IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOBBIN NET MADE ON BOBBIN NET OR TWIST LACE MACHINES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Sanderson Butler, of Saint Alban's Terrace,
in the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF BOBBIN NET
MADE ON BOBBIN NET OR TWIST LACE MACHINES."
Scaled the 10th July 1868, and dated the 14th January 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Sanderson Butler
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th January 1863.
I, JOHN SANDERSON BUTLER, of Saint Alban's Terrace, in the Town and
County of the Town of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
BOBBIN NET MADE ON BOBBIN NET OR TWIST LACE MACHINES," to be as
follows:-
My first improvement consists in employing three bobbin threads, as weft
threads working in conjunction with any number of warp threads to form what
is known as matting or tabby weaving or weavings, such bobbin weft threads
being twisted externally of the matting or tabby weavings, the purl, where
there is a purl at the edge of the breadth or breadths is formed by a linen or
other thread of any required thickness..
My second improvement consists in producing by a new method, nets of
various gauges or points from a machine of a certain or particular gauge or
point. Thus for instance on a ten point machine I can produce five point net

page_text: or seven point net, or any other numbered points net up to twenty points net,
and if I am working say a ten point machine and making a nine holes breadth,
I can produce any number of pillars or wales whether less or more than there
are carriages for the net, for example, I will begin with one carriage thread
for a pillar, then with two carriage threads for a pillar, then with one carriage
thread for a pillar alternately, until I have used the whole of the carriage
threads to that particular breadth, a similar number of carriage threads being
used for each breadth in the machine, the warp threads being shogged and
the carriage threads moved from front to back, or from back to front the
number of times requisite to produce the ground or mesh, such warp threads
being linked right and left and right to produce the required holes. Suppose
moreover that I desire to produce a different sized hole in a breadth or
breadths of the above width, or of any other width, and I require a larger or
coarser hole. I begin, say, next the matting or tabby weavings with two
carriage threads for a pillar and then two other carriage threads for another
piller, then one carriage thread for a further pillar, then two carriage threads
for the next pillar, and two other carriage threads for the succeeding pillar;
thus the first described mode will give seven pillars or wales, the second
described mode will give five pillars or wales, and thus by the various arrange-
ments of one and two threads, and of one, two, and three, or other number of
threads, more or less alternately working in conjunction with warp threads
as above described, and using thicker warp threads where there are fewer
carriage threads, I produce a great variety of meshes or nets with the pillars
corresponding in thickness throughout.
Thirdly, I propose to insert in any part of the breadth or breadths the
three carriage wefting first described according to the pattern required to be
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Sanderson Butler, in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 14th July 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
SANDERSON BUTLER, of Saint Alban's Terrace, in the Town and County of the
Town of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of January, in the year of our 8
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of
3

page_text: Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Sanderson Butler, Her special licence that I, the said John
Sanderson Butler, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said John Sanderson Butler, 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 BOBBIN NET MADE ON BOBBIN NET OR
TWIST LACE MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
John Sanderson Butler, 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 John Sanderson Butler, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by th
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My first improvement consist in employing three bobbin threads as weft
threads working in conjunction with any number of warp threads to form
what is known as matting or tabby weaving or weavings, such bobbin weft
threads being twisted externally of the matting or tabby weavings, the purl,
where there is a purl at the edge of the breadth or breadths, is formed by a
linen or other thread of any required thickness.
My second improvement consists in producing by the following new method
nets of various gauges or points from a machine of a certain or particular
gauge or point, thus for instance, on a ten point machine I can produce any
number of points net up to the actual gauge of the machine, as five point net
or seven point net or any other number of points net up to the actual guage
of the machine, the same method being applicable in like manner to machines
of more or less than ten points. And if I am working, say, a ten point
machine, and making a nine holes breadth, I can produce any number of
pillars or wales, whether less or more than there are carriages for the net,
for example, I will begin with one carriage thread for a pillar, then with two
carriage threads for a pillar, then with one carriage thread for a pillar,
alternately until I have used the whole of the carriage threads to that particular

page_text: breadth a similar number of carriage threads being used for each breadth in
the machine, the warp threads being shogged, and the carriage threads being
moved from front to back, or from back to front the number of times requisite
to produce the ground or mesh, such warp threads being linked right and left,
or left and right to produce the required holes; suppose, moreover, that I
desire to produce a different sized hole in a breadth or breadths of the above
width, or of any other width, and I require a larger or coarser hole I begin,
say, next the matting or tabby weavings with two carriage threads for a
pillar, and then two other carriage threads for another piller, then one carriage
thread for a further piller, then two carriage threads for the next pillar,
and two other carriage threads for the succeding pillar.
Thus the first described mode will give seven pillars or wales, the second
described mode will give five pillars or wales, and therefore it will be obvious
that by the various arrangements of one and two threads, and of one, two, and
three, or other number of threads, more or less alternatively working in
conjunction with warp threads as above described, and using thicker warp
threads where there are fewer carriage threads, I produce a great variety
of meshes or nets with the pillars corresponding in thickness throughout.
Thirdly, I sometimes propose to insert in any part of the breadth or breadths
the three carriage wefting first described according to the pattern required to
be made.
Having thus set forth the nature of my said Iuvention, I now proceed
more fully to describe the manner of performing the same with reference to
the accompanying Drawings.
I will first describe the first part of my Invention, which consists in
employing any number of warp threads with which it is desired to produce
matting or tabby weaving in lace made in bobbin net or twist lace machines,
and causing them to be wefted by three carriage or bobbin threads which are also
caused to twist externally, or beyond those warp threads which combine with
the three carriage or bobbin threads in producing matting or tabby weaving,
and by such twisting together of the three carriage or bobbin threads at the
edges of the matting or tabby weaving, a better finish is given to the matting
as the warp threads are thereby restrained from spreading, and the product
presents a better resemblance to hand made lace than has hitherto been
attained.
The working of the warp threads with the three carriage or bobbin threads
will probably be better understood by the following description :-
Figure 1 represents the three carriage or bobbin threads numbered respect-
fully 1, 2, and 3, and a warp thread numbered 4, for the purpose of convenience;

page_text: I separate the warp threads into odd numbers and even numbers, the odd
numbers working alike and the even numbers working alike, then starting
first on the front motion and both the odd and even numbers standing above
the weft carriage threads 1, 2, 3. At the first back motion the odd numbers
move down over number 3 carriage. At the first front motion the even
numbers move down under number 3 carriage. At the second back motion
the even numbers move over number 2 carriage. At the second front motion
the odd numbers move down under number 2 carriage. At the third back
motion the odd numbers move over number 1 carriage. At the third front
motion the even numbers move down under number 1 carriage. The warp
threads being now all below the weft carriages, such carriage threads are.
twisted externally of the matting threads by additional warp threads, as shewn
in Figure 1, which represents the carriage threads 1, 2, 3, twisted round each
other by means of the warp thread 4, which when drawn tight will present
the same appearance as shewn in Figure 2. The matting or warp threads
remaining down while the twisting is performed on the right hand side, they
are returned to the position which they first occupied by movements the reverse
of those described, they will then stand above the three carriage threads, while
an additional warp thread twists the carriage threads on the left hand side,
such thread being included in the purl edge. It will be understood that
between every motion of the warp threads the whole of the carriage or bobbin
threads are moved from front to back or back to front of the machine.
My second improvement I carry into effect in either of the following
ways: Suppose I wish to produce an eight point net on a ten, eleven,
twelve, or thirteen point machine as there are invariably twenty carriage
threads to an inch in width of a ten point machine, such threads have
heretofore been arranged as represented at Figure 3.
Whereas I arrange.
them as shewn at Figure 4 for a ten point machine, part of such arrangement
being also shewn in combination with warp threads at Figure 5.
The following is a description of the combination of carriage threads and
warp threads for a breadth of net an inch wide:-To the carriage threads
marked 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, and 16, I use two warp threads
each, or I use one warp thread and one gimp thread to each carriage thread,
each such carriage thread with its warp threads or warp and gimp threads
-forming one pillar, and to the pairs of carriage threads marked 3, 7, 10, and
14, I use two finer warp threads to each pair of carriage threads, two warp.
threads and two carriage threads forming one pillar, the carriage threads 1, 2,
4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 13, with their warp threads, or with warp and gimp.
threads forming single pillars, and the carriage threads 3, 7, 10, and 14, with

page_text: their warp threads forming double pillars, both the double and the single
pillars appearing the same to the eye, the warp threads working with the
carriage threads 3, 7, 10, and 14, are supplied from two beams or rollers, one
set of threads from one beam or roller being passed up and working in front
of the centre of the machine, and the other set of threads from the other
beam or roller being passed up and working at the back of the centre of the
machine. The workman in setting out a breadth of lace will see how many
gimps he may require, and will place the back gimps so as to form a different
pillar or wale to those which are formed by the front gimps, each such
gimp being supplied to and forming part of the single carriage, pillars, or
wales; each gimp thread being supplied from an independent beam or roller,
a warp thread being also supplied to each single carriage pillar, so that when
a gimp thread is used to form fining or tabby weaving a warp thread will
still be left to work with a carriage thread, such warp threads as required
being supplied from a back beam or roller and a front beam or roller. The
breadth having been set out the workman will see what number of carriage
threads he has left to produce net with such carriage threads, he can then
arrange to form any number of pillars or wales in either of the methods here
shewn.
Figures 6, 8, and 10, shew respectively the way in which I arrange the
carriage threads in an eleven, twelve, and thirteen point machine, and
Figures 7, 9, and 11, shew respectively the combination of the carriage
threads with their several warp or warp and gimp threads. In the enlarged
Figures 5, 7, 9, and 11, only a few carriage threads are shewn in combination
with their warp, or warp and gimp threads, the remainder of the widths
being a repetition of those shewn. It will be obvious to an experienced
workman that if he desires to produce any other gauge net from a machine
of either of the above gauges shewn, or of any other gauge, he can do so by
means of the arrangements shewn, always compensating the single carriage
pillars with warp threads of an extra thickness or with a greater number of
warp threads, thus I can introduce carriage or warp threads for the purpose
of working finings or weavings, such carriage threads and warp threads
forming pillars and weavings of any pattern without employing floating threads
which heretofore have had to be clipped off or have been worked in so as to
give an uneven appearance to the net, such threads I include in and cause"
them to form part of the pillars and weavings. The regularity of the net I
obtain by placing the various thicknesses of the warps on separate rollers, and
the gimps on independent rollers or beams, that is to say, if there are four
gimps in a breadth all the number one gimps of each breadth are placed on

page_text: one roller, and the number two gimps on a second roller, and so on as is well
known, when the gimps are required to form figures or patterns, part of
the weights which are on those beams or rollers are removed by the action
of the jacquard. I am aware that net of a finer gauge than the actual gauge
of the machine on which it is produced has been made, but that is no part
of my Invention.
From the above description it will be apparent that I produce net of any
gauge less than the actual gauge of the machine on which it is produced
and by concealing the gimps down the single carriage pillars and using an
extra warp thread to work with the carriage thread, when such gimp is
brought into action I can produce a well defined figure or pattern without
having recourse either to the usual mode of clipping or concealing the extra
threads down the single carriage pillars I can also introduce three bobbin
weaving in the body of the lace without giving an uneven appearance to the
net.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the manufacture of lace on bobbin net or twist lace machines by
causing three carriage or bobbin threads to work as weft threads, and twisting
them together externally of the weavings.
Second, the arrangement and combination of carriage threads and warp
threads, or of carriage threads, warp threads, and gimp threads, in such
manner as to produce net of any gauge less than the actual gauge of the
machine on which it is produced as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Sanderson Butler, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
0.
Witness,
GEO. JON. ROBINSON,
Patent Office,
Nottingham.
JOHN SANDERSON BUTLER. (L.S.)