Abstract:
A system for forming a non-woven fabric with high resilience and high loft in a continuous process comprising first and second carding systems arranged in parallel carding fibers from a first and second fiber supply, a doffer associated with each carding system for removing the carded fibers, a transport associated with each doffer for transporting the carded and doffed fibers to a pair of independent blending and feed chutes. A housing associated with the blending and feed chutes receiving the carded and blended fibers for further blending, and a feed roll within the housing and adjacent discharge end of each blending and feed chute for withdrawing the fibers delivering them into the housing for further opening and blending. A beater roll removing the further opened and blended fibers from the housing into a chute for forming non-woven fabrics. Here the fibers are compacted into a non-woven fabric having high loft and resilience.

Description:
This is a continuation-in-part of my earlier filed application with Ser. No. 09/505,922 filed on Feb. 17, 2000. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The instant invention is directed to a system for forming fabric webs or non-woven fabrics of evenly and throughly blended fibers. 
     Fabric webs or non-woven fabrics are well known throughout the textile industry. Normally, these webs or batts are formed by producing carded or air lay webs and passing a plurality of these webs through a cross-lapper to produce the fiber web of sufficient height with entangled fibers for web unity. A major drawback to this system is that the fiber directions are generally in line with the direction of carding thus placing the fibers of the stacked or lapped webs in X,Y positions. This results in a web which has a tendency to separate. 
     Another problem with this type of system is that production is limited to the speed of the cross-lapping machine. 
     It is the object of the instant invention to provide a system capable of producing a fabric web or non-woven fabric in which the fibers are disposed in all directions thus forming a more stable fabric or web. 
     Another object of the invention is a system capable of producing non-woven fabrics or fabric webs at increased speeds. 
     Another object of the invention is a system for producing non-woven fabrics or webs of selectively variable widths. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a system for producing non-woven fabrics or webs without a cross-lapper. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a system for the production of non-woven webs or fabrics structured with sufficient stability, loft, and resilience to be used as pillow stuffing, upholstery padding, mattress stuffing and other similar products. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is directed to a non-woven fabric or web with high resilience and high loft which operates with increased productivity and quality. It comprises a first and second carding system which is arranged in parallel and which card fibers from separate first and second fiber supplies. A doffer is associated with each carding system for removing the carded fibers therefrom. A transport is connected with each doffer and acts to transport the carded and doffed fibers into independent blending and feed chutes. 
     A housing is provided to receive the carded and blended fibers from the feed chutes for further blending. A feed roll is located within the housing and adjacent the discharge ends of each of the blending and feed chute for withdrawing the fibers from the blending and feed chutes and delivering them into the housing for further opening and blending. A beater roll is provided for removing the further opened and blended fibers from the housing into a non-woven fabric forming chute. Here the fibers are compacted and intertangled into a non-woven fabric of desired high fiber loft and high resilience. 
     The first and second carding systems may each comprise between one and four carding machines. When there is more than one machine per system, they may be arranged in tandem or in series. 
     There may be a reserve fiber supply unit located between the carding machines and the blending and feed chutes. In this arrangement the transport comprises first and second units, the first unit connecting the carding machine output with the reserve fiber supply and the second unit connecting the reserve fiber supply unit with the blending and feed chutes. 
     The doffers may be air doffers or roll doffers and the transport may be air transport or conveyor belt transport. 
     The feed roll of the system comprises first and second feed rolls, one adjacent each discharge end of the blending and feed chutes. Each of the rolls are driven at selected RPMs which allow the fibers from each of the blending and feed chutes to be delivered into the housing in selected volumes. This is an individual electric motor for driving the beater roll and the first and second feed rolls are each driven by independent motors wherein RPMs for each may be independently adjusted. 
     The non-woven fabric forming chute includes a packing belt along one surface thereof and a vibrator plate along a second surface opposite said one surface which work together to compact the fibers therein into a non-woven fabric of high resilience. 
     A system for forming a non-woven fabric with high resilience and high loft comprising in a continuous operation. The system includes first and second carding machines arranged in parallel and carding fibers delivered from a first and second fiber supply. 
     A first and second doffer may be associated with each carding machine for removing carded fibers therefrom. A first transport is associated with each first doffer for transporting the carded and doffed fibers to a respective intermediate reserve supply chamber. A second transport is associated with each second doffer for transporting the carded or doffed fibers to the respective intermediate reserve supply chamber. A third transport is associated with each intermediate reserve supply chamber and a blending and feed chute for transporting the carded and doffed fibers to respective of the blending and feed chute. 
