A SELF-ACTING FLAX SCUTCHING AND HACKLING MACHINE, WITH HORIZONTAL BLADES OR HACKLES, AN INCLINE PLANE ON WHICH FLAX HOLDERS MOVE, THE APPLICATION OF THE FAN BY, A CURRENT OF AIR TO PRESS FLAX AGAINST SCUTCHING BLADES OR HACKLES, AND SPRING CATCH FLAX HOLDERS, AS PER DRAWING
Year: 1852

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Egan, of William Street, in the County
of the City of Limerick, for the Invention of "A SELF-ACTING
FLAX SCUTCHING AND HACKLING MACHINE, WITH HORIZONTAL BLADES
OR HACKLES, AN INCLINE PLANE ON WHICH FLAX HOLDERS MOVE, THE
APPLICATION OF THE FAN BY, A CURRENT OF AIR TO PRESS FLAX
AGAINST SCUTCHING BLADES OR HACKLES, AND SPRING CATCH FLAX
HOLDERS, AS PER DRAWING."
Sealed the 9th April 1853, and dated the 9th October 1852.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Egan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 9th October 1852.
I, JOHN EGAN, of William Street, in the County of the City of
Limerick, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A
SELF-ACTING FLAX SCUTCHING AND HACKLING MACHINE, WITH HORIZONTAL
BLADES OR HACKLES, AN INCLINE PLANE ON WHICH FLAX HOLDERS MOVE. THE
APPLICATION OF THE FAN BY A CURRENT OF AIR TO PRESS FLAX AGAINST
SCRUTCHING BLADES OR HACKLES, AND SPRING CATCH FLAX HOLDERS, AS PER
DRAWING," to be as follows:-
Horizontal scutching blades or hackles, an incline plane on which
flax holders move, the application of a fan by a current of air to press
[Price 8d.1

page_text: flax against scutching blades or hackles, and spring catch flax holders,
as per accompanying Drawings.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditious of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Egan in the Great Seal Patent Office, on
the 9th April 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN EGAN, of William Street, in the County of the City of Limerick, do
hereby declare that the nature of my Invention for "A SELF-ACTING FLAX
SCUTCHING AND HACKLING MACHINE, WITH HORIZONTAL BLADES OR HACKLES
AN INCLINED PLANE ON WHICH FLAX HOLDERS MOVE, THE APPLICATION OF THE
FAN BY A CURRENT OF AIR TO PRESS FLAX AGAINST SCUTCHING BLADES OR
HACKLES, AND SPRING CATCH FLAX HOLDERS, AS PER DRAWING," and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thercof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters
marked thereon (that is to say):
The first part of my said Invention consists in certain new mecha-
nical arrangements and combinations of parts, constituting a machine
to be employed for scutching and hackling flax, hemp, or other fibrous
substance, and the object and intention of my said Invention is to
render such machines self-acting, and at the same time more efficient
than the scutching and hackling machines as hitherto constructed;
and this I effect by arranging, combining, and actuating the several
parts thereof in the manner and by the means herein-after particularly
described, set forth, and represented by the illustrative Sheets of
Drawings hereunto annexed, and forming part of this my Complete
Specification.
The second part of iny said Invention consists in the use and appli-
cation to scutching machines of horizontal beaters or blades constructed
with flat or angular or corrugated surfaces, according to the nature of
the work to be performed thereby.

page_text: The third part of my said Invention consists in the use and ap-
plication to scutching and hackling machines of a current of air
produced by the rotary action of a fan or fans in the manner here-
after described and represented, for the purpose of pressing the flax
against the beaters, blades, or hackles of scutching and hackling
machines; or the same effect may be produced by constructing and
arranging the said fan or fans so as to exhaust the air, or by the use of
a blast above or below the fan, or by other known means; and as this
part of my said Invention consists in the use of a fan blast or exhaust
fan or fans for the above-mentioned purposes, I do not therefore intend
to limit or confine myself to the precise means herein set forth for
effecting this, but reserve to myself the use and application of any
means in known and common use by which this resultmay be obtained.
The fourth part of my said Invention consists in the use and appli-
cation to scutching and hackling machines of supply belts, and spring
catch flax-holding belts, formed of gutta percha, vulcanized india-rubber
or caoutchouc, or other suitable clastic material, moving on inclined
planes, the same being arranged, combined, and actuated in the
mauner hereafter particularly described, set forth, and represented.
And in order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible I
will proceed to describe the mechanical arrangements and combinations
which I consider best calculated for carrying my said Invention into
practical effect.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
At Sheet 1, Figure 1, exhibits a front elevation of a scutching
machine constructed according to this Invention. Figure 2, is a side
elevation of said machine. Figure 3, a full size cross section of one of
the parts hereafter referred to. Figure 4, is a diagram illustrative of the
inode of arranging and disposing the scutchingand hackling machines
and air shoot hereafter referred to. Figure 5. is a diagram illustrative
of the mode of arranging the hackles with the flax belts and fan.
At Sheet 2, Figures 6, and 7, exhibit a top plan view of the arrange-
ments shewn at Figures 1, and 2, of Sheet 1. At each of the Figures
of these Sheets of Drawings similar letters of reference are employed to
denote correspondings parts, in so far as such parts appear or can be

page_text: seen at each of the Figures 1espectively. At Figures 1, 2, of Sheet 1,
and Figures 6, 7, of Sheet 2, A, A, mark framings supporting an axle
B, mounted in suitable bearings attached to the framings A, as shewn.
C, marks a scutching cylinder securely fixed upon the axle B. D, mark
scutching blades of beaters, the edges whereof are corrugated, and said
blades are connected to the side plates of the scutching cylinder C,
by bolts or screws as shown at Figure 1; and there are fast and loose
pullies a, b, placed upon each end of the axle B, for the purpose of
imparting rotary motion to the cylinder C, from the main driving shaft
E, by means of a strap or band F, passed over the fast pulley upon the
axle B, and a pulley Cx, keyed upon the mam driving shaft E. G,
marks another framing connected to the framing A; the framing G,
supports the bevilled wheels d, and e, and pullies H, I, which receive
their motion from the main driving shaft E, bevilled wheels f, f,
pinion g, and spur wheel , keyed upon the upright shafts K, and 1.
i, k, mark pullies fixed upon spindles l,m, working in suitable bearings
in the auxiliary framing M, as shewn at Figure 2. N,N, maik endless
belts passing over the pullies H, H, and i, k.
It will be seen upon
referring to Figue 1, that the spindle of the lower pulley k, works in
a slot n, in the framing M, for the purpose of separating the belts
N, N, to allow the flax as it is delivered on a board in fiont of the
breaking rollers 0,0, shewn at Figure 6, Sheet 2, to onter between said
belts, which are afterwards brought together by exerting pressure upon
the treddle P, shewn at Figure 6, of Sheet 2; the use of said belts is to
supply flax to the flax-holders Q, Q, which are constructed and arranged
as follows R. R, mark endless belts of gutta percha. These belts
have endless strips or bands of vulcanized india-rubber or caoutchouc
securely affixed thereto by any of the known meaus in the order
exhibited at Figure 3, of Sheet 1, at which Figure it will be seen
that there are grooves or recesses formed or narrow strips raised in or
on the gutta percha belts for the purpose of ensuring a firmer grip of
the flax, and thereby to hold it firmly during the operation of the
scutching blades thereon; and the forced contact of the belts upon the
flax is obtained and regulated in the manner exhibited at Figures 1, 3,
of Sheet 1, where S, S', mark framings of wood, in which are arranged

page_text: ordisposed a series of metal rollers p, p, which come into contact with
the inner surfaces of the belts R; the axes of the rollers p, p, revolve
in holes formed in bars of brass r, let into the framing, as exhibited
in cross section at Figure 3; the lower frame S, is securely fixed by
bolts to the framing in an inclined position, and the upper framing S',
which is loose, is placed immediately over the frame S, and is con-
nected thereto by spring cramps T, T, shewn at Figures 1, and 3;
these crampsare fitted with adjusting screws U, by which the required
amount of pressure of the bands upon the flax may be obtained, and at
the same time the flexible parts, of the cramps T, will allow the bands
to yield to any inequality in the thickness of the flax as it is conducted
from the breaking rollers between the belts N, N, and R, R. V, marks
a framing supporting a circular shaped metal box or casing V¹, within
which a fanor fans W, are fitted upon a spindlet, and rotate in suitable
bearings through the agency of the strap or band X, which passes over
a fixed pulley Y, keyed upon the spindle t, and over another pulley Z,
keyed upon the main driving shaft E %, marks the mouth of the
casing VI, which is situateimmediately in front of the scutching cylinder,
as exhibited at Figures 1, and 2, of Sheet 1. It may be found advisable
also to use octagon or circular rollers, arranged in a similar manner
to the hackling machine hereafter described, but substituting blades
instead of hackles.
The arrangement of the mechanism exhibited at Figure 5, of Sheet
L, and constituting a machine for hackling, is as follows: A, A, marks
octagon shaped rollers of wood, of the same width as the scutching
cylinders beforementioned, mounted in a suitable framing or fiamings
not shewn by the Drawing. B, B, mark several pieces of wood or
other suitable material of the same width as the sides of the octagon
rollers; these pieces of wood are hinged together, and have hackles of
the ordinary description set therein, or attached thereto in any con-
venient manner. C, C, mark flax holding belts placed in an inclined
position, and attached to the framing of the machine in a similar
manner to that before mentioned and described with reference to the
scutching cylinder. D, marks the position of the mouth of the fan; E,
the flax in front of hackles; or instead of octagons circular rollers may

page_text: be used, and broad belts of gutta percha or other suitable substance to
hold hackles substituted.
Having now described the mechanical arrangements and combina-
tions of the several parts which compose a self-acting machine for
scutching and hackling flax, hemp, or other fibrous substance, I will
next proceed to describe the operations thereof, and the order in which
they are to be disposed and worked, so as to effect the perfect scutching
and hackling of the flax, hemp, or other fibrous substance subjected to
the action thereof. And as regards the operations of the scutching
machine, they are conducted as follows: Assuming the machine to be
put into motion, the flax to be operated upon is first passed through
breaking rollers of the ordinary construction in the manner usually
practised, and when the flax comes between the supply belts N, N,
the operator exerts pressure upon the treddle P, and the rotation of
the pullies U, I,and i, %, will conduct the flax between the flax-holders
Q, and pass it across the face of the scutching cylinder, and thecurrent
of air caused by the fen blast will prevent such of the flax as projects
beyond the edge of the flax-holders from falling down, and as the
cylinderrotates, the corrugated blades thereof coming into contact with
this portion of the flax will effect the operation of scutching; and asthe
flax passes across the face of this scutching machine it is passed from
thence between a pair of cross belts shewn at Figure 6, of Sheet 1, to
another and similar scutching machine to that lastly above mentioned;
and as the flax passes from the first machine to the second the cross
belts will turn the flax over, and thereby present the other and opposite
side thereof to the action of the second machine; and as it passes
therefrom that portion of the flax which was previously hold between
the holders is now caused to hang down by means of the reversing
belt, and is conducted to a third and fourth machine of precisely
similar construction to the first and second machines; and as it passes
across the face of these machines both sides of that portion of the flax
which was previously between the holders will be operated upon, and
in this manner and by these means the operation of scutching may
be effectually performed. The flax in this state is now conducted by
supply belts, shewn by Fig. 8, to the hackling machines, there to be

page_text: operated upon in a precisely similar manner to that before mentioned
with reference to the scutching machines, excepting that instead of the
cylinder before mentioned the arrangement exhibited at Figure 4, IS
employed, and hackles are substituted in the place of beaters or
blades; in other respects the operation of the scutching machine and
hackling machine are alike.
I would remark that instead of affixing a fan or fans to cach
separate scutching and hackling machine, as above described and
referred to, one or more fans of the required capacity may be placed
in a case at one end of the set of machines, and an air shoot passed
from thence across the face of each machine, as exhibited at Figure 4.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed and carried into practical
effect, I desire it to be distinctly understood that I do not claim the
exclusive use of any of the separate parts above mentioned and
referred to, except in so far as the same may be employed in com-
But what I
bination, and for the purposes of iny said Invention
claim is, the arranging and combining together of parts in the manner
herein-before particularly described, set forth, and represented by the
illustrative Drawings hereunto annexed, so as to constitute a self-
acting machine for scutching and hackling flax, hemp, or other fibrous
substance.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Egan, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Fourth day of April, in the year of
in dood and fif these
Witness present at the signing, sealing,
and delivery of the above Specification
by the above-named John Egan,
FRANCIS KEARNEY,
JOHN EGAN. (L.S.)
of Catherine Street. Limerick, Solicitor.