IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WEAVINGS HADE ON BOBBIN NET OR TWIST LACE MACHINES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to. John Kirk and John Kirk, the younger,
both of Wellington Street, Park Side, in. the Parish of New Lenton,
in the County of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturers, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WEAVINGS HADE ON BOBBIN
NET OR TWIST LACE MACHINES."
Scaled the 4th June 1869, and dated the 8th December 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Kirk and John.
Kirk, the younger, at the Oflice of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 8th December 1868.
We, JOHN KIRK and JOHN KIRK, the younger, both of Wellington
Street, Park Side, in the Parish of New Lenton, in the County of
Nottingham, Lace Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF WEAVINGS MADE
ON BOBBIN NET OR TWIST LACE MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
weavings made on bobbin net or twist lace machines, and to produce.

page_text: fabrics which are known as trimmings or embroidery in any required width.
For this purpose we place between every carriage thread used (which
thread of course proceeds from the bobbin encircled within the carriage)
in that part of the fabric to be woven any given number of longitudinal
warp threads ranging in number according to the closeness of the
weaving we desire to produce. The warp threads are caused to move in
such manner that each bobbin thread shall produce a portion of the
weaving; these warp threads are all weighted in such wise as to draw
off any required quantity of the bobbin or wefting threads according to
the distance or number of longitudinal warp threads over which we desire
they should be drawn.
One peculiar feature of this invention is that wearings of any derived
width may thus be produced, and all the warp threads are woven together
in such manner as to present the appearance of being a single weft thread
throughout the width of the breadth.
Another peculiar feature of our Invention consists in this, that hy
ceasing to weave in any portion of the fabric which is being made the
longitudinal warp threads may be opened to any required shape, and
round each portion of the fabric thus opened we propose to work thick
threads for the purpose of ornamentation, thereby producing a fabric
known as trimmings or embroidery.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,.
filed by the said John Kirk and John Kirk, the younger, in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th June 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
KIRK and JOHN KIRK, the younger, both of Wellington Street, Park
Side, in the Parish of New Lenton, in the County of Nottingham, Lace
Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said John. Kirk and John Kirk, the younger,

page_text: Her special licence, that we, the said John Kirk and John Kirk, the
younger, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
we, the said John Kirk and John Kirk, the younger, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF WEAVINGS MADE ON BOBBIN NET OR TWIST LACE MACHINES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John Kirk and John
Kirk, the younger, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or their, or one of our or 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 we, the said John Kirk and John Kirk, the
younger, 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
weavings made on hottom net or twist lace machines, and to produce
fabrics which are known as trimmings or embroidery in any required
width. For this purpose we place between every carriage thread used
(which thread of course emanates from the bobbin encircled within the
carriage) in that part of the fabric to be woven any given number of
longitudinal warp threads ranging in number according to the closeness
of the weaving we desire to produce. The warp threads are caused to
move in such manner that each bobbin thread shall produce a portion of
the weaving. These warp threads are all weighted in such wise as to
draw off any required quantity of the bobbin or wefting threads according
to the distance or number of longitudinal warp threads over which we
desire they should be drawn.
Oue peculiar feature of our Invention is that weavings of any desired
width may be thus produced, and all the warp threads are woven together

