METHOD AT A SPINNING MACHINE AND SPINNING MACHINE

Abstract

A method is performed at a spinning machine that includes a plurality of spinning stations at which different yarn lots are spun. The method transports tubes from multiple tube magazines to the spinning stations. At the spinning station, a yarn is spun from a sliver deposited in a can and is wound onto the tube. An identical marking associated with a respective one of the different yarn lots is provided on the following components: each of the tubes, each of the tube magazines, a display device at the spinning station, a monitor at a machine control system, the cans at the spinning station, and a service unit that travels alongside of the spinning stations.

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. A method performed at a spinning machine that includes a plurality of spinning stations at which different yarn lots are spun, comprising: transporting tubes by means of a transport device from multiple tube magazines to the spinning stations; at the spinning station, spinning a yarn from a sliver deposited in a can, and winding the yarn onto the tube; and providing an identical marking associated with a respective one of the different yarn lots on the following components: each of the tubes, each of the tube magazines, a display device at the spinning station, a monitor at a machine control system, the cans at the spinning station, and a service unit that travels alongside of the spinning stations.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising changing the marking the components when changing the yarn lot produced at the spinning stations.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the marking for each of the yarn lots is specified at the machine control system.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the marking is selected directly at the tube magazine, at the service unit, or at the spinning station.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein assignment of the spinning stations to a particular yarn lot is carried out at the machine control system or directly at the spinning station.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein assignment of the tube magazines to a particular yarn lot is carried out at the machine control system or directly at the tube magazine.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein assignment of a number of the tube magazines to a particular yarn lot is carried out by the machine control system.

19. A spinning machine, comprising: a plurality of spinning stations at which different yarn lots are spun; multiple tube magazines in which tubes are stored; a transport device that transports the tubes from the tube magazines to the spinning stations; a can at the spinning stations having a sliver deposited therein, wherein a yarn is spun at the spinning statin from the sliver and wound onto the tube; a service unit that travels alongside of the spinning stations; a machine control system; an identical marking associated with each of the different yarn lots provided on the following: each of the tubes, each of the tube magazines, a display device at the spinning station, a monitor at the machine control system, the cans at the spinning station, and the service unit.

20. The spinning machine of claim 19, wherein the marking comprises a color, an icon, a pattern, a numeral, or text.

21. The spinning machine of claim 19, wherein the marking is generated by a display, a bulb, a multi-position switch, or a pushbutton.

22. The spinning machine of claim 19, further comprising sensors configured to check agreement between the markings at the spinning machine.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Further advantages of the invention are described in the following exemplary embodiments, wherein:

[0026] FIG. 1 shows a front view of a spinning machine,

[0027] FIG. 2 shows a rotary switch,

[0028] FIG. 3 shows an illuminated jog button, and

[0029] FIG. 4 shows a monitor of the machine control system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] 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.

[0031] In the following description of the exemplary embodiments shown, the same reference signs are used for features that are identical and/or at least comparable in terms of their configuration and/or mode of operation, even though these are shown in different exemplary embodiments. Provided that the features are not described in detail again, their design and/or mode of operation correspond/corresponds to the design and mode of operation of the above-described features.

[0032] FIG. 1 shows a front view of a spinning machine 1, which has a plurality of spinning stations 2. An end stock 3, in which a machine control system 4 is located, is arranged at one end of the spinning machine 1. The machine control system 4 includes a monitor 5, via which conditions of the spinning machine 1 can be displayed and queried. In addition, settings of the spinning machine 1, in particular with respect to various yarn lots, can be carried out via the monitor 5.

[0033] A plurality of tube magazines 6.1 through 6.7 is arranged at the other end of the spinning machine 1. In this exemplary embodiment, each tube magazine 6.1 through 6.7 has a chain 7, which stores a plurality of tubes 8. The chain 7 is driven and can move a tube 8 to a delivery point (not shown), at which the tube 8 is removed from the chain 7 and is placed onto a transport belt 9 in order to transport the tube 8 to a predetermined spinning station 2. Such a tube 8 on the transport belt 9 is shown by way of example. The tube 8 is moved in the arrow direction together with the transport belt 9.

[0034] A spin box 10 is arranged at each spinning station 2. A sliver 11, which is deposited in a can 12 at the spinning station 2, is fed to the spin box 10 and, there, is spun to form a yarn 13. Thereafter, the yarn 13 is wound onto a package 14. As soon as the package 14 has a predetermined size, the package 14 is removed from the spinning station 2 by a service unit 15 and replaced by an empty tube 8 delivered by the transport belt 9. Thereafter, yarn 13 is wound on the empty tube 8 again. After the package 14 has been replaced by an empty tube 8 and, if necessary, further servicing has been carried out, the service unit 15 is moved in the direction of the double arrow D along the spinning machine 1 to another spinning station 2 at which service is required.

[0035] At the spinning machine 1, different yarn lots, for example, five different yarn lots I through V according to FIG. 4, can be produced using different yarns 13. In principle, it is possible that a different yarn 13 is produced at each spinning station 2. The different yarns 13 are wound onto different tubes 8 so that the yarns 13 can be subsequently identified. Which yarn lot is on the tube 8 or the package 14 can be subsequently identified on the basis of the type of the tube 8. If a certain yarn 13 is accidentally wound onto an incorrect tube 8, this yarn 13 would be subsequently assigned to an incorrect yarn lot. This yarn 13 would therefore be a reject. The same problem would arise when an incorrect can 12 is positioned at a spinning station 2. In this case, an incorrect sliver 11 in the spinning station 2 would be spun to form a yarn 13, which also does not correspond to the specification of this yarn lot. This would also be a reject. Similarly, it is important for the service unit 15 to know the spinning station 2 at which it is located, which yarn lot is being spun and, therefore, which parameter settings in the service unit 15 must apply in order to be able, for example, to piece the relevant yarn 13.

[0036] It is provided to use corresponding markings 16 in order to be able to ensure that the correct tubes 8 are arranged in the tube magazine 6, that the correct cans 12 are also present at the appropriate spinning stations 2, and that the service unit 15 also carries out the servicing at the spinning station 2 with the correct parameters and, finally, that the individual yarn lots can be specified in the machine control system 4. For example, a marking 16.sub.HM (in this case, 16.sub.HM1 through 16.sub.HM4 for four different yarn lots I through IV) is arranged at each of the tube magazines 6.1 through 6.7. This marking 16.sub.HM matches the marking 16.sub.H (in this case, 16.sub.H1 through 16.sub.H4) at the tubes 8 in the particular tube magazine 6.1 through 6.7. The cans 12 also have markings 16.sub.K (in this case, 16.sub.K1 through 16.sub.K4), which must correspond to a marking 16.sub.S (in this case, 16.sub.S1 through 16.sub.S4) at the spinning station 2. Depending on the spinning station 2 at which the service unit 15 is located for its work, the service unit 15 in this exemplary embodiment also has an appropriate marking 16.sub.SE, which corresponds to the spinning station 2 and its marking 16.sub.S at a display unit of the spinning station 2 and the marking 16.sub.K at the can 12. The machine control system 4 or its monitor 5 also has a marking 16.sub.M (16.sub.M4 in this case) for configuring the individual yarn lots. At the machine control system 4, the marking 16.sub.M can be assigned to a certain yarn lot, and parameters, such as, for example, spinning speed, yarn count, yarn amount, etc., of this yarn lot can be specified.

[0037] Different markings 16, each of which is assigned to a certain yarn lot, are provided for distinguishing the individual yarn lots. Symbolically, circles are shown in FIG. 1, each of which is filled with an appropriate pattern as a marking 16. The marking can also be a bulb, for example, an LED, which lights up in a certain color. It is also possible that the marking 16 is a certain text, a barcode, a colored or patterned rubber band around the can, or the like. The type of marking can also differ, the only important point being that the marking have an unambiguous common feature, such as, for example, the same color. Markings 16 at the tubes 8 are preferably applied in such a way that the markings 16 are still recognizable after the yarn 13 has been wound onto the tubes 8 and, thus, the markings 16 simultaneously characterize the package 14. As is also apparent from FIG. 1, the two tube magazines 6.1 and 6.2 on the left are provided with the same marking 16.sub.HM1 and, thus, belong to the same yarn lot I. The same applies for the three tube magazines 6.3 through 6.5 in the middle. The three tube magazines 6.3 through 6.5 in the middle are also characterized by the same markings 16.sub.HM2 and, therefore, refer to a further yarn lot II. The tube magazines 6.6 and 6.7 are assigned to different yarn lots III and IV and, accordingly, have markings 16.sub.HM3 and 16.sub.HM4. Corresponding markings 16.sub.H1, 16.sub.H2, 16.sub.H3, and 16.sub.H4 are applied at the tubes 8 in the tube magazines 6. Corresponding markings 16 are located, again, at the corresponding cans 12 and spinning stations 2. Once the service unit 15 is currently working at a spinning station 2 having the can marking 16.sub.K2, the service unit 15 is also provided with the marking 16.sub.SE2.

[0038] As is also apparent from the representation, the number of tube magazines 6 or spinning stations 2 assigned to the particular yarn lots can deviate from each other. The assignment can be made via the machine control system 4 and depends, for example, on the production speed of the spinning stations 2 and the size of the particular yarn lot.

[0039] The markings 16 that are present can be checked by means of a sensor 19, which is shown in this case, for example, at the service unit 15. If an error is detected, the sensor 19 transmits an appropriate signal to a control system.

[0040] A rotary switch 17 is symbolically represented in FIG. 2. The rotary switch 17 can be set to a certain marking 16.1 through 16.5. Such a rotary switch 17 is arranged, for example, at the tube magazine 6 and effectuates an appropriate assignment of the tube magazine 6 to a certain yarn lot. Due to the setting of the rotary switch 17, a signal can be connected to the machine control system 4, as the result of which it is specified that the relevant tube magazine 6 is assigned precisely to this selected yarn lot and, when a tube 8 from this yarn lot is requested, the appropriate tube magazine 6 is activated for delivering the tube 8.

[0041] FIG. 3 symbolizes a pushbutton 18. The pushbutton 18 can activate different markings 16, specifically marking 16.3 in this case, by being pressed multiple times. It is possible that different bulbs light up or that the pushbutton 18 activates a multi-color LED and the appropriate color lights up. In this exemplary embodiment, eight different lots are possible, and so eight different markings 16.1 through 16.8 are settable.

[0042] FIG. 4 schematically shows the monitor 5 of the machine control system 4. At the monitor 5, the markings 16 can be selected and these markings 16 can be assigned to certain lots. The lot for which the parameters are to be changed, namely lot IV in this case, which is shown in bold, can also be determined.

[0043] The present invention is not limited to the represented and described exemplary embodiments. Modifications within the scope of the claims are also possible, as is any combination of the features, even if they are represented and described in different exemplary embodiments.

TABLE-US-00001 List of reference signs 1 spinning machine 2 spinning station 3 end stock 4 machine control system 5 monitor 6 tube magazine 7 chain 8 tube 9 transport belt 10 spin box 11 sliver 12 can 13 yarn 14 package 15 service unit 16 marking 17 rotary switch 18 pushbutton 19 sensor