US1733256A

US1733256A - Cottonseed hull and fiber separator

Info

Publication number: US1733256A
Application number: US293466A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank K Gardner
Original assignee: CORNSTALK PRODUCTS Co Inc
Current assignee: CORNSTALK PRODUCTS Co Inc; CORNSTALK PRODUCTS COMPANY Inc
Priority date: 1928-07-17
Filing date: 1928-07-17
Publication date: 1929-10-29
Anticipated expiration: 1946-10-29

Description

v Oct. 29, 1929.

Filed July 3.7, 1928 v 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY COTTON SEED HULL AND FIBER SEPARATOR Filed July 17, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 29, 1929 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK K. GARDNER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

CORNSTALK PRODUCTS COMPANY, INC.,

DELAWARE 0F NEVJ YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF COTTONSEED HULL AND FIBER SEPARATOR Application filed July 17, 1928.

This invention relates to devices designed to separate the linters from the waste hulls of cotton seeds.

In the treatment of cotton seeds, the long fibers are easily removed, but a considerable and valuable quantity of the cotton fibers cling to the waste hull or husk, these clinging fibers being commonly called linters.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device for separating the linters from the waste hulls, and to attain the desired result, advantage is taken of the difference in the specific gravities of the hulls and the linters.

In order to obtain a separation, the waste hulls must be thoroughly cooked and treated so as to loosen the cotton fibers from the hulls. \V hen this has been done the liquid mass is highly diluted with water, and agitated to cause the heavier hulls to drop to the bottom and allow the light fibers to float on the water, care being taken to provide sufficient water, as otherwise the linters will be carried down with the hulls.

The above and other objects are attained by the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and shown in the accompanying drawings, constituting a material part of this disclosure,

. and in which ing towardcentral discharge openings 8.

Su orted from the tops of the dam boards and depending lnto the compartments are perforated metal separator screens 9, the perforations in these screens being of a size sufficient to allow the particles of null to sift therethrough.

Serial No. 293,466.

Above the flow box 5, and running longitudinally thereof, is a rockshaft 10, journalled in the bearing 11. Fixed to the rockshaft 10, and extending downwardly into the flowing mass, are a plurality of paddles 12. the lower extremities of the paddles being positioned slightly above the perforated plates 9.

Fixed to the rockshaft is an arm 13, connected to a link 14 which is loosely connected to a crank 15, mounted on a shaft extending from a gear set, as generally shown at 16, which in turn is actuated by an electric motor 17, or any other source of power. Vith this construction it will be seen that a to and fro oscillative motion is imparted to the paddles to constantly agitate the mass.

Positioned below the flow tank 5 is a hull receiving chamber 18, connected by means of valves 19 to the discharge openings 8. At one end of the hull chamber 18 is a discharge opening 20, controlled by a valve 21, and at the opposite end of the chamber is a water connection 22, and the discharge from the chamber is into a collector box 23.

The bottom of a receiving compartment 2% opens at 25 into a pipe which is controlled by a valve 26.

. The discharge of the flow box 5 is into the compartment 27, fitted with an inclined screen 28, which is removable and divides the compartment laterally. The bottom of the compartment 27 opens at 29 into a flow pipe 30, controlled by a valve 31, and discharges into the receiving tank 32.

The receiving tank 32 opens at 33 into a pipe 3-1 which is connected to a centrifugal pump 35, the latter discharging through pipe 36 into the receiving compartment 24 of the flow box 5. g

In operation, the flowbox 5 is first flooded with water until the water overflows the successive dams 6, and fills each of the compartments. The mass of waste hulls is then pumped into the receiving chamber 24, through the opening 25. The incoming mass of hulls and linters meets the water being discharged from the pipe 36 and is swerved and agitated thereby. The movement of the diluted mass is then across the top of the adj acent dam 6 into the next compartment where the separation of the linters from the hulls begins.

The movement of the mass progressively is fromv one compartment to the next adjacent compartment, and as it passes through each compartment and over the screen plates 9, it is agitated by the paddles 12, which are constantly rocked by the rockshaft 10.

This action of the paddles 12 prevents settling of the moving fiber with the hulls to the screen plates and causes the hulls to work down through the floating linters and thence through the perforations in the screen plates 9 to the lower divisions of the compartments, where the hulls accumulate around the discharge openings 8.

From time to time the valves 19 are opened to allow the accumulated hulls to discharge into the hull chamber 18, from which the hulls are flushed out by a jet of water entering chamber 18 from water pipe 22, and finally discharged through the opening 20 into the hull receiving chamber 23.

The floating linters ride with the water "flow over each successive dam, finally flowing into a chamber :27 on to a screen plate 28. The water passes through fine perforations in screen 28 into the lower half of the chamber 27, and out through an opening 29, and

fiow pipe 30, into a water chamber 32, from whence it is pumped by a centrifugal pump back into the receiving chamber 24. The cleaned linters accumulate on the fine screen 28 and are removed from time to time.

l/Vhile the greater portion of the waste hulls will accumulate in the first three or four compartments, it is obvious that this system may comprise any number of compartments, and that both the accumulated linters and the accumulated hulls may be constantly removed by continuous conveyors or by other means. However, it should be noted that the previous manipulation and treatment of the waste hulls and linters, before they are discharged into the separating system, have a great deal to do with the final success of the apparatus and accomplishment of the desired results.

The waste hulls must be thoroughly cooked and treated so as to loosen the cotton fibers from the husk of the cotton seed in order to accomplish satisfactory results.

The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive and illustrative only, and not as restrictive or limitative of the invention,

of which obviously an embodiment may be constructed including many modifications without departing from the general scope herein indicated and denoted in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An apparatus for separating linters from waste cotton seed hulls, comprising a flow tank having spaced dam boards to divide the tank into a plurality of compartments, the first compartment having an opening in its bottom through which a mass of linter and hulls to be separated may be introduced, perforated separating plates suspended in each of the compartments except the first and last, paddles positioned in the compartments except the. first and last, paddles positioned in the compartments above the separatingplates, means for oscillating the paddles to agitate the mass of hulls and linters in a water bath, and apertures in the bottoms of said compartments to enable the precipitated hulls to be drawn ofi after the linters have been separated therefrom.

2. An apparatus for separating cotton fiber from waste hulls, comprising a flow tank filled with water and divided into a plurality of compartments, perforated separating plates suspended in each compartment except the first and last, means for agitating a mass of fiber and hulls in each compartment through which waste hulls precipitated through the separating plates may be drawn ofi.

3. An apparatus for separating cotton fibers from wastecotton seed hulls, comprising a flow boX filled with water and divided into a plurality of compartments, perforated separating screen plates suspended in each compartment except the first and the last, means for agitating a mass of linters and hulls above the separating plates, means for removing precipitated waste hulls through the plates, and an inclined screen plate in the last compartment upon which the sepa rated cotton fibers may accumulate.

4 In an apparatus for separating cotton fibers from waste cot-ton seed hulls, a com- '7 partment having a perforated screen plate suspended therein, a plurality of paddles positioned in the compartment above the screen plate, means to rock the paddles-to and fro, and means in the bottom of the compartment to enable precipitated waste hulls to be drawn oft from time to time. i

5. In anapparatus forv separating cotton fibers from waste cotton seed hulls, a compartment having a perforated screen plate suspended therein, an agitating device positioned in the compartment above the screen plate, and means to enable waste hulls to, be drawn 05 after they have been preci-pi tated through the screen plate. I

6. The method of separating cotton fibers from waste cotton seed hulls that have, been cooked and treated to loosen the cotton fibers therefrom, which comprises passing a mass of such said hulls and cotton'fibers together, with a large quantity of water over a' plu-f rality of perforated screen plates, agitating themixture of water, fibers and hulls to pre cipitate the waste hulls through perforationsvv rap in said plates, and then passing the mixture of water and fibers over an inclined perforated screen from which the fibers may be collected after the water has passed through the perforations in the inclined screen.

7. The method of separating cotton fibers from waste cotton seed hulls, that have been cooked and treated to loosen the cotton fibers therefrom, which comprises passing a mass together with a large quantity of water over a plurality of perforated screen plates, and agitating the mass and water to cause the waste hulls to be precipitated through the perforations of the screen plates while the free cotton fibers float on the surface of the Water.

8. The process of separating fibers from particles of greater specific gravity than the fibers which comprises suspending a mass of mixed fibers and particles in water, passing the suspension over a plurality of perforated screen plates while agitating the suspension sufficiently to maintain the fibers in suspension but insufiiciently to keep the heavier particles in suspension whereby said particles will subside through said screen plates and thereupon passing the remaining suspension of fibers and water over means for effecting a separation of said fibers from said Water.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

FRANK K. GARDNER.