Improvements in Machines for Decorticating Textile Plants.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Machines for Decorticating Textile Plants.
I, PIERRE PAULIN FAURE, of 21, Place du Champ de Foire, Limoges, Haute
Vienne, France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
In machines for decorticating textile plants in which a beater drum and a bed
or breast are employed between which the stalks are passed whereby the woody
portion becomes broken and is thrown out by the beaters while the stricks of fibres
fall straight downwards on leaving the bed or breast, and in order to obtain fibres
in a perfectly pure condition, a return movement is given to the stricks either
automatically with the aid of any suitable mechanism, by hand, or by mechanism
controlled by hand.
The present improvements have for their object entirely novel means of effecting
this return movement automatically as will be described with reference to the
accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1, represents a plan view and Fig. 2 a per-
spective view of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the endless rope as
arranged for use in connection with several machines at a time. The same letters
of reference denote like parts in all the figures. In Figures 1 and 2 the main
parts of any suitable decorticator provided with a beater drum A and bed or
breast B, are indicated in dotted lines.
C is the endless rope which passes round pulleys P, P1, P2. 1) is an endless
flat band which passes around pulley P' and around a tension device T. E is a
guide and F a guide-stop for preventing the stalks from being entered too near
the end of the bed or breast.
The operation of the improved automatic arrangement is as follows;--
On starting the drum, the pulley P₁ is rotated by means of worm gear or other-
wise, the rope C, pulleys P, P2 and band D being also set in motion.
In order to decorticate the stalk of any plant such as ramie for example, the butt
end of the stalk is generally first decorticated for a length of a few inches by
entering it between the beater and the bed, but only in the region comprised
between E and F, after which it is withdrawn. The decorticated portion is then
grasped in the hand and the stalk is entered between the beater and the bed, but
by passing it beneath the rope at the part G, after which the decorticated portion
held in the band is entered between the rope C and the band D on the pulley P

page_text: whereby it is gripped, drawn out by the motion of the rope and delivered as
indicated at H.
The stem of the hook-shaped guide E ensures the strick of fibres passing beneath
the rope, whilst its hook prevents any deviation of said rope. At O are shown
the purified fibres in the act of being deprived of a portion of the gummy or
liquid matters by their frictional contact with guide E. The flat band Dis
indispensable for permitting the detachment of the strick by preventing its
adhesion to pulley P.
One or more stalks would be operated upon at one time according to their
diameter and similarly with regard to textile leaves according to their size. The
rope C and band D may be made of plaited indiarubber, leather or other material.
To compensate for the stretching of the band D the pivoted tension device T
is used, but may be dispensed with if the band D is made of sufficient length to
be kept in tension by its own weight, in which case a bight of the band would hang
down over the lower edge of the pulley as shown in the diagram Fig. 3. This
pendent portion may dip in and run through water, whereby it may be kept
continually clean.
The rope C may be variously arranged, for example the same endless rope may
be used in connection with several machines as shown in Fig. 3, the return portion
of the rope between x and y being carried by suitable guide pulleys provided with
a tension device.
Improvements in Machines for Decorticating Textile Plants.
I, PIERRE PAULIN FAURE, of 21, Place du Champ de Foire, Limoges, Haute
Vienne, France, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement;-
In machines for decorticating textile plants in which a beater drum and a bed
or breast are employed the operation is performed by passing the stalks between
these two parts whereby the woody portion becomes broken and is thrown out by
the action of the beater while the stricks cf fibres descend vertically on leaving
the bed or breast. In order to obtain fibres in a perfectly pure condition, a return
or retractive movement is given to the stricks either automatically by means of
any suitable mechanism, by hand, or by mechanism controlled by hand.
The present improvements have for their object entirely novel means of effecting
this retractive movement automatically.
In order that the invention may be more readily understood I will describe it
with reference to the drawings accompanying my Provisional Specification in which
Figure 1 represents a plan view and Figure 2 a perspective view of the apparatus.
Figure 3 is a diagram shewing the endless rope as arranged for use in connection
with several machines at a time. The same letters of reference denote like parts
in all the figures.
In Figures 1 and 2 the dotted lines shew the main parts of any suitable
decorticator provided with a beater drum A and bed or breast B. (is the endless
Tope which passes round pulleys P P¹, P. D is an endless flat band which passes
around pulley P and around a tension device T. E is a guide and Fa guide stop
for preventing the stalks from being entered too near the end of the bed or breast.

page_text: The operation of the automatic return motion is as follows:-On the drum
being put in motion the pulley P" is rotated by means of worm gear or otherwise,
whereupon the rope C, pulleys P P, and band I) are also set in motion.
In order to decorticate the stalk of any plant, such as ramie for example, the
one end of the stalk is first decorticated, generally the butt end, for a length of a
few inches by entering it between the beater and the bed or breast but only in the
region comprised between E and F, after which the stalk is withdrawn. The
decorticated portion is then grasped in the hand and the stalk is entered between
the beater and the bed or breast, but by passing it beneath the rope in the vicinity
of G, after which the decorticated portion which was held in the hand is entered
between the rope C and the band D on the pulley P whereupon the adhesion of the
rope upon the pulley causes the stalk to be gripped and to be drawn out by the
motion of the rope and delivered as indicated at H.
The stem of the hook-shaped guide E ensures the strick of fibres passing beneath
the rope whilst the hook prevents any deviation of said rope. At 0 are shewn
the purified fibres in the act of being deprived of a portion of the gummy or liquid
matters by their frictional contact with guide E. The flat band D is indispensable
for effecting the detachment of the strick by preventing its adhesion to the pulley P.
One or more stalks would be operated upon at one time according to the
diameter of the stalks and similarly with regard to textile leaves according to their
size. Having thus explained the mode of operation it will be understood that the
rope C and band D may be made of braided indiarubber, leather, rope, or other
material.
To compensate for the stretching of the band D use is made of the tension
device T which may be adjusted about its pivot, but this tension device may be dis-
pensed with if the band D is made of sufficient length to be kept in tension by its
own weight, in which case a bight of the band would hang down over the lower
flange of the pulley as shewn in the diagram Figure 3 and this pendent portion may
dip
in and run through a tub of water whereby it may be kept continually clean.
The rope C may be variously arranged, for example the same endless rope may
be used in connection with several machines as shewn diagrammatically in
Figure 3 the return portion of the rope between r and y being carried by suitable
guide pulleys provided with a tension device.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In a machine for decorticating textile plants and leaves, the application of
an endless rope for effecting the return or retractive movement of said plants and
leaves.
2. In a machine for decorticating textile plants and leaves the application of
a band, with or without a tension device, for preventing the adhesion of the strick
or fibres to the pulley around which the rope passes.
3. In a machine for decorticating textile plants and leaves the combination of
an endless rope with an endless band as herein specified.
ง
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.