WO2024240819A1

WO2024240819A1 - Fiber dosing apparatus and method

Info

Publication number: WO2024240819A1
Application number: PCT/EP2024/064088
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stefan HUTTER; Laszlo Olah
Original assignee: Saentis Textiles Ag
Current assignee: Saentis Textiles Ag
Priority date: 2023-05-24
Filing date: 2024-05-22
Publication date: 2024-11-28
Anticipated expiration: 2025-11-24

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fiber dosing apparatus (1) and method for precision-dosing of fiber material, comprising: a fiber feeding system (2, 3, 4), a fiber drafting and opening system (5, 6) and a fiber output channel (7), wherein the fiber feeding system (2, 3, 4) comprises a plurality of fiber-dosing cassettes (4) for intermediate storage of portioned amounts of initial fiber material, a fiber-forwarding device (2) for controlled releasing of the initial fiber material from a first cas- sette (4) to the fiber drafting and opening system (5, 6), and a cassette-forwarding device (3) for removing the first cassette (4) after at least partial depletion and positioning a second filled cassette (4) at the fiber-forwarding device (2) for further controlled releasing of the initial fiber material to the fiber drafting and opening system (5, 6) and therefrom as fiber flow material to the fiber output channel (7).

Description

Fiber Dosing Apparatus and Method

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The field of the invention relates to retraceability of textile fiber material for controlling and guaranteeing the origin, quality and production standards of the fiber material and the compliance with other standards, including environmental standards. The invention broadly encompasses a fiber dosing apparatus and method for dosing tracer fibers in very small amounts and with very high precision and reliability for later adding or admixing them to volume textile fiber material for marking the volume textile fiber material throughout the lifecycle. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

ES1 183961 U, published on May 26, 2017 in the name of Masias Maquinaria, SL, discloses an apparatus for producing textile fiber fleece for cushions or quilted blankets. A textile fiber tank has at its top an entrance for textile fibers and at its bottom an exit equipped with two rotating dosing rollers for transporting textile fibers out of the tank. The textile fibers are fed to a rotary cylinder with a lining (e.g. barbs) and facing a static plate with a lining and to a subsequent napping cylinder with a perforated surface and suction mechanism for producing a fleece or layer of textile fiber. A delivery device is adapted to remove the fleece or layer of textile fiber formed on the perforated surface and to deliver it to a conveyor belt for further production steps of the cushions or blankets. A regulating device can comprise a sensor for the density and/or weight of the textile fibres dosed by the dosing rollers and a speed regulator of the dosing rollers connected to the density and/or weight sensor. Thus, a textile fiber fleece of homogeneous and constant density, weight

5 and isolating properties can be produced.

EP3230501 A1 , published as WO2016/091340A1 on June 16, 201 6 in the name of Trutzschler GmbH & CO. KG, discloses a method and a device for feeding an installation with fibers flocks or tufts that are at least partially opened and fed by a feed apparatus to a pneumatic feeding system, which guides the fibres into the0 reservoir of a fiber-processing machine, e.g. a card, carding machine, opener or cleaner. The actual pressure values measured and further processed in the pneumatic feeding system and the mass flow of the further precessed fibers measured and further processed at the fiber-processing machine are introduced into a control circuit, an optimal operating point of the installation is determined by a regulating5 algorithm, and a signal is passed to an actuator of the feed apparatus for regulating the amount of fiber flocks or tufts.

EP2028297 A2, published on February 2, 2009 in the name of Temafa Maschi- nenfabrik GmbH, discloses a method and a device for opening and dosing fiber material for uniform fleece production. The fiber material is delivered in bales, is0 opened and mixed and is fed to an opening device via an entrance feeding shaft. The fiber material is processed in a first opening step of a dosing opener D and fed without an interconnecting pneumatic distance to a further feeding shaft of a second opening step. The large-volume entrance feeding shaft has been placed before the first opening device, from which the fiber material is delivered to the further feeding shaft with a considerably smaller volume that delivers the fiber material to

5 the second opening device. Both opening devices and their associated feeding shafts are placed on top of one another. The system is designed for large production volumes, such as tons per hour of fiber material.

EP3586106 A1 , published as WO2018/1 5341 1 A1 on August 30, 2018 in the name of Tailorlux GmbH, discloses a method for identifying and quantifying a fiber0 material or mixture of fiber materials, which comprises one or more components X identifiable by excitation with light and use of an optical sensor, e.g. hyperspectral camera, photodiode, and/or spectroscopic sensor, such as fluorescence sensor. The recorded signals or images shall allow to assign the identifed component X to the fiber material or fiber material mixture and to quantitatively determine the fiber5 material or fiber material mixture. The incorporation or application of the component X in the fiber material may take place in any suitable way. Component X may include organic complex compounds, organic phosphors and/or inorganic phosphors, also known as luminescence agents or luminescent substances, that are already widely used in the identification of articles, as in the case of banknotes and0 other documents of value, for example. Particularly, in the case of textile fibers, tracer fibers should remain invisible to the eye and should not alter the properties of the textile fiber material. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to provide a device and method for improved fiber dosing that is suitable for adding tracer fibers in small amounts to volume fiber material. This object is achieved by the subject-matter set forth in the independent claims. Some embodiments are given in the dependent claims and claim combinations and in the description and can provide further improvements.

The invention relates to a fiber dosing apparatus for precision-dosing of fiber material, comprising a fiber feeding system, a fiber drafting and opening system and a fiber output channel, wherein the fiber feeding system comprises a plurality of fiber-dosing cassettes for intermediate storage of portioned amounts of initial fiber material, a fiber-forwarding device for controlled releasing of the initial fiber material from a first cassette to the fiber drafting and opening system, and a cassetteforwarding device for removing the first cassette after use and positioning a second cassette at the fiber-forwarding device for further controlled releasing of the initial fiber material to the fiber drafting and opening system for delivering a fiber flow material to the fiber output channel. Aportionment and filling of the initial fiber material into separate cassettes in relative small amounts allow a precise control of fiber feeding speed and thereby output mass flow of fiber flow. Using a plurality of cassettes for subsequently releasing the initial fiber material allows in addition for a continuous or quasi-continuous feeding of fiber material over a selected time period, e.g. one day. Thus, automated feeding of initial fiber material from a sequence of fiber cassettes provides a modular concept for high-precision fiber dosing over relatively long operating times. The fiber dosing apparatus, in particular the drafting and opening device, allows to transform the initial fiber material, preferably a non-oriented fiber mass, into a flow of fibers that can be blown or transported pneumatically through the output channel for use in an application device or pro¬

5 cess.

In embodiments, the initial fiber material can comprise or consist of non-oriented fiber mass; and/or the initial fiber material can comprise or consist of tracer fibers that are suitable for retracability marking of textile fiber materials or textile fiber material mixtures, which can comprise in particular cotton, viscose or polyester fi¬0 ber material or combinations thereof and to which the tracer fibers can be admixed in a subsequent application device or process; and/or the initial fiber material can comprise or consist of textile-compatible or textile tracer fibers, which may be of natural or man-made origin, comprising a marker element, such as e.g. optically detectable marker molecules or luminescent agents. Herein, textile-compatible5 designates tracer fibers that can be admixed to textile fiber materials or mixtures to-be-traced without deteriorating the desired textile properties. The fine dosing of such tracer fibers in very small amounts assures that the tracer fibers can be mixed with highest precision in small mixing rations, e.g. in a percentage range, i.e. weight of tracer fibers e.g. in kilograms (kg) or grams (g) to weight of to-be-traced0 fiber material e.g. in tons (t), of at most 0.1 % ( 1 kg/t) or at most 0.01 % ( 100 g/t), to the volume textile fiber material to provide a quantitative retracability of the volume textile fiber material and still to remain invisible to the human eye and not to change the material characteristics of the volume textile fiber substantially.

In embodiments, the fiber dosing apparatus ( 1 ) can allow for precision-dosing a flow of fibers in a range of at most 10 kg/h, preferred at most 5 kg/h, more preferred at most 2 kg/h, more preferred at most 1 kg/h, more preferred at most 0.2 kg/h, most preferred at most 0.1 kg/h.

In embodiments, the cassette-forwarding device can be or comprise a turntable, which comprises a cassette holder for releasably holding the plurality of cassettes in a circular arrangement around a central axis and a turntable drive for step-wise rotating the cassette holder between angular positions for selecting one of the cassettes to cooperate with the fiber-forwarding device. A cassette turntable has the advantage that the cassettes are easy to remove for filling them, e.g. by hand, and to present them one after the other, or also in any other order, to the fiber-for- warding device simply by rotating the turntable. Other cassette arrangements, such as e.g. oval or rectangular cassette-forwarding devices are possible, as well.

In embodiments of the cassette-forwarding device or turntable or its cassette holder, each cassette can comprise a lug, e.g. arranged at an upper portion, for being held by a releasable bolt of the cassette-forwarding device; and/or each cassette can comprise a holding pin, e.g. arranged at a lower portion, for being inserted into a groove of the cassette-forwarding device, in particular turntable. Thereby, mounting and removal of the cassettes is easily possible repetitively, e.g. by hand, while also a precise positioning of the selected or active cassette underneath the fiber-forwarding device is achieved.

In embodiments, the fiber-forwarding device can comprise a piston-driving tower

5 for holding a piston rod with a fiber-dosing piston and a piston drive, in particular piston motor with drive belt system, for sweeping the fiber-dosing piston into the selected cassette that is in cooperating position with the fiber-forwarding device.

In embodiments, the fiber feeding system can be connected to a controller for controlling the fiber-forwarding device, in particular a piston speed or sweeping speed,0 and the cassette-forwarding device, in particular a repetition rate of cassette forwarding, for controlling an amount per time and steadiness of delivery of initial fiber material to the fiber drafting and opening system.

In embodiments, the fiber drafting and opening system can comprise a fiber drafting device having a plurality of drafting units, in particular at least three or more5 and preferred at least six drafting units, arranged in sequence, and preferentially driven with subsequently increased rotation speed, for drafting the non-oriented fiber mass into a partially oriented fiber mass.

In embodiments, in a first drafting unit a first pair of drafting rollers can have rougher linings for in-take of the initial fiber material delivered from the cassette in0 a dosage determined by a fiber delivery speed of the fiber-forwarding device, in particular fiber-dosing piston; and/or in subsequent drafting units the pairs of drafting rollers can have finer linings for fine-drafting the fiber material. This has the advantage, that in the drafting process a successive refinement of drafting degree and an improved control of thickness or amount per time or output rate of the

5 fiber material is achieved.

In embodiments, each drafting unit can comprises one pair of drafting rollers and one drafting unit motor for driving the drafting rollers in counter-rotating directions; in particular a first of the drafting rollers is in direct drive connection and a second of the drafting rollers is in counter-rotating drive-chain connection with the0 drafting unit motor. In other embodiments, each drafting unit, when seen in a cross section orthogonal to the axes of the drafting rollers, can have its drafting unit motor and gear arranged on one side and its drive chain arranged on the other side; and/or each drafting unit can have the sides of arrangement of its drafting unit motor, gear and drive chain reversed compared to its neighbouring drafting unit(s). 5 These embodiments contribute to a compact design of the fiber drafting device.

In embodiments, at least one and preferably each drafting unit can have a contactpressure regulator, in particular contact-pressure spring with a pretension-adjusting screw, for regulating a position and contact pressure of the second of the drafting rollers relative to the first of the drafting rollers; in particular wherein the draft¬0 ing unit can have a chain tensioner for maintaining a chain tension of the drivechain connection independent of the position of the second of the drafting rollers. The contact pressure regulation has the advantage of improved control of a thickness or thickness change of the fiber material during the drafting.

In embodiments, the fiber drafting device can comprise at least one detector arranged at intermediate positions between two drafting units and connected to a controller for measuring a thickness of the fiber material, in particular the detector being selected from an optical sensor, capacitive sensor, drafting roller contact pressure sensor or a combination thereof. In particular, the above-mentioned contact pressure regulation can be combined with a fiber material thickness detector based on a contact pressure sensing.

