Spinning preparation system and method for air-conditioning the same

Claim 2

In a method for air-conditioning a spinning preparation system composed of a plurality of different types of fiber processing machines that are disposed in at least one room in a spinning plant and that are connected sequentially together by means for transporting fiber in order to sequentially perform a plurality of different processes on the fiber, each processing machine of the sequence having a fiber-carrying region, wherein conditioned air leaving an air-conditioning system enters the spinning preparation system, the improvement comprising introducing conditioned air from the air-conditioning system directly into the fiber carrying region of more than one fiber processing machine of the sequence, without first circulating the conditioned air through said at least one room.

Claim 3

Method as defined in claim 1 wherein the conditioned air is supplied by a central air-conditioning system.

Claim 4

Method as defined in claim 1 wherein the conditioned air is supplied by a plurality of air-conditioning systems each supplying conditioned air to a respective fiber carrying region.

Claim 5

Method as defined in claim 1 wherein conditioned air is supplied by a plurality of air-conditioning systems each supplying conditioned air to a single fiber carrying region.

Claim 6

Method as defined in claim 1 further including the step of mixing textile aids into the conditioned air.

Claim 7

Method as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for transmitting fiber includes a conduit leading to one of the fiber processing machines, wherein the step of introducing conditioned air comprises introducing conditioned air to said one of the fiber processing machines via said conduit while simultaneously transporting fiber to said one of the processing machines through said conduit using the conditioned air, and further comprising moistening the fiber within the fiber-carrying region of said one of the fiber processing machines using only the conditioned air that is introduced thereto via said conduit.

Claim 8

Method as defined in claim 6, wherein said means for transporting fiber also includes another conduit leading to another of the fiber processing machines, wherein the step of introducing conditioned air further comprises introducing conditioned air to said another of the fiber processing machines via said another conduit while simultaneously transporting fiber to said another of the processing machines through said another conduit using the conditioned air, and further comprising moistening the fiber within the fiber carrying region of said another of the processing machines using only the conditioned air that is introduced thereto via said another conduit.

Claim 9

Method as defined in claim 6, wherein said means for transporting also includes a further conduit leading from said one of the processing machines to a further one of the processing machines, and further comprising the step of transporting fiber from said one of the processing machines to said further one of the processing machines via said further conduit using at least a portion of the air that was introduced into said one of the processing machines via said conduit.

Claim 10

Method as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for transporting fiber includes a conduit from one of the processing machines to another of the processing machines, and wherein the step of introducing conditioned air comprises introducing conditioned air into said one of the processing machines and transporting fiber from said one of the processing machines to said another of the processing machines via said conduit using at least a portion of the air introduced into said one of the processing machines.

Claim 11

A spinning preparation system for a spinning plant having at least one room, comprising: a plurality of fiber processing machines disposed in said at least one room; connection means for connecting said plurality of fiber processing machines together, said plurality of fiber processing machines and said connection means defining a continuous fiber transportation path; and an air-conditioning system for supplying conditioned air, including at least one air-conditioning unit and means for delivering conditioned air from said at least one air-conditioning unit directly to said fiber transportation path at a plurality of locations therealong so as to directly provide conditioned air to more than one fiber processing machine along the path, without first circulating the conditioned air through said at least one room.

Claim 12

A spinning preparation system for a spinning plant having at least one room, comprising: a plurality of fiber processing machines disposed in said at least one room; connection means for connecting said plurality of fiber processing machines together, said plurality of fiber processing machines and said connection means defining a continuous fiber transportation path; and an air-conditioning system for supplying conditioned air, including at least one air-conditioning unit and means for delivering conditioned air from said at least one air-conditioning unit directly to said fiber transportation path at a plurality of locations therealong so as to directly provide conditioned air to more than one fiber processing machine along the path, without first circulating the conditioned air through said at least one room.

Claim 13

The spinning preparation system of claim 10 wherein each of said plurality of fiber processing machines has an air inlet and said means for delivering conditioned air to said fiber transportation path is connected to each of said air inlets.

Claim 14

The spinning preparation system of claim 10 wherein one of said plurality of fiber processing machines is a bale opener and said air-conditioning system is disposed down stream of said bale opener.

