IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND MACHINERY FOR HACKLING, CARDING, AND PREPARING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, PART OF IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO TRANSMITTING POWER GENERALLY.
Year: 1859

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Combe, of Belfast, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND MACHINERY FOR HACKLING, CARDING,
AND PREPARING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, PART OF
IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO TRANSMITTING POWER GENERALLY.'
"
Sealed the 9th March 1860, and dated the 7th December 1859.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Combe at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
December 1859.
I, JAMES COMBE; of Belfast, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OF AND MACHINERY FOR HACKLING,
CARDING, AND PREPARING FLAX, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, PART OF WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS IS APPLICABLE TO TRANSMITTING POWER GENERALLY," to be as
follows:-
The improvements in hackling are principally intended to be applied to
double or vertical sheet hackling machines, but they are also applicable to
hackling machines generally. They consist,-
First, in the application to hackling machines of the expanding pulley, for
which Letters Patent were granted to the present Inventor on the 11th June
1856, No. 1387, or other analogous contrivance for the purpose of varying
the speed of the hackles during the time each gradation is acting on particular
portions of flax. By this means an increased yield of dressed flax can. be
ensured, 'the work expedited, and its quality improved.
Second, in an improved mode of lackling cut line flax. Hitherto it has
been usual for this kind of work to cut or break the flax before hackling it,
which makes tivo líackling operations (one for each end of the flax), and a

page_text: change in the holders necessary to complete the hackling of each piece of the
cut hax. These two operations commencing at the extremities and overlapping
in the middle of the pieces of flax have the effect of breaking the fibres and
destroying their continuity to a considerable extent. To remedy these evils,
the Inventor proposes to hackle in one direction as much of the length of the
flax as may be required, and then to cut or break this hackled portion off, and
to repeat this operation as often as the length of the flax will allow.
Third, in the application of the before-mentioned expanding pulley or
analogous contrivance, for the purpose of more readily and easily regulating
the speed of the hackles in machines where this is uniformn, instead of having
recourse to the usual troublesome modes of doing so by changing the size of
the driving pulleys or drum.
Fourth, in the application of the same, for the purpose of giving the reces-
sary quantity of work to the flax, or regulating the number of movements of
the holders, or the time that each gradation of hackles shall act on each portion
of flax.
Fifth, in a mode of stripping the tow from the hackles of hackling machines,
whereby, for many kinds of dressing, the use of brushes, doffers, and stripper
rods, &c., may be dispensed with. To this end, a peculiar construction of
revolving tow-catcher is used, the same being made in the form of a roller
fitted with moveable rows of pins, which come out and take hold of the film of
tow as it is carried on by the hackles, and then go in, so as to discharge the
tow into a proper receptacle. A rubber or scraper may be used to prevent the
tow from lapping. The pins of the tow-catcher may be made simply augled
forward to catch the tow from the hackles, or they may be angled sideways,
and they may have a side motion in addition to the outward and revolving
motions, so as to enable them better to catch the tow.
The above arrangements are what are preferred by the Inventor, but for
some purposes bristles or other analogous material may be used instead of
steel pins, and the tow may be taken off them, or the tow-catcher pins by
using a plate with a slot or holes in it, and with motion given to it instead of
to the pins themselves. This tow-catcher is also applicable to stripping the
doffing rollers of carding engines.
Sixth, in giving a side motion to the holders containing the flax in double
or vertical sheet hackling machines, causing them alternately to approach to
and recede from the hackles on each sheet during the process of hackling.
The object of this is to enable the machines to be wrought with the sheets
farther apart, and so avoid the necessity of forcing the pins too suddenly into
the flax, and thereby injuring the yield and quality of dressing..

