CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR MANUFACTURING LACE OR NET, COMMONLY CALLED BOBBIN NET LACE
Year: 1835

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wc, JAMES
CROPPER, of the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham, Lace Manu-
facturer, and THOMAS BROWN MILNES, of Lenton Works, in the County of
Nottingham, Bleacher, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King Williamn the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Third day of December, in the sixth year of His reign, did,
for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said James
Cropper and Thomas Brown Milnes, His especial license, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that we, the said James Cropper and Thomas Brown
Milnes, our exors, adñiors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said James
Cropper and Thomas Brown Milnes, our exors, adñiors, 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, our Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
MANUFACTURING LACE OR NET, COMMONLY CALLED BOBBIN NET LACE;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that we, the said James Cropper
and Thomas Brown Milnes, or one of us, shall cause a particular description
of the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be inrolled in His said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in part

page_text: recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
James Cropper and Thomas Brown Milnes, do hereby declare the nature of our
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) :-
According to the means now in use for making bobbin net lace by machinery
there are two systems of threads employed, one system of threads being caused
to traverse diagonally from selvage to selvage, and the other system of threads
being caused to pass or be laid longitudinally from end to end of the piece of
lace; and such traversing of one system of threads diagonally from selvage to
selvage has heretofore been performed in some classes of machinery by means
of carriages working in combs or bolts, as is well understood, and in other classes
of machinery the carriage threads procced lengthwise from end to end of the
piece of bobbin net lace, and what are called warp threads are caused to
traverse diagonally across from selvage to selvage of the piece, the latter
machinery being well kown as traverse warp machines or frames, and according
to such last-mentioned machines the warp threads are wound on spools or
bobbins, many threads (according the breadths of the intended bobbin net)
being wound on a single bobbin or spool. In addition to these machines there
have also been others proposed wherein the whole or both systems of the threads
proceed from bobbin net carriages working in bolts or combs. Now, the object
of our Invention is to apply independent or separate guides, and cause them so
to move in grooved bars (without combs or bolts), that their threads shall be
worked into the bobbin net lace in a direction diagonally from selvage to
selvage of each breadth. Having already stated the principles on which the
various classes of bobbin net machinery work, and as they all possess the one
common principle of two systems of threads worked into the bobbin net or lace
in the directions before-mentioned, we would remark that our improvements
are applicable to each class of machinery, and a workman will from the descrip-
tion hereafter given, aided by a careful examination of the Drawings, readily
apply our improvements to any of the various machines now in use, or con-
struct new machines partaking of the properties of any of such classes of
machinery, adding our improvements thereto.

page_text: explain the nature of our Invention, and the manner of action. Fig. 2 is a
plan of what we call the warp-guide bars, for in these bars the separate or
independent warp guides move. In this Figure there are also shewn the
parts by which the necessary movements are given to warp-guide bars,
and also to the warp guides. In each of these Figures, as well as in the
other detached views of various parts, the same letters refer to similar
parts. a, a, are the ordinary comb bars, which are fixed and stationary, con-
sequently their shogging wheels are not required. The combs are all com-
plete, as if the machine were put on for plain bobbin net lace throughout the
width of the machine, that is to say, there are no turn-again leads or combs,
such as are usually employed in making breadths. There are no pusher bars
nor their takle, which are commonly used in such machines for dividing the car-
riages. The catch bars are worked by wheels having alternately a rise and fall,
there being no dividing of the carriages. The parts shewn in the Drawing of
the old machine having their names written on, they will not require further
description, as their nature and use are well known, and such is the case with
the parts not shown in the Drawing. b, b, are two brackets affixed on the
tye-bar c. These brackets carry the warp-guide bars, which we will now
described, d, are the two warp-guide bars, which consist of two bars running
from end to end of the machine; these bars are grooved at e, e, longitu-
dinally, and at f, f, at right angles thereto, as is clearly shewn in the Drawing.
The bars d, d, are carried by the plates g, g, and they are connected to those
plates g, g, by suitable bearings and set screws for adjustment, as is clearly
shewn in the Drawing. h, h, are necks or pivots affixed to the plates 9, 9;
into the neck or pivot to the right-hand end is a screw with a head, which is
kept in contact with the shogging bolt, hereafter described, by the spring i. The
necks or pivots pass through holes or bearings formed in the brackets b, b.
The plates g. 9, are kept horizontal by the set screws j, j, which pass through
projections on the brackets b, b, all which is clearly shown in the Drawing.
k, k, are two bars affixed to the plates g, g, and thus form a frame which sup-
ports those plates. 1, 1, are the axes of the pusher bars, by which the warp-
guides are caused to pass from the front warp-guide bar to the back, and from
the back to the front, as will be fully described hereafter; the axes 1, 1, turn in
bearings formed in the projections m, m, from the bars k, k. On the front one
of the axes 1, 1, is formed or affixed a projecting arm or cranked stud l', which
is actuated by the wheel n, which wheel moves on an axle affixed on a projec-
tion of the bracket at the left-hand end of the machine, and on the same
projection is the lever o, which moves on a fulcrum at o', and on this lever o
there is a driving lever p, which is at all times kept in contact with the ratchet

page_text: wheel g (of twelve teeth) by a spring, as shown, and the ratchet wheel g being
affixed to the wheel n, they turn together. The wheel n has four studs or
projections, one of which coming under the cranked stud l, actuates the pushers
in both the warp-guide bars every third motion of the machine. The lever o
is at all times drawn from the ratchet wheel by the spring 1, and the ratchet
wheel is prevented moving back by the click or clatch s, which is pressed on
by a spring. The lever o is actuated by the set screw t affixed on the goose-
neck tackle, which, coming in contact with that lever at each opening of the
landing bars, forces the ratchet wheel one tooth cach time. v is a bolt which
slides in sockets or staples affixed on the projecting bar from the tye-bar c.
The bolt is constantly drawn towards its wheel w by a spring as shown, and
it is prevented being drawn too far by the set screw w¹. On the face of the
bolt v is affixed a plate, or there is formed an elevated surface equal to one
gait, which causing the warp-guide bars to shog, and thus puts on the twist:
w is a wheel, having four rises and four falls, placed alternately after each other;
and affixed to that wheel is a ratchet wheel of eight teeth; these wheels turn
with an axle on two centres supported by a wheel frame affixed to the tye-
The ratchet wheel is actuated by a driver moving on an axis affixed
to the goose-neck tackle, by which means the wheel w is actuated one eighth
at every opening of the landing bars.
bar c.
We will now more particularly describe the manner in which the inde-
pendent warp-guides work in their warp-guide bars. A, A, are stops con-
sisting of narrow plates of metal affixed along the outer edges of the warp-
guide bars, and are bent inwards, as will be clearly seen in the Drawing. The
object of these stops A, A, is to retain the warp-guides in their proper places,
and prevent their being thrown off the warp-guide bars. It should here be
stated that the warp-guides may have their threads from spools and sleys,
similar to those used in traverse warp machines, in which case such spools are
to placed in any convenient position on axes; and if the traverse is first put
on the threads, then they will-pass-round-a-beam-covered_with_cloth,_as_is_
well understood in traverse warp machines; or the spools may merely be free
to move on axes, the traversing in either case being performed by the warp-
guides, or the guides may have bobbins placed in them similar to those used
in bobbin net carriages. The Drawing shows one of cach description of warp-
guide separately. B, B, are a series of pushers affixed to the pusher bar, one
opposite each groove f in the warp-guide bars, which, being forced inwards at
each third movement of the machine, the warp-guide opposite cach pusher will
be forced into the opposite warp-guide bar; thus, supposing the..breadths are
to consist of fifty warp threads, there will then be to each breadth twenty-five

page_text: warp-guides in each division of the warp-guide bars; and at each third move-
ment of the machine, one end warp-guide from the front warp-guide bar will
be forced into the back warp-guide bar, and, simultaneously therewith, the
opposite end warp-guide will be forced from the back warp-guide bar into the
front warp-guide bar, and this will take place at each division of warp-guide
bars, that is, to each breadth of lace produced in the machine. C, C, are
bridges fixed across from the front to the back warp-guide bars, by which the
warp-guides pass across. And it will be seen that the centre rail of each
bridge has a thickening at its upper edge, which, entering into the grooves
cut in the warp-guides, prevents those guides getting out of their places in
crossing; and these bridges also prevent the guides of one breadth passing
into another breadth of the lace which is being made. The warp-guides are
made wedge-shaped at their edges or sides, by which means, as they are
driven from front to back, and from back to front, they force the other
warp-guides to move one gait, by which means the warp-guides in one
warp-guide bar constantly traverse one gait (or the thickness of one
warp-guide) to the right hand at each third motion of the machine, whilst
the warp-guides in the other warp-guide bar traverse one gait to the
left as the warp-guides are forced across the bridges C, C. It should be
stated that the warp-guides are in number according to the number of points
which the machine is said to be of, thus in a ten-point machine the warp-
guides are to be ten to the inch. In cleven-point machines there are to be
eleven warp-guides to the inch, and the warp-guides should accurately fill up
the spaces between the bridges and work closely though freely together. The
two pusher bars are caused to work simultaneously by the one end of the
cranked stud having a set screw through it, which, coming on a projection
affixed to the axle of the back pusher bar, causes the pushers to act at the
same time.
In order to the fully understanding of the working of the pushers
we have shewn some of the parts full size at Figs. 3, 4, & 5, where it will
be seen that the pusher bars have affixed at cach end a projecting lever D,
which is cranked or turned outwards at the end. These cranked ends of the
levers D work in grooved ways or courses E, one of which grooved ways or
courses is affixed to, the tye-bar C, near or opposite each end of the warp-
guide bars. F is a spring under which the cranked end of the lever D (at
cach end of the warp-guide bars) is forced just at the time when the warp-
guides arrive at the end of their movement in crossing from bar to bar (d),
which spring at each end causes the cranked lever D to descend, by which
all the pushers will descend also, and will thus be allowed to pass back under

page_text: and clear of the warp-guides. The continued motion of the pusher bars
will by the cranked lever D passing over the spring, come again into
such a condition that when they are again actuated and the pushers driven
inwards they will drive their warp-guides from one warp-guide bar to the
other.
Having thus described our Invention, and the manner of arranging the
parts in order to actuate the same, we will now describe the manner of action.
In doing so we will suppose that it is desired to produce plain bobbin net
lace breadths equal to the width between each groove f of the warp-guide
bars, or from one bridge C to the other. The machine being closed, the car-
riages are in the centre. The opening of the landing bars by the workman
draws the carriages through the threads into the back combs; the bolt v shogs
the warp-guide bars one gait to the left just at the end of the movement;
the workman closes the machine, again open the machine which draws the
carriages into the front combs; the bolt v being drawn back by its spring the
warp-guide shogs back one gait to the right. Close the machine, open the
machine, and when the carriages are through the threads the pushers actuate
the warp-guides as above described. Close the machine, take up with the
front points, then work another three courses and take up with the back points.
Continuing these movements will produce bobbin net. We have not thought
it necessary to shew the guides and guide bars with the lacing threads, but
we would remark that they are similar to those used in traverse warp machines.
Neither have we thought it necessary to enter into any description for taping
or purling or other fancy work in bobbin net, they forming no part of our
Invention, but the same may be added if required.
Having now described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of
carrying the same into effect, we would remark that, although we have neces-
sarily described and shewn parts which are old and well known in order fully
to explain how our improvements are to be applied, we make no claim to the
same, but do hereby declare that what we claim as our Invention is the appli-
cation of the independent warp-guides acting without combs or bolts, and their
warp-guide bars, for producing the diagonal traversing of one system of threads
in bobbin net machinery as above described.
In witness whereof, the said parties have hereunto set their hands and
seals, this Twenty-eighth day of May, One thousand eight hundred and
thirty-six.
JAMES (L.s.) CROPPER. T. B. (L.s.) MILNES.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Twenty-eighth day of May, in
the year of our Lord 1886, the aforesaid James Cropper and Thomas Brown
Milnes came before our said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged
the Specification aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and
specified, in form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was
stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Third day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and thirty-six.