Combing machine

Abstract

 The combing machine includes a nipper shaft, a nipper frame, a bottom nipper, a nipper arm, a top nipper, a rotary shaft, an eccentric member and a supporting member. The combing machine is characterized in that a first crank is fixed on the nipper shaft for rotation therewith and a second crank is fixed to the rotary shaft for rotation therewith. In addition, a link is connected between an end of the first crank and an end of the second crank by pins. The first crank, the second crank and the link form a four-bar linkage. Further, the second crank has a first member and a second member. Further, the first member_'has a hole through which the pin is inserted. Further, the second member is fixed on the rotary shaft for rotation therewith. Further, a position at which the second member is fixed to the first member is adjustable.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a combing machine and more particularly to a combing machine wherein a top nipper holds or releases lap in cooperation with a bottom nipper in accordance with back-and-forth movement of a nipper frame.

[0002] The combing machine has a plurality of combing heads (eight combing heads in general). Each combing head has a nipper unit, a combing cylinder and a pair of detaching rollers. The nipper unit holds the lap moved for a predetermined length by each feed. The combing cylinder combs the end of the lap and the combed fleece is moved toward the pair of detaching rollers by forward movement of the nipper unit. In accordance with the forward movement of the fleece, the paired detaching rollers are rotated in reverse direction to move back the previously drawn fleece (previous fleece). Thus, the rear end of the previous fleece and the front end of newly combed fleece (following fleece) are overlapped. When the paired detaching rollers are rotated in forward direction, fleece is drawn from the nipper unit and the rear end of the fleece is combed by the top comb pierced in the fleece. While such operation is repeated, the fleeces fed by the respective combing heads are bundled and drafted. Calender roller compresses the bundled and drafted fleeces thereby to form sliver.

[0003] The nipper unit includes a nipper frame, a bottom nipper fixed to the end of the nipper frame, and a top nipper that holds the lap in cooperation with the bottom nipper. The top nipper holds the lap at the end of the bottom nipper. The nipper unit is operable to swing between the position where the end of the bottom nipper is located adjacent to the pivotal locus of a cylinder needle of the combing cylinder and the position where the end of the bottom nipper is located adjacent to the detaching rollers.

[0004] European Patent No. EP0967307B1 discloses a mechanism that opens and closes the top nipper at a predetermined time in synchronization with the back-and-forth movement of the nipper frame and also that allows the opening and closing time to be varied. This mechanism is put into practice use. In the mechanism of this patent, the nipper arm to which the top nipper is fixed and which is pivotally supported by a nipper frame is supported by a supporting member located at the upper part of the nipper arm via a shaft. The supporting member is pivotally supported at the upper part thereof by an eccentric member. The supporting member has a rod that is extensible by a spring, and the shaft is supported at the lower part of the rod. The reciprocal rotation of the nipper shaft is transmitted via a gear train to a rotary shaft to which the eccentric member is fixed for rotation therewith. By adjusting the gear train, the opening and closing time of the top nipper is adjustable.

[0005] Since the gear train is provided inside the gearbox (or oil bath), the gearbox needs to be opened each time the adjustment of the gear train is made. Adjustment of oily parts (or gear) is troublesome. In addition, while the gearbox is opened, dust such as cotton fly may enter the gearbox thereby to deteriorate the reliability of driving.

[0006] The present invention is directed to a combing machine which makes possible the adjustment of time to open and close the top nipper fixed to the nipper arm outside the gearbox.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the combing machine includes a nipper shaft, a nipper frame, a bottom nipper, a nipper arm, a top nipper, a rotary shaft, an eccentric member and a supporting member. The nipper frame is movable back and forth by reciprocal rotation of the nipper shaft. The bottom nipper is fixed to the nipper frame. The nipper arm is pivotally connected to the nipper frame. The top nipper is fixed to the nipper arm. The top nipper is operable to hold or release lap in cooperation with the bottom nipper. The rotary shaft extends parallel to the nipper shaft. The eccentric member is fixed on the rotary shaft for rotation therewith. One end of the supporting member is pivotally connected to the eccentric member and the other end of the supporting member is connected to the nipper arm. The combing machine is characterized in that a first crank is fixed on the nipper shaft for rotation therewith and a second crank is fixed to the rotary shaft for rotation therewith. In addition, a link is connected between an end of the first crank and an end of the second crank by pins, respectively. The first crank, the second crank and the link cooperate to form a four-bar linkage. Further, the second crank has a first member and a second member. Further, the first member has a hole through which the pin is inserted. Further, the second member is fixed on the rotary shaft for rotation therewith. Further, a position at which the second member is fixed to the first member is adjustable.

