IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LACE FABRICS
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Dearman Dunnicliff, of Hyson
Green, in the County of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturer,
and John Woodhouse Bagley, of Radford, in the said County
of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Dear-
man Dunnicliff and John Woodhouse Bagley at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the
11th August 1853.
We, JOHN DEARMAN DUNNICLIFF, of Hyson Green, in the Pro
County of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturer, and JOHN WOOD- Spe
HOUSE BAGLEY, of Radford, in the said County of Nottingham,
Lace Manufacturer, do licreby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LACE
FABRICS" to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object the production of lace fabrics
such as are now known as "Honiton lace," and "Honiton sprigs;"

page_text: which fabrics, it is well known, are produced in sections or parts by
hand on the pillow, such sections or parts being generally of com-
paratively small size and such sectious or parts are joined by hand;
and they are so arranged and joined as to produce more complex
patterns, each of the parts being in their outline edges or selvages
complete, consequently the selvages or edges of articles produced
by compiling numbers of such parts or sections are true and good;
and such parts or sections of lace fabric are also extensively used
for ornamenting plain bobbin, net or twist lace, made by ma-
chinery. And our Invention consists of manufacturing lace fabrics
in twist lace machines in sections or parts, varying in width in
their different parts, with true or fast selvages; and for this pur-
pose the mode of manufacturing twist lace described in the Speci-
fication of a Patent-granted to us,-bearing-date the 11th of June
1850, is, wo. believe, the best arrangement for the purpose; .but
other modes of working twist lace machinery may be resorted to
in carrying out this Invention. According to our improvements
the machinery (in place of making breadths of lace as heretofore
complete and suitable to be worn) is caused to work to produce
only parts or sections of the intended articles; cach such part or
section being in varying widths according to the effect it is desired
that each section should produce when made up, whether the parts
of a section are alternately to form stems or sprigs, or other parts
of the pattern. The selvages or edges, both in the narrow and
wider parts of the same section being made fast, so that when
arranged and joined up into more or less extensive and complex
pattern or device, the outer edges, and the edges of all the open
parts, are fast, as in Honiton lace or Honiton sprigs. And it is the
making of fabrics in. twist lace machines, varying in widths, with
true or fast edges, in such manner that the lengths of fabric
pro-
duced by the machine may form sections or parts only of the
intended pattern, and go together in making a fabric in the
manner of Honiton lace, and also when ornamenting plain of twist
lace, which constitutes the peculiarity of this Invention.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters
Patent, filed by the said Jolm Dearman Dumicliff. and John
Woodhouse Bagley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th February 1854.
:
:
5 TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,
we, JOHN DEARMAN DUNNICLIFF, of Hyson Green, in the County
of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturer, and JOHN WOODHOUSE BAGLEY,
of Radford, in the said County of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-
three, in the seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her
Leirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said John Dear
fman Dunnicliff and John Woodhouse Bagley, Her special licence
that we; the said John Dearman Dunnicliff and John Woodhouse
Bagley'; our executors, administrators,. and assigns; .or.such others
as we, the said John Dearman Dunnicliff and. John Woodhouse
Bagley, our 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, excrcise, and vend, within the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
LACE FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said John Dearman Dunnicliff and John Woodhouse Bagley, or:
one of us, by an instrument in writing under our hands and scals,
or under the hand and seal of one of us, 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 John Woodhouse Bagley,
on behalf of myself and John Dearman Dunnicliff, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof (that is to say): "
This Invention has for its object the production of lace fabrics
such as are now known as "Honiton lace" and "Honiton sprigs,"
which fabrics, it is well known, are produced in sections or parts by
hand on the pillow, such sections or parts being generally of com-
paratively small size, and such sections or parts are joined by hand;
and they are so arranged and joined as to produce more complex
patterns, each of the parts being in their outline edges or sclvages
complete, consequently the selvages or edges of articles produced
by compiling numbers of such parts or sections are true and good;
and such parts or sections of lace fabric are also entensively used
for ornamenting plain bobbin, net or twist lace, made by machinery:
And our Invention consists of manufacturing lace fabrics in twist
lace machines in sections or parts, varying in width in their
different parts, with true or fast selvages; and for this purpose the
mode of manufacturing twist lace described in the Specification of
a Patent granted to us, bearing date the Eleventh Junc, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty, is, we believe, the best arrange-
ment for the purpose; but other modes of working twist lace
machinery may be resorted to in carrying out this Invention.
According to our improvements, the machinery (in place of making
breadths of lace as heretofore complete and suitable to be worn)
is caused to work to produce only parts or sections of the intended
articles; each such part or section being in varying widths accord-
ing to the effect it is desired that each section should produce when
made up, whether the parts of a section are alternately to form
stems or sprigs or other parts of the pattern. The selvages or edges,
both in the narrower and wider parts of the same sectionbeing made
fast, so that when arranged and joined up into more or less exten-
sive and complex patterns or devices, the outer edges, and the edges
of all the open parts, are fast, as in Honiton lace or Honiton
sprigs. And it is the making of fabrics in twist lace machines,
varying in widths, with true or fast edges, in such manner that the
lengths of fabric produced by the machine may form sections or
parts only of the intended pattern, and go together in making a

page_text: fabric in the manner of Honiton lace, and also when ornamenting s
plain or twist lace, which constitutes the peculiarity of this Inven-
tion.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, we will
proceed to describe the manner of performing the same.
In carrying out our said Invention, we prefer to employ
machinery arranged to work according to the sixth part of an
Invention described by us in the Specification of a Patent granted
on the Eleventh day of June, One thousand eight hundred and
fifty. At the same time we do not confine ourselves thereto, as twist
lace machinery generally may be used when arranged suitably for
making very narrow fabrics, whether consisting of close weavings
or meshes, or partly of both, and with or without purled edges, but
in all cases with good or fast and not cut edges or selvages: The
object of this Invention is to manufacture narrow fabrics in twist
lace machines, which, although not, when so made, suitable to be
worn in the state in which they come from the machine, shall,
when made up in a similar manner to Honiton lace or Honiton
sprigs by hand, become like manufactures to Honiton lace or
Honiton sprigs. In manufacturing narrow fabrics in twist lace
machines suitable for being made up by hand into Honiton lace
and Honiton sprigs, such fabrics must differ from those heretofore
made in such machines, as those ordinarily made are for the most
part, if not wholly, unsuited for the carrying out our Invention;
for they are not only too wide, but they are also not so made of
different widths at intervals in their lengths as to suit them for
constituting many of the sections or parts of patterns of Honiton
Jace and Honiton sprigs. It should be understood that in
making up such manufactures from narrow fabrics made in twist
lace machines, parts of the narrow fabrics require to be made of
different widths at intervals; some parts require to be (in respect
to other parts) comparatively wide, such, for instance, as the parts
which are to form leaves or flowers, or parts of leaves and flowers,
and wider parts of the device, whilst other parts require to be
comparatively narrow for making the stems and narrower parts
of the pattern; and in like manner in other devices or patterns,

page_text: .
some of the sections are also required to be comparatively wide
and narrow for making up the different parts of such fabrics. In
these respects it is desirable that the machine-made narrow fabrics
should, as nearly as may be, follow the widths and varying widths,
and also the outlines or forms of the narrow fabrics made by hand
on the pillow and although there may be in making up some
patterns or devices of Honiton sprigs or Honiton lace (when
using machine-made twist lace fabrics) a considerable quantity of
a uniform width of fabric used, still, without having fabrics of
different widths and narrow fabrics wherein the width varies
at intervals, very little can be done in getting or forming diversity
and variety of patterns and devices. And although yery narrow
-machine-made fabrics, (that is, fabrics of widths, such as are
made by hand on the pillow, whether with purled edges or not,
and whether composed more or-less of close weaving or meshes.)
may, when of a similar width.from end, to end be used in making
up Honiton sprigs and Honiton lace; still it is necessary to have
in such manufactures fabrics made of different widths at intervals
in their length, so that the same length of fabric may go to make
up wide and narrow parts of a pattern or device, as has heretofore
been the case in regard to fabrics made on the pillow by hand,
for the purpose of being made up into Honiton lace or Honiton
sprigs. For this purpose, when producing fabrics in twist lacé
machines suitable for making Honiton sprigs and Honiton lace,
in place of making the fabrics of the same width from end, to end;
each with at least one straight selvage, as has heretofore been
the case with lace fabrics which are to be worn as they come
from the machine, we cause the machines t be so worked, that
each "breadth"-made in tlic machine shall have fast edges or
selvages, at intervals in its length be varied in width; and we
believe that the best means of doing so is to vary the tension put
on the warp threads, at such intervals as the workman may
determine on, which may be aided by leaving out or calling into
action some of the threads of a "breadth," as was described in
the Specification of our said former Patent. Thus, supposing a
twist lace machine to be "on with" a series of very narrow

page_text: "breadths," whether composed of more or less of close weaving
or meshing, and supposing that the widest parts of the several
breadths of fabrics have been for a time making, if the workman
gradually add weight or otherwise produces greater strain on the
warp threads, cach breadth of fabric (or such of them as have
such additional strain or weight) will progressively become con-
tracted in width till the greatest strain is obtained; and so long as
the narrowest width of fabric is desired to be made the greatest
strain is to be retained; and when the wider fabrics are required
to be again produced, then the weight or strain is to be reduced
till the width desired is again obtained; and in such manner may
the desired variation of widths in the same fabrics be obtained;
and the fabrics will not be simply girt in at one selvage, but at
both selvages into the middle, though in some cases it will be
found desirable that the girting in shall be only at one selvage
towards the other selvage which may remain straight, for which
purpose the additional tension when narrowing will require to be
applied to only part of the warp threads of each breadth. And
it is the making of narrow fabrics such as above described in twist
lace machines, (which in the form they are produced in the
machines are not suitable or little suitable to be worn,) and their
application to the making of Honiton lace or Honiton sprigs
which constitutes the peculiarity of our Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Woodhouse Bagley.
have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of
February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE.
J. W. BAGLEY. (L.S.)
(L.S.)