US3738476A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Fiber feeding arrangement
Assignee: Fiber Controls Corp
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Filing: 1970-08-06
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Granted: 1973-06-12
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Expires: 1990-08-06
Abstract
Abstract A fiber feeding device having an uplift apron and a feed apron at its lower reach. In front of the uplift apron is an area defined at its upper level by a level control which senses the height of fibers and an sharply angularly disposed front boundry member by which a fiber roll tumbling reserve area is developed. The level control starts and stops the feed apron which is otherwise driven only concurrently with the drive of the lift apron and at a reduced speed to keep from overfeeding the lift apron and to keep the fibers in the reserve area at a substantially constant amount to effect improved fiber opening and feeding of a constant amount of fibers by the lift apron.
Inventors
- 👤 D Hullett
- 👤 K Lytton
- 👤 G Miller
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 11:34
CPC Classifications
D; D01; D01G; D01G23/00; D01G23/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
434 words
In a device for handling fibers, the improvement comprising: a movable, inclined, spiked, endless lift apron having an upper reach and a lower reach and front and rear sides respectively movable upwardly and downwardly about said reaches, combing means adjacent the front side of said lift apron for combing the fibers lifted thereby, doffer means adjacent the upper reach and said rear side for doffing combed fibers from said lift apron near said upper reach, a movable horizontally disposed endless feed apron having a downstream reach adjacent and beneath said lower reach of said lift apron and an upstream reach substantially spaced from said downstream reach, means defining a hopper area and including a stock gate for receiving fibers and presenting same to said feed apron, said stock gate being disposed above said feed apron and inclined downwardly and downstream with its lower end being movable within a predetermined distance range above said feed apron to prevent the fibers received by said feed apron and moved downstream thereby from ballooning and causing the fibers fed to said lift apron to be too great a volume, said feed apron including spaced slats extending transversely of said feed apron and shaped to sliPpingly move the fibers received by the said feed apron downstream under said stockgate, means for driving said lift apron so as to cause its said front side to move upwardly as aforesaid, means defining a fiber roll tumbling reserve area in front of approximately the middle third of said front side of said lift apron including an electric eye and a front boundary member disposed at an angle of substantially 30* relative to the vertical with its upper end adjacent said electric eye and being downwardly inclined toward said lift apron and spaced therefrom and from the feed apron predetermined amounts so as to prevent fiber bridging between said lift apron and the lower end of said boundary member but to allow fiber clumps and the like therethrough and to prevent fibers in said tumbling area from falling back down onto said feed apron, said electric eye being disposed above and adjacent the upper end of said boundary member at substantially the height of said middle third of said lift apron so as to define substantially the upper limit of said tumbling reserve area, and means effectively driven by said driving means but controlled by said electric eye for operating said feed apron to cause fibers thereon to be moved downstream toward said lift apron only when the fibers in said roll tumbling reserve area do not cover but expose said electric eye.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
434 words
In a device for handling fibers, the improvement comprising: a movable, inclined, spiked, endless lift apron having an upper reach and a lower reach and front and rear sides respectively movable upwardly and downwardly about said reaches, combing means adjacent the front side of said lift apron for combing the fibers lifted thereby, doffer means adjacent the upper reach and said rear side for doffing combed fibers from said lift apron near said upper reach, a movable horizontally disposed endless feed apron having a downstream reach adjacent and beneath said lower reach of said lift apron and an upstream reach substantially spaced from said downstream reach, means defining a hopper area and including a stock gate for receiving fibers and presenting same to said feed apron, said stock gate being disposed above said feed apron and inclined downwardly and downstream with its lower end being movable within a predetermined distance range above said feed apron to prevent the fibers received by said feed apron and moved downstream thereby from ballooning and causing the fibers fed to said lift apron to be too great a volume, said feed apron including spaced slats extending transversely of said feed apron and shaped to sliPpingly move the fibers received by the said feed apron downstream under said stockgate, means for driving said lift apron so as to cause its said front side to move upwardly as aforesaid, means defining a fiber roll tumbling reserve area in front of approximately the middle third of said front side of said lift apron including an electric eye and a front boundary member disposed at an angle of substantially 30* relative to the vertical with its upper end adjacent said electric eye and being downwardly inclined toward said lift apron and spaced therefrom and from the feed apron predetermined amounts so as to prevent fiber bridging between said lift apron and the lower end of said boundary member but to allow fiber clumps and the like therethrough and to prevent fibers in said tumbling area from falling back down onto said feed apron, said electric eye being disposed above and adjacent the upper end of said boundary member at substantially the height of said middle third of said lift apron so as to define substantially the upper limit of said tumbling reserve area, and means effectively driven by said driving means but controlled by said electric eye for operating said feed apron to cause fibers thereon to be moved downstream toward said lift apron only when the fibers in said roll tumbling reserve area do not cover but expose said electric eye.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
340 words
In a device for handling fibers, the improvement comprising: a movable, inclined, spiked, endless lift apron having an upper reach and a lower reach and front and rear sides respectively movable upwardly and downwardly about said reaches, a movable horizontally disposed endless feed apron having a downstream reach adjacent and beneath said lower reach of said lift apron and an upstream reach substantially spaced from said downstream reach, means defining a hopper area for receiving fibers and presenting same to said feed apron, said defining means including a stock gate at the downstream side of said hopper area for preventing the fibers received by said feed apron and moved downstream thereby from ballooning and causing the fibers fed to said lift apron to be too great a volume for handling by the lift apron, means for driving said lift apron so as to cause its said front side to move upwardly as aforesaid, means for developing a fiber roll tumbling reserve area in front of said front side of said lift apron including a level control for sensing the height of said roll and an angularly disposed front boundary member downwardly inclined toward said lift apron and spaced therefrom and from the feed apron predetermined amounts so as to prevent fiber bridging between said lift apron and said boundary member and to prevent fibers in said tumbling area from falling back down onto said feed apron while allowing fiber clumps and the like to pass into said reserve area from said stock gate, and means effectively driven by said driving means but controlled by said level control for operating said feed apron to cause fibers thereon to be moved downstream toward said lift apron only when the fibers in said roll tumbling reserve area do not extend to said level control so as to keep the fibers in said reserve area at a substantially constant amount and the resultant fiber roll therein continuously tumbling for improved fiber opening and feeding by said lift apron of a constant amount of fibers.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
340 words
In a device for handling fibers, the improvement comprising: a movable, inclined, spiked, endless lift apron having an upper reach and a lower reach and front and rear sides respectively movable upwardly and downwardly about said reaches, a movable horizontally disposed endless feed apron having a downstream reach adjacent and beneath said lower reach of said lift apron and an upstream reach substantially spaced from said downstream reach, means defining a hopper area for receiving fibers and presenting same to said feed apron, said defining means including a stock gate at the downstream side of said hopper area for preventing the fibers received by said feed apron and moved downstream thereby from ballooning and causing the fibers fed to said lift apron to be too great a volume for handling by the lift apron, means for driving said lift apron so as to cause its said front side to move upwardly as aforesaid, means for developing a fiber roll tumbling reserve area in front of said front side of said lift apron including a level control for sensing the height of said roll and an angularly disposed front boundary member downwardly inclined toward said lift apron and spaced therefrom and from the feed apron predetermined amounts so as to prevent fiber bridging between said lift apron and said boundary member and to prevent fibers in said tumbling area from falling back down onto said feed apron while allowing fiber clumps and the like to pass into said reserve area from said stock gate, and means effectively driven by said driving means but controlled by said level control for operating said feed apron to cause fibers thereon to be moved downstream toward said lift apron only when the fibers in said roll tumbling reserve area do not extend to said level control so as to keep the fibers in said reserve area at a substantially constant amount and the resultant fiber roll therein continuously tumbling for improved fiber opening and feeding by said lift apron of a constant amount of fibers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
13 words
The improvement of claim 2 wherein said level control includes an electric eye.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
The improvement of claim 2 wherein said feed apron includes spaced slats extending transversely of said feed apron and shaped to slippingly move the fibers received by the said feed apron downstream into said lift apron.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
344 words
In a device for handling fibers, the improvement comprising: a movable, inclined, spiked, endless lift apron having an upper reach and a lower reach and front and rear sides respectively movable upwardly and downwardly about said reaches, a movable Horizontally disposed endless feed apron having a downstream reach adjacent and beneath said lower reach of said lift apron and an upstream reach substantially spaced from said downstream reach, means defining a hopper area for receiving fibers and presenting same to said feed apron, means for driving said lift apron so as to cause its said front side to move upwardly as aforesaid, means for developing a fiber roll tumbling reserve area in front of said front side of said lift apron including a level control for sensing the height of said roll and under said level control an angularly disposed front boundary member downwardly inclined sharply from a point frontward of said level control toward said lift apron and spaced therefrom and from the feed apron predetermined amounts so as to prevent fiber bridging between said lift apron and said boundary member and to prevent fibers in said tumbling area from falling back down onto said feed apron while allowing fiber clumps and the like to pass into said reserve area from said feed apron, and means effectively reducing feed apron speed driven only concurrently with said driving means and controlled by said level control for operating said feed apron to cause fibers thereon to be moved downstream toward said lift apron at a slower speed than the uplift of said lift apron to prevent overfeed of said lift apron and to be so moved downstream only when the fibers in said roll tumbling reserve area do not extend to said level control and only while said driving means drives said lift apron as aforesaid, so as to keep the fibers in said reserve area at a substantially constant amount and the resultant fiber roll therein continuously tumbling for improved fiber opening and feeding by said lift apron of a constant amount of fibers.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
344 words
In a device for handling fibers, the improvement comprising: a movable, inclined, spiked, endless lift apron having an upper reach and a lower reach and front and rear sides respectively movable upwardly and downwardly about said reaches, a movable Horizontally disposed endless feed apron having a downstream reach adjacent and beneath said lower reach of said lift apron and an upstream reach substantially spaced from said downstream reach, means defining a hopper area for receiving fibers and presenting same to said feed apron, means for driving said lift apron so as to cause its said front side to move upwardly as aforesaid, means for developing a fiber roll tumbling reserve area in front of said front side of said lift apron including a level control for sensing the height of said roll and under said level control an angularly disposed front boundary member downwardly inclined sharply from a point frontward of said level control toward said lift apron and spaced therefrom and from the feed apron predetermined amounts so as to prevent fiber bridging between said lift apron and said boundary member and to prevent fibers in said tumbling area from falling back down onto said feed apron while allowing fiber clumps and the like to pass into said reserve area from said feed apron, and means effectively reducing feed apron speed driven only concurrently with said driving means and controlled by said level control for operating said feed apron to cause fibers thereon to be moved downstream toward said lift apron at a slower speed than the uplift of said lift apron to prevent overfeed of said lift apron and to be so moved downstream only when the fibers in said roll tumbling reserve area do not extend to said level control and only while said driving means drives said lift apron as aforesaid, so as to keep the fibers in said reserve area at a substantially constant amount and the resultant fiber roll therein continuously tumbling for improved fiber opening and feeding by said lift apron of a constant amount of fibers.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
52 words
A fiber handling device as in claim 5 wherein said hopper area defining means includes means for preventing the fibers received by said feed apron and moved downstream thereby from ballooning and causing the fibers fed to said lift apron to be too great a volume for handling by the lift apron.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
A fiber handling device as in claim 5 wherein said feed apron includes spaced slats extending transversely of said feed apron and shaped to slippingly move the fibers received by the said feed apron downstream into said lift apron.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-06-11 | 1976-12-11 | 1977-06-12 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-06-11 | 1980-12-11 | 1981-06-12 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-06-11 | 1984-12-11 | 1985-06-12 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |