Title of Invention

A DEVICE FOR THE RECOGNITION AND SEPARATION OF FOREIGN MATTER FROM A FIBER MATERIAL

Abstract

A DEVICE FOR THE RECOGNITION AND SEPARATION OF FOREIGN MATIER FROM A FI.BRE MATERIAL The invention relates to a device for the recognition and separation of foreign matter from a fibre material, which is conducted by means of feed elements (14,15) to a cleaning stage (1), in which the fibre material is guided by means of an opening roller (4) over one or more separation means (5, 56) and is delivered to a downstream conveying channel (24, 58'). In order to improve known solutions and to achieve an optimum and specific separation of foreign matter, it is proposed that the recognition and separation device (32, 33, 50) for the foreign matter is arranged directly in the discharge area (20, 24, 58') of the cleaning stage (1). Fig.1

Full Text

The invention relates to a device for the recognition and separation of foreign matter from a fibre material, which is conducted by means of feed elements to a cleaning stage, in which the fibre material is guided by means of an opening roller over one or more separation means and is delivered to a downstream conveying channel. A design is knovwi from DE-A1-195 18 783, whereby an opening roller, fitted with pins or hooks, interacts with separation blades arranged at intervals on a partial circumference of the roller. When the fibre material is guided over the separation blades, then, in relation to the weight of the fibre, in particular heavy and unwanted constituent parts such as dirt, trash, dust, and the like, are separated out of the fibre material. The fibre material is discharged via a shaft and two feed rollers onto the surface of the opener roller. In order to identify foreign matter in the fibre material being guided over the opener roller, sensors are proposed, which are arranged opposite the surface of the opener roller. These are colour sensors, which are an-anged over the working width of the roller. The colour sensors in this situation detect a colour deviation in the foreign fibres in relation to the nomnal fibre, and are connected to an assessment electronic element. To detect the foreign fibres, the surface of the opener roller may exhibit a metallically bright or white surface. The cleaned fibre material is discharged to a suction line, in which a lock separation device is integrated. In this situation, based on the signals from the sensors, pivotable flaps are actuated at a specific time interval, temporally offset to one another, which then convey the fibre material burdened with foreign fibres onwards to a disposal line. The lock separation device shown is located relatively far away from the actual discharge area of the opener roller, with the result that a larger fibre mass can be separated out by the lock system, in order that with this procedure the foreign fibres detected can also be removed. During the monitoring of the fibre material on the opener roller, which is equipped with a set of fittings or pins, the circulating tips of the set of fittings or of the pins respectively have a negative effect on a precise recognition of the foreign fibres. That is to say, the foreign fibres which are located directly in the area of these tips, under certain circumstances are not detected by the sensors as foreign fibres, especially If the output image of the tips of the set of fittings is filtered out in the evaluation electronics. In addition to this, the fibre material in this situation is present on the opener roller as a relatively compact fibre fleece, In which case foreign fibres which under certain circumstances are located on the interior and guided on the circumference of the drum cannot be detected. In addition to this, an opening roller is known from DE-A1-195 43 526 which likewise interacts with separation blades. In this situatbn, to separate out foreign fibres which are detected in the area in front of a separation blade an air block is created, whereby the fibre material burdened with foreign components is raised off the roller and transferred to a disposal device. Monitoring for foreign fibres is effected in this case likewise on the roller surface of the opening roller. In addition, with this device, when foreign fibre is removed by the lock system, a large amount of good fibre is separated out with it. DE-A1-198 47 237 discloses a similar device, whereby, in order to separate out the foreign fibres detected on the drum, a stream of blown air is created, directed approximately tangentially to the roller, \Nhereby, as a result of the underpressure which is incurred by this on the surface of the roller, the fibres located in the area of the blown air flow are raised off the surface of the roller and conducted to a disposal area. The example shown relates to an opener roller, the task of which is to open still further the fibre material which is conducted in, or to open them out Into smaller fibre tufts. In this situation, no provision is made for additional cleaning of the fibre material to rid it of contamination. Even with this an-angement the risk pertains, as described heretofore, that not all foreign fibres can be detected or removed from the fibre material conducted over the opener roller. From DE-A1-195 16 568 likewise only one opening cylinder is disclosed, on which no cleaning work is carried out. The opening device in this situation consists of one or two intake rollers, which dischai^e the fibre material delivered via a shaft onto a rapidly running opening roller. The fibre material which is further released by the opening