CERTAIN IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR BREAKING OR PREPARING HEMP, FLAX, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS, WHICH I DENOMINATE, THE RURAL MECHANICAL BRAKE
Year: 1825

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, AUGUSTUS
Count DE LA GARDE. of Saint James's Square, Pall Mall, in the County of
Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS His present most Excellent Majesty King George the Fourth,
by His Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Twenty-fourth day of November, One thousand eight
hundred and twenty-six, in the sixth year of His reign, did, for Himself, His
heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Augustus Count de
la Garde, His especial licence that I, the said Augustus Count de la Garde,
my exors, admiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Augustus
Count de la Garde, my exors, adñiors, or assigus, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times during the
term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-
Tweed, and in the British Colonies, the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVED
MACHINERY FOR BREAKING OR PREPARING HEMP, FLAX, AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS, WHICH I DENOMINATE, THE RURAL MECHANICAL BRAKE,"
nicated to me by a certain Foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters
Patent is contained a proviso obliging me, the said Augustus Count de la
Garde, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, and to cause the same to be inrolled in His
Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in
"

page_text: and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the sai i
Augustus Count de la Garde, do hereby declare that the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are
particularly described and ascertained in and by the Drawing hereunto
annexed, and the following description thereof (that is to say) :-
To reap the greatest benefits from textile plants, they must be prepared by
an operation we name rouissage à sec, that is, without steeping them in
water; it is nothing like the ordinary manner of preparing them; nature
alone acts, without there being the necessity of employing any chemical
process, any wash, not the least steeping in water or any liquid. The
Figure No. 1 represents the rural brake in height. Fig. 2nd shews it in
profile, so as to make its construction well conceived. Those two Figures
are traced on a scale of one line for an inch. It is the proper di-
mension for ordinary hemp and flax, but those proportions should vary
according to the thickness or hardness of hemp; for instance, of for the
Phornicum tenax, or Russian vivacious hemp, &c. The Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6,
shew on a double scale the details of the different pieces composing the
rural mechanical brake, Fig. 1 and 2; those different pieces are here seen en
coupe (as if inwardly) and sideways, so as to make their construction well.
understood. We shall now explain each piece separately. The same letters
indicate the same objects in the two Figures 1 and 2. The bâtis (the body,
the union) A, A, must be strong and solid, so as to resist the continual shocks
of the machine. It is supported by four piers B, B, to render the machine
solid. This bâtis is supported at each extremity on a small masonary
G, G, G, or on beams to which it is fastened by screw bolts. This elevation
must be such that the workmen who are on both sides of the machine H, H,
to the number of 5, on each side and against each other, may work, setting
on forms purposely fitted to a convenient height, so that the top part of each
piece composing the machine be at the height of their elbows, their feet
on the ground if men, or ou footstools if children. The sommiers are formed
of two pieces of timber in their thickness. The back part is solidly attached
to the posts A, A; the front part, which terminates at the inclined lines,
holds to the back one by strong screws, indicated in the Figure. It is
between those two pieces that the mortises are made, half on one and half
on the other, to receive the handles I, I, I, of the pertles which are to move
freely in those mortises from above downwards. The tree J, J, J, bears
the cames, which serve to raise the pertles to a proper height, so that by

page_text: their fall they may execute the desired work. This tree may be set in motion
directly by the handle (manivelle) by placing it in the extremity of its
axis; but we have perceived that it required too great attention on the part
of the workman who turns the handle, and that this movement is not
uniform; to remedy this we have placed a wheel M on the extremity of this
axis; we pass in this wheel a pinion L, which catches with it, set in motion
by the manivelle K. The number of teeth for the wheel and pinion varies
according to the degree of quickness one wishes to give the tree. We
have observed that in most ordinary cases four turns of the handle are
sufficient for one of the wheel. The cames N are not made as in ordinary
machines; they are entire wheels, the spoke of which is equal to the greatest
height one wishes to give to the pertle. The wheels are firmly fixed with
the tree j, j, j we afterwards groove this wheel as the angle. mixtilegue
a, b, c; the side b, c, is tangent to the circumference of the tree j, j, j; the
curb line has the form of an epycicloide. This is the result of this construction:
from the moment the pertle is fallen, it is immediately raised again, and
remains so until the tree has sufficiently turned for the top (bras d) of the
pertle to escape from the point C; during this the workman has time to turn
his bemp to cause all its parts to undergo the necessary work for perfection,
without the fear of having the pertle falling on his hands. Each pertle has
(bras) O strongly fixed to it, with tenons and mortises glued and pegged,
and placed at a height convenient to fall to the bottom of the inferior trough
which is to receive it. This bras has at its extremity a (galet) or friction
roller d, which softens the rubbing when it touches the circumference of the
wheel N; a similar galet may be placed at the extremity a. of the epyci-
cloide a, b, and to the same end. The wheel N, seen in Fig. 2, is that which
causes the first pertle placed on the right in Fig. 1 to move, a similar wheel
causes the middle one to do the same; but to avoid the simultaneous weight
the tree, and consequently the mover, would have to sustain if it were to raise
those two pertles at once, the entaille or part cut out a, b, c, is made in a
manner diametrically opposite that which the Fig. 2 presents; those two pertles
have but one fall to each turn of the tree j, jj; a greater number might,
however, be given to them if thought necessary; the third pertle, which is on
the left in Fig. 1, requires receiving accelerated motion. We have here given it
by the same trec j, jj, in making in the wheel N, two entailles or parts cut
out a, b, c, diametrically opposite each other, and placed in the quarter of the
circumference of this wheel, so that all the pertles be not raised at the same
time. This effect may be produced without the help of the tree j, j, j, by
causing the pertle to be raised by a lever corresponding with a pedal, which
a

page_text: the workman moves with his foot, by this means he may accelerate or retard
the falls at pleasure, without the help of the tree. This observation is part
of the Patent we apply for, though we have not given its Figure. To give
each pertle the necessary force for acting according to gravity, each tige or
perpendicular rod of the pertle is mounted with an iron rod p, passed
through iron weights, each of a kilogramme or half kilogramme (weights)
until a necessary weight be got. The pieces which complete the rural
mechanical brake are, 1st, l'egrenoir (the grainer, serving to shake out the
grains); 2nd, the macque (thing serving to break hemp); 3rd, the brako;
4th, l'assouplissage (the softener); & 5, the degominage (the act of. freeing
hemp, &c., from the gum it contains). All those picces are supported by the
inferior traverse. A, A, A.(Fig. 1); and to give this. traverse the necessary
solidity so as to.. resist the repeated shocks of the pertles, it is supported by
large bits of wood. E, E, E, E; the space between those. pieces of wood is
filled up by chests or receivers F, F, F, F, which receives the residue of
each operation. 1st, L'egrenoir, the grainer, is a kind of trough, shut on
the two opposite sides by iron plates e, e, of a line in thickness, cut. in. the
form of spectacles as seen in the Fig. This plate holds to the sides (garvis)
of the trough by wood screws; each of those spectacles is sharp; the bottom
of the trough has a longitudinal mortise cut in it, so as to let the grains fall
-in-the-inferior case as they separate from the plant. The workman with his
right hand takes a handful of hemp or flax, places it in the spectaclo-which-
is on his right; he pulls it towards himself whilst pressing on it with
his left hand, and forcing against the sides of the spectacles, which are sharp,
he easily separates the grain, which falls in the inferior. box. This grainer
is here described only for those who do not wish to employ the method of
making hemp, flax, &c., without steeping them in water, of which we shall
hereafter speak. 2nd, the macque, S, is composed of two pieces, the. inferior
trough S, which, like the grainer and all other picces we are going to
describe, are fixed with tenons and mortices to the inferior traverse A, A, A,
and support each other by filling up the void part left by the body of the
building (montans du batis). This macque, which is seen (Fig. 3) on a
larger scale, and in the manner presented by Fig. 2, is a large piece of wood
hewn as represented en coupo (the inward view), by Fig. 3 to the point-S.
The pertle which falls on it carries in relief the same undulations which the
inferior piece carries on the hollow, and, reciprocally; so that when those two
pieces join empty, the undulations of the one perfectly coincide with the
undulations of the other. Tiffs piece serves to bruise the bullen of hemp or flax,
which the two workmen place in the hollow part on the right, each on his

page_text: side. As no residue is detached from the plant there is no case under
it. 30, the brake, properly speaking T, produces the same effect as the
ordinary brake, only it is differently constructed. The Fig. 4 shews it here
en encoupe (inwardly) in the same way as if seen represented in Fig. 2;
grooves are made in the sides of the trough, which contain the blades;
they are easily introduced, and with some action they are held upwards by
liteaux
fixed by screws; four blades are sufficient for ordinary hemp,
but less may do for coarse hemp, and more for flax. The pertle is to have
one blade more than there are in the inferior part, so as to fill up the void
the latter makes. A case, F, is placed under to receive the bullen which
is detached. L'assouplissoir (the softener) u, which is seen on a larger
scale (Fig. 5), is nothing more than a hatchel or comb made differently to
those used till this day, and for which we are giving some details. The
Fig. 1 shews the assouplissoir as if seen by looking at it from point a or
from point (Fig. 5), or as if seen in Fig. 2 if it were drawn. It is
composed of two hatchels with large spaces, of which one is placed on the
small board a, b, c, and the other on the board c, d. The inferior board a, b,
may be moved under the superior one c, d, half the distance of a tooth to the
other, so that by the motion given to the inferior shelf the hatchel is imme-
diately rendered finer by half. This change is very easily accomplished; a
small flat ruler of convenient thickness placed in one sense lays all the teeth
in one line, which form a large hatchel; if the ruler be removed from that
position, and placed on the opposite side, the alternative teeth leave the
primitive line, and get in the middle of the distance, and immediately
the hatchel becomes half finer. We may here see (Fig. 5) that the
teeth shewn by the letter e are fixed on the inferior board, whilst the
teeth marked f, are fixed on the superior one. A moveable cylinder is
placed before each workmen, h, which takes all the front part of the
hatchel. The cylinder is raised or let down according to pleasure, and
moves on its pivots, so as not to split the combings of hemp, flax, &c.
This cylinder may be made of any substance from lead to tin.
one wishes d'assouplir (to soften), the hatchel being, in the first position,
the workman throws the handful of hemp on his right, gets it among the
teeth, either with his left hand, the help of a brush, or of a slight frame
mattressed on the borders, which the workman would set to work with
his foot (which we have not thought it necessary to draw, the thing being so
easily conceived), and drawing it towards himself he detaches the bullen, which
falls in the box F. The peel or bark presents itself under the form of long
wide bits (like strips of leather). It places the hatchel in the second position,
When

page_text: and then by a similar operation those bits diminish in width, but the hemp blades
(les brin) are still detained by the gum resin, which the degommois (thing
serving to separate the gum from it) perfectly detaches. The degommois V
is formed with two bristle brushes, stiff enough to preserve their form. One
of those brushes is fixed on the batis (body of the building), the other is borne
by the pertle, and are so disposed that the hair meet. Whilst the pertle is
raised the workman throws the handful he holds on the brush. He turns and
turns it again. The repeated blows given by the pertle detaches the gum,
which falls under in a box F. The Fig. 6 shews on a largo scale the position
of those two pieces. With a view to give more strength to those packs of
bristles, we may surround each pack with smaller hair, as is shewn in Fig. 7.
The inferior brushes bear, on the side of each workman, cylinders like those
we have marked h, h (Fig. 5), so as to spoil as little as possible the hemp
blades (brins). Coarse hemp cannot soften (assouplis) as easily as ordinary
hemp. The hatchels and brushes are then to be combined. The Fig. 7
gives an idea of this combination, which varies according to the nature of the
textile plants. It may be here seen that we place hatchels and brushes as
well on the pertle as on the fixed inferior part. In some cases we render
those two parts moveable in the same manner as described in the explanation
of the construction of Fig. 5, so as to have immediately hatchels half as
strong again as at first. We place here on the side of each workman tin or
lead cylinders H, H, in the same manner as explained in Fig. 5 and 6.
Those cylinders, which may be raised or let down according to pleasure (sinco
the iron plates which support them allow this movement), are useful, so that
the hemp which we are obliged to pull towards us may meet with the least
resistance possible by gliding over a cylindric body which turns on its axis by
the least effort. It is not possible to describe all the forms those pieces are to
take, and the divers combinations and the nature of the different textilo
plants one wishes to work will require. It is sufficient to have made known
the principal of the use of Fig. 5 and 6, and to have shewn one of the manners
of combining them, as we have done in describing Fig. 7, not to be obliged to
give all those, the different circumstances will require.
Instructions: For the cares to be taken when gathering hemp, flax, nettles,
and hops. The flower hemp, improperly called female, is to be pulled up, but when
the flowers are quite dried up, and that the grains have grown to the utmost with-
out being in a state of perfect ripeness, for the grainy hemp or female, we must
(at the same time we gather the male hemp) cut the tops of each stalk a little
under the last little branch, without pulling up this stalk, which remains planted.
The ground must be cleared from all herbs and small hemp which may be

page_text: there, so as to facilitate the circulation of the air. The grainy hemp with its
top thus cut, will be as many tubes for receiving the dew and rain as there are
hemp stalks. Those stalks are to be left thus opened during about a month,
or until the action of the first white frosts facilitates the separation of the gum
rein. Then only the stalks are to be pulled up, and if they be dry they are
to be put instantly to the mechanical brake to undergo the process of being
separated from the woody and gummy parts, and to be combed.
2°. The same operation for flax. At the perfect maturity of the grain it is
gathered alone, as that of hemp; the stalk is left in the ground until the her-
baccous part be discoloured and presents a watered white aspect (blanc moiré).
The same operation for cultivated nettles. The principal tube only has its top
cut, the secondary branches (jets) are nipped. For hops, in gathering the cones
care must be taken to leave some of them, to fructify the grain. The stalks
are after to be attended to, when the grain be very ripe and gathered. The
stalks are left in the ground till the leaves become yellow. They are then
to be cut, put in bundles, and dried. N.B.-The mechanical brake by its
construction is fit for several other rural purposes, such as to pound, bruise,
break in small bits, or hatch several vegetable substances and fruit, by means
of a few changes in the machine.
In witness whereof, I, the said Augustus Count de la Garde, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of May, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and twenty-six.