Process and apparatus for treating fibrous materials for subsequent processing

A process for treating a gross mass of tangled, randomly oriented, trash-containing fibers, which process comprises:

• (I) providing the mass of fibers in a batt form of a weight of above about 2,000 grains per square yard and having longitudinal and lateral dimensions substantially greater than its dimensional thickness thereby having opposite face portions of the batt;
• (II) conveying the gross mass of fibers in the batt form in a generally longitudinal travel direction to a first location at a rate of above about 400 pounds per hour per 42 inches of lateral dimension while gripping the gross mass of fibers to maintain the gross mass of fibers substantially stationary in a direction substantially transverse to the longitudinal travel direction;
• (III) subjecting the gripped mass of fibers to an abrupt deflection at the first location to cause leading fiber portions of mass fractions of fibers to experience a deflecting motion generally transverse to the longitudinal travel direction and simultaneously subjecting the leading fiber portions of the mass fractions to a sudden acceleration force in a first circular direction of travel for the fibers, the force tending to accelerate the mass fractions of fibers in the circular travel direction to a speed of above about 2,000 feet per minute, the deflecting in the transverse direction and accelerating force in the circular travel direction while gripping the gross mass of fibers effecting plucking of the mass fractions from the gross mass of tangled, randomly oriented, fibers and assisting in thinning and orienting the mass of fibers in the travel direction and assisting in disentangling the mass of fibers, and the deflecting and accelerating also causing trash to be freed and separated from the mass fractions of fibers;
• (IV) at a second location downstream of the first location subjecting the mass fractions of fibers traveling in a circular travel direction to a generally tangential accelerating force in a second circular travel direction to cause the fibers to accelerate freely in the second circular travel direction while carding a first face portion of the mass fractions of fibers at the second location, the combined effects of accelerating sinuously and carding on the first face portion tending to thin and draft apart individual fibers in the travel direction and tending to separate and disentangle individual fibers laterally of the travel direction and aiding in loosening of trash from fibers;
• (V) at a third location downstream of the second location subjecting the mass fractions of fibers traveling in a circular travel direction to another generally tangential accelerating force in a third circular travel direction sinuous to the upstream circular travel direction to cause the fibers to accelerate freely in the third circular travel direction while at the third location carding a second face portion on a mass fractions side opposite the first face portion of the mass fractions of fibers, the combined effects of accelerating sinuously and carding on the second opposite face portion tending to thin and draft apart individual fibers in the travel direction and tending to separate and disentangle individual fibers laterally of the travel direction and aiding in further loosening of trash from fibers;
• (VI) subjecting the mass fractions of fibers at a subsequent location downstream of the third location to a decelerating force to cause consolidating of the individual fibers and condensing of the mass fractions of fibers;
• (VII) subsequent to step (III) and prior to step (VI), at at least two locations where the mass fractions of fibers are in a circular travel direction at a constant velocity, additionally carding the mass fractions of fibers on at least one face portion thereof to cause a retarding effect on individual fibers portions in the at least one carded face portion while the velocity of remaining individual fibers portions is being maintained, thereby aiding in orienting and separating individual fibers in the travel direction and laterally thereof and aiding in further disentanglement and loosening of trash from individual fibers;
• (VIII) subsequent to step (III) and prior to step (VI), at at least one location where the mass fractions of fibers are in a circular travel direction at a constant velocity, carding the mass fractions of fibers on a face portion of the batt opposite the at least one face portion carded in step (VII) to cause a retarding effect on individual fiber portions in the carded face portion while the velocity of remaining fibers portions in the batt is being maintained, thereby aiding in orienting and separating individual fibers in the travel direction and laterally thereof and aiding further disentanglement and loosening of trash from individual fibers;
• (IX) conveying loosened and freed trash away from the mass of fibers;
• and
• (X) subsequent to step (VI), recovering a consolidate, substantially trash-free mass of fibers having a substantial portion of individual fibers therein.

A high capacity, high speed process for treating a mass of tangled, randomly oriented, trash-containing cotton fibers, which process comprises:

• (I) providing the mass of fibers in a thick batt form of a weight between about 2,000 to about 20,000 grains per square yard and having longitudinal and lateral dimensions substantially greater than its dimensional thickness thereby having opposite face portions of the batt;
• (II) conveying the mass of fibers in the batt form from a feed roll in a generally longitudinal travel direction to a first location at a rate of above about 400 pounds per hour while gripping the mass of fibers to maintain the gross mass of fibers substantially stationary in a direction transverse to the longitudinal travel direction;
• (III) at the first location, directing, against the mass of fibers in a direction generally traverse to the longitudinal travel direction, teeth on a cylindrical surface of a first rotating cylinder, the teeth having forward faces inclined at substantial angles in the direction of rotation of the cylinder to cause leading fiber portions of mass fractions of fibers to experience a deflecting motion generally transverse to the longitudinal travel direction and simultaneously to subject leading fiber portions of the mass fractions to a sudden accelerating force in a first circular direction of travel for the fibers, the force tending to accelerate the mass fractions of fibers in the circular travel direction to a speed above about 2,000 feet per minute, the deflecting in the transverse direction and accelerating force in the circular travel direction while gripping the gross mass of fibers effecting plucking of the mass fractions from the gross mass of tangled, randomly oriented, fibers and assisting in thinning and orienting the mass of fibers in the travel direction and assisting in disentangling the fibers, and the deflecting and accelerating also causing trash to be thrown downwardly and outwardly from the circular travel direction and be freed and separated from the mass fractions of fibers;
• (IV) at a second location downstream of the first location directing the mass fractions of fibers traveling in a circular travel direction tangentially against teeth on cylindrical surfaces of a second rotating cylinder, the second cylinder rotating in a direction opposite the first cylinder and having teeth with forward faces inclined at a substantial angle in the direction of rotation of the second cylinder, to cause a generally tangential accelerating force applied by the teeth of the second cylinder to the fibers in a second circular travel direction sinuous to the upstream circular travel direction to cause mass fractions of the fibers to accelerate freely in the second circular travel direction from the teeth of the first cylinder while carding a first face portion of the mass fractions of fibers at the second location, the combined effects of accelerating sinuously and carding on the first face portion tending to thin and draft apart individual fibers in the travel direction and tending to separate and disentangle individual fibers laterally of the travel direction and aiding in loosening of trash from fibers;
• (V) at a third location downstream of the second location directing the mass fractions of fibers traveling in a circular travel direction tangentially against teeth on cylindrical surfaces of a third rotating cylinder, the third cylinder rotating in a direction opposite the second cylinder and having teeth with forward faces inclined at a substantial angle in the direction of rotation of the third cylinder, to cause a generally tangentially accelerating force applied by the teeth of the third cylinder to the fibers in a third circular travel direction sinuous to the upstream circular travel direction to cause the fibers to accelerate freely in the third circular travel direction from the teeth of the second cylinder while carding a second opposite face portion of the mass fractions of fibers at the third location, the combined effects of accelerating sinuously and carding on the second face portion tending to thin and draft apart individual fibers in the travel direction and tending to separate and disentangle individual fibers laterally of the travel direction and aiding in loosening of trash from the fibers;
• (VI) subjecting the mass fractions of fibers at a subsequent location downstream of the third location to a decelerating force prior to step (X) to cause consolidating of the individual fibers and condensing of the mass fractions of fibers;
• (VII) subsequent to step (III) and prior to step (VI), at at least two locations where the mass fractions of fibers are in a circular travel direction at a constant velocity, additionally carding the mass fractions of fibers on face portions thereof to cause a retarding effect on individual fiber portions in the carded face portions while the velocity of remaining individual fiber portions is being maintained, thereby aiding in orienting and separating individual fibers in the travel direction and laterally thereof and aiding in further disentanglement and loosening of trash from individual fibers;
• (VIII) subsequent to step (III) and prior to step (VI), at at least one location where the mass fractions of fibers are in a circular travel direction at a constant velocity, carding the mass fractions of fibers on a face portion of the batt opposite the face portion carded in step (VII) to cause a retarding effect on individual fiber portions in the carded face portion while the velocity of remaining fiber portions in the batt is being maintained, thereby aiding in orienting and separating individual fibers in the travel direction and laterally thereof and aiding further disentanglement and loosening of trash from individual fibers;
• (IX) conveying loosened and freed trash away from the mass of fibers;
• and
• (X) subsequent to step (VI), recovering at a rate of above about 400 pounds per hour a consolidated, substantially trash-free and substantially nep-free mass of fibers.

Apparatus for simultaneously cleaning and carding a body of fibers comprising:

• (a) a train of at least three rolls adjacently mounted for rotation about parallel axes;
• (b) a plurality of fiber-grabbing teeth secured to the surface of each of said rolls of said train,
• said teeth all having forward faces inclined at a substantial angle in the direction of rotation of the respective rolls to which they are secured, said rolls being spatially disposed to bring the teeth in the nip of adjacent rolls into carding and fiber-transferring relation;
• (c) means for rotating said rolls of said train such that adjacent rolls rotate in opposite directions,
• the peripheral speed of each successive roll being greater than the peripheral speed of a preceding roll
• whereby a body of fibers introduced onto the teeth of the first of said rolls will advance in a sinuous path along the peripheries of successive rolls to the last of said rolls as a progressively attenuated web of carded fibers,
• the peripheral speeds of said rolls being sufficient to cause trash and debris carried by the body of fibers to be loosened in said body;
• (d) at least one additional carding means disposed adjacent the peripheries of at least one roll in the train to provide an additional carding of the body of fibers;
• (e) means for doffing the cleaned and carded fiber from the last of the rolls in the train;
• and
• (f) a plurality of means for shrouding some rolls disposed adjacent the peripheries of some rolls and opposite the at least one additional carding means.

Apparatus for simultaneously cleaning and carding a body of fibers comprising:

• (a) a train of rolls adjacently mounted for rotation about parallel axes,
• said train of rolls comprising first to fourth cylinder members,
• a feed roll member for supplying fibers to said first cylinder member,
• doffing means for removing carded fibers from the fourth cylinder member, and,
• means for rotating said feed roll member and first to fourth cylinder members such that adjacent cylinder members rotate in opposite directions, the peripheral speed of each successive cylinder member being greater than the peripheral speed of a preceding cylinder member;
• (b) a plurality of fiber-grabbing teeth secured to the surface of said first to fourth cylinder members
• said teeth all having forward faces included at a substantial angle in the direction of rotation of the respective members to which they are secured, said members being spatially disposed to bring the teeth in the nip of adjacent members into carding and fiber-transferring relation,
• the directions and speeds of rotation of the respective members causing a body of fibers introduced onto the teeth of said first cylinder member to advance in a sinuous path along the peripheries of said members to said fourth cylinder member as a progressively attenuated web of carded fibers, thereby exposing opposite sides of a web to successive cylinder members,
• the peripheral speeds of said members being sufficient to cause trash and debris carried by the body of fibers to be loosened in said body;
• (c) additional carding means disposed adjacent corresponding sectors of at least two of said cylinder members to provide additional carding points;
• (d) means adjacent said cylinder members to control air currents along the surfaces thereof to prevent blow-back of fibers to a preceding cylinder member;
• (e) first through fourth shrouds closely adjacent to said first to fourth cylinder members respectively and disposed oppositely with respect to the additional carding means of the at least two cylinder members.

Apparatus for simultaneously cleaning and carding a body of fibers comprising:

• (a) a train of a plurality of rolls adjacently mounted for rotation about parallel axes said train including a plurality of first rolls;
• (b) a plurality of fiber-grabbing teeth secured to the surface of each of said rolls of said train,
• said teeth all having forward faces included at a substantial angle in the direction of rotation of the respective rolls to which they are secured, said rolls being spatially disposed to bring the teeth in the nip of adjacent rolls into carding and fiber-transferring relation;
• (c) means for rotating said rolls of said train such that adjacent rolls rotate in opposite directions,
• the peripheral speed of each successive roll being greater than the peripheral speed of a preceding roll
• with a plurality of portions of the body of fibers each introduced onto the teeth of each of the plurality of first rolls advancing and combining with one another on successive rolls until all of the portions of the body of fibers become a single body of fibers which have been conveyed in a multi-sinuous path along the peripheries of the successive rolls to the last of said rolls as a progressively attenuated web of carded fibers,
• the peripheral speeds of said rolls being sufficient to cause trash and debris carried by the plurality of portions of the body of fibers to be loosened in said body;
• (d) a plurality of additional carding means disposed adjacent the peripheries of some rolls in the train to provide additional carding points;
• (e) means for doffing the cleaned and carded web from the last of the rolls in the train, and from the body of fibers;
• (f) a plurality of means disposed adjacent the peripheries of some rolls opposite the plurality of additional carding means for shrouding some rolls.