IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CLEANING COTTON SEEDS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francois Antoine Edmond Guironnet de Massas,
of Hoxton, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CLEANING COTTON SEEDS."
Sealed the 2nd October 1868, and dated the 4th April 1868.
Edmond Guronnet de Massas at the Office of the Commissioners
of Patents, with his Petition, on the 4th April 1868.
1, FRANCOIS ANTOINE EDMOND (UIRONNET DE MASSAS, of Hoxton,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR
CLEANING COTTON SEEDS," to be as follows:-
Experience in the treatment of cotton seeds from various cotton
growing countries has shown me that the means described in the
Specifications of my former Patents, dated respectively 15th June 1864,
No. 1480, and 26th August 1865, No. 2196, are not always sufficient;
it is the chief object of my present Invention to remedy this defect.
My present Invention consists, first, of regulated and graduated
means of introducing or feeding the seed as required according to its
[Price Sd7

page_text: nature by means of three arms or branches, two of which agitate the
seed, and the third draws or leads it into a groove or opening in the
bottom of the seed reservoir, this opening may be increased or diminished
as required by a sliding plate and a screw.
Secondly. Of means of rubbing or producing friction on cotton seed,
of all kinds.
I divide the seed into two classes, the first comprising
all seed to which the cotton does not adhere but having debris of
cotton mixed with it, and the second comprising seed to which the
cotton adheres in layers inore or less thick. For the first class I use
straight and thick saw blades with teeth at convenient distances apart
in order that the seed may pass between them, the blades are lixed
on rods of wood or iron so that only the teeth project, the rods are
fixed in the interior of ribs which form the casing. For the second
class comprising seed to which the cotton adheres I employ steel
blades one surface of which is cut like an ordinary wood rasp except,
that the quts are a little inclined and are made in the direction of
the length.
To increase and facilitate the movement or circulation of
the seed the surface of the rasps may be fluted and all these parts
cut. The rasps are likewise fixed on ribs which form the casing.
the casings there are caused to rotate either brushes fixed on polygons
or drums entirely covered with brushes or any other convenient
arrangement provided the seed is drawn into the rotary movement..
The brushes as well as the drum are parallel to the casing.
11
Thirdly. Of means of regulating the brushes or drums (when I
employ the conical form) that is to say, of increasing or diminishing
as required the space between the brushes or drums and the casing;
the means consist of a groove in the sides of the casing and in the
part of the frame which corresponds to it, a screw adjusts the casing
to the frame and permits of raising or lowering the casing.
Fourthly. Of means of ventilating the outside or inside of the machine
with the double object of cooling it and of driving out the cotton
debris. This double object is attained by a separate tube leading from
a fan or ventilator fixed to the machine or by a separate fan acting
underneath and against the machine.
Fifthly. Of means for readily emptying the machine consisting of
a door at the bottom extending the length thereof secured by a hinge
at one side and by hooks at the other, and by a lever at each end.

page_text: another to effect the separation of the cotton, the cleaned seed, the
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Specifications before referred to.
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SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Francois Antoine Guironnet de Massas in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd October 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FRANCOIS
ANTOINE EDMOND QUIRONNET DE MASSAS, of Hoxton, in the County.
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty.
first year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Francois Antoine Edmond Guironnet
de Massas, Her special licence that I, the said Francois Antoine
Edmond Guironnet de Massas, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Francois Antoine Edmond Guironnet,
de Massas, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR CLEANING COTTON SEEDS," upon
the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Francois Antoine Edmond
Guironnet de Massas, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE that I, the said Francois Antoine Edmond Guironnet
de Massas, do hereby declare the nature of my 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:
Experience in the treatment of cotton seeds from various cotton
growing countries has shown me that the means described in the
Specifications of my former Patents. dated respectively 15th June 1864,
No. 1480, and 26th August 1865, No.. 2196, are not always sufficient;
it is the chief object of my present Invention to remedy this defect.
My present Invention consists, first, of regulated and graduated
means of introducing or feeding the seed as required according to its
nature by means of three arms or branches, two of which agitate the
seed, and the third draws or leads it into a groove or opening in the
bottom of the seed reservoir, this opening may be increased or
diminished as required by a sliding plate, and a screw a in Figures 1
and 2 is a shaft carried through a seed hopper or reservoir b provided
with two outlets c, c; above each outlet the shaft a carries arms,
two of which d, d, agitate the seed in the hopper, and the third arme
draws or leads the seed to the corresponding opening e; f is sliding
plate with a screw g to regulate the size of the openings c, c.
Secondly. Of means of rubbing or producing friction on cotton seed of
all kinds. I divide the seed into two classes, the first comprising all the
seed to which the cotton does not adhere, but having debris of cotton
mixed with it, and the second comprising seed to which the cotton
adheres in layers more or less thick. For the first class I use straight
and thick saw blades, one of which is shewn at h, Figure 3, with teetli
at convenient distances apart, in order that the seed may pass between
them; the blades are fixed by screws on rods of wood or iron so that
only the teeth project; the rods are fixed in the interior of ribs which
form the casing. Figure 4 represents a number of these saw blades and
rods fixed in the interior of one of the ribs of the casing: h, h, are the
saw blades, and h, k, the rods to which the blades are secured by.
screws, is the rib of the casing to which the rods are secured by
Screws m. m. It will be seen on reference to the Figure that only the
teeth of the blades h, h, project above the rods k, k. For the second
class comprising seed to which the cotton adheres 1 employ steel blades
a portion of one of which is represented at n, Figure 5; one surface

page_text: of these blades is cut like an ordinary wood rasp, except that the cuts
are a little inclined, and are made in the direction of the breadth. To
increase and facilitate the movement or circulation of the seed the
surface of the rasps may be fluted as shown in Figure 6. and all these
paris cut as seen in the Figure. The rasps are likewise fixed on ribs
which form the casing in a similar manner to the rods, , in Figure 4.
In the casing there are caused to rotate either brushes fixed on
polygons or drums entirely covered with brushes or any other convenient
arrangement, provided the seed is drawn into the rotary movement.
The brushes as well as the drum are parallel to the casing.
In
Thirdly. Of means of regulating the brushes or drums (when I employ
the conical form). that is to say, of increasing or diminishing as
required the space between the brushes or drums and the casing.
Figure 7, o is the brush and p the casing, the means for diminishing
or increasing the space between them consist of a groove q in the sides
of the casing, and of a tongue in the part of the frame which
corresponds to it, a screw s adjusts the casing to the frame and permits
of raising or lowering the casing. Although in this Figure the saw
blades are shewn as being only in the lower part of the casing, it will
be understood that they may extend all round with spaces at intervals
to allow the dust to pass through apertures, such as those shewn at t.
Fourthly: Of means of ventilating the outside or inside of the
machine with the double object of cooling it and of driving out the
cotton debris. This double object is attained by a separate tube leading
from a fan or ventilator fixed to the machine or by a separate fan
acting underneath and against the machine. In Figure S is the fan
which has been hitherto employed to force a current through a tube
for the purpose of driving up the spout the cotton which arrives at the
lower end of the casing p. I now carry a separate tube w from the fan
to a jacket outside the casing 2 whereby the machine is cooled and the
dust driven out from the casing. The casing may be entirely covered
by an outer jacket having an opening leading to a box or bin inio
which the dust falls; no dust can thus fly about the machine room.
Fifthly. Of means of readily emptying the machine consisting of a
door at the bottom extending the length thereof as shewn at y,
Figure 4, it is secured by a hinge z at one side and by hooks a' and
levers 6 at the other.

page_text: Sixthly. Of an arrangement of sieves br riddles as shewn at c' in
Figure S placed one above another to effect the separation of the
cotton, the cleansed seed, the partially cleansed seed, and the debris or
dust which falls with the seed; Figure 8 gives a general view of the
whole machine, the letters of reference in this Figure corresponding to
those in the other Figures before described.
The accessory parts of the machine are the same as described in the
Specifications above referred to.
In witness whereof, 1. the said Francois Antoine Edmond
Guironnet de Massas, have hereunto set my hand and seal,
this Third day of October, One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
eight
F. A. E. G. DE MASSAS. (L.S.)