US475117A - Apparatus for baling cotton - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 4 Sheet sSheet 1. I

- E. M. IVENS.

APPARATUS FOR BALING COTTON. No. 475,117. 7 Patented May 17,1892.

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A TTOR/VE Ys (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. M. IVENS. APPARATUS FOR BALING COTTON! Patented May 17, 1892.

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3 t e e h S S t e 6 h S 4 S N E V I M E M d M o m APPARATUS FOR BALING COTTON No. 475,117. Patented May 17.1892.

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WITNESSES: F dag/i ATTORNEYS 4 S N E V I M APPARATUS FOR BALING COTTON.

Patented May 17, 1892.

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WITNESSES A TTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'EDMUND M. IVENS, OF NEIV ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

APPARATUS FOR BALING COTTON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 475,117, dated May 1'7, 1892.

Application filed July 20, 1891- Serial No. 400,166. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND M. IVENS, residing at New Orleans, Orleans parish, in the State of Louisiana, have invented a new and usefulApparatus for Baling Cotton, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to a machine forbaling cotton, the objects being to provide mechanism for baling the fiber in bales of such density as to admit of its cheap transportation and handling, and it more particularly refers to that class of baling-machines which operate to bale the cotton by what is known as the roller process.

With other objects in view not stated, but hereinafter fully set out, my invention consists in the novel arrangement and peculiar combination of the several parts. all of which will hereinafter be fully described in the annexed specification, and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, of my improved baling machinery, showing it in operative condition and in connection with a cotton-gin. Fig. 2 is an end view of the rotatable cotton-box and the auxiliary platen hereinafter referred to. Fig. 3 is a top View, and Fig. 4 a top view of the auxiliary platen. Fig. 5 is an end view of the folder or lapper. Fig. 6 is'a side View of the same, and Fig. 7 is an end view of the bagging-reel.

In the accompanyingdrawings I have shown, in Fig. 1, my invention located in a ginning mill or house in connection with an ordinary gin and also in connection with suitably-arranged compressing-rolls mechanism, through which the fiber is passed and by which it is pressed into'a continuous sheet of batting, from which rolls it passes through a swinging folder or lapping device, which serves to fold the batting in sheets as it is fed to the cotton-receiving box hereinafter specifically referred to.

While for the sake of a clear understanding of the operation of my invention I have shown it in connection with a gin and batforming rolls, I desire it understood that I make no claim on such devices.

It is well known by those skilled in the art that cotton-bales which are primarily compressed by the ordinary plantation-press to facilitate their transportation to a point for a final compression by the large and powerful compresses are very bulky and occupy more space than they would occupy if properly compressed at the start. This very serious objection to the rapid and cheap delivery of the bales is avoided by the roller process, which compresses the bale to the density required before it leaves the gin-house. In the use of said process, so far as I know, it is necessary to stop the ginning and bat-lapping devices every time a bale is about to be compressed, thereby causing a delay and considerably reducing the daily capacity of the baling machinery. By my invention I propose to render the operation of the ginning, bat-forming, and lapping devices continuous, whereby as the cotton in the press-box is in the act of being compressed the gin-rolls and the folder will continue in their operation, so as to accumulate a quantity of folded cotton ready to be dropped into the press-box as soon as it is again brought into position.

In the particular construction of my improved baling devicesIemploy a press-box or frame formed with a pair of cotton-receiving chambers, which box is held to rotate about a fixed spindle, such chambers being arranged to alternately form a receiving and a compressing chamber, the particular construction of such rotatable press-box and the'compressing devices being, except in such details as will be hereinafter fully set forth, precisely of the same construction as that shown and described in another application filed by me May 9, 1891, Serial No. 392,240.

In the drawings, A indicates the floor of the ginning-mill, and above the same is the usual platform or second floor 13, upon which is mounted the cotton-gin O, operated by the drive-belt D, as shown, said gin being connected by a conveyor with a condensing-chamber F of any improved construction, which connects with the pressure-rolls G, which serve to press the loose cotton into batting, which is discharged from said rolls G through a folder or lapping device H through an opening X in the floor B into the cotton-receiving box presently referred to.

The folder or lapping device, which is most clearly illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the construction of which forms an essential part of my present invention, consists of an oblong frame J, formed at its upper end with earsj, to which are connected stud-bolts j,'which form the pivots on which the frame is supported, such bolts being journaled in apertured hubs K, fixedly held in the side beams Zof the supporting frame or table L. The sides of the frame J converge, so as to form a contracted discharge-mouth 7' M indicates a connecting-rod, which is pivotally connected with the oscillating folderframe at mandat m to the driving mechanism, as shown. To provide means for keeping the discharge end of the folder always in a parallel or horizontal line with and just over the bale of cotton being folded, so as no qd op Q n y re e dis n atone point than is necessary andi always' atjap pro ri'mately the same distancefrom the topfofibale-box,wherehy to preserve the density of cotton intact after ithas passed the compressing-rolls, I form the sides J' J? of:

slattedpertions, as shown, in: such slatted si'des are held, preferably by tongue-andgrooveconnections, niq fable'slatted sections .1 which sections are arrangedto' be alternately niovedin or o'utas the folder is oscil lated', so as to form extensio'nsfor the said side's. Thus should/the folder be swung in the c li'rectionlin'dicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5 th e sectioh J 2 in theside J will gradually meveout, so as to keep the lower or discharge end on'the horizontal plane indicated by the dotted line X. It willbe' also observedthat as: the telescopic section J is moved downward o'r outward, asjstated, the opposite section J twill be drawn upward in the side- J Now when the folder is drawn in a reverse direction the section J? will be gradually drawnglinward andgthe other section downwarduntil the folder assumes its vertical positifon, whenthe lower ends of the sections J J 2 will be in the same plane with the'bottom.

