IM- PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SCUTCHING AND DRESSING FLAX, HEMP, OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Mertens, of Gheel, in the Province of
Antwerp, in the Kingdom of Belgium, at present residing at Jubilee
Place, Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of." IM-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SCUTCHING AND DRESSING FLAX,
HEMP, OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS."
Sealed. the 19th December 1862, and dated the 22nd September 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said. Charlės. Mertens át
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 22nd September 1862.
I, CHARLES MERTENS, of Gheel, in the Province of Antwerp, in the
Kingdom of Belgium, at present residing at Jubilee. Place, Chelsea, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SCUTCHING AND DRESSING FLAX,
HEMP, OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to arrangements of machinery or apparatus for
scutching, cleaning, and dressing flax, hemp, or, other fibrous materials. In
carrying out my improvements I prefer first' to pass the raw flax, straw, hemp,
or other fibrous materials through or between fluted rollers, which may be
arranged in combination with my improved scutching machinery, or be
mounted and driven separately therefrom; but the fibres of the flax may be
separated from the straw according to my improvements without previously
submitting them to the action of fluted rollers. The flax, hemp, or other

page_text: fibrous materials to be scutched, cleaned, or dressed, are placed in hinged
spring holders, which hold the fibrous materials firmly about midway of their
length. These spring holders are placed on a table side by side, the ends of
each holder being furnished with a sliding bolt and catch; and when the two
parts of the holder are folded together with the fibrous material between them,
the two ends of the holder are pressed together by a lever attached to the
table, so as to allow the sliding bolt to be moved into a catch to connect the
parts and thus nip and hold the fibres firmly between them. Holders con-
taining the fibrous materials may be passed by means of an endless chain or
other mechanical means in continuous succession through the scutching
machine, by being introduced between suitable guides at one end thereof, and
as they pass out of the guides at the other end with part of the length of the
fibres scutched or cleaned, they are taken successively to the table before
mentioned, and the cleaned ends of the fibres are laid over an open holder,
which is, then closed thereon and secured, as above described, the uncleaned
ends being released from the first holder. The holder is then passed through
the machine as before described, so as to present the uncleaned ends to the
action of the beaters, thus causing the fibres to be cleaned or scutched from
end to end.
My improved scutching machine consists of two paralleled or nearly parallel
axes or shafts, turning at each end in bearings fixed on the framing of the
machine. The two axes or shafts have toothed wheels of equal size fixed
thereon, to which motion is communicated by suitable mechanism to cause
them to rotate in opposite directions. Each axis carries a series of curved
arms to which sheet metal (or other suitable material) is attached of similar
form or contour to the arms, in order to close or partly close the spaces
between the arms, thus forming curved wings from end to end of the 'axes
between the side framings of the machine. To the extremity of each wing
longitudinal beaters are attached, made of wood or other suitable material.
These beaters are formed with round or blunt surfaces at the point where they
commence their action upon the fibrous materials, and gradually become angular
or edge shaped towards the point where they cease to act upon the fibrous
materials. The beaters carried by each axis in their revolution are arranged
to strike and operate upon the opposite sides of the fibrous materials simul-
taneously near to the point where they are held by the holders. In order to
act very effectively upon the fibrous materials, one series of the curved arms
or wings are lined with wood or other suitable material, so that as the opposite
wings revolve within them the fibres are more or less pressed or operated
upon between the edge of the beater, and this lining of the arms or wings

page_text: which are capable of springing back to a slight extent to admit of this action
upon them.
The fibres contained in the holders as they leave the machin: are
stroked down or operated upon by a series of revolving blades or wings, which
thus straighten and lay the fibres parallel. The operating parts are enclosed
by a casing of sheet iron or other suitable material.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Mertens. in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th March 1863.
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
MERTENS, of Ghecl, in the Province of Antwerp, in the Kingdom of Belgium,
at present residing at Jubilee Place, Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Charles Mertens, Her special licence that I, the said Charles
Mertens, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Charles Mertens, 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 "IMPROVE-
HENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SCUTCHING AND DRESSING FLAX, HEMP,
OR OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Charles Mertens, 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 Charles Mertens, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to. be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:

page_text: This Invention relates to arrangements of machinery or apparatus for
scutching, cleaning, and dressing flax, hemp, or other fibrous materials. In
carrying out my improvements I prefer first to pass the raw flax, straw, hemp,
or other fibrous materials through or between fluted rollers which may be.
arranged in combination with my improved scutching machinery, or be
mounted and driven separately therefrom; but the fibres of flax may be
separated from the straw according to my improvements without previously
submitting the flax to the action of fluted rollers. The flax, hemp, or other
fibrous materials to be scutched, cleaned, or dressed are placed in hinged
spring holders, which hold the fibrous materials firmly about midway of their
length. These spring holders are placed on a table side by side, the ends of
each holder being furnished with a sliding bolt and catch, and when the two
parts of the holder are folded together with the fibrous material between them,
the two ends of the holder are pressed together by a lever attached to the
table, so as to allow the sliding bolt to be moved into a catch to connect the
parts, and thus nip and hold the fibres firmly between them. Holders con-
-taining the fibrous materials may be passed by means of an endless chain or
other mechanical means in continuous succession through the scutching
machine, by being introduced between suitable guides at one end thereof, and
as they pass out of the guides at the other end with part of the length of the
fibres scutched or cleaned, they are taken successively to the table before
mentioned, and the cleaned ends of the fibres are laid over an open holder,
which is then closed thereon and secured as above described, the uncleaned
ends being released from the first holder. The holder is then passed through
the machine as before described, so as to present the uncleaned ends to the
action of the beaters, thus causing the fibres to be cleaned or scutched from
end to end.
My improved scutching machine consists of two parallel or nearly parallel
axes or shafts turning at each end in bearings fixed on the framing of the
machine. The two axes or shafts have toothed wheels, of equal size, fixed
thereon, to which motion is communicated by suitable mechanism to cause
them to rotate in opposite directions; each axis carries a series of curved
arms, to which sheet metal or other suitable material is attached, of similar
form or contour to the arms, in order to close or partly close the spaces
between the arms, thus forming curved wings from end to end of the axes
between the side framings of the machine. To the extremity of each wing
longitudinal beaters are attached, made of wood or other suitable material.
These beaters are formed with round or blunt surfaces at the point where they'
commence their action upon the fibrous materials and gradually become

page_text: Figure 1 shews an end view, Figure 2 a side view, and Figure 3 a trans-
verse section, of a machine suitably arranged for scutching and dressing flax,
hemp, or other fibrous materials, according to my Invention; Figure 4 shews
several views of the clamps or hinged spring holders for holding the flax or
other fibrous material whilst being operated upon by the revolving beaters.
The machine consists of two axes or shafts A, B, which are supported by
and turn in suitable bearings fixed to the framing, and are geared together
by the toothed wheels C, C, of equal size. Each axis A, B, carries four or
other suitable number of curved arms or wings D, and sheet metal or other
suitable material of similar form or contour to the iron arms E is attached.
thereto in order to close or partly close the spaces between the arms E fixed
at each end of the axes A, B. The metal arms E are fixed on square pieces
of wood or other material F, attached to and forming part of the axes A, B ;
by the rotation of these axes the curved arms or wings fixed to them, as before
described, are carried round and cross each other's course without touching.
Each wing or arm carries at its end, along its entire length, and parallel or
nearly parallel to the axle, a beater G, of wood or other hard material, which,
at the entrance or that part of the machine where the flax first enters, is of a.

page_text: round or blunt form and gradually diminishes to an edge or angular shape.
towards the outlet or opposite end. To each wing of the axis B there is fixed
upon the hollow side a lining of wood P which causes the flax or other fibrous
material to be rubbed against this lining of wood by the beaters of the axis A
during their revolution, and thus greatly facilitates the scutching process. The
pieces of wood P are about the same length (and parallel to the axis) as the.
comb G¹ shewn in Figure 2. These pieces may also be fixed in such manner
that they may spring slightly in case it should be wished to cause them to
come in contact with the beaters of the axis A to give still more effect to the
scutching process by causing a rubbing action, during the progress of the
beaters of the axis A, against the pieces of wood P; or the springing action
may be imparted to the arms of the other set of beaters. For some purposes
one or several of the arms or wings of the axis A may be provided with
a toothed piece G³, made of wood or other suitable material, which acts
as a comb to open the ends of the fibrous material during the scutching
process. Whilst the fibrous material is engaged between the scutching plates
of the machine it is beaten on both sides simultaneously, and it travels from
the entrance H (Figure 2) of the machine (where it is placed by hand) to
the outlet I, whilst being firmly held between spring clamps or holders Q,
made, by preference, of wood strengthened with iron plates, which clamps or
holders are opened and closed, when out of the machine, by means of levers
as hereafter described. The fibrous material thus. held between the clamps or
bolders Qis conducted by means of an endless chain q, which communicates
motion to the clamps or holders by means of a toggle or projection on the
holders taking into the length of the chain. The endless chain receives
motion from the axle A by means of the pulleys M, N, and the clamps or
holders are supported and moved along upon the two parallel bars O, fixed to
the framing of the machine. As the flax leaves the machine it passes before a
beater furnished with wings or blades R (see Figures 1 and 2), which beater
receives motion from the axis B by means of the pulley S. This beater, by
its blades or wings (of wood or iron), is caused to strike against the fibrous
material in its passage outwards, by which the fibres are laid parallel and
even. The beater R is fixed by supports to one of the bars O. Upon the
axis A the pulleys T are fixed, one of which gives motion to the machine.
U are covers of sheet iron which cover and enclose the mechanism of the
curved wings D; V is the framing, by preference of cast iron, connected by
the tie rods W.
Figure 4 shews side and end views of the clamps or holders Q, which hold
the fibrous materials whilst being operated upon. One end of each holder is

page_text: formed with a strong hinged joint 1, the other (or open end) is furnished with
a sliding bolt and locking plate or catch, as seen at 2. In order to close the
holders with the fibrous material therein the two open ends have to be pressed
together by means of a lever (which I prefer to mount on the table on which
the holders are filled), so that the sliding bolt can be slid into the catch plate
and thus securely hold the parts together. The clamps have a pin or projec-
tion 3 in the middle along their entire length in one jaw and a groove in the
other jaw for better holding the material. There are also two flanges of iron 4,
to support the clamps upon the bars o, and at the middle, upon one of these
flanges, is fixed a toggle 5 which takes into the links of the endless chain.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Mertens, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
CHARLES MERTENS. (L.s.)