Abstract: The present invention discloses a multi-station adaptive walnut shell pre-breaking system, comprising a feeding device and a shell pre-breaking device.

Abstract: A grapple apparatus for handling cotton modules includes a frame comprising first and second portions. The second portion is selectively movable relative to the first portion between an opened position and a closed position. The frame defines a module-holding space when the second portion of the frame is in its closed position. At least one powered roller device is connected to the frame and is selectively active to rotate an associated cotton module located in the module-holding space relative to said frame about a module axis of rotation. A method for handling cotton modules includes positioning a frame adjacent a cotton module and moving a second portion of the frame relative to a first portion of the frame from an opened position to a closed position to define a module-holding space in which the cotton module is received and retained.

Abstract: A method for forming yarn provides for forming an intermediate product being a fire retardant and heat resistant cohesive elongated network of fibers in a single operation by stretching and breaking filaments of a ribbon like tow starting material of longitudinally aligned filaments. The intermediate product may be wool-like with wavy and randomly oriented fibers formed by from the fragmented filaments. The single drafting operation includes directing the tow through first and second pairs of rollers, the second pair rotating faster than the first. The intermediate product may be spun directly into yarn in one spinning/twisting operation. The fire retardant and heat resistant yarn so produced may include 100% oxidized polyacrylonitrile fibers having an average length greater than about 15 cm. The yarn may be knitted or otherwise formed into fire-retardant and heat resistant fabrics or other products used in various applications.

Abstract: The present invention is a method of cleaning an object in an open aqueous cleaning system. The method is directed to an open cleaning vessel into which water used for cleaning a material or object can be introduced. A means is provided for introducing a reactant chemical to the vessel to form an aqueous solution. Cleaning of the surface is in the form of bubble formation on the part that vaporizes the chemical in order to react the oxidizer in the vapor state to the exposed surface at the bubble growth area. Treatment in the form of etching or any other process in which material is removed from a solid surface displaces the liquid residue from the surface. The resulting process produces no dissolution or emulsion of the contaminant and therefore can be easily separated from the chemical cleaner. The process also conserves chemistry, water, energy, and reduces pollution.

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and methods for converting tow into sliver including cutter rolls for cutting fiber to length, a collector pan for passing the cut fiber from the cutting rolls to a drafting section and a pin roll in the drafting section for combing and debonding the fiber. The collector pan is shaped to dispose the opposite marginal edges of the cut fiber web in registration with the main body of the web to ensure proper presentation of the cut tow fibers to the drafting section. The pin roll in the drafting section includes a plurality of projections having leading and trailing edges terminating in a tip. Each leading edge is angled to enter the tow web prior to entry of the associated tip. The arrangement of the converter affords high weight delivery of combed and debonded fiber with minimal defects.

Abstract: A machine for stretch-break converting man-made fibers or fiber slivers, h the machine having one or more distortion zones, one of which can be embodied as a heating zone, and one or more breaking zones, whereby the distortion and breaking zones can be disposed in several superimposed levels. The machine also has a tow-drafting mechanism, as well as a delivery mechanism for stretch-break converted fiber slivers. So that tows having a greater overall weight can be processed, the drafting mechanism is spread out such that a plurality of separate tows can be individually guided parallel to and independently of one another next to and/or above one another. The width of the components of the distortion and breaking zones is greater than 270 mm.

Abstract: A coating of a viscous lubricant applied prior to stretch-breaking permits forming slivers of stretch-broken carbon fibers. When an anti-static ingredient is added to the viscous lubricant cohesive slivers of stretch-broken glass fibers can be formed. Composites of matrix resin reinforced with these slivers exhibit high strength, tensile stiffness, and good formability.

Abstract: A coating of a viscous lubricant applied prior to stretch-breaking permits forming slivers of stretch-broken carbon fibers. When an anti-static ingredient is added to the viscous lubricant cohesive slivers of stretch-broken glass fibers can be formed. Composites of matrix resin reinforced with these slivers exhibit high strength, tensile stiffness, and good formability.

Abstract: A fine heterogeneous hybrid spun yarn is blended from electrostatically conductive staple fibers and electrostatically non-conductive staple fibers so that the yarn is electrostatically conductive only over short discrete lengths. When used in pile fabrics, such as carpets, the fine yarn is introduced with at least some of the carpet facing yarns during the carpet making operations. The resultant carpet structure substantially eliminates electrostatic shock to a human walking across the carpet and approaching a ground such as a light switch, radio, or another person. Such a carpet does not constitute a dangerous floor covering.The unique heterogeneous hybrid spun blended yarn is achieved by process techniques completely contrary to accepted blending practices.

Abstract: Cottonseed processing system includes a huller/separator combination. The huller assembly has a pair of counter-rotating, toothed rollers for shearing the seed hulls, with the shearing surfaces provided by removable segmented plates. The separator assembly is provided by a vertically disposed, angularly stepped, air duct with upwardly directed air flow separating the seed hulls from the seed meat products. A paddle wheel feeder assembly functions as an air lock between the huller assembly housing and the air duct.

Abstract: A staple-fiber band is made by first spinning synthetic-resin filaments with spinnerets and drawing the filaments as roving at a predetermined feed speed from the spinnerets. The roving is then cooled without greatly stretching it so it has relatively high residual stretch and is then stored. Without intermediate treatment the roving is heated to a predetermined temperature and then stretched it to a relatively small residual stretch. The stretched roving is then thermofixed and then stretch-torn. Finally it is textured. During the heating, thermofixing, stretch-tearing, and texturing steps the roving is held under tension so that its filaments cannot tangle. When the filaments are of polyester they are stretched at between 60.degree. C. and 120.degree. C. and thermofixed at a temperature that can be somewhat higher.

Abstract: High strength, high modulus, continuous filament aromatic polyamide yarns are stretch broken under high tension while being sharply deflected in a lateral direction by mechanical means to provide a sliver which is processed by conventional means to a high strength, high modulus spun yarn. The broken ends of the fibers are highly fibrillated to fibrils having lengths of 50-350 times the diameter of the unfibrillated portion of each fiber.

Abstract: Filler material, particularly for cigarette filters, is produced by feeding a first stream of substantially continuous filaments of filler material onto a pin roller which is driven at a speed such that the filaments are broken by the pins into irregular lengths and are projected from the roller in random orientations. The broken filaments are collected on a carrier stream, also comprising filamentary material, for delivery to a rod-making unit. More than one stream could be supplied to the pin roller so that the broken filaments can comprise a mixture of filaments of different filler materials. The carrier stream may comprise filler material which is different from that in the first stream and may comprise a fibrillated web.

Abstract: A method and machine for forming nonwoven batts containing refractory fibers such as carbon, glass, ceramic or metallic fibers, includes a conveying table (12) provided with scalloped rollers (90, 92) which separate tows of filaments (16) and spread the filaments on a conveying table. A feed roller (80) holds the filaments on the table so that they are conveyed to a rotating lickerin (60). The lickerin (60) is provided with teeth (62) which grasp the filaments so that a tensile force is applied thereto, thereby breaking the filaments at structurally weak points in the filaments. The fibers are mixed with textile fibers and transferred to a foraminous condenser (144) by blowing the fibers through a duct (112). The fibers are arranged on the conveyor (114) in a random fashion to form a batt.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for producing a synthetic multifilament yarn having the appearance, bulk and hand characteristics normally associated with spun yarns of staple fibers. The yarn is air jet textured to form loops, coils, bows and the like in the filaments, and at least some of the projecting loops, coils, and bows are enlarged or parted by advancing and looping the yarn around one or more rotating rollers, such that the portion of the yarn running onto the roller overlaps and contacts the portion of the yarn leaving the roller and thereby clampingly engages the projecting loops, coils, bows and the like of the leaving yarn portion. The efficiency of the process may be controlled by varying the number of rollers, as well as the yarn tension during the parting operation.

Abstract: High strength, high modulus, continuous filament aromatic polyamide yarns are stretch broken under high tension while being sharply deflected in a lateral direction by mechanical means to provide a sliver which is processed by conventional means to a high strength, high modulus spun yarn. The broken ends of the fibers are highly fibrillated to fibrils having lengths of 50-350 times the diameter of the unfibrillated portion of each fiber.

Abstract: The present invention concerns an apparatus for severing a fibre layer (3) composed of mutually slidable staple fibres, and containing two driven pairs of rolls (9/10; 11/12) forming two nip lines for the fibre layer (3) guided therebetween. Severing is achieved in that the two pairs of rolls (9/10; 11/12) are kinematically coupled using a flexible power transmitting element (19) in such a manner that by moving a roll tandem (26) contained in the path of movement of the power transmitting element (19) one pair of rolls (11/12) is rotated relative to the other one (9/10). Owing to this relative rotation of the pairs of rolls the fibre layer clamped between the nip lines is severed. This apparatus presents the advantage that its design is simple and reliable and that, in particular, no clutch is required.

Abstract: Fasciated yarn having uniform yarn construction and high strength, comprising a staple fiber group having a special staple assortment for making such a fasciated yarn.

Abstract: A method for converting a multifilament bundle of a synthetic material into a sliver and an apparatus for effecting the method. The apparatus comprises: a feed roller device for feeding the bundle; a draft roller device consisting of a pair of draft rollers, the peripheral speed of which draft roller device is higher than that of the feed roller device, for stretch breaking the filaments in the bundle between the feed roller device and the draft roller device; and an apron belt, belted between one roller of the draft roller device and the intermediate portion of the feed roller device and the draft roller device, which is wound around the other draft roller. The broken filaments are smoothed between the apron belt and the other draft roller so that the evenness of the sliver thickness is improved and the uniformity in quality of the spun yarn obtained from the sliver is also improved.

Abstract: A cotton cleaning attachment for a cotton scraper has a separator section mountable at a discharge end of a conventional scraper so as to receive scrap cotton, dirt and debris downwardly under the force of gravity from the discharge end of the scraper and separating the dirt and debris from the cotton. A transfer section, also mountable on the scraper and disposed downstream of the separator section, removes the cleaned cotton from the separator section, and causes the cotton to be fed to a subsequent stage of handling for further processing.