of the folder frame', and as it proceeds on a reverse movement the section J 4 will be pushed outward and the section Jtpulled inward. 'Iorender the operation of the sections J J 4 simple and automatic, I utilize theoscillating, movementofzthe folder as the power for operating them. Any suitably-arranged rack or gear mechanism maybe employed for the purpose stated; but Ipreferto use the mechanjis'lnjshown, which consists inproviding a fine d segmental gear K formed integral with the hubs K, with which engage segmental gears N, pivotally secured to theends of the framesJ, such gears being formed integral with the transverse lever-arms N, the outer ends of whichare connected by the pivoted rodsQ \vith'erossbars 'j j on the telescopic sections J J By this construction it will be,

observed that as the folder isoscillated in the mannerbefore stated the gear N, engaging the fixed segment, will turn'on itspiVOt'and' causethe lever-arms N to be's'wu ng,'soas to pull and 'push thesections J Jtin the reverse directions stated.

the folded cotton is being pressed.

In my other patent referred to, as well as in other similar machinesnow in use, the construction of the several parts is such that after a sufficient quantity of cotton has been folded into the press-box the folder and ginning devices are temporarily stopped while To save this waste of time and loss of capacity, I arrange for continuously operating such parts. To this end I provide the means most clearly shown in Fig. l of the drawings, by reference to which it will be seen that adjacent to oneedge of the feed-opening X is supported a bagging-reel P, upon which is reeled the bagging P of the proper width to incase the sides of the lower half of the finished bale.

By arrangingthe bagging devices asshown I the operator after the folded bale is swung from under, theo peningX immediatelypulls the end of the bagging over the opening X and fastens the said endto the hookR. A ratchet-and pawl mechanism on the reel-shaft serveslto keep the saidbagging taut. Now during the time in which the box isturned and the bale is being compressed and removed the'folder will operate to fold the cottononte the bagging, folding, as it were, they base of the bale. When the empty bojxhas been returned under the opening X, the bagging is cut and it. and the folded cotton will fall ontothe follower Sin the bale-box. If desired, the relation of the folder and the bagging devices and the cotton-box may be such thatan entire bale may be foldedonto the baggingand itand the bagging dropped into the said box. As before stated, in ba'lin'g cotton by the roller processthetop of thebale is softer than thebot-tom. .Toprovide. means for partially pressing the said top portion of the bale, I employ ail-auxiliary platen, which ismost clearly, illustrated in FigsZ'and 4, by reference to which it will. beseen that upon theking-postT acastingU is mounted inturn, to which is hinged atfV aseriesof bars W,

from which the platenframe Y is suspended by the chain Z and guide-links A, all of which is balanced by acounter-weight B, arranged as shown l X By referenceto Fig. 2 it will;he observed that the arms W are held elevated, which lifts the platen up to a point above thepath of the rotatable press-box. Now afterthe balehas been folded and the box isturned to bring said bale over the presser and the said box is turned to the positionshown in dotted lines the operator releases the balance-weight, which allows the platen tofall on top of the bale and forcethe cotton a foot or more down into the box. The armsW in lowering will fold down ontop of thejplaten flush with its transverse bars t, the downward movement of the entire platen devices being limited by the rear endsof the arms in underpthe fixed platen ,or crosshead D.

To provide for theeasy operation of the said auxiliary platen, the walls of the press-boxes E E are made tapering from bottom to top, which relieves the descending follower from all friction caused by the increase in width and length of the bale in the cotton-box by weight of cotton being gradually added by the folder.

Having thus described my invention and in a general way stated the operation thereof, a detailed description of the complete operation thereof is deemed unnecessary.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a baling apparatus of the class described, the combination, with a continuouslyoperated folder or lapping device and a compressing-platen, of a rotatable press-box havin g dual chambers arranged to alternately receive the cotton from the lapper and carryit over the compressing-platen, and means for temporarily receiving the cotton from the folder when the cotton-box is from under said folder, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination, with the main frame and the rotatable cotton-box held thereon, of a rotatable auxiliary platen held on the main frame normally above the said cotton-box and adapted to be lowered therein onto the cotton and to swing with said box under the fixed platen or cross-head of the main frame, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a baling mechanism essentially as described, the auxiliary platen consisting of the main casting U, the bars W, hinged thereto,

the platen-frame Y, suspended from said bars, and the counterbalance devices, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4.. In a baling mechanism of the class described, an oscillating lapper or folder frame formed with extensible side sections, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In a'baling mechanism of the class described, a folding or lapping frame consisting of the fixedend pieces pivotally connected at their tops to a supporting-frame, slatted telescopic side sections, and means for'oscillat-ing said frame and alternately and automatically increasing or diminishing the length of said side sections as the frame is oscillated, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. In a mechanism for the purpose stated, a lapper or folding device consisting of an OS- cillating frame formed of the pivoted end pieces, the slatted sides, the telescopic slatted extensions J J the frame-supports for said lapper-frame, fixed gears held on said frame, the laterally-projected arms pivoted to the said end pieces, pitman connections between said arms and the telescopic sections J 2 J gear connections between said arms and the fixed gears on the frame, and means for oscillating the said lapper-frame, whereby the lateral arms will be swung and serve to move the sections J 2 and J as stated, and for the purpose specified.

EDMUND M. IVENS.' Witnesses:

HARRY K. IVENS, OHAs. BRILL.

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