Device for carding, cleaning or opening of fibre tufts

In a device for carding, cleaning or opening fibre tufts. An improvement comprises two or more rotating working members or organs (1, 2, 3) which have intersecting planes of rotation and they are arranged to make the fibres fed in at one end move in addition in an axial direction and pass through the lines of close proximity repeatedly in several changed planes of rotation, so that the fibres are worked by a high proportion of the working points before being doffed at the other end or "out" feed. In relation to the dimensions of the working members or organs, the fibres can dwell on the average a longer time in the device so modified and come into contact with a greater proportion of the wire points or pins in the system. This provides for and makes adequate processing of the fibres possible particularly with smaller units in comparison with conventional systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to improvements in a device for carding, cleaning or 
opening fibre tufts. 
When fibres are carded, cleaned or opened on most of hitherto used 
machines, they pass through the working organs at random, on an average 
low number of times. The single fibre is mostly moving in one and the same 
plane of rotation between the feeding and the doffing point. Opening and 
blending and a certain evening out of the fibre mass are achieved by using 
relatively wide working surfaces. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
The prior art to which this invention relates is aware, inter alia, of the 
following U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,121,362; 1,717,189; 2,964,801; 1,648,052; 
3,066,358; 3,066,359; and 4,011,631. These patents are concerned with 
methods for handling carded web after the carding proper has taken place 
on conventional carding machines. The carded web is either formed to a 
sliver to be coiled for later drafting (U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,121,362 and 
1,648,050) or laid open for later condensing to a nonwoven fabric (U.S. 
Pat. Nos. 3,066,358 and 3,066,359). The methods for sliver or fabric 
forming are many and always comprise some transportation of the fibre web 
whether in a crosswise or axial direction. However, the elements whose 
planes of rotation intersect with those of the carding elements proper, 
i.e., the conveyor belt and delivery rollers in U.S. Pat. No. 1,121,362, 
the delivery rollers in U.S. Pat. No. 1,648,050 and the doffing devices in 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,066,358 and 3,066,359 are not aimed to, nor are they 
suitable for, feeding or returning the fibres back to be repeatedly worked 
by the carding elements. 
With respect to the conventional, hitherto used systems for carding, 
cleaning, or opening of fibre tufts - and also for those used in the cited 
patents - a main characteristic is that the fibres pass through the lines 
of close proximity with the working elements basically in their own single 
plane of rotation from the feed "in" to the feed "out" or doffing point. 
Therefore, the fibres come into contact with a relatively low proportion 
of the wire points or pins in the system. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention provides in a device of the character described means whereby 
the fibres which are to be carded, cleaned or opened are forced to pass 
through the lines of close proximity repeatedly in several changed planes 
of rotation on their way from the feed in point at one end to the doffing 
point at the other end in axial direction, through an arrangement of the 
working organs which comprise intersecting planes of rotation. 
The inventive concept thus consists in using intersecting planes of 
rotation to make the fibres move also in the axial direction for the most 
effective use of the pins or teeth of the working surfaces of a device for 
carding, cleaning or opening of fibre tufts.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
The invention makes it possible to achieve on an average a higher amount of 
fibre passages and thus better opening, blending and evening out of the 
fibre mass even when using a low number of relatively small sized working 
organs. 
It is essential that the planes of rotation of at least two working organs 
are made to intersect, whereby it is possible to combine organs, which 
arranged with suitable chosen working faces, settings, direction and speed 
of rotation make the fibres worked change planes of rotation and also move 
in the axial direction of the working organs. The feed of the fibres can 
be mechanical or pneumatic at one end and final doffing at the other end 
in front of the shafts of the working organs. 
Referring descriptively to the drawing, in FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown a device 
consisting of a cylinder 1 with working points in the inside and two 
conical rollers 2 and 3 each with points on the outside and all are at a 
suitable working distance. The roller 2 can be supposed to work like the 
cylinder, the roller 3 like the stripper roller and the cylinder 1 like 
the worker (and at the same time the doffer) of a roller card. The fibres 
are fed at "in" between 1 and 2. At every passage from 1 by 3 and 2 back 
to 1 the fibres are moving towards "out", which is the doffing area of 1. 
The conicity of rollers 2 and 3 and the dimensions of 1, 2 and 3 determine 
the average number of passages of the fibres between "in" and "out". 
In FIGS. 3 and 4 is shown a device consisting of a cylindrical roller 1 
with inside points and a conical roller 2 with outside points at a working 
distance to 1. The fibres fed at "in" are worked and thrown out from 2 
towards 1. Because of the direction of the planes of rotation the fibres 
are also moved towards "out" the doffing area of the roller 1. 
In FIGS. 5 and 6 is shown a device consisting of a cylinder 1 with outside 
points and a conical roller 2 with outside points at a working distance to 
1. A cover 4 surrounds the cone and a part of the cylinder. Fibres fed at 
"in" are worked and thrown from the cone 2 directly or via the cover 4 
towards the cylinder 1. Because of the direction of the planes of rotation 
the fibres are also at every passage moved towards "out", the doffing area 
of the cylinder 1. 
When using the device for carding (FIG. 1 and FIG. 2) a modified chute feed 
and feed roller at "in" adjacent to the conical roller 2 in FIG. 1 and 
FIG. 2 preferably should be used when the width of the fibre mat fed is at 
least 80-100 mm, which means that the inner diameter and length of the 
cylinder 1 in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are at least 500-600 mm. In this case also 
roller doffing is preferred, also wherein the doffing roller is placed at 
"out" adjacent to the cylinder 1 in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. If the dimensions 
of the device are smaller, preopened fibre tufts are blown into the gap at 
"in" between the cylinder 1 and the conical roller 2 in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, 
whereby a rationing of the fibre tufts blown has to be arranged. Doffing 
through a suctioning funnel at "out" adjacent to the cylinder 1 in FIG. 1 
and FIG. 2 is then preferred. The fibres can be suctioned into an open end 
rotor or a cage system. 
When using the device for cleaning or opening of fibre tufts as shown in 
FIGS. 1-6, preopened fibre tufts are blown into the gap at "in" between 
the cylinder 1 and the conical roller 2 in FIGS. 1-6. The cleaned or 
opened fibres are doffed through a suctioning funnel (not shown) at "out" 
adjacent to the cylinder 1 in FIGS. 1-6. 
It is preferred to use only the device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 for carding. 
As various changes and modifications of the invention may be made it is 
intended that all matter herein shall be interpreted as illustrative and 
not in a limiting sense.