IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SCUTCHING, HECKLING, AND COMBING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Lowry, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SCUTCHING,
HECKLING, AND COMBING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS.”
Sealed the 14th May 1880, and dated the 28th November 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Lowry at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th November 1879.
GEORGE LOWRY, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SCUTCHING, HECKLING, AND COMBING FLAX, HEMP,
AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
This Invention relates, first, to a novel mode of mounting the scutching bars,
brushes, heckles, or heckle bars on the belts, sheets, or chains of sheet heckling machines,
the object being to enable the scutching bars and heckle points to strike or enter
the pendent stricks of fibrous material nearly at right angles thereto, and with
more or less of an elastic stroke or blow. This I accomplish by employing a belt,
sheet, or chain to each heckle or gradation of tool, and fixing thereon a series of
flat iron plates, spring steel plates, leather, or other elastic substance, and on the
outside of these plates I mount the scutching bars, brushes, heckles, or heckle
bars.
Secondly. In the employment of a wire or adjustable scraper stretched across the
heckles either inside or outside the rows of pins to scutch, rub, and scrape the
material under operation.
Thirdly. At the finishing end of the machine I put a short sheet with a very
fine single tool to clear the ends of the material of naps, loose tow, or other
residuum.
Fourthly. In making the heckle bars used in the present machines of wood
instead of iron.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Lowry in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th May
1880.
GEORGE LOWRY, of Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SCUTCHING, HECKLING, AND COMBING FLAX, HEMP,
AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
This Invention relates, first, to a novel mode of mounting the scutching bars,
brushes, heckles, or heckle bars on the belts, sheets, or chains of sheet heckling
machines, the object being to enable the scutching bars and heckle points to strike
or enter the pendent stricks of fibrous material nearly at right angles thereto, and 1
with more or less of an elastic stroke or blow. This I accomplish by employing a
belt, sheet, or chain to each heckle, or gradation of tool, and fixing thereon a series
of flat spring steel plates, leather, or other elastic substance, and on the outside of
these plates I mount the scutching bars, brushes, heckles, or heckle bars.
Secondly. In the employment of a wire or adjustable scraper stretched across 1
the heckles either inside or outside the rows of pins to scutch, rub, and scrape the
material under operation.
And in order that my said improvements may be better understood the accom-
panying Drawings are added to illustrate the same.
Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section, in which is shown a strap, sheet, or
chain, and fixed thereto a series of leather or other elastic plates x, on the
surface of which are mounted the heckling bars, brushes, combs, or scutching
handles y.
Fig. 2 is a section on a larger scale of one of the "links" or one of the
series of leather or other elastic plates (marked x in Fig. 1). The heckling bar bis
in the form of a trough, as shewn, made of a metallic sheet bent or curved so as to
give it the desired form, and acting at the same time as a scraper, thus considerably
facilitating the combing or scutching. b' shews the trough formed heckling bar
attached to the plate c by means of a bolt or screw d¹; and e¹, e', are the pins of
the comb.
Fig. 3 is a front elevation of Fig. 2.
Having thus described the nature and objects of my said improvements I wish it
to be understood that what I claim is,-
The general combination and arrangement of machinery or apparatus for scutching,
heckling, and combing flax, hemp, and other fibrous materials, substantially as
herein before described and shewn on the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Lowry, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.