Fiber fractionating apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR FRACTIONATING A MASS OF DISORIENTED TEXTILE FIBERS INTO DIFFERENT LENGTH GROUPS COMPRISING: (A) A ROTATABLE FIRST ELECTRODE; (B) A STATIONARY SECOND ELECTRODE INSULATED FROM AND SURROUNDING THE ROTATABLE ELECTRODE CONSTITUTING A HOUSING THEREFOR AND A FIBER SEPARATING CHAMBER, SAID STATIONARY ELECTRODE HAVING A OUTER WALL INCURVATE IN THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION OF SAID ROTATABLE ELECTRODE, SAID INCURVATE WILL AND ROTATABLE ELECTRODE TOGETHER DEFINING A FIBER SEPARATION ZONE OF DECREASING WIDTH IN THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION; (C) MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID ROTATABLE ELECTRODE CONNECTED THERETO; (D) INLET MEANS CONNECTED TO THE STATIONARY ELECTRODE AT THE POINT OF MAXIMUM DISTANCE BETWEEN THE INCURVATE OUTER WALL THEREOF AND THE ROTATABLE ELECTRODE FOR INTRODUCING A MASS OF DISORIENTED TEXTILE FIBERS INTO THE CHAMBER FORMED BY THE STATIONARY ELECTRODE; (E) FIRST OUTLET MEANS CONNECTED TO THE STATIONARY ELECTRODE AT THE POINT OF MINIMUM DISTANCE BETWEEN THE INCRUVATE OUTER WALL THEREOF AND THE ROTATABLE ELECTRODE; (F) SECOND OUTLET MEANS CONNECTED TO THE STATIONARY ELECTRODE AT A POINT INTERMEDIATE SAID INLET AND FIRST OUTLET MEANS;