Improvements in Machines for Breaking, Scraping, and Treating Fibrous Stalks.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Aug., 1897-Accepted, 20th Aug., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machines for Breaking, Scraping, and Treating
Fibrous Stalks.
I, HUGO WOLFF, of KI Burstah 21, Hamburg, in the Empire of Germany,
Manufacturer, 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:-
This invention relates to an improved machine for treating and breaking and
scraping fibrous plant stalks, in which the treatinent is effected by means of slats
which seize between them the fibrous material held in a feeding and gripping
device and let it pass during their oscillations between them. One of the two
slats is actuated by motive power and is called the active slat, whilst the other
slats are actuated by the movement of the first and are called the passive slats.
In previous devices of this nature catches were required in order to avoid the
coming in contact of the active and the passive slats, which would have had the
consequence of tearing the material. These catches had to divide or pass between
the stalks of the material to enter between the slats and thus tended to pinch the
fibrous material between them, so as to tear the fibre.
In order to dispense with these catches and to be able to work advantageously
material of short staple are the objects of this invention.
The same is essentially characterized by the arrangement of the slats on oscillat-
ing arms in such a manner, that a middle arm swinging to and fro and provided
with a double sided slat cooperates alternately with two pairs of slats opposite each
other, so that the stalk material is pulled through between the slats when tem-
porarily close to each other and is thus treated.
In the annexed drawings-Fig. 1 is a longitudinal view of the machine.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 show different positions of the
oscillating slats. Figs. 5 and 6 show a method of actuating the slats. Figs. 7
to 12 are details on a larger scale, of which Figs. 7 and 8 show a mechanism for
the temporary coupling of the middle arm with either of the side arms. Fig. 9
shows a convenient manner of feeding the material over the machine and also
the cross sections of the slats near the entrance end of the machine, whilst Fig. 10
represents the cross sections of the slats near the outlet end of the machine; Fig. 11
is a plan view of the slats and Fig. 12 shows a part of the same in plan view and
section.
The machine is arranged in duplicate for the purpose of working the stalks
from both ends thereof and is provided in the centre with a common driving
mechanism M, which can be constructed in any suitable manner.
At a the material is introduced into the machine; it is here seized by transport
bands t, of which the lower one touches a table while the upper one is pressed
down thereon by a series of spring pressed rollers (3 to hold the stalks securely
as they are fed along the machine.
B, C and D are oscillating arms of which B is fixed firmly on the shaft b and
receives a to and fro movement by means of a crank and toothed wheel mechanism

page_text: for instance as shown in Figs. 5 and 6; on a second or on the same shaft 6 is
seated loosely the double arm C D.
Each arm of the latter is provided,with a conveniently U shaped slat, m¹ and m²
respectively and the middle arm B with a conveniently "|"shaped slat m.
The three arms cooperate in the following manner.
When for instance the passive double arm C D occupies the position as shown
in Fig. 3, the active arm B then moves to the right and carries with it the arm D
standing opposite it and moves into the position as shown in Fig. 4 whereupon B
returns again, meets the arm C and carries it back to the position as shown in
Fig. 3, then B again meets D) and so on. The stroke of the active arm must be
so long, that the fibrous material can fall back over it against the slat on the other
passive arm lifted in the meanwhile. In order that the slats m and m³ and
also m m² do not quite meet on one another, but leave a certain space between
them for the fibrous material and also that the slats m and m¹ or 'm and m² as
they work together are kept during their stroke at an invariable distance from one
another, the following arrangement is provided and is shown in Figs. 7 and 8.
The arm B carries on each side a catch d and d' respectively which catches run
by means of rollers in curved guides e and e¹ respectively whilst the arms C and D
each carry a lug k or respectively to engage the catch d or d.
Shortly before the arm B strikes on D as shown in Fig. 8 (the projections O
and respectively fixed at the lower ends of the arms C and D preventing the
striking together of the slats) the catch has been lifted by the upwardly curved
summit of the slot el acting on the roller and falls under the influence of a
spring over the driver whereby the arm D is prevented from moving away
from or towards B. After completion of the stroke the same summit of guide e¹
lifts the catch d' from engagement.
On each side of the machine buffers 7 form abutments for the double arm C D
and when necessary brake bandsss can be arranged in order to obtain a certain
resistance when the arm C D is moved, and to regulating the breaking of the
stalks by means of the slats.
The slats m m¹ and m² have their edges at the entrance end of the machine
decidedly rounded and a greater free space is provided between them which space
lessens towards the other end of the machine. The slats are also provided with
knives, which gradually become sharper towards the outlet end and are provided
either with simple or with double edges as shown in Fig. 10.
From the first part A of the machine the stalk material, after the hanging ends
have passed the lifting wheels h, passes between the transport bands of the second
machine A in which the other ends are worked.
The arrangement of the swinging arms provided with slats for operating on
the stalks allows the stalks to be seized at the shortest distance from the holder
and feeder y. Fig. 9, where the same hangs down from the feeder, and conse-
quently the stalks can be gripped for a greater length and nearer to the base of
the same, and as by this means the danger of the tearing off the material is
diminished, a considerably shorter raw material can be worked, than was possible
in previously used constructions in which the attack of the slats could only take
place at a considerable distance from the holder and feeder.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:-
In machines, in which the breaking and treatment of fibrous plant stalks is
effected by means of movable active and passive slats the improvement wherein
the active slat m is fixed on an oscillating arm B whilst the passive slats m¹ m²
are fixed on an oscillating double arm C D the arms of which are operated suc-
cessively by the arm B of the active slat swinging between them, and wherein a
catch mechanism dk and dk causes the temporary coupling of the active arm
with each of the passive arms alternately, and projections o o¹ provided below on

page_text: the arms prevent the slats from striking one another, the whole for the purpose
of obviating the use of catches dividing the material and to be able to work the
stalk material near to the holding point.
Dated this 20th day of August 1897.
HERBERT HADDAN & Co.,
Agents to Applicant, 18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London.