A coiler arrangement wherein an infeed connection leads to compaction or pressure rolls, and a mouthpiece of the infeed connection has a sliver outlet opening which is directed towards the roll nip of the pressure or compaction rolls. A compartment which is operatively connected with a negative pressure source and formed in a hood or cover member, surrounds the infeed connection and is bounded by the pressure or compaction rolls in the direction of travel or feed of the sliver. The mouthpiece flow communicates with the compartment by means of openings provided at its circumference, and between these openings and the inner surface of the mouthpiece there are formed guide surfaces.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED CASE 
This application is related to the commonly assigned, U.S. application Ser. 
No. 130,059, filed Mar. 13, 1980, entitled "Apparatus for the Pneumatic 
Transport of Textile Band Material." 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention broadly relates to the textile art and, more 
specifically, relates to a new and improved construction of coiler 
arrangement. 
Generally speaking, the coiler arrangement comprises a pair of compaction 
or pressure rolls and a funnel or trumpet wheel arranged following the 
pair of compaction or pressure rolls, viewed in the direction of travel of 
the sliver or other filamentary or band-like textile material. The term 
"sliver" is used therefore in its broader sense to cover slivers, 
slubbing, roving and so forth. 
In the case of coiler arrangements infeed of the starting portion of the 
sliver, delivered by the card, becomes that much more cumbersome the 
larger or higher, as the case may be, that the cans are, and therefore, 
equally the coiler arrangements themselves. Moreover, as a rule larger 
size sliver cans are usually operatively associated with cards working at 
higher delivery speeds, so that less time is available, not only for the 
infeed of the sliver into the roll nip of the compaction or pressure 
rolls, but equally for the preceding threading-in of the starting portion 
of the sliver through the compensation path provided with deflection 
rolls. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and 
improved construction of coiler arrangement wherein the infeed of the 
starting portion of the sliver into the roll nip can be automatically 
accomplished. 
Yet a further significant object of the present invention aims at a new and 
improved construction of coiler arrangement which is relatively simple in 
design, economical to manufacture, extremely reliable in operation, not 
readily subject to breakdown or malfunction, and is capable of 
automatically introducing the starting portion of the sliver or other 
bandlike textile material into the roll nip of a pair of compaction or 
pressure rolls provided for sliver cans. 
Now in order to implement these and still further objects of the invention, 
which will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, the 
coiler arrangement of the present development is manifested by the 
features that the compaction or pressure rolls delimit and close-off, 
viewed in the direction of travel of the sliver or the like, a compartment 
which is connected with a source of negative pressure. An infeed 
connection, which extends into the compartment, terminates in a mouth or 
connection piece surrounded by the compartment. The mouthpiece has a 
sliver outlet or discharge opening directed towards the roll nip of the 
pressure rolls, and also is provided with openings at its circumference or 
peripheral region which open into the compartment and possesses guide 
surfaces for the sliver. 
By virtue of the negative pressure prevailing within the compartment there 
flows an air current in the infeed or delivery connection which is flow 
connected by means of the openings of the mouthpiece with the compartment. 
This air current or flow draws the sliver starting portion, located in the 
infeed connection, into the mouthpiece and owing to the tension force, to 
which the sliver section or portion following the starting portion thereof 
is exposed due to the action of the air flow or current, the sliver 
starting portion is introduced into the roll nip, where it is positively 
grasped by the driven pressure or compaction rolls. On the other hand, due 
to the guiding and support of the sliver in the mouthpiece care is taken 
to ensure that, in particular, the starting portion of the sliver is 
neither deflected nor damaged by the transporting air current or stream 
which flows out into the compartment. What is important in this context is 
that at the sliver outlet opening of the mouthpiece there no longer is 
present any air flow of significance, and this can be effectively realized 
by virtue of the openings or holes provided at the circumference of the 
mouthpiece. 
While it is possible to arrange the inlet openings at the infeed or 
delivery connection or connection means at an easily accessible location 
of the coiler arrangement, so that the starting portion of the sliver can 
be manually introduced, it is also possible to connect the infeed 
connection with a transport tube or pipe, whose inlet opening is directly 
located at the card. By virtue of the air flow which is generated by the 
negative pressure source, which in this case not only prevails in the 
infeed or delivery connection but also in the transport tube, it is thus 
possible to simplify the transfer of the sliver starting portion into the 
coiler arrangement and also there are dispensed with the need for 
deflection elements for the transport of the sliver. 
In particular, also in those instances where the transport of the sliver 
from the card to the coiler arrangement is accomplished pneumatically, it 
can be advantageous to work with a more intensified air flow for the 
drawing-in of a new sliver than for the normal sliver transport. To this 
end there can be used, by way of example, a ventilator having a two-stage 
suction operation which is employed as the negative pressure source, or it 
is also possible to arrange, for instance, between the transport tube and 
the infeed or delivery connection a compressed air injector. 
