IMPROVEMENTS IN WARP LACE MACHINES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, JOHN CRESSWELL JOHNSON of 338 Alfreton Road, Nottingham, Nottingham-
shire Lace Draughtsman, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WARP LACE MACHINES," and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement that is to say:
My Invention relates to machines for making warp lace and it has for its object
the novel and improved construction, combination, and arrangement of parts of
apparatus forming such machines whereby the operations of the machines are
generally improved and the production of the warp lace facilitated.
My Invention comprises the employment of one or two point-bars having specially
constructed points in combination with a needle bar having bearded needles operating
with the usual guide or pillar bar and fancy thread steel bars. In carrying out my
Invention the fabric as it is produced proceeds downwards the steel bars being
above and the needle bar is arranged to slide horizontally to and fro at about the
middle of the machine. The needles employed are those known as "bearded
needles" the ends of which pass over the upper edge of a facing bar fixed along the
macbine under the needles. The usual guide or pillar bar is arranged to operate in
front of the needles by the ordinary arrangement of a rocking shaft actuated by
levers from a cam shaft. When it is desired to use a large number of steel bars
having the fancy threads which are to be worked into the fabric, there are arranged
above the needle bar two point bars. The points in these point bars or in one of
them are each formed with a recess or groove in its outer end on the underside for
pressing and receiving the beards of the needles at a certain part of the operations.
Each of these point bars is arranged by means of levers and links to receive motion
from a cam shaft which causes the points to have a rising and falling motion as well
as a to and fro movement. One of these point bars hereinafter called the additional
point bar is arranged so that it enters the threads near the steel bars first, but is
closely followed by the other point bar. The other point bar is arranged to enter
above between the selected threads being carried down by the additional point bar
and when that bar is near the lowest position of its traverse the second point bar
takes the threads and continues the downward movement until its points are at

page_text: their lowest position which will be near the needles. The points of the bearded
needles then enter into the grooves in the ends of the points thus holding the
selected threads which are secured by the next movements of the pillar bar threads.
To ensure the selected threads on the lower point bar being brought forward to the
ends of the points ready for being caught by the needles, a pusher bar is arranged
along over the points. This pusher bar may be in the form of a flat bar being
centered by one side in the angle formed by the points and the point bar, and an
up and down motion is given to the outer edge of the plate by a curved lever
working on a truck or by a rack and pinion, or otherwise. When constructing a
machine in which a comparatively small number of steel bars are to be used, it is
obvious that as the distance between the needles and the steel bars may be con-
siderably lessened only one that is the lower point bar having the pusher bar
attached will be necessary. It is also obvious that the position of the parts may be
transferred if desired provided that the relative position of the principal working
parts be maintained.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood I hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings to
be hereinafter referred to and representing one way of carrying out my Invention.
In these drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the same or like
parts wherever they are repeated.
Figure 1 on the accompanying sheet of drawings is a transverse section of a warp
lace machine constructed according to my Invention. In the drawings only such
parts of the machine are shown as will enable my improvements to be understood,
the parts not shown may be of any well known kind common to the trade. The
needles 2 employed in the improved machines are of the kind known as "bearded
needles" and are cast in leads in the usual manner and secured to a needle bar 3.
This needle bar 3 is arranged to slide in a well known manner in guides 4 carried
by the framing 5 at about the middle of the machine and so as to have a to and
fro movement. The points of the needles 2 are arranged to just pass over the upper
edge of a facing bar 6. This facing bar 6 is preferably formed of angle-iron and
is fixed to the framing 5 and supported by brackets in a suitable manner underneath
the needles. In front of the needles 2 suitable guides 7 having holes in them to
receive the pillaring threads are fixed on a bar 8 in the usual manner to which an
approximately vertical motion as well as a transverse movement is imparted in an
ordinary manner. Above this guide or pillar bar 8 there is arranged a point-bar 9
having a number of points 10 fixed to it there being a point for each needle 2.
These points 10 have each formed on their undersides at their points a small recess
or groove the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained. The point bar 9 is
centered on the lower ends of links 11 which have their upper ends centered on
rocking levers 12. These rocking levers 12 are centered at their middles on the
framing 5 near the top of the machine and have centered on each of their outer
ends the upper end of vertical rods 13 the lower end of each of which is centered
to the outer end of a lever 14 at each end of the machine. The inner ends of these
levers 14 are centered on the side standards of the framing below the pillar bar, 8,
A truck 15 on the outer end of the lever 14 works on a cam 16 on a cam shaft 17
to which motion is given in a suitable manner. This cam 16 is formed to give to
the point bar 9 its up and down movement the weight of the point bar 9 ensuring
its downward movement, but if necessary its return may be effected by a second
To impart the to and fro movement to the point bar it is connected to one
end of a nearly horizontal arm 18 the other end of which is centered on the lower
end of one arm of a bell crank lever 19 it being understood that there are two or
more levers as may be required. These bell crank levers 19 are centred on the
same centres as the rocking levers 12 and their other arms are connected to the
upper end of a vertical link 20 which has a vertical movement given it by a cam 21
on the cam shaft 17. In order to bring the threads selected by the points forwards
to the ends of the points so as to ensure the threads being taken by the needles a
cam.

