Pneumatic cleaning of the chamber carding elements of a textile machine

In a textile carding machine of the type having such carding elements as a lickerin, main cylinder and doffer operatively mounted on a frame and walls covering the sides and ends of the frame between the top of said frame and the floor, an improved pneumatic waste removal apparatus for removing trash and waste which tends to accumulate beneath the carding machine, said apparatus comprising:

• (a) a suction plenum positioned adjacent and beneath the lickerin end of said frame and having an intake orifice extending across the width of said frame providing communication between the interior of said plenum and the space enclosed by said side walls;
• (b) a source of negative pressure connected to said suction plenum to induce air currents into said plenum from said space, said source of negative pressure being of such magnitude as to exert an air flow rate of at least 360 cfm through the intake orifice of said suction plenum;
• (c) an inlet means through the wall covering the end of said frame opposite said suction plenum through which air is drawn by said suction plenum and conveyed across the floor of said space toward said suction plenum;
• (d) a first baffle attached along the upper edge thereof to the end wall which contains said inlet and extending substantially across the width of said frame in confronting relation to said inlet, said baffle including an upper wall slanting slightly downwardly but mostly inwardly and a rear wall slanting slightly inwardly but mostly downwardly, and having a lower edge spaced from said floor a distance between two and four inches;
• (e) whereby air entering from the outside through said inlet means is deflected downwardly toward said floor and caused to continuously sweep across the floor carrying lint and waste to said suction plenum where they are collected.