145 



Tlit- //r/.s'/m; /-'A/.r /><</ AY;- <///</ Xcntchimj M<n'hin<-. This 

 mac hi no is designed to com bi no the operation of simultaneously 

 breaking and scutching the rotted llax straw. Tho invention 

 is of Swedish origin and tho British propriotoi - arc Messrs 

 James Maekio tf Sons. Ltd.. Belfast. 



Tho mechanism consists essentially of (1) a pair of plain 

 feed rollors ; (LM tf ll>r<^> pan's of llut<>d s((u^l rollers, (.ho tooth 

 of \\hich iutornu^sh to altont halt thoir dopth, tluir sptx>d is 

 rolativoly In.^li and thoir function is to thoroughly l>roaK the 

 rot tod dry llax stra\\ ; and ('.\) a pair of rapidly rotating soroll- 

 shapod. bottomless rolh>rs dcvsignod to remove, largoly l>\ 

 contrifugal foroo tho woody part of tho straw and leave the 

 tibro in tho hands of tho oporator. All tho forogoing rollors 

 H'Xi'ept thrto) can bo inado to rot-ato in oit-hor direction at 

 tho will of tho oporator. Tho maohino moasuros S ft. \ i\ ft., 

 and requires from I.I to .'I II. I*, to tlrivo it. 



Tho operation of rolling and scutching is simple and oxpodi- 

 tious, no provious (xporionco biding ntnu^ssarv. Tlu> root <>nds 

 of each strick of llax straw is fod by hand on to an ondloSH 

 can\as sheet and eonduotod through tho pair of food rollors 

 into tho breaking and scutching rollors. Immediately the 

 llax stra\\ has travelled a distance siitliciont to scutch fully 

 one half its length, the operator 1>\ a slight movement of tho 

 body adjusts a simple clutch lover which instantly rovorsos 

 tho direction of tho rotation of the rollers. Tin* strick of (lax 

 is i lien rovorsod and the top (Mid is similarly treated. In 

 practice this machine breaks and hull's tho (lax. A iinal 

 eloaning on tho scutching blades is still necessary. Tho 

 maehino embodies a now principle and is therefore \\orthv 

 of note. 



10 (.V2JSH) PJ pp. 



