IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Topham and Jabez Topham, both of St.
Pierre-le-Calais, in the Republic of France, and Frederick Topham,
of Nottingham, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
M
Sealed the 23rd October 1871, and dated the 27th July 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Topham, Jabez
Topham, and Frederick Topham at the Office of the Commis-
sioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 27th July 1874.
WO, ALFRED TOPшAм and JABEZ TOPHAM, both of St. Pierre-le-Calais,
in the Republic of France, and FREDERICK TOPHAM, of Nottingham, do
hereby declare_the_nature-of-the-said-Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF TWIST LACE UPON TWIST LACE MACHINES," to be as
follows:-
This Invention has for its object to produce upon twist lace machines
a groundwork or tissue in imitation of hand-made lace, with a relatively
less number of motions than herotofore, and this we effect by arranging

page_text: and working the threads in such manner as to produce a new con-
struction of mesh.
In order to produce this groundwork or tissue we employ two warp
threads to each bobbin thread; one of each pair of warp threads we
arrango to traverse continuously from right to loft and left to right
across the breadth or portion of the breadth of lace desired to be made,
and twist successively with each of the bobbin threads in that breadth.
The other warp thread of each pair is not traversed in this manner, but
works continuously to the right and left of its own bobbin thread, and
in each alternate pillar these warp threads rise and fall in contrary:
directions; that is, when one is up the others in the pillars on either sido
are down, and vice versa. By this means when the threads are properly
weighted a groundwork or tissue is produced, combining firmness of
texture with similarity of appearance to hand-made lace. A ground-
work may also, if desired, be produced with but four motions to cach
hole or mesh, whereas to produce an equally good holo or mesh six
motions at least have heretofore been required.
We also produce a groundwork or tissue by employing three warp
threads to cach bobbin thread, two of these warp threads being caused
to work with two bobbin threads, only somewhat as in ordinary doublo
warp cross groundwork, whilst the third warp thread works to the right
and left of one bobbin thread only, and sorves to noose the crossings of
the ground, as when producing the mesh first described, in place of
each of the warp threads by which the crossings are formed acting in
turn as a noosing thread, as in some groundworks heretofore mado.
By this means also each hole or mesh may, if desired; be produced with
but four motions.
Designs may be produced upon or in combination with groundwork
produced in either of the ways herein before described in the ordinary
manner, either by means of gimping and thick threads or by variations
in the construction of the mesh, so as to produce finings or opaquo
effects.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Topham, Jabez Topham, and Frederick
Topham in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th January
1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, ÅLFRED
TOPпAM and JABEZ TOPHAM, both of St. Pierre-le-Calais, in the Republic
of France, and FREDERICK TOPHAM, of Nottingham, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of July, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in
the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto us, the said Alfred Topham, Jabez
Topham, and Frederick Topham, Her special license that we, tho said
Alfred Topham, Jabez Topham, and Frederick Topham, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Alfred
Topham, Jabez Topham, and Frederick Topham, our executors, admini-
strators, 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 TWIST LACE UPON TWIST LACE MACHINES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that we, the said Alfred Topham, Jabez
Topham, and Frederick Topham, our executors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under our, or their hands and seals, or
under the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 tho 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 Alfred Topham, on behalf of myself
and the said Jabez Topham and Frederick Topham, 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, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its obiect to produco upon twist lace machines

page_text: a groundwork or tissue in imitation of hand-made lace, with a relatively
less number of motions than heretofore, and this we effect by arranging
and working or intersecting the threads in such manner as to produce a
new construction of mesh.
In order to produce this ground or tissue, of which we annex a
Diagram to this our Specification, we employ two warp threads to each
bobbin thread. One of these two warp throads in each case we arrange
to traverso continuously from right to left and left to right across the
breadth or a portion of the breadth required to be made, twisting in
succession with each bobbin thread in such breadth or portion of a
breadth. These warp threads all twist during the same motions of the
machine, but in contrary directions upon cach alternate pillar. Thus
the scrips of threads traversing for the time being from right to left
twist in a contrary direction to the series of threads traversing for the
time being from left to right. Also they all traverse during the same
motions of the machine, but each alternate thread in a contrary direction
across each (for the time being) pair of carriago threads, thus forming
a crossing of two threads at the top and bottom of cach hole of the
lace or tissue, somewhat as in the ordinary double warp twist lace
fabrics.
The remaining series of one warp thread to cach bobbin thread do not
traverse as in the series before described, but each warp thread (when
producing a four-motion groundwork) works continuously and alter-
nately two motions to the right and two motions to the left of the
samo bobbin thread, ant at each alternate pillar these warp threads
rise and fall in contrary directions during the same motion of the
machine. The purpose of this series of threads is to noose or draw
together the crossings of the groundwork or tissue formed by the
traversing threads, as before described.
The series of noosing threads may be placed either at the front or
back of the series of threads that traverse, and supposing them to be
placed at the front the traversing of the warp threads to produco the
crossings takes place when the carriages are in the back, or vice versa.
At the time of the crossing of the warp threads the two noosing threads
of each pair of carriages over which the crossing is made stand in the
centre of the pairs of carriages, having been placed thereon the previous
motion, and they return to their former positions the motion afterwards,

page_text: where they remain until the motion after the next crossing has taken
place, for which the carriages are differently paired. Thus each noosing
thread continuously and alternately works to the right and left of the
same carriage thread.
. We prefer to place the traversing threads. and the noosing threads
upon two different warp beams, and when so placed and properly
weighted by the manner of working heretofore described we produce a
groundwork of lace or tissue at four or more motions to the hole,
possessing great firmness of texture, with an appearance closely resem-
bling hand-made lace, and superior to imitations of hand-made lace
hitherto produced at considerably more motions to the hole. In pro-
ducing this mesh or tissue we do not necessarily require any change in
the machinery other than in the special arrangement of the warp
threads, and the adaptation of the mechanism to give the motions
described to the warp bars in which these warp threads are carried.
This, a competent workman, after reading the foregoing description, will
readily do, and he will understand that if ho desires to produce the
groundwork or tissue at more than four motions to the hole he may do
so by increasing the number of twisting motions to the extent he
requires. He will also be able to produce upon or in combination with
this groundwork or tissue designs or ornamental effects by means of
gimping or thick threads, or by introducing finings or other opaque
effects.
We claim the lace ground or tissue produced, substantially as

page_text: Red lines are bobbin threads.
Black lines are noosing threads.
the others traverse warps.
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