IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS, FOR BREAKING AND SCUTCHING FLAX AND HEMP
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Denton Abel, of No. 20, Southampton
Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS, FOR
BREAKING AND SCUTCHING FLAX AND HEMP."-A communication from
abroad by Baron Woldemar von Loewis, of Menar, at Riga, in the
Empire of Russia.
Sealed the 25th September 1866, and dated the 23rd April 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Denton Abel
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 23rd April 1866.
I, CHARLES DENTON ABEL, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS
FOR BREAKING AND SCUTCHING FLAX AND HEMP," to be as follows:-
One part of this Invention has reference to an improved arrangement of
machinery or apparatus for breaking flax and hemp, preparatory to scutching
the same, whereby the flax or hemp requires only to be passed once through
the crushing rollers in order to be perfectly broken.

page_text: The improvement consists mainly in imparting to such rollers a com-
bined rotary and reciprocating motion (instead of a continuous rotary motion
in one and the same direction, as heretofore), whereby they are caused, after
having performed part of a revolution, to turn back again to a certain extent,
less than the forward motion, after which they move forward again, and so on,
and are thus made to break up the woody portion of the flax straw in the
most perfect manner. For this purpose a large fluted roller is mounted
horizontally in bearings carried by a framework, over the upper surface of
which roller are arranged a number of small rollers fluted in a corresponding
manner to the large one. The axes of these small rollers work in slides that
are capable of moving in a radial direction to and from the large roller
between guides fixed to the framework. The upper ends of the slides are
acted upon by springs, so as to press the small rollers downwards towards the
large rollers, stops being however provided to prevent them from coming too
close to the surface of the latter. By this arrangement the small rollers are
capable of adjusting themselves according to the thickness of the layer of flax
that is passed between them and the large roller, and the flax fibre is thus
prevented from being injured. The large roller is provided with flanges at
each end, between which the ends of the small rollers work, so as to prevent
the flax from getting off the ends of the rollers. A sloping table is provided
on each side of the large roller, upon one of which the flax is fed into the
machine, while it passes away from the rollers down the other table, after
having been broken.
.
The before-described peculiar motion of the rollers, whereby they make
as it were two steps forwards, and one step backwards, and which motion it
is proposed to call the "pilgrim's pace," may be effected by arranging two
shafts or spindles, one on either side of the spindle of the large roller. The one
shaft is driven by means of gearing from a steam engine or any other source
of motive power, and imparts its motion, but in a reversed direction, to the
other shaft by means of a spur wheel upon it in gear with a spur wheel on the
latter. Each shaft carries, furthermore, another spur wheel, one of which has
by preference only three teeth, with large spaces intervening, while the other
has double the number of teeth, each two of which are situated close together,
that is, at a distance equal to the ordinary pitch. These wheels are both in
gear with an ordinary spur wheel on the spindle of the large roller, but in
such a manner that when the one wheel is in gear the other is out of gear.
By this arrangement it will be seen that as the driving shafts revolve the one
space wheel having six teeth will cause the roller to move through a distance
equal to that which its spur wheel is made to move by two of the teeth of the

page_text: space wheel; after which the other space wheel will come in gear and will
turn the roller back a distance equal to that which its spur wheel is made to
move by one tooth of the space wheel. Or instead of employing the above-
described arrangement the requisite motion may be effected by an arrange-.
ment of four spur wheels actuating an excentric and two levers, or any.
known arrangement of mechanism may be employed, by means of which the
before-described peculiar motion of the crushing roller may be effected.
Another part of this Invention has reference to an improved arrangement
of machinery or apparatus for scutching flax and hemp, whereby instead of
beating the flax by means of scutchers with wings as heretofore, and thus
producing a large quantity of waste or "scutch tow" the wood is removed
entirely by means of a peculiar scraping action which almost entirely obviates
the production of scutch tow, as also of the injurious dust produced by the
apparatus at present employed. For this purpose an iron spindle passing
through a casing (which is rounded at top, where it is closed and open at
the bottom) carries inside such casing four wrought-iron arms made to
revolve therewith, to the ends of three of which arms are fixed near to the
circumference of the casing a series of metal blades curved forward in the
direction of their motion. Two of these blades have a similar form and
curvature, the one being fixed so as to cover the other, a certain space inter-
vening between the two. These blades are curved flatways in the form of
sickles, with the ends bent out towards one side of the casing. Between these
two blades is fixed a third much wider blade, following the same cnrvature
as the others up to a certain point, from which it turns off in the opposite
direction to that in which the others are bent, such remaining portion being
made to extend some distance across the casing in a direction parallel with
that of the spindle. To the boss of each arm is furthermore attached a straight
spring, to the free end of which is fixed a fourth blade curved edgeways so as
to follow the same curvature as the two blades first mentioned, and held in
such a position that it presses at one point against the edge of the third blade.
The fourth arm of the spindle is formed forked and carries simply one broad
blade or "scraper," extending right across the casing parallel with the spindle
and curved in a transverse direction to follow the curvature of the casing..
In this curved part of the casing is formed a long slit extending across, the
same in the direction of the spindle, through which slit the ends of the flax
requiring to be scutched is introduced by the operator, who holds the flax-out-
side the casing, his hands being protected. by means of curved lips formed on
the edges of the slit.
In operating with this apparatus the workman introduces the flax after. it

page_text: has been acted upon by the breaking machine into that part of the slit in:
which it is acted upon by the scraper, and the similarly formed part of the;
broad blades of the other three arms, whereby the greater portion of the wood:
or boon will be removed from the flax. The workman then moves the flax to,
that part of the slit where it is acted upon by the sickle-shaped blades, by the
peculiar curvature of which it is caused to pass consecutively over their edges
in a serpentine direction, being bent sharply over the edge of the middle or
broad blade, in addition to which it is caught between the edge of the broad
blade and the surface of the fourth blade attached to the spring, and by this.
combined scraping action the wood or boon will be found after a few
revolutions of the spindle to have been perfectly removed from the flax fibre
without in any way injuring the latter. The action of the "scraper" on the
fourth arm causes the flax to be opened out and freed from the loose wood
after each time that it has passed through the blades on the other three.
arms.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Denton Abel in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th October 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES.
DENTON ABEL, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Charles Denton Abel, Her special licence that I, the said
Charles Denton Abel, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Charles Denton Abel, 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 MACHINERY OR APPARATUS POR BREAKING AND SCUTCHING
FLAX AND HEMP," a communication to me from abroad by Baron Woldemar von
Loewis, of Menar, at Riga, in the Empire of Russia, upon the condition
(amongst others) that me, the said Charles Denton Abel, my executors or

page_text: 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. 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 Charles Denton Abel, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say
. One part of this Invention has reference to an improved arrangement of
machinery or apparatus for breaking flax and hemp, preparatory to scutching
the same, whereby the flax or hemp requires only to be passed once through
the breaking rollers in order to be perfectly broken. The improvement con-
sists mainly in imparting to such rollers a combined rotary and reciprocating
motion (instead of a continuous rotary motion in- one and the same direction
as heretofore), whereby they are caused, after having performed part of a
revolution, to turn back again to a certain extent less than the forward motion,
after which they move. forward again, and so on, and are thus made to break
up the woody portion of the flax straw in the most perfect manner.
"
The arrangement of the improved machine which is termed " the
Livonian. flax breaking machine," for effecting the above described purpose
is shown on Sheets I. to III. of the accompanying Drawings, in which
Figure 1., Sheet I., shows a lougitudinal section of the machine on line X, X,
Figure 2; Figure 2, Sheet I., shews a transverse section of the same
on line Y, Y, Figure 1; Figure 3, Sheet II., shows a part sectional plan
of the same; Figure 4, Sheet II., shows an enlarged end elevation of the
driving gear; Figure 5, Sheet III., shows an enlarged sectional plan of
the driving gear; and Figure 6, Sheet III., shows another arrangement
of the driving gear.. Similar letters, of reference indicate similar parts in
each of the Figures.
A is a large fluted or toothed metal roller carried by the shaft B, fixed
thereto and mounted in bearings C, C, on the framework D, D. Above the
roller A, and partially surrounding it, are a number of smaller fluted or toothed
rollers E, E, in gear with the same, but not so that the teeth and spaces fit
and fill. The spindles F of these small rollers are carried in bearings G, G,
fixed to slides H, H, capable of moving in a radial direction to and from the
roller A between guides I, I, fixed to or formed on the framing D. The
i

page_text: upper ends of the slides H, H, are provided with rollers J, J, upon which
press levers K, K, hinged at one end to the framing D, and acted upon at:
the other ends by springs L, connected thereto by means of cords M. By
this arrangement the slides H, and with them the rollers E, are pressed in an
elastic or yielding manner towards the roller A, so that the rollers E while
exerting the requisite pressure are capable of adjusting themselves according
to the thickness of the layer of flax that is passed between them and the
large roller, and the flax fibre is thus prevented from being injured. The
rollers E are at the same time prevented from approaching the roller A too
closely by means of stops N, N, fixed to the sides of the framing, against
which the lower ends of the slides H abutt, as shown in Figure 2. The
roller A is provided with flanges O, O, at each end, between which flanges
the ends of the rollers E work, so as to prevent the flax from getting off the
ends of the rollers. Upon each side of the roller A is a sloping table P, P,
upon one of which the flax is fed into the machine while it passes away from
the rollers down the other table after having been broken.
The before described peculiar motion of the rollers, whereby they make, as
it were, two steps forward and one step backwards, and which motion it is
proposed to call the "pilgrim's pace" is effected, by preference, by the
arrangement of mechanism shown more clearly in the enlarged front elevation
and sectional plan of the same at Figures 4 and 5. Upon the shaft B of the
roller A is, firstly, a lever Q fixed upon the same; secondly, it carries a hollow
shaft R loose upon it, which hollow shaft carries at S the driving pulley of
the machine, while at T it has a toothed pinion, and at U it has an excentric
formed or fixed upon it; the shaft B has, thirdly, a spur wheel V loose upon it.
Upon a pin W on this spur wheel is a double ended lever a, one end of which
is connected by a link b.to the lever Q, while the other end is connected to
the strap U of the excentric U. Upon a countershaft d is fixed a spur
wheel e in gear with the pinion T, and a pinion fin gear with the spur wheel
V. From this arrangement it will be seen that as rotary motion is imparted
to the shaft R by the pulley S this motion is communicated in a considerably
reduced degree through the pinion T, wheel e, and pinion f, to the wheel V.
By the proportions shown the speed of V is reduced to one-sixteenth of that of
the pulley 'S. If the lever Q were simply connected to the wheel V by means of
the link 6 and lever a, it is evident that the shaft B would also simply move
forward one-sixteenth of a revolution for every revolution of S; but it will be
seen that by the connection of the lever a to the excentric U, the shaft R at
every revolution imparts to the lever Q, and consequently to the shaft B,
reciprocating or backward and forward motion at the same time that it

page_text: performs the before described forward motion by virtue of its connection to
the wheel V. The extent of this reciprocating motion can be varied by
altering the position of the link b. in the slot c of the lever Q. In the
position indicated, however, this motion amounts to about three times that of
the forward..motion of B, so that at every revolution of R, B will first move
one-sixteenth plus three-sixteenths of a revolution forward, and then three-
sixteenths less one-sixteenth of a revolution backwards, or the shaft B, and
with it the rollers A and E, will perform, as it were, two steps forward and
one step backwards for every revolution of the pulley S and shaft R. The
proportion of the backward to the forward motion may be varied according to
the nature of the flax 'to: bé operated upon by altering the position of the pin
of the link 6 in the slot c of the lever Q as before mentioned.
Figure 6 on Sheet III. shows a front elevation of another arrangement of
mechanism for producing the before described peculiar motion of the breaking
rollers. In this arrangement the shaft B of the large roller A carries a spur
wheel 9, in gear
with which are two space wheels h, i, fixed upon two shafts
j, k, on each side of the shaft B. On the shafts j, k, are furthermore two spur
wheels l, m, in gear with each other, whereby motion being imparted to the
one shaft or the other in the direction of the arrow by means of a driving
pulley, motion in the reverse direction is imparted to the other shaft. The
space wheel h which imparts the forward motion to the shaft B and breaking
rollers has six teeth, two and two of which are situated at the distance of
ordinary pitch apart; while the space wheel i which imparts the backward
motion' to the breaking rollers has only three teeth. From their relative
positions on the Drawing it will be seen that after each pair of teeth of the
wheel h passes out of gear with the wheel ġ after having caused it to perform
part of a revolution due to the two teeth, one of the teeth on the wheel i
comes in gear with the wheel g.and turns it, and consequently also the
breaking rollers, backwards to an extent which is of course proportionately
less than that of the forward motion imparted by the two teeth of the
wheel h...
"
:+
The relative positions of the wheels g, h, i, shown in full lines: on the
Drawings, are those in which the wheel h is beginning to impart the forward
motion to the wheel 'g in the direction of the full arrow, while the dotted
position is that in which the wheel i begins to impart the backward motion to
the wheel g in the direction of the dotted arrow.
In operating with this improved flax breaking machine the flax is placed
upon one of the sloping. tables as before stated, whence it is fed in between
the breaking rollers, the small rollers of which receive rotary motion from the

page_text: large one, and at the same time adjust themselves according to the thickness
of the layer of Bax passing through, thereby preventing any injurious crushing
of the fibre. By the before described combined advancing and reciprocating.
motion of the rollers the flax is most perfectly acted upon, so that on issuing
from the machine the boon or woody portion of the flax may to a very great
extent be shaken out by hand.
Another part of this Invention has reference to an improved arrangement.
of machinery or apparatus for scutching flax and hemp, whereby, instead of
beating the flax by means of scutchers with wings as heretofore, and thus
producing a large quantity of waste or "scutch tow," the wood is removed
entirely by means of a peculiar scraping action, which almost entirely obviates
the production of scutch tow, as also of the injurious dust produced by the
apparatus at present employed.
On Sheet IV. of the accompanying Drawings is shown the construction
of the improved apparatus for fulfilling the above mentioned conditions, and
which is termed the "Livonian scutching machine."
Figure 7 shows a front elevation of the machine with part of the casing
removed; Figure 8 shows a transverse section of the same; Figure 9 shows
a back elevation of one of the revolving scutchers detached; Figure 10
shows a plan of the same; and Figure 11 shows the opposite side elevation
to that of the same shewn at Figure 7. Similar letters of reference indicate
similar parts in each of the Figures.
Upon the wrought-iron shaft A, carried by bearings a, a, on the easing B,
is fixed a cast or wrought-iron boss C, having four projecting ribs D and a
flange E at one end. To three of these ribs are fixed the wrought-iron arms
F, each of which carries three sickle-shaped blades G, H, I, while a fourth
blade J is carried by a flat wooden spring K fixed to the flange E of the
boss C. Of these blades G and I are similar in form and curvature, the
one being fixed over the other; they are curved flatways, as shown, with
the ends bent towards one side, as shown more clearly in Figures 8 and 10.
The blade H is also curved in a similar manner to G and I, but is much
broader, and in front it is curved in the reverse direction to the others, and
is continued some distance across the casing in a direction parallel with the
shaft A. The fourth blade J is fixed to the spring K by bolts, and is curved
edgeways into a form similar to the other blades; it is caused by the spring
K to press against a portion of the rounded edge of the blade H, while the
end thereof is curved out in the same direction as the blades G and I. To
the fourth rib D'is bolted a forked arm F¹, carrying a broad blade L slightly
curved in the direction in which it moves, and with a somewhat sharpened

page_text: edge slightly turned in, as shown at Figure 7. The casing B is closed in at
top, where it is curved so as to leave small space between it and the
revolving blades; at the bottom the casing may be left open. On the side'
on which the blades rise a long slit M is formed in the curved surface of the
casing, and also an aperture N in the side surface thereof through which
the flax or hemp to be acted on is introduced, the slit M being by preference
formed of metal and provided with a curved lip to protect the hands of the
operator holding the flax. In operating with this apparatus rotary motion:
is imparted to the shaft A and arms F in the direction of the arrow, either
by means of a crank handle O or by means of a pulley and belt driven by
a steam engine or other source of motive power. The flax after it has been
acted upon by the breaking machine is introduced by the workman through
the slit M to a point where it can be acted upon by the blades G, H, I,
and J. By the ends of G, I, and J being curved out in the contrary.
direction to H, it will be seen that as these pass the slit the flax is caused
to enter between them in such a manner that it passes first over the left-
hand edge of G in Figure 8, then between the right-hand edge of H and
the surface of J, which being pressed together subject the flax to a scraping
action as it passes through, after which it is again bent over the edge of H
in passing back over the left-hand edge of I. In passing through the blades
in this manner the flax is therefore subjected simultaneously to a bending
and a scraping action, whereby, after a few revolutions, the wood or boon'
will be found to have been effectually loosened from the fibre, after which it is
completely separated therefrom by moving the flax further along the slit, in
order to be acted upon by the scraper L and straight parts of the blades H.
The flax is then drawn out, and the end that was before held by the workman
is now inserted and acted upon in a like manner. The side edges of the
blades G, H, I, are well rounded off to prevent their acting injuriously upon
the flax as it passes over them, and the front edges of the same are slightly
> sharpened and bent inwards, as shown at Figure 7. The machine works
most effectively at a speed of about from 60 to 70 revolutions a minute.
Having now described the nature of the several parts of this Invention as
communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner they
are to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself
to the precise details of the several apparatus, as shown on the accompanying
Drawings, as these may be variously modified without departing from the
nature of this Invention; but what I claim as the Invention secured to me
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First, imparting to the toothed or grooved rollers of machinery or appa->

page_text: ratus for breaking flax and hemp a combined advancing and reciprocating
rotatory motion, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before set
forth.
Second, the general construction and arrangement of apparatus or
machinery for breaking flax and hemp herein-before described with reference
to Figures 1 to 6 on the accompanying Drawings.
Third, the construction and employment of' apparatus or machinery for
scutching flax and hemp, in which the flax or hemp is subjected to a com-
bined bending and scraping action by being caused to pass in a serpentine
direction over the alternate edges of a series of revolving blades, arranged
and combined substantially as and for the purposes herein-before set forth.
Fourth, the general construction and arrangement of apparatus or ma-
chinery for scutching flax and hemp herein-before described with reference
to Figures 7 to 11 on the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Denton Abel, have hereunto ]
set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
CHARLES D. ABEL. (L.8.)