EP3957783B1 - Textile machine with a large number of identical work positions - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a textile machine with a large number of similar work stations, which are each equipped with a signaling device, by means of which an operating requirement for a work station can be indicated.

In connection with textile machines that have a large number of similar jobs, for example automatic cheese winders, open-end rotor spinning machines, air-jet spinning machines or ring spinning machines, there is the problem that it is often very difficult for the operating personnel to recognize whether a job is working properly or whether a job is helping required by the operating personnel. This problem is particularly present when an affected job is relatively far away from the current location of the operator.

It has therefore already been proposed to arrange optical displays in the area of the workstations of such textile machines that show the operating states and/or to equip the textile machine with a device that makes it possible to query the operating state of the workstations by pressing a button. Such control or signaling devices are intended to make work easier for the operating personnel who are responsible for the proper operation of such multi-point textile machines. Devices which are present on the textile machine in any case, for example signal lamps arranged in the area of the work stations, are often used as display means.

through the DE 10 2006 045 237 A1 For example, an automatic cheese winder is known in which a display is arranged in the paneling of each winding unit, which displays the type of error. The display is designed in such a way that it contains a few translucent individual images of possible defects, each of which is assigned a light source that can be controlled individually by the workstation computer of the workstation concerned. Furthermore, through the DE 10 2008 003 704 A1 a method for operating a work station of a semi-automatic open-end rotor spinning machine is known, which is intended to provide helpful support for the operating personnel during operation, in particular when changing cheeses/empty tubes. For this purpose, each of the numerous work stations of the semi-automatic open-end rotor spinning machine has a signaling device that can be perceived by the operating personnel Reaching a predetermined thread length indicates. In order to ensure that the operating personnel can recognize at an early stage that a cheese/empty tube change is imminent at one of the work stations, a flashing signal is generated at the work station, which has an increasingly high frequency as the specified thread length of the cheese is approached. Finally, a steady light indicates that the specified thread length has been reached at this work station and production has stopped.

through the DE 199 29 467 A1 ring spinning machines are also known in which the proper running of the ring traveler of a spinning station is monitored by a sensor system that is equipped with appropriate display means. Using this sensor system, signals emitted by the sensors can be used to quickly identify whether there is a yarn break at a spinning position or whether a spinning position is working in the so-called “creeping state”. In both cases, manual intervention by the operating personnel is often necessary.

A ring spinning machine whose spinning positions are equipped with sensor devices that monitor the proper operation of the spinning positions is also in the DE 196 42 222 A1 described. In this known ring spinning machine, the spinning positions are each equipped with an optical display device that flashes when there is a fault at one of the spinning positions.

A similar facility is also through the DE 34 06 215 A1 known. In this patent application, a ring spinning machine is described in which the load carriers of the drafting units each have a signal light that lights up in the event of a fault. The signal lights are relatively clearly visible, arranged on the handles of the load carriers of the drafting systems.

Furthermore, in the DE 10 2014 018 628 A1 describes a textile machine that has a large number of similar jobs, each of which has a display device. The display means of the work stations are connected to the central control device of the textile machine and are designed as LED light rails. This means that at each work station, the yarn batch produced and/or the operating status of the work station are displayed using certain sections of the LED light bar.

The disadvantage of the devices and methods described above, however, is that the operating personnel, especially from a distance, often cannot immediately see whether all work stations are still producing properly, or whether there is a fault at a work station that requires manual intervention by the operating staff . In practice, this lack of knowledge of the operating states of the work stations of a multi-station textile machine often means that the operating personnel intervene very late, with the result that the work stations are usually idle for longer than is absolutely necessary.

Proceeding from the aforementioned prior art, the object of the invention is to optimize the operation of textile machines that have a large number of similar work stations. This means that the operating personnel, regardless of where they are in the area of the textile machine, should not only be informed immediately that there is a fault at one of the work stations, but should also be able to recognize immediately in which area of the textile machine the affected work station is located.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the signaling devices are arranged and controllable at the work stations in such a way that, if necessary, they form rows of running lights that run from the work stations, which are arranged at the machine ends of the textile machine, to the work station requiring operation.

Advantageous configurations of the invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

The configuration according to the invention has the particular advantage that the operating personnel, regardless of which area of the textile machine they are in at the moment, are not only made aware that one of the work stations indicates a need for service, but the operating personnel are also immediately shown in which In the direction of the multi-point textile machine, the job that requires service can be found, with the job in question being identified by the meeting point of the rows of running lights. This means that the rows of running lights allow the operating personnel to intervene more quickly, which is very advantageous because work stations that are idle or produce inferior quality mean loss of production or less yield.

In an advantageous embodiment it is provided that the signaling devices of the work stations are connected to the central control unit of the textile machine. By such Training, the costs for the signaling device according to the invention can be kept relatively low, since a computer device is used for the operation of the signaling device according to the invention, which is usually already available in connection with the operation of multi-point textile machines and only has to be adapted in terms of software.

The signaling devices can preferably be controlled in a defined manner by the central control unit of the textile machine in such a way that if one of the work stations requires manual intervention by the operating personnel, rows of running lights are initiated immediately, which run in the direction of the work station requiring service.

In this way, the operating personnel are not only informed immediately that one of the work stations of the multi-station textile machine is being used, but the operating personnel are also immediately shown the area of the often long textile machine in which the work station requiring service is located. The required walking distances of the operating personnel can be significantly improved or optimized by the running light rows according to the invention.

In an advantageous embodiment, the signaling devices are formed by LED lamps, which are arranged in the area of the work stations of a long textile machine in such a way that at least one of the running light rows is always clearly visible to the operating personnel. Depending on the type of textile machine, there are different attachment options. It must only be ensured that the signaling devices can always be easily perceived by the operating personnel or cannot be overlooked. In the case of automatic cheese winders, for example, an arrangement of the signaling devices on the winding unit housings at about eye level is advantageous, since the signaling devices are then clearly visible from the operating aisle located in front of the automatic cheese winder. In the case of automatic cheese winders, however, an arrangement of the signaling devices in the lower area of the work stations, for example in the area of the frame edge of the bobbin return section, can also be advantageous. Such an arrangement has the advantage, for example, that a continuous LED light bar can be used instead of a large number of individual LED lights.

LED illuminants are to be understood as meaning different LED variants, including OLEDs, for example. That is, regardless of the density of LEDs per unit length, the Signaling device can be designed as a flexible or rigid LED light source and can be available, for example, in one or more rows. Light guides should also fall under the term "LED light source" chosen for simplification. Above all, it is important that such LED lamps are arranged so that they are clearly visible to the operating personnel, so that the operating personnel are informed immediately at any time if manual intervention is necessary at one of the work locations and at which of the work locations.

The signaling devices working according to the invention are preferably arranged at the work stations of automatic cheese winders or at the work stations of open-end rotor spinning machines. However, use of the signaling devices according to the invention is also conceivable in connection with other multi-point textile machines. The signaling devices can also be used, for example, at the work stations of ring spinning machines, air-jet spinning machines, etc.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings.

Fig. 1

In Seitenansicht eine Arbeitsstelle eines Kreuzspulautomaten, die mit einer erfindungsgemäß ausgebildeten Signaleinrichtung ausgestattet ist,

Fig. 2

in Vorderansicht eine Offenend-Rotorspinnmaschine, die mit einer Vielzahl von Arbeitsstellen ausgestattet sind, welche Signaleinrichtungen aufweisen, die im Bedarfsfall eine Lauflichtreihe bilden.

It shows:

1

A side view of a work station of an automatic cheese winder, which is equipped with a signaling device designed according to the invention,

2

in front view an open-end rotor spinning machine, which are equipped with a variety of jobs, which have signaling devices that form a series of running lights if necessary.

The figures 1 and 2 show exemplary embodiments of textile machines 1, each of which has a large number of work stations 2 or 41 arranged next to one another in a row. The work stations 2 and the work stations 41 of the textile machines 1 are each identical in design. In figure 1 is a side view of one of the numerous juxtaposed jobs 2 of a cheese-producing textile machine 1, a cheese-winding machine 10, while the figure 2 shows a textile machine 1 producing cross-wound bobbins in the form of an open-end rotor spinning machine 30 in a front view.

As is known, spinning cops 3, which were produced on ring spinning machines connected upstream in the production process and which have relatively little yarn material, are rewound into large-volume cross-wound bobbins 4 at the work stations 2 of automatic cheese winders 10, with the thread 5 running off the spinning cop 3 also being checked for thread defects during the rewinding process is monitored and cleaned immediately. As can be seen, the cross-wound bobbin 4 is held freely rotatably during the winding process in the bobbin frame 6 of a winding device 32 and is rotated, for example by a thread guide drum 7, with a friction fit. The thread guide drum 7 also ensures that the thread 5 unwound from the spinning cop 3 is properly traversed as it runs onto the cross-wound bobbin 4 .

The thread treatment and monitoring devices required in connection with the winding of cross-wound bobbins 4 or the cleaning out of thread defects from the thread 5 are essentially known and are therefore described in FIG figure 1 shown only schematically. This means that the individual work stations 2 of an automatic cheese winder 10 each have different devices, for example a suction nozzle 9 that can be moved about a pivot axis 8 and that can be subjected to a vacuum, a gripper tube 12 that can be moved about a pivot axis 11 and that can be subjected to a vacuum, and a pneumatic yarn splicing device 13. These are known per se Devices are each connected via corresponding control lines to a workstation computer 14, which in turn is connected, for example via a bus system 15, to the central control unit 16 of the cheese-making machine 10.

The automatic cheese winder 10 also has a logistics facility in the form of a bobbin and tube transport system 17, from which figure 1 only the cop feed section 18, the storage section 19, which can be driven reversibly, one of the transverse transport sections 20 leading to the work stations, and the sleeve return section 21 are shown. In this cop and tube transport system 17, which is usually connected to a comparable cop and tube transport system of a ring spinning machine, spin cops 3 or unwound empty tubes revolve, positioned on transport plates 22 in a vertical orientation. The fresh spinning cops 3 delivered by the ring spinning machine are positioned in unwinding positions AS, which are located in the area of the transverse transport sections 20 of the work stations 2, and then rewound onto a large-volume cross-wound bobbin 4.

The automatic cheese winder 10 is also equipped with a signaling device 23 designed and operating according to the invention. This means that each of the numerous workstations 2 arranged next to one another in a row has a signaling device 23, for example in the form of an LED light source, which is arranged and controllable in such a way that, if necessary, i.e. if one of the workstations 2 of the automatic cheese winder 10 A need for action arises, series of running lights can be initiated. The signaling devices 23 are clearly visible, for example arranged at about eye level on the winding unit housing 24 of the work stations 2 of the automatic cheese winder 10 and connected to the associated work station computer 14, which in turn, as already indicated above, communicates via a bus system 15 with the central control unit 16 of the automatic cheese winder 10 connected is. If necessary, the signaling device 23 of the work stations 2 of the automatic cheese winder 10 is controlled in such a way that two running light rows are initiated, each starting from the work stations 2 of the automatic cheese winder 10 arranged at the machine end. These rows of running lights run towards the work station 2 requiring service, with at least one of the rows of running lights always being immediately visible to the operating personnel, regardless of their respective location in the area of the automatic cheese winder 10 .

The figure 2 shows a schematic front view of an open-end rotor spinning machine 30 with a large number of identical work stations 41 arranged between end frames 25, 26. As is known, various supply devices are installed in the end frames 25 and 26, for example a vacuum source 27, an electrical energy supply 28 and the Central control unit 29 of the open-end rotor spinning machine 30. The central control unit 29 is in turn connected to the workstation computers 35 of the individual workstations 41, for example via a bus system 34.

In the course of the spinning process, 31 slivers 37, which are each stored in sliver cans 38, are spun into threads 39 at the workstations 41 by means of the open-end spinning devices 31, which threads are then wound up on the winding devices 32 to form cross-wound bobbins 40. As shown, the sliver cans 38 are each positioned below the work stations 41 arranged in a row next to one another.

Such open-end rotor spinning machines 30 can also be provided with service runners that can be moved along the work stations 41, for example so-called cross-bobbin changers 42, be equipped, the finished cheeses 40 change to fresh cheese tubes if necessary.

The numerous work stations 41 of the open-end rotor spinning machine 30 are also equipped with a signaling device 23 which, if necessary, can be controlled in such a way that two rows of running lights are created which, each at the work stations 2 of the open-end rotor spinning machine 30 arranged in the area of the machine end frames 25, 26 starting, run to the work station 2 that requires service.

In the embodiment of figure 2 LED light sources are used as signaling devices 23, which are clearly visible, for example on the work station housings 36 of the work stations 41. The signaling device 23 formed, for example, by LED lamps is positioned, for example, below the open-end rotor spinning devices 31 and connected to the workstation computers 35 of the workstations 41, which in turn are connected via a bus system 34 to the central control unit 29 of the open-end rotor spinning machine 30.

As briefly above and in connection with the embodiment according to figure 1 already explained, the LED lamps can be controlled in such a way that, if necessary, i.e. if there is a need for action at one of the work stations 41 of the open-end rotor spinning machine 30, two rows of running lights can be initiated, the illustration of which is shown in figure 2 however, was omitted for reasons of clarity. <b>Reference List</b> 1 Textile machine producing cheeses 23 signaling device 24 winding unit housing 2 place of work 25 end frame 3 spinning cop 26 end frame 4 cone 27 vacuum source 5 thread 28 electrical power supply device 6 bobbin frame 7 yarn guide drum 29 central control unit 8th pivot axis 30 Open-end rotor spinning machine 9 suction nozzle 31 open-end spinning device 10 automatic winder 32 spooling device 11 pivot axis 33 suction nozzle 12 gripper tube 34 bus system 13 thread splicing device 35 job calculator 14 job calculator 36 work station housing 15 bus system 37 sliver 16 central control unit 38 sliver can 17 Bobbin and tube transport system 39 thread 40 cone 18 bobbin feed line 41 place of work 19 storage route 42 cheese changer 20 cross transport section 21 sleeve return line 22 transport plate AS unwind position

Claims (7)

1. Textile machine (1) with a large number of similar workstations (2, 41), each of which is equipped with a signal device (23) by means of which an operating requirement of a working station (2, 41) can be indicated,
   characterised in that
   the signal devices (23) at the workstations (2, 41) are arranged and can be actuated in such a way that, if necessary, they form running light rows, each of which runs from the workstations (2, 41) arranged at the machine ends of the textile machine (1) to the workstation (2, 41) requiring operation.
2. Textile machine (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the signal devices (23) are connected to a central control unit (16, 29) of the textile machine (1).
3. Textile machine (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the signal devices (23) are controllable in a defined manner by the central control unit (16, 29) of the textile machine (1) in such a way that, if manual intervention by the operating personnel becomes necessary at one of the workstations (2, 41), then running light rows are initiated which run in the direction of the workstation (2, 41) requiring operation.
4. Textile machine (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the signal devices (23) are formed by LED lamps, each of which is arranged in the region of the workstations (2, 41).
5. Textile machine (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the signal devices (23) are arranged in the area of the workstations (2, 41) of a long textile machine (1) in such a way that at least one of the rows of running lights is always clearly visible to the operating personnel.
6. Textile machine (1) according to one of the aforementioned claims, characterised in that the signal devices (23) are arranged at the workstations (2) of an automatic cross winder (10).
7. Workstation (1) according to one of the aforementioned claims, characterised in that the signal devices (23) are arranged on the workstations (41) of an open-end rotor spinning machine (30).

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