Improvements in Machines for Hulling Cotton Seed.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 25th May, 1897-Accepted, 7th Aug., 1897
Improvements in Machines for Hulling Cotton Seed.
We, FRANK WASHINGTON CROss, of Tremont House, Washington, District of
Columbia, United States of America, and HENRY FERDINANT GETZ, of Le Droit
Building, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
It is the object of our invention to provide an effective and simple machine for
treating delinted cotton seed, by opening said seed without crushing the same and
then separating the split and opened hull from the meat kernel, the latter remain-
ing intact or in its natural state, and containing its full quantity of oil ready for
extraction, if desired, without danger of discoloration or damage, which would
result were the hull and kernel crushed to any extent into a mass.
We aim also to so split the hull that the kernel will be freed therefrom, and as
the bull is not broken up into separate pieces we are thus enabled to blow the hull
from the kernels after the latter has been freed from the hull by splitting the latter.
In the drawings:-
Figure 1 is a side view of the machine.
Figures 2 and 3 are detail views of the seed rubbing or carrying arms.
Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the machine.
Figures 5 and 6 details of the means for adjusting the position of the rubbing
arms.
Figure 7 a plan view of two sections of the slotted plate or grating on which the
seeds are rubbed. *
Figure 8 is a detail cross sectional view of the plate.
Figure 9 is an enlarged view of one of the rubbers.
Figures 10 and 11 are detail views.
Figure 11 is a plan view of the machine.
Figure 12 shows détails of a modified' form of rubbing arm.
Figure 13 is a sectional view of the feed roller.
Figure 14 shows details of the same.
The seed to be operated on are placed in a hopper I on the main casing and in
this hopper a rotary feed roll 2 is placed having projecting blades 3 to act upon the
seed and feed them in a regulated quantity into the main casing 4. The hopper
has an adjustable plate 5 hinged at its upper end at 6 and extending down along
the wall of the hopper opposite the feed roller. It is adjusted towards and from the
feed roller by a screw 7 passing through a boss on the hopper and engaging the
lower free end of the plate to adjust the same relatively to the feed roller and
thus provide means for regulating the feed, it being desirable that the quantity of
seed being acted on within the casing at one time be a determined one.
The feed roller 2 is formed of wood' with metal end journals a and the blades
are of metal held in slots in the wood body by means of clips & secured to the
077

page_text: wood body by screws e and engaging with notches b in the ends of the blades 3,-
Figures 11, 13 and 14.
-see
ine feed roller is rotated by a belt applied to the pulley on the shaft of said
roller, outside the hopper, see Figure 11.
The casing comprises an upper covering portion 4" and a lower ring shaped 5
portion 4 connected thereto, the latter having a depending extension 4 of conical
or funnel-shape. Across the upper part of the conical extension arms 8 extend
(Fig. 4) having a central bearing boss 11, in which is journaled the lower end of a
vertical hollow shaft 12 which extends up through a second bearing boss 13 on
the cover of the casing, its upper end having keyed thereto a beveled pinion 15
in which meshes a pinion 16 on a horizontal shaft 17 journaled in standards or
posts 18 and having on its outer end pulleys by which the vertical shaft 12 may be
driven either one way or the other. Across the top of the conical extension 4° and
resting on the shoulder 19 we arrange a grating or slotted plate 20 made up of
eight sections, their central portions resting on the central bearing boss 11 and
thus forming a grated or slotted bottom to the casing. Upon this slotted plate
the seed are rolled or rubbed so that the hulls split open and the meat lump or
kernel is free to pass through the slots down into the conical chamber. This
rubbing or rolling effect is produced by rubbing devices 21 (Figs. 3, 4 and 9)
arranged on radial arms 22 (Figs. 3 and 10) preferably six in number extending
from a central hub 23 surrounding the vertical hollow shaft 12 and connected by
a web 24 to an interior shaft 25 within the hollow shaft, the latter being slotted
at 26 (Fig. 3) to permit this web to pass through, the connection being practically
a splined one, so that by raising or lowering the inner shaft 25 the hub 23 with its
radial arms 22 and rubbers 21 may be adjusted in relation to the slotted plate to
secure the best results in operating upon the seed.
The interior shaft 25 is adjusted vertically by its reduced threaded upper end
passing through the cross piece at the upper end of the hollow shaft and having an
adjusting nut 27-28 above and below the same, as shown in Figures 5 and 6,
said nuts being grooved to receive a wrench key. The outer shaft 12 is reduced
at 29 to allow access to the lower nut. While this adjustment will alter the position
of the rubbing arms relative to the slotted plate or grating it will be understood
that the rotary movement of the outer hollow shaft will be imparted to the hub
and its arms at all times through the web and slot connection.
As shown in Figures 3 and 10, the hub has sockets 30 and these are dovetailed
to receive the upturned ends of the radial arms 22. These upturned ends are
slotted at 31 (Fig. 2) and headed bolts 271 28¹ pass through them into the hub and
by this means any individual arm with its rubbing sleeve or device may be
adiusted independently of the others in relation to the slotted plate or grating.
We construct this slotted plate with a special view of securing the maximum
efficiency, and by reference to Figure 7 it will be seen that the slots do not extend
as a single parallel group from side to side of the plate, but on the contrary each
section (there being eight) has a series of parallel slots extending along the same.
The side edges of these plates extend substantially radial from the center of the
casing to the circumference and the slots extend parallel to one edge of the said
section, and from this construction it will be seen that the whole plate presents a
slotted surface, the slots of which are of equal width, grouped into parallel series,
and that these are so disposed that the radial rubber in its movement will con-
stantly cross these slots and at no time will the movement of the rubber arm or
arms be such as to carry the seed longitudinally of a slot without pressing the seed
against the edge of the slot. On the contrary, every point on the rubbing arm will
be moving transversely of the slots in all the positions of said arm and this will
serve to subject the seed to the maximum rubbing effect as each seed will be held
by the edges of the slot against undue movement while the rubbing arm is passing
over the same, the seed being pressed and rubbed by the arm so that the hull is
split open; and this in its split but uncrushed state is pressed through the slot
together with the meat lump, the latter also remaining uncrushed and intact. This
:

page_text: arrangement of slots in the several sections secures not only the maximum rubbing
effect but it prevents the seed from collecting at one point as would be the case
were all the slots throughout the whole plate arranged parallel to each other, as
this would of necessity make portions of the slots coincide with the movement of
the arms and thus provide channels along which the seed could be pushed by the
rubber arms without the desired rubbing or pressing action resulting from the
seed being gripped by the movement of the rubbers transversely of the slot edges.
The slotted plate or grating it will therefore be seen consists of a series of sections
each having a series of parallel slots therein, the arrangement being such that the
slots of one section are at an angle to those of another section. Not only do we
provide by the slots a series of splitting edges for the hulls, but by the sectional
form of grating the space between the adjacent edges of the sections provide radial
grooves across which the whole radial arm must move directly at right angles.
The radial edges of the sections thus constitute splitting edges to act on the seed
in connection with the rubbers.
We do not wish to limit ourselves strictly to the sectional feature of the plate
though this is the preferred form. In order to increase the holding effect of the
slots on the seed the edges of the bars between the slots are curved or concaved so
that the slot is in effect an extended concave pocket in which the seeds are held and
pressed by the rubber arms.
We find the best effects are produced by using rubber arms of rigid material
adapted to split and press the seed through the slots of the plate, and for this pur-
pose we provide rubber arms 21 of steel which are hollow as shown in Figure 9
and fitted to the radial arms 22. These rubbers in cross section are of substantially
elliptical form and are grooved longitudinally to provide pockets corresponding to
the concave pockets formed by the slots of the grating. This grooved surface
insures a firm gripping effect on the hulls and as the rubbing arms taper laterally
the narrow edges thus provided serve to catch the seed and direct them between
the gripping surfaces.
From the hopper 'a plate 30 extends inwardly at an inclination and upon this
plate the seeds fall and are directed to the center of the slotted plate 20 and as they
fall thereon they are immediately acted on by the rubbing arms and by the
gripping or splitting edges of the bars forming the plate. The centrifugal force
due to the action of the rubbing arms is such that the seeds move or are rolled
outward along the slots being thus turned, and at the same time they are subjected
to the pressing action of the rubbing arms which splits the hull, and in practice the
action is such that before the seed reaches the outer end of the slot the hull has been
split to such an extent as to free the kernel, which then together with the hull
is pressed through the slot into the funnel shaped space 4° below the grating. The
slots flare downwardly (Fig. 8) and thus provide spaces through which the hull and
kernel are free to fall. The sections of the grating are held by screws to the
casing, and dowel pins 35, Fig. 7 on the sections serve to centre the same and
determine their exact position relative to each other.
In order to better restrain the seed from working rapidly towards the circumfer-
ence of the grating under the movement of the rubbers we may use rubbing arms
having inclines or screw threads 36, (Fig. 12) thereon so directed that the seed
engaged thereby in the rotary movement of the arms will be forced inwardly to-
wards the center of the casing and thus counteract to a great degree the centrifugal
action, keeping the seed so spread over the grating as to secure the best result.
These screw-threaded arms may be of sleeve form, similar to that described, to be
slipped onto the radial arms.
After passing through the grating or slotted plate the hulls and the kernels
freed therefrom fall through the depending conical extension onto a shaking
sieve 37 which is supported on rollers 38 projecting inwardly from the supporting
legs 39 of the main casing, said roller turning on pins 40 on the said legs. For
giving the screen its shaking movement a lever 41 is pivoted on a pin 42 projecting
from the ring casing, its upper end being forked and embracing an eccentric 43

page_text: on the main driving shaft, while its lower end is also forked and embraces a pin
on the side of the screen frame.
The screen not only has longitudinal reciprocation but we give the same a lateral
shaking in order to better distribute the material upon the same. For this purpose we
use the same lever and eccentric the latter having a cain groove 44 in its periphery,
(Fig. 4) in which a projection or roller from the lever works and thus gives the
said lever a lateral oscillation. To permit this the pivot eye of the lever 41 has a
rounded inner surface as in dotted lines Fig. 4, so that the lever can rock laterally
on said pivot. The lower end of the lever may play between collars 45.
This screen serves to separate the hulls and kernels from fine dirt or fine particles
of matter which can pass through the screen to be caught on a plate 46 from which
it may be removed. The hulls and kernels passing down the screen are subjected
to an air blast from a trunk 46" directed from below up through the meshes
of the lower part of the screen and at an inclination, air being supplied to the
trunk by a fan 48.
At the lower end of the screen a discharge spout is placed, and this is of funnel
shape widening out from the lower end of the screen, and the blast of air blows
the hulls over the lower rail 49 of the screen and into the funnel to be discharged
into any suitable receptacle as directed. The kernels however which are heavier than
the hulls pass over the rail 49 and drop through an opening 50 adjacent thereto in
the discharge spout. This opening is regulated by a gate or valve pivoted to the
snout having one side projecting down from the funnel and the other side pro-
jecting up into the same. The hulls pass over the inner half of this gate while the
kernels fall from the outer half into a suitable receptacle. The gate is adjusted
to permit a more or less rapid discharge of the kernels and hulls if desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In a cotton seed hulling machine, a slotted plate adapted to receive the seed,
and a rubbing device moving over said plate, but not in contact therewith, the
slots in said plate being arranged at an angle to the line of movement of said
rubbing device, substantially as shown and described.
2. In a cotton seed hulling machine the combination of the casing, the plate
therein having slots extending in different directions and means for rubbing the
seed in connection therewith, said rubbing means being of such form as to avoid
cutting of the seed, substantially as described.
3. In combination in a cotton seed hulling machine, the casing and a plate
made up of a series of sectors each sector being slotted and arranged with a slot
or space between it and the other sectors the edges of said slots in the sectors
and between the sectors forming splitting edges and means for rolling the seed
in connection therewith.
4. In combination in a cotton seed hulling machine, the casing and a plate
and the rubbing arms moving over said plate, the slots in the plate having widened
ipper portions and the rubbing arms operated in conjunction with the said plate,
the widened upper part of the slots receiving the seed to be acted on by the rubbing
arms and the narrow lower parts opening downward through the plate.
5. In combination with the casing, the slotted plate having the slots opening
downward through the plate and arranged substantially radially, and the rotary
rubbing arms having grooves and ribbed portions, said arms also extending radially
to coact with the radial slots.
6. In combination the casing, the slotted plate, the central hollow shaft, the hub
about the same, the rubbing arms independently adjustable on said hub, and the
inner adjustable shaft connecting with the hub for adjusting the same.
7. In combination, the casing, the grating therein the central shaft, the hub
having the dove-tailed seats, and the arms adjustable in said seats and adapted to
move over the slotted plate, substantially as described.¨*

page_text: 8. In combination, the casing, the means therein for splitting the hulls from the
kernel, the inclined screen for receiving the hulls and kernels and the blower for
separating the hulls from the kernels, said blower being directed upward to
discharge the blast through the lower end of the screen, substantially as described.
Dated this 24th day of May 1897.
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
26 Castle Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicants.