USRE11796E - Thomas j - Google Patents

Description

- tion thereof.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. GRIFFIN, OF GALVE STON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO H. RIEDEL', ED. MCCARTHY, AND N. WEEKES,

OF SAME PLACE, AND WEEKES, MCCARTHY & CO.

COTTON-COM PRESS.

SIECIFICATION forming part of Reissued Letters Patent No. 11,796, dated December 19, 1899.

Original No. 562,180, dated June 16,1896. Application for reissue filed May 18,1898. Serial No. 681,09'7| T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. GRIFFIN, a citizen of the United States,'residing at Galveston, in the county of Galveston and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Cotton-Compress, of which'the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cottoircoin presses and ithas for its object to provide a new and useful roller-compress for making bales of cotton into a cylindrical or roll form, and also having simple and efficient mechanism for continuously forming a bale all the time the compress is in operation, which result has heretofore been impossible in presses of that character employing only one pair of compressing-rolls.

With these and other objects in view,which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a cotton-compress constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a side eleva- Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional View thereof. Fig. 4 is a detail transverse sectionalview on the line4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail elevation, partly in section, of one of the corerods.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

the numeral 1 designates a substantially rectangular press-frame, within which is mounted for rotation a triplet of compressing-rolls,

- said triplet comprising a pair of spaced fixed rotating compressing-rolls 2, which may be termed the positiverolls of the press, and an intermediate movable rotating negative compressing-roll 3, arranged intermediate of the rolls 2 and alternately movable toward and away from each fixed roll 2 in the space between said fixed rolls, as clearly illustrated in the drawings.

The'fixed rotating compressing-rolls 2 are spaced a sufficient distance apart to provide for the movement of the intermediate movable roll 3 and the formation of a complete the press-frame 1.

cylindrical or roll bale, and said fixed rolls 2 have their shaft extremities 4 mounted in suitable bearings 5 in the opposite sides of The shaft extremities 4 of the rolls 2 at one side of-the press-frame have loosely mounted thereon the sprocketwheels 9, provided at one side with clutchhubs 10, normally engaged by the clutch-col lars 11, feathered on the shaft extremities and suitably controlled by levers 12, connected therewith, thereby completing simple and efficient means for stopping the rotation of either of the-rolls 2 when a bale has been completed or for starting the rotation of such roll when the formation of a new bale is commenced, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

Arranged transversely within the frame 1 below the plane of one of the fixed rolls 2 is acounter-shaft 13,carrying at one end a chainwheel 14, which communicates motion to a single endless drive chain 15, which also passes overboth sprocket-wheels 9, and thereby provides means for communicating motion to each of the rolls 2 when the clutch connections for said sprocket-wheels are in engagement. At the end opposite the chain-wheel 14: the counter-shaft 13 carries a spur-wheel 17, meshing with a gear-pinion 18 therebelow and mounted on one end of the drive-shaft 19.

opposite sides of the press-frame 1,'and one of said shafts extremities 21 has mounted noted at this point that all three compressing-rolls have a rotation in the same direction and at the same peripheral rate of speed. Both of the shaft extremities 21 of the roll 3, which project beyond the opposite sides of the frame 1, loosely turn in the bearing-cot lars 24 at the outer extremities of the connecting-rods 25, arranged at opposite sides of the press-frame and connected with the reciprocating piston-rods 26, which rods slide through the stutfing-boxes 27 at one end of the pressure-cylinders 28 and carry at their inner ends within such pressure-cylinders the pistons 29.

The pressure-cylinders 28 are designed to be filled with water, oil, or other fluid to resist the tendency of the movable roll to jump away from the bale during its growth, and said cylinders are preferably mounted on the press-frame at one end thereof and respectively at opposite sides. Each pressure-cylinder supports on the upper side thereof a valve-chest 30, communicating with opposite ends of the cylinder and having working therein the opposite valve-plugs 3l, which control the passage of the fluid to and from the opposite ends of the cylinders in the same manner as fully set forth in my Patent No. 558,171. The opposite valve-plugs 31 within the valve-chest of each pressure-cylinder are provided with upwardly-extending stems 32, having a connection, respectively, with opposite portions of the oscillating valvelever 33, pivotally supported at a point he tween its ends, as at 34, above the valvechest, and it will also be noted that the oscillating valve-lever and its connections with the valve-plugs and the operation in conjunction therewith is similar to that described in the patent above referred to. In addition to these features the present invention contemplates for use in connection with each oscillating valve-lever 33 a pair of sliding weights 35 and 36, respectively, carried at the outer ends of the long and short adjustingbars 37 and 33, pivotally connected at their other ends, as at 39, to an uprightarm 40, carried by the connecting-rod'25, it being of course noted that each connecting-rod carries one of the arms 40 for controlling the sliding weights for the valve mechanism of the adjacent pressure-cylinder.

The sliding weights 35 and 36 for each oscillating valve-lever 33 are adapted to loosely embrace the upper side of said lever and have a sliding movement thereon at one side of its fulcrum or pivotal support.

The sliding weight 35, carried by the long adjusting-bar 37, has a movement on the outer portion of the lever at one side of its fulcrum, while the other weight 36 has a movement on the inner portion of the valvelever at the opposite side of its fulcrum or pivotal point; but it is to be observed that each of the said weights is employed in conjunction with only one of the positive fixed compressing-rolls 2, so therefore only one of said weights is in engagement with the valvelever at one time. To provide for raising and lowering the weights 35 and 36 to engage and disengage the same with the valvelever, suitably-arranged pull-wires 41 may be connected with each of the adjustingbars 37 and 38, although any other suitable mechanical appliance would answer the same purpose. In conjunction with the oppositely -located pressure cylinders and the valve mechanism thereof is employed a circulating-pipe 42, which connects with the opposite valve-chests 30 to provide for maintaining the same pressure in each cylinder, as will be obvious.

At the inner sides of each of the fixed ro-- tating compressing-rolls 2 the frame 1 is provided in its opposite inner sides with the horizontal core-supporting slots 43, at the inner terminals of which slots are formed the vertically disposed core clearance spaces or grooves 44, which allow the cores of the bales to readily drop from between the rolls at the proper time, and in connection with each pair of oppositely-disposed core-supporting slots 43 is employed a core-rod 45. One of the corerods 45 is designed to be removably and replaceably arranged between each of the fixed rolls 2 and the intermediate movable roll 3. The core-rod 45 is tapered from end to end and is spirally grooved at its large end, as at 46, for a portion of its length, and the opposite ends of the rod are left rounded to form spindle extremities 47, on which extremities are fitted the disk-heads 48, which form guards for the ends of the bale which is formed around the core rod. One of the spindle extremities 47 of the core-rod is partially threaded, as at 49, to removably receive thereon one of said disk-heads 50, in

order that by the removal of said detachable disk-head the core-rod may be readily Withdrawn or unscrewedfrom the completed bale. The core-rods 45 are inserted in place between each of the rolls 2 and the roll 3 by inserting the spindle extremities of such rods through the clearance spaces or grooves 44 into the'slots 43, and it will be observed that when a bale has been completed and the intermediate movable roll 3 relieved therefrom the spindle extremities of the core-rod carrying such bale will freely pass into the core clearance spaces or grooves 44 and allow the completed bale to be dropped from the press.

The bat of cotton is fed to either side of the intermediate movable roll 3 through a swinging feed-spout 50, pivotally swung between apair of supporting-uprights 51 at opposite sides of the frame 1. An adjustingrod 52 is pivotally connected at one end of the feed-spout 50 at a point above its pivot to provide for swinging said feed-spout to an inclined position, so as to dispose its lower end at either side of the intermediate movable roll 3, whereby the cotton delivered into the spout from the condenser will be evenly fed onto the core-rod between one of the fixed rolls 2 roll 3.

In starting the press the parts are so adjusted that the intermediate movable roll 3 is disposed directly adjacent to the inner side of one of the fixed rolls 2, and a core-rod 4:5 is inserted in place between these 'two rolls. As the bat of cotton is fed between the fixed roll and the directly adjacent movable roll the same will be tightly wrapped around the core-rod in the well-known manner and will continue to wrap therearound to form the roll-bale, which constantly increases in size as the movable roll separates away or recedes from the fixed rollin operation, it being noted that the other fixed roll 2 is not in operation at this stage. The accumulation of cotton on the core-rod gradually forces the intermediate movable roll 3 away from the fixed roll; but this movement of the movable roll is resisted with great pressure by the water or other liquid within the adjacent cylinder, so that the movable roll will exert an enormous pressure against the roll-bale being formed and the cotton compressed to the desired density.

During the operation of the press, when the movable roll 3 is working in a direction toward the pressure-cylinders, the sliding weights 35 on the outer portions of the valve-levers 33 are in use and are constantly approaching the outer tip ends of said valve-levers to provide for increasing the resistance offered to the outlet of the liquid from the outer ends of the cylinders in the same manner as set forth in my former patent, No. 558,171, dated April 14:, 1896; but when a bale has been completed between the fixed roll farthest from the cylinders and the movable roll the weights 35 are lifted from the valve-lever 33 and the weights 36 dropped thereon to provide for regulating the pressure as the next bale is being formed between the fixed roll nearest the cylinders and the movable roll, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

The construction herein described provides ample space for the discharge of a finished bale from the press, and when a completed bale has been thus discharged or dropped from the press the removable disk-head 48 of the core-rod within sucli bale is detached, so

and the intermediate movable that the core-rod can be readily withdrawn by unscrewing the spirally-grooved portion 46 and then by a direct pull on the tapered rod.

The present invention involves to some extent the fundamental principles of the inventions disclosed in my other application, Serial No. 575,496, and my aforesaid patent, No. 558,171, so I lay no claim, broadly, in this application to the use of three compressingrolls to provide for a continuous operation of balin g; neither do I lay claim herein, broadly, to the use of a swinging feed-spout to provide for delivering the bat of cotton at either side of the central compressing-roll; nor do I claim herein the broad idea of combined valve and pressure mechanism, which provides means for automatically exerting a graduated pressure on the bale during its formation. The broad idea of the use of three compressing-rolls and a swinging feed-spout to provide for carrying out the continuous operation of the press forms the subject-mat ter of application Serial No. 575,496. While both this application and my aforesaid patent, No. 558,171, disclose combined valve and pressure mechanism involving the use of oppositely-arranged valves within the Valvechest in connection with oscillatory valvelevers and valve-weights sliding thereon to provide for graduating the pressure, what I claim in the present application is the broad idea of using a pair of spaced fixed rotating pressing-rolls in combination with an intermediate movable com pressing-roll alternately movable toward and away from each of said fixed rolls, and also the broad idea of using two sliding weights in connection with a single oscillating valve-lever, each weight having a movement at one side of the pivot or fulcrum of said lever, this improvement being designed for use in connection with the combined valve and pressure mechanism whether this mechanism be employed in a press having a movable compressing-roll or other form of movable member.

To the extent of the improvements specifically referred to it will be understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the'advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a cotton-compress, a pair of spaced fixed rotating compressing-rolls, an intermediate movable rotating compressing-roll work ing between the fixed rolls and alternately movable toward and away from each of said fixed rolls, and core-rods, substantially as set forth.

2. In a cotton-compress, a triplet of com pressing-rolls comprising a pair of spaced fixed rotating com pressing-rolls and an inter mediate movable rotating compressing-roll, pressure mechanism connected with the movable roll, and core-rods, substantially as set forth.

3. In a cotton-compress, a triplet of compressing-rolls comprising a pair of spaced fixed rotating rolls and an intermediate movable roll Working between the fixed rolls,fluidpressure mechanism having piston-rod connections with the shaft extremities of the movable roll, and a core-rod adapted to be supported at each side of the movable roll, substantially as set forth.

4. In a cotton-compress, the frame, a triplet of compressing-rolls comprising a pair of spaced fixed rotating rolls and an intermediate movable roll alternately movable to-- ward and away from each of said fixed rolls, a pair of pressure-cylinders provided with valve mechanism having an oscillating valvecontrolling lever, the pistons working within the cylinders and having rod connections with the shaft extremities of the movable roll, an upright arm carried by the rod connection with each piston, a pair of difierentlength adjusting-bars pivotally connected at one end to each of said upright arms and carrying at their other ends sliding weights respectively adapted to slide on said valve-1evers at opposite sides of its fulcrum or pivotal support, means for raising and lowering each weight, and a core-rod adapted to be supported at the inner side of each fixed roll, substantially as set forth.

5. In a cotton-compress, the pressing mechanism having a movable member, a combined pressure and valve mechanism comprising a pressure-cylinder, a piston having a connec tion with said movable pressing member, a valve-chest having separate fluid-passages communicating with the ends of the cylinder, valves arranged to cover and uncover the separate fluid-passages, a suitably-arranged weight for each of said valves, said weights the valvechest and carrying opp'ositely-lo cated valves workin g Within the chest and designed to cover and uncover the separate fluid-passages, and a pair of automaticallysliding valve-weights arrangedTto work on said valve-lever respectively at opposite sides of its pivot or fulcrum, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS J. GRIFFIN.

WVitnesses:

FRANCES PEYTON SMITH, JOHN H. SIGGERS.