Method for adapting a changing movement of a thread to a flange spool and spooling device

Abstract

A method for adapting a travel end position of a changing movement of a thread to a flange spool includes means of which the thread is moved back and forth during a spooling operation along a rotation axis of the flange spool relative to the flange spool by means of a changing thread guide. The flange-side travel end position can be moved away from the flange of the flange spool in an axial direction when the thread tension decreases when the thread is moved away from the flange-side travel end position. Also, the flange-side travel end position can be moved by means of the changing thread guide in an axial direction towards a flange of the flange spool when the thread tension increases when the thread is moved away from the flange-side travel end position. Included is a spooling device for carrying out the disclosed method.

Claims

1. A method for adapting a travel end position of a changing movement a thread to a flange spool, the thread being moved back and forth during a spooling operation along a rotation axis of the flange spool relative to the flange spool by means of a changing thread guide, the method comprising the following steps of: time-resolved detecting of a thread tension of the thread which is intended to be spooled on the flange spool; establishing a changing rate of the thread tension when the thread moves away from a flange-side travel end position of the changing movement using the detected thread tension, the changing rate of the thread tension being averaged over a defined time measurement range; determining a deviation of the changing rate of the thread tension from a desired changing rate which is predetermined for the thread tension; and adapting the flange-side travel end position by means of axial adjustment of the travel end position and the flange spool relative to each other using the changing thread guide after determining a changing rate of the thread tension which is less than or greater than a predetermined desired changing rate, the flange-side travel end position being moved away from the flange of the flange spool in an axial direction by means of the changing thread guide when the changing rate of the thread tension is negative, that is to say, when the thread tension decreases when the thread is moved away from the flange-side travel end position, and the flange-side travel end position being moved by means of the changing thread guide in an axial direction towards a flange of the flange spool when the changing rate of the thread tension is positive, that is to say, when the thread tension increases when the thread is moved away from the flange-side travel end position.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the changing rate of the thread tension is also established using the detected thread tension when the thread is moved towards the flange-side travel end position.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the flange-side travel end position is adapted to the flange spool only when the thread tension in the region of the flange-side travel end position deviates in a defined manner from a predetermined thread tension limit value and/or is outside a predetermined thread tension tolerance range.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the thread tension limit value is determined using the measured thread tension of the thread during the beginning of the spooling operation.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the flange-side travel end position is adapted to the flange spool only when the thread tension in the region of the flange-side travel end position deviates in a defined manner from a predetermined thread tension limit value and/or is outside a predetermined thread tension tolerance range.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the thread tension limit value is determined using the measured thread tension of the thread during the beginning of the spooling operation.

7. A spooling device for spooling a thread on a flange spool, the spooling device comprising: a supply spool for providing the thread which is intended to be spooled on the flange spool; a yarn spool retention member which can be driven in a continuous manner for the flange spool; a control device having a thread tension sensor for the time-resolved detection of a thread tension of the thread which is intended to be wound on the flange spool; and a changing thread guide which can be moved back and forth relative to the yarn spool retention member so as to be changed between two travel end positions; wherein the control device is programmed to carry out a method according to claim 1.

8. The spooling device according to claim 7, wherein the changing thread guide is secured to a continuous pulling means which is guided so as to be able to be moved back and forth around redirection rollers.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a spooling device according to the invention for winding a thread on a flange spool, having a changing device by means of which the thread which is intended to be supplied to the flange spool can be moved back and forth with respect to the flange spool along the rotation axis thereof between two reverse locations, the spooling device having a control device having a thread tension sensor;

(3) FIG. 2 is a side view of the flange spool from FIG. 1 with a thread which is wound thereon in an optimum manner;

(4) FIG. 3 is a partial side view of the flange spool from FIG. 1 in which the thread, owing to a flange-side travel end position of the changing thread guide, which position is incorrect since it is arranged axially too far to the left in the figure, is wound to a high state on the flange of the flange spool;

(5) FIG. 4 is a partial side view of the flange spool from FIG. 1 in which the thread, as a result of a flange-side travel end position of the changing thread guide, which position is excessively remote from the flange axially, is not wound on the flange spool as far as the flange;

(6) FIG. 5A is a tension graph of the thread tension recorded by the thread tension sensor from FIG. 1 during a spooling operation plotted over time;

(7) FIG. 5B corresponds to FIG. 5A and is a movement graph of the changing thread guide which is recorded at the same time during the spooling operation plotted over time;

(8) FIG. 6 is a block diagram with individual steps of the method according to the invention for adapting a changing movement of a thread to a flange spool; and

(9) FIG. 7 is a block diagram with individual steps of another method according to the invention for adapting a changing movement of a thread to a thread spool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(10) FIG. 1 shows a spooling device 10 for spooling a thread 12 on a flange spool 14, with in this instance two terminal flanges 14a, 14b. The spooling device 10 comprises a thread delivery mechanism 16 and a supply spool 18 for providing the thread 12 which is intended to be wound on the flange spool 14, a changing device 20 having a changing thread guide 22, a yarn spool retention device 24 for the flange spool 14 and a control device 26.

(11) The yarn spool retention device 24 has a drive motor 28 for continuously driving the flange spool 14 about the rotation axis 30 thereof (=longitudinal axis of the flange spool 14). The thread 12 can in this instance be removed (only) by rotating the flange spool 14 from the supply spool 18 at the upper side. The supply spool 18 may in addition be able to be driven in a motorized manner and/or may have a braking device which is not shown in greater detail in FIG. 1. In this instance, the thread can be removed at the peripheral side from the supply spool 18 (not shown).

(12) The changing thread guide 22 is secured to a pulling means 32 which can be driven in a motorized manner and which is guided around redirection rollers 34. The redirection rollers 34 and the pulling means 32 are illustrated in FIG. 1 with broken lines. The pulling means 32 in this instance is constructed as a continuous pulling means. The changing thread guide 22 can be moved back and forth together with the thread 12 which is guided thereon by means of a changing movement 36 in the direction of the rotation axis 30 of the flange spool 14 between two travel end positions 38a, 38b which are spaced apart from each other in rapid succession. A travel central position of the changing thread guide is designated 36a. The spacing between the travel central position 36a and the two travel end positions 38a, 38b corresponds to a respective travel 36b of the changing thread guide 22. The thread 12 which is intended to be supplied to the flange spool 14 can thereby be deposited (wound) on the flange spool between the two travel end positions 38a, 38b on the flange spool 14. The travel end positions 38a, 38b of the changing movement 36 consequently correspond to lateral reverse locations of the thread movement relative to the rotation axis 30 of the flange spool 14. The control device 26 serves to control the entire spooling operation, in particular also the changing movement of the changing thread guide 22. The control device 26 has a thread tension sensor 40 which is arranged in the running direction 42 of the thread 12 directly, that is to say, without any other intermediate thread guiding and/or thread redirection means, in front of a guiding portion 44 which is constructed as a guiding eyelet. The guiding portion 44 is arranged in a fixed manner with respect to the yarn spool retention member 24. The changing thread guide 22 is arranged directly downstream of the guiding portion 44 in the running direction 42 of the thread 12.

(13) In FIG. 2, a flange spool 14 is illustrated in greater detail as a side view. The thread 12 is wound on the flange spool 14 in an optimum manner over the entire axial length L of the flange spool 14, which length can be wound with the thread 12. The thread 12 forms on the flange spool 14 a winding member 46 having an outer contour 46a which is constructed so as to be generally parallel with the rotation axis 30 of the flange spool 14. The winding member 46 extends from the flange 14a to the flange 14b of the flange spool 14 and is in abutment with both flanges 14a 14b at the inner side.

(14) In practice, as explained in the introduction, owing to wear or damage to the flange spool 14, incorrect winding of the thread 12 on the flange spool 14 may occur when the (flange-side) travel end positions 38a, 38b of the changing thread guide 22 during the spooling operation in an axial direction are not aligned precisely with respect to the axial position of the flanges 14a, 14b of the flange spool 14 along/on the rotation axis 30.

(15) With a flange-side travel end position 38a, 38b which, with respect to the flange 14a, 14b of the flange spool 14, which flange is in each case associated with the travel end position 38a, 38b, is arranged too far towards the outer side in an axial direction, the thread 12 when the flange spool 14 is driven in a continuous manner, is wound to a high state at the inner side on the flange 14a, 14b, as illustrated as a cutout in FIG. 3. The winding member 46 produced then has an outer contour 46a with a winding member flank 46b which increases in a concave manner in the direction towards the flange 14a, 14b, that is to say, a so-called undesirable thread winding.

(16) FIG. 4 is a partial side view of a flange spool 14 in which the thread, as a result of an incorrect adjustment of the axial position of the flange-side travel end position 38a of the changing movement 36 of the thread relative to the flange 14a, is not wound to a sufficient extent in the direction towards the flange 14a. The winding member 46 produced consequently tapers at the flange side.

(17) The incorrectly wound flange spools 14 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 can, when the thread 12 is subsequently removed from the flange spools 14, lead to a thread breakage or to impairments of quality in a product which is intended to be produced from the thread 12.

(18) FIG. 5A is a tension graph in which the thread tension 48 of the thread 12 is indicated in terms of the path thereof over time. FIG. 5B shows a temporal movement graph of the thread 12 during the spooling operation, which graph is produced at the same time as the thread tension 48. As can be seen from FIG. 5A, the thread tension 48 of the thread 12 to be wound on the flange spool during the spooling operation undulates periodically about a mean thread tension which is designated 50.

(19) The undulating thread tension 48 in this instance has a positive/negative changing rate 52 which remains substantially consistent (in terms of value) and which is illustrated graphically in this instance as a gradient of the thread tension 48. The thread tension 48 has a mean maximum thread tension 54. A predetermined maximum thread tension limit value is designated 56. The maximum thread tension limit value 56 is greater than the mean maximum thread tension 54. A predetermined minimum thread tension limit value is designated 56. The predetermined maximum thread tension limit value 56 and the predetermined minimum thread tension limit value 56 together define a thread tension tolerance range F which is predetermined for the thread tension 48.

(20) At the times T1, T2, the thread tension 48 in the travel end position 38a, 38b is greater than the maximum thread tension limit value 56 (=tension peak). The thread tension 48 at the times T1, T2 is consequently outside (above) the predetermined thread tension tolerance range F. The thread tension 48 decreases in a predetermined time measurement range M when the changing thread guide 22 is moved away from the adjusted travel end positions 38a, 38b. The changing rate 52 (=the gradient) of the thread tension 48 when the changing thread guide 22 is moved away from the respective travel end position 38a, 38b, is smaller in terms of value than a predetermined desired changing rate (not shown). The measurement range M always comprises the time at which the travel end position 38a, 38b is reached.

(21) The thread tension 48 increases directly after the time T3 when the changing thread guide 22 is moved away from the travel end position 38b and has a tension peak which is above and outside the thread tension tolerance range F. The changing rate 52 of the thread tension 48 is in this instance smaller than the predetermined desired changing rate (not shown) of the thread tension 48.

(22) After the time T1, the travel end position 38a of the changing movement 36 of the thread 12 during the subsequent spooling operation is arranged further away from the flange 14a in an axial direction, that is to say, the flange-side travel 36b of the changing thread guide 22 (FIG. 1) is subsequently reduced in comparison with the flange-side travel 36b at the time T1. After the tension peak at the time T2, the travel end position 38b is spaced axially further away from the associated flange 14b (FIGS. 1, 2) than before. That is to say, the flange-side travel 36b of the changing thread guide is subsequently reduced in comparison with the travel 36b at the time T2. After the time T3, the flange-side travel end position 38b is again moved further in an axial direction by means of the changing thread guide towards the flange 14b (FIGS. 1 and 2).

(23) According to the invention, the control device is programmed to carry out one of the methods 100 which are explained below with additional reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 for controlling the spooling operation.

(24) In the method 100 set out in FIG. 6, in a first step 102, during the spooling operation, the thread tension 48 of the thread 12 which is intended to be supplied to the flange spool 14 is detected in a time-resolved mannerin this instance continuouslyusing the thread tension sensor 40. The scanning rate of the thread tension sensor 40 is preferably adapted to the speed of the changing movement 36 of the thread 12 during the spooling operation.

(25) In another step 104, a respective changing rate of the thread tension 48 in the measurement range M when the thread 12 moves away from the flange-side travel end position 38a, 38b is determined using the thread tension 48 which is detected in a time-resolved manner. The changing rate 52 may in particular be calculated by the control device 26 using the established thread tension 48.

(26) The established changing rate 52 of the thread tension 48 is in another step 106 compared with the desired changing rate 58 of the thread tension 48, which rate is predetermined for the thread tension 48, and a deviation of the changing rate 52 from the predetermined desired changing rate 58 is determined.

(27) In another step 108, the changing movement of the thread 12 is adapted to the flange spool 14 by means of axial adjustment of the flange-side travel end positions 38a, 38b of the changing thread guide 22 based on the established deviation of the changing rate 52 from the predetermined desired changing rate 58. In the event of a (negative) changing rate 58 with decreasing thread tension 48 and a changing rate 52 of the thread tension 48 which is smaller than the predetermined desired changing rate 58 of the thread tension 48, the travel end position 38a, 38b of the changing thread guide is moved axially in the direction towards the flange 14a, 14b (time T3; FIG. 5). In the event of a (positive) changing rate 52 with a thread tension 48 which increases after the travel end position 38a, 38b has been reached and a changing rate 52 of the thread tension 48 which is greater than the predetermined desired changing rate 58 of the thread tension 48, the flange-side travel end position 38a, 38b is moved away from the corresponding flange 14a, 14b of the flange spool 14 in an axial direction (times T1, T2; FIG. 5). A flange-side reversal of the direction of the changing movement 38 of the thread 12 is carried out only subsequently in the following changing period at the reverse location which is adapted to the geometry of the flange spool in each case in the manner described above.

(28) The method 100 shown in FIG. 7 differs from the method described above substantially in that, in the step 104, the changing rate 52 of the thread tension 48 is additionally determined also when moving the thread 12 to the flange-side travel end position 38a, 38b with reference to the thread tension 48 which is detected in a time-resolved manner.

(29) The established changing rate 52 of the thread tension 48 when the thread 12 is moved towards the flange-side travel end position 38a, 38b and when the thread 12 is moved away from the flange-side travel end position 38a, 38b is compared in the next step 106 with the desired changing rate 58 of the thread tension 48, which rate is predetermined for the thread tension 48, and a respective deviation of the changing rate 52 from the predetermined desired changing rate 58 is determined. This is carried out over the measurement range M set out in FIG. 5A.

(30) In another step 107, over the measurement range M the thread tension 48 when the thread 12 is moved towards the flange-side travel end position 38a, 38b is compared with the predetermined minimum thread tension limit value 54 and, when the thread 12 is moved away from the flange-side travel end position 38a, 38B, is compared with the predetermined maximum thread tension limit value 56 and it is established whether the value is below the minimum thread tension limit value 56 or above the maximum thread tension limit value 56. Alternatively, a thread tension 48 which is located outside the thread tension tolerance range F can also be established by comparing the thread tension 48 with the thread tension tolerance range F explained in connection with FIG. 5A.

(31) In the additional step 108, the changing movement of the thread 12 is adapted to the flange spool 14 by means of axial adjustment of the flange-side travel end positions 38a, 38b of the changing movement by means of the changing thread guide 22. This is carried out, as already explained in relation to FIG. 6, on the basis of the established deviation of the changing rate 52 from the predetermined desired changing rate 58 and if the value of the thread tension 48 when moving the thread towards the travel end position 38a, 38b falls below the minimum thread tension limit value 56 and/or the value of the thread tension 48 in the region of the flange-side travel end position 38a, 38b is greater than the maximum thread tension limit value 56.

(32) Although several embodiments have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made to each without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited, except as by the appended claims.