IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION OF LACE OR WEAVINGS MADE ON BOBBIN NET OR TWIST LACE MACHINES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Kirk and John Kirk, the younger, both of the
Park Side, Lenton, in the County of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturers,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR PRODUCTION
Sealed the 24th March 1868, and dated the 25th September 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Kirk, and John
Kirk, the younger, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 25th September 1867.
We, JOHN KIRK, and JOHN KIRK, the younger, both of the Park Side,
Lenton, in the County of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturers, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OR
PRODUCTION OF LACE OR WEAVINGS MADE ON BOBBIN NET OR TWIST LACE
MACHINES," to be as follows:-
Heretofore all attempts at producing weavings in bobbin net or twist lace
machines have been made either with warp threads and bobbin threads, or
with bobbin threads and gimp threads (that is, with thicker threads supplied
from a beam or beams), or with bobbin threads alone. Either of these
methods necessitates the employment of a number of bobbin threads to the
woven portion of each breadth of fabric produced on the machine.
_

page_text: warp
Now our Invention consists in making the woven portion of each breadth
by means of the warp threads alone without the employment of bobbin threads
intervening between the selvages or edges of the woven portions of each
breadth, but at each extremity or selvage of such woven portions we employ
one or more bobbin threads to twist with the warp thread or threads, as in
the ordinary way. The number of warp threads which we employ to make
the woven portion of each breadth will of course depend upon the width and
also upon the closeness of the work of the woven portion. One, two, or more
of these warp threads we employ to form a weft or wefts, two threads being
more available for spreading the warp threads than one thread. One half of
the remaining warp threads we allow to remain stationary; the other half of
the threads are thrown from the left to the right and from the right to
the left by the bars, through which bars the threads are entered, being
operated upon by the jacquard. Suppose, for example, there are ten points
to every half inch of the width of the machine employed, and to every such
half inch we wish to employ, say, twenty warp threads, we allow one half of
these warp threads to remain stationary, that is, one warp thread to each
point, whilst the other ten, warp threads are thrown from one side of one
selvage carriage thread to the opposite side of the other selvage carriage
thread, the movements of such threads being effected either before or after or
at the same time as the weaving thread or threads are thrown. By these
means we produce a perfect weaving; thus whatever number of warp threads
we use in making a certain width of weaving (the number will vary according
to the closeness of the weaving required), we allow half of the threads
employed to remain stationery, and we throw the other half of the threads
according to the width of the selvages alternately in the front of the front]
weaving thread (where more than one weaving thread is used, and then we
throw the threads at the back of the back weaving thread, such movements
either securing or weaving the warp threads which remain stationary..
The arrangement, disposition, or placing of the selvage warp threads which
twist with the selvage carriage threads forms an important part of our Inven-
tion. In the weaving, for instance, if we wish to bring half the warp threads
employed in the front of the front weaving thread or threads we cause the
guide bars (which are actuated by the jacquard), to carry the moveable warp
threads over the points above the selvage thread or threads which are placed
at the back of the moveable warp threads and in front of the selvage threads
to the right when the carriages are in the back, and when we require the
same warp threads to be placed behind the back weaving thread or threads we
throw the moveable warp threads below the left selvage thread or threads

page_text: which are placed at the front of the moveable warp threads when the selvage
carriage threads are in front of the machine. Thus we are enabled to produce
a weaving with any requisite number of warp threads in each width or breadth
of work produced on the machine without the aid of bobbin threads other than
those used to twist with the selvage warp thread or threads, or of those used
to form the required pattern or edge on one or both sides of each breadth of
weaving produced on the machine.
The machine and the apparatus connected therewith do not differ from those
usually employed, with the following exceptions:-One or more of the warp
beams carrying the warp threads which are thrown from outside to outside of
each selvage of the woven portion are arranged so as to give out and take up
a portion of such threads at each motion of the machine. This giving out
and taking up action may be effected by means of a cord or string passed
round one end of each beam and secured to a coiled or other spring at one
end; its other end is provided with a weight or weights. But the giving out
and taking up action may be effected by any means usually employed for that
purpose in what is called the warp net machine. Also, certain of the bobbin
threads employed have increased tension placed upon them either by - the
carriage springs or by passing the threads through holes or through a series
of holes in the carriages employed.
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 25th March 1868...
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN KIRK;
and JOHN KIRK, the younger, both of the Park Side, Lenton, in the County of
Nottingham, Lace Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven; in the thirty-first 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, Her special licence, that'
we, the said John Kirk, and John Kirk, the younger, our executors, adminis-
trators, 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

