Patent Grant
7926147
This application claims priority from German Utility Model Application No. 20 2007 010 686.6 dated Jun. 29, 2007 and German Patent Application No. 10 2007 053 893.8 dated Nov. 9, 2007, the entire disclosure of each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The invention relates to an apparatus for the fibre-sorting or selection of a fibre bundle comprising textile fibres, especially for combing.
In a known apparatus, fibre bundles are supplied by means of supply means to a fibre-sorting device, especially to a combing device, in which clamping devices are provided, which clamp the fibre bundle at a distance from its free end and mechanical means are present which generate a combing action from the clamping site to the free end of the fibre bundle in order to loosen and remove non-clamped constituents, such as, for example, short fibres, neps, dust and the like from the free end, a take-off means is present to remove the combed fibre material and a plurality of drive devices is connected to a control device.
In practice, combing machines are used to free cotton fibres or woollen fibres of natural impurities contained therein and to parallelise the fibres of the fibre sliver. For that purpose, a previously prepared fibre bundle is clamped between the jaws of the nipper arrangement so that a certain sub-length of the fibres, known as the “fibre tuft”, projects at the front of the jaws. By means of the combing segments of the rotating combing roller, which segments are filled with needle clothing or toothed clothing, this fibre tuft is combed and thus cleaned. The take-off device usually consists of two counter-rotating rollers, which grip the combed fibre tuft and carry it onwards. The known cotton-combing process is a discontinuous process. During a nipping operation, all assemblies and their drive means and gears are accelerated, decelerated and in some cases reversed again. High nip rates result in high acceleration. Particularly as a result of the kinematics of the nippers, the gear for the nipper movement and the gear for the pilgrim-step movement of the detaching rollers, high acceleration forces come into effect. The forces and stresses that arise increase as the nip rates increase. The known flat combing machine has reached a performance limit with its nip rates, which prevents productivity from being increased. Furthermore, the discontinuous mode of operation causes vibration in the entire machine, which generates dynamic alternating stresses.
EP 1 586 682 A discloses a combing machine in which, for example, eight combing heads operate simultaneously one next to the other. The drive of those combing heads is effected by means of a lateral drive means arranged next to the combing heads having a gear unit which is in driving connection by way of longitudinal shafts with the individual elements of the combing heads. The fibre slivers formed at the individual combing heads are transferred, one next to the other on a conveyor table, to a subsequent drafting system in which they are drafted and then combined to form a common combing machine sliver. The fibre sliver produced in the drafting system is then deposited in a can by means of a funnel wheel (coiler plate). The plurality of combing heads of the combing machine each have a feed device, a pivotally mounted, fixed-position nipper assembly, a rotatably mounted circular comb having a comb segment for combing out the fibre tuft supplied by the nipper assembly, a top comb and a fixed-position detaching device for detaching the combed-out fibre tuft from the nipper assembly. The lap ribbon supplied to the nipper assembly is here fed via a feed cylinder to a detaching roller pair. The fibre tuft protruding from the opened nipper passes onto the rearward end of a combed sliver web or fibre web, whereby it enters the clamping nip of the detaching rollers owing to the forward movement of the detaching rollers. The fibres that are not retained by the retaining force of the lap ribbon, or by the nipper, are detached from the composite of the lap ribbon. During this detaching operation, the fibre tuft is additionally pulled by the needles of a top comb. The top comb combs out the rear part of the detached fibre tuft and also holds back neps, impurities and the like. The top comb, for which in structural terms space is required between the movable nipper assembly and the movable detaching roller, has to be constantly cleaned by having air blown through it. For piercing into and removal from the fibre sliver, the top comb has to be driven. Finally, the cleaning effect at this site of jerky movement is sub-optimal. Owing to the differences in speed between the lap ribbon and the detaching speed of the detaching rollers, the detached fibre tuft is drawn out to a specific length. Following the detaching roller pair is a guide roller pair. During this detaching operation, the leading end of the detached or pulled off fibre bundle is overlapped or doubled with the trailing end of the fibre web. As soon as the detaching operation and the piecing operation have ended, the nipper returns to a rear position in which it is closed and presents the fibre tuft protruding from the nipper to a comb segment of a circular comb for combing out. Before the nipper assembly now returns to its front position again, the detaching rollers and the guide rollers perform a reversing movement, whereby the trailing end of the fibre