AN IMPROVED AND ECONOMICAL METHOD OF COMBINING MACHINERY USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LACE, IN WEAVING AND IN SPINNING, WORKED BY POWER
Year: 1824

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JoпN
HEATHCOAT, of Tiverton, in the County of Devon, Lace Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth, by His
Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of His United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland called England, bearing date at Westminster, the Ninth
day of March, in the fifth year of His reign, did, for Himself, His heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said John Heathcoat, His especial
license that I, the said John Heathcoat, my exors, admors, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said John Heathcoat, my exors, adiňors, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times during the term of years therein specified, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention for "AN IMPROVED AND ECONOMICAL METHOD
OF COMBINING MACHINERY USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LACE, IN WEAVING AND
IN SPINNING, WORKED BY POWER;" in which said Letters Patent there is contained
a proviso obliging me, the said John Heathcoat, by an instruinent in writing
under my hand and scal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause
the same to be inrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said recited
Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will
more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Heathcoat, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and the following
description thereof; that is to say:
The object of my said Invention is, to diminish the cost of erecting, and
at the same time to improve, the methods of building, warming, ventilating,
and lighting mills or factories; also to increase the facility of overlooking the
machinery and workpeople, and to give greater steadiness to the machines
themselves. The manner in which the same is to be performed is particularly
described and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereunto annexed, and by
the following description thereof :-
Figs. 1 and 4 represent plans, and Figs. 2 and 3 front and side elevations, of
the framework of machines, commonly called bobbin net machines, constructed
and fixed according to the principles hereafter described. The nature of this
construction consists in so combining a given number of machines, that one row
or tier, fixed on the ground floor, may support a second row or tier, that this
second row or tier may support a third, the third a fourth, and so on to any
required or assigned height, without the interposition of arches, pillars, beams,
joists, or floors of any description, as a basis on which to place the several rows or
tiers of machines. Fig. 1 represents the plan of a mill on the top of the first
height of columns, and shews the alleys of communication between the
machines, with the balconies or galleries projecting beyond the columns.
Fig. 2 is an elevation in length exhibiting the line of standards or ends of
the machines, which act as columns of support, and shewing the mode of
supporting the several superior rows or tiers by the connection of the top
and bottom ends of the standards with each other. Fig. 3 is a cross section
exhibiting two tiers of machines with their end galleries, and also the manner
of driving the machines by an upright shaft and bevelled wheels. Fig. 4
is a plan on a larger scale than Fig. 1 of one of the angles of the building,
and exhibits the mode of connecting the machines together, and of carrying
the floor at the angles. A floor of wood, iron, or other material will be laid
upon the cross bars or bearers which connect together the lines of columns.
The end galleries will be carried on brackets attached to the outer columns.
The plan or figure of a set of machines thus combined, and composing a mill
or factory, may be that of a hollow square or other rectangular figure, having
two machines in width, and as many rows or tiers in height, as may be found
convenient. A circular or poligonic figure will also answer the same purpose.
By this arrangement perfect steadiness is ensured to the machines, the whole
fabric being tied together and forming one firm connected structure, without
any dependence on the walls of the building which surrounds it.
In con-

page_text: sequence of this entire insulation of the machinery, the building which
surrounds it is a mere shell, having windows of great width and height, and
the exterior appearance of the mill or factory will be that of a series of large
windows, with pillars of brick or other material dividing them. The interior of
the mill or factory consists of an area open from the floor to the roof, surrounded
on all sides by the several rows or tiers of machines, with the galleries pro-
jecting into the area defended by light railing or trellice work. A superin-
tendant, therefore, stationed in the centre of this area, at a proper elevation,
will command a view of a great proportion of the machines and workpeople.
That portion of the roof which covers the internal area may be supported, if
required, upon the top of the interior row of standards or columns, and the walls
of the building may support the remainder of the roof. In addition to the great
quantity of light derived from the side windows, light may also be admitted into
the area from the roof. By a proper introduction of warmed air, or by other
suitable means, the whole atmosphere of the mill or factory may be brought to
any desired temperature, and ventilation can be effected in a very superior manner
by making proper openings in the pillars between the windows and in the roof
for that purpose. The adaptation of this method of combining machines, though
herein described with reference only to lace machinery, extends also to power
looms and to spinning machinery in general. For the sake of perspicuity
and simplicity in the foregoing description, and in the Drawings hereunto
annexed, the component parts of the lace machines are not introduced. These
parts are attached to or supported by the standards or columns, and the
machines are put in motion by the bevelled wheels and shafts already
described and represented. For the other kinds of machinery referred to, for
which this method of combination is adapted, the columns or standards may
be varied in form and arrangement as may be required. I do not claim as
my Invention the principle of so building a mill or factory as to enable a
superintendant to command a view of every person and of every machine
employed therein (which has been called the panopticon principle); but my
Invention consists in the method of combining machines or machinery upon
the plan and arrangement described in this Specification, in illustration of
which method the Drawings referred to are annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Heathcoat, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Eighth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and twenty-four.
JOHN HEATHCOAT. (L.S.)
JOHN (L.S.)
HEATIICOAT.

page_text: RENDELL, Extra.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eighth day of September, in
the year of our Lord 1824, the aforesaid John Heathcoat came before our
said Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to
the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord Ono
thousand eight hundred and twenty-four.