EP0960964A1

EP0960964A1 - Method to automatically re-connect the forming yarn in a spinning machine and relative device

Info

Publication number: EP0960964A1
Application number: EP99110098A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mario Turconi
Original assignee: OFFICINE GAUDINO SpA
Current assignee: OFFICINE GAUDINO SpA
Priority date: 1998-05-27
Filing date: 1999-05-25
Publication date: 1999-12-01
Also published as: IT1299799B1; ITUD980088A1

Abstract

Method to automatically re-connect the forming yarn in a spinning machine, the method providing in sequence an inspection step performed by a trolley (21) to identify the spindle (11) in which the forming yarn has been interrupted, a monitoring step to monitor the interruption of the yarn (14) on a spindle (11), a stop step wherein the movable trolley (21) stops with respect to the axis (24), a moving step of a translating structure (23) supporting a yarn-aspiration assembly (31, 48), a yarn-manipulation assembly (28), at least a yarn-blowing assembly (83, 43) and a yarn re-connection assembly (49), a step to position aspiration means (31) above the spindle (11) so as to intercept the interrupted end of the yarn, a step to insert the yarn (14) inside the anti-balloon ring (18), the cursor (22) and the yarn-guiding loop (16), a step to re-connect the end of the yarn already wound on the cop (13) and the yarn arriving from the feed bobbin.
Device achieving the method as above.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention concerns a method to automatically re-connect the forming yarn in a spinning machine, and the relative device, as set forth in the respective main claims.
The invention is applied in the textile field, in spinning processes, to automatically re-connect the yarn winding onto the forming spindle when there is a break in the feed.
The invention is devised to reduce the time needed to carry out the re-connection, and therefore to restart the spindle, increasing the percentage of success of the operation and substantially eliminating any need for manual intervention.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The traditional structure of a spinning machine, whether it be for wool, cotton or any other type of yarn, includes a plurality of spindles arranged in a row onto which the cop which supports the yarn is fitted.
The spindles are normally made to rotate by means of a system including tangential belts and cooperate with systems to feed and guide the yarn and with braking means. Around the spindle there is usually a ring to limit the balloon.
A cursor, inside which the yarn is made to pass, is associated with a spinning ring assembled on a ring-bearing block which moves vertically in a progressive manner with respect to the spindle during the formation of the spindle of yarn.
One of the main problems which occur as the spinning cycles are carried out, and which affects the productivity of the spinning machine itself, is that the yarn is subject to breaking.
In more traditional spinning machines, the task of joining the ends of the broken yarn between the spindle and the feed bobbin was and is usually carried out manually by a worker.
The worker has to control one front, or both fronts, of the spinning machine, and has to intervene quickly in the event of a breakage. He/she has to identify the end of the broken yarn on the spool, and must re-insert it inside the path between the cursor and the yarn-guiding loop and bring the two yarn-ends into contact so as to re-join them.
This kind of manual procedure entails a significant number of workers, since these breakages occur with regular frequency, and long downtimes wherein the spindle is stationary due to the difficulties involved especially by the need to identify the end of the yarn on the spool, to remove it from the spirals of wound yarn, to tension it and to insert the yarn into the winding path.
In order to overcome these disadvantages, various solutions have been proposed in order to automate this type of intervention; however, they have shown themselves to have shortcomings with regard to reliability, successful re-connection of the yarn, constructional complexity, bulk, cost and speed of the cycle.
Generally speaking, those automatic machines which have been achieved have shown either limited reliability, taken as the percentage of successful joins with respect to the total number of interventions, or limitations with regard to simplicity and cost, which have rendered them economically and operationally incompatible with the requirements of the spinning machine.
An example of such a machine is shown in EP-B-518029, which shows a method and the relative device to search for the end of a yarn, or to launch an auxiliary yarn, on a spool or empty cop.
This document simply teaches to recover the end of a broken yarn by means of a suction bell arranged above the cop and coaxial with the axis of the spindle, assisted by nozzles blowing air from below the cop.
This document also teaches to use a device to launch an auxiliary yarn in the event that the suction bell is unable to find the end of the broken yarn.
It explains neither how the yarn is manipulated to thread it into the yarn-guide and the anti-balloon ring, nor how the cursor is identified and positioned, nor how the spindle is braked during the step when the end of the broken yarn is recovered.
EP-B-391110 describes a device to prepare a section of auxiliary yarn, taken from a reserve store, and to re-connect it to the end of the broken yarn on the spinning machine.
To be more exact, the device is disposed to thread the section of auxiliary yarn inside the ring cursor which rotates around the spinning ring.
In order to carry out this operation, two ends of a cut section of auxiliary yarn are held stationary, one on the cop, or on the spindle, and the other inside a suction mouth.
Then, the suction mouth is displaced in a three-way movement to manipulate the yarn and arrange it in correspondence with a precise position, obliquely and inclined downwards, with respect to the spinning ring; finally, the ring cursor is displaced mechanically, by means of a brush or a jet of air, to take it into correspondence with the said yarn which is held stationary in position.
This document provides a solution to the problem of manipulating the yarn which is not only partial but also very complex and complicated; moreover, this solution requires an extremely long cycle time which is not compatible with the requirements of present-day spinning machines.
Furthermore, no mention is made of searching for and picking up an end of broken yarn mixed up with the spirals on the spool attached on the cop.
DE-A-26 12 660 describes a device suitable to identify a spindle where a yarn has broken, and also suitable to carry out an automatic procedure to re-connect the ends of the yarn.
The broken yarn is identified by a series of movable sensors which work through contact, in this specific case piezoelectric quartz sensors; they detect the presence, or non-presence of a yarn in the position between the straightening cylinders and the yarn-guiding loop located above the spindle.
There are also three sensors of a magnetic type to align the device to the spindle, one for the spindle where there is the broken yarn and the other two for the preceding and following spindle.
The device to re-connect the yarn according to DE'660 provides to remove the cop from the spindle, by means of a gripper unit provided for this purpose, and to search for the broken end of the yarn on the cop which has been removed from the spindle.
The removal of the cop is preceded by a step where both the yarn-guiding loop and the anti-balloon ring are raised; these lifting steps are carried out by movable units provided for this purpose and assembled on the translating trolley which carries the device.
Therefore, the device does not provide any procedures to manipulate the yarn to thread it into the anti-balloon ring.
The end of the broken yarn is therefore searched for by making the cop rotate, when it has been removed from the spindle, in the opposite direction to that in which the yarn is wound, and by sucking up the end of the yarn inside a suction bell.
The procedures to detect the broken yarn, to stop the trolley which carries the re-connection device and to center the trolley itself with respect to the axis of the spindle are extremely complicated, complex and require very long times.
Even the procedure to pick up and remove the cop from the spindle itself entails an unacceptable increase in the cycle times which make this procedure unacceptable in modern spinning machines. Searching for and picking up the end of the broken yarn are extremely complicated operations and do not ensure a quick and certain identification.
The device described in DE'660 also comprises a reserve forming unit, but this too is extremely slow and complicated in functioning; moreover, it is very expensive to construct.
DE-A-4010113 describes a device suitable to pick up the end of a yarn from a reserve spool which can be located at two different heights with respect to the top of the spindle, to thread the yarn between the guide elements associated with the spindle, to cut the yarn and to re-connect it with the yarn arriving from the straightening assembly.
This device therefore does not provide to search for the end of the broken yarn on the spool wound onto the cop and to re-connect it to the end of the yarn arriving from the straightening assembly.
The present Applicant therefore set the problem of devising and embodying a device to automatically re-connect the forming yarn in a spinning machine which will guarantee a high level of reliability and functionality without involving unsustainable costs, bulk, complexity and cycle times, and to this purpose has devised, tested and embodied this invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is set forth and characterised in the respective main claims, while the dependent claims describe other characteristics of the idea of the main embodiment.
The purpose of the invention is to achieve a method to automatically re-connect the yarn, and the device which embodies it, so as to perform the operation of joining two interrupted ends of a forming yarn every time this should be necessary, in a completely automated manner, with maximum reliability and versatility and with performance times reduced to a minimum.
The device according to the invention substantially consists of a moving system with a movable trolley suitable to move on a guided path along the front of the spinning machine so as to position itself in correspondence with the spindle where the yarn has been interrupted.
A translating structure is installed on the movable trolley and supports the operating assemblies which are driven in an automatic and synchronised manner and which perform the steps in sequence to re-connect the yarn.
The operating assemblies comprise at least:

a yarn aspiration assembly, which serves to identify and pick up the end of the interrupted yarn from the spool and maintain it substantially vertically under tension above the spindle;
a blowing assembly equipped with nozzles which act peripherally on the spool to detach the end of the broken yarn from the spirals wound onto the spool and to orient the yarn towards the aspiration assembly located above;
an assembly to manipulate the yarn, able to catch the yarn on the spool which has been partly unwound and to manipulate it to insert it into the path between the cursor inserted in the ring-bearing block and the yarn-guiding loop located above the spindle, and
an assembly to re-connect the yarn which joins the ends of the interrupted yarn.

In the preferential embodiment of the invention, each of these assemblies is driven by respective actuators which act in a pre-determined cycle sequence and according to impulses governed by means to emit authorisation signals.
According to a variant, there is also an assembly on the movable trolley which, when the spinning cycle begins, intervenes to create a reserve of spirals of yarn below the cop and also on the lower part of the empty cop in order to make available the end of the yarn which has to be joined, at the beginning of every batch or process, with the forming yarn supplied by the straightening assemblies.
According to another embodiment, an optical detection system is mounted on the movable trolley to detect the broken yarn; this system is suitable to command the movable trolley to stop in correspondence with the spindle where the yarn has broken. This optical system is suitable to search the spindles in a position ahead of that of the operating assemblies on the movable trolley, in order to allow the trolley to decelerate and brake in a correct position when a breakage of the yarn is detected.
In yet another embodiment, there is an assembly suitable to raise the yarn-guiding loop before the aspiration assembly is positioned above the spindle.
In one embodiment of the invention, the aspiration assembly comprises an aspiration tube shaped like a bell and open downwards which is suitable to position itself above and coaxial with the spindle, in a position such as to cover the spinning head which is included above the spindle; this prevents the yarn twisting and jamming on the spinning head after aspiration.
According to one characteristic of the invention, the device comprises a braking assembly for the spindle which, at the beginning of the cycle, brakes the spindle and, during the step when the end of the yarn is identified on the spool, clamps the spindle by means of pulsations, which facilitates the unwinding of the end of the yarn from the spool.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the interrupted ends of the yarn are joined above the outlet pressure cylinder which is solid with the structure of the spinning machine and located above the relative spindle, thus ensuring that the re-connection of the yarn is more reliable and therefore guaranteeing a greater productivity of the re-connection device and a greater overall productivity of the spinning machine.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the assembly to manipulate the yarn consists of a gripper element suitable to perform movements on a vertical plane parallel to the axis of the spindle, and also movements on a horizontal plane so that, during the step preceding re-connection, the yarn can be maintained inside the anti-balloon ring and/or can be threaded inside the cursor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The attached Figures are given as a non-restrictive example and show a preferential embodiment of the invention as follows:

Fig. 1a: is a side view of the automatic re-connection device according to the invention associated with a spindle;
Fig. 1b: is a schematic view of the positioning of the re-connection device as shown in Fig. 1a with respect to the spinning machine;
Fig. 2: is another side view of the re-connection device, with the operational assemblies omitted for simplicity of illustration;
Fig. 3a: is a side view of the device according to the invention which shows the optical system to detect the broken yarn;
Fig. 3b: is a diagram of the functioning of the optical system shown in Fig. 3a;
Figs. 3c-3f: show the different possibilities of detecting the yarn by the optical system shown in Fig. 3b;
Figs. 4a and 4b: show the device to form the reserve on the cop;
Fig. 4c: shows the device to form the reserve assembled on the movable trolley;
Figs. 5a-5f: show in sequence the working steps of the device shown in Figs. 4a and 4b;
Fig. 6: is a side part view of the device shown in Fig. 1a in the step when the spindle is braked and the spool is raised;
Fig. 7: is a view from above of Fig. 6;
Fig. 8: is a side part view of the device shown in Fig. 1a in the step when the aspiration assembly is positioned and the blowing assembly is activated;
Fig. 9: is a side part view of the device shown in Fig. 1a in the step when the end of the yarn is identified, caught and tensioned by the aspiration assembly;
Fig. 10: is a side part view of the device shown in Fig. 1a in the step when the yarn is gripped by the manipulation assembly;
Figs. 11a-11i: show in diagram form and in sequence the steps when the yarn is caught and manipulated;
Figs. 12a-12e: show in sequence the steps of the cycle when the yarn is inserted into the yarn-guiding loop;
Fig. 13: shows from below the step to intercept and position the cursor located on the ring-bearing block;
Fig. 14: is a side part view of the device as shown in Fig. 1a during the step when the yarn is inserted into the cursor;
Fig. 15: is a side part view of the device shown in Fig. 1a in the step when the yarn is re-connected;
Figs. 16a, 16b and 16c: show in sequence three operational steps of the device as shown in Fig. 15;
Figs. 17a and 17b: show in diagram form the working of the loop-raising lever.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The automatic re-connection device according to the invention is shown in its entirety in the attached Figures by the reference number 10, and is suitable to cooperate with a spindle 11 assembled on a spindle-bearing block 60 in a spinning machine of a conventional type.
The spindle 11 cooperates with conventional belt-type tangential drive means, braking means, yarn-guiding means, etc., which are not shown in detail here except for those parts which directly interact with organs of the device 10 or in particular steps of the re-connection cycle.
Some conventional parts of the spinning machine, and particularly of the structure to support or drive the spindle 11, will therefore be shown in some of the Figures and omitted in others, inasmuch as they are not specifically relevant for the characteristics shown and described.
The cop 13 is fitted onto the spindle 11 and the yarn 14 is wound onto the cop 13 to form the spool.
The spindle 11 is of the type with an upper spinning head 15 and cooperates with a ring-bearing block 12 which moves with a vertical ascending-descending motion during the progressive forming of the spindle of yarn.
The yarn 14 cooperates above with a yarn-guiding loop 16 mounted on a support 17 rotating around an axis 32 and at an intermediate position with a ring 18 to limit the balloon which is created during winding.
Between the bobbin to feed the yarn and the spindle 11 there are the usual straightening assemblies 19 and pressure cylinders; the outlet pressure cylinder is shown by the reference number 20.
For each of the spindles 11, the ring-bearing block 12 has a spinning ring inside which a cursor 22 rotates which allows the yarn 14 to wind onto the cop 13 creating a torsion of the yarn with respect to the axis of the spindle 11, which, together with the action of the straightening assemblies 19, causes the slubbing to be transformed into yarn.
The cursor 22 is made to rotate by the yarn 14 itself.
The device 10 comprises a moving system consisting of a movable trolley 21 suitable to translate on a guided path, on tracks, rails, guides, so as to inspect sequentially the front of the spinning machine and identify where the forming yarn has been interrupted and thus broken.
According to a variant, the movable trolley 21 is commanded either by radio or by wires.
In this case (see Figs. 2 and 3), the movable trolley 21 is equipped at the lower part with a motor 61, equipped with an inverter; a pinion 62 is keyed onto the shaft and engages on a transmission chain 63 located on the guide rail.
The motor 61 is sized so as to have available the necessary driving force needed to translate the movable trolley 21 and to ensure it is positioned precisely in correspondence with the spindle 11 affected by the broken yarn.
The transmission chain 63 is positioned with the links arranged vertical and extends along the whole front of the spinning machine, indicated generally with the reference number 65 in Fig. 1b.
This arrangement of the chain 63 makes it possible to engage the pinion 62, and therefore to transmit movement, even in the points, as shown in Fig. 1b, wherein the movable trolley 21 performs a curved trajectory so as to travel from one front of the spinning machine 65 to the other.
The movable trolley 21 travels on guides, respectively upper 66a and lower 66b, which develop parallel for the whole length of the spinning machine 65.
In this case, the lower guide 66b is made on the floor and connected with the structure of the spinning machine 65, while the upper guide 66a is attached to the spinning machine 65, at a height of about 2 metres with respect to the ground.
According to a variant which is not shown here, the lower guide 66b is made along the automatic doffing device arranged at the base of the spinning machine and used to discharge the full spools at the end of the forming cycle from the spinning machine 65.
In this case, at the curved segment of the path around the spinning machine 65 there will be a joining segment between the substantially rectilinear guides.
Oscillating pads 67 cooperate with the guides 66a and 66b, in this case, two attached above and two attached below.
Each pad 67 is able to rotate around a vertical axis during the execution of the curve so as to pass from one front of the spinning machine 65 to the other.
The electric feed to the trolley 21 is supplied by a system with sliding contacts (not shown here) which slide on a busway located in correspondence with the upper guide 66a.
The movable trolley 21 has a bearing frame 68 which includes the spaces to house all the functional and auxiliary assemblies needed for the device 10 to function.
To be more exact, the bearing frame 68 supports a translating structure 23 on which are assembled the operating assemblies which perform the re-connection cycle in cooperation with the spindle 11 wherein the interruption has occurred.
The electric panel 109 and the electrovalves 110, the aspiration assembly 111 consisting of pump, filter and tank, and the air compression plant 112 are also mounted on the movable trolley 21.
The optical position sensors (which have the function of centering the movable trolley 21 with respect to the spindle 11) are mounted in the front area of the bearing frame 68.
Also in the front area there is the optical detection system 113 which serves to read the presence of the yarn 14 and therefore to identify the spindle 11 wherein the interruption has occurred.
In this case, the optical detection system 113 comprises a video camera 115 associated with an illumination light 131 mounted adjacent to the video camera 115 and on the same support 116.
The video camera 115 is set to detect the presence or absence of the forming yarn by a direct reading of the yarn itself, in the segment which goes from the straightening assemblies 19 to the spinning head 15 of every spindle 11.
The video camera 115 is set to monitor the contrast between the image of the yarn and a background consisting of the casing of the spinning machine 65, and is directed in such a manner as to perform this monitoring in correspondence with the spindle 11 arranged in a position one ahead, in the direction of advance of the movable trolley 21, with respect to the position of the operating assemblies mounted on the movable trolley 21 corresponding to the axis of re-connection.
The orientation of the video camera 115 and the field it reads (Fig. 3b) are regulated in such a manner that, at the moment the movable trolley 21 as it performs the inspection movement parallel to the front of the spinning machine 65 is exactly at the center with respect to the axis of a spindle 11, only the yarn 14 subsequent to that position is pictured, whereas two consecutive yarns 14 are pictured when the trolley is not in axis with the spindle.
The diagrams in Figs. 3c-3f show the four possible cases of optical detection of the system 113.
The reference number 116 indicates the field read by the video camera 115 while 117 indicates the direction of advance of the movable trolley 21.
In Fig. 3c the trolley 21 is not centered with respect to the axis of the spindle 11 (identified by the relative yarn 14) and the video camera 115, in its field of reading 116, reads that there are two yarns 14 present.
At the moment when the trolley 21 is exactly centered (Fig. 3d), the camera 115 reads, in a position one ahead of the position of the re-connection assemblies, the presence of a single yarn 14.
In both cases, the monitoring of the optical system 113 provides a signal that the yarns 14 are not interrupted, and therefore the trolley 21 continues its advance and inspection.
If any interruption of a yarn 14 occurs and the trolley 21 is not centered (Fig. 3e), the video camera 115 continues to detect the presence of a yarn 14 in its field of reading 116, and therefore the trolley 21 continues to advance until the reading axis is perfectly aligned with the axis of the spindle (Fig. 3f).
It is only in this condition that the video camera 115 does not detect the presence of any yarn and supplies the signal to stop the trolley 21 and to start the re-connection cycle.
The presence of the yarn is detected in advance (that is, on the following spindle 11b) with respect to the position of the axis of re-connection, indicated by the reference number 118, of the device 10 (Fig. 3b), corresponding to the spindle 11a wherein the interruption of yarn has occurred.
In this way, from the moment the optical monitoring system 113 supplies the signal that the yarn 14 has been broken, the trolley 21 can decelerate and stop exactly in axis with the spindle 11a where the interruption of the yarn 14 has occurred.
The method according to the invention may optionally include a resetting procedure, when spinning is begun, which serves to identify the spindles 11 not fed by the spinning machine in order to prevent the device 10 from mistaking the non-presence of the yarn due to the inactivity of the spindle 11 for an interruption in the feed.
Moreover, before spinning is started, for every spindle there is a procedure to form a reserve, consisting of several spirals of yarn destined to be re-connected, at the start of the process, to the straightened slubbing emerging from the straightening assemblies 19, thus starting off the spinning operation.
In this case, this procedure is carried out by an autonomous assembly 69 assembled on the movable trolley 21 and suitable to move vertically on a slider 103 mounted on an upright 119 (Fig. 4c).
This assembly 69 is also suitable to move orthogonally to the spindles 11, upon activation of a slider 120, to draw near to them when the cycle to form a reserve begins and then to move away from them at the end of the cycle.
The assembly 69 (Figs. 4a and 4b) comprises a gripper to wind the yarn 70, consisting of a stationary arm 70a and a movable arm 70b.
The gripper 70 is driven by a first opening/closing actuator 71 and a second actuator 72 which makes it rotate around a substantially horizontal axis 73.
The gripper 70 is mounted on a support 74 which, upon activation of the sliders 103 and 120, is equipped with horizontal movement shown by the reference number 75, perpendicular to the axis 24 of the spindle 11 (shown here in diagram form) and with vertical movement, shown by the reference number 76, parallel to this axis 24.
The assembly 69 is also equipped with, or cooperates with, an adjustable vacuum generator, suitable to generate the vacuum needed for the aspiration of the yarn 114 inside the gripper 70.
The gripper 70 cooperates with an auxiliary spool 77, mounted on an appropriate support 121, which supplies the assembly 69 with the yarn 114 needed to form the reserve on all the cops 13 of the spinning machine 65.
The reserve is formed partly on a ring 122 with a knurled surface arranged on the spindle 11 below the cop 13 and partly on the lower part of the cop 13 itself, as will be seen hereafter.
Figs. 5a-5f show how assembly 69 functions.
In the preparatory step, one end of the yarn 114 supplied by the reserve spool 77 has been inserted into the flexible tube 78a associated with the stationary arm 70a of the gripper 70.
As the movable trolley 21 approaches the cop 13 on which the reserve has to be formed (Fig. 5a) the gripper 70 is in its horizontal and open position.
The rotation of the spindle 11 on which the cop 13 is fitted is stopped by the braking device mounted on the movable trolley 21 and will be described hereinafter.
The gripper 70 is translated, in its open condition, horizontally towards the spindle 11 by the movement of the support 74 in direction 75, and is closed around the spindle 11 itself (Fig. 5b), determining a circuit inside which the yarn passes.
Then the electrovalve which commands the vacuum generator is activated for the aspiration of the yarn 114, inserted in the flexible tube 78a, in such a manner that a long segment of yarn is inserted into the through hole in the stationary arm 70b of the gripper 70 and the flexible tube 78b associated therewith, then aspiration is stopped.
The movable arm 70b is opened and part of the yarn contained in the flexible tube 78b returns (Fig. 5c), then the gripper 70 is moved backwards and distanced from the axis 24 of the spindle 11, thus causing more yarn 114 to return from the flexible tube 78b (Fig. 5d) and resting the yarn on the ring 122.
At this point the gripper 70 rotates by about 270° in the direction 79, due to the action of the second actuator 72, around the horizontal axis 80 which passes through the closing point of the gripper 70, thus causing the yarn 114 to be knotted around the ring 122 (Fig. 5e).
The braking assembly then releases the spindle 11 which is made to rotate and returns the yarn from the reserve spool 77 and winds it onto the ring 122 for the desired number of spirals.
In the meantime the gripper 70 is raised vertically, due to the activation of the relative slider 103, so as to progressively wind the spirals first over the whole height of the ring 122 and then on the lower part of the cop 13 (Fig. 5f).
The spindle 11 is then braked again, the gripper 70 is closed and again rotated in an inverse direction to return it to the initial position.
As the spindle 11 subsequently starts rotating, and the gripper 70 is distanced from the spindle 11, this causes the yarn to be pulled with respect to the closed gripper 70, and consequently broken.
After this, the assembly 69 is lowered back to its initial position, and the movable trolley 21 can move in correspondence with another spindle 11 so as to repeat the cycle of forming the reserve.
The correct positioning of the movable trolley 21 with respect to the spindle 11, both to make the reserve at the start of the cycle and to re-connect the yarn in the event of a breakage, is carried out by means of optical monitoring performed by a fibre optic sensor 104 suitable to cooperate with a reference point located in correspondence with the stationary part 26 of the spinning machine 65 below the spindle 11 (Fig. 2).
Once the spindle 11 wherein the interruption has occurred has been identified and the movable trolley 21 has been stopped, the re-connection cycle provides for the advance of the translating structure 23 perpendicularly towards the front of the spinning machine 65. The translating structure 23 is driven by means of a pneumatic cylinder 25 arranged in the lower part of the movable trolley 21.
According to a variant, the translating structure 23 is centered with respect to the axis 24 of the spindle 11 by means of sensors which cause the motor 61, advantageously of the self-stopping type, to stop in the correct position.
The translating structure 23 is suitable to move orthogonally and towards the axis 24 of the spindle 11 guided by guides 27 of the prismatic type or with circulating balls.
The movement of the translating structure 23 towards the spindle 11 causes a braking lever 29 solid with the structure 23 to couple with a fin 81 of the brake of the spindle 11.
Once the fin of the lever brake 81 has been connected, the braking lever 29 is activated so that it is subsequently possible to command the pulsation braking of the spindle 11, as will be explained hereafter.
When the spindle 11 has stopped and the translating structure 23 is arrested with respect to the movable trolley 21, the procedure is started to catch the end of the yarn 14 from the spool on which it is wound.
During this step, the sliders are activated; these support respectively an assembly 28 to manipulate the yarn and a first blowing assembly 83 suitable both to recover the cursor and also to blow peripherally to detach the end of the yarn 14 from the spool.
There is also a second blowing assembly 43 which acts below the ring-bearing block 12 to make it easier to identify and catch the end of the interrupted yarn 14.
The slider 106 of the assembly 83 rests on the ring-bearing block 12 due to gravity and helps its alternate movements in a vertical direction performed during the spinning process.
The assembly 83 (Fig. 13) has an encircling fork-type shape suitable to cooperate with the periphery of the spool wound onto the cop 13, and is equipped with first nozzles 30, suitably oriented and mounted on vertical raised walls 123, which direct jets of air to identify and detach the end of the interrupted yarn from the spool on which the yarn is wound.
On the fork assembly 83 there are also second nozzles 130, arranged on a substantially horizontal plane, which serve to identify and position in a certain manner the cursor 22 on its relative ring on the ring-bearing block 12, so as to allow the yarn 14 to be inserted inside in the way we shall see hereafter.
The identification of the end of the yarn can be made easier, according to the invention, by activating the braking lever 29 intermittently, which causes a pulsating rotation movement of the spindle 11 which encourages the unwinding of the yarn from the wound spirals.
Moreover, this identification is also made easier by the second blowing assembly 43, positioned below the ring-bearing block 12 and equipped with nozzles 86 directed in such a manner as to deliver a jet of air converging towards the axis 24 of the spindle 11.
The second blowing assembly 43 is mounted on the translating structure 23 and is associated with a slider 84 which allows it to be moved vertically so as to be able to travel to a position of non-interference (shown by a line of dashes in Fig. 6) in the steps where it does not need to be used.
The step when the end of the yarn is picked up also provides for an aspiration bell 31 to be positioned in cooperation with the top of the spindle 11 and coaxial therewith.
The bell 31 is arranged on the end of an aspiration tube 48 associated with the aspiration system 111.
Before the bell 31 is made to advance towards the spindle 11, a lever 105 is activated orthogonally to the front of the spinning machine 65, in order to lift the yarn-guiding loop 16 and make it rotate around its axis 32, thus liberating the space above the spindle 11.
The lever 105 (Figs. 17a and 17b) is attached vertically to an upright 124 attached to the translating structure 23 and is associated with a vertical actuator 123.
When the loop 16 has to be raised, the actuator 123 is activated and makes the lever 105 progressively rotate around the pin 125 and raises the loop 16 until it is taken to a position 16a of non-interference with the upper part of the spindle 11 and of the relative spinning head 15.
The aspiration bell is mounted on a slider 87 (Figs. 1, 8 and 9) which can slide vertically on an upright of the translating structure 23.
The aspiration bell 31 performs a first, horizontal movement to approach the spindle 11 and position itself substantially coaxial therewith and above; then, due to gravity, it makes a vertical lowering movement until it goes to cover the top of the spindle 11 and, in particular, to wind around the spinning head 15.
The vertical lowering travel of the aspiration bell 31 may be stopped by means of a mechanical abutment or a pneumatic end-of-travel device.
According to a variant, the aspiration bell 31 first lowers itself to the level of the upper edge of the cop 13, then advances perpendicularly to the front of the spinning machine 65, displacing, because of its conformation, the yarn-guiding loop 16.
Then the aspiration bell 31 has been positioned in axis with the spindle 11, and immediately thereabove, the end of the broken yarn is caught, as shown in Fig. 8, by the combined action of aspiration exerted by the bell 31, the blowing exerted by the nozzles 30 included on the assembly 83 and by the pulsating braking action exerted by the braking lever 29.
The pulsating braking is activated with a frequency such as to generate a centrifugal force on the first segment of broken yarn which helps to detach it from the spool.
The blowing action of the nozzles 30 and 86 causes the end of the yarn 14 to be detached and raised, and directed towards the aspiration bell 31, which intercepts the yarn and sucks it back.
After a desired length of yarn is inside the tube 48 connected to the bell 31, the aspiration assembly is lifted and a segment of yarn 14 is maintained vertically under tension by the aspiration performed through the tube 48 and the bell 31 (Fig. 9).
It is on this segment of yarn 14 located under tension above the spindle 11 that the manipulation assembly 28 intervenes; the manipulation assembly 28 has the function of catching the yarn 14 and inserting it inside the cursor 22 located on the ring-bearing block 12, inside the anti-balloon ring 18 and inside the yarn-guiding loop 16.
The manipulation assembly 28 comprises a first slider 33 movable orthogonally to the front of the spinning machine 65 on which a second 37 and a third 137 slider are mounted.
The second slider 37 can be translated on a substantially horizontal plane and in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the translating structure 23 moves, in order to allow the right/left movement with respect to the spindle 11 of a yarn-gripping gripper 34 comprising a gripper element 35 shaped like a hook.
The third slider 137 can be translated orthogonally to the front of the spinning machine to move only the gripper element 35 nearer to or away from the spindle 11 during the manipulation cycle.
The step to manipulate the yarn is preceded by an operation to intercept and position the cursor 22 on the ring-bearing block 12.
Because of the breakage in the yarn 14, the cursor 22 is in a random circumferential position on the ring on which the spindle 11 is inserted and must be correctly re-positioned so as to allow the yarn 14 to be inserted inside the cursor 22 before the join is made.
The cursor 22 is positioned, in this case, by means of the blowing nozzles 130, suitably oriented, arranged on the assembly 83.
The orientation of the direction of blowing of the nozzles 130 causes their combined action to automatically determine the angular position of the cursor 22 in a precise, desired position.
According to a variant which is not shown here, the cursor is intercepted by means of a tangential blowing by the nozzles, but the cursor 22 is stopped in the desired position due to the presence of a mechanical stop element, mounted on the support on which the nozzles 130 are positioned.
When the cursor 22 has been positioned in the desired angular position on the block 12, not influenced by air currents and such that it can catch the yarn 14 once it has been inserted by the manipulation assembly 28, the procedure to capture the yarn is started.
In order to insert the yarn 14 inside the path between the cursor 22 and the loop 16, the manipulation assembly 28 assumes three different positions in height on the translating structure 23: respectively a first, high position 28a to capture the yarn, a second intermediate position 28b to insert the yarn into the anti-balloon ring 18 and a third low position 28c to insert the yarn into the cursor 22.
The high position 28a is then taken up again to insert the yarn 14 into the loop 16.
The three positions are shown in Fig. 10 where the reference element always illustrated is the supporting block 126 where the sliders 37 and 137 are mounted.
This procedure is illustrated in sequence in Figs. 11a-11i.
The yarn 14 is intercepted and captured in a position above the spindle 11, firstly by advancing the first slider 33 and then the third slider 137 towards the spindle 11 so as to bring the gripper element 35 to pass by the position of the yarn 14, then by moving the second slider 37 towards the right (direction 38a) to capture the yarn (Fig. 11a).
Once the yarn has been captured, the gripper element 35 is retracted, withdrawing the whole manipulation assembly 28 with respect to the spindle 11 (direction 38b; Fig. 11b).
The slider 33 is then displaced vertically downwards (direction 38c), until it rests on the bar which supports the anti-balloon ring 18, in order to insert the yarn 14 inside said ring 18.
During this step a mechanical stop is activated which determines the correct positioning in height of the manipulation assembly 28 with respect to the anti-balloon ring 18.
The mechanical stop comprises a pin 127, movable horizontally due to the activation of an actuator 128, which is activated towards the outside during the downwards step of the manipulation assembly 28 from the high position 28a to the intermediate position 28b (Fig. 10).
In its outer position, the pin 127 abuts against a transverse shaft 129 on which the anti-balloon rings 18 of the spindles 11 are mounted, thus determining the correct reference in height for the vertical positioning of the manipulation assembly 28, exactly in correspondence with the intermediate plane between the two ends 18a and 18b of the anti-balloon ring 18, which are vertically staggered.
The yarn 14 is inserted into the ring 18 by displacing the slider 37 towards the left on a horizontal plane (direction 38d; Fig. 11d) so as to take the yarn 14 from one side of the anti-balloon ring 18 to the other, to insert it between the two staggered ends 18a and 18b, with the gripper element 37 passing between the two ends 18a and 18b.
Then, the slider 137 is retracted (direction 38e; Fig. 11e) to eliminate the interference between the gripper element 35 and the anti-balloon ring 18; after this follows the further descent of the manipulation assembly 28 (direction 38f) to arrive in the low position 28c where it rests on the ring-bearing block 12.
Before this descent, the manipulation assembly 28 rises slightly and the pin 127 is retracted backwards, eliminating the interference with the shaft 129.
The yarn 14 is now ready to be inserted inside the cursor 22.
The lowering of the manipulation assembly 28 on the block 12 has caused the positioning of a stop cylinder 108 mounted on the manipulation assembly 28, resting on the block 12 and in a position where it crushes and retains the yarn 14 against the block 12.
The stop cylinder 108 is made of plastic or rubber and performs the temporary retaining action without ruining or damaging the yarn 14 in any way.
In order to insert the yarn 14 inside the cursor 22, the second slider 37 is displaced horizontally towards the right (direction 38g; Fig. 11g) in order to remove a segment of yarn 14 from the aspiration bell 31, thanks to the retaining action carried out by the stop cylinder 108.
The segment of yarn is arranged under tension just above the block 12 and tangentially to the ring inside which the cursor 22 rotates.
Finally, the first 33 and third slider 137 are displaced forwards (direction 38h; Fig. 11h) towards the spindle 11 in order to bring the yarn tangentially nearer to the cursor-bearing ring until the yarn 14 is inserted into the aperture of the cursor 22 itself.
The insertion is completed by raising the stop cylinder 108 (direction 38i) and thus liberating the yarn 14.
A further advance of the gripper element 35 causes the yarn 14 to be released from the hook-type end of the gripper element.
Subsequently (Fig. 11i), the gripper element 35 is first retracted (direction 38l), then translated towards the left (direction 38m), and then again advanced towards the spindle 11 (direction 38n) to be prepared for the yarn 14 to be inserted into the yarn-guiding loop 16.
At the same time, the loop 16 is lowered (direction 38o) to the working position above the spinning head 15 of the spindle 11 by retracting the lever 105 to the inactive position.
Then, the step is begun to insert the yarn 14 into the yarn-guiding loop 16 (Figs. 12a-12e).
The yarn 14 is now under tension between the cursor 22 and the aspiration bell 31 arranged above the spindle 11.
The manipulation assembly 28 is raised along the translating structure 23 until it is substantially located at the height of the yarn-guiding loop 16, in the high position 28a.
Then, the second slider 37 is displaced towards the right (direction 47a; Fig. 12b), gripping the yarn 14 with the gripper element 35, and then the third slider 137 is retracted (direction 47b; Fig. 12c) in order to displace the yarn 14 creating a segment 14b under tension above the yarn-guiding loop 16.
After this, the first slider 33 is lowered while the second slider 37 is displaced towards the left (direction 47c; Fig. 12d).
This simultaneous movement makes the yarn 14 able to be inserted inside the end of the loop 16.
Finally, the first slider 33 is made to rise again and the third slider 137 is made to advance (direction 47d; Fig. 12e) beyond the axis of the spindle 11, so that first the yarn may be inserted inside the end of the loop 16, and then to detach the yarn 14.
Subsequently, when this insertion has been completed, the first slider 33 is made to retract and descend.
Once the yarn 14 has been positioned inside the ring cursor 22, the anti-balloon ring 18 and the yarn-guiding loop 16, the yarn re-connection assembly 49 is activated to make the join.
The yarn re-connection assembly 49 comprises (Figs. 1 and 15) an arm 50 suitable to rotate around a substantially horizontal axis 51 due to the action of an actuator 52 with a rod 53 hinged at 54 to the arm 50.
One end of the arm 50 is connected to the translating structure 23.
On the arm 50 there is a rotatable plate 41 on which is mounted a gripper organ 55 with two jaws 42, driven by respective actuators 92, and a cutting organ 57, consisting of shears 58 and a relative actuator 59.
The joining cycle provides that the re-connection assembly 49 is taken near the yarn 14 maintained under tension above the spindle 11 by the aspiration tube 31 in order to capture it.
The command of the re-connection assembly 49 is advantageously governed by a velocity controller in order to ensure that the yarn 14 is captured in the most delicate possible manner, in order to avoid all risk of breakages.
After capturing the yarn 14 between the jaws 42, the re-connection assembly 49 rotates towards the right, as shown in this case (Fig. 16a), or towards the left, according to where the join is with respect to the outlet cylinder 20.
In order to identify the correct position of the join, an optical sensor detects the presence or absence of the lever system 107 of the straightening assembly 19, according to the position assumed by the movable trolley 21, and detects whether the re-connection cycle must be made on the right side or left side of the spindle 11.
To be more exact, if the sensor detects the presence of the lever system 107, then the re-connection must be made on the right side, whereas if the lever system is not detected then the re-connection must be made on the left side.
Then, the re-connection assembly 49 is straightened (Fig. 16b) to bring the yarn 14 held between the jaws 42 arriving from the spool fitted to the spindle 11 next to the yarn 114 fed from the straightening assembly 19 and whose end is maintained under aspiration inside an aspiration tube 46.
As the two yarns come together, this causes the so-called singeing effect and the two yarns are joined.
To achieve the join, the brake of the spindle 11 is released, the spindle 11 starts rotating again, and the plate 41 rotates to introduce the yarn 14 into the straightening zone.
Then the shears 58, located on the plate 41 itself, intervene (Fig. 16c) to cut the segment of discarded yarn which is aspired on one side inside the aspiration tube 31 and on the other side inside the aspiration tube 48.
According to a variant, instead of the shears 58 there is a retaining element which causes the fibres of the discarded yarn to break due to a fraying effect.
After that, the plate 41 rotates so that it does not interfere with the straightening cylinder 20 during the return of the rotary arm 50 to its initial position.
The rotation of the cylinder 20 then allows the yarn to be inserted and the spinning cycle to begin again. A further end-of-cycle procedure may provide to verity the continuity of the yarn by means of a photocell which allows the device 10 to be released from the spindle 11 and to start again to monitor other spindles 11 of the spinning machine.
In the event that there is found to be a discontinuity in the yarn the re-connection cycle is re-started.

Claims

Method to automatically re-connect the forming yarn in a spinning machine by joining the interrupted yarns between a spindle (11) with an axis (24) substantially vertical and the feed bobbin, the yarn being fed through a straightening assembly (19) associated at the end with an outlet cylinder (20), the spindle (11) being assembled on a spindle-bearing block (60) and cooperating with a vertically movable ring-bearing block (12), the block (12) including a plurality of rings on each of which a cursor (22) to wind the yarn (14) onto the cop (13) rotates, the spindle (11) also cooperating with an anti-balloon ring (18) and a yarn-guiding loop (16) arranged above, the spindle (11) including at the upper part a spinning head (15), the method being characterised in that it provides in sequence:

an inspection step performed by a movable trolley (21) which is displaced along the front of the spinning machine (65) to identify the spindle (11) in which the forming yarn has been interrupted;

a monitoring step to monitor the interruption of the yarn (14) on a spindle (11) performed by an optical system (113) mounted on the movable trolley (21);

a stop step where the movable trolley (21) stops and is centered with respect to the axis (24) of the spindle (11);

a moving step where a translating structure (23) assembled on the movable trolley (21) moves orthogonally to the axis (24) of the spindle (11), the translating structure (23) supporting a yarn-aspiration assembly (31, 48), a yarn-manipulation assembly (28), at least a yarn-blowing assembly (83, 43) and a yarn re-connection assembly (49);

a step to position aspiration means (31) of the aspiration assembly above and coaxial with the axis (24) of the spindle (11) so as to intercept the interrupted end of the yarn mixed with the yarn already wound onto the cop (13) and to put a segment of yarn (14) vertically under tension between the ring-bearing block (12) and the spinning head (15) of the spindle (11);

a step to grip and insert the yarn (14) inside the anti-balloon ring (18), the cursor (22) and the yarn-guiding loop (16) performed by a single manipulation assembly (28);

a re-connection step, performed by a re-connection assembly (49), to re-connect the end of the yarn already wound on the cop (13) and the yarn arriving from the feed bobbin, the re-connection step being performed above the outlet pressure cylinder (20) of the spinning machine.
Method as in Claim 1, characterised in that before the start of the spinning cycle the method provides an automatic cycle to form a reserve of yarn (114) on the cop (13), the end destined to be subsequently joined to the feed bobbin, the automatic cycle being carried out by an autonomous assembly (69) mounted on the movable trolley (21).
Method as in Claim 2, characterised in that the cycle to form the reserve provides the following steps:

the end of a yarn supplied from an auxiliary spool (77) is inserted inside a tube (78a) associated with a stationary arm (70a) of a gripper (70);

the gripper (70) is brought near, in its open condition, to the spindle (11) and then is closed around the spindle (11), achieving a circuit which surrounds the spindle (11) inside which a yarn passes;

a segment of yarn is aspired inside the tube (78a);

the gripper (70) is re-opened and subsequently retracted with respect to the spindle (11);

the gripper (70) rotates by about 270°, with a consequent knotting of the yarn around a ring (122) solid with the spindle (11) below the empty cop (13);

the spindle (11) is made to rotate and consequently summons the yarn from the reserve spool (77) and winds it for a desired number of spirals;

the gripper (70) is raised to achieve a desired number of spirals on the ring (122) and on the lower part of the cop (13);

the spindle (11) stops, the gripper (70) closes and rotates inversely to be repositioned in its initial position;

the spindle (11) starts again and consequently the yarn breaks with respect to the auxiliary spool (77).
Method as in any claim hereinbefore, characterised in that the optical monitoring step to monitor the interruption of the yarn provides the monitoring, by means of direct reading, of the presence or absence of the yarn (14) in the segment which goes from the straightening assemblies (19) to the spinning head (15) of every spindle (11), wherein the spindle (11) observed by the optical system (113) is the one arranged one position ahead, in the direction of advance of the movable trolley (21), with respect to the position of the translating structure (23) mounted on board the said trolley (21).
Method as in Claim 4, characterised in that the optical monitoring step is performed by video camera means (115) with a field of reading (116) suitable to cover the position of a yarn (14) only when the movable trolley (21) is in axis with one of the spindles (11) and to cover the position of two consecutive yarns (14) when the movable trolley (21) is not in axis with one of the spindles (11).
Method as in Claim 1, characterised in that the stop and centering step of the movable trolley (21) with respect to the spindle (11) where the yarn (14) has been interrupted is performed by means of optical monitoring by optical sensor means (104) with respect to a stationary reference point (26) on the spinning machine (65) below the spindle (11).
Method as in Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the step of positioning the aspiration means (31) above and coaxial with the axis of the spindle (11) is preceded by a procedure to raise the yarn-guiding loop (16), performed by lever means (105), to liberate the space above the spindle (11).
Method as in Claim 1, characterised in that the step of intercepting the end of the interrupted yarn on the cop (13) provides to position at least a blowing assembly (83) equipped with first blowing nozzles (30) suitable to cooperate with the periphery of the cop (13), the blowing assembly (83) including a working position resting on the ring-bearing block (12).
Method as in Claim 1 or 8, characterised in that the step of intercepting the end of the interrupted yarn on the cop (13) provides to position a blowing assembly (43) below the ring-bearing block (12), the blowing assembly (43) including blowing nozzles (86) facing towards the axis (24) of the spindle (11).
Method as in Claim 1, characterised in that the step of intercepting the end of the interrupted yarn on the cop (13) includes a cycle of pulsation braking of the spindle (11) carried out by a braking element (29) mounted on the translating structure (23) and suitable to cooperate intermittently with a braking lever (81) of the spindle (11).
Method as in Claim 1, characterised in that the step of inserting the yarn into the cursor (22) is preceded by a step of intercepting and positioning the cursor (22) in a defined position on the ring-bearing block (12).
Method as in Claim 11, characterised in that the step of intercepting and positioning the cursor (22) is carried out by activating second blowing nozzles (130) included in the assembly (83), lying on a substantially horizontal plane and arranged in co-operation with the periphery of the cop (13).
Method as in Claim 1, characterised in that the step of inserting the yarn (14) into the anti-balloon ring (18) provides to capture the yarn by means of a gripper element (35) of the manipulation assembly (28) carried out with the manipulation assembly (28) in a vertical high position (28a), to lower the manipulation assembly (28) to an intermediate position (28b) wherein the gripper element (35) lies substantially in correspondence with the intermediate plane defined between two vertically staggered ends (18a, 18b) of the anti-balloon ring (18), and to move the gripper element (35) on a horizontal plane to maintain the yarn between the vertically staggered ends (18a, 18b).
Method as in Claim 13, characterised in that the step of vertical positioning of the gripper element (35) on the intermediate plane defined by the ends (18a, 18b) of the anti-balloon ring (18) is associated with a step of positioning towards the outside a mechanical stop element (127) cooperating in abutment with a transverse shaft (129) which supports the anti-balloon rings (18).
Method as in Claim 1, characterised in that the step of inserting the yarn (14) inside the cursor (22) provides to vertically position the manipulation assembly (28) in a low position (28c) cooperating with the ring-bearing block (12), to clamp the yarn (14) on the block (12) by a stop element (108) mounted on the manipulation assembly (28), and to move the gripper element (35) in sequence, first laterally to the stop element (108) and then forwards towards the spindle (11), to insert the yarn (14) inside the cursor (22).
Method as in Claim 1, characterised in that the step of inserting the yarn (14) inside the yarn-guiding loop (16) provides to vertically position the manipulation assembly (28) in a high position (28a), and to move the gripper element (35) in sequence on respective horizontal and vertical planes to arrange a segment (14b) of yarn under tension above the loop (16) and then to insert it therein.
Method as in Claim 1, characterised in that the step of re-connecting the yarn (14) carried out by the re-connection assembly (49) provides to capture the yarn at a position between the aspiration tube (31) and the top of the spindle (11), to bring it near the fed yarn arriving from the straightening assemblies (19) and the outlet pressure cylinder (20), to activate the spindle (11) with the consequent join and to cut the discarded yarn with a cutting organ (58) mounted on the re-connection assembly (49).
Method as in Claim 17, characterised in that the reconnection step is preceded by the identification, by means of an optical sensor, of the position where the re-connection is to be made, left or right with respect to the spindle (11), the optical sensor monitoring the presence or absence of a lever system (107) of the straightening assemblies (19) according to the position assumed by the movable trolley (21).
Device to automatically re-connect the forming yarn in a spinning machine by joining the interrupted yarns between a spindle (11) with an axis (24) substantially vertical and the feed bobbin, the yarn being fed through a straightening assembly (19) associated at the end with an outlet cylinder (20), the spindle (11) being assembled on a spindle-bearing block (60) and cooperating with a vertically movable ring-bearing block (12), the ring-bearing block (12) including a plurality of rings on each of which a cursor (22) to wind the yarn onto the cop (13) rotates, the spindle (11) also cooperating with an anti-balloon ring (18) and a yarn-guiding loop (16) arranged above, the spindle (11) including at the upper part a spinning head (15), the device being characterised in that it comprises a movable trolley (21) suitable to run on guide means (66a, 66b) in cooperation with at least a front of the spinning machine (65), the movable trolley (21) supporting a translating structure (23) able to move orthogonally with respect to the axis (24) of the spindle (11), the translating structure supporting at least (23) a yarn aspiration assembly (31, 48) which serves to identify and pick up the end of the interrupted yarn from the spool and keep it substantially vertically under tension above the spindle (11), a yarn manipulation assembly (28) able to catch the yarn (14) partly unwound from the spool and to manipulate it to insert it into the path between the cursor (22) and the loop (16) located above the spindle (11), at least a blowing assembly (83, 43) cooperating with the periphery of the cop (13) to identify and detach the end of the broken yarn from the spool wound on the cop (13) and a yarn re-connection assembly (49) which joins the ends of the interrupted yarn, there also being mounted on the movable trolley (21) optical monitoring means including a video camera (115) suitable to identify the spindle (11) wherein the yarn has been interrupted.
Device as in Claim 19, characterised in that it comprises an assembly (69) to form a reserve of yarn on the empty cop (13), the assembly (69) being mounted on the movable trolley (21).
Device as in Claim 20, characterised in that the assembly (69) comprises a gripper to wind the yarn (70) consisting of a stationary arm (70a) and a movable arm (70b), the gripper (70) cooperating with a reserve spool (77) mounted on the movable trolley (21) to pick up a desired segment of yarn (114) from the spool (77) by means of aspiration and to wind the segment around a ring (122) solid with the spindle (11) below the empty cap (13), the stationary arm (70a) comprising a yarn aspiration tube (78) inside, the gripper (70) being associated with first, opening/closing actuator means (71), suitable to allow it to be positioned around the spindle (11) so as to define a circuit of yarn around the spindle (11) itself, and with second actuator means (72) suitable to make it rotate around a horizontal axis (80) by about 270° in order to knot the yarn.
Device as in Claim 19, characterised in that the video camera optical monitoring means (115) are associated with illumination means (131) and are directed in such a manner as to monitor, by means of direct reading, the interruption of the yarn (14) with respect to the feed bobbin in correspondence with the spindle (11) arranged one position ahead, in the direction of advance of the movable trolley (21), with respect to the position of the translating structure (23) mounted on board the movable trolley (21).
Device as in Claim 19, characterised in that it comprises a fiber optic sensor element (104) suitable to cooperate with a reference point on the stationary part (26) of the spinning machine (65) below the spindle (11) in order to position and center the movable trolley (21) with respect to the spindle (11).
Device as in Claim 19, characterised in that it includes a braking element (29) solid with the translating structure (23) and suitable to cooperate with the lever brake (81) to intermittently clamp the spindle (11).
Device as in Claim 19, characterised in that the blowing assembly (83) is shaped like an encircling fork suitable to cooperate with the periphery of the cop (13), the assembly (83) including a working position resting on the ring-bearing block (12) and being equipped with first nozzles (30) suitably oriented and suitable to blow jets of air to detach the end of the broken yarn from the spool wound on the cop (13).
Device as in Claim 19, characterised in that it comprises a further blowing assembly (43) with a working position below the ring-bearing block (12) and equipped with nozzles (86) suitable to cooperate with the periphery of the spool wound on the cop (13).
Device as in Claim 19, characterised in that the yarn aspiration assembly comprises an aspiration bell (31) suitable to be positioned above and coaxial with the spindle (11), in co-operation with the spinning head (15), the aspiration bell (31) being associated with a slider (83) suitable to slide first horizontally and then vertically with respect to the translating structure (23).
Device as in Claim 27, characterised in that the aspiration assembly cooperates with lever means (105) suitable to raise the yarn-guiding loop (16) and liberate the space above the spindle (11).
Device as in Claim 19, characterised in that the manipulation assembly (28) comprises a hook-shaped gripper element (35) suitable to pick up the yarn (14) in the segment maintained vertically under pressure between the ring-bearing block (12) and the aspiration bell (31) and to insert it inside the ring cursor (22), the anti-balloon ring (18) and the yarn-guiding loop (16).
Device as in Claim 29, characterised in that the manipulation assembly (28) includes a first high position (28a) wherein the yarn (14) is gripped and inserted into the yarn-guiding loop (16), a second intermediate position wherein the yarn (14) is inserted into the anti-balloon ring (18) and a third low position wherein the yarn (14) is inserted into the cursor (22).
Device as in Claim 19, characterised in that the manipulation assembly (28) comprises at least a first slider (33) movable on a horizontal plane orthogonal to the front of the spinning machine (65), a second slider (37) supporting the gripper element (35) and equipped with a movement on a horizontal plane in a direction orthogonal to the first slider (33) and a third slider (137) suitable to move only the gripper element (35) near/away from the spindle (11) during the cycle when the yarn (14) is inserted into the anti-balloon ring (18), the cursor (22) and the loop (16).
Device as in Claim 25, characterised in that the blowing assembly (83) comprises second nozzles (130), lying on a substantially horizontal plane and suitably oriented, suitable to intercept and position the cursor (22) in a certain position on the relative ring on the ring-bearing block (12).
Device as in Claim 19, characterised in that the yarn re-connection assembly (49) comprises a plate (41), mounted at one end of a rotary arm (50) the other end of which is attached to the translating structure (23), on which plate (41) at least a gripper organ (55) with two jaws (42) and a cutting organ (57) are mounted.
Device as in Claim 33, characterised in that the yarn re-connection assembly (49) comprises optical monitoring means cooperating with stationary means (107) of the spinning machine and suitable to identify the correct position where the re-connection is to be made.