Method and apparatus for separating foreign matter from fibrous material
AssigneeThe Lummus Company
InventorDonald Van Doorn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for cleaning foreign matter from separated tufts of fiber uses a transfer cylinder intermediate a revolving open reel type structure mounted within a porous housing to separate a conveying air stream from tufts of fiber conveyed thereby and a toothed cleaning cylinder to separate air flow through said revolving reel from said cleaning cylinder such that air is not drawn through said cleaning cylinder into said porous housing.
Claims15
In a fiber cleaning apparatus including a revolving cleaning cylinder capable of engaging fiber tufts to separate said fiber from comingled foreign matter in which fiber tufts commingled with foreign matter are pneumatically conveyed into the apparatus in an air stream, flowing through an air duct, said air duct terminating at an outlet, the improvement comprising:
- a separator reel mounted for rotation about an axis parallel said cleaning cylinder and positioned adjacent said outlet, said reel partially circumscribed by a screen pervious to air flow and impervious to said tufts such that air flow passing through said reel exits through said screen depositing any entrained tufts thereon, and, an air seal and fiber transfer cylinder mounted for rotation about an axis parallel said separator reel and said cleaning cylinder and disposed there between to receive fiber tufts directly from said outlet and from said revolving reel and to transfer said fiber tufts along a substantially air tight path to said cleaning cylinder.
A fiber cleaning apparatus in which fiber tufts are pneumatically conveyed substantially individually through an air duct terminating at an outlet an air stream commingled with foreign matter comprising:
- a transfer cylinder, mounted for rotation about a first axis and proximal said outlet, capable of holding the fiber tufts and of carrying said fiber tufts past closely abutting sealing surfaces while holding said fiber tufts, said air duct directing a primary portion of the fiber tufts directly to said transfer cylinder as it rotates proximal said outlet;
- a rotating cleaning cylinder mounted for rotation about an axis parallel said first axis and having a plurality of teeth passing proximal said transfer cylinder to remove said fiber tufts there from and separate said fibers tufts from motes entrained therewith wherein said transfer cylinder and said sealing surfaces substantially prevent the flow of air from said cleaning cylinder to said outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.