IMPROVEMENTS IN FABRICS PRODUCED IN TWIST LACE MACHINES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Scott, of No. 8, Cromwell Street,
Nottingham, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FABRICS PRODUCED
IN TWIST LACE MACHINES."
Sealed the 28th May 1875, and dated the 19th February 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Scott at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th February 1875.
I, ROBERT SCOTT, of No. 8, Cromwell Street, Nottingham, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FABRICS
PRODUCED IN TWIST LACE MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in fabrics produced in
twist lace machines.
Edgings consisting of a narrow breadth of a muslin-like fabric with an
ornamental and usually an open work border, are now commonly pro-
duced on twist lace machines; it is to fabrics of this class that my
Invention applies.

page_text: And, Second. In a method of producing open work or holes in the
midst of the muslin, such holes having a thickened and raised margin
as if worked with the needle.
In such fabrics the muslin is composed of a series of narrow bands,
each consisting of several straight-down warp threads wefted with a
bobbin thread, and the bands are connected edge to edge by marginal
warp threads, each marginal thread catching the wefting bobbins of two
adjacent bands. Now the muslin thus produced I ornament by the
addition of thick warp threads or cords. There may be one such cord
corresponding with each band of which the breadth of muslin is com-
posed. This eord I can expose on the face of the breadth of muslin, or
I can carry it to the back entirely out of sight at pleasure. I effect this
in the following manner :-In each case I place the cord in a warp bar
which stands between the two bars which carry the marginal threads on
either side of its band, and when I wish the cord to appear on the face of
the fabric I cause it to stand between the two wefting bobbins, which are
both caught by the marginal thread, whose bar is behind that which
carries the cord; the work then forms behind the cord. On the contrary,
when I wish to hide the cord I move it a gate so that it may stand
between the two-bobbins which are caught by the other marginal thread
of the band, whose bar is in front of that which carries the cord; the
work then forms in front of the cord and the cord is hidden by it. I
arrange the cords and the marginal threads in a series across the breadth,
and if necessary they can all be hidden or exposed at one time by
moving them all a gate to the right or left, as the case may be.
.
When I desire to form holes in the midst of the muslin I arrange the
warp threads which produce the muslin in the vicinity of the holes, all in
separate bars, and in the following manner :-On either side of the
centre line of a row of holes I have (except where the holes interpose) a
band of muslin produced with warp threads whose bars stand in the
machine in front of the bars which carry the warp threads of the next.
adjacent band, and these again stand in front of the bars carrying the
warp threads which produce the next band beyond.
When a hole is to be formed all these warp threads cease to produce
muslin, and the warp threads belonging to the outer band on either side
simply twist on their bobbin and produce a bundle, whilst those
belonging to the inner band go to and catch the bobbin weft thread of

page_text: the band of muslin which borders the hole; they work at this time over
three bobbins, their own wefting bobbin, the wefting bobbin of the band
bordering the hole, and the intermediate bobbin. These warp threads
are thus bound together into another bundle which stands in front of
the bundle formed by the warp threads of the outer band, as already
mentioned. The two bundles are tightly bound together into one cord
by the bobbin threads, but in consequence of the bundle of warp threads
belonging to the outer band underlying the bundle belonging to the
inner band the latter is caused to stand up and form a raised margin to
the hole. I do not take all the threads to the side of the hole at once,
I retain some of them for a time to thicken the margin at the upper end
of the hole, and similarly I bring back some of the threads before the
others to thicken the margin at the bottom end of the hole.
I sometimes produce in a similar manner holes extending over but
two bands of the muslin, I divide the warp threads of the two bands
each into two sets, the bars carrying one set being behind those which
carry the other set. The back threads remain with their own bobbin,
and are bound into a bundle which underlies the bundle formed by the
front set, and these catch the bobbin of the band of muslin which
borders the hole.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Scott in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th August 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
SCOTT, of No. 8, Cromwell Street, Nottingham, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Robert Scott, Her special license
that I, the said Robert Scott; my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Robert Scott, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein

page_text: which carries the cord; the work then forms behind the cord. On the
contrary when I wish to hide the cord I move it a gate, so that it may
stand between the two bobbins which are caught by the other marginal
thread of the band whose bar is in front of that which carries the cord;
the work then forms in front of the cord, and the cord is hidden by
it. I arrange the cords and the marginal threads in a series across the
breadth, and if necessary they can all be hidden or exposed at one time
by moving them all a gate to the right or left, as the case may be.
Figure 1 is a diagram, showing the construction of a portion of the
muslin or linen like fabric ornamented with cords in accordance with my
'Invention. In this diagram the black lines represent the warp threads
of the muslin, and of these threads those marked a, a¹, a², a³, are marginal
threads; they catch the wefting bobbins of two adjoining breadths. The
fine double lines b, b¹, b³, b³, b', represent the wefting bobbins, and the
blue lines marked c¹, c³, c³, represent the cords.
The order in which the warp threads stand in the machine is indicated
by the numbers marked upon the lines which represent them. The
numbers run from back to front of the machine, according to custom.
The cord cas will be seen is behind the marginal thread a', and
appears on the front of the fabric so long as it is kept on the left-
hand side of the wefting bobbin 6³, between it and the bobbin 6, but the
cord is hidden on the face of the fabric and appears on the back so long
as it is kept in the space between the bobbins 61 and 62, and similarly in
respect to the other cords.
Where the cords are on the face of the fabric they are indicated by
full lines, but where they are at the back of the fabric they are broken
by the other threads standing in front of them. When the cords are
each carried by a separate warp bar any cord can at pleasure and
independently of the others be taken to the back or brought to the face,
O and so a variety of patterns may be produced.
When I desire to form holes in the midst of the muslin or linen I
arrange the warp threads which produce the muslin in the vicinity of
the holes in the following manner :-On either side of the centre line of
a row of holes I have (except where the holes interpose) a band of
5 muslin produced with warp threads, whose bars stand in the machine

page_text: in front of the bars which carry the warp threads of the next adjacent
band, and these again stand in front of the bars carrying the warp
threads which produce the next band beyond.
When a hole is to be formed the warp threads of the two bands on
either side of the centre line cease to produce muslin. The warp threads
belonging to the outer of these bands on either side simply twist on
their bobbin and produce a bundle, whilst those belonging to the inner
band go to and catch the bobbin weft thread of the band of muslin
or linen which borders the hole. They work at this time over three
bobbins, their own wefting bobbin, the wefting bobbin of the band
bordering the hole, and the intermediate bobbin. These warp threads
are thus bound together into another bundle, which stands in front of
the bundle formed by the warp threads of the outer band, as already
mentioned. The two bundles are tightly bound together into one cord
by the bobbin threads, but in consequence of the bundle of warp threads
belonging to the outer band underlying the bundle belonging to the
inner band the latter is caused to stand up and form a raised margin to
the hole. I do not take all the threads to the side of the hole at once; I
retain some of them for a time to thicken the margin at the upper end
of the hole, and similarly I bring back some of the threads before the
others to thicken the margin at the bottom end of the hole.
I sometimes produce in a similar manner holes extending over but
two bands of the muslin or linen. I divide the warp threads of the two
bands each into two sets, the bars carrying one set being behind those
which carry the other set. The back threads remain with their own
bobbin, and are bound into a bundle which underlies the bundle formed
by the front set, and these catch the bobbin of the band of muslin which
borders the hole as well as their own.
Figure 2 is a diagram representing the formation, according to my
Invention, of the sides of a hole extending over four bands of muslin-like
fabric. The full black lines a, a*,
represent the warp threads belonging
to the two inner bands of muslin, one on either side of the centre line,
all the warp threads in each band now working together as a single
thread, though this is not essentially necessary as the threads may be
divided to work on the same bobbins, and the same result be a
obtained. The blue lines b, 6*, represent the warp threads belonging
to the two outer bands of muslin, one on either side. These also now in

page_text: each case work together as a single thread, though this is not essentially
necessary, as the threads may be divided to work on the same bobbins,
and the same result be obtained. All the threads 6 stand in the machine
behind all the threads a, and similarly all the threads 6* stand behind all
the, threads a*. The fine double lines represent the bobbin threads.
c' is the wefting bobbin of the inner band of muslin on one side of the
centre line of the hole, and c¹× is the corresponding bobbin on the other
side of the hole; c² is the wefting bobbin of the outer band on one side,
and is the corresponding thread on the other side; o³ is the wefting
bobbin of the band of muslin bordering the hole on one side, and c³×
is the wefting bobbin of the corresponding band on the other side,
The threads 6 twist with their bobbin c and produe a cord or bundle,
whilst the threads a twist with all the bobbin threads c¹, c³, and c³, and
form another bundle overlying the first similarly on the other side. In
this way I give great substance to the side of the hole, and the bobbin
threads pass around the warp threads with great regularity, giving to
the hole the appearance of having been stitched by hand.
It will be understood that the bobbin threads which are represented
by straight lines in the diagram do not remain straight as the work
forms over the points of the machine, the superior tension of the warp
threads causes the bobbin threads to become lapped around them, and it
is also to bo understood that the Invention may be applied to holes
extending over more bands than four.
Figure 3 is a diagram showing the way in which I form the sides of a
hole extending over but two bands of the muslin or linen. The warp
threads of each band are divided into two sets a, b, and a*, b*. The
back sets 6 and 6* remain and twist as a single thread, each with the
wefting bobbin c¹ or c¹× of the band, though it is not absolutely necessary
that they should so remain and twist as a single thread, as each set may
be divided to work on the same bobbins and the same result be obtained.
The front sets a and a* twist not only with these bobbins but they also
catch the bobbins c³, c³*, of the band of muslin or linen bordering the
hole, and so as before the thickened margin of the hole is composed of
two bundles of warp threads, one underlying the other, and bound around
by the bobbin threads. These fabrics may be made in narrow breadths
or of any desired width.

page_text: machines,―
The muslin or linen-like fabric ornamented with cords produced sub-
stantially as described.
Also the muslin or linen-like fabrio ornamented with holes, having t
thickened and raised margins as if worked with the needle, produced
substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Scott, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
J