Break

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A breaking machine (also breaker or Brechel , in Westphalia as Racke known in Switzerland as a ratchet ) is an agricultural around the fiber of the dried and decaying plant stems through device break separate. It is depicted on the Brackel coat of arms .

functionality

Here, the woody part of the stem is broken into small pieces. In a later step, swinging , these small fragments are separated from the outer bark with the fibers it contains. The so-called shives (lignified inner part of the stem) are created as a by-product. The plants commonly processed in this way include flax and hemp . At that time the shives were rubbish, nowadays a valuable raw material.

As early as 1880, breaking or bending machines were used to break the flax, in which the stalk was pushed between wooden or iron rollers with different depths and strengths.

  • Hand flax breaker

  • Women breaking hands at the beginning of the 20th century

  • Brechel pit for flax processing

  • Flax processing operations

Web links

Commons : Breaking Flax  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Bibliography

  1. ↑ Schweizerisches Idiotikon , Vol. 6, Col. 1844, Article Rätsch II, Bed. 2.
  2. ↑ Flax (processing). . In: Meyers Konversations-Lexikon . 4th edition. Volume 6, Verlag des Bibliographisches Institut, Leipzig / Vienna 1885–1892, p. 329.