Improvements in Machinery for Breaking, Scutching, and Hackling Flax or other Vegetable Fibrous Materials.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 30th July, 1891-Accepted, 5th Sept.,
1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Breaking, Scutching, and Hackling
Flax or other Vegetable Fibrous Materials.
A communication from abroad by JULES CARDON, of Lille, France,
Manufacturer.
I, JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to that class of machinery for breaking, scutching
and hackling flax or other vegetable fibrous materials in which stricks or bundles
of the fibres to be operated upon are secured in holders or clamps which are
mounted on rails and receive a down and up movement so as to properly submit the
stricks to the operating devices, and also an intermittent movement end wise of the
machine so as to submit each strick to the various operating devices successively.
The invention consists first of a novel construction of breaking device; secondly
of a novel construction of scutching device; and thirdly of an improved arrange-
ment or combination of devices for breaking, scutching and hackling the fibres
successively in the same machine.
The breaking device is composed of several parallel boards or plates having,
openings or spaces through which the fibrous material passes vertically and the
position of these boards or plates relatively to each other in a horizontal direction
is repeatedly changed by a reciprocating movement, so that the fibres are
alternately nipped transversely between the edges of the boards or plates and
then freed. This repeated action upon the fibres as they gradually pass down the
space or opening in or between the boards or plates and again gradually up this
space has the effect of breaking the woody part and preparing the fibres for the
subsequent operations. In the preferred construction of the breaking device three
boards are placed at a slight distance apart; the top and bottom ones are fixed
while the intermediate one receives a reciprocating movement between them.
Each board has a central opening for the passage of the fibrous material, the
openings in the outer boards being beveled and the opening in the intermediate
board rectangular: The reciprocating movement of the intermediate board can be
imparted by a crank and connecting rod or in any other suitable manner.
It is
obvious that instead of only three boards a greater number of boards can be
employed, each alternate board receiving a reciprocating movement.
The scutching devices are composed of two sets of arms mounted respectively on
two rotating shafts and carrying beater or scutcher plates. The arms are so set
relatively to each other that the respective plates of the one set take between the
plates of the other set during the rotation. There are four beater or scutcher
plates in each set, that is to say on each of the rotating shafts, and these four are
alternately of two different forms. In one of these forms the plate is undulated,
the undulations having rectilinear parts at the outside edge and also at the bottom.
On the plates are cast or fixed discs, the form of which is that of an arc.
The
discs are in a plane normal to the axis of the beater. The fibres are first struck by
the undulating part of the plate and then by the discs which effect a sort of
unravelling of the fibres. The plates of the second form are likewise undulated,
but they carry discs which are oblique and are about twice as far apart as the discs
on the other plates. They are of approximately semi-oval form. These oval
oblique discs strike and rub the fibres thereby removing the broken particles and
at the same time straightening the fibres.

page_text: The improved arrangement or combination of devices for breaking, scutching
and hackling the fibres successively in the machine is such as to subject every
strick or bundle of fibrous material to two breaking operations and two scutching
operations before the hackling operation, that is to say the strick is first broken by
a first breaking device; then scutched. by first scutching devices; then further
broken by a second breaking device; and then again scutched by second scutching
devices, after which it is hackled by hackling devices of ordinary construction..
This improved arrangement will be found of advantage for the treatment of
most fibrous materials.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Breaking, Scutching, and Hackling
Flax or other Vegetable Fibrous Materials.
A. communication from abroad by JULES CARDON, of Lille, France,
Manufacturer.
I, JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents, 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: --
This invention has reference to that class of machinery for breaking, scutching
and hackling flax or other vegetable fibrous materials in which stricks or bundles
of the fibres to be operated upon are secured in holders or clamps which are
mounted on rails and receive a down and up movement so as to properly submit
the stricks to the operating devices and also an intermittent movement end wise
of the machine so as to submit each strick to the various operating devices
successively.
The invention consists first of a novel construction of breaking device; secondly
of a novel construction of scutching device, and thirdly of an improved arrange-
ment or combination of devices for breaking, scutching and hackling the fibres
successively in the same machine.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure is a front elevation of the upper part of a machine constructed
according to this invention.
Figure 2 is a side view of the machine partly in section on line 1-1 Figure 1,
and shows the gearing for giving the down and up and intermittent end wise
movements to the holders or clamps.
Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a plan with the upper part of the machine removed so as to show
the various operating devices;
Figure 5 is a vertical section of the breaking device at a time when the
intermediate board is not in its central position.
Figures 6, 7 and 8 are fractional views on a larger scale illustrating some of the
beater plates of the scutching devices, and
Figures 9, 10 and 11 are fractional views illustrating the other beater plates of
these devices.
In the drawings A. A represent the frame of the machine, B1, B², B³, Bª, Bº, Bº,
the holders or clamps and CC the rails on which these holders are mounted. The
required down and up movement is imparted to the holders in the usual way by
the cam U, lever V and counter-weighted strap Z (see Figure 2) while the
intermittent end wise notion is given by means of the lever X and rod Y in the
manner well known. D is the fibrous material locked in the holders. E is a guide
to lead the lower ends of the fibrous material to the breaking and scutching
devices. F is the breaking device. It is composed of several parallel boards or

page_text: plates placed close together or practically touching and having openings or spaces
through which the fibrous material passes vertically and the position of these
boards or plates relatively to each other in a horizontal direction is repeatedly
changed by a reciprocating movement so that the fibres are alternately nipped
transversely between the edges of the boards or plates (which somewhat yield to
the pressure) and then freed. This repeated action upon the fibres as they
gradually pass down the space or opening in or between the boards or plates and
again gradually up this space has the effect of breaking the woody part and
preparing the fibres for the subsequent operations. In the preferred construction
of the breaking device which is represented in the figures, it is composed of three
boards a b c placed at a very slight distance apart or practically touching; the top
and bottom ones a and c are fixed while the intermediate one receives a
reciprocating movement between them. Each board has a central opening d for
the passage of the fibrous material, the openings in the outer boards being beveled
and the opening in the intermediate board rectangular. The reciprocating move-
ment of the board b can be imparted in any suitable manner. In the figures it is
shown as operated from the rotating shaft G by means of toothed gearing P, R,
crank shaft K, and connecting rod L. It is obvious that instead of only three
boards a, b, c, as shown, a greater number of boards can be employed each alternate
board receiving a reciprocating movement like the board b.
The scutching devices are composed of sets of arms e e mounted respectively on
the rotating shafts G G¹ and carrying beater or scutcher plates ff. The arms e e
are so set relatively to each other that the respective plates fof the one set take
between the plates of the other set as seen in Figure 3 during the rotation. There
are four beater or scutcher plates in each set, that is to say, on each of the
rotating shafts GG, and these four are alternately of two different forms. One
form is seen in Figures 6, 7 and 8. The plate is undulated, the undulations
having rectilinear parts at the outside edge and also at the bottom. On the plates
are cast or fixed discs g the form of which is that of an arc. They are in a plane
normal to the axis of the beater. The fibres are first struck by the undulating part
of the plate and then by the discs which effect a sort of unravelling of the fibres.
Figures 9, 10 and 11 illustrate the other or alternate beater plates. These plates
are likewise undulated but they carry discs which are oblique and are about
twice as far apart as the discs g. They are of approximately semi oval form.
These oval oblique discs strike and rub the fibres thereby removing the broken
particles and at the same time straightening the fibres.
N, N, Figures 1 and 4, are hackling devices which are of a well known
construction, consisting of two endless travelling cloths furnished with hackle pins.
They are driven by toothed gearing S T from the shaft G.
-The machine illustrated is shown as arranged for subjecting every strick or
bundle of fibrous material to two breaking operations and two scutching operations
before the hackling operation, that is to say, the strick is first broken by the
breaking device F shown under the holder B', then scutched by the scutching
devices shown under the holder B, then further broken by the breaking device F
shown under the holder B3, and then again scutched by the devices shown under
the holder B', before passing on to the backling devices N and this is an improved
arrangement which will be found of advantage for the treatment of most fibrous
materials.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me and in what manner the same is to be performed, I
declare that what I claim is :-
1. In a breaking device for flax or other vegetable fibrous materials, two fixed
horizontal boards or plates in the same vertical plane in combination with an
intermediate horizontal board adapted to receive a reciprocating motion between
the said fixed boards with which it is in contact or nearly so, the said fixed boards

page_text: and reciprocating board having, each, an opening or space for the passage of the
fibrous materials substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The combination in a breaking device for flax or other vegetable fibrous
materials of the fixed boards a and, reciprocating board, an opening d in each
of said boards, connecting rod I and crank shaft K, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth and shown.
3. In a revolving scutching device for flax or other vegetable fibrous materials,
the combination with undulated beater or scutcher plates having are shaped discs
in a plane normal to the axis of the beaters of other and alternate undulated beater
or scutcher plates having, oblique discs of greater distance apart. than the said.arc
shaped discs, substantially as and for the purpose set forth and shewn.
4. In a machine for breaking, scutching and hackling flax or other vegetable
fibrous materials the combination with a series of fibre holders adapted to receive
the ordinary down and up motion and also the ordinary movement end wise of the
machine of the following devices arranged in the order stated so as to act
successively on the fibrous materials, viz. a breaking device, a set of scutching
devices, a second breaking device, a second set of scutching devices, and a set of
hackling devices, substantially as set forth and shown.
J. C. MEWBURN,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London.