IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR CLEANING AND PREPARING COTTON AND OTHER FIBRE
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Elce of Manchester in the County of Lancaster
Engineer for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR CLEANING
AND PREPARING COTTON AND OTHER FIBRE
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Elce at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th October 1883.
JOHN ELCE of Manchester in the County of Lancaster Engineer IMPROVEMENTS
IN MACHINES FOR CLEANING AND PREPARING COTTON AND OTHER FIBRE
My invention relates to machines for cleaning and preparing cotton and other
fibre, and is particularly applicable to those machines known as "Exhaust
openers."
The objects of my invention are to render the horizontal Exhaust openers more
suited to the preparation of the better American, Egyptian and other high class
cottons; and to reduce the primary cost of the machine, and also the amount of
power required for working the same.
In applying my invention to a Lord's Exhaust Opener I dispense with the
cone beater, bars and its various attachments and connect the exhaust fan directly
to the mouth of the feed port by a funnel fitted to the fan casing at one end and to
the mouth of the port at the other end. The interior of this funnel is perfectly
smooth and free from all obstructions to the free flow of the cotton.
In performing the second part of my invention I dispense with both the exhaust
fan and beater which are usually connected together, and make an expanding
mouth the full width of the beater cages to the feed port and if necessary increase
the power of the fan which exhausts the air from the cages to compensate for the
fan, which is dispensed with.
The third part of my Invention is applicable to all opening and cleaning
machines, and consists in placing a revolving grid between the beaters and the
fans, in lieu of the grate bars ordinarily used. In cases where the feed machine is
at a distance from but connected to the scutching machine by a tube, I place the
revolving grid between the two machines,
The fourth part of my invention consists in making the beaters act also as fans
by attaching vanes to the arms of the beaters, which drive the cotton on to the
evolving grids: these revolving grids are formed of a series of blades, secured on
shaft, which revolves in the direction in which the cotton is drawn, but at a
lower speed, the revolving blades pass between the longitudinal grate bars, through
which the leaf and dirt fall, as the cotton passes over them.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Elce in the Patent Office on the 10th April 1884.
JOHN ELCE, of Manchester in the County of Lancaster, Engineer. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MACHINES FOR CLEANING AND PREPARING COTTON AND OTHER FIBRE
"
My invention relates to machines for cleaning and preparing cotton and other
fibre and is particularly applicable to those machines known as "Exhaust
Openers."
The objects of my Invention are to render the horizontal exhaust openers more
suited to the preparation of the better American, Egyptian, and other high class
cottons and to reduce the primary cost of the machine, and also the amount of
power required for working the same.
In applying my Invention to a Lord's Exhaust Opener I dispense with the cone
beater, the bars, and various attachments and connect the exhaust fan directly to
the mouth of the feed port by a short straight pipe fitted to the fan casing at one
end and to the mouth of the port at the other end. The interior of this pipe is
perfectly smooth and free from all obstructions to the free flow of the cotton.
In performing the second part of my Invention I dispense with both the exhaust
fan and beater which are usually connected together and make an expanding
mouth the full width of the beater cages to the feed port and if necessary increase
the power of the fan which exhausts the air from the cages to compensate for the
fan which is dispensed with. I can apply this part of my Invention to every form
of Opener now made.
The last part of my Invention consists in making the beaters of the feeding
machine act also as fans by attaching vanes to the arms of the beaters which drive
the cotton forward. I only use this part of my Invention when the fibre has to
travel a long distance before reaching the Opener.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, reference
being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Fig. 1 shows a Lords Opener with lap machine to which the first part of my
Invention is applied. I dispense with the cone beater and bars and their attach-
ments and I connect the mouth of the feed port to the fan a by a short straight
pipe b. The cotton or other fibre passes to the fan through the pipe c, provided
with a valve d which is closed to stop the supply of cotton when the lap is filled
and the machine is stopped. The fibre is fed on to a porcupine feed f as usual
which may be in any convenient part of the mixing room.
Fig. 2 is an elevation and Fig. 3 is a plan of a Lords porcupine Opener with
single beater lap machine to which the second part of my Invention is applied.
I dispense with the lattice feed and in lieu thereof I fit to the machine an
additional pair of cages g and fan of sufficient power to draw the cotton in lieu of
the exhaust fan a on Fig. 1. I convey the fibre to the cages g from a porcupine
feeder for from a Crighton Opener through the pipe h, valve box i and mouth j
that is flattened and distended to the width of the cages. It is obvious that this
part of my Invention may be applied with equal advantage to a single or double
beater scutcher.
Having stated the nature of my Invention and described the manner of performing
the same
I declare that I claim
1. The improvements in exbaust openers which consist in dispensing with the
cone beater, the bars and various attachments, and connecting the feed port to the
exhaust fan as herein described and as shown on Fig. 1.

page_text: 2. The improvements in openers and other machines for cleaning and preparing
cotton and other fibre herein described and illustrated by Figs. 2 and 3.
3. The application of vanes to the arms of the beater of the feeding machine, as
and for the purpose herein described.
In witness whereof I the said John Elce have hereunto set my hand and seal
this eighth day of April One thousand eight hundred and eighty four.
JOHN ELCE. (L.S.)