Abstract: A circular textile fiber bale opener with a goosenecked transition from separately chambered dual plucker rolls provide for larger laydown area and greater production. The transition causes uniform air velocity at the top of the fiber bales across the full length of the plucker rolls. Plucked fibers from the transition are delivered through a centrally disposed hollow shaft for delivery downstream. The shaft carries electrical collector rings with which are associated brushes which rotate with the opener for completing connections between the external and internal wiring required for the apparatus.

Abstract: In a webformer including a chute for feeding a web of fibers to subsequent equipment the improvement comprising an air deflector plate for controlling the amount of air that can be exuded from substantially all areas of a perforated wall.

Abstract: A method of textile fiber bale opening wherein fiber bales are laid within a circle on the floor in a predetermined arrangement and are opened by a beater which rotates about the center of the circle and sweeps over the tops of the bales to loosen and strip fibers therefrom.

Abstract: Textile fiber bale opener with rotary beater which extends in a radial direction while rotatingly sweeping over an annular area defined by concentric circles between which bales are disposed. Up/down means is provided to raise and lower the beater automatically.

Abstract: A web former for a textile card or the like in which fibers in an air stream are delivered into a housing divided by a perforated plate into two chambers. The fibers fall to the bottom of one chamber and are formed into a web by three rollers. The plate is shaken by a motor to avoid build-up of fibers at the perforations and ensure that the fibers fall. A disc having sixty radial black bars is mounted for rotation on one roller to periodically interrupt the path between a light source and phototransistor to produce a pulse train which is applied to a counter and a monostable multi-vibrator. A logic flip-flop connects the counter and multivibrator to a relay controlling the shaker motor for delaying turning on the motor until the counter reaches a predetermined count but turning off the motor when the multi-vibrator times out.

Abstract: Apparatus for supplying textile fibers to each of a plurality of textile blending machines extending in a line and defining a blending line from each of a plurality of fiber bales extending behind each of the machines with an overhead crane mounted for movement vertically and in two horizontal directions by a number of motors, a sensor in the hopper of each machine for providing a demand signal when the level of material in that hopper is less than a predetermined level, and a control circuit for operating the motors to supply material in a set order to each hopper having a sensor providing a demand signal with each hopper receiving fibers from each of the bales extending behind it.

Abstract: A circuit for controlling the speed of a feed roller in a card or the like in which the sliver thickness is detected and a signal produced which is combined with signals representing feed and doff roller speeds, and a signal representing feed motor torque. The resulting signal is compared with a ramp signal to drive the feed motor so as to maintain sliver thickness at a desired value.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing an indication of the horsepower produced by a motor, engine or the like in which a load beam mounted on the motor produces a signal which is applied to a torque circuit which includes an A/D converter operating as a dual slope integrating A/D converter to produce a window pulse having a width which varies as a function of detected torque. A tachometer circuit produces a pulse train having a frequency indicating the speed of the motor in revolutions per unit time. The pulses from the tachometer are counted in a horsepower circuit during the window pulse from the torque circuit. Reset and store signals are applied to the counter by a flip-flop responsive to a variable frequency clock and the window pulse. The variable frequency clock drives the A/D converter and can be varied to set the constant K. Seven segment LED displays show the torque, speed and horsepower.

Abstract: A system and apparatus for forming webs from textile fibers entrained in an air stream in a conduit with a perforated plate dividing the interior of a housing into first and second chambers so that the entrained fibers fall to the bottom of the first chamber and the air passes through the plate while a portion of the plate is oscillated. The passage between the conduit and first chamber increases in cross-section from conduit to first chamber to reduce the velocity of the air and entrained particles.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing an electrical output signal which varies as a function of sliver thickness with a trumpet having a bore through which the sliver passes and a port opening into the bore, and a sensor with a housing defining an inner space sealingly divided by a flexible diaphragm into an upper compartment and a lower averaging compartment. The lower compartment is connected to the trumpet port and to a pressure source via a metering valve having an air escape port. A shaft is fixed for movement vertically with the diaphragm and has a weight on the end within the lower compartment and a magnetic portion in the upper compartment. Vertical movement of the diaphragm caused by a change in back pressure caused in turn by a change in sliver thickness produces an electrical signal in a coil wound about the shaft in the upper compartment as the coil interacts with the magnetic portion.

Abstract: An improved web former for feeding a fiber web of dense material or the like to subsequent textile processing machinery. The web former disclosed incorporates an offset cam means comprising an eccentric sleeve concentrically rotatably journalled in a bearing assembly. The offset cam means oscillates a shaker plate between horizontal positions so that a web of uniform density and thickness may be compressed and moved downwardly through a chute defined by the shaker plate and a vertically extending wall to a plurality of fluted aluminum delivery rolls. The delivery rolls further assist in forming a web and transporting a web of fiber material to other textile equipment.

Abstract: Apparatus in a card for sensing and controlling the relative speeds of the feed and doffer rolls in accordance with the sliver density as sensed by error detection circuitry responding to the amount of a transduced compression wave in the sonic ultrasonic range which passes through the sliver.

Abstract: Apparatus in a card for sensing and controlling the relative speeds of the feed and doffer rolls in accordance with the sliver density. A mechanical sensing device responds to the cross-section of the sliver to close the contacts of an electrical circuit when the cross-section deviates from an acceptable range. On contact closure, the circuit provides an electrical signal to the drive arrangement of the feed and doffer rolls to vary the roll speeds thereby effecting a correction in sliver cross-section.

Abstract: Overfeed prevention method and apparatus operative during the purging of a pneumatic line which, between purges, conveys fiber material from a source to one or more of a plurality of stations. Whenever a station indicates a demand for fibers, control circuitry causes fibers to be supplied to that station and after all the demanding stations have been so supplied, the line is purged of fibers by operating at least one (preferably the last fed one) of only those stations which received fibers during a predetermined number of previous cycles to the exclusion of and thereby preventing the overfeed of any station that did not demand to be fed during that predetermined number of previous cycles. The stations have a priority sequence so that if, during the feeding of a given station, a station having a higher priority indicates a demand, the feeding of the given station is interrupted in favor of the station having the higher priority.

Abstract: An apparatus for maintaining sliver thickness uniform whereby the web from a carding machine is gathered by a trumpet and passed between a grooved driven roller and a sensor roller riding in the groove so that the movements of the sensor roller vary as a function of sliver density. The sensor roller is mechanically connected to a magnetic core so that movement of the sensor roller varies the coupling between a primary transformer winding and a pair of secondary windings. The voltages induced in the secondary windings are applied, after a delay, to a first differential amplifier whose output in turn is connected to a second differential amplifier which is periodically rendered operative by a pulse generator and to which is also connected a potentiometer for adjusting desired density. The output of the second amplifier is connected to a pair of relay coils, one responsive to positive excursions and the other to negative.