IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY, AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH, FOR EMBROIDERING OR ORNAMENTING WOVEN, LOOPED, OR LACE FABRICS
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Twells, of the Town and County of the
Town of Nottingham, Mechanist, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY, AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH, FOR EMBROIDERING
OR ORNAMENTING WOVEN, LOOPED, OR LACE FABRICS."
Sealed the 11th April 1860, and dated the 12th October 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Twells at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 12th
October 1859.
I, THOMAS TWELLS, of the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham,.
Mechanist, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY, AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH, FOR EMBROIDERING
OR ORNAMENTING WOVEN, LOOPED, OR LACE FABRICS," to be as follows:-
The first part of my Invention consists in the introduction of a grooved
needle, with one, two, or more eyes fixed in a spindle or needle carriage,
having a rectilinear motion through the fabric. When the needle is elevated
or passed through the fabric, a bobbin and carriage passing through the
thread within the needle groove, from the backward to the forward motion,
will then move laterally in a comb bar fixed to receive the carriage, and will
be passed to the backward motion; the comb bar then moving laterally, will:

page_text: move the carriage round the thread, so that it places one or more laps or
twists round the thread passing through the grooved needle, which has a
rectilinear motion.
In explaining the second part of my Invention, I have to state, that I
move the material from right to left, and also from back to front as follows:
-The grooved needle, when the work is moving to the right hand, stands
with the groove to the left hand, and when the work is moving to the left
hand, the groove stands to the right hand, hence, if the work be moving
backward and to the right, or to the front and to the right, the needle will
not require to change its position; and in moving the material to the left
hand, the same or similar operations will be effected to the right hand.
In the third part of my Invention, I use the ordinary barb needle, fixed in
a stem or lead, in contradistinction to one revolving. The barb needle passes
through the fabric, receives its thread from the guide or thread layer, and, in
receding, the barb is pressed down by a presser, moving in a lateral direction.
When withdrawn from the work, an instrument having an excentric motion
descends, and holds the loop on the needle stem until the needle has pierced
the fabric in its forward motion; the instrument is then withdrawn, and
allowed to remain in its then position until the needle is withdrawn to form a
second loop.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Twells in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th April 1860.
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
TWELLS, of the Town and County of the Town of Nottingham, Mechanist,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth 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 Thomas Twells, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas Twells, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas
Twells, 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

page_text: Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY, AND
APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH, FOR EMBROIDERING OR ORNAMENTING WOVEN,
LOOPED, OR LACE FABRICS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Thomas Twells, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Thomas Twells, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The first part of my Invention consists in the introduction of a grooved
needle, with one, two, or more eyes, fixed in a spindle or needle carriage,
having a rectilinear motion through the fabric. When the needle is elevated
"ör passed through the fabric, a bobbin and carriage passing through the thread
within the needle groove, from the backward to the forward motion, will then
move laterally in a comb bar fixed to receive the carriage, and will be passed
to the backward motion; the comb bar then moving laterally will move
the carriage round the thread, so that it places one or more laps or twists
round the thread passing through the grooved needle, which has a rectilinear
motion.
In explaining the second part of my Invention, I have to state, that I
move the material from right to left, and also from back to front, as follows:
The grooved needle, when the work is moving to the right hand, stands'
with the groove to the left hand, and when the work is moving to the left
hand, the groove stands to the right hand'; hence, if the work be moving
backward and to the right, or to the front and to the right, the needle will
not require to change its position. In moving the material to the left hand;
the same or similar operations will be effected to the right hand.
In the third part of my Invention I use the ordinary barb needle, fixed' in-
the stem or lead, in contradistinction to one revolving. The barb needle
passes through the fabric, receives its thread from the guide or thread-layer,
and, in receding, the barb is pressed down by a presser moving in. a lateral
direction. When withdrawn from the work, an instrument having an excentric
motion descends, and holds the loop on the needle stem until the needle has
pierced the fabric in its forward motion; the instrument is then withdrawn,

page_text: and allowed to remain in its then position until the needle is withdrawn, to
form a second loop.
I now proceed to explain my Invention more particularly, and to exemplify
the mode of performing the same, with reference to the accompanying
Drawings.
Sheet 1, Figure 1, represents that portion of the machine comprised in the
first and second part of my Invention, and which, in the present instance,
is shewn vertically; but the same can be applied horizontally.
Sheet 2
represents the cams for the same, drawn the full size.
Sheet 3, Figure 2, represents a front view of the machine according to the
third part of my Invention, and having the jacquard attached to it, which
gives the requisite movements to certain parts.
Sheet 4, Figure 3, represents the left-hand end view, and Figure 4 the
right-hand end view of the machine. Sheet 5, Figure 5, represents a view
of part of the machine cut through the centre, partly in section; Figure 6
represents the needle lead and needle, and Figure 7 the stump a and the
forked stump b; Figure 8 represents a portion of the two bars in which the
nippers are soldered, and Figure 9 a front view of the knife. Sheet 6 shows!
the whole of the cams on the main shaft, and Sheet 7 shews the cams on the
short shaft at the right-hand end of the machine, and the wheels at the left-
hand end. The Figures on Sheets 3 and 4 are drawn one-fourth of the full
size, and those on Sheets 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7 are drawn the full size. The
several corresponding parts. being lettered alike, the following description will
be applicable to each.
Description of machinery to which the first and second parts of my Invention
relate. The following is a description of that portion of the machinery shown
on Sheet 1, Figure 1, which illustrates the first and second parts of my Invention.
A represents a portion of the end casting and bracket B, and bearings B', in
which slide the bolt bars C, to which are screwed the carriage bolts D in which
the carriage E is free to slide vertically from D to D. Above and below the
bars C are two slotted bearings screwed to the end castings for carrying the
bars F, on each of which is fixed an axle passing through the slot and also
through the connecting links G, which are free to rise and fall in the slots.
On the bars F are screwed the drivers H and also the pins I, which pins are
free to slide up and down the angular slotted levers K which are thrown in
and out by means. of the rods L, which rods, with the connecting links G,
descend to the lower part of the machine and are attached to levers, moved by
suitable cams;,M is a bearing through which passes the slide rod N, on which
the needle carriage bracket O is free.to slide from back to front carrying the

page_text: needle carriage P with it, on each side whereof are screwed the bearings in
which the needle spindle Q is free to revolve. The back end of the spindle Q
has a pinion T, which is moved by a toothed rack actuated by the jacquard or
other suitable contrivance, At the back of the pinion is screwed a stop
plate U; near the front bearing of the spindle Q is a small brass disc R;
through which is cut a semicircular aperture for the thread to pass through to
the first eye of the needle S, through which it is passed along the groove and
through the eye near the point of the needle. In the carriage E is inserted a
bobbin E¹, held in by a verge and spring; the bobbin contains one of the
threads with which the fabric is to be embroidered; V, V, represents a portion
of the fabric which is wound on rollers and is more fully described herein
after. The movements collectively are as follows:-The needle carriage
being in the position shewn moved by the main driving cam has passed the
needle through the fabric, the cam No. 1º, depresses the connecting link G,,
which causes the bar F, carrying the drivers H, to descend and lower the
carriage. through and between the thread from the bobbin S¹ and the needles S.
into the lower bolt D, during its passage downward it is taking hold of by the,
bottom driver H, at the same time' the upper driver is lifted out of the upper
neb of the carriage, leaving the carriage free to be brought down to the;
bottom of the bolt by the lower connecting link G, moved by can No. 2ª.
The drivers are taken in and out, where required, by means of the angular,
slotted levers K, K, moved by the rod L, attached to the cams No. 3" and.
No. 4. The bolt bars C move laterally, thus causing the carriage on its,
upward motion to lay its thread on the outside of the thread of the bobbin S',:
the movements being repeated any number of times required before the needle.
is withdrawn through the fabric..
Description of the machinery to which the third part of my Invention:
relates. Sheet 3 is a front view of the machine according to the third part of:
my Invention, the several parts being shown in the position they occupy when
the needle is withdrawn to the back. A, A, are the end castings, connected,
by tie bars B, B, B, and B'. On the centre rail of the castings are fixed two
bearings M, through which passes the slide rod N, on which the needle
carriage bracket O, is free to slide from back to front carrying the needle
bar P, on which are screwed the needle leads and needles, Figure 6, Sheet 5,
moved by cam No. 5. in its backward motion, and forward by cam No. 2.,
Qis the stump bar, in which are soldered the stumps 7 or 7b, the bar being:
moved by the link Q', connected to an arm secured on the rocking shaft Q
moved up and down by cam No: 13, and right and left by cam No. 12 on the
small shaft at the right hand end of the machine. The stumps lie between

page_text: the stationary brasses Qs, supported by a bar secured to brackets screwed to
the tie rail B; the front brass is slotted to admit the needle passing through in
the backward and forward motion, the back brass being just the height of the
under side of the needle; R is a bar on which are screwed the knives or cutters
Figure 9, Sheet 5, the bar moving horizontally in bearings screwed to the tie
bar B¹, to which bar are also screwed brackets which support the presser bar S
carrying the presser blade S¹, and a grooved steel Ss for the knife blade 0
work in; the presser bar S, and the presser blade S¹, and groove S² have a
movement to the right and left communicated by the portions shewn on each
side of cam No. 14. T are the two nippers, which are inserted in bars
sliding upon the bar T¹, and are moved in and out by the link T, connected to
the cam No. 9, Sheet 6, the nipper bars have an upward and downward motion
given them by an arm and lever T³, shewn in Figure 3, Sheet 4, and moved by
cam No. 4, Sheet 6.
The nippers have two other movements imparted to them in the following
manner: The cam, No. 1, Sheet 6, gives motion to the lever T' carrying the
driver, which moves the ratchet wheel No. 1 (Figure 3, Sheet 4), which causes the
shaft T³ to revolve with the wheel T, which moves the nipper bars to the right
and left. The rachet wheel No. 2 on the shaft T, moves the clawker T', which
gives movement to the rachet wheel, and cam No. 17, which causes the nippers to
open and shut; U is a bar carrying the guide or thread layer U', which is free to
rise and fall on the axle U2 in the arm Us on the shaft U* moved by the link U³,
connected to the cam No. 15 which moves the thread layer in and out; U is an
arm through which passes a gauge screw resting upon a rising and falling
plate U moved by the rise of the periphery of cam No. 14. The horizontal
motion of the thread layer U is communicated by means of the lever Us
moved by the cam No. 16; V is the bottom work roller upon which the
material to be embroidered is wound, and whence it is passed over V1, V2, V³,
V*, to Vs, upon which it is wound when embroidered by means of a weighted
cord passed round a pulley on the end of the roller V5; W, W, are two slide
bars held together by the braces W', W', the bars freely moving horizontally
in their bearings; on the braces W' are screwed arms which carry the rollers
V, V, V, V; on the left hand end of the rollers V2 and Vs are mitre wheels
which gear into similar wheels on the shaft V; V, is a bearer carrying a
wheel V8, in which are two pins V passing through the mitre wheel on the
roller shaft V, thereby allowing the slide bars W, braces W₁, and rollers
V, V, V, V, V, to move horizontally. The wheel V8 is caused to revolve
backward and forward by a worm on the shaft V°; on which is a ratchet wheel
V driven by four drivers V" placed in and out by tumblers attached to the

page_text: jacquard, a driver on each side moving the ratchet wheel one tooth, and the
other drivers moving it two when required. The wheel V10 causes the material
to be embroidered to move up and down, and the ratchet wheel V12 moves it
right and left, as required, by means of a rack attached to the slide bar brace
5W; V is a main lever carrying the drivers for the rachet wheels V10 and V1,
the lever being moved by cam No. 2, Sheet 6.; V¼ are four drivers placed
near the back end of the main lever; they move the fabric any required dis-
tance from right to left or up and down from one detached figure to another,
the drivers being put in and out by the jacquard; X, X, are two rods with
projections upon them near the lower end that come in contact with the angle
lever Xin its downward motion, which causes the shaft X² to move the crank
attached to the knife R, one rod being struck in the downward motion of the
lever and moving the knife bar to the right, and the other to the left, the rods
being placed in position, as required by the jacquard, the drivers to the rods
X, X, being also moved by the jacquard; Y, Y, are two ratchet wheels for
slackening and tightening the thread from the bobbins, which is passed round the
thread roller Y racked by the lever Y², moved by a pin in cam No. 5. The
movements collectively are as follows:-The needle being brought forward, the
thread layer laps the thread round the needle; as the needle recedes the barb
is put down by the presser before reaching the fabric, the thread being passed
through the fabric double, the stump bar falls holding down the thread upon
the needle stem until the needle is again brought forward to receive another
lap of the thread, it is again taken back and the fabric is moved downward,
and to the right or left hand as the pattern requires, thus producing a stitch
lying in a diagonal direction downward; the needle is again brought forward
and receives another lap and is taken back, and the fabric is moved upward
and to the right or left, thus producing a diagonal stitch pointing upwards,
according as the pattern requires. If the pattern is composed of sprigs, rings,
or spots, or any other detached figure when the head of the needle is with-
drawn level with the fabric the nippers close and hold the thread between
them, the knife bar then moves to the right or left and severs the thread held
by the nippers, the nippers holding the thread until the fabric is moved the
required space to commence another sprig or pattern; the needle is then brought
forward, the thread layer lapping the thread round the needle as before, the
nippers holding the end of the thread fast until two or more laps are placed
upon the needle; as the needle comes forward through the fabric the end held
by the nippers is then lapped round the needle, the thread layer also lapping
round the needle; when the needle head is withdrawn level with the fabric the

page_text: nippers open and allow the end held by them to pass into the fabric, when the
above movements are repeated.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, I declare that what I claim under the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,
First, the use or application of the bobbin and carriage in conjunction with
the revolving needle or with a fixed needle, and the general arrangement and
combination of parts of the machinery shewn at Figure 1, Sheet 1, and herein-
before described:
Second, the use or application of a fixed needle in contradistinction to a
revolving one, and of the nippers, knife, and stumps arranged, as shewn in
Figure 5, Sheet 5, or in any other convenient manner.
Third, the arrangement and combination of parts of machinery constructed
in the manner herein-before described, and exemplified in the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Twells, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
Witness,
GEO. JON. ROBINSON,
Patent Agent,
Nottingham.
THOMAS TWELLS. (LS.)