Fiber bale opener and method of operating the same

摘要

A fiber bale opener includes a housing arranged for horizontal travel along a series of fiber bales and a pair of horizontally spaced, parallel opening rollers defining an intermediate space therebetween. Each opening roller has a rotary axis oriented transversely to a direction of horizontal travel and each is supported in the housing for travel therewith above the fiber bales. Each opening roller further has peripherally situated fiber tuft removing elements arranged for penetrating top surfaces of the fiber bales in a working zone of the opening rollers. The fiber bale opener also has a suction device in the housing for drawing away fiber tufts removed by the opening rollers. The opening rollers are rotated in opposite directions such that in the working zone the rotary directions of the opening rollers are oriented away from one another.