DECORTICATING RAMIE, JUTE AND OTHER LIKE PLANTS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, SYDNEY PITT of Sutton in the County of Surrey Gentleman do hereby declare
the nature of my invention for "DECORTICATING RAMIE, JUTE AND OTHER LIKE
PLANTS" (a communication from abroad by George Gibson of the City of Pittsburgh
in the County of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania United States of America,
Teacher) and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to a new and improved machine for removing the fibre from
Jute, ramie and other fibrous plants and the object of my invention is to so treat
the fibrous plants that the fibres may be obtained in a clean, unbroken and parallel
condition and to this end my invention consists in the method and apparatus as
more fully hereinafter described and claimed.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of one side of my improved decorticating machine.
Figure 2 is a similar view of the opposite side of the machine the apron carriers
being removed.
Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view shewing the arrangement of the various rollers
of the machine.
Figure 4 is a detail view on an enlarged scale of one of the roller carriers.
Figure 5 is a sectional view of the same.
Figure 6 is a sectional elevation on the line xx Figure 2.
Figures 7 and 8 are detail views on an enlarged scale of one of the scrapers and
the pick-up roll.
Figure 9 is a view in side elevation similar to Figure 1 showing a modified form
of the machine.
Figure 10 is a diagrammatic view of the modified form shown in Figure 9.
On one side of the frame 1, is secured the shaft 2, on which is secured the power
wheel 3, and on the shaft 2, is also mounted the gear wheel 4, preferably formed
integral with the hub of the wheel 3. This gear wheel meshes with the gear
wheel 5 secured to one end of the shaft of the lower crushing roller 6 and this
wheel in turn meshes with the gear wheel 7 secured to one end of the shaft of the
upper crushing roller. The shafts of these crushing rollers 6 and 8 are mounted in
Price Gl
1

page_text: journal boxes 9 which are located in vertical slots 10 of the frame 1, the journal bax
of the upper roller 8 being free to move up and down in said slot, and the upper
roller being held against the lower by the weighted levers 11 which are pivoted to
the frame of the machine and bear upon the journal boxes 9 of the upper roller.
The material to be crushed is fed to these rollers 6 and 8 by the endless
apron 12 which passes around the rollers 13 and 14, the former being mounted
in the frame 1, just in front of the crushing rollers, and the roller 14 being
mounted in the front end of the auxiliary frame 15 secured as shown to the
front end of the frame 1. The roller 13 is driven by a belt 16 passing around a
pulley 17 on the shaft of the lower crushing roller 6, showing in dotted lines in
Figure 1, and a pulley 18, on one end of the roller 13, and that portion of the
apron which moves toward the crushing rollers is held in a horizontal position by
a plate 19 secured to the sides of the auxiliary frame under this portion of the
apron.
After being crushed between the rollers 6 and 8, the material passes along
a horizontal guide plate 20, secured to the sides of the frame 1, just in the rear of
the rollers 6 and 8 and is next caught by the feeding rollers 21 and 22. These
feeding rollers are reduced at their ends to form journals which are mounted in the
journal boxes 23 and 24 located in the vertical slots 25 in the frame 1; the upper
roller 21 being held in contact with the lower roller by the springs 26 the tension
of which is regulated by the screws 27 passing through the cap plate 28; secured to
the frame over the slots 25.
The lower feed roller 22, is driven by a gear wheel 30, secured to the power
shaft 2, through a train of idler gears 31 and 32, and a gear wheel 33 secured to
the journal of the lower feed roller The upper feed roller 21 is driven from the
same place and through the same train of idlers 31 and 32, but from this last idler,
motion is transmitted across the machine by the gear 34 and shaft 35, journalled
on the sides of the frame 1; on the opposite end of this shaft 35, is secured the
gear 36 see Figure 2 which meshes with the gear 37 and the journal of the upper
roller 21.
On the rollers 21 and 22 inside of the frame 1 are mounted the carriers 38
and 39 of the fibre lifting and feeding rollers, and as these carriers are precisely
similar in construction, I will confine my description to one of them, premising
however, that the upper carrier is pivotally supported on the upper roller 21, and
the lower carrier 39 is pivotally hung from the lower roller 22, and the relative
positions of the various rolls of the upper carrier are reversed in the lower carrier
as will be plainly seen by reference to Figures 4 and 5. The carrier consists
of two side plates 40 and 41 each having a nearly circular head portion and
a liandle or lever 42 held in proper relative position to each other by the braco
rods 43 44 and 45 and the various rollers which are mounted in the carrier. In
describing the arrangement and mounting of the rollers in the carriers, I will
describe them in the order of their operation on the materials.
In the centre of the head portion of the plates 40 and 41 is mounted the main
feeding roll 46, which is slightly grooved on its surface so as to take a hold on the
fibres. Below the roll 46, and in close proximity to the rollers 21 and 22 is
mounted what I term the pick up roller 47, which catches the ends of the fibres
and throws them up against the roll 46 as the crushed material is fed to said pick
up roll by the feed rolls 21 and 22. The pick up roll is spirally grooved on its
surface, see Figure 8, said grooves being so shaped as to form an edge 48 on one
side of the groove but this edge 48 does not project beyond the periphery of the
roll, and the edge will not therefore cut into the woody portion of the material
passed between the pick up rolls, but will present a smooth surface to said woody
portion the sole function of the edges being to catch the ends of the fibres as they
are presented and throw said ends up against the roll 46. The pick up roll 47 is
provided with a journal 49 at one end, which projects through the side plate and
through a slot 50 in the frame 1. On this projecting journal 49 is secured a small
belt pulley 51, driven by a belt 52 from any conveniently located power wheel. It

page_text: will be understood that the journal of the pick-up roller 47 in the lower carrier
projects on the opposite side of the machine, and is similarly driven by a belt, but
in an opposite direction as will be seen by reference to Figures 1 and 2.
The fibres are thrown against the roll 46, between the pick up roll 47 and feed
roller 21, and the roll 46, revolving in the direction indicated by the arrows in
Figure 3, carries the fibres in between itself and the feed roller 21. As the fibres
pass from between the roll 46 and the roller 21, they are caught by a succession of
rollers 53, 54, 55, 50 and brush 57, and thus kept in contact with the roll 46, for
a little more than half its circumference. These rollers 53, 50, and brush 57 are
mounted in journal boxes located in radial slots 58, formed in the circumference of
the head portion of the side plates 40 and 41, and are held in contact with the
main roll 46, by the springs 59, arranged in said radial slots between the journal
boxes and the cap plates 60. One end of each of the rollers and brush are provided
with journals 61, which project beyond the side plate 41, see Figure 4, and on
these projecting journals aro secured the gears 62, which mesh into the gear 63,
secured on the journal 64 of the roll 46. This gear 63 also meshes into and is
driven by the gear 65 keyed to the journal of the feed roller 21. To prevent the
fibres from getting wrapped around any of the rollers 53, 56, scrapers 66, are
arranged in contact with said rollers as shown in Figure 5. These scrapers
consisting of steel blades having a sharpened edge are held in place by studs 07
screwed through the plates 40 and 41 and provided at their inner ends with slots
into which the ends of the scrapers tightly fit. The scraper of the roller 56 is
attached to the brace rod 44 differing in this manner of attachment from the other
scrapers. To prevent the fibre from being caught by the brush 57, a blade
provided with a comb edge is substituted for the scrapers. In operating in
some fibrous material a brush is not essential for cleaning the same, in which case
a plain roller and a scraper is substituted for the brush and comb.
As the fibres pass from under the last roller 56, they are lifted from the roll 46
by a scraper 68, and sliding over said scraper, it passes upon an endless apron 69
which passes around the rolls 70 and 71, the former being mounted in the side
plates 40 and 41 and the latter in the rear end of the auxiliary frame 72 attached
to the rear end of the frame 1. There are two of these aprons 69 to carry away
the fibres from each of the carriers. The scraper 68 is provided at its ends with
the lugs 87 which project into the radial grooves 88 in the plates 40 and 41, and
through these lugs pass screws 89, their lower ends bearing upon the end of the
grooves 88, around these screws 89 are placed the spiral springs 90, the lower ends
of the springs rest upon the lugs 87 and the upper ends bearing against the cap
plates 91 secured over the grooves 88. By turning the screws 89, the scrapers can
be adjusted to and from the roll 46.
The woody part, from which the fibres have been removed as above described
passes on between the pick up rolls 47, and is caught by the fluted rollers 73,
which are mounted in journal boxes 74, located in the vertical slots 75, in the
frame 1, the lower roller having the gear 76, secured on one of its journals, said
gear meshing with the idler 77 which meshes with and is driven by the gear 33 of
the lower feed roll 22, see Figure 1 and the upper fluted roll is driven by the
gear 37 secured on the journal of the upper roller 21 through the idler 78, and the
gear 79, secured to the projecting journal of the upper fluted roller, see Figure 2,
which is held against the lower roller by springs in the slots 75. From these fluted
rollers 73, the woody part passes along the inclined table 80, in which are mounted
at certain intervals, the rollers 81, said rollers being driven by the belt 82, from the
roller 71 over which the lower apron 69 passes. The journals of the rollers 71 are
mounted in horizontal slots 83 in the sides of the auxiliary frame 72, and are
adjusted in said slots by the slotted plates 84. The rollers 71 are driven by the
belt 85 from the pulley 86 secured to the journal of the lower crushing roller 6
said belt passing around the rollers 71 as shown in Figure 1.
The carriers 38 and 39 are pivotally mounted on journals of the feed rollers 21
and 22 as above stated, and the adjustment of said carriers to bring the pick-up

page_text: rollers 47 in proper proximity to each other, and into proper relation to the feed
rollers 21 and 22, is effected by turning said carriers on their pivotal rollers 21
and 22. This turning or partial rotation of the carriers is effected by the handles
or levers 42 forming part of the side plates 40 and 41; the handles or levers of the
upper carrier rest upon the pins 92 located in the vertical slots 93 in the frame 1,
that part of the pins which passes through the slots being reduced in size thereby
forming a shoulder, and the pins are held in any desired position by drawing said
shoulder against the edges of the slot by means of a nut screwing on the reduced
portion of the pins. The handles of the lower carrier 39 rest upon pins 94 located
in slots 95, these pins being similar in construction to the pins 92 above described.
To relieve lower roller 22 of part of the weight of the lower carrier 39 said
carrier is supported by the weighted lever 95, pivoted on pins secured in the sides
of the frame 1, the free ends of the said levers bearing against the side plates of
the lower carrier.
Immediately over the journals of the upper fluted rollers 73, plates 96 are
adjustably secured to the side plates 40 and 41; then plates 96 bear lightly on the
journals of the fluted roller when the levers 42 rest upon the supporting pins 92.
The purpose of these plates 96, will be more fully stated hereinafter.
To obtain the fibre from jute ramie and other fibrous plants they are treated in
the following manner: The fibrous material is placed upon the apron 12, and is
delivered by it to the crushing rolls 6 and 8 which are so adjusted by the weighted
levers 11 as to crush the materials to a uniform thickness and loosen the fibre from
the woody stalk. From the crushing rolls the crushed material passes along the
guide plates 20, and is then caught by the feed rollers 21 and 22 whose adjacent
surfaces revolve in the direction of the feed of the crushed material, these feed
rollers present the material to the pick up rolls 47 revolving in a direction contrary
to the feed as indicated by arrows in Figure 3. These pick up rolls are so adjusted
with reference to each other by turning their carriers as above described that the
edges 48 will catch the ends of the fibrous part of the crushed material, one of said
rollers acting on the upper and the other on the lower surface of the crushed
material and lifting this fibrous part from the woody stalk will throw it against
the main rolls 46, which revolve in a direction contrary to the previous feed of the
material. As the fibres are thrown by the centrifugal force of the pick up rolls 47
against the surfaces of these rolls 46 which are slightly grooved, they are carried
by said rolls over the feed rolls 21 and 22, and from thence the fibres are carried
on around the rolls 46, passing in succession under the rollers 53, 54, 55, 56
and 57; and after passing from under the rollers 57 these fibres are lifted from the
roll 46 by the scraper 68, and from thence are delivered upon the aprons 69.
Having followed the fibrous part of the material through the machine, I will now
return and describe the passage of the woody stalk from the feed rolls 21 and 22.
From these rolls 21 and 22, the stalk, freed from its fibres passes between the pick
up rolls 47 which do not act upon the stalk as above stated, but the centrifugal
force of said rolls acts as it were to keep the stalk from contact with the rolls, and
thus, although revolving against the feed of the stalk, they do not offer any
material opposition to said feed. After passing between the pickup rolls, the stalk
is caught by the fluted feed rolls 73, and by them fed on to the table 80. These
fluted rolls 73 are so adjusted that the upper roll will be slightly raised by the
entrance of the stalk, and in rising this upper roll will slightly turn the upper
carrier on its pivotal point through the medium of the plates 96, which in the
normal position of the parts rests but slightly on the journal of the upper fluted
rolls. By this movement of the upper carrier, the pickup rolls 47 are slightly
separated to diminish the bite of said rolls on the material and to permit of a more
uimpeded passage of the stalk.
Referring to the modification shewn in Figures 9 and 10, the material after
being crushed between the rollers 6 and 8 passes along a horizontal guide plate
arranged as above described, and is caught by belts passing around the rollers 14
and 15. The lower roller 15 is driven by a gear wheel 16 secured to the power

page_text: shaft 2 through a train of idler gears 16 and 17 and a gear wheel 18 secured to the
journal of the lower roller. The upper roller 14 is driven from the same place and
through the same train of idlers, but from the last idler motion is transmitted
across the machine by the gear 19 and shaft 20 journalled on the sides of the
frame 1; on the opposite end of this shaft 20 is secured the gear 21 which moshes
with the gear 22 on the journal of the upper roller 14.
On the rollers 14 and 15 inside of the frame 1 are pivotally mounted the
carriers 23 and 24, these carriers as above described consist of side plates each of
which is provided with handles 26 for adjusting the positions of said carriers said
handles being held in place by the pins 27 located in slots 28 in the frame 1.
In the centre of these carriers are mounted the main rollers 29, the one in the
upper carrier being provided with a pinion 30 which meshes with the pinion 22
on the journal of the upper roller 14, and the roller in the lower carrier is provided
with the pinion 31 meshing with the gear 18 on the journal of the lower roller 15.
In the side plates around the rollers 29 are mounted the guide rollers 32 and 33
the rollers 32 being so located in the carriers as to be in close proximity to the
rollers 14 and 15 when the machine is in operation.
The spirally grooved rolls 34 which are similar in construction and operation to
the pick up rolls as described above are mounted in the carriers just back of the
pivotal point of said carriers and are provided with small pulleys at their ends,
said pulleys being driven by belts from suitably located power wheels. Behind the
pick up rolls and in contact therewith are located the brushes 35 which serve to
free said rolls from dirt and any fibres caught by the knives of said rolls.
In a frame work located in the rear of the frame 1 is mounted the roller 36,
around this roller 36 and the roller 14 is passed the belt 37, one side of said belt
being hold against the roller 29 by the guide rollers 32 and 33. A belt or apron 38
passes from a roller 39 mounted in the auxiliary frame over a guide roll 40
inounted in the upper carrier 23 under and around the main roll 29 and back to
the.roller 39, the roller 39 being mado adjustable in its bearings to effect the tension
of the belt 38. From another roll 41 in the auxiliary frame a belt or apron 42
passes between the guide rolls 33 and 32 and the main roller 29 in the lower
carrier up and around the roller 15 mounted in the frame and back over the guide
rolls 32 and 33 to the roll 41 which is also adjustable in its bearings.
In the frame 1 in the rear of the pick up rolls 34, are mounted the rolls 43, the
upper roll being driven by a pinion 44 secured thereto and meshing with the
gear 30 on the journal of the upper main roll 29, and the lower roll 43 being driven
by a pinion 45 secured to its projecting journal and meshing with the gear 31 on
the journal lower main roll 29. Around these rolls 43 and 46 adjustably mounted
in the auxiliary frame pass the carrier belts 47 whose function will be hereinafter
stated.
The stalks of the plant to be treated are laid upon the feeding apron 10 and
carried to the crushing rolls 6 and 8 whence they pass along the plate 13 and are
caught and presented to the pickup rolls 34 by belts or aprons 37 and 42 passing
around the rolls 14 and 15. The pick up rolls catch the loosened bark on each side
of the crushed stalk and deliver the same on the upper side between the belt 37
and the apron 38 passing around the main roll 29. The bark thus caught is carried
around the main roll and delivered by the apron 38 at the rear of the machine.
That portion of the bark caught by the lower pick up roll is thrown between the
lower main roll 29 which is preferably covered with canvas or any other suitable
elastic covering, and the belt or apron 42 by which it is carried around the roll 29
and delivered at the rear of the machine. The woody portion of the stalk denuded
of its bark passes between the pick up rolls and is caught and carried to the rear
of the machine by the aprons 47.
It will be noticed however that the separation of the pickup rolls does not
occur until after they have performed their function of lifting the fibres from the
woody stalk and delivered them to fibre feed rolls or belts mounted in the carrier.

page_text: the fibres have been caught by their feed rolls or belts they will be stripped
the woody stalk without the interposition of the pick-up rolls. The separation
pick-up rolls should not be so great as to prevent them from catching the
of fibres, which might be broken and delivering such broken ends to the feed
or belts.
will be observed that it is a characteristic of my machine that the fibres are
ed from the stalks in long lengths and are kept straight and even which is
sible when the fibros are scraped off as has heretofore been customary.
treating ramio and other similar plants a brush is substituted for one of the
rolls in the carriers for the purpose of cleaning the fibres. But in treating
his brush is not essential.
ving now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
m is:
In a decorticating machine a pair of crushing or fibre loosening rolls in
combination with a pair of fibre lifting rolls, and rolls for feeding the freed
fibres, substantially as set forth.
In a decorticating machine a pair of crushing or fibre loosening rolls in
combination with a pair of adjustable fibre lifting rolls, and rolls for feeding
the freed fibres substantially as set forth.
In a decorticating machine a pair of crushing rolls in combination with a pair
of fibre lifting rolls and pivotal carriers for supporting the fibre lifting rolls
substantially as set forth.
In a decorticating machine a pair of crushing rolls in combination with
a pair of feed rolls, carriers pivotally supported on the feed rolls, and a pair
of fibre lifting rolls mounted in said carriers, substantially as set forth.
In a decorticating machine a pair of feed rolls in combination with carriers
pivotally supported on the feed rolls, a pair of fibre lifting rolls and a series
of fibre feeding rolls, the lifting and feeding rolls being mounted in the
carriers, substantially as set forth.
In a decorticating machine a pair of feeding rolls in combination with carriers
pivotally supported on the feed rolls, each carrier having mounted therein
a fibre lifting roll and a series of feeding rolls, and a pair of stalk feeding
rolls located in the rear of the carriers, substantially as set forth.
In a decorticating machine, a pair of feed rolls, in combination with carriers
pivotally supported on the feed rolls, and provided with levers or handles
for adjusting the position of said carriers, and each carrier having mounted
therein a fibre lifting roll, a series of feed rolls and a roll supporting one
end of a feed apron, substantially as set forth.
In a decorticating machine, a pair of feed rolls in combination with carriers
pivotally supported on the feed rolls, and each having mounted therein a
fibre lifting roll, a pair of stalk feeding rolls, and an adjustable plate secured
to the upper carrier and resting upon the upper stalk feed roll, substantially
as set forth.
In a decorticating machine, a pair of carriers adjustably mounted one above
the other, each of said carriers having mounted therein a fibre lifting roll,
a central feed roll and a series of feed rolls arranged around the central roll
_substantially as set forth.
In a decorticating machine a pair of crushing or fibre loosening rolls in
combination with a pair of fibre lifting rolls, and continuous carriers for
catching and feeding the feed bark or fibres as delivered by the lifting rolls,
substantially as set forth.
In a decorticating machine a pair of crushing rolls in combination with a
pair of feeding belts, a pair of fibre lifting rolls, and continuous carriers
for catching and feeding the fibres or bark as delivered by the lifting rolls,
· substantially as set forth.

page_text: 12. As an improvement in the art of separating vegetable fibres from the woody
body of jute, ramie and other like plants, the herein described method,
which consists in loosening the fibrous covering or bark from the woody
body by breaking or crushing the stalks of such plants longitudinally and
then lifting or pulling the fibrous covering or bark from the woody body in
continuous transversely unbroken lengths, substantially as set forth.
D