Fiber bale opener

Abstract

A fiber bale opener includes a downwardly open housing adapted to be supported above fiber bales to be opened and accommodating an opening device having a width dimension. The opening device includes an opening roller oriented parallel to the width dimension and arranged for removing fiber tufts from upper bale surfaces and a suction duct through which fiber tufts detached from the bales by the opening roller are adapted to be removed by a suction air stream flowing therethrough. The suction duct has two transverse walls facing one another and being spaced from one another in a direction perpendicular to the width dimension. The transverse walls extend substantially over the entire width dimension and each has a lower terminus defining a zone with an upper bale face situated underneath the opening device during operation thereof. The zone is sealed for substantially preventing air from passing therethrough along the width dimension of the opening device.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.