GB730149A - A process and apparatus for separating trash from fibrous material such as lint cotton and the like - Google Patents

Abstract

730,149. Cleaning fibres ; gins. LUMMUS COTTON GIN CO. Aug. 14, 1953, No 22445/53. Class 120(1). [Also in Group II] Trash is separated from an air-borne stream of fibrous material such as lint cotton by impelling a stream of air containing fibrous material and trash through a confined path towards a trash delivery point at super-atmospheric pressure, increasing its velocity and decreasing its pressure to sub-atmospheric prior to reaching the said point, abruptly changing its direction at that point, and intersecting it at that point with a second air stream to entrain the fibrous material only into the high-velocity stream at sub-atmospheric pressure while the trash is delivered from the stream at that point. As shown, lint cotton and trash from a saw-type gin is fed in an air stream, at a pressure slightly above atmospheric, through an inlet duct 31 the width of which corresponds to that of the gin but the depth of which decreases to a throat 39 whereat the pressure is reduced to sub-atmospheric and the speed of the air stream is 3000-5500 feet per minute. Beyond throat 39 the duct changes direction and a trash-discharge opening 51 is provided between the ends 42, 48 of the duct walls 33, 38 respectively. End 48 is formed as a knife edge to break up bunches of lint. Outlet duct 37 leads to a condenser connected to a source of suction. A wall 52 forms one side of a housing 21 for receiving trash. A second air stream, drawn partly through an opening 25 in housing 21, but mainly through the opening between walls 33 and 52, is induced into the main air stream through opening 51. This second stream is sufficient to cause the lint to take an upward turn into duct 37 but is insufficient to prevent the trash from continuing in its initial direction and passing over wall 52 into housing 21 whence it is removed by a conveyer 58. The ends of housing 21 are sealed against conveyer 58 by rollers 61. The ends of walls 33, 38 and 52 are adjustable to vary the size of the openings therebetween. A positive, instead of an induced, air stream through opening 51 may be provided by supplying air under pressure to the space beneath walls 33 and 52. In modified forms of apparatus, the lint duct is formed with two bends, similar trash discharging and collecting means being provided at each bend. Where apparatus as shown is associated with each of a number of side-by-side gins, the outlet ducts 37 may all lead into a common lint flue feeding the condenser, and a single trash conveyer 58 may serve all the housings 21.