US3165790A - Cotton ball machine - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 19, 1965 R. H. PRATT ETAL COTTON BALL MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed March 2, 1959 INVENIORS zaaEer Pear-7- lar e-0 A anon/5 Jan. 19, 1965 R. H. PRATT ETAL COTTON BALL MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed March 2, 1959 INVENTORJ Zoaeer H. Pznrr- Hamesa J. anon/g U MM! gifubtacll all,

ATTGENEY Jan. 19, 1965 R. H. PRATT ETAL COTTON BALL MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed March 2, 1959 INVENTORS P0652714- Penrr flan/mesa .1 EHCKUS w Arm ATTORNEY Jan. 19, 1965 R. H. PRATT ETAL COTTON BALL MACHINE Original Filed March 2,- 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS 206E21- Pen 7' r 94 FEED J. BHcKuS ATTORNEY.

LM, Ma -M 2965 R. H. PRATT ETAL Jan. 19,

COTTON BALL MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed March 2, 1959 INVENTORS 1%6527'11. pa rr ALFRED .J. EEC/K05 Jan. 19, 1965 R. H. PRATT ETAL COTTON BALL MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Original Filed March 2, 1959 a WW m men v MP5 m 7 M g fiwxw WW M mm. m. YQMI\\ A United States Patent 3,165,794 CGTIGN- BALL PJEACHHJE Rohert E. Pratt, For: Point, and Alfred .i. Backus, West Bend, Wis, assignors to Corp, Milwaukee,

Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Original application Mar. 2, i959, Ser. No. 796,4?5, now

Patent No. 3,065,505, dated Nov. 27, 1962. Divided and this application Apr. as, 1962, Ser. No. 1903M 9 Claims. ((31. 19-1445) This application is divisional with respect to our application Serial No. 796,495 filed March 2, 1959, now US. Patent No. 3,065,505.

The invention relates to a cotton ball machine.

The product known as a cotton ball has heretofore been produced in various ways and in various specific forms, but essentially the cotton ball is a wad, roll or ball of cotton fibers or other fibers, preferably absorbent, useful in many ways and often utilized in surgery or for application of medicaments.

The so called cotton ball may be of any practicable size but the common product is a fiufiy but more or less compact ball approximately an inch in diameter.

The machine of the instant invention is a simple device mechanically but provides in its principal operating throat a succession of operating principles which are conducive to extremely rapid production and to completion of the product through the use of few operating parts not only adapted to receive and feed raw fiber in the simplest form of sliver but to separate lengths of such a sliver into formable unit lengths best adapted for rapid.

formation into the roll or ball for delivery in a sweeping continuous operation.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the cotton ball machine of this invention and showing diagrammatically at the left a carding machine for delivery of fiber in the form of a sliver; certain parts of the delivery portion of the cotton ball machine being shown at the right in vertical section.

FIG. 2 is an elevation of the delivery side of the machine and showing the symmetrical duplicate delivery apparatus of the duplicate operative portions of the machine.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the ball forming heads and is therefore an enlarged fragmentary view of the upper portion of the disclosure in FIG. 1; the position of the operating parts of the machine disclosing their operation immediately upon the rupture of the sliver to provide a unit length thereof for the formation of a ball.

FIG. 4 is a view fragmentarily of some of the parts shown in FIG. 3 but disclosing the sliver as it initially advances into the unit forming portion of the apparatus.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail of those operating parts of the machine at the station where the ball formation of the sliver unit has its inception.

FIG. dis a view in perspective of a fragment of sliver as it appears just after the inception of the rolling operation for formation of a ball.

FIG. 7 is a perspective of a complete roll or ball which is the product of the instant machine.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged vertical section on line 8-8 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 9 is a section on line 9 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 10 is a view in section online 10-10 of FIG. 3 showing the relative positions of the ball forming wheel and the final feed wheel.

FIG. 11 is a detailed view of a portion of the ball forming Wheel and the partsprovid-ing the ball forming throat, such parts being shown in section on line 11-11 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 12 shows an alternative form of cotton ball form- 3,1553% Patented Jan. 19, 1955.

ing apparatus and the view is in general comparable to FIG. 3.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary portion of the view shown in FIG. 12this portion. showing apparatus for initiating the ball forming operation.

FIG. 14 is a vertical section through that portionv of the cotton ball machine which shows the power train of shafts, sprockets and other driving elements of the apparatus shown in FIG. 12.

FIG. 15 is a section on line 15l5 of FIG. 14, certain parts being eliminated so as to show clearly certain func tioning parts of the cotton ball'machine.

FIG. 16 is a section on line 1616 of FIG. 14 and including a diagrammatic showing of the electrical portion of the control apparatus, certain parts mounted in conjunction with the control apparatus on a control shaft being shown in elevation.

FIG. 17 is a section on line 17-17 of FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is a section on line 1818 of FIG. 14.

FIG. 19 is a section on line li9l9 of FIG. 12.

It will be understood that in the description of the machine, the term ball is intended in its broadest sense to include fibrous material approximatelyball shaped but including a roll formed by spirally successive accumulation derived from a band or sliver of fibrous material.

The raw material to be fed into the instant apparatus is fibrous and formed in a carding machine 25into a band or sliver 26 as shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1. The sliver is delivered from thecarding machine by the rolls 2? and 23 one of which is power connected by chain 29 to the cotton ball machine. It will be understood that sliver 26 may be provided from any source and may be delivered I into the instant inventive machine from a carton or other container as will be understood by those skilled in the art of handling slivers. The machine as shown in the drawings is in reality a double machine in that the actual mechanism for producing balls is duplicated on either side as shown in FIG. 2, therefore with the exception of the mechanism for delivery of the completed product, the

following description will be directed to the mechanism principal structural operating member of the ball form ing part of the machine is a ball forming wheel 31 mounted upon shaft 32. It is provided with a rim 33, the outer peripheral surface of which is pulley shaped and coated with a thickness of soft rubber-like material 34. As shown in the drawings the'wheel 31 is 16" in diameter and the rubber-like coating upon its periphery is made up of a band of this material approximately 2" longer than the circumferential dimensions of the wheel so that as shown in FIG. 3 the band of rubber-like material is overlapped at 35 for reasons to be described below.

At the input portion of the machine relative to the wheel 31, there is a pairof sliver feeding rolls 36 and'37 mounted on shafts 38 and 39 respectively. Shaft 38 for roll 36 as shown in FIG. 9'is mounted in fixed bearings 49 and this shaft 38 is positively driven by chain 41 on sprocket 42 as will be described below relative tothe driving mechanism of the entire machine. The other roll 37 of this pair of feed rolls is mounted in a bracket 46 so as to be swingable toward nd away'from roll 36. Bracket 46 is pivoted upon shaft 49 extending across the machine frame. A spring at 50 tensioned between the bracket 46 and a cross brace 51 biases theswingable feed roll 37 toward the feed roll 36, and it is between these rolls that a sliver 26 is fed toward the ball forming wheel 31 in a direction such that the sliver may be picked up between the periphery of wheel 31 and sliver-severing feed roll 55. p I

The rim33 of the ball forming wheel 31 is quite close to the exterior surface of the box-shaped housing 39, and there is a path forming band 66 spaced outwardly peripherally of the coating 34. This path forming band 60 is supported at spaced points by adjustable mounting screws 61 as most clearly shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 where it will be seen that the heads of the screws 61 are held under clips 62 secured to the outer face of band 61). Then the screws extend radially outwardly through mounting devices 63 secured to the housing 30. The screws are in threaded engagement with the devices 63 and lock nuts 64 may be used to secure the band 60 in the proper adjusted position.

It will be noted that band 6% is positioned radially closer to the periphery of the wheel 31 adjacent feed roll 55 and that at each point of attachment the adjustment of the band is such that it is held at increasing distances from the wheel 31 until finally at the outlet shown at 65 in FIG. 3 the band is at its greatest degree of separation from the periphery of the wheel.

