IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FIGURED LACE
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Birkin, jun', and Thomas Isaac Birkin,
of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FIGURED LACE."
Sealed the 5th June 1857, and dated the 4th April 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Birkin and
Thomas Isaac Birkin, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 4th April 1857.
We, RICHARD BIRKIN, jun', and THOMAS ISAAC BIRKIN, of Nottingham,
Lace Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FIGURED LACE," to be as follows:-
Heretofore, when manufacturing figured or embroidered lace by machinery
in what are called "breadths," it has been the practice to produce such
"breadths" side by side, lengthwise of the fabric, or vertically of the machine,
such "breadths" being united temporarily during manufacturing either by lacing
threads, which were afterwards removed for the separation into "breadths,"
or by certain of the ordinary threads which had to be cut for that purpose.
But with such disposition of the "breadths" during manufacture the difficulty
in obtaining continuous patterns of embroidered or other close woven work, or
of variations of such pattern across the "breadths," or in a direction from back
to edge thereof, is increased with the increase in the width (or distance from

page_text: back to edge) of such "breadths," owing to the increase in the number of em-
broidering or other close figuring or weaving bars consequent thereon, and the
width of such "breadths" is now determined by the number of bars, jacks, or
intercepters employed.
And our improvements consist in forming such "breadths" of embroidered
or figured lace in transverse lines or horizontally on the machine (in place of
vertically), whereby with the number of figuring, embroidering, or weaving
bars employed on the before-mentioned system we are enabled to obtain more
extensive embroidery or pattern, or successions of varied patterns, in a direc-
tion from back to edge (or edge to back) of such breadths; the width of which
breadths, as well as the extent of pattern or embroidery thereon, is dependent
upon the number of jacquard cards or other pattern surface employed, rather
than upon the number of the bars, jacks, or intercepters. We also apply these
improvements to the manufacture of machine embroidered falls.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Birkin and Thomas Isaac Birkin in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 3rd October 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, RICHARD
BIRKIN, jun', and THOMAS ISAAC BIRKIN, of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturers,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Richard Birkin, jun', and Thomas Isaac Birkin, Her special licence that
we, the said Richard Birkin, jun, and Thomas Isaac Birkin, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Richard Birkin,
jun, and Thomas Isaac Birkin, our 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 "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FIGURED LACE," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Richard Birkin, jun', and Thomas Isaac Birkin,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or
their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them,

page_text: 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 we, the said Richard Birkin, jun', and Thomas
Isaac Birkin, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:-
Heretofore, when manufacturing figured or embroidered lace by machinery
in what are called "breadths," it has been the practice to produce such
"breadths" side by side, lengthwise of the fabric, or vertically of the machine,
such "breadths" being united temporarily during manufacturing either by
lacing threads (which were afterwards removed for the separation into the
"breadths") or by certain of the ordinary threads which bad to be cut for that
purpose. But with such disposition of the "breadths" during manufacture the
difficulty in obtaining continuous patterns of embroidered or other close woven
work, or of variations of such pattern across the "breadths," or in a direction
from back to edge thereof, is increased with the increase in the width (or dis-
tance from back to edge) of such "breadths," owing to the increase in the
number of embroidering or other close figuring or weaving bars consequent
thereon, and the width of such "breadths" is now determined by the number
of bars, jacks, or intercepters employed.
And our improvements consist in forming such breadths of embroidered or
figured lace in transverse lines or horizontally on the machine, in place of
vertically, whereby with the number of figuring, embroidering, or weaving
bars employed on the before-mentioned system we are enabled to obtain more
extensive embroidery or pattern, or successions of varied patterns, in a direction
from back to edge (or edge to back) of such breadths, the width of which
breadths, as well as the extent of pattern or embroidery thereon, is dependent
upon the number of jacquard cards or other pattern surface employed, rather
than upon the number of the bars, jacks, or intercepters. We also apply
these improvements to the manufacture of machine embroidered falls.
Having thus stated the nature of our said Invention, we will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
As the machinery used in carrying out our Invention is the same as that
heretofore employed when making breadths of embroidered or figured laces by
the aid of numerous bars actuated by jacquard cards or other pattern surfaces,
it will not be necessary to show any Drawings of the same; and it will only
be desirable that the workman should be informed that where the machinery

page_text: has been previously working with lacing threads, to lace together the neigh-
bouring breadths, such lacing threads are to be dispensed with; also, where it
has been working with threads to produce the backs, and for producing purls
at the front edges, such back and purling threads are to be dispensed with;
and the bars previously used for such threads may be employed for carrying
the ordinary warp threads, or for carrying embroidery threads, so that there
may be a complete set of warps from side to side of the machine, and also
the requisite embroidery or thick threads. We have, however, by Drawings
shewn the effect of working according to our improvements, as contrasted with
the means of working heretofore resorted to when using thirty bars carrying
embroidery or thick threads in each case.
Figure 1 shews a design produced according to the old plan of a breadth
of lace of eighteen inches wide, A, A, A, being the upper end, and B, B, B,
the lower end of the pattern; and it will be seen that the effect produced is
very coarse and unsatisfactory.
Figure 2 shews a design produced according to our improvements when
using a like number (viz. thirty) embroidery bars; A, A, A, in this pattern
indicating the upper end, and B, B, B, the lower end thereof, by which it will
be seen that not only is a like width of "breadth" produced, but the em-
broidery is of a far finer and more elaborate character than when working
according to the old plan.
And in order still further to contrast the effect of working with the same
number of embroidery bars according to the old system, we have at Figure 3
shewn as much of the pattern, Figure 2, as could be produced when working
according to the old plan, if it be desired to obtain a like degree of fineness
and elaborateness as that indicated by Figure 2, still retaining only the same
number of bars. It will, therefore, be found, that according to the improved
mode of working greatly increased extent of "breadth" of pattern, indeed
almost any width of "breadths" may be produced without a corresponding
increase of the embroidery bars, by which great economy of those bars will
result; and it is this peculiarity which constitutes the essential feature of our
Invention, and in like manner may patterns of "breadths" be produced of a
greater or less width when using the same or a different number of embroidery
bars; but whatever be the number of embroidery bars used, a more extended
capability may be obtained when making embroidered lace according to our
Invention where the lace and embroidery bars are caused to produce
breadths in succession, one below the other, horizontally across the machine,
and so that only one breadth is being made at a time, than when working
according to the old system, where several breadths are at all times being pro-

page_text: duced at the same time and vertically in the machine. We would state, that
when working according to our Invention, in order to produce two different
widths of "breadths" there will only require a less number of jacquard cards
or pattern surfaces, according as the widths of one "breadth" is less than
the other. In order to make the back edges, or provision for back edges,
we prefer to introduce a thread or threads transversely from selvage to
selvage of the piece of goods making in a machine at those places where
the fabric is to be divided. The series of breadths thus produced in a machine
are to be cut apart. We make no claim to the production of laces in twist
lace machinery, whether more or less ornamental, when produced only by the
ordinary warp threads which work to produce the meshes and finings; our
Invention being confined to the manufacture of "breadths" of lace which are
embroidered by thick or embroidery threads carried by suitable bars in
addition to the warp bars necessary to produce the meshes and finings of the
lace.
In witness whereof, we, the said Richard Birkin, j', and Thomas
Isaac Birkin, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Second day
of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-seven.
Witness,
GEORGE MORLEY,
Nottingham.
RICHARD BIRKIN, JUN³. (L.S.)
THOMAS ISAAC BIRKIN. (L.S.)