     A housing receives the carded and blended fibers from the feed chutes for further blending of the fibers and for delivery to a fiber web forming chute where the fibers are formed into a non-woven fabric or web with high loft and great resilience. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a first arrangement of the system of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a second arrangement of the system of the invention which utilizes a greater number of carding machines; 
     FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a third arrangement of the invention in which a plurality of doffers are used with each carding machine; and, 
     FIG. 4 is a broken-away side view of the non-woven web or fabric forming machine of the invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a first arrangement  62  of the system for transforming fibers into a non-woven web or fabric. The system begins with a fiber feed system which comprises a pair of fibers feeders  64  which supply fibers to a pair of carding machines  66 . Carding machines  66  which may be any known type of carding machine, are arranged side by side or in parallel. The fibers fed through each machine are maintained separated during this phase of the operation. It is noted that other types of fiber opening apparatus, such as air lay openers, may be substituted for the carding machines. 
     Doffers, such as roll doffers  69 , or air doffers  68 , are connected with doffing machines  66  and withdraw the carded fibers from the carding roll and deposit them onto transport  74 . It is noted that it is preferred both doffers be of the same type, however, this is not necessary. 
     Transports  74  deliver the carded and doffed fibers into a reserve supply  70  which acts to further blend the fibers and also to provide a constant supply of fibers for the next phase of the operation. 
     Transports  75  and  76  are connected with the reserve supplies  70  and act to transport the fibers to respective feed chutes  10 ,  12 . 
     Transports  74  and  75 ,  76  may be in the form of conveyor belts or they may be in the form of air ducts. Fans  72  may be provided to generate the air current to carry the fibers through the transports. 
     Feed chutes  10 , 12 , as shown in FIG. 4, are connected with housing  14  which is formed within a cabinet  15 . 
     Fiber discharge openings  16 ,  17  are arranged in the upper surface of housing  14  as shown in FIG.  4 . Feed roll  18  is located adjacent opening  17  and rotates in a clockwise direction. Feed roll  20  is located adjacent opening  16  and rotates in a counter clockwise direction. Preferably, the diameter of feed roll  18 , which is about 6 inches in diameter, is about half the diameter of feed roll  20 . 
     Feed rolls  18  and  20  are driven by independent drive motors  18 ′,  20 ′ which are each controlled to selectively drive the feed rolls at selected RPM&#39;s. The speed selected is determined by sensors, to be discussed further on, which usually control feed rolls  18  and  20  to have the same peripheral speed. A median peripheral speed for feed rolls  18  and  20  is between 0 and 20 m/min. In cases where the mixture of fibers from chutes  10  and  12  is to be unequal, the peripheral speed between rollers  18  and  20  is adjusted to obtain the desired mixture. 
     The feed rolls deliver the fibers into mixing chamber  22  where they are further opened and blended. At the lower end of mixing chamber  22  there is located a combing roll  24  and a beater roll  26 . Combing roll  24  along with feed roll  20  act to pick up fibers in the mixing chamber and wipe them onto the outer surface of the beater roll. The beater roll in turn acts to further open and blend the fibers as they are moved through the beater chamber during delivery into receiving end  28  of batt chute  30 . 
     Comber roll  24  and beater roll  26  are driven by motors  24 ′ and  26 ′ at selected speeds. 
     The peripheral surfaces of feed rolls  18 ,  20 , of comber roll  24  and of beater roll  26  are formed of pin like members of usual construction. Normally, the pins are arranged in parallel transverse rows, however in the case of at least feed roll  20 , it has been found to be desirable to arrange the pin rows in a helical pattern. Such a pattern of teeth acts to more evenly wipe the fibers onto beater roll  26 . 
     Forming chute  30  is of usual rectangular shape with an upper wall  32  and a lower wall  34  spaced by a pair of equal sized sides. Upper wall  32  includes a vibrating plate  36 . Vibrating plate  36  extends across the width of upper wall  32  and lengthwise of forming chute  30  from adjacent the upper end of wall  32  to the end of forming chute  30 . Vibrating plate  36  forms the upper surface of discharge or delivery end  40  of the batt forming chute. Vibrating plate  36  is driven in a rocking motion about pivot  38 ′ by motor  36 ′ through linkage  38 . The structure of chute  30  maintains vibrating plate  36  in a substantially fixed positioned relative to lower wall  34 . Vibrating plate  36  acts to assist in the flow or movement of fibers fed through receiving end  28  toward and through delivery end  40 . 
     Lower wall  34  carries packing belt  42  which extends over substantially its entire area. Packing belt  42  which is continuous, passes around roller  44  which is arranged near the upper end of lower wall  34  and around the roller  44 ′ which is arranged at delivery end  40  of the batt forming chute. Motor  42 ′ drives roller  44  and packing belt  42  in a clockwise direction. The packing belt acts to physically assist the movement of the fibers, which until this point are fed by gravity, down the forming chute forming the fiber web or non-woven fabric fibers which are more evenly blended in the lower portion of the batt forming chute. 
     Compression roll  46 , which is driven by motor  46 ′, acts to compress and draw the formed fiber batt out of delivery end  40  of the batt forming chute. 
     It is the combined operations of vibrating plate  36  and packing belt  42  which draw and urge sufficient quantities of fibers toward delivery end  40  and compressor roll  40  forms a web of sufficient density and fibers entangled to produce a non-woven fabric or fiber web of substantial body. 
     A conveyor belt  48 , arranged adjacent delivery end  40  receives the fiber batt emerging from the delivery end. Conveyor belt  48 , which passes around rollers  48 ′, acts as a back wall against which compression roll  46  further compresses the fiber web or non-woven fabric and further acts as a delivery belt for moving the formed fiber web onto conveyor belt  50 . 
     Conveyor belt  50  passes about rollers  50 ′. Motor  54  which is connected with a roller  48 ′ also drives conveyor belt  50  through drive belt  54 ′. 
     Mounted intermediate rollers  50 ′ is a scale which acts to weigh the fiber batt emerging from delivery end  40  as it is moved over conveyor belt  50 . The weight of the formed fiber web or non-woven fabric is sent to a control which calculates its density and compares this density to a norm as fully described in co-pending application with Ser. No. 09/505,922. 
     Turning now to FIG. 2, a second arrangement of the system identified as  62 ′ is shown. Here, there are two pair of carding machines  66 , arranged in parallel. Each pair of carding machines  66 , in an alternative arrangement  62 ′″ could be arranged in tandem or one behind the other if desired. 
     As in the arrangement shown in FIG. 1, doffer  68  draws the carded fibers off the carding roll of the carding machines and transports  74  move the fibers into reserve supplies  70 . Doffers  68  may be air doffers or roll doffers. Again, transports  75 ,  76  deliver the stored and blended carded fibers into respective independent feed chutes  10  and  12 . The transports may be belt conveyors or air chutes. 
     A third arrangement is shown in FIG.  3 . Here, carding machines  66  are fed fibers through feeds  64  as in the earlier arrangements. In this third arrangement each carding roll has a pair of doffers  68 ,  68 ′ arranged in sequence to remove the carded fibers. 
     Doffer  68  engages the carded fibers first removing the majority of the fibers and the longer fibers. Doffer  68 ′ removes the remainder of and shorter fibers from the carding roll. Again, the doffers may be air or roll doffers. 
     As shown first doffers  68  are associated with transports  74  which deliver the doffed fibers to respective of reserve supplies  70 . Transports  74 ′ which are associated with doffers  68 ′ deliver the doffed fibers to opposite ones reserve supplies  70 . In this manner, fibers from each carding machine are delivered to each of the reserve supplies  70 . 
     Transports  75 ,  76  are associated with reserve supplies and independent feed chutes as previously described. 
     It is noted that reserve supplies  70  may be eliminated and the fibers delivered directly from the carding machines to the independent supplies. 
     Independent supplies  10  and  12  of FIGS. 2 and 3 supply housing  14  shown in FIG.  4  and the fibers are processed through the fiber web or non-woven fabrics forming machine in the manner already set forth. 
     It is to be understood that independent feed chutes  10 ,  12  shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 are also associated with the fiber web or non-woven fabric forming apparatus shown in FIG.  4 . Also, it is to be understood that alternative opening apparatus may be used with the arrangements shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. 
     The arrangements described above are capable of providing a supply of carded and blended fibers to the fiber web or non-woven fabric forming machine at an increased rate which allows increased production of the non-woven web. The fibers are more evenly blended and the fiber directions are disoriented in all directions providing for a more stable and more resilient product. Also, non-woven webs of up to seven meters wide are capable of being produced with the disclosed system. 
     The system is ideal for preparing fibers which are all natural, all synthetic, or blends of natural and synthetic. Also, the fibers may be virgin fibers or regenerated fibers. 
     While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described using specific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims.