84 CORDAGE FIBRES 



fibre, which grow upon, surround, and conceal the seeds. A 

 machine called a gin is used to remove the seeds and husks 

 from the fibre, preparatory to the latter being made up into 

 bales for transit. There are several types in use, but the 

 most universally adopted is the " Macarthy," or roller gin, and 

 the " Eagle," or saw gin. 



The Macarthy gin is specially adapted for long cottons, 

 such as Sea Island or Egyptian. It cannot get through as 

 much work as the saw gin, but leaves the fibre undamaged 

 and straight. The machine is usually made about 40 in. wide, 

 and consists of a roller covered with leather washers, or a 

 wooden roller covered with leather, against which is pressed 

 a "doctor," or knife blade. They are self-feeding, the cotton 

 being merely thrown into a hopper, whence it is drawn by 

 friction between the leather roller and the doctor knife. The 

 cotton is then operated upon by a reciprocating beater-knife, 

 which strikes the seed and separates it from the cotton, the 

 seed falling through a grid provided for the purpose. The 

 cotton is fed to the roller by the action of an automatic feeder 

 having a reciprocating motion. 



The Eagle or saw gin is usually made with sixty to seventy 

 saws, arranged on bars in sections of five saws each. The 

 cotton bolls are placed in a box behind the saws. The front of 

 the box is formed by an iron plate, which is slotted and 

 placed in such a manner that about one-third of the periphery 

 of the saws is within the box. As the saws revolve, their 

 teeth carry the cotton fibre with them, and the slots in the iron 

 plate being too narrow to permit the seeds to pass, the sepa- 

 ration is effected. The bottom of the box is formed of grids 

 or wire netting, the interstices being just sufficiently large to 

 permit the naked seeds to fall to the ground. The cotton from 

 the gins is packed and formed by a hydraulic press into a 

 square-shaped bale, which is covered with gunny cloth, or else 

 into one of the newer cylindrical bales, in which form it is 

 delivered to the Liverpool or Manchester market. 



