IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING COTTON SEED
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry William Goldring, of Moorgate Street, in
the City of london, Mercl:aut, for the Invention of "IMPROVED
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING COTTON SEED."
Sealed the 31st August 1869, and dated the 3rd March 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry William Goldring
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 3rd March 1869.
I, HENRY WILLIAM GOLDRING, of Moorgate Street, in the City of
London, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING COTTON SEED," to be
as follows:-
This Invention consists of a machine or apparatus for operating upon
cotton seed mechanically as well as chemically, and is designed to per-
form the several operations of removing the cotton adhering to the seed,
straining the chemicals and water therefrom, and for washing, drying,
polishing, and discharging the seed in regular order of succession.
Price 8d1

page_text: The process of treating cotton seed chemically forms no part of this
Invention, but is the subject of a former Patent applied for on the
14th day of October 1868, and numbered 3149; and although the same
chemical, namely sulphuric acid, is employed in the machine or appa-
ratus which forms the subject of this present Patent, the object of the
said machine or apparatus is solely to combine the operations of
introducing the sulphuric acid and water and simintaneously to mix and
distribute the same amongst the seed, and at the same time to agitate it
by mechanical means, instead of performing those operations by hand as
described in the former Patent of the 14th day of October 1868.
The following is an example of the construction of the machine or
apparatus above referred to:-In a suitable framing and at the top of
one end thereof 1 adapt a hollow cylinder formed in two parts longi-
tudinally, and movable on a hollow axis passing through the centre of
the divided cylinder. This axle is formed with hollow perforated radial
arms closed at their ends, also a wiper arm for cleaning the cylinder and
preventing adhesion of cotton thereto. A hopper is fixed to the upper
part of the aforesaid cylinder for introducing the seed intended to be
operated upon. From the upper part of the aforesaid framing a long
inclined vibrating table or tray is suspended, the bottom of the said table
being formed in the following manner, that is to say, that part thereof
that comes under the cylinder containing the seed is formed perforated
to act as a strainer, beneath which a reservoir is fixed, and about midway
of the entire length of the said table a large opening is made, and fitted
with a hinged door or flap capable of moving downwards and of being
raised by an excentric or other mechanical contrivance. Immediately
under this door or flap is a hot chamber or steam coil, and the remaining
portion of the aforesaid table, which is also perforated, has an air chest
or blast arranged beneath it, and beyond the end of the said table there
is a cylinder fitted with brushes or other rubbing surfaces for the purpose
of polishing the sced after it leaves the table, the said polishing cylinder
being so constructed as to discharge the seed after it has been suffi-
ciently polished. The operations of the above machine or apparatus are
as follows: The sulphuric acid is pumped or otherwise forced through
the hollow axle of the seed holder or cylinder, which is first charged
with the cotton seed, the acid passing out at the perforations in the
radial arms. Now supposing these arms to have rotatory motion imparted
thereto the effect will be to agitate the seed in the cylinder, thereby

page_text: allowing the acid to enter freely amongst the seed, after which plain
water is forced into the seed through the aforesaid hollow axle and
arms; this done the lower part of the cylinder is moved on its axis, and
the seed discharged on to the strainer beneath, the chemicals and water
passing into the reservoir below. During this time the table containing
the seed is moved to and fro by a rod connected thereto, and actuated
by a crank or other mechanical contrivance, the effect of which is to
shake the seed and cause it to move forward on the table; and when the
seed arrives at that part of the table where the door or flap is situated,
and supposing the flap to be lowered down, which may be done by hand,
the seed will be deposited thereon, and is allowed to remain there until
it is dried by the hot chamber beneath; the flap is then raised to the
level of the other parts of the table, and again passes forward over the
other perforated part thereof, where any remaining moisture is dis-
charged from the seed by the action of the air chest below. The seed
thus dried passes on to the polishing cylinder, where it is polished and
finally finished. Whilst these operations of straining, drying, and
polishing are going on a fresh quantity of seed is being operated upon
in the cylinder, which is discharged and finished as before stated, and so
on in succession.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry William Goldring in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd September 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME I, HENRY
WILLIAM GOLDRING, of Moorgate Street, in the City of London,
Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry William Goldring, Her special
licence that I, the said Henry William Goldring, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry William
Goldring, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times

page_text: thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVED MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING COTTON SEED," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry William Goldring,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in
the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry William Goldring, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, that is to say:-
This Invention consists of improved machinery or apparatus for
operating upon cotton seed mechanically as well as chemically, and is
designed to remove the cotton adhering to the seed.
The process of treating cotton seed chemically forms no part of this
Invention, but is the subject of a former Patent applied for on the
14th day of October 1868, and numbered 3149; and although the same
chemical, namely sulphuric acid, is employed in the machinery or
apparatus which forms the subject of this present Patent, the object of
the said machinery or apparatus is solely to combine the operations of
introducing the sulphuric acid and water and simultaneously to mix and
distribute the same amongst the seed, and at the same time to agitate
it by mechanical means, instead of performing those operations by hand
as described in the former Patent of the 14th October 1868.
And in order to explain this Invention more completely I now proceed
to describe the construction of the improved machinery or apparatus I
employ for cleaning cotton seed, and the manner of operating therewith
for that purpose, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of Draw-
ings accompanying these Presents, and to the numeral figures and letters
of reference marked thereon respectively as follows:--
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved machinery or
annaratus for cleaning cotton seed. Figure 2 is a transverse and vertical

page_text: section through the line A, B, at Figure 1; Figure 3, a longitudinal
and vertical section through the line C, D, at Figure 2. At each of
the foregoing Figures I employ similar letters of reference to denote
corresponding parts wherever such said parts appear at each of such said
Figures respectively.
A marks the framing of the machine or apparatus supporting the
following parts; B, a reservoir to contain the seed to be operated upon;
C, a hollow axis working water-tight through the ends of B; D are
hollow perforated arms closed at their outer ends and fixed into the
axis C; E, a rigger fixed on C for imparting rotatory motion thereto by
means of a strap or band suitably driven; G, H, are cylinders of sheet
metal mounted loosely on solid axles I, K, to which are affixed brushes L.
The cylinders G, H, are made in two parts lengthwise, the upper part of
each cylinder being capable of being moved over the under part thereof.
a, b, are toothed wheels employed for imparting rotatory motion to the
axle I and brushes fixed thereon by means of the stud wheel M, over
which a chain passes and is suitably driven. N is a pulley fixed on the
axle K for imparting rotatory motion to the brushes fixed on the axle K,
which may be effected by means of a strap or band passed over N and
suitably driven. O is an endless travelling band or cloth working over
the rollers P, P₁, to one or more of which rotatory motion is to be
imparted for advancing the band O at the proper speed. R is a wiper
for keeping the curved part of the reservoir B clean.
The operations of this machinery or apparatus are as follows:-Dilute
sulphuric acid is pumped or otherwise forced through the axis C after
the vessel B has been charged with cotton sced; the machinery is then
set in motion, the effect of which is to stir up or agitate and disturb the
seed, so as to allow the dilute sulphuric acid to attack and partly detach
the cotton which previously adhered to the seed, the acid passing out at
the perforations in the arms D, and when the seed has been sufficiently
operated upon by the acid, which may be ascertained by the operator
removing a portion of the seed from time to time, the seed is then
allowed to pass into the cylinder G, either by the openings c, c, formed
therein, or the vessel B may be turned over and the seed let fall into the
cylinder G by sliding back the cover of the said cylinder; the
brushes L now remove any cotton that may be adhering to the seed, and
partially dry the seed, and when the seed in the cylinder has been
sufficiently operated upon it is then allowed to pass on to the travelling

page_text: band or cloth O by the opening d; the seed is now advanced, and may
be dried either by a fan blast or steam introduced either above or below
the band O, or otherwise; and, finally, the seed passes by the opening e
into the cylinder H, where it is polished by the brushes L, and is then
discharged in a finished state ready for the market. The acid and water
passes off by the pipe X through perforations made in the bottom of the
cylinder G at X.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my
said Invention for "Improved Machinery or Apparatus for Cleansing
Cotton Seed," together with the best means I am acquainted with for
carrying the same into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion
that I hereby declare my Invention to consist in and I claim, operating
upon cotton seed with machinery or apparatus of the construction above
described with reference to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, for the
purpose of removing the cotton from the seed in the manner above
stated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry William Goldring, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Second day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine,
H. W. GOLDRING. (L.S.)