GB2209541A - Removing bobbins from open-end spinning machines - Google Patents

Description

1 Open-end spinning machine with movable,automatic device for wound

bobbin- e-xchange i 2209541

Description

The invention relates to an open-end spinning machine with a movable automatic device for wound bobbin exchange, i.e. for replacing the bobbin with an empty tube, and with at least one conveyer belt for wound bobbin delivery.

Open-end spinning machines are known which are fitted with movable automatic devices for exchanging wound bobbins and with conveyer belts, with one or even two of such belts on doublesided machines, i.e., one conveyer belt for each machine side. The wound bobbins are fed by a conveyer belt to one end section of the machine and there taken over for further handling and processing.

On a fully automatic machine, this taking over is a weak spot of the whole process since it requires an intervention on the part of the machine operator. Consequently, solutions have been proposed to automate the taking over of the bobbins. Automatic devices have been proposed providing for the orientation, and deposition into transport means, of wound being igned as the taking over bobbins, the transport means near the machine or even des are fully effective as long random on the either conveniently placed as a part of it. Such devices work procedure remains stable. However, present-day conditions require the textile goods producer to change the product assortment rather frequently. In such cases, it is not economical additionally to wind on all spinning units the winding diameter to the predetermined value to which the automatic device for taking over and depositing the bobbins has been adjusted, because the bobbins, from the point of view of the length of yarn wound of them, are distributed at spinning units so that at a given time when one bobbin is fully wound the winding process just begins on this bobbin or is in its initial stage on others. Consequently, at the end of a job lot, when a fully wound bobbin is taken over from the machine, it is not advantageous to re-start spinning on that unit and to wait until the last bobbin is wound. For this reason, in most cases the machine is stopped at the end of the job lot. The bobbins are removed manually from the machine arms and those of them whose length or diameter, of wound yarn, is not adequate, are renewed. The procedure of the taking over of bobbins with varying diameters of wound yarn resists automation since the device for orientation and taking over of the wound bobbins is adjusted to a predetermined bobbin diameter not reached in such a case by a large majority of bobbins. Consequently bobbins with a yarn diameter substantially less than the predetermined one, as well as tubes with only a minimal diameter of yarn wound on them, cannot be taken over automatically. it is an object of this invention to provide apparatus enabling the attainment by simple means of both the automatic taking over of wound bobbins and their quick removal in the case of a job lot end.

According to the present invention there is provided an open-end spinning machine comprising an automatic movable device for wound bobbin exchange, i.e. for replacing the bobbin by an empty tube, having at least one conveyer belt for the delivery of wound bobbins from the machine; a reversible drive unit for the conveyer belt serving to reverse the motion of the belt; a device for orientating and for taking over bobbins associated with one end of the machine and means for manual handling of the bobbins associated with the other end of the machine.

Preferably each work side of the machine is provided with an independently reversible conveyer belt.

The conveyer belt can be used for removing bobbins of substandard diameters not only at the end of the job lot but at any time, as the need may be.

The conveyer belts can serve directly as operative (intermediate) support means for wound bobbins. In this case, the bobbins are deposited on the belts when the conveyer belts are stopped. The conveyer belts are set in motion automatically by a command signal received from an automatic control. It is also possible to provide a conveyer belt system consisting of two conveyer belts, situated one behind the other, and each equipped with its own automatic drive. In this case, the operative support means forth e bobbins is represented by one of the two -v V.

Y belts (the minor) which extends to said one machine end. In this way, the bobbins are ready for automatic taking over. now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:- Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of the arrangement of conveyer belts on an op present invention, Fig. 2 is a schemati machine fitted on one of it orientation and on its othe bobbins, Fig. 3 is a schemati machine with a conveyer b arranged one behind the o Figs. 4 and 5 show use with the single belt system respectively.

The open-end spinnin n-end spinning machine according to the c plan view of an open-end spinning sides with a device for bobbin side with a slide for removing the c plan view of an open-end spinning elt system ther, and schematicall systen and with the d g machines 1 connected by two belts y belt control means for ivided double belt shown in Figs at one machi 1 to 3 ne end a drive box 2 consisting of a gear box and pneumatics and electrical equipment (all not shown) and, at the other machine end,an ancillary box 3. The conveyor belts 4, 5 are situated in the middle zone of the machine and reach throughout their lengths nd up the beginning of the respective box on the other end 23. Figs 1 to 3 show machines with conveyer belts 4, 5 or 4/14, 5/15 (Fig. 3) so terminated on the side of the drive box 2 so as to permit a device 9 for the orientation and take-over of the bobbins to be attached to the front side 11 of the box 2. The device 7 for the bobbin take-over can be represented by a manipulator, a robot or another device serving to take over the bobbins and, as the case may be, following for example a feed device (not shown). Where bobbin in the case of cones passing in a the two conveyer belts 4, 5; or cyl point of view of the position of th to the front side 11 of the boxes 2, 3 at said one end up to orientation is required (e.g., predetermined direction from indrical bobbins from the e bobbin bunch) a device 9 4 for bobbin orientation also can be attached to the said end 11 of the box 2.

At the other side of the machine 1, in the zone of the ancillary box 3, means are provided for manual handling of bobbins. The ancillary box 3 comprises a slide 6 serving to direct the bobbins into transport facilities 8 provided in the form of a large pallet, cage, carriage or other device intended for manual bobbin handling.

The front 23 of the ancillary box 3 carries a push-button 10 controlling the drive of the conveyer belts 4 and 5. As shown in Fig. 2, a movable bobbin container 12 can be attached to or associated with the bobbin orientation device 9.

In the specific embodiment shown in Fig. 3 the conveyer belts 4 and 5 are terminated at the beginning of and are followed from there on by two short belts 14 and 1 extending up to the front 11 of the drive box 2.

Figs. 4 and 5 show schematically drives for the belts 4, 5 and 14, 15.

Thus, the box 2 houses a reversible drive unit 18, 19 consisting of a motor and a gear box. Each of the belts 4 and 5 has a drive unit of its own, each drive unit including a clutch 20.

the drive box 2 Sensors 16, 17 are provided close to the sides of the belts 4 and 5. The belts 14 and 15 (Fig. 5) are driven by the same drive unit as the principal belts 4, 5.

In normal operation of the above open-end spinning machines, the movable automatic device doffs the wound bobbins on the respective conveyer belt, 4 or 5, facing the side of the machine 1 on which it operates. During the doffing procedure, the two belts 4, 5 are stopped. The number of bobbins to be doffed onto the conveyer belt is predetermined and stored in the memory of the control system of the machine. When the predetermined number of bobbins to be placed on the respective conveyer belt (4 or 5) has been reached, the belt is set in motion towards the drive box 2 by means of its related drive unit 18 or 19 through the clutch 20 (Fig. 4). The reversible drive unit can provide li, W - 5 not only reverse feed but also conveyer belts. At the end o step-by-step feed, of the the conveyer belts 4 and 5, Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the bobbins are taken over by the device 9 for bobbin orientation and that for the bobbin take-over 7 that can be followed either by a movable bobbin container 12 or by transport facilities 13. The sensors 16 and 17 function to achieve complete removal of the bobbins from the conveyer belts 4, 5.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the proced for the removal of the bobbins from the conveyer belts 4 and 5 is carried out analogously. The bobbins are first transferred to the short belts 14, 15 serving as an operative (intermediate) bobbin support means, the further procedure being the same as described above. The complete removal of the bobbins from the belts 14 and 15 is checked by the sensors 21 and 22 in Fig. 5.

material, or if for any other r replaced by empty tubes, the doffing device can dof bobbins regardless of the diameter of yarn wound on If the material to be spun has to be replaced by another eason all bobbins are to be f all the each of them. Since no device for the automatic take-over of bobbins can handle, without adjustment, the whole range of wound yarn diameter reaching from about 70mm to 35Omm ( the maximum value normally obtainable), the conveyer belts can be emptied at the other end (23) of the machine by means of the reversible drive units 18, 19 serving to reverse the run of the conveyer belts 4, 5. The bobbins (wound) are first fed to the ancillary box 3 and then, by means of the slide 6, directed into the transport facilities 8, e.g taken over and placed i onto a large pallet, or manually n a box. The reverse run of the cor veyer belts must be programmed in the machine control syst The further procedure of emptying the belts 4 and 5 can either proceed automatically or be controlled manually. T push-button 10, situated on the ancillary box 3 close by C belts, is used to start and stop the belts manually.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5, only the conveyer belts 4 and 5 take part in the reversing 6peration. i.e. movement to the box 3.

Claims (1)

1. 6 Claims

   1. Open-end spinning machine comprising an automatic movable device for wound bobbin exchange, i.e., for replacing the bobbin by an empty tube, having at least one conveyer belt for the delivery of wound bobbins from the machine; a reversible drive unit for the conveyer belt serving to reverse the motion of the belt; a device for orientating and for taking over bobbins associated with one end of the machine and means for manual handling of the bobbins asssociated with the other end of the machine.

   2. Open-end spinning machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein each work side of the machine is provided with an independently reversible conveyer belt.

   3. Open-end spinning machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the movable device includes a conveyer belt system consisting of two aligned conveyer belts of which only the belt extending along the whole spinning machine is equipped with a reversal mechanism.

   4. Open-end spinning machine as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein sdid other end of the machine is equipped with means for manual bobbin handling consisting of a slide for directing the bobbins into transport facilities.

   5. Open-end apinning machine as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the device for orientating and for taking over of bobbins is formed as part of said one end of the machine.

   6. Open-end spinning machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 or Fig. 3 or these figs. as amended by Figs. 4 and 5 respectively, of the accompanying drawing.

   6-n High Holborn. LOndOr- WC1R 4TP. Further copies may be obtained from The Patent =0e. Published 1988 at The Patent Office. Staw House. 6 Sales Branch, S IlarY Cray. orpington, Kent BR5 3RD- Printed by MultIP1ex techniques ltd. St Mary Cray, Ken., Con 1'87-