US3134482A

US3134482A - Apparatus for transferring fibrous material

Info

Publication number: US3134482A
Application number: US224640A
Authority: US
Inventors: Knothe Werner Emil Otto
Original assignee: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization CSIRO
Current assignee: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization CSIRO
Priority date: 1961-09-20
Filing date: 1962-09-19
Publication date: 1964-05-26
Anticipated expiration: 1981-05-26

Description

May 2 1954 w. E. o. KNOTHE APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING FIBRQUS MATERIAL 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 19, 1962 M y 1964 w. E. o. KNOTHE APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING FIBROUS MATERIAL.

Filed Sept. 19, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 1964 w. E. o. KNOTHE APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING FIBROUS MATERIAL 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 19, 1962 United States Patent 0 3,134,482 APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING FIBROUS MATERIAL Werner Emil Otto Knothe, Highton, Victoria, Austral a,

assignor to Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, East Melbourne, Australia, a

corporation of Australia Filed Sept. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 224,640 Claims priority, application Australia Sept. 20, 1961 Claims. (Cl. 198-178) This invention relates to apparatus for picking up fibrous material such as partly processed wool on pins at one position, transferring it to another position and depositing it at that position. The invention is concerned particularly with means to clear the material from the pins when it is being deposited.

In certain wool processing operation, such as that de-- scribed in the specification of our prior Australian Patent No. 225,760, it is necessary to transfer partly processed webs of fibres from one stage to another. It is desirable during the transfer of material from one stage to the next to effect some overlapping of sections of the material so as to match feeding speeds between successive machines and also to cancel out random irregularities in the material. To this end the web of material, as it emerges from one stage, is broken into separate lengths and these lengths are overlapped at the input to the next processing machine. The transfer is effected by picking up a length of the material from a drum or conveyor associated with a first processing machine, carrying it forward and depositing it on the input conveyor of the next machine.

In the apparatus to which this invention relates the means for carrying this transfer into eifect comprises a plurality of movable pins adapted to enter the wool and pick it up then carry it forward on the pins with the pins in a position substantially in line with their direction of motion until the point of deposition is reached whereupon the pins are caused to assume a vertical or near vertical position.

According to this invention the pins, when they drop the wool are cleared by a clearing blade which pushes the wool ofi the ends of the pins. In the preferred form of apparatus according to the invention the pins are arranged in bars each carried between moving chains and rotatable about a longitudinal axis and each clearing blade is rotatably mounted about an axis parallel to but displaced from the axis of rotation of the bar and the plate is urged into contact with the pins so that upon rotation of the bar about its axis material on the pins is thereby pushed off.

One apparatus according to the invention designed for use between stages in a wool drafting process employing machines of the type described in our said prior patent specification will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic side elevation of apparatus according to the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal cross section of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1 but with the framework taken away and showing material being transferred,

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of part of the apparatus, on the line 33 in FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view on the line 44 in FIGURE 3,

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 but showing the pinned bar in the discharge position, and

FIGURE 6 is a view on the line 6-6 in FIGURE 5.

In the arrangement shown webs of fibre leaving one processing machine are broken into finite lengths and are fed onto the surface of a drum 1. From there, the lengths of web are picked up by the transfer apparatus of this 3,134,482 Patented May 26, 1964 invention and carried forward horizontally to a position where they are dropped onto the input conveyor 2 of the next machine mounted in advance of but lower than the drum 1.

The transfer apparatus comprises a number of el0n gated pinned bars 3, 3a which at their ends are carried by endless chains 4 running on sprockets 5 mounted on framework 6. The chains are arranged in parallel vertical planes to form a horizontally extending conveyor of which the lower run is the forward run. The bars are mounted on the chains by means of end plates 7 attached to the chains and these plates provide journals for

spindles

8, 9. The spindle 8 constitutes the axis of the pinned bar and a spring 10 connecting the plate 7 to the bar 3 urges the bar into a position such that, on the lower run of the conveyor, the pins 11 lie vertically with their points downwards. The spindle 9 which is parallel to the pivot axis 8 of the pin bar and which, considering the conveyor on its lower run, is below it and to its rear carries a clearing member in the form of a blade 12 which is shaped and arranged so that its free end 13 extends along the length of the bar and is spring loaded by spring 12A to bear against the backs of the pins 11. On the opposite side of the bar to the pins a sheet metal cap 18 is provided. This cap is such as to make the distance between the root of the pins and the top of the cap somewhere of the order of the mean fibre length and this has been found to prevent lapping of the fibres around the bar.

At one end of the bar, the spindle 8 projects through the plate 7 and carries an arm 14 on which is mounted a rotatable cam follower 15. It will be observed that this occurs at opposite ends of the

bars

3 and 3A. Mounted one at each side of the frame 6 are cam tracks 16, 16A. Each track follows generally the path of the chains 4 from a position just in advance of the drum 1; however the track 16 extends much further along the frame than does the track 16A. The difference between their lengths is equal to the distance separating the

bars

3, 3A. The cam followers 15 on the bars engage in these tracks and this engagement causes the arms 14 to rotate the bars so that the pins assume a position in which they are pointing forwardly and are, on the lower run, inclined about 20 to the horizontal.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

The first processing machine partially treats wool fibres and forms them into a broad sliver which it breaks into separate pieces 17 which are of length of the order of but greater than the distance separating the

bars

3, 3A. These pieces of material are fed to the drum 1 and the feeding of the pieces to the drum and the movement of the chains 4 are synchronised so that the pins of the bar 3 enter the piece of material near to its front edge and pick it up and carry it forwardly. This movement continues and the next bar 3A picks up the rear end of the piece and the piece is carried bodily forward. During this time the engagement of the cam followers 15 with the tracks 16 and 16A keeps the pins pointed forwardly and the wool is kept up on the pins. The lengths of the tracks are arranged such that when the piece of wool is at the appropriate po sition above the conveyor 2 the followers are clear of the tracks and the two

bars

3 and 3A simultaneously rotate under the influence of the springs so that their pins assume a vertical orientation. At the same time the blade 12 is rotated and its end 13, due to the relative disposition of the axes S and 9, pushes the wool oil? the pins so that it drops down onto the conveyor 2. The speed of the conveyor 2 is much less than that of the drum 1 so that overlapping of the pieces occurs as is shown in FIGURE 2. The next set of bars 3', 3A pick up another piece of material from the drum 1 and so the process continues and the pieces of wool are taken from the drum 1 and overlapped on the conveyor 2 and the clearing action of the 1. Apparatus for transferring fibrous material from a first position to a second position comprising a plurality of pins mounted in a movable bar which is rotatable about a longitudinal axis; a clearing blade urged against the pins and rotatable about an axis parallel to but displaced from the axis of the bar; said pins being adapted to enter the material at the first position and to pick it up and carry it forwardly with the pins in asubstantially horizontal disposition; and means to rotate the bar at a predetermined positionsto cause the pins to assume a substantially vertical disposition and thereby cause the clearing blade to push the material off the pins and depositit at the second position. a

'2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bar is releasably constrained by means of a'cam to the position in which the pins are substantially horizontal and upon release of the cam is caused by spring pressure to assume the position in which the pins are substantially vertical. 3; Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, and comprising at least a pair'of pinned bars spaced apart and mounted between spaced parallel movable bands and operated in synchronism with fibre feeding means to pickup between them at said first position finite lengths of material and carry them forwardly; and cam tracks arranged in relation to the moving bands so that the cams on the bars engage the tracks and maintain the pins in the substantially horizontal position while the material is being carried forwardly and simultaneously and at predetermined positions release the cams so that the pins assume the substantially vertical position thereby causing the material to be deposited in overlapping relationship on a movable conveyor at said second position.-

4. An apparatus for transferring fibrous material comprising an endless conveyor member, a plurality of pin members adapted to'enter the material, means supporting said pin members for movement with said conveyor member and for pivotal movement relative thereto from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position, said pin members being positioned to enter the material at a first position and carry it forward with said pin members substantially horizontally disposed to support the material, and means 'for pivoting said pin members relative to the conveyor member to assume said substantially vertical position at a second position Where it is desired to deposit the material, and a clearing blade movable relative to said pin members to efiect movement of thematerial from said pin members at said second position.

5. An apparatus for transferring fibrous mterial as defined in claim 4 wherein means is provided for effecting movementof said clearing blade relative to said pin members While said pin members are moving to said vertical position to strip the fibrous material from said pin members while said pin members move tosaid vertical position. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS' 851,122 v Duensing Apr. 23, 1 907

Claims

1. APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING FIBROUS MATERIAL FROM A FIRST POSITION TO A SECOND POSITION COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF PINS MOUNTED IN A MOVABLE BAR WHICH IS ROTATABLE ABOUT A LONGITUDINAL AXIS; A CLEARING BLADE URGED AGAINST THE PINS AND ROTATABLE ABOUT AN AXIS PARALLEL TO BUT DISPLACED FROM THE AXIS OF THE BAR; SAID PINS BEING ADAPTED TO ENTER THE MATERIAL AT THE FIRST POSITION AND TO PICK IT UP AND CARRY IT FORWARDLY WITH THE PINS IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL DISPOSITION; AND MEANS TO ROTATE THE BAR AT A PREDETERMINED POSITION TO CAUSE THE PINS TO ASSUME A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL DISPOSITION AND THEREBY CAUSE THE CLEARING BLADE TO PUSH THE MATERIAL OFF THE PINS AND DEPOSIT IT AT THE SECOND POSITION.