Saw Gin Stand Safety Assembly
Patent Number: US 12258681 Grant Date: 2025-03-25 Filing Date: 2023-10-30
Overview
Filed October 30, 2023 and granted March 25, 2025, this patent describes a saw gin stand safety assembly that combines mechanical design improvements with sensor-driven control to increase capacity and reduce operational risk in cotton ginning. Inventors based in Lubbock, TX and an applicant based in Lubbock, TX developed an arrangement that isolates the picker-agitator motor on a variable-frequency drive and equips it with an amperage draw sensor. A dedicated controller interprets the amperage signal and dynamically adjusts picker-agitator RPM to prevent choking or clogs in the throat and rotating ginning equipment, while leaving the saw blade and brush assemblies to run at optimal speed. Hardware choices—direct drive relationships, in-cabinet motor mounting that removes idler belts, and an enlarged throat—combine with programmable control logic to deliver measurable improvements in throughput and safety. Additional design details, such as a lower front inspection window that functions as a fire-monitoring door, demonstrate attention to real-world operational hazards.
Key Features
- Sensor-driven RPM control using amperage draw to detect and respond to load
- Isolated picker-agitator drive (variable-frequency drive) to vary feed rate without slowing saw blade
- Enlarged throat and direct-drive layout for increased capacity and reduced belt complexity
- Lower front window serving as monitoring/fire door and improved service access
This patent exemplifies a practical convergence of mechanical refinement and embedded control to enhance safety and productivity in modern ginning operations, with clear relevance to agricultural machinery manufacturers and process-control integrators.
Invention Details
Abstract: A saw gin stand safety assembly for holding a fibrous material for ginning with a rotating ginning equipment. The saw gin stand safety assembly comprises an outer shell, a throat, a picker-agitator motor, an amperage draw sensor and the rotating ginning equipment. The rotating ginning equipment comprises at least a picker roller. The amperage draw sensor monitors a power usage of the picker-agitator motor. The saw gin stand safety assembly is configured to adjust an RPM of the picker-agitator motor according to an amperage draw signal generated by the amperage draw sensor. The throat is configured for holding the fibrous material comprising cotton during the ginning process. The saw gin stand safety assembly further comprises the amperage draw sensor. The saw gin stand safety assembly is configured to adjust the RPM of the picker-agitator motor to avoid choaking of the fibrous material in the rotating ginning equipment and the throat.
Summary of the Invention: A saw gin stand safety assembly for holding a fibrous material for ginning with a rotating ginning equipment. Said saw gin stand safety assembly comprises an outer shell, a throat, a picker-agitator motor, an amperage draw sensor and said rotating ginning equipment. Said rotating ginning equipment comprises at least a picker roller. Said amperage draw sensor monitors a power usage of said picker-agitator motor. Said saw gin stand safety assembly is configured to adjust an RPM of said picker-agitator motor according to an amperage draw signal generated by said amperage draw sensor. Said throat is configured for holding said fibrous material comprising cotton during the ginning process. Said saw gin stand safety assembly is configured for receiving said fibrous material in a portion of said throat, channeling said fibrous material downward through said throat into said rotating ginning equipment, rotating said picker-agitator motor, monitoring said amperage draw signal from said amperage draw sensor, and adjusting said RPM of said picker-agitator motor according to said amperage draw signal. Said saw gin stand safety assembly further comprises said amperage draw sensor. Said saw gin stand safety assembly is configured to adjust said RPM of said picker-agitator motor to avoid choaking of said fibrous material in said rotating ginning equipment and said throat. Said saw gin stand safety assembly comprises said picker roller and an agitator attached to and driven by said picker-agitator motor. Said picker-agitator motor is configured to drive said picker roller and said agitator separate from other portions of said saw gin stand safety assembly. Wherein, monitoring a load and adjusting a speed of said picker-agitator motor, can vary a feed rate of said fibrous material being fed into said saw gin stand safety assembly, without slowing a saw blade and a blade cleaning brush assembly.
Patent Document
Related: Agriculture | Mechanical Engineering | Robotics & Automation | Cotton Ginning | Electrical Engineering | Testing And Measurement | Lubbock, Texas | Shannon Warren, Patent Attorney