USRE11769E - mallett - Google Patents

Description

N0. ",769. Reissued Sept. 5, I899.

c. E. MALLETT. canon PRESS.

(Application filed July 28, 1899.]

'7 SheetsSheet l.

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977 r V. QHOTAMMJS Reissuad Sept. 5, I899.

E. E. MALLETT.

COTTON PRESS. (A pplicntion al a July as, 1899.)

7 Sheets-Sheet 2,

Nu. Il,769. R eissued Sept. 5, I899.

v c. E. MALLETT.

COTTON PRESS.

(Application filed July 28, 1899.)

7 Sheets-Sheet 3 wvawtoz Q. 2/, au ,s,

N0. ll,769. Reissued Sept. 5, I899.

C. E. M-ALLETT.

COTTON PRESS.

(Applicdtion filed :mi as, 1899.)

7 Sheets-Sheet 5.

No. |I,769. Reissued Sept. 5, I899.

b. E. MALLETT. canon PRESS,

(Application filed July 28, 1899.)

7 Sheets-Sheet 6,

No. ||,769. Reissued Sept. 5, I899;

- C. E. MALLETT.

COTTON PRESS.

(Application filed July 28, 1899.)

7 Sheets-Sheet 7,

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U ITED STATES PATENT OFFIC CHARLES E. MALLETT, OF NEW YQRK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO I CHARLES T. IIARBECK AND EDMUND URQUIIART.

COTTON-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Reissued Letters Patent No. 11,769, dated.- September 5, 1899. Original No. 607,063, dated July 12, 1898. Application for reissue filed July 28, 1899. Serial No. 725,436.

To all whom zit may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. MALLETT, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto' improvements in cotton-presses, and provides a press which is capable of taking the cotton right from the gin or condenser and compressing it intoa bale of great density and of substantially rectangular shape and which is so simple in operation and so economical of power as to be adapted to the use of the ordinary cotton:

gin operator. It is now the usual practicefor the producer or gin-operator to bale the cotton in large loosely-packed bales, such as are capable of being made by direct compression in the small and comparatively weak presses at his command. These bales being then shipped to central pointsare compressed by large and powerful compresses to the size and density required for shipping or storing. The advantage over this method of double compression of direct compression at the point of production to the density requisite for final shipping and storing has been well reeognized, as it leads to great saving in freight, rehandling, and storage and obviates also losses due to exposure of the loosely-packed bales to the weather and to thieves. It has also been recognized that the action of the. present large compresses now in general use in forcibly compressing the original loose bales in bulk leads to serious disadvantages,-

in that the fibers are torn and matted, and the air confined in the bale not only renders it more readily inflammable, but not being able to escape is compressed, making the bale strongly elastic and difficult to compress and confine to its compressed limits. It has in fact been found that the cotton can be com pressed to a greater density with less power and in a condition wherein it will form a compact and substantially inelastic bale by di- 1 rest compression of the bat as it leaves the. condenser into the form of a dense strip,

which while being compressed is either wound into a cylindrical roll or is lapped back and This operation requi-resvheavy and costly machinery, and, furthermore, the cylindrical bale, while advantageous in some respects, is objection-.

especially adapted to the usual shape. of bale,

and the operators being accustomed to it it isobviousthat, other things being equal, a rectangular bale will find more ready acceptance, of in fact will pass as a matter of course when a cylindrical bale might be questioned. Qn the other hand, the machines which have hitherto been suggested for producing a rec'- tangular bale from the bat by a gradual or accumulative action have been rather complicated in operation and have required an amount of power disproportionate to the effects produced. This has apparently been due to the fact that they have effected the "compression of the, bat into the bale in'the very act of laying it over or lapping it. Now

as the force of compression thus required is Very considerable, even when the hat has been previously compressed by rollers, it is clear that motion of the compressing parts which first compresses the bat as: far as pos;

sibleiby passing it between rollers, then lays and folds it in'tothe press-box, and after each ,lay or fold compresses it by a direct pressing or tramping action. The laying and pressing agencies thus operate alternately and not in conjunction, so that thelaying is accomplished without friction and'the pressing is effected by direct thrust and not by. a rolling or sliding action. 'As the bat is folded and then compressed layer by layer into the box the bottom of thelatter is gradually withdrawn from the plunger, so as to leave room for the reception of the next layer.

