IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR HACKLING FLAX HEMP OR OTHER SIMILAR FIDDONG SHOWS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Whitehead and Henry Walton Whitehead,
both of Holbeck, in Leeds, in the County of York, Machine and Tool
Makers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR HACKLING FLAX HEMP OR OTHER SIMILAR FIDDONG SHOWS
"
Sealed the 22nd August 1865, and dated the 11th March 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Whitehead and
Henry Walton Whitehead at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 11th March 1865.
We, THOMAS WHITEHEAD and HENRY WALTON WHITEHEAD, both of Holbeck,
in Leeds, in the County of York, Machine and Tool Makers, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR HACKLING FLAX, HEMP, OR OTHER SIMILAR FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as
follows:-
Hitherto the stricks of flax or similar fibrous material to be operated
upon by the hackles have been held tight by a portion of the strick being
placed between two flat plates of wood or other material; and then screwing up
the plates together by hand, and the holders are placed upon and taken off the
machine and screwed up and unscrewed also by hand; but the grip upon the
flax by this mode is defective, and much time is occupied by tightening up and
loosening the holder, and placing it upon and' taking it off the machine.
By this improvement, and to obviate this lifting on and off the machine of

page_text: the holders, we employ an endless holder, which may be of belts, bands, chains,
or other suitable means, and by passing teeth through the fibrous material
to be operated upon, and pressing the teeth and fibrous material into a recess
in the endless holder, a better grip of the material is obtained than heretofore.
One mode of doing this is by pressing together (between suitable guides) two
endless belts of leather or other suitable material. On the inner side of one
belt a projection is made in the middle for the whole length, and upon this
projection pins, either in rows or otherwise, are mounted; on the inner side
of the other or opposite. belt a recess is formed, so as to permit the pins and
part of the projection to be pressed within it. The fibrous material is placed
across the pins, the end of the material hanging down, and when the belts
are pressed together the fibrous material is held tight between the pressing
surfaces. The endless holder is carried through the hackling machine between
the guide, and thence over side pulleys to the opposite side of the machine.
By making the belt containing the recess of greater length than the other,
and making it traverse round a third or intermediate pulley in advance of
the side pulleys, the belts open out or separate from each other, and in the
space left by this separation the fibrous material is taken off or put upon the
pins in the other belt forming the other part of the endless holder; or instead
of the belts separating as above mentioned, one belt may be made to pass
round one side of the machine, whilst the other belt passes round the other
side.
Instead of the endless belts may be used a series of holders, connected to
each other so as to form one endless holder, and passing round side pulleys in
one direction, and without the third or intermediate pulley; these holders
are jointed at one end so as to open. On one side is the recess, on the other
side the projection and pins. The opposite end to the joint closes with a
spring catch with a projecting lip. After traversing across the hackling
machine the lip of the holder is by suitably arranged apparatus, and whilst the
fibre is out of the hackles, thrust back, thus knocking off the catch, and
causing the holder to open, whereby the fibrous material may be filled in or
taken
When filled in by other suitable apparatus, and before reaching
the hackles, the loose arm of the holder is closed by the spring catch. By
these means the opening and shutting of these holders is made self-acting.
It will be seen that the ordinary holders may be made with a recess and
projections and pins, and when screwed up such holders will have a firmer
grip of the flax than by the old mode.
away.
J..
Another part of the Invention consists in mounting a series of hackles into
hackling machines with gradually increasing pitch between the pins from or

page_text: nearly from one end of the hackle to the other. Thus when the flax enters
the fore part of the hackles the pitch is wide, but the pitch is gradually
increased until, when the fibrous material shall have passed through the
machine, the fine pitch of the teeth at the end of the hackles will have com-
pletely hackled the fibre. By this means the separate series of hackles, each
of a separate and distinct pitch, is avoided, and the complete process of hackling
is performed by a much shorter length of hackle bar.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Whitehead and Henry Walton Whitehead in tho
Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th September 1865..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we,. THOMAS
WHITEBEAD and HENRY WALTON. WHITEHEAD, both of Holbeck, in Leeds, in
the County of York, Machine and Tool Makers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Thomas Whitehead and Henry Walton Whitehead, Her special licence
that we, the said Thomas Whitehead and Henry Walton Whitehead, our
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas
Whitehead and Henry Walton Whitehead, 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 OR APPARATUS FOR HACKLING FLAX, HEMP, OR OTHER
SIMILAR FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we,
the said Thomas Whitehead and Henry Walton Whitehead, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our, 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 we, the said Thomas Whitehead and Henry Walton
Whitehead, do hereby declare the nature of our said Inyention, and in what

