US3302248A - Deflector for carding screens - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 7, w67 L.. E, JOHNSON 3,302,248

DEFLECTOR FOR CARDING SCREENS Filed June 18, 1964 xNvENTon LLOYD EDWIN JOHNSON AT T r United States Patent O 3,302,248 DEFLECTOR FOR CARDING SCREENS Lloyd Edwin Johnson, Simpsonville, S.C., assgnor to John D. Hollingsworth, Greenville, S.C.

Filed .lune 18, 1964, Ser. No. 376,085 6 Claims. (Cl. 19-95) The present invention relates to carding machines for textile fibers which operate to comb the fibers and dispost the same in substantially parallel array, at the same time removing minute particles of dirt, foreign matter, etc. The invention has particular application to cotton cards which include a screen on the underside of the card rolls t-o prevent the cotton fibers from flying outward and being lost (as waste) from the process.

In conventional cotton cards embodying carding screens, the screen is slotted to enable limited air flow therethrough so that only the trash, short waste fibers, and air y radially outward from the cylinder. It has been found that considerable air is forced axially outward beyond the ends of the screened rolls, i.e., the card lickerin and the card cylinder. This axial flow of air carries fibers toward the ends of the lickerin and cylinder which causes the fibrous stock to build up at the end. As the fibrous stock accumulates at the ends` of the rolls, the selvages of the web treated by the card becomes uneven and rough, thereby creating a non-uniformity 4in the web doffed from the card. If sufficient fibrous stock builds up, the associated roll may actually stall, and in any event,` the buildup creates substantial friction which not infrequently creates sufficient heat to ignite the fibrous stock. The heat generated ma)l cause the rolls to expand undesirably and to face or come into contact with each other or other parts of the card. Such contact creates wear and -tear on the card clothing and the surrounding structure, necessitating premature replacement of these parts. The accumulated fibrous stock at the ends of the rolls becomes tightly packed or embedded between the ends of the rolls and the stationary parts of the card, which requires the carding machine to be shut down in order to remove the same. Stoppages of the carding machine create a loss in production as well as a waste of man hours.

Apart from the losses caused -by the accumulation of stock at the ends of the rolls, the air flowing outwardly beyond the ends of the rolls carries useful fibrous stock into the atmosphere surrounding the card, not only causing a waste of the stock itself, but also contaminating the atmosphere and creating health hazards and permitting fouling of the exposed operating mechanism of the carding machine.

With the foregoing in mind, the present invention provides a carding machine having means `associated with the card screen to substantially reduce and minimize the axially outward flow of air between the card roll and its associated screen.

" More specifically, thepresent invention provides deflectors along the marginal edges of the card screen to counteract the axial flow of airV between the screens and the associated card roll.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a deector element is disposed in the clearance space between the screen andthe associated roll, which element is of substantially uniforml or varying thickness throughout and tapers in width along the marginal portion of the screen so as to provide an air-deecting surface disposed at an angle to the outer edge of the screen and inclined inwardly in the direction of rotation of the roll, to thereby deflect the air inwardly in the marginal area of the screen intermediate the screen and the associated roll.

All of the objects Iof the present invention are more fully set forth hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view in side elevation of a carding machine for carding a web of cotton fibrous material .and embodying a deector made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view in side elevation of the leading end of the card screen as encircled at 2 in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the portion of the card screen shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in side elevation of the trailing portion of the card screen encircled at 4 in FIG. l;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the portion of the card screen shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a development of the card screen, as taken on the line 6 6 of FIG. l with the central portion of the screen broken away;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the lickerin screen shown in FIG. l; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the lickerin screen shown in FIG. 7.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1, the invention is illustrated, as applied to a conventional cotton carding machine of the revolving fiat type, although the invention is equally applicable to carding machines with other carding elements such as the conventional workers and strippers. In the machine illustrated in FIG. l,l the fibrous material is fed to the carding machine in the form of a lap 10 fr-om a. lap roll 21 along a feed plate 22. The lap 10 is carried from the feed plate 22 by a first carding roll or lickerin 23 which deposits the lap onto a second carding roll, i.e., the main cylinder 24. In the present instance, the lickerin 23 revolves clockwise whereas the cylinder 24 revolves counterclockwise. The fibrous material from the lickerin 23 is carried about by rotation of the main cylinder 24 into confronting engagement with the revolving flats 25 which are carried along the main cylinder'in the same direction as the direction of rotation as the cylinder, but at a slower speed. The revolving flats 25 cooperate with the card clothing on the cylinder 24 t-o comb the fibers and dispose the same in substantially parallel array, at the same time loosening minute particles of dirt and foreign matter. A transfer action occurs between the card clothing on the lickerin 23 and the main cylinder 24 inasmuch as the cylinder surface speed may be up to twice the surface speed of the lickerin.

A third carding roll or dofer 27 having card clothing thereon confronts the main cylinder 24 to strip a major portion of the fibrous material from the main cylinder in the form of `a carded web 11 `and c-arry it to suitable webremoving means, in the present instance a doffer comb 28 which strips the web 11 from the doffer from which the web is condensed, for example through trumpets and calender rolls 29, into sliver form 12 for subsequent spinning operations. Suitable plates 31 and 32 respectively are positioned about the lm-ain cylinder 24 in the areas between the revolving flats 25 and the lickerin 23 and doffer 27 respectively. The plates 61 and 32 are conventionally imperforate and serve to maintain the fibrous web in engagement with the card clothing on the main cylinder 24. Covers on the lickerin and dolfer respectively serve a similar function. The fibrous material that is not transferred from one carding roll to the next is carried around by the one roll and blended with the additional fibrous material transferred thereto.

-Underlying certain carding rolls, for example the lickerin 23 and the main cylinder 24, are card screens 33 and 34. The screens comprise thin sheets of metal or the like extending the full axial length of the associated roll and conforming in curvature to the curvature of the roll surface so as to be disposed in closely spaced relation thereto with limited clearance from the teeth of the card clothing on the rolls. The screens are provided with slots extending along the length of the associated roll which permit limited air iiow therethrough so that only the trash, short waste bers and air fly radially outward from the cylinder, the useful fibrous stock being retained by the screen. lIt has been found, however, that the rapidly revolving card rolls create a substantial air flow in the clearance space between the screen and the clothing and in conventional arrangements, a substantial portion of this air iiow is discharged axially of the roll into the surrounding atmosphere, carrying with it a considerable amount of useful stock, and lodging the stock at the ends of the rolls, causing the deciencies noted above.

In accordance with the invention, means is provided to deflect the air flow intermediate the screen and the card clothing so as to direct it axially inward of the card roll, thereby reducing the outward migration of the fibrous material or stock in the clearance between the clothing and the screen. As shown in FIGS. l, 8, and 7, the lickerin screen 33 is mounted, for example by a bracket 35 so that its slotted body portion 37 circumscribes the unders-urface of the lickerin 23. A deflector strip 39 overlies each of the marginal edges of the body portion 37 of the screen 33. The strip is of a thickness corresponding substantially to the clearance distance between the screen body 37 and the teeth of the card clothing on the lickerin 23. The deflector strip 39 tapers in width so as to provide an inwardly directed edge 41 which inclines inwardly in the direction of rotation of the confronting surface of the lickerin 23. The edge 41 therefore provides a deiiecting surface which operates upon rotation of the lickerin to counteract the tendency of the air in the clearance between the lickerin and the screen to flow axially outward of the lickerin. This counteraction of the outward flow prevents subst-antial buildup of fibrous material at the marginal edge of the lickerin and therefore avoids or reduces the problems occasioned in conventional screened carding machines. As an example, it has been found that the strip 39 may have a thickness of 0.025 inch throughout and -may taper from a width of 1/16 inch adjacent the plate 22 to a width of 1 inch adjacent the rnain cylinder 24. With a surface speed of the lickerin of approximately 2000 feet per minute, it has been found that an inclined edge 4l of this character operates to prevent subst-antial buildup of the fibrous stock in the clothing at the marginal edge of the lickerin.

The screen -34 of the main cylinder 24 extends from the dolier roll 27 to the lickerin 23. As shown in FIGS. l to 6 inclusive, the screen is ymounted on the card by a suitable bracket 36 to dispose its slotted body .portion 38 in close confronting relation to the clothing of the main cylinder 24 with limited clearance therebetween. A deflector strip 40 overlies each marginal edge of the slotted body portion 38 of the screen and is of a thickness corresponding substantially to the clearance space between the body portion 38 and the clothing on the main cylinder. The deflector strip `40, as shown in FIG. 6, tapers in width to provide an edge 42 adjacent each side of the screen 34 which is inclined inwardly in the direction of tr-avel of the confronting surface of the card cylinder 24. As an example, it has been found that the strip 40 may have a thickness of 0.125 inch adjacent the doffer, reducing gradually to 0.025 inch at the center and may continue with a thickness of 0.025 to the lickerin. yIn a typical installation, the strip thickness is approximately 2/3 the clearance space between the body of the screen and the tip of the clothing. The width may taper from 1/16 inch adjacent the doffer to 1 inch adjacent the lickerin. A strip of this character, with a card cylinder having a surface speed of 3000 to 4000 feet per minute counteracts the axially outward liow of air from the cylinder so as to substantially reduce the buildup of fibrous stock at the ends of the main cylinder.

