IMPROVE- MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SCUTCHING AND HACKLING FLAX HOLD AND OTHER SIMILAR FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Hill Dickson, of Stanley Terrace, Rotherhithe,
in the County of Surrey, Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SCUTCHING AND HACKLING FLAX
HOLD AND OTHER SIMILAR FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Sealed the 14th December 1858, and dated the 16th June 1858.
PROVISIONAL SP_CIFICATION left by the said James Hill Dickson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 16th June 1858...
AND
I, JAMES HILL DICKSON, of Stanley Terrace, Rotherhithe, in the County
of Surrey, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said Inven-
tion for IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR. APPARATUS FOR SCUTCHING
HACKLING FLAX, HEAP, AND OTHER SIMILAR FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
machinery or apparatus for scutching and hackling flax, hemp, India and
China grass and other similar fibrous substances, and consists in the appli-
cation and use of a peculiar combination of brushes and scrapers and
openers, the processes of scutching and hackling being effected in one
machine. The fibres are presented to this machine by a pair of fluted
nipping rollers in connection with a feeding barrel or drum having a
partial rotatory motion imparted to it by means of an internal segmental
rack and pinion. This barrel or drum is moved forward towards the
cleaners and openers by means of a screw spindle, so that the fibres
(which lie over a leather apron when under treatment) are accurately
presented to the action of the cleaning and opening apparatus. The
openers which first operate on the fibres consist of blades. or scrapers
attached to rotatory arms at gradually diminishing distances from the
centre, and are each fitted on their outer flat surfaces with a number of
projecting teeth which incline back slightly so as not to tear the fibres
as they pass through them. The cleaners and brushers consist of brushes
attached also to rotatory arms, and having spring knives placed within

page_text: them for scraping and brushing off the resin and woody matter. The
feeding barrel or drum is slowly turned round during the time that the
fibre is being operated upon so as to present the whole length of fibre.
successively to the action of the revolving cleaners and openers. This
feeding apparatus can be easily adapted to the Irish scutching machines,
or a round horizontal revolving table may be used in combination with
suitable holders and circular cleaners and openers of the description
above referred to, such cleaners and openers fitting the periphery of the
horizontal table.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters l'atent, filed
by the said James Hill Dickson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 16th December 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
HILL DICKSON, of Stanley Terrace, Rotherhithe, in the County of Surrey,
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said James Hill Dickson, Her special license that I, the said
James Hill Dickson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said James Hill Dickson, my executors, administrators,
or 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 OR APPARATUS
FOR SCUTCHING AND HACKLING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER SIMILAR FIBROUS
MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
James Hill Dickson, 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 James Hill Dickson, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say ;--

page_text: My said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
machinery or apparatus for scutching and hackling flax, hemp, India and
China grass and other similar fibrous substances, and consists in the appli-
cation and use of a peculiar combination of brushes and scrapers and
openers, the processes of scutching and hackling being effected in one
machine. The fibres are presented to this machine by a pair of fluted
nipping rollers in connection with a feeding barrel or drum having a
partial rotatory motion imparted to it by means of an internal segmental
rack and a pinion. This barrel or drum is moved forward towards the
cleaners and openers by means of a screw spindle, so that the fibres
(which lay over a leather apron when under treatment) are accurately
presented to the action of the cleaning and opening apparatus. The
openers which first operate on the fibres consist of blades or scrapers
attached to rotatory arms at gradually diminishing distances from the
centre, and are each fitted on their outer flat surfaces with a number of
projecting teeth, which incline back slightly so as not to tear the fibres
as they pass through them. The cleaners and brushers consist of brushes
attached also to rotatory arms, and having spring knives placed within
them for scraping and brushing off the resin and woody matter.
The feeding barrel or drum is slowly turned round during the time that
the fibre is being operated upon, so as to present the whole length of fibre
successively to the action of the revolving cleaners and openers. This
feeding apparatus can be easily adapted to the Irish scutching machines,
or a round horizontal revolving table may be used in combination with
suitable holders and circular cleaners and openers, of the description
above referred to, such cleaners and openers fitting the periphery of the
horizontal table.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
I shall refer to the several Figures on the Sheets of Drawings hereunto
annexed, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts
throughout all the corresponding Figures.
. Figure 1 on Sheet 1 of my Drawings represents a vertical section of my
improved combined scutching and hackling machine taken through the
beaters or openers; Figure 2 is a similar section of the same machine
taken through the brushers or finishers, and having my improved feed
motion attached; and Figure 3 is a sectional plan of the machine com-
plete, shewing the general internal arrangement thereof; Figure 4 is a
modified form of feed apparatus; and Figure 5 is an enlarged detail of
one of the beaters or openers. A is a cast iron or other suitable casing.

page_text: within which the beaters or openers B and finishers C revolve at a greater
velocity. These beaters or openers and finishers are carried on the ends
of the two sets of wrought-iron arms D and E respectively, which are
bolted or otherwise secured at their inner ends to the flanged bosses F, G,
respectively, fast on the main central shaft H. This shaft works in the
brushes I, I, on either side of the casing, and carries a pair of ordinary
fast and loose driving pullies K, K', for the facility of driving by steam
power. The construction of the beaters or openers B, which first operate
upon the fibres to be treated, will be better understood on referring to
the enlarged detail Figure 5, which represents a side elevation of one of
the beaters. Each beater consists of a number of bars a, bevelled or
tapered slightly to one edge, which edge is ground off perfectly square,
so as to form a scraper, similar to those in ordinary use by carpenters.
A number of teeth or sharp points b, b, are fitted on to the outer surface
of each bar, and these teeth are inclined backward slightly, as shewn in
Figures 1 and 5, for the purpose of enabling them to pass through and
open out the fibres without tearing them. A number of these bars so
constructed are arranged parallel to each other and to the shaft H, on a
plate c, fixed to the extremity of one of the revolving arms, but in place
of the scraping edges of the bars being all equidistant from the centre of
the shaft, I make each succeeding bar project slightly beyond the pre-
ceding one, such graduation being so arranged that the bar which is
farthest from the fibres or nearest to the centre H, will first come into
operation, the teeth 6 penetrating a short distance only into the fibres,
whilst each succeeding toothed bar will penetrate further and further
therein, whereby the opening will be accomplished gradually and gently
without tearing or otherwise injuring and wasting the fibres. The
scraping edges of the bars effectually remove the "boon" which has been
loosened from the fibre by the action of the inclined teeth or openers b.
The fibres having been thus properly opened and partially cleansed, are
now submitted to the action of the brushers or finishers C, which consist
each of a brush d, having a number of blades or knives e inserted between
the bristles in a direction parallel to each other and to the shaft H, the
upper edges of which knives are flush, or nearly so, with the surface of
the bristles. Bands of india-rubber or other suitable elastic material
stretched across the finisher serve to give an elastic support to the knives.
These knives, by the action of the centrifugal force of the revolving arms,
are propelled slightly beyond the bristles, and thereby effect the double
purpose of cleaning the brush, or preventing it from being choked up with
tow, whilst at the same time their protruding edges act as scrapers by
picking off the short wood, dust, and resin from the fibres. By placing

page_text: the knives on elastic or yielding material they are free to be pushed into
the bristles on coming in contact with the fibres under treatment, so as
to allow the brushes to act properly upon such fibres, and remove the
tow and all other refuse therefrom. After passing the fibres, the knives
no longer meeting with any resistance, immediately fly out again, and
remove thereby the tow from the surface of the bristles, which tow is
finally taken off by the circular revolving brushes L, L, driven from the
main shaft by the band M, and grooved pullies N, N.
The feed motions for supplying the beaters and finishers consist of a
pair of drums O, O', carried by the shafts or spindles P, P', which work
in bearings in the sliding frames Q, Q'. These frames are supported by
the bracket R, bolted to the feeding side of the machine, and are caused
to slide to and fro, so as to carry the drums towards or from the beaters
or finishers respectively, by the action of the screw spindles S, S'. Each
drum carries a pair of fluted nipping rollers T, T', which are intended
to receive the fibres to be treated from the inclined feeding table U, and
to hold them firmly at one end whilst the rest of the fibre is being operated
upon by the beaters or finishers. A screw spindle V serves to press the
upper one of the nipping rollers on to the lower roller, which is carried
by the drum itself, and thereby effectually hold the fibres during the
opening or finishing process.
Figure 4 represents the modified form of nipping or holding apparatus,
wherein a single roller T only is used, which roller presses the fibres into
the curved recess t in the surface of the drum O, whereby a larger holding
surface is obtained than where such holding surface consists merely of
the line of contact of two rollers or convex surfaces.
A leather apron W is attached to each drum near the nipping rollers,
and extends down inside the casing of the machine, as shewn in the
Drawings, where it is supported or kept in a position to be acted upon by
the beaters or finishers as they revolve, by resting upon bands X, X, of
india-rubber, or other suitable elastic material, stretched from side to
side of the casing. The fibres to be operated upon are supported upon
this apron W, and in order to bring them under the action of the beaters.
the frame carrying the drum O is moved forward by the screw spindle S.
The fibres being now in a position to be acted upon, the drum O is slowly
rotated by turning the pinion Y, which gears into the internal segmental
rack Z', fitted or formed inside the drum. By this means the fibre from
about the middle of its length to the extreme ends is thoroughly beaten
and opened out; the attendant regulating the turning of the drum in such
a manner that every quarter or half inch of the fibre receives a stroke or
blow from the beaters. The drum is now drawn back by the screw

page_text: spindle S, and the fibres are taken out of the nipping rollers by unscrew-
ing the spindle V, in order that they may be replaced again with the
fibres reversed, that is to say, with the upper portion which had not
previously been acted upon on the apron W, to be treated in the manner
before described. It will thus be obvious that the entire length of fibre is
thoroughly opened, its whole surface having been slowly drawn along
under the action of the beaters.
In this partially cleaned and opened state the fibres are removed and
placed on the second feeding drum O', in order to undergo the finishing
and brushing operation which completes the process. By these means
all the gummy, resinous, and woody matter can be readily removed from
every kind of fibre without the aid of steeping in liquids of any kind,
whilst at the same time the individual fibres are, if required, split finer
than can be accomplished in the ordinary hackles.
Figures 1 and 2, on Sheet 2 of my Drawings, represent respectively a
front elevation and sectional plan of a flax scutching box mill, as
ordinarily used in Ireland, but with my improvements adapted thereto.
These improved adaptations consist of a circular table A, which holds
and carries the flax during the process of scutching, and of the peculiar
beaters B and finishers C, which are similarly constructed to those herein-
before described, but with this difference, that the operating surfaces
are curved so as to correspond to and fit round a portion of the periphery
of the holding table, whereby a larger surface of flax will be operated
upon at each stroke, as will be clearly understood on referring to the
sectional plan Figure 2. D, E, are revolving arms which carry respec-
tively the beaters and finishers. They are connected to bosses on a
horizontal shaft at the back of the machine, but not shewn in the Draw-
ing. The fibres to be treated are held or nipped between suitable hinged
plates, one of which is shown in detail plan at Figure 3. These plates,
with the lengths of fibres between them, are fitted on to the bevilled edge
of the circular table by any convenient arrangement of catches, and the
table thus fitted is rotated slowly by the hand of the attendant, as
required, for the purpose of bringing the whole of the fibres in succession
under the action of the beaters. fresh fibres being supplied and turned
into the machine as fast as the previous ones are completed.
It will thus be evident that by this simple and inexpensive arrange-
ment, any ordinary boy or girl may attend the machine in lieu of employ-
ing skilled scutchers; whilst at the same time the amount of waste or tow
is considerably reduced. The rotating drum feed motion, herein-before
described in reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3, on Sheet 1 of the Drawings,

page_text: may also be adapted to the Irish scutching mills, but I prefer using the
revolving table as illustrated on Sheet 2 of my Drawings.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that I do not confine or
restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had
occasion to describe or refer to, as variations may be made therefrom
without deviating from the principles or main features of my said Inven-
tion; but what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as
the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,
First, the general constructions, arrangements, and combinations of
apparatus or machinery for scutching and hackling flax, hemp, and other
vegetable fibrous substances, as herein-before described and illustrated
by the Drawings.
Second, the application and use of beaters or openers, composed of
bars fitted with inclined teeth, as herein-before described.
Third, the application and use of finishers, consisting of brushes having
spring knives or scraping blades placed therein, as herein-before
described.
Fourth, the application and use of a feeding barrel or drum, having a
circular motion on its axis, as well as a horizontal sliding motion, as
herein-before described.
Fifth, the application and use of horizontal revolving feeding tables in
combination with beaters and finishers, shaped to correspond to the
circumference of the table, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Hill Dickson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of December, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
JAMES HILL DICKSON. (L.S.)
Witness to the signing, sealing, and
delivering hereof by the said
James Hill Dickson,
EDWIN EDDISON, Solicitor,
Leeds.