IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR SEEDING AND BREAKING FLAX
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Parsons, of Martock, in the County of
Somerset, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES
FOR SEEDING AND BREAKING FLAX."
Sealed the 21st February 1865, and dated the 23rd August 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Parsons at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
23rd August 1864.
I, GEORGE PARSONS, of Martock, in the County of Somerset, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINES FOR SEEDING AND BREAKING FLAX," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in constructing machines for seeding and for
breaking flax as hereafter described.
For seeding flax I employ a pair of rollers kept up in their bearings by
springs or levers; then for the purpose of breaking I substitute for these
rollers three fluted rollers.
Another arrangement of breaking machines consists in the employment of
three rollers superposed, in order that the flax fed at one side of the machine
may also come out from the same side; or I accomplish this exit of the flax
at the same side of the machine as that at which it entered, whereby one
attendant is saved, by the employment of two rollers, to the back of which I
fit or place a shield or guide, which directs back the straw under the lower

page_text: roller, and returns it to the same side of the machine as that at which it
entered.
My Invention also consists in combining one of theso flax seeding and
breaking machines with a scutching machine, so that only one belt from the
primo mover will suffice to drive both machines. For this purpose I prefer
to mount the rollers of the flax seeding and breaking machine in bearings
fixed to the upper part of the frame which carries the scutching machine.
The belt from the prime mover drives the scutching machine, while a belt or
strap passing from a pulley on the shaft of the scutching machine to another
pulloy on the shaft of the flax seeding and breaking machine transmits the
motion to the latter; or the belt from the prime mover may be caused to
drive the flax seeding and breaking machino direct, the scutching machine
receiving motion from the shaft of the breaking machine in the manner just
explained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Parsons in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
23rd February 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
PARSONS, of Martock, in the County of Somerset, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reigu, did; for Flerself, Her heirs and successors, give, and grant. unto me, the
said George Parsons, Her special licence that I,. the said George Parsons,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as 1, the said
George Parsons, 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
MACHINES FOR SEEDING AND BREAKING FLAX," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George. Parsons, 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 Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed,, and cause the same

page_text: 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 George Parsons, 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 state-
ment thereof, referénce being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, that
is to say:
My Invention consists in constructing machines for seeding and for breaking
flax as hereafter described.
For seeding flax I employ a pair of rollers kept up in their bearings by
springs or levers; then for the purpose of breaking flax I substitute for these
rollers three fluted rollers..
Another arrangement of breaking machines consists in the employment of
three rollers superposed, in order that the flax fed at one side of the machine
may also come out from the same side; or I accomplish this exit of the flax
at the same side of the machine as that at which it entered, whereby one
attendant is saved, by the employment of two rollers, to the back of which
I fit or place a shield or guide, which directs back the 'straw under the
lower roller, and returns it to the same side of the machine as that at which
it entered.
My Invention also consists in combining one of these flax seeding or
breaking machines with a scutching machine, so that only one belt from the
prime mover will suffice to drive both machines. For this purpose I prefer
to mount the rollers of the flax seeding or breaking machine in bearings fixed
to the upper part of the frame which carries the scutching machine. The
belt from the prime mover drives the scutching machine, while à belt or strap
passing from a pulley on the shaft of the scutching machine to another pulley
on the shaft of the flax seeding or breaking machine transmits the motion to
the latter; or the belt from the prime mover may be caused to drive tho flax
seeding or breaking machine direct, the scutching machinė receiving motion
from the shaft of the seeding or breaking machine in the manner just
explained.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a plan, and Figure 2 ani end
elevation shewing a flax seeding machine, a breaking machine, and a scutching
machine all combined in one frame; Figure 3 is a side elevation of the
seeding machine.
A, A, are brackets fixed to the frame B, and formed with bearings C, C,
for carrying a pair of seeding rollers D, D; these rollers are kept up in their
bearings by springs a, a, as shewn, or they may be kept up in their bearings

page_text: by levers. The rollers D, D, are driven in tho ordinary manner by a belt
passing round the pulley E. If required the seeding rollers D, D, may be
removed and replaced by three fluted breaking rollers, two of which are placed
in the same bearings as the rollers D, D, and the other in a separate bearing
inserted into the framing, as shown at Figure 4 and at Figure 5. On the
same side of the frame B as the sceding rollers D, D, I place a breaking
machine, consisting of three superposed rollers F, G, H, supported in
bearings I, I. The flax is fed in from a table J, between the two upper
rollers F, G, and after having passed through these rollers is guided by a
curved plate K between the rollers G, I, so that it comes out upon another
table L immediately below the table J. In some cases the lowest roller H
may be dispensed with, and the guide K extended further towards the front
of the machine to cause the delivery of the flax at the same side of the
machine as that at which it was fed in. M is the scutching machine mounted
in the same frame B which supports the flax seeding and breaking machines
in such manner that ono belt from the prime mover will suffice to drive all
the machines. The belt from the prime mover passes round a pulley N on
one end of the shaft of the scutching machine, and the motion is transmitted
to the seeding machine by a belt O passing from the pulley N to the pulley E.
When the seeding machine is not in work the belt O is moved on to a loose
pulley E. The breaking machine is driven by a belt P, passing over another
pulley Q on the other end of the scutching machine shaft, and over a pulley R
on the breaking machine; the breaking machine is also provided with a loose
pulley R'. For convenience of carriage I provide the frame B with axles
and wheels to admit of the machine being moved from place to place.
Instead of being driven by belts, as just described, the seeding and breaking
machines may receive their motion from the shaft of the scutching machine
by toothed gearing, or, as before stated, the motion from the prime mover
may be first imparted to the seeding or the breaking machine and transmitted
to the other machines by belts or toothed goaring.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, constructing machines for seeding flax with a pair of rollers kept
up in their bearings by springs or levers, substantially as herein-before
described.
Second, constructing machines for breaking flax with three rollers arranged
as shewn at Figure 4 and at Figure 5 of the accompanying Drawings, and
herein-before described.
Third, constructing machines for breaking flax with three superposed

page_text: rollers, substantially as herein-before described, in order that the flax fed at
one side of the machine may come out from the same side.
Fourth, constructing machines for breaking flax with a pair of rollers and
with a shield or guide to direct back the straw under the lower roller, and
return it to the same side of the machine as that at which it entered, as
herein-before described.
Fifth, combining a flax seeding or a flax breaking machine with a scutching
machine, so that one belt from the prime mover will suffice to drive both
machines, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Parsons, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of February, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-five.