page_text: Seventh, this head of this Invention consists in an improved arrangement
for forming slivers into laps or rolls, insteadd of putting them into cans. It is
applicable to cards and preparings for flax & other fibrous substances, and by
its means the material can be more regularly received from and delived to
the different machines during the operation. For some kinds of work a
drawing frame with this arrangement applied to it can be made to take the
place of a roving or slubbing frame, and thereby avoid the complication of the
spindles, &c. These laps or rolls are formed by the use of the before-men-
tioned expanding pulley or analogous contrivance, and they have the proper
motion communicated to them from their axles, which is an essential point.
The arrangement is such, that the diameter of the lap or roll when the
material is being laid on, and that of the expanding pulley are always in
the same proportion to one another.
Eigth, this head of the Invention relates to an improvement in the
construction of the expanding pulley before referred to, the same being more
easily made, and admitting of a greater range in the adjustment of its
diameter than as heretofore constructed. The improvement also allows of the
weight of the pulley being very considerably diminished, which is of much
importance where a quick speed and prompt starting are necessary. The.
improvement consists in forming each half or side of the pulley of two hollow
cones, which are jointed together at their bases, one hollow cone of each half
of the pulley having radial spaces cut in it, extending from its smallest to its
largest diameter, or nearly so. The radial spaces are so arranged that when
the two similarly-formed sides are brought together (on a common axle,) the
solid parts of the one will pass freely into the radial spaces of the other in
the direction of their axes. The outer cones are of the same inclination (in
an opposite direction) as the inner cones, to allow of the solid parts of the
inner cones coming close up to the outer cones at the largest diameter of
the pulley. These outer cones may be made with arms or spaces, so as still
further to lighten the pulley, if necessary, and their forms may be varied
according to fancy. In this way the expanding pulley can be made very
simply and very light. Each side might also be made in separate pieces, if
desired, but the Inventor prefers casting each side in one piece, with a small
ring joining the solid parts at the small diameter, which gives them strength
to resist the tool in turning them, and this ring is filed away afterwards, to
allow the sides to pass freely into each other. The compressing or pushing
of the one side into the other, to give the expansion, may be effected by
making the pulley spindle hollow, and connecting its inside and outside
diameters by slots a little longer than the space which the sides of the pulley

page_text: pass through in expanding from the smallest to the largest diameter. A small
bar is put into the hollow of the spindle, and a pin or key is driven through
the boss of the pulley, and passed through the slots in the spindle through a
hole in the small bar. This serves to connect the small bar to the side of
the pulley, and the slots in the spindle allow of sufficient motion endways, to
expand or contract the pulley, as may be desired. The expansion or con-
traction of the pulley in this way may be effected at one or both ends, and the
pressure necessary to do so can be communicated from the centre, and so
cause less friction and wear thau if communicated from the boss of the cone
itself, or from collars on its shaft.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Combe in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th June 1860.
any
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
COMBE, of Belfast, in the Kingdom of Ireland, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, in the twenty-third year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Combe, Her special license that I, the said James
Combe, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said James Combe, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
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 THE MODE OF, AND MACHINERY FOR, HACKLING, CARDING.
AND PREPARING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVE-
MENTS IS APPLICABLE TO TRANSMITTING POWER GENERALLY," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said James Combe, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, 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 James Combe, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My Invention relates, firstly, to an improved mode of hackling cut line flax.
Hitherto it has been usual for this kind of work to cut or break the flax before
hackling it, which makes two hackling operations one for each end of the flax,
and a change in the holders necessary to complete the hackling of each piece of
the cut flax; these two operations commencing at the extremities and over-
lapping in the middle of the pieces of flax, have the effect of breaking the
fibres and destroying their continuity to a considerable extent. To remedy
these evils, I propose to hackle in one direction as much of the length of the
flax as may be required, and then to cut or break this hackled portion off, and
repeat the operation as often as the length of the flax will allow. To carry
this out, all that is required is, that the hackled portion of the flax which is to
be cut off should be held by the hand or screwed into another holder, and
presented to a flax cutter before the rough end is taken out of the holder that
holds it.
My Invention relates, secondly, to certain novel means of imparting to the
hackles of hackling machines a variable and a changing rate of speed, and
also for operating the flax-holders, so that the "dwell" of the holders may be
regulated as desired, and a movement to and from the hackle-pins may be
imparted to them. In Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 is an
end elevation of a vertical sheet hackling machine, with my improvements
applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side view, and Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the
same machine. For the purpose of varying the speed of the hackles during
the time each gradation is acting on particular portions of flax, I apply (by
preference) the expanding pulley for which Letters Patent were granted to me
on the Eleventh of June, One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, but any
other analogous contrivance may be employed if thought desirable. A is the
expanding pulley mounted on the driving shaft B, and from it passes a band
or cord C to guide and compensating pullies. D to drive the pulley E. On
the boss of the pulley E is a pinion that gears into and drives the wheels F,
which are mounted respectively on the, ends of the lower sheet or hackle
shafts. The expanding pulley A is opened or closed in order to vary its
diameter by means of a wedge G, which is jointed to the upper end of a
lever H that rocks on a stud projecting from the back end framing. On the
lower end of this rock lever is a stud and runner acted upon by a revolving
cam ortappet I keyed on a shaftJ, that extends from end to end of the machine.
This shaft J is driven from the front end of the machine in the direction indi-

page_text: cated by the arrow. The Drawing represents the flax-holders as having just
changed their positions, the flax being at the commencement of a fresh
gradation of hackles. The cam or tappet I turning in the direction shewn
acts upon the lever H, and through it pushes in the wedge G, thereby closing
the expanding pulley A, which increases its driving diameter, and consequently
the speed of the pulley E which drives the hackles, the cam I being so formed
and set that it attains its greatest diameter, thereby giving the greatest speed
to the sheets just before the hackling on each gradation is complete, and its
smallest during the passage of the flax-holders from one gradation of hackles
to the next. By this means a larger yield of dressed flax can be got, and also
better dressing and a greater quantity of work.
Another useful application which I propose to make of the expanding pulley
or equivalent device is, for the purpose of changing or regulating the speed of
the hackles in machines where this is uniform, instead of having recourse to
the usual troublesome mode of doing so by changing the driving pullies or
drum. For this purpose I introduce into the hackling machine a counter
shaft, on which the usual fast-and-loose driving pullies are placed, and also
one expander. On the driving shaft of the machine Imountanother expander,
and carry a belt from one to the other. The diameter of these expanders can
be adjusted by hand.
I also employ the expanding pulley for giving the necessary quantity of
work to the flax by regulating the movements of the holders, and the time
that each gradation of hackles shall act upon each portion of flax. On the
driving shaft B, which carries the pulley before mentioned, I mount a second
expanding pulley K, the same being constructed with set screws in one of its
bosses, or a nut and keeper on the driving shaft, or any other suitable con-
trivance to allow it to be readily opened or closed by hand, and its driving
diameter altered. On the expander Ķ is a cord or band L passing over the
pulley M, which is carried by a radius lever N, the position of which is
secured by a stud and fly nut O, so that the variations in the driving diameter
of the expanding pulley can be readily compensated for by altering the relative
position of the pulley M, which, by means of a pinion on its boss in gear with
the train of wheels P, drives the shaft J, on which is the cam or tappet I;
this cam besides operating the rock lever H, as before mentioned, is fitted
with an adjustable stud and runner O that acts upon a bent rock lever R at
every revolution, and causes its depression. Connected to the lever R are the
rods and levers S, which by their connection with the catches T, propel the
flax-holders from one gradation of hackles to the next. When therefore it is
required to increase the amount of work on the flax, it is only necessary to

page_text: give the expanding pulley K a smaller driving diameter, and the speed of the
tappet or cam I will be proportionately decreased. In the Drawing it is
shewn at nearly its slowest speed, which will give nearly the greatest amount
of work to the flax.
In order to give a side motion to the flax-holders of double or verticalsheet
hackling machines, and thus enable them alteruately to approach and recede
from the hackles on each sheet during the process of hackling, I cause the
frame a (Figures 1, 2, and 3,) that carries the flax-holders to oscillate on the
adjustable centre b. On its side is a bracket or fixture c, which has a slot to
allow of the alteration of the position of the stud that connects it with the
lever d, which is caused to vibrate by the cam or tappet e on the shaft J;
this tappet-is so formed that the flax-holders stay ashort time mid way between
the hackles during the change of the flax from one gradation of hackles to the
next. By this arrangement the machines can be wrought with the sheets
farther apart, and with very little or no lift at all of the holders, thereby
avoiding the evil of forcing the pins too suddenly into the flax and injuring the
yield and quality of dressing.
Another improvement in hackling machines applicable also to carding
engines, and which forms the third head of my Invention, relates to a mode of
stripping the tow from the hackles of hackling machines, which mode for
many kinds of dressing enables me to dispence with the use of brushes, doffers,
and stripper rods. The improvement I effect by the use of a peculiar con-
struction of revolving tow-catcher, which is shewn detached in Sheet I. of the
Drawings, Fig. 4, being a partial longitudinal sectional elevation, and Fig. 5
a cross section of the same. This tow-catcher is placed in such a position in
the hackling machine (see Figures 1, 2, and 3,) as to strip the hackle pins as
they pass it.
-
U is a hollow roller formed in two parts, and having two slots directly
opposite each other, and extending nearly from end to end of the roller.
Within the roller is mounted a bar W which is fitted at its opposite edges
with pins V, and receives an endway motion from an excentric X keyed on
the end of the roller U. The opposite end of the roller U to that which
carries the excentric is fitted with a pinion u, which gears into and is driven
by a spur wheel F (Fig. 1) on the axle of the lower rollers that carry the
adjacent band of hackles. The roller U for every revolution which it makes
gives a forward and backward stroke to the bar W, by reason of studs Y on
the sides of the rod working into slots Z formed in the roller. The excentric
✗ works in a strap on the end of a link connected to the short arm of a bell
crank lever, the other arm of which is connected by link rods to the bar W.

page_text: The rotation therefore of the excentric X will rock the bell crank lever and
give a reciprocating motion to the bar W, the studs Y of which working in
the inclined slots Z will cause the pins to move forward and recede simul-
taneously with the endward and revolving motions. It will now be understood
that the moveable rows of pins V will as they rotate come out and take hold
of the film of tow as it is carried on by the hackles, and then go in so as
discharge the tow from their points and allow it to drop off into a proper
receptacle, a rubber or scraper may be placed to prevent the tow from lapping.
The pins of the tow-catcher may be made simply angled forward to catch the
tow from the hackles, or they may be angled the lengthway of the roller, as
shewn at Figures 4 and 5.
The above described arrangements are what I prefer, but for some purposes
bristles or other material may be used instead of steel pins, and the tow may
be taken off them or the tow-catcher pins by using a plate with a slot or holes
in it, and with motion given to it instead of to the tow-catcher pins themselves
or the plate may be set by its fixed position to comb the flax off the pins of
the tow-catcher. This tow-catcher I propose to employ for stripping the
doffing rollers of carding engines.
This Invention relates, fourthly, to an improved mechanical arrangement
for forming slivers into laps or rolls instead of putting them into cans. It is
applicable to cards and preparings for flax, and by its means the material can
be more regularly received from and delivered to the different machines during
the various operations. For some kinds of work, a drawing frame with this
arrangement applied to it can be made to take the place of a roving or
slubbing frame, and thereby avoid the complication of the spindles. These
laps or rolls are formed by the use of the before-mentioned expanding pulley
or analogous contrivance, and they have the proper motion communicated to
them from their axis, which is an essential point in making good laps. The
arrangement is such, that the diameter of the lap or roll whereon the material
is being laid and that of the expanding pulley are always in the same pro-
portion to each other; but these improvements will be better understood by
reference to Sheet II. of the Drawings, in which Fig. 9 is a side elevation and
Fig. 10, a front view of the lap machine. In these Figures the sliver is
shewn coming from the delivery roller of the drawing frame, and passing on to
the barrel of the lap or roll through a tube g, to which is given a rotary
motion to the right and left hand alternately by means of a weighted cord h
attached to a quadrant i, a vibratory motion is given to the quadrant i by a
heart wheel j, which is mounted loosely on a shaft o, and receives rotary
motion from the delivery roller by the cord. The alternate twist obtained