Claim 15

The spinning preparation system of claim 10 further comprising at least one ventilator having an air inlet opening for transporting fiber material along said fiber transportation path and wherein said means for delivering conditioned air to said fiber transportation path is connected to said air inlet opening.

Claim 16

The spinning preparation system of claim 10 wherein one of said plurality of fiber processing machines is a tuft feeding device having at least one fill chute.

Claim 17

The spinning preparation system of claim 10 wherein one of said plurality of fiber processing machines is a bale opener.

Claim 18

The spinning preparation system of claim 10 wherein one of said plurality of fiber processing machines is a cleaner.

Claim 19

The spinning preparation system of claim 10 wherein one of said plurality of fiber processing machines is a mixer having at least one mixing chamber.

Claim 20

The spinning preparation system of claim 10 wherein one of said plurality of fiber processing machines is a tuft feeding device for a carding machine having at least one fill chute.

Claim 21

The spinning preparation system of claim 10, wherein said at least one air-conditioning unit is a central air-conditioning unit.

Claim 22

The spinning preparation system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the processing machines on said fiber transportation path has an air inlet and an air outlet that is on said fiber transportation path, wherein said means for delivering conditioned air is connected to said air inlet, and wherein at least a portion of the conditioned air delivered at said air inlet is used to transport fiber through said air outlet.

Claim 23

The spinning preparation system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the processing machines on said fiber transportation path has an air inlet that is also on said fiber transportation path, wherein said means for delivering conditioned air is connected to said air inlet and transports fiber thereto, and wherein all of the moisture introduced into said at least one processing machine enters through said air inlet.

Claim 24

A spinning preparation method for bringing the moisture content of fibers to a predetermined level as the fibers are transported through a spinning preparation system having a plurality of fiber processing machines disposed in at least one room of a plant, connection means for connecting the fiber processing machines in a sequence to provide a continuous fiber transportation path through the fiber processing machines, and air conditioning means for supplying conditioned air, comprising the steps of: delivering conditioned air from the air conditioning means directly to the fiber transportation path, without first introducing the conditioned air to said at least one room; blowing the fibers with conditioned air along a portion of the fiber transportation path and into one of the fiber processing machines in the sequence; and moistening the fibers as they are blown along said portion of the fiber transportation path and into said one of the fiber processing machines using only the conditioned air.

Claim 25

A spinning preparation method for bringing the moisture content of fibers to a predetermined level as the fibers are transported through a spinning preparation system having a plurality of fiber processing machines disposed in at least one room of a plant, connection means for connecting the fiber processing machines in a sequence to provide a continuous fiber transportation path through the fiber processing machines, and air conditioning means for supplying conditioned air, comprising the steps of: delivering conditioned air from the air conditioning means directly to the fiber transportation path, without first introducing the conditioned air to said at least one room; blowing the fibers with conditioned air along a portion of the fiber transportation path and into one of the fiber processing machines in the sequence; and moistening the fibers as they are blown along said portion of the fiber transportation path and into said one of the fiber processing machines using only the conditioned air.

Claim 26

The spinning preparation method of claim 22, further comprising blowing the fibers with conditioned air along a further portion of the transportation path from said one of the fiber processing machines in the sequence and into the next fiber processing machine in the sequence.

Claim 27

The spinning preparation method for claim 23, further comprising moistening the fibers as they are blown along said further portion of the fiber transportation path and into said next fiber processing machine in the sequence using only the conditioned air.

Claim 28

The spinning preparation method of claim 24, wherein said means for supplying conditioned air is a central air conditioning unit and wherein the step of delivering conditioned air comprises injecting air from said central air conditioning unit into said portion of the fiber transportation path and into said further portion of the fiber transportation path.

Claim 29

The spinning preparation method of claim 24, wherein said means for supplying conditioned air is a group air conditioning unit and wherein the step of delivering conditioned air comprises injecting air from said group air conditioning unit into said one of the fiber processing machines in the sequence and said next fiber processing machine in the sequence.

Claim 30

The spinning preparation method of claim 24, wherein said means for supplying conditioned air is individual air conditioning units and wherein the step of delivering conditioned air comprises injecting air from one of the individual air conditioning units into said one of the fiber processing machines in the sequence and injecting air from another of the individual air conditioning units into said next fiber processing machine in the sequence.