The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-11-01
4 MACHINE TO PICK COTTON.
The Grc4, Want said To Eo Met "A, Las,

| Chauic o! Sumter
Htail Reporter Of the Nras amt (Duri,,
81" the machine tested in Il cotton field
| Oh Mr.. Mason place Il, SIIu,cr a icw
days aS", aud although The cotton was
very wct from he long sIcu g.: yrt
weather AMI iti been open ready ir
p."tInS :uiiH s.N week, the narl.n,
"hI"!. wa operated 10y one hors" aud ono
man ha'N q! cotton Il tho ra,c Of .vog
"p i'p'In'!s au l!pur, wh.lh wood bc ~
| ID" rat" II @,guJ l,,uUJ5 Il wo!l,iu: day
-! i"r h"ur4. Mr.. Mason j. ~ 80 means
AZ SIC! VIZ! "a" prcSCi!: capacity Ot The
inarhIll" and changes are nyw bcuu
made V hirl j, i, bCiicvcd will incrca,7
ita capacity /" abou. 1000 lound, of seed
cotton Il day, which - equivalent tu
thrrr bales ~ lint. II can be very easily
seen, even by one Wniaiuiliar witl. ma.
chin"iT, That the proposed change, " Ill
!ncr'nN" ihc pIckirg capac!ty OF tho ma
chinc. Whrthcr :, will harvest three
bales "' "rtt"n u day remains 10 bc
proved. Striking fair average and
putting the capacity at two bairs Il day
any cotton planter who is subject to the
IutOIcIHDic tiIh!o AMI cuOrInous eXpcnsC s
Of harvest time wIl readily APPRECIATE
IL" a!n!n.t !!!ca!c!!;.ll" v::;.c o: ;:".i z
machine.
Tho frame OF the machine, Which is
!ntdc OF white oak, hickory and poplar.
is four and one half feet long bv four
foot "ide, aud sIcaily five feet high. This
frame rests upon the :.xl,, q! Two iron
wheels three and one half icet in ,lulnc-
,cr lncSc wheels arc situated about the
middle Of the frame. and upon the right
hand wheel there is "a sprockct which
communicates tho motion rs the wheels
iurn Oh The ground to &c machinery on
tho inside OF the frame, which picks cut
;hr cotton y chair. Danl pass, over the
,in"'k"t A,d communicates ne motion
u Il c:Itiii wheel on Il shaft which I,:l,sc,
'rOSn"iS" from ono Side OF the machine
to tho nthcr, near tho top and rear end uf
tl.c lrdiIic. In the centre Of this shaft there
- another chain wheel which cUinnuni- :
Gales the motion UftIC SHAFT, by means Of
4 chain band, to another chain wheel III
the centre OF another shaft which crosses
The frame near tho front uf tho Machine
Wo pairs of DrvclicI gear " heels ON
th.r !;.iiit S!i;i:t communicate motion to
two pcrpuniicular shafts, from which
rnditic the stalls or fingers "lIich pick
lhc cn't"n: lhrs" perpendicular shafts
run up from the bottom OF tho franz.
near the front OF the machine on each
Side ana vary in height according to the
size OF The nnchinc which it is desired 10
make. pom these shafts which ur,.
inaio uf the best steel are adjusted q
s.lcI Of iron circles, inches in diameter,
ana rom thoSc circles the picking shafts
tho h'lD. There are S stalls lo each cir
clio, tho whole number OF Shafts in the
present machine being 10 AS the shafts
turn, the circles and shafts radiating from
lhulll turn back wards at Il speed equal to
tho forward motion Of tho machine over
tho ground. The stafls overlap each
other, thus covering completely the en-
tire space from ono side of the machine
to tho other. At the right hand side OF
tho machine pair OF shafts for the horse
or mule Is attached TO All cqualiZiug bar.
winch while tho horse walks tu ono side
throws the resultant Of tho pull in the
centre
In going into a cotton field ono of the
whcels. goes i'll one alley, the other wheel
COOS i'll the otlIcr alloy, the horse walks
i'll the right hand alley in front Of the
right hand wheel, and tho row of cotton
plants passes through tho centre Of the
machine between tho series OF picking
stalls. As the machine moves forward
tho cotton plants OF Course pass back
through it, and rs tho back ward motion
Of the picking stalls is exactly equal to
mo backward motion of the plants, the
stalls enter :he plants and como out again
ut the same point. In other words, tn,
| plant is not torn or jostlcd to an upprcci-
ahlo extent III its passage through the
Slafta. Now, to understand how the
| sta"s accomplish the picking of the cot
| ton from the hollis the construction of the
| stalls themselves must DO understood.
Ihey are hollow cylinders Of sheet brass,
| are All inch and u halfin diameter. eight
inches long and have Il canical shaped
point which allows thom to insert thom.
| selves easily between the twiga and
| Dranrhes OF the plant. The surface OF
The stalls is perforated with numbers OF
| elipilcal shaped holes and in thcso open
! ihES arc set sharp pointed teeth which
ar" adjusted The thickness of tho metal
| below tho stalls. Thus tho outer surface
OF the stalls il rs smooth ~ a piece of pol
ishod brass, anu i'll passing tho hand OF
any substance not fibrous over them tho
teeth are not ielt. The moment, however
| the stuffS come in contact with tho cotton
! tho fibre sinks down into the openings in
which tho tceth are set and Is caught by
| tho sharp points of the teeth. Now the
picking stalls besides ii,eir rotary mo.
ton backwards around The perpendicular
| .iIits from which they radiate havo al
independents motion around their own
axes, first i'll ono direction and then in
another: While in the plant and in con.
tact with the open bolls thev turn in the
! direction to which the teeth point. In
THIS way the tooth pull out the cotton
| from the bolls and tho statfs then pass
out Of tho plant, and by their rotary mo-
they have attached to them round to the
opposite sides of the shafts which are
SoNed in AZ roccptaclcs for holding the
| cotton. When the staifs have reached
these recoptacies thoy reverse their mo-
| ton, md tho cotton is wiped off thcm by
| little leather strips into the side box es
The cotton thon falls upon piece OF can
vas betting which turns like an endless
apron and conveys it to tho bnck OF the
| machine, whore 1t is caught by m clcya-
tor and taken up to the top of the ma
chime and thrown into two bags which
nro adjusted ut tho back. The double
motion which tho Stalls have is obtained
by the uso of friction rollers brought into
contact with upper and lower friction
plates. The mechanism Is beautifully
simple and not in the least liable to got
out OF order. The whole machine W weighs
! less than 800 pounds and turns around in
its own length.
1t is difficult at this time to state what
the machines will cost, as tho price nut
upon them will dcpend very much UPON
the quantity of cotton that each machine
will hnlvea In Il day. Ii will be the
effort OF tho Syndicate, II tho machines
aro sold outright, to place them at such a
figure that thoy can bo paid for in one
season by tho saving. to tho planter in the
| however. that tho policy of iose con-
trolling the patents will bo to lease the
| machines.
AS soon rs some changes in the friction
plates, which are now being made, arc
completed, 1t is desired by those directly
interested that a committee of cotton
planters shall witness an exhibition OF
| the machine and give written state
ment of its work
The first bale Of cotton picked by tho
machine and tho very first bale over har-
vested by machinery is expected to DO on
exhibition to-day or Tomorrow at the
Charleston Cotton Exchange. Tho grade
| Of the cotton is not the best, no particular
| attention being paid to its cultivation
Its condition as to cleanliness and free.