Method and apparatus for the treatment of cotton fibres

Abstract

.Iadd.A method and apparatus for the production of cotton yarns by the cotton system treats cotton fibers in a sequence of steps comprising carding the fibers and forming them into a thin carded web, passing the web through crushing rollers to crush small impurities in the web, subjecting the web on leaving the crushing rollers to a longitudinal drafting action sufficient to cause relative longitudinal fiber movement therein, condensing the web into a sliver, and drafting and spinning and fibers of said silver into yarn..Iaddend.

I claim:  .[.1. A method of treating cotton fibres comprising the steps of forming the fibres into a thin carded web, passing said web through crushing rollers adapted to crush small impurities in the web and subjecting said web on leaving said crushing rollers to a longitudinal drafting action sufficient to cause relative longitudinal fiber movement in the web..]. .[.2. A cotton carding machine having a doffer, a pair of calender rollers, a pair of impurity crushing rollers between said doffer and said calender rollers adapted to receive a carded web in substantially full width from the doffer, drive means rotating said crushing rollers at a speed sufficient to take up slack in the web between the doffer and the crushing rollers, and drive means rotating said calender rollers at a sufficiently greater surface speed than said crushing rollers to cause relative longitudinal fiber movement in said web between said crushing and calender rollers..].  .[.3. A cotton carding machine having a doffer, a pair of calender rollers, a pair of smoothly ground ironing rollers between said doffer and said calender rollers adapted to receive a carded web in substantially full width from the doffer, load means pressing said ironing rollers together with sufficient force to crush small impurities in said web, drive means rotating said ironing rollers at a speed sufficient to take up slack in the web between the doffer and said ironing rollers, and drive means rotating said calender rollers at a sufficiently greater surface speed than said ironing rollers to cause relative longitudinal fiber movement in said web between said crushing and calender rollers..].  .[.4. A cotton carding machine having a doffer, a pair of calender rollers, a main ironing roller between said doffer and said calender rollers, a plurality of secondary ironing rollers spaced apart around and contacting the periphery of said main ironing roller, load means pressing said secondary ironing rollers toward said main ironing roller with sufficient force to crush small impurities in the web, said ironing rollers directly receiving a carded web in substantially full width from the doffer, drive means rotating said ironing rollers with sufficient speed to take up slack in the web between said doffer and said ironing rollers and drive means rotating said calender rollers at a sufficiently greater surface speed than said ironing rollers to cause relative longitudinal fiber movement in said web between said ironing and 
     
        calender rollers..]. 5. A cotton carding machine having a doffer, a pair of calender rollers, at least two pairs of web impurity crushing ironing rollers spaced along said web between said doffer and said calender rollers, the first pair of ironing rollers receiving a carded web directly from the doffer, drive means rotating each of said pairs of ironing rollers at successively increasing surface speeds with the pair of ironing rolls nearer said doffer being rotated at a speed sufficient to take up slack in the web between it and the doffer and the next pair of ironing rollers being rotated at a speed sufficient to cause relative fiber movement in the web between said pairs of ironing rollers, and drive means rotating said calender rollers at sufficiently greater surface speed than the last pair of ironing rollers to cause relative longitudinal fiber movement in the web between said last pair of ironing rollers and said calender rollers. .Iadd. 6. In the production of cotton yarns of improved quality and cleanliness by the cotton system, the method of treating the cotton fibres which comprises, in sequence: a. carding the fibres and forming them into a thin carded web;   b. passing said web through crushing rollers adapted to crush small impurities in the web;   c. subjecting said web on leaving said crushing rollers to a longitudinal drafting action sufficient to cause relative longitudinal fibre movement therein;   d. condensing said web into a sliver; and   e. processing the fibres of said sliver into yarn by steps comprising drafting and spinning. .Iaddend.