IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR HACKLING, COMBING, CLEANING, PREPARING, AND SPINNING FLAX, Tow, JUTE, HEMP, AND OTHER, FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lawson, of Leeds, in the County of York,
Machinist, and Edward Gerrard Fitton, of the same Place, Machinist,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR HACKLING, COMBING,
CLEANING, PREPARING, AND SPINNING FLAX, Tow, JUTE, HEMP, AND OTHER,
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 5th January 1869, and dated the 7th July 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Lawson and
Edward Gerrard Fitton at the Office of the Commissioners of
Patents, with their Petition, on the 7th July 1868.
We, JOHN LAWSON, of Leeds, in the County of York, Machinist, and
EDWARD GERRARD FITTON, of the same Place, Machinist, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES
FOR HACKLING, COMBING, CLEANING, PREPARING, AND SPINNING FLAX, Tow, JUTE,
HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
Our first improvement refers to hackling machines, and consists in
running the sheets over three shafts to cause them to run lighter. It is
usual to run the sheets of hackling machines over a shaft at the bottom
having drums on varying from 8" to 12" diameter and over a shaft at
Price

page_text: the top as small as convenient, say 2" to 2" diameter, in which case
the sheet bears heavily on the top shaft. To lessen the friction on this
top shaft we introduce a third shaft with a pulley or a drum on to reduce
the friction and cause the machines to run easier.
Our second improvement refers to hackling machines, and consists
in applying a stripping motion to the sheets or hackle. We make a
compound motion of a crank or eccentric and a rocking shaft, through
which the shank or stem of the connecting rod passes. To the end of
this shank we attach the stripper, which has a backward and forward as
well as an up-and-down motion, to strip the hackles.
Our third improvement relates to combing machines, and consists in
using one or more rotary nippers mounted on discs or plates in com-
bination with an ordinary head of spiral or screw gills and fallers. The
rotary nippers are arranged to open and close like a pair of tongues or
pincers and are placed on shafts or axis. These shafts are supported in
grooves or slots in plates or discs, and are free to move in eccentric
grooves or on cams. The discs revolve on a shaft with cams fixed on it;
these cams cause the nippers to open and close at the proper times as they
revolve round them, holding and relieving the tufts of tow or other
materials as desired. As the rotary nippers approach the head of fallers
to take a tuft they move forward by means of the eccentric grooves on
the discs and are closed by the cams on the cam shaft, and hold the tuft
while the rotary motion of the nippers draws it out of the faller pins.
To clean the end of the tuft before the rotary nippers take hold of it there
is fixed between each pair of nippers a small roller covered with pins,
cards, or other suitable materials, which revolves on its own axis and is
fixed on the discs or plates which support the rotary nippers. In order to
hold the fibres while being cleaned or dressed by the revolving roller a pair
of nippers are used and placed in front of the head as close to the fallers
as convenient; the bottom nipper is fast and the top one is made to move
or slide up and down actuated by a lever and a cam placed on the back
shaft. Before the rotary nippers take hold these nippers at the front
of the head have ceased to hold, and the tuft is free to be drawn
through the pins on the faller bars by the rotary nippers. The long ends
of the tuft are made to pass one or more rollers or sheets covered with
pins or cards so as to hackle or dress the strick or tuft.
As the nippers
revolve and further advance the strick or tuft is deposited upon a
travelling comb and drawn off by drawing rollers in a continuous sliver.

page_text: The rotary nippers may revolve at
intermittent motion so as to move
depositing a tuft.
an uniform speed, or may have an
slowly whilst taking hold of or
Our fourth improvement refers to a machine for separating the shives
or woody matter and other refuse in card flyings or droppings and for
shaking and cleaning tow. We place a cylinder with rows of teeth on
its periphery in a casing having a grid at the bottom. This casing is
made to swivel on pivots, so that the cylinder and casing can be placed
at angles of various degrees. At the top of one end we fix a hopper with
or without feed rollers by which the machine is fed; at the other end
we leave an opening, so that the tow or card flyings can discharge
themselves after having passed through the machine. The teeth can be
placed on the cylinder spirally, and the cylinder can be worked at an
angle to operate upon the material more or less.
Our fifth improvement refers to roving frames, and consists in making
the long collars which go in the interior of the bobbins of wrought iron
with a cast-iron bush on that part where the bobbin wheel works; and a
brass bush at the top to form a bearing for the spindle, or a brass collar
with a cast-iron bush for bobbin wheels may be used.
Our sixth improvement relates to the spindle and bobbin gearing of
roving frames. We make the bevel wheels skew and the teeth of the
spur wheels oblique or at an angle.
Our seventh improvement refers to the collars of spinuing frames with
stationary rails, and consists in extending the same upwards to the
interior of the bobbin. We are aware that collars of this kind have
been used in traversing or builder rails to steady the spindles, but our
improvement consists in applying them to stationary rails for course
spinning to reduce the drag.
Our eighth improvement refers to spinning frames, and consists in
casting the top and bottom spindle rails with cores. We put eye bolts
in these cores to hold the collars and footsteps, so that as they wear they
can be adjusted and held more secure and keep more true than by
tightening them with a screw.
Our ninth improvement refers to dry spinning frames, and consists in
an arrangement of mechanism for drawing in and out the rove or breast
plates which are mounted on swivels. We screw a thread on the end of
the fixing which supports the rove plate, on which we fit a worm wheel;

