Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Delinting Seed.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 16th Sept., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Delinting Seed.
1, ABNER DUELL THOMAS, of No. 1118 Cumberland Street, in the City of
Little Rock, County of Pulaski, and State of Arkansas, United States of
America Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:—
The improvement under consideration is designed more especially but not
exclusively for cotton seed.
In carrying out the improvement the lint-bearing seed is fed into a receptacle
containing a lint-cutting or seed-abrading part which, in its general outline, is
cylindrical or approximately cylindrical, and which is arranged horizontally and
adapted to be rotated in a vertical, or approximately vertical plane.
The shell or casing which forms the wall of the seed receptacle is not itself
intended to serve as a lint-cutting or seed-abrading part, but to form a support for
the material while it is being acted upon by the rotating part, and it is shaped and
arranged, and is of suitable size, to inclose an annular, or approximately annular
space around the rotating part so that the material being treated can assume an
annular, or approximately annular, form around the described rotating part, and,
opposite the surface of the rotating part, it is perforated to provide an outlet for
the lint which is separated from the seed. There is a separate outlet for the
denuded seed.
The perforations in the shell or casing are large enough, and are suitably formed,
to enable the lint to escape through them, but not so large that the denuded seed
can pass through them. It is not essential that the perforations, as a system,
extend entirely around the circumference of the shell or casing, but it is desirable
for them to so extend as thereby an outlet for the lint is obtained in all directions
around the body of seed being treated.
An escape flue for the lint connects with the other side of the perforated portion
of the casing through which the lint discharged through the casing is carried off.
The denuded seed is worked end wise within the described annular space and is
discharged through the separate outlet mentioned. This outlet is usually at the
end of the seed-receptacle, and it may be of any suitable form for the purpose in
question, and lead to any desired quarter.
In constructing the perforations which form the lint outlet care should be taken
to avoid projections, roughnesses, or any thing calculated to interfere with the
movement (hereinafter referred to) of the annular body of seed, or with the escape
of the lint. The rotating part is the means relied upon for separating the lint
from the seed, and to further that end it is not only itself adapted to be rotated but
it is also so shaped or contrived as to cause its motion to be communicated to the
surrounding body of seed to cause it in turn to rotate or move within the annular
space, so that all portions of it are presented to the surface or surfaces of the
rotating part and all the different lint-bearing seeds substantially brought directly
into contact with the rotating part, to be uniformly and thoroughly treated. That
is, the lint-bearing seed, as a body, is carried around in the annular space, but at a
slower rate than that at which the rotating part is revolved,-say about one half as
fast-and the seed, in consequence, is abraded by the abrading part, and at the
same time in all parts of the rotating body of seed the seed is stirred and tumbled
about and overturned and thereby uniformly treated, and an additional feature of
the improved method is advancing the seed-roll endwise through the seed receptacle
and thereby carrying the seed repeatedly around the rotating part, and subjecting

page_text: the seed again and again to the abrading, cutting or tearing action of the rotating
part until the seed becomes substantially stripped of its lint, and the lint and
denuded seed discharged separately, all as is hereinafter set forth and claimed,
aided by the annexed drawing, making part of this Specification, in which-
Figure 1, is a plan of the improved delinter, portions of the inner and outer
casings which enclose the rotating part, and also a portion of the casing of the air-
moving apparatus, are broken away to exhibit the interior;
Figure 2, a side, sectional, elevation of the delinter ;
Figure 3, a front end elevation of the delinter;
Figure 4, a vertical transverse section on the line 4-4, Figure 2;
Figure 5, a side elevation of the rotating part which effects the separation of the
lint from the seed.
Figure 6, a cross section on the line 6-6, Figure 6;
Figure 7, a cross section on the line 7-7, Figure 6;
Figure 8, a cross section on the line 8-8, Figure 6;
Figure 9, a side elevation of the rotating part in a simpler form. The same
letters of reference denote the same parts.
A represents the rotating part. B represents the casing which incloses the
annular space around the rotating part. C represents an outer casing which
incloses a flue D, which surround the casing B. This flue leads to an air-moving
apparatus E, and preferably in the form of the two branch-flues, d, d', which lead
respectively from the end portions of the flue D, or casing B, and which respectively
connect with the two chambers e, e', of the air-moving device. For while a single
escape flue and air-moving device will answer to move the lint from the chamber C¹,
I prefer, for a reason presently mentioned, to employ the two separate escape flues
and to make the air-moving device a double one, as thereby the lint can be graded
and the different grades separately discharged from the delinter. To accomplish
this the air moving device is in the form of a pair of fans, e, e, attached to the
same shaft, e', but rotating in the separate chambers, e, e', respectively, and
separate outlets, e, e, lead from the chambers, e, e', respectively, substantially as
shown.
The rotating part A, is attached to a suitable shaft F, and by the means of a
pulley, G, thereon, power can be transmitted to effect the revolution of the part A
at as rapid a rate as may be desired, and by means of the belt, H, leading from
another pulley, , upon a shaft a to a pulley h¹, upon a shaft e', the rotation of the
fan is accomplished. I represents a suitable inlet through which the lint-bearing
seed is introduced into the seed receptacle b, and J represents a suitable outlet for
the seed after the lint has been separated therefrom. A suitable frame work K
sustains the described parts of the delinter.
The part A, so far as the general object of the improved delinter is concerned,
may be constructed of any suitable material, materials, part or assemblage of parts
and in any suitable shape, so long as it, as a whole, is calculated to both move and
carry around the body of lint bearing seed, and to cut, abrade or otherwise separate
the lint from the seed, and as one desirable form thereof the part A is composed of
portions, if not largely or wholly, of corundum, and in the particular shape shown
substantially in Figures 5 to 8, and as follows:
As a whole the part may be considered cylindrical, but beginning at that end of
it which is opposite or next to the inlet to the seed-receptacle and proceeding to or
toward the opposite end of the part, the surface of the cylinder is in the form of a
series of channels or grooves which encircle the cylinder, and which at various
intervals are separated by portions which are serrated, pointed, or shouldered, or
otherwise shaped, to catch hold of, stir, lift, and drag around, the surrounding body
of lint-bearing seed in the manner described.
In the present illustration a, a¹, a², a³, a, a, a, a, a, represent the grooves,
and a³, a³, represent the pointed or shouldered portions, and a, ao al, a¹º, represent
circular, disk-like portions which are used more especially in conjunction with the

page_text: channels or grooves a³, aº, a², a³, and which, when used, are at that end of the
cylinder which is toward the denuded seed outlet, substantially as shown.
The channelled or grooved portions serve more especially to cut, abrade, and
separate the lint from the seed; the portions a³, a³, serve as stated to move,
lift, and drag the seed. The channelled or grooved portions a³, a³, a³, a³, are
considerably deeper than are the other channelled or grooved portions and they
serve, in conjunction with the circular portions a, to provide an extended
abrading surface past which the nearly denuded seed is, in the operation of parts,
moved and thereby substantially completely stripped of its lint. They serve
therefore to finish the treatment of the seed and I consider them desirable,
although the improvement can be largely, if not entirely, carried out by means
of a cylinder which does not have them, but which may be constructed substantially
as shown in Figure 9.
The channelled or grooved portions a, a, etc. preferably have the waved contour
shown, and said portions, beginning at the inlet end of the cylinder, successively
preferably increase in width substantially as shown, and the shouldered portions
are successively arranged farther and farther apart. The points, projections or
shoulders a", of the portions a³, project in practice, radially beyond the adjoining
chanelled or grooved surfaces, substantially as shown. The entire cylinder, A,
may be composed of a series of separate parts, a, a¹, etc. a³, a¹º, assembled and
united upon the shaft, F, and connected therewith, to be rotated as a single part.
As the portions, a, serve rather to agitate and drag the seed it is not so essential
that they be composed of abrading material, or to be adapted to cut or abrade
the lint. But the capacity of the cylinder A, as a lint-separating device is
increased by adapting the portions a³, to serve also as a lint-separating means.
In operation, the lint bearing seed is introduced into the seed-receptacle and
the abrading cylinder, A, is set in motion. The seed works its way throughout
the receptacle and assumes the described annular form around the cylinder. The
cylinder acts upon the seed immediately adjacent to it and the separation of the
lint from the seed is initiated. At the same time, owing to the described projections
upon the cylinder the body of seed as a whole is caused to rotate within the
receptacle and to follow the cylinder in its movement.
The cylinder, in respect to that feature of it which enables its motion to be
imparted to the body of seed or seed roll as it may be termed, is provided with
projections which while they engage the interior of the roll allow the roll to slip
or travel around at a slower rate than the cylinder, for the reason that they do not
take a complete and positive hold of the roll, and also to some extent by reason of
the contact of the exterior of the roll against the perforated casing. The preferred
distance from the extremities of the projecting portions of the cylinder to the
surrounding casing is about seven-eighths of an inch. The seed as a body not only
travels around within the casing, and by reason of its slower rate of movement is
acted upon by the cylinder, but is also in all parts of it stirred and turned upon by
the cylinder, but is also in all parts of it stirred and turned to cause the seed
throughout the thickness of the roll to be presented to the action of the cylinder,
and further, and owing to the borizontal arrangement of the cylinder, the seed
which by the action of the cylinder lifted or carried into the upper portion of the
seed receptacle is in position to drop, and by reason of its gravity it does drop
onto the cylinder and the seed in consequence is further subjected to the abrading
action of the cylinder and in consequence is more thoroughly treated. In thus
presenting the lint bearing seed to the cylinder care must be taken not to crowd it
against the surface of the cylinder, as in such case the cylinder is liable not only to
remove the lint, but also to cut the hulls of the seed, something which is quite
undesirable. For the value of the entire process depends largely upon separating
the lint without any admixture of any part of the seed. For this reason it is
necessary for the lint-bearing seed to be presented gently to the cylinder and this
is accomplished by having a sufficient thickness of seed-body, substantially as

page_text: described, around the cylinder as thereby a yielding support is constantly provided
for those of the seeds which are for the time being immediately in contact with the
cylinder. The roll as stated is preferably introduced into the seed receptacle at
one end thereof, and it, as a body, is not only caused to rotate in the manner
described but it is also advanced toward the opposite end of the seed receptacle 5
and in this way the seed is repeatedly subjected to the action of the cylinder and
thereby given ample opportunity for becoming stripped of its lint. The separated
lint is continually being exhausted through the outlets in the casing and the seed
escapes through its own outlet at the end of the seed receptacle. The operation
is a continuous one as long as the machine is in operation and the lint bearing seed 1
supplied thereto. Air is admitted into the flue D preferably through the opening co,
in the casing C, and the opening can be graduated by means of the slide c¹º. The
inlet I is not shown in Figure 3.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I 1
claim is :-
1. The herein described method of separating lint from seed which consists in
forming the lint-bearing seed into an annular roll and subjecting such roll
internally to a rubbing or cutting action whereby the lint is separated from the
secd.
2. The herein described method of separating lint from seed which consists in
forming the lint-bearing seed into an annular roll, revolving the same on its axis,
and, while so moving, subjecting it internally to a rubbing or cutting action, whereby
the lint is separated from the seed.
3. The herein described method of separating lint from seed which consists in
forming the lint-bearing seed into an annular roll, revolving the same on its axis
and while so moving, subjecting it internally to a rubbing or cutting action, whereby
the lint is separated from the seed and discharging the separated lint at the external
surface of the roll.
4. The herein described method of separating lint from seed which consists in
forming the lint-bearing seed into an annular roll, revolving the same on its axis
and at the same time stirring the roll, and, while so moving it, subjecting the
roll internally to a rubbing or cutting action, whereby the liut is separated from
the seed, and discharging the separated lint at the external surface of the roll.
5. In a seed-delinter, the combination of a horizontally-arranged, rotating
cylinder and an outer casing, said casing being perforated to provide an outlet for
the separated lint and seed, and said cylinder having channelled and shouldered
portions to effect the movement of the seed in the form of a roll and the separation
of the lint therefrom, substantially as described.
6. In a seed-delinter, the combination of a horizontally-arranged rotating
cylinder and an outer casing, said casing being constructed and arranged to provide
for the formation of an annular roll of lint-bearing seed around said cylinder,
and being perforated to provide an outlet for the separated lint and seed, and said
cylinder having projecting portions to effect the rotation of said roll as described
and having cutting or abrading surfaces to effect the separation of the lint from
the seed.
7. In a seed-delinter the combination of a horizontally arranged, rotating
cylinder, an annular lint-bearing seed receptacle surrounding said cylinder, a lint-
discharge flue without said receptacle and an air-moving apparatus, said
receptacle having an inlet for the lint-bearing seed and an outlet for the denuded
seed, and its casing being perforated to provide an outlet for the separated lint, and
said cylinder having projecting portions to effect the rotation of said roll as described
and having cutting or abrading surfaces to effect the separation of the lint from the
seed, substantially as described.
8. A seed-delinter, horizontally arranged cylinder in combination with a

page_text: surrounding, annular-seed receptacle, said cylinder having channelled surfaces for
effecting the separation of the lint from the seed and having pointed or shouldered
portions for effecting the rotation of the lint-bearing seed around said cylinder, said
chanelled portions being deeper at the seed delivery end of the cylinder.
Dated this 8th day of August 1893.
R. HADDAN,
Herbert Haddan & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, Agent for Applicant.