A method is provided for operating a suction device of a textile machine having a plurality of workstations wherein an air flow and a vacuum are produced with aid of the suction device. The method includes filtering the air flow with a filter element, and determining a loss of pressure or volume flow at the filter element. Based on the loss of pressure or the volume flow, an actual value is calculated for present maximum vacuum-requiring operations of the workstations that can be simultaneously executed. Based on the number of operating workstations, a setpoint value is determined for the maximum vacuum-requiring operations of the workstations that can be simultaneously executed. The setpoint value is compared to the actual value for control of the suction device.

A spinning machine and method of operation include a plurality of adjacently arranged workstations, each workstation having one of a spinning device or a suction nozzle to which a process vacuum is applied during spinning operation. A vacuum duct extends along the workstations for supplying the spinning devices or the suction nozzles with the process vacuum. A maintenance unit is displaceable along the workstations, the maintenance unit including a pneumatic working element and a vacuum line to supply the pneumatic working element with vacuum. A closeable connection opening is at each of the spinning devices or the suction nozzles, the connection opening connected to the process vacuum. The maintenance unit includes a suction head that is advanceable toward the connection opening and is connected to the vacuum line.

A rotor spinning machine has a multiple number of work stations arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of the rotor spinning machine between two front-side ends of the rotor spinning machine, each of which work stations has a multiple number of work elements for the production and winding of a yarn. The work elements comprise at least one feed device, one severing device, one spinning rotor along with one winding device. Furthermore, the rotor spinning machine has a suction device for producing a negative spinning pressure at the work stations. The suction device includes at least two separate negative pressure sources, whereas one negative pressure source is arranged on each of the two front-side ends of the rotor spinning machine, and whereas each of the negative pressure sources is connected to a separate negative pressure channel that extends in the longitudinal direction of the rotor spinning machine only over a part of the work stations, It is provided that the suction device includes at least two separate negative pressure sources, whereas at least one negative pressure source is arranged on each of the two front-side ends of the rotor spinning machine, and whereas each of the two negative pressure sources is connected to a separate negative pressure channel that extends in the longitudinal direction of the rotor spinning machine only over a part of the work stations. Thereby, each work station has an individual drive, in particular a single electric drive, for the spinning rotor.

An open-end spinning device of a rotor spinning machine has a spinning rotor with a rotor cup, in which fiber material is spun, and with a rotor shaft through which the spinning rotor is driven. A bearing is arranged in a contactless way with a drive to drive the spinning rotor. A rotor housing is provided in which the rotor cup is arranged and which is impinged with spinning negative pressure (p.sub.SU) during spinning operation through a negative pressure channel. A drive housing is provided in which the rotor shaft of the spinning rotor extends, and in which the drive and the bearing of the spinning rotor are arranged. The rotor housing and the drive housing are arranged spaced apart from one another in the open-end spinning device in the axial direction of the rotor shaft. In a method to operate such an open-end spinning device, the rotor housing is impinged with spinning negative pressure (p.sub.SU) during the spinning operation. Air current is prevented from flowing from the rotor housing into the drive housing by arranging the rotor housing and the drive housing spaced apart from one another in the axial direction of the rotor shaft.

An air purification plant, having a partition wall for the spatial separation of a dirty-air space, which is disposed upstream, from a clean-air space, which is disposed downstream, which partition wall has a support frame and a plurality of filter boxes which project from the support frame in the direction of the dirty-air space, and the filter boxes have at least one filter wall which extends from the support frame into the dirty-air space. The filter boxes are in each case open only in the clean-air space which is disposed downstream, wherein filter walls, which face one another, of adjacent filter boxes in each case form a filter pocket which is open on the upstream side and at the bottom, and for switching from one filter pocket into an adjacent filter pocket a suction nozzle is moved through below the filter box which separates the two filter pockets.

The invention relates to a spinning position of an air-spinning machine, and to a method of cleaning a yarn forming element of an air spinning nozzle. To provide a spinning position of an air-spinning machine and a method for cleaning a yarn forming element of an air spinning nozzle of the air-spinning machine, which enable long and trouble-free operation while maintaining the quality and strength of the yarn produced, the spinning position has an air spinning nozzle with a yarn forming element arranged within a vortex chamber for producing a yarn from a fibre band supplied to the air spinning nozzle, in which case the air spinning nozzle can be transferred from a closed state for yarn formation to an open state in which the yarn forming element can be cleaned. In addition, at least one cleaning nozzle for cleaning the yarn forming element in the open state of the air spinning nozzle is arranged at the spinning position, the cleaning nozzle being designed, in particular positioned and/or aligned or positionable and/or alignable, in such a way that, at least in the open state of the air spinning nozzle, the yarn forming element can have a cleaning medium applied to it through the cleaning nozzle.

A spinning position of an air-spinning machine and method of cleaning a yarn forming element of an air spinning nozzle are provided. The spinning position has an air spinning nozzle with a yarn forming element arranged within a vortex chamber for producing a yarn from a fibre band supplied to the air spinning nozzle, in which case the air spinning nozzle can be transferred from a closed state for yarn formation to an open state in which the yarn forming element can be cleaned. At least one cleaning nozzle for cleaning the yarn forming element in the open state of the air spinning nozzle is arranged at the spinning position, the cleaning nozzle being positioned and/or aligned or positionable and/or alignable, such that, at least in the open state of the air spinning nozzle, the yarn forming element can have a cleaning medium applied to it through the cleaning nozzle.

A method for operating a textile machine with several identical workstations which each have a basic requirement for negative pressure for regular production operation and an additional requirement for negative pressure following an interruption to production at the workstation, and with a vacuum system with limited suction force to exert the negative pressure on the workstations. A minimum negative pressure (p.sub.min) is set and the number workstations simultaneously supplied with additional negative pressure is limited so that the minimum negative pressure (p.sub.min) is always met. In accordance with the invention, a sub-negative pressure (p.sub.sub) is specified which is below the minimum negative pressure (p.sub.min) and, if a specified event occurs, the number of workstations simultaneously supplied with additional negative pressure is temporarily limited so that the sub-negative pressure (p.sub.sub) is always met.

A cleaning device for cleaning a rotor disk of a spinning rotor has a cleaning head with at least one cleaning element, and a receptacle on which the cleaning head is mounted and which can be fed to the spinning rotor for cleaning the rotor disk. The cleaning head includes at least one bearing area by means of which the cleaning head is mounted on the receptacle. A longitudinal direction of the bearing area defines an axial direction of the cleaning head. The cleaning head is mounted in the axial direction in a floating manner on the receptacle, and/or the cleaning element is mounted in the axial direction in a floating manner on the cleaning head.

A method for operating a spinning device of a rotor spinning machine, and associated rotor spinning machine are provided in which a spinning rotor includes a rotor cup and a rotor shaft that is set into rotation with the aid of a drive situated in a drive housing. The drive is operatively connected to the rotor shaft, and the rotor shaft is supported in the drive housing by a bearing. The rotor cup is situated in a rotor housing to which vacuum is applied, and the rotor shaft extends between the drive housing and the rotor housing through a connection opening such that when a vacuum is drawn in the rotor housing during a spinning process, a vacuum is also drawn in the drive housing. Compressed air is feed into the drive housing via an air inlet at intervals to clean one or both of the drive housing and the bearing.