IMPROVEMENTS IN LACE MACHINERY
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Clinton Edgcumbe Broonian, of the Firm of Robert-
son, Brooman, and Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agents, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LACE
MACHINERY." A communication from abroad by Désiré Sival and Léon
Sival, of Roubaix, France.
Sealed the 22nd March 1867, and dated the 25th September 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 25th September 1866.
I, CLINTON EDGCUMBE BROOMAN, of the Firm of Robertson, Brooman, and
Company, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agents, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LACH
MACHINERY," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, first, to the point bars, and, secondly, to the tension
rollers in lace machinery. Hitherto the point bars have always had a regular
movement, that is to say, at equal intervals of time.
Now the first part of this Invention consists in producing the movements of
the points in a new manner by the jacquard, so that the points are only allowed
to act according to the motions effected by the jacquard.
The mechanical arrangements for carrying out this improvement may be
variously modified, but the following is the arrangement preferred:-The

page_text: 66
point bars are worked by a combination of cams like the ordinary cams of the
Leaver machine, that is to say, causing the points to act alternately. I fit
upon each of two bars above and parallel or nearly parallel with the point
bars, and connected by beams to the point bars, a pin or projection for keeping
the point bars corresponding to the pins or projections raised when the
jacquard has brought hooks corresponding to the pins or projections under
them. These hooks are worked by rods or cranks corresponding to the
dropping "boxes, which boxes are similar to the boxes which act upon the
bars for thick threads in lace machinery. It will be easily understood that by
leaving a fixed depth or thickness in one of the boxes I can with the ordinary
movement of the boxes bring the hook corresponding to this box under its
corresponding pin or projection or leave it clear of the pin, and consequently
stop the corresponding point bar or allow it to continue its movement as
required. Supposing the two point bars are stopped at the same time, and
during a greater or less number of motions, the movement of entrance and
exit of the points still remaining, in order to prevent their meeting each
other I leave between each pin or projection and the corresponding hook a
certain play which allows of a slight up and down movement sufficient to
prevent the points meeting each other. This play is also advantageous for
the entrance and release of the hooks under and from their corresponding
pins or projections; the release of the hooks is produced by springs. By
this arrangement the points cannot take fresh twists, and being in perfect
accord the twists already raised are maintained.
The second part of this Invention relates to the tension rollers employed in
lace machinery, and especially in the Leaver machines.
According to this Invention these rollers are placed in the same position as
before, but they have a retrograde movement given to them which allows of
their again tightening threads, which by the formation of the fabric becomes
slack. This may be effected as follows:-I employ as usual a string or cord
which passes a greater or less number of times round either the roller itself
or a collar or ring placed for the purpose, but instead of employing a single
spring as usual I employ two, one at each end of the cord or string. One of
these springs is stronger than the other, and acts in the sense of the unwind-
ing of the threads, the weaker spring consequently acting in the sense of the
winding. When the unwinding commences the pressure exerted by the
string or cord upon the roller, such pressure arising from the springs causes an
adherence which makes the string follow the movement of the roller, thereby
stretching the stronger spring which is opposed to the unwinding. This spring

page_text: stretches until its power is sufficient to cause the string to slip. The other
spring it will be understood relaxes while continuing to maintain the pressure.
Supposing now that the threads from the roller become slack the weaker
spring will yield to the power of the stronger, and therefore the pressure of
the string upon the roller will draw the roller back, and the threads will be
again tightened. The tension of the springs can be diminished or increased
as required in any ordinary manner. The retrograde movement of the rollers
may also be produced, but not so well, by springs of equal tension, or by a
jacquard movement or otherwise.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 25th March 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CLINTON
EDGCUMBE BROOMAN, of the Firm of Robertson, Brooman, and Company, of
166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman, Her special licence that I, the said Clinton
Edgcumbe Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman, 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 "IMPROVEMENT IN LACE MACHINERY," (communicated to me from abroad
by Désiré Sival and Léon Sival, of Roubaix, France,) upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman, 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 per-
formed, 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

