GB2258471A

GB2258471A - Improvements in and relating to carding elements

Info

Publication number: GB2258471A
Application number: GB9215730A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ferdinand Leifeld
Original assignee: Truetzschler GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Truetzschler GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1991-07-29
Filing date: 1992-07-24
Publication date: 1993-02-10
Also published as: JP2002000007U; ITMI921517A0; JP2607831Y2; CH685823A5; GB9215730D0; DE4125035A1; ITMI921517A1; JPH05321042A; IT1254980B

Description

2 2 -).'J'4 -1 1 - Improvements in and relating to carding elements The

invention relates to carding elements, for example for use in a carding machine.

In a known apparatus, a plurality of carding elements which are arranged one behind the other in the direction in which the cylinder runs (so-called fixed card tops) are associated with the cylinder of a carding machine. The individual carding elements of an assembly may be equipped with carding clothings that differ from one another. The clothings, which generally comprise saw-tooth wire filetting, may, for example, have different orientations and geometric shapes. Each individual carding element is equipped with a carding clothing whose orientation and/or geometric shape is uniform across the element. The carding clothing on each carding element is, however, different from the carding clothing on an adjacent carding element. The disadvantage is that the carding clothing has, as a result, a discontinuous stepping and there is therefore a stepped carding action in the transition from one carding element to the next. In addition, the manufacture of a plurality of carding elements is structurally complicated.

It is an object of the invention to provide a carding element which mitigates the disadvantages mentioned and which, especially, is able to perform improved carding work.

-2, According to the invention there is provided a carding element including a support member and a clothing mounted thereon, the carding element being for mounting in cooperation with another toothed or clothed member for effecting a carding action on fibre travelling between the carding element and the member, wherein there is a variation in the clothing along the direction of travel of the fibre.

According to the invention there is also provided is apparatus on a carding machine for textile fibres, for example cotton, synthetic fibres and the like, having a rotatable cylinder the surface of which is provided with an endless metal saw-tooth clothing, and having a stationary carding element comprising a support member, for example a plate element, which is provided on its inner side (base face) with a metal clothing of saw-tooth strips, for example saw-tooth sections, arranged nex't to one another in series, and which covers part of the circumference of the cylinder, in the case of which - 3 apparatus the clothing on the support member and the clothing on the cylinder are arranged opposite one another to form a carding area, characterised in that the occupation density of the clothing on the stationary carding element increases continuously (steadily) in the direction of rotation of the cylinder.

owing to the continuous (steady) increase in the occupation density of the clothing on the carding element, a carding action that varies in a stepless manner is achieved in the direction of rotation of the cylinder. In contrast to the known apparatus, the variation in the carding clothing occurs between teeth that are arranged immediately adjacent to one another in the direction of rotation of the cylinder.

Advantageously, the geometric shape of the clothing of each saw-tooth strip varies continuously in the direction of rotation of the cylinder (arrow A). The front angle of each saw-tooth strip preferably varies continuously in the direction of rotation of the cylinder. Advantageously, the wedge angle of each sawtooth strip varies continuously in the direction of rotation of the cylinder. The rear angle of each sawtooth strip preferably varies continuously in the direction of rotation of the cylinder. The tooth radius of each saw-tooth strip advantageously varies 4 - continuously in the direction of rotation of the cylinder. Preferably, the tooth pitch of each saw-tooth strip varies continuously in the direction of rotation of the cylinder. The tooth arc pitch of each sawtooth strip advantageously varies continuously in the direction of rotation of the cylinder. Preferably, the tooth height hi of each saw-tooth strip varies continuously in the direction of rotation of the cylinder. Advantageously, the tooth height h2 of each saw-tooth strip varies continuously in the direction of rotation of the cylinder. Preferably, a single fixed carding element is present, which is simple from the point of view of structure and manufacture because only one support member and one saw-tooth clothing are present. Furthermore, the is single fixed carding element is easy to service becausq there are no gaps between individual carding zones arranged separately one behind the other. A further advantage is that the apparatus is rigid so that adjustment is facilitated and the apparatus is better maintained during operation; in particular, there is no tendency to vibrate.

According to a further advantageous embodiment, at least two fixed carding elements are present, the variation in the occupation density and/or in the geometric shape of the clothing of each saw-tooth strip extending continuously over two or more fixed carding 1 elements. According to a further preferred embodiment, where a revolving card top assembly is present, the fixed carding element is arranged in front of and/or behind the revolving card top assembly. Advantageously, saw-tooth punched components are provided as saw-tooth strips. The saw-tooth punched components preferably have dovetail recesses which are in engagement with a dovetail extension on the support member. Advantageously, the distance between the clothing on the fixed carding element and the clothing on the cylinder decreases in direction of rotation of the cylinder. Preferably, the aggressiveness of the carding action of the saw-tooth strips increases in the direction of rotation of the cylinder. The fineness of the clothing teeth on the saw- tooth strip advantageously increases in the direction of rotation of the cylinder. The clothing strips are preferably separated from one another by toothless strips. Advantageously, the clothing strips are arranged at approximately equal distances from one another.

Preferably, the number of teeth per unit of length of the individual clothing strips increases at least once in the direction of rotation of the cylinder. Advantageously, the number of teeth on a saw-tooth strip increases from zero teeth per cm to ten teeth per cm. The occupation density - viewed over the width of the cylinder preferably decreases from the edge zones towards the centre.

The use of punched saw-tooth elements to form a fixed carding element advantageously allows incorporation into a saw-tooth element, in the case of the clothing of the fixed carding element, of teeth having different profiles and different degrees of coarseness in the direction of rotation of the cylinder. The following variations in the clothing tend to apply: first coarse then fine, first less aggressive then more aggressive, first less dense then denser, first more filling volume then less and/or first wide then narrow when viewed in the direction of rotation of the cylinder. In that manner, it is possible to vary the clothing with greater precision than in the case of individual bars that have different clothings and are arranged one behind the is other. The apparatus can be inexpensive because only one support member and one saw-tooth element need be provided. The apparatus is easy to service because there are no gaps between the individual zones that can lead to trash accumulation and trash discharge. The fixed carding element is more rigid, and adjustment is easier and is better maintained and there is no tendency to vibrate.

It is of advantage that the variation in the clothing density take place in the circumferential direction of the cylinder in the case of a fixed carding segment that is produced by arranging saw-tooth strips in a row. It is also advantageous that, by means of the apparatus, it is possible to effect the variation in density in a stepless manner over a relatively large circumferential area of the cylinder, which has considerable technological advantages over the relatively small zone of revolving card tops. In the case of fixed card tops, the variation in the occupation density is of great advantage. It is especially advantageous that the measures enable several influencing geometries to be varied precisely, and also simultaneously, and to be adapted to one another in an optimum manner, for example tooth shape, front angle, tooth height, overall height, shape of the tip, tooth back, distance from tooth to is tooth. All those influencing variables are so chosen that a weaker carding action is produced on the material inlet side of the fixed carding segment and a stronger carding action is produced at the outlet. For example, the number of teeth per cm of circumferential path may be increased from zero teeth per cm to ten teeth per cm. It is possible to produce longer zones with zero teeth per cm. That is advantageous when, over the width of the cylinder also, the number of teeth per cm2 is to be small to begin with and then high.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a carding element including a support member 0 8 - and a clothing mounted thereon, the carding element being for mounting in cooperation with another toothed or clothed member in carding relationship therewith and effecting a carding action on fibre travelling therebetween wherein the occupation density of the clothing varies smoothly in the direction of travel of the fibre.

is According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a carding element including a support member and a clothing mounted thereon, the carding element being for mounting in cooperation with another toothed or clothed member in carding relationship therewith and effecting a carding action on fibre travelling therebetween wherein the geometric shape of the clothing varies smoothly in the direction of travel of the fibre.

The invention further includes a method of processing textile fibres, in which the fibres are processed by an apparatus as described above.

Where references are made in the specification to a variation in a variable (for example, occupation density, geometric shape), it should be understood that the variation may be one which takes place continuously and/or in a multiplicity of discrete steps.

By way of example, certain embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a carding machine, Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 is a side view of a fixed carding element having a support member and a carding clothing (sawtooth strip), shows a saw-tooth strip with the front angle varied, shows a saw-tooth strip with the wedge angle varied, shows a saw-tooth strip with the rear angle varied, is Figure 6 shows a saw-tooth strip with the tooth radius varied, Figure 7 shows a saw-tooth strip with the tooth pitch varied, Figure 8 shows a saw-tooth strip with the tooth arc pitch varied, Figure 9a Figure 9b shows a saw-tooth strip with the tooth height varied in another manner, is a sectional view through a strip of the kind shown in Figures 9a and 9c, Figure 9c shows a saw-tooth strip with the tooth height varied in another manner, Figure 10 is a plan view of a carding clothing of a fixed carding element, in which the occupation density increases continuously in the direction of rotation of the cylinder, Figure 11 is a plan view of a carding clothing in which the occupation density decreases from the edge zones towards the centre and Figure 12 is a side view of the carding clothing of the fixed element and of the cylinder clothing, the distance between the two clothings decreasing in the direction of rotation of the cylinder.

Referring first to Figure 1, a carding machine, for example of the type made by TrUtzschler GmbH & Co. KG under the trade mark EXACTACARD DK 760, has a feed roller 1, a feed table 2, a licker-in 3, a cylinder 4, a doffer 5, a take-off roller 6, two squeezing rollers 7, a web guide member 9, a sliver funnel 10, two take-off rollers 11 and a revolving card top 12. The cylinder 4 has a clothing 4a. Two fixed carding elements 13 and 14 are arranged circumferentially about the cylinder between the revolving card top 12 and the licker-in 3 and between the doffer 5 and the revolving card top 12 respectively. The direction of rotation of the cylinder 4 is shown by a curved arrow A. The fixed carding elements 13, 14 cover part of the circumference of the cylinder 4. The clothing 17 of the saw-tooth strips 16 (see Figure 2) is associated with each of the fixed carding elements 13, 14 and the clothing 4a on the cylinder 4 are arranged in opposing relation to one another to form a carding zone.

Referring now to Figure 2, each of the stationary carding elements 13, 14 comprises a support member, for example of a double T-cross-section. The bottom face of the support member is associated with a metal clothing comprising a plurality of saw- tooth strips 16, for example saw-tooth punched components, arranged next to and parallel to one another. The saw-tooth strips 16 have recesses 18 which engage with a dovetail projection 19 on the support member 15.

- 12 The geometric shape of the clothing 17 of the sawtooth strip 16 varies continuously (steadily) in the direction of rotation of the cylinder (arrow A). The tooth arc pitch t (see also Figure 8) of the teeth of the clothing 17 of the saw-tooth strip 16 decreases continuously along the saw-tooth strip 16 in the direction of rotation A of the cylinder.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 3, the front angle a of the teeth of the clothing 17 of the saw-tooth strip 16 varies continuously in the direction of rotation A of the cylinder. The teeth of the clothing 17 are marked 171, 1711 and 1711,1. Continuous variation of the front angle means that the front angle either continues to increase or continues to decrease in one direction along the strip. The front angles of adjacent teeth always differ from one another.

Further characterizing of the clothing 17 of each saw-tooth strip 16 that may be varied in the direction of rotation of the cylinder (arrow A) are shown in Figures 4 to 8 and 9a to 9c. In Figure 4 the wedge angle B is varied. In Figure 5 the rear angle is varied. In Figure 6 the tooth radius ri (mm) is varied. In Figure 7 the tooth pitch t (mm) (at the stretched wire) is varied.

In Figure 8 the tooth arc pitch t (nm) is varied. In Figure 9a the tooth height h2 (mm) is varied and in Figure 9c the tooth height h, (mm) is varied. Figure 9b shows a cross-section through a strip of the kind shown in Figures 9a and 9c with the dimensions h, and h2 5 marked.

