The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-12-07

~ ea-h otper, auu when In working po.
siiion are adjusted at an angle Of forty.
live degrees to the ground, the lower end
ueing IN the direction of the motion OF
the machine. This angle can he changed
however, by means of lever near the
driver : seat On the same shaft with
Inc steel discs sre wooden aisca place,
alternately with them, which being loose
on the shaft do not turn with il, but
move freely in any direction. These
wooden discs are also circular in form
with rounded perimeters and come up
close To the steel discs on each side with
Just enough room for the steel discs 10
move freely. The teeth Of the steel discs
are go constructed that the heel Of one
tooth protects the point of the other.
In other words the points of the teeth
are depressed slightly belcw the level of
The permeter. BY this arrangement til G
discs are perfectly smooth to the touch
anu may even he revolved against s
iady cheek without scratching the skin.
lhe cotton boil being fbrous, however,
wncn II touches the discs sinks below the
level OF the perimeter and is caught by
the points as the discs revolves, and while
TIE first :ooth may have but the slightest
hold the next takes Il greater hold, aud
IN traction of second the whole OF
the cotton is taken from the boil Above
the shafts upon which the picking discs
revolve are cylinders provided with hog
brstles which move in the same direc-
tion with the shafts but nj a greater
speed. These brush the cotton from the
teeth of the picking discs and throw it
into receptacles ut the sides, whence it ia
The wagon body OF the machine above.
The above description will rive an idea
OF how the cotton is taken from the boil.
Inc next arrangement provided is for
selecting the open bolls from the unripe
bolls, the forms, blooms aud leaves. 10
understand how this is done it must be
borne in mind that the shafts upon which
the picking discs revolve are parallel to
each other, and are about four inches
apart. In front Of the machine two
sheet iron guards wide apart Ut the outer
side and convergng towards the picking
shafts lead the cotton plants to the space
between the picking discs When in
motion one wheel of the machine rolls
IN one alley, the other wheel rolls in the
next alley, and the row of cotton plants
Is thus led in by the sheet iron guards to
the Pickers. The picking shafts as they
may he termed being adjusted at an angle
OF 10 degrees, the cotton nearest the
ground is first picked, and as the plant
passes on between the shafts, which rise
towards the rear, every portion of il
must come in contact with the pickers,
whether the plant be tso feet high or six
feet high. Suppose now that n cotton
plant four feet high is thus led in between
the picking shafts. Suppose it contains
a half dozen open bolls, as many unripe
buils, and the average number of blooms,
forms and leaves. The unripe bolls,
foliage, &c, when they touch the picking
disc, pass through unhurt or unscratched
III the slightest degree, because they are
brought into contact with only the smooth
portion of the picking discs aud the
smooth wooden discs which move loosely
on each side of them. But when a ripe
open boil is reached it's fibrous particles
sink below the level. The points of the
teeth catch hold and the cotton is pulled
out. rs above described.
The shafts upon which the brushes for
cleaning the plants are also adjusted at
an angle Of As degrees, so as to reach
every portion of the plants, be they large
or small.
In front of the machine is q contri-
vance fo. hitchiBg the horses or mules.
These walk on a line with the wheels,
one in one alley and the other in the
other alley, the row of cotton passing be.
tween them and being protected by sheet.
iron guards similar to those in front Of
the picking shafts already described.
THE RESULT OF THE TRIAL.
The machine was built on the premi-
ses Of Mr.. Haselton, at so America street
in this city, and while waiting for the
completion OF the wheels, which were
made in Augusta, q preliminary test was
made with cotton plants which were Ia.
ken up by the roots from the field.
These plants were carried through the
machine, the shafts being at the time
worked by hand power. The result was
that all the open bolls OH the plante were
picked out clean, while not an unripe
boil, hor form nor a bloom nor leaf
was in anyway injured.
Upon the trial in the field, when first
made, j. was found that the arrangement
for the attachment Of the horses, which
had been hurriedly constructed to save
loss OF time, was imperfect, the mules
would not pull evenly and the machine
swayed from side To side to such an ex.
tent that many of the cotton plants in-
stead Of being led into the machinery by
the sheet iron guards went outside Of the
guards and consequently did not reach
the picking machinery. Those plants,
however, which passed in between the
guards and thence to the machinery were
picked clean Of all open cotton without
injury to the unripe bolls or to the twigs,
fnIiage ar blooms. The principle upon
which the machine is constructed having
bee" shown to be practicable and sue.
cessful, several attempts were made to
improvise an attachment for the mules
which would enable them to pull more
evenly. They were finally hitched up to
a two-horse wagon, and the wagon was
attached to the machine. The mules
then pulled the wagon with the machine
after it. Better results were obtained
but it was clearly shown that q new ar.
rangement for the attachment of the
mules will have to be made. This ia q
mere matter Of detail, and with little
time can easily be accomplished. 1t has
been determined 70 remove the brushing
portion nf the machine and, If found de.
sirable, to construct machine for clean.
ing the plants separately. By this
change the size of the machine will be
about half its present size. It will be
then easily handled and the horses can
be easily attached and the guards ar.
ranged 80 as to make the movement along
the rows even and steady. An addition.
al number OF picking discs will also be
used SO az to render it next to impossi.
bic for any of the bolls on plant to es.
cape contact with the pickers. II would