Process for decorticating fibrous materials

Claim 1

IN A METHOD FOR DECORTICATING BUNDLES OF FIBROUS VEGETABLE MATERIAL, WHICH BUNDLES CONSIST OF RELATIVELY LONG, FLEXIBLE AND TOUGH FIBERS BONDED TOGETHER WITH MATURAL BONDING AGENTS, THE STEPS COMPRISING: SUSPENDING SAID BUNDLES INDEPENDENTLY OF EACH OTHER IN A FLUID STREAM AND CONDUCTING SAID STREAM AND BUNDLES SUSPENDED THEREIN THROUGH A DECORTICATING ZONE; APPLYING A BENDING MOMENT TO SAID BUNDLES WHILE SAME REMAIN SUSPENDED IN SAID FLUID STREAM, SAID BENDING MOMENT BEING APPLIED TO SAID RESPECTIVE BUNDLES OVER A PREDETERMINED LENGTH THEREOF; REPEATEDLY APPLYING SUBSEQUENT BENDING MOMENTS TO SAID BUNDLES AND PROGRESSIVELY DIMINISHING THE DISTANCE OVER WHICH SAID BENDING MOMENT IS APPLIED AS SAID FLUIDSUPPORTED BUNDLES MOVE THROUGH SAID DECORTICATING ZONE; CONDUCTING SAID FLUID AND THE DECORTICATED MATERIAL SUPPORTED THEREBY OUT FROM SAID ZONE.