EP2388363B1 - Thread sluice for sealing a pressurised thread processing chamber - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a yarn lock for sealing a pressurized yarn treatment chamber according to the preamble of claim 1.

It is known to subject yarns, for example after twisting or after cabling, to a thermal treatment and thus to achieve an improvement in yarn quality.

Such a thermal treatment stabilizes the state in which the yarns are after twisting or after cabling and releases the yarns from internal torsional forces. In addition, such a thermal treatment leads to a shrinkage of the yarns, causing an increase in the volume of the yarns.

The patent literature describes various methods and devices for the thermal treatment of yarns. It has long been known in this connection, for example, to transfer the yarn wound on bobbins or bobbins for batchwise treatment into steaming systems, so-called autoclave, and in this way to fix a multiplicity of bobbins or cops at the same time.

However, these known fixing devices have the disadvantage that they have a relatively large footprint and are relatively expensive to purchase.

In addition, these fixtures are often unavoidable losses in quality of the treated yarn.

Furthermore, yarn treatment devices are known which are arranged directly in the area of the work stations of twisting machines and with which a fixation on the current yarn can be made.

With such, for example in the EP 1 348 785 A1 or in the DE 103 48 278 A1 ( EP 1 528 129 ) has been able to make the fixing process of yarns cheaper and more efficient.

As a rule, the known devices each have a yarn treatment chamber, into which a gaseous or vaporous treatment medium under pressure is blown in, the subsequent operation of the cooling leading to the fixing of the yarn.

Such Garnbehandlungskammern are also equipped with opposing Garneinlauf- and Garnauslauföffnungen, in the area each sealing means are installed, which seal the Garnbehandlungskammer from the environment.

The in the EP 1 348 785 A1 For example, the yarn processing device described has sealing devices which have different rollers with which the pressure losses resulting from the entry and exit of the yarn into and out of the yarn treatment chamber are to be minimized.

These sealing devices preferably have drivable outer lock rollers and inner sealing rollers, which are each equipped with an elastic plastic ring into which the yarn presses when passing through the sealing devices.

A disadvantage of these sealing devices, however, are the relatively wear-sensitive plastic rings of Sealing rollers. The relatively short life of the plastic rings requires short maintenance intervals, which has a very negative effect on the efficiency of the yarn processing device.

In the DE 103 48 278 A1 ( EP 1528 129 ) describes a Garnbehandlungsvorrichtung in which the yarn treatment chamber in the region of their Garneinlauf- and Garnauslauföffnung each having a yarn lock with wear-resistant Garnführungselementen.

In a first embodiment of the yarn lock this is equipped with two identical, each semicircular yarn guide elements which are pressed against each other by a spring element and have recesses in the region of a common central longitudinal axis, which form a Garnleitkanal. The cross section of the yarn channel is matched exactly to the average thickness of the yarn to be treated, that is, during operation, the Garnleitkanal is sealed by the running yarn. In a yarn thickening the yarn guide elements are pressed against the force of the spring element to the outside, so that the yarn with the yarn thickening can pass through the yarn lock.

In another, also in the DE 103 48 278 A1 ( EP 1528 129 ) described embodiment, the yarn guide elements of the yarn lock are formed so that one of the yarn guide elements is rotatably mounted in the manner of a revolver.

That is, by appropriate positioning of the rotatably mounted Garnführungselements the cross section of the Garnleitkanals can be adjusted.

The design and arrangement of the Garnführungselemente allows you to choose between four different cross sections of the Garnleitkanals.

Also in this embodiment, one of the yarn guide elements, preferably the rotatably mounted, is arranged so that it can escape when a yarn thickening occurs.

A disadvantage of the known yarn locks, however, is that the adaptation of the cross section of Garnleitkanals to the respective thickness of the yarn is often relatively expensive or exact adjustment of the cross section of Garnleitkanals to the respective yarn diameter is often not possible.

That is, in the first embodiment, in a batch change in which is changed to a yarn with a different average thickness, usually the Garnführungselemente be replaced, that is, the built-in yarn guide elements must be time consuming due to the average thickness of the new yarn new yarn guide elements are replaced.

Even in the second embodiment, in which can be selected by the rotatably mounted Garnführungselement between four Garnleitkanalgrößen, difficulties may arise if the yarn has an average thickness that does not exactly one of the adjustable Garnleitkanalgrößen corresponds.

That is, even in such a case, there are often problems with proper sealing of the yarn treating chamber.

It has also been found that in the known yarn locks, in particular in yarn locks with a rotatably mounted yarn guide element, sometimes difficulties in the passage of Garnverdickungen comes because, for example, the storage of the rotatably mounted Garnführungselements can not respond sufficiently elastic to such yarn thickening.

The consequence of such difficulties are often damaging tensile force increases as well as problems with sealing the Garnleitkanals.

Based on the above-described prior art, the present invention seeks to develop a yarn lock, with the under all operating conditions, that is, regardless of the average thickness of the yarn and the almost inevitable Garnverdickungen, always a reliable sealing of a yarn treatment chamber during the thermal Fixation of a yarn can be guaranteed.

This object is achieved by a yarn lock having the features described in claim 1.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

The inventive design of the yarn sluice has the advantage that due to the continuously displaceably mounted first Garnführungselements both an exact adjustment of the width of the Garnleitkanals to the average thickness of the yarn to be processed is possible, and is ensured by the resting on the Garnführungselementen, elastic sealing element that yarn thickenings can pass through the yarn lock without causing any appreciable pressure loss in the over-pressurized yarn treatment chamber. That is, the resting on the Garnführungselementen sealing element on the one hand ensures that the Garnleitkanal is securely closed during operation over its entire length, on the other hand, the sealing element reacts immediately elastic errors in the running yarn.

Through the use of the elastic sealing element is thus ensured that yarn defects, such as knots or splices, when passing through the yarn locks neither to a lead to significant Zugkrafterhöhung, nor that it comes to sealing problems.

The sealing element is elastically deformed by a yarn defect only in the region of the yarn defect and thereby spaced something from the yarn guide elements, which only leads to very small, almost insignificant pressure losses.

With a yarn lock designed according to the invention, a secure sealing of the yarn treatment chamber under overpressure with respect to the environment is thus ensured under all operating conditions.

In an advantageous embodiment, it is provided that the infinitely adjustable first yarn guide element is connected to a defined controllable drive, which in turn is in communication with a control and / or a control device. Such a design allows not only a sensitive, very accurate positioning of the first yarn guide element and thus a very precise adjustment of the width of Garnleitkanals on the average thickness of the yarn, but also a good reproducibility of the process, since the yarn guide element in each setting always in a precise can be positioned predetermined, optimal for the process position.

This good reproducibility of the adjustment can be realized in a simple manner, in particular, if the drive of the yarn lock is designed as a stepping motor and in the region of the drive a sensor device is provided with which the zero position of the stepping motor can be controlled.

Such stepper motors are known to require only a relatively small control effort with respect to the exact adjustment of their angle of rotation.

In an alternative embodiment, however, it is also possible in principle to manually position the continuously adjustable yarn guiding element.

Although such a manual positioning is very cost-effective, it carries the risk of incorrect settings. In addition, manual positioning of the slidably mounted Garnführungselements is time consuming.

In an advantageous embodiment, the continuously adjustable first yarn guide element is designed as a yarn guide wedge, which is displaceably mounted in a likewise wedge-shaped recess of a lock insert of the yarn lock.

The lock insert also forms the stationary second yarn guide element of a Garnleitkanals.

Since the Garnführungskeil can move only along the oblique line of contact of the wedge-shaped recess, is ensured by such a design and arrangement that the Garnleitkanal forming yarn guide elements are always aligned parallel to each other, that is, it is always guaranteed that the Garnleitkanal in any position the Garnführungskeils occupies a width which is the same over the entire length of the Garnleitkanals.

As described in claim 6, the yarn lock on a sealing element which is designed and arranged so that the prevailing in the yarn lock system pressure acts on the sealing element and this holds during the yarn treatment process in contact with the yarn guide elements.

In this way it is ensured that the sealing element is positioned elastically on the Garnleitkanal on the entire Garnleitkanallänge with a uniform contact pressure. If required, in particular for threading or unthreading a yarn into or out of the steam fixing device, the sealing element of the respective yarn lock can be positioned without any problems with the yarn guide elements of the yarn guide channel of the yarn lock, such that an angle lever carrying the sealing element moves pneumatically out of its working position into one slightly spaced from the yarn guide elements lying threading position is pivoted.

