EP1031651A2

EP1031651A2 - Yarn Processing machine

Info

Publication number: EP1031651A2
Application number: EP00102715A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Toru Suzuki; Katsunori Onishi; Shinichiro Morimoto
Original assignee: Murata Machinery Ltd
Current assignee: Murata Machinery Ltd
Priority date: 1999-02-26
Filing date: 2000-02-09
Publication date: 2000-08-30
Also published as: JP2000247539A; KR20010014512A; TW434335B

Abstract

A yarn processing machine that is more compact and which makes the threading of yarn on the machine easier is herein provided.

In a yarn processing machine 1 having multiple rows of yarn paths 7 along which yarns 4 are processed, and having a plurality of yarn feeding devices 8, 9, 10 along the yarn paths 7, the yarn feeding devices 8, 9, 10 are provided separately for each yarn path 7, and each yarn feeding device 8, 9, 10 is driven individually (Fig.1).

Description

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to yarn processing machines, such as air jet texturing machines and draw-texturing machines.

Background of the invention

As shown in Figure 6, a conventional yarn processing machine 30 winding a plurality of yarns together into a single texturing yarn (in the illustrated example, the yarn processing machine winds two yarns into a doubled yarn.) or processing a doubled yarn is comprised of a plurality of yarn processing units arranged in rows, each unit including feed rollers 31, 34 (yarn feeding devices) that feed the yarn 4 forward, and a yarn texturing means 32, such as an air jet, a false twisting unit, etc. The feed rollers 31, 34 are provided with line shafts 33a, 33b that are shared by all the units of the machine. The line shafts 33a, 33b are each rotationally driven by a driving motor as a driving means (not shown in the drawing).
Particularly in the yarn processing machine 30 in which the yarn feeding rate and the draw rate are changed to combine different yarns into one, the feed rollers 31, 34, which rotate at different speeds, must be provided with separate line shafts 33a, 33b, respectively. Further, each of the plurality of line shafts must be arranged on a different axis, and staggered relative to the yarn feeding direction.
These factors mandate that the conventional yarn processing machine 30 is very big, and that it must take up a great deal of factory floor space. Further, there is a limit to how the feed rollers 31, 34 can be arranged, and ultimately to the layout of the yarn processing machine 30.
A further problem with the conventional yarn processing machine is that the yarn threading operation that must be performed prior to operation of the machine is difficult and time-consuming. The feed rollers 31, 34, along with the rest of the machine parts, are spread out over a wide area, increasing the work-load of the operator, and further complicating the yarn threading operation.
In addition to these problems specific to yarn processing machines that wind a plurality of yarns into a single texturing yarn, there are other problems that exist for both multiple yarn processing machine and yarn processing machines that wind only one yarn as well. Specifically, although the machine is comprised of a plurality of laterally arranged yarn processing units ("spindles"), the yarn feeding device at each spindle is driven by a line shaft shared by the other spindles. Thus, if yarn breakage occurs at one spindle, yarn feeding at the particular spindle where breakage occurred cannot be stopped individually, but instead requires that yarn feeding at all the other spindles be stopped, as well. This further complicates yarn threading operation, and at times may even make it unfeasible to operate a spindle where a yarn breakage has occurred.

Means for solving the problem

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a yarn processing machine that is compact and makes the yarn threading operation easy to perform.
In order to accomplish this object, the present invention is a yarn processing machine provided with multiple yarn paths along which yarns are processed, and provided with a plurality of yarn feeding devices along said yarn paths, wherein a separate yarn feeding device is provided for each yarn path, and wherein each of said yarn feeding devices is driven independently.
Further, in another aspect of the present invention, in a yarn processing machine provided with multiple rows of yarn processing units that each process a plurality of yarns, wherein a plurality of yarn feeding devices are provided for the plurality of yarns, a separate yarn feeding device provided for each of the plurality of yarns provides independent driving for each individual yarn processing unit. In this case, the plurality of yarn feeding devices provides for the plurality of yarns may be arranged in rows along the same axis.
It should be noted that it is preferable for the yarn feeding devices to include driving rollers with driving motors, wherein the motor is arranged inside the roller, in order to make the device more compact.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a planar view of a preferred embodiment of the yarn processing device of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main parts of the yarn processing device of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a an enlarged view of the main parts of the machine of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the driving roller of Figure 3.
Figure 5 is an outline drawing of the yarn processing machine of the present invention.
Figure 6 is an outline drawing of a conventional yarn processing machine.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment

The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2, an air jet texturing machine 1 comprises a plurality of spindles (yarn processing units) 28 for simultaneously forming a yarn from a plurality of individual yarns.
A spindle 28 is a yarn processing unit that forms the yarn 29 to be processed by the yarn processing unit. In the present embodiment, each spindle 28 draws a core yarn 4a and a effect yarn 4b from two yarn supply packages 2a, 2b stored in a creel stand 3, processes the yarns into a single texturing yarn, and then winds the yarn into a package, bobbin, or the like.
The spindle 28 is comprised of yarn feed rollers 8a, 9a for drawing the core yarn 4a from a supply package 2a, yarn feed rollers 8b, 9b for drawing the effect yarn 4b from a supply package 2b, yarn processing means 25 which textures the yarn using air, water, or the like, and winding means 26 which winds the processed yarn 29. The yarn feed rollers 8a, 9a and 8b, 9b, 10 are sometimes referred to as "yarn delivering devices".
The air jet texturing machine 1 is comprised of a creel stand 3 that stores all of the supply packages 2a, 2b of the spindles 28, a winding stand 5 which draws unprocessed yarn 4 (the core yarn 4a and the effect yarn 4b) from the supply packages 2a, 2b, and textures and assembles them through air-jet processing into a single texturing yarn before winding them into packages, and an operator path 6 arranged between the creel stand 3 and the winding stand 5.
Multiple rows of yarn paths 7 along which pass the unprocessed yarns 4 are arraged above the operator path 6, and a plurality of feed rollers 8, 9, 10 are arranged along each of the yarn paths 7.
Specifically, a ceiling frame 11 arranged above the operator path 6 serves as a bridge for the yarn between the creel stand 3 and the winding stand 5, and three spaced apart holding beams 12, 13, 14 are arranged in the ceiling frame 11, running in the direction of the operator path 6.
The first feed roller 8 is arranged independently in each yarn path 7 in the first holding beam 12 closest to the creel stand 3. The second feed roller 9 is separately arranged in each yarn path 7 in the second holding beam 13, which is arranged on the winding stand 5 side, next to first holding beam 12. Third feed roller 10 is similarly arranged separately in each yarn path 7 in the third holding beam 14, which is arranged adjacent to the winding stand 5.
In other words, as can be seen in Figure 5, at the very least feed rollers 8, 9, arranged upstream of the yarn processing means 25, are not staggered relative to the yarn feeding direction, but rather are axially aligned in the holding beams 12, 13.
As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2, a pin heater 15 that heats the unprocessed yarn 4 being delivered is arranged between the first feed roller 8 and the second feed roller 9.
Thus, in each spindle 28, the core yarn 4a and the effect yarn 4b drawn from the creel stand 3 is passed through the first feed roller 8 and the second feed roller 9 in each yarn path 7, and delivered to the yarn processing means 25.
Each feed roller 8, 9, 19 is arranged independently, and is independently driven. In each yarn path 7, each individual roller 8, 9, 19 is driven by a control device not shown in the drawings, and can be stopped, or have its speed controlled independently. Thus, if there is a yarn breakage or other problem, only the spindle 28 in which the problem occurred need be stopped or adjusted.
It should be noted that each of the feed rollers 8, 9, 10 shares basically the same structure.
The structure of the first feed roller 8 will now be explained.
As shown in Figure 3, the first feed roller 8 is principally comprised of a driving roller 16 provided with an internal driving motor (not shown in the drawing), and attached to the holding beam 12, and a drive receiving roller 18 coupled to the first holding beam 12 via a lever 17, and rotated in contact with the driving roller 16.
As shown in Figure 4, a driving motor 20 of driving roller 16 is attached to the first holding beam 12 via a holding member 19, and the drive shaft 21 of the driving motor 20 is attached to the first roller member 22. This construction allows each feed roller 8, 9, 10 to be rotated independently of the others. The first feed roller member 22 is a concave bracket-shaped member, and arranged so as to substantially cover the periphery of the driving motor 20. This arrangement of the driving motor 20 inside the driving roller 16 makes the driving roller 16 more compact.
As shown in Figure 3, the lever 17 is roughly V shaped. One end of the lever 17 is connected to the lever holding member 23 such that the lever 17 is freely rotatable. The lever holding member 23 is fixedly attached to the first holding beam 12. A second roller member 18a, which serves as the drive receiving roller 18 is arranged in roughly the middle of the lever 17, and freely rotates around a horizontal axis. The second roller member 18a is arranged at the bottom of driving roller 16, in contact therewith.
A spring coil 24 is connected between the lever 17 and the lever holding member 23, applying elastic force, and pushing the drive receiving roller 18 against the driving roller 17 when the two are in contact. When the drive receiving roller 18 and the driving roller 16 are separated by a fixed distance, elastic force operates to pull the drive receiving roller 18 away from the driving roller 16.
As shown in Figure 2, the processing means 25 and the winding means 26 are arranged in the winding stand 5.
