IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR AND IN THE METHOD OF DECORTICATING CHINA GRASS AND OTHER FIBROUS PLANTS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR AND IN THE METHOD OF DECORTICATING CHINA GRASS AND
OTHER FIBROUS PLANTS." A communication from abroad by John Baptist
Vogel and William Lloyd Bowron, both of New York City, in the County and
State of New York, United States of America.
Sealed the 1st September 1876, and dated the 18th July 1876.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Alexander Melville Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th July 1876.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR AND IN THE METHOD OF
DECORTICATING CHINA GRASS AND OTHER FIBROUS PLANTS." A communication
from abroad by John Baptist Vogel and William Lloyd Bowron, both of New York
City, in the County and State of New York, United States of America.
This Invention relates to a new machine for dressing the stalk of the Boehmeria
nivea, known as China grass and of other fibrous plants, by breaking the rind and
cellulose matter and separating it from the fibrous body, leaving the latter in
condition for use in the arts.
The Invention consists principally in exposing the stalks of the plant to the
combined breaking and drawing action of a pair of fluted or paddle rollers, whereby
the rind is first broken and next withdrawn from the fibre, and also in imparting
to the stalk an intermittent or slow rectilinear motion, so that its parts will be
gradually and in due succession exposed to the action of the breaking and shelling
mechanism.
The Invention also consists in the arrangement of ribbed rollers for breaking the
rind and withdrawing it from the fibres. Also in the combination therewith of an
endless carrying belt or apron, which gradually conveys the fibre to the rollers;
[Price Gd1

page_text: also in a new clamp applied to said apron for grasping the plant, all as herein-after
more fully described.
In the accompanying Drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved
decorticating machine. Figure 2 is a front elevation of the same. Figure 3 is a
detail vertical section through the operating mechanism, and Figure 4 a side view
of the same.
The frame A of the machine serves to support two parallel fluted or ribbed
drums or paddle-rollers B and C, which are placed so near together that the pro-
jecting ribs or blades a of the roller B will in revolving lap over the ribs or blades b
of the roller C respectively, in substantially the manner indicated in the Drawing.
These two rollers are preferably of equal diameter and are revolved in opposite
directions as indicated by the arrows in Figure 4. The rollers B, C, are geared
together by suitable toothed wheels d, e, as in Figure 1, or derive their motion by
other means, f, f, are two or more rollers hung in the frame A parallel to the
rollers B and C. They serve to hold an endless apron D to which slow motion
in the direction of the arrow shown above such apron in Figure 3 is imparted.
The apron may be connected with endless chains g, g, at its borders, or otherwise
adapted to receive or provided with cross bars h, h, that extend across its face.
From these cross bars may be suspended lateral clamps E, E, that serve to hold
the ends of the tufts of fibrous stalks to be manipulated. Each clamp E should
be about as long as the apron D is wide, and is composed of two plates that
can be screwed or otherwise forced together to clamp the fibrous stalks between
them.
Two or more hooks i, i, are on each clamp to suspend it from the cross bar h,
and allow its ready removal therefrom.
The stalks of China grass or other fibrous plant are in tufts, secured with their
ends in the clamp E, and placed on to the apron as indicated in Figure 3. The
machine being set in motion, the apron gradually and slowly feeds the stalks
between the rollers, holding what is above the rollers properly taut. The blades
or ribs a of the roller B will, as they successively overlap the blades of the
roller C, crush the rind of the plant which is between said rollers, which rind when
crushed will be stripped off the fibrous body of the plant by the continued
downward motion of the blades or ribs a, b, that have served to crush it. After
one pair of ribs or blades a, b, has acted upon a short length of the fibrous
plant the next succeeding pair of such ribs or blades will take hold of and act
on a further section of the plant and so forth until the clamp E that holds
the tuft has nearly reached the rollers B, C. The clamp is then either opened
to allow the tuft to pass entirely through the rollers, or remaining on the apron,
it will draw the tuft up during the upward motion, and thereupon another tuft
held in another clamp reaches the rollers and is by them affected in manner
described.
Having described the nature of the said Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters
Patent is
1st. In the art of decorticating fibrous plants the process of exposing the tufts of
such plants to the combined breaking and drawing action of a pair of rollers,
substantially as specified.
2nd. The process herein described of suspending the tufts of fibrous plants to be
decorticated above and gradually feeding them between a pair of breaking and
shelling rollers, so that the plants will be held taut above such rollers, substantially
as specified.
3rd. In a machine for decorticating fibrous plants the combination of the ribbed
roller B with the ribbed roller C, all arranged so that the ribs or blades a of the
roller B will in revolving overlap the ribs or blades 6 of the roller C, substantially
as specified.
4th. The combination of the endless apron D, having suspending devices h, with
the rollers B and C of a decorticating machine, substantially as specified.

page_text: 5th. In combination with the endless apron D and rollers B, C, the clamping
levice E arranged for use, substantially as herein shown and described.
In witness whereof I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of July in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred any seventy-six.
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)