The mechanics of the cotton gin
In modern cotton production, cotton arrives at cotton gins either in trailers or in compressed "modules", which weigh up to 10 tons each. The need for trailers to haul the product to the gin has been drastically reduced since the introduction of the module. Cotton arriving in trailers is sucked into the gin via a pipe, approximately 16 inches in diameter, that is swung over the cotton.
The cotton then enters a dryer, which removes excess moisture. The cylinder cleaner uses six or seven rotating, spiked cylinders to break up large clumps of cotton. Finer foreign material, such as soil and leaves, passes through rods or screens for removal.
The gin stand uses the teeth of rotating saws to pull the cotton through a series of "ginning ribs", which pull the fibers from the seeds which are too large to pass through the ribs.
The cotton then enters a dryer, which removes excess moisture. The cylinder cleaner uses six or seven rotating, spiked cylinders to break up large clumps of cotton. Finer foreign material, such as soil and leaves, passes through rods or screens for removal.
The gin stand uses the teeth of rotating saws to pull the cotton through a series of "ginning ribs", which pull the fibers from the seeds which are too large to pass through the ribs.