IMPROVED NETS AND OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS TO BE USED FOR GLOVES AND OTHER PURPOSES, AND FOR THE MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Thornton, of Derby, in the County of
Derby, Mechanic, John Thornton, of Melbourne, in the said
County, Mechanic, and Albert Thornton, of the same place.
Mechanic, for the Invention of "IMPROVED NETS AND OTHER TEXTILE
FABRICS TO BE USED FOR GLOVES AND OTHER PURPOSES, AND FOR THE
MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF."
Sealed the 9th March 1853, and dated the 11th January 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Thornton,
John Thornton, and Albert Thornton at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 11th January
1853.
We, JAMES THORNTON, of Derby, in the County of Derby, Mechanic,
JOHN THORNTONx, of Melbourne, in the said County, Mechanic, and
ALBERT THORNTON, of the same place, Mechanic, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED NETS AND OTHER TEXTILE
FABRICS TO BE USED FOR GLOVES AND OTHER PURPOSES, AND FOR THE MA-
CHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF," to be as follows:-

page_text: In our title we claim for improvements in nets and other textile
fabrics to be used for gloves and other purposes, and for the machinery
to be employed in the manufacture thereof.
We shall best further describe the nature and determine the limits
of our Invention by defining, in the first place, the novel peculiarities of
the objects intended to be accomplished, and by afterwards explaining
the special nature of the arrangement and working of the mechanical
parts by which those objects are to be accomplished. We premise, in
the first place, that as our results are peculiar, and as the machinery by
which those results are produced is also peculiar, and cannot properly
be placed in the same category with any previously existing class
of machinery, we must be allowed to apply such names as will most
intelligibly designate the things spoken of.
First, we claim for nets and other fabrics the peculiar characteristics
of which are that they are made by lapping one or more of a series of
warp threads (of silk or other material) round each of a series of passive
threads, and by extra occasional throws of the said warp threads con-
necting together in any order desired the said passive threads in twos
or in larger groups, according to the character of the net or fabric to be
produced.
Secondly, we claim for making cords and other fabrics rendered
elastic by india-rubber thread, with a surface either wholly or in part
of cut or uncut pile. It has been found to be impossible by any means
heretofore devised to make these fabrics with a piled surface in such a
inanner as to be of any public utility, in consequence mainly of the
difficulty experienced in fastening the pile on fabrics so loose and
yielding as those of necessity are of the class adverted to.
Thirdly, we claim for the peculiar arrangement and working of the
mechanical parts by which the results above described or indicated are
produced.
Having already, we trust with sufficient clearness, indicated our aims,
we shall now with the aid of the subjoined diagram, which exhibits
the main features of our machinery, be enabled speedily to give a clear
and thorough insight into the whole subject of our Invention.
A, are stationary frames, having a smooth and unbroken incline on

page_text: the right and left sides respectively, and supporting the bobbins, which
contain what we have called the passive threads. B, C, are slide combs
which support the frames A. D, are guide bars similar to those used
in warp machines. E, F, are stationary check bars. There is but
one motion in the actual making of the fabric, and that is given by
a crank from the handle shaft, as is well understood. B, D, and C,
oscillate together in a circle, the centre of which is at the point G.
which is the point at which the work is made. The bars D, being
now at the right-hand extreme of their motion, are in a position
to move endways, so as to lap round the bobbin frames A, and being
thus lapped round by the backward movement from the right to the
left extreme, and guided by the right-hand side inclines of the frames A.
they are forced up to the point G, wherein and, by the very act of being
so forced up the work is made. It will appear evident from this shewing
that we can determine at pleasure what quantity of the warp thread shall
be lapped upon the passive threads by merely varying the manner of
taking the work; likewise that we can move the guide bars at will, so as
to lap round one or more, or none at all, as thought desirable. The beam
or other apparatus containing what we have called the warp threads, is
raised and sunk by and in adaptation to the oscillating motion of the
parts B, D, C, so as to prevent all violence and friction upon the
threads. There is a slight play between the check bars E, F, to allow the
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Thornton, John Thornton, and Albert
Thornton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th July 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we.
JAMES THORNTON, of Derby, in the County of Derby, Mechanic, JOHN
THORNTON, of Melbourne, in the said County, Mechanic, and ALBERT
THORNTON, of the same place, Mechanic, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the sixteenth

page_text: year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto us, the said. James Thornton, John Thornton, and Albert
Thornton, Her special licence that we, the said James Thornton, John
Thornton, and Albert Thornton, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said James Thornton, John Thornton,
and Albert Thornton. 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 "IMPROVED NETS AND OTHER TEXTILE FABRICS TO BE USED
FOR GLOVES AND OTHER PURPOSES, AND FOR THE MACHINERY TO BE EMPLOYED
IN THE MANUFACTURE THEREOF," upon the condition (amongst others) that
we, the said James Thornton, John Thornton, and Albert Thornton, or
one of us, by au instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or
under the hand and seal of one of us, 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 James Thornton, on behalf of
myself and the said John Thornton and Albert Thornton, do hereby
leclare 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 our title we claim for improvements in nets and other textile
fabrics to be used for gloves and other purposes, and for the machinery
to be employed in the manufacture thereof.
We shall best further describe the nature and determine the limits of
our Invention by defining, in the first place, the novel peculiarities of the
objects intended to be accomplished, and by afterwards explaining the
special nature of the arrangement and working of the mechanical parts
by which those objects are to be accomplished. We premise, in the first
place, that as our results are peculiar, and as the machinery by which
those results are produced is also peculiar, and cannot properly be placed

page_text: in the same category with any previously existing class of machinery, we
must be allowed to apply such names as will most intelligibly designate
the things spoken of.
First, we claim for certain nets and other fabrics the peculiar charac-
teristics of which are that they are made by lapping one or more of a
series of warp threads (of silk or other material) round cach of a series
of passive threads, and by extra occasional throws of the said warp
threads connecting together in any order desired the said passive threads
in twos or in larger groups, according to the character of the net or
fabric to be produced.
Secondly, we claim for making cords and other fabrics rendered
elastic by india-rubber thread, with a surface either wholly or in part
of cut or uncut pile. It has been found to be impossible by any means
heretofore devised to make these fabrics with a piled surface in such a
manner as to be of any public utility, in consequence mainly of the
difficulty experienced in fastening the pile on fabrics so loose and
yielding as those of necessity are of the class adverted to.
Thirdly, we claim for the peculiar arrangement and working of the
mechanical parts by which the results above described or indicated are
produced.
Having already, we trust with sufficient clearness, indicated our
aims, we shall now, with the aid of the Drawings to which we
refer, and subjoined diagrams), which exhibit the main features of our
machinery, be enabled speedily to give a clear and thorough insight into
the whole subject of our Invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Sheet No. 1, Figure 1, shows a section; Figure 2, a right-hand end
view; Figure 8, a left-hand end view; and Sheet 2, Figure 4, shows a
section similar to that in Sheet 1, Figure 1, but having the parts in a
different position. The other views shown in Sheet 2, are details of
some of the parts, the nature of which being written thereon need no
further description. H, H, is the framing; I, is the warp roller; J, is
the crank axis by which the machine is worked; L, is the work roller,
on one end of the axis of which is a worm wheel M, driven by a worm

page_text: N, on the vertical axis O, which turns in bearings H', H', attached to
the framing E; the axis O, has affixed thereon a ratchet P, which is
taken into by the clawker Q, on the rod R, of the eccentric T, on the
crank axis J, so that by the revolution of the crank axis a step-by-step
motion is imparted to the axis O, and consequently transmitted to the
work roller M, by the intervening parts, as just described. S, Figure 3,
is the axis of the guido bar wheels U, U, and catch wheel V, which
reccive motion by the clawker W, connected to the jointed lever W',
which, as the oscillating framing H, H, travels backwards and forwards,
runs on the track H; the track H³, is provided with inclined surfaces
H, H, which, when the roller W, of the lever W', comes thereon,
causes the end of the lever W, to which the clawker W, is affixed, to
rise and give partial rotation to the axis S, of the guide bar wheels.
The crank axis J, is connected to the vertical lever J', by the connecting
link J, the one end of the lever J', being connected to the framing, and
the other to the oscillating frame II, by the connecting link J. K; is
a bar having slots K', K, through which by studs K³, K, it is con-
nected to the framing H, in such manner as to admit of its rising
and falling with the warp beam I. The bar K, receives its motion by
the link K, one end of which is connected to it at K, and its other
end being connected at K, to the oscillating frame H. A, A, are
stationary frames having a smooth and unbroken incline on the right
and left sides respectively, and supporting the bobbins which contain
what we have called the passive threads. B, C, are slide combs which
support the frames A, &c. D, are guide bars similar to those used in
warp machines. E, F, are stationary check bars. There is but one
motion in the actual making of the fabric, and that is given by the
crank J, from the handle shaft, as is well understood. B, D, and
C, oscillate together in a circle, the centre of which is at the point
G¹, which is a little above the point at which the work is made.
The bars D, being now at the right-hand extreme of their motion, are
in a position to move endways so as to lap round the bobbin frames A,
by the motion of the guide bar wheels U, U, as described, and being
thus lapped round by the backward movement from the right to the
l'eft extreme, and guided by the right-hand side inclines of the frames A,

page_text: they are forced up to the point G, wherein and by the very act of being
so forced up the work is made. It will appear evident from the above
shewing that we can determine at pleasure what quantity of the warp
thread shall be lapped upon the passive threads by merely varying the
speed of taking up the work; likewise that we can move the guide bars
at will, so as to lap each of the warp threads round one or more, or
none at all, of the passive threads, as thought desirable. The beam or
other apparatus containing what we have called the warp threads is
raised and sunk by and in adaptation to the oscillating motion of the
parts B, D, C, so as to prevent all violence and friction upon the
threads, as herein-before explained. There is a slight play between the
check bars E, F, to allow of the successive laps of the warp threads to pass.
In carrying out the second part of our Invention the mode we prefer
for cords is simply lapping one or more threads of cheneille around the
several interior or passive threads separately for this purpose, the
passive threads being of india-rubber. And for producing broader
fabrics having a surface either wholly or in part of cut pile we prefer
to use two full sets of chencille thread, each thread of each set traversing
round two of the passive threads,. first one and then the other alternately,
and in opposite direction to the threads of the other set, the cheneille
threads being so inwrought wherever a cut-pile surface is desired.
Having thus described the nature of our Juvention, and the manner of
working the same, we would have it understood that we do not confine
ourselves to the precise details herein given, so long as the peculiarity
of any part of our Invention be retained.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Thornton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
Witness,
FRED HARRIS.
JAMES THORNTON. (L.s.)