US3121921A

US3121921A - Fiber cleaner

Info

Publication number: US3121921A
Application number: US166438A
Authority: US
Inventors: William A Latour
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-01-15
Filing date: 1962-01-15
Publication date: 1964-02-25
Anticipated expiration: 1981-02-25
Also published as: CH426566A; BE627124A; ES284034A1; GB963053A

Description

W. A. LATOUR FIBER CLEANER Feb. 25, 1964 Filed Jan. 15, 1 962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR w. A. LATOUR BY /Q/ Feb. 25, 1964 w. A. LATOUR 3,121,921

FIBER CLEANER Filed Jan. 15, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.. 3

INVENTOR W. A L ATOU R ATTORNEY Feb. 25, 1964 w. A. LATOUR 3,121,921

FIBER CLEANER Filed Jan. 15, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR W. A. LATOU R ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,121,921 FEBER CLEANER William A. Latour, New (ii-leans, La, assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture Filed .lan. 15, 1962, Ser. No. 166,438 9 (Ilaims. ill. 192fi3) (Granted under Titie 35, US. (lode (1952), sec. 265) A non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free license in the invention herein described, throughout the world for all purposes of the United States Government, with the power to grant sublicenses for such purposes, is hereby granted to the Government of the United States of America.

This invention relates to a machine for removing trash and foreign matter from fibrous material. More particularly it relates to a machine for removing trash from cotton and other textile fibers.

Among the disadvantages inherent in many of the fiber cleaning machines now in use are the incomplete removal of trash and the loss of good fiber. This loss is represented by fibers retained on rotating components of the apparatus or as fibers thrown off the cleaning cylinders together with leaves, twigs, and other trash.

It is, therefore, one object of this invention to provide an improved machine that will clean cotton fibers more efficiently. Another object is to provide such a machine in which more efiicient cleaning is accompanied by a reduction in the amount of fibers lost through various causes. A further object is to provide a fiber cleaning machine having nonloading rolls that retain no fibers on their surfaces. Still another object is to provide a fiber cleaning machine capable of separating trash from good fibers without causing some of the fibers to be lost in the trash chamber.

These and other objects that will be apparent to those skilled in the art are achieved by the machine described more fully below.

in general, in accordance with this invention, a conventional fiber cleaning machine having feed, transfer, and cleaning rolls, is modified by providing a specially designed nonloading roll between the feed rolls and the cleaning cylinder, two sets of grid bars, one of which is specially designed to permit separation of trash only from the fibers on the cleaning cylinder, and a novel air doffing and circulation system.

The fiber cieaner according to the invention is described in detail below and in the accompanying drawings in which:

FZGURE 1 represents a schematic elevation of the cleaner in section, of one embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary isometric view of the nonloading feed roll used in the apparatus;

FIGURE 3 is a detailed illustration of the tooth construction and arrangement used on the nonloading eed roll;

FEGURE 4 is a schematic view illustrating the tooth relationship of the nonloading roll and the cleaning cylinder;

FIGURE 5 is a schematic sectional view of the first cleaning section of the apparatus of this invention; and

FIGURE 6 is a partial schematic sectional view of the apparatus of FIGURE 1 showing a modified air circulation system.

In 'FIGURB 1-6, the same reference characters indicate the same parts.

Referring to FIGURE 1, it is seen that the machine comprises a housing 1, having a plurality of openings and parts in its walls for the purposes of feeding fibers to be cleaned, entry and exit of air, and removal of trash and cleaned fibers. At one end of the housing there is "ice an opening 2 for admitting a mass or batt of fibers (not shown) to feed table 10. This batt, after being placed on table it is manually pushed forward to engage coacting feed rolls 11 and 11a. Feed rolls 11 and 11a, which may be smooth or with roughened surfaces, rotate in the direction indicated to advance the cotton to a unique nonloading toothed feed roll 12 which is one of the novel features of the invention.

This nonloading roll, shown in detail in FIGURE 2, is mounted in parallel, spaced relationship to feed rolls 11 and Ho, combing roll 13 and fiber carrying cleaning cylinder 14. Roll 12. is covered with a specially shaped two-pointed toothed wire 15. As shown in enlarged detail in

FEGURES

2 and 3, the wire is installed along the longitudinal axis or" the roll rather than spirally wound, as is conventional. Adjacent rows of teeth are located so that the points are in staggered relationship to each other. It has been found that the optimum tooth density for processing cotton fibers to be from to points to the square inch, with the teeth along the same longitudinal axis being about 15 points per lineal inch. The tooth 15 is preferably double pointed, as shown in FIGURE 3, with a height of about inch and a spacing of about & inch between adjacent teeth. The longitudinal rows of teeth are spaced about inch apart. Other tooth dimensions and densities can be substituted for processing other type fibers.

