Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Removing Short Fibres Or' Lint from Cotton Seeds, and for other similar purposes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 5th May, 1891-Accepted, 20th June, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Removing Short
Fibres Or' Lint from Cotton Seeds, and for other similar
purposes.
1, JAMES FIDLER, of 69 Greengate Street, Oldham, in the County of Lancaster,
Machinist do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
:-
My invention consists in improvements in machinery or apparatus for removing
short fibres or lint from cotton seeds and for other similar purposes.
According to my invention I employ a revolving cylinder. Upon the periphery
of the cylinder secure teeth secured in a flexible backing in a manner similar to
those used in certain machines for treating fibrous materials.
Around the cylinder before mentioned I place a number of bars parallel or there-
about to the axis of the cylinder. Some of the said bars are "clothed" with teeth
similar to those upon the cylinder; or are grooved or otherwise roughened upon
their faces, and others of the said bars are formed with perforations slits or slots to
allow of the passage of dust or short fibre detached from the seeds by the action of
the revolving cylinder and the bars before mentioned.
The apparatus above described is enclosed in a casing from which the air and
dust may be exhausted by a fan or other suitable means.
The seeds to be cleaned are supplied by means of a hopper or by means of a
spout or tube through an orifice situate at one end of the machine and are carried
forward by means of one or more plates having corrugated ridged or grooved
surfaces, such plates or surfaces being placed at intervals between the bars before
mentioned. I form the faces of the said corrugated plates or surfaces which are
next the cylinder, of a curve having a radius about the same as that of the cylinder.
The said corrugated plates or surfaces extend throughout the length of the bars
and the cylinder or thereabout, the corrugations being placed at such an angle that
the seeds whilst being carried round by the cylinder will by the said corrugations
be passed forward from the feeding" end of the machine to the opposite end
thereof, where the seeds are passed out in a cleaned state through an orifice or
opening provided for the purpose.
The speed at which the seeds are passed through the machine will depend upon
the angle of the corrugations which may be either uniform or variable.
I subject the seeds on entering the machine or previously thereto to the action of
a jet of moistened air, vapour or steam which enables the seeds to be cleaned more
effectively and at the same time prevents much of the nuisance arising from the
dust which would otherwise be produced. In some cases I may dispense with the
employment of the jet of moistened air, vapour or steam.
Dated this Second day of August 1890
W. T. CHEETHAM,
Manchester, Agent to the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Machinery or Apparatus for Removing Short
Fibres or Lint from Cotton Seeds, and for other similar
purposes.
I JAMES FIDLER of 69 Greengate Street, Oldham, in the County of Lancaster
Machinist 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 :--
My invention consists in improvements in machinery or apparatus for removing
short fibres or lint from cotton seeds and for other similar purposes.

page_text: According to my invention I employ a revolving cylinder. Upon the periphery
of the cylinder secure teeth secured in a flexible backing in a manner similar to
those used in certain machines for treating fibrous materials.
Around the cylinder. before mentioned place a number of bars parallel or there-
abouts to the axis of the cylinder. Some of the said bars are clothed with teeth
similar to those upon the cylinder or are grooved or otherwise roughened upon
their faces, and others of the said bars are formed with perforations, slits or slots to
allow of the passage of dust or short fibre detached from the seeds by the action of
the revolving cylinder and the bars before mentioned.
The apparatus above described is enclosed in a casing from which the air and
dust may be exhausted by a fan or other suitable means.
The seeds, to be cleaned are supplied by means of a hopper or by means of a spout
or tube through an orifice situate at one end of the machine and are carried forward
by means of one or more plates having corrugated, ridged or grooved surfaces, such
plates or surfaces being placed at intervals between the bars before mentioned. I
form the faces of the said corrugated plates or surfaces which are next the cylinder,
of a curve having a radius about the same as that of the cylinder. The said
corrugated plates or surfaces extend throughout the length of the bars and the
cylinder or thereabout, the corrugations being placed at such an angle that the seeds
whilst being carried round by the cylinder will by the said corrugations be passed
forward from the "feeding "end of the machine to the opposite end thereof, where
the seeds are passed out in a cleaned state through an orifice or opening provided
for the purpose.
The speed at which the seeds are passed through the machine will depend upon
the angle of the corrugations which may either be uniform or variable.
I subject the seeds on entering the machine or previously thereto to the action of
a jet of moistened air, vapour or steam which enables the seeds to be cleaned more
effectively and at the same time prevents much of the nuisance arising from the
dust which would otherwise be produced. In some cases I may dispense with the
employment of the jet of moistened air, vapour or steam.
A machine constructed according to my invention is illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is an end elevation of the machine.
Fig. 2 is a plan or face view and Fig. 3 a longitudinal edge view illustrating one
of the plates having corrugated, ridged or grooved surfaces by means of which the
seeds are carried forward or propelled through the machine.
Fig. 4 is a plan or face view and Fig. 5 a longitudinal edge view of the rail
shown in Fig. 4.
Fig.6 is a plan or face view and Fig. 7 a longitudinal edge view of one of the
rails provided with slits or perforations to allow the short fibres and dust to escape
into the space enclosed by the outer casing of the machine and
Fig. 8 is a plan of the machine and illustrates the method of driving the apparatus
by means of which the seeds to be operated upon are fed or delivered to the
machine and the method of driving the exhaust fan employed.
The same letters of reference are applied to corresponding parts throughout all
the figures of the drawings.
In order that my invention may be more readily understood and carried into
effect I will refer more particularly to the parts and arrangements shown in the
drawings.
At (a) is the hopper by means of which the seeds to be operated upon are passed
into the machine. At () are revolving vanes by means of which the seeds are
passed into the machine. (e) is an orifice formed at or near the end of the propelling
rail (g). At (d) is the revolving cylinder which is covered with strong card wire
clothing and is secured upon an axle which is supported by and capable of being
revolved in suitable bearings carried by the end frames of the machine and has
mounted upon it the fast and loose pulleys. At (e) are rails or bars which on their
inner sides which are directed towards the revolving cylinder (d) are covered with

page_text: card wire clothing. The construction of the bars or rails (e) is indicated more
clearly in Figs. 4 and 5. At (f) are rails provided with slots, slits or perforations
for the purpose of allowing the short fibres or dust removed from the seeds being
operated upon to escape from the interior of the machine into the space (m) included
within the outer casing (7) of the machine. The construction of the rails (/) is
illustrated more clearly in Figs. 6 and 7.
At (g) (9) are propelling rails or plates which upon their inner surfaces which
are directed towards the revolving cylinder (d), are provided with corrugated,
ridged or grooved surfaces placed at an angle and forming, as it were, portions of a
screw formed round the interior of the casing formed by the bars (e), (f) (g) (9¹).
The grooves (1) formed in the plates or rails (9), (¹) are indicated in Fig. 3.
At (in the propelling plate or rail (g) is formed the discharging orifice through
which the seeds operated upon are discharged from the machine and at (k) is a tube
or spout which conducts the discharged seeds into any suitable receptacle. At (1)
is the outer casing of the machine which in conjunction with the end-frames of the
machine the openings in which are provided with suitable doors encloses the
space (m) and at (o) is an exhaust fan by means of which the dust removed from
the seeds being operated upon is removed from the space (m). The seeds to be
operated upon are fed into the hopper or feeder-case (a) (Figs. 1 and 8) by a spout
or by a hopper carried by the feed apparatus and are passed by the revolving
vanes () into the interior of the machine through the orifice (c) formed at or near
the end of the propelling plate or rail (g). The rotating cylinder (a) which is
caused to revolve in the direction indicated by the arrow (A) and is, as has been
stated above, covered with strong card wire clothing, then carries forward the seeds
around the interior of the casing formed by the bars or rails (e), (f) and propelling
plates or rails (g) (g). In their passage around the interior of the casing formed
by the bars or rails (e) (f) and the plates or rails (g) (9¹) the seeds are carried over
a series of bars or rails (e) which are covered on the inner side with card wire
clothing and also over a series of rails (ƒ) in which are formed slits or perfora-
tions (1) through which the short fibre and dust are passed into the space (m)
included within the outer casing (1). The said seeds are also caused to pass over
the propelling plates or rails (g) (¹) and at each passage over such propelling
plates or rails (9) (g) are by the grooves (h) formed in the said propelling plates
or rails (g) (9) and illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, impelled forwards a little towards
the delivery end of the machine, the said grooves being placed at that angle to the
length of the propelling plates or rails (9) (g) which may be suitable to the class
of seeds to be operated upon. The grooves (4) in different parts of the propelling
plates (g) (9) may be formed at different angles to the length of such plates or
rails (g) (g). The seeds will be carried forward by the rotation of the cylinder (d)
until they arrive at or near the end of the propelling plate or rail (g) when they
will be discharged through the orifice () in such plate or rail (g¹) into a tube or
spout () (Figs. 1 and 8) by which they may be conducted into any suitable
receptacle. The dust removed from the seeds operated upon by the machine and
passed through the slits or perforations (f¹) into the space (m) enclosed by the
casing (1) is removed by the draught produced by the fan (o) and may be thereby
delivered into any suitable receptacle or place. The fibre removed from the seeds
operated upon passes into the space (m) enclosed by the casing (1) from the lower
part of which space it may be removed from time to time by means of doors provided
in the end-frames of the machine.
The bars or rails (e), (f) and the propelling plates or rails (9) (g') are secured
at each end to one of the two end-frames of the machine by screws or other suitable
means allowing of the adjustment of such bars or rails (e), (f) and propelling plates
or rails (g) and (9') in position in relation to the surface of the revolving
cylinder (d). In the adjustment of the bars or rails (e) (f) and propelling plates
or rails (g) (g) in relation to the surface of the revolving cylinder (d) or in the
testing of such adjustment at any time a gauge or gauges may be passed through
the holes (n) provided for the purpose in the end framings of the machine.
In

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HOWARD
CHEETHAM,
Manchester, Agent to the Applicant.