Fiber processing apparatus and method

A system for processing fiber stock having usable and unusable fibers and non-lint impurities comprising:

• fiber opening means, hopper means for receiving fiber stock to be processed, said hopper means communicating with said fiber opening means, said opening mass communicating with a plurality of cards to supply fiber stock thereto containing usable and unusable fibers and non-lint impurites, said cards adapted to produce for subsequent processing the majority of fibers received and for removing a maximum of impure stock containing usable and unusable fibers and non-lint impurities separate from sliver produced on each of said cards, said impure stock of usable and unusable fibers and non-lint impurities being collected from each of said cards, condenser means communicating with said plurality of cards for receiving impure stock of usable and unusable fibers and non-lint impurities from said cards and in spaced relation thereto, feed means communicating with said condenser means for receiving a fibrous mass from said condenser means, an extractor means for processing said fibrous mass containing usable and unusable fibers and non-lint impurities from said feed means, said extractor means processing said fibrous mass received from said feed means into usable fibers for recycling, and collecting unusable fiber portions and non-lint impurities as waste.

A process for continuously treating fiber stock to remove dust and finer unattached particles of foreign matter including microdust and other extremely fine particles comprising the steps of;

• delivering fiber stock containing usable and unusable fiber and non-lint materials to a blending means, passing said fiber stock from said blending means to opening and cleaning means, directing said fibers from said opening and cleaning means to a carding apparatus, forming sliver from said carding apparatus and collecting said sliver, collecting and conveying for additional processing usable and unusable fibers and non-lint materials by condensing same into a fibrous mass, transferring said fibrous mass of usable and unusable fibers and non-lint materials and fine trash particles from a condenser, introducing said fibrous mass of usable and unusable fibers and non-lint materials into a feeding means, carding said fibrous mass from said feeding means to form a mass of usable fibers for recycling and removing unusable fibers and non-lint materials forming waste portions, and recycling said usable fibers by blending said usable fibers with additional supplied fiber stock.