EP4015682B1 - Work station of an air spinning machine - Google Patents

Description

• einer Luftspinnvorrichtung zum Spinnen eines Fadens aus einem zugeführten Faserband und
• einer der Luftspinnvorrichtung nachgelagerten Fadenführungseinheit mit einer Eintrittsöffnung zur Aufnahme des aus der Austrittsöffnung der Luftspinnvorrichtung austretenden Fadens und einem Fadenleitkanal zum Durchleiten wenigstens des von der Luftspinnvorrichtung kommenden, luftgesponnenen Fadens.

The invention relates to a workstation of an air spinning machine with

• an air spinning device for spinning a thread from a supplied fiber band and
• a thread guide unit downstream of the air spinning device with an inlet opening for receiving the thread emerging from the outlet opening of the air spinning device and a thread guide channel for passing through at least the air-spun thread coming from the air spinning device.

In the textile industry, various processes and spinning devices are known in connection with the production of textile threads. Ring spinning machines and/or open-end rotor spinning machines, for example, have long been widely used and extremely proven. Furthermore, so-called air spinning machines are also known, particularly in connection with the processing of synthetic yarn material.

From the WO 2019/012143 For example, an air spinning machine with an air spinning device is known which forms a thread from a fiber sliver via an air flow circulating around a hollow spinning cone. The fiber sliver, which has previously been drawn by means of a drafting device upstream of the air spinning device, is fed to the air spinning device via a fiber sliver inlet of the air spinning device and enters a vortex chamber surrounding a hollow spinning cone, which can be subjected to a vortex air flow by means of a nozzle device. The nozzle device generates an air flow circulating around the spinning cone, whereby the free fiber ends of the fiber sliver are placed around the spinning cone in a known manner and wound helically around core fibers, whereby a thread with suitable strength properties is produced, which is transported via an outlet opening of the air spinning device to a winding device, by means of which the spun thread is wound onto a take-up package in a defined manner. After leaving the air spinning device, the thread passes through a thread deflection unit that guides the thread and a thread guide channel adjacent to the thread deflection unit.

If the spinning process in an air spinning device is interrupted, e.g. due to a break in the supplied fiber band or because the spun thread is a controlled cut by a thread cleaner, the thread end of the already spun thread, which has usually run onto an associated take-up package, must first be retrieved during the subsequent piecing process to remedy the spinning interruption and transported through the air spinning device into the area of the drafting system or the spinning cone within the vortex chamber in the thread take-off direction. An air flow initiated by a blowing impulse is usually used as the transport medium for bringing the thread end close to an outlet opening of the air spinning device. As soon as the thread end is presented to the outlet opening, it is sucked into the air spinning device by a suction air flow directed against the usual thread take-off direction during the spinning process and transported to the vortex chamber.

In the known air spinning machines with a thread guide unit having a thread guide channel arranged downstream of the air spinning device in the thread take-off direction, an unreliable return of the thread taken up from the winding package occurs due to a thread-guide-free area between the inlet opening of the thread guide unit and the outlet opening of the air spinning device opposite it, so that it cannot be reliably introduced into the air spinning device in order to carry out piecing.

Based on this, the invention is based on the object of providing a work station of an air spinning machine which enables reliable piecing.

The invention solves the problem by a work station of an air spinning machine with the features of claim 1. Advantageous further developments of the thread guide element are specified in the dependent claims 2 to 6.

The thread guide element according to the invention has a channel body with a through-channel for arrangement between the outlet opening of the air spinning device and the inlet opening of the thread guide unit, which has a thread guide channel for guiding a thread running between the air spinning device and the winding device. The channel body in turn has a connection section that can be connected to the air spinning device, by means of which the channel body is positioned with its first open end of the through-channel in the area of the outlet opening of the air spinning device. can be. In addition, the channel body has an end section which can be arranged opposite the inlet opening and which is adapted to a contour of the thread guide unit surrounding the inlet opening to ensure reliable entry of the thread from the inlet opening into the through-channel or to receive a thread emerging from the inlet opening. The end section is therefore designed in such a way that a reliable transition of a thread emerging from the inlet opening into the through-channel of the channel body can be ensured. The distance between the end section of the through-channel or a second open end of the through-channel delimited by the end section and the inlet opening is selected in such a way that a thread end emerging from the inlet opening is not deflected in the direction of the gap formed between the end section or the second open end and the inlet opening in such a way that the thread end is guided through the gap. Further preferably, the end section is designed to arrange the open second end opposite the inlet opening without forming a gap between the end section and the contour surrounding the inlet opening that allows the thread end to pass through. For this purpose, the end section can, for example, have a different shape or size than the rest of the channel body.

The thread guide element according to the invention ensures a reliable transition of the thread end to be returned to the air spinning device for piecing, whereby the end section, due to its design adapted to the inlet opening of the thread guide unit, ensures reliable reception of the thread end when it exits the inlet opening of the thread guide unit. The thread located in the through channel of the channel body of the thread guide element is reliably guided along the through channel via the first open end of the through channel into the outlet opening of the air spinning device, from where the thread end reaches the position required for piecing with the fiber band.

The thread guide element according to the invention thus ensures a reliable return of a thread end, usually taken up from a winding spool, into the spinning device in order to achieve reliable piecing with the supplied fiber band. The thread guide element thus bridges the intermediate section, which is usually free of thread guides, between the thread guide unit and the outlet opening of the spinning device and thus prevents malfunctions due to faulty thread return. The thread guide element according to the invention reliably ensures a cost-effective and simple thread return into the spinning device and thus guarantees piecing reliability.

The arrangement of the thread guide element on the spinning device can basically be carried out in any way. For example, suitable fastening screws or clamping means can be provided for this purpose, by means of which the thread guide element can be detachably arranged in the area of the outlet opening of the spinning device. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, however, it is provided that the connection section of the channel body of the thread guide element is designed for a bayonet-type connection to the spinning device.

According to this embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the connection section in the region of the first open end or the spinning device in the region of the outlet opening has a longitudinal slot, at the end of which a short transverse slot is connected at an angle, which can be brought into operative connection with a corresponding engagement element on the other of the spinning device or connection section. The design of the connection between the connection section and the spinning device via a bayonet-type connection enables a particularly simple and reliable arrangement of the thread guide element on the spinning device and, if necessary, the dismantling of the thread guide element from the spinning device in the event of maintenance work being carried out.

The channel body can basically be made of any material, for example of suitable metallic materials. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, however, it is provided that the channel body is made of a plastic material, in particular PVC. The use of a plastic material enables a particularly simple and cost-effective production of the thread guide element. In addition, the use of a plastic material enables a simple shaping of the end section of the channel body which can be arranged in the region of the inlet opening and via which the thread emerging from the inlet opening and to be returned to the spinning device is received in the thread guide element.

There are basically a variety of options for adapting the end section to the contour of the thread guide unit surrounding the inlet opening. According to a preferred embodiment, the thread guide unit has a thread deflection unit for the defined deflection of the thread, whereby the thread deflection unit forms the inlet opening. At its end facing away from the inlet opening, the thread deflection unit has an outlet which is coupled to the inlet opening via an intermediate thread deflection section and via which the thread deflection unit can be connected to the thread guide channel for guiding the thread through the thread guide unit to the inlet opening. Such a thread guide unit equipped with a thread deflection unit enables the deflection of the thread in a thread path arranged between the spinning device and the winding device, whereby a work station of the air spinning machine along the thread path can be made more compact. The thread deflection unit is preferably designed to deflect the thread at an angle of less than 90° between the passage axes of the inlet opening and the outlet. In particular, the thread deflection unit preferably has a thread deflection roller with a thread guide notch along which the thread can be guided in a deflecting manner. The thread guide notch can have a cross-sectional shape as required, for example a U-, V-, C-, W- or similar shape.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the end section is funnel-shaped. This design of the end section ensures, when arranged opposite the inlet opening, a particularly reliable reception of the thread to be returned in the thread guide element and thus a reliable feeding of the thread end into the spinning device for carrying out the piecing process.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the end section is adapted to the contour of the thread deflection unit in the area of the inlet opening, in particular to the contour of the thread deflection roller of the thread deflection unit. According to this embodiment of the invention, the thread guide element extends with its connecting section directly to the thread deflection roller provided for thread deflection. An adaptation of the contour of the The attachment of the end section to the thread deflection roller enables the end section to be arranged particularly close to the inlet opening and thus ensures particularly reliable reception of the thread to be returned and also allows particularly simple and cost-effective production of the thread guide element, wherein the end section is provided, for example, in the shape of a shovel with a cross-section adapted to the radius of the thread deflection roller.

Furthermore, according to a preferred embodiment, the channel body has several air passages along the passage channel to cause a rotational flow within the passage channel when the thread is passed through. The air passages are preferably arranged circumferentially, in particular spirally, around the channel body. The air passage can also preferably have an opening axis that is tangential to the passage channel and more preferably points obliquely to the thread passage axis and the thread running direction running through the passage channel. This allows the generation of a less turbulent rotational flow within the passage channel. Such a rotational flow within the passage channel has an advantageous effect when the thread is passed through, particularly in the air spinning process, in that protruding edge fibers of the thread wrap around the thread and adhere to the thread or are bound accordingly. This allows the hairiness of the thread passed through to be influenced in such a way that this yarn parameter can be reduced in magnitude, thereby increasing the strength of the thread. In particular, the application of the rotational flow to the passed thread is beneficial for reducing the hairiness of long-staple fibers.

The rotational flow can be generated passively or actively. In the context of the present invention, passive generation is understood to mean a rotational flow that is generated purely by the thread passing through the passage channel at high speed. The high speed causes air to be entrained and thus air to be sucked in from the air passages into the passage channel, which ultimately results in a rotational flow.

The thread is passed through in the direction of the thread travel, i.e. either in the direction of the spinning device during a piecing process or in an opposite direction during regular spinning operation, preferably supported by negative pressure or positive pressure. For this purpose, the thread can be guided through the Through-channel. The compressed air or suction air can preferably be generated externally of the thread deflection unit, for example in the air spinning device, or also internally, in particular via a compressed air connection on the thread deflection unit for introducing compressed air into the thread deflection unit in the direction of the inlet opening. Alternatively or additionally, the compressed air can also be supplied via a compressed air channel that supplies the air passages with compressed air and is connected to a compressed air source. The compressed air channel can, for example, extend in a ring-like manner around the channel body, coupled to the respective air passages.

The workstation of an air spinning machine according to the invention ensures reliable thread guidance of the thread end emerging from the thread guide unit, in particular from the thread deflection unit, into the air spinning device by using the thread guide element according to the invention or further developed as described at the beginning. The thread emerging from the thread guide unit, in particular from the thread deflection unit, is reliably received in the through-channel of the thread guide element and fed to the air spinning device via the through-channel. Malfunctions in the workstation of the air spinning machine due to an incorrectly returned thread end can be reliably avoided by using the thread guide element, so that the operational reliability of the workstation of the air spinning machine is increased in a complementary manner.

Fig. 1

eine Fadenführungseinheit mit einer Fadenumlenkeinheit in Verbindung mit einer an einem Fadenleitkanal angeordneten Fadenvorbereitungseinrichtung sowie einer Luftspinnvorrichtung;

Fig. 2

in einer schematischen Darstellung ein zwischen der Luftspinnvorrichtung und der Fadenumlenkeinheit angeordnetes Fadenführungselement;

Fig. 2a

eine Vorderansicht auf das Fadenführungselement von Figur 2 und

Fig. 3

eine weitere Ausführungsform eines Fadenführungselements.

An embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the drawings explained. The drawings show:

Fig. 1

a thread guide unit with a thread deflection unit in connection with a thread preparation device arranged on a thread guide channel and an air spinning device;

Fig. 2

in a schematic representation, a thread guide element arranged between the air spinning device and the thread deflection unit;

Fig. 2a

a front view of the thread guide element of Figure 2 and

Fig. 3

another embodiment of a thread guide element.

Figure 1 shows in a schematic representation a thread guide unit with a thread deflection unit 2 arranged downstream of an air spinning device 6 along a thread path, which is connected to a thread preparation device 5 via a thread guide channel 4 connected to its output 3. The air spinning device 6, the thread guide unit with the thread deflection unit 2 and the thread guide channel 4 as well as the thread preparation device 5 are components of a work station of an air spinning machine (not shown here), in which a thread 27 emerging from the air spinning device 6 is wound onto a take-up package (not shown here) during the spinning process.

During the normal air spinning process, a stored fiber sliver on its way to the winding package first passes through a drafting device upstream of the air spinning device 6 in the fiber sliver running direction R, where it is drawn in a defined manner. The drawn fiber sliver is then fed to the air spinning device 6 via an output roller pair of the drafting device (not shown here), within which the fiber sliver is formed into a thread 27 in the region of a spinning cone (not shown here) under the influence of a rotational flow generated by an air stream emerging from a nozzle block, with edge fibers of the fiber sliver being wound helically around its core fibers.

The air-spun thread 27 produced in this way is drawn off from the air spinning device 6 and drawn off via the thread guide unit with the thread deflection unit 2 and the thread guide channel 4 and through the thread preparation device 5 and then wound up on a take-up bobbin.

If spinning is interrupted during the air spinning process, e.g. due to a break in the thread (27) or due to a controlled cut or an uncontrolled separation of a thread that has already been spun, a piecing process must first be carried out before the spinning process can be restarted. To carry out a piecing process, it is necessary to provide the end of the already finished thread (27), which is usually located on the winding package, in the area of the fiber band of the air spinning device 6.

For this purpose, the thread end of the already produced thread (27) is usually retrieved from the winding package or a defined thread end position via a thread end guide unit, such as a suction nozzle, and transferred to a thread preparation device 5 equipped with a holding and opening tube 7 and arranged downstream of the air spinning device 6 in the fiber sliver running direction R, as shown in Figure 1 is shown. In the holding and dissolving tube 7, the thread end is freed as far as possible from twists and loose fibers.

For this purpose, the thread preparation device 5 has a holding and opening tube 7 arranged in a receiving housing 8. The receiving housing 8 in turn has an annular space 9 to which a compressed air source 11 is connected via a pneumatic line 10. A valve 12 is connected to the pneumatic line 10 and is connected via a control line 13 to a control device of the spinning station (not shown here). The holding and opening tube 7 is equipped with at least one blow nozzle 14 which is connected to the annular space 9.

As is known per se, a thread 27 must first be placed in the holding and opening tube 7 in order to prepare its thread end for a thread connection process in the air spinning device 6. For this purpose, the retrieved thread end is provided on the thread preparation device 5 in such a way that it can be pneumatically threaded into the holding and opening tube 7. The thread preparation device 5 can, as in Figure 1 shown, cooperate with at least one cutting device 15, which cuts the retrieved thread 27 to length as required. During the cutting process, the valve 12 is controlled and blown into the holding and opening tube 7 via the blow nozzle 14 in order to thread or suck in the cut thread end into the holding and opening tube 7. The threaded thread end is freed of yarn twists and loose fibers in the holding and opening tube 7.

How Figure 1 As can also be seen, the thread preparation device 5 is coupled to a thread guide channel 4 for guiding the thread 27, wherein the thread guide channel 4 is arranged in the fiber sliver running direction R between the thread deflection unit 2 and the thread preparation device 5. The fiber sliver running direction R is identical to the running direction of the thread 27 in the spinning operation of the air spinning machine, in which the thread 27 is spun by means of the air spinning device 6.

The thread guide channel 4 is connected to an outlet 3 of the thread deflection unit 2, which has a thread deflection roller 16 for the controlled deflection of the thread 27, by means of which the thread 27 is deflected when the thread end is returned in the direction of the air spinning device 6. The thread deflection unit 2 further comprises a receptacle for a compressed air connection 17, via which compressed air can be fed via an inlet 18 into the channel section 19 pointing in the direction of the air spinning device 6, whereby a suction effect is simultaneously created in the thread guide channel 4.

An end section 21 of a thread guide element 1 adjoins the inlet opening 20 of the thread deflection unit 2, the end section 21 having a shovel-shaped contour adapted to the contour of the thread deflection roller 16. On the thread guide element 1, a through channel 22 extends from the end section 21 to a connecting section 23 to an outlet opening 24 of the air spinning device 6. To arrange the thread guide element 1, a connecting plate 25 is arranged on the channel body 26, which can be connected to the air spinning device 6 via a bayonet connection (not shown here). The returned thread 27 is reliably guided via the through channel 22 via the funnel-shaped outlet opening 24 into the air spinning device 6 due to the existing air flow. The thread guide element 1 thus bridges the area between the inlet opening 20 of the thread deflection unit 2 and the air spinning device 6 and ensures reliable thread guidance.

An alternative embodiment to the one in the Figures 1 and 2 and 2a shown thread guide element 1 is in Figure 3 The thread guide element 1a shown there has, in contrast to the one shown in the Figures 1 , 2 and 2a illustrated thread guide element 1 has a funnel-shaped end portion 21a, which ensures reliable reception of the returned thread end.

list of reference symbols

1, 1a

thread guide element

2

thread deflection unit

3

Exit

4

thread guide channel

5

thread preparation device

6

spinning device/air spinning device

7

holding and dissolving tubes

8

housing

9

annular space

10

pneumatic line

11

compressed air source

12

valve

13

control line

14

blowing nozzle

15

cutting device

16

thread pulley

17

compressed air connection

18

junction

19

canal section

20

entrance opening

21, 21a

final section

22

through channel

23

connecting section

24

outlet opening

25

connecting plate

26

channel body

27

thread

R

fiber sliver running direction

Claims (6)

1. Workstation of an air-spinning machine, comprising

   - an air-spinning device (6) for spinning a thread (27) from a supplied sliver and

   - a thread-guiding unit, which is downstream of the air-spinning device (6) and has an inlet opening (20) for receiving the thread (27) exiting from the outlet opening (24) of the air-spinning device (6) and a thread guide channel (4) for conducting at least the air-spun thread (27) coming from the air-spinning device (6), wherein the thread-guiding unit comprises a thread deflection unit (2) for defined deflection of the thread, the thread deflection unit (2) forms the inlet opening (20) and comprises an exit (3) at its end facing away from the inlet opening (20), which is coupled to the inlet opening (20) via an interposed thread deflection section and via which the thread deflection unit (2) can be connected to the thread guide channel (4) for guiding the thread (27) through the thread-guiding unit to the inlet opening (20),
   characterised in that
   a thread-guiding element (1, 1a) is arranged in the area between the outlet opening (24) of the air-spinning device (6) and the inlet opening (20) of the thread-guiding unit, wherein the thread-guiding element (1, 1a) comprises a channel body (26) having a through-channel (22), which comprises

   - a connection section (23) configured for connection to the spinning device (6) for arranging a first open end of the through-channel (22) in the region of the outlet opening (24) of the spinning device (6) and

   - an end section (21, 21a) which can be arranged facing the inlet opening (20), wherein the end section (21, 21a), in order to receive a thread (27) exiting from the inlet opening (20), is matched to a contour of the thread-guiding unit surrounding the inlet opening.
2. Workstation according to claim 1, characterised in that the end section (21) is matched to the contour of the thread deflection unit (2) in the area of the inlet opening (20), more particularly to the contour of a deflection roller (16) of the thread deflection unit (2).
3. Workstation according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the connection section (23) is designed for bayonet-coupling-type connection to the spinning device (6).
4. Workstation according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the channel body (26) is made of a plastic material, more particularly PVC.
5. Workstation according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the end section (21, 21a) is funnel-shaped.
6. Workstation according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the channel body (26) has a plurality of air passages along the through-channel (22), for causing a rotational flow within the through-channel (22).

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