the box hasbeen packed full in this manner, the bale is given a ,final compression, and

temporary clamping devices are then ad- When justed to the bale, which is then removed from the press and secured by the usual ties or otherwise. These temporary clamping devices being quickly applied, the stoppage of the machinery is lessened and the continuity of the operation furthered. There is thus obtained a bale of a density equal to or greater than the ordinary compressed bale and of the same shape as the ordinary bale. As the air is. pressed from the bat and from between the several layers of the bat successively and from one part at a time, it can be much more eifectually removed then by direct compression in bulk, and the resulting bale is therefore comparatively inelastic. For this reason, and also for the very fact that the compression is eifected in numerous successive stages, but little power is required,

.' idlers 9.

and the machine is therefore adapted for use as an adjunct to a cotton-ginning plant.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specification Figure l is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevation of a cotton-press embodying my invention, showing the general relations of the several parts to one another and to the condenser of a-gin. Fig. 2 is a top view of the apparatus, including the compressing-rolls and the baling-press. Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively a side elevation and a vertical section of the baling-press in the condition of operation. Fig. 5 is a side view of the baling-press as it appears after the bale is formed and clamped, the box wherein the' bale is formed having been lowered. Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively side and top views of the bat-folding apparatus, and Fig. 8 shows a detail thereof. Fig. 9 shows the compressed and clamped bale and the plunger-plate above but removed from same. Fig. 10 shows the completed bale.-

Myimproved machine comprises three main portions-namely, a series of I'OllGX'S for successively compressing the bat until it reaches a maximum density, a folding or laying apparatus for folding it into the press-box, and a pressing device for compressing the successive layers into the box.

1 2 3 4 5 6 representthree sets of rollers 'journaled in a suitable frame 7 and driven by appropriate gearing, as by gear-wheels 8 and The distances between these rollers are adjusted and determined by suitable adjusting devices, such as adj listing-screws 10, applied to the bearings 11 of said rollers, and the distance is greatest from the first set of rollers 1 2 and successively less for the following sets. The bat (represented as coming from the condenser 12 of a cotton-ginning apparatus) passes between these sets of rollers in'succession, and is thus gradually and suecessively compressed. A much more uniform and dense'c'ompression-is thus attained than would be possible with a single set of rollers. From these compressing-rolls the continuous and compressed bat proceeds to the folding apparatus, which is placed in the part of the baling apparatus adjacent to the plunger and serves to fold the bat in layers into the pressbox 16. The bat after leaving the rolls aforesaid first passes over a pusher roller or rod 17,

carried by a reciprocating slide 18, which causes said pusher 17 to travel back and forth above the press-box, and thus to lay the bat in successive layers or folds'into the pressbox. This reciprocating slide is operated by a connection-rod and crank connection from a shaft 13, driven by pulley 14, which is operated by belting or in any suitable manner, so as to be set in operation when required. The press-box 16 slides vertically in a frame 19, and a supporting-platen 20 slides vertically within said press-box, being supported and actuated by a screw 21, the term vertically being here used in the sense of perpendicular to the plane of the platen and the term supporting, as applied to'the platen, referring to its function of supporting the cotton against the compressive action of the plunger. The screw 21 is in turn supported and actuated by a nut 22, which is driven through gears 23 23 from driving-shaft 24. Two sets of driving-pulleys 25 26 are provided for this shaft the pulley 25 serving to drive the shaft slowly for the movement of the platen 20 away from the plunger and the pulley 26 reversing the motion and givinga comparatively rapid upward movement. Each of these pulleys has a loose pulley 27 or 28 and suitable beltshifting devices for throwing it out of action. The box 16 is also provided with means for moving it toward and away from the plunger, such means consisting, for example, of a rack 29 on each side of the box, pinions 30, engag ing with said racks, worms 31 onshaft 32 driving said pinions, and suitable direct and reverse driving-pulleys 33 34. on said shaft, a loose. pulley 35 and belt-shifting mechanism being provided to enable the said box 16 to be raised or lowered or held in either position.

A plunger 36, guided in the frame so as to reciprocate vertically-that is,in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the plungeris operated by cranks 37 on shaft 38, which is journaled in the frame and carries a fly-wheel 39- and fast and loose pulleys 40 and 41, said cranks beingconnected to the plunger. The

preferred form of the plunger is shown in I Fig. 9. Belt-shifting devices are also provided for these pulleys, whereby the motion of the plunger may be arrested or-started, as required. Arms 63, pivoted to the side of the frame, can be dropped or'turned onto the guiding projections 15 of the plunger when the latter is in its lowest position,-so as tolock, it in that position. This plunger makes an up-and-dowu or reciprocating stroke for each to-and-fro movement of the pusher It, the plunger coming down onto the bat just as the pusher retreats to its innermost position-that is, nearest to the compressing-rolls 5 6. A plate 42 is attached to-the bottom of plunger 36 by means of swiveled bolts which enter slots 44 in the plunge a secured by hand-nu s 45 and a Plate 46 Tests stituting retaining devices for the bat.

ther and just as it completes its movement in r nse s on platen 20, these two plates 42 46 having transverse grooves 47 in their faces which are turned toward one another, said'grooves serv ing to receive thebinding-ties, as hereinafter explained.

To determine and maintain the exact and even folding of the bat at each end of the box 16, there is attached to said box at its outer end a pivoted comb or clamp 48, whose ser-'.

rated edge falls on andclamps the edge or fold of the bat as it is left by the-retreating pusher, and there are pivoted to the inner end of-the box two folding-arms 49, which move laterally out of the way-of the bat as the pusher is retreating and after it has passed them fly inwardly over the bat, so as to form or locate the bend or fold on the next outward movement of the pusher, these arms thus con- This movement of the arms is controlled by tappets or dogs 50 on each side of the slide 18, each of which has a pivoted finger 51, which rides over the pin 52 on the arm 49 when the slide is moving outwardly, but catches'on said pin when the said slide is retreating, and-thus causes the arm 49 totnrn on its pivot out of the way of the bat; As theslide retreats far that direction the finger 51 slips off of pin 52 and allows the arms 49 to fly inwardly under the influence of spring 53, so as to strike the end of the batand definitely locate the point .of folding on the next outward movement of the pusher; A finger 54 on the slide 18en-.

gages with an arm 55 on' thepivoted clamp 48 as said slide approaches its outermost position, and thereby lifts the clamp olf of the bat and out of the way of the pusher 17. As soon as the slide retreats the finger 54 is with drawn from the arm 55 and the clamp 48 under the influence of its spring 56 falls on the edge or fold of the bat and holds it tightly in place. The plunger 36 also carries fingers 57,.which engage with arms 58 on the pivoted comb or clamp 48 as the plunger descends,

thereby lifting said clamp out of the way of' the plunger.

The operation of this folding and compressing apparatus is as follows: The box l6, 113V:- ing been run up to'the position shown in Fig. 1 and the supporting-platen 20 also having been run up to its highest position and the plunger being raised, the lower piece of bagging is placed on the supporting-plate, the

end of the bat is drawnover the pusher roll.

or rod 17, then back under the arms 49, and

then out and across to the clamp or comb 48,

which holds it against the platen20. The

- apparatus being then set in. motion, the bat is fed continuously through ,the compressingrolls 12 3 4 5 6 and is laid down layer after layer by the pusher 17, each forward movement of the pusher carrying a loop of the bat to the outer end of v the box 16, where it is caught .by the clamp or comb 48, and the back movement of the pusher then throws the arms 49 out. \Vhile' the arms are still in their outer position, the plunger 36 comes down and compresses the two layers thus deposited on the platen 20, and as said plunger rises the slide 18, having completed its inward movement, allows the arms 49 to fly in over the uppermost layer of the bat and to form which the pusher can carry the bat. Meanwhile the platen 20 has been gradually, under theoperation of its supporting-screw, withdrawn from the plunger, and this operation is so adjusted that the fall .duringone about equal to the eventual thickness of two. layers of the bat. As the folding device keeps piling in additional layers of the bat they are pressed down successively by theplunger and the supporting platen falls snfficiently to make room for the next layers, and so the operation proceeds until the box isfull. The apparatus is then stopped. 'lhe upper piece The plunger is brought to its lowest position plate run up rapidly, so as to. take up any looseness of the top layers of the bale, andat the same time-the box 16 is run down, out of the way, and thebale may then betied in. the

grooves 47 in the plates 42 46. the tying operation consumes some little time, I prefer to clamp the bale in its compressed condition by quicklyepplied clamps, the bale being then removed and the machine allowed to start on the compression of a new bale.

clamp indicated at 60 in Figs. 5 and 9, the same consisting of two double-pronged jaws 61, adjustably connected together by a turnbuckle connection 62.- One of these clamps the jaws thereof engage over the edges of the screwed up tight, the hand-nuts 45 are loosened and on one side removed, and the bale plates 42 46 and the clamps 60. The new plate 42 '46 may then be put on the press'and a new bale be formed whilethe last one is being tied.

It will of course be understood that bagging or covering of some sort. will be applied to the bale, the same being partly inserted at the bale is commenced and partly laid on top the bale before the plungeris brought down for the last time, the covering then being drawn together and the ties placedover it.

A distinguishing feature in the operation of this machineis its graduated-action, where by the cotton is compressed and the air removed from same in three well-defined steps. First comes the compression of the bat itself by the compression -rolls. Then this bat is folded in layers, each layer as it is laid downbeing squeezed against the lower layers to remove the air as far as possible between full up-and-downstrokeof the plunger is of bagging is then laid on top of the cotton.

and preferably locked there by stop-arms 63. ,Then the screw is reversedand the lower being applied at each side of the bale, so that plates 42 46, the tnrnbuckles thereon are a new fold and give a point of support from usual manner by ties passed through the As, however,

For this purpose I prefer to use the form of IIO is then removed frornuthe pressalong with "bottom of the box before the formation of the it and the next lower layer, and finally when all the layers are laid-down the press is brought into the position of greatest compression, whereby the layers are broughtinto the closest possible contact before clampingand tying.

It will be noted that the folding of the cotton-bat is elfected at a time when the plunger has been raised or withdrawn so far as to be completely free of the cotton and of the folding apparatus, so that the latter can pcrate freely and without any resistance from the plunger, and also that the folding apparatus is then entirely withdrawn from the path of the plunger, so that the latter can operate without interference therefrom. The

folding apparatus and the com pressing-plunger are thus brought into action alternately. It is clear that without departing from the spirit of my invention the action of the folding apparatus might lay down more than one fold between the successive operations of the plunger and, on the other hand, that each action of the plunger-might efiect severalcom' pressions between the successive actions of the folding apparatus. In stating, therefore, that the folding apparatus and the plunger act or are brought into action alternately I desire the word action to be construed in a broad sense as referring to the general'or total operation of said parts rather than to a single movement thereof.

It is apparent that the general features of my inventionnamely, the compression of the bat, the laying of same in successive folds on a supporting-platen, the compression of these folds by a reciprocating plunger acting alternately with the folding means, and the final compression by the movement of the platen' a.re equally applicable whether the machine be used in a vertical, a horizontal,

or an inclined position, the changes which will be required to adapt the mechanism to work in any given position being simply matters of design and engineering skill; My invention is therefore not limited'in respect of the position or general direction of the machine. Moreover,'as regards the box-shifting mechanism for bringing the inclosingboxinto position around the bale during formation of the bale and for withdrawing it to enable tying and removing the bale it is evident that the mechanism shownfor this pnr pose is adapted to operate in whatever position or direction the machine be placed.

Having thus described my invention, the

following is what I claim as new therein and action whenthe plunger is most removed from the platen, and then withdrawing said folding apparatus to permit of the operation of the plunger, and means for bringing said plunger into action alternately with the'action of the folding apparatus.

2. A cotton press comprising means for forming and feeding a continuous bat of cotton, a supporting platen, a reciprocating plunger, folding apparatus for laying the continuous hat of cotton in successive folds between said plunger and platen, and means for moving the plunger away from the supporting-platen so as to be completely free of the cotton and the foldingapparatus and to per mit of. the operation of the folding apparatus, and to then bring said plunger toward said platen so as to compress the folded bat, the folding apparatus and the plunger acting al ternately.

3. A cotton press'comprising means for compressing and feeding a continuous bat of cotton, asupporting-platen a plunger reciprocating toward andaway from said platen,folding apparatusfor laying the continuous bat "of cotton in successive folds between said plunger and platen, and actuating means for operating said plunger and said folding apparatus in repeated alternation so as to form the bale by a series of steps of alternate foldton, a supporting-platen, a plunger movable toward and away fromthe platen, folding apparatus for laying the continuous bat of cotton in successive folds between said platen and plunger, means for operating the plunger, in alternation with thefolding apparatus, to compress the bat so folded, means for gradually withdrawing the platen from the plunger, as the bat is successively folded and pressed, and means for raising said platen to finally compress the bale.

6. In a cotton-press, the combination of a reciprocating plunger. a supporting-platen, means for gradually withdrawing the platen from the plunger, a folding device for folding a hat of cotton in superposed layers on said platen, means for reciprocating the plunger towardand away from the supporting-platen so as to compress the folds of bat against the supporting-platen, a movable box adapted to surround the platen and means for moving said box to cause it to surround the platen and the cotton'duri'ng formation of the bale, or to be withdrawn therefrom.

7. In a cotton-press, the combination with means for supplying 'a continuous bat of cotton, a supporting-platen, a plunger, means for moving said plunger, repeatedly toward and away from the platen during the formation of a bale, and a folding apparatuspperating at the times when the plunger is farthest away from the platen to fold the continuous' bat in successive layers between the plunger and platen,.such successive layers 7 being thus repeatedly compressed by the re peated operation of the plunger.

8. A cotton-press comprising means for supplying a continuous bat of cotton, asupport lug-platen, a plunger movable -toward and from said platen, a driving means, a crank connection between said driving means and said plunger whereby the latter is repeatedly reciprocated-during the formation of a bale, a folding apparatus for folding the bat in layers between the plunger and platen,and means for operating said folding apparatus in alterfpation withthe movements of the plunger. Ina cotton-press, the combination with 'the supporting-platen and the plunger, of a lower plate resting on the platen and an upk per plate having means for removably attaching it to said plunger consisting of swivel v bolts and nuts, and adjustable clamps with motion in that direction.

eiprocating pusher for folding a hat of cotton between said platen and plunger, a clamping device located-at one'end of the path of said pusher, to hold the fold of cotton left by the p usher, and means operated by the movement of the plunger toward the platen to release said clam ping device from the batof cotton. "11; In a cotton-press, the combination with a reciprocating pusher for folding a hat of cotton, of a retaining device for the bat located at one end of the path of the pusher, and entering the path of the pusher-laterally, means operated by the pusher to release the retaining device from the bat as the pusher approaches that end of its path and means for restoring the said device to engagement with said bat as the pusher reaches the end of its stroke, so that as the pusher reverses its movement, the bat will befoldcd over said retaining device 12 In a cotton-press, a folding devicecomprisinga reciprocating pusher adapted to engagewi'th the bat and to fold it in successive layers, pivoted arms located at one end of the path of the pusher and engaging with the bat so as to form a fold therein, means connected to the pusher for removing said arms from engagement with the bat when the pusher is passing the same in one direction, and means for. returning the arms to engagement with the bat when the pusher has-completed its 0. E. MALLE'NL Witnesses:

HARRY E. KNIGHT, 'M. V. Bmooo'o.

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