METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING A YARN

Abstract

A method of producing at least one yarn formed by spinning at least two individual fibers, comprising the following steps: providing at least two individual fibers, to be spun to form the at least one yarn to be produced, feeding the at least two provided fibers to a spinning device comprising at least one spindle element or bobbin element via a guide device comprising a plurality of, in particular cylinder-like or cylindrical, guide elements, spinning the fed fibers in the spinning device, forming the at least one yarn to be produced, wherein the at least two individual fibers are fed to the spinning device via at least two separate, in particular cylinder-like or cylindrical, guide elements that are arranged such that they are spatially separated from one another in at least one spatial direction.

Claims

1. A method of producing at least one yarn formed by spinning at least two individual fibers, comprising the following steps: providing at least two individual fibers to be spun to form the at least one yarn to be produced, feeding the at least two provided fibers to a spinning device comprising at least one spindle element or bobbin element (10) via a guide device comprising a plurality of guide elements, spinning the fed fibers in the spinning device, forming the at least one yarn to be produced, characterized in that the at least two individual fibers are fed to the spinning device via at least two separate guide elements that are arranged such that they are spatially separated from each other in at least one spatial direction; wherein the at least two guide elements each have a cylindrical basic shape and are coaxially arranged such that they are spatially separated from each other in the direction of their respective central axes; wherein the at least two individual fibers are brought together at a fiber merging point, wherein the fiber merging point forms an apex of a spinning triangle facing the spinning device, wherein the angle of the spinning triangle in the region of the apex facing the spinning device is less than or equal to 90?; and wherein the free length of a respective fiber between the guide device and the fiber merging point in the fiber guiding direction is in a range of between 4 and 20 cm.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that a spinning device is used, of which the spindle element or bobbin element is arranged in alignment with a space formed between the guide elements by the spatially separated arrangement of the at least two guide elements assigned thereto in the fiber guiding direction.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least two individual fibers are brought together at a fiber merging point, wherein the fiber merging point forms an apex of a spinning triangle facing the spinning device, wherein the angle of the spinning triangle in the region of the apex facing the spinning device is less than 45? and in particular less than 30?.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the free length of a respective fiber between the guide device and the fiber merging point is in a range of between 7.5 and 15 cm and preferably 10 cm.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the free lateral length between respective points at which the at least two individual fibers leave the respective guide element in the direction of the fiber merging point is in a range of between 4 and 10 cm, in particular between 5 and 9 cm and preferably approx. 6 cm.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that at least three individual fibers are spun together to form the at least one yarn.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that the at least two individual fibers of the at least three individual fibers are fed to the spinning device jointly via a first guide element and at least one third fiber is fed via a further guide element arranged such that it is spatially separated from the first guide element in at least one spatial direction.

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that the at least three individual fibers are fed to the spinning device via three separate guide elements that are arranged such that they are separated from each other in at least one spatial direction, wherein at least one first fiber is fed via a first guide element, at least one second fiber is fed via a second guide element which is arranged such that it is spatially separated from the first guide element in at least one spatial direction and at least one third fiber is fed via a third guide element which is arranged such that it is spatially separated from the second guide element in at least one spatial direction.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least two individual fibers and at least one filament are spun together to form the at least one yarn.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the at least two individual fibers are fed to the spinning device via two separate, in particular cylinder-like or cylindrical, guide elements which are arranged such that they are separated from each other in at least one spatial direction and the at least one filament is fed from a filament storage unit, or via a third guide element which is separate from the two separate guide elements.

11. A yarn, produced by a method according to claim 1.

12. A textile product, which is formed from at least one yarn according to claim 11 or comprises at least one such yarn.

13. An apparatus for producing at least one yarn formed by spinning at least two individual fibers by a method according to claim 1, comprising: a guide device comprising a plurality of cylindrical guide elements, which is configured to guide a number of individual fibers in a guide device to a spinning device arranged downstream thereof, a spinning device arranged downstream of the guide device comprising at least one spindle element or bobbin element, which is configured to spin together at least two of these individual fibers fed via the guide device, forming at least one yarn, characterized in that the guide device (5) comprises at least two separate, in particular cylinder-like or cylindrical, guide elements (5d, 5e) that are arranged such that they are spatially separated from each other in at least one spatial direction, via which the at least two individual fibers can be fed or are fed to the spinning device; wherein the guide elements each have a cylindrical basic shape and are arranged coaxially such that they are spatially separated from each other in the direction of their respective central axes; wherein the at least two individual fibers are brought together at a fiber merging point, wherein the fiber merging point forms an apex of a spinning triangle facing the spinning device, wherein the angle of the spinning triangle in the region of the apex facing the spinning device is less than or equal to 90?; and wherein the free length of a respective fiber between the guide device and the fiber merging point in the fiber guiding direction is in a range of between 4 and 20 cm.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the spindle element or bobbin element of the spinning device is arranged in alignment with a space formed between the guide elements by the spatially separated arrangement of the guide elements assigned thereto in the fiber guiding direction.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, characterized by a drafting device, which is configured for the drafting, in particular the longitudinal drafting, of the individual fibers that are fed to the spinning device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] The invention is explained in more detail with the aid of exemplary embodiments in the drawings. The figures show the following:

[0045] FIGS. 1, 2: schematic diagrams of an apparatus for producing a yarn according to an exemplary embodiment,

[0046] FIG. 3: an enlarged view of the detail III shown in FIG. 1, and

[0047] FIG. 4: an enlarged view of the detail IV shown in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an apparatus 1 for producing a yarn 3 formed by spinning at least two individual fibers 2a, 2b according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 1 represents a schematic top view of the apparatus 1. FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of the detail III shown in FIG. 1.

[0049] The apparatus 1 formed as or comprising e.g. a ring spinning machine comprises the following components: at least two fiber supply units 4a, 4b, a guide device 5 arranged downstream thereof in the fiber guiding direction indicated by the arrow P and a spinning device 6 arranged downstream of the guide device 5 in the fiber guiding direction. The functional interaction of the aforesaid components of the apparatus 1 will be explained in more detail below:

[0050] By way of the fiber supply units 4a, 4b, which can be e.g. fiber bobbins, from which the fibers 2a, 2b to be spun into a yarn 3 within the framework of the method are unwound, the individual fibers 2a, 2bto be spun together to form the yarn 3 to be produced are provided. The fibers 2a, 2b can also be referred to or considered as a roving or pre-yarn. In the exemplary embodiment, purely by way of example, only two fiber supply units 4a, 4b are shown; however, the principle described below can be extended at will to more than two fiber supply units 4a, 4b and thus more than two fibers 2a, 2b. The number of the fiber supply units 4a, 4b is determined according to the number of the fibers 2a, 2b to be spun into a yarn 3 according to the method.

[0051] The guide device 5 is configured to guide the provided fibers 2a, 2b to the spinning device 6 which is arranged downstream thereof in the fiber guiding direction. For this purpose the guide device 5 comprises a plurality offive by way of example in each of the exemplary embodiments shown in the figuresguide elements 5a-5e arranged consecutively in the fiber guiding direction, such that the fibers 2a, 2b to be guided can be guided from a first guide element 5a to the further guide elements 5b-5e arranged downstream thereof in the fiber guiding direction. The first guide element 5a in the fiber guiding direction is arranged immediately downstream of the respective fiber supply units 4a, 4b in the fiber guiding direction, and the last guide elements 5d, 5e in the fiber guiding direction are arranged immediately upstream of the spinning device 6 in the fiber guiding direction. Between guide elements 5a-5e arranged one (immediately) after the other in the fiber guiding direction, although separated in the fiber guiding direction, suitable, e.g. plate-like or plate-shaped, support elements 7 can be provided, which perform a desired supporting action for the fibers 2a, 2b to be guided. In the exemplary embodiments shown in the figures, an appropriate support element 7 is arranged by way of example between the first guide element 5a and the fiber supply units 4a, 4b.

[0052] The guide elements 5a-5e each have a cylinder-like or cylindrical geometric form or basic shape; the guide elements 5a-5e can thus be referred to or considered as guide rollers or rolls or cylinders. The guide elements 5a-5e are each mounted rotatably around their axis of symmetry or central axis, such that a guided movement of the fibers 2a, 2b to be guided towards the spinning device 6 can be enabled by rotating movements of the guide elements 5a-5e around their respective axis of symmetry or central axis.

[0053] Individual, a plurality of or all the guide elements 5a-5e can be provided with a particular adhesive area or surface (not shown), achieved e.g. by a rubber coating, which allows a desired guiding of the fibers 2a, 2b owing to an adhesive effect exerted on the fibers 2a, 2b, i.e. in particular impeding or preventing an undesirable lateral slipping of the fibers 2a, 2b in terms of the fiber guiding direction.

[0054] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 3, furthermorethe same applies to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 2, 4(optional) drafting elements (condensers) 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b of an unspecified drafting device are illustrated. The fibers 2a, 2b can therefore be fed to the spinning device 6 with a pre-tension generated by a drafting, in particular longitudinal drafting, of the fibers 2a, 2b. In this case, it is possible to implement different drafting regions or zones by means of different drafting elements 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, i.e. for example a pre-drafting zone and a main drafting zone, in which the fibers 2a, 2b are drafted to different degrees. The drafting elements 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b can be drafting elements that have been structurally modified especially for the method described herein, which allow a guiding or drafting of the fibers 2a, 2b as required for the method described herein.

[0055] The spinning device 6 is configured to spin together the fibers 2a, 2b fed thereto via the guide device 5, forming a yarn 3. For this purpose, the spinning device 6 comprises a spindle element or bobbin element 10 mounted rotatably around a spindle or bobbin axis (not shown), on which the yarn 3 can be wound. A thread guide or monitor 16 is provided upstream of the spindle element or bobbin element 10 in the exemplary embodiments shown in the figures.

[0056] As can be seen with the aid of the figures, the apparatus 1 is distinguished by the fact that the guide device 5 comprises at least two separate guide elements 5d, 5e arranged such that they are spatially separated from each other in at least one spatial direction, via which the fibers 2a, 2b can be fed or are fed to the spinning device 6. It can be seen that the guide elements 5d, 5e are the last guide elements 5d, 5e before the spinning device 6 in the fiber guiding direction. The guide elements 5d, 5e are arranged at the same level in relation to the spinning device 6, but laterally offset from each other (see in particular FIG. 3).

[0057] Using the apparatus 1 shown in the figures, a method of producing a yarn 3 having improved yarn properties formed by spinning two fibers 2a, 2b can be implemented. An exemplary embodiment of such a method is described in more detail below.

[0058] In a first step of the method, the individual fibers 2a, 2b to be spun together to form the yarn 3 to be produced are provided via the fiber supply units 4a, 4b.

[0059] In a second step of the method the provided fibers 2a, 2b are fed to the spinning device 6 via the guide device 5.

[0060] In a third step of the method the fibers 2a, 2b fed to the spinning device 6 are spun in the spinning device 6, forming the yarn 3 to be produced. The spinning of the fibers 2a, 2b takes place in a spinning region 11 following the last guide elements 5d, 5e. The produced yarn 3 is wound on to the spindle element or bobbin element 10.

[0061] With the aid of the figures, it can be seen that according to the method the fibers 2a, 2b to be spun into a yarn 3 are fed to the spinning device 6 via two separate guide elements 5d, 5e arranged such that they are spatially separated from each other in a spatial direction. The figures show that a first fiber 2a to be spun to form the yarn 3 is fed to the spinning device 6 via a first guide element 5d and a second fiber 2b to be spun with the first fiber 2b to form the yarn 3 is fed to the spinning device 6 via a second guide element 5e arranged such that it is separated from the first guide element 5d.

[0062] Within the framework of the method, accordingly, a guide device 5 is used which comprises at least two separate guide elements 5d, 5e arranged such that they are spatially separated from each other in a spatial direction immediately before the spinning device 6. The guide elements 5d, 5e are, as mentioned, arranged at the same level in relation to the spinning device 6, i.e. at the same distance from the spinning device 6, but laterally offset from each other. Since, as mentioned, the guide elements 5d, 5e have a cylinder-like or cylindrical geometric form or basic shape, in the exemplary embodiments shown in the figures they are arranged coaxially and such that they are spatially separated from each other in the direction of their respective central axes and thus separated from each other in a spatial direction running transverse to the fiber guiding direction in a parallel arrangement. Two guide elements 5d, 5e arranged such that they are spatially separated from each other in a spatial direction running transverse to the fiber guiding direction can be referred to or considered as a guide element pair assigned to a particular spindle element or bobbin element 10, via which the fibers 2a, 2b forming the yarn 3 to be wound on the respective spindle element or bobbin element 10 are fed.

[0063] By way of feeding the fibers 2a, 2b to be spun into a yarn 3 via separate guide elements 5d, 5e arranged such that they are spatially separated from each other in a spatial direction it is possible to influence, i.e. in particular to increase, the free length L of the fibers 2a, 2b to be spun between leaving the guide device 5 and a fiber merging point 12 at which the fibers 2a, 2b are brought together, which has a positive impact on the properties of the yarn 3 that is to be or has been produced. The increasing of the free length L of the fibers 2a, 2b results from the fact that the fiber merging point 12 is significantly further away from the last guide elements 5d, 5e compared to conventional methods, and thus significantly closer to the spinning device 6.

[0064] The fiber merging point 12 represents part of a so-called spinning triangle. The fiber merging point 12 forms an apex of the spinning triangle facing the spinning device 6. The shape of the spinning triangle can therefore also be modified according to the method, compared to conventional methods, since the spinning triangle is stretched in the fiber guiding direction owing to the aforementioned increasing of the free length L of the fibers 2a, 2b, forming the sides of the spinning triangle.

[0065] The angle ? of the spinning triangle in the region of the apex facing the spinning device 6 is less than 90?, in particular less than 45? and in particular less than 30?. Accordingly, the angle ? between the fibers 2a, 2b after leaving the guide elements 5d, 5e is less than 90?, in particular less than 45? and in particular less than 30?. The angle ? is accordingly an acute angle.

[0066] The method is based on the finding that, by influencing, i.e. in particular increasing, the free length L of the fibers 2a, 2b to be spun between leaving the guide device 5, i.e. the last guide elements 5d, 5e, and the fiber merging point 12, specific, in particular mechanical, properties of the yarn 3 that is to be or has been produced can be obtained. This results in particular from the fact that the free length L of the fibers 2a, 2b to be spun is increased (significantly) before the fiber merging point 12 compared to conventional methods. The (individual) fibers 2a, 2b can already be twisted (considerably) before the fiber merging point 12, which has a positive impact on the properties of the yarn 3 that is to be or has been produced.

[0067] The free length L of a respective fiber 2a, 2b between the guide device 5 and the merging point 12 at which the fibers 2a, 2b are brought together can be e.g. in a range of between 4 and 20 cm, in particular in a range of between 7.5 and 15 cm and preferably 10 cm.

[0068] The free length L between respective points 14, 15 at which the fibers 2a, 2b leave the respective guide element 5d, 5e in the direction of the merging point 12 can be e.g. in a range of between 4 and 10 cm, in particular between 5 and 9 cm and preferably at least approx. 6 cm.

[0069] With the aid of the figures, it can be seen that a spinning device 6 is used according to the method, of which the spindle element or bobbin element 10 is arranged in alignment with a space 13 formed between the guide elements 5d, 5e by the spatially separated arrangement of the guide elements 5d, 5e assigned thereto in the fiber guiding direction. The spindle element or bobbin element 10 is accordingly laterally offset (in relation to the fiber guiding direction) relative to the guide elements 5d, 5e assigned thereto; in particular, the spindle element or bobbin element 10, although separated from the guide elements 5d, 5e in the fiber guiding direction, is arranged centrally between the guide elements 5d, 5e assigned thereto.

[0070] In FIG. 3, finally, it is indicated by dashed fibers that, in principle, further fibers (dashed) can also be guided via a respective last guide element 5d, 5e, but these are fed to another spindle element or bobbin element (not shown), i.e. typically a further spindle element or bobbin element arranged parallel to the spindle element or bobbin element 10, i.e. to another spinning region, of the spinning device 6. It also applies to this other spinning region that the fibers to be spun there into a yarn 3 are fed via separate guide elements in the same way as in the figures.

[0071] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of an apparatus 1 for producing a yarn 3 formed by spinning at least two individual fibers 2a, 2b according to a further exemplary embodiment. FIG. 2 represents a schematic top view of the apparatus 1. FIG. 4 shows an enlarged illustration of the detail IV shown in FIG. 2.

[0072] With the aid of FIGS. 2, 4 it can first be seen that it is also possible within the framework of the method that at least three fibers 2a-2c are spun together to form the yarn 3. The at least three fibers 2a-2c are brought together at the fiber merging point 12. Yarns 3 can therefore be produced from more than two fibers 2a-2c (multi-fiber yarns).

[0073] The spinning of at least three fibers 2a-2c to form a yarn 3 can, as shown in FIGS. 2, 4, be implemented such that at least two fibers 2a, 2c are fed to the spinning device 6 jointly via a first guide element 5d and at least one further fiber 2b is fed via a further guide element 5e arranged such that it is spatially separated from the first guide element 5d in a spatial direction. At least two fibers 2a, 2c can thus be fed via a first guide element 5d and at least one further fiber 2b via a further guide element 5e. In this context, even or uneven divisions of fibers 2a-2c over a given number of guide elements are possible. In the case of an exemplary feeding of four fibers as additionally shown in FIG. 4 (the fourth fiber is indicated by a dashed line) and an exemplary number of two guide elements 5d, 5e, two fibers can be fed via a first guide element 5d and two fibers via a second guide element 5e or three fibers via a first guide element 5d and one fiber via a second guide element 5e.

[0074] Although not shown in the figures, the spinning of at least three fibers 2a-2c according to the method could alternatively also be implemented such that the at least three fibers 2a-2c are fed to the spinning device 6 via three separate guide elements, arranged such that they are separated from each other in at least one spatial direction, by feeding at least one first fiber 2a via a first guide element, at least one second fiber 2b via a second guide element arranged such that it is spatially separated from the first guide element in at least one spatial direction and at least one third fiber 2c via a third guide element arranged such that it is spatially separated from the second guide element in at least one spatial direction. Each fiber 2a-2c can thus also be fed via a separate guide element.

[0075] In FIG. 4, finally, it is indicated that it is also possible within the framework of the method that at least two fibers 2a-2c and at least one filament 17 are spun together to form the yarn 3. The at least two fibers 2a-2c and the at least one filament 17 are brought together at the fiber merging point 12. Yarns 3 can therefore be produced from at least two fibers 2a-2c and at least one filament 17.

[0076] The spinning of at least two fibers 2a-2c and at least one filament 17 according to the method can be implemented such that at least two fibers 2a-2c are fed to the spinning device 6 via two separate guide elements 5d, 5e, arranged such that they are separated from each other in a spatial direction and the at least one filament 17 is fed from a filament storage unit 18, in particular a spool-like or spool-shaped filament storage unit 18, such as e.g. a filament bobbin, or via a third guide element separate from the two separate guide elements 5d, 5e.

[0077] Although not shown in the figures, besides the described arrangement of guide elements 5d, 5e such that they are spatially separated from each other in a spatial direction running transverse to the fiber guiding direction, it is alternatively or in addition also possible, at least in principle, that at least two guide elements 5d, 5e arranged such that they are spatially separated from each other in a spatial direction running parallel to the fiber guiding direction are used. At least in principle, therefore, guide elements 5d, 5e arranged such that they are offset in the fiber guiding direction can also be used.

[0078] Within the framework of the method, fibers 2a, 2b with identical and non-identical chemical and/or geometric and/or physical, in particular mechanical, properties can be spun together to form the yarn 3.

[0079] Within the framework of the method, all the natural fibers, i.e. for example alpaca fibers, cotton fibers, cashmere fibers, mohair fibers, silk fibers, linen fibers, wool fibers, in particular new wool fibers, and/or artificial (synthetic) fibers, i.e. for example plastic fibers, in particular polyamide fibers, polyester fibers, polypropylene fibers or viscose fibers, can be spun together to form the yarn to be produced. In particular, blends of (individual or a plurality of) natural and (individual or a plurality of) artificial fibers are also possible. The fibers can be continuous or staple fibers, depending on availability.

[0080] An (individual) fiber 2a, 2b can also be made of or comprise at least two chemically and/or geometrically and/or physically different fiber materials. A corresponding fiber 2a, 2b, accordingly also to be referred to as a blended fiber (blended roving), can accordingly be made of e.g. a first fiber material (roving material) and at least one further fiber material (roving material).