IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FABRICS IN LACE MACHINERY, AND IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Cope, William Cope, and William George
Ward, all of New Basford, near Nottingham, in the Shire of Nottingham,
Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE
OF FABRICS IN LACE MACHINERY, AND IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
Sealed the 14th August 1860, and dated the 17th March 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Cope, William
Cope, and William George Ward at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 17th March 1860.
We, EDWARD COPE, WILLIAM COPE, and WILLIAM GEORGE WARD, all of
New Basford, near Nottingham, in the Shire of Nottingham, Manufacturers,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE MANUFACTURE OF FABRICS IN LACE MACHINERY, AND IN THE MEANS OR
APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
In lace fabrics as ordinarily arranged, there are, as is well understood by
persons acquainted with such fabrics, what are called warp threads, and what
are called bobbin threads, and such fabric is obtained by the uniting together
of these threads.
The object of our improvements is the production of a novel description of
fabrics, in which the warp threads are united together, and pillars formed by

page_text: the use of looping threads, in substitution of the bobbin threads heretofore
employed.
For this purpose, in place of such bobbin threads carried and operated by
bobbins and carriages, we apply needles or instruments, each having an eye,
through which passes a looping thread, and such needles or instruments are
operated to take their threads between, and so as to loop with the warp or
longitudinal threads, in order that the threads operated by such needles may,
aided by hooks or other instruments in the movements given to the warp or
longitudinal threads, effect an interlooping and tying together of such warp
or longitudinal threads.
By these means points and point bars, as well as bobbins and carriages, with
their combs, are dispensed with.
Series of guides, as also interceptors and transverse or other extra threads,
may be employed.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Cope, William Cope, and William George Ward in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th September 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, EDWARD
COPE, WILLIAM COPE, and WILLIAM GEORGE WARD, all of New Basford, near
Nottingham, in the Shire of Nottingham, Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said
Edward Cope, William Cope, and William George Ward, Her special licence
that we, the said Edward Cope, William Cope, and William George Ward,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
Edward Cope, William Cope, and William George Ward, our 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 FABRICS
IN LACE MACHINERY, AND IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Edward Cope,
William Cope, and William George Ward, our executors or administrators

page_text: 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 Edward Cope and William George
Ward, 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 :-
In lace fabrics, as ordinarily produced in what is commonly called bobbin
net or twist lace machinery, there are, as is well understood by persons
acquainted with such fabrics, what are called warp threads, and what are called
bobbin threads, and such fabrics are obtained by the uniting together of
these threads.
The object of our improvements is, the production of a novel description of
fabrics, in which the warp threads are united together, and pillars formed by
the use of looping threads in substitution of the bobbin threads heretofore
employed.
For this purpose, in place of such bobbin threads carried and operated by
bobbins and carriages, we apply needles or instruments, each having an eye,
through which passes a looping thread, and such needles or instruments are
operated to take their threads between, and so as to loop with the warp or
longitudinal threads, in order that the threads operated by such needles may,
aided by hooks or other instruments in the movements given to the warp or
longitudinal threads, effect an interlooping and tyeing together of such warp
or longitudinal threads.
By these means points and point bars, employed as in ordinary bobbin net
lace machinery to hold up the work as formed, as well as bobbins and
carriages, with their combs, are dispensed with.
Series of guides, as also interceptors and transverse or other extra threads,
may be employed.
But that the nature of these improvements may be fully understood, we will
proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings, to describe the means
pursued by us.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A.
Figure 1 of Drawings A, shows a section of parts of a machine, with instru-
ments adapted thereto, and parts arranged to work according to our improve-
Figure 1 of Drawings A, shows a section of parts of a machine, with instru-
ments adapted thereto, and parts arranged to work according to our improve-

