Method for operating a textile machine, and textile machine for producing roving

Abstract

During normal operation of a textile machine, a fiber bundle is supplied to a consolidating means to produce a roving having a protective twist, the roving wound onto a tube with a winding device. The roving downstream of the consolidating means is monitored for whether the roving is being produced by the consolidating means or whether the roving produced by the consolidating means is being wound onto the tube. In no roving is being produced or the roving produced by the consolidating means is not being wound onto the tube, an interruption of the normal operation of the textile machine is initiated and the tube partly loaded with roving by the winding device prior to the interruption is replaced with an empty tube during a tube changing process. The consolidating means is started up and the roving produced thereby is brought into contact with the empty tube. Normal operation is resumed and the roving is wound onto the empty tube.

Claims

1. A method for operating a textile machine that produces a roving, comprising: during normal operation of the textile machine, supplying a fiber bundle to a consolidating means of the textile machine, wherein the roving having a protective twist is produced from the fiber bundle by the consolidating means; after leaving the consolidating means, winding the roving onto a tube with a winding device arranged downstream of the consolidating means in a transport direction of the roving; with a sensor system fixed on the textile machine at a location relative to the winding device and the consolidating means to continuously monitor whether the roving is being produced by the consolidating means or whether the roving produced by the consolidating means is being wound onto the tube; in the event that it is detected by the sensor system that no roving is being produced by the consolidating means or the roving produced by the consolidating means is not being wound onto the tube, an interruption of the normal operation of the textile machine is initiated; replacing the tube partly loaded with roving by the winding device prior to the interruption in normal operation with an empty tube during a tube changing process; in a start process, starting up the consolidating means and bringing the roving produced thereby into contact with the empty tube; and following the start process, resuming normal operation of the textile machine and winding the roving produced by the consolidating means onto the empty tube.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the consolidating means comprises an air spinning nozzle, the roving having the protective twist produced from the fiber bundle inside the air spinning nozzle by means of a swirled air flow.

3. The method in accordance with claim 2, wherein during the interruption in normal operation, a drafting system that drafts the fiber bundle and is arranged upstream of the consolidating means in the transport direction is stopped, and a supply of the air introduced into the spinning nozzle during normal operation to generate the swirled air flow is stopped.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising monitoring the roving produced by the consolidating means during normal operation of the textile machine with the sensor system for one or a plurality of physical characteristics of the roving running between the consolidating means and the tube, and when the one or plurality of monitored characteristics deviates from one or a plurality of target values of the running roving, the interruption of the normal operation of the textile machine is initiated.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the tubes that are only partly loaded with roving due to the interruption in normal operation of the textile machine are transported to a collection or transfer point after the tube changing process that is separate from tubes that are completely loaded during normal operation of the textile machine.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein after the interruption in normal operation of the textile machine and prior to the resumption of normal operation, the consolidating means is cleaned to remove fibers of the fiber bundle or roving that is still located in the consolidating means.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the start-up of the consolidating means is carried out during or after the tube changing process.

8. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the tube changing process, the start process, and the resumption of normal operation occurs within a maximum of 120 seconds after the interruption in normal operation of the textile machine.

9. A textile machine for producing a roving, comprising: a consolidating means that produces a roving having a protective twist from a fiber bundle during normal operation of the textile machine; a winding device arranged downstream of the consolidating means in a transport direction of the roving that winds the roving onto a tube; a tube changing device that replaces the tube loaded by the winding device with an empty tube; a sensor system comprising a sensor fixed on the textile machine relative to the winding device and the consolidating device to continuously monitor whether the roving is being produced by the consolidating means or whether the roving is being wound onto the tube; a controller configured to: interrupt the normal operation of the textile machine when it obtains from the sensor system a signal that no roving is being produced by the consolidating means or that the roving being produced by the consolidating means is not being wound onto the tube; activate the tube changing device after the interruption in operation such that the tube already partly loaded with roving prior to the interruption in normal operation is replaced by an empty tube during a tube changing process; following the interruption in normal operation, activating a start process in which the roving produced by the consolidating means during a start-up of the consolidating means is brought into contact with the empty tube; activate the winding device such that the roving brought into contact with the tube is wound onto the tube; and operate the textile machine in normal operation again.

10. The textile machine in accordance with claim 9, wherein the sensor system monitors the roving produced by the consolidating means during normal operation for one or a plurality of physical characteristics of the roving running between the consolidating means and the tube being loaded, the controller further configured to initiate the interruption of normal operation when the one or plurality of characteristics deviates from one or a plurality of target values of the running roving.

11. The textile machine in accordance with claim 10, wherein the consolidating means comprises an air spinning nozzle, the roving having the protective twist produced from the fiber bundle inside the air spinning nozzle by means of a swirled air flow.

12. A method for operating a textile machine that produces a roving, comprising: during normal operation of the textile machine, supplying a fiber bundle to a consolidating means of the textile machine, wherein the roving having a protective twist is produced from the fiber bundle by the consolidating means; after leaving the consolidating means, winding the roving onto a tube with a winding device arranged downstream of the consolidating means in a transport direction of the roving; with a sensor system operably configured on the textile machine relative to the winding device and the consolidating means, monitoring whether the roving is being produced by the consolidating means or whether the roving produced by the consolidating means is being wound onto the tube; in the event that it is detected by the sensor system that no roving is being produced by the consolidating means or the roving produced by the consolidating means is not being wound onto the tube, an interruption of the normal operation of the textile machine is initiated; replacing the tube partly loaded with roving by the winding device prior to the interruption in normal operation with an empty tube during a tube changing process; in a start process, starting up the consolidating means and bringing the roving produced thereby into contact with the empty tube; following the start process, resuming normal operation of the textile machine and winding the roving produced by the consolidating means onto the empty tube; and further comprising monitoring the roving produced by the consolidating means during normal operation of the textile machine with the sensor system arranged between the consolidating means and the tube being loaded for one or a plurality of physical characteristics of the roving running between the consolidating means and the tube, and when the one or plurality of monitored characteristics deviates from one or a plurality of target values of the running roving, the interruption of the normal operation of the textile machine is initiated.

13. A textile machine for producing a roving, comprising: a consolidating means that produces a roving having a protective twist a fiber bundle during normal operation of the textile machine; a winding device arranged downstream of the consolidating means in a transport direction of the roving that winds the roving onto a tube; a tube changing device that replaces the tube loaded by the winding device with an empty tube; a sensor system disposed on the textile machine relative to the winding device and the consolidating device to monitor whether the roving is being produced by the consolidating means or whether the roving is being wound onto the tube; a controller configured to: interrupt the normal operation of the textile machine when it obtains from the sensor system a signal that no roving is being produced by the consolidating means or that the roving being produced by the consolidating means is not being wound onto the tube; activate the tube changing device after the interruption in operation such that the tube already partly loaded with roving prior to the interruption in normal operation is replaced by an empty tube during a tube changing process; following the interruption in normal operation, activating a start process in which the roving produced by the consolidating means during a start-up of the consolidating means is brought into contact with the empty tube; activate the winding device such that the roving brought into contact with the tube is wound onto the tube; operate the textile machine in normal operation again; and wherein the sensor system is disposed between the consolidating means and the winding device to monitor the roving produced by the consolidating means during normal operation for one or a plurality of physical characteristics of the roving running between the consolidating means and the tube being loaded, the controller further configured to initiate the interruption of normal operation when the one or plurality of characteristics deviates from one or a plurality of target values of the running roving.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantages of the invention are described in the following exemplary embodiments, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a side view of a textile machine according to the invention in the form of an air-jet spinning machine, and,

(3) FIGS. 2 through 4 depict a segment of a start process on a textile machine in the form of an air-jet spinning machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) Reference will now be made to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are shown in the drawings. Each embodiment is provided by way of explanation of the invention, and not as a limitation of the invention. For example features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be combined with another embodiment to yield still another embodiment. It is intended that the present invention include these and other modifications and variations to the embodiments described herein.

(5) FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a textile machine according to the invention in the form of an air-jet spinning machine 1 that serves as an example of such a textile machine and produces roving 2. The air-jet spinning machine 1 preferably comprises a drafting system 13 with a plurality of corresponding drafting system rollers 17 (only one of the six illustrated drafting system rollers 17 is provided with a reference number) that is supplied with a fiber bundle 4, for instance in the form of a doubled drafter sliver.

(6) The fiber bundle 4 generally originates from a container 14 (e.g. a sliver can) and may be supplied via a guide 16 to the drafting system 13, preferably after passing through a guide roller 27, wherein the guide 16 may also be embodied for instance as an elongate profile.

(7) The illustrated air-jet spinning machine 1 furthermore comprises a consolidating means, spaced apart from the drafting system 13 and embodied as an air spinning nozzle 3, having an internal vortex chamber (known from prior art and therefore not shown) and a yarn-forming element (likewise known and therefore also not shown) in the form of a hollow spindle that projects into the vortex chamber. In the vortex chamber, the fiber bundle 4 or at least a portion of the fibers in the fiber bundle 4 are provided with a protective twist by means of a swirled air flow generated by air nozzles in the vortex chamber.

(8) The air-jet spinning machine 1 may furthermore include a draw-off device 15 for the roving 2, arranged downstream of the drafting system 13 in the illustrated transport direction T and having for instance two draw-off rollers 19 (the draw-off device 15 is not absolutely necessary). Moreover, a winding device 5 is present that preferably receives at least two tubes 6 and by means of which it is possible to wind the roving 2 onto a tube 6, the roving 2 being guided by means of a traversing element 8 that can be moved back and forth in the direction of the double arrow shown in FIG. 1. The winding device 5 may in particular comprise a tube receiver 12 (e.g. in the form of a platform), that may be rotated by means of a drive and on which the tubes 6 may be fixed via corresponding holding devices (not shown in greater detail), wherein the holding devices and thus also the respective tubes 6 may be caused to rotate, preferably via separate drives, about a rotational axis 11 indicated in FIGS. 2 through 4 (such a tube drive 29 is indicated in FIGS. 2 through 4, wherein in this case as well, two holding devices, each having a separate tube drive 29, may be present that are preferably part of the tube receiver 12 depicted in FIG. 1).

(9) The air-jet spinning machine 1 works according to a special air spinning method. For forming the roving 2, the fiber bundle 4 is guided in the transport direction T via an inlet opening (not shown) into the vortex chamber of the air spinning nozzle 3. There, it is given a protective twist, that is to say at least a portion of the fibers of the fiber bundle 4 is grasped by the aforesaid swirled air flow. A portion of the fibers is thereby pulled at least a little way out of the fiber bundle 4 and is wound around the tip of the yarn forming element which protrudes into the vortex chamber.

(10) Finally, the fibers of the fiber bundle 4 are drawn out of the vortex chamber via an inlet opening of the yarn forming element and a draw-off channel which is arranged inside the yarn forming element and adjoins the inlet opening. In doing so, the free fiber ends are finally also drawn on a helical trajectory in the direction of the inlet opening and wrap as wrapping fibers around the centrally running core fibers, resulting in a roving 2 which has the desired protective twist.

(11) Due to the only partial twisting of the fibers, the roving 2 has a draftability which is essential for the further processing of the roving 2 in a downstream spinning machine, for example a ring spinning machine. Conventional air-jet spinning devices, on the other hand, give the fiber bundle 4 such a pronounced twist that the required drafting following the yarn production is no longer possible. This is also desired in this case since conventional air-jet spinning machines are designed to produce a finished yarn, which is generally intended to be characterized by a high strength.

(12) As explained in the foregoing, after leaving the air spinning nozzle 3, the roving 2 is wound onto a tube 6 by means of the winding device 5. If the respective tube 6 is adequately loaded with roving 2, it is exchanged for an empty tube 6, wherein the tube receiver 12 is rotated for this purpose about a preferably vertical rotational axis until the empty tube 6 shown in FIG. 1 is disposed in the position of the loaded tube 6 shown in FIG. 1 and vice versa.

(13) While the empty tube 6 is being loaded with roving 2 following this tube exchange, a tube changing device 7 is activated that transfers the loaded tube 6 to a conveyor 18 (for instance in the form of a conveyor belt) of a tube transport device 28 that finally transports the tube 6 to a removal location (not shown). This conveyor 18, a plurality of which may be present, preferably comprises a plurality of tube holders 22 by means of which the tubes 6 may be held during their transport. Once the loaded tube 6 has been transported away, the position on the tube receiver 12 of the winding device 5 that has been freed up by this may be occupied by a new, empty tube 6, the tube changing device 7 preferably accomplishing this.

(14) Alternatively, the winding device 5 could also have only one holding device for one tube 6. Finally, the illustrated guide 16 also does not necessarily have to be present, wherein in this case, for instance, the fiber bundle 4 may be inserted into the drafting system 13 immediately after it has left the container 14 (possibly after first going through a guide roller 27). It is also not absolutely necessary for the tube transport device 28 to be present.

(15) Before normal operation of the air-jet spinning machine 1 indicated in FIG. 1 can be performed, during which the air spinning nozzle 3 continuously supplies roving 2, a start process has to take place. During this process, a fiber bundle 4 is supplied to the air spinning nozzle 3, preferably by means of the drafting system 13. Likewise, the aforesaid swirled air flow is generated inside the air spinning nozzle 3 such that a roving 2 is produced from the supplied fiber bundle 4 and finally leaves the air spinning nozzle 3 and is guided into the region of the winding device 5 and must be transferred to an empty tube 6.

(16) FIGS. 2 through 4 now provide a schematic depiction of a segment of a textile machine according to the invention in the form of an air-jet spinning machine 1 at different times in a start process (wherein it should be noted at this point in general that the air-jet spinning machines 1 naturally may comprise a plurality of workstations in the form of corresponding spinning stations, wherein the individual spinning stations themselves have at least one separate air spinning nozzle 3 and one corresponding winding device 5).

(17) During the start process, a fiber bundle 4 is supplied to the air spinning nozzle 3 by starting the drafting system 13. The roving 2 production described in the foregoing, in which the fiber bundle 4 obtains a protective twist, occurs in the air spinning nozzle 3. Finally, the roving 2 leaves the air spinning nozzle 3 via an outlet opening (not shown in the figures) and is gripped by the air flow of a suction unit 24 (which is part of a piecing arrangement that is used for performing a start process in which roving 2 produced by the air spinning nozzle 3 after the latter is started up may be brought into contact with an empty tube 6 disposed in the region of the winding device 5). The suction unit 24 preferably has a suction nozzle 23 with a suction opening 20 via which the air may be suctioned in and drawn inward, and thus also the roving 2 exiting the air spinning nozzle 3. Therefore, in this stage illustrated in FIG. 2, the roving 2 produced by the air spinning nozzle 3 leaves the air spinning nozzle 3 and is drawn via the suction opening 20 into the suction unit 24, wherein the supply speed of the air spinning nozzle 3 is preferably the same as or only slightly lower than the supply speed prevailing after the start process.

(18) It should be stated in general at this point that the entire start process takes place preferably without interruption of the roving production and supply, i.e. with an active drafting system 13, active air spinning nozzle 3, and when present, an active draw-off device 15 (i.e. device drawing off roving 2 from the air spinning nozzle 3) so that a particularly high effectiveness of the illustrated air-jet spinning machine 1 may be ensured.

(19) In addition, an indicated control 10 is provided that is mechanically linked to the described elements of the air-jet spinning machine 1 in order to perform, inter alia, the described start process and the tube changing process described in the following. There may be a control 10 for each spinning station for the air-jet spinning machine 1. It is also possible for one control to handle a plurality of spinning stations.

(20) In the next step (see FIG. 3), the suction unit 24 is moved into a transfer position (the suction nozzle 23 is preferably pivoted about a swivel axle 25) in which the suction opening 20 and thus also a segment of the roving 2 (which also continues to be supplied by the air spinning nozzle 3) are located in the region of the tube surfacethere is preferably no contact between tube 6 and roving 2 at this stage yet.

(21) While the suction unit 24 assumes its position depicted in FIG. 3 (or shortly thereafter), the traversing element 8 of a traversing unit 21 is moved to the position indicated schematically in FIG. 4, in which position the roving 2 is gripped and guided by the traversing element 8. In doing so, the traversing unit 21 moves the roving 2 into the vicinity of the tube 6 or causes direct contact between tube 6 and roving 2 so that the roving 2 is gripped by the tube 6 (preferably under the influence of suitable rough surface segments on the tube 6).

(22) At the same time, or shortly thereafter, a separating unit is activated that is also a component of the arrangement and that comprises, for instance, a movable (preferably pivotable) separating element 26. The separating element 26 is now brought into contact with the roving 2, preferably with the segment thereof that is disposed between traversing element 21 and suction opening 20. At this moment, there is local deceleration of the roving 2 in the region that comes into contact with the separating unit so that the roving 2 finally breaks between the tube 6 and the separating unit, since it continues to be wound by the rotating tube 6, i.e. a tractive force is acting on it. Breaking the roving 2 finally creates a segment of the roving 2 on the suction unit-side that can be discharged via the suction unit 24. A roving segment is also created on the air spinning nozzle-side, and it is already gripped by the tube 6 and extends between the air spinning nozzle 3 and the tube 6.

(23) Because the tube 6 continues to rotate, the roving 2 that continues to be supplied by the air spinning nozzle 3 is finally continuously wound onto the tube 6, wherein the traversing element 8, with a movement in a direction running parallel to the rotation axis 11 of the tube 6, ensures that the roving 2 is wound uniformly onto the tube 6. In this stage, in which the separating element 26 and also the suction unit 24 have assumed their original positions, the air-jet spinning machine 1 is finally in its normal operation that follows the start process, in which the tube 6 is loaded with roving 2 until the desired tube size is attained and the loaded tube 6 can be replaced by a new, empty tube 6, wherein this can be carried without interrupting the roving production.

(24) However, it is possible for the roving 2 to break between the air spinning nozzle 3 and the winding device 5 during normal operation, or for the drafting system 13 and/or the air spinning nozzle 3 to become clogged up with fibers, so that no more roving 2 is being produced in the air spinning nozzle 3. In all of these cases, the result is that no more roving 2 travels into the region of the winding device 5, wherein this may be recognized by means of a sensor system 9 that is only indicated in FIG. 1 (the sensor system 9 also comprises one or a plurality of sensors that may be placed in the region of the drafting system 13, the air spinning nozzle 3, the traversing unit 21, the winding device 5, or even between the aforesaid elements).

(25) In any case, it is now provided according to the invention that when the sensor system 9 detects that no roving 2 is being produced by the air spinning nozzle 3, or that the roving 2 produced by the air spinning nozzle 3 is not being wound onto the tube 6, there is an interruption in normal operation and the tube 6 that was already partly loaded with roving 2 by means of the winding device 5 prior to the interruption in normal operation is replaced in a tube changing process by an empty tube 6, wherein this may occur preferably by means of the illustrated tube changing device 7 (or also manually).

(26) In the next step (or even at the same time), the start process described in the foregoing is performed in which roving 2 produced by the air spinning nozzle 3 after a corresponding start up (during which the air spinning nozzle 3 is re-supplied with a fiber bundle 4) is brought into contact with an empty tube 6 that is now located in the winding device 5. Finally, the roving 2 produced and supplied by the air spinning nozzle 3 following the start process is wound onto the aforesaid tube 6 and normal operation is resumed.

(27) The roving 2 produced after the interruption is thus not connected to the previously produced roving 2 that is wound onto the corresponding tube 6. On the contrary, whenever there is an unintended interruption in roving production or the winding process, there is an interruption in normal operation, during which the partly loaded tube 6 is replaced by an empty tube 6.

(28) In a refinement of the invention, it may be provided that the interruption of normal operation and the subsequent tube changing process as well as the corresponding start process also occur when the aforesaid sensor system 9 recognizes that certain physical characteristics, such as, for instance, the thickness of the roving 2 leaving the air spinning nozzle 3, do not meet the desired requirements.

(29) Finally, it is advantageous when the tubes 6 that are only partly loaded due to an interruption in normal operation are transported to a different location, preferably by means of the tube transport device 28, than the tubes 6 that were completely loaded without interruption of normal operation.

(30) The present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments that have been shown and described. Modifications within the scope of the patent claims are also possible, as is any combination of the described features, even if they are shown and described in different parts of the description or the claims or in different exemplary embodiments.

REFERENCE LIST

(31) 1 Air-jet spinning machine 2 Roving 3 Air spinning nozzle 4 Fiber bundle 5 Winding device 6 Tube 7 Tube changing device 8 Traversing element 9 Sensor system 10 Control 11 Rotation axle 12 Tube receiver 13 Drafting system 14 Container 15 Draw-off device 16 Guide 17 Drafting roller 18 Conveyor 19 Draw-off roller 20 Suction opening 21 Traversing unit 22 Tube holder 23 Suction nozzle 24 Suction unit 25 Pivot axis of the suction nozzle 26 Separating element 27 Guide roller 28 Tube transport device 29 Tube drive T Transport direction