Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6332246
-
Patent Number
6,332,246
-
Date Filed
Thursday, June 7, 200123 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, December 25, 200122 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 057 315
- 019 237
- 019 258
- 019 259
- 019 261
- 019 265
- 019 269
- 019 270
- 019 271
- 019 272
- 019 244
- 019 251
- 019 254
- 019 255
- 019 267
- 019 278
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A locating frame for drawing and compacting units of a pair of adjacent spinning stations in a spinning machine where each drawing unit has a pressure roller which supplies the bundle of fibers to the compacting unit and which rotates a pressure roller of the compacting unit, by means of a belt transmission. The frame comprises: two pairs of seats for housing and keeping parallel and spaced apart two axles on which the pressure rollers of the drawing units and the pressure rollers of the compacting units of the two adjacent stations are mounted rotatably, longitudinal arms acting on the axles in order to keep the pressure rollers of the same spinning station aligned longitudinally, and transverse arms for keeping the transmission belts of the two adjacent stations, respectively, aligned with ring gears fixed for rotation with the pressure rollers.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a locating frame for units for drawing and compacting bundles of textile fibres.
The field of application of the present invention is that of spinning machines provided with a plurality of adjacent spinning stations, in each of which there is a drawing unit associated with a compacting unit, for transforming a roving or bundle of textile fibres into a twisted yarn.
FIG. 1
is a partially-sectioned side view of a drawing and compacting unit of a spinning station in a spinning machine including a plurality of stations (not shown) disposed side by side in a direction defined herein as a transverse direction.
With reference to
FIG. 1
, a bundle of fibres or roving
1
is supplied to a drawing unit, generally indicated
2
, which usually comprises three pairs of members that draw the roving along at increasing linear velocities in order to attenuate it gradually.
In the drawing unit
2
, a first pair of rollers
3
,
4
takes up the roving at a controlled linear velocity. The roller
4
is rotated in accordance with the arrow A and the upper counter-roller
3
is freely rotatable on an upper support
5
in order to be pressed against the roller
4
with the crude roving interposed between them A second pair of members of the drawing unit comprises belts
6
,
7
, of which the lower belt
6
is circulated by a motor-driven roller
8
at a linear velocity greater than the output velocity of the first pair of rollers
3
,
4
, and the upper belt
7
is circulated about an idle roller
9
and a bar
10
, both mounted on the upper support
5
. A third pair of drawing members comprises an idle upper roller
12
, pressed against a lower roller
11
which is driven with a linear velocity greater than that of the second pair of drawing members.
The roving output by the drawing unit
2
then goes to a compacting unit
13
disposed downstream of the drawing unit, before being sent for twisting.
The compacting unit
13
comprises a lower, fixed tube
14
connected to a suction source; the tube
14
, which is common to several spinning stations disposed side by side, has a narrow suction slot
15
arranged on the path of the roving and along its direction of advance, in each station. A filter element
16
which preferably consists of a movable loop of flexible textile material that covers the corresponding slot
15
with a wide margin, is circulated about the fixed tube
14
by an upper pressure roller
19
of elastomeric material which presses the roving against the filter loop
16
.
The path of each filter loop
16
is defined by the upper surface of the tube
14
and by a guide bar
17
provided with a resilient element
18
for keeping the filter loop
16
taut.
As a result of the suction, the fibres of which the roving
1
is composed are drawn towards the slot
15
and are squeezed together and compacted transversely on the filter surface
16
.
The thread output from the compacting unit
13
is distributed and wound, in known manner, on a spindle (disposed downstream and not shown), rotated at high speed. The rotation of the spindle, drawing in the thread supplied by the drawing unit, drives a traveller which runs on a circular track of the spinning ring and produces a twist in the fibres, about the axis of the thread; the pressure exerted by the roller
19
prevents the twist which rises from the spindle from being propagated upstream of the point at which the thread is released by the roller
19
.
The pressure roller
19
is rotated by the last pressure roller
12
of the drawing unit, by means of a belt transmission
20
. The peripheral velocity of the pressure roller
19
is slightly greater than that of the rollers
11
,
12
to ensure that the roving is not too slack in the section in which it passes over the suction slot.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to ensure the correct location of the axles on which the pressure rollers of the last pair of members of the drawing unit and of the compacting unit are rotatable. In particular, it is desired to keep the axles of the above-mentioned pressure rollers correctly spaced and parallel.
Another object of the invention is to keep the belts which transmit the rotation from the last pressure roller of the drawing unit to the pressure roller of the compacting unit correctly aligned.
These objects are achieved, according to the present invention, by a device having the characteristics defined in claim
1
.
Further important characteristics of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The characteristics and the advantages of the invention will become clear from the detailed description of an embodiment thereof, given with reference to the appended drawings provided by way of non-limiting example, in which:
FIG. 1
is a partially-sectioned side elevational view of drawing and compacting units of a known spinning station,
FIG. 2
is a partially-sectioned side elevational view of drawing and compacting units of a spinning station provided with a locating frame according to the invention,
FIG. 3
is an exploded perspective view showing the locating frame according to the invention, from below,
FIG. 4
is a perspective view showing the frame of the invention from below, in the assembled condition,
FIG. 5
is a side elevational view of the frame, assembled with a protective cover,
FIG. 6
is a view from above, taken on the arrow VI of
FIG. 5
,
FIG. 7
is a side elevational view of the frame, assembled with a cleaning roller, and
FIG. 8
is a view from above, taken on the arrow VIII of FIG.
7
.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The general layout of the drawing and compacting units shown in
FIG. 2
can be considered generally known. Only elements of specific importance and interest for the purposes of the implementation of the present invention will therefore be described in detail below. For the construction of the parts and of the elements not described in detail, reference may therefore be made to a solution of the type described in the introductory portion of the description, or to any known spinning station.
With reference to
FIGS. 2
,
5
and
6
, in two adjacent spinning stations, the pressure rollers
12
and
19
are mounted rotatably by means of rolling-contact bearings (not shown for simplicity) on one end of respective axles
21
,
22
which carry, at their opposite ends, identical pressure rollers
12
,
19
of an adjacent spinning station. In greater detail, the rollers
12
,
19
are fitted tightly on cylindrical elements
23
,
24
fixed for rotation with the outer rolling rings of the above-mentioned bearings.
Each of the last pressure rollers
12
of the drawing unit of a spinning station rotates the next pressure roller
19
of the compacting unit by means of a toothed belt
20
wound around ring gears
25
,
26
fixed to or integral with the cylindrical elements
23
,
24
.
The axles
21
,
22
are mounted in a locating frame, generally indicated
27
(FIG.
3
).
In the preferred embodiment, the frame
27
comprises a body
28
of moulded plastics material which has a symmetrical structure with respect to a vertical and longitudinal median plane. The body
28
, which is shown separately in
FIG. 3
, is shaped in various ways so as to form two pairs of opposed lateral seats
29
,
30
for housing the axles
21
,
22
, an upper surface
31
arranged for the mounting of a protective cover or of a cleaning roller (as will be explained further below), and a lower surface
32
arranged for the mounting of a multifunctional locating element
40
.
The lateral seats
29
,
30
are in the form of inverted U-shaped recesses aligned in pairs parallel to a horizontal transverse axis (perpendicular to the direction of advance of the thread). In the preferred embodiment, the seats
29
,
30
are shaped so as to have a width corresponding to that of the axles
21
,
22
so as to house them with slight clearance or with minimal interference.
In the upper surface
31
of the body
28
there is a pair of holes
33
(
FIGS. 5 and 6
) for housing corresponding pins
35
projecting from the bottom of a substantially rectangular cover
34
. The cover
34
is of a size such as to cover the region between the two rollers
12
and
19
above the respective slots
14
in both adjacent spinning stations, to reduce the amount of dust drawn into the slot when the spinning machine is in operation.
Alternatively, as shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8
, the holes
33
may serve for the releasable mounting, on the locating frame
27
, of a bracket-like device
36
which extends vertically from the upper surface
31
of the body
28
in order to hold a cleaning roller
37
engaged on top of and straddling the two pressure rollers
12
and
19
of the same spinning station. The cleaning roller
37
, which is made of spongy material or the like, is freely rotatable and is forced to roll on the upper portions of the pressure rollers
12
,
19
, keeping them clean.
The upper surface
31
of the plastics body
28
is extended at the front to form an arcuate appendage
31
a
for covering and protecting the pressure rollers
19
of the compacting units of the two adjacent spinning stations and for preventing the formation of windings of fibres on the rubber rollers
19
.
In the embodiment shown, the pins
35
and the holes
33
constitute quick snap-engagement elements, but it is intended that they may be replaced by different releasable connection means, for example, of the threaded type.
A threaded hole
38
is formed centrally in the lower surface
32
of the body
28
, which is that facing the bundle of fibres, for the fixing of a cross-shaped, rigid, multifunctional element, generally indicated
40
, to the frame
27
, by means of a conical-headed fixing screw
39
; the cross-shaped element
40
has an upwardly-tapered frustoconical seat
41
in a baricentric position, for housing the head of the screw
39
.
As can best be seen in
FIG. 3
, the cross-shaped element
40
has a first, longitudinal pair of opposed and aligned arms
42
the ends
42
a
of which are shaped for engaging smaller-diameter central portions
21
a
,
22
a
of the axles
21
,
22
(
FIG. 4
) so as to keep these axles in correct transverse positions with the rollers
12
,
19
of both of the spinning stations arranged centrally on the path of the thread being compacted. The ends
42
a
of the longitudinal arms
42
are preferably chamfered at the bottom in directions substantially tangential to the surfaces of the central portions
21
a
,
22
a
of the axles
21
and
22
.
As can be seen in
FIG. 4
, the longitudinal arms
42
extend in a longitudinal direction in a manner such that their ends prevent the axles
21
and
22
from accidentally slipping out of the seats
29
and
30
during assembly or maintenance when the frame
27
is removed from the spinning machine.
The cross-shaped element
40
has a second, transverse pair of arms
43
which extend transversely beyond the toothed belts
20
so that the lower lengths
20
a
of the belts extend in respective arm portions
43
a
of reduced thickness which form lateral shoulder surfaces for keeping each belt correctly aligned in engagement with the ring gears
25
and
26
. The portions
43
a
of reduced thickness preferably have smooth and rounded surfaces to reduce the friction produced by the belts.
As shown in
FIG. 3
, a recessed region
44
is formed in the lower surface
32
of the body
28
for engaging the longitudinal arms
42
and/or the transverse arms
43
so as to keep the cross-shaped element
40
oriented in the longitudinal and transverse directions. To ensure and to regulate the tension of the transmission belts
20
, the recessed region
44
may have a depth such that the cross-shaped element
40
can be locked selectively at different levels according to the extent to which the screw
39
is screwed into the hole
38
. Tightening of the screw
39
thus determines the degree of tension in the belts
20
(FIG.
5
).
In order to mount the frame
27
on the spinning machine, a rear and central portion of the plastics body
28
(see
FIGS. 3
,
6
and
8
) has a recess
45
in which the front end of an arm-like portion
5
a
, which projects forwards from the upper support
5
(FIG.
2
), is fitted; the arm-like portion
5
a
forms a seat (not shown) which houses the axle
21
of the pressure rollers
12
of the drawing unit.
Claims
- 1. A locating frame for drawing and compacting units of a pair of adjacent spinning stations in a spinning machine, in which a drawing unit associated with a compacting unit is provided in each station for drawing and compacting a bundle of textile fibres, and in which each drawing unit has a pressure roller from which the bundle of fibres is passed to the compacting unit and which rotates a pressure roller of the compacting unit, by means of a transmission belt, the frame comprising:two pairs of seats for housing and keeping parallel and spaced apart two axles on which the pressure rollers of the drawing units and the pressure rollers of the compacting units of the two adjacent stations are mounted rotatably, first transverse locating means spaced apart longitudinally and acting on the axles in order to keep the pressure rollers of the same spinning station aligned longitudinally, and second transverse locating means spaced apart transversely for keeping the two transmission belts of the two adjacent stations, respectively, aligned with engagement surfaces fixed for rotation with the pressure rollers.
- 2. The locating frame of claim 1, wherein the two pairs of seats are formed in a body made of plastics material.
- 3. The locating frame of claim 1, wherein the first transverse locating means comprise a pair of opposed and aligned longitudinal arms the ends of which can engage portions of differentiated diameter of the axles.
- 4. The locating frame of claim 3, wherein the ends of the longitudinal arms are chamfered in directions substantially tangential to the surfaces of the engagement portions of the axles.
- 5. The locating frame of claim 1, wherein the second transverse locating means comprise a pair of transverse arms having lateral shoulder surfaces for keeping each belt aligned and engaged with the engagement surfaces.
- 6. The locating frame of claim 5, wherein the transverse arms have end portions of differentiated thickness which define the lateral shoulder surfaces.
- 7. The locating frame of claim 6, wherein the end portions of the transverse arms have smooth and rounded surfaces for reducing friction against the belts.
- 8. The locating frame of claim 1, wherein the first and second locating means comprise a pair of transverse arms and a pair of longitudinal arms formed by a substantially cross-shaped element which can be fixed to a lower surface of the body made of plastics material.
- 9. The locating frame of claim 8, wherein at least one recessed region is formed in the lower surface of said body, for keeping the cross-shaped element oriented in the longitudinal and transverse directions.
- 10. The locating frame of claim 2, wherein said body has an upper surface arranged for the releasable mounting of a cover of a size such as to cover the region between the two pressure rollers in the two adjacent spinning stations.
- 11. The locating frame of claim 2, wherein said body has an upper surface arranged for the releasable mounting of a support device for holding a cleaning roller engaged on top of and straddling the two pressure rollers of the same spinning station.
- 12. The locating frame of claim 2, wherein the upper surface of the plastics body is extended at the front to form an arcuate appendage for protecting the pressure rollers of the compacting units of the two adjacent spinning stations.
- 13. The locating frame of claim 5, further comprising means for selectively adjusting the height of the transverse arms in order consequently to adjust the degree of tension in the belts.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
T020A0548 |
Jun 2000 |
IT |
|
US Referenced Citations (6)