page_text: same;
ments; Figure 2 shows an end view; Figure 3, a front view of parts of the
and Figure 4, some of the parts full size, and other Figures some of
the instruments, as also the cams and wheels separately. a, a, are parts of
the main framing; b, the main shaft, and c another shaft receiving motion
from the driving shaft b, and communicating that motion to the main shaft b
by toothed wheels, indicated by the dotted blue lines; d is the work bar, and
e the work roller; fare guides,by which the longitudinal threads are conducted
from the beam f¹; 9 are other guides, by which other (extra or pattern)
threads are conducted, and we prefer that these latter threads be supplied from
separate bobbins, or spools, to admit of their being used up at different speeds,
and thus admit of their at one time forming only parts of the pillars of the
fabric, and at other times traversing from one pillar to the next or other
pillar, so as either simply to connect those pillars, or by continuing to traverse
for any time desired to produce a character of clothwork in figure, or other-
wise, all which is well understood, and separately forms no part of our
Invention. It will, however, be seen, that in substitution of the ordinary
bobbin carriages for carrying what are called bobbin or carriage threads, we
employ instruments h and i, which together operate upon other threads to
cause them to form loops on, and thereby unite together the warp threads,
and with them to form pillars. The instruments h, it will be seen, are bent,
and set in leads h. Each of them is also formed with an eye, through which
passes a separate looping thread, and these looping threads are supplied from
a beam, or, if desired, they may be supplied from separate bobbins. The
guide bars and g are capable of independent motion endways of the machine,
and are operated as required, in such direction, by suitable pattern wheels, as
is well understood; and these threads are arranged in the machine, so that
there is one from each, that is to say, there are two threads for each pillar,
and one of them is capable of traversing so as to be connected with a thread
of an adjoining pillar, (or it might be of other pillars,) and of their returning
in order to make fining, or clothwork in pattern, or otherwise, as in ordinary
twist lace machinery.
The instruments h have a to-and-fro, and also a dipping motion; for this
purpose the leads in which they are set are fixed to a bar h², which by
arms his connected to the lever arms h affixed to the rocking shaft h*, to
which are also affixed lever arms h which carry trucks or bowls ho, which by
means of the springs h' are caused to bear against the surfaces of cams 8.
The bar h² is also connected to the bar ho, which serves as a guide for the
threads to the instruments h, where the ends thereof are formed into necks or
axes, by which the bar he is in part supported in the upper ends of the links h¹º,

page_text: the lower ends of which are connected at h" to levers h, each of which turns
on a centre of motion h¹³, and carries a truck or bowl h, which rests on a
cam or tappet 1 affixed on the axis b. The hooks or instruments i are set
in leads ' affixed to a bar 2, which is in like manner by arms ³ connected to
the upper ends of lever arms from the shaft ", which arms are situated
at each end, and at other intervals across the machine, according to the width
of machine used. To the shaft are also affixed other arms i, each of which
carries a truck or bowl 7, bearing against the surface of a cam or tappet
by the action of a spring h. The bar 2 is also provided with necks, by
which it is in part supported in the upper ends of the links, each of which
is at its lower end connected by pin joints 0 to a lever ", turning upon a
centre of motion 2, and carrying a truck or bowl 3 by which it is supported,
and has motion given to it from the cam or tappet 24, whilst endway motion
is given to this bar by means of the wheel 15 acting on the truck or bowl ¿¹
of the lever 1, which by means of the set screw 18 bears against the bar i² to
push it in one direction, whilst it is borne in the opposite direction by a spring.
Having thus described the means we employ for operating the parts h and i,
we will now describe a method of operating with them so as to produce fabric
by the threads carried by the instruments h, acting in concert with the threads
from the guides and g, and for convenience of description we will suppose
that the apparatus has been in operation, and that work has been produced,
and that a thread from a guide f is on the left of the point of each needle or
instrument , and that a thread from a guide g is on the right of the point of
each needle or instrument h, and that this disposition of the threads from the
respective guide bars in relation to the points of the needles h, has been obtained
by the rackings of those guide bars, the guide bar f having been racked to the
left whilst the guide bar g has been racked to the right, and the points of the
needles or instruments h are pointing or dipping downwards so as to facilitate
in their rising their entrance between a thread operated by the bar f, and one
from the bar g; and that a row of loops from the needles or instruments h
obtained at their last coming forward is being held by the hooks i, as shewn
by Figure 5. The points of the needles or instruments h, the threads of which
are connected with the fabric already produced, will now rise, and at the
same time come forwards between the respective two threads till they are
under the previous work, as shewn by Figure 6, when the hooks i will take
the loops they are holding on to the needles or instruments h, leaving them on
their instruments h behind their eyes. And these hooks i will hook on to
the threads carried by their instruments in front of the loops just laid on
them, as indicated by Figure 7. Then the needles or instruments h will recede

page_text: leaving the fresh loops on the hooks 2, and the two warp threads of each
pair will be tied together, by the looping together thus effected by the
threads carried by the instruments h. The instruments h having receded, the
guide bars fand g will now be shogged in the opposite direction, so that the
thread which was on the left of the point of its needle h will now be on its
right, and that which was on its right will be on its left, and the needles or
instruments h will dip, and then again come forward, rising at the same time,
when the hooks will lay their loops last obtained on to them again, and will
again loop on to the thread of each needle in front of such loops, so as to
form a fresh row of loops, and thus will the warp threads be again tied
together by the looping threads carried by the needles or instruments h, and
so on by this mode of working with the threads carried by the instruments
h and i, will pillars be produced. When desired to produce fining or cloth-
work, whilst one of the threads carried by the guide bars will continue to move
simply to the right and then to the left of the point of the particular needle
or instrument with which it had been working, (and we will suppose, for
example, this to be the thread from the bar f), then the other will in its next
traverse, from being to the left of the point of its particular needle, be shogged
to be at the right of the point of the needle which is the next to the right of that
with which such thread had been operating, and it will then be looped with
the thread of the needle opposite which it now stands, in manner such as has
been already explained, and when tied thereto, it will be traversed back again to
the left of the point of the needle h with which it was originally working, and so
on so long as it may be desirable to continue connecting together the respective
adjoining pillars, and unless otherwise operated, what takes place in respect
of one of the threads of a guide bar g, will take place in respect of all of them
across the breadth. But when desired to produce other effects in pattern, we
by preference employ interceptors k, which are permitted, by means of jacquard
or other pattern surface to come into operation at the times and places
desired, to intercept the shoggings of the threads carried by the guide bar g,
so that whilst some of them are permitted to traverse with the traverse of the
bar g to carry their threads from one pillar to the next, or even other dis-
tances, so as to connect those pillars, or produce close work, the intercepted
threads will be kept back and controlled to continue working in the produc-
tion of pillars. But the use of interceptors being well understood, and formning
no part of our improvements, they are only mentioned to illustrate the
capabilities of the system brought about by our improvements. And if
desired, transverse threads, according to arrangement for which Letters Patent
were granted to William Cope, on the Fifteenth day of February 1858, or by

page_text: other means, or other inlay or other threads may be employed if desired.
And the raising of such inlay threads into position may be facilitated by the
points of the instruments h taking under them, whilst they will be secured in
position between or upon the longitudinal warp threads by the looping threads.
And in place of the pillars being obtained by the needles or instruments h
passing in between the threads of each pillar to tie them together, the threads
from such instruments h may loop around the warp threads. We do not
confine ourselves to the precise method here explained of looping with warp
or longitudinal threads. And although we have described only two warp or
guide threads in combination with the looping threads, as going to form each
of the pillars, other numbers may be so worked, and other and various effects
may be obtained by variations in the looping together of warp threads by
threads operated by instruments of the character described, so as to produce
a great variety of fabrics.
By at least one of the longitudinal or guide threads continuing with the
looping threads, and without crossing to form individual pillars, pillars are
obtained of a firm character. and the fabric is thereby materially strengthened.
We will now describe Drawings B, which show a modification of our
improvements.
Figure 1 of these Drawings shows a section of parts of apparatus, with a
slight modification of the instruments, and of the mode of working employed.
for carrying out our Invention from that described in respect of Drawings A.
Figure 2 is a front view of some of the parts shown by Figure 1; Figure 3
is an end view; Figure 4 shews in section some of them full size, and other
of the views show the instruments and various cams and wheels separately.
In this case the needles or instruments h are, by preference, somewhat
differently formed from those already described, and the instruments or
hooks i we prefer to use are those commonly known in the manufacture of
looped fabrics as baving hinged or lever barbs or tongues, and for which
Letters Patent were granted to Messrs. Townsend and Moulden, the Thirteenth
day of February 1849. The needles or instruments h, it will be seen, are set
in leads h' affixed to the bar h, and this bar h² is formed with arms having
necks, by which it is capable of turning in the upper ends of lever arms h³
from the shaft 4, which is capable of turning in bearings carried by the main
framing a, and it has affixed to it other arms 5, each of which carries a truck
or bowl resting upon and operated by a cam or tappet aflixed on the
shaft or axis b, by which means the needles or instruments are operated to
have a slight inward motion to facilitate the looping of these threads on to the
books or instruments i. The bar is also supported by links 7, which are

page_text: connected to it by pin joints, whilst the lower ends of each of these links h³ is
connected to a lever he carrying a truck or bowl h, operated by a cam or
tappet h, by which a slight up-and-down motion is obtained to the points of
the needles or instruments h. The bar h² is also capable of endway motion,
which is effected by means of the wheel h" operating on the lever ¹, which is,
by the link h¹, connected to the L lever h, which turns upon an axis o, and
at its upper end is, by means of a link h¹, connected to the bar h² with a
tendency to draw that bar at the times desired towards the left-hand end of the
machine, whilst it is otherwise drawn in the opposite direction by means of a
suitable coiled or other spring.
The instruments i are set in leads i affixed to the bar 2, which is operated
in like manner to that described in respect of Drawings A, and the same
letters of reference will apply to the description there given, except that it has
no shogging motion. With this arrangement and method of working we also
employ instruments ; of the character of points, the object of which is, by
their acting on the longitudinal or warp threads, to guide those warp threads
when they have been selected by the cut of wheels acting on the guide bar in
position to facilitate the passage of the books i in passing alternately on the
right and then on the left of them. These points j are set in leads j' affixed
to the bar j, which is supported upon arms j³ carrying pins j, which are
supported in the upper ends of the arms jo affixed to the axis jo, to which are
affixed other arms j', cach of which carries a truck or bowl j³, which rests
upon and is operated by a cam or tappet jo, by which a to-and-fro motion is
obtained to the bar je to enable the points j to enter between the warp threads,
whilst the "dip" to these points is obtained by means of cams 10, each of
which operates a truck or bowl j" carried by a lever 12, which is, by means
of a link j¹³, connected by the axis j¹ to the bar j². The bar j³, is also
capable of an endway motion by means of the wheel operating upon a truck
or bowl j carried by a lever j", which turns upon a centre of motion p, and
by means of a link 18 is connected to one end of the L lever j¹, which turns
upon the axis o, and at its other end is, by a link jo, connected to one end of
the bar j³, with a tendency to draw it in that direction, whilst it is borne in
the opposite direction by a suitable spring.
Having now described the operating parts as arranged according to this
modification of our improvements, and the means by which they are actuated,
we will, in order to explain how fabric is produced by them, suppose the
apparatus to have been at work, that fabric has been made, and that the object
in this case also is for a time simply to produce pillars. Then, supposing the
two guide bars f, g, shown, to be for a time controlled to move together for

page_text: the formation of pillars, and the thread from the needle h of each pillar was
last taken on the left side thereof, then the guide bars f, g, will be shogged to
the left, and the bar je will, after (in the dip) being entered between those
threads, be shogged to the left to guide the warp threads, so that the hooks i
with their loops thereon may next come forward on the right of their warp
threads. The needle bar will also be simultaneously shogged to the right, by
which the threads from the needles will be lying across the warp threads in a
direction from left to right, and the hooked ends of the instruments i will, in
going back again on the right of the warp threads, take into those threads,
and as they continue to recede backwards they will slip through the last loops
formed thereon, by which the lever barbs on the hooks i will be closed over
the hooked ends of those instruments i, so that those previous loops may freely
pass over the ends of the hooks i on to the new loops, as shewn by Figure 5.
Then, by the combined motions to the guide bars and to the points j, the warp
threads will be operated to move into position for the hooks i in their next
forward motion, coming forward again on the opposite or the left of their
respective warp threads, in doing which the threads in their hooked ends will be
slipped back beyond the barbs and on to their stems, during which movements
the instruments h, i, and j, will assume the position indicated by Figure 6, and
the needles h will also simultaneously be shogged to the left, in order that the
threads thereof may be in a position to be taken by the hooks h in the back-
ward motion of those hooks for the formation of a fresh row of loops, and so
on alternately. We would here state, that as the hooks come forward on
either side of the warp threads, the points j recede ready for the next selection,
and although we have only shown and described one row of points j, two rows,
one opposite the other, may be employed when desired, the respective rows
coming into operation alternately.
Thus far we have described the operation for the formation of separate
pillars only. To produce clothwork we give motion to one of the bars of
guides (g), so as to cause its threads to cross and unite in the adjoining pillars,
and be connected therewith by the looping thereof with the threads operated
by the needles and hooks. Thus, supposing the threads from the guides g,
when beginning to produce clothwork, to move from the warp threads with
which they had been acting in the formation of pillars to those next them to
the right, when, by the operations of the looping threads acting as already
explained, those threads have become secured to such warp threads, they will
in the next turn traverse back and be connected with the same warp threads
with which they had been working, and so on they will be connected to one
and then the next thread till the desired amount of clothwork has been pro-

page_text: duced. And when such clothwork is desired to be produced in pattern, we
employ interceptors k, operated by jacquard or other suitable means, for the
selection desired, or other number of warp bars or independent threads may
be employed.
And sometimes we combine in the manufacture of fabric, such as we have
described, the use of transverse threads, according to means for which Letters
Patent were granted to William Cope above referred to, or other means, or
other inlay or other extra threads may be employed.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the means
which we adopt in carrying the same into effect, we would have it understood
that we do not claim the various mechanical parts separately considered, nor
do we confine ourselves to the precise arrangements and details of parts, or
the precise form of the instruments h and i shown and described, so long as
the peculiar character of our improvements be retained, substantially as
explained.
In witness whereof, we, the said Edward Cope and William George
Ward, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourteenth day
of September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty.
Witness,
THOMAS ROBINSON,
New Basford.
EDWARD COPE.
(L.S.)
WILLIAM GEORGE WARD. (L.S.)