Air spinning machine along with a method for operating the same

Abstract

A method is provided for operating an air spinning machine with a multiple number of spinning units, whereas each spinning unit has a spinning nozzle with an internal vortex chamber. The spinning nozzle is fed a fiber composite during the operation of the spinning unit. The spinning nozzle has a multiple number of air nozzles leading into the vortex chamber through which compressed air streams into the vortex chamber in order to generate a vortex air flow within the vortex chamber. The fiber composite receives a twist with the assistance of the vortex air flow within the vortex chamber such that a yarn is formed from the fiber composite. The air spinning machine features an additive supply, whereby an additive is at least temporarily fed a part of the spinning units. A liquid additive is used, whereas the additive is degassed prior to leaving the additive supply. In addition, an air spinning machine with a degassing device is described.

Claims

1. A method for operating an air spinning machine having a plurality of spinning units, wherein each spinning unit comprises a spinning nozzle with an internal vortex chamber, comprising: feeding a fiber composite to the spinning nozzle through an inlet during operation of the spinning unit, the spinning nozzle comprising a plurality of air nozzles leading into the vortex chamber; streaming compressed air streams into the vortex chamber through the air nozzles to generate a vortex air flow within the vortex chamber, wherein the fiber composite receives a twist from the vortex air flow within the vortex chamber such that a yarn is formed from the fiber composite and leaves the spinning nozzle through an outlet; with an additive supply system, feeding an additive at least temporarily to a part of the spinning units; degassing the additive prior to the additive leaving the additive supply system and being fed to the part of the spinning unit; wherein, for the degassing, the additive is subjected to a pressure of less than 1 bar to degas the additive but sufficient to move the additive to the spinning units; and wherein a dosing unit at each spinning unit controls a quantity of the additive fed to the spinning unit per unit of time.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additive is degassed with a degassing device that is an in situ component of the air spinning machine.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additive is degassed at a common central point prior to being forwarded to all of the individual spinning units of the air spinning machine.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the additive is subjected to pressure to degas the additive in a common additive tank.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a substance is added to the additive to further degas the additive.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additive is fed multiple times through a degassing device to further degas the additive before the additive is fed to the spinning units.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additive supply system comprises a ring line system through which the additive circulates until being fed to one of the spinning units, the additive degassed by being subjected to the pressure in a common additive tank and further degassed via a degassing device configured in-line in the ring line system.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the additive is kept continuously in motion through the ring line system during operation of the air spinning machine.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additive is water.

10. An air spinning machine, comprising: a plurality of spinning units, each spinning unit further comprising a spinning nozzle that produces a yarn from a fiber composite supplied to the spinning nozzle; an inlet for the fiber composite; an inner vortex chamber; a yarn formation element protruding into the vortex chamber; an outlet for the yarn produced inside the vortex chamber; a plurality of air nozzles leading into the vortex chamber, wherein during operation the air spinning machine, compressed air streams from the air nozzles are directed into the vortex chamber to generate a vortex air flow within the vortex chamber; an additive supply system configured to supply at least a part of each spinning unit with a liquid additive; a degassing device configured in the additive supply system that is used during operation of the air spinning machine to degas the liquid additive, the degassing device configured to subject the liquid additive to a pressure of less than 1 bar to degas the liquid additive, but is sufficient to move the additive to the spinning units; and a dosing unit at each spinning unit that controls a quantity of the additive fed to the spinning unit per unit of time.

11. The air spinning machine according to claim 10, wherein the degassing device comprises a common additive tank to subject the liquid additive to the pressure to degas the liquid additive.

12. The air spinning machine according to claim 10, further comprising a dosing device configured to add a substance to the liquid additive to further degas the liquid additive.

13. The air spinning machine according to claim 10, wherein the additive supply system comprises a ring line system through which the additive circulates until being fed to one of the spinning units, the degassing device configured in-line in the ring line system.

14. The air spinning machine according to claim 13, wherein the additive is circulated multiple times through the degassing device to until fed to one of the spinning units.

15. The air spinning machine according to claim 10, wherein the liquid additive is water.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantages of the invention are described in the following embodiments. The following is shown, in each case schematically:

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a cut-out of a spinning unit of a possible design of an air spinning machine in accordance with the invention, and

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates selected areas of an air spinning machine in accordance with the invention.

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 shows a cut-out of a spinning unit 1 of an air spinning machine in accordance with the invention (whereas the air spinning machine may, of course, feature a multiple number of spinning units 1, as shown in FIG. 2). When required, the air spinning machine may include a drafting unit with several drafting unit rollers 15, (whereas the drafting unit rollers 15 can be partially entwined with an apron 18), which is supplied with a fiber composite 4 in the form of, for example, a doubled drafting sliver. Furthermore, the spinning unit 1 shown includes a spinning nozzle 2, partially cut in FIG. 1, with an internal vortex chamber 6, in which the fiber composite 4 or at least one part of the fibers of the fiber composite 4 is, after passing an inlet 5 of the spinning nozzle 2, provided with a twist (the exact mode of action of the spinning unit 1 is described in more detail below).

(6) In addition, the air spinning machine may include a draw-off device 16 downstream of the spinning nozzle 2 which draw-off device 16 comprises, for example, two draw-off rollers 23, along with a winding device 17 downstream of the draw-off device 16 for the winding of the yarn 3 leaving the spinning unit 1 onto a tube. The spinning unit 1 in accordance with the invention need not necessarily feature a drafting unit. Moreover, the draw-off device 16 is not absolutely necessary.

(7) Generally, the spinning unit 1 shown works according to an air spinning process. For the formation of the yarn 3, the fiber composite 4 is guided into the vortex chamber 6 of the spinning nozzle 2 through the specified inlet 5. At that point, it receives a twist; that is, at least a part of the free fiber ends of the fiber composite 4 is captured by a vortex air flow that is generated by air nozzles 9 correspondingly arranged in a vortex chamber wall surrounding the vortex chamber 6. At this, a part of the fibers is pulled out of the fiber composite 4 at least to some extent, and wound around the top of the yarn formation element 7 protruding into the vortex chamber 6. Given that the fiber composite 4 is extracted through a draw-off channel 24 arranged within the yarn formation element 7, out of the vortex chamber 6, and finally through an outlet 8 out of the spinning nozzle 2, the free fiber ends are also ultimately drawn in the direction of the inlet mouth of the yarn formation element 7 and thereby, as so-called winding fibers, loop around the core fiber running in the centerresulting in a yarn 3 with the desired twist. The compressed air introduced through the air nozzles 9 leaves the spinning nozzle 2 ultimately through the draw-off channel 24 along with an air outlet that might be present, which, when required, may be connected to a vacuum power source.

(8) In general, it must be clarified at this point that the produced yarn 3 generally comprises any fiber composite 4, which is characterized by the fact that an external part of the fibers (so-called winding fibers) is looped around an internal part of the fibers that is preferably untwisted or, where required, twisted, in order to impart the desired strength on the yarn 3. The invention also comprises an air spinning machine, with the assistance of which a roving already described in more detail above may be produced.

(9) In accordance with this invention, the air spinning machine now features an additive supply 10, through which an additive 11 can be fed to the individual spinning units 1. For this purpose, each of the spinning units 1 is preferably assigned with a separate dosing unit 25, which is illustrated in FIG. 1 as the end section of a supply line 21, whereas the supply line 21 preferably branches off from a main line 22 of the additive supply 10 (see FIG. 2, in which, for the sake of clarity, only two of the eight supply lines 21 shown are provided with a reference sign). With the assistance of the dosing unit 25, which may include, for example, a valve to be passed through by the additive 11, the quantity of the additive 11 that is fed per unit of time to the spinning unit 1, which in principle comprises a liquid, can be determined.

(10) Furthermore, the additive supply 10 is to comprise one or more additive tanks 13 that provide the additive 11, along with one or more main lines 22 that are connected to it or them, and from which the individual supply lines 21 are branched off (see FIG. 2). The additive tank 13 may comprise a container in which the additive 11 is provided and in which an excess pressure prevails, with the assistance of which the additive 11 from the additive tank 13 is pressed into the respective main line 22.

(11) As can now be seen in FIG. 2, the additive tank 13 is preferably arranged at a location spaced apart from the spinning nozzles 2 (for example, on a carrier or a frame element of the air spinning machine). In addition, the main line 22 may be part of a ring line system 19, through which the individual additive molecules circulate, until they reach one of the supply lines 21 and are ultimately fed to the respective spinning unit 1.

(12) In addition, a collecting tank 20 for the additive 11, which flows back after passing through the main line(s) 22, can be present in the ring line system 19, in which the additive 11 collects and from which it is ultimately withdrawn with the assistance of a pump 14, in order to be newly fed to an additive tank 13.

(13) In order to ensure that the additive 11 that is fed to the individual spinning units 1 contains as little gas as possible or, in the ideal case, no gas at all, the invention provides that the additive 11 is degassed prior to leaving the additive supply 10 and prior to reaching the corresponding dosing unit 25 (if present); that is, it is completely or at least partially freed from the gas present in the additive 11. While the degassing may also take place separately (that is, without the involvement of a device specific to the air spinning machine, a solution with which the degassing device 12 is a part of the air spinning machine, as shown (for example) in FIG. 2, is preferred.

(14) With respect to possible arrangements of the degassing device 12, reference is made to the previous description. In any event, the degassing device 12 should be integrated into a main line 22 of the additive supply 10, such that the additive 11 is degassed before it reaches one of the supply lines 21.

(15) The degassing device 12 is preferably flowed through by the additive 11 and is degassed upon passing through the degassing device 12. In particular, the additive 11 should continuously pass the degassing system upon the operation of the air spinning machine, in order to avoid deposits within the degassing device 12. The degassing device is preferably arranged between an additive tank 13 and a first supply line 21 branching off from the main line 22 in relation to a direction of flow of the additive 11.

(16) This invention is not limited to the illustrated and described embodiments. Variations within the patent claims, such as any combination of the described characteristics, even if they are illustrated and described in different parts of the description or the claims or in different embodiments.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(17) 1. Spinning unit 2. Spinning nozzle 3. Yarn 4. Fiber composite 5. Inlet 6. Vortex chamber 7. Yarn formation element 8. Outlet 9. Air nozzle 10. Additive supply 11. Additive 12. Degassing device 13. Additive tank 14. Pump 15. Drafting unit roller 16. Draw-off device 17. Winding device 18. Apron 19. Ring line system 20. Collecting tank 21. Supply line 22. Main line 23. Draw-off roller 24. Draw-off channel 25. Dosing unit