IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LACE IN TWIST LACE MACHINES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Rainford Ensor, of the Park, Nottingham,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF LACE IN
TWIST LACE MACHINES."
Sealed the 8th May 1868, and dated the 3rd December 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Rainford Ensor
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
3rd December 1867.
I, FREDERICK RAINFORD ENSOR, of the Park, Nottingham, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MANUFACTURE OF LACE IN TWIST LACE MACHINES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of lace
in twist lace machines. The edge of real Valenciennes lace is commonly made
with purl loops each purl consisting of two threads twisted together, or the one
passing under and over the other. The same threads then act as the weft
threads of a narrow band forming the head for the purls, they afterwards twist
together or again pass the one under and over the other, and then weft another
weaving beyond; an edge made in this manner is represented in the Diagram
No. 1. Now according to my Invention I produce such an edge on the

page_text: twist lace machine with the purling threads twisted together both in the purls.
and between the weavings. The Diagram No. 2 shews the method of working,
or in place of making complete twists both in going to and returning from the
purl a simple cross may be substituted for the second twist and a saving of
motions is thus effected. The Diagram No. 3 shews the method of working.
The edge produced is represented by the Diagram No. 4. Or again crosses
may be substituted for both the twists between the weavings; by this means
the number of motions is further reduced. The method of working is indicated
by the Diagram No. 5. The Diagram No. 6 shews the edge produced by
working according to the Diagram No. 5.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Frederic Rainford Ensor in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 3rd June 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERIC
RAINFORD ENSOR, of the Park, Nottingham, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Third day of December, 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 me, the
said Frederic Rainford Ensor, Her special licence that I, the said Frederic
Rainford Ensor, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Frederic Rainford Ensor, 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 IN TWIST LACE MACHINES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Frederic Rainford
Ensor, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hauds 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 sanie 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 Frederic Rainford Eusor, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to

page_text: 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
in twist lace machines. The edge of real Valenciennes lace is commonly made
with purl loops, each purl consisting of two threads twisted together, or the
one passing under and over the other. The same threads then act as the
weft threads of a narrow band forming the heads for the purls, they after-
wards twist together, or again pass the one under and over the other and then
weft another weaving beyond. An edge made in this manner is represented
in the Diagram 1 in the annexed Sheet of Drawings. Now according to my.
Invention I produce such an edge in the twist lace machine with the purling
threads twisted together both in the purls and between the weavings. The
Diagram 2 shows in the way well understood by machine lace makers the
method of working, or in place of making complete twists both in going to
and returning from the purl a simple cross may be substituted for the second
twist and a saving of motions is thus effected. The Diagram 3 shows the
method of working. The edge produced is represented by the Diagram 4; or
again crosses may be substituted for both the twists between the weavings ;
by this means the number of motions is further reduced. The method of
working is indicated by the Diagram 5. The Diagram 6 shows the edge pro-
duced by working according to the Diagram 5. The examination of these
Diagrams will show that the narrow weaving forming the head for the purls,"
and the wider weaving beyond, are both wefted by the bobbins acting like the
shuttles of a loom, that is to say, at the time when either of the bobbins passes
between the warp threads, which are the longitudinal threads of the weaving,
in order to lay in its thread as a weft to the weaving,. the alternate warp or
longitudinal threads are on opposite sides of the bobbin, so that the bobbin
passes between them as a shuttle passes between the warp threads in, an
ordinary loom. My Invention is only applicable when the bands are thus
woven. The manner of working can be clearly traced in the Diagram 1ª in
which each traverse the bobbin threads make (according to the Diagram 2) to
produce the fabric shown at Diagram 1 is delineated together with the corre-"
sponding positions of the warp threads. It will also be observed that accord-
ing to my Invention the desired twists and crossings of the wefting threads are
obtained by employing the wefting bobbins in suitable order to lay in their
weft, and in conjunction therewith so working that whilst one of the wefting
bobbins lays in its weft into one or other of the weaving the thread of' the
other wefting bobbin is lapped around the warp threads of such weaving; this
is the essential feature of my Invention, and without departing therefrom the

page_text: details of the operation may be to some extent varied; thus, for example,
Diagram 7 indicates another way of producing the fabric represented by
Diagram 1, but with fewer motions.
Diagram 8 shows another way of producing the fabric represented by
Diagram 4, but with fewer motions, and. Diagram 9 shows another way of
producing the fabric represented by Diagram 6, but with fewer motions.
Again, Diagram 10 represents another way of producing the fabric shown
by Diagram 1.
Diagram 11 shows the method of producing the fabric shown by
Diagram 12, which fabric apparently differs but not really so from that shown
by Diagram 4; Diagram 12 being a representation of the back of Diagram 4
with the upper part or twist undermost or upside down, so Diagram 11 is
also another way of producing the fabric shown at Diagram 4.
Diagram 13 shows another way of producing the fabric represented by
Diagram 6. In all these variations however it will be observed that the
means resorted to to obtain the required twists and crossings are similar.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederic Rainford Ensor, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witness,
HENRY SIMPSON,
94, Waverley St.,
Nottingham.
FREDERIC RAINFORD ENSOR. (L.S.)