Method and apparatus for automatic piecing of comber laps

A method of joining laps in a textile machine comprising the steps of

• clamping an outgoing lap extending to a lap processing unit along a nip line;
• severing the lap upstream in the direction of material flow of said nip line while combing out the lap extending from the nip line to the severed end to form a trailing end having a gradual reduction in fiber mass per unit of length towards said trailing end;
• clamping an incoming fresh lap extending from a roller along a nip line;
• severing the fresh lap downstream in the direction of material flow of said second nip line while combing out the lap extending from said second nip line to the severed end to form a leading end having a gradual reduction in fiber mass per unit of length towards said leading end;
• thereafter clamping an incoming fresh lap extending from a roller along a pair of nip lines spaced apart a distance greater than the longest fiber in the fresh lap.

A textile machine comprising

• at least one lap processing unit;
• a carrier means for supporting a roll of lap to be combed;
• means to form a prepared end on a length of outgoing lap extending to said lap processing unit;
• means to support said length of outgoing lap upstream from said lap processing unit with said prepared end in a substantially predetermined position,
• means to form a prepared end on an incoming lap;
• and
• means to bring the prepared ends together and to feed said ends in joined relation to said unit.

A textile machine comprising

• at least one lap processing unit;
• a carrier means for supporting a roll of lap to be processed;
• means to prepare the trailing end of an outgoing lap and the leading end of an incoming lap;
• means to bring said prepared ends together by superposition;
• and
• means for forwarding the laps with the superposed ends to said unit.

A textile machine comprising

• a lap processing unit;
• a pair of joining rollers;
• a carrier means for supporting a roll of lap to be processed;
• and
• a selectively operable device for pressing a lap tube against said carrier means to form a friction drive connection therebetween.

A textile machine comprising

• a carrier means having at least one roller for supporting a lap roll thereon;
• a lap processing unit having lap processing elements for receiving a lap from said carrier means;
• means defining a clamping nip between said carrier means and said unit for holding a lap thereat;
• a guide plate between said carrier roller and said nip for guiding a lap from said carrier roller to said nip;
• a suction head for receiving and extracting loose fiber from a leading end of a fresh lap on said carrier means;
• control means connected to said carrier roller for reversing rotation of said roller to effect tearing of a lap between said nip and said roller to form a trailing end for laying on said guide plate, and for subsequently rotating said carrier roller to deliver the leading end of a fresh lap onto said guide plate.

A textile machine comprising

• at least one lap processing unit;
• a carrier means for supporting a roll of lap thereon;
• a pair of joining rollers for pressing superimposed laps ends to each other to join said ends;
• and
• means for moving at least one of said joining rollers between an operative position for pressing said lap ends together and a retracted position.

A method of joining an incoming lap with an outgoing lap extending to a lap processing unit in a textile machine comprising the steps of

• severing an outgoing lap;
• supporting a severed length of the outgoing lap
• between the lap processing unit and a lap joining
• means downstream from a carrier for an
• incoming lap;
• bringing the end of an incoming lap together with
• the outgoing lap at said lap joining means;
• and feeding the joined laps to the lap processing unit.

A method of joining laps in a textile machine comprising the steps of

• clamping an outgoing lap extending to a lap processing unit along a pair of nip lines spaced apart a distance greater than the longest fiber in the lap;
• tearing the lap between said nip lines to effect at least a prepared trailing end on the lap extending to the lap processing unit, said end having a gradual reduction in fiber mass per unit of length towards said trailing end;
• thereafter clamping an incoming fresh lap extending from a roller along a pair of nip lines spaced apart a distance greater than the longest fiber in the fresh lap;
• tearing the fresh lap between said nip lines to effect at least a prepared leading end on the fresh lap, said leading end having a gradual reduction in fiber mass per unit of length towards said leading end;
• thereafter superimposing said ends;
• and then pressing the superimposed ends to effect a join having a fiber mass per unit of length equal to the fiber mass per unit of length in a respective lap.