US2601704A - Screen cleaning apparatus - Google Patents

Description

July 1, 1952 J. A. STREUN ,7

SCREEN CLEANING APPARATUS Filed July 25, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. JOHN A. STREUN AT TO RN EYS July 1, 1952 J. A. STREUN 2,601,704

SCREEN CLEANING APPARATUS Filed July 25, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JOHN A. STREUN ATTORNEYS July 1, 1952 J. A. STREUN 2,601,704

SCREEN CLEANING APPARATUS Filed July 25, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. J'OHN A. STREUN ATTORNEYS July 1, 1952 A, S EUN 2,601,704

SCREEN CLEANING APPARATUS Filed July 25, 1950 4 Sheeta-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. JOHN A. STREUN ATTORNEYS Patented July 1, 1952 SCREEN CLEANIN G APPARATUS John A. Streun,

Sherman, Tex, assignor to Hardwicke-Etter Company, Sherman, Tex, a

corporation of Texas Application July 25, 1950, Serial No. 175,740

11 Claims.

The present invention relates to air cleanin mechanism particularly adapted for use in a cotton ginning plant, although the invention may have applications in connection with other similar installations. In particular, the mechanism is intended for employment in association with cotton gins of the well known air blast type, wherein an air blast trunk line passes through and serves the gins of a battery, the air thus delivered under pressure being conveyed to the conventional air blast nozzles which strip the lint from the saws, after the latter have passed through the ginning ribs. The construction of cotton gins of the air blast type is so well known as not to require specific description herein, the nozzles of said gins serving to strip the lint from the saws, and as stated, whereupon the released lint is conveyed by the air blast through a lint duct to the common lint flue, and onto the condenser, as is well understood.

It will be further understood that the air nozzle which blows the lint from the saws, comprises a relatively narrow slit presented to the saws and of length slightly greater than the saw cylinder. The slit or opening of this nozzle may be as narrow as three-sixteenths of an inch, and it is positioned close to the teeth of the saws, so that there is always the possibility that accumulated lint in the atmosphere of the gin house, or other foreign matter, will be conveyed through the air blast trunk line to the nozzles, causing them to become clogged.

A primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a screening assembly for this delivered air, which will remove the foreign matter, the said mechanism including an automatically adjustable cleaner for the screen, to carry away the foreign matter which may accumulate on the screen. More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide such a cleaner for the screen, which operates from an auxiliary source of suction, through cleaning nozzles, with provision to protect these cleaning nozzles against interference by the primary flow of air through the screen under the influence of the blower which supplies air to the air blast trunk.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide apparatus of the character referred to above, which is capable of refined and automatic adjustment, in accordance with the volume and velocity of air being moved through the air blast trunk line.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as the description herein progresses.

Figure 1 is a schematic view of a part of a gin house installation, showing the arrangement of the cleaner in association with a battery of gins.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the cleaner, showing its association with the air blast trunk line leading to the first gin of a battery.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the air cleaning apparatus, showing its association with the blowerwhich supplies air under pressure to the air blast trunk line.

Figure 4 is an end elevational view of the cleaner of Figure 3, looking inwardly from the left side of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a partial vertical sectional view through the housing of the air cleaner, showing the arrangement of the parts mounted on the rotating shaft in said housing.

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional View taken along the lines 66 of Figure 5.

Figure 1 is a view looking downwardly on a battery of gins G through G which are shown merely in outline, it being understood that they are of the conventional air blast type. Extending through all of the gins of the battery is an air blast trunk line T, which is closed at its terminal end by a cap 10. As is well known in the art, air under pressure delivered to the trunk T is caused to pass through the air blast nozzle in each gin, to strip the lint from the saws. The trunk '1 leads from a conventional blower B, the fans of the latter being rotated from any suitable source of power, as by a belt 12 connected with the driven saw shaft [4 of the gins, at a velocity of approximately 2300 R. P. M., whereby air is blown through the trunk, building up pressure through the air blast nozzles to strip the lint from the saws. Air is admitted to the blower B by way of a passage through a cleaner housing H, which has a screen mounted across the passage at the inlet end of the housing, and foreign matter which accumulates on the outer face of this screen is removed by suction nozzles carried on a rotating tubular cleaning ele ment l6, auxiliary suction bein applied to the interior of the element l6, and to its nozzles, through an auxiliary pipe I 8 which connects with any convenient source of suction 20 in the gin house. The source of suction 20 may be a special suction blower. The blower 20 may suitably be of the type having fan blades driven by any suitable source of power, such as by means of a belt 22 (Figure 1), likewise driven by the saw cylinder shaft I4 of the battery of gins. While I have shown the source of suction 20 located at the opposite end of the battery of gins, with respect to the cleaner housing H, it" will be understood that this source 28 might be located to the right of the blower B, as viewed in Figure 1, and its fan would thenbe driven by 5 the source 20, as will be apparent from Figure to the fixed plate 42, in order to adjust the volume 1 and the above description. 7 of air flowing through the housing, and the trim Were it not for the cleaner comprising the tuof the fan blades 40 i likewise adjusted, on the bular element I6, and the associated mechanism shaft 38, to govern the speed of rotation of this hereinafter described in detail, it would be necesshaft. Thereafter, when the blower B is started, sary for the ginner to constantly attend the a primary movement of air will be initiated inscreen, using a cloth or the like to wipe the lint wardly through the housing H, discharging from and fine trash therefrom. Should he neglect to the periphery of the rotor of the blower, in order do so, the screen would become coated with forto build up pressure of air in the trunk T, and sign matter, thus retarding the flow of air through this movement of primary air will act on the the blower B and thereby reducing the pressure blades 40 to turn the shaft 38. Rotation of the of air through the air blast nozzles in the gins. shaft 38 will rotate the tubular cleaning element Such reduction in pressure impairs the efficient [6 with its nozzles, and will likewise rotate the operation of the gins, causing back lashing, the aligned air shields 59 and 52. The outward sucproper flow of air past the saws being reduced to tion applied to the nozzles 46 and 48 from the a point where the hilt remains on the saws, going source of suction 20 will cause the surface of the round and round with the saw teeth, injuring the screen to be cleaned, and power to rotate the shaft lint as it is repeatedly passed through the .seed 38 and the operating devices which it carries, is roll of the ginning breast. Continued clogging derived from the rotor of the blower B, through of the screen would ultimately causeabreak down the action of the induced primary flow of air in the operation of the gins, and the ginner would through the housing. then be presented with the undesirable and time As shown in Figures 3 and 4, t e d plate consuming job of cleaning the ginning ribs as 2 s egmental opening 46 therethrou and Well as cleaning off the screen. the movable plate 44 has a similar segmental As shown in Figure 3, the housing H has an opening 48 therethrough, and these openings are outer cylindrical portion terminating in a cirarranged to b b ou i p l register With cular flange 26, at its open end, and a screen 28 e anot r to adj e Space through Which is suitably bolted at its perimeter, to this flange. r may p ss to t e b er T0 accomplish this The other end of the housing tapers inwardly as adjustment, a rotatable rod 50 having a crank at 3| (Figure 3) and it is secured in an suitable h n le end 52 is p ov t e inner d f this manner to a circular opening in the front end 40 rod being thr d a a 4 Where it Passes of the blower B, at about the point 33, there hr h a nut 56, he l r being piv ll being" a cylindrical formation at the inner end h d to the movable plate 44 by a 2 this of the housing which is flanged to a t be 133 bolt passing through the opening 46 in the fixed extending-from within the housing, or any other pl 4 The ou r nd of he r d 50 pa suitable manner of effecting a tight connection through an opening in a bracket 64, and the latat this point may be employed. The housing is ter is mounted for limited pivoting movement on supported at its forward end by a circular bracket the t or fl o t e ous n as Shown in 32, which carries a leg 34, adjustably c n t Figure 3, there being collars 65 secured on the rod with a footpiece'36 of angular formation, resting and bearing against pp it sides f h on the fioor, as shown in Figures3and 4. bracket 64, to restrain the rod against longitu- Extending into the housing H, from the fordinal movement through the Opening in the ward end thereof, is a rotatable shaft 38, and this a k t- Thus, when th handl 52 is tur d. shaft carries a rotatable tubular cleaning elenut 55 is caused to move toward and from the merit I6, as well as a windmill f com ri in handle, and through the connection 60, this causes blades 40 which are adjustably connected to the 55 a relative circular movement of the disc 44 with shaft at a point near its inner end, within the p t t h plate r di w r y the housing. Disposed between the screen and the gree of alignm n f he p n s in these di c is fan 48, there is an adjustable air register, comegulated, to overn the volume of air flowi prising a fixed plate 42 and a circularly adjustthrough e ho As Shown in F ure 4, a able contiguous plate 44, these plates having 00- recess isprOVided 't fixed plate 42 111 the operating openings therein movable into and out IOWeI' ge of its Opening 5 o receive the conof register, to regulate the volume of air which netting 59 W the Plates are j d to is permitted to flow inwardly to the blower B. the f1111 Open Position- As stated, the tubular cleaning element I6 is It Willbe understood h any ppr p i nummounted for rotation on the outer end of the be? of registering p s 5 d 43 may be proshaft 38, and it hasopposite radially extending Vided, Spaced around the Plates 42 d a portions which carry suction nozzles 46 and 48, ShOWIl in u e V the restricted open ends of which are presented I As shown in. Figure 3, the fixed plate 42 of toward the screen, being spaced a distance of apthe register 0 mp is Permanently Carried proximately one-eighth of an inch therefrom. by the housing, between circularly flanged mem-, Also mounted on the shaft 38, but inside of the hers ill and i2, and this plate thus provides a screen 28, are air shields or bafiie elements '50 foundation for supporting the rotatable shaft and 52, the latter being simple plates mounted 38, as now to be described. on the shaft 38 in alignment with the tubular ele- Referring to Figure 5, the fixed plate 42 is cenment l6 and with the nozzles 46 and 43, and ro- 5 trally reinforced by a disc 1 and opposite beartatable therewith on the shaft 38. These air shields prevent the inwardly flowing stream of primary air, from interfering with the local action of the nozzles 46 and 48, acting by suction outwardly, to remove foreign matter from the outer surface of the screen.

With the arrangement as generally described above, the air register is adjusted by relative movement of the apert'ured plate 44 with respect ing housings I6 and I8 are bolted to the central portions of the plates 42 and 14, by means of bolts 80. The housings 1-6 and T8 each have outwardly opening ball bearing chambers, and these receive suitable ball bearing structures 82, there being sleeves 84 and 86 keyed or other Wise rigidly secured to the shaft 38. Thus, a bearing is provided forthe shaft 38, centrally thereof, and this bearing is supported from the housing frame, through the fixed plate 42 and its mounting, as described. The movable plate 44 is centrally apertured as at BB, and it is held in close contact with the fixed plate 42 by a central resilient retaining clip 90 secured by the bolts 80, as shown in Figure 5.

As further shown inFigures and 6, the air shield 50 for the cleaner nozzles is of angular cross-section, and itis rigidly carried on a hub 82 which is rigidly bolted to the shaft 38 as by the bolts 94. The outer face of the shield is flat, and as shown in Figure 6, it is in alignment with the nozzles 46 and 4B, and is spaced about one-eighth of an inch from the inner face of the screen 28. The nozzles 45 and 48 taper inwardly toward their inner ends and at their outer ends they are flanged as at 98 where they are secured as by welding to the outer wall of the tubular element I-B, there being openings 98 through the wall of the tubular element in alignment with the nozzle passage. With respect to the cooperative arrangement of the cleaning nozzles 46 and 48 and the air shields 50, it will be understood that by reason of the action of the blower B, there will be a rather strong primary flow of air inwardly through the screen 23, depending on the speed or rotation of the blower, and the adjustment of the plate 44 as heretofore described. However, the cleaning action of the nozzles 4'. and 48 depends on a suc tion through the nozzles acting in a direction opposite that of the primary movement of the air through the passage in the housing H, so that in the absence of some protective agency, the nozzles would not function effectively to remove foreign matter from the outer face of the screen. It is in recognition of this difficulty that I have provided the bafile elements or air shields 5D, the outer faces of which substantially cover the openings of the suction nozzles 48 and 48, and provide a local rotating dead space in front of the suction nozzles, so that the cleaning action of the latter will be efiective.

