IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SCUTCHING, BREAKING, AND PREPARING FLAX, HEMP, JUTE, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Friedlaender, of White Abbey, in the County
of Antrim, Ireland, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY FOR SCUTCHING, BREAKING, AND PREPARING FLAX, HEMP, JUTE,
AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Friedlaender at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th February 1862.
I, JOSEPH FRIEDLAENDER, of White Abbey, in the County of Antrim,
Ireland, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SCUTCHING, BREAKING, AND PREPARING FLAX,
HEMP, JUTE, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
The novelty of the above-mentioned improved breaking machinery consists
in combining and arranging the several parts thereof as follows:-In a suitable
framing I mount a revolving shaft, on which are fixed a series of sets of lifting
arms, which operate on tappet pieces fixed one on each of a series of vertical
rods mounted and working in guides fixed to the framing of the machinery,
there being as many separate sets of lifting arms aforesaid as there are separate
rods and tappets; the lower end of each of the aforesaid rods has a piece of
wood or beater affixed thereto. Another piece of wood of the entire length of
the series of beaters is also fixed to the bottom of the machinery. The bottom

page_text: edges of the aforesaid beators are formed rounded, and there are corresponding
grooves made in the aforesaid solid piece of wood. The operations of this
machinery are as follows:-The beaters being raised, the flax or other fibrous
material is placed upon the grooved piece of wood aforesaid; the machinery
being then set in motion, the lifting arms, as they rotate, release the beaters
and allow them to fall on the flax or fibrous material beneath, thereby breaking
the straw and softening the same in a speedy and efficient manner without
breaking the fibre, which is an important feature in this Invention, thus
preparing the fibrous material for the subsequent operation of scutching.
The novelty of the improved scutching machinery above referred to consists
in combining and arranging the several parts thereof as follows:-In a suitable
framing I'mount a revolving shaft, on which is fixed a casting formed with
radial arms, the ends of which said arms are fixed to a ring of metal to which
blades of wood are affixed, one of said blades being fixed opposite to each arm
aforesaid; one edge of each of the aforesaid blades of wood is formed sharp,
and the other edge square, and to this square end a square piece or strip of
wood of the same thickness as the blade is screwed and carries between the
two pieces of wood a scraper formed of a piece of metal corrugated vertically,
the flat part between each corrugation being partly cut away so as to leave
the lower portion of each corrugation independent; the lower edges of each
corrugation are also formed of a convex shape, as teeth projecting outwards;
a piece of metal or knife is also fixed to the outer edge of the aforesaid square
piece of wood, the cutting edge of said knife also projecting outwards, as in
the case of the scraper before described.
The above-described arrangement constitutes the revolving machinery for
operating upon the fibrous material, which is fed thereto by mechanism of the
following construction:-In a line with the side framing of the machinery,
and affixed thereto and to the floor on which said machinery stands, I sécurely
fix two rails, on which I place two castings mounted on wheels running on
said rails, to these castings I fix a board vertically about the width of the
framing of the machinery, partly across this board, and in a line with the shaft
of the revolving machinery aforesaid, I form a slot or opening, flush with the
lower edge of which and on that side of the said board which is away from the
revolving machinery I fix along the whole length of said slot a grooved piece
of wood or metal, and above the upper edge of the slot aforesaid I adjust a
sliding plate, the lower edge of which said plate corresponds with and fits into
the groove in the aforesaid grooved piece of wood or metal; the aforesaid sliding
plate has a spring connected to the upper edge thereof for keeping said plate up,
so as to uncover the slot or opening in the board aforesaid. The aforesaid

page_text: sliding plate is connected by a vertical rod to a treadle below, by pressing on
which the sliding plate aforesaid may be moved or slided downwards when
required. A piece of metal or other suitable material is hinged to the board
aforesaid near the lower edge of the opening thereof, and on the opposite sido
to that at which the sliding plate before mentioned is situated four long metal
screws are fixed to the aforesaid hinged plate and pass through holes in the
before-mentioned board, to which they are adjusted, as desired, by screw nuts.
There are two stop screws fixed to the framing of the revolving machinery
before described for keeping the blades, scrapers, and knives thereof at a
certain distance from the aforesaid board during the working of said blades,
scrapers, and knives.
The operations of this improved scutching machinery are as follows:-The
blades, scrapers, and knives being set in motion, the operator proceeds to feed
in the fibrous material which is to be operated upon through the slot or
opening in the board aforesaid. Having done this he exerts pressure upon
the treddle, thereby bringing the sliding plate down, and tightly nipping and
securely holding the material in the opening aforesaid, the operator then
pushes the board forward on the rails until it touches the stop screws before
mentioned and holds the board and other parts firmly in this position, so as to
allow the blades, scrapers, and knives to operate upon the fibrous material,
and when sufficiently operated upon he removes the pressure from the board
aforesaid, which is then drawn back by springs, adapted thereto for that
purpose; he then releases the sliding plate aforesaid and removes the material
therefrom and repeats the operation as before as often as necessary.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Joseph Friedlaender at the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th August 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
FRIEDLAENDER, of White Abbey, in the County of Antrim, Ireland, Civil
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Joseph Friedlaender, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph
Friedlaender, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as

page_text: I, the said Joseph Friedlaender, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from tinie to time and at all
times hereafter 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 "IM÷
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SCUTCHING, BREAKING, AND PREPARING FLAX,
HEMP, JUTE, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," upon the condition, amongst
others, that I, the said Joseph Friedlaender, my executors, or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, should particuarly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
sanie 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 Joseph Friedlaender, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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, that is to say:-
:
The novelty of the above mentioned improved breaking machinery consists
in combining and arranging the several parts thereof as follows:-In a suitable
framing I mount a revolving shaft, on which are fixed a series of sets of lifting
arms which operate on tappet pieces fixed one on each of a series of vertical
rods mounted and working in guides fixed to the framing of the machinery;
there being as many separate sets of lifting arms aforesaid as there are separate
rods and tappets; the lower end of each of the aforesaid rods has a piece of
wood or beater affixed thereto. Another piece of wood of the entire length of
the series of beaters is also fixed to the bottom of the machinery. The bottom
edges of the aforesaid beaters are formed rounded, and there are corresponding
grooves made in the aforesaid solid piece of wood. The operations of this
machinery are as follows:-The beaters being raised, the flax or other fibrous
material is placed upon the grooved piece of wood aforesaid, the machinery
being then set in motion, the lifting arms, as they rotate, release the beaters
and allow them to fall on the flax or fibrous material beneath, thereby breaking
the straw and softening the same in a speedy and efficient manner without
breaking the fibre, which is an important feature in this Invention, thus
preparing the fibrous material for the subsequent operation of scutching.
The novelty of the improved scutching machinery above referred to consists
in combining and arranging the several parts thereof as follows: In a suitable
framing I mount a revolving shaft, on which is fixed a casting formed with
radial arms, the ends of which said arms are fixed to a ring of metal to which

page_text: blades of wood are affixed, one of said blades being fixed opposite to each arni
aforesaid; one edge of each of the aforesaid blades of wood is formed sharp,
and the other edge square, and to this square end a square piece or strip of
wood of the same thinkness as the blade is screwed and carries between the
two pieces of wood a scraper formed of a piece of metal corrugated vertically,
the flat part between each corrugation being partly cut away so as to leave
the lower portion of each corrugation independent; the lower edges of each
corrugation are also formed of a convex shape, as teeth projecting outwards;
a piece of metal or knife is also fixed to the outer edge of the aforesaid square
piece of wood, the cutting edge of said knife also projecting outwards, as in
the case of the scraper before described.
The above described arrangement constitutes the revolving machinery for
operating upon the fibrous material, which is fed thereto by mechanism of the
following construction:-In a line with the side framing of the machinery;
and affixed thereto and to the floor on which said machinery stands, I securely
fix two rails on which I place two castings mounted on wheels running on said
rails; to these castings I fix a board vertically about the width of the framing
of the machinery, partly across this board and in a line with the shaft of the
revolving machinery aforesaid I form a slot or opening flush with the lower
edge of which, and on that side of the said board which is away from tho
revolving machinery I fix along the whole length of said slot a grooved pieco
of wood or metal, and above the upper edge of the slot aforesaid I adjust a
sliding plate, the lower edge of which said plate corresponds with and fits into
the groove in the aforesaid grooved piece of wood or metal; the aforesaid
sliding plate has a spring connected to the upper edge thereof for keeping said
plate up so as to uncover the slot or opening in the board aforesaid. The
aforesaid sliding plate is connected by a vertical rod to a treddle below, by
pressing on which the sliding plate aforesaid may be moved or slided down-
wards when required; a piece of metal or other suitable material is binged to
the board aforesaid near the lower edge of the opening thereof, and on the
opposite side to that at which the sliding plate before mentioned is situated.
Four long metal screws are fixed to the aforesaid hinged plate, and pass
through holes in the before-mentioned board, to which they are adjusted as
desired by screw nuts. There are two stop screws fixed to the framing of the
revolving machinery, before described, for keeping the blades, scrapers, and
knives thereof at a certain distance from the aforesaid board during the
working of said blades, scrapers, and knives.
+
The operations of this improved scutching machinery are as follows:-The
blades, scrapers, and knives being set in motion, the operator proceeds to feed

page_text: in the fibrous material, which is to be operated upon through the slot or
opening in the board aforesaid; having done this, he exerts pressure upon the
treddle, thereby bringing the sliding plate down, and tightly nipping and
securely holding the material in the opening aforesaid. The operator then
pushes the board forward on the rails until it touches the stop screws before
mentioned, and holds the board and other parts firmly in this position, so as to
allow the blades, scrapers, and knives to operate upon the fibrous material,
and when sufficiently operated upon, he removes the pressure from the board
aforesaid, which is then drawn back by springs adapted thereto for that
purpose; he then releases the sliding plate aforesaid, and removes the material
therefrom, and repeats the operation as before as often as necessary.
And in order to explain this Invention as completely as possible, I now
proceed to describe the means by which the said Invention may be carried
into practical effect, reference being had to the accompanying illustrative
Sheets of Drawings, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked
thereon respectively as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
At Sheet 1, Figure 1 is a side clevation of my improved machinery for
breaking and preparing flax and other fibrous substances; Figure 2, an end
view thereof at A, Figure 1. A is a framing of wood or metal; B, a shaft
mounted and revolving in bearings or bosses C fixed to or formed on said
framing; D, D, are fast and loose pulleys; E, a series of castings, the arms G
of which operate as lifters, as hereafter described; H, H, are rods of metal
placed opposite to each of the castings E, said rods working through guide
pieces I fixed to the framing of the machinery; these pieces, for the sake of
convenience, are formed in two parts, the front one being removeable
when required. K, K, are pieces of wood or beaters respectively fixed on
the lower end of the rods II, said beaters having their lower edges formed
rounded, and fitting into corresponding recesses or grooves a, a, formed in a
piece of wood L securely fixed to the framing of the machinery and the foun-
dation thereof. M, M, are wipers or projecting pieces of metal fixed to or
formed upon each of the rods H; N is a casting fixed to the framing A at top
thereof; said casting is formed as a box, and has pieces of vulcanized india-
rubber and strips of wood or metal disposed in alternate layers therein so as
to constitute a powerful spring, same being employed to give an impetus to the
beaters K during their descent.
The operations of this machinery are as follows:-The machinery being set
in motion, the arms G lift the wipers M and rods and beaters H and K

page_text: affixed thereto, and when lifted to their full extent, the operator proceeds to
place the fibrous material upon the piece of wood L, and holds it firmly in his
hands, and as the arms G continue to rotate, and the points thereof escape
the points of the wipers M, the beaters K, assisted by the force of the spring
in the box N, strike the fibrous material beneath, thereby breaking and
softening same without breaking the fibre, which is an important feature in
this Invention. The lifting arms G should be so arranged as to cause the
beaters to be operated upon irregularly instead of simultaneously.
Having now fully described this part of my said Invention, I hereby declare
my improvements in machinery for breaking and preparing fibrous materials
to consist in the general combination and arrangement of the several parts of
the mechanism above described with reference to Sheet 1 of the accompanying
Drawings. I now proceed to describe my improved machinery for scutching
flax and other fibrous substances, as follows:-
At Sheet 2, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved scutching:
machinery; Figure 2, a top plan view of Figure 1; Figure 3, an end elevation-
at A, Figure 1; Figures 4, 5, and 6, detached parts hereafter described.
A is a framing of wood or metal; B, a shaft mounted and revolving in.
bearings C; D, D, fast and loose pulleys; E, à casting formed with radial
arms G, the ends of which are fixed to a ring H of metal; I, I, are blades of
wood fixed to the ring H; opposite to each of the arms G ; K, are scrapers of
metal exhibited detached from the machinery at Figures 4, 5, and 6; L is
another piece of wood, to which are fixed the scrapers K and a knife M, tho
piece L being securely fixed to the blade I. a, a, are pieces of wood hinged
and adjusted to the framing A by the screws; b, c, are other screws fixed by
one end to the pieces a, a; the other ends of said screws pass through lugs
or eyes 1, and have screwed nuts 2, 2, fitted thereon for adjusting the
pieces a, a, in the desired position. d, d, are similar screws for adjusting and
holding the curved pieces e, e, in proper position; these pieces are each con-
nected by a thin spring plate f to the pieces a, 'a; g is a guard plate to
protect the hands of the workman from injury whilst feeding the material to the
machine.
It will be seen, upon referring to Figure 2, that the pieces c, e, are curved
at, the material is fed in at *, and passed out sideways at X. I employ the
above arrangement for scutching flax in the straw; but when it is required
to refine the flax, I then remove the plate g, and employ the' mechanism
represented at Figures 7 and 8, where N is a board or plate of metal connected
to the pieces a, a, by pins and staples at h, h, and i is a grooved piece fixed to the
pieces a, a, and corresponding with the edge of the picce g. R is a treddle

page_text: for moving the plate P down so as to nip the material, a spring S lifting said
plate when the pressure is removed from the treddle. The operations of this
machinery are as follows:-The blades, scrapers; and knives being set in
motion, the operator proceeds to feed in the fibrous material, which is to be
operated upon, holding same either in his hand, as before stated, or if the flax
is required to be refined, then exerting pressure upon the treddle R, thereby
bringing the slide P down, and tightly nipping the material, and securely
holding it in this position so as to allow the blades, scrapers, and knives to
operate upon the fibrous material, and when sufficiently operated upon he
removes the pressure from the treddle, releases the slide P, then removes the
material therefrom, and repeats the operation as before as often as necessary.
Having now fully described the nature and object of this part of my
said Invention, I hereby declare that what I claim as constituting my improve-
ments in machinery for scutching fibrous materials is as follows:-I claim the
general combination and arrangement of the mechanism above described and
represented by the accompanying Drawings at Sheet 2; and especially I
claim the parts marked e, d, I, K, L, M, on said Sheet of Drawings for the
purposes above stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Friedlaender, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
JOSEPH FRIEDLAENDER. (L.S.)