US2396571A

US2396571A - Textile carding machine

Info

Publication number: US2396571A
Application number: US477522A
Authority: US
Inventors: Eugene C Gwaltney; Herbert E Child
Original assignee: Saco Lowell Shops
Current assignee: Saco Lowell Shops
Priority date: 1943-03-01
Filing date: 1943-03-01
Publication date: 1946-03-12
Anticipated expiration: 1963-03-12

Description

March 12, 1946. E. c. GWALTNEY ETAL TEXTILE CARDING MACHINE Filed March 1, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 March E. c. GWALTNEY EI'AL 2,396,571

TEXTILE CARD ING MACHINE March 1945' E. c. GWALTNEY ET AL 1 2,396,571

TEXTILE CARDING MACHINE Filed March 1, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 12, E Q GWALTNEY ET AL TEXTILE CARDING MACHINE Filed March 1, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 "a; I R m Patented M... 12, 1946 UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE TEXTILE CARDING MACHINE Maine Application March 1, 1943, Serial No. 477,522

4 Claims.

This invention relates to machines of the type used in the textile industry to work textile fibers into the form of a fleece or sliver. Such machines are customarily referred to as carding machines or cards. The two principal forms of machines of this type in common use are the so-called roller or wool card and the revolving flat or cotton card. Each of these types has advantages and disadvantages peculiar to itself. The revolving flat card is far superior to the roller card in handling cotton fibers, chiefly because cotton carries with it a considerable amount of dirt and foreign material which the revolving flat card removes with a high degree of effectiveness. On the other hand, it is not nearl as good as is the roller card on wool and fibers of the longer types. It tends to break up such fibers and when cotton and wool are mixed it produces a considerable degree of separation of the wool fibers from the cotton fibers, removing enough of the former from the mixture to make it very diflicult to control the proportions of the fibers in the final product delivered by the machine.

A further difficulty encountered in attempting to use roller cards in operating on cotton and other short fibers, is that of controlling the lint or fly. If a cover is placed over the entire assembly of worker and stripper rolls in an endeavor to accomplish this result, it is found that fly accumulates in some localized areas from which it subsequently is discharged in bunches, thus introducing highly objectionable variations in the sliver and, consequently, in the yarn produced from it. in some cases, also, the fly works into the bearings of the rolls where ultimately it will produce a jam unless such accumulations are removed at frequent intervals.

The present invention has for its chief object to devise a machine better adapted for handling mixtures of cotton and rayon with each other, and of either of them with wool, flax, silk, or other fibers, which will avoid the objections encountered in running such mixtures in either of the older types of machines. It is also an object of this invention to devise a mechanism which can readily be applied to the common commercial forms of cotton cards to enable them to handle mixtures of the character just mentioned satisfactorily.

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from the following description when read in connection with 'the accompanying drawings, and the novel features will be particularl pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of those parts of a. carding machine with which the present invention is more especially concerned, illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken approximately on the line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical, sectional view approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the cover for one pair of worker and stripper rolls and the parts immediately associated with them, a portion of the cover being shown broken away.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the structure there illustrated consists mainly of a cotton carding machine of a common commercial type including a cylinder 2, and the usual licker-in 3 and dofier cylinder 4 associated therewith in the customary manner. The revolving flats, however, have been removed, and in their stead three pairs of worker and stripper rolls are mounted in cooperative relationship to the cylinder. Considering the right-hand pair shown in Fig. 1, it will be seen that the worker roll is shown at 5 and the stripper roll at 6. In order to support the worker roll, the bearing for one end of the shaft 1 for that roll is supported in the open upper end of a stand 8, Figs. 1 and 3, which is secured partly to the arch 9 of the machine frame by a bolt l0 passing through a slot in the shank portion of the stand and threaded into the arch. It is also held in place partly by a screw-threaded stud I2 passing through the flange [3 of the arch 9 andhaving nuts threaded on to it at opposite sides of said flange. The opposite end of the shaft is similarly supported and, consequently, the entire roll 5 can be adjusted readily and very accuratel toward and from the cylinder 2. A hold-down clamp l4, best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, releasably locks the roll bearing to the stand 8.

The stripper roll shaft I5 is similarly supported in the open upper end of another stand or bracket 16, much like that shown at 8, but mounted on an arm I! extending laterally from the stand 8 and integral therewith. A bolt l8, best shown in Fig. 2, passes through a slot in the bracket, is anchored securely in the arm l1, and has a nut threaded thereon by mean of which this bracket may be secured rigidly to said arm. Also, another bolt 20 is supported for rotation in the inwardly extending flange a of the bracket but is held against longitudinal movement relatively thereto, while its upper end is threaded into the flange of the arm I! and is thus operable in connection with a similarconstructionat the opposite end of the frame to adjust the stripper roll 3 toward and from the card cylinder 2. This adjustment is made independently of the corresponding-am justment of the roll I, and therefore is an adrangement, therefore, simplifie both the construction and also theoperation of the adjusting mechanism. The roll I 5 is normally locked in its brackets by hold-downs similar-to those associated with the worker roll.

In addition to the two adjustments just referred to, it is also important to be able to adjust the spacing between the worker and its stripper. I For this purpose the arm I! is provided with a lug 22, Figs. 2 and 3, projecting toward the bracket l3, and two'screws 23-23 are threaded through ears extending inwardly from opposite sides of the bracket, the ends of these screws bearing against the opposite sides of the lug just referred to. Consequently, by backing up one of these screws and turning in the other, and performing similar operations on the corresponding parts at the opposite end of the machine frame,

the entire stripper roll may be adjusted toward and from its cooperating worker roll. The fit of the bolts l3 and in the respective holes where they pass through the bracket I6 is made sufficiently free to permit this adjustment.

The other worker and stripper rolls are mounted in the same manner as are the rolls just described, and the corresponding parts are designated by the same numerals.

The particular driving arrangement shown for the worker rolls comprises a stub shaft 24, Fig. l, on which is mounted a sprocket wheel 25 driven by belt and pulley connections with the cylinder shaft. This sprocket drives a chain 26 which runs over the entire series of sprocket wheels 26 mounted on the respective worker roll shafts and drives them all in unison. At the opposite side of the machine from the sprocket 25 is another stub shaft, in line with the stud or stub shaft 24, and a grooved pulley 2'! is mounted on this stud and is also driven by belt and pulley connections with the cylinder shaft. This grooved pulley drives a V-belt 28 which, in turn, drives similar pulleys 28' on the respective stripper roll shafts, the belt also running over an idler pulley 30, Fig. l, to give it a greater warp around the pulleys at opposite sides of it.

As above indicated, a serious difiiculty in carding short fibers, such as cotton, in a roller type card, is that of controlling the lint and fly, preventing it from accumulating in places where it subsequently will be discharged in bunches and from gathering around the bearings where it introduces operating difiiculties. The present invention solves this problem by enclosing the greater part of the peripheral surface of the cylinder between the licker-in and the doffer so closely in a casing as to substantially eliminate dead air and eddy current spaces in which lint and fly can collect. This casing includes a section individual to each pair of worker and stripper rolls. As best shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the casing for the middle set of rolls comprises a lower section, indicated in general at A in Fig. 3, and an upper section B hinged to the lower section at 3|, the entire casing being split along a diagonal plane 0 passing through the axes of the two shafts I and It, as clearly shown in said figure. The meeting edges of the two end members of the casing at opposite sides of the machine are curved to fit snugly around the bearings for the respective shafts, the lower end plates of the casing being indicated at 32 and 32' and the upper plates at 33 and 33'. Sheet metal cover sections 34 and 35 are screwed to the edges of the lower casing plates and another sheet metal section 36 is similarly secured to the edges of the upper end plates 33 and 33'. Knobs 31 and 31' are fastened in opposite sides of the upper cover section to facilitate the matter of opening the cover by swinging it in an upward direction around the hinge 3|. As this action proceeds, a

gravity stop 38, pivoted at 35 on the cover plate 33, swings backwardly and engages the portion of the cylinder casing immediately adjacent to the worker roll with which it is associated and arrests the swinging movement of the cover at a predetermined point, thu preventing this cover fromdropping back by gravity against some adjacent part of the machine. The front edge of the cover 36 slides in behind a plate 40, Fig. 3,

which serves to close the joint between that edge and the corresponding edge of the part 33 of the lower cover against which the forward edge of the swinging cover abuts when in its closed position.

Associated with these cover sections that extend across the upper surface of the cylinder are make-up pieces 4l42, Fig. 3, and fillets 43 which together close the joint between the covers or casings for the worker and stripper rolls and the intermediate sections 44 of the cover plate for the peripheral surface of the cylinder.

In order to provide for the adjustment of the spacing between the worker and stripper rolls, as above described, while at the same time maintaining the casing in a sufficiently tight condition to prevent troublesome air leakage and the creation of objectionable eddy currents, the end plates 33 and 33' are provided with over-sized holes, as shown in Fig. 2, through which shrouds or sleeves D and D, Fig. 2, project, these shrouds being supported bythe bearing bushings for the roll shafts l5. Projecting radially from these sleeves or shrouds, and integral with them, are flanges 45-45, Figs. 2 and 4, which lie close to, andparallel with, the inner surfaces of the respective end plates 33-33. The

flanges

45 and 45 and similar flanges 46 and 46', Figs. 3 and 4, secured to the shaft bearings for the worker roll 5, are adjustable axially so as to make a close joint with the ends of the rolls. They overlap each other along a diagonal line forming a joint indicated at 48 and 48', Figs. 3 and 4. The same construction is provided at the opposite side of the machine. This arrangement permits the adjustment above referred to while still providing a casing that is sufiiciently tight for practical purposes. Set screws 41 are provided to secure the shrouds in their adjusted positions.

It will be seen from an inspection of Figs. 2 and 4 that the shrouds have short cylindrical portions set into, or telescoped in, the ends of the worker and stripper rolls. Such a construction contributes materially to the production of the tight joints just referred to. It should also be noted that the clothing on the main cylinder 2 is slightly wider (in an axial direction) than is that of the worker roll 5, the latter roll, however, being wider than the area of the cylinder carrying most of the fiber. Similarly, that th stripper clothing is slightly wider in an axial irection than that of the worker roll with which it cooperates, but narrower than the cylinder clothing. This arrangement has been found highly effective in controlling loose fibers or fiy because the stripper operates on the entire fiber-carrying surface of the worker roll and takes stock from it. The cylinder clothing, being wider than that of the stripper, removes fiber from the entire surface of the latter. Thus there is a progressive cleaning action of the workers and strippers which is very important in maintaining the machine continuously in an efficient condition, reducing to a minimum the number of stripping operations required on the worker and stripper rolls, and with the tight joints, substantially eliminating the opportunity for the troublesome collection of lint and fly around the workers and strippers.

Preferably a relatively uniform clearance of substantial dimensions, say in the neighborhood of three-quarters of an inch, is provided between the peripheral surface of each roll and thefadjacent surface of the casing enclosing it. In this connection it may also be noted that while the surfaces of these rolls are shown as covered with card clothing, that is not always the practice, since it is frequently preferable to use the sawtooth type of clothing on them. The particular type selected necessarily will depend upon the preferences of individual operators and the character of the fiber being operated upon.

In those figures showing supporting parts for the rolls at the side of the frame opposite to that illustrated in Fig. 1, the parts corresponding to those shown in said figure are indicated by the same, but primed, numerals.

By providing individual covers for the respective pairs of worker and stripper rolls, we have found that the difllculties heretofore experienced with accumulations of fiy and lint are definitely avoided. In addition, the mounting of the worker and stripper rolls, as above described, with the bracket for one roll supported on the stand for the other, facilitates the operations of assembling the parts on the frame of the machine and adjusting the two rolls properly with reference to the cylinder and one relatively to the other. This is particularly true in changing over a cotton card of the more popular commercial forms by removing the revolving flats and substituting revolving workers for them. At the same time the matter of adjusting the rolls with the high degree of precision required in machines of this type is made relatively easy.

While we have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of our invention, it will be evident that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. I

Having thus described our invention, what w desire to claim as new is:

1. In a textile carding machine, the combination with a card cylinder, a worker roll cooperating therewith. a stripper roll operatively associated with both said worker roll and said cylinder and a frame in which said cylinder is mounted. of supports at opposite sides of said frame in spective casings serving to prevent any substantial air leakage into the casing at the roll ends, and the stripper roll clothing being wider than that of the worker roll but narrower than that of the cylinder.

2. In a textile carding machine, the combination with a card cylinder, a worker roll cooperating therewith, a stripper roll operatively associated with both said worker roll and said cylinder and a frame in which said cylinder is mounted, of supports at opposite sides of said frame in which the bearings for said worker and stripper roll shafts are mounted, a casing individual to said worker and stripper roll assembly and closely enclosing them, sleeves encircling the respective bearings for said roll shafts and supported on said respective bearings, said sleeves having flanges integral therewith and positioned parallel with and close to the inside end walls of said casing.

- said sleeves being adjustable axially on said roll shafts and having parts making close fitting joints with the ends of the respective rolls.

3. In a textile carding machine, the combination with a card cylinder, a worker roll cooperating therewith, a stripper roll operatively associated with both said worker roll and said cylinder and a frame in which said cylinder is mounted, of supports at opposite sides of said frame in which the bearings for said worker and stripper roll shafts are mounted, a casing individual to said worker and stripper roll assembly and enclosing them so closely as to substantially eliminate dead air and eddy current spaces in which lint and fiy can collect, the ends of said worker and stripper rolls having telescoped connections with stationary parts at the opposite ends of the respective casings which prevent any substantial leakage of air around said roll ends.

4. In a textile carding machine, the combination with a card cylinder, a worker roll cooperating therewith, a stripper roll operatively associated with both said worker roll and said cylinder and a frame in which said cylinder is mounted, or supports at opposite sides of said frame in which the bearings for said worker and stripper roll shafts are mounted, said supports includin roll stands each having an arm rigid therewith and projecting laterally therefrom, two brackets mounted, respectively, on said arms, one of said rolls being supported on said stands and the other on said brackets, means cooperating with said brackets and said arms for adjusting the brackets with reference to the arms, a casing individual to said worker and stripper roll assembly and closely enclosing them, the ends of the worker and stripper rolls having telescoped connections with stationary parts at the opposite ends of the respective casings serving to prevent any substantial air leakage into the casing at the roll ends. EUGENE C. GWALTNEY. HERBERT E. CHILD.