Device for supplying fibres to a filling instrument in a brush manufacturing machine

Abstract: Device for supplying fibres to a filling instrument of a brush manufacturing machine which contains a fibre cartridge (4) with at least two fibre supply ducts (5-6-7-8-9) on the one hand, and which is provided with a drawer (10-33) with loading spaces (11) which are used to move the fibres (2) coming from the fibre cartridge (4) to a bundle remover (14) working in conjunction with the above-mentioned filling instrument (3) on the other hand, characterized in that between each fibre supply duct (5-6-7-8-9) concerned of the fibre cartridge (4) and the above-mentioned drawer (10-33), means (16) are provided which make it possible for certain loading spaces (11) to work exclusively with certain fibre supply ducts (5-6-7-8-9).

Description: The present invention concerns a device for supplying fibres to a filling instrument of a brush manufacturing machine, in particular a device of the type which contains a fibre cartridge with at least two fibre supply ducts on the one hand, and which is provided with a drawer with loading spaces which are used to move the fibres coming from the fibre cartridge to a bundle remover working in conjunction with the above-mentioned filling instrument on the other hand. A device of the above-mentioned type is known from EP 0.206.385 of the applicant. Although this known device provides good results, it is disadvantageous in that it is very complexe when more then two types of fibres are used. Another type of device is known from EP 0.681.796. For the selective supply of the fibres from the fibre cartridge, use is hereby made of moveable closing devices working in conjunction with the ends of the fibre supply ducts which, thanks to their movement, make it possible for the bundle remover of the filling instrument to remove fibres from only one of the fibre supply ducts during every cycle. Since the fibre supply ducts are hereby situated with their ends directly along the path followed by the bundle remover, and since such bundle remover is relatively small, the number of fibre supply ducts which can be erected along this path is in practice limited to two. Some known types of devices, as for example the device described in DE 4,040,297, can be extended with several fibre supply ducts, but they are disadvantageous in that they have a complex construction, a larger inertia and sometimes there is a risk of the different types of fibres being mingled. The complexity of the construction hereby has a direct impact on the cost price and the user-friendliness of the brush manufacturing machine. The large inertia restricts the switching frequency, in other words the switching between different sorts of fibres. The mixing of different sorts of fibres is inadmissible from an aesthetic point of view for the product to be manufactured, in other words the brush to be manufactured. Also, the present invention concerns a device for supplying fibres to the filling instrument of a brush manufacturing machine whereby one or several of the above-mentioned disadvantages are excluded. To this end, the invention concerns a device of the above-mentioned type, whereby between each fibre supply duct concerned of the fibre cartridge and the above-mentioned drawer, means are provided which make it possible for certain loading spaces to work exclusively with certain fibre supply ducts, characterised in that said means consist of movable elements which either function as fibre separators and which are each provided with at least one fibre take-up space which can be put in at least two positions, namely one position in which the fibre take-up space is in connection with the f ibre supply duct concerned on the one hand, and a position in which the fibre take-up space is in connection with the side of the drawer in which the above-mentioned loading spaces are provided, on the other hand; or are each provided with a passage duct which can be put in at least two positions thanks to the movement of the movable element, namely a position in which a connection is formed between the fibre supply duct and the drawer, and a position in which this passage duct is separated from the drawer, so that the above-mentioned connection is interrupted. The above mentioned means offer the advantage that the drawer can be moved along different fibre supply ducts with its loading spaces without the fibres being mixed and that the loading spaces and fibre supply ducts can be selectively connected to one another in a very efficient manner. According to a preferred embodiment, the number of loading spaces of the drawer will be larger than the number of fibre supply ducts. In particular, the number of loading