As the fibers (not shown) are conveyed forward by roll 12, coacting combin roll 13 serves to partially loosen the tufts and arrange the fibers parallel to one another. Roll 13 is a conventional liclcerin-type roll covered with spirally wound saw tooth wire 50. It rotates at about one fourth of the peripheral speed of roll 12.

The advancing fibers on roll 12 are transferred to cylinder 14, which is also a conventional lickerin-type cylindcr spirally wound with forwardly inclined saw-tooth wire 16 to provide approximately 60 points per square inch. Cleaning cylinder 14 is 2 to 4 times the diameter of and has a peripheral speed of about to times that of roll 12. A nonloading roll diameter of 6 inches rotates at a speed of 20 r.p.m., and a cleaning cylinder diameter of 14 inches, rotating at a speed of 1000* r.p.m., have been found satisfactory. Because of the big difference in peripheral speeds and the unique holdback action of nonloading roll 12, the fibers are transferred to roll 14 in an extremely thin, loose web that facilitates cleaning. This holdback action results because the teeth of roll 12 pointbackward with respect to teeth 16 on roll 14 (FIGURE 4) as the two rolls approach tangency. Thus roll 12. tends to restrain the fibers as they are removed by the forward pointing teeth 16 of cylinder 14. This restraint results in a gradual disentanglernent and loosening of the fibers. After passing the point of tangency, the direction of teeth 15 of roll 12. is such that removal of all fibers therefrom is facilitated and hence roll 12 never becomes loaded or clogged with fibers.

The fibers on cylinder 14 are buffeted against triangular bars 13 by a combination of centrifugal and mechanical forces that removes most of the grass, leaf, and other foreign matter and some of the fibers. However, by a phenomenon that is not wholly understood, but which can be observed, baffles 19, which are directly fastened to bars 18 and are disposed angularly outward in the direction of rotation of cylinder 14 (FIGURE 5), cause the fibers to be separated from the trash and returned to the teeth of cylinder 14. It is assumed that the air currents that exist in the area between adjacent bafiles and bars are responsible for this fiber reclaiming action. The trash that is ejected falls into waste compartment 20 and container 21 which is removable by means of handle 21a.

The partially cleaned fibers on cylinder 14 are doffed from the cylinder by means of an air stream having about twice the velocity of the peripheral speed of cylinder 14. This air stream comes into the machine through openings 3, 23, and 24 in housing 1 and thence through nozzle 22 which is specifically designed to direct the air against cylinder 14 at an angle of 45 degrees to a tangent drawn to the cylinder at the point Where the air stream impinges on the cylinder as it enters chamber 28. The dofiing air thus first impinges directly on the surface of the cylinder and then is deflected outward across the saw-tooth wire. By this design the air more eifectively removes the fibers from the cylinder surface and from the teeth than is achieved by conventional methods of directing either negative or positive pressure air tangent to the cylinder or the saw teeth. The air passing through openings 23 and 24 also serves to reclaim any fiber that may have escaped through bars 18 by conveying these fibers onto cylinder 14.

The commingled dotfing air and fibers flow onto rotating suction cage condenser 25 which is a perforate cylinder covered with 40 to 100 mesh screen material. The fibers are retained on the screen surface, while the air passes through the screen to exhaust fan 26, driven by electric motor 27 or other suitable means and thence to the exterior of the machine in a manner that will be described later. Chamber 28 is designed in a manner to cause turbulence in the air flow which results in the fibers and remaining trash being thoroughly mixed prior to impinging on condenser 25, where the fibers form a thin web. The web is dotted from the condenser by coacting nonloading roll 29 which is of the same construction and function as previously described roll 12.

The aforementioned mixing that occurs in chamber 28 changes the spatial orientation of the fibers and remaining trash with respect to each other and with respect to cylinder 14, thus exposing new surfaces for cleaning and further improving the cleaning efiiciency of the machine.

