222 HILL AND BUNDY’S MACHINE. 
end with an iron rod, which is attached below to a treadle with 
a spring, to which motion is given with the foot, while the Flax 
is held by the hands between the cones. The operation may be 
commenced and continued for some time with the larger part 
of the rollers, and finished with their smaller ends: this 
forming one of the advantages of using conical rollers. 
If it is intended that the Flax shall be bleached before it is 
spun, then recourse is had to certain trays in which are con- 
tained the water or other fluid used for bleaching the Flax or 
Hemp. Then each small parcel is worked separately, while 
wet, through a machine, similar to that in which the Flax has 
been broken; but here the rollers should be cylindrical and 
made entirely of wood, with metal axles, and the teeth, which 
will be parallel, should be similar in form to those in the 
lower right hand section (p. 221). This operation will loosen 
the gluten and colouring matter, for the rinsing and wringing 
which must follow, and which is preceded by soaking the Flax 
in a weak solution of soap. 
The above machine and process, though not now in use, are 
interesting, as among those which were the earliest employed, 
and as indicating the points which require to be attended 
to; though, in getting rid of one set of difficulties, others are 
encountered. But the powers and mechanical contrivances of 
the later inventions have surmounted many difficulties as well 
as given much greater facilities. 
Another process, for which a Mr. Olcott obtained two 
patents in the year 1840, is interesting, as showing the power 
of rollers and the cleansing effects of water. This invention 
consists in taking the sun- or kiln-dried Flax in the stem, 
spreading it out upon a wide feeding cloth, from whence it 
passes through a series of long fluted wooden rollers, say 
‘thirty sets, that is, sixty altogether, viz., thirty upper and thirty 
lower rollers, which so crush and break the stalk, that most 
of the wood drops from the fibre, and renders the process of 
cleaning it easy. 
The Flax, when separated from the wood, is twisted into a 
rope; the rope should be rove about the thickness of a stout 
man’s arm. ‘This rope is then passed through another series 
of fluted rollers about six inches wide, and made either of 
wood or metal; the ends are twisted together, and an endless 
