An apparatus for opening tuffs of fibre materials using pressurized gaseous fluid and method thereof

Abstract

An apparatus and method for opening lumps and tuffs of fibre material in blow room of a spinning facility is disclosed. The disclosed method and apparatus use bursts of pressurized gaseous fluid which results in better opening of fibre lumps and reduced damage or breakage of the fibres. The gaseous fluid may be air or a gas or a mixture of air and gases. One or more nozzles 206 arranged in one or more rows are used to direct one or more controlled jets of a pressurized gaseous fluid at the tuffs/lumps 210 of fibre material entering through an opening 204 of at least one chamber 202 , which results in opening of the tuffs to smaller and more opened tufts of fibre as well as in separation of foreign material trapped in the lumps. The controlled jets of the pressurized gaseous fluid, such as air, may be bursts of short durations.

1 .- 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus ( 200 ) for opening lumps ( 210 ) and tuffs of fibre material, comprising:
 one or more openings ( 204 ) for feeding the fibre material to one or more chambers ( 202 );
 one or more nozzles ( 206 ) located adjacent to the openings ( 204 ) such that controlled jets of a pressurized gaseous fluid from the one or more nozzles ( 206 ) are directed at the lumps ( 210 ) of fibre material as the lumps ( 210 ) enter the chamber ( 202 ) from the one or more openings ( 204 ); 
 wherein the controlled jet of the pressurized gaseous fluid interacts with the lumps ( 210 ) to cause the lumps ( 210 ) to open; 
 wherein the controlled jets of the pressurized gaseous fluid are bursts of short durations; and 
 wherein the apparatus ( 200 ) is characterized by absence of mechanical beating of the lumps ( 210 ) of fibre material for opening the lumps ( 210 ). 
   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus ( 200 ) as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the one or more chambers ( 202 ) have increasing cross section in direction away from the nozzles ( 206 ) to allow spreading of the opened fibre material to a larger volume. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus ( 200 ) as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein source of the pressurized gaseous fluid is inbuilt with the apparatus, or external source, or a combination of external source and an inbuilt source. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus ( 200 ) as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the pressurized gaseous fluid is air, or a mixture of air and a gas. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus ( 200 ) as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the fibre material is any one or a combination of a natural fibre and a manmade fibre. 
     
     
         16 . A method ( 300 ) for opening lumps ( 210 ) and tuffs of a fibre material comprising the steps of:
 feeding ( 302 ) the lumps of fibre material to be opened to a chamber ( 204  through one or more openings ( 204 ); and   directing ( 304 ) controlled jets of a pressurized gaseous fluid from one or more nozzles ( 206 ), at the lumps ( 210 ) of fibre material as the lumps ( 210 ) enter the chamber ( 202 ) from the one or more openings ( 204 );   controlling ( 306 ) the jets of the pressurized gaseous fluid to create bursts of short durations, wherein the controlled jets of the pressurized gaseous fluid interact with the lumps ( 210 ) to cause the lumps ( 210 ) to open;   wherein the method ( 300 ) is characterized by absence of mechanical beating of the lumps ( 210 ) of fibre material for opening the lumps ( 210 ).