IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING COTTON FIBRE FROM THE SEED, AND ALSO FOR CLEANSING THE SEED AFTER THE FIBRE HAS BEEN BRPARATED THEREPROM
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Alfred Cowper, of No. 85*, Great George
Street, Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING COTTON FIBRE
FROM THE SEED, AND ALSO FOR CLEANSING THE SEED AFTER THE FIBRE HAS
BEEN BRPARATED THEREPROM
Sealed the 26th May 1865, and dated the 2nd December 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Alfred Cowper
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 2nd December 1864.
I, EDWARD ALFRED COWPER, of No. 35, Great George Street, Westminster,
in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING COTTON FIBRE
FROM THE SEED, AND ALSO FOR CLEANSING THE SEED AFTER THE FIBRE HAS BEEN
SEPARATED THEREFROM," to be as follows:-
One part of my Invention relates to that description of apparatus for sepa-
rating cotton fibre from the seed known as the "MacCarthy gin," and consists
in covering the surface of the roller partly with leather and partly with pointed
surfaces, of which the points greatly assist in drawing in fibre between the
roller and the doctor, but do not project beyond the leather surface, so that
the straight edge of the doctor blade resting upon the leather may entirely
clear the ends of such points; such pointed surfaces' being furthermore so
arranged that upon every part, or upon the greater part of the roller, leather

page_text: surfaces and pointed surfaces alternate; and for this purpose I prefer that
the leather surfaces and pointed surfaces should be arranged in the form of
helices or screws.
Another arrangement consists in placing the alternate pointed surfaces and
leather on the roller of a "MacCarthy gin," in parallel, or nearly parallel
strips from end to end of the roller; but in this case the doctor blade must be
slightly lifted off the roller as each strip of pointed surface passes under it, so
as to prevent the blade pressing on the points. This is to be done by means
of a cam or crank or other suitable mechanism, or the roller itself may, if
preferred, be moved a slight distance from the doctor, or both may be moved
a little. The beater should be made to act when the leather surfaces are
under the doctor.
Another arrangement consists in placing alternate pointed surfaces and
leather in parallel strips from end to end of the roller of a MacCarthy gin,
and causing the pointed surfaces to be a little lower than the surface of the
leather, so that the doctor shall not touch the points as they pass under it,
although it presses on the leather surfaces as they pass under it. The beater
should be made to act when the leather surfaces are under the doctor.
By means of this improved arrangement of the MacCarthy gin it will be
enabled to do a great deal more work in a given time.
Another part of my Invention relates to the construction of a very simple
and inexpensive cotton gin, which I propose to call the "see-saw gin," and
in which two doctor blades are fixed on the bed or frame of the machine,
whilst two blocks attached, one to each end of a lever working on a fulcrum,
at or near the middle of its length, and provided with springs (or to spring
arms), have a reciprocating motion imparted to them in front of such doctors,
the blocks being provided on that face next to the doctors with pointed sur-
faces on part of such faces, and with leather surfaces at another part of such
faces, so that seed cotton being presented to the pointed surface of the blocks,
close to the edges of the doctor blades, fibre is caught by the points and is
drawn in between the doctors and the blocks as soon as the blocks are caused
to move past the edges of the doctors; and further, when the blocks have
moved to their furthest positions, the fibre is janımed between the leather
surfaces and the edges of the doctors. Whilst the fibre is so held, beaters
come into action to beat away the seeds on the outer edges of the doctors,
such beaters having been put into motion simultaneously with the blocks, and
continuing their motion after the motion of the blocks is arrested. When
this has been effected, the blocks and the beaters reverse their movements
and the fibre that has been separated from the seed is prevented from return-

page_text: ing by points formed upon the front faces of the doctors. Each block may
also be made double acting by having two pointed surfaces to one leather
surface, acting in conjunction with two doctors and one beater. This machine
may be made single acting by having one block on a lever or spring arm, or
the block may reciprocate in a rectilinear or curvilinear path in front of the
doctor, being guided in its motion in any suitable manner other than by the
attachment to a lever or arm herein-before described. The before-described
mode of operating may also be reversed, that is to say, the block may be fixed
and the doctor made to reciprocate, at the same time imparting the requisite
motion to the beater.
The above-described cotton gins may be placed sideways, or at any angle
desired.
Another part of my Invention consists in cleansing the cotton seeds from
the short fibre or filaments that still adhere to them after having undergone
the process of ginning, and consists in exposing such seed for a very short
time either to the action of heated surfaces or of a heated atmosphere, such
as flame, heated air, steam, or other gases, whereby the fibres or filaments can
be at once burnt or charred without injury to the seeds; and I prefer imme-
diately to cool them by a blast of cold air or other gases, or by the application
of cold water or cold surfaces, so as to prevent the heat in the shell of the
seed from penetrating to the kernel. Further, when it is required to clean
the kernel of the shell for the purpose of extracting oil from the kernel, or for
other purposes, I apply a more intense heat to the outside of the shell, so as
to cause it to crack or become slightly charred. The seed is then cooled as
before, when the shell can easily be removed by rubbing the seed between two
rough surfaces, such as a pair of millstones. The shells can then be win-
nowed away from the kernels. The kernels so separated may be used for the
extraction of oil, for feeding cattle, or for other purposes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Alfred Cowper, in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 31st May 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
ALFRED COWPER, of No. 35*, Great George Street, Westminster, in the County
of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of December, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Edward Alfred Cowper, Her special licence that I, the said
Edward Alfred Cowper, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Edward Alfred Cowper, 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 King-
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING
COTTON FIBRE FROM THE SEED, AND ALSO FOR CLEANSING THE SEED AFTER THE
FIBRE HAS BEEN SEPARATED THEREFROM," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Edward Alfred Cowper, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Alfred Cowper, 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 thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
One part of my Invention consists in placing alternate pointed surfaces
and leather on the roller of a " MacCarthy gin," in parallel or nearly
parallel separate.strips from end to end of the roller, and lifting the doctor
slightly off the roller as each strip of pointed surface passes under it, so as to
prevent the blade pressing on the points and destroying them; this motion is
imparted by means of a cam or crank or other suitable mechanism, or the
roller itself may, if preferred, be moved a slight distance from the doctor,
which must then be fixed, or both may be moved a little. The beater should
be made to act when the leather surfaces are under the doctor. There is
therefore in this machine no occasion to cause the doctor to move with the
roller at the time of beating off the seeds, as the pressure of the doctor on the
leather strips is only the same as in a MacCarthy gin, whereas according to
my former Patent, No. 1274, of 20th May 1864, it was necessary to cause
the doctor and roller to move together when they were the nipping instruments
used for nipping the cotton in a forcible manner; though in practical working

page_text: under that Patent it is found that after the nipping has taken place on a
leather covered roller, the doctor may very well return in contact with the
roller if adjusted to have a less pressure on it than at the time of nipping,
viz., only the usual pressure applied to a MacCarthy gin.
Figure 1, Sheet I., shows a vertical section of the before described machine.
A is the doctor blade which is at- intervals lifted off the leather strips S to
allow the strips of pointed surface R to pass under it, but it is never lifted
high enough to allow a seed to pass. The roller B is in continuous rotary
motion, and thus carries with it the strips of leather, whilst the doctor is
pressed on them one at a time, the rubbing action of the leather tending to
draw in and to some extent retain the fibre, and at this time the beater C is
caused to rise by means of its crank I and connecting rod P, and to beat
away the seeds; then as soon as the beater C descends the doctor blade A is
lifted, and more cotton is drawn in by the pointed surface R, and as soon as
the next leather strip S is fairly under the doctor A, the doctor is allowed to
press on it, and the beater C rises as before. The lifting of the doctor A is
effected by a cam F, as shown in dotted lines, or by a crank or excentric or
other mechanism. The roller B is provided with a spur wheel D on its shaft,
which drives the pinion E. The doctor blade A is attached to the beam L in
the usual manner, and the beam L turns in centres M on the framing, and
is provided with a lever carrying a truck or roller f at its end, which is
acted on by the cam F, the spring N always tending to press the doctor blade
towards the roller. The cotton is supplied on to the table T by hand or by
any known feeding apparatus. V is a doffer to remove the fibre from the
pointed surfaces R, R.
Another part of my Invention relates to the construction of a very simple.
and inexpensive cotton gin, which I propose to call the "see-saw gin," and
in which two doctor blades are fixed on the bed or frame of the machine,.
whilst two blocks attached one to each end of a lever working on a fulcrum at
or near the middle of its length, and provided with springs (or to spring arms),
have a reciprocating motion imparted to them in front of such doctors, the
blocks being provided on that face next to the doctors with pointed surfaces
on part of such faces, and with leather surfaces at another part of such faces,.
so that seed cotton being presented to the pointed surface of the blocks close
to the edges of the doctor blades fibre is caught by the points and is drawn
in between the doctors and the blocks as soon as the blocks are caused to
move past the edges of the doctors; and, further, when the blocks have moved
to their furthest positions the fibre is jammed between the leather surfaces
and the edges of the doctors. Whilst the fibre is so held, beaters come into.

page_text: action to beat away the seeds on the outer edges of the doctors, such beaters
having been put into motion simultaneously with the blocks, and continuing
their motion after the motion of the block is arrested. When this has been
effected the blocks and the beaters reverse their movements, and the fibre
that has been separated from the seed is prevented from returning by points
formed upon the front faces of the doctors. Each block may also be made
double acting by having two pointed surfaces to one leather surface, acting in
conjunction with two doctors and one beater. This machine may be made
single acting by having one block on a lever or spring arm, or the block may
reciprocate in a rectilinear or curvilinear path in front of the doctor, being
guided in its motion in any suitable manner other than by the attachment to a
lever or arm berein-before described. The before described mode of operating
may also be reversed, that is to say, the block may be fixed and the doctor
made to reciprocate, at the same time imparting the requisite motion to the
beater. The above described cotton gins may be placed sideways or at any
angle desired.
Figure 2, Sheet II., shews a vertical section of a single-acting machine
having one block B on a lever B' reciprocating in front of the doctor A,
and having springs N to it to partly balance the weight of the moving
parts.
Figure 3, Sheet III., shews a front view of the same; and Figure 4,
Sheet IV., shows a plan of the same; the reciprocating motion is com-
municated to the moving parts of the machine by ropes P, P, and treadles
or by hand, and the block B provided with points R moves up and down
behind the fixed doctor A, drawing in cotton every time it ascends. The
lower edge of the block B is provided with a leather surface S, slightly pro-
jecting so as to cause it to strike against the edge of the doctor A, which is
bevilled a little to receive the blow; thus any fibre which has entered between
the block and the doctor (but has not yet passed through or been deprived of
seeds) gets held or jammed between the bevilled edge of the doctor A and
the leather surface S on the lower edge of the block, and whilst it is so held
the beater C strikes the seeds owing to its momentum carrying it on a little
after the block has been suddenly stopped, thus as the seeds become stripped
of fibre they fall away altogether when struck by the beater C, and pass
through the grid in the edge of the feeding table T, or between the grid and
the block. As soon as the beater has struck the seeds, the block and beater
are allowed to descend, and more cotton being presented to the pointed surface
R, it is taken in by the next upward stroke, and the same effect is again
produced. The beater may be actuated in any convenient manner from the

page_text: lever B¹ or block B, but the most convenient way is to attach it by spring
arms C¹ to the levers B', so that it may be carried up and down by them, but
at the same time may, on the sudden stoppage of the block B, overrun or
continue its motion so as to beat off the seeds. The cotton that has been
separated from the seeds is of course first carried up by the pointed surface R,
and on the descent of the latter is left on the points V on the inside surface of
the doctor A, these points doffing it off as it were; then on the next ascent of the
block B the fibre is carried up still further, or rather completely out of the
machine, when it falls on to the tin shoot U, and is delivered on to the floor or
into boxes or scales as may be desired. There is a stop O at top and a stop H
at bottom to stop the motion of the block B should it be moved too violently
without cotton in it. L is a part of the framing to which the doctor A is
fixed,
Figure 5, Sheet V., shews a vertical section of a similar machine somewhat
differently constructed, the moving parts being made very light so as to be
easily worked by a lad; in this case the separate levers and springs for carry-
ing the block B are dispensed with, and the levers B¹ themselves are made
into spring arms, and are fixed at the back end of the machine.
Figures 6, 7, and 8, Sheet I., shew respectively a vertical section, front
view and plan of another arrangement in which the blocks B, B, are made to
rise and fall in a rectilinear path, being guided by a vertical bar B', B'; they
are actuated by means of the rod P and treadle attached to the same, or by a
handle like a pump handle, or by hand or otherwise; the doctors A, A, are.
placed one above the other, and each has its block B, with pointed surface R,
and leather surface S; the weight of the moving parts may be wholly or partly
balanced by a weight or spring, or may be over balanced, and the foot or hand
may be used to draw down the blocks in place of raising them; by this arrange-
ment one man can feed two mouths, one with each hand. The cotton is delivered
behind the machine down the spout U, and the seeds drop in front down small
inclined tin spouts u, u, that throw the seeds out on each side of the man;.
the before described machines may very well be worked in an inverted position,
but the seeds do not always in that case get quite so well cleaned as when
worked in the position shown; they may also be worked at other angles, and
the blocks may be made in the form of a semicircle or arc of a circle, or two
or more sides of a polygon for the accommodation of the workman, or they
may be even of a complete circular or polygonal form, and by the addition of
a crank or steam cylinder or other moving force they may be driven by power,
though they are more particularly applicable as hand machines, being exceed-
ingly cheap in construction and simple in operation. In some cases it is

page_text: convenient to move such gins by means of a "toggle joint," so that the block
may move an exact distance either up or down, this causes double the number
of strokes to be given. Another part of my Invention has reference to the
cleansing of cotton seeds from the short fibre or filaments that still adhere to
them after having undergone the process of ginning by exposing such seeds
for a very short time either to the action of heated surfaces or of a heated
atmosphere, such as flame, heated air, steam, or other gases, and consists in
cooling the seeds immediately after such application of heat by a blast of cold
air or other gases, or by the application of cold water so as to prevent the
heat in the shell of the seed from penetrating to the kernel. Further, when
it is required to clean the kernel of the shell for the purpose of extracting oil
from the kernel, or for other purposes, I apply a sufficient heat to the outside
of the shell to cause it to crack or become slightly charred and brittle, and I
then immediately cool the seed as rapidly as possible by a powerful blast of
cold air or other gases, or by the application of cold water, or by passing the
seeds rapidly through the air; the shell can then easily be removed by rubbing
the seed between two rough surfaces, such as a pair of millstones or by any
other known arrangement by which husks may be removed from seeds; the
shells can then be winnowed away from the kernels. The kernels so separated
may be used for the extraction of oil, for feeding cattle, or for other
purposes.
Figure 9, Sheet VI., shows a side elevation and part section of one form of
apparatus for partially destroying the shell of the cotton seed by heat, and
then immediately cooling it down so as to prevent the conduction of the heat
to the kernel, which would otherwise roast it or cook it; Figure 10, Sheet VI.,
shows a sectional end view of the same apparatus, and Figure 11, Sheet VI.,
shews a plan of the same partly in section. N, is the fire, which is best made
with charcoal or coke, though dry wood or Welsh or other smokeless coal, or
anthracite or other fuel will answer the purpose; there is however a great
advantage in using instead of the fire, a blast of hot air or steam or other
gases, heated to a very high temperature in such apparatus as that described
in Patents granted to me on 19th May, 1857, No. 1404, and 5th August,
1863, No. 1928, as I find that it is possible to obtain blast of a much higher
temperature (viz., of about 1200 degrees,) with such apparatus than with the
ordinary cast-iron pipes used for hot blast stoves; blast so heated is now
used for singeing the insides of brewers' casks, and other like purposes. Ris
the hopper into which the seeds are thrown, and from which they slide down
the incline T and pass over a grating P, which has a quick reciprocating
motion given to it sideways by the cranks and connecting rods S, S, to ensure

page_text: the steady passage of the seeds down it over the fire or hot blast at O; or in
place of a grating, a metal plate (by preference of cast-iron) may be used
over a fire and the seeds may pass down over it to receive the necessary heat
to cause the shells to crack and be partially destroyed, so as to be afterwards
easily removed by friction. A nearly circular flat iron table may be used
over a fire with revolving arms attached to a central revolving shaft, which
arms may sweep the seeds round on the plate until they arrive at a gap or
opening, when they may fall away altogether to be cooled quickly. A slight
variation may be made in the form of heating surface by employing a re-
volving cylinder or retort of iron or fire-clay, somewhat like a coffee or chicory
roaster, but in no case must the seeds remain long exposed to the heat, or
they would be altogether burnt up, as it is necessary to employ a high tem-
perature to sufficiently destroy the shell of the seed in a very short time, so
that it may be very quickly removed from the hot surface on which it has
been heated, and be subjected to a powerful cooling medium, and thus the
heat that has been communicated to the shell may be as quickly taken away
again. If a revolving hot cylinder is used, it is convenient to place it at an
incline and pass the seeds in at the upper end and out at the lower end. As
soon as the seeds pass away from the heat they fall down at once to the
cooling part of the apparatus where they are subjected to a strong blast of cold
air or gas, or a fine spray of cold water, which at once cools down the shells
and so prevents the kernels becoming hot. The seeds fall from the plate or
grating at P on to the grating at U, through which the cold blast is ascending,
they then continue their motion down the inclines and gratings at V, W, X, Y,
owing to the shaking motion given to the whole, and finally fall out at Z quite
cold; the cold blast may conveniently be introduced at A, and pass up through
the grating Y, and being thence carried down by a pipe to C, it can then pass.
up through the grating X, and thence be conducted from D to E, and up
through W, then from F to G, and up through V, and finally from H to I,
and up through the grating U, on to which the seeds with their shells hot-
from the fire are dropping down. It is not necessary to cause the cold blast
to pass so many times up amongst. the seed, for, if enough cold blast is used,
it may have a sufficiently cooling effect if passed only once amongst the seed,.
as for instance if the cold blast is passed up a vertical pipe and the seeds are:
dropped down the pipe so as to meet the blast, they would by their weight:
eventually fall down to the bottom of the pipe, but not until they had become:
well cooled, their descent being partly checked. by the force of the blast. If..
a common fire is used for charring.the shells it is advantageous to supply it
with a blast of air so as to cause the heat to pass freely through the grating

page_text: and amongst the seeds, and the blast that has been used for cooling the seeds
may well be used for this purpose and may be delivered down a pipe at L into
the ash-pit M of the fire N, which must be provided with a door to prevent
the blast escaping. As there will be more cold blast employed than can be
used in the fire, a waste pipe and throttle valve K are provided to let off the
surplus. A boiler may be placed at Q if it is desired to save the waste heat
of the fire. In case the seeds before being operated on are at all damp, or
unequally damp, it is of importance that they should be dried, and some of
the waste blast that has been used for cooling the seeds may very advanta-
geously be employed for this purpose, particularly as it of necessity has become
a little warmed in the operation of cooling the seed.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I do not limit myself
to the exact details of the various arrangements for carrying the several parts
thereof into practice, herein-before described, with reference to the accompany-
ing Drawings, as these may be variously modified without departing from the
nature of my Invention. Neither do I claim any such details, when taken
separate and apart from the combination thereof for the purposes set, forth, as
forming any part of my Invention. Neither do I claim generally the com-
bination of pointed or pin surfaces with the leather surface of rollers of Mac
Carthy gins, nor the cleansing of cotton seed from short fibres or filaments by
exposing the seed for a short time to the action of heat or flame, as I am
aware that such process has been described in the Specification to certain
Letters Patent granted to R. D. Edwards, and bearing date the 11th August,
1864, No. 1996, but what I claim is,-
First, so arranging the roller of a MacCarthy gin, having alternate
separate strips of pointed surface and separate strips of leather fixed from
end to end upon it, in combination with an actuated doctor, that the edge of
the latter is moved away from the roller, while the strips of pointed surface
are passing behind it but is pressed against the strips of leather while they are
passing behind it.
Second, so arranging and actuating the roller of a MacCarthy gin,
having alternate separate strips of pointed surface and separate strips of leather
fixed from end to end upon it, in combination with a fixed doctor, that the
roller is moved slightly away from the doctor when the strips of pointed surface
are passing behind the latter, but is pressed against the doctor when strips
of leather are passing behind it.
Third, so arranging a reciprocating block, having points on a portion of its
outer surface, and moving close behind a fixed block, also having points on a

page_text: portion of its inner surface, that on the reciprocating block passing behind the
fixed block, the points of the former draw cotton fibre between its surface and
that of the fixed block, and whilst the fibre so drawn in is jammed between
those portions of the surfaces of the fixed and reciprocating blocks upon which
there are no points, a beater, brought into action by the motion of the
reciprocating block, strikes away the seed from the cotton fibre so held.
Fourth, applying a blast of cold air or other gases, or cold water, to cotton
seeds immediately after they have been subjected to the action of heat for the
purpose of removing the short fibre therefrom.
Fifth, cleaning the kernel of the cotton seed from its shell by first sub-
jecting the seed to such a heat as will crack the shell or cause it to become
slightly charred and brittle, and then rapidly cooling the seed by the application
of a blast of cold air or other gases, or by the application of cold water or
artificially cooled surfaces, or by passing the seeds rapidly through the air.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Alfred Cowper, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
EDWARD ALFRED COWPER. (L.S.)