Combing machine

The combing machine has at least one combing head having combing elements and a carrier for a lap roll for combing. Two pairs of transport rollers and a pair of pressing rollers are provided in the path of the lap from the lap roll to the combing elements. A movable deflector or element is also disposed adjacent the pressing rollers for a lap end. An automatic lap change is carried out when the lap has approximately completely unwound from the roll. The transport roller pairs are used to tear the lap therebetween with the resulting lap end advancing to the pressing rollers which is then stopped. After a fresh lap roll is placed in the machine, the forward end of the lap is moved between the transporting rollers and severed to form a second lap end. The deflector element serves to place the end of the fresh lap onto the previous lap end for combining within the pressure rolls.

This invention relates to a combing machine. More particularly, this 
invention relates to a combing machine for exchanging lap rolls. 
As is known, various types of combing machines have been provided with a 
carrier means for supporting a lap roll as well as a combing head having 
combing elements for receiving and combing a lap supplied from the lap 
roll for example, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,895,177 and French 
Patent 2,401,593. It has also been known to dispose a detector, for 
example a photo electric cell or a light barrier in a combing machine of 
this kind in order to bring the machine to a stop when the end of a lap, 
i.e. a lap sliver runs, off the roll. In such cases, the carrier means is 
then refilled with a fresh lap roll either manually or by a transport 
means. The start of the lap from the fresh roll is then placed manually on 
the end of the lap from the previous roll. In some cases, the end of the 
lap from the previous roll may have to be torn to an appropriate length. 
The two lap ends are then connected by pressure, whereupon the machine can 
re-start. 
Machines of the above type, however, require substantial time in order to 
carry out the piecing of the lap ends together. In addition, significant 
down time of the machine is required in order to bring about the 
connection of the fresh lap end to the previous lap end. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,559,074 describes a lap changer for a combing machine 
wherein a spare roll is mounted vertically above a working roll and which 
is dropped under gravity onto a nearly spent roll in the working position 
of the changer. In order to piece up the fresh lap onto the spent lap, the 
end of the spent lap is not allowed to unwind fully. Instead, the spent 
roll is allowed to sag to depress a trip in order to effect a change. 
However, such a structure is rather cumbersome and requires a significant 
amount of space relative to a combing head. 
Accordingly, it is an object to the invention to automate the connection of 
a fresh lap to the end of a lap delivered to a combing elements of the 
combing machine. 
It is another object of the invention to automate the operation of a 
combing machine in the supply of fresh lap to the machine. 
It is another object of the invention to provide a combing machine of 
simple construction which is fully automated. 
Briefly, the invention provides a combing machine with a carrier means for 
supporting a lap roll thereon and at least one combing head having a 
plurality of combing elements for receiving a lap from the carrier means 
and a first pair of transport rollers between the carrier means and the 
combing elements for conveying a lap therebetween. 
In accordance with the invention, a means is provided for severing a lap 
extending between the transport rollers and the combing elements. In 
addition, a means is provided for connecting a first lap end from a lap 
extending in a upstream direction from the combing head with a second lap 
end from a lap extending in a downstream direction from the transport 
rollers. 
In addition, a detector means is provided for determining the time at which 
a lap on a first lap roll on the carrier means has approximately 
completely left the lap roll as well as a control means which is 
responsive to the detector means in order to sequentially actuate the 
severing means to sever a first lap between the transport rollers and the 
combing elements in order to form a first lap end extending to the combing 
elements and to thereafter sever a second lap from a newly supplied lap 
roll and extending from the transport rollers to form a second lap end 
extending to the transport rollers. 
The means for connecting the lap ends includes a pair of pressing rolls 
adjacent the combing elements and a deflector means is also provided in 
the form of a movable deflector element for directing a second lap end 
onto the first lap end adjacent the pressing rollers for combining between 
the pressing rollers. 
The severing means may be formed of a second pair of transport rollers 
downstream of the first pair of transport rollers for conveying a lap 
therebetween and drive means for effecting a differential rotation between 
the pairs of transport rollers in order to sever a lap extending 
therebetween. The differential rotation between the pairs of transport 
rollers may be effected by driving one pair of transport rollers slower 
than the other or by rotating the pairs of transport rollers in opposite 
directions. 
The control means which is actuated by the detector means is programmed to 
effect a sequence of operations of the respective transport rollers, 
pressing rollers and movable deflector element so as to effect an 
automatic piecing together of a fresh lap end to a lap end of a previously 
supplied lap. To this end, the control means first actuates the two pairs 
of transport rollers so as to sever a lap therebetween. The trailing end 
of the lap is then conveyed to a point short of the pressing rollers and 
the pressing rollers are stopped. The severed end of the lap which remains 
between the transport rollers of the first pair of transport rollers is 
then removed, for example, by continued rotation of these rollers or by a 
reverse rotation of the rollers. To this end, a suction device may be 
provided for drawing off the severed end of the lap. 
Thereafter, after a fresh lap roll has been placed on the carrier means, 
the first pair of transport rollers is actuated so as to deliver the 
forward end of the fresh lap to the second pair of transport rollers. The 
two pairs of transport rollers are then actuated to sever the lap 
therebetween and thus form a second lap end. Thereafter, this second lap 
end is directed by the deflector element onto the lap at the pressing 
rollers and the pressing rollers re-started so as to affect combining of 
the lap ends. 
The invention is particularly suitable for a combing machine comprising one 
or more groups of combing heads, e.g. a group of eight combing heads or 
two groups each of four combing heads. The lap roll change in all the 
combing heads of a group can then be performed simultaneously in each 
case. The above-described control means simultaneously performing the 
actuations at all the combing heads of the group. To start the control 
means, each combing head of the group is advantageously provided with its 
own detector means so that the control means is triggered as soon as the 
first lap sliver has approximately completely unwound from the first roll 
at a combing head of the group. The first lap slivers are then 
automatically severed at the same height at all the combing heads of the 
group, new rolls are supplied, the second lap slivers are severed from the 
new rolls at the same height and the lap ends are interconnected.

Referring to FIG. 1, the combing machine has a combing head which is 
provided with a plurality of cutting elements, such as, a circular comb 1, 
a top comb 2, two detaching rollers 3 and a nipper unit comprising a lower 
nipper 4 and an upper nipper 5 pivotable with respect to the lower nipper. 
A drivable feed roller 6 is mounted in the lower nipper 4 and a lap 7 for 
combing is fed to the roller 6. 
The lap 7 in sliver form comes from a roll 8 carried by a carrier means 
which, in the embodiment illustrated, consists of two parallel lap rollers 
9 and 10 on which the lap roll 8 bears. 
The combing machine also has a pair of transport rollers 9, 11 for 
conveying the lap 7 from the lap roll 8. As illustrated, one of the 
rollers 9 of the carrier means serves as one of the transport rollers 
while the other roller 11 serves as a biasing roller. Alternatively, the 
transport rollers may be separate from the front lap roll 9. In either 
case, the transport rollers are driven by a drive means 12. 
The combing machine also has a means of severing a lap 7 downstream of the 
transport rollers 9, 11. As illustrated, the severing means is in the form 
of a second transport roller pair 13, 14 disposed after the first 
transport roller pair 9, 11 and driven by a second controlled drive means 
15. In normal operation of the combing machine, the two transport roller 
pairs 9, 11 and 13, 14 run at the same circumferential speeds. When a lap 
sliver is to be separated or torn, the drive means 12 and 15 are so 
controlled as explained hereinafter that they rotate the two transport 
roller pairs 9, 11 and 13, 14 to effect a differential rotation, e.g. by 
rotating the roller pairs at different circumferential speeds and/or in 
different directions, so the lap 7 tears between the two transport roller 
pairs. Alternatively, the first transport roller pair 9, 11 may be stopped 
and the second 13, 14 may continue to be driven or else the first roller 
pair 9, 11 may be driven in the opposite direction while the second pair 
13, 14 is stationary. In either case, the lap sliver is severed. 
The combing machine also has means for connecting the two lap ends 
together, i.e. the trailing lap end of the lap running to the combing 
elements 1-5 and the forward lap end of the lap extending from the fresh 
lap roll. 
The means for connecting the first lap end to the second lap end comprises 
a pressing roller pair 16, 17 driven by a drive means 18, and a movable 
deflector element for at least one of two lap ends which are to be 
interconnected. In the embodiment illustrated, the deflector element is a 
slide 19 which is disposed upstream of the pressing roller pair 16, 17 in 
the direction of movement of the lap 7 and is moved, for example, by a 
piston and cylinder unit 20. 
FIG. 1 shows the combing head as described in normal operation. The lap 7 
is unwound from the roll 8 by rotation of the lap roller 9, is fed to the 
combing elements 1-5 by the pairs of transport rollers 13, 14 and 16, 17 
rotating at the same circumferential speed, and is combed out by the 
combing elements. In FIG. 1, however, the lap sliver 7 has already 
practically completely unwound from the roll 8. This time is detected by a 
detector means, e.g. a photo-electric cell 21, which detects the passage 
of the end 7a of the lap 7 on the core 8a of the roll 8, by responding, 
for example, to the different brightnesses and/or colors of the lap 7 and 
of the core 8a. Of course, other detector means are possible for this 
purpose. 
The detector means 21 delivers a signal to a control means 22 which then so 
controls the drive means 12, 15 and 18 and other drive means in the 
combing machine that a change of lap is performed automatically. 
The control means 22 first actuates a piston and cylinder unit 23 which 
pivots the rear lap roller 10 away downwards as shown in FIG. 2. The 
almost empty core 8a therefore rolls by gravity rearwardly on a suitable 
guide 24 as far as a collector means in the form of a trough-shaped plate 
25. The remaining lap is unwound from the core 8a in these conditions. 
The control means 22 then controls the drive means 12 (FIG. 1) to stop the 
transport roller pair 9, 11 or rotates the same in the reverse direction. 
The lap 7 is therefore torn by the second transport roller pair 13, 14 
which continues to rotate normally. The tearing takes place between the 
two transport roller pairs 9, 11 and 13, 14, so that a new rear lap end 7b 
is formed at an accurately defined location on the lap 7 running to the 
combing elements 1-5, as shown in FIG. 3. 
The second transport roller pair 13, 14 and the pressing roller pair 16, 17 
continue to rotate until the newly formed rear lap end 7b stops just 
before the pressing roller pair 16, 17 as shown in FIG. 4. The drive means 
18 of the pressing roller pair 16, 17 is then stopped and at the same time 
the combing elements 1-6 (FIG. 1) are also stopped. 
When the first transport roller pair 9, 11 has simply been stopped to tear 
the lap 7, the severed rear end portion 7c of the lap 7 is still retained 
in the transport roller pair 9, 11 as shown in FIG. 4. The transport 
roller pair 9, 11 is therefore now rotated again in the forward direction 
together with the second transport roller pair 13, 14 to deliver the end 
portion 7c to a suction-extraction duct 26 by means of which the end 
portion 7c is removed. Alternatively, the end portion 7c may be removed by 
a suction-extraction duct 27 disposed further to the rear, the first 
transport roller pair 9, 11 now being rotated in the reverse direction 
until the start of the end portion 7c drops into this suction-extraction 
duct 27. If, however, the first transport roller pair 9, 11 has already 
been rotated sufficiently in the reverse direction to tear the lap 7, the 
start of the end portion 7c can drop without difficulty into the duct 27 
and no further rotation is required. 
The rear lap roller 10 is then pivoted back into the top position or the 
normal working position by actuation of the piston and cylinder unit 23. 
The control means 22 then actuates a lap roll transport device, of which 
FIG. 5 shows only an arm 28 with a supporting trunnion 29. The roll 
transport device brings up and places a new lap roll 8' on the lap rollers 
9, 10. 
The transport roller pairs, 9, 11 and 13, 14 are then rotated in the 
forward direction so that the lap roller 9 rotates the lap roll 8'. The 
surface of the lap roller 9 is air-permeable, e.g. perforate, and a 
stationary tube 9a is disposed in the interior and has a slot 9b in a top 
zone. Suction is now produced in this tube 9a so that air is sucked 
through the slot 9b and the air-permeable surface of the lap roller 9. The 
start 7a' of the lap sliver 7' from the fresh roll 8' is therefore 
subjected to suction from the lap roller 9 as soon as the start 7a' 
reaches the latter. Consequently, as shown in FIG. 5, the start 7a' is 
applied to the circumference of the lap roller 9. The lap 7' is then moved 
downwards by the transport roller pairs 9, 11 and 13, 14. 
After the start 7a' of the lap sliver 7' has passed through the second 
transport roller pair 13, 14, the first transport roller pair 9, 11 is 
stopped after a predetermined interval or else the second transport roller 
pair 13, 14 is accelerated with respect to the 20 first pair 9, 11. As a 
result, the lap 7' is torn between the two transport roller pairs, 9, 11 
and 13, 14 i.e., a new front lap end 7b' is formed at an accurately 
defined location on the lap 7' coming from the roll 8' as shown in FIG. 6. 
The severed end portion 7c' of the lap 7' is then sucked into the 
suction-extraction duct 26 and removed after passing completely through 
the second transport roller pair 13, 14. 
The two transport roller pairs 9, 11 and 13, 14 then continue to run at the 
same circumferential speeds and move the lap 7' downwards as the lap 7' 
comes from the roll 8, Once the new front lap end 7b' has approximately 
reached the position shown in FIG. 7 in front of the pressing roller pair 
16, 17 or between the latter and the slide 19, the control means 22 
actuates the piston end cylinder unit 20 to move the slide 19 to the left 
against the pressing roller pair 16, 17. As shown in FIG. 8, in these 
conditions, the slide 19 comes into contact with and places the front lap 
end 7b' on the rear lap end 7b of the lap 7 which is still held in the nip 
of the pressing roller pair 16, 17 and projects therefrom, resting 
partially on the circumference of the bottom pressing roller 17. 
The drive means 18 for the pressing roller pair 16, 17 and at the same time 
the drive means (not shown) for the combing elements 1-6 are then switched 
on again. The rear 7b of the lap 7 is pulled, together with the front end 
7b' of the lap 7' resting thereon, into the pressing roller pair 16, 17 
which presses the two ends 7b and 7b' together and joins them. In these 
conditions, the slide 19 is again pulled back to the right by the piston 
and cylinder unit. The combing head then resumes normal operation. 
FIG. 8 also shows that the collecting means 25 with the empty roll core 8a 
laying thereon has been lifted into an upper position by a drive means in 
the form of a piston and cylinder unit 30. In this upper position, the 
empty roll core 8a is engaged and discharged by the roll transport means 
28, 29 (FIG. 5), whereupon the collecting means 25 is again lowered into 
the starting position, as shown in FIG. 1. 
The combing head can be disposed in a combing machine in a group of combing 
heads in which combined drive means are provided for the combing elements 
1-5 of all the combing heads of the group. The control means 22 is then 
associated jointly with all the combing heads of the group. The drive 
means controlled by the control means 22, more particularly the drive 
means 12, 15 and 18, and the piston and cylinder units 20, 23 and 30, 
together with the means for generating suction in the front lap roller 9 
and in the suction-extraction ducts 26 and 27 and the roll transport means 
(28,29) can also be associated jointly with all the combing heads of the 
group (although the common control means could in principle also control 
separate drive means and so on). 
On the other hand, each combing head of the group has its own associated 
detector means 21 (FIG. 1). As soon as the lap sliver 7 has substantially 
completely unwound from the roll 8 at one of the combing heads, the 
associated detector means 21 delivers a signal to the common control means 
22 which then simultaneously performs the above-described lap roll change 
at all the combing heads of the group. At the start of the lap roll change 
operation, there may still be different lengths of lap 7 on the lap roll 
cores 8a in the various combing heads of the group. Then new rear lap ends 
7b formed by the simultaneous severing (tearing) of the lap slivers 7 
between the transport roller pairs 9, 11 and 13, 14 are, however, then at 
the same height in all the combing heads of the group. Similarly, the new 
front lap ends 7b' formed by tearing the new lap slivers 7' are at the 
same height in all the combing heads even if the start 7a' of the lap on 
the new lap rolls' 8' supplied by the lap roll transport means (28,29) did 
not lie exactly at the same place on the circumference. The front lap ends 
7b' can therefore then be joined to the rear lap ends 7b without 
difficulty in the same way in all the combing heads by the slides 19 (or a 
common slide 19) and the pressing rollers 16, 17. 
In the combing head described, on the change of lap, both the lap 7 and 
then the lap 7' are respectively severed or torn from the lap roll 8 and 
the new lap roll 8' by differential drive of the two transport roller 
pairs 9, 11 and 13, 14. In modified embodiments, however, separate means 
could of course be provided for severing the lap 7 and for severing the 
lap 7'. Also, there is no absolute need for a second transport roller pair 
for severing purposes. Instead, other severing means adapted to be 
actuated by the control means 22 may be provided. 
The sequence of operation of the various components of the combing machine 
is controlled by the control means 22 as well as the timing of each. In 
addition, suitable sensors may be provided, for example, adjacent the 
pressing rollers 16, 17 to sense when the trailing end of a lap 7b arrives 
near the pressing roller 16, 17, for example, at the point indicated in 
FIG. 4. Similar sensors may also be provided to sense when the start 7a' 
of a lap 7' has passed between the first pair of transport rollers 9, 11. 
The restart of the pressing rollers 16, 17 occurs, for example when the 
front end of the start 7a' of the new lap 7' arise at a predetermined 
position at the pressing rollers 16, 17, e.g. as determined by a sensor. 
The invention thus provides the combing machine in which the piecing of a 
fresh lap to a previously delivered lap can be automatically effected.