Total fiber recovery method and apparatus

• US 4,300,267 A
• Filed: 02/06/1980
• Issued: 11/17/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cotton, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cotton, Inc.
• Inventors: Winch, Allen R., Jones, Joseph K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rimrodt, Louis
• Application Number:
  US06/118,976
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 19/40, 19/41, 19/80 R, 19/85, 19/87, 19/93, 19/98, 19/99, 19/107, 19/39, 19/65 R, 19/90, 19/144, 19/200, 19/96, 209/22
• US Class Current: 19/200
• CPC Class Codes: D01G 9/00 Opening or cleaning fibres, e.g. scutching cotton scutching flax or like fibres D01B; making cellulose wadding in papermaking machines D21F11/14

Abstract

A total fiber recovery method and apparatus are disclosed which will recover substantially all of the usable fiber contained in discarded waste material comprising a mixture of fibers, motes and trash. The method consists of conveying the input material into a cleaner and opener which rejects a large portion of the heavy trash and motes. The remaining fiber is transported into a lint cleaner which drops out more motes and smaller trash. From there the partially cleaned fiber is transported to a first cleaner and carder which will clean and orient the fiber. The trash and motes rejected by the cleaner and opener, the lint cleaner, and the first cleaner and carder are collected and cleaned in a drum screen cleaner to remove the heavy trash. The partially cleaned fiber is then transported into a carder and opener where the fibers, including the motes, are fully opened. The opened fiber is then transported to a second cleaner and carder for cleaning and orienting. The outputs of the first and the second cleaner and carder are baled separately to obtain a long fiber fraction and a short fiber fraction respectively.

Claims

1. A method of recovering fiber from a fiber containing material comprising the steps of:

(I) opening an input feed of material in at least a first opening and cleaning station, said station separating the input feed into a first portion of the input feed primarily comprising trash and motes and a fourth portion of the input feed primarily comprising fibers and relatively smaller trash;

(II) cleaning and carding the fourth portion of the input to obtain a sixth portion of the input comprising a long fiber fraction by subjecting the fibers of the fourth portion to a plurality of abrupt deflections and accelerations in a circular travel direction to assist in cleaning and orienting the fibers of the fourth portion and to assist in disentangling the fibers of the fourth portion and also to cause a fifth portion of the input comprising smaller trash and motes to be freed and separated from the fibers of the fourth portion;

(III) consolidating the first and the fifth portions of the input into a seventh portion of the input;

(IV) cleaning the seventh portion of the input in a drum screen cleaner comprising the steps of;

(A) lifting and tumbling the seventh portion over a plurality of finger-shaped baffles to break up clusters of material and separate the trash; and

(B) allowing the relatively heavy trash to drop through a screen to form a ninth portion of the input feed while retaining the motes and lighter trash to form an eighth portion;

(V) carding and opening the eighth portion, particularly the motes, to obtain a tenth portion of the input primarily comprising a short fiber fraction and fine trash by subjecting the eighth portion to a plurality of abrupt deflections and accelerations in a circular direction of travel to assist in thinning and opening the motes of the eighth portion and to assist in disentangling the fibers, and also to cause the lighter trash to be broken up into fine particles and loosened;

(VI) cleaning and carding the tenth portion to obtain a twelth portion of the input comprising a short fiber fraction by subjecting the fibers of the tenth portion to a plurality of abrupt deflections and accelerations in a circular travel direction to assist in cleaning and orienting the fibers of the tenth portion and to tend to separate and to assist in disentangling the fibers of the tenth portion and also to cause an eleventh portion of the input comprising fine trash to be freed and separated from the fibers of the tenth portion.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

cleaning and opening the fourth portion of the input feed to remove a third portion of the input feed comprising motes and relatively smaller trash and to retain a new fourth portion of the input primarily comprising a long fiber fraction with lesser quantities of motes and trash;

conveying the new fourth portion to be cleaned and carded as in step (II); and

consolidating the first, the third, and the fifth portions of the input to form the seventh portion of the input.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of consolidating the ninth portion and the eleventh portion to form a thirteenth portion of the input comprising trash.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of withdrawing a portion of the trash broken up and loosened in step (V) by air suction.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

separately baling the sixth portion into bales comprising the long fiber fraction; and

separately baling the twelth portion to obtain bales comprising the short fiber fraction.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

conveying the eighth portion prior to step (V) to a holding bin;

returning the eighth portion to be carded and opened as in step (V) to produce the tenth portion; and

cleaning and carding the tenth portion as in step (VI) to obtain the twelfth portion after the fourth portion has been cleaned and carded into the sixth portion to maintain the sixth and the twelfth portions separate.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of subjecting the seventh portion to a cyclone to remove the air and form clusters of material prior to step (IV).

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of subjecting the fourth portion to carding and opening as in step (V) prior to cleaning and carding the fourth portion in step (II).

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of combining the fourth portion and the eighth portion to be subjected to both (1) carding and opening and (2) cleaning and carding together to form a single output comprising a short fiber fraction.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the fourth, the eighth, and the tenth portions are further carded individually after each successive one of the plurality of abrupt deflections and accelerations in the circular travel direction.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

collecting the dust and lint fly generated by steps (I), (II), (IV), (V), and (VI); and

conveying the dust and lint fly to a dust house.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

opening bales to produce the fiber containing material; and

drying the material to remove moisture prior to step (I).

14. The method of claim 1 or 13 wherein the input feed of material comprises waste discarded by a ginning process or early textile mill process.

6. The method of calim 1, wherein the tenth portion is combined with the fourth portion whereby the tenth and the fourth portions are cleaned and carded together to produce a single output comprising mixed long and short fiber fractions.

15. A method of recovering fiber comprising the steps of:

opening and cleaning an input feed of material in at least one location to remove a first quantity of trash and motes from the input feed, and to retain the remaining input feed;

subjecting the remaining input feed to a plurality of abrupt deflections and accelerations to remove a second quantity of trash and motes;

collecting the first and the second quantities of trash and motes to form a third quantity of trash and motes;

cleaning the third quantity of trash and motes to remove a substantial quantity of the heavy trash and to retain the motes and lighter trash;

subjecting the motes and lighter trash to a plurality of abrupt deflections and accelerations to open the motes to obtain a short fiber fraction and break up the lighter trash.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of subjecting the opened motes and lighter trash to a plurality of abrupt deflections and accelerations to remove the lighter trash and disentangle the short fiber fraction obtained from the motes.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the steps of:

separately baling the fibers remaining after subjecting the remaining input feed to a plurality of abrupt deflections and accelerations; and

separately baling the fibers remaining after subjecting the opened motes and lighter trash to a plurality of abrupt deflections and accelerations.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of withdrawing a quantity of the lighter trash broken up by the abrupt deflections and accelerations by air suction.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein cleaning the third quantity of trash and motes comprises the steps of:

lifting and tumbling the third quantity over a plurality of finger-shaped baffles to break up clusters of material and separate the trash; and

allowing heavy trash to drop through a screen while retaining the motes and lighter trash.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of combining the opened motes with the remaining input feed whereby the opened motes and the remaining input feed are subjected to abrupt deflections and accelerations together.

21. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of collecting dust and lint fly generated by the method of recovering fiber.

22. A continuous, interconnected system for recovering fiber comprising:

means for opening and cleaning an input feed of fiber containing material in at least one location to remove a first quantity of trash and motes from the input feed, and to retain the remaining input feed;

means for subjecting the remaining input feed at a second location to a plurality of abrupt deflections and accelerations in a circular travel direction to remove a second quantity of trash and motes, and to retain a long fiber fraction of the input feed;

means for collecting the first and second quantities of trash and motes to form a third quantity of trash and motes;

means for cleaning the third quantity of trash and motes at a third location to remove a substantial quantity of the heavy trash and to retain the motes and lighter trash; and

means for subjecting the motes and the lighter trash at a fourth location to a plurality of abrupt deflections and accelerations in a circular travel direction to open the motes and break up the lighter trash and recover a short fiber fraction from the motes.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 further comprising means for subjecting the opened motes and lighter trash at a fifth location to a plurality of abrupt deflections and accelerations to clean and disentangle the short fiber fraction obtained from the notes.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the means for cleaning the third quantity of trash and motes comprises a rotating drum surrounded by a screen having a plurality of finger-shaped baffles arranged on an inside periphery of the drum, which baffles break up clusters of material and separate the trash whereby heavy trash drops through the screen while the motes and lighter trash are retained.

