Clothing wire for a roller of a carding machine

Abstract

A clothing wire for a clothing roller of a carding machine extends in a wire longitudinal direction and having a base segment, which is thicker transversely to the wire longitudinal direction. A leaf segment, which is narrower compared to the base segment, protrudes from the base segment. A plurality of teeth is formed on the leaf segment along the clothing wire in the wire longitudinal direction. Each tooth has two leaf segment lateral surfaces adjoining the base segment. On at least one of the leaf segment lateral surfaces, at least one projection is formed on each tooth. The cross-sectional profile of the projection is asymmetric and preferably has the contour of a nose. The design of the clothing wire results in a homogenization or parallelization of the fibers, with little wear of the clothing wire and less damage to the fibers.

Claims

1. A clothing wire (13) extending in a wire longitudinal direction (1) for a clothing roller (10) of a carding machine, the clothing wire comprising: a base portion (14) with a base surface (16) configured for being supported by the clothing roller (10); a flat leaf portion (15) extending away from the base portion (14) in a height direction (h) perpendicular to the base surface (16); wherein the leaf portion (15) has, on a side facing away from the base portion (14), outside edges (26) that extend serratedly so as to form teeth (28) thereon, and wherein the leaf portion (15) has a first leaf portion lateral surface (15a) and a second leaf portion lateral surface (15b), each extending from the base portion (14) up to the associated outside edge (26); and wherein, on at least one of the leaf portion lateral surfaces (15a, 15b), at least one projection (24) is formed rising in a transverse direction (q) which extends perpendicularly to the height direction (h) and to the wire longitudinal direction (1), said projection also extending along the wire longitudinal direction (1), wherein the at least one projection (24) is located on an upper half of the at least one leaf portion lateral surface (15a, 15b) spaced from the base portion (14) in the height direction (h), wherein the at least one projection (24) has an asymmetrical cross-sectional profile; wherein the cross-sectional profile of the at least one projection (24) has a rounded ridge (30), from which ridge extends a first flank (31) along the height direction (h) away from the base portion (14), and a second flank (32) that extends toward the base portion (14), wherein the second flank (32) is arranged closer to the base portion (14) than the first flank (31), and a length (L.sub.1) of the first flank (31) is greater than a length (L.sub.2) of the second flank (32).

2. The clothing wire as in claim 1, wherein the at least one projection (24) is located on an upper third of the at least one leaf portion lateral surface (15a, 15b) spaced from the base portion, in the height direction (h).

3. The clothing wire as in claim 1, wherein the length (L.sub.2) of the second flank (32) is between 10% to 30% of a total length (L.sub.ges) of the at least one projection (24).

4. The clothing wire as in claim 3, wherein the length (L.sub.2) of the second flank (32) is between 15% to 25% of the total length (L.sub.ges) of the at least one projection (24).

5. The clothing wire as in claim 1, wherein a maximum width (B.sub.1) of the clothing wire (13) in the transverse direction (q) at the at least one projection (24) is between 20% to 50% of a width (B.sub.2) of the base portion (14) of the clothing wire (13).

6. The clothing wire as in claim 5, wherein, near the at least one projection, the maximum width (B.sub.1) of the clothing wire is between 25% to 35% of the width (B.sub.2) of the base portion (14) of the clothing wire (13).

7. The clothing wire as in claim 1, wherein a total length (L.sub.ges) of the at least one projection (24) is between 20% to 40% of a total length (L.sub.3) of the leaf portion (15) in the height direction (h).

8. The clothing wire as in claim 7, wherein the total length (L.sub.ges) of the at least one projection (24) is between 25% to 35% of the total length (L.sub.3) of the leaf portion (15) in the height direction (h).

9. The clothing wire as in claim 1, wherein the at least one projection (24) is formed so as to be without offsets and edges.

10. The clothing wire as in claim 1, wherein the at least one projection (24) is arranged only on the second leaf portion lateral surface (15b).

11. The clothing wire as in claim 1, wherein exactly one projection (24) is arranged on at least one of the leaf portion lateral surfaces (15a, 15b).

12. The clothing wire as in claim 1, wherein the first leaf portion lateral surface (15a) extends in a plane (E.sub.1) in regions without the at least one projection (24), and the second leaf portion lateral surface (15b) extends in a plane (E.sub.2) in regions without the at least one projection (24).

13. The clothing wire as in claim 12, wherein both the first flank (31) and the second flank (32) of the at least one projection (24) have linear regions, wherein an angle (.sub.1) defined by a tangent of the linear region of the first flank (31) and the respective plane (E.sub.1, E.sub.2) adjoining the at least one projection (24) is smaller than an angle (.sub.2) defined by a tangent of the linear region of the second flank (32) and the respective plane (E.sub.1, E.sub.2) adjoining the at least one projection (24).

14. The clothing wire as in claim 1, wherein a plane (E.sub.1) in which the first leaf portion lateral surface (15a) extends is oriented at a right angle with respect to the base surface (16) of the base segment (14), and a plane (E.sub.2) in which the second leaf portion lateral surface (15b) extends is inclined with respect to the first leaf portion lateral surface (15a).

15. The clothing wire as in claim 1, wherein a first plane (E.sub.1) in which the first leaf portion lateral surface (15a) extends and a second plane (E.sub.2) in which the second leaf portion lateral surface (15b) extends are inclined toward each other, wherein a size of an angle included by the first plane (E.sub.1) and the base surface (16) of the base portion (14) and an angle included by the second plane (E.sub.2) and the base surface (16) have the same size.

16. Clothing wire as in claim 15, wherein the plane (E.sub.1) of the first leaf segment lateral surface (15a) and the plane (E.sub.2) of the second leaf segment lateral surface (15b) are inclined toward each other, wherein the size of the angle included by the plane (E.sub.1) and the base surface (16) of the base segment (14) and the angle included by the plane (E.sub.2) and the base surface (16) have the same size.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Advantageous embodiments of the invention can be inferred from the dependent patent claims, as well as from the description. The description is restricted to essential features of the invention. The drawings are to be used for supplementary reference. Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in greater detail with the use of drawings. They show in

(2) FIG. 1 a schematic view of a clothing roller with an all-steel card clothing;

(3) FIG. 2 a perspective representation of a section of an exemplary embodiment of an inventive clothing wire;

(4) FIG. 3 the cross-section along the plane extending in h and q through the blank wire (wire before imparting the teeth) used for the exemplary embodiment of the clothing wire of FIG. 2;

(5) FIG. 4a the dimensions of the exemplary embodiment of the clothing wire, cross-sectional representation as in FIG. 3;

(6) FIG. 4b a partial representation of the clothing wire in cross-section in the region of the projection;

(7) FIG. 5 a schematic representation of the arrangement of several adjacent windings of the clothing wire according to the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 2 to 4;

(8) FIG. 6 a schematic representation of several adjacent windings of a modified exemplary embodiment of a clothing wire;

(9) FIG. 7 a cross-sectional representation of the clothing wire with two projections on the second leaf segment lateral surface;

(10) FIG. 8 a cross-sectional representation with two projections, respectively, on the first and the second leaf segment lateral surfaces of the clothing wire; and

(11) FIG. 9 a cross-sectional representation of the clothing wire with respectively one asymmetrical and one symmetrical projection on the second leaf segment lateral surface.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(12) FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a clothing roller 10 with an all-steel card clothing 11 arranged thereon. The clothing roller 10 is part of a not specifically illustrated carding machine. The carding machine may comprise several clothing rollers 10.

(13) The carding machine is disposed to produce a fiber web of loose fibers. The fibers in the fiber web are parallelized or homogenized by the carding machine. To accomplish this, the fibers are taken up by the all-steel card clothing on a clothing roller 10.

(14) The all-steel card clothing 11 consists of a clothing wire 13 wound in several windings 12 on the generated surface of the clothing roller 10. The clothing wire 13 isas it werewound helically onto the wire roller 10 while being tensioned, as is schematically depicted in FIG. 1. The two loose ends of the clothing wire 13 are fastened to the clothing roller 10, for example by soldering, welding or another suitable connection that can be separated or not separated.

(15) The configuration of the clothing wire 13 can be seen particularly well in FIGS. 2 to 9. The clothing wire 13 has a base segment 14 and a leaf segment 15. The base segment 14 and the leaf segment 15 are made in one piece without seams and joints from a cohesive material, for example metal, in particular steel. The cross-sectional form of the clothing wire 13 is produced in particular by means of a rolling process, wherein initially a tubular profile having a continuously constant cross-sectional profile in a wire longitudinal direction l is produced, said tubular profile then being processed further to produce the described form of the clothing wire 13.

(16) The clothing wire 13 extends in a wire longitudinal direction l. At the base segment 14, the clothing wire 13 has a base surface 16. In its operative position, the base surface 16 of the clothing wire 13 is supported by the generated surface of the clothing roller 10. The leaf segment 15 extends approximately at a right angle relative to the base surface 16 away from the base segment 14, i.e., said leaf segment extends approximately in the height direction h that extends perpendicularly to the base surface 16.

(17) Adjacent the base surface 16, the clothing wire 13 has a first lateral surface 14a and a second lateral surface 14b on its base segment 14. In the exemplary embodiment, a first leaf segment lateral surface 15a of the leaf segment 15 adjoins the first lateral surface 14a of the base segment 14 without steps, offsets and edges. In one exemplary embodiment (FIGS. 3, 4b, 5, 7 and 9), the first lateral surface 14a and the first leaf segment lateral surface 15a extend in a first plane E.sub.1 at a right angle with respect to the base surface 16, which, among other things, also implies advantages in view of manufacturing technology.

(18) The base segment 14 is adjoined by a second leaf segment lateral surface 15b of the leaf segment 15 on the side opposite the first leaf segment lateral surface 15a. The second leaf segment lateral surface 15b extends at least into a center segment 17 in a second plane E.sub.2. The second plane E.sub.2 is inclined with respect to the first plane E.sub.1 and includeswith the latteran acute angle. As a result of this, the width of the leaf segment 15 decreases in the center segment 17 of the leaf segment 15 in a direction away from the base segment 14.

(19) The center segment 17 of the second leaf segment lateral surface 15b is offset relative to the second lateral surface 14b of the base segment 14, transversely with respect to the wire longitudinal direction l, as a result of which an offset 18 having an offset surface 19 is formed in the transition region between the base segment 14 and the leaf segment 15. The offset surface 19 faces away from the base surface 16 and may be oriented so as to be parallel to the base surface 16 or be oriented slightly inclined relative to the base surface 16.

(20) In the region of the free end of the leaf segment 15 remote from the base segment 14 and adjoining the center section 17, there is a projection 24 on the second leaf segment lateral surface 15b, said projection being depicted enlarged in FIG. 4a. In the exemplary embodiment, the leaf segment 15 of the clothing wire 13 has, in cross-section, only a single projection 24 and is in particular free of recesses or additional profiles.

(21) The function of this projection 24 can be inferred from the schematics of FIGS. 5 and 6. If the clothing wire 13 is wound to form an all-steel card clothing 11 on the clothing roller 10, a card clothing alley 25 is formed between two directly adjacent windings 12 of the clothing wire 13. The card clothing alley 25 is formed between the leaf segments 15 of directly adjacent windings 12. In this card clothing alley 25, the fibers are taken up and parallelized to produce the fiber web. The projection 24 ensures that the fibers can be taken up in the card clothing alley 25 without being damaged and also be retained in the card clothing alley 25.

(22) The leaf segment 15 has two outside edges 26 that are formed by the contiguousness of respectively one leaf segment lateral surface 15a, 15b and the tooth face side 27. The outside edges 26 are serrated opposite the base surface 16 or the base segment 14, so that, as a result of this, teeth 28 are formed on the leaf segment 15. The teeth 28 are shown in FIG. 2. In the exemplary embodiment, the outside edges 26 are overall serrated. An intermediate space 29 exists between respectively two teeth 28 in wire longitudinal direction l.

(23) Respectively one projection 24 is provided on each tooth 28 on the second leaf segment lateral surface 15b. In the production of the clothing wire 13, a blank profile having a tubular profile projection that is continuous in wire longitudinal direction l is initially produced. Subsequently, the outside edges 26 are produced, in which case, for the formation of the teeth 28, intermediate spaces 29 are formed by stamping or another separating process. As a result of this, a projection 24 is formed on each tooth 28, in which case the projections 24 are at a distance from each other due to the intermediate spaces 29 in wire longitudinal direction l. Each projection 24 extends upward in transverse direction qextending perpendicularly to the wire longitudinal direction l as well as in height direction hfrom the associate second leaf segment lateral surface 15b. The shapes of the projections 24 on each tooth 28 are identical. Each projection 24 has a projection surface projected in a plane perpendicular to the wire longitudinal direction l, said projection surface corresponding to the cross-sectional surface of the tubular profile projection on the original tubular profile. This projection surface is referred to as the cross-sectional profile P and corresponds to the contour of a cross-section of the projection 24 in a cross-sectional plane that extends completely outside the intermediate spaces 29 perpendicular to the wire longitudinal direction l.

(24) In accordance with the invention the projection 24 has an asymmetrical cross-sectional profile P. The projection 24 has a ridge 30. On the ridge 30, the projection 24 is at the greatest distance from the second plane E.sub.2 in which extends the center segment 17 of the second leaf segment lateral surface 15b. Starting from the ridge 30, the projection 24 has a first flank 31 and a second flank 32 that extendstarting from the ridge 30in opposite directions relative to the height direction h. The second flank 32 is closer to the base segment 14 than the first flank 31.

(25) The first flank 31 and the second plane E.sub.2 include a first angle of inclination .sub.1. Accordingly, the second flank 32 and the second plane E.sub.2 include a second angle of inclination .sub.2. The size of the second angle of inclination .sub.2 is greater than the size of the first angle of inclination .sub.1. Viewed along the second plane E.sub.2 toward the base segment 14, the slope of the projection 34 increases gradually along the first flank 31 up to the ridge 30 and then decreases more steeply from the ridge 30 to the center segment 17 along the second flank 32.

(26) In other words: The first length L.sub.1 of the projection 24 along the first flank 31 up to the ridge 30 is greater than the second length L.sub.2 of the projection 24 along the second flank 32 from the center segment 17 to the ridge 30. In so doing, the two lengths L.sub.1, L.sub.2 are measured as projections in a common reference plane, for example in the first plane E.sub.1 or the second plane E.sub.2. In accordance with the example, the lengths measured along the first plane are d, h. The lengths L.sub.1, L.sub.2 and also the total length L.sub.ges of the projection 24 are defined as the projections on a common plane and, in accordance with the example, the first plane E.sub.1. Instead of the first and/or second plane E.sub.2 it would be possible, for measuring the length of these measured lengths and/or the determination of the angles of inclination, to also use another reference plane that is oriented at a right angle relative to the base surface 16, for example.

(27) Due to this, the cross-sectional profile P of the projection 24 has the shape of a nose, as it were, that slopes upward more gradually via a first flank 31 relative to a reference plane (for example, the second plane E.sub.2) than via the other, second flank 32.

(28) The second length L.sub.2 of the projection 24 along the second flank 32 is 15% to 25% of the total length L.sub.ges (sum of the first length L.sub.1 and the second length L.sub.2) of the projection 24 along the first flank 31. The length L.sub.ges is smaller than 1.5 mm. These dimensions relate to the length measurement along the first plane E.sub.1 (see FIG. 4a).

(29) In accordance with the dimensional marks (dimensioning) shown in FIG. 4b, the total length L.sub.ges of the projection 24 amounts to 25% to 35% of the total length L.sub.3 of the leaf segment 15. The maximum width B.sub.1 in transverse direction q in the region of the projection 24 that is (approximately) on the height of the ridge 30 is 25% to 35% the width B.sub.2 of the base segment 14 in transverse direction q. The total height of the clothing wire 13 in height direction h, in accordance with the example, is 4 to 5 mm and, preferably, at most 3.5 to 6 mm. The angle of inclination relating to the vertical relative to the base surface of the second plane E.sub.2 is approximately 4 to 12, in particular 7 to 9, and, in accordance with the example, approximately 8. The angle of inclination of the first plane E.sub.1 being perpendicular to the base surface 16 in the exemplary embodiment is, accordingly, 0.

(30) The end of the first flank 31 remote from the ridge 31 coincides with the outside edge 26 of the second leaf segment lateral surface 15b, i.e., the first flank 31 starts and ends, respectively, with the outside edge 26.

(31) FIG. 6 illustrates a modified exemplary embodiment of the inventive clothing wire 13. In so doing, the leaf segment 15 is unchanged, so that reference may be made to the previous example. Different from the exemplary embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 5, the lateral surfaces 14a, 14b of the base segment 14 are modified. The first lateral surface 14a has a recess 37 and the respectively other, second lateral surface 14b has an elevation 38 adapted to the recess 37. The elevation 38 of a winding 12 can thus engage in the recess 37 of a directly adjacent winding 12, as is schematically illustrated in FIG. 6. In the former exemplary embodiment, the two lateral surfaces 14a, 14b are oriented parallel to each other and at a right angle with respect to the base surface 16, so that the lateral surfaces 14a, 14b of directly adjacent windings 12 are in planar contact with each other (FIG. 5).

(32) Each of the FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 shows an exemplary embodiment of a clothing wire 13 that has several and, in accordance with the example, two asymmetrical projections 24 on at least one of the two leaf segment lateral surfaces 15a, 15bin accordance with the example of the second leaf segment lateral surface 15bor two asymmetrical projections on the first leaf segment lateral surface 15a, as well as on the second leaf segment lateral surface 15b. Regarding the shape and the arrangement of the projection 24 adjoining the free end of a tooth 28, reference is made to the description hereinabove. Both projections 24 may have the same shape, wherein the first flank 32 of the one projection 24 that is arranged closer to the base segment 14 is arranged directly next to or at a distance from the second flank 32 of the respectively other projection 24.

(33) In the embodiment of FIG. 9, the additional projection has a symmetrical cross-sectional profile P and may be referred to as the symmetrical projection 39. The symmetrical projection 39 is arranged on the second leaf segment lateral surface 15b. It should also be mentioned that even three, four or more projectionsoptionally on one leaf segment lateral surface 15a, 15bfeature advantages, considering all the embodiments of the invention.

(34) The exemplary embodiment depicted by FIG. 2, different from the embodiments of FIGS. 3, 4 to 7 and 9, does not have a leaf segment lateral surface 15a, 15b arranged rectangularly with respect to the base surface 16. Both leaf segment lateral surfaces 15a, 15b and consequently the teeth 28 are inclined relative to a plane oriented at a right angle with respect to the transverse direction q. Due to the inclination, the projections 24 are located above the first lateral surface 14a of the base segment 14. The first plane E.sub.1 or a reference plane, in which extends the first lateral surface 14a, or whichin case of an uneven first lateral surface 14aextends in several contact points at a distance in height direction h tangentially with respect to the first lateral surface 14a, intersects the projection 24 in accordance with the example.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(35) 10 Clothing roller 11 All-steel card clothing 12 Winding 13 Clothing wire 14 Base segment 14a First lateral surface 14b Second lateral surface 15 Leaf segment 15a First leaf segment lateral surface 15b Second leaf segment lateral surface 16 Base surface 17 Center segment 18 Offset 19 Offset surface 24 Asymmetrical projection 25 Card clothing alley 26 Outside edge 27 Tooth face side 28 Tooth 29 Intermediate space 30 Ridge 31 First flank 32 Second flank 37 Recess 38 Elevation 39 Symmetrical projection .sub.1 First angle of inclination .sub.2 Second angle of inclination Angle of inclination l Wire longitudinal direction h Height direction q Transverse direction E.sub.1 First plane E.sub.2 Second plane L.sub.1 Length of the first flank L.sub.2 Length of the second flank L.sub.ges Total length of projection L.sub.3 Total length of leaf segment B.sub.1 Maximum width in the region of the at least one projection B.sub.2 Width of the base segment H Height of the elevation P Cross-sectional profile