Year: 1885

page_text: I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Win. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention (a communication to me
from abroad by Jules Cardon, of Lille (Nord) France, Gentleman) and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This Invention relates to improved machinery for preparing flax, hemp, ramie, alfa
and other filamentous materials by which the woody matter is separated from the
fibres which are immediately hackled, the original parallelism of the fibres being
utilized and the entire operation of preparing the materials being performed under
the most favourable and economical conditions.
The machine which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings by way of
example is composed of three principal parts.
The first effects the piercing or splitting, the second the breaking and stripping
and the 3rd the hackling of the materials.
Figure 1 is a face view of the entire machine figures 2. 3 and 4 are vertical
sections taken on the lines 1. 2. 3. 4, and 5. 6 of Figure 1 respectively. Figure 5
shows on a larger scale the endless chain by which the holders are traversed along
the machine in their trough.
Figure 5 bis is a detail in section of the two endless bands placed between the
2nd and 3rd pin bars of the piercer. Figure 6 shows a simplified arrangement of
the gearing for operating the several parts of the machine. Figure 7 shows an
arrangement for transferring the holders from the fixed trough of the piercer to
the rising and falling trough of the beating and hackling parts of the machine.
Figure 8 represents the pusher for traversing the holder provided with jointed
tail piece and spring.
Figure 9 represents a guide for the rising and falling trough of the breaker.
Figures 10 and 11 show different forms of piercing pins. Figure 12 shows the
rows of piercing pins as inclined to the line of travel of the holders, Figures 13,

page_text: 14, 15, 16 show different forms of grids provided with brushes or cleaners.
Figures 17, 18, 19, 20 and 22 show different forms of grids hereinafter described.
Figure 21 shows means for regulating the tension of the hackle sheets.
Figures 23 to 26 show arrangements in which the hackle pins are replaced by
brushes. Figures 27 and 28 show a smaller arrangement of piercing machine.
The material to be treated is supplied to the machine in an exactly similar
manner to flax in ordinary hackling machines it being held by means of holders or
clamps so as to leave a sufficient length of the material free to be operated on.
These holders enter the machine at A figure 1 and travel along its entire length to
the outlet B during which time the material is successively subjected to the several
operations before mentioned.
This first operation terminated that portion of the material which has been
treated is similarly clamped in its turn so as to enable the unworked portion to be
operated on by passing it through the same machine or through a similar machine
placed alongside it.
That portion of the machine which effects the piercing or splitting is composed
of bars C having pointed pins mounted on supports D hung from fixed centres
at E. These toothed bars receive oscillating motion from crank shafts F through
connecting rods G whereby they are caused to approach each other as in figure 2
and then separated. In this manner the pins or teeth are alternately caused to
penetrate and then withdrawn from the material, the material remaining pressed
against fixed grids H, H, and the teeth being withdrawn without bringing the
fibres with them. These grids are placed between each row of pins on the bars
and are of such a breadth that the pins in their backward movement may come
sufficiently in rear of the face which holds the material as to enable the pins to
free themselves therefrom while still remaining engaged in grids. This is of
advantage where very fine pins are employed as if one should become bent it is
not liable to be broken by striking against the grids as would be the case were the
pins to move completely out of said grids. When however strong pins are used, as
would be usually the case, which are not liable to bend even when working the
hardest materials, greater amplitude may be given to the motion of the pin bars,
so that in their back ward movement the points of the pins may be drawn com-
pletely out of said grids as represented in figure 17. In this manner the woody
particles or waste which may have entered between the bars of the grid E will
have sufficient space left at D for it to fall through on the backward movement of
the pins taking place. As it is preferable that the pins should not touch the bars
of the grid in order to avoid heating and wear by the friction produced, said bars
may be made of the various sections and placed in the different positions shown in
figures 17, 18, 19, 20, and 22. Bars of these forms are more easily regulated and
the woody and other refuse is more readily eluminated. These grids may not only
be made of separate bars, but also formed of metal in one or more parts provided
with openings the solid parts being of the sectional forms shown. The pins may
also be caused to pass through tufts of wire or bristles as shown at C figures 13,
14, 15, 16. In this manner although the bars A will not entirely fill the spaces
between the rows of pins, yet any waste which may be drawn back with the pins
will remain pressed against the brushes and will fall through on the forward
movement of the pins taking place. I may also with the same object cause the
pins to pass through a padding of felt or other material fixed to the bars A or
inserted in grooves therein in the manner shown in figure 14; or it may be clamped
between two flat grids.
The holders I figures 1 to 4 for clamping the fibrous material which are placed
in a trough formed of two angle irons, J, J, are caused to travel slowly and
continuously through the machine by the action of the lugs 21 on an endless
chain K (drawn on an enlarged scale in figure 5) whereby it is advanced in the
direction of the arrow.
The fibrous material is in this manner presented to the successive action of the
pin bars which break up the woody portion and straw and at same time separate

page_text: the filaments. The first bar is provided with coarser pins than the last one so as
to cause the pins to effect a gradually finer penetration of the matters. That
portion of the trough J, J¹, on which the lugs of the holders I rest is undulated so
that in travelling in the direction of the arrow the said holders have a slight up
and down movement. Without this precaution, the material clamped in the holder
would be continually penetrated at the same places by the pins at distances apart
corresponding to the spaces between the rows whereas by imparting this slight
movement to the holders the material will be equally penetrated at all points.
With a view also of piercing the fibre at all points of its length notwithstanding
any difference in the spacing of the rows of pins, I may combine the longitudinal
movement of the holders with a vertical movement as above described whether
Buch movement be obtained by undulating the trough in which the holders travel
as represented or by making the trough itself to rise and fall. Or the same result
may be obtained by combining the longitudinal movement of the holders with
inclined rows of pins as represented in figure 12, the pins being inclined to the
line A, B along which the holders move instead of being parallel thereto. This
combination may be employed whether the holders travel horizontally or at any
angle. A space is left between the second and third pin bars (see figure 1) for the
two endless bands 22, 23 represented in section figure 5 bis whose function is to
carry away a portion of the woody and other waste already broken by the first pins
and also to straighten the filaments and stalks which may have become inclined in
passing through the grids. These endless bands are driven by the crank shafts F
and operate in the same manner as the sheet hackles used in preparing flax; they
are provided with wood or metal blades 24 arranged alternately upon the two
bands as shown and they may also be furnished with hackles like those of hackling
machines when it is desired to increase their action; or with brushes if a less
thorough treatment is required. If the material requires it, these endless bands
may be placed at the outlet from the last piercer at point 25 figure 1 and instead
of employing a pair of bands as in figure bis, one band 22 or 23 only may be
placed at one side of the machine, the blades or points of which would press the
material to be straightened against a fixed surface, or it may simply touch without
pressing it which is in some cases sufficient.
The piercing pins or prongs before described may be made either of wood or
metal of round rectangular triangular square or other section and their points may
either be flat, round, bevelled or otherwise formed as shown in figures 10 and 11.
That part of the machine in which the breaking or stripping and hackling are
effected consists in the combination of a hackling machine in which the sheets of
hackles occupy the right hand position and the breakers or strippers are placed at
the left hand side of the same. A trough L extends right across this part of the
machine which trough receives up and down motion from a cam Q as in ordinary
hackling machines, the holders being traversed along the trough by means of pawls
mounted upon a bar O operated by a roller cam P also as in these machines.
Another pawl bar M operated by a cam N transfers the holders from trough J to
trough L which is common to both the breaking or stripping and hackling
machines.
The motion imparted to the holders by the endless chain K is so timed, that a
bolder arrives at the end of the trough J at the moment when the trough L is in
its lowest position when the pawl bar M immediately pushes the holder forwards
into the trough L. Figure 1 shows a holder 2 in the act of being pushed forward
by the bar M it being transferred completely on to the trough L before the latter
commences to rise.
