IMPROVEMENTS IN HACKLING MACHINES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert William McDowell, of Belfast, in the County of
Antrim, Ireland, Mill Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
HACKLING MACHINES."
Sealed the 18th December 1877, and dated the 27th July 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert William McDowell at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th July 1877.
ROBERT WILLIAM MCDOWELL, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland, Mill
Manager, "IMPROVEMENTS IN HACKLING MACHINES."
My Invention refers to those hackling machines in which vertical sheet and
stripper rods are employed, such as those known in the trade as "Horner's" stripper
rod machines.
The Invention substantially consists in the application to such machines as afore-
said of a brush, the motion of which is capable of being reversed so as to clean
itself. For this purpose I provide preferably a spiral brush, which revolves in the
same direction and quicker than the pins, but at regular intervals, or in other words,
when the head rises it is made to reverse its motion, and to slowly turn once or
twice in the contrary direction, thus allowing the pins of the machine to carry away
any fibre that may stick on the brush.
I am aware that a revolving brush is not new, but as applied to stripper rod
machines and reversing as aforesaid, it is claimed to be new.
The gearing mechanism for producing the reverse motion of the brush may be
varied, but a convenient arrangement and such as I have found to answer is as
follows:-There is a wheel on end of bottom shaft of machine driving the sheets,
into which wheel a small pinion with clutch gear, and loose on the brush shaft.
The corresponding clutch slides on a key in the brush shaft, which latter has a
wheel fast on end of brush shaft, and working outside the wheels on the bottom
shaft and pinion. There is another wheel fast on a socket working on a stud
fastened to "gable" of rachine, and is geared with wheel on the brush shaft.
On the same socket there is also a loose wheel with clutch, the corresponding clutch
[Price 6dl

page_text: sliding on a key in the aforesaid socket, and the latter wheel is in gear with the
wheel on bottom shaft.
The two sliding clutches are worked by, a small lever or rod working on a pivot
equidistant from each. When the clutch is fast in the pinion, the brush is driven
with the pins, but when the head lifts the lever, which may be fixed either to the
"head" or to the "tow catcher," throws out this clutch and throws in the other,
which causes the loose socket wheel to become fast on the socket, and as the corre-
sponding socket wheel is fast on same socket it revolves in the same direction, the
wheel on end of brush shaft being in gear in the fast socket wheel, causes the brush
to revolve in the opposite direction from what it did in the first instance.
"
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Robert William McDowell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th
January 1878.
ROBERT WILLIAM MCDOWELL, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland, Mill
Manager. "IMPROVEMENTS IN HACKLING MACHINES."
My Invention is applicable principally, but not exclusively, to those hackling
machines in which vertical sheets and stripper rods are employed, such as those
known in the trade as "Horner's" stripper rod machines.
It may be attached to other makes of machines.
My Invention substantially consists in the application to such machines of a
revolving brush, the motion of which is capable of being reversed so as to clean
itself. For this purpose I provide preferably a spiral brush, which revolves in the
same direction and quicker than the pins of the machine, so causing the brush to
pass through the pins and remove any gummy or fibrous particles adhering to them.
At regular intervals, say when the head or channel of the machine rises, the brush
is made to reverse its motion and slowly revolve one or more times in the contrary
direction, thus meeting the pins and allowing them to carry away any fibre that
may stick on the brush, and which fibre is deposited with the tow.
By means of this improvement the pins are kept much cleaner than by what
are called "brush and doffer" machines, as in the latter the brushes only clean the
back of the pins, leaving the cutting side dirty; but by the use of my Invention all
the cutting parts of the pins are kept perfectly clean.
My Invention can be carried into effect by different modes and mechanical com-
binations, but I will now describe one mode of working which I have found
convenient, and which will be understood by reference to the accompanying Drawing,
in which,-
Figure 1 is an end elevation of a machine, part being in section, to show the
position of the brush, which position may be varied.
Figure 2 is a front elevation showing driving mechanism, part of which is shown
enlarged in Figure 3.
The same letters refer to corresponding parts in all the Figures.
P, P, are the two revolving spiral brushes, one on each side of the machine.
A is the wheel or bottom shaft of machine; B is a clutch wheel loose on the
brush shaft P¹ and in gear with A, the corresponding clutch B¹ sliding on a feather

page_text: or key on the brush shaft; D is a wheel keyed on the same shaft and gearing with
a wheel E, which is keyed on a socket, C being a clutch wheel loose on same socket,
and in gear with A. The corresponding clutch C₁ slides on a feather or key in
same socket.
The clutches B and C are actuated by a cranked lever H connected by the
rod K to the channel or head M. O is a balance weight which I use in preference
to a spring for bringing back the lever H to its place when the head M falls.
When the head or channel M is down the clutch B' is fast in the clutch wheel B,
causing the brush P to revolve in the same direction as the pins of the machine.
When the head or channel is up, as shown in the Drawing, tho clutch C is fast
in the clutch wheel C. The wheel E being fast on the same socket drives the
wheel D, which is fast on end of brush shaft in a direction contrary to the pins.
The brush Pat the other sheet of hackles is driven by a cross shaft and bevil
wheels, giving it a corresponding motion.
The brush may be applied to all or any required portion of the hackles.
I am aware that revolving brushes have heretofore been applied to hackling
machines, and I do not therefore make a general clain to such, but what I claim as
my Invention is, the application of a revolving brush, of which the motion is at
intervals reversed, as and for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert William McDowell, have hereunto set iny
hand and seal, this Tenth day of January, in the year of our Lord Oue
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight.
R. W. MCDOWELL. (L.S.)