Apparatus for separting air and trash from seed cotton

Claim 1

IN APPARATUS FOR REMOVING SAND AND THE LIKE FROM SEED COTTON AS THE COMMINGLED SAND AND COTTON ARE MOVING LONG IN A STREAM, (A) A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL TREATING CHAMBER DESIRED BY A CURVED WALL, THAT PORTION OF THE WALL ON THE INLET SIDE OF SAID APPARATUS AS HEREINAFTER DEFINED BEING SUPERFORATED AND THE REAMINDER BEING PERFORATED TO PASS THE SAND, (B) A ROTARY COTTON ENGAGING MEMBER HAVING BLADES THEREON WHICH TRAVEL IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE INNER SURFACE OF THE PERFORATED PORTION OF THE CYLINDRICAL CHAMBER, (C) AN INWARDLY AND UPWARDLY CURVED INLET FOR THE COTTON TO BE TREATED LOCATED BENEATH THE IMPERFORATE PORTION OF THE ARCULATE WALL OF THE CHAMBER AND DEFINED BY INNER AND OUTER CURVED WALLS, (D) AN IMPERFORATE WALL TANGENTIALLY CONNECTED TO THE UPPER END OF THE OUTER CURVED WALL OF THE INLET AND TO THE LOWER END OF THE IMPERFORATE WALL OF THE CYLINDRICAL TREATING CHAMBER, SAID CONNECTING WALL BEING SPACED FROM THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL PATHS DESCRIBED BY THE ENDS OF THE BLADES OF THE ROTARY COTTON ENGAGING MEMBERS A DISTANCE SUFFICIENT FOR THE BLADES TO ENGAGE THE STREAM OF COTTON WHILE THE STREAM IS IN FREE FLIGHT BETWEEN THE UPPER END OF THE INLET SECTION AND THE CURVED PORTION OF THE WALLS OF THE TREATING CHAMBER, THE ZONES BETWEEN SAID BLADES BEING IN FLOW COMMUNICTION WITH THE SEED COTTON BEING DELIVERED TO THE INLET WHEREBY WADS OR LUMPS OF COTTON FED TO THE APPARATUS ARE BROKEN UP BY THE BLADES PRIOR TO THE STREAM OF COTTON REACHING THE CURVED WALLS OF THE TREATING CHAMBER, (E) AN OUTLET FOR THE CLEANED SEED COTTON LOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY DIRECTLY BELOW THE CENTER OF THE CHAMBER AND DEFINED BY A PAIR OF IMPERFORATE WALLS, (F) VACUUM WHEEL DISCHARGE MECHANISM LOCATED AT THE LOWER END OF THE OUTLET, (G) MEANS DEFINING A SUCTION CHAMBER ABOUT THE PERFORATED PORTION OF THE TREATMENT CHAMBER, (H) AND MEANS TO MAINTAIN THE SUCTION CHAMBER AND HENCE THE INTERIOR OF THE TREATMENT CHAMBER UNDER SUB-ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO DRAW TRASH THROUGH THE PERFORATED WALL AS THE SEED COTTON MOVES AROUND THE INSIDE THEREOF.