Abstract: An apparatus that individualizes fibers within a feed stream without breaking the fibers. A first stage, having first pinch rollers, receives the feed stream and provides it to a second stage. The second stage receives the feed stream from the first stage, and provides a thinned stream to a third stage. Second stage apron belts draw the feed stream under tension from the first stage into the second stage. Second pinch rollers draw the feed stream under tension from the second stage apron belts and provide the thinned stream to the third stage. The third stage receives the thinned stream from the second stage and provides individualized fibers. Third stage apron belts draw the thinned stream under tension from the second stage into the third stage. Third pinch rollers draw the thinned stream under tension from the third stage apron belts and provide the individualized fibers.

Abstract: A driven opening roll (A) covered with card clothing receives a web (W) over a feed plate (B) which carries a pair of serially arranged feed rolls (C) and (D) for separating fibrous material from the web and removing the fibrous material in a passageway (E) providing air flow progressively increasing in velocity.

Abstract: A ventilated carding cylinder for allowing heat generated in the carding cylinder during operation to be dissipated. The carding cylinder includes an internal, longitudinally extending, air flow passage and impeller means provided therein for moving air through the air flow passage during operation of the carding cylinder. This movement of air aids in dissipating heat generated by the carding cylinder during the fiber carding process. Reduction of heat in the carding cylinder can minimize the risk of fire occurring in the fibers and also thermal growth of the cylinder during operation.

Abstract: Seed cotton is carried by an airstream into an upright cleaning chamber. Dust and fine trash is carried off through a fine screen in the top of the chamber. The airstream carrying the seed cotton into the chamber will lack sufficient strength to carry the cotton to the fine screen through which the dust and fine trash is carried. The air is separated from the dust and fine trash in a cyclone separator. Larger trash is blown through or carried through a grid on the side of the chamber. The cotton falls to the bottom of the chamber and is carried off with a majority of the air. The fine trash and coarse trash are dropped into a conveyor to be removed.

Abstract: An irregularly shaped glass fiber is provided which enjoys improved resiliency, and openness in pack structures. Wool packs and other wool portions having such irregularly shaped fibers may be processed directly through needling to form a non-woven material without intervening steps such as carding or blending of fibers which accompany conventional glass fiber processing operations. In a further aspect of the invention, a non-woven material including irregularly shaped fibers in a generally continuous wool tow is produced by "unwinding" a fiberglass wool pack collected by a direct forming method. Product applications include simplified, lower cost processing, and new uses of the irregularly shaped fibers produced by rotary fiberization in filtration elements, sorbants, gaskets, packings, shingles, composite structural elements, furnishings, textiles, yarns, and blown-in insulation systems.

Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning and opening fiber tufts includes a feeding device and an opening device adjoining the feeding device for receiving fiber tufts therefrom. The device has a series of immediately consecutive, mutually cooperating fiber processing rolls each having a point density which increases from roll to roll as viewed in a direction of fiber material advance through the roll series of the opening device.

Abstract: Disclosed are various needle-based devices for individualizing single fibers and other entities from a fibrous mass, particularly for testing purposes. In one embodiment, an accelerated pin drafting machine has a plurality of combing elements which sequentially pierce a fiber mat and move within a drafting zone with increasing distance between adjacent combing elements. The accelerated pin drafting machine in turn feeds a fiber individualizer. In another embodiment, a comb-like needle sampler is provided which moves past a perforated plate such that portions of fibrous material protruding through the perforations are loaded onto the needle sampler. An elastomer clamping feedroll moves against the needles to clamp the sample, and then rotates to gradually feed fibers from the sampler. As an alternative to the elastomer clamping feedroll, a clamping block presses against the needles, and the needles are slowly retracted to gradually release fibers.

Abstract: Apparatus for transporting full textile laps to a plurality of combers includes an elevated bridge structure movable in series between a lap storage station and the plural combers, a trolley movable along the bridge structure, and a lap gripping device suspended from the trolley for carrying a full replacement lap. The bridge structure is provided with a detector for each work station of each comber to recognize detectable elements at the work stations which are normally obscured by laps supported thereat but are uncovered when the laps are depleted to a sufficient extent that a replacement lap is required. Upon recognizing the detectable elements at any work station, the associated detector element transmits a signal to a controller which actuates the gripping mechansim to deposit a full replacement lap at the work station.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing, in bulk, long tailed neps, the apparatus including a housing supporting a main rotor the periphery of which has a plurality of teeth and beaters which co-operate with teeth on a set of feed rollers mounted in the housing alongside the periphery of the main rotor, the housing having an intake chute and a closeable discharge door, the arrangement being such that, in use, a synthetic or material fibrous material fed to the intake chute, while the discharge door is closed, is fed into the housing by the feed rollers, the fibrous material being removed by the beaters and teeth of the rotor from the feed rollers, the fibrous material being spun in the housing and the interaction between the teeth and the beaters of the main rotor and the teeth of the feed rollers causing the fibrous material to be entangled and felted to form a plurality of long tailed neps which are discharged from the housing when the discharge door is opened.

Abstract: Apparatus for processing textile fibers is disclosed which includes a carding machine (14) and a batt former (A). Batt former (A) includes an air circulation loop which includes a plenum (B), fiber compacting chamber (C), air separating means (72, 74), acceleration channel (30), duct (46), and fan blower (54). Fan blower (54) has an adjustable angle of incidence "a"to direct a jet of fiber-laden air into plenum (B) against a splash plate (66) to cause fibers to be deposited in fiber compacting chamber (C) in a cross-directional profile so that fibers at side walls of the plenum may have increased residence time in the fiber compacting chamber compensating for side wall friction. A first separated air flow (5) is divided by side friction. A first separated air flow (5) is divided by side channels (92a, 92b) and combined with a second air flow (4) to form supercharged air flow regions at the sides of the air flow passing through acceleration channel (30).

Abstract: The system comprises, downstream of a ribbon-lap machine, a cradle lifting device for taking up a lap roller from a lap roller collecting frame, a gripper taking up device being moreover provided which is adapted to remove a lap roller from the cradle lifting device and to load an empty roller on an empty roller collecting frame, the gripper taking up device being supported on a carriage slidable on a guide path so as to selectively reach a combing machine preselected from an assembly of combing machines in order to discharge the lap roller on a lap roller supplying frame while simultaneously taking up an empty roller.

Abstract: The method and equipment for removing the straps tied around a bale of cotton comprises the steps of: 1. lifting and transporting the bale by a forklift to an impact cutter provided with a long horizontal cutter blade, 2. pushing the bale towards the cutter blade, whereby the impact cutter is operated by contact of the bale with an electric switch, and the straps are cut in one place each by the rapid motion of the cutter blade, 3. lifting the bale by means of the forklift until the free ends of the straps flap over the lower of two rollers of a strap-pulling device and lowering the upper of the two rollers into contact with the straps and the lower roller, 4. switching on the motor of the strap-pulling device, whereby the rotating rollers pull the straps off the bale, and 5. carrying the bale to its destination.

Abstract: A transport system for transporting laps wound on tubes in spinning preparation. The laps are transported above head height by carriers or supports movable along transport rails and are raised and lowered by means of carrier rails. The transport rails and the carrier rails are components or parts of a closed, endless circulation path or track. Each carrier has a holder for the lap and a holder for the empty tube. The invention provides the advantages that no special transport system is required for return of the tubes. Moreover, transport of individual laps or of a group of such laps is possible and an ordered and simple circulation path is provided during transport of these elements or parts. Furthermore, the system can readily be automated.

Abstract: An improved, hydraulically controlled, cotton harvesting apparatus comprising: cotton receiving and containing means; means for feeding cotton to a cotton boll breaking means; cotton boll breaking means comprising a roller and a brush operatively associated with said roller; cotton cleaning and ginning means comprising a plurality of cleaning saws each of said saws having a brush operatively associated therewith and on one side thereof and a rotary stripper adjacent and opposite of bottom portion of each of said saws; cotton condensing means for receiving cleaned and ginned cotton comprising a plurality of rollers and means for exhausting air therefrom; a piston horizontally mounted below the condensing means and movable between first and second positions to provide cotton to a compressing and baling means comprising an enclosure having a piston vertically mounted in the upper portion thereof and being movable from an upper to a lower position to compress and bale cotton.

Abstract: A device for withdrawing and gathering a fiber web discharged by a web delivering assembly of a carding machine includes a guide element arranged immediately downstream of the web delivering assembly and has a web guiding face; a support for positioning the guiding face to be movable towards and away from the web delivering assembly; an arrangement for urging the guiding face towards the web delivering assembly into a closed position with a predetermined force; a switch supported adjacent the guiding face for actuation by the guiding face upon movement of the guiding face away from the web delivering assembly in response to a web pressure opposing and exceeding the predetermined force; and an arrangement connected to the switch and responsive to the actuation thereof.

Abstract: A device for indicating the fibre length distribution of a fibre sample for use with an apparatus which produces output signals representative of the number of fibres in a cross section of a fibre sample by slit-wise illumination of the sample, has a pulse generator to produce a pulse stream representative of the relative positions of the sample and illuminating beam, comparators to compare signals received by opto-electric converter with reference signals to stop counters driven by the pulse stream when predetermined values of the received signals are reached and an indicator for the contents of the counters. The reference signals are derived from the received light signals at predetermined relative positions of the sample and beams.

Abstract: A soft, loosely compacted mat of fibers is continuously formed atop a traveling conveyor. The fibers are deposited on top of the screen from an air-fiber flow within a suitably sized conduit having the same width as the desired width of the mat. A fiberizer is upstream from the mat-laying station and serves to fiberize sheets of incoming fiber. A plurality of sheets can be fiberized and as they are fiberized, the flow is entrained with air with differential pressures throughout the flow path from the fiberizing station to the conduit and mat-laying station. The structure of the fiberizer allows fiber sheets to be fiberized and then directs the fibers toward an adjustable diverging portion of the fiberizer shell from where the air-fiber mixture flows toward the mat-laying station. Variable mat widths can be formed by varying the conduit width and by varying the lateral dimension of the diverging portion of the fiberizer shell.

Abstract: A machine for combing textile fibers prior to spinning, which operates to regroup the fibers in accordance with their length, is described. The machine operates to pull off tufts of fibers from a web or card sliver, to perform a preliminary combing of the fibers, and to deposit the tufts onto a conveyor with the fibers extending transverse the direction of advance and the ends of the fibers which were gripped in order to pull the tuft out of the web all aligned along the direction of advance of the conveyor. Subsequently the conveyor carries the tufts past a plurality of withdrawing devices which are successively nearer the conveyor and which operate to pull off first the longer fibers and subsequently successively shorter fibers. The fibers are subjected to a further combing operation as they are withdrawn from the conveyor.

Abstract: A seed cotton dryer system of the parallel flow tower type, having hollow vertically spaced horizontal shelves alternately extending from opposite sides of the tower to locations near but spaced from the opposite side to define a continuing zig-zag cotton flow path from the top to the bottom of the dryer through which the cotton travels impelled by conveying heated air. The hollow interior chambers of the shelves are supplied with heated air to heat the shelf surfaces and thereby facilitate drying, and the vertical spacing between shelves increases in one or more stages below the uppermost shelves providing for higher shelf velocity over the uppermost shelves. Means for recycling the cotton conveying air through the dryer and for monitoring the dew point of this conveying air to proportionately introduce fresh ambient air into the system and/or for monitoring cotton moisture content and automatically regulating heating of the drying air to regulate moisture content levels may be provided.

Abstract: A method of processing relatively inexpensive gin motes to reclaim the spinnable but normally waste cotton fibers contained therein and form a reduced cost yarn therefrom. The method involves cleaning the gin motes to separate and remove from the cotton fibers of the gin motes, the substantial portion of trash mixed therewith, and thereafter carding and drafting to separate and remove further amounts of trash therefrom. Subsequently, the thus processed cotton fibers of the gin motes are advanced through a combing machine and combed while additional trash is separated and removed and while short non-spinnable fibers are also removed to reduce the coefficient of variation in fiber length to a level suitable for subsequent processing into yarns. The resultant reclaimed spinnable fibers may be further processed by conventional methods, either directly from the comber to open-end or ring spinning, or indirectly by baling and later processing, alone or in blends with other fibers, to form yarns.

Abstract: Clump-removal devices are disclosed for separating unacceptably large clumps from an air stream containing both clumps and substantially individualized fibers.