EP4624402A1

EP4624402A1 - Yarn winding apparatus

Info

Publication number: EP4624402A1
Application number: EP25157861.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Masashi Kawai; Katsuhiro SETONO; Takehiro Tsutsumi
Original assignee: Toray Industries Inc; TMT Machinery Inc
Current assignee: Toray Industries Inc; TMT Machinery Inc
Priority date: 2024-03-26
Filing date: 2025-02-14
Publication date: 2025-10-01
Also published as: CN120698303A; CN223836798U; JP2025149077A

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to enable an operator to easily grasp the tension of a yarn, which is sucked and held by a suction gun, at the time of yarn threading to a bobbin.

A yarn winding apparatus 13 includes a bobbin holder 24 to which bobbins B aligned in a front-rear direction are attached, a traverse device 30, a contact roller 25, a supporting member 40 which supports the traverse device 30 and the contact roller 25, a base 20 which cantilevers a rear end portion of the bobbin holder 24 and that of the supporting member 40, a tensiometer 71 configured to measure the tension of a yarn Y threaded to at least one of the bobbins B, and a display unit 76 configured to display a tension value of the yarn Y having been measured by the tensiometer 71. The display unit 76 is provided at a position which is visually observable by the operator operating a suction gun 80 in order to perform yarn threading to the bobbins B.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a yarn winding apparatus configured to wind a yarn.
Patent Literature 1 ( Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2015-164875 ) discloses a yarn winding apparatus for the formation of packages by winding yarns, which are spun out from a spinning apparatus, onto bobbins attached to a bobbin holder. While being sucked and held by a suction gun operated by an operator, the yarns spun out from the spinning apparatus are threaded to slits formed at end portions of the bobbins so that the yarns are wound onto the respective bobbins.
In this case, when the tension of each yarn is too high, yarn threading is performed while the yarn is highly tensioned. When this yarn makes contact with members (including a slit) regarding the yarn threading so that load is applied to the yarn, yarn breakage may occur. Meanwhile, when the tension of the yarn threaded to the slit is too low, the yarn may be loosened and tangled with other members. As a result, the yarn breakage may occur. Therefore, the tension of the yarn threaded to the slit has been properly adjusted by the measurement of the tension of the yarn, which is sucked and held by the suction gun, by a tensiometer and the adjustment of sucking pressure of the suction gun by the operator referring to a measured value of the tensiometer. A known tensiometer is a handy-type tensiometer operated by the operator, a fixed-type tensiometer fixed on a predetermined position, or the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

When the handy-type tensiometer is used, the operator needs to operate the tensiometer after temporarily depositing the suction gun on a fixing stand, etc. This is because the suction gun is a member with a large weight and thus it is difficult for the operator to support the suction gun with one hand while operating the tensiometer with the other hand. When the fixed-type tensiometer is used, a measured value of the tensiometer is typically displayed on a control monitor at a position away from a working space where the operator operates the suction gun. Because of this, the operator needs to go to the control monitor to check a tension value after depositing the suction gun on the fixing stand, etc. As such, the operator needs to temporarily deposit the suction gun on the fixing stand, etc. in order to check a tension value of the yarn which is sucked and held by the suction gun. This increases a workload. In this regard, when the operator checks the tension value of the yarn, the suction gun deposited on the fixing stand, etc. keeps sucking the yarn. This yarn is wasted, which results in a loss of the yarn. Especially, the lower the tension of the yarn sucked and held by the suction gun is, the more significantly such a problem occurs. That is, the lower the tension of the yarn is, the more precisely the tension of the yarn needs to be grasped. This increases the workload.
An object of the present invention is to enable an operator to easily grasp the tension of a yarn, which is sucked and held by a suction gun, at the time of yarn threading to a bobbin.
A yarn winding apparatus of the present invention comprises: a bobbin holder to which bobbins aligned in a predetermined axial direction are attached; a traverse device configured to traverse yarns wound onto the bobbins; a contact roller which extends in the axial direction and which is configured to apply contact pressure to packages formed by winding the yarns onto the bobbins attached to the bobbin holder; a supporting member which extends in the axial direction and which supports the traverse device and the contact roller; a base which cantilevers a base end portion of the bobbin holder and a base end portion of the supporting member in the axial direction; a tensiometer configured to measure the tension of at least one of the yarns, the at least one of the yarns being wound onto at least one of the bobbins; and a display unit configured to display a tension value of the at least one of the yarns, the tension value of the at least one of the yarns having been measured by the tensiometer, and the display unit being provided at a position which is visually observable by an operator operating a suction gun in order to perform yarn threading to the bobbins.
In the present invention, the display unit configured to display the tension value of the at least one of the yarns which is threaded to the at least one of the bobbins is provided at the position which is visually observable by the operator operating the suction gun in order to perform the yarn threading to the bobbins. With this arrangement, while operating the suction gun, the operator who performs the yarn threading is able to watch the tension value of the at least one of the yarns on the display unit and to easily grasp the tension value of the at least one of the yarns. The present invention is further effective especially when the tension of the at least one of the yarns sucked and held by the suction gun is low and thus the tension of the at least one of the yarns needs to be precisely grasped.
In the yarn winding apparatus of the present invention, preferably, the base end portion of the supporting member is supported by the base, a leading end portion of the supporting member is opposite to the base end portion of the supporting member in the axial direction, and the display unit is attached to the leading end portion of the supporting member.
The yarn threading with the suction gun is typically performed from the leading end portion side of the supporting member in the axial direction. In the present invention, the display unit is attached to the leading end portion of the supporting member, which is easily viewable by the operator operating the suction gun. This enables the operator to further easily grasp the tension of the at least one of the yarns.
In the yarn winding apparatus of the present invention, preferably, the supporting member includes a cover attached to the leading end portion of the supporting member in the axial direction, and the display unit is attached to the cover.
In the present invention, the display unit is attached to the cover which is easily viewable by the operator operating the suction gun. This enables the operator to further easily grasp the tension of the at least one of the yarns.
In the yarn winding apparatus of the present invention, preferably, the display unit is attached to a leading end surface of the cover in the axial direction.
During operation, the operator operating the suction gun faces the leading end surface of the cover. In the present invention, because the display unit is attached to the leading end surface of the cover in the axial direction, the display unit is easily viewable by the operator operating the suction gun. This enables the operator to further easily grasp the tension of the at least one of the yarns. The leading end surface of the cover indicates a surface of the cover on the leading end portion side in the axial direction.
In the yarn winding apparatus of the present invention, preferably, the tensiometer is fixed at a position upstream of the bobbin holder in a yarn running direction in which the yarns run.
In the present invention, because the tensiometer is fixed at the position upstream of the bobbin holder, the operator does not need to operate the tensiometer and thus the yarn threading is easily performed. Furthermore, because there is a sufficient space on the upstream side of the bobbin holder in the yarn running direction, the tensiometer is easily provided.
Preferably, the yarn winding apparatus of the present invention further comprises traversing fulcrum guides provided to correspond to the respective yarns wound onto the bobbins, and the tensiometer is provided upstream of one of the traversing fulcrum guides in the yarn running direction in which the yarns run.
In the present invention, the tensiometer is provided upstream of the one of the traversing fulcrum guides in the yarn running direction, and the tension of at least one of the yarns is representatively measured. With this arrangement, plural tensiometers corresponding to the respective yarns are not necessary, and the structure of the yarn winding apparatus is simplified.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a profile of a spun yarn take-up machine of an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a front view of the spun yarn take-up machine.
FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of a traverse device and its surroundings.
FIG. 4 is a schematic profile of the traverse device and its surroundings.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an electric configuration of a yarn winding apparatus.
FIG. 6 is a front view of paired winding units viewed from front.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of left one of the winding units.
FIG. 8 is a front view of the yarn winding apparatus in which a yarn is threaded to a yarn deposit guide.
FIG. 9 is a front view of the yarn winding apparatus in which the yarn is handed over from a first yarn threading guide to a second yarn threading guide.
FIG. 10 is a front view of the yarn winding apparatus in which the second yarn threading guide is moved to a yarn threading position.
FIG. 11 is a front view of the yarn winding apparatus in which the yarn is threaded from the second yarn threading guide to a bobbin.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following will describe an embodiment of the present invention. For the convenience of explanation, directions shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are referred to as a front-rear direction, a left-right direction, and an up-down direction. The up-down direction (the up-down direction on the sheet of FIG. 1) is a vertical direction in which the gravity acts. The left-right direction (the direction perpendicular to the sheet of FIG. 1 and the left-right direction on the sheet of FIG. 2) is a predetermined direction orthogonal to the up-down direction. The front-rear direction (the left-right direction on the sheet of FIG. 1) is orthogonal to both the up-down direction and the left-right direction. A direction in which each yarn Y runs is referred to as a yarn running direction.

