SPINNING DEVICE HAVING A FLOATING SPINNING RING AND BALLOON LIMITER TUBE

Abstract

A spinning device, for a ring spinning or ring twisting machine, having a spinning spindle for holding a yarn tube such that the yarn tube is oriented coaxial with a spindle axis, a spinning ring for guiding, on the outside thereof, a yarn to be wound on the yarn tube, the spinning ring being arranged coaxial with the spindle axis, and a spinning-ring guiding unit arranged coaxial with the spindle axis, wherein the spinning ring is floatingly fixed at the spinning-ring guiding unit in the spindle-axis direction. In order to provide a spinning device and a spinning machine having a spinning device which allow a spinning process to be reliably performed without limitation of the spindle speed and without use of a ring traveller, a balloon limiter tube is arranged coaxial with the spindle axis such that the yarn is guided on an inner face of the balloon limiter tube.

Claims

1. A spinning device comprising: a spinning spindle for holding a yarn tube such that the yarn tube is oriented coaxial with a spindle axis, a spinning ring for guiding, on the outside thereof, a yarn to be wound on the yarn tube, the spinning ring being arranged coaxial with the spindle axis, and a spinning-ring guiding unit arranged coaxial with the spindle axis, wherein the spinning ring is fixed at the spinning-ring guiding unit such that the spinning ring floats in the spindle-axis direction, characterised by a balloon limiter tube arranged coaxial with the spindle axis such that the yarn is guided on an inner face of the balloon limiter tube.

2. The spinning device according to claim 1, characterised in that the spinning device is for a ring spinning or ring twisting machine.

3. The spinning device according to claim 1, characterised in that the spinning ring is floatingly fixed at the spinning-ring guiding unit in the spindle-axis direction by a magnetic field.

4. The spinning device according to claim 1, characterised in that the spinning-ring guiding unit has a guide ring arranged coaxial with and at distance from a spinning-ring circumferential surface.

5. The spinning device according to claim 1, characterised in that the spinning ring is fixed at the spinning-ring guiding unit perpendicularly to the spindle-axis direction by means of a magnetic field.

6. The spinning device according to claim 1, characterised in that the spinning ring and the guide ring have magnets which face one another perpendicularly to the spindle axis and repel one another and are designed such that the spinning ring is fixed relative to the guide ring in the spindle-axis direction and/or perpendicularly to the spindle axis.

7. The spinning device according to claim 1, characterised in that the spinning-ring guiding unit has a spinning-ring support ring arranged coaxial with the spindle axis and vertically below the spinning ring, the spinning ring and the spinning-ring support ring having magnets, which face one another in the spindle-axis direction and repel one another and are designed such that the spinning ring is vertically spaced from the spinning-ring support ring in the spindle-axis direction.

8. The spinning device according to claim 1, characterised in that the spinning-ring support ring and the guide ring are connected to one another.

9. The spinning device according to claim 1, characterised in that the guide ring extends from the spinning-ring support ring into a region above the spinning ring.

10. The spinning device according to claim 1, characterised in that magnets which face one another perpendicularly to the spindle axis and repel one another, are arranged on the yarn tube and on the spinning ring, the magnets being designed such that the spinning ring is fixed relative to the yarn tube perpendicularly to the spindle axis.

11. The spinning device according to claim 1, characterised in that the magnets on the guide ring, on the spinning-ring support ring and/or on the yarn tube are in the form of electromagnets.

12. The spinning device according to claim 1, characterised by a sensor unit for sensing the distance between the spinning ring and the spinning-ring support ring, between the spinning ring and the guide ring and/or between the spinning ring and the yarn tube.

13. The spinning device according to claim 1, characterised in that at least some segments of the balloon limiter tube are arranged coaxial with the spinning ring and/or with the guide ring.

14. The spinning device according to claim 1, characterised in that the guide ring is arranged on the inner face of the balloon limiter tube.

15. The spinning device according to claim 1, characterised by a yarn support ring, at least some segments of which are arranged coaxial with the guide ring and/or with the balloon limiter tube.

16. The spinning device according to claim 1, characterised in that the balloon limiter tube is made of multiple parts.

17. The spinning device according to claim 1, characterised in that the balloon limiter tube has an inner cross-section which varies in the spindle-axis direction.

18. The spinning device according to claim 1, characterised in that the radial distance between the spinning ring and the guide ring is 0.05 mm to 5 mm.

19. The spinning device according to claim 18, characterised in that the radial distance between the spinning ring and the guide ring is 0.25 mm to 1.5 mm.

20. The spinning device according to claim 1, characterised in that the diagonal diameter of the spinning ring is greater than the inside diameter of the guide ring.

21. A spinning machine comprising a spinning device for producing a yarn and winding the yarn on a yarn tube, characterised in that the spinning device is according to claim 1.

22. The spinning machine according to claim 21, characterised in that the spinning device is a ring spinning or ring twisting machine.

23. The spinning machine according to claim 21, characterised by a control unit for changing the electric current of the magnets which are in the form of electromagnets, the control unit being coupled to the sensor unit for sensing the distance between the spinning ring and the spinning-ring support ring, between the spinning ring and the guide ring and/or between the spinning ring and the yarn tube.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0045] Embodiment examples of the invention are explained below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings:

[0046] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a first embodiment of a spinning device;

[0047] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a second embodiment of a spinning device;

[0048] FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of a third embodiment of a spinning device;

[0049] FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of a fourth embodiment of a spinning device;

[0050] FIG. 5 shows a schematic illustration of a fifth embodiment of a spinning device;

[0051] FIG. 6 shows a schematic illustration of a sixth embodiment of a spinning device;

[0052] FIG. 7 shows a schematic illustration of a seventh embodiment of a spinning device;

[0053] FIG. 8 shows a schematic illustration of an eight embodiment of a spinning device;

[0054] FIG. 9 shows a schematic illustration of a ninth embodiment of a spinning device;

[0055] FIG. 10 shows a schematic illustration of a tenth embodiment of a spinning device;

[0056] FIG. 11 shows a schematic illustration of an eleventh embodiment of a spinning device;

[0057] FIG. 12 shows a schematic illustration of a twelfth embodiment of a spinning device;

[0058] FIG. 13 shows a schematic illustration of a thirteenth embodiment of a spinning device;

[0059] FIG. 14 shows a schematic illustration of a fourteenth embodiment of a spinning device;

[0060] FIG. 15 shows a second schematic illustration of the spinning device of FIG. 14; and

[0061] FIGS. 16a-16f show schematic illustrations of different embodiments of a balloon limiter tube.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0062] The following description of the embodiments of the present invention is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses. The following description is provided herein solely by way of example for purposes of providing an enabling disclosure of the invention, but does not limit the scope or substance of the invention.

[0063] A first embodiment of a spinning device 1a is shown in a schematic illustration in FIG. 1. In the spinning device 1a, a yarn 5 fed from a drafting system (not shown here) reaches a yarn tube 8, which is arranged on a spindle axis 6 and on which the yarn 5 is deposited as a yarn winding 7. In order to guide the yarn 5 through the spinning device 1a, the spinning device 1a has a spinning-ring guiding unit 21a and a balloon limiter tube 2a, which consists of a first tube body 3, the spinning-ring guiding unit 21a and the balloon limiter tube 2a each being arranged coaxial with the spindle axis 6.

[0064] In the spinning-ring guiding unit 21a, the yarn 5 is fed, in the radial direction, to the yarn tube 8, on which the yarn 5 is deposited as a yarn winding 7 as a result of rotation of the yarn tube 8. A spinning ring 20a of the spinning-ring guiding unit 21a is used to radially guide the yarn 5 toward the yarn tube 8, the spinning ring 20a being arranged coaxial with the spindle axis 6. For the axial positioning of the spinning ring 20a relative to the yarn tube 8, the spinning-ring guiding unit 21a has a spinning-ring support ring 18. For the positioning of the spinning ring 20a in the spindle-axis direction relative to the spinning-ring support ring 18, the spinning-ring support ring 18 has permanent magnets 9a, which are distributed over the circumference of the spinning-ring support ring 18 and which produce, in cooperation with magnets 11 arranged on the spinning ring 20a so as to face the permanent magnets 9a in the spindle-axis direction, a repulsive magnetic field, in which case the spinning ring 20a is positioned floatingly above the spinning-ring support ring 18. The magnetic field generated between the magnets 9a, 11 counteracts the weight of the spinning ring 20a and thus positions the spinning ring 20a at a distance above the spinning-ring support ring 18.

[0065] In order to secure the radial position of the spinning ring 20a relative to the spinning-ring guiding unit 21a and relative to the yarn tube 8, a guide ring 17a is arranged on the spinning-ring support ring 18, which guide ring 17a extends from the spinning-ring support ring 18 in the spindle-axis direction such that the guide ring 17a is arranged coaxial with the spinning ring 20a. On the guide ring 17a and on the spinning ring 20a, magnets 10a, 12 are arranged facing one another perpendicularly to the spindle axis 6, i.e. in the radial direction, such that the magnets 10a, 12 repel one another so that the spinning ring 20a is made to float relative to the guide ring 17a in the radial direction and relative to the spinning-ring support ring 18a in the vertical direction by means of the spinning-ring guiding unit 21a.

[0066] During the spinning process, in which the spinning ring 20a has no rotation about the spindle axis 6 or rotation about the spindle axis 6 which is considerably below the spindle speed, the yarn 5, which is guided along the inner face of the tube body 3a of the balloon limiter tube 2a, reliably ends up on the yarn tube 8 as a yarn winding 7.

[0067] In FIG. 2, a further embodiment of a spinning device 1b is shown, which differs from the spinning device 1a shown in FIG. 1 in the embodiment of the spinning-ring guiding unit 21b. In comparison with the spinning device 1a shown in FIG. 1, the spinning-ring support ring 18 and the guide ring 17a have, instead of the permanent magnets 9a, 10a shown in FIG. 1, electromagnets 9b, 10b, which cooperate with the permanent magnets 11, 12 on the spinning ring 20a to produce a repulsive magnetic field.

[0068] When distance changes occur, for example as a result of the thread tensile forces acting during the spinning process, distance sensors 22 in the region between the spinning-ring support ring 18 and the spinning ring 20a and between the guide ring 17a and the spinning ring 20a allow the electric current of the electromagnets 9b, 10b to be adjusted in order to exactly position the spinning ring 20a at the spinning-ring guiding unit 21b.

[0069] The spinning device 1c shown in FIG. 3 differs from the spinning device 1a shown in FIG. 1 in the embodiment of the radial guidance of the spinning ring 20b at the spinning-ring guiding unit 21c. In contrast to the spinning ring 20a shown in FIG. 1, the spinning ring 20b has magnets 13 facing the yarn tube 8, which magnets 13 interact with magnets 14a arranged on the yarn tube 8 such that a repulsive magnetic field is formed between the magnets 13, 14a in order to position the spinning ring 20b radially, i.e. perpendicularly to the spindle axis 6. Apart from that, the spinning-ring guiding unit 21c and the spinning device 1c have a design corresponding to the spinning-ring guiding unit 21a and to the spinning device 1a, respectively.

[0070] FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment of the spinning device 1d, which differs from the spinning device 1a shown in FIG. 1 in that, in addition to the magnets 11, 12, the magnets 13 are arranged on the spinning ring 20c, which magnets 13 interact with the magnets 14a arranged on the yarn tube 8. Thus, the spinning ring 20c is radially positioned at the spinning-ring guiding unit 21d, or relative to the yarn tube 8, both by means of interaction between the magnets 10a on the guide ring 17a and the magnets 12 on the spinning ring 20c and by means of interaction between the magnets 13 on the spinning ring 20c and the magnets 14a arranged on the yarn tube 8.

[0071] The spinning device 1e shown in FIG. 5, having a spinning-ring guiding unit 21e, constitutes an additional modification of the spinning device 1a shown in FIG. 1, in which modification the magnets 14b arranged on the yarn tube 8 and the magnets 9b arranged on the spinning-ring support ring 18 for vertical positioning are in the form of electromagnets.

[0072] FIG. 6 shows a further embodiment of a spinning device 1l, in which the spinning device 1l has a yarn support ring 24, which is arranged coaxial with the spinning-ring support ring 18 and with the guide ring 17a and coaxial with the balloon limiter tube 2m such that a gap, with respect to the spindle-axis direction 6, between the balloon limiter tube 2m and the guide ring 17a is covered by the yarn support ring 24, in which case loop formation which would interfere with the spinning process is prevented. The inner surface of the yarn support ring 24 of FIG. 6 is parallel to the spindle axis 6. In this way, the support of the yarn perpendicularly to the spindle axis 6 is particularly reliable. The funnel-shaped extension of the balloon limiter tube 2a of FIGS. 1 to 5 also has the function of a yarn support ring.

[0073] In the embodiment example shown in FIG. 6, the yarn support ring 24 is connected to the balloon limiter tube 2m. In contrast, in the spinning device 1m shown in FIG. 7 the yarn support ring 24 is connected neither to the balloon limiter tube 2n nor to the guide ring 17a, but rather is arranged coaxial with and at a distance from the guide ring 17a. As in the embodiment example shown in FIG. 6, the inner surface of the yarn support ring 24 facing the spindle axis 6 provides support for the yarn 5 likewise in the embodiment example shown in FIG. 7.

[0074] FIG. 8 shows a further embodiment of a spinning device 1f, in which, in contrast to the spinning devices 1a to 1e shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, the spinning-ring guiding unit 21f is formed only by a guide ring 17b coaxially surrounding the spinning ring 20d. In order to produce a magnetic field which fixes the spinning ring 20d relative to the guide ring 17b, magnets 16 are arranged on the guide ring 17b, which magnets 16, together with magnets 15 on the spinning ring 20d, produce a magnetic field which positions the spinning ring 20d relative to the guide ring 17b both in the spindle-axis direction and perpendicularly to the spindle axis 6.

[0075] In order to distribute the yarn 5 uniformly in the axial direction as a yarn winding 7 on the yarn tube 8, the yarn tube 8 can be moved in the spindle-axis direction relative to the balloon limiter tube 2b, which has a first tube body 3b and a second tube body 4a.

[0076] FIG. 9 shows an alternative embodiment to the spinning device 1f shown in FIG. 8, this alternative embodiment having a corresponding spinning-ring guiding unit 21f. In contrast to the spinning device 1f shown in FIG. 8, the spinning device 1g shown in FIG. 9 has an alternative embodiment of the balloon limiter tube 2c, wherein the first tube body 3b is connected to the second tube body 4b for telescoping, so that uniform winding of the yarn 5 on the yarn tube 8 is achieved by means of axial movement of the first tube body 3b relative to the second tube body 4b and relative to the yarn tube 8.

[0077] FIG. 10 shows a further embodiment of a spinning device 1h, which has a balloon limiter tube 2d having a single tube body 3c. A yarn winding 7 is produced by means of movement of the balloon limiter tube 2d and/or the yarn tube 8 in the spindle-axis direction, the yarn 5 being fed to the balloon limiter tube 2g through a thread guide ring 23.

[0078] FIG. 11 shows an alternative embodiment to the spinning device 1h shown in FIG. 10, in which alternative embodiment the balloon limiter tube 2e is formed by a first tube body 3b, which has a cylindrical segment and a funnel-shaped segment, which funnel-shaped segment faces the spinning-ring guiding unit.

[0079] The spinning device 1j shown in FIG. 12 constitutes a further embodiment of the spinning-ring guiding unit 21f, which is shown in FIGS. 8 to 11 in combination with different balloon limiter tubes 2b to 2e; in the spinning device 1j, the balloon limiter tube 2f is formed by two cylindrical tube bodies 3c, 4c, the first tube body 3c and the second tube body 4c being connected to one another for telescoping.

[0080] FIG. 13 shows an alternative embodiment of a spinning device 1k, which, in comparison with the spinning device 1g shown in FIG. 9, has a tube body 3b having a segment which constricts toward the thread guide ring 23.

[0081] FIGS. 14 and 15 show a further embodiment of a spinning device 1n. The spinning device 1n has a guide ring 17c connected to the spinning-ring support ring 18, which guide ring 17c adjoins the spinning-ring support ring 18 in an outer region and extends in the direction of the spindle axis 6, such that the spinning-ring support ring 18 and the guide ring 17c form a cup-like receptacle, within which the spinning ring 20e is arranged coaxial with the spindle axis 6.

[0082] In order to space the spinning ring 20e above the spinning-ring support ring 18 in the vertical direction, i.e. in the spindle-axis direction, permanent magnets 9a, 11 are arranged on the spinning-ring support ring 18 and on the spinning ring 20e such that the permanent magnets 9a, 11 face one another vertically and such that, between the permanent magnets 9a, 11, a magnetic field having a repulsive effect is produced, which magnetic field counteracts the weight of the spinning ring 20e, said weight acting vertically, and thus makes the spinning ring 20e float relative to the spinning-ring support ring 18.

[0083] Perpendicularly to the spindle axis 6, i.e. in the radial direction, the inner surface of the guide ring 17c forms a guide surface for the spinning-ring circumferential surface of the spinning ring 20e, and thus the guide ring 17c provides mechanical guidance of the spinning ring 20e in the radial direction. The distance between the spinning-ring circumferential surface and the inner surface of the guide ring 17c is dimensioned such that the yarn 5 can be reliably fed past the spinning-ring circumferential surface and between the spinning ring 20e and the spinning-ring support ring 17c and then reliably wound on yarn tube 8 as a yarn winding 7. The radial distance between the spinning-ring circumferential surface and the inner surface of the guide ring 17c is dimensioned such that at least the yarn 5 to be spun can still pass through, even if, as shown in FIG. 15, the spinning ring 20e is tilted relative to the spindle axis 6, in which case sufficient space for the yarn 5 remains, as a result, if necessary, of a slight diameter difference between the spinning-ring outer surface and the inner surface of the guide ring 17c.

[0084] The guide ring 17c extends from the spinning-ring support ring 18 into a region above the top edge of the spinning ring 20e. In the region above the spinning ring 20e, the inner surface of the guide ring 17c is used, similarly to a balloon limiter tube, as a guide for the yarn 5.

[0085] Different embodiments of the balloon limiter tube 2g to 21 are shown in FIGS. 16a to 16f. The balloon limiter tube 2g shown in FIG. 16a has a cross-section which expands toward a spinning-ring guiding unit 21a to 21f (not shown here). The balloon limiter tube 2h shown in FIG. 16b has cylindrical and funnel-shaped segments, which adjoin one another in the spindle-axis direction.

[0086] The balloon limiter tube 2i shown in FIG. 16c has an inner cross-section which constricts toward a spinning-ring guiding unit 21a to 21f; cylindrical segments adjoin funnel-shaped segments in alternation.

[0087] The balloon limiter tube 2j shown in FIG. 16d has, with respect to the spindle-axis direction, a plurality of segments with constricting or expanding inner cross-sections, which segments adjoin one another in the spindle-axis direction.

[0088] The balloon limiter tubes 2k, 21 shown in FIGS. 16e and 16f have an inner surface with a wavy contour in the spindle-axis direction.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0089] 1a-1n Spinning device [0090] 2a-2n Balloon limiter tube [0091] 3a-3c First tube body [0092] 4a-4c Second tube body [0093] 5 Yarn [0094] 6 Spindle axis [0095] 7 Yarn winding [0096] 8 Yarn tube [0097] 9a, 9b Magnet (support ring) [0098] 10a, 10b Magnet (guide ring) [0099] 11 Magnet (spinning ring, vertical) [0100] 12 Magnet (spinning ring, radial->guide ring) [0101] 13 Magnet (spinning ring, radial->yarn tube) [0102] 14a, 14b Magnet (yarn tube) [0103] 15 Magnet (spinning ring, radial+vertical) [0104] 16 Magnet (guide ring, radial+vertical) [0105] 17a-17c Guide ring [0106] 18 Spinning-ring support ring [0107] 20a-20e Spinning ring [0108] 21a-21f Spinning-ring guiding unit [0109] 22 Distance sensors [0110] 23 Thread guide ring [0111] 24 Yarn support ring

[0112] It will therefore be readily understood by those persons skilled in the art that the present invention is susceptible of broad utility and application. Many embodiments and adaptations of the present invention other than those herein described, as well as many variations, modifications and equivalent arrangements, will be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention and the foregoing description thereof, without departing from the substance or scope of the present invention. Accordingly, while the present invention has been described herein in detail in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that this disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the present invention and is made merely for purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the invention. The foregoing disclosure is not intended or to be construed to limit the present invention or otherwise to exclude any such other embodiments, adaptations, variations, modifications and equivalent arrangements.