A NEW MACHINE FOR CLEANING AND PREPARING RAW FLAX
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Leonard Kleinen, of 255, Euston Road, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "A NEW MACHINE FOR
Sealed the 15th February 1876, and dated the 16th August 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Leonard Kleinen at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 16th August 1875.
I, LEONARD KLEINEN, of 255, Euston Road, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"A NEW MACHINE FOR CLEANING AND PREPARING RAW FLAX," to be as
follows:-
This Invention combines in one machine and accomplishes at one
operation all the work of cleaning and preparing flax ready for spinning,
for which purpose several machines are now required. The raw flax
after having been dried and put into this machine comes out of it quite
ready for spinning, and it also cleans the refuse, so as to be ready for
upholstery purposes, leaving nothing but the waste. By this single

page_text: process a great and important saving in labour and fuel is effected, and
a greater quantity of finer flax is gained thereby.
$
And in order that this my Invention may be properly understood I
will proceed to describe the same, reference being had to the annexed
Drawing, which represents a side elevation of my machine.
This machine is made of metal or a combination of wood and metal,
and is actuated by steam power in the ordinary manner, though it may
be worked by manual labour or any other motive power.
The raw flax after having been dried is placed between a number of
rollers a, a, a, a, which level the flax, and pass it on to the scutchers or
breakers b, b, b, b, b, b, which consist of a series of groved rollers; these
scutchers or breakers cut and separate the wood or boon from the fibres;
the fibres then pass on to the cleaners c, c; the flax after having been
half cleaned is carried up by means of hacklers or teeth e, e, to the
rollers d, d; the flax then returns by the action of these rollers d, d, to
the hacklers e, e, before mentioned, for the purposes of cleaning the
other half. The flax is then ready for spinning and other manufacturing
purposes.
The wood when separated from the fibre, as before mentioned, is by
the action of the scutchers or breakers b, b, received into a hopper ƒ, ƒ;
from thence it passes on to the platform g, g, where it is cut up into
small particles by a series of knives or choppers, and cleaned by
beaters, h, the dust escaping through interstices in the machine, while
the cut particles are carried forward to a reciver i ready for upholstering
purposes.
In the process of hackling there is a certain refuse, which is removed
from the hacklers by means of a travelling pawl e¹. This refuse can bo
applied for spinning purposes. % is a lever for the purpose of regu-
lating the machine generally, such as increasing or decreasing the
distances of the cleaners c, c, as circumstances may require; p is a guide
rod for guiding the rollers d, d; q and shew rack and pinion for
raising the rollers d, d, into position shown. The grooved rollers b, b,
are kept in place and held down by means of powerful springs m, m;
these springs are worked by the lever n, which regulates the pressure.
The remainder of the mechanical parts of the machine, shewn in the
Drawing, such as spring tappets, pawls, and cams, will be readily under-
stood, and require no further description.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Leonard Kleinen in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 16th February 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, LEONARD
KLEINEN, of 255, Euston Road, in the County of Middlsex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors give and grant unto me, the said Leonard Kleinen, Her special
licence, that I, the said Leonard Kleinen, executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Leonard Kleinen, 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 "A NEW
MACHINE FOR CLEANING AND PREPARING RAW FLAX," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Leonard Kleinen, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands or 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 Leonard Kleinen, 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 :--
This Invention combines in one machine, and accomplishes by one
operation all the work of cleaning and preparing flax ready for spinning,

