US3009210A - Method and apparatus for the automatic dosing of bast fibre stalks - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 21, 1961 c. BOK

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE AUTOMATIC nosmc OF EAST FIBRE STALKS 4 SheetsSheet 1 Filed Sept. 16, 1959 K m R N m R m mm A N L R V Nov. 21, 1961 c. BOK 3,009,210

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE AUTOMATIC DOSING OF EAST FIBRE STALKS 4 SheetsSheet 2 Filed Sept. 16, 1959 INVENTOR. CORNELIS BOK Pa -1 4 ATTORN EYS Nov. 21, 1961 c. BOK 3,009,210

' METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE AUTOMATIC DOSING OF EAST FIBRE STALKS Filed Sept. 16, 1959 4 Sheets$heet 3 FIGS INVENTOR. CORNELIS B0 K ATTORNE NOV- 21, 1961 c BOK 3,009,210

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE AUTOMATIC DOSING OF EAST FIBRE STALKS Filed Sept. 16, 1959 4 Sheets$heet 4 IN VENTOR.

CORNEUS 80K BY o-QM,

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,009,210 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE AUTO- MA TIC DOSING 0F BAST FIBRE STALKS Cornehs Bok, Delft, Netherlands, assignor to N.V. Novlvlas, Delft, Netherlands, a corporation of the Netherlands Filed Sept. 16, 1959, Ser. No. 840,261 18 Claims. (Cl. 19-12) The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for the automatic dosing of best fibre stalks, specially flax straw, in order to make possible the continuous working up of these stalks into a bast fibre sliver suitable for further treatments, said working up generally being effected in a breaking apparatus, a hackling apparatus and a sliver forming apparatus proper.

Known treatment prior to the dewooding are: spreading, rippling, butting and conditioning of the flax stalks.

The difiiculties in the continuous treatment of bast fibre material have, however, up till now been in the forming of an even flow of fibres in each of the apparatuses to be passed through, which is necessary for the forming of an even sliver, which can serve as a starting point for the subsequent spinning process.

It is plausible to suppose, that an even sliver is achieved by regularly feeding equal quantities by weight of hast fibre stalks to the breaking apparatus, because it can be supposed that equal quantities by weight of bast fibre stalks will contain equal quantities by weight of best fibres. This, however, appeared not to be the case.

In the raw material supplied to the breaking apparatus of, for instance, rippled and conditioned flax, the stalks consist of about 30% best fibres (that part of the flax straw, which remains after the complete and exclusive removal of the woody core).

In a randomly chosen parcel of flax stalks however,

there generally is a great variety in the sizes of the stalks. In addition, the distribution of heavy and light stalks over the whole of the parcel is far from even, whereby on each parcel bundles of predominantly light and short as Well as of heavy and long stalks may be present, de-

pending upon the local soil conditions of the fields etc.

An exhaustive examination, which is the basis of the present invention, has shown that the percentage of bast fibre, calculated in percents by weight of the gross stalk material, lies considerably lower for the long and thick stalks than for the lighter, shorter and thinner stalks.

The following results illustrating the above were obtained from an experiment.

Out of a parcel of rippled flax straw of medium quality four types of stalks were selected, in accordance with their thicknesses referred to as fine, medium fine, medium coarse and coarse respectively.

After having been conditioned nine portions of 100 grams of each of the above types were weighed and after that determination was made of:

(1) the average number of stalks per 100 grams per group;

(2) the total stalk cross-section per portion of 160 grams at a constant all round compression under the influence of a compression of 6 kg./cm. exerted at a distance of about 10 cm. from the root ends.

Comparative fibre output depending upon stalk type at dosing for equal weights by portion (100 grams) and equal portion cross-sections (5 cm?) Fibre weight after Fibre weight after Starting Number dewoodlng (grams) decoction (grams) weight of stalks Measured (gorgectfion T e of stalk Serial number er per sectiona ac or or yp po ition portion area cm? 5 cm. Per 100 g. Per 5 Per 100 g. Per 5 (grams) portion cm? portion cm.

portion portion Fine 100 333 6. 53 0. 766 26. 26 20. 12 18. 22 13. 96 100 332 6. 18 0. 808 25. 20. 18. 02 14. 56 100 315 6. 11 0.818 26.26 21. 48 17. 85 14.60 100 320 6. 11 0. 818 25. 76 21. 07 18. 08 14. 79 100 344 5. 95 0. 840 26.36 22. 14 18. 20 15.29 100 320 6. 11 0. 818 25. 96 21. 24 18. 32 14. 99 100 330 6. 24 0.8015 26. 24 21.03 18. 35 1,4. 71 100 312 6. 30 0. 794 25. 62 20. 34 17. 90 14.21 100 315 6. 45 0. 775 26. 70 20. 69 18. 68 14. 48

Medium fine 100 192 5. 77 0.867 23. 79 20.63 16. 90 14. 65 100 177 5. 77 0. 867 24. 21. 41 17. 25 14.96 100 158 5. 69 0. 879 23. 78 20.90 16. 67 14. 65 100 184 5.69 0. 879 24. 36 21. 41 17. 26 15. 17 100 200 5. 89 0. 849 24. 66 20. 94 17. 18. 14. 59 100 203 6.03 0.830 24. 70 20. 50 17.33 I 14.38 100 176 5. 69 0. 879 24. 54 21. 57 17. 45 15. 34 100 183 5. 82 0.859 25.00 21. 48 17. 66 15. 17 100 220 5. 95 0. 841 24. 31 p 20. 44 17. 60 14.

edi In coarse 100 161 5. 49 0. 912 23. 10 21.07 16.77 15.29 M u 100 165 5. 49 0. 912 23. 79 21. 7O 16. 90 15. 41 100 134 5. 56 0. 899 22. 57 20. 29 16. 00 14.38 100 134 5. 62 0. 890 22. 75 20. 25 16. 45 14. 64 100 129 5. 49 0. 912 22. 20. 93 16. 41 14. 97 100 138 5. 69 0. 879 22. 66 19. 92 16. 27 14. 30

Comparative fibre output depending upon stalk type at dosing for equal weights by portion (100 grams) and equal portion cross-sections cm. )Continued Fibre weight after Fibre weight after Starting Number dewooding (grams) deeoction (grams) weight of stalks Measured Correction Type of stalk Serial number per per sectional factor for portion portion area crn. 5 cm.- Per 100 g. Per 5 For 100 g. Per 5 (grams) portion cm. portion c111.

portion portion Coarse 100 115 5.18 0. 967 21. 16 20. 46 14.96 14. 47 100 84 4. 91 1. 018 20. 86 21.34 14.65 14.91 100 94 4. 91 1. 018 21. 16 21. 54 14. 96 15. 23 100 114 5. 18 0.967 21.36 20. 66 14.96 14.47 100 94 5. 24 0. 954 21.07 20. 10 14.98 14. 29 100 99 5. 10 0. 981 22. 11 21. 69 15.80 15. 50 100 86 4. 91 1. 018 19. 95 20. 31 14. 14.46 100 94 5. 18 0.967 20. 95 20.26 14. 85 14. 36 100 91 5. 02 0.997 21.40 21. 34 15.16 15.10 Average..- 100 96 21. 11 20.84 14. 95 14.75

NoTE.-The weight of the starting (stalk) material corresponds to 12.8% absolute moisture content. The weights of the fibres obtained from it are given for the absolutely dry state.

The consequence of the above-named examination is, that, starting from equal amounts by weight of flax straw depending upon the average stalk sizes within said amounts by weight, different amounts by weight of fibre material will be obtained, so that for the obtaining of constant quantities of fibre material another dosing index is necessary.

By these examinations it has also been found, that a surprisingly simple and accurate dosing index is present in the cross-sections of the bundles of flax straw. For it is apparent from the table, that quantities of flax stalks, the total cross-sections of which are equal at a certain distance from the root ends, also contalu equal quantities of fibres, independent of the longitudinal dimension of the flax stalks.

A device for dosing flax stalks is known, in which flax stalks are supplied to and gathered in a framework, while from this framework a belt, having erect pins distributed over the whole of its breadth, conveys the stalks that form a layer to the next operation. The thickness of the layer is kept as constant as possible byhaving the stalks which stick out from the band beyond a certain height grabbed by a leveller, which conveys these stalks back into the framework.

The forming of a layer of stalks with a constant thickness, which is carried off at a constant speed, results in quantities being conveyed off per unit of time which have always the same cross-sectional dimensions. Yet it is impossible to realize a constant fibre content with the apparatus as described, mainly because the compactness of the layer of stalks is. subject to considerable variations, while the thickness of the layer is not constant either. Flax stalks have an irregularly bent and branched shape. As a result, they are not simultaneously caught and conveyed along by the pins of the belt over the whole of their lengths and their top ends thereby remain entangled. In this way they take up widely divergent positions on the belt whereby a great deal of space is left open between the stalks which are pressed on to each other only by their own weight, and the compactness of the layer of stalks is slight and greatly dependent on accidental circumstances, such as the shape and the dimensions of the stalks and the degree of their mutual entanglement. In addition to this the entanglement of the stalks has the result, that stalks sticking up beyond the layer, when carried back by the leveller, in turn pull randon numbers of stalks from the layer along with them and carry them back, whereby also the thickness of the layer shows wide variations. These factors naturally cause a particularly great irregularity in the fibre production.

According to the present invention a method is provided for the automatic dosing of bast fibre stalks, specially flax. In the method the stalks are previously but-ted and supplied in transverse direction and assembled within a framework. From the framework a quantity of stalks with a constant cross-section is carried off per unit of time. The method is characterized by the fact that the stalks, the root ends of which have been butted, are gathered exclusively at one determined distance from their root ends and compressed by a force which stows the stalks closely together without crushing them, while from the gathered stalks bundles are carried off having equal cross-sections at the location of the stowing.

According to the invention the distance between the root ends and the place where the crosssections of the bundles are determined, for flax lies between 8 and 15 cm., because with this procedure the greatest possible evenness in the fibre product is attained.

The pressure, with which the stalks are pressed together, according to the invention for flax amounts to 15 kg./crn. at most; higher pressures cause a greater compression in thin stalks than in thicker ones, whereby a new, uncertain factor would be introduced, which would upset the evenness of the fibre production.

In order to improve the automatization and at the same time to make sure that the quantity of stalks, stowed together in the framework, does not exceed certain limits, it is advantageous if the velocity of the supply of the stalks to the framework is coordinated with the quality of stalks in the framework; said supply being retarded as the said quantity increases and accelerated as the said quantity decreases.

The apparatus by which the method and the other aspects of the present invention is carried out can be executed in various ways but, according to the invention, it generally consists of a regulable continuously working feed mechanism, a stowing apparatus which regularly collects a variable quantity out of the supply under substantially constant pressure at the said appropriate distance from the root ends, and a dosing mechanism which completely separates bundles of a constant cross-section from the assembled quantity at said distance and transmits them separately to the next conveying device.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the ap paratus is further characterized by a stowing apparatus with a framework consisting of two leads and a movable lock, in which a stower can move forward between the leads as far as near to the lock, and backward outside the leads as far as beyond the end of the feed mechamsm.

In order to regulate the supply velocity of the stalks depending upon the quantity of stalks stowed together in the framework, the mechanism which moves the stower towards the lock and back again is provided with an element limiting the pressure of the stower to a certain value, which causes the forward movement of the stower to be interrupted when the stowing pressure has reached this limiting value, and a servo-mechanism is present, which, when the stower fails to reach one fixed position or exceeds another fixed position, takes care that a retardation c.q. an acceleration of the feeder mechanism is brought about.

According to the invention the stower is preferably arranged on an arm, which forms part of a four-sided movable rod-system and which has a length which is changeable under the influence of the stowing pressure against the pre-tension of a spring, while the feeder mechanism is accelerated or retarded in dependency on the changes in this length.

If in the above-described manner a supply which satisfies certain conditions has been achieved in the apparatus, this apparatus is then further characterized in that the movable lock, which is substantially perpendicular to the initial direction of the leads, forms part of a tooth flank of a dosing wheel equipped with a toothed rim, which dosing wheel can be moved step by step by the driving mechanism of the stowing apparatus in such a way that the stalks in the framework are stowed together during the time that the dosing wheel is in'motion. Exactly because the turning of the dosing wheel is coupled to the motion of the stower, a filling up of the framework can be effected, without its being possible for factors other than those commanded by the stower arm to exert any influence.

The pressure on the stalks should, however, remain substantially constant, until a bundle of fixed cross-section has been separated. For this purpose it is necessary for the framework to retain a constant cross-section also when the dosing wheel is set into motion, until no further communication takes place with the stalks that have not been separated. To this end the apparatus is preferably formed in such a way, that the part of the flank of a tooth past the part forming the movable lock towards the centre line is substantially equidistant to the flank of the next'following tooth as far as past the points of intersection with the'lead nearest to said centre line, when the .top of the next tooth passes the lead farthest from said centre line. In order to prevent the non-separated quantity of stalks from suffering repression or extra'compression at the turning of the dosing wheel, it is according to the invention to be recommended for the part of the tooth flank from the top as far asto the part forming the movable lock, to be substantially concentric to but slightly cut down from the top circle of the toothed rim.

When a bundle of stalks, which has been determined on the ground of its cross-section, is separated from the other stalks and carried off from the framework, it may occur, that the stalks are still entangled by their top ends in the stalks of other bundles or in the stalks in the framework whichis not permissible.

Therefore another separation, that of the tops of the stalks, is to be effected. With a view to this separation process, however, the bundles themselves should be held tightly. This can be effected without difliculty at a pressure higher than that which was necessary for the separation of the bundles, because the quantity of stalks to the bundle has already been fixed and the pressing to pieces of the woody core no longer present any adverse consequences. The clamping can now be effected in the easiest way, because according to the invention the lead farthest from the centre; line, which runs on as far as to the place where the bundles are discharged from the dosing wheel, approaches the centre line of the dosing wheel nearest at the point where the separation of two bundles takes place.

In order to bring about an effective separation of the tops of the bundles, the bundles should be separated from their clamping point in the dosing wheel on, and this is, according to the invention, effected by a separating means which carries out a movement in the longitudinal direction of the bundles from the root ends towards the tops, whereby the point of this means extends as far as past the clamped cross-sections of these bundles.

