Abstract: The lint cleaning system is a modified jet-type lint cleaner that includes a supplemental air control vane. The supplemental air control vane (among other things) segregates discharged foreign materials from incoming supplemental air so that the incoming supplemental air is not contaminated by the discharged materials. The current system also enables a user to more effectively control the volume and the pathway of supplemental air entering the cleaner and thereby optimize the function of the air cleaner.

Abstract: The lint cleaning system is a modified jet-type lint cleaner that includes a supplemental air control vane. The supplemental air control vane (among other things) segregates discharged foreign materials from incoming supplemental air so that the incoming supplemental air is not contaminated by the discharged materials. The current system also enables a user to more effectively control the volume and the pathway of supplemental air entering the cleaner and thereby optimize the function of the air cleaner.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining at least one property of a target material is disclosed. The method is constituted of: providing a time varying signal at comprising frequency content over a range of frequencies; transducing the provided signal so as to interact with the target material; receiving the provided time varying signal after interaction with the target material; mixing the received time varying signal with a portion of the provided time varying signal; determining the propagation delay associated with the target material of the received provided time varying signal at each of a plurality of frequencies within the range of frequencies; and determining at least one property of the target material responsive to the determined propagation delay at each of the plurality of frequencies.

Abstract: A process for measuring the moisture content and the mass-moisture content of materials is presented that requires no air reference or calibration sequence. A microwave signal is split into a reference and a transmission signal, and the reference signal is applied directly to the phase detector, whereas the transmission signal is first transmitted through the sample before being presented to the other side of the phase detector. This measurement provides a phase-constant measurement that is due to the dielectric characteristics of the material under test. The system measures the material's phase-constant across a band of frequencies. The slope of the phase-constant versus frequency is then utilized to predict the density of the material which is then combined with the corrected phase-constant measurement to calculate the moisture content of the material.

Abstract: The invention consists of a pressure transducer based air velocity sensor that has been optimized for use in metal ducts. The fluid flow velocity is determined by measuring the propagation delay of a direct path pressure wave signal transmitted through the fluid as a function of a frequency difference rather than as a phase delay measurement. This system electronically removes multi-path signals from the measured signal, thereby obviating the requirement for installation calibration.

Abstract: The moisture content of soil may be determined using a swept-frequency microwave-based process and device. The process includes the steps of: producing a primary microwave signal with a varying frequency, splitting the primary signal to provide first and second microwave signals, which first signal is transmitted through an electric conductor in the soil where it will be delayed in proportion to the dielectric constant of the soil, while the second signal provides an internal reference signal, receiving a third signal which includes the first signal after it has passed through the electrical conductor, mixing the third signal together with the second signal, generating a mixed signal, filtering the mixed signal to remove upper side-band interference signals, generating a filtered-mixed signal, measuring the frequency of the filtered-mixed signal and calculating the moisture content of the soil.

Abstract: The moisture content of a test material may be determined using a microwave-based process and device which is free from interference by multipath standing waves. Multipath signals may be electronically removed from the measured signal.

Abstract: A process of utilizing machine vision for processing in a cotton gin monitors a flow of lint and trash anywhere throughout the cotton gin without impeding or detaining product flow, the measurement being made in real time. A video camera or other electronic photography device takes a multi-spectral image of the trash and lint passing through the cotton gin. The multi-spectral image of the trash and lint is partitioned using spectral values into a trash portion, a lint portion, and at least a third image. In turn, at least the image of trash and lint are themselves formed into a binary image from each of the partitioned images. Thereafter, the binary images of the trash portion and the lint portion to determine the ratio of trash to total lint in the flow of lint and trash. The binary image of the trash can be separately processed to determine the relative amounts of sticks, leaves and burrs present in the trash.