US524573A

US524573A - Joseph hubert boeken

Info

Publication number: US524573A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1894-08-14
Anticipated expiration: 1911-08-14

Description

(No Model.)

J. H. BOEKEN.

DEGORTIGATING MACHINE.

No. 524,573. Patented Aug. 14, 1894.

INVENTOH N. am

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH I-IUBERT BOEKEN, OF NUEVI'IAS, CUBA.

DECORTlCATlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 524,573, dated August 14, 1894.

Application filed March 19, 1894. Serial No, 504,231- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH HUBERT Bon- KEN, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and a resident of Nuevitas, Cuba, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Decorticating-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of machines that are used for separating the vegetable fiber in the stalks and leaves of the ramie, heniquen, sisal and like plants from the epidermis and pulp in such a mannerthat the said fibers can be used in the arts for various purposes.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved machine of this kind which is simple in construction, thoroughly separates the fiber from the epidermis and pulp, and by means of which a very large quantity of stalks or leaves can be treated in a given time.

The invention consists in the combination with two decorticating mechanisms, of a conveyer located between them and mounted to move toward either mechanism.

The. invention further consists in the combination with the decorticatiug mechanisms and the conveyor, of means for operating the conveyor from one of said decorticating mechanisms and means for reversing the direction of movement of the conveyerand at the same time reversing the direction of rotation of the feed-rollers of the said decorticating mechanisms.

The invention further consists in the construction and combination of parts and details as will be fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of my improved decorticating machine, parts being omitted. Fig. 2 is a side viewof thesame, parts being shown in vertical section. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail side view of the feed rollers and gearings, parts being shown in section. Fig. 4: is an enlarged detail elevation, showing the gearing for driving the feed-roller and the conveyer belt.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

An endless conveyor belt A passes over the rollers A and A and the top part of said belt rests on a series of supporting rollers A end roller A a decorticating mechanism is arranged in a suitable frame C. In said frame 0 a beating drum or scutcher D is mounted to rotate and is provided on its periphery with a series of scutching blades D. On the shaft D of said drum a loose pulley D and a fixed pulley D are mounted for a drivingbelt, which belt rotates said drum D in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 2. Below and slightly to one side of said drum, a curved metal plate E is arranged, the curvature of which is the same as that of the drum, said plate having a foot E resting on a bracket 0 of the frame G. Bolts G pass through said bracket 0' and through the foot E of the curved plate, the bracket having slots, so as to permit of adjusting the said plate in horizontal direction toward or from the periphery of the drum, according to the thickness of the fiber of the leaves or stalks to be treated.

An inclined chute E serves for carrying 0d the pulp and pieces of the epidermis from the lower end of the plate E. At the upper end of the curved plate E, a throat-piece F is arranged, which has an opening F through which the leaves or stalks can pass, the bottom edge of said opening being curved. That side of the throat piece facing the drum D has the same curvature as the plate E and forms a continuation of the same. The throat piece is mounted to slide horizontally toward or from the drum and can be shifted by means of screws F Fig. 4., passing through angle-pieces F on the frame 0 of the machine and engaging the ends of the throat-piece.

At that side of the throat-piece opposite the one facing the drum, two feed-wheels G and G are mounted parallel and one above the other, said feed-wheels being provided with longitudinal flutings, grooves or ridges in theinperipheral surface. The lower roller G is mounted in fixed bearings and the upper one Gin movable bearings H arranged to slide supporting the endless belt.

the angle-lever P extends entirely across the vertically between two standards H, said movable bearing H being connected by alink H with a leverJ pivoted to one of the standards and carrying an adjustable Weight J so as to admit of adjusting the pressure exerted on said upper roller, according to the nature of the plant or leaf under treatment.

The shafts of the rollers G and G carry the cog-wheels K and K, the teeth of which are of such length as to remain in engagement at all times, whether the feed-rollers are close together or separated a greater or less'distance. The shaft of the lower feed-roller G on one of the decorticating mechanisms, in this case the one at the right, carries a cogwheel L engaging an idle cog-wheel L on the frame of the machine, which cog-wheel L in turn engages the cog-wheel L fixed on the shaft of one of the end rollers A of the endless conveyer belt A, so that said endless belt is driven from the shaft of said feed-roller.

The shaft of the lower feed-roller G of each decorticating mechanism carries two loose belt pulleys M and M, which are rotated by the belts N and N in opposite directions. Between said two pulleys M and M a sliding clutch O is mounted on the shaft of the lower feed-roller at which clutch rotates with the shaft and can slide longitudinally on the same, so as to be engaged with either belt pulley M or M. The clutches O are grooved circumferentially and into said grooves the forked ends of two angle-levers P and P pass,

which angle levers are pivoted to laterallyprojecting brackets Q and Q of the frame A One shank of frame A its end P serving as a handle for manipulating said levers. The levers P and P are connected by a connecting rod R in the manner shown. The drums D are each covered by a removable semi-circular hood S which in Figs. 1 and 2 is shown upon the frame 0 at the left-hand ends of said figures,

The operation is as follows: The drums D are rotated at a speed of about six hundred revolutions per minute and the pulleys on the shafts of the feed-rollers G are rotated at such speed that the endless belt A travels at the speed about equal to two thirds of the peripheral speed of thesaid drums D. When the handle end P of the angle-lever P is in the central notch or in the top of the frame A as shown in Fig. 1, the clutches O and O are disengaged from the pulleys M and M and the endless belt Ais at rest. A number of leaves or stalks are placed longitudinally the clutches O and O are engaged with the pulleys M and thereby the feed-rollers G and G of the right-hand mechanism are rotated,

so as to draw the leaves in between them, and

at the same time the top of the conveyer belt A is moved in the inverse direction of the arrow 00. The epidermis of the leaves is crushedand broken by passing the feed-rollers, and as the leaves pass down the curved plate E, the epidermis is torn and scraped from the same and the pulp removed from between the fibers by the blades D of the rapidly rotating. scutcher drum D. When the points of the leaves or stalks are within a short distance from the feed-rollers G and G of the righthand mechanism, the lever P is moved in the inverse direction of the arrow .00, and passed into the notch a, whereby the clutches O and O are disengaged from the belt pulleys M and engaged with the pulleys M, and thereby the directionof rotation of the feed-rollers G G is reversed and the top of the conveyer belt is now moved in the direction of the arrow 00. motion of the feed-rollers G, G, the stalks or leaves are now drawn up through the open ing F of the throat-piece on the right-hand decorticating mechanism, contrary to the direction of rotation of the scutcher drum D and conveyed back upon the 'conveyer belt,

By the reverse and are carried by said conveyer belt to the left and in between the'feed-rollers of the left-hand decorticating mechanism, passed through the mouth piece of the lefthand decorticating mechanism and are acted upon by the scutcher drum D of said left-hand mechanism. After the leaves have been drawn into said left-hand mechanism almost their entire length, the machine is again reversed and the leaves or stalks are again conveyed by the feed-rollers of the left-hand mechanism, upon the endless conveyer belt A, and by the same in the inverse direction of the arrow 00. Attendants then remove the fiber, which is all that remains of the stalk or leaves from the endless belt and the fiber is then dried and treated in the usual manner by suitable appliances. Fresh leaves or stalks are placed on the belt and passed through the two decorticating mechanisms in the manner described.

In myimproved machine the stalks or leaves are decorticated throughout the greater part of their length by one decorticating mechanism, are then conveyed to the other decortieating mechanism for the purpose of having that part decorticated that was not acted upon by the first decorticating mechanism. Fur- IIO thermore part of the stalk or leaf is first acted at all times held in line and are never doubled up'or twisted. The result is that the fibers obtainedJon my machine can be hackled and spun very easily and do not require much combing.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In adecorticating machine, the combination with an endless conveyor belt, supporting rollers for said belt, of a tension device for said belt, a pair of feed rollers at each end of the conveyer belt, brackets attached to the side of the machine, reversing mechanism for the feed rollers consisting of clutches, angle levers pivoted to said brackets for operating said clutches, a horizontal lever connecting said angle levers, and a handle working in notches on the machine for simultaneously operating said clutches, transmitting gears between one pair of feed rollers and the conveyer belt for producing the simultaneous motion of the feed rollers and conveyor belt in either direction, a throat piece arranged adjacent to each pair of feed rollers, curved plates below the throat pieces, and rotary scutchers located in close proximity to the throat pieces and above the curved plates.

2. In a decort-icating machine, the combination of an endless conveyer belt, a pair of feed rollers at one end thereof, vertical standards also disposed at one end of said belt, a movable bearing in said standards in which one of said feed rollers is j ournaled, a lever pivoted to one of the standards and provided with'a weight, a link connecting said lever with said movable bearing for lowering and raising the feed roller journaled thereon, a rotary scutcher, a curved plate mounted below the same for supporting the leaves on which the scutcher acts, a throat piece at the upper end of said plate and having an aperture through which the leaves can pass to the scutcher, and means for adjusting the throat piece in relation to the curved plate and scutcher.

3. In a decorticating machine, the combination with an endless conveyor belt, of a pair of feed rollers at one end thereof, a rotary scutcher, a curved plate mounted below the same for supporting the leaves on which the scutcher acts and provided with a foot, a support for said foot provided with a slot, means for adjusting the plate horizontally and bodily in the slot of said support, and a throat piece at the upper end of said plate and havingan aperture through which the leaves can pass to the scutcher.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH HUBERT BOEKEN.

Witnesses:

OSCAR F. GUNZ, K. R. BRENNAN.