Electric moisture control device for cotton gin
AssigneeFarmers Gin and Grain of Humboldt, Inc.
InventorCleatus Woods, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A moisture spray device is positioned in overlying relation to the link slide and the cotton batt which moves down the slide with photoelectric sensing devices being provided on the lint slide for controlling a valve that supplies water to the spray device thus controlling the discharge of moisture onto the cotton batt in response to the thickness of the cotton batt. Time delay switches are incorporated to prevent the moisture control valve from shutting down in the event of a momentary break in the cotton batt and to allow the lint cotton in the slide to start normal flow after the tramper starts.
Claims7
A moiture control device for lint cotton for restoring moisture lost during the cotton ginning process, said device comprising:
- moisture discharge means positioned in overlying relation to a lint slide and to discharge moisture onto the upper surface of a cotton batt moving along the lint slide,
- sensing means operatively associated with said moisture discharge means and the cotton batt passing along the lint slide to sense the thickness of the cotton batt and control said moisture discharge means in response to the sensed thickness,
- said moisture discharging means including a water spray nozzle connected to a pressure regulated source of water and an electrically controlled valve operatively associated with said sensing means to control water released by said electrically controlled value in response to the sensed thickness of the cotton batt,
- first time delay means associated with said sensing means and said moisture discharge means to prevent cessation of the discharge of water during a predetermined amount of break in the cotton batt moving along the lint slide, and
- second time delay means enabling initial start up of the lint cotton flow along the lint slide when the cotton bale press has been turned, thereby enabling the cotton batt to reach a predetermined flow, as evidenced by the sensed thickness, without starting operation of said moisture discharge means.
The method of restoring moisture to lint cotton during the cotton ginning process including the steps of:
- positioning a water discharge means above a cotton batt passing down an inclined lint slide between a battery condenser and a tramper,
- controlling operation of said water discharge means in response to the vertical thickness of a cotton batt passing down the slide,
- preventing deactivation of said water discharge means during a predetermined amount of break in the cotton batt passing down the slide over a predetermined amount of time, and
- delaying activation of said water discharge means until a predetermined vertical thickness of the cotton batt passing down the slide is detected.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.