US3355773A

US3355773A - Oscillatable fiber rake

Info

Publication number: US3355773A
Application number: US381015A
Authority: US
Inventors: Kenneth G Lytton; Cecil S Wise
Original assignee: Fiber Controls Corp
Current assignee: Fiber Controls Corp
Priority date: 1964-07-08
Filing date: 1964-07-08
Publication date: 1967-12-05
Anticipated expiration: 1984-12-05

Description

DCC. 5, 1967 M @L LYTTON ETAL 3,355,227.33

OSCILLATABLE FIBER BAKE Filed July e, 1964 v 2 Sheets-Sheel 1 I N V'ENTOR s ATTDRNEYS K. G. I YTTON ET AL Dec. 5, 19,67

OSCILLATABLE FIBER RAKE 2 Sheets-Sheei 2 Filed July 1964 INVENTORS @MW 5MM 0* ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,355,773 OSCILLATABLE BEBER RAKE Kenneth G. Lytton, Gastonia, and Cecil S. Wise, Dailas,

NiC., assignors to Fiber' Controls Corporation, Gastenia, N13., a corporation of North Carolina Filed .truly S, 1964, Ser. No. 381,015 Claims. (Cl. 19--105) In this invention relates to a rake or the like for use as an oscillating ber comb or doffer.

lt is customary in equipment for feeding textile bers into a carding machine or card to employ an inclined spiked apron with an oscillating comb at its upper front side in close proximity to the spiked apron to strip therefrom surplus fibers so that upwardly beyond the comb the apron carries a web or mat of fibers of generally uniform thickness. Such a comb is frequently referred to as a Sargent comb, for example as in the Lytton Patent 2,9,05,783, and this invention relates to such a comb.

It is also customary in textile feeding equipment to have a doiier associated with the inclined apron, adjacent the top rear side thereof, to strip the fibers from the apron and allow them to fall downwardly in opened condition through a discharge opening. In that Lytton patent, the dotiert is rotary, but the type of doffer to which the present invention re ates is more like an oscillating Sargent comb such as the oscillating dotfer disclosed and claimed in the copending Wise application, Oscillating Dotfer and Drive Therefor, Serial No. 357,422, filed April 6, 1964, now abandoned.

ln the past, Sargentcombs have been made with an arcuate wooden face plate of substantial thickness, with four or so banks or rows of spikes protruding therefrom at an angle of about 45 to the tangent. Such a comb can only be oscillated at approximately 150 oscillations per minute because of its weight and resultant stresses and strains imposed, but even then numerous mechanical connections including spokes on the eccentric drives may break.

However, with a rake or comb constructed in accordance with the present invention and having the same number of spikes, at least twice the speed may be obtained with less stress and strain on the connections and linkages driving the comb, and without likelihood of breakage of any part of the driving equipment.

it is therefore the primary object of the present inven tion to provide an improved fiber rake, which may be used either as an oscillating comb or doffer, and which is substantially lighter vin weight than prior Sargent combs, and which therefore presents substantially reduced stresses and strains to the connections driving the improved rake.

Another object of this invention, in conjunction with the foregoing object, is the provision of an oscillating ber rake using a strengthened aluminum plate instead of the prior art wooden plate, to provide a greatly reduced weight and amount of stress and strain but yet retaining the necessary strength to hold the oscillating drive and spikes.

A further object of this invention is the provision of spike holding elements secured to the aluminum plate in positions alternating with strengthening ribs in the plate, with the holding7 elements being so constructed that the spikes protrude from a surface thereof at 90 to make an acute angle, such as 45, with the aluminum plate, thereby obviating the problem of the prior art of catching bers in the acute angle corner between the spike and plate.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the appended claims and the following de- 3,355,773 Patented Dec. 5, lilo? tailed description of the invention, in conjunction with the attached drawings, in which:

FlGURE 1 is a side elevational view of one embodiment of a rake constructed in accordance with this invention,

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the rake ot FIGURE l,

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational View of the rake of FIGURE l, and

FiGURE 4 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of this invention.

IN FIGURES 1-3, a rake constructed in accordance with this invention includes a left paddle or mounting arm 10 and spaced therefrom a corresponding right paddle or mounting arm l2. As is apparent from FIGURE 3, these arms are at opposite ends of the rake. They may be made of cast metal or the like, as desired. Preferably, arms itl and l2 have an outer rim or tiange i4 extending across the upper side, down the left or front side, and across the lower side of the arms in a T configuration relative to a web 16 in which is an opening 18. At the rear end, the arms liti and l2 have a shaft mounting element Ztl which is split on one side as at 22 and through which extends a tightening means such as bolt Z4 by which the arm may be secured to a shaft (not shown) journalled in aperture 25 to oscillate the rake.

The front faces 26 of arms l@ and 12 are arcs of a circle, and secured between them is an arcuate aluminum face plate or sheet 23, which contains parallel, transversely spaced strengthening humps or ribs 30, and which extends back onto the upper and lower sides 14 to which the plate is respectively secured by

rivets

32 and 34. In between the strengthening ribs 30 are four spike or pin bars 36. These bars or slats 36 extend parallel the full length of plate 2S and are secured thereto and to mounting arms l and l2 by bolts 33.

Protruding at 9G degrees from a surface 40 in each of the spike bars is a bank or row of spikes 42.. Surface 4d is spaced from the base surface 44 of the spike bar by the height of side 46 of the bar. The slope of surface 40 makes an angle of about 45 degrees with side 46, meaning that spikes 42 are set at an angle of about 45 degrees to the tangent of the arc of the aluminum face plate.

By virtue of the spikes protruding from their surface at degrees, the problem in the prior art of iihers being caught by the spikes because they make an acute angle of 45 degrees or so with the surface from which they protrude, is obviated.

While the embodiment in FIGURES l-3 is such that it may be mounted on or removed from a shaft only when slid over the end of the shaft, the embodiment in FIGURE 4 allows each arm of the rake to be disposed about the shaft or removed therefrom without removing the shaft from the feeding machine or the like in which it is disposed.

ln the FGURE 4 embodiment, arm itl is split from front to rear along a centered cut line 4S in front rim 14, web lo and element Ztl', so that hy removal of bolts 24 and 5t? the upper and lower halves of the arm may be opened with the aluminum face plate 2% bending slightly, to open the cut 22 suflicientiy to embrace the driving shaft. This embodiment is of a substantial advantage in the repair or replacement of rakes and/or arms thereof in that it is exceptionally convenient and fast to mount or remove the rake arms of the FIGURE 4 type.

In FIGURES l and 4, the aluminum backing plate 2S extends back over the upper side rim 14 further than the lower side rim 14. This is for the purpose of helping to prevent long fibers from wrapping themselves around the aluminum plate.

By virtue of this invention, it is possible, as previously mentioned, to increase the rate of oscillation of the rake,

vhen it is used either as a Sargent comb or oscillating loter, to more than double the prior art operation of l50 oscillations per minute for a wooden type comb with i'our banks of spikes, without causing any such stresses 1nd strains as to break any of the driving equipment. These advantages are mainly due to the lightening of the ake by use of an aluminum face plate instead of the previous wooden plate normally employed. While the mounting arm at each end of the aluminum plate is usually all that is necessary because of the strength which the aluminum plate has by virtue of its strengthening ribs 30, one or more further mounting arms may be employed midway along the length of the aluminum plate, as vde sired.

Thus, it is apparent that this invention has provided for all of the objects and advantages herein mentioned. Other objects and advantages, and even further modifications of the invention, will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading this disclosure. However, it is to be understood that the foregoing description is exemplary and not limitative, the invention being defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A rake for use as an oscillating fiber comb or dofer, comprising:

an aluminum sheet curved substantially in an arc of a circle and having a plurality of spaced strengthening humps formed in the sheet in the lengthwise direction thereof,

a pair of arms respectively secured to opposite ends of said sheet for effecting an oscillatable mounting therefor, and

a. plurality of elongated spike holders each having a base surface and angularly spaced outwardly therefrom a given surface from the length of which a multiplicity of spikes protrude substantially perpendicularly,

said spike holders being secured to said curved aluminum sheet in alternation with said strengthening humps with said base surfaces contiguous to said sheet so that said spikes extend at an angle acute relative to their respective tangent of said arc.

Z. A rake as in claim 1 wherein said acute langle is approximately 45.

3. The rake of claim 1 wherein said arms each have an aperture at the ends thereof opposite said aluminum sheet for mounting the arms on an oscillating shaft, said arms being longitudinally split into upper and lower halves to facilitate mounting and .removal from said shaft; the forward ends of the arm halves of each ar-m being bendably secured together by said aluminum sheet.

4. The rake of claim 1 wherein said aluminum sheet extends from one end of said arms back onto the top and bottom sides thereof for helping to prevent long bers from wrapping themselves around the aluminum plate.

5. A rake for use as an oscillating ber comb or doffer,

comprising:

a pair of generally parallel laterally spaced arms each having means at one end for securement to a shaft for oscillating said arms about said one end of each;

a face plate composed of light metal sheet material,

said face plate extending between and being fixedly mounted on the opposite ends of said arms for oscillation therewith, said face plate having an outer face arcuate away from sai-d arms one end about an axis parallel to that of said securement means;

a plurality of strengthening ribs on said face plate extending in the lengthwise direction thereof;

a plurality of slats fixedly mounted on said sheet outer face parallel to said axis and laterally spaced from one another in alternation with said strengthening ribs, each slat having a base surface contiguous to said sheet outer face;

at least one row of spikes mounted in and protruding from each slat at an acute angle to said sheet outer face;

the exterior surface of each slat, where the spikes protrude therefrom, sloping sufficiently that each spike protrudes from each respective slat substantially perpendicularly to said exterior surface of the respective slat, where the spikes protrude therefrom, the slats thereby being constructed and varranged for preventing the catching of fibers between said spikes and said sheet outer face.

References Cited UNTED STATES PATENTS 1,520,034 12/1924 Mackie 177-119 2,372,543 3/1945 Bokum 198-161 2,702,177 2/1955 Jee et al. 177--120 X 2,748,998 6/1956 Busald 177-116 X 2,809,401 10/1957 Avery 19-65 3,123,866 3/1964 Stewart et al. 19--97 FOREIGN PATENTS 651,018 10/ 1962 Canada.

263,334 9/1913 Germany.

18,494 of 1889 Great Britain.

22,017 of 1900 Great Britain.

22,856 of 1913 Great Britain.

954,105 4/1964 Great Britain.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

D. NEWTON, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. A RAKE FOR USE AS AN OSCILLATING FIBER COMB OR DOFFER, COMPRISING: AN ALUMINUM SHEET CURVED SUBSTANTIALLY IN AN ARC OF A CIRCLE AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF SPACED STRENGTHENING HUMPS FORMED IN THE SHEET IN THE LENGTHWISE DIRECTION THEREOF, A PAIR OF ARMS RESPECTIVELY SECURED TO OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID SHEET FOR EFFECTING AN OSCILLATABLE MOUNTING THEREFOR, AND A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED SPIKE HOLDERS EACH HAVING A BASE SURFACE AND ANGULARLY SPACED OUTWARDLY THEREFROM A GIVEN SURFACE FROM THE LENGTH OF WHICH A MULTIPLICITY OF SPIKES PROTRUDE SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULARLY, SAID SPIKE HOLDERS BEING SECURED TO SAID CURVED ALUMINUM SHEET IN ALTERNATION WITH SAID STRENGTHENING HUMPS WITH SAID BASE SURFACES CONTIGUOUS TO SAID SHEET SO THAT SAID SPIKES EXTEND AT AN ANGLE ACUTE RELATIVE TO THEIR RESPECTIVE TANGENT OF SAID ARC.