Apparatus and related method for applying moisture to cotton during a ginning operation
OwnerWilliam E. Winninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus and related method for adding moisture to cotton using humid air, comprising a tower casing defining a chamber having top and bottom portions, a first inlet proximate the top portion of the tower casing for receiving the cotton, an outlet proximate the bottom portion, a cotton conveying passage connecting the first inlet to the outlet, and a second inlet to the top portion for receiving the humid air. The related method comprising the steps of introducing cotton lint into a chamber, introducing humid air at an elevated temperature into the chamber, and exposing the cotton lint to the humid air while gradually reducing the temperature.
Claims11
A method of increasing the moisture content of cotton, comprising the steps of:
- introducing cotton into a chamber having a plurality of surfaces;
- heating at least one of the plurality of surfaces;
- introducing humid air at a temperature greater than the ambient air temperature into the chamber;
- and
- exposing the cotton to the humid air to apply moisture to the cotton by moving the humid air and cotton from a first temperature region to a second temperature region, the first temperature region having a temperature of about 25° to 50° higher than the temperature of the second temperature region.
An apparatus for adding moisture to cotton using humid air, comprising:
- a tower casing defining a chamber having top and bottom portions;
- a first inlet for receiving the cotton;
- an outlet for expelling the cotton, wherein the temperature proximate the first inlet is about 25°-50° F. higher than the temperature proximate the outlet;
- a conveying passage connecting the first inlet to the outlet, the conveying passage defined by surfaces disposed in the chamber, wherein at least one of the surfaces is heated to a temperature greater than that of the cotton and sufficient to substantially prevent hydroadhesion on the at least one surface;
- and
- a second inlet for receiving the humid air.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.