GB2058165A

GB2058165A - Bale Openers

Info

Publication number: GB2058165A
Application number: GB7930625A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Cosmopolitan Textile Co Ltd
Current assignee: Cosmopolitan Textile Co Ltd
Priority date: 1979-09-04
Filing date: 1979-09-04
Publication date: 1981-04-08
Also published as: FR2464315A1; DE3030823A1; IT8024420A0; IT1133810B

Abstract

Fibres are fed from bales into a textile fabricating process such as a stitch bonded fabric manufacturing process by a first conveyor 13 adapted to receive the entire contents or substantially the entire contents of a bale 15 and forward them to a second conveyor 14 adapted to take fibres from the first conveyor (for example by having spikes 17) and forward them at a higher speed. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Fibre Feeding Arrangement This invention relates to fibre feeding arrangements for feeding fibres from bales into a textile fabricating process, such for example as the manufacture of non-woven, for example, stitch bonded fabrics, or for the production of textile yarns.

Hitherto, the feeding in of fibres from bales has not been satisfactorily machanised, with the result that much of the operation is still performed manually. Where the blending of fibres is involved this manual interference can result in imperfect blending and in any event is costly in terms of labour.

The present invention provides an improved arrangement for feeding fibres from bales.

The invention comprises an arrangement for feeding fibres from bales into a textile fabricating process, characterised by first conveyor means adapted to receive the entire contents or substantially the entire contents of a bale of fibres and forward the same at a first speed to second conveyor means and forward them at a second speed greater than the said first speed.

Said second conveyor may be furnished with spikes adapted to engage fibres being delivered by said first conveyor means and pull them on to said second conveyor means.

Said second conveyor means may move at more than fibre and preferably about ten times as fast as said first conveyor means.

Said second conveyor means may move said fibres along a horizontal path, and may be elevated above ground level, said first conveyor means lifting said fibres from ground level or about ground level.

The arrangement may be characterised by having a bale stand at the entry end of said first conveyor means on which a bale can be placed and the wrapping removed and being so positioned that the bale (which expands elastically on release of the wrappings) can be pushed over so as to lie on said second conveyor.

An arrangement for blending fibres in a textile fabricating process may comprise a plurality of fibre feeding arrangements as described feeding fibres on to a common conveyor. Such a blending arrangement may have automatic control means to control the said fibre feeding arrangements to deliver a correct blend of fibres according to a predetermined formula and to deliver an amount demanded by the fabricating process being served. The arrangement may be characterised in that when the fabrication process demands fibre each fibre feeding arrangement is activated for a predetermined time (or to deliver) a predetermined quantity of fibre. Said predetermined time may be independently adjustable for each fibre feeding arrangement.

Said common conveyor may deliver fibres to a fibre sensing apparatus that controls the supply of the fibre by stopping and starting the said common conveyor. One embodiment of a fibre feeding arrangement and a fibre blending arrangement incorporating the same will now be described with reference for the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fibre feeding arrangement; Figure 2 is a plan view of the arrangement shown in figure 1; Figure 3 is a side elevation of a fibre blending arrangement: and Figure 4 is a plan view of the arrangement shown in figure 3.

The drawings illustrate an arrangement 11 for feeding fibres from fibre bales 12 into a textile fabricating process, such as a non-woven fabric, for example a stitch bonded fabric making process or a yarn spinning process.

The arrangement 11 comprises first conveyor means 13 adapted to receive the entire contents or substantially the entire contents of a bale of fibres and forward the same at a first speed to second conveyor means 14 adapted to take fibres from said first conveyor means 13 and forward them at a second speed greater than said first speed.

Figure 1 shows a bale 1 5 of fibres on a bale stand 1 6 at the entry end 13a of said first conveyor 13. When the wrappings are removed the bale shoots up elastically to quite a substantial volume indicated in dashed lines. It is then easily pushed over and this may be done manually or automatically by a pneumatic or hydraulic pusher or by means tipping the bale stand (none of which is shown) and actuated when material from a previous bale has cleared a detector (e.g. a photocell) at the other end of the said first conveyor-so that it occupies the position shown in chain lines.

