SPINNING POSITION, AIR SPINNING MACHINE AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A YARN

Abstract

A spinning position for producing a yarn from a fed fiber band, having an air spinning nozzle with an inlet opening for the fed fiber band and an outlet area with an outlet opening for the spun yarn is provided. In order to provide a spinning position, an air spinning machine and a method which allow for the yarn surface finish to be modified advantageously without the yarn properties deteriorating at the same time, while also avoiding expensive and complex modifications to the spinning position, there is provision for a navel to be arranged in the outlet area behind the outlet opening for modifying the surface finish of the spun yarn.

Claims

1. A spinning position for producing a yarn from a fed fiber band, with an air spinning nozzle with an inlet opening for the fed fiber band and an outlet area with an outlet opening for the air-spun yarn, characterized in that a navel is arranged in the outlet area downstream of the outlet opening in the yarn take-off direction for modifying the surface finish of the spun yarn.

2. The spinning position according to claim 1, characterized in that the navel has a nozzle opening for all-around take-up of the air-spun yarn.

3. The spinning position according to claim 1, characterized in that the navel has a structured nozzle surface in the area of the nozzle opening for mechanical interaction with the surface of the yarn to be modified.

4. The spinning position according to claim 1, characterized in that structure elements protruding from the nozzle surface are arranged in the area of the nozzle opening for intensified mechanical interaction with the yarn surface to be modified.

5. The spinning position according to claim 1, characterized in that the structure elements protruding from the nozzle surface are formed as a spiral, rings, crosses, notches, grooves, squares, circles, dots, other elevations, or a combination.

6. The spinning position according to claim 1, characterized in that several zones of protruding structure elements differing from one another are arranged on the nozzle surface, each of the zones extending over the entire circumference of the nozzle surface and/or the zones being arranged one behind the other in the nozzle opening.

7. The spinning position according to claim 1, characterized in that the nozzle opening is divided along the central longitudinal axis into at least two zones, the first zone comprising a first shape of the protruding structure elements and/or a constant cross-section of the nozzle opening and the second zone having a different shape of the protruding structure elements and/or a conically widening cross-section of the nozzle opening.

8. The spinning position according to claim 1, characterized in that the navel is fixed so as to be rotatable about the central longitudinal axis of the nozzle opening.

9. An air spinning machine with at least one spinning position according to claim 1 for producing a yarn from a fed fiber band.

10. A method for producing a yarn with a modified surface finish, comprising: air spinning of a yarn from a fiber band by an air spinning nozzle, and guiding of the air-spun yarn through a navel for modifying the yarn surface as the air-spun yarn is taken from the air spinning nozzle.

11. A method of using a navel in the outlet area behind an outlet opening of an air spinning nozzle of a spinning position according to claim 1 for modifying the surface finish of an air-spun yarn.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Several embodiment examples of a spinning position according to the present invention, each with different navels, are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings:

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a spinning position of an air spinning machine with a navel arranged behind an air spinning nozzle,

[0031] FIG. 2a shows a lateral sectional view of a first embodiment of a navel,

[0032] FIG. 2b shows a view of the rear of the navel depicted in FIG. 2a,

[0033] FIG. 3a shows a lateral sectional view of a second embodiment of a navel,

[0034] FIG. 3b shows a view of the rear of the navel depicted in FIG. 3a,

[0035] FIG. 4a shows a lateral sectional view of a third embodiment of a navel, and

[0036] FIG. 4b shows a view of the rear of the navel depicted in FIG. 4a.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0037] 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.

[0038] At a spinning position 1 of an air spinning machine depicted in FIG. 1, a fiber band 3 is fed to an air spinning nozzle 4 and spun into a yarn 2 here. For this purpose, the fiber band 3 is first stretched by means of a drafting system 16 and then fed to the air spinning nozzle 4 through an inlet opening 5. In the area of the air spinning nozzle 4, there is a blowing air nozzle 18 which swirls the fibers lying outside in the fiber band 3 around fibers in the center of the fiber band 3 and thus forms a yarn 2 by means of the yarn forming element 17. For this purpose, the spinning position 1 has a compressed air system 20 with a compressed air source 21 and a control unit 22.

[0039] The yarn 2 produced in this way is then guided from the air spinning nozzle 4 through a thread channel of the yarn forming element 17 to an outlet opening 7 in an outlet area 6 in order to be wound up subsequently. A navel 8 is also arranged in the outlet area 6 downstream of the outlet opening 7 in the yarn take-off direction, through which navel 8 the finished air-spun yarn 2 is drawn by means of a thread take-off device 19 of the spinning position 1. The thread take-off device 19 can be, in particular, a roller pair or take-off roller downstream of the navel 8 in the yarn take-off direction or, in addition alternatively, the thread take-off device 19 can be the winding device for winding a take-up package such as a cross-wound package.

[0040] The navel 8 is provided to modify the surface finish of the finished yarn 2 spun in the air spinning nozzle 4, thus generating a softer yarn surface and increased hairiness of the yarn 2, which makes it more suitable as a knitting yarn and allows the production of fabrics with a more pleasant feel.

[0041] For this purpose, a first embodiment of a navel 8 depicted in FIG. 2a, b has a nozzle opening 9 through which the finished air-spun yarn 2 is taken, the diameter of the nozzle opening 9 being adapted to the diameter of the yarn 2 drawn through it in such a way that the surface of the yarn 2 can be modified by mechanical interaction and, in particular, by the friction occurring when the yarn 2 is drawn through. The nozzle opening 9 is arranged centrally in the navel 8 in this case.

[0042] For this purpose, the navel 8 has a structured, in particular a roughened nozzle surface 10 in at least one zone on the wall of the nozzle opening 9 which comes into contact with the yarn 2. The zone with a structured nozzle surface 10 has a constant diameter over the entire length, which is adapted to the diameter of the yarn 2 to be modified. Furthermore, the wall in the nozzle opening 9 is rotationally symmetrical to the central longitudinal axis A of the navel 8, so that the navel 8 can be used both in a stationary arrangement and without rotation, as well as rotating about the central longitudinal axis A.

[0043] In front of this zone with a structured nozzle surface 10, there is an input zone 14 in the yarn take-off direction with a conically narrowing round cross-section (see FIG. 2a), which allows the air-spun yarn 2 to run into the navel 8 in a particularly straightforward manner, and advantageously prevents the yarn 2 from tearing. This input zone 14 has a smooth, non-structured nozzle surface 23, in which interaction with the air-spun yarn 2, especially the friction, is particularly low.

[0044] A further zone 13 is arranged in the yarn take-off direction behind the zone with a structured nozzle surface 10, the cross-section of which zone 13 widens in a non-linear manner, in particular exponentially, and is also round. The nozzle surface 23 is also smooth and unstructured in this embodiment of the navel 8.

[0045] A second embodiment of a navel 8 depicted in FIG. 3a, b basically differs from the first embodiment in that identical structure elements 11 protruding from the nozzle surface 10 and forming the structure of the nozzle surface 10 are arranged in the nozzle opening 9 in the area of the first zone 13. In this case, the structure elements 11 are arranged in a grid and have the shape of cuboids protruding from the nozzle surface 10, i.e. a rectangular shape. These structure elements 11 protruding from the nozzle surface 10 enable an intensification of the interaction between the surface of the air-spun yarn 2 to be modified and the wall of the nozzle opening 9.

[0046] A third embodiment of a navel 8 depicted in FIG. 4a, b basically differs from the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3a, b in that in the second zone 14 of the nozzle opening 9, which is arranged downstream of the first zone 13 with a structured nozzle surface 10 in the yarn take-off direction, a structured surface of the nozzle opening 9 is also provided, which is a second structure element 12 in the form of a spiral protruding from the nozzle surface.

[0047] By means of the spinning position 1, and in particular by means of an air spinning machine with several identical spinning positions 1, an air-spun yarn 2 can be produced in a particularly straightforward manner and without negative influence on the spinning process and the spinning result, which air-spun yarn 2 has significantly better surface properties than a conventionally air-spun yarn and can therefore be used in a much more versatile manner.

[0048] To produce an air-spun yarn 2 with a modified surface finish, a fiber band 3 is first stretched in a drafting system 16 and then fed to an inlet opening 5 of an air spinning nozzle 4, where the fiber band 3 is spun into a yarn 2. The spinning position 1 is controlled by means of a control unit 22 to form an optimum yarn 2. The finished spun yarn 2 leaves the air spinning nozzle 4 through a spinning cone 17 and is then drawn through a navel 8 by means of a thread take-off device 19 with several take-up rollers in order to modify the yarn surface or the surface finish of the yarn 2, thereby in particular creating increased hairiness of the yarn surface.

[0049] Downstream of the navel 8 and, if applicable, also the thread take-off device 19, the yarn 2 runs through at least one thread monitor and through a thread clearer. The yarn 2 is then wound onto a package.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0050] 1 Spinning position [0051] 2 Yarn [0052] 3 Fiber band [0053] 4 Air spinning nozzle [0054] 5 Inlet opening [0055] 6 Outlet area [0056] 7 Outlet opening [0057] 8 Navel [0058] 9 Nozzle opening [0059] 10 Structured nozzle surface [0060] 11 Structure element [0061] 12 Second structure element [0062] 13 First zone [0063] 14 Second zone [0064] 16 Drafting system [0065] 17 Yarn forming element [0066] 18 Blowing air nozzle [0067] 19 Thread take-off device [0068] 20 Compressed air system [0069] 21 Compressed air source [0070] 22 Control unit [0071] 23 Smooth nozzle surface [0072] A Central longitudinal axis

[0073] 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.