AN IMPROVED METHOD OF PREPARING AND SPINNING HEMP, FLAX, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES CONTAINING FIBRE
Year: 1814

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HORACE
HALL, of Golden Square, in the County of Middlesex, Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Third did, by
His Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great-
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Seventeenth day of
November, in the fifty-fifth year of His reign, give and grant unto me, the
said Horace Hall, my exors, admors, and assigns, His especial licence, full
power, sole priviledge and authority, that I, the said Horace Hall, my exors,
admors, and assigns, should and lawfully might, during the term of years
therein mentioned, make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales,.
and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, the Invention communicated to me
by a certain Foreigner residing abroad, of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF PREPARING
AND SPINNING HEMP, FLAX, AND OTHER SUBSTANCES CONTAINING FIBRE;" in which
said Letters Patent there is contained a proviso that if I, the said Horace
Hall, shall not particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed; by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in His
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent, that then the said
Letters Patent and all liberties and advantages whatsoever thereby granted'

page_text: shall utterly cease, determine, and become void, as in and by the same,
relation being thereunto had, may more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Horace Hall, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be, performed, are particularly described
and ascertained in manner following, that is to say:-
In the Plans or Drawings hereunto annexed, and the description thereof
hereafter given, and with regard to the nature thereof,-firstly, it doth consist
in preparing of hemp, flax, or other substance containing fibre for the purpose
of combing the same; secondly, of combing the same; thirdly, of spinning
the same into a coarse yarn; and fourthly, of reducing or drawing out and
slightly respinning the same coarse yarn; and fifthly, of reducing and drawing
out the same and delivering it ready for and capable of being spun in the
common cotton-spinning machine.
Plan 1. Fig. 1 shews the profile view of a machine for preparing the said
hemp, flax, or other substance containing fibre for the purpose of combing;
and Fig. 2 shews a perpendicular view, of the nature of a plan, of the same
machine, and the same letters of the alphabet denote the same things in each.
A is an axis or arbour, which may be turned by any force or power capable of
being beneficially applied thereto, and having on it the roller B over which
passes a stretched cloth O, O, O, and the same passes over the roller C, and is
joined together so as to form a broad band, and causes, by the rotation of the
said roller B, the roller C to revolve, and the uppermost surface of the said cloth
is in continual motion towards the roller B. D, D, is a board or plank
supporting the cloth O, O, so as to hinder the same from bagging; and on the
one end of the axis or arbor B is fixed a pinion I, over which passes a
chain H, H, and conducts the motion to the pinion J, bearing on its axis
the roller E, and causes the same to revolve in the same direction as itself.
F is a roller bearing on the roller E, and turned by the friction thereon;
Qis a mouthpiece or collector; G is a tin can or other similar vessel,
and the letters P denote framework for the purpose of supporting the same
machinery. And I do place my hemp, flax, or other substance containing
fibre U upon the cloth O, O, spreading or distributing the same by hand in as
equal a line as can be made; and by the continued motion of the said cloth
the said hemp, flax, or other substance containing fibre is carried toward
the mouthpiece Q, and passes through that, and from thence between the
rollers E and F, which press the same and deliver it in the form of a reband
into the can G.

page_text: Plan 2. Fig. 1 is a side view of my machine for combing the said hemp,.
flax, or substance containing fibre; and Fig. 2 is a perpindicular view, of the
nature of a ground plan, of the same machine, with certain parts in both of
said last-mentioned views left out or omitted for the purpose of more clearly
exhibiting the parts therein to be described, and such omitted parts are herein-
after shewn and particularly set forth. a, Fig. 2, represents an axis or arbor
bearing a pully a' turned by any force or power capable of being beneficially
applied thereto, and bearing thereon. R, a pinion taking in the wheel S,
on the axis or arbor of which is carried a pinion T taking in the wheel V
on the axis of the barrel or roller F, upon which is placed A, A, a comb
or ribband of cards, which said comb passes over and gives motion to the
barrel or roller E, Figures 1 and 2. I, I, are certain bent wires forming
groves in which the bars 9, 9, can be raised up or let fall down; B is a
cylinder with certain bars or projecting pieces b, b, denominated a lanthern,
capable of revolving on its axis G by the movement of the said comb or riband
of cards; n, n, are certain curved springs; and m, m, are similar curved
springs; C is a roller laying upon and receiving motion by friction against
the roller D; and k is a barrel.
Plan 3. Fig. 1 represents a comb or riband of cards when the same is
made or formed by means of leather upon its rollers E and F, and the roller D
revolving on its axis so as to cause the said rollers E and F, by the wheel-
work before described in Plan 2, Fig. 1 and 2, to revolve and carry the said
comb or riband of cards, so that the teeth or needles on the uppermost surface
thereof to pass in the direction towards the roller D; and B the lanthern,
more distinctly and separately shewn in Fig. 8. Fig. 2 shews a perpendicular
view of the same comb or riband of cards formed on leather, wherein the
same letters of the alphabet denote the same things. Fig. 8 represents a side
view of a comb or reband of cards upon its rollers E, F, of the same formation
as that seen in Plate 2, Figures 1 and 2, and moving by the rotation of the
said rollers E, F, in the direction as shewn by the darts; and the same letters
of the alphabet denote the same things heretofore mentioned and herein-after
more minutely shewn in these two Plans No. 2 and 3. Figure 9 is a per-
pendicular view of the same comb or reband of cards moving in the same
direction, with all its appendages designated by the same letters, and in every
way similar to Fig. 8. Fig. 4 shews a side view of one compartment or range
of teeth or needles in the aforesaid comb when constructed as in Figs.. 1
and 2, Plan 2, and Figs. 8 and 9, Plan 3, with I the bent wires or grooves.
in which the bars g, g, slide. Fig. 5 is a front view of the same, with the
same letters of the alphabet denoting the same things. Fig. 6 is a side view,

page_text: of four of the said ranges of teeth or needles to shew method of junction by
hinges N, N; and Fig. 7 is a perpendicular view of the under part of the
said comb or reband of cards; and Figs: 10 and 11 shew the same disjoined,
for further illustration.: >
Fig. 3, Plan 2, represents a side view of four of the rows of teeth or
needles, and the bent wires or grooves placed in an oblique direction to the
surface of the said comb or reband' of cards. Figs: 12 and 13 are two
different methods of forming the teeth or needles when the same are to be
used in leather. Figs. 14 and 15 are a front and side view of the before-
mentioned bent wires or grooves I, when the same are to fix to leather; and
Fig. 16 represents three of the said bent wires or grooves' I, I, I,.fixed in
leather, with the teeth or needles h, h, of the form of Figs:-12 and 13; and
when the pulley a¹, Plan 2, is put in motion in the direction of the dart, it is
manifest that the roller D will revolve in the same direction by means of the
axis or arbor a, and the pinion R, Figs. 1 and 2, will cause; by the conducting
wheel and pinion S, T; the wheel V, and upon its axis the barrel F, to revolve
in the same direction, but with a much slower: movement, and bear the comb
or riband of cards A along and round itself, and' the barrel E moving so that
its uppermost surface shall pass towards the roller D; and; by the motion of
the said comb or riband of cards, the lantern B; Figs: l'and-2, will be caused
to turn on its axis; and its bars or projecting pieces 1, 1, will severally go down
between each range of teeth or needles; in the said comb, and by the same
motion the said bars g, g, will be carried' along, and will be raised' upor
toward the top of the said bent wires or grooves I, when they pass over the
springs m, m, and be pressed-down again when they pass under the springs n; n;
as seen in Plan 3, Fig. 8. P; P, &c., denote framework for the support of
my said machinery, and I do place my hemp, flax, or other substance con-
taining fibre a upon the said comb or riband of cards; as shewn at Figs:-1
and 8, Plan 3, and the same is pressed down to the bottom of the needles or
teeth upon the said comb or riband of cards by the lanthern B, and raised
up and delivered between the rollers D and C, which; by their quicker-motion
than the rollers: E' and F draw the same faster than the comb or riband of
cards moves; and thereby comb the same and deliver the same into a tin' can
or other suitable vessel' or on to the roller-k; as seen in. Plan 2;. Fig: 1:
'
Plan 4 and 5. Fig. 1' represents a side view of my machine for spinning
the said hemp, flax, or other substance containing fibre; Fig. 2 is a side
view of the same; Fig. 3 is a top view of the same; Fig. 6 is a view of that
end of the same machine which bears the rollers C, D; and' Fig: 7 is a view
of the other end thereof. But notwithstanding, in all the said' views there
'

page_text: are certain parts left out in the one which are exhibited in the others. Fig. 1,
A, A, is a comb or riband of cards, with all its appendages, similar to those
herein-before minutely described, upon its rollers E and F, and receiving
motion from the axis of the roller D, as before described in my machine for
simply combing the said flax, hemp, or other'substance containing fibre. B is
a lanthern similar, to that before described; H, H, H, are rollers for the
purpose of supporting the said comb or riband of cards between the rollers E
and F; Land I are two rollers; a is a circular brush capable of revolving upon
its axis; P is a ring upon the top of the spindle V, V; Q, Q, are tubes
joined together and to the spindle V, V, by the bar V3%; N is a bobbin
thro which the spindle V1, V2, passes, and is capable of being lifted up
and let down thereon; R is a board with a notch. in it, seen seperate at
Fig. 4, Plan 5, thro' which the spindle V, V, passes, and upon which
the bobbin N rests. R, R,, is a prong or steadying pin from the board R
and passing thro' the ring R2, seen at Fig. 6; V is a pulley round which
acord U, and over the barrel U, passes; T is a heart capable of revolving
upon its axis T'; and S, S, is a leaver with its fulcrum S¹, and having at
one end a small roller S bearing against the heart T by reason of the
weight of the board R, which is joined at the other end by means of a loose
joint or hinge S, and the bobbin N. M is a mouthpiece or conductor; and
in Fig. 2 and.3, D is the pinion on the axis of the roller D, taking in the
wheel Y, on the axis of which is the wheels Y2; and X³ is a chain passing round
the wheel Y and X', which is on the axis of the circular brush X, and F is a wheel
on the axis of the barrel F, and Z' is a chain taking in the wheels F* and E¹,
which is on the axis of the barrel E, and I which is on the axis of the roller I;
E' is a wheel likewise on the axis of the barrel E, and Z is a chain taking in the
wheels E' and T, which is on the axis of the heart T, seen in Fig. 1. U in Fig. 2
and 3 is a pulley upon the axis of the barrel U, and Us is a cord or gut passing
over it; and the pulley D upon the axis of the roller D, Fig. 4, represents
a perpendicular view of the board 'R, with S, S, the leaver adjoined thereto.
Fig. 5 represents a perpendicular view of parts designated by the same letters
as before. P, P, P., are framework for the support of the same machinery.
Now, by the rotation of the axis of the roller D by the pinion D', the
wheel Y and consequently the wheel Y are caused to revolve, and by the
chain X the motion is conducted to the wheel. Xon the axis of the brush X,
and causes the same to revolve, and act against or brush the roller C, Figs. 1, 3,
and 6; and by the révolution of the pinion of the barrel F, the wheel F³,
Figs. 2 and 3, on the same pinion, causes by the chain Z the wheel E¹, and

page_text: on its axis the wheel Es, and the wheel I', and on its axis the roller I likewise,
to revolve; and by the chain Z from the wheel E, the wheel T upon the axis
of the heart T, Fig. 1, is caused to revolve; and manifestly the last-mentioned
wheels, namely, F, E, E, I, and Ts, will all revolve in the same direction
as the pinion D', and that the wheel X' will revolve in the contrary direction,
and by the revolution of the said axis of the roller D, by the pulley D³ upon
the same, the cord or gut passing over the said pulley and the pulley U¹ upon
the axis of the barrel U, the barrel U will be caused to revolve, and by the
cord or gut U2 passing round the pulley V, on the spindle V1, V2, the same
will be caused to revolve, and carry with it the ring P, and the pipes Q, Q,
and by the revolution of T2, Fig. 2 and 3, before described, and the heart T
upon the axis thereof, will cause by the leaver S an up and down motion in
the board R and the bobbin N. And I do pass my combed hemp, flax, or
substance containing fibre x, from the can A³, Fig. 1, thro' the mouthpiece
or conductor M, and between the rollers I, L, which draw the same, and
deliver it upon the comb or riband of cards A, A, and from thence it is drawn
and combed by the rollers D, C, and the circular brush X brushes off and
throws back, any that may adhere to the roller and passes thro' the ring P
to and thro' the tube Q, Q, by the revolution of which it receives a slight
tortion or twist, and is delivered upon the bobbins N as the same rises and
falls, as before described, and receives the same slightly twisted hemp, flax,
or substance containing fibre a equally distributed upon its surface.
Plan 6. Fig. 1 shews a side view of my machine for drawing out my said
yarn, and, by an alteration shewn herein-after, for in some cases spinning the
same into a finer thread or twist. Fig. 2 shews a front view of the same
machine; and Fig. 3 shews another side view of the same, leaving out all
except the wheel gear for working the same. A, Fig. 1 and 2, is a bobbin
upon the stationary pin A', with the flax, hemp, or other substance containing
:fibre upon it as delivered from the last-described machine. B, Fig. 1 and 2,
is a mouthpiece or conductor. L is a lantern similar to that before described.
C, C, is a comb or riband of cards with all its appendages, similar to those
herein-before described upon its rollers P¹, P, and receiving motion by the
roller P' from the pinion on the axis of the roller D, by the wheel and
pinion M, N, O, Fig. 2 and 3. P2 and P3 are bearing rollers similar to
those before described. E, and E, E, Figs. 1 and 2, is a pair of rollers upon
the rollers D', on the axis of which is in a grooved piece h at each end, and
the same are caused to press against two of the rollers D', by means of a
leaver a, b, Fig. 5, and a weight f, which draws by the hook piece d, d, with its

page_text: adjusting screw e, the axis of the said roller E. Fig. 4, an end view of the same
Fig. 6 shews the grooved piece h,
and D', a trough of water which is
rollers E, E, and their hook piece d, d.
and Fig. 7 shews one of the rollers D';
placed under all the said rollers D', but not shewn in either of the Figures
1 and 2, to prevent confusion. H, Fig. 1, and H, H, Fig. 2, are pullies on
pipes resting upon the bars F, F, Fig. 2, in grooves g, g. I', I', are strings
or gut passing round the barrel I, Figs. 1 and 2, and the pully H. G', Fig.
2 and 3, is a pully upon the axis D, carrying the cord or gut Q³, passing
round the pully Q upon the axis of the barrel I. V is a wheel upon the
same axis D; and V₁ is a chain passing round it and the wheel V* upon the
axis of the barrel V³, with r, r, a small groove or notch in the same, in which
a peg, projecting from the upright bar X, X', slides, bearing the rod or bar U, U',
passing thro' the hole Y, upon which the bobbins G are firmly fitted. T' is a
pully upon the axis of the barrel I, and 1° a gut or cord passing round it and
the pully T³, upon the rod or bar U, U', and by the rotation of the axis D
the barrels bearing the comb or riband of cards are caused to revolve as
before shewn, and by the pully Q on the same axis is turned by the gut or
cord Qs, the pulley Q² and the barrel I upon the axis thereof, which by the
cords or gut I', I', cause the small pullies H, H, and the tubes on which the
same are fixed, to revolve much quicker, and by the pully T on the same axis
and the cord or gut T, the smaller pully T upon the rod or bar U, U¹, and
the bobbins g, g, are caused to revolve quicker, and by the revolution of the
wheel V on the said axis D by the chain V¹, the wheel V, and the roller V*,
upon the axis thereof, are caused to revolve, and cause by the groove r, r, the
peg fixed in the upright piece X', X, to pass backwards and forwards and move
the rods U, U', and the bobbins G, G, thereon, in a lineal direction. And I
do pass my hemp, flax, or substance containing fibre from the bobbin A upon
the comb C, C, and between the rollers D¹ and E, by which action the same
becomes combed and drawn out, and becomes clamped by reason of the
roller D¹ revolving with its lower surface in water, and thro' the ring P,
and to and thro' the pipe H, which by its quickly revolving causes a very
slight tortion or twist in the same, and from them it is delivered upon the
bobbin G, by the lineal and rotatous motion of which the same is wound, and
received equally upon the surface thereof or otherwise. I do remove my said
pipes H, H, and
bobbins G, and the bars F, and pass my hemp, flax, or
substance containing fibre thro' the loop of a common spindle bearing a
bobbin', and do turn the same spindles by rope or gut from and round my
barrel I, similar to the method seen in plate 4, Fig. 1, where the barrel U turns
my
i

