GB2072054A - Ring spinning frame or ring twister - Google Patents

Abstract

Lubrication system for a ring spinning frame or ring twister (doubler), in which a thread guide (15) has a lubricant duct (44) and an outlet opening (32) for the lubricant, which is delivered to the thread guide, in metered fashion, by a central or main lubricant feed apparatus (Figure 1). For the purpose of effecting more accurate metering of lubricant, flow restricting devices (60; 60%) are inserted in each lubricant duct between the lubricant outlet opening (32) and the main lubricant duct, these devices (60; 60%) causing a substantial reduction in working pressure of lubricant between the main lubricant duct (34) and the lubricant outlet opening (32) of the thread guide. The devices may comprise a threaded pin (60) or a glass fibre bundle (60%). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Ring spinning frame or ring twister The invention relates to a ring spinning frame or ring twister (doubler) for twisting threads and of the kind comprising a plurality of spinning stations ortwisting stations. Each such station comprises a spindle and a ring through which the spindle passes and on which a traveller, pulled by the thread, can revolve. A respective thread guide is arranged between each spindle and a thread delivery unit positioned ahead of the latter. Each thread guide comprises at least one lubricant duct and at least one outlet opening for fluid lubricant of a viscosity of at least 10 cP, preferably from 50 to 1,000 cP, which lubricant is delivered to the thread guide metered by a central main lubricant feed apparatus which is used for the supply of all thread guides of this kind or for a plurality of such thread guides.This apparatus has at least one main lubricant duct. Each thread guide has a thread guide edge and a narrow thread guide slot for guiding the thread, and the lubricant outlet opening or openings of this thread guide lie obliquely above and at a distance from the thread guide edge.

It is desirable, simply for the purpose of achieving the simplest possible machine structure, that all the thread guides, present in the ring spinning frame or ring twister (doubler), of this kind, shall be connected to a single, common or central lubricant feed apparatus. Alternatively, only the thread guides of this kind which are present on one longitudinal side of the machine may be connected to a central or main lubricant feed apparatus which is associated with these particular thread guides, while a second, central or main lubricant feed apparatus is provided on the other longitudinal side of the machine, with the result that there will be two mutually independent, central or main lubricant supply systems.

Further, it is also possible to provide more than two, mutually independent, central or main lubricant supply systems if, for example, the spindles of the machine are subdivided into more than two groups of spindles which can be driven mutually independently, the groups of spindles being used for taking up different threads. However, in each case the invention relates to a ring spinning frame or ring twister, in which the or each central (main) lubricant feed apparatus supplies a plurality of th read guides with lubricant.

It is important that the feed of lubricant to the individual thread guides shall, in spite of the central or main lubricant supply system, take place in metered fashion, as the consumption of lubricant of the individual thread guides is only very small. Using a rule of thumb it is, in general, appropriate if the weight of the lubricant fed to the individual threads amounts to 0.1 to 0.3% of the thread weight.

Depending on the fineness of the thread in each instance the consumption of lubricant will then amount to about 0.1 to 1,000 mg/min per thread guide. The lubricant improves the sliding properties ofthe thread, and may also contain known preparations for preparing the thread. The lubricant is preferably water soluble, so that it can be washed out, in the course of subsequent working procedures, of the thread, or so that it can be washed from the fabrics or the like produced from the threads. The lubricant may be synthetic oil, lubricating grease, or the like.

In order to keep the consumption of lubricant minimal, and to ensure that uniform quantities of lubricant are applied to the threads, it is advantageous if, at the spinning stations or twisting (doubling) stations, which are commonly operated and which produce identical threads, similar quantities of lubricant in unit time are fed by the thread guides to each thread. If the quantities of lubricant are appreciably different from thread guide to thread guide, there is a risk that individual threads will not be adequately lubricated, and that other threads will receive too much lubricant, so that widely different sliding properties of these threads will be subsequently experienced.Also, when such dissimilar quantities of lubricant are present, the precaution must be taken of setting the mean value of the quantity of lubricant fed higher than would be the case when the fluctuation in quantity of lubricant was smaller. Thus, the consumption of lubricant is increased.

Accordingly, the object underlying the invention is that of achieving - with means which are structurally simple and which are reliable in operation - a very accurate metering of the feed of lubricant to the thread guides, which are connected to the associated central or main (group) lubricant feed apparatus.

This is achieved, starting on the basis of a ring spinning frame or ring twister (doubler) in accordance with the generic term of claim 1 by inserting flow restricting means in at least one duct section of a lubricant duct which is disposed between the lubricant outlet opening or openings of the thread guide and the main lubricant duct, which flow restricting means substantially effects the drop in working presssure ofthe lubricant between the main lubricant duct and the lubricant outlet opening of the thread guide.The drop in working pressure of the lubricant at these flow restricting means amounts to at least 0.05 bar; but the drop in operating pressure of the lubricant in the horizontal area of the main lubricant duct, to which the thread guides are connected, is unimportant relative to the drop in operating pressure at the flow restricting means (preferably the pressure drop at the said horizontal area of the main lubricant duct is maximally one tenth that occurring at the flow restricting means).

Also provided is a plurality of duct sections, which contain flow restricting means of the kind, these flow restricting means being identical and parallel to one another and connected to the or to each main duct.

The flow restricting means are pefereably disposed in the thread guides or in the branch ducts which lead to the thread guides and which are branched off from the main duct. However, it is also possible directly to connect the thread guides to the main duct, that is to say to effect the connection without the provision of intermediate ducts.

It is preferable if separate flow restricting means are assigned to each thread guide. However, it will also be feasible, in many instances, if, instead of connecting a single thread guide only to each branch duct, which contains flow restricting means and which is branched off from the main duct, a number of thread guides are connected to this branch duct.

Preferably two to five thread guides are thus connected to each branch duct, insofar as the distribution of the lubricant, whose quantity is metered by means of the flow restricting means, to the thread guides is realised with adequate uniformity. As a very large number of spinning or twisting stations are always provided at each ring spinning frame or ring twister (doubler), usually 400 to 1,000 spinning stations, and as the central or main lubricant feed apparatus is preferably assigned to all thread guides or to the thread guides disposed on one longitudinal side of the machine, a large number of such branch ducts will be present even when a small number of thread guides is connected to each branch duct, which contains flow restricting means.However, in spite of the somewhat more elaborate form of construction required, it is in general more advantageous to assign separate flow restricting means to each thread guide. As a result of this it is possible, without anly difficulties, to feed practically the same quantity of lubricant in unit time to all the thread guides connected to the associated main lubricant duct.

The invention enables approximately equal quantities of lubricant to be fed to all the thread guides so that the consumption from spinning station to spinning station or from twisting station to twisting station only fluctuates within narrow limits. In this way it is possible to achieve the desired operating result with minimal consumption of lubricant per thread guide, and thus to make economies in the lubricant used, and also to facilitate the later operation of washing the lubricant from the thead or from the fabrics produced from this thread and reduce the amount of lubricant needed for this washing operation.The degree of uniformity which is imparted to the threads by the lubricant is, insofar as their sliding properties is concerned, correspondingly improved from individual thread to individual thread, and this improvement reacts favourably on the later process sing ortreating ofthethreads.

Generally speaking, it will be adequate and satisfactory if the thread guide has a single lubricant outlet opening. Further it is also possible, even though normally not necessay, to provide the thread guide with a plurality of lubricant outlet openings; in general it is adequate and satisfactory if a single, common duct section containing the flow restricting means, is situated in front of these lubricant outlet openings. However, it is also possible and, in many instances, advantageous, particularly if the quantity of lubricant issuing from each lubricant outlet open ing of the thread guide is to be individually metered, to arrange in front of each outlet opening, a duct section which is equipped with flow restricting means and which is intended for co-operation only with this particular outlet opening.The flow restrict ing means, which are arranged in a thread guide, or which are positioned in front of this thread guide, preferably consist of a single flow restricting device; however, it is also possible for this flow restricting means to consist of a number of flow restricting devices or the like which are preferably arranged in series with one another.

As the drop in pressure of the lubricant occurring at the flow restricting means in the duct section concerned is much greater than the pressure drop occurring in the area of the main lubricant duct to which the thread guide is connected, the lubricant pressure is approximately the same at all upstream ends of the flow restricting means; however, the possible pressure differences which will occur here are small in comparison with the pressure drops occurring at the flow restricting means, the last mentioned pressure drops amounting to at least 0.05 bar. These pressure drops at the flow restricting means will preferably amount to 0.1 to 3 bar.

Research which has hitherto been undertaken indi- cates that it is particularly favourable if these pressure drops amount to 0.1 to 0.5 bar.

The flow restricting means are to be constructed in such a way that they give rise to very high flow resistance. It is preferable if the flow restricting means is in the form of a threaded pin which is lockingly inserted in the lubricant duct section concerned; this pin preferably engages in the lubricant duct section with an interference or transition fit, and the lubricant flows through the screw thread formed on the pin. The screw thread can be very accurately and inexpensively made, and it is also a simple matter to give it a large length. This screw threaded pin can thus be cheaply and very accurately mass produced, so that, in operation, the pressure drop occurring at these screw threaded pins only slightly fluctuates from pin to pin, so that the quantity of lubricant fed to each thread guide can be accurately metered without difficulty.

In accordance with another, favourable embodiment the flow restricting device is constituted by a bundle of fibres, which are parallel to one another, the said bundle of fibres being secured in the lubricant duct section concerned. The fibres must be insoluble in the lubricant, and should not swell in the latter. It is preferable to use glass fibres or acetate fibres. The fibres form, between one another and also with the inner circumference of the duct section, a plurality of flow channels of very small crosssection for passage of the lubricant, and thus present a very high flow resistance to the lubricant. Bundies of fibres of this kind may be cheaply and very accurately produced. In another favourable embodi ment, the flow resticting means is constituted by the porous sintered material, fromed from ceramic c; metal, which fills out the duct section concerned; this sintered material may form a block.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated ;n the drawing, in which: Figure lisa schematic plan view of part of a ring spinning frame or ring twister (doubler), with a plurality of spinning or twisting (doubling) stations arranged on the two longitudinal sides of this machine; details of these spinning or twisting sta tions are not illustrated.This Figure merely shows, in schematic plan view, the lubricant feed apparatus and guides which are connected to this lubricant feed apparatus and are designated by circles in this Figure; Figure2 is a plan view of a thread guide according to one embodiment of the invention; this Figure illustrates the way in which this thread guide can be incorporated in a machine of the kind shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross-section, taken along line 3 - 3, through the thread guide shown in Figure 2; and Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-section of a detail of a thread guide, equipped with a flow restricting means in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention.

The ring spinning frame or ring twister (doubler) 10, schematically shown in Figure 1, comprises a plurality of thread guides 15 which are arranged in two rows and to which lubricant can be fed by means of a central lubricant feed apparatus 11, for lubricating the thread 25 passing through the thread guides 15. The spinning frame or ring twister 10 has a lubricant reservoir 36 from which lubricant can be discharged by means of a pump 35", which may be a gear pump, at an adjustable but constant pressure into two mutually parallel, horizontal main lubricant ducts 34. It will be satsifactory, for the purpose of ensuring that the lubricant pressure remains constant at the inlets to the main duct 34, to position a pressure reducing or limiting valve, a choke or the like, after the pump 35"; this pressure reducing valve may also be used for adjusting the lubricant pressure.One main lubricant duct 34 extends along the row of thread guides 15 disposed on one longitudinal side of the machine, and the other main lubricant duct extends along the row of thread guides 15 disposed on the other longitudinal side of the machine. Each thread guide 15 is situated in a manner which is not illustrated, vertically above a spindle. On this spindle there is placed a bobbin on which the thread, arriving from the said guides 15, is wound by means of a traveller. This traveller can run round a ring, through which the spindle passes, of this spinning station or twisting station, due to the fact that the traveller is pulled round the ring by the thread.

