Improvements in the Edgings or Edges of Lace Fabrics.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Oct., 1889-Accepted, 4th Jan., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Edgings or Edges of Lace Fabrics.
We, FREDERICK RICHARDSON RADFORD and JOHN CUTTS Junior, both of Sher-
wood Street, in the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham, trading as
Radford and Cutts, Lace Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Heretofore in the manufacture of lace fabrics to be applied as borders for hand-
kerchiefs or as borders or trimmings for other articles, or to be used as "insertion,"
it has been customary to make them with an ordinary selvage or edging at one or
both edges thereof, which could be applied only to one face of the fabric to which the
lace is to be attached; this method of operation resulted either in the necessity for
first making a hem at the edge of the fabric to receive the lace, or in leaving a raw
edge to such fabric, which, in washing or in use, was likely to unravel and become
unsightly.
According to the present invention, we produce at one or both edges of a piece of
lace, a double edging or selvage, which is, in effect, two tapes or edgings connected
together and to the body of the lace, along one edge thereof; this will enable the
separate portions of such double tapes or edgings to be placed one on one side and
the other on the opposite side of the edge of a piece of fabric to which the lace is to
be applied and to be stitched thereto, thereby enclosing and completly protecting the
raw edge of the fabric and preventing unravelling of the same in use, whilst a similar,
or if desired a different, pattern may be given to the two parts of the double edging,
which will make it appear that the lace is woven in one with the fabric to which it is
attached.
In producing lace having one or both edges provided with a double edging or
selvage, we use the full gauge of the machine for the main body of the lace, and we
divide the guide bars and the carriages into two equal or unequal sets, the front set
of guide bars, with intermediate or other numbers of carriages, being employed to
produce the front portion of the double edging, and the back set of guide bars and
the remainder of the carriages being used to produce the back portion of the double
edging, a front lacing thread and a back lacing thread being employed to connect
the respective parts of the double selvage to the adjacent edge of the next width of
lace being produced.
By equally dividing the guide bars and carriages, using alternate carriages for one
half and intermediate carriages for the other half, the two portions of the double
edging or selvage may be made of similar design, whilst by employing other proportions
of guide bars and different arrangements and numbers of carriages, the two parts of
the double edging or selvage may be formed of designs differing from each other.
It will be understood that various designs may be produced on the double edging or
selvage by means of the guide bars in the manner adopted for producing designs on
ordinary lace. In some cases, some of the warp threads will be used to form longi-
tudinal lines in the two parts of the double selvage or edging, whilst if desired they
may be employed to produce a close braid or tape like weaving.
Figure 1 is a diagram representing a section of a piece of lace made according
to our invention with a double edging or selvage at one edge thereof, but which may,
as before mentioned, be made with such double edging or selvage at each edge
thereof. a represents the body of the lace, and b, b, a double edging or selvage
formed thereon in the manner herein described, and between the two parts of which
is placed the edge of the fabric to which the lace is to be attached.
In the diagrams figures 2 and 3, we have represented one method of working
whereby the two parts of the double edging or selvage are made of similar design.

page_text: This is effected by equally dividing the guide bars and the carriages, and by using
the front half of the guide bars and alternate carriages to produce the front portion
of the double edging or selvage, and the back half of the guide bars and the inter-
mediate carriages to produce the back part thereof.
Diagram Figure 2 represents to an enlarged scale, one side or part of a double
edging or selvage, and diagram figure 3 represents the other side or part thereof to
the same scale.
-
The full lines and the dotted lines represent the guide bar threads, or "straight
weavers," and "weavers," whilst the dot and dash (. .) lines represent the bobbin
threads. No. 1 mesh in both diagrams is produced by the aid of the full gauge of the
machine, whilst Nos. 2 to 8 of figure 3, and 3 to 9 of figure 2, are produced by equally
dividing the gauge, as above set forth. In diagram figure 2, an extra guide bar
thread is employed to connect mesh No. 1 with mesh No. 3; this is for the purpose
of causing the figuring of the front part of the double edging to be located inter-
mediate of the figuring of the back part, whereby we distribute the threads and avoid
dragging the net, as would be done were all the "weavers" connected directly to
mesh No. 1.
A lacing thread (guide bar thread) 10 is used to connect the front part of the
double edging with the adjacent width of lace, and another lacing thread 11 is used
to connect the back part of the double edging with such adjacent width of lace. By
withdrawing the lacing threads 10 and 11, the adjacent edges of two widths of lace
will become separated as is well understood.
The interweavings of the various bobbin and guide bar threads to produce the
double edging or selvage will be readily understood by reference to the diagrams
aided by the description above given.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
The manufacture of lace with a double edging or selvage at one or both edges
thereof, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose stated.
Dated this 15th day of October 1889.
FREDERICK RICHARDSON RADFORD.
JOHN CUTTS, JUNIOR.
By Harris & Mills,
23, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents.