US3014247A - Lint cotton cleaner - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 26, 1961 Filed April 21, 1958 J. E. SALMON LINT COTTON CLEANER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 g F /6. 5 I I l /4 9a I I 3 42 28 $0 46 as "h e M 24 i a e 50 -4a 26 y 2 e /06 33 92 5 I Q a g8 /02 34 a a so as a g 2 76 4 l 5 F 66 LE FIG. 2 ,0

INVENTOR JOE .5 SALMON jw Maw ATTORNEYS Dec. 26, 1961 Filed April 21, 1958 J. E. SALMON LINT COTTON CLEANER 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG 4 INVENTOR JOE E. SALMON ATTORNEYS Dec. 26, 1961 Filed April 21, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 234 FIG. 5-

FIG. 8.

INVENTOR Joe E. Salmon ATTORNEYS United States atent 3,014,247 LINI COTTON CLEANER Joe Salmon, Birmingham, Ala., assignor to Continental Gm Company, Birmingham, Ala., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 21, 1958, Ser. No. 731,571 12 Claims. (Cl. 19-67) This invention relates to lint cleaners and in particular to a combination condenser and lint cleaner particularly adapted for use in cotton gins.

This application is a continuation-in-part of application Serial No. 609,126, filed September 11, 1956, titled Lint Cotton Cleaner.

The advent of mechanical cotton harvesting methods has reduced the cost of harvesting. However, mechanical picking results in a raw product containing considerable more trash than hand picked cotton.

-As a result the need for cleaning cotton, both before and after the separation of the lint from the seed, has been increased substantially. Cleaning subsequent to the ginning operation, often referred to as post ginning cleaning, or more often simply referred to as lint cleaning, due to the fact that the raw cotton lint has been separated from the seed by the gins, has become in creasingly important in raising the grade of the cotton which has been relatively noughly harvested by the mechanical methods. All newer gin installations embody equipment particularly adapted for the necessary cleaning to improve the lint quality. As could be expected this equipment is correlated with the other equipment being supplied to the gin. Thus the problem of installation of the lint cleaners is considered in the designing of the complete gin. The additional space needed for the cleaners, fiues, valves, fans, etc. is provided through greater floor area, etc., and the increased size of the gin and increased costs of apparatus, housing and installation are determined beforehand.

However, the provision of new gins necessitate modernization of the old not only in order to more properly handle the machine picked cotton but also in order to attract and hold business. Thus the increased need for cleaning has necessitated the modernization of existing ginning plants through the introduction of cleaning equipment sufiicient to enable the older ginning establishrnents to compete with the new.

The lint cleaning equipment is most desirably placed to intercept the lint between the gins and the baling presses. Therefore lint cleaners have been developed which can be connected in'existing gins. Space limitations have however in many instances rendered it extremely diflicult to add these post ginning cleaners to the existing gins. It has often been found that the machinery within the gin must be rearranged in order to accommodate a post gin cleaner and in addition many times the building must be added to or rebult to provide proper installation space and support for the added equipment. The adidtional expense of rearranging the existing machinery and adding to the building often represents a substantial amount, and results in a much greater cost than would be necessary with equipment which could simply be installed in the existing location without major modification of the present machinery or buildmg.

Although the art has long recognized these modernization problems no one heretofore has satisfactorily developed equipment which could be readily installed in existing space or equipment or which could be installed without an undesirable amount of fines, valves, supports, supplementary condensers and their fans or Without an undesirable increase in the distance which the lint travels before reaching the press. No one has heretofore developed a really compact unit which can be readily installed as a post ginning cleaner in existing gin plants or even in new ginning installations without a great increase in cost of installation or complexity of the resulting equipment. Accordingly an object of this invention is to provide post-ginning cleaning means which embodies a minimum amount of additional machinery and which can be readily installed in existing gin installations without major modification of the existing equipment or rearrangement thereof, without substantial modification of the buildings in which such equipment is housed, and without the increase in conduit structure heretofore thought necessary.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lint cotton cleaner for use in a cotton gin which is of relatively compact size as compared to heretofore known cleaning devices.

As is well known, the usual ginning installation embodies a battery condenser adapted to receive the lint from the gins and a press to which the lint is directed from the battery condenser. As pointed out heretofore, previous attempts to provide post-ginning cleaners in such installations have involved the installation of additional apparatus comprising separate condensing means as well as the cleaning means, together with a complex arrangement of valves and conduits. In addition, separate suction apparatus is also necessary to induce the proper flowing of the lint from the gins to the lint cleaner condenser and then from the lint cleaner back to the battery condenser. In contrast, however, an object of the instant invention is to provide a lint cleaner which embodies a condensing means and a cleaning means designed to be installed in substitution for the usual battery condenser, and with which separate suction equipment and a complex arrangement of valves, and conduits are not needed.

Still another object is to provide an improved battery type lint cleaner, of a capacity to handle the entire output of a battery of gins, connected directly to the main lint flue at a point normally occupied by the battery condenser.

The need for supplemental condensers with the cleaners heretofore known to me has existed whether the lint cleaners were individual to the gin stands or of the battery type designed to take the output from the entire battery of, gins. A further object of my invention however is to provide a combination battery condenser and lint cleaner embodying a double purpose condenser in which the foraminous condensing drum serves'the dual purpose of batting the cotton received from the battery of gins on a first portion of the drum and rebatting the same cotton after passing through the lint cleaner on a second portion of the drum.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a combination battery condenser and lint cleaner having a relatively simple bypass means by means of which the lint condensed to bat form in the condenser may be sent directly to the press without passing through the lint cleaner.

Battery type lint cleaners heretofore known to me have required a considerable amount of extra lint flue ducts to connect the lint cleaners into the system. This is not only expensive but ineificient. Furthermore passage of the lint through the additional valves, elbows and many special connections required subjects the lint to a tumbling action which tends to produce a rougher sample than that which can be obtained through the use of apparatus in whicha wide uniform, stream once formed is not disturbed until it reaches the press box. Accordingly another object of the invention is to provide an improved lint cleaner of the type described, in which the aggregate lint cotton from the battery of gins is spread into a wide uniform stream and this wide uniform stream maintained from the time the lint reaches the first portion of the condenser drum until it reaches the press box.

Although a gin may be equipped with a post gin cleaner, it is from time to time, depending upon the condition of the cotton or other material, in the judgment of the ginner, preferable not to pass the cotton through the post ginning cleaner. This of course requires some means to bypass the cleaner. Simplicity and eifectiveness of the bypass means is desired. Accordingly an object of the instant invention is to provide bypass means for bypassing or deleting the cleaning operation performed by the post gin cleaner and thus to alternately use or not use the cleaner.

The installation of apparatus such as disclosed herein, particularly in existing gins, often creates space problems. The added need for bypassing flues, valves, etc. used in conjunction with an added post gin cleaner is undesirable. Accordingly a further object of this invention is to provide efl'ective bypass means for the post gin cleaner which does not embody these added space consuming elements.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an extremely compact post gin cleaning installation including necessary condensing cleaning and feeding means, and bypass structure which will efficiently and effectively perform the intended functions.

A further object of the invention is to provide by-passing means particularly adapted to cooperate with a cleaner as set forth in the preceding object.

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

FIGURE 1 is a cross sectional elevational view through a combination battery condenser and lint cleaner constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention.

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the lint cleaning system showing the very important direct flow relationship between the combination battery condenserlint cleaner and other component units in the system.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of-the condenser and cleaner of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional elevational view through another form of combination battery condenser and lint cleaner constructed and arranged in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 5 is a vertical cross section of another form of post gin cleaning apparatus. constructed in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view ofa drive means.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the drive means of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary elevational view of the drive means of FIGURE 6.

Similar reference characters on the several views indicate similar parts.

By using the same condenser drum for the dirty cotton received from the battery of gins, as well as the clean cotton received from the lint cleaning members, I have devised a most compact cleaning system which has proved to be far more efficient and to do a much better cleaning job, and with a minimum amount of working of the lint resulting in a better sample than obtainable with battery type lint cleaners heretofore known.

Referring now in particular to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a lint flue which connects a battery of gins 12 to a combination battery condenser-lint cleaner indicated generally at 14. The condenser cleaner connects to a lint slide 16. The latter in turn is connected to a press 18. The lint slide and press are well known in the art. i

In the older gin installations the cotton flowed normally through a main or trunk flue such as 10 to a battery condenser, from which it was dropped into the press. The heretofore known cleaners designed to be installed in the older gins, as pointed out above, comprise units which must be connected into the flue 10, intermediate the gins and battery condenser, whereas with the instant invention the older battery condenser is removed and a combination battery condenser lint cleaner put in place thereof. With the instant apparatus the aggregate lint put out by the battery of gins is delivered through the flue 19 to the battery condenser-lint cleaner, after which it is discharged into the lint slide 16 on which it slides to the press 18.

The combination battery condenser-lint cleaner, which I have devised, comprises a foraminous condenser drum 20 enclosed in a casing 22 and a cleaning means 24 also enclosed in a casing 25. The casings can be formed in the usual way known in the art. The casings include partition means extending laterally of the casing, as well as air inlets, as illustrated in the drawings and described hereinafter. Casings 2.2 and 25, as in the form illustrated, can be a single casing or they can be formed as separate casings and assembled during installation.

The portion of the casing enclosing the condenser drum is divided longitudinally by flexible sealing strips 26 and 28. Strips 26 and 28 extend laterally the width of the casing and divide the casing adjacent the condenser drum into a first condensing compartment 30 and a second condensing compartment 32. These seal strips are formed of rubber coated cloth or sheet material as is known in the art. They are attached at spaced points to the adjacent casing structure, such as to casing wall 33, and bear against drum 28. The drum construction and cooperating casing structure at the drum ends is well known in the art. The first compartment 30 has an inlet '34 which is connected to flue 10 through means of a spreader transition 36. During normal operation the airborne lint cotton passes from the lint flue 10 through the spreader transition 36 through the first inlet 34 and into the first compartment 36. As the lint passes through the spreader transition 36 it is spread into a relatively wide, uniform stream and deposited in the form of a bat upon the upper are 38 of condenser drum 20. The bat of lint thus formed is passed outwardly of the first compartment by means of a pair of doffing rollers composed of a flighted stripper roller 40 having a plurality of flexible wipers 42 mounted thereon and a plain roller 44. The hat of lint is stripped off of the drum 20' by roller 46. Such structure is well known. A seal strip 45 cooperates with roller 44 to close compartment 30. Strip 45 is of the same construction as strips 26 and 28.

The dotting rollers 40 and 44 form a first outlet 46 leading outwardly from compartment 32. The bat thus discharged from compartment 30 turns downwardly under the influence of gravitation.

A pair of compressing and feeding rolls 48 are located so as to receive the discharged bat. Rolls48 are mounted in parallel relation on shafts 50 suitably journaled in the casing ends 52. A pair of drawing rolls 54 are mounted in a similar manner below rolls 48. It should be noted, however, that the pair of rolls 54 are set in closer relationship one to the other than rolls 48. The drive arrangement is such that the peripheral speedof rolls 54- is somewhat greater than that of rollers 48 so that the hat of cotton is progressively compressed to a greater degree and drawn into a thinner bat as it passes between the two pairs of rollers 48 and 54 respectively. Below the rolls 54 there is a feed plate 55 and a fluted feed roller 58, both of which are well known in the art. Immediately below and adjacent the fluted feed roller 58 and the reed plate 56 there is a rotatable saw cylinder 6%, which is mounted on a shaft 62 and suitably journaled in the casing ends 52. Saw cylinder 6t can be made up of spaced individual saw discs mounted on a shaft at a slight inclination to the shaft and suitably clamped to maintain this position or can be of the construction commonly known as a lickerin cylinder, both of which are well known in the art. Mounted within the frame formed by casing ends 52 and extending parallel to saw cylinder 60 in closely spaced relationship thereto are a plurality of stripper bars 64. These stripper bars, five of which are shown-although this number may vary, are disposed parallel to and closely adjacent the saw cylinder in spaced relation to each other about the downwardly turning arc of the saw cylinder as shown in the drawings.

As the relatively thin bat of cotton passes downwardly between the feeding and compressing rolls and between the feed plate and the fluted feed roller, the lint fibers are combed off by the teeth of the saws and the fibers are swept past the edges of the stripper bars where the commingled dirt and trash particles are dislodged by a combination of centrifugal force and the impact of the fiber ends against the bars. The dirt and trash fall into a hopper 66 which extends longitudinally the full length of the machine. Dirt and trash thus discharged into the hopper can be withdrawn by a suction fan or any other suitable means.

On the opposite side of the saw cylinder and mounted in dofling relationship thereto, is a rotable impeller 68 mounted on shaft 70 and journaled on the casing ends 52. The impeller 68 can be of any suitable vaned construction but preferably is of the dofling brush construction well known in the art.

Impeller 68 is partially enclosed by outer casing portion 72 and forms with inner casing portion 74 a second flue 76. Flue 76 is open to the atmosphere at the head end through mouth 78 and openings 80 in the casing ends 52.

The second flue 76 opens into the second compartment 32 through second inlet 82. As the cleaned lint is dotted off the saws by impeller 68 it is carried around flue 76 and into the second compartment by the vehicle air induced through open mouth 78 by the rotation of impeller 68 and deposited in the form of a hat on the lower arc 86 of condenser drurn 20.

It will be seen in the drawings that the condenser drum 20 rotates in the direction indicated by arrow 88 and the lint thus deposited on the lower arc 86 of drum 20 will be carried to a second set of dofling rolls composed of the well known flighted stripper roller 90 and plain roll 92 by means of which the bat is stripped from the screen and passed outwardly of the second compartment 32 through the second lint outlet 94. The hat of lint then passes downwardly by gravitation into the lint slide ,16 and thence to the press 18.

The vehicle air conveying the lint cotton into the first compartment 30, as well as the vehicle air conveying the lint into the second compartment 32 passes through the foraminous screen 96 into the interior 98 of condenser drum 20 and thence outwardly of the casing through discharge flue 100, which is open to the atmosphere generally through the back wall of the gin building.

In the normal operation of the invention the lint flows in a steady stream from the battery of gins 12 through the lint flue into compartment 30 and then through the lint cleaning means 24, after which it is returned to the lower are 86 of the condenser drum 20 as set out above. a

In the event the lint coming from the gins is sufiiciently clean as to not require further cleaning, I have provided a simple bypass slide 102 which can be pivoted on the front wall 104 by means of a piano type hinge 106 as shown. Should it become desirable to bypass the cleaning section of the invention the bypass slide 102 is moved to the position indicated by the dotted line 108. Slide 102 has a flange 110 adapted to support the slide on doffer pan 112 when in the dotted line position. It is apparent that with the bypass slide in this position the bat leaving upper compartment'30 through the first outlet 46- will be intercepted and prevented from entering the cleaning section between rollers 48. The hat will then slide by 6 gravitation down the bypass slide 102 over the front wall 104 and thence downward into the lint slide 16.

It should be noted that the bypass slide 102 is of a length substantially the same as the inside distance between the casing ends 52 so that when the bypass slide is in the bypass position the casing ends form with it a complete chute to guide the cotton properly over the front wall 104.

Many battery condensers are supported from the building superstructure such as the roof trusses. It is accord ingly obvious that the combination battery condenser-lint cleaner can be mounted on supporting frame 114, which in turn can be fastened to the superstructure 116 by means of hanger rods 118. It is'equally obvious that legs or support columns can be extended from the supporting frame members 114 downward to the floor for added support in the event the superstructure is not considered strong enough, as might be the case in some of the older wooden gin buildings.

Referring now to FIGURE 4 wherein there is illustrated another form of combination "battery condenser and lint cleaner constructed in accordance with the invention. In this form of the invention the condenser casing 120 and the cleaner casing 122 are formed as separate casings and are connected by a hopper-like cleaner feed casing 124 and a lint flue (transfer means) 126. I

The cleaner means within the casing 122 comprises paired compressing and feeding rollers 128, paired drawing rollers and 132 and a feed roller 134. The latter cooperates with a feed plate 136. These instrumentalities feed the cotton bat to a saw cylinder 138 and operate in the same manner as their corresponding elements in the form of the invention illustratedvin FIGURE 1. The saw cylinder 138 cooperates with stripper bars 140. A doffer 1'42 removes the cleaned lint from the saw cylinder and moves the lint through a lint flue 144. Flue 144 merges with flue 126. Opening 146 in the flue 144 and opening 148 in the casing provide for the introduction of clean air into flue 144. Air also is admitted through opening 150. The cleaning means further comprises a trash hopper 152. The operation of the cleaning means is obviously the same as in the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURE 1. v

A rotatable foraminous drum 154 is mounted within the condenser casing 120. This drum is adapted to receive lint from the main battery lint flue 156. The latter corresponds to flue 10. The line received from flue 156 is directed upwardly through transition 158 and inlet 160 into a first compartment 162 where it deposits upon the foraminous drum 154. The drum is evacuated to atmosphere through its ends, as is Well known.

When the drum is rotated in a direction indicated by arrow 164 the lint deposited upon the drum will be carried to a set of dofling rolls comprising the flighted stripper roller 166 and the plain roller 168. These remove the cotton in a bat form. The cotton bat will slide downwardly on a slide 170 within casing 124 and be received between the pressing and feeding rollers 128.

The lint discharged from the cleaner is transferred to a second compartment 172 and directed on to the upper arc of the rotatable foraminous drum. Flue 126, as previously mentioned, is preferably of a width substantially the same as that of the condenser drum.

Lint deposited upon the upper arc of the drum in the second compartment 172 is removed by a second set of dofling rollers. The second set of dofling rollers cornprises the flighted stripper roller 174 and plain rollers 175 and 178. The removed bat of lint is deposited onto press slide and delivered to press 132.

Sealing strips 184, 186 and 188 cooperate with their respectively adjacent rollers in sealing the compartments.

The combined condenser and lint cleaner is adapted to be supported on a supporting frame 190 which is' substantially similar to frame 114. 7

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG- URE 4 the rotatable foraminous drum 154 and its cooperating dotting means are mounted for rotation in both clockwise and counter clockwise directions. When the drum is rotated as indicated by arrow 164 the lint passes through the cleaner. When the drum is rotated in the direction indicated by arrow 192 the cleaner is bypassed. When rotated in the latter direction the cotton lint deposited upon the foraminous drum 154 in the bottom are thereof is moved upwardly to the right, and removed by the stripper roller 174 in cooperation with the plain roller 176.

The cleaning apparatus and the condensing apparatus in both of the above described forms of the invention are preferably driven by a separate drive means since the speed of the operating elements of the two units, as is well known, are considerably different. Preferably utilizing modern techniques, the cleaning means and the condensing means are driven by separate electric motors. In the apparatus of FIGURE 4 the condensing instrumentalities comprising the drum and the stripper rollers are driven by a reversible motor. Thus the cleaning means can be bypassed with the apparatus of FIGURE 4 simply by reversing the condenser drive motor. The

reason for the two rollers 176 and 178 is thus apparent. One cooperates with the flighted stripper roller 174 when the drum is driven in one direction, and the other when the drum is driven in the opposite direction.

The advantages of the combination battery condenserlint cleaner are many and this fact will be recognized by those familiar with the problems of adding such equipment to existing gin outfits. The fact that the entire unit takes very little more space than the common battery condenser alone is sufiicient in itself to insure relatively easy installation in outfits where installation of lint cleaners has heretofore been very difficult.

In the form of the invention shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 the combination condenser lint cleaner 210 comprises the condensing drum 212, the cleaning instrumentalities 214 and the cleaner feed means 216. The feed means comprises the vertical bat supporting feed rolls 218. The condensing drum cooperates with bat forming roll elements 220 and 222 on the left side of the drum as viewed in FIGURE 5 and 224 and 226 on the right hand side. These correspond to the rolls such as 166 and 168, and 178 and 174 in the apparatus of FIGURE 4, and 40 and 44, and 92 and 90 in the apparatus of FIGURES 1 and 3. It is understood that these rolls extend substantially the full width of the condenser drum. This is also true of the bat supporting rolls 218 and the upper bat supporting rolls 228 and 230. The space between the condensing drum and the drum housing is divided into a lower or first condensing chamber or compartment 232 and an upper or second condensing chamber or compartment 234 by the rolls 220 and 222 on the left (in FIGURE 5) and the rolls 224 and 226 on the right.

The cleaning instrumentality 214 is substantially the same as that used in the forms of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 4. The conduit or fiue 236 extending between the cleaner and the upper part of the condenser housing or casing is rectangular.

In this form of the invention the inlet flue 238 is also a rectangular flue and it is directed substantially tangentially of the drum 212 instead of radially as in the form of the invention shown in FIGURE 4, being approximately tangent thepoint 240 on the drum. This point 240 is about at the 8:00 oclock position of the drum.

An adjustable baffie 242 is useful in regulating the,

cotton flow to the drum. The battle extends the width of the flue.

The rollers 220 and 224 which correspond to the rollers 166 and 174 in FIGURE 4 are not fiighteddofiing rollers. Instead, the dofling rollers are fluted metal rollers of the same construction as the rollers 222 and 226.

8 This obviously has important manufacturing advantages.

Roll 220 is provided with shaft ends 244 and roll 222 is provided with shaft ends 246. Shaft ends 244 of roll 220 extend through the sides of the housing and are supported in pivoted arms 250. Slots 252 are provided in the sides of the housing to permit movement of the shaft ends 244 approximately radially with respect to the drum 212. The arms 250 on each side of the machine are pivoted on shafts 254 connected to the condenser-cleaner housing. An idler frame 256 is also pivotally mounted on shaft 254. The idler frame includes a lever 258 and an idler support bracket 260.

A pair of meshed gears 262 and 264 are supported on shafts 266 and 268 and the latter shafts are supported in the idler frame 256. A sprocket 270 is also connected to shaft 268 and a sprocket 272 is connected to shaft 244. A chain 274 connects the two sprockets 270 and 272. A stub shaft 276 is supported in a bracket 27S and a plate 280. The plate 280 is seen to be mounted on the cleaner frame and the shaft 254 is also connected to the condensercleaner housing through the medium of the plate 280.

