US1680977A - Cotton separator - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 14, 1928. 1,680,977

' J. c. GARNER COTTON SEPARATOR Filed Ap 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 11v vs TORI:

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J. c; GARNER (ZO'ITON SEPARATOR' Filed April 7, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 gwoentoz Patented Aug. 14, 1928.

UNITED STATES JAMES C. GARNER, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

COTTON SEPARA'IOR.

Application filed April 7,

This invention relates to improvements in mechanisms which are used in treating cotton to separate the fibers from streams of air. Although the invention is primarily designed for the handling of cotton, andis described as used in handling this particular material, it is also adapted for use with other materials of similar nature and which are pneumatically elevated or transported for various purposes.

For many purposes, cotton is pneumatically picked up at one point or another, and conveyed through ducts to places where it is to be stored, or is to be subjected to the ac tion of machinery. It must be separated from the air at whatever points it is to be deposited. Machines have been designed for this separating work which include rotary screen drums, arranged so that the incoming cotton laden air is caused to travel inwardly through the screen and deposit the cotton on the outer surface; after such operation, the air escapes from the interior of the drum and subsequently the cotton is transferred from the drum usually by rotating the drum to a point where/the cotton falls off, after being relieved of the suction of the air flowing inwardly through the drum. My Patents No. 1,397,001, granted Nov. 15, 1921 and No. 1,409,540, granted May 14, 1922, are examples of such machines, and illustrate mechanisms of the general character upon which the present invention is intended to improve in various respects below enumerated.

Difficulty has been experienced in the operation of mechanisms heretofore developed because of a tendency of the cotton to con gest periodically, and to clog the mechanism; this tendency is probably due to the fact that the delivering suction, or air, will convey irregular amounts, and hence the cotton is unevenly or irregularly delivered to the mechanism. Congestion, whether caused for this or for any other reason, interrupts op eration of the mechanism, and since each mechanism usually constitutes a unit of a plant, it will be necessary in such instances, to shut down the entire plant until the separator or vacuum dropper, as it is called, can be relieved of this congestion.

An object of the invention is to provide a mechanism which will automatically pre- 1927. Serial No, 181,739.

vent such congestion or accumulations of cotton therein as cause interruption of its operation,

Another object of the invention'is to provide a mechanism in which the cotton is uniformly distributed longitudinally of the pockets and the drum, andwhich may be regulated to insure uniform distribiition of the cotton longitudinally ofthedrum under varying operating conditions. The invention also seeks to provide a means which will distribute the cotton longitudinally of the drum and of the screening means associated therewith, since the face of the screening means parallels the axis of the drum.

A further object of the invention is to provide a compact, rugged, drum construction, which may be economically manufactured, and whic i is extremely durable in use. These, and other objects of the invention,including the provision of a mechanism having a large capacity without material enlargement of its parts, over what has been heretofore customary, and other objects of a similar nature, will become clearer as the description proceeds in connection withthe embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a transverse the line 11 of Figure 2.,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. V

Figure 3 is an end view of the left hand end of the machine, as viewed in Figure 2,

sectional view on with a portion of the exhaust duct at this end broken away,

Figure 1 is a top plan View, with the intermediate portion of themachine broken away, and the exhaust duct at one end shown in horizontal section.

Figure 5 is a partial end view.

Figure 6 is an enlargeddetail of one of the flights on the rotarydrum.

Referring to the drawings for a more detailed description, 10 indicates a casing having a receiving chamberll with which communicates an inlet duct 11, the latter being arranged at an intermediate portion of the casing, i. e. at a distance from each end, and preferably at substantially the transverse center of the casing. (Fig. 2) so that the incoming cotton and air is deposited upon the transverse center of a revoluble element or p drum 12, which is supported upon a shaft 13 having bearings let in end spiders 15, the arms of which are secured by bolts 18 to the ends 10 of the casing. Although the term drum is used throughout the specification and in many of the claims in referring to the revoluble element, I desire it to be under stood that this term is used in a very generic sense to cover any revoluble cotton propelling means. The inlet duct 11 is extended into the casing a substantial distance (Fi 1) by a board 19 running substantially the entire length of the casing and secured to the casing ends 10, so that the incoming cotton will drop upon the drum in substantially a vertical plane intersecting its axis.

The drum is formed by means of heads 20 which are arranged in openings in the easing ends. Each head has an imperforate marginal portion 21 and a circular flange 22 projecting into the casing and connected with a hub portion 23 by means of spokes 21 spaced apart to provide openings 25. The two heads have extending between them a hollow drum hub 26 which tapers from substantially the vertical transverse center 28 of the drum to the opposite ends 29 which encircle the inwardly extending head hubs 23. The hub is of substantially the double cone form shown in my Patent lat-09,540, and is provided so that the air travelling toward opposite ends of the drum along axial lines will have a passage of gradually increasing area; thus the resistance to the air passing through the drunraround its hub increases from transverse planes at the ends of the drum along axial lines to the transverse planes of the central parts thereof, as explained fully in my Patent 1,409,540. The drum has secured thereto the angularly bent inner edges 30 (Figure 1) of the plates or vanes 31. which radiate from the conical drum hub and form a plurality of compartments on the drum. the compartments opening radially outwardly and at the drum ends communicating through the openings 25 in the drum heads with discharge ducts 32. The discharge ducts are formed by substantially annular hoods 33 fitting over the circular flanges 34 at the inner ends of the arms of the spiders 15. Within the flanges 34, the spiders are provided below the axis of the shaft 19 with drum end cut-off plates or webs 35, so that in horizontal planes below the drum axis the air may not pass inwardly through the drum to the discharge ducts: above the drum axis and between the edges 35. 35", of the webs 35 (Figure 3), the spiders are open to permit passage of the air through the compartments between the vanes and through the openings in the heads of drum to the ducts 32 at the ends of the drum. as indicated by the arrows in Figure 2. The drum has associated therewith, and in the device illustrated carries, a screening means such as a foraminous peripheral wall 36. Flights 37 extending radially outwardly beyond the foraminous wall form therebetween cotton *arrying receptacles or pocliets, the flights serving to propel or carry between them the cotton as the drum revolves.

The preferred construction of each flight member is shown in Figure 6, and consists of a substantially channel-member formed by two sections 38, 39 held apart by an interior reinforcing channel. member -10, the sections 38, 39 having inwardly bent jnxta posed portions all overlying the reinforcing member 10 and parallel outer end extensions 12 which are clamped together, as by bolts 13, and secure between them a relatively flexible wiper element 4:1. The inner ends of the sections 38, 39 are arranged on opposite sides of a vane 31 and are secured to the vane as by rivets 1G. The latter passes through the out-turned edges of screen sections 47 which complete the foraminous wall of the drum.

It will he understood that as the drum rotates in the direction indicated by the arrows, (Figure 1) by mechanism which will be later descr'bed, it passes beneath the duct extending board 19 and the various pockets receive the air-laden cotton. The air in the cotton, which is deposited in the pockets. iass inwardly and then axially or longitudinally of the drum to the discharge ducts as indicated by the :rrows in Figure Continued rotation of the drum carries the cotton. which has been deposited in its peripheral pockets, around to the discharge opening i-S through which the cotton gravitates, having been released by the retaining suction of the air, due to the tact that the compartments formed by the vanes 31 are cut oil at their ends. when below the axis of the drum, from the discharge ducts by the cut-off plates It will be Ul1tl(.1. l'0()(l that a continuous suction is maintained in the discharge ducts which are joined to a common discharge passage or line 50 (Figure 1) by means of a tan or other suction producing means, not shown.

In order to regulate the velocity and snction in the two ducts relatively to one am other, each duct is provided with a control valve 51 having an operating lever outside the duct, and provided with a detent 53 adapted to engage a rack segment This arrangement of the valves affords means for properly proportioning distril'mtion oi the suction from the main line at) to each end of the drum so that the cotton may be distributed uniformlv longitudinally oi? the drum and over the face of the screenin means associated with the drum at opposite sides of the transverse center of the drum.

The provision of these valves assists in obtaining a uniform distribution of the cotton the full length of the drum since by ill) llll) llll ' regulating the suction through'the screening means interposed between the cotton in the pockets and the openings at opposite. sides of the transverse center of the drum the distribution of cotton to opposite sides of such transverse center may be equalized. Although the arranging of the inlet duct at the transverse center of the drum as shown in Figure 2 facilitates in this distribution due to the fact that the suction is directed in 0p posite directions from this center plane toward the drum ends, in many cases it is impossible to install the mechanism so that the intake will extend sufficiently far enough within the mechanism to allow the cotton to equalize itself on entering the casing. If it is necessary to place an elbow, for instance, near the intake, the cotton will be thrown and will be deposited more at one end of the drum than at the other unless it is possible to overcome this tendency by increasing the suction at the opposite end, which is possible in the present mechanism, due to the provision of these independently adjustable valves. In some instances, furthermore, the suction fan within the outlet duct must be located so that it will tend to create a greater suction in one end duct than the other. By means of these valves, however, this greater suction in one end can be counteracted by a closing of the valve to equalize the suction with the suction at the opposite end. Although this phase of the invention is shown as applied to a specific form of cotton separator, it will be understood that it is useful in connection with any cotton separator having a main suction line, suction of which communicates with the casing ofthe separator at spaced points axially or longitudinally of the drum, and particularly in a separator having a drum provided with a plurality of cotton pocket-s and having as sociated therewith a screen interposed between the pockets and the openings in the casing through which the suction communicates with the casing since in such a separator it is desirable that the cotton be distributed uniformly alongthe drum and the screen and at opposite sides of the transverse center of the drum. I am aware that attempts have heretofore been made to provide a construction which will accomplish this result. Such attempts, however, have been directed toward variations in the construction of the casing and in the arrangement of the suction openings with relation to the drum and in the proper proportioning of the air hoods at the ends of the casing.

After extended experimental work extendnot successfully accomplish this result; I have found that the distribution of the suction from the main line varies as the screen openings become congested with fine dust or lint deposit, and in such machines as have heretofore been developed, it has been ordinarily necessary, in order to obviate this defeet, to discontinue operation of the machine and of the associated units unt-il'the screen may be properly cleaned. The means provided in the present mechanism, however, practically eliminates the necessity for shutting down the operation of the machine, since as the screen becomes clogged the valves may be regulated in order to restore a proper proportioning of the suction.

One important feature of the invention resides in means for avoiding congestion Within the casing which would interrupt the operation of the mechanism. As explained above, due to the pneumatic delivery to the mechanism, the cotton is fed irregularly, and means is provided to level automatically, such of the drum pockets as areoverfilled before they pass from the inlet chamber 11 and the suction field. Such means, preferably, takes the form of a. rotating stripper roll 55, having-radiating fins 56, which pass in proximity, or substantially tangent, to the outer circle of the drum or the path defined by the ends of the flights on thedrum as illustrated in Figure 1. The stripper roll rotates in the direction indicated by the arrows 57 and opposite the direct-ion of movement of the drum, with the result that any pocket which is bverfilled so that the mate rial spans the flight, will be removed from the roll and retained against movement therewith until it may be received by a following unfilled pocket.

Any suitable mechanism may be employed for driving the drum and stripper roll. In the present embodiment of the invention, the driving mechanism comprises a belt receiving pulley 58 on stripper roll'sha-ft 59 which has bearings 60 in the end walls 10 of the casing. The opposite end of the stripper roll shaft carries a sprocket 61 driving through a chain 62, the sprocket-63 upon end of drum shaft 12; an idler sprocket 64; is carried by an L-shaped bracket 65 supported from bearing 61 and. by adjustmentof the bracket, will serve to take up slack in the chain. This driving mechanism imparts a positive movement to the stripper roll direct from the take-off pulley 58, and through the stripper roll shaft the drum is'actuated. By this arrangement the main force of power-is transmitted direct to the stripping roll, which act, therefore, in the double capacity as adrive for the drum and to keep the cotton from bridging the flights and congesting the machine.

It is to be noted (Figure 2) that the stripper roll is arranged directly beneath the inlet duct extension board 19, which causes the cotton to be delivered in front of the stripping roll and directly upon the drum in substantially a vertical plane extending through the axis of the latter. Thus the cotton is delivered to open pocket, which being open allows the air in the cotton to pass out through the drum screen into the internal compartments or ducts of the drum and then outwardly through the drum ends into the discharge ducts. The air which passes into the individual discharge ducts meets at the juncture of the two ducts with the main discharge passage 5 (Figure l). Continued rotation of the drum, as has been explained, carries the cotton in the filled pockets around to the casing discharge opening 8 through which it gravitates, due to the absence of retaining suction for the cotton the suction being cut off by the cut-otl' plates 35 in the end spiders which carry the hoods 31 forming the discharge ducts.

Obviously, numerous modifications may be made in the structure illustrated and described in detail, without departure "from the invention, which is defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the class described. a casing having an inlet, a rotary drum therein having a plurality of peripheral pockets with foraminous portions on the drum wall adapted to be moved successively adjacent said inlet to be filled, means for passing air through said foraminous pocket portions when in acertain section of the path of travel of the drum and means within the casing and spaced inwardly from its wall "for leveling the filled pockets.

2. In a machine of the class described, a casing having an inlet. a rotary drum therein having a plurality of peripheral pockets with foraminous portions on the drum wall adapted to be moved successively adjacent said inlet to be filled, means for passing air through said foraminous pocket portions when in a certain section of the path of travel of the drum and moving means within the casing for leveling the filled pockets as the drum moves away from said inlet.

