IMPROVEMENTS IN CYLINDERS OR DRUMS AND BEATERS, FOR MACHINES FOR SCUTCHING AND PRERADING FLAY AND OTHER FIRRES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Rowan, of the Firm of John Rowan and
Sons, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, Engineers, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CYLINDERS OR DRUMS AND BEATERS, FOR MACHINES FOR
SCUTCHING AND PRERADING FLAY AND OTHER FIRRES"
Sealed the 1st April 1862, and dated the 5th October 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Rowan at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th October 1861.
I, WILLIAM ROWAN, of the Firm of John Rowan and Sons, of Belfast, in
the County of Antrim, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CYLINDERS OR DRUMS AND BEATERS FOR
MACHINES FOR SCUTCHING AND PREPARING FLAX AND OTHER FIBRES," to be
as follows:-
Hitherto the cylinders or drums employed in the scutching and preparing of
flax and other fibres have been rigid, and consequently the combs, beaters,
pins, or teeth fixed thereto or thereon have been rigid also, and have therefore
acted more or less injuriously on the fibres; now by my present Invention this
defect is remedied.
My Invention consists in forming the cylinders or drums in segments, and in
making one end of each segment fast to the frames, while play is allowed to
the other, and limited by stop pins or otherwise. The free ends of the segments,

page_text: or those to which the play is allowed, carry the combs and beaters or other
tools or apparatuses intended to act upon the fibres. The rapid rotary motion
imparted to the drum causes the combs, beaters, or other apparatuses to be
thrown by centrifugal force with a spring-like action into and amongst the
fibres.
My improvement in beaters, whether applied to ordinary cylinders or drums,
or to drunis such as before described, consists in forming them with perfora-
tions or apertures to allow of the passage of air through them.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Rowan in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 5th April 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROWAN, of the Firm of John Rowan and Sons, of Belfast, in the County of
Antrim, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Rowan, Her special licence that I, the said William
Rowan, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said William Rowan, 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 CYLINDERS OR DRUMS AND BEATERS FOR MACHINES FOR
SCUTCHING AND PREPARING FLAX AND OTHER FIBRES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Rowan, my executors
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 William Rowan, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:
Hitherto the cylinders or drums employed in the scutching and preparing
of flax and other fibres have been rigid, and consequently the combs, beaters,
pins, or teeth fixed thereto or thereon have been rigid also, and have therefore
acted more or less injuriously on the fibres; now by my present Invention
this defect is remedied.
My Invention consists in forming the cylinders or drums in segments, and in
making one end of each segment fast to the frames, while play is allowed to
the other end, limited by stop pins or otherwise. The free ends of the
segments, or those to which the play is allowed, carry the combs and beaters
or other tools or apparatuses intended to act upon the fibres. The rapid
rotary motion imparted to the drum causes the combs, beaters, or other
apparatuses to be thrown by centrifugal force with a spring-like action into
and amongst the fibres.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a vertical section of a cylinder
or drum, shewing the manner in which I prefer to carry my Invention into
effect.
a is a ring extending round the drum, and cast in a piece with the arms b, b,
to the outer ends of which projections c, c, are also cast or fixed; d, d, are the
segments, one end e of each of which is bolted to the projections c, c, by bolts
and nuts f, f; 9, 9, are the free ends of the segments, having holes cut in them
to fit loosely over the projections c, c; h, h, are the beaters, and i the comb.
When the drum is at rest or there is no external pressure on either of the
loose ends g, 9, of the segments d, d, they abut against and are stopped by the
under side of the fixed ends e, e, but when any external pressure acts against
them or against either of them, the loose ends g, g, of the segments (or that
particular one receiving pressure) are free to deflect or yield down to the
ring a.
My improvement in beaters, whether applied to ordinary cylinders or drums,
or to drums such as before described, consists in forming them with perfora-
tions or apertures to allow of the passage of air through them, and with
in the face.
grooves
Figure 2 is a front view, and Figure 3 a section of one of my improved
beaters. e, e, are the perforations or apertures, and f,f, the grooves.
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 as my

page_text: Improvements in Cylinders or Drums and Beaters for Machines for
Scutching and Preparing Flax and other Fibres,"
First, forming the cylinders or drums in segments, and making one end of
each segment fast to the frames, while play is allowed to the other, substantially
in manner and for the purposes herein-before described and illustrated in the
accompanying Drawings.
Second, forming beaters with perforations and with grooves in the face
thereof, as herin-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Rowan, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this First day of April, One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-two.
WILL". ROWAN. (L.S.)