AN IMPROVED METHOD OR PROCESS OF AND MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING SEPARATING OR DISINTEGRATING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Harris Lake of the firm of Haseltine Lake
and Co, Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London for an Invention of
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OR PROCESS OF AND MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR
CLEANING SEPARATING OR DISINTEGRATING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS
MATERIALS"
communicated to him from abroad by William Seward Archer
of the City and State of New York, United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Henry Harris Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th August 1883.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London "AN IMPROVED METHOD OR PROCESS OF AND
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING, SEPARATING, OR DISINTEGRATING
COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS communicated to me from abroad by
William Seward Archer of the City and State of New York, United States of
America
"
This invention relates to machines for treating cotton, wool, hair or other
fibrous materials and has for its object to separate the finer and better grades of
the material from the coarser elements..
In the treatment of cotton, I am enabled to take what is known as the "waste"
and by means of this invention so clean and separate it from the foreign matter,
such as heads, seeds and other substances with which it is intimately combined,
that the product may be utilized in the manufacture of goods employing the finer
grades of material. The finer grades of the material being treated are, during the
operation of the machine, carried by a current of air into a blow-room in which,
the rear end of the machine opens, while the coarser elements are arrested and
descend to the floor or a suitable receptacle below the machine,
4

page_text: The nature and operation of the improved machine will be hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section of a machine constructed
according to this invention.
Figure 2. is a side view of the same, and
Figures 3 and 4 are views illustrating modifications of the said invention.
A indicates the sides of the machine, having in their upper front portion the
endless feed apron C mounted upon the rollers D, the forward one of which
receives its motion from a band-wheel E while the latter is rotated owing to its
frictional contact with the travelling apron. Directly in rear of the feed-apron C
is secured between the sides of the machine the trough F in which the feed-roller Q
has a revolving motion and operates to draw the "stock" or inaterial being treated
from the apron C, down into the said trough and then carry it over the rear edge of
the same and deliver it to the picker-roller H. It will be observed that the
trough F is in close relation to the feed-apron C and roller H, this being important
to the successful manipulation of the material. The roller H is a plain cylinder of
suitable dimensions, having the surface provided with projecting pins a and being
journalled between the sides of the machine.
Below the picker-roller H, are attached on the sides of the machine, the corre-
sponding guides I in which is adjustably secured by a headed screw b passing
through the end flange d, the stop J, which is, preferably, a plain strip of metal
such as boiler iron, having its ends trimmed off and bent down to form the
flanges d. The stop J may be adjusted as will readily be understood, in the
guides I, according to the character of the stock passing through the machine, but
it is usually found advantageous to secure the stop in about the position shown,
its edge being between one sixteenth and three-sixteenths of an inch from the
extremities of the passing pins on the picker-roller H. The feed-roller G has a
toothed surface and may be a solid casting, as a convenient method of construction.
Below the feed roller are the inclined ways K, L, the former extending toward the
front of the machine and forming practically an extension of the stop J, and the
latter inclining rearwardly.
Over the feed-roller G and picker-roller H is provided the hood N, the front
edge of which is forward of the feed-roller G, and within which (directly over the
feed-roller) is furnished a concave extension e, the effect of which is to reverse the
current of air created by the picker-cylinder, the hood then deflecting it toward the
blow-room.
The trough F may be secured in position, either rigidly or adjustably, as may be
desired. In Figure 4 the trough is shown as being pivotally secured at its front
portions, its rear end being sustained by a spring f, which preserves the front edge
of the trough in near relation to the feed roller and at the same time gives' or
yields to the material being passed through the machine. The same result may be
effected if the trough is rigidly secured and the bearings of the roller G are held
down by weights, the specific gravity of which, when an extra quantity of material
is in the trough, will be overcome, allowing the roller to rise slightly. This con-
struction is shown in Figure 2 wherein g is the weight which is hung upon the end
of a lever h which bears upon the journal i of the ends of the roller.
The operation of the improved machine is as follows, that is to say :-The parts
of the machine being set in motion, the stock is spread upon the feed-apron C and
is by it carried rearward to the roller G which draws it continuously into the
trough F and carries it to a point within reach of the pins on the cylinder H,
which, revolving rapidly (say at a speed of about two thousand revolutions a
minute), carries the finer elements of the stock in line with its motion, the coarse
elements being brought in contact with the stop J, whereby their motion is arrested
and they descend the inclines K, L, and may be removed at will. The finer
elements of the stock which follow the picker cylinder are taken up by the current
of air before mentioned and carried into the blow room.

page_text: If hair, wool, or cotton, is being fed to the machine the finer grades will be
separated from that which is more coarse and carried into the blow room, while
the coarse elements, wisps, and knotty foreign matter are kept separate and
detained in convenient position to permit their removal at will.
One or more. stops J may be employed according to the character of the result
sought to be accomplished and, if desired, travelling aprons may be provided to
remove the product from the blow-room during the operation of the machine.
It is very advantageous to be enabled to clean cotton-waste, a material which
has heretofore been regarded as almost valueless. By the process to which I subject
it I secure a product which may be successfully employed in the manufacture of the
finer class of goods. I take the waste in the exact condition in which it is found
in commerce and without manipulation or treatment subject it at once to the
action of the picker. The result is that a separation of the elements takes place;
the coarse matter and refuse falls below the machine, while a fine quality of cotton
is blown out through the rear end of the machine. By this process I secure a
product which it has been heretofore thought impossible to produce from cotton
waste and one which may be applied to uses for which cotton waste has never
before been employed.
Having thus fully described the said invention as communicated to me by my
foreign Correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim.
First The method or process herein before described of treating cotton or other
fibrous material, which method consists in subjecting the same to the action of a
picker-roller provided with a stop or stops, whereby the cotton or other fibre is
separated from the foreign matter which it contained and blown from the machine,
while the said foreign matter is detained and discarded; substantially as set forth.
Second In a machine for separating or disintegrating cotton or other fibrous
material, the feed-apron, the feed-roller, and the trough and picker-roller, combined
with a current-deflecting hood, substantially as set forth.
Third In a machine for separating or disintegrating cotton or other fibrous
material, the feed-apron, the feed-roller, and the trough and picker-roller, combined
with a stop and a current-deflecting hood, substantially as set forth.
Fourth. In a machine for separating or disintegrating cotton or other fibrous
material, the feed-apron, the feed-roller and trough, the picker-cylinder and the
adjustable stop, combined with the current-deflecting hood and inclined ways,
substantially as set forth.
Fifth In a machine for separating or disintegrating cotton or other fibrous
material, the feed-apron, the feed-roller and adjustable trough, the picker-cylinder
and the stop, combined with the current-deflecting hood, substantially as set forth.
Sixth The combination of the feed-apron, the feed-roller and trough, the
picker-cylinder, the hood and the stop J which is adjustable in the segmental
guides, substantially as described.
In witness whereof I the said Henry Harris Lake have bereunto set my hand
and seal this twenty eighth day of August in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty three.
HENRY H LAKE (L.S.)