The resting on the Garnführungselementen sealing element, which is equipped with a flexible, low-wear sealing strip made of a metallic material and an arranged below the sealing strip elastic intermediate insert of a temperature-resistant elastic material, e.g. Foam, rubber, silicone rubber or the like. Provides ensures during the yarn treatment on the one hand that the Garnleitkanal is properly closed, on the other hand, yarn thickening, such as knots or splices, which are in the running yarn, do not lead to a Zugkrafterhöhung because the elastic intermediate layer of the sealing element when passing through such a yarn thickening in the area of the yarn thickening automatically elastically evades.

That is, even a yarn that has a yarn thickening, the yarn lock can easily pass.

Since the elastic deflection of the intermediate layer always takes place only in the immediate area of the yarn thickening and the intermediate layer protective sealing tape on the remaining Garnleitkanallänge is held by the intermediate layer sealing on the Garnführungselementen, caused by a yarn thickening pressure loss of the affected yarn lock is extremely low.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the sealing element is designed as a slotted strip, in whose

Recording slot H-shaped design, elastic intermediate insert is set with game.

The intermediate insert is also covered here by a flexible, low-wear sealing tape and thus protected against wear by the running yarn.

The formation of the sealing element as a slotted strip leads in connection with the formation of the intermediate layer as H-shaped component to an easily assembled and very flexible sealing unit, which ensures a good seal of the steam fixation both during normal operation and the occurrence of Garnverdickungen and also Prevents tension pull increases on the running yarn.

According to claim 10, it is provided that sensors are additionally connected to the control and / or regulating device of the yarn sluice, which controls, among other things, the drive which can be controlled in a defined manner for the continuously adjustable first yarn guiding element, which sensors measure the physical variables prevailing in the interior of the yarn treatment chamber. such as temperature and / or pressure, monitor.

The control and / or regulating device has a control loop, which ensures by appropriate positioning of the continuously adjustable first yarn guide element that during the yarn treatment process in the yarn treatment chamber, almost always constant conditions are maintained.

In this way, it is ensured that a steam fixing device equipped with yarn slips according to the invention always optimally treats the yarn passing through and quality deviations are practically ruled out.

Further details of the invention are explained below with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the figures.

Fig. 1

eine schematisierte Prinzipskizze einer Arbeitsstelle einer Zwirnmaschine mit einer Dampffixiervorrichtung, wobei die Garnbehandlungskammer der Dampffixier-vorrichtung durch erfindungsgemäße Garnschleusen abgedichtet ist,

Fig. 2

den elektromotorischen Antrieb sowie einen Teil eines zugehörigen Untersetzungsgetriebes einer Garnschleuse,

Fig. 3A

in Vorderansicht einen Schleuseneinsatz einer Garnschleuse mit einer Aussparung zur Aufnahme eines verschiebbar gelagerten Garnführungselements,

Fig. 3B

in perspektivischer Ansicht den Schleuseneinsatz gemäß Fig.3A mit einem in der Aussparung angeordneten, stufenlos verschiebbar gelagerten ersten Garnführungselement,

Fig. 4

eine erfindungsgemäße Garnschleuse in Seitenansicht, teilweise im Schnitt,

Fig. 5

eine Rückansicht auf den Schleuseneinsatz einer Garnschleuse mit einer Getriebeanordnung zum Umsetzen der Rotationsbewegung des elektromotorischen Antriebs in eine translatorische Bewegung zur Verlagern des stufenlos verschiebbar gelagerten ersten Garnführungselements,

Fig. 6

eine erste Ausführungsform eines Dichtelements,

Fig. 7

eine weitere, bevorzugte Ausführungsform eines Dichtelements.

It shows:

Fig. 1

a schematic diagram of a workstation of a twisting machine with a steam fixing, wherein the yarn treatment chamber of the steam fixing device is sealed by Garnschleusen invention,

Fig. 2

the electric motor drive and a part of an associated reduction gear of a yarn lock,

Fig. 3A

in front view a lock insert of a yarn lock with a recess for receiving a displaceably mounted yarn guide element,

Fig. 3B

in perspective view the lock insert according to 3A with a first yarn guiding element, which is arranged in the recess and is infinitely displaceably mounted,

Fig. 4

a yarn lock according to the invention in side view, partly in section,

Fig. 5

a rear view of the lock insert of a yarn lock with a gear arrangement for converting the rotational movement of the electromotive drive into a translational movement for displacing the continuously displaceably mounted first yarn guide element,

Fig. 6

a first embodiment of a sealing element,

Fig. 7

a further preferred embodiment of a sealing element.

In Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a job 29 outlined a twisting machine. Such textile machines usually have a plurality of such adjacent, identical workstations 29th

As shown, in the present exemplary embodiment, each of the workstations 29 has a steam fixing device 1, which serves for the thermal fixation of the yarn 14 drawn from a twisting device 15.

The workstations 29 also have a control and / or regulating device 13 which serves to control or regulate the various working components of the workstation 29.

As can be seen, a thread drawn from a twisting pot of the twisting device 15 17 a yarn thread 18 is supplied, which is twisted with this yarn to a 14.

The yarn 14 passes through a withdrawal device 16 and via deflection means 22 to the steam fixing device 1, in which, as already indicated above, the yarn 14 is thermally fixed.

The steam fixing device 1 consists, as usual, essentially of a yarn treatment chamber 21, which in turn is divided into a central zone 5 and two end zones 6 and 7. The middle zone 5 is supplied via a connection 8 with a hot, gaseous medium, preferably saturated steam or superheated steam, while a cool gaseous medium, for example compressed air, is blown into the end zones 6 and 7 via connections 9A and 9B, respectively.

The middle zone 5 also has a connection 10, via which steam or condensate can be removed.

The yarn treatment chamber 21 furthermore has a yarn inlet opening 2 in the region of the end zone 6 and a yarn outlet opening 3 in the region of the end zone 7.

In the yarn inlet opening 2 and the yarn outlet opening 3, a respective yarn lock 23A or 23B is arranged, which seals the over-pressurized yarn treatment chamber 21 from the environment.

The yarn 14 which is thermally fixed in the steam fixing device 1 is guided via a take-off device 11 and deflection means 12 to a winding device 24 of the work station 29 and is wound there to form a cross-wound bobbin 20.

The cross-wound bobbin 20 is held rotatably in a pivotable creel (not shown) and rests on a winding roller 19, from which it is frictionally driven and rotated to wind the yarn 14 in rotation.

The supply of the hot, gaseous medium to the yarn treatment chamber 21 of the steam fixing device 1 via a (not shown) steam line of the twisting machine. The supply of steam can be dosed by a trained as a steam valve shut-off device 4 and interrupted if necessary.

As in Fig.1 In addition, the steam-fixing device 1 in the region of the yarn inlet opening 2 and in the area of the yarn outlet opening 3 is additionally provided with a delivery mechanism 37 or a delivery mechanism 38 which serve to feed the yarn 14 to be treated or to discharge the treated yarn 14. For this purpose, the two delivery mechanisms 37, 38 are driven in such a way that the Steam fixation device 1 continuous yarn 14 between the delivery mechanisms 37, 38 is held substantially constant voltage.

The steam fixing device 1 is further equipped with a sensor device whose sensors 40, 41, 42, 43 are connected via signal lines 39 to the control and regulating device 13.

The control and / or regulating device 13 is also connected via control lines 44 to the drives 30 of the yarn locks 23A and 23B and via signal lines to those installed in the area of the drives 30 (in FIG Fig.1 not shown) sensor devices 31 connected.

In Fig.2 is one of the yarn locks 23A, 23B, shown in the exemplary embodiment, the downstream in Garnvorrichtung Garnschleuse 23B, the superstructure, as can be seen, is enclosed by a housing 51.

The yarn lock 23B has on the input side a connecting piece 54 with which it is fixed in the yarn outlet opening 3 of the yarn treatment chamber 21 and has on the output side an injector 56 which can be acted upon by compressed air via a connection 50 and pneumatic threading of the yarn 14 through the entire steam fixing device 1 allows through.

That is, via the compressed air connection 50, within the steam fixing device 1, an air flow can be initiated, which enables the yarn transport within the steam fixing device 1.

The yarn sluice 23B can also be acted upon by a system pressure via a compressed air connection 49, which, as will be explained below, acts on a sealing element 28 and ensures that the sealing element 28 is pressed during the process Garnbehandlung process is properly positioned on Garnleitkanal 25 of the Garnschleuse 23B.

At the same time a pneumatic cylinder is connected to the compressed air connection 50 which, when acted on, ensures that the sealing element 28 can be lifted off the Garnleitkanal 25 when threading a yarn 14.

How out Fig.2 Furthermore, the yarn lock 23B also has an electromotive drive 30, preferably a stepper motor, which has a gear arrangement and a (in Fig.2 not shown) slotted guide with the continuously adjustable first yarn guide element 26 of the yarn lock 23 B is connected.

That is, a pinion 45 fixed to the motor shaft of the stepping motor 30 meshes with an intermediate gear 46, which in turn drives a relatively large external gear 47.

The outer gear 47 is, as in particular from Figure 4 can be seen, part of a sleeve-like structural component 55 of the yarn lock 23B, said structural component 55 further comprises a small, coaxially arranged pinion 52 which meshes with the pinion 64 of a crank spindle 53.

In the area of the external gear 47, there is also arranged a sensor device 31, preferably consisting of a permanent magnet insert 31A and a Hall element 31B, which monitors the zero position of the drive 30 designed as a stepper motor.

The drive 30 is connected via a control line 44 to the control and / or regulating device 13.

The FIGS. 3A and 3B show in front view and in perspective view arranged within a yarn lock 23 lock insert 32, wherein the 3A the lock insert 32 without and the 3B shows the lock insert 32 with built-in, continuously adjustably mounted first yarn guide element 26.

How out 3A it can be seen, the lock insert 32 is formed on its front side as a plate-like component, in which a wedge-shaped recess 57 is incorporated.

The plate-like component of the lock insert 32 forms a fixed second yarn guide element 27 of a Garnleitkanals 25 during operation with its side facing the recess 57 side surface 58th

The opposite, wedge-shaped side surface 59 of the lock insert 32 forms a guide for in 3B illustrated, continuously adjustable mounted first yarn guide element 26 of the yarn lock 23rd

How out 3A can be seen, the rear side of the recess 57 also has a parallel to the side surface 59 of the recess 57 arranged groove 60 in which a socket 61, as described below with reference to Figure 5 will be described in more detail, is guided.

As in 3B represented, the displaceably mounted first yarn guide element 26 is connected by means of a screw bolt 62 to the sleeve 61 and is guided by the bushing 61 in the groove 60 of the lock insert 32.

The outer side 63 of the displaceably mounted first yarn guide element 27 facing the side surface 58 of the stationary second yarn guide element 27 forms a yarn guide channel 25 in conjunction with the side surface 58.

By appropriate, indicated by the arrow H positioning of the displaceable first Garnführungselements 26, the width B of the Garnleitkanals 25 can be adjusted continuously.

The back of the Garnleitkanals 25 is formed by the rear wall of the recess 57 of the lock insert 32, while the front wall of the Garnleitkanals 25, a sealing element 28 acts, which rests elastically on the Garnführungselementen 26, 27 during operation and for threading a new twine 14 can be lifted pneumatically from Garnleitkanal 25.

The Figure 4 shows in side view, partially in section, a Garnschleuse 23, which, as already above in connection with the Fig.2 indicated, a sleeve-like structural component 55 having an outer gear 47 and a small, coaxially arranged pinion 52 which meshes with the pinion 64 of a crank spindle 53. The rocking spindle 53 has a slotted guide 65, to which by means of a ball head 66, a guide carriage 67 is connected, which, in particular from Figure 5 can be seen, vertically slidably mounted in the back of the lock insert 32 and thereby secured by a guide plate 68.

From the Figure 5 showing a rear view of the yarn lock 23, it is clearly visible how the guide carriage 67 is connected via a ball head 66 which is mounted on the end of a connecting lever 69, with the slotted guide 65 of the crank spindle 53.

The guide carriage 67 in turn has a slide link 70, in which the bushing 61, to which the displaceably mounted first yarn guide element 26 is connected, is guided horizontally displaceable. As already indicated above, the bushing 61 passes through the groove 60, which is worked into the bottom of the recess 57 parallel to the wedge-shaped side surface 59 of the recess 57 of the lock insert 32.

In the area of the bushing 61, a flexible supporting disk (not shown) is additionally arranged which, in conjunction with a corresponding sealing film, provides a seal, that is to say the sealing film prevents that in the region of the yarn guiding elements 26, 27 and of the sealing element 28 prevailing system pressure of the yarn lock 23 can reduce via the groove 60.

In the FIGS. 6 and 7 Two embodiments of a sealing element 28 are shown, which forms the fourth, elastic boundary wall of Garnleitkanals 25 of the yarn lock 23A and 23B, respectively.

According to embodiment of the Figure 6 the sealing element 28 has an elastic intermediate layer 34, which is fastened on the sealing element 28, as well as a thin, planar, wear-resistant sealing strip 33, which covers the intermediate layer 34.

The intermediate layer 34 is preferably made of a temperature-resistant, elastic material such as foam or the like, while the sealing strip 33 is made of a metal or other abrasion-resistant material. In the embodiment according to Figure 6 the sealing tape 33 is suspended at the top in the sealing element 28 and is for example by (not shown) permanent magnet inserts, the corresponding receptacles of the sealing element 28 are arranged, frictionally positioned on the intermediate layer 34.

Such as in the Figure 4 shown, the sealing element 28 is mounted within the Garnschleuse 23 via a pivot axis 71 at an angle lever 72 limited movable, which in turn is connected via a pivot axis 73 to a holder 74.

Within the holder 74 a (not shown) spring element is arranged, which acts on a short lever arm the angle lever 72 so that the angle lever 72 is pivoted in the direction of Garnleitkanals 25 and thereby the sealing element 28 is positioned on the Garnleitkanal 25 where the sealing element 28th In addition, the system pressure of the yarn lock 23 is applied.

However, the lever arm of the angle lever 72 can be acted upon by a small pneumatic cylinder against the force of the spring element.

The pneumatic cylinder then ensures that the sealing element 28 is lifted from Garnleitkanal 25, which greatly facilitates the threading of a new thread.

In Figure 7 is a further preferred embodiment of a sealing element 28 is shown.

As in the upper half of the Figure 7 shown, the sealing element 28 is formed here as a slotted strip 28A.

In the slot of the bar 28A can in the lower half of Figure 7 shown H-shaped intermediate layer 34A are threaded, which is mounted with a relatively large amount of play. The intermediate layer 34A is in turn laminated with a metallic sealing strip 33 and thus protected against abrasion by the running yarn 14.

Also, the sealing element according to Figure 7 is as above in connection with the Figure 6 described limited movably mounted on an angle lever 72 and therefore has a bearing device 75 which has a corresponding pivot axis 71.

• Vor Beginn des thermischen Behandlungsvorganges eines von der Zwirnvorrichtung 15 bereitgestellten Garnes 14 in der Dampffixiereinrichtung 1 muss diese zunächst in ihren Betriebszustand versetzt werden, das heißt, die Dampffixiereinrichtung 1 muss aufgeheizt werden.
• Außerdem muss die Breite B des Garnleitkanals 25 der Garnschleusen 23A und 23B entsprechend der mittleren Dicke des zu bearbeitenden Garnes 14 eingestellt werden.

Function of the yarn lock according to the invention:

• Before the start of the thermal treatment process of a yarn 14 provided by the twisting device 15 in the steam fixing device 1, it must first be put into its operating state, that is, the steam fixing device 1 must be heated.
• In addition, the width B of the Garnleitkanals 25 of the Garnschleusen 23 A and 23 B according to the average thickness of the yarn to be processed 14 must be adjusted.

For this purpose, the control and / or regulating device 13 controls the stepper motors 30 of the yarn locks 23A and 23B such that the adjustably mounted first yarn guide elements 26 of the yarn locks are positioned in an optimum position for the average thickness of the yarn to be treated.

Furthermore, by actuating corresponding pneumatic cylinders present in the yarn locks, the sealing elements 28 of the yarn locks 23A and 23B are lifted off the associated yarn guide channels 25.

Subsequently, an injector device 56 is subjected to compressed air at the yarn lock 23B downstream in the yarn running direction, the yarn 14 is pneumatically threaded through the two yarn locks 23A and 23B and the intermediate yarn treatment chamber 21 and transferred to the winding device 24.

In the next step, the yarn locks 23A and 23B are pressurized with system pressure via the connections 49 and at the same time the pneumatic cylinders are depressurized on the angle levers 72 of the sealing elements 28, with the result that the sealing elements 28 rest elastically on the yarn guide elements 26, 27 and thus yarn guide channels 25 form whose cross-section is optimally adapted to the average thickness of the yarn 14 to be treated.

That is, the yarn 14 contained in the yarn guide channels 25 prevents, for example, hot steam from the yarn treatment chamber 21 from leaking into the environment via the yarn guide channels 25 of the yarn locks 23A and 23B.

