IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRESSING FLAX, HEMP, OR OTHER ANALOGOUS MATERIALS
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Brown, of Belfast, in the County of
Antrim, and Province of Ulster, Ireland, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRESSING FLAX, HEMP, OR OTHER
ANALOGOUS MATERIALS.”
Sealed the 20th September 1870, and dated the 9th May 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Brown at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th May 1870.
I, DAVID BROWN, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, and Province
of Ulster, Ireland, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRESSING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER
ANALOGOUS MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
The present system of machining or dressing flax, hemp, and similar
material consists in working it on a machine with a two-streaked holder,
or holder containing two streaks of flax.
The tools or hackles on the machine are made the full length of the
holder. The holder shifts its full length of itself, each shift, or each time

page_text: the head of machine rises, whereby both streaks or each holderful of flax
is thrown into one of these tools each shift, so that both streaks of flax
are wrought together or wrought on the same tool at the same time.
The machines in present use have 6, 8, 9, and 12 tools or different hackles,
these hackles rise in graduation of pins from coarse to fine, the flax
entering at the coarse end, or No. 1 tool, and passing over each tool till it
is delivered at the fine end. In an 8-tooled machine there are 8 holder-
fuls or 16 streaks of flax, and the head rises and holder shifts 8 times
from the time it enters till it is delivered or finished. From this
it will be seen that there are two streaks wrought on each tool at 1
once.
Now my improvements are, 1st, doubling the present number of tools;
2nd, running a plate round the end of bars; and 3rd, slotting the tool or
hackle at the screw hole, as described below.
To double the number of tools I divide the present tool into two equal 1
parts and make two separate tools out of each, or clothe the machine
with tools only the length of holder, or only long enough to take in
only one streak at once. By so doing I have double the number of tools
that can be put on any machine at present. I work with the present
two-streaked holder but only shift it one half its length, or the breadth 2
of one of the streaks each time the head of the machine rises, so that
each streak is wrought separately, as there is a tool for every streak that
is in the machine at the coarse end of the machine, or No. 1 tool, the first
streak in the holder is entering the first tool, the last streak is getting no
work and will get none till after the first is wrought on that tool and 2
the head of the machine rises, then the holder shifts and the last or
hindermost streak in the holder enters No. 1 tool when the first is entering
No. 2 tool, and so on to the last, where the first streak is finished and shifted
out of the tools or hackles altogether and waiting on the last streak
being finished before the holder is removed. A present 8-tooled machine 3
when changed would thus have 16 tools and contain 8 holders or 16
streaks of flax at once, so that there is a tool on the machine for every
separate streak of flax the machine is working. The head of the machine
rises and the holder shifts 16 times from the time that the first streak
in the holder enters until it is finished. By this it will be understood 3
that there is only one streak wrought on one tool at once.
•
A plate may be fixed to the gable of the machine or elsewhere so as
to be brought to bear level on the end of the bars that the tools or

page_text: hackles are screwed on to prevent the same from shifting out of their
place, as they are liable to do at present. These plates are at both ends
of the machine, and may be either made with a groove for the end of the
bar to work in, or plain for the end of the bar to run against. They run
round the top shaft and may either run round the bottom shaft or not.
When passing over the top shaft the bar requires to be kept from shifting
to one side or other, then the pin in the hackle enters the flax, hemp, or
other material.
-
The slot made in the tool or hackle at the screw hole or for the screw
hole is to allow the hackle to be shifted backward or forward to bring
the pins into the proper group line; at present there is nothing but a
round hole in the hackle for the screw opposite the screw hole in the
bar, and as it not practicable to bore these holes exact enough, the
grouping is destroyed, as the hacklo must be put on to them, no matter
whether right or not.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Putent,
filed by the said David Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 7th November 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DAVID
BROWN, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, and Province of Ulster,
Iraland, send greeting.
{ WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing dato the Ninth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said David Brown, Her special licence that I, the
said David Brown, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said David Brown, my 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 MACHINERY FOR
DRESSING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER ANALOGOUS MATERIALS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said David Brown, my executors or adminis-

page_text: trators, 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 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 David Brown, 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 accompanying
Drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, that is to
say :—
The present system of machining or dressing flax, hemp, and other
analogous materials consists in working it on a machine with a two
"streaked" holder, or holder containing two "streaks" of flax.
The tools or hackles on the machine are made the full length of the
holder. The holder shifts its full length of itself each shift, or, in other
words, each time the head of the machine rises, whereby both "streaks"
or each holderfull of flax is thrown into one of these tools each shift, so
that both "streaks" of flax are wrought together or wrought on the same :
tool at the same time. The machines in present use have 6, 8, 9, and
12 tools or different hackles; these hackles rise in graduation of pins
from coarse to fine, the flax entering at the coarse end or Number 1
tool, and passing over each tool till it is delivered at the fine end. In an
8-tooled machine there are 8 holderfulls or 16 “streaks” of flax, and the
head rises and the holder shifts 8 times till it is delivered or finished.
From this it will be seen that there are two "streaks" wrought on each
tool at once.
Now my improvements are, 1st, doubling the present number of
tools; 2nd, running a plate round the end of the bars; and, 3rd,
slotting the tool or hackle at the screw hole, all as hereafter described.
To double the number of tools I divide the present tool into two equal
parts, and make two separate tools out of each, or I clothe the machine
with tools only half the length of holder, or only long enough to take in
only one "streak" at once; by so doing I have double the number of
tools that can be put on any machine at present in use. I work with
the present two "streaked" holder, but only shift it one-half its length
or the breadth of one of the "streaks" each time the head of the machine

page_text: rises, so that cach "streak" is wrought separately, as there is a tool for
every "streak" that is in the machine; at the course end of the
machine, at No. 1 tool, the first "streak" in the holder is entering first
tool, the last "streak" is getting no work and will get none till after the
first is wrought on that tool and the head of the machine rises; then the
holder shifts and the last or hindmost "streak" in holder enters No. 1
tool when the first is entering No. 2 tool, and so on to the last, where
the first "streak" is finished and shifted out of the tools or hackles
altogether and waiting till the last streak is finished before the holder is
removed. A present 8-tooled machine when charged would thus have
16 tools, and contain 8 holders or 16 "streaks" of flax at once, so that
there is a tool on the machine for every separate "streak" of flax the
machine is working. The head of the machine rises, and the holder
shifts 16 times from the time that the first streak in the holder enters
until it is finished. By this it will be understood that there is only one
"streak "wrought on one tool at once.
A plate may be fixed to the gable of the machine or elsewhere, so as
to be brought to bear level on the end of the bars that the tools or
hackles are screwed on, to prevent the same from shifting out of their
place as they are liable to do at present. These plates are at both ends
of the machine, and may be either made with a groove for the end of the
bars to work in, or plain for the end of bar to run against. They run
round the top shaft, and may either run round the bottom shaft or not.
When passing over the top shaft the bar requires to be kept from shifting
to one end or other when the pin in the hackle enters the flax, hemp, or
other material.
The slot made in the tool or hackle at the screw hole or for the screw
hole is to allow the hackle to be shifted backward or forward to bring
the pins into the proper group line. At present there is nothing but a
round holo in the hackle for the screw opposite the screw hole in the
bar, and as it is not practicable to bore these holes exact enough the
grouping is destroyed, as the hackle must be put on to them, no matter
whether right or not.
The accompanying Drawing shows so much of a machine for hackling
hemp, flax, and other materials as will be necessary to illustrate the
manner in which my Invention may be carried into effect.
A is the head of the machine; B, B, are the holders; O shows the
first "streak" of flax or other material; and D shows the second

page_text: "streak" of flax or other material; E, E, are the plates or guides for
the bars; F, F, are the tools or hackles; and G, G, are the slots
therein; H shows the group line of the pins; and I, the end of
the bars.
By doubling the number of tools or hackles on any machine now at
work. I can begin with a coarser or opener tool, and rise with a slower
graduation in pins of each tool, as at present the flax, hemp, or other
material has to be brought to a certain finish by being wrought over a
machine with 6, 8, 9 or 12 tools. I have to bring it to the same finish
on same machine, but I have 12; 16, 18, or even 24 tools to work it on,
consequently I can open or cut it more gradually, as the rise in the
number of pins from one tool or hackle to the other is only about one
half of what we have at present or not that at the coarse end, as I can keep
a number of the first tools coarse (or open) until the "streak" is properly
opened and freed from all lumps, loops, and naps. By so doing the finer
hackles get properly at their work, and the result is an increase in both
yield and quality, as the number of tools the "streak" of flax passes over
softens or improves it more than the present system. The head of the
machine is driven at double the present speed so that the quantity
turned off remains the same. The tow is also greatly improved by this
method, as it comes off in less than half the quantity at each tool,
consequently it is easier stripped and is delivered more level and longer,
and is not liable to be napped, as there is no weight of tow coming off
at once.
The plate round the end of the bars or for the end of the bars
to work against is for the purpose of keeping the bars from shifting to
one end or other of the machine. The tools or hackles are screwed on
bars, and the pins in the hackles are made in groups so that although the
pins in each separate hackle may be coarse or open during the revolution
of the group, each pin falling into its proper place makes the tool in
reality fine. By tilting the bars get off the line as at present thero is
nothing but the sheets to keep them straight which is not sufficient.
The pins in the hackles fall out of their places and by so doing the
grouping is destroyed (as a shade to one side or the other will do it), and
the result is the hackle does not work the "streak" of flax level, nor do
the work it is supposed to do, and the "streak" passes into a finer tool
without being properly prepared for it. The result is that when the
flax is finished it may be sufficiently cut, but it is at a sacrifice in yield.
By keeping the bars straight or from shifting from one end or other of

page_text: the machine and having the pins in the hackles properly grouped each
pin strikes in its proper place, consequently each tool does its proper
work and prepairs the "streak" of flax, hemp, or other material for
the next tool it is to be wrought on. The result is an increase of yield
and better made tow, as the tow is taken off and made regularly. The
slot in the tool or hackle stock is for the purpose of shifting the tool or
hackle backwards or forwards so as to bring the pins all into the group
line, and for the other reasons before mentioned. It also saves time
and troublo in case a hackle gets broken or bad, as you may not (unless
you have a full set of spare tools) have a hackle of the proper number
in the group ready to put on in its place, or even if there is a hackle
made it is not likely to be bored sufficiently exact to bring the pins in
properly. In this case a hackle can be put on and shifted backwards
or forwards, as the case may require, by simply laying a straightedgo
along the group line of pins and bringing the pins in the hackle on to
that line.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim the
improvements in machinery for dressing flax, hemp, and other analogous
materials substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings, together with any mere modifications thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said David Brown, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.