Patent Grant
8707667
This application claims the benefit of priority from German Patent Application No. 10 2011 111 725.7, filed Aug. 26, 2011, herein fully incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to textile machines with a plurality of workstations and, more particularly, to textile machines with a large number of workstations each equipped with at least one yarn processing device.
In textile machinery manufacturing, textile machines having a large number of identical workstations have been known for a long time in various embodiments and described in relative detail in numerous patent specifications.
Textile machines of this type, frequently also known, as multiple station textile machines are, for example, rotor spinning machines, texturing machines, flyers, ring spinning machines, two-for-one twisting machines or cabling machines, etc. Multiple station textile machines of this type often have at least one generally continuous drive shaft running in the longitudinal direction of the textile machine, to which yarn processing devices, which are, for example, overhung, are connected.
Two-for-one twisting or cabling machines, for example, have a large number of identically configured workstations of this type, which are arranged next to one another on both sides of the machine longitudinal axis and are, in each case, inter alia equipped with a winding mechanism to produce a cross-wound bobbin. The winding mechanism, in this case, generally has a friction roller for the frictional drive of a cross-wound bobbin and a yarn processing device connected upstream of the friction roller in the yarn course in the form of a so-called overfeed roller, by means of which the yarn tension of the yarn running onto the cross-wound bobbin is adjusted, in other words is generally reduced.
The order of magnitude of the reduction of the yarn tension is determined here by the wrap angle of the yarn around the overfeed roller and by the peripheral speed of the overfeed roller in relation to the winding speed of the cross-wound bobbin. In practice, this means that the cross-wound bobbin driven by the friction roller rotates at a significantly lower peripheral speed than the overfeed roller.
With regard to the drive of the friction rollers and the overfeed rollers, various embodiments are prior art in conjunction with two-for-one twisting machines or cabling machines of this type.
Two-for-one twisting or cabling machines, in which both the friction rollers and the overfeed rollers of a textile machine side are in each case driven by separate drive shafts along the length of the machine, are known, for example, from German Patent Publications DE 34 03 144 A1, DE 42 17 360 C2 or DE 100 45 909 A1. With these known two-for-one twisting or cabling machines, in particular the drive shafts for the overfeed rollers along the length of the machine and located in the working region of the operator have proven not to be very advantageous both from a safety and from an operating point of view. In other words, drive shafts of this type along the length of the machine are generally, as shown in German Patent Publication DE 100 45 909 A1, for example, provided with a casing or a covering to prevent accidents, the casing only being equipped with narrow slots at the workstations. However, with drive shafts of this type along the length of the machine, in the event of an interruption of the yarn travel, for example caused by the tearing of the yarn while being wound onto the bobbin, the problem often occurs that the yarn is picked up by the drive shaft, which continues to rotate, and is wound thereon. The operator then often tends to uncover the drive shaft or the overfeed roller by removing the covering in order to thus improve the accessibility to the wound lap produced.
A procedure of this type is, however, extremely dangerous as the drive shaft continues to revolve with an unreduced speed.
The drawback in drive shafts of this type along the length of the machine is also the poor exchangeability of yarn-transporting components. The changing of an overfeed roller is, for example, relatively complex. It has therefore already been proposed in the past to dispense with drive rollers along the length of the machine, at least for the overfeed rollers, and instead to also drive the overfeed rollers by means of the drive shafts present in any case for the friction rollers.
German Patent Publication DE 10 2005 050 074 A1 describes a two-for-one twisting or cabling machine, in which the overfeed rollers of the numerous workstations are in each case mounted individually on special support elements, which make it possible to pivot the overfeed rollers between an operating position and a service position. The overfeed rollers are also in each case connected by a continuous traction means to one of the two friction shafts along the length of the machine, the continuous traction means, on the one hand, comprising a drive element arranged on one of the friction shafts along the length of the machine and, on the other hand, being drawn onto an output means non-rotatably connected to the overfeed roller. In practice, the arrangement, known per se, of continuous traction means, has proven not to be particularly advantageous, however. In other words, in these two-for-one twisting or cabling machines, an exchange of the continuous traction means “caught” by a friction shaft along the length of the machine and generally configured as a round belt is always, when necessary, relatively difficult and time-consuming, which, as at least one machine side of the two-for-one twisting or cabling machine generally has to be shut down during the change process, has a negative effect on the efficiency of the textile machine.
