A MACHINE TO DESINTEGRATE OR EXTRACT THE RAMIE FIBRE FROM THE INNER WOOD AND OUTER BARK OF THE RAMIE PLANT IN ITS GREEN STATE, AND ALSO TO EXTRACT THE FIBRE FROM ALL OTHER TEXTILE PLANTS IN THEIR GREEN STATE
Year: 1874

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Gabriel Raphael Hugon at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th June 1874,-A communication from abroad by Messrs. Antoine
Berthet and Pierre Labérie, of New Orleans, U.S.
I, GABRIEL RAPHAEL HUGON, of No. 73, Great Tower Street, in the City
of London, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A
MACHINE TO DESINTEGRATE OR EXTRACT THE RAMIE FIBRE FROM THE INNER WOOD
AND OUTER BARK OF THE RAMIE PLANT IN ITS GREEN STATE, AND ALSO TO EXTRACT
THE FIBRE FROM ALL OTHER TEXTILE PLANTS IN THEIR GREEN STATE," to be as
follows:
-
This Invention consists in a machine for disintegrating and extracting
the ramie fibre from the inner wood and outer bark of the ramie plant
in its green state, and also for extracting the fibre from all other textile
plants in their green state, such as flax, hemp, jute, rhea, and China
grass, etc., etc., and is carried out in the following manner :- -We suppose
that the machine illustrated in the Drawings hereunto annexed is working
ramic. The workman takes a handful of six to eight stems, according to
their thickness, and presents them between the pulley T and the feeding.

page_text: wheel K, this pulley placed as near as possible to the feeding wheel
assists in crushing the stems at the point where they are siezed by the
two ropes N, N; with the left hand the workman bends the stems as
soon as they are siezed and directs their heads towards the cleaning
rollers B, B. Each of these rollers are provided with six rows of knives,
the lower knives having a contrary inclination to the upper ones.
The
knives are made in such a way as to allow of a space between their
lower extremities or base which is filled with a band of vulcanite india-
rubber or leather, serving to press upon the upper extremities of the
corresponding knives of the other cylinder. It is the contact of the
knives with these bands which causes the removal of the thin bark
covering the fibre, at the same time the knives break up in fragments
between their spaces the internal wood of the stems which the rapidity
of the rotation throws out. The feeding wheel K continuing its rotary
motion draws the stems up to the point of contact with the cylinders; at
this moment the fibre hangs on behind like tape, it then begins to
come out, and the last knives finish the cleaning by combing it. The
object of the guide V is simply to prevent the fibre from coming out at
the end of the cylinders and knives. At the point where the ropes N, N,
get free from the feeding wheel K the fibres become free & suspended,
a workman placed near there turns them back by letting the short
uncleaned ends hang on, and applics to the feeding wheel K the cleaned
part so that at the second turn the fibre is entirely cleaned. The work-
man whose duty it is to feed the machine with the stems alternates with
a handful of half cleaned fibre so that there is no time wasted.
The machine above described may be subjected to alterations, according
to the fibres to be treated, and this without injury to its principles and
claims; the knives instead of being disposed, as shown by the Drawing,
may be directed in a different way, and they may be more or less
crossed. I reserve to myself equally to transform this machine in such
a way as to make it double acting, that is to say, to alter its construction
so as to provide it with a second feeding wheel and a second pair of
rollers garnished with knife blades, the whole thus united only making
one machine although with double action.
This machine which is as I have stated for the purpose of decorticating
and extracting the fibre from all kinds of textile plants in their green
state may be appropriated to decorticating and extracting the fibre from
all kinds of roots and even from tender wood which may contain fibre.