US3645305A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Feeding system for wool-carding plants and the like
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1969-12-04
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Granted: 1972-02-29
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Expires: 1989-12-04
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus is provided for automatically and sequentially supplying uncarded wool to a plurality of carding machines, each of said carding machines having a gate effective to divert the wool from a moving conveyor to the individual machine. A control system is provided to actuate the conveyor, and includes photocell arrangements at each machine for detecting a filled condition thereof, which photocells actuate the adjacent gate eliminating further diversion into that particular machine. The control system incorporates further provision for accommodating ''''leftover'''' wool on the conveyor by diverting it to a number of machines at the end of the conveyor, which machines accept the ''''leftovers'''' sequentially as they are filled in an upstream direction of the conveyor. Override provisions are included in the control system for manually controlling the gates of said machines for feeding selected ones as desired.
Inventors
- 👤 Gaston C Warlop
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 04:35
CPC Classifications
D; D01; D01G; D01G23/00; D01G23/08
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
329 words
An automatic system for supplying fibrous raw materials to a bank of carding machines or the like, which comprises a. a raw materials delivery conveyor extending successively adjacent the feed hoppers of each machine of the bank thereof, b. said conveyor having a discharge means for each feed hopper and a controllable diverting gate associated with the discharge means for each feed hopper upstream of the last hopper, c. said conveyor being arranged for effecting discharge into the last hopper of any raw materials carried by the conveyor past the discharge opening for the next-to-last hopper, d. raw material control meAns including sensing means associated with each of the feed hoppers for closing the diverting gate to a hopper and thereby causing material to be discharged into such hopper by said conveyor at controllable times, e. the sensing means for each hopper being operative, when calling for the discharge of material to actuate said delivery conveyor, f. the sensing means for upstream hoppers being additionally operative to close the diverting gates for the respective hoppers, whereby raw materials are diverted into such hoppers, and being operative to sense when a hopper is filled and in response thereto to open the control gate for said hopper, g. controllable means for feeding raw materials onto the delivery conveyor upstream of the machine hoppers, on a substantially continuous basis whenever said delivery conveyor is in operation, h. said delivery conveyor and the feeding means therefor having a material delivery capacity at least slightly in excess of the average rate of materials consumption of the machines serviced thereby, and i. control means for stopping the delivery conveyor at times when none of the machine hoppers are indicated to require refilling, j. said control means for the last hopper being operative to sense a full hopper and thereupon to close the diverting gate for the second-to-last hopper and cause all raw material conveyed past the third-to-last hopper to be discharged into the second-to-last hopper.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
329 words
An automatic system for supplying fibrous raw materials to a bank of carding machines or the like, which comprises a. a raw materials delivery conveyor extending successively adjacent the feed hoppers of each machine of the bank thereof, b. said conveyor having a discharge means for each feed hopper and a controllable diverting gate associated with the discharge means for each feed hopper upstream of the last hopper, c. said conveyor being arranged for effecting discharge into the last hopper of any raw materials carried by the conveyor past the discharge opening for the next-to-last hopper, d. raw material control meAns including sensing means associated with each of the feed hoppers for closing the diverting gate to a hopper and thereby causing material to be discharged into such hopper by said conveyor at controllable times, e. the sensing means for each hopper being operative, when calling for the discharge of material to actuate said delivery conveyor, f. the sensing means for upstream hoppers being additionally operative to close the diverting gates for the respective hoppers, whereby raw materials are diverted into such hoppers, and being operative to sense when a hopper is filled and in response thereto to open the control gate for said hopper, g. controllable means for feeding raw materials onto the delivery conveyor upstream of the machine hoppers, on a substantially continuous basis whenever said delivery conveyor is in operation, h. said delivery conveyor and the feeding means therefor having a material delivery capacity at least slightly in excess of the average rate of materials consumption of the machines serviced thereby, and i. control means for stopping the delivery conveyor at times when none of the machine hoppers are indicated to require refilling, j. said control means for the last hopper being operative to sense a full hopper and thereupon to close the diverting gate for the second-to-last hopper and cause all raw material conveyed past the third-to-last hopper to be discharged into the second-to-last hopper.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
61 words
An automatic feeding system according to claim 1, further characterized by a. said control means for the second-to-last hopper and certain hoppers located successively upstream thereof relative to said delivery conveyor, being additionally operative to close the diverting gates for the hopper successively next upstream and cause all raw material reaching such gate to be diverted into the hopper associated therewith.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
63 words
An automatic feeding system according to claim 1, further characterized by said raw material control means comprising a. photocell and light source means for sensing the presence in a hopper of raw material at a predetermined maximum level, and b. timer means actuated by said photocell and light source means for timing the period during which raw material is consumed from the hopper.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
66 words
An automatic feeding system according to claim 1, further characterized by a. said photocell and light source means including delay relay means, whereby the presence of raw material at a maximum level is sensed only by sustained interruption of the light source for a predetermined period of time, and b. said timer means is actuated by reestablishment of said light source following said sustained interruption thereof.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
198 words
An automatic feeding system for supplying fibrous raw material to a bank of carding machines or the like, which comprises a. a delivery conveyor disposed adjacent successive machines and adapted to supply raw materials to said machines, b. means for actuating said conveyor when a carding machine requires resupplying, c. controllable means for feeding raw materials onto the delivery conveyor upstream of the carding machines on a substantially continuous basis whenever said delivery conveyor is in operation, d. said delivery conveyor having a delivery capacity at least equal to the consumption capacity of said machines, e. gates associated with said delivery conveyor for each of said machines upstream of the last machine, f. said gates being operable in random sequence to closed positions for diverting raw materials from said conveyor into hoppers associated with said machines, g. said conveyor being operative to discharge into the hopper for the last machine all materials conveyed past the machine next upstream thereof, and h. control means associated with said last machine operative, when and for as long as the hopper for said machine is filled to predetermined capacity, to close the gate for the second-to-last machine independently of said random sequence.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
198 words
An automatic feeding system for supplying fibrous raw material to a bank of carding machines or the like, which comprises a. a delivery conveyor disposed adjacent successive machines and adapted to supply raw materials to said machines, b. means for actuating said conveyor when a carding machine requires resupplying, c. controllable means for feeding raw materials onto the delivery conveyor upstream of the carding machines on a substantially continuous basis whenever said delivery conveyor is in operation, d. said delivery conveyor having a delivery capacity at least equal to the consumption capacity of said machines, e. gates associated with said delivery conveyor for each of said machines upstream of the last machine, f. said gates being operable in random sequence to closed positions for diverting raw materials from said conveyor into hoppers associated with said machines, g. said conveyor being operative to discharge into the hopper for the last machine all materials conveyed past the machine next upstream thereof, and h. control means associated with said last machine operative, when and for as long as the hopper for said machine is filled to predetermined capacity, to close the gate for the second-to-last machine independently of said random sequence.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
53 words
An automatic feeding system according to claim 5, further characterized by a. said second-to-last machine, and a predetermined number of machines next upstream therefrom, having control means operative, when and for as long as all hoppers downstream thereof are filled to predetermined capacity, to close the gate for the machine next upstream thereof.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
61 words
An automatic feeding system according to claim 5, further characterized by a. said delivery having a delivery capacity substantially in excess of the consumption capacity of said machines, b. control means associated with each machine and operative to activate said conveyor when any machine calls to be supplied and to deactivate said conveyor when no machine is calling to be supplied.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
98 words
An automatic feeding system according to claim 7, further including a. a main supply hopper upstream of the delivery conveyor, b. means for feeding raw material into said main supply hopper, c. conveyor means forming at least a portion of the bottom of said main supply hopper and operative to controllably advance material toward one end thereof, d. a spike apron forming said one end of the main supply hopper and operative to controllably convey material from said hopper to said delivery conveyor, and e. means to activate and deactivate said spike apron along with said delivery conveyor.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
96 words
An automatic feeding system according to claim 5, further characterized by a. supply control means associated with each machine for controlling the reserve supply of raw material in the hoppers of said machines, b. said supply control means including (i) means for sensing when the material reaches a predetermined maximum level in the hopper and operative in response thereto to discontinue feeding of raw material to the hopper, and (ii) means for timing the consumption of material from the hopper and, after a predetermined consumption period, for resuming the feeding of raw materials to the hopper.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
71 words
An automatic feeding system according to claim 9, further characterized by a. the means for sensing comprising a light beam and photocell system and a delay relay responsive to the sustained interruption of the light beam for a predetermined period, and b. said means for timing being operative in response to the operation of said delay relay and the subsequent reestablishment of said light beam to commence a predetermined timing period.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
91 words
An automatic feeding system according to claim 5, further characterized by a. said delivery conveyor comprising a conveyor belt and a pair of structural elements forming conveyor sidewalls, b. said sidewalls having openings formed therein opposite the respective machine hoppers, c. said gates being mounted on said sidewalls for swinging movement between open positions, generally parallel to the conveyor, and closed positions, disposed diagonally across the conveyor with the downstream extremities of the gates being disposed adjacent said openings for diverting material off of the belt and out of the openings.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
86 words
An automatic feeding system according to claim 14, further characterized by a. conveyor control means being provided to reverse the conveyor for a short distance on each occasion when the conveyor is stopped during the normal operation of the feeding system, and b. blower jets being provided adjacent the downstream edges of the conveyor wall openings, operable in response to the reverse movement of the conveyor to direct high pressure jets of air at the downstream area of said openings to clear away loose, hanging material.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
44 words
An automatic feeding system according to claim 11, further characterized by a. the length of said gates being such, in relation to the width of said conveyor, that said gates make an angle not significantly greater than about 30* when in their closed position.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
46 words
An automatic feeding system according to claim 13, further cHaracterized by a. said gates having a plurality of air jet openings adjacent their lower edges, and b. means being provided for ejecting air under pressure through said openings in an upstream direction relative to said conveyor.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
40 words
An automatic feeding system according to claim 14, further characterized by a. the lower edges of said gates being spaced above the upper surface of the conveyor by at least about three-eighths inch but not more than about five-eighths inch.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
30 words
An automatic feeding system according to claim 15, further characterized by a. said conveyor comprising a belt formed of a woven fabric provided with a surface coating of plastic material.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-02-28 | 1975-08-30 | 1976-02-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-02-28 | 1979-08-30 | 1980-02-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-02-28 | 1983-08-30 | 1984-02-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |