IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY, FOR HACKLING, COMBING AND DRESSING FLAX, WOOL, AND. OTHER. FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I. THOMAS
MARSDEN,. of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Machine Maker, send
greeting..
WHEREAS, Her.present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by
Her Royal Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Thirteenth day of
September. One.. thousand eight hundred and forty-nine, in the thirteenth
year, of Her, reign, did. for Herself, .Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Thomas Marsden, my exors, admors, and assigns,
Her especial licence,. full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
Thomas Marsden, my exors, admors, or assigns, or such others as I, the said
Thomas Marsden, my exors. admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from, time to time and at all times during the term of years
therein expressed. should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend.
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY, FOR HACKLING, COMBING AND DRESSING FLAX,
WOOL, AND. OTHER. FIBROUS SUBSTANCES;" in which said: Letters Patent is con-
tained a proviso that I. the said. Thomas Marsden, shall cause à particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed. by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be
inrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next and immediately after the. date of the said in part recited. Letters
Patent, as in and by the same,- reference being thereunto had, will anore fully
and at large appear.
.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Thomas Marsden, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to
the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon
(that is to say):
My Invention consists first, of improvements in machinery for hackling
and dressing flax, and other fibrous substances requiring similar process,
whereby the flax or other fibrous substance in the raw state is first subjected
to hackles working according to one principle, and then having been partially
hackled thereby, the flax or other fibrous substance (requiring like process)
being held by the same holder or holders, and moved through the same
machine, is then subjected to hackles working according to another principle
of action, as hereafter fully explained.
Secondly, my Invention consists of improvements in machinery for hackling,
combing, and dressing flax, wool, and other fibrous substances, whereby the
moving surfaces are caused to move to and from the holder or holders, so that
the hackle or combing points will commence acting on the ends of the fibrous
matters, and gradually approach the holder, and penetrate more and more
extensively amongst the fibres, the holders being allowed to turn when the
hackles or combing points are most distant from the holders.
And thirdly, my Invention consists of improvements in machinery for
hackling flax and other like fibrous substances, by applying a card cylinder
or roller, so as to receive the tow from the hackles, without the intervention
of a brush or brushes. And in order that my Invention may be most fully
understood, and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the means
pursued by me.
In regard to the first part of my Invention, I would observe that I have
found that the mode of action of the hackle points when they first act in the
raw flax (or other fibrous substances requiring like process) should not be
similar to that which is desirable for finishing. the process.
There are what
may be called two classes of machinery now in use and well known for hackling
flax and other fibrous substances. In one class the teeth or points enter the
flax in an inclined position, and I believe the best arrangement of this class of
machinery is that known as "Wordsworth's Machine," wherein two sheets or
endless bands of hackles are employed, and this class of machinery I have found
to be the best for performing the commencing part of the process of hackling
and dressing, but I have found that such description of machinery is not the
best for finishing the process. And I have also found after long experience

page_text: that the machinery known as "Marsden and Robinson's Intersecting Hackling
Machines," and those known as "Marsden's Intersecting Excentric Machine,"
and other machines wherein the hackles enter the fibres at right angles, or
nearly so, and penetrate completely through the strick, are those which are the
best for performing the finishing part of the hackling and dressing process,
such latter machines being of a class which are too severe in their action for
the commencing parts of the process. And my Invention consists of combining
in the same machine two principles of action of hackles, the one more suited
for the commencement, and the other for the finishing part of the process, so
that the flax or other fibrous substance requiring similar treatment, being once
in suitable holders, and placed in a machine, the fibres will be first acted on by
one class of action of hackle points, and then by another class of action of
hackle points, and then by another class of action in the same machine, without
the holders or the substance requiring to be handled, as is the case when car-
rying fibres between two separate machines working according to two prin-
ciples of action. The two classes of action may in constructing machines be
variously modified, but I believe the following arrangement to be the best. I
do not, however, confine myself thereto, so long as two distinct characters of
action be obtained in regard to the hackle points.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure is a longitudinal side view, Figure 2 is a right-hand end view of a
machine constructed according to my Invention, shewing the driving pullies
and the gearing for giving motion to some of the parts of the machine.
Figure 3 is the other or left-hand end view of machine, shewing the gearing for
working the double endless sheets of hackles. Figure 4 shews the left-hand
end framing, with the pedestals for the endless sheets and other parts.
Figure 5 shews the cross framing which stands in the machine between the
two sets of hackles. Figure 6 shews the working parts of the machine taken
thro' the line 1, 1, Figure 1. Figure shews the working parts taken through
the line 2, 2, of Figure 1.
I would here observe, that the same letters of reference point out the same
parts wherever they occur.
A is the driving pulley receiving motion in the ordinary way either from steah!
or other power. This pulley A is affixed to the shaft A', which passes through
the machine and is supported by bearings, as shewn. On this shaft is fixed a
tooth wheel, which takes into and drives thro' other intermediate wheels, the
two parallel shafts B, to which are attached the arms B', supporting hackle bars
B² for the intersecting slide or excentric movement shewn separately at Figure 7,

page_text: the nature and construction of which are well known. This shaft A' has affixed
to it one of the brush rollers C. These brushes extend along the machine as
far as the intersecting slide hackle bars extend. At the other end of the shaft
A is affixed a pinion A, which works into the gearing for driving the shafts
E, E, to which are affixed the drums E', E, partly around which pass the
endless sheets of hackles E, shewn separately at Figure 6, which are well
known and understood. This gearing also gives motion to the shafts F, F, to
which are affixed the brush rollers F¹, F. I would here observe, that the
same doffing cylinders G, which are carried by the shaft G¹, G', and receive
motion, as shewn by the right hand end view, extend the whole width of the
machine, and take the tow from both sets of hackles; the clearing brushes
work separately, as shewn, in order that they may be set more accurately to
strip their hackles. The endless belts or sheets of hackles E² are supported
by and pass over the drum E3 affixed to the shaft E', which are carried by the
bearings E, with a capability of their being raised and moved nearer to or
farther from each other for adjustment, as shewn. The trough for carrying
the holders is lowered and raised in the ordinary way of such descriptions of
machines, and the holders are caused to pass through the machine from the
left to the right hand end. The above description of a combined machine,
according to the first part of my Invention, aided by the Drawings, will
enable a workman readily to construct a machine.
Figure 8 shews an arrangement of hackle bars such as described in the
Specification of my Patent bearing date September the Sixth, One thousand
eight hundred and forty-seven, and which may be used in place of those shewn
on the shaft B, or other modifications may be made in constructing a machine
according to this first part of my Invention.
I will now describe another arrangement of machine for hackling, and
which is according to the second part of my Invention, an end view of parts
arranged according to which is shewn at Figure 9. This part of my Invention
is particularly applicable to machines for hackling, in which the holder is
capable of being reversed, or turning so as to place the strick or bundle of
fibres held by a suitable holder in position to be acted on on both sides whilst
passing over the same hackle or combing surface, and consists in causing the
surface of hackle to be moved progressively towards the holders in place of the
holders being caused to move to the hackles in the process of working. A is the
holder carrying the strick, which is moved through the machine, and turned
from time to time, as is well understood. B is an endless band or belt of
hackles (which is the arrangement of hackles I prefer) which pass partly
round the rollers or drums C, C, allixed to the shafts C, C which are sup-

page_text: ported at each end in a frame D. These frames D are capable of being raised
and lowered at one end by means of cams E, which act upon rollers D', carried
by the frames D, or other mechanical means may be resorted to for moving
the hackle surface to and from the holder. The frames D are at the other end
held in position by means of the shaft C', which is extended so as to be supported
in bearings carried by the fixed end framings of the machine, as shown. The
cams E are affixed to the shaft E, which is supported in bearings carried by
the main framing, and receives motion by means of toothed wheels from the
driving shaft C', as is shewn by red lines. It will be readily understood, that
in the revolution of the shaft E¹ the cams E fixed thereon will, by acting on
the rollers D', cause the frame D and surface of hackle carried thereby to .be
raised and lowered.
Figure 10 shews some of the parts with the hackle surface raised to its
highest position. I would state, that although this part of my Invention is,
more particularly suited for hackling and dressing flax, and other fibrous sub-
stances requiring such process. still, in regard to long wools, this machine
may be advantageously employed. In this case the wool will be fastened at
one end into the holders in like manner to that in which stricks of flax are
held. F is a doffing cylinder set round with card teeth. This cylinder is set
in position so as to receive the fibre direct from the hackle teeth; and it is the
arranging such cylinder so as to receive the fibre direct from the hackle teeth.
when apparatus is used to move the fibre out of the hackle, or when compara-
tively coarse hackles are used without the intervention of a brush. which con-
stitutes the third part of my Invention. The cylinder F is carried by the shaft
F. upon which is affixed a tooth wheel F2, which. with the wheelwork by
which it receives motion, is shewn by red lines. The doffer receives motion
from the excentric G on the axis C. as shown. Although this part of my
Invention is only shewn as applied to hackles arranged to move to and from
the holder or holders, it is applicable to machines where the hackles are not
moved to and from the holders.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed. I would state that I make no claim to the
separate mechanical parts shown and described, nor do I confine myself thereto.
But what I claim is,-
First, the combining in the same machine two systems or principles of
action of hackle points, so that the fibrous substance being held at one end by
suitable holders, may be passed through a machine and be acted on in succes-
sion by the two systems of hackles.
Secondly, I claim the so arranging machinery for hackling, combing,

page_text: and dressing flax, wool, and other fibrous substances, that the hackling or
combing surface may be moved to and from the holders. And,
Thirdly, I claim the application of a roller or cylinder covered with card
teeth to receive the tow directly from the hackling surface..
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Marsden, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty.
THOMAS (s.) MARSDEN.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Eighth day of March, in the
year of our Lord 1850, the aforesaid Thomas Marsden came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Thirteenth day of March. in the year of our Lord One
ALLISOT