Abstract:
In an apparatus on a carding machine for cotton, synthetic fibers and the like, in which at least one flat bar with a flat clothing is present, in which a clothing strip having a flat clothing, preferably wire hooks, arranged in a strip-form support element, is secured to a support body of the flat bar and lies opposite the clothing of a roller, e.g. the cylinder, the spacing between a surface defined by the tips of the flat clothing and the tip circle of the cylinder clothing decreases in the direction of rotation of the cylinder. In order to be able to alter and adapt the angle (offset) in a simple manner in terms of mechanical engineering, the top face, of the clothing strip and the tip surface of the flat clothing are not aligned parallel with one another.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority from German Patent Application No. 10 2006 006 944.7, dated Feb. 14, 2006, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to an apparatus on a carding machine for cotton, synthetic fibres and the like, in which at least one flat bar with a flat clothing is present. 
     In practice, in the case of the flat system of a flat card, the flat bar is set at an angle (what is known as the taper or offset) to the tangential cylinder plane. This has inter alia the following advantages over the central arrangement: 
     the narrowest spacing of the cylinder is at a defined adjustment edge (heel) which can be emptied out well; 
     The material gradually enters a tapering gap and is opened/cleaned in an improved manner. 
     In certain known arrangements the flat clothing, preferably wire hooks, arranged in a strip-form support element is secured to a carrier body of the flat bar, and lies opposite the clothing of a roller, e.g. the cylinder, the spacing between the tip plane of the flat clothing and the tip circle of the cylinder clothing decreases in the direction of rotation of the cylinder, and the tip plane of the flat clothing and a notional surface—arranged parallel to the tangent to the tip circle of the cylinder clothing at the narrowest point—are arranged at an angle β to one another. 
     In the case of one known apparatus EP 0 866 153 A, a carrier body (profiled member) having a bottom face is present, to which a flexible clothing comprising a carrier layer (base) and hooks embedded therein is secured. The base is adhesively secured to the foot part. The flat bar is guided in its working position (in the main carding zone) such that the tips of the hooks lie in a catchment plane (tip plane) which comprises a very narrow point or very narrow carding line opposite the outer surface of the cylinder. The catchment plane forms an angle β with a notional surface, the notional surface being arranged parallel to the tangent that intersects the outer surface at the above-mentioned narrowest point. To produce the angle β, the flat bar and the carrier body respectively must be designed within an inclination at a corresponding angle, and be both manufactured and mounted at an inclination, i.e. the inclination of the carrier body in relation to the tangent to the outer surface, and hence the angle β, is fixed for each card flat. When the carrier layer with the clothing is exchanged due to wear, the angle β remains the same owing to the parallel arrangement of the top and bottom faces of the carrier layer. With this apparatus, alteration of the angle β or adaptation to changed technical requirements is only possible through a change in the inclination of the carrier body, which is expensive in mechanical engineering terms. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an aim of the invention to produce an apparatus of the kind described initially, which avoids or mitigates the said disadvantages and which in particular allows alteration and adaptation of the angle (offset, taper) in a simple manner in terms of construction. 
     The invention provides a card flat for use on a carding machine, comprising a support body and a clothing strip, the clothing strip comprising clothing arranged in a clothing carrier layer with the clothing having tips which define a tip surface, wherein the clothing strip comprises an upper surface, and said upper surface and the tip surface defined by the clothing tips are oriented in non-parallel relationship. 
     The notional surface defined by the clothing tips is referred to below as the “tip surface” and, in preferred embodiments in which the notional surface defined by the clothing tips is a substantially planar surface, as the “tip plane”. 
     Because the top face and the tip surface are not aligned parallel to one another, i.e. the clothing strips other than rectangular in cross-section, as the carrier layer is being exchanged it is easy to alter the angle (taper), that is, to adjust the spacing between flat clothing and cylinder clothing. Alternatively, an exchange can also be advantageous even when the clothings are not worn, if the angle is to be changed for optimum co-ordination with the fibre material to be processed and/or with an increased production capacity. Advantageously, a clothing on a revolving flat with integrated offset is produced. 
