IMPROVEMENTS IN BOBBIN NET OR TWIST LACE MACHINERY
Year: 1860

page_text: Machinist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOBBIN NET OR TWIST
LACE MACHINERY."
Sealed the 23rd April 1861, and dated the 6th November 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Birks, the elder,
and William Birks, the younger, at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 6th November 1860.
I, WILLIAM BIRKS. the elder, of the Town of Nottingham, Machinist, and
I, WILLIAM BIRKS, the younger, of the same Town, Machinist. do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BOBBIN NET OR
TWIST LACE MACHINERY," to be as follows:-
Our improvements in bobbin net or twist lace machinery consist of very
simple and improved arrangements of the spacing apparatus, or the instru-
ments employed for governing the positions of the warp threads in relation to
the carriage or bobbin threads by which the movement of the warp threads
so governed is rendered much more independent and capable of working with
a greater number of the carriage threads than heretofore by the means pre-
viously employed for this purpose.
In carrying out our Invention the warp threads are moved to and fro by a

page_text: series of warp or bottom bars actuated by jacquard or other pattern surface.
as is well understood. Each warp thread passes through slots or spaces one
above the other, formed in two or more thin bars, or spacing instruments
placed over each other just below the carriages, and according to the number
of warp threads employed to work or twist with each carriage thread so will
be the number required of such thin bars or spacing instruments placed side
by side in tiers to act upon the warp threads in each tier independently. The
length of the slots or spaces in each tier of bars or spacing instruments may
be equal to one or several gaits or spaces of the combs or bolts, and each of
the bars or spacing instruments in each tier is capable of independent move-
ment to and fro, by which arrangement the warp threads in each of such tier
of bars or spacing instruments may be moved to the right or left (by the
jacquard or other pattern surface acting on the bottom bars), one or several
spaces of the combs or bolts, and be brought to a dead stop by coming against
one or other end of the slots or spaces of one of the bars in the tier of bars
or spacing instruments through which the warp threads pass.
The slots or spaces of a tier of bars or spacing instruments (through which
a series of the warp threads pass), when placed over each other, should exactly
correspond in length with the several gaits or spaces of the combs or bolts
with which such warp threads are intended to work. so that the ends of the
several slots or spaces may by the shogging or endway movement of the bars
form stops from time to time in any desired order for the warp threads to
rest or be stopped against when moved in either direction to any particular gait
or space in the slots or spaces of the bars or spacing instruments, and
thus allow the warp threads to work with any particular carriage thread as
far as those slots or spaces extend at every movement or passage of the car-
riages to and fro through the warp threads. The bars or spacing instruments
are supported at intervals by slotted and cranked stumps or supports of suitable
form.
In place of all the bars or spacing instruments having independent move-
ment, the upper bar of each tier may be stationary, or a stationary stump bar
or bars, or a fixed slotted plate or plates, may be employed in combination with
similar bars or spacing instruments to those previously described, placed side
by side in tiers so as to control the position of the warp threads in the spaces
of such stump bars or slotted plates.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Birks, the elder, and William Birks, the younger, in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th May 1861.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COMB, we, WILLIAM
BIRKS, the elder, of the Town of Nottingham, Machinist, and WILLIAM BIRKS,
the younger, of the same Town, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria. by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her reign.
did, for Herself, Her heirs, and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
William Birks and William Birks, Her special licence that we, the said
William. Birks and William Birks, our executors, administrators, and assigns.
or such others as we, the said William Birks. and William Birks, our exe-
cutors, 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. BOBBIN NET OR TWIST LACE
MACHINERY," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William
Birks and William Birks, our executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of
one of us or them, 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 we, the said William Birks, senior, and William
Birks, junior, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer
tained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
Our improvements in bobbin net or twist lace machinery consist of very
simple and improved arrangements of the spacing apparatus or the instruments
employed for governing the positions of the warp threads in relation to the car-
riage or bobbin threads by which the movement of the warp threads so governed
is rendered much more independent and capable of working with a greater
number of the carriage threads than heretofore, by the means previously
employed for this purpose.
In carrying out our Invention the ordinary warp threads are moved to and
fro by a series of warp or bottom bars, actuated by jacquard apparatus or other

page_text: pattern surface, as is well understood. Each warp thread passes through slot
or spaces one above the other, formed in one or more thin bars or spacing
instruments placed over each other just below the carriages, and according t
the number of warp threads employed to work or twist with each carriage
thread, so will be the number required of such thin bars or spacing instru
ments placed side by side in tiers to act upon the warp threads in each tie
independently. The length of the slots or spaces in each tier of bars o
spacing instruments may be equal to one or several gaits or spaces of the
combs or bolts, and each of the bars or spacing instruments in each tier is
capable of independent movement to and fro. by which arrangement the
warp threads in each of such tiers of bars or spacing instruments may be
moved to the right or left (by the jacquard or other pattern surface acting on
the bottom bars). one or several spaces of the comhs or bolts, and he brought
to a dead stop by coming against one or other end of the slots or spaces of
one of the bars in the tier of bars or spacing instruments through which the
warp threads pass. The slots or spaces of a tier of bars or spacing instruments
(through which a series of the warp threads pass). when placed over each
other. should correspond or be a very slight degree longer than the several
gaits or spaces of the combs or bolts with which such warp threads are intended
to work. so that the ends of the several slots or spaces may by the shogging or
endway movement of the bars, as is well understood. form stops from time to
time in any desired order for the warp threads to rest or be stopped against
when moved in either direction to any particular gait or space in the slots or
spaces of the bars or spacing instruments, and thus allow the warp threads to
work with any particular carriage thread as far as those slots or spaces extend
at every movement or passage of the carriages to and fro through the warp
threads. The bars or spacing instruments are supported at intervals by
slotted and cranked stumps or supports of suitable form.
In place of all the bars or spacing instruments having independent move-
ments, the upper bar of each tier may, if desired, be stationary, or a stationary
stump bar or bars, or a fixed slotted plate or plates, may be employed in com-
bination with similar bars or spacing instruments to those previously described.
placed side by side in tiers, or underneath each other. so as to control the
position of the warp threads in the spaces of such stump bars or slotted
plates.
1
And in order that our Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into practice, we will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto
annexed.

page_text: Figure 1 shows a section of some of the principal working parts of a
bobbin net or twist lace machine having bars or spacing instruments arranged
in combination therewith according to our Invention; and Figures 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, show several views on a magnified scale of the bars or
spacing instruments A in different positions, the nature of each of which is
written thereon, and as the previous description (aided by reference to the
Drawing) will render our present improvements intelligible to persons acquainted
with this class of machinery, a more detailed description of the Drawing will
not be necessary. It may be desirable to remark here that the punching or
piercing of the slots or spaces in the spacing bars will require to be very accu-
rately adjusted with the combs of the machine with which they are intended
to work. The Drawing represents the bars or spacing instruments A suitably
arranged with slots or spaces for working, when what is commonly known as
double warp is employed, that is, where cach warp thread is capable of
working with two carriage threads, but when each warp thread is required to
work with more than two carriage threads, then the number of the bars or
spacing instruments A and the length of the slots in such bars will be arranged
accordingly, additional bars being required under some circumstances, and the
length of the slots or spaces therein enlarged. When working with "single
warp" half the number of bars only will be required; Figures 8 and 9 show
sections of the tiers of bars or spacing instruments A differently arranged
(above each other or side by side) to that previously described, and we would
also remark that bars formed with a single row of slots or spaces, and having
very slight divisions left between the ends of the spaces as shown at Figure 10
and 11, may be employed, and occupy less space in the machine than the
arrangement of bars previously described. In place of employing two or
more such bars in each tier placed over each other or side by side, so that
the spaces of one bar may be caused to partially cover the slots or spaces of
the other bar or bars with which it works, to form stops for the warp threads.
thin bars arranged side by side singly (with a single or double row of slots or
spaces equal to one or more gaits or spaces of the combs or bolts, each bar
being actuated by jacquard apparatus or other pattern surface). may be em-
ployed according to our Invention to govern the position of the several warp
threads working with each carriage or bobbin thread in a similar manner to
what has before been proposed to be done by means of several ordinary stump
bars placed side by side, and having independent action, but owing to the
Jifficulty of arranging stump bars of the ordinary construction side by side in

page_text: the space between the combs or bolts, no practical advantage has been obtained
by such an arrangement, and it is owing to the small amount of space
required for introducing and supporting the series of thin bars or spacing
instruments which we employ, which renders this part of our improvements
applicable for the purpose of governing the position of the several warp threads
without the aid of the ordinary stump bars. The mode of giving endway
motion to the several bars according to the order and positions they are re-
quired to assume being well understood, no further description will be required,
as a workman acquainted with this class of machinery would readily apply
our improvements to lace machines aided by the foregoing description and
the Drawing annexed.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention and the practical appli-
cation of the same, we would have it understood that we do not confine our-
selves to the exact details herein described, so long as the peculiar character
of our Invention be retained; but what we claim is, the combination and
arrangement of a series of thin, slotted, or perforated bars or spacing instru-
ments capable of independent movement by jacquard or other pattern surface
for the purpose of governing the position of the warp threads in relation to
the bobbin or carriage threads employed in bobbin net or twist lace machinery
as herein described.
In witness whereof, we, the said William Birks, senr, and William
Birks, junior, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-
sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-one.