page_text: in this way is retained in the sliver that passes on to the roll or lap by the
pressing roller l, whilst the twist that would accumulate between the tube and
the delivery roller by a constant turning of the tube in one direction is taken
out by the alternate reversing turns of the tube. The tube g. has also a -
traverse motion given to it (so that the slivers are effectually prevented. from
amalgamation) by means of a right and left hand screw. m, which is mounted.
together with the tube g, and the pressing roller in a pendent rock
frame.n keyed to the heart wheel shaft o. To this shaft is also keyed a
pendent arm q furnished with a wedge p, which the lap or roll increases in
size. The wedge is caused by the consequent movement outwards of the rock
frame, gradually to close the expanding pulley, which is mounted; and
-transmits motion to the lap roller shaft. By 'thus closing the expanding
pulley, and consequently increasing its driving diameter, the diameters of the
lap and of the pulley are kept in the same proportion to each other. The
expanding pulley in the Drawing is shewn as driven by an elastic band to
avoid complexity in the description, but of course compensating pullies may
be used.
.
•
The last part of my Invention relates to an improvement in the construction
of the expanding pulley, for which Letters Patent were granted me, as afore-
said, the object being to simplify its construction, to increase, the range of its
varying diameter, and also to diminish very considerably the weight of the
pulley, which latter point is of much importance where a great speed and a
prompt starting are necessary. This form of pulley is shewn in detail at
Figures 6, 7, and 8, in Sheet II., each half or side of the pulley consisting
of a hollow double coner and s, the cones being joined together at their.bases.
In the portion of one of these double cones radial spaces are cut, the same
extending from its. smallest to its largest diameter, or nearly so ; this forms
one side of the pulley. The radial spaces are so made, that when the other
side of the pulley similarly formed is placed on a common axis with the first
side, the solid parts of each pass freely into the radial spaces of the other in
the direction of their axes. The outer cones & are of the same inclination in
an opposite direction as the inner cones", so as to allow the solid parts of the
inner cones to come close up to the outer cones at the largest diameter of the
pulley. These outer cones may be 'made with arms, or spaces so as still
further to lighten the pulley; if necessary, and their forms may be varied
according to fancy. In this way the expanding pulley can be made very
readily and very light; each side might also be made in separate pieces, if
desired. But I prefer casting cach side of the pulley in one piece with a
small ring joining the solid parts of the inner cone at the smallest diameter,

page_text: which gives them strength to resist the tool in turning them. This ring is cut
away afterwards to allow the sides to pass freely into each other; the com-
pressing or pushing of the one side of the pulley into the other to give the
expansion may be effected by making the spindlet hollow (see Figures 6, 8,
and 10), and connecting its inner and outer diameters by two slots a little
longer than the space, which the sides of the pulley pass through in expanding
from the smallest to the largest diameter. A small bar is put into the
hollow of the spindle t, and a pin or key is driven through the boss of the
adjustable cone, and the slots in the spindle into a hole in the small bar i for
the purpose of securing it to that bar. The slots in the spindlet must be of
such length as to allow of sufficient motion endways to expand or contract the
pulley as may be desired. The expansion of the pulley may be effected at one
or both ends, and by this means the compressing of the pulley is done from
the centre, and so causes less friction and wear than if done from the bosses of
the pulley itself, or from collars on its shaft.
Having now set forth the nature of and manner of carrying out my
Invention of "Improvements in the Mode of and Machinery for Hackling,
Carding, and Preparing Flax and other Fibrous Substances, Part of which
Improvements is applicable to Transmitting Power generally,"
"I wish it to be
understood that, under the above in part recited Letters Patent, I claim,
First, effecting the hackling of cut line in the manner above described.
Secondly, imparting to the hackles of hackling machines a variable and a
changing rate of speed, and operating the holders in the manner above
described.
Thirdly, the application to hackling and carding machines of tow-catchers,
constructed and operating as above described.
Fourthly, the arrangement above described for forming laps or rolls of
sliver.
And, fifthly, the improved construction of expanding pulley above
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Combe, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the 4th day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty.