142 FLAX CULTURE AND PREPARATION 



of this mechanism and represents the half unit for buffing 

 and cleaning the root ends of the straw. The other half unit, 

 which buffs and cleans the reverse or top end of the straw, is 

 an exact duplicate of the first ; this is chiefly because of the 

 necessity and convenience of making adjustments for the 

 root and top ends of the straw. No. 1 indicates the position 

 of the scutching wheel shaft, situated immediately above the 

 floor line ; its speed varies from 175 to 250 revolutions per 

 minute ; 2 is the boss and arms, and 3 the rim of the wheel, 

 3 ft. in diameter ; 4 shows six Irish blades of standard dimen- 

 sions, tapered and bevelled ; the combined action of the 

 blades produces from 1,050 to 1,500 beats per minute, or an 

 approximate surface velocity of 3,300 to 4,710ft. per minute. 



A strong vertical bracket iron casting 5 supports two simple 

 levers 6 and 7, pivoted on studs 8 and 9 respectively. A 

 flange pulley 10 is pivoted on the stud 11, adjusted in the 

 short arm of lever 6 ; a similar pulley 12 is pivoted on the 

 stud 13 adjusted in the short arm of lever 7. Both the pulleys, 

 10 and 12, are therefore in suspension, but they are balanced 

 as required by the longer arms and adjustable weights W. A 

 pair of pulleys, 14 and 16, are supported and free to rotate 

 on the adjustable but meanwhile fixed studs, 15 and 17 respec- 

 tively. Duplicates of these pulleys and supports are shown, 

 inversely and respectively, at 18 and 20 and 19 and 21. An 

 endless woven belt 22 passes over the suspended tension pulley 

 12, then between the pairs of pulleys 14 and 16 and 18 and 

 20. A second endless belt 23 of like material passes over the 

 upper suspended tension pulley 10. As the belt 23 passes 

 tangentially the pulley 12, it is in close contact with the 

 periphery of the belt 22 at the initial point of contact of the 

 two belts. 



This close contact of the two belts is continuously main- 

 tained as they simultaneously and uniformly travel along to, 

 and between the fixed pulleys 14 and 16 and 18 and 20 to 

 pulley 12, where they separate. The intensity of the grip is 

 greatest between the points x and y of the pulleys 14 and 16 



