US3815178A - Cotton linter refining process and apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Cotton linter pills, produced by the processing of cotton seed at an oil mill, are fed in blanket formation into a roller assembly wherein an attenuating roll and a diffuser roll act thereon to untangle them and separate fibers from trash with the diffuser roll propelling the fibers and trash into a sealed plenum chamber below a high speed air stream of a closed air circuit entering the chamber so that the heavy trash falls into a discharge means in the low pressure area under the air stream with the fiber stream being caught up and carried by the air stream impinging therewith on the lower end portion of an upwardly inclined rocking and vibrating, perforated diaphragm in the chamber so that the longest free fibers rise with the bounce of the air stream off the diaphragm into the upper expanse of the chamber and the shorter fibers, linter fines and light trash move up the diaphragm that acts to siftingly discharge the linter fines and lighter trash downwardly therethrough into an underlying low pressure area collection means. The cleaned long fibers and cleaned short fibers are separately collected by collector and condenser units at the upper end of the diaphragm adjacent the top of the chamber and discharged from the chamber in separate long fiber and short fiber mats, such units operating under vacuum produced by the return line of the air circuit and a retention means being provided in the return line, downstream from such units, for collecting sheeted cellulose fines.

Description

United States Patent [191 Goldman June 11, 1974 [75] lnventor: Maurice A. Goldman, Newark, NJ.

[73] Assignee: United Merchants and Manufacturers, Inc., New York, NY.

22 Filed: Aug. 7, 1972 21' Appl. No.2 278,249

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 746,627, July 22, 1968,

209/142, 143,148, 153, 152, 22, 23, 21, 27, 250, 477, 3; 19/205, 56.4; 171/17; 130/27 MF; 56/D1G. 8, 13.3

[ 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 271,297 l/l883 Bultzell 209/250 X 444,199 1/1891 Beraud..... 209/153 661,166 11/1900 Boyd 19/205 X 755,701 3/1904 Rollins 19/205 X 1,123,344 l/l9l5 Meurling 19/205 X 2,569,501 10/1951 Stedronsky 209/133 2,810,163 10/1957 Kyame 19/205 X 2,834,061 5/1958 Van Doorn.. 209/133 X 3,173,861 3/1965 Hager 209/137 FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS 116,171 12/1942 Australia 130/27 MF 1.063.288 3/1967 Great Britain 56/1'% 1 Primary ExaminerRobert Halper Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Jules E. Goldberg; John P. McGann Y [571 ABSTRACT Cotton linter pills, produced by the processing of cotton seed at an oil mill, are fed in blanket formation into a roller assembly wherein an attenuating roll and a diffuser roll act thereon to untangle them and separate'fibers from trash with the difiuser roll propelling the fibers and trash into a sealed plenum chamber below a high speed air stream of a closed air circuit entering the chamber so that the heavy trash falls into a discharge means in the low pressure area under the air stream with the fiber stream being caught up and carried by the air stream impinging therewith on the lower end portion of an upwardly inclined rocking and vibrating, perforated diaphragm in the chamber so that the longest free fibers rise with the bounce of the air stream off the diaphragm into the upper expanse of the chamber and the shorter fibers, linter fines and light trash move up the diaphragm that acts to siftingly discharge the linter fines and lighter trash downwardly therethrough into an underlying low pressure area collection means. The cleaned long fibers and cleaned short fibers are separately collected by collector and condenser units at the upper end of the diaphragm adjacent the top of the chamber and discharged from the chamber in separate long fiber and short fiber mats, such units operating under vacuum produced by the return line of the air circuit and a retention means being provided in the return line, downstream from such units, for collecting sheeted cellulose fines.

37 Claims. 15 Drawin Fi ures FIBER COLLECTORS 8| CONDENSERS INTAKE LIGHT TRASH a LINTER FINES COTTON LINTER I IiiROM PRECLEANER OR srocx.

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I llrn'lllvllurl INVENTOR MAURICE A. GOLDMAN mm. ,QxpuQL VAQTM PATENTEfl'Juu 1 I974 SHEET 8 BF 9 INVENT OR MAURICE A. GOLDMAN ll mww Nee Q QTTORNEYS COTTON LINTER REFINING PROCESS AND APPARATUS CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 746,627 now abandoned, filed July 22, 1968.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field Of The Invention This invention generally appertains to new and novel improvements in processes and apparatuses for opening, cleaning, separating and matting fibrous materials and particularly relates to a new and novel process and apparatus for extracting and refining cotton linter fibers from pilled cotton linters that result from the processing of cotton seed at an oil mill.

2. Description Of The Prior Art In processing for cotton, the long fibers are removed from the cotton seed by ginning and the seeds are then delivered to a cotton seed oil mill for the extraction of oil therefrom. In the ginning operation, the long staple fibers are cut close to the surface of the seed so as to leave short fibers, commonly known as linters,clinging to the surfaces of the seed. Cotton linter fibers are shorter in length than three-eighths inch and are graded according to length and admixed content of foreign particle matter.

The seed that comes from a regular cotton gin usually has less than percent of V2 inch linter, known in the trace as No. l linter stock. An oil mill gin is set for shaving or cutting off such k inch fiber only from the seed, which fibers are sold as No. l linter stock. The subsequent cuts oflinter by the oil mill may be classified into Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 linter stoc'k, such classification having reference to the length of the linter fiber and the dirt and particle content thereof. The linters are removed from the seed by scrubbing the hulls with rotary saws in a linter machine. Such action of the saws on the fibers produces a gnarling or tangling effect on the fibers so as to form the linters into small, tightly packed or meshed bodies, commonly known as pills or motes.

The thusly resultant pills or motes have trapped and incorporated therein dirt and other foreign particles or matter, known in the art as trash, the presence of which, in conjunction with the tangled condition of the fibers, has prevented the use of the linters for any purpose other than upholstery stuffing and wadding and other such common and low value uses. Primarily, such linters, containing substantial amounts of trash, are used for stuffing in mattresses and upholstery.

However, it has been found that if such linterscan be refined with an inexpensive but efficient mechanical separation means, as opposed to chemical processes, then such linters will be of value in the production of products involving the assemblage of linter short fibers, for example. as a basic material for end products like paper.

To refine linters, so that they can have more valuable uses, such as of particular utility as a basic material, it is necessary to extract them singly from pill or mote formations in order to clean them of all free extraneous matter. Some linters are being cleaned for the foregoing or other exacting uses by Kier processing. This method is not only costly, but in addition, results in the loss of the very short fibers and of the valuable cellu lose fines that are washed out in the draining step of such process.

Furthermore, some attempts have been made to separate extraneous matter or foreign particles from the linters by a mechanical processing but such attempts have not proven successful because they have been based upon a treatment of the linters in a mass rather than treating the linters on an individual basis and have not effectively subjected each pill to an opening action for separating the fiber and dirt particles, which are intermingled constituents of each pill or mote, and then subjected each fiber to an individual'cleaning action.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a method and apparatus for refining the short cotton linters in an inexpensive, reliable and time-saving manner so that the linters can be collected in a clean condition and classified arrangement for ready use for the making of end products without any loss of valuable cellulose fines.

1 In accordance with the present invention, the linter stock from usual oil mill market bales or from the gins directly at the oil mills is fed in a blanket formation onto a feed apron which delivers the blanket into a roller assembly wherein the motes or pills are mechanically separated and the fibers are singled out and separated from the foreign particles by means of a mechanical abraiding and cross rubbing or filing action. The attenuated fibers and separate foreign particles are expelled by a diffuser into a sealed plenum chamber. The diffuser expells the fibers in a main sheet or stream and, at the same time, expells a secondary parallel irregular stream of heavy dirt of foreign particles into an air flotation separating operation caused by an entering air stream from a closed forced air circuit. The air stream enters the plenum chamber above the diffuser fiber stream with the heavy dirt particles dropping into the low pressure area under the high speed air stream and gravitating into a collection' means.

The refining of the diffuser fiber expulsion is accomplished in a sealed plenum chamber enclosing an air flotation separating operation effected by graduated air velocities and a high speed vibrating perforated diaphragm which is disposed at an upwardly inclined angle within the chamber from the diffuser outlet to a revolving fiber collector and condenser means that is disposed adjacent the upper end of the vibrating diaphragm and the top of the chamber.

The stream of air coming into the plenum chamber from an air inlet nozzle-like opening is a fast moving air stream that produces a vacuum therebelow into which I the fibers expelled by the diffuser enter with the fibers rising and being picked up by the air stream and carried therealong. The air stream and the fiber stream from the difiuser impinge on the lower end portion of the upwardly high speed rocking and vibrating perforated diaphragm with the longest, cleanest, free fibers rising with the bounce of the air stream into the top expanse of the plenum chamber and into the draft of an upper most collector and condenser unit.

The shorter linter and fine foreign particles remaining on the vibrating diaphragm are moved up the incline thereof by the vibrations and rocking that acts to sift all loose small particles, foreign matter and linter fines from the stock. The diaphragm is provided with perforations having sharp edges that intercept and scrub fine foreign particles and linter fines from the linter stock as it moves over the surface of the vibrating diaphragm. Such particles gravitate through the perforations of the diaphragm into the underlying low pressure area encompassed by a suitable collection means, from whence they are carried off for further treatment.

The short fibers are moved up to the uppermost end portion of the diaphragm and collected on a lowermost collector or accumulator and condenser unit. The uppermost and the Iowennost collector and condenser units at the upper end of the diaphragm adjacent the top of the plenum chamber are rotatably mounted and driven and operate under vacuum produced by the return line of the closed air circuit to collect the long and short fibers in a separate fashion and expell the fibers in a long fiber mat or blanket and a separate short fiber mat or blanket onto conveying belts that carry such mats to a further treating operation.

The air from the fiber collector and condenser units continues in a closed circuit through a vacuum return line to a prime air mover and pass through a retention means that arrests and forms sheeted cellulose fines, such retention means being provided in the return line, downstream from such collector units, for collecting cellulose fines, preferably in sheet form.

The air continues through the return line, passing through a heat extracting section to the prime air mover, for circulation to the air inputat the plenum chamber so as to continuously provide an air stream of the same velocity and density in the closed air circuit arrangement.

The apparatus and process further serve to classify, through an air flotation separation, the long fibers and the short fibers, and through the individual fiber collector and condenser units to discharge the long fibers in a common and continuous blanket and to discharge the short fibers in a common and continuous mat or blanket, the long fiber mat or blanket being individual and separate from the short fiber mat or blanket. In addition, the cellulose fines are collected via the vacuum return line of the closed air circuit on the intake side of the prime air mover. Therefore, five distinct separation and/or classification discharge stations are present with the diffuser roll expelling the opened pills or motes into the air flotation separation system comprised of the air stream and vibrating perforated diaphragm conjunctively functioning in the sealed plenum chamber.

Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for refining the linter byproduct from cotton oil mill processes in such manner that the linters are more effectively utilizable in end products with'the linters being clean and free from trash and being classified by length in long fiber blankets or mats and short fiber blankets or mats for more effective and easy handling in subsequent treating operations.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for carrying out an inexpensive, time-saving and most reliable and practical linter refining continous operation for refining linter stock from usual oil mill market bales or from the gins directly at the oil mills by opening each pill to expose the fibers and dirt therein to an air flotation separation system comprised of varying air velocities and an upwardly inclined rocking and vibrating diaphragm in a relatively high rise air flotation separation chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic showing of the step-by-step operation of the apparatus and the method for refining or recovering short cotton fibers from cotton linters in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus, with portions of the frontal side wall broken away to show the interior construction of the plenum chamber which has an expansible ceiling arrangement provided so as to adjust the upper expanse of the plenum chamber.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view of the intake end of the apparatus where the separation of the pills takes place and the fibers are attenuated and separated from the heavy trash with the diffuser roll expelling the fibers and trash in separate streams into the bottom of the plenum chamber below the incoming air stream at the lower end of the vibrating apertured diaphragm or plate.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken substantially on line 4-4 of FIG. 3 and showing in plan the arrangement and relationship and surface characteristics of the roller assembly.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary detailed vertical crosssectional view, taken substantially on line 55 of FIG. 3, and showing in detail the arrangement of the diffuser roll and the cover therefor which serves as an air sealer.

F IG. 6 is a fragmentary, diagrammatic view of the triroll assembly, which constitutes the mechanical separator and diffuser with the arrangement of the rows of teeth on the three rolls being shown in longitudinal inch pattern.

FIG. 7 is an end elevational view of the rolls showing the arrangement of the teeth on a inch arrangement for comparison purposes in relation to the showing in FIG.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view of the upper discharge end of the apparatus showing in detail the fiber collector or accumulator and condenser units for the collection and accumulation of the long fibers and formation thereof into a long fiber mat or blanket and for the collection and accumulation of the short fibers, from the mechanical vibrating perforated diaphragm or plate and the formation of the short fibers into a short fiber mat or blanket, which is separate and distinct from the long fiber blanket.

FIG. 9 is a vertical transverse cross sectional view, taken substantially on line 9-9 of FIG. 8, and showing with parts broken away, more specifically the structural makeup of the collector or accumulator and condenser units and related structural assemblage of the appara- IUS.

FIG. 9a is an enlarged fragmentary view of the area circled in FIG. 9 of the vibrating perforated diaphragm or plate and illustrating in detail the arrangement and structural nature of the sharp edges of the perforations of the diaphragm, which edges intercept and scrub fine form particles and linter from the linter stock as it moves across them overv the upper surface of the diaphragm with the particles gravitating through the perforations of the diaphragm into a collection means and the linter being moved up the diaphragm and collected on the lower or bottom accumulator to collector and condenser roll.

FIG. is a fragmentary end elevational view of the lower end portion of the discharge end of the apparatus and showing in detail the arrangement of the air stream lines from the condenser units, which vacuum lines communicate with a common retention means that functions to arrest the cellulose fines and form sheeted cellulose fines.

FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional view of the retention means, taken substantially on line 11-11 of FIG. 10, and showing in more detail the interior construction of the retention means, which is in the form of a continuous sheet filter, whereby the air from the fiber collectors or accumulators continues in the closed circuit to pass through such retention means that arrest and form cellulose fines in sheet form.

FIG. 12 is a vertical sectional view, similar to FIG. 11, and showing a modified form of retention means with a removable filter plate.

FIG. 13 is a side elevational view with a portion of the side wall broken away of a precleaner which is used for forming a precleaned blanket of linter stock from usual oil mill market bales for depositing onto the feed apron of the refining apparatus of FIG. 2.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view of the interior construction of the precleaner apparatus of FIG. 13.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT I Prior to a detailed description of the construction of cotton linter refining apparatus, generally designated by the numeral 10, attention is directed to FIG. 1 for the purpose of acquiring a general understanding of the apparatus and the operation thereof and the steps of the method for extracting and refining short cotton fibers from pilled cotton linters.

In the diagrammatic step-by-step showing in FIG. l, it will be noted that cotton linter from the gins directly at the oil mills or from usual oil mill market bales, after passing through a precleaner apparatus such as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, is shaped into a loose blanket form for deposit onto the feed apron 12 of the apparatus 10. The loose blanket formation of linter stock is carried by the feed apron 12 to a mechanical separator 14 for opening the motes or pills. Such mechanical separator essentially comprises a tri-roll assembly including an attenuating roll 16 which is disposed rotatably in advance of a rotatably mounted diffuser roll 18. The outlet side of the attenuating roll 16 reaches with a finely machined sharp edge into the approaching meeting but not touching line between the attenuating roll 16 and the diffuser roll 18 so that the diffuser roll can pick single fibers from the pinched-fringe presented by the attenuating roll. The diffuser roll 18 expells the separated and segregated linter and trash at the exit lip of a scouring plate in separate sheet streams directed at 45 or greater towards the lower end portion of an upwardly inclined mechanical vibrating perforated diaphragm or plate 20 mounted at an inclined angle of from about 45 and 75 within the sealed plenum chamber 22. The diffuser roll 18 expells the fiber sheet stream in the form of a wide main sheet at a presumed regular single fiber formation and also expells a secondary parallel irregular stream of heavy trash or dirt particles into a definite design separating operation in a largely expanded section of sealed forced air circuit. The air stream enters the plenum chamber through an opening above the diffuser fiber stream. The expelled fibers rise into the air stream and the heavy trash or dirt particles drop into the low pressure area under the high speed air stream and gravitationally fall into a suitable collection means.

The stream of air coming from the air inlet and the fiber sheet stream from the diffuser roll impinge on the lower end portion of the high speed rocking and vibrating perforated ground surface steel diaphragm or plate 20 with the longest and the cleanest, free linter rising with the bounce of the air stream into the top expanse of the plenum chamber 22 and into the draft of the top air exhauster and fiber accumulator or collector and condensor unit 24.

The shorter fibers, liner fines and light trash remaining on the vibrating perforated diaphragm 20 are moved up the incline thereof by the vibrating and rocking that acts to sift all loose small particle foreign matter and lighter fines from the stock. The sharp edges of the perforations of the diaphragm intercept and scrub fine foreign particles and linter fines from the linter stock as it moves across them with the particles and fines dropping through the perforations of the diaphragm into an underlying low pressure collecting trough and being deposited at the lower end thereof into a suitable collection means. The short fibers moving up to the upper end portion of the diaphragm 20 are collected on the bottom accumulator or collector and condensor unit 26.

The long fibers are formed by the upper unit 24 into a continuous long fiber mat and thusly discharged from the apparatus, while the short fibers are accumulated and collected by the lower unit 26 and condensed thereby and discharged from the apparatus in the form on a continuous short fiber mat or blanket. The rotating accumulators or collectors 24 and 26 operate under vacuum from the closed air circuit and the vacuum return line 28 leading therefrom to a prime air mover 30 is provided with a retention means 32 that arrests and forms sheeted cellulose fines. The cellulose fines collected in the retention or fine collection means 32 are removed continuously for treatment with a solvent in a known manner so as to produce substances such as acetates, esters and nitrates.

For a more detailed understanding of the structural make-up of the apparatus l0, attention is now directed more particularly to FIG. 2. As shown therein, the apparatus 10 comprises a vertical framework 34 which includes vertical floor mounted standards 36 and suitable cross supports 38 that provide a mounting and supporting arrangement for the housing 40 that defines the sides of the chamber 22. The mechanical separator 14, which is in the form of the roller assembly and receives the cotton linter blanket from the feed apron 12, is supported in advance of the bottom of the chamber 22 at the lower front end. The fiber collectors and condensors 24 and 26 are supported in a vertically stacked relationship at the upper portion of the rear outlet end of the apparatus. The chamber 22 encloses the air filtration separating operation effected by graduated air velocities and the high speed vibrating perforated diaphragm'or plate 20, which extends at an angle of approximately 45 up to from the inlet of the bottom chamber at the diffuser roll outlet up to the revolving collector and condensor units 24 and 26.

The closed air circuit is powered by the prime air mover 30 in the form of a centrifugal fan which is driven by a motor 42. Both the fan and motor may be mounted beneath the underside of the chamber 22 and disposed intermediate the front and rear standards 36 of the framework 34. The fan 30 has an outlet duct or conduit 44 which communicates with an air intake opening 46.

The plenum chamber 22 is defined by the sidewalls of the housing 40 and by fixed angularly related ceiling plates 48 and 50 that are spaced apart at their uper ends to provide a sealed gap 52.

The ceiling or top expanse of the plenum chamber is defined by a sectional hinged ceiling plate arrangement 54 which cooperates with the fixed vertical ceiling sections 48 and 50 and are sealingly associated with the side walls of the housing 40. The adjustable sealing arrangement 54 is composed of'a pair of plates 56 and 58 which are hinged at their outer ends by means of hinges 60 to the walls 48 and S and which are supported at their inner adjoining ends by flexible sealing bands 62 and 64 of a width equal to the plates 56 and 58 so that the plates and the flexible bands extend the width between the sides of the housing 40.

The flexible air impervious bands 62 and 64 are mounted on take-up rollers 66 and 68 and guided in parallel confronting relation between guide rollers 70, centrally disposed above the gap 52. By virtue of this arrangement, the ceiling structure, constituted by the plates 56 and 58, may be adjusted so as to adjust or control the top expanse of the plenum chamber 22. Suitable operating means (not shown) is provided to the take-up rollers 66 and 68.

In this respect, it is to be appreciated that the linter stock on the feed apron l2 and which is processed and expelled into the chamber 22, as will be described, is composed of intermingled fibers of lengths varying from one-sixthteenth to three-eighths inch. Depending upon the percentage of longer fibers in relation to the total linter stock, the top expanse of the chamber 22 is adjusted as to height in relation to the rocking and vibrating diaphragm. For example, if the percentage of fibers longer than average is greater, the ceilingarrangement or structure 54 will be raised so as to provide a higher and longer air space for achieving a greater carrying capacity to the upper accumulator and condensor unit 24.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the air intake 46 communicates with an air chute 72 that is composed of sidewalls 74 and outer and innter transverse walls 76 and 78. The outer wall 76 is provided with a lower outwardly and inwardly sweepingly curved section 80, while the lowermost end portion 82 of the confronting wall 78 is perpendicularly disposed and terminates above the end portion of the curved lower portion 80 to define therewith a horizontal air outlet or noule 84. The angle of trajectory of the air stream issuing from the opening 84 is controlled by a baffle plate 86 which is pivotally mounted, as at 88, and which extends inwardly of the plenum chamber 22 in front of the air outlet 84, as shown in FIG. 3, and is movable about its pivotal point 88 in the direction of the arcuate arrows by means of a hand crank handle 90, as shown in FIG. 4.

The arrangement of the lower end portion of the conveying conduit means 72 for the air stream entering into the scaled plenum chamber 22, causes the air stream, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 3, to sweep the interior of the larger radius wall 80. This prevents the air stream from loosing its velocity in its changing direction so that it maintains its set high velocity and issues at such high velocity through the opening 84 with the stream of air being discharged from the opening 84 at a very high rate of speed and impinging on the lower end portion of the vibrating perforated diaphragm plate 20, as will be more particularly described.

As shown more particularly in FIGS. 2 and 3, the feed apron 12 is constituted by an endless belt rotatably mounted on supporting driving and driven rollers 92 and 94 so that it is provided with a working, horizontally disposed upper reach 96 on the upper surface of which the linter stock is deposited in a blanket formation 98. The blanket 98 is formed by a suitable forming outlet 100, as shown in FIG. 2, from a feeder hopper.

When the apparatus 10 is operated in line assembly with a gin at a cotton oil mill, the cotton linter is directly received from the oil mill gin with the outlet pipe thereof discharging the cotton linter into the hopper having the blanket forming outlet 100 which is of the same width as the feed apron. However, when the apparatus 10 is used for cleaning linter stock from usual oil mill market bales, a pre-cleaner and feeder apparatus 102, which is shown in detail in FIGS. 13 and 14 and will be more particularly described, is used for chopping up and pre-cleaning the clumps of linter stock from opened bales. The output of the'pre-cleaner apparatus 102 is discharged through the hopper and forming outlet 100 or through a similar blanket former onto the upper reach 96 of the feed apron 12.

The feed apron delivers the blanket 98 into the mechanical separator 14, which is made up of a roller assembly. The roller assembly comprises a foam rubber or plastic covered roll 104 that rests with applied pressure on top of the delivery outlet end of the apron and in overlying relation with a knurled surface hard roll 106, the blanket being received between the nip of the rolls I04 and 106. The roll.l04 presses down on the blanket and also serves as an air sealer to prevent the escape of air from the plenum chamber 22.

With continued reference to FIG. 3, in particular, the roll assembly further includes a cork-covered roll 108 which operates to wipe the roll 104 and to move the compressed blanket from the roll 106 into engagement with the intake roll 110 of the diffuser assembly 112.

The intake roll 1.10 is rotatably nested in the first shallow arcuate section 1.14 of a stationary base 116 that is horizontally supported independent of the frame for the housing 40 by front and rear pairs of ground mounted legs 118 directly at the lower intake portion of the front end of, the sealed chamber 22. The roll 1 10 has a spiraled toothed peripheral surface, which will be more particularly described and which isshown more specifically in FIGS. 6 and 7. The intake roll 110 is nested in the arcuate section 114 of the base having a machined leading edge at the 180 line of the nested roll that butts up to the receiving edge of a center semispherical nest section 118 in the base having an applied sharp granular inner surface 120 and fitting within very close tolerance beginning at0 line to the high speed attenuating roll 16 that attenuates the blanket byv separation and advances the thinned out blanket to the sharp leading edge of the line of the innermost arcuate nest section 122 of the upper surface of the base 116 which complements and receives the diffuser roll 18. The 180 line of the nest section 122 is also the feeding edge to the diffuser roll 18 at the line of the diffuser roll. All of the rolls of the diffuser assembly are revolved in the same direction by a suitable drive arrangement l24, as shown in FIG. 2.

In this respect, the feed apron l2 and rolls 104, 106 and 108 are driven by a drive arrangement of chains and sprockets 126 from a motor 128, while the drive arrangement 124, consisting of suitable chains and sprockets is powered by a motor 130 and the drive for the diffuser roll is in the form of a motor 132 functioning through a chain and sprocket drive transmission 134 and a drive step-up unit 136.

The forward end portion 138 of the base plate 116 is provided with a rearwardly and upwardly inclined face plate 140 that terminates at the forward edge of the arcuate nest section 122 and is spaced downwardly and forwardly from an declined cooperating plate 142 carried by the housing 40. The plates 140 and 142 cooperate to form a diffusion throat and are spaced apart to establish an inwardly diverging diffuser expulsion throat 144 for the fiber sheet stream and the heavy trash stream. The plate 142 sealingly receives and seats at its declined rearward end a terminal stripping lip 142a which is carried by the front of the base support plate 116 above the scouring base plate 140 and angularly compliments the scouring base plate 140 which terminates in an upper lip 140a. The lips 142a and 140a cooperate to define the diffuser opening 144a for the diffuser roll 18. The plate 140 sealingly engages at its lower end the front end of the housing at the opening therein for accomodating the base plate 116 and associated roll assembly.

As shown in FIG. 3, a sealing and protective cover unit 146 is provided for the rolls 110, 16 and 18 of the diffuser tri-roll assembly 112. The cover unit 146 compliments the circular upper peripheral portions of the rolls and is formed with arcuate and semi-circular cutouts in its underside to enclose the rolls and compliment the arcuate nests formed in the upper surface of the base plate 116. The cover unit 146 includes an outer section 1460 which overlies the intake and attenuating rolls 110 and 16 and an inner separate complemental section l46b which overlies the diffuser roll. The outer end of the cover section 146a is provided with a rubber sealing strip 148 which wipes the roll 108 so that the roll 104 and the sealing strip 148 function to seal and prevent the leakage of any air from the plenum air chamber. The cover unit 146 is provided with sealing side walls that cooperate with the base plate to seal off the opposing ends of the tri-roll assembly 112.

As shown more particularly in FIGS. 4 to 7, the rolls 110, 16 and 18 which make up the tri-roll diffuser assembly and constitute in their interaction the mechanical separator 14 for the motes or pills of the formed blanket of cotton linter, are provided with particularly characterized and configured peripheral surfaces so as to effect an abraiding or cross-filing action in separating the seeds from the fiber and breaking open the motes and pills and freeing the engaged or encompassed dirt particles or trash.

The intake roll 110 of the tri-roll assembly 112 is provided with a spirally arranged series of wide spaced rows 115 of rather large triangular teeth 117. The attenuating roll 16 is formed with oppositely spiraled rows 16a of teeth 119 which, as shown in FIG. 7, are

closer together, circumferentially speaking, than the teeth rows on the intake roll 110. The diffuser roll 18 is studded with sharp pointed short straight pins in close alignment and in a reverse spiral row arrangement from the rows of teeth on the attenuating roll 16 with the rows of pins 180 on the diffuser roll 18 being close together.

In one specific but only exemplary and obviously not restrictive arrangement of the teeth surface characteristics of the roll assembly 112, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the teeth 117 on the intake roll 110 are formed in rows 1 15 that are eight to one inch along the axis of the roll, with the rows 16a of teeth on the attenuating roll 16 being eleven to an inch and the rows of short straight pins 18a on the diffuser roll being grouped in twenty eight rows per inch. This arrangement is clearly shown in FIG. 6.

From a circumferential standpoint, the teeth 117 on the intake roll 110 are of deep rotted, sharply accentuated triangular formation and there are five teeth to an inch, whereas the teeth 119 on the attenuating roll 16 are 20 to an inch, circumferentially speaking, and are not as wide or large but have the same root. The short straight pins on the diffuser roll are closely spaced with an arrangement of 20 to an inch. This is clearly shown in FIG. 7.

In order to present a clear understanding of the operation of the apparatus 10 from the standpoint of the diffused streams of fibers and trash and the air stream, a specific arrangement and manner of operatiomhaving regard to the foregoing specific examples of the peripheral tooth or pin characteristics of the tri-roll assembly, will be so explained.

In such specific exemplary arrangement, as shown in FIG. 3 and particularly FIGS. 4 to 7, the diffuser roll 18 is a heavy steel roll measuring 40 inches ,face and I6 inches diameter. It is studded with sharp pointed short straight pins in close perfect alignment counting 560 points per square inch. It is operated at 5,000 RPM so as to present 5,629,120,000 pins per minute to the fiber feed at the plucking edge. The diffuser roll is rotatably nested in the arcuate base nest 122 of the steel base plate 116 having wide stiffening lips on its long edges and extending circually in close proximity from the bottom of the arcuate nest 118 for the attenuating roll 16 to the 225 line of the diffuser roll. The surfaces of the arcuate nest 122 and the arcuate nest 118 are covered in juxtaposition with the rolls with a granular coating, such as the abrasive surface of sandpaper 152 lining the arcuate nest 122 as shown more clearly in FIG. 5, and the granular surface lining for the nest 118. Such roughened surfaces coact in an abraiding action with the cooperating teeth and pins of the rolls 16 and 18 to scrub or abraid attached particles from the linter fibers.

vent static formation but a liner of soft foam rubber or plastic will be provided so as to serve, especially at the ends of the roll 18, as an air sealer in cooperation with the base plate.

Operating at a centrifugal speed of 5,000 RPM, the diffuser roll 18 expels under centrifugal force the fiber linter and the trash at the exit lip 1400 of the scouring base plate 140 at 20,000 ft/min. in the stream directed at 45 or greater, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, with the fiber and trash stream being expelled through the opening 144a by the fluid mechanics functioning of the rotating diffuser roll having a very fast surface speed.

An extension section may be attached to the lip 140a which is positioned at a 275 angle to the diffuser roll, to direct the fiber expulsion at a higher angle if essential for short length linters.

The blanket 98 on the feed apron 12 approaches the intake of the feed roll 110 of the roller assembly 112 at a rate of 50 feet per minute at a weight of 3 grs. per sq. in. The intake feed roll 110, which is 4 inches in diameter, revolves at 1,000 RPM. This reforms the fiber blanket to a thinness of 0.142 gr. per sq. in. at the rate of 1,050 ft./min. The blanket is then drawn by the attenuating roll 16 which is 8 inches in diameter and is running at 2,000 RPM, which equals 4,200 feet per minute of fiber blanket movement. The ratio between these two rolls is 4:] so that, therefore, the blanket is drawn to 0.0354 gr./sq. in. The diffuser roll 18 is l6 inches in diameter and operates at 5,000 RPM which equals 21,000 ft./min. in relation to the fiber blanket. The ratio between rolls 16 and 18 is :1 and draws the blanket down to 0.007 gr./sq. in.

With such exemplary roll characteristics and speeds, the apparatus has been employed for cleaning linter stock of Va inch linter which is about a No. 3 grade. There are 560,000,000 fibers of A: inch length in a pound oflinters or 80,000fibers in one grain of linters or 560 fibers in 0.007 of a grain. This equals one fiber per pin on the diffuser roll 18 at the speed of the diffuser for 10 pounds per minute. The diffuser roll expels at 20,000 feet per minute at 45 or greater a 40 inches wide main fiber sheet or stream through the opening 1440 at a resumed regular single fiber formation and a secondary parallel irregular stream of dirt or trash particles within the throat 144 into a definite designed separating operation in a largely expanded section of the forced air circuit.

The prime air mover 30 is driven to produce an air stream that enters the plenum chamber 22 through opening 84, which in such given example, is a 40 by 7 inches horizontal opening at inch: above the diffuser fiber stream at a high speed of 6,000 feet per minute. The 6,000 feet per minute air stream is a fast moving stream of air that forms a vacuum therebeneath into which the fibers expelled by the diffuser roll at 20,000 feet per minute enter and are caused to rise in the vacuum zone or area to be carried by the air stream and impinge therewith against the lower portion of the inclined diaphragm. The heavy trash or dirt particles enter into the low pressure area under the high speed air stream and do not rise into the high speed air stream because of their weight and shape and, therefore, gravitate downwardly.

As shown in FIG. 3, the heavy trash or dirt particles drop through an outlet opening 150 provided for a collection hopper 152, having a lower transversely extending trough 154 in which a feed screw conveyor 156 is rotatably and air sealingly mounted so as to carry off the heavier trash from the apparatus. Obviously, other collection means may be provided. The opening 150 is delineated at its forward end by the rear edge of a fixed inclined plate 158, which is fixed between the side walls of the housing 40 and is secured at its upper end to a vertical partition plate which separates the hopper 152 from an adjoining hopper 162. The hopper 162 has a lower transversely disposed trough 164 in which a screw conveyor 166 is rotatably and air sealingly disposed to carry off the light trash and linter fines to a suitable treating station, where they may be treated in a solvent processing operation or the like for the recovering of pure cellulose.

The hopper 162 constitutes a declined and increased prolongation of a chute 168, which sealingly underlies the mechanical vibrating perforated diaphragm or plate 20. The chute 168 runs the whole length of the overlying and upwardly spaced diaphragm 20 and, as shown in FIG. 8, is provided at its upper end with a vertical extension plate 170 that terminates in an angular upwardly and outwardly extending sealing and fastening lip 172. A low pressure or light vacuum condition prevails within the chute below the vibrating diaphragm 20 due to the fact that the perforated diaphragm 20 constitutes a bottom wall for the plenum chamber 22 in which the graduated air velocities exist from above the lower end of the diaphragm to above the upper end of the diaphragm. The small perforations throughout the entire area of the diaphragm communicate the interior of the chute with the high pressure air velocities in the top expanse of the chamber 22. Thus, the linter fines and light trash more effectively pass down through the perforations in the diaphragm under gravitation and light vacuum pull into the chute 168 for discharge into the hopper 162.

An inspection door is provided in one of the housing walls 40 in the vicinity of the hoppers 152 and 162 and is hingedly mounted and provided with an inner sealing surface liner.

The diaphragm 20, as shown generally in FIGS. 2, 3 and 8 and more particularly in FIGS. 9 and 9a, comprises a sectional relatively thin steel plate provided at its edges with a supporting or mounting frame and composed of flat, coplanar sections 174 and 176. The section 174 constitutes the lower section and has its lower end 174a provided with the end section 178 of the frame which has side sections 184 that are rested on parallel, laterally spaced apart, longitudinally extending and inclined angle irons 180 and 182 which are mounted in an inclined manner on the insides of the housing side walls 40. The underside of the lower diaphragm plate section 174 is provided with blocks 186 against which eccentric cams 188 operatively bear. The eccentric cams 188 are fixed in a spaced apart and 180 offsetting relation on a driven shaft 190, which is powered in any suitable fashion, so that the eccentrics effect the vibratory and rocking action of the lower plate section 174. The plate sections 174 and 176 are hingedly connected at their adjoining and abutting inner ends by means of a conventional strap hinge 192.

The upper end of the upper plate section 176 is provided with a vibrating and rocking mechanism comprising bearing blocks 194 fixed on the underside thereof and angularly offset rotating eccentric cams 196 which operatively engage the blocks. The upper end of the diaphragm plate has a downturned lip 198 which is fitted on the upper cross frame section 200 between the side channels. Thus, there is effective reception and transmittal of the vibratory and rocking actions produced by the eccentric cams throughout the entire length and width of the overall diaphragm 20.

The diaphragm completely overlies the chute 168 and is formed with a series of punched out perforations 202, which are shown more clearly in FIGS. 9 and 9a. As shown in FIG. 9a, the punched out perforations 202 which are provided throughout the entire area of the plates 174 and 176, that constitute the diaphragm 20, are punched upwardly and the upper flat, functioning surfaces 20a of the plates, which are fabricated from thin steel plate stock, are ground and finely polished so that the upper bounding edges 204 of the perforations 202 are finely sharpened, and scrub out'the foreign particles and linter fines from the linter stock as it moves across them. The particles and the fines drop gravitationally through the perforations 202 of the diaphragm, as the diaphragm is rocked and vibrated, with the light trash and linter fines falling into the long chute 168 and gravitating downwardly therein into the collector hopper 162.

As the diaphragm 20 is constantly vibrated and rocked at a high speed by means of the eccentric cams and associated vibrating transmittal members 186 and 194, the short fibers, linter fines and light trash are slightly jarred and bounced in travel up the upper surface 200 of the diaphragm 20. The short fibers eventually arrive at the upper end of the diaphram and pass onto a receiving plate 210, which is fixed on the lip portion 172 and on the angled upper ends 180a of the supporting angle irons and is thus disposed at the upper edge of the upper diaphragm plate section 176. Thus, the short fibers arrive at and are accumulated by the collector or accumulator and condenser unit 26 while the long fibers, which float in the top expanse of the plenum chamber, arrive at and are accumulated by the upper collector or accumulator and condenser unit 24.

As shown in FlGS. 8 and 9, the upper and lower units 24 and 26 are disposed in aligned vertical relationship and are formed in a similar fashion.

With respect specifically to the upper unit 24, the unit includes a fixed pipe 212, which is fixed transversely between side extension plates 214 and 216 of the side walls of the housing 40. The opposite open ends of the pipe project through suitable openings provided in such supporting side plates 214 and 216 and are effectively positioned in vacuum manifolds or headers 218, with a header being provided for each open end of the pipe. The pipe is centrally divided by an air sealing divider plate 220 into two air separate end sections, with the pipe being composed of two sections having their inner ends welded to the opposite sides of the annular plate 222 that has a circumferential section 221 radially projecting from the pipe and constituting an annular divider disc centrally disposed of a perforated drum or shell 222 which is rotatably mounted on the pipe 221. The disc 221 divides therotatable shell into two end sections, as shown in FIG. 9. The perforated shell or drum 222 is rotatably mounted on the pipe 212 by means of annular, centrally apertured, discs 224 fixedly mounted within the ends thereof and rotatably mounted on bushings 226 fixed on the pipe 212 inwardly of the side support plates 214 and 216. In this manner, the perforated shell or drum 222 is mounted for rotation on the fixed pipe 212 with the opposing end sections of the shell being air tightly sealed in an inward manner. Also, the ends of the shell are air tightly sealed with respect to the confronting inner surfaces of the extension plates 214 and 216 of the side walls of the housing 40.

The pipe 212 is formed with arcuate grated air passage sections 228 on opposite sides of the center divider plate 220. The grated sections are composed of longitudinally spaced arcuate ribs and slots along the length of the pipe on opposite sides of the divider plate 220 and facing inwardly toward the plenum chamber 22. The opposite ends of the pipe are in communication through the headers 218 with the vacuum return line 28 of the prime air mover 30. By virtue of the grated sections extending along the length of the pipe on opposite sides of the center divider plate, there is an equal pull or vacuum draft along the entire inwardly facing length of the pipe within the plenum chamber In order that there will be no weak air area at the effective portion of the shell facing in toward the plenum chamber, the circumferential segment of the divider disc 221 at such point will be slightly undercut so that it does not sealingly engage the inner surface of the shell at the vacuum zone area 236. The shell will be' strong enough so that it will not collapse or pull in at this point.

The pipe 212 is formed with a plurality of radially projecting, longitudinally extending baffle wings 230, 232 and 233, as shown more clearly on FIG. 8. The baffle wings are in sweeping and wiping engagement with the inner annular surface of the encompassing perforated shell or drum 222. The baffle wings 230 and 232 are disposed in an angular relationship of less than l with the lower baffle wing 230 extending downwardly and inwardly from the shell and the baffle wing 232 extending perpendicularly upwardly from the shell. The baffle wings 230 and 232 delimit the upper and lower effective area of the vacuum zone 236 on both sides of the divider disc 221.

'Tha baffle wing 230 has the outer face of its outer edge provided with a sealing strip element 230a that extends the full length of the wing and seals off the lower end of the circumferential vacuum zone 236 on' both sides of the divider disc 23]. The baffle wing 232 is perforated so as to permit some vacuum air currents to pass therethrough so as to establish with the baffle wing I 233 a weak vacuum zone 236a which is provided to cause the fibers to cling to the drum as the fibers are carried under an initial forming m ans 282, as will be described. The baffle wing 233 extends rearwardly and outwardly from the drum and is provided at its outer edge along the outer face thereof with a sealing strip element 233a.

The shell or drum 222 is separated at its lower inner segmental portion from an underlying and similar rotary perforated shell 238 of the lower collector and condenser unit 26 by means of an arcuate fixed baffle plate 240 that encompasses the upper portion of the lower perforated shell 238 and also serves as an initial forming means therewith. A small sealing roller 242 is provided for the shells and is positioned therebetween and rollingly bears on the upper shell and on the outer surface of the arcuate baffle plate 240. The baffle plate 240 has a leading edge 244 at which point a transverse roller 246 is provided. The roller 246 is provided to direct the short fibers adhering to the outer surface of the lower rotating perforated shell 238 into the forming throat 248 where the fibers sweep under the baffle 240 and are preliminarily formed into a mat or a blanket, the baffle plate 240 serving as a preliminary mat forming means.

The lower unit 26 includes a pipe 250, which is similar to the pipe 212 and is identically mounted so that it has its opposing open ends within the vacuum headers or manifolds 218 and the perforated shell or drum 238 rotates around the fixed pipe 250 in the same manner that the shell 222 rotates around the upper pipe 212. The lower pipe 250 is provided with diametrically opposing, radially projecting and longitudinally extending baffle wings 254 and 256, with the pipe 250 having grated portions 258 opening into the entire frontal semi-circular or 180 vacuum area 260 underlying the rotating perforated shell on opposite sides of the center divider plate 252 for the pipe 250 and the center divider disc 253 for the shell 238. The assembly of the shell 238 and the pipe 250 and the plate 252 and disc 253 are identical to their counterpart arrangements as afore-described in connection with the upper unit 24.

It can be seen, from consideration of FIG. 8, that the arrangement of the baffle wings 254 and 256 on the lower pipe 250 is different than the arrangement of the baffle wings 230 and 232 on the upper pipe 212. In this regard, the baffle wing 230 is disposed out of alignment with the baffle wing 232 and at the particular angle in relation thereto so that the vacuum area 236 of the upper unit is delimited at its lower extent whereby the upper fibers will not have any tendency to commingle with the short fibers coming up from the diaphragm and being attracted by the vacuum conditions in the lower unit. In addition, the arcuate baffle plate 240 will function to prevent the long fibers from gaining any adherence to the rotating lower perforated shell 238. Therefore, the effective vacuum area for the upper unit is restricted to the top expanse of the plenum chamber, whereby only the long fibers will accumulate on the upper shell 222.

In this fashion, the two units function as classifiers in that the segregation between the short fibers on the diaphragm and the floating long fibers in the top expanse of the plenum chamber 22 is maintained.

The baffle wing 254 of the lower unit is perforated and defines with a rearwardly directed baffle wing 255 a weak vacuum zone 260a underlying the baffle plate 240 so that fibers on the rotating shell 238 will cling thereto under the weak vacuum conditions and will not tend to clog up in the area under the initial forming baffle plate 240. The baffle wings 255 and 256 are provided on the outer faces of their outer edges with sealing strip elements 255a and 2560.

The finely perforated shells or drums 222 and 238 are provided at adjoining ends with large gears 262 and 264. The gear 264 on the lower shell is engaged by a drive gear 266, which is rotated through a drive transmission means 268 from a motor 270, as shown in FIG. 2. The motor 270 is mounted on a platform 272 which is supported at the rear end standards and access to which is obtained by means of a fixed ladder 274.

An idler gear 276 is intermeshed between the gears 262 and 264 so that the drive to the lower shell serves to rotate the upper shell in the same direction, with the shells moving in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 8.

The shell 222 of the upper unit is provided at its upper portion with a transversely disposed overlying roller 278 positioned in the curved arcuate inner end 280 of an arcuate forming plate 282 that encompasses the uppermost circumferential portion of the upper shell 222.

The long fibers, which float in the top expanse of the plenum chamber 22, are drawn to the inwardly facing outer surface of the finely perforated revolving upper shell 222 in the vacuum area or zone 236 between the rollers 242 and 278. As the long fibers accumulate on the surface and are held adheringly thereon by the vacuum in the area 236 from the interior of the pipe 212, the fibers are carried under the initial forming roll 278 into the arcuate forming plate 282, above the weak vacuum area 2360, where they are initially packed and then they are brought in such initially packed or matted form through the condenser rollers 284 and 286 which are disposed at the outlet of the forming plate 282, as shown in FIG. 8. The condenser rollers are powered by a motor 288 through a drive transmission means 290, as shown in FIG. 2 and give a final compression to the mat. The issuing mat or blanket 292, composed entirely of long fibers, is fed onto and received by the upper reach of an endless belt 294 which is driven by means of the drive means 290 and carries the blanket or mat 292 from the apparatus for any desired subsequent handling and treatment thereof.

The short fibers, which have been moved up the incline of the perforated diaphragm 20, under the rocking and vibrating action imparted to the diaphragm, arrive at the receiving plate 210 and immediately become drawn by the vacuum in the vacuum area 260 into adherence with the finely perforated shell 238. The short fibers are carried by the rotating shell 238 under the initial forming roller 246 and into the throat 248 and under the forming plate 240, above the weak vacuum zone 260a, where they are initially matted together and then are caught between the nips of the condenser rolls 296 and 298, with the condenser rolls compressing the short fibers into a short fiber mat or blanket 300 that is carried away be an endless belt 302. The belt 302 is driven by the same drive means 290 that operates the belt 294.

It can thus be appreciated that the fiber collector or accumulator and condenser units 24 and 26 are very similar in construction and operation but operate in complete segregated fashion with the upper unit 24 only accumulating or collecting and condensing the long fibers and discharging the long fibers in the form of a long fiber mat or blanket and the lower unit 26 only accumulating or collecting the short fibers from the diaphragm 20 and matting or compressing the short fibers and condensing them into a short fiber mat or blanket.

The end vacuum headers 218 for the pipes 212 and 250 of the upper and lower units 24 and 26 are connected by branch conduit lines 304 and 306, as shown in FIG. 10, to a main vacuum return line 308 in which a retention means or collection means 310 is operatively mounted for the purpose of arresting the fines which will be drawn through the small perforations in the perforated shells 222 and 238 and through the grated portions of the pipes 212 and 250 into the interiors of the end portions of the vacuum pipes and from there into the end headers 218 and down into the branch connecting lines 306 and 304 through the vacuum return conduit 308 from the prime air mover 30. The fines are arrested by a retention means 310 and are preferably recovered by being formed into sheeted cellulose fines by a continuous filter means 312, which is shown particularly in FIG. 11.

The retention means 310 comprises a housing 314 having a fixed upper wall 316 that has an opening to receive the vacuum conduit 308 and having a fixed bottom wall 318 provided with an opening in communication with the continuation section 320 of the vacuum return line. The housing is provided with fixed opposing side walls and a rear wall 322 and is formed with a front closure wall 324 that is hinged, as at 325, so that it can be opened upwardly from the housing 314.

At its upper end the rear wall 322 is formed with an arcuate or semi-circular protrusion section 326 that defines a housing for a supply roll 328 of finely meshed screen material of any known synthetic or textile composition, for example, cheese cloth or nylon gauze. The roll 328 is rotatably journaled on a supporting spindle 330 and the mesh sheeting 332 is disposed diagonally vertically downwardly across the interior of the housing from the upper end of the rear wall to the lower end of the front wall or door at the bottom edge thereof. At this point, the sheet extends through sealing strips 336 provided on the housing and the door, so that the sheet, as shown in FIG. 11, extends outwardly from the housing with the door closed and the sealing means 336 functioning to prevent any air leakage.

The lower outer end edge of the door 324 is formed with a transversely provided annular housing 334 that rotatably accomodates a take-up reel 335 on which the sheeting 332 is wound. The take-up reel is driven in any suitable manner so as to automatically remove a filled section of the sheeting from the housing and pull off a clean section from the supply roll 328. The supply roll 328 can be replaced with a new one when it is used up and the fine filled sections rolled up on the take-up reel 335 can be subjected to a cleaning action so as to remove the collectcd cellulose fines therefrom. The operation of the take-up reel can be automatically controlled by a sensing means in the housing 314 that actuates a drive motor for the reel.

As an alternative, the housing 322, shown in FIG. 12, may be provided with a movable filter plate or screen 338 which is fixed between suitably holders 340 at the upper end of the back wall and the lower end of the hinged front wall or door so as to extend diagonally across the path of the air current. In using the filter 338, it is only necessary to remove a filled filter and replace it with a new one.

In either event, the purpose of collecting the fines is to form sheeted cellulose fines which can be removed by filtering means, such as that of FIG. 11 or FIG. 12, and treated in known manner for obtaining substances, such as nitrates, acetates. and the like.