[0008] Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The invention together with objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description of the presently preferred embodiments together with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1A is a side view showing a drive mechanism of a nipper unit of a combing head;

Fig. 1B is a partially cross sectional side view showing a supporting member of the combing head of Fig. 1A;

Fig. 1C is a side view showing one side of a second crank;

Fig. 1D is a side view showing the other side of the second crank of Fig. 1C;

Fig. 2 is a partially cross sectional view showing a first crank, the second crank and the supporting member of the combing head of Fig. 1A;

Fig. 3A is a side view showing the second crank wherein the position of the first crank and the second crank is changed;

Fig. 3B is a schematic view showing the movement of the eccentric member in accordance with the change of the position of the first crank and the second crank;

Fig. 4A is a schematic view showing the operation of the nipper unit;
and

Fig. 4B is a schematic view showing the operation of the nipper unit when the advanced position and the retracted position of a nipper frame of the nipper unit are changed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The following will describe an embodiment of the combing machine according to the present invention with reference to Figs. 1A through 4B. The combing machine includes a plurality of combing heads, one of which is shown in Fig. 1A. The left-hand side and right-hand side of Fig. 1A corresponds to the front and rear of the combing head 11, respectively. Referring to Fig. 1A, the combing head 11 includes a nipper unit 13 having a feed roller 12, a cylinder shaft 14, a combing cylinder 15 fixed on the cylinder shaft 14 for rotation therewith and two pairs of detaching rollers 16. One pair of detaching rollers 16 is located forward of the other pair and each pair has a detaching top roller 16A.

[0011] The nipper unit 13 has a nipper frame 17 that is disposed at the upper part of the combing cylinder 15 and movable back and forth. The front end of the nipper frame 17 is pivotally supported by a shaft 19 at the distal end of a lever 18 supported pivotally by the cylinder shaft 14. A reciprocally rotatable nipper shaft 20 is located at a position behind the combing cylinder 15 and below the nipper frame 17. The rear end of the nipper frame 17 is pivotally supported by a shaft 22 at the distal end of a nipper frame drive arm 21 whose proximal end is fixed to the nipper shaft 20 for rotation therewith. The nipper frame 17 is moved back and forth by the reciprocal rotation of the nipper shaft 20. The cylinder shaft 14 and the nipper shaft 20 are rotatably supported by a machine frame which is not particularly shown in the drawings.

[0012] A bottom nipper 23 is fixed to the nipper frame 17 at the front thereof. The nipper frame 17 is movable back and forth by the reciprocal movement of the nipper shaft 20 so that the front end of the bottom nipper 23 is moved close to and away from the detaching rollers 16. The combing head 11 further includes a nipper arm 25 having the proximal end thereof pivotally supported by a shaft 24 mounted to the nipper frame 17 at a position that is rearward of the bottom nipper 23. A top nipper 26 is fixed to the distal end of the nipper arm 25.

[0013] A rotary shaft 27 extends parallel to the nipper shaft 20 at a position above the nipper arm 25. A disc-shaped eccentric member 28 is fixed on the rotary shaft 27 for rotation therewith. One end of a supporting member 29 is pivotally connected to the eccentric member 28 and the other end is pivotally connected to the nipper arm 25. As shown in Figs. 1B and 2, the supporting member 29 has an annular portion 30 pivotally mounted on the outer circumferential surface of the eccentric member 28, a guide portion 31 extending radially from the center of the annular portion 30, and a rod portion 32 movably mounted to the guide portion 31. The rod portion 32 has at the distal end thereof a shaft strut 33 and at the proximal end thereof a flange. A spring 34 is interposed between the guide portion 31 and the shaft strut 33 for urging the rod portion 32 away from the annular portion 30. That is, the supporting member 29 is configured in such a way that the distance between the center of the annular portion 30 and the shaft strut 33 is varied by the movement of the rod portion 32. The nipper arm 25 is pivotally connected to the shaft strut 33 via a shaft 35. That is, the nipper arm 25 is pivotally connected via the shaft 35 to the supporting member 29 that is pivotally connected to the eccentric member 28. The pivot center of the supporting member 29 is not the center (axial center) of the rotary shaft 27, but the center of the eccentric member 28.