Disposed obliquely above each thread guide 15, is a thread delivery unit, which is not illustrated and which, in the case of a ring spinning frame is the pair of delivery rollers associated with this spinning station, of a drafting unit. This thread delivery unit delivers the slubbing which, immediately after it has left this thread delivery unit, is twisted into the thread which passes through the thread guide 15. In the case of a ring twister (doubler) the thread delivery unit delivers the threads which are to be twisted together. The thread balloon 16'(Figure 3), produced by the revolving traveller, starts at the thread guide 15.

Each thread guide 15 is connected to a main duct 34 by way of a branch duct 44 which leadsto this thread guide 15 only. Flow restricting means (chokes), which are identical to one another, are placed in each of these branch ducts 44, the number of which corresponds to the number of spindles of the machine 10, and/or are placed in the thread guide 15. The constant lubricant pressure, present at the inlet side of the main ducts 34, substantially drops at these flow restricting means, so that lubricant flows to all the thread guides 15 in approximately equal quantities in unit time. It is thus a relatively simple and straightforward matter to alter the quantity of lubricant in unit time, commonly for all the thread guides, by identical amounts, by setting the pressure of the lubricant to a different value at the inlet of the two main ducts 34.In this way it is possible, when there is a changeover of thread fineness, to change the feed of lubricant to the thread guides 15 to the required new value by altering the pressure of the pump 35" or by means of the pressure reducing valve or the like.

It will be preferable if the flow restrict means or chokes are arranged in the thread guides 15 themselves, and if no flow restricting means are provided in the branch ducts 44, so that the pressure of the lubricant does not drop in the branch ducts 44.

Figures 2 and 3 illustrate a favourable embodiment of a thread guide 15 of this kind, which has a flow restricting means incorporated in it. This thread guide 15 comprises a rigid body 35, into which has been screwed a carrier rod 29, which supports this body 35. The rigid body 35 has a horizontal, upper face 39 (Figure 3), at the front end of which and at a right angle to which extends a vertical, plane portion 40, from the lower end of which a plane portion 41 extends obliquely downwardly and inwardly. A narrow slot 24 which is open only to the front, is milled in this body 35, and has parallel side walls which define thread guide surfaces 22; the width of this slot 24 is somewhat greater than the diameter of the thread passing though this slot. The width of the slot 24 may for example be about 2 mm.This slot 24 forms a narrow channel which has a base 42 having, in cross-section, a slightly concave shape and rounded off longitudinal faces. In this base 42 is the single lubricant outlet opening 32 of a single lubricant nozzle 31, which is integral with the body 35, and, in this embodiment, is formed by the body 35 itself.

The calibrated lubricant duct 35' has a small diameter of preferably about 0.15 mm. The lubricant outlet opening 32 lies flush with the base 42. The longitudinal axis of the nozzle 31 is so directed that the lubricant flows obliquely upwardly.

In its centre area, the duct 35' is connected to a circularly cylindrical duct section 44' of the body 35, this duct section 44' being appreciably greater in diameter than the duct 35'. A flow restricting means 60 is lockingly inserted in the duct section 44', and engages in the latter with an interference or transition fit. The way in which the flow restricting means 60 engages in the duct section 44' will be described in greater detail below. A branch duct 44, which proceeds from one of the main ducts 34, is connected to this duct section 44' and does not contain any flow restricting means or chokes. This branch duct 44 is attached to the body 35 by soldering, for example, or in any other suitable way.A horizontal circularly cylindrical pin 26' is, at the lower end of the base 42 so inserted in the body 25 that the straight base 42 lies flush with this pin 26' and extends tangentially of the latter with its surface 50, which guides the thread 25. This pin 26' defines a rounded thread guide edge 50, is of a diameter of for example 1 to 2 mm, and is made of a material which is highly resistant to wear, e.g. oxide, ceramic or hard metal.

The thread 25 runs to this pin 26' - which forms the thread guide edge 50, which is arcuate in crosssection - in an obliquely downwards direction, and is guided by this edge 50 so as to take up the shape of the thread balloon 60.

The lubricant outlet opening 32 has a position such that, in all positions of the thread guide 15, the thread 25 does not come into contact by its thread body 25' with the lubricant, which issues from, and at the level of, the outlet opening 32, but comes into contact with the lubricant at its projecting fibres 25".

Accordingly, the lubricant is continuously received by the projecting fibres 25", with the result that the thread guide edge 50 is lubricated. If, on the other hand, the thread 25 is an endless thread without projecting fibres, the lubricant runs to the thread guide 50, along the section 53 of the base which extends from the outlet opening 32 to the thread guide edge 50, and in this way lubricates the thread 25 a short distance in front of the thread guide edge 50. Again, this thread guide edge 50 will be continuously and optimally lubricated. Thus, this base section 53 forms a "lubricant guide surface", which leads to the thread guide edge 50.

In the case ofthethread guide 15 illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, the flow restricting means, at which the drop in pressure of the lubricant substantially occurs between the main lubricant duct 34 and the lubricant outlet opening 32, is constituted by a threaded pin 60, which is lockingly inserted in the circularly cylindrical guide section 44', and engages in the latter with an interference or transition fit. This pin 60 lies with its front face at the start of a frustoconical, short duct section, which opens out into the nozzle duct 35'. The threaded pin 60 is peferably made of high grade steel, and its periphery is polished. This threaded pin 60 can be produced by so cutting a single helical screw thread 61 in a circularly cylindrical pin so that the adjacent turns of the screw thread lie, as illusrated, with mutual axial spacing.The clear cross-section of the groove, which forms the screw thread 61, may be extremely small and preferably of an order of magnitude of 0.01 mm2. The portion 62 which is also helical and which lies between the turns of the screw thread, hugs the cylindrical inner circumferential wall of the duct section 44', and in this way seals the adjacent turns of the screw thread from one another. In this way the lubricant can only flow in the helical screw thread 61 from the duct 44 to the nozzle duct 35', which forms a capillary. In this embodiment the helical screw thread 61 is of rectangular cross-section. The crosssection of this screw thread 61 can be very accurately produced. This screw threaded pin can be simply, accurately, and cheaply made, and thus presents a precisely defined flow resistance to the lubricant.

In operation a pressure drop occurs over the whole length of the two main lubricant ducts 34 (Figure 1). This pressure drop is negligibly small in comparison with th pressure drops which occur at the theaded pin 60 of the thread guides 15, the pressure drop being equal at each of these threaded pins 60. The pressure drops which occur in the ducts 44 and in the nozzle duct 35' are also neligible. The flow of lubricant to the lubricant outlet openings 32 of all the thread guides 15 is of the same volume, with the result that the amount of lubricant in unit time passing from the individual thread guide 15 to the thread is subject only to very small fluctuations from thread guide to thread guide.

A further important advantage of the threaded pin 60 is that, when the pressure of lubricant is reduced, in the main ducts 34, when the machine has stopped or is running under "no load" condition - the feed of lubricant to the main duct 34 continuing - the branch' ducts 44 and the lubricant ducts 35' of the thread guide 15 remain full of lubricant, as the capillary forces in the screw threads of the threaded pins 60 prevent return flow of lubricant into the main ducts 34 so that, when the machine re-starts, immediate resumption of the flow of lubricant to the threads is assured.This advantage will also be realised when the flow restricting means, provided according to the invention, are of a different form of construction; this is due to the capillary forces which are effective as a result of the very small flow cross-sections which always have to be observed for the flow restricting means.

It should also be pointed out that the feed of lubricant in unit time to the thread guide 15 can also be altered by a change of viscosity of th lubricant, so that two variables are available for adjusting the quantity of lubricant in unit time, that is to say the pressure and viscosity of the lubricant.

It is also possible to construct this central or main lubricant feed apparatus 11 without a pump by arranging the lubricant reservoir 36 so high above the horizontally positioned main duct 34 that the static liquid pressure thus produced provides the force required for thrusting the lubricant to the thread guides 15. As has already been mentioned, this driving force is substantially reduced at the pins 60.

Figure 4 illustrates another embodiment of thread guide 15, containing a flow resricting means; this different thread guide 15 may correspond in all details to the thread guide illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 with the difference that no threaded pin is inserted in the duct section 44', the flow restricting means being constituted by a bundle of glass fibres 60' which are in the form of continuous, mutually parallel glass fibres of equal length, this bundle of glass fibres 60' being secured in position in the nozzle duct 35', which is of increased diameter. The bundle 60' of glass fibres is preferably inroduced into the nozzle duct 35' by pressing it into the latter.

This nozzle bore 35', with a bundle 60' of glass fibres introduced into it, also constitutes a flow restricting means of a very high flow resistance, in which the pressure of the lubricant is substantially reduced.

The invention may also be used with textile machines other than ring spinning frames or ring twisters (doublers), in which also threads are made and/or processed and in which it is recommendable to lubricate the threads with lubricants or with other viscous preparations. Other machines of this kind, which are suitable, are winding frames and two-forone twisters. In this case the thread guides are so arranged at the working stations of the textile machine that the thread guides guide the threads, one or more central (main) lubricant feed apparatus being assigned to these thread guides. When a plurality of central (main) lubricant feed apparatus of this kind are provided, the thread guides are subdivided into a corresponding number of groups, a central or main lubricant feed apparatus being assigned to each group. Flow restricting means are inserted in the lubricant ducts leading from the main lubricant ducts concerned to the lubricant outlet openings of the thread guides, as has been described above in connection with ring spinning frames or ring twisters.

Claims (13)

1. Ring spinning frame or ring twister (doubler) for spinning or twisting threads, with a number of spinning stations or twisting stations, and of the kind referred to, characterised in that flow restricting means are introduced into at least one duct section of a lubricant duct which is disposed between the lubricant outlet opening or openings of the thread guide and the main lubricant duct, this flow restricting means substantially effecting a reduction in working pressure of the lubricant between the main lubricant line and the lubricant outlet opening of the thread guide; the drop in working pressure of the lubricant at these flow restricting means amounting to at least 0.05 bar; and the drop in working pressure of the lubricant in the horizontal area of the main lubricant duct, the thread guide being connected to this horizontal area, being relatively unimportant in comparison with the drop in working pressure occurring at the flow restricting means, the drop in working pressure occurring at the said horizontal area of the main lubricant duct amounting maximally to one tenth part of the drop in pressure occurring at the flow restricting means; and a number of such flow restricting means, which are identical to one another, being connected parallel to one orto each main duct.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the flow restricting means produces a reduction in working pressure of the lubricant passing through it of 0.1 to 3 bar, preferably from 0.1 to 0.5 bar.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that each duct section, containing flow restricting means is assigned to a single thread guide.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, characterised in that the flow restricting means are arranged in a lubricant duct in the said guide.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3 or claim 4, characterised in that the flow restricting means is constituted by a screw threaded pin which is disposed lockingly in and coaxially of a lubricant duct section, the lubricant flowing along the screw thread of said pin.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterised in that the lubricant duct section is circularly cylindrical, and axially adjacent screw thread turns are separated from each other by a circumferential surface, which is also helical, of the screw threaded pin, this circumferential surface of the screw threaded pin being in abutment with the inside of the wall of the duct section;

7. Apparatus according to claim 3 or claim 4, characterised in that the flow restricting means are constituted by a bundle of fibres, which has been securely inserted into cylindrical duct section and whose fibres are insoluble, and cannot swell in the lubricant.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, characterised in that the bundle of fibres is introduced into the bore, comprising the lubricant outlet opening of the thread guide, of the lubricant nozzle of the thread guide.

9. Apparatus according to claim 3 or claim 4, characterised in that flow restricting means is a porous sintered material.

10. Apparatus according to any of the foregoing claims, which comprises, on each longitudinal side of the machine, a row of thread guides, characterised in that each row of th read guides is assigned a main lubricant duct, which is connected to a common lubricant feed duct.

11. Apparatus according to claim 7 or claim 8, characterised in that the fibres of the bundle of fibres are glass fibres.

12. The use of thread guides, with associated central (main) lubricant feed apparatus equipped with lubricant ducts which comprise flow restricting means, according to any of the foregoing claims, in a textile machine other than a ring spinning machine frame or ring twister, preferably in a winding frame or two-for-one twister.

13. A ring spinning frame or ring twister (doubler) equipped with a thread lubricating arrangement substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawings.