IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED IN THE CUTTING OFF THE SUPERFLUOUS THREADS OR FIBRES FROM SPOTS, SPRIGS, OR OTHER DEVICES MADE ON LACE OR OTHER FABRICS
Year: 1868

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Ball, the younger, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th December 1868.
I, JOHN BALL, the younger, of the Town and County of the Town
of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
IN THE CUTTING OFF THE SUPERFLUOUS THREADS OR FIBRES FROM SPOTS, SPRIGS,
OR OTHER DEVICES MADE ON LACE OR OTHER FABRICS," to be as follows:-
There are two standards, one at each end of the machine. Each
standard has three vertical arms. The standards are connected by tie
bars near the lower part. The front vertical arms of the standards are
also connected at their upper ends by a tie bar, the tops of the back
arms are also connected by a tie bar. The upper ends of the central
vertical arms are connected by a tie bar, which is formed with a knife
edge on the top side and in front of the last-mentioned tie bar, but is.
placed somewhat lower in another bar which has a rounded smooth edge
on the top side. This bar is also secured to the front of the central
vertical arms and below the last-mentioned bar. There are projections.

page_text: The
on the central arm both at the back and front, which form bearings for
the axles of two rollers; one at the front of the centre of the machine
and one at the back of the centre of the machine; and against each of
these rollers is pressed another roller, which rollers lie in bearings
which rock upon axles attached to the inner side of the front and back
vertical arms, and are pressed to the other rollers by notched weighted
levers at each end of the machine. All or some of these four rollers
are covered with wire, card, leather, or other convenient material. On
the axle of the roller lying on the back of the central vertical arms is a
toothed wheel driven by a worm on the upper end of a vertical shaft
lying in bearings attached to the central vertical arm. The shaft has a
speed pulley at its lower end round which a cord or belt is passed; the
cord or belt is also passed round a similar pulley on the driving shaft
which is carried in bearings at the back of the vertical arms.
opposite end of the driving shaft is furnished with fast and loose pulleys
which lie between the standards, and outside the left back vertical arm
the driving shaft projects and carries a pulley round which a belt or
cord is passed, which also passes over two other pulleys which turn upon
axles secured to the back vertical arm. From these pulleys the belt is
passed round a pulley on the end of the shaft or axle of a knife roller
which is caused to revolve by the strap or cord. This knife roller is
provided with any required number of knives or cutters, which are
coiled round the roller diagonally in the direction of its length; each of
these knives stand out from the circumference of the roller and radiates
from its centre. Each knife may have a smooth edge or a sickle toothed
edge on one side. This roller has its knife edges in close proximity to
the knife-edged tie bar before mentioned, and is supported in bearings
adjustable vertically and horizontally in a bracket at each end of the
machine. These brackets are also capable of adjustment on the ends
of a strong horizontal bar, to the under side of which bar is secured by
screws a thin plate, the front edge of which lies near to the top edge of
the knife-edged tie bar. This thin plate is adjustable by means of a
screw and lock nuts at the centre of the strong horizontal bar; the screw
passes through a stretcher rod secured at each end near the ends of the
strong bar, each end of which is carried by an arm swinging on an axle
carried by a bracket adjustable on the top of the back vertical arms of
the standards. The brackets which are carried by each end of the
strong bar have (when the machine is at work) their front ends resting
upon screw pins adjustable on the top of the tie bar which connects the

page_text: tops of the front vertical arms. The brackets carrying the bearings of
the knife roller also carry adjustable bearings for a brush roller. The
bristles, hair, wire, or other material of which the brush is composed
project from the roller in the reverse angle to the knives of the knife
roller. This brush roller is driven by a belt passed round a pulley on
its own axle and another pulley on the axle of the knife roller.
By the above arrangement and construction the brackets, knife rollers,
brush roller, strong bar, and thin blade may be raised quite clear of the
knife-edged tie bar, and the lace or other fabric to be operated upon
if wider or longer than the length of the cutting blades may be passed
clear out at each end of the machine, both at the front and back through
the spaces formed by the three vertical arms at each end of the machine.
The lace or other fabric is passed between the front pair of rollers and
over the round smooth edge tie bar, where it is operated upon by the
brush roller under which it passes. This brush roller brushes or raises
up the threads or fibres to be cut off the fabric, then passes over the
knife-edged bar and under the knife roller, passing in front of the edge
of the thin plate down to and between the two rollers at the back of the
central vertical arm, which two rollers draw the fabric over the knife-
edged tie bar, where the fabric is operated upon by the knives on the
knife roller, the raised threads and fibres being cut off by the knives.
The fabric is held tight at the front and back by the relative pressure of
each pair of rollers between which the fabric passes; and I can take
the lace or fabric either crosswise or lengthwise, that is to say, from
selvage to selvage, or from end to end of the lace, piece, or fabric. I
also propose to employ two beams, one at each side of the machine, to
receive the lace or fabric both before and after it has been operated upon
by the machine.