IMPROVEMENTS IN HACKLING MACHINES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Richardson Turtle Mulholland, of Belfast,
in the county of Antrim, and Kingdom of Ircland, for the Inven-
¿'am of {{ THIS TV HARTING MACHINES.
33
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Richardson.
Turtle Mulholland at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition, on the 6th September 1873.
I, JOSEPH RICHARDSON TURTLE MULHOLLAND, of Belfast, in the
5 County of Antrim, and Kingdom of Ireland, do hereby declaro the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HACKLING MACHINES,”
to be as follows:-
These improvements are specially applicable to what are known as
intersecting vertical sheet backling machines for flax, hemp, jute, and
0 other fibres.
The object of these improvements is to increase the efficiency of the
hackling process as done by the machine, and consists in the use of one
or more short sheets for the final or other suitable tool or tools in con-

page_text: junction with an auxiliary holder or gripper, which is attached to the
channel that carries the ordinary holders or to any other convenient part
of the machine. This auxiliary bolder (or holders) is so arranged that it
takes hold of the strick of material (which is being hackled) below the
bottom edge of the ordinary holder, and as close as possible to the part
at which the hackle pins on the short sheet enter the material.
Hitherto when a short sheet was used, the distance between the nip or
bottom edge of the holders to the point of penetration by the pins on the
short sheet, left a portion of the strick unsupported and yet subjected to
the strain or pull of the pins, and so a great deal of waste was caused
that rendered the use of the short sheet objectionable. The use of this
auxiliary holder obviates this. The object in using the short sheet or
sheets is to dress the ends of the stricks thoroughly without subjecting
the body of the strick to the action of the pins, but so much waste has
hitherto arisen in consequence of the distance between the bottom of the
holder and the point of penetration that it was found preferable to dress
or finish the ends of the stricks by hand. This auxiliary holder or
holders is so arranged that as the channel descends with ordinary holders
the auxiliary takes hold of the material at a place just clear of where the
pins of the short sheet enter the material when at the bottom of the lift,
and as the strick is freed from the pins as the channel rises, the auxiliary
holder is opened and the material is left free to be carried along by the
ordinary holder. The movements of this auxiliary holder can be
regulated either by the motion of the channel or direct from the main
motion wheel or tappet shaft by suitable mechanism.
'
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Joseph Richardson Turtle Mulholland in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 6th March 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
RICHARDSON TURTLE MULHOLLAND, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, 3
and Kingdom of Ireland, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in

page_text: the thirty-seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Joseph Richardson Turtle
Mulholland, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph Richardson Turtle
Mulholland, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Joseph Richardson Turtle Mulholland, my executors, admi-
nistrators, 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 HECKLING
MACHINES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Joseph
Richardson Turtle Mulholland, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, 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 Joseph Richardson Turtle Mul-
holland, do hereby declare the nature of my 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 hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say) :—
The object of these improvements is to increase the efficiency of
sheet hackling machines, and consists in the use of one or more short
sheets of finishing hackles, in conjunction with an auxiliary holder or
gripper, which is attached to the "channel" that carries the ordinary
holders, or to any other convenient part of the machine. This auxiliary
holder is so arranged that it takes hold of the strick of flax or other
material that is being hackled below the bottom edge of the ordinary
holder, and as close as is necessary to the part at which the hackle pins
on the short sheet enter the material.
The manner in which these improvements are carried out will be
understood from the following description and accompanying Drawing,
wherein the same figures and letters of reference always apply to the
same parts.
Fig. 1 is an end view of the mechanism; Fig. 2 is a side view of the
same. On the frame end a of the ordinary hackling machine there is

page_text: fixed a frame b, the position of which is adjustable vertically to suit
various lengths of strick. On this frame bare the brackets or bushes b¹ to
carry the sheet rollers c, that carry the sheets c¹ on which the hackles c
are fixed. Those hackles c³ are driven at a quicker speed through the
ends of the stricks than the hackles on the machine, and receive
their motion through a train of gearing e which is changeable to give
the required speed for different sorts of work. The tow may be taken
off the hackles of by any convenient arrangement, but I prefer a pair of
stripper bars c³ attached to each hackle c², so as to come out past the
points of the pins when they have passed through the material. To
support the material whilst the end is being acted upon by the hackles
c³ on the short sheets, an auxiliary holder or gripper 9 is used which
consists of a pair of jaws or clamps g² that are carried by the ordinary
"channel" of the machine. The position of this auxiliary holder g is
adjustable vertically, to suit the various lengths of fibre, and as the
strick f descends into contact with the hackles on the short sheets c
the auxiliary holder g is closed upon the same by the bowles g³ on the
clamps g¹ moving on the guides d which are also adjustable vertically.
On the jaws g¹ of the auxiliary holder 9 are stripper bars 9³ that move.
forward as the jaws g¹ open, and so free the flax f from the faces of the
gripper g.
The action of this machine is as follows:-When the holders & have
passed through the hackles on the ordinary machine and are moved
endwise when the channel i is at its highest point, and the flax f clear
of the pins h and c², the traverse motion or catch bar for the holders k
is so arranged that it places the last holder k over the hackles c² on the
short sheets c³, and with the strick hanging between the open jaws g¹
of the auxiliary holder 9. As the channel i descends the jaws g¹ are
closed on the strick by the bowles 9³ moving on the guides d, and the
strick is gripped at a point as near as convenient to the place where the
hackles c² will act upon the strick, and this hold is maintained all the
time the strick is subjected to the action of the pins, and so the end of
the strick is dressed without the body being subjected to the strain, of
the pins. When the channel i rises the flax is freed from the pins, and
the subsidiary holder g opens, and so the ordinary holder is free to be
moved endwise out of the machine to be emptied and refilled.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention for "Improve-
ments in Hackling Machines," and having explained the manner of

page_text: carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the
above in part recited Letters Patent I claim, the combination of the
short sheets of hackles in conjunction with the additional or subsidiary
holders or grippers, with the long sheets of hackles in hackling machines
for the purpose of more effectually acting on and dressing the ends of
the fibres as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Richardson Turtle Mul-
holland, have hereunto set my hand and scal, the Third day
of March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-four.
J. R. T. MULHOLLAND. (L.S.)