Abstract: A linear belt flight has an upper high friction surface to which seed cotton adheres for conveyance to a transverse fixedly positioned knife adjacently above the belt flight; the cotton fibers move beneath the knife to separate the fibers from the seed which move onto the upper surface of the knife. A rotary knife engages the separated seed on the upper surface of the fixedly positioned knife and propels the seed rearwardly onto an auger conveyor for removal of the seed while air doffing means removes the fiber from the upper surface of the linear belt flight downstream of the knife.

Abstract: A removable wear finger or plate is held in position on a gin rib by a machine screw on one end passing through a bore in the wear finger and an overlying cantilever retainer lip on an opposite end. The screw when tightened urges the wear finger toward the cantilever retainer lip.

Abstract: A safety, fluid-actuated cylinder-and-piston mechanism for use with an article which is movable between first and second positions. The mechanism comprises a conventional, fluid-actuated cylinder-and-piston mechanism and an automatic locking bar. The piston rod of the cylinder-and-piston mechanism has one end attached to the movable article, and is movable between a fully retracted position in which the article is in its first position and a fully extended position in which the article is in its second position. The locking bar has a pivot end proximate the attachment between the piston rod and the movable article, and an opposite, nonpivot end. The locking bar is pivotable between a lowered and fully raised position and has a plurality of partially raised positions between its lowered and fully raised positions.

Abstract: A wire-tying apparatus is shown for automatically tying a plurality of wires around a bale of material while the bale is held in a compressed state in a baling chamber. A first part of the apparatus includes a hydraulic ram press, an upper platen and a lower platen. This part of the apparatus operates to compress material in a baling chamber. A second part of the apparatus includes a group of feed chutes mounted on one side of the baling chamber, and a group of guide chutes mounted on another side of the baling chamber. Drive wheels and gripping mechanisms are mounted on the feed chutes. The combination of the guide chutes and the feed chutes with drive wheels and gripping mechanisms provides a compact and simple arrangement for feeding and guiding wires around the compressed bale and interlocking opposite pre-looped ends of each wire to secure the bale.

Abstract: A linter gin having improved moting system for achieving higher rates of delinting. The improvement comprising a mote deflector obstacle member spaced slightly from the doffer brush, said member defecting the air current to effect more efficient removal of motes and trash from the lint in the mote chamber.