Improvements in Cotton-seed Linters.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 6th Dec., 1890
QUAIL LEIE STEIFICATION.
Improvements in Cotton-seed Linters.
1, EDWARD JAMISON O'BRIEN, of 673, Constance Street, New Orleans, in the
Parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, United States of America, Engineer, 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 relates to cotton seed linters, the main object of the present inven-
tion being to prevent the accumulation of lint within the lint chambers, to provide
for the ready removal of the saw cylinder, to provide for the automatic discharge of
the lint from the saw-teeth, to provide for a thorough agitation of the seed within
the seed-receiving chambers, and, finally, to provide for the delivery of the stripped
seed from the machine.
To the ends above named, the invention consists of certain novel constructions,
arrangements and combinations of elements, all as will be hereinafter more fully
explained and specifically pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this
Specification, in which similar figures and letters of reference indicate corresponding
parts in all the views.
Figure 1 is a side view of my improved cotton seed linter, parts being shown in
section;
Figure 2 is a view taken just beneath the machine table;
Figure 3 is a cross sectional view on line 3-3 of Figure 1 ;
Figure 4 is a plan view of the machine;
Figure 5 is an enlarged detail view of one of the agitator shafts and its con-
nections;
Figure 6 is an enlarged detail view of a portion of one of the saw receiving
combs ;
Figure 7 is a full sized view of a portion of one of the saws;
Figure 8 is a cross sectional view of a portion of one of the saws, this view
being upon a larger scale than that employed in the presentation of Figure 7, a
larger scale being adopted to bring out the construction which it is desired to
illustrate;
Figure 9 is a sectional view of the comb;
Figure 10 is a view of one of the spacing blanks employed in the formation of the
comb and
Figure 11 is a detail view of a portion of the machine, the view being given to
illustrate a modified construction.
In the drawings, 10 represents the bed plate of the machine, above which plate
there is supported a table 11, such table being made in sections a, a, that are each
formed with apertured lugs or projections b, adapted to receive clamping or binding
bolts c. Upon the bed plate 10 there is stepped a shaft 12, which carries a number
of saws 13, these saws being spaced by interposed disks n, preferably of paper, the
saws being arranged at intervals of about one-eighth of an inch. The upper end of
the shaft 12 rides in bearings formed in or carried by a top plate 17, which plate is
made up of sections a', a', that are formed with apertured projections b', adapted to
receive binding bolts c. The plate 17 is supported by posts 20 and 21, that extend
upward from the table 11.
About the central chamber within which the saws 13 are arranged, I form cotton
seed receiving chambers A, through which chambers there are passed vertical
shafts 14, that support agitators or heaters 15 and disks 16, said disks being formed

page_text: with apertures m, that are located in close proximity to the shafts. The disks and
agitators are alternately arranged as shown in Figure 5
The walls of the chambers A are made up of the posts 20 and 21, metallic
plates 22, that are secured to the posts 20, combs 23, that are secured to the
posts 21 and between the teeth of which the saws 13 pass, and casings 24, such
casings being secured to the posts 20 and 21, the inner faces of all of the paris being
curved by preference, so that the defining walls of the chamber A will be practically
cylindrical.
The shaft 12 is provided with the pulley 30, arranged to receive a driving belt,
and the shafts 14 are each provided with a gear as 31, the gears 31 being engaged
by a gear 32, carried by the shaft 12, so that as the central shaft 12 is revolved,
the shafts 14 will be revolved, but in a direction opposite to that in which the
shaft 12 is moving.
The bottoms of the chambers A are slotted, as shown at d, to provide for the
outward passage of the stripped or cleaned seed, the flow of the seed being regulated
by slides 35, that are adjustably held to the table 11 by bolts o, and thumb nuts p,
the slide bodies being slotted to provide for the passage of the bolts, as is clearly
shown.
Between the chambers A there are formed lint chambers B, into which chambers
the lint gathered by the saw teeth from the seed within the chambers A, is thrown,
owing to the peculiar formation of the saw teeth, which formation will be presently
explained. I have heretofore found it difficult to prevent the banking of the lint
against the posts 20 but this difficulty I have now found may be overcome by
forming openings i, in the posts 20, and by connecting a suction fan to a series of
pipes, which lead to the lint chambers B, the connections being established at
about the relative points shown in the drawings.
In this way I provide for the delivery of air to the forward inner angles of the
lint chambers at a point in close proximity to the angles formed by the meeting of
the saw teeth and the inner faces of the posts 20, whereby provide for the drawing
of the lint away from the banking point, and for the drawing of the lint away from
the chambers to a delivery spout or tube 41, that is connected to a fan and, to which
the pipes 40 lead..
Instead of forming apertures in the posts 20, I could under certain circum-
stances, aperture the lower portions of the plates 24, and in this way secure
practically the same result. This modified construction is illustrated in Figure 11.
Beneath the table 11, I arrange plates 50 that are bolted to the table, as shown.
These plates 50 are formed with curved flanges 51 that extend upward from the
plate bodies and fit closely against the under surface of the table, and in the
plates 501 form discharge openings 52, in connection with which openings I arrange
a discharge chute 53.
rear,
Within the chambers formed by the table, the plates 50 and their flanges 51, I
arrange gathering arms 54 and 55, the arms 54 being by preference, curved to the
while the arms 55 are curved forward, as is clearly shown in Figure 2. The
arms 54 and 55 are arranged so as to break joint, and as the arms 54 curve back-
ward, it will be seen that the seed gathered thereby (such seed falling upon the
plates 50 through the slots or openings d, formed as above described in the table 11)
will be thrown into the paths of the arms 55, to be in turn gathered by such arms 55
and moved forward and over the openings 52, so that the seed will eventually pass
downward through the openings 52 and into the chute 53.
Referring now to Figures 7 and 8, it will be noticed that the forward edges of
the saw teeth are not formed upon radial lines, but are formed upon lines which
incline to the rear from radial lines, so that if a line coincident with the forward
edge of any tooth be extended toward the saw axis, it will pass such axis in advance
thereof, as is indicated by the dotted lines shown in Figure 7. In this way I
prevent the saw teeth from holding the lint gathered from the seed, the centrifugal
force generated by the revolution of the saws tending to throw the lint therefrom
and into the lint chambers B.

page_text: To increase this effect and at the same time to secure a tooth which will readily
gather the lint, I sharpen the points of the teeth by working down the metal from
either side of the face, as will be readily understood by referring to Figure S.
As before stated, I prefer to arrange the saws at intervals of about one eighth of
an inch, and in doing this I have found it difficult to secure a proper cast metal
comb; but I find that by making a "built up" comb, consisting of alternately
arranged tooth and spacing plates, exceedingly satisfactory results are obtained.
In building the comb I take metallic blanks, preferably of about the form shown
in Figure 9, and between these blanks I place other blanks, preferably cut from
paper, which approximate the form of the blanks shown in Figure 10, the blanks
being alternately arranged and united by clamping or binding bolis
The metallic blanks r, are formed with shoulders 3, against which shoulders there
is fitted a plate 19, that is apertured to provide for the passage of screws s, that are
passed through the paper blanks and into the posts 20; and to prevent any dis-
placement of the combs, I prefer to form them with shoulders and projections t',
the shoulders tabutting against the inner faces of the posts 21, while the projections t
enter grooves that are formed in said posts.
In operation, the seed to be treated is fed into the chambers A through
openings C, formed in the top plate of the machine, the shaft 12 at this time being
driven so that the saws will advance in the direction of the arrow shown in con-
nection therewith in Figure 3. As the saws are so advanced, the shafts 14 will
be advanced in the direction of their arrows, and the seed within the chambers A
will be thoroughly agitated, fresh seeds being constantly presented to the action of
the saw teeth, a portion of the seed in its downward course passing through the
apertures formed in the disks 16, while other portions of the seed pass outside of the
disks.
By providing the disks, and aperturing such disks as described, I find that the
seed will move inward and outward in its passage down through the chambers A.
When it is desired to sharpen the saws, the retaining nuts of the bolts cand cl
are turned off, and the table and top plate are separated, it being understood that
the outer facing plates 60, of the chambers B, located between the dividing lines of
the table and top plates are removed at this time.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
1 claim is,
1. A cotton seed linter, provided with a lint chamber, and with a system of
apertures arranged to deliver air to the forward inner angle of such chamber, as and
for the purpose stated.
2. A cotton seed linter, provided with a lint chamber, and with a system of
apertures leading inward to a point in close proximity to the forward inner angle of
such chamber.
3. A cotton seed linter, provided with a lint chamber, and with a post which forms
a portion of the lint chamber walls, such post being apertured, substantially as
described.
4. A cotton seed linter, provided with a sectional table, and a sectional top plate,
substantially as described.
5. A comb for cotton seed linters, consisting of plates formed with teeth, interposed
spacing plates, and binding devices, substantially as described.
6. A comb for cotton seed linters, consisting of plates formed with teeth, and
with shoulders t, interposed spacing plates, and binding devices, substantially as
described.
7. A comb for cotton seed linters, consisting of plates formed with teeth, interposed
spacing plates, binding devices, and a facing plate, as 19.
8. A comb for cotton seed linters, consisting of plates formed with teeth, shoulders
as t, and projections as t¹, interposed spacing plates, and binding devices, substantially
as described.

page_text: 9. A comb for cotton seed linters, consisting of metallic.plates formed with teeth,
interposed paper plates, and binding devices. substantially as described.
10. A saw for cotton seed linters, wherein the forward edges of the teeth are
inclined to the rear from radial lines, and wherein the side faces of the teeth are
worked down, substantially as described.
11. In a cotton seed linter, the combination, with a structure formed with a cotton
seed receiving chamber, a saw cylinder chamber, and a lint receiving chamber, of a
vertical shaft, saws carried thereby, a second vertical shaft arranged within the seed
receiving chamber, agitators and disks carried thereby, and an operating mechanism,
substantially as described.
12. In a cotton seed linter, the combination, with a structure formed with a saw
cylinder chamber, cotion seed receiving chambers and lint receiving chambers, of a
saw cylinder, shafts mounted within the seed receiving chambers agitators carried by
such shafts, gathering arms also carried by the shafts, and a means for driving the
shafts, substantially as described.
13. In a cotton seed linter, the combination, with a table formed with apertures d
of adjustably mounted slides arranged in connection with such apertures, plates formed
with upwardly extending flanges arranged beneath the table, a structure forming a
cylinder chamber, cotton seed receiving chambers and lint chambers arranged above
the table, a saw cylinder, agitator shafts arranged within the seed receiving chambers,
gathering arms carried by the agitator shafts, a discharge chute, and a means for
driving the shafts, substantially as described.
14. In a cotton seed linter, the combination, with the saw cylinder chamber and
the cotton seed receiving chamber, of the saw cylinder, an agitator shaft having
apertured disks, and means for driving the said saw cylinder and agitator shaft,
substantially as described.
15. In a cotton seed linter, the combination, with a saw cylinder chamber and
cotton seed receiving chamber, of a saw cylinder agitating shaft, and gathering arms
which are carried by said agitator shaft, and a means for driving the saw cylinder
and the agitator shaft, substantially as described.
16. A cotton seed linter constructed and operating substantially as specified.
Datod this 5th day of August 1890
Datod this 5th day of August 1800.
E. J. O'BRIEN.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.