Fiber processing system

Claim 1

A SYSTEM FOR PREPARING AND MIXING THE FIBERS FROM A PLURALITY OF CONSECUTIVE BALES OF FIBERS FOR CONTINUOUS DELIVERY TO A PLURALITY OF CARDING MACHINES, COMPRISING CONVEYOR MEANS FOR MOVING SAID BASE CONTINUOUSLY IN A SAME DIRECTION ALONG THE SAME PATH, A PLURALITY OF PLUCKING DEVICES DISPOSED IN SAID PATH TO REMOVE FIBERS FROM SAID BALES AS THEY MOVE PAST THE PLUCKING DEVICES, A ROTATABLE STRIPPER ROLLER ARRANGED TO STRIP OFF THE FIBERS FROM EACH PLUCKING DEVICE, AN ARCUATE GRILL PARTLY SURROUNDING EACH ROLLER AND COOPERATING THEREWITH FOR FURTHER DIVIDING THE FIBERS, EACH OF SAID PLUCKING DEVICES BEING ASSOCIATED WITH ONE OF SAID CARDING MACHINES, A CASING DISPOSED BETWEEN EACH CARDING MACHINE AND ITS ASSOCIATED PLUCKING DEVICE, A WALL IN SAID CASING EXTENDING FROM THE BOTTOM THEREOF TOWARDS THE UPPER SPACE OF THE CASING TO DIVIDE THE LATTER INTO TWO UPWARDLY OPENING FIBER COLLECTING CHAMBERS, MEANS TO DEPOSIT THE FIBERS FROM THE ASSOCIATED ROTATABLE STRIPPER ROLLER IN ONE OF SAID CHAMBERS SO AS TO FORM THEREIN A PLURALITY OF SUPERPOSED HORIZONTAL LAYERS COMPOSED BY THE FIBERS REMOVED BY THE ASSOCIATED PLUCKING DEVICE FROM EACH OF SAID PLURALITY OF BALES, AN ENDLESS RAKE COVEYOR MEANS IN SAID ONE CHAMBER EXTENDING ADJACENT SAID WALL FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID ONE CHAMBER TO A POINT ABOVE SAID WALL, SAID RAKE CONVEYOR MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO CONTINUOUSLY REMOVE APPROXIMATELY THE SAME AMOUNT OF FIBERS FROM EACH OF SAID SUPERPOSED LAYERS AND TO DISCHARGE THE FIBERS FROM THE DIFFERENT LAYERS IN MIXED CONDITION THROUGH SAID UPPER SPACE INTO THE OTHER FIBER COLLECTING CHAMBER, AND MEANS TO DELIVER THE MIXED FIBERS DEPOSITED IN SAID OTHER CHAMBER TO THE CORRESPONDING CARDING MACHINE.

Claim 2

A SYSTEM FOR PREPARING AND MIXING THE FIBERS FROM A PLURALITY OF CONSECUTIVE BALES OF FIBERS FOR CONTINUOUS DELIVERY TO A PLURALITY OF CARDING MACHINES, COMPRISING CONVEYOR MEANS FOR MOVING SAID BASE CONTINUOUSLY IN A SAME DIRECTION ALONG THE SAME PATH, A PLURALITY OF PLUCKING DEVICES DISPOSED IN SAID PATH TO REMOVE FIBERS FROM SAID BALES AS THEY MOVE PAST THE PLUCKING DEVICES, A ROTATABLE STRIPPER ROLLER ARRANGED TO STRIP OFF THE FIBERS FROM EACH PLUCKING DEVICE, AN ARCUATE GRILL PARTLY SURROUNDING EACH ROLLER AND COOPERATING THEREWITH FOR FURTHER DIVIDING THE FIBERS, EACH OF SAID PLUCKING DEVICES BEING ASSOCIATED WITH ONE OF SAID CARDING MACHINES, A CASING DISPOSED BETWEEN EACH CARDING MACHINE AND ITS ASSOCIATED PLUCKING DEVICE, A WALL IN SAID CASING EXTENDING FROM THE BOTTOM THEREOF TOWARDS THE UPPER SPACE OF THE CASING TO DIVIDE THE LATTER INTO TWO UPWARDLY OPENING FIBER COLLECTING CHAMBERS, MEANS TO DEPOSIT THE FIBERS FROM THE ASSOCIATED ROTATABLE STRIPPER ROLLER IN ONE OF SAID CHAMBERS SO AS TO FORM THEREIN A PLURALITY OF SUPERPOSED HORIZONTAL LAYERS COMPOSED BY THE FIBERS REMOVED BY THE ASSOCIATED PLUCKING DEVICE FROM EACH OF SAID PLURALITY OF BALES, AN ENDLESS RAKE COVEYOR MEANS IN SAID ONE CHAMBER EXTENDING ADJACENT SAID WALL FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID ONE CHAMBER TO A POINT ABOVE SAID WALL, SAID RAKE CONVEYOR MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO CONTINUOUSLY REMOVE APPROXIMATELY THE SAME AMOUNT OF FIBERS FROM EACH OF SAID SUPERPOSED LAYERS AND TO DISCHARGE THE FIBERS FROM THE DIFFERENT LAYERS IN MIXED CONDITION THROUGH SAID UPPER SPACE INTO THE OTHER FIBER COLLECTING CHAMBER, AND MEANS TO DELIVER THE MIXED FIBERS DEPOSITED IN SAID OTHER CHAMBER TO THE CORRESPONDING CARDING MACHINE.