US 5,287,599 AGranted

Ductwork with sensor and pivoting gate for fiber impurity removal

AssigneeTrutzschler GmbH & Co. KG

InventorFerdinand Leifeld

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Abstract

An apparatus for separating foreign matter from a pneumatically conveyed stream of textile fibers has a pneumatic duct in which the textile fibers are conveyed by an air stream; a waste container; first and second coupling openings for maintaining communication between the waste container and the pneumatic duct; and a gate pivotally supported in the pneumatic duct. The gate has a first position maintaining open the pneumatic duct and obturating the first and second coupling openings for allowing the fiber material to be conveyed by the air stream through the duct by bypassing the waste container. The gate further has a second position obturating a direct passage through the pneumatic duct and maintaining open the first and second coupling openings for directing the fiber material and the air stream from the pneumatic duct into the waste container and for allowing conveying air to pass from the waste container back into the pneumatic duct. The apparatus further has a detector for detecting foreign matter in the fiber material; and a control device connected to the detector and the gate for pivoting the gate from the first position into the second position upon detection of foreign matter by the detector.

Claims19

Dependent claims

An apparatus for separating foreign matter from a pneumatically conveyed stream of textile fibers, comprising

(a) a pneumatic duct in which the textile fibers are conveyed by an air stream;
said pneumatic duct having a first length portion and an adjoining second length portion;
(b) a waste container adjacent said pneumatic duct;
(c) means defining a first coupling opening for maintaining communication between said waste container and said second length portion of said pneumatic duct;
(d) means defining a second coupling opening for maintaining communication between said waste container and said first length portion of said pneumatic duct;
(e) a gate pivotally supported in said pneumatic duct;
said gate having a first position maintaining open a direct passage between said first and second length portions and obturating said first and second coupling openings for allowing the fiber material to be conveyed by the air stream directly from said first length portion into said second length portion;
said gate having a second position obturating the direct passage between said first and second length portions and maintaining open said first and second coupling openings for directing the fiber material and the air stream from said first length portion of said pneumatic duct through said second coupling opening into said waste container and for allowing conveying air to pass from said waste container into said second length portion of said pneumatic duct;
(f) a detector situated upstream of said second coupling opening as viewed in a direction of advance of said fiber material in said pneumatic duct, for detecting impurities in the fiber material;
and
(g) control means connected to said detector and said gate for pivoting said gate from said first position into said second position upon detection of foreign matter by said detector

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.