US756776A - Seed-cotton distributer. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED APR. 5, 1904.

M. C. BROWN. SEED COTTON DISTRIBUTBR.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 7. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

No. 756,776. PATBNTED 171711.71904, M. c. BRowN. SEED COTTON DISTRIBUTER.

APPLIOATION FILED KAB. 7, 1903. H0 IODBL. 2 SHEETS-BHEBT 2.

4. ,W0 7M 1 A ,4

wifgesszs UNTTED STATES Patented April 5, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

SEED-COTTON DISTRIBUTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part olf Letters Patent No. 756,776, dated April 5, 1904.

Application filed March 7, 1903.

To @ZZ wwnt t may concern.-

Be it known that I, MONROE CRAFFORD BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Austin, in the county of Travis and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Seed- Cotton Distributer, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for distributing seed-cotton to a battery of gins; and the principal object is to improve the construction of such apparatus by providing for the separation of trash from the cotton, by making the action of the apparatus automatic, so as to supply cotton to the gins according to the amount required by the gins, by providing for the ready separation of the cotton of one customer from that of another, and by providing for the cutting olf of the supply of cotton to one or more of the gins in the battery when desired.

ln the accomplishment of the object above stated l make use of the novel construction and combination of parts of a seed-cotton distributer hereinafter fully described and claimed, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which corresponding parts are designated by the same characters of reference throughout the various views, it being of course understood that I do not wish to be limited to the precise form and proportions or exact mode of assemblage of the elements shown, but reserve the right to make such changes therein as do not depart from the spirit of the invention and lie within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a seed-cotton distributer constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 3 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4 4 in Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5 5 in Fig. l. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 6 6 in Fig. 1. -Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7 7 in Fig. 6.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated by similar numerals of reference.

As the nature of this invention consists of Referring now to the drawings by reference characters, 1 represents a cotton-tube, preferably rectangular in cross-section, of any desired material and provided at intervals on its under side with cotton-boxes 2, which are of well-known form, being provided at their lower ends with valves 3, composed principally of cloth and provided with stilening members, as shown. The boxes 2 are also provided with valves 4 and 5, the valve 4 be-A ing adapted to close the opening at the top of the box, so as to cut the box off completely from connection with the tube, the valve 4 also forming a portion of the bottom of the tube and being continuous with the bottom of the tube at either side of the box. The valve 5 is placed in the box so that the upper portion thereof may be cut oii from the lower portion, if desired, and also aord means for narrowing the passage between the upper portion of the box and the lower portion, so as to check the speedwith which cotton passes from the upper portion of the box 2 to the lower portion. As the construction of the valves mentioned forms no part of my invention, such valves being valready known, more detailed description of their construction is regarded as unnecessary.

The operating means for the valves 4 and 5 comprise levers 6 and 7 of the form shown provided with suitable cords 8 and 9, which pass over small pulleys provided at the side of said boxes, so as to make the operation of the valves easy and convenient.

Each of the cotton-boxes is preferably provided with one or more glass panels let into one ofthe sides of the box to enable the operator of the gins to see clearly the amount of cotton in each box. 1

At one end the cotton-tube 1 is bent downward to connect with a flexible end portion adapted to be introduced into a wagon for drawing cotton up through the tube in the IOO the header-box stops at one side thereof, and

on the other side the tube is continued at a higher level. Arranged overvthe top of the header-box is an arched screen of the form shown, which completely covers the end of the tube 1 where it enters the box. Above the arched screen 10 and between it and the top of theheader-box is a space 42 for the passage of air to the extension L11 of the tube 1, which extends from the header-box to the apparatus for producing suction, which consists of a fan 11 or other similar device located at the end of the tube and a trip-valve 12, provided in the tube above the fan and operated in a manner which will be hereinafter exof the tube 1.

/plained Between the end of the tube 1 at which cotton enters and the first cotton-box 2 I provide a cleaner of the form shown, consisting of a tapered box 13, which is preferably about twenty-four inches in depth and is provided with partitions 14a, extending downward par- 1 allel with the side of the box nearest the inlet several inches short of the bottom of the cleaner-box. At the top of the box 13, which opens into the tube 1, is provided awire screen 15, having meshes preferably of about onehalf inch, and at the bottom of the box is provided a door 16, which is hinged thereto and provided with any suitable means for fastening the door in closed position. Immediately above the box 13 isprovided an air-chamber 17, which is preferably four inches in height f and has its ends converging upward, as shown. The air-chamber 17 is separated from the interior of the tube 1 by a screen 18 of the same material as that used in the screen 15. The operation of the cleaner is as follows:

When cotton is drawn through the tube 1 by the suction produced by the fan 11, it passes upward from the inlet of the tube and over the box 13. The passage of the current of air over the box 13 and under the air-chamber 17 draws air downward from the end of the airchamber toward the fan and causes a current to pass upward in the air-chamber at the other end, as shown by arrow A. Similar currents are produced in the box 13, and these currents of air cause thecotton as it passes over the box 13 to be in a measure drawn upward toward the screen 18 and in a measure downward toward the screen 15, where by partly filling or accumulating in the tube it tends to check to some extent the passage of the cotton over the box 13 by narrowing the area of the tube. 1 between said box and the air-chamber These partitions 141L terminate above. It will be understood that the cotton is not permitted to accumulate at this-point of the tube 1 in such a manner as to obstruct the passage, but merely that a portion-naturally the lighter portionuwill be drawn in an upward direction toward the screen 18, while another portion-naturally the heavier portion-will be induced in a downward direction toward the screen 15. The pure cotton will by the continued suction be caused to travel forward in the conveyer-tube, while the heavy particles, consisting of all sorts of impurities, such as gravel and the like, will pass through the screen 15 into the box 13. In other words, the passage of the cotton through the tube 1 is momentarily retarded by the upward and downward suction th rough the screens 18 and 15, which is induced by the partial vacuum formed in the chamber 17 and in the box 13 by the powerful suction induced in the tube 1 by means of the fan. As amatter of course the impurities will gravitate toward the screen 15, while the greater portion of the cotton will rise in the direction of the screen 18, where its movement is momentarily retarded, but from contact'with which it is displaced by the constant movement of cotton in the tube 1. vSuch portion of the cotton as is attracted to the screen 15 by the partial vacuum set up in the part 13 will likewise be gradually displaced, while the gravel and impurities will naturally fall downward through the meshes of the screen 15 into the box 13, where it is intercepted by the inclined partitions 14., as will be readily understood, and permitted to accumulate in the lower part of the box, whence it may be allowed to escape by opening the door 16 at the bottom of the box. The purpose of terminating the inclined partitions 1451 above the bottom of the box 13 is simply to permit the current of air to pass below said partitions, the air entering between the upper edges of said partitions and the first inclined side of the box 13, and passing downwardly between the said side and partitions will pass in an upward direction and out through the screen 15, as indicated by arrows in Fig.`2 of the drawings. If the partitions vwere extended to the bottom of the box 13, it would be practically impossible to establish the desired vacuum in the several compartments-of` the box. The tube 1 is preferably provided with a hand-hole 15, through which access may be had to the screen 15, from the top of which accumulations of any kind may thus be` removed whenever necessary.

Overpthe boxes 2, except the header-box, I provide air-chambers 19 and 20, which may be described as an upward extension of the air-tube 1. In the lower ends of these airchambers above each of the boxes 2 are disposed screens 19 and 20, and valves 25 and 25,are disposed in the air-chambers at the rear end of each of the screens 19a and 2O*L to separate between the chambers 19 and 20,. as

IOO

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will be readily understood, the last valve 25a separating between the last chamber 20 and the header-box adjacent thereto. In the airtube 1 I also provide a plurality of valves 24 and 24L to separate between the individual boxes 2 and also between the last box 2 and the header-box.

The trip-valve 12, provided in the tube 1 above the fan 11, is provided with operating means comprising a lever connected with said valve and having an end bent to form a trip, as shown at 26. This trip 26 is engaged by a lug 28, which is adjustable radially on a wheel 27, to which motion may be imparted in any suitable manner.

The operation of the seed-cotton distributer, considered as a whole, is as follows: Suction through the tube 1 is produced by fan 11, which is to be driven from any suitable source of power. The valves 3 at the bottom of boxes 2 are closed by the suction,'a partial vacuum f being created in the tube 1 and the boxes 2, and cotton is drawn upward from the wagon to the tube 1. This action goes on as long as the trip-valve 12, which is normally closed, remains closed; but by means of the trip 26 and the adjustable lug 28 on the wheel 27, which is continuously driven, the trip-valve 11 is intermittently opened, the period during which the valve remains open being determined by the position of the lug 28 on the wheel 27, It is evident that the farther said lug is from the center of the wheel the longer it will remain in contact with the trip 26 to keep the valve open. As soon as the valve 12 is opened suction through the tube 1 ceases and cotton will no longer travel forward in the tube, the partial vacuum in the cotton-boxes is destroyed, and the valves 3 drop downward, permitting the cotton to escape from the boxes into the gins below said boxes. As the cotton passes through the tube 1 the trash is partially separated therefrom by the cleaner in a manner already described, and after passing the cleaner the cotton travels over the openings into the cotton-boxes 2, some of the cotton being drawn downward into each box by the current of air which is set up in that direction by the passage of air through the tube, and some of the cot-ton is drawn upward into contact with the screens under the air-chambers over the cotton-boxes. The upward movement of the cotton is brought about by the currents of air indicated by the arrows A A, which are produced, as already explained, in connection with the cleaner. The cotton drawn upward into contact with the screens under the air-chambers is held in contact with the tube and tends in a measure to block the tube at this point and to direct the cotton in the lower portion of the tube downward into the cotton-boxes. Vhen the suction through the tube 1 is cut ofi1 by the closing of the trip-valve 11, the cotton which has been held under the air-chambers is released and drops downward into the communicates with the suction-tube 41.

