IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR HACKLING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCEB
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Combe, of Belfast, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR HACKLING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS
SUBSTANCEB."
Sealed the 27th October 1859, and dated the 13th July 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Combe at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th July 1859.
I, JAMES COMBE, of Belfast, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR HACKLING FLAX AND OTHER
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows :-
This Invention relates to an improved form of holder and slide for backling
machines, the object being to hold the fibrous material while being operated
on more securely and more accurately in respect of the position of the backle
pins than has hitherto been the case in such machines. To admit of the
holders dipping down between the hackles on the opposite sheets, it has been
usual to make them of a considerable breadth, and with the screw in the
middle of the breadth, so that the slides for supporting them might clear the
hackles. The effect of this arrangement was to spread the pressure given by
the holder screw over too great a surface, and not put on enough pressure at

page_text: the edge next the hackles, where it is most important that the material should
be firmly held, and the result of this was a considerable loss in the yield of
dressed flax. To remedy this evil, the new form of holder is proposed. The
jaws of the holder which nip the flax are made and padded in the usual way,
and they are provided with arms which stand out at right angles thereto. At
about a line with the upper edge of the jaws, the binding screw passes through
the holder. When the holder is screwed up to hold the strick between the
jaws, the ends of the arms are brought into contact, but at such a distance
from the screw that the principal part of the pressure of the screw will be
conveyed to the nipping surfaces of the holder, which in this way may be
made as narrow as is desired. One or more screws and pairs of arms may
be used, according to the length of the holder, and the arms may be placed in
any position in the length of the holder, and may be hinged at the point of
contact or not, as thought desirable.
As double or vertical sheet backling machines have been made hitherto,
there has been no provision for the variations which frequently occur in the
thickness of the stricks of flax, and the holders could not be brought with
certainty and accuracy close to the hackles on both sides, because a sufficient
amount of space had to be allowed, so that when the thickest strick was in
the holder, it would clear the hackles. The result of this was imperfect
hackling, unless there was allowed what is called "change" (or distance
between the holders when the flax is being changed to do the other end) to
a much larger extent than otherwise would have been necessary; giving the
necessary "change" to produce good hackling, causes too a considerable loss
in the yield of dressed flax. This evil I propose to remedy by making the
slides or troughs which support the holders with sloping or V surfaces, inclining
downwards and inwards in the direction of the acting hackles. The holders
are provided with two or more pairs of inclined projections at their sides to
bear against these V surfaces, which arrangement has the effect of keeping
the holder in the centre between the hackles of each sheet. A difference in
the thickness, caused by the variation in the size of the stricks, will, therefore,
merely change the level of the holders, but they will still keep a steady
course in the middle of the machine, and present each side of the flax which
they carry equally to the action of the hackles.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Combe in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th January 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
COMBE, of Belfast, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Combe, Her special license that I., the said James Combe,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
James Combe, my exccutors, 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
MACHINERY FOR HACKLING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES,"
upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Combe, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 James Combe, 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 Drawing hereunto annexed, and to
the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
This Invention relates to an improvement in the construction of the holders
of hackling machines, and also in the slides or troughs of such machines when
furnished with double or vertical sheets of hackles, the object being to retain
the fibrous material securely in the holders while under the action of the
hackle pins, and also to carry the stricks through the machine midway between
the sheets of hackles. To admit of the holders dipping down between the
opposite sheets of hackles, it bas been usual to make them with a considerable
breadth of holding surface, and with the screw in the middle of the breadth,
so that the slides for supporting the holders might clear the hackles. The
effect of this arrangement was to spread the pressure given by the holding

page_text: screw over too great a surface, and not to impart enough pressure to the jaws
of the holder at or near the lips, where it is most important that the material
should be firmly held to secure a proper yield of dressed flax.
To remedy the loss consequent on the defective retaining power of the
holder, I propose to employ the construction of holder shewn in side and end
views at Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 being a side
view of the holder; and Fig. 2, an end viev, shewing the holder in position in
the slides or trough. a, a, are the jaws of the holder, which nip the flax or
other fibrous material to be hackled, made and padded in the usual way.
Cast on to each of the jaws is a projecting arm b, the extremity of the one
arm meeting that of the other at the point 6* when the holder is screwed up:
At about a line with the upper edge of the jaws the binding screw c passes.
through the holder to grip the strick between the jaws. The ends of the arms
being brought into contact by the pressure of the screw at a considerable
distance from the screw, the principal part of the pressure will necessarily be
conveyed to the nipping surfaces of the holder, which in this way may be
made as narrow as is desired. One or more screws and pairs of arms may be
used, according to the length of the holder, and the arms may be placed in
any position in the length of the holder, and may be hinged at the point of
contact or not, as thought desirable.
As double or vertical sheet hackling machines have been made hitherto,
there has been no provision for the variations which frequently occur in the
thickness of the stricks of flax, and the holders could not be brought with
certainty and accuracy close to the hackles on both sides, because sufficient
space had to be provided to ensure the thickest stricks applied to the holders
clearing the hackles. The result of this was imperfect hackling, unless thero
was allowed what is called "change" (or distance between the holders when
the flax is being changed to do the other end) to a much larger extent than
otherwise would have been necessary; giving the necessary "change" to produce
good hackling, causes too a considerable loss in the yield of dressed flax. This
evil I propose to remedy by making the slides or trough d, by which support
the holders are supported and guided in their course through the machine,
with sloping or V surfaces inclining downwards and inwards in the direction of
the acting hackles. The holders I also provide with two or more pairs of
inclined projections e, e, at their sides, to bear against these V surfaces of the
trough, which arrangement has the effect of keeping the holders in the centre
between the hackles of each sheet. A difference in the thickness caused by
the variation in the size of the stricks will, therefore, merely change the level
of the holders; but they will still keep a steady course in the middle of the

page_text: machine, and present each side of the flax or other fibre which they carry
equally to the action of the backles. By this means more certain dressing and
a better yield will be obtained from hackling machines than could heretofore
be relied on.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in
Machinery for Hackling Flax and other Fibrous Substances," and explained
the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that
under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim, increasing the force
of the nip of the holders at or near their lips, and ensuring a position for the
travelling holders midway between the hackle sheets, in the manner and for
the purpose above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Combe, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
JAMES COMBE. (L.B.)