EP0394671B1 - Method for running a spinning machine and service robot for carrying out this method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method for operating an operating robot for reattaching broken threads on a ring spinning machine, the operating robot patrolling along a number of spinning positions, and an operating robot for operating a ring spinning machine and for carrying out the method.

A method of this type or a corresponding operating robot is already known from DE-OS 35 24 073.

This document relates to a method for the automatic removal of automatically felt thread breaks on a thread-producing spinning machine having a plurality of spinning positions by means of a piecing carriage, an error check for the presence of an error which eliminates the thread breakage being carried out prior to the respective attempt to repair the thread break at the relevant spinning position at the spinning position in question, is carried out and, if such a fault is detected, the attempt to correct the thread breakage is omitted, the fault check being carried out from the piecing carriage.

In one example, a separate thread break sensor is provided for each spinning station. In another example, the thread break sensor is arranged on the piecing carriage.

When the piecing carriage arrives at a spinning position on its search for yarn breaks at which there is a yarn breakage, the yarn breakage sensor senses this and triggers the stopping of the piecing carriage in a predetermined position at this spinning station. As soon as the attachment carriage is stopped, it is first checked by means of further sensors whether there is an error which causes this Eliminating the thread break makes it impossible, ie whether the roving is missing, whether there is a winding on the delivery roller of the drafting system or whether the ring traveler is missing. If there is at least one such error in the known arrangement, this is reported to an evaluator and he triggers the continuation of the piecing carriage without attempting to repair the thread breakage. If, on the other hand, there is no such error, the evaluator signals this to a control device which now carries out the attempt to correct the thread break by means of the equipment of the piecing carriage which serves to fix the thread break. It can be provided in a known manner that if the first thread attachment attempt does not already lead to the removal of thread breakage, one or more such thread breakage removal attempts are made and if a predetermined number of thread breakage removal attempts fails, the piecing carriage continues to run and this spinning position is possibly negative Spinning station registered.

In the known method or in the known ring spinning machine, a roving stop device can also be provided for each spinning station, which is then actuated from the piecing carriage when it is determined by means of the aforementioned sensors that there is no ring traveler or that there is a winding on the Delivery cylinder drafting device has formed.

From the above description it can be seen that the piecing carriage runs along the ring spinning machine in the search for thread breaks and, when a thread break is found, first examines whether the thread break is to be regarded as recoverable. In the affirmative, the piecing carriage immediately tries to fix the thread break before continuing its search. This means that it is checked at every point whether there is a thread break or not and an attempt is made at the same time if possible to fix the thread break.

It can also be seen that the roving stop devices are actuated by the sensors which are responsible for determining whether the ring traveler or a winding is present. In the example with one thread break sensor per spinning position, however, the roving stop device can already be actuated from this sensor when a thread break is detected.

The known method is also set up in such a way that in the determination of defects which cannot be rectified by the piecing carriage, it continues without stopping to the next spinning station, in order not to lose time for fruitless thread piecing attempts, with the aim of making better use of the capacity of the piecing carriage to eliminate thread breaks. If, on the other hand, a thread break is found that can possibly be remedied, the attachment carriage is braked immediately in order to carry out thread attachment tests.

Despite these measures, this construction of the piecing carriage and the method carried out with it leads to a complex and expensive piecing carriage and to a slow workflow.

The object of the present invention is to provide a method for operating an operating robot for reattaching broken threads on a ring spinning machine and an operating robot for operating the ring spinning machine and for carrying out the method, the method leading to a simplified structure of the operating robot so that it can be operated with a reasonable effort can be produced and can also be used universally in existing ring spinning machines, which are not equipped from the outset for cooperation with an operating robot, but which, due to the design according to the invention, should be easy to retrofit for this purpose.

In order to achieve this object, the method mentioned at the outset is further developed according to the invention in such a way that the operating robot stores the spinning positions at which there is a thread break in a first movement along the row of spinning positions, and only in a further movement, preferably in the next movement along this row tries to fix the previously determined thread breaks. After this attempt, the operating robot preferably checks whether it has succeeded. If this is not the case, the thread break is classified as not repairable by him and this fact is indicated to the operator or made clear.

The process is therefore characterized in the further course so that with each further movement along the row of operating robots, the thread breaks that have arisen since its last pass are determined, but only attempts to correct those that were determined during its last pass and not as by it are not classified as repairable.

This process is of great importance for the training of the operating robot as well as for the speeds and therefore the economy of the process.

In the prior art according to DE-OS 35 24 073, the alignment of the attaching machine with the individual spinning positions is effected by respective plungers, which are only moved after a thread break has been felt by a drive from the retracted position into a position locked with the attaching machine.

In other known attaching machines, three spaced-apart light barriers are used, in which the outer light barriers of the row of three automatically trigger a signal depending on the direction in which the attachment runs when it comes into the area of the spinning position, which is used to brake the attaching machine, the exact alignment with the spinning position concerned being determined by the middle light barrier. In both known designs only a very short braking distance is available, so that the driving speed of the approach data must be limited for this reason.

Furthermore, the mechanical interlock is susceptible to wear and the solution with three light barriers is very expensive, since the required light barriers are relatively complex.

All of these difficulties are eliminated in the method variant according to the invention that has just been described, in which thread breaks are detected during a movement along the row and are remedied during the next movement along the row, since the operating robot can probably drive at a higher speed and work with a longer braking distance since the latter by the operating robot in advance knowing where the thread breaks are easily predictable.

Furthermore, several expensive light barriers are by no means necessary for determining the position of the individual spinning positions by the operating robot, but this can be done in accordance with a further invention described in the patent application filed at the same time with the designation "positioning device" (publication number DE-A-39 09 745).

By increasing the working speed and reducing the electronic or mechanical effort, it is possible to produce an inexpensive operating robot that can also be used economically.

In a manner known per se, the operating robot preferably determines the thread breaks automatically, so that only one thread break sensor is required. However, it would also be possible to use the operating robot according to the invention with a ring spinning machine in which thread break sensors are provided at the individual spinning positions. In the latter case, communication between the individual spinning positions and the operating robot is required. However, such a solution is not particularly desirable since the provision of the required number of thread break sensors (currently up to 1200 per ring spinning machine) nevertheless leads to considerable costs and the thread break sensors themselves are susceptible to faults, so that these sensors can also represent sources of error. In the case of an operating robot that automatically determines the thread breaks, it is only necessary to check a thread break sensor for its functionality.

The method according to the invention is preferably carried out in such a way that the operating robot operates or patrols at most one side of the ring spinning machine and possibly only part of this side.

This embodiment takes into account that thread attachment attempts take a certain amount of time, which is typically less than 20 seconds in the operating robot according to the invention, the operation of the ring spinning machine at a reasonable number of thread breaks per hour and the high patrol speed according to the invention it is able to operate about 500 to 600 spindles. On average, a back and forth patrol movement takes about 10 minutes under the intended working conditions. This means that in the worst case, the maximum time until a thread break is eliminated or the corresponding spinning station is stopped by actuating the roving stop device. It is known from experience that at the intended spinning speed of a ring spinning machine, a yarn package that arises around an outlet cylinder of the drafting system will not be so large in this time that damage to the drafting system can occur. For this reason, too, a thread winding sensor is not necessary, since it is known that the diameter increase of a resulting winding is stopped at the latest within the same time, in the example given within 10 minutes.

In order to further reduce this risk, especially in the case of night shifts that run fully automatically without operating personnel, it may be advantageous to use two operating robots on the same machine side, as will be explained in more detail below.

Preferably, the procedure according to claim 5 is such that after the detection of a thread break, the entry of the roving into the drafting device is not stopped, that the operating robot automatically tries to correct the thread break once, and that in the event of a failure, the operating robot automatically switches to the concerned roving stop device actuated.

Such a method already allows the operating robot to be largely simplified, since according to the invention there are deliberately dispensed with several sensors that detect certain types of faults and a single thread break sensor is made a general sensor by undertaking a thread attachment attempt and with the thread break sensor after the test checks whether the attachment attempt has been successful and, in the negative case, evaluates this as information that the thread break cannot be remedied by the operating robot and requires intervention by the operator. This not only saves three expensive sensors compared to DE-OS 35 24 073 mentioned at the outset, but it also reduces both the software and hardware expenditure for the operating robot.

The fact that the roving stop device is only operated when the thread attachment attempt has failed means that the roving continues to run during the thread attachment attempt, which according to the invention leads to a simplification of the thread attachment process and thus also to a further simplification of the operating robot.

The method according to the invention is further characterized in that the operating robot brings the end of a yarn which has already been spun and is wound around the relevant spinning cop into the area of the drawn roving emerging from the drafting device, preferably in the yarn running direction in front of the delivery rollers at the outlet, in the course of the removal of the yarn break of the drafting system. In this process, the yarn end is taken over by the drafting system and twisted with the fiber stream running through the drafting system, so that the piecing process is carried out successfully. Because this procedure increases the safety of the thread application method, ie the thread application rate, the number of thread application attempts can be reduced to 1, so that a time saving is achieved and the operating robot works economically.

When the roving stop device is actuated, this is preferably indicated or made clear to the operator. The same signal can be used for this, which is generated to actuate the roving stop device, thereby further simplifying the operating robot.

In a preferred method according to the invention, the operating robot tries to remedy thread breaks by first winding one end of a foreign thread around the spinning head without attaching this one end to the broken end of the thread and then the other end of the foreign thread with the fiber stream still running at the exit tried to connect the drafting system.

For this purpose, the operating robot carries a foreign thread supply with him and, when removing a broken thread, proceeds by first sucking in a predetermined length of foreign thread from the supply spool by means of a suction flow into a storage tube connected to a suction gun, which feed tube ends the foreign thread when leaving The supply spool is attached to a winder that can be moved around the spinning cop, the foreign thread is severed between the winder and the supply spool, the drive disengages from the spindle in question so that it can be freely rotated, and the winder is moved around the spinning cop, due to the friction between the foreign thread and the spinning cop rotates with the winder and pulls the foreign thread out of the supply tube and wraps it around the spinning cop to form windings, which the spinning cop then holds, drives the suction gun in the region of the windings to adjust the height, by means of the wound windings of the foreign thread Kre to anchor the laid windings, then the foreign thread by the sinking of the winder or a part assigned to it onto the track of the ring traveler and by arranging the foreign thread in a position directed obliquely downward from the point of contact with the ring path into the ring traveler driven by the winder or the part assigned to it, then threading the foreign thread by moving the suction gun through the antiballoon ring and the thread guide, and the foreign thread by a further movement of the suction gun finally brings it into the area of the exit of the drafting system, drives the spinning cop again and brings the foreign thread into the path of the drawn roving so that it is twisted with it.

The connection of the yarn end of the foreign thread with the yarn emerging from the drafting device is preferably carried out in that the yarn end held by the suction gun is brought to the side next to the delivery cylinder pair of the drafting device by a corresponding movement of the suction gun and then by a movement in the axial direction of the delivery cylinder pair, whereby the foreign thread is brought into the fiber stream entering the gap in the delivery cylinder pair and the desired connection is brought about with the yarn end of the foreign thread.

It has been found in tests that this method delivers a very high success rate in the piecing attempt, whereby the informative value of a failed thread piecing attempt is increased to the presence of an error that cannot be remedied by the operating robot, so that one can be limited to carrying out only one thread piecing attempt, what the operating speed of the operating robot or the economy of the process benefits.

According to a preferred embodiment, the robot knows the end of its working area and stops there until it is released by the ring spinning machine to carry out another patrolling movement automatically.

• 1. Es ist möglich bei einem bevorstehenden Doffvorgang den Roboter so lange am Maschinenkopf bzw. am Ende seines Arbeitsbereiches zu halten, bis der Doffvorgang durchgeführt worden ist. Hierdurch wird eine Kollision zwischen dem Roboter und Teilen des Doffers ausgeschaltet. Es ist erfindungsgemäß auch möglich, die verstrichene Zeit seit der letzten Freigabe des Roboters zu einer weiteren Patrouillierbewegung zu erfassen und einen Alarm auszulösen bzw. die Ringspinnmaschine automatisch anzuhalten, wenn innerhalb eines vorgegebenen Zeitraumes der Roboter nicht wieder am Ende seines Arbeitsbereiches angelangt ist. Beim überschreiten des genannten Zeitraumes kann man den Schluß ziehen, daß der Roboter nicht ordnungsgemäß funktioniert oder daß eine anderweitige Störung vorliegt.
• 2. Der Zeitraum kann so bemessen sein, daß ein das Streckwerk zerstörender Garnwickel bei der vorgesehenen Arbeitsgeschwindigkeit nicht auftreten kann. Diese Maßnahme ist vor allem wichtig bei bedienerlosen Schichten, beispielsweise Nachtschichten, bei denen keine Betriebsperson vorhanden ist, da es allemal besser wäre, die Produktion der Ringspinnmaschine während der Nachtschicht zu verlieren als das Streckwerk zu zerstören.

Stopping the robot at the end of its work area, which is preferably located at the head of the ring spinning machine, has two important advantages:

• 1. In the case of an upcoming doffing process, it is possible to hold the robot on the machine head or at the end of its working area until the doffing process has been carried out. This eliminates a collision between the robot and parts of the doffer. It is also possible according to the invention to record the elapsed time since the last release of the robot for a further patrol movement and to trigger an alarm or to stop the ring spinning machine automatically if the robot has not returned to the end of its working area within a predetermined period of time. If the above-mentioned period is exceeded, it can be concluded that the robot is not working properly or that there is another malfunction.
• 2. The period of time can be such that a yarn package that destroys the drafting device cannot occur at the intended working speed. This measure is particularly important in the case of unattended shifts, for example night shifts, in which there is no operating person, since it would be better to lose the production of the ring spinning machine during the night shift than to destroy the drafting system.

The patrolling movement is preferably a back and forth movement along one side of the ring spinning machine or, in the case of using two operating robots per machine side, along a partial length of this side. However, it is also possible to have the robot loop around the entire ring spinning machine, although this probably does not correspond to an economical optimum. In addition, the robot would have to drive around relatively tight curves at the ends of the ring spinning machine in a loop-like movement, which would normally be difficult due to the lack of space and the dimensions of the robot.

In a preferred embodiment, the operating robot is programmed such that when it is inserted into the ring spinning machine or when the ring spinning machine is switched on or on again, it first travels in one direction along the row of spinning positions until it either reaches the end of its working area or a reversal point which it can recognize , wherein in the latter case it turns around and moves to the end of its working area and that after the release from the ring spinning machine it executes a first movement along its working area and stores the spinning positions at which there are at least initially recoverable thread breaks.

This has two particular advantages. The operating robot does not have to be designed from the electronic side for a specific ring spinning machine, but can be used on all existing ring spinning machines of the conventional type after carrying out a few mechanical adjustments. The operating robot learns the length of its working area and the number of spinning positions to be operated by it when it moves to the end of its working area and to the reversal point. Thus, with the appropriate programming of the microprocessor no electronic adjustments are required. Even if it is switched on again after a power failure, the operating robot is equipped with its programming to learn its working area again. Because only a single electronic version is required for the operating robot, these can be produced inexpensively in small series. The storage of spare parts is also influenced favorably by this. It is also important that an operating robot can be easily transferred from one machine to another in a particular spinning mill, provided that the management considers this to be expedient, for example to use two robots on one machine for night shift work.

When using two operating robots on one machine, the method according to the invention is characterized in that each operating robot has a position at a respective end of the ring spinning machine that represents the end of its working area at which it is stopped, for example to enable a doffing operation, and in that each operating robot recognizes the other operating robot as soon as it comes into its immediate vicinity and, based on the spinning position reached by it during the detection, determines the deflection point applicable to it.

When using two operating robots, the two robots patrol in opposite directions along the ring spinning machine until they come in close proximity to one another. As soon as the two operating robots recognize each other, which is possible, for example, through respective V light barriers that work with retroreflectors attached to the other operating robot, this signal is electronically evaluated as a reversal point, so that the two operating robots reverse. So the two Working areas of the operating robots are determined elastically, so to speak, the respective length simply depends on the location where the two operating robots come in close proximity to each other. Since the thread breaks that occur are generally not distributed uniformly over the ring spinning machine, the location where the operating robots come in close proximity to one another is generally not in the middle of the ring spinning machine. Furthermore, this point changes from run to run, which does not pose any difficulties for the operating robot according to the invention, since according to the invention he recognizes his work area anew with each patrol movement, although he does not forget which thread breaks he has saved in the previous course and still has to remedy.

Since there are still a few hitherto unused spinning positions between the two operating robots at the reversal point, the programming is preferably carried out so that the one operating robot that comes from one direction reverses immediately, while the operating robot that comes from the other direction turns one certain number of spinning positions continues in the same direction until it reverses. This is not a problem for programming, it simply means that the markings on the rail, which mark the reversal point for him when using a single operating robot, are to be attached in such a way that the operating robot still detects a certain number of points even after this reversal point has been recognized Spinning positions continue to move before it actually reverses. It is also particularly advantageous in the inventive design of the method or of the operating robot if, when using two operating robots on one machine side, both can be operated at the upper limit of their thread breakage removal capacity and the work between them automatically takes place accordingly share this capacity.

If a ring spinning machine is equipped with two operating robots, it must also be able to recognize that two operating robots are in use and, for example, during a doffing process both operating robots stop at the two predetermined ends of their working areas (usually at the two ends of the ring spinning machine) until the Doff process initiated, carried out and ended. In this case, the ring spinning machine has the option of communicating with the operating robot at both ends, as has already been described in connection with a single operating robot.

The or each operating robot is preferably designed in such a way that it at least temporarily stores the spinning position-related thread breaks it has determined, as well as thread breaks that it has successfully remedied or thread breaks that it has not successfully remedied, and the stored information at intervals or during a stay at the end of its working area forwards to the ring spinning machine or to a system processing this information.

This signal transmission can also take place via the busbars, which supply the energy for driving the operating robot.

The operating robot should save the thread break points which it has not successfully repaired until the relevant spinning points have been repaired by the intervention of the operating person or a repair robot.

The thread break points detected by the operating robot should only be deleted from its memory when they have been successfully remedied and the machine control or the data system has been informed of this. However, this can also be determined automatically by the operating robot, for example by means of a light barrier which determines whether the roving stop device is actuated or not. This version assumes that after a fault has been successfully eliminated, the operator switches the roving feed back on and leaves it up to the operating robot to correct the thread breakage. As usual with ring spinning machines, the roving stretched by the drafting system is suctioned off in cases where the thread breaks.

The method according to the invention is preferably also designed in such a way that the robot has an attaching machine which follows the height adjustment of the ring bench during the operation of the ring spinning machine and that the operating robot only after the machine has been inserted or the machine has been switched on or on again explored the lower limit of the height adjustment range of the automatic attachment. This means that the operating robot not only gets to know the length of its work area, but also its height, which also simplifies its programming and benefits universal use.

The present invention also includes an operating robot which is designed to carry out the method variants described above, the operating robots which are constructed in a correspondingly advantageous manner being described in more detail in subclaims 20 to 46.

For the sake of brevity, the individual advantages of the specific embodiments of the operating robot are not described in detail here, but they result for the person skilled in the art from the previous detailed description of the corresponding method variants.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Seitenansicht einer Ringspinnmaschine, die mit dem erfindungsgemäßen Bedienroboter ausgestattet ist,

Fig. 2

eine schematische Seitenansicht einer Spinnstelle einer Ringspinnmaschine, die vom Bedienroboter bedient wird,

Fig. 3

eine schematische Darstellung entsprechend der Darstellung der Fig.1 der gleichen Ringspinnmaschine, jedoch in diesem Fall mit zwei Bedienrobotern ausgestattet,

Fig. 4

eine Draufsicht auf den Wickler der Fig. 2, jedoch in einem größeren Maßstab,

Fig. 5

eine Seitenansicht des Wicklers der Fig. 4,

Fig. 6

eine Darstellung des Teils VI der Ringspinnmaschine der Fig.2 teilweise im Querschnitt und zu einem größeren Maßstab zur Darstellung der Einzelheiten einer bevorzugten Spindelbremseinrichtung, wobei die Ringbank der Darstellung halber weggelassen ist,

Fig. 7

einen Horizontalschnitt längs der Linie VII-VII in Fig.1,

Fig. 8 und 9

die Schnitte gemäß Fig.6 und 7 in einer anderen Betriebsstellung, und

Fig. 10 und 11

Horizontalschnitte von Details der Fig.7 und 9 in weiteren Betriebsstellungen in vergrößertem Maßstab.

The invention is explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment with reference to the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1

2 shows a schematic side view of a ring spinning machine which is equipped with the operating robot according to the invention,

Fig. 2

1 shows a schematic side view of a spinning station of a ring spinning machine which is operated by the operating robot,

Fig. 3

2 shows a schematic illustration corresponding to the illustration in FIG. 1 of the same ring spinning machine, but in this case equipped with two operating robots,

Fig. 4

3 shows a plan view of the winder of FIG. 2, but on a larger scale,

Fig. 5

a side view of the winder of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6

2 shows a part of the ring spinning machine in FIG. 2, partly in cross section and on a larger scale, to show the details of a preferred spindle brake device, the ring bench being omitted for the sake of illustration,

Fig. 7

2 shows a horizontal section along the line VII-VII in FIG. 1,

8 and 9

the sections according to Figures 6 and 7 in a different operating position, and

10 and 11

Horizontal sections of details of Figures 7 and 9 in further operating positions on an enlarged scale.

1 shows a side view of a ring spinning machine 10, which has a head part 12 and a foot part 14. Between the head part 12 and the foot part 14 there are on both sides of the machine, only one of which can be seen in FIG. 1, a number of individual spinning positions, which are usually present today in the number from 500 to 600. For the sake of illustration, however, only seven such spinning positions are shown in FIG. 1, in fact the distance between the head part and the foot part 14 is much larger. Each Spinning station, for example 16, serves to draw roving 20 coming from a roving spool 18 in a drafting device 22 and to wind the drawn yarn on a spinning tube 26 by means of a ring traveler 24. The resulting package 28 is built up in a known manner on the spinning sleeve 26 from below and results in the so-called spinning cop. For this purpose, the spinning sleeve 26 is driven by a spindle 30 for a rotary movement. The drawn roving passes through a yarn guide 32 and a so-called anti-balloon ring 34 to the ring traveler 24, which is caused to rotate on an annular path 36 due to the rotating movement of the spinning cop, whereby the drawn roving undergoes a rotation that produces its strength.

The spindles 30 are driven in pairs by revolving belts 38, which run in the direction of the arrow 40, for rotary movement. The spindles 30 themselves are rotatably mounted in a crossbar 42 of the ring spinning machine. The ring tracks 36, on the other hand, are located on the so-called ring bench 44, which, in a manner known per se, executes a steady upward lifting movement when it forms the spinning heads and an oscillating movement superimposed thereon.

For the entry into the drafting unit 22, the roving 20 runs through a respective funnel 46 at each spinning station, the funnels 46 being mounted on a rail 48 which carries out an oscillating back and forth movement in the direction of the double arrow 50. The roving 20 then runs through a so-called roving stop device 52. Such roving stop devices, also known as sliver stop devices, are well known and can be actuated to break off the roving 20 and thus to stop the supply of material to the respectively assigned drafting system 22.

The drafting system, which is also well known and can be seen in a side view in FIG. 2, is driven by means of three driven shafts 54, 56 and 58, these shafts extending over the entire length of the ring spinning machine and usually being driven on both end faces to prevent excessive shaft rotation. Beneath each drafting system is a suction nozzle 60 which, in the event of a yarn breakage, sucks the yarn produced by the drafting system, thus keeping the machine clean and largely preventing the formation of unwanted yarn packages around the individual rolls of the drafting system. For purely illustration purposes, the left spinning station 16 at the right end of the machine is shown in FIG. 1 as if there was a thread break, the stretched yarn running into the corresponding suction nozzle 60.

The roving bobbins 18 are arranged as usual on rails above the ring spinning machine and can be replaced, for example. The roving 20 coming from the bobbins 18 is deflected via deflection rails such as 62, for example, before it runs into the funnel 46.

The ring spinning machine, as far as described so far, is known per se in practice.

Two rails are mounted on this ring spinning machine, namely an upper guide rail 64 and a lower guide and positioning rail 66, both of which extend at least substantially over the entire length of the ring spinning machine and serve to carry and guide an operating robot 68 and an accurate one To enable positioning of the same. As will be explained in more detail below, the operating robot 68 can be moved in the direction of the double arrow 70, and by means of a motor 74 flanged to the frame 72 of the operating robot, which, as can also be seen in FIG. 2, drives wheels 76 that can be rolled on the lower rail.

The power supply to the drive motor 74 and to the other electrical and electronic parts of the operating robot takes place via the lines 75, 77, which are in contact with current paths 79, 81 in the rail 66 via sliding contacts (not shown).

In addition to the driven wheels 76, there are further wheels at a distance from the wheels 76 on the lower guide rail 66, which prevent the operating robot 68 from tilting sideways in the plane of FIG. 1. At the upper end of the frame 72 of the operating robot 68 there is a further guide roller 78 which runs in the reverse U-shaped rail 64 and prevents the operating robot 68 from tilting sideways in the plane of FIG. 2.

On the frame 72 of the operating robot there is an attaching machine 80 which is arranged to move up and down in accordance with the double arrow 83. For this purpose, the batching machine 80 is guided on two vertically extending rods 82 and 84. The rod 82 is a pure guide rod, but the rod 84 is designed as a threaded spindle and can be driven by a motor 86. The threaded spindle 84 runs within a ball nut attached to the automatic attachment 80 and thus forms the drive for the automatic attachment 80. Mounted on the automatic attachment 80 is a first light barrier 88 which detects the edge of the ring rail 44 and, via the computer installed in the frame 72, control signals to the drive motor 86 sends so that the automatic attachment 80 always follows the movement of the ring bench.

On the frame 72 of the operating robot, limit switches 90 and 92 are also attached at the top and bottom, which determine the upper and lower limits of the displacement path of the automatic attachment machine.

The automatic attachment has a further light barrier 94. It detects the yarn at the outlet of the drafting system and in this way determines whether there is a thread break or not. Other thread break monitors known per se, for example inductive or capacitive or piezo thread break monitors, can also be used if desired.

The piecing machine 80 also carries a supply spool 96 for foreign thread 98 for the piecing process described later. The foreign thread 98 is introduced by this bobbin 96, which can also be any spinning cop, into a holding chamber 100 which is equipped with a separating knife 102. Above the chamber 100 there is a winder 104 which can be advanced in the direction of the double arrow 106 until its U-shaped front end 108 engages around the spinning cop.

The front of winder 104 is shown on a large scale in plan view in FIG. 4 and in side view in FIG. 5. A slotted ring 110, which is rotatably guided by the winder 104, is located within the U-shaped opening of the winder 104. Inside the winder, the ring 110 is driven by two pinions 112 spaced apart from one another, only one of which can be seen in FIG. 4. The purpose of these two pinions is to ensure that the ring 110 is always in drive with at least one of the pinions. In order to keep the two pinions synchronized, they mesh with intermediate gears, which are not shown. The drive motor for the pinion 112 is also simple not shown here for the sake of it.

A pin 114 with a button-like head 116 is mounted in the ring 110. The pin 114 can be pressed down by a lever 118 and an electromagnet 120 in the direction of the arrow 122 in order to push the head 116 away from the underside of the ring. As a result, the foreign thread, as will be described later, can be held between the head 116 and the underside of the ring 110.

Below the winder 104 there is a holding member 124 which is also adjustable in the direction of arrow 106 and which can be advanced independently of the winder 104 by a separate drive in order to position the foreign thread. Below the ring 110 there is a brush 111 attached to it. Above the winder there is an arm device consisting of a shoulder 123, an upper arm 126, a forearm 128 and a hand 130 which carries a suction pistol 132. The axes 134, 135 and 136 enable targeted movements of the suction gun 132, as will be described in more detail below. A separate motor is provided for each axis 134, 135 and 136, these motors not being shown for the sake of simplicity. However, these motors allow targeted positions of the shoulder, arm and hand parts of the arm device around the corresponding axes.

At the end of the suction gun 132 facing away from the winder 104 there is a hose 140 which is bent approximately in a U-shape and is connected to a suction source 142 at its end remote from the suction gun. Another light barrier 144 is located within the suction source 142.

A brake device is fastened to the frame 72 below the automatic attachment machine with an arm 146, which serves to decouple the spindle from the drive belt 38 and to brake the individual spindles. The adjustment mechanism for the brake arm 146 is not shown here for the sake of brevity. The brake arm 146 is controlled so that it can perform the following movements. First of all, it should be said that the arm 146 has at its front end an upstanding brake shoe, which is not shown in FIG. 2, but is arranged between the pairs of spindles 13, within the loop of the drive belt 38. This brake shoe therefore stands 2 vertically upwards in the drawing according to FIG. Arm 146 can be pulled in the direction of arrow 148 and simultaneously pivoted to the left or right in Fig. 1, i.e. perpendicular to the plane of the drawing in FIG. 2 in order to lift the drive belt with its rear surface facing the operating robot from the associated spindle 30 in the corresponding spindle 30. In this position, the spindle 30 can be regarded as freely rotating; due to the bearing in the hollow beam 42 by means of ball bearings, there is very little friction. The brake arm 146 can then also be advanced in the direction of the arrow 150 in order to press the brake pad provided on the front of the upstanding finger against the spindle 30 and to be held or braked by the latter.

In order to clarify the operation of the automatic piecing machine, the correction of a thread break that has already been detected is now explained:

The suction gun 132 is brought from the location shown in FIG. 2 to the exit hole 152 of the foreign thread chamber 100, whereby the suction air from the suction source 142 brings the foreign thread into the suction gun and sucks into the tube 140 until the foreign thread end is detected by the light barrier 144. The foreign thread can now be clamped (but not yet cut), for example by the delivery system, which pulls the foreign thread from the supply spool 196. There is now a predetermined length of the foreign thread within the tube 140, the foreign thread being held in an elongated form by the suction flow. The suction gun 132 now moves around the front of the winder 104 to the other side of the foreign thread chamber 100. The foreign thread is brought into the area of the button 116 by this movement, which is now pressed down by means of the electromagnet 120 and the lever 118 . As soon as the foreign thread is in contact with the shaft of the pin 114, the electromagnet 120 is set in the de-energized state, as a result of which the pin 114 moves up again due to a built-in spring (not shown), and the end facing the foreign thread chamber 100 of the foreign thread. The knife 102 is now operated to separate the foreign thread from the supply spool. The brake arm 146 is now actuated so that the drive 38 is decoupled from the spindle 30. In this state, the winder 104 moves up to a position above the top position of the ring bench and then forward until the spinning cop is within the U-shaped opening of the winder. Via the pinion 112, the ring 110 is now driven to rotate about the ring axis, as a result of which the foreign thread, pulled by the pin 114, lies in a backing movement around the spinning head mounted on the freely rotatable spindle 30 and the resulting friction is finally sufficient to rotate the spindle, pulling the foreign thread out of tube 140 and creating windings on the spinning cop.

After a few windings, for example four, have been placed around the spinning head, the suction gun 132 moves due to the preprogrammed movements of the arm device so that a cross turn occurs; then another, for example four windings are placed around the spinning cop, and the suction gun moves up again. At this stage, one end of the foreign thread is now wrapped around the spinning head. The holding member 124 is now pushed forward, i.e. to the right in Fig. 2 to prepare the foreign thread for threading. At the same time, the brake arm 146 is pushed forward to now stop the spindle. The suction gun 132 is moved into a position where the foreign thread, which is still partially inside the tube 140, runs obliquely downwards and tangentially to the ring path. The ring traveler is now rotated on the ring track 36 by means of the brush 111. He moves over the foreign thread and this is threaded into the ring traveler. At this stage, the holding member 124 is withdrawn and the suction gun 132 is raised up to the balloon ring 34 by changing the geometry of the arm device. Here, the foreign thread is controlled by specific movements of the suction gun 132 (caused by specific movements of the arm device) such that the foreign thread is threaded through the insertion slot 154 of the anti-balloon ring 34. The attaching machine then moves upward and the suction gun is again controlled so that the foreign thread is threaded through the threading slot 156 of the thread guide 32.

The attaching machine is then moved further upward and the arm device is stretched so that the tip of the suction gun assumes the position shown in FIG. 2 with 132.1. The foreign thread now comes to rest on the front side of the upper roller 158 of the pair of rollers on the feed side of this pair of rollers. Of the Drive of the spindle 30 and thus of the spinning head 26 is now taken up and at the same time a targeted movement of the suction gun in the axial direction of the delivery cylinders is carried out. As a result, the foreign thread is gripped by the stretched roving executing a traversing movement and twisted with it, so that a connection is created between the foreign thread and the stretched roving. The newly spun yarn is then wound over the foreign thread on the spinning head 26 in the usual manner. The repair of the thread break, ie the preparation process, is now over. The light barrier 94 is now used to check whether the thread and therefore the ring traveler 24 runs normally. If this is not the case, then this is a clear indication that there is an error of some other kind that cannot be remedied by the operating robot. In this case, the roving stop device 52 is actuated by the operating robot, for example in a manner known per se by means of a compressed air blast, whereby the further supply of roving to the drafting system 22 is prevented. At the same time, a lever 160 of the roving stop device 52 folds up, the reflecting end 162 of which is regarded by the operator as an indication of a defective spinning position, so that the necessary corrective measures can be taken. The operating robot 68 also carries a further light barrier 164 which, as the operating robot passes, can determine whether such levers 160 are folded up. If the operating robot 68 determines that this is the case at a specific spinning position, then it knows that it cannot remedy this thread break.

The provision of such a light barrier is not absolutely necessary, it is also possible and even preferred that the signal triggering the compressed air surge in the microprocessor of the operating robot 68 together with the position of the spinning position concerned, so that this information is already known to the operating robot.

During the patrol movement along the ring spinning machine, the automatic attachment device 80 detects the upper edge of the ring bank via the light barrier 88, and it is always held at a height corresponding to the respective uppermost position of the ring bank. While a thread break is being repaired, however, the piecing machine remains largely at a constant height during the winding on the spinning cop, but moves up slightly to form the cross-windings on the thread tube (approximately 5 mm). Only when the foreign thread is threaded in by the ring traveler does the automatic piecing machine move with the holding member 124 downward, so that the holding member comes near the ring rail 36 but does not touch it. This downward movement is also controlled by the light barrier 88, starting from the previous position, which corresponds to the uppermost position of the ring rail.

The long leg 66 of the guide and positioning rail 66 has two holes 166, 167 aligned with each spinning position, which are detected by two correspondingly arranged inductive sensors 170, 172 and ensure the exact positioning of the operating robot 68. On its upper short leg, the rail 66 has elongated holes 174 and 176 at both ends. In order to scan these elongated holes, ie to detect them, the frame 72 carries a further inductive sensor 178. Upon detecting the hole 174 or the hole 176, the operating robot 68 knows that it is at the end of its working area on the machine head 12 or at its reversal point on Machine foot 14 is located and initiates a corresponding braking process so that it stops in time at the respective end of the rail 66 is coming.

He experiences the end of his working area on the machine head 12 due to the three holes 178, 180 and 182 present there, the holes 178, 180 being at the same distance as the holes 166, 168, but the hole 162 being arranged close to the hole 178, so that the output signals of the inductive sensors 170, 172 are modulated accordingly.

At the reversal point on the left end of the ring spinning machine, i.e. on the machine base 14, only one further elongated hole 184 is provided, which is likewise recognized by the corresponding modulation of the output signals of the two inductive sensors 170, 172 by the microprocessor control of the operating robot 68 and causes the operating robot to reverse.

Through the two holes 178, 180 on the working head 12 of the ring spinning machine, the operating robot is positioned exactly opposite the machine head at the end of its working area, so that information can be transmitted from the operating robot to the machine head or from the machine head to the robot.

The positioning device is described in more detail in the simultaneously filed German patent application with the designation "positioning device" publication number DE-A-3909745. Suffice it to say here that each inductive sensor forms part of an oscillating circuit, with a change in the inductance of the oscillating circuit due to the arrangement of the holes, which leads to a change in the oscillation amplitude, which leads to the generation of the actuating signals or the determination of the exact position of the operating robot 68 is used.

As shown in FIG. 3, two operating robots 68 of exactly the same design can operate the same side of the ring spinning machine. In this case, a slightly modified rail 66.1 is used, the arrangement of the holes on the left end of the rail being symmetrical to the hole arrangement on the right end of the rail, as a result of which the two rail ends determine the ends of the respective working areas of the two operating robots. I.e. the left robot 28 stops at the machine base 14 at the end of its working area, while the right robot 68 stops at the machine head 12 at the end of its working area. Each operating robot carries respective light barriers 186, 188 on the left and right, the left and right light barriers 186, 188 being displaced relative to one another on an operating robot 68 in the direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 3. There are two retroreflectors 190, 192 on the mutually facing side surfaces of the operating robots 68, these retroreflectors also being displaced relative to one another in a direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 3.

3, the light barrier 188 is on the right side of the left operating robot, opposite the retroreflector 192. In the same way, the retroreflector 190 of the left operating robot 68 of FIG. 3 is opposite the light barrier 186 of the left side of the right operating robot 68. When the two operating robots approach each other, each operating robot is recognized by the other operating robot, since the retroreflector is located in the overlap area of the V light barriers. The corresponding detection signal is used to determine the reversal point of the operating robot.

In addition to the light barriers 186, 188, the operating robots can carry further light barriers on both sides, which serve for personal protection. For example, a certain spinning station may be repaired by an operator while the operating robot is approaching. He will then recognize and reverse the operating person with the additional light barrier, so that there is no collision between the operating robot and the operating person. Such light barriers are also useful since an operator can at any time cause an operating robot to make a reversing movement by placing his hand in the area of the personal protective light barrier.

The functional sequence of the operating robot 68 on the ring spinning machine of FIG. 1 is now summarized.

First of all, the operating robot is put into operation by placing it on the spinning machine and switching it on at some point.

It then moves in any direction, preferably to the right, and does not correct any thread breaks. He also does not notice any thread breaks during this first movement.

If the operating robot then reaches an elongated hole, for example elongated hole 174 in FIG. 1, it knows that it is at the end of its working area.

If, during this first movement, for example due to the personal protective light barrier, he is caused to make a reversal movement, then he moves to the reversal point at the machine base of the ring spinning machine, recognizes the elongated hole 176 there and turns around until he finally ends his working area reached at the head part 12. At this point, he sends a message to the head part of the ring spinning machine that he is in this position at the end of his work area. As an alternative to this, the working head of the ring spinning machine could itself detect the presence of the operating robot, for example by means of a light barrier which is directed towards a special retroreflector on the operating robot.

The ring spinning machine itself then gives the operating robot an enable signal, provided that a doffing process is not imminent or another obstacle is present. After receiving the release signal, the operating robot is informed in a first run about the operating behavior of the spinning stations, i.e. he remembers those spinning positions where there are no thread breaks, those spinning positions where there are thread breaks and possibly those spinning positions which have been put out of operation, which he can recognize from the levers 160 of the roving stop devices. The assignment of the thread breaks to the individual spinning positions is determined on the basis of the signals from the positioning devices, by passing the spinning positions, i.e. starting from the end of his working area, he counts the number of ring spinning stations on the basis of the signals from the positioning device and stores these numbers with the associated information about the operating state at the individual spinning stations.

After the reversal points on the foot part 14 have been reached, the operating robot reverses.

In the return run, he corrects the thread breaks found in the first pass and at the same time detects the spinning positions where new thread breaks have occurred after the first pass. After the return run has been completed and the resulting thread breaks have been rectified, the

Operating robot again the end of his work area. He positions himself again at the start position and transmits the information he has saved regarding existing thread breaks, thread breaks he has corrected, thread breaks that he has not corrected, i.e. also spinning stations shut down by him to the ring spinning machine, and the corresponding data are displayed to the operator so that they can carry out the necessary interventions. At the same time, all this information is collected for operational statistics.

In this starting position, the operating robot waits for an enable signal from the spinning machine at the end of its working area. As soon as he receives the corresponding release signal, he runs again in the direction of his reversal point and corrects the thread breaks found in the previous pass, at the same time detecting those thread breaks that have arisen in the meantime. At the reversal point he turns around again, the work cycle just described is repeated until the spinning heads are so full that a doffing operation is required. In this case, the operating robot is held by the ring spinning machine at the starting position and the doffing process is carried out, in which the full spinning heads are exchanged for empty spinning tubes 26, but not when the operating robot is on the move.

The transmission of information between the operating robot and the machine head, which represents a type of mutual communication, is not described in detail here. There are already various proposals in the prior art as to how such communication can be implemented. It should also be obvious that this is ultimately a transfer of information that is used in a wide variety of areas of technology today arrives, and which can easily be done, for example, by means of light signals or by radio or even by electrical lines. In the simplest case, it would be entirely conceivable to provide the operating robot with a plug which, at the end of its working area, moves into a socket and thus establishes an electrical transmission connection.

If two operating robots are used on the same machine side, the procedure runs essentially as described, except that no fixed reversal point is specified for each operating robot, but the reversal point is determined electronically each time the operating robot runs, depending on where it is meet both operating robots.

It should be emphasized that the operating robot only tries once to fix a thread break. Since the described piecing process works very reliably, the conclusion is reached according to the invention in the event of a failed thread piecing attempt that this is a defective spinning position, where repair by the operator is required. For example, the ring traveler has knocked out or got lost, or there is a roving break or some other mechanical fault.

Finally, it should be pointed out that all light barriers, servomotors, positioning devices and the like are connected to the microprocessor, which is programmed in such a way that it controls the movement sequences described. Although certain mechanical adjustments may be necessary to attach an operating robot to different ring spinning machines, the electronic part is always the same. The operating robot itself gets to know its surroundings based on the programming, ie it determines those from it operating spinning positions from the signals that determine the end of his working area and his reversed position. He also gets to know his vertical displacement range when he is restarted each time by the fact that the piecing machine 80 is first moved downwards by the motor 86 until the limit switch 92 is actuated and then up until the limit switch 90 is actuated, which means that the revolutions of the motor 86 and the switching signals of the two limit switches, the necessary settings for the height movement of the automatic piecing machine can be determined.

In ring spinning machines from Rieter, the altitudes or the mutual distances between the antiballoon ring 34 of the thread guide 156 and the drafting system are the same for all common types, so that the relevant facts can be incorporated into the programming of the microprocessor of the operating robot. Another possibility is to have the appropriate movements of the suction pistol and the attaching machine carried out manually by an operator after inserting the operating robot on the ring spinning machine, and the programming of the microprocessor can be such that the movements to be carried out by him from this movement learns. It would also be possible to read these movements into the microprocessor in the form of a program specific to a specific ring spinning machine or to use them in the form of a corresponding program module.

Characterized in that the operating robot remembers the newly formed thread breaks during a run and only corrects these thread breaks during the subsequent run, it is possible to have it patrolled at high speed along the ring spinning machine; a distance corresponding to twice the mutual distance from spinning positions is usually sufficient to the operating robot braking from its patrol speed to crawl speed. At this creep speed, it automatically determines the exact positioning in relation to a specific spinning position using the two holes, as previously described.

If it passes the exact position, it is simply moved back until it reaches the precisely aligned point. Thread breaks are always corrected in order, but only those that were determined during the previous run of the operating robot.

It should be mentioned that an operating robot with a spindle brake device is known from DE-OS 32 09 814. This device has a carrier which can be displaced transversely to the direction of travel of the robot and has an auxiliary belt which, in the extended position of the carrier, lies against a cylindrical surface of the spindle shaft and brakes it. The drive belt or the drive belt of the spindle grinds on the spindle shaft. The auxiliary belt can be driven by a motor so that the spindle rotates against its normal direction of rotation. This type of spindle brake device is tailored to the appropriate type of threading a new thread.

The present invention is also based on the object of providing a spindle brake device which can be used universally. This object is achieved by the characterizing features of claim 41, the preamble of which takes into account the prior art according to DE-OS 32 09 814.

The spindle brake device according to the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 6 to 11.

6 to 11, part of the operating robot 68 of the ring spinning machine is shown. The ring spinning machine has a series of spinning units arranged side by side, of which only the spindles 30 are shown. Each spindle 30 comprises a spindle bearing 203, a spindle shaft 204 mounted in the bearing 203 and a coil 205 seated on the shaft 204. The bearings 203 are mounted in a row at a uniform distance in a crossbeam 42. Two adjacent shafts 204 are driven by a common belt 38 which wraps around a cylindrical section 208 of shaft 204 at approximately 90 °. Between the two jointly driven shafts 204, the band 38 has a section 209 running parallel to the longitudinal extent of the crossbar 42. Above section 208, the spindle 30 has a cylindrical braking surface 210.

The operating robot 68 can be moved in a direction X parallel to the longitudinal extent of the crossbar 42 and the row of spindles on wheels which are not shown. It has a sensor 214, which interacts with marks 215 on the crossbar 42 for stopping and positioning the operating robot 68 in front of a spinning unit to be operated if a thread break has been found in this unit. All marks 215 have the same distance from the associated spindle axis.

The spindle brake device 217 according to the invention is accommodated in the operating robot 68. A parallelogram linkage 219 with two swivel arms 220, 221 and a connecting leg 222 is pivotably attached to the housing 218 of the operating robot 68. The movement of the linkage 219 is limited by two stops 223, 224. A DC gear motor 225 connected to the arm 220 serves to pivot the linkage 219. A plate-shaped holder 228 is fastened to the leg 222. By means of the linkage 219, the holder 228 can be displaced horizontally from the basic position A shown in FIG. 7 in a direction Y transversely to the direction X into a braking position B.

A pivot arm 229 is pivotally mounted about a vertical pin 230 adjacent to the front edge of the holder 228. The arm 229 has a toothed segment 231 which meshes with a pinion 232 of a further DC geared motor 233. The pivoting range of the arm 229 is limited by a pin 234 seated in the holder 228, which protrudes into an arcuate slot 235 of the arm 229. The arm 229 can be locked in the middle between the two end positions N, O by a sensor 236 in a central position M (FIG. 7). The sensor 236 scans an edge of the arm 229 and is connected to the motor 233 via a control, not shown. The stops 223, 224, 235 can be supplemented or replaced by limit switches for limiting the stroke of the linkage 219 and the arm 229.

A brake arm 146 is pivotally mounted on arm 229 about a horizontal axis 241 running perpendicular to pin 230. The brake arm 146 can be pivoted between the horizontal engagement position E shown in FIG. 8 and the release position F shown in solid lines in FIG. 6. The pivot angle is also limited by stops 239, 242 which are rigidly connected to the arm 229. An electromagnet 243, which acts on an extension 244 of the brake arm 146, is used to lift the carrier from the E position to the F. The free end has the Brake arm 146 an approximately vertically downwardly projecting belt guide member 245 with a crescent-shaped cross section and a replaceable brake shoe 246 with a concave-cylindrical braking surface 247 for engagement with the braking surface 210 of the spindle shaft 204 of the spinning unit to be operated. Adjacent to the free end of the brake arm 146, a roller 248 is rotatably mounted on its underside about a vertical axis 249. The roller 248 interacts with a guide curve 250 fixed to the housing. The curve 250 extends in the direction X and is concave towards the row of spindles and symmetrical to the central position of the brake arm 146 shown in FIGS. 10 and 11.

The braking device described works as follows: When the operating robot 68 is moved along the row of spinning units in the direction X, the holder 228 is in the basic position A shown in FIG. 7, the arm 229 in the central position M and the brake arm 146 in the lowered engagement position E. The operating robot 68 is centered in front of the spinning unit to be operated by means of the sensor 214. The arm 229 is now pivoted into one of the end positions N, O by means of the motor 233, depending on whether the spindle 30 to be operated is on the left or right of the belt or belt section 209. In the example shown, the left spindle 30 is operated. The brake arm 146 is swiveled up into the release position F by means of the magnet 243 and the holder 228 is advanced into the position B by means of the motor 225. In this position, the free end of the brake arm 146 with the guide member 245 projects beyond the belt section 209 (position B, N shown in broken lines in FIG. 7). In this position, the brake arm 146 is lowered so that both the guide member 245 engages behind the belt section 209 and the roller 248 the guide curve 250. Now the holder 228 is withdrawn until the roller 248 abuts the curve 250 (position C, N in FIG. 11) and the arm 229 is pivoted into the central position M (position C, M in FIG. 11). The continuously rotating belt 38 grinds on the convex surface of the guide member 245. In the position C, M, the band 38 is spaced from the section 208 of the shaft 204 and the braking surface 247 is spaced from the braking surface 210 of the shaft 204, so that the shaft 204 can rotate freely. If it is to be braked, the holder 228 is advanced by means of the motor 225 into the position B, M in FIG. 10, the stroke limitation being formed here by the contact of the braking surfaces 210, 247. The swivel arm 221 is therefore still slightly spaced from the stop 224.

To set a thread after a thread break, a predetermined length of an auxiliary or foreign thread is stored in a suction pipe, as already explained. The free end of the auxiliary thread is attached to the ring 110 rotatable about the spindle axis. When the ring 110 rotates, the auxiliary thread is pulled out of the suction tube and wound onto the bobbin 205 with a few turns. The coil 205 must also rotate, so that the guide member 245 is in the position C, M shown in FIG. 11. After the few turns are applied to the bobbin 205, the spindle 30 is braked (position B, M in Fig. 10), the auxiliary thread is threaded and attached to the drafting system. At the end of the attachment process, the holder 228 is pulled back into the position C and the arm 229 is pivoted into the position N, whereby the spindle shaft is driven again. Because the curve 250 is convex, the belt 38 is hardly additionally tensioned during the pivoting movement of the arm 229 or the tensioning roller of the belt 38 is hardly deflected additionally.

Finally, the holder 228 is advanced to the B position, the brake arm 146 is raised to the F position and the holder 228 is moved to the basic position A, the arm 229 to the M position and the brake arm 146 to the E position. This is the starting point again.

Due to the described design of the braking device 217, the spindle shaft 204 of the spinning unit to be operated can be braked or rotated freely from the belt 38. This enables economical, reliable attachment of the thread after a thread break. It is very difficult to bring the end of an auxiliary thread to the spindle and to overlap the following part on this end. In contrast, in the embodiment of the braking device according to the invention, the auxiliary thread end can be held on a rotor rotating around the spindle. This enables a safe and reliable winding of the auxiliary thread end onto the bobbin. The free rotatability of the spindle 30 is also advantageous for locating the broken thread end on the bobbin 205 if the broken thread end is to be used instead of the previously described auxiliary thread. In the related proposal according to DE-OS 32 09 814, for example, the spindle must be rotated slowly by means of a separate motor to search for the thread end. This slow rotary movement can also be achieved with the device according to the invention by asymmetrical suction of the broken thread end or by asymmetrical blowing on the bobbin 205. The device according to the invention can therefore be used universally for automatic controls.

An important aspect of the present invention is that the spindle brake for setting up a rotation in the thread is released in a precisely defined time before the depositing movement.

• Eine reine Fahrbewegung ohne weitere Funktionen zum Erreichen einer bestimmten Position, beispielsweise das Herausfahren aus dem Spindelbereich vor dem Doff-Vorgang.
• Die Kontrollfahrt, bei der die Zustände der einzelnen Spindeln erfaßt und gespeichert werden, beispielsweise beim Inbetriebsetzen der Maschine.
• Das laufende Verschieben von einer aktionsbedürftigen Spindel zur nächsten, zur Erledigung der vorgesehenen Bedienungsfunktionen.

From the preceding description it can be seen that the operating robot has three different driving functions, namely:

• A pure movement without additional functions to reach a certain position, for example moving out of the spindle area before the doffing process.
• The control run, during which the states of the individual spindles are recorded and stored, for example when the machine is started up.
• The continuous shifting from one spindle requiring action to the next, in order to carry out the intended operating functions.

It is also possible to give the operating robot a command which, during a certain time period before the doffing process, causes the operating robot to move from the work area to the doffing position.

The transmission path from the robot to the controller normally leads, but not exclusively, via the machine head in the sense of a place name.

Finally, it is pointed out that it may be desirable to repeat parts of the piecing process, ie not to carry out the piecing process only once. For example, it is conceivable that this function should already be repeated in the event of unsuccessful winding, since it is not necessarily indicates a defective spinning position. The failure of the winding process could be determined, for example, by the fact that the predetermined length of the foreign thread disappears through the suction pipe behind the thread sensor provided for determining the one end of the foreign thread. Accordingly, the signal of this thread sensor, which arises from the loss of the foreign thread, can be evaluated to determine whether the winding process has succeeded.

Claims (46)

1. A method for operating an operating robot (68) for the renewed piecing of broken yarns in a ring spinning machine (10), with the operating robot (68) patrolling along a row of spinning positions (16), characterized in that the operating robot (68) stores the spinning positions (16) where a yarn breakage is present in a first movement along the row of spinning positions (16) and tries to eliminate the previously determined yarn breakages only a in further, preferably the next movement along said row.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that after the attempt to eliminate the yarn breakage, the operating robot (68) checks whether it has managed to do so and, if not, rates the yarn breakage as being not repairable by it and indicates or displays this situation to the operating staff.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that during each further movement along the row the operating robot (68) determines the yarn breakages which have arisen since its last passage, but only tries to eliminate those which it determined during its last passage and are not rated by it as being unrepairable by it.
4. A method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating robot (68) services or patrols not more than one side of the ring spinning machine (10) and optionally only a part of said side.
5. A method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, with the operating robot (68), after having determined a yarn breakage at a spinning position (16), eliminates said breakage, if possible, in such a way that the roving yarn (20) which is drawn by the drafting arrangement (22) and is thereafter spun into a yarn is again wound onto the spinning cop (27) associated with the spinning position, characterized in that the operating robot makes a check for yarn breakage alone and that after the determination of a yarn breakage the feed of the roving yarn (20) into the drafting arrangement (22) is not stopped, that the operating robot 868) tries automatically to eliminate the yarn breakage a single time and, in the event of failure of the operating robot (68), automatically activates the roving yarn stopping device (52) provided at the spinning position.
6. A method as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that in the course of repairing the yarn breakage the operating robot (68) brings the end of the yarn which has already been spun and wound around the respective spinning cop (27) into the zone of the roving yarn (20) leaving the drafting arrangement (22), preferably in the running direction of the yarn before the delivery rollers (158) at the outlet of the drafting arrangement (22).
7. A method as claimed in claim 5 or 6, characterized in that on actuating the roving yarn stopping device (52) this fact is indicated or brought to the attention of the operating staff.
8. A method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating robot (68) tries to eliminate yarn breakages in such a way that it at first winds the one end of an external yarn (98) around the spinning cop (27) without attaching this one end to the broken yarn end and tries thereafter to join the other end of the external yarn to the still running stream of fibres at the outlet of the drafting arrangement (22).
9. A method as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the operating robot (68) carries a store of external yarns (96) with it and proceeds in the elimination of a yarn breakage in such a way that it at first sucks in a predetermined length of external yarns from the storage bobbin (96) by means of a suction flow into a storage tube (140) connected to a suction gun (132), on leaving the storage bobbin (96) attaches the one end of the external yarn (98) to a winder (104) movable about the spinning cop (27), severs the external yarn (98) between the winder (104) and the storage bobbin (96), detaches the drive from the respective spindle (30) so that it is arranged freely rotatable, moves the winder (104) around the spinning cop (27) so that it continues to rotate with the winder (104) as a result of the friction between the external yarn (98) and the spinning cop (26, 28) and pulls the external yarn (98) from the storage tube (140) and winds it around the spinning cop (27) in order to form windings, thereafter holds tight the spinning cop (27), drives the suction gun (132) in the zone of the winding to achieve a height adjustment in order to fix the wound-up windings of the external yarn (98) by means of cross laid windings, thereafter threads the external yarn (98) into the ring traveller (24) driven by the winder (104) or a part associated with it by means of lowering the winder (104) or a part associated with it to the ring path (36) of the ring traveller (24) and by arranging the external yarn (98) into a downwardly inclined position from the contact position with the ring path (36), thereafter threads the external yarn (98) through the antiballoon ring (34) and the thread guide (32) by the movement of the suction gun (132), and finally brings the external yarn (98) into the zone of the output of the drafting arrangement (22) by a further movement of the suction gun (132), allows the spinning cop (27) to be driven again and brings the external yarn (98) finally into the path of the drawn roving yarn (20) so that it is twisted with it.
10. A method as claimed in one of the preceding claims 8 or 9, characterized in that the connection of the yarn end of the external yarn (98) with the yarn exiting from the drafting arrangement (22) is made in such a way that the yarn end held by the suction gun (132) is brought laterally next to the pair of delivery rollers (158) of the drafting arrangement 822) by a respective movement of the suction gun (132) and thereafter by a movement in the axial direction of the pair of delivery rollers (158), with the external yarn (98) being brought into the fibre stream travelling into the gap of the pair of delivery rollers (158) and thus causing the desired connection with the yarn end of the external yarn.
11. A method as claimed in one of the preceding claims 9 or 10, characterized in that the suction gun (132) is attached to a carriage (81) of the operating robot (68) and can carry out a movement relative to the carriage and that the carriage (81) follows the movement of the upper edge of the ring rail (44) during the patrolling movement of the operating robot (68).
12. A method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the robot (68) recognizes the end of its working area and stops there until it receives the approval from the ring spinning machine (10) to carry out a further patrolling movement independently.
13. A method as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the partrolling movement is a reciprocating movement along one side of the ring spinning machine (10) or a partial length of said sides, with the operating robot (68) preferably storing all operational conditions of all spinning positions (16) serviced by it.
14. A method as claimed in one of the preceding claims 12 or 13, characterized in that the operating robot (68) is programmed in such a way that on insertion on the ring spinning machine (10) or during the switching on or renewed switching on of the ring spinning machine (10) it at first travels in one direction along the row of spinning positions (16) until it arrives either at the end of its working area or a return position recognizable by it, with the robot returning in the latter case and travelling to the end of its working area, and that after the release by the ring spinning machine (10) it carries out a first movement along its working area and stores the spinning positions (16) where there are yarn breakages which are repairable for it at least at first.
15. A method as claimed in claim 13 or 14, characterized in that two operating robots (68) are used on one side of the ring spinning machine, each operating robot (68) has a place at one respective end (12, 14) of the ring spinning machine which represents the end of its working area where it is stopped in order to allow a doffing process, for example, and each operating robot (68) recognizes the respective other operating robot (68) as soon as it comes into its ultimate vicinity, and determines the return position starting out from the spinning position (16) reached by it during the recognition.
16. A method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the operating robot (68) stores at least temporarily the yarn breakages which are determined by it and relate to specific spinning positions and the yarn breakages which were not successfully repaired by it and transmits in intervals or during a stay at the end of its working area the stored information to the ring spinning machine (10) or to a system processing said information.
17. A method as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that the operating robot (68) stores the existing yarn breakage positions which have not successfully been repaired by it yet for such a time until the respective spinning positions (16) have been repaired through interventions of the operating staff or a repair robot.
18. A method as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that the yarn breakage positions determined by the operating robot (68) will be deleted from its memory when they have been repaired successfully and this information has been submitted to the machine control unit or the data processing system.
19. A method as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that the operating robot (68) is provided with an automatic yarn piecing machine (80) which follows the height adjustment of the ring rail (44) during the operation of the ring spinning machine (10) and that the operating robot (68) first investigates or determines the upper or lower threshold of the height adjustment range of the automatic yarn piecing machine after its insertion in the machine (10) or after renewed switching on of the machine (10).
20. An operating robot for operating a ring spinning machine and for carrying out the method as claimed in claim 1, with the operating robot comprising an automatic yarn piecing machine (80), characterized in that the operating robot comprises a microprocessor with program modules which cause the operating robot to store the spinning positions (16) where a yarn breakage is present in a first movement along the row of spinning positions (16) as patrolled by it and to only try to eliminate the previously determined yarn breakages in a further, preferably the next movement along said row.
21. An operating robot as claimed in claim 20, with the operating robot (68) comprising a device (94) for recognizing whether a yarn breakage is present in one or several of the spinning positions (16) as patrolled by it and a device for actuating a roving yarn stopping device (52) provided at every spinning position, characterized in that the microprocessor comprises programs or program modules, preferably stored in EPROMs, which cause the automatic yarn piecing machine (80) in the event of a yarn breakage to try while the roving yarn (20) is still running to eliminate the yarn breakage once and, if this fails, to cause the device to actuate the roving yarn stopping device (52) associated with the affected spinning position.
22. An operating robot as claimed in claim 21, characterized in that the automatic yarn piecing machine (80) is designed in such a way that it eliminates yarn breakages by using an external yarn (98).
23. An operating robot as claimed in claim 21, characterized in that the device for recognizing the yarn breakage is arranged as a yarn breakage sensor (94) and that after the attempt to eliminate the yarn breakage it is checked through the yarn breakage sensor (94) whether the attempt succeeded and, if not, a device is switched in order to mark the respective spinning position as being temporarily unrepairable by the operating robot (68).
24. An operating robot as claimed in one of the preceding claims 20 to 23, characterized in that it stores the spinning positions (16) where it was unable to eliminate the yarn breakages successfully.
25. An operating robot as claimed in one of the preceding claims 20 to 24, characterized in that it comprises a detector (164) which determines the spinning positions (16) where the associated roving yarn stopping devices (52) were actuated, with the detector signal preventing that the operating robot (68) tries to eliminate yarn breakages at these spinning positions (16).
26. An operating robot as claimed in one of the claims 20 to 25, characterized in that it comprises a program section which prevents it from eliminating yarn breakages which it has already determined as being unrepairable until the operator has brought the respective spinning positions (16) back into an operative condition.
27. An operating robot as claimed in one of the preceding claims 20 to 26, characterized in that it carries a store (96) of external yarns (98) with itself.
28. An operating robot as claimed in one of the preceding claims 20 to 27, characterized in that it comprises a carriage movable in the vertical direction which carries the automatic yarn piecing machine (80) and a device (88) which controls the movement of the carriage (81) and follows the movement of the ring rail (44), with this device being either:

    a) an optical reflex probe (88) with analog output;

    b) a magnetic sensor with analog output, similar to the known position sensor for automatic yarn piecing machines or

    c) a position pickup which is fixedly attached to the machine and whose output signal is representative of the position of the ring rail and is transmitted to the operating robot (68) with the known communications means.
29. An operating robot as claimed in claim 28, characterized in that the said device following the movement of the ring rail comprises a light barrier (88).
30. An operating robot as claimed in one of the claims 20 to 29, characterized in that the carriage (81) which is movable in the vertical direction is displaceably arranged on a base frame of the operating robot (68), that the base frame (72) is provided with a limit switch (90, 92) at the upper and lower end of the displacement zone of the carriage and that the microprocessor is programmed in the manner that on its insertion in the machine it controls the movement of the carriage (81) in such a way that it moves at first towards the one limit switch (90, 92) and then to the other limit switch (90, 92) and determines automatically its zone of displacement in the vertical direction by these movements.
31. An operating robot as claimed in one of the preceding claims 20 to 30, characterized in that it comprises a device (177) for recognizing the end of its working area, that the microprocessor is programmed in such a way that on reaching the end of the said working area it stops the operating robot there and that a communications device is provided which reacts to a notification of the ring spinning machine (10) and sends the microprocessor a release in order to initiate a further patrolling movement of the operating robot (68).
32. An operating robot as claimed in claim 31, characterized in that it comprises a device which on reaching the end of its working area transmits to the machine head (12) of the ring spinning machine (10) the actual condition, as determined by the operating robot (68), of the yarn breakages which originated or were eliminated or not eliminated during its last patrolling movement.
33. An operating robot as claimed in one of the preceding claims 20 to 32, characterized in that it comprises a device (146) which comprises a decoupling of the individual spindles (30) of the individual spinning positions (16) from the associated drive (38) as well as a spindle braking device (217) for braking or holding the individual spindles.
34. An operating robot as claimed in one of the preceding claims 20 to 33, characterized in that the operating robot is equipped with a presence detector which determines the presence of a further robot (68) working on the same ring spinning machine or of an operator and that the presence detector is coupled with the microprocessor and controls the latter for initiating a return movement of the robot (68).
35. An operating robot as claimed in one of the preceding claims 20 to 34, characterized in that it is drivably guided above and below by guide rails (64, 66) which are attached to the ring spinning machine and it comprises a separate drive mechanism (74) controlled by the microprocessor.
36. An operating robot as claimed in claim 35, characterized in that at least the one rail (66) is provided with at least one power line (79, 81) for the operating robot (68) which is optionally also used for information transmission via a modulated carrier frequency.
37. An operating robot as claimed in claim 35 or 36, characterized in that at least the one rail (66) is provided for each spinning position (16) with a marking (166, 168) or marking device recognizable by the operating robot (68).
38. An operating robot as claimed in claim 33 for a ring spinning machine, with a row of spinning units each comprising a spindle (30) with a spindle shaft (204) which is driven by a belt (38), with the operating robot (68) being arranged for travelling alongside the spindle row in a first direction (X) and comprising a sensor (214) for centering the operating robot (68) in front of a spinning unit to be serviced, characterized in that the spindle braking device (217) is provided with a braking arm (146) with a braking member (246) for engagement in a revolving surface (210) of the spindle shaft (204) of the spinning unit to be serviced, with said arm being displaceable relative to the casing (218) of the operating robot (68) horizontally transversally to the first direction (X) in a second direction (Y) from an initial position (A) into a braking position (B), and with a first lifting element (225) for displacing the braking arm (146) in the second direction (Y) and that the braking arm (146) is arranged for lifting the belt (38) from the spindle shaft (204) of the spinning unit to be serviced and is displaceable into a release position (C) in which the spindle shaft (204) is freely rotatable.
39. An operating robot as claimed in claim 38, characterized in that the free end of the braking arm (146) comprises a transversally projecting belt guide member (245) in addition to the braking member (246) and is displaceable by means of a second lifting element (243) vertically between an engagement position (E) and a release position (F) and by means of a third lifting element (233) in a first direction (X) relative to the casing (201) between a central position (M) and an end position (N, O) and that the braking arm (146) is displaceable by the first lifting element (225) in the second direction (Y) into the release position (C) arranged between the initial position (A) and the braking position (B).
40. An operating robot as claimed in claim 39, characterized in that the braking arm (146) is arranged as a pivoting arm which is articulated by gimbal mounting on a holding means (228) which is displaceable in the second direction (Y) by means of the first lifting element (225), with the second and the third lifting element (233, 243) being attached to the holding means (228).
41. An operating robot as claimed in claim 39 or 40, characterized in that the free end of the braking arm (146) is displaceable by means of the third lifting element (233) in the first direction (X) from the central position (M) towards the two sides into an end position (N, O) each.
42. An operating robot as claimed in claim 41, characterized in that the distance of the two end positions (N, O) from the central position (M) corresponds approximately to half the distance of adjacent spindles (30) between one another.
43. A device as claimed in one of the claims 39 to 42, characterized in that the belt guide member (245) has a sickle-shaped cross section and is connected with the braking arm (146) with its one face side.
44. A device as claimed in one of the claims 39 to 43, characterized in that a roll (248) which is rotable about a vertical axis (249) is held on the braking arm (146) on the same side on which the belt guide member (245) projects, which roll cooperates with a guide curve (250) which is rigidly attached to the casing and limits the stroke of the first lifting element (225) in the direction of the initial position (A) of the braking arm (146) and defines the release position (C), with the roll (248) being vertically offset towards the guide curve (250) in the release position (F) of the braking arm (146).
45. A device as claimed in claims 40 and 44, characterized in that the guide curve (250) has a concave curvature averting the universal coupling (230, 241) of the pivoting arm.
46. A device as claimed in one of the claims 40 to 45, characterized in that the lifting elements (225, 233, 243) can be actuated electromechanically.

Images