LOADING ARRANGEMENT FOR A SPIN-KNIT MACHINE

Abstract

A loading arrangement for a spin-knit machine includes a loading device that is movable at least with one part along at least one preset or presettable path and that is configured for loading the spin-knit machine with full roving bobbins.

Claims

1. A loading arrangement for a spin-knit machine, comprising: a loading device that is movable at least with one part along at least one preset or presettable path; wherein the loading device is configured for loading the spin-knit machine with full roving bobbins.

2. The loading arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a guide device; wherein the loading device is movable at a level of a drafting arrangement of the spin-knit machine at least along a region of the guide device.

3. The loading arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the loading device has a gripper.

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

7. The loading arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the loading device has a storage means for full roving bobbins, empty roving bobbins, or both.

8. (canceled)

9. The loading arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a control device to control the loading device.

10. The loading arrangement according to claim 2, further comprising a storage space for storing roving bobbins, wherein the storage space can be approached by the loading device or a part thereof along the guide device.

11. The loading arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a transport device for loading the storage space with full roving bobbins.

12. The loading arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the guide device encloses at least one spin-knit machine at least in sections over a periphery.

13. The loading arrangement according to claim 1, comprising multiple loading devices that are respectively associated with at least one drafting arrangement of the spin-knit machine.

14. The loading arrangement according to claim 2, wherein multiple spin-knit machines are enclosed by the guide device at least in sections over a periphery.

15. The loading arrangement according to claim 1, comprising at least two loading devices, wherein one of the at least two loading devices is configured to transfer a roving bobbin to the other of the two loading device.

16. The loading arrangement according to claim 2, wherein multiple spin-knit machines are respectively assigned at least one guide device and the loading devices are configured to transfer roving bobbins from one loading device of a first guide device to a loading device of a second guide device.

17. The loading arrangement according to claim 5, wherein the sliver sensor of the spin-knit machine is connected via signalling technology to the control device.

18. A spin-knit machine with a loading arrangement, the loading arrangement comprising: a loading device that is movable at least with one part along at least one preset or presettable path; wherein the loading device is configured for loading the spin-knit machine with full roving bobbins.

19. (canceled)

20. A process for loading a spin-knit machine with a roving, wherein a roving end is fed by machine to a sliver sensor of the spin-knit machine, a drafting arrangement of the spin-knit machine, or both.

21. The process according to claim 20, wherein the roving end is grasped by a gripper of the loading device and fed to the sliver sensor of the spin-knit machine, the drafting arrangement (9) of the spin-knit machine, or both.

22. The process according to claim 20, wherein the sliver sensor detects the end of a roving and emits a corresponding signal, after which a loading device or a part thereof is moved to the drafting arrangement associated with the sliver sensor in an automated manner and exchanges an empty roving bobbin for a full roving bobbin.

23. (canceled)

24. The process according to claim 20, wherein after a change of the roving bobbin the roving end is grasped by the gripper of the loading device and is fed to the sliver sensor of the spin-knit machine, the drafting arrangement of the spin-knit machine, or both.

25. The process according to claim 20, wherein the drafting arrangement, on which a roving bobbin has been changed, is enabled for knitting after the roving bobbin change by the loading device.

26. (canceled)

Description

[0031] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are represented in different stages of use in the schematic drawing and explained in more detail in the following description.

[0032] FIG. 1 is a highly schematic representation of a part of a spin-knit machine;

[0033] FIG. 2 is a plan view onto a spin-knit machine, which has two associated storage spaces;

[0034] FIG. 3 shows a spin-knit machine, which has four associated loading units;

[0035] FIG. 4 shows a spin-knit machine, which has one associated storage space;

[0036] FIG. 5 shows two spin-knit machines, which are assigned a joint storage space;

[0037] FIG. 6 shows an arrangement of multiple knitting machines and storage spaces.

[0038] FIG. 1 shows a partial view of a spin-knit machine 1 with a knitting tool hold, in particular a needle cylinder 2, in which standard knitting tools, e.g. knitting needles 3 configured as latch needles, are displaceably mounted. The knitting needles 3 have hooks 3a, pivoting latches 3b and blades 3c. They can be moved at a knitting location referred to hereafter as knitting system 4 by means of cam parts 5 (not shown in further detail) into a fibre pick-up position suitable for picking up fibrous material 6 or roving. The fibrous material 6 is fed to the spin-knit machine 1 from roving bobbins 7.

[0039] Fibrous material 6, e.g. in the form of a flyer frame sliver, can be wound up on the roving bobbins 7. The fibrous material 6 is fed to a drafting arrangement 9 by means of a transport element (not shown) and a guide roller 8. Each knitting system 4 is assigned its own drafting arrangement 9, which has, for example, pairs of drafting rollers, as known per se. The exemplary embodiment concerns a three-roller drafting arrangement, wherein a feed roller pair I with a middle roller pair II configured as double-apron roller pair forms a predrafting zone and a withdrawal roller pair III forms a main drafting zone.

[0040] The fibrous material 6 coming from the drafting arrangement 9, which substantially consists of undrawn staple fibres arranged parallel to one another, is preferably fed to an associated knitting system by means of a spinning or transport device 10. The transport device 10 has a rotary member 11 and a spinning or transport tube 12 connected to this, which terminates at a thread guide 14 that is arranged just in front of the knitting tools 3 so that the fibrous material 6 exiting from the thread guide hole 14a is inserted into the hooks 3a of the knitting tools 3, which are raised or lifted at the fibre pick-up point by the cam parts 5 into a fibre pick-up position. The fibrous material 6 is monitored by means of a sliver sensor 15. When a flaw is detected, the stitch forming process is interrupted. The flaw is removed from the fibrous material 6 and the stitch forming process can then be continued.

[0041] FIG. 2 shows the spin-knit machine 1 and also a loading arrangement 100 arranged in the vicinity thereof in a highly schematic representation. The loading arrangement 100 comprises a guide device 101 drawn in as a dotted line, which in the shown exemplary embodiment inter alia is arranged around the periphery of the spin-knit machine 1. Loading devices 102-104 are movable along the guide device 101. The loading devices 102-104 here have grippers (not shown) that are suitable to remove (empty) roving bobbins from the knitting machine 1 as well as to load these with new (full) roving bobbins 7. Moreover, the grippers of the loading devices 102-104 are suitable for grasping the end of a roving and feeding both the sliver sensor 15 and the drafting arrangement 9.

[0042] FIG. 2 additionally shows two storage spaces 105, 106, in which roving bobbins 7 can be stored temporarily. Empty roving bobbins 7 can be deposited here by the loading units 102-104. Full roving bobbins 7 can be delivered to the storage spaces 105, 106 by means of transport devices 107, 108. There, the loading devices 102-104 can take up full roving bobbins 7 into a storage means of the loading device 102-104 and discharge empty roving bobbins 7, which have also been deposited into a storage means during a roving bobbin change.

[0043] The loading devices 102-104 can run around the knitting machine 1 completely along the guide device 101. However, it is also conceivable that individual loading devices 102-104 are assigned to particular sections of the knitting machine 1 and therefore also to corresponding sections of the guide device 101.

[0044] In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3 the knitting machine 1 is divided into four regions. Therefore, the guide devices 201-204 also only extend along a section around the periphery of the knitting machine 1. On the other hand, the periphery of the spin-knit machine 1 is completely covered by the guide devices 201-204, so that each drafting arrangement can be reached by a loading device 209-212. Each guide device 201-204 is in turn assigned its own storage space 205-208 as well as a loading device 209-212.

[0045] It is also conceivable to assign more than one loading device 209-212 to each guide device 201-204. In particular, multiple loading devices 209-212 can run at least along one section around the spin-knit machine 1 simultaneously.

[0046] In the embodiment according to FIG. 4 two loading devices 301, 302 are provided, which are movable along a guide device 303. In addition, a storage space 304 is assigned to the knitting machine 1. In this case, the transport device 305 is also arranged completely inside the storage space 304. Empty roving bobbins can be manually removed from the storage space 304 here.

[0047] FIG. 5 shows how two knitting machines 1, 1 can be operated with only one assigned storage space 401. The storage space 401 is located between knitting machines 1, 1. Loading devices 403, 404 can be moved by means of the guide device 402 both around the knitting machine 1, 1 and to the storage space 401 in order to exchange empty roving bobbins for full roving bobbins there. As is also the case in the preceding and subsequent exemplary embodiments, the loading devices 403, 404 can have a drive, which can be actuated by a control device 20 such as shown in FIG. 1, for example. Furthermore, a gripper of a loading device 403, 404 can also be actuated by the control device 20. The control device 20 can be a master control device, which is provided exclusively for the operation of the loading arrangement 100. However, it is also conceivable to use a control device of a knitting machine 1, 1 to control the loading arrangement 100. In particular, the control device can receive signals from the sliver sensor 15 or from each sliver sensor 15 of each drafting arrangement to operate the loading arrangement 100 in dependence on the signals of the sliver sensor 15. In this case the movement sequences and individual operations of the loading devices 403, 404 can be controlled by means of software, which runs in the control device 20. The software of the loading arrangement 100 can be coupled directly to the software of a spin-knit machine 1,1. Thus, it can be regulated which loading device 403, 404 must travel to which knitting point when to either change a roving bobbin 7 or to remove rough flaws from the roving.

[0048] FIG. 6 shows an arrangement comprising four spin-knit machines 1, 1, 1, 1 overall. A guide device 500 arranged around the knitting machines 1, 1, 1, 1 is shown. The arrangement additionally has two storage spaces 501, 502. The loading devices 503-506 can move along the guide device 500 and run up to the drafting arrangements of the knitting machine 1, 1, 1, 1. In this case, the loading arrangement is controlled such that the loading device 503-506 that is not occupied elsewhere at the time and that is at the shortest distance from the drafting arrangement is the one that runs up to a drafting arrangement. The loading devices 503-506 can not only remove full roving bobbins from the storage spaces 501, 502, but also transfer full roving bobbins to another respective loading device 503-506. Empty roving bobbins can likewise be taken up.