Method of decorticating flax and a flax dressing machine for carrying out this method

A flax dressing machine for decorticating a tangled mass of flax, comprising:

• a first breaking edge located adjacent to an entrance into an interior of said flax dressing machine;
• a first breaker comprising a plurality of stationary plate-shaped elements arranged to form a plurality of parallel gaps, and a plurality of rotatable plate-shaped elements forming a plurality of parallel and radially arranged gaps and being rotatable about a first axis arranged transverse to a direction of flow of the flax, each of the gaps formed by said stationary and said rotatable plate-shaped elements extending essentially in a direction of flow of the flax;
• a second breaker comprising a drum rotatable about a second axis parallel to the first axis and arranged transverse to the direction of flow of the flax, said drum having a plurality of beating tools attached to an outer circumference thereof, and a peripherally arranged bottom region forming with the outer circumference a peripheral gapped region for accommodating the flax, said bottom region having a plurality of stationary rubbing tools attached thereto and cooperating with the beating tools attached to said drum, wherein one of said first and second breakers is located adjacent to said first breaking edge;
• a second breaking edge located between and adjacent to said first breaker and said second breaker;
• and
• a fine-breaking and fiber-cleaning device having an elongated rotor rotatable about at least one third axis essentially transverse to the first and second axis and extending in the direction of flow of the flax, and being comprised of means for conveying, loosening, separating, and cleaning the flax, said fine-breaking and fiber-cleaning device being located subsequent to said first and second breakers relative to the direction of flow of the flax.

A traveling flax dressing machine for decorticating a tangled mass of flax, comprising:

• a windrow pick-up head for picking up the tangled mass of flax, said pick-up head having one of a pulling device and a mowing unit connected thereto;
• a first breaking edge located adjacent to an entrance into an interior of said flax dressing machine;
• a first breaker comprising a plurality of stationary plate-shaped elements arranged to form a plurality of parallel gaps, and a plurality of rotatable plate-shaped elements forming a plurality of parallel and radially arranged gaps and being rotatable about a first axis arranged transverse to a direction of flow of the flax, each of the gaps formed by said stationary and said rotatable plate-shaped elements extending essentially in the direction of flow of the flax;
• a second breaker comprising a drum rotatable about a second axis parallel to the first axis and arranged transverse to the direction of flow of the flax, said drum having a plurality of beating tools attached to an outer circumference thereof, and a peripherally arranged bottom region forming with the outer circumference a peripheral gapped region for accommodating the flax, said bottom region having a plurality of stationary rubbing tools attached thereto and cooperating with the beating tools attached to said drum, wherein one of said first and second breakers is located adjacent to said first breaking edge;
• a second breaking edge located between and adjacent to said first breaker and said second breaker;
• and
• a fine-breaking and fiber-cleaning device having an elongated rotor rotatable about at least one third axis essentially transverse to the first and second axis and extending in the direction of flow of the flax, and being comprised of a plurality of different axially arranged sections for conveying, loosening, separating, and cleaning the flax, said fine-breaking and fiber-cleaning device being located subsequent to said first and second breakers relative to the direction of flow of the flax.