IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR DRESSING AND CLEANING THE STEMS AND LEAVES OF FIBROUS PLANTS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Gladwyn Jebb of 11 Chester Place Hyde Park
Square for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR DRESSING
AND CLEANING THE STEMS AND LEAVES OF FIBROUS PLANTS "
cated to him from abroad by David Burr of New York United States.
Communi-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Gladwyn Jebb at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th July 1882.
JOHN GLADWYN JEBB of 11 Chester Place Hyde Park Square.
IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINES FOR DRESSING AND CLEANING THE STEMS AND LEAVES OF
FIBROUS PLANTS.". Communicated to him from abroad by David Burr of New
York United States.
This Invention relates to that class of machines for cleaning the leaves of fibrous
plants in which the outer coating of the leaf is removed, by being scraped and
brushed off from the underlying fibre.
The object of the invention is to remove simply, expeditiously and completely
the outer coating and fleshy substance of the leaf and to take up and deliver from
the machine in good form the finished fibres cleansed thereby.
:
The method involved in the machine for the removal of the outer coating of the
leaves, is first to cut the hard outer coating transversely or crosswise as fed through
the machine, so as to form a series of gashes; second, to support the leaves upon an
elastic feed bed while being acted upon by the revolving cutters so as to preserve
the fibres of the leaves; and thirdly to scrape off and remove the gashed coat,
section by section, neatly and cleanly, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.
It consists 1st of a pair of rollers or shafts each armed with the same number
of radial scraping blades, having their interspaces filled in to present a com-
paratively soft, yielding or elastic, surface, and which' are geared to revolve in
unison so that the blades upon the one shall drop in against the intermediate
elastic or yielding surface between the blades upon the other. It consists 2nd in
the.combination with this pair of scraping rollers and the supporting blocks or.
cushions, between the blades, of a pair of feed rollers on the one hand and of
rotating supporting roller on the other, said supporting roller being armed with a
series of longitudinal, radial, elastic wipers, which, as the supporting rollers rotate

page_text: at equal or greater speed than the scraping rollers, strike up against and support
the stripped fibre issuing therefrom, and carry it forward until it reaches the
rollers of an endless apron, which is extended out there from a suitable distance to
produce a proper delivery of the stripped, leaves.
It embraces also a modified form of the machine, in which a revolving cutting
roller is employed for gashing or scoring the coating of the leaves, in combination
with an elastic bed roller, for supporting, the leaves while undergoing this, and the
subsequent operation, of having the gashed sections scraped and removed from the
leaves by the action of a roller armed with scraping blades made to revolve towards
and against the bed roller, as will herein after be more fully described.
The feed rollers are by preference longitudinally grooved or corrugated, to take
firmer hold of the leaf, and are adapted to either cut the outer coating of the leaf
passed between them or to loosen the same by pressure and friction. Where it is
designed to cut the coating of the leaf the longitudinal ribs or corrugations on one
or both rollers are made sharp and cutting. Where the coating is to be loosened by
friction, the rollers are properly corrugated to simply compress and rub the leaf
passing between them. Whatever the form of the feed rollers, it is contemplated
where the thickness of the leaf shall require it, to combine with them a pair of
crushing rollers between which the leaves shall pass before reaching these feed
rollers.
Two scraping rollers placed in the rear of the feed rollers, on a line therewith,
are each armed with a series of longitudinal blades, arranged to project therefrom
radially at equal distances apart and whose outer edges are all bevelled off and
sharpened in the same direction,-presenting a straight, true and sharp edge to the
leaf as it approaches it. The spaces or intervals between the blades are filled in
either with hard wood, or with a soft metal such as lead, brass or some suitable
metallic alloy; or with an elastic or semi-elastic substance or compound; or with
wooden blocks in the face of which are inserted strips of rubber. As a substitute
an outer facing plate of brass or other suitable metal may be adapted to rest upon.
spiral springs between the blades.
The two scraping rollers are each fitted with the same number of blades and are
so mounted and geared together as that the blades on the one roller shall fall
centrally between the blades on the other roller, into contact or very nearly so
with the facing strip or the face of the elastic or yielding material interposed
between the blades.
.
A third supporting roller mounted in the frame, in position, back of, and in line
with, the lower scraping roller is armed with a series of longitudinal radial wipers
or strips of rubber or other suitable elastic material, and is so supported as that the
wipers shall, as the rollers revolve, strike in against the fibres passing out between
the scraping blades and lift and support them and at the same time carry them
forward to the band-roller, over which an endless horizontal apron or band is
carried.
The outer end of the endless apron is led over a roller which in common with
another roller is supported in a horizontal frame whose inner end rests upon the
frame of the machine and whose outer end is upheld by diagonal bracket arms at
the other. Intermediate rollers may be fitted to rotate in the frame so as to
support the apron along its entire length, and the tension of the apron is adjusted
by.set screws, bearing upon the journal boxes of the end roller.
An elastic take up roller is mounted in adjustable bearings to rotate over the
first apron roller a little in advance thereof, so as to bear upon the apron and operate
to catch the fibres carried by the wipers of the roller, prevent them from twisting
around said roller, and feed them forward in suitable order upon the apron.
The scraping rollers are kept clean by means of a brushing roller mounted on the
frame of the machine over the upper roller and by a stationary brush fixed under
the lower roller.
The fluted feed rollers are kept clean of the scrapings thrown off, by the rotating
brush roller. by means of fender plates secured to the frame of the machine; and

page_text: the leaves in passing out from the scraping rollers are kept from flying up and are
kept clear of the scrapings from the rollers by means of a fender plate extending
from between the scraping rollers to the endless belt. This fender is bent up in
front of the take up roller to form a waste receiver for the scrapings from the
blades. A guard is fitted to project below the bend of the fender to conduct the
fibre forward under the top roller above the endless belt.
The feed rollers may be geared together to revolve in unison. The two scraping
rollers and the support are likewise geared together to revolve at the same speed;
but the train of feed rollers and the train of scraping and supporting rollers are
so geared by intermediate cog wheels as that the scraping and supporting rollers
shall rotate six or eight times as fast as the feed rollers.
Both the feed rollers and the scraping rollers are made adjustable in their
bearings so that the distance between the rollers in each pair may be regulated at
will by means of set screws, either with or without interposed springs, the
effect whereof would be to permit an automatic, elastic adjustment of the rollers in
either set.
:
The leaves are supplied to the feed rollers through a suitable feed box which
may be fitted with an endless belt to provide for their constant and automatic
delivery. The leaves being caught between the feed rollers are slowly led forward
by their revolution and if the rollers are made sharp for the purpose, the tough
outer coating of each leaf is cut or gashed transversely as it passes between them.
As they emerge from the feed rollers the leaves are caught by the rapidly revolving
blades of the scraping rollers and being led in between them are struck by the
blades first from the lower and then from the upper side in very quick rapid
succession up and down against the elastically yielding plates or against the wooden
blocks or other yielding or elastic material employed as a cushion between the
blades As each leaf is thus thrown against and supported upon the surface of the
elastically yielding cushion, the scraping blade passes over it and scrapes and
draws from the fibre the coating thereon. This operation is performed bit by bit
alternately first on the one side and then on the other of the leaf with great
rapidity. As the leaves pass from the scrapers, they are next caught by the
wipers or strips upon the rotating supporting roller and carried forward thereby to
the endless belt rollers and delivered in a clean straight even condition upon the
endless apron.
The machines may be constructed of small size with narrow rollers to be
operated by hand power, or be constructed of large dimensions to be driven by
horse or steam power.
In one form of machine an elastic feed roller preferably covered with rubber, is
mounted to revolve in unison with a pricking roller in contact therewith, the two
being geared together, to revolve towards each other.
A third metallic roller is mounted to revolve in front of the feed roller, its face
being armed with a series of radial longitudinal blades or scrapers projecting
therefrom into close proximity to the face of the rubber roller. This scraping
roller is geared to revolve at much greater speed than the scraping and pricking
rollers.
The set of feed cutting and scraping rollers is duplicated in a set mounted in the
frame below the first the relative position of the cutting. and feed rollers being
reversed so that a leaf passing from the first set of rollers and gashed and scraped
thereby upon one side, shall be gashed and scraped upon the opposite side by the
second set of rollers. A feed box or table is arranged to facilitate feeding the leaves
to the machine.
Crushing rollers are mounted to revolve in front of the picking rollers and
geared to revolve towards each other so as to flatten the thicker portion of the
leaves and prepare them to pass readily between the picking rollers.
.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Gladwyn. Jebb in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th January 1883.
JOHN GLADWYN JEBB of 11 Chester Place Hyde Park Square
"IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINES FOR DRESSING AND CLEANING THE STEMS AND LEAVES OF FIBROUS
PLANTS A communication to me from abroad by David Burr of New York
United States.
This Invention relates to that class of machines for cleaning the leaves of fibrous
plants in which the outer coating of the leaf is removed, by being scraped and
brushed off from the underlying fibre.
The object of the invention is to remove simply, expeditiously and completely
the outer coating and fleshy substance of the leaf and to take up and deliver from
the machine in good form the finished fibres cleansed thereby.
The method involved in the machine for the removal of the outer coating of
the leaves, is first to cut the hard outer coating transversely or crosswise as
fed through the machine so as to form a series of gashes, second to support the
leaves upon an elastic feed bed while being acted upon by the revolving cutters so
as to preserve the fibre of the leaves, and thirdly to scrape off and remove the
gashed coat, section by section, neatly and cleanly as will be hereinafter more fully
set forth.
It consists 1st of a pair of rollers or shafts each armed with the same number of
radial scraping blades, having their interspaces filled in to present a comparatively
soft yielding or elastic surface, and which are geared to revolve in unison so that
the blades upon the one shall drop in against the intermediate elastic or yielding
surface between the blades upon the other. It consists 2nd in the combination
with this pair of scraping rollers and the supporting blocks or cushions between
the blades, of a pair of feed rollers on the one hand and of rotating supporting
roller on the other, said supporting roller being armed with a series of longitudinal,
radial, elastic wipers, which as the supporting rollers rotate at equal or greater
speed than the scraping rollers, strike up against and support the stripped fibre
issuing therefrom, and carry it forward until it reaches the rollers of an endless
apron which is extended out therefrom a suitable distance to produce a proper
delivery of the stripped leaves.
It embraces also a modified form of the machine, in which a revolving cutting
roller is employed for gashing or scoring the coating of the leaves, in combination
with an elastic bed-roller for supporting the leaves while undergoing this, and the
subsequent operation, of having the gashed sections scraped and removed from the
leaves by the action of a roller armed with scraping blades made to revolve towards
and against the bed roller, as will hereinafter be more fully described.
In the accompanying Drawings.
Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of the improved Fibre Cleaning machine.
Figure 2 a rear elevation thereof.
Figure 3 an end view illustrating the gearing of the rollers.
Figure 4 is a transverse, sectional view of the modification of the machine con-
structed with scoring or cutting rollers, and Figure 5 a rear elevation of this form
of the machine.
The frame of the machine is designated by the letter A, its feed rollers by the
letter B; and its scraping rollers by the letter C.
The feed rollers B, Figure 1, are by preference longitudinally grooved or corru-
gated, to take firmer hold of the leaf, and are adapted to either cut the outer
1

page_text: coating of the leaf passed between them or to loosen the same by pressure and
friction Where it is designed to cut the coating of the leaf, the longitudinal ribs
or corrugations on one or both rollers B are made sharp and cutting. Where the
coating is to be loosened by friction the rollers are properly corrugated to simply
compress and rub the leaf passing between them. Whatever the form of the feed
rollers, it is contemplated, where the thickness of the leaf shall require it, to
combine with them a pair of crushing rollers W, W, Figure 4 between which the
leaves shall pass before reaching these feed rollers.
The two scraping rollers C. C¹, placed in the rear of the feed rollers B, on a line
therewith, are each armed with a series of longitudinal blades arranged to project
therefrom radially at equal distances apart, and whose outer edges are all bevelled
off and sharpened in the same direction, presenting a straight, true and sharpe edge
to the leaf as it approaches it. The spaces or intervals between the blades are
filled in either with hard wood, or with a soft metal such as lead, brass or some
suitable metallic alloy; or with an elastic or semi-elastic substance or compound
or, as illustrated in the Drawings-with wooden blocks in the face of which are
inserted strips of rubber d. d. (see Figure 1) As a substitute, an outer facing plate
of brass or other suitable metal may be adapted to rest upon spiral springs between
the blades.
The two scraping rollers are each fitted with the same number of blades, and are
so mounted and geared together as that the blades on the one roller shall fall
centrally between the blades on the other roller, into contact or very nearly so
with the facing strip d, or the face of the elastic or yielding material interposed
between the blades.
A third supporting roller F, mounted in the frame, in position back of and in
line with, the lower scraping roller Ct is armed with a series of longitudinal radial
wipers or strips f, f, of rubber or other suitable elastic material and is so supported
as that the wipers shall, as the rollers revolve, strike in against the fibres passing
out between the scraping blades and lift and support them and at the same time
carry them forward to the band-roller G over which an endless horizontal apron or
band H, is carried as shewn in Figure 1.
The outer end of the endless apron is led over the roller H¹ which in common
with the roller G, is supported in a horizontal frame K, whose inner end rests upon
the frame A of the machine and whose outer end is upheld by diagonal bracket
arms L at the other. Intermediate rollers G¹ G' may be fitted to rotate in the
frame so as to support the apron along its entire length, and the tension of the
apron is adjusted by set screws bearing upon the journal boxes of the end roller.
An elastic take-up roller M is mounted in adjustable bearings to rotate over the
first apron roller G, a little in advance thereof, so as to bear upon the apron and
operate to catch the fibres carried by the wipers of the roller F, prevent them
from twisting around said roller, and feed them forward in suitable order upon
the apron.
"
.
The scraping rollers are kept clean by means of a brushing roller N mounted on
the frame of the machine over the upper roller C and by a stationary brush P,
fixed under the lower roller as shown in Figure 1.
The fluted feed rollers B are kept clean of the scrapings thrown off by the
rotating brush-roller N by means of fender plates R secured to the frame of the
machine; and the leaves in passing out from the scraping rollers are kept from
flying up and are kept clean of the scrapings from the rollers C, C¹, by means of a
fender plate R extending from between the scraping rollers to the endless belt as
shewn in Figure 1. This fender S, is bent up in front of the take up roller M to
form a waste receiver for the scrapings from the blades. A guard S¹ is fitted to
project below the bend of the fender to conduct the fibre forward under the top
roller M.
The feed rollers B may be geared together to revolve in unison. The two
scrapings rollers C. C. and the supporting roller F are likewise geared together to
revolve at the same speed ; but the train of feed rollers and the train of scrapings

page_text: and supporting rollers are so geared by intermediate cog-wheels as that the
scraping and supporting rollers shall rotate six or eight times as fast as the feed
rollers (see Figure 2).
'
Both the feed rollers B and the scraping rollers C are made adjustable in
their bearings so that the distance between the rollers in each pair may be
regulated at will by means of set screws k.k either with or without interposed
springs, the effect whereof would be to permit an automatic, elastic adjustment of
the rollers in either set.
The leaves are supplied to the feed rollers B through a suitable feed box Q
which may be fitted with an endless belt to provide for their constant and
automatic delivery. The leaves being caught between the feed rollers are slowly
fed forward by their revolution and if the rollers are made sharp for the purpose,
the tough outer coating of each leaf is cut or gashed transversely as it passes
between them. As they emerge from the feed rollers the leaves are caught by the
rapidly revolving blades of the scraping rollers and being led in between them are
struck by the blades first from the lower and then from the upper side in very
quick rapid succession up and down against the elastically yielding plates d or
against the wooden blocks or other yielding or elastic material employed as a
cushion between the blades. As each leaf is thus thrown against and supported
upon the surface of the elastically yielding cushion the scraping blade passes over
it and scrapes and draws from the fibre the coating thereon. This operation is
performed bit by bit alternating first on the one side and then on the other of the
leaf with great rapidity. As the leaves pass from the scrapers, they are next
caught by the wipers or strips upon the rotating supporting roller and carried
forward thereby to the endless belt rollers and delivered in a clean straight even
condition upon the endless apron.
The machines may be constructed of small size with narrow rollers to be operated
by hand power, or be constructed of large dimensions to be driven by horse or
steam power.
In the form of my machine illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 an elastic feed
roller T preferably covered with rubber, is mounted to revolve in unison with a
pricking roller U in contact therewith, the two being geared together see Figure 5
to revolve towards each other as indicated by the arrows in the Drawings.
A third metallic roller V is mounted to revolve in front of the roller T its face
being armed with a series of radial longitudinal blades or scrapers projecting
therefrom into close proximity to the face of the rubber roller. This scraping
roller V is geared to revolve at much greater speed than the rollers T. U. (see
Figure 5).
The set of feed cutting and scraping rollers T. U. V. is duplicated in a set
mounted in the frame below the first as shewn at T¹. U¹. and V' in Figure 4 the
relative position of the cutting and feed rollers T and U being reversed, so that a
leaf passing from the first set of rollers T. U. and V and gashed and scraped thereby
upon one side, shall be gashed and scraped on the opposite side by the second
set of rollers T¹ U' and V'. L is the feed box or table arranged to facilitate
feeding the leaves to the machine.
W, W, are crushing rollers mounted to revolve in front of the pricking rollers
T, U and geared to revolve towards each other so as to flatten the thicker portion
of the leaves and prepare them to pass readily between the rollers T. U.
.
In operation, the leaves placed upon the feed table Q are led between the
crushing rollers W. W. which feed them forward and reduce them if required to an 5
uniform flat condition. The leaves are then caught under the cutting roller T
and its sharp teeth or cutting edges pierce and cut the hard outer coating of the
leaf upon one side, the opposed elastic roller serving as a cushion beneath the
cutting points or edges to prevent a mutilation of the inner fibre of the leaf, as its
outer shell is pierced and cut or broken by the cutting roller. The leaf thus 5
flattened and having its hard, outer coat cut and broken upon one side as it is fed
slowly forward over the face of the rubber roller, is next subjected, while still

page_text: supported by the rubber roll, to the action of the rapidly revolving radial, scraping
blades upon the roller V which are so brought to bear upon the broken surface of
the outer coating of the leaf as to tear and scrape it away from inner fibrous
portion. The leaves are then caught by the second cutting roller T', and led
between it and the second rubber roller U, and thence under the scraping roller V',
so that the opposite side of the leaf is broken and scraped in like manner as the
first. When the leaves are soft upon one side the second scraping roller H' and
with flat leaves, the first pair of crushing rollers W, W, may be dispensed with.
All the rollers are so mounted as to admit of ready adjustment to and from each
other by means of set screws or equivalent devices.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said Invention
and the manner of carrying the same into effect I would have it understood that
what I claim is :-
'
1st In a machine for cleaning fibrous leaves, the combination with a series of
radial scraping blades upon a shaft or roller C, Figure 1 of an elastic or yielding
base or supporting block filling each of the spaces between the said blades and
adapted to support the leaves whilst being scraped by the blades of a corresponding
shaft or roller C³, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein
described.
2nd In a machine for cleaning fibrous leaves a pair of rollers C. C¹. Figure 1,
whose peripheries each present an alternate succession of scraping blades and
interposed elastic or yielding supporting surfaces, and which are geared to rotate
in unison towards each other so that the blades upon each roller shall pass, in
regular order over against one of the elastic or yielding surfaces upon the other,
substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein described.
3rd In a machine for cleaning fibrous leaves, the combination with the scraping
rollers C, C¹, Figure 1 for cleaning the leaves, and. with an endless apron H for
removing the scraped leaves, of an intermediate supporting roller F armed with
radial elastic wipers, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein
described.
4th In a machine for dressing fibrous leaves, the combination of a roller T
Figure 4 formed or provided with cutting blades for gashing the leaves trans-
versely, preparatory for the scrapers and the elastic bed-roller U adapted to rotate
in unison with said cutting roller in close proximity thereto, substantially in the
manner and for the purpose herein described.
5th The combination with an elastic bed roller U. Figure 4 and with a second
roller T, armed with cutting points or blades and geared to revolve in unison with
the elastic bed roller in proximity thereto, of a third scraping roller V geared to
rotate at greater speed than the elastic roller and armed with radial blades,
adapted to pass in proximity to the face of said elastic roller, substantially in the
manner, and for the purpose herein set forth.
6th The method substantially as herein described of removing the outer hard
coating of the leaves of fibrous plants, which consists in forming, by means of
cutting rollers, a series of scars or gashes transversely across the leaf, and then
removing the gashed or scared coating in sections by the action thereon of rotating
scrapers as said leaf is fed through a machine, substantially in the manner and for
the purpose herein set forth.
In witness whereof I the said John Gladwyn Jebb have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Eleventh day of January in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty three.