US2136839A - Method and apparatus for opening, carding, and cleaning fibrous material - Google Patents

Description

NOV. 15, 1938. BROWN 2,136,839

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPENING, CARDING, AND CLEANING FIBROUS MATERIAL Filed Sept. 29, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet l .l. 1 L M .9 f a 1 77.1% v

Nov. 15, 1938. R, L, BR WN 2,136,839

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPENING, CARDING, AND CLEANING FIBROUS MATERIAL Fi ed Sept. 29, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 15, 1938. R L BROWN 2,136,839

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPENING, CARDING, AND CLEANING FIBROUS MATERIAL Filed Sept. 29, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 15, 1938 PATENT OFFICE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPENING,

GARDING, AND! CLEANING FIBROUS MA- TERIAL Russell Lee Brown, Lowell, Mass, assignor to California. Process Company, Los Angeles C'alii., a corporation of Nevada Application September 29, 1936, Serial No. 103,164

17 Claims.

1 do and remove from the fibres, and to permit the removal of the foreign matters the contaminated fibrous material must be thoroughly opened up and the fibres separated.

The principal object of my invention is to d enable the fibrous material to be thoroughly opened. up and carded, and the dirt separated from the fibres at practically one operation by a novel apparatusby which such fibrous material is subjected to the alternate action of carding .2d. means and. screening means in such manner that all portions of the fibrousmaterialare repeatedly alternately carded and screened during a single passage of such material through the machine, and foreign matters are separated from the fibres 25 during and simultaneously with the carding, or

vice versa.

My apparatus includes preferably a rotary screening cylinder provided with internal pins for the purpose of lifting the fibrous material fed into the. cylinder and dropping such material onto carding rolls or cylinders mounted within the cylinder, and preferably extending longitudinally of the axis thereof. The carding rolls catch the. fibrous material and the fibres are carded in passing from one roll to another, and are removed from. the last carding roll by a revolving brush; such operations being repeated upon the material as it progresses through the machine; and finally the cleaned and carded fibres are discharged.

In the accompanying drawings I have conventionally illustrated two embodiments of the invention, and will describe the same with reference thereto, but the invention is not restricted to the particular constructions shown, and I refer to the claims for summaries of the essential features of the invention and novel combinations and constructions of parts for which protection is desired. I

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the invention, partly broken away.

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof partly broken away.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the machine on the line 3-3, Fig. I, viewed from discharge end.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the machine showing the drive at discharge end.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of a modified con: struction taken on the line 5-5,. Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through such machine on the line B--6, Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a detail horizontal sectional view on the line 1-1, Fig. 5.

Referring to Figs. 1-4; a rotary screening cylinder l of any suitable construction may be mounted for rotation in a supporting framing 8, being shown as mounted on supporting rollers lb attached to shafts l c, journaled on the framing. The cylinder may be kept in proper position upon the supporting rollers lb by means of idler rollers lg mounted. on a shaft In which is journaled in spring tripped boxes Ii of any suitable constructlon.

The cylinder I can be rotated at any desiredspeed by any suitablemeans. Cylinder I may be from ten to twelve feet in length and about five or six feet in diameter; and is provided with internal pins la, which may be four or five inches in length and. spaced. several inches apart. The- -pins may be arranged in rows, or in spiral lines if desired.

Within the cylinder are arranged a set of carding rolls 2, 3 and 4, which are provided with carding cloth or teeth of any suitable kind. The carding roll 2 is arranged in about the horizontal plane of the axis of the screen, and is preferably set so as to clear the pins la on the interior of the screen. The carding roll 3 is arranged parallel with and above roll 2. The carding roll 4 is arranged parallel with and beside roll 2, and below roll 3. Roll 4 is preferably solocated that its teeth intermesh with the teeth of both rolls 2 and 3 and will card the fibres therefrom.

Also mounted within the cylinder beside roll 4 is a rotating brush or cleaning roll 5, which may be provided with blades or wire bristles, adapted to remove fibres from roll 4 and throw them back into the cylinder.

The several carding rolls and brush roll may be journaled in bearings on the end members of the framing 8 in which the cylinder is mounted.

The diameter and length of the screening cylinder will depend somewhat upon the character of the material to be treated and the amount of treatment required. The carding rolls may be of any suitable length and diameter, and any desired number of carding rolls may be employed. At present I preferably use three.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, a plate 6 is arranged in the cylinder above the brush 5. Said plate is curved on an arc concen tric to the axis of the cylinder, and extends from a point opposite the outer side of brush 5, and somewhat below the axis of the cylinder, to a point adjacent the top of the cylinder and slightly beyond the vertical axis thereof. Plate 6 extends practically the full length of the cylinder and may be supported on rods or bars 6b suitably mounted on the framing 8. The outer curved surface of plate 6 lies closely adjacent the path of movement of the inner ends of pins Ia. Preferably the upper end of the plate has a downwardly curved portion Ba which extends toward and closely adjacent to the inner side of carding roll 3.

When the machine (Figs. 1-4) is in operation, the cylinder is rotated in a clockwise direction (as viewed from discharge end) (Fig. 3) and the fibrous material in the cylinder will be lifted by pins Ia and carried up to and moved over. the plate 6 and dropped at the upper end thereof onto the portion 6a and be directed thereby onto the carding roll 3.

The plate 6 may be provided with diagonal corrugations or vanes Go on its upper surface and facing the interior of the cylinder, so that as the material is moved upward over the plate by the pins it will also be shifted axially of the cylinder by such vanes; and thus at each revolution of the cylinder the fibrous material as it moves over the plate will progress longitudinally of the cylinder toward the discharge end thereof.

I preferably provide a shield 6e, Fig. 3, between the lower outer end of the plate 6 and the lower end of the portion 6a, to confine the material more closely to the action of, the brush and carding rolls.

The cylinder and rolls may be rotated at the proper relative speed by any suitable means. One means is indicated in Fig. 4, and as there shown an electric motor M is mounted on the framing, and one of the shafts Ic carrying rollers Ib has a sprocket Is driven by a chain It from a sprocket I v on the shaft of the motor M. On the shaft of the motor is another sprocket Ta which leads to and over a tension take-up sprocket Ib, hung on spring hangers 10; from which it passes to and over a sprocket 4s on the adjacent end of the shaft of roll 4, and thence over a sprocket 5s on the adjacent end of the shaft of the brush roll 5, thence up over a sprocket 3s on the adjacent end of the roll 3, thence down over a sprocket 2s on the adjacent end of the roll 2, and thence returns to sprocket Ia. By this arrangement the brush and each of the carding rolls can be driven at the desired relative speeds and in the desired direction. While such drive is eflicient I do not consider the invention restricted thereto.

The fibrous material to be treated can be fed into one end of the screening cylinder I through a feed chute 9 and may be delivered at the other end of the cylinder into a discharge spout 9b having an inner end adapted to receive the carded fibres swept off of the adjacent end of carding roll 4 by the rotating brush 5.

The screening cylinder I (Fig. 1) may be re volved in a clockwise direction at a speed of approximately 5 to 50 R. P. M.,' depending upon the stock to be treated. Roll 2 revolved in a counterclockwise direction. Roll 3 revolved in a clockwise direction at a slightly greater speed than roll 2. Roll 4 revolved in a counter-clockwise direction at a higher speed than roll 3; and brush roll 5 revolved in a clockwise direction at a higher speed than roll 4.

As the screening cylinder I rotates the pins Ia will raise portions of the fibrous material onto plate 6 and move it thereover until the material drops from the plate onto the carding rolls. Most of the material would be deposited on rolls 3 and 2. The fibres caught by rolls 2 and 3 will be carded off by roll 4, which is moving at a greater rate of speed; and the carded fibres are removed from roll 4 by the action of the more rapidly revolving brush 5, which throws the fibrous material onto the lower side of the screening cylinder. In such operation the fibrous material is opened up and the dust and foreign matters are loosened from the fibres and have an opportunity to separate from the fibrous material and pass through the screen. During its passage axially of the screen cylinder the fibrous material is repeatedly subjected to the separating and carding action of the rolls; and the separated dirt passes out through the screen.

An advantage of the arrangement shown in Figs. 1-4 is that the fibres are brushed from roll 4 in such manner that they do not pass under the carding rolls, so that any burrs or vegetable matter which drops out of the fibres while passing around the carding rolls will not drop back into the fibrous material but will drop on a clean portion of the screen and have free opportunity of passing therethrough.

If desired the screen might be enclosed within a housing such as ID in the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6; and also a short-fibre separating screen I6 might be used, as indicated in said figures.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5-7, the screen I is constructed and mounted as above described in a housing I 0. The fibrous material can be fed into one end of the cylinder through a feed chute HM, and discharged from the other end of the screen into a spout IN). The carding rolls 2, 3, 4, and brush 5, are arranged within the cylinder, as in Fig. 1, but the shield 6 is omitted.

Roll 2 is set so as to just clear the pins Ia on the screen cylinder; roll 3 is set so that it will card the fibres from roll 2;- and roll 4 set so that it will card the fibres from both rolls 2 and 3. Brush 5 will remove the carded fibres from roll 4 as described.

In this modification the rotating screen I (see Fig. 5) may be revolved in a counter-clockwise direction (as viewed from discharge end) at a speed of approximately 5 to 50 R. P. M., depending upon the stock to be treated; roll 2 revolved in a counter-clockwise direction at a speed sufficient to pick up and hold the stock raised by the pins Ia; roll 3 revolved in a clockwise direction at a slightly greater speed than roll 2; roll 4 revolved in a counter-clockwise direction at a higher speed than roll 3; and brush roll 5 re volved at a higher speed than roll 4.

As the screen I (Fig. 5) rotates, pins Ia will lift the fibrous material and part thereof will be taken by roll 2, from the pins as they pass such roll, and some of the material will be dropped from the pins (as they approach the vertical) onto the carding rolls; most of the material being deposited on rolls 2 and 3. The fibres on rolls 2 and 3 will be carded off by roll 4; and the carded fibres are detached from roll 4 by the more rapidly revolving brush roll 5. And the clean carded fibres may be discharged from the cylinderby chute lllb onto a conveyor which delivers them ,toa suitable receiver, not shown.

The forward movement of the fibrous material in the cylinder maybe obtained by tilting the "entire screen and assembly of carding rolls, or by air currents, or by other suitable means provided for moving the stock forward. 7

"In cases where thematerialto be treated contains considerable dust,'it may be desirable to provide thehousing lilwithan outlet I that can be connectedwith a suction fan (not shown) a large amount of short fibres and large particles of foreign matter, itmay be desirable to provide the screening cylinder with larger openings or below the screen.

mesh. Such largeropeningsmightpermit the passage of an undesirable amount of short or,

broken fibres, and to recover such short fibres a fiat shaking or vibrating screen i6 (Figs. and 6) may be mounted. under the rotating screen to collect the short fibres butpermit the dirt to pass through. The short fibres can be discharged from screen It onto a conveyor 11 by which they may be carried to any desired point of deposit The dirt passing through screen IE will be caught on a bottom plate 15a and directed thereby into a suitable receiver.

The degree of opening and carding effect of the rolls is regulable as desired by varying the relative speeds and relative setting of the rolls. Some separation of the dust and foreign matter from the fibres will occur each time and at each point where one roll takes material from another, and Where the fibres are thrown against the rotating screen.

The cylinder screen I may be of woven wire or of reticulated or perforated metal. The mesh of the wire or size of the perforations may be varied as desired along the length of the screen, depending upon the particular material to be treated. The screen surface of the cylinder may if desired be made in sections so mounted that they can be replaced, when worn, or replaced by screen sections of a different mesh or size or shape of openings.

The number of carding rolls, their size and location within the cylinder, their spacing with respect to one another, and the speed of rotation of each may be varied; as may best suit the particular material being treated. Also the shape of the pins, teeth, or clothing on the rolls 2, 3, 4, may be varied in spacing and character to suit the material to be treated. The spacing of such teeth may also be Varied along the length of each roll as desired so that the carding action may be modified as the fibrous material advances along the length of the cylinder.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material; comp-rising a rotatable screen, and fibre carding means in the screen including rotating elements with different peripheral speeds and adapted to repeatedly operate upon the fibres elevated by the screen.

2. Apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material; comprising a rotatable screen, and fibre carding rolls within the screen rotating at different peripheral speeds and adapted to repeatedly operate upon the fibres in their passage along the cylinder.

3. Apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material; comprising a rotatable screen, fibre carding rolls within the screen rotating at different peripheral speeds and adapted to operate upon the fibres in the screen, and means in the screen whereby the material is repeatedly delivered to the carding rolls for operation thereon,

said carding rolls returning the material to the I. screen.

4. In apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material; a rotatable screen, and a lurality of carding rolls extending longitudinally of and within the screen and rotating at diiferenti peripheral speeds operate upon the fibres within peripheral speeds adapted to repeatedly operate upon the fibres within the screen.

5. In apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material; a rotatable screen, carding:

rolls rotating at different peripheral speeds and extending longitudinally of and within the screen and adapted to operate upon the fibres in the screen, and a rotary brush for removing the fibres from the carding rolls and throwing them. against the screen.

6. In apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material; a rotatable screen, a plurality of carding rolls extendinglongitudinally of and within thescreen and adapted to operate.

upon the fibres in their passage along the screen, and a rotary brush for removing the fibres from the carding rolls and throwing them against the interior of the screen.

'7. In apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material; rotatable screening means, carding means extending longitudinally of and within the screening means adapted to operate upon the fibres, a plate for directing material to the carding means and means for lifting the fibrous material onto and moving it over the plate to deliver it to the carding means.

8. In apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material; rotatable screening means, carding means within and extending longitudinally of the screening means andadapted to operate upon the fibres; a plate for directing material to the carding means said plate being provided with means whereby the material is shifted longitudinally of the screening means as it is moved over the plate, and means for lifting the material onto and moving it over the plate to deliver it to the carding means.

9. In apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material; a rotatable cylinder, carding rolls within and extending longitudinally of the cylinder adapted to operate upon the fibres therein, a plate for directing material to the carding rolls, and means in the cylinder for lifting the material onto and moving it over the plate to deliver it to the carding rolls.

10. In apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material; a rotatable cylinder, carding rolls within and extending longitudinally of the cylinder adapted to operate upon the fibres therein, a plate for directing material to the carding rolls, said plate being provided with means whereby the material is shifted longitudinally of the cylinder as it is moved over the plate, and means in the cylinder for lifting the material onto and moving it over the plate to deliver it to the carding rolls.

11. In apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material; a rotatable screening cylinder, carding rolls extending longitudinally of and within the cylinder adapted to operate upon the fibres therein, a plate in the cylinder for directing material to the carding rolls, and means in the cylinder for lifting the material onto and moving it over the plate to deliver it to the carding rolls, and means for removing fibres from the carding roll and returning them onto the screen.

12. In apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material; a rotatable screening cylinder, carding rolls extending longitudinally of and within the cylinder adapted to operate upon the fibres therein, a plate in the cylinder for directing material to the carding rolls, said plate being provided with means whereby the material is shifted longitudinally oi the cylinder as it is moved over the plate, means in the cylinder for lifting the material onto and moving it over the plate to deliver it to the carding rolls, and means for removing fibres from the carding roll and returning them onto the screen.

13. Apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material; comprising a screen and fibre carding means within the screen including rotating elements with different peripheral speeds and adapted to repeatedly operate upon the fibres, a housing enclosing the screen, and means for creating suction in the housing to remove light impurities separated from the fibres.

14. In apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material; a rotatable screen, a plurality of carding rolls rotating at different peripheral speeds and extending longitudinally of and within the screen and adapted to operate upon the fibres within the screen, a housing enclosing the screen, and means for creating a suction in the housing to remove light impurities separated from the fibres.

15. Apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material; comprising a rotatable screen, fibre carding rolls within the screen rotating at different peripheral speeds and adapted to operate upon the fibres in the screen, means in the screen whereby the material is repeatedly delivered to the carding rolls for operation thereon, the material being delivered from said carding rolls to the screen.

16. In apparatus for opening, carding and cleaning fibrous material; a rotatable screen, carding rolls rotating at different peripheral speeds extending longitudinally of and within the screen, means for removing fibres from the carding rolls and throwing them against the screen, and means whereby the material in the screen is repeatedly delivered to the carding rolls.

17. In apparatus of the character specified; a rotatable screen, a plurality of carding rolls extending longitudinally of and within the screen and adapted to operate upon the material in its passage through the screen, abrush for removing the fibres from the carding rolls and throwing them against the interior of the screen.

RUSSELL LEE BROWN.

Images