Improvements in Machinery for Cleaning Cotton Seed.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Appl cation, 10th Nov., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 20th June, 1894-Accepted, 28th July, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery for Cleaning Cotton Seed.
I, JAMES BIBBY, of Bixteth Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Oil-refiner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention has reference to machinery for removing the adhering fibre or
lint of cotton seed after the bulk of cotton has been removed, and in the condition
it is imported; and the objects of my invention are to provide a machine which will
remove cotton and clean the seed thoroughly and without damaging same; which
will withstand hard use without rapid wear or destruction of parts; and which will
produce a large quantity of cleaned seed within a given time.
The form of machine in conjunction with which my improvements are to be
employed is one having an outer cylinder and an inner revolving barrel, the axes of
which are horizontally disposed. In this machine, and under this invention, I provide
as or on the inner surface of the cylinder a lining of emery or analogous material to
hold the seeds against the rotary action and tendency of the barrel, and in
conjunction with this surface I use on the surface of the barrel the same material.
I find that by the use of this material on both concave and convex surfaces in
combination, i.e. in both the cylinder lining and barrel, that the seed is well held,
and the cotton efficiently removed and the seed surfaces polished.
.
The barrel surface is preferably ribbed, fluted, or equivalently formed, the
flutings, ribs, or equivalent formations, being arranged at a slight inclination to the
axis of the machine, whereby the seed becomes gradually fed from one end, at
which it is introduced, to the other at which it is discharged. At the end of the
machine at which the seeds are introduced, for the purpose of assisting or promoting
their introduction, there may be combined at that end of the barrel,a number of
saws acting upon the seed being introduced, and drawing or forcing them into the
space between the barrel and the cylinder.
I use in some cases in conjunction with the emery or equivalent surface of the
barrel or cylinder, or both, wire netting, or equivalent perforated metal, through
the meshes of which the emery or the like is forced or squeezed when in a moist or
plastic condition, and when being applied to said barrel or cylinder, or at other
time as the case may be.
In
A further feature under this invention consists in the use in connection with a
cotton seed cleaning machine of saws or like devices external to the fibre removing
portion of such machines, whereby the fibre or cotton removed from the seed is
withdrawn from the space within which such seeds are being operated upon.
one arrangement a number of saws are arranged on a revolving axle parallel to
the body of the machine, and having their edges passing through slots or apertures
in the outer case and entering the space in which the seeds are being cleaned,
from which the removed cotton or lint is drawn out by way of said slots or
apertures by said saws or the like. Further, in connection with these saws, in
use a removing device, such as a brush or the like, to remove from the
saws the cotton or fibre adhering to same. These slots or apertures may suitably
be provided in forming or using in connection with the cylinder, say at the lower
some cases

page_text: part thereof, a grid comprising parallel bars with apertures between them through
which the saws pass and work.
As regards the particular forms or constructions and dispositions of parts, these
may be differently constructed, combined and arranged in carrying out the
invention, and therefore the invention is not strictly confined to those hereinabove
more particularly specified.
Dated this 9th day of November 1893.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON, Fels. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.
Improvements in Machinery for Cleaning Cotton Seed.
I, JAMES BIBBY, of Bixteth Street, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Oil-refiner, 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:-
This invention has reference to machinery for removing the adhering fibre or
lint of cotton seed after the bulk of cotton has been removed, and in the condition
it is imported; and the objects of my invention are to provide a machine which will
remove cotton and clean the seed thoroughly and without damaging same; which
will withstand hard use without rapid wear or destruction of parts; and which will
produce a large quantity of cleaned seed within a given time.
The form of machine in conjunction with which my improvements are to be
employed is one having an outer cylinder and an inner revolving barrel, the axes of
which are horizontally disposed. In this machine, and under this invention, I provide
as or on the inner surface of the cylinder a lining of emery or analogous material to
hold the seeds against the rotary action and tendency of the barrel, and in
conjunction with this surface I use on the surface of the barrel the same material.
I find that by the use of this material on both concave and convex surfaces in
combination, i.e. in both the cylinder lining and barrel, that the seed is well held,
and the cotton efficiently removed, and the seed surfaces polished.
The barrel surface is preferably ribbed, fluted, or equivalently formed, the
flutings, ribs, or equivalent formations, being arranged at a slight inclination to the
axis of the machine, whereby the seed becomes gradually fed from one end, at which
it is introduced, to the other, at which it is discharged. At the end of the machine
at which the seeds are introduced, for the purpose of assisting or promoting their
introduction, there may be combined at the end of the barrel a number of saws
acting upon the seed being introduced, and drawing them into the space between
the barrel and the cylinder.
I use in some cases in conjunction with the emery or equivalent surface of the
barrel or cylinder, or both, wire netting, or equivalent perforated metal, made in
the form of a tube, through the meshes of which the emery or the Ike is forced or
squeezed when in a moist or plastic condition, and when being applied to said
barrel or cylinder, or at other time as the case may be.
A further feature under this invention consists in the use in connection with
a cotton seed cleaning machine of saws or like devices, external to the fibre
removing portion of such machines, whereby the fibre or cotton removed from
the seed is withdrawn from the space within which such seeds are being operated
upon. In one arrangement a number of saws are arranged on a revolving axle
parallel to the body of the machine, and having their edges passing through
slets or apertures in the outer case and entering the space in which the seeds
are being cleaned, from which the removed cotton or lint is drawn out by way
of said slots or apertures by said saws or the like. Further, in connection with
these saws, in some cases, use a removing device, such as a brush or the like,

page_text: to remove from the saws the cotton or fibre adhering to same.
These slots or
apertures may suitably be provided in forming or using in connection with the
cylinder, say at the lower part thereof, a grid comprising parallel bars with
apertures between them through which the saws pass and work.
This invention will now be described with the aid of the accompanying
drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation, Figure 2 is an end view,
Figure 3 a cross section, and Figure 4 a detail in cross section, of a machine
provided with my improvements.
Figure 5 shews a modification.
The machine shewn in the drawings comprises mainly an outer cylinder A,
and an inner revolving barrel B, both horizontally arranged. The inner
surface a of the cylinder A is of emery or equivalent material to hold the seeds
against the rotary action of the barrel B, and on the barrel B (which is
mounted on a shaft B¹) I provide an outer covering of the same material, I
find that by the use of such material on both the cylinder lining, and barrel,
the seeds to be cleaned are well held and the cotton efficiently removed and
the seed surfaces polished.
The quality of emery or equivalent material, as regards grade or size of grain, I
prefer to use is a coarse one (or mostly coarse with some fine mixed with it), i.e. it
is not a fine powder. That which will just pass through (but not much smaller) a
fine wire sieve having inch apertures or meshes is a suitable grade.
The barrel surface 6 is provided with ribs, or flutings arranged at a slight
inclination to the axis thereof as shewn, whereby the seed becomes fed from the
front to the back end as desired.
c is the feeding hopper, and d is the discharge conduit for the clean seed. At
the feeding end, under the hopper c, a number of saws e are provided on the barrel B
for promoting the introduction of the seeds into the annular space in the machine
between the cylinder and barrel. The outer part of the cylinder is made of wood
or other material, and the barrel may be similarly made.
I use, in some cases, in conjunction with the emery or equivalent surface of the
barrel or cylinder, or both, for the purpose of assisting in holding it on same and
forming a bond, wire netting, or equivalent perforated or openwork metal, made
in the form of a tube through the meshes of which the emery or the like is forced
or squeezed when in a moist or plastic condition, and being applied to said barrel
or cylinder, or at other times, as the case may be.
hare saws (or similar devices)-external to the fibre removing portion of such
machine, mounted on a revolving shaft 4, parallel with the axis of the barrel of the
machine. By these, the fibre removed from the seed is withdrawn from the space
within the machine where such seeds are being operated upon. In the arrangement
shewn in the drawings, the saws & have their edges passing through slots or spaces
between bars a' in the outer cylinder A, and entering the space z in which the seeds are
being cleaned. The action is, that the saws draw out the removed fibre through said
slots as they revolve. Further, in connection with these saws in some cases, I
use a brush mounted on a shaft working in connection with the periphery of the
saws, by which the cotton or fibre adhering to same is removed. The saws are
revolved on their axis h', and the brush i lying parallel therewith, is revolved on
its shaft in the direction of the arrows. These parts of the apparatus are
enclosed in a suitable case k.
The whole action of the machine shewn is as follows:-
The seed with the adhering fibre thereto (that is in the condition after the bulk
of cotton has been removed in the ordinary way) is introduced into the hopper c,
its introduction into the annular space between the cylinder A and barrel B,
which is quite filled with seed, being promoted by the saws e. By the rotation of
the barrel B, the seeds are acted upou by the emery or like surface and the
lining a, and the adhering fibre gradually removed as such seed passes towards the
outlet d. The seed is gradually fed forward by the spiral arrangement of

page_text: the flutings or ribs . As the cotton or fibre is removed, it is taken away from the
barrel and cylinder by the saws h, from which it is taken off finally by the brush i.
The seed leaves the machine in a thoroughly clean and polished condition by the
outlet pipe at the upper half at the end of the cylinder.
In the modification shewn in Figure 5-which shews a cross section of the
barrel B-the flutings of the barrel are formed by separate ribs of emery or
equivalent material held in grooved or trough shaped bars on the barrel. These
ribs and bars are arranged preferably at an inclination, as above specified with
reference to the ribs shewn in Figures 1 to 4.
It is to be stated that the improvements herein set forth-which are hereinafter
more particularly referred to in the claims-can be used in connection with other
machines than the one shewn, that is, separately, as well as in conjunction as herein
set forth with reference to the drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I am aware
that it has been proposed to use emery or equivalent material in the construction
of the rotary barrels of cotton cleaning machines; also that discs with serrated
edges have been used in such construction. I therefore make no general claim for
these features of construction, but what I claim is :
1. The herein described improvement in cotton seed cleaning machinery con-
sisting of an outer cylinder and a rotary barrel therein, both having a surface of
emery (or equivalent material); operating substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
2. The herein described improvement in cotton seed cleaning machinery, con-
sisting of a rotary barrel adapted to revolve in an outer cylinder, and having a
surface of emery (or equivalent material) provided with flutings, ribs, or equivalent
formations; substantially as described.
3. The herein described improvement in cotton seed cleaning machinery, cou-
sisting of the employment in conjunction with the barrel or cylinder thereof, or
both, of wire netting or equivalent perforated metal meshwork in combination with
emery or its equivalent, through the meshes or apertures of which such emery or
the like is forced or squeezed when in a moist or plastic condition; substantially as
described.
4. The herein described improvement in cotton seed cleaning machinery, con-
sisting of a rotary barrel, comprising in combination saws, substantially as
described, at one part, by which the introduction of seed into the machine is
promoted, and an emery surface at the other part; substantially as and for the
purposes specified.
5. In a cotton seed cleaning machine, an outer cylinder and inner rotating barrel,
said cylinder having slots or apertures therein at a part thereof; and saws, the
edges of which pass through said apertures, and remove the cotton from the inside
of the machine; operating substantially as described.
6. In a cotton seed cleaning machine, an outer cylinder and inner rotating barrel,
said cylinder having slots or apertures therein at a part thereof; saws, the edges
of which pass through said apertures, and remove the cotton from the inside of the
machine; and a brush revolving in conjunction with said saws for removing the
cotton fibre therefrom; operating substantially as described.
7. A machine for cleaning cotton seed, consisting of parts arranged, constructed,
and adapted to operate in combination particularly as described with reference to
and as shewn in the drawings.
Dated this 10th of T1004
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON, Fels. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.