A MACHINE FOR HACKLING FLAX AND HEMP, AND AT THE SAME TIME Carding THE Tow
Year: 1804

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
PORTHOUSE, of Hall Garth, in the Parish of Haughton-le-Skern, in the County
of Durham, Flax Spinner, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present Majesty King George the Third, by His Letters
Patent bearing date the Sixth day of October, in the forty-fourth year of
llis reign, did give and grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, His especial licence that I, the said Thomas Porthouse, my executors,"
administrators, and assigns, during the term of fourteen years therein men-
tioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within that
part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland called England,
the Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"A MACHINE FOR HACKLING FLAX AND HEMP, AND AT THE SAME TIME Carding
THE Tow;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso obliging me,
the said Thomas Porthouse, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature
of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in the High
Court of Chancery within one month next and immediately after the date of
the said recited Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Porthouse, do by these Presents describe and ascertain the nature of
my said Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed,
by the annexed Drawing, and the following description thereof (that is to
say) :-

page_text: The machine consists of the following parts :-
Part the first, which I call jaws (see Figures 1 and 2), for fixing or holding
one end of the handful or parcel of the flax or hemp in a firm manner, whilst
the opposite end of the handful or parcel of flax or hemp undergoes the sub-
sequent operation of hackling.
Part the second, which I call a turn-table, on the edge of which the jaws
are fixed (see Figures 3 and 4) for introducing into the machine the bandfuls
or parcels of hemp or flax in the raw state; also, for changing the side of the
flax or hemp during the operation, and when the handfuls or parcels of flax
or hemp become sufficiently dressed for turning them out of or from the acting
part of the machine, for the purpose of allowing the handfuls already dressed
at one end to be taken out of the jaws, and changed or turned to the contrary
end, or replacing them by undressed handfuls, as the case shall require.
Part the third, an instrument which I call a porcupine (see Figures 5 and 6),
for dressing or splitting the fibres of the flax or hemp, and at the same
time taking out the tow or shorts from the staple, flax, or hemp, and deliver-
ing it upon small conical cards, for the purpose of carding the same in a
manner herein-afterwards to be described.
Part the fourth, conical or bevel-faced cards (see K, Figures 9 and 11) for
receiving the tow from the porcupine, and carding the same, which is after-
wards collected by rollers nearly in the same manner as from the comuion
carding engine.
Part the fifth, machinery for giving the requisite velocity to each of the
foregoing parts of my said machine (see Figures 11 and 9).
The jaws (see Figure 1) are made of cast iron or other metal, and repre-
sented as open ready for receiving the handful of flax or hemp. Figure 2
shews how the flax or hemp is fixed in the jaws ready for the subsequent
operation of hackling or dressing. Three of these jaws are fixed upon the
edge or outer rim of the turn-table at equal distances from each other. In
Figure 3 two jaws are represented, in which A shews the jaws open, and B
the jaws shut, with the flax or hemp in them; C, the table, which is made of
wood or metal, about three feet diameter, and mounted upon an iron shaft,
having three studs Z, Z, Z (see Figure 4), of iron about of an inch diameter
firmly fixed in their upper side at about six inches distant from the centre and
equidistant from each other, and projecting about two inches. Several of
these turn-tables are placed at convenient distances, and ranged in a circular
direction round one common centre, as represented in Figure 4, suitable for
being acted upon by the porcupines D, more particularly delineated in
Figures 5 and 6, in which D is the body or barrel of the porcupine, made of

