METHOD FOR OPERATING A SPINDLE OF A TWO-FOR-ONE TWISTING OR CABLING MACHINE

Abstract

A method for operating a spindle (2) of a two-for-one twisting or cabling machine which comprises an adjustable balloon-yarn-guide-eye (9), wherein for the operation of the spindle (2) under production conditions, the balloon-yarn-guide-eye (9) is adjusted, on the basis of a measured value (i) correlating with the energy consumption of the spindle drive (3), to a first operating position (AP.sub.1), in which a position-dependent minimum of the energy consumption of the spindle drive (3) is reached.

Claims

1. A method for operating a spindle (2) of a two-for-one twisting or cabling machine, which comprises an adjustable balloon-yarn guide-eye (9), characterized in that, for the operation of the spindle (2) under production conditions, the balloon-yarn-guide-eye (9) is adjusted, on the basis of a measured value (i) correlating with the energy consumption of the spindle drive (3), to a first operating position (AP.sub.1) in which a position-dependent minimum of the energy consumption of the spindle drive (3) is reached.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the respective first operating position (AP.sub.1) of the balloon-yarn-guide-eye (9) to be approached dependent upon yarn-twisting parameters is determined in advance and can be called up for the yarn-twisting batch to be processed in order to control an adjustment drive (18) for the balloon-yarn-guide-eye (9).

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the first operating position (AP.sub.1) of the balloon-yarn-guide-eye (9) to be approached dependent upon yarn-twisting parameters is adjusted via a control circuit (20) and fine-tuned during the operation of the spindle (2), wherein a measured value (i) correlating with the energy consumption of the spindle drive serves as control value.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the current consumption of the spindle drive (3), the size of a yarn balloon (B) or the yarn tension of an outer yarn (5) forming the yarn balloon (B) serves as measured value (i) correlating with the energy consumption of the spindle (2).

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the yarn tension of the outer yarn (5) constituting the yarn balloon (B) is increased by means of a controllable yarn-tension influencing device (22) constituted as a yarn-supply unit or yarn brake in such a manner that, for the operation of the spindle (2), the yarn balloon (B) is reduced to a size at which it still does not yet contact a protective pot (19) surrounding a feed bobbin (15).

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, after the adjustment of the yarn tension by the controllable yarn-tension influencing device (22), the balloon-yarn-guide-eye (9) is moved back in the direction of the yarn course, with a further reduction of the energy consumption, to a second operating position (AP.sub.2), at the overshooting of which the energy consumption of the spindle (2) rises again.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that the second operating position (AP.sub.2) of the balloon-yarn-guide-eye (9) is determined in advance and can be called up for the yarn-twisting batch to be processed in order to control an adjustment drive (18) for the balloon-yarn-guide-eye (9).

8. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that the balloon diameter (D.sub.2) is measured at a plane which is disposed in the region of the upper edge with the largest external diameter of the protective pot (19) as the measured value (i) correlating with the energy consumption of the spindle drive.

9. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that the balloon diameter (D.sub.2) is measured at a plane which is disposed in the region of the largest diameter of the yarn balloon B as the measured value (i) correlating with the energy consumption of the spindle drive.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0061] Further details of the invention are described in the following with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, wherein:

[0062] FIG. 1 schematically depicts, in a lateral view, a workstation of a cabling machine, with a balloon-yarn-guide-eye which is height adjustable by means of an adjustment drive, a control circuit connected to the adjustment drive of the balloon-yarn-guide-eye and a device for monitoring the energy consumption of the spindle drive;

[0063] FIG. 2 depicts the workstation as shown in FIG. 1, with a device constituted as a light barrier connected to the control circuit for monitoring the diameter of a yarn balloon circulating around the spindle;

[0064] FIG. 3 depicts the workstation according to FIG. 1, with a yarn-tension sensor connected to the control circuit in order to generate a measured value;

[0065] FIG. 4 depicts a further embodiment of a workstation of a cabling machine with a control circuit connected to the adjustment drive of the balloon-yarn-guide-eye, several devices for the provision of a measured value and a yarn-tension influencing device;

[0066] FIG. 5 depicts a workstation of a cabling machine with a control circuit which allows a defined displacement of the balloon-yarn-guide-eye out of a first operating position into a second operating position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0067] FIG. 1 shows a schematic lateral view of a workstation 1 of a two-for-one twisting or cabling machine.

[0068] In the exemplary embodiment, the workstation 1 is fitted with a spindle 2 constituted as a cabling spindle.

[0069] The workstation 1 comprises a balloon-yarn-guide-eye 9, which is height adjustable by means of an adjustment drive 18 and can be optionally positioned in a starting position designated as resting position RS or a first operating position AP.sub.1.

[0070] In this context, the adjustment drive 18 is connected to a control circuit 20, which is further connected to a device 21 for generating a measured value i.

[0071] Above or behind the workstation 1, a bobbin rack 4 (not illustrated in greater detail) is positioned, which generally serves to accommodate several feed bobbins 7.

[0072] From one of these feed bobbins 7, referred to in the following as the first feed bobbin 7, a so-called outer yarn 5 is withdrawn, which, deflected several times in the region of a rotational axis 35 of the cabling spindle 2, is threaded into the hollow rotary axle of the spindle drive 3.

[0073] The outer yarn 5 leaves the hollow rotary axle of the spindle drive 3 through a so-called yarn discharge borehole facing radially outwards, arranged somewhat below a protective pot 19 and reaches the external region of a yarn-deflection device 8 which is also mounted in a rotatable manner about the rotational axis 35.

[0074] On leaving the yarn-deflection device 8, the running outer yarn 5 is deflected upwards and extends, with the formation of a yarn balloon B, of which the shape and size is specified, inter alia, by the position of the balloon-yarn-guide-eye 9 and which circulates around the protective pot 19, to the balloon-yarn-guide-eye 9, which, at the beginning of the cabling process, is positioned in a resting position RS.

[0075] In the region of the balloon-yarn-guide-eye 9, the outer yarn 5 meets an inner yarn 16, which is withdrawn simultaneously overhead from a second feed bobbin 15, which is mounted in the protective pot 19 of the cabling spindle 2.

[0076] The protective pot 19, which comprises, for example, a hood 6 with a yarn brake 10, is arranged on the rotatably mounted yarn-deflection device 8 and, in this context, preferably secured against rotation by a magnetic device (not illustrated). The rotatably mounted yarn-deflection device 8 of the cabling spindle 2 is supplied with drive, that is, either a direct drive in the form of a spindle drive 3 is provided, as illustrated in the present exemplary embodiment, or an indirect drive device (per se known, not illustrated) is provided.

[0077] The yarns (outer yarn 5 and inner yarn 16) cabled in the region of the balloon-yarn-guide-eye 9, for example, to form a corded yarn 13, arrive, via a yarn-conveying device 11, at a spooling and winding device 12, where they are wound onto a take-up bobbin 14. This means that during the running operational process of the workstation 1, in the region of the balloon-yarn-guide-eye 9, yarns 5 and 16 cabled to form a corded yarn 13 are wound on the spooling and winding device 12 to form a take-up bobbin 14, which is constituted, for example, as a cross-wound bobbin, wherein twisted, cabled or high-twist yarns are designated as corded yarns.

[0078] For this purpose, the spooling and winding device 12 provides, inter alia, a drive roller 17, which drives the take-up bobbin 14 during the operating process via friction drive.

[0079] As already suggested above, the balloon-yarn-guide-eye 9 is mounted in a vertically displaceable manner and connected to an adjustment drive 18, which, for its part, is connected to a control circuit 20, which is connected to a device for detecting a measured value i.

[0080] In the illustrated embodiment, this device is a measuring device 21, which monitors the energy consumption of the spindle drive 3 during the operation of the workstation 1. This means that the measuring device 21 makes available to the control circuit 20 a measured value i, which the control circuit 20 uses for controlling the adjustment drive 18, when the spindle 2 has reached its operational speed and, correspondingly, the energy consumption of the spindle drive 3 has reached a given level.

[0081] That is, the adjustment drive 18 is controlled in such a manner that it displaces the balloon-yarn-guide-eye 9 from its resting position RS into a first operating position AP.sub.1 in which the yarn balloon B2 comprises a significantly lower height and also a significantly smaller diameter D2 than the yarn balloon B1 with the diameter D1, which is present when the balloon-yarn-guide-eye 9 is positioned in the resting position RS.

[0082] The reduction in size of the yarn balloon B achieved through the displacement of the balloon-yarn-guide-eye 9 into the operating position AP.sub.1 also immediately leads to a significant reduction of the atmospheric friction to be overcome during the circulation of the yarn balloon by the yarn 5, with the consequence that the energy consumption of the spindle drive 3 of the workstation 1 is significantly reduced.

[0083] The embodiments of a workstation 1 of a two-for-one twisting or cabling machine illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 differ from the workstation shown in FIG. 1 only with regard to the constitution of their devices for detecting a measured value i.

[0084] In the case of the embodiment according to FIG. 2, the device for detecting a measured value i is a sensor device 25, which is constituted as a light barrier, that is, the sensor device 25 comprises a light source 26 and a light receiver 27.

[0085] With such optically operating light barriers, the circulating yarn of the yarn balloon B, in the exemplary embodiment, the outer yarn 5 originating from the first feed bobbin 7, intermittently shades a light beam 28 of the light barrier with every circulation of the yarn balloon B, which, in conjunction with the momentary rotational speed of the spindle 2 allows inferences regarding the size of the yarn balloon B.

[0086] That is, with such a sensor device 25 constituted as a light barrier connected to the control circuit 20, the size of the yarn balloon B can be monitored relatively simply and, when a given size of the yarn balloon B is reached, which indicates, for example, the reaching of the operational speed of the spindle drive 3, a measured value i can be communicated to the control circuit 20.

[0087] As already explained above in connection with FIG. 1, the control circuit 20 then ensures that the adjustment drive 18 optimises the balloon-yarn-guide-eye 9 with regard to its position, that is, the adjustment drive 18 moves the balloon-yarn guide-eye 9 out of its resting position RS into the operating position AP.sub.1 and, if required, fine tunes it.

[0088] In the case of the embodiment according to FIG. 3, the device for detecting a measured value i is a yarn-tension sensor 24, which is arranged in the yarn course of a corded yarn 13 between the balloon-yarn-guide-eye 9 and the spooling and winding device 12.

[0089] With such a yarn-tension sensor 24, the yarn tension of the corded yarn 13, which is dependent, for example, upon the size of the circulating yarn balloon B1, is monitored. The yarn-tension sensor 24 generates a measured value i when the yarn tension reaches a specified limit value, which allows it to be inferred that the cabling spindle 2 has reached its operational speed.

[0090] When it receives such a measured value i, the control circuit 20 then ensures that the adjustment drive 18 moves the balloon-yarn-guide-eye 9 into the first operating position AP.sub.1, which leads to a smaller yarn balloon B2 and accordingly to a reduction in the atmospheric friction to be overcome by the yarn balloon, which, in turn, has a positive influence on the energy consumption of the spindle drive 3. That is, by displacing the balloon-yarn-guide-eye 9 from the resting position RS into the first operating position AP.sub.1, it is possible significantly to reduce the energy consumption of the spindle drive 3 of the workstation 1.

[0091] FIG. 4 shows a workstation 1 of a cabling machine, which comprises a control circuit 20 connected to the adjustment drive 18 for the balloon-yarn-guide-eye 9, a yarn-tension influencing device 22 connected in the yarn pathway of the outer yarn 5 and, at the same time, several devices for the detection of a measured value i. That is, in the present exemplary embodiment, the workstation 1 comprises a yarn-tension influencing device 22 connected to the control circuit 20 and two devices for detecting a measured value i.

[0092] One of these devices for detecting a measured value i is, for example, a measuring device 21, which monitors the energy consumption of the spindle drive 3 during the operation of the workstation 1; the other device for detecting a measured value i is a yarn-tension sensor 24, which scans the corded yarn 13 and is installed, for example, directly below a yarn-conveying device 11.

[0093] However, the devices for detecting a measured value i can also be constituted differently; for example, a sensor device 25 constituted as a light barrier which monitors the circulating yarn of a yarn balloon can also be used.

[0094] In this context, such a sensor device 25 can be used in addition to the devices 21 and 24 or can also be used instead of one of the devices 21 or 24.

[0095] The yarn-tension influencing device 22 connected in the yarn pathway of the outer yarn 5 is, for example, a controllable yarn-supply unit or a controllable yarn brake.

[0096] In the case of a workstation 1 which comprises an embodiment as described above with reference to FIG. 4, it is guaranteed that, dependent upon the measured values i of the devices 21 and/or 24 and/or 25, the control circuit 20 not only always reliably ensures that the adjustment drive 18 positions the balloon-yarn-guide-eye 9 advantageously at all times, but also ensures that the yarn-tension influencing device 22 always keeps the yarn tension in the region of the yarn balloon B2 at an optimal value.

[0097] FIG. 5 shows a workstation 1 of a cabling machine in a somewhat larger scale.

[0098] As is evident, with this workstation 1, the balloon-yarn-guide-eye 9 can be displaced optionally between a resting position RS, advantageous in the case of interruptions of production, and first or respectively second operating positions AP.sub.1, AP.sub.2 dependent upon spinning parameters.

[0099] In this context, the balloon-yarn-guide-eye 9 can, of course, also be positioned at intervening operating positions resulting in conjunction with transient operating phases. That is, the control circuit 20 is constituted in such a manner that, dependent upon a measured value i provided, for example, by a measuring device 21, the adjustment drive 18 for the balloon-yarn-guide-eye 9 is controlled in such a manner that the balloon-yarn-guide-eye 9 is initially displaced out of its resting position RS into a first operating position AP.sub.1 in which the yarn balloon B2 comprises a diameter D2.

[0100] In the course of the further operation of the workstation 1, the balloon-yarn-guide-eye 9 is then moved by an adjustment drive 18, to which the control circuit 20 is connected, into a second operating position AP.sub.2, which, as shown, leads to a yarn balloon B3 with a smaller diameter D3 and therefore to a reduction in the atmospheric friction to be overcome by the yarn 5 of the yarn balloon.

[0101] Subsequently or synchronously, by means of the yarn-tension influencing device 22, which is constituted, for example, as a yarn-supply unit, the yarn tension of the outer yarn 5 is increased somewhat further, so that the diameter of the yarn balloon B3 is again somewhat reduced, which similarly influences the energy consumption of the spindle drive 3 in a positive manner.

[0102] During the course of the adjustment and regulation operations for the optimisation of the yarn balloon B, a plurality of operating positions relative to the operating positions of the balloon-yarn-guide-eye 9, which are disposed between the first operating position AP.sub.1 and the second operating position AP.sub.2, are, of course, also obtained.

[0103] It will therefore be readily understood by those persons skilled in the art that the present invention is susceptible of a broad utility and application. Many embodiments and adaptations of the present invention other than those herein described, as well as many variations, modifications and equivalent arrangements will be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention and the foregoing description thereof, without departing from the substance or scope of the present invention. Accordingly, while the present invention has been described herein in detail in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that this disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the present invention and is made merely for purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the invention. The foregoing disclosure is not intended or to be construed to limit the present invention or otherwise to exclude any such other embodiment, adaptations, variations, modifications and equivalent arrangements, the present invention being limited only by the claims appended hereto and the equivalents thereof.