Claims
- 1. An apparatus for reducing the stickiness of fibers of cotton flocks contaminated with honeydew, comprising:
- a fiber feeding device by means of which the cotton flocks are compressed to form a fiber batt;
- a plurality of heatable rolls;
- said fiber batt having a predetermined direction of travel;
- said fiber batt being fed to said plurality of heatable rolls;
- fiber batt opening and fiber flock infeeding means, for subsequent processing of said fibers, arranged downstream of said plurality of heatable rolls as viewed in said predetermined direction of travel for receiving said fiber batt and for advancing opened fibers toward means for performing said subsequent processing of said fibers;
- fiber conveyor means; and
- said fiber batt opening and fiber flock infeeding means serving to open said fiber batt into loosened fiber flocks and transferring said fiber flocks to said fiber conveyor means.
- 2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:
- said fiber feeding device comprises a flock feed chute having a bottom end; and
- said flock feed chute being provided with at least one pair of take-up rolls located at said bottom end of said flock feed chute.
- 3. The apparatus as defined in claim 2, further including:
- a substantially ascending chimney;
- blower means;
- said plurality of heatable rolls being arranged in said substantially ascending chimney; and
- said blower means producing an air current to flow through said substantially ascending chimney.
- 4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein:
- said substantially ascending chimney is located between said flock feed chute at said fiber batt opening and fiber flock infeeding means.
- 5. The apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein:
- said fiber batt opening and fiber flock infeeding means comprises a fiber batt opening roll.
- 6. The apparatus as defined in claim 5, further including:
- a partition wall forming a lateral wall of said substantially ascending chimney;
- said partition wall having a bottom end;
- said plurality of heatable rolls being arranged in an inclined row extending downwards in said predetermined direction of travel; and
- said fiber batt opening roll being arranged at said bottom end of said partition wall.
- 7. The apparatus as defined in claim 6, further including:
- a further roll arranged substantially opposite said at least one pair or take-up rolls;
- said further roll guiding the cotton flocks to said at least one pair of take-up rolls; and
- said at least one pair of take-up rolls serving to form said fiber batt and being arranged such that said at least one pair of take-up rolls lead at least substantially in the direction of said inclined row of said plurality of heatable rolls.
- 8. The apparatus as defined in claim 7, further including:
- clamping means and a counter element provided at said bottom end of said flock feed chute and arranged downstream of said at least one pair of take-up rolls; and
- said clamping means and said counter element being arranged on opposite sides of said fiber batt.
- 9. The apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein:
- said clamping means comprises a clamping roll; and
- said counter element constitutes a counter roll.
- 10. The apparatus as defined in claim 8, further including:
- a guide plate for guiding said fiber batt from said at least one pair of take-up rolls and from said clamping means and said counter element to said plurality of heatable rolls.
- 11. The apparatus as defined in claim 6, further including:
- a guide plate for guiding said fiber batt arriving from said plurality of heatable rolls to said fiber batt opening roll.
- 12. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, further including:
- stripper knives provided at said plurality of heatable rolls.
- 13. The apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein:
- said stripper knives are heated.
- 14. An apparatus for reducing the stickiness of fibers of cotton flocks contaminated with honeydew, comprising:
- a fiber feeding device by means of which the cotton flocks are compressed to form a fiber batt, said fiber feeding device comprising a flock feed chute having a bottom end, said flock feed chute being provided with at least one pair of take-up rolls located at said bottom end of said flock feed chute;
- a plurality of heatable rolls;
- said fiber batt having a predetermined direction of travel;
- said fiber batt being fed to said plurality of heatable rolls;
- fiber batt opening and fiber flock infeeding means, comprising a fiber batt opening roll, for subsequent processing of said fibers, arranged downstream of said plurality of heatable rolls as viewed in said predetermined direction of travel;
- fiber conveyor means;
- said fiber batt opening and fiber flock infeeding means serving to open said fiber batt again into fiber flocks and transferring said fiber flocks to said fiber conveyor means;
- a substantially ascending chimney located between said flock feed chute at said fiber batt opening and fiber flock infeeding means;
- blower means;
- said plurality of heatable rolls being arranged in said substantially ascending chimney;
- said blower means producing an air current to flow through said substantially ascending chimney;
- a belt;
- said plurality of heatable rolls constituting at least two heatable rolls and at least one further heatable roll;
- said fiber batt having two sides;
- said belt revolving around said at least two heatable rolls and pressing against one of said two sides of said fiber batt;
- said belt clamping said fiber batt against said at least one further heatable roll; and
- said at least one further heatable roll being arranged substantially opposite said at least two heatable rolls.
- 15. The apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein: said belt is made of metal.
- 16. The apparatus as defined in claim 14; further including:
- a further revolving belt pressing against the other side of said two sides of said fiber batt and wrapping around said at least one further heatable roll of said plurality of heatable rolls.
- 17. The apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein:
- at least said at least two heatable rolls of said plurality of heatable rolls provided on said one of said two sides of said fiber batt are arranged in spaced relationship with respect to one another.
- 18. The apparatus as defined in claim 16, further including:
- stripper knives provided at said belt and said further revolving belt.
- 19. The apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein: said stripper knives are heated.
- 20. An apparatus for reducing the stickiness of fibers of cotton flocks contaminated with honeydew, comprising:
- a fiber feeding device by means of which the cotton flocks are compressed to form a fiber batt;
- a plurality of heatable rolls;
- said fiber batt having a predetermined direction of travel;
- said fiber batt being fed to said plurality of heatable rolls;
- fiber batt opening and fiber flock infeeding means arranged downstream of said plurality of heatable rolls as viewed in said predetermined direction of travel;
- fiber conveyor means;
- said fiber batt opening and fiber flock infeeding means serving to open said fiber batt again into fiber flocks and transferring said fiber flocks to said fiber conveyor means;
- means for cooling, provided downstream of said plurality of heatable rolls, for cooling said fiber batt delivered from said plurality of heatable rolls.
- 21. The apparatus as defined in claim 20, wherein:
- said cooling means comprises a cooling area provided with two superimposed cooling conveyor belts conveying said fiber batt therebetween; and
- said two superimposed cooling conveyor belts delivering said fiber batt to said fiber batt opening and fiber flock infeeding means.
Priority Claims (1)
| Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
| 2120/88 |
Jun 1988 |
CHX |
|
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS AND PATENT
This application is a divisional of the commonly assigned, copending U.S. application Ser. No. 07/359,494, filed: May 31, 1989, now Pat. No. 4,969,234 entitled "METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING THE STICKINESS OF COTTON FLOCKS."
This application is related to copending U.S. application Ser. No. 07/132,790, filed Dec. 10, 1987, entitled "TREATMENT OF COTTON", and which application is a divisional application to U.S. application Ser. No. 06/833,987, filed Feb. 26, 1986, entitled "TREATMENT OF COTTON", now U.S. Patent No. 4,796,334, granted Jan. 10, 1989, which is related also to copending U.S. application Ser. No. 07/207,252, filed Jun. 15, 1988, entitled "TREATMENT OF COTTON", and which application is a continuation application to the aforementioned parent application, namely U.S. application No. 06/833,987. This application is also related to the commonly assigned U.S. application Ser. No. 07/359,495, filed May 31, 1989, and entitled "METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING COTTON CONTAMINATED WITH HONEYDEW" and is further related to the commonly assigned, copending U.S. application Ser. No. 07/363,784, filed Jun. 9, 1989, entitled "METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING THE STICKINESS OF THE FIBERS OF COTTON FLOCKS CONTAMINATED WITH HONEYDEW".
The present invention broadly relates to treating contaminated cotton fibers or flocks when such are being continuously processed and, more specifically pertains to a new and improved apparatus for reducing the stickiness or tackiness of the fibers of cotton flocks contaminated with honeydew.
Generally speaking, the present invention relates to a new and improved apparatus of the aforementioned type and which entails heating the cotton flocks for a brief period of time.
It is known that cotton flocks of many provenances or origins are more or less contaminated with insect secretions which contain sugar. These sugar-containing secretions are generally termed "honeydew". There is known a laboratory method by means of which such honeydew is allowed to caramelize by heating cotton flock samples or specimens in an oven with the aim of thereby producing a discoloration or change of color of the cotton, in order to determine the degree of contamination thereof with honeydew from the resulting change in the color of the cotton flocks. This is namely very important because, in the event of heavy contamination of the cotton flocks, the cotton flocks become sticky and tend to adhere to various parts of the yarn production plant or to form laps or coils at rolls or rollers or at other rotatable members. This result is very undesirable since it causes frequent interruptions of the yarn manufacturing process.
A method of the aforementioned type is disclosed in European Pat. application No. 86102352.1, published Oct. 8, 1986, under Publication No. 196,449. The object of this known method is to convert any contaminating honeydew into a non-tacky or non-adhesive and brittle state or condition by supplying heat for a short period of time, but without causing any discoloration or change of color of the cotton flocks, so that the brittle sugar or caramellized deposits can be crushed and removed in the course of the subsequent treatment.
A number of devices or apparatus for performing this prior art method have been proposed in the abovementioned European Pat. application No. 86102352.1, published under Publication No. 196,449. The object of one disclosed device or apparatus is to heat the cotton flocks already in the course of opening the raw cotton bales, i.e. directly at the start of the yarn manufacturing process. Other devices or apparatus are intended for treating fiber slivers before drafting.
Therefore, with the foregoing in mind it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and improved apparatus for reducing the stickiness or tackiness or adhesiveness of the fibers of cotton flocks, which apparatus can be performed or applied at any processing or treatment stage of the cotton flocks, i.e. during ginning and cleaning as well as before carding and drafting.
Another and more specific object of the present invention aims at providing a new and improved apparatus for reducing the stickiness or tackiness of cotton flocks and by means of which a uniform and rapid heat transfer into the fiber batt is attainable and detrimental or undesired effects of uncontrolled heating are obviated.
To achieve the aforementioned objects, the inventive apparatus, in its more specific aspects, among other things, comprises a fiber feeding device by means of which the fiber flocks are compressed into a fiber batt or web and fed in this condition or form to a plurality of heatable rolls or rollers following thereupon. Downstream of such heatable rolls or rollers, as viewed in the conveying direction of the fiber batt or web, there are provided opening and infeeding means for opening the fiber batt or web again into fiber flocks and infeeding such fiber flocks to fiber conveyor means.
The inventive apparatus for reducing the stickiness or tackiness of cotton flocks is based on the finding that the amount of heat that can be applied to or brought into a fiber batt or web at a press nip or clamping location between two heatable rolls or rollers or at locations directly upstream or directly downstream of the press nip or clamping location is far greater than the amount of heat that can be applied to or brought into the very same fiber batt or web, when the latter simply embraces or wraps around a heated roll or roller.
This is due not only to the fact that the fiber batt or web in the press nip or clamping location is heated from both sides, but rather also due to the fact that the conductivity of the fiber batt or web in the compressed state is higher, by virtue of the reduction of the amount of air contained in the fiber batt or web, than in a fiber batt or web which is only wrapped around a heated roll or roller and thus freely exposed on one side.
According to the invention, the best results are obtained when cotton in the press nip or clamping location of the rolls or rollers is compressed to a density of 100 to 400 kg/m.sup.3, preferably about 250 kg/m.sup.3.
A particularly preferred variant of the method according to the invention comprises the steps of applying at least one belt or band which revolves around at least two rotating heated rolls or rollers, providing at least one further rotating heated roll or roller forming press nip or clamping locations with the at least two rotating heated rolls or rollers, and clamping the fiber batt or web against the at least one further rotating heated roll over a part of the surface thereof. The resulting improvement in heat transfer is due to the fact that the length of the press nip or clamping location is artificially extended or enlarged by the revolving belt or band.
A further particularly preferred variant of the method according to the invention comprises the step of at least partially exposing or laying bare at least one surface of the fiber batt or web, preferably the upper or top surface thereof, to allow water vapor to escape during the heating operation. If this step is omitted and no provision is made for the vapors generated during the heating process to escape, there is the risk of the cotton flocks remaining sticky or tacky even after the heat treatment has been effected.
In a preferred embodiment of the apparatus constructed according to the invention for reducing the stickiness or tackiness of the fibers of cotton flocks, the plurality of heatable rolls or rollers are arranged in a preferably ascending chimney or flue through which an air current or flow is effected by means of a blower or fan. In this manner, any generated vapors are sucked out or blown away.
The chimney is preferably located between a flock feed chute and an opening roll or roller which opens the fiber batt or web into fiber flocks. Such an arrangement renders possible the space-saving and economical integration of the inventive apparatus in an existing feeder of a card or carding machine.
US Referenced Citations (4)
Foreign Referenced Citations (5)
| Number |
Date |
Country |
| 196449 |
Oct 1986 |
EPX |
| 303575 |
Feb 1989 |
EPX |
| 1133286 |
Jul 1962 |
DEX |
| 2384041 |
Oct 1978 |
FRX |
| 433091 |
Aug 1935 |
GBX |
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
| Parent |
359494 |
May 1989 |
|
Patent Grant
5003670
