IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR BREAKING THE. "BOON" OR REFUSE PORTION OF FLAX AND OTHER PLANTS, AND SEPARATING THEREOF." IT FROM THE FIBRES.
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francis William Crossley and William John
Crossley, of the Firm of Crossley Brothers, Engineers and Machine
Makers, of the City of Manchester, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY FOR BREAKING THE. "BOON" OR REFUSE PORTION
OF FLAX AND OTHER PLANTS, AND SEPARATING
THEREOF."
IT FROM THE FIBRES.
Sealed the 10th November 1868, and dated the 13th May 1868..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Francis William'
Crossley and William John Crossley at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 13th May 1868.
We, FRANCIS WILLIAM CROSSLEY and WILLIAM JOHN CROSSLEY, of.
the Firm of. Crossley Brothers, Engineers and Machine. Makers, of the.
City of Manchester, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention.
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR BREAKING THE "BOON" OR REFUSE
PORTION OF FLAX AND OTHER PLANTS, AND SEPARATING IT FROM THE FIBRES.
THEREOF," to be as follows:-
This Invention is intended to take the place of the operation known,
as scutching.. The flax or other plant is first subjected to a breaking

page_text: process, which acts upon it by folding it backwards and forwards and
rolling it (alternately in reverse directions) upon itself, as a band would
be rolled if passed over a pulley of an infinitely small diameter. This
is accomplished by drawing a strick of flax or other plant between two
pairs of horizontal bars placed one above the other, one pair of which
has a vibratory motion and is held gently up against the other by means
of suitable springs. The inner edges of these bars are so formed that
during each vibration, as tho moveable pair approaches the centre of
its stroke (which coincides with the centre of the fixed pair), the strick
which at the end of the stroke has been extended becomes folded over
and rolled on itself, as described. The bars selected for this purpose have
narrow lips or edges for one pair of bars, and lips or edges of a little
more than half the stroke in breadth for the other pair. One of each
of these pairs of bars is capable simultaneously with the other of a
limited removal from its fellow, so that these being extended the strick
or charge on being delivered to a pair of fluted rollers placed above
the bars may be lowered until the centre of it has reached as far as
(or rather beyond) the inner lips of the bars, when the extended bars
In order,
are closed and the strick is slowly drawn back through them.
however, that the fibres may not thus be injured by the grip of the
bars, which is firm at the inner edges or lips, an intermittent motion is
given to the fluted rollers, which may take place once in cach double
vibration of the bars at one end of the stroke, at which time the bars
are caused to open a little and thereby permit the easy passage of the
fibre, and still further to aid the passage of the fibre the inner surfaces
of the vibrating bars (which hold a still unbroken portion of the strick)
are suitably curved, and the motion given to them is not a rectilinear
onc, but at the moment the fibre is drawn through they are caused by
suitable guides to recede from their near contact with the fixed bars to
a convenient distance. When one half of the strick has been thus
treated it is delivered through a second pair of fluted or other rollers to
a pair of cleaning rolls, which thoroughly remove the now broken "boon"
or particles of stem or other refuse matter from which it is desired to
separate the fibre. These fluted or other rollers lower and then withdraw
the strick from the cleaning rolls, similarly to those which delivered
and withdrew it from the breakers or bars. These cleaning rolls are
provided with longitudinal bars and curved teeth; and the leading edges
of the teeth are so curved as to obviate any risk of entangling the fibre.
The teeth do not touch each other, and suitable crown wheels hold them

page_text: in position. Each successive row of teeth is placed opposite or nearly
opposite the spaces in the preceding row, and enters into corresponding
spaces in the other roll. The rolls are formed by preference in horizontal
segments capable of any desired longitudinal adjustment. It is some-
times desirable to place a pair of guide rollers or carriers under the
cleaning rolls to receive the end of the strick. By this means the fibre
is thoroughly opened, straightened, rubbed, and shaken free from the
"boon."" or other refuse matter, the strick being divided into small
portions, which are dealt with separately by the action of these toothed
cleaning rolls.. When one half of the strick is broken and cleaned
the other half is similarly treated, and. the handling or holding of the
charge is accomplished as follows: The pair of fluted rollers which
deliver to the breaking bars are placed in proximity with those which
deliver to the cleaning rolls and mounted in a suitable framing.. Above
them is suspended a pair of carriers with their faces touching and
swivelling on an axis at the middle of their length. To these, from a
suitable table, is delivered the charge to be dealt with, the charge being
held between the carriers. The pair of carriers being capable of rotation
(as described above) one of their coinciding. ends is brought opposite
the fluted rollers delivering to the breaking bars after the manner of a
turntable, and half of the charge dealt with and returned to them.
They are then turned through the necessary portion of a revolution
until they can deliver the same end of the charge to the cleaning rolls.
This being cleaned and returned to the carriers they are turned until
their opposite ends are placed so as to deliver the opposite and untouched
half of the strick to the breaking bars, and then to the cleaning rolls,
thus completing the operation.
опитно
ԵԿԵՂԵՑ
filed by the said Francis William Crossley and William John
Crossley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th November
1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, FRANCIS
WILLIAM CROSSLEY and WILLIAM JOHN CROSSLEY, of the Firm of
Crossley Brothers, Engineers and Machine Makers, of the City of
Manchester, send greeting..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, FRANCIS
WILLIAM CROSSLEY and WILLIAM JOHN CROSSLEY, of the Firm of
Crossley Brothers, Engineers and Machine Makers, of the City of
Manchester, send greeting..

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Francis William Crossley and William John
Crossley, Her special licence that we, the said Francis William Crossley
and William John Crossley, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said Francis William Crossley and William
John Crossley, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR BREAKING THE "BOON" OR REFUSE
PORTION OF FLAX AND OTHER PLANTS, AND SEPARATING IT FROM THE FIBRES
THEREOF," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Francis
William Crossley and William John Crossley, our executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals,
or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in
the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that
the said Francis William Crossley and
William John Crossley, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement
thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention is intended to take the place of the operation known
as scutching. The flax or other plant is first subjected to a breaking
process, which acts upon it by folding it backwards and forwards and
rolling it (alternately in reverse directions) upon itself, as a band would
be rolled if passed over a pulley of an infinitely small diameter. This is
accomplished by drawing a strick of flax or other plant between two
pairs of horizontal bars placed one above the other, one pair of which
has a vibratory motion and is held up against the other by means of
suitable springs. The inner edges of these bars are so formed that

page_text: during each vibration, as the moveable pair approaches the centre of its
stroke (which coincides with the centre of the fixed pair), the strick which
at the end of the stroke has been extended becomes folded over and rolled
on itself, as described. The bars selected for this purpose have narrow
lips or edges for one pair of bars, and lips or edges of a little more
than half the stroke in breadth for the other pair. One of each of these
pairs of bars is capable simultaneously with the other of a limited
removal from its fellow, so that these being extended the strick or charge
on being delivered to a pair of fluted rollers placed above the bars may
be lowered until the centre of it has reached as far as (or rather beyond)
the inner lips of the bars, when the extended bars are closed and the
strick is slowly drawn back through them. In order, however, that the
fibres may not thus be injured by the grip of the bars, which is firm at
the inner edges or lips, an intermittent motion is given to the fluted rollers,
which may take place when the strain on the charge caused by the grip
is removed or is least, the intermittent release of the grip being
effected by opening the lower or both pairs of bars a little at one end of
the stoke. It is sometimes, however, unnecessary to give the upper
pair of bars so firm a hold of the charge as to require this intermittent
release, but in all cases the lower ones must have it, and still further to
aid the passage of the fibre the inner surfaces of the lower pair of
vibrating bars (which hold a still unbroken portion of the strick) are
suitably curved. When one half of the strick has been thus treated it
is delivered through a second pair of fluted or other rollers to a pair of
cleaning rolls, which thoroughly removes the now broken "boon" or
particles of stem or other refuse matter from which it is desired to
separate the fibre. These fluted or other rollers lower and then with-
draw the strick from the cleaning rolls, similarly to those which
delivered and withdrew it from the breakers or bars. These cleaning
rolls are provided with longitudinal bars and curved teeth, and the
leading edges of the teeth are so curved as to obviate any risk of
entangling the fibre. The teeth do not touch each other, and suitable
crown wheels hold them in position. Each successive row of teeth is
placed opposite or nearly opposite the spaces in the preceding row, and
enters into corresponding spaces in the other roll. The rolls are formed
by preference in horizontal segments capable of any desired longitudinal
adjustment. It is sometimes desirable to place a pair of guide rollers or
carriers under the cleaning rolls to receive the end of the strick. By this
incans the fibre is thoroughly opened, straightened, rubbed, and shaken

page_text: free from the "boon" or other refuse matter, the strick being divided into
small portions, which are dealt with separately by the action of these
toothed cleaning rolls. When one half of the strick is broken and
cleaned the other half is similarly treated, and the handling or holding
of the charge is accomplished as follows:-The pair of fluted rollers
which deliver to the breaking bars are placed in proximity with those
which deliver to the cleaning rolls and mounted in a suitable framing.
Above them is suspended a pair of carriers with their faces touching and
swivelling on an axis at the middle of their length. To these, from a
suitable table, is delivered the charge to be dealt with, the charge being
held between the carriers. The pair of carriers being capable of rotation
(as described above) one of their coinciding ends is brought opposite the
fluted rollers delivering to the breaking bars after the manner of a
turntable, and half of the charge dealt with and returned to them.
They are then turned through the necessary portion of a revolution until
they can deliver the same end of the charge to the cleaning rolls. This
being cleaned and returned to the carriers they are turned until their
opposite ends are placed so as to deliver the opposite and untouched
half of the strick to the breaking bars, and then to the cleaning rolls,
thus completing the operation.
And in order that our said Invention may be most fully understood
and readily carried into effect we will proceed to describe the Drawings
hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, Figure 2 a side elevation, Figure 3
a plan partly in section, and Figure 4 an end elevation of the machine.
A is the table on which the flax or fibrous plant is laid previously to
being treated; it should be in the state in which it is when ordinarily
submitted to the operation of scutching; B, B, are the carriers placed
face to face, and revolving on the centre C; to these the charge is
delivered from the table A, and they in their turn deliver and receive
it from either pairs of the fluted holding rollers D, D, D', D', presenting
to them alternately the opposite ends of the charge to be treated
successively by the bars or "breakers "E", E, E, E', and the cleaning
rolls F, F. The carriers B, B, are given their rectilinear or progressive
motion by means of a suitable train of wheels a, b, c, d, (the pitch
lines of which are indicated by blue circles in Figure II.) and which are

page_text: so arranged as to be capable of being operated by the handle G in
whatever plane the faces of the carriers may be placed; their rotary
motion round the centre C is given by hand after the manner of a
turntable; a disc e attached to the carrier frames forms a catch plate
capable of holding them (by means of a suitable pin) in any desired
position. These carriers are constructed (by preference) of laths of
wood fixed on leather straps and placed at a proper distance from
each other. The breakers E', E, E³, E', to which the charge is first
delivered by the fluted holding rolls D, D, have two of their halves E' and
E, capable of extension (through suitable guides, as shewn Figure II.)
through, say, two inches to permit the downward passage of the charge
between the halves E' and E, E and E. The lower pair of breakers E
and E receive a horizontal reciprocating motion from suitable eccentrics
and rods H, H', moved by the driving shaft of the machine J, and are
held close against the fixed upper pair E' and E by suitable radius
link springs K, K. When the charge is being drawn upwards the
lower pair of breakers is closed firmly upon it, except at one end of the
stroke (that furthest from the driving shaft) where they are caused to open
a little (to admit the easy passage of the charge) by means of adjustable
studs ff, (Figure I.) screwed into the breaker E' and passing through
Es, and which strike at one end of the stroke against the lugs g attached
to the framing. The upper pair of breakers may also be closed firmly
upon the charge and opened by cams (placed on the driving shaft) at
the same moment as the lower ones, but this is not always necessary,
and it is generally found as effective to give them only a moderate
grip of the charge through which it may be drawn at any part of the
stroke without injury. The opening of these pairs of breakers to permit
the downward passage of the charge is effected by means of the system
of levers h, i, j, k, acting through the links 1, 12, 13, 1, which are
attached by suitable pins to the breakers at each side of the machine,
the whole being operated by raising and lowering the handle L, shown
broken off in Figures II., III., and connected with the shaft M. The
links,,,, are fitted with accommodating extension springs of india-
rubber or other material to suit the various thickness of the charges,
and to permit of the intermittent opening of the breakers by the studs
ff, (Figure 1.) The folding backwards and forwards and rolling over
upon itself of the charge, as described above, is perfectly effected by this
reciprocating action of the lower pair of breakers against the upper pair
combined with the peculiar shape given to the edges of these bars shown

page_text: at N (Figure I.) The two pairs of fluted rolls D, D, D¹, D¹; are driven
through a train of wheels m, n, o, p, q, which adequately reduce their
speed from that of the shaft J and are capable of having the direction
of their rotation reversed by means of the intermediate pinions 7, 8, 8,
and the disengaging clutch gear which connects the shaft J to the
wheel n through the pinion m or r, as may be desired. The clutch t
is operated by the bell-crank lever O, which is connected with the
upper breaker E, so that when the pairs of breakers E', E, E³, E',
are opened to permit the downward passage of the charge the
rollers D, D, may be given the corresponding motion, and vice versa.
As it is also desirable that the charge should be drawn upwards through
the breakers at the moment of least resistance a spring may be inter-
posed at (Figure III.) between the members of the train of wheels o, p,
thus rendering the motion of the rolls intermittent because capable
of ceasing when the strain is heaviest on the charge.
The cleaning rolls F, F, through which each half of the charge is
alternately lowered and raised (thus completing the treatment) are
shown full size in Figures V. The cam-shaped teeth are so formed
as to be incapable of catching upon so as to tear the charge, and their
breadth or pitch may be varied. They operate by separating the charge
into as many divisions as there are in two horizontal rows of teeth,
six times in each revolution (when there are six rows of teeth in each
roll) and forcing them alternately and in opposite directions beneath
the horizontal strips w, w¹, w0, 201. Each successive horizontal row of
teeth x, x¹, does not exactly alternate with the other, but being formed
in a separate segment is capable of lateral adjustment as may be desired,
the effect being to separate the charge into the above number of sub-
divisions, thus combing it more thoroughly. The segments of each roll
are fixed on a central axis, as shown. The size of the rolls also and
the number of rows of teeth is not necessarily confined to the example
selected. A pair of wooden rollers P, P, are arranged to receive the
ends of the charge from and re-deliver them to the toothed cleaning
rolls, and as their surfaces move at a very slow speed, being geared
from the fluted holding roller necks by the train of wheels y, y, they
obviate the risk of lapping up and entangling the charge. The cleaning
rolls are driven direct from and at about the same speed as the main
driving shaft J by means of the wheels z, z, which speed is by pre-
ference about four hundred revolutions per minute, and to diminish the

page_text: disturbances caused by this high velocity (chiefly through the reciproca-
tions of the breakers) the balance weights Q, Q, (Figures II., III.,)
are employed, being caused to vibrate in opposite directions to the
breakers by the eccentrics R, R, fixed on the main shaft J.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The workman introduces
a bundle of the flax or fibrous plant between the carriers B, B, by
turning the handle G so as to cause them to draw it in between them.
He then places the carriers into the position suitable for delivering
to the rollers D, and by further turning the handle he delivers the
end of the charge to the rollers D which carry it down, the breakers
being then open. When it has descended so far that the centre of
the charge or bundle is beneath the nip of the breakers, these by means
of the handle L are closed upon it and the breaking commences. The
direction of rotation of the rollers D being simultaneously reversed they
draw back the charge (the lower breakers opening at one end of their
stroke to admit of it, as already described), and it is received again
by the workman between the carriers B; these are as soon as the charge
is clear of the rollers D moved by the workman over the rollers D',
and the end is presented to them; they deliver the charge down through
the cleaning rollers F until the centre of the charge or bundle has
passed, when the workman reverses the machine by means of the
handle L and brings the charge back again into the carriers. The
carriers are than turned over, and the other end of the charge being
presented to the rollers D the operations are repeated.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, we would have it understood that what
we claim is, the arrangement of machinery for breaking the boon or
refuse portion of flax and other plants with folding bars or breakers
which nip the charge of the fibrous plant at two points, folding it
tightly and rolling it in reverse directions on itself (as above described),
thus reducing the brittle or refuse portions to powder, such holding
bars or breakers being so arranged that they may be separated for
the introduction of the charge between them, then closed together, and
the charge drawn back through them whilst the breaking action is
going on, as herein described.
We also claim the combining with such machinery cleaning rollers
for separating the boon or refuse after it has been broken, and carriers
serving to deliver the charge to and receive it from both the breakers,

page_text: and cleaners to convey it from one to the other and to turn it end
for end, as herein described.
We also claim the general arrangement of machinery for breaking:
the boon or refuse portion of flax and other plants and separating it
from the fibres thereof, substantially as herein described..
In witness whereof, we, the said Francis William Crossley and.
William John Crossley, have hereunto set our hands and seals,.
this Tenth day of November, in the year of our Lord Onc
thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
FRANCIS WILLIAM CROSSLEY.
WILLIAM JOHN CROSSLEY.
(L.S.)
(L.S.)