web is moved backwards by a specific amount. This is required to achieve a necessary overlap for the piecing operation. In this way, a mechanical combing of the fibre material is effected. Disadvantages of that combing machine are especially the large amount of equipment required and the low hourly production rate. There are eight individual combing heads which have in total eight feed devices, eight fixed-position nipper assemblies, eight circular combs with comb segments, eight top combs and eight detaching devices. A particular problem is the discontinuous mode of operation of the combing heads. Additional disadvantages result from large mass accelerations and reversing movements, with the result that high operating speeds are not possible. Finally, the considerable amount of machine vibration results in irregularities in the deposition of the combed sliver. Moreover, the écartement, that is to say the distance between the nipper lip of the lower nipper plate and the clamping point of the detaching cylinder, is structurally and spatially limited. The rotational speed of the detaching rollers and the guide rollers, which convey the fibre bundles away, is matched to the upstream slow combing process and is limited by this. A further drawback is that each fibre bundle is clamped and conveyed by the detaching roller pair and subsequently by the guide roller pair. The clamping point changes constantly owing to the rotation of the detaching rollers and the guide rollers, i.e. there is a constant relative movement between the rollers effecting clamping and the fibre bundle. All fibre bundles have to pass through the one fixed-position detaching roller pair and the one fixed-position guide roller pair in succession, which represents a further considerable limitation of the production speed. The individual nipper assemblies are in drive connection with a crank mechanism with in each case an electric motor. The electric motors are connected by means of a control line to a control unit ST, via which the individual motors are controlled. In order to co-ordinate the electromotive drives with the drive of the circular comb, a sensor is provided, which is connected to the control unit via the line. The function of this sensor is to detect the particular angular position of the shaft of the circular comb and relay this to the control unit ST. It is thus possible to output appropriate control pulses to the relevant motors via the control unit ST, so that, on the one hand, the combing segment combs out the fibre tuft at a defined point in time and, on the other hand, the rotary movement of the detaching roller pair or the transport roller pair is matched to the nipper movement. Because several drive devices, which are controlled, are present for each combing head, the expenditure on equipment is particularly high. In addition, the apparatus is limited to the control of the drive devices.
It is an aim of the invention is therefore to provide an apparatus of the kind described at the beginning which avoids or mitigates the mentioned disadvantages and which in a simple way, in particular, enables the amount produced per hour (productivity) to be substantially increased and an improved combed sliver to be obtained.
The invention provides an apparatus for the fibre-sorting or fibre-selection of a fibre bundle comprising textile fibres having:
a fibre sorting device in which clamping devices are provided which each clamp a bundle of the textile fibres at a distance from its free end;
a supply device for supplying the fibre bundle to the fibre-sorting device;
at least one mechanical device for generating a combing action from the clamping site to the free end of the fibre bundle in order to loosen and remove non-clamped constituents;
a control and regulation device; and
a plurality of drive devices connected to the control and regulation device;
wherein the fibre-sorting device comprises at least first and second rotatably mounted rollers that, in use, rotate rapidly without interruption, the clamping devices for the fibre bundles being distributed spaced apart in the region of the periphery of at least one said roller, and further comprises measured value sensors for detecting machine-related and technical values relating to the fibres, which sensors are in connection with the control and regulation device, the control and regulation device being capable of processing the measured values and emitting electrical signals to connected elements for performing in each case at least one function.
By implementing the functions of clamping and moving the fibre bundles to be combed-out on at least two rotating rollers, high operating speeds (nip rates) are achievable—unlike the known apparatus—without large mass accelerations and reversing movements. In particular, the mode of operation is continuous. When high-speed rollers are used, a very substantial increase in hourly production rate (productivity) is achievable which had previously not been considered possible in technical circles. A further advantage is that the rotary rotational movement of the rollers with the plurality of clamping devices leads to an unusually rapid supply of a plurality of fibre bundles per unit of time to the first roller, that is, preferably, a turning rotor, and to the second roller, that is, preferably, a combing rotor. In particular the high rotational speed of the rollers allows production to be substantially increased.
To form the fibre bundle (referred to herein also as “fibre tuft”), the fibre sliver pushed forward by the feed roller is clamped at one end by a clamping device and detached by the rotary movement of the turning rotor. The clamped end contains short fibres, the free region comprises the long fibres. The long fibres are pulled by separation force out of the fibre material clamped in the feed nip, short fibres remaining behind through the retaining force in the feed nip. Subsequently, as the fibre bundle is transferred from the turning rotor onto the combing rotor the ends of the fibre bundle are reversed: the clamping device on the combing rotor grips and clamps the end with the long fibres, so that the region with the short fibres projects from the clamping device and lies exposed and can thereby be combed out.
The fibre bundles are—unlike the known apparatus—held by a plurality of clamping devices and transported under rotation. The clamping point at the particular clamping devices therefore remains constant until the fibre bundles are transferred to the first or second roller. A relative movement between clamping device and fibre bundle does not begin until after the fibre bundle has been gripped by the first or second roller respectively and in addition clamping has been terminated. Because a plurality of clamping devices is available for the fibre bundles, in an especially advantageous manner fibre bundles can be supplied to the first and second roller respectively one after the other and in quick succession, without undesirable time delays resulting from just a single supply device. A particular advantage is that the supplied fibre bundles on the first roller (turning rotor) are continuously transported. The speed of the fibre bundle and of the co-operating clamping elements is the same. The clamping elements close and open during the movement in the direction of the transported fibre material. The at least one second roller (combing rotor) is arranged downstream of the at least one first roller (turning rotor). With the apparatus according to the invention, a substantially increased productivity is achievable. According to the invention, a regulation and control system for the rotor combing machine is present, which enables relevant process variables to the detected and evaluated. The actual values determined can be adapted to meet the required desired values. Furthermore, specific process parameters may be regulated in such a way that, for example, depending on production, optimum operating costs with constant product quality can be achieved, or for example, whilst the product quality remains the same, the production output can be increased. A further particular advantage is that a configuration of the process control that is optimally adapted to the process can be rendered possible through online-monitoring and data acquisition.
Further advantages of the invention may include one or more of, inter alia the following:
In accordance with the invention measured value sensors for detecting machine-related and technical values relating to the fibres are in connection with the control and regulation device, which is capable of processing the measured values and emitting electrical signals to connected elements for performing in each case at least one function. The connected elements may be components of the fibre-sorting device, especially rotor combing device, and/or they may comprise components of devices upstream or downstream of the combing device, for example, of a feed device for feeding fibre material to the rotor combing device or of a drafting device arranged downstream of the rotor combing device.
The connected elements may comprise, for example, one or more elements selected from actuators, display devices, operating devices, and monitoring devices.
In some embodiments, the measured value sensors are connected to an analogue-digital converter, which is in connection with the electronic control and regulation device. Advantageously, the electronic control and regulation device contains a microprocessor with a memory.
If desired, a setpoint device may be associated with the electronic control and regulation device. In a preferred arrangement, the electronic control and regulation device is connected to the digital-analogue power converter, which is in connection with actuators. Advantageously, the analogue-digital converter is controllable by the electronic control and regulation device.
In certain embodiments, signals of the actual value of the measured value sensor are arranged to be input into the data memory of the microcomputer. It is preferred that, also, additional functions for internal and external control processes are arranged to be input into the data memory.
If desired, the fibre material thickness, that is the CV value, is measurable in the feed unit, for example, between feed trough and feed roller. For that purpose, a displacement sensor, distance measuring device or the like is arranged on the biased feed trough. Where the material feed is a wound lap feed, the fibre material thickness, or rather the CV value, may be determinable through taking the difference in the feed weight between two points in time, for example, using scales. Where the material feed is a sliver feed, the fibre material thickness, or rather the CV-value, may be determinable with a measured value sensor at the sliver intake, for example, a measuring funnel, a microwave element or the like.
In certain embodiments, as control variable, the material feed, for example, feed amount, is alterable. As well or instead, an alteration in the overall draft, for example, through change of the draft between piecing roller and web take-off, is used as control variable. When using a drafting system with levelling, an alteration of the drafting system draft may be used as control variable.
In other embodiments a calculation of the comber waste percentage is carried out from the determination of the input mass and the output mass. By way of example, the signal upstream of the drafting system may be used to determine the output mass in the case of a drafting with levelling.
In the case of a drafting system without levelling, the combed sliver mass, for example, may be used to determine the output mass. The determination of the comber waste percentage may be effected, for example, using mass flow measurement of the discharged comber waste. In some embodiments, the adjustment of the ecartement (turning rotor to combing rotor distance) may be used as control variable for changing the comber waste percentage. In other embodiments, a variation in the setting of the combing device (for example, spacing of the combs, surface of the combs, clothing angle) may be used as control variable for changing the comber waste percentage. In yet further embodiments, a variation of the feed amount may be used as control variable for changing the comber waste percentage. In another embodiment, a variation in the detaching distance between feed device and turning rotor may be used as control variable for changing the comber waste percentage.
In certain embodiments, the clamping forces of the feed tray are determinable. In that case, the nip geometry of the feed trough may be alterable for changing the clamping forces of the feed trough. As well or instead, the tray loading, for example, spring, may be variable for changing the clamping forces of the feed tray.
In some embodiments, the separation force on separation of the feed bundle from the material feed by the nippers of the turning rotor is determinable, for example, by means of torque sensing or tension sensing. Advantageously, the nip rate or the production speed is adjustable as the control variable for changing the separation force, for example, reduction in the nip rate when a maximum separation force is exceeded. Advantageously, to achieve a desired separation force, an adaptation of the feed amount and/or of the distance of the turning rotor from the feed unit is usable as control variable for changing the separation force.
In certain embodiments, a determination of the educed pressures in the turning rotor and/or in the combing rotor, in the piecing roller, in the feed roller, if present, and/or in the combing elements may be effected, for example, by means of pressure sensors. Advantageously, a specific adaptation of the set reduced pressures, for example, adapted to the material, to the production output, to the nip rate etc. is carried out as control variable based on the reduced pressure measurements.
In some embodiments, a determination of the jetting pressures, for example, during fibre bundle feed to the turning rotor, during assisted feed bundle separation, is effected for optimum material feed to the combing elements, for separation of the web from the piecing roller or the like. Advantageously, a specific adaptation of the set pressures, for example, adapted to the material, to the production output, to the nip rate etc. is carried out as control variables based on the measurement of the jetting pressure.
In certain embodiments, a measurement of the forces that occur during combing of the material is effected. An adaptation of the production speed depending on the combing forces ascertained may, if desired, be used as control variable for changing the combing forces. In other embodiments, a variation of the relative speed of the combing elements with respect to the combing rotor may be used as control variable for changing the combing forces.
In yet further embodiments, a variation of the comb surface, for example, clothing or clothing angle, my be used as control variable for changing the combing forces. In other embodiments, a variation of the spacings of combing rotor (with clamped fibre bundle) and combing device may be used as control variable for changing the combing forces.
In some embodiments of the invention, an on-line measurement of the neps, bits of seed husk and other unwanted particles in the web, for example, on the piecing roller or in the region adjoining the piecing roller, is effected. In certain such embodiments, a change in the settings of the combing device (spacing of the combs, surface of the combs, relative speed of the combing elements with respect to the combing rotor etc.) may be used as control variable for changing the neps, bits of seed husk and unwanted particle values. In other such embodiments, a variation in the production speed may be used as control variable for changing the neps, bits of seed husk and unwanted particle values. In yet further such embodiments, a change in the comber waster percentage, for example, through ecartement and feed amount adjustment, may be used as control variable for changing the neps, bits of seed husk and unwanted particle values.
In certain preferred embodiments, a measurement of the CV values of the combed sliver may be effected. In some such embodiments, a variation in the feed amount may be used as control variable for changing the combed sliver CV value. In other such embodiments, a variation in the take-off speed may be effected as control variable for changing the combed sliver CV values. In yet further such embodiments, a variation of the overall draft, for example, by changing the draft between piecing roller and web take-off, or, when using a drafting system with levelling, by varying the drafting system draft, may be effected as control variable for changing the combed sliver CV values. If desired, during start-up and shut-down of the machine, for example, during lap change-over or after sliver breakage, the drafts may be adjustable as control variable for changing the combed sliver CV values. In certain other embodiments, a variation of the degree of overlap on transfer of the fibre bundles from the combing rotor to the piecing roller may be effected as control variable for changing the combed sliver CV values. In yet further embodiments, a variation between same-direction and counter-direction piecing may be effected as control variable for changing the combed sliver CV-values.
In certain embodiments, a sliver-monitoring/sliver breakage monitoring of the output material may be effected. In that case, it is advantageous that, by virtue of the sliver breakage monitoring facility, a machine stop can be effected in the event of sliver breakage.
In some embodiments, distance measurements of specific elements with respect to one another, for example, between combing rotor and turning rotor, between the combing device and the combing rotor, between the piecing roller and the combing rotor, between the feed roller and the turning rotor, may be effected. In those embodiments, as control variables based on the distance measurements, elements, for example, the combing device, the piecing roller, the combing rotor and the feed roller, may be automatically adjustable by a predetermined amount.
Preferably, the first roller is a turning rotor and the second roller is a combing rotor. Preferably, the directions of rotation of the turning rotor and the combing rotor are opposed.
In certain embodiments, for the suction of the supplied bundles, at least one suction device is associated with the clamping devices in the region of the take-up of the fibre bundle from the supply device to the first roller and/or in the region of the transfer of the fibre material from the first roller to the second roller.
The invention also provides an apparatus for the fibre-sorting or fibre-selection of a fibre bundle comprising textile fibres, especially for combing, which is supplied by means of supply means to a fibre-sorting device, especially a combing device, in which clamping devices are provided which clamp the fibre bundle at a distance from its free end, and mechanical means are present which generate a combing action from the clamping site to the free end of the fibre bundle in order to loosen and remove non-clamped constituents, such as, for example, short fibres, neps, dust and the like from the free end, a take-off means is present to remove the combed fibre material and a plurality of drive devices are connected to a control device, characterised in that downstream of the supply means there are arranged at least two rotatably mounted rollers which are provided with clamping devices for the fibre bundle, which clamping devices are distributed spaced apart in the region of their periphery, and measured value sensors for detecting machine-related and technical values relating to the fibres are in connection with the control and regulation device, which is capable of processing the measured values and emitting electrical signals to connected elements for performing in each case at least one function.
With reference to
An autoleveller drafting system 50 (see
In accordance with a further construction, more than one rotor combing machine 2 is provided. If, for example, two rotor combing machines are present, then the two delivered comber slivers 17 can pass together through the downstream autoleveller drafting system 50 and be deposited as one drafted comber sliver in the sliver-deposition device 3.
The sliver-deposition device 3 comprises a rotating coiler head 3a, by which the comber sliver can be deposited in a can 3b or (not shown) in the form of a can-less fibre sliver package.
The first roller 12 is provided in the region of its outer periphery with a plurality of first clamping devices 18 which extend across the width of the roller 12 (see
The second roller 13 is provided in the region of its outer periphery with a plurality of two-part clamping devices 21, which extend across the width of the roller 13 (see
In an arrangement according to
According to
Insofar as the rollers 12 and 13 are driven by means of a common gear, the drive motor for the common gear is connected to the control and regulation device 42.
The circumferential speeds are, for example, for the feed roller about from 0.2 to 1.0 m/sec; the first roller 12 about from 2.0 to 6.0 m/sec; the second roller 13 about from 2.0 to 6.0 m/sec; the doffer about from 0.4 to 1.5 m/sec; and the revolving card top assembly about from 1.5 to 4.5 m/sec. The diameter of the first roller 12 and the second roller 13 is, for example, about from 0.3 m to 0.8 m.
In respect of the mode of operation and operating sequence of the apparatus according to the invention:
Lap Preparation
A plurality of slivers are combined to form a lap 16 and drafted together. A plurality of laps 16 can be doubled by being placed one on top of the other. The resulting lap 16 is introduced directly into the feed element 10 of the rotor combing machine 2. The flow of material is not interrupted by forming a wound lap.
Feed
Unlike a flat combing machine, the upstream lap 16 is fed continuously by means of a conveyor element. The feed quantity is determined by the length of lap 16 conveyed between two closure time points of the nippers 18 (reversing nippers) of the first rotor 12 (turning rotor).
Clamping 1
The fibre tuft aligned and projecting out of the lap 16 is clamped by a clamping device 18 (reversing nipper) of the first rotor 12 (turning rotor). The clamping device 18 of the first rotor 12 assumes the function of detachment.
Removal
As a result of the rotation of the turning rotor 12 with the reversing nippers 18 located thereon, the clamped fibre tuft is removed from the feed lap, it being necessary for a retaining force to act on the lap 16 so that the fibres in the lap 16 not clamped by the reversing nipper 8 are retained. The retaining force is applied by the conveyor element of the feed means or by additional means such as a feed tray or a top comb. The elements that generate the retaining force assume the function of the top comb.
Clamping 2
The fibre tuft is aligned and transferred to the clamping device 21 (combing nipper) of the second rotor 13 (combing rotor). The distance between the reversing nipper clamping line and the combing nipper clamping line at the time the combing device 21 closes determines the ecartement.
Combing
The fibre tuft projecting out of the combing nipper 21 contains non-clamped fibres that are eliminated by means of combing.
Piecing
The combed-out fibre tuft is deposited on a take-off roller 14. The surface of the take-off roller 14, which surface is acted upon by suction and is air-permeable, causes the fibre tuft to be deposited, stretched-out, on the take-off roller 14. The fibre tufts are placed one on top of the other, overlapping in the manner of roof tiles, and form a web of fibre portions.
Web Removal and Comber Sliver Formation
The web 17 is removed from the take-off roller 14 at a point on the take-off roller not acted upon by suction and is guided into a funnel 39.
Comber Sliver Procedure
The resulting comber sliver can be doubled and drafted (drafting system 50) and is then deposited, for example, in a can 3b by means of coiler 3a.
According to
In accordance with
According to
According to
According to
In accordance with
Certain examples of measured and control variables, and of measuring elements and actuators, are set out below by way of illustration only. It will be appreciated that other arrangements are possible.
Measured and Control Variables (and Measuring Elements and Actuators)
According to
Additionally, a blowing flow can be provided in the region of the supply device 8 and/or in the region of transfer between the rollers. The source of the blowing flow (blowing nozzle 39) is arranged inside the feed roller 10 and has effect, through the air-permeable surface of the supply device or air passage openings, towards the outside in the direction of the first roller. Also, in the region of the supply device 8, the element for producing the blown air flow can be fixedly arranged, directly under or over the supply device 8. In the region of the transfer between the rollers 12, 13 the blown air current sources can be arranged at the perimeter of the first roller 12, directly under or over each nipper device. For the blown air generation there may be used compressed air nozzles or air blades.
The suction flow E can favourably influence and shorten not only the guiding, but also the separation process between the lap and the tufts to be removed in the region of the supply device 8.
As a result of the provision of additional air guide elements 60 and lateral screens 61, 62 the direction of the flow can be influenced and the air carried round with the rotors separated off. In that way the time for alignment can be further shortened. In particular, a screen element between the first rotor 12 and supply device 8 over the lap and a screen element on each side of the roller have proved useful.
The combed out fibre portion passes from the second roller 13 onto the piecing roller 14.
It will be appreciated that sensor devices provided at any one of the components identified in any one of
In use of the rotor combing machine according to the invention there is achieved a mechanical combing of the fibre material to be combed, that is, mechanical means are used for the combing. There is no pneumatic combing of the fibre material to be combed, that is, no air currents, e.g. suction and/or blown air currents, are used.
In the rotor combing machine according to the invention there are present rollers that rotate rapidly without interruption and that have clamping devices. Rollers that rotate with interruptions, stepwise or alternating between a stationary and rotating state are not used.
Although the foregoing invention has been described in detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of understanding, it will be obvious that changes and modifications may be practised within the scope of the appended claims.
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