US3916494A

US3916494A - Machine for needling non-woven fiber webs

Info

Publication number: US3916494A
Application number: US498847A
Authority: US
Inventors: Franz Konig
Original assignee: FEHRER ERNST GmbH
Current assignee: Dr Ernst Fehrer & Co KG Textilmachinenfabrik U Stahlbau GmbH; FEHRER ERNST GmbH
Priority date: 1973-09-18
Filing date: 1974-08-16
Publication date: 1975-11-04
Anticipated expiration: 1992-11-04
Also published as: DE2436861A1; AT326928B; JPS5058367A; GB1422900A; ATA805573A

Abstract

A pair of feeding and squeezing rollers are arranged at the inlet of a needling unit for feeding a non-woven fiber web through the inlet into the space between a stripper and a bed plate. A pair of withdrawing rollers are spaced from the unit on the side opposite the inlet to withdraw the needled web. The stripper plate is fixed only at an end remote from the leading edge thereof between the needling unit and the withdrawing rollers so that the leading stripper plate end extends freely close to one of the feeding rollers. The bed plate is carried by a plurality of supports one of which nearest to the feeding rollers being set back behind the leading edge of the bed plate.

Description

United States Patent 11 1 11 1 3,916,494

Kiinig Nov. 4, 1975 MACHINE FOR NEEDLING NON-WOVEN 3,561,081 2/1971 Fehrer 28/4 R FIBER wEBs 3,605,223 9/1971 Barth 3,837,054 9/1974 Fehrer 28/4 R [75] Inventor: Franz Kiinig, Linz, Austria [73] Assignee: Dr. Ernst Fehrer Gesellschaft m.b.H. & Co., KG. Textilmachinenfabrik u. Stahlbau, Linz, Austria [22] Filed: Aug. 16, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 498,847

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 18, 1973 Austria 8055/73 [52] US. Cl. 28/4 R; 28/4 R [51] Int. Cl. D04H 18/00 [58] Field of Search 28/4 R [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,391,436 7/1968 Fehrer 28/4 R 3,540,096 11/1970 Porta 28/4 R Primary Examiner-Louis K. Rimrodt Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Kurt Kelman ABSIRACT A pair of feeding and squeezing rollers are arranged at the inlet of a needling unit for feeding a non-woven fiber web through the inlet into the space between a stripper and a bed plate. A pair of withdrawing rollers are spaced from the unit on the side opposite the inlet to withdraw the needled web. The stripper plate is fixed only at an end remote from the leading edge thereof between the needling unit and the withdrawing rollers so that the leading stripper plate end extends freely close to one of the feeding rollers. The bed plate is carried by a plurality of supports one of which nearest to the feeding rollers being set back behind the leading edge of the bed plate.

2 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure MACHINE FOR NEEDLING NON-WOVEN FIBER WEBS This invention relates to a machine for needling nonwoven fiber webs, in which a multiplicity of needles are arranged in rows and columns and inserted in needles boards carried by a needle beam which is moved up and down. The needles pierce from above into the web which is moved between upper and lower perforated plates, and the needling unit is preceded by a pair of feeding and squeezing rollers delivering the web to the needled web from the unit and succeeded by a withdrawing device.

If the upper perforated stripper plate is fixed between the pair of feeding rollers or the like and the needle beam, the distance from the web-clamping nip formed by the feeding or squeezing rollers and the first needles is increased. These rollers should not only properly feed the web but should also compact and compress the web. If the distance between the pair of feeding and squeezing rollers and the first needles is too large, the compressed web may re-expand and may then bulge before entering the needling section and there is a danget of a destruction of the web or of irregularities therein. This applies similarly to the lower perforated bed plate which, in the known machine, is also supported at its forward and rear longitudinal edges.

Whereas it is known to support the upper perforated or stripping plate only behind the needle beam, between the latter and the withdrawing device (British Patent Specification No. 931,611), that machine has no pair of feeding and squeezing rollers and the perforated plate protrudes beyond the needle beam toward the inlet to such an extent that, even if such pair of rollers were provided, the distance between the rollers and the first row of needles would be too large to prevent an expansion and bulging of the web.

It is an object of the invention to eliminate these disadvantages and to provide a needling machine which is of the kind described first hereinbefore and in which the distance from the pair of feeding and squeezing rollers or the like and the first needles is minimized so that even webs having unfavorable properties can readily be needled without need for additional auxiliary measures.

This object is accomplished according to the invention in that the upper perforated stripper plate extends close to one roller of the pair of feeding and squeezing rollers and is fixed only in the space between the needling and the withdrawing device, and the lower perforated plate rests on supports, one of which is nearer to the inlet and is preferably upwardly tapered and is set back from the adjacent edge of the lower perforated plate toward the withdrawing device.

Because the upper perforated plate is fixed only behind the needle beam and freely protrudes toward the pair of feeding and squeezing rollers, a space for means for fixing the perforated plate is no longer required at the inlet and the perforated plate and the needle beam may extend close to the pair of feeding and squeezing rollers so that the undesired distance is much reduced. The means for supporting the lower perforated plate also permit of this close spacing between the needle beam and the pair of feeding and squeezing rollers because that support for the lower perforated plate which is nearer to the inlet is set back from the adjacent edge of the lower perforated plate toward the withdrawing device. It will be understood that there must be a free space in the needle array adjacent to said support but said free space may be relatively narrow because the support for the preforated plate tapers upwardly and for this reason requires a smaller space.

An embodiment of the needling machine according to the invention is shown diagrammatically and by way of example on the accompanying drawing in a vertical sectional view.

Needle boards 2 are inserted in a needle beam 1, which is moved up and down at high speed, and carry a multiplicity of needles 3 which are arranged in rows and columns. The needles 3 pierce from above into a web, which is not shown and which is moved through the space between an upper perforated stripper plate 4 and a lower perforated bed plate 5. The web moves through a pair of feeding and squeezing rollers 6 and is delivered by a withdrawing device which is also formed by a pair of rollers 7.

According to the invention, the upper perforated plate 4 is fixed only in the space between the needle beam 1 and the withdrawing device 7 and extends close to the upper roller of the pair of feeding and squeezing rollers 6 so that the needle beam 1 can also extend close to the upper feeding roller. By means of two adjusting mechanisms 8 of any desired kind, the upper perforated plate 4 can be adjusted in height for adaptation to webs differing in thickness.

The lower perforated plate 5 rests on two

supports

9, 10. The support 9 which is nearer to the inlet is upwardly tapered and is set back from the adjacent edge of the preforated bed plate toward the withdrawing device 7. The needle array is interrupted adjacent support 9.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine for needling non-woven fiber webs, which comprises a needling unit including a vertically reciprocable needle beam, needle board means carried by the needle beam, a multiplicity of needles carried by and extending from the needle board means, a perforated stripper plate defining perforations aligned with the needles, and a perforated bed plate defining perforations aligned with the needles, the plates being vertically spaced to define a space therebetween and the plates having leading edges defining therebetween an inlet for a nonwoven fiber web; a pair of feeding and squeezing rollers arranged adjacent the inlet and operable to feed the web through the inlet into the space; and a means spaced from the needling unit on the side opposite the inlet and operable to withdraw the needled web from the space: the improvement of 1. means fixing only an end of the stripper plate between the needling unit and the unit drawing means remote from the leading edge thereof,

a. the leading edge of the stripper plate extending freely close to one of the feeding and squeezing rollers, and

b. the remote end of the stripper plate extending toward the withdrawing means, and

2. a plurality of supports for the bed plate, including one support nearest to the feeding and squeezing rollers, the leading edge of the bed plate protruding beyond the one support close to the other one of the rollers.

2. In the improvement for a needling machine as set forth in claim 1, the end of the one support carrying the bed plate being upwardly tapered.

Claims

1. In a machine for needling non-woven fiber webs, which comprises a needling unit including a vertically reciprocable needle beam, needle board means carried by the needle beam, a multiplicity of needles carried by and extending from the needle board means, a perforated stripper plate defining perforations aligned with the needles, and a perforated bed plate defining perforations aligned with the needles, the plates being vertically spaced to define a space therebetween and the plates having leading edges defining therebetween an inlet for a nonwoven fiber web; a pair of feeding and squeezing rollers arranged adjacent the inlet and operable to feed the web through the inlet into the space; and a means spaced from the needling unit on the side opposite the inlet and operable to withdraw the needled web from the space: the improvement of 1. means fixing only an end of the stripper plate between the needling unit and the unit drawing means remote from the leading edge thereof, a. the leading edge of the stripper plate extending freely close to one of the feeding and squeezing rollers, and b. the remote end of the stripper plate extending toward the withdrawing means, and 2. a plurality of supports for the bed plate, including one support nearest to the feeding and squeezing rollers, the leading edge of the bed plate protruding beyond the one support close to the other one of the rollers.