US1781343A - Cotton cleaner - Google Patents

Description

F. D. ROAN COTTON CLEANER Nov. 11, 1930.

Original Filed April 23. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 clam/m,

Nov. 11, 1930. F. D. ROAN 1,781,343

COTTON CLEANER Original Filed April 23. 1929 2 Shets-Sheet 2 .Patented Nov. '11, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Horn 1). norm, or vnwnm, Texas, ASSIGNOR Tor. n. ROAN MACHINE COMPANY,

" l i or NEWLIN, TEXAS, A CORPORATION or rnxas sorrow CLEANER Application med April as, 1929, seria m. 357,550. Renewed September 23, 1930.

This invention relates to apparatus for cleaning cotton. p -i The primary object of the present invention: is. to provides. cotton cleaning machine which will'efiectively remove from the cotton all leaves, twigs, and dirtwithout whipping the cotton or breaking the fiber or stringing the cotton. i

Another object of. the invention is to provide an apparatus for cleaning cotton which operates by driving air through the cotton asthe same is passed over and agitated on cleaning screens, instead of making the cotton cleaner a part of an air line for extractingathe dirt from the cotton by suction as is doneaccording to the present methods.

The invention broadly contemplates the provision of a a casing ofl-elongated construction having an inletor feedhopper at one endand a discharge opening or port at the opposite end, there being suspended in the casing between the ends, a plurality of transverse? concave. screens, in each of which is positioned a beater drum provided with a pluralityof relatively long whipping fingers. In the upperpart of the casing over each of the'beater drums is mounted a rotary fan which drives a blast of air directly down- -wardly upon the underlying drum, forcing dirt from the cotton in the underlying screens downwardly therethrough into an underlying receiving structure. The dirt receiving structure has a valved outlet which is timed to open at intervals for the discharge of the dirt removed from the cotton.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a partofthe prescut invention with the understanding, howthe drawingbut may be changed ormodified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure fromthe salient feae tures of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing Figu-rel is a view partly in longitudinal section and partlyin side elevationof the cotton cleaning machine embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic top plan view of the same;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of a portion of one of the curtains in the machine.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44: of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a detailed sectional view on line 55 of Figure 1. 1

opposite end the wall is provided with an outlet opening 7. a

Extending longitudinally of the frames 1 is a series of concave screens 8 which hang from the lower beams 9 of the frames and extend transversely of the machine, as shown.

.Above each of the concave screens each beam 9 carries a bearing 10 1n WhlCl'I 1s supported one end of a cylinder shaft 11, each of; which carries a beater cylinder 12, which is formed by extending throughthe shafts a plurality of rods 13 which project radially therefrom providing beater fingers which, when the cylinders are rotated, sweep over the underlying arcuate screen. 1 These beater fingers from the shafts outwardly are of substantial length, preferably approximately ten inches, so that ample space is provided between the shafts and the underlying screens to prevent jamming or packing of the cotton and to allow the air forced down against the cylinder by the fans hereinafter described, to have free passage through the cotton and screens.

The top beam 14.- of each frame member carries at a point above each of the bearings bearings are fan shafts 16, each of which carries a cylinder fan'17. 'The top' l above each of the cylinder fans is provided with an air inlet opening 18 through which air can be supplied to the interior ofthe machine by the fans. These-fans, aretof the :usual con struction, comprising a se riesof blades 17 extending longitudinally of and projecting radially fro nthe shafts-16 and being secured thereto by the strap brackets 1Zwhich are carried by the shafts.

The tops of the casings in which the fan blades are housed are provided with suitable air inlet apertures 17 through which air is drawn to be blown downwardly through the outlet chutes 17 which *open tangentially from the casings 17.

' Suspended transversely of the machine beneath each of the cylinder fans '17, are transverse sheets or curtains 19'made up of'a plu-' rality'of strips of flexible material such as belting or the-like, the lower ends thereof terminating at a point just above the beater fingers 13 of the underlying cylinder. V These serve toforce the air drawn downwardly from the cylinder fans to pass beneath the beaters and'through the' screens instead of being partially deflected to pass over the heaters. 1 At the lowermost point of the hopper 5,

there is positioned a rotary valve 21 which is designed to be intermittently operated for the periodic discharge of the. dirt collected in'the lower part of the hopper fromthe cotton passing through the'machine. The rotary ;valve as shown in Figures 1 to 4: is of semicylindrical formation and is designed to be intermittently rotated as above described so that a complete rotationthereof will "be di-' vided into four periods in two of which half of thehopper discharge opening willbe un covered and between these two periodsthe opening will be completely closed. Noparticular Inean'shas been shown for creating the intermittent rotarv movement of the valve as any number of methods may be employed for the performance of this function.

In the operation'of the present machine "any'suitable means mav beemployed formtating the beater cylinders 12 and the fans 17,'as'for example,the shafts 11 of the beater cylinders may be provided with pulleys 2O 7 'in-the-manner shown, with belt connections therebetween so that all ofthe cylinders will be made to rotate'in the same direction. *It will be rea'dily'seen from'th'e foregoing that ing the pas sage'of the cotton" through the machineovr thesescreens it will be thor oughly shaken or agitated to permit the air tending transversely -ofthe casing,'-;beater1 as the cotton after passing through the boll breaking machine is discharged into the hopper 6, it will first fall upon the nearest one of the screens 8 where it will be. caught bythe fingers. of the first cylinder'12' and discharged therefrom after thorough' .agita- 'tion into-the next screen and so on to the other end of the machine fromwhich it will bedischarg'ed through the o pening.7..,.Dur-.

blown downwardly thereonby thefans 17 to pass therethrough and extract? all of the dirt, dust, twigs, etc therefrom. a we Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim is:- I 4V V lfl'n a'cotton cleaning machine, a closed casing,"a pluralityof concave screens extending-transversely of the casing, beater cylinders operating in each of said screens to movethe cotton from one end of the cars ing to the other over the screens, a dirt receiverbeneath said screens, fans in theupper portion of the machine for delivering air downwardly against each of saidcylinders for blowing the dirt from thecotton, and a curtain depending from each of said fans to a'point in 'close proximity to the beater lying therebeneath and extending transverse- 595 lv of the casing whereby to dividethe casing 'intoa series ofr mpartme'ntS.

2L In a cotton clean1ngmachine,"a closed cas ng, a: plurality of concave screens ;ex-

cylinders operating in each -of said'screens to move the cotton from one end of the casing to the other over the screen's,"adirt res ceive'rbenea'th said. screens, fans in the upper portionof the; machine for delivering :air w downwardly against eachofsaid cylinders for blowingthe dirt from thecotton, a curtain depending from each of said fans to a point in close-'proximity'to the beater lying there- 'beneathfand extendingtransversely fo'f thetiuo casing, said curtain dividing the casing into a series of succes sive compartments, and "a rotary discharge valve in the lower portion I of sa1d (dirt IGCGIVQI" designed to inte-rmlttently operate for the removal of 'dirt'there- 'from V a v 3. Ina cotton cleaning machine of the character described,' acotton beatingstructure including 'a plurality of concave screens and rotary 'beaters working therein. fan means for delivering an air blast downwardly fromthe. beaters and screens, curtain means depending from said fan m'eans,-the

lower endportions of" said curtainmeans -terminating-adjacent the periphery of said beaters, a dirt hopper beneath 'sai'dscreens,

and an intermittently operated rotatable dirt receiver mounted in the hopper.

' 4.111121 cotton cleaning machine 'of the character-described, a closed casing,'ia plurality of concave screens extending transversely of the casing, rotatable beaters for each of said screens, individual fan means adapted to deliver an air blast against each of said screens, curtain means depending from said fan means and extending transversely of said casing whereby to divide said casing into a. series of successive compartments, a depending dirt hopper beneath said screens, and a rotatable dirt receiver for intermittently removing dirt from said hopper.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

FLOYD D. ROAN.

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