Patent Publication Number: US-7591049-B2

Title: Textile lapping machine

Description:
This is a national stage application filed under 35 USC 371 based on International Application No. PCT/AU2006/000316 filed Mar. 2, 2006, and claims priority under 35 USC 119 of Australian Patent Application No. 2005900933 filed Mar. 2, 2005. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention concerns textile lapping machines. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Some machines produce non-woven continuous mat-like product direct from a carding machine in widths from 500-3000 mm. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,955,174 a vibrating perpendicular lapper receives a carded web from a feed unit consisting of a wire grid and a guide board which direct the web on to a conveyor belt. The forming comb of the lapper is driven by a bell crank from a gearbox. The same gearbox drives another bell crank which operates a presser bar. As the web is introduced from the conveyor into the path of the lapper, the comb and presser bar alternately act on the web to impose vertical parallel pleats on the web which are then compressed to build a pleated web. The pleated web is joined face to face with a second adhesive web and a laminated composite web is created. The composite web then feeds into an oven on a conveyor belt. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The apparatus aspect of the invention provides a fibrous web pleating apparatus for a textile lapping machine comprising a reciprocable comb assembly including drive means to reciprocate the comb, a presser bar assembly including drive means to reciprocate the presser bar wherein the comb drive means and the presser bar drive means are devoid of mechanical coupling. 
     The drives may be driven from a common source but the drives are not linked. 
     The drivers may utilise a common motor but these assemblies remain capable of independent adjustment. The motor may rotate the reciprocating parts of both drives through chain transmission or belt transmission, preferably toothed belt. 
     The comb driver is capable of stroke adjustment in order to build material varying in thickness from 10-55 mm. The comb may be reciprocated by a pair of cranks driven by a common shaft. The comb assembly including the drive may be mounted as a unit so as to be movable toward and away from the feed path of the fibrous web. 
     The angle of the assembly in relation to the feed path of the fibrous web may be adjustable. 
     The presser bar reciprocates in a plane inclined at 70-100° to the axis of web travel to the comb. The plane may be horizontal enabling the web to be introduced from overhead to a generally upright comb. After the lapping assembly has built the web into a batt ribbon 500 mm wide, the ribbon is carried into an oven on an endless conveyor. The presser bar may have two rows of needles. These act to push fibres through the loops in known manner. 
     The fibrous web is presented to the lapping assembly by an apron feed device which takes the output of a card. The fibrous web may be fed to lapping zone by a slide plate which is preferably inclined to the reciprocating path of the comb. 
     The comb reciprocates between adjustable guides adjustable toward and away from the leading end of the comb. Part of the lapping zone may be defined by the surface of a conveyor which takes the batt into the oven. 
     The presser bar may be set to reciprocate above the surface of the lapping zone with a clearance of 1-4 mm allowing relatively thin batts to be built. The bar may be inclined from the vertical, lying substantially parallel to the slide plate which feeds the fibrous web. The bar may have twin rows of needles. 
     The initial upstream path of the lapping zone may have a toothed surface spaced from and substantially parallel to the conveyor surface. The teeth may project into the top face of the lapped batt. The width of the teeth may mimic the lap width in the batt. Accordingly the teeth may be exchanged for teeth of a width suitable to the batt which is built. The transfer zone downstream of the lapping zone in the direction of the oven may be defined by fingers disposed parallel to the feed direction of the conveyor. 
     The fingers may be connected to multiple transverse stabiliser rods. If a lapped product is wider than the width of the carded web, two lapping assemblies are installed side by side. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       One embodiment of the invention is now described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic side view of the lapping machine. 
         FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic front view of the comb drive. 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged view of the lapping zone. 
         FIG. 4  is a enlarged view of the lapping zone of a variant lapping machine. 
         FIG. 5  is a diagrammatic side view of a variant lapping machine of which the lapper of  FIG. 4  is a part. 
         FIG. 6  is a diagrammatic side view of a single shark unit partly cut away. 
