IMPROVEMENTS IN DRESSING FLAX AND IN DRAWING, ROVING, AND SPINNING FLAX AND TOW, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR THESE PURPOSES
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Comings Hide, of 46, Fenchurch Street,
in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
DRESSING FLAX AND IN DRAWING, ROVING, AND SPINNING FLAX AND TOW,
AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR THESE PURPOSES."-A communication
from abroad by John McDermotts, residing at Rotterdam.
Sealed the 15th December 1868, and dated the 18th June 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Comings Hide
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 18th June 1868.
I, THOMAS COMINGS HIDE, of 46, Fenchurch Street, in the City of
"IM-
London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
PROVEMENTS IN DRESSING FLAX AND IN DRAWING, ROVING, AND SPINNING FLAX
AND TOW, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR THESE PURPOSES," to be as
follows:-
In dressing flax according to this Invention the flax is dressed in
the direction of its growth and fibre, that is to say, about 12 inches in
length from the root end is dressed in the direction of the root, and the
remaining length is dressed the reverse way, that being in the direction
of its growth and fibre. When each piece of flax has thus been dressed

page_text: it is placed in holders (by preference such as herein-after described) and
is taken to the cutting machine to cut off from it not more than twelve
inches from the root end. The root ends are then by themselves drawn,
rove, and spun in the direction of their growth and fibre, whilst the
remaining portions or tops are also themselves drawn, rove, and spun in
the direction of their growth and fibre. As flax or tow is drawn down
at the spread board into a sliver the sliver is received in cans having a
loose top and bottom, so that the cans may be placed on either end for
the purpose of taking the right end of the sliver for all the necessary
drawings. The sliver is drawn down to the requisite pitch on to an
improved bobbin, which is made taper and with its ends to screw on or
off. The roving is slipped off the bobbin and placed with its bow or
top end uppermost in a can filled with water at a temperature not
exceeding 70° Fahrenheit, and closed over with a suitable lid, the flax
or tow is thus preserved from light and air, and the excessive heating of
the spinning rooms, so injurious to the health of the workers is also done
away with. These cans are by preference made with a fixed bottom,
from the centre of which stands up a fixed vertical spindle; inside the
can is placed a loose bottom, at the centre of which is fixed a hollow
tube which fits over the vertical spindle fixed to the bottom of the can;
the top of the tube is closed and rests on the top of the spindle, so that
the loose bottom may not bear against the fixed bottom, but may turn
freely around the spindle. The top of the can is closed by a lid, which
works on a hinge, the under side of the lid carries rollers, over which
the end of the sliver is led and is passed out through an opening at the
side of the lid; on the outside of the can rollers are placed above and
below this opening to prevent the sliver being cut or rubbed. The
holders which it is proposed to employ for holding flax to pass it through
.the cutting machine are each composed of a bar of wood, into which two
studs or pins are fixed; the outer ends of these studs or pins have a
screw thread cut upon them for some distance along their length. When
piece of..flax has been placed on to the bar of wood which forms the
base of the holder a thin board is placed above it; this board has a hole
formed through it near one of its ends, which is slipped over one of the
studs or pins, and by turning the board around this pin a slot formed
in the board near its opposite end is caused to embrace the other stud or
pin. Another piece of flax may then be placed above the thin board
above mentioned, and be similarly covered by a thin board which may
again be covered by another piece of flax, and so on for any desired
a

page_text: number of pieces of flax; two screw nuts are then screwed on to the
ends of the studs or pins to clamp the whole firmly together. By
constructing a holder in this manner each piece of flax is kept separate
from the other pieces, so that it is easier of removal for the purpose of
sorting
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Comings Hide in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 18th December 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
COMINGS HIDE, of 46, Fenchurch Street, in the City of London,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said Thomas Comings Hide, Her special licence that
I, the said Thomas Comings Hide, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Comings Hide, 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 "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN DRESSING FLAX AND IN DRAWING, ROVING, AND SPINNING FLAX AND
Tow, AND IN APPARATUS TO BE USED FOR THESE PURPOSES," a conimunication
to me from abroad by John McDermotts, a person resident at Rotterdam,
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Comings
Hide, my executors or administrators, 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 Thomas Comings Hide, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the

page_text: same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
In dressing flax according to this Invention the flax is dressed in
the direction of its growth and fibre, that is to say, about 12 inches in
length from the root end is dressed in the direction of the root, and the
remaining length is dressed the reverse way, that being in the direction
of its growth and fibre. When each piece of flax has thus been dressed
it is placed in bolders (by preference such as herein-after described),
and is taken to the cutting machine to cut off from it not more than
12 inches from the root end. The root ends are then by themselves
drawn, rove, and spun in the direction of their growth and fibre whilst the
remaining portions or tops are also by themselves drawn, rove, and spun
in the direction of their growth and fibre. When the flax has thus been
cut the bow ends are by themselves placed on the spread board and drawn
down separately in the direction of their growth and fibre, and similarly
the root ends are separately drawn down, the lengths of flax being in
each case so placed on the spread board that the opposite ends of each
length to those which have been cut, as above described, shall enter first
between the drawing rollers. As the flax or tow is thus drawn down
at the spread board into a sliver the sliver is received in cans having
a loose top and bottom, so that the cans may be placed on either end
for the purpose of taking the right end of the sliver for all the necessary
drawings, so that the rovings may all be drawn down in the same
direction, the drawing down being always commenced from the same
end of the sliver or roving. The sliver is by preference drawn down
to the requisite pitch on to an improved bobbin which is made taper
and with its ends to screw on and off, as shewn in side view and plan at
Figures 1 and 2 of the Drawings hereunto annexed. The roving is
slipped off the bobbin and placed with its bow or top end uppermost in
a can filled with water at a temperature not exceeding 70° Fahrenheit
and closed over with a suitable lid, the flax or tow is thus preserved from
light and air, and the excessive heating of the spinning rooms, so
injurious to the health of the workers is also done away with. These
cans are by preference made with a fixed bottom, from the centre of
which stands up a fixed vertical spindle, inside the can is placed a loose
bottom, at the centre of which is fixed a hollow tube which fits over the
vertical spindle fixed to the bottom of the can, the top of the tube is
closed and rests, on the top of the spindle, so that the loose bottom may

page_text: not bear against the fixed bottom, but may turn freely around the
spindle. The top of the can is closed by a lid which works on a hinge,
the under side of the lid carries rollers over which the end of the sliver
is led and is passed out through an opening at the side of the lid; on
the outside of the can rollers are placed above and below this opening to
prevent the sliver being cut or rubbed; a vertical section, a side view,
and a plan of a can so constructed are shown at Figures 3, 4, and 5 of
the Drawings. The roving should in all cases be kept at the very least
five minutes below the water before spinning, as by this means I find
the quality of the yarn to be much improved. The holders which it is
proposed to employ for holding flax to pass it through the cutting
machine are each composed of a bar of wood, into which two studs or
pins are fixed, the outer ends of these studs or pins have a screw thread
cut upon them for some distance along their length. When a piece of
flax has been placed on to the bar of wood which forms the base of the
holder a thin board is placed above it; this board has a hole formed
through it near one end of its ends which is slipped over one of the
studs or pins, and by turning the board around this pin a slot formed in
the board near its opposite end is caused to embrace the other stud or
pin. Another piece of flax may then be placed above the thin board
above mentioned, and be similarly covered by a thin board which may
again be covered by another piece of flax, and so on for any desired
number of pieces of flax; two screw nuts are then screwed on to the
ends of the studs or pins to clamp the whole firmly together. By
constructing a holder in this manner each piece of flax is kept separate
from the other pieces, so that it is easier of removal for the purpose of
sorting.
A side view and transverse section of a holder so constructed is shewn
at Figures 6 and 7 of the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Comings Hide, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Eighteenth day of December,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-eight.
THOMAS C. HIDE. (L.S.)