IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LACE
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Louis Marceuil of the firm "La Dentellière" of Boulevard
Saint Denis No 1 at Paris for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LACE"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Louis Marceuil at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th November 1882.
LOUIS MARCEUIL of the firm "La Dentellière" of Boulevard Saint Denis
No 1 at Paris "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LACE"
The object of the improved machine which forms the subject of the present
Invention is to manufacture lace identical with hand made lace and the improve-
ments relate particularly to the machines for which Letters Patent were granted
respectively to Eugène Malhère dated 20th March 1872 N° 852 and to Edouard
Simon dated 23rd Oct: 1876 N° 4101 of which patents my said firm "La
Dentellière" are assignees.
The machine is arranged so as to manufacture several widths or pieces of lace at
one time. Each width is produced by the threads contained in one of several
superposed tiers of bobbin carriers. Each tier of bobbin carriers is arranged in a
curved line forming part of a circle. It is towards the centre of this circle that
the threads are directed, and it is there that the lace is formed. The lace is
produced by the interlacing or crossing of the threads according to the design
required. This result is obtained by the action of spindles which support the
bobbin carriers and which produce the crossing of the threads. The result obtained
by the crossing of the threads is followed by the action of pushers or lays the
object of which is to bring the crossings already formed against the work already
made and to fix them there in place. The bobbin carriers are small hollow
cylinders each containing a bobbin or spool supplied with the thread for making
the lace The bobbin is fixed inside the cylinder by a small spring and the supply
of thread therefrom is made very regular by two metal guides between which it
passes. These guides are held between two thicknesses of caoutchouc which
produce a pressure thereon regulated by screws. Each bobbin carrier and con-
sequently each thread can effect a crossing with the thread next to it on the right
13
•

page_text: or left by making a half turn around the next thread; or it can effect a crossing
with another thread at the right or left. This is because that besides the circular
movement each thread can have a rectilinear movement which causes its bobbin
carrier to pass from one spindle to another. The machine has a certain number of
horizontal tiers of these spindles. Each spindle has at its front part a guide or
slide to receive the head of the bobbin carrier. The bobbin carrier never remains
at the centre of the spindle; it is placed at the right or left of this centre so as to
allow of the action of two small wings situated inside the spindle. The ends of
these wings work in the slide where the head of the bobbin carrier is so that this
head can only remain in the slide if the ends of the wings meet one upon the other
in the centre of the spindle; if these ends separate they drive the bobbin carrier
into the next spindle. If therefore there are two bobbin carriers in the same
spindle, the one at the right and the other at the left of the centre and this spindle
makes a half turn around its axis the right thread will cross above or below the left
one according to the direction of the rotation. If then the wings act they will make
the bobbin carriers pass into the adjoining spindles where they can make crossings
with other threads according to the design to be obtained. In ordinary cases it is
sufficient if the bobbin carriers of a single tier of spindles act among themselves.
But in order to produce certain superior designs of lace three tiers of spindles
should be employed to make two widths of lace. In this case between every two
tiers of bobbin carriers there is a tier which furnishes threads to the two others,
according to the requirements of the design. In order that this intermediate tier
may act it is necessary for its bobbin carriers to be capable of descending into the
lower tier and of rising into the upper one. This result like the others is obtained
automatically To effect this the spindles make a quarter turn instead of a half
-turn and the-transfer of the bobbin carriers through the action of the wings within
the spindles takes place vertically-instead of horizontally. Each of the spindles is
formed of a cylinder-in-which-act-two rods independent of each other and movable
longitudinally These rods according as they are pushed towards the head-of-the-
spindle or withdrawn by springs placed behind, effect the separation or the bringing
together of the ends of the wings which give the bobbin carriers their horizontal
or vertical transfer movements. The rods are pushed according to the requirements
of the design to be produced by a pin fixed to a parallel motion which is actuated
by a Jacquard situated at the upper part of the machine. In order that the rods
may always be pushed perpendicularly their flat part is placed at 45° relatively to
the direction of the guide which receives the head of the bobbin carrier.
The rotary movement of the spindles is likewise produced by a Jacquard. In
each vertical row of spindles it is the three upper spindles which drive the others
by an arrangement of gearing which consists of toothed pinions with squares held
by pins.
The pushers or lays before referred to have a movement of translation directed
by a curved guide which causes the pusher to withdraw and sink when a crossing
of the threads is produced; then to rise and advance and in advancing conduct
There are as many
the crossing to its place every time that a crossing is made.
pushers as vertical rows of spindles; the movement of the pushers is produced by
Jacquard mechanism situated at the lower part of the machine-The lace is drawn
away very regularly as made by an arrangement of fluted metal rollers upon
which caoutchouc covered rollers press. The fluted rollers are actuated by gearing
driven by one of the Jacquards. The Jacquard which controls the curvilinear
movement of the spindles is mounted in the same frames as that which controls the
rectilinear movement of the bobbin carriers. The reciprocating vertical movement
of the ordinary blade (couteau) of these Jacquards is given by a beam which is
itself actuated by an eccentric. The hooks of the Jacquard which gives the curvi-
linear movement to the spindles have each two notches and for each of these hooks
there is a double row of wires. When a spindle ought to make a half turn the
corresponding card is pierced twice, that is to say, that it has a hole corresponding
to each of the two wires. When the card is pierced twice it does not push either

page_text: of the two-wires, the hook takes on to the blade by its lower notch and the spindle
makes a half turn-When the card is pierced only once the hook takes on to the
blade by its upper notch and in this case the spindle makes only a quarter turn.
The hooks of the Jacquard which controls the movements of the wings for causing
the bobbin carriers to pass from one spindle to another have only one notch; they
act like those of ordinary Jacquards. The movement of the drum of each of these
two Jacquards is given by a connecting rod which is jointed to the blade carrier
and to a bean and receives the reciprocating rectilinear movement from the blade
carrier and gives an oscillating movement to the beam. The beam gives to four
curved guides by means of links, two for each drum, a vertical movement guided
at top and bottom by rigid rods. The shaft of the drum traverses the curved guide
and carries a small roller which turns around it in the curve so that the recipro-
cating vertical movement of this latter is converted into a reciprocating horizontal
movement of the drum. A catch held by a small spring retains the cylinder by
one of its corners when the curved guide leaves it so that it makes a quartor turn
and presents a new card after each oscillation of the beam
The drums of the Jacquards which give motion to the pushers are worked in
pairs by a beam one end of which is forked to embrace an eccentric; this beam is
jointed to a forked connecting rod between the arms of which are received the ends
of the drum of one of the Jacquards; the other drum is worked by a connecting
rod which receives movement from the former. Each drum carries at each end a
bronze plate which during the movement slides easily against a cast iron guide.
For the Jacquards of the pushers there is only one blade which is common to all.
It is of curved form and receives its reciprocating vertical movement from beans,
one beam to two Jacquards. These bears like those which work the drums are
forked to embrace an eccentric on the same shaft as the eccentric from which the
drums derive their movement. To cach beam is jointed a connecting rod which
transmits the movement to the blade.
The hooks of the Jacquards of the pushers are double, that is to say, each hook
is formed of two metal plates united only by a bolt around which each of them is
free to oscillate. One of these plates or hooks has its notch at the lower part
arranged so that the blade in descending pulls the hook and consequently with-
draws the pusher from the point where the luce is formed. The other book has its
notch arranged so that the blade in rising draws the book with it and consequently
moves the pusher up to the fabric.
The druins are made with two iron cores traversed by an axle and having
rivetted thereon steel plates pierced with holes for the passage of the wires.
In order that a large number of cards may be employed I arrange guide supports
carrying rollers. These supports have a notch and for about every ten cards there
is a wire lying in the direction of the length of the cards and which stops in the
notches. In this way the cards do not unroll in long bands which would be very
inconvenient; they remain in lengths of 10, 15 or other number according to the
placing of the wires for tens, fifteens or otherwise.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Louis Marceuil in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th April
1883.
LOUIS MARCEUIL of the firm of "La Dentellière of Boulevard Saint Denis
No 1 at Paris 'IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF LACE
"
"
The object of the improved machine which forms the subject of the present
invention is to manufacture lace identical with hand inade lace and the improve-
ments relate particularly to the machines for which Letters Patent were granted
respectively to Eugène Malhère dated 20th March 1872 N° 852 and to Edward
Simon dated 23rd October 1876 N° 4101 of which patents my said firm
'La Dentellière" are assignees.
26
The machine is arranged. so as to manufacture several widths or pieces of lace at
one time. Each width is produced by the threads contained in one of several
superposed tiers of bobbin carriers a a a one of which is represented in Figures. 4
and 7 of the annexed drawings. In Figure 1 of the drawings which is a sectional
elevation of the improved machine and in Figure 2 which is a plan of the same the
_several tiers of bobbin carriers are seen at a a. Each tier of bobbin carriers is
arranged-in-a-curved-line-forming-part of a circle (see the plan Figure 2): It-is-
-towards-the-centre of this circle at B that the threads are directed and it is there
that the lace is formed. The lace is produced by the interlacing or crossing of the
threads according to the design required. This result is obtained by the action of
spindles c c c (one of which is shown separately in Figures 4, 5 and 6) which
support the bobbin carriers and which produce the crossing of the threads. The
result obtained by the crossing of the threads is followed up by the action of
pushers or lays d d d the object of which is to bring the crossings already formed
against the work already made and to fix them there in place. Figure 3 represents
separately the construction of one of the pushers or lays d. The bobbin carriers a
are small hollow cylinders each containing a bobbin or spool a' supplied with the
thread for making the lace (see Figures 4 and 7). The bobbin a' is fixed inside
the cylinder by a small spring and the supply of thread therefrom is made very
regular by two metal guides a" between which it passes. These guides are held
between two thicknesses of caoutchouc all which produce a pressure thereon
regulated by screws. Each bobbin carrier and consequently each thread can effect
a crossing with the thread next to it. on the right or left by making a half turn
around the next thread, or it can effect a crossing with another thread at the right
or left. This is because besides the circular movement each thread can have a
rectilinear movement which causes its bobbin carrier to pass from one spindle c to
another. The machine has a certain number of horizontal tiers of these spindles c c c.
Each spindle (see Figures 4, 5 and 6) has at its front part a guide or slide c' to
receive the head a³ of the bobbin carrier. The bobbin carrier a never remains
at the centre of the spindle c; it is placed at the right or left of this centre
so as to allow of the action of two small wings c c situated inside the
spindle. The ends of these wings work in the slide where the head of the bobbin
carrier is so that this head can only remain in the slide if the ends of the wings
meet one upon the other in the centre of the spindle; if these ends separate they
drive the bobbin carrier into the next spindle. If therefore there are two bobbin
carriers in the same spindle the one at the right and the other at the left of the
centre and this spindle makes a half turn around its axis the right thread will

page_text: cross above or below the left one according to the direction of the rotation. If then
the wings act they will make the bobbin carriers pass into the adjoining spindles
where they can make crossings with other threads according to the design to be
obtained. In ordinary cases it is sufficient if the bobbin carriers of a single tier of
spindles act among themselves. But in order to produce certain superior designs
of lace, three tiers of spindles should be employed to make two widths of lace. In
this case between every two tiers of bobbin carriers there is a tier which furnishes
threads to the two others according to the requirements of the design. In order that
this intermediate tier may act it is necessary for its bobbin carriers to be capable of
descending into the lower tier and of rising into the upper one. This result like the
others is obtained automatically. To effect this the spindles make a quarter turn
instead of a half turn and the transfer of the bobbin carriers through the action of
the wings within the spindles takes place vertically instead of horizontally. As is
seen in Figures 4, 5 and 6 each of the spindles c is formed of a cylinder in which
act two rods independent of each other and movable longitudinally. These
rods according as they are pushed towards the head of the spindle or withdrawn
by springs c c placed behind, effect the separation or the bringing together of the
ends of the wings el c" which give the bobbin carriers their horizontal or vertical.
transfer movements. The rods are pushed according to the requirements of the
design to be produced by a pin fixed to a parallel motion D (Figures 1 and 2)
which is actuated by a Jacquard E (Figure 1) situated at the upper part of the
machine. In order that the rods may always be pushed perpendicularly their flat
part is placed at 45° relatively to the direction of the guide which receives the head
of the bobbin carrier. The rotary movement of the spindles is likewise produced
by a Jacquard F of special construction, represented in Figure 1. In each vertical
row of spindles it is the three upper spindles which drive the others by an arrange-
ment of gearing H which is represented separately in Figure 8 and consists of
toothed pinions with squares H' held by springs H².
The pushers or lays & Figures 1 and 3 have a movement of translation directed
by a curved guide J which causes the pusher to withdraw and sink when a
crossing of the threads is produced; then to rise and advance and in advancing
conduct the crossing to its place every time that a crossing is made. There are as
many pushers as vertical rows of spindles; the movement of the pushers is
produced by Jacquard mechanism M situated at the lower part of the machine.
At B the lace is drawn away very regularly as made by an arrangement of fluted
metal rollers upon which caoutchouc covered rollers press. The fluted rollers are
actuated by gearing and pauls driven by one of the Jacquards. The Jacquard F
which controls the curvilinear movement of the spindles c is mounted on the same
frames as that E which controls the rectilinear movement of the bobbin carriers a.
The reciprocating vertical movement of the ordinary blade (couteau) of these
Jacquards is given as seen in Figure 1 by a beam which is itself actuated by an
eccentric. The hooks n n of the Jacquard which gives the curvilinear movement
to the spindles have each two notches and for each of these books there is a double
row of wires o o. When a spindle ought to make a half turn the corresponding
card is pierced twice that is to say, that it has a hole corresponding to each of the
two wires o 0. When the card is pierced twice it does not push either of the two
wires o o, the hook n takes on to the blade by its lower notch and the spindle
makes a half turn. When the card is pierced only once the hook n takes on to the
blade by its upper notch and in this case the spindle makes only a quarter turn.
The hooks p of the Jacquard E which controle the movements of the wings c" for
causing the bobbin carriers to pass from one spindle c to another.have only
notch; they act like those of ordinary Jacquards. The movement of the druin of
each of these two Jacquards E F is given by a connecting rod which is jointed to
the blade carrier and to a beam r and receives the reciprocating rectilinoar movo-
ment from the blade carrier and gives an oscillating movement to the beam. The
beam gives to four curved guides 88 by means of links q g, two for each drum, à

page_text: The drums S are made with two iron cores traversed by an axle and having
rivetted thereon steel plates 13 pierced with holes for the passage of the wires.
In order that a large number of cards W may be employed I arrange guide
supports 14 carrying rollers. These supports have a notch and for about every
ten cards there is a wire lying in the direction of the length of the cards and
which stops in the notches. In this way the cards do not unroll in long bands
which would be very inconvenient; they remain in lengths of 10, 15 or other
number according to the placing of the wires for tens, fifteens or otherwise.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed 1 declare that I claim as my improvements in machines
for the manufacture of lace.
First: The construction and mode of action of the bobbin carriers u a
substantially as herein before described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 4, and 7.
Second The combination with these bobbin carriers of the spindles.cc,
substantially as herein before described and represented in Figures 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6.
Third: The arrangement of mechanism hereinbefore described and represented
in Figure 8 for connecting the lower spindles to the upper spindles which are thus
enabled to drive thein through this mechanism.
Fourth-The arrangement and mode of action of the pushers or lays d d and
their curved guide J substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
Figures 1 and 3.
Fifth-The construction and arrangement of the Jacquards as hereinbefore
described and represented in Figures 1 and 2 viz the Jacquard E which controls
the rectilinear movement of the bobbin carriers, the Jacquard F which controls
the curvilinear movement of the spindles and the Jacquard M which controls the
movement of the pushers or lays.
Sixth-The guide supports 14 Figure 1 carrying rollers and which divide the
Jacquard cards into sets of 10 (or 15 etc) and prevent the cards unrolling in long

page_text: Seventh-The combination of parts arranged and acting as herein before
described and constituting an improved machine for the manufacture of lace.
In witness whereof I the said Louis Marceuil have hereunto set my hand
and seal this twenty fifth day of April One thousand eight hundred and
eighty three
Witness:
ALBERT CAHEN
.Civil Engineer
of Boulevard Saint Denis 1
at Paris
LOUIS MARCEUIL (L.S.)