IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CRUSHING, BRUISING, AND PREPARING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATE- RIALS REQUIRING SUCH TREATMENT
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
THOMSON CARTER, of Drogheda, in the County of the Town of Drogheda, Flax
Spinner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at Westminster,
the First day of February, in the tenth year of Her reign, did give and grant
unto me, the said John Thomson Carter, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her
special license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said John'
Thomson Carter, my exors, admors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said
John Thomson Carter, my exors, admors, and assigns, should at any
time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times hereafter during the
term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within Ireland, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
CRUSHING, BRUISING, AND PREPARING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER FIBROUS MATE-
RIALS REQUIRING SUCH TREATMENT;" in which said Letters Patent there is con-
tained a proviso, that I, the said John Thomson Carter, shall cause a particular
description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to
be inrolled in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar
months next after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as by
reference thereto will more fully appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
John Thomson Carter, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which it is to be performed, are particularly described and set forth
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereto
annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say:
My Invention consists, firstly, in a machine of peculiar construction for

page_text: the purposes of crushing, bruising, and preparing flax, hemp, and other fibrous
materials requiring such treatment between iron cylinders.
Secondly, my Invention consists in a peculiar construction of the said
machinery, in order to heat the said cylinders by steam or heated fluids.
And in order that my Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe said machinery and the working
thereof. In the Drawing hereunto annexed the same letters indicate the same
parts wherever they occur.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Fig. 1, an end elevation, shewing the gearing; Fig. 2, opposite end, shewing
the steam cocks and driving pulleys; Fig. 3, end or transverse sectional view
of the rollers; Fig. 4, front elevation of the machine, showing the flax in
process of working; Fig. 5, back elevation of same; Fig. 6, longitudinal sec-
tional view of elevation; Fig. 7, bird's-eye view; Fig. 8, enlargement of steam
and water apparatus. A and B are two hollow cylindrical rollers, placed hori-
zontally; A being the upper roller, and resting its entire weight on B, the under
roller. The axle or shaft of the roller B turns in suitable bearings at P, and
is supported by metal framework D, D, D. The diameters of the rollers may
be varied, but I use rollers of the dimensions herein-after stated. In the centre
of roller A there is to be a groove K, about four inches wide and two inches
deep, for the purpose of disengaging the bands of flax or other material from
the machine when sufficiently worked, as is herein-after shewn. I prefer that
the lower roller B should be not less than twelve or more than twenty inches
in diameter, and that the top roller A should be not more than thirty-six nor
less than twenty-four inches in diameter, and not more than four or less than
two tons weight. The shaft or axle S of the roller B projects about six inches
on both sides beyond the metal framework D, D, D; at one end to admit of
the stuffing box and steam connections being attached, and at the other end to
permit the keying on of the cog wheel R, by which it is driven. The axle S
of the roller A is so adjusted that it is confined in the proper place, and at the
same time can move freely up and down in the space T, as will be seen by
reference to Fig. 1. This axle need only project on one side beyond the frame-
work D, D, D, to admit of the stuffing box and steam fixings being attached,
there being no gearing required on the other end. There is a hole L, L, of
about one and a quarter inches diameter, formed through the centre from the
extremity of each of the shafts or axles S, S, to about four inches inside their
respective rollers, and then turned off at an angle of about sixty degrees, so
that there is a communication between the interior of both cylinders and the

page_text: extremity of their respective shafts or axles into the bore L, L, in the shaft of
the roller A, and also into the like bore L, L. In the shaft of the roller B is
pushed brass or copper tubes M, M, of about half an inch diameter, on the
sides of which there are to have been previously brazed small pieces of brass,
at intervals of about eight inches, in order to keep the tubes M, M, in the
centre of the bores L, L, in the shafts of their respective rollers, and at the
same time allow a free passage for the steam between the outside of the tubes
M, M, and the inside of the bores L, L, until they project about four inches
each beyond the interior extremities of the bores L, L, in the shafts S, S, of
rollers A and B. At the exterior extremities of the bores L, L, the tubes
M, M, in the rollers A and B, project a sufficient length to pass through the
stuffing box, and to allow a connection with the steam pipe to be made outside
of the faces of stuffing boxes E, E, which are put on the axles $, S, of the
cylinders A and B. Through the face of the stuffing boxes Ė, E, the tubes
M, M, project, and on both are placed stop-cocks F, F. The sockets N, N,
are ground so as to make a steam-tight joint, connecting the exterior end of
the tube M with the passage or vent in the cock F, and firmly screwed on the
faces of the stuffing boxes E, E, so that the rollers A and B can revolve, and
there will be no escape of steam. The steam is conducted by means of pipes,
on which are the stop-cocks G, G, from a boiler, through the faces of the
stuffing boxes E, E, into the recesses 0, 0, thence into the boxes L, L, and
then into the interior of each of the cylinders A and B; and when they are
sufficiently heated, it is permitted to escape, with the water into which it has
been condensed, through the pipe M, by opening the stop-cock F. The rollers
must be very slightly heated, and in some kinds of material may be used per-
fectly cold; the temperature will be best regulated by the judgment of the
person working the machine, but I have used same from ninety to one hundred
and twenty degrees for flax. The flax or other material intended to be softened
is to be twisted into a fold or loose rope, in such manner as to leave a loop at
each end, and of such lengths as to be sufficient to enclose or enwrap the roller
B loosely and freely, without however touching the ground. The fold or loose
rope being ready, is to be passed round the shaft of roller B; in the space
between the end of the roller and the framing of the machine D, D, D; the
two loops on the fold or rope are then to be fastened together by a few fibres of
the material, and thus a ring X of the flax or other material is found loosely
enclosing the roller B, as shewn in Fig. 4. This ring is then held in such a
position as to be caught by the rollers A and B, as they revolve, and a number
of such folds may be thus put on from each end of the roller B. When the
fold of flax or other material is sufficiently wrought, having been moved by

page_text: hand from the ends of the roller B towards the centre, it is to be slipped by
hand on to that part of the roller B under the recess K in the roller A, when
it will be free from pressure of the rollers, and may be removed by loosening
the fibres by which the loops were attached. The power is applied to the
machine by a belt working C, which drives a counter shaft II, on the other
end of which is a pinion I, working into the wheel' R on the shaft of roller B.
The roller A is carried round by roller B without the aid of gearing, its own
weight and the friction it creates being sufficient to drive it.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do not confine
myself to the details, so long as the peculiar character of my Invention be
retained. And I would state, that although I have only shewed the use of
steam for heating the same, hot fluids may be used in place thereof.
What I claim is, first, the combination of rollers, constructed as herein-
before described, for crushing, bruising, and preparing flax, hemp, and other
fibrous materials requiring such treatment.
And, secondly, I claim the so arranging the rollers A and B, when used
for crushing, bruising, and preparing flax and other fibrous materials requiring
such treatment, that steam or heated fluids may be applied thereto, so as to heat
the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Thomson Carter, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this 15th day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.

page_text: REFERENCE
A Upper Roller
B Lower do.
C. Dring Pulleys
DD. Metal Framework.
E Stuffing Boxes
F Condensed Steam escape cocks.
G Steam entrance Cocks.
I Driving Shaft.
Driving Pinion
K Wheel driven by pinion
L Entrance steam pipe
M Escape steam pipe
N Stopper of pipe
Space for steam
Brass seat of Axle of Roller B.
R Grove in Roller
S Axles of Rollers
Space for shaft of Roller A
Fold or Rope of material