IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR BREAKING THE STEMS OF AND PREPARING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUBSTANCES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Bernoulli Barlow, of the City of Manchester,
Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
BREAKING THE STEMS OF AND PREPARING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS
SUBSTANCES "A communication from abroad by Auguste Henri
Leveau, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Machinist.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Bernoulli Barlow
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 7th February 1865.
I, HENRY BERNOULLI BARLOW, of the City of Manchester, Patent Agent,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR BREAKING THE STEMS. OF AND PREPARING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER
FIBROUS SUBSTANCES," a communication to me from abroad by Auguste Henri
Leveau, of Paris, in the Empire of, France, Machinist, to be as follows:-
The nature of this Invention consists in an improved combination and
arrangement of fluted and toothed rollers, between which the flax, hemp,
or other fibrous substances, after having been macerated in the usual
manner or not, are passed in order to break and strip the rind or stem, and
separate it from the fibres.
The flax, hemp, or other fibrous substances are first passed between
073

page_text: a pair of fluted or grooved rollers, by which the stems are broken; they
then pass between a pair of toothed rollers, which have a lateral to-and-fro
motion in the direction of their axes; in addition to the rotary motion the
action of these toothed rollers separates the rind or stem from the fibres,
the rind or stem falls on the floor, and the fibres which are thus prepared
for the subsequent operations are carried forward and deposited in a
suitable receptacle. The toothed rollers are made by inserting serrated
steel blades in a grooved cylinder, or in any other suitable manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Bernoulli Barlow in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 27th July 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
BERNOULLI BARLOW, of the City of Manchester, Patent Agent, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of February,in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her reign,
did for Herself, Her heirs and successors,give and grant unto me,the said Henry
Bernoulli Barlow, Her special license that I, the said Henry Bernoulli Barlow,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, orsuch others as I, the said Henry
Bernoulli Barlow, my executors, administrators, and assigns,should atany 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 MACHINERY FOR
BREAKING THE STEMS OF AND PREPARING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS SUB-
STANCES," a communication to me from abroad by Auguste Henri Leveau, of
Paris, in the Empire of France, Machinist, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Henry Bernoulli Barlow, my executors or admini-
strators, 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 Henry Bernoulli Barlow, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to

page_text: be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):-
.
The nature of this Invention consists in an improved combination and
arrangement of fluted and toothed rollers, between which the flax, hemp, or
other fibrous substances, after having been macerated in the usual manner or
not, are passed in order to break and strip the riud or stem, and separate it
from the fibres.
The flax, hemp, or other fibrous substances are first passed between a
pair of fluted or grooved rollers, by which the stems are broken; they then
pass between a pair of toothed rollers which have a lateral to-and-fro motion
in the direction of their axes, in addition to the rotary motion, the action
of these toothed rollers separates the rind or stem from the fibres, the rind
or stem falls on the floor, and the fibres which are thus prepared for the
subsequent operations are carried forward and deposited in a suitable
receptacle. The toothed rollers are made by inserting serrated steel blades
in a grooved cylinder, or in any other suitable manner.
In order that these improvements may be fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Figure lisa Diagram of the gearing
for driving the fluted or grooved and toothed rollers; Figure 2 is a side elevation
and Figure 3 an end view of the entire machine; Figures 4 and 5 are a side
view and transverse section of the grooved rollers; Figure 6 is a section of
part of one of the toothed rollers; Figure 7 is an end view and Figure 8 a
transverse section of the same.
The toothed rollers 0, 0, are formed by the discs p having slots to receive
the tenons on the end of the blades L and the intermediate discs p¹. The
axles of the rollers o, o¹, revolve in bearings in the vertical levers l, F, the
fulcra of which are supported by the standards B. One of these levers is
connected by the curved piece c to the vertical bar c', which slides in bearings
fixed to the standard. The bar c¹ is open at C' to receive the antifriction
bowls, which are acted upon by the curved triangular cam C; this cam gives
an up-and-down motion to the bar c¹, and a horizontal motion to the toothed
rollers o, o'. The cam C is fixed to the end of a shaft, which passes through
the framing B, and to its other extremity is fixed the pinion b, driven by the
wheel, keyed on the shaft A, which is driven by steam or other power. The
length of the levers 1, . determine the lateral motion of the toothed rollers
o, o', and I prefer to give about sixty revolutions per minute to the cam C.
In front of the rollers 0,0', are placed the fluted or grooved rollers R, R³, shewn
detached in Figures 4 and 5. To the axle of the lower roller R' is fixed

page_text: the spur wheel E, gearing into the carrier wheel D, which is driven by the
The upper fluted roller R is
The carrier pinion K, which
which is keyed on the axle of
pinion V, keyed on the shaft of the cam C.
driven by the pinions F and G, see Figure 1.
gears into the pinion G, drives the wheel M,
the lower roller O¹, and this roller gives motion to the upper roller. ()..by
the wheel N. The gearing is calculated to give the same speed on the
circumference to the rollers R, R¹, and O, O¹.
I wish to remark that a piece of vulcanized india-rubber is placed under
the lids of the bearings of the upper roller R to act as springs, and to allow
the roller to yield when the roots of the flax cr hemp or other hard substances
pass between the rollers.
Having thus stated the nature of the Invention, and described the manner
of performing the same, as communicated to me by the Inventor, Auguste
Henri. Leveau, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself to the
form or dimensions of the machine described and shewn in the Drawing, as
the same may be varied according to the nature of the fibrous substance to
be operated upon; but what I claim is,-
First, the general arrangement and combination of machinery described
for breaking the stems of and preparing flax, hemp, and other fibrous
substances.
And, secondly, the improved mode of constructing and the application of
lateral to-and-fro motion to the revolving toothed rollers O, O¹.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Bernoulli Barlow, have hereto
set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-five.
H. B. BARLOW. (L.S.)