CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS FOR PRODUCING ORNAMENTAL LACE OR WEAVINGS
Year: 1837

page_text: DRAPER'S SPECIFICATION:
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
DRAPER, of Basford, in the County of Nottingham, Lace Maker, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-seventh day of November, in the first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Samuel Draper, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Samuel Draper, my.exors, adiñors, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Samuel Draper, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the term
of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my
Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS FOR PRODUCING ORNAMENTAL LACE OR
WEAVINGS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the said
said
Samuel Draper, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled in
Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as
in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso,. I, the said
Samuel Draper, do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and ascer-

page_text: tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
Drawings hereunto annexed, and the figures and letters marked thereon, that
is to say:
My Invention relates to that description of machinery which is in the lace
trade is called "warp machinery," or "warp lace machinery," and it is well
known that. such machinery is capable of producing various descriptions of
ornamental lace or other weavings, by a system of loops of the separate warp
threads, interlooped or woven with each other, such machinery, as is well
understood, consisting principally of a number of needles and guides, one guidé
to a needle, and consequently one thread to each needle, which are called the
warp threads, though they are sometimes wound on separate bobbins, particu-
larly when the threads employed are coarse or thick, and the fabrics produced,
though of loops, differ from stocking fabrics, inasmuch as the warp machinery
works with a number of threads, and stocking machinery with a thread inter-
looped into itself. And further, by certain arrangements of parts, which will
be hereafter explained, such warp machinery may be, together with my
improvements or Invention, so worked that the fabric or portion of fabric pro-
duced by the warp machinery shall become the ornamenting parts on other
looped fabrics, my Invention relating to the mode of lapping or producing the
loops and governing the order in which such looping shall take place, so as to
produce various patterns or structures of fabrics, as is well understood in
working warp machinery of the present construction; but in order to produce
intricate patterns, or extensive variations of the order in which the loops shall
be produced and intermixed, it is necessary in common machines to have a
greater or less number of guide bars having independent movement of each
other, hence, in making complex patterns, or extensive variations of the order
in which the loops are produced, to obtain an extensive pattern, the cost of
working increases with the number of bars which are requisite; but by my
Invention I am enabled to reduce the number of guide bars for producing most
of the varied fabrics which this machinery is usually employed to manufacture,
the guides each being independent of its neighbour, and consequently capable
of separate action, and of varying the order in which it produces its loops,
according to the manner in which it may be selected, by perforated cards from
time to time, in working the machine, in relation to what it has previously been
doing, and what its neighbouring warp threads are and have been doing at the
same time.
My Invention consisting, first, in the application of what is known (in
weaving with the shuttle and warp in looms) as the jacquard system (which,
as is well known, varies the patterns by the order in which the
warp threads

page_text: of looms are thereby caused to be worked in respect to each other), to govern
the order in which each or any of the threads of warp lace, or such like
weaving machinery produce and combine their loops, such application being
made in such manner as to influence and control or govern the working of
the warp threads; and, secondly, my Invention relates to the: application of
certain constructions of guides to warp lace machinery.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully described and readily
carried into effect, I have, by Drawings hereunto annexed, shown my Invention
in various views, and I have also shown many of the separate parts full size; but
as the nature of such views are written on the Drawings, it will not be neces-
sary here to repeat them, further than to call attention to the circumstance of
all the sanic parts being referred to by the same letters or figures of reference
wherever they occur.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS A:
A, A, is the main framing of the machine, the nature of which will readily
be traced in the Drawing; B is the seat of the workman; C, D, E, are three
treadles, C being the right foot treadle; D, the middle treadle; and E, the left
foot treadle. From the working of these by the feet of the workmen, aided by
the handles applied to the part called "the machine," the whole of the move-
ments for working to produce ornamental lace or weavings are obtained.
In order the more clearly to explain the working of the machinery, I will, in
the first instance, describe the. movements consequent on putting down the
treadles, and I will trace the motion from each treadle to its result, without
reference to any movements made by other parts of the frame; and having
thus traced the separate movements consequent on each treadle, I will give
such description of the compound movements of all the parts in respect to each
other as will enable the workman (keeping in mind that the frame is for the
most part to work similar to the like parts of old warp lace machinery), by
attentive examination of such description, aided by a careful examination of
the Drawings. hereunto. annexed, to produce machinery to work according to
Invention. The treadle C is connected by the rod F to the lover G, which
moves on a fulcrum or axis at the back of the frame, the other end of the lever
G having a connecting rod H attached thereto by a pin joint, by which the
movement of that lever is transmitted to the arm I, the connecting rod II
being attached. to the arm I by a pin joint, as is clearly shown in the
Drawings. The arm I is affixed to the spindle bar J, which carries the sinker
bar K, that bar being affixed to arms which are affixed to the spindle bar J,
as is the ordinary construction of warp lace machines; and for the most part
the various mechanical parts are similarly constructed to those of warp laco
my.

