Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
1 3 ~
22583-388
METHOD OF BLENDING TEXTILE FIBRES
The invention relates to a method of blending textile
fibres.
In conventional methods of blending, bales of varying
origin are arranged in a row and are opened by an extraction
device moving in reciprocation over them and extracting fibre
flocks from the surface and transferring them to a conveying
means. Alternatively, parts of bales are extracted manually or
by machine and conveyed successively to a conveyor belt of an
opening machine, in which the parts are opened to form fibre
flocks and delivered to a conveying means.
The conveying means can be mechanical or pneumatic and
convey the flocks to "blending boxes", into which the fibres are
poured and constitute a flock mixture.
The fibre flock mixture from the blending boxes is
conveyed at varying speeds to a collective conveyor in order to
obtain a folding effect, the aim being to homogenize the fibre
flock mixture.
Homogenizing devices of this kind are shown and
described e.g. in German patent specifications 196 821 dated
March 27, 1908 and 31 51 063 dated May 24, 1984.
However, the aforementioned extraction and blending
process has a disadvantage in that, since the rows of bales are
stationary, the blend is unchangeable until the row has been
finally extracted, so that the blending ratio remains the same
during the whole time, and the second extraction and blending
process also increases the inaccuracy of the amount which has
been extracted. The problem therefore is to produce accurate,
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22583-388
homogeneous fibre blends which can also be quickly altered when
required.
To this end, according to the invention, fibre-blend
components are formed each with predetermined different fibre
properties, controllably variable proportions of components are
mixed to form a component blend, and the compondent blend is
determined or corrected in dependence on preset, respectively
ascertained and altered properties of a subsequent intermediate
product, e.g. a card sliver, or an end product, e.g. a yarn.
By this method, fibre properties determined in advance
by sample-taking from the bales, can be exactly blended in desired
proportions to obtain the required properties of an intermediate
product such as a card sliver or an end product such as a yarn.
It is also possible, e.g. by measuring the properties
of fibres in the sliver or yarn, to detect deviations so as
immediately to correct the blend so that the sliver or yarn
retains the desired properties.
advantageous embodimens of the invention are disclosed
in the dependent claims.
In accordance with the present invention, there is
provided a method of blending textile fibers comprising the
steps of extracting a fiber flock component from each of a
plurality of fiber bales of varying origin in a predetermined
variably controlled metered amount corresponding to a
predetermined percentage of said fiber flock component in a
predetermined blend of said components; and blending the fiber
flock components from the fiber bales in controlled variable
proportions to form a uniform blend; and automatically correcting
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131~
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22583-388
the amount of a fiber flock component extracted from a
respective bale in response to a deviation of the blend from a
present value of a characteristic thereof to eliminate said
deviation.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention,
there is provided a method of blending textile fibers comprising
the steps of extracting fibers from each of a plurality of fiber
bales of varying origin to form a plurality of fiber flock
components; delivering each fiber flock component to a selected
cell of a plurality of cells; discharging fiber flock from each
cell at a metered amount to a blender; blending the fiber flock
in the blender with a uniform blend; and automatically correcting
the amount of fiber flock discharged from a respective cell in
response to a deviation of the blend from a present value of a
characteristic thereof to eliminate said deviation.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention,
there is provided a method of blending textile fibers comprising
the steps of forming a plurality of rows of fiber bales of
different origin; extracting fiber flocks from a foremost fiber
bale in each row to form a fiber flock component; blending the
fiber flock components into a uniform blend; carding fiber flocks
from said blend into at least one sliver; measuring at least one
characteristic of a sliver to obtain a measured value thereof;
comparing the measured value with a preset value to determine
a deviation of the measured value from said preset value; and
extracting a greater or lesser amount of fiber flock from a
respective fiber bale in response to a determined deviation to
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22583-388
adjust said blend to eliminate said deviation in subsequently
carded sliver.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention,
there is provided a method of blending textile fibers comprising
the steps of forming at least two groups of fiber bales of
different origin; extracting fiber flocks from an upper surface
of selected bales in each group to form a plurality of fiber
components; delivering each fiber component to a selected cell
of a plurality of cells for accumulation therein; blending the
fiber flock components into a uniform blend; carding fiber flocks
from said blend into at least one sliver; measuring at least one
characteristic of a sliver to obtain a measured value thereof;
comparing the measured value with a preset value to determine a
deviation of the measured value from said preset value; and
extracting a greater or lesser amount of fiber flock from a
respective fiber bale in response to a determined deviation to
adjust said blend to eliminate said deviation in subsequently
carded sliver.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention,
there is provided a method of blending textile fibers comprising
the steps of forming a plurality of parallel rows of fiber bales
of different origin; simultaneously extracting fiber flocks from
said rows and from an inclined surface of a plurality of fiber
bales in each row; blending the extracted fiber flocks to form a
uniform blend; carding the fiber flock from said blend into at
least one sliver; measuring at least one characteristic of the
sliver to obtain a measured value thereof; and controlling the
rate of extraction of fiber flocks from the bales in response to
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V 'lt
22583-388
a deviation of a measured value from a preset value.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention,
there is provided a method of blending textile fibers comprising
the steps of providing a plurality of fiber bales of different
origin with each said bale having a predetermined fiber
characteristic; extracting a fiber flock component from each
said bale in a predetermined variably controlled metered amount
corresponding to a predetermined percentage of said fiber flock
component in a predetermined blend of said fiber flock components;
automatically optimizing the percentage of each fiber flock
component extracted to obtain a predetermined characteristic in
said blend in dependence on said characteristics of said bales;
and blending the extracted fiber flock components to form a
homogeneous blend.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention,
there is provided a method of blending textile fibers comprising
the steps of providing a plurality of fiber bales of different
origin with each said bale having a predetermined fiber
characteristic; extracting a fiber flock component from each said
bale; blending the extracted fiber flock components together into
a uniform blend; measuring a value of characteristic of the
blend, said characteristic being dependent on the combined
characteristics of the fiber of the fiber bales; and automatically
correcting the amount of at least one fiber flock component
thereafter blended into the blend in response to a deviation of
said measured value from a present value to eliminate said
deviation.
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22583-388
The invention will be explained in detail with reference
to drawings, given by way of example only. In the drawings:
Figs. 1 to 5 are diagrams of a blending process accord-
ing to the invention;
Figs. 6 and 7 show a variant of the embodiment of the
blending process in Fig. 5;
Fig. 8 diagrammatically shows an extension of the method
according to the invention in Figs. 1 to 7;
Fig. 9 diagrammatically shows a variant of the extended
blending process according to the invention in Figs. 1 to 8,
e.g. with fibre extraction as shown in Fig. 3; and
Fig. 10 shows a variant of the method in Fig. 9.
Fig. 1 shows a number of conveyor belts 1 for receiving
bales 2 which are opened by extraction means 3.
Each extraction means moves on stationary rails
disposed, e.g. diagonally across the~bales 2 on the conveyor belt.
A device of this kind is known in principle from the applicant's
Swiss patent specification No. 503809 dated April 15, 1971. As
a variant, use can be made of the device shown and described in
the applicant's European patent application No. 327885 published
August 16, 1989 where the extraction means 3 is movable up and
down on an extraction device (not shown) movable in reciprocation
on horizontal rails along the bales 2 and is obliquely adjustable
for diagonal extraction.
The extraction output of the two extraction devices
can be controlled by varying the speed of the extraction means 3
along the diagonal path, or by varying the speed of advance of
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~ 3 ~
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22583-388
bales 2 by varying the speed of the individual conveyor belt 1.
The fibre flocks extracted by a drum 4 are removed in
known manner through a pneumatic conveying line 5 (not described
here).
The flocks are conveyed through the pneumatic line 5
to a blender 6, where they are mixed to form a uniform blend.
The quantities conveyed to mixer 6 through the
individual pneumatic conveying lines 5 will hereinafter be called
"fibre flock components" or simply "components".
_ 4 _ 131~
The blender6 can be batch or continuou6, dependln~ on whether the
aforementioned quantitles are the welghts of lndlvldual batches (kg)
or the quantlty travelllng per unlt tlme (kg/h).
For slmpllclty, the conveyln~ llnes 5 ln Flg. 1 are shown
dlagrammatically as openlng dlrectly lnto the llkewlse dlagrammatlc
blender 6, but thls can be dlfferent ln practlce, depending ~n the
nature of the blender. For example, air-fibre separators can be u6ed
in order to separate each flbre and alr mlxture, so that the flbre
flocks can fall freely lnto the blender whereas the alr 18 dischar$ed
lnto an out~olng alr duct. Separators of thls klnd are well-known in
practlce and are therefore not shown here separately.
The cald quantltles of the aforementloned indlvldual flbre flock
components dellvered to the blender 6 are controlled by a control
system 7 ln accordance wlth a control program.
The control program can be a computer program comprlsing a
component-blending program whlch can be adapted or altered for
adaptatlon to alteratlons in the blend.
Another variant would be a digltal control system for each component,
ln which the output of lndlvldual components can be chosen or altered
by hand.
The functlons determlnlng the extractlon output of the components,
e.g. the speed of advance of the re6pectlve conveyor belt l or the
motlon of the extractlon means 3, are controlled by one or the other
control system.
Of cour~e, the pneumatlc conveylng lines need not convey the
extracted product dlrectly to the blender; mechanlcal conveylng
elements such as conveyor belt6 can be Inserted ln between. In such
_ 5 _ 13~8~-~
cases the flbre ~nd alr separatorg dellver the flbre product to the
mechanlcal conveylng elements.
Each extractlon means 3 ls connected by a control llne 8 and each
conveyor belt l ls connected by a control llne 19 to the control
system 7.
The three control lines enterlnE~ the control system 7 wlll be
described herelnafter.
Flg. 2 shows a varlant of Flg. 1, ln whlch llke components are glven
llke reference numbers. In Flg. 2, the pneumatlc conveying llnes 5
convey the extracted flbres or flbre flocks (also called the product)
not dlrectly to the blender 6 but to component cell6 9, from whlch
the product ls dlscharE~ed by a dischar~e devlce 10 followed by a
meterlng devlce ll whlch dellvers the product to the mlxer 6.
The dlschar~e device lO, dependlng on lts nsture, may alternatlvely
also be used for meterlng.
The amount dlscharged from the lndlvidual component cells 9 ls
controlled by n control system 7.1 whlch sctuates the lndlvldual
metQrlng devices ll or, ln a varlant, the dlschar~e devlces lO vla
control llnes l2.
In the flrst-mentloned arran~ement, the meterlng devlces ll can each
be actuated by a control llne l3 vla the dlsch~lrge devlces lO, in
order to co-ordlnate the discharge wlth the meterlng. Alternatlvely
the dlscharge devices can be dlrectly actuated by the control means
7.1.
The component cells 9 are filled by elements I to 5 already
mentloned ln connectlon wlth Fl~S. 1. The use of two rows of b2~1es,
- 6 _ 1 31~8~3~
each wlth elements I to 4, has been chosen by way of example only.
In practlce, a number of rows of bales or alternatlvely ~ust a slngle
row could be chosen per component cell 9. The declslon depends on
the number or blend of orlglns per row of bales whlch are to form a
blend component to be supplled to a corresponding cell 9.
The fllling of the component cells 9 ls controlled e.g. by a full-
level lndicator 14 and an empty-level indlcator 15 provlded in each
cell, vla a control system 16. To thls end the control system 16 for
reclprocatlng the extraction means 3 18 connected by control llnes 17
to each extractlon means 3 and by control llnes 18 to each motor
drlvlng the conveyor belts 1.
Flg. 3 show6 another embodlment ln whlch elements already shown and
descrlbed ln- Flg. 2 sre glven the same reference numbers, l.e. bales
2, component cells 9, discharge devlce6 10, meterint devlces 11,
blender 6, control system 7.1 and control llnes 12 and 13.