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
I to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say :-
This Invention relates, first, to the point bars, and, secondly, to the tension
rollers in lace machinery. Hitherto the point bars have always had a regular
movement, that is to say, at equal intervals of time.
Now the first part of this Invention consists in producing the movements of
the points in a new manner by the jacquard, so that the points are only
allowed to act according to the motions effected by the jacquard.
The mechanical arrangements for carrying out this improvement may be
variously modified, but the following is the arrangement preferred :-
Figure 1 is a view of the machine, and Figures 2 to 6 views in detail.
The point bars A, A', are worked by a combination of cams like the ordinary
cams of the Leaver machine, that is to say, causing the points to act alter-
nately. 1 fit upon each of two bars B and B', above and parallel or nearly
parallel with the point bars, and connected by beams to the point bars, a pin
or projection C and C¹ for keeping the point bars corresponding to these pins
or projections raised when the jacquard has brought hooks D and D¹
corresponding to the pins or projections under them. These hooks are worked
by rods or cranks F and F' corresponding to the dropping boxes G and G¹,
which boxes are similar to the boxes which act upon the bars for thick
threads in lace machinery. It will be easily understood that by leaving a
fixed depth or thickness in the box G I can with the ordinary movement
of the boxes bring the hook D under its corresponding pin or projection Cor
leave it clear of the pin, and consequently stop the corresponding point
bar A or allow it to continue its movement as required. Supposing the two
point bars A, A', are stopped at the same time, and during a greater or less
number of motions, the movement of entrance and exit of the points still
remaining, in order to prevent their meeting each other I leave between each
pin or projection C and C and the corresponding hook D and D¹ a certain
play which allows of a stight up-and-down movement sufficient to prevent the
points meeting each other. This play is also advantageous for the entrance
and release of the hooks under and from their corresponding pins or projections;
the release of the hooks is produced by springs H and H'. By this arrange-
ment the points cannot take fresh twists, and being in perfect accord the
twists already raised are maintained.

page_text: The second part of this Invention relates to the tension rollers employed
in lace machinery, and especially in the Leaver machines.
According to this Invention these rollers are placed in the same position as
before, but they have a retrogade movement given to them which allows of their
again tightening the threads which by the formation of the fabric becomes slack.
This may be effected as follows:-I employ as usual a string or cord which
passes a greater or less number of times round either the roller itself or a
collar or ring placed for the purpose, but instead of employing a single spring
as usual I employ two, one at each end of the cord or string. One of these
springs K is stronger than the other spring K¹, and acts in the sense of the
unwinding of the threads, the weaker spring consequently acting in the sense
of the winding. When the unwinding commences the pressure exerted by
the string or cord upon the roller, such pressure arising from the springs,
causes an adherence which makes the string follow the movement of the
roller, thereby stretching the spring K which is opposed to the unwinding.
This spring stretches until its power is sufficient to cause the string to slip;
the other spring K¹, it will be understood, relaxes while continuing to main-
tain the pressure. Supposing now that the threads from the roller become
slack the weaker spring K' will yield to the stronger power of the spring K,
and therefore the pressure of the string upon the roller will draw the roller back,
and the threads will be again tightened. The tension of the springs can be
diminished or increased as required in any ordinary manner. The retrogade
movement of the rollers may also be produced, but not so well, by springs of
equal tension, or by a jacquard movement or otherwise. Some fabrics require
the employment of both the improvements before described, viz., the jacquarded
points and the retrogade rollers, while other fabrics require the employment
of one only.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim as the im-
provements in lace machinery,-
First, producing the movements of the points or point bars by the jacquard,
substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described and represented
in the accompanying Drawings.
Second, giving a retrogade movement to the tension rollers, substantially
as and for the purpose herein-before described and represented in the
accompanying Drawings.
Third, the combination in lace machinery of an arrangement for producing
the movements of the points or point bars by the jacquard, and of an

page_text: arrangement for giving a retrogade movement to the tension rollers, sub-
stantially as herein-before described and represented in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I the said Clinton Edgcumbe Brooman, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of March, One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
C. E. BROOMAN. (L.B.)