Arrangement of Combing Cylinders in a Combing Machine

The invention relates to a combing machine according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

WO 2010/012112 A1 describes a combing machine having a plurality of combing heads having a nipper assembly with a pivotably mounted upper nipper plate and a rotationally fixed lower nipper plate and each has combing cylinders in a rotationally fixed mount on a common shaft, a movement of the upper nipper plate through a rotational angle position of the combing cylinder is controlled by means of a control unit and each combing cylinder is provided with a combing segment and a detaching segment and wherein a rotatably mounted detaching roller can be advanced to the detaching segment.

The device according to WO 2010/012112 A1 has the disadvantage that in the detaching operation the rotatably mounted detaching roller at each combing head is advanced to the corresponding detaching segment at the same time. This results in an increased friction on the outside circumference of the respective detaching segment and an associated braking effect, so that the common shaft experiences an imbalance during operation. The upper nipper plate is also mechanically connected to the common shaft and thus also has an influence on the imbalance of the common shaft. Thus the common shaft is under such a mechanical load that very high torque peaks act on the common shaft in particular when there are a large number of combing heads. These mechanical stresses acting on the common shaft may be so high that the lifetime of the common shaft is greatly reduced. Moreover, the movement of the upper nipper plate and the movement of the detaching rollers act as noise sources and therefore result in an increased noise burden for the combing machine.

The object of the present invention is thus to provide a combing machine which will make it possible to minimize the mechanical loads acting on the common shaft in such a way that the common shaft can be used with a longer lifetime, while the noise burden is also reduced.

To achieve this object, it is not proposed that a combing machine having a plurality of combing heads be provided, wherein each combing head has a nipper assembly with a pivotably mounted upper nipper plate and a rotationally fixed lower nipper plate, and each has a combing cylinder in a rotationally fixed mount on a common shaft wherein a movement of the upper nipper plate is controlled by a rotational angle position of the combing cylinder by means of a control unit, and each combing cylinder is provided with a combing segment and a detaching segment on its circumference, and wherein a rotatably mounted detaching roller can be advanced to the detaching segment. According to the invention at least one combing cylinder in the direction of circumferential rotation of the common shaft is arranged with an offset to the other combing cylinders of the common shaft. As a result the at least one combing cylinder which is arranged with an offset carries out the advance of the detaching roller and the corresponding detaching operation on the detaching segment at a later point in time than the other combing cylinders. Therefore, the load on the common shaft can be compensated mechanically during operation in this way, and this also results in reduced torque peaks. With the inventive arrangement of the combing cylinders with an offset relative to one another on the common shaft in the circumferential direction of rotation, the mechanical loads acting on the common shaft can be distributed uniformly, so that spot mechanical loads on the common shaft are suppressed. Moreover due to the offset of the combing cylinders relative to one another on the common shaft, the movement of the upper nipper plate may also be offset in time so that the noise burden on the combing machine is advantageously also reduced.

The combing cylinders of neighboring combing heads are preferably arranged with the offset on the common shaft relative to one another in the circumferential direction of rotation. In this way the respective detaching rollers are advanced to a portion of the detaching segments of the combing cylinders from neighboring combing heads at a later point in time so that in particular the mechanical loads on the common shaft act at a later point in time. This results in a reduction in the mechanical loads that act by sections on the common shaft, thereby prolonging the lifetime of the common shaft,

Also preferably the combing cylinders of at least two combing heads form a group, wherein at least one group of heads arranged side by side in the circumferential direction of rotation is arranged with an offset relative to another on the common shaft. The offset of groups arranged side by side has the advantage that, depending on the number of combing heads per group, a corresponding reduction in the resulting torque peak can be achieved. By arranging the groups on the common shaft in the circumferential direction of rotation with an offset relative to one another, an optimal distribution of the mechanical loads acting on the common shaft is also possible. The groups of combing heads may be optimally arranged on the common shaft in such a way that mechanical loads at individual locations on the common shaft—with the risk of sagging—are prevented.

Groups of 2, 4 or 8 combing heads are especially preferably provided. These groups are arranged with an offset relative to one another in the circumferential direction of rotation on the common shaft and thus permit a reduction in the mechanical loads. A reduction in the noise burden is also possible due to the geometric offset of the groups on the common shaft and the associated time lag in the movement of the upper nipper plate and the movement of the detaching rollers.

In the case of eight neighboring combing heads in groups of two combing heads each, these two-head groups are each arranged with an offset to one another at an angle of 90° on the common shaft in the circumferential direction of rotation. In the case of eight neighboring combing heads in groups of four combing heads each, these four-head groups are each arranged with an offset at an angle of 180° to one another on the common shaft in the circumferential direction of rotation.

In the case of 16 combing heads in groups of two combing heads each, these two-head groups are each arranged at an offset with an angle of 45° to one another on the common shaft in the circumferential direction of rotation. In the case of 16 neighboring combing heads in groups of four combing heads each, these four-head groups are each arranged with an offset at an angle of 90° to one another on the common shaft in the circumferential direction of rotation. In the case of 18 neighboring combing heads in groups of eight combing heads each, these eight-head groups are each arranged with a offset at an angle of 180° to one another on the common shaft in the circumferential direction of rotation.

In the case of 24 neighboring combing heads in groups of two combing heads each, these two-head groups are each arranged on a common shaft with an offset at an angle of 30° to one another in the circumferential direction of rotation. In the case of 24 neighboring combing heads in groups of four combing heads each, these four-head groups are each arranged with an offset at an angle of 60° to one another on the common shaft in the circumferential direction of rotation. In the case of 24 neighboring combing heads in groups of eight combing heads each, these eight-head groups are each arranged on the common shaft with an offset at an angle of 120° to one another in the circumferential direction of rotation.

The offset on the common shaft preferably amounts to 360°, based on the number of combing heads used or a multiple thereof. The number of combing heads used or a multiple thereof defines the offset of the combing cylinders on the common shaft in the circumferential direction of rotation and in particular it allows an optimal distribution of the combing heads on the common shaft without any risk of imbalance of the common shaft during operation. Thus, the resulting torque peak, which the drive motor would have to overcome, can be reduced substantially in this way.

More preferably, the offset between the neighboring combing cylinders on the common shaft in the circumferential direction of rotation forms an angle of 15° or more. The offset at an angle of 15° to the neighboring combing cylinder on the common shaft in the circumferential direction relates to an embodiment in which 24 combing heads are arranged next to one another in an optimal manner. Combing machines having eight or 16 combing heads are also conceivable. In these embodiments the offset optimally has an angle of 45° or 22.5°. Any other number of combing heads per combing machine is of course also possible. The wording “or more” relates to the maximum possible angle of the offset between two neighboring combing cylinders and is limited physically by the outside circumference of the common shaft.

The common shaft is preferably divided into at least two subsections, a plurality of combing cylinders being mounted on each subsection and these combing cylinders being arranged with an offset relative to one another. A plurality of combing cylinders can be mounted in a rotationally fixed manner on the respective subsection without an offset in this way, and the different subsections may be arranged with an offset relative to one another. The individual shafts are aligned by using mechanical means (e.g., tongue and groove).

However, it is also conceivable for a plurality of combing cylinders on a subsection to be mounted in a rotationally fixed manner with an offset relative to one another and for the neighboring subsections to be arranged without an offset relative to one another.

The control unit for movement of the upper nipper plate also preferably cooperates with a cam disc, wherein the cam disc is mounted on the common shaft in a rotationally fixed position and the upper nipper plate is supported on the cam disc. In this way the movement of the upper nipper plate is mechanically linked to the angular position of the cam disc so that the arrangement of neighboring combing cylinders with an offset on the common shaft is linked to the movement of the upper nipper plate.

The common shaft is preferably provided with positioning means for arrangement with the offset and for fastening the combing cylinders on the common shaft. The positioning means permit a simple visual inspection and at the same time a simple assembly aid.

The positioning means are especially preferably designed as holes, recesses or elevations. Screws, rivets or the like may engage in the holes to secure the fastening and positioning. Variously designed pins or pegs may engage in the recesses to ensure an axial displacement and radial locking of the combing cylinders on the common shaft. The elevations on the common shaft may cooperate with recesses on the combing cylinders to ensure optimal positioning.

A mark in the form of a color code or an engraving is preferably provided for each combing cylinder on the common shaft. This allows a simple visual inspection in the arrangement of a number of combing cylinders on the common shaft.

Additional advantages of the invention are described on the basis of an exemplary embodiment which is illustrated and described below.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a combing machine with an inventive arrangement of three neighboring combing heads on a common shaft;

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1 with the nipper opened;

FIG. 3 shows a graphical plot of a relative torque curve per revolution on a combing head (1^stKK);

FIG. 4 shows a graphic plot of relative torque curves per revolution of eight combing heads each with a 45° offset relative to the others (1^stKK to 8^thKK), the resulting torque curve of the eight combing heads offset relative to one another (resultant) and the relative torque curve of eight superimposed combing heads without an offset (1^stKK*8).

FIG. 1 shows schematic view of a combing head 10 of a combing machine. A plurality (e.g., 8, 16 or 24) of such combing heads 10 will usually be arranged side by side and connected to one another by means of continuous longitudinal shafts in a drive transferring manner.

Each combing head 10 has a combing cylinder 16 rotationally mounted on common shaft 12 and a nipper assembly 18. In the present embodiment according to the present invention, for example three combing cylinders 16a-16c having 24 neighboring combing heads 10 on the common shaft 12 are arranged with an offset 14 to one another in the circumferential direction of rotation. In the case of 24 neighboring combing heads according to the present example, the offset 14 between the first combing cylinder 16a and the neighboring combing cylinder 16b is at an angle α of 15°. The other neighboring combing cylinders 16 (not shown) are also arranged with an offset 14 on the common shaft 12.

Above the combing cylinder 16 which is connected to the driven shaft 12, the nipper assembly 18 which is provided with a lower nipper plate 20 and an upper nipper plate 22 is provided. The upper nipper plate 22 is connected to lateral arms 24, which are mounted so that they can pivot about a pivot axis 26 on the lower nipper plate 20.

A strap 28 is fastened to the lateral arms 24 (two screw connections are indicated schematically) and form a control unit 29. Each strap 28 has an axle 30 on each free end of which a roller 32 is rotatably mounted. The rollers 32 are on a circumferential surface 34 of a cam disc 36, depending on the angular position of the combing cylinder 16, the cam disc being fastened onto the shaft 12 of the combing cylinder 16 in a rotationally fixed manner. The control unit 29 works together with the cam disc 36 in this way and thus allows movement of the upper nipper plate 22.

The nipper assembly 18 in FIG. 1 is in a closed state and in FIG. 2 in an open state.

In the closed state according to FIG. 1, a fiber tuft 40 protrudes out of the closed nipper assembly 18 and is combed on a combing segment 38 of the combing cylinder 16. The clamping force of the nipper assembly 18 for clamping the fiber tuft 40 is created by bellows cylinders 42, which are supported on one end by means of an end face on a transverse strut 44, which is connected to the pivot arms 45 on the upper grip of plate 22. The bellows cylinders 42 are fastened to a strut 49 by means of screws at their other ends by way of a receptacle 47. The strut 49 is fixedly connected to the pivot arms 45, which are mounted so they can pivot about a pivot axis 51 in the machine frame 53.

Within the nipper assembly 18 a feed roller 52 is mounted so it can rotate, supplying fiber material 54 such as strips, nonwovens or batting intermittently from a source such as reels, cans, etc. (not shown) in the direction of a clamping point 56 of the nipper assembly 18 according to FIG. 1. This advancement is carried out by a gear (not shown) as a function of the angular position of the common shaft 12 of the combing cylinder 16. In this closed state, a movably mounted fixation comb 62 and a detaching roller 48 are spaced a distance apart from the circumference of the combing cylinders 16.

A detaching segment 46a-46c which forms a clamping line 57 on a partial area of the circumference of the respective combing cylinder 16a-16c for the combed-out fiber tuft 40 to be pulled away with the displaceable detaching roller 48, which can be advanced to the detaching segment 46 according to FIG. 2.

Following the detaching roller 48 a device 58, which forms a fiber nonwoven and by means of which the fiber packages are dispensed by the detaching roller 48 are guided to a fiber nonwoven and/or soldered. The device 58 forming a fiber nonwoven is provided with a perforated revolving drum 60 which is diagrammed purely schematically and downstream from which a pickup roller pair 61 is arranged. Such an apparatus may correspond, for example, to the exemplary embodiment shown in the publication WO 2006/012759 A1.

In the closed state of the nipper assembly 18 shown in FIG. 1, the roller 32 is not in contact with the circumferential surface 34 of the cam disc 36 with the radius R, so that the compressive force generated by the bellows cylinders 42 which are under an excess pressure is fully active at the clamping site 56 of the prong unit 18. With a further rotation of the common shaft 12 and/or the cam disc 36, the area of the cam disc 36 enters the area of the roller 32 as shown in FIG. 2. The roller 32 is therefore raised with respect to the lower nipper plate 20 which is arranged in the stationary position and therefore the swivel arms 45 are pivoted about the pivot axis 51 so that the nipper assembly 18 opens. In the meantime the detaching roller 48 has been shifted in the direction of the common shaft 12 and together with the detaching segment 46 forms the clamping line 57 for detecting the end of the fiber tuft 40 that has already been combed out. The detaching roller 48 with a load device (not shown) is pressed against the detaching segment 46 in this position. The detaching operation is then initiated, whereupon the fiber sets pulled away via the clamping line 57 are dispensed to the perforated drum 60 on which a fiber nonwoven, which is removed for further processing via the pickup roller pair 61, is formed. In the detaching operation the fixing comb 62, which is diagrammed schematically engages with the fiber tuft 40, by means of which the fiber material that has been pulled off is drawn through it.

FIG. 3 shows the relative torque curve for a comb cycle on a combing head (1^stKK) wherein one revolution of the common shaft corresponds to a combing cycle in which the fiber tuft is combed out and the fiber sets are pulled away. The relative torque curve is given in percentage and is standardized to the maximum positive torque which is approx. 0.6 in the case of the present curve, based on one revolution per combing cycle. The combing cycle is approximately the same for all combing heads of a combing machine and has a torque characteristic like that shown in FIG. 3 and described hereinafter. The relative torque curve can be subdivided into the following regions A through C:

In region A, at 0.3 to 0.5 of the revolution per combing cycle, the nipper is opened by and the detaching roller is advanced to the detaching segment. In this way the fiber tuft is clamped between the detaching roller and the outside surface of the detaching segment and thus causes a braking effect up to 0.4 of the revolution per combing cycle. At the same time, the movable fixation comb is combing out the fiber nonwoven, and individual fiber sets are pulled away.

In region B, between 0.5 and 0.8 of the revolution per combing cycle follows the nipper and the fiber tuft faces out beyond the clamping site. At the same time, the fiber set that has been pulled away is processed further by the fiber nonwoven forming apparatus, wherein a control valve is pivoted in the direction of the perforated drum and use in the perforated drum.

In the region C, between 0.8 and 1 and 0 to 0.3, the combing segment mounted on the combing cylinder combs out the fiber tuft. As soon as one revolution per combing cycle of 0 to 1 has been run through, the torque curve according to FIG. 3 begins again from the beginning. This is the reason why the region C in FIG. 3 is between 0 and 0.3 and 0.8 to 1 on the one hand. Basically, combing out of the fiber tuft begins with the combing segment according to region C following region B.

One problem with the apparatus according to the known prior art—as discussed in the introduction—is that the detaching rollers of each combing head are advanced at the same time to the corresponding detaching segment during the detaching operation. This leads to an increased noise production on the combing machine because the rotating and moving parts generate increased noise during the combing cycles, with the noise being multiplied accordingly with a larger number of combing heads. Furthermore the simultaneous advance of the detaching rollers on the outside circumference of the detaching segments and the movements of the upper nipper plates by means of the control units on each combing head lead to very high mechanical loads which affect the common shaft. These very high mechanical loads which act on the common shaft are illustrated in FIG. 4 as torque peaks of in the present example eight superimposed torque curves (1^stKK*8). Since the torque curve is approximately the same for each combing head, the torque peaks are multiplied in both positive and negative directions accordingly at the same point in time of a revolution per combing cycle. Thus eight superimposed torque curves (1^stKK*8) result in the maximum positive torque (100%) from a single combing head (1^stKK) now being eight times higher, as shown in FIG. 3, and thus having a maximum positive torque of 800% (see FIG. 4). Accordingly a large number of combing heads in a combing machine leads to a corresponding multiplication of the maximum torque peaks acting on the common shaft so that the lifetime of the common shaft is greatly reduced.

To separate this problem from the prior art, it is proposed according to the invention that the combing cylinders 16a-16c of neighboring combing heads be arranged with an offset to one another in the circumferential direction of rotation on the common shaft 12, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and as described above. As a result, the previously superimposed torque curves as shown in FIG. 4 for eight combing heads (1^stKK*8) as an example now begin and end with a time lag from one another as also shown in FIG. 4. The offset in the combing cylinders for eight neighboring combing heads is arranged on the common shaft at an angle α of 45° to one another in the circumferential direction of rotation.

The torque curves 1^stKK up to 8^thKK per revolution of the common shaft with a time lag are mutually compensated in such a way that the resulting torque curve (“resultant” in FIG. 4) is greatly reduced in this way. The resultant from FIG. 4 is an envelope curve of the respective positive and negative torque peaks of the eight combing cylinders that are arranged with an offset from one another on eight neighboring combing heads (1^stKK to 8^thKK). In comparison with the eight superimposed combing cycles, the resultant on eight combing heads (1^stKK*8) shows a great reduction in the positive and negative torque peaks. In the concrete case the torque curve 1KK*8 has an absolute torque stroke of 1900% (amount from approx, −1100% to approx. +800%), while the resultant has an absolute torque lift of 30% (value from approx. −135% to approx, −165%) with a sinusoidal torque curve. Consequently, due to the arrangement of the eight combing cylinders according to the invention with an offset of 45° from one another on eight neighboring combing heads on the common shaft in the circumferential direction of rotation, the mechanical loads acting on the common shaft are reduced by up to 98%. This effect is has been demonstrated for eight combing cylinders of neighboring combing heads with an angle α of 45° for the offset, wherein this positive effect is also given with a greater number of combing heads such as for example 16 combing heads and an offset angle of 22.5° or 24 combing heads and an offset angle of 15°.

In another exemplary embodiment, it is conceivable for the common shaft to be divided into at least two or more subsections. These subsections are connected to the common shaft by means of drive connections so that a plurality of combing cylinders is mounted in a rotationally fixed manner on each subsection. Accordingly, the combing cylinders are arranged with an offset to one another on the subsections. Toothed drives or belt drives may be used as the drive connection.

It is also conceivable for the plurality of combing cylinders to be arranged without an offset to one another on the subsections, wherein the neighboring subsections have an offset from one another, in that the drive connections from the common shaft to the subsections are arranged with an offset to one another. The offset may be at an angle α of 15° or more to achieve relief from mechanical loads on the common shaft.

In another exemplary embodiment, it is also conceivable that a cam disc and an opposing cam disc are provided on the common shaft for each combing head. For compensation of the torque peaks of the cam discs for the nipper assembly and the detaching roller, the opposing cam disc can be used because it compensates mechanically for the mechanical loads acting on the common shaft in the direction opposite the rotational movement of the cam discs. In this alternative way, it is thus also possible to have compensation of the mechanical loads for the common shaft.

LEGEND

10 Combing head

12 Shaft

14 Offset

16 Combing cylinders 16a to 16c

18 Nipper assembly

20 Lower nipper plate

22 Upper nipper plate

24 Lateral arms

26 Pivot axle

28 Strap

29 Control unit

30 Axis/axle

32 Roller

34 Circumferential surface

36 Cam disc

38 Combing segment

40 Fiber tuft

42 Bellows cylinder

44 Transverse struts

45 Pivot arm

46 Detaching segment

47 Receptacle

48 Detaching roller

49 Strut

51 Pivot axle/axis

52 Feed roller

53 Machine frame

54 Fiber material

56 Clamping site

57 Clamping line

58 Fiber processing apparatus

60 Perforated drum

61 Removing roller pair

62 Fixation comb

αAngle of offset

R Radius

Arrangement of Combing Cylinders in a Combing Machine

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Priority Claims (1)