         FIG. 7  is a diagrammatic end view of the shark unit in  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged side view of the presser bar needles. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH RESPECT TO THE DRAWINGS 
     The lapping machine in the drawings is fed with a fibrous web made by the combination of a fibre opener and blender, a cross-lapper and a finish card operating in series. The plated web proceeding from the lapping machine enters an oven usually 2-5 m maximum width where the fibres in the web bond to a greater or lesser extent depending on dwell time, temperature and the type of fibre. The oven treatment creates a springy, dimensionally stable ribbon product capable of being wound into rolls or cut into sheets of 50-2500 gsm. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , the lapper assembly  2  is mounted on a wheeled carriage  4  which allows the assembly to be moved toward and away from the oven  6 . The endless mesh conveyor  8  is threaded over feed rolls  10  and travels at 0.84 m/min. An overhead articulated card web infeed  12  conveys fibrous web  14  from a card (not shown). The infeed deposits the web onto a front inclined slide plate  16  which descends to the lapping zone  18  on the oven conveyor. 
     The box-like lapper assembly has a horizontal base  20  on which is mounted a presser bar sub-assembly  22  and an inclined overhead sub-assembly  24  holding the reciprocating comb  26  at an angle of about 50° to a front inclined slide plate  16 . The presser bar sub-assembly  22  contains a horizontal crank  28  which drives connecting rod  30 . The presser bar  32  is fixed to the end of reciprocable slide  34  (see  FIG. 3 ). 
     The overhead comb sub-assembly  24  consists of a frame  36  which rises and falls on inclined bed  38 . Handwheel  40  controls a screw  42  which rotates in block mounts  44 ,  46  which are part of the box like lapper assembly. A nut  48  projects from the frame  36  and engages screw  42  enabling the frame to be wound toward and away from the lapping zone  18 . A1HP electric motor  50  drives main shaft  52  which turns first toothed wheel  54  and a second toothed wheel (not shown). The first toothed wheel  54  drives toothed wheel  52  by a toothed belt  58 . The second toothed wheel drives a crank pulley (not shown) and the crank  28  actuates the presser bar. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the steel comb  60  is 500 mm wide and 75 mm deep. The comb is fixed to a pair of push rods  62  which ride in housings  64  projecting from frame  36 . Connecting rods  66  reciprocated by cranks  68  both driven from a common shaft  70  carrying toothed wheel  56 . Pulleys  72  drive the cranks  68  from shaft  70 . The comb reciprocation can be adjusted through switchboard controls between 100-2000 strokes/min. 
     The drives to the comb and presser bar are arranged to actuate the comb and bar to give a build motion in known manner. 
     The lapping zone is now described with reference to  FIG. 3 . The comb path and slide plate  16  are inclined at about 70° to the horizontal lying between them at an angle of separation(S) of about 40°. The comb itself moves between a front guide plate  80  and a rear guide plate  82  which extend from the frame  36 . The plates are slidable toward and away from the lapping zone to render the comb motion very precise. The comb itself is adjustable on the push rods to achieve 90° register with the edges of the fibrous web. 
     The lower end of the infeed slide plate  16  supports a shark plate  84  with rows of teeth  86 . These are adjustable toward and away from the surface of the oven belt in order to match the stroke of the comb. The shark plate extends for 70 mm whereafter the lapped web moves beneath a cage consisting of multiple fingers  88  joined by stabiliser bars  90  extending transversely to the direction of the conveyor feed. The cage is 130 mm long. 
     In another embodiment, the slide plate  16  may be replaced by a dual face to face belt system which controls the webs&#39; introduction into the lapping zone  18  enabling the use of light web weights. 
     Static Comb Version 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 4-7 , the base  20  has a pair of cantilevered arms  100  which straddles the conveyor (not shown). Both base and arms are supported by a pair of screw jacks  102 . Both jacks are driven by a common motor  104  through worm reduction gearboxes  106 . Arms  100  support a pair of wheeled shark plate units  108  located in series in the feed path from the comb to the oven. The shark plate  84  and the cage fingers  88  are made to rise and fall by screw adjusters  110 . Whereas the jacks produce initial set up movement of the arms  100 , the adjusters  110  produce tuning movements towards and away from the conveyor which constitutes the lower guide surface for the pleated batt. The sides  112  of the batt are not confined. The units  108  can be unlocked from arms  100  by eccentric clamp  114  and rolled toward and away from comb  60  at the entry end of the lapping zone. For long runs, stops  116  are clamped to the arms  100 . 
