IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SEPARATING OR DETACHING THE COTTON FIBRE FROM THE SEED OF THE COTTON PLANT
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Gordon, of New Broad Street, in the City of
London, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
FOR SEPARATING OR DETACHING THE COTTON FIBRE FROM THE SEED OF THE
COTTON PLANT."-Partly a communication from abroad by George
Feddes Forbes, Surgeon Major, Bombay Army, Bombav.
Sealed the 25th April 1871, and dated the 17th February 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Gordon at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
17th February 1871.
I, JOHN GORDON, of New Broad Street, in the City of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR SEPARATING OR DETACHING THE COTTON FIBRE
FROM THE SEED OF THE COTTON PLANT," that the same is partly the result
of a communication from abroad made to me by George Feddes Forbes,

page_text: Surgeon Major, Bombay Army, Bombay, and partly of Invention and
discovery made by me, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a thrasher,-
First. For smooth seed cotion we use an axle or shaft with arms fixed
into the said axle in the form of a screw, the shaft revolving rapidly i
thrashing the cotton in a case or box, the top part of which is of sheet
iron, with or without teeth or studs in the cover; the lower part of it is
made of an iron grating to allow the seeds to pass through when
separated from the cotton fibre.
Secondly. For separating cotton fibre from the seed to which the fibre
is attached we use the ordinary machine with one roller covered with
leather, or the churka gin in conjunction with the revolving thrasher,
the axle of the thrasher being the length of the roller of the machine, and
running parallel with it, with benrings on the framing for this axle of the
thrasher. On it there are two, three, or more centres or flanges; to these
centres or flanges several bars of iron are fixed they may be parallel with
the axle or spiral with the axle, and to cach of these bars blades of steel
or of other material are fixed at an angle which takes the over feed
from the roller and throws the cotton backwards and upwards against
the grating. The grating runs below and up behind the thrasher. The
roller takes away the clean cotton and revolves in an opposite direction
to the thrasher, the seed passing through the grating. The machine
may be worked by manual, steam, or any other power.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Gordon in the Great Seal Patent Office on 25
the 17th August 1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GORDON, of New Broad Street, in the City of London, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
34th year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Gordon, Her special license
3

page_text: that I, the said Jolin Gordon, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Gordon, my executors,
administrators, or 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 SEPARATING OR DETACHING THE COTTON FIBRE FROM THE SEED
OF THE COTTON PLANT," partly the result of a communication from abroad
made to me by George Feddes Forbes, Surgeon Major, Bombay Army,
Bombay, and partly of Invention and discovery made by me, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Gordon, my exe-
cutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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 Scal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Gordon, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:—
The said Invention relates to certain peculiar apparatus for removing
cotton seed from cotton, and cousists,—
Firstly. Of an arrangement suitable for smooth sced cotton. I use
for this purpose an axle or shaft with arms fixed into the said axle in
the form of a screw, or at an angle, the shaft by revolving rapidly
thrashing the cotton in a case or box, the top part of which is of sheet
iron with or without teeth or studs or ribs in the cover, the lower part
of it is made of an iron grating to allow the seeds to pass through when
separated from the cotton fibre.
Secondly. Of an arrangement for separating cotton fibre from-the
seed to which the fibre is attached. I use for this purpose the ordinary
machine with one roller covered with leather, or I use the churka gin
in conjunction with another form of revolving thrasher: the axle of the
thrasher being of the same length as the roller of the machine, and

page_text: running parallel with it suitable bearings on the framing serving to
carry the axle of the thrasher. On this axlo there are two, three, or
more flanges or discs. To these flanges or discs several beater bars of
iron are fixed, they may be arranged either parallel with the axle, or at
an angle, or in a spiral direction as regards the axle, and to each of these
bars blades of steel or of other material are fixed at an angle, which takes
the over feed from the roller and throws the cotton backwards and
upwards against the grating. The grating runs below and up behind
the thrasher. The roller takes away the clean cotton and revolves in
an opposite direction to the thrasher, the seed passing through the 1
grating. The machine may be woked by manual, steam, or any other
power.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I
shall now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that
purpose shall refer to the several Figures in the annexed two Sheets of 1
Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts
in all the corresponding Figures.
Sheet 1 of the Drawings illustrates my improved cotton gin or cotton
cleaning machine suitable for smooth sced cotton. Figure 1 is a
longitudinal section; Figure 2, a transverse section; Figure 3, an end 2
elevation; Figure 4, a longitudinal elevation; and Figure 5 an inside
plan of the casing B on the top of the machine.
A is the hopper or box on the top of the casing B into which the
cotton or other material to be operated upon is fed. The casing B is of
a cylindrical form, having fixed upon its interior strips of angle iron c 2
of a helical form, as shewn, so as to constitute part of a screw, or in
place thereof pegs or studs may be arranged in a helical or spiral form.
At each end of the casing B are bearings which support a shaft or
axle C, having fixed radially upon it at intervals throughout its entire
length in the casing B arms, thrashers, or beaters D, arranged spirally 3
thereon. The bottom part of the casing is constructed in the form of a
grid or screen E.
The operation of the machine is as follows:-The cotton or other
material to be operated upon is fed into the hopper A, and motion being
communicated to the shaft c by means of the belt pulley F or other 3
suitable means, which causes it with the arms upon it to revolve rapidly,
and in so doing draws the cotton or other material into the casing B,

