Machine for regeneration of a layer of cotton-wool pressed and crumpled after transport

Abstract

 The machine comprises a unit (11) for the diffusion of hot air, a unit (12) for cooling by air suction and transport means (5) for moving a layer of cotton-wool (6) to be regenerated through the abovementioned units (11, 12) in succession. The flow of hot air regenerates the pressed and crumpled cotton-wool, restoring it to its thickness and appearance and removing its wrinkles, while the subsequent air cooling operation takes it back to the ideal temperature, stabilizing the condition that has been attained.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a machine capable of regenerating a layer of cotton-wool that is pressed and crumpled after transport.

[0002] The use is widespread of polyester cotton-wool for padding furnishing and clothing articles such as cushions, quilts, eider-downs, mattresses, parkas and so on, as well as for filtering operations (for example, filters for cooker-hoods), sound insulation, etc..

[0003] The cotton-wool issues from a forming machine in the shape of a layer pressed to a greater or lesser extent and possibly wound into a roll to make it easier to move it to the place of use.

[0004] The greater is the degree of pressing, the lesser is the size of the roll during the handling step, but the inevitable consequence is that the cotton-wool in this way loses most of the initial characteristics of elasticity and volume and arrives in the user's hands full of wrinkles that jeopardise its appearance and make it difficult to cut it down to size.

[0005] This being so, the object of the present invention has been that of providing a machine capable of regenerating the cotton-wool that is pressed and crumpled after transport.

[0006] According to the invention such object has been attained by a machine characterized in that it comprises a unit for diffusion of hot air, a unit for cooling by air suction and transport means for moving a layer of cotton-wool through the abovementioned units in succession.

[0007] It has been possible to observe that the flow of hot air regenerates the pressed and crumpled cotton-wool, restoring it to its thickness and appearance and removing its wrinkles, while the subsequent air cooling operation takes it back to the ideal temperature, stabilizing the condition that has been attained.

[0008] With a machine that is simple and of limited size it is thus possible to overcome the drawbacks originated by the transport it in pressed condition.

[0009] The features of the present invention will be made more evident by the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof, illustrated as a non-limiting example in the enclosed drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 shows a machine according to the invention in a longitudinal view;

Fig. 2 shows the abovementioned machine in a plan view from above;

Fig. 3 shows the abovementioned machine in a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 shows in a perspective view the units for the diffusion of hot air and for cooling of the abovementioned machine.

[0010] The machine shown in the drawings comprises a base frame 1, that supports a cradle at the two ends for a roll 2 of cotton-wool to be regenerated and a pair of uprights 3 for the rotating and vertically sliding support of a roll 4 of regenerated cotton-wool.

[0011] Along the central part of the frame 1 there extends in a closed loop a belt 5 for moving the layer of cotton-wool 6 subjected to regeneration, that is unwound from the roll 2 and introduced on to the belt 5 by an introduction belt 7. The moving belt 5 is operated in a continuous manner by a motor gearbox 8 through a belt or chain transmission 9 and the introduction belt 7 receives motion from the belt 5 through a variable belt or chain transmission 10.

[0012] The moving belt 5 causes the layer of cotton-wool 6 to move forward through a hot-air diffusion unit 11 and a cold-air cooling unit 12 arranged in succession one with the other.

[0013] The hot-air diffusion unit 11 comprises a diffusor 13 located above the belt 5, an air-intake manifold 14 located under the belt 5, a recycling fan 15, a battery of electrical heating resistances 16, a hot-air distribution hopper 17 and a pair of hot-air delivery pipes 18, that supply the diffusor 13.

[0014] The cooling unit 12 comprises in turn an air-intake manifold 19, a fan 20 and an exhaust pipe 21.

[0015] By passing through the hot-air diffusion unit 11, the layer of pressed cotton-wool 6 unwound from the roll 2 is passed through by a flow of hot air distributed throughout its width, which flow swells and regenerates the cotton-wool, restoring its volume and initial appearance and eliminating the wrinkles produced as a result of pressing and transport.

[0016] The cotton-wool is then cooled by the cooling unit 12, that takes in cold air making it flow through the layer of cotton-wool 6 and discharge the hot air through the pipe 21.

[0017] The layer of cotton-wool 6 by now restored to the optimum condition is lastly wound onto the roll 4, that is urged to rotate by the belt 5 and whose central pivot 22 rises progressively along the uprights 3 as the diameter of the roll itself increases steadily.

Claims

1. Machine for regeneration of a layer of pressed and crumpled cotton-wool, characterized in that it comprises a unit (11) for diffusion of hot air, a unit (12) for cooling by air suction and transport means (5) for moving a layer of cotton-wool (6) through the abovementioned units (11, 12) in succession.

2. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said unit (11) for diffusion of hot air comprises a diffusor (13), an air-intake manifold (14) located in front of said diffusor (13) so that said layer of cotton-wool (6) passes between said diffusor (13) and said air-intake manifold (14), a recycling fan (15), a battery of electrical heating resistances (16), a hot-air distribution hopper (17) and a pair of hot-air delivery pipes (18), that supply said diffusor (13).

3. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said cooling unit (12) comprises in turn an air-intake manifold (19), a fan (20) and an exhaust pipe (21).

Drawing