CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING ORNAMENTED BOBBIN NET OR TWIST LACE AND OTHER FABRICS
Year: 1844

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARKE, of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria,
Her Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Fourteenth day of October, in the eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Clarke, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and
authority, that I, the said William Clarke, my exors, adiñiors, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said William Clarke, my exors, adññiors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR MANUFACTURING ORNAMENTED BOBBIN NET OR TWIST LACE AND OTHER
FABRICS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a. proviso that I, the
said William Clarke, shall cause a particular description of the nature of
my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited 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 Clarke, do hereby declare that the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and

page_text: the Drawings nereunto annexed, and to the figures and retters marked econ
(that is to say):
―
My Invention relates,―
First, to improvements in machinery for manufacturing bobbin net or
twist lace, and consists of so arranging machinery for such purposes by apply-
ing two additional comb or bolt bars together with means of acting on each
bobbin carriage independently, that any pair or pairs of the carriages (acting
for the time being as the back and front bobbin carriages), may be caused to
put a cross or crosses on to their respective threads, without reference to what
neighbouring pairs of carriages are doing at the same time; and by having
the warp threads acted on by independent instruments, or by numerous guide
bars aided or not by gymp or other extra threads, very ornamental patterns of
twist lace may be produced.
And, secondly, my Invention relates to improvements in machinery for
manufacturing warp fabrics or warp lace fabrics, and consists of causing the
warp threads to be lapped on to the needles by means of a reed, in the spaces
of which the various warp threads are capable of moving, so as at one time
to be working as the upper row of threads, and at other times as the lower
row of threads, the reed having suitable rackings communicated to it so as
to cause the successive lappings of the threads, which, for the time being,
form the upper and lower rows of warp threads. And when it is desired to
work with two warp threads to each needle, then the reed will be sufficiently
deep to be divided into two reeds, one below the other, there being as many
warp threads in the lower as the upper reed, and the threads in the lower
reed as in the upper reed will be capable of being divided into an upper and
lower row of threads, so as by suitable shoggings of the reed to be lapped in
succession on to the needles, and the varied patterns of fabric produced will
depend on the order in which the various threads are caused, by Jacquard
or other suitable pattern surfaces, to be worked in the upper and lower warp
threads.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood, and readily
carried into effect, I will now proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A.
The nature of each of the views shown in the Drawing being written
thereon, it will not be necessary to repeat them here.
And I would remark, that I have not thought it necessary to show a

page_text: complete machine for making bobbin net or twist lace, as this part of my
Invention only relates to the means of getting any of the bobbin threads to
put on crosses, without reference to what the other bobbin threads are doing,
which requires that the apparatus should be such that the carriages may be
independently acted on and independently shogged by means of extra inde-
pendent comb bars, and therefore the Drawings are for the most part directed
to show the means pursued by me for accomplishing this end; and I shall
for the most part confine my description to those parts of the machinery
which go to effect the movement of the bobbin carriages, in order to separate
pairs thereof, and the means of causing some pairs of carriages to traverse
whilst others do not perform any traverse; and this may be done with con-
siderable speed owing to the circumstance of having two comb or bolt bars
in front, and two comb or bolt bars at back, each independent of the other.
The machine shown works with a single tier of carriages, and each of the
combs is equally spaced for the passage of all the bobbin carriages; a, b, are
the front combs; and c, d, are the back combs fixed on suitable comb bars,
two only of such comb bars having racking or shogging motions, the other
two being fixed comb bars; and the machinery shown is arranged for having
motion to the comb bars a and c, whilst the comb bars 6 and d are fixed; the
carriages are to be acted on by apparatus suitably arranged for selecting them
independently of their neighbours, and, although various apparatus may be
used for such purpose, I prefer the arrangement shown. This apparatus
consists of a series of levers e, f, such levers moving on a common axis g;
the levers having each a slit at its end which receives the axis g; hence, in
addition to moving on 9 as an axis, the various levers e, f, can be slided to
and fro thereon; and it will be understood that the levers e and f are placed
alternately, so that when the whole of the levers e are moved they will take
every other bobbin carriage, and the other bobbin carriages will be taken by
the levers f; and when the levers e and f are all worked cach time by the
locker bars hereafter explained, so as to act on a carriage, the carriages
will be divided in the manner of single tier machinery into two rows, one row
consisting of every other carriage in the back combs, and the other consisting
of the other carriages in the front combs; and such is the manner in which
the machine is worked when crosses are desired to be put on by each pair of
bobbin threads; and such is the case when any pairs of bobbin thread
are desired to put on twist; but it will be evident, that as the carriages
are capable of being selected in pairs, and as any neighbouring pair or pairs
can be selected from the general body of carriages, and as such carriages
can, when selected, have suitable shoggings in their combs a, c, so as to put

page_text: on crosses. to those carriage threads, a great capability is obtained for varied
patterns of ornamented lace, being, produced with considerable speed, which
may or may not be aided by the use of gymping and other extra warp threads.
The nature of the levers e and f. is clearly shewn in the Drawing, and will
readily be understood by examining the same. i are the bobbin carriages;
in the under part of each is formed a notch, into which notches the levers e
or. f enter, so that when those levers are moved the carriage will be drawn
towards the back or front combs, and be placed in a position to be taken by
the back or front catch bar h; for it will be seen that the catch bars do not
enter the notches of the carriages when the carriages are in the centre, but
only when they have been moved a distance from the centre. Hence, any of
the carriages may be left in the centre, whilst others are selected therefrom
into the back and front combs, and there racked; and each pair of neigh-
bouring bobbin threads so selected have their threads crossed by changing
places with each other by the comb bars a, c, being racked in opposite direc-
tions; and the carriages are again returned into the centre in the combs b
and d by the catch bars h. Hence it will be evident that, as the carriages
can be acted on separately, and as the warp threads may be acted on indi-
vidually by suitable independent instruments, aided by proper pattern surfaces,
(or there may be numerous guide bars to work the warp threads, all which
are well understood,) by such means any of the bobbin.threads may be caused
to twist with their warp threads, or be prevented twisting with their warp
threads according to the requirement of the particular pattern of lace which
is for the time being being made in the machine. j and k are two locker.bars
which move the levers e and f to and fro by the tail pieces e¹, f¹, of the levers e
and f, entering between the two blades of their respective locker bars, as is
shown; the locker bar j actuating the levers e, and the locker bark actuating the
levers. The locker bars receive, motion in the following manner :-
-(1) is the
crank handle on the axis (1%), by which the workman puts the. machine in
motion. On the crank axis is affixed the cog wheel (2), which takes into and
gives motion to. the cog wheel (3) on the axis (4), and on this axis (4) is affixed
the bevilled toothed wheel (5) which takes into and drives the bevilled. toothed
wheel (6) affixed on the axis (6), on which axis (6) are affixed the two cams j¹
and k¹, which work the locker bars by means of levers and, which, by means
of the connecting links j³, k³, give motion to the arms j, k, affixed on the axes
of the locker bars j and k; all which will readily be understood on a careful,
examination of the Drawings; and it will be seen that the cams are so formed
that they actuate the levers e and f in opposite directions, and having caused,
them to receive two movements, the cams reverse the directions of the move
3.

page_text: ments, of the levers e and f for the two next movements, and then again,
reverse the direction of movement; and it will be found, on examining the
cut of wheels for working the comb bars, that they shog those bars imme-
diately after the selection at the first, third, and other odd times of selections;
and the selections which take place at the second, fourth, and other even
times are for putting on twist, and therefore the comb bars do not shog after
those selections, the warp threads being racked to put on the twist. The
leverse and are selected and brought into action by means of Jacquard
apparatus which is well understood, and which acts by. means of cords 1, 1;
and when any of the levers e, f, are to. be brought into action, they are, by
their cords 1, 1, raised as to come into position to enter the notches in the
carriages, and then, by the movement of the locker bars, the levers so
selected are caused to be moved toward the back and front combs, by which
they will cause the carriages to be brought into a position to be taken by the
back and front catch bars, which will move them into the combs a and c in
the manner hereafter explained. The levers e and f are caused to descend
from the carriages (so as to be in a position to be again selected) by the
locker bar m immediately the catch. bars have entered the notches in the car-
riages, such locker bar m being put in motion by a cam on the cam shaft,
which cam, by means of a lever and connecting rod attached to an arm on the
axis of the locker bar m, causes the locker bar m to press down the levers e
and at the proper time, as above described. I have not thought it necessary
to shew these parts, as a workman will understand the same from the descrip-
tion here given. The catch bars are worked in the following manner :--On
the driving cranked axis (1*) are formed the two cranks (7) and (8), which,
by means of the connecting rods (9) and (10), give motion to the back and
front catch bars, the connecting rod (9) being attached to the arm (11) affixed
to the spindle bar (12) of the front catch bar; the connecting rod (10) being
attached to the arm (13) affixed to the spindle bar (14) of the back catch
bar, as is shown; and the catch bars h, h, are fixed on arms h¹, h', which turn
on necks or axes carried by the supporting bars (15), (15), carried by. the
swinging arms (16), (16), 'which move on axes (17), and the supporting bars
(15) have rods (18) attached thereto, which, by means of pin joints (19) con-
'nect them respectively with their spindle bar arms (20); which spindle bar
arms are respectively affixed to the spindle bars (12) and (14). By these
means the back and front catch bars are caused to go in towards the carriages,
and to move the selected ones into the combs a and c, leaving the others in
the centre; and the catch. bars h, h, are dropped into the notches of the car-
riages by means of the connecting rods (21), (21), connected to the levers

page_text: (22), (22), and to the catch bars, such levers (22) being acted on by the
cams (23) and (24) on the cam shaft, which from time to time raise the catch
bars out of the notches of the carriages, and allow them to drop into the
notches of the carriages; the catch bars being prevented dropping too far by
the stop screws (25), (25), falling on the stops (26), (26). The cranks
(7), (8), which work the catch bars, will bring the carriages back into the
centre, although the catch bars are not permitted to fall into the notches when
the carriages are in the centre. Motion is communicated to the cam shaft
from the crank axis (1*) by means of the bevelled toothed wheel (27), which
takes into and drives the cog wheel (28) affixed on the axis (29); and on the
other end of the axis (29) is affixed the bevelled toothed wheel (30), which
takes into and drives the bevelled toothed wheel which is affixed on the cam
shaft or axis (31). The locker bar j and k at all times move in opposite
directions, so that when the locker bar j is moving the levers e in such manner
as to cause the carriages opposite thereto to be selected for the front catch
bar, the levers f will select the carriages opposite thereto; for the back catch
bar and the cams which work the locker bars j and k are so formed that
the locker bar j shall, for two succeeding motions, move in a direction to
cause the levers e to move the carriages opposite thereto into the front combs;
and then the cam will cause the locker bar j to reverse its motion, and cause
the levers e to move the carriages opposite thereto for two succeeding motions
into the back combs; and at the same times of action as above stated, the
locker bar will cause the levers f to perform movements the reverse of the
levers e; and it should be kept in mind, that only those levers e and f which
are raised by the pattern surface so as to enter the notches in the bobbin
carriages, will at any movement of the machine cause the carriages to be
selected from the row of carriages in the centre combs; the carriages which
are opposite the levers e and f, which are not actuated by the pattern surfaces
remaining for that motion in the centre combs. And the effect and advantage
of this arrangement will be understood by the following explanation:-Sup-
posing there were only two guide bars carrying respectively the back and
front row of warp threads, and worked by the cut of wheels shewn, the
machine having the cams shewn for working the locker bars j and k, and
the cut of wheels shewn for working the comb bars a, c, the pattern surface
being so arranged that all the levers e and f should be actuated each time
of selecting, the fabric produced would be cloth work, consisting of the
crossings of the bobbin threads with the warp threads between them. Then
again, supposing that none of the levers e and f were to be selected by
the pattern surface at the first, third, and other odd times of selection, the

page_text: E, by means of the wheel F taking into and driving the wheel G affixed on
the back shaft E; and the back shaft, by means of the bevelled toothed
wheel H affixed thereon, gives motion to the bevelled toothed wheel I affixed
on the vertical shaft J, and this vertical shaft J gives motion by the bevelled
toothed wheel fixed thereon to the bevelled toothed wheel K affixed on the
shaft or axis L, on which are fixed the lace wheels M, N, the lace wheel M
shogging or racking the reed bar P, and the lace wheel N racks the guide.
bar O. According to the arrangement shewn the reed carries only one half
of the warp threads, and they being capable of varying their position accord-
ing to the requirement of the pattern, I call them the ornamenting threads;
the other half of the threads which are carried by the guide bar O producing
continuously the same class of work on the needles; the pattern of fabric
being produced by the varying order in which the threads carried by the
reed are caused to work in the upper row or lower row of threads, by means
of the Jacquard or other pattern surface used. The lace wheels give the
shoggings or rackings to the reed bar P and to the guide bar O, through the
levers O¹ and P¹, and the reed in fact acts in place of guide bars, and allows
the various threads therein the same freedom of action. and independence in
respect to their neighbouring threads as if each thread were on an indepen-.
dent guide, without the complexity consequent on having an independent
guide for each thread. And I would state, that although I have shewn only.
half the threads as being governed by the reed; yet, if desired, the whole of
the threads might be in a reed, and be worked by the Jacquard apparatus."
The lapping of the threads is performed by that part of the machinery which
is called "the machine," in a similar manner to what has heretofore been
practised, the proper motions to "the machine" being produced by cams Q
and R on the back shaft, as will readily be traced on examining the Drawing.
The cut of lace wheels shewn are for producing fabrics in which lapping and
pressing succeed each other in regular succession; and if the pressing is to be less
often then the cut wheels. will be varied, as is well understood.. The nature of
the reed being clearly shewn, it will not be necessary to enter into any description
thereof; and the reed bar is actuated, as above stated, by a lace wheel in like
manner to a guide bar, the reed being of such a depth that the threads carried'
thereby can be divided into an upper and a lower row; and thus are the
neighbouring threads (though carried and actuated by the same instrument)
made capable of being lapped in a different manner on to the needles, and
each; thread in the reed can at one time be working in the upper row of
threads, and at another time be working as one of the lower row of threads ;
the warp threads carried by O, according to the arrangement shewn, at all

page_text: times working as the lowest row of threads, without reference to what the
other warp threads are doing. And when it is desired that there should be two
warp threads to each needle, and. all carried by a reed, then, as before men-
tioned, the reed, will be deep enough to be divided into two parts, one above
the other, and one thread for each needle will be introduced into the upper part
of the reed, and one thread for each needle will be introduced into the lower
part of the reed, and each part of the reed will be deep enough to allow of the
threads therein to be divided into two rows, so that the rows may lap in
succession on the needles, having separate rackings or shoggings for each row
of threads so produced; and, for the time being, each row of threads would lap
on the needles as if on a separate guide bar; and the four rows, when formed
by the pattern surface, would be brought into action in succession in like manner
to what would be done if four guide bars were used, carrying a quantity of threads
equal to two threads for each needle,-with this advantage in the use of the
reed over the use of four guide bars, that any of the threads in the upper or
lower parts of the reed may, by a Jacquard or other suitable pattern surface, be
caused to range in the upper or lower row of warp threads, whereby a con-
stantly changing effect may be produced by each warp thread. And for
working such a reed the cams Q, R, on the back shaft will be suitably formed
for bringing the four rows of thread successively to lap on the needles, and the
reed will be shogged suitably for each row to produce the desired lapping.
The manner of arranging the threads, so as to be acted on by Jacquard pattern
surfaces, is shown in the Drawings. The guide-bar threads are all supplied
from the same beam, as is shewn; and the threads to the reed are supplied
from.bobbins on a series of axes, or from several beams.divided into compart-
inents, each compartment to receive a thread, and the threads, in passing to
the reed, pass over the bar S, through the eyes of. the weighted cords T; and
thence through the eyes of the weighted cord U, the weights on the cords U
being of greater weight than those on the cords T, so that when permitted,
the threads will be at all times carried down by the weights on the cords U,
so as to form one of the lower row of threads in the reed; but when the
pattern requires any of the threads of the reed to work in the upper row; then
the weighted cords U are raised up by the Jacquard apparatus, as is well
understood, and for the time being those, threads will work as the upper row
of warp threads in the reed, the weighted cords T being simply used to prevent
the threads hanging slack. "The machine" is carried by the spindle bar V, by
means of the arms W, such arms receiving motion by means of the cam Q, by
means of the connecting rods Q¹, which are connected to the arms Q² on the
spindle bar Q³, there being a cam at each end of the machine, and the

page_text: spindle bar Q is put in motion by means of the cams Q, by which "the
machine" will be caused to approach and recede from the needles, and the up
and down motion is communicated to "the machine" by means of the cams
R acting on levers R', which, by connecting rods R³, are attached to the
arms R³, such arms giving motion to the bar X on the necks or axes Y, by
which the upward and downward motions to the reed bar and to the guide bar
is obtained for producing with the shogging or racking of those bars the
requisite lapping of the threads on the needles.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not claim any of
the mechanical parts separately, nor do I confine myself to the mechanical
details shewn and described, so long as the peculiar character of either part
of my Invention be retained; but what I claim is,--
First, the so arranging bobbin net or twist lace machinery as to cause the
same to work with two additional independent comb or bolt bars, together
with means of actuating the bobbin carriages independently; and,
Secondly, I claim the means herein described for using reeds for lapping
warp threads on to the needles of warp or warp lace machines when the warp
threads therein are capable of selection, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clarke, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fourteenth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-five.
Enrolled the Fourteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One 3
thousand eight hundred and forty-five.