Improvements in Decorticating Machines.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Applcation, 2nd Sept., 1898-Accepted, 24th June, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Decorticating Machines.
I, ALBERT PRICE, Gentleman, a Citizen of the United States, and residing at
3690, Laclede Avenue, in the City of St. Louis, State of Missouri, one of the
United States of North America, 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; -
My invention relates to a machine for treating ramie, and my invention con-
sists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the
claims.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my machine.
Figure 2 is an enlarged detail vertical section, taken on line II-II, Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a detail vertical section.
Figure 4 is a top or plan view with the beater removed.
1 represents a frame supporting a series of rollers 2. The rollers are preferably
arranged in an are of a circle so that circularly arranged beaters, hereinafter
referred to, operate in conjunction with them all.
A represents the receiving end of the machine, and at this end of the machine
there is an upper feed roller 3 and a lower feed roller 4, the roller 3 being longi-
tudinally corrugated. These rollers are connected at one side of the machine by
means of gear wheels 5, so that they will revolve in the direction of their arrows
(Figure 3).
6 represents a belt, upon which the ramie stalks are placed and fed to the
machine, first, passing between a pair of feed rollers 7 and 8, preferably butt end
first, that are located in front of the feed rollers 3 and 4.
The shaft of the roller 9, around which the feed belt 6 passes, is provided with
a gear wheel 10 that meshes into a similar wheel 11 on the shaft of the feed
roller 7, so that the roller 9 is operated from the roller 7. The roller 7 is connected
to the roller 8 by means of gear wheels or pinions 12.
Located between the two pair of feed rollers are a pair of jaws 13, 14, with flat
faces, by which is meant faces the general direction of which is straight with the line
of feed. These jaws are arranged one over the other with their working or adjacent
faces parallel or substantially so, and they are pivoted on separate centres, the
upper jaw being preferably pivoted on the journals of the roller 7, and the lower
jaw being preferably pivoted on the journals of the roller 8.
As the ramie leaves the rollers 7 and 8, partly crushed, it passes between these
jaws to the rollers 3 and 4. The jaws are connected together by a link 15, and
the lower jaw is connected by a pitman 16 to an eccentric 17 on a shaft 18, by
which the jaws are operated. The link 15 is preferably shorter than the distance
apart of the pivots of the jaws so that a shorter movement of the jaws, for a given
amount of pressure on the stalks, is required than would otherwise be necessary.
When the machine is in operation, the jaws have a vertical oscillatory movement
imparted to them, and combined with this movement there is a sliding lengthwise
movement of the jaws with relation to each other (due to their being pivoted on
separate centres), so that the ramie stalks are being bent back and forth as they

page_text: pass between the jaws, and the jaws rub the stalks in the direction of their lengths,
thus breaking and loosening the bark.
As the jaws move in either direction from a horizontal position, it will be
observed that they will approach each other, or become closer together at their
outer ends, thus producing also a squeezing action on the stalks, as well as the
rubbing and bending action. The action of the jaws upon the stalks is much the
same as is obtained by taking a stalk in the hands and working it back and forth
between the fingers a common hand method of treating ramie or china grass.
The rollers 3 and 4 take the ramie as it leaves the jaws and the ramie passes
between the roller 3 and a stationary concave block 22, and it is then brushed
over the sharp edge of the block in a downwardly direction by means of beaters
and brushes carried by a fan 23. The fan shaft carries a drive pulley B that
receives a belt from a suitable motor.
24 represents a belt, approximately as wide as the rollers 2 are long, and which
passes around a roller 25 and beneath a roller 26. This belt also passes back and
forth over and under the rollers 2; first passing over the roller 2 that is next to
the feed end of the machine, then beneath the next roller, then over the third
roller and so on as shown. The roller 4 and the rollers 2 that the belt 24 passes
under, are preferably rubber faced, so as to provide against danger of injuring
the fibre.
The roller 25 is journaled in sliding boxes 27, provided with tightening bolts 28
by which the belt may be kept taut. 29 represents a belt supported on rollers 30
and 31, the roller 31 having a tightening device 31ª like that provided for the
roller 25.
The casing 32 of the fan has an air discharge spout 33, so arranged that the
bark and refuse matter will be deposited upon a carrier belt 34.
35 is a belt that passes around a pulley on the fan shaft and around a pulley 36
on an extension 37 of the axle or shaft of one of the rollers 2, and the rollers are
thus driven from the fan shaft.
At the outer edges of the radial blades 38 of the fan are arranged the beaters 39°
and brushes 39 that sweep over the surface of the rollers 2. The beaters are
preferably flexible strips that are secured to the blades, as shown. The air enters
the eye of the fan, which produces a forced current of air over the rollers 2, and
through the air discharge spout 33 of the fan. The fan is made to revolve in
the direction of the arrow, Figure 3, and the beaters and brushes act to remove the
skin or outer coating and the wood from the ramie fibre. The ramie passes down
between the travelling belt 24 and the second roller 2 from the feed end of the
machine, and again down between the belt and the fourth roller 2 from the feed
end of the machine, and as it passes between these rollers and the belt it is
mashed, and upon coming up its bark is removed by the beaters or brushes. In
leaving the machine the ramie fibre passes between the belt 29 and the belt 24,
both of which are travelling and produce a forced delivery of the material.
The rollers 2 and the roller 30, are connected by a train of gearing 40, the
shaft of the roller 2 that is nearest the feed-end of the machine being extended
and provided with a pinion 2" that engages a pinion 2b on the shaft of roller 3,
whereby the roller 3 is turned. The shaft or axle of the roller 30 is provided
with a gear wheel 41, that meshes with a gear wheel 42, upon the shaft or axle
of the roller by which the carrier belt 34 is driven. On the shaft 60, of the last
of the series of rollers 2, is a pulley 43, that receives a belt 44, passing thence
over a pulley 45 upon a shaft 46. On the shaft 46 is a wiper composed of flexible
blades 47, that clean themselves by centrifugal action; said wiper being arranged
to travel in the direction indicated by the arrow, Figure 3, to clean the belt 24
of the gum, etc., that has been smeared upon it while passing between the rollers 2.
48 designates a pulley on the shaft 46, which receives a belt 49, see Figure 1,
that leads to and travels upon a pulley 50, on the shaft 18. The shaft 18 is thus
driven from the shaft 46, and movement from the shaft 18 is imparted to the feed

page_text: roller 7 through means of a belt 20 passing over a pulley 19 on the shaft 18 and
over a pulley 21 on the shaft of roller 7.
On the shaft 18 is a cam 51 located outside of the machine frame. The shafts
or axles of the feed rollers 3 and 4 are provided with grooved extensions 52. 53 is
a rocking arm having pivotal support intermediate of the rollers and 4, and
provided with jaws arranged to engage in the grooved extensions of said feed
roller shafts 3 and 4. The lower end of the rocking bar 53 depends into the
cam 51, and in the travel of the shaft 18 said cam imparts a vibratory movement
to said rocking bar, and the rocking bar in turn imparts a longitudinal movement
to the rollers 3 and 4 in opposite directions, thereby causing the ramie, as it travels
between the feed rollers, to be more effectively crushed and rubbed.
It will be understood that the brushes and beaters provide one means and the
air blast another or an additional means for removing the bark and other waste
matter from the fibre as the ramie is exposed while being carried over some of
the rollers after being carried under other of the rollers 2 by the belt.
While I have described my machine for use in treating ramie it is, of course,
apparent that it may be used for treating other like fibrous growths, such as
hemp, jute, etc.
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 a machine for treating ramie, the combination of a series of rollers
arranged side by side, a belt passing and adapted to carry the ramie over one
and beneath the next roller of the series of rollers, and beaters or brushes arranged
to operate upon the material throughout the series of rollers, substantially as
set forth.
2. In a machine for treating ramie, the combination of a series of rollers, a belt
passing and adapted to carry the ramie over one and beneath the next roller of
the series of rollers, and a fan and beaters or brushes arranged to operate upon
the material throughout the series of rollers, substantially as set forth.
3. In a machine for treating ramie, the combination of a series of rollers arranged
in the arc of a circle, a belt passing and adapted to carry the ramie over one and
beneath the next roller of the series of rollers, and beaters or brushes arranged
to operate upon the material throughout the series of rollers, substantially as set
forth.
4. In a machine for treating ramie, the combination of a series of rollers, a belt
passing and adapted to carry the ramie over one and beneath the next roller of
the series of rollers, beaters or brushes arranged to act upon the material through-
out the series of rollers, and a belt 29 beneath which the first mentioned belt
extends, substantially as set forth.
5. In a machine for treating ramic, the combination of a series of rollers, a belt
passing and adapted to carry the ramie over one and beneath the next roller of the
series of rollers, beaters or brushes arranged to operate upon the material through-
out said series of rollers, and a device for cleaning said belt, substantially as
set forth.
6. In a machine for treating ramic, the combination of a series of rollers, a
belt passing and adapted to carry the ramie over one and beneath the next roller
of the series of rollers, a pair of feed rollers the upper one of which is corrugated,
a concave block arranged between said corrugated roller and the first one of said
series of rollers and beaters or brushes arranged to operate upon the material
throughout the series of rollers, substantially as set forth.
7. In a machine for treating ramie, a series of rollers arranged side by side, a
belt passing and adapted to carry the ramie over one and beneath the next roller
of the series of rollers, and means for removing bark, etc., from the fibre through-
out the series of rollers, substantially as set forth.
S. In a machine for treating ramie, a pair of rubbing and crushing jaws, inde-

page_text: pendently pivoted, and having flat working faces arranged parallel, or substantially
so, in combination with a connection between the jaws, and means for operating
the jaws, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
9. In a machine for treating ramie, a pair of rubbing and crushing jaws,
independently pivoted, and having flat working faces arranged parallel, or sub-
stantially so, in combination with a connection between the jaws, and means for
operating the jaws; said connection being shorter than the distance between the
pivot points of said jaws, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 1st day of September 1898.
BOTTOMLEY & LIDDLE,
154, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Applicant's Patent Agents.