Second principal operation; the formation of rovings

—Mr. Words worth’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heckles to continue longer in operation than in the ordinary construction of gill, and cause the heckle points to be withdrawn from the fibres at the end of the stroke without the po ibility of their drawing the fibres down with them. IMG:4147767755307473660_illo0499.png:Flax rover IMG:4147767755307473660_illo0500a.png:Flax rover IMG:4147767755307473660_illo0500b.png: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; and fig. 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. IMG:4147767755307473660_illo0500c.png:Heckles The several heckles a a a are formed by a series of needles or heckle points set into a metal bar, as represented on an enlarged scale in figs. 446. and 447. These bars are each of them suspended in a frame or carriage b b b (shown in two views at figs. 448. and 449. ), by means of double jointed levers c c , seen in two positions, at figs. 450. and 451. ; the heckle bar, its levers and carriage or frame, being shown put together in figs. 452. and 453. When the heckles are in operation, the points are raised, as in fig. 452. ; but when they are withdrawn from the fibres, then the points are sunk down into the carrying frames, as fig. 453. from the jointed levers c , 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 carriages b , to travelling endle chains e e , seen in figs. 443. , 444. , and 445. These endle chains pa over fluted guide rollers f f , seen best in figs. 444. and 445. , and over horizontal bars g g , seen best in figs. 443. and 444. The chains with the heckles are driven through the machine by rotatory spur wheels h h ; see figs. 443. and 444. , the teeth of which take into the spaces between the cylindrical parts of the several heckle carriages b b , and consequently drive the heckles forward; and these spur wheels are actuated by a train of toothed geer from the first driving shaft i , which gives motion to all the operative parts of the machine. If flax, hemp, long wool, or other fibrous material, be pa ed into the machine at the back part by a feeding cloth or creeper through a guide k , best seen in figs. 443. and 444. , and be conducted under and over the feeding rollers l , m , and n , and over the heckles a a a to the drawing rollers o and p , and thence to the flyer and bobbin, or to a receiving can, the fibres will be opened in their progre , 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 nece ary to explain its details, excepting as respects those parts which constitute the present improvements. It will be perceived, by reference to figs. 443. and 444. , that the knobs d , which project from the jointed levers c , as they travel along the machine, bear against the outer edges of the two fixed guide bars q q that extend along the top of the machine above the heckles, which keep the heckle points raised, as in fig. 451. This will also be very evidently seen in the front view of the machine, fig. 445. , where the upper heckle bar a is raised in its carriage b , by the knobs d d bearing against the outer edges of these guide bars q q . But when the endle chains e 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 (see fig. 444. ) then the knob d of the jointed levers at each end of the heckle bar pa es the ends of the guide bars q q , and they immediately come in contact with two inclined planes r r , seen in figs. 443. and 444. , which instantly depre the levers c , and consequently cause the heckle bar a , with its points to descend in the frame or carriage b , withdrawing the points from the fibres of the material almost in a perpendicular direction. The heckles that have become thus depre ed pa with their carriages by the traversing of the endle chains along the under part of the machine, and when they arrive at the back, and begin to rise, the guide bars q q , being at their commencement slightly bent, conduct the knobs b of the levers c until 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 pa ing through the drawing proce between the rollers, may be roved, twisted, or spun, by the employment of a bobbin and flyer, as shown in fig. 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 heckles a , into their frames b , by the falling of the levers c , c , precludes the po ibility 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 a istance of the guide bars q , q , and inclined planes r , r , allows the heckle points to be brought much nearer to the drawing rollers o , p , by means of the metal bars in which the heckle points or needles are set, falling below the centre of the endle chain e , e , as shown in figs. 443. and 444. , 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 Me rs. Westley and Lawson, in August 1833, and since then introduced into practice with great advantage. It applies to the gill or 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 acro 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 depre ed and put out of operation by means of rotatory cams; and by the a istance 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 succe ion 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. IMG:4147767755307473660_illo0502a.png:Gill machine IMG:4147767755307473660_illo0502b.png:Gill machine IMG:4147767755307473660_illo0502c.png: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; and fig. 456. a vertical section taken longitudinally. The driving rigger or pulley a , is fixed upon the front roller b , commonly called the drawing roller, because when pre ed upon by the upper wooden roller c , it draws out the fibres between them. The rollers d , e , f , are the ordinary back or holding rollers, for retaining the fibres, while they suffer powerful traction by the rollers b , c , over the needles or points of the heckle bars. The upper guide rail above mentioned, upon which the heckle bars slide, is shown at g , in fig. 456. , and the lower guide rail at h ; the series of heckle bars with their needles are represented at i , i , i , i , i , i ; the upper worm shafts k , k , are mounted in brackets made fast to the sides of the frame; a similar pair of worm shafts l , being mounted in like manner below. These worm shafts k and l , on each side are connected together by toothed wheels m , and upon the axles of the lower worm shafts, bevelled pinions n are fixed, which take into corresponding bevel pinions on the transverse shaft or axle o . This shaft o , being connected by a train of toothed wheel work with the axle of the drawing roller b , as shown in figs. 454. and 455. , the rotation of the roller b , causes the shaft o to turn also, and the bevel geer n and o , produce the rotatory motion of the worm shafts k and l , which turn in contrary directions. It will be seen, from fig. 454. , that the ends of the heckle bars i , 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-shafts k k revolve, the upper range of heckle bars will be progre ively advanced towards the front part of the machine. By referring to fig. 456. it will be perceived, that as each heckle bar arrives at the front end of the guide rail g , a finger p , called a tappet or cam, on the shaft k , strikes it down to the lower guide rails h ; and, in order that its descent may be truly vertical, weighted levers q q , in front, are made to pre against the face of the heckle bar as it descends. This bar having now arrived at the lower guide rails h , lets fall its nibs into the grooves of the lower worm shafts l , 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 rail h , a finger or tappet, r , on the lower worm shaft, comes under it and raises the heckle bar, guided by the back-weighted levers s , as shown in fig. 456. , till it is elevated to the level of the upper guide rail g ; when the threads of the upper worm-shafts take hold of its nibs as before, and conduct it forward upon the guide rail in the way already described. Thus the continued rotation of the worm shafts k k , and l l , causes the whole series of heckle bars to travel along the guide rails, and the tappets p and r , by alternately depre ing 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, Me rs. 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 pa ed between squeezing rollers, afterwards well washed, boiled in a solution of soap and water for a few hours, and finally pa ed again through the rollers. These proce es may be repeated till the flax acquires the desired glo ine and separation of fibres. It is next to be beaten, and pa ed once or twice over an ordinary heckle or stiff brush. IMG:4147767755307473660_illo0503.png:Improved mechanism The second part, or the mechanical, is represented by the figures 457. , 458. , 459. , 460. , and 461. Fig. 457. is a sectional elevation in part of the construction of the spindle, bobbin and flyer proposed for spinning all kinds of flax or hemp. Fig. 458. answers for spinning coarser yarns; fig. 459. shows how yarns are to be spun for weft, and wound upon what is called a “pin cop bobbin.”