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US 5,819,373 AGranted
Apparatus and method for recognizing and separating foreign bodies from fiber in a fiber processing machine
AssigneeTrutzschler GmbH & Co. KG
InventorsStefan Schlichter, Michael Cieslinski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for detecting a foreign substance in a pneumatically advancing fiber tuft stream and for separating the foreign substance therefrom includes a conduit; an optical sensor arrangement situated at a first location of the conduit for detecting a foreign substance in flight and for emitting signals representing the foreign substance; a separating arrangement situated at a second location of the conduit downstream of the first location as viewed in the conveying direction; an evaluating device for processing the signals; and a control device connected to the optical sensor arrangement, the separating arrangement and the evaluating device for operating the separating arrangement.
Claims14
An apparatus for detecting a foreign substance in a fiber tuft stream and for separating the foreign substance therefrom, comprising
- (a) a conduit having a discharge opening;
- (b) means for generating an airstream for pneumatically advancing fiber tufts through said conduit in a conveying direction;
- (c) optical sensor means situated at a first location of said conduit for detecting a foreign substance in flight and for emitting signals representing said foreign substance;
- (d) separating means situated at a second location of said conduit downstream of said first location as viewed in the conveying direction;
- said separating means comprising nozzle means for directing an air stream into said interior transversely to said conveying direction to blow the foreign substance out of the fiber stream;
- said nozzle means comprising a plurality of blow nozzles arranged in a row at said conduit;
- said row extending transversely to said conveying direction;
- said discharge opening of said conduit being aligned with said blow nozzles;
- the air stream emitted by said blow nozzles exiting from said interior through said discharge opening;
- (e) evaluating means for processing said signals;
- (f) control means connected to said optical sensor means, said separating means and said evaluating means for operating said separating means;
- (g) a receptacle attached laterally to said conduit;
- said discharge opening maintaining communication between said receptacle and said interior of said conduit;
- and
- (h) a return opening in said receptacle for maintaining communication between said receptacle and said interior of said conduit;
- said return opening being situated downstream of said discharge opening as viewed in said conveying direction;
- said airstream entering said discharge opening, depositing the foreign substance in said receptacle and rejoining said interior through said return opening.
14 more elements
An apparatus for detecting a foreign substance in a fiber tuft stream and for separating the foreign substance therefrom, comprising
- (a) a conduit having an interior;
- (b) means for generating an airstream for pneumatically advancing fiber tufts through said conduit in a conveying direction;
- (c) optical sensor means situated at a first location of said conduit for detecting a foreign substance in flight and for emitting signals representing said foreign substance;
- said optical sensor means including a plurality of sensor elements arranged in a row in a side-by-side relationship along substantially an entire width of said interior measured perpendicularly to said conveying direction;
- (d) separating means situated at a second location of said conduit downstream of said first location as viewed in the conveying direction;
- (e) evaluating means for processing said signals;
- and
- (f) control means connected to said optical sensor means, said separating means and said evaluating means for operating said separating means.
5 more elements
An apparatus for detecting a foreign substance in a fiber tuft stream and for separating the foreign substance therefrom, comprising
- (a) a conduit having an interior;
- (b) means for generating an airstream for pneumatically advancing fiber tufts through said conduit in a conveying direction;
- (c) optical sensor means situated at a first location of said conduit for detecting a foreign substance in flight and for emitting signals representing said foreign substance;
- said optical sensor means including a plurality of sensor elements being arranged in a plurality of parallel rows;
- in each said row said sensor elements being in a side-by-side relationship along substantially an entire width of said interior measured perpendicularly to said conveying direction;
- the sensor elements of one of said rows being staggered relative to the sensor elements of an adjoining said row;
- (d) separating means situated at a second location of said conduit downstream of said first location as viewed in the conveying direction;
- (e) evaluating means for processing said signals;
- and
- (f) control means connected to said optical sensor means, said separating means and said evaluating means for operating said separating means.
7 more elements
An apparatus for detecting a foreign substance in a fiber tuft stream and for separating the foreign substance therefrom, comprising
- (a) a conduit having a discharge opening;
- (b) means for generating an airstream for pneumatically advancing fiber tufts through said conduit in a conveying direction;
- (c) optical sensor means situated at a first location of said conduit for detecting a foreign substance in flight and for emitting signals representing said foreign substance;
- (d) separating means situated at a second location of said conduit downstream of said first location as viewed in the conveying direction;
- said separating means comprising nozzle means for directing an air stream into said interior transversely to said conveying direction to blow the foreign substance out of the fiber stream;
- said nozzle means comprising a plurality of blow nozzles arranged in a row at said conduit;
- said row extending transversely to said conveying direction;
- said discharge opening of said conduit being aligned with said blow nozzles;
- the air stream emitted by said blow nozzles exiting from said interior through said discharge opening;
- (e) evaluating means for processing said signals;
- (f) control means connected to said optical sensor means, said separating means and said evaluating means for operating said separating means;
- (g) a waste duct having an opening in alignment with said blow nozzles to receive the airstream therefrom;
- and
- (h) a dual-gate air lock situated in said waste duct.
11 more elements
An apparatus for detecting a foreign substance in a fiber tuft stream and for separating the foreign substance therefrom, comprising
- (a) a conduit having a discharge opening;
- (b) means for generating an airstream for pneumatically advancing fiber tufts through said conduit in a conveying direction;
- (c) optical sensor means situated at a first location of said conduit for detecting a foreign substance in flight and for emitting signals representing said foreign substance;
- (d) separating means situated at a second location of said conduit downstream of said first location as viewed in the conveying direction;
- said separating means comprising nozzle means for directing an air stream into said interior transversely to said conveying direction to blow the foreign substance out of the fiber stream;
- said nozzle means comprising a plurality of blow nozzles arranged in a row at said conduit;
- said row extending transversely to said conveying direction;
- said discharge opening of said conduit being aligned with said blow nozzles;
- the air stream emitted by said blow nozzles exiting from said interior through said discharge opening;
- (e) evaluating means for processing said signals;
- (f) control means connected to said optical sensor means, said separating means and said evaluating means for operating said separating means;
- (g) a waste duct having an opening in alignment with said blow nozzles to receive the airstream therefrom;
- and
- (h) recirculating means for returning the airstream from said waste duct into said interior.
11 more elements
A method of detecting a foreign substance in a fiber tuft stream conveyed pneumatically in a conduit in a conveying direction, comprising the following steps:
- (a) detecting the presence of a foreign substance in the fiber tuft stream by an optical sensor arrangement at a first location of the conduit;
- (b) determining the velocity of the detected foreign substance in said first location;
- said step of determining the velocity including
- (1) taking two pictures of the detected foreign substance in rapid succession by said optical sensor arrangement;
- (2) measuring a distance between the two pictures;
- and
- (3) calculating the velocity of the foreign substance based on said distance and a delay between taking the two pictures;
- and
- (c) starting to deflect the fiber tuft stream into a waste-receiving device at a second location of said conduit at a moment determined as a function of said velocity.
6 more elements
A fiber tuft processing line having a plurality of fiber tuft processing machines serially connected to one another by a pneumatic duct for pneumatically conveying fiber tufts in a stream from one machine to a successive machine in a conveying direction;
- said pneumatic duct having an input end upstream of said fiber tuft processing machines as viewed in said conveying direction;
- said fiber tuft processing line further including an apparatus for detecting a foreign substance in the fiber tuft stream and for separating the foreign substance therefrom;
- said apparatus being situated in said pneumatic duct downstream of said input end and upstream of said fiber tuft processing machines;
- said apparatus comprising
- (a) a conduit forming part of said pneumatic duct for guiding the fiber tuft stream in said conveying direction;
- (b) optical sensor means situated at a first location of said conduit for detecting a foreign substance in flight and for emitting signals representing said foreign substance;
- said first location being situated in said pneumatic duct downstream of said input end and upstream of all of said fiber tuft processing machines of said line;
- (c) separating means situated at a second location of said conduit downstream of said first location as viewed in the conveying direction;
- (d) evaluating means for processing said signals;
- and
- (e) control means connected to said optical sensor means, said separating means and said evaluating means for operating said separating means.
8 more elements
A method of detecting a foreign substance in a fiber tuft stream, comprising the following steps:
- (a) driving the fiber tuft stream through a conduit serially connecting to one another fiber tuft processing machines of a fiber processing line;
- (b) detecting the presence of a foreign substance in the fiber tuft stream by an optical sensor arrangement at a first conduit location situated upstream of all the fiber tuft processing machines of the line;
- (c) determining the velocity of the detected foreign substance in said first conduit location and
- (d) starting to deflect the fiber tuft stream into a waste-receiving device at a second conduit location at a moment determined as a function of said velocity.
1 more element
A fiber processing line comprising
- (a) a fiber bale opener;
- (b) a plurality of fiber processing machines;
- (c) a pneumatic duct for serially connecting said fiber bale opener to said fiber processing machines and said fiber processing machines to one another for pneumatically conveying fiber tufts in a stream from said fiber bale opener consecutively to said fiber processing machines;
- and
- (d) an apparatus for detecting a foreign substance in the fiber tuft stream and for separating the foreign substance therefrom;
- said apparatus being disposed downstream of said fiber bale opener and upstream of all of said fiber processing machines of said line as viewed in a direction of fiber tuft travel through said fiber processing line;
- said apparatus comprising
- (1) a conduit forming part of said pneumatic duct for guiding the fiber tuft stream in a conveying direction;
- (2) optical sensor means situated at a first location of said conduit for detecting a foreign substance in flight and for emitting signals representing said foreign substance;
- (3) separating means situated at a second location of said conduit downstream of said first location as viewed in the conveying direction;
- (4) evaluating means for processing said signals;
- and
- (5) control means connected to said optical sensor means, said separating means and said evaluating means for operating said separating means.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.