Presser finger for a roving winder, roving winder, and method of winding a roving

Abstract

The invention relates to a presser finger (4) which is a component of a winder for winding a roving on to a rotating bobbin (1) with a longitudinal axis (10). The presser finger (4) has a carrying arm (40) with a longitudinal axis (8) and a roving 4 guide element. The presser finger (4) also has a guide plate (5) for guiding the roving on to a rotating bobbin (1). The presser finger (4) is alternatingly movable in the direction (X) of the longitudinal axis (10) of the rotating bobbin (1), and this movement of the presser finger (4) is provided by a drive means. The invention also relates to a roving winder with the aforementioned presser finger (4) and a method of winding a roving with the aid of the aforementioned presser finger (4).

Claims

1. A presser finger system for use with a winder for winding a roving onto a rotating bobbin having a longitudinal axis, the presser finger system comprising: a carrying arm having a longitudinal axis oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bobbin; a roving guide element on the carrying arm formed as an outer shell configured around the carrying arm; a guide plate configured at an end of the carrying arm; a drive device configured to move the carrying arm, outer shell, and guide plate in a traversing direction along the longitudinal axis of the bobbin; and wherein at least one of the carrying arm or outer shell is coupled to a drive and rotatable during winding of the roving onto the rotating bobbin about the longitudinal axis of the carrying arm.

2. The presser finger system as in claim 1, further comprising a controller connected with the drive mechanism to control rotation of the carrying arm or outer shell.

3. The presser finger system as in claim 1, further comprising a roving braking device configured on one of the carrying arm or outer shell.

4. The presser finger system as in claim 3, wherein the roving braking device comprises a deflector connected to the carrying arm or outer shell.

5. The presser finger system as in claim 4, wherein the deflector comprises a radial disc configured on the carrying arm or outer shell, the radial disc having a recess or cut-out through which the roving passes.

6. A winder for winding a roving onto a rotating bobbin, comprising: a bobbin rotatably driven relative to a longitudinal axis of the bobbin; a presser finger system, further comprising: a carrying arm having a longitudinal axis oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bobbin; a roving guide element on the carrying arm formed as an outer shell configured around the carrying arm; a guide plate configured at an end of the carrying arm; a drive device configured to move the carrying arm, outer shell, and guide plate in a traversing direction along the longitudinal axis of the bobbin; and wherein at least one of the carrying arm or outer shell is coupled to a drive and rotatably driven during winding of the roving onto the rotating bobbin about the longitudinal axis of the carrying arm.

7. A method for winding a roving onto a rotating bobbin in a winder, comprising: guiding the roving onto the bobbin with a presser finger having a carrying arm with a roving guide element formed as an outer shell configured around the carrying arm and a guide plate configured at an end of the carrying arm for depositing the roving onto the bobbin, the bobbin rotatably driven relative to a longitudinal axis of the bobbin; driving the presser finger in a traversing direction along the longitudinal axis of the bobbin while guiding the roving onto the bobbin; maintaining a constant tension on the roving by winding the roving at least once around the roving guide element and rotating at least one of the carrying arm, or the outer shell during the winding process.

8. The method as in claim 7, further comprising controlling the degree of winding of the roving around the roving guide element by controlling a drive device connected to the rotatable one of the carrying arm, or the outer shell.

9. The method as in claim 8, further comprising controlling the degree of winding of the roving around the outer shell as a function of a desired degree of tension in the roving being wound onto the bobbin.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Exemplary embodiments of the presser finger according to the invention will now be described with the aid of FIGS. 1 to 3.

(2) FIG. 1 shows the arrangement of a presser finger and a bobbin;

(3) FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of the presser finger with a roving braking means;

(4) FIGS. 2a to 2d show variant embodiments of the presser finger with roving braking means; and

(5) FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the presser finger with a roving braking means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) 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.

(7) The presser finger of a roving winder is a component of a roving winder for winding a roving onto a revolving bobbin. The roving being wound is guided with the aid of the presser finger along the height and/or width of the bobbin and is wound progressively in individual layers, thus progressively forming a wound bobbin for further processing.

(8) The presser finger comprises a carrying arm provided with a roving guide plate, the carrying arm with the guide plate being movable along the longitudinal axis of the bobbin; in other words, the roving being wound is guided along the length and/or width of the bobbin by the movement of the presser finger along the rotating bobbin. The bobbin can be positioned either vertically or horizontally or in practically any other orientation. Clearly, the preferred orientation of the longitudinal axis of the bobbin is vertical or horizontal.

(9) The presser finger is provided with at least one roving guide element which is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the carrying arm. The longitudinal axis of the carrying arm is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the presser finger along the bobbin, the rotatable roving guide element of the presser finger made in the form of a disc or as an additional part of the presser finger, for example an outer shell fitted rotatably on the carrying arm, or the like. Essentially, it is possible for only one of the parts of the presser finger to be rotatable, or for two or three or more of the parts to be rotatable simultaneously. For example, only the carrying arm is rotatable, while the guide plate is fixed, or the carrying arm is rotatable and the guide plate and outer shell are fixed, or the carrying arm and guide plate are rotatable and the outer shell is fixed, or the outer shell is rotatable and the carrying arm and guide plate are fixed, and so on. For the purpose of this rotation, the rotatable part is connected to a suitable drive means and the drive means is provided with a suitable controller.

(10) While it is being wound on to the bobbin, the roving passes through a braking means located either on the carrying arm or on the roving guide element. The roving braking means can be used, in particular, to control the tension in the roving wound on to the bobbin. This control can be of the stepped or continuous type and can be applied, in view of the arrangement of the presser finger, during the winding of the roving thus enabling the possibilities of the winder to be extended further.

(11) The roving braking means is made, for example, in the form of a surface of the carrying arm and/or a guide plate and/or an additional part of the presser finger (an outer shell and/or disc); alternatively, the braking means can be made in the form of a braking element fitted to any of the parts of the presser finger, in other words on the carrying arm, on the outer shell or disc, or on the guide plate, or elsewhere. The braking element can be fixed or rotatable with the rotatable part of the presser finger, or can be independently rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the carrying arm. If the braking means is fitted to a rotatable part of the presser finger, it is theoretically unnecessary for it to be independently rotatable, but it is possible for the braking element to be independently rotatable on another rotatable part of the presser finger. The braking element is substantially made in the form of a radial projection on any of the parts of the presser finger, for example a transverse pin, or in the form of a shaped slot or recess in the disc of the guide element or roving guide means, or similar.

(12) In principle, different combinations of the individual elements of the presser finger can be used in order to achieve the objects of the invention.

(13) Referring to the figures, clearly, the aforesaid presser finger is a component of a winder for winding a roving 9 on to a rotating bobbin 1. The winder winds the roving 9 on to a rotating bobbin 1. The roving 9 is guided by the presser finger 4 with a roving guide element and guide plate 5, while the presser finger 4 moves in an alternating way along the longitudinal axis 10 of the rotating bobbin 1. The presser finger 4 also moves transversely with respect to the longitudinal axis 10 of the rotating bobbin 1, as the diameter of the rotating bobbin 1 increases because of the roving 9 wound on it. The roving 9 is wound at least once around the roving guide element, and the roving 9 is then positioned on the rotating bobbin 1 by the guide plate 5. The guide plate 5 contacts or almost contacts the rotating bobbin 1 and the roving 9 is wound around the roving guide element by the rotation of the roving guide element of the presser finger 4 and/or by the rotation of the carrying arm 40 of the presser finger 4 and/or by the rotation of the guide plate 5 of the presser finger 4. The rotation of the roving guide element of the presser finger 4 and/or the rotation of the carrying arm 40 of the presser finger 4 and/or the rotation of the guide plate 5 of the presser finger 4 is provided by the drive means in the course of winding. For the practical control of the tension in the roving, the rotation of the roving guide element of the presser finger 4 and/or the rotation of the carrying arm 40 of the presser finger 4 and/or the rotation of the guide plate 5 of the presser finger 4 is provided by the drive means in the course of winding, according to the tension on the roving, and is used to set the desired tension on the roving.

(14) The presser finger 4 with the guide plate 5 for the roving 9 is alternatingly movable in the direction X of the longitudinal axis 10 of the bobbin 1, in order to guide the roving 9 along the height and/or width of the bobbin 1 which is rotatable about its longitudinal axis 10. The guide plate 5 for the roving 9 is fitted on the carrying arm 40 of the presser finger 4, while the presser finger 4 is connected to the drive (not shown) for alternating movement in the direction X of the longitudinal axis 10 of the bobbin 1, and the drive is connected to a control means (not shown).

(15) In particular, the presser finger 4 is provided with a roving braking means, which in the illustrated exemplary embodiments is based on the principle of a change in the degree of winding, in other words the number of turns or the angular extent of the winding of the roving 9 around the appropriate part of the presser finger 4, in order to improve the controllability of the process of winding the roving 9 on to the bobbin 1. The change in the degree of winding can be either smooth or stepped, and is applied in the course of winding.

(16) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the presser finger 4 is provided with an outer shell 7, the presser finger 4 being non-rotatable about its longitudinal axis 8, which is perpendicular to the direction X of the longitudinal axis 10 of the bobbin 1, while the outer shell 7 is rotatable about the axis 8. The roving 9 is guided onto the outer surface of the outer shell 7, is wound around this surface and then enters the roving guide plate 5. The rotation of the outer shell 7 about the axis 8 causes a change in the degree of winding (the number of turns) of the roving 9 around the outer shell 7, thus also changing the size of the braking part formed on the roving 9.

(17) As shown in FIG. 2a, a deflecting guide 11 for the roving 9 is formed on the outer periphery of the outer shell 7. The deflecting guide 11 is made in the form of a radially orientated pin in the illustrated exemplary embodiment. During the winding, the roving 9 is guided along the first part of the outer shell 7 and wound in one direction, for example in a clockwise direction, after which the roving 9 passes through the deflecting guide 11 to the second part of the outer shell 7 and the roving 9 is wound around this second part in the opposite direction, for example in an anticlockwise direction. The roving 9 then travels on to the guide plate 5 and to the bobbin 1.

(18) In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2b, the deflecting guide 11 for the roving 9 is made in the form of a disc 54 which is coaxial with the outer shell 7, and which is fixed to the outer shell 7 in the central part of the length of the outer shell 7, a radial recess 541 being created in the disc 54 in the form of an angled cut-out at a suitable angle, for example 90, and the roving 9 is wound around the working wall 5411 of the radial recess, in other words with a change in the direction of winding of the roving 9 around the part of the outer surface of the outer shell 7 between the part before the disc 54 and the part after the disc 54.

(19) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2c, the deflecting guide 11 for the roving 9 is made in the form of a disc 55 which is coaxial with the outer shell 7, and which is fixed to the outer shell 7 in the central part of the length of the outer shell 7, a radial recess 551 being created in the disc 55 with an enlarged portion in the proximity of the braking surface of the outer shell 7. This embodiment holds the roving 9 correctly in the radial recess 551 when the outer shell 7 rotates about its longitudinal axis. With the aid of the radial recess 551, the roving 9 is wound onto the braking surface of the outer shell 7 with a change in the direction of winding of the roving 9 around the outer surface of the outer shell 7 between the parts before the disc 55 and after the disc 55.

(20) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2d, the deflecting guide 11 for the roving 9 is made in the form of a disc 56 which is coaxial with the outer shell 7, and which is fixed to the outer shell 7 in the first part of the length of the outer shell 7, a radial recess 561 being created in the disc 56 with an enlarged portion in the proximity of the braking surface of the outer shell 7. If the roving 9 passes through the radial recess 561, the rotation of the outer shell 7 about its longitudinal axis causes an increase or decrease in the number of turns of the roving 9 around the braking surface of the outer shell 7 arranged in the direction of movement of the roving after the disc 56, leading to a change in the degree of winding of the roving 9 around the outer surface of the outer shell 7, and thus changing the braking force acting on the roving 9. In an exemplary embodiment which is not shown, the disc 56 and the radial recess 561 are provided with a radially orientated pin, in other words one which is transverse with respect to the direction of movement of the roving 9.

(21) In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the carrying arm 40 and the guide plate 5 are rotatable together about the axis 8 and the outer shell 7 is not rotatable about the axis 8. The roving 9 is either guided directly to the guide plate 5 for the roving 9 and then on to the bobbin 1, or is first guided on to the outer surface of the carrying arm 40 and wound around it and then guided to the guide plate 5 for the roving 9 and subsequently to the bobbin 1. The rotation of the carrying arm 40 about the axis 8 causes a change in the degree of winding (the number of turns) of the roving 9 around the guide plate 5 or the carrying arm 40, thus also changing the size of the braking part formed on the roving 9. In an exemplary embodiment which is not shown, the deflecting guide 11 is positioned on the outer periphery of the carrying arm 40.

(22) Similarly, in another exemplary embodiment which is not shown, the arrangement is such that only the guide plate 5 rotates about the axis 8, while all the other components are non-rotatable about the axis 8. In this embodiment also, the roving 9 is guided either directly to the guide plate 5 and then on to the bobbin 1, or is first guided on to the outer surface of the carrying arm 40 and wound around it and then guided to the guide plate 5, the rotation of the guide plate 5 about the axis 8 changing the degree of winding (the number of turns) of the roving 9 around the guide plate 5 or the carrying arm 40, thus also changing the size of the braking part formed on the roving 9.

(23) In another exemplary embodiment which is not shown, the arrangement is such that only the carrying arm 40 is rotatable about the axis 8 and the deflecting guide 11 is formed on the arm, the guide plate 5 and all other components being non-rotatable about the axis 8.

(24) In another exemplary embodiment which is not shown, the carrying arm 40 is non-rotatable about the axis 8, and the deflecting guide 11 is rotatable about the axis 8, this guide being fitted independently and rotatably on the carrying arm 40 or on the outer shell 7 and being connected independently to a drive means.

(25) In order to provide controlled rotation about the axis 8, the carrying arm 40 and the guide plate 5 or the outer shell 7 or the deflecting guide 11 are coupled to a drive means (not shown) connected to a controller (not shown) which has a means for detecting the speed of movement of the roving 9 and/or a means for detecting the tension in the roving 9, the amount of braking force on the roving 9 being set on the basis of the detected values.

(26) Modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments illustrated or described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.