Then to complete the definition and enclosure of the path to be followed by the cotton or other fibrous material, there is an' outer shield 66 which comprises a large portion of an annular collar preferably formed of trans parent plastic and having an inner skirt of sufiicient radial extent to provide closure for the path of product as will be readily understood from an examination of-the drawmgs.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 8, the power means for driving the apparatus thus far disclosed includes a motor (not shown) for the carding machine which drives the rolls 27 and 28. The chain 29 connected to the roll 23 and its shaft extends .to 'a sprocket 70 on a shaft 71 extending across the box frame 30 of the cotton ball machine. On this same shaft 71 is a sprocket 72 connected to a sprocket 73 by means of chain 74. Sprocket 73 is on the same shaft 75 with a larger gear 76 meshed with gear 77 on shaft 32. Then in one to one ratio, there are sprockets 73 and 79 with a chain 80 for drive of a counter device 81 mounted adjacent the output mechanism of the machine.

A sprocket 82 on shaft 83 of roll 55 and a sprocket 42 on shaft 38 are connected by chain 41 with a sprocket on shaft 71 for drive of rolls 55 and 36, and it will be noted that sprocket 82 is smaller than sprocket 42 whereby to provide a more rapid rotation of the periphery of roll 55 than is provided for the periphery of roll 36.

The principal parts of the ball forming apparatus having been described above, it will be observed as shown in the drawings that the sliver 26 is passed to rolls 36-37 by any satisfactory path of travel, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the path is directed from the carding machine upwardly and arcuately over wheel 31 as governed by a curved strap 85 mounted on clips 86 secured to the housing 30. When the feed of sliver 26 is directed between power operated roll 36 and idler roll 37 which is spring biased toward roll 36, the sliver is directed toward the infeed fthroat 87 and in a general direction toward the path which is defined by the wheel 31 and path forming band 60. At a time when a single thickness of rubber-like friction material 34 is opposite roll 55, there is ample space for the sliver to freely move between the roll 55 and friction material 34. The sliver contacts either the roll or the friction material and some assistance is given to the forward travel into and through the throat and into the path of travel to be followed in a ball forming operation. The length of a ball forming unit is primarily determined by the peripheral speed of roll 36 which is power operated and a certain length of the sliver indicated clearly in FIG. 3 will have traveled through the throat at the time when the overlapped or land portion of friction material 34 at 35 is brought into the bite between wheel 31 and roll 55. This added thickness of the overlapped portion is sufiicient to squeeze the sliver tightly against roll 55 and since the peripheral speed of roll 55 is faster than the peripheral speed of roll 36, there is an appreciable speeding up of one portion of the sliver while that portion at 38 between rolls 36 and 55 is subjected to an attenuation resulting in a rupture of the sliver at 88. Of course the peripheral speed of the friction material 34 is the same as the peripheral speed of roll 55, but until the sliver has been squeezed by the additional thickness of friction material 34 at 35, only a slight frictional and indirect application of forward power to the sliver at 39 has been partially effective and never sufliciently powerful in forward pull upon the sliver to accomplish a rupture of the sliver.

The severed portion %9 of the sliver now progresses as a unit forwardly in the direction of wheel rotation in the path between the wheel 31 and the path forming band 60, and almost immediately the forward end of this sliver unit enters a relatively constricted zone at 9% because of the provision of friction material 91 on the inside of the path forming band 69 (see FIG. 3). There is just sufficient room at 96 for the sliver to enter but there is immediately established a resistance to the outside portion of the sliver and a rolling action commences. As the rolling action develops as illustrated somewhat diagrammatically in FIG. 6, a greater space is needed between the friction surface 34- and the friction surface 91. This is accommodated by the increased dimension of the ball forming zone as the band 6i? is increasingly peripherally spaced from wheel 31 and its surface 34. Of course the ball or roll progresses along the outlet at 65 where it pops out tangentially of the wheel 31 and into a delivery trough or tube 92.

In the meantime, the forward end of the sliver at the point of rupture at 88 has been fed forwardly between surface 34 and roll 55 and the operation is repeated to form a ball or roll for each revolution of wheel 31. Assuming a given speed of sliver feed through rolls 3637, the amount of fiber in the ball may be determined by the time interval between passage of zones of overlap 35 respecting roll 55. The degree of compaction is controlled by adjustment of band 6%) and affects the size of the ball.

