FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an apparatus for feeding the fibre batt in a fibre 5 processing machine for example carding machine. The fibre batt composed of cotton fibres, synthetic fibres or the like is fed to a fibre processing machine for example carding machine which delivers the fibres in sliver form to prepare for spinning. More specifically the invention refers to the feed roller arrangement which feeds the cotton tufts into the licker-in arrangement of the carding 10 machine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is practically known to feed the fibre batt directly onto the card feed roller by chute feeding machines. In a known textile carding machine (1) show in Figure-1, a reserve chute (2) and a feed chute (3) supplies fibre tufts (4) to a flat card or a roller card unit. The chute arrangement is provided with the following rollers involved in advancing the said fibre material: a tuft feed roller (5) which serves for advancing a tuft column from the reserve chute (2) past an opening roller (6) into the feed chute (3), a feed roller (7) of the flat card or roller card unit which advances the said fibre tufts (4) in the direction of a licker-in (8). Then the fibre material passes through a main carding cylinder (9) and a doffer (10) which removes the web to form sliver at downstream of the machine. Referring to Figure-2 of the known art of said arrangement, the card feed roller (7) diameter is around 100 mm and the licker-in roller (8) diameter is around 254 mm. Therefore the feed material/fibre batt (11) is not falling entirely within the feed roller (7) surface due to less peripheral contact surface. The 5 feed batt (11) tends to take a sharp turn which is to be picked by the feed roller (7) teeth. There is every chance of fibre slippage leading to inconsistent feeding. The fibre batt (11) feeding angle (a) with reference to the nipping plane is less than 30°. Moreover the fibre batt (11) is fed onto the feed roller (7) with sudden reduction of batt thickness. Due to the aforesaid limitations of the 10 known card feeding, it necessitates to go for advantageous feeding arrangement to overcome the difficulties with the known feed roller arrangement.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to provide a feed roller arrangement in a textile carding machine with improved roller parameters. Another object of the invention is to provide a feed roller arrangement in a textile carding machine that gives better fibre batt feeding angle to eliminate fibre slippage. Yet another object of the invention is to provide a feed roller arrangement in a textile carding machine that allows better feed surface contact of fibre material/fibre batt on the said feed roller.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, the textile carding machine comprises a feed roller to feed the incoming fibre batt onto the licker-in roller, where the fibres are then transferred to the main carding cylinder wherein the diameter of said feed roller is substantially equal to the diameter of the licker-in roller. The feed roller diameter is increased above the existing value (100mm) and maintained in the range of 150 mm to 300 mm preferably equal to the licker-in roller diameter of 253.6 mm. Due to the increase in diameter the surface contact of the feed roller in one quarter of the feed roller periphery near the nipping plane is increased from 60 mm to 179 mm. This increased surface contact allows the fibre batt to feed directly onto the zone of nipping plane and the fibre batt can be easily drawn by the feed roller without slippage. Moreover the feeding angle (a) with reference to the nipping plane is increased to above 30° which helps in feeding the fibre batt without slippage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure-1 illustrates the known carding machine provided with chute feeding arrangement.

Figure-2 illustrates the side view of the known feed roller arrangement in a textile carding machine as described in prior art.

Figure-3 illustrates the side view of the feed roller arrangement in a textile carding machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Figure-1 & 2 of the drawings represents the exemplary view of the known carding machine and feed roller arrangement according to the existing art which was already explained with its limitations in the background of the invention. To overcome those limitations, the present invention provides an improved feed roller arrangement of carding machine as shown in Figure-3. Referring now to Figure 3, a feed roller arrangement in a textile carding machine comprises a feed roller (7), a feed plate (12) and a licker-in roller (8). The feed roller (7) is arranged immediately upstream of the licker-in roller (8) as viewed in a direction of material or fibre feed into the carding machine (1). The feed roller (7) is to feed the incoming fibre batt (11) via the feed plate (12), onto the licker-in roller (8). The feed plate (12) cooperating with the feed roller (7) advances the fibre batt (11) to the licker-in roller (8). The licker-in roller (8) transfers the fibres to a main carding cylinder (9) (not shown in figure 3).

In an example embodiment arrangement, the diameter of the feed roller (7) is substantially equal to that of the licker-in roller (8). The feed roller (7) diameter is increased above 100 mm and kept in the range of 150-300 mm, preferably equal to the licker-in roller diameter of 253.6 mm. This will increase 20 the peripheral contact surface of the feed roller (7) with the fibre batt (11) thereby allowing the feed batt to take a soft turn which will be picked by the feed roller (7) teeth without slippage. By retaining the diameter of the feed roller (7) substantially equal to the diameter of the licker-in roller (8), the feed fibre batt (11) from the feed plate (12) is fed directly onto the zone of nipping plane of the feed roller (7) surface due to more peripheral contact surface thereby facilitating uniform fibre batt feeding. Moreover, the fibre batt (11) can be fed directly onto the feed roller (7) by keeping the feeding angle (a) with reference to the nipping plane to above 30°, preferably 61°. Due to the above 5 arrangement, the fibre batt (11) is easily drawn by the feed roller (7) without any slippage and ensures uniform or consistent batt feeding which results better output sliver mass regularities in a carding machine.

In addition, due to the increase in the diameter of the feed roller (7), the surface contact of the feed roller (7) in one quarter of the feed roller periphery 10 near the nipping place is increased from 60 mm to 179 mm. Due to this arrangement, the increase in surface contact allows the fibre batt (11) to feed directly onto the zone of nipping plane and the fibre batt (11) is easily drawn by the feed roller (7) without slippage. The said advantages are achievable by keeping the feed roller diameter (7) equal to the licker-in roller (8) diameter in general according to the present invention. Though the present invention shown herein is only exemplary, further embodiments are also possible within the scope of the invention. Hence increasing the feed roller (7) diameter equal to licker-in roller (8) diameter or reducing the licker-in roller (8) diameter equal to feed roller (7) diameter also falls within the boundary of the invention. The above description is only an embodiment of the present invention is not so limiting the scope of the present invention patent, any use of the contents of the present specification and the drawings or by an equivalent process equivalent structural transformation, directly or indirectly used in the other related technical fields, are similarly included in the invention within the scope of patent protection.

We Claim:

1. A feed roller arrangement in a textile carding machine (1), the 2. arrangement comprising: at least a licker-in roller (8) and a main carding cylinder (9) cooperating therewith; a feed roller (7) arranged immediately upstream of the licker-in roller (8) for advancing a fibre batt (11) to said licker-in roller (8); io wherein the diameter of the feed roller (7) is substantially equal to the diameter of the licker-in roller (8).

2. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the diameter of the feed roller (7) is in the range of 150 mm-300 mm.

3. The arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein the diameter of the feed roller (7) is preferably 253.6 mm.

4. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fibre batt (11) is fed directly onto the feed roller (7) at a feeding angle 'a' with reference to the nipping plane, wherein the feeding angle is greater than 30°.

5. The arrangement as claimed in claim 4, wherein the feeding angle 'a' is preferably 61°.

6. The arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the feed roller (7) and the licker-in roller (8) are arranged such that the surface contact of the fibre batt (11) with the feed roller (7) in one quarter of the feed roller (7) periphery near the nipping plane is substantially increased to allow the fibre batt (11) to feed directly onto the zone of nipping plane without slippage.

7. The arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein said surface contact of the fibre batt (11) with the feed roller (7) is increased to preferably 179 mm.