Patent ID: 6138326
Filing Date: 2000-10-31
Classification: D01G

Abstract:
A mote knife for use with a cleaning system including a rotating cylinder creating a binary air flow while entraining fibers of various fiber lengths of a fiber web about a circular path and a waste removal duct having an intake adjacent a portion of the periphery of said cylinder through which air passes toward a collection area, wherein,said mote knife includes a contact surface which is positioned adjacent the periphery of said cylinder within said intake, said mote knife having a front edge located a first distance from the periphery of said cylinder wherein the front edge and back edge form acute angles with an axis vertically through an intermediate edge, said intermediate edge located a second distance from said periphery downstream of said front edge and a rear edge located a third distance from said periphery, downstream of said intermediate edge;a first channel, formed between said front edge, said intermediate edge, and said periphery converges toward said intermediate edge;a second channel formed between said intermediate edge, said rear edge, and said periphery diverges away from said intermediate edge; wherein,rotation of said cylinder creates a flow of binary air about said cylinder which acts along with centrifugal force to lift certain of said fibers, trash and dust as said entrained fibers passes said intake with said front edge of said mote knife acting to disengage and direct said lifted trash and dust into said duct while said first channel acts to guide longer partially disengaged fibers back to said fiber web and to intensify said binary air flow as said cylinder passes through said first channel while passage through said second channel creates a drop in binary air flow again releasing and urging outward retained trash and broken fibers.