Improvements in and relating to Machines for Hackling and Ending Flax and other like Fibres.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Dec., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Aug., 1898--Accepted, 15th Oct., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Machines for Hackling and Ending
Flax and other like Fibres.
I, ROBERT WILLIAM KNOX, of the Firm of W. & J. Knox, Manufacturers,
Kilbirnie, Ayrshire, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in and relating to machines for
hackling flax and other like fibres.
Heretofore in this class of machine the "ending" or detaching of the ends of
the fibres, has been performed in such a manner that said ending takes place at
one uniform length in all the sets of fibres.
By these improvements the fibres are "ended" or cut off at varying lengths
according to the length of fibres inserted into machine, and whereby loss of flax
will be obviated and increased efficiency obtained.
The flax is inserted in a holder and channel and also gripped between moveable
gripping plates which are carried on a reciprocating frame and moved downwards
until the ends of the fibres pass between a pair of nipping or cutting off rollers
or equivalent devices where they are cut off.
By these improvements the ending is effected according to the length of
fibres in the holder without stopping the machine. This is accomplished by
making the frame carrying the nipping rollers to reciprocate or move up and
down and cut off the ends of fibre according to the length of the latter.
One means of effecting this would he as follows. A bar with an index face
is mounted to work through a guide in the reciprocating frame carrying the
holders and opening and closing gripping plates. This bar in the upward motion
of frame is carried upwards, and as it lies parallel to the hanging fibres in holder
the figures on the index shows the attendant at what length the fibres should be
ended or out off. A corresponding index bar is secured parallelly on fixed frame
of machine, and a pointer is mounted on the frame carrying the nipping or
breaking rollers which travels in front of this index. The attendant then turns
a hand wheel which operates mechanism to raise or lower the frame carrying the
rollers a distance corresponding to the figure at which the pointer is opposite
index. This mechanism may consist of a spindle on the end of which the hand
wheel is mounted, said spindle having a pinion gearing into a spur wheel on a
short parallel spindle, and a toothed wheel on this latter spindle would gear
into the teeth of a rack formed on a bar secured to the frame carrying the nipping
rollers.
Rods and counterweights would preferably be attached to this frame so as to
require a minimum of power in operating it.
Dated the 2nd day of December 1897

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Machines for Hackling and Ending
Flax and other like Fibres.
I, RODENT WILLIAM KNOX, of the Firm of W. & J. Knox, Manufacturers,
Kilbirnie, Ayrshire, do hereby declare the nature of my invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, that is to say :--
This invention has reference to improvements in and relating to machines for
hackling flax and other like fibres.
Heretofore in this class of machine the "ending" or detaching of the ends of
the fibres has been performed in such a manner that said ending takes place at
one uniform length in all the sets of fibres.
4
By these improvements the fibres are endedor cut off at various lengths
according to the length of fibres inserted into machine, and whereby loss of flax
will be obviated and increased efficiency obtained.
And in order that my said invention and the manner of carrying same into
practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto appended 3 sheets of
explanatory drawings in which Figure 1 represents an end elevation and Figure 2
a side elevation broken away of the ending part of a flax hackling machine as
fitted with my improvements while Figure 3 is a section of the slide guides on
the frame taken on the line 1- -1 Figure 1. And Figures 4 and 5 are elevations
at right angles showing a modified arrangement of my improvements.
Referring to these drawings:-
The flax a is inserted in a holder and channel A and also gripped between
moveable gripping plates which are carried on a reciprocating frame As
and moved downwards until the ends of the fibres a pass between a pair of
nipping or cutting off rollers B or equivalent devices where they are cut off all
so far in a usual manner.
By these improvements the ending is effected according to the length of fibres
in the holder A without stopping the machine. This is accomplished by making
the frame B carrying the nipping rollers 13 to reciprocate or move up and down
and cut off the ends of fibre according to the length of the latter.
One means of effecting this as shown in Figures 1 and 2 would be as follows:--
A bar with an index face b' rests on a bracket b on the frame B' and is mounted
to work through a guide B³ in the frame A carrying the holders A and opening
and closing gripping plates A'. This bar b in the upward motion of frame is
carried upwards, and as it lies parallel to the hanging fibres a in holder A tho
figures on the graduated index shows the attendant at what length the fibres
should be ended or cut off. A corresponding index bar or plate is secured
parallelly on fixed frame of machine, and a pointer e' is mounted on the frame B¹
carrying the nipping or breaking rollers B which travels in front of this index.
The attendant then turns a hand wheel C which operates mechanism to raise or
lower the frame B' carrying the rollers B a distance corresponding to the figure
at which the pointer is opposite index c. This mechanism may consist of a
spindle C on the end of which the hand wheel C is mounted, said spindle C
having a pinion Cª gearing into a spur wheel C³ in a short parallel spindle C+
and a toothed pinion wheel C on this latter spindle C would gear into the teeth
of a bar rack D secured by lugs to the frame B' carrying the nipping rollers B.
Eccentric, lever, or other equivalent mechanism may be substituted to reciprocate
the frame B'. Guide rollers F are mounted in brackets in the reciprocating
frame B' one of them being counterweighted so as to act on the plates A¹ to grip
the fibres a when ending these.

page_text: Rods E are attached to the frame B₁ by luga e and a rod e is connected from
these duplex rods E to a band e³ which passes round a pulley E' and the other end
of band has attached to it a counterweight E, so as to balance the frame B¹ and
require a minimum of power in operating it.
In the arrangement shown in Figures 4 and 5 instead of the balance weights
being carried over pulleys fixed to the ceiling there are two points of suspen-
sion FF and the nipping roller frame with bracket and balance weights are
carried by means of strong polished steel chains led over the guide pulleys Fi
fixed on each side to the stay rails and secured to the bracket B formed or fitted
on the nipping roller frame 13. The chain on right hand side of Figure 4 is
directly connected to balance weight G while chain on left hand is lapped round
and fastened to the double pulley G¹ the balance weight being suspended from
a chain lapped round and fastened to double pulley G to which is cast on or
fixed the toothed wheel H into which gears the hand wheel pinion H¹.
It will readily be understood that on movement of the hand wheel I the chain
will be lapped on or taken off the double pulley (and so cause ascent or descent
of the frame B carrying the nipping rollers. No rack is required with above.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
First. In machines for hackling flax and other like fibres the method of ending
the fibres at various lengths without stopping the machine substantially as herein
set forth.
Second. In machines for hackling flax and other like fibres, the arrangement
and use of a reciprocating frame carrying the nipping rollers, so as to end the fibres
at various lengths without stopping the machine, substantially as herein set
forth.
Third. In machines for hackling flax and other like fibres, the combination
of a reciprocating frame carrying nipping rollers, graduated indexes and pointer,
and racks and pinion or equivalent mechanism to raise and lower said frame,
substantially as herein set forth.
Fourth. In machines for hackling flax and other like fibres, the combination
comprising a reciprocating frame, carrying nipping rollers and plate guide rollers,
graduated indexes and pointer, rack and pinion or equivalent actunting mechanism
and counterweights for balancing frame, substantially as herein set forth.
Dated the 20th day of August 1898.
Dated the 20th day of August 1898.
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
96, Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Agents.