Abstract: Apparatus for automating a high volume instrument (HVI) used for the classification of all Upland and American Pima cotton, including determining trash and color. A sub-sample delivery tube sub-system and a sample drum air chamber sub-system allow the HVI to receive sub-samples from an automated cotton system. A delivery tube, with an air dissipater, delivers the automated sub-sample to the HVI sample drum while an air chamber below the sample drum applies a negative air pressure to the drum. A sub-sample air-knife extraction sub-system and an autoMIC transfer tube assist sub-system allow the HVI to release automated sub-samples after the sample drum in the HVI has completed its operations on the sub-sample. An air-knife applies air jets to the sample plate of the HVI sample drum to release the sub-sample. As the sub-sample leaves the drum an air jet is actuated to push the sub-sample along a transfer tube.

Abstract: Apparatus for a cotton sampling system. The system includes a first station that provides a stream of samples to a main conveyor. The main conveyor routes the samples to a testing station that includes a sub-sampler, an automated cotton containment mechanism, an indexer, and an HVI. The conveyors include a shroud that moves samples over and under the conveyor. In this way samples that need to be retested pass to the testing station after failing the first test. The sub-sampler includes a walking beam mechanism to advance the samples into a fiber extraction mechanism. The automated cotton containment mechanism includes a gate valve and a diverter valve. The gate valve has a normal position configured to allow passage of cotton fibers, but blocking clumps. Upon detection of a clump, the diverter valve operates and the gate valve opens so that the clump is diverted to a waste receptacle.

Abstract: Apparatus for a cotton sample acquisition and tracking system. The system includes a loading station in which a pair of primary sample halves are loaded in a carrier. The primary samples are identified and transported to a sub-sample station that extracts a sub-sample from the primary sample. The sub-samples are conditioned and transported to various testing stations. The primary samples are transported via a conveyor system. The sub-samples are transported through a pneumatic system. The sub-sample station advances the primary sample against a pick drum that pulls tufts from the primary sample. The tufts flow through a cotton containment system into an indexer that collects, conditions, and routes the tufts as a sub-sample. The sub-samples are staged in a carousel for continued conditioning and storage until the test equipment is ready to process the sub-sample.

Abstract: Apparatus for a cotton sample acquisition and tracking system. The system includes a loading station in which a pair of primary sample halves are loaded in a carrier. The primary samples are identified and transported to a sub-sample station that extracts a sub-sample from the primary sample. The sub-samples are conditioned and transported to various testing stations. The primary samples are transported via a conveyor system. The sub-samples are transported through a pneumatic system. The sub-sample station advances the primary sample against a pick drum that pulls tufts from the primary sample. The tufts flow through a cotton containment system into an indexer that collects, conditions, and routes the tufts as a sub-sample. The sub-samples are staged in a carousel for continued conditioning and storage until the test equipment is ready to process the sub-sample.