Abstract: An alignment mechanism for use as part of a decorticating machine includes: a plurality of fingers (62) extending outwardly from a bed plate and mounted so as to be drivable around an endless track (61) in a casing (60), the bed plate being a part of or adjacent to the casing (60); a driving mechanism including a plurality of pulley mechanisms (66) within the casing (60) extending sequentially along the length of the track (61), adjacent pulley mechanisms (66) overlapping in side by side relationship, each pulley mechanism (66) having a pulley (68) on which is mounted a plurality of finger driver plates (69) each adapted to contact drive faces (65) attached to the fingers (62) and extending within the casing (60); and drive means for driving the pulley mechanisms (66) at sequentially increasing speeds such that the fingers (62) can be driven along the length of the bed plate at an accelerating speed.

Abstract: According to the present invention a crushing mechanism having at least two pairs of co-acting rollers, each roller having a hub with a plurality of teeth extending from a circumference thereof, the pairs of rollers being mounted in open cage fashion and characterized in that each tooth is, at least at its outermost position, in the form of a flat plate angled relative to a radius of the hub with an edge lying parallel with a roller axis, the rollers at their closest positions having plates on one in spaces between plates in the other, the plates of the at least two pairs of co-acting rollers comprising a means for crushing without scraping material in the crushing mechanism, the angle of each plate is substantially the same angle which would be present on a face of a gear tooth between co-acting rollers having gear teeth for crushing material.