It is obvious that the separating means should not meet any hindrance from mechanical obstacles, such as the dosing wheel and to this end, according to the invention, apertures, which on the one side are open towards the centre line and on the other side extend to a larger radius than the one on which the lead farthest from the centre line approaches nearest the centre line, are provided in the bodies of the teeth of the dosing wheel and offer an unobstructed passage to the separating means when the dosing wheelis at rest.

By the design of the separating means, which runs through the aperture in the body when the dosing wheel stands still and is at a great distance from said body when the wheel is moving, a simple but very eflective separation is obtained without any complications.

In order to give the bundles some support when the root ends are sawed off and to afford sufiicient free room for the separating means and the leads, the toothed rim of the dosing wheel can posses a material-free axis and can be connected to a carrier disc by a profiled flange, at an axial distance from the toothed rim that is such, as to cause a root-end saw co-operating with this disc to saw off the root ends of the stalks to the right distance.

As finally the already produced and separated bundles must be carried off without difiiculties presenting themselves, the apparatus is preferably constructed in such a way, that a second lead near to the centre line reaches into the profile of the flange between the toothed rim and the carrier disc and lifts the bundles'from between the flanks of the teeth.

It is generally conducive to a supple carrying off of the bundles, if the lead farthest from the centre line and the second lead near to the centre line at the point of discharge from the dosing wheel run tangentially to the flanks of the teeth.

The bundles may not, however, be just released, but must be passed on for the next treatment.

In order to effect this in an appropriate manner it is advantageous if a hold-back element is positioned between the lead farthest from the centre line and the second lead near to the centre line within the top circle of the toothed rim, which hold-back element holds the bundles within the teeth until they are taken over by a grabbing means of the conveying apparatus.

This conveying apparatus again can be provided with an auxiliary apparatus for the formation and laying off of the dosed bundles and also with an apparatus, by which said bundles are kept separate during their transportation to the breaking apparatus.

An embodiment of the invention is hereinafter described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a side view of the invention;

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 show side views of the stower and its driving mechanism in various positions;

FIG. 5 shows a cross-section on the line VV in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 shows a cross-section on the line VIVI in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 shows a way of limiting the regulation of the velocity of the flax supply.

The layer of flax 1 (see FIG. 1), which has been the apparatus according to spread on to the conveyor band by hand, and after having passed the various previously mentioned treatments as butting, conditioning etc., has been reduced in thickness by a dividing apparatus, is continuously conveyed between pairs of conveyor bands 2 and between a fixed lead 3 and an adjustable lead 4 towards a closing apparatus in the direction indicated by the arrow.

The way in which the layer of stalks is clamped is further illustrated in FIG. 5, wherein attention is drawn to the requisite that the distance from the well-butted root ends to the clamping point should remain constant throughout while the continuous supply of stalks is being provided.

In preceding treatments the position of the layer of stalks on the conveyor bands is achieved by the right positioning of the conveying means of the butting machine.

In addition, the possibility of the stalks shifting in longitudinal direction must be guarded against during all of these preceding conveying actions through the conditioning and improving apparatus.

The transport of the material by the pair of bands 2 is taken over by the pulsating conveyor action of the stower 5 after which the stalks are finally stowed against a movable lock 6, formed by the back of a tooth 7 of a toothed rim 8 of a dosing wheel 9 (see FIG. 1).

The stower 5, acting directly on the layer of stalks, is part of a stowing apparatus, in which the stower is guided through its motions by a guiding arm 10, to which it is rotatably connected by means of a coupling pin 11. The guiding arm 10 at its upper end is fixed rotatably around a point 12 which is rigidly connected to the frame of the machine. The free turning of the stower 5 is limited in one direction by a stop 13 on the guiding arm 10. In the actively stowing stroke of a stowing arm 14 along its track the stowing area of the stower 5 is thereby fixed in a position substantially perpendicular to the direction of motion, while in the return stroke it glides over the stalk material that is coming behind and in doing so is lifted over an angle of about 60 (see FIG. 4).

The stower arm 14 can be slidably moved by an eccentric clog 15, and on the extension of the arm a spring carrier 16 is adjustably fastened, whereby between said spring carrier and a couple of pins which are fixedly arranged on the eccentric clog 15, two or more springs 17 are disposed under a certain tension. And a limiting stop 18, which is likewise adjustably arranged on the arm 14 can, when in the resting position, take over the tension of the springs 17.

The eccentric clog is connected to an eccentric disc 20 by an eccentric pin 19. The guiding arm '10, the stower arm 14, and the stroke of the eccentric, together with the distance from the pivotal point 12 to the axis of the eccentric, form a movable four-sided rod system, whereby for purposes of regulation the stower arm has a regulable length. The eccentricity too can still be modified if needed, although this is generally not possible during operation.

The movement of the shaft of the eccentric disc is derived from the principal driving mechanism by chaintransmissions; the direction of rotation is indicated by an arrow.

For purposes of regulating the flax supply, controlling means have been added to the stowing apparatus, to wit:

The stower arm 14 is provided with a couple of adjustable contact cams 21 and 22, which serve the control current switch 23 (minimum supply limit) and the control current switch 24 (maximum supply limit) respectively. Further a cam disc 25 is fastened on the extension of the shaft of the eccentric disc 20. A cam 26 of this cam disc serves a third control current switch 27.

The continuously rotating eccentric disc 20, through the eccentric clog 15, moves the stower arm, which is pressed against said clog by the springs with the stop 18,

8 causing the pin 11 to move through the course indicated in the drawing.

At the stowing stroke, stower 5 penetrates into the stalk material along the lead 4 and stews the stalks up into the framework 28 formed by the leads 3 and 4 and the tooth back 6. In this way, the stower 5 can be executed like a finger moving in an aperture of the lead farthest from the centre line or as a fork, the teeth of which grip about said lead. Since the compressing force exerted by the stower 5 is dependent upon the initial tension of the springs 17, the forward movement of the compressison of the stalks enclosed in the framework 28. will come to an end as soon as the stowing force becomes equal to the component of the initial spring force, which force component is exerted in the same direction. From this moment on the stower arm 14 will no longer obey the stowing movement of the eccentric, but will begin to move through the eccentric clog, whereby the limiting stop 18 is set free from the clog '15. The forward stowing movement of the stower 5 then practically stops, owing to which fact no further compression of the stalks takes place in the framework 28.

From the moment that the initial tension exerted by springs 17 is reached, the displacement caused at the continuation of the movement is determined by the resiliency of the springs. This phenomenon has for a result that the compressive force exerted by the stower on the stalk material will continue to increase to a certain extent as long as the eccentric pin 19 has not yet reached its ultimate position. This increase is larger, in proportion as the space, present in the framework 28 at the moment at which the spring tension limit is reached, is larger, or again in proportion as a larger stalk cross-section is enclosed in said framework.

In the FIGURES 2 and 3 two filling possibilities have been pictured at the moment, that the eccentric has reached its position of maximal compression.

In FIG. 2 the framed space has been chosen as small. The stower 5 now exerts a stowing power K on the compressed mass of stalks. Herefrom results in the first place a reaction power P exerted by the back part 6 of the locking tooth 7 of the dosing wheel. Both parallel leads 3 and 4 by their contact with the stalk material excite friction powers, which can be symbolized by W; for the lead farthest from the centre line and by W; for the lead nearest to the centre line.

The interrelation of the system of forces acting on the stalk material from the outside then is 1= '1+ "1 1 Analogously, for the situation as indicated in ,FIG. 3,

in which a large space has been chosen, the above-mentioned interrelation can be described as follows:

As the friction forces W increase practically in proportion to the contact lengths of the leads, the requisite increase of the stowing forces K will have to be proportional to said contact lengths. This can be achieved by a judicious choice of the rigidity of the springs 17.

In this way a constant compression of the stalk material, at least for a certain part of the course of the stowing stroke, is assured even with a varying filling of the framework 28.

The driving gears of the eccentric disc 20 and the dosing wheel 9 are adjusted to each other in such a way,

that the dosing wheel turns by one tooth at the moment of maximal compression. The top 29 of the tooth 30 then penetrates into the compressed mass of stalks and separates from it a definite bundle with a stalk bundle cross-section of for instance cm. By the further movement of the dosing wheel 9, the separated bundle, tightly clamped between equidistant parts 31 and 32 of the tooth flanks and the lead 4, moves to a position 33 in the bottom hollow between two teeth.

After a bundle of stalk material has been grabbed from the framework 28, the eccentric pin moves into the return stroke and, after the limiting stop 18 has come to rest again against the eccentric clog, it takes the stower arm with it. Now the stower 5, being freely rotatable about the pin 11, is pulled from the layer of stalks and glides against the direction of supply of the flax until the utmost position to the left is reached (see FIG- URE 4).

At the next movement in the stowing direction the points of the stower will penetrate into the stalk material which has meanwhile been newly supplied by the conveying bands 2, after which the compressing and grabbing oil of stalks of a constant cross-section in the compressed state is repeated by the next tooth of the dosing wheel.

In order to assure an appropriate supply of the stalk material the speed of the conveying bands 2 should be I adapted to the needs of the dosing mechanism, which of course takes away stalk cross-sections that are constant per unit of time, i.e. it takes away constant quantities of bast fibre.

Several embodiments of this method for regulating the supply can be visualized. In the present embodiment of the apparatus an electrical regulating device has been chosen, which, by a reversible relay, operates a servomotor, which in turn controls the continuous variator of the supplying mechanism.

The regulation aims at a control of the supply of the stalk material coming from the distributor which is such, that it enables the stowing apparatus continuously to supply portions of constant compression to the dosing wheel. This implies, that at the moments of maximal compression the stower should always be situated within a certain reach of its course. The positions drawn in the FIGURES 2 and 3 can, for example, be used as delimitations of this angular course a. In this manner, the stower 5 is substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement and the leads 3 and 4, while the part 6 of the tooth flank also is as much as possible perpendicular to said direction with a view to preventing the stalks from being stuck in an angle.

All the irregularities in the layer of flax straw resulting from its being spread by hand, which naturally survive even after it has passed the distributing apparatus, must therefore be compensated by an adapted variation in the speed of the supply, in such a way, that the condition with respect to the positions of the stower at maximal compression, posed in the preceding paragraph, is satisfied.

To this end the control current switches (for instance micro switches) 23 and 24 are arranged on the stowing mechanism as feelers in fixed connection with the eccentric clog 15. The contact cams 21 and 22 on the stower arm 14 can now be adjusted in such a Way (see FIGURES 2 and 3) that the contact cam 21, co-operating with the switch 23, acts as limiting means for the minimal filling of the space 28, while 22 and 24 serve as limiting means for the maximal filling of this space.

The control current signal to be given to the servomechanism by the switch 23 must therefore have for result an increased velocity of the flax supply and the signal of 24 a decrease in velocity.

The active feeling moment is only short, for this can only take place under the condition of a maximal compression (eccentric clog 15 in uttermost stowing position, see FIGURES 2 and 3). In order to give the signal a certain duration of action the feeling moment can without any difficulty be extended into a feeling reach, corresponding to a rotation angle 3 (for instance 30) of the eccentric disc. For this purpose the cam disc 25 is fastened on the same shaft, provided with a cam 26, which extends over the same angle #3.. The control current switch 27 is executed as a closing contact, that is to say that it closes the control current circuit for the two switches 23 and 24 over the angle 6 and interrupts this circuit over the remaining angle to be run through of 360fl. In this way it is guaranteed that the signals of the switches 23 and 24 are to be passed on to the servo mechanism exclusively via the angle reach it.

In FIGURE 7 the arrangement of the servo-motor is indicated, with the connection to the regulating wheel 34 of a variator. The chain wheel 35 is fixedly fastened on the same shaft of said regulating wheel, the chain wheel 35 carrying the chain 37 together with the chain wheel 36. On this chain is positioned the cam 38, having an up and down motion, imposed by the servo-motor, which motion is limited by the adjustable control current inter.- rupters 39 and 40, which are incorporated in series in the same control current lead, as is the interrupter 27.

By this arrangement the supply velocity can be given an otherwise freely adjustable maximum and minimum limit to the following end: I

(1) In case the flax supply falls out (machine slowing down) definitely to interrupt the control current supply of the switch 23 (minimum limit).

(2) .When the spreading is irregular to prevent too strong fluctuations of the supply velocity. v

The further construction and manner of utilizing of the dosing mechanism is shown in the FIGURES 1 and 6.

The dosing wheel 9 is constructed in dish shape and is fastened with the hub 41 on the cantilever end of a shaft 42, to the other end of which is arranged an intermittent driving gear with a Maltese cross 43. The bottom of the dish is formed by the carrier disc 45 forming a whole with the hub 41, said disc carrying a flange 46, which carries the annular toothed rim 8 on its circumference. The flange 46 is profiled on the outside and in addition to this it is provided with radial slots.

The shape of the combination of dosing wheel and toothed rim is directed to the following purposes:

(a) Taking over the stalk material from the stowing apparatus in dosed bundles, holding said stalk material by clamping and guiding said material during further transport.

(b) Arriving at a complete separation of the stalks between the successive bundles.

(c) Supporting the stalk material in such a Way, that the woody root ends can be removed by sawing them 01f, cutting or breaking.

(d) The possibility of passing on the bundles thus treated to the adjoining conveying apparatus in a facile way.

(e) Completely preventing the stalks of difierent bundles from clinging together.

The bundles lying on either side of the tooth 48 in FIGURE 1, are subjected to the complete separation.

Deep slots 47 provided in the flange. 46 and arched apertures 49 in the teeth corresponding to said slots en'- able a separator 50 to penetrate into the toothed rim 20 beyond the place where the stalks are clamped, and thus to break off any interconnection between two successive bundles also at the location of the clamping, while the separation is effected over the whole length of the stalk. The separator 50 is fastened on a continuously moving chain 51, being in itself free from the dosing wheel 9, so that the chain can move independently of the rotation of the dosing wheel. The separator 50 itself protrudes, and when the wheel stands still, it extends into the dish and through the radial slots 47 and the apertures 49 in the teeth. In this manner, the tip of the separator extends between the parts of the bundles lying behind the 11 framework 28 and also separates them. Naturally, it then necessary for the apertures 49 as well as the separator tip to extend as far as past the lead 4. In order to guarantee a passage for the separator 50, the part 52 of the lead 4 lying before the toothed rim, is turned upwards, while in the location where the bundles are clamped the lead 4 approaches nearer to the centre line of the dosing wheel, than at the take-over by the toothed rim and at the discharge place.

At the take-over from the stowing device care is taken lest the stalks are compressed too much and to this end the compression pressure is, by the springs 17, kept as nearly as possible to about 6 kg./cm. Of course this can also be regulated by making the upper lead 4 adjustable, whereby it becomes possible to adapt the size of the bundles. As soon as a bundle has been formed and has completely been taken up into a tooth hollow 33, the pressure can and must increase, lest in the further separation process the stalks are torn from the bundle by the separator 50. This is achieved by the lead 4 not being concentric to the top circle of the toothed rim, but inclining towards the centre line.

In order to prevent the pressure in the framework 28 from increasing during or after the separation of a bundle of stalks by the toothed rim, the first part 53 of the back side of the tooth from off the top 29 is substantially concentric to the top circle but slightly undercut. Up to the part 6, which forms the movable lock proper, this undercutting strongly increases in order to make room for the fresh stalk material which is being stowed up. In this manner, the progress of the teeth can be adapted to the movement of the stower 5, which is moved by the eccentric 20, while the movement of the dosing wheel is brought about by means of the Maltese cross 43. The cogwheel 44 is therefore fastened on a shaft 56, which is driven by the adjustable main drive 54 by means of a chain transmission 55, by which shaft the eccentric 20 is driven by a second chain transmission 57.

The transmission proportions and the position of the cogwheel 44 are naturally chosen in such a way, that the toothed rim 8 stands still during stowing, but that the wheel is set in motion before the stowing operation is ended. Of course care must have been taken, that the stowing pressure does not fall away before the bundle has been completely grasped, because otherwise the dosing is not well-defined. In addition to this, a higher compression of that part of the stalks within the framework 28, which has not been separated, is made all but impossible by the undercut part 53 of the tooth back.

The lower lead 3 runs on below the bundle as far as into the profile of the flange 46 of the dosing wheel, while a second lower lead 58 again reaches into the profile past the separator 50 and lifts the then separated bundles from the tooth hollow 33. Thereby the lead 4 also runs away from the dosing wheel and the bundle is carried to the top of the tooth during rotation.

The bundle may, however, not be just released, because otherwise a dispersion of the stalks would be caused, and therefore the bundle is held back by a hold-back 59, which is rotatable in the frame of the machine and can turn about in the conveying direction against the tension of a spring 60. This turning about takes place only when a grab 61 of a conveying apparatus grabs the bundle and carries it farther. For the purpose of avoiding difliculties in this carrying 01f process, it is necessary for the ends of the leads 4 and 58, at the discharge point to run tangentially to the flanks of the teeth, because otherwise the stalks would get stuck.

As the supplied stalks 1 have been butted as to the root ends and are gathered in the framework 28 at a certain distance from those ends, approximately between 8 and 15 cm, it is necessary that the roots should as yet be removed. This can be effected to particular advantage at a point where the stalks are held fast, i.e. for instance at the point where the longitudinal separation of the bundles is effected. The removal of the roots is there effected with a root-end saw '62, which can be driven separately by a motor, or by the main drive 54. In order to guarantee an even sawing off of the stalks the bundle ends are carried on the rim of the carrier disc 45, and in the tooth hollow 33, while the bundle is held at the top by the lead 4.

The distance between the saw 62 and the toothed rim 8 is naturally related to the beforementioned distances 8 and 15 cm. and the distance between carrier disc and toothed rim must necessarily be less. Generally the saw is positioned so as to be adjustable in the axial direction.

Because during sawing the stalks may possibly bend, it is of particular advantage for the separator 50 to extend through the slots 47 into the flange 46 near to the carrier disc.

Although in the foregoing it has been described that all the bundles are completely separated by the separator 50 from root end to top, it is of course also possible to have the separator 50 on its chain 51 act only at every so many steps of the dosing wheel. If for instance a breaking apparatus possesses a capacity, which is to say a roller width, calculated to take four bundles at the same time, the complete separation by the separator can also come into action at every fourth tooth. The speed of the chain 51 or the number of separators 50 placed on it should then be altered correspondingly. As a matter of course a different construction of the separator 50 and its drive is also possible.

I claim:

1. A process for the automatic dosing of flax stalks and the like bast fiber stalks, wherein the stalks are previously butted and supplied to a framework in a transverse position, comprising repeatedly gathering bodies of said stalks from those supplied, compressing said bodies at a location a predetermined distance from the root ends of the stalks with a force sufficient to force the stalks close together but insufficient to crush the stalks, and repeatedly separating bundles of stalks of equal cross-sectional area from said location for further processmg.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the stalks are flax stalks and the force is applied at a location 8 to 15 cm. from the root end of the stalks.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the stalks are flaX stalks and the force applied is less than 15 kg./cm.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the velocity with which stalks are supplied to said framework varies inversely with quantity of stalks gathered in said bodies.

5. An apparatus for the automatic dosing of bundles of flax stalks, and the like, containing substantially equal quantities of bast fibers, comprising a regulable continuously working feed mechanism supplying butted stalks to the apparatus in a transverse position, a stowing mechanism collecting bodies of stalks in varied quantities from those supplied and exerting a predetermined pressure thereupon at a location a predetermined distance from the root ends thereof, and a dosing mechanism completely separating bundles of stalks from said bodies of stalks having a constant transverse cross-sectional area at said location and transmitting said bundles to the next conveying device.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the stowing mechanism comprises a framework consisting of two leads and a movable lock and a movable stower at said location movable forward between said leads as far as a position near to said lock and movable backwards outside said leads as far as a position beyond the end of the feed mechanism.

7. An apparatus for the automtic dosing of bundles of flax stalks, and the like, containing substantially equal quantities of bast fibers, comprising a regulable continuously working feed mechanism supplying butted stalks to the apparatus in a transverse position; a stowing mechanism collecting bodies of stalks in varied quantities from those supplied and exerting a predetermined pressure thereupon at a location a predetermined distance from the root ends thereof; said stowing mechanism comprising a framework consisting of two leads and a movable lock and a movable stower at said location movable forward between said leads as far as a position near said lock and movable backward outside said leads as far as a position beyond the end of the feed mechanism, said stower being fitted to an arm forming part of a four-sided movable rod system, said arm having a length variable in conformity with the pretension of a spring; and a dosing mechanism completely separating bundles of stalks from said bodies of stalks having a constant transverse cross-sectional area at said loca tion and transmitting said bundles to the next conveying device.

8. An apparatus of claim 7, having servo-mechanism actuating said feed mechanism to accelerate the feed rate thereof when said arm exceeds a predetermined adjustable longitudinal reach and correspondingly retarding the feed rate thereof when said arm fails to reach an adjustable lesser longitudinal reach.

9. An apparatus for the automatic dosing of bundles of flax stalks, and the like, containing substantially equal quantities of bast fibers, comprising a regulable continuously working feed mechanism supplying butted stalks to the apparatus in a transverse position; a stowing mechanism collecting bodies of stalks in varied quantities from those supplied and exerting a predetermined pressure thereupon at a location a predetermined distance from the root ends thereof, said stowing mechanism comprising a framework consisting of two leads and a movable lock and a movable st-ower at said location movable forward between said leads as far as a position near to said lock to compress said body of stalks and movable backwards outside said leads as far as a position beyond the end of the feed mechanism to collect more stalks; said lock being substantially perpendicular to the initial direction of said'leads and forming an inner region of the back of a tooth of a dosing wheel equipped with a toothed rim, said dosing wheel being connected with a driving mechanism for the stowing mechanism so that the toothed wheel is moved forward periodically stepby-step only when said stower holds the stalks under compression; the teeth of said dosing wheel being positioned relative to one another so that as the dosing wheel moves forward periodically bundles of stalks at said location having a constant transverse cross-sectional area are clamped between the teeth and then transmitted to the next conveying device.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the part of the flank of a tooth past the part forming the movable lock and towards the center line is substantially 14 equidistant to the adjacent flank of the next following tooth at least as far as past the points of intersection with the lead nearest to said center line when the top of the next tooth passes the lead farthest from said center line.

11. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the part of the tooth flank from the top as far as the part forming the movable lock, is substantially concentric with, but slightly cut down from the top circle of the toothed rim.

12. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the lead farthest from the center line runs on as far as to the place where the bundles are discharged from the dosing wheel and approaches nearest the center line of the dosing wheel at the point where a complete separation of the bundles takes place.

13. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the apparatus is provided with a separating means movable in a longitudinal direction between the bundles from the root ends thereof towards the tops of the bundles and through apertures in the teeth of the dosing wheel.

14. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein apertures are provided in the teeth of the dosing wheel opening towards the center line and extending away from the center line a greater distance than the closest approach to the center line of the uppermost of said leads.

15. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the toothed rim of the dosing wheel possesses a materialfree axial region and is connected to a carrier disc by a profiled flange offset at an axial distance from the toothed rim thereof such that a saw cooperating with said disc cuts off the root ends of the stalks at a desired distance from the root ends thereof.

16. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein a lifting mechanism is provided beyond the uppermost region of the dosing wheel to lift bundles from between the teeth of the dosing wheel.

17. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein a lifting lead and a restraining lead are provided tangential to the flanks of the teeth of the dosing wheel at the point of discharge for the bundles of stalks.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the bundles of stalks are restrained between the leads at the discharge end of the dosage wheel until they are removed therefrom by a grabbing means from the next conveying device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,937,794 Selvig Dec. 5, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS 664,332 Germany Aug. 27, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATEv OF CORRECTION Patent N00 3 009 210 November 21 1961 Cornelis Bok It is hereby certified that error a ppears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 1 line l6 fOr -"Lreatment" read treatments columns 3 and 4 in the table column 8 line 6 thereof for "21.34" read 2124 V Signed and sealed this 12th day of June 1962,

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST iv. SWIDER DAVID LADD Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

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