CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FIGURED BOBBIN NET OR LACE
Year: 1840

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JAMES
SMITH, junior, of Spital Works, near Chesterfield, in the County of Derby,
and FRANCIS SMITH, of the same Place, Lace Manufacturers and Copartners,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date
at Westminster, the Twenty-eighth day of January, in the third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said James Smith, junior, and Francis Smith, Her especial licence,
full power, sole privilege and authority, that we, the said James Smith, junior,
and Francis Smith, our executors, administrators, and assigns, and such others
as we, the said James Smith, junior, and Francis Smith, our executors,
administrators, 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 mentioned,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England,
Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF FIGURED BOBBIN NET OR
LACE;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging us, the
said James Smith, junior, and Francis Smith, by an instrument in writing
under our hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us, parti-
cularly to describe and ascertain the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in
Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and

page_text: 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, we, the said
James Smith, junior, and Francis Smith, do hereby declare that the nature of
our said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed,
are particularly described and ascertained in and by the following description
thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:—
The object of our improvements in machinery for making or manufacturing
bobbin net or lace is to obtain-in the mechanical agents employed for shifting
or changing the position of the different threads one towards another, whereby
figures, designs, or patterns are produced in the lace or bobbin net-the power
of changing or varying these movements or motions to a much greater extent
than can be done or effected by the ordinary "cut of wheels," or "tappet
wheels," or such mechanical agents as are usually or have been heretofore
employed for this purpose, and thereby effect a much greater extent of change
or variety in the figures, patterns, or designs produced in the lace or bobbin
net in its course of manufacture. And our Invention consists in the novel
construction and use of endless chains or belts of links, of "tappets," "steps,"
or "raisers and fallers," which passing over rollers, axles, or other parts, act
upon and in conjunction with certain levers or rods, move or work, "shift or
shog," the various "guide bars," "comb bars," and other parts which require
to have a longitudinal sliding movement given to them for the purpose of
shifting or changing the relative position of the different threads one towards
the other, and which novel mechanical agent, apparatus, or mechanism is used
in place and in lieu of the ordinary "tappet wheel," or "cut of wheels," com-
monly employed in machinery for producing figured lace or bobbin net.
Previously to entering into the description of our Invention, we would remark
that it is well known to all persons acquainted with machinery for making or
manufacturing bobbin net or lace that the various figures, patterns, or designs
worked into or made in the bobbin net, warp net, or "twist" lace, or other
lace during the process of its manufacture, depend upon the longitudinal
shifting or "shogging" movement of certain bars which guide or move the
different "warp threads," or "figuring threads," and also on the movement of
certain other bars which have the "gates," or "combs," or passages in which
the bobbins and carriages moves, and that it is according as these said several
bars are moved or "shogged " longitudinally one way or the other that certain
threads of the "warp" roller or "figuring threads" are moved by their

page_text: "
"
6.
"guides" or guide rods into certain positions towards the bobbin and carriage
threads, as required, according to the figure, design, or pattern to be produced
in the lace as it is manufacturing, and that by changing the position of the
bobbins and carriages as regards the "warp or figuring threads" they are
made to pass with their threads through or between, and twist around the
"warp threads or "figuring threads" according to the relative situation of
these different sets of threads (i.e., the "warp or figuring threads") towards
the other, or the bobbin and carriage threads in twist or bobbin net ma-
chinery, or around the needles in warp lace machinery. And further, we
would remark, we are aware that endless chains or belts of tappets have been
used in looms for weaving figured goods or fabrics where the warp and weft
threads are woven one into the other, the " warps" being "shedded" or
changed by tappet chains according to the pattern or design woven into the
cloth; therefore we wish it to be understood that what we consider as our
Invention or improvements secured to us by the above in part recited Letters
Patents is the novel construction and use of the said mechanical agent or
mechanism consisting of endless belts, bands, or chains of "tappets or
"steps," or "raisers and fallers," constructed and applied so as to work in
connection and conjunction with machinery for making or manufacturing
bobbin net, warp net, or lace generally.
"
We shall therefore proceed to shew and describe its practical application
and use, and the mode or method of applying the same to different kinds or
classes or description of lace making machinery, referring to the accompanying
Drawings to illustrate the same, which are partial representations of actual
working machines. And we would further remark, that as our Invention or
improvements do not apply to the arrangement, or constructing, or mode of
actuating any particular lace-making machinery, but only to the moving or
working of certain parts used in common to all lace-making machines, we
have shewn in the said Drawings only end or partial views of the lace-making
machines, which will be sufficient to explain the nature and mode of applica-
tion of our Invention.
In order the better to explain the application or mode of adapting our said
improvements to the said lace-making machinery, and the manner or method
of carrying the same into effect, we have shewn in the Drawings two different
modifications or constructions of the said endless chain, and two modes or
methods of applying or adapting it to the machinery, in one of which methods
the endless chain of "tappets" or "steps" or "raisers and fallers," are passed
over stationary axles or drums revolving in fixed bearings, the "tappets"
acting by means of inclined planes direct upon the ends of the bars or levers
"

