IMPROVE- MENTS IN TREATING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS PLANTS IN ORDER TO PREPARE AND TV ADRADATING EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry John Olding, of Belvidere Road, Lambeth,
in the County of Surrey, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN TREATING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS PLANTS IN ORDER TO PREPARE
AND TV ADRADATING EMPLOYED THEREIN."
Sealed the 13th November 1868, and dated the 19th May 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry John Okling
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th May 1868.
I, HENRY JOHN OLDING, of Belvidere Road, Lambeth, in the County of
Surrey, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS PLANTS IN ORDER TO PRE-
PARE THE FIBRES THEREOF FOR SPINNING, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN,"
to be as follows:-
other
I take the flax or other fibrous plant in a green state, or in any
condition, and after the seed has been separated I proceed as follows:-
For green flax I pass it through a machine formed with two or more pairs
of rollers or cylinders, the surface of which is cut or formed with a series of
diagonal intersecting cones; I present the flax or other fibrous plant with the
fibres parallel with the axis of the rollers, and pass it between them in that
position; the action of the rollers is to bruise the boon without injury to the
fibres.
When the flax is dry I pass it in the ordinary manner between the
rollers, and between other rollers having a shaking or jogging as well as
rotary motion, whereby much of the boon bruised by the first rollers is shaken
out by the next. The plant is now ready for the next part of my process,
which consists in steeping the plants in vats or troughs provided with covers

page_text: to be used or not according to circumstances. The vats are charged with a
liquor composed of water impregnated with lime, sulphur, and manganese, or
either or any two of these materials. The plant is allowed to steep in this
liquor for an hour or two, more or less. The plant is then subjected to a
similar liquor, but of such strength only as to reduce leaves of turnips, swedes,
or other like leaves which are placed therein to a pulpy state, and to pro-
cipitate the coloring matter to the bottom. The plant is afterwards removed
and subjected to a stream of clear water. The liquor and dissolved portion of
the plant issue from the vat through a valve or cock, and run into a pool or
other receiver. After the washing I take the fibres and dry them by any
ordinary means, or by passing them through two or more pairs of rollers and
subjecting them to the action of reels or fans constructed of hollow tubes
acting alternately on the fibres and made to drivo warm or heated air into and
among the fibres, whereby the fibres are finally dried, separated, and freed
from boon and foreign matters.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry John Olding in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 19th November 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
JOHN OLDING, formerly of Belvidere Road, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey,
and now of Carey Street, Vincent Square, in the City of Westminster,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Der heirs and successors, give and grant unto mo, the
said Henry John Olding, Her special licence that I, the said Henry John
Olding, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Henry John Olding, 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-
MENTS IN TREATING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS PLANTS IN ORDER TO PREPARE
THE FIBRES THEREOF FOR SPINNING, AND IN APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry John Olding, my

page_text: 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 Henry John Olding, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the samo is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My Invention relates to the treatment of flax and other fibrous plants in
order to prepare the fibres thereof for spinning. For this purpose I pass the
flax or plant (whether in a green state or other condition) between a pair
of rollers the surface of which consists of a number of cones or conical
projections or teeth disposed in diagonal or oblique rows, the rollers being so
placed that the conical projections of each roller work in the hollows or
recesses between the conical projections of the other roller. The flax or plant
is presented to and passed between these rollers with its fibres parallel with
their axes, whereby the boon, straw, or other portions of the plant aro bruised
without injury to the fibre. The flax or plant, before being or after having
boen subjected to these rollers, may be steeped and washed in vats or troughs
in the usual manner. After the flax or plant has passed through the bruising
rollers (and after or without steeping and washing), it is subjected to the
drying action of hollow or tubular reels or fans, through which heated air
is driven to and among the fibres, which are dried and separated by this
machine.
The accompanying Drawings exemplify apparatus for carrying this method
into effect.

page_text: slightly rounded off. By using rollers with surfaces or projections formed as
described the plant will be thoroughly and uniformly bruised without injury to
the fibre. The axes of the roller A have a little play in their bearings to
accommodate the roller to the varying thickness of the charge of flax or plant
passed under it. E is a pulley on the axis C, driven by steam or other power,
for communicating rotary motion to the roller A, and (through gear F, G,) to
the roller B.
Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section, and Figure 4 longitudinal section
of my improved machine for drying and separating fibres.
His a framework, in which are supported a pair of reels or fans J, K, L,
composed of light tubing. Each fan is constructed of a hollow axis J, sup-
ported by journals; in the framing H, and to this axis are attached a number
of hollow radial arms K, to which are fixed perforated tubes L, which lie
parallel to the axis J; each arm K is connected with the other arms K,
parallel or opposite to it, by one such tube L. The arms K are open at one
end into the tubes L, and at the other into the axis J. M are blades or plates
fixed to the tubes L, and fitted with brush-like combs or heckles, consisting of
elastic or springy points, for scutching the fibre. N are fixed casings partially
surrounding the fans. Currents or blasts of heated air are forced into tho
axis J, and thence pass through the arms K into the tubes L, and escape
through the perforations therein; the currents of air are thus driven to and
concentrated in the space between the two reels or fans, where the fibre is
presented to them, and where these currents meet with other currents of
heated air driven round the inner side of the casings N. Rotary motion is
communicated to the axes J, j, in any ordinary manner.
The flax or other
fibre is held between the reels by a grip gear O, P, Q, R', R², shewn in trans-
verso section, Figure 5 (on an enlarged scale), and in longitudinal section,
Figure 6. O is a frame suspended by arms P to a lever Q jointed to the
frame H, and worked by a handle Q'. R', R, are a pair of rollers on axes
,, supported in a frame S, which rests by its pivots s, s, in bearings in the
frame O; the axes 1, 2, carry toothed wheels W, in gear with each other.
r, r, are longitudinal bars fixed on the surface of the rollers R', R', from end
to end to grip the flax or fibre, which is suspended over one of the rollers so
that one end may hang lower than the other; this longer end passes between
the rollers R', R', aud drops between the fans J, K, L. When the handle Q¹
is worked it moves the fame O with its rollers R', R, up and down, and
thereby draws the flax or fibro up and down between the fans or reels J, K, L,
so that it is acted on by the hot air driven through them and round the
casings N, and the fibre is also actel on by the brushes or combs M. When

page_text: this portion of the fibre has been sufficiently treated, the other portion is
presented to the reels or fans by reversing the position of the rollers R', R²,
which is performed by the following arrangement:-T is a handle fixed to
one side of the frame S, and U is a toothed segment fixed to the frame O, P;
the teeth of the roller R' are in gear with the teeth of the segment U, but the
teeth of the roller R* do not engage with those of the segment. By turning
the handle T the frame S will be turned, and the rollers R', R³, mounted
therein will change places, the roller R' travelling along the segment U until
it takes the position before occupied by the roller R³, which will move into
that before occupied by the roller R'; by this motion the end of fibre which
before was the shorter or higher end will become the longer or lower end, and
be fed down to the fans or reels in order to be acted on by them. When the
charge of fibre on one pair of rollers has been sufficiently treated, the rollers
can be removed and replaced by another pair bearing a fresh charge. The
fans or reels, instead of being placed side by side, may be set one over the
other. The scutching appliances M may sometimes be dispensed with.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same may be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the treating of flax and other plants by bruising the same between
rollers the surfaces of which are formed with conical or pyramidal projections
or teeth arranged in the manner and for the purpose described.
Second, the treating of flax and other plants by the action of hollow reels
or fans through which heated air is driven and delivered, and which reels
or fans may carry scutching appliances, in the manner and for the purpose
described.
Third, constructing fans or reels hollow, for the passage of heated air, in the
manner and for the purpose described.
Fourth, the general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the
machine, represented in Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, and herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry John Olding, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of November, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
S. E. A. NEWSOME.
II. J. OLDING. (L.S.)