Title of Invention

A CHEESE PRODUCING TEXTILE MACHINE

Abstract

A cheese producing textile machine 1 has a plurality of winding stations 2 and a service unit 23 folr servicing the winding stations 2 . The textile machine 1 has a central control unit 37 as well as separate winding station computers 39 for the individual winding stations 2, . The service unit 23 has a control computer 38 which is connected by a machine bus 4Ø with the central control unit 37 as well as with the winding station computers 39. During the processof exchanging a cheese with an empty bobbin performed by the service unit 23, the yarn tensioner 14 of the respective winding station 2 is actuated via the machine bus 40 in accordance with the control computer 38 of the service unit 23, to set the tension of the yarn 3##0 optimally according to the respective existing processing conditions.

Full Text

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a cheese-producing textile machine having a plurality of winding stations, each of which has a yarn tensfoner a winding station computer for controlling the operation of the respective winding station, and a service unit having its own control computer which can be connected with the winding station computers for the transmission of control commands BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION German Palent Publication DE 39 04 065 C2 describes an automatic cheese winder having a plurality of winding stations each of which has a device for regulating the yarn tension during the winding process These known installations have a device for detecting the rotational speed (rpm) of the cheese, a device for calculating the instantaneous diameter of the cheese, and a memory device with a preset yarn tension program In installations of this type, the yarn tensioner is controlled during the course of the bobbin winding operation to gradually reduce the yarn tension as the diameter of the cheese increases Furthermore, another cheese winder is known from European Patent Publication EP 0 350 081 A1, wherein the winding speed of the winding units is controlled as a function of the remaining yarn length of the supply bobbins Each of these winding units also has a yarn tensioner which can be actuated in a defined manner, if required, by the winding station computer during the winding process Yarn tensioners have been known for a long time in connection with automatic cheese winders and basically have a rotatably disposed brake pad arrangement wherein a brake pad can be axially acted upon by means of a moving coil For example, German Patent Publication DE 41 30 301 A1 describes such a yarn tensioner, which has been proven effective in actual use An automatic cheese winder with a plurality of winding stations, each of which has a separate winding station computer connected to a central control unit of the textile machine, is known from German Patent Publication DE 39 02 182 A1 In addition, a service unit for the winding stations is connected with this central control unit of the textile machine The service unit can 2 actuate the winding drive of each winding station via the central control unit and the winding station computers such that, during the process of changing from a cheese to an empty bobbin the yarn guide drum rotates at a circumferential speed which is reduced in respect to the "normal" winding process German Patent Publication DE 42 21 504 A1 describes an automatic cheese winder, whose work positions are connected by means of a bus with a service vehicle If a need for service arises at one of the work stations, the respective work station issues an optical signal which is detected by the service vehicle patrolling in front of the work stations and is acknowledged by it by means of a light signal after it has been positioned at this work station The respective work station is activated by this light signal so that it is subsequently possible to issue work commands from the service vehicle via the bus to the respective work station, such as, for example, for the rewinding of the drive roller, blowing the work station clean, or the like OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Based on the above mentioned prior art, it is an object of the present invention to improve the customary procedure in automatic cheese winders for changing from a cheese to an empty bobbin This object is attained in accordance with the present invention by means of a cheese-producing textile machine which basically comprises a plurality of winding stations, each having a respective yarn tensioner and a respective winding station computer for controlling the yarn tensioner, and a service unit for traveling among the winding stations to perform servicing operations thereat In accordance with the present invention, the service unit has its own respective control computer for connection with each respective winding station computer for transmission of control commands to the yarn tensioner of the respective winding station being serviced by the service unit This fundamental concept of the present invention provides the particular advantage of making it possible to adapt the setting of the yarn tensioner, which is normally actuated by the winding station computer, during the winding process as well as during the changing process from a cheese to an empty bobbin in a manner adapted to the respective prevailing requirements of the winding operation 5 In particular, during the bobbin manipulating steps which must be performed in connection with the changing process from a cheese to an empty bobbin, the required yarn tension can be optimally adapted by means of the yarn tensioner arranged at the winding station in accordance with parameters provided by the control computer of the service unit In the process, it is possible during the bobbin changing operation to select smaller settings than those customary during the winding process Since the control computer of the service unit can exactly actuate the yarn tensioner of the winding station via a machine bus, it is not necessary for the service unit to have its own yarn tensioning device in order to be able to maintain an exact yarn tension during the changing process In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the yarn tensiomng values, which can be preset by the control computer of the service unit and must be applied to the yarn by means of the yarn tensioner, can be individually matched to the respective bobbin manipulating measures of the service unit Accordingly, the yarn tension is automatically set optimally even during the changing process and, for example, is a function of whether the cheese is to be given either a yarn reserve in the form of a chord-like yarn segment extending over the front of the cheese, or a tip reserve winding in the form of a so-called top cone winding applied to the bobbin tube tip A special optimal yarn tension is also set when providing a bottom reserve winding on the empty bobbin The required parameters for setting the yarn tensioner can in this case be preset by the control computer of the service unit either in absolute values, or as a percentage deviation from adjustable set values Presetting of such parameters as a percentage deviation from set values is in this case particularly advantageous, since it is thereby possible to match the setting of the yarn tensioner in respect to the yarn then being processed, for example with regard to the breaking resistance, even during the winding process Further details, features and advantages of the present invention will be explained and understood from an exemplary embodiment, which will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings 4 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS FIG 1 is a front elevational view of a cheese-producing textile machine with a service unit which is connected via a machine bus with the winding station computers of the winding stations, in accordance with the present invention, FIG 2 is a side elevational view of a winding station of the automatic cheese winder of FIG 1, showing a yarn tensioner which can be actuated via the machine bus by the control computer of the service unit, and FIG 3 is a schematic diagram representing the winding station of FIG 2 and the means of actuation of the yarn tensioner of the station by the control computer of the service unit DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A cheese-producing textile machine, preferably an automatic cheese winder in the exemplary embodiment, is schematically represented in FIG 1 and identified as a whole by the reference numeral 1 Typically, such automatic cheese winders have a plurality of identical work stations (in the present case winding stations 2) aligned between end frames 35, 36, of the machine Spinning cops 9, produced on a ring spinning machine (not represented), are rewound in these winding stations 2 into larger volume cheeses 11 in a known manner which therefore is not explained in detail The finished cheeses 11 are rolled laterally onto a cheese transport device 21 by means of an automatically operable traveling service unit, for example by means of a cheese changer 23, and are subsequently transported to a bobbin loading station (not represented) of the like arranged at the end of the machine In addition, such automatic cheese winders 1 often have a logistical system in the form of a cop/empty bobbin transport system 3 Spinning cops 9 and unwound empty bobbins 34 are circulated on transport plates 8 transported by this transport system 3 Such automatic cheese winders 1 additionally have a central control unit 37, which is connected via a machine bus 40 with separate respective winding station computers 39 of the individual winding stations 2 as well as with a control computer 38 of the service unit 23 servicing the winding stations 2 5 As can be seen in FIG 2 in particular, the service unit 23 is displaceably supported by means of running gear 24, 25 on tracks 26, 27 extending the length of the machine above the winding stations 2 The service unit 23 not only serves to transfer the cheeses 11 finished in the winding stations onto the laterally adjacent cheese transport device 21, but also automatically places an empty bobbin 28 into the winding creel of the respective winding station 2 after removal of a finished cheese to facilitate winding of a new cheese In the process, the service unit 23 preferably takes the empty bobbin 28 out of an empty bobbin magazine 22, which is part of the winding station The cop and empty bobbin transport system 3 as a whole is relatively extensive and known per se, and hence FIG 2 representatively depicts only a bobbin supply track 4 which extends over the length of the machine, a reversing track 5 which similarly extends behind the winding stations 2, one of a plurality of transverse transport tracks 6 leading to the respective winding stations 2 and an empty bobbin return track 7 The spinning cops 9 are transported via the supply track 4 onto the reversing track 5 and distributed therefrom onto the plural transverse tracks 6, on each of which the cops 9 are delivered to an unwinding position 10 located therealong at the respective winding station 2, from which the cops are rewound by the respective winding station 2 into large volume cheeses 11 As already known but only partially and schematically indicated in the drawings, the individual winding stations have various devices which assure an orderly operation of these workstations In FIG 2, the yarn traveling from the spinning cop 9 to the cheese 11 is identified by 30, a suction nozzle is identified by 12 and a gripper tube is identified by 42 A splicing device is identified by the reference numeral 13 and a yarn tensfoning device is identified by the reference numeral 14 In addition, such winding stations have a yarn cleaner 15 with a yarn cutting device and a yarn waxing device 16 A drive drum 17 peripherally drives the cheese 11 during the winding process by frictional surface contact During the winding process the cheese 11 is held in a winding creel 18, which is pivotably seated on a shaft 19 A swivel plate 20 is arranged below the winding creel 18 for limited -6- We Claim 7 1 A cheese-producing textile machine comprising a plurality of winding stations, each having a respective yarn tensioner and a respective winding station computer for controlling the yarn tensioner, and a service unit for travelling among the winding stations to perform servicing operations thereat, the service unit having a control computer for connection with each respective winding station computer for transmission of control commands to the yarn tensioner of the respective winding station being serviced by the service unit 2 A cheese producing textile machine as claimed in claim 1, comprising a machine bus for connecting the control computer of the service unit with the winding station computers of the winding stations 3 A cheese producing textile machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the service unit comprises means for performing an exchange of a finished cheese with an empty bobbin, the control computer of the service unit being adapted to control the yarn tensioner to maintain a predetermined yarn tension value in the yarn of the cheese during the exchange 4 A cheese-producing textile machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control computer of the service unit stores preset absolute values as parameters for controlling the yarn tensioners of the respective winding stations 5 A cheese-producing textile machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control computer of the service unit is programmed to control the yarn tensioner according to a predetermined percentage deviation from set values. A cheese producing textile machine 1 has a plurality of winding stations 2 and a service unit 23 folr servicing the winding stations 2 . The textile machine 1 has a central control unit 37 as well as separate winding station computers 39 for the individual winding stations 2, . The service unit 23 has a control computer 38 which is connected by a machine bus 4Ø with the central control unit 37 as well as with the winding station computers 39. During the processof exchanging a cheese with an empty bobbin performed by the service unit 23, the yarn tensioner 14 of the respective winding station 2 is actuated via the machine bus 40 in accordance with the control computer 38 of the service unit 23, to set the tension of the yarn 3##0 optimally according to the respective existing processing conditions.

Documents:

02205-cal-1997-abstract.pdf

02205-cal-1997-claims.pdf

02205-cal-1997-correspondence.pdf

02205-cal-1997-description(complete).pdf

02205-cal-1997-drawings.pdf

02205-cal-1997-form-1.pdf

02205-cal-1997-form-2.pdf

02205-cal-1997-form-26.pdf

02205-cal-1997-form-3.pdf

02205-cal-1997-form-5.pdf

02205-cal-1997-priority dogument(others).pdf

02205-cal-1997-priority dogument.pdf

2205-CAL-1997-(09-11-201)-OTHERS PATENT DOCUMENTS.pdf

2205-CAL-1997-FORM-27.pdf

2205-cal-1997-granted-abstract.pdf

2205-cal-1997-granted-claims.pdf

2205-cal-1997-granted-correspondence.pdf

2205-cal-1997-granted-description (complete).pdf

2205-cal-1997-granted-drawings.pdf

2205-cal-1997-granted-examination report.pdf

2205-cal-1997-granted-form 1.pdf

2205-cal-1997-granted-form 2.pdf

2205-cal-1997-granted-form 26.pdf

2205-cal-1997-granted-form 3.pdf

2205-cal-1997-granted-form 5.pdf

2205-cal-1997-granted-letter patent.pdf

2205-cal-1997-granted-priority document.pdf

2205-cal-1997-granted-reply to examination report.pdf

2205-cal-1997-granted-specification.pdf

2205-cal-1997-granted-translated copy of priority document.pdf