IMPROVEMENTS IN HECKLING MACHINES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Augustin Morel, of the Town of Roubaix, in the
Department of the Nord, in the Empire of France, Manufacturer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN HECKLING MACHINES."
Sealed the 31st October 1862, and dated the 6th May 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Augustin Morel, at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 6th
May 1862.
I, AUGUSTIN MOREL, of the Town of Roubaix, in the Department of the
Nord, in the Empire of France, Manufacturer, do hereby declaro the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HECKLING MACHINES," to be as
follows:-
My improvements consist in a novel arrangement of organs or parts which
permits the combing of fibrous materials by a series of moveable nippers
placed above and within a circular comb and an equal number of feeders,
the system or method known as "Heilmann's" working with these nippers,
and placed outside the circular comb. The whole is so arranged that the
material is carried directly into the circular comb by the nippers without the
aid of any other organ. The number of nippers and feeders is optional, they
are all moved by a single circle or ring in which grooves furnished with friction
rollers act as eccentrics.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Augustin Morel in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
3rd November 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AUGUSTIN
MOREL, of the Town of Roubaix, in the Department of the Nord, in the
Empire of France, Manufacturer, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Augustin Morel, Her special licence that I, the said Augustin Morel, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Augustin
Morel, my 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 HECKLING
MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Augustin
Morel, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals 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 Augustin Morel, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawing hereunto annexed,
and forming part of this my Specification, and to the figures and letters of
reference marked thereon.
The improvements forming the subject of my Invention consist in an
arrangement of annular and other parts, which enables me to multiply at will
the parts working on the material which is spread around a circle in optional
proportions, thus increasing the working, and consequently the production
of the machine. As will be seen on reference to the Drawing, I have
suppressed as many movements and as much gearing as possible, so as to
organize a mechanism not easily susceptible of disarrangement while working,
to further which object I use a single piece in form of a ring having paths or

page_text: grooves in its interior, and high and low parts; at its upper part, this piece
being so arranged that its channels or paths, and its high and low parts give
motion at proper time, and simultaneously to each working part. These
parts are a circular comb, which may be heated, if required; nippers and
feeders so arranged that one feeder presents the material to one nipper, this
material being first seized by the nipper, then traversed by a comb, and that
as near the nipper as possible; this comb, composed of several rows of needles
and forming part of the feeder, has a recoil movement; when it has arrived at
the end of its march the nipper lowers while holding the material abandoned
to it by the feeder, and plunges it directly into the needles of the circular
comb; then the upper part only of the nipper rises, and during this time the
whole nipping arrangement slightly recoils towards the centre of the circle, so
that the lower part of the nipper in reascending does not disarrange the
material which it has deposited in the first row of needles of the circular comb.
This circular comb is mounted with needles of different length, the longest
being placed on the circle, exteriorly to the shortest, and receiving the material
direct from the nipper, the shortest receiving only the end of the material
which has been seized by this nipper, and which a brush plunges rapidly into
the needles as the nipper recoils towards the centre of the comb. This brush
remains as short a time as possible in the circular comb, in order that this
latter may not by its rotary motion disarrange the bristles of the brush, nor
the material which it carries. The arrangement of the feeders and the nippers
placed around the circle is such that the material is spread in fractional parts,
and successively, so that the circular comb is garnished with as regular a
portion of material as possible, and presents to the cylinders the wherewithal
to form a continuous sliver of the greatest possible regularity. These drawing
rollers placed vertically are so arranged that one of the endless bands prepares
the fibres of the material suitably for drawing from the circular comb. This
latter afterwards encounters a pair of vertical cylinders enveloped by two
endless leather bands, intended to remove the waste or impurities remaining
in the circular comb. Small pointed sheet-iron plates dragging between the
rows of needles of this circular comb, also assist in removing these impurities.
In the arrangement of this machine there are four series of feeders, nippers,
drawing cylinders, take-off rollers, and cylinders for removing impuritics, each
of these series gives a separate product or yield. This number of parts
repeated four times around the circular comb may nevertheless be increased
or diminished, according to requirement.
The accompanying Drawing shews the parts of the machine and their
connection, the parts being indicated by letters of reference; the toothed

page_text: gearing and friction rollers by red lines in Figures 2 and 3, and the rotary
movements by arrows.
Figure 1 represents a sectional elevation of the machine. B, B, is a ring
acting as a frame attached to the columns B" by tie pieces B' on which it
rests, these tie pieces serving at the same time as stand or foot to the machine.
These tie pieces and columns are here four in number, but this is optional.
The ring B, B, carries four wheels E", which may be seen at Figures 1 and 2.
On these wheels rolls the ring with path or groove E'; the ring B further
carries the supports F, which act as guides to the four axle pins of the
friction rollers G, G", N", and F, which give the up-and-down motion to
the nipping pieces X", P, P, Q, E, S". The ring B further carries a reversed
support Y, on which rests the moveable upright Y, carrying at its summit the
feeding head Q and also the rod X which supports the coub T. On Q is also
fixed the small copper plate H, furnished with needles or wires, serving to
pass the material through the grating R by a come-and-go motion imprinted
to it by means of the slide H', and by a slight up-and-down motion given on
the one hand by the spring J, and on the other by a small plate T, Figure 4,
placed on each side of the comb T; this plate when it descends rests on the
two ends of the plate furnished with needles H, Figure 4. V, friction roller,
rolling against the high part of the grooved or path ring E¹ which fulfils the
office of a circular cam, and thus repulses the friction roller V mounted on the
support Z which is fixed on the main support of the feeding head, which must
obey it. This feeding head is recalled towards the nipper by means of the
spring I fixed at bottom to the upright Y, and at top to the plate B¹¹,
which acts as support to the entire arrangement at the upper part of the
machine. The friction roller X gives the up-and-down motion to the comb T
by means of the rod X which slides along the upright Y. The part on which
X¹ reposes has high and low parts, to cause this friction roller to rise and
descend when required. On C upper part of the ring E rolls, besides the
friction rollers above described, the friction roller O' mounted on the lever P",
which serves to stretch and relieve at proper time the spring L' which is fixed
by the bottom to the piece P, which forms part of the lower part of the
nipper. This latter finds its suppleness or tension in the spring L' by means
of the band S fixed at the upper part of the nipper E. The lever P¹ is set in
motion by the high and low parts, on which runs the friction ruller O'. S'
small square, in circle, acting as protector of the short needles of the comb L
against the lower part of the nipper when it descends; J and J' are screws
acting as beds or buffers for the feeders and nipping parts. One of these
screws is fixed on the plate B, and the other on the lower part of the steam

page_text: chest M, on which turns the comb L as well as its crown or head, toothed
interiorly. The friction roller N" gives the up-and-down motion to the
brush C by means of the support X", and of Q' flat iron rod curved at its
upper part. The friction roller G" gives the up-and-down motion to E upper
part of the nipper. The friction roller N' placed in the interior of the upper
part of the ring E' rolls also on unequal parts, acting as cam, and by this means
repulsing the friction roller N', which, in its turn, pushes the entire nipping
arrangement towards the interior of the machine. When this arrangement is at
the end of its course, the brush C" will be found placed perpendicularly to the
needles of the comb mounted on the toothed crown L, at this moment the brush
descends, the entire nipping arrangement as well as the brush is brought back
at the required time towards the upper part of the needles by means of the
spring L' and of P. F, F, (Figures 1 and 2) fast and loose pulley; G, driving
shaft, communicating motion to the entire machine by means of the toothed
gearing a', D, and a". This shaft G is carried by the bearings C and C', and
itself carries at one extremity the endless screw a, which gives motion to the
circle or crown, toothed interiorly, L by means of the toothed gearing Ou and
a. The toothed wheel a is mounted on the shaft D' which is carried by
the supports D, and gives motion to the conical toothed wheels or cogs K and
straight toothed gearing K¹ which communicate the motion in their turn to
the ring E by means of the toothed part R' (Figures 1 and 2. R", upright,
intended to receive the rows or bobbins of material to be combed, and serving
at the same time as support to the plate (carrying the arrangement) B.
Figure represents a plan of the machine seen in parts. In one half of this
Figure may be seen the arrangement of the nippers, the feeders, the brushes,
the drawing pieces, and for the issue of impurities. All these parts which are
shewn occupy but a quartor of the circumference and represent but one yield,
whereas the machine gives four. But in order that this Figure may be more
readily understood, three parts are left unoccupied by working pieces, the
position of a second series being simply indicated in one of these three parts.
Nearly the other half of the circle is left plain, in order that the section of
the upper part of the ring E' may be understood. C, C, in this latter
part indicate the high and low parts on which roll the friction rollers X', O',
shewn, Figure 1. The upper plate B of the machine fulfils the office of
carrier of the working arrangement, and especially for the working parts in
contact with the material; this plate is seen in its full size at the right of
A, B, looking from A to B. R, Figure 2, shews how the toothed gearing
K' gears into that at the bottom, and exterior of the annular eccentric E', and
how this latter receives its motion. K' is repeated on each side the machine,

page_text: so as to command the annular eccentric on both sides, and thus divide the
strain. K, Figure 1, represents but one gearing, whereas the machine
possesses two.
The shaft D carries two conical cogs, one at each end; these
cogs are placed in reverse positions, in order to give to the annular eccentric a
rotation in the same direction. The four toothed wheels M' are governed by
toothed gearing in the lower part of the annular eccentric, and in their turn
command all the cylinders I furnished with two endless bands and the
discharging cylinder J, then the cylinder N also carrying two endless leather
bands. The letters B indicate how the upper plate B, B, is established
P indicates the lower part of the
piece P while
on the columns seen, Figures 1 and 2.
lower nipper and its fitting in the support F1, and the ring F", in which
grooves are made to avoid the twisting or torsion of the
working, but not interfering with its up-and-down motion. The plate B
serves also as guide to the three flat pieces, sliding the one against the
other; the one Q₁ forms part of the brush C", and the two others E and S",
of the two parts of the nipper. The grooves formed in the plate Bare
shewn, Figure 2, between the pieces P, which are moveable, so as to more
or less close these grooves. Figure 3, E¹ represents a quarter of the annular
eccentric, and shews how the paths or grooves are formed in its interior, and
in what manner the friction rollers are placed therein. The circuits of the
paths of this piece are repeated four times on the interior circumference of the
ring.
I will now describe the march of the material. The material must be
prepared, that is to say, previously put into continuous sliver in the form of
bobbins or rows, which are placed on the creels R" (Figure 1). These rows
of material then pass by the feeder Q and grating R and are presented to the
nipping pieces E and S" by the small comb H, which also forms part of the
feeder. The nipper seizes the end of the material which is presented to it,
and the feeder in retiring abandons to it a portion of the fibres which it
deposits in descending in the needles of the circular comb L, then a brush Cu
completes the pressing of the material into the needles. The circular comb L
continuing its rotation brings to the cylinders I" (Figure 2) the fibres spread
on its circumference, and already partially combed by the comb T of the
feeder. These fibres are arranged for drawing by one of the endless bands
passing between the drawing cylinders, and it is then that the material
deposited in the needles of the circular comb combs, abandoning to this latter
its waste or impurities, which are then disengaged by means of small sheet iron
plates drawn between the rows of needles, and finally taken up by the endless
bands N. The combed or heckled material issuing from the cylinders J in

page_text: continuous sliver may be placed in cans or in bobbins. In the plans above
described, the pieces which are repeated several times bear the same lettering.
I would here observe that I may obtain the same result with the same parts,
such as nippers, brushes, and feeders, arranged in the same way but placed on
one or several straight lines by using either jointed combs or sliver combs,
which would also describe a straight line, and would occupy the same position
as the circular ring, that is to say, be in similar connection with the feeders
and nippers. For this purpose I have but to place longitudinal shafts parallel
to the circular ring, and carrying the necessary eccentrics for moving the
working parts, in the same manner as they work with the circular comb and
the annular eccentric. By this arrangement the principle of this Invention
would be in nowise departed from, the same results would be obtained, and the
working parts might also be multiplied on the same machine.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the means by
which I carry it into practical effect, I would have it understood that I do
not confine myself to the precise details herein given and illustrated on
the annexed Sheet of Drawing, as such may be modified without departure
from my Invention, and that I claim not only the manner in which the
material is combed and transmitted to the circular comb, but also the annular
eccentric in its application to this purpose, which permits the spreading of the
material at will, either by enlarging the feeders or increasing their number.
In one word, not only the parts which are new in their application to heckling
fibrous or thready material, but also their combination essentially as herein-
before described and shewn in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Augustin Morel, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
AUGUSTIN MOREL. (L.S.)