US1219691A - Machine for treating flax and other fibrous plants. - Google Patents

Description

W. 0. BEERE & J. E. ROUGH. MACHINE FOR TREATING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS PLANTS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.28, 1914- 1,219,691.

\ I/v VE/w'o Rs' Wm Fmp OZMSQYZEERE W V S 5 E S 4me: Ekwesfitomw Patented Mar. 20,1917.

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. WYNFORD ORMSBY BEERE, OF WELLINGTON, AND JAMES ERNEST ROUGH, OF FOXTON,

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NEW ZEALAND. V

MACHINEFOB. TREATING FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS PLANTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented nae. 2o, rear.

Application filed August as, 1914. Serial No. 859,114..

To all whom it may concern Be it known thatrwe, WYNFORD ORM'sBY BEERE and JAMES ERNEST ROUGH, citizens of the Dominion of New Zealand, and residing at 54. Thompson street, Wellington, New Zealand, and Easton street, Foxton, New Zealand, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Treating Flax and other Fibrous Plants, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines designed for the purpose of obtaining fiber from fibrous plants ready for market in one operation.

We have found that when plain rollers are arranged in vertically superposed pairs and with the axles of each pair in the same horizontal plane, the water sprayed upon the rollers is slow in getting away, with the result that the water collects in the channel formed by each pair of rollers. The tips of fibers descending from an upper pair of rollers into the pool of water so collected tends to fioat and curl up instead of passing directly to the lower pair of rollers. The curled up, tips of the fibers are crushed and made useless, and a loss of fiber thereby ensues.

Rollers fluted longitudinally and circumferentially have been used for crushing and otherwise treating fibrous plants, and such rollers permit of the escape of water, but

do not treat flax in the eflicient manner we desire and attain.

Our rollers are provided with a plurality of grooves running from one end to the other of the roller, the rollers being geared together in superposed pairs, and the grooves of one of the rollers, in each pair of rollers corresponding or registering with grooves of" the other. roller- The grooves may terminate in circumferential grooves near the ends of the rollers.

The number of grooves in any pair of rollers differs from'the'number ofgrooves in any other pair of rollers.

The grooves may be parallel to the axis of the roller, but the most effective way of carrying off the water is to make the grooves in curves and the curve we prefer is a long spiral extending longitudinally of the rollers, and with the grooves of one roller in each pair of rollers arranged in a spiral direction reverse from the spiral direction of the grooves of the other roller, and with the direction of the grooves in any pair ofrollers reverse to the direction of the grooves in a next succeeding pair of rollers. The spiral grooves have the effect of spreading the fibers over the length of the rollers, and this spreading of the fibers makes the treatment thereof more effective.

. The rollers of each pair of rollers being geared together, each'spiral groove of one roller rolls accurately in line and face to face with the reverse spiral groove of the other roller.

After leaving the rollers the fiber is squeezed between traveling belts, which pass between rollers, heated by steam or otherwise if desired.

The drawings herewith illustrate the invent1on:-

Figure 1, is a diagrammatic side elevation ofthe machine.

Fig; 2, a'plan of a pair of rollers with spiral grooves.

Fig. 3, a part elevation, onan enlarged scale of the rollers shown in Fig. 1, with spiral grooves.

Fi 4, a cross sectional elevation of a pair of ro lers.

Fig. 5, a section of part of the rim of a roller on a larger scale.

Fig. 6, a plan of a pair of rollers with grooves parallel to the axis of the rollers.

Fig. 7 a plan. of a pair of rollers parallel to the axis and extending the whole length of the rollers.

Fig. 8, a roller with grooves having a regular curve, and,

Fig. 9, a roller with grooves having undulating curves.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4:, superposed rollers l and 2 are arranged in pairs and each roller has a plurality of spiral grooves 3 extending longitudinally and terminating at their ends in above or below will circumferential grooves 41 and 5. The corners 6 and 7 of the grooves are rounded in order to prevent injury to the fiber. The grooves in the rollers 1 are arranged with their spirals in one direction and the grooves in the rollers 2 in a reverse direction.

The rollers 1 and 2 are geared together by spur wheels 8 and 9 and so that the grooves of the rollers 1 fall upon or into correspondence and face to face with the grooves of the rollers 2, the grooves rolling together and forming a combined channel for the passage of water, which thus readily finds its way between the roller and the fiber, which is thereby prevented from clinging to the roller. The plain surface F between the grooves 4 and 5 and the ends of theroller form surfaces whereon the rollers roll smoothly and overcome anychattering which results when grooves are rolled together without such plain surfaces. The direction of the grooves in any roller 1 is the reverse of the direction of the grooves in any rollerl or 2 immediately above or below a first roller 1 or 2 respectively. Thus if the grooves in a roller have a right hand spiral, the groovesin a roller immediately have a left hand spiral. See Fig. 3.

The number of grooves in each roller of a pair of rollers 1 and 2 is the same, but the number of grooves in each roller of any pair of rollers 1 and 2 is different from the number of grooves in each roller of any other pair of rollers 1 and 2. This arrangement of grooves provides that the fiber shall be treated evenly and thoroughly throughout its whole length.

The fibrous leaves are delivered to the rollers 1 and 2 by any ordinary mouthpiece and feed rollers, not shown on the drawing.

The rollers 1 and 2 are forced together by springs and water is sprayed upon the rollers in a well known manner.

The fiber leaves the lowermost pair of rollers l and 2 and falls upon the conveyor belt 10. running around pulleys 11 and 12. An endless belt 13 runs around pulleys 14 and 15 and rollers 16 and 16 press the belts together and squeeze the moisture out of the fiber. The rollers 16 and 16 are preferably heated by steam or otherwise to increase the drying effect.

The endless belt 13 and its pulleys 141 and 15 may be dispensed with, but a better result is obtained by using two belts as described.

Referring to Fig. 6, the grooves 17 are parallel to the axis of the rollers 1 and 2 and terminate in circumferential grooves 18 and 19. For the purpose of treating fibrous material to the best advantage the number of grooves in each roller of any pair of rollers is the same, but the number of grooves in the rollers of any pair of rollers is different from the number of grooves in the roller of any other pair of rollers. Effect in working can, however, be carried on by making the number of grooves in any pair of rollers different from the number of grooves in the next adjacent pair of rollers, although the numbers of grooves may be the same in pairs of rollers which are not adjacent.

In Fig. 7 the grooves 20 are parallel to the axis of the rollers 1 and 2 similarly to the grooves 17, but in this case the grooves run to the ends of the rollers. The differentiation in the number of the grooves in the different pairs of rollers is as described with reference to Fig. 6.

In Fig. 8 the grooves 21 form a continuous regular curve from end to end, and in Fig. 9 the grooves 22 undulate from end to end.

Scrapers of known construction are used with the rollers having curved grooves, that is to say, scrapers with working edges parallel to the axis of the rollers, but with roll ers having grooves parallel to the axis of the rollers the working edges of the scrapers are arranged at an angle to the axis of the rollers. These scrapers are well known in flax machinery.

IV hat I dd claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a machine of the kind described,

superposed pairs of rollers the axes of each pair being in substantially the same horizontal plane, grooves extending longitudinally of the rollers and terminating in circumferential grooves near the ends of each of the rollers, the number of grooves in each of the rollers of each pair being the same.

2. In a machine of the kind described, superposed pairs of rollers having grooves extending longitudinally of the rollers and terminating in circumferential grooves near the ends of the rollers, the grooves in one roller in each pair of rollers cor "esponding and registering face to face with the grooves of the other roller as the pair rotates so as to form a combined channel for the passage of water.

3. In a machine of the kind described, a pair of rollers having their axes in substantially the same horizontal plane and having spiral grooves which terminate in circumferential grooves near the ends of the rollers, the grooves of one roller registering with reverse grooves on the other roller as the rollers rotate, so as to form a combined channel for the passage of water.

4. In a machine of the kind described, a pair of horizontally disposed rollers having grooves extending longitudinally thereof, the groove of one roller registering with those of the other to form a combined channel and each roller terminating in a circumferential groove near each end.

5. In a machine of the kind described, superposed pairs of rollers havin spiral grooves which terminate in circum 'erential grooves near the ends of the rollers, the grooves of any one pair of rollers being set in a reverse direction to the grooves of the pair of rollers immediately above or below the first said pair of. rollers.

In testimony whereof We have signed our Copies of this patent may be obtained for names to this specification in the presence of two Witnesses.

WYNFORD ORMSBY BEERE. JAMES ERNEST ROUGH.

WVitnesses to signature of Wynford Ormsby Beere:

HENRiE HAMPTON RAYWARD, EDNA JOAN CoLLEY. Witnesses to the signature of nest Rough:

JOHN HERBERT HANKINS, PETER LOCKHART SIM,

James .Er-

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

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