US 5,211,708 A · Fiber bale opening apparatus

Abstract

A fiber bale opening machine having an inclined opening roller (1) is provided with conveying apparatus (100) for stepwise displacement of fiber bales in the direction of the opening roller. The roller is movable transversely with respect to the direction of the displacement. The conveying apparatus includes at least one stationary support for supporting the bale and at least one shifting device for performing a repetitive movement cycle starting from an initial position and returning back to it. In the initial position, the lifting device is lower than the stationary support and the bale is supported on such support. Later the lifting device moves up to take over support of the bale and during this time it shifts in the direction of intended bale displacement.

Claims33

Dependent claims

In fiber bale opening apparatus, bale conveying apparatus comprising

a stationary grate unit having a first plurality of elongated bale contacting members spaced laterally from one another with their upper surfaces located generally in a plane for bearing against the bottom of said bale,
a movable grate unit having a second plurality of spaced apart elongated bale contacting members generally parallel to said first plurality of elongated members and being disposed in interdigitated relation to said first plurality of elongated members, the upper surfaces of said second plurality of elongated members being located generally in a plane for bearing against the bottom of said bale,
means for supporting said movable grate unit for movement relative to said stationary grate unit in a direction having a vertical component so that said second plurality of elongated members may be lowered below the bottom of a bale supported on said first plurality of elongated members or raised into supporting relation to said bale, and
means for moving said movable grate unit relative said stationary grate unit so that said movable and stationary grate units alternately support said bale and so that said movable grate unit shifts longitudinally while it is in supporting relation to said bale to move said bale longitudinally in stepwise fashion.

1 more element

Fiber bale opening apparatus comprising

an opening roller positioned to contact from above at least one bale of fibers to remove fiber flocks therefrom, said bale having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis, said roller being rotatable about an axis inclined downwardly relative to the longitudinal axis of said bale and being bodily movable across said bale in directions generally parallel to said transverse axis of said bale;
and
means for supporting said bale from below and for shifting said bale in a forward direction toward said roller and generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of said bale, said means including
first bale contact means having a first plurality of elongated members extended generally in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said bale and being spaced apart laterally from one another with their upper surfaces located generally in a plane for bearing against the bottom of said bale,
second bale contact means having a second plurality of spaced apart elongated members generally parallel to said first plurality of elongated members and being disposed in interdigitated relation with the elongated members of said first plurality and with their upper surfaces located generally in a plane for bearing against the bottom of said bale, and
means for moving at least one of said contact means relative to the other of said contact means in directions having vertical and horizontal components such that said first and second contact means alternately support said bale and at least one of said contact means shifts rearwardly while it is out of supporting relation to said bale and shifts forwardly while it is in supporting relation to said bale to shift said bale in said forward direction toward said opening roller.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Fiber bale opening apparatus

Life of this patent

Fiber bale opening apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims33