Pneumatic fiber recovery and redistribution system for sliver high pile fabric knitting machines

Abstract

Apparatus and method for removing excess fibers from the doffer of a sliver high pile fabric knitting machine and returning the fibers to the main cylinder for refeeding to the doffer. Upon the return of the fibers to the main cylinder, they are combed and aligned into a uniform layer of parallel fibers for uniform redistribution on the main cylinder and uniform mixture with fresh, incoming fibers fed by the sliver feed elements. The invention includes pneumatic suction for drawing fibers from the doffer into a substantially closed suction chamber, a rotatable filter roll within the chamber, which separates the air and the fibers and discharges the fibers from the chamber, and a sealing roll permitting the fibers to be discharged from the chamber without impairing the integrity of the vacuum therein. Fiber feeding elements composed of a rotatable wire-covered fiber return feed roll and a cooperating fiber feed plate return the recovered fibers to the main cylinder.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.