page_text: which give the required shogging movements to the various guide bars, which
mode or method of application we, for sake of distinction, call the simple
mode or method of application; and the other mode or method, or modification
of its application, is the one in which the axle or drum, or the parts around or
over which the tappets pass, are made to descend while the tappets are passing
over the axle or drum or other part and are changing, and are then made to
rise or be brought up so as to act upon the ends of the rods or levers which
give the required movements to the various guide bars, the tappets in this
modification not requiring the inclined planes or surfaces, and therefore we
term this the compound application or method of applying our Invention,
because it has the one movement of the tappets past the end of the bars and
another of descending to change, and again rising to come into action upon
them, whereas, in the simple modification or mode of applying these endless
chains, they only pass under the ends of the bars or levers, and move them by
means of the inclined planes.
And further, we have also shewn our improvements applied to two distinct
classes or descriptions of lace-making machinery, viz., to double-tier circular
comb machinery and also to a warp machine; and as these endless chains or
belts of tappets admit of great variety of construction as well as different
methods of applying them, we have shewn another modification or mode or
method of constructing the same by means of plates or broad links with holes
pierced in them, to receive adjustable "tappets" or "raisers and fallers." We
shall first point out and name the various ordinary working parts of the
machine, and then our improvements applied thereto and describe the ope-
ration thereof.
Fig. 1 is a partial side elevation of a double-tier circular comb machine
with our Invention applied and adapted thereto in the simplest manner, or
with the inclined plane raisers, and we would here remark that we have only
selected this class of machinery for the purpose of illustration, as we have now
the same in actual working, and give these Drawings only as an example of
the application of our Invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken crosswise
of the machine. A, A, is the framework and standards of the machine; B, the
main actuating or cam shaft, receiving its motion by means of a band or strap
passing from the first driving shaft put in motion from a steam engine or
other first mover; C, C, C, C, are the warp rollers, or those which the
warp threads; these may be simple ordinary plain warps or figuring warps,
according to the figure or pattern to be woven or the will of the workman in
using them; D is the lace or work roller upon which the lace is wound in the
ordinary manner as it is made or manufactured; E, E, are the comb bars
carry

page_text: carrying the circular combs F, F, and G, G, are the driving or pusher bars;
H, H, are the bobbins and carriages; and I, I, the point bars mounted on the
point bar levers K, K, and moved by connecting links L attached to the
upper or head levers M, M, of the point bars, which levers are put in motion
by the vertical rods N, actuated by cam wheels on the bottom shaft O in the
ordinary manner. P is one of the swinging quadrants of the driving bars,
worked as usual; Q is the breast or lace beam; R, R, R, are the various
guide bars of the warp threads mounted sliding in proper bearings, as usual,
and S, S, S, are the horizontal levers for actuating or moving them. These
levers are placed on fulcrum pins and supplied with springs for returning
them, as in common, and these levers are generally acted upon by other
vertical or bent levers put in motion by the "raisers and fallers" or steps in
the perephry of the ordinary "tappet wheel," or cut of wheels common to all
lace machines, but in this instance are moved or actuated by the upper ends
of the bent levers T, T, T, having their fulcrums on the axis or stud U fixed
in the framework, the other ends of these bent levers being acted upon by our
novel apparatus or mechanism of endless chains or belts of tappets as they
pass by them. As our novel apparatus or mechanism is to be used in place
or lieu of the ordinary tappet wheels, it may occupy its ordinary place (or
nearly so) in the machine, but its situation need not be confined to this
position, though we have shewn it in the Drawing as placed near to the
ordinary situation of the tappet wheel or cut of wheels for actuating the
various guide bars requiring the shogging or longitudinal movement. V, V, V,
are the endless belts or chains of " tappets " or "raisers and fallers," or as we
term them the novel mechanical agents. They consist of links or pieces a, a, a,
connected together by screws or rivets, or in any other convenient manner, and
have formed upon them the tappets," "steps," "raisers and fallers.
b, b, b, of different heights or lengths, according to the distance or extent of
motion to be given to the various guide bars, (or the number of gates or spaces
they have to be shogged) in their application to this class of lace-making
machinery, and on the other side are formed notches or recesses c, c, into which
the ribs or teeth d, formed on the axle or rotary drum e, take into gear in order
to move or pass the different chains around this axle, and bring the tappets or
raisers under the ends of the bars T. In the Drawings are shewn four sets of
these endless chains or belts applied on each side of the machine, but less or
more may be used as required, according to the number of guide bars in the
machine; and in this application they are shewn independent one of the other,
and act upon their own particular bar or lever, one chain being adapted to
each guide bar, but they may be connected together as one broad chain if
".

