Bale reducing apparatus and method of reducing fiber bales

Claim 3

A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fiber removing apparatus is moved horizontally through said plane and the fiber bales are moved in said supply direction inclined with respect to said plane.

Claim 4

A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said fiber bales are moved horizontally in said supply direction and said fiber removing apparatus is moved through said plane in inclined relation with said supply direction.

Claim 5

A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the fiber removing apparatus moves at constant speed.

Claim 6

A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of removing fibers from each fiber bale occurs simultaneously on each bale.

Claim 7

A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of removing fibers from each fiber bale occurs in consecutive order on successive fiber bales in said common plane.

Claim 8

A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fiber bales are moved in said supply direction under a force acting on the back side of said fiber bales.

Claim 9

A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein a plurality of fiber bales are arranged side by side and are moved in said supply direction.

Claim 10

A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein movement of said fiber bales is stopped during said step of moving said fiber removing apparatus through said plane.

Claim 11

A fiber bale reducing apparatus comprising a supply means for moving fiber bales in a supply direction disposed in angular rotation to a predetermined plane, said supply means having a guide disposed below and in acute angular relation to said plane and extending in said supply direction over a length corresponding to a plurality of consecutively arranged fiber bales for guiding said plurality fiber bales simultaneously towards and into said plane upon movement of said plurality of fiber bales in said supply direction; means for mounting said supply means for movement at periodic intervals to periodically advance said pluraLity of fiber bales in said supply direction; a fiber removing device having means for mounting said fiber removing device for movement to and fro in said plane over each of said fiber bales having an upper surface in said plane, said fiber removing device including a rotatable roll having fiber removing elements extending from a surface thereof facing said guide and projecting into said plane for removing and opening a layer of fiber material from each bale having an upper surface in said plane; and control means connected to said fiber removing device and said supply means for actuating said device and said supply means in synchronism to effect said movement of said supply means at a periodic interval during reversal of said device in said plane and stopping of said supply means during movement of said device in said plane.

Claim 12

A fiber bale reducing apparatus comprising a supply means for moving fiber bales in a supply direction disposed in angular rotation to a predetermined plane, said supply means having a guide disposed below and in acute angular relation to said plane and extending in said supply direction over a length corresponding to a plurality of consecutively arranged fiber bales for guiding said plurality fiber bales simultaneously towards and into said plane upon movement of said plurality of fiber bales in said supply direction; means for mounting said supply means for movement at periodic intervals to periodically advance said pluraLity of fiber bales in said supply direction; a fiber removing device having means for mounting said fiber removing device for movement to and fro in said plane over each of said fiber bales having an upper surface in said plane, said fiber removing device including a rotatable roll having fiber removing elements extending from a surface thereof facing said guide and projecting into said plane for removing and opening a layer of fiber material from each bale having an upper surface in said plane; and control means connected to said fiber removing device and said supply means for actuating said device and said supply means in synchronism to effect said movement of said supply means at a periodic interval during reversal of said device in said plane and stopping of said supply means during movement of said device in said plane.

Claim 13

A fiber bale reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said guide is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane and said fiber removing device is disposed in a horizontal plane.

Claim 14

A fiber bale reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said guide is disposed in a horizontal plane and said plane of said fiber removing device is disposed in angular relation to a horizontal plane.

Claim 15

A fiber bale reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said guide is a transporting belt having a plurality of pins extending therefrom for engaging said bales to move said bales with said belt in said supply direction.

Claim 16

A fiber bale reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said guide is a plurality of freely rotatable rolls.

Claim 17

A fiber bale reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein said supply means further has a movable supply plate for engaging the back side of the rearmost of said plurality of fiber bales to move said plurality of fiber bales along said rotatable rolls.

Claim 18

A fiber bale reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 10 which further includes means for moving said fiber removing device longitudinally along the length of said guide.

Claim 19

A fiber bale reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 10 which further includes means for moving said fiber removing device transversely to the length of said guide.

Claim 20

A fiber bale reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 10 which further includes means for selectively rotating said roll in opposite directions.