IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR HECKLING FLAY AND OTHER FIRROUS MACERAZO
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Greenwood and John Batley, of Leeds, in
the County of York, Machine Makers, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR HECKLING FLAY AND OTHER FIRROUS MACERAZO"
Sealed the 30th September 1858, and dated the 9th April 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Greenwood and
John Batley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 9th April 1858.
We, THOMAS GREENWOOD, and JOHN BATLEY, of Leeds, in the County of
York, Machine Makers, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR HECKLING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS MA-
TERIALS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates, firstly, to a novel mode of mounting heckle bars on
the belts, sheets, or chains of sheet heckling machines, the object being to
enable the heckle points to enter the pendent stricks of fibrous material nearly
at right angles to a vertical line. This is effected by fastening to the belts,
sheets, or chains a series of round rods or studs, which turn freely in sockets
or bearings,, and mounting upon these rods or studs a series of bell-crank
levers, which carry the heckle bars. To the longer arms of these levers the
heckle bars are affixed, and to each of the shorter arms is attached a spring,
the other end of which is secured to the adjacent round rod or stud in rear
of the heckle bar. This arrangement of heckle bars is applicable to sheet
heckling machines having rising and falling holders, and also to those in which
the sheets have an opening and closing motion, or a combination of these two

page_text: motions, and likewise to the novel arrangement of sheets of heckles forming
the second part of our Invention.
The Invention relates, secondly, to a novel mode of combining sheet heckles
with turning holders. We propose to arrange the sheets of heckles so as to
allow of two rows of turning holders passing between a pair of sheets, the object
being to dress one side of the fibrous material at a time, instead of operating
upon both sides of the stricks at once. The sheets of heckles are made to
oscillate upon their lower axes of rotation, or otherwise to oscillate or to move
in a parallel direction, so that the two sheets of heckles can be brought either
simultaneously or alternately into either gradual or sudden contact with one
side of their respective lines of pendent stricks. This arrangement of the
holders and of the sheets of heckles can be used. not only in combination with
the above described mode of mounting the heckle bars, but in combination
'with heckle bars otherwise mounted upon belts, sheets, or chains.
Or, in place of the above described arrangement, which constitutes two
single-acting machines combined, the machine may be made single by using
one line of holders and one sheet of heckles, instead of two lines of holders and
two sheets of heckles. Also the holders may be made to advance and recede,
instead of the sheets receiving that movement.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Greenwood and John Batley in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 9th October 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, wе, THOMAS
GREENWOOD and JOHN BATLEY, of Leeds, in the County of York, Machine
Makers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of April, 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 us; the said
Thomas Greenwood and John Batley, Her special license that we, the said
Thomas Greenwood and John Batley, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas Greenwood and John Batley,
our 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

page_text: Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR HECKLING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Greenwood and John Batley,
by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the hand and
seal of one of us, 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 Thomas Greenwood, on behalf of
myself and of the said John Batley, do hereby declare the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be parti-
cularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures
marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention of "Improvements in Machinery for Heckling Flax and
other Fibrous Materials" relates, firstly, to a novel mode of mounting heckles
or heckle bars on the belts, straps, sheets, or chains of sheet heckling machines,
the object being to enable the heckle points to enter the pendent stricks of
fibrous material nearly at right angles to a vertical line. This is effected by
fastening to the belts, straps, sheets, or chains a series of round rods or studs,
on which are mounted a series of bell-crank levers, which carry the heckles or
heckle bars. To the longer arms of these levers the heckles or heckle bars are
affixed, and to each of the shorter arms is attached a spring, the other end of
which is secured to the adjacent round rod or stud in rear of the heckle or
heckle bar. This arrangement of heckles or heckle bars is applicable to sheet
heckling machines having rising and falling holders, and also to those in which
the sheets have an opening and closing motion, or a combination of these two
motions, and likewise to the novel arrangement of sheets of heckles forming
the second part of our Invention.
The Invention relates, secondly, to a mode of carrying the sheets of heckles
so as to allow of two rows of turning holders passing between a pair of sheets,
the object being to dress one side of the strick of fibrous material at a time,
instead of operating upon both sides of the stricks at once. The sheets of
heckles are made to oscillate upon their lower axes of rotation, or otherwise to
oscillate or to move in a parallel direction, so that the two sheets of heckles
can be brought either simultaneously or alternately into either gradual or
sudden contact with one side of their respective lines of pendent stricks. This
arrangement of the holders and of the sheets of heckles can be used not only
in combination with the above described mode of mounting the heckle bars,

page_text: but in combination with heckle bars otherwise mounted upon belts, straps,
sheets, or chains.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a sectional end elevation, and
Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation, of so much of a double sheet heckling machine
as will shew our improvements; Fig. 3 is a detached front view of the strap
which carries the studs on which the heckles or heckle bars are mounted.
a, a, are the lower driving cylinders, around which the straps which carry the
heckles or heckle bars are passed, and which receive motion from the main
driving shaft in the ordinary manner; b, b, are the upper cylinders, which are
mounted in suitable bearings in the vertical vibrating or rocking levers c, c.
These levers are at their lower ends mounted on studs a fixed in the frame-
work of the machine, and the upper ends of the levers c, c, are connected by
means of the links or rods d, d, to the two ends of two double bell-crank
levers e, e, which are keyed upon the horizontal shaft f, which is mounted in
suitable bearings in the framework of the machine. To the longer end of one
of the double bell-crank levers e is attached the connecting rod g, and to the
lower end of this rod is jointed the outer end of a lever h, which is mounted
on a stud fixed in the framing of the machine. In this lever h is mounted a
friction pulley i, which works in a cam groove j, mounted on the shaft j*.
It will now be understood that as the camj rotates it will communicate
motion to the various levers and rods c, d, e, g, h, whereby the upper cylinders
b, b, will be caused to recede from or approach towards each other, as may be
required. Around the cylinders a, a, and b, b, are passed the bands, belts,
straps, or chains k, k, which carry the studs 7, the bell cranks m, m, and the
heckles or heckle bars s, s. The studs 1, are bolted to the belts, straps, or
chains k, k, at proper distances apart, and upon them are mounted the bell-
crank levers m, m, before mentioned. On the longer end of these bell-crank
levers are secured in any convenient manner the heckles or heckle bars, or, if
preferred, the heckle bars and bell-crank levers may be made in one piece.
To the shorter arm of these bell-crank levers is attached á vulcanized india-
rubber or helical metal spring n, which is attached by its other end to the
stud of the next preceding bell-crank lever m. The collars of the studs aré
provided with stop pieces o, against which projecting blocks t on the back of
the bell-crank levers m abut and are held there by the tension of the springs
n, n. Two guide blocks or cam pieces p, p, are placed above the upper
cylinders b, b, and against the under sides of these guide blocks projecting
pieces u, u, on the bell-crank levers are made to bear, as shewn by dots in the
Drawing, for the purpose of depressing the heckle bars as they pass over the
upper cylinders b, b. By this means the heckle pins are made to enter and

page_text: penetrate the flax at nearly right angles to its plane. The flax holder g is of
the ordinary construction, and is supported in the trough r, r, which, if
required, may have a rising and falling motion communicated to it.
Fig. 4 represents a sectional elevation of one half of a heckling machine
constructed according to the second head of our Invention. The heckle strap,
bell-crank levers, and heckle or heckle bars are constructed and operated in
the same manner as that described in reference to the former Figures, and as
similar letters of reference are placed upon corresponding parts in all the
Figures, a detailed description of Fig. 4 will not be required. It will only be
necessary to remark, that in the present instance the flaxholder q and trough
or holder seat r is made to turn on its centre or axis, a worm wheel v being
keyed on to the spindle of the holder seat for the purpose, and actuated by
the spiral wheel w in the well-known manner.
It should be understood that the heckle straps and their appendages are
made to oscillate when required on the shaft of the lower cylinder a, a, and
may be thrown back into the position shewn by dots in the Drawing. A
precisely similar arrangement of heckle bars, cylinders, and other accessory
parts is placed on the other side of the machine, and is employed to operate
upon the opposite ends of the stricks of flax.
Having now described our Invention of "Improvements in Machinery for
Heckling Flax and other Fibrous Materials," and having explained the
manner of carrying the same into effect, we claim as the Invention secured to
us by Letters Patent, as aforesaid, the mode herein shewn and described of
mounting heckles or heckle bars on the straps, belts, or chains, and also the
means of governing the same, whereby the heckle pins are made to enter
the strick nearer to the flaxholder than heretofore, and nearly at right angles
thereto.
Second, we claim the so arranging two sheets of heckles as to allow of two
rows of turning flaxholders passing between them, in order that one side of
the fibrous material may be dressed at a time, as described under the second
head of our Invention.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Greenwood, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Eighth day of October, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
(L.S.) THOMAS GREENWOOD.