Conveyors: fluid current – Load flow diverter – divider – or combiner – Movable valve in conduit
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-29
2001-04-24
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Conveyors: fluid current
Load flow diverter, divider, or combiner
Movable valve in conduit
C137S872000, C406S181000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06220793
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims the priority of German Application No. 198 20 914.2 filed May 9, 1998, which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an apparatus for channeling pneumatically transported textile fiber tufts such as cotton or chemical fiber tufts from a main conduit into at least one of two branch conduits by movable routing gates. In the region of the location where the branch conduits extend from the main conduit, an aperture for intake air is provided whose control element (closing and opening element) is coupled with the drive of the routing gates.
TECHNOLOGY REVIEW
When fiber tufts are conveyed pneumatically, the fiber material is entrained by a conveying gas, for example, air, through a conduit which introduces the fiber tufts into a fiber processing machine. Fiber tufts are often processed by a fiber processing line composed of a plurality of simultaneously operating, serially and/or parallel-connected fiber processing machines, such as fiber bale openers, cleaners, card feeders, carding machines and mixers which are interconnected by tuft conveying conduits. For supplying the pneumatically conveyed tufts to parallel-connected machines, from a main conduit two branch conduits extend, and a 2-way tuft distributing device (channeling or routing device) is inserted between the main conduit and the branch conduits.
The 2-way distributing device includes two routing gates, by means of which the fiber tuft-laden conveying stream flowing through the main conduit may be directed into either the first branch conduit (by closing the second branch conduit) or into the second branch conduit (by closing the first branch conduit) or into both branch conduits (by maintaining both branch conduits open). The main conduit and the two branch conduits have essentially identical diameters. If the entire conveying stream is channeled into only one of the two branch conduits, the flow rate in the active branch conduit is identical to that in the main conduit, that is, the entire conveying air quantity of the main conduit is available for conveyance in the branch conduit. If, however, the conveying stream is split to flow in both branch conduits, then in each branch conduit the flow rate of air is only one half of that in the main conduit, and consequently, such halved flow rates may be insufficient to fulfill its conveying function of air for the after-connected fiber processing machines. Therefore, in the region of the 2-way distributing device, as a rule, at least one air intake opening is provided through which an air quantity is drawn such that in both branch conduits the flow rate of air will essentially equal that in the main conduit. The air intake opening is closed if fiber tufts are conveyed only in one of the two branch conduits.
In a known device the intake opening is provided in the ceiling wall of the 2-way distributing device. Each routing gate is rotatably supported along one edge thereof and each is adjoined by a closure element. If the conveying stream is directed into only one of the two branch conduits, the other branch conduit is closed by one of the routing gates and at the same time the associated closure element obturates the air intake opening. The same applies to the other branch conduit. When the conveying stream flows in both branch conduits, in which case the two routing gates maintain both branch conduits open, the two closure elements coupled with the respective routing gates are both spaced from the air intake opening which thus remains open.
Such a conventional arrangement is disadvantageous in that it uses additional closure elements and further, their mechanical operation involves substantial structural outlay. Complex structure, assembly and substantial spatial requirement are particular drawbacks. It is a further disadvantage that the flat closure elements are situated above one another and therefore cause certain leakage losses.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved flow channeling device of the above-outlined type from which the discussed disadvantages are eliminated and which is structurally particularly simple and provides for a better guidance of the air stream.
This object and others to become apparent as the specification progresses, are accomplished by the invention, according to which, briefly stated, the device for channeling a pneumatically conveyed fiber tuft stream includes a housing defining a chamber; a main conduit merging into the chamber for guiding the fiber tuft stream into the chamber; first and second branch conduits extending from the chamber for guiding the fiber tuft stream out of the chamber; first and second air intake openings provided in the housing for allowing air, situated externally of the main conduit, to be drawn into the first and second branch conduits; and a routing gate assembly disposed in the chamber and including first and second routing gates each having a surface cooperating with respective first and second air intake openings. The routing gate assembly has a first operational state for channeling the flow from the main conduit simultaneously into the first and second branch conduits; a second operational state for channeling the flow from the main conduit solely into the first branch conduit; and a third operational state for channeling the flow from the main conduit solely into the second branch conduit. In the second and third operational states one of the first and second routing gates blocks directly one of the first and second air intake openings with the surface of the routing gate.
By virtue of the fact that each air intake opening may be opened and closed by the associated routing gate itself, each routing gate performs simultaneously several functions: it channels the fiber stream, blocks or opens a branch conduit and blocks or opens the associated air intake opening. In contrast to the known device, separately provided closure elements and their coupling to the routing gates are dispensed with. In addition to the simplification of structure and assembly as well as space saving, a further advantage of the invention resides in the elimination of leakage losses, because each routing gate itself provides for a reliable closure of its own air intake opening.
The invention has the following additional advantageous features:
At least one pneumatic cylinder is used for pivoting the routing gates.
The size of the air intake opening is adjustable and is controlled by a slide or the like.
Between each routing gate and the associated air intake opening a seal is provided which is arranged on that surface of the routing gate which is oriented towards the air intake opening or is arranged in the inner wall face of the housing in the region of the air intake opening.
The wall faces which contain the air intake openings and the associated routing gates are oriented to one another at an acute angle when conveyance in both branch conduits takes place.
During conveyance in one branch conduit, one routing gate hermetically closes the other branch conduit and the other routing gate hermetically closes the air intake opening associated with the active branch conduit.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3334947 (1967-08-01), Orsi
patent: 3860031 (1975-01-01), Grilli
patent: 3873164 (1975-03-01), Griffin, Jr. et al.
patent: 4506704 (1985-03-01), Boom et al.
patent: 4763792 (1988-08-01), Kind
patent: 446 972 (1968-03-01), None
patent: 582 873 (1933-08-01), None
patent: 1 481 025 (1969-02-01), None
patent: 1 918 544 (1969-10-01), None
patent: 0152 108 (1981-11-01), None
patent: 297 11 309 (1997-12-01), None
patent: 359 623 (1931-10-01), None
patent: 1 560 447 (1980-02-01), None
Ellis Christopher P.
Kelemen Gabor J.
Ridley Richard
Trutzschler GmbH & Co. KG
Venable
LandOfFree
Apparatus for guiding pneumatically conveyed textile fiber... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Apparatus for guiding pneumatically conveyed textile fiber..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Apparatus for guiding pneumatically conveyed textile fiber... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2524560