IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR TREATING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS PREPARATORY FOR MANUFACTURING PURPOSES, THE SAID MACHINERY BEING ALSO APPLICABLE FOR PRESSING, ROLLING, GRINDING, PULVERIZING, OR MIXING VARIOUS OTHER SUBSTANCES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Gardner, of Chaple Town, Leeds, in the
County of York, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY FOR TREATING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS PREPARATORY
FOR MANUFACTURING PURPOSES, THE SAID MACHINERY BEING ALSO APPLICABLE
FOR PRESSING, ROLLING, GRINDING, PULVERIZING, OR MIXING VARIOUS OTHER
SUBSTANCES."
Sealed the 5th May 1863, and dated the 8th November 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Garduer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th November 1862.
I, HENRY GARDNER, of Chaple Town, Leeds, in the County of York;
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR TREATING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
PREPARATORY FOR MANUFACTURING PURPOSES, THE SAID MACHINERY BEING ALSO
APPLICABLE FOR PRESSING, ROLLING, GRINDING. PULVERIZING, OR MIXING VARIOUS
OTHER SUBSTANCES," to be as follows, that is to say :-
My machine consists of a fluted roller mounted on a frame or carriage; on
the top of this roller I place one or more smaller rollers, either fluted or
smooth. These rollers are carried or supported on a bell crank, which works
on the same centre as the large roller; this bell crank is driven by means of a
Price 8di

page_text: crank shaft, which revolves in suitable bearings and works in slots in the arms
of the bell crank, which gives a reciprocating motion to the bell crank, and
therefore to the rollers. These rollers are kept in contact with each other by
springs, which are regulated by set screws, whereby any required pressure may
be given on the material to be operated upon. On the crank shaft is a pinion,
which drives a counter wheel and pinion, which turns on a pin attached to the
side of the frame, which works into another wheel keyed on to the shaft of
the large roller. The pin which carries the counter wheel and pinion is move-
able in slots in the side of the frame, whereby wheels or pinions of larger or
smaller diameter may be used, so as to give greater or less speed to the roller,
and thus increase or diminish the rubbing or crimping process on the material
passing between the rollers. The material to be operated upon is led between
the said rollers by feeding cloths or otherwise, as most convenient. When
it is required for other purposes than fibrous materials, I make use of
smooth turned, rough, or ribbed rollers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Gardner in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th May 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
GARDNER, of Chaple Town, Leeds, in the County of York, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
relgn, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Henry Gardner, Her special licence, that I, the said Henry Gardner,
my exécutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry
Gardner, 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
TREATING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS PREPARATORY FOR MANUFACTURING
PURPOSES, THE SAID MACHINERY BEING ALSO APPLICABLE FOR PRESSING, ROLLING,
GRINDING, PULVERIZING, OR MIXING VARIOUS OTHER SUBSTANCES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry Gardner, my executors or

page_text: 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 Henry Gardner, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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, that is to say:-
My machine consists of a fluted roller mounted on a frame or carriage; on
the top of this roller I place one or more smaller rollers, either fluted or
smooth; these rollers are carried and supported on a bell crank, which works
on the same centre as the large roller'; this bell crank is driven by means of
a crank shaft, which revolves in suitable bearings and works in slots in the
arms of the bell crank, which gives a reciprocating motion to the bell crank,
and therefore to the rollers. These rollers are kept in contact with each other
by springs, which are regulated by set screws, whereby any required pressure
may be given on the material to be operated upon. On the crank shaft is a
pinion which drives acounter wheel and pinion, which turns on a pin attached
to the side of the frame, which works into another wheel keyed on the shaft of
the large roller. The pin which carries the counterwheel and pinion is move-
able in slots in the side of the frame, whereby wheels or pinions of larger or
smaller diameter may be used, so as to give greater or less speed to the roller,
and thus increase or diminish the rubbing or crimping process on the material
passing between the rollers. The material to be operated upon is led between
the said rollers by feeding cloths or otherwise, as most convenient. When it
is required for other purposes than fibrous materials, I make use of smoothed,
turned, rough, or ribbed rollers.
The main principle to be observed is, that the gearing introduced should be
to effect a slow motion of the large roller, while that of the oscillating frame is
much quicker; thus, while the large roller is slowly travelling and carrying.
with it the fibre or other substance to be operated upon, the oscillating frame
moving with greater velocity will cause the smaller roller to travel backwards
and forwards on the material many times before the portion immediately in
contact with them is carried away by the large or lower roller, the different
rates of speed of the larger and smaller set of rollers will therefore be regulated
according to the material operated upon and the effect to be produced. It
will also be seen that according as the rollers are made smooth, fluted,
corrugated, serrated, waved, or otherwise, the effect would be polishing

page_text: smoothing, pressing, crushing, rubbing, breaking, tearing, or otherwise. It
will be seen that by means of the springs o, o, (Fig. 3,) the pressure of the
smaller rollers may be increased or diminished; similarly in the same Figure
the oscillation of the crank frame is produced by means of an eccentric r, and
a table or travelling cloth s is introduced; in like manner many well-known
additions and modifications of the details may be introduced, according to the
extent of the machine; thus, for a large flax-breaking machine, a series of the
oscillating frames and sets of the small rollers would be introduced, while
the large roller or rollers may be substituted by a travelling flat bed or such
like well-known application.
In order more clearly to illustrate the nature of my Invention, and shew
how the same is constructed, acts, and its application, I have appended to this
Specification the accompanying Drawings, which are intended only to shew
the general principles of form, arrangement, and construction which I make
use of in forming my machine, the details of form and outline, the mode of
actuating and regulating the whole, the repetitions and combinations of the
parts forming the peculiarity of my Invention, may all, however, be modified,
enlarged, and supplemented, according to the peculiar purposes to which the
machine is to be applied, and also to the peculiar nature of the substance or
material to be operated upon.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a side sectional elevation, shewing in outline a machine embodying
the main features of my Invention; Fig. 2 is a front sectional elevation of
Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the san:e machine, shewing more in
detail the mode of constructing, combining, actuating, and regulating the
said machine.
The machine in Fig. 3 shews an application of the Invention for the
purpose of rubbing, breaking, and softening flax,hemp,grasses, or other vege-
table fibre to be used for textile fabric, by altering the surfaces of the rollers
or cylinders, so as to be either smooth,grooved,corrugated, serrated, or waved,
a different effect may be produced upon the substance operated upon. a, the
main roller or cylinder,smooth,fluted, or otherwise mounted upon the axle b
which is supported upon any suitable frame c; upon the same axle b I mount
an oscillating crank or frame d in proper bearings and supports E, E; formed
on this oscillating frame d are mounted one or more smaller rollers f, f,
smooth, fluted, or otherwise, so arranged that when in motion they will rotate
on the surface of the larger cylinder; one end of the oscillating frame d is
actuated by means of a crank or slot link g, so that it is caused to oscillate

page_text: upon
the main axle b, on which it turns freely. If then, motion be given to
the crank axle h, by the action of the neck of the crank, or of a slot link,
or any other similar well-known equivalent, a motion of oscillation will be
given to the frame d, which will turn backwards and forwards on the shaft b,
and at the same time will cause the rollers f, f, to rotate, and at the same
time to traverse backwards and forwards on the periphery of the larger
cylinder or roller; if a pinion i be fixed on the end of the shaft h, which gears
into the driver, motion will then be transmitted to the main roller a by means
of the pinion and toothed wheel m, or conversely; if the prime motor be
from the main axle b by means of similar gear, the motion may be conveyed
to the crank shaft / by means of change wheels, the relative velocity of the
driving gear may be increased or diminished at pleasure; this is shewn on the
Drawings by means of a slot n, within which the axis of the pinion & is fixed,
so that by altering its centre a larger or smaller pinion, or any other well-
known expedient may be introduced.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and how the same is
formed, constructed, put together, and acts, I wish it understood that what I
claim and desire secured to me by the before in part recited Letters Patent, is,
the use of an oscillating or rotating frame, carrying upon it one, two, or more
rollers, supported and turning in proper bearings formed upon it, which said
rollers have a motion of rotation round their own axis, and also a motion
round the axis of the oscillating or rotating frame, similar in principle to those
described in the Drawings accompanying this Specification, to be used in
combination with another rotating (or fixed) roller, or a moveable or fixed
bed as herewithin described, the said rollers being either smooth, fluted, or
grooved, corrugated, serrated, waved, or otherwise, the whole actuated after
the manner herein described, or in any other well-known manner, the velocity
of the smaller rollers being always by preference greater than that of the
large roller or bed, the whole to be applied to the purpose of rolling, rabbing,
smoothing, pressing, breaking, softening, crushing flax, hemp, rheea, cane,
grasses, or other vegetable fibres for manufacturing or other purposes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Gardner, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
HENRY GARDNER. (L.S.)