Fibre flock material feed apparatus for opening rolls

Claim 2

A feed apparatus for a fibre layer on an opening roll of cards or spinning preparatory machines fed with the fibre layer moving in a predetermined direction of travel, comprising: a feed roll; a feeder plate having an entrance; said feeder plate together with said feed roll being positioned to form therebetween a clearance extending from the entrance of the feeder plate; a presser member arranged at said entrance to and immediately upstream of the feeder plate with respect to the direction of movement of the fibre layer; means for mounting said presser member to be movable towards the feed roll into a position for compressing the fibre layer and at least to a distance essentially corresponding to the width of said clearance at the entrance of the feeder plate.

Claim 3

The feed apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein: said feed roll has a substantially cylindrical outer surface; said presser member including a presser surface; said mounting means for said presser member enabling said presser member to move into a pressing position where said presser member compresses the fibre layer and with said presser surface facing in the direction of said cylindrical outer surface of the feed roll and with said presser member extending essentially up to the region of the entrance of the feeder plate.

Claim 4

The feed apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein: said means mounting said presser member enables said presser member to move into a pressing position where it compresses said fibre layer; said presser member in said pressing position together with said feed roll forming a space extending up to the entrance of the feeder plate; said space having a width which diminishes at least substantially down to the width of the clearance at the entrance of said feeder plate.

Claim 5

The feed apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein: said feed roll has a longitudinal axis; and said means for movably mounting said presser member incorporates pivot means for pivotably supporting said presser member and arranged essentially in parallelism with respect to said longitudinal axis of said feed roll.

Claim 6

The feed apparatus as defined in claim 1, further including: a feed table arranged upstream of the feed roll with respect to the direction of movement of the fibre layer; and said means for mounting said presser member positioning said presser member above said feed roll.

Claim 7

The feed apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein: said presser member comprises at least one presser plate.

Claim 8

The feed apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein: said feed roll has a substantially cylindrical outer surface; said presser plate having a surface which faces said feed roll and is convexly curved with respect to said cylindrical outer surface of said feed roll.

Claim 9

The feed apparatus as defined in claim 6, including: a plurality of said presser plates adjacently arranged with respect to one another for forming said presser member.

Claim 10

The feed apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein: said mounting means for said presser member incorporates structure defining a common pivot axis for said plurality of adjacently arranged presser plates; and means for mutually connecting said plurality of adjacently arranged presser plates externally of said common pivot axis.

Claim 11

The feed apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein: said presser member comprises a presser table plate.

Claim 12

The feed apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein: said feed roll has a longitudinal axis; said means for mounting said presser member comprises structure for pivotably mounting said presser table plate about a pivot axis arranged essentially parallel to said longitudinal axis of the feed roll; said presser table plate having an end located remote from said feeder plate; a feed table plate element having opposed ends; one end of said feed table plate element being arranged adjacent said remote end of said presser table plate; means for hingedly connecting said adjacent ends of said feed table plate element and said presser table plate; the other opposed end of said feed table plate element being arranged at a distance from said presser table plate; and guide means within which there is pivotably an slidably supported said other end of said feed table plate element.

Claim 13

The feed apparatus as defined in claim 1, further including: means for positionally arresting said presser member.

Claim 14

The feed apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein: said means for mounting said presser member incorporates structure for slidably arranging said presser member for movement in a direction towards said feed roll.

Claim 15

The feed apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein: said means for mounting said presser member enables periodic pivotal movement of said presser member during piecing of the fibre layer.

Claim 16

The feed apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein: said means for movably mounting said presser member incorporates structure enabling said presser member to be elevationally displaced in the direction of the feed roll.

Claim 17

The feed apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein: said structure for elevationally displacing said presser member enables lowering of said presser member towards said feed roll.