US1030913A - Cotton extracting and cleaning machine. - Google Patents

Description

J. E. MITCHELL.

COTTON EXTBAGTING AND CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, 1911.

Patented July 2, 1912.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

JOHN E. MITCHELL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

COTTON ExTRAc'riNG AND CLEANING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 18, 1911.

Patented July 2, 1912.

Serial No. 661,099.

the present machine may be used either in conjuhctionwith a gin to clean said cotton Mid better prepare it for the ginning opera tion, or it may be used for extracting cotton from bolls, and especially from closed bolls.

' 'In its use in either connect-ion, I have found 'free passage of the hulls past.-

thatthe successful operation of the machine depends to a very large extent on the regulation of the'feed of the .hulls and cotton past the saw cylinder.. In my pending application, above named. I have shown a single hull board, in the form of a grate bar. adapted to be adjusted toward and from the saw cylinder to regulate the size of the space through which the hulls pass to the discharge. It is exceedingly difficult, however, to accomplish the best results with a single hull board for the reason that if the space between the hull board and the saw cylinder is made sufficiently large to permit a the saw cylinder, which is necessary to prevent choking of the machine, it inevitably follows that a great dea of cotton will be carried through with the bulls without coming in contact with the 52 w cylinder, and hence be wasted. On th other hand, if the space be lessened to prevent tire waste of cotton, the restriction of the outlet will result in choking-up the machine and thereby prevent its proper working.

The principal aim of the present'invem tion is to overcome the inherent objection of a single hull board, and to this end the invention comprises a pair, of parallel hull boards adjustably mounted in the machine and located one above the other, and nor mally positioned so that the edge of the upperhull board will be at a greater distance from the saw cylinder than is the edge of the lower hull board, while between the boards there is a free clearance space to per- M1'rcHELL,'al mit the escape of pieces of hull, refuse, or

the like, which may be knocked outward by contact with the teeth of the saw cylinder.

In addition to the improvement in the hull board, as above outlined, the present invention also embodies an improvement in the feeding devices, which I have demonstrated in practice presents the mixed cotton and bulls in the best condition for subsequent action by the saw cylinder, and likewise feeds the material uniformly, while at the same time crushing any pods fed into the machine.

By the special construction of parts hereinafter described and claimed, as well as by the general combination,

arrangement and cooperation of the elements entering into the machine as a whole, I have devised a machine which will operate in a continuous and highly efficient manner to separate impurities from said cotton, or with equal effi- .ciency to crush bolls, open or closed, and

separate the cotton thereof from the hulls.

In the accompanying drawing, the view is a cross section of a machine constructed according to my invention, a small portion thereof being shown in elevation to illustrate the means for adjusting the hull boards.

Referring now to the drawing, 1 indicates the casing of the machine, which is provided with a hopper 2, in the lower part of which is mounted, on a shaft 3, a revolving crusher and feeder t. which, as shown, is a cylinder having mounted on its periphery a series of )ins 5. Supported at its upper end on the wall of the hopper. and at its lower end on an angle-iron (3. which extends between the sides of the machine. I providie'fa wire screen 7 which is curved at its lower end'to conform somewhat to the curvature of the cylinder 4, the purpose of this screen being to effect an initial separation of some of the dirt, refuse, and the like, from the cotton, which material may be small enough to pass through the meshes of the screen 7. Such refuse material passes through the screen and falls to the bottom of the machine on to an incline 8, whence it passes out through an opening 9 in the rear side of the machine. Above the crushing cylinder 4 are mounted two similar rollers 10, the shafts 11 of which are supported in bearings in opposite sides of the hopper 2, said rollers being designed to be driven in opposite directions, or

toward each other. and being provided with ings for the reception of a rod 24 on which longitudinal blades. ultllt like. tor engaging the hull boards. as a whole. are secured.

aln feeding the cotton. ered it necessary to show the belts and geariu; for rotating the various members referred to. and others later to be referred to. particularly as I lay no claim to the special arrangement of the feeding and crushing cylinders, except in so far as they enter into the general combination of the machine. I will state, however. that in practice the crushing cylinder 4- is rotated at a relatively high rate of peed as compared with ,the Feeding rolls 10. and that by so speeding up the crushing cylinder I not only secure the proper feed of the cotton. but likewise effect the cru hing of bolls fed into the machine by impact therewith of the blades 5. which. likewise act to throw the broken hulls and refuse material with considerable force against the screen 7 and effect an initial separation of refuse. which is of very mate rial advantage. 3 indicates a saw cylinder mounted on a shaft 11. and 15 a rotary podcxpeller. mounted on a shaft 16, the latter rotating in the same direction as the saw cylinder and openating to knock back any pieces of hull. or the like. carried up by the saws. 17 indicates a dotier-brush. mounted n a shaft 18. and operating to remove cotton from the saw cylinder. These parts-are embodied in my pending application. their function is fully described therein. and they need not be referred to herein more in detail.

Located above the pod-expeller 15 is a hinged board 10 extending parallel therewith throughout. the length of the pod-expeller. and normally resting on a stop 20.

This board acts in the nature of a guard to prevent refuse material being carried around by the portexpeller and delivered to the forward side of the saw cylinder, where it would be thrown into the cotton by the dott'er-brnsh. This guard may be readily swung upward to permit access to the interior of the machine. and will also readily yield to permitthe passage of any object carried up by the pod-expeller too large to pass between the latter and the said guard. It will be understood, of course, thatthe shafts 14. 16 and 18 are suitably journaled in the walls of the machine. and that proper driving means are employed for rotating them in the respective directions it is desired they should turn.

Situated below the crushing cylinder 4, and to one side of the saw cylinder. are the hull boards, of which 21 indicates the upper board and 22 the lower. These two hull boards are preferably connected in rigid parallel relation by means'of a bracket-arm 23 having opposite ends bolted to the respective hull boards at each end of the latter, only One of said bracketarms being shown, and said brackets being provided with openl have not consid- The rod 24 is journaled atopposite ends in the sides of the casing. and is located nearer to the hull board 21 than to the hull board 22, as shown, so that the latter, having a larger arc of movement, may be adjusted toward or from the saw cylinder without materially affecting the distance therefrom of. the edge of the upper board 21. Secured on one end of the rod 24 is an arm 25. having a curved slot 26, through which slot extends a screw-threaded pin 27 mounted on the outer wall of the casing. and on which is screwed a jam-nut 28. By loosening this nut the hull boards may be turned on the rod 24 as a pivot, and to adjust the distance. particularly of the lower hull board, from the cylinder, after which the jam-nut is screwed home to lock the hull boards in the adjusted position.

It will be seen that in the adjustment shown in the drawing the space 29 between the lower edge of the hull board 21 and the saw cylinder 13 is considerably greater than the space'30 between the lower edge of the hull board 22 and the saw cylinder. In

my pending application referred to, l'have set .forth the advantage of having a free, unoccupied space adjacent to the saw cylinder to permit the agitation of the cotton be observed that between the hull boards 21 and 22, and adjacent to the saw cylinder, there is a space 31, and this space. in a less degree, has somewhat the function of the larger agitatingchamber above the hull board 21. This space 31, however, is not confined by a rear wall, but a continuous opening is provided between the boards from the front to the rear thereof so that pieces of hull, and the like. thrown up by the saws may pass out between the hull boards and fall from the machine through the opening 9. This latter feature, providing a means of escape for the hulls and refuse, in addition to that provided by the space between the inner edges of the hull boards and the saw cylinder, is of the greatest importance, insuring as it does the certain and rapid separation of a large part of the refuse from the cotton which could not otherwise be so separated except at the ex- Thismay be clearly understood from a comparison of the single and double hull board arrangements, and a consideration of the differences in their operation. In the case of a single hull board, if it is adjusted so as to provide a space between its lower edge and the saw cylinder sutticiently narrow to prevent the escape of cotton, it would att-he of a large portion of the refuse that could and to prevent choking the machine. It will same time absolutely prevent the discharge not pass through the opening. If, on the pense of a considerable waste of cotton.

other hand. and as is necessary in operation, the space were made large enough to permit the escape of all the refuse, a considerable portion of cotton would be carried along with it and lost. This ditliculty is overcome in the use of the double hull board arrangement, in which case the upper board is adjusted to provide a space between its lower edge and the saw cylinder sutliciently wide to permit the discharge of all the ref use, which carries with it some of the cotton. The lower hull board, however. is so adjusted relative to the saw cylinder that the space between its lower edge and the saw cylinder is too narrow to permit the escape of the remaining cotton, and while the smaller particles of refuse, trash, etc., are readily discharged by gravity through this space, the larger particles. such as hulls, bells, stones, sticks, etc., must be thrown or knocked by the saws through the space between the hull boards, and over the top of the lower hull board, or else they could not be eliminated at all, and the machine would be inoperative. The width and position of the lower hull board must, therefore, be such as to permit this operation, and the space between the ,two hull boards must be relatively wide and of no great depth. so that the hulls and refuse may be readily thrown out. withouthaving to travel or rise any considerable distance, as otherwise they would fall upon the lower hull board and slide back against the saw cylinder. To this end I preferablv make the lower hull dcr 4. As the blades 5 of this cylinder come in contact with the bolls it cracks and crushes them. throwing them with some force against the screen 7. and a part of the dirtand small pieces of hull will pass through said screen and fall out of the machine by way of the opening 9. The cotton mixed with the hulls comes in contactwith the saw cylinder 13, the saws whereof engage and carry the cotton under the pod-expeller 15. the latter being located at such distance from the surface of the saw cylinder that it will knock back any pieces of hull which may be carried upward with the cotton. These pieces of bull gradually find their way by gravity to the opening 29. and to a certain extent any pieces of hull having cotton attached thereto will be carried upward again byreason of the saws engaging the cotton. As I have explained above; however, this opening 29 must be made 'sutliciently large to permit the free passage of the bulls past the saw cylinder. and it is found that quite an amount of cotton is carried past the saws, and if no other means were provided to reclaim it, it would pass out of the machine and be wasted According to the present invention. however. the bulls will next fall by gravity to the space 30, which, being narrower than the space '29. will throw the bulls closer to the saws as they fall through. It thus occurs if board of less widtli than the .upper hull board, with its upper edge lying in a lower plane than the lower edge of the upper hull board, and with said edge lying also in a vertical plane. cutting the upper hull board. and in a horizontal plane cutting the saw cylinder. This construction aficrds an un interrupted horizontal passage from the saw cylinder between the upper edge of the lower hull board and the lower edge of the upper hull board. The rear edge of the lower hull i heard, in addition, is located at a considcri able distance from the rear wall of the machine, bringing such edge relatively close to the saw cylinder, that the distance the hulls and refuse must travel when thrown upward by the saw cylinder before passing out of the rear opening of the space between the hull boards is very slight. understood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited, otherwise than as specified in the claims, to the precise size, arrangement or location of the lower hull board above de scribed. I

In operation the pods are fed into the hopper 2 and pass between the feed rolls 10,

which slightly compresses the mass. and, as it were, holds thesame while the bottom part of the mass of cotton and bolls is knocked off by the rapidly revolving cylinthe opening or space 30 and slide down the inclined bottom 8 to the outside of the machine. The hull boards 21 and 22 are inclined toward the saw cylinders, and thus the tendency is for the material resting on these hull boards to fall by gravity against the saw cylinder. Thus all material delivered into the machine is repeatedly delivered on to the saws until. being entirely freed from cotton, it will pass from the ma- It will be chine through one or the other of the ways described.

In the eventa'he machine is used for pre par rug; seed cotto'n for the gin, the same operaticns occur as above described, except that the cylinder 4 then acts more as a feed regulating cylinder to loosen and draw out the cottori and present it to the saw cylinders in the best condition to be acted on so that any pieces of bull, sticks. or the like, mixed therewith may be readily separated therefrom.

In conclusion it may be stated that the distance between the upper hull board and &

the saw cylinder will usually approximate an int-hand a half, and when the upper hull board is at this distance from the saw cylinder the edge of the'lower hull board will be about one inch from the saw cylinder. Both of these distances, however, may be advantageously varied within certain .rather narrow limits. according t the character of the material being treated or the purpose for which the machine being used. i

I claim! 1. Inca machine for extracting and cleaning cotton, in combination with a rotary saw cylinder, a rotary pod-expeller and a dotfer-brush cooperating therewith, feeding mechanism, and a pair of superposed hull boards defining the size of two alining passages past the saw cylinder, and affording between them a free clea ance space so posi tioned that pieces of refuse may be knocked by the saws through said space and over the rear edge of the lower hull board.

2. In a machine for extracting and cleaning cotton, in combination with a rotary saw cylinder, a pod-expeller and dofier-brush cooperating therewith, and a pair of superposed hull boards affording between them a free clearancespace and so positioned that the space between the edge of the upper hull board-and the saw cylinder is greater than the space between the lower hull board and the saw cylinder, and that the upper edge of the lower hull board is in a plane no higher than the plane of the lower edge of the upper hull board.

- 3. In a machine for extracting and clean ing cotton, in combination with a rotary saw cylinder, a pod-expeller and dbffcr-brnsh cooperating therewith, and. a pair of hull boards located one above the other, the rear edge of the lower hull board lying in a vertical plane cutting the upper hull board, and said boards affording between them a tree clearance space through which pieces of ret use may be knocked by the saws.

4. In a machine of the class described, in

combination with a saw cylinder, a pair of,

said space and beyond the rear edge of the lower hull board.

5. In a machine of the lass described. in combination with a saw cylinder. a pair of hull boards l cated one above the other and controlling the size of openings past said saw cylinder, said ball boards atlording a free clearance spa e between them and the lower hull board being of less width than the upper hull board. and its rear edge being lower than the front edge of the upper hull board.

In a machine of the class described, in combination with a saw cylinder, a pair of hull boards located one above the other and controlling the size of openings past said saw cylinder, said hull boards attording a free clearance space between them, the lower hull board being of less width than the upper hull board and having its rear edge located at a distance from the rear wall of the casing and in a plane cutting the saw cylinder, and lower than the plane of the lower edge of theuppc r hull board.

T. In a machine for extracting and clcaning cotton, in combination with a rotary saw cylinder, at pod-expeller and dotfer-brush cooperating therewith, a pair of connected hull boards located one above the other and affording a free clearance space between them, said hull boards being pivotally mounted in the casing. and means for si' multaneously adjusting said hull boards on their pivot to vary the distance between their respective edges and the surface ol said saw cylinder.

8. In a machine of the class described. in combination with a saw-cylimlcr, a plurality of superposed. separated hull-boards positioned to permit the passage between them of pieces ti ret'use knocked outward by the saws. and controlling at their front Cdg'ts the size of openings past the a\\'-c vlinder, the bottom hull-board having its rear edge located at such a distance from the saw-cyb inder as to permit the pieces of refuse thrown outward by the saws to fall thereover.

9. In a machine of the class described. in combination with a saw cylinder. a plurality of superposed. separated hull-boards controlling at their front. edges the size of openings past the saw cylinder. the bottom hullb oard being of less width than the top hullboard and having its rear edge lying in a lower plane than the front edge of the top hull-board.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesscs.

JOHN E. MITCHELL.

Witnesses:

HELEN GABELES, BRUCE S. ELLIOTT.

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