U.S. patent application number 10/176533 was filed with the patent office on 2003-04-17 for device for setting the distance between adjoining fiber clamping and fiber transfer locations in a fiber processing system.
Invention is credited to Rubenach, Bernhard.
Application Number | 20030070260 10/176533 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26009069 |
Filed Date | 2003-04-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030070260 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Rubenach, Bernhard |
April 17, 2003 |
DEVICE FOR SETTING THE DISTANCE BETWEEN ADJOINING FIBER CLAMPING
AND FIBER TRANSFER LOCATIONS IN A FIBER PROCESSING SYSTEM
Abstract
A fiber processing system includes a first roll; a feed tray
forming a feeding device with the first roll and defining a
clamping location therewith for clamping and advancing fiber
material; a second roll cooperating with the feeding device for
taking over the fiber material therefrom at a transfer location on
the second roll; a third roll cooperating with the second roll for
taking over the fiber material from the second roll; and an
adjusting arrangement for varying a distance between the clamping
and transfer locations. The adjusting arrangement includes a
pivoting device for arcuately displacing the second roll about the
rotary axis of the first or the third roll; and a shifting device
for displacing the feeding device toward or away from the third
roll.
Inventors: |
Rubenach, Bernhard;
(Monchengladbach, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
VENABLE
Post Office Box 34385
Suite 1000
1201 New York Avenue, N.W.
Washington
DC
20043-9998
US
|
Family ID: |
26009069 |
Appl. No.: |
10/176533 |
Filed: |
June 24, 2002 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10176533 |
Jun 24, 2002 |
|
|
|
10119298 |
Apr 10, 2002 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
19/105 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D01G 15/40 20130101;
D01G 23/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
19/105 |
International
Class: |
D01G 015/40 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 11, 2001 |
DE |
101 18 067.5 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A fiber processing system comprising (a) a first roll having a
rotary axis; (b) a feed tray defining a clamping location with said
first roll for clamping and advancing fiber material; said first
roll and said feed tray together forming a feeding device; (c) a
second roll having a rotary axis and cooperating with said feeding
device for taking over the fiber material therefrom at a transfer
location on said second roll; (d) a third roll having a rotary axis
and cooperating with said second roll for taking over the fiber
material from said second roll; and (e) adjusting means for varying
a distance between said clamping and transfer locations; said
adjusting means including (1) pivot means for arcuately displacing
said second roll about the rotary axis of one of said first and
third rolls; and (2) shifting means for displacing said feeding
device toward or away from said third roll.
2. The fiber processing system as defined in claim 1, wherein said
pivot means for arcuately displacing said second roll about the
rotary axis of said third roll comprises a coupling member
connecting said second roll with said third roll.
3. The fiber processing system as defined in claim 2, wherein said
means for arcuately displacing said second roll about the rotary
axis of said first roll comprises a coupling member connecting said
second roll with said first roll, whereby said shifting means is
adapted to displace said second roll together with said feeding
device.
4. The fiber processing system as defined in claim 1, comprising a
first unit and a second unit; said first unit being a fiber batt
feeder including said feeding device; said second unit being one of
a carding machine and a roller card including said second and third
rolls; said first unit including said shifting means for displacing
said first unit relative to said second unit.
5. The fiber processing system as defined in claim 4, wherein said
shifting means comprises wheels for rolling said first unit on a
floor toward or away from said second unit.
6. The fiber processing system as defined in claim 1, comprising a
first unit and a second unit; said first unit being a fiber batt
feeder including said feeding device and said second roll; said
second unit being one of a carding machine and a roller card unit
including said third roll; said first unit including said shifting
means for displacing said first unit relative to said second
unit.
7. The fiber processing system as defined in claim 6, wherein said
shifting means comprises wheels for rolling said first unit on a
floor toward or away from said second unit.
8. The fiber processing system as defined in claim 1, including a
fiber processing machine; said feeding device, said second roll and
said third roll being integrated in said fiber processing machine;
said shifting means including means for providing for a
displacement of said feeding device within said fiber processing
machine toward or away from said third roll.
9. The fiber processing system as defined in claim 8, wherein said
means for providing for a displacement comprises a support block
carrying said feeding device and a base block stationarily mounted
in said fiber processing machine; said support block being
displaceably mounted on said base block.
10. The fiber processing system as defined in claim 8, wherein said
fiber processing machine is a carding machine.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of application
Ser. No. 10/119,298 filed Apr. 10, 2002.
[0002] This application claims the priority of German Application
No. 101 18 067.5 filed Apr. 11, 2001, which is incorporated herein
by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] This invention relates to a device for a fiber processing
machine such as a carding machine or a roller card for evening the
fiber web or sliver produced thereby. The fiber processing machine
may be preceded by a fiber tuft feeder which has a feed chute and
further includes a feeding device composed of a feed roll and a
feed tray which directly cooperate with an opening roll (such as a
preliminary roll in a roller card and a licker-in in a carding
machine) of the fiber processing machine. The lower end of the feed
chute terminates in the region of the feed roll in such a manner
that the feed roll draws the fiber material from the feed
chute.
[0004] In a known device, such as disclosed in European Patent No.
468,985, a carding machine is fixedly connected with an
upstream-arranged tuft feeder. The housing of the tuft feeder
accommodates a feed chute which continues, without the
interposition of delivery rolls, as a hopper slide, by means of
which the fiber material (fiber batt) is advanced to the carding
machine. The feed roll cooperates with the fixed-axis licker-in of
the carding machine. Setting the distance between a clamping
location defined by the cooperating feed roll and feed tray and a
combing location (which is the location where the fiber material is
transferred to the opening roll) is not contemplated by the prior
art structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] It is an object of the invention to provide, in a fiber
processing system, an improved device of the above-outlined type
with which the distance between the clamping and transfer locations
may be altered in a simple manner, making possible an improved
processing of the fiber material.
[0006] This object and others to become apparent as the
specification progresses, are accomplished by the invention,
according to which, briefly stated, the fiber processing system
includes a first roll; a feed tray forming a feeding device with
the first roll and defining a clamping location therewith for
clamping and advancing fiber material; a second roll cooperating
with the feeding device for taking over the fiber material
therefrom at a transfer location on the second roll; a third roll
cooperating with the second roll for taking over the fiber material
from the second roll; and an adjusting arrangement for varying a
distance between the clamping and transfer locations. The adjusting
arrangement includes a pivoting device for arcuately displacing the
second roll about the rotary axis of the first roll or the third
roll; and a shifting device for displacing the feeding device
toward or away from the third roll.
[0007] By virtue of the fact that, as viewed in the direction of
fiber processing, the opening roll adjoining the feeding device may
be swung about the axis of an immediately adjoining roll, the
transfer location may be changed, whereby the distance between the
clamping location and the transfer location is altered as well.
Thus, a distance adjustment is feasible which is of primary
importance for a gentler and more uniform feed of the fiber
material. In particular, an advantageous adaptation of the distance
to the properties (particularly the fiber length) of the processed
fiber material is feasible by setting the distance as a function of
such properties.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevational view of a roller
card, preceded by a roller card feeder.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a schematic side elevational view of a preferred
embodiment of the invention in which the opening roll, cooperating
with the feed roll, is pivotal about the rotary axis of the feed
roll.
[0010] FIGS. 3a and 3b are schematic side elevational views, in two
different operational positions, of a further preferred embodiment
of the invention in which the opening roll, cooperating with the
feed roll, is pivotal about the rotary axis of an immediately
consecutive opening roll.
[0011] FIGS. 4a, 4b and 4c are schematic side elevational views
showing initial, intermediate and end positions of the pivotal
opening roll of the FIG. 2 embodiment.
[0012] FIGS. 5a, 5b and 5c are schematic side elevational views
showing initial, intermediate and end positions of the pivotal
opening roll of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3a, 3b.
[0013] FIG. 6 is a schematic partial view of a carding machine
incorporating another preferred embodiment of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0014] FIG. 1 shows a roller card 1 in which the processed fiber
advances in the direction A. Upstream of the roller card 1--as
viewed in the fiber processing direction A--a roller card feeder 31
is arranged which may be, for example, a SCANFEED model
manufactured by Trutzschler GmbH & Co. KG, Monchengladbach,
Germany. The feeder 31 has a housing 27 which is provided with
wheels 28a, 28b for displacing the feeder 31 on the supporting
floor in the direction of the arrows B, C. The feeder 31 further
includes a vertical reserve chute 2 supplied from above with a flow
I composed of air and finely opened fiber, advanced in a supply and
distributor conduit 3. In the upper region of the reserve chute 2
air outlet openings 4', 4" are provided through which the conveying
air stream II enters into a suction device 5 after the fiber tufts
III have been separated from the stream II. A slowly rotating
delivery roll 6 at the lower end of the reserve chute 2 advances
the fiber material in cooperation with a feed tray 7 from the
reserve chute 2 to a rapidly rotating opening roll 8 which is
provided with a pin or sawtooth clothing. A circumferential portion
of the opening roll 8 borders the entrance at the upper end of a
downwardly extending feed chute 9 into which the opening roll 8
advances the fiber material. At the lower, outlet end of the feed
chute 9 a slowly rotating delivery roll 10 is provided which, in
cooperation with a feed tray 14, advances the fiber material to the
roller card 1.
[0015] The walls forming the feed chute 9 are, in the region of
their lower portion and up to a certain height, provided with air
outlet openings 11', 11". For uniformly densifying and maintaining
constant the discharged fiber quantities, at the upper, entrance
end the feed chute 9 communicates with an air passage 12 coupled to
a blower. As a result, the fiber material is exposed to an air
stream at the delivery roll 6 from the air passage 12, so that an
air/fiber tuft mixture IV advances in the feed chute 9. The air is
withdrawn at the lower part of the feed chute 9 through the air
outlet openings 11', 11". The fiber material is continuously
introduced into the feed chute 9 at a predetermined flow rate by
the feed roll 6 and the opening roll 8, and the fiber material is
discharged at the same flow rate from the feed chute 9 by the
delivery roll 10 and the feed tray 14. The feed tray 14 is composed
of a series of individual feed tray elements rotatable about pivot
15 of a tray support structure 13 which, in turn, is mounted on the
inside of the housing 27 of the feeder 31. The delivery roll 10 and
the feed tray 14 of the feeder 31 form a feeding device for
supplying the fiber material (fiber batt) directly to the roller
card 1. For this purpose the feeder 31 is, from its position shown
in FIG. 1, rolled to the immediate vicinity of the roller card
1.
[0016] The feeding device 10, 14 is followed in the working
direction A by a first preliminary roll 16.sub.1, a second
preliminary roll 16.sub.2, a preliminary cylinder 17 (licker-in), a
transfer roll 18, a main cylinder 19, a doffer 20 and a stripping
roll 21. With the licker-in 17 two roll pairs and with the main
cylinder 19 six roll pairs cooperate, each being formed of a
working roll 25 and a reversing roll 26. The stripping roll 21 is
adjoined by and is cooperating with two calender rolls 22, 23. All
the above-noted rolls of the roller card 1 rotate at high
circumferential velocities.
[0017] Turning to FIG. 2, the feed tray 14' is positioned above the
feed roll 10 which rotates in the direction 10a. The feed roll 10
is followed by an opening roll 16 rotating in the direction 16a.
These two directions of rotation are opposite to one another so
that along the cooperating circumferential regions of the two rolls
the latter move in the same direction. In this arrangement the
opening roll 16 of FIG. 2 functions as the roll 16.sub.1 of FIG. 1
and directly transfers fiber material to the preliminary drum 17,
whereby the second opening roll 16.sub.2 of FIG. 1 is
advantageously dispensed with.
[0018] The preliminary roll 16 is arranged for pivotal adjustment
about the rotary axis M.sub.1 of the feed roll 10. For this
purpose, one end of a lever 29 is mounted on the shaft of the feed
roll 10 and the opposite end of the lever 29 is mounted on the
shaft or supporting bracket of the preliminary roll 16. By means of
this construction the lever 29 may pivot in the direction of the
arrows D, E about the axis M.sub.1 of the feed roll 10, and thus
likewise, the preliminary roll 16 may swing about the axis M.sub.1.
In this manner the distance between the clamping location (that is,
the smallest distance between the feed roll 10 and the feed tray
14') and the transfer location (that is, the smallest distance
between the feed roll 10 and the preliminary roll 16) is changed.
During the arcuate displacement of the axis M.sub.2 of the
preliminary roll 16 about the axis M.sub.1 of the feed roll 10, the
distance between the non-illustrated clothings of the feed roll 10
and the preliminary roll 16 remains constant. In this construction
the preliminary roll 16 is a structural component of the roller
card feeder 31.
[0019] Turning to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b, the
feeding device (composed of the feed roll 10 and the feed tray 14)
of the roller card feeder, as well as the preliminary rolls
16.sub.1 and 16.sub.2 of the roller card are arranged in series. In
this embodiment the preliminary roll 16.sub.1 is arranged to swing
about the axis M.sub.3 of the subsequent preliminary roll 16.sub.2.
For this purpose the two rolls 16.sub.1 and 16.sub.2 are coupled to
one another by a lever 30 in a manner similar to the connection
between rolls 10 and 16 by the lever 29 of the FIG. 2 embodiment.
The lever 30 is pivotal in the direction of the arrows G, H about
the axis M.sub.3. In this manner, the preliminary roll 16.sub.1 may
swing about the rotary axis M.sub.3 of the preliminary roll
16.sub.2. By rotation in the direction of the arrow G, the distance
e.sub.1 according to FIG. 3a is increased to e.sub.2 according to
FIG. 3b, that is, the distance between the clamping location
defined by the components 10 and 14 and the transfer location
between the components 10 and 16.sub.1 is adjustable. Further, a
change of at least some of the distances a.sub.1, b.sub.1, c.sub.1
and d.sub.1 shown in FIG. 3a to distances a.sub.2, b.sub.2, c.sub.2
and d.sub.2 shown in FIG. 3b results from a displacement of the
feeding device 10, 14 by rolling the roller card feeder 31 toward
the roller card 1 (FIG. 1) in the direction of the arrow F. The
swinging and shifting motions of the rolls will be described in
further detail with reference to FIGS. 4a, 4b, 4c and 5a, 5b, 5c
which relate to the two embodiments shown in FIG. 2 and in FIGS.
3a, 3b, respectively.
[0020] In FIGS. 4a, 4b and 4c the preliminary roll 16.sub.1 is
arcuately displaceable about the axis M.sub.1 of the feed roll 10
as shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4a shows the starting position of the
feeding device (feed roll 10 and feed tray 14) and the preliminary
rolls 16.sub.1 and 16.sub.2 (in FIG. 2 the preliminary roll
16.sub.2 was omitted). In a first step, according to FIG. 4b, the
preliminary roll 16.sub.1 is swung in the direction D about the
axis M.sub.1 of the feed roll 10. As a result, the distance between
the clothings of the preliminary rolls 16.sub.1 and 16.sub.2 and
the distance between the clamping and transfer locations defined by
the feeding device 10, 14 and the roll 16.sub.1 rolls increases. In
order to reestablish the required initial distance between the
clothings of the preliminary rolls 16.sub.1 and 16.sub.2 shown in
FIG. 4a, in a second step according to FIG. 4c, the feeding device
10, 14 is, together with the preliminary roll 16.sub.1, shifted in
the direction F toward the preliminary roll 16.sub.2 by rolling the
feeder 31 toward the roller card 1 as noted earlier. As a result,
the distance between the clamping location defined by the feed roll
10 and the feed tray 14 and the transfer location defined by the
feed roll 10 and the preliminary roll 16.sub.1 is enlarged, while
the distance between the rolls 10 and 16.sub.1 and between the
rolls 16.sub.1 and 16.sub.2 remains the same, as may be seen by a
comparison between FIGS. 4a and 4c.
[0021] In FIGS. 5a, 5b and 5c an arcuate displacement of the
preliminary roll 16.sub.1 about the axis M.sub.3 of the preliminary
roll 16.sub.2 is shown in accordance with the embodiment
illustrated in FIGS. 3a and 3b. In FIG. 5a the initial position of
the feeding device (feed roll 10, and feed tray 14), the
preliminary roll 16.sub.1 and the preliminary roll 16.sub.2 is
shown. In a first step according to FIG. 5b, the feeding device 10,
14 is shifted in the direction of the arrow I away from the
preliminary roll 16.sub.1 by rolling the feeder 31 away from the
roller card 1 (FIG. 1). As a result, the distance between the
clothings of the feed roll 10 and the preliminary roll 16.sub.1 is
increased. In order to reestablish the required initial distance
between the feed roll 10 and the preliminary roll 16.sub.1
according to FIG. 5a, in a second step according to FIG. 5c the
preliminary roll 16.sub.1 is swung in the direction of the arrow H
about the axis M.sub.3 of the preliminary roll 16.sub.2. In this
manner, the distance between the clamping location defined by the
feed roll 10 and the feed tray 14 and the transfer location defined
between the feed roll 10 and the preliminary roll 16.sub.1 is
reduced as compared to that shown in FIG. 5a and also, the distance
between the two rolls 10 and 16.sub.1 is re-established.
[0022] While in the preceding description the invention was set
forth in connection with a roller card and roller card feeder, it
will be understood that in the same manner a mobile card feeder
(incorporating the feeding device 10, 14) and a carding machine may
be used.
[0023] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment in which the feeding device 10,
14 is an integral part of the fiber processing machine, such as a
schematically and partially shown carding machine CM. The feeding
device 10, 14 is followed by three licker-ins 16.sub.3, 16.sub.4
and 16.sub.5. The feeding device 10, 14 receives the fiber tufts as
a fiber batt from, for example, a non-illustrated card feeder and
advances the fiber material to the licker-in 16.sub.3. The fiber
material is then consecutively transferred to the licker-ins
16.sub.4 and 16.sub.5 and the latter transfers the fiber material
to the main carding cylinder 35. For varying, according to the
invention, the distance between the clamping location defined by
the feed roll 10 and the feed tray 14 and the transfer location at
the licker-in 16.sub.3, the latter may be swung either about the
rotary axis of the feed roll 14 as described in connection with
FIGS. 2, 4a, 4b and 4c or about the licker-in 16.sub.4 as described
in connection with FIGS. 3a, 3b, 5a, 5b and 5c. For the required
shifting of at least the feeding device 10, 14 in the direction of
the arrow K, the feeding device 10, 14 is mounted on a support
block 36 which may be displaced on a base block 37 which, in turn,
is stationarily secured to the card frame 38.
[0024] It will be understood that the above description of the
present invention is susceptible to various modifications, changes
and adaptations, and the same are intended to be comprehended
within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended
claims.
* * * * *