page_text: 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 OR PRODUCTION OF LACE 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 our 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:-
Heretofore all attempts at producing weavings in bobbin net or twist lace
machines have been made either. with warp. threads and bobbin threads or
with bobbin threads and gimp threads (that is, with thicker, threads supplied
from a beam or beams) or with bobbin threads alone; either of these methods
necessitates the employment of a number of bobbin threads to the woven
portion of each breadth of fabric produced in the machines.
Now our Invention consists in making the woven portion of each breadth
by means of the warp threads alone without the employment of bobbin
threads intervening between the selvages or edges of the woven portions of
each breadth, but at each extremity or selvage of such woven portion we
employ one or more bobbin threads to twist with the warp thread or threads
as in the ordinary way. The number of warp threads which we employ to
make the woven portion of each breadth will of course depend upon the
width and also upon the closeness of the work of the woven portion; one,
two, or more of these said warp threads we employ to form a weft or wefts,
(two threads being more available for spreading the warp threads than one
thread), one half of the warp threads we allow to remain stationary, the
other half of the warp threads are thrown from the left to the right, and
from the right to the left, by the bars, through which bars the threads are
entered, being operated upon by the jacquard; suppose, for example, there are
ten points to every half inch of the width of the machine employed, and to
every such half inch we wish to employ, say, twenty warp threads, we allow
one half of these warp threads to remain stationary, that is, one warp thread
to each point, whilst the other ten warp threads are thrown from one side

page_text: of one selvage carriage thread to the opposite side of the other selvage
carriage thread, the movements of such threads being effected either before.
or after or at the same time as the weaving thread or threads are thrown..
By these means we produce a perfect weaving, thus whatever number of
warp threads we use in making a certain width of weaving (the number
will vary according to the closeness of the weaving required) we allow half
of the threads employed to remain stationary, and we throw the other half
of the threads according to the width of the selvages alternately in the front
of the front weaving thread (where more than one weaving thread is used),
and then we throw the threads at the back of the back weaving thread, such
movements either securing or weaving the warp threads which remain stationary.
The arrangement or placing of the selvage warp threads which twist with.
the selvage carriage threads, forms an important part of our Invention.
In the weavings, for instance, if we wish to bring half the warp threads
employed in the front of the front weaving thread or threads we cause the
guide bars (which are. actuated by the jacquard) to carry the movable warp
threads over the points above the selvage thread or threads which are placed
at the back of the moveable warp threads, and in front of the selvage threads
to the right when the carriages are in the back. And when we require the
same warp threads to be placed behind the back weaving thread or threads,.
we throw the moveable warp threads below the left selvage thread or threads
which are placed at the front of the moveable warp threads when the selvage
carriage threads are in front of the machine. Thus we are enabled to produce
a weaving with any requisite number of warp threads in each width or
breadth of work produced on the machine without the aid of bobbin threads
other than those used to twist with the selvage warp thread or threads, or
of those used to form the required pattern or edge on one or both sides of
each breadth of weaving produced on the machine. The machine and the
apparatus connected therewith do not differ from those usually employed
with the following exceptions:-One or more of the warp beams carrying
the threads which are thrown from outside to outside of each selvage
of the woven portion are arranged so as to give out and take up a portion of
such threads at each motion of the machine. This giving out and taking up
action may be effected by means of a cord or string passed round one end of
each beam, such cord or string being secured to a coiled or other spring at
one end, and the other end of the cord or string is provided with a weight or
weights, but the giving out and taking up of the warp threads may be
effected by any means usually employed for that purpose in what is called
the warp net machine. Also certain of the bobbin threads employed have
warp

page_text: increased tension placed upon them either by the carriage springs or by
passing the threads through holes or through a series of holes in the carriages
employed: The warp beams are arranged in rows either horizontally or
vertically or in clusters in the usual or well known way.
In carrying out our Invention we sometimes prefer to place half or all
the carriages between the two selvage carriages, and thus produce a similar
weaving, the main difference being that we require a separate weaving thread
for each carriage introduced between the two selvage carriages. The
stationary warp threads would not require any alteration in the placing of
them but the moveable warp threads instead of being moved from one.
selvage carriage to the other selvage carriage would have only to be moved
over one carriage when all the carriages were placed between the two
selvage carriages and over two carriages when half the carriages were in
We should use this mode only when any very extensive width of breadths
was required as we prefer the manner of weaving without the employment of:
the carriages other than those employed on the, selvages.
Having now described: the nature of the said Invention and in what
manner the same. may be performed .we declare that we claim,
The manufacture or production of lace or weavings made on bobbin 'net
or twist lace machines substantially as described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Kirk, and John Kirk, the
younger, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-third
day of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-eight.
Witness,
GEO. JON. ROBINSON,
166 Patent Office,"
Nottingham.
JOHN KIRK.
(L.S.)
JOHN KIRK, THE YOUNGER. (L.S.)