US3736624A

US3736624A - Bale reducing apparatus and method of reducing fiber bales

Info

Publication number: US3736624A
Application number: US00095454A
Authority: US
Inventors: H Alt; C Just; R Wildbolz
Original assignee: Maschinenfabrik Rieter AG
Current assignee: Maschinenfabrik Rieter AG
Priority date: 1969-12-12
Filing date: 1970-12-07
Publication date: 1973-06-05
Anticipated expiration: 1990-06-05
Also published as: DE2061044C3; DE2061044A1; FR2073611A5; DE2061044B2; GB1340519A; CH503809A

Abstract

A number of bales are opened by passing the fiber removing device over the surfaces of consecutive bales in a reciprocating manner. The bales are fed to the reducing plane at an angle by the supply means so that a continuous opening and blending operation is carried out in a single machine.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Alt et al.

BALE REDUCING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF REDUCING FIBER BALES Inventors: Hans Rudolf Alt, Elgg; Christian .Just; Rudolf Wildbolz, both of Winterthur, all of Switzerland [73] Assignee: Rieter Machine Works, Ltd., Winterthur, Switzerland Filed: Dec. 7, 1970 Appl No.:l95,454

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 12, 1969 Switzerland ..18498/69 u.s. c1. ..-..19/so R, 19/1455 Int. Cl. ..D01g 7/06 Field 6: Search ..i9/8O R, 80 A, 81, 19/1455 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,636,220 4/1953 Lyall 1.9/80 R 3,736,624 June 5, 1973 3,208,107 9/1965 Kotter et al. 19/80 R x 3,389,435 6/1968 Schwab et al 19/80 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 61,966 5/1968 Germany. ..19 so R 1,267,151 4/1968 Germany 1 1 ..19/s0 R 795 0/1910 Great Britain ..19/8O R 946,333 1/1964 Great Britain ..19/s0 R 95,454 10/1964 ltaly ..19/s1 OTHER PUBLICATIONS Japanese Patent Publication 33/7477; Published Augv 28, 1958.

Primary Examiner-Dorsey Newton Att0rneyl(enyon & Kenyon Reilly Carr & Chapin [5 7] ABSTRACT A number of bales are opened by passing the fiber removing device over the surfaces of consecutive bales in a reciprocating manner. The bales are fed to the reducing plane at an angle by the supply means so that a continuous opening and blending operation is carried out in a single machine.

18 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures BALE REDUCING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF REDUCING FIBER BALES This invention relates to a bale reducing apparatus and a method of reducing fiber bales. More Particularly, this invention relates to an apparatus and method of opening and blending fiber bales.

For purposes of this specification, the terminology reducing of fiber bales" or removing fibers from the bale" employed herein denote any operative steps which diminish the volume of a fiber blade by removing separate fibers materials of fiber agglomerations from the bale by subjecting the bale to any action of loosening, opening up and removing of these fibrous materials.

I-Ieretofore, it has been known to open and blend fiber bales by a technique in which a series of fiber bales consisting of superimposed layers of fiber materials of different properties have been moved consecutively towards a grid disposed in a reducing plane. These bales have then been reduced by fiber reducing devices which penetrate through the grid and are movedup and down across the layers. In order to remove the portions covered by the grid bars, the superimposed layers positioned in the direction of the bale input movement in front of the grid have required movement to and fro. However, as only one bale can be processed at a time using this technique, a blended fiber bale consisting of layers of the fiber materials of different properties must be made up first. The technique has thus not been suited for blending a plurality of fiber bales. Further, this technique has necessitated a complicated coordination or control of the bale input movement and of the reciprocating movement of the bale in front of the grid and of the up and down movement of the reducing device.

Other techniques than that mentioned above have also been known for opening and blending fiber bales. For example, as an alternative technique to that above, it has been known to openand reduce the fiber bale by moving a reducing roll horizontally without any need for a grid. However, as above, only one bale can be processed at a time. Further, in order to prepare blends of a plurality of bales with this technique, layers of different bales must be taken off first and must be superimposed into a blended fiber bale which can then be reduced.

In another known technique, a fiber bale having layers which consist of fiber material of differing properties has been arranged vertically and reduced on its face side by two belts studded with pins which simultaneously move up and down. In this technique, again, only one of a plurality of fiber bales supplied can be opened at a time. As above, this necessitates the previous blending and preparing of a bale of superimposed layers.

A disadvantage common to all these known techniques is that while fiber bales are continuously supplied, only one bale is opened at a time, namely, the front bale as viewed in the supply direction, the supply direction being at a right angle to the reducing plane.

In order to blend fiber material of a plurality of bales, the layers of fiber bales to be blended must be superimposed in a complicated process and a new fiber bale must be prepared which subsequently can be reduced.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to permit opening and blending of a plurality of fiber bales.

It is another object of the invention to open and blend a plurality of fiber bales in a single operation.

It is another object of the invention to blend fiber materials of different properties from separate bales during an opening of the bales.

It is another object of the invention to eliminate any need for preparing a fiber bale of fiber materials of differing properties for subsequent opening and blending.

It is another object of the invention to reduce the floor space for an opening and blending machine.

Briefly, the invention provides an apparatus and method in which a plurality of fiber bales are opened in the same operation and blended together.

The apparatus includes a fiber removing device which is mounted for reciprocation in a predetermined plane and a supply means for moving a plurality of fiber bales in a supply direction which supply means includes a guide which is angularly disposed to the plane of movement of the fiber removing device and which extends over a length corresponding to a plurality of consecutively arranged fiber bales for guiding the bales toward the plane of movement of the fiber removing device upon movement of the bales in the supply direction. The guide is positioned with respect to the fiber reducing device such that each of the fiber bales has a surface located in a common plane with a corresponding surface of the other bales. This common plane is further disposed with respect to the fiber removing device such that the device is able to remove a layer of fiber from each bale upon passing across each bale.

The'method of the invention includes the steps of moving a plurality of fiber bales in sequential order in a predetermined supply direction to locate a surface of each bale in a common reducing; plane which is disposed in angular relation to the supply direction and of removing fibers from the surface of each bale in the common plane.

In operation, the surfaces of the fiber bales located in the reducing plane can be reduced consecutively or simultaneously by the fiber removing device which is positively guided in the reducing plane across the bale supply direction over all the bale surfaces located in the reducing plane.

In one embodiment, the fiber bales are supplied consecutively in a supply direction which is inclined to a horizontal reducing plane while in another embodiment the supply direction is in a horizontal plane and the reducing plane is inclined to the supply direction.

In order to move the fiber bales in the supply direction, the guide can be formed as a transporting or supply mechanism, e.g., in the form of a feed lattice onto which fiber bales to be opened are placed consecutively. In another embodiment the fiber bales can be moved towards the reducing plane by a movable plate arranged at a right angle to the supply direction and can be guided in the supply direction, e.g., by rolls. The fiber bales can also be moved in the supply direction on a smooth surface table while the supply movement is effected, e.g., by means of an endless transporting belt, feed lattice, transporting chain or similar device acting on the sides of the fiber bales not facing the reducing plane, or, e.g., by means of a supply transporting device acting on the back side of the last bale of a row of aligned fiber bales.

In still another embodiment, not only one row of fiber bales, but also a plurality of rows, e.g., two rows of consecutively aligned fiber bales can be removed towards the reducing plane side by side and there reduced. In this way, the blending action can be intensified as any arrangement of the fiber bales side-by-side and in aligned rows can be supplied.

The fiber material removed from all surfaces located in the reducing plane is further removed from the fiber removing device, e.g., pneumatically, and transferred to a subsequent machine for further processing.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description and appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic side view of a bale reducing apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic side view of a detail of the bale reducing apparatus according to FIG. 1;

' FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic side view of another embodiment of the bale reducing apparatus according to the invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic top view of the bale reducing apparatus shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic side view of a further bale reducing apparatus according to the invention; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a bale reducing device with an alternative supply means according to the invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a single machine frame 1 has a fiber reducing or removing device or apparatus 2 mounted thereon. The reducing device 2 contains a housing 3 which extends over the full width (not shown) of the machine frame 1 and is supported via

supports

11, 12 which rest via

roll pairs

4, 5 on rails (not shown) so as to move to and fro horizontally along the upper edge 6 of the frame 1 9 (only one being shown). The device 2 has a fiber removing or reducing roll 7 rotatably mounted on a central axis 7 within the housing 3 so as to be rotated in both directions of rotation. The roll 7 extends over a width (not shown) somewhat smaller than the width of the housing 3 across the machine frame 1 and has a plurality of fiber removing elements 8 extending therefrom. The roll 7 is sized so I that the portion of the roll 7 facing the machine frame 1 is guided in a horizontal reducing plane A located below the plane determined by the upper edges 6.

The housing 3 also includes a tube 9 which extends over and above the length of of the reducing roll 7. This tube 9 is provided with a large slot 10 in the portion facing and extending over the full width of the roll 7 so as to communicate the interior of the tube 9 with the interior of the housing 3 about the roll 7. The tube 9 is connected on one face side (not shown) to a flexible duct 13 which in turn, is connected to the suction side of a fan (not shown). In this way, the interior chamber about the roll 7 can be evacuated pneumatically.

In order to supply fiber bales to the fiber removing I elements 8 of the roll 7, a supply means in the form of an endless transporting belt 16 is located in opposition to the reducing plane A below the upper edge 6. This transporting belt 15 is equipped with bale impaling pins 14 to engage the bales and is driven in the direction of arrow B and extends at an acute angle a with respect to the reducing plane A over a length corresponding to a plurality of

fiber bales

16, 17, l8, l9 and moved thereon towards the reducing plane A.

In operation, the fiber bales 16 through 20 are moved in a sequential order at periodic intervals in the supply direction B on the upwardly inclined transporting belt 15 so that the

upper surfaces

21, 22, 23, 24 and 25 of the fiber bales 16 through 20 are moved into disposition in the reducing plane A simultaneously. When these bale surfaces 21 through 25 reach the plane A, the fiber removing or reducing device 2 moves to and fro in a reciprocating manner over the rails (not shown) so that the fiber removing elements 8 pass into the upper surfaces 21 through 25 simultaneously located in the plane A to remove and open a layer of fiber material from the respective bales. The roll 7 also throws the fiber material taken off into the housing 3 and into the tube 9 through which the fiber material is evacuated e.g. pneumatically withdrawn under a suction force via the duct 13 by means of the fan (not shown).

The reducing device 2 moves to and fro over the full length of the upper edges 6 returning each time at the ends of the upper edges 6. In FIG. 1, the reducing device is shown moving in the direction of arrow C. During this movement, the roll 7 is driven in the sense indicated by arrow D so that the elements 8 advancingly dig into the bales from the top as the reducing device 2 progresses and throw the fiber material in the direction opposite to the direction of movement indicated by arrow C. If, while the reducing device 2 moves in the direction of arrow C, the roll 7 rotates in the opposite sense of arrow D there is the danger that the elements 8 take off an unopened layer from the upper side of the fiber bales, which can result in disturbances. In order to ensure an undisturbed transport of the fiber material taken off through the slot 10 into the tube 9, the tube 9 is rotatably arranged so that the slot 10 can be turned according to the direction of movement prevailing towards the portion of the housing 3 onto which the fiber material taken off is thrown by the roll 7. The mounting of the tube 9 within the housing 3 for this purpose can be accomplished in any suitable known manner. At the points of return of the device 2, that is, at theend points of the upper edges 6, the sense of rotation of the roll 7 is changed so as to correspond to the changed sense of movement of the reducing device 2 and the position of the slot 10 is adapted to the changed sense of rotation of the roll 7 by rotating the tube 9 correspondingly as shown in broken lines in FIG. 1 in one of the points of return. Corresponding to the changed direction of movement E, the roll 7 is driven in the sense of rotation indicated by arrow F and the position of the slot 10 adapted correspondingly.

In order to locate the upper surfaces of the bales 16 through 20 in the reducing plane A, the supply of the bales 16 through 20 can be effected periodically. That is, the movement of the bales in the supply direction B occurs when the reducing device 2 has reached one of the points of return and is stopped when the fiber reducing device 2 is moved along the reducing plane A. The movement can be activated in this arrangement by a switch 87 operated automatically by the reducing device 2 before the next passage in the opposite direction. The length of the movement of the bales can thus be used to determine the thickness of the layer to be removed.

Since the surface of the roll 17 facing the belt 15 is in the reducing plane A the distance of the surface of the roll 7 facing the transporting belt 15 to the transporting belt 15 corresponds to the distance of the reducing plane A to the transporting belt 15. However, by suitably arranging the roll 7, the plane A also can be chosen either in the plane of the edges 6 or higher or lower than the upper edges 6 of the machine frame 1.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the transporting belt is supplied with new fiber bales 26 (one bale only being shown) according to the supply movement. To this end, the new fiber bale 26 is transported and fed into the bale opener and blender by a transporting belt 27 which extends up to the transporting belt 15. In addition, referring to FIG. 2, a guide 29 is located at the point of return of the reducing device 2 on the bale input side of the machine frame 1. This guide 29 is arranged in the direction of supply of the bale 26 and serves to hold down the upper surface 28 of the fiber bale 26 as shown. The underside 30 of the guide 29 facing the upper surface 28 is placed lower than the tips of the downwardly directed fiber removing elements 8 so that any danger to the elements 8 extending below the upper edges 6 by the inward movement of the fiber bale 26 is avoided. The guide 29 furthermore is equipped with a stop 31 for the rolls 3 of the reducing device 2 and the switch 87. This switch 87, e.g., upon contact with a roll 4, activates viacontrol devices 88 the change of the sense of rotation of the roll 7, of the position of tube 9 and of the drive direction of the movement of the reducing device 2 into the opposite direction.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a transporting belt 34 equipped with gripping members 33 and driven in the direction indicated by the arrow G is arranged in a machine frame 32 to extend in the supply direction under an acute angle 3 with respect to a horizontal reducing plane H defined by upper edges 35 of the machine frame 32. The width of the transporting belt 34 corresponds to the width of a number of rows of bales, for

I example, two, while the length K of the transporting belt 34 corresponds to a plurality of

fiber bales

36, 37, 38, 39 and 40 for example 4.2 bales which are moved towards the reducing plane H. In order to remove the fiber material from these bales, a reducing device 41 is mounted on the machine frame 32. This device 41 comprises a housing 42 extending parallel to the upper edges 35 over a length L which exceeds the length K of the'transporting belt 34 over the machine frame 32. The housing 42 is carried by pairs of

rollers

43, 44 on guide rails (not shown) along

parallel upperedges

45 and 46 horizontally to and fro over the reduce plane H and across the supply direction G. In addition, the reducing device 41 has a reducing roll 46 rotatably mounted in the housing 48 to extend over a length exceeding the length K. A tube 48 is also arranged above the roll 47 and is provided with a slot (not shown) corresponding to the one shown in FIG. 1. This tube 48 extends over the full length of the roll 47 and is rotatably supported. The roll 47 is rotatable about its center axis 47 by a motor 50 in either sense of rotation and the same motor 50 also is used for driving the reducing de vice 41 to and fro. A face side 51 of the tube 48 is connected to a flexible duct 52 which, in turn, is connected to the suction side of a fan (not shown).

Referring to FIG. 4, the fiber bales 36 through 40 and

fiber bales

53, 54, 55, 56 and 57 are moved in side-byside manner while

new fiber bales

58 and 59 in a double row aretransported by means of a transporting belt 60 to the transporting belt 34, correspondingly. Instead of the single transporting belt 34, two separate transporting belts running in parallel to each other can be provided (not shown).

The operation of the apparatus of FIGS. 3 and 4 is effected in the same manner as described above with reference to FIG. 1. All fiber bales 36 through 40 and 53 through 56 are opened simultaneously by the reducing device 41 moving to and fro in the reducing plane H across the bale supply direction G of the fiber bales 36 through 40 and 53 through 56 while the fibermaterial taken off is blended.

Referring to FIG. 5, the bale reducing apparatus can alternatively be constructed with a horizontal transporting belt 61 and guide rails 62 (only one being shown) which form 'an acute angle y with the transporting belt 61 in a transporting direction M. The guide rails 62 serve to rollably support a reducing device 63 equipped with a reducing roll 63 which acts in a reducing plane H and which moves to and fro. The reducing device 63 with the roll 63' corresponds in individual parts to the reducing

devices

2 or 41, respectively shown in FIG. 1 through 4. In order to supply

fiber bales

65, 66, 67, 68 and 69 consecutively onto the transporting belt 61, a transportingbelt 64 is used. This belt 64 serves to move the bales one by one where plural rows are used, in sets onto the transporting belt 61 in the supply direction M which forms an acute angle 'y with the reducing plane. Continued movement of the bales on the belt 61 brings the

upper surfaces

70, 71, 72, and 73 of the fiber bales 65 through 68 into the reducing plane N. As the reducing device 63 reciprocates above and across the surfaces 70 73 of the fiber bales placed on the transporting belt 61, layers of fiber material are removed and opened, and thereafter drawn off in blended manner as above.

The reducing device 63 is driven by a motor 74 connected via a control device 75 with a drive mechanism 76 of the transporting belt 61. Thus, not only are the supply movement of the fiber bales 65 through 69 and the reciprocating movement of the reducing device 63 coordinated but also a change in the sense of rotation of the reducing roll 63 in the redlucing device 63, the position of the slot inthe tube 9 and, if desired, the supply movement at the points of return of the reducing device 63, as described above, are synchronized.

Referring to FIG. 6,,wherein like reference characters indicate like parts as above, instead of using the transporting

belts

15, 34 and 61 inthe arrangements according to FIGS. 1 through 5, freely rotatable rolls 77 are used for guiding the

fiber bales

78, 79, 80, 81 and 82 to be supplied. The supply movement of the fiber bales 78 through 82 in this arrangement is effected by means of a supply plate acting against the back side of a rearmost fiber bale 84 moving in the supply direction. Theplate 85 is, in turn, pushed in 'the direction indicated by the arrow P by a pushing rod 86 connected to a suitable drive (not shown) which is synchronized with respect to the operation of the remainder of the bale reducing apparatus in a known manner.

In a further embodiment, (not shown), the whole arrangement of the apparatus can be chosen such that, for example, referring to FIG. 1, the fiber bales 16 through 20 and 26 are moved along the top surface of a table acting as a transporting plane while the transporting belt 15, the transporting belt 27 and the reducing device 2 are arranged vertically above the transporting table, i.e., vertical with respect to thetransporting plane. By placing the whole arrangement, for example, on an elevated base, enough room is provided for protruding elements, especially of the reducing device 2 in the direction of the floor. Simultaneously, the arrangements described with reference to FIGS. 3 through 6 can be disposed and operated in a similar manner.

Referring to FIG. 2 the tube 9 is rotatably carried by rolls 90 arranged on the outer circumference thereof. The tube 9 is provided with a mechanism 91 for turning the slot 10 of tube 9 according to the direction of movement of fibers prevailing in the housing 3, which is connected with the control means 89. The switch 87 is connected upon the control device 88 with a motor 92, which is disposed on a roller 92' of the belt for driving the latter in the direction of arrow B. A driving means 93 is disposed on one face side of the roll 7 for rotating thereof and a driving means 94 is arranged on one of the rolls 5 for moving the reducing device 2 along the upper edge 6 of the frame 1. The driving means 93 and 94 are also connected to the control means 89 so that the change of the sense of movements of the respective elements and of the position of the tube 9 into the opposite direction takes place in switch 87 is activated as described above.

it is noted that the range of angles for the angular relationship for the reducing plane and the supply direction is less than 90 and falls preferably from 6 to 25.

In the method according to the invention the quantity of fiber material to be removed, i.e., the thickness of the layer to be taken off can be set precisely by correspondingly choosing the bale transporting speed of all bales placed on the reducing plane. Also, the production rate, i.e., the quantity of fiber material taken off per time unit can be precisely set by correspondingly choosing the speed of movement of the removing device. According to the invention a continuous movement of the removing device and a periodic interval of supply transport movement of the bales can be used, the latter periodically being activated, e.g., at the return point in each reciprocating cycle of the removing device, i.e., as the removing device movement changes its direction at the end point of its traversing cycle.

The first blending process of fiber materials of different properties thus can be effected during the opening process and material already blended can be supplied to the machine following the opening machine. This has a beneficial influence upon the end product produced from this material.

The invention further eliminates any need of processes for preparing a fiber bale of fiber materials of differing properties. Also, the invention not only allows a simpler design of the opening and blending apparatus but also permits time savings. A further advantage of the invention is the simplicity of design in which preferentially only the elements needed for opening fiber bales are used. This latter results in reduced floor space requirements as one single machine can be used for a simultaneous opening and blending operation.

What is claimed is:

l. A method of opening and blending fiber bales comprising the steps of simultaneously moving a plurality of fiber bales in sequential order at periodic intervals in a predetermined supply direction towards a plane extending in acute angular relation with said supply direction and simultaneously disposing an upper surface of each bale in saidplane;

moving a fiber removing apparatus through said plane in a reciprocating manner for removing and opening a layer of fiber material from said surface of each bale in said plane and pneumatically withdrawing the fibers removed from each bale under a suction force; and

activating a periodic interval of movement of said fiber bales in said supply direction at a rate corresponding to the layer of fibers removed from said fiber bales during a positioning of the fiber removing apparatus at a return point in the reciprocating cycle thereof.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fiber removing apparatus is moved horizontally through said plane and the fiber bales are moved in said supply direction inclined with respect to said plane.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said fiber bales are moved horizontally in said supply direction and said fiber removing apparatus is moved through said plane in inclined relation with said supply direction.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the fiber removing apparatus moves at constant speed.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of removing fibers from each fiber bale occurs simultaneously on each bale.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of removing fibers from each fiber bale occurs in consecutive order on successive fiber bales in said common plane.

7. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fiber bales are moved in said supply direction under a force acting on the back side of said fiber bales.

8. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein a plurality of fiber bales are arranged side by side and are moved in said supply direction.

9. A method as set forth in claim '1, wherein movement of said fiber bales is stopped during said step of moving said fiber removing apparatus through said plane.

10. A fiber bale reducing apparatus comprising a supply means for moving fiber bales in a supply direction disposed in angular rotation to a predetermined plane, said supply means having a guide disposed below and in acute angular relation to said plane and extending in said supply direction over a length corresponding to a plurality of consecutively arranged fiber bales for guiding said plurality fiber bales simultaneously towards and into said plane upon movement of said plurality of fiber bales in said supply direction;

means for mounting said supply means for movement at periodic intervals to periodically advance said plurality of fiber bales in said supply direction; fiber removing device having means for mounting said fiber removing device for movement to and fro in said plane over each of said fiber bales having an upper surface in said plane, said fiber removing device including a rotatable roll having fiber removing elements extending from a surface thereof facing said guide and projecting into said plane for removing and opening a layer of fiber material from each bale having an upper surface in said plane; and control means connected to said fiber removing device and said supply means for actuating said device and said supply means in synchronism to effect said movement of said supply means at a periodic interval during reversal of said device in said plane and stopping of said supply means during movement of said device in said plane.

11. A fiber bale reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said guide is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane and said fiber removing device is disposed in a horizontal plane.

12. A fiber bale reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said guide is disposed in a horizontal plane and said plane of said fiber removing device is disposed in angular relation to a horizontal plane. 13. A fiber bale reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said guide is a transporting belt having a plurality of pins extending therefrom for engaging said bales to move said bales with said belt in said supply direction.

14..A fiber bale reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said guideis a plurality of freely rotatable rolls.

15. A fiber bale reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 14 wherein said supply means further has a movable supply plate for engaging the back side of the rearmost of said plurality of fiber bales to move said plurality of fiber bales along said rotatable rolls.

16. A fiber bale reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 10 which further includes means for moving said fiber removing device longitudinally along the length of said guide.

17. A fiber bale reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 10 which further includes means for moving said fiber removing device transversely to the length of said guide.

18. A fiber bale reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 10 which further includes means for selectively rotating said roll in opposite directions.

Claims

1. A method of opening and blending fiber bales comprising the steps of simultaneously moving a plurality of fiber bales in sequential order at periodic intervals in a predetermined supply direction towards a plane extending in acute angular relation with said supply direction and simultaneously disposing an upper surface of each bale in said plane; moving a fiber removing apparatus through said plane in a reciprocating manner for removing and opening a layer of fiber material from said surface of each bale in said plane and pneumatically withdrawing the fibers removed from each bale under a suction force; and activating a periodic interval of movement of said fiber bales in said supply direction at a rate corresponding to the layer of fibers removed from said fiber bales during a positioning of the fiber removing apparatus at a return point in the reciprocating cycle thereof.

9. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein movement of said fiber bales is stopped during said step of moving said fiber removing apparatus through said plane.

10. A fiber bale reducing apparatus comprising a supply means for moving fiber bales in a supply direction disposed in angular rotation to a predetermined plane, said supply means having a guide disposed below and in acute angular relation to said plane and extending in said supply direction over a length corresponding to a plurality of consecutively arranged fiber bales for guiding said plurality fiber bales simultaneously towards and into said plane upon movement of said plurality of fiber bales in said supply direction; means for mounting said supply means for movement at periodic intervals to periodically advance said pluraLity of fiber bales in said supply direction; a fiber removing device having means for mounting said fiber removing device for movement to and fro in said plane over each of said fiber bales having an upper surface in said plane, said fiber removing device including a rotatable roll having fiber removing elements extending from a surface thereof facing said guide and projecting into said plane for removing and opening a layer of fiber material from each bale having an upper surface in said plane; and control means connected to said fiber removing device and said supply means for actuating said device and said supply means in synchronism to effect said movement of said supply means at a periodic interval during reversal of said device in said plane and stopping of said supply means during movement of said device in said plane.

12. A fiber bale reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said guide is disposed in a horizontal plane and said plane of said fiber removing device is disposed in angular relation to a horizontal plane.

13. A fiber bale reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said guide is a transporting belt having a plurality of pins extending therefrom for engaging said bales to move said bales with said belt in said supply direction.

14. A fiber bale reducing apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said guide is a plurality of freely rotatable rolls.