IMPROVE- MENTS IN COTTON GINS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Theodore Bourne, of the City, County, and State of
New York, United States of America, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN COTTON GINS."-A communication from Israel Fanning Brown,
of New London, New London County, State of Connecticut, United
States of America.
Sealed the 24th June 1864, and dated the 29th December 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Theodore Bourne at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
29th December 1868.
I, THEODORE BOURNE, of the City, County, and State of New York, United
States of America, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN COTTON GINS," to be as follows:-
In ordinary saw gins the cotton is apt to become so packed on the breast as
to have its fibre torn or injured by the saws. When a single set of saws is
made to operate with a comb projecting from a case or shrouding, the cotton
will be packed directly against the comb, so, should two sets of saws work
through a concave breast, and revolve towards one another in opposite
directions, the mass of cotton will not be caused to rotate, but will remain
stationary, and become so packed as to have its fibres greatly injured by the
saws.
In my improved cotton gin two sets of saws operate with one breast, and
each set works through it, and revolves in the same direction, the breast, the

page_text: saws, and the hopper being arranged so that the mass of cotton is kept in
continual rotation, and besides what is drawn from it through the breast large
portions are separated by the upper set of saws, and thrown upwards and over
upon the mass, in such manner that their fibres are separated and laid so as
to be easily seized by the lower set of saws.
The action of the machine under the particular arrangement and com-
bination hereafter described of the working parts is very advantageous.
The rotary brush as arranged with the two series of saws operating in
connection with and disposed with respect to one breast as described, not only
performs its functions of clearing the saws or receiving the cotton therefrom,
but creates currents of air and causes such to pass between the two series of
saws and the breast or parts thereof in which the saws work such currents
operating to advantage not only in separating the fibres but in discharging
from them dirt, seeds, and other extraneous matter. In consequence of
employing the two series of saws as described the cotton has a movement in the
hopper which causes its fibres to be changed in position so that fresh portions
will be constantly presented to the action of the saws..
In the ordinary saw gins, as there is but one shaft of saws, the latter by
their action communicate a rotary motion to the mass, and this rotary move-
ment prevents the fibres of the mass from changing position as readily as
when two sets are used, as described, and consequently the work progresses
more slowly. By employing, however, the two series of saws the revolving
motion is partly broken or destroyed, and a more irregular motion produced,
causing a change of aggregation of the fibres, so that the saws continually
work on fresh masses or parts of the cotton in the hopper, and perform the
desired work in a rapid manner.
The ordinary saw gin is chiefly used to clean short-staple cotton, but by an
arrangement of the disc of the saws used in ginning cotton, which I call the
alternate blank saw, a much longer staple can be ginned to great advantage
upon the saw gin.
For hand saw gins I use one of the series of saws above described.
The object of these improvements is to increase the capacity and usefulness
of the saw gin, and the Invention mainly consists in the employment of two
séries of saws operating through one breast, and both revolving in the same
direction, working also in combination with a hopper or feeding box for the
unginned cotton, and a rotary brush, all arranged substantially as described.
Also in the employment of a saw for ginning cotton, arranged so that the
teeth and blank alternate regularly on the disc of the circle.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Theodore Bourne in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th June 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THEODORE
BOURNE, of the City, County, and State of New York, United States of
America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Theodore Bourne, Her special licence that I, the said Theodore
Bourne, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Theodore Bourne, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN COTTON GINS," (communicated to me from abroad by Israel
Fanning Brown, of New London, New London County, State of Connecticut,
United States of America, the Inventor,) upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Theodore Bourne, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Theodore Bourne, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say:-
In ordinary saw gins the cotton is apt to become so packed on the breast
as to have its fibres torn or injured by the saws. When a single set of saws.
a case or shrouding, the
is made to operate with a comb projecting from
cotton will be packed directly against the comb; so should two sets of saws
work through a concave breast, and revolve towards one another in opposite
directions, the mass of cotton will not be caused to rotate, but will remain

page_text: stationary, and become so packed as to have its fibres greatly injured by the
saws.
In my improved cotton gin two sets of saws operate with one breast, and
each set works through it, and revolves in the same direction, the breast, the
saws, and the hopper being arranged so that the mass of cotton is kept in
continual rotation, and besides what is drawn from it through the breast, large
portions are separated by the upper set of saws, and thrown upwards and
over upon the mass in such manner that their fibres are separated and laid
so as to be easily seized by the lower set of saws. The action of the machine
under the particular arrangement aud combination, hereafter described, of the
working parts is very advantageous.
The rotary brush, as arranged with the two series of saws operating in
connection with and disposed with respect to one breast, as described, not
only performs its functions of clearing the saws or receiving the cotton there-
from, but creates currents of air, and causes such to pass between the two
series of saws and the breast or parts thereof in which the saws work, such
currents operating to great advantage not only in separating the fibres, but
in discharging from them dirt, seeds, and other extraneous matters.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a side section through the
line x, x, of Figure 2, and Figure 2 a front section through the line y, y, of
Figure 1 of a cotton gin constructed according to this Invention.
A is a rectangular frame in which a box B is fitted; C, C, are two shafts
passing transversely through the box B, and each carrying a series of gin-
saws D. The shafts C, C, are placed one over the other in the same plane
which is somewhat inclined, as seen in Figure 1. A space a is left between
the two series of saws. E is a cylindrical stripping brush of such diameter,
and placed in such a relative position with the two series of saws, as to act
efficiently on both. The brush E may be constructed in the ordinary manner,
and be covered at each end by a plate or flanch 6, which plates or flanches
may be attached to the inner side of the box B, and serve as supports for a
cap or cover F. G is a hopper containing a breast H, constructed of metal
ribs c formed with two concavities d, d, corresponding to the two series of
saws. The saws project through the broast at the concavities. The hopper G
is connected at its upper end by hinges e to a box I directly above the box B;
the hopper is provided with the usual inclined seed-discharge board f, which
serves as a bottom thereto. The shaft of the lower series of saws is the
driving shaft; it carries a pulley 9 at one end and a toothed wheel h at the
other; this wheel gears into a corresponding wheel h¹, which in its turn gears

page_text: into another wheel h" on the shaft of the upper series of saws. A belt i
shewn in dotted lines in Figure 1, passes round the pulley g over a pulleyj on
the shaft of the brush E, and over another pulley k. The operation is as
follows: The lower saw shaft C is caused to rotate by any convenient power,
and rotary motion in the same direction is transmitted to the upper saw shaft
through the intermediation of the wheels h, h¹, h". The brush E is caused to
rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow by means of the belt i. The
cotton in the hopper G is acted upon by the saws D, D, so far as the ginning
or separating of the fibre from the seed is concerned, in the usual way, the
saws drawing the fibre through the breast H, and thereby stripping it from
the seeds as the latter cannot pass through the breast or between its ribs.
The brush E also acts in the ordinary manner, that is to say, it strips the
cotton from the saws by rotating more rapidly than the saws. The seeds as
the fibre is drawn from them fall down through the space between the lower
edge of the board f and the breast H.
In consequence of employing two series of saws, the cotton receives a
movement in the hopper, as indicated by the arrows 1, in Figure 1, whereby
the fibres are changed in position, and fresh portions are constantly presented
to the action of the saws. In ordinary saw gins with only one series of saws,
the saws communicate a rotary motion to the mass, as indicated by the
arrows 2, which rotary movement prevents the fibres of the mass changing
position, and consequently the work progresses slowly. But by the employ-
ment of two series of saws, the revolving motion is broken or destroyed, and
an irregular motion produced, causing a change of aggregation of the fibres,
so that the saws continually work on fresh masses or parts of the cotton in the
hopper, and perform the desired work in a rapid manner.
Although I consider it greatly preferable and advantageous to cause the
two series of saws to rotate in the same direction as before described, yet they
may, if desired, be arranged to rotate in opposite directions, in which case
it will be .necessary to place the two series of saws at a greater distance
apart.
The ordinary saw gin is chiefly used to clean short-staple cotton, but by an
arrangement of the disc of the saw used in ginning cotton, which I call the
alternate blank saw, a much longer staple can be ginned to great advantage
upon the saw gin.
My improved saw is represented in Figure 8; I construct it with a blank
space a and teeth b alternately all round the periphery thereof, as shewn. The
spaces a may be all of the same size, or they may be of various sizes, and the

page_text: number of teeth between every two spaces may be the same or not as considered
desirable. The particular form of tooth I prefer for these saws, and which is
applicable to other saws for ginning cotton, is shewn detached on a larger
scale at Figure 4. It will be noticed that the inside edge forms a sharper
angle with the saw disc than ordinary saw teeth, and that the outside edge
thereof is slightly curved; I also file one side of the tooth, and leave the
other side plain and smooth, or both sides may be filed if desired.
For hand saw gins I prefer to use one series of saws constructed as just
described. Figures 5 & 6 are sections of a hand gin. D represents the saw's
on a shaft C; E, the brush; H, the breast; and G, the hopper. The operation
of this hand gin will be fully understood by the previous description of the
gin represented in Figures 1 and 2.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First, the combination of parts of cotton gins, viz., the hopper breast, two
sets of saws and brush, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated
in the accompanying Drawings.
Second, the employment in cotton gins of two or more sets or cylinders of
saws revolving in one breast, substantially as herein-before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Third, the construction and employment of saws for cotton gins with a
blank space and teeth alternately round the periphery of the saw, substantially
as herein-before described and illustrated in Figure 3 of the accompanying
Drawings.
Fourth, the particular form of tooth for the saws of cotton gins, herein-
before described and illustrated in Figure 4 of the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Theodore Bourne, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of June, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-four.
THEODORE BOURNE. (L.S.)