[0014] The nipper arm 25 is pivoted about the shaft 24 in the clockwise direction in Fig. 1A at a predetermined time when the nipper frame 17 is moved forward and in the counterclockwise direction in Fig. 1A at a predetermined time when the nipper frame 17 is moved rearward. The top nipper 26 is opened and closed at a predetermined time by back-and-forth movement of the nipper frame 17. Thus, the top nipper 26 holds or releases lap (not shown) in cooperation with the bottom nipper 23. A top comb 36 is mounted to the nipper frame 17 at a position that is forward of the bottom nipper 23 and operable to perform a predetermined motion in synchronization with the nipper frame 17.

[0015] As shown in Figs. 1A and 2, a first crank 37 is fixed on the nipper shaft 20 for rotation therewith and a second crank 38 is fixed on the rotary shaft 27 for rotation therewith. A link 39 is pivotally connected between the distal end of the first crank 37 and the distal end of the second crank 38 by pins 40 and 41, respectively. The first crank 37, the second crank 38 and the link 39 cooperate to form the four-bar linkage of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the length of the first crank 37, or the distance between the pivot center of the first crank 37 and the center of the pin 40, is larger than the length of the second crank 38, or the distance between the pivot center of the second crank 38 and the center of the pin 41.

[0016] As shown in Figs. 1C, 1D and 2, the second crank 38 has a main body 42 and an adjustable member 43. The position at which the adjustable member 43 is fixed to the main body 42 is adjustable. The main body 42 has a hole 42A through which the pin 41 is inserted, a hole 42B through which the rotary shaft 27 is inserted, and an arched elongated hole 42C that forms a part of a circle whose center is located at the center of the hole 42B. The main body 42 serves as the first member of the present invention and the adjustable member 43 serves as the second member of the present invention. The adjustable member 43 is formed such that the position at which the adjustable member 43 is fixed to the rotary shaft 27 is variable. Specifically, the adjustable member 43 has a hole 43A through which the rotary shaft 27 is inserted, a slot 43B formed between the hole 43A and the outer circumferential surface of the adjustable member 43, and a bolt hole 43C that is formed perpendicular to the slot 43B. The adjustable member 43 further has therein a threaded hole 43D in which a bolt 45 extending through the elongated hole 42C of the main body 42 is screwed. The bolt 45 and the threaded hole 43D cooperate to form a fastening device for fixing the main body 42 and the adjustable member 43 together for rotation therewith. The adjustable member 43 is fixed to the rotary shaft 27 for rotation therewith by fastening a bolt 44 that is screwed in the bolt hole 43C. With the bolt 45 loosened, the main body 42 is pivotable about the rotary shaft 27 relative to the adjustable member 43 and the rotary shaft 27. With the bolt 45 fastened, on the other hand, the main body 42 is fixed to the adjustable member 43 for rotation with the rotary shaft 27.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 1D, the main body 42 has on the surface thereof on the side where the head of the bolt 45 is located a scale 46 along the elongated hole 42C. The scale 46 gives an indication of fixing position of the adjustable member 43 in adjusting the position of the adjustable member 43 relative to the main body 42 with the bolt 45 loosened. It is preferable to previously check out the position of the main body 42 relative to the scale 46 of the adjustable member 43 and the open/closed state of the top nipper 26, that is, the amount of pivoting of the nipper arm 25 from its reference position and to store data of such position and state as the data for adjustment of the adjustable member 43. Adjustment of the adjustable member 43 may be performed by using such data.

[0018] The following will describe the operation of the nipper unit 13. In accordance with the reciprocal rotation of the nipper shaft 20 driven by a main motor (not shown), the bottom nipper 23 is moved back and forth with the nipper frame 17 and the top nipper 26 is moved up and down to hold and release the lap between the top nipper 26 and the distal end of the bottom nipper 23. Fig. 1A shows a state where the nipper frame 17 and the bottom nipper 23 are located at their advanced positions and also the top nipper 26 is located at its open position. When the nipper shaft 20 is rotated in the clockwise direction from this state in Fig. 1A, the nipper frame drive arm 21 and the first crank 37 are pivoted in the clockwise direction.

[0019] Fig. 4A shows positional relations among the nipper frame 17, the nipper arm 25, the top nipper 26, the rotary shaft 27, the eccentric member 28, the supporting member 29, the first crank 37, the second crank 38, the link 39 and so forth in two different states where the nipper frame 17 is located at its advanced position and its retracted position indicated by solid line and chain double-dashed line, respectively, In accordance with the clockwise rotation of the nipper shaft 20, the nipper frame 17 is retracted and the shaft 24 which is the pivot center of the nipper arm 25 is moved upward as indicated by chain double-dashed line in Fig. 4A. In accordance with the upward movement of the shaft 24, the nipper arm 25 is also retracted. The nipper arm 25 is connected to the rod portion 32 of the supporting member 29 via the shaft 35 and the rod portion 32 urges the nipper arm 25 via the spring 34 in the direction that causes the top nipper 26 to be closed, so that the upward movement of the shaft 24 acts on the nipper arm 25 in the direction that causes the top nipper 26 to be closed.

[0020] Meanwhile, in accordance with the clockwise pivotal movement of the first crank 37, the second crank 38 is rotated with the rotary shaft 27 via the link 39 in the clockwise direction in Figs. 1A and 4A. The eccentric member 28 is also rotated with the rotary shaft 27 in the clockwise direction in Figs. 1A and 4A. When the eccentric member 28 is rotated with the rotary shaft 27 in the clockwise direction, the center O1 of the eccentric member 28 which is the pivot center of the supporting member 29 is moved from the position A to the position B shown in Fig. 4A. That is, the supporting member 29 is moved via the shaft 35 so as to pull the nipper arm 25 upward.

[0021] The distance of the upward movement of the shaft 24 is larger than that of the upward movement of the nipper arm 25 by the supporting member 29 via the shaft 35. Thus, in accordance with the retracting movement of the nipper frame 17 to a position where the top nipper 26 cooperates with the bottom nipper 23 to hold the lap, the nipper arm 25 is pivoted about the shaft 24 in the counterclockwise direction in Figs. 1A and 4A, or in the direction that causes the top nipper 26 to be closed. In the middle of the retracting movement of the nipper frame 17, the top nipper 26 reaches a position where the top nipper 26 cooperates with the bottom nipper 23 to hold the lap. Then, the rod portion 32 is pushed upward against the urging force of the spring 34 in accordance with the upward movement of the shaft 24 until the nipper frame 17 reaches its retracted position. Thus, the top nipper 26 is kept at the holding position without being subjected to excessive force. While the nipper frame 17 is being retracted, the lap (not shown) held between the top nipper 26 and the distal end of the bottom nipper 23 is combed by needle segment (not shown) of the combing cylinder 15.

[0022] Meanwhile, in accordance with the counterclockwise rotation of the nipper shaft 20 from the state where the nipper frame 17 is located at its retracted position shown by chain double-dashed line in Fig. 4A, the nipper frame 17 is advanced and the second crank 38 is pivoted in the counterclockwise direction via the first crank 37 and the link 39. When the nipper arm 25 is pivoted about the shaft 24 in the clockwise direction in the middle of the advancing movement of the nipper frame 17 and the nipper frame 17 is moved to its advanced position, the top nipper 26 of the nipper arm 25 is located at the maximum open position at which the distance between the nipper arm 25 and the bottom nipper 23 is maximum.

[0023] There is a case where the optimum time at which the top nipper 26 and the bottom nipper 23 hold or release the lap fails to remain the same depending on operating conditions of the combing machine such as the type of fiber to be combed or the speed of the combing cylinder 15. In some combing machines, the advanced position and the retracted position of the nipper frame 17 are variable, as shown in Fig. 4B. In such combing machines, the advanced position and the retracted position are varied, for example, between the reference positions indicated by solid line and chain double-dashed line in Fig. 4B, and the varied positions indicated by dashed lines in the same drawing. Unless positioning adjustment of the second crank 38 and the supporting member 29 is made, the time at which the top nipper 26 and the bottom nipper 23 hold or release lap may be changed from the optimum time by varying the advanced position and the retracted position of the nipper frame 17.

[0024] In the combing machine of the present invention, adjustment of time to open and close the top nipper for changing the operating conditions of the combing machine can be made outside the gearbox. More specifically, the time at which the top nipper 26 and the bottom nipper 23 hold or release the lap can be changed by adjusting the fixed position of the adjustable member 43 of the second crank 38 relative to the main body 42.

[0025] The adjustment of the fixed position of the adjustable member 43 relative to the main body 42 is made with the combing machine kept at a stop. For the adjustment, with the four-bar linkage previously set in the desired position and the main body 42 fixed to the adjustable member 43, the bolt 45 is loosened and moved along the elongated hole 42C with the adjustable member 43. The adjustable member 43 is pivoted with the rotation of the rotary shaft 27 and also the eccentric member 28 is pivoted with the rotation of the rotary shaft 27 because the main body 42 is fixed to the adjustable member 43. When the adjustable member 43 is moved along the elongated hole 42C by an angle of θ as shown in Fig. 3A, the eccentric member 28 is pivoted by the same angle θ as shown in Fig. 3B, so that the center O1 of the eccentric member 28 which is the pivot center of the supporting member 29 is moved from the position C to the position D. Consequently, the position of the annular portion 30 of the supporting member 29 is changed, the position of the shaft 35 connecting the supporting member 29 and the nipper arm 25 is also changed, and the angle of the nipper arm 25 to the nipper frame 17 is changed. It is noted that the solid line in Fig. 3B indicates the position of the adjustable member 43 which has not yet been adjusted and that the chain double-dashed line in Fig. 3B indicates the position of the adjustable member 43 which has been adjusted.

[0026] Operator adjusts the position of the adjustable member 43 while observing the state of the top nipper 26 or the nipper arm 25 and the scale 46 on the second crank 38. With the adjustable member 43 placed in an appropriate position, the bolt 45 is fastened thereby to fix the adjustable member 43 to the main body 42. Thus, the adjustment for positioning of the adjustable member 43 is completed.

[0027] If any data is available which has been collected from testing of the adjustable member 43 previously conducted under various operating conditions, the operator may position the adjustable member 43 roughly based on such data before making fine adjustment while observing the top nipper 26 or the nipper arm 25. By so doing, the adjustment of the adjustable member 43 may be completed in a short time.

[0028] The following will describe the advantageous effects of the embodiment.
(1) The combing machine of the embodiment according to the present invention includes the bottom nipper 23 fixed to the nipper frame 17 that is movable back and forth, and the top nipper 26 that is fixed to the nipper arm 25 pivotally connected to the nipper frame 17 and also operable to hold and release the lap in cooperation with the bottom nipper 23. The nipper arm 25 is pivotally

[0029] connected via the shaft 35 to the supporting member 29 provided at the upper part of the nipper arm 25. The supporting member 29 is pivotally connected at the upper part thereof to the eccentric member 28, has the rod portion 32 that is movable by the spring 34, and is connected at the lower part of the rod portion 32 thereof to the shaft 35. The first crank 37 fixed on the nipper shaft 20 for rotation therewith, the second crank 38 fixed on the rotary shaft 27 for rotation therewith, and the link 39 connected between the distal end of the first crank 37 and the distal end of the first crank 38 by the pins 40 and 41 cooperate to form the four-bar linkage. The eccentric member 28 is fixed on the rotary shaft 27 for rotation therewith. The second crank 38 has the main body 42 and the adjustable member 43 whose fixed position relative to the main body 42 is adjustable. The main body 42 has the hole 42B through which the rotary shaft 27 is inserted and the arched elongated hole 42C that forms a part of a circle whose center is located at the center of the hole 42B. The adjustable member 43 of the second crank 38 is fixed on the rotary shaft 27 for rotation therewith.

[0030] Thus, the top nipper 26 holds or releases the lap at a predetermine time in cooperation with the bottom nipper 23 in accordance with the back-and-forth movement of the nipper frame 17. Adjusting the fixed position of the adjustable member 43 of the second crank 38 which is located outside the gearbox relative to the main body 42, the time at which the top nipper 26 and the bottom nipper 23 hold or release the lap is adjusted. Thus, the adjustment of the time to open and close the top nipper 26 fixed to the nipper arm 25, that is, the time at which the top nipper 26 holds or releases the lap in cooperation with the bottom nipper 23 may be conducted outside the gearbox. Therefore, there is no need to adjust oily parts (gear) and the workability in adjustment of the time to open and close the top nipper 26 is improved. In addition, there is no fear of entry of dust such as cotton fly into the gearbox as in the conventional combing machine and, therefore, the combing machine of the embodiment is free of any trouble associated with the gearbox.
(2) The main body 42 forming the second crank 38 is provided with the marking of the scale 46 along the elongated hole 42C. Therefore, the relation between the value of the scale 46 indicating the position of the adjustable member 43 and the position of the top nipper 26 under various operating conditions of the combing machine is previously determined through testing and data representing such relation may be used in positioning of the adjustable member 43 for facilitating the adjusting procedure.
(3) Fixing of the main body 42 and the adjustable member 43 is performed by the bolt 45 extending through the elongated hole 42C. Positioning adjustment of the adjustable member 43 is accomplished by loosening the bolt 45 and then moving the bolt 45 along the elongated hole 42C with the adjustable member 43. Thus, positioning of the adjustable member 43 is done with ease.
(4) Since the first crank 37 is made longer than the second crank 38, the second crank 38 rotates a greater angular distance for a given amount of rotation of the first crank 37 than in the case where the first crank 37 is made shorter than the second crank 38.

[0031] The present invention has been described in the context of the above embodiment, but it is not limited to the embodiment. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced in various manners as exemplified below.

[0032] It may be so arranged that the length of the first crank 37 and the length of the second crank 38 are the same and also that the first crank 37 and the second crank 38 extend parallel to each other, so that the four-bar linkage forms a parallel linkage. In this case, since the first crank 37 and the second crank 38 are pivoted for the same angular distance, the same parallel linkage is formed as in the case where the reciprocal rotation of the nipper shaft 20 is transmitted to the rotary shaft 27 via gear train. In addition, since the first crank 37 and the second crank 38 are pivoted for the same distance, the operation of the nipper unit 13 can be easily grasped, which helps to design the combing machine.

[0033] The second crank 38 may be made longer than the first crank 37.

[0034] In the combing machine wherein the nipper shaft 20 is driven from the opposite sides thereof, the four-bar linkage may be provided on each side of the rotary shaft 27 and the nipper shaft 20. When the combing machine is operated at a high speed (for example, the speed of the combing cylinder being 300 rpm or more) in the combing machine wherein the nipper shaft is driven from only one side thereof, the torsion of the nipper shaft 20 at the portion thereof corresponding to the combing head which is spaced away from the driving side is increased and, therefore, the torsion of the rotary shaft 27 via the four-bar linkage is changed. In the present embodiment wherein the nipper shaft 20 is driven from the opposite sides thereof and also the four-bar linkage is provided on each side of the rotary shaft 27 and the nipper shaft 20, however, the torsion of the nipper shaft 20 and the rotary shaft 27 at the portions thereof corresponding to each combing head 11 are less as compared to the case where the nipper shaft 20 is driven from only one side thereof. Therefore, variation of the quality of sliver delivered from each combing head 11 during the combing operation at an increased speed is prevented, so that the quality loss of the resulting sliver is reduced.

[0035] Positioning of the adjustable member 43 may be made while observing the state of the nipper arm 25 or the top nipper 26 without the aid of the scale 46.

[0036] It may be so arranged that the adjustable member 43 is provided with an arched elongated hole that forms a part of a circle whose center is located at the center of the rotary shaft 27 and also that the main body 42 is formed with a threaded hole in which the bolt 45 extending through the elongated hole is screwed. In this case, adjusting the fixed position of the adjustable member 43 relative to the main body 42 is made by firstly loosening the bolt 45, moving the adjustable member 43 to a desired position and then fastening the bolt 45. In the structure where the main body 42 has the elongate hole 42C and the adjustable member 43 has the threaded hole 43D, however, the adjustable member 43 is moved with the bolt 45, which makes it easy to position the adjustable member 43.

[0037] To fix the main body 42 and the adjustable member 43, a bolt and a nut forming the fastening device may be used instead of a bolt screwed into a threaded hole. However, screwing the bolt into a threaded hole formed through the main body 42 or the adjustable member 43 is simpler than the former method and facilitates fixation of the adjustable member 43 at a desired position.

[0038] It may be so arranged that one of the main body 42 and the adjustable member 43 have therethrough an arched elongated hole that forms a part of a circle whose center is located at the center of the rotary shaft 27 and the other of the main body 42 and the adjustable member 43 have a threaded shaft extending through the elongated hole. In addition, the main body 42 and the adjustable member 43 may be fixed by fastening a nut screwed on the threaded shaft. In this case, the threaded shaft and the nut form the fastening device.

[0039] The mechanism for adjusting the fixed position of the adjustable member 43 relative to the main body 42 is not limited to the use of an elongated hole. Any known adjustment mechanism may be used for the fixation, e.g. a plurality of mounting holes and/or an exchangeable gauge member are usable for the fixation purpose.

[0040] The combing machine includes a nipper shaft, a nipper frame, a bottom nipper, a nipper arm, a top nipper, a rotary shaft, an eccentric member and a supporting member. The combing machine is characterized in that a first crank is fixed on the nipper shaft for rotation therewith and a second crank is fixed to the rotary shaft for rotation therewith. In addition, a link is connected between an end of the first crank and an end of the second crank by pins. The first crank, the second crank and the link form a four-bar linkage. Further, the second crank has a first member and a second member. Further, the first member_'has a hole through which the pin is inserted. Further, the second member is fixed on the rotary shaft for rotation therewith. Further, a position at which the second member is fixed to the first member is adjustable.

Claims

1. A combing machine comprising:

a nipper shaft (20);

a nipper frame (17) movable back and forth by reciprocal rotation of the nipper shaft (20);

a bottom nipper (23) fixed to the nipper frame (17);

a nipper arm (25) pivotally connected to the nipper frame (17);

a top nipper (26) fixed to the nipper arm (25), wherein the top nipper (26) is operable to hold or release lap in cooperation with the bottom nipper (23);

a rotary shaft (27) extends parallel to the nipper shaft (20);

an eccentric member (28) fixed on the rotary shaft (27) for rotation therewith; and

a supporting member (29) one end of which is pivotally connected to the eccentric member (28) and the other end of which is pivotally connected to the nipper arm (25);
characterized in that

a first crank (37) is fixed on the nipper shaft (20) for rotation therewith and a second crank (38) is fixed on the rotary shaft (27) for rotation therewith, wherein a link (39) is connected between an end of the first crank (37) and an end of the second crank (38) by pins (40, 41), respectively, wherein the first crank (37), the second crank (38) and the link (39) cooperate to form a four-bar linkage, wherein the second crank (38) has a first member (42) and a second member (43), wherein the first member (42) has a hole (42A) through which the pin (41) is inserted, wherein the second member (43) is fixed on the rotary shaft (27) for rotation therewith, wherein a position at which the second member (43) is fixed to the first member (42) is adjustable.

2. The combing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that one of the first member (42) and the second member (43) has an arched elongated hole (42C) that forms a part of a circle whose center is located at the center of the rotary shaft (27), wherein a fastening device (43D, 45) extends through the elongated hole (42C) for fixing the first member (42) and the second member (43) together for rotation therewith.

3. The combing machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the four-bar linkage is a parallel linkage.

4. The combing machine according to any one of claims 1 through 3, characterized in that the nipper shaft (20) is driven from opposite sides of the nipper shaft (20), wherein the four-bar linkage is provided on each side of the rotary shaft (27) and the nipper shaft (20).

5. The combing machine according to any one of claims 2 through 4, characterized in that the fastening device (43D, 45) has a bolt (45) and a threaded hole (43D) in which the bolt (45) is screwed, wherein the bolt (45) extends through the elongated hole (42C) formed through one of the first member (42) and the second member (43), wherein the threaded hole (43D) is formed in the other of the first member (42) and the second member (43).

6. The combing machine according to claim 5, characterized in that the first member (42) has therethrough the elongated hole (42C) and the second member (43) has therein the threaded hole (43D).

Drawing