The vacuum return line adjacent the terminal duct or conduit section 342 in advance of the intake of the fan 30 is provided with a water jacket 344 for the purpose of extracting heat from the closed air circuit. The water jacket is provided, in known manner, with inlets and outlets for cooling water or other liquid, whereby the closed air circuit has a heat extracting section in advance of the return of the air to the prime air mover 30 for recirculation into the sealed plenum chamber 22.

Attention is now directed to FIGS. 13 and 14 wherein the precleaner and conditioner means 102 is illustrated. Such means is used for breaking up and precleaning cottom clumps from baled cotton linter stock.

means 102 is utilized in advance of the feed apron l2.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the precleaner and I conditioner apparatus 102 for the clumps from opened bales, comprises a supporting frame 346 which is provided with track engaging wheels 348 that are adapted to roll on guide tracks 350 for the purpose of enabling the apparatus 102 to be moved longitudinally in relation to the apparatus 10, the intake portion of which is diagrammatically shown in FIG. 13. A large hopper 352 is supported by the framework and has a rearwardly extending intake portion 354 into which linter stock in clumps from opened oil mill market bales is deposited. As the clumps of linter stock enter the intake portion 354, they are immediately treated by a chopper or picker means 356 which is oriented along the downwardly and forwardly inclined bottom wall 358 of the hopper.

The bottom wall 358 is perforated and is mounted for vibrating and rocking movement so as to agitate the incoming clumps of linter stock from the opened bales and so as to cause the separation of heavy dirt particles from the stock with the dirt particles falling through the perforations in the bottom wall into an underlying collection receptacle 359. The bottom wall is provided with a transversely underlying impact bar 366 against which eccentric cams 368 operatively engage. The cams are carried by a rotating shaft 370 and cause the bottom wall 358 to swing upwardly and downwardly about its lower pivoted end. The upper end of the base plate is adapted to rest on a stop bar 372 which delimits the downward movement of the bottom wall.

By virtue of the vibrating bottom wall of the hopper, the tightly meshed clumps or bodies 374 of cotton linter from the opened bales are caused to be kept in a state of agitation as they pass through the picker means 356, with the heavy dirt particles falling through the perforations into the collection receptacle 359 so as to be separated from the stock.

The picker means 356 comprises a series of upper and lower pairs of cooperating picker tolls 376 and 378. The picker rolls 376 and 378 are arranged in upper and lower pairs from a point slightly inwardly from the intake throat 354 of the hopper down to the lower end of the bottom wall 258 and are serially arranged in such pairs for the passage of the stock therethrough.

Each of the picker rolls is made up of laterally spaced end discs 380 having annular peripheries 382 on which the ends of cross bars 384 are fixed. The cross bars are spaced in circumferentially spaced arrangement, as shown in H0. 14, and are formed with beveled leading edges 386 from which spaced apart pins 388 project in upper and outward fashion, so that the pins are disposed tangentially to the axis of rotation of each of the rolls.

The lower rolls of the three series of pairs of rolls are rotatably driven in a clock-wise direction, that is, rotating upwardly and away from the bottom wall, by drive transmission means 390, as shown in FIG. 13, that is powered by a drive motor 392. Through a cross shaft 395 driven by a belt and pulley arrangement 397 from the motor 392, the upper chopper rolls are driven at a faster surface speed by a similar drive belt and pulley arrangement means 399, as shown in Example 314. Consequently, the bottom chopper rollers are rotated in a counterclockwise direction, while the upper chopper rollers of each of the series are rotated in the same direction. With the upper and lower picker rolls of each pair in the series rotating in the same direction, as indicated by arrows in FIG. 14, the pins 388 of the upper and lower roll of each pair pass each other in a relative pulling or tearing action on the clumps of linter stock forced through the upper and lower picker rolls of each pair so that the clumps are thoroughly pulled apart or chopped up, such action being aided by the stock agitating action of the vibrating bottom wall 358.

The linter stock 374 is caused to pass through the first pair of cooperating picker rolls and then through the second pair and finally through the third or innermost pair, with the innermost pair of rolls having their shafts aligned in a perpendicular plane. An endless lift apron 394 is provided and is disposed substantially vertical in confronting relation to the innermost pair of picker rolls. The outer surface of the apron is provided with a series of cross slate 402 that are formed with beveled leading edges 404 from which pins 406 outwardly project. The inner surface of the apron 394 is provided with teeth 396 that mesh with upper and lower sprockets 398 and 400.

The lift apron 394 extends upwardly at a slightly forwardly inclined angle from an underlying light trash and linter fine collection receptacle or basket 408. A baffle plate 410 is provided to close off the juncture space between the pivoted end of the vibrating bottom wall and the lower end of the rearward reach portion 412 of the lift conveyor. The baffle plate 410 is angularly related to the lower end of the bottom wall and causes light dirt particles and linter fines to fall into the collection receptacle 408. The inner pair of rolls, particularly, function as combing rolls so that only open stock gets by them for reception by the pins 406 on the lift apron.

The lift apron lifts the opened and combed stock in the form of a blanket up past a rotatably mounted spiked roll 416. The spiked roll 416 is mounted for rotation in a confronting relation to the upper end of the rearwardly facing reach 412 of the lift apron and the spikes 418 carried thereby are adapted, as the roller is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction through a drive means 419 from the cross shaft 395 to knock accidentally picked up lumps off the blanket 414 as it passes thereagainst with the lumps falling back into the picker and combing rolls. The spiked roll 416 rotates in an opposite downwardly directed rotary movement relative to the upwardly moving blanket. The roll 416 at the upper end of the rearwardly facing reach 412 of the lift apron cooperates with the vertically orientated inner pair of picker and combing rolls at the lower end of the rearwardly facing reach 412 to comb the blanket and ensure that only untangled pills or motes pass over the upper end of the apron and prevent clumps of pills from being discharged by the lift apron. The blanket is carried around the upper end of the lift apron 394 and is deposited as separated pills or motes 420a into a front outlet hopper 420.

As the blanket approaches the upper end 421 of the downwardly inclined rear wall 423 of the outlet hopper 420 it passes under a wipe-off roll 422. The wipe-off roll 422 is rotatably joumaled on a shaft 424 which is rotated through a drive take-ofi pulley and belt means 426 from the spiked roll 416. The wipe-ofi roll carries a plurality of circumferentially spaced rubber blades 428 which are mounted between end plates 430.

The wipe-off roll sweeps and clears the pills or motes off the pins 406 of the apron to permit the dislodged pills or motes to gravitate into the outlet hopper 420 which has fixed opposing side walls and a front perpendicular swinging wall 425 that is hinged at its upper end and provided with weights 427 on its outer face at its lower end. The weights retain the wall in a perpendicular plane in fixed relation to the inclined rear wall 423 of the outlet hopper with the wall being hinged so as to be swung upwardly and opened as an inspection door. The rear and front walls 423 and 427 of the hopper define an outlet 429 at their lower converging ends. A pair of cooperating compression rolls 432 and 434 are rotatably and cooperatively positioned below the outlet 429 which is disposed between the nips of the rolls. The stock is pulled or expressed out from the outlet hopper or chute 420 by the compression rolls 432 and 434.

Linter fines produced by the action of the roll 416 on the blanket are captured by air currents, depicted by the arrows in FIG. 13, which are produced by a fan 436 mounted in a housing 438-that is situated in an upper and rearward enclosure 440 of the hopper. The enclosure is provided with a restricted rearward inlet opening 442 that is constituted by the outwardly and downwardly inclined upper rear wall 444 of the hopper and an upwardly inclined extensive lip portion 446 on a baffle plate 448 that is disposed transversely within the hopper in a position underlying the fan housing, as shown in FIG. 13. The fan draws the linter fines into a vertical collection stack or box 450 situated above the conveyor means 412 and provided with filtering means 452 in advance of the screened outlet 454 on the upper end thereof.

It is felt that the entire operation of the complete apparatus and the disclosed method are abundantly clear in view of the foregoing detailed description and the general description of FIG. 1. Therefore. a detailed description of the operation is believed unnecessary. However, while the Abstract, Summary and Description of the Preferred Embodiment clearly disclose one form of apparatus and one manner of practicing the process of this invention, it is to be understood that the invention is only limited in accordance with the spirit and terms of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. A method for extracting cotton fibers from an aggregate material composed of said fibers intermeshed with trash comprising the steps of:

injecting a stream of said aggregate material into a sealed plenum chamber at a first high velocity;

directing said stream to impinge at an angle of inclination an upwardly inclined planar material conveyer means disposed within said plenum chamber thereby to deposit uponsaid conveyer means portions of said aggregate material to be upwardly conveyed thereupon along said incline;

Claims (54)

1. A method for extracting cotton fibers from an aggregate material composed of said fibers intermeshed with trash comprising the steps of: injecting a stream of said aggregate material into a sealed plenum chamber at a first high velocity; directing said stream to impinge at an angle of inclination an upwardly inclined planar material conveyer means disposed within said plenum chamber thereby to deposit upon said conveyer means portions of said aggregate material to be upwardly conveyed thereupon along said incline; injecting into said pleNum chamber a stream of air at a second high velocity which is lower than said first velocity; directing said air stream along a path proximately above said aggregate material stream and in the same general direction as said material stream to impinge at an angle of inclination said conveyer means thereby to cause a portion of said fibers from within said aggregate material stream to be entrained in said air stream; retaining on said conveyor residual portions of said aggregate material not entrained in said air controlling the injecting of said air stream to cause said air stream with entrained fibers to be rebounded off said conveyer means and to flow through said plenum chamber along a path terminating at a predetermined point within said plenum chamber; and removing and collecting at said predetermined point said entrained fibers from within said plenum chamber.

2. has an inlet throat end and an outlet end, and

2. The method of claim 1 including the steps of: conveying upwardly along said inclined conveyer means residual portions of said aggregate material stream not entrained in said air stream; directing said residual portions to a second point in said plenum chamber apart and separated from said predetermined point of termination of said air stream; and removing and collecting at said second point fibers contained in said residual portions.

2. revolves said mixture of air and linter stock through an upwardly concave arc,

2. a short-fiber discharge means that removes said short fiber as said short-Fiber mat from said surface after rotation of said lower drum to the exterior of said plenum chamber; H. a long-fiber collection means, comprising:

2. a long-fiber discharge means that removes said long fibers as said long-fiber mat from said surface after rotation of said upper drum to the exterior of said plenum chamber; and I. a linter-fines collection means that collects said portion of linter fines, conveyed by said air and passed through said perforated upper and lower vacuumized drums, on a filter means as said sheeted cellulose fines.

2. a supporting means for said lower end,

2. a perforated bottom wall inclined downwardly and forwardly from said rear inlet portion, and

2. a feeding means for feeding said cotton linter pills in a blanket form to said roll assembly comprising a moving feed apron, and

2. removing said short fibers as said short-fiber mat from the surface of said vacuumized lower drum after rotation thereof to the exterior of said plenum chamber; and J. collecting and removing said portion of linter fines, conveyed by said air and passing through said perforated vacuumized upper and lower drums from said plenum chamber on a filter means as said sheeted cellulose fines.

2. collecting said long fibers on the interiorly exposed surface of a perforated vacuumized upper drum which is rotatably mounted in an exterior wall of said plenum chamber in the upper portion thereof, and

2. a secondary irregular sheet of heavy trash which moves partially downwardly and outwardly below said fiber sheet toward the near side of said underlying hopper partition; C. slidingly impinging said fiber sheet onto the lower end portion of said vibratory screen along a horizontally disposed line of impingement that is on the far side of said underlying hopper partition; D. directing a sheet of air, linearly moving at about one-third the linear speed of said expelled mixture into said plenum chamber at a slightly smaller angle to the horizontal than said fiber sheet and into convergence with said fiber sheet at said line of impingement, so that said long fibers and a portion of said linter fines bounce upwardly along said line of impingement; E. forming said long-fiber mat by:

3. removing said long fibers as said long-fiber mat from the surface of said upper drum after rotation thereof to the exterior of said plenum chamber; F. upwardly moving said short fibers, said remaining linter fines, and said light trash along said vibratory screen from said line of impingement so that said linter fines and light trash pass through said vibratory screen on the far side of said underlying hopper partition and said short fibers arrive at the top end of said vibratory screen; G. collecting and removing said heavy trash, which has gravitationally moved downwardly on said near side of said hopper partition, from said plenum chamber; H. collecting and removing said remaining linter fines mixed with light trash, which have passed through said vibratory screen on said far side of said underlying hopper partition, from said plenum chamber; I. forming said short-fiber mat by:

3. expels said mixture into said sealed plenum chamber as: a. a fiber sheet, linearly moving at high speed and disposed at a slightly smaller angle to the horizontal than said vibratory screening means, so that said fiber sheet slidingly impinges onto the lower end portion of said perforated diaphragm along a horizontally disposed line of impingement that is on said rear side of said underlying hopper partition, said fiber sheet containing said long fibers, said short fibers, said linter fines, and said light trash, and b. a secondary irregular heavy trash sheet which moves partially downwardly and outwardly below said fiber sheet toward said front side of said underlying hopper partition; D. an air nozzle means, associated with said front intake wall and above said diffuser means, that directs a sheet of air, linearly moving at about one-third the linear speed of said fiber sheet, into said plenum chamber at a slightly smaller angle to the horizontal than said fiber sheet and into convergence with said fiber sheet at said line of impingement, so that said long fibers and a portion of said linter fines bounce upwardly along said line of impingement and are conveyed toward said ceiling by said air contained in said fiber sheet and said air sheet, while said short fibers, the remaining linter fines, and said light trash move upwardly along said perforated diaphragm from said line of impingement so that said linter fines and light trash pass through said perforated diaphragm on said rear side of said underlying hopper partition and said short fibers arrive at said upper end of said perforated diaphragm; E. a heavy-trash outlet means disposed between said front intake wall and said underlying hopper partition into which said heavy trash sheet gravitates; F. a chute collection means for said trash and linter fines that is underlyingly associated with said perforated diaphragm; G. a short-fiber collection means, comprising:

3. a precleaner and conditioner means for depositing a pre-cleaned and formed blanket of said linter pills from usual oil mill market bales onto said feed apron, comprising: a. a main hopper having:

3. an outlet for discharge of said pills, b. a series of picker rolls arranged in said hopper above said bottom wall and through which the unbaled stock passes in clumps, so as to be broken up, c. a vibratory means associated with said bottom wall for agitating and vibrating said clumps during passage through said picker rolls and for causing heavy dirt particles to fall through the perforations of said perforated bottom wall, d. a lift apron means for receiving said stock as opened and combed stock from said picker rolls, e. a collection means disposed at the lower end of said perforated bottom wall and below said lift apron means for collecting light trash and linter fines, f. an adjacent collection means for heavy dirt particles underlying said bottom wall, and g. a compression means disposed adjacent said outlet for compressing said pills into a blanket form that is deposited onto said feed apron; D. an air nozzle means associated with said front intake end for projecting a high speed air stream into said chamber above said diffused fiber and heavy trash sheets, creating a low pressure area above said fiber and heavy trash sheets with said fibers rising into said air stream; E. a trash outlet means disposed between said front intake end and lower end of said vibratory screening means into which said heavy trash sheet gravitates as it enters said low pressure area under said high speed air stream, said air stream carrying said fiber stream and impinging therewith on said vibratory screening means with longer fibers in the fiber stream rising with the bounce of the air stream off said vibratory screening means into the top expanse of the plenum chamber adjacent the ceiling; F. an eccentric means for vibrating and rocking said vibratory screening means having shorter fibers, light trash and linter fines on its upper surface so that the trash and linter fines are sifted through said vibratory screening means; G. a collection means for said trash and linter fines underlyingly associated with said vibratory screening means; and H. a fiber collector means which is operatively positioned adjacent the upper end of said vibratory screening means and the adjoining portion of said celing for collecting said fibers and discharging them from said chamber in the form of mats.

3. a vibrating and rocking mechanism which imparts vibratory and rocking action to said perforated diaphragm, and

3. is spaced radially outwardly from the underlying portions of the associated drum, said lower drum being additionally shielded by said arcuate forming plate means over the upper interior quadrant thereof; B. an initial compressing roller operatively disposed at said inlet throat end for compressing the fibers on the drum into a fiber mat as the fibers are carried by the rotating drum into said throat end and under said forming plate means, and C. a cooperating pair of compression rollers disposed at said outlet end of said forming plate means for receiving said fiber mat between the nip thereof and imparting a final compression thereto.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said second velocity at which said air stream is injected is one-third said first velocity at which said aggregate material stream is injected.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said first velocity at which said aggregate material stream is injected is about 20, 000 feet per minute and wherein second velocity at which said air stream is injected is about 6,000 feet per minute.

4. an underlying hopper partition which is attached to said supporting means and separates a heavy trash collection hopper on the front side thereof from a chute means for collecting said linter fines mixed with light trash on the rear side thereof: C. a toothed diffuser means, rotatably mounted in said front wall at a lower elevation than said lower end of said diaphragm, that:

5. The method of classifying a linter stock which has been mechanically separated into long fibers, short fibers, linter fines, light trash, and heavy trash, into a long-fiber mat, a short-fiber mat, sheeted cellulose fines, linter fines mixed with light trash, and heavy trash, by the following steps: A. revolving a mixture of air and said linter stock through an upwardly concave arc; B. expelling said mixture into a sealed plenum chamber at a high linear speed as:

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the ceiling of said plenum chamber is adjusted as to height, in relation to the position of said vibratory screen, in dependence upon the percentage of long fibers in said linter stock, said ceiling being raised so as to provide a higher and longer air space for achieving a greater carrying capacity if said percentage is greater.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said fiber sheet is expelled at a linear speed of about 20,000 feet per minute.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said upwardly concave arc, through which said mixture of air and linter stock is revolved, has about an 8-inch radius.

9. Apparatus for extracting cotton fibers from an aggregate material composed of said fibers intermeshed with trash comprising: a sealed plenum chamber; an upwardly inclined planar material conveyer means disposed within said chamber and having means convey material deposited thereon upwardly along said incline; means for injecting said aggregate material into said plenum chamber at a first high velocity in a stream directed to impinge said conveyer means at an angle of inclination thereto whereby portions of said material may be deposited upon said conveyer means and conveyed thereby upwardly along said incline; nozzle means for injecting a stream of air at a second high velocity, which is lower than said first velocity into said plenum chamber in a direction proximately above said aggregate material stream to impinge said conveyer means at an angle of inclination thereto; collecting means for removing a portion of said fibers from within said plenum chamber; and means for controlling and directing said air stream to effect entrainment therein from said aggregate material stream of a portion of said fibers, with said air stream and entrained fibers being rebounded off said conveyer means into a path through said plenum chamber terminating at said collecting means, said conveyor means being constructed and arranged to retain thereupon residual portions of said aggregate material not entrained in the airstream.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said aggregate material injecting means and said nozzle means are constructed and arranged to direct said material stream and said air stream, respectively, to impinge said conveyer means along generally coincident areas of impingement.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said areas of impingement of said materiAl stream and of said air stream extend in a generally coincident linear configuration across said conveyer means.

12. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said conveyer means are constructed to convey said residual portions upon said conveyer means upwardly along said incline, and wherein said collector means comprise a first and a second fiber collection device, said first fiber collection device being located at the termination of said air stream and being operative to collect and remove from said plenum chamber said fibers entrained in said air stream, said second fiber collection device being located apart from said first device and separated therefrom and from the termination of said air stream, said second device being operative to collect and remove from said plenum chamber fibers contained in said residual portion of said aggregate material being conveyed upon said conveyer means.

13. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said planar conveyer means is disposed at an angle within the range of between 45* and 75* from the horizontal.

14. An apparatus for extracting and refining cotton fibers from cotton linter pills that result from the processing of cotton seed at an oil mill and are composed of intermeshed fibers intimately commingled with trash, comprising: A. a sealed plenum chamber having a front intake end, a rear end, and a ceiling; B. a vibratory screening means disposed in said chamber and inclined upwardly therein from said front intake end to said rear end; C. a separatory means operatively disposed at said front intake end for mechanically opening said cotton linter pills and disentangling said fibers from said trash, comprising:

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said vibratory means in said precleaner means includes means mounting the bottom wall at its inner inclined end for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, said bottom wall having a free upper outer end, rest means supporting said upper end and delimiting downward swinging movement thereof below the sides of the hopper and a mechanical vibrator operatively engaging the underside of the bottom wall adjacent its upper free end.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said lift apron means is substantially vertically orientated in said main hopper at the forward end thereof and disposed substantially normal to the picker rolls at the outlet section thereof, said apron means having a rearward facing vertical operating reach facing the outlet section of the picker rolls and receiving the stock therefrom, said apron means having means causing the stock in linter form to adhere thereto, said apron means having a forward vertical operating reach, an outlet hopper means through which the forward reach travels, means operatively mounted on the outlet hopper means for removing the linter stock from the apron means and causing it to pile up in the outlet hopper means and said compression means including cooperating rollers spaced apart at the lower discharge end of the outlet hopper means.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein: A. a spiked roller is operatively disposed adjacent the upper end of said rearward facing reach, is rotatably mounted in relation to the reach and rotates in an opposite direction to the upward movement of such reach for knocking off lumps protruding from the outer face of the blanket and for causing linter fines to be separated from the blanket, B. an air vacuum means is disposed rearwardly thereof above the main hopper for producing suction air currents, and C. a vertical stack is mounted above the air vacuum means at the outlet thereof for receiving the linter fines.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said roll assembly includes cooperating compression and air sealing rolls engaging the outlet end of the feed apron and receiving the blanket of pills therefrom and including an intake roll rotatably mounted immediately behind such rolls, an attenuating roll rotatably mounted immediately behind the intake roll, and a diffuser roll, which constitutes the diffuser means, rotatably mounted immediately behind the attenuating roll, said intake roll, attenuating roll, and diffuser roll having toothed surfaces.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein a supporting base plate is provided for the intake, attentuating and diffuser rolls, said base plate having an upper surface formed with adjoining arcuate nesting sections for receiving the lower circumferential portions of the rolls, said sections having finely machined meeting edges and said sections having inner surfaces provided with abrasive liner means for cooperation with the peripheral toothed surfaces of the rolls.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein a cover means is provided for Said rolls, said cover means having arcuate inner surfaces encompassing the upper peripheral portions of the rolls and having sealing means for sealing the rolls against leakage of air from the plenum chamber through the rolls.

21. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said means for opening the linter pills and disentangling the fibers from the trash cooperatively includes a cooperating tri-roll assembly arranged transversely in advance of the front end of the plenum chamber and composed of parallel, serially arranged intake, attentuating and diffuser rolls, horizontally disposed base means supporting said rolls for rotation with the rolls being substantially horizontally disposed and having their axes of rotation lying substantially in the same horizontal plane, drive means for rotating the rolls in the same direction of rotation, means for feeding the linter pills in a blanket form to the intake roll of the assembly, and means for communicating the innermost diffuser roll with the plenum chamber so that fibers and trash are expelled centrifugally therefrom into the plenum chamber, said attenuating roll being operatively disposed intermediate the intake and the diffuser rolls.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said base is provided with an upper surface composed of serially arranged, parallel, first, second and third arcuate sections for accommodating the lower peripheral portions of the rolls, said intake roll having a peripheral surface provided with rather widely spaced apart spiraled rows of substantially prominent teeth and said intake roll being nested in the first arcuate section of the base, said first arcuate section having a leading edge that butts up to the receiving edge of the second arcuate section approximately at the 180* line of the intake roll, said attenuating roll being nested in the second arcuate section and having a peripheral surface provided with spaced spiraled rows of teeth, said rows on the attenuating roll being spiraled in the opposite direction from the rows on the intake roll and being closer together than the rows on the intake roll, said second arcuate section having a sharp granular inner surface juxtaposed to the teeth on the attenuating roll and serving to restrain the linter pills for opening action by the teeth of the attentuating roll, said second arcuate section having a leading edge that is sharp and reaches into an approaching but not meeting line between the attenuating roll and the diffuser roll, said diffuser roll having spiraled closely spaced rows of straight pointed pins with the rows being spiraled in an opposite direction from the rows of teeth on the attenuating roll whereby a cross-filing action on the pills occurs between the rolls of the assembly, said third arcuate section nestingly receiving the diffuser roll and having an abrasive inner surface in juxtaposition to the pins on the diffuser roll so as to cooperate therewith in abrading attached particles from the fibers.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said rolls are provided with a covering means having air sealing means and static prevention means.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said intake roll, attenuating roll and diffuser roll are of equal lengths with the diameters of the diffuser roll and the attenuating roll being progressively larger than the diameter of the intake roll, the ratio between the attenuating roll and the intake roll being on the order of 4:1 and the ratio between the diffuser roll and the attenuating roll being on the order of 5:1.

25. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said plenum chamber is provided at the lower portion of the front end thereof with an opening, said opening being defined by angularly related throat forming plates that are in divergent relation relative to the opening with the diffuser roll having a portion of its innermost periphery in communication with the opening, said plates including an upper and a lower plate with the lower plate having an upper scouring edge in wiping relation to The rotating diffuser roll.

26. An apparatus for classifying a mechanically separated cotton linter stock into a long-fiber mat, a short-fiber mat, sheeted cellulose fines, linter fines mixed with light trash, and heavy trash, comprising: A. a sealed plenum chamber having a front intake wall, a rear outlet wall, and a ceiling; B. a vibratory screening means, disposed upwardly at 45* - 75* from the horizontal in said chamber from said front intake wall to said rear outlet wall, comprising:

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said diffuser means comprises a diffuser roll which is the terminal roll of a tri-roll diffuser assembly in which an attenuating roll delivers to said diffuser roll and an intake roll delivers to said attenuating roll, all of said rolls being parallel and rotating in the same direction, said attenuating roll and said diffuser roll being separated by a finely machined sharp edge which approaches but does not reach a meeting line therebetween.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein said plenum chamber is provided at the lower portion of the front end thereof with an opening in said front intake wall, said opening being defined by angularly related throat forming plates that are in divergent relation relative to the opening with the diffuser roll having a portion of its innermost periphery in communication with said opening, said plates including an upper and a lower plate with the lower plate having an upper scouring edge in wiping relation to the rotating diffuser roll.

29. The apparatus of claim 27 wherein said tri-roll assembly comprises a base having a semi-cylindrical nest sections underlying and closely fitting the peripheries of said rolls, said nest sections beneath said diffuser roll and said attenuating roll having sharp granular surfaces, whereby said tri-roll assembly functions as an abrading and attenuating roll assembly which mechanically opens cotton linter pills, resulting from the processing of cotton seed at an oil mill and consisting of intermeshed fibers, linter fines, and trash, that are fed as a blanket of linter stock to said intake roll.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein said linter stock, admixed with air, is revolved by said intake roll at a rate of 1,050 feet per minute, by said attenuating roll at 4,200 feet per minute, and by said diffuser roll at 21,000 feet per minute.

31. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said perforated diaphragm is a ground surface steel plate having a multiplicity of upwardly punched out portions therein defining and forming the perforations, said plate having an upper working surface which is finely ground so that the upper bounding edges of the perforations are very sharp so as to intercept and scrub the light trash and linter fines moving upwardly from said line of impingement.

32. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said chute collection means includes an inclined chute which is disposed parallel with, spaced below, and sealingly underlying said perforated diaphragm to prevent any air leakage from said plenum chamber.

33. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said short-fiber collection means and said long fiber collection means each further comprises: A. a fixed pipe centrally positioned within said drum; B. means sealingly and rotatably mounting said drum at its ends on the pipe; C. means establishing a vacuum in the pipe, said pipe having a peripheral portion, facing the interior of said plenum chamber, which is provided with an opening for exposing the interior of said drum to the vacuum conditions existing in the pipe and sucking air from said plenum chamber inwardly thRough the perforations of the drum so that fibers are caused to collect on and adhere to the outer surface of the drum; and D. baffle wings radially projecting from the pipes and extending longitudinally thereof within the length of said drum and in sealing contact with the inner surface of the drum, said baffle wings being disposed above and below said opening in the pipe to confine vacuum within said drum to the portion of the drum facing the interior of said plenum chamber.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein said fixed pipe is provided with: A. opposing open ends; B. vacuum headers at said ends which are associated in common; C. a closed air circuit including an outlet conduit means in communication with said air nozzle means at said front intake wall of the plenum chamber; D. a return conduit means in communication with said vacuum headers; E. an internal center divider plate in said pipe; and F. a surrounding center divider disc circumposed on said center divider plate and sealingly engaging the center of the surrounding drum and creating separate vacuum zones in the pipe from the ends and on opposite sides of the divider disc, said pipe having openings in the wall portions thereof on opposite sides of the divider plate and the drum having vacuum zones on opposite sides of the divider disc.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein each of the fiber collection means is provided with: A. an arcuate forming plate means which:

36. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein each drum of each fiber collection means is provided at one end with a driving gear, said gears being on adjoining ends of said upper and lower drum, motor means, a drive transmission means connecting the gear on one drum directly with the motor means, and an idler gear interconnecting the gears on the drums so that both drums are rotated by the motor means in the same direction, said drums rotating in a counter-clockwise direction away from the perforated diaphragm and toward said ceiling of the plenum chamber.

37. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the baffle wings on the pipe of said long-fiber collection means extend therefrom in relation to the upper drum and to said outlet end so that the vacuum zone of said upper drum is of less angular extent than the vacuum zone of said lower drum, the vacuum zone of the upper drum being delimited at its lower extent so that, in cooperation with said arcuate forming plate means over said upper interior quadrant of the lower drum, it does not interfere with the vacuum zone of the lower drum, whereby the long-fiber collection means and short-fiber collection means functions as classifiers.

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