EP1090172B1 - Device for removing trash from a moving textile fibre layer and card equipped with same - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device for removing waste from a layer of moving fibers, and which more particularly, but not exclusively, is intended to be mounted on a card. The invention finds primarily, but not exclusively, its application to waste removal plants, such as thistles, straws, etc ... a sheet of wool fibers, and particular of a sheet of fibers formed on a woolen card.

In the wool industry, it is common to date to equip the cards used to form wool fiber webs, with one or more systems commonly called skimmer systems, which have the function of rid the layer of fibers during carding of plant waste (thistles, straws, ...) hung in the fibers of the tablecloth. We will designate below of the description by the term "waste", any small impurity or foreign body size which is likely to be caught in the fibers of the sheet of fibers treat.

A known type of skimmer system implements a slender tank for the reception of waste, commonly called "thistle bin", associated with a rotary cylinder commonly called "hunter". Generally speaking, this chaser cylinder has the function of removing the waste from a layer of fibers transported to the periphery of a cylinder or a card roller, and expel this waste destined for the reception bin. Generally, the chasing cylinder is mounted on the periphery of a roller commonly called "Morel", is driven to high speed in the same direction of rotation as this roller, and has a peripheral lining which comes flush with the surface of the layer of fibers transported at the periphery of the Morel cylinder so as to mechanically expel the waste into surface of the fiber fleece, without destroying the structure of the fiber fleece fibers.

To recover the waste expelled into the reception bin, we use a mechanical system which scrapes the bottom of the receiving tank and push the waste towards one of the ends of the bin where it is discharged for example falling by gravity. More specifically, this mechanical cleaning system of the receiving tray comprises a plurality of scrapers which are fixed on a belt tensioned between two pulleys mounted at each end of the receiving tank, one of the pulleys being rotated for example by a gear motor. Each scraper comes into contact with the bottom of the receiving tank, and has a suitable shape to the shape of the bottom of the receiving tray so that you can train effectively the waste contained in the receiving bin.

The implementation of this scraper cleaning system generates at least two major drawbacks. A first drawback is linked to the fouling of the scraper cleaning system. The waste that is expelled by the hunter in the receiving bin takes with them a certain amount of fiber. A part of these fibers clings to the edge of the scrapers. When a fiber is hung on a scraper, it hangs along the reception bin, hooks others fibers and becomes tangled with waste. An initial heap of fibers and waste on the scraper. When the scraper reaches the end of the receiving tank level of the pulley driving the belt, it goes up while turning, and takes with him this heap of fibers and waste. This movement of raising the squeegee also causes the fibers to wrap around the scraper. The movement of scrapers being cyclic, the pile of fibers and waste attached to a scraper is re-routed to the receiving bin, and quickly increases in size. Also, we observe that the pile of fibers and waste attached to a scraper has tendency to fall back, when the scraper is turned over, part of the fibers and waste thus also hanging on the belt. The above phenomena have as a result, significant and rapid fouling of the cleaning system scrapers, which imposes frequent and harmful cleaning operations especially in terms of productivity.

The second drawback of the above-mentioned scraper cleaning system is linked to its large size, and especially to the fact that it makes it difficult to access the chasing cylinder, for maintenance or control operations position of the chasing cylinder relative to the Morel cylinder or equivalent. This difficulty of access is reinforced by the fact that to limit the risks of fouling mechanical parts near the peeler system, or parts mechanics of the skimmer system itself, we are constrained in practice enclose the scraper cleaning system in a bulky cover. In practical, to access the chasing cylinder, it is necessary to remove the scraper cleaning system.

• un cylindre de transport ayant pour fonction de supporter et de transporter la nappe de fibres contenant les déchets,
• un bac longiligne pour la réception des déchets,
• et un organe qui est positionné à la périphérie du cylindre de transport, et qui a pour fonction de retirer des déchets de la nappe de fibres en mouvement et de les expulser en direction du bac de réception.

De manière caractéristique selon l'invention, le dispositif comprend en outre au moins une buse d'aspiration des déchets qui est conçue pour être déplacée en translation avec un mouvement de va-et-vient au-dessus et dans le sens de la longueur du bac de réception.The object of the present invention is to provide a device which makes it possible to remove waste contained in a sheet of moving fibers, and which overcomes the drawbacks of the peeler device described above with a scraper cleaning system.
In known manner, the device of the invention comprises

• a transport cylinder having the function of supporting and transporting the sheet of fibers containing the waste,
• an elongated bin for receiving waste,
• and a member which is positioned at the periphery of the transport cylinder, and which has the function of removing waste from the sheet of moving fibers and expelling it in the direction of the receiving tank.

Characteristically according to the invention, the device further comprises at least one waste suction nozzle which is designed to be moved in translation with a reciprocating movement above and in the direction of the length of the receiving bin.

• la figure 1 est une vue schématique générale d'une carde laine équipée de trois dispositifs échardonneurs de l'invention,
• la figure 2 est une vue plus détaillée d'un dispositif échardonneur de la carde de la figure 1,
• la figure 3 est une représentation schématique des moyens utilisés pour la commande séquentielle des buses d'aspiration des trois dispositifs échardonneurs de la carde de la figure 1,
• la figure 4 est une vue schématique d'une carde équipée d'un dispositif échardonneur de l'invention avec chariot mobile permettant la collecte intermédiaire des déchets,
• la figure 5 est une vue de côté du dispositif échardonneur de la figure 4,
• la figure 6 est une vue de dessus du dispositif échardonneur des figures 4 et 5,
• et la figure 7 est une représentation d'une autre variante de réalisation d'un dispositif échardonneur de l'invention, avec caisson aspirant fixe.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the description which will now be made of a preferred embodiment of the invention, which description is given by way of non-limiting example and in reference to the attached drawing in which:

• FIG. 1 is a general schematic view of a wool carding machine equipped with three skimmer devices of the invention,
• FIG. 2 is a more detailed view of a peeler device of the card of FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of the means used for the sequential control of the suction nozzles of the three skimmer devices of the card of FIG. 1,
• FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a card equipped with a de-skimmer device of the invention with a mobile carriage allowing the intermediate collection of waste,
• FIG. 5 is a side view of the peeler device of FIG. 4,
• FIG. 6 is a top view of the skimmer device of FIGS. 4 and 5,
• and FIG. 7 is a representation of another alternative embodiment of a de-skimmer device of the invention, with a fixed suction box.

There is shown in Figure 1 a wool card which in the usual way comprises a first cylinder 1 commonly called "lickerin", a second cylinder 2 commonly known as the front end, a third cylinder 3 commonly called a large drum and an outlet cylinder 4 commonly known as a painter. This card usually makes it possible to form a sheet of carded wool which is usually detached from the periphery of the comb 4 by a beating comb 5. This wool carder is equipped with an installation which allows to remove waste from the sheet of fibers being carded, and which includes two devices 6 'skimmer according to the invention mounted on either side of the front end 2, and a skimmer device 6 "according to the invention and produced from licker cylinder 1.

6 "skimmer devices essentially include a cylinder Morel 7, a chasing cylinder 8, a slender receiving tank 9 and a nozzle 10. The Morel 7 cylinder supports and transports the water table fibers being carded up to the chaser cylinder 8, which is mounted on the periphery of the Morel 7 cylinder and which is rotated at high speed in the same direction of rotation as the Morel 7 cylinder. On either side of each Morel 7 cylinders are provided with T transfer cylinders, which allow transfer the sheet of fibers from the previous cylinder to the Morel 7 cylinder (lickerin 1 or front end 2) and take up the layer of fibers at the periphery of the Morel 7 cylinder by transferring it to the next cylinder (front end 2 or large drum 3). The structure of the transfer cylinders T, the Morel 7 cylinder and the chasing cylinder 8 is usual, these cylinders being already used in the devices known skimmers previously described, which use a tank of reception with cleaning system with scrapers mounted on a belt. The structure of these different cylinders will therefore not be detailed in the present description.

The 6 "skimmer device differs from the skimmer devices 6 'only in that the tablecloth transport cylinder is made up either by a Morel cylinder but directly by the licker cylinder 1.

The chasing cylinder 8 usually has the function of removing mechanically waste in the moving web of fibers on the surface of the transport cylinder (Morel 7 or lickerin 1 cylinder) and expel this waste into the elongated receiving tank 9, which is mounted on the periphery of the cylinder transport and which extends substantially over the entire length of this cylinder.

Referring to Figure 2, in the embodiment, the receiving tank 9 has a vertical wall 9 a which is extended by a bottom 9 b forming a V-shaped chute. This bottom 9 b could generally have any concave upper surface. The suction nozzle 10 is mounted above the bottom 9 b of the receiving tank 9, and is slidably mounted on the vertical wall 9 a of the receiving tank, in the direction of the length of the receiving tank 9, c ' that is to say parallel to the axis of rotation 8 a of the chasing cylinder 8.

In the example shown, the suction nozzle 10 is constituted by a single cylindrical tube 11 open at both ends (11a, 11b), vertically mounted above the bottom 9b of the receiving tray 9, in plumb with the tip of the V formed by the bottom 9 b , that is to say generally in line with the part of the bottom 9 b where the slope of the bottom is reversed. The end 11 has lower suction nozzle 10 is mounted near the bottom 9 b, without coming touch the bottom 9b of the receiving tray 9. The upper end 11b of tube 11 is connected, by 'via a flexible connector 12, to a centralized suction system shown in Figure 3.

More particularly, in the particular example illustrated, the suction end 11a of the tube 11 forming the suction nozzle 10 is mounted an outer scraper 13, which extends radially with respect to tube 11 and which is more particularly oriented towards the chasing cylinder 8.

The suction nozzle 10 is equipped with displacement means 14 which are illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 3, and which have the function of translating the suction nozzle in the direction of the length of the receiving tank 9 between the two ends 9 c of the receiving tank 9, on command of an electrical signal. These displacement means 14 can be produced in various ways known to those skilled in the art. It will be possible to use an actuator without rod that can be controlled electrically or pneumatically; the nozzle 10 could in another variant be secured to a belt with a double direction of rotation; in another variant, the nozzle 10 could be mounted on a rack and include an on-board motorization system.

The waste and residual fibers which are expelled by the chasing cylinder 8 in the receiving tank 9 are sucked into the bottom of the receiving tank 9 by the suction nozzle 10 during the back and forth translation movements which it performs between the two ends 9 c of the receiving tank 9. The means of displacement 14 of the suction nozzle 10 can be controlled so that the nozzle performs continuous back-and-forth movements between the two ends 9 c of the tank reception. In another variant which will be described below with reference to FIG. 3, these control means can be provided so that the nozzle performs back and forth movements between the two ends 9 c of the container 9, with a stopping time at each change of direction, that is to say when the suction nozzle 10 is positioned at one of the two ends 9 c of the receiving tank 9.

The main advantages of the skimmer device of the invention with The reciprocating suction nozzle are as follows. The suction allows recover the waste without having to push it into the bottom of the bin, which limits the risk of accumulation of fibers and waste on the suction nozzle. In the aforementioned variant with scraper, the scraper 13 has the simple function of detaching the waste and residual fibers which would remain attached to the bottom of the tank outside of the suction area of the nozzle 10, and to slide these fibers and residual waste up to the central part of the bottom of the container, i.e. in the swept area by the suction nozzle. The risks of fibers catching and clustering fibers and waste on the suction nozzle and the scraper 13 are therefore considerably reduced compared to the known solution implementing a plurality of scrapers mounted on a belt.

Also, compared to this known solution of the state of the technique, we eliminated the phenomenon of tangled fibers on the scrapers during their overturning, and the displacement of the suction nozzle being a simple translation, the material can no longer be lifted. There are therefore less risks hooking up waste and fibers with parts outside the receiving tank. Finally, the implementation of a suction nozzle instead of the solution traditional using a plurality of scrapers mounted on a belt allows advantageously on the one hand to produce a more compact assembly and above all to allow easier access to the chasing cylinder 8.

Referring to Figure 3, the suction nozzles 10 of each of the skimmer devices 6 'and 6 "of Figure 1 are connected to a single central collection by suction of waste. This central essentially comprises a network three fixed conduits 15 connected to a fan V. Each conduit 15 is connected to a suction nozzle 10 by means of a flexible connector 12. On each conduit 15 is also provided a closing valve 16. At the level each of the ends 9 c of a receiving tank 9 is further provided with a sensor 17 having the function of detecting the position of the suction nozzle 10 relative to the receiving tank. Each sensor is for example constituted by a contactor limit switch cam, which is engaged when the suction nozzle reaches the corresponding end 9 c of the receiving tank 9. Each of these sensors 17 delivers a detection signal 17 a . The three suction nozzles 10 are controlled one after the other sequentially and cyclically by means of an industrial programmable controller 18 which receives as input the detection signals 17 a delivered by the sensors 17, and which delivers on the one hand signals control 18 b intended for the valves 16 and on the other hand control signals 18 a intended for the displacement means 14 of each of the suction nozzles 10.

The sequential and cyclic control of the suction nozzles 10 by the automaton 18 is carried out as follows. The fan V is initially started and operates continuously during the entire process of controlling the suction nozzles 10. The automatic device 18 is programmed so as to control, during a given operating sequence, only one of the three nozzles, the two other suction nozzles 10 being stopped and not connected to the fan V. For simplicity, the suction nozzle which is controlled by the automatic device 18 during an operating sequence ( n) will be designated in the following by nozzle (n). At the start of an operating sequence (n), the automaton 18 controls the opening of the valve 16 of the suction nozzle (n), and the closing of the valve 16 of the suction nozzle (n-1) from the previous sequence (n-1). The automaton 18 then controls the means 14 for moving the nozzle (n), which causes the translation of this nozzle from its initial position at the end of the receiving container 9 towards the opposite end 9c of the container reception 9. When the nozzle 9 arrives at this second end, the automaton 18 detects this new extreme position of the nozzle (n) by means of the sensor 17 associated with this position, and controls the stopping of the displacement means 14 of the nozzle (n). The automaton 18 then performs the command sequence (n + 1), with the following nozzle, etc.

This sequential and cyclic control of the suction nozzles allows advantageously to use a single low power fan to control multiple suction nozzles, compared to a system in which all three suction nozzles would operate in parallel and be connected simultaneously to fan V.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment which has just been described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. In another variant, it is possible to envisage provide at the periphery of the 6 'or 6 "transport cylinder for the ply several drive cylinders 8 each associated with a receiving tank 9 and a nozzle suction 10. It is also conceivable to provide several suction nozzles 10 above a receiving bin 9. Waste collection is not necessarily centralized, the suction nozzles 10 being able to be independent each other and be equipped with their own means of suction and their own control means. Finally, the invention is not limited to an implementation work of a skimmer device on a woolen card but can in a way general be applied to the removal of waste in a sheet of fibers transported to the surface of any transport cylinder.

• pour chaque cylindre Morel 7, un cylindre chasseur 8 associé à un bac de réception 9,
• un chariot mobile C comprenant un caisson 19 de collecte des déchets sur lequel sont montées deux paires de buses d'aspiration 10, chaque paire de buses d'aspiration étant dédiée au nettoyage d'un bac de réception 9, et chaque buse 10 étant raccordée avec l'intérieur du caisson de collecte 19.

There is shown in Figures 4 to 6, another alternative embodiment of a peeler device 6 '''according to the invention, which allows to remove waste from a fiber web during carding, simultaneously at the periphery of two successive Morel 7 cylinders, separated by a transfer cylinder T. In this variant, the device 6 '''includes:

• for each Morel cylinder 7, a chasing cylinder 8 associated with a receiving tank 9,
• a movable carriage C comprising a box 19 for collecting waste on which are mounted two pairs of suction nozzles 10, each pair of suction nozzles being dedicated to cleaning a receiving tank 9, and each nozzle 10 being connected with the inside of the collection box 19.

More particularly, the mobile carriage C is mounted on four rollers G, at least one of which is motorized by means of an onboard motor M, and is mounted rolling on a substantially horizontal guide rail 20, which is supported on the ground at level of its two ends 20 a and 20 b , and which is arranged substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the Morel cylinders 7. The on-board motor M makes it possible to control the outward and return movement of the carriage C between the two ends 20 a and 20 b from rail 20.

Inside the collection box 19 is provided a fan V 'which is connected to the four suction nozzles, and which when switched on allows to suck waste in the receiving bins 9, via the suction nozzles, the collected waste being transported inside the box 19. Inside this box 19 is provided a filter F, which is interposed between the outlet of the nozzles suction 10 and the fan intake inlet V ', and which prevents the collected waste is only transported to the fan in the box.

With reference to FIG. 5, at one end 20 b of the guide rail 20, hereinafter called the discharge end, a pipe 21 for collecting waste is provided, which is connected to a central vacuum unit (not shown); and which makes it possible to aspirate the waste temporarily collected inside the box 19, when the movable carriage C arrives at the end of its travel at the discharge end 20 b . In the box 19 of the movable carriage C is provided an opening 22 for discharging the waste which is closed by a pivoting hatch 23 (shown diagrammatically in dotted lines in FIG. 5). The free end 21 a of the waste recovery pipe 21 is mounted relative to the box 19 of the mobile carriage C, so that when the mobile carriage C arrives in its extreme so-called unloading position at the end 20 b of the guide rail 20 (position illustrated in solid lines in FIGS. 5 and 6), the return pipe 21 penetrates inside the box 19 through the opening 22, which allows recovery and evacuation, via the recovery line 21, waste temporarily collected inside the box 19.

The operation of the skimmer device 6 '''which has just been described is as follows. In operation, the movable carriage C moves automatically in a back and forth movement between the two ends 20 a and 20 b of the rail 20, that is to say between the two extreme positions illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. A To this end, the on-board motor M is controlled by an electronic card (not shown) which is programmed to automatically detect the extreme positions of movement of the carriage C, from detection signals delivered by limit switches 24 arranged in the extreme parts of the guide rail 20. During the outward and return movements of the movable carriage C, the fan V 'integrated into the box 19 is constantly running, the waste in the two receiving bins 9 being continuously sucked in and conveyed to the inside the box 19. When the mobile carriage C arrives in its unloading zone, the hatch 23 of the box 19 comes into contact with the free end 22 of the re grip 21. The movable carriage C then continues slightly its course in the direction of the recovery pipe 21 (arrow F in FIG. 5). The hatch 23 is thus automatically pushed back by the free end 22 of the recovery pipe 21, which free end penetrates inside the box 19. The recovery pipe 21 being connected to a central vacuum, the waste is sucked and evacuated from inside the box 19 towards the central vacuum via the return line 21. The limit switch 24 associated with this unloading position of the movable carriage C is positioned so that the detection of limit switch, for reversing the direction of rotation of the motor M of the movable carriage C, is carried out while the return line 21 is inserted inside the box 19.

The main advantage of the alternative embodiment of Figures 4 to 6 is that it makes it possible to avoid the implementation of flexible fittings which must follow the movement of the carriage, such as the flexible fittings referenced 12 on the variant of FIG. 3. Of course, the variant of FIGS. 4 and 6 could be modified by so that the mobile carriage C is provided for cleaning a single container of reception 9. In addition, the number of suction nozzles 10 fitted to the mobile carriage C can be any in the context of the invention.

There is shown in Figure 7, an alternative embodiment of a peeler device 6 'according to the invention, which differs from that described with reference to Figure 2, mainly by the suction means associated with the nozzle suction 10. In this variant, the suction nozzle 10 comprises a tube 11 which opens at its upper end 11b in a movable collection box 25. In this box 25 is provided an air exhaust opening 25 a at which is fixed an air exhaust nozzle 26. A fixed suction box 27, which in the example illustrated is in the form of a tubular manifold, is mounted parallel to the receiving tank 9. This box 27 is closed at one of its ends and is connected at its other end to a central vacuum. In this box 27 is formed a suction slot 27 a which extends parallel to the path of the suction nozzle 11, and which is closed in a substantially sealed manner by two flexible lips 28. The air exhaust nozzle 26 is introduced between these two flexible lips 28. In operation, during back and forth movements of the suction nozzle 10, the air exhaust nozzle 26 moves along the casing 27 while being inserted between the two lips flexible 28 of this box. On either side of this nozzle 26, the two flexible lips 28 are in contact with one another and close the slot 27 a . As the nozzle 10 moves, the air exhaust nozzle 26 locally separates the flexible lips 28 from one another. The box 27 being placed under vacuum by the central vacuum unit (not shown), the suction nozzle 10 is thus constantly connected via the box 25 and the air exhaust nozzle 26 to a fixed suction source formed by the suction box 27.

Claims (10)

1. Device permitting the removal of waste from a moving textile fibre layer, of the type comprising:

   a transporting cylinder (1;7) having the function of supporting and transporting the textile fibre layer containing the waste,

   an elongated container (9) to receive the waste,

   and a member (8) which is positioned at the periphery of the transporting cylinder, and which has the function of separating the waste from the moving textile fibre layer and expelling it in the direction of the receiving container,

   characterised in that it also comprises at least one nozzle (10) for sucking the waste into the receiving container, which nozzle is designed to be displaced in translation with a to-and-fro movement above and in the longitudinal direction of the receiving container (9).
2. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that the base (9b) of the receiving container (9) has an upper concave surface, in that the suction nozzle (10) is fitted plumb with the portion of the base in which the incline of the upper concave surface is reversed, and in that there is mounted on the suction end (11a) of the nozzle (10) at least one external scraper (13).
3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the suction nozzle (10) is remote and does not come into contact with the base (9b) of the receiving container (9).
4. Device (6') according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that it comprises a fixed suction chamber (27), which is provided with a longitudinal slot (27a) extending parallel to the path of the suction nozzle (10), and closed by two flexible lips (28), and in that the suction nozzle (10) is connected to the interior of the suction chamber (27) by means of an air escape port (26) which is inserted between the two flexible lips (28).
5. Device (6''') according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the suction nozzle or nozzles (10) is/are mounted on a mobile carriage (C) which comprises firstly a chamber for collecting (19) waste, each suction nozzle (10) being connected to the interior of the collecting chamber (19), and secondly suction means (V') making it possible to pick up waste via the suction nozzle or nozzles (10) and to direct this waste inside the chamber (19).
6. Device according to claim 5, characterised in that it also comprises means (21, 22, 23) permitting the recovery of the waste collected inside the chamber when the mobile carriage (C) is at the end of its travel.
7. Installation permitting the removal of waste from a moving textile fibre layer, characterised in that it comprises at least two devices (6') according to one of claims 1 to 4, and in that the suction nozzles (10) are provided to be controlled in a sequential and cyclical manner, the one after the other.
8. Installation according to claim 7, characterised in that each suction nozzle (10) is provided to be connected, by means of its own flap (16), to suction means (V), and in that it also comprises means (18) designed to control the flaps (16) automatically in a sequential and cyclical manner.
9. Installation according to claim 8, characterised in that controlling the opening and closing of the flaps (16) is realised on the basis of detection of the position of the suction nozzles (10).
10. Card, in particular for forming a layer of wool fibres, characterised in that it is equipped with at least one device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, or with an installation according to one of claims 7 to 9.

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