3. In a machine of the class described, a casing having an inlet, a rotary drum therein having a plurality of peripheral pockets with foraminous portions on the drum wall adapted to be moved successively adjacent said inlet to be filled, means for passing air through said foraminous pocket portions when in a certain section of the path of travel of the drum and rotary means for leveling the filled pockets as the drum moves away from said inlet.

4. In a machine of the class described, a casing having an inlet, a rotary drum therein having a plurality of peripheral pockets with foraminous portions on the drum wall adapted to be moved successivelyadjacent said inlet to be filled, means for conducting air through said foraminous pocket, portions when in a certain section of the path of travel of the drum and rotary means for leveling the filled pockets as the drum moves away from said inlet, said last mentioned means rotating in a direction opposite that of the drum whereby the material removed from the pockets is held against movement with the drum.

5. In a machine of the class described, a casing having an inlet duct, a rotary foruminous drum in said casing having a wall permcablc to air. a plurality of pockets on said drum, portions of which are foraminous and formed by the drum wall. means for conducting air through said foraminous drum portion through a certain section of the path of travel of the drum, and a stripper roll for leveling the filled pockets.

6. In a machine of the class described, a casing having an inlet duet, a rotary foruminous drum in said casing having a wall permeable to air, a plurality of pockets on said drum, portions of which are foraminous and formed by the drum wall, means for conducting air through said foraminous drum portion through a certain section of the path of travel of the drum. and a stripper roll for leveling the filled pockets, .sai d stripper roli rotating in a direction opposite that of the drum and being arranged on the side of said inlet opening toward which the drum revolves.

7. In a machine of the class described, a casing, a rotary screen therein, an exhaust duct at each end of the casing, a duct for supplying air and cotton to an intermediate port-ion of the casing, and means for regulating the exhausts from opposite ends of the casing relative to one another whereby to proportion properly the distribution of cotton on the screen at opposite sides of its point of supply.

8. In a machine of the class described, a casing, a rotary screen therein. an exhaust duet at each end of the aising. a duct for supplying air and cotton to an intermediate portion of the casing and independent con trol valves for independently regulating the size of the exhaust ducts leading from opposite ends of the screen whereby to equalize the deposition of cotton thereon at opposite sides of the point of supply.

9. In a machine of the class described, a casing having at an intermediate portion an inlet duct, a rotary drum therein having a foraininous wall, a duct at each end of the casing and of the drum for delivering air out from the interior of the drum and means for regulating the passage of air through the ducts leading from opposite ends of the easing relatively to one another whereby to regulate the deposition of cotton on the pcriphery of the screen at opposite sides of the point of supply. a

10. In a machine of the class described, a casing having an inlet duct, a rotary drum therein having a foraminous well, a duct at each end of the casing and off the drum for delivering air out from the interior of the drum and controlling valves for regulating the passage of air through the ducts leading from opposite ends of the casing relatively to one another whereby to regulate the deposition of cotton on the periphery of the screen longitudinally of the drum.

11. In a machine of the class described, a rotary drum comprising an imperforate hub portion, a plurality of substantially radially disposed imperforate vanes thereon, the vanes forming a plurality of chambers around said hub, a circular foraminous wall adjacent the outer ends of said vanes to form a substantially continuous foraminous drum periphery spaced from the hub by the said vanes to form a substantially continuous foraminous drum periphery spaced from the hub by the vanes, and a plurality of pockets on said foraminous drum wall, the vwall forming the bottoms of said pockets, said ,pockets being formed by substantially radially disposed flights, each flight comprising a channel member carrying a relatively yieldable wiper at its outer end, the channel member being secured to said vanes and said screen being divided longitudinally of the drum into sections, each section having its edges secured to the vaneswithin said channel members.

13. In a machine of the class described, a rotary drum comprising an imperforate hub portion, a plurality of radially disposed imerforate vanes thereon, said hub tapering rom its center toward opposite ends of the drum and said vanes tapering from the ends toward the center, the vanes forming a plurality of chambers around said hub, a. circular foraminous wall surrounding the hub ad jacent the outer ends of said vanes to form a substantially continuous foraminous drum periphery spaced from the hub by the vanes, and a plurality of pockets arranged on said foraminous drum wall, the wall formingvthe bottoms of said pockets, said pockets bein formed by substantially radially dispose flights, each flight comprising a channel member carrying arelat-ively yieldable wiper at its outer end, the channel member being secured to said vanes by receiving the vanes therein, said foraminous wall being secured I to said vanes between the inner surfaces of the channel members and the vanes.

14. In a machine of the class described, a casing, a rotary drum in said casing having a hub portion, a plurality of substantially imperforate vanes extending substantially from said hub portion, the hub and vanes ex-.

tending substantially the full length of the casing, a substantially circular foraminous drum wall spaced from the hub by the vanes, a plurality of flights forming pockets on said foraminous drum wall and extending radially outwardly therefrom, each flight being formed of a pair of sections spaced apart and secured at their inner ends on OPPOSllZB" sides of a vane, the outer ends of said sections having secured therebetween a relatively flexible wiper element. Y

15. In a machine of the class described,a casing, a rotary drum in said ca-sing'having hub portion, a plurality of substantially imperforate vanes extenc ing substantially ra-. dially from said hub portion, the hub and vanes extending substantially the fulllength of the casing, a substantially circular foraminous drum wall spaced from the hub by the vanes, said foraminous drum wall being formed in a plurality of sections, a plurality of flights forming pockets on said foram1- nous drum wall and extending substantially radially outwardly therefrom, each flight being formed in a pair of sections spaced apart and secured at their inner ends on opposite sides of a vane, the other ends 01 said vanes having secured therebetween a relatively flexible wiper element and the inner end of each section having between it and the vane the edge of a foraminous screen section. I

16. In a machine of the class described, a

casing, a movable screen, means for depositing cotton on said screen intermediate the ends of the same, exhaust means adjacent each end of the screen and operating through the screen, and means for varying thesaid exhausts relative to one another, whereby to equalize the distribution or" cotton on the screen'at opposite sides of the point of deposit.

17. A cotton separator comprising a casing, a revoluble element in said casing having spaced vanes for receiving therebetween and for propelling cotton, said casing having an inlet for directing cotton to said element as it revolves and suction openings spaced axially of the element, screening means within the casing interposed between the carried cotton and said suction openings,

a branch suction conduit communicating with each of said openings, means for joining a main suction line to said branch conduits and adjustable valves for independently controlling the suction through said openings and branch conduits whereby to vary the distribution of the suction from said main line longitudinally oi said element and thereby to regulate the distribu tion of the cotton longitudinally of said element.

18. A cotton separator compri ing a casino, a revoluble element in said casing having a plu ality of vanes forming therebetween a plurality of cotton receiving pockets. said casing having an inlet for directing cotton to said pockets as the element revolves and suction openings at opposite sides of the transverse center of the element, screening means interposed between the cotton in said pockets and said suction openings. a branch suction conduit communicating with each of said openings, a main suction line joined to said branch conduits and adjustable valves for independently controlling the suction through said openings and branch conduits whereby to vary the distribution of the suction from said main line to opposite sides of the transverse center of said element and thereby to regulate the distribution of the cotton longitudinally of said element and pockets.

19. A cotton separator comprising a casing. a revoluble element in said casing having a plurality of vanes forming therebetwccn a plurality of cotton receiving pockets, said casing having an inlet for directing cotton to said pockets as the element revolves and suction openings at opposite sides of the transverse center of the element. screening means interposed between said pockets and said suction openings and having a screening surface extending in a plane disposed longitudinally of the pockets and arranged at opposite sides of the transverse center of the element, a branch suction conduit communicating with each of said openings, a main suction line joined to said branch conduits and adjustable valves for indepcnd ently controlling the suction through said openings and branch conduits whereby to vary the distribution of the suction from said main line to opposite sides of the trans verse center of said element and thereby to regulate the distribution of the cottoln longitudinally of said element, pockets and screen.

20. A cotton separator comprising :1 casing, a revoluble element adapted to receive and propel cotton, said casing having an inlet opening for directing cotton to said element as it revolves and air outlet and suction openings spaced longitudinally of said clement, means for connecting a main suction line with each of said openings, screening means within the casing interposed between the carried cotton and said openings and adjustable valves for independently controlling the suction through each of said openings from said main line, whereby to vary the distribution of the suction from said main suction line at opposite sides of the transverse center of the element and longitudinally thereof, and thereby to regulate the distribution of the cotton longitudinally of the element.

21. A cotton separator comprising a casing, a revoluble element in said casing having a plurality of cotton receiving pockets, said casing having an inlet opening for directing cottonto said pockets as the element revolves and air outlet and suction openings spaced longitudinally of said element, means for connecting a main suction line with each of said openings, screening means within the casing interposed between said pockets and said openings, said screening means having a screening surface extending in a plane disposed longitudinally of the pockets at opposite sides of the transverse center of the element, and adjustable valves for independently controlling the suction through each of said openings from said main line whereby to vary the distribution of the suction from said main line to opposite sides of the transverse center of the element and longitudinally thereof and thereby to regulate the distribution of the cotton longitudinally of the element, pockets and screening means.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JAMES C. GARNER.

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