196 TKANSACTIONS OF THE 



A separate plate, therefore, is provided, the edge of which is near 

 the bite of the rollers, and the seeds, while being stripped, lie in 

 the angle, not between the rollers, but between this plate and the 

 upper roller. By slightly curving upwards the edge of the plate 

 a much greater angle is made to repel the seed than is secured 

 even by the use of much smaller rollers, in the ordinary manner, 

 to facilita te the action, a slight but rapid movement is given to 

 the plate by a device, which will be described below. 



Fig. 1 is a perspective view, and fig. 2 a section of Mr. Chiches- 

 ter's gin. A represents a steel roller, about twenty inches long, 

 between the bearings, and about one and a quarter inches in 

 diameter. B represents the plate described, and C the india- 

 rubber roller, three inches in diameter. The plate B, is rigidly 

 fixed upon a shaft, D. On one end of this shaft, D, outside the 

 frame, is mounted a cross-piece, as represented, on which are two 

 rollers D' D'. A wheel, F, mounted on the shaft of C, is slightly 

 scollopped, or cam-shaped, on its periphery, as will be observed 

 on close inspection; and these successive elevations and depres- 

 sions acting on the two rollers, D' D', give to the shaft D, and 

 consequently to the plate B, a very rapid and positive vibrating 

 motion, to the extent of nearly one-eighth of an inch at the acting 

 edge. E is a small fan-wheel, which serves to remove any of the 

 fibres which might adhere to C, and G is a stiff brush hinged to 

 the points H, which serves also to strip the roller A. I, I, are 

 thumb-screws, which serve to drive A down upon C with any 

 required degree of pressure. J is a table or feeding-board, on 

 which the cotton to be ginned is placed. A suflUcient space is 

 left between the edge of J and the face of B, to allow the seed to 

 drop through and escape. The roller A is driven simply by 

 " rolling contact" with C, and consequsntly there can be no dif- 

 ference in the velocity of their surfaces. The upper curved edge 

 of the plate B, is about three-eighths of an inch from the bite, or 

 point of contact, of the rollers. On first being pushed forward, 

 the loose fibers of the cotton are drawn through by a simple con- 

 tact with A, until they are caught by the bite and carefully sepa- 

 rated from the seed, with just. sufficient violence to keep the latter 

 continually turning, an operation which is materially aided by 

 the vibratory movement of B. To increase the effect of the rollers 



