Abstract: A fibre opening device for use in apparatus for spinning fibres into yarns comprising a housing in which an opening roller is rotatably mounted, the housing having a trash separation zone and a fibre stripping zone and the roller having a cylindrical working surface from which combing elements project and being substantially hollow with holes extending through the wall defining the cylindrical working surface to permit a flow of air therethrough, wherein cleaning means are provided for the interior of the roller, the cleaning means consisting of a vacuum suction device and a compressed air jet device which remove trash, dust and short fibres from the interior of the roller. It is preferred that the air jet device is in front of the suction device relative to the rotation of the roller and on the side of the roller remote from where combing of fibres occurs.

Abstract: An opening roller for an open end spinning machine which may be formed in one or two parts, the opening roller having a central body or hub (1) preferably provided with a central cylindrical aperture (10) therein for mounting on a drive shaft of an open end spinning machine, there being an outer ring (2) having a cylindrical external surface (7), the ring (2) supporting suitable combing elements in the form of spaced pins (14) or card wire and wherein the ring (2) is spaced from and connected to the central body (1) by means of septal walls (3) which may either extend radially or be inclined to respective radial planes passing through them, and wherein the spaces between the septal walls may be filled with a suitable plastics medium (11) which may surround the pin tails (18) if these project from the rear face (19) of the ring (2). The roller may be machined from a one-piece extrusion (FIG. 2) or after suitable machining may be assembled from two parts which may themselves be extruded.

Abstract: A lag or stave assembly for a Kirschner beater which replaces the traditional one-piece wooden lags and is preferably formed from extruded aluminium. The lag assembly is formed in two parts with a first support part which is preferably channel-shaped and can be secured to the free end of an arm or spider of the beater, and a second pinned working part removably secured along its leading and trailing edges to the upper ends of the arms of the support part, one edge, preferably the leading edge, of the working part being secured to the support part removably and hingedly, e.g. by a hook-shaped tongue engaging in a mating groove, and the other edge being fixedly secured to the other arm of the support part, e.g. by means of screws and/or any type of snap-fit or interlock. The arrangement preferably ensures that one of the parts is loaded in tension or compression when the two parts are secured together to prevent rattling.

Abstract: An opening roller for an open-end spinning machine carries an array of pins on its external surface. The pins are arranged in repeating patterns, each pattern comprising from 7 to 12 axially extending rows of equally-spaced pins, the relative dispositions of the pins in adjacent rows being such that the pins lie on lines parallel to a helix which passes through points in the first lines of two adjacent patterns, which points are axially off-set by three times the axial spacing of the pins in 7- or 8-row patterns, four times the axial spacing of the pins in 9- or 10-row patterns or five times the axial spacing of the pins in 11- or 12-row patterns. This arrangement reduces the risk of entanglement of fibres combed by one pin with fibres combed by an adjacent pin in the next row and reduces the tendency of the pins to direct fibres axially along the roller. An open-end spinning machine incorporating the roller is also disclosed.