Improvements in Machines for Hackling Flax and other Fibres.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Feb., 1898
IL
4000
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Hackling Flax and other Fibres.
We, ROBERT HENRY STURROCK READE, Managing Director of York Street Flax
Spinning Company. Limited, Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland, and
HUGH MCKIBBIN, Foreman Mechanic, to the said Company, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
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This invention relates to apparatus for hackling flax and other long staple
fibres of a like nature and it is designed to dispense with the present clamp or
holder in which the fibre is held during the operation and which requires to be
screwed and unscrewed and to be conveyed from one machine to another thereby
entailing a great amount of labour upon the minder or attendant.
It consists essentially in constructing the machine with two endless bands of
leather or other suitable material moving face to face, between which the fibres
are clamped and carried forward, the bands being tightly forced and held together
during the operation of hackling by a sliding bar, plate or other equivalent
mechanism, which is forced inwards by suitable mechanism.
In carrying out the invention we mount two endless rotating bands of leather
or other suitable material so as to traverse horizontally face to face along the
channel now employed to carry the holders, or an equivalent device substituted
therefor. Behind one of these bands is situated a fixed plate or bar and behind
the other a plate or bar capable of being moved or slid towards the other, whereby
the two bands can be tightly forced or pressed together. These bars and endless
bands are mounted so as to be capable of a vertical reciprocating movement to
lower the fibre into engagement with the hackle pins and to remove it again.
Both movements given to the bands are intermittent. Instead of one sliding and
one fixed bar both may be made to move to approach each other.
The inward movement of the sliding bar to clamp the bands together may be
effected by cams or other suitable mechanism, whereby the clamping force is
applied when the bands are moved downward before the hackle pins are able to
engage with the fibres and is released when the bands are lifted to the top.
Instead of cams, pivoted cross levers on the lazy tongs principle or other
arrangement of levers, springs or screws may be employed to apply the clamping
force, with a suitable wedge shaped block or the like on the head of the framing
to release the clamp when raised to the top.
One pair of bands may be applied to a single machine or one band of the pair
may be passed round two machines so that the fibre may be continuously passed
from one machine to the next. In the former case the fibre is removed by an
attendant and carried to another machine, but in the latter case the fibre is merely
reversed on the band by the attendant and is carried forward by it to the next
machine. The reversing may also be done automatically with this arrangement
of bands or by one band passing twice through each machine with a half turn
between the machines at one end.
The material to he hackled is placed on one of these bands at the end of the

page_text: machine. Before entering the hackles the other band closes on the fibre and the
two bands with the fibre between them. pass into the channel between the two
plates or bars which are made to grip the bands like a vice and 'so hold the
material while it is between the hackle sheets. When the head rises the grip on
the bands is eased just enough to allow the bands to be moved horizontally and
so carry the material from one tool to another.
When one end of the piece has been hackled, it is reversed on the band (either
by hand or automatically) and is then carried to next machine where the hackling
process is repeated on the reversed end of the piece. The finished piece is then
taken off and replaced by another.
Improvements in Machines for Hackling Flax and other Fibres.
We, ROBERT HENRY STURROCK READE, Managing Director of York Street Flax
Spinning Company, Limited, Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland, and
HUGH MCKIBBIN, Foreman Mechanic to the said Company, 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:-
This invention relates to apparatus for hackling flax and other long staple
fibres of a like nature and it is designed to dispense with the present clamp or
holder in which the fibre is held during the operation and which requires to be
screwed and unscrewed and to be conveyed from one machine to another thereby
entailing a great amount of labour upon the minder or attendant.
It consists essentially in constructing the machine with an endless carrier of
- leather or other suitable material by which the bunches of flax fibres are carried
forward from one set of hackle pins to the next and a sliding bar plate or other
equivalent mechanism forced against the carrier by suitable mechanism by which
the fibres are clamped and held during the operation of hackling.
The invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which sufficient of the ordinary parts of a hackling machine are
shown to illustrate it.
Fig. 1. End elevation:"
Fig. 2. Side elevation.
Fig 3 Plan
Fig. 4. End elevation (enlarged) of one form of clamping mechanism.
Fig. 5. Side elevation (enlarged) of part of endless carrier.
Fig. 6. Plan of Fig. 5.
The machine is constructed in the usual way with hackling sheets A which
operate upon the fibres and channels B along which the fibres are caused to travel
and which have a vertical reciprocating movement to bring the fibres into and
out of contact with the pins upon the revolving hackle sheets A.
An endless carrier C formed of a band or bands of leather or other suitable
flexible material is placed so as to travel horizontally along the length of the
channels B as well as to rise and fall with them.
The carrier is preferably made of an endless band formed with a number of
loops (see Figs. 5 and 6) each folding back upon itself and held by a clamp or
hook c¹ to form a pocket or receiver for the bunch of flax. Other forms of holders
or receivers may be attached to or carried by the endless band.
Fig. 4. End elevation (enlarged) of one form of clamping mechanism.
Fig. 5. Side elevation (enlarged) of part of endless carrier.
Fig. 6. Plan of Fig. 5.
The machine is constructed in the usual way with hackling sheets A which
operate upon the fibres and channels B along which the fibres are caused to travel
and which have a vertical reciprocating movement to bring the fibres into and
out of contact with the pins upon the revolving hackle sheets A.
An endless carrier C formed of a band or bands of leather or other suitable
flexible material is placed so as to travel horizontally along the length of the
channels B as well as to rise and fall with them.
The carrier is preferably made of an endless band formed with a number of
loops c-(see Figs. 5 and 6) each folding back upon itself and held by a clamp or
hook cl to form a pocket or receiver for the bunch of flax. Other forms of holders
or receivers may be attached to or carried by the endless band. .
-

page_text: The channels B which form guides for the endless carrier C are preferably in
the form ordinarily employed to carry the metal flax holders suspended by bands
or chains passing over pulleys counterbalanced by weights 6 and raised änd
lowered by crank D) and connecting rod d of the usual construction.
channel irons rising and falling guides of any other suitable form may be em-
ployed to guide and support the endless carrier C.
Instead of
In one or both of these guides forming the channel B is placed a bar E of suit-
able cross section to give the desired strength capable of being moved inwards
or towards each other. Or one bar may be stationary in relation to the side of
the channel on which it is placed and the other movable towards it but at present
we prefer to make both movable.
At intervals along the length of the channel B are placed a number of clamps F
which act upon and force the bars E together when descending to clamp the flax
carrier C between them and open or release the pressure upon the bars E when
raised to the position in which the flax is clear of the hackle sheets A.
The clamps F which we prefer are formed of two crossed levers of pivoted where
they cross and the upper ends forcibly drawn together by a strong spiral spring G.
The lower ends of the levers f pass through holes or slots in the sides of the
channel B and engage with the bars E.
At or near the top of the machine is placed a wedge H with which the upper
members of the levers f engage or come in contact and which serve to force them
asunder and release the grip upon the carrier C when raised so that the flax is
clear of the hackle A.
The inward movement of the sliding bars E to clamp or hold the flax in the
carrier C may be effected by cams or other arrangements of levers springs or
screws which will cause the desired amount of pressure to be applied when the
Hax is in contact with the hackles and to be released when the flax is lifted out of
contact therewith.
The carrier C passes over a pulley K on a vertical axis at the end of the
machine which rises and falls with the channel B. The pulley K is provided
with pins or teeth which engage with holes k in the carrier to ensure an equal
movement of the carrier at each revolution of the pulley K. An intermittent
movement is given to the pulley K when the carriers are raised to move the flax
from one set of hackle pins to the next. This may be done by an arm or wiper L
on the crank disc M acting upon pins on a bevel wheel m by which the vertical
pulley shaft ¹ is rotated. The arm or wiper L is secured to the disc by a bolt or
screw so that its position may be regulated or adjusted.
The endless carrier C may be applied to a single machine or it may as shown
in Fig. 1 be passed round two machines so that the fibre may be continuously
passed from one machine to the next. In the former case the fibre is removed by
an attendant and carried to another machine, but in the latter case the fibre is
merely reversed on the carrier by the attendant and is carried forward by the
endless band to the next machine.
The material to be hackled is placed in the loop or receiver of the carrier C at
the end of the machine and the carrier with the fibre passes into the channel
between the two plates or bars E which are made to grip the bands like a vice
When the head
and so hold the material while it is between the hackle sheets.
rises the grip on the carrier is eased sufficiently to allow the carrier to be moved
horizontally and so carry the material from one tool to another.
When one end of the piece or bunch of flax has been hackled it is reversed on
the carrier and is then carried by it to next machine where the hackling process
is repeated on the reverse end of the piece. The finished piece is then taken off
and replaced by another.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. A machine for hackling flax and other fibres constructed with an endless

page_text: carrier for the pieces or bunches of fibres, vertically reciprocating channel for
the carrier and fibres, and clamping device thereon for tightly gripping and
holding the fibre whilst operated upon by the hackle pins substantially as
described.
2. In a machine for hackling flax and other similar fibres the combination with
the vertically reciprocating channel of an endless carrier moved forward inter-
mittently plates or bars placed within the channel by which the carrier is tightly
gripped and held during the operation of hackling and pivoted levers cams or
other clamping device for putting pressure on the plates or bars to force them
together substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. A hackling machine having the several parts constructed and arranged
substantially as described and shown.