IMPROVEMENTS IN LACE MACHINERY
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Livesey, of New Lenton, in the County of
Nottingham, Lace Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN LACE MACHINERY."
Sealed the 17th July 1855, and dated the 24th January 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Livesey at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th
January 1855.
I, JOHN LIVESEY, of New Lenton, in the County of Nottingham, Lace
Manufacturer, do hereby. declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN LACE MACHINERY" to be as follows:-
My improvements in lace machinery refer to that class known as warp lace
machinery; and consist,
First, in adding to such machinery loop-pile or fringe-forming instruments,
placed in the needle bar, or in front of the fabric, or other convenient position,
so that loop pile or fringe threads may be thrown over or round the instru-
ments, in order that they may take up a large amount of material, and so
form pile long loops or fringes.
Second, in adding to warp lace machinery thread carriers, for placing weft
threads in the fabrics to be produced the whole width of the frame, with
suitable arrangements for laying in one of the weft threads each time the frame
A

page_text: is brought into a proper position to receive it. The thread carriers are in
sufficient number, following each other from left to right and right to left, 'to
bring at a slow motion one weft thread into its desired position as soon as the
frame has made the necessary motions to receive it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Livesey, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
July 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
LIVESEY, of New Lenton, in the County of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said John Livesey, Her special licence that I, the said John
Livesey, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said John Livesey, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN LACE MACHINERY," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said John Livesey, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in
the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Livesey, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the. Drawings annexed, that is
to say:-
My Invention in lace machinery refers to that class known as warp lace
machinery, and consists in alterations of, and additions to, such machinery of
loop or fringe-forming instruments placed in the needle bar, or in front of

page_text: the fabric, or other convenient position, and in apparatus so arranged that
loop or fringe threads may be thrown over or round the instruments, in order
that they may take up a large amount of material, and so form long loops or
fringes; the object of my additions being to enable me to form a loop round
the hooked instruments a', herein-after explained, (or some other suitable
arrangements of instruments,) so that when released from such instruments the
loop may be capable of being cut into a fringe, and by this means a warp lace
frame is adapted for making fringes, the united width of which is very much
greater than the width of the frame employed in making such fringe. Sheet A
shews parts of a warp lace frame, partly in section, with iny improvements
added; and for the sake of clearly distinguishing in what my improvements
consist, I describe only those parts of a warp lace frame (the construction
of which is old and well known) which are necessary to enable me distinctly
to explain my Invention. The parts marked with an O are old, and form
parts of an ordinary warp lace frame; the names by which these parts are
usually called are written on them in the Drawings.
My improvements are as follows:-a' is a hooked instrument cast in the
needle leads, hooked as shown, to prevent the material coming off until drawn
down by the sinker 63. The instruments a¹ are cranked down more or less, as it
is desired to make longer or shorter fringes. It will be found convenient to use
two such instruments for the fringe thread to lap round, placed two or more
gauges apart, according to the length of the fringe to be made. D is a front
view of the needles and instruments a¹, arranged to make, when cut, two
fringes, each about two inches long, with two needles on each side for making
the heads of the fringes. This explanation will be sufficient to enable any
intelligent workman to vary the number of needles employed, and the width
of fringe made according to what is required. 6¹ is an additional sinker bar,
and 63 combs fastened on it; the hooked sinkers 63 are placed between the
combs, and held by the wire b'; one such hooked sinker is required to take
down the loop formed round the instrument and hold it out of the way of the
guides. The sinker bar b¹ moves in slotted brackets b³, fastened to the back
bar supporting sinkers. M is a lever moving on the axle m²; m² is a bracket,
fastened to the needle bar, and carrying the axle m²; m³ is a plate, keyed
on the back shaft, and carrying the cams m', m³, for giving motion to the
lever M; m is a link connecting the lever M to the sinker bar 6. The
number of levers and links required will be in proportion to the width of the
frame. H is a bar or blade, extending the width of the machine, and acting
under the needles to push back the fringe threads, so as to insure their getting
under the beards of the needles. The blade His attached to slides h', which

page_text: rest on the top guide bar and hand bar, and is held in a proper position by
caps h, h³ is a link connecting the slides and blade H; ; to the lever ;
the lever works on the axle h, and on a bracket, attached to the hand
bar. E is a lever, working on the axle e¹ in the bracket e; fastened to the
end of the needle bar is a cam, cut to give the proper movement to the
blade H. The lever E communicates motion from the came to the link e*,
the lever h, the link h³, and blade and slide H, h¹; the link extends
across the frame to act, by a repetition of the lever hand link h³, on both
ends of the blade H. e is a spring, fastened to the guide bar bracket and to
the lever E, to hold it in contact with the cam e', to give proper action to the
blade H. Z is the cut of wheels for working the fringe thread guide bar.
Having described the parts of the frame, I will now describe how I proceed.
to make fringes with a plain head formed by the two pillowing threads and
one loop thread to each fringe head; (the way of working the pillowing and loop
threads is well known.) For this purpose, I use seven needles, as shewn
at D; the two outside ones are used to lap the fringe thread over, the
middle one is for a draw thread, and the two on each side of the draw
thread are for the head of the fringe. Three guide bars are used; one for
pillowing, one for looping, and the third (top bar of the three) for the fringe
thread. If it is desired to make a pattern to the head, this is done in the
ordinary way, and does not require further explanation. Supposing work.to
be on the machine, the motions will be as follows:-
First motion. The hooked sinkers fall and take the fringe thread out
of the way of the guides; the sinkers also fall and go back; the machine
goes in the bottom bar stands; second bar moves two needles to the left
hand; third bar moves six needles to the right hand.
Second motion. The machine moves up; the first bar stands; the second
bar moves one needle to the right; the third bar moves five needles to
the left.
Third motion. While the machine is going down, the bar H moves in and
out; the sinkers rise and come forward and knock off the work, and the
machine comes out; first bar moves three needles to the right; second bar
three needlès to the right; third bar one needle to the right.
Fourth motion. The sinkers fall, go back and take the work back. The
machine goes in; the first bar moves four needles to the left; second bar
moves two needles to the left; third bar six needles to the right.
Fifth motion. The machine rises; first bar moves one needle to the right;
second bar stands; third; bar stands.
'
.Sixth motion. While the machine goes down, the bar H moves in and out;

page_text: the machine comes out; the presser bar presses on the needle beards; the
sinkers rise, come forward, and press off the work. The hooked sinkers b
rise; first bar stands; second bar stands; third bar moves one needle to the
left. The 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th motions are the same as the
1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th motions, except as regards the first and third
guide bars, the motions of which are as follows:-
7th motion. First bar stands; third bar moves six needles to the left.
8th motion. First bar stands; third bar moves five needles to the right.
9th motion. First bar moves three needles to the left; third bar moves one
needle to the left.
10th motion. First bar moves three needles to the right; third bar moves
six needles to the left.
11th motion. First bar moves one needle to the left; third bar stands.
12th motion. First bar stands; third bar moves one needle to the left.
The cut of wheels given will be found to correspond to the motions now
described. For narrow fringes the instruments a¹ may be dispensed with, and
the fringe thread and other parts worked in the same manner and with the
same cut of wheels as before described; or if a narrower fringe is wanted
than would be produced by the space between the two outside needles, shown
at D, then the space between these needles must be less, and the wheels
altered to lap over a less space. I have shown the hooked sinkers b³ as the
most convenient way of keeping the fringe threads out of the way of the
guides, but this might also be accomplished by using a pillowing thread for
that purpose.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the improve-
ments in lace machinery herein-before described as new, also the particular
arrangements of the parts herein-before described, whereby such parts and
arrangements are adapted to the production of fringes, as described,
In witness whereof, I, the said John Livesey, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-five.
JOHN LIVESEY. (L.S.)