page_text: for which purpose several machines are now required. The raw flax
after having been dried and put into this machine comes out of the
same quite ready for spinning, and it also cleans the refuse, so as to
be ready for upholstery purposes, leaving nothing but waste. By this
single process a great and important saving in labor and fuel is effected,
and a greater quantity of pure flax is gained thereby.
section of the same; Figure 3, a transverse section.
Figures 4, 5, & 6, details of the machine to be hereafter described.
The raw flax after having been dried is placed between a number of
rollers a, a, a, and a¹, a¹, a¹, a¹, and levelled in the following manner:-The
upper row of rollers a, a, a, are held in a frame a³, which frame is
pivoted at a³ to another frame at that the former may adapt itself to
the thickness of the flax on the lower rollers a¹, a', a', and always press
equally on the same. The frame a of the upper set of rollers a, a, a, is
pivoted at a³, so that these rollers can be raised to admit another portion
of flax when the first portion has passed on to the next operation. The
frame a carrying the lower set of rollers a¹, a', a', has a reciprocal lateral
motion to equally spread the flax between the rollers of that frame and
the rollers of the upper frame. This motion is obtained by means of a
lever a actuated by a cam a³ on the spindle a³; on this spindle is a
pulley a. This latter is driven off the main driving shaft a" by the
intervention of a pulley a¹² and a strap a¹³ in the usual manner. The
flax between the rollers a, a, a, and a', a¹, a¹, has its ends brought to a
uniform bend by the reciprocal motion of the bevelling bar b. Each
end of this bar works in a slotted arm 62 of the crank lever b³. This
motion for bevelling the ends of the flax is obtained by the recoil of the
spring and the return motion given by the stud 5 on the disc 66
striking the lower end of the lover 6', the upper and slotted end of which
lever actuates the end 6 of the bar b.

page_text: When a portion of flax between the rollers before mentioned has been
bevelled the roller frame on the release of the catch a are carried by
the recoil of the spring a¹s sufficiently near the grooved rollers c, c¹, to
allow them to lay hold of the ends of the flax. There is a stud 6s on
the side of the frame a working into a slot 6º in the crank lever b³, which
in the forward motion of that frame depresses the end of the crank
lever, and by that means lowers the bar out of the way of the flax in
the latter's passage to the grooved rollers c, c¹. After the flax has been
removed from between the rollers a, a, a, and a', a', a', the frame is
restored to its position again by the operator drawing the same back
until the catch a falls and retains the frame in its normal position.
The flax then passes between the grooved rollers c, c, c, c, and c¹, c², c¹, c¹,
and which break up and loosen the woody portion of the flax. The upper
grooved rollers c, c, c, are not rigidly in an horizontal position with
respect to the lower rollers c¹, c¹, c¹, but are so arranged by means of the
springs c², c², c², and the rods c³, c³, and weighted levers c', ct, as to give
the requisite amount of pressure, and also to allow of the upper row of
rollers to rise vertically to more casily pass a thicker portion of flax.
The upper row of grooved rollers c, c, c, and driven by the grooved surface
of the lower rollers c¹, c², c¹, and the latter are driven from each other
by the introduction of the wheels c³, c³, c³. On the spindles of two of these
wheels there are placed the wheels c, c, both driven by the pinion c'
on the main driving shaft a". The flax on leaving the rollers c, c¹, is
received between the set of rollers d, d, d, d, and rather more than half
the length of the flax is projected from the rollers into the hopper e¹
between the beaters e³ of the drums e³. Here the woody portion, which
has already been broken and loosened, is separated from the fibre, and
the former fall to the screen f; the dust and refuse passing through the
screen, and the other portion, which is used for upholstery purposes, is
moved down the screen by the to-and-fro motion of the scrapers f¹‚ƒ¹‚ƒ¹.
This movement of the scrapers is thus obtained. On the ends of the
spindles of the scrapers f¹, f', are fixed the levers f,f,f; these levers
are linked together by the box f³, and this bar through the connecting
rod f* receives a to-and-fro motion from the disc b°.
The distance apart of the heaters c can be varied by the operator by
means of the apparatus et. The other half of the flax is brought under
similar treatment in the following manner:-The operator by means of
the hand lever y releases a catch holding the rollers d, d, and by the

