US2086592A - Carding and forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

July 13, 1 937. H. R@ WILLIAMS bnDING AND FORMING APPARATUS Driginal Filed July 24. 1928 4 Sheets-Shee'c'l Mum..

l July 13, 1937.

H. R. WILLIAMS CARDING AND lFORMING APPARATUS Original Filed July 24, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 bm QM.

Mr/Samf/W//bm' July 13,- 1937. H. R. WILLIAMS CARDING AND FORMING APPARATUS Original Filed July 24, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 "i libe/22901.

by @my 1 July13, 1937. y H. n. wrLLlAMs 2,086,592

CARDINGvAND FORMING APPARATUS l original Filed July 24, 192e sheets-sht 4 Patented `luiy v13, 1937 `CARDING AND FORMING APPARATUS Harrison R. Williams, New York, N. Y.

Original application July 24, 1928, Serial No. 295,102. Divided and this application April 11,

1930, Serial No. 443,423. Renewed August 10,

16 Claims.

This invention relates to the formation of loosely felted fibrous material, the conversion of sheets or Webs of wood-pulp into Webs of such material, and the application of backing webs thereto. Y

In a preferred form of the invention and as illustrated herein a continuous sheety of wood pulp is fed by a conveyor to a carding roll, and broken up by the carding roll to separate it substantially m into individual, unconnected fibers. The broken material is transferred by a suction conveyor and delivered at high speed by the conveyor to a forming belt, and formed into a web, and the web is then provided with a backing web on one or 'both surfaces. j

One feature of the invention relates to means for causing the relatively coarse particles ofmaterial which survive the carding action to be separated out and re-subjected to the carding action automatically as many times as may be necessary to reduce them to the desired degree of fineness.

A further feature of the invention relates to the provision of a suction conveyor between the carding means and the forming conveyor which tapers J in cross section toward the forming conveyor,

and thereby causes the carded material to be accelerated and delivered to the forming conveyor at high velocity. 1

A further feature of the invention relates to the provision of means for positively feeding material disposed on the forming conveyor `out of the suction box' against the resistance of the external air Y pressure.

Still another feature of the invention relates to the provision of mechanism for adhesively securing coating or backing webs to the web of felted material, and to the provision of means for preventing the adhesive from getting into the web forming mechanism, and particularly from reaching the forming belt.

appear.

The present application is a division of my pending application Serial No. 295,102, filed July ing apparatus.

In the drawings forming part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a portion of the apparatus particularly Iincluding the carding means, the section being taken on the line I-I of Figure 4; y

Figure 2 is a fragmentary elevation of the finished web havingv the backing webs applied thereto;

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter I 24, 1928, for Improvements in carding and form Figure 3 is a sectional side elevation of a further portion of the apparatus showing particularly the web forming mechanism and the means for applying the backing Webs thereto, the section rbeing taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 5;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the portion of the apparatus disclosed in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the portion of the apparatus disclosed in Figure 3; and

Figure 6 is a transverse, vertical, sectional View taken on the line 6 6 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows. f

As will be best understood from an inspection of Figure 1, a continuous web or sheet l of wood pulp is led from a reel 2 onto a belt conveyor 3, which conveyor in cooperation with a feed roll 4 feeds the material between a serrated feed roll 5 and a curved guide 6 for presenting the material to a carding roll l which rotates in a clockwise direction within a casing 8. In enteringthe casing 8 the material passes between the lower edge of guide 6 and the upper edge of a leather sealing strip 9. The carding roll 'l is provided with teeth or bristles l0 which engage the material as it is introduced into the casing 8, tear it in pieces and.

carry the pieces around with it. An arcuatepresser plate Il which forms a section of casing 8 lies closely adjacent the carding roll and causes the material to be torn into fine bits so that the fibers are separated individually from one another. Some of the pieces of material, however, v

pass the presser plate without being torn up so finely, and as it is not desired to transmit these relatively coarse pieces to the forming conveyor, provision is made of means for separating such pieces out and turning them back for re-subjection to the carding action. Such separating means comprises a brush I2 just above the presser plate il and in proximity to the carding roll, which brush is rotated in a clockwise direction. This brush may be operated at the same angular speed as the carding roll or the drive gearing may be arranged to procure any speed relation found to be desirable. As the adjacent surfaces of the carding roll and the brush move in opposite directions, the brush will be effective to throw outward toward the left the relatively coarse pieces of material engaged by it. Provision is made of a chute I3 for catching the thrown out material and conducting it by gravity onto the sheet of wood pulp which is being fed to the carding roll. The material may thus be repeatedly subjected to the carding action until it has been reduced to the desired degree o f flneness.

The separating brush necessarily engages and throws outward some of the more iinely divided material, and as it is desirable to retain this material within the casing, the lapparatus is arranged to accomplish this result.

The casing 8 is provided with an enlargement I4 which surrounds the separating brush I2 and is spaced a short distance therefrom. The lower edge of this casing enlargement I 4'terminates a short distance above the chute I3 so that a restricted outlet opening is provided. The entire casing has suction applied thereto, as will be more fully explained herein, so that there is a stream of air constantly entering the casing through the restricted opening between the lower edge of enlargement I4 and the chute. This incoming air opposes the discharge of the thrown out material, and while it is'incapable of preventing the discharge of the relatively coarse pieces, it is eiective to hold the light, ilnely divided pieces in the casing.

Due to the rotation of the separating brush in a clockwise direction, a current of air isset up in a clockwise direction around the brush I2. This current is strong enough to catch up the lighter -pieces of material and carry them between the -brush and the casing enlargement I4 back to the carding roll atl the upper side of the brush.

The carded material is withdrawn from the casing through a suction conveyor I l5, which, as will be noted from an examination of Figures 1 and 4, is both wide and deep at its intake end andv shallow and narrow at its discharge end. The air drawn through this conveyor is necessarily l accelerated in passing from the portion oi' large cross section to and through the portion of rela tively small cross section, and the air, of course, accelerates the material carried along by it.

The suction conveyor I5 discharges the material into a suction box I6 immediately beneath a foraminous. felt forming belt I1 which runs therethrough. The air is evacuated from the suction box through a duct I8, located above the stretch of the belt that runs in the box, so that the material discharged in the Ibox is drawn up ward against the lower-face of the belt and caused to adhere thereto. The suction box comprises a dome-shaped Wall I9 which lies above the stretch of the belt within the boxand extends down into proximity to the belt. The belt is guided upon rollers 20, 2| and 22 .and located outside the suction box.

It has been found that there is a liability of the Adeposited material on the belt being opposed at the exit opening oitv the suction box by the external air pressure withA such force that the material is prevented from being fed out ofy the box and is caused to accumulate. adjacent the exit' opening. An important feature of the present invention relates to the avoidance of this diiiculty. To this end a roll l23 is mounted closely adjacent the wall I9 of the suction box and a second feed roll 24, adapted to engage the material from be10W. S mounted directly beneath the exit opening and in opposed relation to the roll 23. The lower section of the suctionlbox lies closely adjacent the roller 24 and has a vertically extending end wall 25 substantially tangent to said roller.

The roller 24 is rotatably mounted in blocks 26, which are guided for vertical movement by vertical guides 21.` The blocks 26 are urged upward by a lever 28 which is pivoted at 2S and which carries a weight 29a at the outer end thereof. The arrangement is such that the roller 24 may accommodate itself to varying thicknesses machine.

of the material without impairing the suction in yer for assisting the belt I1 in conducting the formed web 30 away from the suction box.

As the material is carried from the suction box by belt I1 it lies against the belt I1 and is without support from below for a short distance. For the purpose of retaining the web to the belt I1, provision is made of a suction bell 3l which is connected through a conduit 32 to the same source of suction as the suction box I6. Beyond the suction bell 3| a strip 33 of paper or other suitable backing material is fed from a reel 34 into engagement with lower surface of the web 30.

The paper web 33 is fed over a gumming roller 35 which applies adhesive from a gum reservoir 36 to a face of the paper. Thepaper'web passes thence around rollers 31 and 38 into position to to move vertically between guides 42 and is yield ingly -pressed upward by a lever 43 pivoted at 44 and provided with a weight 45 at the outer end thereof.

Agum sprayer 46 for applying adhesive to the upper face of the web 30 is mounted above the re' ceiving end of table 40. This sprayer comprises a hood 41 through which pipes extend for delivering adhesive under pressure through nozzles 48 onto the web 30. It is important that the adhesive sprayed by the nozzles 48 be prevented from reaching the belt I1 and other parts of the In order to guard againstsuch undesired operation the hood 41 is surrounded by a dome 49 which is continually exhausted through a conduit 50 by suction apparatus, not shown. As a further safeguard a protective shieldor screen 5I is interposed between the spraying apparatus and the belt I1, and this shield is supported between vbranches 52 and 53 forming discharge nozzles of a blower 54. It will be seen that the adhesive is both 'sucked and blown away from the belt I1 and that a shield is also provided for guarding the belt I1.

