Winding and twisting device of a ring spinning or ring twisting machine as well as ring spinning and ring twisting method

Abstract

The present invention provides a winding and twisting device of a ring spinning or ring twisting machine with at least one stator, which comprises at least one superconducting material and a stator cooling system, at least one rotor that creates a magnetic field, and a rotatable spindle, wherein the rotor and the stator are arranged co-axially to the spindle; and wherein the rotor and the stator are formed in a way that a ring-shaped air gap, which is arranged co-axially to the spindle and in which the thread to be wound up can circulate, is formed between the rotor and the stator. Furthermore, a ring spinning or ring twisting method, in which fiber material is twisted and subsequently wound up, is provided, in which such a winding and twisting device is used, wherein the rotor is held co-axially at a distance to the stator by a rotor holding device, wherein the temperature of the superconducting material of the stator is reduced below the transition temperature of the superconducting material and wherein the rotor is released by the rotor holding device.

Claims

1.-15. (canceled)

16. A winding and twisting device of a ring spinning or ring twisting machine, the winding and twisting device comprising: at least one stator that comprises at least one superconducting material and a stator cooling device, at least one rotor that generates a magnetic field, and a rotatable spindle, wherein the rotor and the stator are arranged co-axially to the spindle; and wherein the stator has a plurality of superconducting subsections that are spaced from one another in a circumferential direction of the spindle.

17. The winding and twisting device according to claim 16, wherein the plurality of superconducting subsections is arranged in regular intervals in a periphery of the spindle.

18. The winding and twisting device according to claim 16, wherein a normally conductive material is arranged between the plurality of superconducting subsections.

19. The winding and twisting device according to claim 16, wherein an insulating material is arranged between the plurality of superconducting subsections.

20. The winding and twisting device according to claim 16, wherein the stator has exactly three superconducting subsections.

21. The winding and twisting device according to claim 16, wherein the rotor and the stator are arranged in a co-planar way so that the stator encloses the rotor.

22. The winding and twisting device according to claim 16, wherein the rotor and the stator are arranged in parallel and at an axial distance to one another.

23. The winding and twisting device according to claim 16, wherein the rotor and the stator are formed in a way that the rotor can be supported in a contactless way due to magnetic levitation during the operation of the winding and twisting device.

24. The winding and twisting device according to claim 16, wherein the rotor and the stator are formed so that a ring-shaped air gap, which is arranged co-axially to the spindle and in which a thread to be wound up can circulate, is formed between the rotor and the stator.

25. The winding and twisting device according to claim 24, wherein at least one of the rotor and the stator has at least one ring-shaped yarn guiding element that is arranged co-axially to the spindle, and wherein the yarn guiding element of the at least one of the rotor and the stator delimits the air gap.

26. The winding and twisting device according to claim 25, wherein at least a part of a surface of the at least one yarn guiding element of the at least one of the rotor and the stator that comes in contact with the thread is coated.

27. The winding and twisting device according to claim 25, wherein the at least one yarn guiding element of the at least one of the rotor and the stator is made of plastic or light metal or comprises plastic or light metal.

28. A ring spinning or ring twisting method in which fiber material is twisted and subsequently wound up, wherein: a winding and twisting device according to claim 16 is provided, the rotor is held co-axially at a distance to the stator by a rotor holding device, a temperature of the superconducting material of the stator is reduced below a transition temperature of the superconducting material, and the rotor is released by a rotor holding device.

Description

[0037] Further features and exemplary embodiments as well as advantages of the present invention will be explained in greater detail by means of the drawings in the following. It is clear that the embodiments do not exhaust the field of the present invention. It is further clear that some or all of the features described in the following can also be combined with one another in a different way.

[0038] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a winding and twisting device for ring spinning machines according to a first embodiment of the invention, in which the stator and the rotor are arranged in parallel and at an axial distance to one another.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a winding and twisting device for ring spinning machines according to a second embodiment of the invention, in which the stator and the rotor are arranged in a co-planar way and in which the stator encloses the rotor.

[0040] FIG. 3 shows a top view of an exemplary further development of the stator and the rotor for torque-proof, contactless support of the rotor.

[0041] In the Figures described in the following, identical reference signs denominate the same elements. For the sake of better clarity, identical elements will only be described when they appear for the first time. However, it is clear that the variants and embodiments of an element described with reference to one of the Figures can also be applied to the respective elements in the remaining Figures.

[0042] The embodiment that is displayed schematically in the side view in FIG. 1 is the section of a ring spinning machine 17 that comprises a winding and twisting device 18 according to the present invention. The stator 1, which has at least one superconducting material 19, is arranged co-axially to the spindle and/or spindle axis 7 and is cooled down below the transition temperature of the superconducting material 19 by the stator cooling device 9. The stator 1, which is disposed below the rotor 2 in this exemplary further development, is held by a stator holding device 10 that is only indicated schematically. However, as magnetic levitation is also possible in a suspended position, also embodiments in which the stator is disposed above the rotor as well as embodiments in which a stator is disposed below the rotor and a further stator is disposed above the rotor are comprised.

[0043] The rotor 2 and the stator 1 are arranged in parallel and at an axial distance to one another so that they are not in contact with each other and that the magnetic field created by a permanent-magnetic material 21 of the rotor can enter the superconducting material 19 of the stator 1. In particular, the rotor 2 and the stator 1 are formed in a way that a ring-shaped air channel 14, which is disposed co-axially to the spindle 7 and in which the thread 8 to be wound up can circulate, can be formed between the rotor 2 and the stator 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the thread 8 is guided for this purpose from outside around the rotor 2 and through the air gap 14 to the bobbin 6. The stator 1 and the rotor 2 thereby comprise in particular no elements that could hamper the circulation of the thread 8 in the air gap.

[0044] Rather, the rotor 2 in the exemplary embodiment shown here has a ring-shaped yarn guiding element 3 that is disposed co-axially to the spindle 7 and on whose surface the thread 8 slides and/or rolls off during its circulation around the spindle axis. For this purpose, the yarn guiding element 3 is disposed on the outside of the rotor 2 in a radial direction and equipped with a smooth, rounded surface in such a way that the thread 8 will not tear during guiding over the surface. In the exemplary further development shown in FIG. 1, also the stator 1 has a yarn guiding element 13, which is also formed in a ring-shaped way and which is disposed co-axially to the spindle 7. The thread 8 is thereby guided in the air gap 14 formed between the yarn guiding elements 3 and 13. It is clear that, depending on arrangement and formation, both the rotor 2 as well as the stator 1 can comprise other or differently formed yarn guiding elements as long as said elements are formed in a ring-shaped way and co-axially around the spindle axis and guarantee reliable guiding of the thread from outside through the air gap 14 to the bobbin 6. In addition, the arrangement of the yarn guiding elements has to be adapted to the relative arrangement of the rotor 2 and the stator 1. Most importantly, the yarn guiding elements have to enable the free circulation of the thread 8 and hence are not formed as a closed rotor that has to circulate around the spindle axis with the thread. It is therefore possible to anchor the free-floating rotor 2 magnetically into the stator 1 so that it is positioned in a fixed and contactless way during operation of the installation. As no masses have to be accelerated anymore from now on, the installation can be started without delay.

[0045] For start-up and shut-down of the winding and twisting device 18, the rotor 2 is held coaxially at a distance to the stator 1 by a rotor holding device 12, the temperature of the stator 1 is reduced below the transition temperature of the superconducting material 19 and the rotor 2 is subsequently released by the rotor holding device 12. For this purpose, the schematically displayed mechanical connection 24 can be retracted during operation.

[0046] The yarn 8 runs through the yarn guider 4, continues through the balloon narrowing ring 5 as well as from the outside over the yarn guiding element 3 of the rotor 2 in order to be wound up onto the bobbin 6 as, due to the friction of the circulating yarn 8 on the surface of the yarn guiding element 3 and through the air friction of the yarn balloon that is being formed, a relative velocity between the spindle 7 that is held by the spindle holding device 15 and that is made rotate by the spindle rotating device 16 emerges in relation to the circulation velocity of the thread 8. The relative velocity can be influenced by the surface texture of the, in particular coated, yarn guiding element 3, by means of which the spinning quality of the created yarn can be adjusted accordingly.

[0047] For winding up the yarn 8 onto the bobbin 6, the stator holding device 10 is displaced in a variant of the invention by means of the stator displacing device 11 along the spindle axis, in the process of which the yarn guiding 4 and optionally the balloon narrowing ring 5 can be moved along through an optional rigid connection 20 (indicated schematically) while, however, the spindle 7 does not change its position in relation to the ring spinning machine 17. In another variant of the invention, the position of the winding and twisting device 18 in relation to the ring spinning machine 17 remains fixed while the spindle 7 with the bobbin 6 is displaced along the spindle axis by means of the spindle displacement device 26.

[0048] FIG. 2 shows an alternative further development of the winding and twisting device 18 of a ring spinning machine 17 in a schematic side view. As already in the previous embodiment, the stator 1, which has at least one superconducting material 19, is arranged co-axially to the spindle and/or spindle axis 7 and is cooled down below the transition temperature of the superconducting material 19 by the stator cooling device 9. As shown in greater detail in FIG. 3, the coaxial arrangement of the stator 1 and/or of the rotor 2 does, however, not imply that the stator 1 and/or rotor 2 have to be formed in a ring-shaped way. Only the radial distance of the segments of the stator 1 and/or rotor 2 described further below from the spindle axis has to be equal. In the further development shown in FIG. 2, the rotor 2 and the stator 1 are arranged co-axially with the stator enclosing the rotor so that they are not in contact and that the magnetic field created by the permanent-magnetic material 21 of the rotor 2 can enter the superconducting material 19 of the stator 1. As the stator 1 is held by the stator holding device 10 and as the thread circulates through the ring-shaped air gap 14, the rotor 2 has to be disposed within the stator 1.

[0049] In the shown embodiment, the rotor 2 has a ring-shaped yarn guiding element 3 that is arranged co-axially to the spindle 7 and through which the thread 8 is led from above through the air gap 14 to the bobbin 6. Also in this case, the yarn guiding element 3 is disposed radially on the outer circumference of the rotor 2 and formed with a smooth, rounded surface so that the thread 8 can be guided with a high velocity over the surface of the yarn guiding element 3 without tearing. In addition, the stator 1 has a ring-shaped yarn guiding element 13 that is disposed radially on its inner circumference and that delimits the formed ring-shaped air gap 14 together with the yarn guiding element 3.

[0050] For start-up and shut-down of the winding and twisting device 18, the rotor 2 is held by a rotor holding device 12 co-axially and with a distance to the stator 1, the temperature of the stator 1 is reduced below the transition temperature of the superconducting material 19 and the rotor 2 is subsequently released through retraction of the mechanical connection 24 of the rotor holding device 12.

[0051] The yarn 8 runs through the yarn guider 4, continues through the balloon narrowing ring 5 as well as from above through the ring-shaped air gap 14 formed between the stator 1 and the rotor 2 in order to be wound up onto the bobbin 6, wherein, due to the friction of the thread 8 that circulates on the surface of the yarn guiding element 8 and due to the air friction of the yarn balloon, a relative velocity arises between the spindle 7, which is held by the spindle holding device 15 and made rotate by the spindle rotation device 16, with regard to the circulation velocity of the thread 8 that determines the spinning quality. Again, a desired spinning quality can be set through an appropriate choice of the surface texture of the yarn guiding element 3.

[0052] For winding up the yarn 8 onto the bobbin 6, the stator holding device 10 is displaced in one embodiment of the invention by means of the stator displacing device 11 along the spindle axis, wherein the thread guiding 4 and optionally the balloon narrowing ring 5 can be moved along via an optional rigid connection 20 while the spindle 7 does not change its position in relation to the ring spinning machine 17. In another embodiment of the invention, the position of the winding and twisting device 18 remains unchanged in relation to the ring spinning machine 17 while the spindle 7 with the bobbin 6 is displaced along the spindle axis by means of the spindle displacing device 26.

[0053] A special further development of the stator and the rotor for torque-proof, contactless support of the rotor is shown exemplarily in FIG. 3. While the yarn guiding elements 3 and 13 are formed in a ring-shaped way, both the permanent-magnetic areas 21 of the rotor 2 as well as the superconducting areas 19 of the stator 1 are only formed in segments. In the displayed, nonlimiting further development, the rotor 2 comprises three subsections 21a-c with a permanent magnetic material, which are arranged at regular intervals along the inner circumference of the yarn guiding element 3 and which can be formed for example as shown as bar or cylinder magnets. In this context, the magnets are fastened on the yarn guiding element 3 and carry said element during operation. Alternatively, the yarn guiding element 3 can itself comprise the permanent-magnetic subsections, for example as magnetized segments of a metal ring. In the embodiment mentioned first, the rotor 2 can be formed with a particularly light weight by forming the yarn guiding element 3 for example of a plastic material or a light metal and with a low thickness. Therefore, the magnetic levitation can already be reached with a low field strength.

[0054] In correspondence to the rotor 2, the stator 1 has three superconducting subsections 19a-c, which are arranged at equal intervals along the outer circumference of the yarn guiding element 13 and which can be formed with regard to their expansion and their arrangement in a way that they are exactly opposite to the permanent-magnetic subsections 21a-c of the rotor 2. The super-conducting subsections 19a-c can therein be held by the stator holding device or the stator cooling device while they hold the yarn guiding element 13 for their part. The latter can potentially also be omitted. The illustrated arrangement with respectively three subsections allows for a stable, contactless support of the rotor, which is in addition torque-proof due to the pinning of the magnetic flux lines to the superconducting subsections 19a-c. As shown in FIG. 3, the thread 8 can be guided from above through the air gap 14 between the two yarn guiding elements 3 and 13 and circulate around said air gap. There is consequently no longer a requirement to accelerate the rotor 2 during start-up of the ring spinning machine and to slow down said rotor during shutdown. Due to the low friction of the circulating thread 8, very high speeds of the spindle 7 can be achieved in addition, which can increase the productivity of the ring spinning machine. As the rotor 2in spite of the namedoes no longer rotate, there is in addition no more risk of injury for the operating staff.