IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Horner, of Belfast, in the County of
Antrim, Ireland, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
Aw
Sealed the 15th September 1871, and dated the 22nd March 1871.

page_text: fibrous substance over a greater number of hackles. The driving is so
arranged that the holder troughs in the connected machines go up and
down together, or otherwise if required, so that when the holder troughs
are full of holders and they are moved from one gradation of hackles to
another, some of the holders will be transferred from one holder trough
into the other, and so continue the gradation of hackles as to increase
them to any given number that may be desired, by which means the
best results may be obtained out of the fibrous materials so hackled.
I also make the intersecting vertical sheet hackling machines longer
so as to increase the number of hackles and thereby get an easier
gradation of tools, and for that purpose I provide one or more centre
journals or supports for the shafts, brushes, doffers, holder troughs, and
other parts.
I further provide mechanical contrivances for transferring any holder
or holders from one holder trough to another, where such holder troughs
are working parallel to each other or thereabouts, either in single or
duplex hackling machines so as to increase the gradation of the hackles
over the whole or any part of one or more machines. By the same
mechanical contrivance the attendants are also greatly assisted in their
work.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said George Horner in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 22nd September 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HORNER, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Ireland, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said George Horner, Her special licence
that I, the said George Horner, my executors, administrators; and assigns,
or such others as I, the said George Horner, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein

page_text: 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 HACKLING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said George Horner, my executors or admi-
nistrators, 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 George Horner, 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 three Sheets of
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):
My Invention relates to improvements in what are known as inter-
secting vertical sheet hackling machines, and consists, first, in connecting
two or more single or duplex hackling machines, end to end, so as to
be able to increase with greater ease the gradation of the hackles,
by putting the fibrous substance over a greater number of hackles.
The driving is so arranged that the holder troughs in the connected
machines go up and down together, or otherwise if required, so that
when the holder troughs are full of holders and they are moved from
one gradation of hackles to another, some of the holders will be
transferred from one holder trough into the other, and so continue the
gradation of hackles, as to increase them to any given number that
may be desired, by which means the best results may be obtained out
of the fibrous material so hackled.
My Invention consists, secondly, in a mechanical contrivance for
transferring any holder or holders from onc holder trough to another,
where such holder troughs are working parallel to each other, or
thereabouts, either in single or duplex hackling machines, so as to
increase the gradation of the hackles over the whole or any part of
one or more machines. By the use of this mechanical contrivance the
attendants are also greatly assisted in their work.

page_text: Figure 1 is a side elevation showing two hackling machines coupled
end to end according to the first part of my Invention.
A, A¹, represent the framework of each machine respectively; and
B, B, are two rails connecting the same rigidly together at top and
bottom. A single tappet shaft C is provided to operate the holders
in the two machines, this shaft is mounted in bearings in A, A', and is
driven from the main shaft D by gearing as shown, and operates a
lever E as usual. To the upper extremity of lever E (which is slotted)
the catch bars F of each machine are connected by bars G jointed by
a bolt G¹, fixed adjustably in the slot of lever E, as shown, the catch
bars in both machines being worked simultaneously by the lever E.
The several shafts I which operate the sheet hackles K arc coupled as
at I', and the holder troughs H. as at L so that the holders M are free
to pass from one machine to the other as shown, the holder troughs
of the two machines being moved up and down together, or otherwise,
that is to say, they may travel at different speeds but are caused to
arrive up together when any holders are to be transferred.
The second part of my Invention is illustrated in Figure 2 which is a
side elevation of a double sheet hackling machine with my improvements
applied.
Figure 3 is an end elevation and Figure 4 a part plan of same, whilst
Figures 5 and 6 are detail views of some of the parts. A is the framing
of the machine and H, H¹, are the holder troughs which are worked up
and down alternately by the rocking lever N on the shaft N¹, all of
which are constructed and arranged in the usual manner in such
machines. O is a short trough similar to troughs H and H' to contain
one or more flax holders M and transfer the same from trough H to
trough H or vice versa. This trough or carrier O is fixed to an arm P
the extremity of which is curved in the form of a bracket to support
the two sides of the trough O as shown. This arm is provided with a
socket working on a vertical stud or pivot R fixed on a bracket S
attached to the framing A of the machine. P¹ is a bevel wheel fixed
to the socket of arm P, and T is a bevel wheel gearing therewith and
operated from lever N through the medium of lever U and rod U', con- 3
nected adjustably thereto, by means of a socket d fixed at any radius

page_text: .
in a slot in lever U to which the rod U¹ is attached by means of, screw
nuts as shown. Wheel T runs free on a short shaft or stud carried by
the bracket S, and to the boss of this wheel is fixed the lever U, so that
as the holder troughs rise and fall by the oscillation of lever N the
carrier or trough O is swung round on its pivot R and brought opposite.
to either trough alternately as they arrive at the highest position.
The holders are drawn out of trough O into trough H or H¹as the
case may be by a hook catch a attached to the catch bar F of the
trough which bar F is connected by bar G to lever E to which a
reciprocating movement is imparted as usual by tappets C. 6 Figures 5
and 6 is a latch fitted into trough O and serving to lock the flax holder
therein so that it cannot be thrown out of trough O when carried
round. This latch is free to move up and down, and is raised by the
flax holder passing into trough O, but drops down immediately and
locks the holder M before the small trough or carrier moves round
from trough H, but on reaching the trough H¹ this latch is again raised
by an inclined plane c fixed on the end of trough H', and which takes
under a projecting stud on the latch 6 thereby raising it and releasing
the holder M and permitting its withdrawal from the carrier O by the
hook catch a. Figure 7 shown in end view a pair of single machines
working together with the above described contrivance applied for
transferring the flax holders from one machine to the other. As the
same letters of reference indicate the same parts as in the preceding
figures it is unnecessary to repeat the description of the said parts.
The two machines are placed side by side at a suitable distance apart
and parallel or thereabouts, being held together by the bracket S upon
which the contrivance is mounted as before described which also serves
as a cross rail to hold the two machines together. The rod U₁ is con-
nected to the rocking lever N of one of the machines, the whole being
operated as herein-before described in reference to Figures 2, 3, 4, 5,
and 6.
Having described the nature of my Invention and the manner of
performing the same I declare that what I claim as my Invention to
be protected by the hercin-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
1st. The combination of two vertical sheet hackling machines end
to end substantially as herein-before described and illustrated in the
Drawings for the purpose specified.

page_text: 2ndly. In vertical sheet hackling machines whether single or duplex
I claim the means of transferring the flax holders from one set of
hackles to another applied and operating substantially as herein-before
described and shown in Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the Drawings
for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Horner, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, this Twentieth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
one.