IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING FLAX-STRAW, FLAX, AND CER- TAIN OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLI- CABLE TO MACHINERY FOR SCUTCHING AND HECKLING
Year: 1852

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Ami Bernard, and Aimé
Koch, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 28th December 1852.
(Void by reason of notice to proceed not having been given within the
time prescribed by the Act.)
We, AMI BERNARD, of Belfast, in the County of Antrim, in Ireland,
Manufacturer, and AIMÉ KOCH, of Belfast aforesaid, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARING FLAX-STRAW, FLAX, AND CER-
TAIN OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE APPLI-
CABLE TO MACHINERY FOR SCUTCHING AND HECKLING," to be as follows:-
After flax straw has undergone the operation of steeping, it is
generally dried in the open air, or by artifical heat, or the water is
partially extracted by pressing rollers, or other mechanical agents.
It is, however, essential that the flax straw be completely free from
moisture before it is in a fit state to undergo the succeeding
operations; we therefore propose to pass it through drying machinery
of the following construction.: Two series of rollers are placed one
above the other, and two endless belts of some open fabric or net

page_text: work are guided over and under all the rollers. The lower belt may
be extended over a table at the feeding end of the drying machine,
on to which the flax straw is spread, or the flax straw may be fed
between the two first rollers of the machine. The whole machine
is enclosed in a heated chamber. When the machine is at work, the
moist flax straw is fed in at one end; it is then conveyed between
the two endless belts over and under all the rollers, and delivered
at the other end sufficiently dry for undergoing the succeeding,
or, as it is technically called, the "stricking" operation, which we
perform in the following manner: A roller having a portion of
its circumference in two places covered with coarse longitudinal
flutes, is supported in suitable bearings. Above this roller is
mounted another roller having corresponding flutes; these rollers
are connected by pinions having long teeth to enable the top
one to rise without getting out of gear. To the shaft of the lower
roller is fixed a crank, from which descends a connecting rod, the
lower end of which is furnished with a stud guided by a slot in
the frame side. This stud enters also into a slot in another con-
necting rod attached at its lower end to a crank on the driving shaft,
to which rotary motion is given from a steam engine or other
motive power. The rotary motion of the driving shaft imparts a
vibratory motion to the fluted rollers by the cranks and connecting
rods above mentioned, and the slot in one of the connecting rods
allows the rollers to remain in a state of rest after each vibration.
When the machine is in motion, the attendant introduces the end of
a handful or "strick" of flax straw between the rollers atthat part
where there are no flutes, and holds it there until the flutes take
hold of it. The rollers then remain stationary until the attendant
draws with one hand the long stalks from those that are held
between the flutes, and with the other hand again takes hold of the
short stalks, which are held by the flutes, but which are liberated
when the rollers begin to vibrate in the contrary direction. These
operations are repeated as often as is requisite to sort the straw into
various lengths, and to separate it from weeds or other foreign
matter. After the process of stricking is completed, the flax straw is

page_text: made into bundles previous to undergoing the operation of scutching.
In order to facilitate the operation of spreading the flax straw, and
to distribute it evenly in order that it may be put into the holders
by which it is held in the scutcher, we pass it through the
ordinary crushing rollers, the action of which not only crushes
the stalk, but spreads the straw to the required width and thickness.
Our next improvement consists in the mode of securing the flax
in the holders. It has heretofore been customary to press together
and fasten the top and bottom parts of the holders by screws and
nuts; but in order to economise labour, we propose to give the
necessary pressure by means of rollers, and to use wedges for
fastening the two parts of the holder together. The holders we
employ are very similar to those in common use; but the bottom
part of the holder is furnished with two bridles passing through
the top part, which has two wedges sliding in grooves. After
the flax has been placed between the holders, the holders are passed
between two pairs of rollers placed a little distance apart, and
made to revolve by the steam engine or other motive power. A
weighted catch is hinged on the shaft of the top roller, by which
the wedges above mentioned are pushed into the bridles.
operation of this machine is as follows: When the attendant
introduces the end of the holder between the rollers, the flax is
compressed and the holder drawn forward by the rollers until the
thick end of the first wedge comes against the weighted catch, by
which the wedge is pushed into the first bridle. When the wedge
is home, the weighted catch is clevated by the advancing of the
holder; but it drops down again when the first bridle has passed
in time to act in the same manner on the second wedge; thus
pressing and fastening the holder at one operation.
The
When the holders have to be opened, in order to "turn ends" or
to liberate the flax between them, they are passed through the
same machine in the contrary direction; that is to say, the holders
must be introduced between the rollers in such wise that the
weighted catch shall act on the thin end of the wedges, which must
be long enough to project about half an inch through the bridles.

page_text: We also propose to fasten the holders together by screws and nuts,
but in order to economise time and labor, the screws are turned
round by mechanical agents. In this arrangement the screw nuts
are let into the bottom part of the holder, and the screws are fitted
into the top part, so that they can turn round freely. When the
flax is between the holders, the attendant places the holder under
two vertical spindles, placed at the same distance apart as the
screws of the holder. These spindles are made to revolve by a
friction pulley or other suitable means, and the lower end of each
of them is furnished with a box key fitting the heads of the screws
of the holders. By this means the screws are turned round until
the friction pulley begins to slip, at which time the flax will be
firmly held in the holder. The same apparatus can also be used to
liberate the flax by causing the spindles to revolve in the contrary
direction.