IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS or DISINTEGRATING RAMIE AND OTHER FIBROUS STALKS, AND IN MACHINERY THEREFOR
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Haddan, of the Firm of Herbert and
Company, Solicitors of Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROCESS or
DISINTEGRATING RAMIE AND OTHER FIBROUS STALKS, AND IN MACHINERY
THEREFOR." A communication from abroad by Albert Angell, of East Orange,
New Jersey, United States of America, Civil Engineor.
Sealed the 12th March 1880, and dated the 4th October 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Herbert John Haddan at
"
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 4th October 1879.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert and Company, Solicitors of
Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer.
IMPROVE
MENTS IN THE PROCESS OF DISINTEGRATING RAMIE AND OTHER FIBROUS STALKS,
AND IN MACHinery ThereFOR.” A communication from abroad by Albert Angell,
of East Orange, New Jersey, United States of America, Civil Engineer.
The improvements consist in disintegrating ramic and other fibrous stalks by
first splitting the stalks into two halves, then exposing each half when desirable to
the action of crushing rollers, then removing the pith from each half of such split
(and crushed) stalk by a suitable beater acting on one side thereof, and the skin or
bark by a suitable scraper acting on the other side of the stalk. The stalks are
introduced to the machine separately from a hopper provided with guide channels,
and pass between two feed rollers against a splitting knife formed at the apex of a
ridge, the sides of which constitute diverging guides for the two halves of the split
stalk, the said sides being provided with partitions for keeping the adjoining stalks
separate. Below each diverging guide may be placed a set of crushing rollers for
breaking up or flattening each half stalk before it reaches the beaters situated below
these rollers, and consisting chiefly of revolving blades partly covered with an
adjustable segmental shell or mantle so as to vary the space between the blades and
the shell according to the thickness of the stalks. From the beaters the stalks pass
between press rollers to the revolving scrapers situated below the former, and
consisting chiefly of radial blades acting against an elastic cushion, preferably con-
structed of one or more blocks of wood placed side by side, suspended from a
common axis or pivot and pressed upon by an adjustable spring or springs. The
circumferential speed of the scrapers should be greater than that of the press rollers
in order to scrape off the skin or bark from the fibres.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Herbert John Haddan in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
25th March 1880.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert and Company, Solicitors of
"IMPROVE-
Patents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer.
MENTS IN THE PROCESS OF DISINTEGRATING RAMIE AND OTHER FIBROUS STALKS,
AND IN MACHINERY THEREFOR." A communication from abroad by Albert Angell,
of East Orange, New Jersey, United States of America, Civil Engineer.
This Invention consists in the process of disintegrating ramie and other fibrous
stalks by first splitting the stalks into two halves, then exposing each half to the
action of crushing rollers (the use of these rollers being optional), then removing
from each half of such split and crushed stalk the pith by a suitable beater acting
thereon on one side, and the skin or bark by a suitable scraper acting thereon on
the other side. Also in a machine for carrying out the foregoing process, as herein
after fully described. This Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawing,
in which Figure 1 represents a vertical central section of the machine; Figure 2 is
a front elevation thereof. Similar letters indicate corresponding parts. In tho
Drawing the letter A designates the machine frame; and B, a hopper, in the bottom
of which are guide channels a through which the stalks to be disintegrated aro
introduced to the machine, each separate from the other. These channels a are
arranged in a rectilnear plane, and run parallel to feed rollers C which are mounted
on shafts b beneath the hopper, the same being situated on opposite sides of the
channels a and a space being left between them, as shewn. By the guide channels a
the stalks are kept straight as they are presented to the feed rollers C, and it may
be here stated that such channels can be formed in other ways than in the bottoni
of the hopper. Between and below the feed rollers C is a splitting knife D, which
is formed at the apex of a ridge, the sides c, c, of which constitute diverging guides
and act respectively on one half of the split stalk. Each of the guides c, c, is pro-
vided with partitions d, whereby it is divided into as many spaces or channels as
there are holes a in the bottom of the hopper B. On opposite sides of and below
the diverging guides c, c, are crushing rollers F, one set to each guide, which are
mounted on shafts e. The Invention is not confined to the use of these crushing
rollers as the stalks may be fed directly from the feed rollers and knife to the beaters.
The object in adding crushing rollers is to break up or flatten out each half stalk
before it reaches the beaters G situated below these rollers. The beaters G are
partly enclosed by shells H, secured to the machine frame with set screws, which
admit of their being moved to or from the beaters as the thickness of the fibre may
require. Below the two beaters G are presser rollers I, one set to each beater,
which are mounted on shafts g, and below the pressers rollers are scrapers J
mounted on shafts h. Opposite to the scrapers J are elastic cushions K, one to
each scraper, consisting of one or more blocks of wood, which are placed side by
side until the desired width is obtained. The upper ends of these blocks are hung
on pivots l, and their lower ends connect with a pin and spring j which gives the
elasticity or pressure necessary for the scrapers to reinove the bark from the fibre
without cutting or injuring the fibre. Both the beaters G and the scrapers
constructed with radial blades. The several rollers, beaters, and scrapers are geared
together to revolve in the directions respectively indicated by arrows in Fig. 1.
As the stalks leave the hopper B they are caught by the feed rollers C, C, and
thereby forced upon the splitting knife D, whereby they are divided into two
halves, one of which passes off on one side and the other on the other side of the knife.
The half stalks passing off from the splitting knife D are deflected by the converging
guides c, c, and are caught by the crushing rollers F, or if these rollers are omitted
by the beaters G, and as they pass over the guides the respective half stalks are
separated or isolated from each other by the channels formed by the partitions d
J are

page_text: The crushing rollers F flatten out the half stalks and pass them to the beaters C,
by which the pith is removed therefrom, the action of these beaters being as
follows:-The flattened half stalks, or unflattened half stalks, as the case may be,
are caught by one of the blades of the beaters and drawn under the shells H, where
they are beaten by successive blades until the pith is knocked off. The pithless
fibre leaving the beaters G is caught by the presser rollers I and thereby conducted
to the scrapers J. These scrapers J revolve with greater superficial speed than the
presser rollers I, and thence the fibre is retarded as it were by the presser rollers,
so that the blades of the scrapers act upon the fibre with a tendency to divest it of
skin or bark.
1. The within described process of disintegrating ramie and other fibrous stalks
by splitting the stalks and then removing the pith from each half of said split
stalk by a suitable beater acting thereon, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
2. The within described process of disintegrating ramie and other fibrous stalks
by first splitting the stalk, then exposing each half to the action of crushing rollers,
and then removing the pith from each half of said split and crushed stalk by a
suitable beater acting thereon, substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. The within described process of disintegrating ramie and other fibrous stalks
by first splitting the stalk, then exposing each half to the action of crushing rollers,
then removing from each half of said split and crushed stalk the pith by a suitable
beater acting thereon on one side, and the skin or bark by a suitable scraper acting
thereon on the other side, substantially as and for the purpose described.
4. The combination in a machine for disintegrating ramie and other fibrous
stalks, the feed rollers, a splitting knife, and a beater, all adapted to operate sub-
stantially as described.
5. In a machine for disintegrating ramie and other fibrous stalks, the combination
of feed rollers, a splitting knife, crushing rollers, and a beater, all adapted to operate
substantially as described.
5. In a machine for disintegrating ramie and other fibrous stalks, the combination
of feed rollers, a splitting knife, crushing rollers, and a beater, all adapted to operate
substantially as described.
6. In a machine for disintegrating ramie and other fibrous stalks, the combination
of feed rollers, a splitting knife, crushing rollers, a beater, and a scraper, all adapted
to operated substantially as described.
7. In a machine for disintegrating ramie and other fibrous stalks, the combination
of feed rollers, a splitting knife, crushing rollers, a beater, a scraper, and presser
rollers, all adapted to operate substantially as described.
8. In a machine for disintegrating ramie and other fibrous stalks, the combination
with feed rollers and a splitting knife of guide channels for keeping the whole
stalks straight as they are presented to the feed rollers, all adapted to operate sub-
stantially as described.
9. In a machine for disintegrating ramic and other fibrous stalks, the combination
of diverging guides with feed rollers, a splitting knife, and two beaters, one on each
side of the splitting knife, all adapted to operate substantially as described.
10. In a machine for disintegrating ramie and other fibrous stalks, the combina-
tion of diverging guides with feed rollers, a splitting knife, two sets of crushing
rollers, and two beaters, all adapted to operate substantially as described.
11. In a machine for disintegrating ramie and other fibrous stalks, the combina-
tion with feed rollers, a splitting knife, two beaters, and with or without two sets
of crushing rollers of diverging guides, having partitions to form chanuels whereby
the half stalks are kept separate from each other, substantially as described.
12. In a machine for disintegrating rame and other fibrous stalks, the combina-
tion with feed rollers, a splitting knife, diverging guides, two beaters, and with or

page_text: without two sets of crushing rollers, of two scrapers, all adapted to operate sub-
stantially as described.
13. In a machine for disintegrating ramie and other fibrous stalks, the combina-
tion with feed rollers, a splitting knife, diverging guides, two beaters, two scrapers,
and with or without two sets of crushing rollers, of two presser rollers, all adapted
to operate substantially as described.
14. In a machine for disintegrating ramic and other fibrous stalks, the combina-
tion with revolving scrapers of elastic cushions, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
15. In a machine for disintegrating ramic and other fibrous stalks, the combina-
tion with feed rollers, a splitting knife, diverging guides, two beaters, two sets of
presser rollers, and two scrapers, of elastic cushions, co-operating with the scrapers,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
16. In a machine for disintegrating ramic and other fibrous stalks, the combina-
tion with revolving beaters of shells partly surrounding the beaters, for the purpose
of enabling the beaters to force the pith off the half stalks, substantially as
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert John Haddan, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty fifth day of March, A.D. 1880.