94 FLAX CULTURE AND PREPARATION 



The process of deseeding and crushing is simple 



1. Where only two rollers, J and K, are used the operator 

 lifts a full beet of straw at a time and repeatedly passes it, 

 boll end first, between the rotating rollers, until he is satisfied 

 that all the bolls are crushed and the seed free. 



2. With three rollers in use, the operator first passes the 

 straw between the rollers J and K and then backwards between 

 the ripple rollers K and L. This three-roller arrangment is 

 the device of Mr. A. Williamson, co. Down, Ireland. 



87. Two Single Pairs of Rollers. Figs. 51 and 52 show 

 respectively a side and front elevation of a power driven- 

 machine which carries a pair of deseeding rollers at the front 

 and a similar pair at the back of the machine. A B are the 

 deseeding rollers mounted on shafts F G respectively. The 

 shafts are supported and free to rotate in the gables C, and 

 receive motion direct from the motor or line shaft. Equal 

 and uniform motion is maintained between F and G through 

 the mediam of the like spur wheels D and E. Flexible pres- 

 sure is applied to the upper shaft G and rollers B through the 

 medium of the spring and bar H of the ordinary wringing 

 machine type. I and J are vertical supports for the sloping 

 tables K and L. 



The operator feeds the flax straw as at K and delivers it 

 when complete on to the bench L from whence it is removed 

 and made up into beets of uniform size. 



88. Multiple Pairs of Rollers. This machine is extensively 

 used in some flax districts. It consists of three pairs of rollers 

 on each side of the machine. They stand about 2 ft. 6 in. 

 above the ground, and are near to each other so that the opera- 

 tor can pass the straw through all the three sets of rollers 

 without any break. This is designed to obviate the loss of 

 time occasioned when only a single pair of rollers is used. 



Fig. 53 shows a front elevation, Fig. 54 a plan and Fig. 55 

 a transverse section through the rollers on one side of this 

 machine. Similar numerals in each diagram refer to corre- 

 sponding details ; 1 and 2 are the first pair of steel rollers and 