page_text: and carries it partly round in a screw form by means of the angle irons
or pegs, which are fixed to the casing in the manner before described,
and by this means the material is carried forward successively, and at
the same time beaten by the arms D, which disengage the seed or
impurities from it, which fall to the bottom and pass through the screen
or grid E, while the cleaned material passes out at the end G of tho
casing B.
This machine may also be used as a mixer and sifter of earths and
colors by making the screen or grid of the desired fineness or coarseness
as wanted. It may also be used as a mixer of cattle food by placing
on the screen or grid a curved plate of iron, or putting a plate in its
place, so that the whole of the material would pass out at the end of
the machine; but I lay no claim to the application of this machine to
any purpose other than the cleaning of cotton.
Sheet 2 of the Drawing shews the Invention communicated to me by
the said George Feddes Forbes for the purpose of cleaning or ginning
cotton the fibre of which adheres to the sced.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, Figure 2 is a sectional elevation, Figure 3,
a cross section of the machine taken along the axis of the beater;
Figure 4, a plan of the machine with the top or cover removed; and
Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 represent different forms or constructions
of beaters or thrashers.
A is the hopper of the machine into which the cotton or other material
to be cleaned is fed; B is a shaft having fixed upon it one or more
flanges or centres of metal or other material C, and to these flanges or
centres are fixed arms or beaters D made of steel, or steel plated, or iron
case hardened, or of other hard material. E is an axle or roller covered
with leather or other suitable material, and working in conjunction with
the beater C by means of gearing or any other desirable connection;
this I term the knife roller. F is a fixed knife or doctor placed above
or below the roller E, and in contact with the roller E is held up the
roller by means of springs, so as to allow it always to bear equally upon
it; it is also provided with adjusting screws to raise or lower it as may
be desired, and to bring it in contact or take it from off the roller E.
G is a grid or grating through which the seed and other refuse passes
after being disengaged from the cotton or fibre. Figure 5 shews the
peculiar beater C made with arms disposed at an angle to the axis B;

page_text: Figure 6 shews the arms D placed parallel to the axis and in two
separate lengths; Figures 7 and 8 shew the arms D in three lengths,.
but they may be extended to any number of lengths; Figures 9 and 10
shew the arms made of a ▼ section, and fixed to the flanges or centres C
by screws or bolts, the arms D) having oblong holes through which the i
holts or screws pass, so as to allow the arms D being set nearer to or
further from the leather-covered roller E as it wears away by the action
of the cotton and the knife on its surface without interfering with the
working of the gearing connecting the two rollers B and E. These
arms or beaters D may be fixed either parallel to the axis at an
angle, or in any curved form that may be desirable, or made in one,
two, or more pieces or lengths, as shown, and with any number of
blades according to the speed required.
The action of this machine is as follows:-The cotton or other material
to be cleaned being fed into the hopper A revolving motion is given to
the roller E, and by means of gearing or other suitable contrivance
motion is communicated to the axle B carrying the beaters or arms D,
which draw the cotton or other material forward to the fixed knife or
doctor and the leather covered roller E, and this roller revolving in
a contrary direction to the beaters D, D, draws the fibre between its
surface and the edge of the fixed knife or doctor F, which knife or doctor
prevents the seed and other impuritics from going with the fibre, and
the arms or beaters D revolving close to its edge sweep the seeds
and other refuse from it, also bringing fresh material and opening it
up to be acted upon, while the seeds and refuse fall down and pass
through the grid or screen G, the cleaned cotton passing away at the
other side between the edge of the knife and surface of the knife
roller E. It is not, however, intended to make any claim to that part
of the Invention shown in Sheet 2 of my Drawings.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I claim as
the Invention secured to me by the hercin-before in part recited Letters
Patent is, the construction and arrangement of apparatus for cleaning
smooth seed cotton, wherein are combined radial arms set spirally on a
revolving shaft, a case or box provided or not with teeth, studs, or ribs
arranged spirally in the cover thereof, and a grid or grating in the

page_text: bottom of the said casing, the whole being arranged to operate sub-
stantially as hercin-before described and illustrated on Sheet 1 of the
Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Gordon, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, the Fourteenth day of
August One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one.