GB1114972A - Continuous fibre disentangling and straightening apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

1,114,972. Preparing fibres. M. CHAIKIN and A. D. DIRCKS. 5 Oct., 1965 [9 Oct., 1964], No. 42202/65. Heading D1N. Process for continuously disentangling, straightening and aligning textile fibres e.g. of scoured or unscoured wool, cotton or synthetic material comprises gripping a thick layer of entangled fibres (thick relative to a layer fed to a carding engine) e.g. by rollers 53 while feeding it to a pin bearing cylinder 54 rotating with a surface speed greater (e.g. four times) than the speed at which the fibres are fed so that the pins comb, draft and transfer the fibres to the cylinder. The fibre web then passes to a further pinned cylinder 55 rotating at a faster speed (e.g. four times faster) than roller 54. The fibres are removed from cylinder 55 by a cylinder 57 which has only four rows of pins arranged in diametrically opposed pairs. Its surface speed is approximately ten times that of cylinder 55 from which it removes the fibres in tufts to lay them in overlaping relation of a cylinder 58 rotating with surface speed only slightly greater than that of rollers 53. The thick fibre web is then transferred by belts 62, 63 and a roller 64 to a further pair of feed rollers 65. The actions of the parts 53 to 65 may be repeated several times before being fed to further pin cylinders 66, 67, 68 running at progressively increasing speeds and with progressively increasing pin density. The fibres are then stripped by rollers 71, condensed at a funnel, 72, passed through cadender rollers 73, and then passed to a coiler and sliver can. The rollers 53, 65, 71 may be smooth or fluted metal or of rubber or synthetic elastic material or they may be wrapped with saw tooth wire. The pins on cylinders 54, 55, 66, 67, 68 may be fixed and set radially or inclined to the cylinder surface. Alternatively as in Fig. 4 and more particularly in Figs. 2 and 3 (not shown) the pins may be mounted in rows on bars which are slidably mounted in slots in the cylinder surface and the bars be moved by cam means so that the pins are retracted at points where the fibres are removed from the associated cylinder. In addition the angle of the pins to the cylinder may be varied during rotation. The pins of adjacent cylinders may or may not intersect. The pins in cylinder 57 may also be retractable. In place of cylinder 58 a wire mesh belt may be used. Streams of air may be directed to assist transfer of fibres between the cylinders and rollers and to this end the cylinders and rollers are perforated.