Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for stripping petals from cotton balls. In one embodiment, the cotton stripper includes an impacter for at least partially opening the cotton balls, a first cleaning mechanism to discard petals removed by the impacter, and a cotton separator for removing the remaining petals from the cotton balls. In one embodiment, the cotton separator includes a first large roller, which receives and traps the at least partially opened cotton balls from the first cleaning mechanism. The at least partially opened cotton balls rotate with the first large roller toward a first net. Petals on the cotton balls are stripped off by the first net. Petals removed by the first net fall toward the bottom of the cotton separator. A first small roller then removes the first stripped cotton balls from the first large roller. Processed cotton balls are then stored in an output area.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and apparatus for stripping petals from cotton balls. In one embodiment, the cotton stripper includes an impacter for at least partially opening the cotton balls, a first cleaning mechanism to discard petals removed by the impacter, and a cotton separator for removing the remaining petals from the cotton balls. In one embodiment, the cotton separator includes a first large roller, which receives and traps the at least partially opened cotton balls from the first cleaning mechanism. The at least partially opened cotton balls rotate with the first large roller toward a first net. Petals on the cotton balls are stripped off by the first net. Petals removed by the first net fall toward the bottom of the cotton separator. A first small roller then removes the first stripped cotton balls from the first large roller. Processed cotton balls are then stored in an output area.