IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SCUTCHING AND REFINING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Potts, of Cappagh, in the County of Down,
Ireland, Farmer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR SCUTCHING AND REFINING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER VEGETABLE
SUBSTANCES."
Sealed tho 29th August 1862, and dated the 1st March 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Potts at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 1st
March 1862.
I, ANDREW POTTS, of Cappagh, in the County of Down, Ireland, Farmer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SCUTCHING AND REFINING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER
VEGETABLE SUBSTANCES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of certain novel and improved combinations and
arrangements of machinery or apparatus designed for performing the operations
of scutching and refining flax, hemp, and other fibrous vegetable substances,
and in so constructing said machinery or apparatus, and combining the several
parts thereof together, as to effect the scutching of the fibrous substances.
first, by operating on both sides thereof at one time; secondly, by holding
the fibrous substances suspended during the scutching thereof and at same time
advancing said fibrous substances in a horizontal rotary direction; thirdly.
in reversing the position of the fibrous substances, or in other words, causing

page_text: one part of the machinery so operate upon the exposed parts of the suspended
fibrous substances and then causing another part of the machinery to take
hold of the scutched portions of the fibrous substances and let fall and hold
downwards the upper ends of the unscutched parts of said fibrous substances
and afterwards to scutch those parts thereof, and thus to operate upon the
whole length of the fibrous substances in one and the same machine.
The means by which I propose to effect the aforesaid operations are as
follows: In a suitable framing I mount two short axles vertically; upon
each of these axles I fix a wheel with a narrow rim, in which are formed
two Z-shaped grooves around or about its periphery, one of such wheels, which
I call the receiving wheel, is placed several inches higher than the upper side
of the other wheel, which I call the delivery wheel. Both wheels are of the
same diameters, and are so placed with respect to each other as that their
circumferences are near to each other and near the centre of the frame of the
machine. Around these wheels and in the aforesaid Z-shaped grooves thereof
and over sundry pulleys, I pass an endless rope or belt which serves the double
purpose of holding firmly and keeping suspended the fibrous substance to be
operated upon and at same time imparting rotary motion to said grooved
wheels in opposite directions. At each end of the frame of the machine I
mount two rotating cylinders composed of longitudinal blades of iron fixed
thereto at certain distances apart, the edges of some of which said blades are
formed serrated. The axle of each uppermost cylinder of blades is placed
nearly on a level with the centre of the depth of the periphery of the receiving
and delivering wheels before described. The two lowermost cylinders of
blades I place at an angle of about 45° to the perpendicular of the upper ones,
inclining inwards or towards the centre of the machine. The blades of each
pair of cylinders being so regulated, adjusted, and held by toothed wheels fixed
one on the axle of each cylinder aforesaid as to gear into and causing the
blades of the cylinders to move in each other without ever coming into contact.
A main driving shaft mounted across near the centre of the frame of the
machine, and at the top thereof, imparts rotary motion to the receiving and
delivering wheels, toothed wheels, pulleys, belts, rope or band, and cylinders
of blades. An adjustable table is adapted to the framing of the machine for
feeding the fibrous material thereunto at the proper distance from the butt or
root end of the fibrous substances.
The following are the operations of the aforesaid improved machinery :-The
machine being set in motion, the attendant proceeds to feed into the machine
a continuous thin supply of the fibrous substance, which is immediately taken
bold of and pressed by the endless rope or belt into the grooves of the receiving

page_text: wheel, thus keeping it suspended whilst said wheel rotates slowly on its axis.
The blade cylinders before mentioned move rapidly in opposite directions, and
in so doing, as the fibrous substance on the periphery of the receiving wheel
comes into contact with said cylinders of blades, one cylinder of blades operates
on one side of the fibrous substance and the other cylinder of blades on the
opposite side thereof, thus effectually scutching both sides of the fibrous.sub-
stance at the same time. The receiving wheel continuing to rotate conducts
the scutched fibrous substance to the second or delivering wheel, which moving
in an opposite direction to the receiving wheel, seizes with the rope in the
upper groove the scutched part of the fibrous substance, and immediately the
receiving wheel lets go the unscutched end of the said fibrous substances.
which instantly falls downwards or capsizes. The delivering wheel still
rotating and carrying said substance a little farther round, where the rope
seizes it in the under groove, suspending it most securely to be carried round
by the delivering wheel to be operated upon and scutched on both sides-by tho
cylinders of blades at the opposite end of the machine from where it com-
menced being acted upon in the manner before described. The scutched parts
of the fibrous substance pass thence out of the machine into the hands of
the second attendant in a finished and well-regulated condition ready for the
hackle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent
filed by the said Andrew Potts in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st September 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ANDREW
POTTS, of Cappagh, in the County of Down, Ireland, Farmer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of March, in the year of our Lord Onc
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Andrew Potts, Her special licence that I, the said Andrew Potts, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Andrew
Potts, 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

page_text: OR APPARATUS FOR SCUTCHING AND REFINING FLAX, HEMP, AND OTHER VEGETABLE
SUBSTANCES," upon the condition, amongst others, that I, the said Andrew
Potts, 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 Andrew Potts, 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 :-
This Invention consists of certain novel and improved combinations and
arrangements of machinery or apparatus designed for performing the operations
of scutching and refining flax, hemp, and other fibrous vegetable substances,
and in so constructing said machinery or apparatus and combining the several
parts thereof together as to effect the scutching of the fibrous substances,
first, by operating on both sides thereof at one time; secondly, by holding
the fibrous substances suspended during the scutching thereof and at same time
advancing said fibrous substances in a horizontal rotary direction; thirdly,
in reversing the position of the fibrous substances, or in other words, causing
one part of the machinery to operate upon the exposed parts of the suspended
fibrous substances, and then causing another part of the machinery to take
hold of the scutched portions of the fibrous substances and let fall and hold
downwards the upper ends of the unscutched parts of said fibrous substances
and afterwards to scutch those parts thereof, and thus to operate upon the
whole length of the fibrous substances in one and the same machine.
The means by which I propose to effect the aforesaid operations are as
follows: In a suitable framing I mount two short axles vertically; upon
each of these axles I fix a wheel with a narrow rim, in which are formed two
Z-shaped grooves around or about its periphery, one of such wheels which 1
call the receiving wheel, is placed several inches higher than the upper side of
the other wheel which I call the delivering wheel. Both wheels are of the
same diameters, and are so placed with respect to each other, as that their
circumferences are near to each other, and near the centre of the frame of the
machine. Around these wheels and in the aforesaid Z-shaped grooves thereof,
and over sundry pulleys, I pass an endless rope or belt which serves the double
purpose of holding firmly and keeping suspended the fibrous substance to bo
operated upon, and at same time imparting rotary motion to said grooved.

page_text: wheels in opposite directions. At each end of the frame of the machine I
mount two rotating cylinders composed of longitudinal blades of iron, fixed
thereto at certain distances apart, the edges of some of which said blades are
formed serrated. The axle of each uppermost cylinder of blades is placed
nearly on a level with the centre of the depth of the periphery of the receiving
and delivering wheels before described. The two lowermost cylinders of
blades I place at an angle of about 45° to the perpendicular of the upper
ones inclining inwards or towards the centre of the machine. The blades of
each pair of cylinders being so regulated, adjusted, and held by toothed wheels,
fixed one on the axle of each cylinder aforesaid, as to gear into and cause the
blades of the cylinders to move in each other without ever coming into contact.
A main driving shaft mounted across near the centre of the frame of the
machine, and at the top thereof imparts rotary motion to the receiving and
delivering wheels, toothed wheels, pulleys, belts, rope or band, and cylinders
of blades. An adjustable table is adapted to the framing of the machine for
feeding the fibrous material thereinto, at the proper distance from the butt or
root end of the fibrous substances.
The following are the operations of the aforesaid improved machinery :-Tho
machine being set in motion, the attendant proceeds to feed into the machine
a continuous thin supply of the fibrous substance which is immediately taken
bold of and pressed by the endless rope or belt, into the grooves of the receiving
wheel, thus keeping it suspended whilst said wheel rotates slowly on its axis.
The blade cylinders before mentioned move rapidly in opposite directions, and
in so doing as the fibrous substances on the periphery of the receiving wheel
come into contact with said cylinders of blades; one cylinder of blades
operates on one side of the fibrous substances, and the other cylinder of
blades on the opposite side thereof, thus effectually scutching both sides of the
fibrous substance at the same time. The receiving wheel continuing to rotate
conducts the scutched fibrous substance to the second or delivering wheel,
which, moving in an opposite direction to the receiving wheel, seizes with the
rope in the upper groove, the scutched part of the fibrous substance, and
immediately the receiving wheel lets go the unscutched end of the said fibrous
substance which instantly falls downwards or capsizes. The delivering wheel
still rotating, and carrying said substance a little further round, where the
rope seizes it in the under groove, suspending it most securely, to be carried
round by the delivering wheel to be operated upon and scutched on both sides
by the cylinders of blades at the opposite end of the machine from where it
commenced, being acted upon in the manner before described. The scutched
parts of the fibrous substance pass thence out of the machine into the hands

page_text: Մ.
apparatus; Figure 2, a longitudinal and vertical section through the line A, B,
at Figure 1. At each of the foregoing Figures similar letters of reference
are employed to denote corresponding parts wherever they appear or can be
seen.
A is the framing of the machine supporting the following parts; B, B, two
short axles; C, D, wheels fixed thereon, said wheels have each a narrow
rim E around the periphery of which are formed Z-shape grooves. Tho
wheel C, which I call the receiving wheel, is placed several inches above the
wheel D, which I call the delivering wheel; both wheels are of the same
diameter. G is an endless rope, passing over the pullies a, b, c, d, and around
the grooves in the rims E of the wheels C, D, in the following order :-The
rope G passes first round one of the grooves of the worin wheel H, driven by
the worm I fixed on the main driving shaft K, thence round the upper Z-
shape groove in the wheel C, over the pulley a, and around the lower groove
of the wheel C, thence over the pulley b, and around the lower Z-shape groove
in the wheel D, and from thence the rope G passes over the pulley C, and
around the upper Z-shape groove in the wheel D, over the pulley d, and,
finally, round the worm wheel II in the groove thereof, from whence the
course of the travel of the endless rope G started. L is a vertical spindlo
suitably supported, and having small pullies e fixed on each end thereof; M is
an endless band for imparting rotary motion to the pullies e, and transmitting
said motion by another endless band passed over the lowermost pulley e to the
wheel N; this wheel has sharp teeth f around its periphery, and said wheel is
employed for giving in the "bow" or top end of the fibrous substance foremost
to be scutched by the scutching cylinders O, O; the speed of this wheel should
be about twice that of the wheel D; the cylinders O, O, are formed with
strips or blades of metal, the edges thereof being either plain or serrated, or
some plain and some serrated; said blade cylinders revolve on their axes in
opposite directions, the upper cylinder receiving rotary motion from a strap or

page_text: band P passing round the pulley a fixed on the main shaft K, and the pulley y
fixed on said cylinder's axle, and cominunicating motion to the lowermost
cylinder by means of the spur wheels h, h, running in gear at the opposite end
thereof; R, R, are another pair of blade cylinders similarly mounted and
driven; S is a table upon which the material to be scutched is placed and
directed by the workman into the machine; T, T, are curved pieces of wood
or metal suitably adjusted and fixed to the framing of the machine, said pieces
being employed for keeping the fibrous substance always in contact with the
blades of the cylinders O, O, during the scutching operation. The rope G is
kept at a proper tension by means of a rope attached to the pulley d, and
passing round the axle and wheel Z, and of a weight suspended from said
wheel.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention for "Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Scutching and
Refining Flax, Hemp, Jute, and other Fibrous Vegetable Substances,"
together with the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into
practical effect, I hereby declare my Invention to consist in, and I claim the
mechanical combination and arrangement above described with reference to
the Sheet of Drawings accompanying these Presents as constituting improve-
ments in machinery for scutching fibrous vegetable substances as above
stated.
In witness whereof, I, the "said Andrew Potts, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
Signed and sealed by the said Andrew
Potts, in presence of
HUGH HYNDMAN,
Solicitor,
Belfast, Co. Antrim.
ANDREW POTTS. (L.S.)