Patents by Inventor Fritz Knabenhans

Fritz Knabenhans has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5048156
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of treating cotton contaminated or imbued with honeydew. For this purpose, cotton flocks are fed into a microwave oven, in which the cotton flocks are heated by microwave energy, thus reducing the stickiness or tackiness of the honeydew such that there are no processing disadvantages on subsequent machinery. The microwave oven basically comprises a conveyor belt on which the cotton flocks are conveyed through a passage or channel provided with microwave generators. At the exit or outlet of the microwave oven the cotton flocks are transferred to an opening unit which transfers the cotton flocks into a feed chute or shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1991
    Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Rieter, AG
    Inventors: Rene Waeber, Fritz Knabenhans, Othmar Bachmann
  • Patent number: 5008978
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for treating cotton contaminated or imbued with honeydew. For this purpose, cotton flocks are fed into a microwave oven, in which the cotton flocks are heated by microwave energy, thus reducing the stickiness or tackiness of the honeydew such that there are no processing disadvantages on subsequent machinery. The microwave oven basically comprises a conveyor belt on which the cotton flocks are conveyed through a passage or channel provided with microwave generators. At the exit or outlet of the microwave oven the cotton flocks are transferred to an opening unit which transfers the cotton flocks into a feed chute or shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 23, 1991
    Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Rieter AG
    Inventors: Rene Waeber, Fritz Knabenhans, Othmar Bachmann
  • Patent number: 5003670
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for reducing the stickiness or tackiness of cotton flocks. For this purpose, cotton flocks delivered by any suitable conveyor structure are received in a flock chute and brought, by rolls or rollers, as a fiber batt between a number of heated rolls or rollers, in order to be heated such that the stickiness or tackiness of the honeydew on the cotton is thus reduced to an extent which no longer has an adverse effect on subsequent machinery. Downstream of the heated rolls or rollers the fiber batt is again opened into cotton flocks by an opening roll or roller and fed to a pneumatic conveyor line through which the cotton flocks are fed to the subsequent machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 2, 1991
    Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Rieter AG
    Inventors: Rene Waeber, Robert Demuth, Fritz Knabenhans, Othmar Bachmann
  • Patent number: 4999926
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for reducing the stickiness or tackiness of the fibers of honeydew-contaminated cotton flocks by heating the same. For this purpose, the cotton flocks while still in bale form are heated in a high-frequency electrical or electromagnetic field until the honeydew is brought to an elevated temperature and the water contained in the honeydew contamination is substantially evaporated, the temperature preferably being such that the cotton flocks reach a temperature in the region of the temperature of ebullition or boiling point of water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1991
    Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Rieter AG
    Inventors: Fritz Knabenhans, Othmar Bachmann
  • Patent number: 4999925
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for reducing the stickiness or tackiness of the fibers of honeydew-contaminated cotton flocks by heating the same. For this purpose, the cotton flocks while still in bale form are heated in a high-frequency electrical or electromagnetic field until the honeydew is brought to an elevated temperature and the water contained in the honeydew contamination is substantially evaporated, the temperature preferably being such that the cotton flocks reach a temperature in the region of the temperature of ebullition of boiling point of water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1991
    Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Rieter AG
    Inventors: Fritz Knabenhans, Othmar Bachmann
  • Patent number: 4969234
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of reducing the stickiness or tackiness of cotton flocks. For this purpose, cotton flocks delivered by any suitable conveyor mechanism are received in a flock chute and brought, by rolls or rollers, as a fiber batt between a number of heated rolls or rollers, in order to be heated such that the stickiness or tackiness of the honeydew on the cotton is thus reduced to an extend which no longer has an adverse effect on subsequent machinery. Downstream of the heated rolls or rollers the fiber batt is again opened into cotton flocks by an opening roll or roller and fed to a pneumatic conveyor line through which the cotton flocks are fed to the subsequent machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 13, 1990
    Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Rieter AG
    Inventors: Rene Waeber, Robert Demuth, Fritz Knabenhans, Othmar Bachmann
  • Patent number: 4878784
    Abstract: A feed chute arrangement for textile machines, such as carding machines includes a feed chute having a plurality of walls one of which is gas-permeable to let gaseous medium to escape from the interior of the feed chute into a neighboring gas output chamber that is bounded by a plurality of additional walls different from the gas permeable wall. One of these additional walls is provided with an opening at which there is pivotally mounted a plate-shaped blocking flap selectively movable between its closed position and a plurality of open positions in which it offers various amounts of resistance to the flow of the gaseous medium from the gas output chamber through the opening into a connecting conduit and eventually into a discharge passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 7, 1989
    Assignee: Rieter Machine Works Ltd.
    Inventors: Rolf Binder, Paul Staeheli, Urs Staehli, Fritz Knabenhans
  • Patent number: 4797979
    Abstract: The arrangement for supplying a fiber processing machine, such as a card or the like, with fiber flock material comprises a feed device for feeding the fiber flock material to an opening roller having needles distributed over its cylindrical outer or jacket surface. In accordance with the invention, strip-shaped vanes or blades are provided on the outer or jacket surface of the opening roller. These strip-shaped vanes or blades extend substantially parallel to the surface generator lines or generatrices of the cylindrical outer or jacket surface of the opening roller and between the needles thereof. As a result of these measures there is obtained an essentially even or uniform, heavy batt with an appreciably higher batt weight in the feed chute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1989
    Assignee: Maschinenfabrik Rieter AG
    Inventors: Paul Staheli, Fritz Knabenhans