Apparatus for defibering sheaths of fibrous material, particularly sheaths of abaca

Apparatus for defibering sheaths of fibrous material, particularly sheaths of abaca, comprising a plurality of elongated conveyor means each comprising an upper and a lower endless conveyor having adjacent runs for positively engaging opposite surface portions of the sheaths therebetween for transporting successive sheaths sidewise along a predetermined path, said plurality of conveyor means comprising a first and a second conveyor means extending parallel and transversely spaced from each other and each having a leading end and a trailing end, the trailing end of said second conveyor being located downstream of the trailing end of the first conveyor means, and a third conveyor means inwardly spaced from said first and said second conveyor means and parallel thereto and having a leading end spaced in transverse and longitudinal direction from the trailing end of the first conveyor means to define therewith a gap and the trailing end of said third conveyor means being located downstream of the trailing end of said second conveyor means, the upper endless conveyor of each conveyor means comprising a plurality of pulleys each formed with a plurality of circumferential grooves and mounted spaced from each other in the direction of said path for rotation about parallel axes substantially normal to said path and endless flexible means located in said grooves of said pulleys, the lower endless conveyor of each conveyor means comprising along its upper run a plurality of pulleys each formed with a plurality of circumferential grooves which are offset in the direction normal to said path with respect to the grooves in the pulleys of the upper conveyor, the pulleys along the upper run of the lower conveyor being mounted spaced from each other in the direction of said path but offset in said direction with respect to the pulleys of the upper conveyor coordinated therewith for rotation about parallel axes substantially normal to said path, and endless flexible means located in said grooves of said pulleys in said lower conveyor;

• drive means for driving at least one pulley of each lower conveyor;
• and a pair of stripping means each comprising a stationary stripping blade having an edge extending with at least a portion thereof transverse to said path for stripping pulpy material from the fibrous material of said sheaths during transport thereof by said conveyor means, the edge portion of one of said stripping means being located in said gap and the edge portion of the other stripping means being located adjacent and downstream of the trailing end of said second conveyor means.