After the web 30 has had the adhesive sprayed upon it, -it continues along the table between a feed roller 55 and a cooperative web gripping roller 56. A second paper web 51 is applied to the coated upper surface of the web 30 by the rollers 55 and 56. Paper 51 is fed from a reel 58, which reel has the hub thereof mounted between vertical guides 59 with freedom for vertical movement. 'I'he reel rests upon an endless belt 6I! which is supported directly beneath the reel by a supporting bar 6I. The endless belt 65 runs upon rollers 64 and 63, the latter of which isa driven roller. llll'he belt 60 and roller 63 are guarded against having adhesive spread upon them bya shield 65 that depends from the dome 49 into proximity to the web 30 on table 40.

From the rollers 55 and 56 the web is transmitted to other operating mechanism, but as such mechanism does not form a part of the present invention, it will not be described herein.

As the web 30 is fed out of the suction box I6 by belt I1, it is intended and desired that the web shall remain in engagement with the belt `I1 until the roller 22 has been passed, and that beyond that point the web shall leave the belt I1. This is the operation that normally occurs, but

as the material formingv the web 30 reaches the belt in a nely broken up condition and is not compactly uniteda considerable quantity of the fibers in'theform of fuzz adheres to the belt-and continues to travel with it along the upward reverse stretch. Provision is accordingly made of a by the brush. The suction conveyor 61 connects with the blower 56 which discharges in part through a conduit B8. The conduit- B8 leads rearwardly toward the introductory end of the machine and is divided into branches E9 and 10 which discharge into the suction conveyor l5. The fibers removed from the belt I1 by the brush 66 are thus returned to the system and again conducted to the felt forming belt I1. The brush 66 is also effective to break up lumpy formations of the fibers.

The driving means for the various mechanisms described are brieiiy as follows: A shaft 1I carries pulleys 12 and "i3, the former being loose on the shaft and the latter being fixed thereto, sothat by shifting a drive belt (not shown), between the pulleys the shaft may be rendered idle or active at will; The shaft is connected through a train ofgears 14, 15, 15, and11 to drive a sprocket 1B and the latter drives the shaft 19, on which serrated roller 5 is mounted, the `driving connection consisting of a chain 80 and a sprocket 8l fast onvshaft 19. At the opposite end of shaft 19 provision is made of a pinion 82 which through gears 83 and 84 drives shaft 85 synchronously with shaft 19. Shaft 85 has roller 85 fast thereon and through said roller drives endless conveyor 3. The conveyor 3 and the roller 5 are thus controlled in common but the control is independent of the other operating parts.y

Rotary brush I2 is independently driven by a pulley 81, the rotation of the brush being in a clockwise direction, as viewed'in Figure 1. The

carding roll 1 is independently driven by a pulley 86. Brush 6G, roller 22, and rollers 5t and 55 are also independently driven by suitable pulleys from a common source of power.

.While I have illustrated and described in detail certain preferred forms of my invention, it is to be understood that changes may be made therein and the invention embodied in other structures. I do not, therefore desire to limit myself to the specific constructions illustrated, but intend to cover my invention broadly in Whatever form its principle may be4 utilized.

I claim:

l. In a felt making machine, in combination, a suction box, a foraminous belt running through the suction box, against which air-entrained material is drawn by the suction, a suction conduit conducting the airentrained material to the suction box, said conduit tapering in cross section toward the suction box, and means forming an imperforate shield for a portion of the belt within the suction box and leaving free only a portion of the belt of no t substantially greater area than the minimum area of said conduit, to cause the material to be projected against the belt at high velocity.

2. In a felt making machine, in combination, a foraminous felt forming belt conveyor and a suction conveyor for conducting air-entrained material to the forming conveyor, said suction conveyor being tapered toward the delivery end thereof, and means forming an imperforate shield for a portion of the belt within the suction box' and leaving free only a portion of the belt of not substantially greater area than the minimum area. of said conduit, to cause the marial to be projected against the belt at high velocity.`

3. In a felt making machine, in combination, a suction box, a foraminous felt forming conveyor running from within ,the suction box tothe exterior thereof, a suction conveyor conducting airentrained material to the suction-box, a feeding roller co-acting with the conveyor adjacent the point of exit from the suction box to feed the material from the box against the resistance of the `air drawn into the suction box through the exit opening, and means urging the feeding roller toward lthe foraminous conveyor with light, yieldterial, in combination, a suction box having a restricted exit opening for the formed felt, a conveyor running from within the suction box to the exterior thereof through the exit opening, a suction conveyor conducting air-entrained ma terial to the suction box, a roller arranged to assist in sealing the exit opening and to cooperate in feeding the material through said opening against the resistance of the external air pressure, and means urging the feeding roller toward the foraminousconveyor with light, yielding force.

5. In a felt forming apparatus, in combination, a suction box, a foraminous forming conveyor running through the'suction box on which the material is deposited, a suction conveyor conducting air-entrained material to the suction box, a roller for engaging the material on the conveyor adjacent the point of exit from the suction box, means for yieldingly urging said roller toward the conveyor, and means for guiding the roller in parallelism to theadjacent wall of the suction box and in proximity thereto.

6. In a machine of the kind described, in combination, a foraminous web forming belt, means for conducting air-entrained material to the forming belt, means for feeding the` formed web away from the belt, means for removing from the belt such material as remains thereon, and means for returning such material to the material en bination, a belt for forming a web, means for spraying adhesive on the web, and means for pre- 'venting the adhesive from reaching the felt forming belt, comprising a blower interposed between the belt and the sprayer.

8. In a machine of the kind described, in combination, a belt for forming a web, means for spraying adhesive on the web, and means for preventing the adhesive from reaching the felt forming belt, comprising a' shield and a blower, both interposed between the belt and the sprayer.

9. In a machine of the kind described, in combination, a belt for forming a web, means for spraying adhesive on the web, and means for preventing the adhesive from reaching the felt forming belt, comprising a suction hood surrounding the sprayer, a shield interposed between the belt and the sprayer, and a blower interposed between the shield and the sprayer.

10. In a machine of the kind described, in combination, a belt for forming a. web, means for spraying adhesive on the web, and means for pretion box, a. foraminous belt running through the suction box and lemerging therefrom through a restricted exit opening, and means for facilitating the feeding ofthe formed web out of the suction box b'y the belt, comprising a sucker located outside the suction box adjacent said exit Opening.

' 12. In a machine for forming a web of loosely felted fibers from finely divided fibrous material, incombination, a suction box, a web forming belt running therethrough and adapted to have the fibers depositedl upon its lower surface, and suc- .tion means outside said suction box for holding the formed web to the beltafterit has emerged from the suction box.

13.` In a felt making machine, in combination, o. suction box, a foraminous -felt forming conveyor running from within the suction box to the exterior thereof, a suction conveyor conducting air-entrained material to the suction box, a feeding member having an endless surface co-acting with the conveyor adjacent the point of exit from the suction box to feed the material from the box against the resistance of the air drawn into the suction box through the exit opening, said feeding member being urged bodily against said foraminous conveyor 'with a light, yielding force.

14. In a machine for making a web of loosely felted wood pulp, means for converting a sheet oi.'

wood pulp into substantially individual, unconnected fibres, a foraminous conveyor, means for delivering the said fibres at high speed to such conveyor and forming a web of such fibres thereon, said means comprising a suction box for applying suction through said conveyor to said fibres, and feeding means having an endless sur.- face and co-acting with the conveyor adjacent its point of exit from the suction box to feed the material from the box against the resistance of air drawn into the suction box through the exit openir, said feeding means being urged bodily against said foraminous conveyor with a light,

yielding force.

15. In a machine for making a web of substantial thickness of loosely felted Woodpulp fibres, means for converting a sheet of woodpulp into substantially individual, unconnected fibers, a foraminous conveyor, means for delivering said fibers to such conveyor and forming a web of such fibers thereon, said means comprising a suction box adjacent said conveyor for applying suction through said conveyor to said fibers to com-vl pact the fibers into a web of substantial thickness on said conveyor, and meansvhaving an endless surface and coacting with the conveyor adjacent its point of exit from the suction box to' feed the material from the box against the resistance of air drawn by the suction box through the exit opening, said last-mentioned means be ing urged bodily against said foraminous conveyor with a light, yielding force whereby substantial compression of the web'is avoided.

16. The method of fabricating an unwoven fibrous band; comprising the step of entraining fibrous components in a conveyor stream of air ina first zone, imparting to'said fibre-carrier stream a velocity' adequate to elevate 4the entrained fibres against the force of gravity, and

simultaneously to impact the fibres; causing a;

HARRISON R. WILLIAMS.

Images