Apparatus for preparing fibrous material for a carding machine

Claim 2

Apparatus for conveying fibers to the fEed end of a carding machine from a substantially horizontal overhead supply flue supplying fiber tufts by vehicle air along a supply path and concurrently forming the fibers into a batt suitable for delivery into the carding machine, comprising a vertically elongated feed chute forming a laterally closed tubular passageway having an open top directly joining and opening into the flue and an open bottom adjacent said feed end for receiving fiber tufts from the flue and directing them downwardly along a generally vertical feed path therein, the width of said chute being coextensive throughout its height with the full width of the carding machine, a pair of spaced opposed compression plates in the lower region of said chute at opposite sides of the feed path pivoted in the upper regions thereof for rocking movement about horizontal pivot axes paralleling said feed path and having substantially planiform confronting surfaces defining a continuously unobstructed space therebetween for reception of the fiber tufts, a pair of opposed, rotating feed cylinders located at opposite sides of the feed path immediately above said plates for feeding fiber tufts downwardly into said unobstructed space between said plates, a revolving extractor baffle having plural radially extending blades rotatable about a horizontal transverse axis at said open top for mechanically withdrawing fiber tufts from the vehicle air in said supply path and mechanically conveying the tufts downwardly into the upper region of said chute to substantially fill said upper region and then maintain a head of fiber therein, the interior of said chute being unobstructed between said extractor means and said feed cylinders whereby gravity and forces produced by the head of fiber in and conveyance by said baffle of tufts into said upper region move the fiber tufts downwardly from the extractor baffle to the feed cylinders, driving means for oscillating said plates about their pivot axes to cyclically swing said confronting surfaces through a range of downwardly converging positions to compress the fiber tufts therebetween into a batt, and a pair of opposed rotating compression cylinders disposed on opposite sides of said feed path below said plates for compressing the batt discharged below said plates and feeding the same from the chute for delivery to the feed end of the carding machine.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said driving means includes a rotating plural lobe cam, a first lever supported for rocking movement about one of said axes having cam follower means tracking on said lobe cam for rocking the lever, and means coupling said lever to said plates for rocking the latter about their axes through arcs correlated to the contours of the lobes of said lobe cam to effect selected uniform compression of the fiber tufts into said batt.

Claim 4

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said feed chute includes a horizontally elongated head section interposed in said flue, said extractor baffle being disposed at the juncture of said feed chute and head section forming a revolving baffle in the top of said chute with said blades penetrating the lower strata of the conveying airstream in said flue for mechanically transferring fiber tufts from said supply path downwardly into the upper region of said feed chute for gravity discharge to said feed cylinders, a deflector plate member disposed upstream of said extractor baffle hinged at an upstream edge thereof about a hinge axis substantially aligned with the bottom of said flue and having a free edge closely adjacent said extractor baffle, and adjustment means for positioning said deflector plate member at selected angular positions to vary the spacing between said free edge and the periphery of the extractor baffle to thereby regulate the size of tufts delivered by the extractor baffle into said feed chute to selected small tuft sizes and to regulate the extent of extractor baffle penetration into the air-fiber mixture flowing through the flue.

Claim 5

Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said feed chute includes a horizontally elongated head section interposed in said flue, said extractor baffle being disposed at the juncture of said feed chute and head section forming a revolving baffle in the top of said chute with said blades penetrating the lower strata of the conveying airstream in said flue for mechanically transferring fiber tufts from said supply path downwardly into the upper region of said feed chute for gravity discharge to said feed cylinders, a deflector plate member disposed upstream of said extractor baffle hinged at an upstream edge thereof about a hinge axis substantially aligned with the bottom of said flue and having a free edge closely adjacent said extractor baffle, and adjustment means for positioning said deflector plate member at selected angular positions to vary the spacing between said free edge and the periphery of the extractor baffle to thereby regulate the size of tufts delivered by the extractor baffle into said feed chute to selected small tuft sizes and to regulate the extent of extractor baffle penetration into the air-fiber mixture flowing through the flue.

Claim 6

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said extractor baffle is in the shape of an interrupted baffle cylinder having a diametrically opposed pair of right-angular recesses extending substantially the axial length of the baffle cylinder and having their apexes closely adjacent the center axis of the baffle cylinder to define pockets for receiving tufts from said supply path and carrying them into the upper portion of said chute for gravitational movement downwardly to said feed cylinders.

Claim 7

Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said extractor baffle is in the shape of an interrupted baffle cylinder having a diametrically opposed pair of right-angular recesses extending substantially the axial length of the baffle cylinder and having their apexes closely adjacent the center axis of the baffle cylinder to define pockets for receiving tufts from said supply path and carrying them into the upper portion of said chute for gravitational movement downwardly to said feed cylinders.

Claim 8

Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said extractor baffle is in the shape of an interrupted baffle cylinder having a diametrically opposed pair of right-angular recesses extending substantially the axis length of the baffle cylinder and having their apexes closely adjacent the center axis of the baffle cylinder to define pockets for receiving tufts from said supply path and carrying them into the upper portion of said chute for gravitational movement downwardly to said feed cylinders.

Claim 9

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said extractor baffle has outwardly opening recesses therein forming pockets for receiving tufts from the supply path and transporting them downwardly in circular paths into the top portion of said chute, said baffle being operative when the upper portion of said chute is full of tufts to convey the tufts across the top of the chute and back into said supply path to be conveyed downstream from said chute.

Claim 10

Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said extractor baffle has outwardly opening recesses therein forming pockets for receiving tufts from the supply path and transporting them downwardly in circular paths into the top portion of said chute, said baffle being operative when the upper portion of said chute is full of tufts to convey the tufts across the top of the chute and back into said supply path to be conveyed downstream from said chute.

Claim 11

Apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein said extractor baffle has outwardly opening recesses therein forming pockets for receiving tufts from the supply path and transporting them downwardly in circular paths into the top portion of said chute, said baffle being operative when the upper portion of said chute is full of tufts to convey the tufts across the top of the chute and back into said supply path to be conveyed downstream from said chute.

Claim 12

Apparatus for conveying fibers to the feed end of a carding machine from a substantially horizontal overhead supply flue supplying fiber tufts by vehicle air along a supply path having a width coextensive with the carding machine and concurrently forming the fibers into a batt suitable for delivery into the carding machine, comprising a vertically elongated feed chute forming a laterally closed tubular passageway having an open top directly joining and opening into the flue and an open bottom adjacent said feed end for receiving fiber tufts from the flue and directing them downwardly along a generally vertical feed path therein, said chute having spaced planiform vertical front and backwalls extending from said open top to said open bottom and laterally spaced sidewalls, the width of said chute between said sidewalls being coextensive throughout its height with the full width of the carding machine, a pair of spaced opposed compression plates in the lower region of said chute at opposite sides of the feed path pivoted in the upper regions thereof for rocking movement about horizontal pivot axes spaced inwardly from said front and backwalls in parallelism with said feed path and having substantially planiform confronting surfaces defining a continuously unobstructed space therebetween for reception of the fiber tufts, a pair of opposed, rotating feed cylinders located at opposite sides of the feed path immediately above said plates for feeding fiber tufts downwardly into said unobstructed space between said plates, a revolving extractor baffle having plural radially extending blades rotatable about a horizontal transverse axis at said open top for mechanically withdrawing fiber tufts from the vehicle air in said supply path and mechanically carrying the tufts downwardly into the upper region of said chute, to substantially fill said upper region and then maintain a head of fiber therein, the interior of said chute being unobstructed between said extractor means and said feed cylinders whereby gravity and forces produced by the head of fiber in and conveyance by said baffle of tufts into said upper region move the fiber tufts downwardly from the extractor baffle to the feed cylinders, driving means for oscillating said plates about their pivot axes to cyclically swing said confronting surfaces through a range of downwardly converging positions to compress the fiber tufts therebetween into a batt, and a pair of opposed rotating compression cylinders disposed on opposite sides of said feed path below said plates for compressing the batt discharged below said plates and feeding the same from the chute for delivery to the feed end of the carding machine.

Claim 13

Apparatus for conveying fibers to the feed end of a carding machine from a substantially horizontal overhead supply flue supplying fiber tufts by vehicle air along a supply path having a width coextensive with the carding machine and concurrently forming the fibers into a batt suitable for delivery into the carding machine, comprising a vertically elongated feed chute forming a laterally closed tubular passageway having an open top directly joining and opening into the flue and an open bottom adjacent said feed end for receiving fiber tufts from the flue and directing them downwardly along a generally vertical feed path therein, said chute having spaced planiform vertical front and backwalls extending from said open top to said open bottom and laterally spaced sidewalls, the width of said chute between said sidewalls being coextensive throughout its height with the full width of the carding machine, a pair of spaced opposed compression plates in the lower region of said chute at opposite sides of the feed path pivoted in the upper regions thereof for rocking movement about horizontal pivot axes spaced inwardly from said front and backwalls in parallelism with said feed path and having substantially planiform confronting surfaces defining a continuously unobstructed space therebetween for reception of the fiber tufts, a pair of opposed, rotating feed cylinders located at opposite sides of the feed path immediately above said plates for feeding fiber tufts downwardly into said unobstructed space between said plates, a revolving extractor baffle having plural radially extending blades rotatable about a horizontal transverse axis at said open top for mechanically withdrawing fiber tufts from the vehicle air in said supply path and mechanically carrying the tufts downwardly into the upper region of said chute, to substantially fill said upper region and then maintain a head of fiber therein, the interior of said chute being unobstructed between said extractor means and said feed cylinders whereby gravity and forces produced by the head of fiber in and conveyance by said baffle of tufts into said upper region move the fiber tufts downwardly from the extractor baffle to the feed cylinders, driving means for oscillating said plates about their pivot axes to cyclically swing said confronting surfaces through a range of downwardly converging positions to compress the fiber tufts therebetween into a batt, and a pair of opposed rotating compression cylinders disposed on opposite sides of said feed path below said plates for compressing the batt discharged below said plates and feeding the same from the chute for delivery to the feed end of the carding machine.

Claim 14

Apparatus for conveying fibers to the feed end of a carding machine from a substantially horizontal overhead supply flue supplying fiber tufts by vehicle air along a supply path having a width coextensive with the carding machine and concurrently forming the fibers into a batt suitable for delivery into the carding machine, comprising a vertically elongated feed chute forming a laterally closed tubular passageway having an open top directly joining and opening into the flue and an open bottom adjacent said feed end for receiving fiber tufts from the flue and directing them downwardly along a generally vertical feed path therein, said chute having spaced planiform vertical front and backwalls extending from said open top to said open bottom and laterally spaced sidewalls, the width of said chute between said sidewalls being coextensive throughout its height with the full width of the carding machine, a pair of spaced opposed compression plates in the lower region of said chute at opposite sides of the feed path pivoted in the upper regions thereof for rocking movement about horizontal pivot axes spaced inwardly from said front and backwalls in parallelism with said feed path and having substantially planiform confronting surfaces defining a continuously unobstructed space therebetween for reception of the fiber tufts, A pair of opposed, rotating feed cylinders located at opposite sides of the feed path immediately above said plates for feeding fiber tufts downwardly into said unobstructed space between said plates, a revolving extractor baffle having plural radially extending blades rotatable about a horizontal transverse axis at said open top for mechanically withdrawing fiber tufts from the vehicle air in said supply path and mechanically carrying the tufts downwardly into the upper region of said chute, to substantially fill said upper region and then maintain a head of fiber therein, the interior of said chute being unobstructed between said extractor means and said feed cylinders whereby gravity and forces produced by the head of fiber in and conveyance by said baffle of tufts into said upper region move the fiber tufts downwardly from the extractor baffle to the feed cylinders, driving means for oscillating said plates about their pivot axes to cyclically swing said confronting surfaces through a range of downwardly converging positions to compress the fiber tufts therebetween into a batt, a pair of opposed rotating compression cylinders disposed on opposite sides of said feed path below said plates for compressing the batt discharged below said plates and feeding the same from the chute for delivery to the feed end of the carding machine, said driving means including a rotating plural lobe cam, a first lever supported for rocking movement about one of said axes having cam follower means tracking on said lobe cam for rocking the lever, and means coupling said lever to said plates for rocking the latter about their axes through arcs correlated to the contours of the lobes of said lobe cam to effect selected uniform compression of the fiber tufts into said batt.

Claim 15

Apparatus for conveying fibers to the feed end of a carding machine from a substantially horizontal overhead supply flue supplying fiber tufts by vehicle air along a supply path having a width coextensive with the carding machine and concurrently forming the fibers into a batt suitable for delivery into the carding machine, comprising a vertically elongated feed chute forming a laterally closed tubular passageway having an open top directly joining and opening into the flue and an open bottom adjacent said feed end for receiving fiber tufts from the flue and directing them downwardly along a generally vertical feed path therein, said chute having spaced planiform vertical front and backwalls extending from said open top to said open bottom and laterally spaced sidewalls, the width of said chute between said sidewalls being coextensive throughout its height with the full width of the carding machine, a pair of spaced opposed compression plates in the lower region of said chute at opposite sides of the feed path pivoted in the upper regions thereof for rocking movement about horizontal pivot axes spaced inwardly from said front and backwalls in parallelism with said feed path and having substantially planiform confronting surfaces defining a continuously unobstructed space therebetween for reception of the fiber tufts, A pair of opposed, rotating feed cylinders located at opposite sides of the feed path immediately above said plates for feeding fiber tufts downwardly into said unobstructed space between said plates, a revolving extractor baffle having plural radially extending blades rotatable about a horizontal transverse axis at said open top for mechanically withdrawing fiber tufts from the vehicle air in said supply path and mechanically carrying the tufts downwardly into the upper region of said chute, to substantially fill said upper region and then maintain a head of fiber therein, the interior of said chute being unobstructed between said extractor means and said feed cylinders whereby gravity and forces produced by the head of fiber in and conveyance by said baffle of tufts into said upper region move the fiber tufts downwardly from the extractor baffle to the feed cylinders, driving means for oscillating said plates about their pivot axes to cyclically swing said confronting surfaces through a range of downwardly converging positions to compress the fiber tufts therebetween into a batt, a pair of opposed rotating compression cylinders disposed on opposite sides of said feed path below said plates for compressing the batt discharged below said plates and feeding the same from the chute for delivery to the feed end of the carding machine, said driving means including a rotating plural lobe cam, a first lever supported for rocking movement about one of said axes having cam follower means tracking on said lobe cam for rocking the lever, and means coupling said lever to said plates for rocking the latter about their axes through arcs correlated to the contours of the lobes of said lobe cam to effect selected uniform compression of the fiber tufts into said batt.

Claim 16

Apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein said feed chute includes a horizontally elongated head section interposed in said flue, said extractor baffle being disposed at the juncture of said feed chute and head section forming a revolving baffle in the top of said chute with said blades penetrating the lower strata of the conveying airstream in said flue for mechanically transferring fiber tufts from said supply path downwardly into the upper region of said feed chute for gravity discharge to said feed cylinders, a deflector plate member disposed upstream of said extractor baffle hinged at an upstream edge thereof about a hinge axis substantially aligned with the bottom of said flue and having a free edge closely adjacent said extractor baffle, and adjustment means for positioning said deflector plate member at selected angular positions to vary the spacing between said free edge and the periphery of the extractor baffle to thereby regulate the size of tufts delivered by the extractor baffle into said feed chute to selected small tuft sizes and to regulate the extent of extractor baffle penetration into the air-fiber mixture flowing through the flue.

Claim 17

Apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said extractor baffle is in the shape of an interrupted baffle cylinder having a diametrically opposed pair of right-angular recesses extending substantially the axial length of the baffle cylinder and having their apexes closely adjacent the center axis of the baffle cylinder to define pockets for receiving tufts from said supply path and carrying them into the upper portion of said chute for gravitational movement downwardly to said feed cylinders.