IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LACE, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Ellis, of St. Ann's Wells Road, Nottingham,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LACE, AND
IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 20th December 1859, and dated the 25th October 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Ellis at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
25th October 1859.
I, EDWIN ELLIS, of St. Ann's Wells Road, Nottingham, do hereby declare
the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LACE,
AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of lace,
and in apparatus employed therein, and is more especially applicable to the
manufacture of that description of bobbin net lace in which the crossings are
made by the warp threads. In the production of lace of this sort the warp
threads are now usually wound altogether on a warp beam, but this arrange-
ment has the disadvantage that when a pattern is introduced the "finings"
or closer parts of the pattern work up more of the warp than the plain net
takes, more or less pull, consequently, takes place between the two, and the
work becomes distorted. To avoid this, attempts have been made to employ
warp threads wound on separate spools or reels, each mounted on an upright
or nearly upright pin, but these attempts have failed in consequence of the
difficulty of making the spools turn with sufficient facility.
Now, according to my Invention, the warp threads are wound on bobbins
similar to those employed for the bobbin or carriage threads, only they are
usually larger. These bobbins are placed side by side vertically in troughs,
the edge or periphery of each bobbin at the bottom resting on a steel bar

page_text: 'fixed on the bottom of the trough, in front of and behind the bobbin similar
steel bars are placed. Lateral or sideway motion of the bobbins is prevented
by wires passing from the bar in front of the bobbins to the bar behind the
same, and every bobbin is kept from contact with those next it by these
wires.
The thread is drawn from the lower part of each bobbin so that the strain
on it tends to lift the bobbin, and so reduces the friction. By this arrange-
ment the thread comes from the bobbins much more freely than if it were
drawn from the upper parts thereof. In order to prevent the bobbins turning
in consequence of the vibration of the machine or otherwise when it is not
desired that they should turn, I employ apparatus to lock or hold the threads,
so as to prevent them from being drawn from the bobbins, except by the action.
of the feeding bar. Were an apparatus of this description not employed, the
bobbins turn with such facility that the threads would become slack, and bad
work would result.
"
The locking apparatus I employ is of the following construction:-The
threads, after they leave the bobbins, pass through holes punched in a bar
passing from end to end of the machine; this bar is termed a "punch bar,"
it serves to keep the threads accurately spaced. Immediately behind it is a
blade connected with the feeding bar, and when this bar is np at the time the
work is being made, the edge of the blade will be raised so as to deflect the
threads which pass over it upwards, and cause them to make an angle in
passing through the guide holes in the punch bar; the threads are thus pre-
vented from being drawn through this bar, and the quantity taken up into the
work can only be obtained by raising the lingoes or weights applied to the
threads between the points, where they are held by the punch bar and
the points where they pass into the work or fabric. When the feeding bar
descends to draw a measured quantity of thread from each of the bobbins,
then the locking-blade descends and allows the threads to run freely thro' the
punch bar locking apparatus. Such as is above described may, in some cases,
be advantageously employed when working with spools in lieu of warp bobbins,
and particularly where thick threads and gimping threads are employed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edwin Ellis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th April 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWIN
ELLIS, of St. Ann's Wells Road, Nottingham, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight, hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Edwin Ellis, Her special licence that I, the said Edwin Ellis,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Edwin Ellis, 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, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the.
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edwin Ellis, 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 Edwin Ellis, 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 the following.
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of lace,
and in apparatus employed therein, and is more especially applicable to the
manufacture of that description of bobbin net lace in which the crossings are
made by the warp threads. In the production of lace of this sort the warp
threads are now usually wound all together on a warp beam, but this arrange-
ment has the disadvantage that when a pattern is introduced the " finings"
or closer parts of the pattern work up more of the warp than the plain net
takes, more or less pull consequently takes place between the two, and the
work becomes distorted. To avoid this, attempts have been made to employ
warp threads wound on separate spools or reels, each mounted on an upright
or nearly upright pin, but these attempts have failed in consequence of the
difficulty of making the spools turn with sufficient facility.
Now, according to my Invention, the warp threads are wound on bobbins
similar to those employed for the bobbin or carriage threads, only they are
usually larger. These bobbins are placed side by side vertically in troughs.
the edge or periphery of each bobbin at the bottom resting on a steel.bar

