IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR HACKLING AND PREPARING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Combe, of Belfast, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR HACKLING AND PREPARING FLAX AND
OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 16th March 1858, and dated the 5th October 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Combe at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th October 1857.
I, JAMES COMBE, of Belfast, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR HACKLING AND PREPARING FLAX AND
OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in hackling and preparing flax and other
fibrous substances consists, first, in a peculiar application of pressers to
hackling machines, which act on the one side of the stricks of flax at a time.
These pressers begin to act on the end portions of the stricks of flax, which
they press into contact with the hackles when the holders are at a distance
from the hackles, and by their action as the holders approach the hackles
gradually press more and more of the projecting flax into the hackles till the
required portion is acted on.
Second, in applying to hackling machines more than one series of grada-
tions of hackles or tools, and in using for hackling the end portions of the

page_text: stricks finer hackles than some of those which follow for hackling the middle
portions nearer the holders.
The object of both these heads of the Invention is the same, namely, to
operate on, or hackle more completely, the end portions of the stricks of flax
before the middle portions are acted on, and thereby to get a larger proportion
of dressed flax, and more perfect fibres than have hitherto been obtained.
This mode of operating on flax or other similar fibrous substance is applicable
to hackling machines, whether they act on only one or on both sides of the
flax at a time. The improvements may be adapted to a combination of the
two modes of action in one machine.
The third part of the Invention is an improvement on a hackling machine
known as the "double sheet," or "Ardill and Pickard's machine," a modi-
fication of a machine patented by Joshua Wordsworth, of Leeds.
It was a defect in Wordsworth's machine, that the large circle made by the
points of the pins of the hackles prevented them from penetrating the flax
close to the holders, and therefore a considerable portion of the flax outside of
the holder was not acted upon by the hackles, which caused a loss of yield.
The present Invention is to remedy this defect, and at the same time to
obviate the defects of Ardill and Pickard's machine. These objects are
attained by so making and arranging the hackles as to do their work (when
supported by the leather sheets or bands which are used in these machines),
without the use of the bars extending behind them, which have hitherto
always been used in this class of machines; the removal of these bars allows
the hackles to be brought nearer to the centres of the rollers over which the
sheets pass, and consequently causes the points of the pins of the hackles to
inake a circle of smaller diameter, which allows of the hackles approaching
nearer to the cutting or penetrating point.
By applying this arrangement, a much. more simple mode of actuating gills
in drawing and roving frames for preparing flax, &c. is obtained, and one
which admits of working at whatever speed is desired.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said James Combe; Her special license that I, the said James Combe, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Combe, my executors, 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
HACKLING AND PREPARING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the
-condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Combe, 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 per-
formed, 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 James Combe, 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 Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
This Invention consists, firstly, in the application of pressers to that class of
hackling machines which act on one side of the stricks of flax at a time. The
mode in which I apply pressers to such machines will be fully understood by
describing their application to a cylinder backling machine, which is illustrated
by Fig. 1 in the accompanying Drawings. In this Figure, which represents
in elevation so much of a cylinder hackling machine as will explain the
improvement, a, represents the cylinder, and a¹ a presser carried by small
arms a², keyed to a shaft a.which is parallel with the axis of the cylinder.
The under side of the presser, which I prefer to be of wood, corresponds in
form with the curvature of the cylinder, and a rapid reciprocating motion is
given thereto, but not so quick as to blow or disturb the flax. They vibrate
from a fulcrum at a short distance from the hackle pins to about two inches
or so backwards, which movement is effected by a crank or excentric motion
a', connected with a small arm a³ on the shaft a³. The crank a receives
motion from one of the shafts of the machine by a strap or otherwise. It will

