IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LACE IN TWIST LACE MACHINES
Year: 1885

page_text: We WILLIAM LAWRENCE of Berridge Road Sherwood Rise Lace Manufacturer
and ISAAC ELLIOTT of Liddington Street Lace Draughtsman both in the Town
and County of Nottingham do hereby declare the nature of our invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LACE IN TWIST LACE MACHINES" to
be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of lace made
on twist lace machines and relates especially to lace having what is known as
Maltese spots.
The Maltese spot is usually made on lace machines with three tight bobbin or
carriage threads and one slack weft thread coming off a beam. The weft thread
being dominated by the bobbin threads passes alternately under and over each
bobbin thread thereby producing wickerwork as is illustrated by Figure 1 of the
drawings annexed. The spot varies in length according to the number of the
weavings of the beam thread. This spot is to draughtsmen known as a three-
carriage wicker spot; it is a perfect imitation of one often used in the manufacture
of pillow lace but it can only be introduced into machine lace in positions in which
three bobbin threads can be spared for its production so that in many instances
where a wicker spot would give effect and variety to a pattern it has not been
introduced for want of bobbin threads. Figure 2 represents such a case, here there
are in the machine three bobbin threads between the bands marked 3. 4 and 5.
Nos 3 and 5 are required in conjunction with lacing or draw threads to produce a
good purl on the inside edge of each band. No 4 bobbin thread would often be
left out as of no practical use, according to our invention a bobbin thread in the
position of No 4 can be utilised for making a Maltese spot of any required length
to produce an effect such as is indicated by Figure 3.
Again in some kinds of pillow lace as Maltese for instance this spot often
constitutes an important feature of a pattern by being made to lie loosely
sometimes at an angle to the back edge and sometimes straight down but on
the top of a piece of weaving or matting or other groundwork; such a spot is
called a floating spot.
In machine made lace this particular effect of a floating spot with weaving
or matting or any properly finished close ground work beneath has not been

page_text: accomplished because for each floating spot three bobbin threads have been
required and these must be separated from the rest of the bobbin threads thereby
considerably reducing the actual guage of the work at that part so that matting or
weaving or other good groundwork cannot be produced.
Now in fabrics such as those to which we have referred in which few bobbins
can without injury be spared from the main fabric we without the aid of any
special mechanical appliance produce both perfect spots, and a fabric having a
nearly full complement of bobbin threads at the parts where the spots occur.
Instead of using three tight bobbin threads and one slack weft thread to make a
Maltese spot we use one slack bobbin thread (of suitable thickness) and three
beam threads which being sufficiently weighted dominate the bobbin thread.
They are worked as is shown by Figure 4 in such a manner that in the finished
spot they become nearly straight and cause the slack bobbin thread to become the
weft thread to the beam threads. The method on which the threads are operated
in the machine will be fully understood by referring to Figure 5. S represents a
slack bobbin thread 61 62 63 the beam threads TT represent carriage threads
which are not required for the production of the spot or spots and which are left
available for other uses. passing under the slack bobbin thread on the front
motion (1) is taken over the bobbin threads on the next back motion (2) up to
the right hand for four gates and is kept in the same gate while another front
motion (3) is made, then the beam thread is taken down on the next back
motion (4) to within one gate of the slack bobbin thread and passes under again
as before, thus repeating the same process every four motions. The beam
thread performs a similar movement in an opposite direction every four
motions and b² shogging one gate every four motions retains its place down the
centre of the spot each beam thread ultimately lying straight down the spot.
The arrangement and movement of the beam or other threads can be varied in
many ways. We thus produce a one-carriage Maltese or wicker spot.
Now suppose we wish to make a floating spot to lie on the top of a piece of
weaving or other ground work we only require to separate one bobbin thread from
the rest by passing the weaving or other threads under the slack bobbin thread
required for the spot. We then arrange the spot threads to be in the front of the
ground work and by catching the spot threads to some distant bobbin thread or
threads we cause the floating spot to lie to an angle to the back edge.or selvage
thread of a breadth or piece of lace as for example in Figure 6.
Dated this 18th day of February 1885
CARPMAEL & Co.,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: We WILLIAM LAWRENCE of Berridge Road Sherwood Rise Lace Manufacturer
and ISAAC ELLIOTT of Liddington Street Lace Draughtsman both in the Town and
County of Nottingham do hereby declare the nature of this Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of lace made
on twist lace machines and relates especially to lace having what is known as
Maltese spots.
The Maltese spot is usually made on lace machines with three tight bobbin or
carriage threads, and one slack weft thread coming off a beam. The weft thread
being dominated by the bobbin threads passes alternately under and over each
bobbin thread thereby producing wicker work as is illustrated by Figure 1 of the
drawings annexed. The spot varies in length according to the number of the
weavings of the beam thread. This spot is to draughtsmen known as a three
carriage wicker spot, it is a perfect imitation of one often used in the manufacture
of pillow lace but it can only be introduced into machine lace in positions in which
three bobbin threads can be spared for its production so that in many instances
where a wicker spot would give effect and variety to a pattern it has not been
introduced for want of bobbin threads. Figure 2 represents such a case, here there
are in the machine three bobbin threads between the bands marked 3. 4 and 5.
Noa 3 and 5 are required in conjunction with lacing or draw threads to produce a
good purl on the inside edge of each band. No bobbin thread would often be
left out as of no practical use. According to our invention a bobbin thread in the
position of N° 4 can be utilized for making a Maltese spot of any required length
to produce an effect such as is indicated by Figure 3.
Again in some kinds of pillow late as Maltese for instance, this spot often
constitutes an important feature of a pattern by being made to lie loosely
sometimes at an angle to the back edge and sometimes straight down, but on
the top of a piece of weaving or matting or other ground work, such a spot is
called a floating spot.
In machine made lace this particular effect of a floating spot with weaving
or inatting or any properly finished close ground work beneath has not been
accomplished, because for each floating spot, three bobbin threads have been
required and these must be separated from the rest of the bobbin threads, thereby
considerably reducing the actual guage of the work at that part, so that matting
or weaving or other good groundwork cannot be produced.
Now in fabrics such as those to which we have referred in which few bobbins
can without injury be spared from the main fabric, we without the aid of any
special mechanical appliance produce both perfect spots and a fabric having a
nearly full complement of bobbin threads at the parts where the spots occur.
Instead of using three tight bobbin threads and one slack weft thread to make
a Maltese spot we use one slack bobbin thread, (of suitable thickness) and three

page_text: beam threads, which being sufficiently weighted dominate the bobbin thread.
They are worked as is shown by Figure 4 in such a manner that in the finished
spot they become nearly straight and cause the slack bobbin thread to become the
weft thread to the beam threads.
The method on which the threads are operated in the machine will be fully
understood by referring to Figure 5-S represents a slack bobbin thread, 61 62 63
the beam threads TT represent carriage threads which are not required for the
production of the spot or spots and which are left available for other uses.
passing under the slack bobbin thread on the front motion (1) is taken over the
bobbin threads on the next back motion (2) up to the right hand for four gates
and is kept in the same gate while another front motion (3) is made, then the
beam thread is taken down on the next back motion (4) to within one gate of the
slack bobbin thread and passes under again as before, thus repeating the samne
process every four motions. The beam thread performs a similar movement in
an opposite direction every four motions and b₁ shogging one gato every four
motions retains its place down the centre of the spot, each beam thread ultimately
lying straight down the spot.
The arrangement and movement of the beam or other threads can be varied in
many ways. We thus produce a one carriage or bobbin Maltese, or wicker spot.
Now suppose we wish to make a floating spot to lie on the top of a piece of
weaving, or other ground work, we only require to separate one bobbin thread
from the rest, by passing the weaving or other threads under the slack bobbin
thread required for the spot. We then arrange the spot threads to be in the front
of the ground work, and by catching the spot threads to some distant bobbin
thread or threads we cause the floating spot to lie to an angle to the back edge or
selvage thread of a breadth or piece of lace as for example in Figure 6.
When we speak of "beam threads "it is our intention to include "spool threads"
or other threads capable of being worked in the manner described in respect to the
beam threads in Figure 5.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that we
do not confine ourselves to making a spot or like object with one bobbin thread
for obviously two bobbin threads may in like manner bo employed. Nor do we
confine ourselves to the use of three beam threads in the spot or object as obviously
a larger number may be used.
On the other hand we do, not claim generally causing bobbin threads to inter-
weave as a weft with beam threads which become approximately straight but what
we claim is
(1.) The production in a twist lace machine of lace having spots or like objects
formed by the action of beam threads on a slack bobbin thread or threads in
such manner that the said bobbin threa'ls become interweaved substantially as
described.
(2.) The production in a twist lace machine of lace having spots or like objects
made with beam threads and a slack bobbin thread and floating over a ground
fabric woven with bobbin threads and other threads substantially as described.
Data th 10th of Nambe 100%