Fluffing machine for producing webs of various widths

Claim 2

A machine for forming a fiber web, comprising a rotary lickerin, means for rotating the lickerin, means feeding a fiber mat to said lickerin so that the lickerin in its rotatioN combs fibers from the mat, means directing a stream of air past said lickerin to cause fibers to be doffed from said lickerin by centrifugal force and by said air stream, a duct into which the fibers are doffed and through which said air stream flows to convey the doffed fibers through said duct, a movable foraminous condenser, said duct having a discharge opening for delivering fibers from said duct onto said condenser, said opening having parallel straight sides and being longer than the width of said condenser, and means mounting said condenser pivotally whereby the angle of its travel may be adjusted relative to the longitudinal direction of said discharge opening to change the angle of travel of the condenser to vary the width of the web formed on the condenser by fibers deposited thereon.

Claim 3

A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said discharge opening is of uniform width from end to end, said condenser is an endless foraminous belt, and the adjustment of the angle of travel of said belt is relative to the longitudinal direction of said discharge opening and about an axis intersecting said discharge opening intermediate the ends thereof.

Claim 4

A machine for forming a fiber web comprising a frame, a rotary lickerin rotatably mounted on said frame, means for feeding a fiber mat to said lickerin so that the lickerin in its rotation combs fibers from the mat, means for driving the lickerin at high speed, means, including a pressure chamber, for directing an air stream past said lickerin to doff fibers from the lickerin by centrifugal force and the action of said air stream, a duct into which the air and doffed fibers flow and having a mouth through which the air and fibers are discharged, said mouth having parallel sides, an endless foraminous belt mounted to receive fibers discharged by said mouth, said belt having a width less than the length of said mouth, a housing in which said belt is movably mounted, and means for sucking the air and fibers from said duct and its mouth onto said belt comprising a suction fan mounted in a chamber in said frame, and ports operatively connecting the suction side of said fan with opposed sides of said housing, and a second duct connecting the pressure side of said fan with said pressure chamber, means for pivotally mounting said housing on said frame for angular adjustment thereon to change the direction of travel of said belt relative to the length of said mouth to control the width of the web of fibers laid down on said belt.

Claim 5

A machine for forming a fiber web comprising a frame, a rotary lickerin rotatably mounted on said frame, means for feeding a fiber mat to said lickerin so that the lickerin in its rotation combs fibers from the mat, means for driving the lickerin at high speed, means, including a pressure chamber, for directing an air stream past said lickerin to doff fibers from the lickerin by centrifugal force and the action of said air stream, a duct into which the air and doffed fibers flow and having a mouth through which the air and fibers are discharged, said mouth having parallel sides, an endless foraminous belt mounted to receive fibers discharged by said mouth, said belt having a width less than the length of said mouth, a housing in which said belt is movably mounted, and means for sucking the air and fibers from said duct and its mouth onto said belt comprising a suction fan mounted in a chamber in said frame, and ports operatively connecting the suction side of said fan with opposed sides of said housing, and a second duct connecting the pressure side of said fan with said pressure chamber, means for pivotally mounting said housing on said frame for angular adjustment thereon to change the direction of travel of said belt relative to the length of said mouth to control the width of the web of fibers laid down on said belt.

Claim 6

A machine for forming a fiber web comprising a frame, a rotary lickerin rotatably mounted on said frame, means for feeding a fiber mat to said lickerin so that the lickerin in its rotation combs fibers from the mat, means for driving the lickerin at high speed, means, including a pressure chamber, for directing an air stream past said lickerin to doff fibers from the lickerin by centrifugal force and action of said air stream, a duct into which the air and doffed fibers flow and having a mouth through which the air and fibers are discharged, an endless foraminous belt mounted to receive fibers discharged by said mouth, said mouth being narrow widthwise and being longer than the width of said belt, a housing in which said belt is movably mounted, and means for sucking the air and fibers from said duct and its mouth onto said belt and for supplying air under pressure to said pressure chamber, means for pivotally mounting said housing on said frame for adjustment about an axis perpendicular to the direction of travel of said belt to change the direction of travel of said belt relative to said mouth to control the width of the web of fibers laid down on said belt.

Claim 7

A machine for forming a fiber web comprising a frame, a rotary lickerin rotatably mounted on said frame, means for feeding a fiber mat to said lickerin so that the lickerin in its rotation combs fibers from the mat, means for driving the lickerin at high speed, means, including a pressure chamber, for directing an air stream past said lickerin to doff fibers from the lickerin by centrifugal force and action of said air stream, a duct into which the air and doffed fibers flow and having a mouth through which the air and fibers are discharged, an endless foraminous belt mounted to receive fibers discharged by said mouth, said mouth being narrow widthwise and being longer than the width of said belt, a housing in which said belt is movably mounted, and means for sucking the air and fibers from said duct and its mouth onto said belt and for supplying air under pressure to said pressure chamber, means for pivotally mounting said housing on said frame for adjustment about an axis perpendicular to the direction of travel of said belt to change the direction of travel of said belt relative to said mouth to control the width of the web of fibers laid down on said belt.

Claim 8

Apparatus for forming a fiber web comprising a frame, a rotary lickerin rotatably mounted on said frame, means for feeding a fiber mat to said lickerin so that the lickerin iN its rotation combs fibers from the mat, means for driving the lickerin at high speed, means, including a pressure chamber, for directing an air stream past said lickerin to doff fibers from the lickerin by centrifugal force and action of said air stream, a duct into which the air and doffed fibers flow and having a mouth through which the air and fibers are discharged, an endless foraminous belt mounted to receive fibers discharged by said mouth, said mouth being narrow widthwise and longer than the width of said belt, means for sucking the air and fibers from said duct and its mouth onto said belt and for supplying air under pressure to said pressure chamber, and a housing in which said belt is movably mounted, and means for pivotally mounting said housing on said frame for angular adjustment thereon to change the direction of travel of said belt relative to said mouth to control the width of the web of fibers laid down on said belt.

Claim 9

Apparatus for forming a fiber web comprising a frame, a rotary lickerin rotatably mounted on said frame, means for feeding a fiber mat to said lickerin so that the lickerin iN its rotation combs fibers from the mat, means for driving the lickerin at high speed, means, including a pressure chamber, for directing an air stream past said lickerin to doff fibers from the lickerin by centrifugal force and action of said air stream, a duct into which the air and doffed fibers flow and having a mouth through which the air and fibers are discharged, an endless foraminous belt mounted to receive fibers discharged by said mouth, said mouth being narrow widthwise and longer than the width of said belt, means for sucking the air and fibers from said duct and its mouth onto said belt and for supplying air under pressure to said pressure chamber, and a housing in which said belt is movably mounted, and means for pivotally mounting said housing on said frame for angular adjustment thereon to change the direction of travel of said belt relative to said mouth to control the width of the web of fibers laid down on said belt.