US2804655A

US2804655A - Lint cotton opener and cleaner

Info

Publication number: US2804655A
Application number: US435552A
Authority: US
Inventors: Eugene H Brooks
Original assignee: Continental Gin Co
Current assignee: Continental Gin Co
Priority date: 1954-06-09
Filing date: 1954-06-09
Publication date: 1957-09-03
Anticipated expiration: 1974-09-03

Description

' Sept. 3, 1957 E. H. BROOKS LINT COTTON OPENER AND CLEANER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 9, 1954 INVENT OR ATTORNEY Sept. 3, 1957 E. H. BROOKS LINT COTTON OPENER AND CLEANER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 9; 1954 INVENTOR 0 5: A! Bkoak:

ATTORNEY liinited States Patent 065cc 2,804,655 Fatented Sept. 3, 1957 LINT COTTON OPENER AND CLEANER Eugene H. Brooks, Birmingham, Ala., assignor to Continental Gin Company, Birmingham, Ala, a corporation of Delaware Application June 9, 1954, Serial No. 435,552

6 Claims. (Cl. 19-93) This invention relates to apparatus for handling lint cotton and other fibrous material, and, in particular, relates to a lint cotton opener and cleaner for use in cotton mills. Cotton is customarily delivered to the mills in the form of bales. These bales are extremely dense and the fibers are matted and intertwined. To prepare the cotton for manufacture into cloth it is necessary that the bales be opened and the cotton fibers placed in a form suitable for carding equipment, etc. 7

Despite the fact that much of the cotton is processed through gins having more or less elaborate cleaning equipment it is also necessary to further clean the cotton prior to the time it is processed through the cloth and thread forming machines. Also the cotton which is received by the mills is apt to come from a number of different gins or production areas, and as a re'sult, the quality, insofar as cleanliness is considered, varies. Therefore, not only do the cotton mills employ lint opening machinery, but additional machinery for cleaning is. utilized. In some mills, for example, a battery of blending feeders are used together with an opener and lap forming pickers. An object of this invention is to provide a combined lint opener and cleaner which will in one operation open and clean cotton or similar material, and which can be used as a blender with excellent results.

Another object of this invention is to provide a ma-. chine which is simply constructed, which is compact in size and which requires little attention in its operation. The device constructed in accordance with this invention may be operated with the same reliability that the present gins and associated equipment can be operated and it does not require constant attention.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description andthe accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevational View illustrating the cotton working machine constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. l on an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a side view of the member of Fig. 2 on a reduced scale.

Figure 4 is a side elevational'view of the machine.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the internal construction.

Referring now in particular to the drawings, reference character indicates a housing. The latter is suitably braced or supported in any convenient manner, such as by angle irons, etc. The housing can be provided with a number of removable or pivotally connected panels providing inspection of the interior and adjustment, as is well known in the art of cotton machinery. For example panel 12 can be supported on ledges 14 formed of angle brackets extended laterally of the machine and the whole front panel 16 can be connected to brackets 18, 20, which respectively extend laterally and vertically of the machine by fastening devices such as screws. It is obvious that panels may be provided in a number of different ways all within the skill of one employed in the art.

Frame elements

22, 24, 26, etc. at the side of the machine, support laterally extending

shafts

28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48 and 50 in journal blocks, such as 51. Shaft 38 can be used as the main drive shaft and each of the other shafts with the exception of shaft 50 are provided with pulleys, such as 52 which are connected by belts 53 with the main drive shaft 38 through pulley 54. Obviously any suitable drive may be used for transmitting power to the shafts and the drive shown is similar to that employed on other cotton working machines. Obviously the shape of the framing can also be modified as desired.

Within housing 10 there are formed a number of chambers. The latter are preferably formed of sheet metal elements which may be stiffened and supported by angle members extending laterally of the machine and con nected to the sides of the housing and to frame

members

22, 24 and 26. The whole is interconnected to provide suitable stability and rigidity. In the upper right of the machine, as shown in Figure 1, there is a brush chamber 62. Downwardly to the left there is a conveyor chamber 64, a second brush chamber 66, a wiper chamber 68, a conveyor chamber 70, and a third brush chamber 72. The housings for the above mentioned chambers all cooperate to produce a main lint chamber 74.

In the lower right or front end of the machine is a belt 76. Belt 76 is reeved over

rollers

78 and 80 afiixed to

shafts

48 and 50 respectively. The belt travels in the direction shown by arrow 82. The cotton is introduced to the machine through opening 84 on to belt 76 and from the latter it is carried to saw

cylinders

86, and 102. The saw cylinders comprise a number of disc saws connected to the central shaft. Each saw is spaced from its adjacent saw by spacers 88-. The saw cylinders open and fluff the cotton. Some of the cotton engaged by cylinder 86 is carried around by the saws to dofier brush 90. The latter is connected to shaft 46 and wipes saw cylinder 86 to remove the cotton therefrom. In the meantime trash or motes which are disengaged by cylinder 86 are thrown into wiper chamber 68. The chamber 68 has a Wiper blade 92 connected to discs at each end such as 94 which are in turn fixed to shafts 40. The wiper blade rotates in the direction shown by the associated arrow and moves motes and trash into conveyor chamber 70 where screw conveyor 96 moves the trash to the side of the machine where it is dumped. As the cotton is fed into the machine over the belt 76 it forms a roll indicated at 98.

Saw cylinders

100 and 102 are constructed similar to cylinders 86 and operate on the roll of cotton in the manner described above. Cylinder 100 is doffed by brush cylinder 104 and cylinder 102 is dotted by cylinder 106.

Cylinders

100 and 102 will com bine to flufi the cotton and also disengage motes and trash. The motes and trash from cylinder 100 will be thrown through opening .108 into wiper chamber 68 and the motes and trash from cylinder 1-02 will' be thrown into mote chamber 64.

The screw conveyor is mounted in chamber 64 on shaft 34 and is constructed similar to conveyor 96. Conveyor 110 operates to move the motes and trash to the side of the machine. Cylinder 112 is constructed differently from

cylinders

86, 100 and 102. Cylinder 112 can be formed of end discs such as 114 having a cylinder 116 connected, thereto. Any suitable material may be used. The latter cylinder has a helical groove 118 formed therein with a pitch of about six or seven grooves per inch. Wire 120 is wrapped around the cylinder and seated within the groove. The wire has toothlike projections 124 formed on the outer surface somewhat similar to saw teeth. However, the wire teeth vary from about .042" to about 0.225" in depth and project radially outward as compared to the saw teeth of cylinders 86102. Cylinder 112 thus does not pick up much cotton from the rotating roll 98, but due to its proximity to saw cylinder 102 it serves as a knocker cylinder for the latter and facilitates removal of the excess cotton from cylinder 102. The latter is the last saw cylinder encountered by the roll in its clockwise rotation within the machine. By using the wire wound knocker cylinder 112 together with the brush cylinder 106 almost complete dofiing of saw cylinder 102 is obtained, and the last cylinder does not pack with cotton. This substantially reduces the reworking of the cotton by this cylinder. It should be noted that all of the saws are positioned with respect to each other so that each succeeding cylinder removes excess lint from the cylinder immediately below it, thus cylinder 100 will remove excess lint from cylinder 86. Cylinder 102 will remove excess lint from cylinder 100 and cylinder 112 will remove excess lint from cylinder 102. This is accomplished by spacing the saw cylinders properly. As an example saw cylinders equipped with 12" diameter saws will function properly when spaced 12%" on centers leaving a A clearance in between the saws at their closest points. Means can be provided for adjusting the spacing such as dotted journal block bases and shims. Cylinder 112 is doffed by brush 106 and the small amount of cotton (in comparison) picked up by cylinder 112 is thus doffed by the same brush used to doff cylinder 102.

Flues

124, 126 and 128 lead from the brushes and merge in a common flue 130. The brushes create sufficient draft to force the cotton through the fiues. Adjustable mote boards 132, 134 and 136 are provided. Air intakes 140, 142 and 144 facilitate entrance of air into the flues under the influence of the brushes.

The saw cylinders and the wire wound cylinder 112 are mounted on parallel axes as are the remaining rotating elements of the machine. Furthermore

cylinders

86, 100, 102 and 112 have their axes of rotation positioned substantially on an arc concentric with the roll 98. The approximate are 150 is indicated in Fig. l to show the relationship among the axes of rotation. The brush cylinders and moting equipment are also generally concentrically arranged with respect to the roll 98. All the saw cylinders rotate in the same direction and thus tend to rotate the mass of cotton 98. The brush cylinders also rotate in one direction. It is seen that the invention comprises an opening and cleaning means including brush type doffer members for dofiing saws, a wire wound knocker for knocking the last saw cylinder and moting equipment for cleaning the cotton interposed between the brush doffcrs and adjacent the main saw cylinders. The last, wire wound, cylinder, picks up very littlecotton.

The cylinder 112 removes the surplus cotton from saw 102 and also imparts a force to rotate mass 98. An important feature of the invention is the cleaning of the fibers by centrifugal force. When the mass of fibers is acted on by the saw cylinders, the trash is thrown past the mote boards into the mote troughs.

Figure is a slightly exploded view showing the wiper 92, conveyor 96, brush 90 and saw cylinder 86. The view illustrates that the saw cylinder can be formed of a number of saw blades spaced apart by spacers 88. The brush can comprise a single drum having brush sticks or a number of drums placed side by side. The construction of the wiper is clearly illustrated as is also that of the screw conveyor. The latter can comprise twisted metal supported on a central shaft.

While I have shown and described a preferred form of my invention it will be understood that variations in detail of form may be made without departure from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A machine for opening and cleaning compact masses of fibers comprising a plurality of rotatably mounted saw cylinders each having peripherally extending saw teeth, said cylinders being positioned on substantially parallel axes of rotation, said cylinders having their axes of rotation lying substantially within an arc, the saw teeth of each cylinder passing closely adjacent the saw teeth of the next adjacent cylinder during rotation thereof, a last cylinder having an axis of rotation extending parallel to the axes of the other cylinders and having its said axis lying within said arc, said last cylinder having a wire wound thereon in the form of a helix, tooth-like projections formed on said wire, said projections extending substantially radially from said last cylinder, said projections passing closely adjacent teeth of one of said saw cylinders and serving to remove excess cotton from said one of said cylinders, brush cylinders for doffng each of said saw cylinders and said last cylinder, and moting means positioned intermediate said brush cylinders and adjacent said saw cylinders for receiving motes and trash from said saw cylinders, and means cooperating with said moting means for removing motes and trash from said machine.

2. A machine for opening and cleaning cotton comprising a housing, feed means for feeding cotton into said housing, a series of saw cylinders rotatably mounted in an arc adjacent the end of said feed means for acting on the cotton fed by said feed means, said cylinders acting to form a rotating mass of cotton and to remove fibers from said mass, said saw cylinders all rotating in a common direction, dofier means for dotfing cotton from said saw cylinders and means for removing motes and trash from said cotton comprising mote chambers positioned intermediate said means for doffing said saw cylinders and adapted to receive motes and trash from said saw cylinders, and means cooperating with said moting means for removing motes and trash from said chambers.

3. Means for opening and cleaning fibers comprising a housing, means for feeding said fibers into said housing, saw cylinders positioned adjacent said last named means for receiving said fibers therefrom, said cylinders rotating in a common direction and being positioned one above the other in an arc and causing rotation of the fibers received within said machine in the form of a roll and removing fibers therefrom as said roll comes in engagement with said saw cylinders, one of said saw cylinders comprising a knocker cylinder for knocking excess cotton off the next adjacent cylinder, said one of said cylinders being the last cylinder in said arc in the direction of rotation of said roll; means for dotfing all of said cylinders for removing fibers therefrom, means for removing fibers from the dofiing means, means for receiving motes and trash from said cylinders positioned intermediate and adjacent said dofiing means, and means for removing motes and trash from said means for receiving motes and trash.

4. A device for opening and cleaning fibrous masses comprising a housing, means for feeding fibrous material into said housing saw cylinders arranged in an are extending from one end of the last named means and upwardly thereabove and adapted to act on said fibrous material to cause rotation of a mass thereof and to remove fibers therefrom, dofier means for removing fibers from said cylinders, said dofling means being arranged in an are substantially concentric with the first mentioned arc, and moting means for receiving motes and trash from said saw cylinders positioned in an arc substantially concentric with the first mentioned arc and intermediate said dofling means, and means cooperating with said moting means for removing motes and trash received by said moting means from said device.

5. A combined lint cleaner and opener comprising a plurality of rotatably mounted cylinders each having saw teeth positioned on substantially parallel axes of rotation, said saw cylinders being closely adjacent each other, belt means for directing cotton toward said saw cylinders, said cylinders being adapted to engage said cotton and open the same during rotation of said cylinders, a chamber adjacent to each of said saw cylinders, a brush type dotfer rotating in each of said chambers, each of said saw cylinders being dolled by one of said brush type doflers, mote receiving chambers positioned intermediate the dolr'ers and opening toward said saw cylinders and adapted to receive motes and trash from said saw cylinders, an adjustable mote board forming part of each of the brush chambers and each forming part of one of the mote chambers and each board being adjustable with respect to the saw cylinders for adjusting the moting operation, means within said moting chambers for conveying motes and trash from said cleaner and opener, a last cylinder positioned on an axis substantially parallel to the axes of the saw cylinders and adjacent one of said saw cylinders with the axes of rotation of the saw cylinders and said last cylinder lying within the arc of a circle and all of said cylinders being rotatable in the same direction with said last cylinder being positioned at one end of said are, said cylinders being adapted to receive cotton from said belt means and rotate the cotton in the form of a roll concentric with said arc, the saw cylinders being adapted to open and clean cotton in said roll, and said last cylinder being adapted to remove excess cotton from the adjacent one of the first mentioned saw cylinders and brush means for dofiing the last cylinder.

6. A machine for opening and cleaning compact masses of fibers comprising a plurality of rotatably mounted saw cylinders each having peripherally extending saw teeth, said cylinders having their axes of rotation lying substantially Within an arc, the saw teeth of each cylinder passing closely adjacent the saw teeth of the next adjacent cylinder during rotation thereof, a last cylinder having an axis of rotation extending parallel to the axes of the other cylinders and having tooth-like projections formed thereon, said projections extending substantially radially from said last cylinder and passing closely adjacent the teeth of one of said saw cylinders and serving to remove excess cotton from said one of said saw cylinders, brush cylinders for dofiing each of said saw cylinders and said last cylinder, and moting means positioned intermediate said brush cylinders and adjacent said saw cylinders for receiving motes and trash from said saw cylinders and means cooperating With said moting means for removing motes and trash from said machine.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,011,832 Murray Dec. 12, 1911 1,724,500 Mitchell Aug. 13, 1929 1,946,783 Deems Feb. 13, 1934 2,365,793 Asbill et a1. Dec. 26, 1944