page_text: wood, and about nine inches long, and six inches diameter, stuck or filled
with steel pins E, similar to those used in the common hand hackle, and pro-
jecting in radii from the body or barrel of the porcupine of different lengths
and fineness to suit the flax or hemp. As the dressing advances in fineness
during the operation, those pins which are intended to strike the raw flax or
hemp in the first instance are about two inches in length, and set in the barrel
or body of the porcupine at about the same distance as those used in the band
hackles for flax or hemp of the same kind, and gradually increase in length
and fineness round the whole of the circumference of the barrel or body of
the procupine. The longest pins are about inch longer than the shortest,
and the finest pins are set about the same fineness as those used for finishing.
the same kind of flax or hemp by hand; and as the tow is collected upon the
pins of the porcupine, the pieces or bars of iron or other metal F, called
droppers, about one inch broad, inch thick, nine inches in length, placed in
a longitudinal direction amongst the pins of the porcupines, drop down upon
the tow, and as the porcupine revolves round its own axis, these droppers, by
their own weight, drop down and gradually push the tow from the points of the
pins as they advance in their progressive motion round their own axis, but are
prevented from falling too far by a plate at each end of the porcupine about
ten inches diameter, and th of an inch thick, having grooves cut in them,
in which the ends of the droppers slide, as represented in Figure 8, in which
G is the plate; H, the grooves; I, a dropper falling down and pushing off the
tow; and J, the dropper restored to its place, and leaving the pins at liberty
for acting in the hemp. The tow thus pushed off the pins of the porcupine is
collected by the conical cards, as represented in Figures 9 and 11, in which
K is a conical barrel about twelve inches long, and about fifteen inches
diameter at the thicker end, and ten inches at the smaller end, covered on its
superficies by a card of the usual fineness for carding tow, and placed with its
smaller end towards the centre of the machine, as represented in Figures 9.
and 11, and its upper side a little lower than the under side of the porcupine,
for. the purpose of collecting the tow from the lower side of the porcupine as
the same is pushed off by the droppers, and ought, at these dimentions, to
make about five revolutions per minute. L, Figure 10, is a fixed angular
piece of wood,-its base about fifteen inches in length and six inches in
breadth, and its height about ten inches,-which I call a preventer, placed
close to the superficies of the conical card K, the side of which angular
piece of wood next the card K is curved so as to fit the card K, and, extend-
ing over about a fifth part of its surface, serves to keep the tow from escaping
from the card K until it arrives at the angle M, where it is received by the

page_text: main bevel card wheel N, Figures 9, 10, 11, in which O are the cards as
they are placed upon the bevel of the wheel, leaving open spaces between the
cards for the purpose of letting out the dust. This wheel N is about six fect
diameter, and revolves at the rate of about sixty revolutions per minute, and
receiving the tow from the conical cards K, at the angle of the preventer at
M, it is thereby carded as it passes between them, and the lower side of the
preventer, being lined or covered with a card whose hooks point in a contrary
direction to those of the cards on the main bevel card wheel, assists in carding
the tow, and serves also to keep it close and compact into the cards O.
P, Figures 9, 10, represents a conical brush twelve inches long, twelve inches
diameter at the largest end, and nine inches diameter at the smallest end, its
bristles pointing in radii from its centre, and its axis pointing in a line
towards the centre of the machine. The superficies of the brush acts upon
the main card, and ought to move with a velocity of about 4th quicker at its
surface, for the purpose of raising up the tow from the hooks of the main card,
in order that it may be received by the conical doffing card. Q, Figures 9, 11.
This card is about thirteen inches long, eighteen inches diameter at the largest
end, and eight inches at the small end, and placed with the largest end towards
the centre of the machine. The hooks of the card must point in a contrary
direction to those of the main card, and in proportion thereto ought to make
about ten revolutions per minute, by which, as it is going slower than the
main bevel card wheel which is acting against it, the tow is caught upon its
hooks, and may be collected therefrom in a continued sliver by cylindrical
rollers, whose superficies move with an equal velocity with the superficies of
the larger end of the conical doffing card Q nearly in the manner as is usually
done from the cylinders of the carding engines now in use. The movements
for the different parts of this machine may be obtained in various ways; that
which I have adopted is as follows:-In the centre of the machine, of which
Figures 4 and 9 are plans, and Figure 11 an elevation, I place an upright
shaft of iron R, about six or seven feet long, and about three inches thick,
resting in a step of metal at the bottom end, and supported at the upper end
by a wood framing to keep it steady, but so as 'the shaft itself may be easily
turned round thereon. At the upper end of the shaft R I fix a pulley S, by
which this shaft is put in motion by a strap leading from the mill; near the
middle of the shaft R is firmly fixed thereon a strong cast-iron frame for
receiving three spindles, a plan of which is delineated in Figure 7, in which
T, T, T, represents the cast-iron frame, and U, U, U, the spindles, D, D, D, the
porcupines firmly fixed upon the ends of the spindles U, U. U; but the spindles
themselves are not fixed fast, but are at liberty to move round upon their own

page_text: axis. By the motion of the shaft R round its own axis the frame T, T, T,
and the spindles U, U, U, and porcupines D, D, D, placed thereon, are carried
round in their orbit at the speed of about sixty revolutions per minute, by.
which means the three porcupines D, D, D, striking alternately against tho.
handfuls of flax or hemp presented to them by the turn-tables C, Figures 4
and 11, splits the fibres of the hemp or flax, and at the same time collects the
tow or shorts upon the pins of the porcupines, which is again collected there-
fron by the conical cards for carding the same, as before. described. Upon
the spindles U, U, U, are bevel-toothed wheels V, V, V, whose teeth are
inserted between, and are acted upon by the teeth of a similar wheel W placed
upon a round part of the shaft R, but whose motion round its own axis is
slower than the shaft R, in the proportion of about twenty for the shaft K
to one of the wheel W, by which means the wheel W becomes so nearly
stationary as to act upon the wheels V, V, V, nearly as a fixed or dead
wheel would act, thus producing a rotary motion to the spindles U, U, U,
and the porcupines D, D, D, as they are carried round by the frame T, T, T,
upon the shaft R, and by this means the porcupines D, D, D, presenting a
change of surface to the flax or hemp, gradually passes from the coarser set
and short pins towards the longest and finest set pins until the pointer wheel.
hereafter to be described, and the wheel W, to which it is fixed, has maile
one entire revolution, which, in general, may be about twenty revolutions of
the main shaft R, but this must be varied according to the quality of the flax
or hemp to be heckled, and is done either by changing the wheel X, Figures 4
and 11, or altering the diameters of the pullies Y and a, Figure 11, coarse.
flax or hemp requiring fewer strokes of the porcupines, and fine flax or hemp
requiring more, and which is to be adjusted by the operator. This rotary
motion of the porcupines also presents a continued change of their surface to
the conical cards K, and produces an alternate motion to the droppers F,
Figures 5 and 6, by which means the tow is thereby pushed out from amongst
the teeth of the porcupines, and is collected by the conical cards K, as before
described. Upon the upper side of the wheel W, Figure 11, is firmly fixed
a socket of metal, and upon the upper end of that socket is also firmly fixed
another wheel b, about thirty inches diameter, which I call the pointer wheel,
whose teeth are inserted between and are acted upon by the teeth of the
wheel X, whose diameter is about one inch and a half. This wheel X is
firmly fixed upon a spindle c, upon which is the pulley Y,
which, by a strap
from the pulley a upon the shaft R, has its relative motion given to it, which
motion may be varied by changing the wheel X, or changing the diameter of
the pullies Y and a, or by making these pullies into cones, reversing the ends

page_text: of them, and sliding the strap, by a lever for that purpose, to the upper or
lower end of those cones. Upon the lower side of the wheel bis firmly fixed.
a bar of iron d, Figures 4 and 11, which I call a pointer, projecting in a radial
line from the centre of the wheel b, and extending itself out nearly to the
centre of the turn-table. This pointer is for the purpose of pushing the turn-
tables round upon their axis by its action against the pins Z, Z, Z, and by this
means changing and turning the handfuls of flax or hemp, as before described;
and according to the velocity of this wheel b and pointer d, which may be
varied, as before said, by a change of wheels, or by sliding the strap along the
cones, such will be the number of strokes given by the porcupine against the
flax or hemp, and thus may the fineness of the cut be regulated. Upon the
shaft R, Figures 9 and 11, a little below the cast-iron frame, is firmly fixed.
an endless screw e, and upon the spindles f are also firmly fixed spur wheels g,
having eighteen teeth, which teeth are inserted between and are acted upon
by the worm or threads of the screw e, which, by the revolution of the shaft R,
gives motion to the spindles and the conical cards K (fixed firmly thereon)
in the proportion of three and one third revolutions of the conical card K to
sixty revolutions of the shaft R, as before described. Near the lower end of
the shaft R is firmly fixed thereon the main bevel card wheel N, and a little
above that wheel is also firmly fixed upon the shaft R a bevel'd tooth'd
wheel h, about twenty-one inches diameter; and upon the spindle i, Figure 9,
is also firmly fixed another bevelled toothed wheel k, about three inches
diameter, the teeth of which are inserted between and are acted upon by the
teeth of the wheel h, which, by the revolution of the shaft R, gives motion to
the spindle i and the conical brush P firmly fixed thereon in the proportion of
four hundred and twenty revolutions of the conical brush P to sixty revolutions
of the shaft R and the main bevel card wheel N, as before described. Upon
the shaft R, and a little above the wheel b, is firmly fixed a small bevel
tooth'd wheel ; and upon the spindle m is also firmly fixed another similar
hevel wheel n, the teeth of which are inserted between and are acted upon by
the teeth of the wheel I, which, by the revolution of the shaft R, gives motion
to the spindle m, which also, in the same manner, gives motion to the
rollers o, o, and rollers p, 7; and the roller p, by a wheel fixed firmly upon
its lower end, also gives motion to the wheel Y, which, being likewise firmly
fixed on the spindle s, gives motion to the conical doffing card Q in the pro-
portion of ten revolutions of the dofting card Q to sixty of the shaft R and
The machine
main bevel card wheel N, fixed thereon as before described.
thus in motion, and the turn-tables adjusted by the screw on which the foot or
lower axis of the turn-table rests, so as the porcupines just pass clear of the

page_text: under side of the tables, and the porcupines having been adjusted by screws
under their pivots, so as their lower sides pass just clear of the conical cards K,
those jaws which are outside the machine must be fed with handfuls or parcels
of flax or hemp, of two, three, four, or more ounces each, according to the
quality of the flax or hemp, by taking the parcel to the turn-table, and after
opening the upper jaw, which is notched in the same manner as the under
jaw (see t, Figure 1), for the purpose of keeping the flax or hemp spread
broadfold, one end of the flax or hemp over the head or cross part of the jaw,
and two or three times round the part u, and then press down the jaw within
the hook or catch v, it will be holden firmly. This done, the pointer d will
move the turn-table forwards one third of a revolution, and thus draw the
handful or parcel of flax or hemp within the orbit or circular range of the
porcupines; and the turn-tables being held fast by catches as at w, see Figure 4.
where one only is represented, the points or pins of the porcupine, striking against
the parcels of flax or hemp, and at the same time prevented from going too
deep by the fence or foreboard x, see Figure 5, the top edge of which is to be
level with the points of the short pins of the porcupines, will gradually begin
to dress or hackle the same, which, after receiving about twenty strokes from
each porcupine, the pointer will have again advanced to that turn-table which
it first began with, and by its action loosening the catch w, the turn-table will
be again driven one third of a revolution round its axis, and the handful of
flax or hemp will advance forwards, and present its other side to the action of
the porcupines; but, in this instance, as the stroke of the porcupine impels
the handful or parcel of flax or hemp from or beyond the superficies of the
turn-table, there are fixed what I call end boards, see y, Figure 4, to prevent
its escape from the action of the pins of the porcupines (one of the end boards
is omitted in the Drawing, to shew a porcupine). After receiving about
twenty more strokes from each of the porcupines the turn-tables will be again
pushed forward by the pointer the remaining third of a revolution round its
axis, and the handful of flax or hemp which was first affixed to the jaws will
make its exit from the machine, having one end or half of it completely
hackled, which, when the operation is repeated at the other end of the hand-
ful, will be finished, and its tow or shorts, being received by the conical cards K,
will be carded by the card N, and delivered by the conical doffing card Q and
rollers p, q, and o, o, in a continued sliver, as before described. Upon a part
of the iron frame T, T, T, Figure 7, is fixed three narrow brushes, about nine
inches long, placed with the ends of the bristles downwards, and rather
lower than the pins of the porcupines D, and about three inches behind them,

page_text: see ;,, for the purpose of assisting the separation of the tow from the pins
of the porcupines, and sweeping it into the teeth of the conical cards K.
Figure 12 is an iron frame to be fixed upon the long rails in Figure 9, for
the purpose of supporting the axis of the conical cards K and the axis of the
conical brushes P. The machine must be cased to keep in the dust, and the
spindles and pivots must be secured from the short fibres which fly off in
working.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Porthouse, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Thirty-first day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and four.
THOMAS (L.S.) PORTHOUSE.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Thirty-first day of October;
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Thomas Porthouse came before
our Lord the King in His Chancery, and acknowledge the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of
the Statute in that case made and provided.