Patent ID: 7234206

Claim:
Connector ( 10 ) for a duct ( 1 ) for the pneumatic feeding of fibre to a carding machine ( 2 ), the said connector extending along a longitudinal axis (Y-Y) and having an upstream portion ( 14 ), from where the said fibre arrives, and a side duct ( 18 ) having a through opening ( 20 ) for fibre feeding to the carding machine ( 2 ), and also comprising means ( 22 ) for deflecting the stream of fibre, the said means being struck, in a condition of normal operation, by the said stream of fibre and being able to deflect the same stream of fibre from the upstream portion ( 14 ) of the connector ( 10 ) towards the side duct ( 18 ) of the latter, in which said means ( 22 ) for deflecting the stream of fibre have a longitudinal length as projected onto a plane passing through the longitudinal axis (Y-Y) of the connector, so as to channel the said fibre in an uniform manner towards the carding machine ( 2 ), and in which said side duct ( 18 ) has a centre plane (M-M) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (Y-Y) of the connector ( 10 ), and in which the connector ( 10 ) comprises walls ( 24 ) that form a box-like structure having an upper wall ( 26 ) on the opposite side of the longitudinal axis (Y Y) of the connector from the through opening ( 20 ), and in which said means ( 22 ) for deflecting the stream of fibre are connected to the upper wall ( 26 ) of the connector ( 10 ), and in which the deflection means ( 22 ) comprise a step ( 28 ) projecting from the upper wall ( 26 ) of the connector towards the through opening ( 20 ) of the side duct ( 18 ), and in which said step ( 28 ) has a forward surface ( 30 ) which is struck, during normal operation of the processing line, by the stream of fibre, a lower surface ( 32 ) of longitudinal extension and, opposite the forward surface ( 30 ), a rear surface ( 34 ).