IMPROVEMENTS IN COTTON GINS
Year: 1884

page_text: I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
COTTON GINS" and in what manner the same is to be performed, to bo particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:
This Invention relates to an improvement in cotton gins, and it consists in the
peculiar combinations, construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described
and then pointed out in the claims.
The object of this Invention is to overcome the great difficulty which has always
existed in the free and uninterrupted operation of cotton gins, which is to disengage
the lint from the gin saw as fast as dragged off from the bolls in the "roll" box.
Several Patents have been lately granted in which leather and fibrous materials
are used for cleansing the gin saws, some of which are very effective, but they
require much more intelligent attention than can be usually obtained from the
ordinary gin hand, and hence the tenacity with which gin manufacturers and ginners
have held to the old fashioned bristle brush.
I have succeeded in overcoming the difficulties which have hitherto prevented the
universal use of bristle brushes; by the construction and arrangement shown in the
accompanying Drawings in which :-
Figure 1 is a side view of a gin constructed according to my improvement with
part of the casing removed.
Figures 2 and 3 represent enlarged detail views of the lags, brushes and portions
of the saws, the former being a plan showing the sides of the brushes and the mode
of securing the same, while the latter shows the same features looking towards the
ends of the brushes.
Figure 4 is a detail view of a portion of the combing board showing the relation
of the combing pins with the brushes.
A represents the frame of the gin, and B the saws; which may be of any
approved form and driven in the usual manner. C, are discs preferably of wood
secured on a suitable shaft and provided with lags D, secured thereto in the usual
way. Attached to each of these lags in any convenient manner are the cylindrical

page_text: brushes E. These brushes are made in the same way as those used for cleaning
bottles, lamp chimneys etc. viz. :-by placing a sufficient quantity of bristles in the
opening formed by doubling a wire and then twisting the two strands, by means
of which the bristles are securely fastened between the wires and formed into a
cylindrical brush. These brushes having twisted wire shanks e forming threads
may be screwed into holes formed in the lags to receive them, or they may be set
loosely into holes and there held by set screws F, or the ends of the wire shank
may be untwisted and then bent and hammered flat upon or into the lag as shown
in Figure 2.
Owing to the wear of the bristles coming on the ends thereof they will wear
a long time but when partially worn the brushes may be turned slightly on their
axes so as to bring a new set of bristies into action and this may be repeated several
times until the brushes are worn all round.
As the brush cylinder revolves, the ends of the bristles come in contact with the
sides of the saws, and thus exert their cleaning property to the best advantage, and
any of the fibres or motes that may adhere to them will be knocked off by pins G
set in two rows on the combing board H, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, arranged in
the mote box I, and the fibres not dropped below will be driven into the mote box
and be gathered there by the force of the blast which passes into said box and
escapes through the opening in the ventilating device or wire gauze J.
I prefer to arrange the combing pins in two rows, the pins of one row being
diagonally in line with the pins of the other row as shown in Figure 4, and so
arranged that one set of pins strikes the brushes a little before the other set
strikes the adjacent brushes. By this arrangement of the bristles and pins as
shown, the bristles of each brush strike the pins and are bent as shown in Figure 4,
and as soon as the brush has passed the pins the elasticity of the bristles causes
them to assume their original position, whereby two rapid motions are given to the
bristles at each revolution, which enables them to throw off any matter (such as
motes) that may be clinging to them, and this is independent of the jar caused by
the striking of the bristles against the pins, which also helps to throw off the motes.
I arrange the pins on two rows for the reason that as only half the pins are in
operation at a time less power is required than if they all were acting at once, and
moreover, the jar caused by one row of pins reacts to some extent on the bristles
that are on the other side of the brushes.
To those acquainted with the practical use of the cotton gin it will be seen at
once that my improvement is of great value, as my style of brushes will take off
all the guminy matter usually adhering to the saws, and as the bristles necessarilly
become charged with the same and carry it and the motes or knapped cotton with
them until the bristles strike the pins when they are opened as shown in Figure 4,
and the bristles thoroughly separated, because as the bristles get out of contact
with the pins they immediately fly back and straighten out with a rapid flirting
motion and the jars or shakes these bristles thus get, causes them to throw off all
matter adhering to them. If it were not for this jarring and shaking the bristles
would soon become surcharged with the knaps, gummy matter, sand, etc., and
would soon become a solid mass of concreted material, which besides rapidly
wearing out and dulling the saws would create such an amount of friction on the
saws as to generate heat, electricity and even flame which of course should all be
avoided in or around a cotton gin.
Another advantage that this gin has is the location of the mote box which is
arranged above the flue through which the mass of the lint passes after it is thrown
off the brushes, and that the combing or jarring pins are so arranged that any of
the knapped cotton which may be shook or knocked off of the bristles by the jar
given to them by their coming in contact with the pins will fall or be carried into
the box by the current caused by the rapid rotation of the brush cylinder.
I have shown seven lags or brush holders on the brush cylinder, but I do not
wish to limit myself to this exact number as I shall probably generally use less;
because owing to the perfection of the operation of these brushes, half the number

page_text: usually employed will do better work. The advantages of this Invention may be
summed up as follows:-
One half of the bristles usually required will be saved; speed of brush cylinder
can be reduced one half; no gutuming of saws by damp or immature cotton; no
stoppage to clean gin saws; no knapped cotton; more freedom from motes more
durability of bristles; and to sum up all, much more and better work can be done
nt less cost.
It is evident that cylindrical brushes may be made of other materials, such as
fibres of whale bone, prepared rattan and various grasses; horse hair, strips of
cloth, felt, etc., but I prefer the bristles on account of their well known durability.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination in a cotton gin of a set of saws with a series of brushes
constructed to be turned on their axis to bring different sides to bear on the saws,
substantially as described.
2. The combination in a cotton gin of a set of saws with a cylinder provided
with a series of adjustable brushes having their acting fibres arranged substantially
at right angles to the sides of the saws, substantially as described.
3. The combination in a cotton gin of a set of saws with a series of cylindrical
brushes having their acting fibres arranged at right angles to the sides of the saws,
substantially as described.
4. In a cotton gin, a series of saws and a series of brushes having their acting
fibres arranged substantially parallel with the rotating shaft carrying the brushes,
in combination with a series of pins arranged to be struck by the fibres of the
brushes substantially at right angles to their length, whereby the fibres are first
jarred and then caused to flirt rapidly back to their normal position, as set forth.
5. The combination in a cotton gin and with the saws thereof, of a series of
cylindrical brushes having their acting fibres arranged substantially at right angles
to the sides of the saws and a series of combing pins set in different planes and
also arranged substantially at right angles to the acting fibres of the brushes, as and
for the purposes set forth.
6. The combination in a cotton gin and with the saws and brushes thereof, of
the mote box I and the comb G. H. arranged in said mote box, substantially as
described.
7. The combination in a cotton gin, of a brush cylinder, a device substantially
as described for cleaning the brushes, and a mote box arranged to receive the
refuse removed froin the brushes by the cleaning device, as set forth.
8. The combination in a cotton gin, of a brush cylinder the pins, a flue to carry
away the lint, and a mote box arranged above the flue to receive the refuse knocked
off the brushes by the pins, substantially as described.
Dated this 8th day of April 1884.