Teeth 16 on cleaning cylinder 14 remove the fibers from roll 29 and subject these fibers to a cleaning action against triangular bars 51 whereby practically all of the remaining trash commingled with the fibers is removed to fall in dead air waste box 30 and removable container 31 with handle 31a. Roll 29 and condenser 25 are enclosed by

suitable partitions

52, 53, 54, and 55, except for a small opening 47, which retain the trash in

chambers

20 and 30, thereby preventing redeposition of the removed trash onto

rolls

14 and 29 and condenser 25. It has been found unnecessary to use fiber reclaiming batfies 19 or bars 51. However, such bafiles may be used if desired.

After the final cleaning action by bars 51, air is aspirated at high velocity by means of fan 26 through open ing 32 and nozzle 33 at an angle of 45 degrees to cylinder 14 to doff the fibers from cylinder 14 in a manner similar to the dofiing action at nozzle 22. Chamber 34, formed by partition 35 and sidewall 56, provides a reservoir that serves to equalize the pressure and air flow across the width and length of nozzle 33. The dotted fibers flow through duct 36 into chamber 37 which is enclosed by

walls

38, 39, 40, and 41 and sidewall 57. The fibers col lect on the surface of a fine mesh screen 42, while the air is exhausted through the screen by blower 26 to the exterior through opening 43.

The apparatus has a novel efiicient air circulating system that enables the same air to be used for conveying and dofiing both cleaning sections. As shown in FIGURE 1, air enters the machine at inlets 3, 23, and 24, passes through constricted nozzle 22 to condenser 25, through the condenser to an interior opening 44 that leads into duct 45 mounted on the exterior of the machine. Dust 45 is connected to opening 32 leading into chamber 34 and associated dotfing nozzle 33. Thence the air and com veyed fibers progress into fiber collecting chamber 37. The air passes through screen 42 to the exhaust fan 26 and hence to the atmosphere through opening 43. Simultaneously, air from outside the machine is drawn through opening 46 into chamber 30. Part of this, air flows be tween bars 51 and serves to reclaim any fibers discarded with the trash between the bars, and part flows through the opening 47 located between

partitions

52 and 53 and serves to aid roll 29 in dotting condenser 25. The aforementioned screen 42 removes all fibers and thereby eliminates the need for an external system for filtering the air as is required by conventional cleaners. Opening 43 has a slide valve 48 for adjusting the size of the opening to regulate the amount of air flow for optimum performance.

FIGURE 6 illustrates a modification of the air circulating system that may be used. Herein, duct 45a from condenser exhaust 44 leads directly to chamber 37 through opening 49 located above screen 42. A sliding valve (not shown) over opening 49 controls the ratio of air sucked in by fan 26 from chamber 37 and duct 45a. In this embodiment, air from outside of the machine is pulled in through openings 23 and 24 of FIGURE 1 (not shown in the partial view of FIGURE 6) and 32 and 46. Other air circulating systems, such as separate blowers (not shown) attached to

openings

44, 46, 32, and 43 can be used if desired.

Not shown in FIGURES 1 and 6 are the means by which rolls 11, 11a, 12, 13, 14, and 29 and condenser 25 are driven. These driving means do not constitute part of the invention. Various chain and belt drives, for example, are known, or the rolls may be individually driven if desired, and the selection of any one of these known means will be apparent to the man skilled in the art.

Extensive tests with a wide range of qualities of cotton fibers have shown that the fiber cleaner of this invention removes up to of the trash, as compared with less than 50% by other cleaning machines.

While there has been shown and described a preferred form of the invention, it will be understood that many changes may be made in details and form without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Although the construction and operation of the machine have been described with reference to cleaning cotton fibers, it is applicable to the working of any fibrous material. Alteration of roll speeds, distances, and size and number of teeth to suit any particular fiber are within the skill of the art.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. Fiber cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a rotatable cylinder having forwardly inclined peripheral teeth for carrying trash-containing fibers;

(b) a first nonloading feed roll for feeding trashcontaining fibers to the cylinder mounted parallel to and rotatable in a direction opposite to that of said cylinder, said roll being provided with a plurality of rows of axially disposed peripheral two-pointed teeth inclined backward with respect to the teeth on the cylinder as said roll and cylinder approach tangency;

(c) a first set of fiber-cleaning bars disposed around a portion of the periphery of the cylinder for removing at least a portion of the trash from fibers carried by said cylinder;

(d) means on said bars for directing fibers removed with trash back onto said cylinder;

(2) first fiber-dotting means for removing partially cleaned fibers and remaining trash from said cylinder;

(f) first means for collecting said partially cleaned fibers and remaining trash;

(g) a second nonloading feed roll, similar to the first feed roll, parallel to and rotatable in a direction opposite to that of the cylinder for transferring partially cleaned fibers and remaining trash from said first collecting means back onto the cylinder;

([1) a second set of fiber-cleaning bars disposed around a portion of the periphery of the cylinder for removing additional trash from the fibers thereon;

(i) second fiber-dofiing means for removing cleaned fibers from the cylinder; and

(j) means for collecting said cleaned fibers.

2. Fiber cleaning apparatus comprising a housing having ports for entry and exit of air, and within said housing:

(a) a rotatable cylinder having forwardly inclined peripheral teeth for carrying trash-containing fibers,

(b) a first nonloading feed roll for feeding trashcontaining fibers to the cylinder mounted parallel to and rotatable in a direction opposite to that of said cylinder, said roll being provided with a plurality of rows of axially disposed peripheral twopointed teeth inclined backward with respect to the teeth on the cylinder as said roll and cylinder approach tangency,

(c) a first set of fiber-cleaning bars disposed around a portion of the periphery of the cylinder for removing at least a portion of the trash from the fibers carried by said cylinder;

(d) a bafile on each of a plurality of said fiber-cleaning bars for directing fibers removed with trash back onto the cylinder;

(e) a partition mounted on the inside of the housing and defining, together with the last of the fiber-cleaning bars, a first nozzle for directing a current of air against the cylinder to dotf partially cleaned fibers and remaining trash;

(f) a hollow, perforated, rotating condenser mounted parallel to the cylinder;

(g) means for directing air from said first nozzle together with fibers and remaining trash in a turbulent stream against said condenser;

(h) a second nonloading feed roll, similar to the first, mounted parallel to the condenser and cylinder for redepositing fibers and remaining trash from the condenser back to the cylinder;

(1') a second set of fiber-cleaning bars disposed around a portion of the periphery of the cylinder for removing additional trash from the fibers redeposited on the cylinder;

(j) partitions surrounding an air inlet port in the housing and shaped to define a second nozzle for directing a current of air entering said inlet port against the cylinder to doff cleaned fibers therefrom;

(k) means to draw air into the housing through the inlet ports, the nozzles, and the condenser; and (1) means to recover cleaned fibers doffed from the cylinder by the current of air from the second nozzle.

3. Fiber cleaning apparatus having a housing provided with a plurality of entrance ports and exit ports for air, a rotatable cylinder provided with forwardly inclined peripheral teeth for carrying trash-containing fibers mounted within said housing, and, in combination with said housing and cylinder:

(a) a first nonloading feed roll for feeding trash-con taining fibers to the cylinder, said feed roll being mounted parallel to and rotatable in a direction opposite to that of the cylinder and provided with a plurality of rows of axially disposed peripheral twopointed teeth inclined backward with respect to the teeth on the cylinder as said roll and cylinder approach tangency;

(b) a first set of fiber-cleaning bars disposed around a portion of the periphery of the cylinder in the direction of rotation thereof for removing at least a portion of trash from the fibers carried by said cylinder;

() a baffle on each of a plurality of said fiber-cleaning bars for directing fibers removed with trash back onto the cylinder;

((1) a partition mounted on the inside of the housing and defining, together with the last of said first set of fiber-cleaning bars, a first nozzle for directing a stream of air against the cylinder to doff partially cleaned fibers and remaining trash;

(e) a hollow, perforated, rotatable condenser mounted parallel to the cylinder;

(1) a partition surrounding a portion of said condenser and having an extension connected to the orifice end of said first nozzle, said partition defining, together with the cylinder, a passageway for conducting air, doifed fibers, and remaining trash in a turbulent steam against the condenser;

(g) vacuum-exhaust means for drawing air into the interior of the housing and through the perforated condenser into the hollow interior thereof;

(h) a second rotatable nonloading feed roll, similar to the first, mounted parallel to the condenser and cylinder to transfer fibers and remaining trash back to the cylinder;

(1') a partition surrounding said second feed roll and extending around the periphery thereof from a point adjacent the periphery of the cylinder to a point sufficiently distant from the partition surrounding the condenser to permit a portion of the air drawn into the housing to pass between said second feed roll and the condenser;

(j) means for conducting air from the interior of the condenser to an entrance port in the housing;

(k) partitions surrounding said entrance port and forming a chamber for receiving air conducted from the interior of the condenser, said partitions provided with an opening being formed to define a second nozzle for directing a stream of air against the cyllinder to doif cleaned fibers therefrom;

(l) a second set of fiber-cleaning bars disposed around a portion of the periphery of the cylinder in the direction of rotation thereof for removing additional trash from the fibers, said second set of fibercleaning bars being located between the second feed roll and the second nozzle;

(m) further partitions forming a passageway with the exterior of the walls of the chamber defined in (k) and with the housing for conducting air and cleaned fibers dofied from the cylinder to the air circulating means defined in (g); and

(11) means for collecting the cleaned fibers.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 in combination with a combing roll rotatable in a direction opposite to that of the first nonloading feed roll, said combing roll being mounted parallel to and in proximity to said feed roll, said combing roll being provided with rearwardly inclined peripheral teeth for producing a thin layer of parallel fibers on the feed roll prior to transfer of said fibers to the cylinder.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the two nozzles are each disposed to direct a stream of air at an angle of about degrees to the cylinder.

6. Fiber-cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a rotatable fiber-carrying cylinder for trash-containing fibers;

(b) first means adjacent the cylinder for removing at least a portion of trash intermingled with fibers on said cylinder;

(0) a nozzle adjacent the cylinder for directing a stream of air against the cylinder to dotf partially cleaned fibers therefrom;

(d) a rotatable suction condenser for recovering dofied fibers and remaining trash;

(e) a partition extending between the nozzle and the condenser forming with the periphery of the cylinder a passageway for conducting dolfed fibers to the condenser, said partition being disposed at such an angle that the combination of air currents from the nozzle and those produced by rotation of the cylinder creates turbulence whereby dolled fibers and remaining trash are mixed to change the spatial orientation of the trash and fibers from that which existed while said trash and fibers were on the cylinder;

(f) means for replacing fibers and remaining trash onto the cylinder; and

(g) second means adjacent the cylinder for removing remaining trash from fibers replaced on the cylinder.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the nozzle is disposed to direct a stream of air at an angle of 45 degrees to the periphery of the cylinder.

8. In a fiber-cleaning apparatus having a housing provided with ports for passage of air therethrough, vacuum producing exhaust means for drawing air into the apparatus and exhausting therefrom, a rotating cylinder for carrying fibers to be cleaned and, disposed around the cylinder in the direction of rotation thereof, first fibercleaning means, a first fiber-doffing nozzle, a rotatable, hollow, perforated suction condenser, feed means for transferring fibers from the condenser back to the cylinder, second fiber-cleaning means, and a second fiberdofiing nozzle, an air circulation system comprising:

(a) means for directing a first stream of air drawn into the housing against the first fiber-cleaning means;

(b) partitions for combining said first stream with a second stream of air drawn into the housing to form a third stream and for directing said third stream to the inlet end of the first fiber-doffing nozzle being so disposed as to direct said third stream at the periphery of the cylinder;

() means for directing said third stream from the cylinder to the perforated, hollow, suction condenser;

(d) means connecting the interior of the condenser with an air inlet port in the housing;

(e) partitions forming a chamber about the inlet port defined in (d) and communicating with the inlet end of the second nozzle, said second nozzle being located to direct said third stream of air at the periphery of the cylinder at a point beyond the second fiber-cleaning means;

(f) means for conducting said third stream from the cylinder surface to the vacuum exhaust means whereby said third stream is drawn through the perforated surface of the condenser, through said second nozzle, and finally to the vacuum exhaust means;

(g) means for directing a fourth stream of air drawn into the apparatus between the condenser and the feed means in the direction of the cylinder; and

(It) means for directing a fifth stream of air past the second fiber-cleaning means against the cylinder, the means defined in (1) being so disposed as to also collect said fourth and fifth streams, whereby all of the air drawn into the housing is exhausted therefrom by the vacuum exhaust means.

9. In a fiber-cleaning apparatus having a housing provided with ports for passage of air therethrough, vacuumproducing exhaust means for drawing air into the apparatus and exhausting air therefrom, a rotatable cylinder, for carrying fibers to be cleaned, and, disposed around the cylinder in the direction of rotation thereof, first fibercleaning means, a first fiber-dotting nozzle, a rotatable, hollow, perforated, suction condenser, feed means for transferring fibers from the condenser back to the cylinder, second fiber-cleaning means, and a second fiberdoffing nozzlze, an air circulation system comprising:

(b) partitions for combining said first stream with a second stream of air drawn into the housing to form a third stream and for directing said third stream to the inlet end of the first fiber-doffing nozzle, said nozzle being so disposed as to direct said third stream at the periphery of the cylinder;

(c) means for directing said third stream from the surface of the cylinder to the perforated, hollow, suction condenser;

(d) means for conducting said third stream of air from the interior of the condenser to the vacuum exhaust means whereby said third stream is exhausted from the apparatus;

(0) partitions forming a chamber about an inlet port in the housing and communicating with the interior of the housing through the second fiber-dotting nozzle, said second nozzle being located to direct a fourth stream of air at the periphery of the cylinder at a point beyond the second fiber-cleaning means;

(7'') means for directing a fifth stream of air drawn into the apparatus between the condenser and the feed means in the direction of the cylinder;

(g) means for directing a sixth stream of air past the second fiber-cleaning means against the cylinder; and

(/1) means for collecting said fourth, fifth and sixth streams of air and conducting them to the vacuum exhaust means whereby all of the air drawn into the housing is exhausted therefrom by the vacuum exhaust means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,782 Smith Sept. 10, 1840 4,230 Washburn Oct. 11, 1845 184,055 Adams Nov. 7, 1876 210,222 Pendleton Nov. 26, 1878 2,127,049 Schwarze et a1. Aug. 16, 1938 2,133,900 Martinez Oct. 18, 1938 2,432,235 Grimes Dec. 9, 1947 2,564,883 Day Aug. 21, 1951 2,810,163 Kyame et al. Oct. 22, 1957 2,825,096 Moss Mar. 4, 1958 2,827,667 Moss Mar. 25, 1958 2,876,500 Buresh et al Mar. 10, 1959 2,893,064 Rusca et al. July 7, 1959 2,911,684 Hunter Nov. 10, 1959 3,046,612 Kyame et a1 July 31, 1962 3,051,998 Rust et al Sept. 4, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 552,414 Germany June 13, 1932 957,636 Germany Feb. 7, 1957 916 Great Britain of 1915 11,110 Great Britain of 1888

Claims

3. FIBER CLEANING APPARATUS HAVING A HOUSING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF ENTRANCE PORTS AND EXIT PORTS FOR AIR, A ROTATABLE CYLINDER PROVIDED WITH FORWARDLY INCLINED PERIPHERAL TEETH FOR CARRYING TRASH-CONTAINING FIBERS MOUNTED WITHIN SAID HOUSING, AND, IN COMBINATION WITH SAID HOUSING AND CYLINDER: (A) A FIRST NONLOADING FEED ROLL FOR FEEDING TRASH-CONTAINING FIBERS TO THE CYLINDER, SAID FEED ROLL BEING MOUNTED PARALLEL TO AND ROTATABLE IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THAT OF THE CYLINDER AND PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF ROWS OF AXIALLY DISPOSED PERIPHERAL TWOPOINTED TEETH INCLINED BACKWARD WITH RESPECT TO THE TEETH ON THE CYLINDER AS SAID ROLL AND CYLINDER APPROACH TANGENCY; (B) A FIRST SET OF FIBER-CLEANING BARS DISPOSED AROUND A PORTION OF THE PERIPHERY OF THE CYLINDER IN THE DIRECTION OF TRASH FROM THE FIBERS CARRIED BY SAID CYLINDER; (C) A BAFFLE ON EACH OF A PLURALITY OF SAID FIBER-CLEANING BARS FOR DIRECTING FIBERS REMOVED WITH TRASH BACK ONTO THE CYLINDER; (D) A PARTITION MOUNTED ON THE INSIDE OF THE HOUSING AND DEFINING, TOGETHER WITH THE LAST OF SAID FIRST SET OF FIBER-CLEANING BARS, A FIRST NOZZLE FOR DIRECTING A STREAM OF AIR AGAINST THE CYLINDER TO DOFF PARTIALLY CLEANED FIBERS AND REMAINING TRASH; (E) A HOLLOW, PERFORATED, ROTATABLE CONDENSER MOUNTED PARALLEL TO THE CYLINDER; (F) A PARTITION SURROUNDING A PORTION OF SAID CONDENSER AND HAVING AN EXTENSION CONNECTED TO THE ORIFICE END OF SAID FIRST NOZZLE, SAID PARTITION DEFINING, TOGETHER WITH THE CYLINDER; A PASSAGEWAY FOR CONDUCTING AIR, DOFFED FIBERS, AND REMAINING TRASH IN A TURBULENT STEAM AGAINST THE CONDENSER;