IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR CLEANING COTTON
Year: 1872

page_text: *LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINES FOR CLEANING COTTON."
-A communication from abroad by Nathan Bardin Hail, of
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition
and Declaration, on the 8th March 1872, pursuant to the 9th
Section of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS I am in possession of an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS:
IN MACHINES FOR CLEANING COTTON," and have petitioned Her Majesty to
grant unto me, my executors, administrators, and assigns, Her Royal
Letters Patent for the same, and have made solemn Declaration that

page_text: it has been communicated to me from abroad by Nathan Bardin
Hail, of Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare that the following Complete Specification, under my hand and
seal, fully describes and ascertains the nature of the said Invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawing, forming
a part of this Specification.
This Invention relates to the machines employed in cleaning cotton
preparatory to passing it through the cotton gins heretofore used, and it
is designed to enable such machines to more thoroughly extend the
fibres that in removing the seed therefrom the full length of the staple
may be preserved. The said Invention resides principally in what I will
term a breaker in connection with a cleaner, for more readily attaining
the result required.
.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved cotton cleaner showing
the outside connections; Figure 2 represents the connections on the
opposite side; Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation; and
Figure 4 is a sectional plan of the said machine. Similar letters of
reference indicate corresponding parts.
A is the breaker, and B the cleaner; in some respects they are similar,
both having a case or frame with two side walls, and open at the top and
ends; they are also provided with an endless apron arranged on rollers
in the bottom of the said cases; one of the rollers of each is provided
with a ratchet wheel C for imparting motion to the apron. D'is a
toothed cylinder placed at one end of the breaker A above the apron, to
take the cotton therefrom and deliver it into the case of the cleaner B;
the end of the breaker A in which it is placed being suitably arranged
and so attached to the said cleaner as to bring the teeth on the delivery
side in the proper position for that purpose. The movement of this
cylinder at the under side is opposite to that of the apron, and the
cotton is consequently taken from the said apron in advance of the
point where the apron passes down under the end roller thereof. E is a.
toothed equalizing bar placed in advance of the cylinder D across the
apron between the sides of breaker A, with the teeth projecting down-

page_text: ward and arranged to be adjusted to or from the said apron; it is
provided to equalize the delivery of the cotton from the apron to the
cylinder D. F is a similar toothed bar placed at a suitable distance from
the cylinder D with its teeth standing horizontally and used for the pur-
pose of breaking open the cotton pods and expanding the cotton as it is
carried by the said cylinder and delivered into the case of the cleaner B;
at the same time the cotton is freed from heavy matter which drops to
the apron of the breaker A, and is carried under the cylinder D and
delivered over the end roller into any receptacle.
In the delivery the cotton falls upon the apron of cleaner B and is
carried by it to the toothed plates G called cotton saws, which are
located a suitable distance above one end of the said apron near the
centre of the machine. I use twenty-six saws, or more or less, according
to the width of the said cleaner. H, H, are ribs or clearers fastened to a
cross bar and arranged to be adjusted near the circumference in the
spaces between the cotton saws G; they are made curving and extend
nearly to the apron under the said saws, leaving the saws free to turn.
I is a toothed stripper and fan placed over the cotton saws G, with teeth
set in the outer edge of the wings or paddles to pass on either side of the
said saws.
The movement of this fan stripper at its under side being
in the same direction with the upper side of the cotton saws G and with
an increased velocity, the teeth thereby remove the cotton from the said
saws and it is propelled by the current of air caused by the said fan
stripper into the central chamber of the trunk K. The cotton saws G
are made with teeth inclined and in sets having a plane between each
set; the arrangement of the said saws on their shaft is such that the
teeth of one is brought on a line with the plane of the next, and.
alternately throughout; the cotton is taken from the apron and drawn
between the ribs or clearers H, separating it from any hulls or
superfluous matter that might not be removed by the breaker A.
L, L, are thin strips of metal arranged between the upper sides of the
cotton saws; they are curved and fastened at their ends, one being
secured inside of the circumference of the said saws by a set of short
ribs or supports M fitted for that purpose; the opposite ends extending
out from between, the upper side of the saws are screwed to a cross bar.
By this arrangement the cotton when freed from the saw teeth is
conducted through the passage leading to the central chamber of the
trunk K. N is a toothed roller situated above the ribs or clearers H in

page_text: advance of the cotton saws G for the purpose of obviating the collection
of a surplus of cotton over the said ribs or clearers.
The clearer B is also provided with two blowers O and P for extend-
ing the fibres of the cotton, and at the same time removing any fine
dust. The current of air coming from the blower O intersects the
current from the fan stripper I at the entrance of the central chamber
of trunk K. At this point of intersection by the action of the two
currents the fibres of cotton around the seed are extended and freed
from any fine dust or sand they may contain, the finer dust passing
through the slatted wall of the central chamber of trunk K is drawn
through openings leading to the blower P, and forced by the said blower
through the discharge pipe at the top. The heavy sand falls between
the bottom slats of the said central chamber into the apartments under-
neath, which apartments are provided with doors to be used in removing
what may collect.
The aprons being made of slats rivetted across endless belts, the width
always remains the same; and to guide said apron from the sides of the
cases the centre inside belt turns in two flanged rollers. The end of the
aprons may be raised or lowered beneath the cylinder D and cotton
saws G, by screws operating the end rollers; the opposite end rollers are.
also adjustable in tightening the said aprons. The said cylinder and
cotton saws are operated by belts from any suitable power, and at one
end their shafts are furnished with a crank for working a pawl lever R
by a connecting rod S. This pawl lever has two pawls T and U, one
above and the other below its fulcrum, working in the teeth of the
ratchet wheel C for driving the aprons. The rod S is connected to the
crank in a radial slot, so that its movement may be made greater or less
for varying the speed of the said apron.
The teeth of the cylinder D are bent forward and placed spirally
around its circumference with intermediate teeth of one reverse spiral
row bent backwards, which row acts in spreading the cotton from the
apron. The cotton being extended and cleansed is delivered at the
farther end of the trunk K.
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, I am aware that hooked toothed cylinders

page_text: and cotton saws for conveying cotton are not new, and I therefore do
not claim them as a part of this Invention, but I claim,—
First. The bar Ẹ and intermediate teeth of the cylinder D as arranged
in reference to the endless apron of the breaker A, substantially as
herein described and for the purpose specified.
Second. The endless apron of the breaker A in connection with the
cylinder D and bar F, substantially as described.
Third. The endless apron of the breaker A in combination with the
bars E and F and cylinder D, all as herein described and for the
specified.
purpose
Fourth. The endless aprons in combination with the double acting
pawls or working ratchets for imparting motion thereto, substantially as
described.
Fifth. The endless apron of the cleaner B in connection with the
saws G, clearers H, and roller N, substantially as described.
Sixth. The endless apron of the cleaner B in connection with the
saws G, stripper I, and conductors L, substantially as described.
Seventh. The endless apron of the cleaner B in combination with the
saws G, clearers H, roller N, stripper I, conductors L, and trunk K, all
as herein described and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
two.
Witness,
EDWARD C. JACKSON.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)