(Spun Yarn Take-Up Machine)

The following will describe a spun yarn take-up machine 1 of an embodiment, with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. FIG. 1 is a profile of the spun yarn take-up machine 1. FIG. 2 is a front view of the spun yarn take-up machine 1. FIG. 2 does not illustrate a later-described front cover 72.
The spun yarn take-up machine 1 is configured to take up yarns Y spun out from a spinning apparatus 2 and to wind the yarns Y onto the respective bobbins B, so as to form packages P. The spinning apparatus 2 is configured to discharge, e.g., molten polymer which is a material of the yarns Y. The material of the yarns Y is a polyester material such as PET, etc. However, the disclosure is not limited to this. Each yarn Y is, e.g., a mono-filament yarn formed of a single filament. However, the disclosure is not limited to this.
As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the spun yarn take-up machine 1 includes a first godet roller 11, a second godet roller 12, and a yarn winding apparatus 13.
The first godet roller 11 is a roller with an axis substantially parallel to the left-right direction. The first godet roller 11 is provided below, e.g., the spinning apparatus 2. The yarns Y aligned in the left-right direction are wound onto the first godet roller 11. The first godet roller 11 is rotationally driven by an unillustrated motor. With this arrangement, the first godet roller 11 is configured to send the yarns Y to the downstream side in a yarn running direction.
The second godet roller 12 is a roller with an axis substantially parallel to the left-right direction. The second godet roller 12 is placed downstream of the first godet roller 11 in the yarn running direction. The second godet roller 12 is provided above and behind the first godet roller 11. The second godet roller 12 is rotationally driven by an unillustrated motor. With this arrangement, the second godet roller 12 is configured to send the yarns Y to the downstream side in the yarn running direction.
The yarn winding apparatus 13 is able to perform a winding operation in which the packages P are formed by winding the yarns Y onto the respective bobbins B. The yarn winding apparatus 13 is placed downstream of the second godet roller 12 in the yarn running direction. The yarn winding apparatus 13 is provided below the second godet roller 12.

(Yarn Winding Apparatus)

The following will describe the structure of the yarn winding apparatus 13 with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 7. FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of a later-described traverse device 30 and its surroundings. FIG. 4 is a schematic profile of the traverse device 30 and its surroundings. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an electric configuration of the yarn winding apparatus 13. FIG. 6 is a front view of paired winding units 14 viewed from front. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of left one of the winding units 14. FIG. 7 does not illustrate each traverse device 30 (described later), a yarn deposit guide 27 (described later), a first yarn threading guide 28 (described later), a second yarn threading guide 29 (described later), etc.
The yarn winding apparatus 13 includes the paired winding units 14 (see FIG. 6) and a controller 26 (see FIG. 2). The paired winding units 14 are opposite to each other in the left-right direction. For example, the yarn winding apparatus 13 of the present embodiment is structured so that each of the paired winding units 14 winds a half (e.g., six yarns Y) of yarns Y (e.g., twelve yarns Y) spun out from the spinning apparatus 2. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 illustrate the left winding unit 14A only, and do not illustrate the right winding unit 14B. The constituent features of the left winding unit 14A are symmetrical with those of the right winding unit 14B in the left-right direction. The following mainly describes the constituent features of the left winding unit 14A among the constituent features of the paired winding units 14. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the winding unit 14A includes a base 20, fulcrum guides 21 (traversing fulcrum guides of the present invention), traverse guides 22, a turret 23, two bobbin holders 24, a contact roller 25, a supporting member 40 (supporting member of the present invention), the yarn deposit guide 27, the first yarn threading guide 28, and the second yarn threading guide 29.
The base 20 vertically extends in the up-down direction. The base 20 is provided at, e.g., a rear end portion of the winding unit 14A. The base 20 cantilevers a rear end portion of each bobbin holder 24 (base end portion of a bobbin holder of the present invention in the axial direction) and a rear end portion of the supporting member 40 (base end portion of a supporting member 40 of the present invention in the axial direction). The fulcrum guides 21 function as fulcrums when the yarns Y are traversed by the respective traverse guides 22. Each fulcrum guide 21 is configured to guide a yarn Y to the downstream side in the yarn running direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the fulcrum guides 21 are provided for the respective yarns Y. The fulcrum guides 21 are aligned in the front-rear direction.
The traverse guides 22 are provided for the respective yarns Y. The traverse guides 22 are aligned in the front-rear direction. The traverse guides 22 are provided for traversing the yarns Y wound onto the bobbins B attached to an upper bobbin holder 24 (e.g., see FIG. 1; detailed later). Each traverse guide 22 is driven by, e.g., a traverse motor 31 (see FIG. 3 and FIG. 5), and is configured to reciprocate at least in the front-rear direction. With this arrangement, the yarns Y threaded to the traverse guides 22 are traversed about the fulcrum guides 21.
To be more specific, the traverse guides 22 are included in, e.g., the respective traverse devices 30 (see FIG. 3). The traverse devices 30 are aligned in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the traverse devices 30 which are adjacent to each other in the front-rear direction may be arranged to partially overlap each other in the front-rear direction. Each traverse device 30 includes, e.g., the above-described traverse motor 31, a driving pulley 32, two driven pulleys 33, and an endless belt 34. These members are attached to, e.g., a plate-shaped base member included in the traverse device 30. In order to avoid a complex drawing, the base member is not illustrated.
The traverse motor 31 is, e.g., a servo motor including an unillustrated rotary encoder. The rotation angle of a rotational shaft of the traverse motor 31 is detected by the rotary encoder. This makes it possible to calculate the position of a traverse guide 22 in the front-rear direction based on, e.g., a predetermined calculation formula.
The driving pulley 32 is a pully onto which the endless belt 34 is wound. The driving pulley 32 is rotationally driven by the traverse motor 31 in a positive direction and a direction opposite to the positive direction.
The two driven pulleys 33 are pulleys onto which the endless belt 34 is wound in the same manner as the driving pulley 32. The two driven pulleys 33 are passively rotated by the movement of the endless belt 34. A direction of a rotational shaft of each driven pulley 33 is substantially parallel to a direction of a rotational shaft of the driving pulley 32. As shown in FIG. 3, the two driven pulleys 33 include a driven pulley 33a provided on the front side and a driven pulley 33b provided on the rear side in the front-rear direction. A line segment (not illustrated) connecting the center of the rotational shaft of the driven pulley 33a to the center of the rotational shaft of the driven pulley 33b may be tilted with respect to the front-rear direction. For example, the driven pulley 33b of one traverse device 30 may be arranged to at least partially overlap the driven pulley 33a of another traverse device 30 provided behind one traverse device 30 in the front-rear direction.
The endless belt 34 is wound onto the driving pulley 32 and the two driven pulleys 33. The traverse guide 22 is attached to a substantially linear part of the endless belt 34, which is positioned between the two driven pulleys 33. As the traverse motor 31 rotationally drives the driving pulley 32, the endless belt 34 is driven and the traverse guide 22 is reciprocated in the front-rear direction (the axial direction of a bobbin B).
The traverse guide 22 can be at any position in a predetermined area (movable area) in the front-rear direction in accordance with the rotational angle of the rotational shaft of the traverse motor 31. In other words, the traveling range of the traverse guide 22 can be changed at will within the movable area. For example, when the winding operation is being performed, the traverse guide 22 is reciprocated within a traverse area T (see FIG. 4) for forming a yarn layer YL constituting a package P.
The length of the traverse area T in the front-rear direction is changeable, e.g., during the winding operation. With this arrangement, for example, the package P can be formed by known taper winding (see FIG. 1).
The traverse guide 22 is able to reach the outside of the traverse area T. For example, a slit S to which a yarn Y is threaded is formed along the entire circumference of the bobbin B at one end portion (front end portion in FIG. 4) of the bobbin B in the axial direction. The traverse guide 22 is able to move to a position substantially identical with that of the slit S in the front-rear direction.
The arrangement of each traverse device 30 is not limited to the above-described arrangement. For example, instead of traverse motors 31 provided to correspond to driving pulleys 32, a single traverse motor (not illustrated) configured to simultaneously drive the driving pulleys 32 may be provided as a driving source.
The turret 23 is, e.g., a disc-shaped member with an axis substantially parallel to the front-rear direction. The turret 23 is rotationally driven by a turret motor 101 (see FIG. 5).
The two bobbin holders 24 are rotatably supported by the turret 23. For example, when viewed in the front-rear direction, the two bobbin holders 24 are provided to be point symmetric about the center of a rotational shaft of the turret 23 (see FIG. 2). The axial direction of each bobbin holder 24 is substantially parallel to the front-rear direction (see FIG. 1). The rear end portion of each bobbin holder 24 in the front-rear direction is cantilevered by the turret 23. In other words, the base 20 cantilevers the rear end portion of each bobbin holder 24 via the turret 23. Each bobbin holder 24 supports bobbins B which are aligned in the front-rear direction. In the present embodiment, each bobbin holder 24 supports, e.g., six bobbins B. The number of bobbins B which can be supported by each bobbin holder 24 is not limited to this. Each of the two bobbin holders 24 is rotationally driven by an individual winding motor 102 (see FIG. 5). The yarns Y are simultaneously wound onto the bobbins B attached to one bobbin holder 24 (see the bobbin holder 24A). In this regard, one bobbin holder 24 is provided above the other bobbin holder 24. Furthermore, one bobbin holder 24 may be referred to as an upper bobbin holder 24 for the convenience of explanation.
The contact roller 25 is provided immediately above the upper bobbin holder 24. The axial direction of the contact roller 25 is substantially parallel to the front-rear direction. The contact roller 25 is configured to make contact with the surfaces of the packages P, which are supported by the upper bobbin holder 24, so as to apply contact pressure to the surfaces of the packages P. Because of this, the shape of each package P is adjusted. The contact roller 25 is rotationally driven by an unillustrated motor.
The yarn deposit guide 27 is configured to temporarily hold the yarns Y threaded to the fulcrum guides 21, and provided for assisting the first yarn threading guide 28 and the second yarn threading guide 29 to capture the yarns Y. As shown in FIG. 2, the yarn deposit guide 27 includes a rotational shaft 41, a supporting member 42, and a yarn holding unit 43. The yarn deposit guide 27 is provided in front of a front end portion of each bobbin holder 24.
As shown in FIG. 1, the supporting member 40 supports each traverse device 30 and the contact roller 25. The supporting member 40 extends substantially in the front-rear direction. A rear end portion of the supporting member 40 is cantilevered by the base 20. The supporting member 40 rotatably supports both ends of the contact roller 25 in the front-rear direction. A part of the supporting member 40 supports the contact roller 25, and is swingable substantially in the up-down direction between a position to bring the contact roller 25 into contact with the packages P supported by the upper bobbin holder 24 and a position to move the contact roller 25 away from the packages P.
The rotational shaft 41 extends in the front-rear direction (direction perpendicular to the sheet of FIG. 2). The rotational shaft 41 swingably supports the supporting member 42. The supporting member 42 is, e.g., substantially a plate-shaped member extending in the up-down direction and the left-right direction. The supporting member 42 is moved by a first swing drive unit 103 (see FIG. 5) between a standby position (position shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 8) and a swing position (position shown in FIG. 9, FIG. 10, and FIG. 11). The standby position is, e.g., a position that does not overlap the turret 23 when viewed in the front-rear direction. In the left winding unit 14A, the yarn deposit guide 27 at the standby position is positioned to the right of the turret 23 viewed in the front-rear direction. The yarns Y threaded to the yarn deposit guide 27 at the standby position are captured by a yarn holding unit 53 (described later) of the first yarn threading guide 28. The swing position is the position of the supporting member 42 when the yarns Y captured by the first yarn threading guide 28 are handed over to the second yarn threading guide 29. The first swing drive unit 103 may include, e.g., an unillustrated motor as a driving source. Alternatively, the first swing drive unit 103 may include, e.g., an unillustrated air cylinder as a driving source. The first swing drive unit 103 is electrically connected to the controller 26 (see FIG. 5).
The yarn holding unit 43 is configured to hold the yarns Y in a bundle. For example, the yarn holding unit 43 has a groove which is able to hold the yarns Y in a bundle.
The first yarn threading guide 28 is provided for capturing the yarns Y threaded to the fulcrum guides 21 and handing the captured yarns Y over to the second yarn threading guide 29. As shown in FIG. 2, the first yarn threading guide 28 includes a rotational shaft 51, a supporting member 52, and a yarn holding unit 53.
The rotational shaft 51 extends in the front-rear direction (direction perpendicular to the sheet of FIG. 2). The rotational shaft 51 swingably supports the supporting member 52. The supporting member 52 is, e.g., substantially a plate-shaped member extending in the front-rear direction. The supporting member 52 is moved by a second swing drive unit 104 (see FIG. 5) between a standby position (position shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 8, FIG. 10, and FIG. 11) and a handover position (position shown in FIG. 9). The handover position to the left of the standby position is the position of the yarn holding unit 53 when the yarns Y captured by the yarn holding unit 53 are handed over to the second yarn threading guide 29. The second swing drive unit 104 may include, e.g., an unillustrated motor as a driving source. Alternatively, the second swing drive unit 104 may include, e.g., an unillustrated air cylinder as a driving source. The second swing drive unit 104 is electrically connected to the controller 26 (see FIG. 5).
The yarn holding unit 53 is configured to hold the yarns Y so that the yarns Y are separated from each other in the front-rear direction (the axial direction of the bobbins B). The yarn holding unit 53 includes, e.g., first holding grooves (not illustrated) provided to correspond to the respective yarns Y. Each of the first holding grooves is able to capture and hold a single yarn Y. For example, each of the first holding grooves is movable in the front-rear direction with use of an unillustrated air cylinder as a driving source. Alternatively, each of the first holding grooves may be movable in the front-rear direction with use of an unillustrated linear actuator as a driving source. The first holding grooves configured to move in the front-rear direction are movable between gathered positions where the first holding grooves are close to each other and distanced positions where the first holding grooves are away from each other in the front-rear direction as compared to those at the gathered positions. The intervals of the first holding grooves at the distanced positions in the front-rear direction are substantially the same as the intervals of later-described second holding grooves 63a (see FIG. 4) in the front-rear direction. In this regard, the intervals of the first holding grooves in the front-rear direction indicate the intervals of centers of the first holding grooves which are adjacent to each other in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, the intervals of the second holding grooves 63a in the front-rear direction indicate the intervals of centers of the second holding grooves 63a which are adjacent to each other in the front-rear direction.
The second yarn threading guide 29 is provided for threading the yarns Y, which are handed over from the first yarn threading guide 28, to the respective bobbins B attached to the upper bobbin holder 24. As shown in FIG. 2, the second yarn threading guide 29 includes a rotational shaft 61, a supporting member 62, and a yarn holding unit 63.
The rotational shaft 61 extends in the front-rear direction (direction perpendicular to the sheet of FIG. 2). The rotational shaft 61 swingably supports the supporting member 62. The supporting member 62 is, e.g., substantially a plate-shaped member extending in the front-rear direction. The supporting member 62 is moved by a third swing drive unit 105 (see FIG. 5) between a standby position (position shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 8), a receiving position (position shown in FIG. 9), and a yarn threading position (position shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11). The standby position is, e.g., a position that does not overlap the turret 23 when viewed in the front-rear direction. In the left winding unit 14A, the second yarn threading guide 29 at the standby position is positioned to the left of the turret 23 viewed in the front-rear direction. The receiving position to the right of the standby position is a position for causing the yarn holding unit 63 to receive the yarns Y from the first yarn threading guide 28. The yarn threading position between the standby position and the receiving position in the left-right direction is a position for threading the yarns Y received by the yarn holding unit 63 to the respective bobbins B. The third swing drive unit 105 may include, e.g., an unillustrated motor as a driving source. Alternatively, the third swing drive unit 105 may include, e.g., an unillustrated air cylinder as a driving source. The third swing drive unit 105 is electrically connected to the controller 26 (see FIG. 5).
The yarn holding unit 63 is configured to hold the yarns Y so that the yarns Y are separated from each other in the front-rear direction (the axial direction of the bobbins B). The yarn holding unit 63 includes, e.g., the second holding grooves 63a (see FIG. 4) provided to correspond to the respective yarns Y. Each of the second holding grooves 63a is able to capture and hold a single yarn Y. FIG. 4 shows only one second holding groove 63a when the supporting member 62 is positioned at the yarn threading position. For example, in the vicinity of an entrance through which the yarn Y enters and leaves the second holding groove 63a, a protrusion (not illustrated) may be provided to avoid the drop off of the held yarn Y. The intervals of the second holding grooves 63a in the front-rear direction are substantially the same as the intervals of the bobbins B in the front-rear direction. In this regard, the intervals of the bobbins B in the front-rear direction indicate the intervals of centers of the bobbins B which are adjacent to each other in the front-rear direction.
For example, the entire second yarn threading guide 29 is moved in the front-rear direction (indicated by an arrow in FIG. 4) by a movement drive unit 106 (see FIG. 5). The movement drive unit 106 may include, e.g., an unillustrated air cylinder as a driving source. Alternatively, the movement drive unit 106 may include an unillustrated linear actuator as a driving source. The movement drive unit 106 is electrically connected to the controller 26 (see FIG. 5). The yarn holding unit 63 is moved by the movement drive unit 106 between, e.g., a rear position (indicated by two-dot chain lines in FIG. 4) and a front position (indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 4). The rear position is the position of the yarn holding unit 63 when the yarns Y are captured by the respective second holding grooves 63a. The front position is the position of the yarn holding unit 63 when the yarns Y are threaded to slits S of empty bobbins B.
The controller 26 includes an unillustrated CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. As shown in FIG. 5, the controller 26 is electrically connected to each section (e.g., the traverse motor 31, turret motor 101, winding motor 102 described above) of the yarn winding apparatus 13. The controller 26 is able to control the operation of each section of the yarn winding apparatus 13.
In the yarn winding apparatus 13 structured as described above, as the upper bobbin holder 24 is rotationally driven, the yarns Y traversed by the traverse guides 22 are wound onto the bobbins B so as to form the packages P. When the formation of the packages P is completed, the turret 23 is rotated so as to switch over the upper and lower positions of the two bobbin holders 24. Because of this, the bobbin holder 24 having been at the lower position is accordingly moved to the upper position. The yarns Y are wound onto the respective bobbins B attached to the upper bobbin holder 24, so as to form the packages P. In this regard, the bobbin holder 24 to which the completed packages P are attached is moved to the lower position. Furthermore, the completed packages P are collected by, e.g., an unillustrated package collector.
The yarn winding apparatus 13 further includes a tensiometer 71 (see FIG. 1, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7), the front cover 72 (a cover of the present invention; see FIG. 1, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7), and an operating panel 73 (see FIG. 6 and FIG. 7).
The tensiometer 71 is configured to measure the tension of one of the yarns Y. The tensiometer 71 is a tensiometer which utilizes, e.g., a known strain gauge. The tensiometer 71 is able to measure the tension of the running yarn Y. In other words, the tensiometer 71 is able to measure the tension of the yarn Y captured by a traverse device 30. For example, the tensiometer 71 is fixed on a position immediately upstream of one of the fulcrum guides 21 in the yarn running direction (see FIG. 1). In this regard, for example, one of the fulcrum guides 21 may be the frontmost fulcrum guide 21 among the fulcrum guides 21 (see FIG. 1). In the present embodiment, the tensiometer 71 is fixed on a position immediately upstream of one of the fulcrum guides 21 in the yarn running direction. The tensiometer 71 is a continuous tensiometer which is able to continuously measure the tension of the yarn Y.
As shown in FIG. 6, the tensiometer 71 is provided to correspond to the left winding unit 14A among the paired winding units 14A and 14B. However, the tensiometer 71 may be provided to correspond to the right winding unit 14B.
As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 7, the front cover 72 is provided at a front end portion of the supporting member 40 (a leading end portion of the supporting member of the present invention). In other words, the supporting member 40 includes the front cover 72 provided at its front end portion. For example, the front cover 72 is provided for at least partially covering the constituent features of each winding unit 14 from the front side of each winding unit 14. In the present embodiment, the front cover 72 covers the front end portion of the upper bobbin holder 24A. The front cover 72 has a role in protecting a motor (not illustrated) configured to rotate the contact roller 25, the traverse motor 31, a cylinder (not illustrated) configured to swing the supporting member 40, a board (not illustrated) which is electrically connected to the operating panel 73, etc. The front cover 72 is substantially a box-shaped member whose rear part is open. A front surface 72a of the front cover 72 (a leading end surface of the cover of the present invention) extends at least in the up-down direction and the left-right direction. In the present embodiment, the front surface 72a of the front cover 72 is provided in front of the front end portion of each bobbin holder 24. As shown in FIG. 6, when viewed in the front-rear direction, a lower end of the front cover 72 is provided below an upper end of the upper bobbin holder 24. For example, when viewed in the front-rear direction, the front cover 72 is arranged to overlap each traverse guide 22 and the second yarn threading guide 29. However, the front cover 72 may be arranged differently from the present embodiment. The front cover 72 may not cover the front end portion of the upper bobbin holder 24A.
The operating panel 73 is provided for inputting a signal that causes the operation of each section of the yarn winding apparatus 13 to be performed. The operating panel 73 is positioned at a position which is visually observable by an operator operating a suction gun 80 (described later) in order to perform yarn threading to the bobbins B. To be more specific, the operating panel 73 is attached to the front surface 72a of the front cover 72 (see FIG. 6 and FIG. 7). However, the operating panel 73 may be attached to a position where the operator is able to easily operate the operating panel 73, via a bracket. For example, the position where the operator is able to easily operate the operating panel 73 may be a position different from the front cover 72 of the supporting member 40 and may be provided at another constituent feature of the yarn winding apparatus 13. As shown in FIG. 7, the operator performs the yarn threading to the bobbins B by operating the suction gun 80 at a position in front of the front cover 72. Therefore, the operating panel 73 attached to the front surface 72a of the front cover 72 is positioned at a position which is visually observable by the operator operating the suction gun 80. As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the operating panel 73 is provided with plural (e.g., five) buttons 74. For example, the buttons 74 include a button for inputting a signal that causes the packages P to be discharged from the left winding unit 14A, a button for inputting a signal that causes the packages P to be discharged from the right winding unit 14B, and a button for inputting a signal that causes the winding operation to stop. For example, operations caused by buttons on the operating panel 73 of the left winding unit 14A may be different from those caused by buttons on the operating panel 73 of the right winding unit 14B.
As shown in FIG. 6, the operating panel 73 is further provided with plural (e.g., five) lamps 75. The lamps 75 are provided to correspond to the respective buttons 74. For example, as one button 74 is pushed once, a corresponding lamp 75 is turned on. As this button 74 is pushed twice, this lamp 75 is turned off.
As shown in FIG. 6, among the paired winding units 14, the operating panel 73 of the left winding unit 14A is provided with a display unit 76. The display unit 76 is configured to display a tension value of the yarn Y having been measured by the tensiometer 71. The display unit 76 is, e.g., an LED display.
In the present embodiment, the display unit 76 and the operating panel 73 are integrally formed. However, the display unit 76 may be provided independently from the operating panel 73. The display unit 76 is provided at a position which is visually observable by the operator operating the suction gun 80 in order to perform the yarn threading to the bobbins B. For example, the display unit 76 is attached to the supporting member 40. The display unit 76 may be attached to a position which is easily and visually observable by the operator, via a bracket. For example, the position which is easily and visually observable by the operator may be provided at the supporting member 40, another constituent feature of the yarn winding apparatus 13, or the like. The display unit 76 is preferably attached to the front end portion of the supporting member 40. Furthermore, when the supporting member 40 includes the front cover 72 as in the present embodiment, the display unit 76 is preferably provided at the front cover 72 provided at the front end portion of the supporting member 40 as shown in FIG. 7. More preferably, the display unit 76 is attached to the front surface 72a of the front cover 72 as shown in FIG. 7. In other words, more preferably, the display unit 76 is attached to the front cover 72 on the front end portion side of the front cover 72. The display unit 76 may be attached to the position which is easily and visually observable by the operator, via a bracket.

(Summary of Yarn Threading Process to Bobbins)

The following will describe the summary of a process of threading the yarns Y onto the bobbins B attached to one bobbin holder 24 (this is assumed to be the bobbin holder 24A), with reference to FIG. 8 to FIG. 11. In the present embodiment, the yarn threading to the bobbins B is performed by the operator operating the suction gun 80 (see FIG. 7, etc.). The suction gun 80 is configured to suck and hold the yarns Y in a bundle. The yarn threading to the bobbins B is performed from a position in front of the front end portion of the bobbin holder 24 (i.e., an open end of the bobbin holder 24). Each yarn Y threaded to a bobbin B is, e.g., a fine yarn whose total fineness is 30 dtex or less. The finer the fineness is, the lower the breaking strength is. It is therefore necessary to arrange the tension in the yarn threading to be low. Meanwhile, when the tension in the yarn threading is too low, the yarn Y is loosened due to the friction resistance of each guide positioned upstream of the suction gun 80. Because of this, the loosened yarn Y is unintentionally wound onto the second godet roller 12, etc., and yarn breakage is triggered before the yarn threading to the bobbins B. Therefore, the finer the fineness of the yarn Y is, the more attention needs to be paid to the tension in the yarn threading. However, each yarn Y threaded to a bobbin B is not limited to a fine yarn.
In the present embodiment, the yarn threading to the bobbins B of the left winding unit 14A is performed at the same time as those of the right winding unit 14B. While all the yarns Y threaded to the respective bobbins B of the left winding unit 14A and the yarns Y threaded to those of the right winding unit 14B are sucked and held by the suction gun 80, the yarns Y in a bundle are threaded to the bobbins B of the left and right winding units 14 by operating the suction gun 80. The yarn threading process is the same between the left and right winding units 14, and thus the yarn threading to the bobbins B of the right winding unit 14B is not described. FIG. 8 to FIG. 11 illustrate the left winding unit 14A only.
To begin with, in an initial state, the yarns Y are not wound onto the bobbins B attached to the bobbin holder 24A and the bobbins B attached to another bobbin holder 24 (this is assumed to be the bobbin holder 24B). In the initial state, the supporting member 42 of the yarn deposit guide 27, the supporting member 52 of the first yarn threading guide 28, and the supporting member 62 of the second yarn threading guide 29 are positioned at the standby positions. Furthermore, the first holding grooves (not illustrated) of the yarn holding unit 53 of the first yarn threading guide 28 are positioned at the gathered positions. Furthermore, the yarn holding unit 63 of the second yarn threading guide 29 is positioned at the rear position (indicated by two-dot chain lines in FIG. 4).
As shown in FIG. 8, the operator operates the suction gun 80 so that the yarns Y threaded to the fulcrum guides 21 are threaded in a bundle to the yarn deposit guide 27. The yarns Y are threaded in a bundle to the yarn deposit guide 27 so as to be captured by the respective first holding grooves (not illustrated) of the first yarn threading guide 28. At this time, the operator adjusts the sucking pressure of the suction gun 80 with reference to a tension value of a yarn Y displayed on the display unit 76 (see FIG. 6) so as to properly adjust the tension of the yarns Y.
Subsequently, the controller 26 controls the third swing drive unit 105 to swing the second yarn threading guide 29 so that the supporting member 62 is moved from the standby position to the receiving position (indicated by a full-line arrow in FIG. 9). Subsequently, the controller 26 controls the turret motor 101 to rotate the turret 23 clockwise (indicated by a full-line arrow in FIG. 9). Because of this, each bobbin holder 24 is moved to a position where each bobbin holder 24 does not interfere with the swinging first yarn threading guide 28. After that, the controller 26 moves the first holding grooves (not illustrated) of the yarn holding unit 53 from the gathered positions to the distanced positions. Because of this, the intervals of the first holding grooves are arranged to be identical with those of the second holding grooves 63a in the front-rear direction.
The controller 26 then controls the second swing drive unit 104 to swing the first yarn threading guide 28 so that the supporting member 52 is moved from the standby position to the handover position (indicated by a full-line arrow in FIG. 9). Because of this, the yarns Y captured by the yarn holding unit 53 of the first yarn threading guide 28 make contact with the yarn holding unit 63 of the second yarn threading guide 29. Furthermore, the controller 26 controls the first swing drive unit 103 to swing the yarn deposit guide 27 so that the supporting member 42 is moved from the standby position to the swing position (indicated by a full-line arrow in FIG. 9). As the supporting member 42 is moved, the yarns Y are handed over from the first yarn threading guide 28 at the handover position to the second yarn threading guide 29 at the receiving position.
Subsequently, the controller 26 controls the second swing drive unit 104 to swing the first yarn threading guide 28 so that the supporting member 52 is moved from the handover position to the standby position (indicated by a full-line arrow in FIG. 10). Because of this, the yarns Y are detached from the first yarn threading guide 28. Subsequently, the controller 26 controls the turret motor 101 to rotate the turret 23 counterclockwise (indicated by a full-line arrow in FIG. 10). Because of this, each bobbin holder 24 is moved to a position where each bobbin holder 24 does not interfere with the swinging second yarn threading guide 29.
After that, the controller 26 controls the third swing drive unit 105 to swing the second yarn threading guide 29 so that the supporting member 62 is moved from the receiving position to the yarn threading position (indicated by a full-line arrow in FIG. 10). Subsequently, the controller 26 controls the traverse motors 31 so that the traverse guides 22 capture the yarns Y.
Subsequently, the controller 26 controls the turret motor 101 to rotate the turret 23 further counterclockwise (indicated by a full-line arrow in FIG. 11). Because of this, the bobbins B attached to the bobbin holder 24A are moved to a position close to the yarns Y held by the yarn holding unit 63 of the second yarn threading guide 29 at the yarn threading position.
Subsequently, the controller 26 controls the movement drive unit 106 to move the yarn holding unit 63 from the rear position (indicated by two-dot chain lines in FIG. 4) to the front position (indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 4) in the front-rear direction. Because of this, the yarns Y held by the yarn holding unit 63 of the second yarn threading guide 29 are moved close to the slits S formed at the bobbins B. Subsequently, the controller 26 controls the traverse motors 31 to move the traverse guides 22 to positions corresponding to the slits S. Because of this, the yarns Y are threaded to the slits S formed at the bobbins B, and the yarn threading to the bobbins B attached to the bobbin holder 24A is completed.

(Effects)

The yarn winding apparatus 13 of the present embodiment includes each bobbin holder 24 to which the bobbins B aligned in the front-rear direction are attached, each traverse device 30, the contact roller 25, the supporting member 40 which supports the traverse device 30 and the contact roller 25, the base 20 which cantilevers the rear end portion of the bobbin holder 24 and that of the supporting member 40, the tensiometer 71 configured to measure the tension of a yarn Y threaded to at least one of the bobbins B, and the display unit 76 configured to display a tension value of the yarn Y having been measured by the tensiometer 71. The display unit 76 is provided at a position which is visually observable by the operator operating the suction gun 80 in order to perform the yarn threading to the bobbins B. In the present embodiment, the display unit 76 configured to display a tension value of a yarn Y threaded to one bobbin B is provided at a position which is visually observable by the operator operating the suction gun 80 in order to perform the yarn threading to the bobbins B. With this arrangement, while operating the suction gun 80, the operator who performs the yarn threading is able to watch a tension value of the yarn Y on the display unit 76 and to easily grasp the tension value of the yarn Y. The present embodiment is effective especially when the tension of the yarn Y sucked and held by the suction gun 80 is low and the tension of the yarn Y highly needs to be precisely grasped.
In the yarn winding apparatus 13 of the present embodiment, the display unit 76 is attached to the front end portion of the supporting member 40. The front end portion of the supporting member 40 indicates the front end of the supporting member 40 and its surroundings. The yarn threading with the suction gun 80 is typically performed from the front end portion side of the supporting member 40. In the present embodiment, the display unit 76 is attached to the front end portion of the supporting member 40, which is easily viewable by the operator operating the suction gun 80. This enables the operator to further easily grasp the tension of the yarn Y.
In the yarn winding apparatus 13 of the present embodiment, the supporting member 40 includes the front cover 72 provided at its front end portion, and the display unit 76 is attached to the front cover 72. With this arrangement, the display unit 76 is attached to the front cover 72 which is easily viewable by the operator operating the suction gun 80. This enables the operator to further easily grasp the tension of the yarn Y.
In the yarn winding apparatus 13 of the present embodiment, the display unit 76 is attached to the front surface 72a of the front cover 72. In the present embodiment, the front surface 72a is equivalent to the leading end surface of the front cover 72. During operation, the operator operating the suction gun 80 faces the front surface 72a of the front cover 72. In the present embodiment, the display unit 76 is attached to the front surface 72a of the front cover 72 which is easily viewable by the operator operating the suction gun 80, and thus the display unit 76 can be visually and easily checked by the operator operating the suction gun 80. This enables the operator to further easily grasp the tension of the yarn Y. The display unit 76 may be attached to a part of the front end portion of the front cover 72, depending on the shape of the front cover 72. In this regard, this part is different from the front surface 72a of the front cover 72. In this case, the front end portion of the front cover 72 is the above-described position which is easily and visually observable by the operator.
In the yarn winding apparatus 13 of the present embodiment, the tensiometer 71 is fixed at a position upstream of the bobbin holder 24 in the yarn running direction where each yarn Y runs. With this arrangement, the operator does not need to operate the tensiometer 71, and thus the yarn threading is easily performed. Furthermore, because there is a sufficient space on the upstream side of the bobbin holder 24 in the yarn running direction, the tensiometer 71 is easily provided.
The yarn winding apparatus 13 of the present embodiment further includes the fulcrum guides 21 provided to correspond to the yarns Y wound onto the bobbins B. The tensiometer 71 is provided upstream of one of the fulcrum guides 21 in the yarn running direction. In the present embodiment, the single tensiometer 71 is provided upstream of one of the fulcrum guides 21 in the yarn running direction, and the tension of one of the yarns Y is representatively measured. With this arrangement, plural tensiometers 71 corresponding to the respective yarns Y are not necessary, and the structure of the yarn winding apparatus 13 is simplified.
The yarn winding apparatus 13 of the present embodiment includes the paired winding units 14A and 14B which are opposite to each other in the left-right direction. The display unit 76 is provided to correspond to the winding unit 14A among the paired winding units 14A and 14B. In the present embodiment, when the yarn threading is performed for the bobbins B of each of the paired winding units 14A and 14B, the operator is able to check the display unit 76 provided to correspond to the winding unit 14A. With this arrangement, the operator does not have trouble of determining where to check, and thus a tension value of the yarn Y is easily grasped.

(Modifications)

The following will describe modifications of the above-described embodiment. The members identical with those in the embodiment above will be denoted by the same reference numerals and the explanations thereof are not repeated.
In the embodiment above, the display unit 76 is attached to the front surface 72a of the front cover 72. However, the display unit 76 may be attached not to the front surface 72a of the front cover 72 but to an upper surface or right-side surface of the front cover 72. When the display unit 76 is attached to the upper surface (or right-side surface) of the front cover 72, the display unit 76 protrudes outward from the upper side (or right side) of the front cover 72 so that the operator is able to visually check the display unit 76 from the front side of the front cover 72. Alternatively, the display unit 76 may be provided above the front cover 72 or may be provided to the left of the left winding unit 14A (or to the right of the right winding unit 14B).
In the embodiment above, the display unit 76 is provided at the operating panel 73. However, the display unit 76 may be provided independently from the operating panel 73. The display unit 76 provided independently from the operating panel 73 is provided at a position which is visually observable by the operator operating the suction gun 80 in order to perform the yarn threading to the bobbins B. In this case, the display unit 76 is preferably attached to the front cover 72 and more preferably to the front surface 72a of the front cover 72. The position where the operating panel 73 is provided is not limited to the position described in the embodiment above. The operating panel 73 may be differently provided as long as it is provided at a position accessible by the operator.
In the embodiment above, the tensiometer 71 is provided upstream of one fulcrum guide 21 in the yarn running direction. However, plural tensiometers 71 may be provided upstream of the respective fulcrum guides 21 in the yarn running direction. In this case, for example, the display unit 76 may be configured to display tension values of the yarns Y having been measured by the respective tensiometers 71 or an average value of these tension values. In this case, the tensiometers 71 are preferably fixed at positions provided upstream of the bobbin holder 24. For example, the tensiometers 71 are preferably fixed between the bobbin holder 24 and the second godet roller 12 in the yarn running direction.
The yarn winding apparatus 13 of the embodiment above includes the paired winding units 14A and 14B which are opposite to each other in the left-right direction. However, the yarn winding apparatus 13 may include only one winding unit 14.
In the embodiment above, the display unit 76 is provided to correspond to the left winding unit 14A. However, the display unit 76 may be provided to correspond to the right winding unit 14B. The display unit 76 may be provided to correspond to each of the left winding unit 14A and right winding unit 14B.

Claims

A yarn winding apparatus (13) comprising:
a bobbin holder (24) to which bobbins (B) aligned in a predetermined axial direction are attached;

a traverse device (30) configured to traverse yarns (Y) wound onto the bobbins (B);

a contact roller (25) which extends in the axial direction and which is configured to apply contact pressure to packages (P) formed by winding the yarns (Y) onto the bobbins (B) attached to the bobbin holder (24);

a supporting member (40) which extends in the axial direction and which supports the traverse device (30) and the contact roller (25);

a base (20) which cantilevers a base end portion of the bobbin holder (24) and a base end portion of the supporting member (40) in the axial direction;

a tensiometer (71) configured to measure the tension of at least one of the yarns (Y), the at least one of the yarns (Y) being wound onto at least one of the bobbins (B); and

a display unit (76) configured to display a tension value of the at least one of the yarns (Y), the tension value of the at least one of the yarns (Y) having been measured by the tensiometer (71), and

the display unit (76) being provided at a position which is visually observable by an operator operating a suction gun (80) in order to perform yarn threading to the bobbins (B).
The yarn winding apparatus (13) according to claim 1, wherein, the base end portion of the supporting member (40) is supported by the base (20), a leading end portion of the supporting member (40) is opposite to the base end portion of the supporting member (40) in the axial direction, and the display unit (76) is attached to the leading end portion of the supporting member (40).
The yarn winding apparatus (13) according to claim 2, wherein, the supporting member (40) includes a cover (72) attached to the leading end portion of the supporting member (40) in the axial direction, and
the display unit (76) is attached to the cover (72).
The yarn winding apparatus (13) according to claim 3, wherein, the display unit (76) is attached to a leading end surface of the cover (72) in the axial direction.
The yarn winding apparatus (13) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, the tensiometer (71) is fixed at a position upstream of the bobbin holder (24) in a yarn running direction in which the yarns (Y) run.
The yarn winding apparatus (13) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising traversing fulcrum guides (21) provided to correspond to the respective yarns (Y) wound onto the bobbins (B), wherein,
the tensiometer (71) is provided upstream of one of the traversing fulcrum guides (21) in the yarn running direction in which the yarns (Y) run.