Device for keeping an inaccessible element to be stabilised stationary in a required angular position and use of the device in a machine for processing textile threads

Abstract

At least two pairs of magnets are arranged near one another on supports, the pairs of magnets and the supports form, when an item to be stabilized is in a required angular position, a closed magnetic circuit (except for the air gap), with magnets placed in such a direction that their north and south poles successively alternate with one another along the magnetic circuit, an item, sensitive to the magnetic field, is attached to the fixed part and placed inside the closed magnetic circuit, the sensitive item supplies a logic output state corresponding to the item to be stabilized in the required angular position when the detected field is less than a predetermined maximum threshold, and a logic state corresponding to the item to be stabilized not in the required angular position, when the detected field is greater than a minimum predetermined threshold.

Claims

1. A device to maintain stationary, in a required angular position, an item to be stabilized, arranged on a device rotating through a bearing, using the attraction force of a multitude of pairs of magnets placed to face each other, with each pair comprising a magnet integral with the item to be stabilized and a magnet integral with a fixed part, comprising: at least two pairs of magnets arranged near one another on supports of materials having low reluctance, wherein the device ensures that the item to be stabilized is not put into rotation until the item to be stabilized is in the required angular position, the said pairs of magnets and the said supports forming a closed magnetic circuit except for an air gap, with magnets placed in such a direction that their north and south poles successively alternate with one another along said magnetic circuit, an item, sensitive to a magnetic field, is attached to the fixed part and placed inside the closed magnetic circuit formed when the item to be stabilized is in the required angular position, and in the axis or a radio plane of symmetry of the said circuit, said sensitive item supplies a logic output state corresponding to the item to be stabilized in the required angular position when the detected field is less than a predetermined maximum threshold, and a logic state corresponding to the item to be stabilized being outside the required angular position, when the detected field is greater than the minimum predetermined threshold.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the item sensitive to the magnetic field is a Hall effect sensor associated with a processing circuit defining a logic output state according to a threshold level of the measured magnetic field.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the item sensitive to the magnetic field is a reed switch with the output logic state defined by the open or closed state of said reed switch.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the reed switch is closed when there is no magnetic field and open when there is a magnetic field, said switch being inserted in series with the control circuit of the motor of the rotating device so that the motor is not powered when the said switch is open.

5. The use of the device according to claim 1 in a machine for the transformation of textile yarn according to a double twist method, using a spindle, to which a pot is attached by a bearing, with said pot being rendered inaccessible by yarn put into rotation to form a ball around it, wherein the item to be stabilized is the pot, with a logic state imparted to a means of driving the said spindle in such a way that the logic state corresponding to the item to be stabilized, that is the pot, in the required angular position enables rotation and maintaining in rotation of the spindle, and the logic state of the item to be stabilized, that is the pot, not in the required angular position prohibits the putting into rotation of the spindle or causes its stoppage if this state appears while it is in rotation.

6. Use of the device according to claim 1 in a machine for the transformation of textile yarn according to a direct wiring process, using a spindle, a rotating regulator, driven by yarn put into rotation to form a ball, and a brake attached to said rotating regulator by means of a bearing, with said brake being rendered inaccessible by the yarn, wherein the item to be stabilized is said brake, with a logic state imparted to a means of driving said spindle in such a way that the logic state corresponding to the item to be stabilized, that is the brake, in the required angular position enables rotation and maintaining in rotation of the spindle, and therefore, through the yarn of the ball, the regulator and such that the logic state corresponding to the item to be stabilized that is the brake, not in the required angular position prohibits the putting into rotation of the spindle and therefore of the regulator or causes their stoppage if this state appears while they are in rotation.

7. Use of the device according to claim 1 in a machine for the transformation of textile yarn according to a direct cabling method, using a spindle, to which is attached a pot by means of a bearing and rotating regulator, driven by yarn put into rotation to form a ball, and a brake attached to said rotating regulator by a bearing, with said pot and said brake being rendered inaccessible by yarn, wherein the item to be stabilized is said pot and said brake, with a logic state imparted to a means of driving said spindle in such a way that the logic state corresponding to the items to be stabilized, that is, the pot and the brake, in their required respective angular positions enables rotation of and maintaining in rotation of the spindle, and therefore, through the yarn of the ball, the regulator, and such that the logic states corresponding to the item to be stabilized, that is, the pot or the brake, not in the required angular position prohibits the putting into rotation of the spindle and therefore of the regulator or causes their stoppage if this state appears while they are in rotation.

8. Use of the device according to claim 5, wherein the spindle is combined with a driving device associated with a braking device and the appearance of the item to be stabilized not in the required angular position logic state causes the stoppage of the driving device and the actuation of the braking device to ensure a fast stoppage.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be more understandable by reference to the attached illustrations given as an example and in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a general diagram explaining the double twist method,

(3) FIG. 2 is a general diagram explaining the direct cabling method,

(4) FIG. 3 is a general diagram explaining the direct cabling method using a regulator attached to the pot,

(5) FIG. 4 is a general diagram explaining the direct cabling method using a regulator attached to the machine frame,

(6) FIG. 5 is a general diagram explaining the direct cabling method using a regulator attached to the machine frame and a brake attached to the regulator,

(7) FIG. 6 is a diagram representing the configuration of the magnets and the organization of the magnetic fluxes in a device according to the invention, when the item to be stabilized is in the required angular position,

(8) FIG. 7 is a diagram representing the configuration of the magnets and the organization of the magnetic fluxes in a device according to the invention, when the item to be stabilized is not in the required angular position,

(9) FIG. 8 is a diagram representing the configuration of the magnets and the organization of the magnetic fluxes in a device according to the invention, when the item to be stabilized is in a second type of position in the required angular position,

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(10) Therefore, the invention concerns a device designed to maintain in a required stationary position an item attached by a rotating device through a bearing, said item being inaccessible by conventional means and to detect: that the item to be stabilized is in the required angular position before the rotating device is put into rotation. that it remains in the required angular position during the rotation of said rotating device.

(11) The invention is more particularly intended for machines transforming textile yarn using the double twist or direct cabling methods as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5.

(12) The device referred to in the invention is intended, on the one hand, to maintain stationary in the required angular position, a pot 2 attached to a twisting spindle 3 through a bearing 8 and made inaccessible by the rotating yarn F1 in the form of a ball 7 around it, according to any one of the arrangements illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5 and, in addition, to detect: that it is in the required angular position before the spindle 3 is put into rotation. that it remains in the required angular position during the rotation of spindle 3.

(13) The device referred to in the invention is also designed to maintain stationary in the required angular position the brake 4 attached to a twisting regulator 11 by means of a bearing 16 and rendered inaccessible by the rotating yarn F1 in the form of a ball 7 around it, according to the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 5, and to detect that it is in the required angular position before the spindle 3 is put into rotation. that it remains in the required angular position during the rotation of spindle 3.

(14) The device according to the invention will be better understood by reference to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. More generally, the device is designed to maintain stationary in a required angular position, an item 30 attached to a rotating device (not shown) through a bearing (not shown) and to detect that it is, and remains, in the said required angular position.

(15) The item to be stabilized 30 is held stationary using the mutual attraction force of the pairs of magnets 33, 34, one of which 33 is integral with the item to be stabilized 30, while the other 34 is integral with a fixed item, for instance, the frame of a machine (not shown).

(16) FIG. 6 shows the device when the item to be stabilized (30) is in the required angular position. According to the invention, at least two pairs of magnets (31.1, 31.2) are arranged near one another. The magnets (33, 34) are arranged on metal supports (32, 35) or made of materials with low reluctance, so that magnets (33, 34), forming the two pairs of magnets (31.1, 31.2), associated with the said metal supports (32, 35), form, when the item to be stabilized (30) is in the required position, a closed magnetic circuit (except for the air gap). The magnets are placed so that their north and south poles successively alternate with one another along said magnetic circuit, which is closed since it is generally symmetrical compared to an axis or a radial plane with respect to the axis of rotation of the rotating device.

(17) Accordingly, in the required angular position, the closed magnetic circuit formed in this way organizes the magnetic fluxes along the lines of fields 36 the form of which is given for information. Because of the relatively low reluctance of the components of this closed magnetic circuit, it concentrates a large share of the magnetic flux, and because of the symmetry of the magnetic circuit with respect to a radial axis or plane with respect to the axis of rotation of the rotating device, the magnetic flux along this axis or this plane of symmetry is generally nil when the item to be stabilized is in the required angular position.

