IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FABRICS IN TWIST LACE MACHINERY
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clarke, of the Town of Nottingham, Manu-
facturer, and Samuel Butler, of the same Town, also Manufacturer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FABRICS IN
TWIST LACE MACHINERY."
Sealed the 26th February 1861, and dated the 17th October 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clarke and Samuel
Butler at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 17th October 1860.
!
We, WILLIAM CLARKE, of the Town of Nottingham, Manufacturer, and
SAMUBL BUTLER, of the same Town, also Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for " IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FABRICS
IN TWIST LACE MACHINERY," to be as follows:-
Our Invention has for its object a method of producing close or tabby
weavings in pattern in conjunction or combination with twisted purls in twist
lace machinery. We are aware that in the production of close or tabby
weavings in twist lace machinery various combinations of threads have hereto-
fore been employed, as, for instance, two warp threads acting as weft threads
with other threads; also two bobbin threads acting as weft threads, and also
one: warp thread acting together with one bobbin thread as weft.. And our
improvements consist in the production of the character of weaving referred to

page_text: by the use of only one bobbin or carriage thread to act as a weft thread with
series of warp threads in the production of plain or tabby weavings in pattern
in twist lace machinery. And in the combination of extra warp threads with
such bobbin weft thread for the production of twisted purl, by the bobbin
thread first passing through those warp threads with which it produces tabby
weaving, and then twisting with the extra warp for purl. These extra warp
threads are supplied from extra beams or spools, in such manner as to admit of
warp being drawn off them in quantity, such as with the bobbin thread, to
produce the desired double or other twisted purl; and we use as many sets of
these warp threads as may be required to form various patterns in lace, each set
of warp threads having its single bobbin weft to form the transverse weaving.
These extra warp threads are also capable of being traversed diagonally, and
after working with one of these bobbin wefts for a time, may be traversed and
worked with the next or neighbouring bobbin weft thread, and so on as may
be required to form the various patterns desired to be made; we also use the
purl threads and other extra threads, if needed, in the production of spotting,
both on the purls and in various other parts of the fabric, as well as introduce
into the patterns of fabrics thick threads and other ornamental work.
By these means a great number of vertical threads can be used to produce
a dense or rich appearance in the figure without extra motions, and with
economy of time and general economy of manufacture.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clarke and Samuel Butler in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th April 1861..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
CLARKE, of the Town of Nottingham, Manufacturer, and SAMUEL. BUTLER, of
the same Town, also Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us;
the said William Clarke and. Samuel Butler, Her special licence that
we, the said William Clarke and Samuel Butler, our executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said William Clarke
and Samuel, Butler, our executors, administrators, and. assigns, should at

page_text: 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FABRICS IN TWIST LACE MACHINERY," upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said William Clarke and Samuel
Butler, 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 the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said William Clarke and Samuel
Butler, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:
Our Invention has for its object à method of producing close or tabby
weavings in pattern in conjunction or combination with twisted purls in twist
lace machinery. We are aware that in the production of close or tabby
weavings in twist lace machinery various combinations of threads have hereto-
fore been employed, as, for instance, two warp threads acting as weft threads
with other threads, also two bobbin threads acting as weft threads, and also
one warp thread acting together with one bobbin thread as weft. And our
improvements consist in the production of the character of weaving referred to
by the use of only one bobbin or carriage thread to act as a weft thread with
series of warp threads in the production of plain or tabby weavings in pattern
in twist lace machinery; and in the combination of extra warp threads with
such bobbin weft thread for the production of twisted purl, by the bobbin
thread first passing through those warp threads with which it produces tabby
weaving, and then twisting with the extra warp for purl. These extra warp
threads are supplied from extra beams or spools, in such manner as to admit
of warp being drawn off them in quantity, such as with the bobbin thread, to
produce the desired double or other twisted-purl; and we use as many sets of
these warp threads as may be required to form various patterns in lace, each
5 set of warp threads having its single bobbin weft to form the transverse weaving.
These extra warp threads are also capable of being traversed diagonally, and
after working with one of these bobbin wefts for a time, may be traversed and
work with the next or neighbouring bobbin weft thread, and so on, as may be
required to form the various patterns desired to be made. We also use the

page_text: purl threads and other extra threads, if needed, in the production of spotting,
both on the purls and in various other parts of the fabric, as well as introduce
into the patterns of fabrics thick threads and other ornamental work.
By these means a great number of vertical threads can be used to produce
a dense or rich appearance in the figure without extra motions, and with
economy of time and general economy of manufacture.
.
But that our improvements may be more fully understood, we will proceed
to describe means for carrying the same into effect.
And we will suppose the machinery to be ordinary twist lace machinery fitted
with a number of guide bars or other suitable means for moving the sets or
series of warp threads endways of the machine, as is well understood, and that
the object is to make a simple pattern of one, two, three, or four of these sets
or series of warp threads, with their bobbin weft threads and the extra warp
threads, to form or combine with such bobbin weft thread in the production of
purls twisted, spotted, or looped into each other; and we will suppose the car-
riages are in the back ready for the first movement of the sets or series of
warp threads; we will also suppose that we are about to employ seven threads
(though other number may be used) to each set or series of warp threads,
besides the extra pair of purl threads and suitable lacing or draw threads;
Nos. 1, 3, 5, and 7, threads will be moved or shogged from the left to the
right of their weft carriage, and Nos. 2, 4, 6, will be moved from right to left
of their weft carriage; the weft carriage then passes from back combs to front
combs, and the carriages being now in front, the bars containing the series of
warp threads reverse their movements, Nos. 1, 3, 5, 7, will move from right
to left, and Nos. 2, 4, 6, will be moved from left to right of their bobbin
weft carriage. The carriages will now pass from front to back combs. These
two motions or passes of the carriages over the whole of the series of warp
threads will be moved to the left side of the bobbin weft carriage, and remain
on that side until a suitable number of motions or passes of the carriages have
been performed to twist with one of the purl warp threads placed at the back
of the series of warp threads and coming from extra beams or bobbins; the
motion of this warp purl thread being given either to produce twisted purls or
spotting, or to link with its neighbouring bobbin weft, such movement being
well understood. These motions being completed, and the carriages standing
in the back, Nos. 1, 3, 5, 7, and 2, 4, 6 warp threads will be moved as at first
directed, viz., Nos. 1, 3, 5, 7 will be moved to the right of their weft carriages,
and Nos. 2, 4, 6 be moved to stand on the left of their weft carriages. The
carriages will now pass to the front, and then the whole series of
warp threads
must be moved to stand on the right side of their weft carriage, and now

page_text: another suitable number of passes of the weft carriage is to take place, in order
to twist with another extra purl warp thread placed in front of the series of,
warp threads, and coming from extra beams or bobbins. The motion of this.
warp purl thread is again to be given to suit the purposes of the workman, to
produce either twisted, spotted, or looped purls, as before stated. This done,
and the bobbin weft carriages again in front, the Nos. 1, 3, 5, 7 warp threads.
move to left side of the weft carriages, and Nos. 2, 4, and 6 to theright side of,
the weft carriages; the carriages now move from front to back combs, and the
set of motions necessary for completing one purl on each side is performed
together with the proper motions for the tabby weaving. The back and front
purl threads are moved or shogged same as the even numbers of the warp.
threads, and are caught by the bobbin weft threads while weaving the tabby.
weavings, as well as being twisted in making purls, &c., and by this means
the purl warp threads are held down between the purls; besides this the purls.
are caught by draw threads, a term well understood, as well as the movement:
of such threads to effect the object.
In the above description of our Invention we have only given the movements
of one series of warp threads, purl threads, and their bobbin weft thread; but:
it will be clearly seen by a workman that these may be multiplied to any
number necessary for making a great variety of patterns and widths of breadths,
and if he carefully attends to the above instructions, and by reversing the sides
on which he is making the purls so that they be making on the right side of
one series of warp threads, and on the left side of the next series of warp
threads, and so on, he will be able to connect the noses of the purls together,
or to spot on them, or to connect or snare them with suitable draw threads,
according to taste and pattern required. He will also clearly see and under-
stand that these series of warp threads may change places with each other or
traverse the breadths diagonally, that is to say, one series may be moved from.
one carriage weft thread over to the next carriage weft thread, and vice versa,
and again to the next, and so on to any extent necessary to form the required
pattern. And in making net or lace in conjunction with these sets or series of
warp threads and bobbin weft threads, it will be equally intelligible to a work-
man from the above instructions how and in what manner he may introduce
their action into such net or lace. For instance, suppose he desired to intro-
duce them into what is called by the trade platt or platted net, he would at
once see how and in what manner he could introduce one, two, three, or any
number of series of these warp threads in conjunction with their bobbin weft
threads and purl threads on the sides or selvages of such platted net or lace
(whether in straight stripes or scolloped), and also how he could introduce

page_text: them into the body of such net or lace to produce spots or other fancy figures
of opaque tabby weavings, such sets of threads when introduced into the body
of the net or lace could be cut off between spot and spot or figure and figure,
or worked into the body of the lace to suit the taste of the workman. We
should observe that in introducing these series of threads into the body of net
or lace we take the ordinary carriages and bobbins used in making the net as:
the bobbin weft threads, and that we use the warp threads ordinarily employed:
as net or lace threads in addition to our series of warp threads so introduced.
By following the above instructions a workman will readily understand how
not only to obtain the particular patterns indicated above, but also to make
other changes, so as to produce very varied effects in the production of close or.
tabby weavings in conjunction or combination with twisted purls in lace
machinery, by the use of one bobbin thread to act as a weft thread with series
of warp threads, and in combining extra warp threads with such bobbin weft
thread for the production of twisted or spotted purls, or of purls looped into
the noses of their neighbouring purls, whether such series of threads be work-
ing straight or side by side, or whether they be traversed in patterns varying
according to taste..
In witness whereof, we, the said William Clarke and Samuel Butler,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixth day of April, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one.
Witness,
WILLIAM RICHARDSON,.
of Nottingham.
WILLIAM CLARKE. (L.S.)
SAMUEL BUTLER.
(L.S.)