Improvements in Machines for Breaking or Treating Flax and similar Textile Materials.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Mar., 1896-Accepted, 4th Apr., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Breaking or Treating Flax and
similar Textile Materials.
I, ARTHUR SPIEGELBERG, of 28, Cowgate, Dundee, in the County of Forfar,
North Britain, Merchant, 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, that is to say :-
My said invention relates to machines for breaking or treating flax and similar
textile materials, and of the kind described in my Patent Specification No. 7031
of 1889; and my object is to improve and simplify the construction of such
machines, so as to diminish their cost and increase their working speed.
A machine, as made with my present improvements, is shown on three accom-
panying sheets of explanatory drawings, Figures 1, and 2, on Sheet, 1, and
Figures, 3, and 4, on Sheet, 2, thereof being respectively elevations and vertical
sections, as at right angles to each other.
Figure, 5, is an enlarged sectional plan, and Figures, 6, and 7, are enlarged
elevations, showing a modification of some details.
Figures, 8, and 9, are respectively a vertical section and an elevation, as at right
angles to each other, of a detail, shown in Figures, 5, 6, and 7.
Figures, 10, and 11, are elevations, as at right angles to each other, of another
detail also shown in Figures, 5, and 7.
In these drawings the same reference letters and numerals are used to mark the
same or like parts wherever they are repeated.
My improved machine, as shown in Figures, 1, 2, 3, and 4, of the drawings
comprises two side frames, A, and B, which are connected by cross rails, C, and
carry the working and other parts of the machine. At one end of the machine,
a table, C 1, is provided, from which the flax or like material is fed first between
two plain rollers, D, and thereafter passes horizontally through three pairs of fluted
rollers, D1, D2, and D 3, carried in bearings in the side frames, A, and B. These
plain and fluted rollers, D, D1, D2, and D 3, have no movement excepting that of
slow rotation, which is imparted to them by means of gearing hereinafter described,
and their function is to loosen the shove and prepare it for being detached. The
flax on leaving the last pair, D3, of fluted rollers, is moved and guided, by a plain
roller, D4, through fixed guide plates, A 1, to a vertical series of pairs of fluted
rollers, E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, E6, E7, E8, and E 9. The uppermost fluted
rollers, E 1, and the lowermost fluted rollers, E 9, are carried in bearings in the side
frames, A, and B, and have no movement except that of rotation. The inter-
mediate fluted rollers, E 2, E3, E 4, E 5, E6, E7, and E 8, however, are carried
in bearings in separate side plates, F, F 1, and G, G 1, suspended from the side
frames, A, and B, by links, F2, and G2; and, in addition to rotating, these
rollers have horizontal reciprocating movements imparted to them by means
of gearing hereinafter described, the pairs, E2, E4, E6, and E8, moving
oppositely to the pairs, E3, E 5, and E7. The reciprocating rollers, E 2, E3,
E4, E5, E6, E7, and E8, have an effect on the flax like that obtained by
hand when applied to small portions, the stalks being bended, and the shove
being thereby broken and detached, without crushing or injuring the fibre.
The cleaned flax issues from the bottom non-reciprocating rollers, E 9, on to an
endless delivery apron H, distended on rollers, H 1, and H 2, the latter being on a
shaft, H 3, carried in bearings on the side frames and turned by means of gearing

page_text: hereinafter described, and the shove is thrown, by the reciprocating rollers, E 2, E 3,
E4, E5, E6, E7, and E 8, out on to a catch-table, H4, which guides it clear of
the cleaned flax.
The flax passes horizontally between the non-reciprocating rollers, D, D 1,
D2, D3, and vertically between the reciprocating rollers, E2, E3, E4, E5,
E6, E7, and E 8, as hereinbefore described but the machine may be arranged for
the flax to pass entirely in one direction, or partly in one and partly in another
direction.
A first-motion shaft, J, carried in bearings on the side frames, A, B, has fast_on
it a pinion, J 1, which gears with a spurwheel, J 2, formed in a piece with a sleeve, J 3,
loose on a horizontal shaft, J 4, fixed to the side frames. The sleeve, J 3, has also
formed in a piece with it a pinion, J 5, which gears with a spurwheel, J 6, formed in
a piece with a sleeve, J 7, loose on the first-motion shaft, J. Formed in a piece
with the sleeve, J 7, there is also a pinion, J 8, which gears with a spurwheel, J 9,
fast on a horizontal shaft, K, carried in bearings on the side frames, and having
fast on one end a pinion, K 1. The pinion, K 1, gears with a spurwheel, K 2, on a
fixed shaft, S, having fixed to it a pinion, K 3, gearing with spurwheels, D5,
and D 6, fast on the shafts of the lower rollers of the two pairs of rollers, D 1,
and D2, respectively. The spurwheel, D 5, drives a spurwheel, D7, on a stud and
gearing with a pinion, D8, fast on the shaft of the lower roller of the pair of plain
rollers, D. The spurwheel, D 6, drives a spurwheel, L, on a stud and which gears
with a spurwheel, L1, fast on the shaft of the lower roller of the pair of
rollers, D3, (and being indicated only in Figure, 1, by a dotted circle) there being
fast on this shaft also a spurwheel, L2, which gcars with a pinion, L3, on a stud
and gearing with a pinion, L 4, on the shaft of one of the rollers, E 1. On the
other end of the shaft of the roller, D 3, there is a spurwheel, L5, which drives a
pinion, L 6, on the shaft of the plain roller, D 4, and this pinion, L 6, also gears
with a spurwheel, L 7, on a shaft, L8, carried in bearings on the side frames.
Fast on the shaft, L 8, there is a sprocket wheel, M, which by a pitch chain, M 1,
drives a sprocket wheel, M 2, fast on the shaft, H 3, of one roller, H2, of the
endless apron, H. This shaft, H 3, has on it at its other end a sprocket wheel, M 3,
which by a pitch chain, M 4, and sprocket wheel, M 5, drives the rollers, E 9.
The plates, F, F1, and, G. G 1, carrying the reciprocating rollers are placed in
pairs at the sides of the machine, each pair, F, G, and, F 1, G 1, being connected
bolts, F 3, fixed to the inner plates and projecting through elongated holes or
slots, G3, in the outer plates, the plates thereby guiding each other. The
plates, F, F, G, G1, are made to reciprocate by eccentrics, F 4, G4, on the
first-motion shaft, J, to which they are attached by straps and rods, 5, G 5,
the outer eccentrics, F4, working the outer plates, F, F1, and the inner
eccentrics, G.4, working the inner plates, G, G 1, and being placed on the shaft so
as to give opposite reciprocations to those imparted by the other eccentrics, F 4.
The inner plates, G, G1, are made with slots, T, in which move freely inwardly
projecting parts of the outer plates, F, F 1, these parts having in them the bearings
of the rollers, E 3, E5, E7; and similarly the outer plates, F, F 1, are made with
slots, T1, in which move freely outwardly projecting parts of the inner
plates, G, G 1, these parts having in them the bearings of the rollers, E 4, E 6.
The pairs of various fluted rollers in the machine are pressed together by helical
springs severally applied one to each end of one of each pair of rollers.
On the first-motion shaft, J, there is an eccentric pinion, N, which drives a
spurwheel, N 1, on a short shaft carried by a bracket, G 6, fixed to the plate, G,
and the shaft of the spurwheel, N 1, has fixed on it on the inner side of the bracket
a small pinion, N 2, which by means of a spurwheel, N 3, on a stud and two other
spurwheels, N 1, N 5, drives two pairs of rollers, E 4, and E 6. The spurwheel, N4,
by means of a spurwheel, N 6, on a stud and a spurwheel, N 7, drives the pair of
rollers, E 2, and the spurwheel, N 5, by means of a spurwheel, N 8, on a stud and
a spurwheel, N 9, drives the pair of rollers, E 8. On the first-motion shaft, J, but
at the other side of the machine there is a second eccentric pinion, P, which drives

page_text: a spurwheel, P 1, on a short shaft carried by a bracket, F6, fixed to the plate, F,
at that side of the machine the shaft having fixed on it at the inner side of the
bracket a small pinion, P 2, which by means of spurwheels, P 3, P4, on studs and
two other spurwheels, P 5, P 6, drive the two pairs of rollers, E 3, and E5. The
spurwheel, P6, by means of a spurwheel, P 7, on a stud and a spurwheel, P 8,
drives the pair of rollers, E 7.
In the modification of parts of the machine shown in Figures, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,
and 11, the extent of reciprocation of the rollers is capable of alteration to suit
requirements in different cases. The spurwheel, N 1, in this case is carried on a
stud, Q, in a bracket, Q1, fixed to the side frame, and it is uniformly driven by an
ordinary pinion, N, on the first-motion shaft, J. On the inner side of the spur-
wheel, N 1, a projecting part, Q2, is formed having a groove made in it across the
centre to receive one member, Q3, of a cross the other member, Q4, of which fits
in a groove in a piece, Q5, formed in the same piece with a pinion, Q6, carried on
a stud in the plate, G. The cross, Q3, Q4, accomodates the changes of position
due to the reciprocation of the plate, G, whilst communicating rotation to the
pinion, Q6. The pinion, Q6, by means of a spurwheel, Q7, on a stud and spur-
wheels, Q8, drives the rollers, E4, E6, and the rotation of the spurwheel, N 1,
being uniform the rotations of the rollers are so also. The plate, F, is made to
reciprocate by an eccentric, F 4, on the first-motion shaft, J, which is connected by
a rod, F5, to a curved leg, R, of a two-legged lever, centered on a stud, R1, on the
side frame, A, and having its other leg, R 2, jointed to the frame so as to suspend
and move it. The curved leg, R, is made with a slot at any part of which the
eccentric rod, F 5, may be adjusted to obtain various extents of reciprocation of the
plate, F. The other frames (F 1) G, and (G 1) are similarly connected to their
respective eccentrics, F 4, G 4, and similar arrangements are made for actuating
the rollers carried by the two pairs of reciprocating plates.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the improved machine
for breaking or treating flax and similar textile materials substantially as herein-
before described with reference to Figures, 1, 2, 3, and 4, of the accompanying
drawings.
2. In a machine for breaking or treating flax and similar textile materials, the
combination and arrangement of parts constituting the mechanism for driving the
shove-detaching rollers and for making them reciprocate substantially as herein-
before described with reference to Figures, 1, 2, 3, and 4, of the accompanying
drawings.
3. In a machine for breaking or treating flax and similar textile materials, the
combination and arrangement of parts constituting the improved mechanism for
driving the shove-detaching rollers and for giving them adjustable reciprocations
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,
and 11, of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Third day of March 1896.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.