Abstract: An apparatus for forming a fiber lap from fiber tufts includes a fiber opener having an input formed of a fiber feeding mechanism and a series of sawtooth rolls through which the fiber material introduced by the fiber feeding mechanism consecutively passes in a direction of advance; a pneumatic fiber stripping device including a blowing device for directing an airstream toward the last sawtooth roll of the series as viewed in the direction of fiber advance; a hood having an inner face defining a chamber situated above and downstream of the last sawtooth roll for receiving fiber material carried from the last sawtooth roll by the air stream of the fiber stripping device; an air-pervious, continuously moving receiving member disposed in the chamber downstream of the last sawtooth roll; and a suction device facing the underside of the receiving member for generating an air stream passing through the receiving member for drawing fiber material in the chamber onto the upper face of the receiving member for forming

Abstract: An apparatus for transporting a coiler can from a sliver-producing fiber processing machine to a sliver-using fiber processing machine includes a transport carriage provided with wheels; a motor for propelling the transport carriage along a path of travel; and ground-supported rails for positively guiding the transport carriage along its path of travel.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating foreign matter from a pneumatically conveyed stream of textile fibers has a pneumatic duct in which the textile fibers are conveyed by an air stream; a waste container; first and second coupling openings for maintaining communication between the waste container and the pneumatic duct; and a gate pivotally supported in the pneumatic duct. The gate has a first position maintaining open the pneumatic duct and obturating the first and second coupling openings for allowing the fiber material to be conveyed by the air stream through the duct by bypassing the waste container. The gate further has a second position obturating a direct passage through the pneumatic duct and maintaining open the first and second coupling openings for directing the fiber material and the air stream from the pneumatic duct into the waste container and for allowing conveying air to pass from the waste container back into the pneumatic duct.

Abstract: A bale opener for removing fiber tufts from top surfaces of fiber bales assembled in a series includes a carriage for travelling back-and-forth along a generally horizontal, first path of travel along the fiber bale series; a tower mounted on the carriage for travel therewith; a fiber tuft detaching device extending from the tower and movable relative to the tower along a generally vertical, second path of travel; and an incremental rotary displacement signalling device including a shaft; a toothed rotary element mounted on the shaft; a counter element meshing with the rotary element which is movable relative to the counter element; and a signal generator coupled to the toothed element for generating signals as a function of rotary displacements of the toothed element.

Abstract: A carding machine includes a main carding cylinder; a lateral support component situated laterally of the main carding cylinder; and a travelling flats assembly situated above the main carding cylinder and having a working path along an upper circumference. The travelling flats assembly has a first and a second end sprocket positioned at a beginning and at an end, respectively, of the working path; an endless drive element supported by the end sprockets; a slideway having a convex portion following the curvature of the main carding cylinder and a concave portion adjacent the convex portion and following the curvature of the first and second end sprockets, respectively; a fastening device for securing the slideway to the lateral component; and a plurality of flat bars carried by the endless drive element; each flat bar has a flat bar end supported on the slideway.

Abstract: A fiber processing machine includes a clothed roll arrangement for entraining fiber along a circular path; a housing surrounding the roll arrangement; at least two waste discharge openings; a separate mote knife bounding each waste discharge opening; a suction hood adjoining each waste discharge opening for receiving waste passing through the respective waste discharge opening; a separate suction conduit coupled to the respective suction hoods for receiving the waste therefrom; and a common suction duct coupled to each suction conduit for receiving the waste therefrom. The suction conduits and the common suction duct is a one-piece construction.

Abstract: An apparatus for pneumatically delivering fiber tufts to a fiber processing machine includes a duct; a blower having a pressure side communicating with the duct for pneumatically driving fiber tufts therein in a stream M.sub.1 ; a branch conduit extending from the duct at a branch-off location situated downstream of the blower as viewed in a direction of flow of the stream M.sub.1 for separating a stream M.sub.3 from the stream M.sub.1, leaving a stream M.sub.2 to proceed in the duct downstream of the branch-off location; and a flow varying arrangement for changing a flow rate of the stream M.sub.3 in the branch conduit. The flow varying arrangement has a throttle mechanism situated in the branch conduit.

Abstract: A bale opener for detaching fiber tufts from a top surface of a fiber bales series includes a tower for travel along a series of fiber bales in a direction of travel; a detaching device supported by the tower and including a rapidly rotating detaching roll; an arrangement for vertically moving the detaching device relative to the tower; an arrangement for angularly moving the detaching device about a horizontal axis oriented perpendicularly to the direction of travel; and a bale transporting device for advancing the fiber bales in a horizontal feed direction. The bale transporting device includes a conveyor belt and first and second end rollers supporting the conveyor belt. The first end roller is situated downstream of the second end roller as viewed in the horizontal feed direction.

Abstract: A transporting carriage for conveying a coiler can of curved outer circumferential surface in an upright orientation between a can stand of a sliver producing fiber processing machine and a can stand of a sliver comsuming fiber processing machine includes an apparatus for transferring the coiler can from the carriage to the can stand and from the can stand to the carriage in a linear transferring direction.

Abstract: A fiber tuft feeder includes a reserve chute; a feed roll supported in the reserve chute at an outlet thereof; a countersupport cooperating with the feed roll for defining therewith a nip through which the feed roll draws fiber tufts from the reserve chute; an opening roll supported immediately downstream of the nip for receiving fiber tufts from the nip; and a feed chute having an inlet connected to the outlet of the reserve chute. A relative motion of the feed roll and the countersupport toward and away from one another is permitted for varying the distance between the feed roll and the countersupport by the fiber tufts passing therebetween. Further, a spring is provided which resiliently urges the feed roll and the countersupport towards one another.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing severed ties and wrapper from a fiber bale includes a first device for pulling the severed ties and wrapper off the fiber bale; and a second device for taking over the ties and wrapper from the first device and for conveying the ties and wrapper away from the fiber bale.

Abstract: An apparatus for mixing textile fiber tufts includes a plurality of serially disposed, generally vertically oriented hoppers; a pneumatic conveying system for advancing an air/tuft mixture to the hoppers for charging the hoppers with fiber tufts from the top; an exhaust-air chamber for receiving the conveying air stream from the air/tuft mixture; and a separator positioned between the exhaust-air chamber and the hoppers for allowing air to enter the exhaust-air chamber and for retaining fiber tufts in the hoppers. There are further provided a mixing chamber extending underneath the hoppers; an arrangement situated at the bottom of each hopper for delivering fiber tufts from the hoppers to the mixing chamber; and a transporting device situated in the mixing chamber for mechanically removing blended fiber tufts therefrom.

Abstract: An apparatus for making a fiber lap comprises the following combination: a plurality of serially arranged, vertically oriented hoppers charged with fiber tufts from above; removing device for removing the fiber tufts from the hoppers from below; a conveyor arranged to successively run past the hoppers and simultaneously receive fiber tufts therefrom whereby a multilayer fiber tuft mass is formed on the conveyor; a reinforcing device for stabilizing the multilayer fiber tuft mass and forming a fiber lap therefrom; and a wet treatment device.

Abstract: An apparatus for separating foreign bodies from a stream of fiber material includes a vertical chute having an upper inlet and a lower outlet; a mechanism for introducing the fiber material into the chute inlet; and a detector positioned in the chute for emitting a sensor signal upon passage of a foreign body. The fiber material is propelled from the detector towards the chute outlet substantially solely by gravity. The apparatus further has a waste discharge opening provided in the chute between the detector and the chute outlet; a deflecting mechanism arranged in the chute and having first and second positions. In the first position the deflecting mechanism causes the stream of fiber material to proceed in the chute to and through the chute outlet and in the second position the deflecting mechanism causes the stream of fiber material to proceed through the waste discharge opening.

Abstract: An apparatus for severing a strap surrounding a fiber bale includes a cutting disk having a periphery and a cutting edge on the periphery; a support for rotatably supporting the cutting disk; and a displacing arrangement for effecting relative movement under mutual pressure between the fiber bale and the cutting disk for moving the cutting disk in the fiber bale toward the strap and for severing the strap in a direction generally perpendicular to the strap length.

Abstract: A seal unit for sealing a clearance between relatively movable first and second machine components includes a low-friction, wear-resistant sealing element having a sealing face for sealingly engaging a surface of the first machine component; a spring having a soft spring characteristic and being at least indirectly in engagement with the second machine component and a reverse face of the sealing element for resiliently urging the sealing face of the sealing element against the surface of the first machine component.

Abstract: A fiber processing roll includes a groove provided in a roll surface helically about a longitudinal roll axis. The groove has at least one side wall which is inclined to a radius of the roll that extends to the inclined side wall. The groove has a top opening and a bottom; and the top opening has a width measured parallel to the axis and being greater than the width of the bottom. The fiber processing roll further has a sawtooth wire extending helically about the axis and forming a clothing on the roll. The sawtooth wire has a base rib received in the groove. The base rib has side walls and a bottom end face. One of the side walls of the base rib is inclined to the roll radius. The width of the base rib measured parallel to the axis decreases toward and is the smallest at the bottom end face of the base rib.

Abstract: A method of detaching fiber tufts from a top surface of serially-arranged fiber bales by a bale opener includes the steps of propelling the bale opener for back-and-forth travel along the fiber bale series, vertically moving, simultaneously with the propelling step, the detaching device relative to the supporting structure and simultaneously with the propelling step and the vertical displacement of the detacher, removing fiber tufts by the detaching device in consecutive passes.

Abstract: An apparatus for severing ties or a wrapper surrounding a fiber bale includes a severing device having a cutting element and a drive for actuating the cutting element; a counterelement positioned adjacent the cutting device; a supporting device for positioning the fiber bale; and a displacing device for moving the severing device and the cutting device as a unit relative to the supporting device for causing the counterelement to penetrate into the fiber bale underneath the tie to countersupport the tie during severing of the tie by the severing device.

Abstract: A sliver drafting apparatus has a pre-drafting mechanism which simultaneously receives a plurality of running slivers, and includes first and second pairs of drafting rolls between which the slivers pass. The apparatus further has a gathering element disposed downstream of the pre-drafting mechanism for gathering the slivers into a combined sliver and a first delivery roll pair situated downstream of the gathering element for pulling the combined sliver from the gathering element. The apparatus further includes a main drafting mechanism arranged downstream of the first delivery roll pair for receiving the combined sliver therefrom. The main drafting mechanism includes first and second pairs of drafting rolls between which the combined sliver passes. A sliver trumpet is situated downstream of the main drafting mechanism for receiving the combined sliver therefrom; and a second delivery roll pair is situated downstream of the sliver trumpet for pulling the combined sliver from the sliver trumpet.