Improvements in Machines for Decorticating Ramie and other Textile Plants.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 18th Aug., 1891-Accepted, 24th Oct., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Decorticating Ramie and other
Textile Plants.
1, GUSTAVE EMILE NOÉ ISIDORE ERNEST SUBRA, of 45, Rue Saint
Sébastien, Paris, in the Republic of France, Mechanician, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows
-
This invention relates to an improved machine having for object the decortication
of the stalks of ramie, that is to say the complete extraction of the wood or
ligneous matter and of the leaves, and the removal of the pellicle or epidermis
which covers the textile part or fibrous matter.
;
This machine is of great simplicity, strong, and of reduced bulk and weight
which enables it to be brought to the work without difficulty further, it may operate
upon the stalks whether in the green or the dry state by simply changing one of its
working parts.
My improved machine is composed essentially of two pairs of cylinders. One
pair namely the crushing cylinders are smooth or slightly undulated and have
parallel axles, they turn the one upon the other under a determined pressure,
effected by springs, they drive each other reciprocally by toothed wheels so as to
turn in the same direction, and they have for object to effect the preliminary
crushing of the wood or ligneous matter of the stalks before they pass into the pair
of wood and pellicle stripping cylinders.
The upper crushing cylinder has its axle connected by caps enclosing pressure
springs and by a cross bar or rod to a lever keyed on the said cross piece which
turns in suitable bearings.
In front of the crushing cylinders is a table upon which the stalks to be decorticated
are to be laid.
The stripping cylinders are formed of metal blades or plates having their ends
forcibly set into discs or plates firmly keyed upon the parallel shafts of these
cylinders, which shafts reciprocally actuate each other by toothed wheels. This
particular method of forming the stripping cylinders by means of blades or plates
constitute bottomless grooves, the choking of which is impossible, as is not the case
in the machines now in use.
The plates of the stripping cylinders are of rectangular section and their outer
end may be rounded or cut square forming a sharp angle. Their respective dises
are so keyed that they enter between each other when the stripping cylinders
rotate; the speed of these latter is greater than that of the crushing cylinders.
The cylinders are arranged horizontally, vertically, or obliquely; they are
mounted upon a wooden or a metal frame of suitable shape and dimensions and they
may be driven by hand or other power, practically as follows:-
In front of the crushing cylinders is a shaft furnished at one of its ends with a
crank and at the other with a pulley. This shaft communicates its movement by
wheels to the lower crushing cylinder which in its turn transmits it to the shaft of
the lower stripping cylinder by wheels, between which is an intermediate wheel in
order that the direction of the rotation may not be changed. The connection of
the lower crushing cylinder and of the lower stripping cylinder may also be
In every
obtained by means of an endless chain or in any other suitable manner.
case a fly wheel is keyed on the shaft of one or other of the cylinders to regulate
the movement.
Working. As above stated the crushing cylinders by reason of the pressure to
which they are submitted crush the wood or ligneous part of the stalks which pass
between them, and this wood is entirely broken and disengaged, as also the leaves

page_text: and the pellicle by the action of the stripping cylinders. The wood, leaves and
pellicle thus disengaged fall to the ground without the possibility of choking the
stripping cylinders. When this operation has taken place upon half the length of
the stalks, the operator draws them to him and presents the opposite part to the
cylinders so that the entire length is freed from wood and pellicle.
In order to easily bring back the stalks, the pressure of the upper crushing
cylinder upon the lower is taken off by acting on the lever keyed on the cross
piece so as to uplift the said cylinder.
It should be observed that these crushing cylinders by reason of their speed
being less in relation to that of the stripping cylinders hold back these stalks to a
certain extent, in order to give to the stripping cylinders sufficient time to effect a
proper working.
The operation is therefore of the simplest and may be produced upon five or six
stalks at a time according to their thickness. The strips obtained are free from
wood, leaves and pellicles and are ready for the ulterior operations.
I may here observe that the plates of the stripping cylinders cut square or at a
sharp angle are specially intended for the treatment of ramic in the green state,
whereas those with rounded end suit the ramie in both conditions (green and dry)
but without removal of the pellicle.
I may make my machine in all sizes and of any material which I may find
suitable.
I may also double the machine without changing the arrangement of its parts or
the result obtained.
Data
1
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Decorticating Ramie and other
Textile Plants.
I, GUSTAVE EMILE NOÉ ISIDORE ERNEST SUBRA, of 45 Rue St.
Sébastien, Paris, in the Republic of France, Mécanicien, 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 improved machine having for object the decortication
of the stalks of ramie, that is to say the complete extraction of the wood or
ligneous matter and of the leaves, and the removal of the pellicle or epidermis
which covers the textile part or fibrous matter.
This machine is of great simplicity, strong, and of reduced bulk and weight
which enables it to be brought to the work without difficulty; further, it may
operate upon the stalks whether in the green or the dry state by simply changing
one of its working parts.
To leave no doubt as to its arrangement as a whole, upon the grouping of its
working parts and its working I will now describe it by reference to the accom-
panying drawing which represents a specimen as example.
Figure 1 of the drawing is a longitudinal elevation of the machine in question.
Figure 2 is a corresponding top plan view.
Figure 3 is a transverse section following the line 1-2 of Figure 2.
Figures 4 and 5 show detached variations of one of the working parts.
The machine thus represented is composed essentially of two pairs of
cylinders A, A and B, B' arranged, driven, and working as will be seen.
The cylinders A A' are smooth or slightly undulated with parallel axles,
turning the one upon the other under a determined pressure, effected by the springs,
they drive each other reciprocally by the toothed wheels a, a' so as to turn in

page_text: opposite directions, and they have for object to effect the preliminary crushing of
the wood or ligneous matter of the stalks before they pass into the wood and
pellicle stripping cylinders B, B'.
The upper cylinder A has its axle connected by caps d, d, enclosing pressure
springs and by a cross bar or rod c to a lever C keyed on the said cross piece c
which turns in suitable bearings.
In front of the cylinders A A' is a table t upon which the stalks to be decorti-
cated are to be laid.
The cylinders B B are formed of metal blades or plates having their ends
forcibly set into discs or plates firmly keyed upon the parallel shafts of these
cylinders, which shafts reciprocally actuate each other by the toothed wheels b, b'.
This particular method of forming the cylinders B, B' by means of blades or plates
constitutes bottomless grooves, the choking of which is impossible, as is not the case
in the machines now in use.
The plates are of rectangular section and their outer end is rounded (Figure 4)
or at right angle (Figure 5.) Their respective discs are so keyed that they as it
were fit between each other as shown Figure 3 when the cylinders B B₁ rotate.
The speed of these latter is greater than that of the cylinders A A'.
These cylinders are arranged horizontally, vertically, or obliquely they are
mounted upon a wooden or metal frame of suitable shape and dimensions. They
may be driven by hand or other power, practically as follows:-
In front of the cylinders A A' is a shaft D furnished at one of its ends with a
crank M and at the other, with a pulley P. This shaft communicates its movement
by the wheels e and to the shaft of the lower cylinder B by the wheels g.and h,
between which is an intermediate wheel in order that the direction of the rotation
may not be changed. The connection of the cylinder A' and of the cylinder B¹
may also be obtained by means of an endless chain or in any other suitable
manner. In every case a fly wheel V is keyed on the shaft of one or other of the
cylinders to regulate the movement.
When horse power is used for driving my machine I substitute for the pulley P,
keyed on the shaft D, a toothed wheel connected by an endless chain or otherwise,
to another wheel belonging to a lower shaft situated at the foot of the machine and
which is actuated directly from the horse mill.
Working. As above stated the cylinders A A! by reason of the pressure to
which they are submitted crush the wood or ligneous part of the stalks which pass
between them, and this wood is entirely broken and disengaged, as also the leaves
and the pellicle by the action of the cylinders B B'. The wood, leaves and pellicle
thus disengaged fall to the ground without the possibility of choking the
cylinders B B. When this operation has taken place upon half the length of the
stalks, the operator draws them to him and presents the opposite part to
the cylinders so that the entire length is freed from wood and pellicle.
In order to easily bring back the stalks, the pressure of the cylinder A
upon that A is taken off by acting on the lever so as to uplift the said
cylinder A.
It should be observed that these cylinders A. A', by reason of their speed being
less in relation to that of the cylinders B B hold back these stalks to a
certain extent, in order to give to the cylinders B B₁ sufficient time for a proper
working.
The operation is therefore of the simplest and may be produced upon five or six
stalks at a time according to their thickness. The strips obtained are free from
wood, leaves and pellicle and are ready for the ulterior operations.
I may here observe that the plates of the cylinders B and B' cut square or at
a sharp angle (Figure 5) are specially intended for the treatment of ramie in the
green state, whereas those with rounded end suit the ramie in both conditions (green
and dry) but without removal of the pellicle.
In conclusion, I need scarcely observe that I may make my machine in all sizes
and of any materials which I may find suitable.

page_text: I may also double the machine without changing the arrangement of its parts or
the result obtained; that is to say, I may place two similar machines side by side
and utilise the same driving gear, but it will be understood that the two machines
may have a common frame so as to form only a single and same machine.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
The above described machine for decorticating ramic and more particularly
:-
1. In machines for decorticating ramic, the arrangement of the crushing
cylinders A and A' with smooth or slightly undulated surface, in combination
with springs intended to give to the upper cylinder A the pressure desired for
crushing the stalks and with a lever for suspending said cylinder to facilitate, by
the uplifting of this latter the withdrawal of the decorticated stalks. The whole
arranged and working in the manner set forth with reference to the accompanying
drawing.
2. In machines for decorticating ramie, the particular arrangement of the wood
and pellicle stripping cylinders B and B₁ formed of metal blades or plates / con-
necting discs or end plates keyed on their driving shafts; the said plates entering
between each other and having their outer end cut to sharp angles for the purpose
of producing the complete wood and pellicle stripping of the stalks of ramie in
the green state. The whole arranged in the manner and with the object set forth
with reference to the accompanying drawing.
3. The combination of the crushing cylinders A and A¹ and of the wood and
in some
cases pellicle stripping cylinders B and B', the one pair acting by
pressure the other by friction, by reason of their different speed, with the object of
producing complete and perfect decortication of the stalks of ramic. The said
cylinders set on a frame and actuated in the manner set forth with reference to the
accompanying drawing.
4. In machines for decorticating ramie, the particular arrangement of the wood
stripping cylinders B and B formed of metal blades or plates connecting end
discs or plates keyed on their driving shafts; the said plates entering between
each other and having their outer end rounded for the purpose of producing the
wood stripping of the stalks of ramic both in the green and in the dry state.
The whole in the manner and with the object above set forth with reference to the
accompanying drawing.
Dated this Eighteenth day of August 1891.