Patent Publication Number: US-6698066-B2

Title: Method and apparatus for fiber batt treatment

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a continuation application of, and incorporates by reference in its entirety, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/776,181 filed Feb. 3, 2001. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     Background Art. 
     The use of cleaning, compaction and baling equipment is well known in the raw cotton processing industries. Typically, the cotton comes in a “raw” condition to a processing plant commonly referred to as a gin where the stalk and other parts of the plant extraneous to the actual cotton fibers is removed as thoroughly as possible. The cleaned cotton bolls are then formed into a batt which is essentially a sheet formed of cotton fibers. This cotton batt is typically conditioned by adding moisture thereto. The addition of moisture to the batt imparts advantageous effects because it facilitates compaction by making the cotton fibers more amenable to being bent, crushed and flattened into a more compact batt. 
     One drawback of currently available equipment for adding moisture to such a cotton batt is that the degree of moisturization is difficult to control. Secondly, the configurations used for compacting the batt do not readily facilitate anomalies in the batt, especially with respect to thickness. That is to say, if a significant enlargement or lump is encountered in a batt being processed therethrough, presently available compaction equipment does not make suitable accommodations for the deviation. Still further, conventionally designed arrangements tend to accomplish the moisturizing step over a significant distance which is not easily controlled and the moisturized air is not easily contained about the batt for a more thorough infusion and emplacement of the moisture into the cotton fibers. An example of such a known arrangement is provided in FIG. 4 in which louvers are arranged to distribute moisturized air underneath the batt with very little control exercised thereover. 
     In view of the above described deficiencies associated with the use of known designs for moisturizing equipment for fibrous material, and particularly cotton batts, the present invention has been developed to alleviate these drawbacks and provide further benefits to the user. These enhancements and benefits are described in greater detail hereinbelow with respect to several alternative embodiments of the present invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     The invention will now be described in greater detail in the following way of example only and with reference to the attached drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of exterior characteristics of a moisturizing chamber constructed according to the teachings of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a cut-away view showing interior components of a moisturizing chamber constructed according to the teachings of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of relevant portions of a fiber processing plant, particularly a cotton fiber processing plant, illustrating the incorporation of an arrangement for moisture conditioning a cotton fiber batt as disclosed herein. 
     FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of a prior art embodiment of a cotton fiber processing plant that utilizes a previously known arrangement for imparting moisture to a fiber batt being processed therein. 
     FIG. 5 is an assembly drawing of an additional embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is an exterior perspective view of the arrangement for conditioning a fibrous material obtained from a cotton source. 
     FIG. 7 is a partial cut-away view of the arrangement of FIG. 6 showing interior details of the conditioning arrangement. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale, some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. 
     Referring to the Figures, an arrangement  46  for conditioning a fibrous material  34  obtained from a cotton source  12  is shown. The environment in which the conditioning arrangement  46  may be typically incorporated is exemplarily illustrated in FIG. 3 by its inclusion in a cotton batt processing plant. The conditioning arrangement  46  includes a moisturizing chamber  49  having two series of opposed rollers  61  arranged to accept a fiber batt  34  into a pressing space  64  therebetween. In the illustrated embodiment, the fibrous material  34  is cotton that has been formed into a batt. It should be appreciated, however, that the fibrous material may be of different composition including, but not limited to polyesters and other natural and synthetic fibers, as well as combinations of such fibrous materials alone, and with other materials of differing characteristics. 
     The pressing space  64  tapers from a batt entrance  67  toward a batt exit  70 . This tapered configuration is affected for compressing a fiber batt  34  as it is rolled therethrough. As illustrated, before entering the conditioner  46 , the cotton batt  34  has a greater thickness  40  than after compaction and processing through the moisturizing chamber  49 . 
     A moisture infusion assembly  73  is provided within the moisturizing chamber  49  and has an air distributor  75  configured to dispense moisture laden air  22  adjacent to a fiber batt  34  being processed through the pressing space  64 . An air collector  87  is configured to pull exhaust air  25  away from the fiber batt  34  being processed through the pressing space  64  and port that air  25  through an exhaust air port  51  for recirculation or venting. The moisturizing chamber  49  is configured to confine and circulate dispensed moisture laden air  22  through the fiber batt  34  being processed through the pressing space  64  for optimizing a finished moisture content thereof. 
     From a supplier or grower&#39;s perspective, the greater the moisture content established in the cotton batt  34 , the better. Not only does a higher moisture content facilitate compaction of the batt  34 , but it also increases the weight of the batt  34  thereby increasing the yield or margin for the same cotton material at sale. 
     At least one of the rollers  55  is carried upon a spring biased suspension  90 . Such a spring biased suspension  90  is utilized for biasing or pressing the roller  55  toward the pressing space  64  and batt  34 . By adding this feature, it is now possible to accommodate anomalies  37  in a fiber batt  34  being processed through the pressing space  64 . Most often such an anomaly takes the form of a lump or variation in thickness  40  of the batt  34 . 
     In the preferred embodiment and as illustrated, the last two rollers  55 , one each from the top and bottom series of opposed rollers  61 , are carried on a spring biased suspension  90 . It should be appreciated that the specific type of biasing mechanism is not critical to operation as long as the suspension mechanism is adapted to impart sufficient pressure to continue and enhance the compaction process of the tapered pressing space  64 , but still have sufficient “give” to accommodate an anomalous thickness in the batt  34  which would otherwise be potentially damaging to the conditioner  46 , or threaten to cease operations thereof. 
     The rollers  55  are illustratively powered by a two driving motors  93  that are, one each, coupled to the top and bottom series of rollers  61  by a drive belt  96 . It is contemplated that a single drive motor may be used to drive both series of rollers  61 . 
     As illustrated, drive connections across the series of rollers  61  is accomplished by using coupling belts  98  between adjacent rollers  55  at alternating ends of the series of opposed rollers  61 . 
     Regarding the width dimension of the batt  34 , it should be considered as being measured perpendicularly to the thickness  40 , and oriented as if into the paper of FIG.  3 . Preferably, this majority of the width will cover a substantial entirety of the width of the fiber batt  34  being processed through the pressing space  64 . 
     Preferably, there is a plurality or multiplicity of focused ports  81  coming off of the manifold  78 . The illustrated configuration shows such a plurality of focused and elongate and focused ports  81  positioned between adjacent rollers  55 . In this manner, the several focused ports  81  are arranged to form roller receiving spaces  84  between adjacently positioned rollers  55 . While this configuration provides a suitable receiving space for the rollers and enables more direct application of moisture laden air  22  to the cotton batt  34 , it can also provide a space for stray cotton material to become easier trapped or jammed. Therefore, an alternative embodiment places the focused port  84  below the rollers  55  at a distance that prevents such a possibility of jamming. This alternative configuration, however, does not permit such a direct application of moisture laden air  22  to the cotton batt  34 . 
     An alternative embodiment of the present invention takes the form of a method for conditioning a fiber batt  34 . The method includes providing a moisturizing chamber having a series of opposed rollers arranged to accept a fiber batt  34  a pressing space  64  therebetween. The pressing space  64  tapers from a batt entrance  67  to a batt exit  70  thereof. 
     The fiber batt is compressed by rolling the fiber batt through the pressing space  64 . Moisture is then infused into the fiber batt  34  through an infusion assembly  73  having an air distributor  75  configured to dispense moisture laden air  22  adjacent to the fiber batt  34  that is being processed through the pressing space  64 . 
     Exhaust air  25  is then pulled away from the fiber batt  34  being processed through the pressing space  64  using an air collector  87  positioned across the fiber batt  34  from the infusion assembly  73 . 
     The dispensed moisture laden air  22  is circulated through the fiber batt  34  being processed through the pressing space  64  for optimizing a finished moisture content of the fiber batt  34 . This is enabled by the confining nature of the moisturizing chamber  49  that maintains the moisture laden air  22  in close proximity with the passing fiber batt  34  for a specified duration. 
     By these characteristics, the present invention encourages the retention of moisture in the fiber batt  34  from the moisture laden air  22  thereby increasing the weight of the fiber batt  34 . As explained hereinabove, this enhancement of the moisture content of the batt not only facilitates compaction of the fibers, but it also increases the yield to the seller of a specific quantity of cotton fiber because selling price is usually based on weight. 
     Downstream of the conditioning process, the cotton fiber batt  34  is normally formed into a transportable bulk units commonly referred to as cotton bales  31  at a baling assembly  28 . 
     A fibrous material moisturizing method, apparatus and constituent components have been described herein. These and other variations, which will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, are within the intended scope of this invention as claimed below. As previously stated, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various forms. 
     FIGS. 5-7 illustrate an alternative arrangement including some of the characteristics of the arrangement of FIGS. 1-4, but including several alternative configurations and enhancements. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     The present invention finds applicability in the fiber processing industries.