GB2480907A

GB2480907A - Suction apparatus for a carding machine

Info

Publication number: GB2480907A
Application number: GB1108468A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Hollinshead
Original assignee: Truetzschler GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Truetzschler GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2010-06-02
Filing date: 2011-05-20
Publication date: 2011-12-07
Anticipated expiration: 2031-05-20
Also published as: BRPI1102798A2; CN102268755A; CH703246A2; CN102268755B; GB201108468D0; DE102010022479A1; BRPI1102798B8; GB2480907B; BRPI1102798B1; CH703246B1

Abstract

In an apparatus at a flat card or roller card having a clothed cylinder (4) and a neighbouring clothed licker-in (3c), which co-operate with one another with a shall relative spacing between the cylindrical surfaces at the fibre transfer location (loosening region), there is provided a suction device (18) located in the cleft-shaped space formed by the envelope surface of the cylinder (4) and the envelope surface of the licker-in (3c), the at least one suction intake opening of that device being arranged near the cleft-shaped space.The suction device (18) reaches into the cleft-shaped space and is sealed with respect to the covers (19, 20) of the cylinder and of the licker-in.

Description

Apparatus at a flat card or roller card having a clothed cylinder and a neighbouring clothed licker-in The invention relates to an apparatus at a flat card or roller card having a clothed cylinder and a neighbouring clothed licker-in.

In certain known cards, the clothed cylinder and neighbouring clothed licker-in co-operate with one another with a small relative spacing between the cylindrical surfaces at the fibre transfer location (loosening region), there being provided a suction device located in the cleft-shaped space formed by the envelope surface of the cylinder and the envelope surface of the licker-in.

In a card having a feed roller, licker-in unit and cylinder, the fibre web being opened is, by means of suitable clothings and drafting, transferred by the licker-in to the cylinder. In the process, heavy particles, dust and plant residues are freed and removed under suction in a downwards direction. The cylinder, having a substantially greater circumferentia] speed than the licker-in, takes up the fibre web, which has become finer.

The fibres now lie loosely in or on the cylinder clothing.

In a known apparatus (DE 1 685 552 A), a suction nozzle is arranged above the licker-in, in the region of the location where the surfaces of the licker-in and of the main cylinder diverge. The region between the licker-in and the cylinder is open to the atmosphere. The suction application opening removes, by suction, short fibres and fluff, which come from the web moving from the licker-in to the cylinder and enter the open region between the licker-in and the cylinder. t the same time, air is drawn in from the atmosphere. Such suction removal is capable of only inadequately removing the fibres, dust particles, plant residues and the like that become free. The effect of the suction stream as far as the loosening zone is greatly reduced, because this zone is located at a considerable spacing below the suction intake opening. In addition, it is disadvantageous that part of the suction air stream draws in air from the atmosphere and is therefore unavailable for removing the foreign matter by suction.

It is an aim of the invention to provide an apparatus of the kind described at the beginning that avoids or mitigates the mentioned disadvantages and that especially allows an increased suction effect and makes possible an improved product as a result of reducing foreign matter, dust and the like.

The invention provides an apparatus at a flat card or roller card having a clothed cylinder and a neighbouring clothed licker-in that cooperates with the clothed cylinder at a transfer location, the cylinder surface and licker-in surface forming a cleft-shaped space, wherein the apparatus further comprises a suction device having at least one suction intake opening extending into the cleft-shaped space, and wherein the suction device is sealed with respect to covers of the cylinder and of the licker-in.

As a result of the fact that the suction device reaches into the roller nip as far as the loosening region, the suction air stream exerts its full effect immediately above the loosening region. Added to this is the fact that the suction air stream, in contrast to the known apparatus, is utilised in its entirety for removing foreign matter by suction.

In the spinning of staple fibre yarns, the reduction of foreign matter and dust results in significantly improved yarn values both in the case of the ring spinning process and in the case of open-end spinning. Especially when processing natural fibres, open-end spinning does, however, have the disadvantage that it reacts sensitively to dirt present in the fibre slivers being fed in. This is, above all, the impurities consisting of micro-dust and short fibres, which in the spinning process collect on the inner wall of the rotor and cling thereto, which results in the formation of an increasingly non-uniform yarn and, ultimately, in broken threads. The measures according to the invention have an especially advantageous effect on the production process in the case of open-end spinning.

The invention also provides an apparatus at a flat card or roller card having a clothed cylinder and a neighbouring clothed licker-in, which co-operate with one another with a small relative spacing between the cylindrical surfaces at the fibre transfer location (loosening region), wherein there is provided a suction device located in the cleft-shaped space formed by the envelope surface of the cylinder and the envelope surface of the licker-in, the at least one suction intake opening of which device is arranged near the cleft-shaped space, wherein the suction device reaches into the cleft-shaped space and is sealed with respect to the covers of the cylinder and of the licker-in.

Advantageously, the suction device reaches as far as the loosening region. Advantageously, the suction intake opening of the suction device opens out at the loosening region. Advantageously, the suction intake opening is defined the cylinder covering and the licker-in covering.

Advantageously, a suction offtake channel communicates between the suction intake opening and a suction offtake housing. Preferably, the suction intake opening is formed on the one hand by a projection extending along the licker-in and protruding as far as the loosening region and on the other hand by a plate extending at a spacing from the cylinder. Preferably, the suction device comprises air passageways arranged in a row over the length of the licker-in and cylinder and terminating at the suction intake opening. Advantageously, the air passageways open out into a common air offtake housing. Advantageously, the air suction offtake housing consists of a tube.

Advantageously, the tube has, in its cuter wall surface, at least one air passage opening, for example a continuous slot. Advantageously, a suction offtake channel is connected to the tube. Preferably, the suction offtake channel extends over substantially the entire axial length of the licker-in and/or of the cylinder. Preferably, a suction source is connectible at one end of the tube.

Preferably, the suction device is arranged above the fibre transfer location between the licker-in and cylinder. In some embodiments, the at least one suction intake opening may be associated with the space that becomes wider (diverges) in the direction of rotation of the licker-in and the cylinder. In other embodiments, the suction intake opening is associated with the space that becomes narrower (converges) in the direction of rotation of the licker-in and the cylinder. In some embodiments, one suction intake opening is provided over the entire working width. In other embodiments, a plurality of suction intake openings are provided over the entire working width.

Advantageously, the cover of the licker-in forms a wall of the suction device. Advantageously, the cover of the cylinder forms a wall of the suction device.

Moreover, the invention provides an apparatus at a flat card or roller card having a clothed cylinder and a neighbouring clothed licker-in, which co-operate with one another with a small relative spacing between the cylindrical surfaces at the fibre transfer location (loosening region), wherein there is provided a suction device located in the cleft-shaped space formed by the envelope surface of the cylinder and the envelope surface of the licker-in, the at least one suction intake opening of which device is arranged near the cleft-shaped space, wherein the suction device reaches into the cleft-shaped space and is sealed with respect to the covers of the cylinder and of the licker-in.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention will be described hereinafter in greater detail with reference to examples of the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a flat card having an apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a side view of part of the cylinder and licker-in according to Fig. 1 showing the apparatus according to the invention in detail; Fig. 2a is a schematic side view of the suction device with suction offtake tube and suction offtake channel; and Fig. 3 is a top view along section I -I according to Fig. 2a.

With reference to Fig. 1, a carding machine, for example a flat card IC (trademark) made by IrGtzschler GmbH & Co. KG of Mönchengladbach, Germany, has a feed roller 1, feed table 2, lickers-in 3a, 3b, 3c, cylinder 4, doffer 5, stripper roller 6, nip rollers 7, 8, web guide element 9, sliver funnel 10, delivery rollers 11, 12, revolving card top 13 with card top guide rollers 13a, 13b and flats 14, can 15 and coiler 16. The directions of rotation of the rollers are indicated by curved arrows. Reference letter M1 denotes the centre point (axis) of the cylinder 4, reference letter N2 the centre point of the doffer 5 and reference letter M: the centre point of the licker-in 3c.

Reference numeral 4a denotes the clothing and reference numeral 4b the direction of rotation of the cylinder 4.

Reference numeral 5a denotes the clothing and reference numeral 5b the direction of rotation of the doffer 5.

Reference letter B denotes the direction of rotation of the revolving card top 13 in the carding location and reference letter C the return transport direction of the flats 14; and reference numerals 17', 17'' denote stationary working elements. The arrow A indicates the working direction.

A cleft-shaped space is formed by the envelope surface (clothing surface) of the cylinder 4 and the envelope surface (clothing surface) of the licker-in 3c. The suction offtake channel with a suction intake opening (see Fig. 2a) of a suction device 18 reaches into the cleft-shaped space.

In the case of a licker-in 3c adjacent to cylinder 4, a first cleft-shaped space is formed that widens (diverges) in the direction of rotation of the cylinder 4 and licker-in 3c. On the opposite side of the point at which the cylinder surface and licker-in surface are closest to one another, a second space is formed that becomes narrower (converges) in the direction of rotation of the cylinder 4 and licker-in 3c. In the embodiment shown the suction intake opening of suction device 18 is associated with the space that widens in the direction of rotation of the cylinder 4 and licker-in 3c.

Referring to with Fig. 2, the licker-in 3c is arranged between the licker-in 3b and the cylinder 4. The driven licker-in 3c rotates counter-clockwise, in the direction of the arrow 32, and is provided at its envelope surface with a sawtooth clothing 3, for example an endless all-steel wire clothing. The teeth of the clothing 3 are inclined in the direction of rotation 32. The circumferential speed of the licker-in 3c is, for example, 18 rn/sec.

The cylinder 4 is]ocated after the licker-in 3c in the working direction A. The driven cylinder 4 rotates clockwise, in the direction of the arrow 4b, and has at its envelope surface a sawtooth clothing 4a, for example an endless all-steel wire clothing. The teeth of the clothing 4a are inclined in the direction of rotation 4b.

The circumferential speed of the cylinder is, for example, about 32 rn/sec.

The closest spacing between the clothing 3 of the licker-in 3c and the clothing 4a of the cylinder 4 is, for example, 1 mm. The region above and below the closest spacing forms the fibre transfer location from the licker-in 3c to the cylinder 4. By virtue of the difference in the circumferential speeds between the licker-in 3c and the cylinder 4, the fibre material is drafted at this location, thereby forming a loosening region. As a result, in addition to surface impurities, impurities that are incorporated within the fibre material are also freed and can be removed by suction.

For this purpose the suction removal apparatus 18 is provided. The licker-in 3c is provided, to its upper side, with a cover 19, for example a cover plate, and the cylinder 4 has, in the region between the licker-in 3c and the front card top quide roller 13, a cover 20, for example a cover plate. Between the end regions of the covers 19 and there is an opening, that is to say the end regions are not in abutment with one another. As Fig. 2a shows, the suction device 18 has a suction offtake tube 21, in the wall surface of which there is provided in an axial direction a continuously slot-shaped opening to which an open end of a suction offtake channel 22 is connected. The other open end of the suction offtake channel 22 forms a suction intake opening 23. The suction offtake channel 22 reaches into the cleft-shaped space between the licker-in 3c and the cylinder 4 in such a way that the suction intake opening 23 opens out at or above the loosening region. Reference numeral 24 denotes the air stream removed by suction together with the impurities.

In the case of the embodiment shown by way of example in Fig. 2, a wall of the suction offtake channel 22 is formed by the cover plate 20. This wall can also be constructed in the form of a separate component.

The suction offtake channel 22 is, in the region of the suction intake opening 23, sO sealed with respect to the covers 19 and 20 of the licker-in 3c and the cylinder 4, respectively, that apart from the suction air stream 24 no air from the atmosphere is drawn into the suction offtake channel 22. The seal (not shown) can be removable, when the suction device 18 is being replaced.

The length L of the suction device according to Fig. 3 can be -for corresponding to the working width of the cylinder 4 and of the licker-in 3c -1000 mm or more, for example 1300 mm or 1500 mm. At one end face of the suction offtake tube 21 there is fitted a suction offtake connection 25, through which the drawn-off air 26 is removed, together with the impurities, by means of a suction air source (not shown) The invention has been explained using the example of a carding machine having three lickers-in 3a, 3b, 3c. It can likewise be used in the case of a carding machine having fewer than or more than three lickers-in.

Claims

Claims 1. An apparatus at a flat card or roller card having a clothed cylinder and a neighbouring clothed licker-in that cooperates with the clothed cylinder at a transfer location, the cylinder surface and licker-in surface forming a cleft-shaped space, wherein the apparatus further comprises a suction device having at least one suction intake opening extending into the cleft-shaped space, and wherein the suction device is sealed with respect to covers of the cylinder and of the licker-in.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the suction device extends as far as the transfer location.
3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the suction intake opening of the suction device opens onto the transfer location.
4. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the suction intake opening is formed on the one hand by a projection extending along the licker-in and protruding as far as the transfer location and on the other hand by a plate extending at a spacing from the cylinder.
5. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the suction device comprises air passageways arranged in a row over the length of the licker-in and cylinder and terminating at the suction intake opening.
6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the air passageways open out into a common air suction offtake housing.
7. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the air suction offtake housing comprises a channel.

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8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the channel has, in its outer wall surface, at least one air passage opening.
9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the at least one air passage opening comprises a continuous slot.
10. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising a suction offtake channel arranged to communicate between the air suction offtake housing and the suction air intake opening.
11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the suction offtake channel extends over substantially the entire axial length of the licker-in and/or of the cylinder.
12. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein a suction source is connectible at one end of the suction device.
13. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the suction device is arranged above the fibre transfer location between the licker-in and cylinder.
14. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the at least one suction intake opening is associated with that space defined between the licker-in and cylinder that diverges in the direction of rotation of the licker-in and the cylinder.
15. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the suction intake opening is associated with that space defined between the licker-in and cylinder that converges in the direction of rotation of the licker-in and the cylinder.
16. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein one suction intake opening is provided extending over the entire working width of the licker-in and/or cylinder.

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17. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein a plurality of suction intake openings are provided laterally adjacent to one another over the entire working width of the licker-in and/or cylinder.
18. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the licker-in is provided with a cover, a portion of which cover forms a wall of the suction device.
19. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the cylinder is provided with a cover, a portion of which cylinder cover forms a wall of the suction device.
20. Apparatus at a flat card or roller card having a clothed cylinder and a neighbouring clothed licker-in, which co-operate with one another with a small relative spacing between the cylindrical surfaces at the fibre transfer location (loosening region), wherein there is provided a suction device located in the cleft-shaped space formed by the envelope surface of the cylinder and the envelope surface of the licker-in, the at least one suction intake opening of which device is arranged near the cleft-shaped space, wherein the suction device reaches into the cleft-shaped space and is sealed with respect to the covers of the cylinder and of the licker-in.
21. An apparatus for removal of trash and short fibres from a carding machine substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by any of Fig. 1, 2, 2a and 3.