The bales 2 are ln thls case placed dlrectly on the ground. As
before, for the purpose of extractlon they are dlvlded lnto group6
correspondlng to the respectlve orlgln of the bales. Extractlon ls by
means of a travYlllng extractlon devlce 20 whlch moves along the
group6 of bales and extracts flbres or flbre flocks from the surface
thereof. A devlce of thls klnd 18 known under the name "Unlfloc" ln
the technlcal 6plnnlng sector and ls sold throughout the world by the
appllcants.
The extractlon devlce 20 conveys the extracted flbres ln known
manner through a pneumatlc conveylng llne 21 to the correspondlng
component cells 9.
As already descrlbed ln the case of Flg. 2, the component cells 9
comprl6e full-level lndlcators 14 and empty-level lndicators 15, whlch
~3 ~ ~8~ ~
-- 7 --
dellver 61gnals to 8 control system 22. The control ~ystem ls
connected by a llne 24 to the extraction devlce 20 and controls the
extractlon of flbre flocks from the correspondlng ~roups of bales ln
order to flll the correspondlng component cells 9.
As dlagrammatlcally indlcated ln Flg. 3, the extractlon devlce 20
comprises an extractlon means 23 known from Unlfloc and comprlslng o
rotatlng drum (not shown) whlch extracts flbres from the surface of
the bales.
In known manner also, the extractlon means 22 can be rotated through
180- as marked by arrow M 60 that the extractlon means can open the
group of bales 2 on the opposlte slde. In thls manner, elther one of
the faclng groups of bales can be used as a reserve troup or, lf the
extractlon devlce 20 rotates automstically as lndlcated herelnbefore,
the two faclng rows of bales can be alternately opened ln preset
manner.
Fl~. 4 shows a varlant of Flt. 3, where components already descrlbed
and shown ln Flt. 3 are glven the same reference numbers.
The dlfference between Flgs. 3 and 4 ls that lnstead of a sln~le
extractlon means 20 for the entlre devlce, one extractlon devlce ls
provlded for each of two faclng ~roups of bales.
Accordlngly the control system ls denoted 22.1 lnstead of 22, slnce
four lndlvldual extractlon devlces 20 are each separately controlled
vla a corresponding control llne 24. Also, a pneumatlc conveylng line
ls provlded for ebch extraction devlce 20; the line, whlch
correspondlngly is marked 21.1 lnstead of 21, opens lnto a respectlve
component cell 9.
- 8 - 1 31~
Flg. 5 shows an arrangement slmllar to Flg. 1, but lnstesd of the
lndivldual conveyor belt I per group of bales ln Flg. 1, each group
of bales has a conveyor belt 30 used for conveylng only and a
conveyor belt 3l used for conveylng and welghlng.
The last-mentioned conveyor belt can be used for wel~hing e.g. as
follows: the shafts of the guide rollers of conveyor belt 31 are
mounted on known pressure cells 32 whlch each deliver a slgnal 33
correspondlng to the welght, the slgnal belng transmltted by a
respectlve control line 33 to a 61gnal-processln6 control 6ystem 7.2.
The aforementloned 61gnals are processed as follows: the control
sy6tem 7.2 uses them to elaborate control slxnals whlch actuate the
motors of the aforementloned conveyor belts 30, 31 vla control llnes
35 and also actuate the extractlon means 3 via control llnes 34.
Of course, other welghln~ machlnes can be used and comblned wlth
conveyor belts.
The components already descrlbed and shown in Flg. I are glven the
same references.
Durlng operatlon, the control system 7.2 actuate6 the extractlon
mesn6 3 and the conveyor belt~ 30 and 3l at pre6et speed6 ln order
to extract flbres from bales 2 and convey them through pneumatlc
llnes 5 to the blender 6.
Eoch extractlon means 3 for the lndlvldual groups of bales conveys a
preset amount, controlled by the control system 7.2, to the blender 6.
