IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR CLEANING AND PREPARING FLAZ, STRAW, HEXP, AND OTHER ANALOGOUS FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Westlake, of Fordingbridge, in the
County of Southampton, and Henry Thompson, of the same Place,
Manufacturers, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR
CLEANING AND PREPARING FLAZ, STRAW, HEXP, AND OTHER ANALOGOUS
FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Sealed the 14th November 1871, and dated the 19th August 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Westlake and
Henry Thompson at the. Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with their Petition, on the 19th August 1871.
We, THOMAS WESTLAKE, of Fordingbridge, in the County of South-
ampton, and HENRY THOMPSON, of the same Place, Manufacturers,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED
MACHINERY FOR CLEANING and PREPARING FLAX, STRAW, Hɛmp, AND OTHER
ANALOGOUS FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be as follows :—
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for
cleaning flax, straw, hemp, and other substances, and for separating the

page_text: .
•
fibre from the woody particles of such materials in a simpler and more.
effectual manner than has hitherto been done. For these purposes we
employ a set of grooved iron rollers, to which an intermittent partial
rotary motion in a forward and backward direction is imparted. The
forward motion predominates over the backward, and the requisite 5
motions are effected in the following manner :-Upon a suitable frame and
-bearings are mounted three grooved iron rollers, with teeth or grooves of
a peculiar construction, and upon the particular shape of which depends
much of the cleaning process performed by the machine. The grooves
of the rollers are made much wider than the teeth, so that there is plenty 1
of play between the teeth, in order that the fibres may be rubbed well.
These rollers are set near together, but not so as to touch; and upon
these are placed two other iron rollers of the same construction, which
are pressed down upon the lower ones by a compound weighted lever, or
other suitable means. On one end of the shaft of the middle of the 1
lower rollers a cog wheel is fixed, and a ratchet wheel is mounted on the
other end of the shaft. A rocking motion is given to the cog wheel, and
from thence to all the rollers by means of a segment which works into
it, and is moved by an excentric fixed on a shaft arranged for the pur-
pose. The predominating forward motion of the toothed wheel and its 2
roller is produced by a tooth or pawl working into the ratchet wheel at
the other end of the shaft, while the segment is free from the cog wheel.
This pawl is set in motion by a crank at the other end of the excentric
shaft. The flax, straw, or other material is fed in on an ordinary feed
table, and is delivered at the other end, either with or without the use of 2
a table.
:
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Westlake and Henry Thompson in the 30
Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th February 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, Wе, THOMAS.
WESTLAKE, of Fordingbridge, in the County of Southampton, and
HENRY THOMPSON, of the same Place, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 35
Letters Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of August, in the year

page_text: of our Lord Qne thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto us, the said Thomas Westlake and Henry Thompson,
Her special licence that we, the said Thomas Westlake and Henry
5 Thompson, our executors,. administrators, and assigns, or such others
as we, the said Thomas Westlake and Henry Thompson, our exe-
cutors, 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 "In-
PROVED MACHINERY FOR CLEANING AND PREPARING FLAX, STRAW, HEMP, AND
OTHER ANALOGOUS FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said Thomas Westlake and Henry Thompson,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, 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 we, the said Thomas Westlake and Henry
Thompson, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, reference
being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the letters and.
figures marked thereon (that is to say) :—
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for
cleaning flax, straw, hemp, and other substances, and for separating the
fibre from the woody particles of such materials in a simpler and more
effectual manner than has hitherto been done. To this end the material
is operated upon by a set of grooved iron rollers, to which an inter-
mittent partial rotary motion in a forward and backward direction is
imparted. The forward motion predominates over the backward, and
the requisite.motions are effected by means of the peculiar arrangement
of gearing herein-after described.
In the accompanying Drawing we have shewn the arrangement of

page_text: is a side elevation of the machine complete, Fig. 2 is a similar view of
the opposite side of the machine, and Fig. 3 is an end elevation:
">
Upon a suitable frame a, a, and mounted in proper bearings, are three
grooved iron rollers b, b, b, made with teeth or grooves of a peculiar
construction, and upon the particular shape of which depends much of 5
the cleaning process performed by the machine. Fig. 4 represents a
partial end view of one of these rollers drawn upon an enlarged scale.
It will be seen that the grooves of these rollers are made much wider
than the teeth, so that thero is plenty of play between the teeth of the
rollers which gear into them. The object of making the teeth of the ]
rollers in this peculiar manner is that the fibres of the plant to be
operated upon may be rubbed well. These rollers are set near together,
but not so as to touch, and above these are placed two other iron rollers
b', 6', of the same construction, which are pressed down upon the lower
rollers b, b, by a compound weighted lever c, c', or other suitable 1
means. On one end of the shaft of the middle of the lower rollers b
a cog wheel d, Fig. 1, is fixed, and a ratchet wheel e, Fig. 2, is mounted
on the other end of the shaft. A rocking motion is given to the cog
wheel d, and from thence to all' the rollers by means of a segment.
rack f, which works into it. It will be seen that the teeth or grooves
of the central roller 6 gear into the teeth or grooves of the two upper
rollers 6, 6', which last gear into and drive the two other bottom
rollers b, b, so that the same intermittent rocking motion is imparted
to all the five grooved rollers b, b, b, b¹, b¹. This segment rack f is
vibrated by means of an excentric g fixed on the main driving shaft h of.
the machine. The predominating forward motion of the toothed wheel d
and its roller b is produced by a tooth or pawl i working into the ratchet
wheel e at the other end of the shaft, while the teeth of the segment f
are free from the cog wheel d. This pawl i is set in motion by a crank
or excentric at the other end of the excentric shaft h. The con-
necting rods of the segment rack and pawl may both be fitted with
screws for adjusting their length, as shewn at Fig. 2. The flax straw,
or other material is fed in on an ordinary feed table j; and after passing
between the rollers. b, b³, whereby the woody parts are broken and
loosened, it is delivered at the other end of the machine either with or
· without, the use of a table.
..

page_text: driving pulley k, so that it may be driven by power by means of a
driving band or strap.
•
Having now described our Invention of improved machinery for
cleaning and preparing flax, straw, hemp, and other analogous fibrous
materials, and having explained the manner of carrying the same into
effect, we claim, as the Invention secured to us by Letters Patent.as
aforesaid, the arrangement and mode of operating with the grooved iron
rollers b, b, b, b³, b, for the purpose of breaking and loosening the woody
parts of the flax, straw, or other fibrous material.
We also claim making the teeth of the rollers of the shape or form
herein shewn, so as to obtain a peculiar rubbing motion, whereby the
separation of the useful fibres from the woody portion of the plant is
much facilitated.
In witness whereof Thomas Westlake and Henry Thompson
have hereunto set their hands and seals, the Eighth day of
February, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred