A FLAX-SCRAPING MACHINE.

Evening Star, Issue 7860, 18 March 1889, Page 2

A FLAX-SCRAPING MACHINE.

Metsrs T. H. Davidson (foreman engineer) and G. W. Gough (draughtsman), in the employ of the New Zealand Implement Company—Begg and Wilkinson's establishment—have jointly produced a machine which it is claimed will cheapen the preparation of flax. It is a patent for Bcraping the flax. The Maoris used to scrape the flax in the early days, but with them it was a laborious process, and not without a serious disadvantage, in that the fibre was frequently torn and otherwise impaired ; and of late years the scraping process has been generally abandoned in favor of beating or bruising. Messrs Davidson and Gough's invention is to supersede these bruisers. It will scrape both sides at once, and though working at a high rate of speed, putting through from two and a-half to three tons of green flax per day of eight hours, the patentees assert that the fibre is not damaged in the least. The new machine also does away with the necessity of bleaching the flax. The stuff can bo at once passed into a drying chamber, and then scutched, readv for tbn .m« i-knf J.HB inacnme was in operation this afternoon at Begg and Wilkinson's, and from what we saw we think that the anticipations of the patentees are likely to be realised. There is certainly a great saving, in that tho flax is handled less frequently than by the old-fashioned process, and doubtless the experts who were present will give the invention a fair trial.