EP0344507B1 - Transport system between textile machines, in particular between ring spinning machines and winding machines - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a transport system according to the preamble of claim 1. The invention also relates to a method for operating this transport system according to the preamble of claim 24.

In a known transport system of this type between a ring spinning machine and a winding machine (cf. DE-A-3433706), full sleeves - called cops - are packed with yarn on pins of individual ones within a carriageway, for example a conveyor belt or a slide rail, freely movable circular discs or plates placed. These pegs and plates having support bodies, also called "peg trays", are moved or transported with full sleeves from the ring spinning machine via a track directly into the winding machine, while identical support bodies with empty sleeves are simultaneously transported from the winding machine into the ring spinning machine via a different track be moved. Such a transport system, which is known under the term "composite or link system", has the advantage of standardizing the support body, a gentle transport of the cops and because of the elimination of a relocation mechanism between the two textile machine systems, a simplification of the process, especially if the ring spinning machine and the winding machine are arranged close to each other. Such an arrangement is not always possible because of the structural conditions and is not always desirable. A conveyor track between a ring spinning machine and a winding machine on different floors could be complex and lead to blockages. If the two compound machines with 1: 1 link, ie that a ring spinning machine is linked to a winding machine, are close to each other, it must be accepted that the winding machine is exposed to the flight and heat originating from the ring spinning machine. It can then also be difficult to arrange an effective yarn damping or yarn calming station, since the yarn is processed directly in the winder. Another disadvantage is that a failure of the ring spinning machine due to malfunction inevitably leads to the closure of the winding machine. If different thread numbers have to be processed - for coarser threads, for example, the capacity of the winding machine has to be increased - the capacity of the two machines cannot be optimal. In addition, the total number of winding machines in each 1: 1 link requires more floor space.

Another known transport system works according to the so-called "flexible link" principle, ie that cops can be brought from one ring spinning machine to different winding machines. This requires transfer stations between the different systems or areas as follows: From the ring spinning machine area, the cops must be removed from the peg trays or from the spigot belt and placed on a conveyor belt or poured into a container, with quality losses due to the strip of the horizontally conveyed cops against side guides the conveyor belt or by hitting and rubbing the cops on or against each other. In order to get into the winding machine area, the cops are poured from the conveyor belt, possibly via switch systems, into vibrators, which bring the cops back into the vertical position and place them on peg trays in the winding machine area. The travel-independent containers can be rolled or moved to the winding machines in question, whereby they reach the aforementioned vibrators through tilting devices. After unwinding in the winding machine, the empty tubes are dropped into containers provided for this purpose. These empty pod containers are in turn moved to the ring spinning machine, where they are attached by a tube loader to the peg trays or the pin belt of the ring spinning machine. In order to automate a transport system that is already complex, complex control mechanisms and buffer stations are necessary.

DE-A-2656811, on the other hand, shows a system for transporting a group of yarn packages between a yarn winding machine and a bobbin store. The system comprises a transport carrier which can be arbitrarily moved along a path to any yarn winding machine of a group of such machines, e.g. with the help of a computer-controlled control device.

In each yarn winding machine, the windings formed therein are placed on upright mandrels, which together with a board-shaped base plate form a "tray". In the exemplary embodiment, the yarn winding machine has a total of 72 spindles per spindle side, eight trays with nine spikes each being provided in order to accommodate all the windings on this spindle side.

The trays can then be sequentially transported to the machine end where a transport carrier is waiting for them and loaded sequentially onto this carrier. When loading the carrier, each board-shaped plate is moved in its longitudinal direction.

According to DE-A-2656811, it is intended to accommodate all nine trays on one spindle side on a single carrier. For this purpose, the carrier is provided with a pallet that can be moved linearly across the direction of displacement of the base plates during loading. Each carrier is equipped with a mechanism to move its respective pallet when loading. A controller is also provided to coordinate the movements of the pallet with the movements of the trays (loading device).

In the bobbin store, the pallet fully loaded with yarn packages can be removed by means of a crane and replaced by a pallet fully loaded with empty tubes, the empty tubes also being carried by elongated trays. The carrier can then be ordered back to the same or to another yarn winding machine in order to populate the (or one) spindle side of this machine with empty tubes. Unloading is done in the opposite way to loading.

Accordingly, a carrier is loaded with trays according to DE-A-2656811 completely independently of the unloading of such trays, i.e. There are various operations to be performed for these operations. Because the loading and unloading takes place on the yarn winding machine during different time intervals, it is possible to provide only a single transfer station for each spindle side, which is placed between the machine end and the transport carrier standing on its path.

A method according to DE-A-2656811 is not or only very difficult to use for loading or unloading individual support bodies ("peg trays") having freely movable pins and disks, at least when, for example, a ring spinning machine is provided as a "yarn winding machine" . A modern ring spinning machine comprises up to 600 spindles per machine side, and a "separate" support body must be provided for each spindle.

The aim of the present invention is to create a transport system which is inexpensive, uncomplicated, economical, gentle on yarn, easy to maintain, adaptable and eliminates the disadvantages mentioned above. This goal is achieved by the features specified in the characterizing part of claims 1 (transport system) and 24 (method). The dependent claims relate to advantageous developments of these objects. The transport system according to the invention is inexpensive because transport elements which can be produced cheaply take the place of conveyor tracks or vibrators. Since it is also possible to dispense with separate conveying devices for the transport of the empty and full pods, pod loaders and control mechanisms, the transport system according to the invention becomes uncomplicated. The standardization of the plate dimensions of the peg trays on the ring spinning and winding machine can be maintained, but with the additional advantage that if one ring spinning machine fails, all winding machines continue to work and that the winding machines can now be optimally designed in terms of capacity and length. The individual path-independent, floor-movable transport elements can stay in yarn damping stations for any length of time and, in contrast to overhead conveyor tracks, can be easily maintained, which contributes to greater economy. Since the cops during transport between the Ring spinning and winding machines remain on the peg trays and do not touch each other, the yarn quality is not affected. The clarity is always given with manual movement and with driverless automatic transport of the transport elements. Buffer stations can largely be dispensed with, since the transport elements themselves represent buffers. Subsequent expansion stages of the spinning mill can be implemented in a simple manner.

The contact surface can be designed economically. In a transfer process, all cops which are produced by the ring spinning machine and which are attached to the carrier body or all carrier bodies to be delivered to the ring spinning machine are received. The funding has to be provided only once per transfer station and not on every transport element, which means a big cost saving. The transport element can be loaded and unloaded economically at the same time. The support bodies are aligned on the conveyor flush with the tracks of the transport element. A larger number of supporting bodies can be accommodated on one track.

Figur 1

eine Draufsicht auf eine Uebergabestation und ein Transportelement gemäss der Erfindung,

Figur 2

einen Schnitt gemäss der Linie II-II der Figur 1,

Figur 3A

einen Teilschnitt gemäss der Linie III-III der Figur 1 gemäss einer ersten Ausführung und

Figur 3B

einen gleichen Teilschnitt wie in Figur 3A gemäss einer anderen Ausführung.

The invention is explained below with reference to the drawing. They show schematically:

Figure 1

a plan view of a transfer station and a transport element according to the invention,

Figure 2

2 shows a section along the line II-II in FIG. 1,

Figure 3A

a partial section along the line III-III of Figure 1 according to a first embodiment and

Figure 3B

a same partial section as in Figure 3A according to another embodiment.

A stationary transfer station 3 is integrated at one end of a textile machine, in the case shown a ring spinning machine 4. A transport element 5, also known as a bobbin wagon or Roro wagon (roll-on, roll-off), comes into the transfer station, coming from a winder (not shown). The Kopswagen 5 is loaded with empty sleeves 8, which are each attached to vertical pins 9 of circular disks or plates 10. The number of peg trays or supporting bodies 11, each consisting of a pin 9 and a plate 10, corresponds to the total number of spinning positions of the ring spinning machine 4. The bobbin carriage 5 can be moved arbitrarily to any textile machine on rollers 14 and can therefore be moved independently of the path, but can also be carried out by a forklift are conveyed and has, for example, four horizontal main planes 15a-d. On each main level, straight lines 17 corresponding to the width or diameter of a plate 10 are formed by means of separating rails 16 run parallel to one another and transverse to the longitudinal axis 20 of the ring spinning machine. The entire contact surface is distributed over these four main planes 15a-d, which are spaced apart essentially by the total height of the support body 11 provided with a sleeve 8. On each main level 15, all tracks 17 are filled with supporting bodies 11. The capacity of the support surface of the cop car 5 can be determined by a change in length, viewed in the direction of the longitudinal axis 20, and by additional main planes 15 or adapted to the existing spinning plant. In order to make better use of the volume inside the cop carriage 5 and in particular between the sleeves 8, 16 intermediate levels 21 can be provided by suitable modifications of the separating rails. In FIG. 3B, a plate 10 lies in the intermediate plane 21a, which is substantially higher than the main plane 15a by the height of a plate 10. In this case, the main levels must be further apart accordingly. The webs 17 can be closed by barriers 24 on both long sides, ie parallel to the longitudinal axis 20, so that during the movement of the cop carriage 5 no supporting bodies 11 can fall out.

The transfer station 3 contains a portal 27, in which a conveyor, ie a slide 29 and two conveyors 30, 31 are arranged such that the upper loops of conveyor belts 32, 33 of the two conveyors 30, 31 are horizontally flush with the supporting partial surfaces of the main planes 15a-d and with the intermediate plane 21a (21b-d not shown) can be aligned. The conveyor belts 32, 33 run or extend parallel to and over a certain transition distance along the outer sides of the internal conveyors 34, 35, which conveyors 34, 35 represent a single conveying path leading around the other end of the ring spinning machine.

In the starting position, after the Kopswagen 5 is positioned in the transfer station 3 by means of its guide plates 38 and by means of stops 39 and a detent 40, the bearing surfaces of the conveyor belts 32, 33 lie horizontally flush with those of the conveyors 34, 35. Each of them by a motor 43 driven conveyor belts 32, 33 and the conveyors 34, 35 are started according to arrow 44 to the right and according to arrow 45 to the left. As a result, the carrying bodies 11 with the cops move from the ring spinning machine 4 to the right along an oblique guide 46 in the transition section onto the conveyor belt 32 provided with spacers or driving ribs 49. After a counter 50 has determined the correct number of cops in a first row the conveyors 34, 35 and the conveyor belts 32, 33 are stopped and the slide 29 is activated after the barriers 24 of the main level 15a have been pivoted or lowered. In this position, where the thickness of the ribs 49 are precisely aligned with the width of the separating rails 16, the slide 29 pushes this first row of supporting bodies 11 onto the Kopswagen 5, whereby at the same time another row on the opposite longitudinal side of the Kopswagens 5 from empty Sleeves 8 provided support bodies 11 is pushed or pushed by the Kopswagen 5 on the conveyor belt 33. If there are no entraining ribs on the conveyor belt 33, elongate movable ones must be removed Guides can be provided along the conveyor belt 33. Such elongated guides can also be assigned to the conveyor belt 32. The slide 29 thus works in the push-through method. The conveyor belts 32, 33 and the conveyors 34, 35 are switched on again, as a result of which the carrying bodies 11 with the full sleeves or cops and the carrying bodies 11 with the empty sleeves 8 are simultaneously conveyed in different directions. Loading and unloading of the Kopswagens 5 takes place simultaneously. As soon as the tracks 17 of the main level 15a have been filled with full cops, a height adjustment motor 53, which is connected to all four vertical threaded spindles of the portal 27, applies the conveying means of the transfer station 3 in its entirety and including a first row of supporting bodies 11 equipped with cops the next level, either the main level 15b or the intermediate level 21a. A mechanical pushing device, not shown, is provided, which, as soon as the entire conveying means of the transfer station come into the region of a plane, can swing the barriers 24 away.

Claims (34)

1. A conveying system for conveying individual, freely movable support members (11) with discs (10) between textile machines, whereby the support members are each provided with a peg (9) and are each arranged in this way for carrying a full bobbin or an empty tube (8) on the peg, characterized in that the system is provided with at least one conveying element (5) which is movable independently of the route and is provided with a bearing surface (15a-d) for the support members (11) and at least one transfer station (3), whereby the transfer station (3) is provided with a conveying means (29, 30, 31), by means of which support members (11) can be received on one side of the bearing surface (15a-d) for carrying off support members (11) from the textile machine and support members at the opposite side of the bearing surface (15a-d) can be supplied from the bearing surface for returning support members (11) to said textile machine.
2. A conveying system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the conveying means (29, 30, 31) can form a new row of support members adjacent to the support members (11) disposed on the bearing surface (15a-d) of a previously supplied row, whereby the support members of the previously supplied row and the newly supplied row are mutually in alignment and said newly formed row and all rows being disposed in the same plane and being previously supplied can be displaced by the conveying means (29, 30, 31) in such a way that thereby the newly formed row is pushed onto the bearing surface in a push-through method and, simultaneously, the row of support members (11) which is farthest from the new row can be transferred from the bearing surface to the conveying means.
3. A conveying system as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the conveying means (29, 30, 31) is provided with a pushing means (29) which pushes the new row of support members onto the bearing surface (15a-d).
4. A system as claimed in claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the pushing means (29) is provided with a number of indentations according to the number of the support members (11) of the row.
5. A system as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the conveying means (29, 30, 31) is provided with two conveyors (30, 31), whereof the one conveyor (30) is arranged for delivering support members (11) to the bearing surface (15a-d) and the other conveyor (31) is arranged for receiving support members (11) from the bearing surface (15a-d).
6. A system as claimed in claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the conveyors (30, 31) can be actuated simultaneously for the conveyance of support members (11) in opposite directions, namely simultaneously with conveying belts (32, 33) along the spinning machine.
7. A system as claimed in claim 5 or 6, characterized in that during the loading or unloading of the bearing surface (15a-d) of a conveying element (5) the conveyors (30, 31) extend along the longitudinal sides of the conveying element (5) and cooperate with said longitudinal sides.
8. A system as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that for positioning the conveying element (5) baffle plates (38) are provided thereon and stops (39) and an arrest (40) are provided in the transfer station.
9. A system as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bearing surface (15a-d) is provided with parallel guiding tracks (17) for the support members (11), with the width of the guiding tracks corresponding to the width of the support members.
10. A system as claimed in claim 9, claim 5 and claim 3, characterized in that the conveying means comprises a conveyor (30) on which a row of support members can be formed and that the pushing means (29) cooperates with said conveyor.
11. A system as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the conveying means (30, 31) is provided with spacers (49) whose thickness is adjusted precisely to the width of the seperating rails (16).
12. A system as claimed in claim 7 and one of the claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the guiding tracks (17) extend over the entire width of the conveying element (5).
13. A system as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the longitudinal sides of the conveying element (5) are closeable by means of movable barriers (24).
14. A system as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the bearing surface is distributed over several levels (15a-d, 21).
15. A system as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that levels (15a-d, 21) are mutually distanced by the overall height of the support member (11) which is provided with a tube (18).
16. A system as claimed in claim 14, characterized in that intermediate levels (21a) are provided which are disposed above the main levels (15a-d) at a distance of height substantially corresponding to the height of the discs (10) of the support members.
17. A system as claimed in one of the claims 14 to 16, characterized in that the conveying means (29, 30, 31) is height adjustable in order to deliver support members (11) to the bearing surface portion of each level (15a-d, 21) or to receive support members (11) from the bearing surface portion of each level.
18. A system as claimed in one of the preceding claims in combination with a textile machine, characterized in that the machine is provided with a single conveying device (34, 35) for the support member (11) and the conveying means (29, 30, 31) is provided downstream of said conveying device in such a way that the conveyors (30, 31) extend parallel to and over a certain path alongside the outer sides of the conveying device (34, 35) so that the support members (11) are delivered by the conveying element (5) over the conveyor (31) to the one end of the conveying device and are received from the other end of the conveying device (34, 35) over the conveyor (30).
19. A system as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the machine is a ring spinning machine (4), whereby the transfer station (3) is arranged at the one end of the machine and the conveying device (34, 35) is guided around the other end of the ring spinning machine.
20. A system as claimed in claim 18 or 19, characterized in that the conveying means (29, 30, 31) is arranged for forming a row of support members (11) provided with cops and for conveying the row between the conveying device (34, 35) of the machine and the planes of the bearing surface (15a-d).
21. A system as claimed in one of the preceding claims in combination with at least one ring spinning machine and a plurality of winding machines, characterized in that the transfer station (3) provided with the conveying means (29, 30, 31) is provided in each textile machine, whereby the conveying element (5) is arranged without the conveying means.
22. A system as claimed in claim 21, characterized in that the conveying element (5) is provided for driverless automatic conveyance between the ring spinning machine (4) and the winding machines.
23. A system as claimed in one of the claims 21 to 22, characterized in that the conveying element (5) can be used in a yarn steaming station.
24. A method for operating a conveying system as claimed in claim 1 for conveying individual support members (11) provided with freely movable discs (10) between textile machines, whereby the support members are each provided with a peg (9) and are thus arranged for carrying a full bobbin or empty tube (8) each on the peg, characterized in that the support members (11) are transferred onto a bearing surface (15a-d) of a conveying element (5) which is movable independently of the route, whereby for carrying off support members (11) from the textile machine the support members are received on one side of the bearing surface in a transfer station (3) and are discharged by the transfer station on the opposite side of the bearing surface (15a-d) for returning the support members (11) to said textile machine.
25. A method as claimed in claim 24, characterized in that the support members (11) are delivered to the bearing surface by a conveying means (29, 30, 31) and are received therefrom, that the transfer station (3) is provided in each textile machine and that the conveying element (5) is arranged without conveying means.
26. A method as claimed in claims 24 or 25, characterized in that in addition to the support members (11) of a previously supplied row which are disposed on the bearing surface (15a-d), a new row of support members is formed, that the support members (11) of the previously delivered and newly formed row are mutually in alignment and that said newly formed row and all rows standing on the same level and being previously supplied are displaced by the conveying means in such a way that by mean of the push-through method the newly formed row is pushed onto the bearing surface and simultaneously the row of support members (11) being farthest from the new row is transferred from the bearing surface to the conveying means.
27. A method as claimed in one of the claims 24 to 26, characterized in that the conveying element (5) is arrested during the loading and unloading.
28. A method as claimed in one of the claims 24 to 27, characterized in that the method is carried out at one end of a spinning machine (4), whereby support members (11) with full bobbins are loaded onto the conveying element (5) and support members with empty tubes (8) are unloaded from the conveying element (5).
29. A method as claimed in claim 28, whereby the spinning machine is a ring spinning machine, characterized in that the number of the cops which are creeled on the support members (11) and are loaded in a transfer process from the ring spinning machine to the conveying element (5) correspond to the total number of spinning positions of the ring spinning machine (4).
30. A method as claimed in one of the claims 24 to 29, characterized in that the method is carried out with the conveying element (5) coming from a winding machine, whereby the support members (11) with the empty tubes (8) are unloaded from the conveying element (5) and support members with full bobbins are loaded onto the conveying element.
31. A method as claimed in claim 30, characterized in that the displacement of the conveying element (5) between the spinning machine and a winding machine is made manually.
32. A method as claimed in claim 30, characterized in that the displacement of the conveying element is made by driverless automatic conveyance.
33. A method as claimed in one of the claims 30 to 32, characterized in that the displacement between the spinning machine and the winding machine is made substantially without interposing a buffer station.
34. A method as claimed in one of the claims 24 to 33, characterized in that the determination of the number of support members in the row is made by counting.

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