Two-for-one twisting and cabling machines are also known from German Patent Publication DE 10 2006 061 289 A1, in which the overfeed rollers are in each case connected by a magnetic gearing to a drive shaft, preferably to the friction shaft of one of the two textile machines. Magnetic gearings of this type are relatively insensitive to soiling and have the advantage of great operating reliability.
In contrast to positive torque transmission devices, for example, the exceeding of a limit torque upon the occurrence of an unforeseen operating condition immediately leads to the standstill of the associated overfeed roller in magnetic gearings of this type.
A serious drawback of this magnetic gearing, which is advantageous per se, is, however, its relatively complex construction, which leads to magnetic gearing of this type, in particular in relation to the above-described continuous traction means, being very expensive.
Proceeding from the aforementioned prior art, the invention is based on the object of developing a multiple station textile machine, which does not have the above-described drawbacks, but nevertheless has a reliable and economical drive for its numerous yarn processing devices, which are arranged in each case in the region of the workstations.
This object is achieved according to the invention by a textile machine with a plurality of workstations each equipped with at least one yarn processing device, and at least one drive shaft extending in the longitudinal direction of the textile machine over a plurality of workstations, each yarn processing device being connected to the drive shaft by a continuous traction means, and the drive shaft including a large number of drive devices each guiding and entraining a respective continuous traction means. According to the present invention each drive device of the drive shaft has two deflection and guide grooves arranged coaxially with respect to the drive shaft, one of the deflection and guide grooves being a component of a wheel freely rotatably mounted about the drive shaft. An output means is connected to each respective yarn processing device, each output means having front and rear guide grooves, the front guide groove being positioned at a freely accessible end of the output means and the rear guide groove being positioned in the region of the respectively associated yarn processing device. Each continuous traction means (19) has opposite end loops joined endlessly by two connecting strands. One end loop is engaged in the rear guide groove (26B) of the output means (22) which is connected to the respective yarn processing device (41). The two strands extend from the one end loop and are respectively engaged in the deflection and guide grooves (30, 34) of the drive shaft (35). Between the drive shaft (35) and the other end loop, the two strands are twisted lengthwise relative to one another by a 180 degree rotation thereof, and the other end loop is engaged in the front guide groove (26A) of the output means (22). In this manner, the end loops travel in the same direction as one another in the grooves (26A, 26B).
Various advantageous embodiments of the invention are contemplated.
The configuration according to the invention has the advantage, in particular, that the continuous traction means can easily be exchanged without problems if necessary. In other words, the drive devices of the drive shaft in each case have two coaxially arranged deflection and guide grooves, one of the deflection and guide grooves being a component of a loose wheel, i.e., as such term is used herein, a wheel that is freely rotatably mounted about the drive shaft. When drawing up the continuous traction means, the latter can firstly be inserted by means of a loop into the rear guide groove of an output means connected to an overhung yarn processing device and then drawn around the associated drive device fixed to the drive shaft in such a way that two strands of the continuous traction means located next to one another encompass the two deflection and guide grooves of the drive device arranged coaxially with respect to the drive shaft. The remaining loop of the continuous traction means can then be inserted with a rotation through 180 degrees into the guide groove positioned at the freely accessible end of the drive means of the yarn processing device.
It is also provided in an advantageous embodiment that the deflection and guide grooves of the drive device, in which the two strands of the continuous traction means are guided, are arranged adjacently and in parallel. The milling and bending forces acting on the continuous traction means during operation can be minimized by an arrangement of this type of the deflection and guide grooves, which has a very positive effect on the service life of the respective continuous traction means.
According to another aspect of the invention, it is furthermore provided that drive device preferably has a rotation body, which is non-rotatably arranged with respect to the drive shaft, with a deflection and guide groove for the strand of the continuous traction means to be driven and a rotation body, which is rotatably mounted with respect to the drive shaft, with a deflection and guide groove for the strand of the continuous traction means running counter to the drive direction. In other words, the deflection and guide grooves are arranged and configured in the rotation body of the drive device in such a way that proper running of the continuous traction means is always ensured.
It is provided in an advantageous embodiment that the drive device is configured as a belt pulley element, with a base body non-rotatably fixed to the drive shaft and a loose wheel freely rotatably mounted on the base body. In this case, the base body is equipped with a deflection and guide groove for the strand of the continuous traction means to be driven, while the loose wheel has a deflection and guide groove for the strand of the continuous traction means running in the opposite direction. A configuration of this type of the drive device does not only ensure reliable driving of the yarn processing devices arranged in the region of the workstations of the textile machine, but overall a long service life of the drive device.
According to another feature of the invention, it is provided in an advantageous embodiment, that one drive shaft is arranged for each machine side of the textile machine and is equipped with a large number of friction rollers driving the take-up bobbins, the drive devices being formed by deflection and guide grooves integrated into the friction rollers for the strand of the continuous traction means to be driven and adjacently arranged belt pulley devices. In other words, the belt pulley devices in each case have a loose wheel with a deflection and guide groove for the strand of the continuous traction means running in the opposite direction. A design of this type does not only allow a very compact configuration of a workstation, so that it is easily ensured that the spindle spacing of the textile machine can be minimized, but it also keeps the structural outlay for the drive devices within limits.
It is also provided in an advantageous embodiment that the loose wheel is freely rotatably connected to the base body by a bearing.
A roller bearing is the optimal solution for the provided purpose of use, as roller bearings of this type are not only proven, economical mass production components, which also manage higher rotational speeds without problems, but roller bearings of this type are also components, which are distinguished by a long service life.
In an alternative embodiment, a sliding bearing may also be used, however, as a bearing. Sliding bearings of this type are also proven, low-maintenance machine parts.
It is provided in a further embodiment that a central nut shaft along the length of the machine, preferably driven at the end of the machine, is used as the drive shaft for the yarn processing devices. Fixed to this drive shaft in the region of the workstations is, in each case, at least one drive device, which is in turn connected by a continuous traction means and an associated output means to a yarn processing device, the continuous traction means being alternately guided to both machine sides. The yarn processing devices of the two machine sides of a textile machine can be driven simultaneously by a central nut shaft of this type.
When using a nut shaft of this type it is not only possible without problems to adjust the rotational direction of the yarn processing devices of the two textile machine sides by different crossings of the continuous traction means, but also a central adjustment of the working speed of the connected yarn processing devices is easily possible by means of the rotational speed of the central nut shaft. If these yarn processing devices, as, for example, known from two-for-one twisting or cabling machines, are configured as overfeed rollers, a central adjustment of the so-called overfeed factor of the numerous overfeed rollers can easily be realized.
It is furthermore provided in an advantageous embodiment that round belts are used as continuous traction means, the length of the round belt in the each case being more than four times the spacing provided between the center axis of the drive device and the center axis of the output means.
Round belts of this type are continuous traction means that have proven successful for a long time in mechanical engineering and are economical to obtain commercially as they are standardized mass produced parts. Moreover, round belts of this type, in particular if the continuous traction means has to be installed in the crossed state, have repeatedly proven to be successful in practice as a reliable drive means. In other words, round belts of this type are reliable and economical connection elements.
The yarn processing devices repeatedly described above, like the textile machines, may be configured very differently.
In conjunction with two-for-one twisting or cabling machines, the yarn processing devices, for example, may be configured as overfeed rollers, which preferably, as known, are overhung. In conjunction with such overhung over feed rollers, the output means, which are looped by the continuous traction means, are in each case mounted on easily accessible bearing shafts in such a way that, if necessary, both the continuous traction means and the output means can easily be exchanged. In other words, in this type of bearing arrangement, during a necessary intervention, all the rotating parts in the region of the overfeed roller can temporarily be shut down without problems, the handling at the overfeed roller also being simplified and the risk of injury therefore being minimized by the relatively large free space available.
However, instead of overfeed rollers, other yarn processing devices may also be used as yarn processing devices, which are driven by a continuous traction means installed according to the invention.
It is also certainly possible, for example to drive godets by a drive shaft of a textile machine, which is equipped with drive devices for guiding and entraining continuous traction means and has corresponding continuous traction means. The godets, which are preferably also overhung, are each provided here on their bearing axis with an output means.
A further use possibility for a drive device according to the invention also lies, for example, in the drive of waxing devices, as are known from various textile machines. Waxing devices of this type may also be advantageously driven by means of drive devices which are arranged on a drive shaft along the length of the machine and which are encompassed by continuous traction means installed according to the invention and act on output means connected to the waxing devices.
Independently of the respective type of yarn processing device, the configuration and arrangement according to the invention of drive devices arranged on a drive shaft along the length of the machine, in conjunction with corresponding output means in the region of the yarn processing devices and continuous traction means applied according to the invention, always allow a reliable and economical drive of yarn processing devices of this type.
Further details of the invention will be described below with the aid of embodiments shown in the drawings, in which:
The winding device 4, as conventional, has a creel 12 to rotatably hold the cross-wound bobbin 10, the creel 12 being liftable, if necessary, by means of a pneumatic cylinder 18.
Furthermore, the winding mechanism 4 has a friction roller 13 fixed on a continuous friction shaft 14 to rotate the cross-wound bobbin 10 in the rotational direction R and a yarn traversing device 11 to traverse the yarn 6 that is traveling to and being wound onto the bobbin.
A yarn processing device 41, an overfeed roller 9 in the embodiment, is arranged in the yarn running direction F before the yarn traversing device 11 and is connected by a continuous traction means 19, drawn up according to the invention, to a drive shaft along the length of the machine, in the embodiment of
Arranged between the yarn guide 7 and the overfeed roller 9 is furthermore a yarn sensing device 15, which monitors the proper running of the yarn 6 during the twisting process. The yarn sensing device 15, which is connected by a signal line 16 to the control device 17, detects yarn breaks occurring during the twisting operation and signals this immediately, in each case, to the control device 17, which thereupon initiates a loading of the associated pneumatic cylinder 18 with pressure by means of the control line 21. In other words, when a yarn break occurs, the creel 12 is pivoted up and the cross-wound bobbin 10 is thereby lifted from the revolving friction roller 13. After the elimination of the yarn break, the creel 12 is lowered again, so the cross-wound bobbin 10 rests on the friction roller 13 again and can again be rotated thereby by frictional engagement in the direction R.
As schematically shown in
To simplify the assembly and disassembly of the overfeed roller 9, an overhung arrangement of the overfeed roller 9 is provided in an advantageous embodiment. An output means 22 is non-rotatably installed on the bearing shaft 25 of the overhung overfeed roller 9, which output means, as can be seen from
The associated drive devices 20 which, as shown in
As shown in
In the second embodiment of a drive device 20 shown in
As known from the embodiment according to
As shown, for example in
During assembly of the continuous traction means 19, the continuous traction means 19, as shown in
In the embodiment shown in
It will therefore be readily understood by those persons skilled in the art that the present invention is susceptible of broad utility and application. Many embodiments and adaptations of the present invention other than those herein described, as well as many variations, modifications and equivalent arrangements will be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention and the foregoing description thereof, without departing from the substance or scope of the present invention. Accordingly, while the present invention has been described herein in detail in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that this disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the present invention and is made merely for purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the invention. The foregoing disclosure is not intended or to be construed to limit the present invention or otherwise to exclude any such other embodiments, adaptations, variations, modifications and equivalent arrangements, the present invention being limited only by the claims appended hereto and the equivalents thereof.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2011 111 725 | Aug 2011 | DE | national |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20130219849 A1 | Aug 2013 | US |