25. A method of recovering usable fiber from an input feed of waste discarded by a ginning process or early textile mill process comprising a mass of randomly oriented mixed fibers, motes and trash comprising the steps of:

(I) opening the input feed at a first opening and cleaning station, said station separating the input feed into a first portion of the input feed primarily comprising trash and motes and a second portion of the input feed primarily comprising fibers and relatively smaller trash;

(II) cleaning and opening the second portion of the input feed to remove a third portion of the input feed primarily comprising motes and relatively smaller trash and a fourth portion of the input primarily comprising a long fiber fraction;

(III) cleaning and carding the fourth portion of the input to obtain a sixth portion of the input comprising a long fiber fraction comprising the steps of;

(A) subjecting the fibers of the fourth portion to an abrupt deflection at a first location to cause leading fibers to experience a deflecting motion generally transverse to a longitudinal travel direction and simultaneously subjecting the leading fibers to the fourth portion to a sudden accelerating force in a first circular direction of travel of the fibers, the deflecting in the transverse direction and accelerating force in the circular travel direction assisting in thinning and orienting the fibers of the fourth portion in the first travel direction and assisting in disentangling the fibers of the fourth portion and the deflecting and accelerating also causing trash and motes to be freed and separated from the fibers of the fourth portion;

(B) at a second location downstream of the first location subjecting the fibers traveling in the first circular travel direction to a generally tangential accelerating force in a second circular travel direction while carding a first face portion of the fibers at the second junction, the combined effects of accelerating sinuously and carding on the first face portion tending to thin and draft apart individual fibers in the second travel direction and tending to separate and disentangle individual fibers laterally of the second travel direction and aiding in loosening of trash from the fibers;

(C) at a third location downstream of the second location subjecting the fibers traveling in the second circular travel direction to another generally tangential accelerating force in a third circular travel direction sinuous to the second circular travel direction to cause the fibers to accelerate freely in the third circular travel direction while at the third location carding a second face portion on a side opposite the first face portion of the fibers, the combined effects of accelerating sinuously and carding on the second opposite face portion tending to thin and draft apart individual fibers in the third travel direction and tending to separate and disentangle individual fibers laterally of the third travel direction and aiding in further loosening trash from the fibers; and

(D) collecting the trash and motes rejected at the first location, the second location, and the third location to form a fifth portion of the input;

(IV) consolidating the first, the third, and the fifth portions of the input into a seventh portion of the input;

(V) cleaning the seventh portion of the input in a drum screen cleaner comprising the steps of;

(A) lifting and tumbling the seventh portion over a plurality of finger-shaped baffles to break up clusters of material and separate the trash; and

(B) allowing the relatively heavy trash to drop through a screen to form an ninth portion of the input feed while retaining the motes and lighter trash to form an eighth portion of the input;

(VI) carding and opening the eighth portion, particularly the motes, to obtain a tenth portion of the input primarily comprising a short fiber fraction and fine trash comprising the steps of;

(A) subjecting the fibers of the eighth portion to an abrupt deflection at a first location to cause leading fibers to experience a deflecting motion generally transverse to a longitudinal travel direction and simultaneously subjecting the leading fibers of the eighth portion to a sudden accelerating force in a first circular direction of travel of the fibers, the deflecting in the transverse direction and accelerating force in the first circular travel direction assisting in thinning and opening the motes of the eighth portion and assisting in disentangling the fibers, and the deflecting and accelerating also causing the lighter trash to be broken up into fine particles and loosened;

(B) at a second location downstream of the first location subjecting the fibes traveling in the first circular travel direction to a generally tangential accelerating force in a second circular travel direction to cause the fibers to accelerate freely in the second circular travel direction while carding a first face portion of the fibers at the second junction, the combined effects of accelerating sinuously and cardingd on the first face portion further tending to thin and open individual fibers and motes in the second travel direction and tending to separate and disentangle individual fibers laterally of the second travel direction and aiding in loosening and breaking up trash;

(C) shrouding the fibers by at least the first and second locations in the first and the second circular travel directions to prevent the lighter trash broken up and loosened from the fibers from being thrown downwardly and outwardly from the circular travel directions; and

(D) at a third location downstream of the second location subjecting the fibers traveling in the second circular travel direction to another generally tangential accelerating force in a third circular travel direction sinuous to the second circular travel direction to cause the fibers to accelerate freely in the third circular travel direction while at the third location carding a second face portion on a side opposite the first face portion of the fibers, the combined effects of accelerating sinuously and carding on the second opposite face portion tending to further thin and open individual fibers and motes in the third travel direction and tending to separate and disentangle individual fibers laterally of the third travel direction and aiding in further loosening and breaking up trash contained in the fibers;

(VII) cleaning and carding the tenth portion to separate the tenth portion into a twelth portion of the input comprising a short fiber fraction and an eleventh portion of the input comprising fine trash, comprising the steps utilized in step (III).

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising the step of withdrawing a portion of the trash freed and broken up in steps (VI) (A), (VI) (B), and (VI) (D) by air suction.