IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SCUTCHING OR BEATING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS REQUIRING LIKE TREATMENT
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Hubert Desvignes, of Lewisham, in the
County of Kent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
SCUTCHING OR BEATING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
REQUIRING LIKE TREATMENT."
Sealed the 6th January 1857, and dated the 18th July 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Hubert Desvignes
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 18th July 1856.
I, PETER HUBERT DESVIGNES, of Lewisham, in the County of Kent, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR SCUTCHING OR BEATING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS REQUIRING
LIKE TREATMENT," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for scutching
or beating flax, hemp, and other fibrous materials requiring like treatment.
For these purposes, the flax, hemp, or fibrous material is held by hand,
or otherwise, and is moved towards or from the beaters by grooved rollers
or otherwise. The blades or beaters used, according to this Invention, are
mounted on axes, which are carried by endless chains or bands, or on the
periphery of a rotary cylindrical frame, and the beaters are caused to rotate or
vibrate with their axes (when they come opposite to where the flax or fibrous
material is held) by means of fixed racks, into which the teeth of pinions take,
and by which the axes of the said beaters rotate quickly and beat the fibrous
materials.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Peter Hubert Desvignes in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 17th January 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, PETER
HUBERT DESVIGNES, of Lewisham, in the County of Kent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Peter Hubert Desvignes, Her special licence that I, the said Peter
Hubert Desvignes, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Peter Hubert Desvignes, 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, 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 SCUTCHING OR BEATING FLAX,
HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS REQUIRING LIKE TREATMENT," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Peter Hubert Desvignes, 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 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 Peter Hubert Desvignes, 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 has for its object improvements in machinery for scutching
or beating flax, hemp, and other fibrous materials requiring like treatment.
For these purposes, the flax, hemip, or fibrous material is held by hand, or other-
wise, and is moved towards or from the beaters by grooved rollers, or otherwise.
The blades or beaters used, according to this Invention, are mounted on axes,
which are carried by endless chains or bands, or on the periphery of a rotary
cylindrical frame, and the beaters are caused to rotate or vibrate with their
axes (when they come opposite to where the flax or fibrous material is held)
by means of fixed racks, into which the teeth of pinions (fixed on the
axes of

page_text: Having thus stated the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to describe
more fully the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 shows a vertical section, and Figure 2 a plan, of so much of a
machine for scutching or beating flax, hemp, or other fibres as will enable me
to describe my present improvements.
a, a, are endless chains passing over the chain wheels b, b, fixed on axes ¹,6²,
at any convenient distance apart. The chain wheels fixed on the lower axis 6²
have pins or teeth fixed on their peripheries, which take into recesses formed
in the links of the chains in order to give motion thereto, the axis b³ being
driven by a band from a steam engine or other motive power. The links a¹, a¹,
of the endless chains a, a, are suitably constructed for receiving the ends of the
axes on which the blades or beaters c, c, are mounted (modifications of which
are shown separately at Figure 3). And I would here remark that the con-
struction of the blades or beaters may be greatly varied without departing from
my Invention, and, if desired, they may be furnished with points or serrated
edges, or with elastic or yielding surfaces. On the axes of the beaters c,
toothed pinions c², c, are fixed, which, by the revolution of the endless chains,
are caused to engage with the toothed racks d, d, fixed in the track of the
chains opposite to where the flax or other fibrous material is held, and thus
will the beaters be caused to rotate rapidly whilst travelling in contact with
the fibrous material to be scutched or beaten. The flax or other fibrous
material may be presented to the action of the beaters by hand, or be moved
towards and from the beaters by rollers, or otherwise, as is well understood
and commonly practised in connection with machinery for scutching or beating
fibrous materials. The holders I prefer to employ are shown in the Drawings
at e, e, and consist of a board having a cushion or elastic surface formed thereon,
over which the fibrous material is laid, one end of the fibrous material being
held by a bar hinged to the upper edge of the board. These holders are placed
in frames f, and are secured therein by turn buttons or other fastenings e¹; the
frames f being hinged to the side framing of the machine opposite to where
the racks d, d, are fixed for giving motion to the revolving beaters; by this
arrangement, the holders with the fibrous material may be readily moved
towards and from the beaters.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to the

page_text: parts separately; but what I claim are the means of combining the parts
herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Hubert Desvignes, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
PETER HUBERT DESVIGNES. (L.S.)
Witness,
B. GOBEY,
24, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane.