GB2511484A

GB2511484A - Lace manufacturing method

Info

Publication number: GB2511484A
Application number: GB1301034.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yann Gauret; Helene Gauret; Gregory Fontaine
Original assignee: BRUNET INTERNAT HONG KONG Ltd
Current assignee: BRUNET INTERNAT HONG KONG Ltd
Priority date: 2013-01-21
Filing date: 2013-01-21
Publication date: 2014-09-10
Anticipated expiration: 2033-01-21
Also published as: GB201301034D0; GB2511484B

Abstract

A lace making machine comprises a ground thread delivery system 12a, 18a, a pattern thread delivery system 12b, 18b-e and a needle bar 22 comprising a plurality of spaced needles. The pattern thread delivery system comprises two pattern forming jacquard guide bars 18b, 18c, each having a plurality of thread guide elements 20, 21 mounted along its length. The jacquard guide bars move in opposing directions in use. The machine allows lace patterns to be formed in a manner which reduces the conformity of the pattern to a rigid design, to give a desirable appearance or feel akin to hand-made or traditional lacework. Each jacquard may have its own mounting, each being individually actuable in a shog direction and the jacquard guide bars may follow a sequence of out-of-phase shogging motions. A plurality of elastic-yarn carrying guide bars may be provided which are actuable in opposing shog directions.

Description

Lace Manufacturing Method This invention concerns lace making or warp knitting machines, such as multi-guide bar lace machines.

In lace making it is desirous to be able to produce a wide variety of intricate lace patterns. Lace making machines are able to replicate a significant variety of lace patterns. However the limitations of such patterns are dictated by the machine in use, for example based, at least in part, on the number of guide bars on the machine and the freedom of lapping movement of the bars.

The current generation of lace making machines may have between forty and seventy-eight drawing bars working simultaneously. Furthermore, electronic control of ground guide bars, pattern guide bars and the Jacquard bar allows a single machine to produce variations in patterns which have been hitherto impossible. However such machines are not without limitations and there is an ongoing need to improve the flexibility of any one machine to accommodate further variation.

At least a portion of the appeal of lace lies in the intricate detailing of the patterns.

However the history of lace making indicates that further appeal lies in the craftsmanship attributed to hand-made lace. That is to say, hand-made lace creates an imperfect pattern such that no two hand-made articles of the same pattern are identical. Thus the quality of the craftsmanship in traditional lace products contributed to the perceived value of the lace.

One problem with current lace making machines is that a focus on quality and durability requires a consistent machine output. Thus an element of the appeal in mass-produced garments is lost, since patterns are executed in strict accordance with the machine program commands, thereby achieving a regular and ordered feel to the lace, regardless of the artistic or organic merit in the pattern itself. There is little or no deviation in appearance to the end consumer when a conventional lace making technique is applied to every loop and line.

It is an aim of the invention to provide a lace making method and machinery which allows further pattern variation in the lace product.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a lace making machine comprising a ground thread delivery system, a pattern thread delivery system and a needle bar comprising a plurality of spaced needles, the pattern thread delivery system comprising two pattern forming jacquard guide bars, each of said jacquard bars having a plurality of thread guide elements mounted along its length, wherein said jacquard guide bars move in opposing directions in use.

The jacquard guide bars are typically elongate in form. A first jacquard guide bar may have a first longitudinal axis and a second jacquard guide bar may have a second longitudinal axis. The first and second axes may be substantially parallel.

The first and second guide bars may move substantially in the directions of their respective first and second axes.

The jacquard bars may be offset in a longitudinal or axial direction of the bars. The guide elements of one jacquard bar may be positioned in between the guide elements of the other jacquard bar in a longitudinal direction of the bars (e.g. in the shog direction).

Each of said jacquard guide bars typically comprises a one-dimensional array or row of guide elements. The first and second jacquard guide bars typically comprise adjacent rows of guide elements.

The guide elements may each comprise an eye for receiving a yarn in use.

The jacquard guide bars may move in opposing shog directions.

Each jacquard bar may be displaceable by a distance of at least a single needle spacing.

The range of relative displacement between the jacquard bars (e.g. when moving in opposing directions) may be at least a single needle spacing and typically two needle spacings or more.

A first of said guide bars may be mounted adjacent a second of said guide bars.

A first jacquard bar may have a first mounting and a second jacquard bar may have a second mounting. The first and second mountings may be independently moveable, for example in opposing relative directions.

Each jacquard bar may be individually displaceable. For example each jacquard bar may move independently of the other jacquard bar. Each jacquard bar may have an actuator or actuation mechanism. A plurality of jacquard bar actuators may be provided.

The guide elements may be mounted at spaced locations along the length of the jacquard bar. The guide elements may be selectively displaceable relative to the jacquard bar on which they are mounted. The guide elements may be individually displaceable. Each guide element may be moveable towards or away from an adjacent guide element, for example to increase or decrease a gap therebetween.

The guide elements may be displaceable in the longitudinal or axial direction of the jacquard bar on which they are mounted. A piezoelectic displacement mechanism may be provided.

Each guide element may be displaceable relative to the jacquard bar by a distance of at least the spacing between adjacent needles on the needle bar. When considered in conjunction with the movement of the jacquard bar itself, each element may be displaceable relative to the needle bar or the other jacquard guide bar by two or more needle spacings. The invention may allow for a maximum relative displacement of one or more guide elements on one jacquard bar relative to one or more guide elements on the other jacquard bar of multiple needle spacings, such as three or four spacings.

The machine is typically a raschel warp knitting machine. The needles may comprise latch or compound needles. The machine may be a compound-needle high-speed raschel machine.

The machine typically comprises a controller. The controller may receive pattern instructions in the form of computer readable code and may control movement of the jacquard bar and/or guide elements in response thereto.

The pattern thread delivery system may comprise one or more further guide bar, which may not be jacquard controlled. A plurality of further guide bars may be provided. The further guide bars may be individually displaceable, typically electronically, e.g. under the control of a controller.

A plurality of elastic yarn guide bars may be provided. Each elastic yarn guide bar may have a plurality of guide elements along its length, each guide element receiving an elastic yarn in use. The elastic yarn guide bars may be individually displaceable, for example under the control of a controller. The elastic yarn guide bars may move in an axial or shog direction. The elastic yarn guide bars may undergo relative movement in use. The elastic yarn guide bars may be displaced in opposing directions.

The maximum range of movement of each the elastic yarn guide bar may be a single needle spacing. Thus the maximum relative movement between the elastic yarn guide bars may be two needle spacings. The spacing between elastic yarn guide elements on said bars is typically a single needle spacing. Alternate elastic yarn guide elements along said bar or bars may be empty.

The elastic yarn may comprise elastane.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a lace making machine comprising a ground thread delivery system, a pattern thread delivery system and a needle bar comprising a plurality of spaced needles, the pattern thread delivery system comprising two pattern forming jacquard guide bars, each of said jacquard bars having a plurality of thread guide elements mounted along its length, wherein said jacquard bars are individually displaced relative to each other under the control of a controller.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of manufacture in accordance with the first or second aspect of the invention.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a control system for a lace making machine comprising a controller having machine readable instructions thereon for controlling relative movement of a first jacquard guide bar in an opposing direction to that of a second jacquard guide bar.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided machine readable instructions for a lace making machine control system, the instructions controlling actuation of a first jacquard guide bar of the machine to move in an opposing direction to a direction of movement of a second jacquard guide bar.

Any of the preferable features defined above in relation to the first aspect may be applied to any of the further aspects of the invention, wherever practicable.

The invention differs from a conventional single jacquard bar arrangement and can offer significantly greater variation in lace patterning than has been hitherto possible. Furthermore the invention also differs from a so-called split' jacquard bar system, in which a pair of co-mounted jacquard bars are arranged for common movement. The flexibility of the invention allows lace patterns to be formed in a manner which reduces the conformity of the pattern to a rigid design, thereby giving a desirable appearance or feel more akin to hand-made or traditional lacework.

Practicable examples of the invention are described in further detail below with respect to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 shows a sectional view through an operating region of lace making machine having a jacquard system according to the invention; Figure 2 shows a conventional guide bar arrangement; Figure 3 shows a guide bar arrangement according to an example of the invention; Figures 4A and 4B show respective front views of a conventional jacquard yarn arrangement and a jacquard yarn arrangement according to an example of the invention; Figure 5 shows a three-dimensional view of a jacquard arrangement according to the invention; Figure 6 shows a three-dimensional view of a conventional elastane bar arrangement; Figures 7A and 7B show respective front and three-dimensional views of an elastane bar arrangement according to an example of the invention; Figures 8A and 8B show an exemplary comparison between a thread lapping diagram for a conventional lace pattern and a pattern according to the invention; Figures 9A and 9B show examples of lace patterns according to a prior art process and the present invention respectively; and Figures 1 OA and 1 OB show further detail of the pattern of Figure 9B.

Turning to Figure 1 there is shown a schematic representation of a rasehel warp knitting machine 10 for lace manufacture. The machine is of a type generally known to the skilled person and comprises a plurality of beams 12 which carry yarn 14. Individual yarns are wrapped on each beam and drawn therefrom in a controlled manner to be supplied to a stitch-forming zone 16.

The beams 12 typically comprise at least one ground beam 12a and multiple pattern beams 1 2b. Individual motors, not shown, may control feeding of the yarn in a conventional manner. The pattern beams 1 2b may take the form of so-called string bars, comprising a wire to which the yarn carrier is attached. A servo-motor may be attached at one end of the bar and the string tension may be controlled by a suitable mechanism, such as a damper.

The invention allows for up to ninety-five pattern beams or string bars to be used simultaneously, in contrast to conventional machine usage which would allow between forty and seventy-eight string bars to be used in a typical mode of use.

Yarns 14 are fed to the knitting zone 16 via guide bars 18. Each guide bar is elongate in form (i.e. shown in section in Fig. 1) and has a plurality of guide elements 20 having eye formations 21 depending from the guide bar. The eye formations are typically provided at the free end of a stem or neck formation, by which the guide element is mounted to the guide bar. The guide bars 18 are mounted relative/adjacent to a needle bar 22 such that the guide elements 20 depend from the bar 18 towards the needle bar.

The guide and needle bars are typically approximately equal in length and span the width of the knitting zone 16 and/or machine (i.e. the operating width). The guide bars are arranged in series and adjacent or proximate one another such that the guide bars are all substantially parallel in orientation.

The needle bar 22 has an array of spaced needles 24 along its length. The needles are upstanding therefrom to receive one or more yarns in use. Needles are rigidly attached to the needle bar 22 and equally spaced along the bar at a predetermined gauge, such as E24 for fine gauge offering high pattern definition.

The needles are hook-like in form and may comprise compound needles.

A stitch comb bar 26 is provided immediately behind the needle bar and has comb elements 28 spaced along its length so as to align with the needles of the needle bar. Although not shown for simplicity in Fig. 1, the skilled person would appreciate that the machine also typically comprises a conventional knock-over comb bar and a tongue bar. Description of various other features of such machines, including yarn selection and tensioning means are omitted for brevity. However any and all such conventional features may be applied to machines according to the invention.

The lace fabric 29 is formed and carried away downstream of the needles 24 in the direction of arrow A. A plurality of different types of guide bar 18 are provided as labelled 1 8a-1 8e in Figs 1 and 3, typically provided in sequence from upstream to downstream in a direction of yarn feeding to the knitting zone 16 (or from left to right as shown in Fig. 1). A first guide bar 1 8a provides the ground yarns from beam 1 2a. The further guide bars 1 8b-e provide pattern yarns from beams 1 2b.

Of the pattern guide bars 1 Sb-i Be, two guide bars i 8b and 1 8c comprise jacquard controlled guide bars. On those guide bars, the guide elements 20 are mounted in a manner that allows displacement of the free end of the guides (i.e. the eyes 21) in a direction substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the guide bar. Such a movement may encompass a pivoting displacement of the elements 20 about a fixed portion of the element proximate the supporting guide bar. The guide elements may be displaceable within a predetermined range. That is to say each guide element may have limited freedom of movement. Such a range of displacement may be defined by stop or spacer members between adjacent guide elements.

The guide elements 20 are selectively actuable under the control of signals received from a controller 30, which forms part of a wider machine control system as will be described below. In this example, the actuation means comprises piezoelectric members 32 forming a portion of each guide element. The piezoelectric actuator may comprise a carrier plate having one or more ceramic layers, for example on each side thereof. The piezoelectric members may expand or contract upon application of a voltage dependent on polarity to thereby cause deflection.

Each member and associated piezoelectric actuator has an electrical connection such that an electric signal can be supplied thereto as governed by the controller 30. The application of a voltage to the piezoelectric member causes internal stress within the piezoelectric material thereby causing deflection of the guide element. In this manner the individual guide elements can be deflected relative to the guide bar in a longitudinal direction of the bar, or else in a lateral direction with respect to the feeding of thread through the knitting zone 16.

The needles 24 are mounted collectively and rigidly on the needle bar, which typically runs substantially horizontally the full knitting width of the zone 16 and/or machine. Thus the jacquard controlled guide elements can be deflected in use relative to the fixedly aligned needles 24 on the needle bar. The deflection of the guide elements is thus programmed to create a desired pattern in the fabric created by selectively deflecting the guide elements relative to the needles between stitches.

The other guide bars 1 8a, 1 8d and 1 Ce are not jacquard controlled and so the guide elements 20 are rigidly mounted to those guide bars in a fixed position/orientation. Thus the guide elements 20 on those bars are maintained in a fixed relative position on their respective bar and each such element does not undergo movement relative to the bar or the adjacent elements on said bar.

All of the guide bars 1 8a-1 8e are individually actuable by a bar actuator 34a-34e under the control of the electronic control system. In this regard each actuator has an electrical connection with the controller 30 for receipt of control signals there-from to determine the position of each guide bar. The guide bars are selectively displaceable in a shog direction (i.e. substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of each guide bar). The range of shog movement of any individual bar may be up to 180mm. Accordingly the guides can be moved relative to the needles in the stitch-forming zone and thereby selectively wrap yarn around different needles in successive stitches.

Thus it will be appreciated that the macroscopic shogging motion of the guide bars provides various degrees of freedom, whereby all the guide elements on a common guide bar are collectively displaced. The jacquard controlled guide bars additionally allow the individual guide elements to be selectively displaced relative to the jacquard bars 1 8b and 1 8c, thereby providing further degrees of freedom for pattern forming in the lace fabric.

In use the needle bar 22 is generally vertically reciprocating so as to bring the needles selectively into and out of contact with the yarn from the guide elements.

Thus the machine operates according to a stitch forming process in which the yarns are supplied to the knitting zone parallel to the selvedge of the fabric, i.e. in the direction of the wales. In order to connect the stitches to form a fabric, the yarns are deflected laterally between the needles.

Between each stitch, the guide elements are aligned in-between adjacent needles of the needle bar. The guide elements pass through the line of needles between adjacent needles and motion in the shogging direction thereby forms overlaps and underlaps in the fabric. The yarn is wrapped around the needle and may be drawn through the previously knitted loop prior to a knock over displacement action. The lateral movement (i.e. in the direction of yarn travel) of the yarns between adjacent needle spacings causes an underlap which links the stitches together.

With reference to Figures 2 to 5, a conventional guide bar setup is shown in comparison to a guide bar setup according to an example of the invention. In particular, it can be seen that the macroscopic guide bar movement of a first jacquard bar 1 8b according to the invention is independent of the movement of the second jacquard bar 18c. Thus the two jacquard bars can undergo relative displacement between each movement through the needle line. In preferred embodiments, the jacquard bars can be moved in opposing directions.

In Fig. 3 it can be seen that the spacing of the yarn-bearing guide elements on the jacquard bars 1 8b, 1 8c is double that of the ground bar 1 8a and/or needle spacing. Thus the guide elements on the adjacent jacquard bars may be selectively aligned (i.e. one behind the other) or offset.

Each jacquard bar 1 8b and 1 8c may have a full range of shog movement but in opposing directions. Thus the relative range of motion between the jacquard bars may be at least that of either individual bar and may be up to double that of the individual jacquard bars depending on initial alignment.

The jacquard bars may have a common start or stop position at which position the bars are substantially aligned and may each be deflected from said start/stop positions in an opposing direction relative to the other jacquard bar. With reference to Figs. 4A and 4B, it can be seen that the stop members (i.e. that define the extent of the available guide elements relative to each jacquard bar) may be offset in use, e.g. by a single needle spacing.

The pattern yarn being fed to one jacquard bar can thus be macroscopically displaced relative to the pattern yarn fed to the other jacquard bar with respect to the needle bar. It has been found that the controlled relative movement between the jacquard bars allows an increased range of patterning options and effects to the machine operator. For jacquard bars moving in opposing directions by a single needle spacing, in conjunction with possible guide element movement relative to said bars, a guide element on one jacquard bar that is initially aligned (i.e. in front or behind) with a corresponding guide element on the other jacquard bar may be moved relative to that corresponding guide element by up to three or four needle spacings (depending on the initial deflection of the guide elements relative to the bar).

Through experimentation and development of the fundamental concept of the invention, the applicant has determined that further configuration changes compliment the new method of operation. In particular, it has been found that the configuration of two guide bars 1 Sd and 1 8e to carry elastic thread, in place of a conventional single elastane bar, increases elasticity of the lace in a manner that is particularly favourable in conjunction with the new patterning effects. The elastane thus incorporated using this technique is significantly greater than in normal elastic lace.

The elastane guide bars lSd and 18e may be adjacently mounted.

Also it has been found that the elastane bars 1 3d and 1 8e can be controlled to also undergo relative movement in a manner akin to the macroscopic movement of the jacquard bars described above. That is to say each elastane bar 1 3d and 1 8e may have a full range of shog movement but in opposing directions. Thus the relative range of motion between the elastane bars may be at least that of either individual bar and may be up to double that of the individual elastane bars depending on initial alignment.

The guide elements on the elastane bars as shown in Fig. 3 may not all be used.

For example alternate elastane guide elements along the elastane bar may be empty or unused. That is to say, in some embodiments of the invention, the spacing between elastane-bearing guide elements by be twice the normal spacing (i.e. double the needle spacing).

The elastane bars in this embodiment may have a common start or stop position at which position the bars are substantially aligned (i.e. the elastane-bearing guide elements on one bar are aligned with the elastane bearing guides on the other bar) and may each be deflected from said start/stop positions in an opposing direction relative to the other elastane bar. However an offset initial alignment is also possible.

Thus the guide elements on the elastane bars may be selectively aligned (i.e. one behind the other) or offset during use, for example as shown in Figs. 7a and 7B.

The control system allows computer control of the guide bar and jacquard bar guide elements described above. The control system typically allows input of a lace pattern, typically in a predetermined machine readable format, either manually (on screen) or via machine instructions stored on a suitable data carrier or over a network connection. One or more processors of the control system convert the input lace pattern into a series of control signals for displacement of the guide bars and jacquard guide elements into a desired sequence of positions relative to the needle bar.

Sensors provide feedback to the controller in order to confirm concurrent positioning of the moveable members.

It is of benefit that the invention can be achieved without substantial physical modification of existing machinery. That is to say existing machines can be reconfigured and/or programmed to adopt the manufacturing method of the invention at low cost. Thus the invention can improve the flexibility and options offered by an existing machine. The method of the invention can be performed using a conventional threading technique such that it avoids complicated setup procedures.

Although five guide bars have been described above in detail, it will be appreciated by the skilled person that varying numbers, typically greater numbers, of guide bars or "shogging lines" will typically be used to achieve the desired patterns. Furthermore the order of the ground, jacquard and/or elastane guide bars may be modified to suit a desired pattern profile. Surface patterns may be knitted onto a wide variety of lace ground variations.

One example of usage of the method of the invention is shown in Figure 8B, which can be compared to a conventional machine use as shown in Fig. 8a. In Fig. 8a it can be seen that the split jacquard bars (JTB 1.1 and 1.2) move in a common rhythm, thereby forming loops in phase, whereas in Fig. 9a, the jacquard bars are perfectly out of phase. Guide bars GB2 and GB3 in each example are performing a simple pillar stitch, i.e. by lapping over the same needle, in synchronisation. The elastane bars 0B4 and 0B5 simply pass elastic thread back and forth of the same needle, in phase in Fig. 8A and out of phase in Fig. 8B.

Some examples of implementation of the present invention are described below with reference to Figs. 9 and 10. In Fig. 9A, a conventional machine lace pattern is shown. Here it can be seen that each and every aspect of the pattern is almost always flawlessly executed in strict accordance with its respective lace pattern program commands. There is almost always little to no deviation in appearance when the normal technique of production is adopted and this applies to every loop and line.

Methods according to the present invention allow creation of lace patterns that have not been hitherto possible. Furthermore, and perhaps more surprisingly, the techniques described above allow lace patterns to be created in a manner such that every aspect of a certain pattern is uniquely inconsistent. That is to say, although mass produced, each loop and line is either slightly biased or askew in a manner which removes the strict regularity of lace patterns normally created using conventional machine control methods.

The larger area view of a lace pattern according to one example of the invention in Fig. 9B shows how the look and feel of the lace fabric is changed over the whole pattern. The detailed views of Figs. 1 OA and 1 OB show the skew or variation in the lace that is achievable even for a region which conforms to common pattern. In comparison to lace produced on a common machine using conventional techniques, the lace patterns achievable under the invention may be any or any combination of: higher in contrast; thinner; more detailed; and/or more refined lace. The effects made possible by the invention provide patterns with an irregular wave which has appeal as being closer to handmade lace garments whilst maintaining the durability and integrity of lace normally produced by a machine.

The invention may be used for the manufacture of hosiery, lingerie and the like but is not limited thereto and may be used for other high-quality lace apparel or edgings, etc for other garments.

Any of the guide bars described herein may carry the same or differing thread from any other guide bar depending on the nature of the fabric to be produced. Any references made herein to yarn" may be considered to encompass "thread" wherever relevant.

Claims

Claims: 1. A lace making machine comprising: a needle bar comprising a plurality of spaced needles; a ground yarn delivery system for delivery of ground yarn to the needles; and, a pattern yarn delivery system for delivery of pattern yarn to the needles, the pattern yarn delivery system comprising two pattern-forming jacquard guide bars, each of said jacquard bars having a plurality of yarn guide elements mounted along its length, wherein said jacquard guide bars move in opposing directions in use.
2. A lace making machine according to claim 1, wherein the jacquard guide bars are elongate in form, each having a longitudinal axis and being mounted in parallel, wherein the opposing directions of movement are substantially aligned with said respective longitudinal axes.
3. A lace making machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the jacquard bars adopt a first condition in which the end of said jacquard bars are aligned, each bar being actuated in opposing directions in use away from said first condition.
4. A lace making machine according to claim 3, wherein the yarn guide elements of said jacquard bars are substantially aligned in the first condition such that a row of guide elements on a first of said jacquard bars are substantially behind a row of guide elements on a second of said jacquard bars.
5. A lace making machine according to claim 4, wherein the first condition is an at-rest condition.
6. A lace making machine according to any preceding claim, wherein a first jacquard bar has a first mounting and a second jacquard bar has a second mounting, each of said first and second mounting being individually actuable in a shog direction.
7. A lace making machine according to any preceding claim, wherein the jacquard guide bars each follow a corresponding sequence shogging motions but out of phase.
8. A lace making machine according to any preceding claim, wherein the guide elements of each jacquard bar are individually actuable relative to their respective jacquard bard in a direction along the said jacquard bar.
9. A lace making machine according to any preceding claim, comprising a plurality of elastic yarn carrying guide bars for delivery of a plurality of elastic yarns to the needles.
10. A lace making machine according to claim 9, wherein the elastic yarn carrying guide bars are actuable in opposing shog directions.
11. A lace making machine according to claim 9, wherein the elastic yarn carrying guide bars each follow a corresponding sequence shogging motions but out of phase.
12. A lace making machine according to any preceding claim, comprising a controller for controlling the relative positioning of said jacquard bars and/or guide elements in accordance with a predetermined lace pattern.
13. A raschel warp knitting machine according to any preceding claim.
14. A control system for a lace making machine according to any preceding claim, the control system comprising one or more processors for controlling movement of the jacquard bars in opposing directions in accordance with received lace pattern data.
15. A method of lace manufacture comprising: a needle bar comprising a plurality of spaced needles; feeding a plurality of ground yarns to a plurality of needles spaced along a needle bar via a ground guide bar; feeding a plurality of pattern yarns to said plurality of needles via a plurality of pattern-forming jacquard guide bars, each of said jacquard bars having a plurality of yarn guide elements mounted along its length; and, controlling the jacquard bars to move in opposing directions in use.
16. A lace fabric or garment manufactured according to the method of claim 16.
17. Machine readable instructions for a lace making machine control system, the instructions controlling actuation of a first jacquard guide bar of the machine to move in an opposing direction to a direction of movement of a second jacquard guide bar of the machine in accordance with a predetermined lace pattern.