New or Improved Apparatus for Treating Stalks of Fibrous Plants.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Apparatus for Treating Stalks of Fibrous Plants.
A communication from abroad by JOSEPH G. PRATT, of Chicago, care of Illinois
Central Station, Park Row, in the County of Cook and State of Illinois,
United States of America, Gentleman.
I, JAMES GRIEVE LORRAIN, M.I.E.E., M.I.Mech. E., of Norfolk House, Norfolk
Street, London, W.C., in the County of Middlesex, Chartered Patent Agent, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention (as communicated to me from abroad)
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 certain improvements in the means employed for clean-
ing off and stripping the skin or epidermis surrounding the fibres of ramie, jute,
flax, hemp and other fibrous plants that grow upon single stalks and are of a fine
and delicate nature.
The fibre of such plants, which contains more or less gum or sap, lies between
the outer covering or epidermis and the wood core of the stalks.
Heretofore, these fibrous plants have been cleaned by a long and expensive
process of retting in various ways, and also by decorticating machines, which
strip, tear and break the entire stalk, including the wooden core portion, causing
the product to be delivered from the machine with the fibre mingled with the
crushed wood core in a tangled mass and with the skin, only partially and
incompletely removed, constituting a part of the tangled mass.
This necessitates the treatment of this tangled mass with powerful chemicals
in order to entirely separate the skin and gum or sap from the mass product.
The crushing of the core, fibre and the skin into a tangled mass renders it more
difficult to separate the wood of the core from the fibre and to eliminate the gum
or sap.
As it is necessary also that the strands of the fibre product should be straight
and separated from each other, reducing the fibre, skin and wood core into a
tangled mass defeats this object and renders it extremely difficult to disentangle
the mass, separate the wood core and skin and straighten out and separate the
strands of the fibre. It is not possible, with existing methods, to avoid great
waste, owing to the defective mode of operating the existing decorticating
machines.
The object of my invention is to provide a machine which shall more nearly
conform to the natural methods in its effective action upon the plants and which
shall therefore simply detach and more completely remove the skin from the
fibre without crushing the wood core, a part of the skin, and the fibre, into a
tangled mass, permeated with the gum or sap.
In my improved machine I simply subject the plant, with its skin softened
by previous treatment, to the influence of a set of rolls, having a progressive
differential peripheral speed, which rolls seize upon the plants, and in the pro-
gressive advance of the plants through the set of rolls, subject them to a con-
tinued longitudinal pull, completely stripping and wiping the skin from the fibre,

page_text: instead of breaking the wood core and crushing the fibre into the core and only
partially removing the skin. With my improved machine the fibre is undetached
from the core and therefore it is retained 'in its natural position
with the strands straight, producing ultimately the complete removal of
the skin and the retention of the fibre in its natural position on the core, also
greatly facilitating the process of eliminating the gum or sap.
One of the features of my invention which materially co-operates to produce
the desired results resides in the formation of a peculiar and particular character
of yielding and compressible surface on the rolls whereby the stalks or plants
are seized between yielding surfaces, which conform to the size and shape of each
plant or stalk, and which prevent any crushing or breaking of the plants or
stalks, or dislodgement of the fibre from its natural position on the stalk, as they
are subjected to the differential action of the rolls which strip and wipe the skin
from the fibre.
My invention has certain other objects in view and consists in certain features
about to be described, reference being now had to the accompanying drawings
in which;
Figure 1 is a side elevation of one type of my improved machine having rolls
of progressively increased diameter.
Figure 2 is a view of a side of the machine opposite to that shown in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a central longitudinal section.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of another type having progressively decreasing
gears to increase peripheral speed.
Figure 5 is a detailed cross section of one of the rollers.
In carrying out my invention I provide two types of machine to obtain the
differential peripheral speed of rollers whereby to act upon the stalks. In one
type of machine I provide sets of rollers of progressively increasing diameter and
in the other provide rolls of the same diameter but cause them, in sets, to rela-
tively and progressively increase in speed.
It will be understood that the stalks, before subjection to the action of the
machine, are treated in a bath of suitable chemicals, as is usual, to soften the
fibre and skin.
I will now proceed to describe the character of machine having sets of rolls of
relatively increasing diameters, shown in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive.
The mechanism is mounted upon a suitable supporting table A, having cast
therewith and projecting therefrom the bearing plates B. Journalled in these
bearing plates are the sets of rollers or rolls D, arranged in pairs, one above the
other. These rolls, as is shown, are progressively, in sets or pairs, of relatively
increasing diameter. Each pair or set of the rolls 1) is driven at the same rate
of speed preferably by means of the meshing gear wheels D2 and D3 respectively
on each roll (Fig. 2) and the lower rolls of the machine are driven by the bevel
gear wheels D (Fig. 1) meshing with the bevel pinion D5 of the drive shaft E,
which extends from end to end of the machine and is journalled in the boxes E2.
Brush rolls H, are located, respectively above and below the wiping rolls D,
(Fig. 3) and these brush rolls are driven in a direction opposite to that of the
wiping rolls by means of the shafts J and J2 (Fig. 2) and the bevel gear wheels J
and J, respectively on the brush rolls and said shafts. These shafts also extend
longitudinally alongside of and from end to end of the machine and are mounted
in the boxes J5.
By reason of the relatively increased diameter of the rolls it is necessary to
extend the shafts J and J2 so that they diverge gradually in relative position one
from the other.
The apron guards K, though not essential, consist of inclined plates or boards
fitted between each set of rollers preferably for the full length of the rollers and
their function is to ensure the material from being wound round the rollers and
to direct it straight through and between each set of rollers.
In this type of machine it is evident that each respective set of rolls has what

page_text: may be termed a peripheral speed varying from that of its neighbours and that
this peripheral variation of speed increases progressively from one end of the
machine to the other.
When the stalks are fed between the first set of rolls and their advancing end;
seized by the next set of rolls, having a relatively increased peripheral speed, the
difference of speed between the two sets imparts to the stalks a pull which tends
to wipe or strip the epidermis from the fibre.
The wiping rolls D are faced with a covering of what is generally known as a
sponge rubber, as at L, (Fig. 5) a product of manufacture which is exceedingly
pliable and yielding and which will yet retain a firm grip and seizure upon the
stalk. I have discovered that this sponge rubber will permit the use of rolls to
strip and wipe off the epidermis and that it will obviate the crushing of the
stalks and the tangling together of the incompletely removed skin, the fibre and
the crushed stalk.
The rolls so faced yield to the several stalks, and in yielding obtain and main-
tain a firm hold upon the stalks, to subject them to the influence of the differ-
ential peripheral speed of the rolls, as the stalks are drawn through the rolls and
at each set subjected progressively to a pull which tends to wipe and strip the
epidermis from the fibre.
By this means the fibre is separated readily from the epidermis and retains its
natural straight position upon the stalks, thus preventing the tangling together
of the separate lengths of fibre and presenting the fibre in a straight position on
the core or stem for subsequent treatment.
The other form of machine which is illustrated in Figure 4 is of the samic
general construction, except that the rolls D are all of the same diameter, the
peripheral speed of the sets of rolls being relatively and progressively increased
by progressively decreasing the size of the gear wheel D³, of each set, thereby
rotating the rolls at a relatively and progressively increased speed.
I provide means for delivering upon the stalks, as they are advanced through
the machine, a supply of water through the main feed pipe J and the branch
pipes therefrom.
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:-
1. In an apparatus for treating the stalks of fibrous plants, the combination of
the sets of rolls arranged to act upon said stalks and means for imparting to
said sets of rolls a relatively and progressively increasing peripheral speed whereby
the stalks are subjected to the differential movement between said sets to strip
or wipe the covering or epidermis from the fiber.
2. In an apparatus for treating the stalks of fibrous plants, sets of rolls having
a peripheral covering of sponge rubber, arranged to act upon said stalks and
means for imparting to said sets of rolls a relatively and progressively increasing
peripheral speed whereby the stalks are subjected to the differential movement
between said sets to strip or wipe the covering or epidermis from the fiber.
3. In an apparatus for treating the stalks of fibrous plants, sets of rolls arranged
to act upon said stalks, means for imparting to said sets of rolls a relatively and
progressively increasing peripheral speed, whereby the stalks are subjected to
the differential movement between said sets, to strip or wipe the covering or
epidermis from the stalk, and a series of brush rolls positioned in proximity to
each of the sets of rolls aforesaid, which are driven in opposite direction to said
rolls whereby to clean the said rolls.
1000