IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SEPARATING THE FIBRE OF FLAX OR OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES REQUIRING SUCH TREATMENT
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frank Crossley, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR SEPARATING THE FIBRE OF FLAX OR OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES
REQUIRING SUCH TREATMENT."
Sealed the 24th April 1867, and dated the 26th October 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frank Crossley at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 26th October
1866.
I, FRANK CROSSLEY, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR SEPARATING THE FIBRE OF FLAX OR OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES
REQUIRING SUCH TREATMENT," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for separating
the fibre of flax or other vegetable substances requiring similar treatment.
For these purposes the flax or other vegetable substance is held by fluted
rolls or suitable holding apparatus, and is progressively presented to beaters
or instruments, and is turned end for end and side for side by suitable
mechanism. When using beaters they are carried by a cylinder rotating in
a casing. In-this-casing one or more apertures or slots-about the same

page_text: length as the cylinder, and parallel with its axis, are formed. Exterior to one
of these slots or apertures is placed a set of rollers or holding apparatus,
through which and thence through the slot the fibrous material is progressively
passed into contact with the beaters. Before however its whole length is
passed through the motion of the rollers or holding apparatus is stopped and
reversed, and the flax or other material is thus replaced on the carrier or
endless apron by which it was in the first instance conveyed to the rollers,
and is by it carried back and delivered to a second carrier or endless apron,
which presents it to a second pair of rollers or holding apparatus, by which
the flax or other vegetable substance which has thus been turned end for end
and side for side is again presented to the beaters; or only one carrier or
apron may be used, extending along part of the upper circumference of the
casing, and having rolls or holding apparatus and slots through which to pass
the fibre into contact with the beaters at either end thereof. Thus by this
means also one end and side having been dealt with by the beater while the
fibre is held by one set of rolls or holding apparatus the motion of the rolls
or holders and apron or carrier is reversed, and the remaining end and side
are scutched when they have been passed through, the second set of rolls or
holders, and finally the motion of the rolls or holders and apron or carrier
being again changed the fibre is delivered. The first set of rolls through
which the fibres pass may be fluted, that the straw may first be properly
broken, and both rolls or holders and aprons or carriers may be driven in any
suitable way, all being connected and placed under the control of the attendant
by means of an ordinary reversing and stopping handle. In like manner the
apparatus for presenting and withdrawing flax or other fibrous substances
may be similarly employed in machines where suitable tools or instruments
are used for dividing or hackling the fibres of flax, hemp, and other fibrous
substances requiring like treatment.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Frank Crossley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th s
April 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANK
CROSSLEY, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 3!
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the thirtieth year of Her
reign, did for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Frank Crossley, Her special licence that I, the said Frank Crossley,
the said Frank
my executors, administrators, and assigns; or such others as
Crossley, 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
MACHINERY FOR SEPARATING THE FIBRE OF FLAX OR OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES
REQUIRING SUCH TREATMENT," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Frank Crossley, 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 Frank Crossley, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say :-
•
This Invention has for its object improvements in machinery for separating
the fibre of flax or other vegetable substances requiring such treatment. The
flax or other vegetable substance to be treated is held by fluted rolls or
suitable holding apparatus, and is progressively presented to beaters or instru-
ments, and is turned end for end and side for side by suitable mechanism.
When using beaters they are carried by a cylinder rotating in a casing. In
this casing apertures or. slots about the same length as the cylinder and
parallel with its axis are formed. Exterior to one of these slots or apertures
is placed a set of rollers or holding apparatus, through which, and thence
through the slot, the fibrous material is progressively passed into contact with
the beaters. Before however its whole length is passed through the motion
of the rollers or holding apparatus is stopped and reversed, and the flax or
other material is then replaced on the carrier or endless apron by which it
was in the first instance conveyed to the rollers, and is by it carried back and
delivered to a second carrier or endless apron, which presents it to a second
pair of rollers or holding apparatus, by which the flax or other vegetable sub-
stance which has thus been turned end for end and side for side is again
presented-to-the-beaters;-or-only-one carrier-or-apron-may-be-used, extending

page_text: along part of the upper circumference of the casing, and having rolls or
holding apparatus and slots through which to pass the fibre into contact with
the beaters at either end. thereof; thus by this means also.one..end, and side
having been dealt with by the beater while the fibre is held by one set of rolls
or holding apparatus the motion of the rolls or holders and apron or carrier is
reversed, and the other end and side are scutched, being passed through the
second set of rolls or holders, and, finally, the motion of the rolls or holders
and apron or carrier being again changed the fibre is delivered. The first set
of rolls through which the fibres pass may be fluted that the straw may first
be properly broken, and both rolls or holders and aprons or carriers may be
driven in any suitable way, all being connected and placed under the control
of the attendant by means of an ordinary reversing and stopping handle. Iņ
like manner the apparatus for presenting and withdrawing flax or other
fibrous substances may be similarly employed in machines where suitable tools
or instruments are used for dividing or hackling the fibres of flax, hemp, and
other fibrous substances requiring like treatment.
And in order that my said. Invention may be most fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto
Figure 1 is a side view, Figure 2 a plan, and Figure 3 a longitudinal
vertical section of a machine constructed according to my Invention, with two
carriers or aprons.
. a, a, is the frame of the machine; it carries in suitable bearings the axis of
a drum b, which by a strap on the pulleys b¹, 61, is rapidly driven (280 revo-
lutions per minute is a suitable speed) on the drum cross bars, and beating
blades, such as are shewn at 63, are mounted at intervals; 63 is a worm on the
axis of the drum b, it drives the worm wheel c, and on the same axis are two
bevilled wheels c¹, c', so mounted that by the reversing handle d they can be
slidden along the axis, with which by means of a feather and groove they are
caused to revolve. One or other of the wheels c¹ according to the position of
the reversing handle drives the bevilled wheel e¹ on the end of the lower
holding roller of the pair e, e, a section full size of one of the holding rollers
is shown at Figure 4; they are, as will be seen, made with teeth, and they gear
together, but not so closely as to prevent the material passing freely between
them; is a pinion also on the lower roller 6, by an intermediate wheel it
drives a pinion on the axis of the roller f¹, round which the endless apron or
carrier passes, and at its outer end the apron passes-round another similar

page_text: roller which is not driven, but is as is shown capable of adjustment to regulate
the tension of the apron; 9, 9, 9, is a train of gear connecting the same
roller e with the lower holding roller of the set h, h, h, which are similar to the
rollers e, and capable of adjustment the one towards the other, as is shown; h¹
is a pinion on the lower roller h, which by means of an intermediate wheel-
drives a pinion on the axis of the roller k¹ of the endless apron or carrier k,
and this again at its further end passes around another similar roller, the axis
of which is adjustable to regulate the tension of the apron.
The action of the machine is as follows:-The flax, straw, or material
being in a proper state to be scutched is placed on the apron or carrier k, so
as to fill it from side to side, the straws being arranged parallel the one to the
other and their ends level as nearly as may be the one with the other; the
apron or carrier then being set in motion carries the material through the
rollers and through a slot in the casing presenting it to the beating cylinder 6.
First only the ends of the straws are presented, and as the material becomes
scutched more and more of the material is progressively brought under the
action of the beaters. When the end of the "strick" or bundle of material
has arrived at the nip of the rollers the workman reverses the action of the
rollers and carriers, and so returns the strick on to the apron or carrier k,
which takes it to the apron or carrier f and lays it thereon, at the same time
turning it over and changing it end for end; in this state it is entered through
the rollers e, e, and being protruded through a slot into the case it is exposed
to the scutching action of the beating cylinder b, as before. This action being
completed the motion is again reversed, and the strick is brought out on to
the apron or carrier f. As before mentioned the cylinder b, in place of
carrying beaters may have backling pins or points, or similar instruments
upon it.
Figure 5 is a side view of another machine constructed according to my
Invention, with one apron or carrier, and Figure 6 is a longitudinal vertical
O section of the same.
:
a is the frame; b, the drum; &, the worm on the axis thereof; and c, the
worm wheel, as before, the axis of the worm wheel is however in this case
inclined; c, c', are bevilled wheels sliding on the axis when operated on by
the reversing handle d, and driving the bevilled wheel e¹ on one of the holding
5 rollers e, as in the other machine; is also a pinion on this roller, which by
an intermediate wheel drives a pinion on the axis of the roller f³, round
which the endless apron or carrier.f passes; at its further end the apron is
carried by another similar roller, which is not driven; f*.f*, are guide rollers
for the apron 99, is a train of gear_connecting the driven roller with the

page_text: lower holding roller of the set h, h, h. The material to be treated is laid
on the apron f, and is carried by it between the rollers h, h; then when the
motion of the rollers and carriers is reversed the material passes back on to
rollers e, e, being turned over, and also
the apron f, and thence between the
end for end, as was the case with the machine already described.
What I claim is, the arranging machinery for separating the fibre of flax
or other vegetable substance, so that the material being laid on an apron or
carrier is by it presented to rollers or holding instruments, which gradually
feed it up to the beater (or it may be to hackles) by which one end and side
of the "strick" is acted on; then this being accomplished the strick is next 1
brought back, turned over end for end, and again presented to rollers or
holding instruments, by which it is treated as before, and again returned on to
an endless apron or carrier to be moved from the machine.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frank Crossley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven.
FRANK CROSSLEY. (L.S.)