The stripping or breaking machine is constructed of two revolving breakers
formed of radial arms or spider frames connected by bars S which strike the
material and separate the straw or woody particles from the filaments; These
revolving beaters intermesh with each other as shown in figure 3 so as to effectually
act on the fibres. The surface of the beaters S is undulated as shown in figure 1

page_text: so as the better to penetrate the material the undulations being shallower at the
end where the material first enters and afterwards increasing in depth so as to act
with increasing effect upon the material, Both edges of the blades are similarly
shaped in order that the entire length of the material may be similarly treated.
The holders thus successively present the material to the different parts of the
beaters, first to part 3 which is less undulated, then to parts 4 and 5 in which the
undulations are deeper.
The
The materials in continuing their course are then brought under the action of
the hackles in the hackling portion a of the machine, which it is unnecessary to
describe, it being arranged exactly the same as the machines now in use.
entire machine is driven by means of pulleys 26, 27 on a shaft 28 upon the left
hand end of which is keyed a pinion T which drives through the intermediate
gearing T¹ figure 3 the crank shafts F F for operating the piercer; while upon the
right hand end of said shaft is keyed a pinion U for driving the beaters R. R.
The shaft 28 also carries a pinion V which drives through a gearing down train,
a wheel W at the opposite end of whose shaft are mounted the gear wheels for
working the hackle sheets and cams which produce the up and down movement of
the troughs and also for operating the two pawl bars.
The pinions T and U on pulley shaft and the pinions X Y on shaft W may be
changed so as to accelerate or retard the movements of the various parts operated
thereby.
The motion is transmitted by a shaft Z to the piercer at the left hand end of
the machine, for driving the endless chain K, through the bevel gear 10, 11, 12
figure 3. Figure 6 shows a simplified arrangement of the gearing for driving the
several parts of the machine. In this case the machine is divided into three
separate parts viz a piercer D, a beater R and a hackler a, the latter machine
having its trough extended so as to serve for the beater also. The three apparatus
are placed end to end and connected by the gearing as shown.
The trough J is placed at such height as to overhang the trough L when the
latter is in its lowest position.
The endless chain K propels the holders in such manner that each of them after
the piercing operation will in turn be delivered on the incline 13 which connects
the troughs J and L at the moment when the latter arrives in its lowest position
(figure 6) when it will immediately descend the incline and pass onto said trough L
In order to prevent the holder passing beyond the desired point a screw 29 or other
stop is made to project from the holder which strikes against the curved end of a
lever 14, which latter when the holder rises assumes the position shown in dotted
lines in this figure, leaving the holder free to continue the movement imparted to
it by the pawl bar. The same result may also be obtained by placing a stop at the
point where the holder is to be arrested, similar to those placed at the mouth of
the trough of a backling machine.
.
The three machines are connected by a single train of gearing consisting of a
shaft 15 which drives the piercing machine by means of the wheel gearing 16,
pulley 17 being employed to drive the breaking or stripping machine and the wheel
gearing 18, the hackling machine.
The same combination may also be made with a machine having rubbers or
brushes instead of hackles.
The arrangement represented in figure 7 may also be employed for transferring
the holders from the fixed trough of the piercing machine to the rising and falling
trough of the breaking and hackling machines Ra. In this case, a cam 30
operated by one of the trains of wheels actuates, through a lever 31 oscillating on
a centre 32, a pusher 33 (shown separately in figure 8) which propels the holder
forwards, as it is advanced by the endless chain K nearly as far as the end of the
fixed trough J, on to the rising trough L. The pusher is provided with a jointed
tail piece 34 figures 7 and 8 which allows the screw or other projection on the
bolder by which the same is pushed forward to pass over it when the holder is

page_text: advanced by chain K but which is immediately returned to position after said
projection has passed by a spring 35.
The forward movement is produced by the counterweight 36 mounted on the
fulcrum of lever 31 and the backward movement of the pusher is produced by a
cam, but both the backward and forward movements of the pusher may be produced
by a grooved or double cam.
A recess may also be made in the end of the fixed trough of the piercing machine
(see figure 9) to receive and guide the movable trough when it reaches its lowest
position for the purpose of being joined thereto and allow of the holder passing
from one trough to the other. Or a similar socket may be formed on the end of
the movable trough to receive the end of the fixed trough with a similar object.
As it would be inconvenient to adjust the height of the breakers hackles and
other parts in connection with the rising and falling trough every time the bands
on which the hackle pins are mounted stretch, it is proposed to regulate the tension
of these bands by adjusting the position of the lower shafts around which they
pass instead of by raising the top shafts as is usually the case. Figure 21 repre-
sents this arrangement. J are the sheets of hackles. L upper and K lower
shafts.
In order that the hackling may be more perfectly performed it is proposed to
replace the hackle pins by brushes (figures 23 to 26) whether the same be placed
longitudinally upon the ordinary hackle sheets and intermesh with each other as
in figure twenty five or whether they press one against the other as in figure
twenty six or whether circular brushes be used as in figures twenty three and
twenty four.
These latter brushes revolve in contact with each other in the direction indicated
by the arrows and are adjustable so as to regulate their action as desired. In some
cases the frame in which they are mounted receives an up and down motion for
the purpose of acting on the whole length of the fibre, or the same result may be
obtained by employing brushes of large diameter, and placing them at a suitable
height relatively to the movement of the trough, or they may be placed in such
position, as shown in the drawing, that the brushes will only act on the fibres at
the part corresponding to the position of said trough.
The following are details of the various parts referred to in these Figures.
A trough having an upward and downward motion. B. B¹ upper rollers round
which the endless bands pass. CC lower shafts of same. D. D¹ doffers.
E. E' stripper-bars. F. brushes made either of metal, or of vegetable or animal
fibres. G. G¹ adjusting screws by which all the parts can be readily raised or
lowered. This brush apparatus may either form part of the hackling machine, and
be placed either outside, or inside, the framing; or it may be separate, and adapted
to existing machines, either by utilizing the rising and falling trough, or by adding
a special rising and falling arrangement.
Figures 27 and 28 represent a simple arrangement of piercing or splitting
machine adapted for working on a limited scale. A set of pins A are mounted on
a frame B. which carries two uprights CC serving as guides for another set of
pins A¹ to which up and down motion is imparted by a hand lever D and two
connecting rods E. E¹. The movable bar carrying the pins A¹ carries iron blades F
which are inserted between each row of fixed pins A. Iron blades F" mounted
upon the uprights C. C¹ are also placed between each row of movable pins A¹.
In using the machine, the hand lever D is first raised so as to obtain sufficient
space between the sets of pins to introduce the material to be operated on, and
then lowered to cause the material to be pierced by the pins. The hand lever is
then again raised in order to disengage the upper set of pins from the material
which remains pressed against the blades F the said pins in rising, also disengaging
the material from the lower set of pins by reason of the blades F placed between
the rows of pins partaking in their upward movement.
This apparatus may also be worked by a crank motion, operated by a wheel, or
by hand or other power,

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1st The preliminary treatment of textile materials generally, such as flax, hemp,
ramie, alfa, &c, by piercing the material with pins of the kind herein described
while suspended from a holder by which it is presented to the action of the
working parts of the machine, as specified.
2nd The method of imparting continuous motion to the holder while the material
is being operated on by the pins, as described.
3rd The method of combining with the longitudinal motion of the holder a
slight vertical motion, so that all parts of the material may be equally acted on by
the pins.
4th The method of combining the longitudinal motion of the holders with rows
of pins inclined at an angle to said line of motion as described.
5th Making the pins of steel or other material and of round, square, polygonal,
or other section with ends of pointed, round, facetted or other shape, as shown in
the drawings.
6th Making the pins to intermesh row by row when in their working position,
as herein described and shown in the drawings.
7th Making the pins to pass through grids in order that they may be detached
from the material on their backward movement, the said grids being formed of
bars of rectangular, triangular, or other section as hereinbefore described and
represented in the drawings.
8th Making the grids in one or several parts, or of separate bars as described.
9th Combining the movement of the pins and the breadth of the grids in such
manner that the pins will not be entirely drawn out of them in their extreme
backward position, or so combining the movement of the pins with the breadth
of the grids that they shall be entirely withdrawn therefrom so as to allow the
straw or woody particles to fall out of the pins, as described.
10th Providing the grids with brushes or packing as described and illustrated in
the drawings, to prevent the particles of straw or wood from entering the grids
or clogging the pins.
.
11th Mounting the pins upon bars oscillating on fixed fulcra as shown, whereby
a more regular motion is obtained than when they work in guides, said fulcra
being either placed above the pins as shown, or below if preferred.
12th Making the pins of different degrees of fineness, and the first of greater
coarseness than the rest, as described.
13th Placing the crank shafts which operate the pins and their bearings below
the said pins so that on dismounting the connecting rods' which unite the shafts
to the pin bars the latter may be drawn out of the machine by oscillating them on
their axes for the purpose of cleaning, as described.
14th Introducing at different points of the piercing machine between the pins
and in rear of the last set, endless bands of the kind described and represented for
the purpose of straightening the fibres which may have got out of position and
separating a portion of the broken straw as specified.
15th Placing the piercing machine with fixed trough at one end of a machine
having a rising and falling trough and employing a pusher of the kind repre-
sented for transferring the holder from the fixed trough when it arrives at the
end of the piercer onto the movable trough when the latter is in its lowest position
as described.
16th Providing sockets on the end of either the fixed or moving trough for the
purpose of ensuring their more accurate connection at the time the holder is being
passed from one to the other, as described.
17th The method of breaking the material after it is pierced by means of beaters
formed of wood or metal bars having undulated surfaces intermeshing with each
other and gradually increasing in depth as shown.

page_text: 18th The method of hackling the material, after beating it as described, and
shown.
19th Providing the sheets of the hackling machine either with ordinary hackle
pins, or with coarse, round ended pins, or strips of wood, or metal, having smooth
or undulated faces for the purpose of rubbing and rendering the material more
supple before hackling it, or by using both strips and hackle pins in combination..
20th The means of putting the hackle sheets in tension by adjusting the lower
shafts round which they pass as shown and described.
21st The employment either of sheets of flat brushes placed either opposite
to, or intermeshing with each other, or of cylindrical brushes, as shown, and
described.
22nd Arranging these cylinder brushes, either to act upon the whole or a portion
of the length of the fibres as described.
23rd Combining these cylinder brushes with the hackling machine, or mounting
them in a separate framing, whereby their position with regard to the movable
trough carrying the holders can be regulated as desired.
24th Forming with these brushes, a separate apparatus which may either be
placed on the end of existing hackling machines, the trough of which is extended
for the purpose, or be provided with a separate rising and falling trough as
described.
25th Performing either the whole or a portion of the operations of piercing,
breaking, softening and hackling on that part of the material which is suspended
from the holder without removing it therefrom, and afterwards clamping the
prepared fibres in the holder for the purpose of performing the same operations
upon the unworked portion, the same as in hackling flax.
26th The employment of the different combinations hereinbefore described, and
illustrated for imparting the different movements to the several parts of the
machine, and for combining together the different parts of which it is composed.
27th The employment of the means herein-described (1) For breaking, detaching
the straw, or woody particles from the textile materials operated on by the
apparatus herein described, as well as for separating the fibres, whether retted or
not, or whether subjected to any other mechanical treatment. (2) For working
filamentous materials partially prepared by other processes or machines. (3) For
working filamentous materials after passing through a breaker, or stripper, for the
purpose of dividing or softening them.