Improvements in or relating to Machinery or Apparatus for Removing Fibre from Cotton Seed.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 7th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 6th Apr., 1895-Accepted, 11th May, 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Machinery or Apparatus for
Removing Fibre from Cotton Seed.
I, RICHARD SILCOCK, of Thornton Hall, Poulton-le-Fylde, in the County of
Lancaster, Seed Crusher and Manure Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
"
"
This invention has reference to improvements in or relating to machinery or
apparatus for removing fibre from cotton seed. In carrying out my said invention
I employ an arrangement of apparatus consisting of an outer cylindrical casing or
drum arranged to revolve slowly in the opposite direction to a central shaft
carrying a series of discs or plates coated with emery corundum or similar material.
One two or more other shafts also carrying similar discs (which I term "auxiliary
discs) revolve in the same direction as the central shaft and are so arranged that
the auxiliary discs enter the spaces between the discs on the central shaft. The
outer cylindrical casing may be arranged to carry on the inside "segments
or flat
plates which enter the spaces between the auxiliary discs. The outer casing
revolves slowly whilst the internal discs revolve quickly. A portion or all of the
segments or flat plates may be omitted and helically curved plates substituted in
lieu thereof the said curved plates acting as lifters to raise the seed in the cylinder
and to worn or force it through the apparatus or mill. These lifters are preferably
arranged at varying angles so as to regulate the speed at which the material passes
through the mill. The undelinted cotton seed is fed into the mill by means of a
worm at the lower part of the cylinder from a suitable hopper at one end of the
apparatus and finds its way out at the other through an opening having a hinged
weighted flap door the seed being rolled over between and against the abrading
surfaces of the emery-faced discs which cut off the fibres and thereby delint the
seed.
"
The apparatus as above described is in its general features of the same description
as that described in the Specification accompanying my former Application for
Letters Patent No. 24,546 A.D. 1893. In such apparatus the revolving outer
cylinder has stationary end plates through a central hole in which the main or
central disc shaft passes. In practice it is found that the said shaft where it passes
through the end plate at the delivery end of the mill becomes worn or "necked
owing to the advent thereto of loose lint or fibre dust and dirt. I therefore mount
upon the said shaft-and upon the auxiliary disc shafts when such are employed-
so as to adjoin the inner side of the said end plate a collar or bush carrying curved
helical wings or fingers which act as a protector and prevent the said loose fibre
dust and dirt from finding their way into the annular space between the said central
shaft and the end plate.
DAL
1001

page_text: '
Improvements in or relating to Machinery or Apparatus for
Removing Fibre from Cotton Seed.
I, RICHARD SILCOCK, of Thornton Hall, Poulton-le-Fylde, in the County of
Lancaster, Seed Crusher and Manure Manufacturer, dó 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 improvements in or relating to machinery or
apparatus for removing fibre from cotton seed. In carrying out my said invention
I employ an arrangement of apparatus consisting of an outer cylindrical casing or
drum arranged to revolve slowly-at about 26 revolutions per minute-in the
opposite direction to (or in the same direction as) a central shaft carrying a series
of discs or plates coated with emery corundum or similar material. One two or
more shafts carrying similar dises (which I term "auxiliary" dises) revolve in the
same direction as the central shaft and are so arranged that the auxiliary discs
enter the spaces between the discs on the central shaft. The outer cylindrical
casing may be arranged to carry on the inside "segments" or flat plates which
enter the spaces between the auxiliary discs. The several sets of discs are caused
to rotate at a rapid rate that is to say at (preferably) a peripheral surface speed of
about 3000 feet per minute. The undelinted cotton seed is fed into the apparatus
or "mill" by means of a worn at one end of the apparatus from a suitable hopper
and in one arrangement-finds its way out at the other in the manner described
in the Specification of my former Patent No. 24,546 A.D. 1893 that is to say
through an opening having a hinged weighted flap door the seed being rolled over
between and held against the abrading surfaces of the emery faced discs which cut
off the fibres and thereby delint the seed.
The apparatus as above described is in its general features of the same descrip-
tion as that described in the Specification of my said former Patent. In such
apparatus the revolving outer cylinder has stationary end plates through a central
hole in which the main or central shaft passes. In practice it is found that the
said shaft where it passes through the end plate at the delivery end of the mill
becomes worn or "necked" owing to the advent thereto of loose lint or fibre dust
and dirt. 1 therefore mount upon the said shaft, and upon the auxiliary dise
shafts when such are employed-s
-so as to adjoin the inner side of the said end plate
a collar or bush carrying curved helical wings or fingers which act as a protector
and prevent the said loose fibre dust and dirt from finding their way into the
annular space between the said central shaft and the end plate.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation (partly in section) and
'
Fig. 2 a plan view (also partly in section) illustrating apparatus constructed
according to my said invention in which are employed a central shaft 1 carrying a
series of discs 2, 2 and two other shafts 3, 3 each carrying a series of auxiliary
discs 4, 4.
Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the outlet end of the said apparatus and
Fig. 4 an end elevation of the inlet or feed end of the same.
Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus to illustrate more particularly
the arrangement or disposition of the several disc shafts relatively to each other.
In the said Figures 5 is the outer cylinder which may conveniently be formed of
curved metal plates in sections bolted together at 6 and at each end to annular end
rims 7, 7. These end rims rest or roll upon grooved anti-friction pulleys 8, 8.

page_text: an arm
On one of the end rims namely 7" is attached a toothed wheel rim 9 into which
is geared a pinion wheel 10 on a shaft 11 rotated by means of a driving belt
on the pulley 12. The toothed rim 9 and pinion 10 are indicated by broken
lines at Fig. 4. The central orifice of the end rim 7 is filled up by a round
stationary plate 13 supported on an arm or bracket 14 projecting from the
standard 15. The opening in the opposite end rim 7" is filled up by a corre-
sponding stationary plate 13ª supported on
or bracket 14* projecting
from the standard 15". A worm 16 on a shaft 17 rotated by the belt pulley 18
forces the material from within the hopper 19 into the interior of the cylinder
and an opening 20 in the upper part of the opposite stationary plate 7 answers
-in conjunction with the projecting extremity of a rotating worm 21 and a
trough or channel 22-as the outlet for the material. As the material issues
through the said opening 20 it may be conducted through an opening or openings
in the lower side of the trough 22 in any required direction. I find the employment
of the travelling worm 21 advantageous in assisting the material through the
cylinder that is to say from the feed end towards the outlet or discharge end.
At Fig. 11-23, 23 are lifter plates-of various forms some of which are
illustrated at Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 of the drawings-for the purpose of
moving or carrying the seed round with the slowly rotating cylinder 5 and thus
causing it not only to be lifted over and dropped from the upper part of the
cylinder on to the revolving discs 2, 2, and 4, 4, below but also to be pushed or
forced through between and therefore against the sides of the said discs. I employ
the said travelling worm 21 and lifters 23, 23, of the kind described-which I find
to answer efficiently in practice-in preference to the arrangement of helically
curved plates set at varying angles referred to in my Provisional Specification.
The lifter plate shewn at Figs. 6 and 7 consists of a piece of ordinary angle iron
closed in at one end and-through the hole 24-bolted to the cylinder 5. At
Figs. 8, 9, and 10 is shewn another form of lifter plate having two fork-like spring
arms 25, 25, capable of compression and expansion.
Fig. 12 illustrates in sectional side view and
Fig. 13 in end view the collar or bush 26 carrying the curved helical wings or
fingers 27, 27 which I employ on the disc shafts 1 and 3, 3 to prevent loose fibre
dust and dirt from finding their way into the annular space between the said shafts
and the end plate as herein before mentioned.
The cylinder 5 is preferably perforated near its inlet or feed end 28 so as to
admit the outer air which is drawn through the cylinder by means of an exhaust
fan connected with the outlet tube 29 thus tending to cool the interior of the
apparatus and at the same time allowing the finer dust or particles to be withdrawn
from the cylinder.
Although I bave described and illustrated in the drawings an arrangement of
only two auxiliary disc shafts in addition to the central disc shaft it will be obvious
that if thought desirable more than two such shafts (or only one such shaft) might
readily be arranged in accordance with my said invention.
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
claim is :-
1. In apparatus for removing fibre from cotton seed the use or employment in
combination with an outer revolving cylinder and an inner centrally or axially
disposed rotating shaft carrying a series of emery-covered discs of one two or more
additional rotating shafts also carrying emery-covered discs in manner substantially
as described and shewn in the drawings.
2. In apparatus of the kind herein referred to the use or employment of lifter
plates such as 23, 23 in manner substantially as described and shewn in the
drawings for the purpose set forth.
3. In apparatus for removing fibre from cotton seed in which a rotating shaft
passes through an end plate the application to such shaft and end plate of a collar

page_text: or bush having wings or fingers arranged to operate substantially as described and
shewn in the drawings for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 6th day of April 1895.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.