IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANUFACTURE AND IN THE MAKING OF CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF LACE AND OTHER ORNAMENTAL FABRICS
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
WILLIAM NUNN, of Whippenham, in the Isle of Wight, Lace Manufacturer,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Fourth day of January, in the first year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Henry
William Nunn, Her especial license, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Henry William Nunn, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry William Nunn, my executors,
administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from
time to time and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and
the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MANUFACTURE AND IN THE MAKING OF CERTAIN DESCRIPTIONS OF LACE AND OTHER
ORNAMENTAL FABRICS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso,
that I, the said Henry William Nunn, shall cause a particular description of
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bo
performed, to be inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said in
part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto
had, will more fully and at large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
proviso, I, the said Henry William Nunn, do hereby declare the nature of my
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully
described and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference
being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters
marked thereon, that is to say:-
My Invention relates, first, to a new manufacture of lace made in bobbin
net lace machines, and the peculiarity and distinguishing feature of novelty in
this lace from those laces heretofore made on the pillow by hand, and those
laces heretofore made in bobbin net machines, is that where lace is made on
the pillow by hand, having a vandyke or scollop edge, the purl is produced
on the edge, and there not being two breadths of lace produced at one
time, no cutting of the ground of the lace is required, and in producing
breadths of lace with vandyke or scollop edges from lace made in bobbin net
machines, there is generally a thread (called a whipping thread) sewed or
whipped in by hand with the needle, in such directions as to mark out the
vandyke or scollop edge intended for the lace; such whipping thread also, in
some degree, binding the meshes of the lace, which prevents the threads at
the edge from untwisting when the lace is cut into the vandyke or scollop edge
marked out by the thread, all which is well understood; and when such edge
is cut, the purl edge has been heretofore sewed on by the needle. Now,
according to this mode of making lace with vandyke or scollop edges, there is
a coarseness and inelegant appearance where the purl is sewed on, in addition
to the cost and trouble of doing the same. Now, according to the first part
of my Invention, the lace (of the ground desired) has a purl produced in
vandyke or scollop directions at the time of making the lace; hence, when the
ground of the lace is separated by cutting into breadths or parts with vandyke
or scollop edges, the edges consist of purl, in vandyke or scolloped figures or
designs, incorporated with tho fabric or ground of the lace and cut edges, and
it is the making and selling of such construction of fabric which constitutes the
first object of my Patent. And in order to give the best information in my
power for making such lace, I will procced to describe the mode pursued by
me, and which I believe to be the best for the purpose. At the same time, I
would remark, that I do not confine myself thereto, as variations may be
resorted to, and yet produce the peculiar fabric above described. And in ex
plaining this part of my Invention, it will only be necessary to select one of the
many grounds of net which are commonly made, and are well understood, for
any Invention is applicable and will readily be applied to the varied grounds o
lace capable of being made. The method of producing such new manufactur

page_text: of lace as pursued by me is as follows:-I take a traverse warp lace machine,
and I prefer the comb bars shogging to effect the twisting, in place of the
stump bar shogging; for that purpose, I place in front of the spole threads
(see Figure 1, which shews so much of a traverse warp machine as is necessary
5 to illustrate the method), a bar a, having one guide 6 to each breadth of lace to
be made in the machine, which bar works in grooves in the arms c, and is
actuated by the shog wheel d, shewn full size by Figure 2, which wheel
revolves on an axle e, by the action of a driver (fixed on the joining bar),
actuating its ratchet wheelf (which has sixteen teeth), one tooth every course,
and to which the wheel d is fixed, and which axle e is fixed on a bolt g,
sliding in staples h, the bolt being borne by a spring i against the dead
stop j, as is shewn. To the bolt 9 is fixed the plate k, having an incline on
its lower end, against which (when the front points are put up) the guide
piece, which works up the T piece or caster back m, will bear against k;
and shog the bolt and bar a, with its guides and purling threads two spaces or
threads to the left, which will cause each second point to the left, beyond those
which would otherwise do so, to pass on the right-hand side of the purl threads;
and carry down a portion of the threads equal to two spaces; the point bar guide
piece having passed over the top of the T piece m, its pressure on k ceases,
and thereby permits the bolt to return to its position against the dead stop, and
as the bar a follows it, the guides will stand in their first position, and the
carriage threads will fasten such purl thread to the lace net by twisting round
the warp threads, and the purl threads leaving the loop or purl which was taken
down by the points projecting beyond the part where the cut edge is to be pro-
duced. The working course of the machine is the usual one for making
bobbin net; and whenever the front points are put over the bar a, by the means
already described, will be projected two spaces to the left, and a loop or-purl
produced. It will be evident without the aid of the shog wheel, Figure 2,' the
purl would be produced in a straight line, lengthwise of the piece; but on
looking at d, Figure 2, it will be seen that the wheel will, in its rotation, by
acting against the bar a, cause the puris to be produced diagonally, as at =,
Figure 8, as the indentations on such wheel are intended to shew the progres-
sive rise and fall of one gait or thread, except at the turn-agains n. In order
more securely to fasten- the purl to the edge, and also the threads which are
cut, I apply another bar A, having one guide to each breadth, and each of
which guides is set so as their threads shall be just one space or-gait to the
left of the purl -threads--when-the bolt g. is against the dead stop; and to
actuate which, I place at its end another wheel-and axle, like d, e, except that
the axle is not fixed on a sliding bolt, and to be actuated in like-manner;

page_text: and through each of the guides A, I pass from an ordinary bobbin a thread of
No. 40; and as the cut of the wheel that actuates the bar A is precisely the
same as Figure 2, it will be obvious that the No. 40 thread will proceed in
a zig-zag direction lengthwise of the fabric, as in Figure 3; and as the purl
threads are to pass between this and the spole threads, the purl threads will be
interlaid between such spole and No. 40 thread, and thereby become better
fastened; and also the cut threads at the edge of the lace more secure from
untwisting. I have thus far described the making as if only one purled edge
was working at each place where the ground of the lace is to be cut; but it is
evident much waste would arise if that portion of the lace were not used which
is to be cut out of the purled vandykes; I therefore, by means of a duplicate
apparatus to that above explained, but fixed on the left-hand end of the machine,
and actuate:l in like manner, but with the action of the bolt g reversed, produce
a like purl to that already described, but with its points or loops standing in a
directly contrary direction, that is, pointing to the right hand; but it will only
be necessary to put another guide for each breadth into the bar A one gait to
the left of the others, and another thread of No. 40, as above explained, in
order to produce a corresponding increase of fastness to the left-hand purl, and
the cut edge of the next breadth, as already directed, of the right-hand
purl, Figure 7, is made by an impression of bobbin net lace for illustrating the
purled edge. In order to divide the lace having vandyked edges so produced,
I place the piece of lace net after it has been figured (if required) and bleached
upon a dressing frame, and dress it in the usual way, but with the purls
upwards; I then, with a penknife (as scissors would cut the purls), cut between
the two zig-zag threads laid in by the bar a, and there will be found that
there is little danger of cutting the purls, they being loose at one end of each of
their loops, they therefore offer no resistance to the edge of the knife, but give
way as the knife touches them, whilst the threads of the ground of the net
or lace being stretched are readily cut; and it may be observed that should
the knife cut the purls the knife is too sharp; I would further remark, that if
the purl is required to project more beyond the edge, the purl threads may be
shogged over three spaces instead of two, which will be ca-ily effected by
moving one gait to the left, or it may be effected by lessening the tension of
the purl threads. If it be desired to make other patterns than vandykes, or
different sized ones to that described, the desired result is to be effected by
varying the cuts or shogs of the wheel d, and the number of them, as by count-
ing the number of meshes over which the purl is to be made, twice that
number will be the number of teeth in the ratchet; and the cut of the wheel d
should be such as will in one revolution thereof cause the point of guide 6 to

page_text: trace the desired form of the edge to be given to the lace. If it be desired to
make the edges of forms that will not cut one out of the other, it is
then desirable to make them singly, as shewn by Figure 10*.
I will now proceed to describe the second part of my Invention, which relates
to a method of making or producing lace with scollop edges produced in bobbin
net machinery, wherein the threads which form the crossings on the tops and
bottoms of the meshes are supplied from bobbins or beams, in contradistinction
to those where the traversing or crossing threads are supplied from carriages;
and in order to explain this part of my Invention, I will suppose it is desired to
produce breadths of lace net of 80 threads in width (called in the trade 40 holes
breadths), having scollops of half an inch in length on one edge; I proceed
as follows:-I take by preference an ordinary traverse warp machine, in a con-
dition in every respect ready to make plain bobbin lace net, except having no
spole threads up, and commencing at one end of the machine, I put in two
bobbins or spoles of twenty threads each, the first or outside one being for a
wast edge, then two bobbins of sixty threads each, then two more bobbins of
twenty threads each, and so on, across the machine, weighting all such bobbins
in the usual way, so as to produce an equal tension to the whole. Note.-I
prefer the bobbins of twenty threads, see Figure 5, should have the threads
twisted for traversing, as is well understood. I then suspend, by means of a
continuation of the same lines, to which the ordinary weights of the twenty-thread
bobbins are attached, an additional weight b, about twice as heavy, to each of
such continued lines; and then by other lines c, each passing over its pulley d,
I connect every other such additional weight to the bar e, so as they may be
raised or lowered by the action of the bar e; I then fix an axle on one of the
braces of the machine so as to be at the end of the bar e, on which axle a
ratchet wheel of twenty teeth, and two cam wheels g, h, Figures 6 and 7, all
which wheels are fixed together, and revolve on their axle; the cams have
an indentation cut off for about half of their circumference, and are so
fixed together by bolts through the holes 1 and 2, as the indentations to be
opposed on opposite sides of the circumference to each other; the end
of the bar is borne by a spring against its cam g, to which bar every
The remaining
alternate additional weight is connected by the lines c.
additional weights are connected by other lines to a like bar e*, which bar is
actuated by the cam h, and will thereby lift such remaining additional weights,
but at a contrary time. The machine being put into operation in the usual
manner, and the wheel of twenty teeth with its cams being actuated one tooth
at every motion of the joining machine by a driver attached thereto, the
additional weights will be alternately raised and depressed. Thus, during ten

page_text: courses one set of weights will be raised while the others remain depressed;
these will then be raised, while the other first-mentioned set are depressed,
during ten more courses, which will complete a revolution of the ratchet
and cams. Now, the breadths of twenty threads having the increased tension
will become contracted in width, and by pulling on the next breadths thereto,
will cause such next breadths to enter into and fill up the space caused by
such contraction; and in like manner, where the threads of such last-men-
tioned breadths in their turn are acted upon by the increased tension caused by
the additional weight, their breadths will become contracted, and will cause
the first-mentioned breadths to fill up the space produced by their contractions,
whereby, when such breadths of eighty threads are finished, the edge upon
which the small breadth is will be scolloped. It should be stated that in the
making of lace herein explained, that the breadths of lace with scollop
edges produced by the twenty-thread bobbins, are each joined to one of the
breadths produced by the sixty-thread bobbins by a tight whipping thread, as
is well understood, the object being that those portions of the threads which
are to be worked with varying tension should form the scollop of the breadth
of lace. And it should further be stated, that two of the breadths pro-
duced by the twenty-thread bobbins are to be joined together by a strong
whipping thread well weighted, in order to draw out the scollops in the
act of making the footing edges of the breadths of sixty threads being laced
together, as is usual. Thus, it will be seen that there are two sets or bobbins
of twenty threads to two bobbins of sixty threads, one breadth of twenty
threads forming the outer or scollop edge of one breadth of lace, and the
other breadth of twenty threads forming the outer or scollop edge of another
breadth of lace, and cach breadth of twenty threads alternately acts upon
or is acted on by the other breadth of twenty threads, in order to produce a
scollop edging to two breadths of lace. And it will be evident that although
I have chosen twenty threads for making the scollop edge of a breadth of lace
of eighty threads, that these numbers may be varied, and I have only taken
definite numbers in order to make the description more clear; and although I
have described the making of the lace by what is commonly called traverse
warp machinery, I do not confine myself thereto, as machinery going by other
names may, when working by means of the warp threads producing more or
less traverse, may produced a like effect. And further, it is evident that the
necessary varying of the ten-ion may be produced by other means than weights,
I do not, therefore, confino my Invention to the using of weights for such
purpose, though I believe weights to be the best. Nor do I confine myself to
any particular ground of lace or net, as my Invention may be applied generally

page_text: to lace made in bobbin net machines where the warp produces the crossings
And I would have it understood that I am aware that threads have been
before slackened for different purposes in bobbin net lace machines, but not
the traversing threads for the purposes herein described. What I claim as
the second part of my Invention is the mode of making or producing scollop
edges of lace as herein described.
I will now describe the third part of my Invention, which consists in pro-
ducing variations' in the appearance of certain required parts of ornamental
lace open work or net, where what are termed taping threads are used in
the production of the ornamental open work, such as honeycomb open work
and wire ground. Now, supposing I wish to produce a stripe of open work
on bobbin net of two or three several appearances, I suspend two additional
weights, in like manner to the one additional weight already described, by
separate lines to the line that passes round the warve of the bobbin.. from
which the taping threads proceed, and by means of a ratchet wheel, a cam,
or cut wheel, and a bar, as before stated, I raise or depress one or two of such
weights, according as I require the variation of the open work to be; for
example, if I wish the part where small holes of the open work would be, if
working continually with the same tension, to become of the greatest size, and
the places where large holes would come to cause those of the smallest to be
made, I raise two of the weights; and if I desire the small holes to be closed,
or nearly so, and the large one to be increased to the greatest possible extent,
I depress two weights; and if I require an immediate size, I only raise one
weight. If I desire to have patches in wire ground or honeycomb open work,
I then thread from a separate bobbin all such guides as supply the taping
threads to such particular portion as I wish to vary, and I so cut the cam that
it shall lift up the additional weight of such bobbin at the particular time when
I wish to produce a variation in the ground work; for instance, suppose I
desire to produce a breadth of eighty threads wide of honeycomb open work or
wire ground, and to make small square patches of lace net to have a varied
appearance to the ordinary-ground-work of such lace net, I thread the guides
that convey the threads to such particular portion of the lace net as I wish to
vary, and supposing it to be of the width of three clear holes, it will require
four of such taping threads to produce them; and supposing I require them-to
be of the length of three clear holes, it will then require a projection on the
cam which acts upon the bar that lifts: the additional weight equal to twelve
teeth of the ratchet, and such ratchet has just four times as many teeth as
there are to lie large meshes between the commencement of each varied
portion of the open work. I then thread only such particular guides as

page_text: convey the taping threads whose tension is to be varied, and which I furnish
with one additional weight, and by the same means as herein-beforo de-
scribed, raise such additional weight at such interval as I desire; all the
other taping thread, where no variation is required, proceeding from another
bobbin, whose tension no apparatus is applied to varying the tension. It must
be borne in mind in setting out any wheel for the variation of the tension, as
above, that the ratchet wheel should have four teeth for every mesh either of
honeycomb or wire ground, and that there is to be as many times four teeth in
the ratchet as there are to be large meshes of not between the commencements
of two patches, counting lengthwise.
Having thus described the third part of my Invention, I would, as in the
former case, remark that I do not claim generally the varying the tension of
threads of bobbin net machinery, nor do I confine myself to the use of weights
for producing the variation of the tension of the threads. But what I claim
as the third part of my Invention is, the mode herein described of varying the
products of ornamental open work produced in bobbin net machinery, by the
change of tension to the threads, as above described.
The fourth part of my Invention relates to a method of producing certain
ornamental fabrics called gimps, one pattern of which is shewn at Figure 8,
and which are chiefly used for ornamenting drapery. The most general mode
of making gimps is by a loom, and frequently only one breadth is made at a
time; but by my method I make a considerable number in one machine. In
order to produce the pattern, Figure 8, I take an ordinary traverse warp lace
machine, and remove the spoles and joining machine, and such parts as are
used to actuate the same. I then thread from an ordinary warp roller one
thread into each of the four stamps or spaces, I then miss five spaces, I then
thread down into four more spaces, then miss five, and so on across the whole
width of the machine. I then take out all such carriages as have no warp
threads to twist round, and fill up their spaces in the combs with card or other
filling, in order to support the remaining carriages, and prevent their entering
the wrong spaces. I then place up two bars, like a, Fig. 1, with like guides b,
one in each bar, to each four threads, and which bars work in grooves in arms,
like c, and have at their right-hand end a fixed axle, upon which the shog
wheels, Figures 9 and 10, with a ratchet wheel of twelve teeth, revolve by a
clawker, attached to the front comb bar, actuating such ratchet wheel, as is
well known. I then set the guides in each bar so as each thread proceeding
from them shall range one space to the left of each four warp threads, the bars
bearing against Figures 9 and 10 at I, and the carriages being in the back
ecmb bar. Now, it will be evident to any lace mechanic, on the machine

page_text: being worked the single-twist course, the guide bars are always actuated when
the carriages are in the front combs, and that the shogs on the wheels,
Figures 9 and 10, with the point bars, will cause the guide threads to be inter-
laid between the carriage and warp threads, and as each carriage thread is
alway to twist round its warp thread, such interlaid threads will be held in
thereby, and that every revolution of Figures 9 and 10 will produce the
pattern included between the t† in Figure 8. I would remark, I have not
directed any particular thread to be used, as that will depend upon the pur-
pose to which the fabric is to be applied; but silk, worsted, and other threads.
may be used and mixed, according as fancy may dictate. I would further remark,
that although I have only shewn one pattern, yet it is evident variations are to
bo produced by a varied cut of the shog wheels, Figures 9 and 10, a greater
number of bars and shog wheels, and more or less warp threads, all of which is
well understood.
What I claim is the mode herein described of making this description of
fabric, as above explained.