IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LACE IN TWIST LACE MACHINES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederic Rainford Ensor, of 7, Park Terrace,
Nottingham, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
LACE IN TWIST LACE MACHINES."
Sealed the 29th September 1865, and dated the 5th April 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederic Rainford Ensor
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 5th April 1865.
I, FREDERIC RAINFORD ENSOR, of 7, Park Terrace, Nottingham, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF LACE IN TWIST, LACE MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of lace
in twist lace machines, and is applicable to twist lace machines when working
with an ordinary complement of threads, that is, one warp thread to each
bobbin or carriage thread.
The Invention consists in forming the pillars which bound the meshes of
the grounds of laces made in twist lace machines alternately of two warp
threads to one bobbin or carriage thread, and two bobbin or carriage threads
to one warp. thread, so that although each pillar will be composed of three
threads, one pillar of each mesh will be formed of two warp threads, and one
bobbin or carriage thread, whilst the other pillar of each mesh will be formed
of two bobbin or carriage threads, and one warp thread in contradistinction
to the descriptions of lace now very commonly made in twist lace machines,
when using for each and all of the pillars which bound the meshes two warp

page_text: threads to each bobbin or carriage thread. By thus making the pillars of the
grounds of laces produced in twist lace machines the clothwork or tabby
weavings will be greatly improved as compared with those laces where the
clothwork or tabby weavings, as well as the pillars, are composed of two warp
threads to each bobbin or carriage thread.
In carrying out this Invention the carriages will simply swing or move
from the front to the back combs, and from the back to the front combs,
constantly moving in the same grooves or gates of the combs, as is well
understood, whilst the warp threads, as heretofore, will be worked or governed
by jacquard or other pattern surfaces.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Frederic Rainford Ensor in the Great Seal, Patent. Office
on the 5th October 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERIC
RAINFORD ENSOR, of 7, Park Terrace, Nottingham, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Frederic Rainford Ensor, Her special licence that. I, the said
Frederic Rainford Ensor, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Frederic Rainford Ensor, my 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LACE IN TWIST LACE
MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Frederic
Rainford Ensor, 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 performed, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frederic Rainford Ensor, do hereby
declare the ture of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention lias for its object improvements in the manufacture of lace
in twist lace machines, and is applicable to twist lace machines when working
with an ordinary complement of threads, that is, one warp thread to each
bobbin or carriage thread.
The Invention consists in forming the pillars which bound the meshes of
the grounds of laces made in twist lace machines alternately of two warp
threads to one bobbin or carriage thread, and two bobbin or carriage threads
to one warp thread, so that although each pillar will be composed of three
threads, one pillar of each mesh will be formed of two warp threads and one
bobbin or carriage thread, whilst the other pillar of each mesh will be formed
of two bobbin or carriage threads and one warp thread, in contradistinction to
the descriptions of lace now very commonly made in twist lace machines,
when using for each and all of the pillars which bound the meshes, two warp
threads to each bobbin or carriage thread. By thus making the pillars of the
grounds of laces produced in twist lace machines the clothwork or tabby
weavings will be greatly improved as compared with those laces where the
clothwork or tabby weavings, as well as the pillars, are composed of two warp
threads to each bobbin or carriage thread.
In carrying out this Invention the carriages will simply 'swing or move
from the front to the back combs, and from the back to the front combs,
constantly moving in the same. grooves or gates of the combs, as is well
understood, whilst the warp threads, as heretofore, will be worked or governed
by jacquard or other pattern surfaces.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
The Diagram annexed represents a portion of plain lace or net on a
magnified scale made in a twist lace machine according to my Invention.
The black lines in the Diagram represent the carriage threads, and the red
lines represent the warp threads. There is an ordinary complement of threads.
employed, that is, only one warp thread to each carriage thread, as when
making plain bobbin. net in twist lace machines. All the threads, whether
carriage threads or 'warp threads, are of. the same size or thickness, and each
pillar is composed of three threads. Each alternate pillar in the Diagram is
composed of one carriage thread and two warp threads, and is consequently.
similar to the pillars of ordinary plait net or lace heretofore made in twist lace
machines, wherein two warp threads are used to each of the carriage threads
employed in such machines. The other alternate pillars shewn in the Diagram

page_text: are each composed of two carriage threads and one warp thread. Hence it
will be understood that although there is only an ordinary complement of
threads employed as when making plain bobbin net in a twist lace machine,
the pillars of the lace or net made according to my Invention will each be
composed of three threads of like size or thickness, and such pillars will be
similar in character or appearance to those heretofore produced by the em-
ployment of two warp threads to each carriage in a twist lace machine when
making ordinary plait net or lace. I would state that I am aware that it is
not new to employ two carriages in making a pillar of lace or net in twist lace
machines, as two carriage threads have been before employed or proposed to
be employed in different ways, amongst others in combination with two warp
threads in making each of some of the pillars of a lace or net, where other of
the pillars are each composed of one carriage thread combined with two or
more warp threads thicker than the carriage thread combined therewith in
making a pillar, and thicker than the two or more warp threads contained in
each of the other pillars of the same lace or net; but it is peculiar to this
Invention that in using two carriage threads in a pillar, only one warp thread
is combined therewith, and that the lace or net consists in the alternate pillars
being so composed each of two carriage threads and one warp thread, whilst
the other alternate pillars of the lace or net are each composed of one carriage
thread and two warp threads. By thus, according to my Invention, forming
or producing lace or net in twist lace machines composed of three thread
pillars, using only an ordinary complement of threads, that is, one warp thread
to each carriage thread, the clothwork weavings or finings of the lace or net
may be composed alternately of a warp thread and carriage thread, that is to
say, the clothwork weavings or finings in such cases will be of the same gauge
as the machine, in place of the clothwork.weavings or finings being composed
of two warp threads to each carriage thread, as heretofore, when making plait
or three-thread pillar net or lace in twist lace machines. From which con-
siderable advantage will also result in regard to the cost of such descriptions
of lace or net.
In producing the clothwork weavings or finings in laces or nets made
according to my Invention, I prefer to weft the complement of threads above
mentioned by two or more warp threads, as has been before done when
making weavings or finings in ordinary bobbin net and other lace grounds, or
the wefting of the weavings may be otherwise performed.
The Diagram shews the manner in which the two descriptions of pillars of
which the ground of a lace or net according to my Invention are preferred to
be produced, and such is the case in respect to the crossings or closings at the

page_text: tops and bottoms of the meshes. In working a twist lace machine to produce
lace or net with an ordinary complement of threads, such as is shewn by the
Diagram, the carriages are simply to be caused to swing from front to back,
and from back to front, of the machine, as is well understood, whilst the cut
of wheels shewn in the Drawing (or other pattern surface used) in machine
will cause the warp threads to be shogged, so as to work with their respective
carriage threads, and produce the pillars and crossings shewn in the Diagram.
But the order in which the warp threads are caused to work with the carriage
threads in producing plait or three-thread pillars, and the crossings at the
tops and bottoms of the meshes may (as will be evident to a lace maker) be
readily varied without departing from my Invention, wherein plait or three-
thread pillars of laces or nets are produced when using only one warp thread
to each carriage thread.
It will be evident to lace makers that in carrying out my Invention
gymping and other ornamenting threads may be used, as heretofore, when
manufacturing laces or nets in twist lace machines with other grounds.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederic Rainford Ensor, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Second day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
JOHN MANNING,
Waverley St.,
FREDERIC RAINFORD ENSOR. (L.S.)
Nottingham.