Improvements in the Manufacture of Thread Foundations or Caps for Incandescent Mantles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Sept., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 28th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 13th Feb., 1837
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Thread Foundations or Caps
for Incandescent Mantles.
I, HENRY HILL, of the Firm of Balm Hill & Sons, 634 Mansfield Road, in the
Borough of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of cotton or other thread
foundations, caps, or skeletons, employed in the manufacture of incandescent mantles
or hoods, and it has for its object the production of a thread mantle or cap that will
be easier of manipulation and less liable to injury in the subsequent operations, and
produce a more durable and effective finished mantle.
Heretofore such thread foundations, caps, or skeletons, have been principally formed
from tubular knitted looped fabrics, but owing to the elasticity of such fabrics and
the excessive liability of the thread to come unlooped they are very difficult to
manipulate.
In carrying out this invention I manufacture the foundations, caps or skeletons, of
what is known as warp lace fabric, formed with a mesh or net of a suitable gauge or
size. The above fabric is produced on a machine which consists essentially of a needle
bar and a pillar bar or bars the office of the latter bars being to lap an independent
thread round each needle, and the said needles draw the laps through the proceeding
loops as in a knitting machine.
By traversing the pillar bars different meshes or nets are produced and I am thus
enabled to produce a foundation with a suitable mesh, and also strengthen it where
required, by changing the mesh, or introducing additional threads at the parts where
the strength is required, in the process of manufacture.
In order to produce a tubular seamless foundation I manufacture them on a
straight warp lace machine provided with two needle bars and two sets of pillar
bars, or on a circular warp lace machine.
In the former case one side or half of the fabric is formed by one needle bar
and the other side or half by the other needle bar and the edges of the two-parts
or halves connected by threads which are alternately lapped on the side needles of
both bars.
In a circular machine the needles, and the thread guides which perform the
same office as the pillar bars in the straight machine, are arranged in a circle of
the required diameter, and the requisite movement imparted to both the needles
and the thread guides to produce the fabric.
In manufacturing a foundation I preferably commence at the bottom and make
a few courses of single or double needle pillaring so as to lessen any risk of the
threads unroving. I then proceed with the net or mesh which is to form the body
of the foundation until this is of sufficient length.
At this point I make a few courses of stiffer work by changing the mesh or by
introducing additional threads or both, and also form holes at this point, at
intervals in the diameter of the fabric, to receive the thread which is inserted to.
draw up the top of the foundation.
After working sufficient courses above the holes to give the requisite strength
I commence the lower end of a second foundation and so on, the length of fabric
being divided at the requisite points after it is removed from the machine.

page_text: If desired the points of division may be indicated by a slack course; the thread
for drawing up the top of each foundation may also be inserted during the process of
manufacture.
Foundations, caps or skeletons manufactured in the manner described are less
elastic and the threads will not readily unrove and they are thus more easily
manipulated and better adapted for the purpose to which they are to be applied than
those manufactured heretofore.
By this process of manufacture the mesh in the body of the foundation may also
be specially formed to give the best results, whilst the top and bottom may be
strengthened to give the additional support required to those parts.
Dated this 16th day of September 1896.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Thread Foundations or Caps
for Incandescent Mantles.
I, HENRY HILL, of Balm, Hill & Sons, 63^ Mansfield Road, in the Borough of
Nottingham, Lace Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of cotton or other thread
foundations, or caps, employed in the manufacture of incandescent mantles, and it
has for its object the production of a thread foundation or cap that will be both
easier of manipulation and less liable to injury in the process through which it is
subsequently passed, and also produce improved and more durable and effective
mantles than those produced from foundations, such as are now employed.
Heretofore such thread foundations or caps have been principally formed from
tubular knitted fabrics in which the whole of the loops in each course are formed
by one continuous thread, but owing to the great elasticity of such fabrics and
the excessive liability of the thread to become unlooped they are very difficult
to manipulate and excessively fragile when finished as mantles.
In carrying out my invention, I manufacture the foundations or caps of what is
known as warp lace fabric formed with a suitable mesh or net.
This fabric is produced on what is known as a warp lace machine, which consists
essentially of a needle bar and a pillar or guide bar or bars. The needles are
similar to those used in hosiery machines, whilst the pillar bar consists of a number of
thread guides each adapted to supply its thread to a single needle each course.
By altering the traverse of the pillar or guide bars, that is the direction in which
they are moved, and the frequency of the movement, different meshes or nets are
produced, and I am thus enabled to produce a foundation with a suitable mesh,
and also strengthen it or alter the character of it, where required, by changing the
mesh at the parts where more or less strength is required.
During the manufacture of each length of fabric suitable for a mantle, the tension
or mesh may also be varied so that each foundation may be of a conoidal form
having the upper part of sanaller diameter and of stiffer character than the lower
part.
In order to produce a tubular seamless foundation, I manufacture a number of
lengths of fabric on a straight bar warp lace machine with two needle bars, and
two sets of pillar or guide bars, or on a circular warp lace machine.
In the former case one side or. half of the fabric is formed by one needle bar, and

page_text: the other side or half by the other needle bar, and the edges of the two parts or halves.
connected by a thread or threads which are alternately lapped on the side needles of
both bars.
In a circular machine the needles, and the thread guides which perform the saine
office as the pillar bars in the straight machine, are arranged in a circle of the
required diameter, and the requisite movements are imparted to both the needles and
the thread guides to produce the fabric.
In manufacturing a foundation I preferably commence at the bottom and make a
few courses of single or double needle pillaring so as to lessen any risk of the threads.
unravelling. I then proceed with the net or mesh which is to form the body of the
foundation until this is of sufficient length. At this point I may make a few courses
of stiffer work by changing the mesh, and I may also form holes at this point, at
intervals in the circumference of the fabric, to receive the draw thread or threads.
which are inserted to draw up to the top of the foundation.
After working several courses of single or double pillaring I commence the lower
end of another foundation and repeat the process for as many lengths as may be
desired, the fabric being afterwards divided at the required points into separate lengths,
each for a foundation. If desired, the points of division may be indicated by a
slack course.
Foundations, caps or skeletons, manufactured in the manner described will not
readily unravel, and they are thus more easily manipulated and better adapted for the
purpose to which they are to be applied than those manufactured heretofore.
By this process of manufacture the mesh in the body of the foundation may also
be specially formed to give the best results whilst the top and bottom may be.
strengthened to give additional support required at those parts.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A seamless thread foundation for an incandescent mantle formed of warp lace
fabric substantially as described.
2. A foundation for an incandescent mantle made of warp lace fabric and having.
rows of pillaring at its ends to prevent unravelling substantially as described.
3. A foundation for an incandescent mantle made of warp lace fabric and of a
conoidal form substantially as described.
Dated this 27th day of November 1896.
HENRY HILL.
Boult & Wade,
Agents for the Applicant..