page_text: pusher bar 22 is fitted to the point bar. This pusher bar 22 is in the form of a flat
bar extending along over the points of about the same width as the points. The
pusher bar 22 is centered at each end of the machine at the edge nearest the point
bar on small brackets fixed on the point bar. This pusher bar 22 is raised and
lowered by means of curved arms or levers 23 fixed to it which work upon trucks 24
carried by the framing in such a manner that the front edge of the pusher bar 22
is lowered at the same time that the points descend. The improved machine is
represented as arranged for a large number of steel bars 25 which is rendered
possible by this Invention and the steel bars are arranged conveniently above the
needle and are operated by suitable jacquard apparatus in a well known manner.
The large number of steel bars employed in the machine renders it necessary by
reason of the increased distance between the needles 2 and the steel bars 25, to use
an additional point bar 26. This additional point bar 26 is provided with points
which however need not necessarily be formed with grooves like the first points
and may also be without the pusher har 22. The necessary movements of the point
bar are imparted to it by means of an arrangement similar to that just described
for the first bar except that the position of the parts are reversed the points of the
first point bar projecting towards and facing the second point bar. The additional
point bar is also arranged with a shorter range of vertical traverse than the first
point bar, it being withdrawn from the threads a short distance above the needles.
In other words if the space between the steel bars and the needles be divided into
two equal parts the additional point bar commences work in the upper space along
with the other point bar but is withdrawn at about the middle of the lower space
from the threads before it reaches the needles whilst the first point bar traverses
the whole distance to the needles. The points work in the following manner.
The points of the additional point bar 26 followed by the point bar 9 enter between
the fancy threads arranged by the jacquard apparatus and steel bars close to the
steel bars and the downward movement of the points carries the selected threads
down towards the needles 2. When the point bar 26 is near its lowest position
the grooved points of the first point bar 9, receive the selected threads as the other
points are withdrawn. This point bar 9 then continues its downward movement
until it reaches the needles which at this moment are moved forwards and their
outer ends enter the grooves in the points, which grooves are large enough to
receive the beards of the needles. This arrangement effectually ensures the needles
taking the selected threads from the points, which are next moved slightly upwards
to allow the pillar bar to lap and then moved slightly downwards upon the
needles to press their beards ready for the loops to pass over them.
The points
are then raised ready for the operation to be repeated. The selected threads held
by the needles are secured by the threads in the guides on the pillar bar in the
usual manner.
The improved machine is applicable for use where it is desired to employ what
are known in the trade as "jacking threads" in conjunction with perforated steel
bar threads.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed. I declare that what
I clain is
(1) The combination and arrangement of a combined point and presser bar (9)
having grooved points with a needle bar (3) having bearded needles, a pillar
bar (8) and fancy thread steel bars (25) operating substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
(2) The combination and arrangement of a combined point and presser bar (9)
and an additional point bar (26) with a needle bar 3 having bearded needles, a
pillar bar 8 and fancy thread steel bais (25) operating substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.
(3) The forming of the points for a warp lace machine with a groove or recess
on their undersides substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore described.

page_text: (4) The arrangement of a pusher bar (22) for acting on the threads on the points
of the point bar (9) substantially as and for the purposes herein before described
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Witness,
LOCK MOORE,
Patent Agent,
Nottingham.
JOHN CRESSWELL JOHNSON.