IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR SPREADING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS, AND FORMING THE SAME INTO SLIVERS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO KINDRED USES
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR
SPREADING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS, AND FORMING THE
SAME INTO SLIVERS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO
KINDRED USES."-A communication from abroad by John Good,
of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 6th January 1872, and dated the 22nd August 1871:
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 22nd August 1871.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
5 Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES
FOR SPREADING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS, AND FORMING THE

page_text: SAME INTO SLIVERS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO KINDRED
USES," to be as follows:-
The chief object of this Invention is to construct a machine for
drawing or spreading and forming into slivers hemp, flax, and other
fibrous materials which shall dispense with the necessity of "lapping,” {
and avoid irregularity of stretch, also the formation of knots or bunchies
in the hemp or material being worked, and likewise reduce the waste
of fibre consequent upon tow being left behind between the combing
pins.
To accomplish these results in part or in whole, and to lessen the 1
cost and labour of beckling the hemp or material being worked and
formed into slivers a certain combination of two or more series of
combing or heckling pins is employed, the same being arranged to
travel at different velocities, the one serics in advance of the other, and
the last series moving faster than the first; likewise the several series, 1
or that series only which travels at the highest velocity, being carried
by endless chains and so operated that the heckling pins are made to
enter and leave the hemp or other material being worked and to travel
through or amongst the same at right angles or thereabouts to its path,
or travel over the frame and with their points uppermost, and afterwards a
gradually to assume a depressed position will enable them to leave any
tow adhering to them behind, said pins in their heckling operation
exerting a combing action successively or at close distances during the
travel of the hemp through or over the frame, before or in advance of
the drawing rolls, and under a free or loose condition of the fibres at
their end or ends.
The Invention also relates to certain endless belts by which the heckling
pins are carried to operate as hercin-before described, which belts are also
applicable to other purposes or uses, the same being composed of two or
more parallel endless chains united by tie or transverse rods left free to
turn in the links of the chains, and said links being formed with sockets
or sleeves arranged to fit and turn the one within the other, the tie rods
turning within the inner of such sleeves. By this construction tho
links and the rods have broad and steady bearings where they are
connected the one with the other, the links being pivotted or jointed
to each other independently of the rods, and pull upon the chain instead
of the strain being transferred from link to link through the rods, as
in endless chain belts of ordinary construction, and which produces

page_text: -
a binding action or effect on the rods that restricts the turning of them,
it is transferred from link to link direct without affecting the rods.
The bars carrying the heckling pins are severally provided at their ends
with cranks fitted with crank pins which work over fixed cams and
guides for the purpose of rocking the bars and maintaining the heckling
pius in their required positions.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd February 1872. .
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send, greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of August, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her special
licence that I, the said Alfred. Vincent Newton, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton,
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 MACHINES FOR SPREADING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS AND
FORKING THE SAME INTO SLIVERS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS IS ALSO APPLICABLE
TO KINDRED USES," being a communication to me from abroad by John
Good, of Brooklyn, in the State of New York, United States of America,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Alfred Vincent
Newton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing.
under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to bo filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to 5
say) :-
The object of the first part of this Invention is to construct a machine
for drawing or spreading and forming into slivers hemp, flax, and other
fibrous materials which shall dispense with the necessity of "lapping,"
and avoid irregularity of stretch, also the formation of knots or bunches 1
in the hemp or material being worked, likewise do away with or reduco
wasto consequent upon tow being left behind between the combing
pins. These results are not attained by machines in which the spreading
and stretching or straightening action has been produced by drawing
rolls having a tight hold upon the hemp or material, and operating in 1
concert with a single endless chain of combing pins travelling at a
less velocity than the rolls, and conducting the material to the latter.
To accomplish said results in part or in whole, and to lessen the cost
and labor of heckling the hemp or material being worked and formed
into slivers, the first part of the Invention consists in a certain com- 2
bination of two or more series of combing or heckling pins arranged
to travel at different velocities the one scrics in advanco of the other and
the last series moving faster than the first, likewise the several series
or that scries only which travels at the highest velocity being carried
by endless chains and arranged and operated by special mechanism or 2
devices so that the heckling pins are made to enter and leave the hemp
or other material being worked and to travel through or amongst the
same at right angles or thereabouts to its path or travel over the frame,
and with their points uppermost, and afterwards to gradually assume a
reverse position so as to leave any tow adhering to them behind, said 3
pins in their heckling operation exerting a combing action successively
or at close distances or points during the travel of the hemp through
or over the frame before or in advance of the drawing rolls and under
a free or loose condition of the fibres at their end or ends.
The second part of the Invention relates to a novel mode of con- 3
structing the endless belts, by which the heckling pins are carried to
operate as herein-before described, which belts are also applicable to
other purposes or uses, the same being composed of two or more parallel

page_text: endless chains united by tie or transverse rods left free to turn in the
links of the chains, and said links being formed with sockets or sleeves
arranged to fit and turn the one within the other, the tie rods turning
within the inner of such sleeves. By this construction the links and
the rods have broad and steady bearings where they are connected the
one with the other, the links being pivoted or jointed to each other
independently of the rods and pull upon the chain, and instead of the
strain being transferred from link to link through the rods as in endless
chain belts of ordinary construction, and which produces a binding
action or effect on the rods that restricts the turning of them, it is
transferred from link to link direct without affecting the rods.
Having thus specified the object or objects and nature of the In-
vention, its description will be proceeded with in reference to the
accompanying Drawing.
Fig. 1 represents a plan of a heckling machine constructed in accor-
dance with the Invention; and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section
of the same; Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the one side of the
frame with a section of one of the chains of an endless belt and guiding
devices conncoted therewith, including the cross bars or rods (in part)
that carry the heckling pins; Fig. 4 is a sectional side view of tho
end portion of one of the chain belts and devices by which the heckling
pins are turned to enter the hemp; Fig. 5 is a side view upon a larger
scale of a sectional portion of the chain with its attachments in part;
and Fig. 6 a horizontal sectional view thercof.
Referring in the first instance more particularly to Figures 1, 2, 3,
and 4 of the Drawing, A represents the frame of the machine, and B
the feed board over which the hemp or other fibrous material as it is
taken from the balo or in a similar condition is passed to feed rollers O, O³,
that draw on the hemp, as the material being worked will here be called.
Only one, say the lower one, of these rollers may be driven at the
requisito slow velocity to effect the feed and the other one be left free,
subject to the action of weights or springs to keep it down to the required
pressure on the hemp. D and D' are two endless belts or chains of
licckling pins, said belts being arranged one in advance of the other
between the feed rollers O, C¹, and pressing and drawing rollers E, E, of
which there may be any suitable number. The endless belts D, D¹, aro
cach composed of parallel chains arranged to travel between the side picces

page_text: of the frame A and connected by cross bars F which carry the heckling
pins b, said bars or rods being hung so as to be capable of turning at
their ends in the links of the chains and gearing with chain wheels G, G,
by which the belts are driven or caused to travel as indicated by arrows
in Fig. 2. The belt D' is made to move faster than the belt D, but
preferably slower than the rollers E, E, which draw on or receive the
heckled hemp.
Secured to the bars F at or near their ends are
arms or cranks H, I, which are formed in part of or provided on their
outer faces with guide pins c, d, that travel respectively over or along
"and against fixed straight guide plates J, J, and fixed cams K, K, the
plates J, J, serving to keep the heckling pins or teeth 6 in vertical
position or thereabouts throughout the upper horizontal travel of the
chains, and the cams K, K, being used to turn and direct the bars Fin
the end travel of the chains so that the heckling pins enter the hemp
vertically or thereabouts, and leave it in like position, which action 1
prevents objectionable lift on entering and drag downwards on leaving
the fibres. If desired a slot e may be made in the face of each crank H
to receive within it a projecting edge of the guide plates J, J, for the
purpose of directing each endless belt or chain in its upper line of
travel, and to aid in keeping the hecking pins in their required position
or the bars F from turning during such travel. A long fixed curved
guide L serves to retard the heckling pins of the last belt D' from
assuming a reverse vertical position in the back or lower travel of the
latter and to cause them to drag as it were in a horizontal or inclined
position for the purpose of clearing them and the chain of adhering
fibres and to ease the chain in its travel or relieve it of weight. Tho
pressing and drawing rolls E, E, rotate as indicated by their respoctive
arrows. Certain of these only may be driven, and they should have
combined with them suitably arranged tubular condensers M, M, to
guide and condense the straightened fibres into a sliver form, and finally 'a
deliver the same into a receiving can or cans; N, N, are loosely rotating
recls arranged across and over the endless chain belt D to prevent the
stripping of the fibres from off the points of the heckling pins of said
chain. No lappers are needed to produce the sliver and the different
velocities at which the two series of heckling pins travel causes the 3
last and more rapidly moving scries or belt D' to gently draw upon
the material from the first belt D, and the fibres are combed and
stretched while loose or free of their ends before the same are seized by

page_text: •
the pressing and drawing rolls. In some cases the slower and first scries,
of heckling pins may be arranged upon a cylinder instead of a belt, but,
an endless chain belt is preferred.
•
Both chain belts, where two are used, may be of similar construction
5 which it is desirable should be as follows, said construction being
applicable to chain belts for various purposes:-The links g, g', of the
parallel chains used in the construction of either endless belt D, D',
have the cross bars F fitted to turn in them as herein-before described,
but the union of said rods with the links and of the latter with each
O other is peculiar. Thus said rods F (sco more particularly Figures 5
and 6 of the Drawing) are reduced at their ends where they pass through
the links and have their bearing at each end exclusively within only one
of two adjacent links, and a long and steady bearing provided for them at
such part by constructing each alternate link g with sleeves h, h, for the
ends of the rods to fit through, and the links are pivotted or jointed
together independently of said rods by causing the sleeves h, h, of the
one set of links to fit and turn in outer sleeves i, i, formed in or on the
intermediate links g¹. By this construction the pull upon, the chains
is transferred from link to link without straining on the rods F, thus
O the latter are relieved of weight and are free to turn in long and steady.
bearings, the links being provided with broad bearings at their joints,
the one working within the other..
•
. Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements
in Machines for Spreading Flax, Hemp, and other Fibrous Materials,
3 and Forming the same into Slivers, Part of which Improvements is
also applicable to kindred Uses," as communicated to me by my foreign
correspondent, 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,-.
First. The within described machine for heckling hemp and other
fibrous materials by means of two or more series or belts of heckling
pins moving at different velocities and operating in concert with guides
and fixed cams to turn and direct the said pins, substantially as herein
specified.
Second. The endless belt or belts made up of parallel chains com-
posed of links that are socketted the one within the other, and cross bars

page_text: or rods fitted to enter the inner sockets of the intermediate links or
certain of them, essentially as described.
In witness whercof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, the Twenty-second day of
February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-two.