As further shown in Figure 5, the fan blades 40 are carried on rods I02, the inner ends of which are adiustably fitted in cylindrical sockets I04 in a flanged nut I66 which is keyed and bolted to the shaft 38. Rods I02 have reduced portions I08 which receive the inner ends of securing bolts I10, whereby these bolts may be loosened to permit turning of the rods I02, and consequent angular adjustment of the fan blades 40 as will be apparent from Figure 6. Thusjthe fan blades 4%) maybe trimmed or angularly adjusted with relation to the shaft 38, and this adjustment will permit selective variation of the speed of the shaft 38 responsive to the primary movement of air through the passage in the housing, caused by the operation of the rotor of the blower B. Thus, as a result of the permissible adjustment of the movable plate 44 of the register, with respect to the fixed plate 42 thereof, and the adjustment of the fan blades 40, as just described, the cleaning action of the nozzles 46 and 48 may be controlled, to suit the existing conditions.

As further shown in Figure 5, there is a hollow fitting II2 secured on the outer end of the shaft 38 beyond the screen 28, as by a bolt H4, and

opening or cut-out H8 in its outer wall, being thereby open to suction exerted through a square conduit I20 which is held in fixed position but presented to the outer open end of the fitting H2, there being a leather-lip like gasket I22 positioned between the outer end of the fitting H2 and a cylindrical engaging nipple I24 carried by the lower end of the square conduit I20. As shown in FigureB, the conduit I20 is supported by an arm I26 carried by brackets I28 fixed to the upper end of the housing H.

As previously indicated, the blower B may be of conventional construction, comprising a h0llow housing of generally circular configuration as shown in Figure 4, and having a rotor R sealed to an entrance pipe I33 in the housing and. having appropriately curved fan blads I30, which are designed to draw the primary air into the center of the rotor, and discharge it from the open periphery of the rotor into the hollow interior of the blower, the air being discharged through the extension' I32 (Figure 4) and into the end of the trunk T which is flanged to the lower housing, as at I34 (Figure 4).

As best shown in Figure 3, one cleaning suction nozzle 48 is positioned near the outer end of one radial extension of the tubular element It, while the other suction nozzle 48 is positioned near the center of rotation of the tubular element I6. Thus, the respective suction nozzles sweep through concentric areas, one within the other, and thus substantially the entire surface of the screen is acted upon and cleaned.

As indicated in Figures 1 and 3, the rotor of the blower is carried on a shaft I30, which is mounted in a bearing I40 on the frame of the blower, and. this shaft may be driven in any suitable man- 'ner, as by an independent electric motor, or by a belt I2 (Figure 1) connected with the power or saw shaft of the battery of gins.

The operation of the apparatus will be clear from the above description. By adjusting the opening in the damper or register, the volume of primary air may be increased, thus increasing the pressure in the air blast trunk and the velocity of air delivered by the air-blast nozzles. The pressure of the air may be built up to 9'to 20 inches of water or 4 /2 to 10 ounces pressure. The damper thus sets the required amount of pressure. The fan blades are adjusted to set the speed to suit the flow of air passing through the blades to the blower. The fan speed is regulated to furnish all the air required for both maximum and minimum air pressure to be used.

Iclaim:

1. Apparatus of the character described comprising a hollow housing for the passage of air, a screen mounted across theinlet to said housing, means for generating a primary movement of air through said screen and said housing, an air suction operated screen cleaner mounted for movement across the outside surface of said screen, a baffle element mounted for movement across the inside surface of said screen in alignment with said cleaner to locally counteract the effect of said primary movement of air through said screen in areas of said screenadjacent said cleaner, and means for simultaneously moving said cleaner and said baille element over the surfaces of said screen.

2. Apparatus of the character described comprising a hollow housing for the passage of air, a screen mounted across-the inlet to said housing, means for generating a primary movement of air through said screen and said housing, a screen cleaner comprising an air suction nozzle presented toward and. mounted for movement across the outside surface of said screen, means for applying suction to said nozzle and to the area of said screen to which it is presented, an air shield mounted for movement across the inside surface of said screen in alignment with said-nozzle to locally protect its suction from interference by said primary movement of air through said screen, and means for simultaneously moving said nozzle and said shield over the surfaces of said screen.

3. Apparatus of the character described comprising a hollow housing for the passage of air, a screen mounted across the inlet to said housing, means for generating a primar movement of air through said screen and said'housing, a screen cleaner comprising an air suction nozzle presented toward and mounted for movement across the outside surface of said screen, means for applying suction to said nozzle and to the area of said screen to which it is presented, and means mounted for movement with said nozzle for locally counteracting the effect of said primary movement of air through said screen in areas of said screen adjacent said nozzle.

4. Apparatus of the character described comprising a hollow housing for the passage of air, a screen mounted across the inlet to said housing, a blower for generating a primary movement of air through said housing, a shaft extending into said housing, an air suction operated cleaner mounted on said shaft adjacent the outer end thereof for rotation across the outer surface of said screen, a baffle element mounted on said shaft adjacentsaid cleaner for movement across the inner surface of said screen in alignment with said cleaner to protect the action of the latter from interference by said primary movement of air, and means responsive to said primary movement of air for rotating said shaft.

5. A construction in accordance with claim 4 wherein said means responsive to said primary movement of air is adjustable to regulate the speed of rotation of said shaft.

6. Apparatus of the character described comprising a hollow housing for the passage of air, a screen mounted across the inlet to said housing, a blower for generating a primary movement of air through said housing, a shaft extending into said housing, an air suction operated cleaner mounted on said shaft adjacent the outer end thereof for rotation across the outer surface of said screen, a baflle element mounted on said shaft adjacent said cleaner for movement across the inner surface of said screen in alignment with said cleaner to protect the action of the latter from interference by said primary movement of air, means on said shaft adjacent the inner end thereof responsive to said primary movement of air for rotating said shaft, and an adjustable air register mounted Within said housing across the passage therethrough between said screen and said means on said shaft.

7. Apparatus of the character described comprising a hollow housing for the passage of air, a screen mounted across the inlet to said housing, a blower for generating a primary movement of air through said housing, a shaft extending into said housing, a cleaner mounted on said shaft adjacent the outer end thereof for rotation across the outer surface of said screen, said cleaner comprising a tubular member disposed at right angles to said shaft and having portions which extend on opposite sides thereof, said extending portions having suction nozzles therein presented toward the outside face of said screen, an air shield mounted for movement across the inside surface of said screen in alignment with said nozzles to locally protect their suction from interference by said primary movement of air through said screen, means responsive to said primary movement of air for rotating said shaft and simultaneously moving said nozzles and said air shield, and means for applying suction to the interior of said tubular element.

8. A construction in accordance with claim 7, wherein said nozzles are of shorter radial length than the radial lengths of said extending portions of said tubular element, and wherein one nozzle is positioned adjacent to said shaft and the other nozzle is positioned adjacent the outer end of its extending portion.

9. A ginning plant comprising a battery of air blast gins having a common air blast trunk line leading therethrough, a blower at the end of said'trunk line remote from the gin for drawing air from the atmosphere into said trunk line, a hollow housing having an air passage therethrough connected with said blower and constituting the air inlet thereto, a screen mounted in said housing across its passage, a cleaner on said housing comprising a suction nozzle mounted for movement across the inlet side of said screen, an air shield element mounted therein adjacent to the air delivery side of said screen and in alignment with said nozzle, means therein for simultaneously moving said nozzle and shield across the surfaces of said screen, and an auxiliary suction pipe leading from said nozzle and connected with a suction line in the gin house.

10. A construction in accordance with claim 9, wherein said housing has an adjustable air register extending across its passage on the air delivery side of said screen.

11. A construction in wherein said housing has means therein for moving said nozzle in response to the flow of air through said passage induced by said blower.

JOHN A. STREUN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 Number Name Date 637,519 Mertins Nov. 21, 1899 1,168,493 Ginn Jan. 18, 1916 1,827,183 Bennett Oct. 13, 1931 1,860,697 Traviss May 31, 1932' 2,036,534 Muirhead Apr. 7, 1936 2,129,312 Streun Sept. 6, 1938 2,534,171 Kirby Dec. 12, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,155 Great Britain of 1906 343,085 Great Britain Feb. 13, 1931 accordance with claim 9 V

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