Improvements in Opening and Cleansing Machines for Cotton and other Textile Fibres.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Mar., 1898-Accepted, 3rd Sept., 1898
[Communicated from abroad by The Chevalier GUGLIELMO RAETZ, of Pordenone
(Venetia), in the Kingdom of Italy, Manager of a Cotton Spinning Mill.]
Improvements in Opening and Cleansing Machines for Cotton and
other Textile Fibres.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 relates to an opening and cleansing machine and is more
particularly intended for the treatment of cotton.
My invention has for its object the introduction of the textile material to be
treated at the centre of the machine, instead of radially or tangentially as is
the case with the opening machines hitherto employed.
In openers in which the feed is tangential, the effect of the centrifugal force
is to concentrate the activity of the machine in proximity to its external peri-
phery, in such a manner that the output of the ordinary opening machine is in
nowise proportionate to its dimensions or to the power which it absorbs.
A central feed, on the other hand, enables the entire internal capacity of the
apparatus to be utilized, as under the influence of centrifugal force, the machine
projects the material under treatment in a radial direction whereby it is sub-
mitted to the action of the operative parts at all points of its travel, thus enabling
a very considerable output to be obtained in proportion to the power absorbed.
One form of carrying out my invention is represented in the accompanying
drawing in which
Figures 1 and 2 are cross-sections through the apparatus taken at right angles
one to the other.
A tube D preferably formed of iron, is immovably held and supported by
stays S S¹ carrying the bearings R. Two plates B and C arranged at a suitable
distance one from the other (say 15 centimetres) turn loose upon the pipe D in
opposite directions (as indicated by the arrows, Figure 1). The plate B rotates
preferably rather more rapidly (at a speed of about 240 revolutions per minute)
than the plate C, the speed of which may be 220 revolutions per minute. The
internal faces of the two plates B and C are provided with teeth or conical points
arranged in circular lines concentric with the plates. In the drawings the teeth
which are upon the internal face of the plate B are indicated by the letter a;
those upon the plate C being indicated by the letter b. The circles upon which
are arranged the teeth a and those upon which are arranged the teeth b are
alternated in such a manner as to enable the teeth or points of one of the two
systems to mesh with those of the other system, so that proceeding from the
centre to the periphery a set of teeth a is first encountered then a set b, then
again a set a and so on.

page_text: The two plates B and C are surrounded by an annular cage A which is closed
on all sides except below. A grating g, with triangular bars which are arranged
parallel with the axis of rotation of the rotating plates, separates the interior
of the cage from the field of action of such plates and allows passage to the
impurities, which pass into the space F through the opening at the bottom of
the cage A. This same opening permits of the passage of the air drawn in
through D either by the rotation of the plates only, or by means of an aspirator
in addition, which aspirator may be arranged in the air exhaust conduit Ñ.
Two hollow drums m and n which are covered with a kind of metal grating
and are maintained constantly rotating, receive the cotton opened and cleansed
by the machine and direct it on to the endless sheet y which carries it to an
elevator by which it is conveyed to the mixing room.
The cotton or other textile fibre upon issuing from the bale-breaker is intro-
duced into the tube D. Owing to the suction which exists it is carried to a
position corresponding to the central plane between the plates B and C where
the tube D is pierced with an opening 0 situated opposite the drums m, n, the
contour of which, being slightly curved, guides the cotton to the middle of the
plates. It is here seized by the first teeth of the plate B, which are arranged
in such a manner as to exert a centrifugal action and which carry it in the direc-
tion of the movement of this plate: the cotton, however, immediately encounters
the teeth of the plate C, which are rotating in the opposite direction and are so
arranged as to exert a centripetal action, so that it is again carried in the
reverse direction. Owing to these two contrary tendencies, the cotton is forced
to traverse a lines s¹ of spiral form (Figure 1) proceeding from the outlet ○ to
the drums m, n.
The cotton in traversing this long path occupies sufficient time for the opera-
tions of opening and cleansing to be effectively performed. The length of the
spiral ss, and consequently the intensity of the action to which the cotton is
submitted, may be modified by increasing or diminishing the number of revolu-
tions of one of the plates B, C (the plate C in the example illustrated).
In the constructional form of machine given by way of example the movement
of the plates is effected in the following manner:
Upon a single shaft are rigidly mounted the pulley P to which motion is
transmitted (say 370 revolutions per minute) from a driving shaft or from an
electro-motor, and the gear wheel v which imparts motion to a pinion w rigidly
connected with the cone pulley e, which pulley is in turn rigidly connected with
the plate B. The plate C receives motion from the pulley by means of the cone
pulley which is rigidly connected with C and with the conical pulleys e and f
mounted upon the counter shaft rr. It is obvious that by means of the belt
retaining forks elf the speed of the plate C may be varied within considerable
limits.
The drums m n are driven, in the example shown in the drawing, from the
pulley u rigidly mounted upon the said counter-shaft rr, by means pulleys h k p,
but these are details which may of course be modified.
My improved machine which is termed "Raetz's opener" has a very large
output, (500 kilogrammes per hour) absorbs very little power, enables economies
to be effected both in labour and in the number of machines employed, occupies
but little space, and finally turns out a well cleansed product without injury to
the fibres.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is:-
An opening and cleansing machine for cotton and other textile fibres, in which
the cotton is introduced by means of a fixed tube in proximity to the centre
of two plates provided with conical teeth arranged in rows which are alternated
in such a manner as permit one of the two systems to mesh with the other,

page_text: these plates being surrounded by a cylindrical cage or grating allowing passage
to the impurities, and being adapted to rotate around the axis of the tube at
speeds differing slightly one from the other, so as to cause the cotton to traverse
a spiral path terminating at a point of the external periphery of the plates,
where the cotton issues from the machine.
Dated this 18th day of March 1898.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.