Cleaning of textile carding machines

Claim 1

An apparatus for removing waste and trash from a carding machine including a supporting chassis set upon a carding room floor, the chassis having side walls which are parallel to the flow of fiber through the machine and end walls to define an enclosed bottom region in the machine beneath carding components, comprising: a. a first suction plenum mounted to said machine and having an orifice extending in the side to side direction to capture waste and trash in a major exterior escape region of said machine; b. a first waste concentrator means connected to said first suction plenum to receive a flow of air from said first suction plenum and separate the flow into a large volumetric flow of air cleared of entrained waste and trash and a small volumetric flow of air in which waste and trash is concentrated; c. a first means attached to said machine to provide a flow of cleared air from said first waste concentrator means under positive pressure into the bottom region; d. a pressure plenum mounted to the machine, said pressure plenum connected in communication with said first means to receive the flow of air under pressure and having an emitting orifice to emit pressurized air into the bottom region; e. a second means attached to said machine to draw under a negative pressure a flow of air entraining waste and trash from the bottom region; f. a second suction plenum connected to said second means, mounted to the machine and having a receiving orifice formed spaced from and opposite the emitting orifice through which is drawn a flow from the emitting orifice after the flow has crossed the floor and entrained waste and trash; and g. a second waste concentrator means connected to said second plenum to receive a flow from said second suction plenum and separate this flow between a large volumetric flow of air clear of entrained waste and trash and a small volumetric flow of air in which the waste and trash is concentrated.

Claim 2

An apparatus for removing waste and trash from a carding machine including a supporting chassis set upon a carding room floor, the chassis having side walls which are parallel to the flow of fiber through the machine and end walls to define an enclosed bottom region in the machine beneath carding components, comprising: a. a first suction plenum mounted to said machine and having an orifice extending in the side to side direction to capture waste and trash in a major exterior escape region of said machine; b. a first waste concentrator means connected to said first suction plenum to receive a flow of air from said first suction plenum and separate the flow into a large volumetric flow of air cleared of entrained waste and trash and a small volumetric flow of air in which waste and trash is concentrated; c. a first means attached to said machine to provide a flow of cleared air from said first waste concentrator means under positive pressure into the bottom region; d. a pressure plenum mounted to the machine, said pressure plenum connected in communication with said first means to receive the flow of air under pressure and having an emitting orifice to emit pressurized air into the bottom region; e. a second means attached to said machine to draw under a negative pressure a flow of air entraining waste and trash from the bottom region; f. a second suction plenum connected to said second means, mounted to the machine and having a receiving orifice formed spaced from and opposite the emitting orifice through which is drawn a flow from the emitting orifice after the flow has crossed the floor and entrained waste and trash; and g. a second waste concentrator means connected to said second plenum to receive a flow from said second suction plenum and separate this flow between a large volumetric flow of air clear of entrained waste and trash and a small volumetric flow of air in which the waste and trash is concentrated.

Claim 9

An apparatus for removing waste and trash from a carding machine including a supporting chassis set upon a carding room floor, the chassis having side walls which are parallel to the flow of fiber through the machine and end walls to define an enclosed bottom region in the machine beneath carding components, comprising: a. a first suction plenum mounted to said machine and having an orifice extending in the side to side direction to capture waste and trash in a major exterior escape region of said machine; b. a first waste concentrator means connected to said first suction plenum to receive a flow of air from said first suction plenum and separate the flow into a large volumetric flow of air cleared of entrained waste and trash and a small volumetric flow of air in which waste and trash is concentrated; said first waste concentrator means includes a conical condenser comprising a cylindrical housing having an inlet at one end for receiving the flow from said first suction plenum, a first outlet at its opposite end for discharging the large volumetric flow and a second outlet to discharge the small volumetric flow, positioned intermediate the inlet and first outlet, and substantially reduced in cross-sectional area as compared to the inlet, the inlet and second outlet being interconnected by a gradually tapering foraminous frusto-conical wall; c. a first means attached to said machine to provide a flow of cleared air from said first waste concentrator means under positive pressure into the bottom region; d. a pressure plenum mounted to the machine, said pressure plenum connected in communication with said first means to receive the flow of air under pressure and having an emitting orifice to emit pressurized air into the bottom region; e. a second means attached to said machine to draw under a negative pressure a flow of air entraining waste and trash from the bottom region; f. a second suction plenum connected to said second means, mounted to the machine and having a receiving orifice formed spaced from and opposite the emitting orifice through which is drawn a flow from the emitting orifice after the flow has crossed the floor and entrained waste and trash; and g. a second waste concentrator means connected to said second plenum to receive a flow from said second suction plenum and separate this flow between a large volumetric flow of air clear of entrained waste and trash and a small volumetric flow of air in which the waste and trash is concentrated.

Claim 10

An apparatus for removing waste and trash from a carding machine including a supporting chassis set upon a carding room floor, the chassis having side walls which are parallel to the flow of fiber through the machine and end walls to define an enclosed bottom region in the machine beneath carding components, comprising: a. a first suction plenum mounted to said machine and having an orifice extending in the side to side direction to capture waste and trash in a major exterior escape region of said machine; b. a first waste concentrator means connected to said first suction plenum to receive a flow of air from said first suction plenum and separate the flow into a large volumetric flow of air cleared of entrained waste and trash and a small volumetric flow of air in which waste and trash is concentrated; said first waste concentrator means includes a conical condenser comprising a cylindrical housing having an inlet at one end for receiving the flow from said first suction plenum, a first outlet at its opposite end for discharging the large volumetric flow and a second outlet to discharge the small volumetric flow, positioned intermediate the inlet and first outlet, and substantially reduced in cross-sectional area as compared to the inlet, the inlet and second outlet being interconnected by a gradually tapering foraminous frusto-conical wall; c. a first means attached to said machine to provide a flow of cleared air from said first waste concentrator means under positive pressure into the bottom region; d. a pressure plenum mounted to the machine, said pressure plenum connected in communication with said first means to receive the flow of air under pressure and having an emitting orifice to emit pressurized air into the bottom region; e. a second means attached to said machine to draw under a negative pressure a flow of air entraining waste and trash from the bottom region; f. a second suction plenum connected to said second means, mounted to the machine and having a receiving orifice formed spaced from and opposite the emitting orifice through which is drawn a flow from the emitting orifice after the flow has crossed the floor and entrained waste and trash; and g. a second waste concentrator means connected to said second plenum to receive a flow from said second suction plenum and separate this flow between a large volumetric flow of air clear of entrained waste and trash and a small volumetric flow of air in which the waste and trash is concentrated.

Claim 12

An apparatus for removing waste and trash from a carding machine including a supporting chassis set upon a carding room floor, the chassis having side walls which are parallel to the flow of fiber through the machine and end walls to define an enclosed bottom region in the machine beneath carding components, comprising: a. a first suction plenum mounted to said machine and having an orifice extending in the side to side direction to capture waste and trash in a major exterior escape region of said machine; b. a first waste concentrator means connected to said first suction plenum to receive a flow of air from said first suction plenum and separate the flow into a large volumetric flow of air cleared of entrained waste and trash and a small volumetric flow of air in which waste and trash is concentrated; c. a first means attached to said machine to provide a flow of cleared air from said first waste concentrator means under positive pressure into the bottom region; d. a pressure plenum mounted along a first side wall of the chassis, said pressure plenum connected in communication with said first means to receive the flow of air under pressure and having an emitting orifice extending from end wall to end wall to emit the pressurized air into the bottom region; e. a second means attached to said machine to draw under a negative pressure a flow of air entraining waste and trash from the bottom region; f. a second suction plenum connected to said second means, mounted along the opposite side wall of the chassis and having a receiving orifice formed spaced from and opposite the emitting orifice and extending from end wall to end wall through which is drawn a flow from the emitting orifice after the flow has crossed the floor and entrained waste and trash; and g. a second waste concentrator means connected to said second plenum to receive a flow from said second suction plenum and separate this flow between a large volumetric flow of air clear of entrained waste and trash and a small volumetric flow of air in which the waste and trash is concentrated.

Claim 13

An apparatus for removing waste and trash from a carding machine including a supporting chassis set upon a carding room floor, the chassis having side walls which are parallel to the flow of fiber through the machine and end walls to define an enclosed bottom region in the machine beneath carding components, comprising: a. a first suction plenum mounted to said machine and having an orifice extending in the side to side direction to capture waste and trash in a major exterior escape region of said machine; b. a first waste concentrator means connected to said first suction plenum to receive a flow of air from said first suction plenum and separate the flow into a large volumetric flow of air cleared of entrained waste and trash and a small volumetric flow of air in which waste and trash is concentrated; c. a first means attached to said machine to provide a flow of cleared air from said first waste concentrator means under positive pressure into the bottom region; d. a pressure plenum mounted along a first side wall of the chassis, said pressure plenum connected in communication with said first means to receive the flow of air under pressure and having an emitting orifice extending from end wall to end wall to emit the pressurized air into the bottom region; e. a second means attached to said machine to draw under a negative pressure a flow of air entraining waste and trash from the bottom region; f. a second suction plenum connected to said second means, mounted along the opposite side wall of the chassis and having a receiving orifice formed spaced from and opposite the emitting orifice and extending from end wall to end wall through which is drawn a flow from the emitting orifice after the flow has crossed the floor and entrained waste and trash; and g. a second waste concentrator means connected to said second plenum to receive a flow from said second suction plenum and separate this flow between a large volumetric flow of air clear of entrained waste and trash and a small volumetric flow of air in which the waste and trash is concentrated.