US3225389A - Cotton gin rotary brush means and brush strip holder therefor - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 28, 1965 L. E. JONES 3,225,389

COTTON GIN ROTARY BRUSH MEANS AND BRUSH STRIP HOLDER THEREFOR Filed Jan. 29, 1963 FIIG 1. E 21 10 INVENTOR.

Z4oy0 E rlwvss United States Patent 3,225,389 CGTTON GIN ROTARY BRUSH MEANS AND BRUSH STRIP HOLDER THEREFOR Lloyd E. Jones, Pasadena, Calif., assignor to Industrial Brush Company, Arcadia, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Jan. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 254,693 8 (Ilaims. (1. 19-60) This invention relates to a rotary brush means and more particularly relates to a novel metal holder construction for a brush strip adapted for use in a cotton gin.

Prior cotton gin brushes have included wood core means upon which were mounted longitudinally extending parallel bars of wood which had been drilled to provide sockets for tufted brush bristles. The wood bars were afiixed to the core means by longitudinally extending clamping means releasably attached to the core means at spaced intervals by suitable stud bolts or other attachment means. Such prior wood bars with bristle tufts were usually installed in such a cotton gin brush by longitudinally inserting the bar in a longitudinal recess provided by clamping or other means. (See Patents 403,973; 1,018,327; 2,450,679.)

Maintenance of such wood bars with tufted brush bristles therein has been relatively costly and expensive. One of the problems involved with a cotton gin brush employing wood bars with tufted bristles has included proper dynamic balancing of the rotary brush. A rotary cotton gin brush must have a peripheral speed substantially in excess of the peripheral speed of cotton fiberengaging saw teeth so that the gin brush can rapidly sweep the saw teeth clean of the cotton fibers. As a result,'cotton gin brushes may be rotated up to motor speed or from between 750 r.p.m. to 1750 r.p.m. A dynamically unbalanced brush will soon result in uneven wear on the brush and possible damage to or destruction of the associated cotton gin machinery.

An unbalanced condition of such a cotton gin brush is relatively unavoidable because of the use of wood bars. A wood bar absorbs moisture in different amounts along its length and with respect to other bars. Some wood bars release their moisture at different rates so that distribution of weight along the wood bars may vary throughout the day. Moreover, since wood bars are provided with tufted bristles, the precise uniform distribution of such tufted bristles and their attachment to the wood bar is time consuming. It is difficult to provide a wood bar of uniform balance and weight distribution throughout its entire length. When such a tufted wood bar becomes worn in part only, the entire bar was discarded. Moreover, if part of the wood bar should break, the entire bar was replaced. If one or two wood bars on a cotton gin brush wore unevenly, then, to restore the rotary brush to its desired configuration and effectiveness, the entire rotary brush was removed from the cotton gin machinery and the wood bars removed longitudinally therefrom. It is difficult to remove such wood bars from cotton gin machinery because of limited available working space. Such rotary brushes for cotton gins utilizing tufted wood bars were also susceptible to fire hazards. When only part of the bristles or wood was burned along the length of such a bar, the entire bar was discarded.

The present invention contemplates a brush holder construction adapted for cotton gin rotary brush means and which includes numerous advantages over wood bar tufted brush members of prior proposed cotton gin brush means. Generally speaking, the cotton gin brush holder construction of the present invention may be quickly and readily substituted for prior wood bar constructions and is arranged to greatly facilitate installation of the brush 3,225,389 Patented Dec. 28, 1965 holder and to provide a more effective cotton gin brush means.

The present invention contemplates a novel brush holder and brush strip assembly which is readily adaptable to any one of various sizes of cotton gin rotary brush means presently used.

The primary object of the present invention therefore is to design and provide a novel brush holder means, a brush strip construction for assembly therewith, a combined brush holder and brush strip, and a rotary brush means employing the same which is adapted for use with cotton gin machinery.

An object of the invention is to design and provide a brush strip holder member adapted for mounting on the core means of different diameter.

Another object of the invention is to disclose and provide a brush holder member for cotton gin rotary brush means comprising an extruded metal brush holder adapted to releasably retain a brush strip therein.

A further object of the invention is to disclose and provide a brush holder member provided with an extruded integral structure having hinge means for cooperation with clamping means to hold the brush holder member in assembly on a brush core means.

A still further object of the invention is to provide. a novel brush holder member having inturned depending brush strip grasping portions for frictionally releasably holding a brush strip in assembly therewith, said grasping portions being hingedly connected with a base portion of the holder member for responding to clamping pressures.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a releasable assembly of a brush strip and holder therefor wherein positive interlock means prevent disassembly of the strip from the holder during rotation of a brush means carrying the strip and holder assembly.

The invention contemplates a brush holder member and brush strip constructed so that clamping pressures imparted to the member and strip when in assembly serve to further compress brush bristles carried by the strip. The holder and brush strip of this invention provide a rigid, uniform in weight and size brush construction which facilitates dynamic balancing, ease of repair, maintenance of bristle uniformity, and facility of replacement of individual brush strips without removing the rotary brush from its mounting and by which machine down time is reduced to a minimum.

Various other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following description of the drawings in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, transverse sectional view of a cotton gin rotary brush means embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal fragmentary sectional view taken in the planes indicated by line IIII of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view of a cotton gin rotary brush means of minimum diameter embodying the invention.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of a.

brush strip holder member embodying the invention.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view of a brush strip wedge face of the brush strip holder member shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating one method of assemblying a brush strip with the brush strip holder shown in FIG. 4.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, a cotton gin rotary brush means generally indicated at 10, may be of cylindrical form and of relatively large diameter. In a cotton gin process of separating seeds from cotton fibers, a number of spaced 3, sequentially arranged cotton gin rotary brushes of different diameters and size may be used to perform specific functions in the processing of the cotton. The present invention is applicable to each of the cotton gin rotary brush constructions in the process, whether of small or large diameter.

Generally speaking, rotary brush means comprises a brush core means including a shaft 12 driven by suitable driving means and supported by suitable bearings not shown. Shaft 12 supports a plurality of collars 13 of selected diameter in longitudinal spaced, fixed relation. Circumferential edge faces 14 of collars 13 support a plurality of radially spaced longitudinal clamp members 15, suitable stud bolts 16 being used to releasably secure the clamp members to collars 13. Adjacent clamp members 15 secure brush strip holder members, generally indicated at 18, in circumferentially spaced relation. Each holder member 18 carries a longitudinally extending brush strip 19 provided with outwardly extending bristle layer 20 cut to a preselected length so as to provide an outer generally cylindrical brush having an outer diameter indicated at 21.

The brush core means comprising shaft 12 and collars 13 are exemplary only. The core means may be constructed as by a single solid metal shaft 12' as shown in FIG. 3, for providing a minimum brush diameter. The number of collars 13 may be varied, depending upon the length of shaft 12 and the collars may be integral or split to provide a desired core assembly.

Each clamp member 15 comprises a bottom wall 23 having a bottom surface seated on edge faces 14 of collars 13 and secured by stud bolts 16. Extending upwardly and divergingly outwardly from bottom wall 23, are longitudinally extending side clamp portions 24 which terminate in longitudinally extending clamp lips 25. The edges of adjacent lips 25 of adjacent portions 24 are spaced and define a longitudinally extending slot 26 through which bristle layer 20 of brush strip 19 may project. Adjacent portions 24 define longitudinal passageways. Clamp members 15 extend the length of brush means 10 and may be loosened by partially unthreading stud bolt 16 for displacement radially outwardly from the shaft 12.

One of the important features of the present invention is the construction of brush holder member 18 which is clamped and rigidly held against edge faces 14 of collars 13 by clamps 15, pressure contact being made at and adjacent lips 25. Each brush holder member 18 may comprise an extruded metal elongated member having a cross-sectional outline approximately the size and shape of existing cross-sectional outlines of presently used wood bars containing tufts of bristles. This rectangular outline of such similar area and size as that of prior wood bars permits metal holder members 18 to replace the wood bars without modification of existing core means or clamp means.

Each brush strip holder member 18 FIGS. 4 and 5 comprises an extruded, generally H section including upstanding spaced side wall means having parallel spaced side walls 30 having longitudinal bottom edges 31. In spaced relation to bottom edges 31 is an interconnecting transverse wall 32. Wall 32 is spaced above edges 31 a distance at least greater than the height of a circular segment on a cylindrical collar 13 or shaft 12' having a chord equal to the distance between edges 31 of said walls. Thus when edges 31 of member 18 are seated on edge face 14 of collar 13, the bottom surface 33 of wall 32 is free of contact with edge face 14 and a rockable mounting of holder 18 on edge face 14 is avoided. The relationship between the lateral spacing of edges 31 and the height of bottom surface 33 of wall 32 is such that when the holder 18 is supported on a shaft, such as 12', of minimum diameter, edges 31 will longitudinally contact the surface of shaft 12' and the bottom surface 33 of the holder will be slightly spaced therefrom. Thus a nonrockable lateral support for holder member 18 is provided on shafts having minimum diameter, such as 7 shaft diameter.

The lower portions of side walls 30 together with the transverse wall 32 form a horizontal or sidewardly disposed metal I-section base means. The support of edges 31 on collars 13 limit bending of the horizontally disposed I-beam section and between collars 13 the I-section base means is sufiiciently stiff and rigid so that bending will not occur in spanning the space between collars 13.

The top portions of side walls 30 are provided with sidewardly extending external beads or projections 36 which may slightly exceed the width of the rectangular cross-section of a presently used wood bar. External projections 36 on side walls 30 cooperate with the upper or outer sections of side clamp portions 24 and clamp lips 25 of clamp members 15. When clamp members 15 are drawn tight by stud bolts 16, clamp lips 25 exert a lateral, inwardly and downwardly directed force against top portions of walls 30 and inturned depending brush strip grasping portions 38 provided on each wall 30 internally of holder member 18. To facilitate inward bending or flexing of upper portions of side walls 30 and grasping portions 38, each side wall 30 is provided with an internal longitudinally extending groove 39 spaced above transverse wall 32 and defining a reduced or narrow metal hinge section 40. Upper portions of side wall 30 and grasping portion 38 may limitedly pivot about hinge section 40 as if a hinge connection were provided.

The inturned depending grasping portions 38 (FIG. 5) may include top surfaces 42 terminating in parallel longitudinally extending spaced edge faces 43 which define therebetween a longitudinally extending opening 44. Below opening 44 parallel locking shoulders or ledges 43a for a brush strip are defined by faces 43 and internal pressure faces 45 which may be inclined downwardly and outwardly to provide opposed wedge faces spaced apart a greater distance at their bottom than at shoulder 43a. The grasping portions 38 include depending grasping sections 46 in opposed, spaced relation and which terminate in inwardly directed edges 47 defining spaced, longitudinally extending seats 48 for the bottom portion of a brush strip 19. Pressure faces 45 and inturned edges 47 define on inner surfaces of sections 46 longitudinally extending recesses 49 which may conform to the external configuration of brush strip base member 51 of strip 19. It should be noted that grasping portions 38 are spaced symmetrically with respect to a vertical, longitudinally extending plane bisecting holder member 18 and that the configurations of pressure faces 45, recesses 49 and edges 47 are symmetrical with respect to said plane.

Brush strip 19 may be modified in its construction from Well known types of brush strips and may include the brush strip base member 51 having a selected external configuration to provide a bottom or base strip portion having a configuration corresponding to the shape of the space defined by faces 45 and recesses 49 of grasping sections 46. Within base member 51 is provided a core member 52 serving to secure bristles 20 in well known manner. The bristles 20 provide a longitudinally extending layer of brush bristle or filament material of selected flexibility and substantially uniform density throughout its length to effectively strip cotton fibers from seed separating teeth on adjacent gin or saw blades. Each uniform bristle layer provides, in effect, a fan-like blade means which creates a desirable positive uniform movement of air as the bristle layer sweeps over a saw blade, such positive fanning movement of each bristle layer serving to facilitate movement of separated fibers away from the saw blade and teeth. Base member 51 includes side walls of a height approximately equal to the distance between shoulder 43a and seat 48. Top edge faces 53 of base member 51 and shoulders 43a interlock in abutting engagement to positively retain strip 19 in assembly with holder 18.

In assembly of rotary cotton gin brush means 18 described above, it will be apparent that shaft 12 may be provided with spaced collars 13 thereon and clamps 15 loosely secured on the collars by stud bolts 16. Brush holders 18 may be longitudinally inserted into the passageways provided between side portions 24 of adjacent clamps 15. When holders 18 are in proper longitudinal and lateral alignment on the core means, clamps 15 may be tightened by turning the stud bolts 16. As clamps 15 are drawn tight and radially inwardly, it will be apparent that clamp lips 25 and adjacent portions of side portions 24 are drawn downwardly and exert radially inwardly directed pressure against external beads 36 on the virtually enclosed holder 18. Such pressure not only tends to firmly seat the spaced bottom edges 31 of the holder on the edge faces 14, but also exerts a laterally directed force component which tends to bend the top portions of side walls inwardly toward each other and to urge grasping portions 38 closer together. Thus, as clamps 15 are tightened, not only is holder 18 more firmly seated on the core means, but grasping portions 38 are pressed into tighter frictional engagement with the brush strip 19. After clamps 15 have been tightened on rotary brush 10, the entire brush may be assembled with a cotton gin machine.

