Method and apparatus for recognizing foreign substances in and separating them from a pneumatically conveyed fiber stream

US6087608A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Trutzschler GmbH & Co. KG · DE

Inventors

• Stefan Schlichter · Viersen, DE
• Thomas Kramer · Herford, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 25, 1997
• Grant date: Jul 11, 2000
• Expiry date: Jul 25, 2017

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S209/938
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A fiber processing method includes the steps of removing fiber tufts from a series of fiber bales; pneumatically conveying the fiber tufts in a duct; forming images of the conveyed material as it passes through a first location of the duct; determining the degree of lightness or the color of the fiber tufts by an image processing device; determining the degree of lightness of foreign substances, conveyed with the fiber tufts, by the image processing device; comparing the measuring values obtained by the image processing device with a settable limit value; and initiating a switching operation when the limit value is exceeded for branching off to a waste receiver the fiber tufts from the duct at a second location thereof.