EP3592886B1 - Device for transferring and/or introducing a fibre lap into a consolidation installation, in particular a needling loom - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a device for transferring and/or introducing a sheet of fibers, in particular a sheet of nonwoven, into a consolidation installation, in particular a needling machine.

A transfer device is already known in the prior art which ensures the introduction of a layer of fibers from a crosslapper between the tables of a needling machine. The device comprises two elements, respectively upper and lower, defining between them a gap, the thickness of which decreases in the direction of the needle loom and through which the sheet passes, each element comprising a roller, an endless belt bypassing the roller upstream and a prism downstream to form a wedge-shaped region or beak therein at the entrance to the needling machine, the gap guiding the web to the entrance of the tables of the needling machine.

Although these systems of the prior art have an appreciable advantage compared to the devices which existed beforehand, in particular limiting the stretching necessary for the introduction of the web into the needling machine thanks to a drive as close as possible to the first needles, they are however of complicated structure, requiring in particular that the spouts be made in the form of rows of under spouts aligned in the transverse direction and movable relative to each other others in the longitudinal direction and which comprise means for causing each sub-beak to move longitudinally independently of the others. On the other hand, these devices are not perfectly suited to guiding a sheet which is very wide in relation to the length of the introduction device and/or heavy and improvements are desired with regard to the quality and homogeneity of the sheet introduced into the consolidation device and therefore the consolidated sheet produced at the output, as well as the reliability over time of the transfer device, in particular concerning the life of the endless belts or conveyor belts.

Of EP 2 175 056 , there is known a device for transferring a web of fibers to a needling machine, comprising at least one transfer element comprising at least one drive roller and at least one endless belt extending between an upstream end and a downstream end , the at least one roller being arranged to rotate the endless belt. At the downstream end, the endless belt bypasses a large-diameter roller which does not allow the web to be routed as close as possible to the needling table and requires the provision of additional transfer rollers between the endless belt and the needling table.

Of EP 1 790 766 , there is known a device for transferring a fleece of fibers to a needling machine, comprising a conveyor comprising an endless slatted belt which conveys the fleece to two wedge-shaped transfer elements arranged fixed with respect to the inlet of the needling machine and through which jets of water pass intended to maintain the sheet, or even to compress it. This system is complicated, in particular because of the need to create water jets, and moreover, given their toothing, these wedge-shaped elements cannot be arranged very close to the entrance of the needling machine . Likewise, the slatted conveyor is kept at a great distance from the needling machine.

The present invention aims to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art by proposing a device for transferring and/or introducing a sheet of fibers, in particular of nonwoven, into a consolidation installation, in particular mechanical or hydraulic, by example a needling machine, which makes it possible to bring the sheet to be consolidated as close as possible to the consolidation action zone, for example as close as possible to the action zone of the needles of a needling machine, and this without having to perform treatments on the web, for example stretching, which may result in a deterioration, in particular in terms of homogeneity, of the web introduced, and therefore at the output of the consolidated web produced, obtained, nor to provide a complex system.

Of WO 89/03446 , a device according to the preamble of claim 1 is known.

According to the invention, a device for transferring and/or introducing a sheet of fibers, in particular a sheet of nonwoven, into a consolidation installation, in particular mechanical or hydraulic, by example a needling machine, is as defined in claim 1, improvements and preferred embodiments being defined in the sub-claims.

By thus providing a belt in modular form with a very fine pitch, the downstream end of the belt can be produced with great finesse, which makes it possible to position it as close as possible to the consolidation device, and this without having to carry out on the sheet transferred treatments, such as stretching, likely to deteriorate it. In addition, the transfer device can be greatly simplified compared to existing devices, and this for at least the same, or even better, quality of the consolidated web.

Preferably, the width of a transverse strip, that is to say the pitch of the modular mat, is between 6 mm and 15 mm.

According to a preferred embodiment, the inside radius of curvature of the or each mat at its downstream end is, for example, 3.5 mm and can be comprised in particular between 2 and 5 mm.

According to a preferred embodiment, the outer radius of curvature of the or each belt at its downstream end is in particular between 6 and 12 mm.

Preferably, the device comprises two transfer elements, respectively upper and lower, defining between them a gap through which the sheet passes during its transfer, preferably by defining between them a gap whose thickness decreases from upstream to downstream.

Preferably, the downstream end of one of the elements is set back, that is to say further upstream, relative to the downstream end of the other element.

The present invention also relates to an assembly comprising a consolidation device, in particular mechanical and/or hydraulic, for example a needling machine and a device according to the invention, as well as to an installation comprising a crosslapper and an assembly according to the 'invention.

la figure 1

représente un ensemble suivant un mode de réalisation de l'invention comportant un dispositif de transfert et/ou d'introduction suivant un mode de réalisation de l'invention et une aiguilleteuse ;

la figure 2

est une vue en coupe longitudinale de l'interface entre l'extrémité des éléments de transfert inférieur et supérieur et les tôles de table et débourreur d'une aiguilleteuse présentant notamment la position de la première aiguille par rapport au dispositif de transfert de la figure 1 ;

la figure 3

est une vue en coupe longitudinale de l'élément de transfert inférieur du dispositif de transfert de la figure 1 ; et

la figure 4

est une vue en coupe longitudinale d'une partie du tapis sans fin du dispositif des figures 1 à 3.

By way of example, a preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings in which:

figure 1

represents an assembly according to one embodiment of the invention comprising a transfer and/or introduction device according to one embodiment of the invention and a needling machine;

figure 2

is a view in longitudinal section of the interface between the end of the lower and upper transfer elements and the table and stripper plates of a needling machine showing in particular the position of the first needle with respect to the transfer device of the figure 1 ;

figure 3

is a longitudinal sectional view of the lower transfer element of the transfer device of the figure 1 ; And

figure 4

is a longitudinal sectional view of part of the endless belt of the device of the figures 1 to 3 .

To the figure 1 , there is shown a needling machine comprising an upper sheet 1 called a stripper and a lower sheet 2 called a table defining between them a substantially horizontal needling passage, in which a ply 3 is advanced which, entering the state of a formed ply of fibers with little or no bond between them, comes out in the state of a sheet or needle-punched carpet 4. A needle board 6 is connected to a reciprocating movement mechanism 7 so that the needles 8 carried by the board 6 enter the needle loom passage through appropriate orifices of the table 1 and exit said passage , at a determined frequency. In a known manner, this intersects the fibers of the sheet 3 and confers cohesion and mechanical strength on the sheet 4 obtained at the outlet.

Upstream of the needling passage, the installation comprises a transfer and/or introduction device 9, the role of which is to transfer the sheet 3 of nonwoven from a crosslapper (not shown in the figures) , with as little stretching as possible, inside the needling passage. Device 9 can also have a web pre-compression function.

The introduction device 9 comprises an upper transfer element 11a and a lower transfer element 11b that are substantially identical. Below, the lower element 11b is described. The same description applies to the upper element 11a.

The transfer element 11b comprises a roller or a transverse shaft provided with a large number of sprockets distributed over the width 12 located at the upstream end of the element 11b and of the device 9. The roller 12 is driven in rotation by an associated motor and rotates an endless belt 13. The endless belt 13 defines a transport path 13a which extends between an upstream end 14, where it bypasses the roller 12, and a downstream end 15, where it bypasses a wedge or sword element 16 to form, in longitudinal section , a corner or spout. The belt 13 goes around the edge 17 of the sword 16, which is on the side opposite the roller 12. The sword 16 is stationary and in particular does not drive the endless belt 13 which moves along the two upper and lower sides of the sword. 16 by turning around at its edge 17 or summit.

Edge 17 of saber 16 is cylindrically chamfered. Its radius of curvature, which corresponds to the inside radius of curvature of the belt at its downstream end, is for example 3.5 mm and can be comprised in particular between 2 and 5 mm. As for the outer radius of curvature of the belt at its downstream end, it is for example 9.5 mm and can be comprised in particular between 6 and 12 mm. The edge 17 is adjacent to two flat faces 18 and 19, on which the belt 13 rests the along its outward transport path and along its return path to the roller 12. The faces 18 and 19 converge towards the edge 17 at an angle which is 24° (see the picture 3 ) and which can be between 10° and 35°.

As can be seen at the picture 3 , the downstream end of the upper element 11a is recessed, that is to say further upstream, relative to the downstream end of the lower element 11b. On the other hand, the two elements are not arranged symmetrically with respect to the horizontal, but with respect to a plane inclined upwards in the direction of the needling machine, in particular at an angle of approximately 8°, and which can be between 5° and 20°. In particular, the lower face 19 of the belt of the upper element is inclined slightly downwards (in the direction from upstream to downstream), in particular by an angle of 5° with respect to the horizontal, while that the upper face 18 of the lower element is inclined upwards by an angle of 12° relative to the horizontal.

According to a possible embodiment, but which can be dispensed with without departing from the scope of the invention, the saber 16 consists of a row of prisms which are aligned in the transverse direction and which are stressed in tension independently of each other. others in the longitudinal direction (i.e. the upstream-downstream direction). For this, each prism has in its rear face opposite the edge 17 parallel bores, in which plungers are engaged in sliding manner. A tensioner of a helical compression spring is interposed between the bottom of the bore at the free end of the plunger so as to urge the prism in the direction opposite to the roller, as has just been said. However, it would also be possible, instead of providing a plurality of prisms, independent of each other, to provide only a single saber, which extends over the entire width of the carpet and which can be longitudinally tensioned by a tensioner 60, as shown in FIGS.

According to the invention, in fact, provision is made for a mat produced in the form of a so-called micro-pitch modular mat, of which a few sections in the form of a strip are shown in longitudinal section at figure 4 . The modular belt comprises longitudinal sections 30 in the form of individual transverse strips extending parallel to the axis of the roller 12 and hinged to each other at their lateral edge, the width (that is to say the dimension in the upstream-downstream direction of the belt) of a section defining the pitch of the belt. This pitch is called a micro-pitch and may be equal to 8 mm, in particular be between 6 and 15 mm, preferably between 6 and 10 mm.

The articulation of a transverse band to the next is carried out directly from one to the other by means of studs 31 which are inserted into holes 32 in the manner of a door hinge.

By thus providing a modular carpet, it is possible to obtain a very small thickness of the carpet, in particular at the level of the edge 17 of the saber 16, to allow the gap formed between the two elements 11a to extend. and transfer 11b to a point very close to the entrance to the needle loom compared with known devices of the prior art. This makes it possible in particular to dispense with a system such as described in WO 89/03446 and which is also described above as being a possible, but not necessary, embodiment consisting in providing a plurality of prisms which are movable relative to each other by means of associated tensioning devices. Thus, according to the invention, it is possible, if desired, to make a mat having a much simpler structure, while allowing the web to be brought as close as possible to the needling machine.

In particular, according to the invention, the wedge-forming element is not of circular section and is not driven in rotation with respect to its axis.

Claims (11)

1. Device (9) for transferring and/or introducing a fibre lap, in particular a nonwoven lap, into a consolidation installation, in particular one that is mechanical or hydraulic, for example a needle loom, comprising at least one transfer element (11a; 11b) comprising at least one drive roller (12), at least one continuous belt (13) extending between an upstream end and a downstream end (15), and at least one element in the form of a blade or corner, the at least one roller being arranged so as to drive the continuous belt to cause the belt to turn back around the corner at the downstream end, characterised in that the continuous belt is a modular belt consisting of sections (30) in the form of transverse strips that are articulated to one another.
2. Device according to claim 1, characterised in that the width of a section (30), i.e. the pitch of the articulated belt, is between 6 and 15 mm.
3. Device according to either claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the inner bending radius of the belt in the region of its downstream end is between 2 and 5 mm.
4. Device according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the outer bending radius of the belt in the region of its downstream end is between 6 and 12 mm.
5. Device according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the device comprises two transfer elements, upper and lower respectively, defining between their respective blades a gap through which the lap passes during transfer thereof.
6. Device according to claim 5, characterised in that the two transfer elements define between them a gap with a thickness that reduces in size from the upstream to the downstream end.
7. Device according to either claim 5 or claim 6, characterised in that the downstream end of one of the elements (11a; 11b) is set back, i.e. further upstream, compared with the downstream end of the other element (11b; 11a).
8. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the transverse strips are articulated along their respective transverse edge.
9. Device according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the or each transfer element comprises a single continuous belt and a single element in the form of a blade or corner.
10. Assembly comprising a consolidation device, in particular one that is mechanical or hydraulic, for example a needle loom, and a device according to any of the preceding claims.
11. Installation comprising a crosslapper and an assembly according to the preceding claim.

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