IMPROVEMENTS IN COTTON GINS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edmond Paul Henri Gondouin, of Paris, France,
Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COTTON GINS."-A
communication from François Durand, of Rue Claude Vellefaux, No. 11,
Paris France Mechanician
Sealed the 22nd August 1865, and dated the 24th February 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edmond Paul Henri
Gondouin at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 24th February 1865.
I, EDMOND PAUL HENRI GONDOUIN, of Paris, France, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COTTON GINS,"
to be as follows:-
These improvements in cotton gins consist principally in a particular shape
or arrangement of the flutings, furrows, or grooves provided in the periphery
or outer surface of one of the rollers (by preference the upper one) of a pair
of revolving ginning or cleansing rollers, to the action of which the cotton to
be separated from its seeds is presented, and by means of which improved
shape or arrangement of flutings, furrows, or grooves a transverse to-and-fro
or traversing motion in a direction parallel to the axis of the roller is imparted
to the cotton, which motion essentially aids in separating the seeds from the

page_text: cotton filaments, the latter alone being drawn between the cleansing rollers,
whilst the seeds are prevented from passing between these latter. For this
purpose the flutings, furrows, or grooves provided in the outer surface or
periphery of the said grooved ginning roller consist merely of a series of
elliptical endless flutings, furrows, or grooves at the required depth in the
surface of the roller, the said flutings being situated parallel to each other,
and cut in an incline direction in respect to that of the axis of the roller in
such manner that the solid parts remaining between these elliptical incisions
or flutings at the outside of the roller present a series of elongated endless
ellipses or elliptical rings situated parallel to each other, and presenting con-
sequently all of them the same inclination in respect to the direction of the
axis of the roller, in consequence of which, at each revolution of this latter,
each of the flutings and rings will cause the cotton presented to the action of
the ginning rollers to be thrown to and fro in a transverse direction, viz.,
parallel to that of the length of the roller.
My improved cotton gin further consists of a frame, in which are allowed
to revolve, parallel to each other and at the required distance apart, a pair of
ginning rollers, in the surface one of which is provided the above-described
series of parallel elliptical flutings, whereas the surface of the other roller is
left smooth, and has slung round it and fixed thereto with one of its ends a
strip of parchment, the other end of which being left free revolves with the
roller for the purpose of assisting more effectually in drawing the fibres
between the two ginning rollers by means of suitable gearing; the required
revolving motion is transmitted from any suitable prime mover to the ginning
rollers to proper feed and discharge rollers, and to endless aprons for feeding
the machine with the cotton to be cleansed, and for the delivery of the ginned
cotton.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edmond Paul Henri Gondouin in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 24th August 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDMOND
PAUL HENRI GONDOUIN, of Paris, France, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto

page_text: me, the said Edmond Paul Henri Gondouin, Her special licence that I, the
said Edmond Paul Henri Gondouin, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as I, the said Edmond Paul Henri Gondouin, 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 COTTON GINS," a com-
munication to him by François Durand, of Rue Claude Vellefaux, No. 11, of
Paris, France, a Mechanician, upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Edmond Paul Henri Gondouin, 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 Inven-
tion, 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 Edmond Paul Henri Gondouin, 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:-
These improvements in cotton gins relate more particularly to those
descriptions of cotton gins in which the separation of the seeds from the
fibres is effectuated by means of fluted or grooved rollers or cylinders; and
the said improvements consist, 1ly, in an improved construction or arrange-
ment of the said fluted or grooved ginning rollers or cylinders, and more
particularly in an improved shape or arrangement of the flutings, furrows,
grooves, or serrations provided in the periphery or outer surface of the said
ginning rollers or cylinders; 2ly, in an improved arrangement of cotton gin
or apparatus for separating the seeds from the cotton.
In order to make the Invention more readily and completely understood, I
will in this description thereof refer to the annexed Drawings, in the various
Figures of which the same letters of reference relate to corresponding parts.
The Figures 1, 2, & 3 respectively show a side elevation, longitudinal,
sectional, and plan views of a cotton gin arranged according to my Invention,
and provided with one of my improved grooved ginning rollers; the Figs.
4 & 5 show two longitudinal outside views of one of the said fluted rollers,
Fig. 4 showing the roller at one-half of a revolution, whilst Fig. 5 shows the
same at the remainder half of the revolution; in these Figs. 4 & 5 only part
of the flutings is shown; but it is to be understood that the entire working

