IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LACE
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CROFTS, of Radford, in the. County of Nottingham, Machine Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Tenth day of May, in the first year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said William
Crofts, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said William Crofts, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said William Crofts, my 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 expressed, should and lawfully "might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, and also in all Her Majesty's Colonies and Planta-
tions abroad, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LACE;"
in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said William
Crofts, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
William Crofts, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon,
that is to say:-
My Invention relates, first, to a mode of making bobbin net and twist
lace in bobbin net machines, having ornamental spots produced thereon or
therein by accumulations of some of the threads whereof the ground or body
of the twist lace is composed.
Secondly, my Invention relates to a mode of manufacturing ornamented
Jace having opaque clothwork produced therein in varied pattern, according to
taste, in bobbin net machines, by working with additional warp threads to each
carriage or bobbin thread.
And, thirdly, my Invention relates to a mode of making that description of
ornamental lace called honeycomb open work. And in order to give the best
information in my power for carrying out and performing my Invention, I will
now proceed to describe each part thereof separately, and first the mode of
making ornamental spots (in twist lace), composed of some of the same threads
of which the ground or body of the lace is formed.
I would, in the first place, state that there have been many modes of making
twist lace with ornamental spots by bobbin net machinery, wherein the spots
have been obtained by accumulations of some of the threads of which the
ground of lace is made wherein the spots are produced, and there have been
several Patents obtained for such modes of making twist lace with ornamental
spots; I would, therefore, in the outset wish it to be understood that my
Invention only relates to a mode of making such spots, which consists of the
application to bobbin net machinery of certain additional threads or yarns or
other suitable material, which I call distending threads, the object of such
threads being to hold out and distend the spots as they are in the act of being
formed by the working of the machinery, and such distending threads are so
worked that the carriages opposite which spots are to be made are caused to
pass around such distending threads which are opposite each place where a
spot is to be made, and the distending threads receive and hold the progressive
accumulations of the threads as they are progressively taken up; hence, such
distending threads and the working of the taking-up points cause quantities
of thread to be drawn off the bobbins which for the time being are opposite
the places where it is determined to make spots in the lace; and the warp
threads, where spots are to be formed, have suitable movement communicated

page_text: to them in order that the threads (which are for the time being making
spots) may be so worked in respect to their warp threads that each accumu
lation may be secured or tied into the fabric, which mode of working the warp
threads forms no part of the present Invention, like arrangements having been
several times described in former Specifications. The various descriptions of
lace machines being well understood, it will not be necessary to enter into a
description thereof, nor do I consider it necessary to show my Invention applied
to every variety of bobbin net or twist lace machinery, such machinery
(excepting traverse warp machinery), though varying in many respects as
to the modes of producing the requisite movements to the carriages and
the warp threads, do not substantially differ one from another when the
evolutions of the threads themselves are alone considered, and as my Invention
relates more to the evolutions of such threads at or above the carriage
heads, it will not be necessary to give more than one illustration of
adapting my mode of working to bobbin net machinery, which ordinarily
work by traversing the bobbins, but can be worked without traversing the
bobbins, in order to make what is called straight down nets or laces, and I
have selected that class of machinery known in the trade as fluted roller
machines, and I have done so because I believe the Invention can be carried
out by such machinery more advantageously than by any other class of
machines. But whatever be the class of machinery employed for having
my Invention applied thereto, it is to have the parts so arranged that
additional threads shall be laid into the fabric at those times when spots are
being formed, in order at each spot to receive and hold out the threads which
for the time being are making such spots, as will be hereafter described, and
in such manner that in the passage of the carriages between the warp threads
where spots are making, the threads from the carriages which are producing
the spots pass around the distending threads, and are by them caused to be held
out to a greater or less width, according as the spot is to be larger or smaller,
and in such manner that the distending threads, having performed their duty
of holding out or distending the accumulation of threads of which the spots
are formed, are to be withdrawn from the lace, hence it is desirable so to work
the distending threads that they shall only be fastended into the lace by the spots
and not by the threads, when performing that part of their evolutions which
go to making the ground of twist lace; but the distending threads, in place of
being worked into the ground of the lace, should simply lie against one surface
thereof. The object to be obtained by the use of the distending threads, is
that they be worked into the fabric of the spot, in order (together with the
working of the taking-up points) to cause quantities of thread opposite thoso
°

page_text: places where spots are to be formed to be drawn off the bobbins and be
accumulated and held out by the distending threads, and allow of such
distending threads being withdrawn from the lace when it is made. The
machine shown in the Drawings is suitably arranged for making spots on a
ground of plain bobbin net. At the same time, I do not confine myself
thereto, it being well known that bobbin net machinery is capable of making
various descriptions of twist lace; and I have preferred bobbin net ground,
because the largest quantities of lace with ornamental spots which are made
are of plain bobbin net, and because my Invention does not relate to the
ground of twist lace whereon or wherein spots are formed by accumulating
threads in certain places, but to the mode of making spots. The Drawings
A show various views of a fluted roller bobbin net machine, together with
many of the parts separately; and all similar parts are marked with the sanie
letters of reference wherever they occur, and the nature of each view of
the machinery is written on the Drawing, and the names of the principal
parts are also written thereon, hence a short description will enable a
workman, not only to trace the movement and object of each part, but also
the combined movements of the parts to produce the desired object, namely,
the so arranging the parts as to produce bobbin net or twist lace according
to my Invention. I would, however, state that such fluted roller bobbin
net machines were originally invented by Messieurs Hanson and Jackson,
and secured to them by Letters Patent, under which I have license and per-
mission to use such description of machinery. The machinery is so arranged
that it may be worked by steam or other power, by means of an endless strap
or band communicating motion to the pulley A, affixed on the axis B, and on
the axis B is affixed the cog wheel C, which takes into and drives the cog
wheel D, which is affixed on the main shaft E of the machine. On the main
shaft E are affixed the cams for actuating the taking-up point bars. The
nature of these cams being shown in the Drawing, their action will readily be
traced; F being the cam which works the front points, and G the cam which
works the back points; H being the cam which withdraws the front points
from the lace, and I the cam which withdraws the back points from the lace.
The cam F works the front points in the following manner :-J'is a bent lever,
having a truck or roller on an axis at the lower end, which truck or roller is
constantly borne against the surface of the cam F. The lever J is at the back
of the machine, and has its fulcrum at J', and to the upper end of the lever J is
attached the connecting link K by a pin joint, the other end of that con-
necting link being attached to the tail pole L of the front points, such tail pole
being affixed to the axle or spindle bar M, the axis or spindle bar M having

page_text: suspending links N, which carry the front point bar, as is well understood and
clearly shown in the Drawing. The cams H, H, withdraw the front points,
and permit them to enter the lace in the following manner :-0 are levers,
having axes in front of the machine, the lower end of the levers O having
trucks or rollers which are borne against the cams H, the upper ends of the
levers O being connected to the front point bar by means of links or connecting
rods P, which are respectively connected to the front point bar and to the
levers O by pin joints, as is shewn in the Drawing. The cam G works the
back points in the following manner :-Q is a lever, having its fulcrum at the
back of the machine; one end of this lever Q has a truck or roller which con-
stantly rests against the cam Ġ, the other end of the lever Q being connected to
the tail pole of the back point bar by the connecting rod or link R, by which
motion is communicated to the spindle bar S, to which the tail pole of the back
point bar is affixed; T are suspending links from the spindle bar S, by which
the back point bar is carried, as is well understood. By this means the back
points receive the necessary up and down motions for taking up the work, and
the back. points are withdrawn from the lace, and permitted to enter amongst
the threads in the following manner :-V is a lever which has its fulcrum at
the back of the machine, as is shewn in the Drawings; at the lower end it
has a truck or roller, which constantly rests on the cam I, the other end of the
lever V being connected to the back point bar by means of the connecting link
or rod W, such connecting rod or link being attached by pin joints. Motion
is communicated to the fluted rollers which drive the carriages in the following
manner:-X is a sector rack which moves on an axis, as is shewn in the
Drawing, and a swinging motion is communicated thereto by means of the
crank Y on the axis or shaft B, and from the crank Y there is a connecting
rod to the lower end of the lever Z, which is affixed to the axis Z¹, at the back
of the machine, as is clearly shown. From the axis Z' proceeds a fixed .arm
Z³, which is connected by a. rod or link Z³ to the sector rack X, by this means
a swinging movement is communicated to the sector rack X, and by the
cogs and teeth on such sector rack motion is communicated to the fluted rollers,
there being toothed wheels a affixed on the ends of the fluted rollers, the teeth
of the sector rack taking into the teeth of the wheels a on the fluted
rollers, as is clearly shown in the Drawings. The nature of the fluted rollers
and the carriages worked thereby being clearly shown in the Drawings, and
well understood, no such further description will be necessary. The machinery
thus far explained, if simply supplied with proper cuts of wheels for
actuating the guide bars (carrying the guides with the warp threads), and
a proper cut of wheel for shogging the front comb, bar, would produce com

page_text: mon plain bobbin net, and the movements of the parts above described are
to remain constantly the same when making bobbin net lace with ornamental
spots formed therein according to my Invention. All that requires to be
considered in applying my Invention thereto consists in selecting the places
opposite which it is desired to make spots, and also to determine the distance
which each row of spots shall be from another, and opposite as many places
as there are to be spots formed across the width of lace produced in the
machine there are to be two guide, which are to carry the distending or draw
threads, such guides being on different guide bars, worked by a suitable cut
of wheels, depending on the distance such spots are to be apart; such distend-
ing threads do not proceed straight down the lace from spot to spot, but they
proceed diagonally from spot to spot, and any pair of distending threads will
not work together to distend every spot, but any pair of distending threads
having worked together in a spot will separate from each other, and work with
other distending threads in making the next row of spots, but the same pair
of threads will come together and distend the same spot on the next row of
spots being made, as will be hereafter more clearly understood on following the
eut of wheels and on examining the Figure in the Drawing, which represents
a portion of lace with the draw threads proceeding diagonally from spot to
spot. The machine is arranged for making spots of six laps or accumulations,
but this may be varied according as it is desired to make larger or smaller
spots, but where the spots are to have a greater number of laps than by simply
pursuing the same number of motions as are required to make the bobbin net
or other twist lace for which the machine is arranged, those carriage threads
which are not for the time being making spots are to be prevented twisting
with their warp threads during those times that other of the spotting threads
are with their warp threads working together to accumulate a number of laps,
according to the size of the spots required to be made; hence, where the
whole of the carriages are passed through and through the warp, not only
during the time that twistings are going on to form the groundwork of the
net, but also at the time when extra accumulations and workings of the spotting
threads are taking place, it is requisite that those warp threads which work
opposite the places where spots are being made should be capable of independent
movement from the warp threads which are not making spots, in order that
those threads which are not making spots may have such relative movements
given to them, with respect to the carriage bobbin threads with which they are
working, that the carriages may pass through the warp without putting on any
twist so long as the extra accumulations are taking place with respect to the
carriage bobbin threads, off which extra quantities of threads are being draw

page_text: by the distending threads and the taking-up points, and those warp threads
opposite which spots are being formed are to have such movements com-
municated thereto that in the passage of the carriage bobbin threads through
the warp threads those particular warp threads will receive and fasten or tie in
the accumulations of the threads which are drawn off those carriage bobbins.
The machine is arranged for making what is called the wicker-work spot,
that is, wherein the bobbin threads perform what may be called a figure of 8
movement in respect to their warp threads, by each bobbin thread passing
round outside of one of the warp threads, then between the two warp threads,
then round outside the other' warp thread, then between the two warp
threads, then round outside the first warp thread, and so on till the quantity
of accumulation is produced; or the cut of wheels may so work the guides
in respect to the movements of the carriages as to cause the spotting threads
not to pass between the two warp threads which retain a particular spot,
but to pass at all times on the outside of the warp threads, as is well under-
stood; and I only mention this in order to remark that my Invention is not
confined to a particular formation of spot, but to the mode of employing
distending threads in making spots, whether they are of the wicker-work
texture, as it is termed, or whether it is formed round and round, as it is
called, or by a combination of these plans used in forming the same spot.
The machine is arranged for working or producing bobbin net with rows of
spots of what is called checquered pattern, that is, wherein each succeeding
row of spots are not made in the same line lengthwise of the fabric as the
preceeding row, but each spot is formed at a point in the lace intermediate
of two spots of the preceeding row, as is well understood; the pattern in
which such spots are worked depending on the places opposite which guides
are removed in the rows of main guides, and independent guides are placed
for working the spot. The crank pin on the axis B, which drives the sector
racks, also drives the wheel 6 on the axis c, and the bevelled toothed wheel b
takes into and drives the bevelled toothed wheel d, affixed to the shaft c,
which proceeds from front to back of the machine; and at the back end of
the shaft c is affixed the circular plate f, having two inclined or oblique wings
affixed thereto, by which the wheel 9 is moved round one tooth each time an
oblique wing comes in gear in the revolution of the circular plate f. The
wheel g is affixed on the back shaft h, which carries certain cams or cuts of
wheels for throwing the lace or main wheels out of motion during the time of
spotting. On the shaft h is affixed the wheel i, which by the intervention of
certain mechanical instruments, the wheels which work the front comb bar, and
the wheel which works the front main guide bar, during the time of making

page_text: spots, are put out of action. ; is a lever or arm affixed to the short spindle bar
, which moves on axes or necks at the back of the machine; the armj is
worked by means of the wheel i, the lower end of that arm bearing against
it. On to the upper surface of the spindle bar j¹ is affixed the arm 1, which
has a rod j³ attached thereto by a pin joint, as is shown; this rod works or
slides in a staple j', affixed to the end framing of the machine; ³ is an upright
projection on the rod 1, through which a set screw is passed, which rests
against a stop formed on the end of the sliding bolt j, such sliding bolt moving
in staples formed on the lever k, which moves on an axis carried by a pro-
jection to the end framing of the machine; and the sliding bolt is at all times
drawn towards the front of the machine by means of a spring, the wheel i
being used to keep the sliding bolt out in opposition to the spring, as will
readily be traced in the Drawing. The lever k is worked by the front main
guide bar wheel (which is shown by the Drawing), by a projection of the lever
k resting against such wheel, but it will be seen that the front main guide bar
is connected to one of the arms or levers l, which moves with the short spindle
bar, at the left-hand end of the machine. The front main guide bar being
attached to the upper lever or arm 1, by means of a connecting rod or link, by
pin joints, as is shown in the Drawing, hence, in order to cause motion to the
front main guide bar by its wheel, the lower lever arm and the sliding bolt
on the lever k must be brought to act together, which is effected by a fall on
the wheel, which sets the sliding bolt on the lever k free, and allows it to
be drawn by its spring towards the front of the machine, by which means the
sliding bolt will come between the set screw on the lever arm l, by which
any action communicated to the lever k, by the front main guide bar wheel,
will be transmitted to the arms l, and consequently to the front main guide
bar. The machinery in the Drawings is shown in the condition it would be at
the time of making a row of spots, and in the condition it would be having
formed a considerable portion of the row of spots, and consequently the front
main guide bar is out of action, and will remain so till a fall on the wheel i
permits the sliding bolt on the lever k to be slided by its spring, as above
explained. The wheel i also throws the front comb bar out of action. The
front comb bar has two cuts of wheels, one to cause it to move towards.
the right hand, and the other to move it towards the left hand; now, as
it is required that the front comb bar should be to the right hand when
spotting, it is necessary to throw out of action the parts which work the
comb bar towards the left hand, and there should be a spring to bear the
front comb bar towards the right-hand end of the machine. n is a lever;
with a sliding bolt, similar to the lever k, and o is a sliding bar, which is

page_text: worked by the wheel i, to actuate the sliding bolt on the lever n, against which.
sliding bolt the set screw on the lower end of the lever p rests when the slide
bolt is slided in, but when drawn out, the operation of the wheel which shogs
the front comb bar to the left hand on the lever n does not get transmitted to
the lever p, nor to the front comb bar; the upper end of the lever p, by a set
screw, rests against a stop formed on the end of the front comb bar, hence any
motion received by the lever n from the wheel which is to cause the front
comb bar to go to the left hand, will only be operative on the front comb bar
when the sliding bolt is between the lever n and the lower end of the lever p, as
will readily be traced by the Drawing. 9 is a wheel for throwing the back
main guide bar out of action when a row of spots is to be made. This wheel
9 works against the lower end of a lever r, at the left-hand end of the
machine, which has its fulcrum at q'; at the upper end of the lever is
attached a cranked rod 9.(by a pin joint), which rests on the racking lever r¹;
and partakes of its movement caused by the back main guide bar wheel; the
motion of the back main guide bar wheel is not communicated to its guide bar,
unless the end of the bar or rod q is so far slided along the lever r¹, as to
come under the set screws of the arm s', which is affixed to the short spindle
bar s, there being another arm on the spindle bar s³, which works against the
end of the back main guide bar, and gives it movement towards the right hand,
all which will readily be traced in the Drawings. The extra guide bars
receive their motions when spotting by means of wheels affixed on the horizon-
tal shaft or axis t, at the right-hand end of the machine; on this axis is a cog
wheel u, of seventy-two teeth, which is actuated by means of a circular plate v,
affixed on the main shaft or axis; this plate v has two inclined or oblique
plutes or surfaces, as shown in the Drawing; hence the wheel u will be moved
two teeth each revolution of the main shaft or axis. The various cut of wheels
for actuating the extra guide bars being shown in the Drawings, no further
description thereof will be necessary, other than is hereafter given for working
On the back shaft is affixed the wheel w, which is intended to.
actuate the front point bar towards the left hand, in order to cause the front
points to range with the back points, as herein described. The wheel w
actuates the lever w', which has a connecting rod w³, which connects the
movement of the lever w' with the arm w³, which is affixed to the short
spindle bar w, which moves in proper bearings in the front of the machine,
being an arm affixed to the spindle bar w', to which is connected by a pin
joint the bar y, which has a prominence y' at the upper part, which, acting
against the beak or prominence at the back of the plate y³, against which the
front point bar bears, causes the front points at the time of spotting to range
a course.

page_text: with the back points, and take between the same threads as the back points,
the plate y³ being suitably cut on the face against which the point bar bears,
in order to cause the points to enter correctly.
I will now proceed to describe the working of a course of the wheels
employed for making and distending the spot; in doing so, I will suppose that
the machine has been stopped on having racked No. 1 of the extra guide bar
wheels, at which time the wheel which works the front comb bar will no longer
operate on that bar, and the wheels which work the main guide bars and the
extra guide bars which are not for the time being making spots will not
operate on those bars, and the only bars which will be in action by their
wheels, during the operations necessary to produce a row of spots, will be two
extra warp guide bars Nos. A, H, having guides opposite those places where
spots are to be formed, and where there have been guides removed from the
main guide bars, in order that the main guides and warp threads for all
those carriages which are not making spots may remaim inoperative, that
their carriages may swing through and through the warp without producing
twist, the carriages continually passing at such times thro' and thro' the
same spaces between the warp threads, and the other bars which will be at
work during the making of a row of spots are the bars which carry the guides
for the extra threads, which I have called the distending threads. On racking
No. 1 of the extra wheels which work the extra guide bars, the position of the
parts will be as follows:-All the carriages will be in the front combs; the
front main guide bar will be one space to the right hand; the back main
guide bar will be one space to the left hand; the extra spotting warp bar
No. A will be one space to the left hand; the extra spotting warp bar No. B
will be one space to the right hand, and as it is not to be used in the
row of spots which is to be made when the machine is next worked, the guides
of the bar No. B will be equally spaced with the front main guides; the
extra spotting bar No. H will be one space to the right hand; the extra
spotting warp bar No. G will be one space the left-hand; and as it is not to
be engaged in making the row of spots which will be produced on next
working the machine, the guides on this bar will be equally spaced with
the back main guides. These bars No. A, H, B, G, rack one space each
time they are moved by their wheels. The distending thread guide bar E
will be one space to the left hand, and is capable of moving two more
spaces in the same direction. The distending thread guide bar F is one
space to the right hand, and is capable of moving two spaces more in that
direction. It should be stated, that when plain twist lace is making the
extra guide bars, No. A and No. G, work with the back main guides, and are

page_text: consequently equally spaced therewith, to make up a complete warp for back
main guides, though the extra guide bar No. A is in fact in front, and the
extra guide bars No. B and No. H work together with the front main guides
when making plain net, and thus make up for the guides removed from the
front main guide bar opposite where spots are to be formed. The rackings
of the extra guide bars take place when all the carriages come into the front
combs, and when they all go into the back combs; but the comb bar wheel,
and the wheels which work the main guides, will (when making plain net)
rack as heretofore, that is, when the carriages have all come into the front
combs, when the carriages are in the centre, and when the carriages are all in
the back combs; and it should be understood, that the winding up of the work
by the work roller is stopped during the making of a row of spots. In taking
up with the back and front points, they are caused to follow the carriages as
cluse as possible; and in taking up with the back and front points, during the
time of making a row of spots, the back points retain their ordinary position,
but the front points, on coming out of the lace the first time after commencing
making a spot, shog endwise, in order to range under the back points (in place
of being interspaced with them), and that the front points, during the making
of a row of spots, may take between the same threads as the back points, and
the back and front points do not therefore go up to their highest position on
taking up the threads of the spots as they are progressively accumulated, but
they come directly under each other at the time of taking up; and when either
points are withdrawn, the other points go up a short distance to take and sup
port the work which has been made; and the front points, when they come
out of the work the first time to take up the lace, shog back to their former
position, in order to take up the plain lace correctly. The machine, on being
again set to work, will cause all the carriages to go into the back combs, and
rack No. 2. The extra guide bar No. A goes to the right hand, the extra
guide bar No. H goes to the left hand, the distending guide bar No. E goes
one space to the right hand, the distending guide bar No. F goes one space
to the left hand, the carriages all come into the front combs and rack No..
The extra guide bar No. A goes to the left hand, the extra guide bar No. H
goes to the right hand, the distending guide bar No. E goes one space to
the left hand, the distending guide bar F goes one space to the right hand,
the carriages all go into the back combs, and the front points go through with
the carriages as closely as possible; the front points on coming out, having
shifted, take between the same threads, and range under the back points;
and they will continue to take up, ranging with the back points, till this row of
spots is complete, when the front points are "going out to take up the plain

page_text: lace, will be caused again to resume their correct position for that purpose.
Note. The front points commence withdrawing just before the carriages
come into the centre from the back combs, and descend about half down as
the carriages commence leaving the front combs; the points enter the warp
threads as the front tier of carriages are passing through the warp, the
points shog half a space to the left, and enter the front bobbin threads, then
rack back and enter the back bobbin threads, and get up when the carriages
again come into the centre. The back points perform in like manner, except
that they commence coming out when the carriages are swinging from the
front combs, and they rack to the right and then to the left in passing amongst
the back bobbin thread & front bobbin threads, and rack No. 4. The extra
guide bar No. A goes to the right hand, the extra guide bar No. H
goes to the left hand, the distending guide bar No. E goes one space to the
right hand, the distending guide bar No. F goes one space to the left hand,
the carriages all come into the front combs, and rack No. 5. The extra guide
bar No. A goes to the left hand, the extra guide bar No. H goes to the
right hand, the distending guide bar No. E goes one space to the left hand,
the distending guide bar No. F goes one space to the right hand, the car-
riages all go into the back combs, and rack No. 6. The extra bars Nos.
A, H, E, F, remain as they were. The carriages all come into the front
combs, take up with the back points, and rack No. 7. The extra bars Nos.
A, H, E, F, remain as they were. The carriages all go into the back points,
and rack No. 8. The extra guide bar No. A goes to the right hand, the
extra guide bar No. H goes the left hand, the distending guide bar No. E
goes one space to the right hand, the distending guide bar No. F goes one
space to the left hand, the carriages all come into the front combs, and rack
No. 9. The extra guide bar No. A goes to the left hand, the extra guide
bar No. H goes to the right hand, the distending guide bar No. E goes one
space to the left hand, the distending guide bar No. F goes one space to the
right hand, the carriages all go into the back combs, and rack No. 10. The
extra guide bar No. A goes to the right hand, the extra guide bar H goes to
the left hand, the distending guide bar No. E goes one space to the right
hand, the distending guide bar No. F goes one space to the left hand, the
carriages all come into the front combs, and rack No. 11. The extra guide
bar. No. A goes to the left hand, the extra guide bar No. H goes to the
right hand, the distending guide bar No. E goes one space to the left hand,
the distending guide bar No. F goes one space to the right-hand, the car-
riages all go into the back combs, and rack No. 12. The extra guide bars
Nos. A, II, E, F, all remain as they were. The carriages all come into the

page_text: front combs, take up with the back points, and rack No. 13. The extra guide
bars Nos. A, H, E, F, all remain as they were. The carriages all go into the
back combs, and rack No. 14. The extra guide bar No. A goes to the right
hand, the extra guide bar No. H goes to the left hand, the distending
guide bar No. E goes one space to the right hand, the distending guide bar
No. F goes one space to the left hand, the carriages all come into the front
combs, and rack No. 15. The extra guide bar No. A goes to the left hand,
the extra guide bar No. H goes to the right hand, the distending guide bar
No. E goes one space to the left hand, the distending guide bar No. F goes
one space to the right hand, the carriages all go into the back combs, tako
up with the front points, and rack No. 16. The extra guide bar No. A goes
to the right hand, the extra guide bar No. H goes to the left hand,
the distending guide bar No. E goes one space to the right hand, the dis-
tending guide bar No. F goes one space to the left hand, the carriages
all come into the front combs, and rack No. 17. The extra guide bar
No. A goes to the left hand, the extra guide bar No. H goes to the right
hand, the distending guide bar No. E goes one space to the left hand, the
distending guide bar No. F goes one space to the right hand, the carriages
all go into the back combs, and rack No. 18. The extra guide bars Nos.
A, H, E, F, all remain as they were. The carriages move from back to
front; and when in the centre the lace wheels are brought into action, and
the winding up of the work roller is also brought into action. The car-
riages all come into the front combs, and rack No. 19 and No. 1 of the lace
wheels, when the back main guide bar with its extra guide bars go one space
to the right hand. From this time the extra guide bars Nos. A and H move
with their main guides by means of the main guide bar wheels, and work
together as if there were only two rows of main guides. The extra guides,
when at work for making plain lace net, being borne against stops on their
respective main guides, as is shewn in the Drawing, and the extra warp guide
bars are only separated from their respective main guide bars at the time and
in order to make separate movements therefrom, when aiding with their bobbin
threads to make spots. The machine in continuing to work makes three
holes of plain lace or net; and in order to make the matter clear, and to trace
the distending threads in their movements, that they may be brought into
correct positions for distending the next row of spots, I will proceed to de-
scribe the working of one row of holes by the lace wheels, only speaking of the
rackings of the distending guide bars at those times when any operation is
performed by the wheels on those bars. The carriages go into the centre, and
rack No. 2 of the lace wheels. The front main guide bar and its extra guido

page_text: bars remain. The back main guide bar and its extra guide bars go to the
left hand, the carriages all go into the back combs, and rack No. 3 of the
lace wheels. The front comb bar goes one space to the left hand, the front
main guide bar and its extra guide bars go to the left hand. The back main
guide bar and its extra guide bars remain, the carriages come into the
centre, and rack No. 4 of the lace wheels. The front comb bar goes one
space to the right hand, the front main guide bar and its extra guide bars.
go to the right hand, the back main guide bar and its extra guide bars
remain, the carriages all come into the front combs, and rack No. 5 of the
lace wheels. The front comb bar goes one space to the left hand, the front
and back main guides and their extra guides remain as they were, the dis-
tending guide bar F goes one space to the right hand on racking No. 21 of
its wheel, the carriages go into the centre, and rack No. 6 of the lace
wheels. The front comb bar goes one space to the right hand, the front
main guide bar and its extra guide bars remain, the back main guide bar
and its extra guide bars go to the right hand. Take up with the front points,
they moving as above described when out, to take up the lace correctly. The
carriages all get into the back combs, and rack No. 7 of the lace wheels.
The front comb bar remains, the front main guide bar and its extra guide
bars remain, the back main guide bar and its extra guide bars go to the
left hand, the carriages come into the centre, and rack No. 8 of the lace
wheels. The front comb bar remains, the front main guide bar and its
extra guide bars go to the left hand, the back main guide bar and its
extra guide bars remain, the carriages come into the front combs, and rack
Number 9 of the lace wheels. The front comb bar remains, the front main
guide bar and its extra guide bars go to the right hand, the back main guide
bar and its extra guide bars remain, the distending guide bar No. E goes one
to the left hand at racking Number 23 of its wheel, the carriages go into
the centre, and rack Number 10 of the lace wheels. The front comb bar
remains, the front main guide bar and its extra guide bars remain, the back
main guide bar and its extra guide bars go to the right hand, the carriages go
into the back combs, and rack No. 11 of the lace wheels. The front comb
bar remains, the front and back main guide bars and their extra guide bars go
to the left hand, the carriages come into the centre, and rack No. 12 of the
lace wheels. The front comb bar remains, the front main guide bar and its
extra guide bars go to the right hand. The back main guide bar and its extra
guide bars remain; continuing to work the machine will produce two more
courses of lace. The distending guide bar No. E moving one space to the right
hand at racking No. 27, one space to the left-hand on racking No. 29, one space
space

page_text: to the right hand on racking No. 33, and one space to the left on racking No. 35.
After racking No. 12 of the third course of the lace wheels for making the
ground of lace, and consequently No. 36 of the extra wheels, the lace wheels are
put out of action, and the winding up of the work is stopped, and the extra
warp guide bars B, G, will now come into action for making the next row of
spots; the extra warp guides A, HI, remaining equally spaced with their
respective main guides. On the racking No. 37 of the extra wheels the guides,
with the exception of the distending thread guides, will all assume the same
positions as described at starting. After having racked No. 1 of the same wheels
the carriages go into the back combs, and rack No. 38. The extra guide bar
No. B goes to the left hand, the extra guide bar No. G goes to the right hand,
the distending guide bar No. E goes one space to the left hand, the distending
guide bar No. F goes one space to the right hand, the carriages all come into
the front combs, and rack No. 39. The extra guide bar No. B goes to the right
hand, the extra guide bar No. G goes to the left hand, the distending guide
bar No. E goes one space to the right hand, the distending guide bar No. F
goes one space to the left hand, the carriages all go into the back combs.
Take up with the front points, they having shogged to take correctly with the
back points, as above described, and rack No. 40. The extra guide bar No. B
goes to the left hand, the extra guide bar No. G goes to the right hand, the
distending guide bar No. E goes one space to the left hand, the distending
guide bar No. F goes one space to the right hand, the carriages all come into
the front combs, and rack No. 41. The extra guide bar No. B goes to the right
hand, the extra guide bar No. G goes to the left hand, the distending guide
bar No. E goes one space to the right hand, the distending guide bar No. F
goes one space to the left hand, the carriages go into the back combs, and rack
No. 42. The bars Nos. B, G, E, F, remain as they were, the carriages come
into the front combs, takes up with the back points, and rack No. 43. The
bars Nos. B, G, E, F, remain as they were, the carriages all go into the back
combs, and rack No. 44. The extra guide bar No. B goes to the left hand, the
extra guide bar No. G goes to the right hand, the distending guide bar No. E
goes one space to the left hand, the distending guide bar No. F goes one space
to the right hand, the carriages all come into the front combs, and rack
No. 45. The extra guide bar No. B goes to the right hand, the extra guide
bar No. G goes to the left hand, the distending guide bar No. E goes onc
space to the right hand, the distending guide bar No. F goes one space to
the left hand, the carriages go into the back combs, take up with the front
points, and rack No. 46. The extra guide bar No. B goes to the left hand,
the extra guide bar No. G goes to the right hand, the distending guide

page_text: bar No. E goes one space to the left hand, the distending guide bar No. F
goes one space to the right hand, the carriages all come into the front combs,
and rack No. 47. The extra guide bar No. B goes to the right hand, the extra
guide bar No. G goes to the left hand, the distending guide bar No. E goes
one space to the right hand, the distending guide bar No. F goes one space to
the left hand, the carriages all go into the back combs, and rack No. 48. The
extra guide bars Nos. B, G, E, F, remain as they were, the carriages all come
into the front combs, and take up with the back points, and rack No. 49. The
extra guide bars Nos. B, G, E, F, remain as they were, the carriages all go
into the back combs, and rack No. 50. The extra guide bar No. B goes to the
left hand, the extra guide bar No. G goes to the right hand, the distending
guide bar No. E goes one space to the left hand, the distending guide bar
No. F goes one space to the right hand, the carriages all come into the front
combs, and rack No. 51. The extra guide bar No. B goes to the right hand,
the extra guide bar No. G goes to the left hand, the distending guide bar No. E
goes one space to the right hand, the distending guide bar No. F goes one
space to the left hand, the carriages go into the front combs. Take up with
the front points, and rack No. 52. The extra guide bar No. B goes to the left
hand, the extra guide bar No. G goes to the right hand, the distending guide
bar No. E goes one space to the left hand, the distending guide bar No. F
goes one space to the right hand, the carriages all come into the front combs,
and rack No. 53. The extra guide bar No. B goes to the right hand, the extra
guide bar No. G goes to the left hand, the distending guide bar E goes one
space to the right hand, the distending guide bar No. F goes one space to the
left hand, the carriages all go into the back combs, and rack No. 54. The extra
guide bars Nos. B, G, E, F, remain as they were, the carriages come into the
centre, and the lace wheels and winding-up motion come into action; the
carriages all come into the front combs; take up with back points, and rack
No. 55, which will also rack No. 1 of the lace or main wheels. Three courses
of lace will then be made in like manner to what has been above described, and
the distending guide bars will be operated on during such time as follows:-
The distending guide bar No. E goes one space to the right hand at racking
No. 57 of its wheel the distending guide bar No. F goes one space to the
left hand at racking No. 59 of its wheel, one space to the right hand at
racking No. 63, one space to the left hand at racking No. 65, one space
to the right hand at racking No. 69, one space to the left hand at racking
No. 71; the carriages come into the centre after racking No. 72, and rack
No. 12 of the lace wheels, completing the making the third course of lace,
at which time the lace wheels, together with the winding up of the work,

page_text: go out of action till another row of spots are made. The carriages all
come into the front combs, and rack No. 1 of the extra wheels, when all the
threads will be in the same position as at starting; and in continuing to
work the machine, the next row of spots will be made by the extra guides
Nos. A and H, with their bobbin threads and the distending threads E, F,
which before distended the spots produced by these warp threads, and their
bobbin threads will come again in position to distend the same spot.
Having thus explained the nature of this part of my Invention, and having
showed it applied in such manner as to produce the largest quantity in the
shortest space of time, I would remark, that when it is wished to make
breadths of lace, they may be made in double or single locker or other
machines; I consider double-tier and double-locker machines, arranged capable
Inven-
for making breadths, to be the best for the purpose of carrying out my
tion. The machine should be arranged with a cut of wheels similar to those
shewn in the Drawing, and the carriages caused to be worked through and
through the warp, and the warp threads so acted on as to prevent twist being
put on by these carriage threads where spots are not being formed; when the
spots are to be larger than what would be produced by the ordinary move-
ments of the machine for making the ground of twist lace, and when a row of
spots has been finished, then that the whole of the guides and warp threads
shall work together as two complete rows of threads, as is well understood;
and further, that there should be suitable apparatus applied for working in
what I have called distending threads, to distend the spots as they are formed,
such threads being worked into the lace only at the spots, and loose from spot
to spot, in order that such threads may be easily withdrawn from the lace; and
for such distending threads I employ cotton, silk, or other suitable material,
tlicker than what is employed for the lace.
The second part of my Invention relates to a mode of making ornamental
twist lace in bobbin net machines, whereby I am enable to make twist lace
having ornamental clothwork portions produced into variod patterns, according
to design, and whereby such patterns of clothwork have a better texture and
degree of closeness than what has been before made in bobbin net lace
machines, and the character of the ground of the net will also be materially
altered. According to ordinary modes of making bobbin net and twist lace,
whether plain or ornamented, there have been a single warp thread to every
bobbin or carriage thread, and there have been additional threads introduced for
particular ornamenting purposes, such as taping threads, and also other threads
for making spots and for gymping, as is well understood; and similar threads,
if desired, may be introduced in further ornamenting the lace fabric produced

page_text: according to my Invention. This part of my Invention relating to producing
ornamental lace with clothwork patterns, by having two warp threads to each
carriage or bobbin thread, and the whole of the threads are so worked as
to combine together, both in making the portions of opaque clothwork as well
as for making the portions of lace. I have shewn this part of my Invention
as carried out by means of that description of bobbin net lace machinery
called single-bladed roller locker, though other machinery may be employed,
if it be suitably arranged as hereafter described. There is no movement
to the comb bars, and there are four guide bars, in order that there may
be two guide or warp threads to each carriage thread, and the guide bars
which carry the two sets of warp threads have each independent move-
ment one from the other, and have each their separate wheel, and these
wheels are so cut that in working, if no interference take place with the
warp threads, the fabric produced would be a close opaque weaving, made
by linking of the threads; but when the warp threads are acted on, in order
that their racking shall be varied from what the cut of wheels produces,
lacework similar in appearance to Valenciennes lace will be made by the
machine with ornamental parts of clothwork, in varied patterns, according to
the order in which the warp threads are operated on, as will be hereafter
clearly understood; and I prefer to describe its action as producing a plain
opaque clothwork fabric, in the first place, because it will simplify the descrip-
tion of the mode of working for making lace with ornamental clothwork in
patterns, according to design; and according to this mode of description,
the clothwork of the lace may be considered as the product of the machine,
and the acting on the warp threads according to design will be the means of
producing lace fabric, leaving only so much of the threads as may be desired to
work oqaque clothwork untouched or not changed from the ordinary move-
ments of the cuts of wheels by which the warp threads are constantly being
actuated. It will hereafter be evident that this order of things might be
reversed, but would require a more complex description, as it would be neces-
sary to state the exact position of the threads at each movement, whereas by
tbis mode of treating the subject, a description need only be given of the
movements of some of the threads. The working of a single-locker machine
being well understood, and as the muchinery is clearly shewn in the Drawings
marked B, and as the names of the principal parts are written on the
Drawings, no further description will be requisite other than to shew how the
cuts of wheels work the guide bars to produce the object desired. There are,
as before stated, four complete rows of warp thread, two rows at back and
two rows at front; hence, there are twice as many warp threads as there are

page_text: bobbin threads, and each bobbin thread works constantly with two warp
threads, A, B, being the two front rows of guides, and C, D, the two back rows
of guides, and A, B, C, D, are the cuts of wheels which respectively work
those rows of guides. The cuts of wheels being given, the order in which the
threads are worked will readily be traced therefrom, and the result thereof
will be better understood when I have described the working of a course;
these wheels, as before stated, simply acting on the warp threads in conjunc-
tion with the swinging of the carriages through and through, the warp will
produce the close linked fabric; and in order to work the warp threads in such
manner as to produce lace to any extent of the whole fabric produced, a differ-
ence of racking of the warp threads to that which is produced by the guide bar
wheels is to be obtained opposite such places where lace fabric is to be made,
and I prefer to accomplish this varying of the rackings of the threads by means
of what I will call interceptors, which being inserted in the warp at certain
places, will prevent the rackings of certain of the threads taking place in the
same order as they are otherwise racked by the continued rotation of the guide
bar wheels; and I prefer the interceptors to be moved by means of perforated
cards, or they may be acted on by what is known in the trade as an organ
barrel, the object to be obtained being the insertion of such interceptors .at
determined times at certain places where the opaque fabric is not to be made;
and it will be evident that a like racking of threads may be obtained by other
means, such as by employing extra guide bars, or otherwise. The Drawings
show the interceptors as being worked by perforated cards, in the following
manner; there is an interceptor at each space of the back combs.

page_text: endwise, in order to make up for the difference between the thickness of the
interceptors at c, which are necessarily thin, in order to enter correctly between
the threads. The wheel for shogging the bar d endwise is shown in the
Drawing. According to the arrangement of the machine, the interceptors are
all inserted at the fourth and seventh rackings of the guide bar wheels, as
hereafter described, the interceptors being caused to enter by the locker
blade e, which, acting in a notch cut on the under parts of the plates of the
interceptors, cause them all to be driven into the warp threads, when the
locker blade e is actuated by its wheel or cam f, which is on the main shaft or
axis of the machine, such wheel or cam fgiving motion to the lever g, which has
its axis at the front of the machine at g', and the lever g is constantly borne
up to its wheel by the spring g³, as is shown in the Drawings. h is a
connecting rod, which connects the arm 2 of the locker bar with the lever g,
all which will readily be traced in the Drawings; the locker bar moving on
suitable bearings. Each of the interceptors has its spring i, which has at all
times a tendency to draw its interceptor out from the warp threads; hence,
as the locker blade e only carries forward the interceptors and recedes from
them immediately, the springs i have time to withdraw their respective inter-
ceptors from amongst the warp threads before. those warp threads rack,
hence, when it is desired to retain any of the interceptors in the warp, in
order to intercept some of the threads, the card opposite such interceptor or
interceptors is to be unperforated, so that as the card comes up, which it does
immediately on the locker blade e carrying in all the interceptors, all those
interceptors where.there are not perforations will be retained by the card in
amongst the warp; but where the card is perforated, the springs i will draw
back the interceptors out from amongst the warp, and pass the ends of the
interceptors through the perforations of the cards. It will be seen that the
outer ends of the plates of the interceptors are made suitable for passing
through small holes in the card; and the ends are so arranged as to require
four rows of holes in the cards, in order that the holes may be so far apart as
not materially to weaken the card. The cards are joined together in the same
manner as heretofore used in weaving, and also in like manner to what has
been heretofore resorted in applying the jacquard system of selection to bobbin
net machinery. And what is called the "jacquard cylinder" is a quadrangular
bar, either perforated with holes opposite each instrument to be selected, or
there are to be four grooves to correspond with the four rows of ends of the
interceptors, and in such manner that if the face of the jacquard cylinder
(which operates on the interceptors) were uncovered, or covered with a card
having a hole opposite each interceptor, there would be no selection take

page_text: place, and none of the interceptors would be permitted to remain amongst the
warp threads by the springs i. I would here state that I make no claim to
this mode of selection of the warp threads, but simply show it is a convenient
means for obtaining a variable selection of the interceptors; nor do I confine
myself thereto. The part which is called the jacquard cylinder is carried by
the back shaftj by means of arms k, there being suitable holes or bearings
for the axes of the jacquard cylinder, and at one end there are four studs -, by
which the jacquard cylinder is turned and retained in position. m is-a
projecting bracket affixed to one of the arms which carry the jacquard
cylinder; n is a bar moving in an axis carried by the projecting bracket m,
and is borne down by a spring. This bar rests on two of the projecting studs
, at the end of the jacquard cylinder, when that cylinder is brought into a
proper position. o is a hook bar, which, on the receding of the jacquard
cylinder, causes one of the studs 7, at the end of the cylinder, to enter the hook,
and by the continued movement back of the jacquard cylinder, the holding
that stud causes the cylinder to revolve on its axis, and bring up a fresh
card, the bar n being lifted by the stud on which it is resting as the cylinder
turns, in order to allow of the cylinder turning; but when turned one-fourth
round, the bar n is drawn by its spring, and causes the jacquard cylinder to be
held correctly by resting on two of the studs P. At the end of the jacquard
cylinder 9 is the wheel which works the jacquard cylinder; it is affixed on
the upright axis which carries the guide bar wheels, and the arm p, which is
on the back shaft, which carries the jacquard cylinder, is borne by a spring g',
constantly up to the wheel q, and causes the jacquard cylinder to swing to and
from the intercepters. The wheel 9 being shewn, the nature of the cutting
thereof will readily be traced. It is so cut as to cause the jacquard cylinder
to follow the intercepters as they are moved by the locker blade e, in order, by
a card, to prevent all those intercepters which it is desired to select from being
pressed back out of the warps.
I will now proceed to describe the working of a course of one revolution
of the wheels; in doing so I will first speak of the working without any
change of the racking or shogging of the warp threads other than what is
produced by the guide bar wheels, by which all the threads will combine to
make an opaque clothwork. The guide bars A, B, and C, being capable of
racking only one space; the guide bar D being able to move two spaces:
The guide bar wheels having racked No. 1, the guide bar A is as far as it can
go to the left hand, the guide bar B is as far as it can go to the left hand,
the guide bar C is as far as it can go to the right hand, the guide bar D
stands on its middle position, and can rack one space to the right hand and

page_text: one space to the left hand, the carriages are all in the back combs, the
carriages come into the centre, and rack No. 2. The guide bar A remains as it
was, and so does the guide bar B; the guide bar C goes to the left hand, and
the guide bar D remains as it was, the carriages all come into the front
combs, and rack No. 3. The guide bars A and B remain as they were, the
guide bar C remains as it was, the bar D goes one space to the left hand, the
carriages come into the centre, and rack No. 4. The guide bar A goes one
space to the right hand as early as it can in this movement, the guide bar B
remains as it was, the guide bar C goes one space to the right hand as early
as it can in this movement, and the guide bar D having gone one space to the
right as early as it could go, (to allow of the intercepters being entered and
retained in those places where the pattern of lace requires it, as will be
hereafter explained,) goes another space to the right hand at the completion of
this motion, the carriages all go into the back combs, and rack No. 5. The
guide bar A remains as it was, the guide bar B goes one space to the right
hand, the guide bar C remains as it was, and the guide bar D goes one space
to the left hand, the carriages come into the centre, and rack No. 6. The
guide bar A remains as it was, the guide bar B goes one space to the left
hand, the guide bar C goes one space to the left hand, and the guide bar D
remains as it was; the carriages come into the front combs, and rack No. 7.
The guide bar A racks one space to the left hand, but as late as it can go in
this move, the guide bar B remains as it was, the guide bar C goes one space
to the right hand as early as it can go in this movement, and the guide bar D
remains as it was; the carriages go into the centre, and rack No. 8. The
guide bar A goes one space to the right hand, the guide bar D remains as it
was, the guide bar C remains as it was, and the guide bar D also remains as
it was. And this completes the working of one course. And as there has been
no interference with the rackings of the warp threads as produced by the
racking wheels, the result will be a close linked fabric, produced by the bobbin
threads linking with the straight down or warp threads, hence the bobbin
threads act as the weft in weaving, excepting that they each only proceed a
very short distance across the fabric. Now, supposing it desired to make a
ground of lace for any length, the intercepters, which are one to each space of
the back combs, are to be all worked or caused to enter at the racking Nos. 4
and 7 of each course of working, which would cause the fabric to be produced
in a series of pillars, which may be closed into meshes at any time by omitting
the introduction of the intercepters; and according as the intercepters are
omitted in the working the racking Nos. 4 and 7, so will be the closing of the
pillars by a portion of clothwork at that point, and that clothwork may be

page_text: continued for a greater or shorter length, either for simply producing a top
and bottom of the meshes, or the intercepters may be omitted for a time to
produce opaque clothwork. And as the machine is arranged in such manner
as that each of the intercepters is independent of its neighbour, it follows they
may be selected in any manner desired, and may be at one moment making
plain lace ground, at the next producing close opaque clothwork, according t
the taste of the person designing the pattern. I have purposely omitted saying
anything of the taking-up motions of the front and back points during the
working of the course. I will now describe them. The work as it is produced
is taken up by the successive actions of the front and back points. In taking
up, the points follow the carriages, and enter between the warp threads before
the carriages have left them, and this operation is repeated every time the
carriages pass from the front combs into the back combs, and every time the
carriages pass from the back combs into the front combs; the front points
taking up when the carriages are proceeding from front to back, and the back
points taking up when the carriages are proceeding from back to front. In
taking up with the front points, the points enter the warp threads just before
the racking takes place, and before the carriages are forced out of the warp.
The first take up with the front points is just before racking No. 1 of the
wheels, when the points have penetrated between all the warp threads, the
points are shogged a little to the left hand, in order to take the front row
of bobbin threads correctly, having entered between the front row of bobbin
threads the points shog a little to the right hand in order to take the back
row of bobbin threads correctly, and these movements are repeated whenever
the work is taken up with the front points. In taking up with the back
points the points enter between all the warp threads before the racking of
those threads, and when the points are through the warps they shog about one
space of the combs, and enter between the back row of bobbin threads, and
when between them they rack back about a space, and enter between the front
row of bobbin threads, and then go up under the front points. The back and
front points not going to their highest position at the time of taking up, but so
soon as the points, which for the time being have been sustaining the work, are
drawn out, the points which have taken up last go up to their highest position,
and support the work, and prevent the threads untwisting or come down. From
the foregoing description it will be evident that great variety of lace with
ornamental opaque clothwork, may be produced, depending only on the taste of
the parties designing the pattern. I do not, therefore, confine myself to any
particular pattern, nor to the precise mode of working the threads, provided the
arrangement of bobbin net machinery is such as to produce ornamental laco

page_text: with patterns of opaque clothwork by means of an additional warp thread to
each of the bobbin threads, as herein described.
I will now proceed to describe the third part of my Invention, which, as
before stated, relates to a mode of making that description of ornamental lace
which is known in the trade as honeycomb open work. And I would, in the
first place, remark that there have been various modes invented for making
such description of lace, and for which Letters Patent have been obtained by
me and others, and such modes may shortly be stated to consist in causing the
threads of bobbin net machinery so to act as to produce certain of the holes
or meshes with an extra quantity of twist to their pillars, thus producing larger
holes, and surrounded by smaller holes, which are obtained by reducing the
quantity of twist in their pillars, and further closing such small holes by what
are called taping threads; and another mode of making such description of
ornamental lace, for which I obtained His late Majesty's Royal Letters Patent,
consisted in combining similar taping threads with a system of bullet-hole
lace, and thus producing lace having a very similar appearance to that
wherein extra twists are given to the pillars of some of the holes (the
larger ones), and a reduced quantity of twists to other of the holes, (the
smaller or surrounding holes,) but by each of these modes there requires
more intricacy of mechanical movements than my present Invention or
improvements in making such description of ornamental lace, for by my pre-
sent Invention I am enabled to make honeycomb open work in stripes in
other lace, or in the whole width of the fabric, produced by the simple action of
taping threads, without additional motions, which so act as to distend some of
the holes of the lace produced, and to close other of the holes which surround
the larger ones, and, at the same time, such taping threads go to fill up the
smaller holes; but, according to the present Invention, the whole of the holes
or meshes retain or have like quantities of twist, and no additional motions
are requisite, by which means honeycomb open work can be produced at great
speed, that is, at the same speed as if making plain lace or twist net; hence,
the Invention does not consist simply in applying taping threads in lace, nor in
retaining all the holes or meshes with like quantities of twist in their pillars,
but in obtaining honeycomb open work thereby, without extra motions, and
consequently without loss of speed. And further, as above stated, such taping
threads have been introduced with other means of making honeycomb open
work; but in the present Invention the application of the taping or extra
threads are the means of producing honeycomb open work in lace, where the
pillars of each mesh or hole retain or have the same quantity of twist, where
the honeycomb open work is produced, as in the plain or other part of the

page_text: lace, and without any additional motions being required to produce such
result. This part of my Invention is not confined to any particular description
of bobbin net lace machines, so long as they be suitably arranged for intro-
ducing taping or extra threads in such manner as to contract certain of the
holes or meshes, and extend or enlarge other of the holes or meshes, and
causing the enlarged holes or meshes to be surrounded by the smaller holes or
meshes, at the same time, in the course of working, to cause the threads to
have such evolutions as to produce to all the holes, large and small, the same
quantity of twist, and without requiring additional motions to produce that
end. In carrying out this part of my Invention, it simply requires to have
two sets of extra threads, with suitable cut of wheels, applied to a machine
which is otherwise suitable for making plain lace or twist net, and I have
selected that description of machinery for carrying out my Invention which is
known in the trade as double-tier single-bladed roller locker machinery,
which is suitably arranged for making plain bobbin net, together with stripes
of honeycomb open work, according to my Invention; the single-bladed roller
locker machine being well understood by the trade, and the parts clearly
shewn in the Drawing in various views, it will not be necessary to enter into
any description thereof, more particularly as the names of the various parts are
written on the various Figures of the Drawings marked C. C and D are the
ordinary front and back main guide bars, having guides as if they were
intended for making plain twist net or lace throughout the width of the piece.
A, B, are two extra guide bars for the taping or extra threads, by means of
which the meshes or holes, notwithstanding their all having the same quanti-
ties of twist, are caused some of them to be distended or enlarged, and others
to be contracted and filled up, as above explained. The nature of the cuts of
wheels being shewn, they will readily be understood, more particularly when I
have described the working of a course, which I will now proceed to do.
Description of working a course of the extra wheels for making honeycomb
open work by means of extra threads or taping threads.-In describing the
working of a course, I will suppose the machine has been at work and stopped
immediately after racking No. 1 of the wheels, at which time the various
threads would be in the positions shewn at Figure 1 in the Drawings marked C.
The front comb bar, which moves one space, will be as far as it can go to
the left hand; the front main guide, which is capable of moving one space,
will be as far as it can go to the left hand; the back main guide bar,
which is capable of moving one space, will be as far as it can go to the
right hand; the taping or extra guide bars A, B, are placed at the back of
the machine, as is shown in the Drawing. The extra guide bar A will

page_text: be as far as it can go to the right hand, and is capable of moving two
spaces to the left hand, and the extra guide bar B will be on its middle
position, and is capable of moving one space in either direction; all
the carriages will be locked in the back combs. On proceeding to work
the machine, the carriages will come into the centre, and rack No. 2. The
front comb bar goes to the right hand, the front main guide bar goes to
the right hand, the back main guide bar goes to the left hand, the extra
guide bars A, B, remain as they were; take up with the back points,
which are caused to dip low, in consequence of the extra threads, and such, it
should be understood, is the case in taking up with the front points. The
carriages all come into the front combs, and rack No. 3. The front comb bar
goes to the left hand, the front and back main guide bars remain as they
were, the extra guide bars A and B go one space to the left hand, the
carriages go into the centre, and rack No. 4. The front comb bar goes to the
right hand, the front main guide bar remains as it was, the back main guide
bar goes to the right hand, the extra guide bars A, B, go one space to the
right hand, the carriages all go into the back combs, and rack No. 5. The
front comb bar remains as it was, the front main guide bar remains as it was,
the back main guide bar goes to the left hand, the extra guide bars A, B,
remain as they were, the carriages come into the centre, and rack No. 6.
The front comb bar remains as it was, the front main guide bar goes to the
left hand, the back main guide bar remains as it was, the extra guides A, B,
go one space to the left hand, the carriages all come into the front combs,
and rack No. 7. The front comb bar remains as it was, the front main guide
bar goes to the right hand, the back main guide bar remains as it was,
the extra guide bars A, B, go one space to the right hand, the carriages
go into the centre; and rack No. 8. The front comb bar remains as it
was, the front main guide bar remains as it was, the back main guide
bar goes to the right hand, the extra guide bars A, B, go to the left hand;
take up with the front points; the carriages go into the back combs, and
rack No. 9. The front comb bar remains as it was, the front and back main
guide bars go to the left hand, the extra guide bar A remains as it was, the
extra guide bar B goes two spaces to the right hand, the carriages come
into the centre, and rack No. 10. The front comb bar remains as it was, the
front main guide bar goes to the right hand, the back main guide bar
remains as it was, the extra guide bars A, B, go one space to the left hand,
the carriages all come into the front combs, and rack No. 11. The front comb
bar remains as it was, the front main guide bar remains as it was, the back
main guide bar goes to the right hand, the extra guide bars A, B, go one

page_text: space to the right hand, the carriages go into the centre, and rack No. 12.
The front comb bar remains as it was, the front and back main guide bars
remain as they were, the extra guide bars A, B, remain as they were, the
carriages all go into the back combs; there are then twelve motions to the
lace wheels to make up twenty-four motions or rackings of the extra wheels;
but in the working of such next twelve motions the extra guide bars A, B,
reverse the order of their action, that is to say, in the former case the extra
guide bar A, commenced working with racking No. 1, now the extra guide
bar B will commence working at racking No. 13; and what A did in working
from racking No. 1 to racking No. 12 of the extra wheels, will now be
performed by B, in racking from No. 13 to racking No. 24, and what B did
in racking from No. 1 to No. 12, A will now do in racking from No. 13 to
racking No. 24. In taking up the work with the front and back points, the
machine is arranged for taking up after the crossings are made, taking up first
with the back points, and care should be observed that the points enter clear
of the extra threads. Thus it will be seen that stripes of honeycomb open
work may be produced wherever extra guides are introduced, and without
adding to the number of motions necessary for producing plain lace or twist
net; hence a great saving of time will be effected by this mode of making
honeycomb open work in bobbin net machines, and with much less complexity
of machinery than what has before been necessary in making honeycomb open
And it will be evident that as the evolution of all bobbin net machines
which are capable of traversing the bobbins, and are known as traverse bobbin
machines, in respect to their threads produce like results in their twisting.
Whatever be the description or variety of machine to which it is desired to
apply this part of my Invention, it will only be necessary to cause extra
threads or taping threads to be introduced, as herein described, in order to
draw out or enlarge some of the holes or meshes, and contract and fill up or
partly fill up others, all such holes or meshes, whether large or small, having
like quantity of twist in their pillars, as herein described.
work.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
carrying the three parts thereof into operation, I would have it understood
that although I have been particular in describing, and shewing by the
Drawings, the various parts and their movements, I would remark, that they
may in each case be varied, so long as the requisite movements to the threads
are obtained. And I would have it understood that what I claim as my
Invention is,
First, the mole of making spots in bobbin net lace machines by the
application of what I have called distending threads.

page_text: Secondly, I claim the mode of making ornamental lace with patterns of
opaque clothwork, employing twice the number of warp threads as there are
carriages, or an extra warp thread to each carriage or bobbin thread.
And, thirdly, I claim the mode of making that description of twist lace
called honeycomb open work, without extra motions to what are used in
making plain net, and by simply employing extra taping or contracting threads,
retaining the same number of twists to each of the holes or meshes as in the
plain net, as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Crofts, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of November, One thousand eight
hundred and thirty-eight.