Cotton, Inc.

Joseph K Jones

Lambert H Wilkes

Gary L Underbrink

Allen R Winch

M Herbert Willcutt

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for separating trash from irregularly-shaped clusters of material containing trash, fiber motes, and cotton lint. The apparatus comprises a rotatable drum encircled by a screen on an inside periphery thereof. The drum contains a plurality of finger-shaped baffles arranged in rows and extending radially inwardly from the inside periphery of the drum. As material is delivered to the rotating drum, the finger-shaped baffles lift the material toward an upper portion of the drum and drop the material directly on the screen at a lower portion of the drum to break-up clusters of material and to separate the heavy trash. The heavy trash drops through the screen and is removed by a conveyor. The fiber motes and cotton lint, along with smaller trash, are retained within the rotating drum and removed at an outlet end of the drum. The present invention also provides a clearing arrangement preferably in the form of an elongated brush contacting an outside surface of the screen. The brush operates to remove fibers and/or other material from openings in the screen.

Method and apparatus for removing trash from material

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for recovering a fiber fraction from seed cotton. In a first embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of closely spaced, substantially parallel rollers are driven in a continuous path substantially perpendicular to the axes of the rollers. Seed cotton is deposited on a first side of the continuous path of rollers. At least one relatively large diameter nip roll is arranged in abutting engagement with a second side of the continuous path with the nip roll being fixed relative to the continuous path of the roller. A substantially constant quantity of air is drawn substantially straight between the rollers from the first to the second side of the continuous path in an area at least immediately upstream of the nip roll to aid in extending a fiber fraction between adjacent ones of the rollers. The nip roll is rotatably driven for separating the fiber fraction extended between the rollers by the air from the seed. In a further aspect of the present invention, a rotatable brush is arranged on the second side of the continuous path opposite to the deposited seed cotton. The brush is adapted both for aligning the fiber fraction between adjacent ones of the plurality of rollers and for cleaning the fiber fraction prior to nipping the fiber fraction between the nip roll and the rollers.

Method and apparatus for removing a fiber fraction from seed cotton

The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for separating trash from irregularly-shaped clusters of material containing trash, fiber motes, and cotton lint. The apparatus comprises a rotatable drum encircled by a screen. The drum contains a plurality of finger-shaped baffles preferably arranged in two rows disposed 180.degree. apart on the inner periphery of the drum. As material is delivered to the rotating drum, the finger-shaped baffles lift and tumble the clusters of material and pull the material apart to separate the heavy trash. The heavy trash drops through the screen and is removed by a conveyor. The fiber motes and cotton lint, along with smaller trash, are retained within the rotating drum and removed at an outlet end of the drum.

A total fiber recovery method and apparatus are disclosed which will recover substantially all of the usable fiber contained in discarded waste material comprising a mixture of fibers, motes and trash. The method consists of conveying the input material into a cleaner and opener which rejects a large portion of the heavy trash and motes. The remaining fiber is transported into a lint cleaner which drops out more motes and smaller trash. From there the partially cleaned fiber is transported to a first cleaner and carder which will clean and orient the fiber. The trash and motes rejected by the cleaner and opener, the lint cleaner, and the first cleaner and carder are collected and cleaned in a drum screen cleaner to remove the heavy trash. The partially cleaned fiber is then transported into a carder and opener where the fibers, including the motes, are fully opened. The opened fiber is then transported to a second cleaner and carder for cleaning and orienting. The outputs of the first and the second cleaner and carder are baled separately to obtain a long fiber fraction and a short fiber fraction respectively.

Total fiber recovery method and apparatus

A system is disclosed wherein fibers are mounted on pallets for ease in handling and storage. The system uses the pallets to provide a continuous, uniform rate of fiber feed to other apparatus for subsequent fiber processing. A positioning system arranges pallets in end-to-end abutting relationship to provide the uniform rate of fiber feed generally desired for fiber processing. A plurality of vertically spaced horizontally disposed rotating augers engage the advancing face of fibers on a pallet to remove the bulk of fibers therefrom. The pallet surface is subsequently engaged by a pallet sweeper which removes any fibers not removed by the rotating augers. The loosened fibers are deposited on a transverse conveyor which overlies the pallet surface and moves the fibers transversely of the pallet unloading apparatus for delivery to the fiber processing apparatus.

Method for the continuous feeding of palletized fiber materials

Apparatus for the continuous feeding of palletized fiber materials

Apparatus and method for removing fibers from fiber-laden pallets is disclosed in which the bulk of fibers is removed in a primary unloading area thus leaving a thin layer of fibers that are removed by a surface cleaning device. The surface cleaning device included a multiple-blade rotary sweeper which is spaced vertically above the uppermost portion of a pallet to enable the pallet to move therebelow without mechanical interference with the rotary sweeper. A cowling encloses a portion of the periphery of the rotary sweeper to increase the efficacy of fiber removal by the rotary sweeper. The rotary sweeper mechanically engages an upper portion of the thin layer and removes it from the pallet. A suitable gas blast device impinges upon the pallet surface at a location substantially below the rotary sweeper to engage a lower portion of the thin layers of fibers. The gas blast device causes fibers to be lifted upward and into mechanical engagement by the blades of the rotating sweeper. The gas blast device may include an elongated conduit having a plurality of uniformly spaced apart orifice openings or having one or more elongated slots through which pressurized air is exhausted.

Growing community of inventors

Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Joseph K Jones