Patent GB-191309638-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Spreading Machines connected with Hackling Machines for Flax and other Long Staple Fibres.
Inventor: SHAW PETER
IPC: D01B5/00
Filed: 1913-04-24
Granted: 1914-02-26
Abstract: 9638. Shaw, P. April 24. Feeding and transferring flax etc.; gill frames.-In an apparatus for transferring stricks of flax from the holders of a heckling- machine to the feed-rollers or table of a spreading-machine, the stricks are seized by a pair of grippers B, C, Figs. 1 and 2, mounted on a common axis D, and turned over lengthwise so that the part a<2> last held in the holder A is the part fed first to the rollers &c. of the spreading-machine. The gripper B is carried by a lever b fixed on a shaft D, and the gripper C is carried by a lever c loose on the shaft and integral with a lever c' carrying a bar c<2>, between which and the gripper C a guard c<3> is arranged. A spring c<7>, Fig. 5, on a rod c<6>, mounted between sockets c<4>, c<5> on the levers c<1>, c, is arranged between the socket c<5>, and a projection f<1> on a socket f and the shaft D and socket f are driven intermittently at the same speed by pairs of pinions and intermittent wheels at opposite sides of the apparatus, the pair L, l, Fig. 2, driving the shaft D. The gearing is so arranged that, starting from the position shown in Fig. 1, the gripper C makes half a revolution alone, moving upwards behind the flax a and meeting the gripper B which does not start its revolution until the spring c<7> is compressed, thus providing the pressure between the grippers to hold the flax. The grippers then make half a revolution together, drawing the flax from the holder and turning it over, and finally the gripper B makes half a revolution alone, releasing the flax, which falls on to the feed-table G, and returning to its initial position. The speed of the grippers is such that the centrifugal force is sufficient to throw the flax over, but this action may be assisted by a rod R, carried by levers r, attached to a shaft r<1> pivoted in the lever c, and normally lying against the guard c<3> but moved outwards, at the proper moment, by reason of a finger r<3>, fixed to the shaft r<1>, engaging a fixed stud r<4>. The turned-over flax is preferably not deposited directly upon the table G of the spreading- machine but on to a curved receiving-bar K mounted on a lever k fixed on a shaft k' and which, starting from the position shown in Fig. 2, makes a complete revolution in the opposite direction to the grippers, passing from under the turned-over flax and stroking the edges to smooth down any straggling fibres; the shaft k<1> is driven from the pinion l by the wheels m, m<1>, M. The matted part a<3> of the strick last held in the holder A is shaken out during the turning-over action. The pinions driving the grippers are locked when not engaging the teeth of the segmental wheels by plates l<1>, l<2>. The bar K may be provided with a guard k<4> to hold the ends of the flax from contact with the flax on the table G until the bar has passed from underneath the flax. According to the Provisional Specification, a light bar may be provided to engage with the flax either on the feed-table or on the receiving-bar at the time the gripper B is passing from under the flax; the bar may be arranged to partake of the movement of the feed-table or of the receiving-bar, or it may be given an intermittent complete revolution.