Photoelectrically controlled apparatus and method for blending fibres

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR USE IN PROPORTIONING DIFFERENT FIBERS TO BE BLENDED COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF MACHINES FOR FEEDING, WEIGHING AND DISCHARGING PREDETERMINED AMOUNTS OF EACH OF A PLURALITY OF FIBERS IN SUCCESSIVE BATCHES, EACH OF SAID MACHINES INCLUDING A FIBER FEEDER AND SCALE MEANS INCLUDING A RECEPTACLE DISPOSED TO RECEIVE AND WEIGH FIBERS DELIVERED BY SAID FEEDER, AN ENDLESS FIBER CONVEYOR COMMON TO AND MOVABLE BENEATH THE RECEPTACLE OF SAID MACHINES, MEANS TO DELIVER FIBERS FROM THE RECEPTACLES, SAID MEANS INCLUDING AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT, SOLENOIDS IN SAID CIRCUIT AND OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED, RESPECTIVELY, WITH THE SEVERAL SAID WEIGHING RECEPTACLES TO OPEN THEM FOR DISCHARGE OF BATCHES OF FIBERS THEREFROM, PHOTOELECTRIC MEANS POSITIONED FOR ACTUATION BY FIBERS ON SAID CONVEYOR TO ENERGIZE CERTAIN OF SAID SOLENOIDS SUCCESSIVELY FOR DISCHARGE OF THE BATCHES OF FIBERS FROM THE RECEPTACLES IN SUCCESSIVE LAYERS ON ONE ANOTHER ON THE CONVEYOR, AND TIME-DELAY MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE DURATION OF ENERGIZATION OF SAID CERTAIN SOLENOIDS UPON THE APPROACH OF A BATCH OF FIBERS DISCHARGED FROM A PRECEDING MACHINE, AND MEANS TO INSURE MAINTENANCE OF THE PREDETERMINED PERCENTAGES OF THE SEVERAL DIFFERENT FIBERS IN SUCCESSIVE BATCHES INCLUDING SWITCHES FOR EACH OF THE SEVERAL MACHINES ACTUATABLE BY MOVEMENT OF THE RESPECTIVE SCALE MEANS AFTER THE PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF FIBER HAS BEEN WEIGHED THEREBY AND CONNECTIBLE IN SERIES IN SAID CIRCUIT, SAID SWITCHES SERVING TO MAINTAIN SAID SOLENOIDS DE-ENERGIZED WHEN LESS THAN THE PREDETERMINED AMOUNT OF ANY OF THE SEVERAL FIBERS HAS BEEN WEIGHED.