When a sliver rolls into ballform in its path of progress between the wheel surface 34 and the path forming band 60 with its friction material 91 it assumes a form shown in FIG. 7 except that usually there are fuzzy portions of the fibrous sliver material which give the product a more ball shaped appearance. As the product pops into the outlet tube 92, it falls by gravity into a bag or container 160 into which it is directed by a two-way delivery valve 101 at the dividing point in the Y-shaped portion 162 of outlet tube 92 (see FIG. 2).

The valve 161 is fixed on shaft 103 provided with a valve shifter lever arm 104 so disposed that a solenoid 105 and its armature 106 may, by means of shift link 10?, flip the valve from one position to another against the bias of spring 198.

Electrically, the solenoid 105 is under control of a circuit diagrammatically shown in FIG. 2 at 110 and connected to counter 81. Each time the counter totals a certain number, for instance 500, the circuit 110 is energized or deenergized by means of a switch not shown, and the valves 161 change position whereuponan operator removes a filled container 1% and substitutes an empty one in readiness for the next valve movement.

As shown in FIG. 11 provision for adjustment of the band 60, particularly at the restricted zone 90, permits of careful determination that the rolling of the sliver is initiated. Also it will be noted that the shape of the parts at 65 facilitates the centrifugal throwing of the product into a delivery tube.

Experience has shown that a more versatile ball forming machine according to the above described basic ball forming principle is attainable through the provision of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 12 to 19 inclusive. Here the sliver 26 is guided around a snub roller 115 and then passed through infeed rolls 116 and 117. Roll 116 is power operated and roll 117 is an idler roll biased to squeeze the sliver between the rolls. The sliver is thus fed to the bite of two or more infeed rolls which will be denominated as severance rolls 118 and 119. Roll 113 is a power operated continuously rotating roll and roll 119 is an idler roll spring biased toward roll 118.

A felt wiper 123 on blade 124 prevents accidental maldirection of the sliver to the right as seen in FIG. 12.

In this construction, wheel 1213 is provided with rubberlike friction material 121 on the periphery of its pulleylilze surface in much the same way that wheel 31 is equipped in the PEG. 3 type of machine except that the friction material 121 is of single thickness throughout the entire periphery of the wheel 121), and the wheel 120 may revolve at a greater peripheral speed without specilic reference to the number of cotton balls which are produced in one revolution of the wheel 12%.

Through the use of the feed rolls 116, 117 and 118, 11 a severance or rupture of the sliver into ball forming unit length is accomplished as will be described below.

The leading end of a unit length of sliver is projected upwardly by the feed rolls 118, 119 so as to impinge against the friction material 121 of wheel 1%. Therefore, naturally the unit length of the sliver will be fed to the left as shown in FIG. 12 into a throat 125 defined by the material 121 on the wheel 121), by the side wall of the housing 36 and by an almost complete collar 126 comparable in ftnction to that shown in 66 in FIG. 1. Here, too, a peripheral path forming band 127 is supported upon adjustingscrews 128 mounted and performing the same function as screws 61; however, the first contact of the leading end of the sliver unit with band 127 and its friction material 129 is not required to initiate the rolling action for the formation of a ball. This initial rolling action is assured by reason of a pneumatic denector 131} shown most clearly in FlG. 13 where it will be seen that a screened opening along the lower portion of the path of travel of a sliver unit 131 is connected to a vacuum pipe line 13-2 and when the advancing unit 131 reaches 131?, there is a downward deflection of the leading end of the unit sufficient to assure the initiation of a rolling action which is almost immediately picked unity the friction material 12? at 133 which is the forward nose of the band 127 and its friction surface 129, specially adjustably positioned by set screw 1%. When the rollin action has been developed along the path of travel of the sliver unit, the ball is soon completely formed as the band 127 is radially increasingly spaced from the periphery of the wheel 12% Usually, the ball is substantially complete and the sliver unit has been completely wound into ball form before the ball reaches the oclocl; position as seen in FIG; 12. From thereon to the outlet 135, the ball merely rolls for the purpose of advancing it along the path for delivery and to shape and frictionally treat the ball surface.

A delivery blade 136 is positioned to positively assure the delivery of the completed ball away from wheel 121i, but because of the rapid rotation of Wheel 1213 and the centrifugal forces involved, the ball usually travels along the path designated by the trailingend of band 127 so that the ball is delivered into outlet tube 137.

The timing and power operation of this alternative ball forming apparatus is shown in FIGS. 14 to 18 inclusive, and, as indicated above in reference to the FIG. 8 disclosure, the power for operation of the ball forming apparatus is derived from the carding machine which supplies the slivers to the respective sides of the apparatus. In BEG. 14 the shaft connected to the carding machine is shaft it will be noted that shaft 141 for the wheel 121i is connected directly to shaft 149 by sprocket chain 1 3 and sprocket 144-. Also the shaft 141 is provided with a sprocket 145, provided with .161? forming parts of a unitary member 169.

6 a chain 146, connected tosprocket 147 on shaft 150. Thus the rotative power from shaft is carried to a gear 141 on shaft 154) meshed with gear 152 on shaft 153. This shaft 153 carries infeed rolls 118.

Gear 152 is meshed with a larger gear 15lwhich is an idler gear on shaft 155. This shaft 155 is an important carrier of a clutch and brake forming'part of the control devices determining the unit length of sliver to be formed into a ball.

At each end of shaft 155 are the rolls 116 and since each of the power driven rolls 118 and 116 are respectively mated with their idler rolls 119 and 117, attention is now directed to FIG. 15 where it will be seen that shaft 155 is equipped with a set of bralre and clutch members now to be described.

A fixed frame cross shaft 156 extends from one side of the housing 3% to the other and carries a bracket 157. This in turn carries a spreader shaft 158 with which to anchor two oppositely facing mounting plates 159 and These mounting plates are generally circular and are provided with individualbearing members 161 and 162 respectively between the plates and the shaft 155. Plate 159 carries field coil 163 and pole ring 164 with appropriate electrical connections for the coil as shown in FIG. 16 and described below sothat when the coil 163 is energized, flux carrier 165 keyedto shaft 155 pulls brake armature res into braking relation to the flux carrier. This is possible because braking armature 166 is splined upon fixed idler hub 167 carried by a bracket 168 mounted in fixed relation to frame cross shaft 156.

Flate 151B carries pole ring17tl which is provided with a coil 171. When this coil is energized a clutch 'iiux ring 172 keyed to shaft 155 pulls clutch armature 1'73 into friction relationship with the flux ring 172. This provides a drive for shaft 155 because clutch armature 173 is in splined relation to the hub of gear 154.

From the above description, it will be seen that when coil 163 is energized and coil 1'71 is deenergized, shaft 1% is almost immediately stopped in its rotation by the braking action between flux ring 165 and armature 16,6. Then wheujcoil 163 is deenergized and coil 171 is energized shaft 155 is brought immediately up to its proper speed of rotation by frictional engagement of flux ring 172 and clutch armature 173.

Control of the coils 163 and 171 respectively is provided as shown in F168. 16 and 17. A timing shaft is provided with a commutator device 181 having a dielectric sleeve 182 fixed on the shaft. Embedded in the dielectric material are two complete slip rings 183 and 18 1 respectively electrically connected to coils 163 and 1'71 as shown diagrammatically in PEG. 16 where it will be seen that a brush 1S5rides on ring 183 and brush 186 rides on ring 184. Centrally of the sleeve 1&2 is a segmental commutator ring shown more completely in FIG. 17. One segment 187 extends slightly less than 390 degrees and the other, 158, extends slightly less than 60 degrees for respective contact through a brush 1519 with one lead 191? of a two wire-supply of which the other ead is shown at 191 for common feed to the coils. The longer commutator segment 11}? is connected by a bus bar 192 with ring 184 for clutch energization and the shorter segment 138 is connected by bus bar 193 with ring 133 for brake energization. Therefore, in one revolution of shaft 181 and this commutator 181 the shaft 155 and infeed rolls 116 are in operation during 300 degrees of shaft 181 rotation and are stopped during 60'degrees of shaft 189 rotation. This then determines the unit length of sliver to be fed into the ball forming portion of the machine since the rolls 116 will advance sliver '26 between them and the mated idlers 117 while they are operating but will stop longenough to rupture the slivers as the other infeed rolls 118 are constantly rotating to feed the sliver units forward to the wheel 120.

The length of a sliver unit is adjustable because the limits, as shown in FIG. 14.

.speed of rotation of shaft 130 relative to the other -One of these pulleys, 196 on shaft 18%, is a Reeves drive pulley having one face of the pulley automatically adjustable so as to change the effective diameter of the pulley according to the pressure of the belt thereon. At'197 is an idler pulley for the belt 195 whereby to change the pressure on pulley 196 for a change in speed of shaft 180. The shaft of idler pulley 197 is carried by an adjusting arm 1% pivoted at B9 and adjustably swingable under control of adjusting apparatus at 2 30 as will be readily understood.

Reference has been made to the fact that the mates for each of the power operated feed rolls 116 and 118 are idler rolls 117 and 119, but they are resiliently pressed toward their mates so as to give substantially positive feed of sliver. As shown, in FIGS. l4, l5 and 18, each of these rolls is mounted on a shaft such as shaft 2M carried for free rotation in a bracket 262 swingable on a shaft 2&3 extending across the frame of the machine. Each bracket of the type shown at 202 in FIG. 18 carries one of these idler rolls and a fixed arm 2% with compression spring 2% between the arm and bracket as shown in FIG. 14 presses the idler roll toward its mate.

Reference has also been made to the pneumatic deflector 13% an enlarged view of which is shown in Fl 13. The reduced air pressure in pipe 132 is not constantly reduced, but is reduced momentarily in timed relation to the feed of sliver units. 011 the control shaft 180, at 205, is a cam having one lobe 2% to bear against an actuator 267 for a valve 2&3. This is an off-on valve in air tube 209. Each time the valve opens in response to cam lobe 2%, compressed air in tube 269 is passed to an injector unit 210, the outlet of which is directed against the clutch and brake assembly so as to cool it. The function of the injector 210 is to induce a reduced air pressure in vacuum line 211 and thus pull the tip of a sliver unit against the screen at 1363 as above described.

From the above description, it will be seen that a sliver unit separated from a sliver 26 by a rupturing operating operation is fed into a path between a path forming member such as 60 or 127 and a peripheral portion of a wheel equipped with friction surfacing so that the sliver is advanced along the path. There are means for initiating a rolling action with respect to the forward end of the silver unit. These means are in the form of a constriction of the path as at 90 in FIG. 3 or a defleeting means such as the air stream at 130 in FIG. 13. Once the rolling action is initiated, it progresses between friction inducing surfaces along the path and the dimensions and spacing of the path forming members are such that there is room for the increasing diameter of the ball product until finally the outlet is reached and the ball is released into a outlet tube.

We claim:

1. A cotton ball forming machine provided with a rotatable wheel having a friction surfaced rim, a pathforming member having an entrance end, said member being positioned in increasingly widening spacedrelation to the friction surfaced rim beginning at said entrance end to define a circumferential ball-forming path between said rim and member for reception of a sliver unit, sliver unit feed means positioned to feed a sliver at a predetermined rate onto said rim in a position for entrance into said ball-forming path, pneumatic means positioned in spaced relationship from the rim of said wheel in a location adjacent said entrance end of the circumferential path to act on the leading end of a recentlyfed sliver to deflect said end and initiate a rolling action which is adapted to be completed in said ball-forming .path, and means for causing breaking of said sliver at predetermined intervals.

2. A cotton ball forming machine provided with a rotatable wheel having a friction surfaced rim, a pathforming member having an entrance end, said member being positioned in increasingly widening spaced relation to the friction surfaced rim beginning at said entrance end to define a circumferential ball-forming path between said rim and member for reception of a sliver unit, sliver unit feed means positioned to feed a sliver at a predetermined rate onto said rim in a position for entrance into said ball-forming path, suction means positioned in spaced relationship from the rim of said wheel in a location adjacent said entrance end of the circumferential path to act on the leading end of a recently-fed sliver to deflect said end outwardly away from the wheel and initiate a rolling action which is adapted to be completed in said ball-forming path, and means for causing breaking of said sliver at predetermined intervals.

3. A cotton ball forming machine provided with a rotatable wheel having a friction surfaced rim, a path forming member having an entrance end, said member being positioned in increasingly widening spaced relation to the friction surfaced rim beginning at said entrance end to define a circumferential ball-forming path between said rim and member for reception of a sliver unit, sliver unit feed means positioned to feed a sliver at a predetermined rate onto said rim in a position for entrance into said ball-forming path, suction means positioned in spaced relationship from the rim of said wheel in a location adjacent said entrance end of the circumferential path, means for causing breaking of said sliver at predetermined intervals, and means operable in timed relationship with said sliver-breaking means for causing momentary operation of said suction means to act on the leading end of a recently-fed sliver to deflect said end and initiate a rolling action which is adapted to be completed in said ball-forming path.

' 4. A cotton ball forming machine provided with a rotatable wheel having a friction surfaced rim, a pathforming member having an entrance end, said member being positioned in increasingly widening spaced relation to the friction surfaced rim from said entrance to define a circumferential ball-forming path between said rim and member for reception of a sliver unit, sliver unit feed means positioned to feed a sliver at a predetermined rate onto said rim in a position for entrance into said ball-forming path, means including a sliver delivery roll for delivering sliver to said feed means, suction means positioned in spaced relationship with the rim of said wheel in a location adjacent said entrance end of the circumferential path to act on the leading end of a recently-fed sliver to deflect said end outwardly away from the Wheel and initiate a rolling action, means for periodically stopping said sliver delivery roll to cause breaking of sliver at predetermined intervals, driving means for said wheel, driving means for said sliver delivery roll, and means associated with said last men tioned driving means for adjusting the length of the sliver.

5. A cotton ball forming machine having a peripherally friction surfaced rotatable wheel, a ball-forming path member having an entrance end, said member being in progressively increasing spaced relation to the friction surfaced wheel beginning at said entrance end to provide a circumferential ball-forming path for a sliver unit between the wheel and said member, means spaced from the surface of the Wheel and located adjacent said entrance end to act on the leading end of a recently-fed sliver unit on the wheel to initiate a rolling action which is adapted to be completed as the sliver unit travels through said ball-forming path, means including a feed roll for feeding sliver at a constant rate to said wheel in advance of said initiating means, sliver delivery rolls positioned to deliver a sliver to said feeding means, means for driving said delivery rolls, and means for periodically stopping the drive for said delivery rolls While the feeding means continues to cause breaking of sliver at periodic intervals into units of predetermined length.

6. A cotton ball forming machine having a peripherally friction surfaced rotatable wheel, a ball-forming path member having an entrance end, said member being in progressively increasing spaced relation to the friction surfaced wheel beginningat said entrance end to provide a circumferential ball-forming path for a sliver unit between the wheel and said member, means spaced from the surface of the wheel and located adjacent said entrance end to act on the leading end of a recently-fed sliver unit on the wheel to initiate a rolling action which is adapted to be completed as the sliver unit travels through said ball-forming path, means including a feed roll for feeding sliver at a constant rate to said Wheel in advance of said initiating means, sliver delivery rolls positioned to deliver a sliver to said feeding means, means for driving said delivery rolls, and clutch and brake means for periodically stopping the drive for said delivery rolls while the feeding means continues to cause breaking of sliver at periodic intervals into units of predetermined length.

7. A cotton ball forming machine having a peripherally friction surfaced rotatable wheel, a ball-forming path member having an entrance end, said member being in progressively increasing spaced relation to the friction surfaced wheel from said entrance end to provide a circumferential ball-forming path for a sliver unit between the wheel and said member, means spaced from the surface of the wheel and located adjacent said entrance end to act on the leading end of a recently-fed sliver unit on the wheel to initiate a rolling action to be com pleted as the sliver unit travels'through said ballforming path, means including a feed roll for feeding sliver at a constant rate to said wheel in advance of said initiating means, sliver delivery rolls positioned to deliver a sliver to said feeding means, means for driving said delivery rolls, said driving means including clutch and brake means for periodically stopping the drive for said delivery rolls while the feeding means continues to cause breaking of sliver at periodic intervals into units of predetermined length, said driving means also including a rotatably driven timing shaft, and there being means between said timing shaft and clutch and brake means for controlling the action of the latter.

8. A cotton ball forming machine having a peripherally friction surfaced rotatable wheel, a ball-forming path member having an entrance end, said member being in progressively increasing spaced relation to the friction surfaced wheel from said entrance end to provide a circumferential ball-forming path for a sliver unit between the wheel and said member, suction means spaced from the surface of the wheel and located adjacent said entrance end to act on the leading end of a recently-fed sliver unit on the wheel to initiate a rolling action which is adapted to be completed as the sliver unit travels through said ball-forming path, means including a feed roll for feeding sliver at a constant rate to said wheel in advance of said suction means, sliver delivery rolls positioned to deliver a sliver to said feeding means, means for driving said delivery rolls, said driving means including means for periodically stopping the drive for said delivery rolls while the feeding means continues to cause breaking of sliver at periodic intervals into units of predetermined length, and said driving means also including a rotatably driven timing shaft, there being means between said timing shaft and drive stopping means for controlling the action of the latter, and means between said timing shaft and suction means for controlling the action of the latter in timed relationship with the feed of sliver units to the Wheel.

9. A cotton ball forming machine having a peripherally friction surfaced rotatable wheel, a ball-forming path member having an entrance end, said member being in progressively increasing spaced relation to the friction surfaced Wheel from said entrance end to provide a circumferential ball-forming path for a sliver unit between [the wheel and said member, suction means spaced from the surface of the wheel and located adjacent said entrance end to act on the leading end of a recently-fed sliver unit on the wheel to initiate a rolling action which is adapted to be completed as the sliver unit travels through said ball-forming path, means including a feed roll for feeding slivers at a constant rate to said wheel in advance of said suction means, sliver delivery rolls positioned to deliver a sliver to said feeding means, means for driving said delivery rolls, said driving means including clutch and brake means for periodically stopping the drive for said delivery rolls while the feeding means continues to cause breaking of slivers at periodic intervals into units of predetermined length, and said driving means also including a rotatably driven timing shaft, there being means between said timing shaft and drive stopping means for controlling the action of the latter, and means between said timing shaft and suction means for controlling the action of the latter in timed relationship with the feed of sliver units to the wheel, said suction means including an air injector unit having an outlet positioned to direct cooling air against said clutch and brake means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,968,310 7/34 Peterson.

2,462,178 2/49 Ganz 14-l44.5 2,781,947 2/57 Webster et a1 19332 X 2,987,781 6/61 Kistler 19-144.5 3,003,911 10/61 Lindstrom et a1.

FOREIGN PATENTS 2,759 1870 Great Britain. 17,256 1903 Great Britain.

DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner.

RUSSELL C. MADER, MERVIN STEIN, Examiners.

Claims (1)

1. A COTTON BALL FORMING MACHINE PROVIDED WITH A ROTATABLE WHEEL HAVING A FRICTION SURFACED RIM, A PATHFORMING MEMBER HAVING AN ENTRANCE END, SAID MEMBER BEING POSITIONED IN INCREASINGLY WIDENING SPACED RELATION TO THE FRICTION SURFACED RIM BEGINNING AT SAID ENTRANCE END TO DEFINE A CIRCUMFERENTIAL BALL-FORMING PATH BETWEEN SAID RIM AND MEMBER FOR RECEPTION OF A SLIVER UNIT, SLIVER UNIT FEED MEANS POSITIONED TO FEED A SLIVER AT A PREDETERMINED RATE ONTO SAID RIM IN A POSITION FOR ENTRANCE INTO SAID BALL-FORMING PATH, PNEUMATIC MEANS POSITIONED IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP FROM THE RIM OF SAID WHEEL IN A LOCATION ADJACENT SAID ENTRANCE END OF THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL PATH TO ACT ON THE LEADING END OF A RECENTLYFED SLIVER TO DEFLECT SAID END AND INITIATE A ROLLING ACTION WHICH IS ADAPTED TO BE COMPLETED IN SAID BALL-FORMING PATH, AND MEANS FOR CAUSING BREAKING OF SAID SLIVER AT PREDETERMINED INTERVALS.

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