GB2285637A

GB2285637A - Apparatus for cleaning and opening fibre material

Info

Publication number: GB2285637A
Application number: GB9424524A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ferdinand Leifeld
Original assignee: Truetzschler GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Truetzschler GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1991-03-28
Filing date: 1992-03-24
Publication date: 1995-07-19
Anticipated expiration: 2012-03-24
Also published as: GB2285637B; GB9424524D0

Abstract

An apparatus for cleaning and opening fibre material, for example cotton, man-made fibre material and the like, in the form of flocks, comprising a feed device, for example a pair of take-in rollers 1, 2, a pin or needle roller 3 arranged to receive fibre material from the feed device, a clothed roller 5 arranged to receive fibre material from the pin or needle roller and a fibre transport duct arranged to receive fibre material from the clothed roller. <IMAGE>

Description

Apparatus for cleaning and opening fibre material The invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning and opening fibre material, for example, cotton, man-made fibre material and the like, in the form of flocks.

In a known cleaning and opening apparatus there is a full pin roller (pin cylinder) which, as an opener roller, cooperates with a grid arranged beneath. The grid surface has a plurality of openings in the form of, for example, holes or narrow slots oriented parallel to the axis of the full pin roller. The grid surface is curved coaxially with respect to the full pin roller and is arranged at a distance from the beating circle of the needles or pins, so that the fibre material is guided over the grid surface. Above the full pin roller, and at a distance therefrom, is a flat, horizontal cover. A pneumatic suction device for removing the fibre material is associated with the full pin roller. The impurities fall through the openings in the grid into a large waste collection chamber. The grid is complicated in terms of production engineering.In addition, the openings in the grid surface may become blocked during operation, especially during the processing of cotton that is contaminated with sticky substances such as honey dew.

The cleaning action is impaired as a result. Increasing the circumferential speed of the full pin roller can result in damage to the fibre owing to the action of the needles on the fibre material, which is being fed slowly, being too aggressive, so that limits are imposed on such an increase.

It is an object of the invention to provide an opening and cleaning apparatus that mitigates the abovementioned disadvantages and which, in particular, permits gentle opening and improved cleaning of the fibre material.

The invention provides an apparatus for cleaning and opening fibre material, comprising a take-in device and an opening device arranged for receiving fibre material from the take-in device, the opening device comprising at least two opener rollers, each of which is a pin roller or a needle roller. Thus, in accordance with the invention, fibre material may be fed by a take-in device to a first pin or needle roller and from that roller to a second pin or needle roller downstream of the first roller.

The measures according to the invention allow functions to be separated by providing at least two pin or needle rollers downstream of the take-in device.

Arranged immediately downstream of the take-in device is a pin or needle roller, the pins or needles of which comb the fibre material. Arranged immediately downstream of the first pin or needle roller is a second pin or needle roller which receives the fibre material from the first pin or needle roller. The use of two or more pin or needle rollers enables enhanced cleaning to be obtained.

In use of the apparatus of the invention it is particularly advantageous for the circumferential speed of the second (downstream) pin or needle roller to be greater than that of the first pin or needle roller. Then, fibre material is fed from the take-in device to the first pin or needle roller, which is rotating relatively slowly, and the material is combed by the pins or needs of that roller without causing undesired damage to the fibres. Having already undergone acceleration during its passage about the first roller, the fibre material is passed to the second pin or needle roller. The second pin roller rotates at a higher circumferential speed than does the first pin or needle roller1 increased cleaning of the fibre material thus being carried out. A thorough cleaning is also carried out at the first pin or needle roller.In this manner the fibre material undergoes a gradual acceleration, while being treated gently.

Opening of the fibre takes place in stages and is therefore gentle, and at the same time a markedly increased cleaning action is achieved by the provision of two cleaning rollers, in conjunction with the increase in the circumferential speed of the second pin or needle roller.

