Improvements in Machines for Cleaning Flax and similar Textile Materials.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Nov., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Apr., 1890-Accepted, 3rd May, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Cleaning Flax and similar Textile
Materials.
I, ARTHUR SPIEGELBERG, of Royal Exchange, Dundee, in the County of Forfar,
North Britain, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows, that is to say:-
My said Invention has for its object the separating of the shove or like parts from
the fibre of flax and similar textile materials in an improved manner. The machine
comprised in my present Invention is applicable for treating flax the shove of which
has been broken and partly detached by machinery of the kind for which I have
applied for a Patent No. 7031 of 1889; it may however also be used for cleaning
flax or other fibrous materials which have been previously treated in other ways.
In carrying out my present Invention I arrange pairs of rollers for carrying the
flax through the machine in a downward direction; and I arrange rotating beaters
to act on the flax as it descends; the various parts being actuated by means of
suitable gearing, whilst certain movements are controlled and effected by means
of cams.
pass
At the upper part of the machine there is a pair of feeding-in rollers which are
driven intermittently, and during each period of their action downwards a
suitable quantity of the flax. At a short distance below the feeding-in rollers there
are two upper nipping rollers which rotate when the feeding-in rollers do; and the
flax is acted on by the rotating beaters in the space below the upper nipping rollers.
Below the rotating beaters there are two lower nipping rollers; and the upper and
lower nipping rollers are carried by pairs of levers centered so that their angular
movements bring the nipping rollers together or move them apart. The levers of the
nipping rollers are acted on by can bars moved up and down by means of rotating
cams and levers, and these cam bars are shaped so as in one position to hold the
upper nipping rollers together and the lower ones apart, whilst in their reversed
position they hold the upper nipping rollers apart and the lower ones together.
When a quantity of flax held by the upper nipping rollers has been subjected to
downward action of the rotating beaters the direction of rotation of these is reversed,
and, simultaneously, the lower nipping rollers are made to close on and grip the
flax and the upper nipping rollers are moved apart. In this way both ends of a
quantity of flax are sufficiently acted on, and then the flax proceeds down between a
pair of delivery rollers to an endless delivery apron or into or on to any suitable
receptacle.
Did this Tante cirth dow of November 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Cleaning Flax and similar Textile
Materials.
I, ARTHUR SPIEGELBERG, of Royal Exchange, Dundee, in the County of Forfar,
North Britain, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object the separating of the shove or like parts
The
from the fibre of flax and similar textile materials in an improved manner.
machine comprised in my present Invention is applicable for treating flax the shov

page_text: of which has been broken and partly detached by machinery of the kind for which
I have applied for a Patent No. 7031 of 1889 ; it may however also be used for
cleaning flax or other fibrous materials which have been previously treated in
other ways.
In carrying out my present Invention I arrange pairs of rollers for carrying the
flax through the machine in a downward direction, and I arrange rotating beaters
to act on the flax as it descends, the various parts being actuated by means of
suitable gearing, whilst certain movements are controlled and effected by means
of cams.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same may
be properly understood I hereunto append three sheets of explanatory drawings to be
hereinafter referred to and representing my improved machinery.
Figure, 1, of the drawings is a plan. Figure, 2, is a side elevation. Figure, 3,
is a view of a detail and figure, 4, is a diagram showing parts in vertical section. In
these drawings the same reference letters and numerals are used to mark the same or
like parts wherever they are repeated.
According to my Invention as the flax leaves the machine in which the shove has
been broken it is led by an endless apron, P, to the mechanism which separates the
broken and loosened shove from the flax fibres and which is carried by a strong
wooden framing, A.
upper
The endless apron, P, passes round rollers, P 1, P 2, which are both driven the
part of the apron being supported by rollers, P3. The action of the separating
mechanism will be best understood from figure, 4, which is a diagram showing parts
in vertical section. A roller, P 4, rotates in contact with the roller, P 2, and the flax
is taken in between them and moved downwards, the rollers, P2, and P 4, are however
driven intermittently so as to take in a suitable length or quantity when in action and
then to stop taking in for a suitable interval. The flax taken in by the rollers, P2, P4,
passes downwards to a pair of holding rollers, Q, Q, carried by levers, Q1, Q 1, which
allow of their being in contact or close enough to nip the flax between them, or of
their being separated to a small extent. From the rollers, Q, the flax continues
downwards between two rotating beaters, R, and then between a lower pair of holding
rollers, Q2, held by levers, Q3. When the upper bolding rollers, Q, are closed as
shown in figure, 4, the lower holding rollers, Q2, are separated, and vice versa. From
the lower holding rollers, Q 2, the flax passes down to a pair of delivering rollers, Q4,
which pass it on to an endless delivery apron, Q5.
Whilst a quantity of flax is being held by the upper holding rollers, Q, the fibres
hang loosely down therefrom and the beaters, R, act on them rotating in the directions
of the arrows in figure, 4, for a short time. The lower holding rollers, Q2, then take
hold of the flax and the upper holding rollers, Q, move sufficiently apart to set free
the upper ends of the portions of flax then held by the lower holding rollers, Q 2, and
the beaters, R, then rotate in the opposite directions to those indicated by the arrows,
so as to strike the flax in an upward direction and beat the shove out from the upper
parts of it. The holding rollers, Q, Q2, are acted on by cam bars, S, fitted to slide
vertically in guides formed in plates, S 1, fixed to the framing, A, these parts being
repeated on both sides of the framing. On the cam bars, S, there are adjustably fixed
plates, S 2, formed with inclined cam surfaces to act on the journals of the holding
rollers, Q, Q2, and arranged so as, when the cam bars, S, are depressed, to press the
upper rollers, Q, together, and when raised to press the lower rollers, Q2, together.
The cam bars, S, which may be pressed towards each other by springs arranged within
the plates, Si, are on each side of the machine jointed to a central vertically sliding
bar, S 3, which at its lower end is connected by a double joint to a lever, S4, centered
on a fixed stud and acted on by a grooved face cam, S 5, on a shaft, S 6, having on it
a worm wheel, S7, driven by a worm on an inclined shaft, S8, which receives its
motion through bevil wheels, S 9, from the first-motion shaft, H 2, of the machine.
The first-motion shaft, H2, has on it fast and loose pulleys, H4, for two
belts, H 5, H 6, which also pass round fast and loose pulleys, H7, on a shaft, H 8,
from which motion is derived for driving the beaters, R. The shafts of the beaters, R,

page_text: are geared together by spurwheels, R 1, and a pinion on one of them and indicated by
a dotted circle is driven by a spurwheel, R 2, which is driven by a spurwheel, R3, on
the shaft, H 8. The belts, H 5, H 6, one of which is crossed are shifted so as to
reverse the motion of the beaters, R, by a fork on a sliding bar, R4, as shown in
figures, 3, and 4, this bar having fixed to it a toothed rack with which there gears a
toothed sector, R 5, forming part of a lever centered on a fixed stud and jointed to a
vertically sliding bar, R 6, which is moved by a grooved face cam, R 7, fast on the
shaft, S 6.
On the shaft, S6, there is fast a spurwheel, T, gearing with a spurwheel on a
horizontal shaft, T1; and this shaft by means of bevil wheels, and a vertical shaft, T2,
drives an upper horizontal shaft, T 3. Each of these horizontal shafts, T 1, T3, by
similar trains of spurwheels, T4, T5, transmits motion, one to the lower holding
rollers, Q2, and the other to the upper holding rollers, Q. One of the lower
wheels, T 4, also drives one of the rollers of the endless delivery apron, Q5.
The taking-in rollers, P2, P4, receive motion from the upper shaft, T3, through
spurwheels, P 5, P 6, P 7, inside of the framing, A, the intermediate wheels, P 6, being
on studs on levers, P 8, which are connected by rods, P 9, to the levers, S 4, which are
moved by the cams, S 5. These parts are arranged so that the intermediate
wheels, P 6, are lifted and discontinue the driving of the taking-in rollers, P2, P4,
when the lower holding rollers, Q2, are moved together and the upper holding
rollers, Q, are moved apart.
The space within which the beaters, R, work, and as much as may be considered
desirable of the spaces above and below the beaters may be enclosed or boxed in to
confine the shove and dust beaten out of the flax. The size of the beaters, R, and the
distance between the upper holding rollers, Q, and the lower holding rollers, Q2, must
be arranged to suit the staple or length of the fibres of the flax or other fibrous
material which is to be operated on in the machine, and should be such that when the
fibres are held at one end by one pair of holding rollers the other ends of the fibres
are free.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
For cleaning flax and similar textile materials after the shove thereon has been
broken and partially detached, combining a pair of rotating beaters and pairs of rollers
between which the flax moves downwards, and actuating the said beaters and rollers
in such manner as that the flax is held by rollers above the beaters and the beaters act
downwards on it during short periods, alternating with periods during which the flax
is held by rol'ers below the beaters and the beaters act upwards on it substantially as
hereinbefore described.
Dated this First day of April 1890
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.