The invention has particular advantage with those types of coiler 
arrangements in which the funnel wheel is arranged in a rotatable plate or 
turntable and apart from its own revolving motion together with the 
rotatable plate also revolves about the axis of the latter. This enables 
dispensing with the need for imparting a rotational movement to the sliver 
cans. In this case the infeed or delivery connection can be revolvingly 
mounted, together with the rotatable plate or turntable, at its portion 
disposed forwardly of the mouthpiece, in order to render possible the 
transfer of the sliver arriving at the coiler arrangement, from the axis 
of the rotatable plate into the axis of the funnel wheel. Preferably, the 
rotatable plate is covered by a hood member which in conjunction with the 
rotatable plate or turntable bounds the compartment. 
In any event, the invention affords the advantage that dust or other 
contaminants, which detach from the sliver during its passage through the 
compaction or pressure rolls, can be withdrawn by the air flow prevailing 
within the compartment. Escape of the dust and other removed contaminants 
into the textile hall or otherwise where the textile machines are erected, 
or deposition of such dust or the like upon parts of the sliver 
can-compaction arrangement, is thereby effectively precluded. 
According to a further preferred constructional embodiment of the invention 
the mouthpiece tapers in the direction of the sliver outlet opening, in 
order to obtain a compaction of the sliver which arrives in the sliver 
can. This tapering or constriction of the mouthpiece is preferably 
realized by imparting thereto a conical configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Describing now the drawings, it is to be expressly understood that only 
enough of the coiler arrangement has been shown in the drawings in order 
to enable those skilled in the art to readily understand the underlying 
principles and concepts of the present development. Turning attention now 
to FIG. 1, reference character 2 designates a rotatable plate or turntable 
of a coiler arrangement constructed according to the invention. The 
rotatable plate or turntable 2 is conveniently mounted in any appropriate 
fashion to be rotatable within a housing 4 about a substantially vertical 
axis 6. At the rotatable plate or turntable 2, which is connected with any 
suitable standard drive device (not shown), there are, firstly, rotatably 
mounted two coacting pressure or compaction rolls 8 which are rotatable 
about essentially horizontally dispositioned axes. On the other hand, the 
rotatable plate or turntable 2 carries, for rotational movement about an 
axis 10 which is eccentrically disposed with respect to the turntable axis 
6, a schematically illustrated funnel or trumpet wheel 12 or equivalent 
structure. The pressure or compaction rolls 8 and the funnel wheel 12 
equally are drivingly connected with the conventional drive device, and 
the delivery speed of the pressure or compaction rolls 8 corresponds to 
the speed of movement of the funnel wheel 12 along its path about the axes 
6 and 10. 
In order to automatically draw-in band-like textile material, here assumed 
to be sliver which is delivered for instance from a card, into the coiler 
arrangement, i.e. between the compaction or pressure rolls 8, these 
pressure rolls 8 together with the rotatable plate or turntable 2 and a 
hood member 14 bound a compartment or chamber 16. The hood member 14 
covers the rotatable plate or turntable 2 and is sealingly attached with 
the housing 4. To accomplish the automatic threading or drawing-in of the 
sliver between the pressure rolls 8, the rotatable plate or turntable 2 is 
advantageously provided with a hollow cylindrical, downwardly directed 
extension or projection 18 which merges with the surfaces of the pressure 
rolls 8 and only leaves therebetween a running play. Compartment 16 is 
connected by means of a conduit or line 20 attached to the hood member 14, 
with a suitable source of negative pressure, here generally indicated by 
reference character 50, and specifically constituted, by way of example, 
as a ventilator or fan which can be operated with two selectable suction 
stages. Two-stage ventilators or fans suitable for the purposes of the 
invention are well known in the art. In the arrangement shown, the conduit 
20 therefore is connected with the suction side of the ventilator 50. 
Continuing, it will be seen that an attachment portion 22 of a delivery or 
infeed connection 24 is flanged with the hood member 14, and specifically, 
so as to be coaxially positioned with respect to the rotatable plate or 
turntable 2. By means of an aperture or opening 15 provided at the hood 
member 14 the attachment portion 22 is connected with a portion or section 
26 which is part of the infeed or delivery connection or connection means 
24. The approximately S-shaped connection portion or section 26 possesses 
an end leg or region 28 which extends essentially coaxially with respect 
to the rotatable plate or turntable 2, this end leg or region 28 being 
retained in a suitable bearing arrangement 32, such as a ball bearing, by 
means of a sealing collar or sleeve 30. The ball bearing or bearing means 
32 is arranged in a bearing eyelet or boss 34 provided at the inner 
surface of the hood or cover member 14. The sealing collar 30 seals the 
gap between the connection portion or section 26 and the hood member 14. 
A second end leg or portion 70 of the section 26, the latter being attached 
by means of an attachment bracket 38 or equivalent fastening means with 
the rotatable plate or turntable 2, extends essentially coaxially with 
respect to the funnel wheel 12. This second end leg or portion 70 contains 
a mouthpiece 40 and extends, by means of such mouthpiece 40, through the 
extension or projection 18 directly up to the region of the pressure or 
compaction rolls 8. The mouthpiece 40 possesses a sliver outlet or 
discharge opening 44 which is directed into the roll nip or gap, generally 
indicated by reference character 42 (FIG. 2) of a pair of pressure or 
compaction rolls 8. 
Distributed about the circumference or periphery of the mouthpiece 40 are 
air outlet openings 46, and between these openings 46 there are formed at 
the substantially cylindrical inner surface 40a of the mouthpiece 40 guide 
surfaces 48. 
With the illustrated exemplary embodiment of coiler arrangement it is to be 
understood that the same is connected by means of its infeed or delivery 
connection 24 with a not particularly shown transport tube or pipe 
extending directly up to the region of the card. If the card is placed 
into operation and if it begins to deliver a sliver, then also the coiler 
arrangement and its ventilator 50 are placed into operation at its higher 
suction stage. Consequently, a transport air flow or current is generated 
within the transport tube which is connected with the compartment or 
chamber 16 by means of the infeed or delivery connection 24 and its 
mouthpiece 40. This transport air current is thus effective in the 
direction of the coiler arrangement. The sliver starting portion which has 
been prepared in conventional fashion for introduction into the pair of 
pressure rolls 8, and which has been manually placed at the inlet opening 
of the transport tube, is now engaged by the transport air current and 
automatically presented to the coiler arrangement in that the starting 
portion of the sliver is introduced into the infeed or delivery connection 
24. But also the infeed of the sliver starting portion between the 
pressure rolls 8 is automatically accomplished. The transport air, flowing 
into the mouthpiece 40, already practically completely flows out of the 
mouthpiece 40 into the compartment or chamber 16 before reaching the 
sliver outlet or discharge opening 44. In this regard it has been found to 
be important to ensure that the entire cross-sectional area of the 
openings 46 is greater than the cross-section or cross-sectional area of 
the mouthpiece 40. 
Hence, during the passage of the starting portion of the sliver through the 
mouthpiece 40 there is effective a tension force which decreases in the 
direction of the outlet opening 44. However, the kinetic energy which is 
present at the sliver starting portion and the tension force exerted upon 
the following portion of the sliver is sufficient in order to move the 
sliver starting portion into the roll nip 42 and to bring such sliver 
starting portion into contact with the pressure or compaction rolls 8. By 
means of the exerted friction between the sliver starting portion and the 
pressure rolls 8 the sliver starting portion is then seized by the 
pressure rolls 8 and fed to the funnel wheel 12. 
At the latest during this point in time, but if desired already when the 
sliver starting portion has passed the attachment section or portion 22 of 
the infeed connection 24, the ventilator 50 can then be switched to its 
lower suction stage. Upon passage of the sliver through the mouthpiece 40 
the sliver starting portion is supported by the guide surfaces 48 for such 
length of time as there is present an outwardly directed air flow, which 
otherwise could deflect such sliver starting portion. 
With the second exemplary embodiment illustrated by way of example in FIG. 
3 the mouthpiece, here designated by reference character 60, is structured 
as a compaction or condenser funnel. This mouthpiece 60 formed, for 
instance, as a hollow truncated conical portion, possesses a 
cross-sectional area for its band outlet opening 62 which is appreciably 
reduced in relation to the cross-sectional area of the infeed connection 
portion 26. The effect of the mouthpiece 60 upon the prepared, i.e. 
twisted together and tapered sliver starting portion, is the same as for 
the mouthpiece 40 discussed above with respect to the embodiment 
illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The air flows through approximately 
horizontal slots or exit openings 64, while the sliver can be supported at 
the guide surfaces 66 of the mouthpiece 60. On the other hand, if the 
starting portion of the sliver is seized by the pressure rolls 8 and 
non-compacted sliver enters the mouthpiece 60, then the air assumes the 
flow path at the side of the mouthpieace 60 which is provided with the 
slots or openings 64. 
Hence, the sliver is supported by the surface 68 of the mouthpiece 60, this 
surface 68 being located opposite to the air outflow slots 64 and being 
smooth and free of any openings or interruptions. Notwithstanding the 
radial compression or pressure action which the mouthpiece 60 exerts upon 
the sliver, the latter does not become caught within the mouthpiece 60. 
The compaction of the sliver in the mouthpiece 60 renders it possible to 
appreciably more intensely fill the sliver cans. 
While there are shown and described present preferred embodiments of the 
invention, it is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not 
limited thereto, but may be otherwise variously embodied and practised 
within the scope of the following claims. Accordingly,