Improvements in the Manufacture of Lace, and in Means therefor.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 28th May, 1894
Complete Specification Left; 28th Feb., 1895-Accepted, 6th. Apr... 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Lace, and in Means therefor.
We, THOMAS STANLEY BIRKIN, of Basford, Lace Manufacturer, and EDWIN
CRESSWELL, of 9 Birkin Avenue, Hyson Green, Lace Draughtsman, both in the
County of Nottingham, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention relates to a method of, and means for, producing on lace machines,
known as lace curtain machines, such laces as have hitherto been made on Levers
machines, and to facilitate the design and manufacture of novel laces.
For the purpose of our invention, we give the necessary motions to the guide
bars of a lace curtain or like machine, by means of cams, or their equivalent,
suitably carried in the machine, said cams being suitably shaped and specially
designed according to the number of the guide bars, the threads being on beams or
spools as desired, and we operate or manipulate the machine in such a manner that
purls can be produced at any part of the lace during its manufacture.
In order to produce an independent purl by purling from the warp or spool, either
to the left hand or right hand, we employ a cam capable of giving a number of
motions during each rise and fall of its guide bar.
A cam giving eight motions, for example, would give four motions for the
downward purl and four motions for the upward purl. We also employ a fine or
tying-in thread to hold the purl, the cam for said tying-in thread being so con-
structed and arranged that, if the purl thread is at the front of the tying-in thread,
the rise and fall of the said tying-in thread will take place on the odd motion, and
if the purl thread is at the back of the tying-in-thread, the rise and fall will be on
the even motion, and by this means the threads remain loose until they are jacked,
when they are tied to make and hold the purl.
We
We may dispense with the putting-up of the extra threads and produce the purls
from spool or warp threads and thus save the thickening of the pillar or net.
produce the purl from the clothing or spool bar, or from the warp bar, by arranging
the cams in connection therewith to produce, say, eight motions, the first six motions
producing the rise and fall of the guide bar and the last. two forming: the purl. Or
the cam in connection with the warp bar may be shaped to give a suitable number,
say eight motions, motions 1 to 6 producing the rise and fall of the guide bar and
motious 7 and 8 serving to nip the purl.
Any desired number of purls or loops may, by this method, be produced on one
or both sides of the brides, threads, or cords forming the ground or meshes of lace
or figured net without in any way interfering with the perfection of the figuring or
clothing which can be made to look superior to that at present manufactured,
and more extensive laces and a greater variety of designs can be produced than
heretofore.

page_text: Improvements in the Manufacture of Lace, and in Means therefor.
We, THOMAS STANLEY BIRKIN, of Basford, Lace Manufacturer, and EDWIN
CRESSWELL, of 9 Birkin Avenue, Hyson Green, Lace Draughtsman, both in the
County of Nottingham, do hereby declare the nature of this 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
accompanying drawings and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say :-
Our invention relates to a method of and means for producing on lace machines,
known as lace curtain machines, laces (such as have hitherto been made on Levers
machines) having purls at any part of the fabric whereby independent purls can be
formed in laces of any size and width. The invention also facilitates the design
and manufacture of novel laces.
For the purpose of our invention, we form a purl by liberating and nipping the
warp or spool threads, when desired, by giving the necessary motions to the guide
bars of a lace curtain or like machine, by means of cams (suitably carried in the
machine and specially designed according to the number of the guide bars) or other
equivalent means, such as a jacquard, the threads being on beams or spools as
desired; and we operate the machine in such a manner that the purls can be
produced at any part of the lace during its manufacture.
+
In order to produce an independent purl by purling from the warp or spool
either to the left hand or right hand, we employ a cam capable of giving a number
of motions during each rise and fall of its guide bar.
A cam giving 8 motions, for example, would give 4 motions for the downward
url, and 4 motions for the upward purl. We also employ a fine or tying in thread
to hold the purl, the cam of said tying-in thread being so arranged that the tying-in
thread, if the purl thread is in front, will rise and fall on the odd motion, and if
the purl thread is at the back of the tying-in thread the rise and fall will be on the
even motion, so that the threads remain loose until they are jacked, when they are
tied to make and hold the purl.
We
We may dispense with the putting up of the extra threads and produce the purls
from spool or warp threads, and thus save the thickening of the pillar or net.
produce the purl from the clothing or spool bar, or from the warp bar, by arranging
the cams in connection therewith to produce say 8 motions, the first 6 motions
producing the rise and fall of the guide bar and the last two forming the purl. Or
the cam in connection with the warp bar may be shaped to give a suitable number,
say 8, motions, motions 1 to 6 producing the rise and fall of the guide bar, and
motions 7 and 8 serving to nip the purl.
Any desired number of purls or loops may, by this method, be produced on one
or both sides of the brides, threads, or cords forming the ground or meshes of lace
or figured net without in any way interfering with the perfection of the figuring or
clothing, which can be made to look superior to that at present manufactured.
Our invention will be better understood by reference to the annexed drawings, in
which:
Fig. 1 represents one form of warp or spool purl cam, constructed according to
our invention, fer operating the guide bars, and having 8 motions.
Fig. 2 represents a convenient form of tie thread cam for use in connection with
the cam shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 represents the formation of the purl by means of camns, as in Figs. 1
and 2.
The cams are ordinary edge cams such as at present used for operating the guide

page_text: bars in lace curtain machines, and are carried on the shaft, or shafts, in the usual
manner. They have the eilge a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, so designed as to rise and fall the
threads at the time required to produce the purl and to tie it. j, j, are the purk
threads, the points where the tie thread ties the purl, and the tie thread,.
m represents the purl tie when jacked, and n shows the purl tie loose and not holding
the purl. The cams are keyed, or otherwise fixed, to suitable cam shafts of the
lace curtain machine, which is of ordinary design, and may be arranged for 8, 12, oc
any other suitable number of motions according to the pattern or design of the lace
which is to be produced.
The cams shown on the drawings are for 8 motions, which are arranged as
follows:-
;
Warp or spool purl cam :-No. 1 motion, rises one gate at a; No. 2 motion, falls
two gates at b; No. 3 motion, remains stationary; No. 4 motion, rises two gates
at c; No. 5 motion, falls one gate at d; No. 6 motion, rises two gates at e;
No. 7 motion, remains stationary; No. 8 motion, falls two gates at f.
Tying-in thread cam No. 1 motion, runs or remains stationary; No. 2 motion,.
falls two gates at, g; Nos. 3, 4, and 5 motions, remains stationary; No. 6 motion,
rises two gates at ; Nos. 7 and 8 motions, remains stationary. When jacked, this.
cam rises on the odd motion and ties in the purl.
For a coarse gauge, we should employ one spool, one warp, and one bobbin, the
spool coming out to make the purl; for a fine gauge, we should employ either one
or two spools, two warps, and two bobbins. In fine gauge, one or both the spool
threads could come out to make the purl. The cams controlling these threads
would be arranged to actuate the guide bars in the usual well known manner. The
warp cam, spool, and purl cam, and the tie thread cam, in the case of three cams.
being used, would be designed to rise and fall the proper number of gates at the
proper motions to work together to produce purls as desired. In the case of five
cams being used, say two warp cams, a spool cam, a warp or spool purl cam, and a
warp or spool tie-thread cam, one warp cam might rise one gate No. 1 motion and
fall one gate No. 2 motion, rise one gate No. 5 motion and fall one gate No. 6 motion,.
being stationary or running the rest of the revolution. The other warp cam might
rise two gates No. 1 motion and fall two gates No. 3 motion, rise one gate.
No. 5 motion, and fall one gate No. 7 motion. The spool cam would rise three
gates No. 1 motion and fall three gates No. 3 motion, rise three gates No. 5 motion,.
and fall three gates No. 7 motion. Eight motions being supposed for all the cams,.
the purl and tie thread cams, whether warp or spool, would be designed as herein-.
before described and represented at Figs. 1 and 2. It is obvious that the shape
and arrangement of the cams is capable of almost infinite variation according to.
the pattern or design of the lace, the gauge, and the construction of the curtain.
machine.
The warp bar that puts the nips on for "combination (i.e. imitation Levers
work), can nip the purl when required by taking off the twist when purling. Or
we can dispense with the purl beam by taking off the twist of the warp thread
which will liberate the spool thread. The tie thread can put on one or more twists
round the bobbin thread, which will produce purls from the spool and bobbin. By.
putting extra weight on the tie thread one or more spools can be used according to
the gauge of the machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inveu--
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we-
claim is :-
1. The production or formation, on a "lace curtain" machine, of independent.
purls or loops on one or both sides of the brides, threads, or cords constituting the
ground or meshes of the lace or figured net, by suitably operating the threads.
tbrough the medium of the guide bar cams, or equivalent means, substantially as
described.
2. In a "lace curtain machine," the employment of warp or spool purl and.

page_text: tying-in thread cams designed substantially as hereinbefore described for the purpose
set forth.
3. For producing independent purls in lace or like fabric in a "lace curtain
machine," arranging the fine or tying-in thread so that if the purl thread is in front
said tying in thread will rise and fall on the odd motion, and if the purl thread is
at the back of the tying-in thread, said tying in thread will rise and fall on the
even motion, whereby the threads remain loose until jacked, substantially as
described.
4. Our improvements by which the manufacture of those laces, hitherto produced
. on Levers machines, can be carried out on "lace curtain machines, substantially
as hereinbefore described and shown with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 00th day of Wahr 1005
ERNEST DE PASS,
Chartered Patent Agent,
78, Fleet Street, London, and 6, Victoria Street, Nottingham,
Agent for the Applicants.