US3264689A - Lint flow equalizer - Google Patents

Description

Aug 9, 1966 J. c. NEiTZEL ETAL,

LINT FLOW EQUALI ZER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 1, 1964 ATTORNEY Aug. 9, 1966 J. Q. NErrzEL ETAL 3,264,$

LINI FLOW EQUALIZER Filed July 1, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS ATTO/P/VEV United States Patent 3,264,689 LINT FLOW EQUALIZER Joseph C. Neitzel, Dallas, Tex., and Richard D. Day, Fresno, Caliii, assignors to The Murray Company of Texas, Inc., Dallas, Tex., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 1, 1964, Ser. No. 379,570 10 Claims. (Cl. 19-64.5)

This invention relates to cotton gin plant machinery and consists, particularly, in novel means to control the supply of lint to a condenser cylinder for causing the delivery by the cylinder of a substantially uniform batt of optimum thickness.

In the usual cotton gin plant, the seed cotton passes in sequence through a feeder-extractor wherein hulls and some trash are removed, the gin stand wherein the lint and seeds are separated, one or more lint cleaners, and, finally, a tramper-baler wherein the cotton is formed into tightly-pressed bales of uniform size and weight. Powered feed rolls at the entrance to the feeder-extractor control the rate of supply of cotton to and through the gin stand in order to provide for most eflicient action thereof. The lint is transported pneumatically from the gin stand to the lint cleaner or cleaners, an air-lint separating condenser being interposed in the pneumatic duct in advance of each lint cleaner, and from the lint cleaner to another condenser whence the fibers are passed down a slide to the tramper.

It is desirable that batts of lint fibers of predetermined thickness be delivered by both condensers, in one case for optimum cleaning action of the lint and in the other case to insure proper formation of the bale. However, for various reasons, it is necessary, from time to time, for the operator to vary the speed of the feeder rolls at the entrance to the feeder-extractor, for instance, to reduce or increase the compactness of material in the seed roll to the gin stand so as to insure proper quality of the ginned lint. This tends to vary the thickness of the batt delivered to the lint cleaning parts, unless the feed to the latter is adjusted accordingly. The condenser roll and other feed elements incorporated in the lint cleaner are provided with speed controls, and the operator should adjust these in coordination with changes in the speed of the feed rolls in the feeder-extractor. In practice, it has been customary for operators to simply set the feeding elements of the lint cleaner at the fastest rate which it is contemplated will be required. This, necessarily, results in a substantially varied thickness of the batt delivered to the lint cleaning saws and consequent variation in the efficiency of the cleaning action which depends upon the maintenance of an optimum thickness of the batt.

In the case of the battery condenser provided in advance of the tramper-baler unit, variation of the thickness of the batt delivered to the tramper will result when different numbers of gin stands are in operation. For instance, when the supply of seed cotton justifies operation of only one or two gin stands, a thinner batt will be doffed from the battery condenser than when a larger number of gin stands is in ope-ration, unless the battery condenser is manually adjusted correlatively.

An object of the present invention is to provide novel means for accurately controlling the rate of supply of lint to a condenser cylinder so as to maintain an optimum thickness of the batt delivered therefrom.

A more detailed object is to control the thickness of batt delivered by a condenser cylinder by correlatively controlling the operating speeds of the cylinder and the means of supplying lint to the cylinder.

Another object is to jointly control the operating rates of the condenser and feeder elements of a lint cleaner unit in relation to the speed of the feed rollers in the seed 3,254,689 Patented August 9, 1966 cotton feeder section of the machinery, thus insuring optimum cleaning action on the fibers.

Still another object is to provide coordinated control of the battery condenser and the gin stands so as to insure a rate of operation of the battery condenser which corresponds in general with the quantity of lint supplied thereto.

In accordance with the present invention, the usual speed adjustment for the feed rolls in the feeder-extractor is connected to the feeding elements in the lint cleaner in such a way as to jointly control the speeds of these latter elements and thereby maintain a batt of optimum thickness exposed to the lint cleaner. There is also provided a joint control between the several gin stands usually incorporated in the plant and the driving motor for the battery condenser whereby the operating speed of the battery condenser increases and decreases as the number of gins in operation increases and decreases for insuring the delivery of a relatively uniform batt to the tramper-baler.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view and sectional representation of a feeder-extractor and gin stand assembly;

FIG. 2 is a similar view of a lint cleaner for receiving lint from the gin stand;

FIG. 3 is a schematic top view and section illustrating several parts of a multi-gin plant with control circuitry;

FIG. 4 is a vertical transverse section illustrating a battery condenser as used in the plant; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged schematic perspective illustrating the joint feeder-cleaner control.

The main units of machinery embodied in the gin plant as shown are the feeder-extractor A, the gin stand B, the lint cleaner C, the battery condenser D, and the tramperbaler E. One or more of the cleaner units C may be provided. Mounted in the inlet 7 of the feeder-extractor unit A are a pair of feed rollers 8 and 9 powered by a motor 10, in this case electric, although a hydraulic motor may be used, through chain drives 11 and 12. The seed cotton is fed between rollers 8 and 9 past a hull breaker 17 and various cylinders 18, 19 and 20 to a delivery chute 21.

Chute 21 delivers into the front or breast portion 22 of the gin stand unit B which is pivoted at 23 to the framing of the gin stand. Means (not shown) are provided for rocking the front about pivot 23 to place the gin, respectively, into and out of operation, as is well known. The front structure carries huller ribs 24 and ginning ribs 25 which are associated in the usual manner with saws 26. A front scroll sheet 27, forming an extension of the huller ribs, and a rear scroll sheet 28 form a seed roll chamber 29. The gin saws are mounted on a powered shaft 31. An air dotfer 32 removes the lint from the gin saws and delivers it through ducts 33 and 34 to the lint cleaner unit C.

Rotatably mounted within a hood 35 in the upper part of the lint cleaner is a condenser cylinder 39 carried by a powered shaft 40. The shaft and condenser cylinder are driven by an electric motor 44 through drive chains 45 and 46 and suitable sprocket wheels as shown. Motor 44 is mounted on a pad 47 provided on the framing of the lint cleaner. The interior of cylinder 39 communicates through a pipe 48 with a source of suction. Immediately beneath cylinder 39 are dofling rollers 49 and 50, and immediately beneath these rollers is a feed roller 51 adjacent the feed bar 52. Doffing rollers 49 and 50 and feed roller 51 are all jointly operated with condenser 39 by motor 44. Motor 44 is provided with speed control mechanism symbolized at 53.

A saw cylinder 55 catches the fibrous batt 56 delivered between feed roller 51 and feed bar 52 and carries the lint 3 clockwise beneath grid bars 58 which provide well-known cleaning action. The cleaned lint is doffed by a brush cylinder 59 which is jointly powered at a uniform speed with saw cylinder 55 and independently of feeding elements 39, 69, 50 and 51 by means of a motor 60 and.

drive chains 61 and 62. The doifed lint is then delivered through piping 63 to a second cleaner or to lint flue 64. FIG. 3 shows a series of three feeder-gin-lint cleaner sets, designated F, G and H, all of which deliver through the common lint flue or duct 64 to battery condenser D.

The battery condenser unit D, best shown in FIG. 4, includes the usual perforate cylinder 69 rotatably mounted on a shaft 70 powered by a motor 71 (FIG. 3) through a.

merals as in FIG. 1 are applied to set F. The gin stands.

are provided with control devices 80, 81 and 82 which function to place the gins in operation. Usually, this is achieved by moving the gin fronts in and out so as to shift the seed roll into and out of operative relationship with respect to the gin saws. Also, each feeder unit A is provided with a feed roll control 83 having a manualadjustment 83a connected by wires 84 and 85, respectively, to drive motor for feed rollers 8 and 9 and to drive motor 44 for the feeding elements 39,49, 50 and 51 of the lint cleaner. Thus, all of these feeding elements are jointly controlled in each feeder gin stand-lint cleaner assembly so as to maintain a desired thickness of batt 81 on condenser cylinder 39. Only one wire is shown running to each motor in the interest of clarity and simplicity, it being understood that a return wire or ground necessarily will be provided for each motor and control.

In FIG. 3, the wires of a power source are shown at 88' and 92,including, respectively, switches 93, 94 and 95 to gin stand controls 80, 81, and 82 whereby the gin stands may be placed in operation serially or in any grouping. Switches 93, 94 and 95 also. control drive motor 71 for the battery condenser through wires 96, 97 and 98 and a motor speed control unit 99 arranged so that the operating speed of the battery condenser cylinder I increases as the number of gins in operation increases I and vice versa.

Inoperation, the operator, initially, will place one or more of the gin stands in operation by means of switches 93, 94 and 95 which, at the same time, insure correlated operation of the battery. condenser cylinder for maintaining the. proper thickness of batt 74 thereon and so as to insure the proper formation of the bale in unit E. Each gin is then controlled, through its individual control .83

connected to feed rolls8 and 9 of the associated feederextractor, for maintaining the desired loose seed roll in chamber 29. The condition of the seed roll may be felt by the operator from time to time, and the feed rolls 8 and 9 adjusted accordingly, or the feed rolls may be provided with a suitable automatic control 101 which senses a change in current flow to a main gin powering motor and,

therefore, the condition of the seed roll. Acopending application in the names of Joseph C. Neitzel and James A. Nelson, Serial No. 212,585, filed July 26, 1962, now Patent No. 3,177,529, discloses and claims such an autoand 89. One power line 88 is connected by wires 90, 91

Contrary to present practice, it will not be necessary ers 8 and 9 is changed, since these rollers, as well'as feeding elements,39, 49, 50 and 51 of :the lint cleaner, driven by motor44, ;are jointly controlled by the control device 83. Thus, a substantially uniformbatt 56 of desired thickness is delivered to saw cylinder 55 of the lint cleaner which insures optimum cleaning action and quality of delivered cotton.

FIG. 5 shows in schematic detail an exemplary form of joint feeder and lint cleanercontrol. A pair of coupled potentiometers 85 and 86 are provided in casing 83. Potentiometer 83 is connected by .wires 84 to feeder. actuating motor 10 and its slider needle 87 is coupled, as at 88,'to slider needle 89. of; potentiometer 86 connected by wires 85 to lint cleaner motor 44. The operator may adjust potentiometer -85 by means of knob 83a to vary thespeed of the feeder motor from zero to maximum, rotating needle 87 inits full range, between stops 90 and 91 in' doing so. However, needle .89 of potentiometer is adjusted so that its corresponding full rangeis only between stops 92 and 93 limiting adjustment of the cleaner feed elements between predetermined minimum :and maximum speeds. Preferably, the cleaner feed will con-. tinue. operating at minimum speed,,even when feed rollers Sand 9 are =-StOPPSCLitO continue, processing lint which may be delivered by the; gin.

While .electricmotors have been shown, particularly at 6 for driving the feed rollers 8 and 9, hydraulic motors may be substituted,and,-in that case,,suitable speed controls therefor will be provided. Moreover, the .exact constructions of the various units of machinery may be varied, and suitable circuitry will be provided to achieve the ends outlined. Exclusive use is contemplated of. all modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a cotton gin:plant, in combination, a pneumatic duct for transporting cotton, cotton supply and processing apparatus, respectively, at the entrance and outlet of said duct, a perforate walled condenser roll interposed in said duct for separating the pneumatic air from the cotton therein, dofling means for. removing cottonain batt form from the exterior of said roll and delivering it to said processing apparatus, individual powering meansfor said cotton supply apparatus and said condenser, roll, and joint. means to vary the operating rates of said supply apparatusand said condenser roll'to maintain the supply of a battof, desired thickness to-said processing apparatus.

2. :The combination described in claim 1 in which said cottonsupply apparatus comprises one or more gin and supply apparatus comprises, a cotton gin and further including lint cleaning meanspositionedto receive the lint batt from said condenser roll.

5. The combination described in claim 1 further including a plurality of condenser rolls receiving lint from said gin .and ;lint.cleaner-means receiving batt cotton 2 fromeach of said rolls, said joint means controlling the operating rates of said cotton supply and processing; apparatus and said condenser-rolls- 6.. In' a gin plant, a plurality of sets of feeding, ginning, lint cleaning, and. tramper-baling units arranged successively in each set, a pneumatic duct connecting all of said lint cleaning and tramper-baling units, a perforatewall battery condenser roll interposed in said duct for separating the pneumatic air from the cotton therein,

of desired thickness to said tramper-baler unit as thenumber of feeder-gin-cleaner sets in operation varies.

7. The combination described in claim 6 further including batt guide rolls associated with said dofling means and jointly powered with said doffing means and said condenser roll.

8. The combination with a gin stand, a feeder, lint cleaner equipment, pneumatic duct means for transmitting lint from said gin stand to said cleaner equipment, perforate-Wall condenser roll apparatus interposed in said duct means, and dofiing means for removing lint from said roll apparatus and delivering the lint in batt form to said cleaner equipment, of coordinate means to vary the operating speed of said feeder to maintain optimum quality of lint delivered to said duct means by said gin stand and coincidentally varying the operational rates of said condenser roll apparatus and said dofling means to maintain batt cotton of desired thickness delivered to said cleaner equipment.

9. The combination described in claim 8 in which said cleaner equipment includes saw cylinder means positioned to intercept the batt cotton delivered by said dofiing means and grid bars located adjacent the periphery of said cylinder means.

10. The combination described in claim 8 in which said cleaner equipment comprises a saw cylinder, grid bars adjacent the periphery of saw cylinder, dofling rolls, and means for powering said cylinder and said dofling rolls independently of said condenser roll apparatus and said dofiing means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,032,830 5/1962 Van Doorn et al. 1955 X MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

P. C. FAW, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN A COTTON GIN PLANT, IN COMBINATION, A PNEUMATIC DUCT FOR TRANSPORTING COTTON, COTTON SUPPLY AND PROCESSING APPARATUS, RESPECTIVELY, AT THE ENTRANCE AND OUTLET OF SAID DUCT, A PERFORATE WALLED CONDENSER ROLL INTERPOSED IN SAID DUCT FOR SEPARATING THE PNEUMATIC AIR FROM THE COTTON THEREIN, DOFFING MEANS FOR REMOVING COTTON IN BATT FORM FROM THE EXTERIOR OF SAID ROLL AND DELIVERING IT TO SAID PROCESSING APPARATUS, INDIVIDUAL POWERING MEANS FOR SAID COTTON SUPPLY APPARATUS AND SAID CONDENSER ROLL,

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