Title of Invention

AN APPARATUS FOR CLEANING REVOLVING ROLLER SURFACES IN TEXTILE-PROCESSING MACHINES

Abstract The invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning revolving roller surfaces (U) in textile- processing machines, with a freely rotatable cleaning element (20) which rests on the roller surface (U) and is displaceably held in the perpendicular direction by way of guide elements (21, 22, 24). In order to improve the cleaning intensity and to extend the maintenance intervals it is proposed that the cleaning element is formed as a brush roller (20).
Full Text

The invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning revolving roller surfaces in textile-processing machines with a freely rotatable cleaning element which rests on the roller surface and is displaceably held in the perpendicular direction by way of guide elements.
For the purpose of conveying or processing textile material, press rollers are used in textile machines which rest on driven cylinders by way of respective loading devices. The press rollers which are usually encased with a rubber layer are made to rotate during operation by the driven cylinders through friction force. Such roller/cylinder pairs are used in drafting arrangements, in spinning machines and combing machines.
Such roller/cylinder pairs are used in combing machines especially for the detaching process of the combed fiber tuft. The non-woven, or the fibers respectively (e.g. cotton fibers), are grasped by the nip line between press roller and cylinder and are conveyed further.
During this process it may occur that loosely entrained fibers, fiber fly and other entrained components (including sticky components such as honey dew) adhere to the jacket of the press roller. Such deposits on the press roller impair the work progress, especially concerning the nipping effect between the press roller and the driven cylinder.
For the purpose of removing these deposits, rollers are used which are also known as clearer rollers which rest loosely on the press rollers and are made to rotate by means of the friction which is present between the press roller and the clearer roller. The clearer rollers are usually held in such a way that in the direction of the rotational axis of the press rollers, they are displaceably held in the perpendicular direction. They rest with their own weight on the press roller. The bearing of these press rollers is arranged in such a way that they are guided laterally on the one hand and any horizontal yielding is prevented.

The clearer roller is encased on its outer circumference with a felt or plush which due to the higher static friction strips off the fiber components disposed on the press roller. In addition to stripping the fibers, other components such as wax, honey dew, insecticides and other deposits are to be also stripped off. The latter deposits, such as honey dew and insecticides for example, form a thin and smooth layer on the surface of the rubber jacket of the press roller, as a result of which the coefficient of friction of the jacket surface of the press roller is reduced. This leads to a slip between the press roller and cylinder which has a negative effect on the conveying properties of the roller/cylinder combination.
Since the felt or plush layer of the clearer roller is provided with a soft or velvety grip, it is usually not capable of removing such deposits.
With respect to stripping off loose fibers which are deposited on the press roller, the use of a clearer roller with a felt or plush layer is ideally suitable. The disadvantage is, however, that the clearer roller needs to be cleaned often (cleaning intervals of approx. every two to three hours), so that its cleaning effect can be maintained.
In order to also provide the capability to strip off components such as deposited honey dew, wax and insecticides, a clearer roller has been proposed in EP-A1-426027 which is provided on its outer circumference with at least two cleaning elements which show a different cleaning effect and which simultaneously or alternatingly act upon the jacket surface of the press roller. This arrangement of rollers also needs to be cleaned often, so that its cleaning effect is maintained. This cleaning cycle of the cleaning rollers in short intervals requires more attention by the operator and prevents any longer operation of the machine during an operator-free shift.
It is the object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for cleaning revolving roller surfaces by which the aforementioned disadvantages can be avoided and which is suitable for a longer operational assignment without any additional cleaning intervals.

This object is achieved in such a way that a cleaning element is proposed which rests in a freely rotatable and vertically displaceable manner on the roller surface, whereby it is proposed that the cleaning element is arranged as a brush roller. Preferably, the brush roller can be formed by a core with radially projecting bristles. This device also allows stripping off solid deposits from the roller surface. As a result of the respective arrangement of the cleaning element as a freely resting brush roller, a so-called self-cleaning effect of this device is produced by the elasticity of the bristles. This means that the components as stripped off by the brush roller substantially do not deposit on the brush roller but are issued downwardly in the direction towards the non-woven to be conveyed. Since these stripped components are delivered only sequentially to the non-woven this has no disadvantageous effect on the quality of the non-woven.
The core of the cleaning element (called "brush roller" in the present case) can be provided with a cylindrical arrangement to which bristles are fastened. The bristles are grouped into individual tufts in order to increase the stripping effect. It is further proposed that the tufts are arranged at least in one row which extends in the longitudinal direction of the core. The row or rows of tufts can extend spirally in the longitudinal direction of the core. The cleaning effect can thus be increased by enhancing the stripping effect by the spiral arrangement and by intensifying the rotation of the brush roller.
The further proposal that the spiral progress is left-handed ensures that when using this arrangement in the zone of the detaching rollers in the combing machine the brush roller will rotate in only one direction. This ensures again that all rows of tufts of the entire brush roller will be used. The direction of rotation will also be maintained, even if the drive of the detaching cylinders reverses.
The angle of inclination of the spirally attached rows of tufts can be between 15 and 50°.
As is proposed further, at least two adjacently situated rows of tufts can extend mutually parallel in the longitudinal direction of the core. A spiral arrangement of rows of tufts in a

stationary held brush roller for cleaning a circular comb is shown in fig. 3 of DE-AS-1510 265 for example. This stationarily held and driven brush roller for cleaning the gaps of a circular comb unit is not comparable with the use as claimed in accordance with the invention concerning a freely resting brush roller for cleaning roller surfaces.
When using at least six rows of tufts which extend spirally and mutually parallel it is possible to increase the cleaning effect even further depending on the use of the brush roller. The distances between the rows of tufts can be different. An embodiment has proven to be advantageous in which two of several rows of tufts extend parallel and at a small distance from one another.
In order to increase the stripping effect by the individual bristles it is proposed that the bristles enclose an acute angle with a radial guided through their fastening point. The angle can be between 0° and 20°.
The bristles are preferably made of plastic. As a result of the elastic effect of the bristles made of plastic an optimal adaptation or application of the free ends of the bristles on the surface of the press roller to be stripped off is ensured. As soon as the bristles leave the contact zone of the circumference of the press roller as a result of the rotational movement of the brush roller they are stretched out again back to their initial position as a result of the elastic tension within the bristles. During this process a self-cleaning effect of the bristles is obtained, as a result of which the stripped-off components which adhere to the bristle tips are ejected in the radial direction of the brush roller.
In order to provide the brush roller specially with an arrangement for the various deposits on the surface of the press roller it is proposed that at least one of the rows of tufts is provided with bristles made of plastic material which departs from the plastic material of the bristles of the further rows of bristles. In this way one of the rows of tufts can be configured for stripping off sticky components (such as honey dew) and another row of tufts for stripping off loose components (such as fibers).

It is also possible to make bristles of a material other than plastic. Material components are also possible in this case. It is also possible to use bristles which are provided with different extensions as seen over their length. The use of such a material depends on the respective purpose. The proposed brush roller is particularly suitable for use in the zone of the detaching roller of a combing machine.
Accordingly the present invention provides an apparatus for cleaning revolving roller surfaces in textile-processing machines, with a freely rotatable cleaning element which rests on the roller surface and is displaceably held in the perpendicular direction by way of guide elements, characterized in that the cleaning element is arranged as a brush roller.
Further advantages are shown and explained in closer detail by reference to the following embodiments, wherein:
Fig. 1 shows a schematic side view of a pair of detaching rollers of a combing machine with a brush roller in accordance with the invention;
Fig. 2 shows a sectional view A-A according to fig. 1;
Fig. 2a shows an enlarged partial view of the rows of tufts according to fig. 2;
Fig. 3 shows an enlarged partial view according to fig. 1 with embodiments of the brush roller according to the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a partial view of a nipper unit 1 which is equipped with a feed roller 2. A
lap W which is wound off from a wound lap (not shown) is conveyed by way of the
feed cylinder in cooperation with a feed trough (not shown in closer detail) of the
undernipper 4 by the nipper movement Z in the direction towards the pair of detaching
rollers 8. The pair of detaching rollers 8 consists of a driven roller 9 and a press roller
10 which is pressed in the direction towards the roller 9 by means of a loading device
(fig. 2) which is schematically shown by way of springs F. The press roller 10 is
encased with a rubber layer 12. The pair of rollers 8 is provided downstream with a
further pair of rollers 14 which is provided with a fixedly held and driven roller 15 and
a press roller 16. The press roller 16 is also pressed by the loading device in the
direction towards the roller 15 and is also provided with a rubber encasing 12. The
drive of roller 9 and the roller 15 are coupled together. Usually, the two press rollers
are pressed against rollers 9, 15 by means of bearing brackets 25, 26 and a common
loading device (F or pneumatic). As