     Accordingly in this embodiment the sub-assembly  24  is non-adjustable but the stroke of the comb remains adjustable. The comb is secured by spacer screws  118  to the push rods. A rear induced slide plate  120  is mounted on upper bracket  122  and lower bracket  124  which extend from the structural part  126  of the lapper. The web path bisects the angle between the front and rear slide plates and is substantially vertical. The comb reciprocates just behind the rear inclined slide plate  120  forming pleats as shown in  FIG. 4 . Wherever possible the path of the comb is left undisturbed. The push rod motion produces a very precise comb path and very reliable pleating. The comb itself is adjustable on the push rods to achieve 90° register with the edge  112  of the fibrous web. These tend to be somewhat irregular and fluffy but in subsequent manufacture they are trimmed by a cutter (not shown). 
     In another embodiment of the invention, the lapper assembly  20  has an independent height adjustment. By allowing the lapper assembly and shark unit to be raised or lowered and allowing the comb adjustment  36  to remain stationary quick changing of presser bars is possible. 
     Connecting rods  66  and the cranks  68  to be changed. This allows for the increase or decrease of the gearbox stroke and therefore allows the increase or decrease of the comb and presser bar stroke to be modified to allow both a greater or lower height of product to be achieved. 
     In a non-illustrated embodiment, the hot pleated web emerges from the oven into the nip of a pair of driven rolls which increase the web density. On emerging from the nip the web is cooled by passage through a zone where a fan draws air through the compressed web. This sets the synthetic fibres and the web does not reassume its former thickness. 
     If the comb is exchanged for one of lesser depth, the adjustment sequence is as follows:
     1. The presser bar and shark unit are raised in unison using the jacks  102 .   2. The presser bar stroke is adjusted to move the bar close to the comb.   3. The shark unit is moved close to the comb.   4. The shark plate unit is unclamped and moved forward in the direction of feed  8  to ensure the web feeds in correctly.   

     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , the presser bar  32  is of inverted L-section. The front face has a slot  120  which receives the rib  122  of a plate  124  from which needles  126  project in two rows. The needles have ground incisions  128  which act as barbs and push fibres through the web pleats. The plate is exchangeable for a plate with plain needles. 
     In operation, the lapper is adjusted to produce the thickness, density and textile composition which is desired. A suitable blend of natural and synthetic fibre is contributed by a conventional bale breaker and blender. This mix is available to the card which delivers a fibrous web to the lapping machine at 70-100 m/min. The switchboard controls allow motor speed adjustment to match the infeed speed at the comb. The pleating reduces the feed speed which is of the order of 1 m/min. Product thickness varies between 5-55 mm and density varies between 50 gsm and 2000 gsm. The comb width may be 500-3000 mm. The comb depth may be 75-150 mm. 
     In a variant, the lapping zone is modified in that the pleated web is deposited onto a miniature driven conveyor which is part of the lapping unit instead of depositing onto the oven conveyor. 
     We have found the advantages of the above embodiment to be:
     1. The presser bar operates very close to the conveyor allowing batts of minimum thickness to be built.   2. Once the comb stroke is selected, the presser bar and the parts surrounding the lapping zone can be easily moved close to the comb without disturbing the set up of the machine.   3. The deposition of the pleated web onto a continuously moving conveyor improves the build.   

     It is to be understood that the word “comprising” as used throughout the specification is to be interpreted in its inclusive form, ie. use of the word “comprising” does not exclude the addition of other elements. 
     It is to be understood that various modifications of and/or additions to the invention can be made without departing from the basic nature of the invention. these modifications and/or additions are therefore considered to fall within the scope of the invention.