A sprocket 282 and a gear 284 are connected to shaft 276. With the elements in the position illustrated in the drawings gear 264 and gear 284 are in meshed relationship. A lever 286 is connected to lever 258. Lever 286 can be moved to rotate idler frame 256 about shaft 254. This will result in alternate engagement of either gear 264 or gear 262 with gear 284. Thus, when gear 264 is engaged with gear 284 gear 264 will rotate in one direction, whereas assuming the same rotational direction for gear 284, when gear 262 is in engagement with gear 284 gear 264 will rotate in an opposite direction. This will in turn cause alternate rotation clockwise or counter clockwise of shaft 244 and roller 220.

A second idler support frame 283 is affixed to the housing of the unit. A bracket 290 is supported on frame 288. Rod 292 is pivotally connected to pin 2E4 mounted on pivoted arm 250. A spring 296 bears against bracket 290 and a collar 2% is adjustably mounted on rod 232 by means of lock nuts 300. The spring acts to urge counter clockwise rotation of arms 250 as viewed in FIGURE 6. This rotation is limited by adjustable stop nuts 301. The slots 252 and the spring 296 permit swinging movement of the shaft 244 to accommodate varying thicknesses in the bat being formed on the condenser drum when bypassing cleaner 214.

A pair of idler shafts 302 and 304 are supported in bracket frame 288. Gear 306 and sprocket 308 are supported on shaft 302, and gear 310 and sprocket 312 are connected to shaft 304. Arms 314 are pivotally supported on the shafts 304 on opposite sides of the machine, and the stub shafts 246 on roller 222 are supported in journals 316 adjustably connected to the arms 314 by nut and bolt means 318. The position of the shafts 246 can thus be adjusted along the arms 314. This adjustment can be achieved by the adjusting screw mechanisms 320. The shaft 246 extends through slots 322 in the housing.

A support bracket 338, described below, is connected to arm 314, and a support rod 324 is pivotaliy connected to the bracket 338 by means of the pin 326 corresponding to the pin 294 on the arm 250. This rod 324 extends through a bracket 328 supported on the framework of the cleaner. The rod is provided with a washer 330 and adjustable look nuts 332 and a spring 334 acting between the washer and the bracket 328. Adjustable look nuts 36 provide a stop for limiting the movement of the rod under the influence of the spring 334. The latter stop is equivalent to the stop 301 on rod 292. In the above described construction the arms 314 can pivot about the shafts 304 for movement. radially of the roller 22am adjust in accordance with the thickness of the bat, passing outwardly of the condenser between dofiing rolls 220 and 222 to cleaner 214.

Support brackets 338 are attached to arms 314. Roller 230 is pivotally supported in these brackets 338 by 9.. means of its shaft 340. Sprocket 342 is connected to shaft 246 and a sprocket 344 is connected to shaft 340. Chain 346 connects the latter two sprockets. A second sprocket 348, see FIGURE 7, is connected to shaft 246 and a chain 350 interconnects the sprockets 312 and 348. The condenser drum shaft 352 has mounted thereon a sprocket 354 and a chain 356 extends over the idler sprockets 3G8 and 282. In this manner drive for the dofling rollers 220 and 222 is achieved.

An important element of the above construction is the provision for changing the rotational direction of the dofling roller 220. It is apparent that if the roller 220 rotates clockwise it will doff cotton off of the drum 212. However, if it rotates counterclockwise no cotton will be doffed. As a result the cotton will bypass the cleaning structure 214 and proceed over to the dofiing rollers 224 and 226 when the roller 226 rotates counterclockwise. This accordingly provides a simple effective means of bypassing the cleaning instrumentalities of the combined condenser cleaner.

The dofiing rollers 224 and 226 are provided with stub shafts 358 and 360. These project through a pair of slots 362 and 364 respectively on opposite sides of the machine; The stub shafts 360 are mounted in bearing brackets 366 adjustably connected to plates 368 on the machine housing and by means of adjusting screw means 370 the roller 226 can be adjusted substantially radially of the drum 212. The stub shafts 358 are also supported in beating brackets 372. The latter are similar to the brackets 366 and are adjustably connected to arms 374 by means of bolts 376 mounted in slots and adjusting screw means 378. Thus the roller 224 can also be adjusted substantially radially of the drum 212. j The arms 374 are pivotally supported on shafts 380 provided at opposite sides of the machine, and shafts 380 are mounted on brackets 382 and plates 384 supported on opposite sides of the machine. An idler sprocket 3'86 and a gear 388 are supported on a shaft 390 mounted in the bracket 382 and plate 384. A gear 392 and sprocket 394 are also supported on shaft 380 with gears 388 and 392 being in meshed engagement. A sprocket 396 is connected to stub shaft 358 and a chain 398 interconnects sprockets 394 and 396. A pair of sprockets 400 and 402 are supported on shaft 360 and an additional pair of sprockets 444 and 406 are connected to the shaft 312 of the drum. Chain 408 connects sprockets 336, 400 and 404 and chain 410 connects sprockets 402 and 406. The main drive of the drum is'obtained from the sprocket 402 with the shaft 360 bearing an additional sprocket or other means for connection to the power source.

A rod 412 is pivotally connected to pin 413 on arm 374. The rod extends through a bracket 414 afiixed to the housing. A spring 416 and a washer 418 is mounted on the rod between the lock nut 420 and the bracket 414. With the arm 374 being pivotal on the shaft 386 the roller 224 can adjust with respect to the roller 226 to accommodate the thickness of the bat.

The drum surface in the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6 is machined to be truly cylindrical prior to the attachment of the condensing screen. The roller 226 is initially set with a clearance of about 5 inch with respect to the roller 224 and the latter is set with a clearance of approximately of an inch with respect to. the drum 212. The roller 222 is similarly set with a clearance with respect to the roller 220 of approximately inch. This is accomplished by adjustment of the latter roller. The roller 224} is set with a clearance of about inch with respect to the drum surface. The minimum clearance with respect to the drum is determined by the stops 301 on the rod 292 for the roller 220 and similar stops on the rod 412 for the roller 224. Both rollers 222 and 238 are adjusted with respect to their paired rollers by one setting.

- While I have shown and described a lint cleaner in which an impeller, such as a vaned dofiing brush, is used to dofi the saws, I do not wish to restrict the invention to mechanical dofi'ing, as air blast dofiing can obviously be used.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have devised a system and apparatus for cleaning the aggregate lint cotton from a battery of gins, in which only one condenser is used to do the work heretofore done by at least two separate condensers. Further, I have devised a compact cleaner which conforms to the direct line flow of lintfrom the main lint flue to the press. This assures evenly packed bales as compared to the bigended bales usually resulting from the use of battery type lint cleanersheretofore known, that have to be installed in offset relationship with the lint flue and press, which tends to make the cotton flow more heavily to one end of the battery condenser and press than to the other. With the instant invention cotton s passed in a wide uniform stream from the condenser 1n the condenser-cleaner through the cleaner and mto the ress. p An additional feature of my invention is the bypass means for bypassing the cleaner. The bypass structure and drive therefore of FIGURES 5 and 6 are particularly advantageous for use in many installations as well as desirable from the manufacturing standpoint.

While I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention it will be understood that variations in details of form may be made without departure from the invention as defined in the appended claims. The words lint, cotton trash or dirt in the specifications are not used to limit the invention to the cleaning of lint cotton. The invention can obviously be used to clean other fibers. Further, it is obvious thatv other driving means could be employed for roller 220, such as a reversible geared motor, without departure from the bypass structure in its broad aspect as illustrated in FIGURE 5, for example.

I claim:

1. In combination, a rotatable drum condensing means adapted to separate lint from conveying air streams, cleaning means, said drum having a first peripheral portion, said drum having a second peripheral portion spaced circumferentially from said first portionin the direction of rotation of said drum, first means for directing lint onto said first peripheral portion of said drum, means for removing lint from said first portion of said drum and transferring said lint'to said cleaning means, the last named means being spaced circumferentially around said drum from said first means and forming with said drum a first chamber and a second chamber, means for removing lint from-said cleaning means and transferring said lint to said second peripheral portion of said drum in said second chamber at a point spaced circumferentially around said drum in the direction of rotation thereof from said means for removing lint from said drum, means for removing lint from said second portion of said drum, the latter means being spaced circumferentially from said point in the direction of rotation of said drum, the last named means being operable to transfer the removed lint to a lint slide, driving means for selectively rotating in one of two directions the first named lint removing means to remove the lint from said first portion of said drum for passage through said cleaning means and to rotate in the other direction the first-named lint removing means to retain the lint on said first portion of said drum for transference of said lint directly from said first chamber to said second chamber and to said slide without passing through said cleaning means.

2. In combination, a condensing means, said condensing means comprising a housing, a rotatable drum conden-sing device within said housing, dofiing means, said dotfing means cooperating with said drum to divide said housing into a first condensing chamber and a second condensing chamber spaced peripherally along said drum 1 1 from said first condensing chamber, said doffing means comprising a first doffing device operable to remove cotton in said first chamber from said drum and a second dotting device operable to remove cotton in said second chamber from said drum, said first and second dofiing devices being spaced circumterentially along said drum from each other, means in association with said first dotting device to pass lint removed from said drum back to said drum in said second chamber, driving means for selectively rotating in one of two directions said first dofiing device to remove said cotton from said drum and to rotate said first dofilng device in the other direction to retain said cotton on said drum for passage of said cotton directly from said first chamber to said second chamber for removal from said drum by said second dofiing device.

3. In combination, a casing, a rotatable drum condensing means within said casing, first dofling means associated with the periphery of said drum for removing lint therefrom, said dofiing means being closely associated with the surface of said drum, second dofiing means associated with the surface of said drum spaced along the periphery of said drum with respect to said first dotting means, said second doffing mean being in close association with said drum periphery and being operative to remove lint therefrom, said first and second doifing means and said drum dividing said casing into a first condensing chamber and a second condensing chamber, means for introducing cotton into said first condensing chamber for condensation thereof and removal by said first dofling means, means for directing cotton removed from said drum by said first dofi'ing means into said second condensing chamber for condensation thereof and removal from said drum by said second dofiing'means, said first doifing means including a pair of rotatable members positioned contiguous to said rotatable drum, driving means for rotating said dofiing means, said driving means being selectively adjustable to render said dofiing means operable at certain times for removing cotton from said drum and to render said doffing means inoperable at other times to permit cotton to remain on said drum for passage directly from said first chamber into said second chamber for the removal in said second chamber of the cotton received in said first chamber.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said first doffing means comprises a dofiing element associated with said drum rotatable in a forward or in a reverse direction for effecting removal or maintenance of lint on said drum respectively.

5. The combination of claim 4 including drive means for rotating said element in a forward direction or in a reverse direction.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said drive means comprises a first gear member mounted on a shaft, means for rotating said gear member, an arm, a pair of second gear members mounted rotatably on said arm, said arm being pivotal to engage alternately one or the other of said second gear members with said first gear member, said second gear members being in meshed relationship and drive means extending between one of said second gear members and said rotatable element.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 including a second arm, said rotatable element being mounted on said second arm, said second arm being pivotally mounted, resilient means urging said second arm to pivot said element toward said drum.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 including said first dofling means comprising a second rotatable element cooperable with the first mentioned rotatable element for performing the dofiing function and extending longitudinally therealong, a third arm, said second rotatable element being pivotally mounted on said third arm, said third arm being pivotally mounted for movement of said second rotatable element radially with respect to said first mentioned rotatable element, means resiliently urging said third arm to move said second rotatable element radially toward the first mentioned element.

9. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said drive means comprises a first driving member, mean for driving the latter, a pair of second driving members, means drivingly interconnecting the pair of second driving members, means movably mounting said second driving members relative to said first driving member, the latter means being movable to alternately engage one or the other of said second driving members with said first driving member, drive means extending between one of said second driving members and said rotatable element.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said rotatable element is movably mounted, resilient means urging said rotatable element toward said drum.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 including said first dofiing mean comprising a second rotatable element cooperable with the first mentioned rotatable element for performing the dofiing function, means movably mounting said second rotatable element with respect to said first mentioned rotatable element for movement of said second rotatable element radially with respect to said first mentioned rotatable element, means resiliently urging said second rotatable element toward said first mentioned rotatable element.

12. In combination, rotatable drum condensing means, a chamber, said drum being rotatable within said chamher, said chamber having a first compartment and a second compartment, the periphery of said drum being rotatable consecutively through said first compartment and then through said second compartment, means for directing lint onto the periphery of said drum within said first compartment, dotting means spaced peripherally along said drum from the first mentioned compartments in the direction of rotation of said drum, said dofiing means being adapted to remove the lint from said drum and transfer said lint to a lint cleaning means, means for receiving lint trom said lint cleaning means and transferring said lint onto the periphery of said drum Within said second compartment, a dofiicg means spaced peripherally along said drum from the last named means in the direction of rotation of said drum, the latter doifing means being operable to remove lint from the periphery of said drum and transfer said lint outwardly of said chamber, driving means for selectively rotating in one of two directions said first dofiing means to remove lint from said first compartment for passage to said lint cleaning means and to rotate said first dofiing means in the other direction to retain the lint on said drum for movement of said lint on said drum directly from said first compartment to said second compartment and then to said second dofiing means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Images