IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRESSING AND CLEANING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES REQUIRING LIKE TREATMENT
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Jackson, of 2, Park Street, Leeds, Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRESSING AND
CLEANING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES REQUIRING LIKE
TREATMENT."
Sealed the 27th July 1858, and dated the 6th May 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Jackson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th May 1858.
I, HENRY JACKSON, of 2, Park Street, Leeds, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR DRESSING
AND CLEANING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES REQUIRING LIKE
TREATMENT," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for dressing
and cleaning flax, hemp, and other fibrous substances requiring like treatment.
For these purposes a cylindrical drum is used, having projecting blades or
beaters on its circumference parallel with its axis. These projections are
made somewhat elastic, either by the interposition of elastic matter in the
blades or projections themselves, or by placing elastic matter at the points
where they are attached to the cylinder. This drum is caused to revolve

page_text: within a fixed case closed at the ends and back. In front of the case is formed
an opening or slit, through which the fibrous material (which is held by a holder)
is introduced, and as the projections or blades rotate they strike the fibres;
the air also brought round by the blades has a tendency to drive the fibre
away. Below the slit or opening in the front of the case there is an opening
for some distance down, there being at the lower part of such opening a
moveable and adjustable guard to deflect off the air. In front of such opening
there is a grid or frame of bars, which is adjustable as to position, through
which the air can get away, but which prevents the fibrous substance from
being propelled away by the beating of the blades on the cylinder, or by the
air propelled thereby. It is not essential that the grid or frame of bars should
be used, but in place thereof a guard may be employed to prevent the flying
off of the fibres just below the opening into the case, together with a deflecting
instrument below, to divert the current of air. at the lower part of the
case.
The holder containing the flax or other fibrous substance may be placed on
and held by moveable arms, having their axes at the lower part of the case.
The dust and finer matters are carried off through a suitable passage; the tow
may be either received into the case, or else the machine may be arranged for
its passing away with the dust and finer matters at the bottom of the case.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Jackson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th November 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
JACKSON, of 2, Park Street, Leeds, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Henry Jackson, Her special licence that I, the said Henry Jackson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Henry Jackson, 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

page_text: MACHINERY FOR DRESSING AND CLEANING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUB-
STANCES REQUIRING LIKE TREATMENT," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Henry Jackson, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment 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 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 Henry Jackson, 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, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for dressing
and cleaning flax, hemp, and other fibrous substances requiring like treatment.
For these purposes a cylindrical drum is used, having projecting blades or
beaters on its circumference parallel with its axis. The projections are made
somewhat elastic, either by the interposition of elastic matter in the blades or
projections themselves, or by placing elastic matter at the points, where they
are attached to the cylinder. This drum is caused to revolve within a fixed
case closed at the ends and back. In front of the case is formed an opening
or slit, through which the fibrous material (which is held by a holder) is
introduced, and as the projections or blades rotate they strike the fibres; the
air also brought round by the blades has a tendency to drive the fibre away.
Below the slit or opening in front of the case there is an opening for some
distance down, there being at the lower part of such opening a moveable and
adjustable guard to deflect off the air. In front of such opening there is a
grid or frame of bars, which is adjustable as to position through which the air
can get away, but which prevents the fibrous substance from being propelled
away by the beating of the blades on the cylinder, or by the air propelled
thereby. It is not essential that the grid or frame of bars should be used,
but in place thereof a guard may be employed to prevent the flying off of the
fibres just below the opening into the case, together with a deflecting instru-
ment below, to divert the current of air at the lower part of the case. The
holder containing the flax or other fibrous substance may be placed on and
held by moveable arms, having their axes at the lower part of the case. The
dust and finer matter are carried off through a suitable passage; the two may
be either received into the case, or else the machine may be arranged for its
passing away with the dust and finer matters at the bottom of the case.

page_text: fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING.
Figure 1, No. 1, is a sectional elevation, Figure 2, No. 1, is an elevation,
and Figure 3, No. 1, is a plan of one arrangement; Figure 1, No. 2 is a
sectional elevation, and Figure 2, No. 2, is an elevation of another arrangement;
Figure 1, No. 3, a sectional elevation, and Figure 2, No. 3, is an elevation of
another arrangement or modification. Figure 4 shows the slides and tables
used in each arrangement or modification of the machinery, and Figure 5
shows the holders employed for holding the fibrous materials when being
acted on by either of the arrangements of the machinery.
Description of drawing for a flax-cleaning machine, to clean flax or other
fibrous materials from their woods or boon without skilled labour.-Flax
or other fibrous material having been placed in the holders A, A, which are
pieces of wood lined with cloth, and fastened together with a bolt and nut
similar to the flax holders used with flax-hackling machines; these holders
are filled and emptied by boys or girls standing at the tables B, B, Plan.
Figure 4, and after being filled with the fibre to be cleaned, they are pushed
along the slide C, Figure 4, to the girl or boy standing at and feeding the
machine, who, after the fibre has been cleaned at one end by the machine,
passes it along the slide D, Figure 4, back again to the tables for the fibres
to be taken out of the holders and the holders refilled. The girl or boy
working the machine passes the flax through the opening R, Figure 1, and
over the rest E, Figure 1, sufficient space being left between the rest E and
the upper rest F, to allow the fibre to go into the machine without allowing
the holders to pass further than the rests. The portion of the fibre then in the
machine is subjected to a beating action by the beaters G, G, Figure 1,
revolving with the drum H, Figure 1; this beating action extending about
six inches from the top of the under rest, but the principal action is at the
point where the beaters first touch the fibres. Below the rest is placed a
grate or frame of bars I, Figure 1, which allows part of the wind put in
motion by the revolving beaters G, to pass through it, which produces a
tendency to keep the ends of the fibre on the grate or frame of bars, preventing
the beaters from damaging the ends of the fibres by too much beating, while
the middle of the fibre is cleaned, which especially in flax takes most cleaning.
The stop K, Figure 1, is a strong iron bar going across the machine, to which
is fixed the sheet iron L, Figure 1; this bar is to divide the air put in motion

page_text: by the revolving beaters, and make it either pass through the grate or down
below it in the direction of the arrow Figure 1, where it finally gets out at
the openings at the side of the machine, and under the footboard N, N. The
rests, grate, and stop can all be adjusted separately, so as to suit different
lengths and qualities of fibres. The cover 0, 0, 0, of the machine is by
preference of sheet iron. The greater portion of the shoves and tow are
carried by the beaters behind the machine in the direction of the arrow P,
Figure 1. The difficulty hitherto experienced in cleaning flax and fibrous
materials by machinery of this description, has been on account of the middle
requiring more cleaning than the ends, because they are naturally harder, but
the fibre being held by the middle, it is closer there when in the holders than
the ends which are loose; consequently on being presented to revolving beaters
alone, the ends are more or less cut away and damaged before the middle is
cleaned; but by this arrangement the middle of the fibre can be cleaned, and
the ends kept whole and free from any damage. The principal novelty in the
machine is the use of a grate or frame of bars and movable stop below (which
give power to direct the wind more or less as the fibres may require) in com-
bination with revolving beaters and fed by holders. Figure 1, No. 2, differs
from Figure 1, No. 1, in the stop K being brought close to the beaters, and
the sheet-iron cover being continued forward to the upper rest.
The tow,
shoves, and wind are passed in the directions of the arrow M, Figure 1, No. 2,
into a dust house under the machine; the current of air by this means is
thrown more upon the grate than in Figure 1, No. 2, making the beaters
easier upon the ends of the fibres.
Figure 1, No. 3, has a moveable rest E, with a provision for the holder
when filled, resting upon it. There is a footboard S, Figure 2, No. 3, con-
nected by a cord T, Figure 2, No. 3, to the rest E, Figure 1, No. 3, and on
pressing down the footboard the rest with the flax or fibres is brought into
connection with the beaters and cleaned. The rest E, Figure 1, No. 3, is
solid for about 9½ inches, as shown in section Figure 1, No. 3, and works
upon studs attached to the stop K, which is close to the beaters. By reference
to the dotted lines section Figure 1, No. 3, showing the position of the rest
when at work, it will be seen that it comes nearest to the beaters at the point
where the beaters first come in contact with the fibre receding from the beaters
lower down, until when the solid part ends where the ends of the fibres can
get away altogether from the action of the beaters in the direction of the
arrow U, Figure 1, No. 3. The tow is carried behind the machine as in
Figure 1. By the movable rest Figure 1, No. 3, the fibre is got into the

page_text: machine even and straight ready for cleaning, whereby much damage to the
fibre is prevented, and the machine can be made narrower for the same length
of holder than in machines Nos. 1 and 2.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Jackson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
GEO. PITT.
HENRY JACKSON. (L.S.)