US2016008A - Art of handling, conveying, and treating bulk fibrous and other materials - Google Patents

Description

N. B. HENRY ART OF HANDLING, CONVEYING AND TREATING BULK FIBROUS AND OTHER MATERIALS Filed Jan. 4, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet l N. B. HENRY Oct, L 1935.

ART OF HANDLING, CONVEYING AND TREATING BULK FIBROUS AND OTHER MATERIALS Filed Jan. 4, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 N. B. HENRY 2,016,008 CONVEYING AND TREATING BULK FIBROUS AND OTHER MATERIALS ART OF HANDLING Filed Jan. 4, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Oct. 1, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MATERIALS Nelson B. Henry, Columbus, Ga.

Application January 4, 1933, Serial No. 650,195

11 Claims.

My invention relates generally to improvements in the art of handling, conveying and mechanically treating bulk, fibrous, and other materials,the invention having especial reference to the cleaning, mixing and distributing of fibrous material such as cotton,and being an improvement over the disclosures of my co-pending application, Serial Number 520,430, filed March 5, 1931.

Inasmuch as a very important phase of the present invention has to do with the matter of cleaning cotton or the like,--brief reference to the various customary cleaning procedures is desirable in order to obtain a full understanding of the advantages of my advance in the art, as disclosed herein.

Cotton has heretofore been cleaned in three ways:

(1) By beating over feed rolls and grid bars.

(2) By rotating in a vertical or horizontal screen or grid cylinder, with or without a current of air.

(3) By passing it over grid bars or a screen by means of a rapidly moving current of air,

All of these three-ways have serious disadvantages, and have only been used for want of a better method.

Beating cotton over feed rolls and the grid bars before it is thoroughly opened, breaks up the leaf, motes and neps, as well as some good fibers. It may actually increase the percentage of fine trash in the stuff, and this is the most difficult class of foreign matter to remove.

Adverting to the second cleaning method,- (2) supra,--rotating or whirling cotton at high velocity has a decided tendency to curl and twist the fibers. Where the stock is rotated against grid bars, the retarding action of these grids greatly aggravates this trouble.

Thirdly, the passing of the cotton over grids or screens by a rapidly moving air current has very little cleaning effect, as the fine trash floats with the air and passes through the trunk with the cotton. Furthermore, nothing can be put in such a trunk to open the stock and liberate the heavier trash so that it can fall through the grids.

The present invention, therefore, has for one of its primary objects to overcome the foregoing objections by the provision of a new method and apparatus for the opening, cleaning and handling of cotton and the like,the nature of the invention being such that the cotton fibers will not be twisted, curled, or broken; and also assuring against the breaking up of leaf, motes, neps, and

the like to increase the percentage of fine foreign matter in the cotton and cause trouble in subsequent picking, carding, and other processes.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a novel apparatus for cleaning and otherwise treating cotton which will require much less power to operate than is required by prior devices,the nature of the apparatus being such that it will be easily installed, and inasmuch as it has a minimum number of simple and durable parts, it may be operated over long periods of time without inspection or repair,

Another phase of the invention has to do with the mixing of cotton and the distributing of it to various bins or machines,-in which respect the present invention is an improvement over the invention disclosed in my co-pending distributor application,the present invention contemplating novel means whereby different lots of cotton, such as bales, may be mixed together in a predetermined ratio so as to pass on for subjection to picking and carding processes a mass of cotton which is uniform in quality, and which will represent the average of the various bales that are opened up and supplied to the apparatus.

The invention furthermore contemplates the provision of means for controlling the supply and mixing of the cotton,-which means preferably comprehends automatic operation, and there being means for effecting such automatic operation, which means is preferably operated by the cotton.

The invention furthermore contemplates a device for the purpose specified which may be provided in sections arranged in various ways so as to economize floor space and produce the requisite amount of cleaning and mechanical treatment of the cotton or other fiber.

Another object of the invention is to provide for the cleaning and mechanical treatment of the cotton or other fibrous materials which comprehends the subjection of the mass of cotton to a gyratory action of flexible whipping instrumentalities entering the mass of cotton from above and pressing forwardly and downwardly and then rising up out of the cotton while still moving forwardly, whereby to loosen the fibers and permit dirt to settle to the bottom of the trough or the like, which bottom will have a grating or screen for the escape of dirt.

The invention also resides in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of the various parts, and in certain modes of operation and treatment of the product, as will be readily' understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon reference to the transverse grate bars '6 forming passages through 7 following descriptive matter in connection with the accompanying drawings which illustrate one example of the invention.

It will be understood that the disclosures herein are directed to what now appears to be a preferred expression of the invention. Obviously, however, the invention is susceptible of many expressions, within the spirit and scope of the subject matter claimed hereinafter.

In the drawings, wherein the same reference characters have been used to designate the same a parts in all views,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken, and partly in section and illustrating an installation for mixing, cleaning and distributing cotton to a battery of pickers or other machines which, along with the condenser, are

shown merely diagrammatically in the drawings;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of themstallation of Figure 1; 1

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through a portion of the left hand end of the upper section'of the device illustrated in Figure 1, and showing the automatic control means for regulating the supply of cotton to the apparatus from the condenser;

Figure 4 is a detailed View in perspective of a novel cotton-actuated valve element incorporated in the cotton supply regulating device;

Figure 5 is a side elevational View, partly broken and partly in sections illustrating a combination of assemblies, such as is shown in Figure 1, and slightly modified; V

Figure 6 is an elevational view taken on the plane 66 of Figure 5 and looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Figure 7 is a detailed top plan view of the discharge means of the horizontal unit.

Referring specifically to the drawings, numeral 2 indicates the pickers or other machines for receiving the cotton from the device, and it is to be, understood that any number of such pickers orbins may be employed. The pickers or bins 2 are illustrated merely diagrammatically,-

, as is also the pneumatic condenser 3 of Figure 1, which supplies the cotton to the trough 4 which is upwardly inclined to a point adjacent the condenser, as shown in'Figure 1.

The incoming cotton from the distributor 3 therefore gravitates 'down the trough 4.which, as shown, is open at the top, and passes into the upwardly inclined and elongated casing 5. In the illustrated installation, the casing 5 serves as a preliminary cleaner for the incoming cotton preparatoryto its passage to the casing section l5, which in addition to subjecting the cotton to further cleaning, distributes it to the various bins or machines 2." r I In carrying out the invention, the elongated casing5 is provided with a bottom formed by which dirt may pass into the dirt chamber 1, which is provided with a door or closure 8 for removal of the accumulated dirt. Preferably, there are provided a plurality of dirt chambers 1,

extending in series in the direction of the length The befemployed including a drawer-like closure.

,"The means for loosening the fibers of the cotton, "so 'as-to permit settling of the dirt to the bottom of the casing 5 and into the dirt compartment 1, comprises the crank operated connecting rod structure of my co-pcnding application, and likewise the series of flexible finger members on the connecting rods, which fingers are the elements which engage the cotton, to loosen and actuate it, as aforesaid.

As will be noted, the crank shafts 9 of the casing 5 are journalled in bearings 9a and are provided with three cranks each, arranged approximately a hundred and twenty degrees apart,

as illustrated. Connecting rods l are'journalled on corresponding cranks of the respective crank shafts and have the downwardly projecting flexible steel fingers II. 'The fingers l l are preferably disposed in off-set lineal series on each action upon the cotton when the machine is in operation.

The peculiar advancing action of the fingers I! and 23 has been described at length in iny co-pending application Serial No. 520,430, filed March 5, 1931. A brief reference to the operation will be suggested herein; Having refererence particularly to the lower left hand end of casing in Figure 1, it will be noted that as the cranks 9b revolve the respective sets of fingers H carried by the links I0 will alternately engage the mass of cotton from opposite sides andin serial'relation. At least two sets of the fingers will be continuously engaged with the mass of cotton to insure a steady and continuous advancing movement over the foraminated surface .6. Due to the fact that the various sets of fingers move in operating cycles with a circular motion in planes that are at all times perpendicular to the foraminated surface. It will. be apparent that the axis of each finger is at all times perpendicularly disposed with respect to the surface 6 so that the fingers penetrate the material separates the fibers and allows the dirt and foreign material to drop down onto the surface 6 to be passe-d therethrough in the cleaning of the cotton. -An important feature of this operation resides in the fact that the separating pulling on the fibers is always directed in a zone bounded by planes that parallel the surface 6 so that a horizontal pulling action results. In the first stage of treatment throughout the casing 5 the material is separated and cleaned by pulling apart the fibers as the material is advanced up the incline. Upon being"transferred. through transfer chute 4 to the distributor and cleaning casing l5 the material travelsin a plane that is disposed at an angle with respect to its plane of 7 travel within'the casing 5. In consequence, the

separating action of the fingers 23 within casing 15 pulls the fibers apart from a different angle thanthe separating 'pull imparted during travel through the casing 5. This results in a further effective separation of the fibers to allow contained dirt and foreign material to drop through onto the foraminated surface ll.

Particular attention is directed to the fact that the casing 5 is disposed at an upward angle with its left hand, or inlet end, supported upon the floor 2a, as illustrated in Figure 1, while its upper outlet end is disposed well above the floor and the tops of the bins or pickers 2. The continually driven crank shafts 9 produce the shaking or loosening of the cotton at different lateral po nts, so as to separate the fibers, while at the same time propelling the cotton towards the discharge chute I3 at the upper end of the casing 5,which chute discharges into the inlet chute I4 01" the casing E5, to which brief reference has heretofore been made.

The casing 25 is an elongated affair like the casing 5, and has top and side walls; also, a series of grated bottom portions l1 above dirt chambers 150,, which may be provided with suitable doors i6. However, here the dirt chambers and gratings are separated and preferably there is provided between each dirt chamber l5a, a discharge outlet l8, which is flanged as at I811 to carry a preferably flexible discharge chute 19 which empties into the subjacent bin 2.

The upper or horizontal casing l5 has the laterally spaced crank shafts 20 providing the cranks Elia which carry the connectingrods 22, having the flexible steel fingers 23, as shown. The cranks 2% are carried in suitable bearings Z! and they will be driven by means of a pulley 2d, keyed or otherwise secured to one of the crank shafts. A similar drive pulley I2 is shown for supplying power from any suitable source for driving the crank shafts 9 of the casing 5.

The left hand or discharge end (Figure 1) of the casing l5 terminates in a downwardly extending chute 25, whose outlet end is arranged above the supply chute 4, so that excess material from the casing 5 that was not discharged through the outlet l8, l9 into the bins 2, may be resupplied through the casing 5 for the purpose of mixing or blending the cotton of a plurality of bales, so as to furnish a uniform mixture or grade of cotton to the bins or pickers 2.

By way of explanation, the quality of cotton .in different bales will vary somewhat, and since is very desirable to supply a uniform grade of cotton to the pickers or carding apparatus, the proper blending and mixing of the contents of different bales presents a serious problem to mill operators.

As heretofore indicated, my invention aims particularly to provide for the proper blending and mixing of cotton so as to provide a uniform quality for supply to the pickers or the like. In carrying out this phase of the invention, I provide the valve 26 which is fixedly carried by the shaft 21 (Figures 1 and 4),which shaft 21 is journalled in suitable bearings 23 which are adapted for vertical adjustment in slots 29 in each side of the casing i5. Suitable clamp means, such as 28a (Figure 3) may be availed of for supporting the bearings 28 in a predetermined adjusted position for the purpose of maintaining the lower end of the valve 26 a predetermined distance above the plane of the bottom of the casing l5.

In practice, the supply of cotton to the casing 15 is greater than the amount that will drop down the outlets l8, 19 into the bins 2, and consequently there will be an excess of cotton that wil be discharged from the left hand end of the casing i5 through the chute 25 and into the supply chute 4, which carries the incoming cotton to the cleaner casing 5. Thus, the contents of different bales are mixed, and the valve 26 is adapted to control this mixing of cotton by regulating the supply of cotton to the trough or chute 6 from the condenser 3. This will all be explained presently, in greater detail.

Figures 1, 3 and 4 illustrate the shaft 21 as having one end provided with a crank arm 39 having an eye 3| at its free end for pivotal engagement with an adjustable link element 32, which may include a screw collar extension 32a or other means for varying its length. The end of the collar 32a is provided with slotted arms receiving the crank pin 33 of a crank lever 34a which forms a part of a switch 34!. The switch 35 may be of any desired construction and swinging of the lever an tends to make or break an electric circuit 35, which controls suitable means (not shown) for controlling the supply of cotton to the condenser 3.

There are various ways of controlling a supply of cotton to a condenser, and electrically operated means for this purpose are well-known and form no part of the present invention.

It will be understood that when the valve 26 is in, the position shown in Figures 1 and 3, the circuit 35 controlled by the switch will' be opened and a constant supply of cotton to the trough or chute will be had.

The operation of the device may be summarized as follows:

The cotton is supplied to the trough or chute i from the condenser 3 and gravitates down said chute to the lower end of the upwardly inclined cleaner unit or casing 5. The operation of the cranks 9 cause the flexible fingers H to engage the cotton and to progressively advance same toward the upper end of said casing 5. fingers i i are driven in a circular path and enter into the cotton from above, following a circular path in the direction of the upper end of chute 5, it will be plain that there will be an effective loosening of the fibers, or an opening action, which will permitthe dirt and. foreign matter to settle to the bottom of the casing 5 and fall through the screen or grating 6 into the dirt compartments 1.

Particular stress is laid upon the fact that cranks and connecting rods are disposed laterally of one another and come successively into action. This results in a very effective loosening of the in that the forward or adva cing action of the cotton up the casing 5 is accompanied by successive lateral impulses due to the lateral spacing of the connecting rods and the series of fingers carried thereby. The spring metal fingers l i operate with a kind of whipping action which is very effective in loosening and separating the cotton, but will not damage the fibers; nor will it break or pulverize motes, neps, leaf or the like, to increase the percentage of finely divided foreign matter which is so difficult to remove. line action of fingers. H throws the cotton violently against the grids or screen bars (3 at each strokeof the respective connection rods. While an effective cleaning, opening and loosening action is produced, yet the action of the fingers H cannot cause the: least curling, twisting or stringing of the fibers, regardless of the length of the casing 5.

Since it takes an appreciable period of time for the cotton to pass through the casing 5 while being thoroughly agitated, there is ample opportunity for the separated trash to drop through the grid bars. It should be borne in mind that there are no air currents to hold the light trash in suspension and carry it along with the cotton.

By the time the cotton reaches the upper end of the inclined casing 5, it is pretty thoroughly As thecleaned and is discharged through the outlet chute 63 into the inlet chute Hi of the casing l5,which chute i l discharges the cotton into casing l5 below the connecting rods 22, to be acted upon by the spring fingers 23 which correspond to the spring fingers I l of chute 5.

The cleaning action, is continued in the casing 55 and as the cotton passes over the several outlets i8, 59 above the pickers or bins 2, a certain amount of cotton will drop down, into such bins.

As in my co-pending application, this distributor phase of the present invention provides the supply of a uniform quantity of cotton to the bins 2. It is to be particularly noted that the overflow of cotton passing from the casing E5 to the chute 25 combines with the incoming cotton from succeeding bales and passes again through the machine for further cleaning and mixing. It is thus to be seen that within reasonable limits the overflow cotton may bear any-ratio to that cotton deposited in the bins or pickers 2.

While the incoming supply of cotton through condenser '3 can never exceed the total cotton fed to the hoppers or bins 2 over a period of time, yet it can be socontrolled as to provide a very large overflow in proportion to the cotton passing to the bins or pickers 2 in a particular passage or cycle. By way of illustration, a particular mass or quantity of cotton is passed over the openings or outlets i5, is. Some of this particular mass of cotton will drop down into the bins and some of it will be carried on and discharged from the left hand end of the casing i5 through the chute 25.

t is, of course, to be understood that cotton is being continuously removed from the pickers 2 by means of a feeder apron (not shown) and passed on to the picking machinery. This is well known, and does not form a part of my invention.

By increasing the amount of overflow cotton, the mixing and cleaning will be proportionately increased. For example, assume that the overflow cotton from the chute 25 exactly equals the amount of cotton that is passing into the bins or pickers 2. From this it will be readily appreciated 7 that the overflow cotton will at that particular time, be one-half. the amount fed down the chute 4 from the condenser. Assuming that, of this augmented supply, the same amount of cotton is fed into the bins or pickers 2, it is then apparent the overflow through chute 25 will equal the feed from the condenser, and if the same conditions continued on the'next round the overflow would considerably exceed the feed'from the condenser. However, this condition soon brings about a shifting of the valve 25 and cuts down the feed from the condenser so that the starting proportions are resumed, with the result that through these varying cycles, the overflow may be regulated to an average by which it will approximately equal the incoming cotton and that the two will be mixed on an approximately fifty-fifty basis; By increasing the overflow cotton to two or three times the quantity passing through the hoppers, it is readily seen that the mixing and cleaning effect is correspondingly greater.

The heighth of the Valve 26 is initially set so as to allow a predetermined quantity of cotton to pass below the lower end of the valve 25, without engaging and swinging the same forwardly to operate the switch 34 and cut oil the supply of cotton from the condenser 3.

Thus, the valve 25 serves to regulate the supply of cotton from the'condenser in proportion to the overflow through chute 25. Thus, choke ups are other assembly is designated as at 5".

and I have illustrated novel means for bringing.

this about,--yet it will be obvious that other. arrangements of sets of these assemblies can be employed.

The arrangement of Figures 5, 6, and 7 becomes of particular advantage where six or more pickers or bins are to be fed. It should be understood that each picker requires from three to four hundred pounds of cotton an hour. The capacity of one of my assemblies such as is illustrated in Figure l is approximately twenty-five hundred pounds of cotton per hour, which means that there would be very little, if any, overflow in case or more pickers are fed from one cleanear-distributor assembly. .As have'been already emphasized in connection with Figure l, efficient cleaning and proper mixing requires a substantial overflow from the horizontal member of the assembly.

Figure 5 illustrates two assemblies,--each of which is substantially identical with what is shown in Figure 1. For purposes of description and in order to differentiate the inclined casing or cleaner section of one assembly is designated as at 5, while the corresponding casing of the The horizontal casing or distributor section of the first mentioned assembly is designated as at I5, while the corresponding casing of the other assembly is designated as at l5".

Except as hereinafter noted, the'two assemblies are identical, and hence a description of one will suffice for both.

The dirt compartments of the inclined casing section 5 are designated as at 7 and have doors '3, that is except as to the lowermost section which rests upon the floor. This section has a. dirt chamber i providing a base and there is a drawer 8 which catches the dirt and can be removed. Obviously, any other form of closure could be employed in place of the drawer 8". a.

The crank members 20, the connecting rods I0, the flexible fingers I, the grate bars 6, all correspond to similarly numbered but primeless parts in Figure 1. Thisalso applies to the pulley I2 and thecommunicating troughs or pass ages I 3', l4, whereby the material is discharged from the inclined casing 5, (or 5") into the horizontal casing or member H5 (or iii).

The casings i5, it" have the dirt compartments [5x with the doors l5 and intermediate the dirt compartments, the'outlets 18' carrying the flexible conduits 8 for the discharge of the material into the subja'cent pickers or hoppers 2.

The inclined casings 5, 5 are partly supported by the base sections providing the dirt chambers l", and partly 'by the upstandingposts 4l,-it

being observed that the casings 5, E" and i5,

the base portions of the dirt compartments 7" cooperate with the posts M in supporting the in clined sections 5, 5".

I have also illustrated the horizontal casings l5, 15" as provided at their adjacent discharge ends with the adjustable valves 25 and switching means 34 adapted to be operated thereby as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3.

Resting upon the floor between the two units is the hopper member 43 having the lateral inlet 43a at one side for feeding cotton or other material to both of the inclined casings 5, 5". In this connection, it will be observed that connecting rods iii have rake-like extensions lilac which angle upwardly slightly in prolongation of the connecting rods IO so that the prongs will project towards the bottom of the hopper 43. It will be obvious that the rake-like extensions was of the connecting rods ID of each upwardly inclined unit 5', 5 will operate to remove the cotton from the hopper 43 for supplying the respective assemblies.

The operation is just the same as described in connection with Figure 1, until the cotton gets to the opposed discharge ends of the horizontal casing sections i5, I5". Of course, the valves 26 will be adjustable as before so that a predetermined amount of cotton may pass beneath without engaging the valves and causing them to operate' the switchest i for cutting ofl the supply of cotton from the condenser to the side inlet portion 43a of the hopper 43.

A very important feature of novelty in connection with the structure of. Figures 5, 6 and 7 is the chute means in association with the hopper formation whereby the overflow from the casings I 5 will be discharged into the portion of the hopper 33 adjacent the inlet to the inclined chute 5 of the other assembly,-and vice versa.

In carrying out this phase of the invention, the casing l5 has its outlet end provided with the chute portion 44 having, as best illustrated in Figure '7, the lateral material deflecting wall 44a, which guides the material from the casing member I5" into the forwardly inclined trough portion 46 which communicates with the passage 46a of the hopper 43 which discharges into said hopper adjacent the upwardly inclined casing 5. Thus, the overflow from the casing 15" of one assembly is supplied to the upwardly inclined casing 5' of the other assembly.

The discharge end of the casing l5 has a chute portion 45 (Figure '7) which has the laterally inclined wall 45a, corresponding to the wall 44a of the chute 44, but inclined at the opposite side and emptying into the chute portion 41 which is disposed laterally of the chute portion 46 and discharges into the passage portion 41a of the hopper 43. The passage 41a of the hopper 43 discharges the material received from the horizontal casing l5 adjacent the inlet end of the upwardly inclined chute 5". Thus, the overflow from casing I5 is supplied to upwardly inclined casing 5" and there will be provided a very eflicient mixing of the cotton and in addition a wide ratio of mixing of cotton can be effected, and at the same time six or more pickers can be supplied without exceeding the capacity of the machine or running it at high speed.

Particular attention is directed to the fact that, as shown in Figure 6, the passages 46, 4'! of the hopper 43 empty into such hopper adjacent the bottom thereof and at the opposite side of the hopper from the normal initial feeding opening 43a. Thus, there will be an efficient mixing of the initially fed cotton with that which has been run through the machine and discharged from the overflow. The arrangement of Figure '7 not only mixes the incoming cotton with that which has gone through the machine before, but also. passes shown in Figure 1, is about twenty-five hundred pounds per hour, while the pickers 2 (2) will require from three hundred to four hundred pounds of cotton per hour.

The arrangement of Figure 5 and of the varione component parts thereof can of course be modified considerably. The parts crank shafts, cranks, connecting bars and fingers of Figure 5 correspond in all. respects to the parts 20, 20a, 22 and 23 of Figure 1.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A cleaning and distributing apparatus for cotton and the like, comprising an elongated inclined feeder and cleaner casing having a dirt compartment in its bottom, screen means separating the dirt compartment from the casing, a horizontal distributor casing into one end of which the upper end of said feeder opens, lineal series of flexible fingers extending toward the screen of said feeder and the base of said distributor, carriers for said fingers and extending in the direction of the lengths of said casings, and means for gyratorily driving said carriers for periodically moving said fingers into engagement with the cotton to actuate it toward said screen and in an advancing direction toward the discharge end of each of said casings.

2. The combination setforth in claim 1 wherein the distributor casing has material outlets and gratings between said outlets, and said fingers operate above said outlets and gratings.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2, and including a plurality of flexible finger series in each casing and a carrier for each series, and means for successively actuating said carriers to engage the respective finger series with the cotton at laterally spaced points in said casings.

4. An apparatus for blending, cleaning and distributing cotton and the like comprising a pair of elongated casings arranged substantially end to end and having dirt outlet openings along their bottoms, laterally spaced and lineally extending gyratory members in said casings, each of said gyratory members having a lineal series of spaced and flexible material engaging elements, 2, common feed hopper between said casings, said gyratory members having rake-like extensions movable into said feed hopper, and conduit means associated with said feed hopper and casings for discharging material from one casing into the other at the site of said hopper.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4, the conduit means at one side of said hopper and a new material inlet at the other side.

6. The method of cleaning cotton, which consists in moving a mass of such cotton over a foraminated surface,and at the same time applying a separating pull to the fibers thereof in a direction substantially lateral to that of movement of the mass during the entire extent of movement of the mass.

'7. The method of cleaning cotton, which consists in moving a mass of such cotton over a foraminated surface, and at the same time altersite directions laterally of the direction of movement of the mass during the entire extent of movement of the mass.

8. The method of cleaning cotton, which consists in moving a mass of such cotton over a. foraminated surface, and at the same time constantly pulling apart the fibers thereof in opposite directions laterally of the direction of movement of the mass during the extent of movement of the mass.

9. The method of cleaning cotton, which consists in moving a mass of such cotton over a foraminated surface, and at the same time simultaneously and constantly pulling apart the fibers thereof in opposite directions laterally of the direction of movement of the mass, from points spaced apart over the area of the mass during the extent of movement of the mass.

10. The process of cleaning locks of cotton which consists in supplying a mass of such cotton to a substantially flat foraminated surface,

engaging the mass by a plurality of penetrating fingers, arranged in sets disposed axially of the direction of movement of the mass and moving the sets of fingers in staggered circular operating cycles through planes perpendicular to the foraminated surface, whereby to propel the mass over said surface.

11. In an apparatus for handling locks of cotton, an inclined delivery chute, means for sup" means into said chute to mix with fresh cotton supplied thereto, and means operable by material in a portion of said excess cotton discharging means for automatically controlling the proportion of fresh and excess cotton at the delivery end of said chute. V

' I NELSON B. HENRY.

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