Improvements in or relating to Apparatus or Machines for Breaking, Washing, or otherwise Treating Vegetable Fibres.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Aug., 1892-Accepted, 24th Sept., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Apparatus or Machines for Breaking,
Washing, or otherwise Treating Vegetable Fibres.
A communication by SAMUEL BENJAMIN ALLISON, of Soniat, between Long and
Breslau Streets, in the City of New Orleans, State of Louisiana, United
States of America, Builder.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool and, 6 Bank Street, Manchester, both in
the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention relates to an improvement in a moss and fibre brake, hackling and
washing, machine, and its novelty will be fully understood from the following
description and claims, when taken in connection with the annexed drawings. The
object of the invention is to provide a machine for treating wood fibres or leaves,
such as pine-apple, bear grass, banana plants or other plants.
This object is attained from the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying
drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a right handed side view looking from the front of the machine.
Figure 2 is a left handed side view thereof.
Figure 3 is a rear view.
Figure 4 is a sectional rear view, showing manner of conveying motion to the
holding guide rollers.
Figure 5 is a top view of endless carrier.
Figure 6 is a sectional rear view of washing machine.
Figure 7 is a sectional side view of washing machine.
Figure 8 is a side view of main corrugated drum and set screw.
Figure 9 is a top view of corrugated rollers that work under the drum.
Figure 10 is a front view of set screws showing springs.
Figure 11 is a sectional top view of spring follower.
Figure 12 is a bottom view of Figure 11.
Figure 13 is the sectional bottom view of pressure guide block.
Figure 14 is a side view of longitudinal corrugated roller.
Figure 15 is an end view of Figure 14.
Figure 16 is a side view of smooth rollers.
Figure 17 is an end view of Figure 16.
Figure 18 is a sectional side view of circular grooved corrugated roller.
Figure 19 is an end view of Figure 18.
Figure 20 is a side view of combination roller with changeable working parts.
Figure 21 is an end view of Figure 20.
Figure 22 is a side view of lags.
Figure 23 is an end view of laga.
Figure 24 is a side view of main drum with flanges.
Figure 25 is an end view of Figure 24.
Figure 26 is a sectional top view of sliding frame.
Figure 27 is a top view of guide shutes.
Figure 28 is a side view of Figure 27.
Figure 29 is a rear view of the axle of rear sliding frame, which holds teeth and
blades in position, and imparts motion to the sliding frame.
Figure 30 is a front view of the front sliding frame, showing position of set
screws for regulating space between the frames.

page_text: Figure 31 is a top view of one of the sliding frames, showing position of the teeth
plates.
Figure 32 is a front view of frame in which Figure 31 works.
Figure 33 is a front view of frame 30, showing set screws for regulating space
between working blades, frame and teeth.
Figure 34 is a sectional side view of sliding frames in position showing holding
rollers, guide shutes, and off bearing carriers.
Figure 35 is a sectional side view of eccentric, showing strap and stroke rod,
also slip keys for regulating stroke.
Figure 36 is a side view of the ends of stroke rods, with slip keys for regulating
the stroke.
Figure 37 is an end view of brush lag.
Figure 38 is an end view of. scraper lag.
Figure 39 is a perspective sectional side view of brush.
Similar letters and numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
In the drawings-
A represents a base; B, a frame; C, the feed carrier; D, a geared wheel which
drives the pinions 2 which imparts motion to carrier, also pressure rollers 3. The
numeral 4 designates longitudinal corrugated breaking rollers. 5 are combination
• rollers or cylinders that admit of changing of working parts. 6 are smooth holding
rollers. 7 is a combing and scraping device. 8 are combination grooved rollers
that are provided with slots running lengthwise, and which enable lags O, having
brushes or knives therein, to be inserted in said slots, when it is required to work
various kinds of fibre. 9 are smooth holding and guide rollers. 10 is a wash box.
11 are interlacing corrugated rollers, journalled in the sides of 10, and caused to
rotate by the longitudinal revolving corrugated drum 12. 13 is a pulley for
imparting motion through belt 14 to combination cylinders 5 and 8, by means of
pulleys on end of their shafts. 15 is an idler pulley set in a frame for tightening
belt under pressure from lever 16 by means of a weight 17. The carriers 18 which
carry away any material falling foul of the washing apparatus receive their motion
from a pulley on end of shaft of combination cylinder 8. K is a driving belt. 19 is
a cog..
20 is a bevel gear and pinion to convey motion from the pinion wheel H on
cylinder P to an upright shaft L, which imparts motion to the guide and holding
rollers 4, 6 and 9. 21 are bevel gear wheels operated by upright shaft L, by means
of gear wheels 20.
M is a pulley on drum shaft, and imparts motion by means of
cross belt to pulley N on washing box. G are set screws for regulating rollers 1
and 3. The two pairs. of eccentrics R R shown in Figure 26 are set on shafts
by means of feathers, and each pair works in opposite directions, thereby imparting
motion to scraping blades or combing teeth that are attached by means of counter-
sunk screws to the sliding frames U and V. The eccentric and slip keys are
preferably so arranged that the combing teeth or scraping blades make two strokes
to every one revolution of the shaft on which the eccentric is mounted, thereby
imparting a to and fro motion, one half of the frame operating as it is drawn
forward a combing device, and is pushed backward as a scraping device, removing
the fibre from the comb teeth or scraping blades; the other half of the frame has
the same movement, only reverse. Qare boxes on the end of the connecting rods,
showing slip keys on each side of the box which can be changed from one side to
the other, thereby increasing or diminishing the interlacing of the combing or
scraping blades when operated upon the sliding frame, in connection with similar
device on the eccentric. S are guide shutes provided with screws for attaching to
frames, and are not shown in Figures 1 and 2, and work above and below the
holding rollers and secured to the inside of frame by means of screws on each end,
receiving fibre from holding rollers, and delivering fibre to holding rollers, thereby
preventing wrappage.
The invention is not confined to a given number of sliding frames, as portion
of them may be stationary, while the other portion may be operated in opposite

page_text: directions that contain the hackling or scraping plates. Where operated in this
manner, the stationary portion is cushioned with rubber, to hold fibre while being
acted upon by the scraping or hackling plates. This is necessary in working
fibrous plants, such as ramic, which not only contains a woody core, but also an
outer pellice and pulpy covering; likewise pine-apple, which contains on one side
a glossy outer pellice, and on the other side a pulpy pellice. In working hemp,
flax or maguey plant, bear grass, etcetera. the double acting travelling frames are
preferable.
In practice, the material to be treated is placed upon the feed carrier, and is
carried forward between the drum and the pressure rollers, and, by the rotation of
the said drum, the fibre is treated, the treatment of the material depending upon
its quality.
The machine is so constructed as to change its working parts. Thus, for instance,
in the treatment of ramie, scutchers, knives, plates with hackle teeth, brushes, or
smooth plates placed upon lags or tongues may be inserted in slots of combination
rollers; and, where moss, oakum and other species of wood fibres are treated,
corrugated rollers can be used.
In treating pulpy fibres or leaves, such as pine-apple, bear grass, etcetera, circular
grooved and rubber rollers are used. The fluted rollers in the washing machine
prevent wrapping of fibre, while action of the washing drum carries the mass
continuously forward while being acted upon, and discharges material over washing
box. The peculiar construction of rollers 11 prevents wrapping of fibre, while the
drum 12, having grooves or corrugations and provided with rubber friction bands,
dispenses with cog wearing, also with the use of stuffing boxes, and prevents leaking
of washing tanks by working on inside of same.
The tank is always partly filled with water when working green fibre, and, when
dry fibre is being treated, the water is all drained off from the tank, leaving it clean
and dry. All working rollers are provided with set screws in order to regulate
their pressure.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine
myself to the precise details shown in illustration as the same may be varied to some
extent, but that what I claim is :-
1. In a moss and fibre brake, hackle and washing machine, such as described, a
series of pressure rollers adjusted by set screws, in combination with a series of
sliding scraping blades, said blades in their movement interlacing by means of
eccentrics, as set forth.
2. In a moss and fibre brake, hackle and washing machine, such as described, a
series of pressure rollers adjusted by set screws, in combination with combing teeth
and sliding scraping blades set on shaft, and eccentric for varying the length of
stroke, as set forth.
3. In a moss and fibre brake, hackle and washing machine, such as described, a
series of pressure rollers, in combination with slotted rollers, brush and knife lags,
as set forth.
4. In a moss and fibre brake, hackle and washing machine, the drum having a
series of pressure rollers, partially surrounding the drum, the feed carrier, in com-
bination with the conveying rollers, rubber holder rollers, as set forth.
5. In a moss and fibre brake, hackle and washing machine, a series of pressure
rollers partially surrounding the said drum, in combination with the washing box,
and the drum provided with rubber bands, and means for conveying the fibre from
the braking mechanism to the said washing box, as set forth.
Dated this 10th day of August 1892
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.