LACE. 



491 



Lice. CM between the rows of guides and threads. The car. 

 "Y" 1 "^ riages of the bobbin* are placed in the grooves of the 

 comb-bars, and slide freely therein, so as to be capable 

 of passing out of the groove of one bar between the 

 threads, and into the grooves of the opposite bar ; but 

 the distance between the two comb-bars is such, that 

 the bobbins will enter into the grooves of one bar be- 

 fore they quit the grooves of the other. 



In working the machine, all the bobbins of the whole 

 row are connected together by means of a thin bar or 

 ruler, the edge of which is inserted in a notch made in 

 the carriage of each bobbin, so that all the bobbins can 

 be moved in the grooves of the comb-bar at the same 

 time, and can be passed from one bar between the per* 

 pendicular threads, and be received into the other bar. 

 At the opposite end of each carriage is a similar notch, 

 for the reception of another such ruler ; but only one 

 is used at a time. By means of these two rulers, the 

 bobbins can be transferred from one comb-bar to the 

 other, and will be pasted between the row of threads. 

 Suppose, for instance, that all the bobbins are situated 

 in the front comb-bar, the ruler, which is in its notches, 

 being pushed backwards, will move all the bobbins at 

 the same time through between the thread-, and enters 

 them into the grooves of the back comb-bar ; the other 

 ruler is then applied, and when its edge is put into the 

 notches at the back of the bobbins, the ruler in front is 

 lifted up to take its edge out of the notches in front ; 

 this being done, the bobbins are drawn completely 

 through between the threads in the grooves into the back 

 comb bar. 



The result, therefore, of this train of manipulation*, 

 is to transfer the bobbins from the front comb-bar to 

 the back, and in so doing they are made to pas* be- 

 tween the threads. This being done, the bar sustain- 

 ing the guides is moved sideways through a distance 

 equal to the interval between two adjacent grooves of 

 the combs, and then the row of bobbins is returned from 

 the back comb-bar between the perpendicular threads, 

 and brought into the front comb-bar by the same move- 

 ments which have already been described. Now it is evi- 

 dent that in the (rabbins passing between the perpendi- 

 cular threads the first time, those perpendicular threads 

 which were on the right side of each bobbin would be on 

 the left side of the same bobbins when they return ; by 

 which means each of the threads of the bobbins makes 

 turn round it* corresponding perpendicular thread. 



The action being repeated, each bobbin makes a com- 

 plete twist round its corresponding bobbin thread, and 

 the side* of the meshes are thus formed ; but it is to be 

 understood that every time after the bobbins have been 

 passed between the perpendicular threads, before they 

 are passed again in an opposite direction, the row of 

 guides is to be moved a vpace, as before mentioned. 



Bat before we can dearly explain the manner of 

 crossing the bobbin thread*,- we must point out a cir- 

 cumstance which we omitted before, in order to render 

 the description lesi complicated, viz. that in order to 

 obtain more room for the bobbin*, they are arranged in 

 two rows, one before the other, in the same groove* of 

 the comb bars ; and that one row is first passed between 

 the perpendicular threads, and then the other. Also 

 the rows of guides before mentioned, are two in num- 

 ber, and one half of the number of perpendicular 

 threads, that is, every alternate thread, is conducted 

 through the guides of one row, whilst the intermediate 

 threads are conducted through the guides of the other 

 row. ^In order to make room for the passage of the 

 bobbins, the two rows of guides are so placed during 



the time that the bobbins pass, that they collect the 

 perpendicular threads one before the other, each alter- s 

 nate thread falling behind its neighbour, by which 

 means only one half of the number of threads appear in 

 front, and of course the spaces between them are ren- 

 dered double to what they would be it' the whole num- 

 ber of perpendicular threads were placed at regular 

 distances. After one half of the number of bobbins, 

 that is one of the rows of bobbins, has passed between 

 the threads, then, before the other row is passed, the 

 rows of guides are so moved as to separate those threads 

 which were placed behind each other in the former in- 

 stance, and arrange those threads behind each other 

 which were separated in the former instance ; conse- 

 quently when the remaining row of bobbins is passed, 

 the whole number of bobbins will have passed between 

 threads as we have described ; but as this is effected at 

 two operations, bobbins of a double thickness can be 

 employed. 



This separation of the bobbins into two rows, is also 

 requisite for making the crosses, which is done by mo- 

 ving one of the rows of bobbins one space to the right 

 or left without moving the other, and, when this is done, 

 the threads proceeding from one row of bobbins, will be 

 found crossed "over the other row of bobbins instead of 

 being parallel to them. That comb-bar, which is in front 

 of the perpendicular threads, is moveable a small space 

 to the right or left ; and, when only one of the rows of 

 bobbins is in this comb-bar, it is moved a space. The 

 other row of bobbins being at the same time in the 

 back comb-bar, will receive no motion. Consequently 

 when one of the rows is passed between the threads, so 

 so a* to bring the two rows together into the same 

 comb-bar, one row of bobbins will be found to be moved 

 sideways with respect to the other, and this produces the 

 crosses. 



The last operation to be noticed, is that of drawing 

 the twist close, and giving form to the meshes. This 

 is done, by a row of sharp pins, called points, which are 

 Mitpended in a frame, so that they can be brought down 

 low enough, to be introduced between the threads be- 

 neath the crosses just made, and being then moved up- 

 wards, these points will carry both the twists and 

 crosses upwards before them, and draw them close, and 

 also give form to the meshes. There are two rows of 

 points ; one which is used as above, to give form to the 

 recently formed meshes ; and another row, which re- 

 lieve the former, and hold fast the last made meshes', 

 whilst the first mentioned points repeat their action. 



The whole of Mr. Heathcoat's machine is very inge- 

 niously contrived, and it works with great rapidity. 

 The workman is seated before the machine, and em- 

 ploys both his hands and feet, to give the different mo- 

 tions. The machines are made of different widths, 

 from 1 to 2 1 yards, and the bobbins are from 10 to 12 

 per inch in each row, that is, equal to 20 to 24 per inch. 

 If the machine is 2 yards wide, the number of bobbins 

 will l)c from 1 440 to 1728 ; but all these are passed be- 

 tween the perpendicular threads in an instant, and it is 

 rarely that any derangement happens. 



The manufacturers of Nottingham have exercised 

 much ingenuity in making lace- machines, since Mr. 

 Heathcoat produced his ; but though their machines 

 differ in the mechanism which produces the movements, 

 they are all on the principle of Mr. Heathcoat's second 

 machine, and work by license under his patent. 



This invention has been carried into France by some 

 of Mr. Heathcoat's workmen, who have established a 

 manufactory at Donay. 



1 



Lace. 



