Method and apparatus for separating foreign matter from fibrous material

1. In a fiber cleaning apparatus including a revolving cleaning cylinder capable of engaging fiber tufts to separate said fiber from comingled foreign matter in which fiber tufts commingled with foreign matter are pneumatically conveyed into the apparatus in an air stream, flowing through an air duct, said air duct terminating at an outlet, the improvement comprising: a separator reel mounted for rotation about an axis parallel said cleaning cylinder and positioned adjacent said outlet, said reel partially circumscribed by a screen pervious to air flow and impervious to said tufts such that air flow passing through said reel exits through said screen depositing any entrained tufts thereon, and, an air seal and fiber transfer cylinder mounted for rotation about an axis parallel said separator reel and said cleaning cylinder and disposed there between to receive fiber tufts directly from said outlet and from said revolving reel and to transfer said fiber tufts along a substantially air tight path to said cleaning cylinder.

2. The fiber cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein said air seal and fiber transfer cylinder rotates within walls closely adjacent said air seal and fiber transfer cylinder, said cylinder including an outer surface having a consistency adapted to engage fibers and present a dense seal in the interstice between said air seal and transfer cylinder and said closely adjacent walls.

3. The fiber cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the revolving separator reel comprises a plurality of outer surfaces circumferentially spaced to allow the air stream to pass through said reel without abruptly increasing the air stream velocity.

4. The fiber cleaning apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said separator reel is driven for rotation such that the spaced outer surfaces direct fiber tufts and foreign matter toward the surface of said air seal and transfer cylinder.

5. The fiber cleaning apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the outer surfaces are disposed to sweep tufts and larger foreign matter from the stationary screen to the air stream upstream of said separator reel.

6. The fiber cleaning apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the outer surfaces comprise a flexible belt-like strip with a length running generally parallel to the axis of rotation of the revolving reel and a width extending generally radially from the axis of rotation.

7. The fiber cleaning apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the outer surfaces comprise a brush strip with a length running generally parallel to the axis of rotation of the revolving separator and a width extending generally radially from the axis of rotation.

8. The fiber cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said separator reel moves at velocities that develop centrifugal forces sufficient to cause the tufts and foreign matter revolving with said outer surfaces to move radially outwardly.

9. A fiber cleaning apparatus in which fiber tufts are pneumatically conveyed substantially individually through an air duct terminating at an outlet an air stream commingled with foreign matter comprising:

a transfer cylinder, mounted for rotation about a first axis and proximal said outlet, capable of holding the fiber tufts and of carrying said fiber tufts past closely abutting sealing surfaces while holding said fiber tufts, said air duct directing a primary portion of the fiber tufts directly to said transfer cylinder as it rotates proximal said outlet;

a rotating cleaning cylinder mounted for rotation about an axis parallel said first axis and having a plurality of teeth passing proximal said transfer cylinder to remove said fiber tufts there from and separate said fibers tufts from motes entrained therewith wherein said transfer cylinder and said sealing surfaces substantially prevent the flow of air from said cleaning cylinder to said outlet.

10. The fiber cleaning apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a revolving separator reel mounted for rotation about an axis parallel said first axis and positioned adjacent said outlet, said reel partially circumscribed by a screen pervious to air flow and impervious to said tufts such that air flow passing through said reel exits through said screen depositing said fiber tufts thereon, said revolving separator reel comprising circumferentially spaced outer surfaces for sweeping the desired fiber tufts and accumulated foreign matter from said stationary separator screen and returning the desired fiber tufts and foreign matter to the airstream proximal said transfer cylinder.

11. The fiber cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein said transfer cylinder comprises a substantially solid cylinder and a plurality of radially and longitudinally extending resilient members engaging said sealing surfaces, said radially extending resilient members spaced circumferentially from each other about said solid cylinder by a distance less than the dimension of said sealing surfaces such that at least one of said radially extending members engage each of said sealing surfaces along the full axial length of opposite sides of said transfer cylinder at any given time.

12. The fiber cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein said transfer cylinder comprises a substantially solid cylinder having a resilient brush like surface for engaging said tufts and carrying said tufts past a first one of said sealing surfaces to engagement by said cleaning cylinder.

13. The fiber cleaning apparatus of claim 12 wherein said brush like surface comprises a plurality of bristles extending from said cylinder and spaced less than about six millimeters from each other.

14. The fiber cleaning apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a duct for delivering a doffing airstream to said cleaning cylinder to remove fiber tufts there from downstream of said transfer cylinder and entrain said tufts in said doffing airstream.

15. The fiber cleaning apparatus of claim 9 further comprising an adjustable streamer plate adjustably mounted proximal said transfer cylinder and said cleaning cylinder for delivering fiber tufts from said transfer cylinder in position for engagement by said cleaning cylinder.