In embodiments, the controller and the at least one detector can be configured for controlling and coordinating individual rotation speeds of the drafting units, in particular drafting unit motors, and thereby controlling at least one of thickness, drafting degree and delivery amount per time of drafted fiber material at the intermediate positions or at an exit position of the fiber drafting device to the fiber opening device.

In embodiments, the fiber drafting and opening system can comprise a fiber opening roller arranged at an exit of the fiber drafting device and driven by a motor for fine-opening the drafted fiber material and to deliver a controlled amount per time of opened fiber material into the fiber output channel, in particular the fiber opening device or roller being connected to a controller or the controller controlling the fiber drafting device. This allows to largely obtain rather loose fiber material or even single fiber material with so little coherence that it can be blown pneumatically as a fiber flow material having a well-defined and relatively low mass flow rate.

In embodiments, the fiber output channel can have means for pneumatically transporting a flow of the opened fiber material, in particular tracer fibers, with a controlled mass flow rate to an application device, in particular selected from at least one of: textile fiber recycling system, textile fiber carding system, textile fiber mixing system, yarn spinning mill, and cotton ginning machine. Alternatively, the fiber output channel can have means for pneumatically transporting the fiber flow material, in particular tracer fiber flow material, to a buffer container, in particular buffer container equipped with a condenser, for intermediate storage of the fiber flow material.

In embodiments, the fiber dosing apparatus allows for precision-dosing the fiber flow material as a flow of fibers to an application device, in particular selected from at least one of: textile fiber recycling system, textile fiber carding system, textile fiber mixing system, yarn spinning mill, and cotton ginning machine, the application device having a textile fiber production capacity in a range of tons per hour, and the fiber dosing apparatus being operated under control of the controller 8 to produce an output fiber flow in a percentage range of weight per weight of the textile fiber production of at most 1 % (i.e. 10 kg/t), preferred at most 0.5% ( 5 kg/t), more preferred at most 0.2% (2 kg/t), more preferred at most 0.1 % ( 1 kg/t), more preferred at most 0.02% (200 g/t), most preferred at most 0.01 % ( 100 g/t). In another aspect of the invention, a method for dosing fiber material is disclosed, in particular which can be embodied in a fiber dosing apparatus es disclosed herein. The method comprises the method steps of: a. portioning selected amounts of initial fiber material, in particular non-ori- ented fiber mass comprising or consisting of tracer fibers, per cassette and filling them into the cassettes, b. mounting the filled cassettes in a cassette-forwarding device, in particular cassette turntable, c. operating the cassette-forwarding device and a fiber-forwarding device under control of a controller, wherein one cassette after the other is brought into a cooperating position with the fiber-forwarding device and the positioned cassettes are swept one after the other by a piston of the fiber-for- warding device for releasing the initial fiber material sequentially from the plurality of cassettes to a fiber drafting device and fiber opening device for delivering a fiber flow material to a fiber output channel.

The method benefits from the same or similar advantages as discussed for the fiber dosing apparatus disclosed herein. In particular, the automated feeding of initial fiber material from a sequence of fiber cassettes together with the drafting and opening process, which transforms the initial fiber material, preferably a non-ori- ented fiber mass, into a fiber flow material that can be blown or transported as a fiber flow pneumatically through the output channel, allows for a high-precision fiber closing of fibers, e.g. tracer fibers, over relatively long operating times, e.g. one day, to an application device or process.

In embodiments, in step c. the fiber flow material is delivered to the fiber output channel in controlled amounts per time and/or in a continuous or quasi-continuous manner over a selected time period, e.g. one day.

In embodiments of the method, the fiber drafting device can comprise a leveling system with at least three and preferably four or five or six drafting units for drafting the initial fiber material, in particular non-oriented fiber mass; and/or the fiber drafting device can be equipped with at least one detector for measuring a thickness of the fiber material at at least one intermediate position between the drafting units of the fiber drafting device, in particular the detector being selected from an optical sensor, capacitive sensor, drafting roller contact pressure sensor or a combination thereof. In embodiments, the method can comprise after c. the method steps of: d. operating the fiber drafting device and the fiber opening device, in particular fiber opening roller, under control of a or the controller to obtain drafted and opened fiber material and to output this in controlled amounts per time to a fiber output channel, and e. operating a pneumatic drive of the fiber output channel under control of the controller such that a flow of fiber is generated with a controlled mass flow rate through the fiber output channel (7).

In embodiments, the controller is configured to adapt the mass flow rate of the flow of fiber through the output channel to a textile fiber production capacity of an application device, in particular selected from at least one of: textile fiber recycling system, textile fiber carding system, textile fiber mixing system, yarn spinning machine, and cotton ginning machine.

In embodiments, the textile fiber production capacity can be in a range of tons per hour (t/h), e.g. 1 t/h to 5 t/h, and the mass flow rate can be selected in the controller to be in a percentage range of weight of fiber flow material per weight of the textile fiber production of at most 1 %, preferred at most 0.5%, more preferred at most 0.2%, more preferred at most 0.1 %, more preferred at most 0.02%, most preferred at most 0.01 %. In embodiments, the method can comprise selecting a size and number of the cassettes to cover a daily capacity of a textile fiber production capacity of an application device, in particular selected from at least one of: textile fiber recycling system, textile fiber carding system, textile fiber mixing system, yarn spinning mill, and cotton ginning machine. In embodiments, the method can comprise in the method step a. weighing the initial fiber material to determine the selected amounts of the initial fiber material per cassette (4), in particular the selected amounts being at most 500 g/cassette, preferred at most 250 g/cassette, preferred at most 1 50 g/cassette, most preferred at most 100 g/cassette.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description present embodiments with optional features, and are intended to provide an overview or framework for understanding the nature and character of the disclosure. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further un- derstanding, and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification.

