Improvements in Cotton Gins.
Year: 1896

page_text: Improvements in Cotton Gins.
I, BENJAMIN ALFRED DOBSON, of Kay Street Works, Bolton, in the County of
Lancaster, Machine Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be
as follows:-
My invention relates to cotton gins and consists in certain improvements in the
mode of and means for feeding these machines.
The first part of my improvements consists in the application of apparatus for
delivering any required amount of cotton from a hopper or feed receptacle to the
machine, the second part consists in the application to the hopper or feed receptacle
of a loose swinging back so arranged that it may be lifted or tilted in order to
loosen the cotton and prevent the roller or rollers from being choked and the third
part consists in the application of a quick return motion to the feeder bar of the
machine so that the seeds which have been detached from the cotton may have
more facility for dropping through the grid.
In carrying the first part of my improvements into effect I fix above the machine
a hopper or receptacle in which revolves a toothed spiked fluted or other suitable
roller (or more than one such roller) driven from any convenient part of the
machine, and in such a manner that the speed of the roller (or rollers) may be
varied according to the quantity of cotton required for delivery to the machine
this variation of speed being effected preferably by connections from the shaft
operating the feeder bar.
In carrying the second part of my improvements into effect I prefer to link or
connect the loose swinging back to the arms connecting the feeder bar to the
oscillating brackets hereinafter described under the third head of my Invention,
so that every revolution of the crank shaft working the feeder bar will also lift or
tilt up the swinging back; but instead I may impart a tilting motion to the
swinging back by means of suitable connections from any convenient moving part
of the machine.
In carrying the third part of my improvements into effect I connect the cranks
of the shaft operating the feeder bar by slides fitted in or on oscillating brackets
or levers pivoted at one end to the framing of the machine and at the other end to
the feeder bar in such manner that the feeder bar receives a slow motion during
its travel towards the roller (commonly called the leather roller) and a quick
motion as it recedes; or instead I may employ cams and levers or links or any
suitable mechanism for effecting the same object.
For the purpose of loosening the seeds and causing them to fall easily and with
certainty through the grid I prefer to arrange either for the tilting of the feeder
bar during its quick return movement or impart a tilting or lifting motion to the
grid. This tilting of the feeder bar or grid or both may be effected by cams and
suitable connections or any convenient arrangement of mechanism.
Dotad this 9th day of September 1896
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Cotton Gins.
I, BENJAMIN ALFRED DOBSON, of Kay Street Works, Bolton, in the County of
Lancaster, Machine Maker, 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 relates to cotton gins and consists in certain improvements in the
mode of and means for feeding these machines.
The first part of my improvements consists in the application of apparatus for
delivering any required amount of cotton from a hopper or feed receptacle to the
machine, the second part consists in the application to the hopper or feed receptacle
cf a loose swinging back so arranged that it may be lifted or tilted in order to
loosen the cotton and prevent the roller or rollers from being choked and the third
part consists in the application of a quick return motion to the feeder bar of the
machine so that the seeds which have been detached from the cotton may have
more facility for dropping through the grid.
In the accompanying three Sheets of Drawings--
Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved cotton gin. Fig. 2 is a transvers.
vertical section of the same, and Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are details of parts of the
mechanism.
In the Drawings,-2 designates the hopper, 3 a loose swinging back or door
pivoted to the sides of the hopper, 4 a toothed, spiked, fluted or other suitable roller
driven intermittently from a crank shaft i which also operates a feed bar the
cranks being fitted in boxes fitted to slide in slideways in a pair of slotted
brackets 8 pivoted on studs 9 secured to the main frame; to the opposite ends of
the brackets 8 are pivoted the feeder bar 7 on studs 10 and consequently
crank shaft 6 is rotated the feeder har the front end of which rests upon a grid 11
receives a slow motion during its travel towards the usual leather covered roller 12
and a quick motion as it recedes therefrom. Instead of the means shown and
described I may employ cams and levers or links or any suitable mechanism for
effecting the same object.
as the
The leather covered roller 12 is driven by a band from a pulley mounted upon
a cranked driving shaft 13 and fitted upon the cranks of this shaft are two straps or
links 14 which carry a transverse bar 15 with a blade 16 and give an up and down
ovement to the bar and blade. A doctor knife 17 is secured to the frame with
its edge resting against the leathe. covered roller 12. The swinging back 3 is
actuated by eccentrics 18 mounted on the shaft 6 and straps on these eccentrics
are connected by rods 19 to brackets 20 secured to the back 3, see Fig. 5. The
spiked roller 4 is driven intermittently by means of an arm 21 pivoted to the frame
and oscillated by a pin 22 in a disc 23 on the shaft 6 which works in a slot in the
arm 21 and to the other end of this arm 21 is pivoted a rod 24 connected also to
an arm 25 pivoted on a stud 26 secured to the hopper side; on the arm 25 is
pivoted a friction catch 27 which engages with a friction wheel 28 also loose upon
the stud 26 and a spur wheel 29 secured upon the boss of the wheel 8 gears into
a spur wheel 30 secured upon the axle of the spiked roller 4; pivoted to the hopper
side is a weighted catch 32 fitting into the groove of the wheel 28 so as to prevent
this wheel turning backwards when the catch 27 is brought down.
For the purpose of loosening the seeds and causing them to fall easily and with
certainty through the grid 11 I prefer to arrange for the filting of the feeder bar 7
during its quick return movement. The tilting of the feeder bar is in this instance
effected by means of a weighted cam or elbow lever 34 pivoted to the frame at 35

page_text: and which is kept by its weighted end bearing normally against a fixed stop 36.
As the feeder bar 7 moves forward towards the leather roller 12 a projection 37 on
the feeder bar 7 catches the end of the elbow lever 34 and moves it back on its
fulcrum 35; but on its return movement the feeder bar 7 travelling in a lower
plane is tilted by the weighted elbow lever 34 moving back with it.
As an alternative the grid 11 may be hinged as shown in Fig. 6 to a stud 38
and receive a tilting motion from a cam 39 placed below it on a short shaft 40 on
which is also fixed a pulley 41 driven by a band 42 from a pulley 43 on the crank
shaft. In this manner and by means of the cam 39, or it might be by equivalent
means, the grid 11 receives a tilting motion and the feeder bar is also tilted with
the grid and the cotton allowed to fall away from the doctor knife 17 and leather
roller 12.
I wish it to be understood that instead of employing only a single toothed spiked
or fluted roller 4 in the hopper I may employ two or more such rollers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I'declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In combination, the hopper receptacle 2, the loose swinging back 3, and
means for tilting or lifting the same, the rotating roller 4 (or more than one such
roller) and means for driving the same intermittently all substantially as and for
the purposes herein set forth.
2. In combination, the hopper receptacle 2, the loose swinging back 3, the
rotating roller (or rollers) 4, the feeder bar 7 and means for imparting a slow
forward and quick receding motion thereto, all substantially as and for the purposes
herein set forth.
3. The combination with the feeder bar 7 and means for imparting a slow
forward and quick receding motion thereto, of means for tilting the feeder bar
during its return movement or alternatively means for tilting the grid 11
substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.
4. The several constructions combinations and arrangements of parts embodying
my improvements in cotton gins substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this 8th day of June 1897.
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17 St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.