page_text: same movement throws the pinion into gear with the rack ƒ³, which
immediately begins to ascend and raises the rollers d, d, (between
which the flax is still retained), and when the rollers arive at a
sufficient height the operator brings the other portion of the flax under
treatment in the following manner:-On the frame arriving at the
end of its upward travel the tappet d' strikes the end of the hook d³, and
slightly raising the same draws back the catch do, and allows the pulley
ɖ¹ by the recoil of the spring fixed in the same to carry round with it
through half a revolution the frame do and the rollers d. The roller and
frame then immediately fall to their lower position, and
manner.
the other half
of the flax falls between the beaters and is operated upon in a similar
The spring of the pulley do is rewound at every fall of the
framed by the tappets d carrying down with it in its descent the
hooked bar d¹³. This bar is attached by the cord d¹ to the pulley d¹º,
and this gives the necessary motion to the same.
The frame d in its half revolution strikes the end of the lever a 16, and
by means of the connecting rod a raises the catch a and allows the
frame a, a, and a, to act as before described. There is a spring a's
attached to catch to restore it to its normal position. Before the frame
drises this second time the spindle d on which the hooks d³ are fixed
is moved laterally a small distance to disengage the end of the hooks
³ from the catches dº, and brings these hooks under the catch levers .
There is a similar tappet to ď² on the far side of the machine, which on
the second rising of the frame strikes the levers (on the far side) and
releases the catch levers d¹, and allows the hooks d" to fall and support
the rollers d, d. The rollers d, d, are separated to allow the operator to
withdraw the finished flax in the following manner :-The hooks j arc
brought together by the action of the cam j' on the tails of the hooks,
the cam being under control of the operator by means of the rods j³
connecting the cam with the treadle j³.
There is a spring j¹ so arranged that on the withdrawal of the
operator's foot from the treadle j³, the rods ja rises and actuate the pins
jin such a manner that they bring together the tails of the hooks j,
and thus separate the hooks again.
After the flax has been removed from the rollers the spindle d¹ is
returned to its former position, and the hooks again engage the
catches d. The hook " can then move free of the roller frame, and

page_text: the latter on the operator disengaging the hook d³ the frame d again
makes half a revolution, actuating the lever d¹ and then falls to its lower
position and is in a condition to repeat the operation on a new portion
of flax.
The comb of the hackler is brought forward into position to comb the
flax as the latter rises by the tappet d', striking the lever h¹ and the
lever which gives the required motion to the hackling apparatus.
On the descent of the rollers d, d, the tappets d¹ in a similar manner
strike the lever ³, and the latter actuates ³ and draws back the
hackling apparatus. The latter portion of the movement of the pro-
jecting and the withdrawing of the comb of the hackler is performed by
the momentum of the weighted lever h*.
Any refuse that collects on the face of the hackling box ³ is cleared
away by the travelling scraper hº, which passes over the surface and
cleans it.
The scraper actuated by the spring lever 12 drawing the cord h³;
to this cord the scraper is attached and the tappet d by striking in its
upward motion the tail of the lever 7³, restores the scraper to its normal
position, and it is there held by the catch 7° until again released by the
pin fixed to the weighted lever . The cord 8 is so secured to the
scraper that in the latter's backward motion it is lifted off the face of
the hackling box.
The flap is raised to allow the flax to pass it freely, which it does
immediately after the face of hackling box is cleaned, and during the
time the rollers d, d, are ascending.
21
The end of the lever strikes lever and draws the pawl 2³ out of
action, the recoil of the spring through the cord passing round the
pulley raises the flap i, when the frame by its rising releases the
both and allows the spring 2* to operate.
On the descent of the frame d the bolt is caught and carried down
and by means of the cord is turns the pulley and thereby restores the
flap to its former position.
Figure 4 is a front view of hackling box h³, and shews the travelling
scraper returning after having scraped the face of box.
Figure 5 is a plan of the lower frames of the travelling apparatus.
Figure 6 is a plan of the hackling apparatus.

page_text: Having thus described the nature and object of my Invention I
declare that what I claim and desire to be secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is, the peculiar combination and
general arrangement of parts together forming my new machine for
cleaning and preparing raw flax, substantially as herein-before described
and as shewn and illustrated on the Drawings or any mere modification
thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Leonard Kleinen, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
six.