Method of processing a fleece in a pre-needling apparatus, and an installation implementing such a method

Abstract

A needle loom ( 2 ) for the consolidation of a fleece is preceded in the same installation by a pre-needle loom ( 3 ) having an “elliptical” movement, i.e. the needles ( 47 ) of which have a component of movement in the direction ( 6 ) of the progression of the fleece of fibres when they are in penetration phase in the fleece. The component is used as an additional way of propulsion of the fleece into the entrance to the needle loom ( 2 ).

1 - A method of processing a fleece in a pre-needling apparatus ( 3 ) and then in a consolidation apparatus ( 2 ), wherein pre-needling needles ( 47 ) are caused to carry out a combined movement comprising a reciprocation transversely to a plane ( 1 ) of the fleece ( 41 ) and a progressive movement in a direction ( 6 ) of progression of the fleece ( 41 ) when the needles ( 47 ) are in penetration phase in the fleece ( 41 ), characterized in that the progressive movement of the pre-needling needles ( 47 ) is used to impart to the fleece ( 41 ) a movement promoting introduction into the consolidation apparatus ( 2 ).  
     
     
         2 - A method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the fleece ( 41 ) is directly passed from the pre-needling apparatus ( 3 ) to the consolidation apparatus ( 2 ).  
     
     
         3 - A method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the pre-needling and the consolidation are carried out in a same machine.  
     
     
         4 - A method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that during said combined movement, the penetration recirpocation is slowed down in the vicinity of a maximum-penetration position of the pre-needling needles ( 47 ) and during this slowing down a substantial part of the progressive movement in the direction ( 6 ) of progression of the fleece ( 41 ) is carried out.  
     
     
         5 - A method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the consolidation is carried out in the form of a needling imparting an essentially linear reciprocating movement to needling needles ( 23 ).  
     
     
         6 - A method according to  claim 5 , characterized in that the pre-needling is carried out only from a first face of the fleece ( 41 ), and the needling is carried out starting with needles ( 23 ) penetrating into the fleece ( 41 ) through a face thereof opposite the first face.  
     
     
         7 - A method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the amplitude of the progressive movement of the pre-needling needles ( 47 ) is adjusted.  
     
     
         8 - A method according to  claim 7 , characterized in that the amplitude of the progressive movement is adjusted so that the progression of the needles ( 47 ) during the penetration phase substantially corresponds to the progression of the fleece ( 41 ) during said phase.  
     
     
         9 - A method according to  claim 5 , characterized in that, between the pre-needling cycle and the needling cycle, a cycle setting is defined such that the needling needles ( 23 ) are in penetration phase when the pre-needling needles ( 47 ) are in withdrawal phase, and the needling needles ( 23 ) are in withdrawal phase when the pre-needling needles ( 47 ) are in penetration phase.  
     
     
         10 - A method according to  claim 5 , characterized in that the pre-needling is carried out at a slower strike rate than that of the needling.  
     
     
         11 - A method according to  claim 5 , characterized in that the fleece ( 41 ) is driven at a speed which is lower when the pre-needling needles ( 47 ) are in withdrawal phase and higher when the pre-needling needles ( 47 ) are in penetration phase.  
     
     
         12 - An installation for processing a fibre fleece, for implementation of a method according to  claim 1 , comprising, along a path ( 1 ) for the fibre fleece ( 41 ), a pre-needling apparatus ( 3 ) followed by a consolidation apparatus ( 2 ), the pre-needling apparatus ( 3 ) comprising means for imparting to pre-needling needles ( 47 ) a combined movement comprising a penetration reciprocation transversely to the plane of the path ( 1 ) of the fleece and a progression reciprocation substantially parallel to the direction ( 6 ) of the progressive movement of the fleece ( 41 ), characterized in that an exit from the pre-needling apparatus ( 3 ) and an entrance into the consolidation apparatus ( 2 ) are in a relationship such as to preserve the progressive movement of the fleece ( 41 ).  
     
     
         13 - An installation according to  claim 12 , characterized in that the exit from the pre-needling apparatus ( 3 ) and the entrance into the consolidation apparatus ( 2 ) are directly linked.  
     
     
         14 - An installation according to  claim 12 , characterized in that the pre-needling apparatus ( 3 ) is installed between a feed apparatus ( 4 ) mounted upstream, propelling the fleece ( 41 ) by friction, and the consolidation apparatus ( 2 ).  
     
     
         15 - An installation according to  claim 12 , characterized in that the pre-needling apparatus ( 3 ) and the consolidation apparatus ( 2 ) are installed in a same machine.  
     
     
         16 - An installation according to  claim 12 , characterized in that the consolidation apparatus ( 2 ) comprises actuating means for giving consolidation needles ( 23 ) an essentially linear reciprocating movement transverse to the plane of the path ( 1 ) of the fleece ( 41 ).  
     
     
         17 - An installation according to  claim 16 , characterized in that said installation comprises actuating means common to the pre-needling needles ( 47 ) and the consolidation needles ( 23 ).  
     
     
         18 - An installation according to  claim 16 , characterized in that said installation comprises means ( 89 ;  92 ) for giving the pre-needling needles ( 47 ) and the consolidation needles ( 23 ) the same strike rate.  
     
     
         19 - An installation according to  claim 16 , characterized in that said installation comprises means for defining a cycle setting between the movement of the pre-needling needles ( 47 ) and the movement of the consolidation needles ( 23 ).  
     
     
         20 - An installation according to  claim 19 , characterized in that the means for defining a cycle setting are adjustable.  
     
     
         21 - An installation according to  claim 19 , characterized in that the cycle setting is such that the pre-needling needles ( 47 ) are in a withdrawal phase when the consolidation needles ( 23 ) are in a penetration phase, and the pre-needling needles ( 47 ) are in a penetration phase when the consolidation needles ( 23 ) are in a withdrawal phase.  
     
     
         22 - An installation according to  claim 16 , characterized in that said installation comprises means ( 89   a ;  201 ) for giving the pre-needling needles ( 47 ) a strike rate different from that of the consolidation needles ( 23 ).  
     
     
         23 - An installation according to  claim 16 , characterized in that said installation comprises means ( 201 ) for adjusting the strike rate of the pre-needling needles ( 47 ) relative to that of the consolidation needles ( 23 ).  
     
     
         24 - An installation according to  claim 12 , characterized in that said installation comprises means of propulsion ( 4 ,  7 ) of the fleece ( 41 ) by friction which are actuated at a greater speed when the pre-needling needles ( 47 ) are in penetration phase than when the pre-needling needles ( 47 ) are in withdrawal phase.  
     
     
         25 - An installation according to  claim 12 , characterized in that the pre-needling apparatus ( 3 ) comprises, between the path ( 1 ) of the fleece ( 41 ) and a support ( 44 ) for the needles, a stripper plate ( 63 ;  126 ) provided with orifices ( 67 ;  167 ) through which the needles ( 47 ) pass, these orifices having, parallel to the direction of progression of the fleece ( 41 ), a sufficient dimension to allow the progression component of the movement of the needles ( 47 ).  
     
     
         26 - An installation according to  claim 25 , characterized in that a needling table ( 124 ) of the consolidation apparatus ( 2 ) is an integral extension of said stripper plate.  
     
     
         27 - An installation according to  claim 12 , characterized in that the pre-needling apparatus ( 3 ) comprises a support means ( 68 ) that can move with the fleece, which delimits the path ( 1 ) of the fleece ( 41 ) on the side opposite the pre-needling needles ( 47 ).  
     
     
         28 - An installation according to  claim 27 , characterized in that the support means is a rotating roller ( 68 ) having recesses ( 73 ) for the needle tips ( 47 ).  
     
     
         29 - An installation according to  claim 28 , characterized in that the recesses ( 73 ) are gaps between annular ribs ( 72 ).  
     
     
         30 - An installation according to  claim 12 , characterized in that the pre-needling apparatus ( 3 ) comprises, for delimiting the path ( 1 ) of the fleece ( 41 ) on the side opposite the pre-needling needles ( 47 ): 
 support ribs ( 72 ) in planes parallel to the direction of progression of the fleece ( 41 ); and    between the ribs ( 72 ), recesses for receiving the needle tips ( 47 ).    
     
     
         31 - An installation according to  claim 29 , characterized in that the bottoms of the recesses ( 72 ) are formed by fingers ( 74 ) which extend beyond the ribs ( 72 ) in a direction towards the consolidation apparatus ( 2 ).  
     
     
         32 - An installation according to  claim 12 , characterized in that the pre-needling apparatus ( 3 ) is mounted so that the pre-needling needles ( 47 ) penetrate the fleece through a first face of the fleece ( 41 ) and the consolidation apparatus ( 2 ) comprises consolidation needles ( 23 ) which penetrate through a second face opposite the first face of the fleece ( 41 ) as resulting from the pre-needling.  
     
     
         33 - An installation according to  claim 12 , characterized in that the pre-needling apparatus comprises a movable structure ( 36 ,  136 ) intended to carry needles ( 47 ), and an actuating mechanism for imparting to the needles ( 47 ) an elliptical-type movement having a penetration component and a progression component, and in that one of the components, preferably the progression component, is at least to a large extent generated by angular oscillation of the movable structure.  
     
     
         34 - An installation according to  claim 33 , characterized in that the movable structure ( 36 ,  136 ) is guided relative to a frame of the machine by a functional chain comprising a sliding in series with an articulation about an oscillation axis ( 37 ,  137 ) parallel to the width of the fibre fleece.  
     
     
         35 - An installation according to  claim 34 , characterized in that the sliding and the articulation are carried out by means situated one inside the other.  
     
     
         36 - An installation according to  claim 34 , characterized in that the movable structure ( 36 ) is slidingly guided in a guide ( 39 ) mounted for oscillation in said articulation.  
     
     
         37 - An installation according to  claim 34 , characterized in that the actuating mechanism comprises two crank connecting-rod systems, each system comprising a connecting rod ( 51   a ,  51   b ) a small end of which ( 54   a ,  54   b ) is articulated to said movable structure ( 36 ) about a so-called positioning axis ( 56   a , 56   b ) parallel to said oscillation axis ( 37 ).  
     
     
         38 - An installation according to  claim 37 , characterized in that the two crank connecting-rod systems are similar and capable of a mutual phase shift, one being situated in front of and the other behind the positioning axis ( 56   a ,  56   b ), relative to the direction ( 6 ) of progression of the fleece.  
     
     
         39 - An installation according to  claim 37 , characterized in that there is a respective positioning axis ( 56   a ,  56   b ) for each of the two crank connecting-rod systems.  
     
     
         40 - An installation according to  claim 39 , characterized in that the two positioning axes ( 56   a ,  56   b ) are very close to each other.  
     
     
         41 - An installation according to  claim 37 , characterized in that the two connecting rods ( 51   a ,  51   b ) are oriented with their connecting-rod small end ( 54   a ,  54   b ) pointing in a direction generally away from the plane ( 1 ) of the fleece ( 41 ).  
     
     
         42 - An installation according to  claim 37 , characterized in that the oscillation axis ( 37 ) is placed substancially between two eccentric means ( 48   a ,  48   b ) turning in mutually opposite directions and each forming part of a respective one of the two crank-connecting-rod systems.  
     
     
         43 - An installation according to  claim 34 , characterized in that the movable structure ( 136 ) is articulated by said articulation to a slider ( 17 ) actuated by a first reciprocation generator, in particular a crank connecting-rod system ( 31 ,  127 ) generating one of the components, preferably the penetration component, and the movable structure ( 136 ) is moreover articulated about a positioning axis ( 156 ) to a second crank-connecting-rod system ( 94 ,  98 ) generating said angular oscillation of the movable structure ( 136 ) about said articulation of the slider ( 17 ).  
     
     
         44 - An installation according to  claim 12 , characterized in that said installation comprises: 
 means ( 79 ) for adjusting the depth of penetration of the pre-needling needles in the path of the fleece ( 41 );    means ( 57 ) for adjusting the amplitude of the progression component of the movement of the pre-needling needles ( 47 );    means ( 201 ) for adjusting a progression pitch of the fleece for each operating cycle of the pre-needling needles.