EP3812328B1 - Ring spinning machine and bobbin gripper - Google Patents

Description

• einem Greifergrundkörper,
• einem an dem Greifergrundkörper angeordneten, gemeinsam mit einem Aufnahmeabschnitt des Greifergrundkörpers eine Kopsaufnahmeöffnung bildenden Spannelement, und
• einem Klemmelement, das radial in Richtung auf die Kopsaufnahmeöffnung zwischen einer Freigabestellung und einer Klemmstellung verstellbar an dem Greifergrundkörper angeordnet ist.

The invention relates to a ring spinning machine with a plurality of spinning stations arranged next to one another and a cop changing device as well as a cop gripper, in particular for a cop changing device of a ring spinning machine, with

• a gripper base body,
• a clamping element arranged on the gripper base body, which together with a receiving section of the gripper base body forms a cop receiving opening, and
• a clamping element which is arranged on the gripper base body and can be adjusted radially in the direction of the cop receiving opening between a release position and a clamping position.

Ring spinning machines with a cop changing device with several cop grippers are available in a variety of designs, e.g. from the DE 44 07 099 A1 known. The cop changing devices serve to move empty cop tubes and full cops between the spindles of the individual spinning stations of the ring spinning machine and a transport device extending along the spinning stations of the ring spinning machine. The cop changing devices usually extend along the ring spinning machine and are equipped with several movable scissor systems, by means of which a doffer beam carrying the cop grippers can be adjusted between the transport system and the spinning stations, whereby the doffer beam can be moved up and down due to the usual arrangement of the transport system below the spindle bank of the ring spinning machine.

To grip the full cops at the spinning stations and the empty cop tubes on the transport system, the cop grippers usually have adjustable clamping elements, e.g. clamping jaws, which can be adjusted between a clamping position that clamps an empty cop tube or full cop and a release position that releases the cop or the cop tube, whereby the cop gripper also grips full cop tubes, i.e. those wrapped with yarn, usually in a yarn-free area of the cop tube.

The EP 0 523 336 A1 relates to a cop gripper with an adjustable and a stationary clamping element, wherein the stationary clamping element consists of a holder and a detachable element for adaptation to different core diameters.

The DE 30 36 447 A1 describes a tube gripper with a movable holding member on which, on the one hand, a clamp consisting of a deformable ring-shaped part made of soft and elastic material and which can be freely slipped over the fiber yarn carrier, and, on the other hand, control elements for tightening the said clamp by deforming the clamp in the radial direction are arranged.

In order to ensure reliable exchange of empty bobbins and full bobbins between the transport device and the spinning stations, which is necessary for smooth operation, In order to ensure this, it is necessary that the cop gripper or the clamping elements that engage with the cop or the empty cop sleeve are adapted to the shape of the empty cop sleeve or full cop, which makes it necessary, for example, to use specific clamping jaws for the cop gripper depending on the cops or empty cop sleeves to be processed. Changing the cop sleeves or full cops to be processed may therefore also require adaptation of the cop gripper in order to be able to reliably guarantee transport of the empty cop sleeves or full cops between the transport device and the spinning stations. The use of unadapted cop grippers can lead to interruptions in transport and damage to the cop gripper, which can result in undesirable machine downtime.

Based on this, the invention is based on the object of providing a ring spinning machine with a large number of juxtaposed spinning positions and a cop changing device as well as a cop gripper for a cop changing device, in particular a ring spinning machine, which can be produced inexpensively and enable reliable detection of different cop sleeves or full cops.

The invention solves the problem by a cop gripper with the features of claim 1 and a ring spinning machine with the features of claim 7. Advantageous further developments of the cop gripper are specified in claims 2 to 6, of the ring spinning machine in subclaims 8 and 9.

What is characteristic of the cop gripper according to the invention is that the clamping element is made entirely of an elastically deformable material and is designed as a plastic loop or elastic band. The clamping element is designed in such a way and arranged on a gripper base body of the cop gripper that, together with a receiving section of the gripper base body, it forms an annular cop receiving opening for arranging an empty cop sleeve or a full cop. When engaged with an empty cop sleeve or a full cop, the cop receiving opening thus runs coaxially to the cop or the empty cop sleeve. The section of the cop receiving opening formed by the receiving section of the gripper base body depends on the arrangement of the clamping element on the gripper base body, wherein in a particularly simple embodiment the clamping element is attached with its opposite ends to the gripper base body and forms a cop receiving opening with it.

To grasp an empty cop sleeve or a full cop by the cop gripper in a gripping position of the cop gripper, in which the cop or the empty cop sleeve is arranged within the cop receiving opening, a clamping element arranged on the gripper base body is used, by means of which the cop sleeve or the cop is fixed force-fittingly within the cop receiving opening. The clamping element can be adjusted from a release position, in which an empty cop sleeve or a cop can be placed in the cop receiving opening, and a clamping position. In the clamping position, the clamping element is adjusted radially in the direction of the cop receiving opening compared to the release position and rests on the cop or the cop sleeve and presses it against the clamping element so that the clamping body exerts a clamping force on the cop sleeve or the cop.

Due to the design of the clamping element made of an elastically deformable material, the resulting flexibility ensures that the clamping element is in contact with the cop sleeve or the cop at least in sections. In addition, an elastic adjustment of the clamping element can be effected via the clamping force applied by the clamping element, the resulting elastic restoring force acting from the clamping element on the cop sleeve or the cop exerting a clamping force on an area of the cop sleeve or the cop, which is not in direct contact with the clamping element.

The inventive design of the clamping element made of an elastically deformable material thus ensures reliable fixation of different cops and cop sleeves in the cop receiving opening. In addition, the elastic restoring force of the clamping element, which results from the material and shape-specific properties of the elastic material as well as the clamping force applied by the clamping element, causes the cop sleeve or cop to be clamped essentially over a significant section of the circumference of the cop sleeve or cop.

The design of the clamping element and its section forming the cop receiving opening is fundamentally freely selectable. What is essential for the function of the cop gripper according to the invention is that that the clamping element is formed entirely from an elastic material, so that a clamping force applied by the clamping element essentially over the entire length of the clamping element, an elastic deformation of the clamping element and consequently over its entire contact area with a cop sleeve or a cop, an elastic restoring force on this exercises. According to the invention, the clamping element is designed as a plastic loop or elastic band made of an elastic material, which makes it possible to produce the cop gripper particularly easily and cost-effectively. In addition, the complete design of the clamping element made of an elastic material offers a particularly good adaptation to different shapes of the cop sleeve and the cop, which means that the cop gripper can be used particularly universally.

The shape of the clamping element is also fundamentally freely selectable. For example, in the case of the advantageously provided complete design of an elastic material, this can be formed from an elastic band with a circular cross-section, which enables a particularly simple and cost-effective production of the tensioning element. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, however, it is provided that the clamping element has a rectangular cross section, the longitudinal extent of which in the longitudinal axis direction of the cop receiving opening is preferably larger than its extension radially to the cop receiving opening. The ratio of the longitudinal extent to the extent in the radial direction is preferably between 50:1 and 10:1, particularly preferably between 40:1 and 15:1, in particular between 25:1 and 20:1.

A rectangular design of the clamping element makes it possible to determine the surface of the clamping element that is in active connection with the cop sleeve or cop in the clamping position in a particularly advantageous manner over its longitudinal extension. A particularly small design of the cop gripper can be ensured by a simultaneously small radial extension of the clamping element with sufficient elasticity.

Just as the design of the clamping element can be freely selected, its arrangement on the gripper base body can also be freely selected. For example, it can be glued to the gripper base body, which ensures a reliable arrangement. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, however, it is provided that the clamping element is detachably attached to the gripper base body.

A detachable arrangement of the clamping element makes it possible to replace it if necessary during maintenance work, which makes it easy to restore the full functionality of the head gripper. A detachable attachment of the clamping element to the gripper base body can be achieved, for example, using suitable screw or clamp connections. According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the clamping element can also be designed as an elastic plastic band, the opposite ends of which, to be connected to the gripper base body, have a thickening compared to the rest of the clamping element, which is designed for a form-fitting arrangement in receiving openings on the gripper base body. The receiving openings are designed accordingly and have an undercut with a slot-like opening for the area between the thickenings of the clamping element, so that reliable positional security on the gripper base body is ensured in the assembled position of the clamping element. Depending on the design of the receiving opening, the thickening can, for example, be circular in cross section, which ensures particularly simple and reliable replacement and assembly of the clamping element.

Essential to the function of the cop gripper according to the invention is the use of the clamping element, which in the clamping position ensures a non-positive positioning of the cop sleeve or the full cop in the cop receiving opening. The adjustment of the clamping element between the release position and the clamping position can basically be effected in any way, for example by suitable electric motor-driven stepper motors or hydraulic drives. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, however, it is provided that the clamping element can be moved pneumatically from the release position into the clamping position. The use of a pneumatic drive enables particularly simple and reliable adjustment of the clamping element. It is particularly advantageous that ring spinning machines usually already have compressed air connections for additional units, so that there is no need for a separate, cost-intensive compressed air supply that would otherwise be required. The pneumatic pressure can also be used to determine the pressure force applied to the cop or the cop sleeve by the clamping element, for example a pneumatic plunger, in a particularly simple and reliable manner.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, it is further provided that the clamping element is biased, in particular spring-biased, in the direction of the release position. This configuration ensures that after deactivation of the driving force which shifts the clamping element in the direction of the clamping position or holds the clamping element in the clamping position, preferably the pneumatic pressure, the clamping element is automatically moved back into the release position. An active adjustment of the clamping element from the clamping position to the release position can therefore be dispensed with according to this embodiment of the invention, which means that the cop gripper can be manufactured particularly easily and cost-effectively. A preload in the direction of the release position can be realized in any way, for example by using suitable helical compression springs, which are mounted in a corresponding manner on the gripper base body and the clamping element.

The design of the clamping element is also fundamentally freely selectable, provided that it ensures that a sufficient clamping force is applied to the cop or the empty cop sleeve in the clamping position. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the clamping element has an elastic pressure element and/or a contour adapted to the outer shape of a cop sleeve in the contact area with a cop or a cop sleeve.

The use of an elastic pressure element means that the clamping element in the area of this pressure element lies particularly reliably flat against the cop or the cop sleeve, thus ensuring particularly good force transmission. Alternatively or additionally, the clamping element in the contact area can have a contour adapted to the outer shape of the cop sleeve, which also or additionally ensures a particularly reliable flat transmission of the pressure force applied by the clamping element to the cop sleeve. Faulty gripping processes can be avoided in a particularly reliable manner by this embodiment of the invention.

The cop gripper according to the invention can in principle be used on all textile machines on which cops or cop sleeves have to be moved. In particular, however, their use on ring spinning machines is intended. A ring spinning machine according to the invention with a large number of spinning stations arranged next to one another and a cop changing device for transferring empty cop sleeves and full cops between them Spindles of the spinning stations and a transport device extending along the spinning stations of the ring spinning machine for feeding empty cop sleeves and removing full cops, the cop changing device having a doffer device extending along the spinning stations, in particular a doffer bar with a cop gripper assigned to a spinning station, is characterized in this way that the cop gripper is designed in the form according to the invention or further developed above.

A ring spinning machine with a cop changing device having a cop gripper according to the invention is characterized in that it can be operated with a large number of different cop sleeves and cops without adapting the cop changing device. The elastic design of the clamping element also ensures reliable detection of a cop arranged in the cop receiving opening or an empty cop sleeve by the cop gripper. The particularly simple and inexpensive structure of the cop gripper also makes it possible to produce the cop changing device and thus a ring spinning machine provided with this cop changing device particularly cost-effectively.

The arrangement of the cop grippers on the cop changing device of the ring spinning machine can basically be done in any way. However, it is particularly advantageously provided that the doffer device, in particular the doffer beam, is designed for a detachable connection to the gripper base bodies of the cop grippers. This configuration makes it possible to replace the cop grippers in a particularly simple and time-saving manner if necessary. For example, simple screw or clamp connections can be provided for the connection, which can be implemented particularly easily and cost-effectively.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, it is further provided that the doffer device, in particular the doffer beam, is designed for pneumatic connection to the cop grippers. A corresponding embodiment, in which the doffer beam provides pneumatic connections for the respective cop grippers, if, according to an advantageous development of the invention, a pneumatic displacement of the clamping element between the release position and the clamping position is provided for these, makes it possible to put them into operation in a particularly simple manner .

Fig. 1

eine schematische Seitenansicht einer Ringspinnmaschine;

Fig. 2

eine erste perspektivische Ansicht eines Kopsgreifers mit einer in einer Kopsaufnahmeöffnung angeordneten Kopshülse;

Fig. 3

eine zweite perspektivische Ansicht des Kopsgreifers von Fig. 2 mit in der Kopsaufnahmeöffnung angeordneter Kopshülse und

Fig. 4

eine dritte perspektivische Ansicht des Kopsgreifers von Fig. 2 mit in der Kopsaufnahmeöffnung angeordneter Kopshülse.

An embodiment of the invention is explained below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings show:

Fig. 1

a schematic side view of a ring spinning machine;

Fig. 2

a first perspective view of a cop gripper with a cop sleeve arranged in a cop receiving opening;

Fig. 3

a second perspective view of the cop grab from Fig. 2 with a cop sleeve arranged in the cop receiving opening and

Fig. 4

a third perspective view of the cop grab from Fig. 2 with a cop sleeve arranged in the cop receiving opening.

In Fig. 1 a side view of a ring spinning machine 1 is shown in a schematic representation. Slivers 3 running from roving bobbins 4 first pass through drafting units 2 of the ring spinning machine 1, in which the slivers 3 are stretched. The stretched sliver 3 then passes through a thread guide 21 and a balloon constriction ring 5 and is wound onto cop sleeves 16 as yarn via a runner, not shown here, which rotates on a spinning ring 7. The spinning ring 7 is attached to a bench 6 and surrounds the spindles 10, which are provided for rotatable mounting and are arranged on a spindle bench 9.

In the area of the spindle bank 9 opposite the spindles 10, spindle bearing housings 20 protrude from the spindle bank 9. Below the spindle bank 9 - in relation to the position of use of the ring spinning machine 1 - there is a schematically shown transport device 12 on both sides in the lower area of a machine frame 11 of the ring spinning machine 1, which extends along the ring spinning machine 1 and has bearing pins (not shown here) for receiving empty cops 12 and full cops 15.

On both sides of the ring spinning machine 1 there is also a cop changing device 13 which can be pivoted about an axis 17 and has a doffer beam 8 which can be adjusted by means of a lifting and lowering device 19. Cop grippers 14 assigned to the individual spinning positions of the ring spinning machine 1 are arranged on the doffer beam 8, by means of which full cops 15 are removed from the spindles 10 and placed in the transport direction 12 or empty cop sleeves 16 are picked up by the transport direction 12 and onto the spindles 10 the spinning stations of the ring spinning machine 1 can be placed.

The cop grippers 14, which are arranged at a distance from one another on the doffer beam 8, have a gripper base body 18, which is used to fasten the cop gripper 14 to the doffer beam 8. In addition, the gripper base body 18 serves to hold a clamping element 24, which consists of an elastic material. For fastening to the gripper base body 18, the clamping element 24 has shaped pins 25 at its two ends facing the gripper base body 18, which are inserted into correspondingly shaped pin receptacles 27 provided with undercuts for arrangement on the gripper base body 18.

The clamping element 24 is designed as an elastic band, which together with the area between the pin receptacles 27, the receiving section 29 of the gripper base body 18, forms an annular cop receiving opening 26. For clamping, non-positive position securing of a cop sleeve 16 and a cop 15 in the area of the cop sleeve 16, the cop gripper 14 has a clamping element 22, which is located between the Fig. 2 to 4 shown release position and a clamping position not shown here is mounted in a clamping element housing 23 so that it can be moved. The clamping element 22, which can be adjusted pneumatically between the release position and the clamping position, has a contact surface 30 adapted to the outer contour of the cop sleeve 16 in its contact area with the cop sleeve 16. In the clamping position, the clamping element 22 and the tensioning element 24, which is elastically deformed due to the pressure force, exert a clamping force on the cop sleeve 16, which depends on the pneumatic pressure with which the clamping element 22 is acted upon.

A light barrier 28 arranged on the gripper base body 18 also makes it possible to detect the arrangement of a cop 15 or a cop sleeve 16 in the cop receiving opening 26 of the cop gripper 14 via suitable evaluation electronics.

Reference symbol list

1

Ring spinning machine

2

Drafting system

3

Sliver

4

Roving bobbin

5

Balloon constriction ring

6

Bank

7

Spinning ring

8th

Doffer beam

9

Spindle bench

10

spindle

11

Machine frame

12

Transport device

13

Head changing device

14

Cop grabber

15

Head

16

head sleeve

17

axis

18

Gripper body

19

Lifting and lowering device

20

Spindle bearing housing

21

Thread guide

22

Clamping element

23

Clamping element housing

24

Clamping element

25

Cones

26

Head opening

27

pin holder

28

Photoelectric barrier

29

Recording section

30

Contact surface

Claims (9)

1. Cop gripper (14), in particular for a cop changing device of a ring spinning machine, comprising

   - a gripper main body (18),

   - a clamping element (24) arranged on the gripper main body (18) and forming a cop receiving opening (26) alongside a receiving portion (29) of the gripper main body (18), and

   - a gripping element (22) which is arranged so as to be adjustable radially in the direction of the cop receiving opening (26) between a release position and a gripping position on the gripper main body (18), and which gripping element, in the gripping position, rests against the cop or the cop sleeve and presses said cop sleeve against the clamping element,

   characterized in that
   the clamping element (24) is formed completely from an elastically deformable material and is designed as a plastics loop or elastic band.
2. Cop gripper (14) according to claim 1, characterized in that the clamping element (24) has a rectangular cross-section, the longitudinal extension of which in the longitudinal axis direction of the cop receiving opening (26) is preferably greater than the extension thereof radially relative to the cop receiving opening (26).
3. Cop gripper (14) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the clamping element (24) is removably fastened to the gripper main body (18).
4. Cop gripper (14) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gripping element (22) is pneumatically displaceable from the release position into the gripping position.
5. Cop gripper (14) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gripping element (22) is pretensioned, in particular spring-loaded, in the direction of the release position.
6. Cop gripper (14) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gripping element (22) has a resilient pressure element and/or a contact surface (30) adapted to the outer shape of a cop sleeve (16) in the contact region with a cop (15) or a cop sleeve (16).
7. Ring spinning machine (1) comprising a plurality of spinning points arranged next to one another and a cop changing device (13) for transferring empty cop sleeves (16) and full cops (15) between the spindles (10) of the spinning points and a transport device (12) extending along the spinning points of the ring spinning machine (1) for feeding empty cop sleeves (16) and for discharging full cops (15), the cop changing device (13) having a doffer device, in particular a doffer beam (8), which extends along the spinning points, said doffer beam having in each case a cop gripper (14) associated with a spinning point,
   characterized in that
   the cop grippers (14) are formed according to one or more of claims 1 to 6.
8. Ring spinning machine (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the doffer device, in particular the doffer beam (8), is formed for removable connection to the gripper main bodies (18) of the cop gripper (14).
9. Ring spinning machine (1) according to either claim 7 or claim 8, characterized in that the doffer device, in particular the doffer beam (8), is formed for pneumatic connection to the cop grippers (14).

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