IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IMITATION LACE, NET, OR OPENWORK FABRICS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IMITATION LACE,
NET, OR OPENWORK FABRICS."-A communication from abroad by Lucien
Henry L'Heureux, Eugene Victor L'Heureux, and Charles Alphonse
L'Heureux, of Ruo St. Sébastien, Paris.
Sealed the 22nd August 1862, and dated the 23rd April 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd April 1862.
J, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
5 in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IMITATION
LACE, NET, OR OPENWORK FABRICS," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is by a peculiar combination of threads or yarns
to produce a new fabric or tissue which shall possess to a considerable extent
the appearance of an ornamental lace fabric. The mode of producing the

page_text: fabric will however differ materially from those tissues or fabrics usually
denominated "imitations."
The new or improved fabric is composed of the following parts, viz, 1,
parallel vertical threads arranged at suitable distances apart according to the
fineness of the fabric which it is desired to produce. 2. An equal number of
other vertical threads, which are wrapped round the first vertical threads, or
are left free according to the requirements of the pattern. 3. Other threads
which are traversed diagonally across the fabric from top to bottom and from
bottom to top, and are enterwoven between the vertical threads. The traverse
of these diagonal threads is not necessarily regular but may be varied at will
according to the desired pattern. 4. Thick traversing threads for filling up
and finishing the pattern as in ordinary lace and imitation work. 5. Threads
which form the selvages or the top and bottom of the widths of lace or fabric.
Tissues or fabrics formed of the above combination of threads may be made
of different widths and of various patterns.
It will be understood from the above general description that the charac-
teristic feature of this Invention is the manufacture of a new tissue or fabric,
the peculiar texture of which represents not simply an imitation lace but
real lace manufactured by mechanical means.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed 2
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, L, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said William Edward
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Edward Newton, 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,

page_text: exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF IMITATION LACE, NET, OR OPENWORK FABRICS," being
a communication from abroad by Lucien Henry L'Heureux, Eugene Victor
L'Heureux, and Charles Alphonse L'Heureux, of Rue St. Sebastien, Paris,
in the Empire of France, upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said William Edward Newton, 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 per-
formed, 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 William Edward Newton, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
The object of this Invention of improvements in the manufacture of
imitation lace, net, or openwork fabrics, is by a peculiar combination of
threads or yarns to produce a new fabric or tissue, which shall possess to a
considerable extent the appearance of an ornamental laco fabric, and which is
denominated by the Inventors "artesian lace." The mode of producing the
fabric will, however, differ materially from those tissues or fabrics usually
denominated "imitations."
In order that the mode of producing the new or improved fabric may be
clearly understood, I have shewn in the accompanying Drawing a diagram
of a piece of the new kind of lace drawn upon an enlarged scale.
The fabric is composed of the following parts, first, parallel vertical threads
marked a, b, c, d, e, f, in the Drawing, and arranged at suitable distances apart,
according to the fineness of the fabric which it is desired to produce; some of
these parallel threads are colored yellow in the Drawing. Second, an equal
number of other vertical threads a', b', c', d, e, f, &c., some of which are
colored blue and are wrapped helically round the first vertical threads, or if
desired they may be left free according to the particular pattern it may be
desired to produce. Third, other threads which are colored red and are
traversed diagonally across the threads a, b, c, d, e, f, and a, b, c, d, e¹, f',
&c., from top to bottom and from bottom to top of the fabric, and are
interwoven between (that is to say, they pass up alternately over and under)

page_text: the threads a, b, c, d, e, f, &c., and in passing down their direction is reversed,
that is, they pass alternately under and over those threads.. It will be seen,
on referring to the accompanying Diagram, that the traverse for these diagonal
threads is not necessarily regular as indicated, but may be varied at will
according to the requirements of the pattern; for instance, where these threads
are required to form openwork their upward or downward motion must be
arrested and they must follow during a certain number of motions of the other
parts the direction of the threads a, b, c, d, e, f, &c., and a, b, c, d, e, f, &c,
and thereby wind round them and afterwards resume their upward or
downward motion. It will be seen from this that it is not necessary that each
of these threads should occupy the same position at each repeat of the pattern.
Fourth, it consists of thick traversing threads for filling up and finishing the
the pattern as in ordinary lace and imitation work. These thick filling
threads are not colored in the Drawing, as their size will sufficiently
distinguish them from the other threads. Fifth, of threads which form the
selvages or the top and bottom of the widths of lace or fabric.
Tissues or fabrics formed of the above combination of threads may be made
of different widths and of various patterns, the accompanying Diagram merely
representing, on an enlarged scale, one of the fabrics of the widths and patterns
which are capable of being produced by this combination of threads. The
second and lower part of the Diagram represents the same effect as that above
described, but obtained by a greater number of motions or movements, as any
suitable number of motions may be applied to the production of an effect or
a pattern or for making any species of lace.
Having now described the nature of this Invention, and having explained
the manner of carrying the same into effect, (as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, I would observe that the mechanical arrangements
for effecting the traverse or operation of the several threads form no part of
the present Invention, as every practical lace manufacturer will know how
to adapt existing machinery to work the several threads according to the
particular pattern it is desired to produce. I would remark, however, that
the mechanical arrangements I prefer to use to effect the object of the present
Invention are those shewn and described in the Specification of Letters Patent
granted to me for "Improved Machinery for the Manufacture of Lace or Bobbin
Net," bearing date Twentieth-sixth June One thousand eight hundred and sixty,
No. 1556; I do not however mean or intend to confine myself rigidly thereto,
although I prefer to use the same, as the machinery therein set forth will be
found specially adapted for the purpose. What I consider to be new and desire

page_text: to claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is the production of a. novel fabric by the combination of
vertical and traversing threads as herein set forth, the peculiar contexture of
which fabric represents not simply imitation lace but real lace manufactured
by mechanical means.
In witness whercof, I, the said William Edward Newton, hath hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Twenty-third day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)