Abstract: A fibrous pant stalk decorticator is disclosed. The decorticator includes a feeding device a breaker roll having a first plurality of blades, and a skutcher roll having a second plurality of blades. The skutcher is positioned such that the first and second pluralities of blades overlap. A plurality of air outlets pass through the blades and are configured to provided pressurized air to the fibrous plant stalk as it is passed through the decorticator.

Abstract: A method for harvesting bast plants that have stalks, husks, and seeds. The method includes cutting the bast stalks from the bast plants and promptly receiving the bast stalks onto a first belt without retting the bast stalks. The method then orients at least a portion of the bast stalks on the first belt, the longitudinal axis of the at least a portion of the bast stalks being generally oriented in the direction the first belt is moving. The husks and seeds may be removed from the bast stalks. The bast stalk may be packaged.

Abstract: A fibrous plant stalk decorticator is disclosed. The decorticator includes a feeding device a breaker roll having a first plurality of blades, and a skutcher roll having a second plurality of blades. The skutcher is positioned such that the first and second pluralities of blades overlap. A plurality of air outlets pass through the blades and are configured to provided pressurized air to the fibrous plant stalk as it is passed through the decorticator.

Abstract: The book with spinning globe has a front cover, a back cover, and a spine or binding portion which binds the front cover, and the back cover. An earth globe is rotatably connected to a front cover, back cover, or spine so that the globe is rotatable about an axis extending along a plane of the front cover, back cover, or spine to which the globe is connected. The book may optionally include at least one leaf positioned between the front and the back cover. The globe may also be rotatably connected to the leaf. The globe is configured to represent the earth, and has outlines representing the continents and at least larger countries or geographical regions, and may have contours representing mountains or other features.

Abstract: A method automatically determines, controller parameters of a plurality of controllers for controlling a process controlled system that is composed of a plurality of coupled control systems. The controller parameters of the respective controllers are calculated from the measured responses or the individual control systems, being calculated by a computer for equivalent transfer functions that consider couplings between control systems in the, process controlled system. This occurs in an iterative method, in which a multi-dimensional, non-linear equation system is supplied step-by-step to an optimized solution A, a solution is individually calculated for each non-linear equation, that enters into the other equations. A different standard method for solving non-linear equation systems can also be utilized. A primary application is envisioned for: setting a furnace having a plurality of heating zones.

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 fibrous pant stalk decorticator is disclosed. The decorticator includes a feeding device a breaker roll having a first plurality of blades, and a skutcher roll having a second plurality of blades. The skutcher is positioned such that the first and second pluralities of blades overlap. A plurality of air outlets pass through the blades and are configured to provided pressurized air to the fibrous plant stalk as it is passed through the decorticator.