spaces is preferably at least the double of the number of fibre supply ducts. This offers the advantage that there are several loading spaces per type of fibre, so that it becomes possible to supply similar fibres to the drawer during the removal of fibres from the drawer by means of the bundle remover. This makes it possible to work with relatively small loading spaces, which offers the advantage that the drawer only has to carry out small movements, which promotes the operational speed of the device. According to a preferred embodiment, the above-mentioned movable elements are rotatable. By making use of rotating elements, the whole can be made very compact, so that also the inertia losses can be restricted. The device also offers the advantage that no large masses have to be removed thanks to the use of relatively simple rotating parts, so that the operational speed is higher than in the known devices, which offers as an additional advantage that an almost unlimited number of fibres can be processed. In order to better explain the characteristics of the invention, the following preferred embodiments are described as an example only, without being limitative in any way, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: figure 1 shows a device according to the invention, as seen from above; figure 2 shows a section according to line II-II in figure 1; figure 3 shows the part indicated in figure 1 with F3, but for another position; figures 4, 5 and 6 show variants of the device of figure 1. As is represented in figure 1, the invention concerns a device 1 for supplying fibres 2 to a filling instrument 3 in a brush manufacturing machine. The device 1 contains a fibre cartridge 4 with at least two and in this case five fibre supply ducts 5-6-7-8-9 and a drawer 10 with loading spaces 11. The fibre cartridge 4 is provided in the known manner with press-on means 12 for the fibres 2. The fibre supply ducts 5-6-7-8-9 can be filled with different fibres 2, whereby these fibres 2 can be of different sorts, by which is implied that the fibres 2 can have different dimensions and/or can be of a different colour and/or of a different nature. The difference between the fibres 2 is schematically indicated in figure 1 with the letters A-B-C-D-E. The drawer 10 is erected such that fibre bundles 13 can be taken out of it by means of a bundle remover 14 known as such, which puts these fibre bundles 13 into the filling instrument 3, whereby the latter in turn inserts said fibre bundles 13 in a brush body 15. The bundle remover 14 and the filling instrument 3 are driven in the known way, which is not represented here. In the example of figure 1, the drawer 10 according to the invention is circular-shaped and it can rotate around its centre, either by means of rotations which are always carried out in the same direction or by means of rotations to and fro. The loading spaces 11 are hereby adjacent to the circumference of the circular drawer 10 with their open sides. The fibre supply ducts 5-6-7-8-9 are erected along the outer perimeter of the drawer 10. The number of loading spaces 11 of the drawer 10, in this case "24", is preferably considerably larger than the number of fibre supply ducts 5-6-7-8-9, in this case "5" . The invention is special in that between each fibre supply duct 5-6-7-8-9 concerned and the drawer 10, means 16 are provided which make it possible for certain loading spaces 11 to work exclusively in conjunction with certain fibre supply ducts. These means 16 consist of moving elements 17, in particular rotating elements which can act as fibre separators and which are each provided with at least one fibre take-up space 18 which, as a result of the rotation of the element 17 concerned, can be put in at least two positions, namely a position in which the fibre take-up space 18 concerned is connected to the accompanying fibre supply duct on the one hand, and a position in which the fibre take-up space 18 is connected to the outside of the drawer 10, in other words the side in which the above-mentioned loading spaces 11 open on the other hand. The fibre take-up spaces 18 are each provided with press-on means so as to obtain that the fibres 2 provided therein are put under pressure and, as will be described hereafter, can be pushed from the fibre take-up space 18 in a loading space 11. In the given example, these press-on means consist of end parts 19 made of an elastic, deformable material, such as rubber. It should be noted that, according to a variant which is not represented here, these press-on means can also be carried out in another way. For example, the end parts 19 may also consist of elements made of a non-deformable material which are erected such that they can move in relation to the elements 17, whereby these end parts are then pressed against the fibres 2 with means which can be elastically pressed in, for example springs, air cylinders, rubber pieces or such. Also, the press-on means can be carried out such that the pressure on the fibres 2 in the take-up spaces 18 can be reduced or entirely removed when fibres 2 have to be taken up from the corresponding fibre supply duct 5-6-7-8 or 9. Conversely, the pressure on the fibres 2 in the take-up space 18 can also be increased when fibres 2 have to be carried to a corresponding loading space 11, and this also by means of suitable press-on means which are driven for example by means of a control or whose pressure varies as a function of the angular position of the element 17 concerned. It should be noted that the various parts operate mainly in one and the same plane and that they are confined by a basic element 20 which prevents the fibres 2 from coming out of the fibre supply ducts 5-6-7-8-9, the fibre take-up spaces 18 or the loading spaces 11. This basic element also provides for a supporting plate over which the fibres 2 shift. Further, the device 1 is provided with coupling means 21 with which the drawer 10 on the one hand and the above-mentioned means 16 on the other hand, in other words the rotating elements 17, are mutually connected to one another, such that, thanks to a suitable drive of the drawer 10 and the elements 17, only fibres of a particular sort are supplied to each of the loading spaces 11. The coupling means 21 in this case consist of a control 22 with which the drives 23 and 24, for controlling the drawer 10 and for controlling the means 16 respectively, in particular the rotation of the moveable elements 17, are controlled. The drive 23 consists for example, as is schematically represented, of a stepping motor or servomotor 25 which provides for the rotation of the circular drawer 10 by means of a gear wheel transmission 26. Each of the drives 24 preferably also consists of a stepping motor or servomotor with which the corresponding element 17 can be driven. The latter stepping motors or servomotors are erected for example under the elements 17. Further, the drawer 10 is equipped with a press-on element 27 with which the fibres 2 of every loading space 11 positioned in front of the bundle remover 14 can be put under pressure, so that fibres 2 are pressed in the recess 28 of the bundle remover 14. The press-on force of this press-on element 27 is supplied by means of a spring 29. For practical reasons, several of the parts moving along each other can be made overlapping as seen from above so as to prevent the fibres 2 from penetrating between these parts. As represented in figure 2, the partition walls 30 which separate the different loading spaces 11 from one another also have parts 31 which extend over the edge of the basic element 20. In these partition walls 30 are moreover provided recesses 32, so that the rotation of the drawer 10 is not impeded by the fact that the elements 17 are partly situated inside the circular opening of the basic element 20 in which the drawer 10 is provided. The working of the device from figure 1 can be easily derived from figures 1 and 3 and is further described for the first fibre supply duct 5. By putting the element 17 which belongs to the fibre supply duct 5 in a position as represented in figure 1, fibres 2 from the fibre supply duct 5 are pressed in the accompanying fibre take-up space 18 thanks to the force delivered by the press-on means 12. The press-on force of the press-on means 12 is hereby selected such that not only the fibre take-up space 18 is filled with fibres 2, but also the end part 19 concerned is elastically pressed in. By rotating the drawer 10 and by putting it opposite the above-mentioned element 17 together with a certain loading space 11 to be filled up and by putting this element 17 with its fibre take-up space 18 in the position of figure 3, part of the fibres 2 of the fibre take-up space 18 is pressed in the opposite loading space 11 with the help of the spring force exerted by the end part 19. Thanks to the rotation of the drawer 10 and the exact positioning thereof is obtained that in every working cycle of the filling instrument 3, fibres 2 of the desired sort - A, B, C, D or E - can be presented to the bundle remover 14. At the moment when a loading space 11 is positioned in front of the bundle remover 14, the fibres 2 which are present in this loading space 11 are pressed against the bundle remover 14 by means of the above-mentioned press-on element 27, such that a fibre bundle 13 can be separated. It is clear that it is possible to work with relatively little loading spaces 11 and fibre take-up spaces 18, so that the movements to be carried out by the drawer 10 can be kept very restricted, as a result of which different loading spaces 11, and consequently different sorts of fibres 2, can be successively presented to the bundle remover 14 in a very fast manner. Since several loading spaces 11 can be provided per sort of fibre 2, this offers the advantage that the drawer 10 can be filled up with a specific sort of fibres 2, whereas fibres 2 of the same sort can be taken from the drawer 10 by the bundle remover 14. The number of loading spaces 11 does not have to be the same for every sort of fibres 2. Thus, several loading spaces 11 can be provided for a type of fibres 2 of which a larger number is used. Thus, the switching frequency of the moveable elements 17 may also vary between the moveable elements 17. It is clear that the above-mentioned coupling means 21, as well as the drives 23-24, can also be of a different nature. Hereby it is not excluded to couple the drawer 10 and the moveable elements 17 by means of a mere mechanical transmission, such as a gear wheel transmission or a belt transmission. Use can also be made of coupling means and/or drives of a pneumatic or hydraulic nature. As was made clear before, the transmission ratio or the regularity of the movement between the drive means of the drawer 10 and the moveable elements 17 does not have to be the same for all moveable elements 17. Figure 4 represents a variant in which use is also made of a rotating drawer 10. A major difference, however, with the embodiment of figure 1 consists in that the fibre supply ducts, in this case two ducts, 5 and 6 respectively, and the above-mentioned means 16, in particular the elements 17, are located between the circularly erected loading spaces 11 of the drawer 10. Thus is obtained a very compact design. Another major difference consists in that the loading spaces 11 are made in the shape of passage ducts which can cooperate with the above-mentioned fibre supply ducts 5 and 6 with one end, via the elements 17, and which can cooperate with the bundle remover 14 with their other ends. This offers the advantage that the fibres 2 are always moved forward through the loading spaces 11, such that no fibre masses are formed in these loading spaces 11 which never reach the bundle remover 14. Figure 5 shows a variant in which, instead of a rotating drawer 10, use is made of a straight drawer 33. The rotating elements 17 are in this case erected in one line along the drawer 33. The drive 23 of the drawer 33 consists of a linear displacement mechanism. The working of the embodiment of figure 5 is analogous to the working of the embodiment of figure 4, with this only difference that the drawer 33 is moved to and fro instead of being rotated. Figure 6 shows a variant of the embodiment of figure 5, in which use is also made of a straight drawer 33, but in which the above-mentioned means 16 in this case consist of elements 17 which are provided with a passage duct 34 which, as said element 17 moves, in particular rotates, can be placed in at least two positions, namely a position in which a connection is formed between the fibre supply duct 5, 6, 7 or 8 concerned and the drawer 33, and a position in which this passage duct 34 is separated from the drawer 33, so that the above-mentioned connection is interrupted. The working of the embodiment of figure 6 is practically analogous to the working of that of figure 5, with this only difference that the fibres 2 must not first be taken up in the elements 17 and subsequently be pressed out of these elements again after these elements 17 have been put in another position, but the fibres can now be pressed from the fibre supply duct 5, 6, 7 or 8 in the loading space 11 concerned in a single movement. This offers the advantage that the press-on means, such as the above-mentioned end parts 19, can be omitted. Another advantage consists in that all fibres 2 always move forward and that no fibre masses are formed anywhere which remain in the same place for a long time or practically permanently. It is clear that the elements 17 of figure 6 can also be applied in the embodiments of figures 1 and 4. It is also clear that instead of a straight drawer 33 use can also be made of a drawer with a finite length which is not straight, for example which is bent, and which can rotate to and fro over a certain arch segment. The present invention is by no means restricted to the embodiments described as an example and represented in the accompanying drawings; on the contrary, such a device for supplying fibres to a filling instrument can be made according to all sorts of variants while still remaining within the scope of the invention.

Claims: Device (1) for supplying fibres (2) to a filling instrument (3) of a brush manufacturing machine which contains a fibre cartridge (4) with at least two fibre supply ducts (5-6-7-8-9) on the one hand, and which is provided with a drawer (10, 33) with loading spaces (11) which are used to move the fibres (2) coming from the fibre cartridge (4) to a bundle remover (14) working in conjunction with the above-mentioned filling instrument (3) on the other hand, whereby between each fibre supply duct (5-6-7-8-9) concerned of the fibre cartridge (4) and the above-mentioned drawer (10, 33), means (16) are provided which make it possible for certain loading spaces (11) to work exclusively with certain fibre supply ducts (5-6-7-8-9), characterised in that said means (16) consist of movable elements (17) which : either function as fibre separators and which are each provided with at least one fibre take-up space (18) which can be put in at least two positions, namely one position in which the fibre take-up space (18) is in connection with the fibre supply duct (5-6-7-8-9) concerned on the one hand, and a position in which the fibre take-up space (18) is in connection with the side of the drawer (10, 33) in which the above-mentioned loading spaces (11) are provided, on the other hand; or are each provided with a passage duct (34) which can be put in at least two positions thanks to the movement of the movable element (17), namely a position in which a connection is formed between the fibre supply duct (5-6-7-8-9) and the drawer (10, 33), and a position in which this passage duct (34) is separated from the drawer (10, 33), so that the above-mentioned connection is interrupted. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the drawer (10) is circular-shaped and can rotate, in that said loading spaces (11) are adjacent to the circumference of the circular drawer (10) and in that the fibre supply ducts (5-6-7-8-9) and the movable elements (17) are erected along the outer perimeter of the drawer (10). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the drawer (10) is circular-shaped and can rotate, in that said loading spaces (11) are adjacent to the circumference of the circular drawer (10) and in that the fibre supply ducts (5-6) and the movable elements (17) are situated between the circularly erected loading spaces (11). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the drawer (33) has a finite length, whereby it is either straight or bent, and in that this drawer (33) can be moved to and fro. Device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the loading spaces (11) of the drawer (10, 33) are made in the shape of passage ducts which can cooperate with said fibre supply ducts (5-6-7-8-9) with one end and which can cooperate with the bundle remover (14) with their other ends. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fibre take-up spaces (18) are provided with press-on means with which the fibres (2) are put under pressure. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that it is provided with press-on means which make it possible for the pressure exerted on the fibres (2) in the fibre take-up spaces (18) to be raised or lowered depending on whether the take-up space (18) concerned is connected to a loading space (11) of the drawer (10, 33) or to a fibre supply duct (5-6-7-8-9). Device according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the press-on means which can exert pressure on the fibres (2) in the take-up spaces (18) consist of an end part (19) provided in the take-up space (18) concerned which is erected such that it can move in relation to the moveable element (17) concerned and which can spring against the pressure of an elastically compressible element. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said moveable elements (17), consist of rotating elements. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the number of loading spaces (11) of the drawer (10, 33) is larger than the number of fibre supply ducts (5-6-7-8-9). Device according to claim 10, characterized in that the number of loading spaces (11) of the drawer (10, 33) is at least the double of the number of fibre supply ducts (5-6-7-8-9), and preferably a multiple thereof. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is provided with coupling means (21) with which the drawer (10, 33) on the one hand and the movable elements (17) on the other hand are mutually connected to one another. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that the transmission ratio or the regularity of the movement between the drawer (10, 33) and the movable elements (17) which is determined by the coupling means (21), is the same for all said movable elements (17). Device according to claim 12, characterized in that the transmission ratio or the regularity of the movement between the drawer (10, 33) and the movable elements (17), which is determined by the coupling means (21), is different for said movable elements (17). Device according to any of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that said coupling means (21) consist of any of the following possibilities: a mechanical transmission, such as a gear wheel transmission or a belt transmission; a control (22) with which the drives (23-24), for controlling the drawer (10-33) and for controlling the movable elements (17) respectively, are controlled in the desired manner; a control (22) as mentioned above, whereby the drives (23-24) consist of electric motors, for example step motors or servo motors; coupling means of a pneumatic or hydraulic nature. Device according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is provided with a press-on element (27) which makes it possible to press the fibres (2) out of the loading spaces (11) into the bundle remover (14).

Inventors: BOUCHERIE LEONEL POLYDORE, BOUCHERIE, LEONEL POLYDORE
Applicants: BOUCHERIE NV G B, FIRMA G.B. BOUCHERIE
Application year: 1998
Main classification: A46D3
IPC codes: A46D3