US1335305A - Beater - Google Patents

Description

vL. H. TOLHUHST.

HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1918.

`13351'L305. v Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

Malaya/iwi?? l J0 .WT/nefs.

LoUIs H. .ToIHURsn or Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

"specification of Letters Patent. `PatentedY Mar. 30, 1920.

Application led .Tune 24, 1918. Serial No. 241,700.

To all wlw/m, t may concern:

Be it known that I,'L oUIs H. ToLI-IURST, acitizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State-of California, have inventedv a new and useful Beater, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates tothe art of producing vegetable fiber, and particularly to the art of separating such fiber from the pulp with which it is found associatedY in the leaves of the yucca and similar plants. In the yucca the fibers are found in the leaves lying in practically parallel relationship and embedded in a mass of cellular and pectinous matter which, for convenience, we may call the pulp.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a machine for separating the fiber from the pulp, so that the fiber may be utilized for making rope, binder twine and glie like for which it is particularly applica- In the drawing, which is diagrammatic,

Figure 1 is a side view of one embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section on a plane represented by the line 2-2, Fig. 1, this plane being viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view showing the action of certain parts with the beater belt down.

Fig. 4 is a similar view with the beater belt in its upper position.

In this embodiment of my invention, a traveling main belt 11, passing over pulleys 12 and 13, serves to carry the fibrous material which is held thereon by means of one or more rolls 14 turning in fixed bearings (not shown). A guide plate 15 carried on a stationary cross member 16 also tends to hold the material solidly on the belt. Guided in bearings 20 is a vertical rod 21, which is actuated by an eccentric 22 driven from a shaft 23. The rod 21 carries Vat its lower end a belt holder 24 on which a flexible beater belt 25 is Secured. The holder 24 has considerable elasticity so that the belt 25 is tight at all times. Mounted below the beater belt 25 and below the main belt 11 is a movable plate 30 which is held in its upper position by an arm 31 pivoted at32 and having an adjustable tension spring 33 at its outer end. A guide plate 34 tends to restrain the material and keep it on the belt after it has left the beater belt 25.

The method of operation of'my inventionv is as follows:

The material tov lie-treated, which consists of the leaves of yucca which have previously been boiled and mechanically treated to crush them and to separate the fiber from the pulp, is placed on the belt11 and' is'carried in the direction of the arrow toward and under the guide plate 15; This guide plate, with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 3,firmly grips the fiber Vand prevents its movement. As the belt 25 is forced down by the action of the eccentric 22 it strikes on the top of the fiber carried on the belt 11 and forces the parts into the position shown in Fig. 4, the plate 30 giving way 4to allow the belt 11 to deflect as shown in Fig. 4. The downward movement of the belt 11 is sufficient to free the guide plate 15 from contact with the fiber or at least to greatly reduce its pressure on the fiber so that they fiber is pulled forward on the belt 11 by the downward motion of the belt 25.

As the belt 25 starts to rise from the position shown in Fig. 4 the plate 15 first` grips the fiber and the fiber is then sucked up by the rapid movement of the belt 25 so that the loose ends projecting under the belt 25 assume the position shown diagrammatically in Fig. 3. The'libers are thus subjected to a beating action followed by a winnowing action, the air being drawn in from all sides under the belt 25'as it rises, thus tending to winnow out the small particles of pectinous or cellular matter which were adherent to the fibers before being separated by beating.

In practice the shaft 23 can be run 1500 revolutions per minute which gives a sharp blow on the beating or downward stroke of the belt 25 and a strong suction on the winnowing or upward stroke of the belt 25. It will be seen 4that my invention contemplates striking the fiber and bending it to separate the particles of pulp, and immediately thereafter fluffing or winnowing the fiber with rapid air currents to remove particles of pulp. It will be further seen that during the beating the fiber is held between the belts l1 and 25 and thus pulled forward,

while during the winnowing operation the fiber is held more or less stationary at one end between the plate l5 and the belt l1, the free ends being pulled up in a fluffyV mass through which the air is drawn.

What I claim is l. An apparatus for treating iber-bear` ingy material t separate the iber from the pulp, comprising a flexible supporting means 011 which the material rests; a beater; and mechanism for moving said beater up and down in such a manner as to strike a sharpblow on said material. v 2. An apparatus as in claim l in which said supporting means includes a main belt on which the material is carried.

3. An apparatus as in claim l in which said beater comprises a flexible beater belt and resilient means for holding it under tens1on.

4, An apparatus as in claim 3 in which said flexible means also comprises a plate supported belovs7 said main belt at a point directly below said beater belt; and elastic means for supporting' said plate in such a nows or fluffs the material by air suction.

Y for driving s'aidapparatus at such a speed Y that said beater belt on its up stroke win- 6. An apparatus as in claim 5 .also comprising means for holding said material rigidly until said main belt is somewhat de-v pressed by said beater belt.

7. An apparatus for treating ber bearing material to separate the liber from the pulp, comprising a flexible supporting means on which the material rests, a beater having a beating surface so located as to be substantially parallell to the surface of said leXible supporting means upon which said material rests whenever said beater contacts with said material, yand means for'moving said beater up and down.V f

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California7 this th day of June, 1918.

Louis H. ToLHURs-Tj

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