Scutching machineFig.428.represents the scutching or swingling machine, in different positions.Fig.428.is an end view of the machine in operation;fig.429.is a front view of the same. The essential parts of the machine, and those in which the invention especially consists, are two pairs of revolving beaters or scutchers, each formed by long ribs or blades mounted upon arms. The blades of the beatersa a, may be made of ribs of hard wood, or other suitable material, broad but thin, and slightly rounded on their edges, to prevent their cutting the fibres of the flax or hemp when they strike it. The two blades are placed parallel to each other, and mounted upon a hexagonal frame, the armsb binclining or forming obtuse angles with the blades, and from the middle of the arms short axlesc c, extend, upon which the beaters revolve.The axles of both pairs of beaters are mounted in plummer boxes, bearing upon horizontal rails at the ends of the machine, as shown infig.428., and are at such distance apart as will allow of the arms and the beaters of each pair passing alternately within those of the other pair as they revolve in opposite directions, which they are enabled to do without coming in contact, in consequence of the inclination of the arms.On the axle at one end of each pair of beaters a toothed wheeld, is affixed, and these wheels being of similar diameters, and taking into each other, cause the beaters to revolve with similar speed in opposite directions, rotatory motion being given to them by a band and rigger fixed upon one of the axles; and in order that the beaters in revolving may not come in contact as they pass, the positions of the two pairs are so arranged that the blades of one shall be in a perpendicular situation, while those of the other are horizontal.The rind of the flax or hemp having been previously broken by any of the ordinary modes of performing that operation, small bunches or stricks of the material are spread out, and their ends confined between the jaws of clamps or holders.ClampsThese clamps or holders differ considerably from the clamps which are commonly used. I shall therefore particularly describe their construction, before showing them in operation.Fig.430.and431.are views of the clamp in two different positions;aandbare two boards united together by a hingec, at top, which of course allows them to shut and open. The lower parts, forming the jaws of the clamps, are made with teeth or indentations, between which parts the ends of the flax or hemp are securely held when the clamps are brought together;d d, are two pieces projecting from the boardb, at the end of each of which is an eye shown by dots, and at the back of the boarda, (seefig.430.,) there is a double armed levere, turning upon a fixed pinf, which lever carries two circular wedgesg g. These wedges pass into the eyes of the piecesd d, when the clamps are closed, and hold them fast. There is a segment ratcheth, at the upper part of the boarda, which turns upon a studi, and is pressed downward by a springk. This ratchet receives the end of the levere, and consequently keeps the circular wedges firm in the eyes, which hold the clamps securely together, and prevents their opening by the shaking of the machine.When it is required to open the clamps, the ratchethmust be raised, and the leverepushed aside by its handlel, which draws the circular wedgesffrom the eyes of the piecesd d, and the boards of the clamps immediately separate. For the convenience of suspending the holders in the machines, a piece of sheet ironm, is bent at right angles, and fastened to the back of the boardb, as seen infig.431., forming a groove by means of which the holders are enabled to slide into the machine and hang there.These clamps or holders are, when charged with the material, placed in the scutching machine, as shown ate e einfigs.428.and429., bearing upon the edge-rail or barf. The beaters are now made to revolve in the manner already described, by which the edges of the blades will strike against the pendent stricks of flax or hemp alternately on each side, and beat off, scutch or swingle the boom from the material, and render it fit for the operation of heckling which is to follow.The whole machine is encased with boards, to prevent the inconvenience arising from dust, and an apparatus might be adapted with a blower to conduct away the dust created by the machine, and to discharge it out of the building.In introducing these stricks of flax or hemp into the machine, the holder is placed upon the projecting end of the bar or edge-railf, and is thence slidden into the machine; and after the material has been sufficiently scutched or swingled, the holders with the stricks are removed through the top of the machine, and others successively introduced at the end, and pushed along the rail.If, however, it should be thought desirable, the stricks may be progressively carried through the scutching machine, and delivered into a similar edge-rail in the heckling machine, there to be operated upon in the way about to be described, by which means the whole process of scutching and heckling may go on without interruption.Heckling machineFig.432.represents the heckling or combing machine by which the fibres of the material are to be opened, and the tow removed. It is a transverse section, taken nearly through the middle, in a vertical direction. Perpendicular standards form the ends of the machine, which are connected together by longitudinal rods or bars secured by nuts. The heckle points intended to act upon the flax are mounted in the framesa,b,c, andd, and the stricks of flax held in the clampse,e,e, as described, are suspended from the bar or edge-rail extending through the machine.In order to render the principles of this machine and its mode of working evident, it may be desirable to show in an abstract form the manner in which the heckles are brought into operation upon the flax, and for this purpose two diagrams are delineated infigs.433, 434.Suppose two sets of combs or heckle points be mounted upon framesaandb, as in these figures, each frame being moveable by means of cranksc,c, andd,d, connected in such manner that they both turn with the same speed in opposite directions, it is evident that every part of the frames and combs will move in circles corresponding to those described by the cranks; the points of the combs travelling in the directions of the arrows, and in circles represented by dots.HecklesDuring this movement, whilst performing the first descending quarter of the circle, the cranks bring the frames together as infig.433.They begin after this to separate in describing the second descending quarter, and come to the positionfig.434., when, continuing to revolve, they move further from each other in describing the first ascending quarter of the circle, and arrive at the position where the distance is the greatest; lastly, they describe the second ascending quarter returning to the third position. If, therefore, a strick of flax be suspended between the two sets of combs as infig.433., and the rotatory motion be continued for a sufficient length of time, the flax will be combed in the whole length which is submitted to the actions of the combs, although the points severally have only operated in very small space.Such a system of combs or heckles would make a very good and simple heckling engine, if it were not for the inconvenience experienced by the points dragging some of the fibres with them when withdrawing from the flax, which would produce a great waste of material; and to obviate this it would be necessary to introduce some contrivance for clearing the points, which must be attended with considerable complication. The plan, however, of the present improved engine, affords the means of producing the same effect by more simple and efficient means.CombsThere are two series of combs, seefig.435., attached to two movable frames represented ataandb. Each frame is formed by vertical barsa b, with lateral branches or arms, which carry the heckle points. The branches or arms are parallel, and at equal distances apart, but fixed in such positions in each frame that they may occupy the intervening space when the frames are brought together asfig.436.The frames are put in motion by means of revolving cranks to which they are attached, as shown infig.436., and when the cranks turn upon their axes, the branches of one frame pass between those of the other without touching. This forms what may be called a set of combs; but one of the improved machines contains two such sets, the points of the combs of one set being opposed to the points of the combs in the other set.The way in which the series of combs that compose one set act upon the flax, is shown in the side view,fig.435.When the cranks are nearly vertical, the points of both frames are away from the flax, but as the cranks move round in the direction of the arrows, the frames come into another position, and it is then that the points or heckles of one of the framesa, begin to penetrate the flax, and descending they comb or divide its fibres. The rotation of the cranks continuing, the two framesaandbcome into the position shown atfig.435., the points of the framea, withdrawing from the flax, and those of the frameb, approaching and pushing the fibres off from the former, which are now combed by the descending stroke of the points.It will hence be perceived that as the combs of the frameaandb, respectively advance, they will push forward the whole of the strick of flax, and render it impossible for the fibres to be raised and entangled, as each frame in advancing clears the fibres from the points which preceded it.HecklesA single set, however, of such combs or heckles acting only on one side of the flax, would but imperfectly perform the operation of opening its fibres; it is therefore necessary, in order to accomplish the desired object in the most effectual way, that two such sets of combs or heckles should be brought to act on opposite sides of the strick of flax, which may be done in the manner shown in the figures. The cranks of the two opposite sets of comb-frames or hecklesa,b, andc,d, are connected by a pair of toothed wheelse,f, asfig.437., or by four toothed wheels, by which the heckles are actuated at once, the two sets moving in opposite directions, but with similar speeds, and the combing or heckling of the material will go on in the way shown in the figure last indicated.Thus far I have considered only two frames of combs or heckles constituting a set, as acting upon each side of the strick of flax; but in order to perform a greater quantity of work, several sets may be mounted in one machine, working alongside of each other, extending over the breadth of the machine. The combs may then be supported upon three frames, of which the middle one may have branches or arms extending upon both sides, and the other two frames branches extending inwards only. To drive the frames so arranged they must be connected to treble cranks.Such is the principle of the improved machine for combing or heckling, exhibited in the several figures of which I now proceed to describe the particular construction. The machine or engine,fig.432., has four sets of combs, acting both at the back and front of the flax;a bare the front set of combs, andc d, the back set of combs;e e e, are the clamps holding the stricks of flax previously scutched, which clamps hang upon the edge-rail. The comb frames are attached at top and bottom to the cranksg g, which are all connected by toothed geer, and driven by a band and rigger.The combs or heckles being put in motion in the way described, act upon the suspended stricks of flax, and upon their fibres, as explained; which stricks are progressively conducted through the machine by their clamps sliding upon the edge-rail through the agency of the endless chain, to which the clamps are severally attached, by a hook falling into one of the links. The chain is driven by a spur wheel upon the axle of a bevel wheel, which receives a slow rotatory motion through a bevel pinion on the axis of a similar wheel, actuated by another pinion on the end of the upper crank axle. By these means, clamps, with the stricks of flax placed on the edge-rail, are slowly carried through the machine, when the flax will be gradually acted upon first by heckle points of a coarse kind, set wide apart, and ultimately by finer points set near together; after which, the clamp with the strick of flax is discharged from the machine, at the reverse end of the edge-rail. But should the workman neglect to remove the holder or clamp, when it arrives at the end of the rail, the machine would be stopped by means of a jointed lever, having a fork at its end, which pushes the band from the fast rigger on to the loose one, and throws off the driving power.As the combs or heckles, in acting upon the flax to divide its fibres, tear parts of the fibres, and reduce them into tow, the downward motion of the heckles brings the tow with them out of the flax, which is deposited between two fluted rollersp p,fig.432., and is by them conducted down to the large drumq, where it becomes lapped in two endless sheets round the periphery of the drum; the one of coarse tow, the other of fine, the adhesion being assisted by a pressing rollerr; and when a quantity of the tow has been thus accumulated round the periphery of the drum, it may be removed thence by cutting it off in sheets. The fluted rollers, and also the large drum, are driven by geer bands.After the strick of flax has been thus carried through the scutching machine or the heckling machine, the jaws of the clamps are to be opened, the ends of the flax reversed, and the strick again confined in the clamps, so that the other end of the strick may be operated upon in a similar way. In order to prevent any part of the flax from attaching itself to the branches of the movable frames, each frame is furnished with a shield or guard of polished iron or brass plate, which covers a part of the combs and the heads of the screws by which they are fixed to the branches. When the plate metal is bent into the form of a shield, it is slipped on to the branches of the heckle frames, and is sufficiently elastic to hold fast.But it is to be observed, that the edges of the shields are to vary in the extent of their projection according to the situation in which they are to be placed; those which are to shield the upper branches of heckles are to project but little, so as to leave the points uncovered and free to enter the strick of flax; but the shields of the lower heckles are to project considerably over the points, to prevent them from penetrating too far into the fibres, which is so contrived for the purpose of facilitating the falling of the tow, which would otherwise be with difficulty removed from the lower combs, were it thrust upon the whole length of the points.It being advantageous that each strick of flax should be combed near the lower extremities before the middle is acted upon, it is necessary, in order to obtain this effect, to remove some of the points of the combs in the upper branches. By these means, the operation of the heckles upon the flax begins and proceeds gradually, and ceases at the opposite extremity of the machine in the same gradual way, which is very advantageous in clearing completely the flax from the tow.IV.Flax spinning.—If we compare flax with other spinning materials, such as wool and cotton, we shall find it to possess several characteristic properties. While cotton and wool are presented by nature in the form of insulated fibres, the former requiring merely to be separated from its seeds, and the latter to be purified from dirt and grease before being delivered to the spinner, flax must have its filaments separated from eachother by tedious and painful treatment. In reference to the spinning and the subsequent operations, the following properties of flax are influential and important:—1. The considerable length of the fibres, which renders it difficult, on the one hand, to form a fine, level, regular thread, on the other, gives the yarn a considerably greater tenacity, so that it cannot be broken by pulling out the threads from each other, but by tearing them across.2. The smooth and slim structure of the filaments, which gives to linen its peculiar polished aspect, and feel so different from cotton, and especially from woollen stuffs, unless when disguised by dressing. The fibres of flax have no mutual entanglement, whereby one can draw out another as with wool, and they must therefore be made adhesive by moisture. This wetting of the fibres renders them more pliant and easier to twist together.3. The small degree of elasticity, by which the simple fibres can be stretched only one twenty-fifth of their natural length before they break, while sheep’s wool will stretch from one-fourth to one half before it gives way.Good flax should have a bright silver gray or yellowish colour (inclining neither to green nor black); it should be long, fine, soft, and glistening, somewhat like silk, and contain no broad tape-like portions, from undissevered filaments. Tow differs from flax in having shorter fibres, of very unequal length, and more or less entangled. Hemp agrees in its properties essentially with flax, and must be similarly treated in the spinning processes.The manufacture of linen and hemp yarn, and the tow of either, may be effected by different processes; by the distaff, the hand-wheel, and spinning machinery. It will be unnecessary to occupy the pages of this volume with a description of the first two well known domestic employments. I shall therefore proceed directly to describe the last method, orSpinning of Flax by Machinery.—This branch of manufacture has been much more recently brought to a practical state than the spinning of cotton and wool by machines, of which the cause must be sought for in the nature of flax as above described. The first attempts at the machine spinning of flax, went upon the principle of cutting the filaments into short fragments before beginning the operation. But in this way the most valuable property of linen yarn, its cohesive force, was greatly impaired; or these attempts were restricted to the spinning of tow, which on account of its short and somewhat tortuous fibres, could be treated like cotton, especially after it had been further torn by the carding engine. The first tolerably good results with machinery seem to have been obtained by the brothers Girard at Paris, about the year 1810. But the French have never carried the apparatus to any great practical perfection. The towns of Leeds in Yorkshire, of Dundee in Scotland, and Belfast in Ireland, have the merit of bringing the spinning of flax by machines into a state of perfection little short of that for which the cotton trade has been so long celebrated.For machine spinning, the flax is sometimes heckled by hand, and sometimes by machinery. The series of operations is the following:—1. The heckling.2. The conversion of the flax into a band of parallel rectilinear filaments, which forms the foundation of the future yarn.3. The formation of a sliver from the riband, by drawing it out into a narrower range of filaments.4. The coarse spinning, by twisting the sliver into a coarse and loose thread.5. The fine spinning, by the simultaneous extension and twisting of that coarse thread.The spinning of tow requires a different treatment: we shall first treat of the heckling of flax by machines; and secondly, of the mechanical spinning of flax. The mechanicalcardingandspinningof tow are very similar to those of cotton; which see. Though machine heckling be far from perfect, yet the tow it throws off can be spun into very good yarn by machines, while it would afford very indifferent yarn to the hand spinner.All heckle machines have this common property, that the flax is not drawn through them, as in working by hand, but on the contrary, the system of heckles is moved through the flax properly suspended or laid. Differences exist in the shape, arrangement, and movements of the heckles, as also in regard to the means by which the adhering tow is removed from them. The simplest and most common construction is to place the heckles upon the surface of a horizontal cylinder, while the flax is held either by mechanical means or by the hand during its exposure to the heckle points. Many machines have been made upon this principle. It is proper in this case to set the heckle teeth obliquely in the direction in which the cylinder turns, whereby they penetrate the fibres in a more parallel line, effect their separation more easily, and cause less waste in torn filaments. To conduct the flax upon the cylinders, two horizontal fluted rollers of iron are employed, which can be so modified in a moment by a lever as to present the flax more or less to the heckling mechanism. The operator seizes a tress lock offlax with her hand and introduces it between the fluted rollers, so that the tips on which the operation must begin, reach the heckles first, and by degrees the advancing flax gets heckled through two-thirds or three-fourths of its length, after which the tress or strick is turned, and its other end is subjected to the same process. By its somewhat rapid revolution the heckle cylinder creates a current of air which not only carries away the boomy particles, but also spreads out the flax like a sheaf of corn upon the spikes, effecting the same object as is done by the dexterous swing of the hand. The tow collects betwixt the teeth of the heckle, and may, when its quantity has become considerable, be removed in the form of a flock of parallel layers.HeckleThe essential parts of such a construction will be understood fromfig.438., though the fluted rollers are absent. The flaxa,b, is held by the hand, or in a kind of clamp. The cylinder is partly covered with a curvilinear plate of ironc,d, which serves to sustain the flax, and to guide it in circular tresses round the periphery of the heckle. At the beginning it is placed nearb, when the tips of the flax are only presented to the heckles; during the working the shield is continually drawn back in the direction fromdtoc, and thus lets the operation be performed upon the remaining part of the flax.HeckleHeckleHeckleFirst operation; the conversion of flax into ribands or slivers.—This is effected by subjecting the flax to a series of advancing gills or heckle-teeth, and at the same time drawing out its fibres by means of rollers.Figs.439,440,441, show the outline of the constructionof a machine for this purpose. Here two rows of heckles are placed alongside of each other, though only one of them be shown in the ground plan,fig.440., in order to allow the parts beneath the other to be seen. The flax is placed in the sheet iron channelsa a, by laying down one handful after another, so that the points of the second strick reach to only the middle of the first, and thus preserve a uniformity of thickness in the feeding. This process is necessary, since, as every one knows, the heckled stricks are always thick in the middle, and thin at the ends. The flax being introduced between the rollersbandc, is drawn out by their agency, and at the same time subdivided by the hecklesd, between whose teeth the pins of the rollerepress it down. At the rollersf3it is loosened from the heckles by the transverse bars which rise from the springsg, after which it is seized by the rollersh i, and drawn again. A little beyond these rollers, it runs through a funnell, in order to gather the fibres together; in front of these rollers the slivers from both rows of heckles are united, and proceed in one riband through that polished brass funnel; the rollersm nextend this riband, pressing it gently together, and then let it fall into a tin can. The union of the two slivers contributes to the uniformity, since the irregular thicknesses are thereby compensated. The diameter of the rollerc, is equal to that of each of the cylindersf,f1,f2,f3; and the whole five move with equal velocity. The same correspondence exists between the rollersnandi. Thus the sliver of flax is not stretched either by its passage frome, upon the heckles, nor betweeniandn, but solely in passing from the heckles to the rollersi h. The heckle teeth of this machine do not stand perpendicularly, but are bent somewhat backwards; so as to retain the flax more firmly. The revolving cylindrical brusho, is placed over and a little in front of the pressing rollerh, in order to take off all the filaments of flax adhering to their circumference, and to toss them onwards where they may again unite with the slivers. For the sake of perspicuity, the rollersh, and those brushes are left out infig.440., but the latter are particularly shown infig.442., while a portion of their axisq, is however shown infig.440.The pressure of the cylinderh, upon the cylinderi, is produced by the weightr,fig.439., which hangs upon the levers; the lever pulls down att, a vertical rod, whose upper hook-shaped end embraces the axis ofhin the middle of its length.BrushesSecond principal operation; the formation of rovings.—Mr. Wordsworth’s improvements in machinery for preparing, drawing, and roving flax, hemp, wool, and other fibrous substances, consists in a novel contrivance or mechanism to be adapted to the machine commonly called the gill, employed for preparing, drawing, and roving flax and hemp, and for combing and spinning long wool; which improvements allow the points of the travelling heckles to continue longer in operation than in the ordinary construction of gill, and cause the heckle points to be withdrawn from the fibres at the end of the stroke without the possibility of their drawing the fibres down with them.Flax roverFlax roverFlax roverThe manner of effecting this object will be seen by reference to the several figures which exhibit a gill on this improved plan in different views.Fig.443.is a plan or horizontal view, exhibiting the upper surface of the machine; andfig.444.is a longitudinal section taken through the middle of the machine:fig.445.is a representation of the front of the machine, but in which several parts have been removed to show the action of the heckles more perfectly.HecklesThe several hecklesa a aare formed by a series of needles or heckle points set into a metal bar, as represented on an enlarged scale infigs.446.and447.These bars are each of them suspended in a frame or carriageb b b(shown in two views atfigs.448.and449.), by means of double jointed leversc c, seen in two positions, atfigs.450.and451.; the heckle bar, its levers and carriage or frame, being shown put together infigs.452.and453.When the heckles are in operation, the points are raised, as infig.452.; but when they are withdrawn from the fibres, then the points are sunk down into the carrying frames, asfig.453.These two positions of the heckles are produced by the knobs or partsd, that projectfrom the jointed leversc, acting against the edges of guide bars, which will be explained in describing the operations of the machine.The several heckles are adapted and made to work in the machine by attaching the ends of the respective frames or carriagesb, to travelling endless chainse e, seen infigs.443.,444., and445.These endless chains pass over fluted guide rollersf f, seen best infigs.444.and445., and over horizontal barsg g, seen best infigs.443.and444.The chains with the heckles are driven through the machine by rotatory spur wheelsh h; seefigs.443.and444., the teeth of which take into the spaces between the cylindrical parts of the several heckle carriagesb b, and consequently drive the heckles forward; and these spur wheels are actuated by a train of toothed geer from the first driving shafti, which gives motion to all the operative parts of the machine.If flax, hemp, long wool, or other fibrous material, be passed into the machine at the back part by a feeding cloth or creeper through a guidek, best seen infigs.443.and444., and be conducted under and over the feeding rollersl,m, andn, and over the hecklesa a ato the drawing rollersoandp, and thence to the flyer and bobbin, or to a receiving can, the fibres will be opened in their progress, and combed by the points of the heckles entering into and separating the fibres, the material being drawn by a different speed to that with which the heckles travel.This operation of preparing, drawing, and roving flax and hemp, and the general