After rotary brush means 18 is installed in a cotton gin machine, it is often necessary to replace one or more of brush strips 19 due to wear, damage, fire or other reasons. An important feature of the present invention is that holders 18 need not be disassembled from the rotary brush to replace a brush strip 19. For example, one of clamp members 15, engaged with a holder 18 having a strip 19 to be replaced, may be loosened sufiiciently so that holder 18 is no longer under clamping pressure. Under this loosened condition, one end of brush strip 19 may be pried radially outwardly from its position within grasping portions 38 by insertion of a screwdriver or other suitable tool at the end of holder 18. The top portions of side walls 30 and grasping portions 38 may be spread sufficiently apart because of hinge sections 40 to permit such movement of the end of brush strip 19 through opening 44. Once an end portion of strip 19 has cleared the top surface of holder 18, the remainder of the strip may be readily removed from grasping portions 38 by longitudinally sliding a transversely disposed bar or screwdriver along the top surface of holder 18 until the entire brush strip 19 is removed by such radial outward displacement thereof.

It is important to note that the interlocking abutting engagement of shoulder-s 43a and top edges 53 may be only of sufficient width to positively lock strip 19 in holder 18 so that centrifugal force of a rotating brush will not eject the strip. An exemplary interlocking width is approximately .015 inch. Such width of the locking shoulder or ledge 43a will permit spreading apart of the grasping sections 46 and enlargement of opening 44 to provide removal of strip 19 as above described.

After removal, a new brush strip 19 may be radially inwardly inserted through opening 44 by generally reversing the above strip removal process. That is, one end of new brush strip 19 may be first pressed through opening 44 (FIG. 6) by forcing a suitable tool, such as the end of a screwdriver, downwardly (radially inwardly) thereagainst to cause sufiicient spreading apart of side walls 30 about their hinge sections 48 so that the strip end may be fully received within recesses 49. Once the end of the strip has been started in recesses 49, further progressive application of force by the screwdriver at spaced intervals along the length of brush strip 19 will press the strip into full reception within the brush holder 18 and into interlocked relation with the holder along lock shoulders 43a.

In the event the ends of holders 18 are accessible for longitudinal removal of a brush strip 19 when grasping and clamping pressures are relieved, it will be readily apparent that such longitudinal removal may be easily accomplished while retaining the holder18 against movement.

In an arrangement of a plurality of cotton gin brushes involving different diameters, a minimum diameter may be that as shown in FIG. 3 where shaft 12' is approximately in diameter. Even on such a small cylindrical surface, brush holder 18 is adapted to be readily assembled and used because of the construction of the base means of brush holder 18. As illustrated in somewhat exaggerated fashion in FIG. 3, the spaced edges 31 seat upon the cylindrical surface of shaft 12' and provide stable mounting of holder 18 thereon. The clamp means 15' are of similar configuration as that shown in FIG. 1 with clamp lips 25 and clamp sides 24' disposed at a greater angle with respect to bottom wall 23'. Clamp bolt 16 secures the clamp means 15' to shaft 12'. Application of clamping forces to top portions of side walls 30 of the holders 18 is in the same manner as above described. Thus, brush holder 18 may be readily used on core means of diameters from 7 to greater diameters such as 2 to 3 feet or more and that the holder configuration is such that they may be readily substituted for existing tufted wood cotton gin bars.

It is important to note that the extruded metal section brush strip holder member 18 is rigid throughout its length and has virtually uniform distribution of metal. Dynamic balancing of such a rotary gin brush is thus initially facilitated. During use of such a rotary brush, the dynamic balancing is not affected by changes in ambient humidity because holders 18 are of metal, whereas prior wood bars disproportionately absorbed ambient humidity or moisture.

Since holder members 18 may be extruded of lightweight metals such as aluminum, an overall weight reduction for the cotton gin rotary brush is achieved. The uniformity of the bristle layer throughout the length of the brush strip and its effective sweeping and fanning action provides enhanced efiiciency in the cotton gin process. The construction of the holder 18 and strip 19 provides facilities in maintenance of such brushes which has not been achieved heretofore, and in an inexpensive non-time consuming manner.

It will be understood that various modifications and changes may be made in the construction of a cotton gin rotary brush means, brush holder, and brush strip described above which come within the spirit of the invention and all such modifications and changes coming within the scope of the appended claims are embraced thereby.

I claim:

1. A brush strip holder construction for a cotton gin brush means comprising an integral extruded member of generally H-section, said H-section including spaced parallel side walls interconnected by a transverse Wall having a bottom surface in spaced relation to bottom edges of said walls, each of said walls being provided with a longitudinally extending groove above said transverse wall forming a hinge section for said wall; each of said walls being provided with an inturned depending brush strip supporting and grasping portion, said grasping portions having inturned opposed lips in spaced relation, said lips being adapted to provide a seat for a brush strip, each of said walls having a top external projection extending beyond the exterior surface of said well; said grasping portions being adapted to resiliently and frictionally receive therebetween a brush strip.

2. A brush holder construction as stated in claim 1 wherein said grasping portions are provided with opposed longitudinally extending recesses.

3. In a cotton gin rotary brush means, the combination of: a core means including a shaft and a plurality of spaced collar members thereon; a plurality of clamp means extending longitudinally of the core means and supported by said collar means; said clamp means defining a plurality of longitudinally extending passageways provided with longitudinally extending top slots; brush holder means received within said passageways, each holder means including depending spaced brush strip support portions forming a longitudinal opening; brush strip means carried by each brush holder means on said support portions and having a longitudinally extending uniformly compact bristle layer extending through said slots; said strip supporting portions imposing a grasping force on the brush strip means; said clamp means being adapted to be tightened against said brush holder means to sidewardly and inwardly grasp said brush holder means and to impose additional grasping forces on said brush strip means.

4. A brush means as stated in claim 3 wherein said holder means includes side walls connected with said support portions, said side walls having a longitudinally extending reduced section serving as hinge means.

5. A brush means as stated in claim 3 wherein said holder means includes side walls connected with said depending support portions, said side walls having longitudinally extending sidewardly directed projections for engagement with said clamp means.

6. A brush means as stated in claim 3 wherein said brush strip support portions include brush strip grasping areas including clamping shoulders at upper margins of said areas, said clamping shoulders being spaced below said longitudinal opening.

7. In a rotary brush means, the combination of: a core means; a plurality of clamp means extending longitudinally of the core means, said clamp means defining a plurality of longitudinally extending passageways provided with longitudinally extending top slots; a brush holder member including upstanding spaced wall means defining a central longitudinally extending opening; base means for said wall means; said wall means having external top engagement means cooperable with said clamp means; and a brush strip means supported in said opening and adapted to be grasped and retained by flexing movement of said wall means about said base means for pressure engagement of said brush strip means by said wall means.

8. In combination, a brush strip holder construction comprising: a brush holder member including upstanding spaced wall means defining a central longitudinally extending outwardly facing opening; a base means for said wall means; a brush strip means downwardly receivable through said opening for cooperable assembly with said wall means; and means on said wall means locking said strip means in assembly therewith; said wall means including brush strip grasping portions in spaced relation below said opening, said grasping portions including locking shoulders and inturned bottom edges spaced therefrom for defining longitudinally extending opposed recesses for retaining said brush strip means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 968,820 8/1910 Vardcll 19-60 1,519,929 12/1924 Rascher 15-176 2,135,885 11/1938 Dow 15-183 2,523,823 9/1950 Grzelczyk 15-183 X 2,642,610 6/1953 Erik 15-176 2,653,340 9/1953 Cave 15-183 X 2,721,348 10/1955 Blydenburgh 15-183 2,921,329 1/1960 Peterson 15-183 X 2,978,726 4/1961 Park 15-183 3,085,274 4/1963 Vincent et al 15-183 FOREIGN PATENTS 754,953 8/ 1956 Great Britain.

DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner.

RUSSELL C. MADER, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A BRUSH STRIP HOLDER CONSTRUCTION FOR A COTTON GIN BRUSH MEANS COMPRISING AN INTEGRAL EXTRUDED MEMBER OF GENERALLY H-SECTION, SAID H-SECTION INCLUDING SPACED PARALLEL SIDE WALLS INTERCONNECTED BY A TRANSVERSE WALL HAVING A BOTTOM SURFACE IN SPACED RELATION TO BOTTOM EDGES OF SAID WALLS, EACH OF SAID WALLS BEING PROVIDED WITH A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING GROOVE ABOVE SAID TRANSVERSE WALL FORMING A HINGE SECTION FOR SAID WALL; EACH OF SAID WALLS BEING PROVIDED WITH AN INTURNED DEPENDING BRUSH STRIP SUPPORTING AND GRASPING PORTION, SAID GRASPING PORTIONS HAVING INTURNED OPPOSED LIPS IN SPACED RELATION, SAID LIPS BEING ADAPTED TO PROVIDE A SEAT FOR A BRUSH STRIP, EACH OF SAID WALLS HAVING A TOP EXTERNAL PROJECTIONEXTENDING BEYOND THE EXTERIOR SURFACE OF SAID WELL; SAIS GRASPING PORTIONS BEING ADAPTED TO RESILIENTLY AND FRICTIONALLY RECEIVE THEREBETWEEN A BRUSH STRIP.

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