This optimum sealing by the yarn locks 23A and 23B is also given when subsequently the work site is started and then a running yarn 14 is thermally treated in the steam fixing device 1.

Of course, the seal is retained even if the running yarn 14 has a yarn thickening, for example in the form of a knot or a splice, and this yarn thickening passes through one of the yarn locks 23A or 23B. In such a case, the elastic intermediate layer 34 of the resting on the Garnleitkanal 25 sealing element 28 is slightly pushed back by the yarn thickening, so that the yarn thickening can easily, that is, without appreciable Zugkrafterhöhung, run through the respective yarn lock 23. Since the intermediate layer 34 protective sealing tape 33 of the sealing element 28 is acted upon only in the immediate region of the yarn thickening, is in the remaining not affected by the yarn thickening remaining areas of Garnleitkanals 25, that is, before and behind the yarn thickening still given a reliable seal, so that the pressure loss during the passage of a yarn thickening is minimal. The yarn treatment chamber 21 is thus always reliably sealed from the environment under all conditions.

Claims (10)

1. Yarn sluice for sealing a yarn treating chamber under excess pressure, in which a running yarn is thermally treated, the yarn sluice in each case arranged in the region of a yarn inlet opening and a yarn outlet opening of the yarn treating chamber having yarn guide elements, which form a yarn guide channel, which is sealed by the running yarn in the operating state and it being possible to position at least one of the yarn guide elements, for adaptation to the mean thickness of the running yarn, in various, predetermined positions, and means being provided which allow temporary adaptation of the yarn guide channel cross-section to yarn defects,
   characterised in that
   at least one of the first and second yarn guide elements (26, 27) forming the yarn guide channel (25), for adaption to the mean thickness of the yarn (14) to be processed, is steplessly adjustably mounted and in that a sealing element (28), which can be placed on the first and the second yarn guide element (26, 27), is present and extends along the yarn guide channel (25), closes it and reacts resiliently to defects in the running yarn (14).
2. Yarn sluice according to claim 1, characterised in that the steplessly adjustably mounted first yarn guide element (26) is connected to a drive (30), which can be activated in a defined manner and is in turn connected to a control and/or a regulating device (13).
3. Yarn sluice according to claim 2, characterised in that the drive (30) is configured as a stepping motor and a sensor device (31) is present to monitor the zero position of the stepping motor.
4. Yarn sluice according to claim 1, characterised in that the steplessly adjustably mounted first yarn guide element (26) can be positioned manually.
5. Yarn sluice according to claim 1, characterised in that the first yarn guide element (26) is configured as a yarn guide wedge, which is displaceably mounted in a wedge-shaped recess (57) of a sluice insert (32) of the yarn sluice (23), which in turn forms a fixed second yarn guide element (27) of the yarn guide channel (25).
6. Yarn sluice according to claim 1, characterised in that the sealing element (28) is configured and arranged in such a way that the system pressure prevailing during the yarn treating process in the yarn sluice (23) acts on the sealing element (28) and keeps it abutting on the yarn guide elements (26, 27).
7. Yarn sluice according to claim 1, characterised in that the sealing element (28) for threading and unthreading a yarn (14) into and from the steam setting device (1) can be positioned spaced apart from the yarn guide elements (26, 27) of the yarn guide channel (25) of the yarn sluice (23).
8. Yarn sluice according to claim 1, characterised in that the sealing element (28) resting on the yarn guide elements (26, 27) is equipped with a flexible, low-wear sealing band (33) made of a metallic material and has a resilient intermediate insert (34) made of a temperature-resistant resilient material and arranged below the sealing band (33).
9. Yarn sluice according to claim 1, characterised in that the sealing element (28) is configured as a slotted strip (28A), in which an H-shaped, resilient intermediate insert (34A) can be fixed, the intermediate insert (34A) being covered by a flexible, low-wear sealing band (33).
10. Yarn sluice according to claim 2, characterised in that sensors (40, 41, 42, 43), which monitor the physical variables, such as temperature and/or pressure, prevailing in the interior of the yarn treating chamber (21), are connected to the control and/or to the regulating device (13) for the drive (30) of the steplessly adjustably mounted first yarn guide element (26), and in that the control and/or the regulating device (13) has a control loop, which ensures, by corresponding positioning of the yarn guide element (26), that virtually constant conditions are always provided during the yarn treating process in the yarn treating chamber (21).

Images