IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING FLAX, HEMP, AND SIMILAR MATERIALS FOR TEXTILE FABRICS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Peter Jensen, of Chancery Lane, London, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR PREPARING FLAX, HEMP, AND SIMILAR
MATERIALS FOR TEXTILE FABRICS." (A communication from abroad by Matthæus
K. Muchin of Riga, Russia.
Sealed the 12th January 1877, and dated the 15th July 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Peter Jensen at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th July 1876.
PETER JENSEN, of Chancery Lane, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
PREPARING FLAX, HEMP, AND SIMILAR MATERIALS FOR TEXTILE FABRICS."
munication from abroad by Matthæus K. Muchin, of Riga, Russia.
A com-
According to this Invention the flux or other material to be treated is first spread
on a table and then passed through peculiar roll machinery, all as herein-after
described.
The flax is spread out before the machine on a table and is fed into the machine
proper by means of two rolls placed a distance apart suitable for the length of the
fibres; these rolls are by preference formed with grooves turned in their circum-
From these rolls it passes
ference for the better spreading of the material.
successively between two pair of rolls which are fluted or formed with longitudinal
grooves, and thence successively through a series of, say six pairs of rolls, which
are formed with screw threads in. their surface, which may be either right handed
or left handed. The play or distance between each pair of rolls is so small that not
only is the material well spread or distributed but the single fibres are separated;
the play or distance is not rigidly fixed, but the upper rolls are pressed against the
lower rolls by means of springs, and the rolls may thus yield against any extra
pressure and prevent the tearing of the fibres. The bearings of the upper rolls are
also carried by springs which are placed between the bearings of the upper and
those of the lower rolls; the weight of the upper rolls is thus partly carried by
these last-named springs, and the pressure on the material can thus be regulated as
required.
Instead of the aforesaid feeding rolls any other suitable feeding appliance may be
used.
The material having passed through the last pair of screwed rolls passes off from
the machine over a guiding roll, in order to pass through the machine once more .if

page_text: required, or in order to go at once to the swingling machine and be further treated,
which is made so much easier, because by the aforesaid preparatory treatment the
fibres are not torn and only a small loss is occasioned by tow; the swingling is also
made easier because of the fine subdivision of the fibre.
The machine is worked by means of strap pulley, and all the rolls are driven by
suitable wheel gearing.
The machine may also be worked by hand.
In order to be able to spread out the material properly on the table without being
caught by the feed rolls the latter obtain an intermittent movement, which may be
done by means of two fixed friction wheels or grooved discs and a disc on a lever,
which is worked by the attendant as desired.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Peter Jensen in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th January
1877.
A com-
PETER JENSEN, of Chancery Lane, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
PREPARING FLAX, HEMP, AND SIMILAR MATERIALS FOR TEXTILE FABRICS."
munication from abroad by Matthæus K. Muchin, of Riga, Russia.
According to this Invention the flax or other material to be treated is first spread
on a table and then passed through peculiar roll machinery, all as herein-after
described and as shown on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, of which Figure 1
is a side view; Figure 2, an end view; and Figure 3, a plan.
The flax is spread out before the machine on a table A, and is fed into the
machine proper by means of two rolls B and B' placed a distance apart suitable for
the length of the fibres; these rolls are by preference formed with grooves turned
in their circumference for the better spreading of the material. From these rolls it
passes successively between two pairs of rolls C, C, and D, D', which may be made
Huted or formed with longitudinal grooves or with a screw surface, as will be
explained further on; the flax passes thence successively through a series of, say six
pairs of rolls E, E, F, F, G, G, H, H², J, J, and K, K¹, which are formed with
screw threads on their surface, which may be either right handed or left handed.
The play or distance between each pair of rolls is so small that not only is the
material well spread or distributed but the single fibres are separated; the play or
distance is not rigidly fixed, but the upper rolls are pressed against the lower rolls
by means of springs L, M, N, and O, and the rolls may thus yield against any extra
pressure and prevent the tearing of the fibres. The bearings of the upper rolls are also
carried by springs L, M, N, and O, which are placed between the bearings of the
upper and those of the lower rolls, as shown at Figures 1 and 3; the weight of the
upper rolls is then partly carried by these springs, and the pressure on the material
can thus be regulated as required.
Instead of the aforesaid feeding rolls B, B¹, any other suitable feeding appliance
may be used.
The materials having passed through the last pair of screwed rolls K, K¹, passes
off from the machine over a guiding roll P in order to pass through the machine
once more if required, in order to go at once to the swingling machine and be
further treated, which is made so much easier, because by the aforesaid preparatory
treatment the fibres are not torn and only a small loss is occasioned by tow; the
swingling is also made easier because.of the fine subdivision of the fibre.
In order to pass the material through the machine again for further treatment, as
stated, the machine may conveniently be fitted with reversing gear which, however,
is not shown in these Drawings, as any well known suitable mechanical reversing
device may be applied to the machine with that view; the grooved rolls C and D'
pre in that case by preference replaced by rolls formed with screw threads, similarly

page_text: to the other screw rolls here shown. When the material has thus been passed
through the machine the reversing gear is actuated by the operator, or it may be
automatically, and the material is thereby returned through the machine; this
operation may if required be repeated.
The machine as here shown is worked by means of the strap pulley Q, the shaft
of which carries the pinions R and S, one at each end; the former gears with a
tooth wheel T, which is on the same spindle as a smaller tooth wheel u; this latter
gears with pinions v3, v2, vl, on one side and with pinions v4, v5, and v6, on the other
side, hence driving the lower screwed rolls E, F, G, H, J, and K. The upper rolls
are turned by means of the pinions h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, and h6, gearing with the
pinions on the lower roll spindles.
The lower longitudinally grooved rolls C and D are worked by means of the
pinion Sand the wheels and pinions Y, Z1, Z2, and Z3, and the corresponding upper
rolls C, D¹, are worked from the lower ones by means of the pinions d₁, d², d³,
and d
The machine may also be worked by hand.
In order to be able to spread out the material properly on the table A without
being caught by the feed rolls B, B', the latter obtains an intermittent movement,
which may be done as here shown by means of the two fixed friction wheels or
grooved discs b, b¹, and the disc d on the lever c, which is worked by the attendant
as desired.
And having thus fully described the nature of this Invention I declare that I
claim,
Firstly. The screwed rolls, as and for the purpose set forth.
Secondly. The general arrangement of machinery as described and shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said Peter Jensen, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
PETER JENSEN. (LS)