Flat Clothing for a Revolving Flat of a Carding Machine

Abstract

A flat clothing for a revolving flat of a carding machine includes a foundation and a plurality of clothing tips formed from U-shaped wire hooks penetrating through the foundation and situated in adjacent rows with a row spacing between successive rows. A row offset in the direction of the length of the foundation is defined between the clothing tips in the adjacent rows such that the clothing tips are not situated one behind the other in successive rows. At least two successive zones are defined, wherein each zone has at least three rows of hooks and the row offset of the first zone differs from the row offset of the second zone. A row spacing between each row in the second zone and a following adjacent row, viewed in the fiber running direction, is different from the row spacing between the row and a preceding adjacent row.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A flat clothing ( 14 ) for a revolving flat ( 9 ) of a carding machine ( 1 ), comprising:
 a foundation ( 27 ) with a length (F) that corresponds to a working width of the carding machine and a width (G) viewed in a fiber running direction (C) of fibers through the carding machine;   a plurality of clothing tips ( 23 ) formed from U-shaped wire hooks ( 28 ) that penetrate through the foundation ( 27 ), the wire hooks formed from a wire having a cross-sectional width (D) with two legs ( 29 ) that define the clothing tips ( 23 ), the wire hooks comprising a back ( 30 ) with a back length (E) that connects the two legs ( 29 ), the legs ( 29 ) each having a tip axis ( 31 ) and the backs ( 30 ) situated with a back axis ( 32 ) connecting the tip axes ( 31 ) in the direction of the length (F);   the wire hooks ( 28 ) situated in adjacent rows ( 33 ,  36 ,  37 ,  38 ,  39 ,  40 ) with a row spacing (L, L 1 , L 2 ) between each of two successive rows ( 33 ,  36 ,  37 ,  38 ,  39 ,  40 ) in the fiber running direction (C), wherein a row offset (K, K 1 , K 2 ) in the direction of the length (F) is defined between the clothing tips ( 23 ) in the adjacent rows ( 33 ,  36 ,  37 ,  38 ,  39 ,  40 ) such that the clothing tips are not situated one behind the other in successive rows in the fiber running direction (C);   at least two successive zones ( 34 ,  35 ) of the rows of fiber hooks in the fiber running direction (C), wherein each zone has at least three rows of the fiber hooks ( 33 ,  36 ,  37 ,  38 ,  39 ,  40 ), the row offset (K 1 ) of the first zone ( 34 ) differing from the row offset (K 2 ) of the second zone ( 35 ); and   the row spacing (L 3 ) between each respective row ( 39 ) in the second zone ( 35 ) and a following adjacent row ( 40 ) in the second zone ( 35 ), viewed in the fiber running direction (C), is different from the row spacing (L 2 ) between the respective row ( 39 ) and a preceding adjacent row ( 38 ) in the second zone ( 35 ).   
     
     
         17 . The flat clothing ( 14 ) according to  claim 16 , wherein the row offset (K 1 ) of the first zone ( 34 ) and the row offset (K 2 ) of the second zone ( 35 ) are greater than a cross-sectional width (b) of the wire. 
     
     
         18 . The flat clothing ( 14 ) according to  claim 16 , wherein the row offset (K 1 ) of the first zone ( 34 ) and the row offset (K 2 ) of the second zone ( 35 ) are less than or equal to the cross-sectional width (b) of the wire. 
     
     
         19 . The flat clothing ( 14 ) according to  claim 16 , wherein the row offset (K 1 ) of the first zone ( 34 ) is greater than a cross-sectional width (b) of the wire, and the row offset (K 2 ) of the second zone ( 35 ) is less than or equal to the cross-sectional width (b) of the wire. 
     
     
         20 . The flat clothing ( 14 ) according to  claim 16 , wherein in the first zone ( 34 ), the row offset (K 1 ) from one row ( 36 ) to a following row ( 37 ) for all rows in the first zone. 
     
     
         21 . The flat clothing ( 14 ) according to  claim 16 , wherein in the second zone ( 34 ), the row offset (K 2 ) from one row ( 36 ) to a following row ( 37 ) is the same for all rows in the second zone. 
     
     
         22 . The flat clothing ( 14 ) according to  claim 16 , wherein in the first zone ( 34 ), the row spacing (L 1 ) from one row ( 36 ) to a following row ( 37 ) is the same for all rows in the first zone. 
     
     
         23 . The flat clothing ( 14 ) according to  claim 16 , wherein the row spacing (L 3 ) between each respective row ( 39 ) in the second zone ( 35 ) and a following further row in the second zone, viewed in the fiber running direction (C), is smaller than the row spacing (L 2 ) between the respective row ( 39 ) and the preceding row ( 38 ) in the second zone ( 35 ). 
     
     
         24 . The flat clothing ( 14 ) according to  claim 16 , wherein an extension (M) of the first zone ( 34 ) in the fiber running direction (C) is 30% to 70% of an extension (N) of the second zone ( 35 ) in the fiber running direction (C). 
     
     
         25 . The flat clothing ( 14 ) according to  claim 24 , wherein the second zone comprises at least seven rows. 
     
     
         26 . The flat clothing ( 14 ) according to  claim 25 , wherein the second zone comprises at least two subgroups ( 42 ,  43 ) of the rows, each subgroup comprising two to four rows ( 38 ,  39 ,  40 ) arranged in succession, the row spacing (L 2 ) between successive rows ( 38 ,  39 ,  40 ) within each subgroup ( 42 ,  43 ) increasing or decreasing, wherein one of the subgroups ( 42 ) with increasing row spacing (L 2 ) is followed by one of the subgroups ( 43 ) with decreasing row spacing (L 2 ), or one of the subgroups ( 43 ) with decreasing row spacing (L 2 ) is followed by one of the subgroups ( 42 ) with increasing row spacing (L 2 ). 
     
     
         27 . The flat clothing ( 14 ) according to  claim 25 , wherein the second zone comprises at least two subgroups ( 42 ,  43 ) of the rows, each subgroup comprising two to four rows ( 38 ,  39 ,  40 ) arranged in succession, the row spacing (L 2 ) between successive rows ( 38 ,  39 ,  40 ) within each subgroup ( 42 ,  43 ) being the same. 
     
     
         28 . The flat clothing ( 14 ) according to  claim 25 , comprising 30 to 48 rows, wherein the first zone ( 34 ) comprises 3 to 45 rows. 
     
     
         29 . The flat clothing ( 14 ) according to  claim 16 , wherein a distance (H) of the tip axis ( 31 ) of a first one of the wire hooks ( 28 ) from an oppositely situated tip axis ( 31 ) of a subsequent one of the wire hooks ( 28 ) in the same row ( 33 ,  36 ,  37 ,  38 ,  39 ,  40 ) is the same as the length (E) of the backs of the wire hooks ( 28 ). 
     
     
         30 . A revolving flat ( 9 ) for a carding machine ( 1 ), comprising the flat clothing ( 14 ) according to  claim 16 .