SCUTCHING 139 



These difficulties were not only overcome but a little experi- 

 ence soon demonstrated that any person of average intelligence 

 and ability, and even without previous experience, could, 

 with the aid of the Automatic Grip, soon scutch flax as effec- 

 tively and expeditiously as the experienced scutcher who still 

 adhered to the more dangerous practice of holding the flax 

 by hand closely and firmly against the stock and the rapidly 

 rotating blades of the scutch wheel. 



To cite an interesting experience : Two good scutchers, 

 one buffer, and one cleaner, completed 10 stones of scutched 

 flax in a given unit of time by the usual method. One intelli- 

 gent youth, 16 years of age, in the same unit of time 

 scutched 6 stones with the aid of the automatic gripping 

 device. 



Fig. 90 shows a side elevation of the gripping mechanism, 

 which, in its complete and present condition, is ready for 

 attachment to the stock of any of the existing scutching 

 machines. 



A is a supporting plate to which all the details of the 

 mechanism are attached. B is a bracket lever, supported on, 

 and free to oscillate about, a stud C, fixed in and near the base 

 of the plate A. At the top of the bracket lever B a lower 

 jaw D is set-screwed and grooved as shown in the supple- 

 mentary detail sketch to the right. An upper gripping jaw E 

 of right-angled shape is constructed with a depression or 

 tongue, as indicated ; the vertical arm of the jaw E is adjusted 

 and free to rise and fall in contact with the back flat side of 

 the right arm of lever B. A steel plate G, set-screwed to both 

 sides of the lever arm B, serves to keep the vertical arm E 

 in sliding contact with that of B. 



Near the base of the vertical arm of E a swivel link H 

 connects the base of E with the right arm of a balk lever I ; 

 this lever is pivoted on a stud J fixed in the bracket lever B ; 

 the left arm of lever I supports an adjustable weight K. 



A stud L, fixed in the right arm of lever I, passes through, 

 and is free to move radially in the groove M of the free end of 



