IMPROVE- MENTS IN COTTON GINS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN COTTON GINS."-A communication from abroad by Frederick
Tabor Ackland, Henry George Mitchell, and Mustapha Mustapha, of
Zagazig, Egypt.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,.
on the 27th June 1865.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, [Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COTTON GINS," a communication to me from abroad by
Frederick Tabor Ackland, Henry George Mitchell, and Mustapha Mustapha,
of Zagazig, Egypt, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the feeding of cotton gins whereby the machines
are rendered self-acting, and the feeding of the cotton is more regular than
when hand labor is employed for that purpose, whilst at the same time the
work is more expeditiously performed.

page_text: According to this Invention it is proposed to apply to the ordinary Macarthy
gin, or to other gins of a like character, a self-acting feeder which pushes
forward the cotton to the ginning roller and "doctor" as fast as it is fed into
the feeding hopper. According to one arrangement of self-acting feeder a
reciprocating curved metal plate is employed of a length equal to that of the
roller, or if preferred this plate may be replaced by a corresponding surface
of wood, wire, or other suitable material. This feeder reciprocates to and
from the ginning roller, and is situate inside the feeding hopper, its curved
front edge surving to push forward the cotton up to the roller and "doctor."
Motion may be imparted to the feeder either by means of a crank shaft and
connecting rods, or by any other well known mechanical contrivance. Or in
lieu of a reciprocating feeder, such as that above described, a rotatory feeder
may be employed, which will be found to be particularly suited to cotton of a
long staple; this feeder consists of a revolving shaft or spindle provided with
a number of eccentric or oval discs or plates, which revolve within the
openings or spaces in the ordinary grating of the gin, and thereby push
forward the cotton as fast as it is introduced into the hopper to the ginning
roller. This feeder may be driven by a band and pullies, or by gearing from
the main shaft of the machine.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 27th December 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of June, in the year of our Lord.
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John
Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns,, or such
others as I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, adminis
trators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should

page_text: 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. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COTTON GINS," a communication to me
from abroad by Frederick Tabor Ackland, Henry George Mitchell, and
Mustapha Mustapha, of Zagazig, Egypt, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors or admi-
nistrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 John Henry Johnson, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
The said Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of
self-acting mechanism for feeding cotton gins, whereby a more regular and
certain feed is obtained than by the mechanism heretofore adopted for that
purpose.
According to this Invention it is proposed to apply to the ordinary Macartby
gin, or to other gins of. a like character, a self-acting feeder which reciprocates
to and fro in a rectilinear or straight course, and imparts a direct push to
the cotton so as to move it forward by a positive motion to the ginning roller
and "doctor" as fast as it is fed into the feeding hopper. This feeder consists
of a bar of wood, metal, wirework, or other suitable material of a length
equal to that of the ginning roller, which bar is situate inside the hopper
parallel to the axis of the said roller. This feeding bar reciprocates towards
and from the ginning roller, and its doctor along the grid upon which it rests,
its motion being derived directly from cranks or eccentrics on a shaft contained
within the back portion of the hopper. As fast as the cotton is supplied to
the hopper it falls at each back stroke of the feeder in front of the forward
edge or face thereof, so that when the feeder returns towards the ginning
roller and "doctor" it pushes that portion of the cotton immediately in front
of it directly against the said roller and "doctor," and then recedes for a fresh
supply, which is again pushed forward as before, and so on.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I sball

page_text: refer to the Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the same
letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in both the Figures.
Fig. 1 of the Drawings represents a side elevation of an improved Macarthy
gin provided with the above described self-acting feeder; and Fig. 2 is a
vertical section of the upper part of the gin on a larger scale, showing more
clearly the construction and operation of the feeder. A represents one of the
two side standards of the gin; B is the main driving shaft, and C is the shaft
of the ordinary leather covered ginning roller D; E is the "doctor" or fixed
knife; F is the vibratory beater plate attached to the radius rod G, which
works on a fixed centre at H, and derives its motion from a crank on the
main shaft and a connecting rod I; K is the feeding hopper, and L the
grating or grid, all which parts are common to gins of this class and
form no part of the present Invention, which has reference solely to the
feeding mechanism herein-after more particularly described or referred to;
M is the reciprocating feeder, it extends from end to end of the hopper,
within which it is contained, is parallel to the surface of the ginning roller D,
and slides towards and from such roller along the grating or grid L. A
rectilinear reciprocating motion is imparted to the feeder M by means of a
crank shaft N, revolving in adjustable bearings O, in the ends of the hopper.
P represents one of two connecting rods which connect the feeding bar M
with its actuating cranks on, the crank shaft N; a pulley Qis keyed on to
one end of the crank shaft N, and a corresponding pulley of equal diameter R
is keyed on to one end of the main driving shaft, motion being transmitted
from such pulley to the crank shaft by the band S. The cotton to be fed
into the machine is laid upon the table T, and is thence pushed by hand
down the inclined side of the hopper, to the lower edge of which a flap U
of leather or other suitable material is secured for the purpose of preventing
any of the cotton from entering behind the feeder. As the feeder advances
its front edge or face m pushes the cotton before it against the ginning
roller and "doctor," which seize it and remove the seeds therefrom in the well
known manner.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the application and use to
and in the Macarthy cotton gin or other cotton gins of a like character
of a feeding bar or surface having a rectilinear reciprocating motion along the

page_text: grid or grating for the purpose of pushing the cotton up to the ginning roller
and "doctor," substantially as herein-before described, and illustrated by the
annexed Sheet of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-second day of December, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-five.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)