IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR OPENING AND CLEANING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Harris Lake, of the Office of Haseltine, Lake, &
Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR OPENING AND CLEANING COTTON AND
OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS." A communication from abroad by Richard
Kitson, of Lowell, Massachusetts, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Harris Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd August 1878.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Office of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR OPENING
AND CLEANING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS." [A communication from
abroad by Richard Kitson, of Lowell, Massachusetts, United States of America.]
The first part of the said Invention consists in making the countershaft which
drives a machine designed for the above-named purposes available for the purpose
of opening the cotton or other fibrous material by mounting the said countershaft
in a suitable manner adjacent to rolls, which take the cotton from the feed apron,
and placing on the said shaft beater arms and blades or fingers adapted to strike
the cotton as it is fed along, and to knock open the lumps and bunches of cotton,
the object of this part of the said Invention being to simplify and reduce the
number of working parts of the machine, and at the same time to provide for the
more effectual opening and preparing of the cotton for the lap.
The second part of the said Invention has for its object to provide a self-oiling
device for the loose pulling of the countershaft, and it consists in mounting the
loose pulley upon a sleeve or hub attached to the journal box of the shaft, which
hub or sleeve has an oil hole through it, so that a portion of the oil with which the
shaft bearing is supplied will gradually and constantly find its way through this
oil hole and keep the bearing surface of the loose pulley sufficiently supplied with
oil without any other care or oiling than that of the journal boxes.

page_text: The third part of the said Invention consists in making one side of the condenser
box adjustable, and combining therewith an endless apron at the bottom of the
condenser box, so that the width of the bottom of the condenser box may be
increased or diminished, the object of this part of my Invention being to graduate
the surface at the bottom of the box, increasing or diminishing the surface upon
which the cotton falls as desirable, according to the density of the material being
opened and the size of the Inp to be formed.
The fourth part of the said Invention consists in the application to the opener of
a slowly moving endless apron placed under grate bars, over which the opened
cotton passes from the beater to the screens, or from one beater to another, and
adapted to receive the dirt and seeds and the like beaten out of the cotton, and
which fall through the grate, and to convey them at once to the dirt receiver out
of the way of the cotton passing through the machine. When the dirt and refuse
in the cotton is dropped into a receptacle under the grate, the current of air in the
passage way above keeps the light particles of dirt, seeds, and the like in constant
agitation after it has begun to accumulate in any considerable quantity, and a
portion of the lighter dirt is drawn upward through the grate and is carried along
again with the cotton after having been separated from it.
The object of this part of my Invention is to provide for the immediate removal
of the particles of dirt which are beaten out of the cotton, so that there will be no
danger or liability of the accumulated dirt being drawn upward again through the
grate and into the cotton.
The fifth part of the said Invention consists in the application to the opener
adjacent to the grasping rolls of a separator or breaker, composed of a shaft pro-
vided with rows of fingers which strike the cotton as it is fed along by the grasping
rolls, and knock open and separate the lumps and bunches of cotton. The object
of this part of my Invention being to more effectually open the cotton and separate
the dirt therefrom before it reaches the beater.
In carrying the said Invention into practice I mount the countershaft in suitable
boxes on the standards, which form the sides of the condenser box with the loose
and fast pulleys thereon, and the shaft has attached to it rows of radially projecting
fingers. The shaft is so mounted relatively to grasping rails that the tips of the
fingers will come as near as possible to the said grasping rolls, and it revolves at a
much more rapid rate than the latter.
As the cotton is fed along by the grasping rolls, which revolve slowly, it is struck
by the revolving fingers and the lumps, and the cotton well opened.
The distance from the gripping or tangential line of the grasping rolls to the
periphery described by the said fingers is much less than from the same point to
the gripping line of the dividing rolls heretofore used, and consequently the cotton
is much more effectually opened by the revolving fingers which strike and open the
smaller bunches as well as the larger ones. The application of these fingers to the
countershaft and its suitable mounting in connection with the grasping rolls enables
me to dispense with working parts of the machine heretofore necessary, and greatly
simplifies and reduces the cost of the machine.
A loose pulley runs on a hub or sleeve cast solidly with the journal box through
which the countershaft extends, the inner surface of the sleeve being fitted to the
said countershaft. Through this sleeve I make one or more oil holes, and it may
also be provided with au external groove, which forms an oil well for holding
the oil.
The oil is supplied to the journal box in the usual manner through an oil hole
or from an of cup attached to the box.
As the shaft has a bearing in the sleeve as well as in the box itself a portion of
the oil which is supplied to the shaft bearing in the sleeve will run down through
the oil holes and furnish the bearing of the loose pulley with sufficient oil to keep it
well oiled,
As the oil supplied to the shaft bearing tends to work its way gradually to the
ends of the box, a sufficient quantity of oil is intercepted by these oil holes to keep

page_text: the outside surface of the sleeve or hub oiled as well as the inside. This method of
oiling the loose pulley requires no more attention and caro than the oiling of the
journal box alone, and also effects a great saving in the amount of oil used when
each are oiled separately.
The oil holes, instead of being made radially to the axis of the box and sleeve,
may be mado obliquely thereto, so that the internal opening shall be nearer the
ends of the shaft bearing, and the hub or sleove may be used on either side of the
box.
As the cotton is driven upward by the action of a revolving separator the top of.
the condenser is enclosed by a bonnet which retains the cotton in the box. This
condenser box is provided with grate bars and a dirt chamber. Instead of this
chamber an endless apron may be used, revolving laterally across the conden-
Ber box.
As the opened cotton passes over these grate bars the dirt and heavier particles
fall through into the said dirt chamber, and thus a large portion of the dirt in the
cotton is removed before the cotton reaches the first beater. At the bottom of the
box I place an endless apron, upon which the cotton falls, and which carries the
cotton slowly along to feed rolls. As the density of the material to be opened
varies with the different materials it is desirable to increase or diminish the surface
of the said feed apron at the bottom of the box with different materials, and in
order to graduate this space at the bottom of the box I divide the rear end of the
box into two parts, which are hinged together, and the hinged part is held in
different positions, increasing or diminishing the width at the bottom of the box
by an arın provided with notches which engage upon a cross bar. By thus increasing
or diminishing the space of the feed apron upon which the cotton falls, the thickness
and weight of the lap may be varied or kept uniform with material of different
densities.
The opened cotton passes over the aforesaid grate bars on its way from a beater
to the screens.
I also provide an endless apron revolving around shafts, which may be driven in
any convenient manner, and this apron revolves in a direction contrary to the direc-
tion of the air draft in the passage way above. This apron is situated directly
under the grate bars, extending nearly or quite the whole length of the passage way.
It is provided with a series of slats, placed perpendicularly to the apron, which
break the current of air between the apron and bars, and prevent the particles of
dirt from being drawn upward or away from the apron, and which also assist in
carrying the dirt along as the apron revolves. The slow revolution of the apron
carries the dirt along over the rear end, and it is dropped into a dirt chainber, from
which it is carried outward and away from the machine by a fan through a dust
pipe.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Harris Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
February 1879.
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Office of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR OPENING
AND CLEANING COTTON AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS." A communication from
abroad by Richard Kitson, of Lowell, Massachusetts; United States of America
The said Invention comprises various improvements in machines for opening
and cleaning cotton and other fibrous materials, and consists partly in making the
countershaft which drives a machine of this class available for the purpose of
opening the cotton or other fibrous material, by mounting said countershaft in a
suitable manner adjacent to rolls which take the cotton from the feed apron, and
placing on said shaft beater arms and blades, or fingers adapted to strike the cotton
as it is fed along, and to knock open the lumps and bunches of cotton, the object of
this part of the said Invention being to simplify and reduce the number of working
parts of the machine, and at the same time provide for the more effectual opening
and preparing of the cotton for the lap.
The said Invention also consists in providing a self-oiling device for the loose
pulley of the countershaft, by mounting the loose pulley upon a sleeve or hub
attached to the journal box of the shaft, which hub or sleeve has an oil hole
through it, so that a portion of the oil with which the shaft bearing is supplied
will gradually and constantly find its way through this oil hole and keep the
bearing surface of the loose pulley sufficiently supplied with oil without any other
care or oiling than that of the journal boxes.
The said Invention also consists in making one side of the condenser box adjust-
able, and combining therewith an endless apron at the bottom of the condenser box,
so that the width of the bottom of the condenser box may be increased or
diminished, the object of this part of my Invention being to graduate the surface at
the bottom of the box, increasing or diminishing the surface upon which the cotton
falls, as desirable, according to the density of the material being opened and the size
of the lap to be formed.
The said Invention further consists in the application to the opener of a slowly
moving endless apron placed undor grate bars, over which the opened cotton passes
from the beater to the screens or from one beater to another, and adapted to receive
the dirt and seeds, and the like beaten out of the cotton, and which fall through the
grate and to convey them at once to the dirt receiver out of the way of the cotton
passing through the machine. When the dirt and refuse in the cotton is dropped
into a receptacle under the grate the current of air in the passage way above keeps
the light particles of dirt, seeds, and the like in constant agitation after they have
begun to accumulate in any considerable quantity, and a portion of the lighter dust
is drawn upward through the grate and is carried along again with the cotton after
having been separated from it.
The object of this part of my Invention is to provide for the immediate removal
of the particles of dirt which are beaten out of the cotton, so that there will be no
danger of the accumulated dirt to be drawn upward again through the grate and
into the cotton.
The said Invention further consists in the application to the opener adjacent to
the grasping rolls of a separator or breaker composed of a shaft provided with rows
of fingers which strike the cotton as it is fed along by the grasping rolls, and
knock open and separate the lumps and bunches of cotton, the object of this part
of my Invention being to more effectually open the cotton and separate the dirt
therefrom before it reaches the beater.

page_text: The said invention also consists in various improvements in details of construc-
tion and arrangement of the parts, as herein-after specified.
In the accompanying Drawing,
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a machine constructed according to this
Invention.
Figure 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of a portion of a similar machine.
Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line x, x, Figure 2.
Figures 4, 5, 6, shew portions of Figure 2 detached, and drawn to an enlarged
scale.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
A represents the feed apron, and a, a, the grasping rolls. M is the countershaft
and N the driving pulley of the machine. This countershaft I mount in suitable
boxes on the standards which form the sides of the condenser box C with the loose
and fast pulleys thereon, and the said shaft has attached to it rows of radially pro-
jecting fingers b, b, b, b. This shaft is so mounted relatively to the grasping rolls a
that the tips of the fingers b, b, will come as near as possible to the said grasping
rolls, and it revolves at a much more rapid rate than the latter.
As the cotton is fed along by the grasping rolls which revolve slowly, it is struck
by the revolving fingers and the lumps and bunches are knocked apart and tho
cotton well opened.
It will be observed that the distance from the gripping or tangential line of the
grasping rolls to the circle described by the said fingers b, b, is considerably less
than the distance from the same point to the gripping line of the dividing rolla
heretofore used, consequently the cotton is much inore effectually opened by the
revolving fingers which strike and open the smaller bunches as well as the larger
ones, The application of these fingers to the countershaft M and its suitable.
mounting in connection with the grasping rolls enables me to dispense with various
working parts of these machines heretofore necessary, and to greatly simplify and
reduce the cost of such machines.
N represents the fast or driving pulley of the machine, and P the loose pulley.
The loose pulley P runs on a hub or sleeve S, cast solidly with the journal box T,
through which the countershaft M extends, the inner surface of the sleeve being
fitted to the shaft M. Through this sleeve S I make one or more oil holes 8, 8, and
it may also be provided with an external groover or an additional groove, or with
both, to form an oil well for holding the oil.
The oil is supplied to the journal box T in the usual manner through an oil hole
t, or from an oil cup attached to the box.
As the shaft has a bearing in the sleeve as well as in the box, a portion of the
oil which is supplied to the shaft bearing in the said sleeve will run down through
the oil holes, and furnish the bearing of the loose pulley with sufficient oil to keep
it well lubricated.
As the oil supplied to the shaft bearing tends to work its way gradually to the
ends of the box a sufficient quantity of oil is intercepted by these oil holes to keep
the outside surface of the sleeve or hub lubricated, as well as the inside. This
method of oiling the loose pulley requires no more attention and care than the
oiling of the journal box alone, and also effects a great saving in the amount of oil
used when each is oiled separately.
The oil holes, instead of being made radially to the axis of the box and sleeve,
may be made obliquely thereto, so that the internal opening shall be nearer the
ends of the shaft bearing, and the hub or sleeve may be used on either side of the
box.
C represents the condenser box, into which the cotton opened by the breaker or
separator B falls; this separator B revolves in the direction indicated by the arrows
in Figure 1, and as the cotton is driven upward by the action of the separator B
the top of the condenser is enclosed by a bonnet R; which retains the cotton in the

page_text: box. This condenser box is provided with grate bars g, g, and a dirt chamber e ;
or instead of the chamber e an endless apron may be used similar to the endless
apron H, and revolving laterally across the condenser box.
As the opened cotton passes over these grate bars the dirt and heavier particles
fall through into the dirt chamber e, and thus a large portion of the dirt in the
cotton is removed before the cotton reaches the first beater. At the bottom of the
box I place an endless apron E, upon which the cotton falls, and which carries
the cotton slowly along to the feed rolls c, c. As the density varies with different
materials it is desirable to increase or diminish the surface of the feed apron E at
the bottom of the box with different materials, and in order to graduate this space
at the bottom of the box I divide the rear end D of the box into two parts, which
aro hinged together, and the part D is held in different positious for increasing or
diminishing the width at the bottom of the box by the armd provided with notches
which engage with a cross bar d. By thus increasing or diminishing the space of
the feed apron E, upon which the cotton falls, the thickness and weight of the lap
may be varied or kept uniform with materials of different densities.
Fis the beater, and G, G, are the grate bars, over which the opened cotton passes
in its passage from the beater F to the screens J, J.
H represents an endless apron revolving around the shafts h³, h', which may be
driven in any convenient manner; the said apron revolves in the direction indicated
by the arrows, and contrary to the direction of the air draught in the passage
above. This apron is situated directly under the said grate bars, extending
nearly or quite the whole length of the passage. It is provided with a
series of slats h, h, placed perpendicularly to the apron, and which break the
current of air between the apron and bars, and keep the particles of dirt
from being drawn upward or away from the said apron; they also assist in
carrying the dirt along as the said apron revolves. This apron revolves slowly, and
carries the dirt along over the rear end, and the same is dropped into the dirt
chamber I, from which it is carried outward and away from the machine by the
fan K through a dust pipe.
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. In a machine for opening cotton and for similar purposes, the countershaft
provided with fingers or beater blades, and adapted to be used as a breaker or
beater, as above described.
Second. In a machine for opening cotton and for similar purposes the stationary
sleeve or hub, fitted internally to the countershaft, and externally to the loose
pulley, and provided with oil holes so that both the internal and external bearing
surfaces of the sleeve will be oiled from the same outside point, as and for the
purpose set forth.
Third. In a machine for the above purposes the combination with the loose
pulley of the sleeve attached to the journal box, and provided with oil holes, so that
the oiling of the journal box will also oil the loose pulley, as above described.
Fourth. In a machine for the above purposes the combination with the grasping
rolls and condenser box of the breaker or separator, constructed as above described.
Fifth. In a condenser box for a cotton opener the grate bars and dirt chamber,
arranged as above described for the purposes specified.
Sixth. In a condenser box for cotton openers the hinged door, constructed and
operating as above described, and for the purpose specified.
Seventh. In combination with the condenser box having an adjustable bar, the
feed apron, and feed rolls, as and for the purposes specified.
Eighth. The combination of the beater, the grate, and the endless apron, as and
for the purposes specified.
Ninth. In a condenser box for cotton openers the bonnet arranged as abovo
described, and for the purpose specified.

page_text: Tenth. The machine consisting of the parts shewn in the accompanying Drawings,
or substantially similar parts, combined, arranged, and operating in such a manner
as to effect the opening and cleaning of fibrous materials, as above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Harris Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.
HENRY H. LAKE. (L.S.)