads from off it, in order that the extra threads may
give off in the exact quantity of thread required at each time of taking up the
extra threads by the taking up points, whether front or back, in part of the
formation of a spot. The usual taking-up points must be removed, and a new
set applied, with twice as many pins or points, in any given width, and rather
thinner pins or points than usual, those being cast in leads cranked downwards
from the point bars to which they are screwed so as to enable the points to go
down very near to the tops of the carriages in taking up. And note, the
points will take up all the twists and crosses as fast as they are made, instead
of what is termed bugging the twist. The Lever's machine will be better
adapted for this purpose if its combs, bars, and landing bars are spread wider
apart than usual at their lower edges, as is represented in the section, Sheet
VIII., which may be done by making the arms of the main joints by which
those bars are suspended to bend outwards from each other, so as to leave
more space between them for the extra guide bars (but that is not indispen-
able). The uppermost angles of the catch bars back and front should be filed
away level to allow the points to go down very low in taking up. Note, the
points or pins being so close together, cannot pass one row through the other
row, as usual, in taking up with Lever's machinery, but one row must be always
over the other row in two levels, to which each row must be raised in its turns,
and therefore suitable moveable pieces must be interposed between the stop

page_text: screws for limiting the descent of the tail poles r, s, for each point bar, in order
thereby to limit the ascent of that row of points which took up last to the lowest
of the two levels, and keep its points from striking the other row of points which
took up previously, and which have reached the highest; but when those latter
5 are withdrawn from the meshes of the net, their moveable piece must be with-
drawn in order to allow the other points to go quite up to the highest level,
ready for those which were withdrawn to come beneath them at the lowest
level without one row of points touching the other; or this may be done by
prongs fixed to each point bar to overlap each other in the manner of what are
called horns, and which are pieces projecting from each point bar exactly in
the range of the row of points belonging to that bar, and which pieces overlap
each other to guard the points from touching each other. The usual racking
wheels of Lever's machinery on the upright axis L, at the right-hand end, are
to be changed for other racking wheels having a ratchet wheel of nine teeth
to turn them, and a set of racking wheels must be suitably formed for racking
the front comb bar and the main comb bar, so as to produce all the move-
ments usually given to the bars in Lever's machinery, but in nine motions
instead of eight. These wheels are drawn full size in Sheets VIII. and IX.;
and if the net is to be made in breadths, other suitable racking wheels must be
applied for racking the selvedge guide bars and turn-again comb bar. The two or
four extra guide bars 1, 2, 3, 4, for the extra guides for extra or spotting threads,
are to be racked by additional racking wheels applied on an upright axis of their
own at the left-hand end of the machine, turned by a distinct chopper, which,
by a driver, actuates a large ratchet wheel of forty-five teeth, which is ratched,
one tooth at a time, at the same moment when the ordinary racking wheel is
racked. These additional racking wheels are shewn in Sheet X., wherein the
large ratchet wheel of 45 teeth is marked 10, and 9 is the upright axis upon
which it is mounted, that axis being supported by bearing brackets affixed to
the wood frame, and reaching out therefrom. The four large racking wheels
for racking the extra guide bars are fixed on the axis 9, but only two wheels
are represented at 33 and 34, and their motions are transmitted to the extra
guide bars 1 and 2 by sliding bolts 39, 40. The other two racking wheels
and bolts would be similar for racking the other two extra bars 3 and 4. The
driver 23 for turning the ratchet wheel 10 is jointed to one arm of an elbow
lever 24, which plays upon an upright centre pin fixed into a bracket projecting
out from the wood frame, and the other arm of the lever 24 is acted upon by
a projection w affixed to one of those links which are called goose necks, and
which is jointed to the front landing bar, and reaches downwards and back-
wards beneath the fixed tye bar to the lower end of the drawing tackle lever
C

page_text: at the back of the machine. By this means, when the landing bars are
extended, the elbow lever 24 is moved by the projection w, and the driver 23
is made to turn the ratchet wheel 10 one tooth. A reacting spring is applied
to pull back the lever 24 when the projection w retreats from it as the landing
bars are closed. An additional horizontal axis 42, Sheet IX., is placed behind
all the length of the machine, supported in bearings at each end screwed to
the caps of the wood frame, and steadied by another bearing in the middle
supported from the back rafter. That back axis 42 is turned round by a
ratchet wheel 48 of 45 teeth fixed on the back axis 42 near to its middle
bearing, the teeth of the ratchet wheel 48 being turned round, one at a time,
by a driver 49 acting in the teeth at the lower part of the wheel 48. The
driver 49 is jointed to the lower end of a short arm 50 which projects down-
wards from the middle part of the usual horizontal back axis T of the goose-
neck or drawing tackle levers; wherefore the driver 49 is put backwards, and
turns the ratchet wheel 48 round one tooth every time that the landing bars
are closed, that motion being given at the same moment when the ordinary
catch bar wheels are turned one tooth. The additional racking wheels on the
upright axis 9, and those on the back axis 42, will complete a revolution in
the same time; videlicit, the ratchet wheel and racking wheels V, with 9
teeth, on the ordinary upright axis L, go three times round for making three
complete rows of meshes, which comprizes twenty-seven teeth out of the 45
teeth, and then the said ratchet wheel V of nine teeth makes a pause during
as much time as it would take to go round twice more, the pause being occa-
sioned by the ordinary chopper W having been disengaged, and during the
pause a row of spots is made.
But the two large racking wheels of forty-five
teeth, videlicit, that at ten on the upright axis 9, and that at 48 on the back
axis 42, go on continually so as to get round in a space of time equal to five
turns of the ordinary wheels V, during which, if they had kept going, they would
have made five rows of complete meshes of net; but, as it is, the said large
racking wheels 33, 34, and all those on the back axis 42, go once round
whilst three rows of complete meshes and one row of spots are actually made.
The back axis 42 has seven camm wheels fixed upon it for producing all the
changes which are required to be made in the machinery for ceasing to make
plain net and beginning to make spots, and vice versa. During the making
of the spots the point bars must take up continually to gather up and accu-
mulate the extra threads into spots. Those extra threads which are in the
back and at the front, and whereof a pair are required to form each spot, are
racked to the right and to the left contrary ways to each other previous to
every time that the carriages are passed and repassed between the warp

page_text: threads, all the other warp threads standing still, and the carriages are never
divided or traversed during the making of the spots. The points back and
front alternately must take up every time that the carriages are passed and
repassed; but, as no twists or crosses will have been made, the points will
only catch up the extra threads, whereof each pair back and front by their
contrary racking motions have been laid across two of the bobbin threads
which have passed or repassed, and also across three warp threads to which
those two bobbin threads are interspaced. This mode of operating during
the making of the spots requires different arrangements of the parts of the
Lever's machinery to be made from those whereby plain net is made therein;
videlicet, the catch bar wheels are required to act differently in order that the
carriages may be passed and repassed continually without interruption for
dividing; wherefore the catch bar wheels which are operative during the
making of the plain net must be disconnected, and other additional ones
brought into action; also the pusher bars and dividing apparatus must be
rendered operative during the taking-up. To bring all these parts into
operation is the office of the several camms on the back axis 42; videlicit, on
the right-hand extremity of the axis 42, beyond its bearing, is a circular camm
with a prominent rim at one side of its circumference, which rim is cut to act
on the backmost end of a horizontal lever, whereof only the foremost end can
be seen in the Drawings at 62, Sheet X., and that end acts against a prong
fixed to the ordinary driver of the chopper W for the ratchet wheel V of nine
teeth on the upright axis L of the ordinary racking wheels, so that the said
circular prominent rim, when in action on the lever 62, will hold the driver W
to the left, and prevent its action on the ratchet wheel V, in order to leave the
same standing motionless; but when that part of the same circular rim which
is cut away comes to act on the lever 62, then the driver W is allowed to act
as usual. Another camm wheel is fixed on the axis 42, within its right-hand
bearing, to act by its circumference on the backmost end of a lever which is
poised by its middle on a fixed centre stud pin, and whereof the foremost end
is linked to the ordinary drivers, Sheet X., for the front catch bar wheel, so
that when the prominent part of the circumference of the said camnm is acting
beneath the backmost end of its lever, the driver S will be left at liberty to
perform its usual functions, but when the deficient part of the same camin
comes round, the driver S will be held up and kept out of action by the
force of a spring which pulls down the backmost end of the lever. Then, at
the side of the last-mentioned camm, another similar one is fixed on the axis
42 with a like lever, sce 71, Sheet IX., to act in like manner on the two
ordinary claws k, v, for the small ratchet wheel K by which the lace roller is

page_text: turned in order to wind up the lace as it is made, so that the deficient part of
the camm coming into action on the lever 71 will hold the claws k, v, out of
action on the ratchet wheel K in order to suspend the action of winding up
the lace whilst spots are making; but the prominent part of the same camm
comes round, and will leave those claws k, v, in action in their usual manner
for making plain net. A pair of new additional catch-bar wheel, having
ratchet wheels of 8 teeth, and mounted in a frame of the usual kind, must be
applied to the landing bars front and back, in addition to the ordinary ones,
to act during the spotting as substitutes for the ordinary catch-bar wheels
front and back, which are then rendered inactive; and, in like manner, the
two additional catch-bar wheels are then rendered inactive whilst the plain
net is making. The front set of these additional catch-bar wheels is applied
to the left-hand end of the front landing bar at 65, Sheet X., close within the
(main joint) hanging cheek P of the bar, and the back set of the said addi-
tional catch-bar wheels is applied on the right-hand end of the back landing
bar; but they cannot be seen in the Drawing, being concealed behind the
right-hand front hanging cheek p. The frames for carrying the axis of those
wheels are screwed to the landing bars in the usual manner of ordinary catch-
bar wheels, their ratchet wheels being cut with eight teeth, but their catch-
bar wheels being cut with alternate rises and falls; and extra claws are applied
to turn those ratchet wheels round, being mounted on fixed centre pins like
the ordinary dividers. The claw which is for the extra front catch-bar wheels
65 is shewn at 75, Sheet X.; the other is concealed. Note, the common
catch-bar wheels must be removed and replaced by others suitably cut to act
with ratchet wheels of nine teeth, which must be substituted for the ordinary
eight-toothed ratchet wheels of the ordinary catch-bar wheels.
And note,
during the spotting the ordinary catch-bar wheels which then remain inactive
must both of them present notches to the prongs or riders of their catch bars
respectively, in order that they may allow those bars to drop by action of the
additional catch-bar wheels, which are then operative; and on the back axis
42, close to that camm wheel which is for disengaging the taking-up claw of
the lace roller, is another camm, which acts on the backmost end of a lever
poised, like the others, by its middle on a fixed centre pin, and the foremost
end of that lever lifts up the additional claw by which the extra back catch-bar
ratchet wheel (not seen in the Drawings) is turned, that claw being mounted
on a stud centre pin projecting out of a fixed bracket screwed to the back tye
bar. The prominence of the last-mentioned camm is in action on its lever
during all the time of spotting, and will then let down the said claw, so as to
turn the ratchet and the extra back catch-bar wheels; but the deficiency of

page_text: the camm comes round when the plain net is to be made, and will lift the
claw out of action by force of a spring which is applied to the back end of the
lever to pull down that end. Near to the middle bearing of the back axis 42
is a camm 58, Sheet IX., to act on the hinder end of a horizontal sliding bolt
59 supported by a socket fixed to the foot of the back standard. The fore-
most end of that bolt has a cross T-head reaching horizontally each way right
and left, with holes through its ends to admit the two ordinary pendulous
links N and M, for dividing, which descend as usual from the two tail poles
, s, of the two point bars spindle bars F, G; and when the prominence of the
camm 58 comes into action to prepare for the spotting, it pushes forwards the
bolt 59, which, by its T-end, bears forwards the two dividing links N and M
out of their usual holes in the ends of the arms o of the dividing levers, which
are both of them fixed on a short horizontal back axis Z; and the holes in the
ends of the arms K being cut out into stops to receive the pendulous links N.
and M, they will become disengaged so long as the prominence of the camm
58 is in action on its bolt 59, and then the back pusher bar m will not be
brought into action at the time of taking up; but when the prominence of
the camm 58 passes away, the links N and M will be carried back by force
a reacting spring which is applied to the bolt 59, and reinserted into the slots
of the lever axis K to restore their usual connection with the dividing
apparatus and back pusher bar m for making plain net. And note, during
the operation of spotting the front pusher bar must be held forwards, so that its
pushers are kept quite out of action in consequence of a prominence of its usual
front pusher wheel n (which is at the side of the usual front catch-bar wheel)
remaining in action all the time whilst the front catch-bar wheels are inactive.
Near the middle bearing of the back axis 42 its ratchet wheel 48, of forty-five
teeth, is fixed on to turn the axis round; and near to that is a wheel 66,
shaped somewhat like a ratchet wheel, of forty-five teeth, for actuating a back
stop 69, Sheet IX., for detaining the landing bars at the proper position for
taking up in making the spots; and near to the left-hand extremety of the
axis 42 is a camm wheel and lever to act on the back end of the usual driver
(not seen in the Drawings) for the ratchet wheel of the usual back catch-bar
wheels, so as to hold up that driver out of action when the camm presents a
prominence, and vice virse. The ratchet wheel for the extra front catch-bar
wheels 65 will be turned by their extra claw 75, which, as before mentioned,
is jointed to a fixed stud pin borne by the same bracket which sustained fixed
stud pin of the ordinary driver z of the ordinary front catch-bar wheels. That
claw 75 is lifted up out of action whilst plain net is making by the right-hand

page_text: end of a lever 43, Sheet X., which is poised on a fixed centre pin, and the
left-hand end is pulled down by a spring which will hold up the claw 75 when
it is permitted to operate; but the same end of the lever 43 applies to a
prominent rim 41 on the upper side of the uppermost wheel 33 of the four
large racking wheels on the upright axis 9, at the left-hand end of the
machine. These wheels 33 and 34, as before mentioned, are racked simul-
taneously with the racking wheels on the upright axis L.; and when the rim
41 is brought round to the tail of the lever 43, the claw 75 is let down into
operation on the extra front catch-bar wheels suitably for making spots. Note,
near to the ratchet wheel 48 another wheel must be fixed on the middle
part of the back axis 42 to act as a substitute for the ordinary ratchet wheel of
eight teeth for the dividing stop for actuating the backmost end of the tail
of the back dividing stop in its usual manner for taking up during the making
of plain net. This is an addition to the wheel 66 for the back stop 69,
Sheet IX., which is operative during the making of spots, and then every
time that the landing bars are quite closed, the wheel 66 causes the stop 69 to
catch the back landing bar and detain the bars quite closed whilst the points
take up, and when the points get up, the said wheel 66 must permit the tail
of the stop 69 to be lifted up by a reacting spring so as to disengage the
stop 69 and liberate the landing bar when the points have finished taking up.
This is accomplished by giving a nudge of about one fifth of a tooth to the
large ratchet wheel 48 by one or other of two nudging drivers f, g, which
are suspended from the tail poles ? and s of the two point bars as usual, so as
to hang down in the way of the teeth of the ratchet wheel 48; but in lieu of
acting on the ordinary ratchet wheel of eight teeth for the back dividing stop,
that wheel is all together removed, and the same effect is attained by nudging
the ratchet wheel 48. When the plain net is making, the other wheel before
mentioned, which is very similar to the wheel 66, must perform the office of
the usual dividing stop wheel by suitable prominences, which will bring that
stop (which is formed similarly to the back stop 69, and mounted at the side
thereof on the same fixed centre pin) into action instantaneously at every
proper time for taking up in order to retain the landing bars at their proper
distance, as under, for dividing; but the prominences must let the stop loose
when the ratchet wheel 48 is nudged round by one or other of its nudges f
org during the ascent of the point bars, whether back or front. And note,
a spring must be applied, as usual, to the back end of the tail of the dividing
stop, but reversed to its usual action, videlicet, it must pul up that tail in
order to unlock the stop, and it is the prominence of the cam which put the

page_text: stop in action. The spring of the back stop 69 is applied in like manner.
The shape of the two wheels 66 and its fellow wheel will be that of a ratchet
wheel of forty-five teeth fixed on the axies 42 near to the ratchet wheel 48,
and having some of their teeth cut away at all the parts which will come into
action when each stop is not required to act to the tail of the back stop, vide-
licet, wheel the part which dividing stop wheel presents the tail of the back
stops whilest the plain net is making will have three teeth cut away together,
and then one left, but at one place four teeth cut away together, and that portion
of the other fellow wheel 66 which will be operative during the spotting will
have all its teeth left. The apparatus before mentioned for turning round the
small thread rollers which supply the additional threads from which the spots
are to be formed derives its action from the going up of the point bars either
back or front whenever they act during the operation of the spotting to take up
the extra threads in part of the formation of each spot.
For this purpose a
ratchet wheel 7, Sheets IX. and X., is fixed on the end of each of the extra
rollers 5, 6, with five teeth adapted to be caught by a driver 15, which is
jointed to the front end of a short lever arm projecting out forwards from a
long horizontal axis 16, which is supported in brackets applied in front of the
back rafter, and from that axis 16 a longer lever arm 17 proceeds upwards
and backwards to reach beneath the lower ends of the two pendulous links M
and N, before mentioned, in such manner that when either of those links M
or N ascend during the going down of either point bar, then driver 15, by
force of a suitable spring 19, will descend to take a tooth of its ratchet wheel
7, and then as the points go up again, after having taken the extra threads,
the driver 15 will be forced upwards and will turn the roller 6 or so much
as to unwind as much extra thread therefrom as the points require to take
up at one time in part formation of a spot; and when the plain net is
making, the pendulous links M and N being both drawn backwards by
the sliding bolt 59 and camm wheel 58, their lower ends will no longer
be over the ends of the lever 17, and will therefore have no action thereon
when the points act for taking up the meshes of plain net. Each of the
extra rollers 5, 6, and two others, if such are required, must be provided with
its ratchet wheel 7, driver 15, axis and levers 17; but as only one half of the
number of those extra rollers will be required to be operative at the same time,
the drivers 15 of those which are for the time inactive must be held off' from
contact with their ratchet wheels by a connexion from suitable curved
pieces fixed to their corresponding racking wheels 33, 34, assuming that the
machinery has been in full operation, and only stopped for examination. At the
place chosen for the commencement of the description of the mode of making

page_text: plain net, the positions of the several parts will then be as follows:-The
carriages stand in their middle position, having come from the back combs in
their way to the front combs. The carriages are now divided into two divisions,
the back catch bar having hold of the back division, and the front catch bar of
the front division, the front pushers are still in action. The back point bar
has only just taken up, and has left the carriages so divided, having let down
the back catch bar and allowed the back pushers to retreat
their own
springs as it went up, and the back point bar having nudged the back axis one
fifth of a tooth when it got very nearly up, so as to have released the back
dividing stop, leaving the landing bars at liberty to be extended. The front
comb bar stands racked to the left as far as it can go; it is capable of racking
two spaces. The back extra guide bar, for the extra or spotting threads for
spotting, stands to the left, the same as the main guide bar, but it can rack
three spaces. The front extra guide bar for the extra or spotting threads stands
all but one to the right, from which it can go two to the left, or one to the
right. This position being understood, the order of working a row of meshes
of plain net of nine motions is as follows:-Extend the landing bars and catch
bars, which will draw the front division of carriages (being those which will
progress towards the right in traversing, and which may therefore be designated
as carriages R) into the front combs, and the back division (being those which
will traverse towards the left, and which may be called carriages L) into the
back combs and racks tooth 1, (which, at succeeding repetitions of the opera-
tion will become tooth 10 or tooth 19,) which racks the front combs two
spaces to the right, with the carriages R and the guides two spaces to the right,
together with the back extra guides and racks, the front extra guides only one
space to the right. Then close the bars to put the front carriages R down to
their central position, and at the same time bring the back division L forwards
to that position. As they approach that position both catch bars are lifted, and
then the back catch bar is let fall to secure both divisions of carriages in one
row, also the front pushers are brought forwards out of action, and the ratchet
wheel 48, or the back axis 42, is ratched one tooth, but that produces no effect
at present. Extend the bars to take all the carriages through between the warp
threads into the back combs and rack tooth 2 (or 11 or 20), which racks the
front combs two spaces to the left, they being empty, and the guides one to
the left, both extra guides, back and front, standing still. Then close the bars
to bring all the carriages through forwards between the warp threads into the
front. The back catch bar is raised and the front one let fall, and the ratchet
wheel 48 is ratched one tooth, but that produces no effect. Extend the bars
to bring the carriages through into the front and rack tooth 3 (or 12 or 21),

page_text: which racks the guides one to the right, and the back extra guides one to the
left, the front ones standing still. Then close the bars; the front catch bar is
lifted and the back one falls, and the ratchet wheel 48 is ratched. Extend the
bars to take the carriages through into the back combs and rack tooth 4 (or 13
or 22), which racks the guides one space to the left, but both the extra guides
stand still. Then close the bars to bring the carriages forwards. The front
catch bar is lifted, the back one remains down. The front pushers are allowed
to fall back by their springs into action. The ratchet wheel 48 is ratched, and
one of its wheels brings the dividing stop instantly into action to detain the
landing bars at a proper distance apart for dividing. Take up with the front
points by force of the right foot; as they come down the back catch bar is
raised, and the back pushers brought forwards to divide the carriages, and the
front points when they get down give a nudge in the usual manner to the front
catch-bar wheels, so as to let down the front catch bar into the front notches
of the front division of carriages R, and then, as the front points go up again,
they let down the back catch bar into the back notches of the back division L,
and let the back pushers retreat; and when the front points get very nearly
up the nudge the ratchet wheel 48 one fifth of a tooth by the nudger f, and
that allows the back dividing stop to release itself by the pulling-up action of
its own spring, so as to set the landing bars free. Extend the bars to draw
the front division into the front R, and the back division L into the back, and
rack tooth 5, or 14 or 23, which racks the front combs two to the right, with
the front carriages R. The main guide stands still, and both extra guide bars
stand still. Close the bars to put the carriages down to their central position,
and restore them into one row. The back catch bar is raised, and the front
one is also raised, and then let fall to catch all the carriages by their front
notches. The front pushers are also taken out of action. Extend the bars to
bring all the carriages into the front and rack tooth 6, or 15 or 24, which racks
the front combs two spaces to the left, with all the carriages. The guides
stand still, and racks the back extra guides one to the left, but the front extra
guides stand still. Close the bars to put the carriages back to their central
position. The front catch bar is lifted, and the back one let fall. Extend the
bars to take all the carriages through into the back and rack tooth 7, (or 16 or
25), which racks the guides one space to the left, and the back extra guides
one space to the right, but the front ones stand still. Then close the bars to
bring the carriages through forwards. The back catch bar is lifted, and the
front one let fall. Extend the bars to bring all the carriages into the front
combs and rack tooth 8 (or 17 or 26), which racks the guides one space to
the right, but both extra guides stand still." Close the bars to take the

page_text: carriages through backwards.
The front catch bar is lifted, the back one is
let fall. Extend the bars to take the carriages back and rack tooth 9 (or 18
or 27), which racks the main guides one to the left, and also both the extra
guides one to the left. Close the bars to bring all the carriages forwards. The
front catch bar remains lifted, the back one remains down; the front pushers
are allowed to go back by their springs into action. Take up with the back
points by force of the left foot; as they descend the back catch bar is raised,
and the back pushers are brought forwards to divide the carriages; then the
points enter the warp threads and begin to go up again, and, as they ascend,
letting down the back catch bar into the back notches of the back carriages L,
and allowing the back pushers to retreat; and when the points get almost
down, they give a nudge to the front catch-bar wheels to let the front catch
bar fall into the front notches of the front carriages R; and when the back
points get nearly up, their nudger g nudges the back ratchet wheel 48 about
one fifth of a tooth, to let the back dividing stop release itself by its own
spring, and leave the landing bars at liberty to be extended.
All the parts
have now regained the positions which they had at the commencement of
this description. The racking wheels on the axis L have gone once round,
and a row of complete meshes of bobbin net have been worked.
And note,
the extra warp threads, which have been guided by the extra guides above
described, will have become included in the twists and crosses which have
been made, so as to be concealed therein in such manner as to be very slightly
visable in the net when finished. Each pair of threads which are to be used
for making the same spot will pass by different paralel courses along the net,
and will be brought together when they are to make spots. The above opera-
tion is repeated, without alteration, three times over, according to the succes-
sion of the numbers which are inserted in parenthesis, and at the third time
of repeating the various camms on the back axis 42, whereof the ratchet
wheel 48 has been ratched round a tooth at every time that the carriages went
to their central position (and at the same instant when the catch-bar wheels
were turned), will now begin to act for producing the requisite changes in the
several parts, to adapt them for the spotting. Hitherto this axis has produced
no effect, except actuating the dividing stop twice for dividing. This changing
is begun after tooth (7 or) 25 is racked, when the landing bars are closed
before tooth (8 or) 26 is racked. The ordinary driver of the front catch bar
wheels having turned its ratchet wheel one tooth that time, is then raised up
by action of its camm on the back axis 42, so as to take that driver out of
action, and it will continue so all the time of spotting; also the camm 54, on
the middle of the back axis 42, presenting a prominence to its sliding bolt 59,

page_text: pushes forwards the dividing links M and N, so as to disconnect them from
the short armo on the axis 2 for the ordinary dividing tackle. Then tooth
(8 or) 26 of the ordinary racking wheel is racked as usual, and at the same
moment that tooth 26 is racked the extra claw 75 for the extra front catch bar
wheels 65 is let down into action by a prominence 41 of the uppermost rim
of the large racking wheels 33 at the left-hand end, in preparation for acting
during the spotting, so that when the bars are again closed the ordinary front
catch-bar wheels will not be ratched round, but the extra front catch-bar wheel
will be ratched in lieu, which raises the front catch bar, and the back one falls,
all which is as usual, although performed by the extra wheels instead of the
ordinary wheels. The wheel 48 on the back axis 42 ratches one tooth,
but that does nothing. Note, the reason for changing the ordinary front catch
bar wheels for their extra ones, before the last motion, is to avoid their bring-
ing the front pushers into action. Then tooth (9 or) 27 is racked as usual
without change, but rim 41 of the left-hand large racking wheels 33, which
also catch tooth 27, lift up the extra claw 43 for the extra front catch bar
wheel 65, so that it will not act next time, but will mis once to keep the front
catch bar raised; then the bars being closed the last time after tooth (9 or) 27
is racked, the front catch bar remains raised and the back one remains down,
but the front pushers are not brought into action. The ratchet wheel 48.
ratches another tooth, and the ordinary driver S for the back catch-bar wheels
is lifted by its camm on the back axis 42, so as to take that driver S out of
action, and keep it out all the time of spotting, and likewise the extra driver
for the extra back catch-bar wheel is let down into action by its camm on the
back axis 42, and will continue so all the time of spotting; also at the same
instant the ordinary driver W of the chopper of the usual racking wheels V is
pressed to the left away from its ratchet wheel by action of its lever 62 and
camm on the back axis 42, and will be kept out all the time of spotting.
Also the two small clawkers k and v for the ratchet wheel K, by which the lace
roller is to be turned slowly round for winding up the net, are to be both taken
out of action by their lever 71 and camm on the back axis 42, and kept out
all the time of spotting. And note, a small extra hold-back claw y must be
applied to the ratchett wheel K to keep it from running back when its two
ordinary clawkers k and v are withdrawn, otherwise the net would unwind off
the lace roller. Note, the said two clawkers k and are suspended by
joints from short arms from the two top spindle bars F and G, for the point
bars back and front, all as usual. The whole of the change is now made. But
note, the carriages, although all in their central position aparently as usual,
will not be divided when the back points take up, which they are about to do,

page_text: and in that taking up the first difference of action belonging to the spotting
operation begins, for the points will take up without dividing the carriages;
take up with the back points by the left foot. As they are brought down
the back catch bar is raised as usual, but the back pushers remain inactive,
and no dividing of the carriages will take place, neither will any nudge be
given to the front catch-bar wheel, but the points will enter between the
threads and go up again without turning the lace roller; but when the back
points get almost up, their nudger 9 will nug the ratchett wheel 48 to prevent
the back stop 69 to disengage itself by its own spring and leave the landing
bars at liberty, just as took place during the making of plain net, but then it
was the dividing stop which operated, and now the back stop 69 in lieu;
extend the bars and take the carriages back into the back combs and rack
tooth 28 of the large racking wheels 33, 34, (the ordinary racking wheels V
being inactive), which, by the prominent rim 41, lets down the extra claw 75
for the extra front catch-bar wheels 65, and racks the back extra guides three
spaces to the right, and the front one two spaces to the left. Close the bars.
to bring the carriages forward to the central position, the back catch bar will
be raised and the front one let fall. The ratchett wheel 48 is ratched, and
brings the back stop 69 instantly into action to detain the landing bars, whilst
the front points operate to take up those extra warp or spotting threads, back
and front, which have been laid across two warp threads; and those bobbin
threads, by their last-mentioned contrary rackings, take up with the front
points by the right treadle to bring the front point bar down, and its points
enter the warp threads, and in going up again take up those extra threads,
back and front, which by their last racking motions have been laid across two
warp threads and two bobbin threads; also by the connection M, 17, 16, 15,
and 7, the extra roller 6 for the extra threads is turned round a little to unwind a
suitable portion of its threads; when the points get very nearly up, their nuger
fnudges the ratchet wheel 48, and that allows the back stop 69 to release
itself and leave the landing bars at liberty. Extend the bars to bring all the
carriages in front and rack tooth 29, which racks the front extra guides three
spaces to the right, and the back extra guides three to the left, then close the
bars. The front catch bar is raised, the back one let fall, the ratchett wheel 48
is ratched one tooth, and brings the back stop 69 into action. Then take up
with the back points to gather up the extra threads which have been racked
contrary ways across two neighbouring warp threads and three bobbin threads,
as before; when the points gets nearly up, their nudger 9 nudges the ratchett
wheel 48, and allow the back stop to release the landing bars as before.
Note, during the operation of making spots, whenever the carriages are in

page_text: front, and are about to go through between the warp threads front to back,
the front extra guides must rack 3 spaces to the right, and the back
extra guides must rack 3 spaces to the left (contrary ways to each other),
in preparation for the carriages going through backwards, and then, vice
versa, the front extra guides must rack 3 spaces to the left, and the back
extra guides 3 spaces to the right, in preparation for the carriages coming
through forwards, the main guides in each case remaining motionless,
the carriages passing and repassing through the same spaces between the
warp threads, the back and front extra guides always rack contrary ways one
to the other. By these means a clothwork spot is woven, whereof the extra
guide threds from the zig-zag weft intersecting 3 bobbin threads and 2 inter-
mediate warp threads which are between the 3 bobbin threads, the zig-zag
returns of the said wefts being around the 2 outmost of the 3 bobbin
threads. The operation of making the spots goes on in exact repetition of the
motions already described, until 18 repetitions of the taking up of the points
have been made, that is, nine by the front points and nine by the back ones,
the front points having operated the first of the eighteen times (after tooth 28
was racked), and the back points taking up at the last time of the eighteen
times (after tooth 45 is racked), and by that time the change must have been
made to bring all the parts into their proper positions for resuming the
making of the plain net. The commencement of the change is made when
the landing bars are closed after tooth 43 is racked, then the camm 58 on
the back axis 42 allows its sliding bolt 50 to go back (by a suitable spring)
and re-engage the pendulous links M and N with the dividing lever arms o,
so that they will be ready for bringing the back dividers into action in taking
up with the back points at the last time of taking up for the spotting, viz.,
after tooth 45 is racked, so as to divide the carriages at that time of taking
up, that division being the recommencement of making the plain net also at
the same time of closing the landing bars. After No. 43 was racked, the
ordinary driver S of the ordinary front catch-bar wheels is let down by
its camm on the axis 42 and restored to action, and will continue so all the
time of making plain net. Then, on extending the bars for racking tooth 44,
the extra claw of the front extra catch-bar wheels 65 is lifted up out of
action by the rim 41, and will continue out of action all the time of making
plain net. The back and front extra guides are racked this time the same
as they have been racked all the time of spotting, viz., front extra guides
three spaces to the right, back ones as much to the left. When the bars are
closed after racking tooth 44, the extra clawker for the extra back catch bar
wheels must be lifted out of action by their camm on the back axis 42.

page_text: Then, on closing the bars again after racking tooth 45, the remainder of the
changing is fully completed by the lever 62 and its camm on the axis 42 re-
engaging the driver of the usual chopper W for the ratchet wheel of the
ordinary racking wheels, and the usual driver for the ordinary back catch-bar
wheels is re-engaged; and lastly, the two small clawkers k and v for turning
the ratchet wheel K for winding up the lace roller are re-engaged, and after that
all the parts stand as they did at the first commencement of the description
ready to begin again. The large racking wheels 33, 34, at the left hand
have gone once round, and also the back axis 42 has gone once round. The
ordinary racking wheels have gone three times round, and have stood still
as much time as they would have gone twice more. Three rows of complete
meshes of net and a row of spots have been worked, and the continuance of
the operation is an exact repetition of all that has been above described; but
at the next time of spotting a different pair of guide bars, 3 in front and 4 at
the back, will be used, those marked 1 and 2, which were operative in the
above description, being inactive; that is, in case it is intended to dispose the
spots chequerwise in the net, with the spots for one row interspaced between
the spots of the preceding and following rows; and of the two extra guide
bars which are provided back and front, one of each stands quite motionless,
as well as the main guide bar during the operation of spotting, whilst the
others are racked as stated in the above description. But note, in that case
the ratched wheels 10 and 48 must have 90 teeth, so as to go round once in
two repetitions of all the above descriptions, one time for operating by one
pair of extra guide bars 1 and 2, and the next time with the other pair of
bars 3 and 4.
Respecting the making of bobbin net lace, figured or ornamented, with
patterns of woven clothwork; the object of this part of my present improve-
ments is to form ornamented patches of woven clothwork in the midst of a
tissue of meshes of bobbin net, which is composed of both traversing and
longitudinal threads, so that each patch of clothwork shall be surrounded
above and below, and at one or both sides of its border or outline, with such
Ineshes of real net. The texture of bobbin net lace is so well known, that it
will be fully identified to manufacturers of lace by stating that it is composed
of threads proceeding in two directions, viz., one set proceeding longitudinally
along the length of the piece of net, and the other set traversing obliquely
across the width of the piece in two divisions, which traverse across that
width with contrary obliquities from right to left and from left to right, and in
so traversing they meet and twist with the longitudinal threads at all parts
of the tissue; and the traversing threads by progressing with their contrary

page_text: obliquities cross over each other at all parts of the tissue. The said twists of
longitudinal and traversing threads form four out of six of the sides of each
hexagonal mesh of the net, viz., the four inclining sides or pillars of each
mesh, and the said crossings of the traversing threads from the two other of
the six sides, viz., the top and bottom of each hexagon. And further, the
two divisions of traversing threads as they arrive successively at the selvedge
borders or elges of the net, by progressing in their respective oblique travers-
ing courses, then turn around their extreme or outermost longitudinal thread,
and begin to return across the width of the net with contrary obliquity of
direction to that by which they arrived at the selvedge border. And when
ornamental patterns of clothwork are formed in such bobbin net according to
my present improvements, the same are composed by interweaving additional
weft threads to those which compose the other parts of the net, those weft
threads passing across and across the longitudinal threads of the net, as well
as across intermediate threads which are traversing threads in the net, but
which assume a longitudinal direction in the clothwork, and which threads,
before arriving at and after having passed along the cloth work, proceed in
their contrary traversing directions in order to form net.
And whereas it has been heretofore attempted to introduce clothwork
patterns into lace net though without success, I shall point out the distine-
tive character between my present improvements and those former attempts.
In a Specification which was enrolled by Mr. John Heathcoat in pursuance
of a Patent which was granted to him on the First day of November, One
thousand eight hundred and sixteen, a mode is briefly described of interweaving
threads into lace, in imitation of that kind of ornament in lace called cloth-
work, by applying extra guide bars in Mr. Heathcoat's Patent Lace Machi-
nery (now known by the name of Old Loughborough Machines), one such
bar in front of the warp threads and another such bar at the back thereof,
with suitable guides upon each of those bars for guiding the extra or wift
threads, which are to be interwoven to form the clothwork; and when all the
bobbin carriages are brought into the front combs, the said extra or clothwork
bar in front being shogged to carry its guides across any required number of
warp threads, the clothwork threads which it carries will be laid between the
warp threads and the bobbin threads, and the carriages being then put through
backwards between the warp threads, but without any previous shogging of those
warp threads, and passed both divisions into the back combs, the front cloth-
work thread will become enclosed between those bobbin threads and warp
threads across which it has been shogged, and then the back clothwork bar
being shogged in turn will also lay its threads between the bobbin threads

page_text: and the warp threads across which it was shogged, and behind the warp
threads, after which, by bringing the bobbin carriages through forwards
between the warp threads, but without previously shogging the same, the
back clothwork or weft thread becomes enclosed between the bobbin threads
and the warp threads behind the latter, and then the bobbin carriages being
brought forwards into the front combs, the front clothwork bar is again
shogged in a contrary direction to that in which it was first shogged, which
operations are to be repeated as often as is required; and as often as the front
clothwork bar is shogged, it will be necessary to use the points to take up
that portion of clothwork thread which has been laid between the beam
threads and the bobbin threads and lay it horizontally, and also restore the
clothwork threads to a perpendicular direction, without which the carriages
cannot repass; and some mention is also made of additional points for taking
up the clothwork. And further, in a Specification enrolled by Messrs. Nunn,
Mowbray, and Alabore, in pursuance of a Patent granted to them on the
Twenty-seventh day of February, One thousand eight hundred and thirty-
three, a mode is described of producing narrow embroidered lace, to be made
in blond silk and satin silk in a clean state fit for use, without requiring
any after process of dressing, by means of clothwork bars similar to those
of Mr. Heathcoat, and operating in a similar manner, but applied in Brown's
Patent traverse warp machinery, from which all the spools and forks and
dividers are removed. And whereas Messrs. Nunn, Mowbray, and Alabore's
mode is only capable of producing narrow edgings of woven clothwork, with-
out forming any bobbin net therewith or as a ground thereto; and whereas
neither of the said modes permit of carrying on the operation of making
meshes of bobbin net at the sides of the clothwork, because both the twisting
and crossing operations of the whole set of bobbin carriages and of warp
or guide threads must be entirely suspended during the making of clothwork,
this part of my present improvements is to arrange the parts and the move-
ments of bobbin net machinery in such manner that the cloth-working
operations may be going on with some portion of the set of bobbin carriages
and warp threads without any hindrance to the performance of the ordinary
twisting and crossing or traversing operations by other portions of the same
set of bobbin carriages and warp threads, and thereby to form a proper tissue of
meshes of true bobbin net at one or both sides of the places where clothwork
ornaments are to be made, as well as above and below the said places, so that
the said net will form a ground for the clothwork ornaments, which result has
not hitherto been accomplished; and for this purpose I apply an extra guide bar
or bars, with extra guides for receiving those warp threads which are from

page_text: time to time to form the warp threads of the clothwork conjointly with their
intermediate bobbin threads, or else, instead of so threading part of the warp
threads into extra guides, I use certain points, which I call detaining pins or
detainers, inserting the same amongst those warp threads which, conjointly
with their intermediate bobbin threads, are to form the warp threads of the
clothwork, and making those insertions at such times as and at such places as
it required, the office of such extra guides or detainers being to hold there parti-
cular warp threads, which are at the time to form the warp of the clothwork,
motionless at all the times when they are serving in part of the warp of the
clothwork, but without occasioning any hindrance to or interference with those
racking motions which are required to be given to those other warp threads
which are threaded through the ordinary row of guides, or between which no
detainers are inserted for performing their part in the ordinary course of
proceeding to form twists and crosses for the meshes of bobbin net, which are
to be made as the ground of the clothwork ornaments, and side by side there-
with. And also I employ suitable and appropriate means for suspending the
progressive traversing of those particular bobbin carriages whereof the bobbin
threads are for the time to serve (conjointly with their intermediate warp
threads) for the warp of the clothwork, the said means of so suspending the
traversing being such as will not occasion any hindrance to or interference
with the usual trasversing operations of those other bobbin carriages which
are required to perform their part in the ordinary course of proceedings for
forming twists and crosses for the meshes of bobbin net which are to be made
as the ground of the clothwork ornaments, and side by side therewith. And
also I use double the usual number of pins in the taking-up points for forming
the meshes of the bobbin net, and also for taking up the weft of the clothwork,
that taking up being repeated after every time of passing the carriages, which
is a suitable mode for taking up the weft threads whilst the clothwork is
making; and the double number of pins in the points do not interfere with
their proper functions of taking up the twist and crosses of the net.
The manner of arranging the parts of one kind of bobbin net machinery for
this purpose is represented in Sheets XI., XII., and XIII. of the Drawings
hereunto annexed. It is a circular bolt single tier inverted machine, the
warp roller k being at the upper part, and the lace roller M at the bottom. The
warp threads proceeding downwards from warp roller k are threaded through
the eyes of one row of guides fixed on one guide bar d in a single row, and
the bobbin carriages are all passed between them in one row, similar in that
respect to the usual mode of working the Lever's machinery, although in
other respects this machine bears a greater resemblance to pusher machinery,
D

page_text: the bobbin carriages being moved backwards and forwards in their circular
bolts by the swinging action of pusher bars G and H in front and at back,
which are suspended in crank bar arms N, N, and guided in their backward and
forward motions in exactly the same manner as in pusher machines, and the
two bars G and H are moved backwards and forwards with a coincident and
simultaneous motion. The two rows of pushers 1 and 2, which are fixed fast
to the two pusher bars G and H, apply their ends to the upper parts of the
carriages where the same rise up above the circular combs A, B, between the
intervals therein, in order to push the carriages through between the warp
threads, the pushers, like those of pusher machinery, being only half as
numerous in their row as the carriages are, so as push forwards every other
carriage in the row; and the back pushers 2 are adapted to act in that
manner on one division of carriages consisting of every alternate carriage in
the row, whilst the front pushers 1 are adapted to act in like manner upon
the other division consisting of the intermediate carriages; but instead of thus
passing the carriages in two divisions at all times, as is done in pusher
machinery, they are only passed in two divisions in that manner at the time of
dividing the carriages, being in that respect more similar in the mode of
operation of Lever's machinery, and at other times all the carriages are passed
in one row, for which purpose front and back driving bars 3, 4, are provided,
in addition to the pusher bar G and EI, with thin blades projecting out from
the edges of those bars, and turning downwards at their edges so as to be
capable of lifting up clear above the pushers, or else to fall down opposite to
the ends of the pushers 1 and 2 into a proper situation to apply to the
carriages in lieu of those ends, in which case the edges of the driving bars
3 and 4 will operate upon all the carriages of the whole row to pass them all
together in the manner of single tier machinery, but in an instant, by lifting
up the driving bars 2, 3, the ends of the pushers come to act on the carriages
in lieu of them, and will then pass the carriages in divisions consisting of
alternate and intermediate carriages of the whole row. The said driving bars
3, 4, in front and back, are affixed by arms 5, 5, to spindle bars 7, 7, which
are mounted on pivots at each end of each bar in bearing pieces S affixed to
the pusher bars G, H, near each end thereof; and from those spindle bars 7
short lever arms 6 extend outwards to apply with their extremities to notched
wheels 12, which are fixed on a row on horizontal spindles 13, mounted on
pivots at their ends, which are supported in small brackets projecting out from
the outer faces of the pusher bars G, H; and ratchet wheels 15 are fixed on
those axes 15 to turn them, and the notched wheel 72, one tooth at every
time that the pusher bars with their crank bars N swing outwards to the full

page_text: extent of their vibration from the warp threads, so that the front wheels 12
and 15 will be turned when the pusher bars swing out forwards, and the back
wheels when they swing out the other way backwards. The notched wheeles
12 are cut with such notches on their circumference as will by acting on the
levers 6, 6, let down the blades 3 or 4 of the driving bars beyond the ends of
the pushers to act on the carriages in lieu thereof, or will raise up the same
blades 3 or 4 above the ends of the pushers, and quite clear above the
carriages, so as to miss the same, leaving the pushers 1, 2, to operate thereon.
The pushers 1 and 2 are not quite a regular row, but pushers are cut out at
particular places in their respective rows, where clothwork is to be formed in
the net, and also at the selvedges of the breadth when the net is to be made
in breadths, and extra pushers are provided to fill up such vacancies when
necessary, or in some places of the front row to fill up the usual intervals
or regular spaces between the pushers, to render that row solid at particular
places when such extra pushers are let down into the row of pushers 1, but
when raised up therefrom they will miss the carriages. The said extra
pushers are affixed to three spindle bars 9, 10, and 11, in front, and three
others, 12, 13, and 14, at the back, all of them mounted in the same manner
as the spindle bars 7, 7, of the draiving bars 3 and 4, and provided in like
manner with arms 6, 6, to reach out to the circumference of other notched
wheels 12, which are fixed on the same axis 13, so that the succession of the
notches around the wheels 12 determines the changes which shall be made in
the two row of pushers 1 and 2, to adapt them to pass some carriages between
the warp threads, leaving others, or by letting down the driwing bars 3, 4, to
pass all the carriages at once. All this will be sufficiently intelligible to
persons who are conversant with the structure and operation of pusher
machinery, the chief difference being in applying the extra pushers upon
spindle bars, so as to lift up and let down, in order to miss or take the carriage,
instead of bars to slide endways, and in the application of driving bars 3 and 4
to pass all the carriages at once. And note, the pushers push the carriages
quite through the warp threads out of one set of combs, and quite into the
opposite set, the edges of the driving bars 3 and 4 then bending the warp
threads before them; but they become straight the instant that the driving
bars begin to return in their swinging motion, so as to quit the threads. The
machinery is provided with several extra guide bars 16, 17, 18, in front, and
as many at the back, with extra guides fixed on those bars at suitable places
for the performance of their intended purposes. The two lowermost extra bars
16, back and front, are weaving bars for guiding the weft threads, which are
to form the clothwork. Those bars are racked by large extra racking wheels at

page_text: the left-hand ends called fancy wheels, with steps cut in their circumferences
suitably for the moving of the weft threads backwards and forwards through as
much space as they require, and which varies from time to time during the pro-
gress of the weaving, according to the pattern or shape which the clothwork is
to form in the net. There will in all cases be two weaving bars employed in con-
cert, one in back and the other in front of the warp threads, and two or more
pairs, as 16, 16, 17, 17, will frequently be required in the same machine, one
pair forming cloth work at certain parts of the net, and others forming clothwork
at other parts thereof, as the pattern may require. Another of the bars 18
will be required for the selvedge thread guides when breadths are to be made,
these selvedge threads being actuated in a similar manner to those used in
Lever's machinery; and the whipping threads, by which the edges of the
breadths are united together, are supplied from carriages which operate in a
somewhat similar manner to those in Levers machinery. One of the
remaining extra guides bars 18 might be used for extra guides to guide those
warp threads which belong to the clothwork, as herein-before mentioned, for
the purpose of retaining those threads from racking when the clothwork is
making; but I prefer to employ retainers, which are inserted between those
warp threads to hold them from racking when the other warp threads are
racked. The retainers 20 are small bended wire pins adapted to be inserted
between the warp threads close between the eyes of the guides, the bended
points entering in a horizontal direction between the warp threads, and the
shanks or stems descending in a particular position close behind the guide bar
d. The stems 22 of the retainers 20 are moveable about a centre line or axis
of motion at 21, in order that by motion about that centre the bended points
may be brought forward and inserted between the warp threads, or put backwards
clear behind the same to be out of operation. And note, the items 22 of the
retainers are then flat blades placed in a row quite detached one from another,
side by side, being all mounted upon one long horizontal centre pin or jack
wire 21, which is their common centre of motion, and they are guided between
combs or sleas 23, 24, to keep them separate one from another, in a similar
manner to the mode of mounting the jacks of a stocking frame in their combs
and jack wire, and guided by their slea, except being placed endways upwards
instead of horizontally, the sharp-pointed bended wires 20 which are inserted
between the threads being at the lower end of each stem, and the upper end of
each being formed with a beak to apply to the circumference of a notched
wheel similar to those marked 12 and 13, of which wheel as many are placed
on-one horizontal axis side by side in a row as there are retainers 20 in their
row, and they must be one to each warp thread opposite to the places where

page_text: the clothwork is to be form'd in the net. The axis of the said row of notched
wheels is placed over the machine, and by turning the axis thereof round
when requisite the retainers are brought forward all together, so as to insert
their lower ends amongst the threads; or, instead of the whole, certain portions
of them can be so inserted, according as their wheels are notched, leaving out
other, the insertion being amongst so many of the warp threads as the cloth-
work will occupy, and which may from time to time be varied to give form to
the pattern of the clothwork; and, generally, the range of motion given to
the weaving threads by racking their guide bars 16, 17, should be such as to
carry the said weaving threads alternately backwards and forwards across
those warp threads which are retained from racking and consequently from
twisting with the bobbin threads, because the warp threads which are so
retained as those which (together with their intermediate bobbin threads) are
to form the warp for the clothwork to which the weaving threads from the
weft; and when the weft threads are made to pass across a greater extent a
greater number of warp threads should be retained from racking, or when the
weft threads are laid over a lesser extent fewer warp threads should be
retained. Those warp threads which are not so retained will form twists, and
become part of the tissue of the net, whilst the other warp threads which are
retained will become part of the tissue of the clothwork. That is the case
generally, though particular shoots of the weft threads may be occasionally
carried out beyond the boundaries of their warp threads a little way into the
adjacent meshes of the net, so as to form open loops at the termination of
their zigzag courses, and give effect to the pattern. The retainers 20 are
never racked, their office being simply to prevent the warp threads between
which they are inserted from racking, although the guides through which
the retained threads are guided do rack; and generally, after the retainers have
male their insertion between the warp threads at the commencement of
weaving a portion of clothwork, they continue so inserted, without any motion
or alteration, until that portion of cloth work is finished; but during the progress
of the weaving some of the lot of retainers which were inserted at the com-
mencement thereof may be withdrawn, or additional ones may be inserted, at
either or both margins of the lot, suitable in some degree, though not precisely,
to the varying extent of motion given to the weaving bars during the working
of the clothwork. The twisting of the retained warp threads with the bobbin
threads being thus prevented, the traversing of the corresponding bottom
threads must also be prevented, which is done by causing all the bobbin
carriages which supply those threads to remain by themselves in the back
combs at all those times when their fellow carriages are in the front combs, for
the purpose of being racked one division to the right or the other to the left, in

page_text: order that they may make steps of their progressive traversing, and which steps
of traversing from the crossings of the bobbin threads over each other, but the
carriages which are thus kept behind escape or avoid the traversing action
which the other carriages undergo. The mode which I prefer for retaining
the particular carriages in the back combs, to prevent them from traversing
whilst the others do traverse, is the same which is commonly done in pusher
machinery for making bullet-hole open work, but on a more extended scale;
for where isolated carriages are left behind to make more bullet holes, a
cluster of several carriages side by side must be left behind for clothwork,
comprizing as many as are intermediate to the warp threads which are
retained from twisting, and the number of carriages in such cluster must be
sometimes greater, sometimes less, suitably in some degree to the cotem-
poraneous fluctuations of the number of retained warp threads, and generally,
but not rigourously, suitable the range of motion of the weaving threads in
their zigzag courses backwards and forwards across and across the clothwork.
Note, the bobbin carriages which border upon those which do not traverse,
but which, together with their intermediated detained warp threads, form the
warp of the clothwork, must perform that evolution which is called turn-again,
when, by traversing across the net, they arrive in succession at the borders of
each patch of cloth work, which evolution, and the mode of effecting it, in pusher
machinery, is well known, being that which if performed once or twice
successively will produce a bullet hole, or if continually repeated will produce
a bobbin net selvedge. The lateral boundaries of the net which is adjacent
to the lateral boundaries of the clothwork must be a selvedge, but engrafted
into some or all of the returns of the zigzag loops which constitute the border
of the clothwork. The points by which the net and clothwork are to be
taken down are, as before mentioned, made with double the number of pins
usually employed in machinery of like gage; and some of those pins 30,
Sheet XI., which are situated at the places where the cloth work is to be made
in the net, instead of being cast in their places to the leads, may be formed at
the ends of detached stems 31, which stems are mounted side by side in a row
on a jack wire or centre pin, being retained at equal distances from each other
in their row by a comb 33, and a slea may be used; and their tails or
opposite extremities are formed with suitable beake to bear upon the edges of
a row of small notched wheels 34 affixed upon an axis 35, which is supported
in bearing sockets affixed to the point bar.
may be applied to
each stem to urge its beak towards the wheel, the apparatus being on a
similar construction to that of the retainers before explained, and both being
*

page_text: a very similar arrangement of mechanism and very similar in operation to the
row of keys of a barrel organ, which keys are moveable on a common axis or
wire centre pin, with a beak to each key to apply to the pins of the organ
barrel, so as to be actuated by those pins as the barrel turned round brings
its different pins in succession in contact with the said beaks. The rows of
knotched wheels I use perform the office of such a barrel. Both the rows of
points, back as well as front, are furnished with such detached and moveable
pins 30, moveable about a common centre pin or wire, and governed by a row
of notched wheels 34 fixed on an axis 35, which is common to all the row, the
action thereof being to displace particular pins which are to take up the cloth-
work out of their proper range, the usual straight row of points, in order that
the zigzag courses of weft threads which are taken up by them, instead of
being confined to straight horizontal lines across the net, may be taken up
according to lines slightly curved across the net, or in inclined lines, and also
that the successive zigzag courses of weft which are taken up may be varied
in the said curvature or inclination in consequence of such alterations as the
row of notched wheels 34 will be capable of producing in the range of the row
of detached pins 31 during the progress of weaving the clothwork.
And as to the manner of actuating the several parts of machinery which is
constructed according to my said improvements with the movements and
series of movements which they require to have in order to perform their
various functions in the manner herein-before directed, the same may be
done in various ways which are familiar to mechanicians who are con-
versant with bobbin-net lace machinery, being in common use in some or
other of the various modifications of that kind of machinery; but for the
more complete explanation of my said improvements I have, in Sheets
XII. and XIII. of the Drawings, represented a complete machine wherein all
the operative parts herein-before described derive appropriate motions from
the continuous turning motion of one axis or winch handle P, by the aid of
what are termed rotary movements. And whereas such rotary movements
are all commonly known and used in other bobbin-net lace machines, it is
unnecessary to enter into a minute description, as the Drawings with the
writing upon them will give the required information. The main standards
I, I, are united together by four horizontal rails J, J, at the lower part, and
by two top bars K, K, at the upper part. The guide threads are supplied
from the warp roller k, which is mounted in brackets affixed upon the top bars
K, K. The lace roller M is applied at the lower part of the machinery, being
supported by suitable brackets affixed to the main standards I, I, and turned
round by the usual worm wheel and ratchet. The bars A, B, for supporting

page_text: the two rows of circular bolts, are supported at each end upon bearing
brackets, which are aflixed to the main standard I, I, with resting screws for
adjustment, and also the bolt bars can be drawn out upon their bearing
brackets in the same manner as is usual in circular bolt machines. The
guide bar 16 is supported at each end by tee pieces, whereof the tops are
screwed to the two top bars K, K, and the stems hang down upright in the
middle of the frame. The six extra guide bars 16, 17, 18, 16, 17, 18, are
supported at their ends in suitable sockets born by the pieces affixed to the
top bars K, K. Each of two pusher bars G and H have axles at their ends,
which are suspended between the arms of crank bars N, N, the axles of
which play in bearings at the upper parts of the standards I, I. The pusher
bars are guided in their motions by rollers at the extremities of short stump
levers which project inwards from each bar G, H; and the said rollers run
upon fixed arches, which correspond to the arched curvature of the circular
bolts, so as to conduct the ends of the driving bars and pushers in an exact
conformity with that arched curvature. All which is the same as is usual in
pusher machinery. The long horizontal axces 13, 13, of the notched wheels
12, are supported in pivots at each end in brackets which project outwards
from each pusher bar G and H. The point bars E and F are mounted in
crank bars 0, 0, the axles of which are supported in bearing sockets screwed
to the main standard I, I, and are in every respect the same as in pusher
machines. The racking motions of the several bars are produced by a series
of racking wheels situated at the right-hand end of the machine on a cross
axis Z, mounted between bearing brackets affixed to the main standards I, I.
All which is the same as usual in pusher and other machines. The racking
motions which are given to the point bars in the act of taking down the
meshes are given by a conducting plate 2, which is fixed just opposite to the
right-hand main standard, opposite to the ends of the front bars. All these
particulars will be sufficiently obvious to makers of bobbin-net lace machines
who possess competent skill in their art. The rotary movements are all
derived from a turning handle P situated in front of the machine, on one end
of which is a cog wheel Q, of fifty teeth, turning a wheel S, of 75 teeth, on
the horizontal axis W (which extends all across the machinery), by means of
an intermediate cog wheel T, of 75 teeth, which is mounted on a stud pin
fixed to the frame. On each extremity of the axis W a pair of camms 30, 31,
are fixed, in order to act upon rollers borne by lever 32 and 33, which are
moveable about, fixed outer stud pins at their lower ends; and the two levers
32 and 33, for each pair of camms, are connected together by a cross link, so
as to alternately push and pull the connecting rods, in order to actuate the

page_text: crank bars N, N, in which the pusher bars G and H are suspended, the said
connecting rods n being each jointed to the lower end of a lever arm p, which
is fixed on the extreme end of the axis or spindle bar of cach of the crank
bars N, in which the pusher bars G and H are suspended; and the two pairs
of camms 30 & 31 are so placed on the two ends of their horizontal axis W
that they will give equal and simultanious vibrating motions to the two pusher
bars G and H, both in the same direction, in like manner as is commonly
done in pusher machines by a link extended from one of the lever arms N to
the other; but the camms 30 and 31 being substituted for the cranks usually
employed in in pusher machinery allowes of such pauses being made in the
swinging motion of the pusher bars when they reach the full extent of those
motions as is suitable for the performance of their respective functions. A
smaller cog wheel S, of fifty teeth, is also fixed on the axis W of the two pairs
of camms 30 and 31, in order to give motion to a large cog wheel V of 150
teeth, which is fixed on the extreme end of another horizontal axis V, which
extends all across the width of the machine beneath the axis W, being
supported at its two ends in the bearing affixed to the main standards I, I,
and the axis V makes only one revolution whilst a row of complete meshes
are worked, the winch handle P making four and a half revolutions in that
time, and the cammis 30, 31, making three revolutions in that time. The
point bars E and F are actuated by four camm wheels v, v, and w, w, which
are affixed upon the lower horizontal axis V, each point bar having its own two
camm wheels, one marked v, for withdrawing the points from the meshes of
the net, and the other marked w, for raising and lowering the point bars for
taking down the meshes of net. All which being the same as is in common use
in other machinery for making bobbin-net lace requires no further explana-
tion. The requisite racking motions are derived from a camm or star wheel
upon the extreme end of the horizontal axis V, which has six prominent points.
Or note, if a like wheel, with two prominent points instead of six, were
aflixed in the axis W of the two pairs of camm 30 and 31, it would effect the
same purpose. In either case, at every time that one of the said prominences
comes into action, it will cause the ratchet wheel of the cross axis Z to be
turned round one tooth, and thereby the several racking wheels on the axis Z
are enabled to give the requisite racking motions to the several bars; but the
same effect may be produced by large racking wheels fixed upon the ends of
the horizontal axis V in the manner usually practised for the machinery called
fluted roller machinery, those racking wheels being cut with suitable elevations
and depressions to produce the requisite racking movements. The motions
which are requisite to be given to the ratchet wheels 15 of the notched

page_text: wheels 12, 12, upon the axis 13, 13, as herein-before described, for the pur-
pose of bringing extra pushers into or out of action, are caused by suitable
drivers 19, which are mounted upon fixed centre pins supported by brackets
fixed to the frame, and the ends thereof reach out into suitable positions to
engage with the teeth of the ratchet wheels 15, when the same swing out with
the pusher bars to the full extent of their vibrating motions, so as to then
turn the said ratchet wheels one tooth each time together with and all the
notched wheels 12, which are fixed upon their axes 13, 13, or if a camm
wheel is fixed upon the horizontal axes V, and which has prominences upon
its circumference at suitable places to actuate two levers, to each of which or
long upright driver, in lieu of 19, is jointed, and the upper end thereof may
actuate the teeth of the ratchet wheel 15 at the proper moment when required,
as berein-before described, namely, when the main racking wheels on the axis
X are racked one tooth. The weaving bars 16, 17, 18, are racked with such
alternate backward and forward movements as are requite for laying the weft
or weaving threads in proper zigzag courses, by means of extra racking wheels
of a large size applied at the left-hand side of the machine upon a horizontal
axis 55, Sheets XII. and XIII., supported in bearing brackets which are
affixed to the main end standard I, I, and projecting out therefrom. Those
wheels are turned round by a large ratchet wheel 37, fixed on the middle of
the axis 55, and the teeth of the wheel 37 are turned one at a time by means
of a driver 38 jointed to an upright sliding bolt 39, which is elevated and
depressed by means of a star wheel 80, with six prominent points for lifting
the sliding bolt and ratching the large ratchet wheel 37 on the axis 55, the
period of so ratching being very nearly simultaneous with the racking of the
ratchet wheel of the ordinary ratchet wheels at the right-hand end of the
machine, and produce the requisite racking motions for making the plain net
and for the selvedge threads of the breadths. And note, the star wheel 80 is
adapted to turn the large racking wheels on the axis 55 rather slowly round
in the act of ratching each tooth, in order that the weaving bars 16, 17, 18,
may be racked by the prominences of their respective large racking wheels 37
somewhat farther than they are actually required, to lay the zigzag courses
of weft threads, and then to return or rack back again to their true
intended extent, for those courses 81, Sheets XII. and XIII. represents
the barrel or row of notched wheels before mentioned, by which the beaks
at the the upper ends of the stems 22 of the retainers 20 are actuated in a
suitable manner, in order to bring forwards the retainers, and insert them
between the warp threads at such times and in such numbers and at such
places as the formation of the patterns of clothwork requires. The axis

page_text: of the barrel or row of wheels 81 is supported in bearing brackets erected on
the top bar K at each end of the machine, and it has a ratchet wheel 82
on one end of it, whereof the teeth are turned by driver 83 jointed to the
upper end of a lever arm 84, which is affixed to the axis or spindle bar of
the back crank bar N in which the back pusher bar II is suspended, so that
when every time the pusher bars are swung backwards the ratchet wheel 82
will be ratched one tooth by the driver 83, and in like manner the small
ratchet wheels on axes 35 for the row of notched wheels or barrel which
is applied to each point bar E and F, as herein-before explained, are ratched
round a tooth at a time by a small click 85 mounted on a fixed studd pin at
the upper end of a bracket which is screwed to the frame, that motion being
given at the moment when the point bar to which each such wheel belongs is
withdrawn from the threads in preparation for taking up.
Having now explained the mode whereby according to my improvements
ornamental patterns of woven clothwork may be introduced into bobbin net
lace, I shall by of example detail the movements whereby machinery which is
constructed according to the Drawings Sheets XI. to XVI. operates to form
bobbin net interspersed with clothwork ornaments, the net being made in
breadths with the clothwork ornaments extending along the left-hand edge
of each breadth. The forms of the several racking wheels and notched wheels
are requisite for the machinery which is to operate in that manner is repre-
sented in Sheets XIV., XV., and XVI. Supposing the machinery to be in
full operation, and only stopped for examination at the place which is chosen
for the commencement of the description, the operation of making plain net is
as follows:-The front combs stand racked to the right as far as they can go.
They are capable of racking over the extent of two spaces between adjacent
combs. All the carriages are in the front combs. The back points have recently
been raised up, and have just penetrated between the warp threads before the
racking of tooth 12 took place. The guides stand racked to the right as far
as they can go. They are only capable of racking one space. The selvedge
guides stand racked in their middle position, from which they are capable of
racking one space either way. The front pushers stand racked in a middle
position, from which they can go one space to the right or two spaces to the
left. Neither the back pushers nor the back combs are racked at any time.
The front driving bar and also the front right-hand turn-again pushers of each
breadth (which are fixed on the extra spindle bar 11) stand lifted up clear of
all the carriages, leaving the main front pushers ready for action against those
alternate carriages which will progress to the right in traversing, and which
may be designated as carriages R. The front left-hand turn-again pusber of
each breadth (which is fixed on the extra spindle bar 9) is down ready for

page_text: action against the carriages L, which are at the left-hand edge of each
breadth. The racking wheels are standing on tooth No. 12.
This position
of the parts being understood, the operation is as follows:-The carriages R
are pushed through backwards by the ends of the front pushers, the whipping
carriages going with them by their front pusher, which is between the two
extra pushers on bars 9 and 11, the carriages L at the left-hand edge of cach
breadth also going with them. By the action of the left-hand front turn-again
pushers the carriages are passed between the warp threads far enough to push
the carriages quite through into the back combs, the edge of the front driving
bar pressing against the warp threads, and bending them backwards before it,
and after that bar has come far enough forwards again to be clear of the
threads, the racking of tooth 1 takes place. The back points go down as the
carriages come through. The racking of tooth 1 racks the front combs and
front pushers two to the left with those carriages which are to progress towards
the left in traversing, and which may be disignated as carriages L, and also
racks the guides one space to the left and the selvedge guides one to the
left. The back driving bar is lifted up out of action, and also the back left-
hand turn-again pusher of each breadth (on bar 14) is lifted up out of action.
The carriages R are pushed through forwards by the ends of the back
pushers, leaving behind the left-hand carriage L of each breadth which was
passed through the last time, and also leaving the whipping carriages
behind, owing to a back pusher being vacant in the row of back pushers, so
that the carriages R will become reincorporated amongst the carriages L
which have remained in the front combs, but the carriages R come into
the adjacent intervals between the carriages L to the right of those intervals
therein which they occupied in the complete row previous to the dividing,
and then tooth 2 is racked, which racks the front combs and front pushers
one space to the right with all the carriages except the left-hand carriages L
of each breadth, which are behind on the back combs, and the whipping
carriages, which are also bebind, and the front driving bar is let down so that
its edge drops down in front of the ends of the front pushers in order to act
on the carriages in lieu of those ends. All the carriages are driven through
backwards between the warp threads in one row by the front driving bar,
which bends back the warp threads so far as to drive the carriages quite into
the back combs, and then returning allows the threads to come straight.
The front points were withdrawn immediately after racking tooth 2, and were
raised up and penetrated the warp threads the instant that they became
straight, which is a little before the racking of tooth 3 which racks the
front combs one space to the right without any carriages in them, and racks
the front pushers two spaces to the right in preparation for the next time for

page_text: All the carriages are driven through
The back points draw out, and go up
tooth 6 is racked, which racks the
passing the carriages, and racks the guides one space to the right, and the
selvidge guides one space to the right. The back driving bar is let down
over the ends of all the back pushers. All the carriages are driven through
forwards, and the front points go down (taking the bobbin threads) which are
coming forwards as they descend, and as soon as the front points get down
(which must be before the carriages have got half way through) the back
points draw out and go up in readiness for acting, and they penetrate the
warp threads before racking tooth 4, which racks the guides one space to
the left and the selvedge guides one space to the left. All the carriages are
driven through backwards, and the back points go down, taking the bobbin
threads (which are going backwards) as they descend, and they must get quite
down before the carriages have got half way through, and then the front
points draw out and go up and penetrate between the warp threads before
tooth 5 is racked, which racks the guides one space to the right and the
selvedge guides two spaces to the right.
forwards, and the front points go down.
and penetrate the warp threads before
selvedge guides one space to the left, and the front driving bar is lifted to
bring the front pushers into action, and the front left-hand turn-again pusher
of each breadth (fixed on bar 9) is lifted to be out of action, and an extra
front pusher-on bar 11 at the interval between each breadth is put down to
fill up that space between the front pushers, which space is opposite to the
whipping carriage. The carriages R are pushed through backwards, the
whipping carriages going with them; the back points go down, and then
tooth 7 is racked, which racks the front combs with the carriages L and front
pushers two to the left and the guides one to the left, and the selvedge gnides
one to the left, and the back driving bar is lifted to expose the back pushers
ready for action. The carriages R are brought through forwards. The right-
handmost carriage (which is one of the carriages R) is left behind in the back
combs, the whipping carriages are also left behind, and the carriages R become
reincorporated with the carriages L in the front combs, but the carriages R
come into the adjacent intervals between the carriages L to the right of those
intervals therein which they occupied in the complete row previous to the
dividing, and then tooth 8 is racked, which racks the front combs with all the
carriages (except the right-hand turn-again carriages and the whipping
carriages) one space to the right and the front pushers one space to the right.
The front driving bar is let down. All the carriages (except the absent right-`
hand turn-again carriages and whipping carriages) are driven through back-
wards, and the front points draw out and go up and enter the warp threads

page_text: before tooth 9 is racked, which racks the front combs one to the right (they are
empty) and the guides one to the right, and the selvedge guides one to the
right. The back driving bar is let down. All the carriages are brought
through forwards, the front points go down, and the back points draw out
and go up and penetrate between the warp threads before tooth 10 is racked,
which racks the guides one to the left and the selvedge guides one to
the left. All the carriages go through backwards, the back points go down,
and the front points draw out and go up and penetrate between the warp
threads before tooth 11 is racked, which racks the guides one space to the
right and the selvedge guides two spaces to the right. All the carriages
come through forwards, the front points go down, and the back points draw
out and go up and penetrate between the warp threads before tooth 12
is racked, which racks the selvedge guides one to the left. The front
driving bar is lifted up, and also the front right-hand turn-again pushers
on bar 11. All the parts have now regained the positions which they
had at the commencement. The racking wheels have gone once round,
and a row of complete meshes of net has been worked. The driving canums
have gone six times round, and the taking-up camms twice round. The
above course of operations is to be repeated as many times as the number of
courses of plain net which are required to be introduced between the succeed-
ing patches of clothwork. Note, the weft threads which are to form the
clothwork have been standing still, one set in the front and the other set at
the back of the warp threads, and they will neither of them be woven into
the net which is made as above described, but will remain loose at the back
thercof, and may be cut off from the finished net, if desired.
Description of the Mode of Interweaving Patches of Clothwork into the
Net made as above described. The operation of the machinery is to be
carried on as above described, without any differences, whilst tooth 1 and
tooth 2 are racked, and until the racking of tooth 3, when the back weaving
threads (which have been standing to the left) are racked or shot five spaces
to the right, at the same time when the guides are racked one space to the
right in their usual course, as before discribed. Note, the weaving threads
are racked further by two or three spaces than they are intended to go laterally
in the net for forming the weft of the clothwork, in order to ensure that the
points shall be certain to take the weaving threads properly. The back
weaving threads are racked the instant after all the carriages have gone back
into the back combs, and after the bended warp threads have become straight
again, and they finish their racking of seven spaces before the time that the
guides have finished racking their own space, and instantly after that the front

page_text: points penetrate the warp threads as usual, and reach so much through
between the same as to take the back weaving threads in going down. And
note, in order to ensure that the exact number of points shall take the
weaving threads, those points which are at the right and at the left-hand borders
of the intended clothwork must project about one eigth of an inch longer out
of the lead than the other points. Those long points will penetrate through
the warp threads before the other points penetrate, and the said long points
must so penetrate a little before the weaving threads have racked (or rather
finished their racking), wherefore the long points will detain the weaving
threads so that that the other short points when they do penetrate will be
certain to take those threads properly, videlicet, the ordinary short points next
to the long ones will take the weaving threads between them and their long
ones. The front points, having penetrated the warp threads and also the back
weaving threads, begin to descend, and when they get down below the carriages
the latter may begin to come forwards, but previously the back weaving
threads must return to their intended extent of racking, viz., five spaces from
where they were standing all the time of making plain net, those two or three
spaces more which they have been racked being only for an instant, and they
must be restored to cause the carriages to enter properly amongst the back
weaving threads. Also the detainers are inserted amongst the warp threads
just below the guides the instant after tooth 3 is racked. There are four of
those detainers now in operation for each patch of clothworks, and they are
inserted in those spaces through which four out of the six carriages are going
to pass, whereof the bobbin threads are to cease twisting and also to cease
traversing, but which threads are to proceed longitudinally down the patch
of clothwork amongst the warp threads with which they are interspaced, for
the purpose of interweaving with the weaving threads. Note, when the back
weaving threads passed across five spaces those spaces were opposite to four of
the said six carriages, but the back weaving threads passed across one more
space at the right hand of the intended patch of clothwork beyond those six
carriages, which is done in order to unite the returning loops of the weaving
threads at the right-hand end of their zigzag courses to the plain net at the
right-hand side of the patch of clothwork. The bobbin thread belonging to
the said one more space will be that one which will perform an unusual turn-
again in order that it may begin to traverse in a contrary direction, as soon
as it has (by its previous traversing) arrived at the right-hand border of the
intended patch of clothwork. The bobbin threads which do so begin to
retraverse by performing their unusual turn-again pass
loops of the zigzag course of the weaving thread.
through the returning
In fact those returning

page_text: loops form the right-hand selvedges to each patch of the clothwork, similar
to the selvedges of plain woven cloth; and the unusual turn-again of the
bobbin threads form the left-hand selvedges to the bobbin net down the right-
hand side of each patch of clothwork similar to the true selvedges of bobbin
net, and the said selvedges of clothwork and of the bobbin net are woven
one into the other. The insertion of the detainers when tooth 3 is racked
produces no effect on the warp threads at first, but they will prevent particular
warp threads from racking the next time. When tooth 3 is racked, the
selvedge guides are racked one space to the right. All the carriages are
driven through forwards by the back driving bar, and the front points go
quite down, carrying the back weft threads before them. They get down by
the time that the carriages have come half way through, and immediately
after that the back points draw out, and go up and enter the warp threads
before tooth 4 is racked, which racks the front weaving threads five spaces to
the right, (note, they have been standing to the left all the time of making
the plain net), and they also go two spaces more, for certainty of being caught
by the points, finishing their racking of seven spaces before the time that the
guides complete their racking of one space to the left. When tooth 4 is racked
Note, the back points
the selvedge guides are racked one space to the left.
have penetrated through the warp threads an instant before tooth 4 is racked,
and their long points at the right-hand side of each patch will detain the
front weaving threads so as to ensure that the short points when they pene-
trate further through shall take the front weaving threads between those long
points and the adjacent short points on the left hand of them, and the back
points having so entered begin to go down, and the front weaving threads
go back to their proper extent of five spaces, in order to be out of the way
of the carriages, which may begin to go back as soon as the back points
have got down out of their way. Note, the detainers are never racked.
Those four which are now inserted retain those four warp threads which are
on the right-hand side of the four detainers, and prevent those four warp
threads from racking to the left, as all the other warp threads do when tooth 4
is racked. The four warp threads which are so detained by the four detainers
are amongst those which were in the spaces between the six carriages, which
are not to form twists, nor to traverse across the patch of clothwork; and
one of the warp threads in the spaces between those six carriages, (which
thread is at the left-hand edge of the patch of clothwork), is not detained,
but the warp thread which is in the right-handmost space between those six
carriages being detained, and (by bending) is brought into contact with its
right-hand neighbouring guide thread, which has racked to the left, and the

page_text: left-handmost of the four detained threads is separated two spaces away from
its left-hand neighbouring guide thread which has racked to the left. All
the carriages are drawn through backwards. The back points go down, carrying
the front weaving threads before them in descending, and they must get quite
down by the time that the carriages get half way through, and immediately
after the back points get down the front points draw out, and go up and pene-
trate between the warp threads before tooth 5 is racked. Note, owing to
the detention of the four warp threads from racking, the carriages to which
they correspond go back at the same side of each one (viz., the left-hand
side,) whereon they came through at the previous time of passing, so that no
twists will be formed around the four detained warp threads by their corre-
sponding bobbin threads. When tooth 5 is racked, the selvedge guides are
racked two spaces to the right, and the back weaving threads are racked
seven spaces to the left, at the same time that the guides are racked one
space to the right, and the back weaving threads go two spaces further for
certainty of taking down, as before explained, and are intercepted by the
left-handmost long front points, which have penetrated the warp threads
before the racking, and immediately after that they penetrate further,
so as to take the back weaving threads, and then begin to go down, and
the back weaving threads go back to their proper extent of seven spaces;
and as soon as they have passed out of the way of the carriages, all the
carriages are drawn through forwards, and the front points go down, and
when they get down the back points draw out, and go up and penetrate
between the warp threads before tooth 6 is racked, which racks the selvedge
guides one space to the left, and the front weaving threads seven spaces to the
left, and two further that way for certainty. The guides are not racked. The
front driving bar is lifted. The extra or unusual front turn-again pushers are
let down, one for making the net is fixed on bar 10 at the right-hand edge of
each patch of clothwork, and likewise the two filling-up front pushers, one of
them on bar 10, and the other on bar 9, are let down into the spaces amongst
the front pushers at the middle part of every patch of clothwork, so that the
front pushers are filled up and rendered solid all across each patch of cloth-
work, and also across one space beyond the left-hand edge of the patch, which
filling up is occasioned by the letting down of one other front extra turn-again
pusher-on bar 11, and also those two filling-up pushers before mentioned on
bar 10, whereby the front pushers are prepared for pushing through nine
carriages in a cluster, without any interval between those nine, the right-
handmost of the nine being a carriage R, which is pushed through by one
of the ordinary front pushers. The back points which have previously pene-

page_text: trated take down, as before stated, and the front weaving threads rack back
to their proper extent of seven spaces, and as soon as the back points get
down out of the way of the carriages then the carriages R are pushed through
backwards, and the whipping carriages with them, and also the unusual turn-
again carriage L at the right-hand edge of each patch of clothwork goes
through with the carriages R, and likewise those two carriages L which are
weaving carriages, and which belong to each of the patches of clothwork, the
passing of those four carriages L being owing to the aforesaid letting down of
the front extra pushers when tooth 6 was racked, so that all the five weaving
carriages are pushed through backwards this time, and also one carriage,
which is a whipping carriage, at the left hand of the five along with them.
The back points go quite down, but the front ones do not draw out to act at
present; tooth 7 is then racked, which racks the selvedge guides one space to
the left, the front combs and front pushers two to the left, and the guides one
to the left. Note, the three front filling pushers, two on bar 10 and one on
bar 9, are not lifted, but they remain down until the weaving is finished and
the making of plain net resumed. The back unusual turn-again pushers
at the left-hand edge of each breadth on bar 12 are lifted, and likewise the
back driving bar, whereby the back pushers are brought into action; and they
have vacancies left out in their row opposite to all the eight carriages above
mentioned which formed a cluster. Note, there is an extra turn-again pusher
provided at the right-hand of each such vacancy in the back pushers, which
when put down will contract the width of the vacancy to seven spaces, but
those extra turn-again pushers are now lifted up, being fixed on the back
extra bar 12. The back usual turn-again pushers being fixed on bar 14, the
carriages R are brought through forwards, leaving the left-handmost and
right-handmost carriages of each breadth behind; that at the right hand is
performing its turn-again as usual; the other, at the left hand, (which in
making plain net would have to perform its usual turn-again.) is now a
weaving carriage, and also the eight carriages of the above-mentioned cluster,
whereof five are the weaving carriages, and one is the whipping carriage; and
of the two others, one, (which is the left-handmost, is performing its usual
turn-again, and the right-hand-most of the eight), is performing its unusual
turn-again, and tooth 8 is racked, which racks the front combs with all the
carriages except the two turn-again and five weaving carriages of each breadth,
and the whipping carriages which have been left behind the front driving bar
is let down; its turn-again pushers at the left-hand edge of each breadth are
All the carriages
already down, having remained so since tooth 6 was racked.
(except the eight above mentioned in each breadth) are driven through back-

page_text: wards, and the front points draw out, go up, and enter the warp threads before
tooth 9 is racked, which racks the selvedge guides one to the right and the
back weaving threads seven spaces (and two more for certainty) to the right.
Note, neither front or back weaving threads have been racked at tooth 7 or
tooth 8, but have stood still. The front combs are racked one to the right
empty the guides one to the right. Note, the detainers continue motionless
from the time when they were first inserted between the warp threads at the
racking of tooth 3, until the weaving is finished, and the making of plain net
resumed. They operate to prevent the weaving warp threads racking when the
rest of the warp threads are racked to the left, but when the latter are racked
to the right the detainers have no operation, although they remain between
the threads as before, for those threads then come straight. The back turn-
again pushers are let down, and also the back driving bar. The front points,
having by aid of their long points taken the back weaving threads, begin to go
down out of the way of the carriages. The back weaving threads go back to
their proper extent of racking seven spaces. All the carriages are brought
through forwards. The front points go down with the back weaving threads.
The back points draw out, go up, and penetrate the warp threads, and tooth
10 is racked, which racks the selvedge guides one space to the left, and the
front weaving threads seven spaces (and two more for certainty) to the right,
when the guides are racked one space to the left. The back points, having by
aid of their long points secured the front weaving threads, begin to go down,
and those threads then return to their proper extent of racking, and all the
carriages go through backwards. The back points go down, taking down the
front weaving threads before them, and the front points draw out, and go up
and penetrate between the warp threads before tooth 11 is racked, which
racks the selvedge guides two spaces to the right and the back weaving threads
seven spaces (and two more for certainty) to the left, and the guides one space
to the right. The front points, having by aid of their long points taken the back
weaving threads, begin to go down, and those threads return to their proper
extent of racking, and then all the carriages come through forwards. The front
points go down, and go up and penetrate between the warp threads before
tooth 12 is racked, which racks the selvedge guides one space to the left, and
the front weaving threads seven spaces (and two more for certainty) to the
left, and raises the front driving bar and the front turn-again pushers at the
right-hand edge of each breadth. The back points, having by the aid of their
long points secured the front weaving threads, begin to go down, and those
threads go back to their proper extent of racking, and then the carriages R
are pushed through backwards by the front pushers, taking along with them

page_text: the whipping carriages, and also those three carriages L which belong to the
five weaving carriages of each patch of clothwork, owing to the three filling
front pushers, two of them on bar 10, and one of them on bar 9, remaining
down amongst the front pushers, making in all seven carriages, which are put
through in a cluster, whereof the left-handmost is the whipping carriage, and
the right-handmost a carriage R, which is performing its unusual turn-again.
The back points go down, taking the front weaving threads; and tooth 1 is
then racked, which racks the front combs and front pushers two to the left
with the carriages L, and racks the guides one to the left. The back driving
bar is lifted up, and also the back extra pusher affixed to bar 13, which is a
broad pusher extending the width of four carriages. Note, the back turn-
again pushers on bar 12 remain down as they were placed when tooth 9 was
racked. The carriages R are pushed through forwards by the back pushers,
which, owing to the vacancy in them opposite to each patch of cloth work,
leaves the five weaving carriages and also the whipping carriage behind in a
cluster in the back. Note, that back extra turn-again pusher which is pro-
vided as before mentioned on bar 12 at the right-hand of each such vacancy
was let down along with the back turn-again pushers when tooth 9
was racked, in order to diminish the width of such vacancy, so that it will
leave only room for seven carriages, but only six are left in the vacancy, the
left-handmost of the seven spaces being vacant by the absence of its carriage,
which is a carriage R, and is amongst its fellows in the front combs. The car-
riages having come forwards, tooth 2 is racked which racks the front combs
and front pushers one space to the right with all the carriages, except the five
weaving carriages of each patch of clothwork, and the whipping carriages
which remain behind, and the front driving bar is let down. All the carriages
are driven through backwards. The front points draw out, and go up and
penetrate between the warp threads before tooth 3 is racked, to be in
readiness to take the back weaving threads which are to be thrown across at
the racking of tooth 3, in the same manner as before described at the com-
mencement of this description, except that at the repetition the back weaving
threads will be racked seven spaces, and two more for certainty. A complete
series of the weaving operations have now been gone through, during which
the ordinary racking wheels have gone once round, and a row of complete
meshes of bobbin net have been formed in the lateral spaces between the
several patches of clothwork, each of those patches being separated side by
side by plain net between them, and each patch has had eight shoots or hori-
zontal courses of the weaving threads inlaid or interwoven amongst its parallel
warp and bobbin threads, so as to cross the said threads which have avoided

page_text: the twisting and crossing which all the other warp and bobbin threads have
undergone. The back weaving threads have made four shoots, and the front
weaving threads have also made four shoots, acting alternately. When the
carriages are divided, and are passed in divisions, (videlicet, after racking tooth
7 and tooth 8, and again, after racking tooth 1 and tooth 2), the weaving
threads remain inactive, and the points also. The points take down eight
times in all the above description, videlicet, when teeth 3, 4, 5, and 6 are
racked, and also, when teeth 9, 10, 11, and 12 are racked, the front points
operating at the four odd numbers 3, 5, 9, and 11, and the back points
operating at the four even numbers 4, 6, 10, and 12. Note, respecting the
racking of the selvedge guides, they are so arranged as to cause the whipping
threads to pass on the right-hand sides of the weaving threads whenever the
latter are racked to their extreme extent to the left hand, that extreme extent
being reckoned without including the aforesaid overplus racking, for certainty
of taking down by the points which the weaving threads make for an instant,
and then return again. Note, at the last shoot which is made by each of the
weaving threads, front and back, before the finishing of the clothwork, they
are racked only five spaces to the left, and two more for certainty.
Having now described my said improvements, and the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I, the said William Crofts, do hereby declare the new
Invention, whereof the exclusive use is granted to me by the said Letters
Patent, consists,―
First, in the improvements herein-before described of applying to gatherers
to act in conert with prolonged front points, for the purpose of catching up
selected bobbin threads, so as to draw the same up into loops by the prolonged
front points with the aid of the gatherers, and transfer the said loops to the
back points, for the purpose of forming spots by repetitions of drawing up
such loops by the combined action of the gatherers and prolonged points.
And, secondly, in the improvements herein-before described of forming
ornamental spots in bobbin-net lace made by Lever's machines by accumu-
lated interweavings of extra threads which are introduced into the net, and
included within the twisted texture thereof, so as to be as little visible as
possible in the courses by which they proceed from one spot to another.
And, thirdly, in the improvement herein-before described for forming orna-
mental patterns of woven clothwork in either pieces or breadths of bobbin-
net lace, which is composed of longitudinal threads and diagonal traversing
threads, the peculiar feature of the improvement being the suspending the
twisting and traversing of those bobbin threads and warp threads which are
for the time to constitute the warp of the clothwork, by means of the detainers,

page_text: whereof the insertion is governed, as herein-hefore described, by a row of
notched wheels or a barrel, and by removing and replacing of extra pushers
in the manner herein-before described, that removal and repiecing being
governed by rows of notched wheels or barrels; and in the application
herein-before described of detached pins in the row of taking-up points for
the clothwork, which pins can be arranged to take up the successive course
of weft threads of the clothwork in curved or oblique lines whereof the
curvature or obliquity is governed by rows of notched wheels or barrels.
○ In witness whereof, I, the said William Crofts, have hereunto set my