Improvements in Machinery for Preparing Flax, Hemp, Ramie, and other Filamentous Materials.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd May, 1887.
Complete Left, 13th June, 1837
Complete Accepted, 15th July, 1887.
Improvements in Machinery for Preparing Flax, Hemp, Ramie, and
other Filamentous Materials.
I THOMAS WATSON Engineer of Milfort Mill Belfast do hereby declare the nature
of my said Invention to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to certain improvements in the machinery or apparatus for
preparing flax, hemp ramie and other filamentous material wherein the filamentous
material to be operated on is fed between two stationary or fixed grids between the
bars of which grids pins or pieces are caused to reciprocate to and fro so as to
penetrate or pierce the fibre for the purpose of breaking and removing the woody and
refuse matter combined therewith.
According to my invention instead of the stationary or fixed grids I provide the
machine with loose grids which I connect by means of springs or their equivalents to
the bars or stocks which carry the pins or piercers and also by suitable connections to
the arms which give motion to the said pins the connections being so arranged that
when the grids come into contact with the fibre fed in between them they remain
stationary while the pins or piercers advance further to penetrate or pierce the fibre.
When the pins or piercers recede the grids are maintained in contact with the fibre
by the action of the springs or their equivalents which connect them to the stocks
of the piercers until the points of the piercers are free from the fibre after which
the grids recede with the pins so as to leave the fibre free to fall from between the said
grids.
The grids are so arranged with reference to the stocks or bars carrying the piercers..
that when the piercers are withdrawn to their full extent their points remain between
the bars of the grids.
The point or face of the bars composing the grids and which come into contact..
with the fibre are grooved or recessed throughout their length so as to form on each
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page_text: bar two projecting edges which when the grids engage the fibre between them tend in
conjunction with the pins or piercers to more effectually break and detach the woody
and other refuse material combined with the fibre.
To prevent the fibre or the refuse material from filling up the spaces between the
bars of the grids and to facilitate the discharge of the fibre from between the grids.
after having been operated upon by the piercers I arrange the bars of the grids and
the piercers in straight line in a diagonal direction that is to say at an obtuse angle to
the top and bottom bars of the grids.
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Preparing Flax, Hemp, Ramie, and.
other Filamentous Materials.
:
? I, THOMAS WATSON of Milfort Mill, Belfast Engineer 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 :-
My Invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for preparing flax
hemp ramie and other filamentous material wherein the filamentous material to be
operated on are fed between grids, between the bars of which grids, pins or piercers
are caused to reciprocate so as to penetrate or pierce the fibre for the purpose of
removing the woody and refuse matter combined therewith.
The object of my Invention is to provide a machine whereby the filamentous material
is both crushed and pierced at one operation.
According to my Invention I replace the ordinary grids by crushing bars or crushers
arranged as hereinafter described, which crushers I may connect by means of springs
or their equivalents to the plates or stocks in which the pins or piercers are fixed and

page_text: also by suitable connections to the rods or axes upon which the arms carrying the
stocks with the pins or piercers oscillate, the connections being so arranged that after
the crushers have cone into contact with the fibrous material fed in between them and
exercised a breaking action upon the said material the said crushers remain stationary
while the pins or piercers advance further to penetrate or pierce the said material.
When the pins or piercers recede the crushers are maintained in contact with the
fibrous material (which may be effected by the springs or their equivalents which
connect them to the stocks of the pins or piercers) until the points of the pins or
piercers are clear of the fibre after which the crushers recede with the pins or piercers
so as to leave the crushed and pierced fibre free to pass from between the said crushers
and pins or piercers.
The crushers are so arranged with reference to the stocks carrying the pins or
piercers that when the pins or piercers are withdrawn to their full extent their points
remain between the crushers.
The fronts or faces of the crushers which exert the crushing or breaking action on
the fibrous material are grooved or recessed throughout their length so as to form on
each bar of the crusher projecting edges which when the crushers act on the materials
between them assist in breaking and detaching the woody or other matter which is to
be removed from the fibre.
To prevent the fibre or the refuse material from filling up the spaces between the
bars of the crusher and the pins or piercers and to facilitate the discharge of the fibre
after having been operated upon by the pins or piercers I arrange the bars of the
crusher and the pins or piercers in lines diagonal to the horizontal line..
I prefer to make the pins or piercers and crushers move in parallel lines or from
the same centre so that the space between the pins and the sides of the bars may be
reduced to a minimum.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
figures on the accompanying drawings the same letters of reference being used to
indicate the same parts in all the figures I do not limit myself to the precise details
illustrated.
Figure 1 represents in vertical section so much of a preparing machine as is.
necessary to illustrate my Invention Figure 2 is a vertical section at right angles to
Figure 1 and Figure 3 is a horizontal section of the same A are the end standards of
the machine in the upper ends of which are fitted rods or shafts B upon which are
mounted so as to oscillate thereon the arms C and D carrying respectively the
crushers F and the plates or stocks E' of the piercers or pins E which plates or stocks
are connected to the crushers F by means of bolts a carried by the crushers F and
arranged to slide through openings provided in brackets G attached to the stocks or
plates E', springs K being interposed between the plates or stocks E' and crushers F
for the purpose hereinafter described.
The crushers and the plates carrying the pins or piercers are connected to crank
shafts H by connecting rods I by means of which a reciprocating or oscillating
motion is given to them from any suitable prime mover so as to act upon the
filamentous material which is fed between the crushers in the ordinary manner. The
crushers and the pins or piercers are caused to move towards the filamentous material
and the crushers come into contact with the material and act thereon to crush or
break the said material to a degree which is determined by the strength of the
springs K and then the pins or piercers advance so as to penetrate the fibrous material
as shewn clearly at the left hand side of Figure 3 the springs K being thereby
compressed between the crushers and the brackets G on the plates E the bolts a
sliding through the openings in the said brackets. By this means the machine acts
as a combined breaking and piercing machine effecting at one operation the two
processes. When the pins or piercers recede the crushers F remain under the action
of the springs K in contact with the fibrous material until the points of the pins are
withdrawn between the bars of the crushers and then the crushers will recede with

page_text: the pins to admit of the material passing between them. The bars of the crushers
are preferably grooved (as illustrated) on their faces which act on and break the
fibrous material so as to form on each bar two projecting edges c and the bars of the
two opposite crushers constituting a pair are arranged so that the projecting edges on
the bars of one crusher are opposite the recesses in the bars of the other crusher as
shewn in Figure 3 whereby the fibrous material fed between the crushers is bent
between the projecting edges and the woody material combined therewith conse-
quently is broken and separated therefrom very efficiently. The bars of the crushers
are preferably arranged in a diagonal direction or at a considerable angle sufficient to
cause the discharge from the machine by gravity of the dirt or other extraneous
matter removed from the material under treatment and the bars are preferably of a
width to almost fill the space between two adjacent rows of pins. Any desired
number of pairs of crushers and piercers may be combined in one machine and may
be operated in any suitable way such as from one and the same crank shaft in which
case the cranks are preferably arranged so that the motions of each pair shall be in
advance of the next succeeding pair.
I do not limit myself to the precise details illustrated for example the pins or
piercers or the crushers or both may move in right lines instead of from a centre as
shewn.
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 :-
First In machines for preparing filamentous materials the combination with
oscillating or moving pins or piercers for piercing the materials under treatment of
means for crushing or breaking the materials so as to constitute it a combined crushing
or breaking and piercing machine substantially as herein before described.
Second-In machines for preparing filamentous materials the employment in
combination with oscillating or moving pins or piercers of oscillating or moving
crushers or breakers having grooves in the faces which act on the materials under
treatment substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
:-
Third The arrangement and combination of parts constituting the combined
crusher or breaker and piercer for filamentous materials hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
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