construction of a machine of this kind being well understood, it is not necessary to explain its details, excepting as respects those parts which constitute the present improvements.It will be perceived, by reference tofigs.443.and444., that the knobsd, which project from the jointed leversc, as they travel along the machine, bear against the outer edges of the two fixed guide barsq qthat extend along the top of the machine abovethe heckles, which keep the heckle points raised, as infig.451.This will also be very evidently seen in the front view of the machine,fig.445., where the upper heckle barais raised in its carriageb, by the knobsd dbearing against the outer edges of these guide barsq q. But when the endless chainse e, which support and conduct the frames or carriages of the heckles, have advanced the heckle points to within a very little distance of the drawing rollers (seefig.444.) then the knobdof the jointed levers at each end of the heckle bar passes the ends of the guide barsq q, and they immediately come in contact with two inclined planesr r, seen infigs.443.and444., which instantly depress the leversc, and consequently cause the heckle bara, with its points to descend in the frame or carriageb, withdrawing the points from the fibres of the material almost in a perpendicular direction.The heckles that have become thus depressed pass with their carriages by the traversing of the endless chains along the under part of the machine, and when they arrive at the back, and begin to rise, the guide barsq q, being at their commencement slightly bent, conduct the knobsbof the leverscuntil they are forced back into the positions first described, whereby the heckle points are raised, as they come to the upper part of the machine, into effective operation. The fibres of material operated upon, after passing through the drawing process between the rollers, may be roved, twisted, or spun, by the employment of a bobbin and flyer, as shown infig.444., or may be delivered into a can, to be roved, twisted, or spun, by other machinery, by substituting a pair of conducting rollers instead of the bobbin and flyer, which shall conduct the sliver of material into a tin can below.The descent of the hecklesa, into their framesb, by the falling of the leversc,c, precludes the possibility of the fibres of the material operated upon being carried down under the machine by the points, as frequently happens in gill machines of the ordinary construction; and this mode of mounting the heckles and traversing them with the assistance of the guide barsq,q, and inclined planesr,r, allows the heckle points to be brought much nearer to the drawing rollerso,p, by means of the metal bars in which the heckle points or needles are set, falling below the centre of the endless chaine,e, as shown infigs.443.and444., and thereby affords the means of preparing, drawing, and roving various qualities of flax, hemp, wool and other fibrous materials, particularly such as have a much shorter staple than any fibrous materials hitherto operated upon in gill machinery.Another most ingenious and effective improvement made of late years in the flax spinning machinery, is that patented by Messrs. Westley and Lawson, in August 1833, and since then introduced into practice with great advantage. It applies to thegillor mechanism employed for opening, straightening, and separating the fibres of flax, hemp, and long wool in the operation of slivering. The peculiar feature here is a method of driving the heckle bars through the gill machine by means of perpetual screws or worm shafts, instead of by chains and spur wheels, as in the former constructions.The heckle bars which lie across the machine, are, by the present patentees, supported at their ends by fixed horizontal guide rails, on which they slide, while the extremities of the heckle bars are inserted in the helical grooves of the worm shafts, which are placed in horizontal positions at the sides of the machine; and hence the rotatory motions given to these screw shafts, cause the heckle bars to be driven along the guide rails with an uniform simultaneous movement.The heckle bars having performed their usual office, that is, having combed and separated the fibres of the material as they move onward, are at the front part of the machine depressed and put out of operation by means of rotatory cams; and by the assistance of guide levers, each heckle bar, when it arrives at the end of the upper horizontal guide rail, is conducted down to the lower horizontal guide rails, where the extremities of the comb-bars falling into the helical grooves of a lower pair of worm shafts, revolving in an opposite direction to the former, thereby give the heckle bars a retrograde movement. When they arrive at the back end of their horizontal guide rails, they are, by similar rotatory cams, raised again to the upper horizontal guide rails, which coming into geer with the upper worm shafts, are moved onwards as at first.By this means a succession of heckles is continually advancing upon the upper guide rails, having their points in constant operation between the fibres of the textile materials, while their vertical position is secured during their whole course.Gill machineGill machineGill machineFig.454.is a horizontal representation of a gill machine, shewing the present improvements; but some of the upper portions of the machine are removed, to let the working parts be seen more clearly.Fig.455.is a side view of the gill; andfig.456.a vertical section taken longitudinally. The driving rigger or pulleya, is fixed upon the front rollerb, commonly called the drawing roller, because when pressed upon by the upper wooden rollerc, it draws out the fibres between them. The rollersd,e,f, are the ordinary back or holding rollers, for retaining the fibres, while they suffer powerful tractionby the rollersb,c, over the needles or points of the heckle bars. The upper guide rail above mentioned, upon which the heckle bars slide, is shown atg, infig.456., and the lower guide rail ath; the series of heckle bars with their needles are represented ati,i,i,i,i,i; the upper worm shaftsk,k, are mounted in brackets made fast to the sides of the frame; a similar pair of worm shaftsl, being mounted in like manner below. These worm shaftskandl, on each side are connected together by toothed wheelsm, and upon the axles of the lower worm shafts, bevelled pinionsnare fixed, which take into corresponding bevel pinions on the transverse shaft or axleo. This shafto, being connected by a train of toothed wheel work with the axle of the drawing rollerb, as shown infigs.454.and455., the rotation of the rollerb, causes the shaftoto turn also, and the bevel geernando, produce the rotatory motion of the worm shaftskandl, which turn in contrary directions.It will be seen, fromfig.454., that the ends of the heckle barsi, have nibs or projections which fall into the grooves of the screw or worm shaft, and that being supported below, upon their guide rails, as the worm-shaftsk krevolve, the upper range of heckle bars will be progressively advanced towards the front part of the machine. By referring tofig.456.it will be perceived, that as each heckle bar arrives at the front end of the guide railg, a fingerp, called a tappet or cam, on the shaftk, strikes it down to the lower guide railsh; and, in order that its descent may be truly vertical, weighted leversq q, in front, are made to press against the face of the heckle bar as it descends. This bar having now arrived at the lower guide railsh, lets fall its nibs into the grooves of the lower worm shaftsl, by whose rotation the heckle bar is made to retrograde, or return towards the back of the machine. When the heckle bar has reached the hinder end of the guide railh, a finger or tappet,r, on the lower worm shaft, comes under it and raises the heckle bar, guided by the back-weighted leverss, as shown infig.456., till it is elevated to the level of the upper guide railg; when the threads of the upper worm-shafts take hold of its nibs as before, and conduct it forward upon the guide rail in theway already described. Thus the continued rotation of the worm shaftsk k, andl l, causes the whole series of heckle bars to travel along the guide rails, and the tappetspandr, by alternately depressing and raising them at the ends of the said rails, cause them to move in a regular circuit, yet so as to preserve their verticality.The claim made under this patent is, for every mode in which screw or worm shafts may be adapted to conduct the bars carrying the needles or heckle-teeth through a machine for preparing, drawing, or roving textile fibres.In December 1835, Messrs. Hope and Dewhurst obtained a patent for improvements in the manufacture of flax, which deserve notice. These are of both a chemical and mechanical nature. The first consists in steeping the flax in dilute sulphuric acid, of a certain strength, and for a certain time, proportioned to the quality of the fibres, the coarser requiring the stronger application. By this means the gummy matter and the outer shell will be loosened and easily detached. It is then to be passed between squeezing rollers, afterwards well washed, boiled in a solution of soap and water for a few hours, and finally passed again through the rollers. These processes may be repeated till the flax acquires the desired glossiness and separation of fibres. It is next to be beaten, and passed once or twice over an ordinary heckle or stiff brush.
