CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR HECKLING, PREPARING, OR DRESSING HEMP, FLAX, AND OTHER SUCH LIKE FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1838

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCIS
THORPE, of Knaresborough, in the County of York, Flax Spinner, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Fifteenth day of May, in the first year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Francis
Thorpe, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that 1,
the said Francis Thorpe, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and such
others as I, the said Francis Thorpe, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during
the term of years herein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
HECKLING, PREPARING, OR DRESSING HEMP, FLAX, AND OTHER SUCH LIKE FIBROUS
MATERIALS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, that I, the
said Francis Thorpe, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be inrolled
in Her 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 more fully and at large
will appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Francis Thorpe, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and

page_text: the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and the following
explanation thereof, that is to say :-
My Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Heckling, Preparing, or
Dressing Hemp, Flax, and other such like Fibrous Materials, consists in an
entirely novel arrangement and construction of the mechanism or apparatus to
be employed for heckling or combing the stricks of flax, or other materials, in
order to perform such operations in a more effectual and perfect manner than
is at present accomplished by the machinery used for similar purposes. The
principal feature of these improvements in heckling machinery is,-
Firstly, in providing the means of combing or heckling the strick in the
most desirable manner, that is, by causing the heckle points or combs to enter
firstly at the end of the strick, and to advance upwards upon the whole length
of the strick gradually at each successive stroke of the tools or points, so that
the strick shall thus be perfectly combed or heckled without breaking the
fibre, and destroying the line of the flax. And,
Secondly, the means of subjecting the strick under operation to any
successive number of strokes of the heckles or tools throughout its whole
length, after the tools have advanced to the jaws of the holders which confine
the strick, in order to give such finishing or standing strokes to the strick as
shall be found most desirable to perfect the operation of heckling.
These operations will be better understood, and more definitely explained,
by reference to the Drawing attached to these Presents; in which Figure 1 is
a front elevation of the improved heckling machine, Fig. 2 an end elevation,
and Figure 3 a vertical section of the same, taken transversely through about
the middle of the machine. It will be observed that similar letters of refe-
rence are marked upon corresponding parts of the mechanism in all the
Figures. Upright framings of cast iron a, a, a, form the ends of the machine,
which are connected together by longitudinal bars or rods, suitably fastened
and secured to carry all the working parts of the apparatus. b, b, is a planed
bar or railway, extending longitudinally across the machine, for the purpose of
supporting the clamps or holders c, c (carrying the stricks), as they traverse
through the machine. These holders are well understood to contain the strick
of flax while it is being heckled, and are formed of binged clamps or jaws, for
the purpose of holding the strick tightly, so that only the tow or loose fibres
shall be combed out, and the line or staple of the flax be perfectly secured
between them. d, d, are bars of metal, extending also longitudinally through
the machine, to which are screwed other shorter bars, containing the heckle
points or needles e, c. These heckle bars are to be furnished with points or

page_text: combs, exactly in the same manner as ordinary heckling machinery, that is,
having them fixed wider apart, and of a coarser quality at that end of the
machine in which the strick is first introduced than at the opposite end at which
the heckled strick is removed, where they are made successively finer in pro-
portion to the length of the machine. f, f, are shields or thin plates of brass,
perforated with small holes or slots, corresponding with the position of the heckle
points, through which the points or combs are projected, in order to perform
the heckling operation, and afterwards withdrawn from them; which plates
will thus serve as clearers, and prevent the heckles from being choked or filled
up with tow, as they recede from their work. 9, 9, are other rows of single
heckle points, for the purpose of keeping the tow tight and open as it falls
from the strick into proper receivers below; and g* is a thin blade of metal,
to act as a bearing or support for the flax, in order to facilitate the entrance of
the heckle points. The whole of this system of heckle bars and points are
connected on each side of the machine by links h, h, h, to longitudinal crank
rods i, i, mounted in a loose framing or carriage j, j; and this carriage rises
and falls alternately upon the vertical parallel guide rods k, k, in order to per-
form the operation of heckling. It is presumed that the common mode of
supplying heckling machinery with stricks and holders is well understood;
therefore, now supposing the machine to be filled with holders, as seen in the
Figures, in order to perform the improved method of heckling, the driving
strap is to be passed around the fast or driving pulley m, and this pulley,
being keyed to the pinion n, which is in gear with the spur wheel o, thus
communicates rotary motion to the longitudinal shaft p, upon which it is
mounted. This wheel o is also in gear with a spur wheel mounted upon
the stud r, and of similar diameter with the wheel o, consequently working at
a corresponding speed and in an opposite direction. The crank pins s, s, are
mounted in the arms of the spur wheels o and g, to which are attached the
lower ends of two connecting rods t, t, having their upper ends supported by
vertical pillars or bearings attached to the heckle carriage j, j, thus, as the
cranks revolve, causing this carriage with the heckle points to be carried up
and down, and guided in their perpendicular course by the parallel bars k, k.
Now, as the revolution of the cranks s, s, raise the heckle carriage to their full
throw upwards, the cam or heart wheel u, upon the shaft p, depresses the
lever v, and thus brings down the roller wat its upper end with a smart blow
upon the tail piece or bust arm x, x, fixed upon the ends of the crank rods i, i,
exactly at the moment that the cranks are passing their centres, and thus
projects the heckle points through the brass plates f, f, in a direct hori-
zontal line (as drawn in red in the Figure), and causes the points or pins to

page_text: P,
enter the extreme lower end of the strick to be heckled; and as the continuous
revolution of the cranks s; s; draw the heckle carriage, and-with-it the heckling
points, in a direct perpendicular line downwards, the heckle points will perform
an alternate rectangular course; and as the under tail piece or bent arm y, y,
also fixed upon the ends of the crank rods i, i, is brought against the inclined
planez, fixed to the framing, the heckle points will be instantly withdrawn
from the strick in a horizontal line passing backwards through the brass
shields f, f, and thus clearing themselves from the tow and loose fibres at every
stroke. In order that the peculiar motion given to the heckle points may be
clearly understood, I have represented at Figure 4 a diagram shewing this
continuous action of the heckle points, in red dotted lines. It will be seen
that the system of spur wheels, cranks, and connecting rods, is attached to each
end of the machine, and that the spur wheels have counterbalance weights 1, 1,
cast upon them, in order to facilitate the motion of the heckle carriage. Now,
supposing the heckles are thus performing a continuous succession of strokes,
as above described, in order to effect this advancing action upon the flax, the
bar or railway b, b, with the holders, is made to descend gradually, so that the
heckle tools may enter the strick at a higher point at every stroke of the pins.
This is accomplished by means of the spur wheel 2, mounted upon the shaft,
and gearing into the spur wheel 3 upon the stud 4, attached to the framing.
Upon this stud is also fixed a bevil pinion 5, taking into a bevil wheel 6, upon
the lower end of the vertical shaft 7. Upon the upper end of this shaft 7 is
keyed a crown wheel 8, working into a corresponding wheel 9, running loosely
upon the horizontal shaft 10. The bevil wheel 6 also drives a bevil pinion 11;
upon the boss of which is mounted an endless worm 12, taking into the worm
wheel 13, revolving upon the stud 14. Upon the upper side of this worm
wheel are formed two cams or inclined planes (see detached Figure 5) 15, 16,
upon which the bent end 17 of the upright rod 18 bears; and as the wheel
revolves, it lowers this rod 18 from off one of the cams, thus vibrates the bell-
crank lever 19, and throwing the catch box 20, which is upon a square, formed
upon the shaft 10, into gear with the wheel 9, causes this wheel to drive the
shaft 10 round. Upon the other end of the shaft 10 a mangle pinion 21 is
keyed, which drives the mangle wheel 22, fixed at the end of the parallel
shaft 23. Upon each end of this shaft 23 are fixed spur wheels 24, 24, taking
into corresponding racks 25, 25, which are attached by frames to the holder bar
or traverse rail b, b; and it will thus be seen, that as the mangle wheel revolves
alternately in opposite directions, the spur wheels 24 will cause the racks and
holders to traverse up and down, in order to submit the stricks of flax to the
action of the heckling tools. It will also here be readily understood that as

page_text: long as the end of the lever 18 bears upon either of the cams 15, 16, that
lever, with its bell crank 19, is holding the wheel 9 out of gear with the
shaft 10, consequently the mangle pinion is at rest until the end of the upright
rod has escaped past the cam, and thus the bar of holders remains quiescent,
in order that the stricks shall receive a certain number of standing strokes, as
may be found desirable to open the whole length of the fibres.
Having thus described my improvements in machinery for heckling and
dressing flax, &c., I wish it to be particularly understood that I claim as my
Invention the peculiar construction of the mechanism, to be employed in the
manner and for the purposes above represented, without confining myself to
their precise situation or dimensions. But I claim,-
Firstly, the peculiar action of the heckle points or tools. And,
Secondly, the means of submitting the fibres to be heckled to any number
of standing strokes; that is, working the heckle tools while the strick is
standing, if such may be found desirable.
In witness whereof, I, the said Francis Thorpe, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fifth day of November, in the
second year of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, the said Francis
Thorpe came before our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and ac-
knowledged the Instrument aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained
and specified, in form above written. And also the Instrument aforesaid was
stamped according to the tenor of the Statute made in the fifty-fifth year
of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Third.