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained 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):-
Hitherto the stricks of flax or other fibrous material to be hackled
preparatory to being submitted to the action of the hackling machine have
been placed between two flat plates of wood or other material .constituting
holders, which were then screwed up by hand and caused to grip the flax.
The holders thus charged with flax fibre were inserted in a trough, which
guided them through the machine, bringing the pendent fibres under the action
of the hackles. When the fibres bad passed under the action of all the hackles
in succession the holders were unscrewed by hand to release the hackled fibres.
The grip upon the flax, however, by screwing up the plates is defective, and
much time is occupied by tightening up and unscrewing the holders, and in
placing them upon and taking them off the hackling machine.
Now the chief object of our improvements is to obviate the necessity for thus
placing upon the machine and lifting off and unfastening the holders, and for
this purpose we employ an endless holder, which may consist of belts, bands,
chains, or other suitable apparatus, and by passing teeth through the fibrous
material to be operated upon, and pressing the teeth and fibrous material into
a recess in the endless holder, a better grip of the material is obtained than
heretofore.
One mode of doing this is by pressing together between suitable guides two
endless belts of leather or other suitable material, as shewn in plan view at
Figure 1 in the accompanying Drawing. In this Figure the belts are shewn
as each covered with card clothing, each belt carrying two rows of pins, as
shewn in the Diagram Figure 1. But instead of this arrangement, on the
inner side of one belt a projection may be made in the middle for the whole
length, and upon this projection pins, either in rows or otherwise, mounted, as
shewn in the Diagram Figure 1b, and on the inner side of the other or opposite
belt a recess will be formed, so as to permit the pins and part of the projection
to be pressed within the recess. The fibrous material is placed across the pins,
the end of the material hanging down, and when the belts are pressed together in
passing through the hackling machine the fibrous material is held tight between
the pressing surfaces. The endless holder is carried through the hackling
machine between adjustable guides, and thence over side pulleys to the opposite
side of the machine. By making the belt containing the recess of greater
length than the other, and running both belts over the same end guide pulleys,
but making the longer belt traverse round a. third or intermediate pulley in

page_text: advance of the side pulleys, the belts will open out or separate from each other,
leaving a space for the fibrous material to be taken off the pins in the belt
containing them, and replaced by fresh fibres.
Figure 2 shews in sectional elevation a sheet hackling machine of the
ordinary construction fitted with our improved endless flax holder. A is the
holder, similar to that shewn in Figure 1; B is the frame of the machine,
supporting in bearings the hackle carriers C, C, round which the sheets
carrying the hackle bars D, D, work; E, E, are the brushes for cleaning the
hackle bars of tow, and F the doffer rollers; G, G, are plates stretching across
the machine, which press the endless bands forming the holder A together
during their passage across the machine; H, H, are screws for adjusting these
plates laterally; and I, I, are screws for adjusting them upwards or downwards,
according to the point it is required the hackles shall enter the fibre operated
upon.
By reference to Figure 1 it will be seen that one of the sheets passes round
the pulleys 1, 1, and the other sheet round the pulleys 2, 2. Whilst passing
through the machine the sheets meet each other, so that the spaces between
the rows of pins on one sheet form the recesses for the pins of the other
sheet to enter, and the guide plates G, G, being pressed up by backing springs
will keep the 'sheets firmly pressed together during the traverse across the
machine.
:
In Figure 3 is shewn the mode before mentioned of opening the belts or sheets
of the endless holder by means of a third pulley; '3, 3, are pulleys mounted one
on each side of the machine, and in a line with the centre thereof; and 4 is an
intermediate tension pulley placed on one side of the machine, and round which
only one of the two endless bands passes. The fibre is lashed on to the pins
in any convenient part of the opening between the belts, and as the belts are
drawn through the machine between the pressing guide plates G, G, the pins
will press into and grip the flax firmly.
It will be seen that the guide plates are formed with recesses at their upper
part, and that projections suitable to fit into them are formed at the back of
the belts or sheets. By this arrangement the sheets will be prevented from
failing below their proper level.
"
Figure 4 shews in side view, Figure 4* in plan view, and Fig. 4b in cross
section, how a series of holders can be mounted on a sheet or belt of leather or
other suitable material. K is the sheet, which has a projection L in its middle
extending the whole length of each of the holders; M, M, are two holders
connected severally by a hinge joint to the sheet. When working the endless
holder is carried through the machine between guide plates suitably shaped to

page_text: receive the endless belt of holders and round drums, one set at each end of
the machine. As each holder passes out of the machine it turns round the
drum; the box portion of the holder at that time is set at liberty, and springs
open, as shewn at Figure 4. The opportunity is thus afforded for taking off
the hackled fibre, and lashing on fresh materials. N, N, are friction pulleys
to work against the guide plate, and O, O, are wooden pins to wrap or fasten
one end of the material round, if necessary; P, P, are additional pins simply
placed to get a firmer grip of the material. The box part of the holder may,
if thought desirable, be closed by a catch, as shewn in the next described
arrangement, and also released by self-acting means.
Figure 5 shews in side view, and Figure 5° in cross section, another mode
of carrying out the Invention of the endless holder. Q, Q, are a series of
combs connected together by links R, R, and hinged to one end of each of
these combs is a metal box or cover S furnished with antifriction bowls.
Affixed to the other end of the comb is a spring catch, which is intended to
catch on to the end of the box or cover, and hold it securely down to the
comb; T is one of a pair of chain wheels for holding the endless band of
holders at tension, and traversing the same through the hackling machine; U
is a fixed stop or knocker-off, which (as the holders traverse forward) comes in
contact with the lip of the spring catch and opens the holder. The fibrous
material contained in the holder is then free to be taken off and turned ready
for further hackling, or removed to make place for fresh fibre. As the box
holders after being refilled pass round the chain wheel T they are successively
closed before entering the machine by means of a guide plate V. By these
means the opening and shutting of the holders is made automatic.
It will also be seen that the ordinary holders may be made with a recess and
projecting pieces and pins, and when screwed up such holders will have a
firmer grip of the fibre than by the old mode.
Another part of the Invention consists in mounting a series of hackles into
hackling machines with a gradually decreasing pitch between the pins from or
nearly from one end of the hackle to the other. Thus when the flax enters
the machine the pitch is wide, but it is gradually decreased, until it reaches its
maximum at or near the other end of the machine. When therefore the
fibrous material shall have passed through the machine it will, by reason of
the fine pitch of the teeth at the end of the hackles, have been completely
hackled. By this means the separate series of hackles, each of a separate and
distinct pitch, is avoided, and the complete process of hackling is performed
by a much shorter length of backle bar.
This improvement is indicated at Figure 1, which shews in edge view a

page_text: pair of hackles D, D, constructed after our Invention, and set in place between
the top carrying rollers C, C.
Having now set forth the nature of our Invention of improvements in
machinery or apparatus for hackling flax, hemp, or other similar fibrous
substances, and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, we
wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent
we claim,
First, applying to hackling machines endless holders, which are caused to
grip the fibres to be presented to the hackles by elastic pressure imparted to
them during their progress through the machine, and release the fibres after
they have passed under the action of the hackles, as above described.
Secondly, the means herein described of obtaining a better grip of the
material in the holders of hackling machines.
And, thirdly, constructing hackles as described with reference to Fig. 1.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Whitehead and Henry Walton
Whitehead, have hereunto set our hands and seals, the Ninth day of
September, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-five.
THOMAS
WHITEHEAD.
(L.S.)
HENRY WALTON WHITEHEAD. (L.S.)
Signed and sealed by the said Thomas
Whitehead and Henry Walton
Whitehead, in the presence of
J. B. WILKINSON,
27, East Parade,
Leeds.