The United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of

United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary of Agriculture

The United States of America As Represented by the United States

The United States of America As Represented by the Department of Agriculture

William S Anthony

Oliver L McCaskill

Richard K Byler

In the cleaning of cotton, flax and kenaf and related materials in the ginning process there is typically a loss of cotton in the saw type lint cleaner. Amounts lost here are typically in the range of about 20 pounds per 500 pound bale. The present invention is directed to the inclusion of an additional saw cylinder in the saw type lint cleaner for the purpose of separating the cotton out of the rejected fiber from the passage through the first saw tooth lint cleaner. The additional saw is doffed by the same brush cleaner that doffs the primary saw cylinder.

Enhanced separation of contaminants from fibers such as cotton, kenaf and flax

A process and apparatus for removing foreign matter from fibers, such as from cotton or flax with significantly reduced damage are disclosed. This cleaning is achieved without any of the condenser, compression rollers, or feed roller and feed plate which are present on conventional lint cleaners.

Device to separate contaminants from cotton and flax

A method for separating non-fibrous particulates from fibers in the substantial absence of water is disclosed. A pulverized mixture of non-fibrous particulates and fibers is introduced into a separation zone containing a plurality of revolving spiked cylinders. Revolving spikes of the respective revolving spiked cylinders contact and separate fibers from the pulverized mixture to produce non-fibrous particulates. The separated fibers have residual non-fibrous particulates which may be removed by the revolving spikes of one revolving spiked cylinders throwing or impelling the separated fibers against and into the revolving spikes of a contiguous revolving spiked cylinder. When the separated fibers impact the spikes of the contiguous revolving spiked cylinder, residual non-fibrous particulates loosen and separate from the removed fibers. The produced non-fibrous particulates have residual polyester fibers which may be removed and reclaimed.

Method for separating elastomeric particulates from fibers

A device for the placement of bale ties, to effect repair of cotton bales which have been damaged as a result of bale tie failures. The device, which allows placement of multiple ties without individual bale movement, includes a base frame structure, an upper platen transversely locatable upon said base frame structure for paired contraposition with a lower platen, and a lower platen base attached to said base frame structure containing a plurality of lower platens mounted thereon that are able to reversibly recede therein when not needed for application of a localized compressive force. The platens are mounted on the structure for relative intraplanar movement toward and away from one another with the compression surfaces disposed in substantial parallelism. The platens are positioned for compressing a damaged cotton bale therebetween as the upper platen moves, by means of a reciprocating drive mechanism, toward its aligned opposite. The compression surfaces of the platens have a width which is sufficiently small to compress a damaged cotton bale only in close proximity to a position where a single replacement bale tie is to be placed.

Mobile system to repackage compressible materials

A method and apparatus for separating elastomeric particulates from a pulverized mixture wherein a first separator assembly separates out substantially clean fiber and passes non-fibrous particulates and residual fiber to a second separator assembly that separates out substantially clean non-fibrous particulates. The method includes propelling the pulverized mixture under a plurality of first separator cylinders with mixture-engaging structure and against a structure for removing non-fibrous particulates and residual fibers from the pulverized mixture. The non-fibrous particulates and residual fibers are propelled under a plurality of second separator cylinders that include centrifugally releasable mixture-engaging structures and against a structure for separating non-fibrous particulates from the residual fibers.

Method and apparatus for separating elastomeric particulates and fibers from a pulverized mixture

A device for placement of bale ties to effect repair of cotton bales which have been damaged as a result of bale tie failure, includes a base frame structure and a pair of compression platens provided with elongated, generally longitudinally extending bale contacting and compressing surfaces. The platens are mounted on the structure for relative intraplanar movement toward and away from one another, with the compression surfaces disposed in substantial parallelism. The platens are positioned for compressing a damaged cotton bale therebetween as the platens move toward one another. The compression surfaces of the platens have a width which is sufficiently small to compress a damaged cotton bale only in close proximity to a position where a single replacement bale tie is to be placed. A drive mechanism is coupled to the platens for moving the latter relatively toward one another to effect bale compression.

Apparatus and procedure for placement of bale ties

An apparatus for cleaning cotton having a frame which rotatably supports a cylinder member having a cylindrical surface supporting a fiber-engaging structure for seizing contaminated cotton. The frame supports a grid assembly which assists in the removal of undesirable particulates from contaminated cotton engaged to the fiber-engaging structure of the cylinder member. The grid assembly includes a plurality of grid bars connected to the frame in a spatial relationship such that any two contiguous grid bars are separated by a grid space. A shroud member is supported by the frame for controlling the loss of cotton fiber through the grid space between two contiguous grid bars. A method of controlling and/or reducing the loss of cotton during lint cleaning of contaminated cotton. A method for retrofitting a lint cleaner to modify the lint-cleaning ability of the lint cleaner.

Apparatus and method for reducing fiber waste by lint cleaners

A bale press for compressing a bale of compressible material such as cotton is described. The bale press includes a base frame structure and a pair of platens which have generally rectangular bale compressing faces for compressing a cotton bale to facilitate the bale tieing operation. The platens are carried by the base frame structure so that they may be moved relatively toward a compression zone to compress a cotton bale sufficiently to enable the bale tie wires to be applied. A plurality of elongated, wedge-shaped, bale compression members are provided on at least one of the platens. These bale compression members protrude outwardly from the platen where they are mounted to provide a compression area which is sufficiently small so that the cotton bale is compressed only in close proximity to the positions where a single bale tie is to be placed. A sufficient number of bale compression members are provided to facilitate the application of the ties required for the bale. Through the use of such bale compression members, the overall horsepower required to operate the bale press may be significantly reduced.

Device for reducing bale packaging forces

System and method for optimizing the processing of materials, particularly the processing of cotton in a cotton gin or a textile mill. Cotton moisture, color, and foreign matter measurements are made with electronic sensors at three stations. For a gin, a dynamic programming model uses input information relative to the moisture and trash content, color, lint turnout, staple length, cotton price structure, and energy costs to select an optimum drying and cleaning sequence for the cotton. The dynamic programming model optimizes cotton producer profits by selecting the amount of gin machinery necessary to achieve the most beneficial market value while minimizing the machinery used. Automated directional valves are used to route the cotton through the selected optimum combination of seed cotton cleaners, multi-path driers, and lint cleaners. For a mill, algorithms are used to select an optimum mill machine sequence that maximizes lint quality, and automated directional values are used to route lint through the selected sequence of cleaners.

System and method for materials process control

A system and method for measuring the stickiness of agricultural solids such as cotton is provided. A reference moisture level of a sample is measured in a manner not responsive to the presence of sugars. The sugar-based moisture content of the sample is measured by sensors responsive to the presence of sugars. The difference between the reference moisture level and the sugar-based moisture content provides a measure of the relative stickiness of the sample.

System and method for measuring stickiness of materials such as cotton

A system for calibrating sensors used in analyzing agricultural solids which includes a calibration paddle possessing one or more calibration tiles for calibrating sensors used in analysis of agricultural solids and a rotary actuator for reversible translation of said calibration paddle between a dormant location which does not interfere with material flow or sample analysis, and an active location containing a calibration position suitable for sensor calibration.

System for automated calibration of sensors

A system for analyzing the moisture content of bulk cotton or other non-homogeneous flowable solid substrates comprising: an electrical sensor consisting of multiple electrically independent measuring electrodes, each of which independently measures the moisture content of different portions of the sample; a means of pressing the mass against the surface of the sensor to form a face of uniform substrate density on that part of the mass which is pressed against the sensor; means for analyzing such face for moisture content; and a means for releasing the pressure on the halted mass to allow it to resume movement.

System for analyzing moisture content of materials such as cotton

A system for continuously analyzing cotton moving through a chute in a processing plant comprising cyclically displacing a small mass of cotton from its pathway through the chute toward one of the side walls, and pressing the mass against such side wall so that the mass presents a face of uniform cotton density on that part of the mass which is pressed against the side wall, so that the mass may be accurately analyzed for properties such as color, trash content, and/or moisture content; and removing pressure from the mass after analysis, to permit it to resume its movement through the chute.

System for analyzing cotton

A closed loop system is provided for by-passing, from a duct, a small fluid-entrained stream of particulates or solids; separating the stream into a particulate fraction and a fluid stream that essentially is free of the particulates; returning such fluid stream to the duct downstream from the by-pass; analyzing the particulate fraction; and dispersing particulates, after analysis, into the fluid stream being returned to the duct. To analyze particulates such as cotton lint, the separated lint is formed into a batt, the batt is passed in contact with a wall having an analyzer operatively associated therewith; a segment of the batt is compressed against the wall adjacent the analyzer by placing a weighted object against the segment; analysis is carried out on the compressed segment after which the object is lifted off the segment to permit the segment to be displaced with another segment of the batt; and the compression, analyzing, and lifting steps are repeated on the second segment.

System for analyzing entrained solids such as cotton or seed

A system for analyzing bulk cotton or other flowable solids comprising moving the cotton through a conduit; halting part of the cotton within the conduit while permitting the remaining part to continue movement through the conduit; moving the halted mass in an arcuate pathway toward an interior surface of the conduit; pressing the halted mass against the interior surface; wherein the pressing means is sufficient to press the mass against the interior surface to form a face of uniform cotton density on that part of the mass which is pressed against the interior surface; analyzing such face for a property selected from the group consisting of color, trash content, moisture content, and combinations thereof; and thereafter releasing the pressure on the halted mass to allow it to resume movement through the conduit.

Growing community of inventors

Greenville, MS, United States of America

William S Anthony