EP0434639A1

EP0434639A1 - Processing system for processing cotton material to prepare it for spinning

Info

Publication number: EP0434639A1
Application number: EP90830557A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Luigi Pezzoli; Emilio Vezzoli
Original assignee: Fratelli Marzoli and C SpA
Current assignee: Fratelli Marzoli and C SpA
Priority date: 1989-12-14
Filing date: 1990-11-29
Publication date: 1991-06-26
Also published as: IT8922695A1; IT1237905B; IT8922695A0

Abstract

The invention relates to a processing system for processing cotton material to prepare it for spinning, the system comprising a cotton bale opening apparatus (1), openers and/or blending devices (2), as well as carding machines (8). The mean feature of the invention is that the cotton material collecting chambers (16), provided in all of the machines arranged downstream of the cotton bale opening apparatus (1), are provided with a detecting device (17) for incrementally detecting the filling level of the chambers as the cotton type being processed is changed.

This detecting device is adapted to control the turning peripheral speed of the feeding rollers (15) of the machine arranged upstream.

The detecting device mounted on the machine arranged downstream of the cotton bale opening apparatus, in particular, is adapted to control this apparatus so as to properly adjust the cotton taking up parameters thereof.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a processing system for processing cotton material to prepare it for spinning.
More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and devices for driving and controlling, depending on the cotton material being processed, the cascade-arranged continuously operating machines or apparatus of a system for preparing cotton material for spinning.
As is known, for preparing cotton material for the spinning process, there are conventionally used cotton processing systems which substantially comprise a cotton bale opener, cotton blending devices as well as carding machines therefrom the processed cotton comes in the form a cotton web.
Also known is the fact that the composition of the web exiting each individual carding machine must be as constant as possible, in order to provide an end cotton yarn with an even titre.
In fact, in the subsequent processing steps of the cotton web, it is not possible to correct a broadly changing titre or count with respect to a standard value.
As the cotton web titre or count is uneven, moreover, undesirable yield losses occur.
A possible variation of the titre or count of the cotton web exiting the carding machine is substantially due to corresponding density variations of the cotton material taken from the single cotton bales and sequentially conveyed to the machines which are included in the system.
In fact, each machine has specific working characteristics such as the cotton material feeding speed, which characteristics affect a proper operation of the subsequent machine.
Conventional cotton processing systems, one typical of which being disclosed in the DE 32 44619 A1 reference to Trutzschler & Co., do not however comprise any practical means for changing the cotton supplying rate to the individual machines, depending on the variations of the cotton staple density.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks by providing a cotton processing system, for preparing cotton material for a cotton spinning process, which is adapted to provide a cotton web having an even titre.
Within the scope of the above mentioned aim, a main object of the present invention is to provide a system for preparing cotton material for spinning, which is adapted to change the cotton supplying rate of each individual machine, depending on the density of the staples of the cotton being processed.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the above mentioned aim and objects, as well as yet other objects, which will become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a processing system for processing cotton material to prepare it for spinning, characterized in that in said system the cotton material collecting chambers, included in the opener and/or blending machines arranged downstream of the cotton bale opening machine and in the carding machines, are provided with an incremental detecting device for incrementally detecting the filling level of said chambers, said detecting device being adapted to control the turning peripheral speed of the feeding rollers of the upstream machine, the device mounted on the machine downstream of the bale opening machine controlling said bale opening machine so as to adjust with set adjusting parameters the cotton take-up rate of said bale opening machine,

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further characteristics and advantages of the cotton processing system and method according to the present invention, will become apparent hereinafter from the following detailed disclosure of a preferred embodiment thereof, which is illustrated, by way of an indicative but not limitative example, in the single figure of the accompanying drawing which schematically illustrates a cotton processing system for preparing cotton staples for spinning according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to the drawing figure, a cotton processing system for preparing cotton material for spinning comprises, essentially, a cotton bale opening machine 1 downstream of which there are sequentially arranged a cotton blending device 2, a cotton staple opening device 3, operated by an air vortex, a further cotton staple opening device 4 including rollers provided with gaskets, a cotton blending device 5, a further cotton staple opening device 6, and a motorized fan 7 adapted to supply with processed cotton material, a plurality of carding machine 8, the processed cotton staples being conveyed, from the mentioned cotton bale opening machine, to the motorized fan through negative-pressure or vacuum ducts 9.
On the carding machine 8 there is arranged a convention adjusting or controlling device, including a computer 12 and a device 13 for detecting the titre or count of the cotton web exiting the carding machine 8.
Under the control of the mentioned control device, if the carding machine feeding roller 15 detects a density variation of the cotton material, or if the mentioned device 13 detects a variation of the cotton material web titre, this variation will be compared, by means of the computer 12, with a set value, so as to cause the cotton feeding roller 15 speed to change so as to either increare or decrease the cotton staples being filled in the chamber 16.
With this chamber 16, in particular, a detecting member 17 cooperates, which comprises photocells or any other suitable sensing device for sensing an increase of the cotton amount in said chamber, in order to hold the cotton amount in said chamber included between a maximum value and a minimum value, corresponding substantially to ± 20% with respect to a set value.
These two limits must not be exceeded and, for this purpose, a device 18, controlled by the sensor member 17, sends a signal to a control device, such as, for example, an inverter 19 which drives the roller 20 so as to either increase or decrease the cotton material amount being fed to the chamber 16.
In particular, the variation of the feeding speed of said roller is of a digital type, since it will operate exclusive when either the maximum or minimum limit is reached, as set by the mentioned sensor member 17.
Upstream of the feeding roller 20 of the chamber 16, there is arranged a pressure detecting device 21, for example comprising a pressure switch, which is adapted to operate to hold constant the pressure in the duct 22 arranged downstream of the motorized fan 7, thereby holding constant the cotton material feeding rate to the several carding machines.
In operation, the pressure switch will detect, depending on the driving force by the feeding roller 20, possible pressure variations in said duct 22, and said switch will send pressure variation indicative pulses to a computer 23 in which there is stored a set pressure value, which corresponds to a proper operation of the system.
This computer, in turn, will adjust the peripheral speed of the cotton material feeding roller 24 of the machine 11 arranged downstream of said motorized fan, through a suitable controlling or adjusting device, including, for example an inverter.
In this connection, it should be apparent that, also in this case, the increased speed of said cotton material feeding rollers will follow a square waveform, that is a conventional digital waveform.
During the operation of the system, the speed of the roller 26 will be held constant.
On the machine 6 a like detecting device 17 for detecting the amount of cotton material in the collecting chamber 27 will be provided, which device, through the computer 28 and control device 29, will properly adjust the peripheral speed of the cotton feeding rollers 30 of the upstream arranged machine 5.
The latter, in turn, comprises the same controlling means, as the above mentioned machines 6, 4 and 2, so as to properly control, through a computer 31 and a programmed processor 32, the operation of the cotton bale opening machine 1, to properly modify, as necessary, the cotton taking up parameters thereof, such as the processing speed of the machine, the speed of the cotton taking up rollers and the like.
A main feature of the disclosed system is that it is adapted to operate in a continuous way, so as to provide a very efficient operation.
The disclosed system, in actual practice, affords the possibility of overcoming the conventional "stop and go" type of operation of known systems, thereby affording the possibility of optimally processing the cotton material in each single processing machine.
This continuous operation, in particular, can be carried out since the cotton amount in said cotton collecting chambers is accurately controlled and adjusted by the devices 17 for detecting the filling amount in said chambers.
The disclosed cotton processing system, on the other way, can be also operated in an intermittent way, if required, for example for subjecting one or more carding machines to a maintenance operation.
From the above disclosure it should be apparent that the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects.
While the invention has been disclosed and illustrated with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be apparent that the disclosed embodiment is susceptible to several modifications and variations all of which will come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

A processing system for processing cotton material to prepare it for spinning, characterized in that in said system the cotton material collecting chambers, included in the opener and/or blending machines arranged downstream of the cotton bale opening machine and in the carding machines, are provided with an incremental detecting device for incrementally detecting the filling level of said chambers, said detecting device being adapted to control the turning peripheral speed of the feeding rollers of the upstream machine, the device mounted on the machine downstream of the bale opening machine controlling said bale opening machine so as to adjust with set adjusting parameters the cotton take-up rate of said bale opening machine.
A system according to claim 1, characterized in that said device for detecting the cotton material amount in said collecting chambers comprises photocell sensor members and is adapted to hold said cotton amount between a maximum limit value and a minimum limit value, said values corresponding substantially to ± 20% with respect to a set value, said two limits being controlled by a control device driven by said sensor member and operatively coupled to a computer driving the cotton feeding rollers of the upstream machine so as to either increase or decrease the filling amount in said collecting chambers.
A system according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said system comprises, on the cotton material feeding duct to said carding machines, a pressure detecting device, such as a pressure switch, adapted to hold constant the pressure in said duct thereby holding constant the amount of the cotton staples being fed to said carding machine.
A system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said control or adjusting devices are of a digital type.
A system according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the detecting, adjusting and driving device mounted on the machine downstream of said cotton bale opening machine is adapted to control, through a computer and a programmed processor, the operation of said bale cotton opening machine so as to modify the cotton material taking up parameters of said bale opening machine.