US2694833A - Cotton cleaner and drier - Google Patents

Description

3 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 23, 1954 J. E. MELTON COTTON CLEANER AND DRIER Filed Aug. 4, 1949 EZZ Zan INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 23, 1954 Filed Aug. 4, 1949 J. E. MELTON 2,694,833 COTTON CLEANER AND DRIER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 JEM QZZL INVENTOR 1 l I BY l l 4 e ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 23, 1954 J, E MELTON 2,694,833

COTTON CLEANER AND DRIER Filed Aug. 4, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 l A n ATTORNEYS.,

United States Patent O COTTON CLEANER AND DRIER .lames Eddie Melton, Arcola, Miss. Application August 4, 1949, Serial No. 108,549

Claims. (Cl. 19-72) This invention relates to ginning apparatus, and more particularly has reference to a multi-unit cotton drier and cleaner.

An important object of the present invention is to provide apparatus of the character stated capable of being constructed in one cylinder units, which can be assembled into a single structure in which all the units are connected to provide a continuous passage for damp and rough cotton.

Another important object is to provide cotton cleaning and drying apparatus wherein selected cylinder units can be by-passed where it is not desired or necessary that the cotton traverse all the cylinders of the structure.

Another important object is to provide apparatus of the type stated wherein trash will be deposited through the cylinder walls into a trash-receiving chamber surrounding all the cylinders, with said trash being drawn by air suction into a receiver and removed from the structure.

Still another object is to provide novel means, in a structure of the type stated, in the nature of hinged air baffles adapted to channelize the movement of said trash past the cylinders of the structure, in a manner which will prevent air suspended trash from being drawn back through the walls of the cylinders.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a view of the cotton cleaner and drier partly in side elevation and partly in Vertical longitudinal section.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on line 3 3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail section on an enlarged scale, taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 and showing a baffle control means.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary rear elevation showing the cotton discharge means.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the entire structure can be supported by an external rectangular box-like angle iron frame 5 extending around and rigidly secured to the air tight outer casing 6 of sheet metal material and also of rectangular box-like configuration.

The outer casing 6 can be of any desired height, and in the present instance is of a height suiiicient to enclose in superposed spaced relation a plurality of horizontally extending cylinders generally designated 7, 8. 9 and 10. In the present instance, four cylinders are illustrated. However, there can be less or more cylinders as desired, the construction being such as to permit, at the option of the user, the use of any selected number of cylinders.

All the cylinders are of substantially similar design. The cylinder 7 is typical and includes a solid top portion 11 of sheet metal material and a foraminous side and bottom portion 12 which can be of ordinary wire mesh so as to permit the passage, through the cylinder wall of tras grit, and other foreign particles while preventing the loss of any cotton through said wall.

Extending horizontally between the opposite sides of 2,694,833 V Patented Nov. 23, 1954 the external frame 5 are the angle iron bearing members 13 that comprise a portion of the frame and serve to support the bearings 14 in which are journaled the opposite ends of propeller shafts 15 that extend through the respective cylinders and which are rotated at high speed by means of a belt 16 extending from a suitable source of power, not shown, and passing around the pulley 17 secured to the propeller shafts 15.

Spaced longitudinally of the shaft 15 within the cylinder 7 are the spirally arranged propellers 18 of common pitch. Spirally arranged propellers 19 of common pitch, but pitched oppositely to the propellers 1S, are mounted Within the cylinder S. Within the cylinder 9, thepropellers are arranged as in the case of the cylinder 7, and in the (cylinler 10 the propellers are arranged as in the cylin- Thus, within the cylinder 7, rotation of the shaft 15 will cause the propellers to set up an air current extending from right to left of the cylinder as seen in Fig. l. Within the cylinder 8 the air current will be from left to right, and the same alternating arrangement is carried out down to the bottom of the apparatus.

At the discharge end of the cylinder 7, I provide a duct 17 extending from the bottom of said cylinder to the top of the inlet end of the cylinder 3. A duct 8 extends from the discharge end of the cylinder 8 to the inlet end of the cylinder 9, and a duct 9' extends from the discharge end of the cylinder 9 to the inlet end of the cylinder 10.

For the purpose of feeding cotton to be processed to the cylinder 7, I mount in communication with the inlet end of said cylinder the inlet duct 20 through which cotton is moved by a blast of heated air. For the purpose of removing from the apparatus cotton which has been processed therethrough, I mount in communication with the discharge end of the cylinder 10 the outlet duct 21 extending to a main outlet conduit 22 in which a suction will be set up. Concurrently with the setting up of said suction, air will be forced under pressure through inlet duct Ztl thus to set up a current of air moving from ,the inlet to the discharge end of the apparatus. The cotton, moving into said cylinder 7, will be fluffed and agitated by the action of the propellers, which not only will act to set up an air current moving the cotton from the inlet to the outlet end of the cylinder, but also will agitate and stir the cotton considerably so that the cotton is caused to be exposed fully to the action of the hot air blast with which it is forced into the cylinder.

It may also be noted that the propellers 18 not only will set up an air current which moves the cotton from one end of the cylinder to the other, but also, will cause air to be fanned out through the foraminous side and bottom portion 12 of the cylinder, and this Will expel trash and dirt present within the cotton, so that said trash moving through the cylinder wall gravitates into the space surrounding the cylinders within the outer casing, said space dening a trash receiving chamber.

Continuing, the cotton, after it has been acted upon within the cylinder 7, drops through the passageway 7' into the cylinder 8 and now will be moved from left to right, with the same propeller action as hereinbefore described. Additional trash and foreign particles will be expelled through the cylinder wall, and additionally, the cotton will be ilulfed up and dried by the air currents. The cotton subsequently drops through the duct `8', and moves from right to left of the cylinder 9, being acted upon in said cylinder in the same manner as previously described, and thence moved through the duct 9 into the cylinder 10, and thence outwardly through the outlet ducts 21 and 22 in which, as previously menltioned, air suction is set up for the purpose of causing a continuous air current throughout all the cylinders, and for'the purpose of removing the processed cotton cleaned and dried by the apparatus.

If desired, any selected number of cylinders can be y-passed, and as an example of how this can be done, it may be noted that I have in the present instance slidably mounted within the duct 8 the slide 23 that closes said passageway so as to prevent communication between the cylinders 8 and 9. At the same time, I open a slide 24 so as to open communication between the discharge end of the cylinder S and a by-pass outlet duct 25 communicating as at 26 with the main outlet duct 22.

It may be noted that although I have illustrated said slide arrangement as applied below the second cylinder in the present instance, it will be understood that the ducts 7 and 9 also can and would ordinarily be equipped with means for closing oif communication with all cylinders below, so as to cause the cotton to be moved directly through a by-pass duct into the main outlet duct. ln this way, inspection of the cotton in advance can permit determination to be made as to the amount of processing necessary therefor, and an appropriate number of cylinders can be closed oit from operation. Or, a permanent slide mounting can be effected between any two selected cylinders in the apparatus, permitting all or a predetermined number of the cylinders to be used as desired. j

Referring now to Fig. 3, I mount above each of the cylinders S, 9, and 1t) downwardly diverging lixed dellectors 27 that extend downwardly approximately to the uppermost portion of the screened portion 12 of each cylinder. To the lower edges of the fixed deflectors 27 l hingedly connect the baflies 28 which extend downwardly along opposite sides of each cylinder past the lowermost portion of said cylinder. The hinged bafes 2S are capable of adjustable positioning, and to this end, l attach the lower portion of each hinged baie an operating rod 29, and the operating rods 29 associated with each cylinder are connected to a short link 30 and a long link 31 mounted outside the casing as seen in Fig. 2. For the purpose of permitting lateral movement of the rods 29, thus to adjust the hinged ba-les toward or away from their associated cylinder, I provide in the casing wall the arcuate slots 32, and the ends of the operating rods, projecting through these slots, are connected to the links as described above.

The other ends of the links 3i) and 31 are pivotally connected to the opposite ends of a double bell crank lever 33 the medial portion of which pivots upon a bracket 34 xedly secured to the external frame 5. A double bell crank lever 33 is provided for each set of links 30, 31, and all the superposed levers 33 are secured to a reciprocable operating rod 3S pivotally connected at its lower end to the medial portion of an operating handle 36 pivotally secured at one end to the frame 5. The handle 36 is capable of being locked in any position to which swung, the handle 36 traversing an apertured arcuate segment 37, whereby a bolt 38 can be extended through registering openings in the handle 36 and segment 37 for the purpose of locking the handle in selected positions of swingable adjustment.

By reason of this construction, it may be noted that by adjusting the handle 36 upwardly, the rod 35 will be moved upwardly, and the rods 29 associated with each cylinder will be swung inwardly so as to swing inwardly the baffles 23 to which they are connected. It will be seen that this results in adjusting the space between each air baie 28 and the adjacent casing wall. Thus, when said space is narrowed by outward adjustment of the baffles 2S, this will cause the cylinder next above to discharge less air through the cylinder wall 12, and to cause more air to be moved in a current longitudinally of the cylinder. By adjusting the baffles 23 away from the casing wall, said space is enlarged, and now more air will be permitted to move through the foraminous wall 12 of the cylinder next above. An effective air control, which varies as desired the relationship between air moving longitudinally through the cylinders and air moving outwardly through the cylinder walls into the trash chamber, is thus provided controlling the ratio of one of these air movements to the other.

At the lower end of the trash chamber I provide the semi-cylindrical receiver 39, into which said trash moves, and a feed screw 40 rotates in this chamber for the purpose of moving said trash outwardly into a trash discharge duct 41 in which an air suction is set up.

lt may be noted that in operation, there will be air suction within the trash discharge duct 41 and air suction within the cotton discharge duct 22 both of which extend from the lower portion of the casing. At the same time, air is forced into the upper end of the casing through the cotton inlet duct 20.

This arrangement will cause a mass of air to be moved continuously from top to bottom of the casing and within this downwardly moving air mass, there will be a separate tortuous air current caused by the oppositely pitched series of propellers. As previously mentioned, the ratio of the tortuous air current to the downwardly moving air mass surrounding said current is varied as desired by adjustment of the bales 28. A thorough cleaning, drying, and ufing of cotton processed through the apparatus results from this arrangement.

What is claimed is:

l. A cotton cleaning and drying apparatus comprising a plurality of serially connected cylinders arranged within a casing in spaced parallel relation one above the other, each cylinder having a solid top wall and foraminous side and bottom walls, means for moving cotton axially through adjacent cylinders in opposite directions, means for agitating the cotton as it moves through each cylinder, means for directing ow of air both axially and radially of said cylinders including a pair of adjustable deectors pivotally mounted adjacent the top of each cylinder below the uppermost cylinder, means for collecting and removing foreign matter separate from the cotton and means for removing cotton from the lowermost cylinder.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim l having means for by-passing one or more cylinders below the first cylinder.

3. A cotton cleaning and drying apparatus, a casing in which are mounted a plurality of cylinders disposed one above the other in spaced parallel relation, ducts connecting said cylinders so that the cotton will flow through adjacent cylinders in opposite directions, a shaft extending axially of each cylinder and journalled for rotation therein, a plurality of propellers non-rotatably mounted on each shaft for moving cotton through each cylinder and for creating a ow of air axially of each cylinder, the propellers in each adjacent cylinder being oppositely pitched from the propellers in the next preceding cylinder, each cylinder having a solid top wall and foraminous side and bottom walls, baies adjustably mounted adjacent the top of each cylinder below the top cylinder for adjusting the rate of flow of air radially of such cylinders, additional pneumatic means for delivering air through said casing in a vertical direction, means for collecting and removing waste removed from the cotton and means for removing cotton from the lowermost cylinder.

4. A cotton cleaning and drying apparatus, a casing in which are mounted a plurality of cylinders disposed one above the other in spaced parallel relation, ducts connecting said cylinders so that the cotton will ow through adjacent cylinders in opposite directions, a shaft extending axially of each cylinder and journalled for rotation therein, a plurality of propellers non-rotatably mounted on each shaft for moving cotton through each cylinder and for creating a ow of air axially of each cylinder, the propellers in each adjacent cylinder being oppositely pitched from the propellers in the next preceding cylinder, each cylinder having a solid top wall and foraminous side and bottom walls, bafes adjustably mounted adjacent the top of each cylinder below the top cylinder for adjusting the rate of ilow of air radially of such cylinders, additional pneumatic means for delivering air through said casing in a vertical direction, means for collecting and removing waste removed from the cotton and means for removing cotton from the lowermost cylinder and means for by passing one or more cylinders below the rst cylinder.

5. A cotton cleaning and drying apparatus, a casing in which are mounted a plurality of cylinders disposed one above the other in spaced parallel relation, ducts connecting said cylinder so that the cotton will flow through adjacent cylinders in opposite directions, a shaft extending axially of each cylinder and journalled for rotation therein, a plurality of propellers non-rotatably mounted on each shaft for moving cotton through each cylinder and for creating a flow of air axially of each cylinder, the propellers in each adjacent cylinder being oppositely pitched from the propellers in the next preceding cylinder, each cylinder having a solid top wall and foraminous side and bottom walls, battles adjustably mounted adjacent the top of each cylinder below the top cylinder for adjusting the rate of flow of air radially of such cylinders, additional pneumatic means for delivering air through said casing in a vertical direction, means for collecting and removing waste removed from the cotton and means for removing cotton from the lowermost cylinder and for deecting the waste removed by one cylinder away Number from the sides of the next lower cylinder. 559,237 745,743 References Cited in the le of this patent 1,147,719 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 ggg Number Name Date 2,274,385

408,085 Collyer July 30, 1889 6 Name Date Washburne Apr. 28, 1896 Thayer Dec.r 1, 1903 Harden July 27, 1915 Streun Feb. 16, 1937 Henry Jan. 18, 1938 Schwartz et al Feb. 24, 1942

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