Improvements in Hetchelling Machines.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 29th May, 1859-Accepted, 3rd Aug., 1889
AATODY BA
LDEWAULYANI
Improvements in Hetchelling Machines.
I ALPHEUS WOODS MONTGOMERY, manufacturer, residing at University Buildings,
Washington Square, East, in the City, County, and State of New York, in the
United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying drawings making part of this specification and to the letters and figures of
reference marked thereon:-
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of
drawings.
The object of my present improvements is to devise an efficient structure for
combing and preparing manilla, sisal, American, Russian and other hemps or analo-
gous fibres, and my invention consists of certain novel parts and combinations of
parts designed for this purpose.
The following is a description of the accompanying drawings, wherein is illustrated
a machine embodying all the several features of my present invention in combination.
My invention not confined, however, to the specific devices and combinations
of devices illustrated and described herein. The points of novelty which I desire to
secure by this patent will be specifically pointed out in the claims concluding this
specification.
Referring to said drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates a side elevation of my improved
Hetchelling Machine, with one of the side plates of the frame carrying the combing
chain removed, and certain parts of the structure broken away to illustrate more
clearly the details thereof.
Fig. 2 illustrates a detail view of a part of the combing frame and a part of the
delivering and detaining cylinder, and Fig. 4 a detail view of the combing pins.
Fig. 3 illustrates a carrying wheel and part of the combing chain and the guide
at the delivering end of the combing chain, by means of which the individual
teeth are given an inclination which causes them to withdraw from the hemp and
permits it to pass out through the delivering rollers.
Fig. 4 shows the detaining cylinder and the guides in detail near the detaining
pins by means of which the inclination of the combing teeth are there
adjusted.
Figs. 5 & 6 show detail views of the stationary plate containing groove U¹, Fig. 5
being a front view of the same with the detaining wheel removed and Fig. 6 being
a cross section of the device in Fig. 5.
Referring to Fig. 1, A, A are a pair of feed rollers through which the hemp is
fed into the machine. B is a wheel or cylinder the periphery of which is provided
with radial slots or tracks C C. In each of these slots a bar D₁ containing pins Dis
set, which travels longitudinally out and in as the wheel revolves. By means of
any suitable device, such as stationary side plates of the wheel B provided with
grooves U¹, these pins are caused to slide in and out said radial slots as the wheel
revolves, so that each pin as it passes the feed rollers will be projected to penetrate
and firmly engage the hemp entering the machine and carry it around to the
hetchelling frame. This device is illustrated in detail in Figs. 5 & 6, in which X"
is a stationary plate keyed to the stationary axle V' by the key W₁ and having cut
upon its face the groove U₁. E is an apron set below the wheel B and extending
from the feed rollers to the combing chain, to prevent the fibre dropping away from
engagement with the detaining pins D. Fillustrates a frame in which the carrier
wheels G G are set. H is a linked chain carrying bars I containing a series of
pins OO See Fig. 4- I are guide dogs set on each end of the bars l' and J J¹
are pegs set on the guide dogs I. K, L, M and N are guides to direct, by means of

page_text: the dogs in the end of the bars I',, the inclination of the pins 0. P, PP, P are
delivery rollers by means of which the fibre is discharged from the machine.
Power is applied to the machine through the shaft carrying the pulley U. On the
same shaft, and keyed to it, is a gear wheel T meshing in the teeth of the gear
wheel which gears into R and which in turn drives the delivery rollers P P. By
means of a belt Z power is transmitted from the pulley U to a pulley V which
actuates a shaft to which the gear wheel W is attached, the teeth of which last-
mentioned wheel mesh in a gear wheel ✗; keyed to which is a pinion X', which
meshes with gears on the detaining cylinder B.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-
Hemp is fed in between the rollers A, A, where it is caught by the pins D,
which are caused to project and pierce the mass of the fibre as it leaves the rollers
and penetrate through its entire depth down to the apron E. As I have said, any
suitable device may be employed to cause the pins D to advance and retreat, such,
for instance, as a stationary groove with which laterally projecting pegs at the bases of
these pins engage, and by means of which their degree of projectment at any position
is definitely determined. For reasons hereinafter more fully pointed out, I prefer to
have the wheel D and the hetchelling chain F placed as near together as possible;
for the purpose of avoiding interference with the carriers I on the hetchelling chain I
have illustrated these pins D as being withdrawn or as retreating as they approach
the hetchelling teeth.
Now, as the fibre is carried forward by the revolution of the wheel B it is caught
by the hotchelling teeth O which are moving at a higher velocity than the pins D ;
the effect of which is to comb the fibres, the functions of the pins D in this operation
being to hold the fibres while they are being operated upon by the teeth O.
Referring to the hetchelling device, it will be observed that as the carriers I,
attached to their several pivots on the flexible chain H, approach the wheel G
(partially broken away in Fig. 1, but shown in full in Figs. 2 & 4) the projections J
strike the guide N and as the bars. progress the teeth are inclined forward more and
more in the direction of their motion, so that they can approach very near to, without
interfering with the apron E or the detaining cylinder. When they meet the hemp
which is being carried slowly forward by the wheel D their inclination is such that
they readily penetrate and comb it throughout its entire mass. When the carriers I
arrive at the end of the guide N, the pins J¹ strike the track K and the pins J
pass in front of the end of the guide N engaging with the track L. From the time
these bars leave the carriers G until they reach the carrier G₁ their position is
determined by the tracks K, L, and as long as they are operating upon fibre
which is still held by the detaining cylinder the teeth are inclined forward, thus
preventing the fibre riding up over the top of the teeth. At the upper part of the
frane is a guide M, which engages with the peg J¹ on the longer arm of the dogs,
by means of which the teeth are inclined backwards, or in a direction opposite to
their motion, so that they are automatically drawn out of engagement with and
cease to operate upon the hemp fibres, which are then caught and led out of the
machine by the delivery rollers P, while the chain at this point is describing the arc
of a smaller circle.
The inclination of the pins backward, or in a direction opposite to their motion,
serves to prevent the delivery rollers, which preferably move faster than the
combing chain, drawing the fibre up and over the combing teeth. On the contrary
the inclination of these teeth is such that the fibre is held by them and combed by
being drawn through them by the delivery rollers, the combing teeth, acting, at this
time in a sense as detaining teeth. The combing teeth are preferably made inclined
forward as long as the fibre which they are acting upon is held by the detaining
teeth D, and are made inclined backwards, as soon as the fibre which they are
acting upon is caught between the delivery rollers. This is an important feature of
my present invention.
It will, of course, be understood that in operation the wheel B, turns, with a left-
hand revolution, while the hetchelling chain His propelled with a right-hand revolution,

page_text: so that when the two approach each other the direction of their movement is the
same, while their velocities differ, the hetchelling chain moving much faster than
the detaining cylinder.
The advantages of my improved hetchelling machine over all others in use are,
among other things, that by the peculiar relation and construction of the detaining
and hetchelling devices, I am able to bring their teeth close together, and indeed,
if desired, and as illustrated in the drawings, have them intersect, thus avoiding the
possibility of any hemp escaping without being properly combed throughout its entire
length by the hetchelling teeth, while the shape of the path which the hetchelling
chain follows, as well as the arrangement- and inclination of the teeth, avoid the
danger of carrying the stock past the delivering rollers and thus prevent its discharge
from the machine. It also prevents the stock being drawn by the delivery rollers
over the top of the combing pins.
At
It will be observed that the hetchelling chain describes an irregular curve.
the pulley G the chain describes the arc of a small circle. As it rises above said
pulley its path is a curve approximating the curve of the periphery of the detaining
cylinder. It then follows the arc of a larger circle, rising above the
detaining teeth and approaching the delivery rollers. At this end the chain again
describes the arc of a small circle and by any suitable path returns to the pulley G.
This path substantially is what I call an irregular curve. By this irregular curved
course I obtain all the advantages of having the combing pins travel in a long rising
curve from the detaining pins toward the delivery rollers and also are enabled to
have both the detaining pins and the delivery rollers set very near to the path of
the hetchelling chain-a matter of considerable importance in this class of machines,
since it enables the device to comb the fibre perfectly from end to end to readily
feed and strip the fibre.
My improved machine is obviously capable of various modifications without
departing from the general principle and scope of my invention and my various
improvements may be employed separately instead of in combination, as illustrated
and described.
Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by letters
patent is :
1. In a hetchelling machine, the combination of delivery rolls, advancing and
retreating detaining pins, means, substantially as described, for carrying said pins
and causing them to advance and retreat, a chain carrying combing pins, guides
for controlling the movements of said combing pins, whereby the said pins are
inclined to facilitate their entrance into the fibre held by the detaining pins and
moved into position to hold the fibre properly against the action of the delivery rolls
while being withdrawn thereby from the combing pins, substantially as described.
2. In a hetchelling machine, the combination of detaining pins, means, substan-
tially as described for carrying said pins, and causing them to advance and retreat,
delivery rolls and a hetchelling chain following the path of an irregular curve, at
one point approaching and approximating the path of the detaining pins and after-
wards approaching the delivery rolls in an arc of reduced radius and guides for
causing the chain to follow the path, substantially as described.
3. In a hetchelling machine, the combination of advancing and retreating detaining
pins, means, substantially as described, for carrying said pins and causing them to
advance and retreat, a chain carrying combing pins, following the path of an
irregular curve, at one point approaching the detaining pins in an are of reduced
radius and afterwards approaching the delivery rolls in an arc of reduced radius,
delivery rolls and guides for controlling the movements of said combing pins,
whereby said pins are inclined to facilitate their entrance into the fibre held by the
detaining pins and moved into position to hold the fibre properly against the action
of the delivery rolls while being withdrawn thereby from the combing pins, substan-
tially as described.

page_text: 4. In a hetchelling machine, the combination of a revolving cylinder, detaining pins
carried by said cylinder and a hetchelling chain travelling in a path approximating
the curve of the periphery of said cylinder at the points where the detaining pins
and combing pins meet and guides for causing the chain to follow said path, substan-
tially as described.
Dated this 27th day of May 1880
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents.