IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FIGURED LACE IN TWIST LACE MACHINES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Butler, of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FIGURED LACE
IN TWIST LACE MACHINES."
Sealed the 30th April 1867, and dated the 27th February 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Butler at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
February 1867.
I, SAMUEL BUTLER, of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE.
or FIGURED LACE IN TWIST LACE MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
figured lace in twist lace machines. I employ for making the ground of the
fabric two warp threads to each bobbin thread, and one of these warp threads
is thicker than the other, and the thick warp threads form by themselves every
alternate pillar of the fabric, whilst the remaining pillars are produced in
cach case by the twisting of one of the thinner warps with its carriage thread.
In this way a net of regular appearance is obtained, although the pillars
contain alternately two threads and one thread, as the additional thickness of

page_text: the single threads compensates for the irregularity in the number of the
threads in the alternate pillars. At each point where the adjacent pillars
meet, so as to be connected together and form the meshes, I prefer that, the
two warp threads should plait with the bobbin thread, as increased firmness
is thus given to the ground net. In addition to the threads already described
I employ additional warp threads as ornamenting threads, which are made by
the jacquard to travel to and fro over the surface of the net, and to be caught
into the pillars so as to produce any design upon it which may be desired.
In this way I obtain a figured lace with a fine ground net, such as is known
as Mechlin, such ground net being double the gauge of the machine on which
it is made.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Samuel Butler in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th
August 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
BUTLER, of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her beirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Samuel Butler, Her special licence that I, the said Samuel Butler, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel
Butler, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFAC-
TURE OF FIGURED LACE IN TWIST LACE MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Samuel Butler, my executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
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 Samuel Butler, do hereby declare the
pature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
figured lace in twist lace machines. I employ for making the ground of the
fabric two warp threads to each bobbin thread, and one of these warp threads
is thicker than the other, and the thick warp threads form by themselves every
alternate pillar of the fabric, whilst the remaining pillars are produced in each
case by the twisting of one of the thinner warps with its carriage thread. In
this way a net of regular appearance is obtained, although the pillars contain
alternately two threads and one thread, as the additional thickness of the single
tbreads compensates for the irregularity in the number of the threads in the
alternate pillars. At each point where the adjacent pillars meet so as to be
connected together and form the meshes, I prefer that the two warp threads
should plait with the bobbin thread, as increased firmness is thus given to the
ground net. In addition to the threads already described I employ additional
warp threads as ornamenting threads, which are made by the jacquard to
travel to and fro over the surface of the net, and to be caught into the pillars,
so as to produce any design upon it which may be desired.
In this way
I obtain a figured lace with a fine ground net, such as is known as Mechlin,
such ground net being double the gauge of the machine on which it is made.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the method in which
I conduct the manufacture.
I set up the machine with two ordinary warp threads to each bobbin thread,
either throughout the machine or at least wherever ground net is to bo
produced. The bobbin threads are comparatively fine threads, as are also
one half of the warp threads which work with them, that is to say, one of the
warp threads which works with each bobbin thread is a fine thread; the other
half of the ordinary warp threads, or one of the warp threads working with
each bobbin is coarser and of about the bulk of a fine warp thread and a
bobbin thread when laid or twisted together. The fine ordinary warp threads
and the coarser ordinary warp threads above referred to are carried by front
and back bars respectively, that is to say, if the fine ordinary warp threads are
in a front bar or in front bars, the coarser ordinary warp threads are in a back
bar or in back bars. The fine ordinary warp threads may, however, be in a
back,bar or bars, whilst the coarser ordinary warp threads are in a front bar
or bars. As far as the production of the ground, net is concerned a single
front bar and a single back bar is sufficient, but it is frequently convenient to
employ a greater number of bars to admit of the production of ground net,

page_text: being stopped for a time in portions of the fabric where a figure is produced,
whilst the production of ground net is continued in other parts of the fabric;
then, as is well understood, the warp threads which are required to cease from
producing ground net will require to be carried by bars separate from those
which at the same time continue their ordinary work. So long, however, as
the ordinary warp threads are working to produce ground net the bars carrying
fine ordinary warp threads will all work as one bar, and similarly when making
ground net the bars carrying the coarser warp threads work together. The
arrangement may be varied by placing the thick warps between the fine warp
or the fine warps between the thick ones. The fine ordinary warp threads
when making ground net twist continuously each with its own bobbin thread
and with no other; the coarser warp threads each twist alternately with either
of two adjacent bobbin threads. In order to make as firmly as possible the
junctions between the pillars where the coarser ordinary warp threads twist
into pillars, each formed by a bobbin and a fine warp, the warp threads are
arranged to twist in opposite directions, that is to say, if we suppose that the
bobbin in coming to the front passes on the left hand side of the front warp
thread, with which it is twisting, and in returning passes on the right hand
side, then the bobbin in going to the back will be caused to pass on the left
hand side of the back warp thread, with which it is twisting, and to return on
the right hand of it; in this way a sort of plait is produced, and the threads
become sufficiently locked together to cause the ground net to remain properly
in shape. Usually at the junctions of the pillars of the ground net, where in
each case two warp threads and a bobbin are plaiting together, I cause each
warp thread to make three complete turns around the bobbin thread before
the coarser warp thread leaves the bobbin thread; and then I cause each fino
ordinary warp to make a completo turn around its bobbin thread before this
warp and bobbin commence again to plait with a thicker ordinary warp thread;
these details may however be varied. The figuring threads are extra warp
threads of greater thickness, and it may be also of different color from any of
the ordinary or ground threads, and, by proference, I mount them in a guide
bar or bars in front of the front bars of the ordinary or ground warps. By
means of the jacquard these threads are caused to traverse over the face of the
fabric, as is usual when using figuring or extra warp threads, and they are
caught into the fabric produced by the ordinary warps and the bobbins as
often as may be necessary to secure them by causing them to twist with the
bobbin threads; in this way it will be understood that in a machine* not so
fine but that extra or ornamental threads may freely be used I am enabled to
produce a very fine ground net, namely, a net double the gauge of the machine,

page_text: and to combine therewith such extra or ornamental threads as above described;
and also by making one half of the ordinary warp threads thicker than the
other half, as above described I am enabled to avoid the irregularity in the
ground net which would otherwise result from the system of manufacture.
It will be understood that my Invention is applicable both when the fabric
is made in a single piece extending the full width of the machine and when
it is made with draw threads, by removing which the fabric may be divided up
into breadths, as is well understood.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Butler, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
SAMUEL BUTLER.
L.8.)