A pin or needle roller is advantageously arranged immediately downstream of the take-in device. A saw tooth clothed roller is preferably arranged downstream of the pin or needle rollers. In that case a single highspeed saw-tooth roller may be provided. The rollers, including the saw-toothed roller, if present, are advantageously arranged one behind the other. The downstream roller preferably cooperates with the upstream roller as a take-off and opener roller. Advantageously, the pins or needles are inclined in the direction of rotation with respect to a radial direction of the pin or needle roller. The height of the pins or needles above the part of the roller surface to which they are fixed is preferably approximately from 4 to 20 mm.

Advantageously, the pins or needles on the downstream pin or needle roller are shorter than the pins or needles on the upstream pin or needle roller. Preferably, the pins or needles are arranged on the surface of the rollers or of a supporting body in a density of approximately from 0.5 to 2 pins or needles per cm2. The density of the pins or needles per cm2 on the downstream pin or needle roller is advantageously greater than the density of the pins or needles on the upstream pin or needle roller.

The diameter of each roller is preferably the same.

Further, the diameter of the saw-tooth clothed roller, if present, is preferably the same as that of the pin or needle rollers. Advantageously, the direction of rotation of the downstream pin or needle roller is contrary to the direction of rotation of the upstream pin or needle roller. The circumferential speed of the ddwnstream roller is preferably greater than the circumferential speed of the upstream roller. Advantageously, at least one clothed fixed carding element is associated with each roller. Each roller preferably has at least one associated separating edge for impurities, for example, a stripping knife, having an associated separating opening. The distance between the knife edge of the stripping knife and the enveloping surface for the free ends of the pins or needles is advantageously approximately from 0.5 to 5 mm. A guide element is preferably arranged in front of the separating edge of the separating knife, the distance between the guide element and the pin or needle roller being adjustable. A tangential suction device for removing the stream of fibre material may advantageously be arranged at the last pin or needle roller in the working direction. If a saw-tooth clothed roller is provided downstream of the pin or needle rollers, a tangential suction device may advantageously be arranged at the said clothed roller. There is preferably at least one'curved cover surface above the pin or needle roller. There is advantageously at least one curved cover surface beneath the pin or needle roller.

The invention includes a further preferred apparatus for cleaning and opening fibre material, for example cotton, man-made fibre material and the like, in the form of flocks, in which the fibre material passes through a také-in device, for example a take-in roller cooperating with a tray, or a pair of take-in rollers, and then through an opening device, for example an opener roller (pin or needle roller), having a cleaning apparatus and is subsequently conveyed to a processing machine, in which apparatus a clothed saw-tooth roller is arranged downstream of the pin or needle roller. A pneumatic fibre flock suction device is preferably associated with the saw-tooth roller.

If a saw-tooth clothed roller is present, the teeth of the said roller advantageously point in the direction of rotation of the said roller.

Certain illustrative embodiments of the invention will be discussed in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side view of an apparatus according to the invention having two coopera ting full pin rollers; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic side view of an apparatus having two full pin rollers with a saw-tooth roller downstream thereof; Figure 3 is a diagrammatic side view of an apparatus having one full pin roller with a saw-tooth roller downstream thereof; Figure 4a is a diagrammatic side view of the arrangement of the pins on a portion of a full pin roller; Figure 4b is a plan view of a portion of the surface of the full pin roller shown in Figure 4a; and Figure 4c shows a separating knife associated with the pins of a full pin roller.

With reference to Figure 1, the fibre material to be cleaned (arrow F), which may especially be cotton, is fed in the form of flocks to the cleaning apparatus, for example, a cleaning apparatus of the type sold by Trutzschler GmbH & Co. K.G. under the trademark Trützschler RST, which is arranged in a closed housing.

Feeding of the fibre material is effected, for example, through a filling shaft, (which is not shown) and/or by means of a conveyor belt or the like. The lap is fed by means of two feed rollers 1, 2, while being clamped, to a pin roller 3 which is rotatably mounted in the housing and revolves counter-clockwise when viewed from the side of the apparatus that is shown in Figure 1 (arrow A).

Downstream of the pin roller 3 there is arranged a pin roller 4 which rotates clockwise when viewed from the side of the apparatus that is shown in Figure 1 (arrow B). The roller 3 has a circumferential speed of approximately from 10 to 21 m/sec. The roller 4 has a circumferential speed of approximately from 15 to 25 m/sec.

