US2090955A

US2090955A - Lint collecting apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2090955A
Application number: US83650A
Authority: US
Inventors: Taylor Dick
Original assignee: SOUTHLAND COTTON OIL Co
Current assignee: SOUTHLAND COTTON OIL Co
Priority date: 1936-06-05
Filing date: 1936-06-05
Publication date: 1937-08-24
Anticipated expiration: 1954-08-24

Description

D. TAYLOR LINT COLLECTING APPARATUS Aug. 24, 1937.

Filed June 5, 1956' 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 24, 1937. TAYLOR 2,090,955

LINT COLLECTING APPARATUS Filed June 5, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ways.

25025 @WQ-w 0 22 Wu 70/ iif???2% w g??? i g?2 22 Patented Aug. 24, 1937 UNITED STATES LINT COLLECTING APPARATUS I Dick Taylor, Paris, Tex.,

Cotton Oil Company, of Texas assignor to S outhland Paris, Tex., a corporation Application June 5, 1936, Serial No. 83,650

12 Claims.

This invention relates to lint-collecting apparatus useful, for-example, in connection with or to form a part of cotton ginning equipment, and constitutes an improvement upon that disclosed in the patent to Dick Taylor No. 2,023,036, dated December 3, 1935.

As pointed out in said patent, it is customary, in the operation of linter gins, for instance, to provide each gin with its own individual con- 0 denser, an arrangement which from some standpoints is quite advantageous,in particular since it permits accurate relative adjustment of the various mechanical parts of the individual gin and a proper corresponding adjustment of the volume of air flowing through the gin such that the clean fiber may be separated efiectively from the motes, trash, etc. On the other hand, as such individual condensers commonly deliver large quantities of fine dust into the workroom, they are highly undesirable from the standpoint of the health of the workers and introduce a serious fire hazard. While it has been proposed to eliminate these disadvantages by connecting all of the gins of a battery to a single large condenser arranged to deliver the dust-laden air outside of the workroom, such an arrangement also has disadvantages, for example, the large and expensive fiues required to carry all of the air delivered by the several gins to the main con denser; the high cost for power; and the inability to regulate each individual gin for most effective results. 4

In accordance with the invention of the aforesaid Taylor patent, certain advantages of both of the earlier systems are obtained, in particular the delivery of the useful fiber from all of the gins of a battery to a main lint separator which effectively separates substantially all of the useful fiber from the air current but without excessive consumption of power or the necessity for unduly large and expensive flues. However, in the arrangement disclosed in the aforesaid patent the dust-laden air from individual gins is delivered into the workroom and each gin is provided with a power-driven condenser cylinder which, to some extent, obstructs the free flow of air through the gin and which, withits individual stripper roll, requires, in the aggregate, for an entire battery of gins, a considerable expenditure of power.

In accordance with the present invention each individual gin is provided with a novel form of dust separator which has no power driven nor normally moving parts, but which effectively removes dust and fine particles, and which further 55 provides for an additional moting action for freeing the useful fiber from leaf particles, trash, etc-each individual separator delivering the dust-laden air generated by the dofier brush of the corresponding linter into the open air outside of the workroom and delivering the useful fiber into a relatively small air current just sufiicient to support and convey the lint on its way to a main condenser. The workroom is thus freed from dust, no power is consumed in driving individual condenser parts, thefiow of air through 10 the linter is substantially unobstructed, the fiber is additionally cleaned, the individual gin may be inspected and regulated without interference with the operation of others, and little floor space is required since the separators of the pres- 5 ent invention require less floor area than the usual individual condenser, and the fiues leading from these separators to the main condenser may be relatively small- In the accompanying drawings wherein one desirable embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example,

Fig. l is a diagrammatic plan view, with certain parts broken away, showing how the invention may be applied to a battery of linter gins;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in vertical section, diagrammatically illustrating a linter gin with my improved dust separator associated therewith; and

Fig. 3 is a vertical section, to larger scale, showing the dust separator in detail.

Referring to the drawings, and in particular to Fig. 1, two series of linter gins'are illustrated as arranged in a battery delivering fiber to a common condenser. The gins of one series are indicated at l, I, I, etc. and those of the other series at 2, 2 2', etc. Each gin of each series is provided with a dust separator 3, such as hereinafter more fully described, the lint from the separators associated with the gins I, l l etc., being delivered to a lint-conveying trunk 4, while the lint from the separators associated with the gins 2, 2 2

etc., is delivered to a lint-conveying trunk 5. These trunks 4 and 5 in turn deliver to a trunk 6 leading to a fan 1 driven by a suitable motor 8. The lint-laden air is delivered by the fan to aseparator 9 of any suitable type, for instance; a screen condenser, cyclone separator or other lint collector which separates the useful lint from the air and delivers the lint, either in the form of a 50 lap roll, or onto a conveyor ID, as desired. If the lint separator 9 be of the screen condenser type the air from such separator preferably is delivered to a. cyclone dust separator l I of any appropriate type in which the heavier particles, including some very short lint, drop to the bottom, while the dust-laden air escapes from the top and is discharged outside of the ginning room. The heavier particles, including the very short lint, may be carrried by the conveyor duct l2, if desired, to a dust separator |3 where the very fine particles of dust, for example hull-pepper, are separated from the short fiber and the latter is then conveyed by the conductor pipe |4 back into the lint-conducting trunk 5 and thence to the fan and lint separator or collector.

The several gins of the battery may, for example, be supported upon the floor l5 of the ginning room, such room having a roof or ceiling l6 and preferably being high enough to accommodate the dust separators 3, although it is contemplated that these separators may be placed above the ceiling or roof l6 if comprises a casing enclosing a saw cylinder H which cooperates with a grate-fall |6,-the casing also defining the roll box l9 and enclosing the doifer brush 20. This dofier brush is driven at high speed and is adapted to strip off the fiber from the teeth of the saw cylinder, delivering the fiber into the moting space 2| in the lower part of the gin casing. In this space heavy particles, including leaf and trash, are separated out by gravitation, while the useful fiber remains in suspension in the air current generated by the dofier brush. In accordance with the present invention the casing is provided with a pair of deflector plates 22 and 23, respectively, which partially encircle the dofier brush and which define the entrance 24 to a lint flue 25 extending from the gin to the corresponding dust separator 3.

Referring to Fig. 3, the improved dust separator of the present invention comprises a casing, pref erably including a substantially cylindrical upper part 26, an intermediate, downwardly convergent, truncated conical portion 21, and a vertically elongate lower portion 28, which is preferabb! of substantially cylindrical section and which includes a. telescopically adjustable lower portion 29 having a bottom 36 which is perforated or formed as a grid so as to permit the escape of small solid particles'which may settle to the lower end of the part 29. By adjustment of the part 29 relatively to the fixed part 26, the length of the chamber 3| in the lower part of the casing may be varied, this chamber constituting a secondary moting space.

The top of the dust separator casing is closed by a member 32 having a central opening, from the edge of which depends a cylindrical bafile member 33 open at top and bottom. The baflie member extends down to the point 34, substantially in the horizontal plane of the lower end of the cylindrical portion of the casing. This cylindrical baflle member 33 is continued upwardly above the top plate 32 of the casing as a relatively short annular flange 35. A cylindrical thimble or gate-member 36 is arranged to telescope within the upstanding flange member 35, such thimble or gate-member being furnished with an outwardly flaring marginal portion 31 at its upper end. This gate-member 36 is housed within a hood 38 mounted upon the top 32 of the casing and. comprising a lower substantially cylindrical portion 39 (concentric with but of greater diameter than the upstanding flange and an upper upwardly convergent truncated conical portion 46 whose upper end is joined to the lower end of a dustflue 4|. This dust flue 4| extends up through the ceiling or roof l6 of the ginning room. If. desired, each individual dust flue 4| may extend directlyto the open desired. Each gin I, etc.

air or, if preferred, the several dust flues 4| may be connected to a common trunk flue 42 (Fig. 1) extending along the series of gins and eventually leading to the outer atmosphere so that the dust which passes out through the fines 4| will be car- 5 ried away from the. ginning room.

Within the conical portion of the hood there is arranged a deflector or valve-member 43 preferably comprising two conical members 44 and 45 joined at their bases, the lower conical member 45 10 being disposed with its point downward within the upper part of the gate-member 36. This lower conical member 45 is secured to the upper end of a supporting and adjusting rod 46 which passes downwardly from top to bottom of the separator 15 casing and out through the member 30,-being furnished at.its lower end with an actuating element, for example a crossbar 41 (Fig. 2), by means of which the rod 46 and the deflector-valve 43 may be vertically adjusted.

The rod 46 slides, with sufficient friction to hold it in adjusted position, within a sleeve 48, the upper end of which is furnished with arms 49 whose outer ends are secured to the gatemember 36 and which, with the sleeve 48, furnish 25 a support for the gate 36. This sleeve 48, like the rod 46, extends down through the casing and through the bottom member 30 and is furnished at its lower end with an actuating member, for example a disk 50 (Fig. 2), by means of which 3. the sleeve may be moved vertically for adjusting the gate 36.

The sleeve 48 in turn is arranged to slide, with suflicient friction to hold it in adjusted position, within an outer sleeve 5|, having bearings 52 and 53 in spiders carried by the top member. 32 and by the cylindrical member 26, respectively, of the casing. This outer sleeve 5| forms a support for a guard or regulator 5| preferably of truncated conical form, convergent upwardly and 40 which is disposed within the conical portion 21 of the casing and suitably spaced from the lower end 34 of the baiile 33. The sleeve 5| also extends down through the bottom 36 of the casing and is furnished with a suitable actuating element such, 45 for example, as a disk 54 or the like, the sleeve 5| moving with suflicient friction in the bearings 52 and 53 to maintain it in adjusted position.

The annular space 55 between the gate-member 36 and the cylindrical part 39 of the hood 50 constitutes a collecting chamber for short particles S of lint which have been carried upwardly through the cylindrical baffie 33 with the outgoing current of air. From the annular lintcollecting chamber 55 a trunk 56 extends down- 55 wardly along the outside of the casing to the point 51 where it enters the lint conductor conveyor tube 58, the latter leading from the chamber 3| at a point substantially above the bottom a of the latter. In one desirable arrangement, the 60 delivery end of the lint trunk 56 is provided with a controlling valve 59 mounted, for example, on a shaft 66 projecting outside of the lint-conveying duct and having a lever 6| by means of which the shaft may be turned and the valve adjusted. Any appropriate means may be provided for holding the valve in adjusted position. Alternatively, in place of the valve 59 or in addition thereto, as desired, there is provided a conical 7' nozzle 62 at the entrance to the lint conduit 58 where the latter emerges from the chamber 3|. Thelint conduits 58 from the several separators of the two series extend to the trunks 4 and 5, respectively, which. as above noted. carry the lint to the fan 1 and thence to the condenser device 9.

In the operation of the device, the lint-laden current of air created by thedofler brush 20 of a given gin passes up through the flue 25 and enters the upper part 26 of the corresponding dust collector in a tangential direction. The air is thus caused to take up a cyclonic motion within the casing of the dust collector, such motion tending to cause the lint and other solid particles sustained in the air current to move toward the axis of the dust collector casing, the heavier particles tending to settle toward the bottom. Thus, as indicated in Fig. 3, as the air current circulates, entering near the top of the casing, and first sweeping downwardly as ,it circles and then rising toward the center to escape upwardly through the battle 33, the longer and heavier particles L of lint graduallymove toward the axis of the casing and sink toward the bottom of the casing while the air, partially freed from such solid particles, escapes up around the edge of the regulator 5| 8 and thence up into the lower end of the cylindrical baflie 33. By adjustment of the height of the regulator 5|, it ispossible to assure an almost complete separation of the longer lint from the air before the latter enters the lower end of the baflie 33. The longer and heavier lint L settles down into the cylindrical lower portion 28 of the casing, and as a portion of the air also passes down through this part of the casing, this longer and heavier lint is swept out through the nozzle 62 into the conduit 58. However, just at the entrance to the nozzle 62, the air, laden with r lint, is caused to make a sharp change in direction, thus causing it to eddy, thereby facilitating the separation of such heavier particles as leaf trash, which sink down into the chamber 3| and then either drop out through the grid 30 or may be removed from time to time by separating the part 29 from the part 2801' the casing.

The air which moves upwardly about the lower edge of the regulator 5H carries with it much fine dust and also some short and light particles S of lint. The volume of the air which passes up through the baflie 33 ordinarily is much greater than that which passes downwardly and out through the nozzle 62. This upwardly moving current of air strikes the-lower surface of the deflector valve 43 and is diverted outwardly and over the edge of the outwardlyfiaring margin 31 of the gate 36. The sudden change in direction at this point causes eddies in the moving air, thus causing the separation of the particles S of lint from the relatively finer and lighter dust particles D. The separation at this point is dependent upon the relative positioning of the

parts

43 and 36 with respect to each other and with respect to the upwardly convergent portion 40 of the hood, the necessary adjustments being accomplished by means of the actuating members and 54, respectively. 'When these parts have once been adjusted to the proper position, it is not necessary to change their adjustment toany extent during the operation of theapparatus, except by reason of some substantial change in the character of the fiber being operated upon or .a change in the operating speed of the gin or the like.

The main body of the upwardly moving air current passes up through the dust flue 4| with its entrained dust particles D and is discharged, preferably outside of the building, at least not within the ginning room However, some of the air passes down into the settling chamber and thence out through the lint trunk 56, sweeping which shall pass up through the lint 56 from the chamber 55.

nozzles 62 with it the lint s which collects in the chamber 55 and carrying-it down to the point 51 where it is delivered into the lint duct 58. By proper setting of valve 59, the relative proportion of air flue 4| and which shall pass down through the trunk 56 may be determined, and such regulation in turn determines the completeness with which the short fiber S is separated from the dust-laden air current.

Instead of using a regulator such as the valve 59, the conical nozzle 62 may be employed, such nozzle determining the amount of air which can escape directly from the lower part of the main easing into the lint duct 58 and thus indirectly determining the amount of air which will be drawn down by induction through the lint trunk For regulating the it is proposed to provide of different capacities which may be interchanged onefor the other in accordance with varying conditions: However, while either the valve 59 or. the nozzle 62 may be employed alternatively,

amount in this way,

one to the other as here illustrated.

' By means of the apparatus above described, it is possible to obtain a very completeseparation of the. lint from the air without resort to the employment of power driven parts, such as condenser screens or the like, and to deliver substantially all of the dust outside of the ginning room. Furthermore, the greater proportion of the air delivered by the individual gin is' thus removed directly from the ginning room through the large but relatively short fiues 4| which need not take up any substantial part of the working space within the ginning room, while the useful fiber is conveyed to the lint separator or collector through the small diameter ducts 4 and 5, by relatively small air currents just sufiicient to maintain the lint in suspension.

In this way the air of the ginning room is freedfrom dust; the power consumed in the operation of separating the lint from the air is reduced; the gin structure is simplified by the elimination of individual power-driven conit is sometimes desirable to employ both in the same combination as adjunctive denser devices and thus the floor space occupied by each individual g'in is decreased; the useful fiber is all conveyed to one point of discharge so that it .is not necessary to doif a lap roll from each individual gin at frequent intervals, as is ordinarily necessary; the resultant lap from the common lint separator or collector is of more uniform character than can be expected when individual laps are formed at each gin; and by the arrangement herein described and claimed, a more complete separation of the lint from the air is effected than by usual means;

I claim:

1. In combination with a plurality of gin mechanisms each including means operative to deliver a large volume of air with dust and lint suspended therein, a dust separator associated with each individual gin mechanism, adust conveying duct of relatively large, size leading from each individual dust separator, a lint duct of relatively small size leading from each individual dust separator, a lint separating device common to the several individual dust separators to which the lint ducts from all of the gin mechanisms lead, each of the individual dust separators comprising means operative to deliver a large proportion of the air which enters the separator together with the major part of the dust into the dust duct while directing a small volume of air with the major part of the useful lint suspended therein into the corresponding lint duct,and means for maintaining lint-carrying air currents in the several lint ducts of sufficient velocity to keep the lint in suspension on its way to the lint separating device.

2. The combination with a battery of linter gins each devised to deliver a substantial volume of air with lint and dust suspended therein, an individual dust separator associated with each individual gin operative to receive the lint-laden air from its gin, each such individual dust separator having a dust outlet and a lint outlet and comprising means operative to discharge the greater part of the entering air together with suspended dust through the dust outlet while discharging a relatively small volume of air with the useful lint suspended therein through the lint outlet, a lint separator common to the several gins, lint ducts leading from the lint outlets of the several individual dust separators to the lint separator, and a power driven fan for maintaining such a velocity of air flow through the several lint ducts as to carry the lint from the several lint outlets in suspension to the lint separator.

3. In combination with a plurality of gin mechanisms arranged within an enclosure and a condenser common to the several gin mechanisms, a dust separator associated with each gin mechanism, each dust separator comprising parts operative to separate the dust and the greater part of the air delivered by the respective gin mechanisms from the useful lint while keeping the lint constantly in air suspension and delivering it in suspension with a relatively small volume of air, means operative to convey to each dust separator substantially the entire volume of lintladen air delivered from its respective gin mechanism, a dust conduit leading from each dust separator to a point outside of the enclosure, and a line conveying duct leading from each dust separator to the condenser.

4. In combination with a plurality of gin mechanisms arranged within an enclosure and a condenser common to the several gin mechanisms, a dust separator associated with each gin mechanism, a flue for conducting the lint-laden air from each gin mechanism to the correspond* ing separator, each separator being operative to segregate the useful lint from dust while keeping both dust and lint in air suspension, a dust duct leading from each separator to a point outside of the enclosure, a lint duct extending from each separator to the condenser, each separator comprising parts operative to discharge the larger portion of the air which enters it together.

with the suspended dust through the dust duct and to discharge the useful lint suspended in a relatively small volume of air through the lint duct, and means for varying the relative proportions of air which discharge through the dust and lint ducts, respectively.

5. In combination with a plurality of gin mechanisms arranged within an enclosure and a. condenser common to the several gin mechanisms, a dust separator associated with each gin mechanism, a flue for conducting the lint-laden air from each gin mechanism to the corresponding separator, each separator being operative to segregate the useful lint from dust while keepingboth dust and lint in air suspension, a dust duct leading from each separator to a point outside of the enclosure, a lint duct extending from each separator to the condenser, each separator being constructed and arranged to. discharge the larger portion of the air which-enters it together with the suspended dust through the dust duct and to discharge the useful lint suspended in a relatively small volume of air through the lint duct, and mote collecting means adjacent to the receiving end of each lint duct.

6. In combination with a plurality of gin mechanisms each having a saw cylinder and a rotary doffer brush, means providing an enclosure for the several gin mechanisms, a condenser common to the several gin mechanisms, an individual separator associated with each gin mechanism, means for leading the lint-laden air current created by the doffer brush of each gin mechanism to the corresponding separator, each of said separators being so constructed andarranged as to separate the dust and the greater part of the air which it receives from its respective gin mechanism from useful lint while keeping the latter in suspension and delivering it in suspension in a relatively small volume of air, each separator comprising a moting device and secondary means for segregating fine lint from dust, a dust duct leading from each separator to a point outside of the enclosure, a lint duct leading from eachseparator to the condenser, and means for regulating the volume of air discharged through the dust duct of each separator.

7. A centrifugal dust separator for use in a ginning system including a condenser, a battery of linter gins arranged within an enclosure, each gin having a saw cylinder and a doffer brush which creates a lint carrying air current, a dust duct corresponding to each gin leading to a point outside of the enclosure, a lint duct corresponding to each gin leading to the condenser and wherein such an individual centrifugal dust separator is arranged to receive substantially all of the air current created by the doffer brush of each gin, said centrifugal separator comprising a casing having a substantially cylindrical upper portion, an intermediate downwardly convergent, truncated conical portion, and an elongate lower portion of variable length and of substantially uniform horizontal section, said lower portion constituting a moting chamber,-the lint delivery duct leading from the side of said elongate lower portion of the casing.

' 8. A centrifugal dust separator for use in a ginning system including a condenser, a battery of linter gins arranged within an enclosure, each gin having a saw cylinder and a doifer brush,

which creates a lint carrying air current, a dust duct corresponding to each gin leading to a point outside of the enclosure, a lint duct corresponding to each gin leading to the condenser and wherein such an individual centrifugal dust separator is arranged to receive substantially all of the air current created by the doffer brush of each gin, said centrifugal separator comprising a casing having a substantially cylindrical elongate lower portion constituting a moting chamber, said lower portion including a stationary part and amovable part telescopically adjustable with respect to the stationary part whereby the vertical height of the moting chamber may be varied, said telescopically adjustable part having a perforate bottom,--the lint duct leading laterally from said stationary part.

9. A centrifugal dust separator for use in a ginning system including a condenser, a battery of linter gins arranged within an enclosure, each gin having a saw cylinder and a doffer brush which creates a lint carrying air current, a dusi above the bottom of the latter, a hood at the upper end ofthe separator casing, including parts defining an annular settling chamber for fine lint, a lint trunk leading from said annular chamber to the aforesaid lint duct, and means operative to regulate the relative amounts of air delivered to said lint duct from the moting chamber and from the annular lint settling chamber, respectively.

10. A centrifugal dust separator for use in a Y ginning system including a condenser, a battery of linter gins arranged within an enclosure, each gin having a saw cylinder and a (letter brush which creates a lint carrying air current, a dust duct corresponding to each gin leading to a point outside of the enclosure, a lint duct corresponding to each gin leading to the condenser and wherein such an individual centrifugal separator is arranged to receive substantially all of the air current created by the dofier brush of each gin, said centrifugal separator comprising a casing having a vertically elongate lower portion constituting a moting chamber, means providing for the removal of motes therefrom, -the lint duct leading from the moting chamber, a hood at the upper part of the separator casing including parts defining an annular settling chamber for fine lint, a lint trunk leading from said annular 4 chamber to the lint duct, and manually adjustable valve means arranged adjacent to the junction of the lint trunk and lint duct, said valve means being operative to predetermine the amount of air delivered to the lint delivery duct from the annu- 45 lar lint settling chamber as compared with that delivered to the lint duct from the moting chamber.

11. A centrifugal dust separator for use in a ginning system including a condenser, a battery of linter gins arranged within an enclosure, each gin having a Saw cylinder and a dofier brush which creates a lint carrying air current, a dust duct corresponding to each gin leading to a point outside of the enclosure, a lint duct corresponding to each gin leading to the condenser and wherein such an individual centrifugal separator is arranged to receive substantially all of the air current created by the dolfer brush of each gin, said centrifugal separator comprising a casing including an upper substantially cylindrical part and a downwardly convergent truncated conical portion, a, substantially cylindrical open-ended baflie sleeve concentric with the cylindrical upper portion, a hood projecting from thetop of the casing, said hood being coaxial with said bafiie, means within the hood defining an annular collecting chamber for short and fine lint particles, moting means at the lower'part of the casing, lint ducts leadingfrom said annular collecting chamber and from the moting means, respectively, and means for determining the relative amounts'of air which pass through the respective ducts.

12. Apparatus 'for collecting useful lint from a battery of gin mechanisms each so devised as to deliver a lint carrying air current, said apparatus comprising a dust separator associated with each individual gin mechanism and constructed and arranged to divide the air received from the gin mechanism into two streams, while keeping the lint and accompanying dust in air suspension, one of said'streams containing the major-part of the dust while the other stream contains themajor part of the lint in suspension, means providing a duct for conducting each dust-laden air stream to a point of discharge remote from the corresponding gin mechanism, means pro 'viding ducts for leading the lint-laden air streams to a common point at which they merge, means for imparting sumcient velocity'to the several lintladen air streams to keep the lint in suspension therein, and means for separating the lint from the air after merger of the lint carrying air streams.

DICK TAYLOR.