IMPROVEMENTS IN GILL MACHINERY FOR THE PREPARATION OR MANUFACTURE OF TEXTILE MATERIALS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Peter, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar,
North Britain, Mill Manager, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
GILL MACHINERY FOR THE PREPARATION OR MANUFACTURE OF TEXTILE
MATERIALS."
Sealed the 28th May 1858, and dated the 31st March 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Peter at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 31st March
1858.
I, ROBERT PETER, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, North Britain, Mill
Manager, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN GILL MACHINERY FOR THE PREPARATION OR MANUFACTURE OF TEXTILE
MATERIALS," to be as follows, that is to say:-
This Invention relates to what is technically known in the flax manufacture
as the "gill machine," and it consists in certain arrangements whereby the
following peculiarities and advantages are gained:-1st, a radial drop action;
2nd, superior strength in the bar; 3rd, great speed of working; 4th, a reduced
first cost; and 5th, a reduction in wear and tear.
In this arrangement the bars carrying the gill teeth have their ends fitted
into holes in a pair of flanged guide rings, carried by spur wheels running
loose upon a horizontal dead or stationary shaft. The revolution of these
rings carries the gills round in working, and the exact course to be pursued
by them is secured by the action of a pair of differentially curved cam guides
keyed fast on the intermediate portion of the shaft. As cach gill bar comes

page_text: round and approaches the drawing and pressing rollers it has a "radial drop".
imparted to it by the peculiar contour of the cam guides, over the peripheries
of which the bars work, operating in conjunction with the crank action of the
ends of the bars. The bars are prevented from touching the drawing roller
by a curved guard, whilst at the same time they approach very close to the
roller. As the bars proceed in their circuit they are returned to their proper
working position by a back curved guide.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Peter in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 27th
September 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
PETER, of Dundee, in the County of Forfar, North Britain, Mill Manager,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Robert Peter, Her special license that I, the said Robert Peter, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert
Peter, my executors, administrators, or 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 GILL
MACHINERY FOR THE PREPARATION OR MANUFACTURE OF TEXTILE MATERIALS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Robert Peter, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 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 Robert Peter, 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 accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-

page_text: My said Invention relates to what is technically known in the flax manu-
facture as the "gill machine," and it consists in certain arrangements whereby
the following peculiarities and advantages are gained :-First, a radial drop
action; second, superior strength in the bar; third, great speed of working;
fourth, a reduced first cost; and fifth, a reduction in wear and tear.
In this arrangement the bars carrying the gill teeth have their ends fitted
into holes in a pair of flanged guide rings, carried by spur wheels running
loose upon a horizontal dead or stationary shaft. The revolution of these rings
carries the gills round in working, and the exact course to be pursued by them
is secured by the action of a pair of differentially curved cam guides keyed fast
on the intermediate portion of the shaft. As each gill bar comes round and
approaches the drawing and pressing rollers it has a "radial drop" imparted
to it by the peculiar contour of the cam guides, over the peripheries of which
the bars work, operating in conjunction with the crank action of the ends of
the bars. The bars are prevented from touching the drawing roller by a
curved guard, whilst at the same time they approach very close to the roller.
As the bars proceed in their circuit they are returned to their proper working
position by a back curved guide.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood, I shall
now proceed to describe, the several illustrative Figures on the explanatory
Sheet of Drawings which I have hereunto appended for the purpose of showing
certain modifications under which my improvements may be judiciously carried
out in practice.
Figure 1 on my Drawing is a vertical section of a portion of a "gill
machine," the said portion being sufficient to show the nature of my improve-
ments thereon; Figure 2 is an end view of the flanged ring, in which the
ends of the gill bars are fitted, and the gill bar guides. Figure 3 is a plan of
the arrangement corresponding to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 4 is an elevation
of one of my improved radial gill bars detached from the other parts of the
machinery and showing the gill teeth or heckles in position. As arranged in
this modification of my Invention, the gill bars A are made in the form shown
in Figure 4 of my Drawing, that is to say, the main portion of the bar is
straight, but near to each extremity the bar is bent upwards in an angular
direction, as shown at B, whilst the ends C of the bar are horizontal or in a
plane parallel to the main portion A. The gill teeth or heckle pins D are
affixed to the front of the bar in the usual manner, and project therefrom at
right angles to the face of the bar, as shown in Figure 1 of my Drawing. The
ends C of the gill bars are rounded, and are fitted into the flanged rings E,
which have apertures E¹ made therein for the purpose; these flanged rings E

page_text: form a part of or are attached to the spur wheels F; there are two of these
wheels with corresponding flanged rings E, to receive the ends of the gill bars
A; the wheels run loosely upon the stationary horizontal shaft G, the extre-
mities of which are fixed in the parallel vertical standards of the machine.
The spur wheels F are put in motion by the driving pinion H; the rotatory
movement of the wheels carry the gill bars in a like direction.
A curved or
excentric path or course is imparted to the gill bars A by means of differentially
curved cam guides I, which are keyed to the stationary shaft H. The greater
portion of the periphery of these fixed cam guides I is of a circular figure, but
at the upper part the periphery rises upwards, forming a species of inclined
plane, as shown at J in Figures 1 and 2 on my Drawing. From the extremity
of the inclined part J, the periphery of the cam guides curves suddenly
inwards at K, forming a radial drop, to admit of the sudden descent of the
gill bars, as they successively reach the extremity of the incline J, the motion
of the gill bars being in the direction of the arrow, Figure 1; as the gill bars
pass over the incline J, they are prevented from touching the lower drawing
roller by the curved guard L, and as they pass round with the motion of the
rings E, they come in contact with another guard M, which serves to turn the
gill bars upon their axes, and thus bring the heckle pins D again in a proper
position for acting upon the flax or other textile material. Both of the guards
L and M are fixed to a convenient part of the framing of the machine, or
other stationary part in which they will duly perform their intended office.
The flax or other textile material passes firstly between the retaining rollers
N, and is then operated upon by the heckle pins D, as the gill bars A traverse
over the inclines J of the cam guides I. The flax or other textile material
passes onward to the drawing and pressing rollers O, just previous to reaching
which the heckle pins are released from the material by the gill bars A passing
over the incline J, from which point they are successively guided round the
radial drop K. The peculiar form and arrangement of the gill bars admit of
their being traversed close up to the drawing roller, a point of the utmost
importance in these machines. At the instant each gill bar arrives in close
contiguity to the drawing roller it turns upon its axis, and falls clear of the
fibrous material; the radial drop K, or inwardly curved portion of the cam
guide I, admitting of this sudden descent of the gill bar, whilst the guard L
prevents the points of the heckle pins from coming into contact with the
drawing roller O.
Among the advantages attending these improvements are, increased strength
of the gill bars, reduction of the prime cost of the machine, the working speed
may be greatly increased, at the same time the wear and tear is lessened.

page_text: Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I may observe in conclusion that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my Invention; but what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general arrangement and construction of machinery or apparatus
techinally known as "gill machinery," for the preparation of flax or other
textile materials, as herein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of constructing the "gill bars" of machinery
for preparing flax or other fibrous materials, by bending or shaping them in
the manner herein-before described, or any mere equivalent therefor.
Third, the system or mode of arranging the "gill bars" in flanged rings, or
any equivalent therefor, as herein-before described.
Fourth, the system or mode of guiding the "gill bars," by means of dif-
ferentially curved cam guides, the peripheries of which at oue part form a
"radial drop," to admit of the descent of the gill bar when in close contiguity
to the drawing roller, as herein-before described.
Fifth, the application and use of the guides L and M, for the purposes of
preventing the heckle pins from coming into contact with the drawing roller,
and of readjusting the position of the gill bars, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Peter, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of September, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-eight.
ROBERT PETER. (L.S.)