Abstract: Processing of baled material includes a bale opening stage, a separation stage, and a decortication stage. The bale opener features a conveyor moving incoming bales toward a toothed extractor with an array of teeth driven on a revolutionary path moving upwardly past the adjacent end of the conveyor to rake through the bale and extract material therefrom. The conveyor tilts upward reduce a working angle between the conveyor and the toothed extractor to urge the shrinking bale toward the moving teeth. A separation stage features multiple sets of vertically stacked, counter-rotating rollers with different characteristics from one set to the next. A decorticator has an external container, an internal drum rotatably supported therein, and an array of teeth on the drum. Driven rotation of the internal drum spins the fibrous stalks around the internal drum and impacts the fibrous stalks against surrounding interior wall surfaces of the external container.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to plant fiber-reinforced thermoplastic compositions and a method for reinforcing thermoplastic resins. The present invention provides a use for the cellulose portion of a plant material, which is the portion left over after processing the selected plant materials to separate the hemi-cellulose and lignin from the cellulose.

Abstract: A process of decortication for separating the bast from the inner core of fibre plants using a disc refiner includes the steps of cutting the straw to a predetermined length; refining the straw by passing the cut straw of the predetermined length through a disc refiner with an applied energy less than about 150 kWh/t; and screening the refined straw to separate the bast fibres from the inner core.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a process of decortication for separating the bast from the inner core of fibre plants using a disc refiner.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for wavelength switching a laser source. An external cavity (2) having a Bragg grating (5) is provided in an optical fiber (4). Space division switching is performed in the external cavity between a plurality of optical fibers (4) each having a different Bragg grating (5). A space division switch (3) is provided in the external cavity for switching between a plurality of optical fibers (4) each carrying a different Bragg grating (5).

Abstract: A system for processing plant material is provided which separates plant fibers from the woody portions of the material to produce a commercially desirable length of fiber and to grind the shorter woody portions that have been separated from the longer fibers to a desirable size which has found use in certain commercial applications. The current system is well suited to process the tough fibers of the North American strain of flax straw, and will also find utility in processing other bast fibers, such as jute, hemp, ramie, and kenaf.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for separating kenaf into fiber and core uses a modified stick machine conventionally used in the cotton industry for removing trash from unginned cotton. Lengths of kenaf are delivered onto the periphery of a saw cylinder so the toothed wheels snag the fiber and draw the kenaf across a grate. Core is detached from the fiber, passes through the grate and is delivered to a core outlet. Fiber on the toothed wheels are removed by a doffing wheel and delivered to a fiber outlet. Multiple saw cylinder/doffing wheel assemblies are provided.

Abstract: A method for separating woody material from plant fibers is disclosed which includes the provision of a plurality of woody material bending regions with the plant material being fed to a first and then a second one of the bending regions as bending and pulling surfaces are moved through the bending regions. The bending and pulling surfaces move through the regions at different operating speeds so that the bending and pulling surfaces in adjacent bending regions will pull on the plant material to separate the fibers from the woody material. As the bending and pulling surfaces primarily impart a pulling or stripping force on the fiber along its length where the fiber has its most strength, the woody material can be dislodged and stripped away lengthwise with minimal damage or breakage of the fiber. The step of providing bending regions can include the step of providing first and second sets of fluted rollers having bending and pulling radially extending flute surfaces.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device for detecting the mass of fiber material (5) which is processed in a rotor spinning machine to form yarn. In order to obtain a measurement signal which is a function of the mass of fiber material and which can also be used for controlling or monitoring a spinning station without requiring an independent measuring device, this measurement signal is detected in the spinning station of a rotor spinning machine on the feed trough (1) thereof.

Abstract: A method for separating woody material from plant fibers is disclosed which includes the provision of a plurality of woody material bending regions with the plant material being fed to a first and then a second one of the bending regions as bending and pulling surfaces are moved through the bending regions. The bending and pulling surfaces move through the regions at different operating speeds so that the bending and pulling surfaces in adjacent bending regions will pull on the plant material to separate the fibers from the woody material. As the bending and pulling surfaces primarily impart a pulling or stripping force on the fiber along its length where the fiber has its most strength, the woody material can be dislodged and stripped away lengthwise with minimal damage or breakage of the fiber. The step of providing bending regions can include the step of providing first and second sets of fluted rollers having bending and pulling radially extending flute surfaces.

Abstract: A decortication machine for loosening and separating the core of kenaf or similar stalks from the outer fiber. The machine includes first and second sets of bladed feed rollers which have blades which intermesh to crush and split the bast fiber bark longitudinally and breakup the core of the stalks into short segments. The stalks are then fed into a first set of bladed beater rollers which have blades which intermesh to beat against the bast fiber and loosen and separate the broken core pieces. The machine includes a third set of bladed feed rollers downstream from the first set of bladed beater rollers. The third set of feed rollers further breaks up any remaining core pieces associated with the bast fibers and feed the stalks into a second set of bladed beater rollers. The blades of the second set of bladed beater rollers also intermesh to beat against the fibers and further loosen and separate additional core pieces.

Abstract: A separator for the separation of fibrous bark from core material of chopped or crushed stalks of a crop such as Kenaf having two or more hollow bodies for rotation on inclined axes, each having a perforated wall and upper inlet and lower outlet ends. Within at least one of the bodies is provided a plurality of longitudinally extending, circumferentially spaced baffles. With rotation of each body while downwardly inclined from the inlet to the outlet, a fibrous phase of the material is conveyed in turn to discharge from the outlet end of one body and conveyed into the inlet of another body, while a more solid phase is discharged through the perforated walls of the bodies.

Abstract: In a textile fiber preparation machine, thickness and/or unevenness characteristics of a lap (W) formed by a web or wadding of textile fibers being fed in the machine are determined for individual longitudinal strips spaced across the width of the lap. A plurality of individual sensors (2) are arranged next to one another over the width of the lap (W) and press the lap (W) against a stationary guide (4,5, 6--6'). Each of the sensors (2) is movable toward and away from the guide and is resiliently biased toward the guide. The amount of movement of an individual sensor (2) away from the guide by the lap is a measure of the thickness of the lap portion being contacted by that sensor. The use of individual sensors arranged end to end across the width of the lap improves sensitivity so that even brief changes in thickness when the lap has a high transport speed can be measured reliably. Furthermore, the apparatus can be adapted quickly and simply to changing lap widths.

Abstract: The pith removal from bagasse fiber is significantly enhanced by the flow of fiber directly from one depithing zone to a second depithing zone without any intermediate settling or pilings of the fiber. The fiber is maintained in a separated condition during the flow from one depithing zone to another depithing zone. The result is a bagasse fiber having a greater quantity of the pith removed with less fiber damage. It is also advantageous to provide a number of conveyors to transport fibrous material to a dual zone depithers and for the removal of depithed fiber and pitch from these depithers. This reduces fiber handling before, during and after depithing.

Abstract: The device for detecting local thickening in webs of paper or film is based on the fact that the thickenings are first mechanically sensed and the mechanical sensing is converted by simple means into an electrical signal. The arrangement consists basically of a stationary roller over which the web to be examined is guided and a pivotal sensor roller mounted at a narrow interval from the guide roller. The sensor roller is mounted on two separate pivotal levers and rotates at the same speed as, but in the opposite direction to, the guide roller. The pivotal levers are provided with stops which determine a gap between the guide roller and the sensor roller through which the web is guided. The stops are in the form of contact switches through which the same electrical current successively flows, so that the flow of current is temporarily interrupted when one or both stops is lifted off its support when a thickening passes through the gap.