IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LACE IN TWIST LACE MACHINES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Butler, of Nottingham, Lace Manu-
facturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF LACE IN TWIST LACE MACHINES."
Sealed the 31st May 1870, and dated the 18th December 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Butler, at the,
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the,
18th December 1869.
I, SAMUEL BUTLER, of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE OF LACE IN TWIST LACE MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
lace in twist lace machines.
In the manufacture of lace in twist lace machines square or rect-
angular meshes have heretofore in some cases been produced by twisting
together warp and bobbin threads to form vertical pillars, and by
connecting such pillars by means of other threads laid in horizontally

page_text: from side to side of the breadth of lace. Such laces have been
ornamented by means of extra or ornamenting warp threads which
sometimes by passing from pillar to pillar fill up the meshes, whilst at
other times by twisting in the pillars they leave the meshes open.
According to my Invention, in order to obtain a better ornamental
effect I employ in between the bobbin threads which work in the main
vertical ground pillars above mentioned other bobbin threads which I
employ to twist or weave with the ornamenting warp threads in the
meshes or spaces between the main vertical pillars. Sometimes I cause
such extra bobbin threads to weave with the ornamenting warp threads
so as to fill the meshes in such parts of the pattern with plain tabby
weaving, at other times I cause them whilst twisting with the orna-
menting warp threads to tie them to the horizontal threads of the ground
meshes, and in other similar ways I use these extra bobbin threads in
ornamenting the ground net. When such ornamentation is not required
I cause the extra bobbin threads to twist in the main pillars, where as
they are usually fine threads they will not be apparent or in some cases
they may be clipped or cut away where they are not required after the
work leaves the machine. The warp threads may be of various thickness
as the pattern may require, and parts of the ornamental warp threads
may be cut away where they are not required after the fabric leaves
the machine or in other parts ornamental warp threads may be for a time
concealed in the pillars.
I would remark that in using the words vertical and horizontal I refer
to the position of the threads as they will stand in the machine. In
speaking of ornamenting warp threads I mean warp threads which for
the time being are working in the meshes or spaces between the pillars,
warp threads
threads may in some cases work at other times in the pillars
to form the ground net, whilst if desired other warp threads may be made
to take their places as ornamenting warp threads.
such
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Samuel Butler in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 18th June 1870.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, 'the said. Samuel Butler, Her special licence
that I, the said Samuel Butler, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel Butler, my 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, exercise, 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 IN TWIST LACE MACHINES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Samuel Butler, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, 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 Samuel Butler, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
lace in twist lace machines.
In the manufacture of lace in twist lace machines square or rect-
angular meshes have heretofore in some cases been produced by
twisting together warp and bobbin threads to form vertical pillars,
and by connecting such pillars by means of other threads laid in
horizontally from side to side of the breadth of lace. Such laces have
been ornamented by means of extra or ornamenting warp threads
which sometimes by passing from pillar to pillar fill up the meshes,
whilst at other times by twisting in the pillars they leave the meshes
open.
According to my Invention in order to obtain a better ornamental.
effect, I employ in between the bobbin threads which work in the main
vertical ground pillars above-mentioned other bobbin threads which I

page_text: employ to twist or weave with the ornamenting warp threads in the
meshes or spaces between the main vertical pillars. Sometimes I cause
such extra bobbin threads to weave with the ornamenting warp threads, so
as to fill the meshes in such parts of the pattern with plain tabby weaving,
at other times I cause them whilst twisting with the ornamenting warp
threads to tie them to the horizontal threads of the ground meshes, and
in other similar ways I use these extra bobbin threads in conjunction
with the ornamenting warp threads in ornamenting the ground net.
When such ornamentation is not required I cause the extra bobbin
threads to twist in the main pillars where as they are usually fine thread
they will not be apparent, or in some cases they may be clipped or cut
away from the ornamental part where they are not required after the
work leaves the machine. The warp threads may be of various
thicknesses as the pattern may require and parts of the ornamental warp
threads may be cut away where they are not required after the fabric
leaves the machine, or in other parts ornamental warp threads may be
for a time concealed in the pillars.
I would remark that in using the words vertical and horizontal I refer
to the position of the threads as they will stand in the machine. In
speaking of ornamenting warp threads, I mean warp threads which for
the time being are working in the meshes or spaces between the
vertical pillars, such warp threads may in some cases work at other
times in the pillars to form the ground net, whilst if desired other warp
threads may be made to take their places as ornamenting warp
threads.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings here-
unto annexed, and also to describe more in detail the manner in which
I prefer to conduct the manufacture.
Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the nature and general structure
of the lace which it is the object of this Invention to produce. a, a, are
vertical pillars each containing one or more bobbin threads and one or
more wrap threads twisted or wickered together. The warp threads
may all come from one warp beam, but they should be connected inde-
pendently with the jacquard, so that in the weavings they may cease
twisting; b, b, are the ornamenting pillars between the vertical pillars a
of the ground net they also may each contain one or more bobbin
threads and one or more warp threads.

page_text: Convenient ways of apportioning the bobbins of the machine between
the main vertical pillars a and the ornamenting pillars are shown by
the diagrams Figures 2, 3, and 4; other arrangements may however be
made, for example, some of the ornamenting pillars may contain but one
bobbin thread whilst others contain two. The lace draughtsman in
setting out the pattern will employ such a number of bobbin threads in
between the main vertical pillars as he requires to form the pattern, and
the gauge of the ground net or the distance from one vertical pillar to
anotlier can be varied' irrespective of the gauge of the machine by using
a greater or less nuniber of the bobbins of the machine as ornamenting
bobbins. Bobbins may also be omitted in parts to maintain the required
distances between the main vertical pillars. c, c, in Figure 1 are horizontal
threads, they are laid into the work at regular distances apart between
the bobbin threads and the warp threads. When the fabric which is
being made is wide the threads c may be laid in from side to side of the
machine by a thread carrier or by hand as has before been practised, or
where the work is in narrow breadths they may be carried from side to
side of the breadths by means of warp bars.
In the diagram Figure 1 there are two ornamenting pillars in
between each main vertical pillar a and the next, but this may be varied;
they unite just before the horizontal threads c are laid in, and the
horizontal threads are tied in at their junctions, afterwards the two
ornamenting pillars separate and pass to the main vertical pillars on
either side and tie themselves with them.
When it is desired to leave a mesh of the ground net clear or open
the ornamenting bobbin and warp threads may be made to work in the
main vertical pillars a, a, on cither side; or the ornamenting threads may
cease working, and be clipped off after the fabric leaves the machine.
The weight or tension on the threads is regulated as is well understood
so that the ornamenting threads may not distort the main vertical pillars.
When a weaving is to be produced as at x, x, in Figure 1, the orna-
menting threads and the threads of any pillar which may pass through
the weaving are made to stand in the machine by means of the warp
bars alternately warp and bobbin, warp and bobbin, or as nearly in
this order as they can conveniently be placed, and two ornamenting
warp threads or gimps or wefting threads, one at the front and the other
at the back of the other warp threads in the weaving, are laid alternately
by means of the warp bars in between the longitudinal warp threads

page_text: and the bobbin threads of the weaving. These gimps or wefting threads
when not required may be clipped away after the fabric leaves the
machine, or they may be worked into the pillars. The ornamenting
bobbin and warp threads may also if desired be employed to weave in
the meshes or spaces spots like those in Cluny lace, such spots being
connected at their ends with the horizontal threads c, but being separate
from the vertical pillars, or they may be attached to the vertical pillars
at intervals.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I would have it understood that what
I claim is, the construction of lace consisting of a ground formed by
vertical pillars connected by horizontal threads laid in at intervals
between the threads of which the pillars are composed and a pattern or
ornament or filling for the ground meshes formed of ornamenting bobbin
threads working in combination with ornamenting warp threads in the
spaces between the vertical pillars of the ground net, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Butler, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.