US1688384A

US1688384A - Apparatus for softening, refining, and cleaning entangled and shortfiber material

Info

Publication number: US1688384A
Application number: US90165A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gminder Emil
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1925-02-23
Filing date: 1926-02-23
Publication date: 1928-10-23
Anticipated expiration: 1945-10-23

Description

E. GMINDER APPARATUS FOR SOFTENING, REFINING, AND CLEANING ENTANGLED AND SHORT FIBER MATERIAL Filed Feb. 23; 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jaye/8501,: Z'mc'l CZ/m'ndn."

' Jt'dmmay Oct23, 1928., 1,688,384

EGMINDER I I Arnm'rus -"fion SOFTENING, REFINING, AND cmmme sumac-nan AND snon'r FIBER MATERIAL Filed-Feb. 23, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet a Patented Oct. 23, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,688,384 PATENT OFFICE.

EHIII GMINDE R, F REUTLINGEN, GERMANY.

APPARATUS 1'03 SOI'IENING, BEFINING, AND CLEANING ENTANGLED AND SHORT FIBER MATERIAL.

Application fled February 88, 1826, Serial No. 96,165, and in Germany February 23, 18525.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for softening, refining and cleaning entangled and short fiber material, and more particularly in apparatus constructed in'the manner of a Chilean mill comprising a plurality of rotary and revolving rubbing members and means disposed between said rubbing members for turning or reversing the material. One of the objects of the improvelo ments is to provide means located between successive rubbing members for displacing the fibers relatively to each other and entangling the same, so that the material is not supplied to the next roller in the form of a I hand but in an entangled state.

I have found that by means of my improved apparatus low grade fiber material such as the raw bast fiber of hemp, or other entangled and short fiber material, may be treated in an economical way and within a short period of time. For further reducing the cost of the manufacture automatic means are provided for supplying the material to the apparatus and removing the same therefrom.

In the preferred construction the means for turning and displacing the material are in the form of rollers provided with teeth or needles and rotatin in a direction 0 posite to that of the rub ing members. have found that the teeth or needles of the said rollers begin the refining operation by being passed-into the fiber material and breaking up the particles of wood. Therefore the separated impurities can be easily removed, for example by providing the trough of the apparatus with a foraminated bottom, so that the impurities fall through'the holes of the bottom. Further, the turning rollers may be conical in form, the part of larger diameter of the cone bein located either near the center or the circum erence of the trou h, or alternately near the center and near t e circumference. By thus disposing the conical rollers in difi'erent ways the material is thrown in radial direction outwardly or inwardly, or alternately outwardly and inwardly, so that the fiber material is in a most entangled state when exposed to the action of the next rubbing roller.

For the purpose of explaining the invention two examples embodying the. same have been shown in the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference characters have been used in all the views to indicate corresponding parts. In said drawings,

Fig. l, IS aD elevation partly in section showing my lmproved apparatus in diagram matlc form.

E g. 2, is a top-plan view of the apparatus, B 1g. 3, 1s a detail sectional elevation showlng means for operating the turning rollers, Fig. 4, 1s a similar sectional elevation showmg the rakes and the operating mechanism therefor,

Fig. 5, is a sectional elevation taken on the l ne 5-5 of Fig. 4 and looking in the direct1on of the arrow, and F 1g. 6, is a diagrammatical elevation showmg a modification.

Referring at first to the diagrammatical views shown in Figs. 1 and 2 my improved apparatus comprises a circular trough 1 having a. foraminated bottom 2, and a vertical rotary shaft 3 for driving the operating members, the said operatin members conslsting of a pair of

weighte rubbing rollers

4 and 5, turning or reversing rollers 6 and 7 located between the same, and rakes 8 and 9. Below the bottom 2 there is a rapidly rotatlng cylinder 10 carrying teeth 10' and adapted to take the material from an endless tape 11 and to throw the same into the trough, and to receive the refined fiber material from the said t-rou h and to deliver the same onto the said tape. referably, the tape consists of an endless band. The

rubbing rollers

4, 5 are made from suitable heavy material, such as stone, iron and the like, and in the example shown in the figures they are in the form of truncated cones having a smooth working surface. But I wish it to be understood that. the surface of the cones may be formed with ribs or edges. They bear with their whole weight on the material contained within the trough, for which purpose they are loosely connected with arms 18 secured to the shaft 3 for rocking in vertical direction. The turning or reversing rollers 6, 7 do not bear on the material, but their shafts 16 are fixed to the vertical shaft 3, as is shown in Fig. 3. In the example shown in the figures the turning or reversing rollers are likewise in the form of trun cated cones, and their axes 16 are dis osed at suitable angles to the axes of the

ru bing rollers

4 and 5. Circumferentially the rollers 6 and 7 carry pins or teeth 6 and 7 and they are disposed below plates 12 formed at their bottom ends with slots 19 providing guides for the teeth of the rakes '8 and 9 and adapted to strip thefiber material therefrom. These plates 12 may be supported by the shaft 3. Above the cylinder '10 the foraminated bottom 2 is formed with an aperture 20 adapted to be closed by means of a slide 13. A guide plate 14 is disposed concentrically around the right hand upper part of the cylinder 10, and the endless tape 11 is provided with a pressure roller 15,. The plate 14 and the roller 15 may be supported in any suitable manner, as for instance by a bracket 90. In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown arrows indicating the direction of the rota tion of the different members. The

rollers

4, 5 and 6, 7 rotate in opposite directions.

In the operation of the apparatus the slide 13 is retracted from the hole 20, and the shaft 3 and the cylinder 10 are made to rotate, the cylinder 10 rotating at comparatively high velocity. Thereby the material supplied by the tape 11 is thrown through the hole 20 and into the annular container or trough 1, and it is taken up by the rakes 8, 9 and distributed over the whole bottom 2, the said rakes having vertical reciprocating movement in addition to their circumferential movement as is indicated by the arrow w shown in Fig. 1. After the trough has been sufiiciently filled the slide 13 is closed, whereupon the fiber material is treated by the

rubbing rollers

4, 5 lifted and distributed by the turning or reversing rollers 6, 7 and supplied to the next succeeding roller in the direction of travel, the rollers 6, 7 being constructed so that the fibers of the material are not only displaced relatively to each other, but are also thrown to other parts of the bottom 2. The said displacement of the fiber material as a whole is preferably assisted by continuing the operation of the rakes 8, 9.

r The circumferential velocity of the rollers I 6, 7 is equal to or larger than that of the

rollers

4, 5, so that the fiber material is lifted by the turning rollers and distributed by the teeth thereof. The impurities made loose and disintegrated by the rollers are gradually removed through the foraminated bottom, this operation being assisted by the operation of the rollers, 6, 7 and the rakes, 8, 9.

In Fig. 3 I have shown mechanism for driving the rollers 6 and 7. As shown the roller 6 is loosely mounted on an arm 16 fixed to the rotary shaft 3, and it has a bevel gear 63 secured thereto, which is in mesh with a bevel gear 64 keyed to a relatively fixed tubular member 30. The said stationary tubular member 30 carries another bevel gear 89 connected by a bevel gear 88 with the operating mechanism for the rakes 8 and 9. This member 30 is a loose casing held in place by adjusting rings concentric with the shaft.

As shown in Fig. 4 the said rakes are guided with their teeth in holes of a plate made integral with an arm 81 fixed to the rotary shaft 3. On

brackets

83 and 84 carried by the arm 81 a shaft 82 is mounted, which carries at one end the bevel gear 88 and at its opposite end a crank 85, the crank pin 21 engaging in a slot 22 of a slide 86 having reciprocating movement-in guide ways 23 carried by the plate 80. The slide 86 carries the rake 8 or 9.

By the rotation of the shaft 3 the arms 16 and 81 are carried along, and the gear wheels 63 and 88 are rotated by engaging in the relatively fixed

gear wheels

64 and 89. Therotary movement of the shaft 82 imparts vertical reciprocating movement to the rakes 8 and 9.

According to the angular position of the rollers 6 and 7 relatively to the axes of the

rollers

4 and 5, and the position of the conical rollers on the arms 16, the fiber material is thrown toward the inner or outer edge of the trough. In some cases I dispose the rollers and the circumference of thetrough, so that v the fiber material is thrown by one roller outwardly and by the next one inwardly. Thus the relative displacement and the softening, distributing and cleaning of the fiber material can be increased.

For discharging the material at the end of the operation from the trough the slide 13 is retracted from the opening 20 while the shaft 3 continues its operation. Further the cylinder 10 is slowly rotated and the rakes 8, 9 are operated. Thereby the fiber material is moved towards the opening 20 and removed therefrom and deposited on.the tape 11 by the cylinder 10 in the form of a sliver, the pressure roller 15 taking the said, sliver from the cylinder 10.

Various other means may be employed for turning and entangling the fiber in lieu of the rollers 6 and 7. Further the distributing and loosening of the fiber material can be materially improved by providing rollers equipped with pins between successive rubbing rollers. In this case the material is not carried above the distributing members but between the same, so that the said dis- Ion tributing members have the additional fu'nc- I Figs. 1 and 2, and a pair of

rollers

61 and 62 provided with teeth. The arrows P indicate the direction of the rotation of. the rollers 4.- and 5. The pair of rollers'61 and'62 rethat it is always the same distance awa y therefrom. The rollers are driven in suc volves together with the rollers4 and 5', so

a way that the fiber material passed between the same is moved towards the roller 5 and in the direction of the arrows P and P";

Preferably the rollers 61 and 62' are rotated revolutions, but the rollers have different diameters. 1 The needles of both rollers pass into the fiber material and divide the same.

- Byv rotating the rollers-at different circumferential velocities the carding action of the rollers is supplemented by a relative displacement of the fiber material.

In my improved apparatus the fiber material may be worked dry or wet. Further, fiber material, such as yarns, fabrics, etc, may be worked, provided the parts of said material are sufliciently short and small.

While in describing the invention refer ence has been made to two particular exam les embodying the same I wish it to be un erstood that my invention is'not limited to the constructions shown in the drawings,

and that various changes may be made 1n the general arrangement of the apparatus and the construction of' its. parts Without for, softening, refining and cleaning entangled and short fiber material,

comprising a container adapted to receive the fiber material, a rotary .heavy' body 4 adapted to be revolved in pressing contact J comprising a container-adapted to receive 2 the fiber material, airotaryiweig with the fiber material, and means for turning and entanglingthe fiber material.

2. Apparatus for softening, refining and cleaning entangled and short fiber'mater al, comprising a container adapted to receive the fiber material, a rotary weighted body ada ted to be revolved in pressing contact wit .the fiber material, a roller provided circmnferentially, with teeth mounted for revolving over the fiber material, and means to rotatethe saidroller in a. direction opposite to the rotation of. the weighted body.

3. Apparatus for softening, refining and cleaning entangledand' short fiber material,

hted body adapted to be revolvedin'press ng contact the fiber material, means forturnin signature.

with the fiber material, a conical roller provided circumferentially with teeth mounted for revolving over the fiber material, and

means to rotate the said roller in a direction 4..Apparatus for softening, refining and cleaning entangled and short fiber material, comprising a container adapted to receive the fiber material, a rotary weighted body adapted to be revolved in pressing contact with and entangling the fiber material, and a ra e revolving with said weighted body and having vertical reciprocating movement.

5. Apparatus for softening, refining and cleaning entangled and short fiber material, comprising a container having a foraminated bottom and adapted to receive the fiber material, a rotary weighted body adapted to be revolved in pressing contact with the fiber material, and means for turningand entangling the fiber material.

,6. Apparatus for softening, refining and opposite to the rotation of the weighted body.

cleaning entangled and short fiber material,

comprising a container having a foraminated bottom and adapted to receive the fiber material, said bottom being provided with a hole, a rotary weighted body adapted to be revolved n. pressing contact with the fiber material, means for turning and entangling the fiber material,.- and a rotar' cylinder provided circumferentially with pins and disposed below said hole.

7 Apparatus for softening, refining and cleaning entangled and short fiber material, compr sing a container having a foraminated bottom and adapted to receive the fiber ma-. terial, said bottom being hole, a rotary weighted bo y adapted to be revolved in pressing contact with the fiber material, a rotary cylinder provided with pins adapted to be rotated in the opposite direction to that of said body as the two move in succession .over said material, and means for delivering up through said hole the material to be treated.

-8. An apparatus for softening, refining and cleaning entangled and short fiber material, comprising an annular trough having a foraminous bottom, a rotary weighted rovided with a in said trough, but rotatable in opposite directions. i

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my GMINDER.