The rollers 3 and 4 have a diameter of approximately from 150 to 300 mm. The pin roller 3 is enclosed at the top by the housing 27. Associated with the pin roller 3 is a separating opening 7 through which fibre impurities pass, the size of the opening 7 being adapted, or adaptable, to the degree of contamination of the cotton. A separating edge 11, for example a knife, is associated with the separating opening 7. A further separating opening 8 and a separating edge 12 are additionally provided on the roller 3 downstream of the opening 7 in the direction of the arrow A. Associated with the pin roller 4 are a separating opening 9 and a separating edge 13. Each separating edge (for example, knife) has an associated separating hood. D denotes the working direction of the cleaner.

The apparatus functions as follows: The speeds of the rollers 3 and 4 are so chosen that the circumferential speed of the downstream roller 4 is greater than that of the upstream roller 3. The lap consisting of fibre flocks F is fed by the feed rollers 1, 2, while being clamped, to the pin roller 3, which combs the fibre material and takes up fibre tufts on its pins 3a. As the roller 3 passes the'separating opening 7 and the separating edge 11, according to the circumferential speed and the curvature of that roller, and the size of the separating opening 7, which may be so selected that it is appropriate to this first separation step, short fibres and coarse impurities are tossed out of the fibre material as a result of the centrifugal forces and, after passing through the separating opening 7, enter a suction hood 15 for collecting dirt in the housing.The fibre material pre-cleaned in this manner is taken from the first roller 3 by the tips of the needles 4a of the pin roller 4, the circumferential speed of which is greater than that of the roller 3, thus being opened further. As the roller 4 passes the separating opening 9 with the separating edge 13, further impurities are tossed out of the fibre sliver owing to the centrifugal force which is greater at the periphery of the roller 4 than at the periphery of the roller 3.

In the arrangement of Figure 2, a clothed saw-tooth roller 5 is arranged downstream of the pin roller 4, which saw-tooth roller 5 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow C. Sa denotes the clothing of the endless saw-tooth wire. The feed apparatus consists of the feed roller 2, which rotates slowly, and a feed table 26 cooperating therewith.

Figure 3 shows a cleaning and opening apparatus in which a clothed saw-tooth roller 5 is arranged downstream of a full pin roller 3.

With reference to Figures 1 to 3, the reference numerals 15, 16, 17 and 18 denote suction hoods by means of which the impurities passing through the separating openings 7, 8, 9 and 10, respectively, are removed by suction. The directions of rotation A, B and C of adjacent rollers, that is, in Figure 1 of rollers 3 and 4, in Figure 2 of rollers 3 and 4 and of rollers 4 and 5, and in Figure 3 of rollers 3 and 5, are different. At the end of the last roller in the working direction D there is provided a pneumatic fibre flock suction device 25 for the fibre material E.The circumferential speed of each roller located immediately downstream of another roller in the working direction D is greater than the circumferential speed of the roller that is located immediately upstream. 19, 20 and 21 denote clothed fixed carding elements. 22, 23 and 24 denote guide elements, the distance between the guide elements 22, 23 and 24 and the rollers 3, 4 and 5, respectively, being adjustable.

In the embodiment according to Figure 1 no saw-tooth roller is arranged downstream of the pin rollers 3 and 4.

Figure 4a shows a segment-shaped portion of the outer surface of the full pin roller 3 of Figures 1 to 3, a plurality of pins 3a being fixed to the outer surface 3b of the pin roller 3. The pins 3a, which are pointed at one end, are inclined in the direction of rotation A at an angle a, for example from 15 to 25 , with respect to the radius of the pin' roller 3. The height c of the pins 3a above the surface 3b to which they are fastened is, for example, from 4 to 20 mm. e denotes the diameter of the pins 3a, for example from 2 to 4 mm, which are preferably made of steel. As shown in Figure 4b the pins 3a are spaced from one another. The pins 3a are arranged on the surface 3b in a density of approx imately from 0.5 to 2 pins per cm2. (The lower limit of OiS'is of a statistical nature and relates to the number of needles, not to the needles as such, which are present only as full needles. 0.5 pins per cm2, 1 pin per 2 cm2.) G denotes the axial direction of the pin roller 3. Figure 4c shows a portion of the circumference of the roller 3 and a separating knife 11, the edge 11' of the separating knife being spaced by distance d from the enveloping surface for the free ends of the pins 3a. The distance d between the knife edge 11 and the enveloping surface for the free ends of the pins 3a is from 0.5 to 5 mm.

Claims

1. An opening and cleaning apparatus for fibre material comprising a feed device, a pin or needle roller arranged to receive fibre material from the feed device, a clothed roller arranged to receive fibre material from the pin or needle roller and a fibre transport duct arranged to receive fibre material from the clothed roller.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the clothed roller is a saw-tooth clothed roller.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the pin or needle roller is arranged immediately downstream of the feed device.

4. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the rollers are arranged one behind the other.

5. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the pin or needle roller and the clothed roller downstream thereof are so arranged that the clothed roller cooperates with the pin or needle roller as a take-off and opener roller.

6. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the pins or needles of the pin or needle roller are inclined in the direction of rotation with respect to the radius of the pin or needle roller.

7. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the height of the pins or needles above that part of the roller surface to which they are fastened is approximately from 4 to 20 mm.

8. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the pins or needles are arranged on the surface of the roller or of a supporting body provided on the roller in a density of from 0.5 to 2 pins or needles per cm2.

9. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the diameter of the clothed roller is the same as that of the pin or needle roller.

10. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the direction of rotation of the pin or needle roller is contrary to the direction of rotation of the clothed roller.

11. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein at least one clothed fixed carding element is associated with each roller.

12. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein each roller has at least one associated separating means having a separating edge for impurities and an associated separating opening.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the distance between the separating edge of the separating means and the enveloping surface for the free ends of the pins or needles is from 0.5 to 5 mm.

14. An apparatus according to claim 12 or claim 13, wherein a guide element is arranged in front of the separating edge of the separating means, the distance between the guide element and the roller being adjustable.

15. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein there is at least one curved cover surface above a roller.

16. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein there is at least one curved cover surface beneath a roller.

17. An apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 16, wherein the teeth of the saw-tooth clothing point in the direction of rotation of the saw-tooth roller.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, that includes a pin roller substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 2a, 2b and 2c.

18. An apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by Figure 3.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18, that includes a pin roller substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 4a, 4b and 4c.

Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows Claims

1. An opening and cleaning apparatus for fibre material comprising a feed device, a pin or needle roller arranged to receive fibre material from the feed device, a saw-tooth clothed roller arranged to receive fibre material from the pin or needle roller and a fibre transport duct arranged to receive fibre material from the clothed roller.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pin or needle roller is arranged immediately downstream of the feed device.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the rollers are arranged one behind the other.

4. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pin or needle roller and the clothed roller downstream thereof are so arranged that the clothed roller cooperates with the pin or needle roller as a take-off and opener roller.

5. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the pins or needles of the pin or needle roller are inclined in the direction of rotation with respect to the radius of the pin or needle roller.

6. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the height of the pins or needles above that part of the roller surface to which they are fastened is approximately from 4 to 20 mm.

7. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the pins or needles are arranged on the surface of the roller or of a supporting body provided on the roller in a density of from 0.5 to 2 pins or needles per cm2.

8. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the diameter of the clothed roller is the same as that of the pin or needle roller.

9. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the direction of rotation of the pin or needle roller is contrary to the direction of rotation of the clothed roller.

10. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein at least one clothed fixed carding element is associated with each roller.

11. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein each roller has at least one associated separating means having a separating edge for impurities and an associated separating opening.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the distance between the separating edge of the separating means and the enveloping surface for the free ends of the pins or needles is from 0.5 to 5 mm.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein a guide element is arranged in front of the separating edge of the separating means, the distance between the guide element and the roller being adjustable.

14. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein there is at least one curved cover surface above a roller.

15. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein there is at least one curved cover surface beneath a roller.

16. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the teeth of the saw-tooth clothing point in the direction of rotation of the saw-tooth roller.

17. An apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by Figure 1.