An Improved Lace Fabric and Means for Producing the same.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 16th Aug., 1894-Accepted, 17th Nov., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Lace Fabric and Means for Producing the same.
We REUBEN READER, of the Firm of Messrs. E. Reader & Sons, of Phoenix
Works, Cremorne Street, Nottingham, Lace Machine Builder and Engineer, and
ISAAC SPENCER, 18 Grove Lane Radford Nottingham Lace Maker, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object the production of Mechlin net.
Mechlin net as heretofore made in the lace machine is a half gauge net with the
pillars consisting alternately of a warp thread and of a bobbin thread, the warp
threads and the bobbin threads both passing straight down the work.
This net has the great defect that the breakage of a single thread produces a
fault extending from end to end of the work.
Attempts have been made with some success to produce a Mechlin net in which
both the warp threads and the bobbin threads traverse and in opposite directions.
To produce such lace, mechanism of great complexity is required and the lace can
only be made at a slow rate.
According to this invention we make a Mechlin net in which the bobbin threads
alone traverse.
The warp threads are carried by a warp bar which moves over one gate only
and this movement is produced by a wheel or cam.
One of the combs in which the carriages work has an end wise movement to and
fro and so the carriages are carried progressively.
Dated this 31st day of October 1893.
REUBEN READER.
ISAAC SPENCER.
:
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION:
An Improved Lace Fabric and Means for Producing. the same.
We, REUBEN READER, of the Firm of Messrs. Reader & Sons, of Phoenix
Works, Cremorne Street, Nottingham, Lace Machine Builder and Engineer, and
ISAAC SPENCER, 18 Grove Lane, Radford, Nottingham, Lace Maker, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
0 performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
1
This invention has for its object the production of Mechlin net.
Attempts have been made with some success to produce a Mechlin net in which
both the warp threads and the bobbin threads traverse and in opposite directions.
5 To produce such lace, mechanism of great complexity is required and the lace can
only be made at a slow rate.
✓
According to this invention we make a Mechlin net in which the bobbin threads
alone traverse..
The warp threads are carried by a warp bar which moves over one gate only
0) and this movement is produced by a wheel or cam.
One of the comb bara in which the carriages work has an endwise movement to
and fro and so the carriages are carried progressively.
Price 8d1

page_text: We will proceed to describe more in detail the way in which we operate.
Only one warp bar is employed and this carries a thread for every bobbin; it is
moved in a well known manner by a wheel or cam.
When the bobbin carriages are in the front comb the warp bar moves one gait
or space and when the carriages are in the back comb the bar returns moving one
gait or space in the contrary direction.
These movements go on continually without variation.
The front comb bar is also in a well known manner jogged by a wheel or cam,
moves one gait or space to and fro, but this not every time that the carriages come
into the front comb but every alternate time.
In other respects except as herein stated the lace machine is arranged and
operates in the usual manner.
In the way described the bobbin threads are made to twist with the warp threads
and traverse from warp thread to warp thread in the manner shewn in Figure 1
in which figure the straight lines a a represent warp threads and the line marked b
represents a bobbin thread twisting upon the warp threads. It will be understood
however that the warp threads although so represented in this figure do not remain
straight when in the fabric.
For a certain number of times, preferably from eight to sixteen times, the front
comb bar moves to the right whilst the carriages are in the front comb and the
comb bar returns or moves to the left when the carriages are out of the front comb.
So long as this method of working continues each bobbin thread passes from left to
right from one warp thread to another as is seen in Figure 1.
When the bobbin
threads have traversed as far as is required a change is made in the operation of
the comb bar; it is then so governed by its cam or wheel that its movement to the
left takes place at the time when the carriages are in the front comb and its move-
ment to the right occurs at the time when the carriages are out of the ffont comb.
The bobbin threads are thus made to return from right to left in the manner
indicated in Figure 2. This method of working goes on as before for a certain
number of times preferably until the bobbin threads have traversed over from
eight to sixteen warp threads and then the bobbins are again made to turn and to
traverse from left to right as at first and so on.
All the warp threads are taken from one warp beam which is weighted to
regulate the tension of the warp threads so that the work may form in the manner
shown by Figure 3; the warp threads and the bobbin threads angling equally and
in opposite directions.
The points which take up the crossings of the threads are arranged to operate in
the following manner :-
The point bars do not dip and take up at every movement but at every alternate
movement or it may be every fourth movement. The point bars operate
alternately at the even movements. The points entèr over the tops of the
carriages whilst the bobbin threads line with the warp threads. The front
points as they enter meet the carriages. The back points in entering follow the
carriages.
The simplicity of the apparatus and method of working is very great; there is no
jacquard, there is but one warp bar and the movements of this bar are. of the
simplest description. All the warp threads come from the same beam and the
weighting of this beam is all the regulation of tension which is required. The
weighting of the warp beam is adjusted from time to time to regulate the tension of
the warp threads to suit that of the bobbin threads.
It is a peculiarity of the Mechlin net fabric made in the manner described; that
the bobbin threads traverse for some distance over a number of warp threads
whilst the warp threads do not traverse although they have the appearance of
traversing because of the tension being so regulated as to cause them to angle
equally with the bobbin threads.
The fabric made in accordance with this invention is superior to ordinary straight
down Mechlin net in which neither the warp threads or the bobbin threads

page_text: traverse, but each bobbin thread twists with no more than two warp threads. In
straight down Mechlin net the breakage of a thread when the fabric is upon the
dressing frame is liable to produce a fault extending from end to end of the piece,
whilst in fabrics made in accordance with this invention faults are not liable
to extend.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The production of Mechlin net fabric substantially as described.
2. In the production of Mechlin net fabric causing the bobbin threads to traverse
by means of a jogging comb bar and the warp threads to be carried by a warp bar
one gait or space only to and fro across the carriages as herein described.
Dated this 14th day of August 1894.
REUBEN READER.
ISAAC SPENCER.