roller Is delivered in free fall into a shaft leading downwards, in which a device is located for the recognition and separation of foreign matter. The foreign matter, which is Identified by means of sensors located next to one another or by a camera, is blown out sequentially into a special catchment container by means of blower nozzles, which are arranged one after another and in adjacent rows. These blower nozzles are in this situation activated by means of a control unit, which is connected to the sensor system. By means of the sensors, in this situation dirt contamination, trash particles, and the like, which are still present in the fibre material flow are detected, as a result of which the blower nozzles are very frequently activated by the control unit to blow off. The blowing cone of the blown air flow must be of an appropriate size for the foreign matter detected to be reliably separated out. At each blowing interval, in addition to the foreign matter, a large number of good fibres are also separated out, and this has the effect of causing a loss In the productivity of the fibre material acquired. The Invention is therefore based on the problem of avoiding the disadvantages of the prior art as described. In order to obtain an optimum device for the specific separation of foreign matter, and to minimise the separation of good fibres. This problem is resolved in that the recognition and separation device for the foreign matter is an^nged in the immediate discharge area of the cleaning stage. The tenn "discharge area" is to be understood In this context as being the area directty at the discharge opening of the cleaning stage, or also the area which follows directly on from the discharge opening. By means of this device it can be guaranteed that a fibre material mass will be conducted in a free flock flow to the recognition device (the sensor system), from which conventional dirt contamination, such as trash parts, dirt, dust, and the like, have essentially already been separated out at the upstream cleaning stage in the conventional manner. In addition to this, the foreign matter which is still to be detected can be more easily detected in an open flock flow than between the set of fittings of an opening roller. By being located immediately in the discharge area of the cleaning stage, the fibre air flow acquires a speed at which the recognition of foreign matter can still be carried out without any problems. Thanks to the separation of the dirt contamination carried in the fibre material as eariy as at the cleaning stage, the downstream recognition and separation device can concentrate on the foreign matter which is not separated out at the upstream cleaning stage because of its physical properties. Because the cleaning stage Is essentially provided with an opening roller which exhibits an appropriate length, it is proposed that the discharge area, seen in the direction of delivery, is designed as a tapering and funnel-shaped channel, which opens into the conveying channel. This guarantees that in the area of the cleaning stage the fibre material can be conducted over a suitably large cleaning surface, while, for the onwards conveying of the cleaned fibre material via the funnel-shaped channel, this can be reduced to a nanrower tubular conveying channel. This makes it possible for the energy expended for conveying the fibre material to be kept to a minimurn. For preference, the recognition and separation device is located at the funnel-shaped channel. As already described, the conveying speed of the fibre material in the funnel-shaped channel is lower than in the conveying channel downstream of this, with the result that in this situation the recognition and separation of the foreign matter can be earned out with no problem at all. In order to maintain the fibre flow in the cross-section between the recognition and separation as constant as possible, it is proposed that the discharge area is provided with an approxinlately constant cross-section in its first part, to which a funnel-shaped part is connected, which opens into the delivery channel. If the recognition and separation device is located in the area of the constant cross-section of the channel, the exact recognition and separation of foreign matter will be guaranteed. This means that the location of the foreign matter which has been detected will remain approximately the same in the fibre flow between recognition and separation. To release the fibre material from the opener roller and to create a subsequent conveying air flow, it is proposed that a channel is arranged In the discharge area for guiding the air in the delivery direction. An embodiment Is further proposed whereby the recognition device in the discharge area of the cleaning stage is arranged somewhat tangentially at a distance to the fittings of the opener roller. This makes it possible for the foreign material to be acquired directly in the area of release from the opener roller. As a supplement to this, it is proposed that the wall of the channel following the cleaning stage, located opposite the sensor system, is designed in a part section as an optical background, e.g. as a reflection suri'ace for the sensors, whereby the reflection surfece is arranged at approximately a right angle to the monitoring plane. In this situation, the reflection surface can be adapted to the colour of the fibre material (good fibres), whereby optimum detection of the foreign matter is possible. The optical background can be designed with defined properties with regard to brightness and colour, or can, for example, actively light up, whereby in this case the optical background no longer takes effect In the sense of a reaction surface. It is further proposed that the cleaning device with subsequent recognition and separation device be integrated in the feed shaft of a carding machine. The sensor system claimed heretofore can be fomned from one or more cameras. In addition to this, individual sensors are also possible for the monitoring process. A lighting device is for preference allocated to the sensor system. The separation device can be fonned from several blower nozzles arranged next to one another, which can be actuated in sequence by means of the sensors via a control unit. Further advantages of the invention are presented in the following examples of embodiments and described in greater detail. The figures show: Fig, 1 A diagrammatic side view of a cleaning stage with following foreign matter recognition and separation device. Fig. 2 A part section X according to Fig. 1 of the discharge area of the cleaning stage. Fig. 3 A diagrammatic side view of a carding machine with integrated cleaning stage in the feed shaft and following foreign matter recognition and separation device. Fig. 1 shows a cleaning stage 1, which is provided with an opener roller 4 and with separation blades 5, which are an^nged over a part area of the circumference of the opener roller. The fibre material, which is conveyed in flock fomi by means of a conveying air flow, is conducted to the cleaning stage 1 via a feed shaft 6. The fibre material can in this situation be supplied from an upstream cleaning stage, in which, for example, coarse cleaning can be carried out. The cleaning stage 1 shown is then located downstream of the "coarse cleaner" as a "fine cleaner". In the feed shaft 6 the fibre material passes into the area of effect of an opener roller pair 8. By means of the opener roller pair 8 the fibre flocks are further opened and discharged downwards in a metered manner, whereby the fibre material passes into the clamping gap of a screen roller 10 and a conveyor roller 11. The screen roller 10 and the conveyor roller 11 are connected by a drive unit, not shown in any greater detail, which drives them in opposed directions of rotation, as a result of which the fibre material introduced from above is guided between the two rollers. The conveyor roller 11 exhibits a smooth surface, while the screen roller 10 exhibits a perforated surface, whereby the interior of the screen surface is connected to a channel 12, represented diagrammatically, in which the majority of the conveying air of the fibre-air mixture is conducted. The fibre material guided between the rollers 11 and 10 is still present in flock fomi, and passes into the feed channel S of a downstream feed roller 14, which interacts with a feed trough 15. As a result of the funnel-shaped compression of the fibre material between the feed roller 14 and the feed trough 15, the fibre material is compacted and transferred in the area of the feed lip 16 to the fittings set 7, represented in diagrammatic form, of the circumferential opener roller 4. When the fibre material is drawn off in the area of the feed lip 16 by the fittings 7, the flbre flock is again opened, as a result of which the impurities carried in the fibre flow, such as dirt, trash parts, etc., can emerge to the outside from the fibre flow as a result of the centrifugal force exerted by the opener roller 4. As a result of the centrifugal force, these parts pass into the area of the cutting blades 5 and are cut ofl' there and conveyed to a disposal device, not shown in any greater detail. Arranged after the cutting blades 5 is a trough area 18, by means of which the cleaned fibre material is conducted to a discharge aperture 20. Arranged In the area of the discharge aperture 20 is a channel, by means of which air I is introduced from a compressed air source, not shown in greater detail. The air L is directed in an approximately tangential direction to the opener roller 4, and supportis the release process of the fibre material located in the fittings 7 of the opener roller 4. The air L could also be introduced directly from the ambient air, which is sucked in by means of an underpressure generated in the conveying channel 26. As a result of this, the fibre material is conducted to a discharge area, or into a discharge pipe 24 respectively, and by the effect of the air L is transferred into a foltowing conveying channel 26. From this conveying channel 26, the fibre material is conducted, for example, either to a further cleaning stage or a following feed shaft of a carding machine. As can be seen in particular from the part view in Fig. 2, the discharge pipe 24 is provided on its first part section 28 with a consistent cross-section, the width B of which corresponds approximately to the length of the opener roller 4. The part section 28 of the discharge pipe 24 opens into a second part section 30 (referred to in brief as the "funner"), which tapers in the conveying direction Y and opens into the conveying channel 26. In the area of the first part section 28, shortly after the discharge opening 20, there are located, for example, two CCD cameras 32, 32' and 33, 33*, an-anged opposite one another and in pairs, which in each case are integrated by means of a transparent window 35, 36 in the pari; section 28, which monitor the fibre material being discharged from the cleaning stage 1. In the part section 28, in addition, background stripes 38 are located, which are positioned on the opposite side of the channel to the individual camera 32, 32' and 33, 33' in each case. In this situation, the colour of the background stripe 38 con-esponds to the parameters which have been set for the fibres, so that the cameras do not respond if the part section 28 is empty. A similar device can be derived, for example, from WO-96y35831. As can be seen in particular from Fig. 2, lighting elements 40 are allocated to the individual cameras 32-33', which provide adequate lighting for the fibre material being guided past the cameras. As is likewise indicated in diagrammatic fomn in Fig. 2, the cameras 32-33' are connected via the paths 42,42', 43 and 43' to a control unit ST, by means of which the monitoring results are transfen'ed to the control unit ST. On the basis of the evaluation of the data transfemed to the control unit ST, a con'esponding valve 48 is opened via the control line 45, whereby the compressed air delivered via a compressed air source 46 is released to a discharge nozzle 50 allocated to the individual valve 48. By means of the air pulse P which occurs as a result of this, foreign matter (such as foreign fibres, for example) are discharged via an opening 52 into a container 54. The container 54 can in this situation be closed or connected to the atmosphere by means of suitable openings. It is also possible for the container 54 to be provided with suitable suction devices to remove the separated material. As represented by dotted lines, the container can also be provided with an air return system 55, by means of which the air introduced into the container can be returned to the part section 30. An embodiment is also possible in which the blower nozzles 50 can be arranged beneath the discharge pipe 24, whereby the foreign matter which is detected is blown out upwards through a corresponding opening in the pipe 24. With an arrangement of this type, the catchment container must be designed in the appropriate manner or arranged such that the separated fibres cannot pass back again into the channel 24. It Is also conceivable for the fibre material to be chemically treated before reaching the monitoring device (32-33') in the area of the discharge opening 20, so that even such foreign matter as plastic film, which does not nonnaily differ in colour from cotton, will be rendered visible to the monitoring system (e.g. by means of UV light if the chemical substance which is sprayed on only remains adhering to the plastic films and can be rendered visible by UV light). With the recognition and separation device arranged following the cleaning stage 1, the foreign matter in particular is acquired and separated out which, because of its physical characteristic size, cannot be separated out by the centrifugal force effect in the conventional cleaning stage 1. In Fig. 3, a further embodiment Is shown, whereby an opener roller 4 is rotatably mounted in the feed shaft 58 of a carding machine 60, which interacts on a part of its circumference with a grate element 56. The opener roller 4 In this case is likewise provided with a set of fittings 7 which draw off and release the fibre material delivered via the feed trough 15 in conjunction with the feed roller 14. Instead of the separation grid 56 shown, It is of course also possible for separation blades 5 to be provided, as shown in the embodiment In Fig. 1. The material which is separated out via the grate element 56 is conducted to a collection line 57, represented in schematic form. The fibre material which is discharged from the cleaning stage 1 at the discharge opening 20 is monitored through an opening 62 which follows the grate element 56. The monitoring plane of the CCD camera shovwi runs approximately tangentially and at a slight distance from the tips of the set of fittings 7. The channel 58' which follows exhibits a presentation surface 64 In the area of the discharge opening 20, which is aligned approximately at a right angle to the monitoring plane E. The colour of the surface 64 in this situation is selected in such a way that the camera 32 generates only a signal incurred by foreign matter on the basis of the fibre parameters which have been set in the control unit ST. As is shown in the example of Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 respectively, in this case too the images acquired by the camera 32 are transferred via a path 42 to a downstream control unit ST. As soon as a piece of foreign material is detected, a control valve 48 is actuated with time delay by the control unit ST, by means of which compressed air conducted from a compressed air source 46 is switched through to a downstream nozzle 50. By means of a compressed air pulse P, generated at the appropriate point vwthin the channel 58', the foreign matter detected is discharged or separated out via an opening 52 into a container 54. The conveying of the fibre material discharged from the cleaning stage 1 is effected in this case in free fall in the channel 58', and is transferred to a downstream pair of conveying rollers 66. At the conveying rollers 66 the fibre material is compacted to a fibre fleece 70, which is transferred via a feed table 68, which is inclined obliquely downwards, to a downstream feed roller 72, to which a feed trough 73 is allocated. By means of a licker-in (taker-in) 76, provided with a set of fittings, the fibres are released from the fibre fleece 7 which is presented, and transferred to a downstream carding drum 77 (tambour). The drum 77 interacts with a circumferential cover 78, represented in diagrammatic form, and conveys the fibre material, now released into individual fibres, to a rotating doffier 80 downstream. In the area of the circumference of the drum 77 there are of course also several carding elements, although these are not shown here. By means of the doffing cylinder 81 the fibre material Is drawn off the doffer 80, and passed on to a downstream pair of nips 82. The fibre fleece which is discharged via the pair of nips 82 Is taken up, for example, by a transverse conveyor belt 83, which brings the fibre fleece together to forni a fibre sliver F, which is transfen-ed via a pair of calendar rolls 84 to a downstream strip depository, not showm. The use of such a cleaning stage with an recognition and separation device directly downstream, as claimed by the invention, can be used at any point in the cleaning line between the bale removing machine and the carding machines. WE CLAIM : 1. A device for the recognition and separation of foreign matter from a fibre material, which is delivered via feed elements (14,15) to a cleaning stage (1), in which the fibre material is guided by means of an opener roller (4) via one or more separation means (5, 56) and discharged to a downstream delivery channel (24, 58'), whereby the recognition and separation device (32, 33, 50) for foreign matter is arranged directly in the discharge area (20, 24, 58') of the cleaning stage (1), characterised in that the discharge area, seen in the conveying direction (F), is provided as a tapering and fimnel-shaped channel (24), which opens into the delivery charmel (26) and the recognition and separation device (32, 33, 50) is located at the fimnel-shaped channel (24). 2. A device for the recognition and separation of foreign matter fi"om a fibre material, which is delivered via feed elements (14,15) to a cleaning stage (1), in which the fibre material is guided by means of an opener roller (4) via one or more separation means (5, 56) and discharged to a downstream delivery channel (24, 58'), whereby the recognition and separation device (32, 33, 50) for foreign matter is arranged directly in the discharge area (20, 24, 58') of the cleaning stage (1), characterised in that the discharge area, seen in the conveying direction (F), exhibits a channel (24) which exhibits a constant cross-section over at least over a part section (28) of its length, and tapers in funnel fashion at least in its fi-ont part (30), with which it opens into the conveying channel (26), and the recognition and separation device (32, 33, 50) is located in the area (28) of the constant cross-section of the channel (24). 3. The device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the discharge area (20, 24) a channel (22) is allocated to the air infeed (L) in the conveying direction (F). 4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the air is guidable through the channel (22) into the tangential direction towards the opener roller (4) in such a way that the air is supporting the process of releasing the fibre material out of the clothing of the opener roller (4). 5. A device for the recognition and separation of foreign matter from a fibre material, which is delivered via feed elements (14,15) to a cleaning stage (1), in which the fibre material is guided by means of an opener roller (4) via one or more separation means (5, 56) and discharged to a downstream delivery channel (24, 58'), whereby the recognition and separation device (32, 33, 50) for foreign matter is arranged directly in the discharge area (20, 24, 58) of the cleaning stage (1), characterised in that the monitoring plane (E) of the recognition device (32) in the discharge area (20) of the cleaning stage (1) is arranged approximately tangentially and at a distance from the elements (7) (e.g. fittings) of the opener roller (4). 6. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the wall of the channel (58') of the cleaning stage (1), located opposite the sensor system (32) is provided in a part section as an optical background, e.g. as a reflection surface (64) for the sensor system, whereby the reflection surface (64) is arranged approximately at a right angle to the monitoring plane (E). 7. The device as claimed in any one of claims 5 or 6, wherein the colour of the reflection surface (64) is adapted to the colour of the fibre material (good fibres). 8. The device as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the cleaning device (1) is integrated in the feed shaft (58, 50') of a carding machine (60). 9. The device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the sensor system is formed from one or more cameras (32, 32', 33,33'). 10. The device as claimed in claim 9, wherein a lighting device (40) is allocated to the sensor system, 11. The device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the separation device is formed from blower nozzles (50) arranged next to one another, which can be actuated in sequence by means of the sensor system (32, 32, 33, 33') via a control unit (ST).

Documents:

1391-chenp-2003 abstract-duplicate.pdf

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1391-chenp-2003 abstract.pdf

1391-chenp-2003 claims-duplicate.pdf

1391-chenp-2003 claims.pdf

1391-chenp-2003 correspondence-others.pdf

1391-chenp-2003 correspondence-po.pdf

1391-chenp-2003 description(complete)-duplicate.pdf

1391-chenp-2003 description(complete).pdf

1391-chenp-2003 drawings-duplicate.pdf

1391-chenp-2003 drawings.pdf

1391-chenp-2003 form-1.pdf

1391-chenp-2003 form-13.pdf

1391-chenp-2003 form-18.pdf

1391-chenp-2003 form-26.pdf

1391-chenp-2003 form-3.pdf

1391-chenp-2003 form-5.pdf

1391-chenp-2003 pct.pdf

1391-chenp-2003 petition.pdf