page_text: we put a shaft the length of the frame with worms taking into the worm
wheels. When this shaft is turned the rove plates can be adjusted the
whole length of the frame without having to adjust each one separately
as at present.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Lawson and Edward Gerrard Fitton in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 7th January 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
LAWSON, of Leeds, in the County of York, Machinist, and EDWARD
GERRARD FITTON, of the same Place, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said John Lawson and Edward Gerrard
Fitton, Her special licence that we, the said John Lawson and Edward
Gerrard Fitton, our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said John Lawson and Edward Gerrard Fitton, 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 Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINES FOR HACKLING, COMBING, CLEANING, PREPARING, AND SPINNING FLAX,
Tow, JUTE, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that we, the said John Lawson and Edward Gerrard
Fitton, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand and seal of one of
us or them, 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 we, the said John Lawson and Edward Gerrard
Trillan
barchy declare the return of the caid Invention

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say: _
Our first improvement refers to hackling machines, and consists in
running the sheets over three shafts to cause them to run lighter. It
is usual to run the sheets of hackling machines over a shaft at the
bottom having drums on varying from 8 ins. to 12 ins. diameter and
over a shaft at the top as small as convenient, say 2 ins. to 2 ins.
diameter, in which case the sheet bears heavily on the top shaft. To
lessen the friction or strain on this top shaft we introduce a third shaft
with a pulley or a drum on to reduce the friction or bite of the sheet
and cause the machines to run easier.
Our second improvement also refers to hackling machines, and
consists in applying a stripping motion to the sheets or hackles. We
make a compound motion of a shank or eccentric and a rocking shaft,
through which the shank or stem of the connecting rod passes. To
the end of this shank we attach the stripper, which has a backward
and forward as well as an up-and-down motion, to strip the hackles.
On the Drawings, Sheet 1, Figure 1 is an end elevation, and Figure 2
is a front elevation drawn half size, and Figure 15 is a side elevation
drawn full size of such parts of a hackling machine as are necessary to
shew our improvements. A is a shaft on which are mounted pulleys A¹
having notches and grooves A² on their flanges; B is a shaft on which
are mounted pulleys B¹ having corresponding notches and grooves B
on their flanges; C is a plain or parallel shaft; D is a belt or hackle
sheet upon which are mounted fixings e. These fixings e (drawn full
size in Figure 15) have lugs e¹ cast on their lower sides which clip or
fit the edges of the belts or sheets; through these lugs and through the
belt a pin e2 is fitted which fastens them to the belts. Small bosses e3
are also cast on the upper side of the fixings e to give strength of
metal to screw the hackle bars to them. On the hackle bars E are
fastened the hackle stocks F having the hackle pins a in them. G is a
crank; H, are connecting rods fitted on this crank, the lower parts of
which fit into and work in two sockets on a rocking shaft I; J is a
stripper attached to the lower ends of the connecting rods H; K is a
pulley on the crank shaft G. A double train of wheels L 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5,
transmit motion from the crank shaft to the shaft A. When motion
is given to the crank shaft G through the pulley K and through the
trains of wheels to the shaft A, the pulleys A¹ give motion to the hackle

page_text: sheets which pass over the periphery of the pulleys A¹ and B₁ and the
smooth surface of the shaft C. The trains of wheels L are so arranged
that the stripper on the ends of the connecting rod makes one movement
up and down, while the pulleys A¹ travel the distance from centre to
centre of the grooves A2, or nine revolutions of crank G are made to
one of pulleys A¹. By attaching the stripper to the connecting rods it
receives a compound motion that is both an up and down and a backward
and forward motion. By this compound motion the stripper J passes
between the hackle bars E and strips the tow off the hackle pins. The
arrangement described above for fastening the fixings e to the belts or
hackle sheets admits of the sheets running on the smooth surface of the
pulleys A and B and the shaft C, and also to turn round the sharp
curve caused by the small diameter of the shaft C. The hackle bars
take into the grooves on the sides or flanges of the pulleys A and B¹.
The pulleys A¹ become drivers and the pulleys B¹ guides to the hackle
sheets. By these improvements the sheets will run more easily and the
stripper be more durable and mechanical than by the various modes now
in use.
Our third improvement relates to combing machines, and consists in
using one or more rotary nippers mounted on discs or plates in com
bination with an ordinary head of spiral or screw gills and fallers. The
rotary nippers are arranged to open and close like a pair of tongs or
pincers and are placed on shafts or axes; these shafts are supported in
grooves or slots in plates or discs, and are free to move in eccentric
grooves or on cams.
The discs revolve on a shaft with cams fixed on
it; these cams cause the nippers to open and close at the proper times
as they revolve round them, holding and relieving the tufts of tow or
other material as desired. As the rotary nippers approach the head of
fallers to take a tuft they move forward by means of the eccentric
grooves on the discs and are closed by the cams on the cam shaft, arc
hold the tuft while the rotary motion of the nippers draws it out of the
fuller pins. To clean the end of the tuft before the rotary nippers take
hold of it there is fixed between each pair of nippers a small roller
covered with pins, cards, or other suitable materials, which revolves on
its own axis and is fixed on the discs or plates which support the rotary
nippers. In order to hold the fibres while being cleaned or dressed by
the revolving roller a pair of nippers are used and placed in front of the
head as close to the fallers as convenient; the bottom nipper is fast and

page_text: the top one is made to move or slide up and down actuated by a lever
and a cam placed on the back shaft. Before the rotary nippers take
hold these nippers at the front of the head have ceased to hold, and
the tuft is free to be drawn through the pins on the faller bars by the
rotary nippers. The long ends of the tuft are made to pass one or
more rollers or sheets covered with pins or cards so as to hackle or
dress the strick or tuft. As the nippers revolve and further advance
the strick or tuft is deposited upon a travelling comb and drawn off
by drawing rollers in a continuous sliver. The rotary nippers may
revolve at an uniform speed or otherwise so as to move slowly whilst
taking hold of or depositing a tuft.
On the Drawings, Sheet 2, Figure 3 is a side elevation, Figure 4 a
plan, and Figure 5 a front elevation drawn quarter size. Sheet 3,
Figure 6 is an end elevation, and Figure 7 a front elevation of the nipper
cylinder drawn half size. A is the framing; B, the head of fallers;
b, the faller screws; c, the back blocks; d, the front block for sup-
porting the faller screws which extends across the frame and is used
for a stationary nipper; e, the back rollers; f, the back shaft; g, the
wheels for driving the faller screws; h are cams on back shaft for giving
motion to a lever i. On the front of this lever a nipper j is fastened
which fits into a groove made in the stationary nipper d. C is a partial
cylinder formed with end wheels or discs and rods or plates across with
openings to admit the nippers and rollers; C' are pedestals to support
the cylinder and have bosses c¹ on the side next the cylinder which are
turned eccentrically; m are discs which are stationary, and on which
are formed or placed eccentric grooves n which cause the nippers to
advance and recede; C are wheels which revolve in the pedestals and
carry round or drive the nipper shafts; p are discs which are caused to
revolve at the same speed as the wheels C. These discs p are fitted
loosely on the eccentric bosses c¹ of pedestals C¹ and are connected by
studs and slots to the wheels C so as to be driven by them. On these
discs P four small rollers 9 are mounted; these rollers are covered with
pins and are used to clean the end of the tuft before the nippers take
hold of it. On the eccentric boss of one of these pedestals is placed a
wheel R having internal teeth on one side and external teeth R¹ on the
other side. A shaft S goes across the machine with pinions T to drive
the wheels C; on this shaft a pinion U is fixed to drive the internal and
external wheel R and R' which drive the rollers q. The nippers are

page_text: supported on the shafts V which form a joint for them to open and shut;
these shafts V are made flat on those parts which bear on the wheels C
and are fitted in slots, the slots being made long enough to allow the
nipper shafts to advance or recede towards or from the head of fallers
or dressing rollers. The ends of these nippor shafts are made round
and fit in and work round the eccentric grooves n on the discs m. A
stationary shaft W is fitted in the pedestals C¹; on this shaft cams X
are fixed. The nippers y are made with ends or levers like tongs; the
cams X are placed between these levers so that as they revolve the nippers
open and close according to the shape of the cams. When a tuft of tow
has been drawn from the head of fallers the nippers as they revolve pass
it over rollers G to dress, hackle, or comb it. There may be one or more
rollers, and they may be made to revolve in one direction or in opposite
directions, so as to dress the tow on both sides; or sheets instead of
rollers may be introduced. At the front of the nipping cylinder is placed
a travelling comb or sheet D, which is made to travel proportionately
with the width of material delivered from the nippers. At the front
of this travelling sheet is placed a shaft Z on which are two eccentrics
or cranks; on these eccentrics connecting rods are fitted with
shanks or stems fitting in and. passing through sockets on a rocking
shaft Z³. At the lower ends of these connecting rods is put a rod Z
reaching from the end of one connecting rod to the end of the other;
this rod when in motion will pass behind a tuft of tow after being
dressed to lift it up and bring it forward for the purpose of depositing
it on the travelling sheet D. This travelling sheet conducts the combed
or dressed tow to drawing rollers E, from whence it is conducted to
delivery bosses F and delivered into a can in the usual way. When the
machine is set in motion the back rollers draw in the sliver and the
fallers conduct it forward. The cam on the back shaft raises the lever i
and the nipper; nips the end of the protruding tuft, while the small
rollers on the nipping cylinder dress it. The nippers then take hold of
it and draw it out of the head of fallers, and as they revolve conduct
it over dressing rollers or sheets. The eccentric and connecting rods
give motion to the rod fixed to their ends and deposit the dressed tuft
on the travelling sheet or comb. A doffer may be used instead of the
travelling sheet if desirable. The drawing rollers then take off the
combed and dressed fibre in a continuous sliver and the delivery bosses
conduct it into a can, when it is ready for the next process.

page_text: Our fourth improvement refers to a machine for separating the shives
or woody matter and other refuse in card flyings or droppings, and for
shaking and cleaning tow. We place a cylinder with rows of teeth on
its periphery in a casing having a grid at the bottom. This casing is
made to swivel on pivots or trunnions, so that the cylinder and casing
can be placed at angles of various degrees. At one end we fix a hopper
with or without feed rollers by which the machine is fed; at the other
end we leave an opening, so that the tow or card flyings can discharge
themselves after having passed through the machine. The teeth can be
placed on the cylinder spirally and the cylinder can be worked at an
angle to operate upon the material more or less.
On the Drawings, Sheet 4, Figure 8 is a side elevation, and Figures 9.
and 10 are end elevations drawn to a scale of one inch to the foot. A is
the framing; B is a conical semi-cylindrical cover; B¹ is a grid attached
to the lower side of the cover B. The grid B' is open at each end,
through which openings the tow is fed at one end and discharged at the
other. On each side of the cover B are placed swivel bearings B2; C is
a conical cylinder made hexagonal with flat places at each of the corners
to support the studs e. The cylinder C is supported on a shaft C, which
shaft is supported on the bearings B3 which are fastened to the cover B.
In the cover B studs B4 are placed. On the framing A chimneys D
and D are placed supporting the frame sides of a fan E between them.
The fan E is mounted upon the fan shaft E¹ which is supported on the
bearings of the chimneys E. The pulleys E3 give motion to the fan.
The quadrant slot in the fixing F and the trunnions B2 allow the cover B
and cylinder C to be set at any convenient angle. A trough or hopper B5
is fixed behind or at the top end of the grid B¹. When motion is com-
municated to the cylinder C through the pulleys G, and to the fan E
through the pulleys E3, the attendant puts the tow or card droppings
into the hopper B5, and as the pins on the cylinder C pass round they
draw in the tow, and as it passes through between the cover B and
studs B4, and grid B' and the cylinder C, the dirt, shive, dust, &c. drops
through the grid, and the fibre is passed forward and discharged through
the open end of the grid B. Although this machine is described as
arranged for tow and card droppings it will suit many other fibres, and
is especially adapted to do the work of the machines called "cotton
willows," and with slightly modified teeth and grids for those machines
known as "cotton openers."

page_text: Our fifth improvement refers to roving frames, and consists in making
the long collars which go in the interiors of the bobbins of wrought iron
with a cast-iron bush on that part where the bobbin wheel works and a
brass bush at the top to form a bearing for the spindle; or a brass collar
with a cast-iron bush for bobbin wheels may be used.
On the Drawings, Sheet 4, Figure 11, shewn full size, is an elevation
of a spindle and flyer with our improved long collar and a bobbin wheel
and bobbin thereon, shewn partly in full and partly in section. A is
the spindle; B, the flyer; C, the bobbin; D, the bobbin wheel; a is the
wrought-iron collar; b, the brass bush which fits the spindle; c, the
cast-iron bush which fits on the collar and in the bobbin wheel. We
make this wrought-iron collar of two diameters internally, the larger one
to allow for thickness of metal of the brass bush, and of two diameters
externally; the larger diameter fits in the bobbin lifter and also in the
cast-iron bush c, and the smaller diameter goes inside the bobbin. By
this improvement we gain strength and at the same time decrease the
diameter of that part of the collar a which goes into the interior of
the bobbin.
We are aware that long collars going into the interiors of the
bobbins have been made of cast iron, but our improvement consists in
making them of wrought iron, as shewn, whereby we get greater strength
with a less diameter and also a less hole in the bobbin.
When the collar is made of steel it is very thin and will not admit of
screwing; we then fasten it in the lifter with an eye bolt similar to the
one shown in Figure 14 for fastening dry spinning frame collars.
Our sixth improvement relates to the spindle and bobbin gearing of
roving frames.
We make the bevel wheels skew and the teeth of the
spur wheels oblique or at an angle.
On the Drawings, Sheet 4, Figure 12, shews this part of our improve-
ments drawn full size. A is the spindle or bobbin shaft; B is a bevel wheel
fixed on it; C is a spur and bevel wheel; D is a bobbin or spindle wheel.
By this improvement the spindle gearing can be arranged without stud
bars, the stud wheels can be taken off without taking the shaft out, and
the spindle and bobbin shafts can be taken out without removing the
lifter and step rail. The bevel wheel and the bevel part of stud wheel
are what are commonly called skew wheels, but the spur part of stud
wheel and the bobbin wheel and spindle wheels are made with teeth at

page_text: an angle for the purpose of running more smoothly than when the teeth
of the spur wheels are straight in the usual way.
Our seventh improvement refers to the collars of spinning frames with
stationary rails, and consists in extending the same upwards to the
interiors of the bobbins. We are aware that collars of this kind have
been used in traversing or builder rails to steady the spindles, but our
improvement consists in applying them to stationary rails for coarse
spinning to reduce the drag.
Our eighth improvement refers to spinning frames, and consists in
casting the top and bottom spindle rails with cores. We put eye bolts
in these cores to hold the collars and footsteps so that as they wear
they can be adjusted and held more secure and kept more true than by
tightening them with a screw.
On the Drawings, Sheet 4, Figure 13 is an elevation of a spindle and
flyer, with bobbin lifter, step, and collar rails, drawn partly in full and
partly in section, and Figure 14 is a plan of an eye bolt, both drawn
half size. A is the spindle; B, the flyer; C, the collar rail; D, the
step rail; E, the builder; F, the bobbin; G, the collar extending
upwards so as to keep the bobbin at its lower end from touching the
spindle; H, the eye bolts for tightening the collar and footstep in the step
rail D) and collar rail C. We cast cores in the rails to admit the eye bolts.
By this combined improvement we can put long adjustable collars in
dry spinning frames to steady the spindles and to keep the drag weight
from pressing on them, and at the same time provide a good and ready
mode of tightening or holding them.
Our ninth improvement refers to dry spinning frames, and consists in
an arrangement of mechanism for drawing in and out the rove or breast
plates, which are mounted on swivels. We screw a thread on the end
of the fixing which supports the rove plate, on which we fit a worm
wheel. We put a shaft the length of the frame with worms taking into
the worm wheels. When this shaft is turned the rove plates can be
adjusted to the whole length of the frame without having to adjust each
one separately as at present.
On the Drawings, Sheet 1, Figure 16 is an end elevation, drawn half
size, of such parts of a dry spinning frame as refer to our improvement.
A is the stand or bend for supporting the drawing rollers; B is the front
drawing roller; C is the pressing roller; D and D¹ are the retaining
rollers; E, the rove or breast plate; F, the shaft, on which the breast

page_text: plate is mounted; this shaft is made the whole length of the heads,
so that all the rove plates are mounted on it. H is a fixing to support
the shaft F and the breast plates E; one of these fixings is fitted in
each stand. The end of the fixing H is screwed and a worm wheel I
is fitted on it. J is a shaft, also made the whole length of the heads, on
the frame; K is a worm fastened to the shaft J, and one worm is placed
at each head to take into and work the worm wheels K; L is a handle
fixed on one end of the shaft J. When the attendant wishes to move
the breast plates in or out the handle is turned, which gives motion
to the shaft worm and worm wheels, and the fixings which support
the rove or breast plates are free to move forward or backward as
desired.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Lawson and Edward Gerrard
Fitton, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fourth day
of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-nine.
Witness to both signatures,
GEO. CLARK,
JOHN LAWSON.
(L.S.)
EDWARD GERRARD FITTON. (L.S.)
Leeds.