IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LACE FABRICS, AND IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO TWIST LACE MACHINES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Litchfield, of the Town and County of the Town
of Nottingham, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF LACE FABRICS, AND IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO TWIST
LACE MACHINES."
Sealed the 6th April 1877, and dated the 20th January 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Litchfield at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th January 1877.
JOSEPH LITCHFIELD, of the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LACE FABRICS, AND IN MACHINERY
AND APPARATUS APPLICABLE TO TWIST LACE MACHINES."
The object of this Invention is to produce readily in twist lace machines broad
lace fabrics, such as curtains and similar articles which consist of a groundwork or
net with a pattern or fining or opaque work and open work larger than the meshes
of the groundwork or net; the crossings of the net are each produced by two warp
threads passing from pillar to pillar in opposite directions and so crossing each other,
and the finings are produced by warp threads passing over three or more of the
pillars. The open work is produced by omitting the crossings of the warp threads.
In the machine I employ jacks which enter amongst the warp threads to regulate
their motion or prevent them moving, as required. I arrange the apparatus and
operate the threads in the following manner :-
In a twist lace machine of the usual construction, two warp threads are entered
to each bobbin thread; the warp threads are carried by two warp bars, so that
when the jacks do not operate on the threads, the threads carried by the bars twist
constantly each with its own bobbin thread when pillering. The threads are
traversed to and fro over the requisite number of bobbin threads to produce the
fining or pattern of the fabric. The jacks are supported by and slide in three sleys,
the upper sley is traversed to the right or left by a suitable cam; the unselected
jacks are entered amongst the threads by a locker bar, and are withdrawn by
another bar.
Each jack is connected to a jacquard by one or two córds; the jacquard prevents
the selected jacks from entering amongst the warp threads when the locker bar

page_text: operates the unselected jacks; when the fining is being produced, all the jacks are
selected; when producing the net and open work, the jacks operate upon both sets
of warp threads.
applied to a twist lace machine.
Figure 1 is a front view showing the points of some of the jacks in amongst the
threads.
Figure 2 shows the back end of the jacks after a selection has been made by one
of two single-lift jacquards and the locker bar F¹ has pressed the jacks left down in
amongst the threads.
Figure 3 shows the spring jacks clear of the threads.
Figures 4 to 11, inclusive, shew the cut of the wheels for operating the jack bar
and guide bars severally referred to hereafter.
The corresponding parts in each Figure are lettered alike.
Description of the Several Parts and their Separate Movements. In the sectional
view, Figure 1, the back comb bar A only is shown, to which are secured the
combs B in the usual way with the carriages B¹ in the back; C, C1, 0%², are the
three guide bars I employ ; D is the traversing jack bar to which the jack leads D¹
are held by screws, the upper end of these leads are cast around steel bits which
form a sley to support the upper ends of jacks E; these jacks enter amongst the

page_text: warp or spool threads to regulate their motion or prevent them moving, the lower
ends of the jacks lie and slide in two sleys E¹, one at the front and the other at the
back in which the jacks are held down by jack springs E³, except when raised by
the lifting of the jacquard hooks in the usual way. The jacks are pressed in
amongst the threads by a back locker bar F and are moved clear out of the threads
by a front locker bar F. In this view the jacks are shewn as ready for selection by
a double-lift jacquard. Each jack is connected to a jacquard by one or two cords,.
the jacquard prevents the selected jacks from entering amongst the warp threads
when the locker bar F¹ operates the unselected jacks; when the fining is being pro-
duced all the jacks are selected, and when producing the net and open work the'
jacks operate upon both sets of warp or spool threads.
Each jack is of sufficient thickness to fill the space between two adjacent spool
or warp threads, see Figure 14, which is a front view showing some of the jacks in
amongst the threads holding the front threads up one gate (that is to the left) and
the back threads down one gate (that is to the right).
J
Instead of the jacks E above described, I may sometimes prefer to employ what.
are known as spring jacks E shewn in the sectional view, Figure 3, operated by a
jacquard or jacquards in the same way as the single jacks.
The jacks are operated in the following manner:-As the carriages B¹ are passing
from the centre of the machine to the back, as shewn at Figure 1, both the lifting
grids rise together, the grid G¹ falling as the carriages pass from the back to the
centre the grid H' falling as the carriages pass from the front to the centre the
cylinder of the jacquard operating the needles to select the hooks G and H in the
usual way. When two single-lift jacquards are employed they operate the needles
in the same way as shewn at Figure 2. The three guide bars each carry a full set
of guides. The guides in the bar C carrying cording threads are supplied from a
warp beam, the bar being traversed to the left one gate at the back motion and to
the right one gate at the front motion. The centre guide bar C¹ and back guide bar
C each carry threads supplied from spools.
Figures 4 to 7 inclusive show side views of the wheels in pairs which operate the
guide bars C and C2; in each case the wheel marked A operates the guide bar C¹,
and the wheel marked B operates the guide bar C².
Figure 8 shows the cut of the wheels for operating the jack bar D and the
bar C carrying the cording threads; such wheels work with the wheels shown at
Figure 4.
Figure 9 shows the cut of the wheel for operating the bar C to work with the
wheels shewn at Figures 5 and 7.
Figure 10 shows the cut of the wheel for operating the jack bar D to work with
the wheels shewn at Figure 5; and Figure 11 shows the cut of the wheel for
operating the jack bar when working with the wheels shewn at Figure 7:
Having described the several parts and their separate movements, I will now
proceed to describe their collective and successive movements in four separate com-
binations.
In the first combination I employ in a twist lace machine to make cross fining,
cross net, and cloth work at the same time, the wheels shewn at Figure 4 operating
the guide bars C¹ and C², and two wheels like the one shewn at Figure 8 operating
the jack bar D and guide bar C. As the carriages are going out of the front into
the centre the cylinder of the double lift jacquard presses the hooks back where the
cards are not perforated, those lifting where the cards are perforated; both lifts
rise together when the carriages are going into the back; with the number one
lift GI make cross fining net and open work; with the number two lift H' I
make cloth work, loop net, and open work.
When the carriages are leaving the threads and going into the back the jacks are
taken out clear of the threads by the front locker bar F, the back guide bar C
rising one gate and the front bar C¹ rising three, then the jacks are put through the
threads of both bars with the back locker bar F, the back guide bar rises two gates,

page_text: the jack bar rising one, at the same time taking the front threads up one gate and
keeping the back threads down one gate, as shewn at Figure 14, the front threads
twisting on the left-hand pillar and the back threads twisting on the right-hand
pillar, then the carriages come into the front; when leaving the threads both guide
bars and the jack bar fall one gate, then those jacks that have dropped down with 5
the number one lift are put through the threads with the back locker bar letting
those remain in that were in to prevent those threads from falling down that are
not wanted to make cloth work, both bars then fall two gates or more; to make
cloth work, the number two lift drops down as the carriages go in to the back and
the whole of the motions are repeated. To make cross fining net and open work 1
I put the jacks in on the back motion letting them remain in on the front motion,
such movements being repeated one or more times, then keeping them out on the
back motion pushing them in on the front motion, such movements being repeated
one or more times, I can make the mesh any length required.
The fabric I have described can be made equally as well with the spring jacks 1
by traversing the rocking bar E, shewn at Figure 3, to which the jack leads are
secured; such bar being traversed at the same time as the jack bar D.
The second combination, to make cross net, various cross finings, and divers
thicknesses of cloth work, I employ the wheels shewn at Figure 15 to operate the
bars C and C, a wheel like the one shewn at Figure 10 operating the jack bar D,
and a wheel like the one shewn at Figure 9 operating the guide bar C.
The jacquard and locker bars working as described in the first combination, the
threads being operated as follows:-When the carriages are going into the back on
leaving the threads the back guide bar falls one gate, the front bar C¹ rises three
gates, the front locker bar F taking the jacks out at the same time; then the jacks
that are not lifted by the jacquard are put through the threads of both bars, the
back guide bar rises one gate, the jack bar rising one gate at the same time, the
carriages come into the front, and when clear of the threads the jack bar falls one
gate, and those jacks that are let down with the number one lift are put in by the
back locker bar, letting those remain in that were in, then the back guide bar falls
three gates, the carriages go into the back when leaving the threads, the back guide
bar rises three gates, and the front bar falls one gate, all the jacks are drawn out of
the threads, those come in again that are not lifted by the jacquard, the front guide
bar rises one gate, the jack bar rising one gate at the same time, the carriages come
into the front when leaving the threads, the jack bar falls one gate, the jacks come
in that are let down with the number one lift, letting those remain in that were in,
the front guide bar falls three gates, then the carriages go into the back, and the
movements are repeated. By cutting both guide bar wheels to fall on number two
motion, and one bar to fall on number four motion, or both bars to fall on number
two and number four motions, I can make the cloth work any thickness required.
To make cross net I put the jacks in on number one motion three or more times,
then on number three motion three or more times.
In the third modification I employ the wheels shown at Figure 6 to operate the
guide bars C¹, C, when making an imitation of muslin, one bar making two or
three gate fining, the other making three or four gate fining upon the top of it at
the same time. The jacquard works the same as described in the first combination,
the jacks go out and in every motion, the bars being moved in the following
manner: As the carriages go into the back when leaving the threads the back
guide bar rises one gate and the front bar two gates, the jacks are then taken out
of the threads and those put in that are not lifted by the jacquard, the back guide
bar rises two gates, the carriages come into the front when leaving the threads, the
back guide bar falls three gates, the front bar falls one, the jacks are taken out of the
threads, and those put in that are not lifted by the jacquard, the front bar falls one
gate, the carriages go into the back, and the motions are repeated. By cutting the
wheel A, shewn at Figure 6, as dotted on the left edge I can make clip patterns;
and-by employing threads of one color in one bar and threads of a different

page_text: color in the other bar I can make the ground of one color and the pattern with
another color. In this combination the bar C is operated by a wheel like the one
shewn at Figure 8.
In the fourth combination to make half wicker cross net and cross fining with
clothwork, at the same time the bar C is operated by a wheel like that shewn at
Figure 9, and the jack bar by a wheel like the one shewn at Figure 11, and the
guide bars C1, C2, by the wheels shewn at Figure 7. The jacquard and locker bars
are operated in the same way as described in the first combination. The carriages
go into the back when leaving the threads, the back guide bar falls one gate, the
front bar rises three gates, the jacks are taken out of the threads, and those put in
that are not lifted by the jacquard, the back guide bar rises one gate, the carriages
come into the front, the jack bar rises one gate, the jacks come in that have
dropped down, letting those remain in that were in, the back guide bar falls two
gates, the carriages go into the back when leaving the threads, the back guide bar
rises three gates, the jacks go out and those come in that are not lifted by the
jacquard, then the back guide bar falls one gate, the carriages come into the front
when leaving the threads, the jack bar falls one gate, and the jacks come in that
have dropped down with number one lift, letting those remain in that were in, the
front guide bar falls three gates, the carriages go into the back, and the motions
are repeated. The thickness of the cloth work can be varied the same as described
in the second combination. To make the net the jacks come in three or more
times on number one motion, then three or more times on number three motion.
The advantages resulting from the employment of the above combinations of
apparatus working in a twist-lace machine are as follows:-
Firstly. I am enabled to produce in a given time nearly double the length of
fabric heretofore made.
Secondly. By employing a double lift jacquard or two single lift jacquards I
dispense with one half the labor of punching the cards, and also one half the
reading of the pattern. I have described the four combinations as producing the
fabrics when employing a double lift jacquard or two single lift jacquards, but the
same may be effected by means of one single lift jacquard by reducing the speed
of the machine and pressing the jackuard cylinder in at every motion of the
machine.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same may be performed, I declare that I claim the several separate com-
binations of apparatus for manufacturing lace fabrics in twist-lace machines,
substantially as herein-before described and illustrated by the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Litchfield, have bereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eleventh day of July, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and carranty-CON
Witness,
H. W. GOUGH, C.E.,
Nottingham.
JOSEPH LITCHFIELD. (L.S.)