US3753271A

US3753271A - Fluffing machine for producing webs of various widths

Info

Publication number: US3753271A
Application number: US00141766A
Authority: US
Inventors: D Mcbean
Original assignee: Surgical Specialties US Corp
Current assignee: Surgical Specialties US Corp
Priority date: 1971-05-10
Filing date: 1971-05-10
Publication date: 1973-08-21
Anticipated expiration: 1990-08-21

Abstract

A random web forming machine having a lickerin and a condenser designed to produce a web of one width is constructed so as to produce a web of any desired narrower width. The fibers are doffed from the lickerin into a duct, which is of the same width as the lickerin but which delivers the doffed fibers onto an endless foraminous condenser belt that is mounted so that the direction of travel of the belt can be adjusted angularly with reference to the mouth at the discharge end of the duct. Different widths of webs can be produced by varying the direction of travel of the belt with reference to the discharge opening of the duct.

Description

Unite States Patent 1191 McBean FLUFFING MACHINE FOR PRODUCING WEBS OF VARIOUS WIDTHS [75] Inventor: Douglas M. McBean, Pittsford, NY.

[73] Assignee: Surgical Specialties Corporation,

East Rochester, NY.

[22] Filed: May 10, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 141,766

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1926 Schimgk 19/155 10/195 Harwood et a1. 19/1563 1451 Aug. 21, 1973 Att0mey-Shlesinger, Fitzsimmons & Shlesinger [57] ABSTRACT A random web forming machine having a lickerin and a condenser designed to produce a web of one width is constructed so as to produce a web of any desired narrower width. The fibers are doffed from the lickerin into a duct, which is of the same width as the lickerin but which delivers the doffed fibers onto an endless foraminous condenser belt that is mounted so that the direction of travel of the belt can be adjusted angularly with reference to the mouth at the discharge end of the duct. Different widths of webs can be produced by varying the direction of travel of the belt with reference to the discharge opening of the duct.

5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 21, 1973 3,753,271

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N VE N TOR. DOUGLAS M. M BEA/V Patented Aug. 21, 1973 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Vk wk Armin-0% Patented Aug. 21, 1973 5 Sheets-Shoot 3 INVENTOR. DOUGLAS M. M BEAN Patented Aug. 21, 1973 5 Shoots-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. DOUGLAS M M BEAN Patented Aug. 21, 1973 5 Shoots-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. DOUGLAS M M BEA/V A T TORNE Y! FLUFFllNG MACHINE FOR PRODUCING WEBS OF VARIOUS WIDTHS The combing of fibers from a wood'pulp mat and depositing those fibers upon a condenser to form a random fiber web, is well known. This same art is practiced in forming random fiber webs from longer fibers, natural and synthetic. A lickerin rotating at high speed combs the fibers from a mat; and the fibers are cloffed from the lickerin by centrifugal force and by an air stream flowing tangentially to the lickerin. The air stream carries the fibers to a foraminous condenser on which the fibers are deposited in random fashion.

The capacity of the lickerin to pick up fibers from a base feed mat or roll stock and the ability to encapsulate the same in an air stream, so that each fiber is individually carried to the web-forming condenser, is limited. The prior art dictates that the width of the lickerin and the width of the condenser must be the same. it is common practice, therefore, to base the width of the lickerin on the desired width of the product. If the width of the lickerin and the desired width of the product do not match, it is customary to make a machine in a multiple of the desired width of the web, and slit the web, rewind it, store it and rehandle it in the next step of the process of forming the product. This becomes impractical in the cases of webs made from short fibers such as wood pulp. The integrity and strength of such a web is very poor. It does not lend itself to rewinding and rehandling. industries producing such a product need higher fluffing and web-forming capacity than the prior art provides. For this reason it has not been practical heretofore to make diapers and other narrow width webs from wood pulp stock.

A primary object of this invention is to provide a fluffing and web forming machine where the width of .the lickerin and the width of the condenser are independent of each other.

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine which will comb fibers from wood pulp stock and form the same into a continuous web for a disposable diaper making line.

A further object of this invention is to provide apparatus for forming a web directly from the fibers combed out of paper pulp stock by a lickerin and a condenser that is narrower than the lickerin, without slitting or otherwise subdividing the mat, thereby permitting a direct-in-line couple with any other machine that completes the operation on a continuously operating basis.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described in which the angle of the web forming conveyor can quickly and easily be changed as desired. A unique feature of this invention is the ability. to use a web-forming conveyor of any width in the same basic fluffing machine by pivoting the conveyor to vary the width of the web formed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine which will produce a narrow width web faster than a web can be produced on a conventional web forming machine having the same width lickerin and condenser.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a method and apparatus for decreasing and/or increasing the width of a fiber web in such way that the forward velocity of the reduced width is increased proportionately to the decrease in width of the original web. Thus, it is a purpose of this invention to reduce the width of a 90-inch source of fiber, for instance, to a width of 30 inches and increase the forward velocity of the condenser by three times, maintaining a constant weight and thickness of web per square yard.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the specification and from the recital of the appended claims, particularly when read inconjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a machine built according to one embodiment of this invention, parts being broken away and shown in section;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the machine on a somewhat larger scale;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially at right angles to FIG. 1 and on approximately the same scale as FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view, with parts broken away, showing the condenser belt and its mounting, the belt being shown adjusted at one angle to the discharge end of the duct which conducts the fibers from the lickerin to the condenser; and

FIG. 5 is a similar sectional view showing the conveyor positioned at a different angle to form a wider width web.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals of reference, denotes the base or frame of the machine. This may be made of fabricated steel with suitable reinforcements and is generally rectangular in both horizontal and vertical cross section.

The sheet or mat S of raw stock which is to be formed into a random fiber web, is delivered into the machine between two oppositely rotating

feed rolls

22 and 24. Feed roller 22 may be mounted on eccentric bearings in the side plates 37 to adjust the nip or pinch clearance between the

feed rollers

22 and 24. These rolls drive the sheet or mat of stock over the rounded nose 25 (FIG. 2) of a block 26 forming part of a feed plate 27 that is fastened in any suitable manner to a hollow reinforcing bar 28 that is secured on top of the cover plate 29 of a pressure plenum or chamber 30 formed on top of the frame of the machine.

The fibers in the mat S are combed therefrom by a rotating lickerin 35, which is secured to a shaft 36 to rotate therewith. Shaft 36 is journaled at opposite ends in side plates 37, which constitute sides of a housing that is mounted on top of the frame of the machine and fastened thereto.

In operation, the stock passes between the

feed rolls

22 and 24, over the nose of the feed plate 26;, into the nip between the lickerin and primary and

secondary work bars

38 and 39 secured in the block 26.

The lickerin which is enclosed around most of itsperiphery by a guard 43, is driven at high speed by a motor 40 (FIG. 1) which is mounted on a plate 41 supported by a bracket 42 at one side of the base of the machine. The motor drives the shaft 36, on which the lickerin is mounted, through a belt 44, and

pulleys

45 and 46, pulley 45 being secured to the armature shaft of the motor 40, and pulley 46 being secured to the shaft 36.

The

feed rolls

22 and 24 are driven by a variable speed motor-reducer unit 50 through a drive chain 52, a driver sprocket 53, and a driven sprocket 54. The driven sprocket 54 is mounted on the shaft 57; and this shaft is geared to the shaft 58 on which the feed roll 22 is mounted.

Fibers are doffed from the lickerin into a venturishaped air duct 60, which is housed with the lickerin between the side plates 37, and which communicates at one end through a port 62 (FIG. 2) with the pressure chamber or plenum 30. The fixed plate 63, which with the plate 27 bounds the port or duct 62, has an arcuate upper surface, that serves as a smooth curved surface over which air may flow from the plenum chamber 30 into duct 60. The reversely curved end 64 of the guard 43 for the lickerin forms the other side of the mouth of the venturi 60. This reversely turned curved lower edge of the guard also serves as a doffing bar to separate the fibers picked up by the lickerin from the bound layer of air around the high speed lickerin.

The air system of the machine is a closed, recirculating system like that disclosed in the Buresh and Langdon U. S. Pat. No. 2,700,188. Circulation in this system is produced by a blower or fan 65 (FIG. 1) which is mounted within the base of the machine. This blower or fan is driven by a motor 66, also mounted in the base of the machine, through a pulley 67, belt 68, and pulley 69. The pulley 67 is secured to the armature shaft of the motor 66; and the pulley 69 is secured to the shaft 70 on which the fan is mounted. The inlet side of the fan connects with a suction plenum of chamber 72 in the base of the machine; and the outlet side of the fan communicates with a vertical duct 74 which is formed between the left-hand wall 76 of the frame, as seen in FIG. 1, and a partition in the base. The duct 74 communicates at its upper end with the pressure plenum or chamber 30.

The venturi tube or duct 60 extends at its lower end through an opening in the cover plate 80 of the base of the machine and opens into a suction chamber 82 in a housing 89 (FIG. 3) in the base of the machine. This housing is formed by the

side plates

87 and 88, the cross beams and 91, and the bottom panel 92. The venturi tube extends the full width of the chamber 82 and its mouth 81 opens into that chamber.

Mounted in the chamber 82 to move transversely across the chamber below the mouth 81 of the tube 60 is an endless foraminous belt 84 (FIG. 2).

This belt, which is made of a foraminous material such as Fourdrinier wire belt commonly used on paper machines, passes around a drive pulley 85 (FIGS. 3 and 4) and a take-up pulley 86. These pulleys are joumaled at opposite ends in parallelism to one another in

side plates

87 and 88 of the suction chamber 82.

Openings 94 and 95 (FIG. 2) at opposite sides of chamber 82 communicate with the

chambers

96 and 97, respectively, which in turn communicate through

openings

98 and 99 in the horizontal partition plate 100 with the suction plenum or chamber 72, in which the fan 65 operates.

The top side of the condenser conveyor belt 84 is enclosed by seals and an adjustable clear plastic cover (FIG. 3), and a seal roll 106 carried by the

plates

87 and 88. The seal roll 106 is free to travel vertically. It bears directly on the web being formed.

The housing 89 for the belt 84 is pivotally mounted on a shaft or stud 110 (FIGS. 2 and 3) which extends upwardly from the top plate 100 of the base of the machine. Through manual pivotal adjustment, the direction of travel of the belt 84 can be inclined at different angles to the mouth 81 of the duct 60 to control the width of the web formed in the machine.

The fibers of the raw wood pulp stock are combed from the stock sheet S by the rotating lickerin 35, and are doffed from the lickerin by centrifugal force, and by the air stream flowing from the pressure chamber 30 through mouth 62 into duct 60. These fibers are carried through the venturi 60 into the chamber 82 and deposited on the foraminous belt 84, while the air, in which they are conveyed to the belt, passes through the belt, the

chambers

96 and 97, the

ports

98 and 99 to the suction chamber 72, and thence to the suction fan 65, and is returned to the pressure chamber 30 through the duct 74.

The housing 89 for the condenser belt 84 is supported for its pivotal adjustment about the stud l 10 by castors or rollers 112, (FIGS. 1 and 3), which ride on the top of the suction chamber 72. Bellows (FIGS. 1 and 4) sealingly connect this chamber with the

inside walls

102 and 103 of the

chambers

96 and 97.

The mat forming conveyor 84 moves diagonally crosswise through the fluffing machine frame at such an angle that the fluff feed slot 81, which is of narrow width but considerably longer than the width of the conveyor belt 84, effectively covers the width of the belt or some portion of this width depending on the angle included between the axis of rotation of the lickerin and the centerline of the conveyor 84. The angular position of the conveyor may be adjusted manually, or, if desired, automatically.

By changing the angular position of the condenser belt 84 to the mouth 81 of duct 60, the width of the web deposited on the belt can be varied, as will be seen, for instance, by comparison of FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 shows the conveyor 84 adjusted so that a narrow web W between dotted lines A is formed; while FIG. 5 shows the condenser 84 adjusted to form a web W, having side edges B, as wide as the conveyor belt 84 itself. Obviously the conveyor belt is run at a higher speed where a web W is being formed than when a web W is being produced, assuming that the two webs are of equal thickness. Obviously, too, the width of web W is less than the width of web that would be formed were the condenser of the same width as slot 81 and lickerin 35. It follows, then, that to form a given thickness of web, the condenser 84 should be moved faster in the machine of this invention than on a conventional machine when the condenser and the web formed thereon are of the same width as the lickerin. With the machine of this invention, then narrow width webs can be formed faster than on conventional machines having the same width lickerin.

The raw wood pulp stock is similar to an ink blotter but thicker and harder. The fibers deposited on the foraminous belt 84 form a continuous diagonally shingled web.

In some instances it may be desirable not to recirculate the air in the machine. This can be done by conducting the discharge from the fan 65 to a suitable remote bag collector, and by providing a slot (FIG. 2) and cover plate 122 for entry into chamber 30 of non-recirculated air. Thus, it is possible to adapt random fiber web machines, which have already been built, to practice the present invention by eliminating the fan 65 and connecting

ports

98 and 99 to a remote vacuum source, for instance. Alternatively it is possible to practice the present invention on random fiber machines, which have already been built, by remotely locating the lower section of the machine shown in FIG.

4 including the conveyor or condenser and the fan system, and connecting to duct 60 just below the doffer bar 64 an elongate duct which would transport the already fiuffed fiber to the remotely located lower section where the mouth of the elongate duct would perform the function of the mouth 81. The width of this elongate duct and its mouth would, of course, correspond to the width of the web which it was desired to produce. To prevent the fibers from flowing just down the central portion of the width of this elongate duct it would preferably be partitioned off across its width to provide several discrete, relatively narrow, streams carrying fibers.

While the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof and uses therefor, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification; and this application is intended to cover any modifications and uses of the invention that come within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims. Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A machine for forming a fiber web, comprising a rotary lickerin,

means for rotating the lickerin,

means feeding a fiber mat to said lickerin so that the lickerin in its rotation combs fibers from the mat,

means directing a stream of air past said lickerin to cause fibers to be doffed from said lickerin by centrifugal force and by said air stream,

a duct into which the fibers are doffed and through which said air stream flows to convey the doffed fibers through said duct,

a movable foraminous condenser,

said duct having a discharge opening for delivering fibers from said duct onto said condenser,

said opening having parallel straight sides and being longer than the width of said condenser, and

means mounting said condenser pivotally whereby the angle of its travel may be adjusted relative to the longitudinal direction of said discharge opening to change the angle of travel of the condenser to vary the width of the web formed on the condenser by fibers deposited thereon.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said discharge opening is of uniform width from end to end, said condenser is an endless foraminous belt, and the adjustment of the angle of travel of .said belt is relative to the longitudinal direction of said discharge opening and about an axis intersecting said discharge opening intermediate the ends thereof.

3. A machine for forming a fiber web comprising a frame,

a rotary lickerin rotatably mounted on said frame,

means for feeding a fiber mat to said lickerin so that the lickerin in its rotation combs fibers from the mat,

means for driving the lickerin at high speed,

means, including a pressure chamber, for directing an air stream past said lickerin to doff fibers from the lickerin by centrifugal force and the action of said air stream,

a duct into which the air and doffed fibers flow and having a mouth through which the air and fibers are discharged,

said mouth having parallel sides,

an endless foraminous belt mounted to receive fibers discharged by said mouth, said belt having a width less than the length of said mouth,

a housing in which said belt is movably mounted, and

means for sucking the air and fibers from said duct and its mouth onto said belt comprising a suction fan mounted in a chamber in said frame, and ports operatively connecting the suction side of said fan with opposed sides of said housing,

and a second duct connecting the pressure side of said fan with said pressure chamber,

means for pivotally mounting said housing on said frame for angular adjustment thereon to change the direction of travel of said belt relative to the length of said mouth to control the width of the web of fibers laid down on said belt.

4. A machine for forming a fiber web comprising a frame,

a rotary lickerin rotatably mounted on said frame,

means for driving the lickerin at high speed,

means, including a pressure chamber, for directing an air stream past said lickerin to doff fibers from the lickerin by centrifugal force and action of said air stream,

an endless foraminous belt mounted to receive fibers discharged by said mouth,

said mouth being narrow widthwise and being longer than the width of said belt,

a housing in which said belt is movably mounted, and

means for sucking the air and fibers from said duct and its mouth onto said belt and for supplying air under pressure to said pressure chamber,

means for pivotally mounting said housing on said frame for adjustment about an axis perpendicular to the direction of travel of said belt to change the direction of travel of said belt relative to said mouth to control the width of the web of fibers laid down on said belt.

5. Apparatus for forming a fiber web comprising a frame,

a rotary lickerin rotatably mounted on said frame,

means for driving the lickerin at high speed,

an endless foraminous belt mounted to receive fibers discharged by said mouth,

said mouth being narrow widthwise and longer than the width of said belt,

means for sucking the air and fibers from said duct and its mouth onto said belt and for supplying air under pressure to said pressure chamber, and

a housing in which said belt is movably mounted, and

means for pivotally mounting said housing on said frame for angular adjustment thereon to change the direction of travel of said belt relative to said mouth to control the width of the web of fibers laid down on said belt.

i 0 i 4 l

Claims

1. A machine for forming a fiber web, comprising a rotary lickerin, means for rotating the lickerin, means feeding a fiber mat to said lickerin so that the lickerin in its rotatioN combs fibers from the mat, means directing a stream of air past said lickerin to cause fibers to be doffed from said lickerin by centrifugal force and by said air stream, a duct into which the fibers are doffed and through which said air stream flows to convey the doffed fibers through said duct, a movable foraminous condenser, said duct having a discharge opening for delivering fibers from said duct onto said condenser, said opening having parallel straight sides and being longer than the width of said condenser, and means mounting said condenser pivotally whereby the angle of its travel may be adjusted relative to the longitudinal direction of said discharge opening to change the angle of travel of the condenser to vary the width of the web formed on the condenser by fibers deposited thereon.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said discharge opening is of uniform width from end to end, said condenser is an endless foraminous belt, and the adjustment of the angle of travel of said belt is relative to the longitudinal direction of said discharge opening and about an axis intersecting said discharge opening intermediate the ends thereof.

3. A machine for forming a fiber web comprising a frame, a rotary lickerin rotatably mounted on said frame, means for feeding a fiber mat to said lickerin so that the lickerin in its rotation combs fibers from the mat, means for driving the lickerin at high speed, means, including a pressure chamber, for directing an air stream past said lickerin to doff fibers from the lickerin by centrifugal force and the action of said air stream, a duct into which the air and doffed fibers flow and having a mouth through which the air and fibers are discharged, said mouth having parallel sides, an endless foraminous belt mounted to receive fibers discharged by said mouth, said belt having a width less than the length of said mouth, a housing in which said belt is movably mounted, and means for sucking the air and fibers from said duct and its mouth onto said belt comprising a suction fan mounted in a chamber in said frame, and ports operatively connecting the suction side of said fan with opposed sides of said housing, and a second duct connecting the pressure side of said fan with said pressure chamber, means for pivotally mounting said housing on said frame for angular adjustment thereon to change the direction of travel of said belt relative to the length of said mouth to control the width of the web of fibers laid down on said belt.

4. A machine for forming a fiber web comprising a frame, a rotary lickerin rotatably mounted on said frame, means for feeding a fiber mat to said lickerin so that the lickerin in its rotation combs fibers from the mat, means for driving the lickerin at high speed, means, including a pressure chamber, for directing an air stream past said lickerin to doff fibers from the lickerin by centrifugal force and action of said air stream, a duct into which the air and doffed fibers flow and having a mouth through which the air and fibers are discharged, an endless foraminous belt mounted to receive fibers discharged by said mouth, said mouth being narrow widthwise and being longer than the width of said belt, a housing in which said belt is movably mounted, and means for sucking the air and fibers from said duct and its mouth onto said belt and for supplying air under pressure to said pressure chamber, means for pivotally mounting said housing on said frame for adjustment about an axis perpendicular to the direction of travel of said belt to change the direction of travel of said belt relative to said mouth to control the width of the web of fibers laid down on said belt.

5. Apparatus for forming a fiber web comprising a frame, a rotary lickerin rotatably mounted on said frame, means for feeding a fiber mat to said lickerin so that the lickerin iN its rotation combs fibers from the mat, means for driving the lickerin at high speed, means, including a pressure chamber, for directing an air stream past said lickerin to doff fibers from the lickerin by centrifugal force and action of said air stream, a duct into which the air and doffed fibers flow and having a mouth through which the air and fibers are discharged, an endless foraminous belt mounted to receive fibers discharged by said mouth, said mouth being narrow widthwise and longer than the width of said belt, means for sucking the air and fibers from said duct and its mouth onto said belt and for supplying air under pressure to said pressure chamber, and a housing in which said belt is movably mounted, and means for pivotally mounting said housing on said frame for angular adjustment thereon to change the direction of travel of said belt relative to said mouth to control the width of the web of fibers laid down on said belt.