Thus, in a car-ding machine having deflecting means according to the present invention, the useful fibrous stock is substantially retarded from flowing outwardly beyond the card rolls and is prevented from accumulating in the marginal area of the card rolls so as to avoid excessive friction and consequent heat, rough edges in the selvage of the carded web, loss of useful stock and contamination of the surrounding atmosphere, etc.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been herein illustrated and described, it is not intended tov limit the invention to such disclosure, but changes and modifications may be made therein and thereto within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a carding machine having at least one rotary card roll with card clothing thereon, and a screen circumscribing said roll about a portion of its circumference, Said screen having a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the clothed surface of said roll and mounted thereabout with limited clearance between the clothing and said screen 4to provide a clearance space, said screen being provided with means for enabling limited air flow therethrough so that only trash, short waste fibers and air fly radially outward from said roll, said screen extending substantially the full axial length of the clothing on said roll;

a deflector mounted intermediate said screen and said clothing adjacent each marginal edge of said screen, each said deiiector providing a deiiecting surface extending circumferentially of said roll within said clearance space and inclined .axially inwardly of said screen and card roll in the direction of travel of the clothing relative to said screen to thereby counteract the flow of air axially outward from said clearance space between said screen and said carding roll.

2. A carding machine according to claim 1, wherein each said deflector comprises a strip of a thickness corresponding substantially to the clearance distance between said screen and the clothing on said roll, said strip being mounted on said screen overlying the marginal portion thereof, and tapering in width to provide said inwardly-inclined deflecting surface.

3. A carding machine according to claim 2 wherein the thickness of said s-trip is substantially 2/3 the clearance distance between the screen and the clothing.

`4. In a carding machine having rotary card rolls with card clothing thereon including a lickerin, a main cylinder and a doifer, and screens circumscribing portions of the circumference of the lickerin and main cylinder respectively, each screen having a curvature corresponding to the curvature of the clothed surface of the associated roll and mounted thereabout with limited clearance between the clothing and the screen to provide a clearance space, each screen being slotted to enable limited air ow radially therethrough and extending substantially the full axial length of the clothing on the associated roll;

deiiector means for each screen mounted intermediate said screen and said clothing on the associated roll adjacent opposite marginal edges of said screen, said deiiector means providing adjacent each marginal edge of said screen a deflecting surface extending circumferentially of said roll within said clearance space nd inclined axially inward of said screen and card roll in the direction of travel of the clothing relative to`- the screen operable upon rotation of said roll to 6 counteract the ow of air axially outward from said 6. A carding Imachine according to claim S wherein clearance space between said screen and said card said strip thickness is substantially 26 the clearance disroll. tance between the screen and the clothing.

5. A carding machine according to claim 4 wherein each of said dellector means comprises a pair of strips of a 5 References Cited by the Examiner thickness corresponding substantially to the clearance dis- UNITED STATES PATENTS tance between said screen and said clothing on said roll, 33,744 11/1861 Kimball 19 95 each strip of said -p-air of strips being mounted on said screen overlying one of the marginal portions thereof MERVIN STEIN Primary Examiner and tapering in width to provide said inwardly-inclined lo deecting surface. -DORSEY NEWTON, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. IN A CARDING MACHINE HAVING AT LEAST ONE ROTARY CARD ROLL WITH CARD CLOTHING THEREON, AND A SCREEN CIRCUMSCRIBING SAID ROLL ABOUT A PORTION OF ITS CIRCUMFERENCE, SAID SCREEN HAVING A CURVATURE CORRESPONDING TO THE CURVATURE OF THE CLOTHED SURFACE OF SAID ROLL AND MOUNTED THEREABOUT WITH LIMITED CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE CLOTHING AND SAID SCREEN TO PROVIDE A CLEARANCE SPACE, SAID SCREEN BEING PROVIDED WITH MEANS FOR ENABLING LIMITED AIR FLOW THERETHROUGH SO THAT ONLY TRASH, SHORT WASTE FIBERS AND AIR FLY RADIALLY OUTWARD FROM SAID ROLL, SAID SCREEN EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THE FULL AXIAL LENGTH OF THE CLOTHING ON SAID ROLL; A DEFLECTOR MOUNTED INTERMEDIATE SAID SCREEN AND SAID CLOTHING ADJACENT EACH MARGINAL EDGE OF SAID SCREEN, EACH SAID DEFLECTOR PROVIDING A DEFLECTING SURFACE EXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF SAID ROLL WITHIN SAID CLEARANCE SPACE AND INCLINED AXIALLY INWARDLY OF SAID

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