Figure 10 shows a plan view of another form of carding clothing for either the fixed carding elements 13, 14. The saw-tooth strips 16a to 16n are arranged next to and parallel to one another, and at a small angle to the plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the cylinder. The teeth of the clothings 17a to 17n may point in the direction of rotation A of the cylinder or may point in the opposite direction, as shown in the drawings. The occupation density B of the clothing 17 on the stationary carding element 13, 14 increases continuously in the direction of rotation A of the cylinder. The occupation density is defined:

B P. - t Where B is the occupation density (cm-2), P is the pitch (that is the separation in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the cylinder of the teeth of adjacent strips) measured in cm. and t is the tooth arc pitch measured in cm. The number of tooth tips per cm2 increases in the direction of rotation A of the cylinder.

1 - 14 In the embodiment of Figure 11, the saw-tooth strips 16 are separated from one another by toothless strips 20 (blank strips). The occupation density B - viewed over the width c of the cylinder 4 decreases from the edge zones 21a, 21b towards the centre 22.

In the embodiment of Figure 12, the distance between the clothing 17 and the clothing 4a decreases in the direction of rotation A of the cylinder from a greater distance a to a smaller distance b.

In the embodiments described, the invention has been described with regard to use in association with a particular type of carding machine. The invention may also be applied to other apparatus, for example where a carding element cooperates with a rotating saw-tooth roller. Thus the invention may for example be applied to other types of carding machine, including roller card units, or other machines, for example cleaners.

The various configurations described in the embodiments for the clothing 17 of the saw-tooth strip 16 may be combined in various ways other than those specifically described, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. For example, the variation in front angle described in Figure 3 may be combined with the - is - feature of Figure 7 whereby the tooth pitch decreases in the direction of rotation A.

It should be understood that although the clothing configurations shown in the erabodiments of Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9a and 9c are shown applied to straight strips, they may also be applied to a saw-tooth strip 16 of curved cross-section such as that shown in Figure 2.

16 claims 1. A carding element including a support jaember and a clothing mounted thereon, the carding element being for mounting in cooperation with another toothed or clothed member for effecting a carding action on fibre travelling between the carding element and--the member, wherein there is a variation in the clothing along the direction of travel of the fibre.

2. A carding element according to claim 1, in which the occupation density of the clothing varies along the direction of travel of the fibre.

3. A carding element according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the geometrical shape of the clothing varies along the direction of travel of the fibre.

4. A carding element including a support member and a clothing mounted thereon, the carding element being for mounting in cooperation with another toothed or clothed member in carding relationship therewith and for effecting a carding action on fibre travelling therebetween wherein the occupation density of the clothing varies smoothly in the direction of travel of the fibre.

17 5. A carding element according to claim 4, in which the occupation density of the clothing increases in the direction of travel of the fibre.

6. A carding element according to claim 4 or claim 5, in which the clothing is in the form of toothed strips.

7. A carding element according to claim 6, in which the separation of adjacent teeth on the same toothed strip varies smoothly in the direction of travel of the fibre.

8. A carding element according to claim 6 or claim 7, in which the toothed strips are arranged parallel to one another on the bottom face of the support member.

9. A carding element according to claim 8, in which the geometric shape of the clothing varies in the direction of travel of the fibre.

10. A carding element according to claim 9, in which the geometric shape of the clothing varies 20 smoothly.

11. A carding element according to claim 10, in which the front angle of the clothing varies in the 18 direction of travel of the fibre.

12. A carding element according to any of claims 9 to 11, in which the wedge angle of the clothing varies in the direction of travel of the fibre.

13. A carding element according to any of claims 9 to 12, in which the rear angle of the clothing varies in the direction of travel of the fibre.

14. A carding element according to any of claims 9 to 13, in which the tooth pitch of the clothing varies in the direction of travel of the fibre.

15. A carding element according to any of claims 9 to 14 when dependent on claim 6, in which the toothed strips are of curved cross section.

16. A carding element according to claim 15, in which the tooth arc pitch of the clothing varies in the direction of travel of the fibre.

17. A carding element according to claim 15 or claim 16, in which the tooth radius of the clothing varies in the direction of travel of the fibre.

18. A carding element according to any of claims 6 to 17, in which the toothed strips are saw-tooth 19 strips, and comprise a base part and teeth.

19. A carding element according to claim 18, in which the height of the teeth of the toothed strips from the base part of the toothed strips varies in the direction of travel of the fibre.

20. A carding element according to claim 18 or claim 19, in which the height of the base part of the toothed strips varies in the direction of travel of the fibre.

21. A carding element according to any of claims 6 to 20, in which sawtoothed punched components are provided as toothed strips.

22. A carding element according to claim 21, in which the saw-toothed punched components have recesses is which are in engagement with a dovetail projection on the support member.

23. A carding element according to any preceding claim, in which the carding action of the clothing increases in the direction of travel of the 20 fibre.

24. A carding element according to any preceding claim, in which the fineness of the clothing increases in the direction of travel of the fibre.

25. A carding element according to any of claims 9 to 24 when dependent on claim 8, in which the toothed strips are separated from one another by toothless, or blank, strips.

26. A carding element according to any of claims -7 9 to 24 when dependent on claim 8, in which toothed strips are arranged at approximately equal distances from one another.

27. A carding element according to any of claims 7 to 26 when dependent on claim 6, in which the number of teeth per unit length of each toothed strip increases in the direction of travel of the fibre.

28. A carding element according to claim 27, in is which the number of teeth per unit length of each toothed strip increases from zero teeth per cm. to ten teeth per CM.

29. A carding element according to any preceding claim when dependent on claim 4, in which the occupation density of the clothing decreases from the edge zones towards the centre of the clothing of the carding element, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel of the fibre.

t 21 30. A carding element according to any preceding claim when dependent on claim 9, associated with at least one other carding element, in which the elements are arranged so as to present a continuous carding surface to the clothed cylinder, and in which the variation of the occupation density and/or geometric shape of the teeth of the toothed strip extends continuously across those elements.

31. A textile machine assembly including a clothed member in carding relationship with a carding element according to any preceding claim.

32. A textile machine assembly according to claim 31, in which the clothed member comprises a clothed cylinder.

33. A textile machine assembly according to claim 32, in which the clothed cylinder is clothed with an endless metal saw-tooth clothing.

34. A textile machine assembly according to any of claims 31 to 33, in which there is provided a revolving card top assembly, and in which the carding element is arranged upstream or downstream of the revolving card top assembly.

22 35. A textile machine assembly according to any of claims 32 to 34, in which the distance between the clothing of the stationary carding element and the clothing of the cylinder decreases in the direction of travel of the fibre.

36. A textile machine assembly according to claim 34 or claim 35, in which there is provided a single carding element only, arranged upstream or downstream of the revolving card top assembly.

37. A textile machine assembly according to claim 34 or claim 35, in which there is provided a revolving card top assembly, and a plurality of stationary carding elements are arranged upstream and/or downstream of the revolving card top assembly.

38. Apparatus on a carding machine for textile fibres, for example cotton, synthetic fibres and the like, having a rotatable cylinder the surface of which is provided with an endless metal saw-tooth clothing, and having a stationary carding element comprising a support member, for example a plate element, which is provided on its inner side (base face) with a metal clothing of sawtooth strips, for example saw- tooth sections, arranged next to one another in series, and which covers part of the circumference of the cylinder, in the case of which apparatus the clothing on the support member and the 23 clothing on the cylinder are arranged opposite one another to form a carding area, characterised in that the occupation density of the clothing on the stationary carding element increases continuously (steadily) in the 5 direction of rotation of the cylinder.

39. A carding element including a support member and a clothing mounted thereon, the carding element being for mounting in cooperation with another toothed or clothed member in carding relationship therewith and effecting a carding action on fibre travelling wherein the geometric shape of the clothing varies smoothly in the direction of travel of the fibre.

40. A carding element substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by Fig. 1, and by Fig. 2, or by Fig. 3, or by Fig. 5, or by Fig. 6, or by Fig. 7, or by Fig. 8, or by Fig. 9b and Fig. 9a or 9c, or by Fig. 10, or by Fig. 11, or by Fig. 12.

41. A textile machine assembly substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by Fig. 1.

42. A method of processing textile fibres, in which the fibres are processed by an apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim.