Yarn clearer and spinning station, equipped therewith, of a spinning machine, and method for operating a spinning station

Abstract

The invention relates to a spinning station (1) of a spinning machine, wherein the spinning station (1) has a spinning means (2) for producing a yarn (3) from a sliver (4) fed to the spinning means (2), wherein the spinning station (1) has a winding apparatus (20) for winding the yarn (3) onto a package (16), said winding apparatus (20) being arranged downstream of the spinning means (2) in a transport direction of the yarn (3), wherein the spinning station (1) has a yarn clearer (5) arranged between the spinning means (2) and the winding apparatus (20), the yarn being monitorable for yarn defects with the aid of said yarn clearer (5), and wherein the spinning station (1) is assigned a controller (6) which is configured to interrupt the production of the yarn (3) if a defined yarn defect is detected. The invention proposes that the spinning station (1) has an information unit (7) with the aid of which it is possible to display to an operator of the spinning station (1) how much yarn (3) has to be at least unwound from the package (16) located in the winding apparatus (20) following the interruption to the yarn production in order to ensure that the yarn section having the yarn defect has been completely removed from the package (16). Furthermore, a yarn clearer and a method for operating a spinning station are proposed.

Claims

1. A spinning station of a spinning machine, comprising: a spinning means for producing a yarn from a sliver fed to the spinning means; a winding apparatus that winds the yarn from the spinning means onto a package, the winding apparatus arranged downstream of the spinning means in a transport direction of the yarn; a yarn clearer arranged between the spinning means and the winding apparatus, the yarn clearer configured to monitor for yarn defects in the yarn prior to the yarn being wound onto the package; a controller in communication with the yarn clearer and configured to interrupt production of the yarn upon detection of a defined yarn defect by the yarn clearer; and an information unit in communication with the controller and disposed so as to be visible to an operator of the spinning station, the information unit comprising a display that, prior to yarn being unwound from the package, visibly informs the operator of a minimum yarn length to subsequently unwind from the package following the interruption of yarn production in order to ensure that the yarn defect will be completely removed from the package.

2. The spinning station according to claim 1, wherein the display comprises individual display elements, each display element representing a defined length of yarn to be unwound from the package in order to ensure that the yarn defect has been completely removed from the package.

3. The spinning station according to claim 1, wherein the display comprises an individual display element that indicates to the operator that the package is to be removed from the winding apparatus because the length of yarn to be unwound from the package exceeds a predetermined maximum length.

4. The spinning station according to claim 1, wherein the information unit is a component of the yarn clearer.

5. A yarn clearer for a spinning station of a spinning machine, wherein the spinning station has a spinning means for producing a yarn from a sliver fed to the spinning means, a winding apparatus for winding the yarn onto a package, a controller configured to interrupt production of the yarn if a defined yarn defect is detected, the yarn clearer comprising: an information unit disposed so as to be visible to an operator of the spinning station, the information unit comprising a display that, prior to yarn being unwound from the package, visibly informs the operator of a minimum yarn length to subsequently unwind from the package following the interruption of yarn production in order to ensure that the yarn defect will be completely removed from the package.

6. The yarn clearer according to claim 5, wherein the display comprises individual display elements, each display element representing a defined length of yarn to be unwound from the package in order to ensure that the yarn defect has been completely removed from the package.

7. The yarn clearer according to claim 5, wherein the display comprises an individual display element that indicates to the operator that the package is to be removed from the winding apparatus because the length of yarn to be unwound from the package exceeds a predetermined maximum length.

8. A method for operating a spinning station of a spinning machine where a sliver is fed to a spinning means for production of a yarn, the method comprising: winding the yarn produced by the spinning means on a package with a winding apparatus arranged downstream from the spinning means in a transport direction of the yarn; monitoring the yarn for yarn defects with a yarn clearer arranged between the spinning means and the winding apparatus; interrupting production of the yarn if a defined yarn defect is detected by the monitoring step; and with an information unit, prior to unwinding yarn from the package, displaying to an operator a minimum length of yarn to subsequently unwind from the package after the interruption of yarn production in order to ensure that the yarn defect will be completely removed from the package.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the yarn defect detected by the yarn clearer is assigned to one of several categories depending on the length of yarn having the yarn defect, and that the length of yarn to be unwound displayed by the information unit is selected depending on the respective category.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the information unit signals to the operator that the package is to be removed from the winding apparatus when the length of yarn to be unwound exceeds a predetermined maximum length.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the length of the yarn having the yarn defect is determined with a sensor configured with the yarn clearer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

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

(2) FIG. 1 a side view of a spinning station of a rotor spinning machine, and

(3) FIG. 2 a yarn clearer (FIG. 2a) and an information unit of the same in detail (FIG. 2b).

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 schematically shows a side view of a spinning station 1 of a rotor spinning machine. Rotor spinning machines are well-known in the state of the art, such that the essential units of a corresponding spinning machine are only briefly addressed below.

(6) In principle, the spinning station 1 that is shown includes a feed roller 10, with the aid of which a sliver 4 coming from (for example) a spinning can 9 is fed to an opening roller 11, which in turn causes a separation of the fibers of the sliver 4. By means of negative pressure, the fibers are finally sucked through a feed channel 13 into the area of spinning means 2 designed as a rotor in the illustrated embodiment, and are rotated by the spinning means 2 to form a yarn 3.

(7) The yarn 3 is drawn off out of the spinning means 2 by a pair of draw-off rollers 12 (or other draw-off means) and, possibly after passing through a paraffin coating 17, finally arrives in the area of a winding apparatus 20. There, it is wound on a package 16 driven around a package axis 15.

(8) In order to ensure the quality of the yarn 3 (i.e., specific yarn properties, such as its thickness or hairiness) during yarn production, the spinning station 1 must be monitored and includes a so-called yarn clearer 5, which the yarn passes during the production and winding process.

(9) As can be seen in FIG. 2a), for example, the yarn clearer 5 typically includes a measuring gap 19 through which the yarn 3 passes, in the area of which, depending on the type of yarn clearer 5, one or more visual and/or capacitive sensors are arranged, which monitor the passing yarn 3 with respect to accordingly defined parameters.

(10) If a yarn defect that cannot be tolerated is then detected by the yarn clearer 5 (that is, a deviation of one or more yarn parameters from one or more limit values), yarn production is stopped by shutting down the feed roller 10, the opening roller 11 and the spinning means 2. At the same time, the winding apparatus 20 is stopped, wherein the inertia of the package 16 leads to the fact that the end of the yarn produced by the interruption of yarn production is completely wound on the package 16.

(11) Before the end of the yarn can be led back into the area of the spinning means 2 in order to be connected to the re-fed sliver 4, the section having the yarn defect must be removed from the wound yarn 3, wherein, with so-called semi-automatic spinning machines, this must take place manually at least for the most part.

(12) If the operator then arrives at the spinning station 1, at which a yarn interruption arose due to a yarn defect, he initially does not know whether the yarn defect is short or long. In other words, he does not know how much yarn 3 must be removed from the package 16 in order to ensure that he has removed from the package 16 the entire yarn section having the yarn defect (this section must be removed from the remaining yarn 3 in order to prevent the yarn defect from being wound back onto the package 16 after a piecing process).

(13) In order to then provide the operator with assistance in unwinding the yarn section having the yarn defect, it is proposed that the spinning station 1 be equipped with an information unit 7 that displays the length of yarn to be unwound. The information unit 7 preferably includes one or more display elements 8, with the aid of which either the exact length of yarn to be unwound or alternatively the minimum length that is to be unwound can be displayed, in order to also have removed with certainty the entire yarn defect from the package 16.

(14) As indicated in FIG. 1, the information unit 7 may be located at a location remote from the yarn clearer 5, wherein the yarn clearer 5 and the information unit 7 preferably may be connected to a common controller 6 or even directly with the aid of corresponding wires 14.

(15) In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, however, the information unit 7 is a component of the yarn clearer 5. FIG. 2a) shows a possible embodiment. As this figure shows, the information unit 7 may be arranged in the area of the front side turned towards the operator and, for example, on the side of the measuring gap 19. While a display on which the exact length of yarn to be unwound is shown would also be possible, an information unit 7 shown in FIG. 2b) has proven successful. As the mentioned figure shows, the information unit 7 preferably has multiple display elements 8 with a corresponding length specification (see the two center display elements 8). If, for example, as indicated in FIG. 2b) by the black display element 8, the display element 8 that is located below the specification 2 m lights up, the operator knows that he must unwind at least two meters of yarn 3 from the package 16 and then sever them from the remaining yarn 3, in order to completely remove the yarn defect. Accordingly, one or more additional display elements 8, which are labeled with an additional length specification, may be present.

(16) If the yarn section that is produced up to the interruption of yarn production is so long that an unwinding of the package 16 is no longer profitable, a replacement of the entire package 16 would be sensible. In order to display this to the operator, the information unit 7 may include an additional display element 8 (see the display element 8 to the right in FIG. 2b), identified by a package.

(17) The information unit 7 may also include a display element 8, which remains active (that is, for example, lit up) until the detection of a yarn defect arises (see FIG. 2b): left display element 8 with the exemplary label of OK).

(18) Finally, the yarn clearer 5 may include a reset switch 18, with the aid of which the yarn clearer 5 and/or the controller 6 can be informed by the operator that the yarn defect has been removed and the pending piecing process may be carried out.

(19) The present invention is not limited to the illustrated and described embodiments. Variations within the framework of the 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. For example, the described yarn clearer may of course also be used on air jet spinning machines or other spinning machines, with which a yarn is to be monitored for yarn defects.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(20) 1 Spinning station 2 Spinning means 3 Yarn 4 Sliver 5 Yarn clearer 6 Controller 7 Information unit 8 Display element 9 Spinning can 10 Feed roller 11 Opening roller 12 Pair of draw-off rollers 13 Feed channel 14 Wire 15 Package axis 16 Package 17 Paraffin coating 18 Reset switch 19 Measuring gap 20 Winding apparatus