The yarn 29 processed by the processing means 25 winds through the third feed roller 10 arranged above the processing means 25 before being fed to the winding means 26.
Operation of the machine will now be explained.
To thread the core and effect yarns 4a, 4b of the supply packages 2a, 2b through the feed rollers 8, 9, 10 before processing, an operator 27 passes the yarn along each yarn path 7.
To thread the unprocessed yarn 4 through the three feed rollers 8, 9, 10, first the operator 27 must pull the levers 17 of the feed rollers 8, 9, 10 in the yarn path 7, separating the driving rollers 16 from the drive-receiving rollers 18.
Next, the unprocessed yarn 4 is threaded between the driving and drive-receiving rollers 16, 18 of the first feed roller 8 and the second feed roller 9, and then passed in order through the yarn processing means 25, the third feed roller 10, and led to the winding means 26.
The operator then repeats this process with the unprocessed yarn 4 for each of the yarn paths 7.
Since the first and second feed rollers 8, 9 are arranged along the same neighboring beams (first beam 12 and second beam 13) on all the yarn paths 7, the operator 27 can thread the unprocessed yarns 4 in the yarn feeding direction without hardly having to move. This enables all the yarns to be quickly and easily threaded in preparation for processing. Particularly since the feed rollers 8, 9, 10 are all within roughly the same arm's reach of the operator 27, threading the yarns through these rollers is very easy.
When the yarn processing machine 1 is operated, each of the feed rollers 8, 9, 10 rotate independently, feeding the unprocessed yarn 4 along the yarn paths 7. As shown in Figure 1, the feed rollers 8b and 9b, which feed along the effect yarn 4b to be assembled the core yarn 4a, rotate more quickly than the feed rollers 8a, 9a for the core yarn 4a, thereby passing the effect yarn 4b more quickly than the core yarn 4a.
The core yarn 4a and the effect yarn 4b are integrated at the processing means 25, textured, passed through the third feed roller 10, and then send to the winding means 26 where the integrated texturing yarn is wound.
Thus, since each of the feed rollers 8, 9, 10 is driven independently, the feed rollers 8, 9, 10 can be freely arranged within the machine, the feed roller pairs 8a, 8b and 9a, 9b, operating at different speeds, can be arranged in the same line (along the same axis), and the rotary drive feeding the yarns of individual yarn paths 7 can be stopped. Further, the draw rate of the unprocessed yarns 4 of the individual yarn paths 7 can also be freely and independently changed.
Since the feed rollers 8, 9, 10 are each driven separately and independently, the feed rollers 8, 9, 10 can be independently driven for each individual spindle 28, allowing each spindle to be run independently of the others, a particularly useful feature in a yarn processing machine 1 where many spindles 28 are arranged side-by-side.
Further, since feed rollers 8, 9, 10 of different feed speeds for each yarn path 7 can be arranged in the same row, the entire yarn processing machine 1 can be made more compact, and yarn threading can be made significantly easier. Further, the yarn paths become easier to distinguish.
Still further, since the feed rollers 8, 9, 10 are comprised of the driving roller 16 having an internal driving motor 20 attached to a respective holding beam 12, 13, 14, and a drive receiving roller 18 that is held in pressured contact with the driving roller 16 via lever 17 which is attached to a respective holding beam 12, 13, 14, the feed rollers 8, 9, 10 are more compact, and the yarn threading operation is easier to perform.
It should be mentioned that the driving motors of the feed rollers 8, 9, 10 may be controlled such that their speeds are adjusted independently of each other via a control device not shown in the drawings.
It should also be noted that embodiments of the present invention need not be restricted to air-jet texturing machines, but may also include false-twisting machines, and false-twisting draw texturing machines, as well.
As described hereinabove, the present invention accomplishes the following:
(1) It makes the yarn processing machine more compact.
(2) It makes the yarn threading process in the yarn processing machine easier.

Claims

A yarn processing machine having a plurality of yarn paths along which yarns are processed, and provided with a plurality of yarn feeding devices along said yarn paths, wherein;

a separate yarn feeding device is provided for each yarn path, and

each of said yarn feeding devices is driven independently.
A yarn processing machine as in claim 1 in which the yarn feeding device further comprises a driving roller having a driving motor, wherein the driving motor is provided inside the driving roller.
A yarn processing machine having a plurality of rows of yarn processing units that each process a plurality of yarns, and having a plurality of yarn feeding devices, each feeding device corresponding to one of the plurality of yarns, wherein the yarn feeding devices provided for the plurality of yarns are provided at each yarn processing unit, and wherein each yarn feeding device is driven independently.
A yarn processing machine as in claim 3 wherein the plurality of yarn feeding devices corresponding to the plurality of yarns are all arranged along the same axis.
A yarn processing machine as in claim 3 or claim 4 in which the yarn feeding device further comprises a driving roller having a driving motor, wherein the driving motor is provided inside the driving roller.