Improvements in or connected with Machinery for Cleaning Cotton Seed and like Kernels.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 26th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 28th Feb., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Machinery for Cleaning Cotton
Seed and like Kernels.
I, GEORGE HENRY CROKER, of 18, Bellevue Road, Seacombe, in the County of
Chester, Carver, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference, mainly, to that class or kind of machinery which is
designed to remove the fibre adhering to cotton seed, with the object, chiefly, of
rendering cattle feeding cake or food stuff made therefrom harmless, and thereby
relatively more valuable; and the object o the present invention is, mainly, to
provide machines for this purpose, which shall be more efficient, durable, and
simple, and of less expensive construction than those at present in use.
In operating upon the seeds according to this invention, they are caused to turn
over endwise, as well as about their longer axis, and their ends are acted upon by
the material, surface, or tool points, as the case may be, by which the adhering
fibre is removed, and thus the whole surface of the seeds is subjected to the action
of removing medium, with the result that the fibre adhering to the seeds at all
points, may be, practically, wholly removed, and the seed fully cleaned. In a
machine having a rotary drum, provided at its periphery with a surface having a
removing material or medium, and an outer case adapted to keep the seeds up to the
surface of the drum, this action is effected by disposing the outer case, at one or
more points, further away from the drum surface, than at those more closely set
portions at which the sides of the seeds are chiefly acted upon; for example, it may
be effected by arranging the drums and the outer case eccentrically in relation to
cach other, or by providing a recess in such outer case; or, by another mode, the
outer case at one or more parts or points set back a certain distance away from
the drum surface, or in any equivalent manner. By such provisions or arrangement
of parts, the seeds at the said parts or portions are turned over endwise, and the
fibre upon their ends acted upon, and removed.
Also, according to this invention the removing and acting surface, and the outer
case surface of the machine are set more closely together at the finishing end than
at the end at which the seeds enter it. By this means the removal of adhering
fibre is gradual, and consequently not violent; also liability to crack or break
the seeds is obviated; and moreover the power required to drive the machine is
rendered relatively small.
The preferred form of machine according to this invention is one in which the
rotary drum and outer case, are horizontally arranged, or at an inclination to the
horizontal plane, the rotary drum being rotated and the outer case stationary; or,
conversely, the outer case may be rotated and the inner drum stationary; or again,
both the drum and outer case may be rotated in opposite directions at differential
speeds, in the same direction.
A machine of the type just referred to, and having improvements according to
this invention applied thereto, comprises the following parts: A suitable frame
forming a support for the moving and fixed parts; a drum preferably cylindrical
and adapted to be rotated, and mounted in bearings on the frame, and provided or
clothed with a peripheral jacket or coating of cards of the kind commonly
employed in textile machinery, and applied in practically the same manner; a spiral
bar disposed outside the said drum, and adapted to serve as a means of leading or
forwarding the seed through the machine from one end to the other; a material
of the nature herein described, disposed within the spiral spaces formed by

page_text: and enclosed between said spiral bars; and suitably feeding and discharging means
or devices.
The material which I employ between the forwarding or leader bars, serves to
hold one side of the seed while it is being operated upon by the cards of the drum,
and consists of a number of wires arranged as those in the card cloth above specified,
and by preference, it is of this type of material, but having the teeth practically
flush with (or standing only slightly above) the inside or working surface of the
backing cloth or felt thereof. The material is, according to one arrangement, pro-
vided round the drum at intervals, that is, it is not continuous; the spaces between
the strips of the material are enclosed by plates having narrow slits or openings
therein; thus the whole outer jacket in this example consists of alternate lengths
of holding material and gridded plates.
The holding material is held in suitable grooved or channel plates, and both these
plates and the gridded ones, are secured to skeleton frame bars, by bolts, or screws,
or other means, and are adjustable in relation to the axis of the drum and the card
surface thereon, by which means the distance between the surface of the rotary
drum cards, and the outer surface of the seed holding material, and the gridded
plates, is capable of exact adjustment, and is adjusted in the manner above
specified by which adjustment the removal of fibre from the whole surface of the
seeds may be effected. Another arrangement of the seed holding material of the
outer case consists in making the material continuous, and providing at points, or
where and how convenient, suitable openings for the purpose of affording means of
escape for the cotton fibre and fluff removed from the seed; or the material and
gridded plates or portions, provided with slots or apertures, may be combined and
disposed in any analogous suitable arrangement.
It is preferred to make the spirally arranged leader or forwarding bars
adjustable, as well as the material and other parts on the outer case.
This outer case is according to one construction made up of concave segmental
frames, to which the leader or forwarding bars, and material and plates aforesaid
are fixed, and on which they are adjustable, the plurality of frames making up the
whole outer case being cramped, or otherwise suitably fastened together.
In action, the fibre covered seed is fed to the machine in regulated quantities,
and enters the spiral space enclosed by and between the inner cylinder cards, and
the outer casing material, on the one hand, and two adjacent spiral leader or
forwarding bars on the other. In this space, by the rotation of the inner drum, the
seed is operated upon by the cards thereof, it being held onto the surface thereof,
by the holding material or plates, or both, of the outer case, with the result that
the adhering cotton fibre is gradually removed, and the seeds turned about in all
directions and fed forward, such forward feeding, however, always being controlled
by the edges of the wire points of the holding material, or inner surface of the
outside casc.
By this means, and the action and reaction upon the seed by the
drun cards, and the outer case material, the fibre is gradually removed and the seeds
are gradually forwarded along the spiral way or passage above referred to, being
ultimately discharged from the machine outlet shoot, in a cleaned and smooth
state.
To remove the iron or steel dust due to the wear of the machine rubbing surface,
I provide a magnet or magnets and dispose it round or about the mouth of the
outlet orifice or shoot, in such a manner, that such dust is extracted from the seed,
and arrested, it being removed from such magnet poles by suitably operated
mechanical brushes, or removing devices, or by hand.
Regarding the action of the apparatus upon the removed fibre and fluff, such fibre
is, after removal, from the seed, caused, by the blast and centrifugal action of the
machine to escape through the openings in the plates or material of the outside
case, and is collected within the frame of the machine, or a chamber connected
therewith, whilst the dust and fluff is carried off upon a current of air, and
so separated from the useful fibre.
I wish to point out that although I have specified certain particular forms and

page_text: combinations of parts involving my invention, my invention is not confined strictly
thereto, as such parts or combinations may be varied and modified in many ways
without departing from the nature of the improvements involved thereunder.
Dated this 25th day of April 1890.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Machinery for Cleaning Cotton
Seed and like Kernels.
I, GEORGE HENRY CROKER, of 18, Bellevue Road, Seacombe, in the County of
Chester, Carver, 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 has reference, mainly, to that class or kind of machinery which is
designed to remove the fibre adhering to cotton seed for the purpose, chiefly, of
rendering cattle feeding cake or food made from it more valuable; and the object
or the present invention is, mainly, to provide machines for this purpose, which shall
be more efficient, than those at present in use.
In operating upon the seeds according to this invention they are caused to turn
over endwise, as well as about their longer axis, and their ends are acted upon by
the removing material, surface, or tool points, as the case may be, whereby the
adhering fibre is removed, and the whole surface of the seeds is subjected to the
action of the removing medium, with the result, that the fibre may be, practically,
wholly removed, and the seed fully cleaned. In a machine having a rotary drum
provided at its periphery with a surface having a removing material or medium, and
an outer case adapted to keep the seeds up to the surface of the drum, this action is
effected by disposing the outer case, at one or more points, further away from the
drum surface than at another or others;_ for example, it may be effected by
arranging the drums and the outer case eccentrically in relation to each other,
or by providing a recess in such outer case. By another mode, the outer case at
one or more parts or points is set back a certain distance away from the drum
surface, or in any equivalent manner. By such provisions or arrangement of parts,
the seeds of the said parts or portions are turned over endwise, and the fibre upon
their ends is acted upon and removed.
Also, according to this invention the removing and acting surface, and the outer
case surface of the machine are set more closely together at the finishing end than
at the end at which the seeds enter it. By this means the removal of adhering
fibre is gradual, and consequently not violent also liability to crack or break the
seeds is obviated; and moreover the power required to drive the machine is
rendered relatively small.
The form of machine which I prefer to use in carrying out this invention, is 'one
in which the rotary drum and outer case, are horizontally arranged, or at an
inclination to the horizontal plane, the rotary drum being rotated and the outer
case stationary or, conversely, the outer case may be rotated and the inner drum
stationary; or again, both the drum and outer case may be rotated in opposite
directions at different speeds, or in the same direction.
A machine of the type just referred to is set forth fully in the Specification of
my application for Letters Patent No. 6154 of 1890, and to that machine I, in the
annexed drawings and the following description of then shew and set forth the
present invention applied, and it is to be understood, therefore, in the following
explanation with reference to the drawings, that the details of construction of the
machine herein shewn are fully understood.
With reference to the drawings,
Figure 1 is a cross section of a machine constructed in accordance with the

page_text: Specification of my said former application of Letters Patent, shewing my present
improvements.
Figure 2 is an outside end view of same; and
Figure 3 is a plan illustrating diagrammatically my improvements.
In the following description of the drawings the letters of reference used to
denote the parts are the same as those used to denote the same parts in my said
former Specification.
Referring now to the figures, A designates the inner drum having upon its
surface the card material a; a' is the shaft of the drum; B is the outer case of
the machine consisting of segments and fastened or secured to horizontal
bars b, which are supported from the end frames of the machine. C designates
the end frames, and these support the bearings in which the shaft a of the
drum A works. D is the casing of the machine enclosing the sides and top,
F denotes the cotton seed feeding device; and G is the outlet by which the clean
cotton seeds are discharged from the machine.
The space between the inner drum A. and the outer case B is shewn clearly in
Figure 2 by the, blackened ring a, from which it will be seen the drum A is
notably nearer the casing B on one side than the other, the side nearest the
case being that on which the seeds are fed into the machine by the feeding
device F. The adjustment of the barrel A. is, in this case, in relation to the outer
case, an eccentric one, but, as previously described, this eccentricity need not be
a perfect one; as for instance, the segments forming the case at one side of the
machine may be set out from the drum A so as to provide an enlarged space
between the drum and the case at that side, for the purpose of effecting the end
hereinbefore specified.
The eccentric adjustment is by preference greatest at the end of the machine
at which the seeds enter, and least at that end at which they leave. This
differential adjustment effects the best results, and is illustrated diagrammatically
in Figure 3. The longitudinal adjustment, however, may, if desired, be modified,
and the same space and eccentric adjustment provided at both ends of the
machine.
The bars are secured to the end frames by the bearings m, the ends of which
take hold of studs which screw into the ends of said bars, and pass through
slots in the frames C. The bearings mare sliding bearings, and are adjusted
upon the frames C in the direction in which the slots lie by the studs m', which
pass through a nut m² fixed to the frame C, the whole bearing being kept on the
frame by a bolt and mut m³, the said bolt forming an elongation of the nut m².
These adjusting devices are of identically the same construction as those set forth
and illustrated of my said former Specification.
By these means of adjustment it will be evident the outer case B can be set
or adjusted practically into any form or position to obtain the ends sought.
A further means of adjustment in the present machine is provided in having
the bearings adjustable in the horizontal plane; and this is done, as will be
seen in Figure 2, by having sliding bearings and adjusting or set screws c¹ by
which they can be moved towards either side of the machine in the horizontal
plane.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, it is to be understood that this
invention is not confined to the particular type of machine illustrated, since it can
be applied to rotary machines, of horizontal, vertical, or inclined types, and
variously constructed; but what I claim in respect of the herein described
invention is :-
1. A cotton seed or other kernel cleaning machine, of a rotary kind or type,
having the outer case disposed or arranged relatively with the inner drum or
barrel, or constructed, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. A cotton seed or other kernel cleaning machine, of a rotary kind or type,

page_text: having a rotary drum, and a fixed outer case adapted to keep the seeds or kernels
up to the surface of the drum, the said outer case being eccentrically arranged in
relation to the drum, or provided with recesses, or having a part or parts thereof
set or adjusted further from the drum at one part or parts than at another or
others; for the purposes set forth.
3. In a cotton seed or other kernel cleaning machine of a rotary kind or type,
the relative arrangement or adjustment of the outer case and the drum set forth
with reference to Figure 3 of the drawings.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1891.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.