138 FLAX CULTURE AND PREPARATION 



scutching blade is 3 in. higher than the top of the stock, 

 when simultaneously the top of the blade is in the same plane 

 as the rear top edge of the stock to which it is adjacent. This 

 adjustment was used for scutching at the buffing operation. 

 In the same establishment, for scutching tow, the extreme top 

 point of the scutching blade was 9 in. higher than the top of 

 the stock, as is shown at Fig. 87. 



For purposes of comparison, the principles embodied in the 

 adjustments, as at Figs. 84 and 86, are diametrically opposed. 



As soon as the flax is struck, as at Fig. 84, it has a tendency 

 to be drawn inwards away from the operator and as a 

 consequence, his work is made easier. 



In Fig. 86, the tendency of the blade, on striking the flax, 

 is to push it outwards, and the scutcher has, therefore, to 

 neutralize this by holding the flax inwards. 



In each of the illustrations given, the centre of the shaft 

 is in the same plane as the top of the stock, and the adjust- 

 ments are all obtained by altering the position and angle of 

 the blade with that of the stock. Unfortunately the holes for 

 any given adjustment of blades have to be bored separately 

 into the rim of the wheel. 



A much better plan and arrangement would be to have 

 slot holes 3 or 4 in. long, cast in the rim and concentric with 

 its centre ; these would then facilitate the adjustments either 

 for experimental or periodical changes. 



An alternative arrangement for obtaining the late or early 

 sloping strike may be got by raising or lowering the stock 

 over which the flax is held, or by adjusting the flax nearer 

 or more remote from the blades all with the object of enabling 

 the scutcher to temper or humour the work as he pleases. 



118. The Liddell Automatic Grip. This device, patented by 

 Sir Robert Liddell, D.L., a large grower of flax, Donacloney, 

 co. Down, Ireland, was designed primarily to meet the diffi- 

 culty of securing a sufficient number of experienced flax 

 scutchers, and incidentally, to reduce or minimise the danger 

 of hand scutching. 



