Patent Application
20190194834
The present invention relates to a drawing frame for a textile machine for drawing a strand-like fiber assembly that is fed to the drawing frame.
In addition, a textile machine configured with the drawing frame is proposed that is preferably embodied as an air jet spinning machine.
Regardless of the type of textile machine, drawing frames for textile machines are used to set the fineness of a strand-like fiber assembly to a desired value, for example of a card sliver that is made available by a card or of a plurality of card slivers running into the drawing frame in parallel. For this purpose, the drawing frame includes a plurality of roller arrangements that are arranged successively in a transport direction of the fed fiber assembly and each of which includes, in turn, two or more drawing frame rollers.
In any case, drawing frame rollers in the form of a roller and a counter-roller are always present, with it being possible for the roller to move back and forth between a load position and a release position. While the roller body of the roller and the corresponding counter-roller are pressed against one another in order to guide the fiber assembly in a clamping manner in the load position, the roller can assume a position in the release position in which the roller body of the roller and the corresponding counter-roller do not touch. In the release position, the roller can thus be moved a distance away from the counter-roller, so that their roller bodies do not touch and a fiber assembly can be inserted between the roller and counter-roller or removed therefrom.
In the prior art, it is now commonplace for the rollers of all roller arrangements to be supported on a common carrier in the form of a support arm. The support arm, in turn, is attached to a base carrier on which the counter-rollers are supported and can be swiveled relative thereto. If all of the rollers are to now be lifted away from the counter rollers, then the support arm need only be swiveled about a swivel axis. Such a drawing frame is described in DE 1710058 A1, for example.
Even if this solution seems practical at first glance, since all of the rollers can be lifted off of their corresponding counter-rollers with a single movement, the supporting of all of the rollers on a support arm that is supported on only one side by means of a swivel joint also has disadvantages. In particular, it is not optimal for the pivot point of the support arm to be at different distances from the individual rollers, since the flow of force between the roller and counter-roller of the individual roller arrangements is consequently not identical.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to propose a drawing frame and a textile machine equipped therewith that eliminate the cited disadvantage.
The object is achieved by a drawing frame and a textile machine with the features set forth herein. Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
According to the invention, the drawing frame for a textile machine for drawing a strand-like fiber assembly that is fed to the drawing frame is characterized in that it includes at least two drawing frame modules arranged successively in a transport direction of the fiber assembly. Each individual drawing frame module includes a roller and a counter-roller corresponding to the roller (it being understood that a plurality of rollers or counter-rollers can be present for each drawing frame module), with the roller and the counter-roller of each drawing frame module having a roller body that is rotatable about a rotary axle. The roller body is a cylindrical plastic body (that can have multiple layers) or a metal cylinder having a corrugated surface, for example. Furthermore, one or more rollers and/or counter-rollers can be looped around with a strap, as is already known in the prior art. The respective straps can be guided with one or more additional guide elements in addition to the guide via the corresponding roller or counter-roller.
In any case, a fiber assembly can be guided in a clamped manner between the roller body of the roller and corresponding counter-roller. Once a fiber assembly is located between the rollers and counter-rollers of two adjacent drawing frame modules, the fiber assembly is drawn when the drawing frame rollers (=roller and counter-roller) of the first drawing frame module as seen in the transport direction of the fiber assembly rotate more slowly than the drawing frame rollers of the second drawing frame module. This results in the desired parallelization of the fibers of the fiber assembly and in the drawing of the fiber assembly. Finally, if the rotational speed of one or more drawing frame rollers is still regulated as a function of length-based fluctuations in the mass or thickness of the fiber assembly, a homogenization of the fiber assembly also ultimately takes place.
The invention is now characterized in that each drawing frame module includes a separate carrier on which the roller and the counter-roller are supported. Therefore, in contrast to the prior art, it is no longer the case that all of the rollers or all of the counter-rollers are supported on a common carrier in the form of the aforedescribed support arm. Rather, the drawing frame is divided into a plurality of drawing frame modules, each comprising a separate carrier, with only the roller(s) and counter-roller(s) of this drawing frame module being supported on each carrier. The support occurs here via the rotary axles of the respective drawing frame rollers, which are rotatably supported in ball or roller bearings of the carrier, for example.
Furthermore, a provision is made that the roller of a drawing frame module is supported on the carrier of the respective drawing frame module via a receptacle such that it can be moved back and forth between a load position and a release position independently of the rollers of the other drawing frame modules. The roller or rollers of a drawing frame module can thus be lifted from its or their corresponding counter-rollers independently of the roller or rollers of the other drawing frame modules. The roller bodies of the roller and of the corresponding counter-roller are thus pressed against one another in the load position in order to guide the fiber assembly in a clamping manner. Furthermore, they can be moved away from one another in the rest position so that they do not touch.
In other words, the individual drawing frame modules are thus independent of each other, so that the flow of force between roller and counter-roller within a drawing frame module is independent of the corresponding flow of force within the other drawing frame modules. If the roller of a drawing frame module is now pressed in its load position by means of a loading element described in greater detail below against the corresponding counter-roller, then the guidance of the fiber assembly is independent of the guidance in the other drawing frame modules as a result of the separation of the drawing frame into individual drawing frame modules. Also, the load force acting on the individual rollers of the drawing frame module can be adjusted individually for each drawing frame module, since the load and/or movement of the roller of a drawing frame module in no way affects the load and/or movement of the roller of the remaining drawing frame modules.
Incidentally, it should be made clear at this point that the drawing frame is of course connected to one or more drives in a state in which it is installed in a textile machine in order to enable the abovementioned drawing of the fiber assembly.
It is especially advantageous if the drawing frame has a guide rail to which the carrier of at least one drawing frame module can be fixed with the aid of a fixing arrangement. The carrier is thus guided on a guide rail and can be moved relative to the guide rail in a release position of the fixing arrangement, preferably in linear fashion. The direction of movement should be possible in one direction (and preferably only in this direction) that corresponds to the predetermined transport direction of the fiber assembly within the drawing frame. The mutual spacing between two adjacent drawing frame modules can be easily adjusted by moving one or both drawing frame modules, with it being generally necessary for the spacing to be adjusted as a function of the fiber assembly to be drawn (the distance must always correspond at least to the length of the longest fibers of the fiber assembly in order to ensure that the fibers are always clamped by the drawing frame rollers of one drawing frame module at a time; otherwise, the fibers would be torn between two drawing frame modules).
Once the desired spacing has been set and/or the corresponding drawing frame module is located at the desired position relative to the guide rail, the fixing arrangement can be moved into a fixing position in which the corresponding drawing frame module is fixed relative to the guide rail. In principle, the fixing arrangement can be any means with which the respective drawing frame module can be fixed in place on the guide rail. Preferably, at least one screw or one fixing bolt is used for each fixing arrangement.
While displaceability has been described for a drawing frame module, it will readily be understood to be advantageous if several, preferably all, drawing frame modules of the drawing frame are appropriately supported on a guide rail, preferably on the same guide rail. In that case, the guide rail can be removed together with the respective drawing frame module from a textile machine having the drawing frame. This has the decisive advantage that the mutual distances of the individual drawing frame modules outside the textile machine can be adjusted before the guide rail is reinserted with the drawing frame modules into the textile machine.
It is also extremely advantageous if the drawing frame module or modules that are operatively connected to the guide rail are connected in a form-fitting manner with the guide rail. For example, the guide rail can have one or more recesses in which one or more extensions of the respective drawing frame module engage (or vice versa). The extensions and/or the recesses can have one or more undercuts and be dovetail-shaped, for example, so that the drawing frame modules can only be displaced relative to the guide rail and cannot be swiveled. As a result, the mutual position of all of the drawing frame modules that are connected to the guide rail is fixed except for the mutual spacing. This prevents operator errors during adjustment of the drawing frame. It would also be possible for the recesses and extensions to be embodied such that the drawing frame modules connected to the guide rail can be removed, preferably taken off upwardly, from the guide rail independently of one another when the fixing arrangement is in its release position. Individual drawing frame modules can be easily and quickly replaced in this way without the need to remove the other drawing frame modules or the guide rail from the drawing frame. In this case, the recesses and/or the extensions could have a rectangular or square cross section. Preferably, the portions have no undercut in order to allow the abovementioned lifting-off.
It is also advantageous if the drawing frame includes at least two similarly constructed drawing frame modules. This reduces the design, maintenance, adjustment, and repair-related expenses; costs can be minimized. Preferably, all of the drawing frame modules are of similar construction, although the similarity does not necessarily have to relate to the roller bodies. The type and/or size of the individual drawing frame rollers may vary between the individual drawing frame modules.
It is advantageous if the roller and/or the counter-roller has a rotary axle that is supported on only one side in or on the carrier. In this case, the roller bodies are located to the side of the respective carrier, so that the fiber assembly does not come into contact with the carriers. In particular, the individual rotary axles should be supported in pivot bearings of the carrier. In addition, it is advantageous if the rotary axles extend from the respective roller body through the carrier and protrude from the carrier on the side of the carrier facing away from the roller body. A drive means such as a drive belt or a gear wheel, for example, can finally engage on the protruding region in order to enable the respective drawing frame roller to be moved rotationally.
It is also advantageous if at least the carrier of one drawing frame module includes a first carrier section and a second carrier section, meaning that the carrier is subdivided into two regions. It is thus possible for the roller and the counter-roller to be supported by means of different carrier sections. The roller (or rollers) of the corresponding drawing frame module is (are) supported in this case on the so-called first carrier section and the counter-roller(s) of the drawing frame module on the so-called second carrier section, with the first carrier section and the second carrier section being present as separate components. The two carrier sections can be the same or different. In any case, it is possible to adjust the position of the first carrier section relative to the second carrier section and thus the relative position of the roller to the counter-roller. This can ultimately also be used to set whether the roller is located slightly ahead of, slightly behind, or exactly over the counter-roller in the predefined transport direction of the fiber assembly, wherein the adjustment affects the drawing result or is selected as a function of the fiber assembly. Preferably, the first carrier section and the second carrier section of a drawing frame module are directly interconnected or in direct contact with each other.
It is especially advantageous if the first carrier section has a guide for supporting the second carrier section on the first carrier section and/or if the second carrier section has a guide for supporting the first carrier section on the second carrier section. Preferably, the respective guide is oriented such that the carrier sections of a drawing frame module can only be displaced relative to one another in the transport direction. On the other hand, a movement in the axial direction of the rotary axles should be prevented by the guide.
It is also extremely advantageous if the first carrier section can be fixed relative to the second carrier section and/or the second carrier section can be fixed relative to the first carrier section with the aid of at least one fixing element. The fixing element can be a screw or screw/nut combination, a lock, or another means with which the relative position of the first carrier section to the second carrier section can be fixed. If the fixing element (of which there can also be several per drawing frame module) is loosened, the first and second carrier sections can be moved relative to one other, preferably moved exclusively, in order to enable the position of the drawing frame rollers to be adjusted relative to one another.
It is thus advantageous if the at least one fixing element can be moved between a fixing position and a release position, with the first carrier section and the second carrier section being displaceable relative to one another when the at least one fixing element is in its release position, and with the first carrier section being fixed relative to the second carrier section and/or the second carrier section being fixed relative to the first carrier section by means of at least one fixing element when the at least one fixing element is in its fixing position. This results in the possibility of adjusting the position of the roller relative to the counter-roller of the same drawing frame module independently of the drawing frame rollers of the remaining drawing frame modules.
It is also advantageous if the first carrier section and the second carrier section are in mutual contact both in the load position and in the release position of the roller that is supported on the first carrier section. Preferably, the first carrier section has the same position relative to the second carrier section in the release position as in the load position. In other words: The mutual position of the first and second carrier sections of a drawing frame module always remains the same as long as the fixing means is (or are) in its (or their) fixing position. Preferably, the first and the second carrier sections form a C-shape when the drawing frame is viewed from the side.
It is also advantageous if at least one drawing frame module comprises a loading element that is associated with the roller of the drawing frame module and with the aid of which a defined load force can be applied to the roller in the load position. The loading element is preferably attached to the carrier section on which the roller is supported. Preferably, the loading element does not act directly on the rotary axle of the roller. Instead, the loading element should be in contact with the receptacle in which the rotary axle is supported in order to be able to exert a force on the receptacle. The loading element can be a pneumatic cylinder, an air spring, or a bar cylinder.
In particular, it is advantageous if at least one loading element (preferably all loading elements) comprises (or comprise) a displaceably supported pressure element, with the pressure element being instantiated by an elastic pressure diaphragm or being in communication with an elastic pressure diaphragm, with the pressure diaphragm defining a pressure chamber upon which pressure can be applied with the aid of a compressed air source, for example. The pressure membrane is preferably a planar or arched and elastic structure (made of a rubber or a rubber mixture, for example). If the pressure chamber, which can be defined partially by the pressure diaphragm and partially by a corresponding housing, is pressurized, then the pressure diaphragm bulges outward, or attempts to bulge accordingly (with it being possible for the pressure to be generated through introduction of compressed air into the pressure chamber).
The rollers are thus loaded primarily with the aid of compressed air, which can be provided by means of a compressed air network of the respective spinning works or a compressor of the textile machine incorporating the drawing frame. The advantage of using a corresponding diaphragm lies in the fact that no static friction need be overcome when it moves due to pressure, because no mutually rubbing components are present. Rather, only the shape of the diaphragm needs to be changed in order to load a roller, which is achieved by introducing compressed air into the pressure chamber, for example. An accurate, reproducible loading force or change in the loading force is possible in this case without jerky load changes. By contrast, in the cylinder/piston solutions that are known in the prior art, jerky movement absorption always occurs when the load is changed, since the static friction between the cylinder and the piston must first be overcome before a relative movement between the two elements is possible with only sliding friction.
There are advantages in this context if the receptacle is embodied as a swivel lever. The swivel lever preferably has a U-shape. The swivel lever can be supported on the carrier via the two legs of the U-shape, in which case the rotary axle should be supported in the region of the base of the U-shape connecting the legs (the base preferably has a borehole for this purpose in which there is a rotary bearing in which the rotary axle of the roller is supported).
The textile machine according to the invention has a drawing frame according to the description above or below, with it being possible in particular for the drawing frame to have any and all of the described features in any combination.
The textile machine is preferably an air jet spinning machine that is used to produce a yarn from a fiber assembly, with the air jet spinning machine including at least one spinning nozzle with a vortex chamber. The vortex chamber also has an inlet for the entry of the fiber assembly. In addition, the spinning nozzle includes a yarn-forming element that extends at least partially into the vortex chamber with an inlet opening, with an annular gap being formed between an outer surface of the spindle and an inner wall of the vortex chamber facing toward the spindle. The spinning nozzle has air nozzles through which air can be introduced into the vortex chamber in order to impart rotation to the fiber assembly in the region of the inlet opening of the spindle. Finally, the spindle has an internal draw-off channel through which the yarn can be drawn from the vortex chamber.
The textile machine, which is preferably embodied as an air jet spinning machine, thus serves to produce a yarn from an elongate fiber assembly. The outer fibers of the fiber assembly are wound around the internal core fibers with the aid of a swirling airflow generated by the air nozzles within the vortex chamber in the region of the inlet opening of the yarn-forming element and thereby form the wrap fibers that are crucial for the desired strength of the yarn. This produces a yarn with a true twist that is finally discharged from the vortex chamber via a draw-off channel and can be wound onto a tube, for example.
In general, the term “yarn” is used in terms of the invention as meaning a fiber assembly in which at least a portion of the fibers is wound around an internal core. A yarn in the conventional sense is therefore also included which can, for example, be processed into a fabric with the aid of a loom.
However, the textile machine can also be embodied as an air jet spinning machine with the aid of which so-called roving (also known as slubbing) can be manufactured. This type of yarn is characterized in that, despite the certain level of strength it possesses that is sufficient to transport the yarn to a subsequent textile machine, it is still drawable. The roving can thus be drawn with the aid of a drafting device, e.g., the drawing frame, or of a textile machine processing the roving, before it is definitively spun.
Alternatively, the textile machine according to the invention can also be embodied as an air jet spinning machine in the form of a drawing frame or also as a ring spinning machine.
Finally, it is advantageous if the drawing frame has the abovementioned guide rail, with the individual drawing frame modules being fastened to the guide rail. In this case, the drawing frame modules that are operatively connected to the guide rail form a unit with the guide rail that can be removed from the textile machine as a whole after one or more fastening means (e.g., screws or locking elements) of the textile machine are loosened. This greatly facilitates the setting of the individual distances (see above), since the adjustments can be made outside the textile machine.
Additional advantages of the invention are described in the following exemplary embodiments. A brief description of the schematic drawing is provided below:
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.
Furthermore, the illustrated air jet spinning machine includes one or more spinning nozzles 5 arranged adjacent to one another, each with an internal swirl chamber in which the fiber assembly 9 or at least a portion of the fibers of the fiber assembly 9 is caused to rotate.
Moreover, the air jet spinning machine can include a take-off device with a plurality of cooperating delivery rollers 21 and a winder that is arranged downstream from the delivery rollers 21 with the aid of which the roving 8 leaving the spinning nozzle 5 through an outlet can be wound onto a tube 7 in order to form a package, in which case a traversing unit 6 and an electric motor 22 serving to drive the tube 7 can be used.
In general, it should be clarified in this context that the roving 8 is a yarn with a relatively low proportion of wrap fibers or a yarn in which the wrap fibers are entwined relatively loosely around the inner core, whereby the roving 8 remains drawable. This is crucial, since the roving 8 produced must be drawn again on a subsequent textile machine (e.g., a ring spinning machine) with the aid of a drawing frame 4 in order to be further processed into a conventional yarn that can be processed into a fabric on a loom, for example. Alternatively, the air jet spinning machine can also be designed for the production of conventional yarn, in which case the drawing frame 4 according to the invention can also be used in other textile machines, such as a ring spinning machine, for example.
In contrast to this known prior art, the drawing frame 4 according to the invention is now characterized in that it comprises a plurality of independent drawing frame modules 26. A drawing frame 4 with three such drawing frame modules 26 is shown in
As can be seen from this figure, each drawing frame module 26 has a carrier 10 on which both the roller 1 and the counter-roller 2 of the corresponding drawing frame module 26 are supported. In particular, the carrier 10 includes for this purpose a displaceably supported receptacle 11 for supporting the roller 1 and/or its rotary axle 14, so that the roller 1 can be moved relative to the counter roller 2.
While the rollers 1 of the two drawing frame modules 26 to the left in
Besides the closed flow of force within a drawing frame module 26, a key advantage of the drawing frame 4 according to the invention lies in the ability to adjust the position of the individual drawing frame modules 26 relative to the other drawing frame modules 26 as needed.
For this purpose, the drawing frame 4 preferably includes the guide rail 12 shown in
In any case, there should be one or more fixing arrangements 13 with the aid of which the drawing frame modules 26 can be fixed in place after being displaced along the guide rail(s) 12 or the elevations at the predetermined location relative to the guide rail 12. In the example shown in
An especially advantageous development of the invention is shown in
Furthermore, the first carrier section 15 has a recess 25 in which a guide 17 of the second carrier section 16 engages, so that the first carrier section 15 can be displaced relative to the second carrier section 16, which is preferably attached to the aforementioned guide rail 12, when a corresponding fixing element 18 (e.g., a screw) is loosened. Once in the desired position, the fixing element or elements 18 can finally be transferred to the fixing position, thereby fixing the relative position between the first carrier section 15 and the second carrier section 16 and thus the relative position between the roller 1 and counter-roller 2 of the corresponding drawing frame module 26. The guide 17 can also have the dovetail shape shown in
As a result, a drawing frame 4 is proposed in which the individual drawing frame modules 26 and the individual carrier sections 15, 16 of the respective drawing frame modules 26 can be adjusted individually with regard to their position. In particular, it is possible to remove the guide rail 12 with the drawing frame module 26 from the textile machine and make the desired adjustments outside the textile machine.
The present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments that have been illustrated and described. Variations within the scope of the claims are also possible, as is any combination of the features described, even if they are shown and described in different parts of the description or claims or in different embodiments.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00808/16 | Jun 2016 | CH | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IB2017/053349 | 6/7/2017 | WO | 00 |
