IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR HACKLING Flax and othER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Horner, of Belfast, in the County of
Antrim, Ireland, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR HACKLING Flax and othER FIBROUS MATERIALS.”
Sealed the 14th March 1873, and dated the 16th January 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Horner at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th January 1873.
I, GEORGE HORNER, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR HACKLING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be as
follows:-
The first part of my Invention relates to the application of an
oscillating brush or brushes operated by cams, eccentrics, or other suit-
able means, and mounted in such a position as to dab the points of
the hackle pins, which at the same time pass through the brush, thereby
preventing the gum or sticky matter accumulating on the pins.
The second part of my Invention consists in dispensing with the T
bars which have hitherto been used to bring down the tow catchers. I
now effect this by means of the rocking lever, which is made to upset
the tow catcher by coming in contact with a small lever in connection

page_text: therewith, which arrangement answers the purpose more effectually and
with greater simplicity.
The third part of my Invention relates to the means employed to take
the holders from one gradation of tackles to the other. This I effect by
means of a cam or cam wheel cast or fitted on the same cam or cam
wheel which lifts the holder troughs, working a bar perpendicular or
otherwise which communicates with a crank lever or levers or brackets,
and rock the same so as to move the holders from one gradation of
hackles to the other. By means of a slot in the lever a longer or shorter
throw can be given to the holders. By these means I obtain greater
simplicity and ease of working, and do away with wedge shaped cams
and other motions expensive in the fitting up. I also rearrange the
lifting of the holder troughs so as to get a higher or lower lift with
greater simplicity and ease.
The fourth part of my Invention relates to the holders and channels
in which they are received, whereby the holders are made to go parallel
to the hackles, or nearly so, and yet allow the holder plate sufficient
room for an extra quantity of flax or other fibrous material to be hackled
without liability of the holder being fastened or tightened between the
channels. Many breakages are thus avoided which occur in consequence
of the attendants putting in unequal quantities of the material. One
plate of each holder has one or more pins fixed transversely through it,
on which pin or pins the other holder plate fits, and can be moved to
and fro along it so as to allow a larger or smaller piece of flax being held
between the two holder plates which are fastened together by a nut or
screw. The said pin or pins project on cither side of the flax holder, and
move in guides formed in the holder trough, the holder being hung
from said pin or pins without the plates coming in contact with the
channels in which the holder moves.
The fifth part of my Invention relates to a tow shaker for pushing the
tow to the front of the machine, and allowing the shives and dirt to fall
under the machine, thereby keeping the tow almost perfectly clean.
This I effect by an upward and downward motion of the cages or sifters
for cleaning the tow combined with an oscillating motion for pushing
the tow to the front of the machine. The cage or sifter is jointed to an
oscillating arm or bracket from which it derives a vertical and horizontal
movement..

page_text: The sixth part of my Invention relates to a device for breaking or
taking off the ragged ends of the flax or other fibrous material so as to
avoid the necessity of this being done by the workpeople on what is
called the touch pin. It consists of a pair of arms or jaws to which
hackle pins are attached. These jaws are made to open and close so
that when closed together upon the flax or other material the upward
motion of the holder troughs draws the end of the flax through the
hackle pins and breaks off the ragged ends.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Horner in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 16th July 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HORNER, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the
thirty-sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said George Horner, Her special licence
that I, the said George Horner, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said George Horner, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and по
others, from time to time and 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 MACHINERY
FOR HACKLING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Horner, 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.

page_text: be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :-
The first part of my Invention relates to the application of an oscil-
lating brush or brushes to hackling machines for the purpose of keeping
clean the points of the hackle pins. Said brush or brushes are operated
by cams, eccentrics, or other suitable means, and mounted in such a
position as to dab or strike the points of the hackle pins, which at the
same time pass through the brush, whereby the gum or sticky matter is :
prevented from accumulating on the points of said pins. By means of
this improvement the pins are kept much cleaner than by what are
termed "brush and doffer machines," as in the latter the brushes only
clean the back side of the pins, leaving the cutting side dirty, but with
the improvement of my Invention all the cutting parts of the pins are
kept clean.
The second part of my Invention consists in dispensing with the T
bars which have hitherto been used to bring down the tow catchers. I
now effect this by means of the rocking lever which operates the lifters,
and which is made to upset the tow catcher by coming in contact with
a small lever in connection therewith, which arrangement answers the
purpose more effectually and with greater simplicity.
The third part of my Invention relates to the means employed to take
the holders from one gradation of hackles to the other.
The fourth part of my Invention relates to an improved tow shaker
with an upward and downward motion combined with an oscillating
motion for pushing the tow more rapidly to the front of the machine, and
allowing the shives and dirt to fall under the machine, thereby keeping
the tow almost perfectly clean.
The fifth part of my Invention relates to a device for breaking or
taking off the ragged ends of the flax or other fibrous material, so as to
avoid the necessity of this being done by the workpeople on what is
called the "touch" pin.
In the accompanying Drawings I have illustrated the various improve-
ments constituting the several parts of my Invention as applied to a
double vertical sheet hackling machine.

page_text: Figure 1 is an end elevation, and Figure 2 a front elevation of one
end of the machine in which the various improvements and parts in
connection therewith are represented in red lines for the sake of clear-
ness, all the rest of the machine being old and well known. In Figure 1
the improvements are, however, only shown applied to the left half of
the machine, it being understood that the other half will be similarly
provided.
Figure 3 shows the oscillating brush forming the first part of my
Invention detached, and with the various parts which I employ for
actuating the same, but the brush may be oscillated by the agency of
any other suitable combination of mechanism.
Figure 3* shows in elevation the parts as fitted together and applied
in Figure 1.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the
Figures.
A is the oscillating brush frame provided preferably with two brushes,
A', A', made of hair or other suitable material along the top and bottom
rails of the frame. The brushes may extend from end to end of the
machine across the whole width of the sheet of hackles B, and in front
of the same, or to any number of gradations of hackles that may require
to be dabbed, a similar oscillating brush being provided in front of each
sheet of hackles B', as shown. Each oscillating frame A is mounted to
rock on end pivots a supported in brackets C bolted to the end frames D
of the machine. The brushes are oscillated by any suitable arrangement
of mechanism operated from one of the shafts or other moving part of
the machine.
The following is a convenient arrangement:-To the axis of each
brush frame A is keyed a crank arm E which is coupled to the crank
arm E of the other brush by a rod F jointed to the extremity of each, so
that both brushes are operated simultaneously. This rod F has a link or
slot 6, in which slides a block c on a stud d attached eccentrically to a
face plate e upon which it can be fixed at a greater or less radius, as
required. The stud d is attached adjustably to face plate e by means of
a dovetailed nut e fitted in a dovetailed groove in the face plate e to
which stud d is screwed tightly, so as to fix it in whatever position
nut e' is placed in the groove. Face plate e is keyed on a short shaft ƒ
mounted in a bracket or bearing g bolted to frame D. At the other end
of this shaft is a pinion h gearing with wheel i on the shaft k of the

page_text: drum, around which the hackle sheet B passes. By this means rod F is
moved to and fro, and the brushes are so oscillated as at each stroke to
dab or strike the points of the hackle pins, which at same time pass
through the brush and are thereby effectually kept clean.
Although not shown it will be understood that a similar arrangement
to the foregoing is provided for hackle sheets B³, B³, as above men-
tioned.
The second part of my Invention is also illustrated in Figure 1, and
separately in end plan and edge views Figures 4, 5, and 6. I dispense
with the bars heretofore used to bring down the tow catchers and
effect this by means of the rocking lever G by which the holder troughs
are lifted. H is the tow catcher, and is a small arm keyed on its axis
with which arm the rocking lever G comes in contact and. on its down-
ward movement upsets the tow catcher. The tow catcher consists of a
bar H to which are attached two small brackets H', each containing a
slot, along which slot a small plate H2 of iron or other suitable material
can move freely. Attached to this plate He is a blade of wood H³, or the
plate and blade may be in one. To the bar H is fastened a hackle or
hackles with pins H* which catch the tow carried to them by the
stripper rods Z, and hold it until the tow catcher is upset by the rocking
lever G coming in contact with lever 1, when the tow is removed from
the pins by the blade Hs which drops down so far as the slot in bracket
Hadmits of. The tow catcher is then brought back to its original
position by a weighted lever H³. I would here observe that the con-
struction or use of the tow catcher forms no part of my Invention which
relates solely to the method of upsetting it.
The third part of my Invention is also illustrated applied in Figure 1,
and detached in side elevation, Figure 7. It relates to the means
employed to take the holders from one gradation of hackles to the other.
This I effect by means of a cam groove I attached to or cast on the
cam wheel K which lifts the holder troughs. In this groovo runs a
friction roller on a cross pin m at the extremity of rod L, the other end
of said pin working up and down in the slot n of upright M. The rod L
is jointed to one arm of a crank lever N, whose other arm is connected
to the catch bars O. The lever N is mounted on a fulcrum in a slotted
bracket N on the end frame D, the fulcrum pin being adjustable to any
position in said slot. The extremities to which rods N and O are jointed
are also slotted, and the joint pins may be fixed at any positions therein

