THE FLAX INDUSTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 8904, 21 September 1889, Page 2

THE FLAX INDUSTRY.

LAND’S PATENT SELF - ACTING SAFETY SCUTCHEE MOUTH. Some few weeks since we published in our columns a description of a safetyfeed mouth for scutching machines, invented by Mr J. Seed, of Southbrook. At the end of the paragraph it was briefly noted that Mr A. Laud, of Eangiora, reached the Patent Office at Christchurch just three minutes after Mr Seed with plans of a device of a somewhat similar description to his. On the two applications for patents being forwarded to Wellington, however, Mr Land’s design was selected as being the most worthy of patent rights, and a protection was accordingly issued. On Thursday our Eangiora .representative was shown the device at work on one of Mr C. Chinnety's scutching machines, where it has been in use for over a week, giving the highest satisfaction to the scutchers, who cannot say enough in its praise, doing away with, as they flrmly believe, all danger in connection with this work, the previous hazardous nature of which has been made evident in so distressing a manner in more than one instance, as our readers are well aware. The device is, as are so many useful inventions, extremely simple, and considering how forcibly its need has been presented to notice, the wonder is that it had not been thought out long ago. Like Mr Seed’s invention, its main feature is a shutter which closes when the fibre is inserted in the machine, thereby preventing the operator’s hands from being drawn in. Its chief point of difference from, and advantage over, the first-named device is the way in which the shutter is hinged. Mr Seed’s shutter, it will perhaps be remembered, was described as a heavy iron plate hinged at the bottom to the scutchmouth, and closing upwards with the friction of the fibre. Mr Land hinges his shutter, which is of plate-iron 14in long by 4 Jin wide, about an inch up from the bottom, by means of a round iron bar, the ends of which are held in position by strong brackets on either side of the feed-open-ings. The top of the shutter over which the flax passes is finished off with a round iron bar, which projects about half an inch at each end. These projectors work in grooves made in the brackets before referred to, and keep the shutter in position; and at the same time the brackets prevent the fibre from becoming entangled with the ends of the shutter. On the lower inside edge of the latter is fixed a piece of half-round bar iron, which, besides helping to balance the shutter, keeps the fibre well up to the teeth of the drum, and ensures good even dressing. The shutter, by being hung in the manner described, closes with the greatest ease, the indraught, when the scutch is running at high speed, being almost sufficient to draw it to. When not in operation, the feed-opening is three inches in width by fourteen inches in length. On the fibre being inserted, its weight and the pressure set upon the lower edge of the shutter by the drum forcing the fibre against it, naturally tends to close the former at the top, and its being kept open depends solely upon the strain on the operator’s arms. It can, therefore, be easily understood that immediately the machine gains advantage over the operator, the shutter, by the pressure of the fibre inside, and of the man’s knuckles outside, closes, and renders it impossible to get the hands drawn In. By means of set screws the size of the feed opening can be regulated, and also the space left for the fibre when the shutter is closed. Since the contrivance, which is but roughly made in comparison with what the finished article will be, has been in operation, a few improvements have suggested themselves to Mr Land, one being the placing of an Indiarubber pad on the front of the shutter, to prevent injury to the operator’s knuckles. Besides ensuring the safety of the workmen, the device presents other great advantages to recommend it to millowners. The first is, that nearly 2owt more fibre can be put through in a shift than with the old style of feed-opening. Then, again, the fibre, by being kept dose to the teeth of the drum by the bottom of the shutter, is more evenly dressed, and, owing to the small depth (4£in) from the top of the shutter to the bottom when the teeth are working on the fibre, the double, or centre of the hank, can be scutched perfectly, a result which is difficult of attainment with the old style of opening. Mr 0. Chinnery, who has had over twenty years’ practical experience of scutching machinery, looks upon the invention as an important one, and intends to have all his machines fitted with it as soon as possible.