Crosbie's Flax Stripper.

Progress, Volume I, Issue 12, 1 October 1906, Page 336

Crosbies Flax Stripper.

The flax industry is one of great importance to New Zealand at the present time when flax fibre bulks so largely in our exports, and, consequently, anything tending to improve the quality of the article and lessen the cost of production is of interest not only to those engaged in the industry, but to the public as a whole. It might be stated that stripping is the first process flax goes through after it is cut, the object attained being the removal of all surplus vegetable matter, and leaving the blade of flax in strips of fibre. A feature in the construction of Crosbies stripper is that the revolving beating roller, which is acted upon by special worm gearing, works on springs which not only prevent vibration but also the bruising of the fibre, which is at present frequent owing

to rigidity so common in the ordinary forms of strippers. These springs allow of the flax being fed by half-blade or several blades at one time with equal facility and satisfactormess of results, and ensure the production of a fibre which, when washed, bleached and scutched, is of a soft and silky texture. The guide chute which is attached to the front part of the chairs prevents the fibre from spreading over the edge of the drum and wrapping round the drum spindle when feeding heavily, and is easily removed for adjustment or cleaning purposes. The springs, of which there are six, are all interchangeable and easily accessible for adjustment. The drum is of the angular beater type, cast of a special mixture of cast iron, hard, tough, and close, turned true and balanced so as to work at highest speeds without vibration The supervision required after the machine has been set to a proper working giade is reduced to a minimum, and the quality of the work maintained for a lengthened period. Compared with the work done by ordinary strippers, the output of Crosbies stripper is more, the quality first class, the quantity of green flax required for a ton of fibre considerably less, the quantity of tow per ton of fibre greatly reduced, the attention required to keep the machine in proper order is

very much reduced, and all the bearings and working parts, being strong, will do a large amount of work before requiring attention or lenewal. In the ci.sc ot some other strippers in use in New Zealand flaxmills, only one blade of flax can be fed m at a time, and when it is stated that in Crosbies machine as many as three and four blades are fed in at once, and perfectly treated, it will readily be seen how great an acquisition to the industry the improvement is. Mr. Crosbie is connected with the foundry ol Messrs. A & T. Burt, Dunedm, who make all the strippers turned out under the inventor's name