IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING LACES, BRAIDS, CORDINGS, AND EDGINGS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Thomas Hughes, of the Firm of Hughes
and Son, Patent Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING LACES, BRAIDS,
CORDINGS, AND EDGINGS."-A communication from abroad by Jean Cheynet,
of Lyons, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 16th June 1865, and dated the 19th December 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Thomas Hughes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th December 1864.
I, EDWARD THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent
Agents, 123, Chancery Lane, London, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING
LACES, BRAIDS, CORDINGS, AND EDGINGS," a communication to me from abroad by
Jean Cheynet, of Lyons, in the Empire of France, to be as follows:-
The machine is driven by a pulley which in turning gives motion to a large
toothed wheel, which gives motion to a number of smaller toothed wheels
geared in it, and to the shafts to which they are fixed; and the number of
these smaller toothed wheels corresponds with the number of shafts according
to the number of the machine. In connection with each shaft there are two
spindles, and all the spindles turn together by the movement of the shafts.
The spindles are each mounted with a bobbin covered with thread, and the
threads of all the bobbins pass over a forked guide, and from thence over a

page_text: regulating shaft or roller to a winder. After these operations the threads are
converted upon the winder into braids, laces, or cordings, according to the
article required to be made. The shafts which carry the spindles are placed
in a circle at equal distances from each other. The driving pulley is driven
by a strap put in motion by any motive power; and by means of a clutch and
clutch lever the pulley is put in and out of gear with the machine as required.
The machine is supported by columns which support the framework for the
winder and regulating shaft, and also sustain, by means of screws and nuts,
the tables or platforms having the bearings for the shafts, and all is made of
wrought and cast iron. The parts which give motion to the spindles are
covered with leather, wood, or metal, by means of screws, so that they can be
replaced when required. The toothed wheels are held to the shafts by screws
instead of nails."
Hitherto machines for making laces, braids, cordings, and edgings, have
been constructed of wood, and the shafts for transmitting motion have alone
been made of metal; moreover ordinary machines have been too large, and
influenced by all changes of atmosphere acting powerfully upon them and
destroying the regularity and precision of their actions; thus their duration
has been very limited.
By these improvements I totally remedy all these disadvantages and obtain
the following advantages:-A very considerable reduction in size-a perfect
stability and solidity-an indefinite durability-a softening of the friction, and
in consequence an economization of power-and, lastly, a double amount of
work to that done by the machines hitherto made almost entirely of wood.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed 2
by the said Edward Thomas Hughes in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th June 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
THOMAS HUGHES, of the Firm of Hughes and Son, Patent Agents, 123,
Chancery Lane, London, send greeting.
g
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, Her special licence that I, the said 3
Edward Thomas Hughes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such

page_text: others as I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR MAKING LACES, BRAIDS,
CORDINGS, AND EDGINGS," a communication to me from abroad by Jean
Cheynet, of Lyons, in the Empire of France, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 Edward Thomas Hughes, 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 thereof, reference being had to the figures and letters on
the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings (that is to say) :-
-
Fig. 1, Sheet 1, is a front elevation of the machinery complete; Fig. 2, a
plan of the table and parts connected with it; Fig. 3, a side elevation of part
of the machine; Fig. 4, a plan at the line A, B, Fig. 1; Figs. 5 and 6 are
elevations shewing certain improvements connected with the spindles; and
Fig. 7, Sheet 2, is a plan of certain improvements in the arms and forks.
which comb the threads to their proper place.
In Figs. 1 and 3 the driving shaft is shewn at a, and the driving pulley
at ; and to the shaft a is fixed the pinion c gearing into the large toothed
wheel d, which gives motion to the toothed wheels e and shafts by means of
the four toothed wheels g which gear into the large toothed wheel, and the
number of wheels e and shafts are in proportion to the required dimensions
or number of the machine. In connection with each shaft f there are roses
or flanges carrying hollow spindles h, and all the spindles turn simultaneously.
The said spindles are each mounted with a bobbin i covered with thread, and
at the commencement of operations before the machine is set to work, the
threads of the bobbins all pass to the guide forks k over the regulating pulley
or cone to the winder m; and when the machine is at work turning the
spindles and shifting them as required, the threads will be found on the
winder converted into laces, braids, cordings, or edgings, according to the

page_text: article required to be made. The shafts fare placed in a circle at equal
distances from each other, and by means of the clutch lever n and clutch
box o the driving pulley turns with the shaft a, or is allowed to be loose upon
it as desired, the said pulley being provided with a strap connected to any
motive power.
The vertical parts of the framework consist of a number of columns which
sustain the cross frames and plates by means of screws and nuts, and all the
framework is made of wrought and cast iron, and the wheels fastened by
screws instead of pins. The roses or flanges which carry the spindles, the
surfaces against which they bear, and also the carriers or guides p, are made
of boar or other hide, or wood, in order to lessen the friction, and the said
flanges are screwed on by screws, so that they can be changed when required.
Hitherto machines for making laces, braids, cordings, and edgings, have
been constructed of wood, and the shafts for transmitting motion have alone
been made of metal, therefore they were not only of large size, but were
influenced by the changes of the atmosphere acting powerfully upon them,
and destroying the regularity and precision of their actions, and thus their
duration has been very limited.
By these improvements the aforesaid disadvantages are remedied, for there
is a considerable reduction in size-a perfect stability and solidity-a great
increase in durability-a lessening of the friction, and a greater amount of
work.
In Figs. 5 and 6 I represent certain improvements connected with the
hollow tubes or spindles which carry the bobbins. One of the tubes is shewn
at q, and in it is introduced a hollow plug r with a moveable key s, which key
when it is entered into the tube enters slots t cut in the tube, and then rests
The said plug
on the top of the spring u which is fixed to the tube as at v.
and key are used instead of the ordinary catch lever for holding the bobbin,
and by their use there is less friction, a great facility for the thread leaving
the bobbin, and double the speed can be given to the spindles without danger
of breaking the threads.
w represents the spring rod for stopping the
machine when a bobbin is empty, or if by accident there is a breakage of
thread, which spring rod is introduced into the tube after the plug. The
bobbin is placed on the upper part of the tube, and the thread which covers
the bobbin when unwound passes through a long slot x, from whence it passes
through a hole y, and afterwards enters the top of the tube, then passing
through a hole in the plug to the eye at the top of the spring rod w, from
which it passes upwards and again through the hole in the plug, and then out
of the top of the tube. The upper part of the bobbin is formed with a

page_text: number of ratchet teeth in which the key of the plug rests at each side, the
spring u being an important feature connected with the spindle and bobbin for
keeping the bobbin steady and tight on the spindle.
In Fig. 7, Sheet 2, I represent certain improvements in the arms and forks
which comb the threads to their proper place. I use six forks z instead of
two, which plan is found to be very advantageous in the manufacture, as
there is perfect regularity in combing the threads and making the braid or
other article. The double lever a' gives an alternate to-and-fro movement to
the rods b' jointed to the sliding rods c' working in guides d'; and it will be
seen that these sliding rods give movement to all the forks, which three at a
time comb the threads to the part el. By means of the slotted arms f¹ the
forks approach and recede or rise and fall as required, and by means of set
screws g' the forks are fastened to their holders in any desired position, and it
has been found by experience that by using these six forks the threads are no
longer chafed or unravelled, and the articles which are braided or twisted at
the part e are more perfectly manufactured.
The aforesaid apparatus is fixed to the framework of the machine by the
bracket h', which can be adjusted to any required position and afterwards
fixed by the bolt k¹. The lever a¹ is worked by an eccentric put in motion
from any of the revolving shafts of the machine. It will be seen that the
driving pulley, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, instead of being in the centre of the machine
is placed near the outside, and that the shaft of the pulley is provided with a
pinion which gears into the large toothed wheel.
The said pulley is much smaller in diameter than usually employed, and
whatever may be the power or size, or number of the machine, the pulley is
always of the same diameter.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Thomas Hughes, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
E. T. HUGHES. (L.S.)