Method of and apparatus for separating the stalks of abaca and other plants into individual leaf sheaths

摘要

537,763. Obtaining fibres from abaca &c. UNITED FRUIT CO. April 5, 1940, Nos. 6195 and 6196. Convention dates, April 28, 1939 and March 7, 1940. [Class 120 (i)] The individual leaf sheaths of abaca and other plants are detached from the stalk by rotating the latter on its axis at a speed to subject the individual sheaths to centrifugal force sufficient to separate them successively from the remainder of the stalk ; for a stalk of one foot in diameter the speed is in excess of 900 r.p.m. As shown the ends of the stalk A are supported on pairs of rotating wheels 20, 24 disposed at opposite ends of shafts 16, 18 running longitudinally of the frame 10 and geared together to rotate synchronously in the same direction by a belt 34 and pulleys 28, 30. Each stalk is fed to the wheels by a pair of members 66 one mounted at each end of the frame on a stub shaft 64 geared by sprockets and chain 82 to a shaft 81 running longitudinally of the frame and carrying a hand wheel 80 at one end. Each member 66 consists of four arms 68 connected in opposite pairs by curved arms 76 with projecting ends 78 which form U-shaped recesses 79 in which a stalk can be supported ; by rotating the wheel 80 through 180 degrees the stalk supported in one of the recesses is carried over to drop down on to the pairs of wheels 20, 24 and a notched disc 86 on the hand wheel 80 co-operates with a spring- controlled pawl to hold the member 66 in position for receiving and discharging a stalk. The wheels 20, 24 may be provided with pneumatic tyres and the tyre of the wheel 20 and the corresponding wheel at the other end of the frame which move downwards in contact with the stalk may be inflated to a higher pressure than the other two wheels so that the more highly inflated tyres have a peripheral speed slightly greater than that of the other tyres and tend to urge the stalk downwards between the wheels. The ends 78 of the arms 76 and the arm 68 form guards preventing the stalk from riding up out of the nip of the wheels, a hood may be provided to confine the sheaths, and a receptacle may be arranged under the frame to collect the separated sheaths ; the spacing of the wheels may be arranged to permit the stalk to pass between them when sufficient of the sheaths have been detached therefrom.