US2195158A - Means for depositing separated fibers of fibrous material entrained in a stream of air in a continuous layer upon a traveling surface - Google Patents

Description

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UNiTEo STATES I MEANS FOR DEPOSITING SEPARATED FI- BERS F FIBBOUS MATERIAL ENTBAINED IN A STREAM 0F AIR IN A CONTINUOUS LAYER UPON A TRAVELING SURFACE Felix J. Watts, Detroit, Mich. Application September 2, 1938, Serial No. 228,183 s` claims. (cms-15s) This invention relates to improvements in a method and means for depositing separated bers of brous material entrained in a stream of air ina continuous layer upon a traveling at sur` face, and the inventionrelates more particularly to interrupting and diverting the normal flow of the stream of air and entrained material prior to the removal of the air therefrom and the depositing of the material.

Al0 It has been found in passing separated brous material entrained in a stream of' air between converging belts having a continuous strip of porous fabric traveling over the lowerbelt and the upper belt formed of screening, or open mesh material, the stream of air deposits the brous material upon the traveling strip of paper as the air escapes through the upper belt, and is now employed commercially. However, as the course of the air stream with the entrained material is 2o flattened to enter between the belts, the air stream does not always deposit the separated bers in a continuous even layer throughout the traveling paper.

It is an object of this invention to provide a means and method that will remove this objection and provide a continuous and even distribution of the separated bers in depositing them upon the traveling paper.

With this and other objects in view, reference is made to the accompanying sheetof drawings which illustrates one form of this invention with the understanding that detail changes may be made therein, and that it'may be applied tov other devices without departing from the scope thereof.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in longitudinal central vertical section through a portion of one form of commercial apparatus, hereinbefore described,

illustrating anapplication of this invention.

Figure 2v is a top plan view of Figure 1, with parts broken away.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in elevation of al detail forming a part of this invention.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view in section takenA on the line 4 4, Figure 2, with parts broken v away.

While this invention is shown as applied to an apparatus of commercial character, it is not restricted to use in such apparatus, but may be used to great advantage whenever a gaseous uid with or without a mixture of other material is discharged under pressure through a flattened Il funnel.

In the apparatus illustrated, light bers, such as kapolncotton, jute and the like are separated from each other or uifed up in a picker machine, not shown, which delivers the separated or uifed bers into a blower, not shown, which 5 carries the separated bers entrained in the air stream from the blower through a pipe I to a spreading funnel 2 which conducts theuled bers entrained in the y"air stream to enter between two belts 3 and 4 in the direction of the l0 ow of the air stream. 'I'he belts 3 and 4 are preferably of wire mesh, or some open mesh fabric or porous material, and are arranged to converge as they depart from the funnel 2. A4 continuous strip 5, preferably of light weight, l5 very porous cellulose paper is fed from a roll, not shown,'over the lower belt 3 so that as the flow ofthe air stream carrying the entrained flulfed bers between the belts, traveling in the same direction and approaching each other at 20 the far end, meets the opposition of this restricted passage, the air passes freely through the meshes of the upper belt 4 and less -freely through the porous strip of paper traveling over the lower belt 3 and deposits the uifed bers in a layer 25 upon the traveling strip 5 of porous paper which carries the uffed bers in a layer of even thickness away from the apparatus forVV such other treatment as may be desired.

Ina device of this character, it is preferable 30 to form the lower belt 3, bottom of the funnel 2 and bottom of the pipe I, as it joins the funnel, in the same plane to direct the ilow of the lower strata of the air stream in a straight line as it enters and passes through the apparatus. As 35` the funnel 2 is for the purpose of spreading the air stream to enter between the belts 3 and I at a width corresponding to the width of the strip 5 of porous paper, the pipe l is attened to decrease its height and increase its width before it 40 is connected tothe entrance of the funnel, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The sides of the funnel 2 are diverged or flared outwardly to the width of the strip 5 of porous paper when it reaches the belts 3 and 4.

It has been found in an apparatus of the character described that the air stream passing through the apparatus at times fails to deposit the uifed bers in a continuous even layer as open spaces occur after the fluffed bers pass 50 between the traveling belts so that the ulfed bers, after leaving the apparatus, have the appearance of islands depositedrupon the strip 5 of porous paper as a result of abnormalities occurring in the air stream when its normal flow is. af

2 l decreased in height and increasedln auch as the formation of eddy currents, or intermit tent vacuums.

. It has been discovered that if the now of the,V air stream as it enters the funnel is constantly 'andquickly interrupted and released, it will ow through the wider parts of the funnel anddeposit the iluffed fibers upon the traveling strip 5 of porous paper in a continuous even layer. To accomplish this, a section of casing 9 is interpod between the flattened end of the pipe I and the correspondingly attened narrow entrance to the funnel 2 of the same width therewith, but preferably of greater height so that as the air passes below the inclined top 1 of the pipe I, it will exf- Dand within the chamber formed by casing 6. The other end oi' the casing 9 is joined to the top of the funnel 2 by a sharp incline 9 formed in the top of the casing 9. A shaft 9 is mounted in the side walls of the casing 6 to oscillate under and adjacent the inclined portion 9 of the casing 6 and mounts a vane 4III of such dimensions that, in one position, it will be substantially perpendicular to the bottom of the casing 6 to interrupt the passage of the air stream, and upon a quarter revolution of the shaft 9, it will lie parallel to the top of the casing and release the air stream.

It is preferable to construct the vane I9 with its top and ends spaced apart vfrom the top and side walls `of the casing 6 and its bottom also spaced apart from the bottom of the casing 6 with the bottom corners curved or rounded to meet the ends, as shown in Figure 4. The vane Il Vis mounted `upon the shaft 9 with its top edge parallel and adjacent tol the top of the shaft 9 so that the weight of the body of the vane I will normally cause it to assume a position substantially perpendicular to the bottom on intake side of the casing 9 and is of suiiicient weight so. that when the shaft 9 is unrestricted, the vane will rotate from a position shown in Figure 1 to interrupt the passage of the air stream without completely shutting it off.

While the vane I0 may be oscillated in any desired manner to interrupt and release the iiow of the air stream, through the casing 6, it is preferable to extend the shaft 9 from one side to pass through a bearing therefor in a support II and mount a dog I2 upon the free end depending parallel to the fiat surface of the vane I0. One end of a cam shaft I3 is also mounted in a bearing therefor upon the support II, and mounts a cam disc Il having a plurality of equally spaced apart projecting surfaces I5, as shown in Figure 3, adapted to cooperate with the dog I2 to impart an oscillating movement to the shaft 9 to cause the vane I0 to assume a position parallel to the ow of the air stream and then release it to interrupt the flow of the air stream alternately and successively into the funnel 2. 'I'he speed of oscillation of the cam shaft I3 is regulated in accordance with the nature of the material to be deposited-upon the strip of porous paper. A

Without the provision of the vane I9, or when the vane Il has been oscillated by the cam I4 and dog I2 to a position parallel to the bottom of the casing 6, the normal flow of the air stream from the pipe I within the funnel 2 is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pipe and funnel, as indicated by the arrows A shown in Figure,v 2. When the vane I0 has oscillated to the position shown in Figure 4, it interrupts the normal flow and the air passes about the lower curved ends of the vane I0 to be diverged in a direction subarcaica stantially parallel lthe diverging sides of the funnel 2,- as indicated by the arrows B and C in Figure 2.V The constant and alternate changing .of the direction of the flow of the air stream within the divering 'side walls of the funnel 2 causes an even spreading of the material entrained in the air stream as it enters between the belts 3 and l and results in the formation i of a eontinuouslayer of the entrained material upon the strip l, as indicated by the line D in Figure 2. A

.what :claim 1s; 1. In an apparatus for depositing separated bers entrained in a stream of air upon a base Y strip traveling in the direction of the ilow of the air stream including converging traveling porous belts with the base strip traveling over the-lower `belt with a attened funnel having diverging sides interposed in the air stream to direct the ow of the air stream between the belts. to deposit the entrained separated fibers' upon the traveling base strip as the air passes through the pores of the belts, and means to insure the depositing of a continuous layer of the separated fibers upon the base strip including the provis sion of means upon the intake end of the funnel to alternately and intermittently divert the normal flow of the air stream to diverge from its normal flow as it enters the funnel and wherein said last named means includes an oscillating vane formed to divert the path of the air stream to pass about its ends and follow the diverging sides of the funnel at one end of its movement.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein provision is made to continuously oscillate said last named means from a position to direct the flow of the air stream toward the sides of the funnel to a position to allow an uninterrupted ow of the air stream.

3. In an apparatus for depositing separated bers entrained in a stream of air upon a base strip traveling in the direction of flow of the air stream including converging traveling porous belts with the base strip traveling over the lower beltA with a flattened funnel having diverging sides interposed in the air stream to direct the ow of the air stream between the belts to deposit the entrained separated ilbers upon the traveling base strip as the air passes through the pores of the belts, and means to insure the depositing of a continuous even layer of the separated fibers upon the base strip including a rectangular casing interposed between and joined to the intake of the funnel and source of the stream of air, a shaft mounted in the sides of the casing adjacent the top thereof transversely of the ow of air, a vane mounted to depend from the shaft with its lower corners cut away, and means to oscillate the shaft to move the vane from a position parallel with the ow of the air stream to a position to obstruct the air stream and divert its ow about the cut away lower corners of the vane to diverge and follow the diverging sides of the funnel.

4. In an apparatus for depositing separated iibers entrained in a stream of air upon a base strip traveling in the direction of the ow of the air stream including converging traveling porous belts with the base strip traveling over the lower positing of a continuous layer of the separated bers upon the base strip including the provision of means upon the intake end of the funnel to alternately and intermittently divert the normal ow of the air stream to diverge from its normal flow as it enters the funnel and wherein said last named means includes an oscillating shaft extending transversely of the normal flow of the air stream carrying a vane extending across the intake of the funnel and spaced apart from the ends thereof.

5. In an apparatus for depositing separated ilbers entrained in a stream of air upon a base strip traveling in the direction of the flow of the air stream including converging traveling porous belts with the base strip traveling over the lower belt with a fiattened funnel having diverging sides interposed in the air stream to direct the flow of the air stream between the belts to deposit the entrained separated fibers upon the traveling base strip as the air passes through theypores of the belts, and means to insure the depositing of a continuous layer of the separated fibers upon the base strip including the provision of means upon the intake end of the funnel to alternately and intermittently divert the normal now of the air stream to diverge from its normal flow as it enters the funnel and wherein said last named means includes an oscillating shaft extending transversely of the normal iiow of the air streamv carrying a vane extending across the intake of the funnel and spaced apart from the ends thereof, said vane depending from said shaftk and having its ends curved toward its lower side.

FELIX J. WA'I'I'S.

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