     In a preferred arrangement, the tip surface is substantially planar and the upper surface of the clothing strip and the tip surface of the flat clothing are arranged at an angle to one another. The carrier element of the clothing strip may be of substantially wedge-shaped construction. As well, or instead, an intermediate layer, for example, adhesive, of the clothing strip may be of substantially wedge-shaped construction. In yet a further embodiment, a top element, for example, sheet metal strip, of the clothing strip may be of substantially wedge-shaped construction. Advantageously, the clothing strip consists of at least two layers, at least one layer being of substantially wedge-shaped construction. It may be advantageous for the angle between the tip surface of the flat clothing and a notional surface running parallel to the tangent to the tip circle of the cylinder clothing to decrease in the direction of rotation of the cylinder. Advantageously, the cylinder clothing forms a heel at the smallest spacing between the tip surface of the flat clothing and the tip circle of the cylinder clothing. Advantageously, the top layer of the clothing element consists of a sheet metal strip, for example, steel band. Advantageously, the top layer and the carrier layer of the clothing strip are joined to one another, for example, by adhesion. Advantageously, the top face of the clothing strip and the bottom face of the support body are reversibly detachably joined to one another. For example, a top face of a top element of the clothing strip and the bottom face of a magnetic element may be reversibly detachably joined to one another. Preferably, in such arrangements, at least one magnetic element is associated with the bottom face of the support body. In that manner, the clothing strip can be exchangeable and/or the clothing carrier layer is exchangeable. If desired, the clothing of the flat bar may have a curved tip surface. For example, the tip surface may be concavely curved or convexly curved. In some embodiments, the non-parallel alignment may extend over only a part of the width of the clothing and the clothing strip respectively. 
     It may be desirable in some circumstances for—viewed in the direction of rotation of the cylinder—a constant spacing coaxial to the mid point of the cylinder to adjoin the non-parallel alignment. If desired, the flat clothing may have regions of different clothing parameters, for example wire length, wire thickness, piercing depth, pile configurations, base thickness. In that case, the tips of the flat clothing may be divided into groups, each group having tips that are used to form a fibre zone, and the groups advantageously each forming a tip surface. In one preferred embodiment, the clothing set into the carrier layer, for example, fabric or the like, consists of wires or the like, which are bent approximately in a U-shape and are inserted so that the cross-member of the U-shaped wires or the like runs on the rear side of the carrier element. The flat bar may be part of a revolving flat. The flat bar may instead be a stationary carding element. Advantageously, a flexible clothing is present, for example, comprising a carrier and clothing tips, wires, hooks or the like. Advantageously, the clothing carrier layer is strip-form. The clothing may consist of saw tooth wire strips for example, all-steel clothing. Expediently, the clothing is mounted on the flat bar in the region of the bottom face. Advantageously, a carrier element of three clothing strips (textile material) is arranged in a recess in the bottom face. The recess may be defined by at least two lateral webs or similar on the longitudinal sides of the flat foot. In one preferred embodiment, a clothing strip is received in the recess, additionally a sheet metal plate being fixed to the clothing support layer via a compensating layer of adhesive, which sheet metal plate is brought into connection with a magnet provided on the flat bar. Thus, advantageously, a sole of a magnetic material is arranged on the rear side of the flat clothing. The sole may be a steel band, sheet metal or similar. Advantageously, laterally the sole has extensions, webs or the like bent at an angle. Preferably, the magnetic component, for example, magnetic band, magnetic strip, magnetic rod or the like, extends in the longitudinal direction of the flat bar. 
     Advantageously, the flat body is an extruded profile of a light metal, for example, aluminium. Preferably, the extruded profile is a hollow profile. Two end head parts (flat heads) may advantageously be associated with the flat body. In certain embodiments, the flat body consists of fibre-reinforced plastics material. In that case, a magnetic element, where present, can be integrated in the fibre-reinforced plastics material. In one preferred embodiment, at least one and preferably each of the edge regions of the carrier element adjoining the longitudinal edges is set with tips. 
     The invention thus provides a flat system for a flat card for cotton, synthetic fibres and the like, in which at least one flat bar with a flat clothing strip is present, in which the flat clothing, preferably wire hooks, arranged in a strip-form carrier layer is secured to a support body, in which a top face of a clothing strip comprising the carrier layer and the tip surface of the flat clothing are not aligned parallel to one another. 
     The invention also provides a flexible clothing for a flat bar on a carding machine for cotton, synthetic fibres and the like, having a flat clothing strip in which the flat clothing, preferably wire hooks, is arranged in a strip-form carrier layer, in which the top face of the clothing strip and the tip surface of the flat clothing are not aligned parallel to one another. 
     Furthermore, the invention provides a flat card having a revolving flat assembly for cotton, synthetic fibres and the like, in which at least one flat bar with a flat clothing strip is present, in which the flat clothing, preferably wire hooks, arranged in a strip-form carrier layer is secured to a support body and lies opposite the clothing of a roller, for example, the cylinder, and the spacing between the tip surface of the flat clothing and the tip circle of the cylinder clothing decreases in the direction of rotation of the cylinder, in which the top face of the clothing strip and the tip surface of the flat clothing are not aligned parallel to one another. 
     In certain embodiments, the clothing strip has a marking, which indicates the alignment of the preferred wedge shape. 
     The invention also provides an apparatus on a carding machine for cotton, synthetic fibres and the like, in which at least one flat bar with a flat clothing is present, in which a clothing element having a flat clothing, preferably wire hooks, arranged in a strip-form support element, is secured to a support body of the flat bar and lies opposite the clothing of a roller, e.g. the cylinder, the spacing between the tip surface of the flat clothing and the tip circle of the cylinder clothing decreases in the direction of rotation of the cylinder, and the tip surface of the flat clothing and a notional surface—arranged parallel to the tangent to the tip circle of the cylinder clothing at the narrowest point—are arranged at an angle to one another, wherein the top face of the clothing strip and the tip surface of the flat clothing are not aligned parallel with one another. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is schematic side view of a carding machine in which there may be used an apparatus according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of a portion of a revolving card flat assembly including card flats according to a first embodiment of the invention and a fragment from the first slideway of a two-sided slideway; 
         FIG. 3   a  shows three flat bars, the spacing between the tip plane of the flat clothings and the cylinder clothing decreasing in the direction of rotation of the cylinder; 
         FIG. 3   b  shows a flat bar according to  FIG. 3   a , wherein the top face of the clothing strip and the tip plane of the flat clothing are not aligned parallel to one another, with an illustration of the angle α between flat surface and tip plane and of the angle β for the offset; 
         FIG. 4  shows the flat bar of  FIGS. 3 and 3   a , comprising flat support body and clothing strips, in an exploded view; 
         FIGS. 5   a ,  5   b  show two further embodiments, in which the clothing support part is of wedge-shaped construction in cross-section; and 
         FIG. 6  shows yet another embodiment in which the clothing support part is of wedge-shaped construction in cross-section. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , a flat card, for example, a flat card known as the TC 03 (Trade Mark), made by Trützschler GmbH &amp; Co. KG. of Mönchengladbach, Germany, has a feed roller  1 , feed table  2 , licker-ins  3   a ,  3   b ,  3   c , cylinder  4 , doffer  5 , stripping roller  6 , squeezing rollers  7 ,  8 , web-guide element  9 , web funnel  10 , take-off rollers  11 ,  12 , revolving flat  13  with flat guide rollers  13   a ,  13   b  and flat bars  14 , can  18  and can coiler  19 . The directions of rotation of the rollers are shown by respective curved arrows. The letter M denotes the midpoint (axis) of the cylinder  4 . The reference numeral  4   a  denotes the clothing and  4   b  denotes the direction of rotation of the cylinder  4 . The letter A denotes the working direction. Arrow B denotes the carding setting of the flat bars  14  and arrow C denotes the return transport direction of the flat bars  14 . 
       FIG. 2  shows one embodiment according to the invention. On each side of the card, a flexible bend  17  having several adjusting screws is secured laterally by screws to the machine frame. The flexible bend  17  has a convex outer surface  17   a  and an underside  17   b . Above the flexible bend  17 , there is a first slideway  20 , for example, of anti-friction plastics material, which has a convex outer surface  20   a  and a concave inner surface  20   b . The second slideway (on the other side of the machine) is not shown. The concave inner surface  20   b  lies on the convex outer surface  17   a . Each flat bar  14  has at both ends a respective card flat head, to which two steel pins  15 *,  15 ** are secured axially and slide in the direction of arrow B on the convex outer surface  20   a  of the slideway  20 . The flat clothing strip  16  is mounted on the undersurface of the support body  15 . The reference number  21  denotes the tip circle of the narrowest point of the flat clothings  16 . On its circumference, the cylinder  4  has a cylinder clothing  4   a , for example, saw-tooth clothing. The reference numeral  22  denotes the tip circle of the cylinder clothing  4   a . The distance between the tip circle  21  and the tip circle  22  is denoted by the letter a, and is, for example, 0.20 mm. The distance between the convex outer surface  20   a  and the tip circle  22  is denoted by the letter b. The radius of the convex outer surface  20   a  is denoted by r 1  and the radius of the tip circle  22  is denoted by r 2 . The radii r 1  and r 2  intersect at the mid-point M (see  FIG. 1 ) of the cylinder  4 . 
       FIG. 3   a  shows (drawn exaggeratedly) the decrease in the gap between the flat clothings  16   1 ,  16   2 ,  16   3  on the one hand and the cylinder clothing  4   a  on the other hand in the direction of rotation  4   b  of the cylinder  4 . With the spacing between the free tips of the clothing tips  16   b   1 ,  16   b   2 ,  16   b   3  of the flat clothings  16   1 ,  16   2 ,  16   3  and the cylinder clothing  4   a  in mind, the widest spacing is marked with c 1  and the narrowest spacing is marked with c 2 . The spacings c 1  and c 2  appear in a radial direction in relation to the midpoint M (see  FIG. 1 ) of the cylinder  4 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3   b , which shows in enlargement one of the card flats of  FIG. 3   a , the clothing element  16  in the embodiment of  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  has a top element  16   c , the top face  16   c   1  of which is in contact with lower face  15   c  of the support body  15 , a bottom element in which clothing tips  16  are provided, and intermediate layer, of wedge-shaped configuration, between the top and bottom elements. The clothing tips  16  define a tip surface which in the embodiment of  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  is a planar tip surface referred to herein as “tip plane”. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b , the top face  16   c   1  of the top element  16   c  of the clothing element  16  and the tip plane  23  of the flat clothing  16   b  are not aligned parallel to one another. 
     According to  FIG. 3   b , the tip plane  23  of the flat clothing  16   b  and a notional surface  19 ″—arranged parallel to the tangent  19 ′ to the tip circle  22  of the cylinder clothing  4   a  at the narrowest point c 2 —are arranged at an angle β to one another (shown exaggerated in the drawing). At each flat bar  14  the tip plane  23  of the flat clothing  16   b  is consequently at an angle β of, for example, 0°55′ in relation to the parallel surface  19 ″. What is known as an offset, also called a taper, is consequently formed. The gap formed by the angle β between the flat clothing  16   b  and the cylinder clothing  4   a  closes in the direction of rotation  4   b  of the cylinder  4 . 
     Furthermore, according to  FIG. 3   b  the top face  16   c   1  of the clothing element  16  and the tip plane  23  of the flat clothing  16   b  are arranged at an angle α to another (shown exaggerated in the drawing). The wedge formation created by the angle α opens in the direction of rotation  4   b  of the cylinder  4 . 
     In the embodiment of  FIG. 4 , the flat bar  14  consists of a card flat support body  15  and a clothing element  16 . The clothing element  16  is detachably (reversibly) secured to the card flat support body  15 . The card flat support body  15  includes a profiled card flat body  15 ′, which comprises a card flat foot  15   a  and a card flat back  15   b . At the two ends of the elongate profiled card flat body  15 ′, for example of extruded aluminium, moulded plastics or the like, there is a respective card flat head, which—in the embodiment according to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , each comprise two card flat pins  15 * and  15 **. On the side remote from the flat bars  15   b , two webs  15   h ,  15   i  are provided on the card flat foot  15   a  in the longitudinal direction, so that in the region of the bottom face  15   c  there is a two-tier recess  15   d ,  15   e . The card flat support body  15  furthermore includes a magnetic element  15   f , for example, a magnetic band, magnetic strip, magnetic rod or similar, which via its top face  15   f   1  is fastened, in the upper recess  15   d , by a layer of adhesive  15   g  to the bottom face  15   c . The length of the card flat support body is, for example, 1 m. 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , the clothing element  16  comprises a clothing strip  16 ′, which consists of a strip-form clothing carrier element  16   a , for example, of textile material, and the flat clothing  16   b . The flat clothing  16   b  consists of clothing tips  19  (wire hooks), the wire hooks being approximately U-shaped and fixed in the carrier element  16   a  by being pushed through the face  16   a   1 . The regions where the wire hooks change direction project beyond the face  16   a   1 . The ends of the wire hooks  19 , the clothing tips, are free. The wire hooks consist of steel wire. The clothing element  16  furthermore includes a top element  16   c , for example a steel plate strip, a steel band or similar, the bottom face  16   c   2  of which is fixed by way of a connecting intermediate layer  16   d , for example, an adhesive layer, to the top face  16   a   1  of the clothing carrier element  16   a .  16   d   1  denotes the top face and  16   d   2  denotes the bottom face of the intermediate layer  16   d , the top face  16   d   1  and the bottom face  16   d   2  being so arranged that they are not parallel to one another, so that the cross-section of the intermediate layer  16   d  is wedge-shaped. The clothing element  16  is fixed with its components clothing strip  16 ′, intermediate layer  16   d  and top element  16   c  in the recess  15   e , so that only the flat clothing  16   b  projects beyond the bottom face of the card flat foot  15   a . The fixing is so effected so that the top face  16   c   1  of the flat element  16   c  (steel band) is in flat abutment with the bottom face  15   f   2  of the magnetic element  15   f  (assembly plane). The positive-engaging connection between flat support body  15  and clothing element  16  is stable in operation. The carding forces that act on the flat clothing  16   b  are absorbed and compensated for by the webs  15   h ,  15   i  in the flat foot  15   a.    
       FIG. 5   a  shows a further embodiment of clothing element. The clothing carrier element  16   a  has a wedge-shaped construction in cross-section, whilst the top element  16   c  and the intermediate layer  16   d  are plane-parallel. In yet another embodiment shown in  FIG. 5   b , the top element  16   c  is of wedge-shaped construction in cross-section, whilst the clothing element  16   a  and the intermediate element  16  are plane-parallel. 
     In the embodiment of  FIG. 6 , the clothing carrier element  16   a  consists of three layers  16 *,  16 ** and  16 ***, that is, layers, for example, of textile material and plastics. Whereas the upper layer  16 * and the bottom layer  16 *** are of plane-parallel construction, the middle layer  16 ** is wedge-shaped in cross-section. The top face  16   a   1  may, for example, be adhesively secured to the bottom face  15   c . The carrier element  16   a  shown in  FIG. 6  can also be arranged in place of the carrier element  16   a  shown in  FIG. 5   a.    
     Although the foregoing invention has been described in detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of understanding, it will be obvious that changes and modifications may be practised within the scope of the appended claims.