indicated by tne two double arrows witnin tne rollers y ana no, me rollers y, 10 are driven intermittently in order to perform the known detaching and piecing process during a nip of the comb. A more detailed description of the combing process is omitted here since it is generally known and has already been explained in numerous publications.
In the indicated position, the nipper unit 1 is situated in a forward position, with the fiber tuft B which projects from the nipper and has been combed out before is placed on the partly retracted free end of non-woven V and is transferred for the purpose of the piecing process in the nip zone between the roller 9 and the press roller 10. During this process the roller 9, as also the roller 15, is driven counter-clockwise.
The press rollers 10 and 12, respectively, are driven by friction through rollers 9 and 15, respectively. As a result, the rollers 10, 16 also carry out an intermittent movement, as is indicated by the double arrows. A brush roller 20 is disposed above the press rollers 10, 16, which brush roller rests with its own weight on the jacket surfaces of the press roller 10 or 16, respectively. As is indicated by the double arrow, the brush roller 20 can move freely in the vertical direction and is vertically guided by means of pins 21, 22 in a schematically indicated guide slot 24.
As is shown especially in fig. 2 (sectional illustration A-A), a guide slot 24 is arranged in a bearing bracket 25 and 26. These guide slots are upwardly open, so that the brush roller 20 can be introduced from above in order to come into contact with the jacket surfaces of the rollers 10 and 16. The bearing brackets 25, 26 are mutually swivelably held about a pivot (not shown) and are used for receiving the bearing of the press rollers 10 and 16, as is schematically indicated in figs. 1 and 2. Said bearing brackets are pressed by way of pressure elements F in the direction towards the rollers 9, 15, as a result of which the pressing force between the rollers 9, 10 and 15, 16 is produced.
The brush roller 20 is provided with a cylindrical core 28 at whose ends the bearing pins 21 and 22 are coaxially fastened.

Radially outwardly facing bristles 29 which are joined into tufts 30 are fastened to the core 28. As is shown in fig. 2, a plurality of successively disposed tufts 30 which are arranged in a row each form a tuft row R 1- R 6 which in the shown example extend under an angle of inclination a spirally in the longitudinal direction of core 28. The spiral progress of the rows of tufts is provided in this case in a left-handed manner. An alternative with a right-handed manner is also possible.
Fig. 2a shows an enlarged partial view of the rows of tufts R 1, R 2 which shows the parallel arrangement (distance a) of the rows. Moreover, it is shown again that the individual bristles 29 can be joined into tufts 30.
As a result of the rotational movement of the brush roller 20, the tips of the brushes 29 extend in an envelope circle H. As is also schematically indicated in fig. 2, the roller 9 is also held in the machine frame MS. The drive of roller 9 with a driving wheel is schematically indicated.
Based on the enlarged representation of fig. 3, the function of the brush roller and the further arrangements of the bristles 29 or tufts 30 are explained and shown.
In the arrangement as shown of the brush roller 20, several embodiments are shown in segments with respect to the attachment of the tufts 30. Presumably, only one embodiment of the various embodiments shown will be used for the practical implementation of the brush roller 20. It is also possible, however, to combine different embodiments with one another.
In the illustrated example, adjacent bristles 29 are joined into a tuft 30 and form a row of tufts R over the length of the brush roller 20. The bristles 29 of the row of tufts R 6 are inclined by an angle p with respect a radial RA placed through the rotational axis D. The tufts 30 of the row of tufts R 7 which is disposed at a distance a 2 from the tufts 30 of the row of tufts R 6 is also provided with bristles 29 which are inclined by the angle p. The other tufts 30 of the rows of tufts R 1 through R 5 and R 8 are provided with bristles 29 which are inclined by a smaller angle p 1 with respect to the radial RA. As is shown

especially with respect to the tufts 30 of the rows of tufts R 3 through R 5, the distances between the rows can also comprise a dimension a 1 which is smaller than a 2. Such an arrangement is shown in fig. 1 for example, with the distance between the rows of tufts R 1 and R 2 being smaller than the distance between the rows of tufts R 1 and R 6 and R 2 and R 3.
As a result of the inclination of the bristles 29 in an anticlockwise manner with respect to the radial RA, the stripping effect of the bristles 29 is increased when the brush roller 20 moves in an anticlockwise manner, as shown in the example. This means that by the inclination in the working direction of the brush roller 20, the stripping resistance of the bristles against the surface U of the roller 10 to be stripped is increased. As is shown, the row of tufts R 1 is in engagement with the surface U of roller 10. Due to the own weight of the brush roller 20 at least the outermost tips of the bristles 29 are bent elastically in an arc-shaped manner. As a result, the bristles 29 are pretensioned and the stripping effect on the surface U is increased, especially when, as is shown in the example, the roller 10 performs an anticlockwise reversing movement. During this process the tips of the bristles 29 are suddenly bent over in the other direction until they are allowed to relax again to a stretched position, as is shown for example in the row of tufts R 2. During this stretching process any impurities adhering to the tips of the bristles 29 are ejected and emitted downwardly to the nonwoven V. This process is repeated in short intervals, since nip counts of the comb of up to 400 nips and higher are already realized today.
By using bristles which are arranged spirally or parallel to the longitudinal direction of the brush roller 20, it is ensured that the entire surface of roller 10 is subjected to a stripping effect, since the bristles 29 can adjust flexibly to the shape of the roller 10.
The embodiment as shown here relates to the use of such a brush roller 20 in the zone of the detaching cylinders in a combing machine. The invention is not limited to this application, however, but also includes such embodiments where such a use of a brush roller is appropriate.





WE CLAIM :
1. An apparatus for cleaning revolving roller surfaces (U) in textile-processing
machines, with a freely rotatable cleaning element (20) which rests on the roller
surface (U) and is displaceably held in the perpendicular direction by way of guide
elements (21, 22, 24), characterized in that the cleaning element is arranged as a brush
roller (20).
2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the brush roller (20) is formed by a core (28) with radially projecting bristles (29).
3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the bristles (29) are grouped into individual tufts (30).

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the tufts (30) are arranged in at least one row (R1-R8) which extends in the longitudinal direction of the core (28).
5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the row or rows (R1-R8) of the tufts (30) extend spirally in the longitudinal direction of the core (28).
6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the spiral progress is left-handed.
7. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the claims 5 to 6, wherein the rows of tufts
(R1-R8) extend spirally with an angle of inclination (a) of between 15° and 50°.

8. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the claims 4 to 7, wherein at least two
adjacent rows (Rl, R2) of tufts (30) extend mutually parallel in the longitudinal
direction of the core (28).
9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein at least six rows of tufts (R1-R6)
extend mutually parallel in a spiral manner in the longitudinal direction of the core
(28) and the distance of a row of tufts (Rl) to the respective adjacent row of tufts (R3,
R4) differs.
10. An apparatus as claimed in one of the claims 1 to 5, wherein the bristles (29)
enclose an acute angle (p, pi) with a radial (RA) led through their fastening point.
11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the angle (P, pi) lies between 0° and 20°.
12. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the claims 1 to 11, wherein the bristles
(29) are made of plastic.
13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein at least one of the rows of tufts
(R1-R8) is equipped with bristles (29) made of plastic material which deviates from
the plastic material of the bristles (29) of the other rows of tufts.
14. An apparatus as claimed in any one of the claims 1 to 13, wherein the revolving
roller surfaces (U) are the surfaces of the press rollers (10, 16) of the pair of detaching
rollers (8, 14) of a combing machine.

15. An apparatus for cleaning revolving rolleV Surfaces in textile-processing machines, substantially as hereinabove described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.


Documents:

1010-mas-2001-abstract.pdf

1010-mas-2001-claims.pdf

1010-mas-2001-correspondence others.pdf

1010-mas-2001-correspondence po.pdf

1010-mas-2001-description complete.pdf

1010-mas-2001-drawings.pdf

1010-mas-2001-form 1.pdf

1010-mas-2001-form 18.pdf

1010-mas-2001-form 26.pdf

1010-mas-2001-form 3.pdf

1010-mas-2001-form 5.pdf


Patent Number 243605
Indian Patent Application Number 1010/MAS/2001
PG Journal Number 45/2010
Publication Date 05-Nov-2010
Grant Date 27-Oct-2010
Date of Filing 19-Dec-2001
Name of Patentee MASCHINENFABRIK RIETER AG
Applicant Address KLOSTERSTRASSE 20, CH-8406 WINTERTHUR
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 CAVANDINI FLAVIO HUSLIWEG 5/303 CH-8405 WINTERTHUR
2 SCHLAPFER WILLI KEMPTTALSTRASSE 16, CH-8320 FEHRALTORF
PCT International Classification Number D01G15/80
PCT International Application Number N/A
PCT International Filing date
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 2485/00 2000-12-20 Switzerland