page_text: whereby a longer or shorter throw is given to the holders, as desired.
The up-and-down motion imparted to bar L by cam I rocks lever N,
and so moves the holders from one gradation of hackles to the other.
By this means I obtain greater simplicity and ease of working, and do
away with the wedge-shaped cams and other motions which are expensive
in the fitting up.
The fourth part of my Invention is also illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.
It relates to an improved tow shaker for pushing the tow to the
front of the machine, and allowing the shives and dirt to fall under the
machine. This I effect by an upward and downward motion of the
cages or sifters for cleaning the tow, combined with an oscillating
motion for pushing the tow more rapidly to the front of the machine.
S is the cage or sifter jointed to a rock lever T on a shaft T¹, from which
it derives a vertical and horizontal movement, the sifter being jointed at
its front end to the framing by a link q. The lever T is operated by a
face plate having an adjustable crank pin (which can be set to a
greater or lesser radius as required) coupled by connecting rod v to a
small crank on the end of shaft T¹. The face plate u is fastened to a
pinion u¹ (or the pinion itself may be used as a face plate) which derivos
its motion from a wheel on the end of the bottom roller k. The lover T
may also be operated by an ordinary eccentric or any other oscillating
motion in lieu of the face plate. Other mechanical means may be
adopted for imparting the upward and downward motion combined with
the oscillating motion instead of or in addition to the means bercin
described.
The fifth part of my Invention relating to a device for breaking or
taking off the ragged ends of the flax, consists of a pair of jaws r to
which hackle pins are fixed. These jaws are pivoted at 8, and hung in
a bracket T bolted to frame D, and are made to open and close so that
when closed together upon the flax or other material the upward motion
of the holder troughs draws the end of the flax through the hackle pins
and breaks off the ragged ends. A stripper rod is so placed between one
or more rows of pins as to strip the tow off the hackles which has been
left there from the ragged ends of the flax. The stripper rod being a
fixture when the jaws open will take away the tow from the pins, or any
other mechanical motion may be applied for effecting the same purpose.
The jaws are operated by two tappets w attached to the lifter Z' which
As the lifter rises the
has a reciprocating up-and-down motion.

page_text: tappets to come in contact with the jaws, thereby closing same, but when
the lifter descends the tappets release the jaws, which open or separate,
and admit the flax as before to be roughed or ended. The jaws may
also be operated by any other suitable mechanical contrivance. One or
more of the aforesaid jaws may be applied either at the ends of the 5
machine or in any other suitable position.
Having described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim as my
Invention to be protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,―
1st. The application of a brush or brushes which are moved or oscil-
lated so as to dab or strike against the points of the hackle pins of
machines for hackling flax or other fibrous materials, substantially as
and for the purpose herein set forth.
1
2ndly. Operating the tow catcher by means of the rock lever which 1
works the lifters, as and for the purpose herein set forth.
3rdly. The combination and arrangement of parts for moving the
holders from one gradation of hackles to the other, operating sub-
stantially in the manner and for the purpose shown and described.
4thly. Imparting to the cages or sifters S an upward and downward 2
motion combined with an oscillating motion, substantially in the manner
and for the purpose specified.
5thly. The device for breaking or taking off the ragged ends of the
flax, consisting of the pair of jaws provided with hackle pins, and
operating all substantially as shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Horner, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
2
GEORGE HORNER. (L.S.)