Improvements in Machines or Apparatus for Breaking, Scutching, and Decorticating Flax, Rhea (China Grass), and similar Fibres.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Feb., 1892
Complete Specification Left. 24th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 7th Jan., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines or Apparatus for Breaking, Scutching,
and Decorticating Flax, Rhea (China Grass), and similar Fibres.
We GEORGE EDMUND DONISTHORPE of 12 Oat Lane in the City of London
Merchant and TAYLOR BURROWs of 88 Upper Kennington Lane London in the
County of Surrey Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
This invention relates to machinery or apparatus for treating flax rhea and
similar fibres in the dry state that is to break and decorticate such fibre in
recovering and separating the useful fibre from the bark or woody part and non-
fibrous matter.
Our present invention is as follows:-
The fibre to be decorticated and freed from its bark et cetera is fed into our
machine between any ordinary or suitable feed and crushing rollers (of any suitable
construction) but advantageously two pairs of strong fluted feed rollers mounted in
a suitable frame or standard.
These rollers are made to slowly revolve and to give a firm grip or hold on the
unscutched fibre being fed therein between.
Close to these feed rollers are arranged and mounted a pair (or more-if desired)
of quickly revolving bladed or toothed rollers or cylindrical shaped devices of
peculiar construction which effect the breaking scutching and decorticating in
manner hereinafter set forth.
Each of this pair of peculiarly formed rollers has a series of radially projecting
teeth blades or surfaces which intersect with one another that is the radial surfaces
or projections on the top roller intersect and enter (more or less) deeply between
the corresponding projections on the lower roller-but never touch one another as
the two rollers revolve this being easily effected by any known mechanical means
such as a spur wheel fixed on the axis of one roller meshing with another spur wheel
fixed on the axis of the other roller.
Now the essential feature of our said present invention consists in making the
radial projections teeth or blades (on these rollers) set closely together at one part
and open or far away from each other at another part the top roller being identical
in this particular with the lower roller (or vice versa) and the two rollers are so
mounted with relation to each other that only close set teeth or blades on the one
can intersect with identically close set teeth or blades on the other and similarly
with regard to the coarse or more open set teeth or blades.
The operation is as follows:-
As the fibre (gripped firmly and held by the aforesaid feeding rollers) passes
between these peculiarly constructed rollers the open-set blades and then the closely-
set blades or teeth alternately act repeatedly on each part of the fibre as it is slowly
advanced by the said feed rollers and thus gives a varying rubbing or beating action
on the fibre this rapidly alternating varying action being very beneficial to the fibre
and obtaining the desired objects of this invention.
If desired instead of only two varying distances apart of the teeth or blades as
above described-three or more varying distances may be arranged so as to give
three or more distinct actions on the fibre.
Dated this 4th day of February 1892.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines or Apparatus for Breaking, Scutching,
and Decorticating Flax, Rhea (China Grass), and similar Fibres.
We, GEORGE EDMUND DONISTHORPE of 12 Oat Lane in the City of London,
Merchant, and TAYLOR BURROWS of 88 Upper Kennington Lane, London in the
County of Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to machinery or apparatus for treating flax rhea and
similar fibrous stalks or plants that is to break and decorticate same in recovering
and separating the useful fibre from the bark or woody part and non-fibrous
matter.
Our present invention is as follows:-
The fibrous stalks etc. such as flax straw to be decorticated and freed from the
bark etc. is fed into our machine between any ordinary or suitable feed and crushing
rollers (of any suitable construction) but advantageously two strong pairs of fluted
feed rollers mounted in a suitable frame or standard.
These rollers are made to slowly revolve and to give a firm grip or hold on the
stalks etc. fed therein between.
Close to these feed rollers are arranged and mounted a pair (or more-if
desired) of quickly revolving bladed or fluted rollers or cylindrical shaped
devices of special construction which effect our desired object in the manner
hereinafter set forth.
Each roller of this pair of quickly revolving specially formed rollers has a
series of radially projecting flutes blades or surfaces which intersect with one
another that is the flutes or projections on the top roller intersect and enter
(more or less) deeply between the corresponding projections on the lower roller
-but never touch one another as the two rollers revolve-this being easily
effected by the adjustment of the bearings of these rollers or by any other
suitable mechanical means.
Now a very essential feature of our present invention consists in making the
said radial projections flutes or blades (on these rollers) set closely together at
one part and open or further away from each other at another part the top
roller being identical in this particular with the lower roller (or vice versa) and
the two rollers are so mounted with relation to each other that only close set
flutes or blades on the one can intersect with identically close set flutes or blades
on the other and similarly with regard to the coarse or more open set flutes or
blades.
The operation is as follows:-
The fibre is gripped firmly and held by the aforesaid slowly revolving pressing
and feeding rollers and thus held is presented to and passes between these said
specially constructed rollers the open set blades and then the closely set blades
or flutes whereof act alternately and repeatedly on each part of the crushed
stems or stalks et cetera as it is slowly advanced by the said feed and crushing
rollers and thus gives a varying rubbing or beating and scraping action on the
fibre this rapidly alternating varying action being very beneficial to the fibre
and obtaining the desired object of this invention riz.-stripping off the pellicle
or woody part in a most complete manner and practically from end to end of
the stalks or lengths of fibrous material in passing same only once through our
machine instead of as usual heretofore having to present first one end and draw
it back and then present the other end and draw it back the result being a very
small output whereas by our present improvements we obtain a greatly increased
output as well as other advantages.
If desired instead of only two varying distances apart of the flutes or blades

page_text: as above described-three or more varying distances may be arranged so as to
give three or more distinct actions on the fibre.
And in order that our present invention may be easily understood and readily
carried into practice we will proceed to further describe same with reference to
the drawings hereunto annexed.
Figure Is a side elevation o τις πιρισνα
crushing rollers and the pair of rubbing-stripping rollers being shown in dotted
Figure 2 is a plan of Figure 1.
lines.
Figure 3 is a "local" side elevation of the opposite side of the machine to
Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of the rubbing stripping rollers-on a larger
scale than the other figures.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout.
a a are the first pair of feed crushing rollers, and
bb are the second pair of feed-crushing rollers.
cc are the varying fluted or bladed rollers which give the alternating action
on the crushed stalks etc. to rub beat scrape and strip off the pellicle or woody
and non-fibrous material.
dd are fast and loose pulleys on the main driving shaft e.
fis a large spur wheel (on the main shaft) the teeth of which mesh with and
revolve the toothed wheel g fixed on the lower roller c.
A toothed wheel on the opposite end of the lower roller c meshes with and
revolves a toothed wheel fixed on the end of the upper roller c-thus the two
rollers c c are revolved identically at a very high speed say forty times the speed
of the feed rollers a a and b b.
A second and small cog wheel h on the main shaft e actuates a train of
wheels ijkm which gear down the speed and the last wheel m of which slowly
revolves the two pairs of feed crushing rollers a a and b b.
Or these several pairs of rollers a b and c may be revolved in any other suitable
manner and at the relative speeds of about 40 revolutions of c to one of a and b
or any other suitable relative proportions.
The second pair of feed crushing rollers may be dispensed with or more than
two pairs may be used if desired.
The operation is as follows:-
The flax straws or other stalks et cetera are fed on at and are seized and
crushed between the rollers a a and then again between rollers b b (both of which
are strong pressing pairs of rollers) and the fibrous material thus crushed is
presented to the alternating action of the quickly revolving rubbing stripping
rollers c c.
By reason of the quickly varying action of these rollers c c on the material
the pellicle woody and non-fibrous part is beaten rubbed scraped and stripped
off and same drops to the ground leaving the extracted fibre almost perfectly
stripped and scutched (by passing in one operation right through the machine)
and ready for the next operation of opening or heckling combing etc.; or the
resulting fibre from this machine may if desired for some purposes be further
treated on another scutching machine to further perfect the scutching.
We would remark that we do not limit ourselves to only two varying depths
of blades or flutes on each roller c c.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. A machine for breaking decorticating and scutching or partially scutching

page_text: flax rhea (china grass) and other fibrous plants having a pair of quickly revolving
longitudinally furrowed or bladed rollers or cylinders the blades or flutes on
which vary in depth so as to intersect-but never touch one another where they
intersect and thus at such point give a varying action on the fibrous material
in the manner described and illustrated and as and for the purposes set forth.
2. The rollers such as c c arranged combined and acting substantially as and
for the purposes hereinbefore described and illustrated in the drawings hereunto
annexed especially at Figure 4.
Dated this 24th day of October 1800
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.