US1815593A - Machine for opening, scutching and similarly treating cotton and other fibrous materials - Google Patents

Description

July 21, 1931. Q SCHOFIELD 1,815,593

MACHINE FOR OPENING, SCUTCHING, AND SIMILARLY TREATING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS IATERIALS Filed Nov. 8. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 n INVfA/TOR Charles Schofield C. SCHOFIELD MACHINE FOR OPENING, SCUTCHING, AND SIMILARLY July 21, 1931. 1,815,593

TREATING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS Filed Nov. 8, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Char/es Schofield by M-aim- July.2l, 1931. c; SCHOFIELD 1,815,593

MACHINE FOR OPENING, SCUTCHING, AND SIMILARLY TREATING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS Filed Nov. 8. 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 mvnvroR C/m r/es Schoficld Patented July 21, 1931 came STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES ECHGFIELD, OF BOLTON, ENGLAND, .ASSIGNOR TO DOBSON AND HARLOW LIMITEIADI BOLTON, ENGLAND, A BBITISH COMPANY MACHINE OPlilNINE-l, SCUTCHING AND SIMILARLY TREATING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS Application filed November 8, 1930, Serial No. 494,406, and in Gr at Britain November 25, 1929.

This invention relates to machines for opening, scutching or similarly treating cotton and other fibrous materials. The chief object of the invention is to provide means whereby such operations may be performed more efficiently.

In British patent specification No. 126160 there is described a machine in which fibrous material is delivered to an opener by means of a suction cleaning device comprising a rotatable perforated cylinder on to the periphcry of which the material is drawn evenly by suction produced in a slotted pipe arranged within said cylinder, solid impurities in the material being drawn through the perforations in the cylinder and so away to a dirt chamber. 7

According to the primary feature of the present invention there is provided in a machine for opening, scutching and similarly treating fibrous material a conveyor on to which the material is fed and by which the latter is conveyed and subjected to treatment while on said conveyor, and, according to the direction. of movement of the conveyor,

is delivered thereby to one of two flufling, separating or other devices (e. g. rotary beaters) arranged in series for further treating the material, one of which devices is by passed if the material is delivered directly to the other of said devices. The conveyor may be so constructed and arranged that when it delivers material to one of the fluffing, separating or other devices it acts also to convey material from that device towards the other of said devices.

Alternatively, a second conveyor maybe interposed between the two fluffing, separating or other devices. One or both of the con- 'veyors aroresald may comprise airotatable perforated cylinder on to the periphery of which the material is fed, and a suction de vice communicating with the interior of the cylinder as described for instance in the aforementioned British specification No. 126,160.

This invention also provides in a machine for opening, scutchin'g and similarly treating fibrous material the combination in. se-

ries of a suction cleaning device comprising a rotatable perforated cylinder the interior of which is placed under suction (e. g. by a fan) and two porcupine cylinders for fluffing or separating the fibrous material, characterized in that the perforated cylinder of the cleaningdevice is adapted to deliver the materialalternatively to either of the porcupine cylinders and is reversible, so that by the rotation of the perforated cylinder in one direction the material is passed through the first porcupine cylinder and thence to the second Porcupine cylinder or by the rotation of. the perforated cylinder in the reverse direction the material is by-passed to the second porcupine cylinder, with or without a second suction cleaning device arranged between the twoporcupine cylinders.

Two constructions according to the invention will nowbe described in detail, by way of example, withreference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section of one construction;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing amodification;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic elevation showing the reversing gear and interlocking .mechanism hereinafter referred to, and

Figure 4 is a similar view but with the parts in different positions from that shown in Figure 3.

Like reference numerals parts throughout the drawings.

Referring first to the construction shown in Figure 1, the fleecy material, in this instance, raw cotton, is delivered down a trunk 10 from the mixing room to a suction cleaning device 11. This device comprises a rotatable perforated horizontal cylinder 12 constituting the conveyor aforesaid within which a slotted pipe 18 extends axially of said cylinder, said pipe being connected to an exhaust fan 14. The material is delivered from the trunk 10 to a chamber 15 and is laid evenly on the top part of the periphery of the cylinder 12 by the suction within the pipe 7 13, solid foreign matter being drawn through indicate like 7 means of any suitable ear, and at the lower end of the trunk 10 ahinged delivery valve 16 is provided to control the direction of flow of the material from the trunk 10 in ac cordance with the direction of rotation of the cylinder 12. Rotation of the cylinder 12 in a clockwise direction carries the material round to a pair of cage delivery rollers 17, one of which rollers is in close proximity to the periphery of the cylinder. These rollers strip o'li the layer of iieecy material and de liver it between them down a short chute 18 to a pair of eed rollers 19 which pass it to a porcupine cylinder or a rotary beater 20, On each side of the trunk 10 above the valve 16 is arranged an adjustable air inlet 21, for in stance of the hit-and-miss type, by means of which the amount of air admitted can be regulated until the cotton passes through the cage delivery rollers 17 in an even fleece.

The rotary beater 20 is arranged horizontally and comprises a rotatable cylinder 22 which has on its periphery a number of radial eel blades 28, and a cylindrical casing, a substantial portion (approximately 290) of the periphery of which casing is composed of a number of separate dust bars 24 which are substantially triangular-shaped and extend longitudinally of the cylinder. The cyl nder 2 rotates in a clockwise direction with the blades 23 in close proximity to the dust bars 24. The material having been carried round in the small gap between said blades and bars is delivered from the beater 20 to a passage 25 and thence to the underside of the perforated cylinder 12 which carries the material to a second pair of cage delivery rollers 26, one of which is in close proximity to the periphery of the cylinder 12. The pipe 13 is provided with slots 27, 28 to permit the suction in said pipe to act upon material which is laid on the top and bottom of the cylinder l2 respectively. From the cage delivery rollers 26 the material is passed to a second pair of feed rollers 29 which deliver material to a porcupine cylinder or rotary beater 80 of the same general construction the beater 20. The beater 30 also rotates in a clockwise direction and delivers the material along a passage 31 whence it passes into the nip between two perforated cages 32, 33, the interiors of which are subjected to the action of a dust fan 34. From the nip between said cages the material is fed between a pair of cage rollers 35 to a pair of beater feed rollers 36 and thence into a beater 37 somewhat similar to the heaters 20 and 30 but in which the rotating portion comprises a number of longitudinal blades 38 each supported on a plurality of radial arms 39. After passing through this beater the fleece is conducted between the nip of a seconn pair of perforated cages 40, 41 at which station any foreign matter remaining in the material is sucked through the perforations into the interior of said cages by a dust fan 42. Thence the fleece is passed through calendar rollers 43 and fluted lap rollers 44 and then wound.

Rotation of the perforated cylinder 12 in an anti-clockwise direction carries the material round to a pair of cage delivery rollers 45, similar to the rollers 17 and whereof one is in close proximity to the periphery of said cylinder. The rollers 45 strip 01f the material from the cylinder 12 and deliver the material passing between them to the feed rollers 29. A hinged delivery plate 46 is provided on the inlet side of the feed rollers 29 to control the delivery from the rollers 26 and 45.

In the construction shown in Figure 2, a second conveyor is interposed between the heaters 20, 30 which constitute the finding, separating or other devices hereinbefore referred to. From the beater 20 the material i delivered to a second suction cleaning device 47 of a similar construction to the cleaning device 11. While on the perforated cylinder 48, which is rotated in an anti-clockwise direction, the material is subjected to a further cleaning operation and is conveyed by said cylinder to between a pair of cage delivery rollers 49, one of which is in close proximity to the cylinder 48. From said delivery roliers the material passes to the feed rollers 29 whereby it is delivered to the rotary beater 30. It will be understood that the cleaning device 47 comprises a slotted pipe 13 the interior of which is in communication with the exhaust fan 14. The ineffective area on the underside of the perforated evlinder 48 is enclosed by a shield 50 a portion of which shield may be movable or removable to give access to the cylinder.

The mechanism described above is totally enclosed within a casing from which dust which, for example, passes between the dust bars of the various rotary beaters is evacuated by fans.

It will be appreciated that after leaving the beater 30 the material may be subjected to any treatment desired. For instance, instead of passing through the various ClGVlCG-l hereinbefore described the material having passed through. the nip between the perforated cages 32, 33 may be conveyed by a feed lattice or pneumatically to a large rotary beater somewhat similar to the beater 20. From this beater the material may be pa... d to a second pair of perforated cages. thence to a further beater having a number of longitudinal blades such as 38, or to another rotary beater similar to the beater 20 or 30. and to a third pair of perforated cages, and finally to the calender rollers 43.

If desired in each suction cleaning device a shield may be provided to blank off that portion of the perforated cylinder in the vicinity of the cage delivery rollers from the suction ofthe fan, so that these rollers will readily strip the material from the periphery of the cylinder. 1

Any suitable reversing gear for the orn veyor (e. g. the cylinder 12) and interlocking mechanism between said gear and the adjustable devices (e. g; the valve- 16 and the hinged delivery plate l6) may be provided for controlling the direction of flow of the material through the machine. or a part thereof, to ensure that the said flow-direction-controlling devices will be adjusted in accordance with the directionof movement of the conveyor. V

A suitable reversing gear and interlocking mechanism is shown diagrammatically in Figures 3 and 4 but it is to be understood that this may be modified considerably.

hen the perforated cylinder 12 isrotating in an anti-clockwise direction as seen in Figure 1 it is driven from a gear wheel 51 on a shaft 52 on-which one of the feed rollers 29 is mounted. This shaft is rotated from any suitable source of power by any convenient means. The wheel 51 then meshes with one portion of a compound gear wheel 53 secured to a stud 54 on a two-armed lever 59. The compound gear wheel 53 comprises two separate wheels mounted to rotate as a unit. One portion of the compound Wheel 53drives a toothed wheel 55 fixed to a shaft 56 which carries the perforated cylinder 12, and the other portion meshes with a gear wheel 57 on a shaft 58 carrying one of the cage deliv- 7 my rollers d5. One arm of the lever 59 is rotatably mounted about the axis of the shaft 56, and the other arm carries a reversing gear wheel 61 which is also in mesh with the compound gcar wheel 53. The stud 54 is mount ed for sliding movement in an arcuate slot 62 which is provided in any convenient part of the frame of the machine and is struck from the axis of the shaft 56 as a centre. The

arm of the lever 59 which is rotatably mounted about the shaft 56 is operatively connected by an extension 63 of the lever 59, a link 64 and a valve lever 65 to the spindle 66 of the valve 16. The said spindle is also operatively connected by an extension 67 of the valve lever 65, a link 68 and a lever 69 to the spindle 70 of the deflecting plate 46.

When the cylinder 12 is rotating in an anti-clockwise direction the parts described above occupy the positions shown in Figure 3. In order to reverse the direct-ion of rotation of the cylinder 12, the lever 59 is swung about the axis of the shaft 56 by means of an operating handle 60. This action brings the compound gear wheel. 53 out of engagement with the wheel 51 and also out of engagementwith the wheel 57 by which the rollers 45 are driven, thus stopping these rollers during such time as they are not required to function. At the same time the reversing wheel 61 is brought into engagement with the wheel 51 so that the cylinder 12 isthen rotated in a clockwise direction. Simultaneously by the linkages described, the valve 16 and the deflecting plate 46 are moved to the positions shown in Figure 4.

It will be obvious that the parts 63, 64, 65 may be arranged on one side of the machine and the parts 67, 68, 69 on the other side or both on one side of the machine as may be convenient.

It is to be understood that the above strnctions are described only by way of example, and that the invention is not restricted to the precise constructional details set forth herein, nor to the particular plant described.

I claim 2- v 1. In a machine for opening, scutching or similarly treating fibrous materials, a conveyor on to which the material is fed and by which it is conveyed and subjected to treatment while on said conveyor, means for reversing the direction of movement of the conveyor, and a plurality of devices arranged in series for further treating the material, to one or another of which devices the material is delivered by the conveyor according to the direction of its movement so that one at least of the material-treating devices is bypassed if the material is delivered directly to another of said devices.

2. In a machine for opening, scutching or rial is fed and subjected to treatment while on said conveyor, means for reversing the di rection of movement of the conveyonand two devices for further treating the material to the one or the other of which devices the marial is delivered by the conveyor according to the direction of its movement, which conveyor is so constructed and arranged relatively to the material-treating devices that, when it delivers material to one of said devices, it acts to convey material from that device towards the other of those devices.

3. In a machine for opening, scutching or similarly treating fibrous materials, the combination of a conveyor on to which the material is fed and by which it is conveyed and subjected to treatment while'on said conveyor, means for reversing the direction of movement of the conveyor, two devices for further treating the material to the one or the other of which devices the material is delivered according to the directionof movement of said conveyor, and a second conveyor arranged between the material-treating devices for transferring material from one to the other of said devices. 7

. 4. In a machine for opening, scutching or similarly treating fibrous material, the com- 'bination of a rotatable cylinder on to the periphery of which the material is fed, means for reversing the direction of rotation of that cylinder, two rotary heaters to the one or the other of which beaters the material is de livered by the rotatable cylinder according to the direction in which it is rotated, and means for conveyin material from one to the other of the heaters.

5. In a machine for opening, scutching or similarly treating fibrous materials, the com bination of a rotatable perforated cylinder on to which the fibrous material is fed, means for reversing the direction of rotation of said cylinder, a suction device communicating with the interior of the perforated cylinder, and a plurality of devices arranged in series for further treating the material, to one or another of which devices the material is delivered by the perforated cylinder according to the direction of its rotation so that one at least of the material-treating devices is lay-passed if the material is delivered directly to another of said devices.

6. In a machine for opening, scutching or similarly treating fibrous materials, the combination of a suction cleaning device for the fibrous material comprising a rotatable perforated cylinder constituting a conveyor on to which the material is fed and an exhaust fan communicating with the interior of the cylinder whereby it can be placed under suction, two porcupine cylinders for flufling or separating the fibrous material, means for reversing the direction of rotation of the perforated cylinder to allow it to deliver material alternatively to either of the porcupine cylinders, and means for feeding material from one to the other of the porcupine cylinders, which perforated cylinder and porcupine cylinders are so arranged that when the perforated cylinder is rotated in one direction the material is passed through one porcupine cylinder and thence to the other por cupine cylinder and when the perforated cyl inder is rotated in the reverse direction the material is delivered directly to the said other porcupine cylinder.

7. In a machine for opening, scutching or similarly treating fibrous materials, a suction cleaning device part of which constitutes a conveyor on to which the fibrous material is fed, means for reversing the direction of movement of said conveyor, two devices for further treating the material arranged in such positions relatively to said conveyor that by reversing the direction of movement of the conveyor material can be delivered alternatively to either of said material-treating devices, and a second suction cleaning device arranged between the said two material-treating devices and comprising a conveyor whereby fibrous material can be conveyed from one towards the other of the said material-treating devices.

8. In a machine for opening, scutching or similarly treating fibrous material, a conveyor on towhich the material is fed, a re versing gear for changing the direction of terial can be delivered to them alternatively according to the direction of movement of the conveyor, an adjustable device for controlling the direction of the flow of the material in the machine, and interlocking mechanism arranged to be actuated by thev operation of said reversing gear for automatically adjusting the flow-direction-controlling device in accordance with the direction of movement of the conveyor.

9. In a machine for opening, scutching or similarly treating fibrous materials, a rotatable conveyor on to which the material is fed, a reversing gear for changing the direction of rotation'of the conveyor, a plurality of devices arranged in series for successively treating the material, to two of which devices the material can be delivered alternatively by the conveyor depending upon its direction of rotation, a feed trunk through which the material is supplied to the con veyor, a hinged delivery plate at the outlet end of said trunk for directing the material to that side of the conveyor which is travelling away from the trunk, two channels through which material passes respectively from the conveyor and one of the materialtreating devices to another of said devices, a second hinged delivery plate arranged to control said two channels, and interlocking mechanism operatively connected to the re versing gear and to each of said hinged plates for automatically adjusting them in accordance with the direction of flow of the material as determined by the direction of rotation of the conveyor.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHARLES SCI'IOFIELD.

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