Ix- PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR BREAKING AND SOFTENING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO CALENDERING ROLLERS AND OTHER PURPOSES WHERE THE SAME KIND OF RECIPROCATING. ROTARY MOTION CAN BE USEFULLY ADOPTED
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Gustav Albrecht Carl Bremme, of Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, formerly of Unna, in Westphalia, in
the Kingdom of Prussia, Civil Engincer, for the Invention of "Ix-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR BREAKING AND SOFTENING FLAX AND OTHER
FIBROUS MATERIALS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO CALENDERING
ROLLERS AND OTHER PURPOSES WHERE THE SAME KIND OF RECIPROCATING.
ROTARY MOTION CAN BE USEFULLY ADOPTED."
Sealed the 8th June 1869, and dated the 12th December 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Gustav Albrecht Carl
Bremme at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 12th December 1868.
I, GUSTAV ALBRECHT CARL BREMME, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, formerly of Unna, in Westphalia, in the Kingdom of Prussia,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR BREAKING AND SOFTENING FLAX AND OTHER.
FIBROUS MATERIALS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO CALENDERING..

page_text: ROLLERS AND OTHER PURPOSES WHERE THE SAME KIND OF RECIPROCATING ROTARY
MOTION CAN BE USEFULLY ADOPTED," to be as follows:-
In machinery for breaking and softening flax and other fibrous
materials a certain movement is given to rollers causing them to rotate
reciprocally in opposite directions, but to rotate farther in the one
direction than in the other. Various mechanical arrangements for
effecting this movement are well known and in general use, being
applied not only to the machinery for breaking and softening fibres,
but also to calendering rollers and other machinery in which a like
reciprocating rotary motion is employed.
Now my Invention relates to new and improved apparatus for effecting
this movement, that is to say, for causing the continuous rotary move-
ment in one direction of a shaft or prime mover to communicate to
other parts of the mechanism a reciprocating rotary movement greater
in the one direction than in the other, and such improved apparatus is
especially applicable to the machinery referred to above. The con-
struction-which-I-adopt-for_this_purpose is the following:-A tootlicd
wheel is fixed on the reciprocating shaft of the roller, and a pinion is
held in gear with this wheel by means of radii or arms connecting the
axis of the wheel with the axis of the pinion, allowing both to rotate
freely, but keeping their axes always at the proper distance for gearing.
The axis of the pinion or any point of arms is connected by-a-con-
necting rod to a crank or eccentric fixed on a continuously rotating
shaft or prime mover, so that as this prime mover rotates the pinion is
caused to vibrate in an arc described from the centre of the reciprocating
shaft. On the reciprocating shaft I mount loosely a pulley or wheel,
which is driven with continuous rotary motion by a band, strap, or by
suitable gearing from any convenient prime mover. This pulley or wheel
has affixed to it a toothed wheel or pinion which gears into the vibrating.
pinion or into a wheel affixed to it. Thus while the pinion is caused to
vibrate in an arc to and fro it is also caused to rotate on its axis in one
direction, and it imparts to the reciprocating shaft the reciprocating
rotary movement required, namely, a movement alternately in the one
direction and in the other, but greater in the one direction than in the
other.
Instead of using a vibrating pinion gearing into a toothed wheel
on the reciprocating shaft a worm may be employed, and a worm wheel
is in that case fixed on the reciprocating shaft; also the worm itself.

