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: 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: A method of decorticating short lengths, typically three to five inches of material such as kenaf to separate bast from core and which has been harvested by a chopper harvester of the type used for harvesting stripped corn stalks. Material is subjected to abrading by a saw blade roller and travels down a screen for treatment by a combing action which results in separation of substantially all core from bast. The core passes through the screen and the bast is swept over the end of the screen onto respective collection conveyors.