IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF VALENCIENNES LACE IN TWIST LACE MACHINES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Spencer and Thomas Butler Cutts, of
Wilford, in the County of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF VALENCIENNES LACE
IN TWIST LACE MACHINES."
Sealed the 27th April 1866, and dated the 5th February 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Spencer and
Thomas Butler Cutts at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 5th February 1866.
We, WILLIAM SPENCER and THOMAS BUTLER CUTTS, of Wilford, in
the County of Nottingham, Lace Manufacturers, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF
VALENCIENNES LACE IN TWIST LACE MACHINES," to be as follows :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
Valenciennes lace in twist lace machines. Valenciennes laces, similar to
those produced on the pillow, have before been manufactured in twist lace
machines, the pillars of which lace have each been composed of four threads,
that is, two bobbin threads and two warp threads to each pillar, and extra
warp threads have been used therewith in producing the weavings. or
figures. These extra warp threads when not required to produce the
weavings have been either cut away, or they have been worked into some
of the pillars of the lace, which have been thereby thickened to the detri-.

page_text: ment of the appearance of the fabric. Now, according to the present
Invention, four threads are used in producing each pillar, whilst the use of
extra warp threads in producing the weavings is rendered unnecessary by
reason of the employment in some of the pillars of each lace of three
warp threads to one bobbin thread in forming a pillar. In order that all
the pillars may be equal and of like character, the warp threads and the
bobbin threads should be all of the same thickness. The arrangement of
the threads in the machine may in carrying out the Invention be varied so
long as each pillar is composed of four threads, which should by preference
be of like size or thickness, and so long as some of the pillars are formed
by the employment of three warp threads and one bobbin thread in a pillar.
Thus some laces may be made by employing two warp threads and two
bobbin threads in one pillar, and then three warp threads and one bobbin
thread in the next pillar, and so on throughout. In other laces there may
be two warp threads and two bobbin threads used in forming one pillar,
whilst the two next pillars may be formed of three warp threads to one
bobbin thread, and so on throughout. Another lace may be produced by
the employment of two warp threads to two bobbin threads in each of two
pillars, whilst the next pillar is formed of three warp threads to one bobbin
thread, and so on. Another lace may have its pillars formed alternately of
one warp thread to three bobbin threads, and three warp threads to one
bobbin thread. And another lace may be composed of two pillars, each
formed of three warp threads to one bobbin thread, and the next pillar
of two warp threads to two bobbin threads. In all cases where three
warp threads are used with one bobbin thread to form a pillar, the
three warp threads are by preference wound on separate beams, and
the three warp threads are arranged in the machine, so that one is at the
extreme back, one is in the centre, and one is in the extreme front.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Spencer and Thomas Butler Cutts in the 3
Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd August 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, WILLIAM
SPENCER and THOMAS BUTLER CUTTS, of Wilford, in the County of
Nottingham, Lace Manufacturers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 3
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of February, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said William Spencer and Thomas Butler Cutts, Her special
licence that we, the said William Spencer and Thomas Butler Cutts,
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said
William Spencer and Thomas Butler Cutts, 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 VALENCIENNES LACE IN
TWIST LACE MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said William Spencer and Thomas Butler Cutts, executors or administra-
tors, 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 I, the said Thomas Butler Cutts, on behalf of
myself and the said William Spencer, 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:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of
Valenciennes lace in twist lace machines. Valenciennes lace, similar to
those produced on the pillow, have before been manufactured in twist lace
machines, the pillars of some of which laces have each been composed of
four threads, that is, two bobbin threads and two warp threads to each
pillar, and extra warp threads have been used therewith in producing the
weavings or figures. These extra warp threads when not required to
produce the weavings, have been either cut away or they have been worked
into some of the pillars of the lace, which have been thereby thickened to
the detriment of the appearance of the fabric. Now, according to the
present Invention, four threads are used in producing each pillar, whilst
the use of extra warp threads in producing the weavings is rendered
unnecessary by reason of the employment in some of the pillars of each
lace of three warp threads to one bobbin thread in forming a pillar. In
order that all the pillars may be equal and of like character, the warp threads