page_text: machinery in general. The principal difference in the working of the parts of the
warp frame under description is confined to the part of the machinery called
"the machine," which is that portion of the whole combination where the guides
(which carry and actuate the warp threads, are contained. The middle treadle D
is connected by means of the connecting rod L to the lever M, which has its
axis or fulcrum at the back of the machine, as is clearly shown, the lever M being
connected by the rod N to the arm O, the connecting rod N being attached by
means of pin joints to the lever M and the arm O; hence, the arm O, which is
affixed to the spindle bar P, gives motion to the presser bar Q, which is
affixed to and carried by the curved or bent arms Q' to the spiudle bar P. On
the upper part of the back end of the arm O is affixed the inclined plate R,
and on the back of the framing is hinged a stop S, such stop having its axis
at S¹, such stop being for the most part in a vertical position, and is kept so
by the spring S2, which at all times has a tendency to force out the upper part
of the stop S; but as it is so hinged as not to be permitted to be moved
outward from the back of the frame beyond what it is shown at in the Drawing,
such will be its position till called into action; the object of this stop S is to
support the arm of the sinker bar when the sinker bar has been put down by
its treadle, for it will be seen that on the arm I is affixed a projecting stud I',
which, in being raised, comes to the top of the stop S, and is supported thereby
till the inclined plate R comes against the top of the stop S, which it should be
understood is bent at right. angles towards the left-hand end of the machine,
and thus forms a projection under which the inclined plate R comes when the
presser bar is put down, by which means the upper part of the stop S is forced
in towards the front of the machine, and consequently from under the stud I',
by which the sinker bar or frame is released, and can be drawn upwards by
its springs, all which will readily be traced in the Drawings. The left-foot
treadle E is connected by the arm T by means of a connecting rod V, the
arm T being affixed to the spindle bar W, to which the arms X are affixed,
which, by the rods Y, are connected to the lower part or bar of the sinker
frame.
It should here be stated that thus far the machinery (in its parts and
combination) is the same as warp lace machinery in common use; and such is
the case with respect to many other parts, such as the needle bar and the
sinkers, which it will, therefore, not be necessary to describe at large, they
being all clearly shown in the Drawings.
I will now proceed to describe how the jacquard movements are brought
into action, but I will first remark, that in weaving with a shuttle and
warp, according to the jacquard principle, it is well known to persons

page_text: engaged in the construction of looms working according to that system, that
there are used a series of plates of card-board, or other proper material,
attached together, and thus producing a continuous chain, which have holes
punched therein, and it depends on the order in which such holes are
placed (in the respective cards, in what shapes or figures the pattern woven.
will be produced; and such is the case in respect to the application of a
series of perforated cards, or other suitable perforated plates, to actuate or
govern the laying or interlooping of the threads of warp lace machinery, for
by this means any thread or threads at any part across the machine may at
one time of lapping act to produce are character of work, and at the next lap
to vary the character of the work; or may by itself work for some time, pro-.
ducing one character of work, whilst its neighbouring guides are producing
either the same or varied characters of work; consequently this state of
independence of action of the guides offers the opportunity to the workman so
to perforate his cards with designs that it will not, as heretofore, require a great
loss of time, and at considerable expense, to put on new or different patterns
to what the machine has been before working or producing, because a warp
lace machine, having the jacquard principle of action applied to controul the
order in which the threads shall be placed in respect to the needles, in changing
a pattern, will only require to have the chain or continued length of cards with
which it has been previously working removed, and another chain of cards
applied to change the pattern. Thus it will be seen, that in place of having.
to stop the machine a considerable length of time, according to the intricacy of
the new pattern, when changing the patterns to be produced by a warp lace
machine, when my Invention is employed the machine need only, in most
cases, be stoppe:l for a few seconds, or at most minutes, to change the pattern.
a is a spindle bar, moving in suitable bearings at each end of the frame; 6' is
an arm affixed at the back of the spindle bar a; and there are two arms b, on
which are affixed weights to counterbalance the weight of the parts constitut-
ing the apparatus for working what is called the jacquard cylinder, though it is,
in fact, in most instances, a square or four-sided bar, moving on necks or axes
at each end, and in some cases the jacquard cylinder has more sides; but the
number or nature of the faces of the jacquard cylinder is not material, so long
as it is suitably formed to carry round and successively bring into action a
continued chain or length of perforated cards or other suitable material for
governing the working of the looping of the threads of the machine. The
jacquard cylinder employed by me, and shewn in the Drawings, has four sides,
and each side has holes or grooves formed therein, in such manner that if tho
cylinder be forced towards the guides, and was uncovered by a card, or covered

page_text: by a card so perforated as to allow of the end of every guide passing through,
the jacquard cylinder would have no effect on the guides; by this arrangement
it will be evident that when it is desired to separate any one or more of the
guides from the row of guides it will be necessary to have the card which is to
work at that moment unperforated at that part or parts of the surface which
would, in the moving of the jacquard cylinder, come opposite that particular
guide or guides; whilst the surface of the card opposite every other of the
guides will be perforated; or the card may be unperforated and take all the
guides, or it may be only perforated opposite any one or more of the guides and
unperforated opposite all the other guides; and thus may each card select, or
take, or miss any or all of tho guides in any order desired, according to the
pattern it is wished to produce, as will be readily understood when I come to
work a course. The arm b' is connected to the arm I by the rod c, the con-
necting rod c being attached to the arms 6¹ and I by means of pin joints, as is
clearly shewn in the Drawing. Thus the spindle bar a receives movement
from the working of the arm I; on to the spindle bar a are affixed the arms d, d,
they having openings or slots formed in their ends, through which work studs e,
which are affixed respectively to the bars f. f, one at each end of the frame, the
Bars ff, being capable of movement vertically, and are guided in such move-
ment by sliding in sockets or straps 9, 9, affixed to and carried by the end main
framings of the machinery, as is clearly shown in the Drawings. The upper
ends of the bars f, f, have holes or bearings to receive the necks or axes of the
jacquard cylinder h'; this jacquard cylinder is of length sufficient to actuate the
guides completely across the width of the machine, as is clearly shewn and will
readily be traced in the various Figures of the Drawing. On each face or
side of the jacquard cylinder are spikes or studs, as is usual, to pass through
holes cut in the cards, by which the cards are correctly and securely held when
working on the surface of the jacquard cylinder. i is a circular plate or disc,
having four notches cut therein to receive the catch j, which is constantly borne
up to the plate i by a spring; this spring catch is for retaining the jacquard
cylinder in the position to which [it has been moved by means of the bar k,
which is attached at the right-hand end of the frame, and has suitable adjust-
ing screws to keep it in its proper position to cause the jacquard cylinder to
move round as that cylinder descends; and this turning round is performed by
the forked upper end of the bar k receiving one of the four projecting studs
each time the jacquard cylinder descends, which causes the jacquard cylinder
to turn round and bring up a fresh card, as will readily be understood by
tracing the movements of these parts in the various views shewn in the
Drawings. m, m, are the handles by which the workman works that part of the

page_text: varp frame called "the machine," as is well understood in warp lace machinery,
and the workman will, according to my Invention, work the machine in
he same manuer as if he were working with a common warp lace machine in
order to cause the guides to lap their threads on the needles, and the presser bar
and sinkers work in the same manner as like parts have heretofore performed in
warp lace machinery, the Invention only affecting the nature of the guides and
the mode in which they are selected in order to produce determined sorts of
work in selected places across the machine. The machine n, n, moves on points
at o, o, which pass through arms of the spindle bar p, and the machine n, n, is
carried by the spindle bar p, that spindle bar moving on points p¹, hence 'the
guides can be moved in towards the needles by the forcing in by the workman
of the handles, and consequently the machine on the spindle bar p; and further,
the workman can cause the guides to pass up and down to lap their threads by
his moving the handles and causing the machine to move on the points o, o,
which is similar to the working of warp lace machinery in general. The
description of guides I prefer to use being shewn separately, full size and also
in various views of the Drawing, their construction will be readily understood;
they each move on a fulcrum at r, and are respectively marked with the
letters, and they have each a downward projection s¹, which is intended either
to be supported by or pass through the perforated cards, as the case may be,
and the pattern for the time being require; these projections s³, not being all
of one length, but so formed that when eight contiguous guides shall be resting
on an unperforated card, they shall all range in one line at their ends, and the
object of having the projection s' of the respective guides set at different dis-
tances from their axis is, that the holes or perforation of the cards may be so
far apart as not to prejudicially weaken the cards where the pattern requires a
considerable number of the projections s¹ of contiguous guides to pass through
the card at one time. The guides & move in combs &³, the teeth or plates of
which keep the guides s separate one from the other, as is clearly shown in the
Drawings. t is what I call the locker bar, its object being to support and lock
the outer ends of the guides s, when their correct position or placing has been
brought about by the selecting of the perforated cards, and this locker bar so
retains them during the performance of the lapping movements. It will be
seen that the bart moves on axes at t¹, t, and has at all times a tendency to
5 swing in towards the guides. vis a projection to the upper part of the bart;
this projection v is occasionally intercepted by the catch bar or lever w, which
moves on a fulcrum at w³, and such is the position of the parts shewn in the
Drawing, hence the locker bar in the going out of the machine is removed away
from the outer ends of the guides, and allows of the jacquard cylinder coming

page_text: y
up and selecting a portion of the guides s, as is shewn by the sectional view of
the frame taken from front to back. x is a wheel, which is on the axis which
carries the lace wheels; this wheel, the cut of which is shown in the Drawing,
is so formed that at the proper interval it will cause the end of the lever
passing from under the lever or catch bar w, such lever y being a bent lever,
one end working on the wheel x, and the other end of the lever y at times
supporting the lever catch or bar w, the lever y by its weight having at all
times a tendency to fall towards its wheel, and consequently for the other end to
come under the lever catch w, for it is necessary that the lever catch w should
at times be raised out of the way, and only to come down at the moment just
before the coming out of the machine to have a fresh card brought up; the lever
catch w being raised up by a projection z on the upper part, at the right-hand
end of the sinker frame, coming under an inclined surface 2 of the lever
catch w at the time when the sinker frame is forced towards the front of the
frame, all which will readily be traced.
Having thus explained the nature of the parts of the machinery and of their
combination, I will proceed to give such particulars of the working as will enable
the workman to judge of the correctness of his adjustments. The machine, with
the cut of wheels shown, is arranged for making such classes of work, lace, or
weaving as have double pillars at the sides of the holes or meshes; the cut of
wheels or the adjustment is such that the lap of the thread of each guide
is caused to pass over two needles; and it will readily be understood that if it
be desired to produce such description of work, lace, or weavings as have single
pillars at the sides of the holes or meshes, then the adjustment or the cut of
wheels will be so altered as to cause the unselected guides to lap over only one
needle, the selected guides being shogged in such manner as to lap over two
needles. Supposing the machine to have been at work, and stopped in the
position shown in the Drawings, which is just at the moment of the jacquard
cylinder having selected the guides, and the workman will understand that
such working of the machine is like the working of an ordinary warp machine,
in respect to working a course by his hands with the machine, and the treadles
and parts connected therewith by his feet; the parts which differ in their action
to ordinary warp machinery being those herein-before described for actuating
the guides; but as those motions take place by the ordinary movements of the
machine, they may be considered the same as if extra guide bars were employed
for changing the order of working the various warp threads. Supposing that the
cards for some lengths of working were such that they would either select all the
guides or miss all the guides, the result would be that the work produced would
be what might be called plain close weaving, made up of one system of looping,

page_text: each warp thread performing or producing a loop like all other of the warp
threads throughout the width of the piece, and by such means the machine
would during such working produce a fabric such as is shewn in the Drawings
at Z, with the exception of one part thereof, there being a hole or mesh pro-
duced at the part z of that Figure of the Drawing which has been obtained in
the working of the parts in such manner that the whole of the guides, excepting
the one opposite that particular point, have been either all selected or all missed,
hence it will be evident that all that is required to vary the pattern of the work
produced will be the order in which the threads are selected by the perforated
cards, and that will depend on the taste of the person designing the cards and
the order in which the meshes and the close weaving are intermixed, and the
varied sizes of the meshes depending on the length of time that certain of the
threads and their needles are actuated to produce like movements to what they
have been previously doing.
The Drawings marked B show that part of the warp frame called "the
machine" working in front of a knitting or stocking frame, in order to produce
an ornamental figuring on the front surface of the fabric produced by the
knitting or stocking frame.
The stocking or knitting frame being well known and understood, and
forming no part of my Invention, and such is the case in respect to "the
machine" of a warp lace frame, I lay no claim to the same; and as the names
of the chief parts are written on the Drawings, and are not altered other than
to allow of those parts of the stocking frame which the workman holds in
working being so arranged as to allow of his conveniently getting at such
parts, notwithstanding "the machine" of warp lace frame being in front; and
further, the sinkers of such compound machine are altered, in order to keep
the two threads laid at one time on particular needles separate, in order that
the ornamenting threads which are laid in by the warp machinery or warp
lace machinery may be thrown on the face or front of the work produced.
The machine of the warp lace frame being marked with the same letters of
reference as those already employed on the Drawings A, their nature and
action will readily be understood, and it will only be necessary to call attention
to the circumstance that only those threads of the warp lace or warp machinery
which are selected by the cards are those which are not to be lapped on to
the needles. In working with this compound machine, the workman will,
with that portion of the stocking or knitting machine, produce the ordi-
nary movements; and when he wants to throw in the extra threads of the
guides of warp lace or warp machinery, he will bring the machine" into action,
and the perforated cards will cause the warp threads to be lapped on the

page_text: •
needles, the guides being so arranged as to lay their threads farthest on the
needles, and the thread carrier of the stocking or knitting frame will lay it
thread in front or nearer to the heads of the needles; and owing to the forma
tion of the sinkers used in this compound machine, the two threads (on those
needles where two are laid) will be kept separate one from another, and thus
ensure the guide thread or threads being produced on the front surface of the
fabric; and it will be evident that such threads may be of any color desired
and differing one from another; and also from the thread which is used in the
knitting frame. And further, the guide threads may be of different materials
from that of which the thread of the knitting frame is composed, and thus
produce woven fabrics compounded or composed of the combined products of
warp lace machinery and knitting machinery. But it should be understood
that I lay no claim to the compounding or combining of warp machinery or
warp lace machinery with stocking machinery, in order to interweave or work
in ornamenting threads, that in itself having been and still is produced by hand
in stocking and knitting machinery.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I would wish it to be understood that I lay no claim to any
of the parts of the machinery separately, nor do I confine myself to the precise
arrangements here shewn, as there may be many alterations, and yet retain the
principle of action and main features of my Invention. And it is evident, that
although I have confined my description to the working with warp threads
(which may be of silk, cotton, or other suitable material), one to each needle,
and having one guide to each needle, as is the most general practice, yet I do
not confine myself thereto, for it will be evident that extra and other threads
and suitable guides or apparatus may be employed, if desired, for laying in
gymp or other threads, or otherwise, with or without the aid of jacquard for
such suitable guides or apparatus. And although I prefer the description of
guides I have described, which may be called lever guides, as they move on
.axes, yet I do not confine myself thereto, as variations may be made in the
guides, though I believe those described to be the best for the purpose. And:
it will be evident, that lever guides may be acted on by a barrel with pins or
projections similar to an organ barrel, or a cut of wheels may be employed;
but a barrel is more costly, and such is the case with a cut of wheels, and will
not within a convenient space produce so large an extent of pattern as may at
small cost be obtained by working with perforated cards. And although I
have stated that I may sometimes use a barrel or cut of wheels for actuating
independent lever guides, yet I do not claim the use of a barrel or cut of
wheels in respect to themselves, nor their acting on other than lever

page_text: guides; for I am aware that attempts have been made for many years to
employ a barrel (with pins or projections similar to an organ barrel), together
with long spring guides made of steel, and were invented by one Mr. William
Bull Dexter, which, by their elasticity, were capable of being moved sideways
by the projections on the barrel. Note.-I have described the jacquard
cylinder as worked in connection with sinker frame; I would remark, that in
place thereof, the jacquard machinery may be actuated by a separate treadle;
and I would also state, that although I have described the Invention as
applied to hand machines, yet a workman acquainted with rotatory machines
will readily apply my Invention thereto.
But what I claim as my Invention is,―
First, the application of the system of selection of jacquard cards to warp
machinery or warp lace machinery, in order to governing and controlling the
order in which threads are lapped on to needles, or worked in looped lace or
looped woven fabrics."
Secondly, I claim the application of independent lever guides to warp
lace
machinery, whether the same be actuated by the system of selection of jacquard,
or otherwise.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Draper, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-sixth day of May, One thousand eight
hundred and thirty-eight.