IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING COTTON SEED FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE LINT THEREFROM
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the County of
Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature
of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING COTTON SEED FOR THE
REMOVAL OF THE LINT THEREFROM" to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to remove the lint from cotton seed.
Attempts more or less successful have heretofore been made to accomplish this
result, the means proposed being sometimes mechanical sometimes chemical and
sometimes a mixture of both. The present Invention is based mainly upon chemical
action, the agent employed for the prurpose being sulphuric acid.
I am aware that the treatment of cotton seed and other seed or grain by
sulphuric acid is not new. The Invention consists in the special mode of procedure
employed as hereafter set forth, the object being to clean the cotton seed thoroughly,
with much less expenditure of acid, and consequent loss than has heretofore been the
case. The acid is used in a very dilute state, and with a view to still further
reduce the expense but a comparatively small quantity of this dilute acid is
employed, ordinarily only about enough to moisten the whole mass of seed when
the two are thoroughly stirred together. The acid in this condition is not effective
in itself to carbonize the lint. It has been found however that it can be made
efficient by heating the seed and then sprinkling the same with water while thus
heated. Under these conditions the lint is thoroughly carbonized in a very short
time, and all that remains to do is to wash the seeds with water which results in
freeing them from the carbonized lint and the acid and then to dry them.
To enable others to better understand and practice the Invention, I shall proceed
to describe the best way now known of carrying it into effect. It has been found
that excellent results are obtained by using sulphuric acid in the proportion of say
fifty pounds of acid of 66 Baumé to the ton of seed. This acid is diluted to say
10 to 15 Baume or even lower. The seed to be cleaned is put into a heater of
any suitable kind which should be provided with a stirrer for the purpose of
33

page_text: agitating the seed, so as to insure as far as possible thorough intermixture of the
acid and seed, and the dilute acid is added in the proportion above given. The
heater which in practice is employed is a jacketed upright cylinder with a
moveable top to permit the seed and acid, to be introduced, and with a gate
or door at the bottom for the discharge of the seed after treatment. Steam is
introduced into the jacket in the usual way and ordinarily at from say 60 to
80 pounds pressure, which insures the thorough and speedy heating of the seed.
The seeds are introduced into the heater, the dilute acid is added in proper
proportion being sprinkled upon the mass of seed by discharging it through a rose
or some equivalent device. The top of this heater is closed, and the stirrer is put
in motion to agitate the seed, and to distribute the acid evenly through the mass.
The seeds are hardly more than moistened by the dilute acid, and the heat tends
to evaporate the moisture so that by the time the seeds are well heated, which
usually takes about three minutes, they are but little moist. Keeping the seed
still in motion the heated mass is then sprinkled with water discharged upon it
from a rose, the effect is instantaneous, the carbonizing of the lint at once sets in,
and is completed so rapidly, that at the expiration of from two to three minutes
more, the seeds are in condition to be discharged or removed from the heater.
After their removal, they are well washed in water, which has the effect of
separating from them the acid, and the burnt lint and then dried. Any suitable
form of apparatus may be used in carrying out the Invention. Under this mode of
procedure, the quantity of acid required is so small that no steps need be taken to
recover it, but it can be allowed to go to waste, the loss being but trifling. The
operation moreover is very rapid, but about five minutes being required for the acid
treatment three of which are consumed in heating the mass, and in intermingling
the acid with the seed, and the other two of which are required for the addition of
water and the resultant complete burning of all the lint. These results are
attributable mainly to the heating without which the dilute acid is not effective, as
well as to the addition of the water, without which, so far as experiments go, thorough
and complete burning of the lint throughout the mass cannot be had. It will of
course be understood that the precise proportions of the ingredients may be varied
as required.
_L
... 1901

page_text: I, PHILIP MIDDLETON JUSTICE of 55 and 56 Chancery Lane in the. County of
Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents do hereby declare the nature
of said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN TREATING COTTON SEED FOR THE
"
23
REMOVAL OF THE LINT THEREFROM and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
The object of this Invention is to remove the lint from cotton seed.
Attempts more or less successful have heretofore been made to accomplish this
result, the means proposed being sometimes mechanical sometimes chemical and
sometimes a mixture of both. The present Invention is based mainly upon
chemical action, the agent employed for the purpose being sulphuric acid.
I am aware that the treatment of cotton seed and other seed or grain by
sulphuric acid is not new. The Invention consists in the special mode of procedure
employed as hereafter set forth, the object being to clean the cotton seed thoroughly,
with much less expenditure of acid, and consequent loss than has heretofore been
the case. The acid is used in a very dilute state, and with a view to still further
reduce the expense, but a comparatively small quantity of this dilute acid is
employed ordinarily only about enough to moisten the whole mass of seed when
the two are thoroughly stirred together. The acid in this condition is not effective
in itself to carbonize the lint. It has been found however that it can be made
efficient by heating the seed and then sprinkling the same with water while thus
heated. Under these conditions the lint is thoroughly carbonized in a very short
time, and all that remains to do is to wash the seed with water which results in
freeing them from the carbonized lint and the acid and then to dry them.
To enable others to better understand and practice the Invention, I shall proceed
to describe the best way now known of carrying it into effect. It has been found
that excellent results are obtained by using sulphuric acid in the proportion of say
fifty pounds of acid of 66 Baumé to the ton of seed. This acid is diluted to say
10 to 15 Baumé or even lower. The seed to be cleaned is put into a heater of any
suitable kind which should be provided with a stirrer for the purpose of agitating
the seed so as to insure as far as possible thorough intermixture of the acid and
seed and the dilute acid is added in the proportion above given. The heater which
in practice is employed is a jacketed upright cylinder with a moveable top to
permit the seed and acid, to be introduced, and with a gate or door at the bottom
for the discharge of the seed after treatment. Steam is introduced into the jacket
in the usual way and ordinarily at from say 60 to 80 pounds pressure, which
insures the thorough and speedy heating of the seed. The seeds are introduced
into the heater, the dilute acid is added in proper proportion being sprinkled upon
the mass of seed by discharging it through a rose or some equivalent device. The
top of this heater is closed, and the stirrer is put in motion to agitate the seed,
and to distribute the acid evenly through the mass. The seeds are hardly more
than moistened by the dilute acid and the heat tends to evaporate the moisture so
that by the time the seeds are well heated, which usually takes about three minutes,
they are but little moist. Keeping the seed still in motion the heated mass is then
sprinkled with water discharged upon it from a rose, the effect is instantaneous,
the carbonizing of the lint at once sets in, and is completed so rapidly, that at the
expiration of from two to three minutes more, the seeds are in condition to be
discharged or removed from the heater. After their removal, they are well washed

page_text: in water which has the effect of separating from them the acid and the burnt lint
and then dried. Any suitable form of apparatus may be used in carrying out the
Invention. Under this mode of procedure the quantity of acid required is so sinall
that no steps need be taken to recover it, but it can be allowed to go to waste, the
loss being but trifling. The operation moreover is very rapid, but about five
minutes being required for the acid treatment three of which are consumed in
heating the mass, and in intermingling the acid with the seed, and the other two of
which are required for the addition of water and the resultant complete burning of
all the lint. These results are attributable mainly to the heating without which
the dilute acid is not effective, as well as to the addition of the water without 1
which so far as experiments go, thorough and complete burning of the lint
throughout the mass cannot be had. It will of course be understood that the
precise proportions of the ingredients may be varied as required.
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,
.
The described improvement in the art of removing lint from cotton seed
consisting in subjecting the seed to the action of dilute sulphuric acid and heat,
adding water to the heated mass to complete the carbonizing operation and
subsequently washing the seed free from the acid and burnt lint all substantially
as hereinbefore set forth.