IMPROVEMENTS IN BOBBIN NET OR TWIST LACE MACHINERY
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Birks, the elder, of the Town of Nottingham,
Machinist, and William Birks, the younger, of the same Town,
Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOBBIN NET OR
TWIST LACE MACHINERY."
Sealed the 21st December 1860, and dated the 16th July 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Birks, the elder,
and William Birks, the younger, at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 16th July 1860.
We, WILLIAM BIRKS, the elder, of the Town of Nottingham, Machinist,
and WILLIAM BIRKS, the younger, of the same Town, Machinist, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOBBIN NET
OR TWIST LACE MACHINERY," to be as follows:-
Our Invention has for its object improvements in that class of bobbin net
or twist lace machinery, in which two heights or sets of bobbins and carriages
are employed, one set being carried by bolts or combs above the other set.
Heretofore in machines of this description where it has been proposed to give
independent action to all the bobbins and carriages of each set arranged
in bolts or combs, one above the other, two pairs of point bars have been
employed, that is, one pair to each set of carriages. Now we find that by a
suitable arrangement of the bolts or combs, and of the bobbins and carriages, one
set above the other, that we are able to work with one pair of point bars only,
and also to dispense with the straight edges or bars which have been required

page_text: for keeping the threads in position between the two sets of carriages, by which
means we are enabled to introduce guide bars with ornamenting or other
tbreads between the upper and lower tiers of bolts or combs.
In carrying out the first part of our Invention we prefer, for convenience of
working (although we do not confine ourselves thereto), to arrange the bobbins
and carriages in an inverted position, so as to move to and fro in inverted
circular bolts or combs, the work being taken downwards, as is well understood.
The front and back combs or bolts of the upper tier of carriages are placed
as near together as the safe working of the carriages will admit, and the
upper tier of bolts or combs are placed much nearer to the lower tier of bolts
or combs than heretofore, the circle of the upper tier of bolts or combs
being struck from a central point near to the upper edge of the lower
set of bolts or combs, so as to cause the upper set of bobbin threads to
maintain a central position between the lower set of carriages, by which
arrangement the additional point bars formerly employed for taking down
the crossings of the upper tier of bobbin threads aro dispensed with, the
crossings of the upper tier of bobbin threads in this arrangement being
brought down by the simple movement of their carriages from one comb bar
to the other, below the tails or projections on the lower tier of carriages, so
that the lower tier of carriages may enter and pass between the threads of the
upper tier of carriages without the aid of point bars or other spacing instru-
ments or apparatus, thus enabling us to introduce a series of guide bars with
ornamenting or other threads on each side of the upper set of bobbin threads
just above the lower set of bolts or combs, each set of bobbins and carriages
in the upper and lower tiers of bolts or combs are under the control of inde-
pendent pushers or selectors actuated by jacquard or other pattern surface.
The movement of the selected carriages from back to front of the machine
and vice versa may be effected by the ordinary apparatus employed, suitably
arranged for this purpose, and the shogging of the comb or bolt bars of each
set of carriages will be arranged in accordance with the character of lace or
net which the machine is intended to produce, at the same time we would
state that we prefer to actuate the comb or bolt bars of each set of carriages,.
by means of apparatus for which a Patent has been granted to us, dated the
25th day of February 1860, No. 528.
The delivery of the threads from the bobbins may be regulated, if required,
by a bar or instrument suitably arranged for this purpose, and additional
point bars are employed to work with the ordinary point bars when producing
certain kinds of ornamental or openwork portions of the lace or net.
The second part of our Invention consists in the arrangement and applica-

page_text: tion of an additional set of bobbins and carriages to what are commonly
known in the trade as "pusher machines," such additional set of bobbins and
carriages being carried by an extra set of combs above the lower set of combs
similar to what we have previously described in respect to the upper and
lower tiers of circular bolts and combs in the first part of our Invention. The
upper and lower sets or tiers of bobbins and carriages in this arrangement are
moved from back to front of the machine by independent pushers actuated by
jacquard or other pattern surface, as is well understood in working ordinary
pusher machines. The comb bars and pusher bars of each set of carriages
may be shogged by suitable cuts of wheels and apparatus, as is well understood;
but we prefer to actuate the comb bars and pusher bars of cach set of car-
riages by means of apparatus for which a Patent has been granted to us, and
before referred to in respect to the first part of our present improvements.
Stump bars are employed to space the threads for the passing through of the
lower tier of carriages, and when required additional point bars may be employed
when producing certain kinds of ornamental or openwork portions of the lace or
net together with apparatus for regulating the delivery of the bobbin threads.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Birks, the elder, and William Birks, the younger,
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 16th January 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
BIRKS, the elder, of the Town of Nottingham, Machinist, and WILLIAM BIRKS,
the younger, of the same Town, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said William Birks and William Birks, Her special licence that
we, the said William Birks and William Birks, our executors, adminis-
trators and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Birks and
William Birks, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN BOBBIN NET OR TWIST LACE MACHINERY," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said William Birks and William Birks, our

page_text: executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or their
hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, or them, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
filed in. the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Birks and William Birks,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be [particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
Our Invention has for its object improvements in that class of bobbin net
or twist lace machinery, in which two heights or sets of bobbins and carriages
aro employed, one set being carried by bolts or combs above the other set.
Heretofore in machines of this description where it has been proposed to give
independent action to all the bobbins and carriages of each set arranged in
bolts or combs, one above the other, two pairs of point bars have been
employed for taking the crossings up or down, as the case may be, that is, one
pair to each set of carriages. Now, we find that, by a suitable arrangement of
the bolts or combs and of the bobbins and carriages, one set above the other,
that we are able to work with one pair of point bars only for taking down the
crossings, and also to dispense with the straight edges or bars which have been
required for keeping the threads in position between the two sets of carriages,
by which means we are enabled to introduce guide bars with ornamenting or
other threads between the upper and lower tiers of bolts or combs.
In carrying out the first part of our Invention we prefer, for convenience of
working (although we do not confine ourselves thereto), to arrange the
bobbins and carriages in an inverted position so as to move to and fro in
inverted circular bolts or combs, the work being taken downwards, as is well
understood. The front and back combs or bolts of the upper tier of carriages
are placed as near together as the safe working of the carriages will admit,
and the upper tier of bolts or combs are placed much nearer to the lower tier
of bolts or combs than heretofore, the circle of the upper tier of bolts or
combs being struck from a central point near to the upper edge of the lower
set of bolts or combs, so as to cause the upper set of bobbin threads to main-
tain a central position between the lower set of carriages, by which arrange-
ment the additional point bars, formerly employed for taking down the
crossings of the upper tier of bobbin threads, aro dispensed with; the cross-
ings of the upper tier of bobbin threads in this arrangement being brought
down by the simple movement of their carriages from one comb bar to the

page_text: other below the tails or projections on the lower tier of carriages, so that the
lower tier of carriages may enter and pass between the threads of the upper
tier of carriages without the aid of point bars or other spacing instruments or
apparatus, thus enabling us to introduce a series of guide bars with ornament-
ing or other threads on each side of the upper set of bobbin threads just above
the lower set of bolts or combs. Each set of bobbins and carriages in the
upper and lower tiers of bolts or combs are under the control of independent
pushers or selectors actuated by jacquard apparatus or other pattern surface.
The movement of the selected carriages from back to front of the machine,
and vice versa, may be effected by the ordinary apparatus employed suitably
arranged for this purpose, and the shogging of the comb or bolt bars of each
set of carriages will be arranged in accordance with the character of the lace
or net, which the machine is intended to produce; at the same time we would
state that we prefer to actuate the comb or bolt bars of each set of carriages
by means of apparatus, for which a Patent has been granted to us, dated the
25th day of February 1860, No. 528. The delivery of the threads from the
bobbins may be regulated, if required, by a bar or instruments suitably
arranged for this purpose, and additional point bars are employed to work
with the ordinary point bars when producing certain kinds of ornamental or
openwork portions of the lace or net.
And in order that the first part of our Invention may be most fully under-
stood and readily carried into practice wo will proceed to describe the Drawings
hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
The two Sheets of Drawings, marked respectively No. 1 and No. 2, shew a
section of the main working parts of a bobbin net or twist lace machine
arranged according to the first part of our Invention, with an upper and a
lower tier of carriages, each capable of being acted upon by independent
instruments actuated by jacquard apparatus or other pattern surface.
Sheets
Sheets No. 3 and No. 4 shew a section of the same machine on a smaller
scale, with the apparatus for giving motion to the various parts.
Nos. 5, 6, 7, and 8 shew end views of the machine. Sheet 9 shews parts of
a front view; and Sheets 10 and 11 shew separate views of some of the
instruments, and of the cams employed for giving motion to the main working
parts of the machine.
The nature and working of bobbin net or twist lace machinery being now
generally well understood by persons interested in this class of machinery, it
will not be necessary for us to describe very minutely the working of the

page_text: various parts more than is requisite to render our present improvements intel-
ligible to those who are acquainted with this class of machinery, nor will it be
necessary for us to describe further the nature of each of the views shewn by
the Drawings, as the same is written thereon; and it may be as well to
remark, that we are fully aware that it is not new to arrange bobbin net or
twist lace machines with two heights or sets of bobbins and carriages one over
the other, Patents having before been obtained for this purpose; but hitherto,
50 far as we are aware, no advantageous results have been obtained from
machines arranged in this manner.
A is the upper set or tier of bobbins and carriages; and B, the lower set or
tier of bobbins and carriages; the carriages A are supported by and move to.
and fro from back to front of the machine, and from front to back in the
upper tier of back and front circular combs or bolts a and a', whilst the
carriages B are carried by and move to and fro in like manner in the lower
tier of back and front circular combs or bolts b and b¹. The circular bolts or
combs of each tier are placed in an inverted position, which is the arrangement
we prefer, although we do not confine ourselves thereto, and it will be seen
that the combs or bolts of the upper tier of carriages are placed very near
together, and that the upper tier of bolts or combs are placed much nearer to
the lower tier of bolts or combs than heretofore where two heights of bobbins
and carriages have been proposed or arranged to work together. Each of the
carriages of the upper tier of bobbins and carriages A is capable of being
acted upon or selected by the independent pushers or selectors a² (one to each
carriage), whilst the carriages of the lower set B are capable of being acted
upon or selected by the independent pushers or selectors 6 (one to every two
carriages), and each of the pushers or selectors a², 6, are in connection with a
jacquard apparatus or other pattern surface. The pushers or selectors a² and b³
are carried by bars a and b, which are moved to and fro from time to time,
as required, by suitable cams, which give motion to the lever arms a, b, con-
nected by pin joints to arms on the bars a, b, as shewn. The pushers or
selectors a, b, after being selected by the jacquard apparatus or other pattern
surface, are locked in position by the sliding bars a and b, carried by the
bars a, b. When a selection of the carriages A has taken place the selected
carriages will be in a position to be moved from the back combs a into the
front combs a¹ by the locker bar C, which is caused to make a partial revolu-
tion for this purpose in the following manner :-c is a cam fixed on the crank
or driving axis d, which acts on a truck or roller carried by the lever c', the
upper end of which is connected by a pin joint to the bar c", on the other end
of which there is a toothed rack, which takes into and drives the toothed

page_text: pinion
fixed on the end of the locker bar C, by which a partial rotation is
given thereto alternately in opposite directions. The carriages A are driven
partly out of the front combs by the pushers G into a position to be taken by
the locker blade C into the back combs again. When a selection of the
carriages B takes place they are moved by the selectors into a position to be
taken by the front locker bar E and moved into the front combs, and they are
driven out of the front combs (into a position to be taken by the back locker
bar F into the back combs) by the pushers or instruments G', which are
similar to those usually employed in "pusher machines." The mode of giving
motion to the locker bars E and F and to the pusher bars G, G', being well
understood and clearly shewn in the Drawings, it will not be necessary for us
to describe the same more minutely hero. The comb or bolt bars a, a', and
6, 6', the selector bars a, b, and the pusher bars G, G', are capable of shogging
or moving endways, the upper tier of such bars being constantly borne by
springs towards dead or fixed stops on the framing, and towards the left-hand
end of the machine, whilst the lower tier of such bars is constantly borne by
springs towards dead or fixed stops on the framing, and towards the right-hand
end of the machine.
The mode of actuating or shogging the comb or bolt bars, the celector bars,
and the pusher bars may be of the ordinary kind, but we prefer to adopt one
or other of the modes described in the Specification of a Patent before referred
to, and the Drawing shew the arrangement we prefer to employ in com-
bination with our present improvements, in which arrangement droppers (1)
are interposed by means of jacquard apparatus or other pattern surfaco
between the sliding bolts (2), which act on the ends of the series of bars, and
between the levers (3), which act on such sliding bolts (2), there being two
such levers (3) to each of the comb bars, selector bars, and pusher bars, and
there are wheels 4 with alternate rises and falls to actuate each lever 3, the
action of which will be readily understood on examining the Drawings; H, H',
are the back and front point bars, which receive to-and-fro and up-and-down
movements by suitable mechanism, as is clearly shewn in the Drawings, and
it will be seen that we only employ this one pair of point bars for taking down
the crossings of the upper and lower tiers of bobbins and carriages, the
arrangement of the combs or bolts, and of the carriages, being such that the
movements of the upper tier of bobbins and carriages from the back into the
front combs, and vice versa, causes the crossings of those threads to pass
down below the tails or projections on the lower tier of carriages, by which
arrangement the crossings of the threads of the upper tier of bobbins will be
taken down without the aid of point bars or other spacing instruments or

page_text: apparatus by the lower tier of carriages entering between the threads of the
upper tier in passing from one comb or bolt bar to the other, the crossings of
the upper tier being thus carried down into a position to be taken by the point
bars Hor H. It will also be seen that by thus arranging the parts of a
bobbin net, or twist lace machine with two heights of bobbins and carriages
that we are able to introduce warp or ornamenting thread guide bars between
the upper and lower tiers of combs or bolts on each side of the upper set of
bobbin threads just above the lower set of combs or bolts, as shewn in Sheet 1
of the Drawings, and by thus arranging the two sets of bolts or combs wo
dispense altogether with the straight edges or bars which have previously been
required for keeping the threads in position between the two heights of
carriages.
The machine is shewn in the position the parts would assume at the starting
point when all the carriages are in the back combs or bolts, and the two
sets of selections or pushers have been selected by the jacquard apparatus;
those selectors or pushers of the lower set which are left down drive the
carriages into the front bolts or combs (two carriages to each pusher), the bars
shog, then the front pushers take half those carriages back, that is, every other
of them; the bars then shog again, the back pushers fall and bring all the
carriages into the front bolts or combs, the top pusher bar then rises or falls
one gait or space to form a full bar, and drives all the carriages into the back
combs or bolts ready to be selected again. The top tier works the same as
the lower tier, with the exception of having a pusher to cach carriage in place
of the double-ended ones used in the lower tior.
We would here remark that the mode of arranging and working the various
parts of bobbin net or twist lace machinery in which two heights or tiers of
carriages are employed, may be varied so as to work with one pair of point
bars without departing from the peculiar character of this part of our Inven-
tion; and at Figure Y, Sheet 12 of the Drawings, a diagram is shewn in section
of some of the principal working parts of another arrangement, in which only
one pair of point bars is required for taking down the crossings of the threads
of both tiers of bobbins and carriages. Four locker bars are employed in this
arrangement, by which space is obtained for introducing a series of guide bars
just above the upper tier of carriages.
The second part of our Invention consists in the arrangement and application
of an additional set of bobbins and carriages to what are commonly known in
the trade as "pusher machines," such additional set of bobbins and carriages
being carried by an extra set of combs above the lower set of combs, similar
to what we have previously described in respect to the upper and lower tiers

page_text: of circular bolts and combs in the first part of our Invention. The upper and.
lower sets or tiers of bobbins and carriages in this arrangement are moved
from back to front of the machine by independent pushers actuated by:
jacquard apparatus or other pattern surface, as is well understood in working
ordinary "pusher machines." The comb bars and pusher bars of each set of
carriages may be shogged by suitable cuts of wheels and apparatus, as is well'
understood, but we prefer to actuate the comb bars and pusher bars of each
set of carriages by means of apparatus for which a Patent has been granted to,
us and before referred to in respect to the first part of our present improve-
ments. Stump bars are employed to space the threads for the passing through.
of the lower tier of carriages, and when required additional point bars may be
employed when producing certain kinds of ornamental or openwork portions of
the lace or net, together with apparatus for regulating the delivery of the
bobbin threads..
Figure Z, Sheet 12, shews a section of some of the principal working parts
of a "pusher machine" constructed and arranged with two heights of bobbins
and carriages, according to this part of our improvements, which will be
readily understood on examining the Drawing.
A is the upper tier, and B the lower tier of combs, bobbins, and carriages.
a, a', are the back and front pushers to the upper tier of bobbins and carriages
A; and b, b, are the back and front pushers to the lower tier of bobbins and
carriages; the back pushers of cach tier A and B have independent action by
means of jacquard apparatus or other pattern surface connected therewith;
C, C, are stump bars or spacing instruments to space the threads of the upper
tier of carriages, in order that the lower tier of carriages may pass safely
between them.
The apparatus for giving to-and-fro motions to the several pusher bars and
shogging or endway motion to the comb bars and spacing bars being well
understood in working ordinary "pusher machines," it will not be necessary to
describe them, as a workman acquainted with the class of machinery will
readily apply the same to "pusher machines" arranged with two heights or
sets of bobbins and carriages. According to this part of our Invention warp
threads may be introduced and worked in combination with the arrangement
of pusher machines previously described. The warp bars in such an arrange-
ment would be placed above the upper tier of carriages, and the upper tier of
combs placed wider apart, the stump bars or spacing instruments being
suitably arranged for working therewith.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention and the manner of
carrying the same into practice, we would have it understood that we do not

page_text: claim any of the parts separately, the same being well known and understood,
nor do we confine ourselves to the exact details herein described, so long
as the peculiar character of our Invention be retained; but what we
claim is,
First, the arrangement of bobbin net or twist lace machinery with two
heights or sets of bobbins and carriages placed one above the other, in which
arrangement only one pair of point bars are employed or required for taking
down the crossings of the threads of each set of bobbin threads, and so as to
dispenso with the use of spacing instruments between the two heights of
combs or bolts, as herein described.
And, secondly, we claim the arrangement of," pusher machines" with two
heights or sets of bobbins and carriages placed one above the other, as herein
described.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Birks and William Birks, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Tenth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
DIDIZA
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE, Patent Agent,
of 34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, London.
W. BIRKS, Sen. (L.S.)
W. BIRKS, Jun'. (L.S.)