IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR HECKLING FLAY AND OURD FIRDOUS MATERIALS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Greenwood and John Batley, of Leeds, in
the County of York, Machinists, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR HECKLING FLAY AND OURD FIRDOUS MATERIALS"
Sealed the 5th March 1858, and dated the 8th January 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Greenwood and
John Batley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 8th January 1858.
We, THOMAS GREENWOOD and JOHN BATLEY, of Leeds, in the County
5. of York, Machinists, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR HECKLING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS.
MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
Our Invention relates to the use of such heckles as are mounted upon
travelling sheets, and in such manner that they shall (without turning upon
joints or centres) enter the material at right angles, or nearly so, and consists
in using such apparatus with an opening and closing motion of the travelling
instruments. This opening and closing we effect by causing the sheets to
oscillate upon their lower centres of rotation, but they may otherwise oscillate
or move in a parallel direction.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Greenwood and John Batley in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 8th July 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
GREENWOOD and JOHN BATLEY, of Leeds, in the County of York, Machinists,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Thomas Greenwood and John Batley, Her special license, that
we, the said Thomas Greenwood and John Batley, our executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas Greenwood and
John Batley, 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 MACHINERY FOR HECKLING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS,
upon the
condition (amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Greenwood and John
Batley, by an instrument in writing under our hands and seals, or under the
hand and seal of one of us, 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 Thomas Greenwood, on behalf of
myself and of the said John Batley, do hereby declare the nature of our
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 Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
This Invention relates to the improvement of that class of sheet heckling
machines which have fixed heads, or in which a fixed trough is used to receive
and support the flax holders in their traverse through the machine, the heckle
sheets being caused to oscillate or move to and from the line of the pendent
stricks, in order that the heckle pins may penetrate the flax gradually, and
recede when the flax is required to be traversed forward to bring it under the

page_text: action of the next gradation of heckles. Instead of. mounting the heckle
bars or heckles on hinge joints, as heretofore, and regulating their movements
by crank levers, for the purpose of causing the heckle pins as the sheets are
advanced to strike into the flax at or about a right angle to the pendent fibres,
we bolt or secure the heckles or heckle bars directly to the endless sheets in
such a manner that their head, or that part which carries the heckle pins, will
be free to rise from the sheet when passing over the top roller; and take up
the required position for striking into the flax.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of so much
of a double (oscillating) sheet heckling machine as is required to explain our
Invention; Fig. 2 shews the sheets of heckles as opened out to allow of the
flax holders being pushed forwards, and Fig. 3 is a partial side elevation of
the machine. A, A, is the framework of the machine, upon which is mounted
the gearing for driving the sheets of heckles, the doffers, brushes, and combs
(for taking off the tow), which are arranged as usual in heckling machines of
this class; B, B, are the flax holders, supported in a fixed trough B*; C, C,
are the travelling endless sheets of belts or chains which carry the heckle
bars C; D, D, are the lower or driving rollers, and E, E, the upper or sustain-
ing rollers, over or around which the sheets of heckles pass; F, F, are the
journals in which the shafts of the rollers E, E, are mounted. These journals
F, F, are made to slide upon a portion of the framework A, and are con-
nected respectively to the rocking levers G, G, (of which there are two pairs),
having their fulcrums at G*; H, H, are two double side cams mounted upon
the shaft I, which extends across the machine, and is driven by suitable
gearing in connection with the main driving shaft. In the lower end of each,
of the levers G, G, is fixed a stud, carrying a friction bowl. These friction
bowls take into the grooves of the side cams H, H, which by their rotation cause
the journals F, F, to slide to and from each other. On one end of the shaft I
is mounted the double cam K (Fig. 3), and in the grooves of this cam works
the friction bowl L. This friction bowl is mounted upon the lower end of the
lever M, the upper end of which lever is connected to the slide bar N, on
which are mounted the pushing pieces O, O, for traversing the flax holders
through the machine. As the shaft L revolves, the cam K' actuates the lever
M, causing the bar N to slide to and fro, and thus push the holders into their
proper position.
The cams H, H, and K are so arranged upon the shaft I as to cause the
sheets C, C, to open or assume the position of Fig. 2, just prior to the forward
motion of the lever M, by which the stricks of flax in the holders are brought
in succession under the action of the several gradations of beckles. The

page_text: heckle bars are formed with bracket pieces, to receive the screws by means of
which the sheets, belts, or chains C, and the heckle bars are connected together.
By this mode of attachment it will be understood that the heckle bars will be
free to rise from the sheets while passing over the top rollers, and assume the
proper position for striking at or about a right angle into the pendent flax.
When, therefore, the sheets of héckles are brought up to the quiescent pendent
stricks, they will act efficiently thereon, combing out the tow from the long
fibres, and working up to the nip of the holders. To enable the holders to
be shifted opposite to the next gradation of heckles, the heckle sheets will
open and leave the flax free to travel forward to the required position. When
this is effected, the sheets of heckles will close again upon the flax, and repeat
the combing or heckling action.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention, and explained the manner
of carrying the same into effect, we wish it to be understood that we do not
claim the separate use of any of the parts which we have shewn and referred
to, to illustrate the nature of our Invention, nor do we limit ourselves to the
details of the opening and closing motion, as described above, for the sheets of
heckles may be made to open and close by other mechanical arrangements,
without departing from the peculiar character of our Invention; but what we
do claim as our Invention of "Improvements in Machinery for Heckling Flax
and other Fibrous Materials," is the use in sheet heckling machines which
have fixed heads or holder troughs, of oscillating or advancing and receding
heckle sheets, belts, or chains carrying heckles or heckle bars, constructed and
applied in the manner above described, in contradistinction to the hinge-
jointed heckles or heckle bars, as heretofore employed in such machines.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Greenwood, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Sixth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
THOMAS GREENWOOD. (L.S.)