page_text: surface of the roller is to be provided with such flutings, the arrangement,
and particularly the direction, in which the said flutings, grooves, furrows, or
serrations are provided in the surface of the roller forming one of the con-
spicuous parts of the Invention. The said flutings, grooves, furrows, or
serrations a are cut to any suitable depth parallel to each other in the smooth
surface or periphery of the roller in an oblique, slanting, or inclined direction
in respect to the axis of the roller, in such manner as to form a series of
inclined annular elliptical incisions situated parallel to each other, the parts
of the surface of the roller which remain free between the said elliptical or
annular incisions, grooves, flutings, furrows, or serrations presenting con-
sequently a series of elongated endless ellipses or elliptical rings situated.
parallel to each other, and presenting all of them the same degree of incline
or obliquity in respect to the axis of the roller in consequence of which.
arrangement at each revolution of the roller the cotton brought in contact
with the same will be submitted to a to-and-fro motion in the transverse
direction, viz., parallel to that of the axis or length of the roller, the obliquity
of the flutings being situated at one-half of a revolution of the roller in the
manner as shown in Fig. 4, and at the remainder half of the revolution, as.
represented in Fig. 5,
Although I do not intend to bind or limit, myself to any particular
mechanical arrangement for applying a ginning roller or rollers arranged
according to the above-described principle to cotton gins, I nevertheless
prefer to make use of the arrangement of cotton gin represented in the Figs.
1, 2, & 3,
The machine consists of a suitable cast-iron or other strong frame formed
of two cheeks or standards A duly connected together, and held at the
required distance apart by transverse connecting bolts or stays; in a vertical
slot hole A¹ provided in both cheeks or standards A revolve the trunnions of
the two ginning rollers 6 & 6', the upper one 6 of which, when the apparatus
is intended for acting on short staple cotton, is by preference of a smaller
diameter than the lower one b¹, and is provided with the above-described
elliptical inclined flutings or grooves, whereas the other or lower. roller 6¹
presents a smooth surface, over which is slung a slip or sheet of parchment of
the same length as the roller, one end, of which slip is fixed to this latter
according to its generatrix, whereas the other end of the slip is left free, so
as during the revolution of the roller apply itself over the surface of this
latter; in Fig. 2 the slip of parchment is shown by a red line; c & c¹ are two
rollers, the trunnions of which revolve in suitable bearings provided in the.
cheeks A, and serving for carrying off the cleansed cotton after the same has

page_text: passed between the two ginning rollers 6 & 6', and exert at the same time a
slight stretching effect on the cotton; round the upper roller c, and another,
roller d, is stretched an endless belt e, whilst another roller f serves for carrying
off any cotton adhering to the belt, and thus prevent the same from being
carried back into the machine; g is a feed board; the part h is formed into
a grating for allowing the seeds expelled from the cotton by the effect of the
ginning rollers 6 & 6 or other impurities to fall through.
The motion from any suitable prime mover is transmitted to the various
rollers by suitable gearing, but by preference in the following manner :-The
main arbor P is provided with a wheel 1, in gear with the pinion 2 fixed on
the arbor of the lower or smooth ginning roller 6'; a pinion 3 fixed on the
arbor of the roller c¹ is likewise in gear with the wheel 1, the arbor of the
roller c' is provided with a wheel 4 in gear with that 5 fitted on the arbor of
the roller c; the opposite end of the arbor of the roller c¹ carries a pinion 6 in
gear with a pinion 7 fitted on the arbor of the upper or grooved ginning roller b.
The mode of operating of the apparatus is as follows:-The cotton, from
which the seeds are to be separated is laid by the attendant on the feed-
board g, and presented by him to the ginning rollers 6 & 6, which by their
revolution separate the seeds from the cotton, the seeds falling through the
grate h in the fore part X of the machine, separated from the remainder X¹
by a partition y and inclined board y'; the cotton thus deprived of its seeds
in passing between the rollers 6 & b¹ is taken hold of by the rollers c & c¹,
and drawn forward by the endless belt c, from which the cleansed cotton falls
into the part X', whilst any cotton that might have remained adhering to the
belt e is stripped therefrom by the roller f. According to the nature of the
cotton it may be sometimes usefull to replace the roller b by another of a larger
diameter, and cause the pinion 7 to be in gear with the one 2, which is to be
applied by preference when acting on long staple cotton.
Having thus described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be put into effect,
I declare that I do not intend to limit myself to the precise details of the Inven-
tion, as many variations may be made therefrom without deviating from the
principles or main features of the Invention; but what I consider to be novel
and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
lly, providing the surface of one or of both the ginning rollers of cotton
gins with a series of endless annular or elliptical flutings, grooves, furrows,
serrations, or incisions situated parallel to each other in a slanting or oblique
direction in respect to that of the axis of the roller.

page_text: described cotton gin.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edmond Paul Henri Gondouin, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
Witness,
DREYFOUS,
Eng. Civil.
E. P. H. GONDOUIN. (L.B.)