(18) An item 37, sensitive to the magnetic field, is attached to the fixed part (integral with the machine frame), and placed inside the closed magnetic circuit formed when the item to be stabilized is in the required angular position, and in the radial axis or plane of symmetry of the said circuit. Under these conditions, item 37 detects a nil or very weak magnetic field.

(19) The magnetic field being less than a predetermined threshold, said item 37 sensitive to the magnetic field, then supplies a logic state corresponding to item to be stabilized in the required angular position.

(20) FIG. 7 shows the device when the item to be stabilized 30 moves away slightly from the required angular position. The magnets 33, 34 of the two pairs of magnets 31.1, 31.2 misalign which tends to increase the length and reluctance of the closed magnetic circuit. On the other hand, said magnetic circuit formed by the magnets 33, 34 and their metal supports 32, 25, is no longer symmetrical with respect to a radial axis or plane with respect to the axis of rotation of the rotating device. Under these conditions, when the item to be stabilized is angular and offset with respect to the required position, the magnetic field is asymmetrical.

(21) Accordingly, as soon as the mobile item 30 moves away from the required angular position, the closed magnetic circuit organizes the magnetic fluxes along the field lines 36, whose form, given for information, becomes asymmetrical. Because of the higher reluctance of this closed magnetic circuit, a larger share of the field lines loop outside the said circuit. This results in the magnetic flux along the axis for this plane of symmetry defined previously no longer staying nil.

(22) Under these conditions, the item 37 sensitive to the magnetic field, attached to the fixed part (integral with the machine frame), and arranged inside the closed magnetic circuit in the radial axis or plane of symmetry defined previously detects a non-nil magnetic field.

(23) The magnetic field being greater than a predetermined threshold, said item sensitive to the magnetic field then supplies a logic state corresponding to an item to be stabilized in the required angular position.

(24) FIG. 8 shows the device when the item to be stabilized 30 moves away from the required angular position by a large angle, so that the parts integral with the item to be stabilized 30 and the fixed parts or the parts integral with the frame no longer form a closed magnetic circuit. In this case, the magnetic field 36 created by the magnets integral with the fixed part is no longer channeled by a closed, organized magnetic circuit and the field lines 36 loop around the metal support in forms, such as, for instance, those given for information in FIG. 8. The result is that the magnetic flux around the supports 35 is not nil.

(25) Under these conditions, the item 37 sensitive to the magnetic field, attached to the fixed part integral with the machine frame) and arranged in the position defined previously near the supports 35 detects a non-nil magnetic field.

(26) Since the magnetic field is greater than the predetermined threshold, said sensitive item then supplies a logic state corresponding to an item to be stabilized in the required angular position.

(27) From these explanations, it transpires that when the item to be stabilized 30 is moved away from the required position, whether through a small angle or a larger angle, the item sensitive to the magnetic field 37 associated with its processing circuit does produce an item to be stabilized not in required position logic output state, which can be used to prevent the rotation of the rotating device or to stop it, if this state occurs while it is in rotation.

(28) According to one embodiment of the invention, the item sensitive to the magnetic field 37 is a Hall effect sensor associated with a processing circuit defining a logic output state according to a threshold level of the measured magnetic field.

(29) According to another embodiment of the invention, the item sensitive to the magnetic field 37 is a switch, known to the man of the art as a reed switch (ILS), switched by the magnetic field to which it is exposed.

(30) The invention also concerns the use of the device for a machine implementing twisting equipment according to the double twist or direct cabling method as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. It should be borne in mind that this machine uses a spindle 3 to which a pot 2 is attached by means of a bearing 8. Said pot 1 is held stationary and in the required angular position by the previously described device.

(31) According to the invention, the logic state of the circuit processing the signal transmitted from the sensitive element to the magnetic field 37 is imparted to a system driving said spindle 3 so that the logic state corresponds to the item to be stabilized (the pot) in the required angular position, enabling the rotation and/or the maintained rotation of the spindle 3, and so that the logic state corresponding to item to be stabilized (the pot) not in the required angular position prevents the rotation of the spindle 3 or causes it to stop if the state occurs while it is in rotation.

(32) In the case of a direct cabling method using a spindle 3 and a rotating regulator 11, driven by yarn F1 of ball 7, as shown in FIG. 5, in which a brake 4 is attached to said rotating regulator 11 by a bearing 16 according to the invention, said brake 4 is held stationary and in the required angular position by the previously described device.

(33) According to the invention, the logic state of the circuit processing the signal transmitted from the sensitive element to the magnetic field 37 is imparted to a system driving spindle 3 so that the logic state corresponds to the item to be stabilized (the brake) in the required angular position, enabling the rotation and/or the maintained rotation of the spindle 3 and therefore, through the yarn F1 of ball 7 the regulator 11, and so that the logic state corresponding to item to be stabilized (the brake) not in the required angular position prevents the rotation of the spindle 3 and accordingly of regulator 11 or causes them to stop if the state occurs while it is in rotation.

(34) In the case of a direct cabling method, using a spindle 3 to which a pot 2 is attached by means of a bearing 8, a rotating regulator 11, is driven by yarn F1 of ball 7, and a brake 4 attached to said rotating regulator 11 through a bearing 16. According to the invention, said pot 2 and said brake 4 are held stationary and in their respective required angular positions by two devices described previously.

(35) The logic states of the circuits processing the two devices are combined and imparted to the system driving spindle 3 so that the logic state of the two devices corresponds to the logic state of two items to be stabilized (the pot and the brake) in the required angular position, enabling the rotation and/or the maintained rotation of the spindle 3 and therefore, through the yarn F1 of ball 7, the regulator 11, and so that the logic state of one of the two devices, corresponding to one of these two items to be stabilized (the pot or the brake) not in the required angular position prevents the rotation of the spindle 3 and accordingly of regulator 11 or causes them to stop if the state occurs while it is in rotation.

(36) According to one improvement of the invention, the spindle 3 is associated with a driving device and a braking device and the appearance of the logic state of the item to be stabilized not in the required angular position causes the stoppage of the driving device and the actuation of the braking device to ensure a fast stoppage.

(37) According to one particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the item sensitive to the magnetic field 37 is a reed switch (ILS). This switch is selected as being normally closed, that is, closed when there is no magnetic field and open when there is a magnetic field. It is inserted directly into the power supply circuit or into the control circuit of the motor driving the rotating device. As an example which should not be considered limiting in any way, such a switch can be connected in series in the power supply circuit of the motor power supply relay coil so that the said relay opens when the magnetic field is not nil, corresponding to the item to be stabilized not in the required position state.

(38) While remaining within the scope of the invention, the stabilization force of the items to be stabilized can be increased by supplementing the device with other pairs of magnets.

(39) The additional pairs of magnets will be distributed with separations or an angular distribution so that the magnets and the integral supports of the item to be stabilized do not form, combined with the fixed magnets (integral with the frame) of the device, the subject of the invention, a closed magnetic circuit, and therefore do not determine any other angular positions of the item to be stabilized 30 corresponding to the state. For instance, additional pairs of magnets like this could be distributed to form unequal intervals between one another so that none of them coincides with the gaps between the two pairs of magnets of the device according to the invention.

(40) However, if there are several permitted positions for the item to be stabilized, it is intended to place on the item to be stabilized 30, for each permitted angular position, a set of similar magnets and metal supports, which when brought to coincide with the fixed part of the device, according to the invention, will be indistinctly detected to be in the items to be stabilized in one of the permitted angular positions state.

(41) The advantages can be clearly perceived in the description, in particular underscoring that it is possible to produce, in a safe and economic manner, a means of preventing an item mounted to a rotating device from turning, being inaccessible using conventional mechanical means, and of ensuring of said item: that it is in a required angular position before the device supporting it is put into rotation. remains stationary and is maintained in this position.

(42) Such a device is a specific advantage in the case of textile machines transforming yarn using the double twist or direct cabling method, to prevent the starting or accidental rotation of items attached to the rotating devices.

(43) The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. Aspects of the embodiments can be modified, if necessary to employ concepts of the various patents, applications and publications to provide yet further embodiments.

(44) These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.