Carding machine

A carding machine comprises a first carding cylinder, a roller and plate for feeding material to be carded on to the first carding cylinder, a second carding cylinder, a roller and takerin for transferring material from the first to the second carding cylinder, and a roller for stripping carded material from the second carding cylinder. The first and second carding cylinders are driven in the same direction of rotation. A single set of flats is driven along a closed path, parts of which pass immediately adjacent to an arc of the circumference of each of the first and second carding cylinders. The flats thus cooperate in carding actions with both carding cylinders in turn.

This invention relates to a carding machine. 
The conventional cotton carding machine comprises a feed roller and feed 
plate for feeding material to be carded to a takerin. The takerin 
transfers the material onto a carding cylinder and flats cooperate with an 
arc of that cylinder so that a carding effect takes place between carding 
elements on the cylinder and on the flats. The carded material is removed 
from the cylinder by a doffer, and is stripped from the doffer and 
delivered from the machine. The flats may be either stationary or may 
travel in a closed path, part of which closely follows the working arc of 
the cylinder. 
When higher carding performance is required it is also known to use a 
so-called duo-card, for example as shown in GB-A-1024541. A duo card has 
first and second carding cylinders, each with its own separate set of 
flats, and material doffed from the first cylinder is transferred by a 
center section of the machine to a takerin for the second cylinder. It 
will be appreciated that the two sets of carding actions, coupled with the 
working that takes place in the center of the carding machine can result 
in a cleaner web being delivered from the machine. 
Duo-cards have in the past been significantly more expensive than single 
cylinder carding machines, and a need is perceived for a machine which is 
more efficient than the single cylinder carding engine and yet which is 
significantly cheaper than the known duo-cards. The invention seeks to 
provide such a machine. 
According to the invention a carding machine comprises a first carding 
cylinder, means for feeding material to be carded on to the first carding 
cylinder, a second carding cylinder, a plurality of transfer rollers for 
stripping material from the first carding cylinder and transferring it to 
the second carding cylinder, the cylinders and rollers having parallel 
axes and being of substantially equal axial length. The machine also 
comprises means for stripping carded material from the second carding 
cylinder and delivering the carded material from the machine, drive means 
for driving the first and second carding cylinders in the same sense of 
rotation and for driving the transfer rollers. Further included in the 
machine are a plurality of flats each comprising a flat bar of length at 
least equal to the axial length of each cylinder, each flat bar extending 
parallel to the cylinder axes and supporting carding elements, means 
linking each flat to the two immediately adjacent flats to form a closed 
chain of flats, and means for driving the chain of flats so that each flat 
travels in a closed path parts of which pass immediately adjacent to an 
arc of the circumference of each of the first and second carding 
cylinders. Thereby the carding elements cooperate in a carding action 
firstly with carding elements on one of the carding cylinders, and then 
with carding elements on the other of the carding cylinders. The crux of 
the invention is that a single set of moveable flats cooperate with both 
carding cylinders. The drive system for the carding machine can thus be 
simplified over that of the conventional duo card, and costs can be cut 
significantly while still retaining high carding efficiency. 
Preferably the transfer rollers comprise a doffer for removing material 
directly from the first carding cylinder and a takerin for removing 
material directly from the doffer and transferring it directly on to the 
second carding cylinder. This direct transfer using a minimum number of 
rollers in the center section further reduces the cost, and indeed makes 
possible the manufacture of the new machine at a cost little higher than 
that of a single cylinder carding machine.

Referring now to FIG. 1 this shows a carding machine comprising a feed 
roller 1 and feed plate 2, a takerin 3 delivering material from the feed 
system to a first carding cylinder 4 and a centre section comprising a 
doffer 5 and second takerin 6. The doffer removes material directly from 
the first carding cylinder 4, and the takerin removes material directly 
from the doffer. The material from the second takerin is transferred 
directly onto a second carding cylinder 7 from which material is doffed by 
a doffer 8. A stripping roller 9 takes the carded web from the doffer 8 to 
any conventional delivery arrangement such as a condenser trumpet and 
sliver-forming rollers 10. 
The takerin cylinders, doffers and stripping roller all have parallel axes 
and are all of substantially equal axial length. Suitable drive motor and 
transmission means are provided to drive the rotating elements in the 
senses shown by arrows, it being important that the cylinders 4 and 7 are 
driven in the same sense of rotation. The drive arrangement as such is not 
part of the invention and suitable arrangements will readily be apparent 
to those skilled in the art. 
The carding machine is provided with a single set of flats 11. As shown 
schematically in FIG. 2, each flat comprises a flat bar 12 supporting 
carding elements 13. Each flat bar is at least equal in length to the 
axial length of the cylinders and extends parallel to the cylinder axes. 
Each flat bar has support means 14 at each end, and is linked at each end 
to the two immediately adjacent flats by pivotal links 15 so as to form a 
closed chain of flats. Again, detailed flat construction and linkage will 
be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is particularly preferred for 
the flats to be constructed as disclosed in US-A-4559674 the entire 
contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. The closed chains 
of flats pass around block wheels 16, at least one of which is driven, and 
it will be seen that as the flats travel along their closed path they pass 
immediately adjacent to an arc of the circumference of each of the first 
and second carding cylinders. When travelling over those arcs the flats 
are supported so that the support means 14, at their ends run on bends 
provided in conventional manner to each side of the carding cylinder. The 
carding elements 13 on the flats thus cooperate in a carding action 
firstly with carding elements on cylinder 4 and then with carding elements 
on cylinder 7. 
The number and spacing of the flat bars provided in the series of flats may 
be selected in accordance with the degree of carding required for the 
particular feed stock, and the choice of the particular card clothing 
selected for the flats may be similarly dictated. 
The single set of flats, requiring only a single drive to all flats and 
only a single cleaning arrangement for the flats, together with the 
minimal roller arrangement in the center transfer section of the carding 
machine, enables the machine to be manufactured at a cost that is little 
higher than the cost of a single cylinder machine. 
Although the main benefit of the invention is achieved with the minimum 
transfer section as shown in FIG. 1 between the two carding cylinders it 
will be appreciated that other transfer sections are possible. One such is 
illustrated in FIG. 3, wherein parts similar to parts of FIG. 1 are given 
the same reference numeral with the suffix a. In this embodiment, the 
center section comprises a doffer 21 from the first carding cylinder, 
feeding the web between a pair of smooth surfaced crush rollers 22, 23. 
The web is taken from the crush rollers by transfer rollers 24, 25 to a 
takerin 26 for the second carding cylinder 7a. This extended centre 
section requires a longer path of travel for the flats 11a between the two 
cylinders, so that additional block wheels 16a as shown are necessary. It 
is also advisable to separate the flats from the rollers of the center 
section by a guard 27 to prevent any waste falling from the flats on to 
those rollers. 
Other center section arrangements can be used if desired.