Cotton, Inc.

Martin Mehner

Lambert H Wilkes

William F Lalor

Kenneth E Watkins

An apparatus for processing seed cotton and removing fiber fractions from the seed cotton includes a plurality of freely rotatable first rollers that are arranged substantially parallel to one another and that are rotatably driven in a continuous path. A plurality of nip rolls are positioned in abutting relation to the first rollers on the side on the continuous path that is opposite to the side on which the seed cotton is deposited. The apparatus includes a reorienting arrangement for reorienting the position of the seed cotton on the first rollers to thereby permit all or substantially all of the fibers on the seed cotton to be removed. In one embodiment, the reorienting arrangement includes a rotating reorienting roller that contacts the seed cotton located on the first rollers. In another embodiment, the reorienting arrangement includes an apparatus that directs streams of air at the seed cotton on the first rollers.

Method and apparatus for reorienting seed cotton on a ginning apparatus

An apparatus for removing a fiber fraction from seed cotton includes a plurality of freely rotatable cage rollers that are arranged substantially parallel to one another. The plurality of rollers are rotatable in a continuous path that has a first side for receiving seed cotton. A plurality of nip rollers are positioned in abutting relation to a second side of the continuous path. An arrangement is provided for removing unginned seed cotton and ginned seed from the first side of the continuous path. A reclaiming apparatus is provided for reclaiming unginned seed cotton and discarding ginned seed that has been removed from the first side of the continuous path by the removal arrangement. Also, a conveying device is included for conveying unginned seed cotton that has been reclaimed by the reclaiming apparatus back to the first side of the continuous path.

Method and apparatus for removing a fiber fraction from seed cotton

An apparatus for removing a fiber fraction from seed cotton includes a plurality of freely rotatable cage rollers that are arranged substantially parallel to one another. The plurality of rollers are rotatable in a continuous path that has a first side for receiving seed cotton. The outer peripheral surface of at least one nip roller is positioned in abutting relation to the cage rollers on a second side of the continuous path to thereby apply a force to the cage rollers. An arrangement is also provided for separating the seed cotton into individual locks before the seed cotton is fed onto the first side of the continuous path. Further, an arrangement can be attached to the at least one nip roller for varying the force applied by the nip roller to the cage roller.

Growing community of inventors

College Station, TX, United States of America

Martin Mehner