IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR BREAKING OR SCUTCHING FLAX, HEMP, AND SIMILAR MATERIALS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR BREAKING OR SCUTCHING FLAX,
HEMP, AND SIMILAR MATERIALS." A communication from abroad by
George Milliken, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America,
Merchant,
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd November 1880.
66
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR BREAKING
OR SCUTCHING FLAX, HEMP, AND SIMILAR MATERIALS." [A communication from
abroad by George Milliken, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of
America, Merchant.]
This Invention relates to machinery for breaking or scutching flax, hemp, and
similar materials, and comprises the following features, that is to say :-
A rotating cylinder having a periphery which
intervals to permit the shive to fall through.
perforated, open, or spaced at
A fluted or grooved roller in contact with the periphery of the rotating
cylinder, and mounted on bearings or arms to which reciprocating motions are
imparted.
Gearing the cylinder so that it may be stopped at any point without stopping
other parts of the machine.
Means for adjusting the extent of reciprocation of the roller which is in.contact
with the rotating cylinder.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I provide a frame which supports
the working parts of the machine. The driving shaft which is mounted on the
lower part of the frame carries a pulley which, by means of a band, communicates
motion to another shaft likewise mounted on the lower part of the frame, and
having a pulley around which the band passes.

page_text: The main cylinder whose bearings are on the frame has a fluted or grooved
periphery with perforations, openings, or spaces at intervals, and secured to or
formed with one of its heads is a worm-wheel with which meshes a worm whose
shaft mounted vertically on the frame carries a gear-wheel engaging with another
gear-wheel fixed to one of the shafts, so that when the shaft is rotated rotary
motion is imparted to the main cylinder. To the ends of the driving shaft are
keyed or otherwise secured cranks to which are attached arms, said cranks being
slotted so that the connecting bolts or pins of the cranks may be set nearer to or
further from the ends of the cranks, and thus adjust the throw of parts operated
by the cranks. The arms are pivotted to the lower ends of swinging arms, the
axes whereof are on the frame. The upper ends of the swinging arms carry a
Bluted or grooved roller whose periphery is in engaging contact with the fluted or
grooved periphery of the main cylinder, whereby when the driving shaft is rotated
motion is imparted to the first named arms, and reciprocating motions to the
rocking arms, the effect whereof is to carry the fluted roller forward and backward
over the main cylinder, said roller rotating on its axis on the rocking arms by
contact with said main cylinder.
A feed-apron is located at the front of the machine, and consists of an endless
band which passes around rollers, one of which carries a pinion which gears with
the pinion of a roller above the roller carrying the pinion, and with a pinion which
is below it. The several rollers and the last named pinion are properly supported
on the frame, or by other means, and power is communicated to the last named
pinion by means of a spur wheel which is fixed to the shaft of said pinion, and
gears with the fluted or grooved periphery of the main cylinder.
There is a second apron which is located opposite to the first named apron, and
consists of an endless band passing around supporting rollers properly mounted,
the roller adjacent to the cylinder carrying a pulley around which passes a belt
leading from a pulley on the axis of one of the rollers, said second apron moving
at a greater rate of speed than the first named apron so as to properly carry off the
material as reduced, broken, or disintegrated.
The gear-wheel of the second shaft may be a part of or have secured to it
a clutch wheel, or it may itself be such wheel, and has connected to it a shifting
lever; consequently when this wheel is moved from the other wheel the main
cylinder is immediately stopped or rendered inoperative, thus also depriving the
feed and discharge aprons of motion, but without stopping the shafts and recipro-
cating arms of the fluted roller, the shifting lever being conveniently mounted on
the frame at or about the front end thereof so as to be easily reached, whereby the
operator can quickly stop the feed without necessarily stopping the entire machine,
this being an advantageous feature where the flax or the like is heavy or is fed
in too thick a mass or stream, and it is desired to hold it while it is subjected to
repeated action of the fluted roller.
When the gear-wheel is again moved against the other wheel the main cylinder
is immediately rotated, and the feed and discharge aprons are set in motion, the
machine then being operative.

page_text: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying this Invention.
Figure 2 is a front view partly in section; and
Figure 3 a plan or top view of the same.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several Figures.
A represents the frame which supports the working parts of the machine ;
B represents the driving shaft which is mounted on the lower part of the frame A,
and carries a pulley a which, by means of a band b, cominunicates motion to
another shaft C likewise mounted on the lower part of the said frame, and having
a pulley e around which the said band passes.
D represents the main cylinder whose bearings are on the frame A. This
cylinder has a fluted or grooved periphery d provided with perforations, openings,
or spaces d' at intervals, and secured to or formed with one of its heads is a worm-
wheel E with which gears a worm F whose shaft F¹ mounted vertically on the
frame A carries a bevel gear-wheel e which engages with the bevel gear-wheel f
fixed to the shaft C, so that when this shaft is rotated rotary motion is imparted
to the main cylinder D. To the ends of the driving shaft B are keyed or otherwise
secured cranks G to which are attached arms H, H, the said cranks being slotted
so that the connecting bolts or pins of the cranks may be set nearer to or farther
from the ends of the cranks, and thus adjust the throw of the parts operated by
the said cranks. The arms H are pivotted to the lower ends of swinging arms J,
the axes of which are on the frame A. The upper ends of the swinging arms J
carry a fluted or grooved roller K whose periphery is in engaging contact with the
fluted or grooved periphery of the main cylinder D, whereby when the driving
shaft B is rotated motion is imparted to the arms H, and a reciprocating motion to
the locking arms J, the effect of which is to carry the fluted roller K forward and
backward over the main cylinder D, the said roller K rotating on its axis on the
rocking arms J by contact with the said main cylinder D.
L represents the feed apron which is located at the front of the machine, and

page_text: consists of an endless band which passes around rollers g, g¹, the roller g' carrying
a pinion which gears with the pinion of a roller h above the said roller g³, and with
a pinion which is below it. The several rollers and the pinion h¹ are properly
supported on the frame A, as shewn, or by other means, and power is communi-
cated to the pinion h² by means of a spur wheel h which is fixed to the shaft
of the said pinion h', and gears with the fluted or grooved periphery d of the main
cylinder D.
It will be readily understood that when the main cylinder D rotates, the spur-
wheel receives motion, and this is communicated to the pinion h¹, and thus to the
rollers g, h, whereby the apron L is moved, the supporting roller g being rotated
thereby, and the flax or other material placed on the said apron is carried towards
the rollers g, h, the speed of the apron being such that the rollers draw the
material from the apron and force and direct it from between the said rollers to
the periphery of the main cylinder D, which rotating carries the said material
under the rotating roller K, and thus between the flutes or grooves of the said
roller K and the main cylinder D, which meshing with each other crush or scutch
the material. Furthermore, as the roller K is carried forward and backward over
the material resting on the main cylinder D, the material is subjected to the
rubbing or working action of the roller, and is thus thoroughly broken and disinte-
grated. The shive falls into the flutes or grooves of the main cylinder, and then
drops through the perforations, openings, or spaces d¹ of the said cylinder to the
floor on which the machine rests. The material now reaches the discharge-apron M
which is located opposite to the apron L, and consists of an endless band passing
around supporting rollers m properly mounted, the roller adjacent to the main
cylinder carrying a pulley around which passes a belt n leading from a pulley
on the axis of the roller g¹, the said apron M moving at a greater rate of speed
than the apron L so as to properly carry off the material as reduced, broken, or
disintegrated.
The bevel gear-wheel ƒ of the shaft C may be a part of or have secured. to it
a clutch-wheel, or it may itself be such a wheel, and has connected to it a shifting
lever C; consequently when the bevel gear-wheel fis moved from the bevel gear-
wheel e, the main cylinder D is immediately stopped or rendered inoperative, thus
also depriving the feed and discharge aprons of motion, but without stopping the
shafts B, C, and the reciprocating arms J of the roller K, the shifting lever C¹
being conveniently mounted on the frame at or about the front end thereof so as
to be easily reached, whereby the operator can quickly stop the feed without
necessarily stopping the entire machine, this being an advantageous feature where
the flax or other like material is heavy or is fed in too thick a mass or stream,
and it is desired to hold it while it is subjected to the repeated action of the
roller K. When the wheel ƒ is again moved against the wheel e the main
cylinder D is immediately rotated, and the feed and discharge aprons are set in
motion, the machine being then operative.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,-
-
First. A rotating cylinder D having an open or perforated periphery and a
fluted or grooved roller meshing with it, as above set forth and for the purpose
specified.
Second. The roller K rotating on its axis on reciprocating bearings or arms,
whereby the said roller as it rotates is carried forward and backward on the
cylinder D, substantially as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
Third. The worm-wheel E and the worm F for imparting rotary motion to the
main cylinder D, in combination with the shaft C provided with clutch mechanism,
substantially as described, whereby the cylinder may be stopped at any point
without stopping other parts of the machine, as above set forth and for the
purpose specified.

page_text: Fourth. The swinging arms J carrying the roller K in combination with the
cranks G adjustably connected to the arms H, substantially as above set forth and
for the purpose specified.
.
Fifth. The apron L and the cylinder D in combination with the gearing operated
by the wheel k meshing with the fluted or grooved periphery of the said cylinder,
substantially as above set forth and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty first day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
TIM DADT T
T