page_text: now be understood that as they come down on the flax they will press the end
portions, or as much of the length as is desired into the hackles, and as the
holders containing the flax are gradually lowered they press more and more
of the flax into contact with the hackle pins, a gradual action from the ends of
the stricks being the result. This part of this Invention is most applicable to
short flax which does not readily go into the hackles. The pressers may be
extended lengthways to as many gradations of heckles as is thought desirable.
The Invention consists, secondly, in applying to hackling machines more
than one series of gradations of hackles, and in using for hackling the end
portions of the stricks of flax finer hackles than some of those which follow for
hackling the middle portions nearer the holders. The object of both this and
the first head of the Invention is the same, namely, to operate on or hackle
more completely the end portions of the stricks of flax before the middle por-
tions are acted on, and thereby to get a larger proportion of dressed flax, and
more perfect fibres than have hitherto been obtained. This mode of operating
on flax is applicable to hackling machines, whether they act on only one or
both sides of the flax at a time, or to a combination of the two modes of action
in the same machine. Fig. 2 shews an arrangement of hackles b, and slides
62, with steps b for holders 8, 64, for carrying out this head of the Invention.
In machines which act on one side only of the flax at a time, it is only
necessary to arrange the hackles as described, and by means of these steps not
to allow the holders to approach so close to the finer hackles which are
intended only to act on the end portions of the stricks. This arrangement
may be used with the pressers or without. Fig. 4 shows the position of the
holders with relation to the cylinder a, when the end portions of the flax
only are being hackled. In explaining the application of this part of the
Invention to machines which act on both sides of the flax at the same time, it
will suffice to describe it as applied to the vertical sheet machine which forms
the third part of this Invention. In machines of this kind it would not be
convenient to have the holders passing along a slide with such great steps in
it as would be necessary to give the required difference in height to suit long
flax, and I therefore adopt the mode shewn in Figures 5 and 6. Fig. 5 is an
end view, and Fig. 6 a front view, of the arrangement shewing the finer
hackles c', which are intended to act on the ends of the flax, mounted on
shorter sheets than those which follow them and carry the hackles c² for acting
on the middle portions. The shorter sheets may either be placed as the first
gradation or in any other position of the series; about the third gradation in
machines having five gradations is what I prefer for general work, in which

page_text: case the first and second gradations which are on one stock, prepare the
flax, so that it can be operated on by the finer hackles which are put on the
short sheets c, the more gradual arrangement following afterwards on the
stocks for acting on the middle of the flax. One or more gradations may
be used for doing the end portions, and these may be on sheets of different
lengths, if necessary for any particular purpose.
The third part of this Invention is an improvement in a hackling machine,
known as the double sheet or "Ardill and Pickard's machine," which is a
modification of a machine patented many years since, and manufactured to a
considerable extent, by Joshua Wordsworth & Co., of Leeds. It was a defect
in Wordsworth's machine that the large circle made by the points of the pins
of the hackles prevented them from penetrating the flax close to the holders,
and therefore a considerable portion of the pendent flax was not acted upon by
the hackles, which caused a loss of yield. Now the present Invention is
intended to remedy this defect, and at the same time the defects of Ardill and
Pickard's machine. These objects are obtained by making the hackles so as to
do their work, when supported by the leather sheets or bands which are used in
these machines, without the use of the bars extending behind them, which
have hitherto been used in this class of machines, the removal of these bars
allowing the hackles to be brought nearer the centres of the rollers over which
the sheets pass.
It was a serious objection to Taylor and Wordsworth's machine, that to get
an easy motion capable of being driven fast, it was necessary to make the
barrel or roller over which the sheets passed at the top so large that the
consequent large circle described by the points of the hackles prevented the
flax from being cut into by the hackle pins close to the holders. The present
inventor about sixteen years since designed the improvement on it which has
come into very extensive use, and which is known to the trade as Ardill and
Pickard's machine from the name of the first makers of it. The essential
feature in this machine was the introduction of cranked bars in place of straight
ones for carrying the hackles which made a considerable speed attainable, and
at the same time greatly reduced the radius of the circle described by the
points of the hackles, and this enabled the machine to hackle the flax closer
to the holders. This machine had certain defects, namely, the retaining of
the heavy bars, and it also required to be of extra length as compared with
Taylor and Wordsworth's, in order to give an equal breadth of hackle in
consequence of the use of cranked bars.
tages, this machine has maintained its
In spite however of these disadvan-
position, and is largely manufactured

page_text: and used up to the present time; no machine in the opinion of many flax
spinners having been produced which gives a better result. It is the object
of the present Invention to remedy as far as possible the defects in this
machine.
In describing the manner in which this is accomplished, it is not necessary
to go into all the details of the machine, as the arrangement of the well-known
parts such as the mode of gearing the lifting and lowering motion, the motion
for passing the holders through the machine, and for taking the tow from the
backles may be as usual in well-known machines. Fig. 7 is a vertical section,
showing the hackles h, sheets h¹, bottom sheet rollers h³, top sheet rollers h³,
holders h, holder slides h³, card cylinder or doffer he, doffing knife h, tow
boxes h, and brushes h"; Fig. 8 is a front view of a set of sheets h', hackles h,
and sheet rollers he and h, &c. detached; Fig. 9 is a separate view, looking
down on the edge of a line of hackles h, the sheets h¹ being in section to show
the teeth h, which drive the sheets h¹. In all these Figures the same
numbers and letters indicate the same parts.
In sheet hackling machines, whether vertical or horizontal, it has as before
stated been the practice to use bars (generally of malleable iron), to fix the
hackles to, the thickness and weight of which were serious objections which
affected not only the efficiency of the machines, but greatly added to their
wear and tear. By this Invention these evils are avoided, and a more simple,
lasting, and efficient machine is produced capable of being worked at a much
greater speed than has been attainable in such machines before, by which
means fine hackling can be got with more open hackles than were previously
necessary. In the machine as represented the hackles are made with wood
stocks, the wood being covered with sheet iron or brass, and they are made of
sufficient strength to support themselves between the sheets which carry them
round, and do their work without assistance; they may however be made of
metal or other material suitable for the purpose. On the inner face of the
sheets at each end of each hackle a metal tooth h³ is applied, the screws which
fix the hackles in their places passing through the leather of which the sheets
are generally made, and screwing into these teeth. The sheet rollers h² and h³
are formed with recesses h¹ to receive the teeth corresponding with the pitch or
distance between the hackles or the teeth on the sheets. The bottom rollers
hare connected and driven as usual, and the top rollers h³ are made as small
in diameter as will give sufficient strength to support the sheets. For this
purpose I prefer a circumference equal to twice or thrice the pitch or space
between the hackles, but this may be modified to suit different kinds of work,

page_text: as, of course; may also the size of the sheets and breadth and fineness of
hackles. The recesses in the bottom rollers have stopped ends h¹, against
which the ends of the teeth fit, and thus the sheets are kept from working
endways while revolving. It will be evident that the points of the hackles
enter the flax in a curved line and (to all conversant with the trade) that
they act on it in this and other respects precisely as in the machine known as
Ardill and Pickard's before referred to, which I believe to be the best arrange-
ment for this kind of machine. The same arrangement of sheets and rollers
is applicable also to machines which act on one side only of the flax at a
time.
By using the arrangement of sheets and recessed rollers above described, a
simple mode of actuating gills in drawing and roving frames for preparing
flax, &c. is obtained, and one which admits of working at whatever speed is
desired. For this purpose all that is necessary is to use a small roller at
one or both ends, and apply drawing rollers 3, and retaining rollers, with
gearing as usual in gill drawing machinery. Fig. 10 shows this adaptation
of my improvement, i being the sheet of gills; the retaining rollers; and i³
the drawing rollers connected by wheelwork as usual. The gill sheet should
be driven so as to move forward a little faster than the surface of the retaining
rollers.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improvements in
Hackling and Preparing Flax and other Fibrous Substances," 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 do not claim the general application
of pressers to hackling machines; but what I claim is,―
First, the use of pressers acting as above described for the purpose of
keeping the fibres in contact with the hackles.
Second, applying to hackling machines for hackling the ends of the stricks
finer hackles than some of those which follow for hackling the middle portions
of the stricks; such hackles being attached in vertical sheet machines to
shorter sheets than those used to carry the other hackles, and in cylinder or
single machines the holders, when bringing the stricks under the action of
these finer hackles, being supported on higher steps or ledges than the
adjacent holders.
Third, the means herein described by which I am enabled to reduce the
diameter of the circle described by the points of the hackle pins, cause them
to penetrate the flax close to the holder in a certain and definite curve, and
at the same time obtain, in a very simple manner, an easy motion capable

page_text: of being driven at any required speed with a great reduction of wear and
tear.
Fourth, the application to preparing machines of gill sheets and rollers con-
structed as described, whereby I am enabled to bring the gills near the bite of
the drawing rollers, work them at any required speed, and reduce the cost of
keeping them in repair.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Combe, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Second day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
JAMES COMBE. (L.S.)