Ginning cotton

by A. L. Vandergriff

His first job was in a cotton gin at the age of nine. Today as an octogenarian, A. L. Vandergriff continues his life-long commitment to advancing the technology of the industry he loves. Considered by some to be the seminal figure in designing gin plants to handle machine-picked cotton, Vandergriff is widely known for his many important contributions to the cotton ginning industry. All contemporary high-capacity gin plants have been influenced by his innovative designs. Vandergriff describes in detail the various modifications that he has made to improve different components of the gin stand. He also discusses some of the contributions made by others either independently or as modifications of his research. The current phase of his research culminated with the development of the 198 saw gin, the first twenty-bale-per-hour gin stand.