page_text: fabrics produced according to this Invention, as shown in Figure 2, which
is a representation of the fabric highly magnified. The lines running
from left to right and from right to left are bobbin threads or weft threads,
which are acted upon by their respective warp threads numbered in
Figure 1 as 4 and 5. The upper figures 1 to 5 in Figure 1 represent the
position the bars occupy in the machine counting them from front to
back, and the lower figures in Figure 1 represent the position the bars
occupy in the weaving. The movements of the bars numbered 1, 2,
and 3, in Figure 1, have nothing whatever to do with the drawing of the
weft threads, those bars only move in such manner as to take up their
respective positions when woven into the fabric. The bobbin thread or
weft thread is drawn under and over them as in the manner of ordinary
weaving. The threads which draw the bobbin threads across are them-
selves longitudinal warp threads, and they are woven in the fabric in the
same manner as the threads from the bars numbered 1, 2, and 3, except at
every tenth motion, when they are caused in their turn to draw off a
certain portion of the bobbin threads or weft threads to the left and to
the right alternately. The vertical lines numbered 5 at the lower part
of the Figure 2 represent some of the back warp threads, the thread
corresponding with which in Figure 1 is numbered 5 at the upper part;
this thread draws the bobbin thread to the left of the breadth, and the
vertical lines numbered 1 at the lower part of Figure 2, the thread
corresponding with which in Figure 1. is numbered 4. At the upper part
thereof is the reverse twist thread, and it draws the bobbin thread to the
right of the breadth, cach of the threads drawing the bobbin or weft
thread over five of the longitudinal warp threads each way, that is to say,
five threads to the right and five threads to the left, thereby preventing
breaks or thick and thin appearances in the fabric or weaving, and
gives an uniform and agreeable appearance to the fabric thus produced.
The threads numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 at the top of Figure 2 are the
bobbin threads or weft threads in the position which they occupy in the
machine previous to being acted upon by the longitudinal warp threads
before mentioned. These bobbin threads or weft threads are shewn in
the body of the Figure in the position they occupy when they are drawn
to the right or left alternately as above described. Figure 3 represents
piece of the fabric (highly magnified) having an internal opening
ormed in it, which we produce by ceasing to weave or to draw the bobbin
hreads or weft threads over the space we wish to leave open, by which

page_text: The long-
means we are enabled to produce a perfectly round hole.
tudinal warp threads when ceasing to weave are carried round the edge
of the opening part of the threads on one side and part of them
on the other, or in such other manner as circumstances may dictate. The
beams round which the warp threads are wound are eased when required by
means of springs and cords or by equivalent contrivances operated by the
jacquard or its equivalent, as in the ordinary manner when weight is
required to he lifted off. It must however be understood that we do not
confine ourselves to the production of any particular shaped opening in
the fabric we produce, but we cease to weave and work the longitudinal
warp threads in any manner we may desire.
The method we prefer to adopt however in making these internal
openings is as follows:-As before mentioned we employ five or more
longitudinal warp threads to each bobbin thread, and where internal
openings are required to be produced we use for the purpose independent.
beams containing five or more longitudinal threads for each breadth of
fabric, varying in number according to the closcuess of the weaving
required. Thus we employ one bean for each five longitudinal warp
threads in each breadth of fabric, the breadths varying in number
according to their width and to the width of the machine employed in
manufacturing them. When we require to work thick or gimp threads
round the openings we cause these threads to be moved in such manner
that they shall be looped underneath the bobbin thread or weft thread;
and having completed the opening and commenced weaving with the
longitudinal warp threads so as to produce the ground work between the
openings, the thick threads or gimp threads not being required until it
is requisite to produce another object on the fabric or a repetition of the
object previously made. We cause these thick threads or gimp threads
to move in such manner that they shall be placed at the back of the
weaving so as in fact to hide them, and only shew them on the front of
the fabric when required, thus-giving the openings all the appearance of
ordinary hand made trimmings or embroidery. At Figure 4 the vertical
lines represent the bobbin threads, the third line the thick or gimp thread
as acted upon by the jacquard or equivalent contrivance for the purpose
of placing it or them behind the weaving.
Having thus stated the nature of our said Invention, and in wha
mauner the same may be performed, we declare that we claim, the

page_text: manufacture of weavings on bobbin net or twist lace machines, sub-
stantially in manner described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Kirk and John Kirk, the
younger, have hereunto set our hands and scals, this Seventh day
of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-nine.
JOHN KIRK.
(L.S.)
Witness,
CEO. JON. ROBINSON
Patent Office,
Nottingham.
JOHN KIRK, THE YOUNGER. (L.S.)