Scutching machine
Fig.428.represents the scutching or swingling machine, in different positions.Fig.428.is an end view of the machine in operation;fig.429.is a front view of the same. The essential parts of the machine, and those in which the invention especially consists, are two pairs of revolving beaters or scutchers, each formed by long ribs or blades mounted upon arms. The blades of the beatersa a, may be made of ribs of hard wood, or other suitable material, broad but thin, and slightly rounded on their edges, to prevent their cutting the fibres of the flax or hemp when they strike it. The two blades are placed parallel to each other, and mounted upon a hexagonal frame, the armsb binclining or forming obtuse angles with the blades, and from the middle of the arms short axlesc c, extend, upon which the beaters revolve.
The axles of both pairs of beaters are mounted in plummer boxes, bearing upon horizontal rails at the ends of the machine, as shown infig.428., and are at such distance apart as will allow of the arms and the beaters of each pair passing alternately within those of the other pair as they revolve in opposite directions, which they are enabled to do without coming in contact, in consequence of the inclination of the arms.
On the axle at one end of each pair of beaters a toothed wheeld, is affixed, and these wheels being of similar diameters, and taking into each other, cause the beaters to revolve with similar speed in opposite directions, rotatory motion being given to them by a band and rigger fixed upon one of the axles; and in order that the beaters in revolving may not come in contact as they pass, the positions of the two pairs are so arranged that the blades of one shall be in a perpendicular situation, while those of the other are horizontal.
The rind of the flax or hemp having been previously broken by any of the ordinary modes of performing that operation, small bunches or stricks of the material are spread out, and their ends confined between the jaws of clamps or holders.
Clamps
These clamps or holders differ considerably from the clamps which are commonly used. I shall therefore particularly describe their construction, before showing them in operation.Fig.430.and431.are views of the clamp in two different positions;aandbare two boards united together by a hingec, at top, which of course allows them to shut and open. The lower parts, forming the jaws of the clamps, are made with teeth or indentations, between which parts the ends of the flax or hemp are securely held when the clamps are brought together;d d, are two pieces projecting from the boardb, at the end of each of which is an eye shown by dots, and at the back of the boarda, (seefig.430.,) there is a double armed levere, turning upon a fixed pinf, which lever carries two circular wedgesg g. These wedges pass into the eyes of the piecesd d, when the clamps are closed, and hold them fast. There is a segment ratcheth, at the upper part of the boarda, which turns upon a studi, and is pressed downward by a springk. This ratchet receives the end of the levere, and consequently keeps the circular wedges firm in the eyes, which hold the clamps securely together, and prevents their opening by the shaking of the machine.
When it is required to open the clamps, the ratchethmust be raised, and the leverepushed aside by its handlel, which draws the circular wedgesffrom the eyes of the piecesd d, and the boards of the clamps immediately separate. For the convenience of suspending the holders in the machines, a piece of sheet ironm, is bent at right angles, and fastened to the back of the boardb, as seen infig.431., forming a groove by means of which the holders are enabled to slide into the machine and hang there.
These clamps or holders are, when charged with the material, placed in the scutching machine, as shown ate e einfigs.428.and429., bearing upon the edge-rail or barf. The beaters are now made to revolve in the manner already described, by which the edges of the blades will strike against the pendent stricks of flax or hemp alternately on each side, and beat off, scutch or swingle the boom from the material, and render it fit for the operation of heckling which is to follow.
The whole machine is encased with boards, to prevent the inconvenience arising from dust, and an apparatus might be adapted with a blower to conduct away the dust created by the machine, and to discharge it out of the building.
In introducing these stricks of flax or hemp into the machine, the holder is placed upon the projecting end of the bar or edge-railf, and is thence slidden into the machine; and after the material has been sufficiently scutched or swingled, the holders with the stricks are removed through the top of the machine, and others successively introduced at the end, and pushed along the rail.
If, however, it should be thought desirable, the stricks may be progressively carried through the scutching machine, and delivered into a similar edge-rail in the heckling machine, there to be operated upon in the way about to be described, by which means the whole process of scutching and heckling may go on without interruption.
Heckling machine
Fig.432.represents the heckling or combing machine by which the fibres of the material are to be opened, and the tow removed. It is a transverse section, taken nearly through the middle, in a vertical direction. Perpendicular standards form the ends of the machine, which are connected together by longitudinal rods or bars secured by nuts. The heckle points intended to act upon the flax are mounted in the framesa,b,c, andd, and the stricks of flax held in the clampse,e,e, as described, are suspended from the bar or edge-rail extending through the machine.
In order to render the principles of this machine and its mode of working evident, it may be desirable to show in an abstract form the manner in which the heckles are brought into operation upon the flax, and for this purpose two diagrams are delineated infigs.433, 434.
Suppose two sets of combs or heckle points be mounted upon framesaandb, as in these figures, each frame being moveable by means of cranksc,c, andd,d, connected in such manner that they both turn with the same speed in opposite directions, it is evident that every part of the frames and combs will move in circles corresponding to those described by the cranks; the points of the combs travelling in the directions of the arrows, and in circles represented by dots.
Heckles
During this movement, whilst performing the first descending quarter of the circle, the cranks bring the frames together as infig.433.They begin after this to separate in describing the second descending quarter, and come to the positionfig.434., when, continuing to revolve, they move further from each other in describing the first ascending quarter of the circle, and arrive at the position where the distance is the greatest; lastly, they describe the second ascending quarter returning to the third position. If, therefore, a strick of flax be suspended between the two sets of combs as infig.433., and the rotatory motion be continued for a sufficient length of time, the flax will be combed in the whole length which is submitted to the actions of the combs, although the points severally have only operated in very small space.
Such a system of combs or heckles would make a very good and simple heckling engine, if it were not for the inconvenience experienced by the points dragging some of the fibres with them when withdrawing from the flax, which would produce a great waste of material; and to obviate this it would be necessary to introduce some contrivance for clearing the points, which must be attended with considerable complication. The plan, however, of the present improved engine, affords the means of producing the same effect by more simple and efficient means.
Combs
There are two series of combs, seefig.435., attached to two movable frames represented ataandb. Each frame is formed by vertical barsa b, with lateral branches or arms, which carry the heckle points. The branches or arms are parallel, and at equal distances apart, but fixed in such positions in each frame that they may occupy the intervening space when the frames are brought together asfig.436.The frames are put in motion by means of revolving cranks to which they are attached, as shown infig.436., and when the cranks turn upon their axes, the branches of one frame pass between those of the other without touching. This forms what may be called a set of combs; but one of the improved machines contains two such sets, the points of the combs of one set being opposed to the points of the combs in the other set.
The way in which the series of combs that compose one set act upon the flax, is shown in the side view,fig.435.When the cranks are nearly vertical, the points of both frames are away from the flax, but as the cranks move round in the direction of the arrows, the frames come into another position, and it is then that the points or heckles of one of the framesa, begin to penetrate the flax, and descending they comb or divide its fibres. The rotation of the cranks continuing, the two framesaandbcome into the position shown atfig.435., the points of the framea, withdrawing from the flax, and those of the frameb, approaching and pushing the fibres off from the former, which are now combed by the descending stroke of the points.
It will hence be perceived that as the combs of the frameaandb, respectively advance, they will push forward the whole of the strick of flax, and render it impossible for the fibres to be raised and entangled, as each frame in advancing clears the fibres from the points which preceded it.
Heckles
A single set, however, of such combs or heckles acting only on one side of the flax, would but imperfectly perform the operation of opening its fibres; it is therefore necessary, in order to accomplish the desired object in the most effectual way, that two such sets of combs or heckles should be brought to act on opposite sides of the strick of flax, which may be done in the manner shown in the figures. The cranks of the two opposite sets of comb-frames or hecklesa,b, andc,d, are connected by a pair of toothed wheelse,f, asfig.437., or by four toothed wheels, by which the heckles are actuated at once, the two sets moving in opposite directions, but with similar speeds, and the combing or heckling of the material will go on in the way shown in the figure last indicated.
Thus far I have considered only two frames of combs or heckles constituting a set, as acting upon each side of the strick of flax; but in order to perform a greater quantity of work, several sets may be mounted in one machine, working alongside of each other, extending over the breadth of the machine. The combs may then be supported upon three frames, of which the middle one may have branches or arms extending upon both sides, and the other two frames branches extending inwards only. To drive the frames so arranged they must be connected to treble cranks.
Such is the principle of the improved machine for combing or heckling, exhibited in the several figures of which I now proceed to describe the particular construction. The machine or engine,fig.432., has four sets of combs, acting both at the back and front of the flax;a bare the front set of combs, andc d, the back set of combs;e e e, are the clamps holding the stricks of flax previously scutched, which clamps hang upon the edge-rail. The comb frames are attached at top and bottom to the cranksg g, which are all connected by toothed geer, and driven by a band and rigger.
The combs or heckles being put in motion in the way described, act upon the suspended stricks of flax, and upon their fibres, as explained; which stricks are progressively conducted through the machine by their clamps sliding upon the edge-rail through the agency of the endless chain, to which the clamps are severally attached, by a hook falling into one of the links. The chain is driven by a spur wheel upon the axle of a bevel wheel, which receives a slow rotatory motion through a bevel pinion on the axis of a similar wheel, actuated by another pinion on the end of the upper crank axle. By these means, clamps, with the stricks of flax placed on the edge-rail, are slowly carried through the machine, when the flax will be gradually acted upon first by heckle points of a coarse kind, set wide apart, and ultimately by finer points set near together; after which, the clamp with the strick of flax is discharged from the machine, at the reverse end of the edge-rail. But should the workman neglect to remove the holder or clamp, when it arrives at the end of the rail, the machine would be stopped by means of a jointed lever, having a fork at its end, which pushes the band from the fast rigger on to the loose one, and throws off the driving power.
As the combs or heckles, in acting upon the flax to divide its fibres, tear parts of the fibres, and reduce them into tow, the downward motion of the heckles brings the tow with them out of the flax, which is deposited between two fluted rollersp p,fig.432., and is by them conducted down to the large drumq, where it becomes lapped in two endless sheets round the periphery of the drum; the one of coarse tow, the other of fine, the adhesion being assisted by a pressing rollerr; and when a quantity of the tow has been thus accumulated round the periphery of the drum, it may be removed thence by cutting it off in sheets. The fluted rollers, and also the large drum, are driven by geer bands.
After the strick of flax has been thus carried through the scutching machine or the heckling machine, the jaws of the clamps are to be opened, the ends of the flax reversed, and the strick again confined in the clamps, so that the other end of the strick may be operated upon in a similar way. In order to prevent any part of the flax from attaching itself to the branches of the movable frames, each frame is furnished with a shield or guard of polished iron or brass plate, which covers a part of the combs and the heads of the screws by which they are fixed to the branches. When the plate metal is bent into the form of a shield, it is slipped on to the branches of the heckle frames, and is sufficiently elastic to hold fast.
But it is to be observed, that the edges of the shields are to vary in the extent of their projection according to the situation in which they are to be placed; those which are to shield the upper branches of heckles are to project but little, so as to leave the points uncovered and free to enter the strick of flax; but the shields of the lower heckles are to project considerably over the points, to prevent them from penetrating too far into the fibres, which is so contrived for the purpose of facilitating the falling of the tow, which would otherwise be with difficulty removed from the lower combs, were it thrust upon the whole length of the points.
It being advantageous that each strick of flax should be combed near the lower extremities before the middle is acted upon, it is necessary, in order to obtain this effect, to remove some of the points of the combs in the upper branches. By these means, the operation of the heckles upon the flax begins and proceeds gradually, and ceases at the opposite extremity of the machine in the same gradual way, which is very advantageous in clearing completely the flax from the tow.
IV.Flax spinning.—If we compare flax with other spinning materials, such as wool and cotton, we shall find it to possess several characteristic properties. While cotton and wool are presented by nature in the form of insulated fibres, the former requiring merely to be separated from its seeds, and the latter to be purified from dirt and grease before being delivered to the spinner, flax must have its filaments separated from eachother by tedious and painful treatment. In reference to the spinning and the subsequent operations, the following properties of flax are influential and important:—
1. The considerable length of the fibres, which renders it difficult, on the one hand, to form a fine, level, regular thread, on the other, gives the yarn a considerably greater tenacity, so that it cannot be broken by pulling out the threads from each other, but by tearing them across.
2. The smooth and slim structure of the filaments, which gives to linen its peculiar polished aspect, and feel so different from cotton, and especially from woollen stuffs, unless when disguised by dressing. The fibres of flax have no mutual entanglement, whereby one can draw out another as with wool, and they must therefore be made adhesive by moisture. This wetting of the fibres renders them more pliant and easier to twist together.
3. The small degree of elasticity, by which the simple fibres can be stretched only one twenty-fifth of their natural length before they break, while sheep’s wool will stretch from one-fourth to one half before it gives way.
Good flax should have a bright silver gray or yellowish colour (inclining neither to green nor black); it should be long, fine, soft, and glistening, somewhat like silk, and contain no broad tape-like portions, from undissevered filaments. Tow differs from flax in having shorter fibres, of very unequal length, and more or less entangled. Hemp agrees in its properties essentially with flax, and must be similarly treated in the spinning processes.
The manufacture of linen and hemp yarn, and the tow of either, may be effected by different processes; by the distaff, the hand-wheel, and spinning machinery. It will be unnecessary to occupy the pages of this volume with a description of the first two well known domestic employments. I shall therefore proceed directly to describe the last method, or
Spinning of Flax by Machinery.—This branch of manufacture has been much more recently brought to a practical state than the spinning of cotton and wool by machines, of which the cause must be sought for in the nature of flax as above described. The first attempts at the machine spinning of flax, went upon the principle of cutting the filaments into short fragments before beginning the operation. But in this way the most valuable property of linen yarn, its cohesive force, was greatly impaired; or these attempts were restricted to the spinning of tow, which on account of its short and somewhat tortuous fibres, could be treated like cotton, especially after it had been further torn by the carding engine. The first tolerably good results with machinery seem to have been obtained by the brothers Girard at Paris, about the year 1810. But the French have never carried the apparatus to any great practical perfection. The towns of Leeds in Yorkshire, of Dundee in Scotland, and Belfast in Ireland, have the merit of bringing the spinning of flax by machines into a state of perfection little short of that for which the cotton trade has been so long celebrated.
For machine spinning, the flax is sometimes heckled by hand, and sometimes by machinery. The series of operations is the following:—
1. The heckling.
2. The conversion of the flax into a band of parallel rectilinear filaments, which forms the foundation of the future yarn.
3. The formation of a sliver from the riband, by drawing it out into a narrower range of filaments.
4. The coarse spinning, by twisting the sliver into a coarse and loose thread.
5. The fine spinning, by the simultaneous extension and twisting of that coarse thread.
The spinning of tow requires a different treatment: we shall first treat of the heckling of flax by machines; and secondly, of the mechanical spinning of flax. The mechanicalcardingandspinningof tow are very similar to those of cotton; which see. Though machine heckling be far from perfect, yet the tow it throws off can be spun into very good yarn by machines, while it would afford very indifferent yarn to the hand spinner.
All heckle machines have this common property, that the flax is not drawn through them, as in working by hand, but on the contrary, the system of heckles is moved through the flax properly suspended or laid. Differences exist in the shape, arrangement, and movements of the heckles, as also in regard to the means by which the adhering tow is removed from them. The simplest and most common construction is to place the heckles upon the surface of a horizontal cylinder, while the flax is held either by mechanical means or by the hand during its exposure to the heckle points. Many machines have been made upon this principle. It is proper in this case to set the heckle teeth obliquely in the direction in which the cylinder turns, whereby they penetrate the fibres in a more parallel line, effect their separation more easily, and cause less waste in torn filaments. To conduct the flax upon the cylinders, two horizontal fluted rollers of iron are employed, which can be so modified in a moment by a lever as to present the flax more or less to the heckling mechanism. The operator seizes a tress lock offlax with her hand and introduces it between the fluted rollers, so that the tips on which the operation must begin, reach the heckles first, and by degrees the advancing flax gets heckled through two-thirds or three-fourths of its length, after which the tress or strick is turned, and its other end is subjected to the same process. By its somewhat rapid revolution the heckle cylinder creates a current of air which not only carries away the boomy particles, but also spreads out the flax like a sheaf of corn upon the spikes, effecting the same object as is done by the dexterous swing of the hand. The tow collects betwixt the teeth of the heckle, and may, when its quantity has become considerable, be removed in the form of a flock of parallel layers.
Heckle
The essential parts of such a construction will be understood fromfig.438., though the fluted rollers are absent. The flaxa,b, is held by the hand, or in a kind of clamp. The cylinder is partly covered with a curvilinear plate of ironc,d, which serves to sustain the flax, and to guide it in circular tresses round the periphery of the heckle. At the beginning it is placed nearb, when the tips of the flax are only presented to the heckles; during the working the shield is continually drawn back in the direction fromdtoc, and thus lets the operation be performed upon the remaining part of the flax.
Heckle
Heckle
Heckle
First operation; the conversion of flax into ribands or slivers.—This is effected by subjecting the flax to a series of advancing gills or heckle-teeth, and at the same time drawing out its fibres by means of rollers.Figs.439,440,441, show the outline of the constructionof a machine for this purpose. Here two rows of heckles are placed alongside of each other, though only one of them be shown in the ground plan,fig.440., in order to allow the parts beneath the other to be seen. The flax is placed in the sheet iron channelsa a, by laying down one handful after another, so that the points of the second strick reach to only the middle of the first, and thus preserve a uniformity of thickness in the feeding. This process is necessary, since, as every one knows, the heckled stricks are always thick in the middle, and thin at the ends. The flax being introduced between the rollersbandc, is drawn out by their agency, and at the same time subdivided by the hecklesd, between whose teeth the pins of the rollerepress it down. At the rollersf3it is loosened from the heckles by the transverse bars which rise from the springsg, after which it is seized by the rollersh i, and drawn again. A little beyond these rollers, it runs through a funnell, in order to gather the fibres together; in front of these rollers the slivers from both rows of heckles are united, and proceed in one riband through that polished brass funnel; the rollersm nextend this riband, pressing it gently together, and then let it fall into a tin can. The union of the two slivers contributes to the uniformity, since the irregular thicknesses are thereby compensated. The diameter of the rollerc, is equal to that of each of the cylindersf,f1,f2,f3; and the whole five move with equal velocity. The same correspondence exists between the rollersnandi. Thus the sliver of flax is not stretched either by its passage frome, upon the heckles, nor betweeniandn, but solely in passing from the heckles to the rollersi h. The heckle teeth of this machine do not stand perpendicularly, but are bent somewhat backwards; so as to retain the flax more firmly. The revolving cylindrical brusho, is placed over and a little in front of the pressing rollerh, in order to take off all the filaments of flax adhering to their circumference, and to toss them onwards where they may again unite with the slivers. For the sake of perspicuity, the rollersh, and those brushes are left out infig.440., but the latter are particularly shown infig.442., while a portion of their axisq, is however shown infig.440.The pressure of the cylinderh, upon the cylinderi, is produced by the weightr,fig.439., which hangs upon the levers; the lever pulls down att, a vertical rod, whose upper hook-shaped end embraces the axis ofhin the middle of its length.
Brushes
Second principal operation; the formation of rovings.—Mr. Wordsworth’s improvements in machinery for preparing, drawing, and roving flax, hemp, wool, and other fibrous substances, consists in a novel contrivance or mechanism to be adapted to the machine commonly called the gill, employed for preparing, drawing, and roving flax and hemp, and for combing and spinning long wool; which improvements allow the points of the travelling heckles to continue longer in operation than in the ordinary construction of gill, and cause the heckle points to be withdrawn from the fibres at the end of the stroke without the possibility of their drawing the fibres down with them.
Flax rover
Flax rover
Flax rover
The manner of effecting this object will be seen by reference to the several figures which exhibit a gill on this improved plan in different views.Fig.443.is a plan or horizontal view, exhibiting the upper surface of the machine; andfig.444.is a longitudinal section taken through the middle of the machine:fig.445.is a representation of the front of the machine, but in which several parts have been removed to show the action of the heckles more perfectly.
Heckles
The several hecklesa a aare formed by a series of needles or heckle points set into a metal bar, as represented on an enlarged scale infigs.446.and447.These bars are each of them suspended in a frame or carriageb b b(shown in two views atfigs.448.and449.), by means of double jointed leversc c, seen in two positions, atfigs.450.and451.; the heckle bar, its levers and carriage or frame, being shown put together infigs.452.and453.
When the heckles are in operation, the points are raised, as infig.452.; but when they are withdrawn from the fibres, then the points are sunk down into the carrying frames, asfig.453.
These two positions of the heckles are produced by the knobs or partsd, that projectfrom the jointed leversc, acting against the edges of guide bars, which will be explained in describing the operations of the machine.
The several heckles are adapted and made to work in the machine by attaching the ends of the respective frames or carriagesb, to travelling endless chainse e, seen infigs.443.,444., and445.These endless chains pass over fluted guide rollersf f, seen best infigs.444.and445., and over horizontal barsg g, seen best infigs.443.and444.The chains with the heckles are driven through the machine by rotatory spur wheelsh h; seefigs.443.and444., the teeth of which take into the spaces between the cylindrical parts of the several heckle carriagesb b, and consequently drive the heckles forward; and these spur wheels are actuated by a train of toothed geer from the first driving shafti, which gives motion to all the operative parts of the machine.
If flax, hemp, long wool, or other fibrous material, be passed into the machine at the back part by a feeding cloth or creeper through a guidek, best seen infigs.443.and444., and be conducted under and over the feeding rollersl,m, andn, and over the hecklesa a ato the drawing rollersoandp, and thence to the flyer and bobbin, or to a receiving can, the fibres will be opened in their progress, and combed by the points of the heckles entering into and separating the fibres, the material being drawn by a different speed to that with which the heckles travel.
This operation of preparing, drawing, and roving flax and hemp, and the general construction of a machine of this kind being well understood, it is not necessary to explain its details, excepting as respects those parts which constitute the present improvements.
It will be perceived, by reference tofigs.443.and444., that the knobsd, which project from the jointed leversc, as they travel along the machine, bear against the outer edges of the two fixed guide barsq qthat extend along the top of the machine abovethe heckles, which keep the heckle points raised, as infig.451.This will also be very evidently seen in the front view of the machine,fig.445., where the upper heckle barais raised in its carriageb, by the knobsd dbearing against the outer edges of these guide barsq q. But when the endless chainse e, which support and conduct the frames or carriages of the heckles, have advanced the heckle points to within a very little distance of the drawing rollers (seefig.444.) then the knobdof the jointed levers at each end of the heckle bar passes the ends of the guide barsq q, and they immediately come in contact with two inclined planesr r, seen infigs.443.and444., which instantly depress the leversc, and consequently cause the heckle bara, with its points to descend in the frame or carriageb, withdrawing the points from the fibres of the material almost in a perpendicular direction.
The heckles that have become thus depressed pass with their carriages by the traversing of the endless chains along the under part of the machine, and when they arrive at the back, and begin to rise, the guide barsq q, being at their commencement slightly bent, conduct the knobsbof the leverscuntil they are forced back into the positions first described, whereby the heckle points are raised, as they come to the upper part of the machine, into effective operation. The fibres of material operated upon, after passing through the drawing process between the rollers, may be roved, twisted, or spun, by the employment of a bobbin and flyer, as shown infig.444., or may be delivered into a can, to be roved, twisted, or spun, by other machinery, by substituting a pair of conducting rollers instead of the bobbin and flyer, which shall conduct the sliver of material into a tin can below.
The descent of the hecklesa, into their framesb, by the falling of the leversc,c, precludes the possibility of the fibres of the material operated upon being carried down under the machine by the points, as frequently happens in gill machines of the ordinary construction; and this mode of mounting the heckles and traversing them with the assistance of the guide barsq,q, and inclined planesr,r, allows the heckle points to be brought much nearer to the drawing rollerso,p, by means of the metal bars in which the heckle points or needles are set, falling below the centre of the endless chaine,e, as shown infigs.443.and444., and thereby affords the means of preparing, drawing, and roving various qualities of flax, hemp, wool and other fibrous materials, particularly such as have a much shorter staple than any fibrous materials hitherto operated upon in gill machinery.
Another most ingenious and effective improvement made of late years in the flax spinning machinery, is that patented by Messrs. Westley and Lawson, in August 1833, and since then introduced into practice with great advantage. It applies to thegillor mechanism employed for opening, straightening, and separating the fibres of flax, hemp, and long wool in the operation of slivering. The peculiar feature here is a method of driving the heckle bars through the gill machine by means of perpetual screws or worm shafts, instead of by chains and spur wheels, as in the former constructions.
The heckle bars which lie across the machine, are, by the present patentees, supported at their ends by fixed horizontal guide rails, on which they slide, while the extremities of the heckle bars are inserted in the helical grooves of the worm shafts, which are placed in horizontal positions at the sides of the machine; and hence the rotatory motions given to these screw shafts, cause the heckle bars to be driven along the guide rails with an uniform simultaneous movement.
The heckle bars having performed their usual office, that is, having combed and separated the fibres of the material as they move onward, are at the front part of the machine depressed and put out of operation by means of rotatory cams; and by the assistance of guide levers, each heckle bar, when it arrives at the end of the upper horizontal guide rail, is conducted down to the lower horizontal guide rails, where the extremities of the comb-bars falling into the helical grooves of a lower pair of worm shafts, revolving in an opposite direction to the former, thereby give the heckle bars a retrograde movement. When they arrive at the back end of their horizontal guide rails, they are, by similar rotatory cams, raised again to the upper horizontal guide rails, which coming into geer with the upper worm shafts, are moved onwards as at first.
By this means a succession of heckles is continually advancing upon the upper guide rails, having their points in constant operation between the fibres of the textile materials, while their vertical position is secured during their whole course.
Gill machine
Gill machine
Gill machine
Fig.454.is a horizontal representation of a gill machine, shewing the present improvements; but some of the upper portions of the machine are removed, to let the working parts be seen more clearly.Fig.455.is a side view of the gill; andfig.456.a vertical section taken longitudinally. The driving rigger or pulleya, is fixed upon the front rollerb, commonly called the drawing roller, because when pressed upon by the upper wooden rollerc, it draws out the fibres between them. The rollersd,e,f, are the ordinary back or holding rollers, for retaining the fibres, while they suffer powerful tractionby the rollersb,c, over the needles or points of the heckle bars. The upper guide rail above mentioned, upon which the heckle bars slide, is shown atg, infig.456., and the lower guide rail ath; the series of heckle bars with their needles are represented ati,i,i,i,i,i; the upper worm shaftsk,k, are mounted in brackets made fast to the sides of the frame; a similar pair of worm shaftsl, being mounted in like manner below. These worm shaftskandl, on each side are connected together by toothed wheelsm, and upon the axles of the lower worm shafts, bevelled pinionsnare fixed, which take into corresponding bevel pinions on the transverse shaft or axleo. This shafto, being connected by a train of toothed wheel work with the axle of the drawing rollerb, as shown infigs.454.and455., the rotation of the rollerb, causes the shaftoto turn also, and the bevel geernando, produce the rotatory motion of the worm shaftskandl, which turn in contrary directions.
It will be seen, fromfig.454., that the ends of the heckle barsi, have nibs or projections which fall into the grooves of the screw or worm shaft, and that being supported below, upon their guide rails, as the worm-shaftsk krevolve, the upper range of heckle bars will be progressively advanced towards the front part of the machine. By referring tofig.456.it will be perceived, that as each heckle bar arrives at the front end of the guide railg, a fingerp, called a tappet or cam, on the shaftk, strikes it down to the lower guide railsh; and, in order that its descent may be truly vertical, weighted leversq q, in front, are made to press against the face of the heckle bar as it descends. This bar having now arrived at the lower guide railsh, lets fall its nibs into the grooves of the lower worm shaftsl, by whose rotation the heckle bar is made to retrograde, or return towards the back of the machine. When the heckle bar has reached the hinder end of the guide railh, a finger or tappet,r, on the lower worm shaft, comes under it and raises the heckle bar, guided by the back-weighted leverss, as shown infig.456., till it is elevated to the level of the upper guide railg; when the threads of the upper worm-shafts take hold of its nibs as before, and conduct it forward upon the guide rail in theway already described. Thus the continued rotation of the worm shaftsk k, andl l, causes the whole series of heckle bars to travel along the guide rails, and the tappetspandr, by alternately depressing and raising them at the ends of the said rails, cause them to move in a regular circuit, yet so as to preserve their verticality.
The claim made under this patent is, for every mode in which screw or worm shafts may be adapted to conduct the bars carrying the needles or heckle-teeth through a machine for preparing, drawing, or roving textile fibres.
In December 1835, Messrs. Hope and Dewhurst obtained a patent for improvements in the manufacture of flax, which deserve notice. These are of both a chemical and mechanical nature. The first consists in steeping the flax in dilute sulphuric acid, of a certain strength, and for a certain time, proportioned to the quality of the fibres, the coarser requiring the stronger application. By this means the gummy matter and the outer shell will be loosened and easily detached. It is then to be passed between squeezing rollers, afterwards well washed, boiled in a solution of soap and water for a few hours, and finally passed again through the rollers. These processes may be repeated till the flax acquires the desired glossiness and separation of fibres. It is next to be beaten, and passed once or twice over an ordinary heckle or stiff brush.