US3849837A

US3849837A - Air control system for carding machines

Info

Publication number: US3849837A
Application number: US00623721A
Authority: US
Inventors: O Bass; R Jenkins; I Horvat
Original assignee: JENKINS METAL SHOPS Inc
Current assignee: JENKINS METAL SHOPS Inc
Priority date: 1965-10-11
Filing date: 1967-03-16
Publication date: 1974-11-26
Anticipated expiration: 1991-11-26

Abstract

This invention relates to carding machines and more particularly to a system for controlling the disposition of waste and air currents generated through rotation of the main cylinder.

Description

I United States Patent r 191 Bass, Jr. et al,

1 Nov. 26, 1974 [5 AIR CONTROL SYSTEM FOR CARDING MACHINES [75] Inventors: Oscar Bass, Jr., Charlotte; Robert Bain Jenkins, Sr.; Ivan Horvat, both of Gastonia, all of NC.

[73] Assignee: Jenkins Metal Shops, Inc., Gastonia,

[22] Filed: Mar. 16,1967

[21] Appl. No.: 623,721

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 494,391, Oct. 11,

I 1965, abandoned.

[52] US. Cl. 19/107 [51] Int. Cl D0lg 15/82 58] 'Fieldoi Search 19/107, 98, 105,95

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,612,581 12/1926 Holden 19/105 2,683,901 .7/1954 Griswold; 19/107 X 3,115,683 12/1963 Reiterer 19/107X 3,304,582 2/1967 ONeal et al 19/107 UX 3,315,320 4/1967 Bass, Jr. et a1 19/107 3,348,268 10/1967 Jenkins, Sr; 19/95 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,268,369 6/1961 France 19/107 20,065 4/1914 Great Britain..... 761,472 11/1956 Great Britain..... 875,172 8/1961 Great Britain 19/107 OTHER PUBLICATIONS Japanese Patent Publication NO. 1025/63, Published 2-14-63 (Fuji),

Primary ExaminerDorsey Newton Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Clifton T. Hunt, J r.; Charles R. Rhodes [5 7] ABSTRACT This invention relates to carding machines and more particularly to a system for controlling the disposition of waste and air currents generated through rotation of the main cylinder.

2 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEL M2 3849337 SHEEI 1 0F 3 INVENTORS ROBERT B. JENKINS, SR.

OSCAR BASS, JR.

WAN H ORVAT BY I ATTORNEY PATENTE rasvzslsm I I sum 3 3.849.837

FlG. 3

FIG. 5

INVENTORS ROBERT B. JENKINS, SR.

OSCAR BASIS, JR.

WAN HORVAT W21) 7- ATTO EY CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part of applicants co-pending application Ser. No. 494,391 filed Oct. 11, 1965, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION During the processing of a textile web on a carding I machine, the web is fed by a feed roll to a lickerin which in turn transfers the web to the main cylinder of the carding machine which rotates at a surface speed of up to and sometimes exceeding 35 miles per hour while the web is carried beneath working flats which align and attenuate the fibres in the web. Thereafter, the web is removed from the main cylinder by a doffer roll preparatory to forming it into sliver at the calender roll.

The rapid rotation of the lickerin and of the main cylinder creates surface air currents which swirl about the periphery of the main cylinder and are carried into the area beneath the main cylinder with the waste from the web. Such waste comprises short fibre, seeds, dirt and foreign matter, all of which is undesirable in the finished web. It is conventional practice to install a screen about the lower periphery of the main cylinder for the purpose of cleaning such waste material as just described from the card clothing on the main cylinder before that portion of the main cylinder passing over the screen again comes into contact with the web delivered to the main cylinder from the lickerin.

In the past, the surface air currents along the periphery of the main cylinder have passed through the screen with the waste material, and the air currents have propelled this waste material outwardly from the area beneath the main cylinder and into the atmosphere where it settles on webs being processed and lessens the quality of the webs. Attempts have been made to prevent the blowing of the waste material into the atmosphere by enclosing the area beneath the main cylinder in an effort to contain the waste within that area. However, the superatmospheric pressure conditions created through continuous delivery of the surface air currents generated by the rapid rotation of the main cylinder into the area therebeneath have invariably resulted in blowouts, that is, the propulsion of air-home waste through openings left accidentally in the enclosure, it being virtually impossible to render the area'beneath the main cylinder sufficiently air-tight to contain the ever-increasing air pressure therebeneath generated by I the rotation of the cylinder and lickerin.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of this invention to overcome the difficulties previously experienced in attempting to contain the said air currents and waste material carried thereby beneath the main cylinder. To this end, there is provided a unique combination of elements which cooperate with each other to minimize the air pressure beneath the main cylinder without reducing its speed practical, means closely adjacent the transfer points of the web from the lickerin to the main cylinder and from the main cylinder to the doffer for relieving or drawing off air pressure created through rotation of the main cylinder and lickerin to reduce the air pressure beneath the main cylinder and while also drawing off fly and lint released at said transfer points and, preferably, means carried by the screen beneath the main cylinder for controlling the flow of air currents toward the center of the carding machine and away from its edges whereby to further minimize the danger of blowouts carrying waste into the atmosphere. A stand-off lickerin screen is also useful in the system of the invention to aid in the control of air currents.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear to those skilled in the art when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a carding machine with parts broken away for purposes of illustration;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 22 in FIG. 1 and showing the application of suction adjacent the juncture of the lickerin and the main cylinder;

FIG. 3 is a partial plan view of the main cylinder screen removed from the carding machine for purposes of illustration;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 4 -4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 in FIG. 1 and illustrating the application of suction adjacent the juncture of the main cylinder with the doffer;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side elevation similar to FIG. 2 with parts broken away; and

FIG. 7 is a partial plan view ofthe lickerin screen removed from the carding machine for purposes of illustration.

Referring more specifically to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the numeral 10 broadly indicates a carding machine with which the present invention is adapted to be associated, the machine 10 including a main cylinder 11, a lickerin 12 and a doffer 13. A textile lap W is fed by a feed roll 14 beneath a rapidly rotating lickerin 12 which travels in a counter-clockwise direction. The rotating lickerin 12 carries the web W between mote knives and a lickerin screen 9 to preliminarily clean the web before transferring it to the main cylinder 11 which rotates in a clockwise direction and carries the web W beneath a plurality of slowly revolving flats 15 which attenuate and align the fibres in the web while the web is carried about the upper periphery of the main cylinder 11, from whence it is transferred to the doffer roll 13 whose periphery travels in a coun ter-clockwise direction and receives the web W from the main cylinder. A main cylinder screen, broadly indicated at 16, extends about the lower periphery of the main cylinder 11 in closely spaced relation thereto for the purpose of cleaning waste material such as burrs, short fibres, dirt and the like from the card clothing 17 before that portion of the clothing passing over the screen 16 again engages the web W at its point of transfer from the lickerin 12 to the main cylinder 11. The cleansing action of the screen 16 on the clothing 17 serves to prevent the removed waste from being reintroduced into the web and lowering its quality accordingly.

The foregoing structure is-conventional and is supported on a frame 18 above a floor or other supporting surface. The frame 18, as shown in FIG. 1, includes a plurality of openings or access areas 19, which, according to the invention, are closed by removable panels 20 so that the area beneath the main cylinder is substantially air-tight.

A suction system which includes a source of suction and a collection box, not shown, is associated with the carding machine. A lickerin suction nozzle 26 is communicatively connected by a duct 25 to the collection box, the suction nozzle 26 being positioned over the lickerin 12 and arranged to draw in air currents passing upwardly from beneath the main cylinder 11 between the main cylinder and the lickerin 12 and which would otherwise pass into the atmosphere carrying lint and fly and other waste material with them (FIG. 2). The suction nozzle 26 also preferably includes an opening directed to draw in air currents released adjacent the feed roll 14 and which carry with them short fibres and lint released from the web at the feed roll.

The suction nozzle 26 is preferably of the type shown in prior application Ser. No. 481,659 filed Aug. 23, 1965, now US. Pat. No. 3,315,320, by Oscar Bass, Jr. and Ivan Horvat and entitled PNEUMATIC CLEAN- ING MEANS AND METHOD FOR CARDING MA- CI-IINES. As is more fully described in said application Ser. No. 481,659, the suction nozzle 26 includes an articulated flange 27 which overlies the feed roll 14 and serves to channel or deflect the lint-laden air currents into the nozzle 26.

Air currents created through rotation of the counterclockwise rotating lickerin 12 and the clockwise rotating main cylinder 11 and seeking an outlet from the super-atmospheric pressure area beneath the main cylinder pass through an opening 28 between the lickerin cover 29 and the back knife plate 31 of the main cylinder and are drawn into a slot indicated at 30 in the nozzle 26, the slot 30 being closely positioned adjacent the opening 28. The suction nozzle 26 not only functions to draw off lint and foreign matter expelled from the area beneath the main cylinder and which would otherwise go into the atmosphere, but also serves to reduce the air pressure in the area beneath the main cylinder by providing a negative pressure zone which is more attractive to the surface air currents than the atmo-' sphere.

A lickerin screen 9, FIG. 6, is provided immediately beneath the lickerin roll and preferably comprises an off-set screen that does not conform to the curvature of the lickerin cylinder. Rather, the heel of the screen at its juncture with main cylinder screen 16 is spaced about 0.012 to 0.034 of an inch from the lickerin cylinder while the toe or opposite end 24 of the screen is spaced about seven thirty-seconds of an inch or about times as far as the heel from the lickerin cylinder. The toe end of the lickerin screen is provided with transverse grid bars 23. The increased spacing adjacent the grid bars is advantageous in that it permits the surface air currents generated by the rotation of the lickerin cylinder to pass through the screen carrying the trash with them rather than compacting the web between the lickerin cylinder and the imperforate part of 4 cylinder 11 and which is preferably of the type more fully described and claimed in prior patent application Ser. No. 587,277 filed Oct. 17, 1966 by John E. Crowley, Jr. and entitled DOFFER PLENUM. Positioned as illustrated in FIG. 5 adjacent the point of convergence of the front knife plate 34 of the main cylinder and the bonnet or cover 35 of the doffer, doffer plenum 33, with its intake opening 36 extending'beyond the edge of the bonnet 35, presents a negative pressure zone which attracts a significant portion of the air currents created through the clockwise rotation of the main cylinder before these currents are delivered into the area beneath the main cylinder. In so doing, the nozzle 33 contributes materially to the reduction of air pressure in the area beneath the main cylinder over prior known installations. The closer the air pressure in the area beneath the main cylinder is brought to atmospheric pres sure, the less blowout occurs and the more the waste passing through the screen 16 is desirably retained within the enclosed area. The doffer plenum also preferably includes an opening or series of openings at the front end thereof directed to draw in lint and waste present in the area above the front end of the doffer and crush roll assembly. A flap or hood 37 extends forwardly of the openings to direct or channel the lintladen air currents into the dofferplenum.

The screen 16 (FIGS. 3 and 4) is of the type more fully described in prior co-pending application Ser. Nos. 403,468 filed Oct. 13, 1964 now abandoned, and 582,191 filed Sept. 6, 1966, now US. Pat. No. 3,348,268 by Robert Bain Jenkins, Sr. entitled SCREEN FOR CARDING MACHINES. As more fully described in said applications, each of the transverse bars 40 which extend parallel to the axis of the main cylinder and make up the screen 16 is of less surface width adjacent the center longitudinal rib 41 than adjacent the outermost frame members 42 of the screen 16. In other words, each of the bars 40 tapers inwardly toward the central rib 41 thereby defming greater air spaces between the bars 40 adjacent the center rib 41 than is defined between the bars 40 adjacent the outermost frame members 42.

Since the openings between the bars 40 are wider adjacent the central rib 41 than adjacent the outermost frame members 42, less resistance to air is offered adjacent the center rib 41 and the surface air currents carried beneath the main cylinder are channelled or directed toward the center rib 41 before passing through the screen which further minimizes the danger of blowouts at the ends of the main cylinder. Additionally, the waste material which is carried into the area beneath the main cylinder is likewise directed toward the center rib 41 and tends to pass through the screen 16 adjacent the center rib 41 and to be deposited in the center of the area beneath the main cylinder, rather than adjacent the frame members and expelled outwardly from the frame in blowouts as has previously been the case.

The invention was tested to evaluate the present invention as opposed to the prior art carding machines. In most instances, the tests were multiple, because it was necessary to see the results of various combinations. Cotton was secured from one mill consisting of as near the same blend as possible, and in each test the same machine and other components were used to avoid inter-machine variation. Relative humidity and other room conditions were kept as nearly alike as possible .for all tests.

Four different samples were tested using various screen combinations for the main cylinder and lickerin. For each sample, four tests were performed using vari ous suction combinations. The following table sets out the combinations as applied to each sample and test:

Sample No. l Tapered Cylinder Screen according to Application Serial No. 582,19l including the off-set lickerin screen Sample No. 2 Screen according to Application Serial No. 582,191 with conventional lickerin screen Sample No. 3 Conventional cylinder screen with off-set lickerin screen Sample No. 4 Conventional cylinderscreen with g conventional lickerin screen Test No. l Full doffer and lickerin Suction Test No. 2 Lickerin Suction only Test No. 3 Doffer Suction only Test No. 4 No suction The speeds and settings for the tests were as follows:

Cylinder 235 R. P. M. Lickerin 655 R. P. M. Flats 3% per min. Spacings:'

Flats to cylinder .009" Doffer to cylinder .007" Bottom front plate to cylinder .017" Top front plate to cylinder .034"

Back plate to cylinder Front cylinder screen nose .017" top, .022" bottom 3/16", Bottom .034"

Back cylinder screen nose .022" Stand-off Lickerin Screen:

Heel .022" Bottom .034" Toe 3/16" Conventional Lickerin Screen Heel .022 Bottom .034 Toe 3/16" Feed plate .0l2" Lickerin .007"

.012" top, .0l0" bottom Mote knives The air velocity was measured at various points across each suction unit, then averaged to obtain a median value for each. Orifices were measured in square footage, and the air velocity was converted to cubic feet per minute.

During the full suction tests, that is when the lickerin suction hood and the doffer plenum were both operably connected into the suction system, the lickerin suction hood air velocity was measured to be 544 cubic feet per minute, and the air velocity at the doffer nozzle -33 was measured to be 494.67 cubic feet per minute.

served as to waste deposits:

Suction Test 1 (full doffer and lickerin suction) The card frame as well as the waste boxes underneath remained very-clean with all types and combination of screens, except the conventional lickerin screen which tagged excessively. Fly waste would only need removing once per 8 hour shift, while the filter box would require varying degrees of cleaning. The card frame would require only limited cleaning with any given sample. The card fronts were cleaned every 2 to 4 hours.

Test 2 (Lickerin Suction Only) The front section of the card became extremely linty and began to feed waste into either the web or sliver after approximately 45 minutes. This would require a cleaning frequency of at least once each hour. Quality would be a factor, depending on the individual mill needs. In comparison with the next test with doffer suction only, it should be noted that there was approximately 14 percent less airborne lint removed; however, the filter waste was higher while the fly waste was lower. This should be noted as advantageous over manual waste removal.

Test 3 (Doffer Suction Only) The front remained clean and would require cleaning only every two to four hours to maintain a reasonable efficiency and quality. In most instances the back fly would have to be removed manually every one to two hours. As shown in the waste test, this build up was significant with samples 2 and 4. There was considerable tagging on the screen bars in all instances except with the tapered-bar cylinder screen and the off-set lickerin Test 4 (No Suction) The card frame became extremely linty, and there was also a problem with fly waste accumulating. This would require frequent cleaning.

Screens Sample 1 The bars as well as sides of cards remained clean and free of tags or blow out.

Sample 2 The cylinder screens remained clean as in Sample 1, however, the conventional lickerin screen caused a problem with tags in the center. The Saw- Lowell conventional lickerin screen is made in two parts and can be off-set in some fashion; however, the design is such as to cause excessive tagging as previously cited. The off-set can be accomplished to a reasonable degree to approximate the Jenkins off-set, however not so accurately and at considerably more time per set up. (100 to 200 percent more).

Sample 3 The off-set lickerin did a good job in helping control fly, however conventional cylinder screens did not control air sufficiently to keep cotton from flowing to the sides. This in turn caused small chokes and build ups and there was some snow balling at the doffer selvages.

Sample 4 There was considerable tagging underneath screens and particularly at the lickerin. Some snow balling," chokes, and build ups were also noted as cited earlier.

Waste Appearance:

There was very little difference in toppings, but, as could be expected, there was a difference in fly reasonably in proportion to percentage differences. There was a very low percentage of spinable fiber in any sample.

The results of the tests were as follows:

Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 Test 4 A Full Lickerin Doffer No Topping Suction Suction Suction Suction Ave Waste Only Only Sample 1 (TaperedlOff-Set) 1.020 1.124 1.093 1.488 1.181 Sample 2 (Tapered/Conven- 11011 .11) .986 1.128 1.028 1.213 1.031; Sample 3 (Conventional/ 1.176 1.041 1.008 1.219 1.111 Sample 4 (Conventional/ Conventional) 1.054 1.041 1.041 1.027 1.040 Ave. 1059 1.083 1.042 1.236 1.105 High 1.488% Low 986% Range 33% %Filter Waste Sample 1 .701 .645 .859 .735 Sample 2 1.644 1.562 .491 1.232 Sample 3 1.111 1.041 .334 .828 Sample 4 .655 .646 .371 .557 Ave. 1.027 .973 .513 837 High 1.644% Low 334% Range 80% Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 Test 4 Full Liekerin Doffer No Fly Suction Suction Suction Suction Ave Waste Only Only Sample 1 .277 .441 .936 1.397 .762 Sample 2 .246 .307 1.444 1.577 .893 Sample 3 .283 .236 .743 .838 .525 Sample 4 .677 .667 1.302 1.498 1.036 Ave. .370 .412 1.106 1.327 .803 High 1.577% Low 236% Range 85% Waste Summary Totals Sample 1 1.998 2.210 2.888 2.885 2495 Sample 2 2.876 2.997 2.963 2.790 2.906 Sample '3 2.570 2.318 2.085 2.057 2.257 Sample 4 2.386 2.354 2.714 2.525 2.494 Ave. 2.457 2.469 2.662 2.564 2.538 Nep Count Per 100 Sq. lnches Web Sample 1 9.0 12.0 16.0 25 15.5 Sample 2 13.0 17.0 19.0 15 16.0 Sample 3 10.0 14.0 13.0 12 122 Sample 4 7.5 9.5 18.0 15 12.5 Ave. 9.87 13.12 16.5 16.7 14.0 High 25 Ncp Low 7.5 Range 70% Fiber Properties Uniformity Floating 2.5% Raw Cotton (Lap) 45% 34% 1.08"

Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 Test 4 Full Liekerin Doffer No Sliver Suction Suction Suction Suction Ave Uniformity Only Only Sample 1 46 46 46 45 45.7 Sample 2 47 46 45 46 46.0 Sample 3 46 44 46 45 45.2 Sample 4 46 45 46 45 45.5 Ave. 46.2 45.2 45.7 45.2 45.6 High 47 Low 44 Range 6.3% Sliver Floating Fiber Sample 1 24 27 28 27 26.5 Sample 2 23 25 29 24 25.2 Sample 3 25 30 27 27 27.2 Sample 4 26 28 25 30 27.2 Ave. 24.5 27.5 27.2 27 26.5 High 30 Low 23 Range 23% Sliver 2.5% Length Sample 1 1.09 1.09 1.09 1.09 1.090 SampleZ 1.12 1.09 1.09 1.11 1.102 Sample 3 1.09 1.07 1.07 1.09 1.080 Sample 4 1.09 1.09 1.09 1.08 1.087 Ave. 1.097 1.085 1.085 1.095 1.089 High 1.12 Low 1.07 Range 4.4%

' age of Test 4 (no suction using various screen combinations is 2.564 percent. This indicates that the full suction test improves the waste summary by about 4 percent, which is not too significant. However, it is noted that during the full suction test in combination with the tapered-bar screen under the main cylinder and the off-set screen under the lickerin, the waste total amounted to 1.998 percent, or an improvement of about 23 percent over the waste average of the different screen combinations in Test 4 (no suction).

The nep count tests indicate significant improvement by use of full suction with any combination of cylinder and lickerin screens. A decrease in the nep count signifies a higher quality of sliver being produced by the card. In every case the nep count was improved significantly by use of full suction. It is noted that by using full suction with conventional lickerin and cylinder screens, the nep count was reduced from 15. to 7.5, an imas in Test 4, thesliver uniformity was hardly improved at all.

Byusing the full suction system, it is also noted that the percentage of floating fibers in thesliver was de' creased a much greater amount than when no suction was applied. By using the full suction system in combination with the tapered cylinder screen and the off-set lickerin screen, it is noted that the floating fiber percentage was reduced from 34 to 24 percent or about 30 percent. Even using the full suction system in combination with conventional screens resulted in about a 25 percent improvement. On the other hand, the test using no suction resulted in about a'21 percent improvement over the original percentage of floating fibers.

. -It must be concluded that optimum results would be obtained by the combined use of the cylinder screen of v the type disclosed by application Ser. No. 582,191, the

off-set lickerin screen, and both lickerin and doffer suction plenums at all pickup points. The elements of the above combination complement each other, and the fullest utilization of raw stock and manpower would result along with the best overall quality performance. However, significant improvements are also realized by A, utilizing suction at both the doffer and lickerin sides of the main cylinder regardless of the screen combination used.

There is thus provided an improved means and method for minimizing air pressure and air turbulence in the area beneath the main cylinder and for controlling the disposition of wastetherein.

ln the drawings and specification there have been set forth preferred embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

We claim:

1. A vacuum system for controlling the disposition of Waste generated by processing of a textile web on a carding machine having a lickerin, a main cylinder, and a doffer, said device comprising:

a. first suction means arranged adjacent the point where the surfaces of the lickerin and main cylinder diverge to draw offsurface air currents generated through rotation of the main cylinder and the lickerin;

b. second suction means comprising a housing disposed above said doffer and having an opening arranged adjacent the point where the surfaces of the doffer and main cylinder converge to draw off surface air currents generated through rotation of the main cylinder at the nip of the main cylinder and the doffer;

c. said first and second suction means cooperating with one another to reduce the air turbulence in the area beneath the main cylinder;

d. a frame supporting said lickerin, main cylinder,

and doffer and said frame including means enclosing the area beneath the lickerin, main cylinder, and doffer;

. a source of suction cooperatively connected to said first suction means, said source of suction providing a sufficient amount of suction through said opening to provide a negative pressure zone which .is more attractive to the surface air currents than the atmosphere;

f. said source of suction also being operatively connected to said second suction means, said source of suction providing sufficient suction to create a negative pressure zone which attracts a significant portion of the air currents created through the clockwise rotation of the main cylinder before these currents are delivered into the area beneath the main cylinder; and

. said first suction means comprising a nozzle including a top wall, a pair of spaced side walls depending from the top wall and extending toward the lickerin roll, each of said side walls having a suction orifice providing communication between the atmosphere and the interior of the nozzle, one of said side walls being positioned adjacent the point where the surfaces of the main cylinder and lickerin diverge, the other of said walls being positioned on the opposite side of the lickerin, and a pair of spaced end walls joined to the top and side walls.

2. A vacuum system for controlling air currents and the disposition of waste generated by processing of the textile web on a carding machine having a feed roll, a lickerin and a lickerin cover, a maincylinder and a back plate and a front plate, a doffer and a doffer cover, said apparatus comprising:

a. first suction means mounted on the lickerin cover and including a first housing having a suction orifice therein opening toward the back plate and providing communication between the interior of said g 1 l first housing and the atmosphere, the portion of said first housing having said suction orifice being spaced from said back plate and the suction orifice being in open communication with the atmosphere above said suction orifice and in open communication with the area between the lickerin cover and the back knife plate;

b. second suction means mounted on a doffer cover and including a second housing having a suction orifice therein opening toward the front plate and providing communication between the interior of said second housing and the atmosphere, the portion of said second housing having said suction orifice being spaced from said front plate and the suction orifice being in open communication with the atmosphere above said suction orifice and in open communication with the area between the doffer cover and front knife plate;

c. said first and second housings being connected to a source of suction; and

d. said first housing having a second suction orifice therein, said second suction orifice opening toward the feed roll and being in open communication with the atmosphere above said second suction orifice and in open communication with the area between the lickerin cover and the feed roll.

Claims

1. A vacuum system for controlling the disposition of waste generated by processing of a textile web on a carding machine having a lickerin, a main cylinder, and a doffer, said device comprising: a. first suction means arranged adjacent the point where the surfaces of the lickerin and main cylinder diverge to draw off surface air currents generated through rotation of the main cylinder and the lickerin; b. second suction means comprising a housing disposed above said doffer and having an opening arranged adjacent the point where the surfaces of the doffer and main cylinder converge to draw off surface air currents generated through rotation of the main cylinder at the nip of the main cylinder and the doffer; c. said first and second suction means cooperating with one another to reduce the air turbulence in the area beneath the main cylinder; d. a frame supporting said lickerin, main cylinder, and doffer and said frame including means enclosing the area beneath the lickerin, main cylinder, and doffer; e. a source of suction cooperatively connected to said first suction means, said source of suction providing a sufficient amount of suction through said opening to provide a negative pressure zone which is more attractive to the surface air currents than the atmosphere; f. said source of suction also being operatively connected to said second suction means, said source of suction providing sufficient suction to create a negative pressure zone which attracts a significant portion of the air currents created through the clockwise rotation of the main cylinder before these currents are delivered into the area beneath the main cylinder; and g. said first suction means comprising a nozzle including a top wall, a pair of spaced side walls depending from the top wall and extending toward the lickerin roll, each of said side walls having a suction orifice providing communication between the atmosphere and the interior of the nozzle, one of said side walls being positioned adjacent the point where the surfaces of the main cylinder and lickerin diverge, the other of said walls being positioned on the opposite side of the lickerin, and a pair of spaced end walls joined to the top and side walls.

2. A vacuum system for controlling air currents and the disposition of waste generated by processing of the textile web on a carding machine having a feed roll, a lickerin and a lickerin cover, a main cylinder and a back plate and a front plate, a doffer and a doffer cover, said apparatus comprising: a. first suction means mounted on the lickerin cover and including a first housing having a suction orifice therein opening toward the back plate and providing communication between the interior of said first housing and the atmosphere, the portion of said first housing having said suction orifice being spaced from said back plate and the suction orifice being in open communication with the atmosphere above said suction orificE and in open communication with the area between the lickerin cover and the back knife plate; b. second suction means mounted on a doffer cover and including a second housing having a suction orifice therein opening toward the front plate and providing communication between the interior of said second housing and the atmosphere, the portion of said second housing having said suction orifice being spaced from said front plate and the suction orifice being in open communication with the atmosphere above said suction orifice and in open communication with the area between the doffer cover and front knife plate; c. said first and second housings being connected to a source of suction; and d. said first housing having a second suction orifice therein, said second suction orifice opening toward the feed roll and being in open communication with the atmosphere above said second suction orifice and in open communication with the area between the lickerin cover and the feed roll.