Gin process control

A system for controlling the processing of fiber through a fiber processing plant, the plant having a plurality of auxiliary treatment units and ducting for fluidized transport of a fiber flow stream to, through and around said treatment units, said system comprising:

• measuring means for measuring a plurality of physical properties of fiber in said flow stream including fiber length and for translating values representing the physical property measured to corresponding sensor data;
• processing means coupled to said measuring means, said processing means processing said sensor data for selecting an optimum combination of said plurality of auxiliary treatment units to process said fiber flow stream, based at least in part on the sensor data corresponding to fiber length;
• and
• flow stream control means in said ducting respective to at least one of said auxiliary treatment units, operation of said flow stream control means being responsive to said processing means wherein said processing means activates said flow stream control means to divert said fiber flow stream into or from the respective auxiliary treatment unit based upon the optimum combination.

A fiber quality conditioning system comprising:

• a plurality of fiber processing stations, each having respective capacities to modify a physical characteristic of fiber;
• a fluidized transport system for transfer of a fluidized fiber flow stream through, between and from said processing stations, said transport system including flow stream carrier ducting;
• fluidized flow control means for regulating alternative fiber flow paths within said transport system;
• sample gathering means secured to said carrier ducting for consolidating and concentrating a sample quantity of fiber from a fluidized flow stream of fiber within said carrier ducting, said sample gathering means also being operative to present a concentrated fiber sample to sensing means for measuring a plurality of physical characteristics of said fiber sample including a fiber strength characteristic;
• signal generation means responsive to physical characteristics measured by said sensing means for generating signals proportional to values respective to corresponding physical characteristics including the fiber strength characteristic;
• process control means responsive to the signals of said signal generation means for activating said flow control means to direct fiber flow through a predetermined sequence of conditioning stations for modification of the physical characteristics of fiber in said flow stream based at least in part on the fiber strength characteristic.

A fiber quality conditioning system comprising:

• a plurality of fiber processing stations, each having respective capacities to modify a physical characteristic of fiber;
• a fluidized transport system for transfer of a fluidized fiber flow stream through, between and from said processing stations, said transport system including flow stream carrier ducting;
• fluidized flow control means for regulating alternative fiber flow paths within said transport system;
• sample gathering means secured to said carrier ducting for consolidating and concentrating a sample quantity of fiber from a fluidized flow stream of fiber within said carrier ducting, said sample gathering means also being operative to present a concentrated fiber sample to sensing means for measuring a plurality of physical characteristics of said fiber sample including a fiber length characteristic;
• signal generation means responsive to physical characteristics measured by said sensing means for generating signals proportional to values respective to corresponding physical characteristics including the fiber length characteristic;
• process control means responsive to the signals of said signal generation means for activating said flow control means to direct cotton flow through a predetermined sequence of conditioning stations for modification of the physical characteristics of fiber in said flow stream based at least in part on the fiber length characteristic.

A fiber processing system having a fluidized transport system for transfer of a fiber/entrained air flow through said processing system, the improvement comprising:

• means for extracting a test sample of fiber from a fiber entrained air flow within said transport system;
• means for depositing said test sample of fiber in a test chamber;
• and,
• means for determining the micronaire value of said sample.

In combination with a seed cotton drying facility, the improvement comprising:

• first means to extract a first test sample flow from a cotton supply stream into said drying facility,
• second means to extract a second test sample flow from a cotton discharge stream from said drying facility,
• third means for measuring the average fiber length in said first sample flow;
• fourth means for measuring the average fiber length in said second sample flow;
• and,
• fifth means for measuring the average fiber length differential between measurements of the third and fourth means.

In combination with a cotton gin having a fluidized transport system for delivery of an air entrained seed cotton flow stream to said gin and an air entrained lint cotton flow stream from said gin, the improvement comprising:

• first means to extract a first test sample flow stream from said seed cotton flow stream;
• second means to extract a second test sample flow stream from said lint cotton flow stream;
• third means for measuring the fiber length in said first sample flow stream;
• fourth means for measuring the fiber length in said second sample flow stream;
• and,
• fifth means for measuring the fiber length differential between measurements of said third and fourth means.

In combination with a cotton gin having a fluidized transport system for delivery of an air entrained seed cotton flow stream to said gin and an air entrained lint cotton flow stream from said gin, the improvement comprising:

• first means to extract a first test sample flow stream from said seed cotton flow stream;
• second means to extract a second test sample flow stream from said lint cotton flow stream;
• third means for measuring the fiber strength in said first sample flow stream;
• fourth means for measuring the fiber strength in said second sample flow stream;
• and,
• fifth means for measuring the fiber strength differential between measurements of said third and fourth means.

In combination with a cotton gin having a fluidized transport system for delivery of an air entrained seed cotton flow stream to said gin and an air entrained lint cotton flow stream from said gin, the improvement comprising:

• first means to extract a first test sample flow stream from said seed cotton flow stream;
• second means to extract a second test sample flow stream from said lint cotton flow stream;
• third means for measuring the fiber micronaire in said first sample flow stream;
• fourth means for measuring the fiber micronaire in said second sample flow stream;
• and,
• fifth means for measuring the fiber micronaire differential between measurements of said third and fourth means.

A system for controlling the processing of fiber through a fiber processing plant, the plant having a plurality of auxiliary treatment units and ducting for fluidized transport of a fiber flow stream to, through and around said treatment units, said system comprising:

• measuring means for measuring a plurality of physical properties of fiber in said flow stream including fiber micronaire and for translating values representing the physical property measured to corresponding sensor data;
• processing means coupled to said measuring means, said processing means processing said sensor data for selecting an optimum combination of said plurality of auxiliary treatment units to process said fiber flow stream based at least in part on the sensor data corresponding to fiber micronaire;
• and
• flow stream control means in said ducting respective to at least one of said auxiliary treatment units, operation of said flow stream control means being responsive to said processing means wherein said processing means activates said flow stream control means to divert said fiber flow stream into or from the respective auxiliary treatment unit based upon the optimum combination.

A fiber quality conditioning system comprising:

• a plurality of fiber processing stations, each having respective capacities to modify a physical characteristic of fiber;
• a fluidized transport system for transfer of a fluidized fiber flow stream through, between and from said processing stations, said transport system including flow stream carrier ducting;
• fluidized flow control means for regulating alternative fiber flow paths within said transport system;
• sample gathering means secured to said carrier ducting for consolidating and concentrating a sample quantity of fiber from a fluidized flow stream of fiber within said carrier ducting, said sample gathering means also being operative to present a concentrated fiber sample to sensing means for measuring a plurality of physical characteristics of said fiber sample including a fiber micronaire characteristic;
• signal generation means responsive to physical characteristics measured by said sensing means for generating signals proportional to values respective to corresponding physical characteristics including the fiber micronaire characteristic;
• process control means responsive to the signals of said signal generation means for activating said flow control means to direct fiber flow through a predetermined sequence of conditioning stations for modification of the physical characteristics of fiber in said flow stream based at least in part on the fiber micronaire characteristic.