US2718671A - Method and apparatus for opening, cleaning, and blending lint cotton and the like - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 27, 1955 A sM 2,718,671

METHOD AND APPARATUSFOR OPENING, CLEANING AND BLENDING LINT COTTON AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 2, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 E a5 I I? IF 3? m 34 co; 1 e yr m z in L -51 l QT M H H I1 1 l r 3: 2 I 5 2 I] I H; (H /6 ll IN VEN TOR. HZ ffi/VO/V 4. SM/TH BYW/KM Sept. 27, 1955 1 SMITH 2,718,671

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPENING, CLEANING O AND BLENDING LINT COTTON AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 2, 1950 3 ShGBtS-ShGt 2 INVENTOR 04 gems/01v 4. 5mm! Fig 4, BY

ATTORNEYS p 1955 A. L. SMITH 2,718,671

' METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPENING, CLEANING AND BLENDING LINT COTTON AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 2, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 47 INVENTOR 4 1% 6 0m 4. SMITH BY W ATTORNEYS United States Patent METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPENING,

CLEANING, AND BLENDING LINT COT- TON AND THE LIKE Algernon L. Smith, Birmingham, Ala., assignor to Continental Gin Company, a corporation of Delaware Application February 2, 1950, Serial No. 141,896

1 Claim. (Cl. 19-146) My present invention relates to a method and apparatus for blending lint cotton, and also as preliminary steps in the process of blending, to the opening and cleaning of such cotton, and has for an object the provision of a method and apparatus of the character designated which shall be effective to open, clean and blend together lint cotton from a plurality of sources, such for instance as from a plurality of bales, in order to obtain an equal and efiicient commingling or blending of lint from the separate sources, thus obtaining a uniform sample preparatory to utilizing the cotton in further processes, for instance in making yarn therefrom.

In the art to which my invention relates, it is well known that prior methods and apparatus for blending lint cotton and similar fibers from different sources to obtain a uniform sample preparatory to carding and spinning the same are in general unsatisfactory. Among some of the deficiencies of such prior blending methods and apparatus may be recited the difficulty in physically separating the fibers from a bale into condition for blending with other fibers; the difficulty of bringing streams of cotton from separate sources into a common apparatus in the correct proportions from each source to effect the quality and degree of blending desired; the necessity of subjecting the cotton to repeated beating, agitating and cleaning steps in the apparatus employed, which treatments cause damage to the fiber which manifests itself in reducing the quality and strength of the finished yarn made from such cotton; and the inability of removing from the lint cotton small wads or tangled masses of fibers which lower the grade of the yarn, particularly if present in yarn or cloth made therefrom which is to be dyed.

It is the prime object of my invention to overcome the above and other difliculties and deficiencies of prior opening, cleaning and blending methods and apparatus and to provide a method and apparatus of the character designated wherein cotton or similar fibers from different bales or like sources is first loosened and decompressed and entrained in separate streams of air, and then, while in such loose, highly separated and air borne state, introduced into a common mixing flue or duct where the streams are intimately intermixed and blended and finally condensed again to a form suitable for subsequent operations, such as carding and spinning.

My invention contemplates a method of opening, cleaning and blending cotton from a plurality of sources which comprises the steps of opening the cotton to the extent of making the same capable of being borne along by entraining the cotton in separate streams of air, cleaning the cotton while in such air borne state, condensing the cotton, cleaning the cotton a second time and in the second cleaning operation again separating the fibers so as to make them capable of being borne away by a stream of air, and in introducing such last named air-borne streams into a common flue in such manner that intimate mixing and blending of the streams takes place in the flue.

My invention contemplates a method of the character just described in which the streams of air-borne lint are introduced tangentially into a cylindrical closed space, such for instance as an elongated lint flue, thereby aiding in the blending action by bringing the separate streams together with a whirling motion thereby further agitating the air borne cotton while in the closed space or flue, thus to assure complete intermixing thereof.

A further object is to open, clean and blend cotton and the like by a series of treatments which comprises first opening the cotton from each bale, reducing the baled fibers to bat form, passing the bats of cotton over a saw cylinder having a doffing means associated therewith thereby to clean the cotton a first time and entrain it in a stream of air, condensing the cotton and passing the same in bat form over a second saw cylinder having associated therewith a doffing means capable of removing the cotton therefrom in an air-borne stream, introducing a plurality of such air-borne streams of cotton into a common lint flue or duct whereby the fibers fromindividual air-borne streams are evenly mixed, and finally, in condensing the mixed air-borne cotton in the lint flue.

My invention contemplates apparatus for opening and cleaning cotton from a plurality of bales together with a common lint flue or duct into which the separate airborne streams of opened and cleaned cotton are introduced at spaced points along the length thereof for blending, and means at the discharge end of the duct to condense the blended fibers for subsequent operations.

A further object of my invention is to provide apparatus of the character designated which shall be economical of construction and operation, compact and elficient and which shall open and clean cotton and blend the same with a minimum of damage to the fibers, thus maintaining the quality of the staple and increasing the value thereof for yarn making purposes by affording an adequate blending of fibers from different bales.

Apparatus illustrating the constructional features of my invention and which also is suitable for carrying out my improved method is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of my improved opening, cleaning and blending apparatus;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken generally along line IIIIII of Fig. 1 and illustrating a form of opening machine suitable for use in my improved method and apparatus;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view taken generally along line IV1V of Fig. 1 and illustrating a form of combined opening and cleaning apparatus which I preferably use as a part of my improved apparatus; Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view taken generally along line VV and showing in vertical sectional elevation a form of cleaning apparatus which I prefer to use as a part of my improved apparatus;

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view through the lint mixing and blending flue, taken generally along line VIVI of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a fragmental plan view corresponding to a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 and illustrating the addition thereto of a motor driven mixing roller disposed in the lint flue;

Fig. 8 is a view corresponding to Fig. 7 and showing the addition of a second cotton opening unit and condenser adjacent the discharge end of the lint flue; and

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic sectional view taken along line IX--IX of Fig. 8 and illustrating a suitable form of apparatus for opening the cotton a second time after the first opening, cleaning and condensing operation.

Referring. now to the drawings for a better understanding of my invention, and more particularly to Figs. 1 through 6, inclusive, my improved apparatus comprises a plurality of rows of cotton opening machines 10, opening and cleaning machines 11, and cleaning machines 12. As will more clearly appear hereinafter cotton from a given bale is fed into the machine 18 of each row and is delivered from machine 12 thereof in an air borne stream. Each of the individual air-borne streams of cotton are introduced through lint delivery flues or conduits 13 into a common mixing and blending lint flue indicated at 14.

As best illustrated in Fig. 3 the machine 10 comprises a hopper 16 having at the bottom thereof a feed belt 17 carrying slats 18. The hopper 16 may be of a size to hold a bale of cotton, the belt 17 and slats 18 serving to feed layers of the same inwardly of the apparatus. Adjacent the inner end of the belt 17 is an upwardly inclined belt 19 carrying spikes 21. Cotton from the bale is carried up the inclined belt 19. At the upper end of the belt 19 is a second horizontally disposed spiked belt 22 which serves the purpose of knocking back into the bottom of the apparatus unusually large wads or lumps of cotton. Cotton on the end of the belt 21 is doffed therefrom by means of a dofiing cylinder 23 carrying dofling blades 24. The cotton falls onto a screen 26 after being dotfed from the belt 21, which aids in cleaningthe same.

Cotton from the opening machine 10 is delivered onto the lower belt 27 of the combined cotton opening and cleaning machine 11. This machine is preferably of the type shown, described and claimed in the co-pending application of Eugene H. Brooks, Serial No. 28,805, filed May 24, 1948, subject Apparatus for Opening and Cleaning Lint Cotton, and which has matured into Patent No. 2,576,280. In the manner disclosed in said co-pending application, the machine 11 has at the discharge end of the belt 27 a plurality of rollers 28 and 29, suitably driven with the adjacent surfaces thereof rotating in the same direction. Cotton from the belt 27 is received at the lower end of the groups of rollers and is engaged upon being discharged from the uppermost rollers by a rotating saw cylinder 31. In this operation the saw cylinder separates the fibers into a very fine state, each tooth drawing from the cotton between the rolls 28 and 29 a relatively few fibers. In the manner disclosed in said co-pending application the cotton is fed in bat form through the rolls 28 and 29.

Cooperating with the saw cylinder 31 is a dofling means such as a brush cylinder 32 Which, as fully explained in said application, doffs the cotton from the saw cylinder and discharges the same in an air-borne stream through a discharge conduit or lint duct 33.

The cleaning machine 12 preferably is of the type shown, described and claimed in Brooks Patent Re. 23,044, issued October 19, 1948. This machine embodies a housing 34 having mounted for rotation therein a saw cylinder 36. A doffing means is associated with the saw cylinder, and while the same may comprise any suitable doffing means such as an air blast nozzle or the like, I preferably employ a doffing brush cylinder indicated at 37. Immediately above the saw cylinder 36 is a pair of closely spaced driven rollers 38.

Mounted in any suitable manner above the rollers 38 is a condenser having a housing 39, a foraminous drum 41, and rollers 42. Cotton delivered from the duct 33 of the machine 11 is delivered subsequently to the condenser, condensed into a thin uniform bat, and fed to the saw cylinder 36 between the rollers 38. Associated with the saw cylinder 36 are a plurality of cleaning bars which the cotton strikes as it is carried around by the saw cylinder, thus knocking out of the same trash and the like entangled therewith. Such trash may be removed from the bottom of, the hopper by means of any suitable form of conveyor such as a screw conveyor 43, and if desired a blower 44 may be provided in the housing to maintain a low velocity flow of air through the housing,

thus to convey away light trash and dust dislodged from the cotton.

Referring again to Figs. 1, 2 and 6 of the drawings, cotton from a plurality of bales enters the hoppers 16 of the machines 10, passes therefrom to the machines 11 where it is opened and cleaned a first time to some extent. Cotton leaving the machines 11 is in the form of an air borne stream. After being condensed and fed through the cleaning machines 12 the cotton enters the lint delivery flues 13 which are connected to the common lint flue 14.

As more clearly shown in Fig. 6, I preferably connect the ducts 13 of each pair of machines tangentially to the common flue 14 and direct them substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the flue 14. In this way I bring the air borne streams of cotton from oppositely disposed rows of machines into the lint flue 14 in such manner as to create a whirling action as indicated by the arrows, Fig. 6. Likewise, I preferably connect the pairs of ducts 13 to the flue 14 so that as viewed in plan the pairs are directed substantially oppositely. This tangential and opposite connection of ducts 13 aids in intimately intermixing and blending the fibers from oppositely disposed rows of machines. As the cotton moves down the duct toward the discharge end thereof as indicated by the arrows, Fig. 1, the streams from the previous rows of machines mix with the cotton from subsequent rows thereof, thus effecting an intermixing of the previously blended streams and the subsequently introduced streams. At the end of the duct 14 I provide some means to condense the cotton, for instance a relatively large capacity condenser indicated by the numeral 46, which as understood may embody a foraminous drum and may embody suction fans indicated at 46a. From the condenser 46 the cotton passes as a bat, indicated by the numeral 47, to

subsequent machines, for instance, directly to cards or the like, not shown.

In Fig. 7 I show a slightly modified form of my invention in which I place in the lint flue 14, just ahead of the condenser 46, a roller 48. The roller 48 may have on the periphery thereof a plurality of spikes 49 and may be driven by means of a motor 51 or the like, The purpose of this roller is to further agitate and mix the longitudinally moving lint stream in the flue 14 just previous to the last condensing thereof.

In Fig. 8 I show a still further modified form in which the cotton from the condenser 46 is passed to a machine 50 which opens the cotton again prior to the final condensing thereof. As best shown in Figs. 8 and 9, cotton from the condenser 46 passes between a pair of rollers 52 and 53, driven by any suitable means, not shown, with adjacent surfaces moving in the same direction. Beneath the rollers 52 and 53 is a driven saw cylinder 54 having a dofiing brush 56 associated therewith. A duct 57 leads from the machine 50 to still another of the condensers 46. Cotton which has been opened, cleaned and condensed can then, by this modification of my invention, be again opened prior to the final condensing operation. I thus attain still further mixing and blending after the separate streams have been mixed and blended in the lint flue 14.

From the foregoing the method of operation of my improved system and apparatus may be clearly understood. With the rows of machines delivering cotton from individual bales into the common flue 14, the air borne streams thereof are subjected to intimate intermixing both at the point of entry of the pairs of streams into opposite sides of the lint flue 14 and at the points where such cornmingled streams come into contact with subsequent pairs of tangentially introduced pairs of streams. The combined swirling and longitudinal motion of the several streams affords excellent intermixing of the fibers. It will be apparent that the air borne streams of cotton moving longitudinally along the flue l4 and which have been previously intermixed, upon coming into contact with the subsequent tangentially introduced streams of cotton are thoroughly agitated and mixed together. Due to the fact that I first finely divide the cotton and entrain the same from each bale in an air stream, intermixing is comparatively easily eflected and is substantially complete. Thus, a sample of cotton removed from the condenser 46 or 46a is in fact a composite sample of all of the individual streams of cotton introduced into the lint flue 14.

Aside from the advantages of mixing cotton from separate sources in the common lint flue, which is the prime object and advantage of my invention, I can, through the use of the particular method and apparatus described and operated in the manner disclosed, also clean cotton in a cotton mill opening room without the necessity of subjecting it to the repeated beating actions heretofore employed. I thus eliminate a considerable amount of the damage heretofore done to the fibers and remove therefrom a far greater amount of dirt, trash, motes and the like from the cotton. In the manner disclosed in the above mentioned co-pending application and patent, the saw cylinders of the machines 11 and 12 together with the dofiing means therefor and cleaning bars are effective to remove from the cotton a very large percentage of the dirt, motes, trash and the like found therein. Due to the nature of the apparatus employed and to the arrangement of the same in the aligned rows on opposite sides of the flue 14, my improved apparatus is compact. In this connection it will be understood that if desired the rows of machines may be placed on one side only of the common lint flue 14, thus maintaining all of the primary advantages of my invention except the added mixing action of the oppositely introduced lint streams. The capacity of my improved apparatus is entirely adequate both for the number of machines employed and the space required therefor. It will be apparent that my improved blending method and apparatus may be employed for blending fibers other than cotton, or may be employed to blend cotton fibers from sources other than from bales, if desired.

While I have shown a plurality of rows of the several machines forming parts of my improved apparatus, it will be apparent that the same has utility in the provision of but a single pair of rows of the same, namely a pair of rows thereof including one each of the machines 10, 11 and 12 together with a lint flue 14, and that these may be disposed on a common side of the flue 14. Likewise, while I have stated that I prefer to introduce the air borne streams of cotton from the machines 12 tangentially and in opposition to each other into the lint flue 14, it is possible that other means such as baflles in the lint flue 14 may be used for effecting intermixing of the air borne streams within the lint flue 14. Further, since the several machines of each row may be of substantially identical capacity of the corresponding machine of the other rows, I am enabled to introduce substantially equal quantities of fibers from each bale into the lint flue 14. I thus obtain not only an intimate mixing of the fibers in the flue 14 but also such mixing is of equal quantities of fibers from the several sources.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have devised an improved method and apparatus for opening, cleaning and blending lint cotton which is fully effective for its intended purpose, and which is economical of construction and operation and compact.

While I have shown my invention in several forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In apparatus for blending lint cotton and the like from a plurality of sources, an elongated lint flue, a plurality of substantially parallel spaced apart rows of cotton opening and cotton cleaning machines disposed side by side and on opposite sides of the elongated lint flue, each of said rows of machines being in longitudinal alignment with a row on the opposite side of the elongated lint flue, and lint delivery flues connecting the discharge of the cotton cleaning machines of the rows to the elongated lint flue in substantially diametric opposition to the corresponding discharge of the opposite row, a rotatable roller in the lint flue at a location thereon past the last place of delivery of lint thereto, and means to rotate the roller.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 23,044 Brooks Oct. 19, 1948 284,151 Williams Aug. 28, 1883 611,360 Fordyce Sept. 27, 1898 1,092,857 Perham Apr. 14, 1914 1,346,828 Kido July 20, 1920 1,589,427 Rogers June 22, 1926 2,014,844 Holt Sept. 17, 1935 1 2,090,955 Taylor Aug. 24, 1937 2,129,312 Streun Sept. 6, 1938 2,229,391 Rogers et al. Jan. 21, 1941 2,313,256 Morgan Mar. 9, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 200,717 Great Britain July 19, 1923 247,079 Great Britain Feb. 11, 1926

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