Textile machinery cleaning apparatus and method

Claim 1

TEXTILE MACHINERY CLEANING APPARATUS FOR GATHERING FROM THE AIR ADJACENT SAID MACHINERY LINT WHICH IS GENERATED BY THE OPERATION OF SAID MACHINERY IN AT LEAST ONE REGION THEREOF AND WHICH COLLECTS THEREON AFTER FALLING DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID AIR, THEREBY PREVENTING SAID COLLECTION, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: (A) A FIRST PAIR OF SUPPORTS SPACED APART WITHIN SAID REGION, (B) A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT RESILIENT SHEET MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORTS AND PRESENTING A SURFACE TOWARD SAID FALLING LINT AND BEING IMPERVIOUS THERETO, SAID SHEET EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY ACROSS SAID REGION, WHEREBY SAID SHEET INTERCEPTS SAID FALLING LINT AND SUPPORTS SAID LINT THEREON, (C) A SECOND PAIR OF SUPPORTS SPACED APART WITHIN SAID REGION, EACH LATTER SUPPORT BEING LOCATED IN JUXTAPOSITION TO A CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID FIRST PAIR OF SUPPORTS, (D) SWEEPING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SECOND PAIR OF SUPPORTS FOR MOVEMENT THROUGH AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID REGION RELATIVE TO SAID SHEET FOR SWEEPING SAID SUPPORTED LINT TO A STATION LOCATED ADJACENT AN EDGE OF SAID SHEET IN SAID REGION, AND (E) MEANS LOCATED AT SAID STATION FOR RECEIVING FROM SAID SWEEPING MEANS LINT WHICH HAS BEEN MOVED THEREBY TO SAID STATION AND FOR REMOVING SAID LINT FROM SAID STATION, (F) SAID FIRST PAIR OF SUPPORTS INCLUDING: (1) A BRACKET SECURED TO ONE EDGE OF SAID RESILIENT SHEET AND MOUNTED UPON SAID LINT RECEIVING MEANS, (2) A STIFFENING BAR SECURED TO THE OPPOSITE EDGE OF SAID RESILIENT SHEET, (3) A PLURALITY OF COIL SPRINGS SECURED AT ONE END THEREOF TO SAID STIFFENING BAR, (4) AN ELONGATE MEMBER EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID SHEET AND SECURED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID COIL SPRINGS, AND (5) MEANS SUPPORTING SAID ELONGATE MEMBER SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE PLANE OF SAID SHEET, WHEREBY SAID SHEET IS MAINTAINED UNDER TENSION BY SAID COIL SPRINGS.