4cotton-boxes below. By the 4timethe cotton has passed from the inlet-tube to the headerbox a great deal of it will have been directed downward into the boxes between these two points, and the remaining cotton which is being drawn forward by the suction in the tube is caught by the arched screen 10 over the header-box, from which it is released and drops as soon as the trip-valve 12 is opened and the suction through the tube l stops. When the suction through the tube 1 is strong, the header-box tends to become filled with cotton before any of the other boxes, and consequently it is desirable to provide means for checking the passage of the cotton through the tube before it reaches the header-box and directing it into the oth er boxes. Such means is provided in valves 24a and, 25a, which separate the header-box from the adjacent box 2; By closing the'valve 24 and opening the valve 25L a current of air from the cotton-box nearest the header-box is turned out of the tube 1 and forward through the air-chamber 20 to the space 42 of the header-box, which directlly T e cotton cannot pass beyond the box into airchamber 20, being stopped by the screen 20, and the valve 24JL prevents more cotton from entering the header-box. The current of air passes from the air-chamber 42 over the arched screen 10 in the upper portion of the headerbox and onto the fan. If it is desired to prevent the entrance of cotton into any one of the cotton-boxes other than .the header-box, it is only necessary to close the valve 4, which cuts off the box from the tube 1 and makes the bottom of the tube practically continuous from said box. The intermediate valves 24 and 25 may also be availed of in cuttting out any one or more of the intermediate boxes 2.

By means of the cleaner above described it is possible to separate from the cotton a large portion of the trash contained therein, especially any heavy particles, such as gravel, thus improving the grade of the staple and at the same time preventing injury to the saws and other parts of the cotton-gins. 1

By means of the stationary screens and the air-chambers over the cotton-boxes effective and uniform distribution of the cotton into'the cotton-boxes is secured and all unnecessary adjustments of the parts to secure the proper distribution of the cotton are done away with. If the cotton in one of the cotton-boxes is ginned out faster than that in the others, the supply of cotton to the box will become proportionately greater, because the Space between the level of the cotton-box and the bottom of the tube 1 will be greater than in the other boxes, thus setting up stronger currents downward than in the boxes in which supply of cotton is nearer to the bottom of the tube IOO IIO

ingly smaller.

It is obvious that the box, which has been ISO designated as the "header, VWill have atendency to become filled With cotton more readily and quickly than the remaining boxes. In order to regulate the supply of cotton to said header-box and to prevent the latter from becoming choked, the valves 21925 may be operated to control the supply of cotton to said header-box, the valve 24 being capable of being manipulated to cut the header-box entirely off from the cotton-tube, so that no cotton shall enter it at all until the supply already in the box, Which may be readily seen through the glass panels provided in one of the sides of the box, is practically exhausted.

By means of the adjustable lug 28, which operates the trip 26 of the trip-valve 11, the periods of opening of the trip-valve may be varied, and consequently the amount of cotton kept under control, and it is evident that the longer the periods of opening of the triplvalve We have the shorter the periods during which suction occurs must necessarily be, and

the amount of cotton drawn into the tube in a giventime Will be diminished.

My invention and all its parts may be constructed of any lsuitable material, as will be readily'understood, and I further Wish to state that I do not confine myself to the precise structural details herein set forth, but reserve the right to any changes and modifications Within the spirit and scope of my invention, and which may be resorted to Without departing from the utility of the same.

Having thus described my invention, IV

p admitting trash thereinto.

2. The combination in a seed-cotton distions in said box terminating short of the bottom thereof, a screen over said box, an airchamber in the upper Wall of the suction-tube over said box, and a screen under said airchamber, said screens being in longitudinal alinement With the lower and upper Walls of the suction-tube.

4:. The combination in a seed-cotton distributer, of a main suction-tube, a plurality of feeder-boxes disposed under said tube and opening thereinto, air-chambers disposed adjacent to the upper Wall of the suction-tube above the boxes, screens disposed under said air-chambers in longitudinal alinement with the suction-tube, valves separating said airchambers, a header-box disposed at the end of the main suction-tube, anzarched screen in said header-box, forming a continuation of the suction-tube, a valve adjacent to the said screen, an air-space formed in the header-box above said screen and in direct communication at one end With the air-chambers above -the feeder-boxes and at the other end With MONROE ORAFFORD BROWN.

Witnesses:

. H. M. LITTLE, i J. D. MOORE.

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