page_text: "and the bobbin threads should be all of the same thickness. The arrange-
ment of the threads in the machine may in carrying out the Invention be
varied so long as each pillar is composed of four threads (which should by
preference be of like size or thickness), and so long as some of the pillars
are formed by the employment of three warp threads and one bobbin
thread in a pillar.
Having thus stated the nature of our said Invention we will proceed to
describe more fully the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
The carriages with their hobbin threads are moved from the front to the
back of the machine, and from the back to the front of the machine in the
ordinary and well-known manner. Where there are two warp threads and
two bobbin threads to form a pillar they should be arranged as shewn at
in Diagram No. 1, the carriages being in the front combs and they are
worked into a pillar in the manner shewn at a in Figure 1, or they are
caused otherwise to lap or interplait with each other, and the two warp
threads having worked to produce a pillar for a time, one or both of thein
is to be caused to link with an adjoining bobbin thread or threads to the
'left hand or to the right, as the case may be, and thus form the tops and
bottoms of the meshes. Where there are three warp threads to one bobbin
thread to form a pillar, one of the three warps should be placed at the
extreme back, one in the centre, and one at the extreme front and the
extreme back, and the extreme front thread should be placed on separate
or independent beams, and when the carriage is in the front combs the
thread should be as indicated at b in the Diagram No. 1, and they may
be worked into a pillar as indicated at 6 in Figure 1, or the threads may be
otherwise lapped or interplaited in forming a pillar. The back and front
warp threads should be on the left-hand side and the centre warp thread
should be on the right-hand side when the bobbin thread is in the front
combs, and they are to be caused to reverse their positions when the bobbin
.thread is in the back combs of the machine, that is to say, the back and
front warp threads will be moved to the right hand, whilst the centre warp
thread will be moved to the left-hand side of the bobbin thread, and so
on according to the quality of net required; then having completed the
length for a pillar one or more of the warp threads is or are to link with
the bobbin thread or bobbin threads of the adjoining pillar to the right
hand or to the left hand, as the case may be, in order to close the net and
to produce the tops and bottoms of the meshes. In the several Figures of

page_text: the Drawings all the three warp threads are indicated as being used in
forming the crossings. In the Diagram No. 2 where the pillars are pro-
duced by two warp. threads and two bobbin threads in one pillar, then the
two succeeding.pillars have each three warp threads and one bobbin thread,
the threads are arranged as shewn at a, b, b, and they may be worked into
or the threads of
pillars and crossings as indicated at Figure 2, at a, b, b,.
each pillar may be caused otherwise to lap or interplait with each other,
and crossings may be made of more or less of the warp threads and at such
distances as may be required by the meshes of the laces to be made.
In the Diagram No. 3 two pillars a, a, are proposed to be: formed each of
two warp threads and two bobbin threads, then a pillar b of three warp
threads and one: bobbin thread; and three. threads may be worked into
pillars: and crossings, as indicated at a, a, and b in Figure 3; or the threads
composing each pillar may be caused otherwise to lap or interplait with
each other, and to form crossings with such numbers of them and at such
distances apart as may be desired. In some cases when making part of the
pillars of a lace of three warp threads to one bobbin thread in one pillar,
we employ therewith three bobbin threads and one warp thread in the
next pillar, and so on alternately. In which cases the threads are
arranged in the machine, as indicated in the Diagram at c, b, in No. 4, and
they are worked into pillars.and crossings, as indicated in Figure 4, or they
may be otherwise lapped or interplaited with one another; or when forming
part of the pillars of a lace of three warp threads and one bobbin thread to
à pillar, we arrange for one such pillar, then for each of the two next
pillars we use three bobbin threads and one warp thread, as shewn at b, b,
and c, in Diagram No. 5, and these threads may be worked into pillars and
crossings, as shewn in Figure 5, or the threads of the respective pillars and
of the crossings may be otherwise worked into the pillars and crossings of
the meshes of the laces produced. In all the Figures of the Drawings,
the lappings of the three warp threads with one bobbin thread in the pillars
b, b, are as described with reference to Figure 1, and it is this construction
of pillar which is preferred particularly when the pillars a, a, of two bobbin
threads and two warp threads are lapped as heretofore and as indicated in
the Drawings. From the above description it will be seen that the pecu-
liarity of this Invention consists in the use of three warp threads and one
bobbin thread, in each of some of the pillars of a lace combined with other
pillars, each composed of four threads, that is, two bobbin threads and two
warp threads in a pillar or combined with pillars, each composed of three
bobbin threads and one warp thread in a pillar. A competent workman
a

page_text: from the above description will readily perceive that the centre warp thread
of any of the pillars (where there are three warp threads used to one
bobbin thread) can be caused when required in conjunction with the warp
threads of the neighbouring pillars on either side to stand alternately one
warp thread and one bobbin thread to the extent a design or pattern of
lace may require, whilst the extreme back warp thread in each of the
pillars where only one bobbin thread is used may become for a time the
back weft or weaving thread, and the extreme front warp thread may for
a time become the front weft or weaving thread, thus admitting of the
production of level and even net, and at the same time the production
also of true tabby weaving.
In the above description we have confined ourselves to describing the
threads used in making the pillars and crossings of the meshes and those
employed in the weavings according to our Invention, as a workman will
readily produce purls and introduce extra threads and employ lacing and
other threads such as have before been employed and which are well
understood.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Butler Cutts, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fifth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
THOMAS BUTLER CUTTS. (L.S.)