page_text: gear
thought desirable. The whole of the tappet chains or belts are passed over
the ribbed roller e, forming part of or mounted upon the axle f, f, placed cross-
wise of the machine, and turning in proper bearings in the framework, and set
in motion by means of the bevilled tooth wheel which takes into
9.
with
another similar wheel h, mounted on the short longitudinal shaft i, receiving
its rotary motion by means of the toothed wheel k, taking into gear with
another wheel, on the main driving cam or longitudinal shaft B. In this
construction of chain it will be seen that the junction of any two links, or one-
half of each, must be of the same height or form part of the same circle, so as
to be of the same diameter when passing over the roller; the other halves of
the links carrying the tappets, or steps, or raisers b, b. This will be clearly
seen by inspection of Figs. 3 and 4, which are side and edge views of a few
links, or parts of one of the endless chains or belts detached from the machine.
The compound application, Fig. 5, is a partial side elevation of another double-
tier circular-bolt machine, with the compound modification or mode of apply-
ing our Invention, shewn as adapted thereto, or that method or mode of
applying it in which the axle or parts over which the endless chain or belts of
tappets pass over, is made to rise and fall in order to change the tappets and
bring them up to act upon the ends of the bars. Fig. 6 is a vertical section
taken crosswise in the direction of the dotted line a, b, in Fig. 1, and as seen
looking towards the right-hand end of this Figure. Fig. 7 is a partial longi-
tudinal section taken vertically, and Fig. 8 is another cross section taken in
the line c, d, in Fig. 1, and as seen looking toward the left-hand end; the same
letters being marked upon all the ordinary parts of the machinery as in the
former Figures, and therefore it will not be requisite for us to again point out
and name them. V, V, V, are the sets of endless chains or tappets formed of
links a, a, connected together by means of screw bolts or rivets, and having
the "tappets," "steps," or "raisers and fallers" b, b, formed upon them.
The endless belts or chains are passed over the ribbed part of the axle or long
roller e, mounted, turning in proper bearings on the ends of the two arms f of
the lever rod or bar f*, which has its end bearings or fulcrums in proper
plummer boxes h, h, in the side framework of the machine; from the fulcrum
bar, descends the other lever arm g, carrying the antifriction roller on its
end, which is in contact with and actuated by the raisers and fallers or side
cams i, i, on the cam wheel k. This cam wheel is mounted on the shaft O,
which is used to work the point bars, and which receives its rotary motion by
means of the train of toothed wheels W, W, from the main cam shaft B, and
as the wheel k revolves, the cams i force the lever g away from them, and
consequently force up the lever arms f, and with them the roller e, over which

page_text: the endless chain of tappets pass; these tappets acting upon the ends of the
rods T*, sliding in guide holes as usual; these rods T* act upon the bent
levers T, for actuating, moving, or shogging the various guide bars as in
common. And it will be readily seen, that as the shaft or roller e has one
regular uniform up-and-down movement given to it, that as different tappets,
or steps, or raisers of different heights pass over the roller e, and come into
action upon the ends of the rods T*, so they will be moved upwards more or less,
and produce the required shogging movement in the various guide bars. And we
will now proceed to describe the method of giving the required interrupted
rotary motion to the shaft e, and changing over the chains or tappets. On
the shaft O is mounted the cam or tappet wheel l, acting upon the antifriction
roller m on the lever n, having its fulcrum at one end in a bracket projecting
from the framework, and carrying at its other end the rising pall or tooth o,
which takes into the teeth of the ratchet wheel p, mounted on the axle e; the
tooth o being kept up against or in contact with the ratchet by means of a
spring q, the ratchet wheel being retained by means of a safety pall or short
lever mounted upon the shaft f*, and kept or held down by the spring s.
In order that the rods or levers T may be retained or kept up into the proper
positions, when they are required to have two or more rises or falls one after
the other (i.e. when the guide bars or other bars are to be shogged two or
more gates or spaces in succession), the following mechanism is used:---On
the ends of the levers T are formed the notched or toothed racks t, t, having
the teeth u, u, of the lever v taking into them. This lever is mounted on
a cross shaft w turning in bearings in the framework, and its lower end
or other arm carries the antifriction roller w* actuated by the other tappet or
side cam wheel x, also mounted on the shaft 0; and as this cam revolves the
recesses on its side will allow the lower arm of the lever v to be forced inwards
by the tension of the spring y attached to the axle w, and consequently with-
draw the teeth u out of the notches t, and allow the bars T to be moved or
acted upon by the endless tappets b, b, as they rise upwards; and when they
again descend, the recesses in the cam wheel x cause the teeth to be forced into
the notches, and retain or hold the bars T while the axle or roller e descends
and the change of tappets take place.
Fig. 9 is a side view of a portion of the links of the endless belts, with the
'tappets or "raisers and fallers," shewn detached from the machine, and
drawn on an enlarged scale or full size; Fig. 10 is a front edge view of the
same, shewing it passed over a part of the ribbed axle or roller e; Fig. 11 is
a partial front view or clevation, shewing our Invention applied to an ordinary
warp lace machine; and Fig. 12 is a partial plan view of the same. These

page_text: Figures will be sufficient to shew its application or method of adapting it
to this kind or class of machinery.
A, A, is the framework or standards; B, B, are the warp rollers; C, C, the
situation of the guide bars; D, D, are the ordinary "bolts" for working them,
mounted, sliding in end framing as usual; E is the ordinary "sinker bar;"
and F is one end of the ordinary tappet levers, which in the common
machinery are acted upon by the "tappet wheel" or "cut of wheels," but in
this instance are formed as bent into elbow levers having their fulcrums on a
stud pin; G, G, are the other arms of these levers, which are acted upon by
our endless belts or chains of tappets V, V, as they pass under them, as before
described in reference to the other machines; the endless chains being passed
over by the shaft e, having the interrupted rotary motion given to it by means
of the ratchet wheel p and a pall, as in the former instances. It will be
readily seen by any practical workman that by these means the various guide
bars will be shogged or moved by the tappets or "raisers and fallers" passing
under the ends of the bent levers, and thus the ordinary movements given to
them as required for the figure or pattern to be made in the lace.
Figs. 13 and 14 are representations of another mode of making or modifica-
tion of construction of the said endless chains or belts of tappets, and in which
several tappets are placed side by side on each link, the chain being sufficiently
wide to take within its field of action all the various levers of the guide bars,
and which construction of chain will therefore act like so many separate chains
connected together, as we have herein-before alluded to. And further, we
have shewn in this instance the "tappets" or "raisers and fallers" made
adjustable in themselves, they being formed as screw-bolt pins, studs, or
tappets a, a, a, a, screwing into the parts b, b, of the links d, d, and secured
when properly adjusted to the required height by other screw nuts e, e. The
links of the endless chains or belts may be connected together in any con-
venient manner, and actuated or shifted past the ends of the guide-bar rods or
levers by means of the ratchet wheel on the shaft e (of the compound method
of application), shewn in Figs. 3, 4, &c., as regards the circular-comb double-
tier machinery. This method of making the tappets adjustable will save the
trouble of adjusting them by filing the steps or raisers and fallers to the
required height.
In witness whereof, we, the said James Smith, junior, and Francis Smith,
have hereunto put our hands and seals, this Twenty-seventh day of
July, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty.
TAXTA
FRANCIS (L.S.) SMITH.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Twenty-seventh day of July,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid James Smith and Francis Smith
came before our Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the
Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute in that case made and provided.