IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR HECKLING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Lowry, of the City of Manchester, Machinist,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR HECKLING FLAX AND
OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Sealed the 4th March 1856, and dated the 7th September 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Lowry at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
September 1855.
I, GEORGE LOWRY, of the City of Manchester, Machinist, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR HECKLING
FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS" to be as follows:-
The nature of my Invention consists in so attaching the heckles to the
endless belts of sheet heckling machines that the teeth of the heckles shall
enter the fibrous material at or nearly at right angles to the same, and
closer to the holder than in the machines now in use; also, in combination of
machinery by which the strick of fibrous material is changed from one holder
to another; and an improvement in the construction of the heckles used in
heckling machines.

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 7th
March 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
LOWRY, of the City of Manchester, Machinist, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Lowry, Her special license that I, the said George Lowry,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Lowry, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
HECKLING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Lowry, 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 Lowry, 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 Specifi-
cation thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings
(that is to say)-
The nature of my Invention consists, first, in so attaching the heckle bars to
the endless belts, sheets, or chains of sheet heckling machines that the teeth
of the heckles shall enter the fibrous material at or nearly at right angles to
the same, and closer to the holder than in the machines now in use.
Secondly, in an improved mode of constructing the holders in which the
strick of fibrous material is held during the operation of heckling, to facilitate
the operation of reversing the position of the strick.
Thirdly, in an improvement in the construction of the heckle bars used in
heckling machines, whereby their weight is diminished and strength increased.
And, lastly, in making heckle bars of malleable cast iron.

page_text: I have in the said Drawings shewn how my Invention may.be performed,
similar parts in the different views being marked with similar letters of
reference.
Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a sheet heckling machine to which my
improvements are applied; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is
another end elevation; Fig. 4 is a detached view of the heckles and guides;
Fig. 5 is a side view; and Fig. 6, an end view of one of my improved heckle
bars. The above views are drawn to a scale of one inch and a half to one foot:
Fig. 7 is a side view, and Fig. 8 a section, drawn full size, of the said heckle
bar; Fig. 9 is a side view of my improved holder, and Fig. 10 a plan of. the
same. These views are drawn half size. In Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, a, a, represent
the belts, sheets, or chains to which the heckle. bars b are attached.
belts, sheets, or chains pass around the small drums c, c, and larger drums d, d,
which are turned round by the gearing shewn in the Drawing, or. by any
other suitable arrangement of gearing. The heckle bars 6 are made with a
recess to receive the stock of the heckles e. I prefer to make the stock of the
heckle of hard wood and the heckle bars of malleable cast iron; but I do not
limit myself to these materials, although I consider them the best for combining
strength and economy.
"
These
The heckle bars 6 are connected to the belts, sheets, or chains a, a, by means
of rivets or screws, passing through the flanges b', and through the belts, sheets,
or chains a; and at each end of each heckle bar is a stud or guide pin b²,
which, when the heckles arrive near the small drums c, c, take into the groove
in the guide plates f, f, see Fig. 4. The object of these guide plates: is to
support the heckle bars in passing over the small rollers c, and during the
operation of striking into the strick of flax or other fibrous material to be
operated upon. The holders may be constructed in the ordinary manner,
or according to the improved mode shewn in Figs. 9 and 10, on, referring to
which it will be seen that the bottom plate is formed of two parts jointed at g,
and in holders of large dimensions more than one joint may be used. The
top plate is in one piece, secured to the lower part by means of two bolts h.
When more than one joint is used, there must be as many bolts h as there are
divisions in the lower part. By thus constructing holders, the strick is more
securely held than in holders of the present mode of construction. The holders
with the stricks depending from them are placed within the rails i, i, and these
rails are made to rise and fall, and the holders are made to pass from one end
of the machine to the other in the usual manner. When the machine is at
work, the drums c and d revolve in the direction of the arrows in Fig. 4, and
the heckle bars being attached to the belts, sheets, or chains a, and supported

page_text: By the plates ff, cause the heckles to enter the strick of fibrous material at
or nearly. at right angles to the fibres thereof, and to retain that position at
the commencement of their downward motion; thereby, as the belts, sheets, or
chains continue to descend, the héckles are drawn through the fibrous material
for the purpose of removing the short fibres and extraneous matter. Another
great advantage resulting from this improved mode of attaching the heckle
bars b' to the belts; sheets,, or chains a is, that the heckles can be made, to
enter the fibrous material at a point closer to the holder than in any of the
sheet machines now in use. When the heckles are passing round the drums
did, "they are cleansed by the revolving brushes j,, which deposit the material
removed from the heckles on to the card drums k, k. These drums are cleansed
or doffed by the combs 1, 1, or in any other convenient manner.
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, I wish it to be understood, that, excepting as herein-
after expressly mentioned,: I make no claim to any of the parts which I have
shewn and' referred to, to illustrate the nature of my Invention; but that what
I do claim is,
First, the mode of attaching the-heckle bars to the belts, sheets, or chains,
by which the heckles are made to enter the strick of fibrous material at or
nearly at right angles to the same; and nearer to the holders than in the sheet
machines now in use.
Secondly, constructing the holders used in machinery for heckling flax
and other fibrous materials with hinges or joints, as shewn and described in
Figs. 9 and 10.
Thirdly, the. improved mode of constructing heckle bars, as shewn and
described in reference to Figs: 7 and 8.
And, lastly, in making heckle bars of malleable cast iron.
"In witness whereof, I, the said George Lowry, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
Witness,
H. B., BARLOW,
Manchester.
'
GEO, LOWRY.
(L.S.)