page_text: or the pinion may be driven by worm gearing or bevil gearing, as may
be readily understood. In cases where it is desired to have a small
difference between the opposite movements of the reciprocating shaft
such worm gearing is to be preferred.
Instead of driving the vibrating pinion from a wheel or pulley mounted
on the reciprocating shaft, I sometimes drive it from the shaft or prime
mover of the crank or eccentric by means of a crank motion in the
following manner :-The pinion which is held in gear with the recipro-
cating wheel by means of radii or arms as already described, has affixod
to it a crank arm of equal length with that of the crank which gives the
vibrating movement to the pinion, or when an eccentric is used for this
purpose the radius of the crank fixed on the pinion is equal to the radius
or eccentricity of the eccentric; thus there are two equal cranks, one on
the pinion and one on the prime mover, the latter of which may be an
eccentric of equal radius. The crank pin of the prime mover crank or
the strap of its eccentric is connected by a rod, as already described, with
the axis of the vibrating pinion. The crank pin of the vibrating pinion
crank is connected by a rod with the axis of the prime mover, so as to
be always held at a definite distance from it. Thus when the prime mover
rotates, it not only gives a vibrating movement to the pinion, but also
causes it to turn on its axis in one direction. As in the action of this
apparatus there are two dead points I apply two pairs of shear links
to the two connecting rods for the purpose of bringing the pinion over
those dead points. Each pair of these shear links consists of two rods, by
preference of equal length, jointed together at one end, and jointed at their
other ends to the two connecting rods respectively; they are so placed'
that when the cranks are on one of the dead points the links of the one
pair are folded up so as to stand perpendicularly to the connecting rods,
while those of the other pair arc extended so as to form an angle with
one another, and vice versa. The rotation of the prime mover crank
with its rod past its dead points thus communicates through the per-
pendicular links motion to the other rod which carries the pinion past
its dead points, the other or unfolded links allowing freedom for the
movement. To prevent the links from turning past the position at
which they are perpendicular to the rods, projections are formed on one
side of each of them, and these projections bearing one against each.
of the rods on opposite sides act as stops to prevent either of the links
from turning in the one direction from the perpendicular, while they

page_text: leave them free to turn in the other direction in obedience to the
unfolding movement imparted to them by the cranks and rods.
Sometimes, instead of driving the reciprocating shaft of the roller, it
is preferable to drive the periphery of the roller directly from the
vibrating pinion. For this purpose the end of the roller may be geared t
cither inwards or outwards, as may be found most convenient, with
the pinion, the roller or its periphery being mounted loosely on its shaft.
By this arrangement the pinion has only to overcome the inertia or
momentum of the outer moving part of the roller.
pursuance of CHE
atent,
filed by the said Gustav Albrecht Carl Bremme in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 11th June 1869.
TO-ALL-TO-WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GUSTAV
ALBRECHT CARL BREMME, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
formerly of Unna, in Westphalia, in the Kingdom of Prussia, Civil
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS. Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Gustav Albrecht Carl Bremme, Her
special licence that I, the said Gustav Albrecht Carl Bremme, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Gustav Albrecht Carl Bremme, 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, usc, 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 BREAKING AND SOFTENING
FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLICABLE TO
CALENDERING ROLLERS AND OTHER PURPOSES WHERE THE SAME KIND OF RECIPROCAT-
ING ROTARY MOTION CAN BE USEFULLY ADOPTED," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Gustav Albrecht Carl Bremme, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the

page_text: 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 Scal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Gustav Albrecht Carl Bromme,
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 statement :-
In machinery for breaking and softening flax and other fibrous
materials a certain movement is given to rollers causing them to rotate
reciprocally in opposite directions, but to rotate further in the one
direction than the other. Various mechanical arrangements for effecting
this movement are well known and in general use, being applied not
only to the machinery for breaking and softening fibros, but also to
calendering rollers and other machinery in which a like reciprocating
rotary motion is employed.
Now my Invention relates to new and improved apparatus for effecting
this movement, this is to say, for causing the continuous rotary movement
in one direction of a shaft or prime mover to communicate to other parts
of the mechanism a reciprocating rotary movement greater in the one
direction than in the other, and such improved apparatus is especially
applicable to the machinery referred to above. The construction which
I adopt for this purpose is the following:-A toothed wheel is fixed
on the reciprocating shaft of the roller, and a pinion is held in gear
with this wheel by means of radii or arms connecting the axis of the
wheel with the axis of the pinion, allowing both to rotate freely but
keeping their axes always at the proper distance for gearing. The
axis of the pinion or any convenient point of the arms or rocking
frame is connected by a connecting rod to a crank or excentric fixed on
a continuously rotating shaft or prime mover, so that as this prime
mover rotates the pinion is caused to vibrate in an arc described from
the centre of the reciprocating shaft. On the reciprocating shaft I
mount loosely a pulley or wheel which is driven with continuous rotary
motion by a band, strap, or by suitable gearing from any convenient
prime mover. This pulley or wheel has affixed to it a toothed wheel
or pinion which gears into the vibrating pinion or into a wheel affixed
to it. Thus while the pinion is caused to vibrate in an arc to and fro
it is also caused to rotate on its axis in one direction, and it imparts

page_text: to the reciprocating shaft the reciprocating rotary movement required,
namely, a movement alternately in the one direction and in the other.
Instead of using a vibrating pinion gearing into a toothed wheel
fixed on the reciprocating shaft a worm gearing into a worm wheel
fixed on the reciprocating shaft may be substituted and driven by bevel
wheels or worm motion, as may be readily understood. In cases where
it is desired to have a small difference between the opposite movements
of the reciprocating shaft such worm gearing is to be preferred.
Instead of driving the vibrating pinion from a wheel or pulley mounted
on the reciprocating shaft, I sometimes drive it from the shaft or prime
mover of the crank or eccentric by means of a crank motion in the
following manner:-The vibrating pinion which is held in gear with
the reciprocating wheel by means of radii or arms, as already described,
has affixed to it a crank arm of equal length with that of the crank
which gives the vibrating movement to the pinion. Or when an
eccentric is used for this purpose thic radius of the crank-fixed-on the
pinion is equal to the radius or eccentricity of the eccentric. Thus
there are two equal cranks, one on the pinion and one on the primic
mover, the latter of which may be an eccentric of equal radius. By
preference the crank pin of the prime_mover crank or the strap of its
excentric is connected by a rod, as already described, with the axis of
the vibrating pinion. The crank pin of the vibrating pinion crank is
connected by a rod with the axis of the prime move, so as to be always
held at a definite distance from it. Thus when the prime mover rotates
it not only gives a vibrating movement to the pinion, but also causes it to
turn on its axis in one direction. As in the action of this apparatus there
are two dead points, I apply two pairs of shear links to the two connecting
rods for the purpose of bringing the pinion over those dead points. Each
pair of these shear links consists of two rods, by preference of equal length,
jointed together at one end and jointed at their other ends to the two
connecting rods respectively. They are so placed that when the cranks
are on one of the dead points the links of the one pair are folded up so as
to stand perpendicular to the connecting rods, while those of the other
pair are extended so as to form an angle with one another, and vice versa.
The rotation of the prime mover crank with its rod past its dead points,
thus communicates through the perpendicular links a motion to the
other rod which carries the pinion crank past its dead points, the other
or unfolded links allowing freedom for the movement.
To prevent

page_text: of the shalt and crank causes the recking frame with the shaft F
and the wheel and pinion B and G to vibrate to and fro, and thus while
the wheel B is caused to rotate continuously from the shaft X by means
of the intermediate gearing H and A, the velocity and sometimes thic
direction of its rotation and the velocity and direction of the movement
which it imparts by means of the pinion G to the wheel C and shaft D
is varied throughout cach stroke of the crank K.
Fig. 2 represents diagramatically another construction of apparatus
for the like purpose. D is the roller shaft, on which is fixed a worm
wheel C; II is a drum or pulley mounted so as to revolve freely on the
shaft D, and receiving continuous rotary motion by means of a strap
from a prime moving shaft X. Instead of making H a pulley or drum
driven by a strap, it may be a toothed wheel driven from X by inter-
mediate gearing. A is a pinion fixed to H, and revolving with it; F is
a shaft parallel to D, and mounted as described with reference to Fig. 1
on a rocking frame V, which is caused-to-vibrate-by-means_of_a_con___
necting rod W and revolving crank Z; B is a wheel mounted-on--the-
shaft F, and gearing into the pinion A; L is a bevil or mitre wheel fixed
to the wheel B, and gearing into another bevil or mitre wheel M fixed
on the shaft of a screw or worm G. This screw or worm is mounted in
bearings in the rocking frame V, and it gears into the worm wheel C.
The continued rotation of X and Z by this construction imparts to the
wheel C and the shaft D the varying and reciprocating rotary move-
ment desired.
Fig. 3 represents diagrammatically another construction of apparatus
for the like purpose. D is the roller or other shaft to which the varying
movement has been given; F is the parallel shaft, mounted in bearings
in a rocking frame so as always to be parallel to and at the same
distance from D, but to be free to vibrate in an arc struck from D as
a centre, or carries proper gear to drive a worm gearing in a worm wheel
on the shaft D. The shaft F carries a pinion gearing into a wheel on
the shaft D. The shaft F also has a crank fixed upon it, and on a prime
moving shaft Z there is a crank or eccentric of equal throw. The pin of
the crank Z is connected by a connecting rod S to the shaft F, and the
pin of the crank upon F is connected by a connecting rod T to the shaft Z,
the connecting rods S and T being thus of equal length. On causing
the shaft and crank Z to rotate, the shaft F is caused to vibrate, and at
the same time the crank upon F is caused to revolve. There are how

page_text: ever dead points in every revolution of the crank F when the connecting
rods S and T are parallel to each other, and when the continued rotation
of Z cannot communicate rotation to F. In order to bring the crank F
over these dead points shear links a and b are attached to the two con-
necting rods S and T. Each of these shear links consists of two equal
radius rods jointed together at one end, and at their other ends jointed to
S and T respectively. The joints at a and b arc formed with stops, so
that the links are free to close up together, or to spread out in one way,
but cannot spread out in the other way. When the crank F is on one
of its dead points or centres, one pair of links, as that at a, is closed up,
and stands perpendicularly to the two connecting rods S and T, in which
case the continued rotation of the crank Z giving lateral motion to the
connecting rod S imparts that lateral motion through the links a to the
other connecting rod T, and this turns the crank F past its one dead
point. When F is on the other dead point the other link bacts in a
similar manner. At other points of revolution the links a and b being
free to spread out or close up do not impede the to-and-fro movements
of the rods S and T. Their respective altitudes at different parts of a
revolution are indicated on Fig. 3 at a and b, and at a¹ and b¹.
Fig. 4 represents diagrammatically a modification of the construction
represented in Fig. 1. D is the roller shaft as before, and F is the
parallel vibrating shaft, which is mounted in bearings in the discs
forming the ends of the roller, and keyed on the shaft D. This disc
takes the place of the rocking frame previously described, and is caused
to vibrate from a crank or cccentric in a similar manner.
G is a pinion
on the shaft F, which gears internally with the end of the roller mantle,
which turns freely on the discs, and imparts to it the movement
desired.
Fig. 5 represents a side view, and Fig. 6 part of a section of the appa-
ratus herein-before described applied to a flax breaking machine. K is
one of the end frames of the machine; D is the shaft, on which is fixed
the main roller D'; V is the rocking frame connected by the connecting
rod W to the crank Z, by the continued revolution of which it is caused
to vibrate; F is the parallel shaft mounted in the rocking frame V; B is
the wheel; and G is the pinion fixed on the shaft F. The pinion G gears
into the wheel C fixed on the shaft D and drives it; the wheel B gears
into a pinion A and is driven by it; the pinion A is fixed to the
whcel H and both are free to rotate on the shaft D. The wheel H

page_text: receives its motion through intermediate gearing L from a pinion M on
the same shaft with the crank L. P is the main driving shaft fitted
with fast and loose pullies in the usual way and carrying a pinion which
gears into a wheel Q upon the shaft Z.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my
said Invention for "Improvements in "Machinery for Breaking and
Softening Flax and other Fibrous Materials, which Improvements aro
applicable to Calendering Rollers and other Purposes where the same
kind of Reciprocating Rotary Motion can be usefully adopted," and
also having particularly ascertained and described in what manner the
same are to be performed or put into practical operation, I hereby
declare that I claim the said improvements as herein described, it being
understood that I do not claim the mere details of construction shewn
by the Drawing and described with reference thereto, nor do I limit
myself to the use of such details.
In witness whereof, I, the said Gustav Albrecht Carl Bremme, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, this Sixth day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
GEORGE R. SLEGGS,
GUSTAV A. C. BREMME. (L.S.)
Pharmaceutical Chemist,
Liverpool.