GB2240995A

GB2240995A - Apparatus and method for opening and cleaning fibre material

Info

Publication number: GB2240995A
Application number: GB9101356A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ferdinand Leifeld
Original assignee: Truetzschler GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Truetzschler GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1990-01-23
Filing date: 1991-01-22
Publication date: 1991-08-21
Anticipated expiration: 2011-01-22
Also published as: FR2657360A1; GB9101356D0; IT1245662B; GB2240995B; ITMI910103A0; ES2027895A6; JP3082948B2; FR2657360B1; JPH04214417A; BR9100256A; CH682672A5; ITMI910103A1

Abstract

An apparatus for opening and cleaning fibre material, especially cotton, has at least two clothed rollers (4, 5) arranged downstream of a feed device (3a, 3b), in which the rollers (4, 5) are each associated with at least one separating edge (8, 13) for impurities having an associated separating opening (7, 12). The centrifugal forces at the circumference of the downstream roller (5) are greater than at the circumference of the upstream roller (4) and rollers (4, 5) are arranged one behind the other, each downstream roller co-operating with the upstream roller as a doffing and opening roller. There may be three clothed rollers 4, 5, 6. In order to allow simple manufacture of the apparatus and to achieve an improved cleaning action, the diameters of rollers (4, 5, 6) are the same or almost the same and each clothed roller is assigned at least one separating edge (8, 13, 18) for impurities having an associated separating opening (7, 12, 17). The feed device may comprise cooperating feed rollers 3a, 3b or a roller cooperating with a feed table. A pin roller 39 may precede the first of the clothed rollers. <IMAGE>

Description

0 C3 qE) E5 Apparatus and Method for opening and cleaning fibre material

The invention relates to an apparatus and method for opening and cleaning fibre material, particularly but not exclusively cotton.

In a known apparatus three clothed rollers are arranged downstream of a feed device and two of the rollers are each associated with at least one separating edge for impurities having an associated separating opening. The centrifugal forces at the circumference of the downstream clothed roller are greater than at the circumference of the upstream clothed roller. The clothed rollers are arranged one behind the other and each downstream clothed roller co-operates with the upstream clothed roller as a take-off (doffer) and opening roller. In the known apparatus there are three clothed rollers arranged one behind the other, the diameters of the first clothed roller and the adjacent clothed roller being of different sizes. The central clothed roller is surrounded by a housing having no separating openings or separating edges. The different roller diameters give rise to a certain amount of additional expense in manufacture.

In the light of the above, it is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus which avoids or mitigates the disadvantage mentioned, and which allows simpler manufacture and enables an improved cleaning action to be obtained. 5 According to the invention there is provided an apparatus for opening and cleaning fibre material, comprising: first clothed roller, second clothed roller co-operating with the first clothed roller for receiving fibre therefrom, the second clothed roller being in doffing and opening relationship with the first, the diameters of the first and second clothed rollers being approximately the same, and the rollers being arranged to rotate at such speeds that in use the centrifugal force at the circumference of the second roller is greater than at the circumference of the first roller, a feed device for feeding fibre material to the first clothed roller, and 20 a housing arrangement enclosing the first and second clothed rollers, but providing a first separating opening adjacent the first clothed roller and a second separating opening adjacent the second clothed roller. The present invention also provides apparatus for opening and cleaning fibre material, especially cotton, having at least three clothed rollers arranged downstream of a feed device, in which at least two clothed rollers f i i are each associated with at least one separating edge for impurities having an associated separating opening, in which the centrifugal forces at the circumference of the downstream clothed roller are greater than at the circumference of the upstream clothed roller, in which the clothed rollers are arranged one behind the other and in which each downstream clothed roller co-operates with the upstream clothed roller as a removal and opening roller, characterised in that the diameters of each of the clothed rollers are the same or almost the same, and each clothed roller is associated with at least one separating edge for impurities having an associated separating opening.

As a result of the fact that all the clothed rollers are of the same or almost the same diameter, manufacture is simplified. Each clothed roller has at least one separating edge for impurities having an associated separating opening, so that the cleaning action of the apparatus is thereby improved.

It should be understood that where a comparison is made between the centrifugal forces at the peripheries of two rollers, it is the forces that would be acting on a unit mass, or put another way, the magnitudes of the radial accelerations, that are being compared rather than the total force on the material occupying a given circumferential portion of the roller. Also the "centri fugal force" on the material is to be understood as that force which is required to keep the material on a circular path around the roller.

Advantageously the direction of rotation of a downstream clothed roller is opposite to the direction of rotation of the respective upstream clothed roller. The circumferential speed of a downstream clothed roller is preferably greater than the circumferential speed of the respective upstream clothed roller. Advantageously the number of points on the clothing of a downstream clothed roller is greater than the number on the clothing of the respective upstream clothed roller. Each clothed roller is preferably associated with at least one clothed fixed carding member. Advantageously the feed device (fibre feed device) has two slow-running feed rollers. The feed device (fibre feed device) preferably has a slow-running feed roller and a feed table. Advantageously, there is arranged between the feed device (fibre feed device) and the first clothed roller at least one roller which is what might be termed a pin roller, spike roller, needle roller, full spike roller or the like. Such a roller may have spikes, pins or needles projecting from its circumference and they may project further than an ordinary clothing. As a result, a preliminary cleaner is at the same time integrated into the apparatus. Preferably the first clothed roller is associated with a flock feed device having a feed shaft. Advantageously the last clothed roller having the greatest i 1 i A circumferential speed is associated with a pneumatic fibre suction removal device. Preferably the diameters of the clothed rollers, excluding the clothing, are the same.

The present invention further provides an apparatus for opening and cleaning fibre material, comprising:

first clothed roller, second clothed roller co-operating with the first clothed roller for receiving fibre therefrom, the second clothed roller being in doffing and opening relationship with the first, a needle roller, pin roller or the like upstream of the first clothed roller, and a feed device for feeding fibre material to the needle roller, pin roller or the like.

The present invention still further provides an apparatus for opening and cleaning fibre material, comprising:

a first clothed roller, a second clothed roller co-operating with the first clothed roller for receiving fibre therefrom, the second clothed roller being in doffing and opening relationship with the first, the diameters of the first and second clothed rollers being approximately the same, and the second roller being arranged to rotate at a higher circumferential speed than the first roller, a feed device for feeding fibre material to the first clothed roller, and a housing arrangement enclosing the first and second clothed rollers but providing a first separating opening adjacent the first clothed roller and a second separating opening adjacent the second clothed roller. 5 The present invention yet further provides a method of opening and cleaning fibre material employing an apparatus as defined above. Certain illustrative embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of an opening and cleaning apparatus having three clothed rollers, Fig. 2 is a side view of a modified form of apparatus with four clothed rollers and an upstream flock feed device having a feed shaft, Fig. 3 is a side view of a modified form of feed device for the first clothed roller, Fig. 4 is a side view of another modified form of feed device for the first clothed roller, Fig. 5 is a side view of an apparatus similar to that of Fig. 1 but with an integrated pin roller arranged in front of the clothed rollers, Fig. 6 is a side view of a modified form of the apparatus of Fig. 5 incorporating two clothed rollers, and Fig. 7 is a side view of a modified form of the apparatus of Fig. 6 incorporating three clothed rollers.

Throughout the drawings parts corresponding to ones already shown and described with respect to an earlier drawing are designated by the same reference numerals as in the earlier drawing and are not necessarily described again.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the cleaning apparatus, which is arranged in a closed casing 1, is supplied with flocks of fibre material, which may especially be cotton, to be cleaned. The feeding may take place, for example, by means of a feed shaft (not shown in Fig. 1). The fibre flocks in the form of a lap are supplied by two feed rollers 3a, 3b, between which the lap is fed to a first clothed roller 4 which is adjacent the rollers 3a, 3b and which is rotatably mounted in the casing 1 and rotates counterclockwise (as shown by arrow A). Downstream of clothed roller 4 there are arranged a second clothed roller 5 and a third clothed roller 6. Clothed rollers 4, 5 and 6 are covered with a saw-tooth clothing and have a diameter of about from 135 to 215 mm, for example 175 mm. Roller 4 has a circumferential speed of about 15 to 21 m/sec, for example 18 m/sec; roller 5b has a circumferential speed of about from 19 to 25 m/sec, for example 22 m/sec, and clothed roller 6 has a circumferential speed of about from 23 to 30 m/sec, for 9 example 26.5 m/sec. The circumferential speed of roller 6 is greater than that of roller 5 which in turn is greater than that of roller 4.

Clothed rollers 4, 5 and 6 are surrounded by the housing. Clothed rollerk is associated with a separating opening 7 for the discharge of fibre impurities, the size of which opening is or may be matched to the particular degree of separation to be accomplished at that stage. The separating opening 7 is associated with a separating edge 8, for example a blade which defines the downstream boundary of the opening.

The third clothed roller 6 rotates at a higher speed than do clothed rollers 4 and 5, the points of its clothing 6a, as indicated, being in the take-off or doffer position relative to the points of the clothing Sa of the second clothed roller 5. The clothed roller 6 can therefore be designated as a removal and doffer roller from the point of view of its action on the fibre material. The points of the clothing 5a of clothed roller 5 are, as indicated, in the doffer position relative to the points of the clothing 4a of the first clothed roller 4. The centrifugal forces acting on the fibre material increase from clothed roller to clothed roller. Clothed roller 6 is connected via a fibre transport duct 23 to a cylindrical screen drum (not shown). The fibre material is transported pneumatically by the air current 24. The cylindrical screen drum is connected to a suction device (not shown) in order to generate reduced pressure in its interior. The reduced pressure extends via the fibre transport duct 23 to the clothed roller 6.

The mode of operation of the apparatus of Fig. 1 is as follows: the lap consisting of fibre flocks is supplied from the nip between the feed rollers 3a, 3b, to the first clothed roller 4 which combs the fibre material and takes up fibre tufts on its clothing. As clothed roller 4 passes the separating opening 7 having the separating edge 8, in accordance with the circumferential speed and the curvature of that roller and with the size of the separating opening 7, which is matched to this first separation stage, short fibres and coarse impurities are thrown out of the fibre material by centrifugal force and, after passing through the separating opening 7, pass into a soil chamber in the casing 1. The fibre material that has been pre-cleaned in this way is removed from the first clothed roller 4 by the points of the clothing of the second clothed roller 5, the fibre material being further opened in that process. When clothed roller 5 passes a separating opening 12 having a separating edge 13 defining the downstream boundary thereof, further impurities are thrown out of the fibre by centrifugal force. The fibre material is then removed from the second clothed roller 5 by the points of the clothing of the third clothed roller 1 6, the fibre material being opened further and conveyed past a separating opening 17 having a separating edge 18 defining the downstream boundary thereof. Since the centrifugal force on a unit mass of fibre passing around the third clothed roller 6 is greater than that produced at the second clothed roller 5, which in turn is greater than that produced at the first clothed roller 4, at the separating opening 17 the particles of dirt and dust removed from the fibre material are finer than those removed at the separating opening 12 associated with the roller 5, which in turn are finer than those removed at the opening 7 associated with the roller 4. The opening of the fibre material into single fibres or at least very fine fibre flocks by means of the clothed roller 6 promotes the separation of those finer impurities from the fibre material. The impurities and fibre portions removed at separating openings 7, 12 and 17 are advantageously removed by suction through pipe lines. This can be effected continuously or discontinously.

After passing separating opening 17, the fibre material becomes detached from the third clothed roller 6 as a result of the input air 25 entering via the suction slot 22 and as a result of centrifugal force, and passes through the fibre transport channel 23 to the cylindrical screen drum (or a dust remover, for example that sold by TrUtzschler GmbH & Co. KG as TRCTWCHLER DUSTEX DX). Fine and extremely fine impurities, such as fragments of -1 t dust and fibrest pass through the perforated casing of the rotating cylindrical screen and are removed by the suction air current, while the fibres are deposited on the cylindrical screen where they form a fibre web which is removed from the cylindrical screen drum and supplied for further processing.

In Fig. 1, arrow B indicates the direction of rotation of clothed roller 5 and arrow C indicates the direction of rotation of clothed roller 6. Reference numerals 9, 14 and 19 indicate suction devices for the impurities discharged from the separating openings 7, 12 and 17, respectively. Downstream of each separating edge (separating blade) 8, 13 and 18 there are arranged two clothed fixed carding members 10 and 11, 15 and 16, and 20 and 211 respectively. Arrows E and F indicate the 1 directions of rotation of feed rollers 3a and 3b, respectively.

In the generally similar but modifed arrangement shown in Fig. 2 there is arranged downstream of the third clothed roller 6 a fourth clothed roller 26 which is associated with a separating opening 27, a separating edge 28, a suction device 29 and a fixed carding member 30. Arrow D indicates the direction of rotation of clothed roller 26. Above clothed roller 4 there is arranged a flock feed device 32, for example that sold by TrUtzschler GmbH & Co. KG under the name TrUtzschler EXACTAFEED FBK, which has an upper reserve shaft 33, a lower feed shaft 34 and, between shafts 33 and 34, a slow-running intake roller 35 and a fast-running opener roller 36. At the lower end of the feed shaft 34 there are arranged two delivery rollers 37a, 37b which feed the 5 fibre material 38 directly to the clothed roller 4.

Referring now to Fig. 3 there is shown arranged upstream of the clothed roller 4 a feed device which consists of a slow-running feed roller 3 and a feed table 2. Arrow G indicates the direction of rotation of feed roller 3. Feed roller 3 and clothed roller 4 both rotate counterclockwise.

Fig. 4 shows an arrangement similar to Fig. 3 but with a so-called "sameway" feed, in which feed roller 3 rotates clockwise (arrow H) and clothed roller 4 rotates counterclockwise (arrow A) so that the adjoining peripheries of the rollers are rotating in the same direction.

The arrangement of Fig. 5 is similar to that of Fig. 1, but between feed rollers 3a, 3b and the first clothed roller 4 there is arranged a pin roller 39 which has pins 40 and which rotate in the direction of arrow I. Below the pin roller 39 there is arranged a grid 41 through the openings 41a of which the impurities removed from the fibre material pass.

The arrangement of Fig. 6 is similar to that of Fig. 5, but the roller 4 is omitted and the pins 40 of the needle roller 39 are associated with a separating blade 8 is 1 i which has a blade edge 80 directed against the direction of rotation A of the needle roller 39. Seen in the direction of rotation A, there is a separating opening 7 in front of the separating blade 8. Thus in the embodiment of Fig. 6, a needle roller 39 and two sawtooth rollers 5 and 6 are arranged one behind the other.

Fig. 7 shows an arrangement similar to Fig. 6, but including the roller 4 so that there is a needle roller 39 and three saw-tooth rollers 4, 5 and 6 arranged one behind the other.

It should be understood that while a certain function may have been described with respect to one particular embodiment and not others, that does not necessarily mean that it cannot be applied to other embodiments. Rather the converse is often true. For example the feed arrangements shown is Figs. 2, 3 and 4 may be employed in any of the embodiments shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, and two carding elements may be associated with each of the rollers 4, 5, 6 and 26 in Fig. 2, rather than only one.

i - 14 1

Claims

CLAIMS 1. An apparatus for opening and cleaning fibre material,

comprising: a first clothed roller, 5 a second clothed roller cooperating with the first clothed roller for receiving fibre therefrom, the second clothed roller being in doffing and opening relationship with the first, the diameters of the first and second clothed rollers being approximately the same, and the rollers being arranged to rotate at such speeds that in use the centrifugal force at the circumference of the second roller is greater than at the circumference of the first roller, feed device for feeding fibre material to the first clothed roller, and housing arrangement enclosing the first and second clothed rollers, but providing a first separating opening adjacent the first clothed roller and a second separating opening adjacent the second clothed roller.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which the direction of rotation of the second roller is opposite to the direction of rotation of the first roller.
3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, in which the second roller is arranged to rotate at a higher circumferential speed than the first roller.
4. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, i i i i 1 - is - j in which the number of points per unit area on the clothing of the second roller is greater than the number of points per unit area on the clothing of the first roller.
5. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, in which there is a third clothed roller co-operating with the second clothed roller for receiving fibre therefrom, the third clothed roller being in doffing and opening relationship with the second clothed roller, the diameters of the first, second and third clothed rollers being approximately the same and the third clothed roller being arranged to rotate at such a speed that in use the centrifugal force at the circumference of the third roller is greater than that at the circumference of the second roller.
6. An apparatus according to claim 5, in which the direction of rotation of the third roller is opposite to the direction of rotation of the second roller.
7. An apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, in which the third roller is arranged to rotate at a higher circumferential speed than the second roller.
8. An apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 7, in which the number of points per unit area on the clothing of the third roller is greater than the number of points per unit area on the clothing of the second roller.
9. An apparatus according to any preceding claim in which at least one clothed fixed carding member is associated with each clothed roller.
10. An apparatus according to any preceding claim in which the feed device comprises a pair of feed rollers.
11. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, in which the feed device comprises a feed roller and a co-operating feed table.
12. An apparatus according to any preceding claim in which at least one needle roller, pin roller or the like is arranged between the feed device and the first clothed roller.
13. An apparatus according to any preceding claim in which the feed device includes a feed shaft for receiving fibre flocks.
14. An apparatus according to any preceding claim in which the clothed roller furthest downstream is associated with a pneumatic fibre suction removal device.
15. An apparatus according to any preceding claim in which the diameters of the clothed rollers, excluding the clothing, are the same.
16. An apparatus for opening and cleaning fibre material, comprising:

a first clothed roller, a second clothed roller co-operating with the first clothed roller for receiving fibre therefrom, the second -1 i clothed roller being in doffing and opening relationship with the first, a needle roller, pin roller or the like upstream of the first clothed roller, and a feed device for feeding fibre material to the needle roller, pin roller or the like.
17. An apparatus for opening and cleaning fibre material, comprising:

a first clothed roller, a second clothed roller co-operating with the first clothed roller for receiving fibre therefrom, the second clothed roller being in doffing and opening relationship with the first, the diameters of the first and second clothed rollers being approximately the same, and the second roller being arranged to rotate at a higher circumferential speed than the first roller, feed device for feeding fibre material to the first clothed roller, and housing arrangement enclosing the first and second clothed rollers but providing a first separating opening adjacent the first clothed roller and a second separating opening adjacent the second clothed roller.
18. Apparatus for opening and cleaning fibre material, especially cotton, having at least three clothed rollers arranged downstream of a feed device, in which at least two clothed rollers are each associated with at least one separating edge for impurities having f - is - an associated separating opening, in which the centrifugal forces at the circumference of the downstream clothed roller are greater than at the circumference of the upstream clothed roller, in which the clothed rollers are arranged one behind the other and in which each downstream clothed roller co-operates with the upstream clothed roller as a removal and opening roller, characterised in that the diameters of each of the clothed rollers are the same or almost the same, and each clothed roller is associated with at least one separating edge for impurities having an associated separating opening.
19. An apparatus for opening and cleaning fibre material, the apparatus being substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by Fig. 1, or by Fig. 2, or by Fig. 5, or by Fig. 6 or by Fig. 7 of the accompanying drawings.
20. An apparatus according to claim 19, modified as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by Fig. 3 or by Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.
21. A method of opening and cleaning fibre material employing an apparatus according to any preceding claim.

Published 1991 at Ile Patent Office, State House, 66171 High Holborn. London WC1R47P. Further copies may be obtained from Sales Branch. Unit 6. Nine Mile Point Cwmfelinfach. Cross Keys. Newport, NPI 7HZ. Printed by Multiplex techniques lid. St Mary Cray, Kent.

1 i i i