A method and associated handling unit transfer a sliver from a sliver can into a workstation of a sliver processing textile machine that has a plurality of identical workstations arranged next to one another. The handling unit is stopped at the workstation and the sliver is captured with the handling unit at the sliver can. The captured sliver is transferred to a receiving unit of the workstation and, after the sliver has been transferred, the sliver is released from the handling unit as the handling unit leaves the workstation. After the sliver has been released, a check is performed to determine whether the sliver has been completely removed from the handling unit.

A method for operating a work station of a textile machine that produces or rewinds yarn in a normal operation, wherein the normal operation is interrupted. The method includes performing at least one service step for restoring the normal operation, wherein a service result is specified for the service step. A standard service operation is carried out with a service device until the service result has been achieved or a predetermined number of failed attempts has been reached. When the predetermined number of failed standard service operation attempts has been reached, an extended service operation is carried out.

A method is provided for controlling movement and operation of an attending device of a yarn manufacturing textile machine, wherein the attending device moves along a row of workstations arranged next to each other to perform operations at the workstations. The method controls the movement of the attending device along the work stations and operations of the attending device based on success statistics of the operations at the workstations to achieve an overall increased efficiency of the textile machine. An operational stay of the attending device at a particular one of the work stations is terminated without waiting for a result of the operation being performed by the attending device at the particular workstation.

A method and associated spinning machine for maintaining spinning units of the spinning machine includes a plurality of the spinning units arranged next to one another and at least one maintenance device that is movable along the spinning units to perform maintenance procedures on the spinning units. Prior to maintenance of a spinning unit by the maintenance device, a housing of the spinning unit is opened. Subsequently, the maintenance is performed and then the housing is closed. One or both of the opening and the closing of the housing is carried out autonomously with a sealing device operably configured at the spinning unit.

The invention relates to a maintenance device (13a-13e) for servicing adjacent work stations (11) of a textile machine (1), in particular a spinning machine, comprising an operating unit (2a-2e), which features at least one operating component (14) for servicing the work stations (11), and with a guide unit (9), by means of which the maintenance device (13) can be transported on a driving rail (3) along the work stations (11) and which defines a direction of travel (4) of the maintenance device (13). Thereby, the maintenance device (13) can be transported from a maintenance position (I), in which one of the work stations (11) can be serviced by the maintenance device (13a-13e), into an inspection position (II), in which the maintenance device (13a-13e) can be inspected. For the transport of the maintenance device (13a-13e) from the maintenance position (I) into the inspection position (II), the operating unit (2a-2e) can be pivoted with respect to the guide unit (9), and/or the at least one operating component (14) can be moved (in particular, can be pivoted) with respect to the operating unit (2a-2e).

A sliver feeder for a textile machine having at least one pick-up unit and at least one feeder unit. In order to improve the handling of fiber material and to increase the quality of a sliver to be transferred to a pre-compactor and thereby increase the process stability and thereby save resources, the pick-up is designed and arranged to pick up a sliver, in particular from a can of the textile machine, and to transfer the sliver to the feeder unit, wherein the feeder unit has a takeover section and is designed and arranged in such a way as to transfer the sliver to a sliver guide, in particular to a pick-up section of a pre-compactor.

A textile machine, especially a spinning machine or winding machine, has numerous identical workstations arranged beside one another along a longitudinal side, with numerous maintenance devices movable along the workstations for servicing the workstations, and with a control and communication system. The maintenance devices are connected to a bus topology component through a maintenance device bus line, in which case at least some of the bus topology components are connected to the control and communication system with a common bus line. The bus topology components are arranged in a middle area of the textile machine, in the longitudinal direction (LR) of the textile machine.