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(11) | EP 0 019 595 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Method and device for cleaning rotors in spinning machines of the open-end type |
| (57) Any dirty rotor (1) which is a part of an open-end spinning machine in a first phase
is automatically localized, withdrawn and replaced with a clean rotor (1 a) taken
from a storage point for clean rotors, the purpose being to reduce to a minimum the
time needed for the re-starting of spinning on the unit in question, while at the
same time another phase is carried out in which the rotor or rotors withdrawn and
replaced are thoroughly cleaned and, after being cleaned, are stored. |
[0001] : It is known that with spinning machines of the open-end type, whenever the yarn breaks, all the impurities and fibres present in the rotor have to be removed before carrying out "re-attachment" of the broken yarn.
[0002] By "re-attachment" we mean the several operations, which may be carried out by hand or automatically, necessary for the spinning process to be re-started. Briefly, the operations to be carried out are the following: recovery of the .yarn on the bobbin onto which it is being wound: introduction of the yarn into the spinning chamber: activation of the feed of the fibres: rapid extraction of the yarn which has by now been connected.
[0003] It may also be necessary to cause a preventive break in the yarn so as to clean the .rotor when it is wished that the quality of the yarn should remain better than the specified limits laid down. In fact it is known that, as time goes by; the quantity of impurities which build up in the rotor increases and causes a more and more noticeable decline in the quality of the yarn produced.
[0004] In the present state of the art the residual impurities and fibres are removed by means of various manual or automatic systems. When the rotor is cleaned by hand, the operator- .in charge opens the spinning unit and thereby causes the rotor to stop; he then cleans the inside of the rotor with a brush and/or spatula without removing it from its seating.
[0005] If an automatic device is envisaged for the cleaning of the rotors, the operation is carried out in this case with means pre-arranged either in each unit or on a movable trolley which can work along the whole machine. The means known so far are brushes, spatulas, air blowers, jets of liquid and suction elements, and said means can be used individually or jointly.
[0006] . Basically, with the present known state of the art, the cleaning is done with means which depend on the system employed, with the unit open or closed, but in all cases without the rotor being removed.
[0007] . The foregoing cleaning method involves a series of shortcomings, amongst which is the long time needed to re-start production of the spinning unit when the yarn breaks, for it is hard (especially with waxy or very "dirty" materials) to eliminate readily and wholly all the impurities which have been deposited in and are adhering to the inside of the rotar; furthermore, periodical maintenance of the unit is required, and the rotor has to be disassembled and cleaned thoroughly.
[0008] The main purpose of this invention is to eliminate or oreduce as much as possible all the drawbacks arising from the known cleaning systems.
[0009] . In accordance with said purpose the invention has as its objects a method and the relative device to carry out that method; according to said method, only a dirty rotor or a rotor complete with a relative support is replaced automatically by a clean rotor, and thereafter the dirty rotor is . cleaned and made available as a replacement for another rotor.
[0010] The replacing operation is particularly easy in spinning units suitably pre-arranged or provided with removable rotors, .such as is the case, for instance, in units equipped with .the so-called "indirect support".
[0011] The invention also comprises a device with a movable .trolley to carry out the aforesaid method, whereby said de-. vice is characterized by including means suitable for keep-- ing in a continuous traversing movement along the working face or faces of one or more machines a trolley and some means fitted to halt the movement thereof in front of the unit where the yarn is broken or in front of a unit which it is .wished to clean; furthermore, said trolley is characterized .by the fact that it is provided with grasping means able to - take and remove the rotor from the machine, following on the opening of the corresponding unit, so as to transfer said rotor to a cleaning group and to replace it quickly with a clean rotor, whilst the cleaning group takes steps to clean the dirty rotor thoroughly with suitable means which are not restricted by the structural geometry of the machine; the trolley carries out said operations in the time required for them but not limited by the production requirements.
[0012] Another feature of the device which carries out the method that is our object lies in the fact that the trolley forming a part of the device, besides being equipped with cleaning organs, is also provided with means able to hold or store temporarily one or more rotors, after the latter have been removed and cleaned, so as to make the replacement of dirty rotors a quicker operation.
[0013] . The more evident characteristics of the invention are .described hereinafter with reference to the attached drawings, which are given for demonstration purposes only and wherein:
- Fig.I is a diagrammatic view of a device with a trolley -according to the method which is our object as applied to an -open-end spinning machine;
- Figs. 2 & 3 give a diagrammatic representation of two successive phases of the working cycle of the cleaning unit .linked to the trolley;
- Fig.4 is a side view of a rotating turret means provided .with means for grasping a rotor of an open-end unit;
. - Fig.5 is a front view of the turret means of Fig. 4;
. - Figs.6 to 9 show in a diagrammatic manner the main phases of the working cycle by the activation of which the turret .means shown in Figs.4 & 5 replaces a dirty rotor with a clean rotor in an open-end spinning unit;
. - Fig.IO gives a perspective of a detail linked to the .cleaning trolley fitted on an open-end spinning machine;
. - Figs.II, I2 & I3 show in a diagrammatic manner the main phases of the working cycle set in operation by the detail - represented in Fig.IO, following on which a dirty rotor re-moved on the turret means is replaced with a clean rotor;
- Fig.I4 is a perspective and diagrammatic view of one -type of indirect support;
- Fig.I5 gives a diagrammatic representation of another known kind of gas-type support;
- Fig.16 gives a diagrammatic representation of a known type of active magnetic support;
- Fig.17 is a diagrammatic perspective of a non-restrictive example of the means that permit a rotor to be withdrawn jointly with the corresonding support;
. - Fig.18 shows diagrammatically a plan view on a small scale of the positions which can be taken up by the cleaning device in respect of a spinning machine.
[0014] We must begin by saying that Fig.14 shows diagrammatically a known indirect support, wherein I: indicates the spinning rotor solidly fixed to the shaft 2 set in rotation and kept in position by the wheels 3 & 3a and belt 4, whilst the wheel 5, which acts as a thrust bearing, determines the axial position of the shaft 2 and rotor I; Fig.15 gives a diagram of another known type of indirect support working by means .of a cushion of gas introduced into the chambers 6 & 6a which support the shaft 2 solidly fixed to the rotor I; likewise Fig.16 is a diagram of a known indirect support working by means of an active magnetic field generated by the stators .7 & 7a.
[0015] In all the examples shown in Figs.14, 15 & 16 and in other known cases which we have not shown, provided that the rotor I can be withdrawn from its indirect support together with the shaft 2, it can be subjected to the method and the cleaning device which are our subject.
[0016] With reference to Fig.I, II is an open-end spinning mach--ine provided with spools 12, of which each is installed on a swinging arm 13. From the container C the sliver D is fed to. the corresponding spinning unit consisting of the rotor I mounted on its indirect support and of the spinning chamber . group and organs to open the fibres, the whole being protected by the cover 14 represented with continuous lines in its open position and with lines of dashes in the position it takes up when the rotor is active.
[0017] The spinning machine II is provided, for instance, with immovable lengthwise rails 15 & 16 engaged with sliding means 17 & 18 solidly fixed to the trolley 19, which thus runs along the front of the spinning machine II and, therefore, . along a plurality of spinning stations I to 14 aligned along. said spinning machine
[0018] . The trolley 19 is driven along the rails 15 & 16 by motor organs governed by automatic devices controlled by suit--able sensors linked to a programmer means and comprises a - two-way hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder 21 mounted immovably on the trolley 19, whereby the piston rod 22 of the cylinder has its end 20 solidly fixed to a small trolley 23 equipped- with turret means 24 that can turn around the axis of its sloping shaft 25; said turret means 24, which in the instance shown has a quadrangular plan and trapezoidal crosswise sections but which could have any other shape.such as that of a .truncated cone, bears on each of its sloped side faces 24a (Ftgs.4 & 5) a grasping organ 26, such as an expansion-type mandrel for example, which is able to hold temporarily a rotor I from any spinning station forming part of a spinning .machine II.
[0019] Each trolley 19 is also equipped with a two-way cylinder 28 having a vertical axis and a piston, of which the rod 29 is mounted so as to be able to revolve and run within a sleeve 30 and is solidly fixed to a horizontal arm 3I provided with grasping organs 32 situated symmetrically opposite to each other in respect of the axis of said cylinder 28 and at such a distance from each other that in the position shown in Figs. 1 & 3 one of the organs 32 is vertically aligned with the grasping organ 26 borne on the upwards-facing side 24a of -the turret means 24 when the small trolley 23 is in its posit- .ion furthest away from the spinning station, whereas the other opposed organ 32 is vertically aligned with the cavity of a washing vessel 33 located at a height convenient for the purposes described hereinafter.
[0020] . The small shaft 25 of the turret means 24 receives from the small trolley 23 rotational impulses for arcs of 90 ; the small shafts 30 solidly fixed to the arm 32, besides carrying out an alternating movement in a vertical direction, receives impulses of rotational movement in one single direction covering arcs of 180; all the movements are automatic and take place at programmed times.
[0021] The working of the device described so far is as follows: the trolley 19 moves along the rails 15 & 16 (Fig.I) and is. able to reach and stop in front of any of the spinning stat- tons I tol4 of the spinning machine II; having reached the unit where it is desired or is necessary to replace the rotor because the latter is dirty, it halts; thereafter, by means. of devices not shown here, it opens the cover 14 automatically and brings it from the position shown with lines of dashes to that shown with continuous lines; it arranges to stop the rotor I and to raise the. tangential. belt 4. There- .after the cylinder 2I brings back its own piston and takes .the rod 22 from the position of Fig.I to that of Fig.2 to- .gether with the small trolley 23. and turret means 24; the latter has a grasping organ 26 which is free and has its own horizontal axis in a position coaxial with the small shaft 2 .of the rotor I which has to be cleaned, whilst at least one .of its other grasping organs 26 bears a clean rotor Ia - 2a .(Figs.6 to 9 inclusive).
[0022] At the moment when the small trolley 23 and turret means 24 move forwards, the latter is in its position of Fig.6 in relation to the unit concerned and indicated with 33 in Figs. .6 to 9 inclusive.
[0023] The free grasping organ 26 is aligned with the rotor 1 - 2 and moves forward with the small trolley 23 until it setzes the rotor; in programmed sequence thereafter the cyl .inder 21 arranges to bring back the whole group comprising .the small trolley 23 together with the turret means 24 to .the starting position as shown in Fig.3. In this latter posit- .ion the rotor I - 2 is wholly withdrawn from the corresponding spinning unit. Thereafter the turret means 24 rotates in an anti-clockwise direction, as regards Fig.3 and Figs.6 to 9 inclusive, through an arc of 90 and thereby brings the clean rotor Ia - 2a, with which it was provided, to the position of the dirty rotor I - 2. Thereafter the cylinder 21 brings. the small trolley 23, turret means 24 and rotor Ia - 2a back again to the position of Fig.2 or else to a position advanced towards the unit previously deprived of the rotor I - 2. The clean rotor is thus positioned on the support 3, 3a, 4 and 5, and the small trolley 23 returns to its initial backward po- sition, while the cover 14 is closed. The trolley 19 is thus free to restart its traversing movement along the front of the spinning machine II. When the small trolley 23 has taken up again its backward position in relation to the front of the spinning machine II (Figs.I & 3), the turret means 24 completes a further angular movement of 90' in an anti-clockwise direction and brings a preuiously removed dirty rotor I-2 into vertical alignment with one of the seizing organs, 32 solidly fixed to the arm 31, which is associated with the rod 29 of the cylinder 28; the second seizing organ 32 of said arm 3I is vertically aligned with the bath or cleaning- unit 33. At that moment the cylinder 28 is activated and thrusts the rod 29 and arm 3I downwards until they bring the seizing organ 32, which is aligned with the small shaft 2 .of the rotor 1-2, into contact with the end thereof; said seizing organ grips the end of said small shaft 2, whilst .thereafter the seizing orpan 26 of the turret means 24, which .was gripping the rotor I, frees the latter.
[0024] The essential phases of the working cycle of the mov- . .able group comprising the cylinder 28, arm 3I and seizing .organs 32 are shown in Figs.II, 12 & 13. As can be seen in Fig.II, it is prefera le that the seizing organ 32 aligned vertically with the cleaning bath 33 should always carry a rotor la - 2a which has already been cleaned, the object being to carry out a quick replacement of the dirty rotor 1 - 2 already removed, which, as is shown in Fig.I2, is withdrawn by the arm 3I and replaced (Fig.13) at once by a rotation of 180' and a successive lowering of the arm itself. By an operation of this kind the twofold purpose is fulfilled .of supplying the turret means 24 again at once with a clean rotor and of subjecting the dirty rotor at the same time to .cleaning operations in the cleaning bath 33. Clearly, the .cylinder 28 can raise the arm 3I moderately so as to disengage the end of the small shaft 2a of the rotor Ia which has .been cleaned and taken by one of the organs 26 of the turret .means 24, whilst the dirty rotor I - 2 is allowed to remain- under the action of the cleaning unit 33. It is also clear that both the seizing organs 26 of the turret means 24 and .the seizing organs 32 of the arm 3I can be activated and dis- activated independently, while all their diverse movements are automatic and are coordinated owing to the employment of known devices.
[0025] According to an evident variant the cleaning operation can be carried out at one or more unmoving stations located along the path of the trolley 19 (Fig.I8) at one or more of' .the points indicated with numbers from I to VI inclusive and provided with cleaning means and with means to collect and ' discharge rotors onto and from the trolley 19, which in such a case is equipped with means 21, 22, 23 & 24 to remove dirty rotors and instal clean rotors but lacks the cleaning unit 28 - 31.
[0026] Depending on the number of operations which the trolley 19 can be foreseen to have to carry out during its run in relation to the structure and lay-out of the spinning machines (Ftg.18) and also in relation to the capacity of the storage means, the cleaning unit, I to VI inclusive, is positioned suitably.
[0027] In particular, if the capacity of the trolley is enough to serve two or more machines, the cleaning unit may be pos- .itioned at any of the stations indicated with numbers from . I to VI inclusive in Fig.1B; if the capacity of the trolley. is enough for only one machine, the unit can be at I and IV. or II and V or III and VI, whereas if the capacity of the trolley is enough for only one face of a machine, then the unit will have to be at I and III for the first machine and. .at IV and VI for the second machine. The determination of the .capacity of the tanks needed to serve a certain number of . .spinning units without stopping at the cleaning station can. .be calculated with the following formula:
where in:
C = capacity of the tank
S = stock of rotors
N = number of operations to be carried out per 1000 spindles per hour
n = number of units to be served
t = average time in minutes needed by the trolley to keep 1000 spinning units in production (including supervision and machine operations).
[0028] With reference to Fig.17, which shows a rotor I with a .conventional support 8, 9 is a part of the spinning unit .solidly fixed to the spinning machine frame II, whilst 10 is a pair of removable pivots on which the bosses 8a of the support 8 can be hinged at IOa.
[0029] . By realizing a solution of this kind or any other solut- .ion able to permit the rotor to be withdrawn together with its corresponding support and by equipping the trolley 19 adequately, the method an the device which are our subject can also be used advantageously with spinning units having rotors mith a direct, rigid support.
1) Method for cleaning rotors in spinning machines of . the open-end type, characterized
by the fact that any dirty rotor (I) which is a part of an open-end spinning machine
is, during a first'phase, localized, removed and replaced with a clean rotor taken
from a storage point for clean rotors, so- as to reduce to a minimum the time needed
for re-starting the spinning on the unit concerned, being also characterized by the
fact that at the same time another phase is carried on in accordance with which a
thorough cleaning is performed of the rotor or rotors removed and replaced, which
latter are stored after being cleaned.
2) Method and device for cleaning rotors in spinning machines of the open-end type,
as in Claim I and according to a variant, characterized by comprising two successive
phases, during the course of the first of which the localization, removal and replacement
of a dirty rotor with a clean rotor takes place automatically, whereas during the
course of the second thereof the thorough cleaning of the rotor removed from the spinning
unit is performed, the clean rotor being drawn from a storage point for clean rotors.
3) Device as in Claim 1, characterized by comprising a trolley (19) which can move
along the whole face of a spinning machine (II) and can halt automatically so as to
coincide with each spinning stations (I to 14), whereby said trolley is provided with
means to brake any rotor (I) and to open the corresponding cover (14), and also with
means to remove the halted rotor of the open unit, and also with neons to take a clean
rotor from a storage point associated with the trolley (19), and also with means to
put said rotor thus. taken onto its working position.
4) Device as in Claims I and 2, characterized by the fact .that the trolley (19) is
equipped with a two-way hydraulic .or pneumatic cylinder (21) which is able to make
a small trolley (23) carry out alternate approaching and/or departing movements in
relation to each spinning unit (I to 14), whereby said small trolley (23) is provided
with means (24- .26) able to withdraw a dirty rotor (I) from the unit and replace
it with a clean rotor (Ia) and whereby said small trolley (23) can also pre-arrange
the rotor thus withdrawn (I) in such a position that the latter can be taken by a
seizing organ (32) so as to be brought to the cleaning phase.
. 5) Device as in Claims I and 4, characterized by the fact that the small trolley
(23) is equipped with a turret means (24),which can revolve and is provided with seizing
.organs (26) able to engage and hold temporarily a rotor (1-2) withdrawn from a spinning
unit, whtist the two-way cycltnder (28) is associated with an arm (31) equipped with
at least two seizing organs (32), each of which is able to grip the end of the shaft
(2) of a rotor (I), whereby one of said set- zing organs (32) is aligned vertically
with a cleaning unit (33) lying beneath it, whereas the other seizing organ (32) is
vertically aligned with the shaft (2) of the rotor withdrawn and displaced at an angle
by the turret means (24) of the small trolley (23).
6) Device as in Claim I, wherein the removal and replacement of the rotors in relation
to a spinning unit are performed by seizing organs (26-32) driven by mechanical,pneumatic
or hydraulic means.
7) Device as in Claim 1, according to a variant (Fig.17), characterized by the fact
that each rotor to be cleaned to- ge ther with its support (8) is hinged, in relation
to the remaining part of the spinning unit, and solidly fixed to the spinning machine
by means of pivots (10) which can be axially moved, whereas the small trolley (23)
is equipped with means able to perform the opening of the hinge composed of said pivots
and is also equipped with means to seize, remove and clean the rotor (1) together
with its corresponding support (8), whilst a cleaned rotor and its corresponding support,
by an inverse movement of said means, are installed automatically once again on their
seating, the organs removed being taken and subjected to cleaning.
. 8) Nethod and device as in Claim I, characterized by the fact that the trolley (19)
is provided with a storage point .(24) for cleaned rotors, and with means to re-supply
it from one of the stationary stations, and with means to replace dirty rotors (I)
with regenerated rotors, whereby said trolley (19) is also equipped with means to
collect and discharge dirty replaced rotors in front of the stationary cleaning stations
(I - VI).
9) Nethod and device as in Claims I and 6, characterized by the fact that the trolley
(19) that runs along the morking face of the spinning machine cooperates with stationary
cleaning stations. .