The drawings illustrate various embodiments, and together with the description serve to explain in examples the principles and operation of the concepts disclosed herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The herein described invention will be more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings which show or relate to exemplary embodiments only and shall not be construed to be limiting to the invention claimed in the appended claims. The drawings show schematically and exemplarily in: Figs. 1 -2 an embodiment of a fiber dosing apparatus according to the invention in a perspective view and a side view;

Fig. 3-4 an embodiment of a turntable for fiber-dosing cassettes in a perspective top view and in detail A; Fig. 5-6 the turntable for the fiber-dosing cassettes in a perspective bottom view and in detail B;

Fig. 7-8 the turntable for the fiber-dosing cassettes in a partially cut-away bottom view and in detail view C;

Fig. 9 an embodiments of a fiber-dosing cassette in a perspective view; Fig. 10 an embodiment of a fiber drafting device with several drafting units and a pneumatic fiber transporting channel arranged underneath in a perspective view;

Fig. 1 1 - 1 2 the fiber drafting device of Fig. 10 in a top view and in a cross-sectional side view V-V; Fig. 1 3- 14 a single drafting unit in a perspective view and a top view; and

Fig. 1 5 a piston device for controlled pushing fiber material out of a fiber-dosing cassette. DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to certain embodiments of the fiber dosing apparatus and method, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all features are shown. Embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied in many different forms, may include variations in one or more features or aspects, and may in general be combined with one another. Embodiments should not be construed as being limiting; rather, these embodiments are provided to assure that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. In general, same reference numbers shall refer to same or similar components or parts.

Throughout this application, the initial fiber material can comprise or consist of non-oriented fiber mass. The initial fiber material can comprise or consist of tracer fibers for retracability marking of textile fiber materials or textile fiber material mixtures, in particular comprising cotton, viscose or polyester fiber material or combinations thereof. The initial fiber material can comprise or consist of textile-compatible or textile tracer fibers comprising a marker element, such as e.g. optically detectable marker molecules or luminescent agents.

Figures 1 to 2 show a schematic perspective view and side view of an embodiment of the fiber dosing apparatus 1 comprising: a fiber feeding system 2, 3, 4, a fiber drafting and opening system 5, 6 and a fiber output channel 7, preferably operated under control of an electronic controller 8. The fiber feeding system 2, 3, 4 comprises a plurality of fiber-dosing cassettes 4 for intermediate storage of portioned amounts of initial fiber material (not shown), a fiber-forwarding device 2 for controlled releasing of the initial fiber material from a presently active first cassette 4

5 to the fiber drafting and opening system 5, 6, and a cassette-forwarding device 3, e.g. in form of a turntable 3. The fiber drafting system 5 comprises a plurality of drafting units 5 arranged in a sequence for successively drafting the fiber material. The drafted fiber material is then output to the fiber opening device 6, e.g. fiber opening roller 6 with needles and driven by a motor 601 , for further mechanically0 treating or decomposing the fiber material into fiber flow material, e.g. single-fiber or few-fiber lightweight fiber flow material.

Figures 3 to 4 show the turntable 3 from a top perspective. The turntable 3 has a central axis 30 and a cassette carrier device 301 for mounting the plurality of cassettes 4 in a circular arrangement above a bottom plate 300. The cassette carrier5 device 301 can have releasable holders or bolts 302 for holding the cassettes 4 at their backside at a top portion, e.g. a lug 402, and can have a bottom holder 303, e.g. a lateral groove 303 on each side, for holding the cassettes 4 at their lateral sides via a holding pin 403, as exemplarily shown in Figure 9. The cassettes 4 have a filling opening 400 for filling in a portioned amount, preferably weighed por¬0 tioned amount, of the initial fiber material and an outlet opening 401 for later releasing the initial fiber material. The bottom plate 300 can serve for holding back the initial fiber material in the filled cassettes 4 by essentially closing the outlet opening 401 , when the cassette 4 is inserted into the cassette carrier device 301 . The handling of the cassettes 4, such as filling in the initial fiber material, inserting the filled cassettes 4 into the cassette carrier device 301 , and removing the emptied cassettes 4 from the cassette carrier device 301 can be done manually. The turn¬

5 table can e.g. carry some 20 cassettes, which allows to load initial fiber material that is sufficient for automatic and continuous or quasi-continuous high-precision fiber dosing operation over relatively long periods, such as 24 hours, without interruption or actions needed from personnel.

Figures 5 to 6 show the turntable 3 from a bottom perspective and Figures 7 to 80 from a partially cut-away bottom view and in detail view C, for showing details of the step-motor-like drive system 304, 305, 306. The turntable drive system 304, 305, 306 can comprise a motor 304 with a rotatable element or plate 304a, to which a drive pin 305 and at least one centering pin 307 are mounted. The drive pin 305 can engage with a drive contour or drive disk 306, which is fixedly con¬5 nected to the cassette carrier device 301 and has a periodic structure corresponding to the number of cassette insertion places or slots provided in the cassette carrier device 301 . The drive pin 305 engages with the drive contour 306 during a portion, e.g. an approximately 180° rotation range, of a 360° turn of the rotatable element 304a, such that the drive contour 306 and the cassette carrier device 3010 are moved forward by one forwarding step, whereby the cassettes 4 are positioned at a next neighbouring place. For example, for a cassette carrier device 301 with 20 cassette insertion places, the forwarding step is given by an angular movement of the cassette carrier device 301 by 360720 equal to 18°. Furthermore, centering pins 307 can engage with a centering contour 308 to stabilize the cassette carrier device 301 , and in particular the active cassette 4 releasing the initial fiber material, in the selected angular position.

5 During operation of the cassette-forwarding device 3 or more specifically turntable 3, the first cassette 4 is forwarded after an at least partial depletion, preferred after complete depletion, and a second cassette 4 is positioned at the fiber-forwarding device 2 for further controlled releasing of the initial fiber material to the fiber drafting and opening system 5, 6 and therefrom as a fiber flow material to the e.g. 0 pneumatically operated fiber output channel 7.

Figure 10 shows the fiber drafting device 5 and fiber opening device 6 together with the fiber outlet channel 7 in a perspective view. Figures 1 1 to 1 2 show the exemplary construction of the fiber drafting device 5 and Figures 13 to 14 a single drafting unit 50 thereof in more detail. The fiber drafting device 5 has at least three,5 preferably four or five and most preferred at least six drafting units 50, that are arranged in sequence and are driven with controlled rotation speeds, in particular differential rotation speeds and preferentially with subsequently increased rotation speed, i.e. such that subsequent drafting units 50 are running fasterthan foregoing drafting units 50 to achieve an increasing degree of fiber drafting or fiber homoge-0 neization of the fiber material. Preferably, the initial fiber material is in form of a non-oriented fiber mass, e.g. in form of fiber tufts, and the drafting of the initial fiber material results in an at least partially oriented fiber mass. The or each drafting unit 50 can comprise one pair 500 of drafting rollers 500a, 500b and one drafting unit motor 501 for driving the drafting rollers 500a, 500b in counter-rotating directions. The drafting rollers 500a, 500b can be mounted in a frame 506 and the drafting unit motor 501 can be mounted at the frame 506.

5 In particular, a first of the drafting rollers 500a can be in a direct drive connection 502 and a second of the drafting rollers 500b can be in a counter-rotating drivechain connection 503 with the drafting unit motor 501 . The direct drive connection

502 can comprise a gear 502, in particular angular gear 502. The drive-chain connection 503 can comprise a drive chain 503 for transferring the rotation of the first0 drafting roller 500a into a counter-rotation of the second drafting roller 500b.

As shown in Figures 13 to 14, at least one and preferably each drafting unit 50 can have a contact-pressure regulator 507 for regulating a position and contact pressure of the second of the drafting rollers 500b relative to the first of the drafting rollers 500a. For example, the contact-pressure regulator 507 can comprise or can5 be a contact-pressure spring 507b with a pretension-adjusting screw 507a. In addition, the drafting unit 50 can have a chain tensioner 504, 505 for maintaining a chain tension of the drive-chain connection 503 independent of the position of the second of the drafting rollers 500b. The chain tensioner 504, 505 can comprise a chain tensioner element 504 with tooth wheel engaged with the drive chain0 503 and held under tension, e.g. upwards, by a torsion spring 505.

Figure 1 5 shows an embodiments of the fiber-forwarding device 2. It can comprise a piston-driving tower 200 for holding and guiding a piston rod 203 with a fiber- dosing piston 204 and a piston drive 201 , 202, in particular piston motor 201 with drive belt system 202, for sweeping the fiber-dosing piston 204 into a selected or active cassette 4 that is in cooperating position with the fiber-forwarding device 2, in particular that is positioned underneath the fiber-forwarding device 2. The bot¬

5 tom plate 300 (Figure 1 2) has an opening (not shown) corresponing to the outlet opening 401 of the active cassette 4, which allows the initial fiber material to be forwarded by the fiber-dosing piston 204 from the active cassette 4 to the fiber drafting and opening device 5, 6 with a piston speed or sweeping speed adapted to a selected fiber dosing rate or fiber delivery speed, e.g. weight in gram per time0 or admixture percentage (e.g. amount of tracer fiber material relative to amount of to-be-traced volume fiber material provided in an application device). The fiberforwarding device 2 can further comprise at least one position sensor 205 for detecting a position of the fiber-dosing piston 204 and controlling its movement, e.g. by the controller 8. In particular, the at least one position sensor 205 can provide:5 a first signal indicating a first position of the fiber-dosing piston 204 without engagement with a cassette 4, which allows activating the cassette-forwarding device or turntable 3 to present a filled cassette 4 to the fiber-forwarding device 2; a second signal indicating a starting position of the fiber-dosing piston 204, i.e. readiness to sweep into the selected or active cassette 4; and a third signal indicating a0 final position of the fiber-dosing piston 204, which then activates the retracting of the fiber-dosing piston 204 out of the at least partially emptied cassette 4 and initiating a forwarding movement of the cassette-forwarding device 3 to present a new, at least partially filled cassette 4 to the fiber-forwarding device 2. Figure 12 shows that in a first or entrance drafting unit 50 a first pair 500 of drafting rollers 500a, 500b can have rougher linings for in-take of initial fiber material delivered from the cassette 4 in a dosage determined in coordination with a fiber delivery speed of the fiber-forwarding device; and/or in subsequent drafting units 50 the pairs 500 of drafting rollers 500a, 500b can have finer linings for fine-drafting fiber material.

The or each drafting unit 50, when seen in a cross section orthogonal to the axes of the drafting rollers 500a, 500b (Figure 1 2), can have its drafting unit motor 501 and gear 502 arranged on one side and its drive chain 503 arranged on the other side. Furthermore, each drafting unit 50 can have the sides of arrangement of its drafting unit motor 501 , gear 502 and drive chain 503 reversed compared to its neighbouring drafting unit(s) 50. This allows for a very space-saving construction.

In all embodiments, the fiber drafting device 5 can comprises at least one detector 508 arranged at at least one intermediate position between two drafting units 50 and connected to the controller 8 for measuring a thickness of the fiber material. In particular, the detector 508 can be selected from an optical thickness sensor, capacitive thickness sensor, drafting roller contact-pressure sensor, or any combination thereof. The fiber material in such intermediate state can be in form of a fiber band orfiber fleece having a measurable thickness, which can represent an amount of fiber material (e.g. amount per length, by taking the width into account) and together with a delivery speed (e.g. fiber band length per time) can represent an amount per time or delivery rate of fiber material in the intermediate state. Such delivery rates, whether intermediate delivery rates or exit delivery rates at the exit drafting unit 50, can be controlled and regulated in the controller 8 according to the needs in the fiber dosing apparatus 1 and method and/or in the subsequent application device or process.

5 As further shown in Figure 1 2, the fiber drafting and opening system 5, 6 can comprise a fiber opening roller 6 arranged at an exit of the fiber drafting device 5 and driven by a motor 601 for fine-opening the drafted fiber material and for delivering a controlled amount per time of opened fiber material or fiber flow material into the fiber output channel 7. The drafting and opening process transforms the initial0 fiber material, which is typically a non-oriented fiber mass, into a flow of fibers that can be blown or transported pneumatically through the output channel 7. A guiding plate 60 can be arranged at the entrance into the fiber output channel 7 around the fiber opening roller 6 to prevent that opened or loose fiber material may fly back towards the fiber drafting device 5. The fiber output channel 7 can have5 means for pneumatically transporting the flow of the fine-dosed and opened fiber material, in particular tracer fiber flow, with a controlled mass flow rate to an application device, in particular selected from at least one of: textile fiber recycling system, textile fiber carding system, textile fiber mixing system, yarn spinning machine, and cotton ginning machine. Alternatively, the fiber flow material, in partic¬0 ular tracer fiber flow material, can be transported in the channel 7 to a buffer container, e.g. equipped with a condenser. The fiber dosing apparatus 1 allows for precision-dosing the flow of fibers to an application device, such as textile fiber recycling system, textile fiber carding system, textile fiber mixing system, yarn spinning machine or cotton ginning machine, which has a textile fiber production capacity in a range of tons per hour; and the fiber dosing apparatus 1 can be operated under control of the controller 8 such that the output fiber flow is produced in a percentage range of weight per weight of the textile fiber production of at most 1 %, preferred at most 0.5%, more preferred at most 0.2%, more preferred at most 0.1 %, more preferred at most 0.02%, most preferred at most 0.01 %.

For example, the output fiber flow is fed to a textile fiber recycling system textile or textile fiber mixing system, and the controller 8 is configured to control the output fiber flow e.g. in a range of at most 1000 ppm (parts per million of weight of output fiber flow relative to weight of recycled or to-be-traced textile fiber material, i.e. 1000 gram per ton), preferred at most 100 ppm ( 100 g/t), most preferred at most 60 ppm (60 g/t); or the output fiber flow is fed to a textile yarn spinning mill or preparation process, in particular textile fiber carding machine or textile fiber mixing machine or machine fiber blow room, and the controller 8 is configured to control the output fiber flow in a range of at most 2000 ppm (2 kg/t), preferred at most 600 ppm (600 g/t); or the output fiber flow is fed to a cotton ginning machine or fiber cleaning system or fiber carding system and the controller 8 is configured to control the output fiber flow in a range of at most 5000 ppm (5 kg/t), preferred at most 1000 ppm ( 1 kg/t).. The maximum limits can be chosen to avoid too high tracer fiber concentrations in the textile fiber material that could interfere with the desired textile properties or would be too costly. The minimum limits can be chosen to assure sufficient tracer fiber concentrations in the textile fiber material above detectability limits of the tracer fibers.

The fiber dosing apparatus 1 and method is specifically adapted to fine-dosing of tracer fibers containing marker molecules, in particular optical marker molecules. The initial fiber material and the fiber flow material output from the fiber dosing apparatus 1 can comprise or consist of textile or textile-compatible fiber material, which has such marker molecules incorporated therein. The incorporation or application of the marker molecules in the fiber material may take place in any suitable way, e.g. by integration into fibers, mixing of tagged fibers into untagged fibers, coating of fibers, integration of taggants into filaments (threads), coating of filaments, coating of textile products (woven and nonwoven), coating, especially painting or coloring, varnishing, rotational coating, spray varnishing, thermal spraying, plastifying, dip coating (anodic or cathodic), melt dipping, enameling, slot die coating, knife coating, dip coating, spray coating, roll coating, multiple coating by cascade or curtain coating, sol-gel, thermal spraying, powder coating, tumbling, fluid-bed sintering, printing of materials, articles, and products (integration via printing colors, printing inks, print varnishes, primers or any other printing media) via all printing processes.

The detection of the tracer fibers may be done with stationary or preferred handheld detectors. The tracer fiber detection signal shall respond to specific marker molecules to determine the type and/or history of the marked textile fiber material. Therein, the tracer fiber detection signal may be used to indicate the presence or absence of tracer fibers as a proof of origin of the textile fiber material. Alternatively or in addition, the tracer fiber detection signal may be used to determine a tracer

5 fiber concentration quantitatively for improved retraceability of the textile fiber material.

The foregoing description of the Figures 1 - 1 5 also encompasses disclosure of the method for dosing fiber material as described in the appended claims. In particular, the disclosed fiber dosing apparatus 1 is adapted to perform the fiber dosing0 method steps as disclosed herein.

Throughout the application, the controller 8 can be configured to control some or all functions of the fiber dosing apparatus 1 or method. In particular, the controller 8 can control operation of at least one component of the fiber dosing apparatus 1 or method selected from the group consisting of: fiber-forwarding device 2,5 cassette-forwarding device 3, fiber drafting system 5, fiber drafting units 50, fiber opening system 6, fiber output channel 7, combinations thereof. Such control(s) may include regulation and coordination of speed or throughput of the at least one component to control a fiber quality, e.g. fiber drafting degree and/or fiber opening degree, and a fiber delivery rate or fiber dosing rate of the output fiber flow mate¬0 rial. In particular, the controller 8 may be operated in coordination with a production capacity of a subsequent application device or process. In this case, the con- trailer 8 may control or be controlled or instructed by the application device or process. The controller 8 can be embodied in one device or in several devices, e.g. having electronic components such as input/output interfaces e.g. for receiving measurement signals and/or operation commands, e.g. by being programmable and/or from an application device, and outputting status information, e.g. via a display.

It may e.g. be attached to the fiber dosing apparatus 1 or may be hand-held.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

1 fiber dosing apparatus

2, 3, 4 fiber feeding system

2, 3 fiber portioning system

2 fiber-forwarding device, fiber-releasing device, piston device

200 piston-driving tower

201 , 202 piston drive

201 piston motor

202 drive belt system

203 piston rod

204 piston, piston head, fiber-dosing piston

205 position sensor(s)

3 cassette-forwarding device, cassette turntable, turntable

30 central axis

300 bottom plate

301 cassette carrier device

302 releasable holder, bolt

303 bottom holder, groove

304-306 turntable drive system

304 turntable drive, motor

304a rotatable plate

305 driving element (for step-like motion), drive pin 306 driven element (for step-like motion), drive contour, drive disk

307, 308 centering elements

307 centering pin(s)

308 centering contour

4 cassette(s), fiber-dosing cassette(s)

400 filling opening, manual feeding opening, piston-receiving opening

401 outlet opening

402 lug

403 holding pin

5, 6 fiber drafting and opening system

5 fiber drafting device, leveling system for non-oriented fiber mass

50 drafting unit

500 drafting rollers, pair of drafting rollers

500a first drafting roller, directly driven drafting roller

500b second drafting roller, chain-driven drafting roller

501 drafting unit motor

502 gear, angular gear; direct drive connection

503 drive chain for counter-rotating second drafting roller; drive-chain connection

504, 505 chain tensioner

504 chain tensioner element

505 chain tensioner spring, torsion spring

506 frame regulator for roller contact pressure a pretension-adjusting screw b contact-pressure spring, spiral spring detector for thickness of fiber material, thickness sensor, optical sensor, capacitive sensor fiber opening device; fiber opening roller, needle roller guiding plate motor for opening roller fiber output channel, blowing channel, pneumatic fiber transporting channel control unit, controller

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. Fiber dosing apparatus ( 1 ) for precision-dosing of fiber material, comprising a fiber feeding system (2, 3, 4), a fiber drafting and opening system (5, 6) and a fiber output channel (7), wherein the fiber feeding system (2, 3, 4) comprises a plurality of fiber-dosing cassettes (4) for intermediate storage of portioned amounts of initial fiber material, a fiber-forwarding device (2) for controlled releasing of the initial fiber material from a first cassette (4) to the fiber drafting and opening system (5, 6), and a cassette-forwarding device (3) for removing the first cassette (4) after at least partial depletion and positioning a second cassette (4) at the fiber-forwarding device (2) for further controlled releasing of the initial fiber material to the fiber drafting and opening system (5, 6) for delivering fiber flow material to the fiber output channel (7).

2. The fiber dosing apparatus ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the initial fiber material comprises or consists of non-oriented fiber mass; and/or the initial fiber material comprises or consists of tracer fibers suitable for retracability marking of textile fiber materials or textile fiber material mixtures, which comprise particularly cotton, viscose or polyester fiber material or combinations thereof, and to which the tracer fibers are admixable in subsequent processing; and/or the initial fiber material comprises or consists of textile-compatible or textile tracer fibers comprising a marker element, such as e.g. optically detectable marker molecules or luminescent agents.

3. The fiber dosing apparatus ( 1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fiber dosing apparatus ( 1 ) allows for precision-dosing a flow of fibers in a range of at most 10 kg/h, preferred at most 5 kg/h, more preferred at most 2 kg/h, more preferred at most 1 kg/h, more preferred at most 0.2 kg/h, most preferred at most 0.1 kg/h.

4. The fiber dosing apparatus ( 1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cassette-forwarding device (3) is or comprises a turntable (3), which comprises a cassette holder (301 ) for releasably holding the plurality of cassettes (4) in a circular arrangement around a central axis (30) and a turntable drive (304) for step-wise rotating the cassette holder (301 ) between angular positions for selecting one of the cassettes (4) to cooperate with the fiber-forwarding device (2).

5. The fiber dosing apparatus ( 1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each cassette (4) comprises a lug (402), e.g. at an upper portion, for being held by a releasable bolt (302) of the cassette-forwarding device (3), in particular turntable (3); and/or each cassette (4) comprises a holding pin (403), e.g. at a lower portion, for being inserted into a groove (303) of the cassette-forwarding device (3), in particular turntable (3).

6. The fiber dosing apparatus ( 1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fiber-forwarding device (2) comprises a piston-driving tower (200) for holding and guiding a piston rod (203) with a fiber-dosing piston (204) and comprises a piston drive (201 , 202), in particular piston motor (201 ) with drive belt system (202), for sweeping the fiber-dosing piston (204) into a selected cassette (4) that is in cooperating position with the fiber-forwarding device (2).

7. The fiber dosing apparatus ( 1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fiber feeding system (2, 3, 4) is connected to a controller (8) for controlling the fiber-forwarding device (3), in particular a piston speed, and the cassette-forwarding device (3), in particular a repetition rate of cassette forwarding, for controlling an amount per time and steadiness of delivery of initial fiber material to the fiber drafting and opening system (5, 6).

8. The fiber dosing apparatus ( 1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fiber drafting and opening system (5, 6) comprises a fiber drafting device (5) having a plurality of drafting units ( 50), in particular at least three or more, in particular six, drafting units ( 50), arranged in sequence, and preferentially driven with subsequently increased speed, for drafting the nonoriented fiber mass into a partially oriented fiber mass.

9. The fiber dosing apparatus ( 1 ) according to claim 8, wherein in a first drafting unit (50) a first pair (500) of drafting rollers ( 500a, 500b) has rougher linings for in-take of the initial fiber material delivered from the cassette (4) in a dosage determined by a fiber delivery speed of the fiber-forwarding device (2), in particular fiber-dosing piston (204); and/or in subsequent drafting units (50) the pairs (500) of drafting rollers ( 500a, 500b) have finer linings for fine-drafting the fiber material.

10. The fiber dosing apparatus ( 1 ) according to any one of the claims 8 to 9, wherein each drafting unit (50) comprises one pair (500) of drafting rollers ( 500a, 500b) and one drafting unit motor (501 ) for driving the drafting rollers (500a, 500b) in counter-rotating directions; in particular wherein a first of the drafting rollers (500a) is in direct drive connection (502) and a second of the drafting rollers (500b) is in counter-rotating drive-chain connection ( 503) with the drafting unit motor (501 ).

11. The fiber dosing apparatus ( 1 ) according to claim 10, wherein at least one and preferably each drafting unit (50) has a contact-pressure regulator ( 507), in particular contact-pressure spring ( 507b) with a pretension-adjusting screw (507a), for regulating a position and contact pressure of the second of the drafting rollers (500b) relative to the first of the drafting rollers ( 500a); in particular wherein the drafting unit (50) has a chain tensioner ( 504, 505) for maintaining a chain tension of the drive-chain connection ( 503) independent of the position of the second of the drafting rollers ( 500b).

12. The fiber dosing apparatus ( 1 ) according to any one of the claims 8 to 1 1 , wherein each drafting unit (50), when seen in a cross section orthogonal to the axes of the drafting rollers (500a, 500b), has its drafting unit motor ( 501 ) and gear (502) arranged on one side and its drive chain (503) arranged on the other side; and/or each drafting unit (50) has the sides of arrangement of its drafting unit motor (501 ), gear (502) and drive chain ( 503) reversed compared to its neighbouring drafting unit(s) (50).

13. The fiber dosing apparatus ( 1 ) according to any one of the claims 8 to 1 2, wherein the fiber drafting device (5) comprises at least one detector (508) arranged at at least one intermediate position between two drafting units ( 50) and connected to a controller (8) for measuring a thickness of the fiber material, in particular the detector (508) being selected from an optical sensor, capacitive sensor, drafting roller contact pressure sensor or a combination thereof.

14. The fiber dosing apparatus ( 1 ) according to claim 13, wherein the controller (8) and the at least one detector are configured for controlling and coordinating individual speeds of the drafting units ( 50), in particular drafting unit motors (501 ), and thereby controlling at least one of thickness, drafting degree and delivery amount per time of drafted fiber material at the at least one intermediate position or at an exit position of the fiber drafting device (5) to the fiber opening device (6).

15. The fiber dosing apparatus ( 1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fiber drafting and opening system (5, 6) comprises a fiber opening roller (6) arranged at an exit of the fiber drafting device (5) and driven by a motor (601 ) for fine-opening the drafted fiber material and for delivering a controlled amount per time of opened fiber material or fiber flow material into the fiber output channel (7), in particular the fiber opening device or roller (6) being connected to a or the controller (8).

16. The fiber dosing apparatus ( 1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fiber output channel (7) has means for pneumatically transporting a flow of the opened fiber material, in particular tracer fibers, with a controlled mass flow rate to an application device, in particular selected from at least one of: textile fiber recycling system, textile fiber carding system, textile fiber mixing system, yarn spinning mill, and cotton ginning machine.

17. The fiber dosing apparatus ( 1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fiber output channel (7) has means for pneumatically transporting the fiber flow material, in particular tracer fiber flow material, to a buffer container, in particular buffer container equipped with a condenser, for intermediate storage of the fiber flow material.

18. The fiber dosing apparatus ( 1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fiber dosing apparatus ( 1 ) allows for precision-dosing the fiber flow material as a flow of fibers to an application device; in particular selected from at least one of: textile fiber recycling system, textile fiber carding system, textile fiber mixing system, yarn spinning mill, and cotton ginning machine; the application device having a textile fiber production capacity in a range of tons per hour, and the fiber dosing apparatus ( 1 ) being operated under control of the controller (8) to produce an output fiber flow in a percentage range of weight per weight of the textile fiber production of at most 1 %, preferred at most 0.5%, more preferred at most 0.2%, more preferred at most 0.1 %, more preferred at most 0.02%, most preferred at most 0.01 %.

19. A method for dosing fiber material, in particular embodied in a fiber dosing apparatus ( 1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, the method comprising the method steps of: a. portioning selected amounts of initial fiber material, in particular non-oriented fiber mass comprising or consisting of tracer fibers, per cassette (4) and filling them into the cassettes (4), b. mounting the filled cassettes (4) in a cassette-forwarding device (3), in particular cassette turntable (3), and c. operating the cassette-forwarding device (3) and a fiber-forwarding device (2) under control of a controller (8), wherein one cassette (4) after the other is brought into a cooperating position with the fiberforwarding device (2) and the positioned cassettes (4) are swept one after the other by a piston (204) of the fiber-forwarding device (2) for releasing the initial fiber material sequentially from the plurality of cassettes (4) to a fiber drafting device (5) and fiber opening device (6) for delivering a fiber flow material to a fiber output channel (7).

20. The method according to claim 1 9, wherein in step c. the fiber flow material is delivered to the fiber output channel (7) in controlled amounts per time and/or in a continuous or quasi-continuous manner over a selected time period, e.g. one day.

21. The method according to any of the claims 1 9 to 20, wherein the fiber drafting device (5) comprises a leveling system with at least three and preferably six drafting units (50) for drafting the initial fiber material, in particular nonoriented fiber mass; and/or wherein the fiber drafting device (5) is equipped with at least one detector ( 508) for measuring a thickness of the fiber mate- rial at at least one intermediate position between the drafting units ( 50) of the fiber drafting device (5), in particular the detector ( 508) being selected from an optical sensor, capacitive sensor, drafting roller contact pressure sensor or a combination thereof.

22. The method according to any one of the claims 19 to 21 , comprising after c. the method steps of: d. operating the fiber drafting device (5) and the fiber opening device (6), in particular fiber opening roller (6), under control of the controller (8) to obtain drafted and opened fiber material and to output this in controlled amounts per time to a fiber output channel (7), and e. operating s pneumatic drive of the fiber output channel (7) under control of the controller (8) such that the flow of fiber is generated with a controlled mass flow rate through the fiber output channel (7).

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the controller (8) is configured to adapt the mass flow rate of the flow of fiber through the output channel (7) to a textile fiber production capacity of an application device, in particular selected from at least one of: textile fiber recycling system, textile fiber carding system, textile fiber mixing system, yarn spinning mill, and cotton ginning machine.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the textile fiber production capacity is in a range of tons per hour (t/h), e.g. 1 t/h to 5 t/h, and the mass flow rate is selected in the controller (8) to be in a percentage range per ton of the textile fiber production of at most 1 %, preferred at most 0.5%, more preferred at most 0.2%, more preferred at most 0.1 %, more preferred at most 0.02%, most preferred at most 0.01 %.

25. The method according to any one of the claims 1 9 to 24, comprising selecting a size and number of the cassettes (4) to cover a daily capacity of a textile fiber production capacity of an application device, in particular selected from at least one of: textile fiber recycling system, textile fiber carding system, textile fiber mixing system, yarn spinning mill, and cotton ginning machine.

26. The method according to any one of the claims 19 to 25, comprising in the method step a. weighing the initial fiber material to determine the selected amounts of the initial fiber material per cassette (4), in particular the selected amounts being at most 500 g/cassette, preferred at most 250 g/cassette, preferred at most 1 50 g/cassette, most preferred at most 100 g/cassette.