page_text: fixed on the bottom of the trough, in front of and behind the bobbin similar
steel bars are placed. Lateral or sideway motion of the bobbins is prevented
by wires passing from the bar in front of the bobbins to the bar behind the
same, and every bobbin is kept from contact with those next it by these wires.
The thread is drawn from the lower part of each bobbin so that the strain on
it tends to lift the bobbin, and so reduces the friction. By this arrangement
the thread comes from the bobbins much more freely than if it were drawn
from the upper parts thereof. In order to prevent the bobbins turning in
consequence of the vibration of the machine or otherwise, when it is not
desired that they should turn, I employ apparatus to lock or hold the threads
so as to prevent them from being drawn from the bobbins except by the action
of the feeding bar. Were an apparatus of this description not employed, the
bobbins turn with such facility that the threads would become slack, and bad
work would result. The locking apparatus I employ is of the following con-
struction:The threads after they leave the bobbins pass through holes
punched in a bar passing from end to end of the machine. This bar is termed
a "punch bar" (or slay), it serves to keep the threads accurately spaced.
Immediately behind it is a blade connected with the feeding bar, and when
this bar is up at the time the work is being made, the edge of the blade will
be raised so as to deflect the threads which pass over it upwards, and cause
them to make an angle in passing through the guide holes in the punch bar (or
slay), the threads are thus prevented from being drawn through this bar, and
the quantity taken up into the work can only be obtained by raising the
lingoes or weights applied to the threads between the points where they are
held by the punch bar and the points where they pass into the work or fabric.
When the feeding bar descends to draw a measured quantity of thread
from each of the bobbins, then the locking blade descends and allows the
threads to run freely through the punched bar or slay. Locking apparatus,
such as is above described, may in some cases be advantageously employed
when working with spools in lieu of warp bobbins, and particularly when thick
threads and gimping threads are employed.
And in order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto
annexed.

page_text: side of the bobbin frame; one row only of standards is shown in the drawing.
Each standard carries a hook a', passing loosely through a hole formed in it,
and on the stem of each hook a screw thread is cut to receive a nut. b, b, are
thin metal bars having holes at their ends, into which the hooks a¹, a¹, take,
and by means of the screws on the stems of the hooks and the screw nuts the
bars b, b, are strained tight. Along the top and bottom edges of these bars
rows of small slots are cut to allow the flat wires or rods c, c, to be threaded
through them, and these wires or rods are also slotted at intervals equal to the
distances between the bars b, b, and when they have been threaded through the
said bars they are secured in their places by wires d, d, passed through the slots
as is shown. e, e, e, are the bobbins on which the warp is wound; one of them is
shown separately in side and edge view at Figure 3. The bobbins, when filled
with thread, are dropped into the spaces between the bars b, b, and the wires or
rods c, c, and their lower edges rest on steel strips f, f, on which they will run
with very little friction. The threads passing from the bobbins rest on the
upper edges of the bars b, b, which are rounded in order that they may not
cut the threads, by ribs soldered on to them as is shown. Afterwards the
threads are passed through holes in slay g, and thence they pass through the
eyes of the lingoes h, h. By this arrangement the warp can be very freely
drawn from the bobbins, and every warp thread is independent of the others
as respects its tension, and may be worked up into the fabric at any desired
speed without drawing the pattern or increasing or diminishing the tension on
the other warp threads. i is a feeding bar, it descends after every throw of
the carriages in order to depress the warp threads and draw off from the
bobbins a length of warp for the next traverse. jis a locking bar suspended
from the bar i, and when this bar rises after drawing off the warp it lifts the
bar with it, and then the threads, in place of passing straight through the
holes in the slay, make a sharp angle at this bar, which puts sufficient friction
on the threads to prevent them drawing off the bobbins till the next feed takes
place, when the locking bar j falls.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Ellis, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
EDWIN ELLIS. (L.s.)