US1598095A - Hemp-cleaning machine - Google Patents

Description

Aug 3l, E92@ Lgg G1. A. LWRY HEM? CLEANING MACHINE Filed Sept. 30, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet l NV-ENTOR BY l - A RNEY;

Aug 3E, H926., n y )Lg G. A. LOWRY HEM? CLEANING MACHINE Filed sept. 3o. 1924 3 sheets-sheet 2' ATTORNEYS Au@ 3l, E926., LSQSQS G. A. Lowm HEM? CLEANING MACHINE Filed Sept. 30, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 A'ITORNEY vio Patented 3.1, 1926.

UNIT-ED STATES v1,598,095 PATENT orrlca.

GEORGA. LOWRY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGEN'MENTS,A TO FABRICORD, INC., TRUSTEE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

KEMP-CLEANING MACHINE.

Application led September 30, 1924. Serial'No. 740,706.

This inventionrelates to machines for separating the fibrous skin from the woody Y core of fibrous plant stalks, of which hemp is an example, and has for its object the 6 production of a machine which will expeditiously separate the pithy core from the fibrous material with practically, no loss of fibre and with the fibre left in long ribbonlike streamers. I further aim to produce a fibre strippingmachine which is simple in construction but very efficient in operation and which is inexpensive to operate and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects will appear hereinafter and I obtain these objects by the construction illustrated in the attached drawings, in whichif Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a machine which embodies the principles of my invention. l

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof with a portion of the flywheelv omitted for clearness.

. Fig. 3 is a plan view; and

Fig. 4 is a view taken on the line 4--4 of Fig..3.

The same numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of my fibre 30 vseparating machine, which is herein described as an example and not in a limitingA fsense.

I have discovered that by constantly and quickly disrupting the woody or pithy core of fibrous plants, such as hemp or the like, and thus removing small sections while the loosened fibre is pulled back or stripped, I can separate the fibre from the core without loss of fibre, and the fibre ,itself is retained in long ribbon-like bands for further treatment preparatory to spinning or weaving as bolts 15.

u The machine proper comprises two side frame pieces or plates 16 and 17, of which plate. These plates ore suitably spaced apart, as by a rod 18 and a frame plate 19, and support-the operating mechanism. This mechanism comprises a plant stem or stalk the cylinder, as shown, at substantially right angles to the` surface, or they may be re.

garded iasribs having, in any event,com paratively sharp striking edges 23 for striking the ends of the plant stalk as it is fed 4forward over the feed board 25` which isv adjustably held by bolts 27 passing through slots 26. The feed surface-of-plate 25 lies substantially in the striking plane of blades 22 at their point of 4greatest efficiency. A guide plate 28 is pivotally supported at 29 and serves, by its weight and' other means, to hold the stalks 24 in proper positionfor the disrupter 20 to loosen the fibre and break the core or woody part of the plant stalk into short lengths, as is more fully explained below and as is disclosed and claimed in my copending application for the method of cleaning hemp and other fibrous plants, filed of even date herewith.

Immediately beneath the disrupter 20 I place the fibre receiving and stripping mechanism. In a referred form this mechanism consists ci) a star-roller 30, and

"a smooth surfaced roller 31, co-acting to grasp the bre 24 and to pull and strip it from the plant stalk as it is freed therefrom by 4the disrupter. These rollers are properly supported, in the frame plates, on

caring journals@ 32 and 33 respectively. The star-roller is driven by a suitable agency, as a chain 37, which operates over a sprocket wheel 34 on the end of its journal 100 32. This roll is fixedly held while its companion .roll 31 is adjustably held by means of an adjustable bracket 35 and a tension spring 36, to thus permit\the surfaces of the companion rolls to be properly spaced 105' and at all times under suitable tension.

The disrupter 2O is preferably operated by the same agency or chain 37 which drives the stripping mechanism and this chain engages a sprocket 38 on the disrupter journal 39. 110

n piece 16 may be regarded as the left side frame plate and 17 as'the right side frame sprocket 34 on the stripping mechanism, and their relative ratio is such as will supply `a comparatively high speed for the disrupter in order to completely loosen and break the ends of the fibre stalks as they are fed forward by the pulling action of the stripping mechanism. The chain, or equivalent driving device, is driven from any source of power which, in a simple construction here shown, is la drive sprocket 40 and is operated by a foot treadle 41, which is supplied with paddles 42 and 43 and is, connected to the drive sprocket by a suitable means, as a link 44 operating on a bell-crank 45. A iiywheel 46 on shaft 39 provides means for supplying accumulated power to provide for uniform! ity of operation, as is well understood.

While I have shown my machine to be operated by foot power, it is clearly evident that other sources of power may be employed` as may be desired. I, further, do not desire to be understod as having limited myself to 4the specification construction of my fibre stripping and cleaning machine, herein described and shown, as various modifications fall wholly within the spirit and scope of my invention will suggest themselves to thoseA versedin the art.

What I claim, therefore, as new and useful, of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a machine for separating the fibres from fibrous plant stalks, the combination of breaking means for imparting blows to the end of said plant stalks, a table for guiding said stalks unbroken onto the breaking means,. and means for grasping a fibrous material of said stalks topull forward the plant stalks into ,breaking position and removing the fibre from the core without permitting said fibre to come in contact with the breaking means.

2. In a machine for separating the fibres from fibrous plant stalks, the combination of a cylinder member, a feed plate for guiding said plant stalks towards said member whereby the plant stalks are brought unbroken in contact' with the cylinder, and means for `stripping the fibre from said stalk to remove ,said fibre without being brought into contact with the cylinder member.'

3. In a machine for seperatingthe fibre deflect the libre out of the reach of the.y

cylinder.

4. Ina machine for separating the fibres from fibrous plant stalks, the combination of' a disrupter having striking edges to loosen the fibrous skin from itscore and break the core, and means for advancing theplant stalk as the core is broken and the skin is loosened' wherebythe loosened skin is peeled from the stalk in advance of the breaking action. b

5. In a machine for freeing the fibrous material from the woodypar'ts of plants, a cylinder having blade edges projecting from the surface thereof, a feed plate opposite said blade edges, meansfor adjusting said plate, a star-roll, and a smooth surfaced roll cooperating to grasp and pull on the fibrous material, thereby stripping the fibre from the woody core to move the core towards the cylinder for th\blades to act thereon.

6. vIn a machine of the class described, the combination of a cylinder member, blades on said cylinder, a plate inclined in an upward direction toward the cylinder blades, means for adjusting said plate, a guide member cooperating with said plate, and a pair of cooperating rolls beneath said cylinder member for pulling on the fibre.

7. In a machine for freeing the fibrous material from the woody core of plants, a cylinder having blade edges projecting from the surface thereof for breaking said woody core, a feed plate extending towards said cylinderfrom a ldirection opposite said blade edges, a fibre stripping mechanism spaced from said feed plate and said cylinder for removing the fibre from the plant. stalks and deiecting it out of reach ofthe cylinder bladeedges whereby the vfibre isremoved from its core without being subjected to the action of the cylinder blades. i

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 18th day of September,

GEORGE A. LOWRY.

uo j

Images