IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRESSING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER LIKE FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of 166, Fleet
Street, in the City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRESSING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER
LIKE FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."-A communication.
Scaled the 28th April 1854, and dated the 29th October 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the suid Richard Archibald
Brooman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 29th October 1853.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City
of London, Patent Agcut, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRESSING FLAX, HEMP
AND OTHER LIKE FIBROUS SUBSTANCES" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in certain improved arrangements of ma-
chinery for dressing flax, hemp, and other similar fibrous substances.
The Drawing annexed isa longitudinal section of a machine constructed
according to the Invention. This machine is composed of a framing,
having two broad endless aprons or carriers lying nearly horizontal

page_text: and at the top of the frame. One of these A, conveys the raw material
towards a breaking cylinder c, which is composed of parallel bars of
:wood or metal, and made to revolve rapidly in the direction shewn by
the arrow. This carrier A passes over two rollers and d³, which are
fixed, and over another roller d, which is adjustable in the direction
of the length of the apron
In front of the roller d is placed a per-
manent bar of metal e, extending across the machine, and firmly
attached at each end to the frame. Immediately below the roller d is
a cylinder, formed also of parallel bars, as shewn, and this cylinder
is caused to press against the returning portion of the apron A, by
being suspended at the journals in the ends of the levers g,g, to the
opposite ends of which are attached weights or springs in the manner
shewn. It thus derives its motion from contact with the apron A, or
with the flax which may pass between itand the apron, and the purpose
of it is to guide the flax (which has been broken by the action of the
cylinder, against the bar e,) on to the carrier (B).
This second carrier is also an endless apron; it is situated below the
first carrier, as shewn, and is stretched upon two rollers h, h', the roller
7 being fixed, and the roller being adjustable. The upper surface
of the carrier B is thus in contact with that returning portion of the
carrier A which is between the rollers d'aud ", and the lower carrier
extends as far beyond the upper one as is necessary to permit the
attendant to remove the broken matter. This distance may obviously
be less for flax than for hemp, as the straw is shorter. The roller
has upon it a pulley, by which it is driven, and it is also so geared to
the roller d, that the surfaces of the two carriers in contact shall move
with equal speed. Above the roller d, is placed a grooved roller i
which rests in bearings on the frame, so constructed that the roller
may have play vertically. It derives rotary motion from contact
with the flax upon the carrier A, and the use of it is to keep the flax
in place, and guide it properly to the breaking cylinder. For this
purpose some weight is essential, and the roller is therefore conveniently
constructed of metal, though if necessary springs or weights may be
made to press upon the journals. An additional roller may be placed
at the side of that just described, as shewn at . The construction

page_text: and operation of this latter (when employed) are similar to the con-
struction and operation of the roller i, except that the grooves are made
larger, by which means the guiding and spreading of the flax to the
first roller is effected more regularly. Upon the same frame, and just
beyond the roller h³, is arranged a set of beaters n, which are disposed
in two vertical rows, the beaters of one row being set opposite to the
spaces in the other, in the manner shewn. These beaters are composed
of wood or other suitable material, and are shaped as clearly shewn in
the Figure; they are supported upon suitable journals in the frame.
A part of the ends of each is turned off so as to form pulleys, by which
rotary motion is given to the beaters by means of appropriate belts.
The belts are so arranged that all the beaters in one rowrevolve in one
direction, and those in the other row in the reverse, as indicated by the
arrows 1, 2, in the Figure.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-Motion being given
to the several parts by connection with an appropriate train, the
flax is spread upon the carrier A, in such way that it will approach
the roller lengthwise. As it comes out over the bar e, it is broken
down by the bars of the cylinder c, which break the wood short,
leaving the bark uninjured. The cylinder turns the broken straw
upon the lower carrier B, between which and the carrier A, it is
conveyed to a point near the reverse end of the machine, where an
attendant gathers it into a handful, one end of which he throws
between the two upper beaters n. The motion of these draws it
down between the two rows, where the woody matter is almost instan-
taneously and thoroughly shaken or beaten out, when the operator
withdraws the fibre, and turning it over subjects the other end of the
mass in his grasp to the same process. By the time this has been
accomplished the carrier B will have brought another portion ready
for the beaters.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 29th April 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of October, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said Richard Archibald Brooman,
Her special licence that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman,
my executors, adminisi rators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Richard Archibald Brooman, 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 law-
fully 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 DRESSING FLAX, HEMP
AND OTHER LIKE FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, "(communicated to me by a foreigner
residing abroad,)upon the condition, amongst others, that I, the said
Richard Archibald Brooman, by an instrument, in writing under my
hand and seal,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 I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto aunexed, that is to say:
This Invention consists in certain improved arrangements of ma-
chinery for dressing flax, hemp, and other similar fibrous substances.

page_text: Figure 1, of the Drawings annexed is a perspective view; and Figure
2, a longitudinal section of a machine constructed according to the
Invention. Figure 3, is a perspective view of part of the machine
detached. The machine is composed of a framing, having two broad
endless aprons or carriers, lying nearly horizontal and at the top of
the frame. One of these A, conveys the raw material towards a break-
ing cylinder c, which is composed of two circular discs, supporting
between them parallel bars of wood or metal, as shewn in Figure 1,
and is made to revolve rapidly in the direction shewn by the arrow in
Figure 2. This carrier A, passes over two rollers d and d¹, which are
fixed, and over another roller 711, which is adjustable in the direction.
of the length of the apron. In front of the roller is placed a per-
manent bar of metal e, extending across the machine, and firmly
attached at each end to the frame. Immediately below the roller d is
a cylinder f, formed also of parallel bars, as shewn, and this cylinder is
caused to press against the returning portion of the apron A, by being
suspended at the journals in the ends of the levers g, g, to the opposite
ends of which are attached weights or springs in the manner shewn.
It thus derives its motion from contact with the apron A, or with the
flax which may pass between it and the apron, and the purpose of it
is to guide the flax (which has been broken by the action of the cylinder
e against the bar e) on tothe carrier B. This second carrier is also
an endless apron; it is situated below the first carrier, as shewn, and
is stretched upon two rollers h, h¹, the roller being fixed, and the
roller h being adjustable. The upper surface of the carrier B is thus.
in contact with that returning portion of the carrier A, which is be-
tween the rollers d'andd", and the lower carrier extends as far beyond
the upper one as is necessary to permit the attendant to remove the
broken matter. This distance may obviously be less for flax than for
hemp, as the straw is shorter. The roller has upon it a pulley k, by
which it is driven in the direction indicated by the arrow upon ..and.
it is also so geared to the roller d, as shewn at h and d,. Figure 1,
that the surfaces of the two carriers in contact.shall move with equal
speed. Above the roller d is placed a grooved roller i, which rests in
bearings on the frame, so constructed that the roller may have play

page_text: vertically. It derives rotary motion from contact with the flax upon
the carrier A, and the use of it is to keep the flax in place, and guide
it properly to the breaking cylinder. For this purpose some weight is
essential, and the roller is therefore conveniently constructed of metal,
though if necessary springs or weights may be made to press upon the
journals. An additional roller may be placed at the side of that just
described, as shewn at i¹. The construction and operation of this latter
(when employed) are similar to the construction and operation of the
roller i, except that the grooves are made larger, by which means the
guiding and spreading of the flax to the first roller is effected more
regularly.
Upon the same frame, and just beyond the roller 1, is arranged a
set of beaters n, which are disposed in two vertical rows, the beaters of
one row being set opposite to the spaces in the other, in the manner
shewn in Figure 2. These beaters are composed of wood or other
suitable material, and are shaped as clearly shewn in Figure 8. They
are supported upon suitable journals in the frame. A part of the ends
of each is turned off so as to form pulleys, by which rotary motion is
given to the beaters by means of appropriate belts, as seen in Figure 8.
The belts are so arranged that all the beaters in one row revolve in
one direction, and those in the other row in the reverse, as indicated by
the arrows 1, 2, in Figure 2.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-Motion being given to
the several parts by connection with an appropriate driving power, the
flax is spread upon the carrier A, in such way that it will approach the
roller lengthwise. As it comes out over the bar e, it is broken down
by the bars of the cylinder c, which break the wood short, leaving the
bark uninjured. The cylinder f turns the broken straw upon the
lower carrier B, between which and the carrier A it is conveyed to a
point near the reverse end of the machine, where an attendant gathers
it into a handful, one end of which he throws between the two upper
beaters 1. The motion of these draws it down between the two rows,
where the woody matter is almost instantaneously and thoroughly
shaken or beaten out, when the operator withdraws the fibre, and
turning it over subjects the other end of the mass in his grasp to the

page_text: same process. By the time this has been accomplished, the carrier B
will have brought another portion ready for the beaters.
There are one or two modifications which may be made in the
machine without varying the principle of its action; as, for instance,
the endless aprons may be dispensed with,and the breakers and beaters
brought so close together that the flax may be transferred by the hands
of the operator directly from oue to the other. The beaters, also,
instead of standing in a vertical portion of the frame, may be arranged
so as to take in the flax horizontally, and may then be fixed directly
under the breakers. This change in the arrangement has the advantage
of reducing the space required for a machine, and also its weight,
thereby rendering it more poriable.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim
as the said Invention is,―
First, the machinery for breaking the flax, hemp, or other like
fibrous substance, preparatory to being delivered upon the beaters, the
said machinery consisting of a series of bars arranged ou discs, so that
in revolving they act against a stationary bar, over the edge of which
the flax is broken, as described; and,
Second, the construction of the beaters for dressing the flax, hemp,
or other like fibrous substances, consisting of two sets of prism shaped
rollers, arranged parallel to each other, but so spaced and set that while
room is left to allow the flax, &c. to be drawn in freely, it will yet be
subject to the friction of the angular edges to dress out the refuse and
leave the fibre clean and unbroken, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of April,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
R. A. BROOMAN. (L..s.)