page_text: the spindle V, V, and the bobbin is lifted and let fall by a similar motion to
.the.heart T.
Plan 7 represents my method of drawing out and rendering the said yarn
¡as, delivered from the last-mentioned machine finer, after which the same is
or may be spun in the usual manner "by the machines used for fine cotton
spinning, and not necessary to be here described. Fig. 1, X, the twist, passes
under the roller D and upon the roller B in the direction of the dart, and
between the rollers A and C, which revolve somewhat quicker by means of gear
similar to that before described, and draw out the same to a finer thread
and deliver it to be spun. Fig. 2 shews the.roller. A and B alone, as sup-
sported on the framework H. I; I, Fig. 3, shews the same rollers, A¹ and B,
and the pressing rollers C and D, with the supporters for the same; F, E, G,
and F, G, the grooves for holding the axis of the same. Fig. 4 is a front
view of the same as Fig. 3, shewing the rollers C,'C, which are in pairs;
and Fig. 5 is a back view of the same, with the same letters denoting the
same thing. Fig. 6 is a side view, similar to Fig. 3, but shewing R, R., R., R,
a trough, holding a solution of soap, or other well-known solutions fit for the
purpose, in which the lower surfaces of the rollers A, B, and D, are plunged,
and the said hemp or flax, or substance' containing fibre, becoming wetted
therewith is made more lax, and the fibres thereof; slip past each other with
greater ease. N is a bent hook taking hold of the axis of the roller C, C,
thro' which the leaver O-passes; and P, a weight thereon, which draws
down and presses the said roller C; C, upon the rollers A¹,
which pressure may be increased by turning the screw Q.
spring pressing against the axis of the roller D, so as to force
the roller B, and which pressure may be increased by turning of the
Screw T. g
1
1
Figs. 4 and 6,
S, S, S, is a
them against
And lastly, I, the said Horace Hall, do hereby declare that my machinery
may be multiplied' or connected by various setts or parts together, and that
the parts may, as choice.or convenience may require, be varied as is and has
been commonly done in the structure of machinery, and is well known to
competent workmen in works of this and the like nature.
In witness whereof, I, the said Horace Hall, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifteen.
HORACE HALL.
(L.8.)

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixteenth day of May, in the
year of our Lord 1815, the aforesaid Horace Hall came before our said Lord
the King in His Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification aforesaid, and
all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above written.
And also the Specification aforesaid was stampt according to the tenor of the
Statute made for that purpose.
Inrolled the Sixteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifteen.