EP0310906B1 - Method and device for introducing a roving to a drafting arrangement of a textile machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for introducing a roving according to the preamble of claim 1. The invention also relates to a textile machine for carrying out the method according to the preamble of claim 6.

In the case of textile machines with drafting devices, there are always isolated thread breaks, the repair of which requires operating personnel or an automatic apparatus. It is obvious to do this work in the shortest possible time so that the number of staff can be reduced or the automatic equipment can repair more thread breaks in the same period.

A teaching is known from US Pat. No. 3,832,839, according to which such repair or repair work can be shortened. After detection of a thread break, a clamping device, which precedes the drafting system and the inlet funnel having a side slot, is activated, which separates the roving, also known as a sliver, at the clamping point. An operator unlocks the clamp and, using both hands, simultaneously guides a central portion of the roving through the side slot in the feed hopper and between the upper and lower feed rollers. The end of the roving comes to lie with a hand movement between the feed rollers and the middle rollers in the draft zone of the drafting system. This eliminates the time for inserting the roving end into the inlet opening of the inlet funnel, which is often difficult to access. In addition, since the roving end is already partially in the pre-drafting zone, the waiting time until the drawn roving, now called thread, appears at the exit of the drafting system.

After inserting the roving between the feed rollers, however, it is not ensured that the roving end actually gets between the middle rollers without the operator having to intervene again. If this security of grasping is desired, firstly a waiting time until the roving end reaches the middle rollers and secondly an actuation time must be spent for this new intervention, but this waiting time is too short in order to remove a thread from an adjacent drawing point or To carry out spinning station. It must also be recognized that the need for two hands makes automation more difficult or more expensive, because then two robotic arms moving at the same time have to be coordinated in their movement.

Attempts to automate the introduction of a roving into the drafting system emerge from JP-AS 56-43130, a pivotable suction tube first bringing the sliver end through a side slot of a sliver guide which is displaceably arranged to the side of the drafting device rollers and subsequently laterally next to the drafting device rollers, after which Sliver guide inserts the fuse between the feed rollers by sliding it. According to another embodiment, the lateral insertion between the feed rollers can also be carried out by a beveled pressure arm. The way in which the fuse automatically gets into the main delay area and could be properly transported by it is neither described nor indicated.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and a device which at least partially eliminate the disadvantages mentioned at the outset and which, based on the generic terms in this regard, enable thread breaks to be eliminated more quickly and reliably with relatively simple, mechanical means. This object is achieved by the characterizing features of claims 1 and 6.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Seitenansicht einer Spinnstelle, bei welcher eine Klemmvorrichtung mit einem Einlauftrichter integriert ist, und ein verfahrbarer Roboterwagen zum Einsatz kommt.

Fig. 2

eine schematische Draufsicht der Spinnstelle nach Fig. 1 über Abschnitt II-II, bei welcher eine separate Klemmvorrichtung verwendet worden ist,

Fig. 3

ein räumlich dargestellter, in der Ausführung nach Fig. 2 angewandter Einlauftrichter,

Fig. 4

eine Vorderansicht über Abschnitt IV-IV in Fig. 2,

Fig. 5

eine schematische Seitenansicht über Abschnitt II-II in Fig. 1, bei welcher die gleiche Klemmvorrichtung wie in Fig. 2 angewandt worden ist und ein ortsfester Roboter zum Einsatz kommt,

Fig. 6

eine Vorderansicht auf das Einzugswalzenpaar mit einem Schiebebügel, und

Fig. 7

eine perspektivische Draufsicht auf ein Einzugswalzenpaar und die Changierstange samt festem Gleitbügel.

The fact that the end section of the roving is inserted directly into the main drafting zone ensures that the roving is securely gripped. This is made possible without unproductive waiting times and without an additional work process, so that work can be done faster overall. The The time required for the roving to reach the main draft zone is reduced to zero, so that the stretched roving or the thread becomes visible even faster at the end of the drafting system and can be spun faster. The dwell time of the roving end in the main delay field until piecing is usually sufficient to be able to carry out work nearby. The picking up or the grasping of the roving end or roving end section and the introduction of the same into the main drafting zone can be accomplished in the simplest way by only one hand or a single robot arm. With a robot gripper, it is possible to reach places that are difficult to access, such as the place between the feed hopper and the pair of feed rollers. The inlet funnel can now be removed from its vicinity of the pair of feed rollers, which originates from the manual sliver insertion, to such an extent that sufficient space is created for the gripper. It would then be advantageous if the traversing stroke of the traversing rod is increased so that the rollers can still wear evenly. An existing, movable robot can be adapted for the method according to the invention with little effort. Even with a fixed telescopic pole as an alternative, the cost is modest. The feature according to claim 4 brings about a significant simplification, since a lateral insertion into the inlet funnel does not have to be carried out at all. With the feature according to claim 5, it is now possible to accomplish the introduction with a single, two-dimensional movement, so that a robot can be made simpler in terms of control technology. The feature of claim 7 prevents that the roving gets tangled prematurely in the pair of feed rollers during its lateral bypass. The feature of claim 9, apart from the arm, movable parts and control devices for these parts are eliminated, which has a favorable effect in terms of production costs and susceptibility to failure. The feature of claim 10 enables a shortening of the movement path of the gripper. Claim 11 contains a feature according to which it is possible to maintain a converging funnel shape including the roving and a side inlet. In addition, the mechanical movement of the robot arm can easily cope with a kink in the roving track thanks to the rag hooking in the rag. Space-saving, economic and non-obstructing reasons speak in favor of the feature according to claim 12. A measure according to which the roving can be detected at two points at the same time and can thus be shifted perfectly is possible with the feature of claim 13. The invention is explained in more detail below on a ring spinning machine with reference to the drawing. Show it:

Fig. 1

is a schematic side view of a spinning station, in which a clamping device is integrated with an inlet funnel, and a movable robot carriage is used.

Fig. 2

1 shows a schematic top view of the spinning station according to FIG. 1 over section II-II, in which a separate clamping device has been used,

Fig. 3

a spatially represented, in execution 2 inlet funnel used,

Fig. 4

a front view of section IV-IV in Fig. 2,

Fig. 5

2 shows a schematic side view of section II-II in FIG. 1, in which the same clamping device as in FIG. 2 has been used and a stationary robot is used,

Fig. 6

a front view of the pair of feed rollers with a push bracket, and

Fig. 7

a top perspective view of a pair of feed rollers and the traversing rod including a fixed slide bracket.

First, reference is made to FIG. 1. A roving or a sliver 2 is drawn or stretched from a roving spool 1 by means of a drafting device 3. The stretched roving, now called thread 4, runs over a ring bench 6 and is wound up by a thread spool 7, also called a cop. A fixed sensor 9 assigned to each spinning station monitors the thread 4 for presence. Parallel to the longitudinal direction of the spinning stations arranged next to one another, at least one movable part of a robot 11, a robot carriage 12, can be moved on rails or on the floor and can perform various operating and / or monitoring functions. The sensor 9 can, instead of being arranged individually, be placed on the carriage 12 for the successive monitoring of the threads at the various spinning positions.

As is known, the drafting system 3 is divided into a preliminary drafting zone 15, where the roving is stretched slightly, and a main drafting zone 16, in which the fibers of the roving are pulled apart strongly and to the correct extent. The pre-drafting zone 15 is limited by at least one pair of feed rollers, i.e. an upper feed roller 17 and a lower feed roller 18 and a middle roller pair 21, which is usually provided with straps 22. The use of two feed roller pairs does not influence the method according to the invention. The main drafting zone 16 extends between the middle pair of rollers 21 and a pair of delivery rollers 23. As usual, the upper rollers of two adjacent spinning stations are combined in a common holder (not shown), which is only connected to one of the secondary spinning station and connected by means of a common axis 25 upper feed roller 20 is indicated in Fig. 2. The free front end of the upper feed roller 17 is designated in FIG. 2 by the reference number 26. The lower rollers are each driven by drive shafts extending along the spinning positions. The drive shaft 27 (FIG. 2) accordingly drives the lower feed roller 18.

The sensor 9 placed at a suitable location between the pair of delivery rollers 23 and the ring bench 6 gives the robot 11 a signal in the absence of the thread 4, whereupon the carriage 12 travels to the relevant spinning station or drafting system 3. At the same time, a signal from sensor 9 is sent via line 28 to a clamping device upstream of drafting device 3 in the roving direction indicated by arrow 29, which in the embodiment according to FIG. 1 has an inlet funnel or sliver guide 30 is integrated. When the signal has occurred, a plug 32 is pressed in the direction of arrow 31 into the conically converging surface of the inlet funnel 30, by means of which movement the roving 2 is pinched. A detailed description of such a clamping device is unnecessary here, since it was already known for example from DE-PS 2816807. The roving 2 is torn apart or separated immediately after the inlet funnel 30 by the pulling or pulling force exerted by the pair of rollers 17, 18 in the running direction of the roving 2. This point is the reference or receiving point 33, at which a pair of pliers or a gripper 34 can grip the end section 37 of the roving 2. The gripper 34 is located at the end of a movable, articulated arm 38 of the carriage 12. After gripping the end section 37 at the reference point 33 and after the clamping device 30 has been unlocked or released by the robot 11, this gripper 34 carries a programmed three -dimensional movement, according to which the end section 37 is brought into a central delivery point 40 directly in front of the main drafting zone 16, in such a way that the end section 37 comes into the clamping line of the middle pair of rollers 21 and is thus grasped by the latter. During this movement of the gripper 34, the pre-drafting zone 15 is effectively bypassed, ie the roving section located between the pair of intake rollers 17, 18 and the middle pair of rollers 21 is not stretched.

The movement path of the gripper 34 bypasses the upper feed roller 17 laterally, ie it passes the free end 26, and at the same time leads through the detection area of a spacer device in the form of a hook 41 (FIGS. 2, 4), which keeps the roving at a distance from the free end 26 until it is caught by the middle pair of rollers 21 to avoid premature contact of the roving 2 with the feed roller pair 17, 18. This position of the section of the roving located between the main draft zone 16 and the reference point 33 is identified by the reference symbol 2.1. The horizontal position of the roving in position 2.1 should come as close as possible to the extension of the nip line of the feed roller pair 17, 18, but should definitely be below the axis of rotation of the upper feed roller 17.

The hook 41, in duplicate, is mounted on the upper bearing shell 42 of a bearing housing 43 for the lower feed roller 18 between two pairs of upper rollers 17, 20. Where there is no bearing housing 43, the hook 41 is mounted on some other support body. An upstanding holding leg 44 holding the roving in position 2.1 can be folded over via a line 47 by means of an electrical or pneumatic pulse originating from the carriage 12 via a stationary contact 46. The release impulse to the hook 41 (the folded-down position of the holding leg has the reference symbol 44.1) occurs as soon as the end section 37 has been introduced into the main drafting zone 16, ie has been gripped by the middle pair of rollers 21, whereby the roving slides off the hook 41 from position 2.1 or is pulled off and by tightening, which is caused by the pulling or pulling force exerted by the main drafting zone 16, gradually reaches laterally between the upper 17 and lower feed rollers 18 without further actuations. The tightening takes place between two fixed reference points. One point of reference is the pinching in the middle pair of rollers 21 and the other reference point is formed by the inlet funnel 30 which has now been freed of the plug 32, in which inlet funnel the roving 2 is subjected to a reaction force caused by friction on the roving bobbin 1. The tightening causes the roving 2 to be centered on the intended track in the drafting system 3, which is indicated by the reference number 2.3 in FIG. 2. The top view of the raceway 2.3 is centered on the lower rollers, but is moved back and forth in parallel in a known manner by the movement of a traversing rod 50 to which the inlet funnel or sliver guide or the clamping device 30 is fastened. The central delivery point 40 thus relates to this parallel area.

FIG. 2 shows a separate clamping device 54, known per se, placed in front of a feed hopper 52 in the roving running direction in front of an inlet funnel 52 shown in FIG. 3, with a fixed jaw 55 and a swiveling jaw 57 that can be moved according to an arrow 56 Inlet funnel 52 has a continuous longitudinal slot 59. The upper part of the inlet funnel 52 adjacent to the longitudinal slot 59 is angled approximately tangentially at the end of the inlet and forms a protruding tab 60. Of course, a sliver guide bent from wire, such as e.g. shown in DE-OS 3532422, in which the leg ends are angled such that the roving 2 is inserted laterally, but cannot slide out during normal operation.

The gripper 34 grips the end section 37 at the reference point 33 immediately after the clamping device 54 and conveys it to the delivery point 40. With a single movement, the roving 2 is brought into the initial position according to the dash line 2.1 through the longitudinal slot 59 of the inlet funnel 52, and this despite a kink in the roving 2 that usually occurs at the location of the inlet funnel 52 This is achieved in that the roving 2 is hooked in by the tab 60 during the movement of the gripper 34 between the reference 33 and the delivery point 40, whereby the roving 2 is automatically centered in the inlet funnel 52. This situation can be seen particularly clearly in FIG. 5. The section of the roving 2 located between the main draft zone 16 and the reference point 33 at the clamping device 54 is tightened by means of an intermediate position designated by the reference number 2.2 into the centered position according to the track 2.3, the above-mentioned reference points again the middle pair of rollers 21 and Roving roll 1 are.

The articulated arm 38 is drawn with full solid lines in FIG. 1 and, as a hint, in FIG. 2 in the position that detects the end section 37. The dashed lines with the reference symbol 38.1 represent its emitting position.

FIG. 5 shows a stationary robot 63 which is assigned to each spinning station and which has a telescopic arm which is articulated on all sides. In the position capturing the end section 37, this arm is provided with the reference number 64 and in its releasing position with the reference number 64.1. The arm 64 is attached to the textile machine at a suitable point by means of a ball joint 67 above the drafting device 3.

The telescopic longitudinal movement and the swiveling movement can be controlled pneumatically or by means of racks. The sensor 9 issues commands to the clamping device 54 and also activates the arm 64, so that a possibly provided movable robot can be relieved. For an operation on the feed roller 20, of course, a three-dimensional movement programmed in mirror image is provided.

FIG. 5 in connection with FIG. 6 also serves to explain an alternative method. This alternative provides for a two-dimensional movement of the gripper 34, so that a hinge pin now takes the place of the ball joint 67. In terms of control technology, simplification can possibly be brought about if two successive method steps are provided in which only two-dimensional movement sequences take place. Accordingly, the telescopic arm 64 guides the end section 37 during a first working step from the reference 33 into the delivery point 40 over the lateral surface 70 of the upper feed roller 17 and the inlet funnel 52 and thus remains in the roving 2 (in the clamping device 54) and thread 4 (at the delivery roller pair 23) formed, imaginary level. This position of the roving is identified by the reference symbol 2.4. The second method step takes place immediately after the end section 37 has been gripped by the middle pair of rollers 21, by receiving a signal from the robot 63, a pushing device in the form of a swivel bracket 73, which is provided specifically for this purpose and also only performs a two-dimensional movement between the Reference 33- and the delivery point 40 located Section of the roving 2 is moved laterally in the direction of an arrow 75. The swivel bracket 73 has two curved leg ends 78, 79 which unite to form an articulated shaft part 80. The bend of the leg ends 78, 79 is such that the roving slides over them when they are moved in the direction of the arrow 75; in the emitting position 73.1 of the swivel bracket, the roving reaches a position 2.5 similar to the position 2.1. The fact that two leg ends 78, 79 are provided has the purpose of simpler guidance, in particular if the roving should be pushed over the tab 60 at the same time.

The telescopic arm 64 can also take over the function of the swivel bracket 73 in that two subsequent two-dimensional movements are carried out by the telescopic arm. The telescopic arm 64 and the swivel bracket 73 can also be placed on the carriage 12. The articulated arm 38 can also alternatively perform a two-dimensional movement. It should therefore be obvious that many combinations are possible.

The gripper 34 engages directly after the clamping point or clamping device 30, 54, and its length in the roving direction is such that, with regard to the minimum stack length of the sliver or roving 2, there is a sufficiently long, free beard length around the tapered end section 37 to be captured by the middle pair of rollers 21. In this regard, it could be useful to design one of the two gripper fingers of the gripper in the form of a driven roller in order to increase the free length of the end section 37 if necessary.

FIG. 7 shows a preferred embodiment with a fixed or immovable sliding device in the form of a sliding bracket 84, which is fastened to the traversing rod 50 in a double embodiment, for example by means of screws 85 or the like. With regard to the right half (the left half is a mirror image), the slide bracket 84 has an upstanding part 86 and a part 88 which extends obliquely forward from the upper end of the part 86. The free end 89 is located at the free end 26 near the nip line of the feed rollers 17, 18. The gripper 34 grips the end section 37 immediately after the inlet funnel 30 and brings the roving 2 into the position 2.4, the roving 2 being located above the part 88. The tensile force of the main draft zone now first pulls the roving 2 over the part 88 onto the free end 26 and then laterally between the feed rollers 17, 18.

The present invention is used in particular for the automatic restoration of the spinning operation in, for example, ring, nozzle and winding spinning machines after a thread break. However, it can also be used for the automatic attachment of a sliver end of a new roving spool 1. For this purpose, a standby position that detects the new sliver end can be used, which then functions as a reference point. In this case, a sensor 9 can check the sliver flow from the roving bobbin 1.

Claims (15)

1. A method of introducing a roving into a textile machine drafting frame (3) comprising a preliminary drafting zone (15) and a main drafting zone (16), part of the roving (2) being introduced laterally into the preliminary drafting zone,
characterised in that an end part (37) of the roving is taken up at a reference point (33) which as considered in the direction of roving motion precedes the drafting frame and is introduced into the main drafting zone with effective bypassing of the preliminary drafting zone comprising a top feed roll (17), and that part of the roving which is situated between the main drafting zone and the reference point is drawn laterally into the preliminary drafting zone solely by using the tension exerted by the main in drafting zone.

2. A method according to claim 1,
characterised in that the top feed roll (17) is bypassed at the end face by the end part (37) of the roving during its movement from the reference point (33) to the main draft zone (16).

3. A method according to claim 1,
characterised in that in a first step the outer surface of the top feed roll (17) is bypassed end in a step following immediately thereon that part of the roving which is situated between the reference point (33) and the main drafting zone (16) is brought to the end face (26) of the top feed roll (17).

4. A method according to claim 1,
characterised in that the end part (37) of the roving is taken up at a reference point (33) situated between the drafting zone and a trumpet (30).

5. A method according to claim 3,
characterised in that the next step is effected automatically by using the tension exerted by the main drafting zone.

6. A textile machine for performing the method according to claim 1, comprising at least one drafting frame (3) comprising a preliminary drafting zone (15) and a main drafting zone, the preliminary drafting zone comprising at least one top and one mounted bottom feed roll (17, 18), having a clamping device which precedes the drafting frame as considered in the direction of roving motion, comprising a roving guide (30, 52), a sensor (9), and a robot which is adapted to be activated after receiving a signal from the sensor (9),
characterised in that the robot (11, 63) comprises a movable arm (38, 64) having a gripper (34) to take up an end part (37) of the roving (2), the gripper is movable between a reference point (33) which, as considered in the direction of roving motion (29), is situated immediately after the clamping device (30, 54) and a central discharge point (40) immediately in front of the main drafting zone (16), and means (41, 73, 84) are provided to feed the roving to the free end face (26) of the top feed roll (17).

7. A textile machine according to claim 6,
characterised in that the means comprise both the movable arm (38) adapted to perform a three-dimensional movement and a spacer (41) for the roving, said spacer being situated adjacent the free end face (26) of the top feed roll (17), the travel of the gripper with the end part (37) from the reference point (33) to the central discharge point (40) passes through the range of engagement of the spacer, and the robot (11) transmits a triggering signal to the spacer (41) after the end part (37) has been introduced into the main drafting zone (16).

8. A textile machine according to claim 6,
characterised in that the means (41, 73, 84) comprise both a movable arm (64) adapted to perform a two-dimensional movement and a pusher (73) adapted to bring the roving to the free end face (26) of the top feed roll (17), the travel of the gripper with the end part (37) from the reference point (33) to the central discharge point (40) passes over the outer surface (70) of the top feed roll (17) and the robot transmits an actuating signal to the pusher (73) after introduction of the end part (37) into the main drafting zone (16).

9. A textile machine according to claim 6,
characterised in that the means (41, 73, 84) comprise both a movable arm (38) adapted to perform a two-dimensional movement and a fixed slider (84) adapted to bring the roving to the free end face (26) of the top feed roll (17) and the travel of the gripper with the end part from the reference point (33) to the central discharge point (40) passes over the outer surface (70) of the top feed roll (17) and over the slider (84).

10. A textile machine according to claim 6,
characterised in that the clamping device is simultaneously constructed as a trumpet type roving guide (30).

11. A textile machine according to claim 6,
characterised in that the roving guide (52) is a trumpet and has a continuous slot (59) and a top part of the trumpet adjacent the slot has a tab (60) bent substantially tangentially at its entry end.

12. A textile machine according to claim 7,
characterised in that the spacer comprises a flip-over hook (41) mounted in a duplicate construction between the top feed roll pairs (17, 20).

13. A textile machine according to claim 8,
characterised in that the pusher comprises a rockable stirrup (73) with two curved limbs (78, 79).

14. A textile machine according to claim 6,
characterised in that a movable part (12) of the robot (11) is movable along the drafting frames (3) or the robot is stationary at each drafting frame (3) and responds after receipt of a signal from the sensor (9).

15. A textile machine according to claim 6,
characterised in that the robot (11, 63) has a pivotable arm (38) or a rockable telescopic arm (64).

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