Reports on the Philadelphia International Exhibition of 1876.

Date:
1877-1878
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Reports on the Philadelphia International Exhibition of 1876. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    360/446 page 262
    Cotton Machi- nery.—Coffee Htillers, Rice Mills, &c. Mr. S. Z. Hall, New London, Conn. Brown's Feeder. Needle Gin, E. Remington & Co., Ilion, New York. David Kahn- Yeiler, New work. Corn'Huskers,&c. Phillip's Spiral Corn Husker, R. H. Allen & Co., New York. Corn Shellers, Sandwich Manu- facturing Co., Illinois. Cotton Machinery .—Coffee Hullers, Bice Mills, &c—Seven Cotton Gins were exhibited in the American section, all made by northern manufacturers. The best of these machines are of excellent construction, and do their work very effectually. The main feature comprises a series of circular saws, revolving with great rapidity. The serrated teeth tear the cotton to pieces, and separate it from the seed; the cotton is next brushed and passed on to the condenser, by which it is reduced to a proper condition for packing. The value of self-feeders as a protection to the attendant is unquestionable. Two forms were exhibited, viz., the original invention by S. Z. Hall, of New London, Connecticut, which comprises a large hopper with revolving rollers at the bottom with spaces between, which allows of the escape of dust, &c. The cotton thrown into the hopper is conveyed by the rollers to a wooden roller with numerous small spiked teeth, and being carried round between it and a fine meshed wire frame allows of a further separation of dirt, &c. The cotton falls from the roller on to the cutters. In Brown's Feeder, which is also made at New London, the bottom of the hopper has a series of fixed and moveable bars with iron serrated teeth, which carry forward the cotton with great regularity. On the whole the Needle Gin shown by E. Remington and Co., of Ilion, New York, appears the most valuable. The peculiar feature is the substitution of needles for serrated surfaces. The needles are made in sections of best steel wire, with rounded surfaces, and covered with Babitt Metal. The advantage is that the needles neither tear nor saw off the cotton, and the fibre is better preserved. The ribs- between the needles are peculiar, having a flange in the centre on the upper surface, which tends to keep the cotton over the needles. The Babitt Metal does not heat, which renders it safer than the ordinary saws. Cotton Seed Hullers of different sizes were exhibited by David Kahnweiler of New York. One of these, designed for plantation use, is valuable as a means of preparing the seed for cattle food. It does not always answer to sell the seed for its oil, especially if the farm is far from the market; in such cases it is most important to be able to remove the cotton and shell. The machine com- prises a hopper with a revolving feed-roller cast in small sections, which pre- vents nails, &c. entering into the mill with the seed. The mill consists of an under roller with smooth surfaces, carrying eight knife sections placed in different positions, so as to act like a screw. This roller works against a breast with four knives. The shell and seed are separated by a fine screen. Cotton Presses were shown both for power and hand. Corn Huskers, Shellers, fyc.—There was only one machine shown to econo- mise the labour of Corn Husking—Phillip's Spiral Corn Husker, shown by R. H. Allen and Co. of New York. This appears a valuable invention, which should command an extensive sale. It consists of a frame, across one end and near the top of which are placed two picking rolls with spiral grooves, between which the stalks are fed, and in passing them the stalks are separated from the ears, which drop on to the husking rolls, placed lower down at right angles to the picking rolls, and in an inclined position. These rollers have grooves corresponding with spikes in the opposite roller. The latter are arranged spirally upon the rollers, and hold the husks at one end of the ear, and continue the grasp to tne opposite end, making the process very similar to husking by hand. A machine costing 150 dollars is capable of husking 25 to 30 bushels an hour. Corn Shellers were shown in considerable abundance, both for hand and power. The former may be useful where corn is grown on a small scale, but as most were without feeding apparatus or winnower they do not admit of strong advocacy. The Sandwich Manufacturing Company, of Sandwich, Illinois, took a decided lead in power machines, and, as Indian Corn occupies the most im- portant crop position in the States, a short description of these inventions will not be considered out of place. Machines of three sizes, viz., for four horses, two horses, and one horse are made. In the large machine there is an excellent feed elevator, consisting of four endless rubber straps with convex projections, tra- velling between three fixed wooden bars. The result of this arrangement is, that however carelessly the cobs are placed on the elevator they become straightened in their passage, and are fed into the mill with regularity, being aided thereto by a force-feed spindle furnished with iron flanges ; next the corn is caught by four vertical disc wheels, 7 inches in diameter, covered with small teeth j these known as Little Pickers revolve about 600 times a minute, and propel the
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