The second conveyor 14 is furnished with spikes 17 adapted to engage fibres being delivered by said first conveyor means 1 3 and pull them on to said second conveyor 14.

Said second conveyor 14 moves at about ten times the speed of the first conveyor 13-this may be arranged in any desired manner as by having the second conveyor 14 driven by a motor and in turn driving the first conveyor 13 via gearing or a ratchet (not shown). The spikes 1 7 take fibres from the first conveyor 13 in 'slices' because of their relatively high speed as compared to that of the first conveyor 1 3.

The second conveyor 14 moves the fibres along a horizontal path, which is elevated above ground level and the first conveyor 13 is inclined to lift the fibres from ground level or near ground level so that the bales can be easily put on to the bale stand 16 and the wrapping removed.

Figures 3 and 4 show a fibre blending arrangement in which a plurality of fibre feeding arrangements 11 as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 deliver fibre on to a common conveyor 31. The conveyor 31 delivers fibre, in turn, to a fibre flow regulating arrangement 32 in which the 'slices' of fibre delivered on to the conveyor 31 are further opened up by high speed beater rolls 33 fed from a near-vertical lattice 34. The lattice 34 takes fibre from a conveyor 35 on to which it is delivered by conveyor 31 and the level of fibre on the conveyor 35 is detected by any suitable means and maintained within desired limits by controlling the operation of the conveyor 31.

Fibre from the beaters 33 is taken away by a fan or further conveyor means for eventual carding and further processing.

The delivery of fibre from conveyor 31 is controlled by starting and stopping its drive motor 36. A pulse generator 37 is driven from the conveyor 31 to generate a pulse, say every half metre-it may, for example, be half metre circumference which with a notch sensed by a photocell. The feed arrangements 11 are activated after a predetermined number of pulses has been generated sufficient to away from the arrangements 11 the fibre previously deposited by them on to the conveyor 31. The arrangements then each run for a predetermined period of time according to the desired formula for the blend.

Claims

1. An arrangement for feeding fibres from fibre bales into a textile fabricating process, characterised by first conveyor means adapted to receive the entire contents or substantially the entire contents of a bale of fibres and forward the same at a first speed to second conveyor means adapted to take fibres from said first conveyor means and forward them at a second speed greater than said first speed.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that said second conveyor is furnished with spikes adapted to engage fibres being delivered by said first conveyor means and pull them on to said second conveyor means.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that said second conveyor means move at about ten times the speed of said first conveyor means.

4. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that said second conveyor means moves said fibres along a horizontal path.

5. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that said second conveyor means are elevated above ground level and said first conveyor means lift said fibres from ground level or about ground level.

6. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterised by a bale stand at the entry end of said first conveyor means on which a bale can be placed and the wrapping removed and being so positioned that the bale (which expands elastically on release of the wrappings) can be pushed over so as to lie on said second conveyor.

7. An arrangement for blending fibres in a textile fabricating process, characterised by comprising a plurality of fibre feeding arrangements according to claim 1 feeding fibres on to a common conveyor.

8. An arrangement according to claim 7, characterised by automatic control means to control the said fibre feeding arrangements to deliver a correct blend of fibres according to a predetermined formula and to deliver an amount demanded by the fabricating process being served.

9. An arrangement according to claim 8, characterised in that when the fabrication process demands fibre each fibre feeding arrangement is activated for a predetermined time (or to deliver a predetermined quantity of fibre).

10. An arrangement according to claim 9, characterised in that said predetermined time is independently adjustable for each fibre feeding arrangement.

11. An arrangement according to claim 7, characterised in that said common conveyor delivers fibres to a fibre sensing apparatus that controls the supply of fibre by stopping and starting the said common conveyor.