Abstract: A plant stalk decortication apparatus and method are provided. The apparatus includes an alignment system in which a series of rotating spindles with blades attached to the spindles are positioned over a bed on which plant stalks are longitudinally aligned and conveyed by the blades. The apparatus also includes rollers and breakers downstream of the blades for crushing and breaking the plant stalks to cause the bast fibers and hurd to separate. The apparatus also includes a suction chamber that separates loose bast fiber from hurd chips formed by the breakers.

Abstract: Apparatus for defibering sheaths of fibrous material, particularly sheaths of abaca, in which the sheaths are transported sideways along a predetermined path by being gripped at opposite ends between the lower run and the upper run of an upper and a lower endless conveyor of a plurality of conveyor means which are so arranged with respect to each other that the sheaths while passing over portions of stripping blades extending transverse to the path are gripped at least at one end thereof, and conveyor means for use in such apparatus which comprise a plurality of adjacent pulleys along the lower run of the upper conveyor, a plurality of adjacent pulleys along the upper run of the lower conveyor, turnable about parallel axes offset in direction of the path with respect to the axes of the pulleys of the upper conveyor, in which each of the pulleys is formed with a plurality of circumferential grooves in which endless flexible means are located which engage and grip the sheaths for transporting the same.