The preset extracted amount (kp/h) for each group of balec ls
monltored by the respectlve welghlng conveyor belt 31 or by the
pressure-cell welghln~ devlce 3l and ls converted into slgnal6 and
transmltted through lines 33 to the control 6ystem. If the amount
(kp/h) extracted per group of bales does not colnclde wlth the preset
.~ ?
g l~l~g~
amount, the control sy6tem adJust6 the amount for extractlon untll lt
colnclde6 wlth the preset amount.
The measurlng devlce 32 ls alway6 used when the extractlon mean6 ls
stQtlonary for a brlef moment at the turnlng-point ln lts
reclprocating travel.
In thls method of extractlon, the extractlon means 3 always travels
ln reclprocatlon along the same path, substantlally dla~onally across
the bale to be opened. The amount ~kp~h) of flbre6 extracted from
the bale6 ls determined by means of the 6peed of advance of the
conveyor belts 30, 31 and the extractlon mean6 3.
The control system 7.2 can be electronlc and analog-based or can be a
mlcroproces60r by means of whlch the lndlvldual quantltles extracted
per group of bales can be set and adJusted by the signal6 from the
control llnes 33 and by input slgnals (explained herelnafter~.
Figs. 6 and 7 show 8 wel~hlng system slmllar to Flg. 5, Fl~. 7 belng
a plan vlew of Flg. 6 ln the dlrectlon of arrow A.
As can be 6een, Flg. 7 show6 a number of rows or groups of bales
disposed slde by 61de and each formlng a blend component. A6 shown
ln Flg. 6, each bale 2 rest6 on a conveyor belt 40 and an ad~acent
welghln~ conveyor belt 41. Each welghlng conveyor belt 41, llke the
welghlng conveyor belt 31 ln Fl~. 5, can be mounted on pressure cells
42, from whlch a slgnal correspondlng to the welght ls dellvered by a
control llne 43 to a control system 44.
The flbre bales 2 on the welghln~ conveyor belt 41 are opened by an
extractlon devlce 48 accordlng to CH patent appllcatlon number
00399/88-8, already mentloned ln connectlon wlth Flg 1. The main
dlfference ls that the extractlon devlce 49 ls long and extend~ over
1 3 ~
-- 10 --
the preset number of rows of bales and comprlses an extractlon drum
5I whlch extracts flbres 61multAneously from 811 the predetermlned
rows of bale6 as shown ln Flg. 7.
Another dlfference between thls method of extractlon and that
descrlbed ln Fl~. 1 ls that the flbre extractlon means 49 operates
along an obllque track substantlally correspondln~ to the dlagonal
across a preset number of ad~acent flbre bsle6 2 ln a line, e.g. four
bsles 2 as shown ln Flgs. 6 and 7.
Of course, a dlfferent number of bales could be obliquely opened ln
the same manner, e.g. ~ust a slngle bale as shown ln Flgs. 1 and 2.
Llkewlse, the posslble length of the extractlon means 49 determlnes
the number o~ bales which can be lined up 61de by slde ln order to
be opened slmultaneously.
The flbre materlal extracted by mean6 49 ls conveyed along a
pneumatlc llne 50 whlch, accordlng to the lnventlon, opens lnto a
contlnuous blender 45. As descrlbed ln the case of Flg. ~, llne 50
c~m open lnto a prevlously-mentloned seperator (not shown) whlch
dellvers the product to the blender 45.
The speed of the extractlcn devlce 48 18 also controlled by the
control system 44 vla llne 46.
Another control llne 47 ls for actuatlnE5 the motors drlvlng the gulde
rollers of the control belt6 40 and 41.
Of course, the gulde rollers of the conveyor belts 40 and 41, not
separately marked, for each group of bales have a separete drlve
~notor, l.e. each motor has a separate control llne 47 to the control
systPm 44.
- Il- 131~
Durln~ operatlon the control sy6tem 44 controls the reclprocatlngmotlon of the extractlon devlce 48 along the bales on the welghin~
and conveyor belt 4l and the up and down motlon of the extractlon
means 49 on devlce 48 durlng the aforementloned reclprocatlng
movement, so that the bales, as 6hown in Flg. 6, are opened ln an
lncllned dlrectlon substantlally correspondln~ to the dlagonal across
the four bales 2.
The extractlon motlon 18 always along the same path and at a preset
speed, 60 that the amounts extracted (kp~h) from the lndlvldual
groups of fibre bales can be made different by lndlvldually ad~ustlng
the speeds of advance of the conveyor belts 40 and 4l. The
different speeds of advance of the individual ~roups of bsles
correspond to an extraction program in which the amounts (kg/h)
extracted from lndlvldual ~roups of bales vary ln order to obtaln the
aforementloned blend.
The motors drlvlng the conveyor belts 40 and 41 are advanta~eously
axial motors lncorporated in the gulde rollers of the conveyor belts.
Axial motor6 can be drlven at varylng frequency vla frequency
lnverters, l.e. at varylng speed6, thl6 belng 8 feature of the control
system 44.
The control system 44, as ln all cases ln thls appllcatlon and
especlally mentloned ln Flg. 5, can be analo~ or dlgltal, for
controllln~ the quantltles of the indlvldual componentc. If the
indlvldual quantltles of components do not correspond to the 6et
values they are corrected by 61gnal6 from the pressure cells, whlch
are transmltted through llne 43 to the control 6ystem 44.
Flg. 8 shows an extenslon of the prevlously-descrlbed method, where
the product leavlng the blender 6 18 dellvered to a "cleanlng station"
60 ln whlch known cleanlng machlnes are used.
- 12 - ~ 3 1 ~
The cleanlng statlon 60 can contaln "coarse" cleanlng machlnes 61 and
"flne" cleanlng machlne6 62. As before, the cleanlng statlon 15 shown
dlagrammatlcally only.
The same applles to the card 63 whlch follows the cleanlng statlon
and can be a known card, e.g. card C4 sold throughout the world by
the appllcants.
Card 63 has a known control system 64 whlch controls the cardln~
operatlons and 18 qdapted lnter alla to ensure the unlformity and
quantlty (kp/h) of card sllver.
After the card ~relatlve to the belt conveylng dlrectlon) and before
the card sllver recelver (not shown), the card sllver ls tested by a
colour sensor 65 and by a sensor 66 for measurlng the flbre
flneness.
It should be mentloned beforehand that both sensors or one or the
other sensor can be used as requlred.
In the ca6e shown ln Flg. 8, the colour testln~ devlce 65 dellvers a
sl(gnal fi7 correspondlng to the colour of the sllver, and the flbre-
flneness testlng devlce 66 dellvers a 61gnal 68 correspondlng to
flbre flneness to the control devlces 7; 7.1; 7.2; 44 mentloned ln
conJunctlon wlth Flgs. 1 and 7 and re~pectlvely controllln~ the
lndlvldual flbre components. Another slgnal 81 correspondlng to the
quantlty of sllver (kg/h) ls lnput by the card control system 64,
llkewlse to the control 6ystems 7; 7.1; 7.2; 44. These three 61gnals
are compared by the aforementloned control systems wlth the set
values recelved ln these control systems for, respectlvely, the ~llver
colour, the flbre flneness and the output, so that any devlatlons
therefrom durln~ operatlon can be ellmlnated by varylng the
component mlxture and the output.
131~
The product dellvered by blender 6 is conveyed by a conveyor system
69 to the cleanlng 6tatlon 60 and thence vla a conveylng system 70
to the card 63. These conveying systems can be mechanlcal or
pneumatlc, and lt ls also known to dlspose conveylng systems between
flne cleanlng machlnes and coarse cleanlng machlnes.
Llkewlse, the method according to the lnventlon ls not restrlcted to
a slngle cleanln~ statlon 60 and a 61ngle card 63 after the blender
6; a number of cleanln$ statlon~ 60 and a number of cards 63 behlnd
the blender 6 can be 6upp~1ed wlth the product from blender 6 or, lf
a single mlxlng statlon ls provlded after the blender 6, a number of
cards 63 can be supplled wlth the product from the cleaning statlon
60.
If a number of cards are provlded, a colour-testlng device 65 and/or
a flbre-flneness testln$ devlce 66 can optlonally be provlded after
each card, or alternatlvely, lf a number of cards process the same
product, the two last-mentloned test devlces can be provlded only for
a "master" card.
Fl$, 9 lllustrates the posslblllty of dlsposlng the cleanlng statlon
60 between the flbre extractor and the component cells 9, so that the
flbre materlal ln the component cells 9 and avallable for blendlng 18
alre~dy clean,
The devlce for conveying from the extractlon devlce 20 to thecleanlng statlon 60 ls baslcally slmllar to the pneumatlc conveylng
llne 2l, and ln thl~ case also the conveylng means need not be
pneumatlc but can be mechanlcal.
Llkewise, the conveying mean6 between the cleanlng statlon 60 and the
component cells 9 can also be a pneumatlc conveying llne, a6 marked
_ 14 _ 131~
at 21, but any conveylng system csn be used The method according
to the lnventlon 16 not restrlcted to any conveylng 6ystem.
Llkewlse, the cleanin~ statlon 60 15 not restrlcted to a comblnatlon
wlth the devlce ln Flg. 3. Of cour6e, the flbre components ln all the
arrangements shown ln the drawlngs, except for Flgs. 6 and 7, can
first be cleaned before reachlng the blender 6. It ls only a
questlon of expense, slnce a separate cleanlng station needs to be
provlded for each of the components ln Fi3s. 1, 2, 4 and 5.
Fl~. 10 shows a varlant of the method ln Flg. 9, ln whlch the
cleanlng statlon ls dlvlded lnto a coarse cleanlng devlce comprlslng
the cleanlng machlnes 61 and a flne cleanlng devlce comprlslng the
fine cleanlng machlnes 71, each being preceded by a storage contalner
72 <for sl~pllclty only one is shown).
The flne-cleanlng machlnes 71 are started or stopped by a control
system 73, l.e. are stopped vla an empty-level indlcator 74 and
started vla a full-level lndicator 75 (only one of each is shown).
The full and empty-level lndlcators dellver slgnals through llnes 76
and 77 to the control 6ystem 73.
The coarse cleanlng machlnes 61 are loaded by a flbre conveyor 78,
which can be 6imllar to the pneumatlc conveylng llne 21 ln Fig. 9 or
any known fibre conveying means.
The 6ame applles to the means 79 conveylng flbres between the coarse
cleanlng machine 61 and the storage contalners 7?
The flne cleanlng machlnes dellver thelr products to a respectlve
component-blend cell 9, as already descrlbed ln connectlon wlth Fl~s.
2 - 4 and Fig. 9.
_ 15 _ 131~4
Correspondln~ly, the other prevlously-descrlbed components are glven
the same reference numbers and not addltlonally descrlbed for Flg.
10.
Durln~ operatlon the components are lndlvldually cleaned and
accordlngly the empty-level lndlcators 15 for the lndlvldusl
component cellfi 9 cause flbres to be extracted from the
correspondlng bale group a or b or c or d, ln order to clean the
extracted flbres ln the coarse-cleanlng machine and dellver them to
the correspondlng storage contalner 72, whlch dellvers the preset
component to adJacent flne-cleanln~ mechlnes 71.
The product is demanded by the empty-level lndlcator 15 because the
correspondlng flne-cleaning machlne does not contlnue to dellver the
product, slnce the empty-level lndlcator 74 ln the storage contalner
72 has llkewl6e indlcated an empty level. Accordlngly, the
correspondlng group a to d ls opened untll the correspondlng full-
level lndlcator 75 lndlcates that the level of the extracted
component 18 full. The corresponding flne-cleaning machlne can then
be restarted, untll the full-level lndlcator 14 of the correspondlng
component cell 9 agaln indlcates a full level.
The devlce 80 for conveylng flbre6 between the blender 6 and the
cord 63 can be slmllar to 8 flbre-conveylng means marked 70 and
de6crlbed ln Flg. 8.
In thls varlant llkewlse, a blender 6 can serve a number of cards, so
that the fibre-conveyln6 means 80 conveys the product from the
blender to the corresponding number of cards.
