US1503788A - Hemp-stripping machine - Google Patents

Description

ATTORNEYS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IIVVENTOR F P. H. FRANK HEMP STRIPPING MACHINE Filed June 5 Aug. 5, 1924.

Aug. 5, 1924. 1,503,788

P. H. FRANK HEMP STRIPPING MACHINE Filed June 5 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet, 2

WITNESSES INVE/VTUR ATTORNEYS P. H. FRANK HEMP STRIPPING MACHINE Filed June 5, 1920 4 Shets-Sheet lNl/E/VTUR fili 00k WITNESSES ,4 zj

A TTOR/VEYS Aug. 5 924- P. H. FRANK HEMP STRIPPING MACHINE Filed Jun 5 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet. 4

ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 5,1924.

PATRICK HENRY manner ZAMBOANGA, rnrmrrmn ISLANDS.

HElVIY-STR-IPBING MACHINE.

Application filed June 5,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PATRICK HENRY FRANK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Zamboanga, Philippine Islands, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Hemp-Stripping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates generally to machines for stripping hemp and particularly to a machine whereby the operation of pulling hemp leaves under stripping knives may be accomplished mechanically and the great strain of performing this operation manually, avoided in this way.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of a machine of sufiicient strength and'dura'bility to effectively accomplish the desired operation, and at the same time one which is capable of ready transportation from one-part to another about a plantation.

It is a well-known factthat at the present time hemp stripping operations are carried out by hand, the'butts ofthe leaves being grasped and drawn under knives held by adjustable pressure.

It is furthermore wellknown that this is an extremely laborious operation frequently impairing andrruining operators health through the strains incident to manriage, on an enlarged scale,

ual manipulation of the leaves, all of which my invention by substituting mechanical means, avoids.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention and forming a part of this application,

Figure 1 is a side elevation, Figure 2 is av front elevation, Figure 3 is a top plan view of V the car- Figure 4 is a side View thereof, Figure 5 is a provisional end elevation of the carriage,

Figure 6 is a vertical cross section through the mainframe, on an enlarged scale,

Figure 7 is a detail section through one of the carriage supported clamps,

Figure 8 is an enlarged side view of cer tain portions tobe hereinafter specifically.

referred to. 7

Referring now to these figures, the main frame of my improved apparatus is mount ed on lower side runners 10,. and'includes a series of uprights 11, certain of which are inclined as seen in Figure 6. The upper 1920. Serial N0. 386,722.

ends of these uprights are connected by crossbars 12 which support parallel lengthwise rails 13, each of which rails is formed of angle bars as most clearly shown in Figure. 6 to receive and partially enclose rollers 14 .rotatably .mounted at the lower side portions of a lengthwise movable carriage 15.

To opposite endsof the carriage 15 are secured the oppositeends of cables or other flexible operating connections 16 and 17 extending lengthwise between the rails 13 and downwardly and inwardly around pulleys 18 and 19 at the relativelyopposite ends of the -main frame, the lower extensions of these flexible operating connections leading to pulleys 20 and 21, to which they are attached and around which they are adapted to wind and unwind. These pulleys are respectively mounted upon shaftsv 22 and 23, having sprocket wheels connected by a sprocket chain 24 and each provided with a suitableclutch engageable with its normal ly loose cable actuating drum or pulley. The clutches of the two shafts of' which the clutch of shaft 22 is indicated at 25 in F igure. 1, are controlled through clutch actuating levers 26 and 27 having crank connections with the lower ends of rock shafts 28 and 29, the latter of which upstand at relatively opposite sides of the main frame and also upon relatively opposite sides of the centerof the frame.

These rock shafts have-angular arms 30 beneath the rails 13, to which. lengthwise A sides thereof and toward relatively opposite ends where they are connected to operating levers 32 for starting the operation at either end of the-main frame.

At each end the main frame has a stationary transverse knife block 33, above which is a transversely disposed vertically movable stripping knife 34, the latter removably bolted to the upper cross piece 35 of a knife supporting frame including depending side bars 36 connectedv at" their lower ends by a cross bar 37.- This latter crossbar 37 isengaged by the free end of a spring 38 adjustable below the respective end of the main frame in connection with an upright 39 and anchored at one end tov an upright 40. The spring 38 supplies thetension which in the effective position of the stripping knife 34 holds the latter downwardly andwith the requiredtension, upon the knife block 33 or more particularly upon a hemp leaf disposed between the stripping blade and the knife block. 7

To certain of the end uprights 11 at each end of the main frame, is pivoted a foot for it to be grasped by the respective clamp.

of the carriage 15' to be. hereinafter de-' g scribed.

At each end, the carriage 15 1s provlded with notches in its upper sidebars 46,

receiving the ends of a transverse shaft 47 journaled through the carriage uprights 15 V and alsoextending through and secured to the upper ends of the side portions48 of a clamp including a lower. cross bar 49 to which the-side portions 48 are secured having a lower toothed surface 50 adapted for cooperation in, clamping engagement with an end .cross piece 51 as the clamp swings downwardly and outwardly, on account of its shape as shown. ,Each shaft 47 is connected intermediate its ends to links 52 and an arm 53, with a cross shaft 54 having a dependingside arm 55, .it being noted that.

the two arms. 55v are located at relatively opposite sides of the carriage for engagement at relatively opposite ends of the main frame, by stop pieces56 located adjacent to the stripping knives so that upon engagement of these stop pieces with the lower end of the respective sidearm, swinging movement of the latter will .be' transmitted through the respective shaft 54 and the connections 52 and 53, to the respective clamp actuating shaft 47 so as to swing the clamp upwardly and rearwardly and in this way open the clamp for the reception of the leaf butt after the latter has been shifted beneath therespective stripping blade.

Figures 1, 3 and 4 show both clamps closed, with the triggers in inactive positions and, due to the location of the arms 55 and their respective stop pieces 56 .at

relatively oppositeends of the carriage 15 and the frame as previously mentioned, it becomes obvious that the carriage of Figure 1 will complete its movement to the right hand end of the frame before the stop piece 56 operates to: open the left jaw of the carriage or in other words that .jaw which Will inoperation carry the material when the carriage is proceeding to the right. In its next movement the carriage travels to the left end of the frame with the material engaged underthe right clampof the carriage and proceeds until this latter clamp 55 through which the clamps are thus automatically opened, carries a clamp engaging trigger 57 which slips beneath and engages the clamp when the latter 1S raised lnwardly and thus opened and holds it m such position while the leaf is placed beneath the clamp and until downward movement of a trigger releasing bar,58 whose upp er angular end is movable downwardly to depress and release'the trigger against the tension of the spr ng 51' of thelatter. These trigto the-kn'ife'blocks 33 and eachthereofis also moun-ted adjacent to 011s I of the operating levers 32 and is connected at'itslower end thereto by a crank 59'so that when the operating lever is pulled toward the end of thefframe,the bar 58 is shifted downwardly.

to release the respective leaf engagingclamp of the carriage 15 simultaneously with movement; of thecorresponding connecting rod,

31 so as to shift one of the pulley clutches 1nto act1ve position. For instance in Figure 8 the lever 32, is thrownto the left [when the carriage of Figure '1 stops atthe right hand end of the main frame, and iii-this movement the bar, 58 s shlfted upwardly atvthe rear of the right hand clamp ofthe.

-8() er releasingha'rs 58 are mounted adjacent into the clamp of thecarriage and the latter is ready to star.t uponits movement to the-left end of the frame, the lever 32 1s shifted to the rightf'during which movement the; clutches are properly manipulated for such movement of the carriage and also during which movement the bar 581s shifted downwardly so as to engage and release the respective trigger57 permitting. the clamp to actively engage and hold thematerial.

Thus when the lever 32'at the right'end of the main frame in .Figure 1 is moved to operative position theclutch of pulley 20 is shifted to engaged position and power is thus communicated from shaft 22 to the pulley 20 so as to wind the flexible con nection 16 onto the drum or pulley and willmove with the carriage toward the left-; hand end of the frame and until it approaches the left end of the machine, where the clamp will be released upon engagement with the respective stoppiece 56, the.v carriage: at or about the same time striking In this way the an upright 60, which rods 31 carries, so that the clutch of pulley 20 will be shifted and released, stopping the movement of the carriage adjacent to the left-hand end of the machine, with the previously drawn and stripped hemp leaf in released position and with both of its clamps elevated and inactive from a previous operation, ready for the introduction of a hemp leaf.

It is understood that upon the introduction of each hemp leaf the respective foot treadle a1 is depressed to elevate the stripping knife, and while it is apparent a considerable portion of the hemp leaf is required to be extended inwardly beyond the knife in order that it may be engaged with the carriage, it should be understood that in connection with the mechanical stripping of hemp leaves they are originally cut from the plants somewhat longer than they are at present cut for hand stripping so as to give the extra length required.

The shaft 22 is driven and may be extended between two hemp stripping machines as seen in Figure 2 where shaft 22 is shown provided with fast and loose pulleys 61 and 62 for the reception of a belt and is also shown provided with a heavy fly wheel 63 the purpose of which is to maintain a steady pull and produce clean even fiber, vibration or jerky motion being very harmful.

I claimz- 1. A hemp stripping machine comprising 7 a frame ad'ustable stri pin knives at the a J P. c

opposite ends of the frame, a carriage having movement lengthwise of the frame between the said knives, leaf holding clamps carried by the ends of the carriage and each of which is swingable toward its respective end of the carriage into active position when movement of the carriage is started in one direction and means whereby to shift each of the clamps into inactive position at the end of the corresponding move ment of the carriage, as described.

2. A hemp stripping machine comprising a main frame, knife frames adjust-able vertically at opposite ends of the frame, stripping knives in said latter frames, a carriage movable in the frame between said knives and having leaf holding'clamps, actuating means for moving the carriage in relatively opposite directions, manually actuated connections for independently shifting the said carriage moving means into active position, connections actuated by the carriage for shifting said carriage moving means into inactive position, an adjustable controlling spring for each knife frame, and manually actuated means having engagement with the said knife frames for shifting the same against the tension of their springs.

3. A hemp stripping machine comprising each of the actuating .a pair of transverse shafts,

&

a frame, a carriage movable in the frame, leaf engaging clamps at opposite ends of the frame, each clamp being swingable toward its respective end of the carriage into active position, clamp releasing arms swingable at opposite sides of the carriage, link connections between each arm and its respective clamp to swing the latter to inactive position, means to hold the same in inactive position, and means supported on the main frame for actuating the arms during movement of the carriage.

4. A hemp stripping machine comprising a frame, a carriage movable in the frame, leaf engaging clamps at opposite ends of the frame, each clamp being swingable toward its respective end of the carriage into active position, clamp releasing arms swingable at opposite sides of the carriage, link connections between each arm and its respective clamp to swing the latter to inactive position, means to hold the same in inactive position, and means supported on the main frame for actuating the arms during movement of the carriage, reversible means for actuating the carriage in its movement, and manually actuated means for controlling the carriage actuating means, having means movable therewith for releasing the said clamp holding means.

5. A hemp stripping machine. including a lengthwise movable carriage, stripping knives between which the carriage moves, gearing con necting said shafts, means for driving one of the shafts, pulleys loosely mounted on said shafts, flexible connections wound on and leading from said pulleys to opposite ends of th carriage, clutches for the pulleys arranged and connected to engage one pulley while the other one is disengaged, levers controlling said clutches, clamps on the carriage at its opposite ends, means to release said clamps at the opposite ends of movement of the'carriage, means to hold the clamps in inactive position when re leased, and means having connection with the clutch control levers for releasing said clamp holding means w hen movement of the carriage is started.

6. In a machine of the class described the combination of a main raceway having at each end thereof a set of decorticating tools, a carriage supported upon said raceway, means for reciprocating said carriage toward and from said decorticating tools, and stock gripping jaws on each end of said carriage arranged so as to draw a piece of stock through the space between the decorticating tools of one away from said tools, of stock through the space between the decorticating tools of the other set as the carriage is moved in the reverse direction.

7. A machine of the class described comand to draw a piece set as the carriage is moved )risi-nmin combination-a main frame havin C? C a longitudinally extending track, a carriagemounted uponsaid track, means for reciprocating said carriage along said: track, stock grippingrjaws-at :each enchof the carriage, means constructed-S0-as to hold the jaws at one end of the carriag in gripping position While. the jaws'at-thelother end Ofihe harrmge are allo-wel to rerhaqtn open and 1 decorticating toolswarried 011 the frame] and 10 located" at each end of -ofsa1d j'awvs.;

PATRICK HENRY FRANKP the. path: of travel

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