IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Brasier, of Stepney, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING
H
LETTERS PATENT to Edward Brasier, of Stepney, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING
PLAR, HOME, AND OTHER VEGETADES FLORES, AND IN TRE MACHINERY DITLOVED
THEREIN.
19
Sealed the 8th December 1857, and dated the 12th June 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Brasier at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th June 1857.
I, EDWARD BRASIER, of Stepney, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
TREATING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER VEGETABLE FIBRES, AND IN THE MACHINERY
EMPLOYED THEREIN," to be as follows:-
The flax or other fibrous material is first laid on a plain feed board, or on
a self-acting endless band, and thereby conducted between a pair of corrugated
or fluted rollers turning on axes, which rollers press and break the wood of
the fibrous material into very short lengths. In its onward progress it is
guided through a sort of mouth, then between another pair of corrugated or
fluted rollers, which, beside turning round on their axes, have at the same time
a reciprocating up-and-down motion, by means of which the fibrous material
is not only again pressed and broken, but is likewise rubbed against the lips

page_text: of the aforesaid mouth, which also are corrugated or fluted from end to end.
Thus the fibrous material is again pressed, broken in other parts, and freed
from a portion of the boon or woody particles. In this state it moves on and
is conducted to another roller or cylinder, with angular ridges or grooves
along the whole length or surface, and is then acted upon by a beater with
corresponding ridges or grooves, which beater strikes the fibrous material
rapidly as it passes over the roller, and the said material is thus for the third
time pressed and broken, and thus freed from a further portion of the boon.
The operation may be repeated by means of one or more other rollers, placed
at suitable distances, and beaters to correspond. The grooves may be rounded
instead of angular. For some kinds of fibrous material only one beater
and one roller are found necessary; for other kinds, which require more
working, it is necessary to have two or more beaters and corresponding rollers,
as described. In order to rid the fibre from the boon more effectually for
hackling and other purposes, two sets of revolving blades or scutchers, made
to rotate rapidly, are placed near the outlet, so as to be easily detached when
not required. An endless band may be used as an auxiliary, to carry away
the fibre as fast as it is worked..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Brasier in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th December 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
BRASIER, of Stepney, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Edward Brasier, Her special licence that I, the said Edward
Brazier, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Edward Brasier, my executors, 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
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER VEGETABLE FIBRES, AND
IN. THE MACHINERY EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others)
"

page_text: that I, the said Edward Brasier, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, 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 I, the said Edward Brasier, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed (that is to say) :-
=
The flax or other fibrous material is first laid on a plain feed board, or on
a self-acting endless band, and thereby conducted between a pair of corrugated
or fluted rollers turning on axes, which rollers press and break the wood of
the fibrous material into very short lengths. In its onward progress it is
guided through a sort of mouth, then between another pair of corrugated or
fluted rollers, which, beside turning round on their axes, have at the same
time a reciprocating up-and-down motion, by means of which the fibrous
material is not only again pressed and broken, but is likewise rubbed against
the lips of the aforesaid mouth, which also are corrugated or fluted from end
to end. Thus the fibrous material is again pressed, broken in other parts,
and freed from a portion of the boon or woody particles. In this state it
moves on through the rollers, and is conducted to another roller or cylinder,
with angular ridges or grooves along the whole length or surface, while
passing over which it is acted upon by a beater with corresponding ridges
or grooves, which beater stikes the fibrous material rapidly as it passes over
the roller, and the said material is thus for the third time pressed and broken,
and thus freed from a further portion of the boon. The operation may be
repeated by means of one or more other rollers, placed at suitable distances,
and beaters to correspond. The grooves may be rounded instead of angular.
For some kinds of fibrous material only one beater and one roller are found
necessary; for other kinds, which require more working, it is necessary to have
two or more beaters and corresponding rollers, as described. In order to rid
the fibre from the boon more effectually for heckling and other purposes, two
sets of revolving blades or scutchers, made to rotate rapidly, are placed near
the outlet, so as to be easily detached when not required. An endless band
may be used as an auxiliary to carry away the fibre as fast as it is worked.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Figure 2 an end elevation, of a machine
constructed according to my Invention. Şimilar letters refer to similar parts.

page_text: A is a table or a travelling band, distended on rollers a, a, moving in the
direction of the arrows b, b. On this table or travelling band the flax, hemp,
or other material to be operated upon is laid, and conveyed to a pair of fluted
rollers B, B', seen in dotted lines. The journals C, C, of the shafts of these
rollers revolve in bearings c, c¹, (seen partly also in dotted lines,) inserted in
a slot or recess formed in the framework D, D', over which a cap or cover
E is firmly secured. Through the cover E a screw d is passed, the point of
which bears on a helical spring d¹ of sufficient strength to give the necessary
pressure to the rollers B, B. The spring d' abuts between the cover E and
the upper half of the bearing c, and may be regulated to any requisite
pressure by the screw d¹. After the material has passed the rollers B, B', it
passes between two blocks or mouthpieces F, F¹, the inner surfaces of which
are fluted, as seen at e, e', and is laid hold of by another pair of fluted rollers
G, G¹, which have their journals revolving in bearings f, f¹, in a moveable
frame or sliding piece G", which is accurately fitted in a long slot II formed
in the side framework D, D¹. The lower ends of the sliding pieces are
connected to cranks H, H", by the rods 1, 1'; these cranks are formed on a
shaft I", which revolves in bearings in the side frames D, D¹. On one end
of this shaft the loose and fast pullies g, g', are mounted, for the purpose of
receiving a belt or strap from any prime mover. A fly wheel J is mounted on
the opposite end of the shaft to regulate the motion. One end or both ends
of the shaft of the lower roller G¹ is or are prolonged past the side of
the frame D, D', sufficiently far to be embraced by the slotted end h of a
lever h¹, the other end of which has a large boss or eye formed on it suffi-
ciently large to pass easily over a ratchet wheel h", secured on the end of the
shaft of the roller B. In a recess in the lever h¹ a bolt or catch i is fitted,
one end of which is formed to correspond to the teeth of the ratchet wheel h",
and into which it is pressed by a helical spring 2, which acts on the opposite
end of the catch i. It will be seen that as rotary motion is imparted to the
crank shaft I" the sliding pieces and rollers G, G³, and the slotted end h of the
lever h', will receive an up-and-down reciprocating motion through the con-
necting rods I, I'. An alternating feed motion is thus given to the rollers
B, B', by the action of the catch i taking into the teeth of the ratchet wheel
h", similarly to the action of an ordinary ratchet lever. While the flax, hemp,
or other fibrous material under treatment is passing through the mouth-
pieces F, F, and between the rollers G, G, it is rubbed between them and
the fluted faces e, e¹, of the mouthpieces F, F, by the up-and-down motion
of the rollers G and G¹. After leaving these rollers the material is carried
over an angular fluted roller K, and while passing over this roller it receives

page_text: is
a beating from a hammer, beater, or mallet K', which is fluted or ribbed to
correspond to the grooves and ridges formed on the roller. The hammer,
beater, or mallet is secured to a rod K", which passes through sliding blocks
K, fitted in guide slots in the framing D, D'; the ends of the rod K" are
prolonged beyond the framing sufficiently far to be capable of being laid hold
of by rods L. Slots j, j, are formed in the rods L, which allow the ends ¹ of.
shaft of the fluted roller K to pass through. This serves as a second guide
for each rod L. On the lower ends of these rods projections j" are formed,
which are acted on by cams k, k', formed on a boss, and secured on the shaft
M. A pinion M' is keyed on the same shaft and receives its motion from
another pinion M", which is fixed on the crank shaft I". The cams lift or
raise the rods L and K", and consequently the hammer, beater, or mallet, a
certain height, and allow it to fall with sufficient force effectually to break the
boon of the material acted on. In order that the blow may be more effective
and capable of being regulated to the degree desired, I fix a bar N between
the two side framings D and D'. This bar has a boss N¹ formed on its
centre, in which a hollow regulating screw is screwed. A hand wheel
fixed on the end of the hollow screw to turn it by. A helical spring is
inserted between the end of the hollow screw in the bar N and the rod K";
a rod is then passed through the hollow nut and helical spring, and its
lower end fixed in the rod K". It will be readily seen that the pressure of
the spring on the beater may be increased or diminished at pleasure by the
hand wheel and hollow screw Z. When at work the hollow screw serves
as a guide to the rod, through which it plays. After the material has
passed the roller K and beater K', it is received or laid hold of by draw
rollers 0, 0, the journals m, m³, of which turn in bearings m, m¹¹¹, inserted
in the framework D and D'. These rollers are pressed together by a spring
n, placed between a cap or cover n' and the upper half of the cover of the
bearing m". The cover n' is held in place by keys or wedges o, o. After
passing through the draw rollers the material may be subjected to a second
beating on the roller P, between it and the beater P¹. All the parts and
motions of this roller and beater are similar to those of the roller and beater
herein-before fully described. The teeth or flutes on this roller and beater are
shewn in the Drawing as being round, but they may be of any other desired
suitable figure; or, instead of being subjected to the second beating, the
material may pass on to a heckling or scutching machine or apparatus, shewn
in Figure 3. After being beaten on the roller K, the material passes between
it and a small roller S, held in contact with the roller K by a lever S¹ and
weight S", to be subjected to the action of the heckles or scutchers T and T',

page_text: fixed on shafts revolving in bearings in the frames D and D', and driven in
any suitable manner.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the passing of flax, hemp, and other vegetable fibres through rollers
and subjecting them to a rubbing action between rollers with grooved surfaces,
having a reciprocating and rotary motion, and fluted stationary plates or
mouthpieces, and then over one or more fluted rollers, while passing over
which they are subjected to beating or hammering, as herein-before described.
Second, the particular arrangements of machinery herein-before described
for treating flax, hemp, and other vegetable fibres for effecting the rubbing,
also for effecting the beating or hammering thereof, as herein-before described,
whether such arrangements be used separately or combined.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Brasier, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of December, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-seven.
EDWARD BRASIER.
(L.S.)