Automatic device for the removal of yarn windings from axialsymmetrical elements of textile machinery

Abstract

 Device for extracting the yarn windings (25) from axialsymmetrical elements of a textile machine, which comprises, in coordinated cooperation:
- a cutting element (27), which performs the function of interrupting the continuity of the yarn (26) between the yarn windings of the reserve, and the bobbin (9) under way of formation;
- an intake port (17) for suitably sucking and conveying into a slot the cut yarn end;
- a rotary element (16) for seizing, extracting and opening the yarns, for the purpose of rapidly removing said reserve windings.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic device capable of eliminating windings or lengths of yarn, either formed by discontinuous fibres, or by one or more continuous filament(s), by completely removing them from their winding or deposit seat, at the same time strictly avoiding that the fibres contituting the same yarn may be dispersed into the surrounding environment.

[0002] More particularly, the present invention relates to a device operating on textile machines which either produce or process yarn which, during determined process steps, is wound as reserve turns on axialsymmetrical elements, from which it is sucked and removed, with the process being either running or discontinued.

[0003] On a textile machine, e.g., a ring spinning frame, having many stations of yarn formation and collection positioned close to each other, the yarns under way of formation are collected over conical tubes, forming bobbins having characteristics of shape and of dimensions pre-established by the production process, standardized on the basis of the structural characteristics of the same textile machine.

[0004] When the bobbin is complete, the ring-bearing bar will come to position itself, after the bobbin-end tying, to a sub-reeling position, in order to deposit some yarn windings onto the basis of the spindles, so to build up a reliable anchoring for the yarn which must subsequently restart the spinning process.

[0005] The above said step precedes the step of full bobbin replacement by the empty tube on the spindles of the ring spinning frame.

[0006] Such a yarn reserve on the spindle must be then removed.

[0007] For that purpose, it has been long known to carry out the cleaning at time intervals including the presence of one or more doffing, with manual interventions by the operator, equipped with scraping elements for yarn removal. Such a procedure involves relatively high manpower costs, because of the number of attending people required on the various spinning frame fronts.

[0008] The proposal has already been made, e.g., by DE-­1,906,824 patent, of equipping each operating position of yarn formation and collection with suitable devices capable of removing said reserve windings.

[0009] Such devices are driven manually, or passively by means of centralized motor means.

[0010] In particular, in their operative action, said devices act by approaching to the wound yarn turns cutting element sharpened according to different geometrical shapes, or suitably pointed, which, by interfering under contact pressure, scrape and remove the reserve from its winding seat.

[0011] It appears evident that such a type of actions suffer from several drawbacks. The scraping element, as well as the rotoidal surface on which the reserve yarn are wound undergo abrasion. Furthermore, the cleaning by a scraping action creates a probable braking action on the spindle, with a decrease in the revolution rate thereof. That affects the length of yarn being formed, which undergoes a smaller number of twistings; a fact which implies considerably different technological characteristics as compared to the yarn formed with a steady-state revolution of the spindle.

[0012] Besides the above exposed drawbacks, vibrational phenomena can arise, which cause a noisy operation of the machine, in that the sound levels overlap to each other and are amplified, creating a health risk for the operators.

[0013] None of the devices proposed by the prior art together with those as above mentioned for exemplifying purposes succed in extracting with a high operative reliability all of the wound yarn turns. No more able are such operative systems to catch, controlling and modifying their trajectories, the removed fibres, so to prevent them from getting dispersed all through the working premises, increasing the dustiness of the surrounding space, with damages to the operational mechanical kinematic linkages of the machines, due to an excess of dirt, and discomfort for the attending operators. This pollution results furthermore to be a factor which considerably increases the yarn contamination by fibre pieces randomly fluttering through the atmosphere, which induce in same yarn defects which could, in the extreme case, trigger yarn breakages with interruptions of the spinning process, or which constitute, in the best case, defects impairing the further workability.

[0014] Considering the above, as well as analogous defects and disadvantages connected with the present arrangements as provided by the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to propose a solution purposely destined to prevent such drawbacks from occurring.

[0015] Hereunder, for the sake of simpleness, reference will be made to the use of the present invention as applied to a ring spinning frame; in must be understood however that all what is disclosed for said type of spinning frames holds valid also for any types of spinning frames, or, anyway, for any types of textile machines wherein the extraction is required of yarn windings from axialsymmetrical elements, in as much as the subject device of the invention is not affected by those differences which characterize said types of textile machinery.

[0016] In no way does the device of the invention alter the operation system, nor does it alter the equipment of the ring spinning, so that the traditional spinning machine will not be described, but only reference will be made to those parts thereof which involve and clarify the use of the present invention, and namely to the spindle, to the ring rail and to the traveller sliding on each ring of the said ring rail.

[0017] It is known that on the spindles of the spinning heads, the ring rail, during the ring spinning, at the beginning of the doffing sequence for the replacement of the full bobbin with the empty tube, after carrying out, during its downwards motion, the bobbin tying, positions itself at the lower level for the purpose of forming some yarn turns at the basis of the spindles, creating a reserve capable of constituting a reliable and necessary anchoring for the yarn which must subsequently restart the spinning process.

[0018] After the beginning of the bobbin formation, these reserve turns must be subsequently extracted from their winding seat, to obviate a series of functional drawbacks primed by their presence during the production process. In fact, the high spindle revolution rate obliges the turns to open due to the centrifugal force; with the end of said opened turns trending to interfere, because of the air eddies generated by the various elements running at a high speed, with the revolving traveller, often causing the breakage of the yarn under way of collection, with the consequent interruption of the spinning process, or, in the best case, repetitive percussions are observed on the ends of the adjacent windings, because of the small pitch between the spindles. Said lashes accelerate the opening of the yarn ends, with yarn debris being sent to randomly flutter through the air inside the spinning room, which worsen the general soiling of the machinery, with the possibility of such large dirt buildups to be formed as to cause difficulties in the regular motion of the rings. The present Applicant was furthermore able to verify that, as a consequence of the friction energy dissipated between air-fluid and centrifuged yarn ends, and, not lastly, their interferences, a larger energy absorption is observed per unit spinning frame, energy absorption which does not perform any useful functions, but which is dissipated as heat, requiring a further consumption of frigories by the general air conditioning system.

[0019] The above mentioned problems are solved according to the present invention by simply carrying out the cutting of the length of continuous yarn constituting the connection between the reserve windings and the spindled beginning zone of the bobbin, and contemporaneously carrying out a suction of the cut yarn end, conveying it into contact with an element which efficaciously performs the extraction and the fast removal of the whole reserve.

[0020] More particularly, the present invention consists in an automatic ferrule cleaning device, and in a process for carrying out such a cleaning, and, more particularly, in an automatic unit provided with means for the reserve yarn cutting, means for the suction of the end brought into contact with a yarn seizing element provided immediately downstream the suction port and with conveying means for collecting the fibres of said reserve windings extracted from their seat.

[0021] Said cleaning step is committed to the device of the present invention, prearranged for operating in correspondence of an individual spinning station, or embracing two or more adjacent spinning stations.

[0022] The device according to the invention can be advantageously accomplished, within the scope of its specific intended use, as a unit mounted on a carriage sliding along the front of the machine on per se known guides or tracks, by means of which it is automatically positioned in correspondence of the spinning spindles by suitable motor means.

[0023] The movable working device, according to the present invention, can hence service a plurality of spinning stations, along which it is displaceable to and/or on the other side of the operating fronts, and, for such a purpose, at the head end of the machine a reversal station may be provided, through which the carriage is brought, by sliding on guides or tracks, to the spinning points of the other front in correspondence of which it starts the steps of operative functioning.

[0024] Advantageously, according to a further characteristic of the invention, the device can be prearranged to serve the operative fronts of a plurality of machines, and for such a purpose guides or tracks are provided, which are substantially "U"-shaped, or which may even surround completely the spinning frames, suitable to enable the operative carriage to run along each front of the spinning frame, and along the same spinning frames.

[0025] Said guides allow furthermore said carriage to rotate around the heads of the machines, or around the head of a machine towards the other machine head, as well as it to run along said fronts.

[0026] The movable working device is briefly indicated hereunder as the "movable cleaning unit", wherein the prearranged devices for cutting, sucking and removing the fibres are conveniently positioned on the frame of said carriage-mounted cleaning unit, subject to automatic intermitted indexing along the machine, to service a plurality of spinning stations.

[0027] Said indexing motion is obtained by conveniently using one of the known mechanisms which convert a continuous revolution motion into an intermittent rectilinear motion.

[0028] A further purpose of the invention is to provide a power takeoff derived from the indexing motor unit, which allows the axialsymmetrical body to revolve with the process being stopped. The means for obtaining such a power takeoff are known, and they need not be described in greater detail.

[0029] The cleaning operation is carried out, under a coordinate cooperation, by the action of a cutting element, of a suction device and of a seizing-extracting element for seizing and extracting the yarn windings from axialsymmetrical elements.

[0030] As the yarn cutting element, for example a knife shaped like a razor-blade can be used, which intervenes with its cutting action on the yarn length which connects the reserve on the spindle with the yarn collected on the bobbin, interrupting the continuity between the two buildups.

[0031] The said cutting element, according to preferred forms of application, can be positioned, e.g., stationary on the support of the cleaning unit, or, for the purpose of facilitating the cutting process, it can perform a to-­and-fro motion, or a swinging motion relatively to the spindle centre.

[0032] It is absolutely necessary that the cutting profile be located in a position of interference with the above said yarn length.

[0033] As the sucking apparatus, able to catch the yarn end, a sucking nozzle can be advantageously used, the port of which is constituted by a ring-shaped slot surrounding the spindle. Such a sucking nozzle results positioned, in its operating step, at a short distance from the revolving yarn reserve, so that the yarn end is sucked with the desired reliability and is dragged by the air stream into the suction duct, which is in communication with a vacuum generator.

[0034] Such a short distance is advantageously obtained by translating the suction duct, by means of a slide running to-and-fro on the carriage support, relatively to the spindle, by being so driven by a simple eccentric.

[0035] Acording to another form of practical embodiment, the lower end of the suction duct can be telescopically sliding inside a tubular shell; in this way, the suction duct can be made fixed on the carriage frame, while the sucking nozzle undergoes a telescopic extension.

[0036] According to a further characteristic of the invention, the exhauster is covered, on its suction side, by means of a perforated diaphragm, in front of which a collection chamber is provided, for the purpose of intercepting and collecting the fibres and the intaken yarn ends, which can be periodically collected from the said chamber for fibrous material collection.

[0037] The rapid removal of the reserve windings is made possible, according to the invention, because on the side of the suction duct, in the nearby of the sucking port, an element is prearranged for yarn seizing and extracting, which catches or seizes the end of the yarn, with a fast extractive unwinding of the whole reserve.

[0038] In particular, according to the invention, as the yarn seizing-extracting element, a rapidly revolving cylinder can be advantageously used, which is provided with needle-shaped protrusions partially occupying the suction duct.

[0039] One of the merits of the device of the invention consists in its fitness of installation both on the operative fronts of the pre-existing machines, and on the fronts of the machines under way of assemblage.

[0040] Furthermore, in no way attending personnel is necessary to control the device, the operation of which takes place in a completely automatic way.

[0041] The device of the invention results furthermore of very small overall dimensions and weight. Such advantageous characteristics of overall dimensions and of weight propose an advantageous variant, according to which each machine front, or each single machine is equipped with the the carriage-mounted unit lacking of the operating elements of motion, cutting and suction.

[0042] These latter, suitably assembled, constitute a block which is positioned and fastened by the operator onto the support of the carriage-mounted unit which is stationary on the front end of the machine, the operating spinning front of which requires the cleaning cycle for the extraction of the said reserve windings.

[0043] Such an operative block results hence to be conveniently used on more machine fronts, which are only equipped with the simple frame of said cleaning unit. This variant is particularly designed for insertion into a general factory automation cycle, according to the most recent trends in the textile industry.

[0044] Another merit of the device resides in its prevailingly mechanical operation, in as much as, except the frame running drive unit, the extractor cylinder motor unit, and the electric fan, no electrical, electromechanical or electronic parts slaved to the device exist.

[0045] The present device consists hence in a cleaning unit suitable to automatically remove the yarn windings from axialsymmetrical elements of textile machines, characterized in that it comprises, in a cooperating and coordinated relation:
- a cutting means, performing the cutting of the yarn along the length of said yarn which connects the reserve on the spindle with the yarn collected on the bobbin, interrupting the continuity between the two buildups;
- sucking means capable of sucking the yarn end, deriving from the previous cutting action, and of dragging it into the air stream of the suction duct;
- means for yarn extraction, by means of the fast unwinding of the whole reserve.

[0046] Hereunder for exemplifying, non-limitative purposes a preferred form of embodiment of the subject invention is disclosed, with the aid of the hereto attached drawing tables, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a partially schematic sectional side view of the device of the invention, under conditions of co-acting with the operative front of a ring spinning frame; Figure 2 shows a top view of the device of Figure 1, wherein the system of intermittent indexing is schematically shown;

Figure 3 shows a schematic sectional side view of the cutting element immediately before interrupting the continuity between the yarn windings of the reserve and the bobbin under way of formation;

Figure 4 shows a plan view of the suction duct in its cleaning operative step, wherein the sucking nozzle and the revolving element for yarn extraction and opening are schematically shown;

Figure 5 shows a plan view of the suction duct in its backwards position suitable for the unit being translated towards the subsequent spindle;

Figure 6 is a schematic sectional side view of the frame of the device of the invention, onto which the block of the operating elements of actuation and of yarn removal is advantageously fastened;

Figures 7 show schematic plan views of some use systems, wherein the device of the invention is used.

[0047] In the Figures, equal parts, or parts performing the same, or equivalent, actions, are indicated by equal find numerals.

[0048] In said Figures: 9 is the bobbin on the spindle which is collecting the yarn under way of formation; 11 is the spindle which constitutes the rapidly revolving body, at the base of which a cylindrical seat 34 is present, on which some yarn windings 25 are built up, capable of constituting the necessary anchoring for the yarn which must subsequently restart the spinning process; 26 is the yarn length which connects the reserve windings on the spindle with the yarn collected on the bobbin; 27 is the yarn cutting element, having the shape of a razor-blade which interrupts, with its action, the continuity of the yarn between the reserve and the collection bobbin; 33 is the support of the cutting element 27; 45 and 46 are two discs which are integral with the spindle 11 and act, with their circumferential grooves, as constraint elements fo the taut yarn length 26; 29 is a low-flowrate, high-head electrical fan acting as the vacuum generator; 20 is the perforated diaphragm provided before the electrical fan 29, and capable of intercepting and collecting the fibres and the intaken end of the yarn, and easily extractable or accessible for being periodically cleaned; the electrical fan 29 is suitably fastened onto the frame of the cleaning unit 3; the unit 3 constitutes the block which is constituted by the combined whole set of the operating trnaslation and cleaning elements; 17 is the suction duct, which is suitable dimensioned, for the purpose of obtaining, in correspondence of the sucking nozzle 18, a high head; 18 is the sucking port capable of catching the yarn end 35, and having a ring-like shape which surrounds the spindle, to come to position itself, in its operative step, at a short distance from the revolving yarn reserve, so that the yarn end 35 is intaken with the due reliability and in dragged into the suction duct 17; 32 is a slide running, by being supported by device 3 which allows, in cooperation with the eccentric 31, an approaching or removal translation to be achieved, relatively to the axialsymmetrical element 11, of the sucking nozzle 18, of the cutting element 27, together with the extractor motor unit 12; 16 is a rapidly revolving cylinder, provided with protrusions 19 having a needle-like, or comb-tooth, or saw-tooth or bristle-like shape, or constituted by advantageous combinations of such protrusions, capable of seizing the yarn end 35, conveyed from the sucking port onto said protrusions for removing the whole reserve 25, by applying a tensile stress to it. Said extractor cylinder 16 occupies a space inside the suction duct 17 in the nearby of the ring-shaped slot 18, as it results from Figures 4 and 5. The extractor element can be constituted by a tape, suitably positioned, and suitably provided with surface protrusions, or by counter-­revolving cylindrical elements, or by similar elements capable of seizing the yarn free end and of unwinding the whole reserve 25, even if the cylinder equipped with needle-like protrusions 16 is preferred by the present Applicant; 12 is the motor means driving the extractor cylinder equipped with needle-like protrusions 16, which is driven to a rapid revolving motion by the driving pulley 7, the transmission belt 8 and the driven pulley 10 integral with the shaft 28 of the said extractor element; 32 is the slide which acts as the support for the motor means 12; the motor means 13 drives the eccentric 13, which obliges and coordinates the translation of the slide 32 for approaching and removing the suction nozzle 18 to/from the spindle through the driving pulley 36, the transmission belt 37 and the driven pulley 38 integral with the eccentric 31: the motor means 13 causes the intermittent indexing of the cleaning unit 3 through the driving pulley 14, the transmission belt 15 and the driven pulley 31 integral with a kinematic linkage 30. This latter is of the Maltese cross type, but it could be of any other known types, for converting a continuous revolution motion into an intermittent rectilinear translational motion of unit 3, with the desired intermittence; 30 is a disc with "U"-­shaped slots, capable of getting engaged with corresponding studs 6 positioned concentrically with the spindles 11, and made integral with the lower portion of the machine frame 5; the studs 6, concentric with each spindle, act as guides for the whole device 3 in cooperation with the kinematic couple constituted by the track element 23 and the wheel element 31; 23 is the track, having a suitable profile for get coupled with the translating wheel 21, and made integral along the machine fronts, with the support plane 40, by means of brackets 41; 21 is the translation wheel, made integral, through the pivot 42 with the frame 4; in correspondence of the studs 6, concentric with the spindles, the frame 4 is given a profile suitable for realizing a precise matching with a plurality of studs 6, thus fulfilling a double action of guide for the translation, and of stabilization of the whole movable device 3 against the side upsetting; 39 is a chamber designed to collect the built-up mass of fibres and yarn lengths conveyed by the suction duct 17, by means of the vacuum generated by the electrical fan 29; the collecting chamber 39 is easily accessible for the purpose of periodically removing the built-up mass of fibrous dust and yarn lengths and is advantageously located before the perforated diaphragm 20; the perforated diaphragm 20 is a stationary filtering wire net, or is an equivalent filtering means; the electrical fan 29 intakes, through the ring-like port 18, air and fibrous dust, and the motors 12 and 13 and the electrical fan 29 are powered by means of contact bars fastened onto the element 22, fastened, in its turn, by suitable brackets, onto the track block 23. The contact bars 43 fastened onto the element 22 extend along the machine. The contact bars 43 and the collector contacts 44 of the movable cleaning unit 3 are covered by the shield sheet 42; the motor means 12 and 13 and the electrical fan 29 can be fed with electrical power as well, according to a possible variant, by a simple cable cooperating with a cable reeling unit 24, or the electrical power can be fed to them by any suitable system for movable contacts; 4 is a base support-bracket of the device, which acts as the support plane for the motion-driving, cutting, suction operative elements, assembled to a box-shape, which is fastened by the operator onto said carriage-mounted support, which is kept stationary at a standby station. The device can run, according to closed paths, along one or more machines, or it can perform a reciprocating movement along one or more machines; in such a latter case of reciprocating movement, a reversal joint, or an equivalent system shall be provided, which is capable of securing that the disc 30 reverses its revolving direction, each time that the device comes at its stroke end and must return back.

[0049] The system operates as follows.

[0050] Under rest conditions, the device 3 is positioned along the track length prearranged for it to rest in standby status in correspondence of an end of the textile machine, e.g., a ring spinning frame, externally to the operating front of the spinning stations. The motion-­supplying centres, and the corresponding working means are stationary. When the use is required of the device along the machine front, either automatically, or on command by an operator, the motor means are actuated. The suction is actuated by means of the electrical fan 28, which applies a vacuum to duct 17.

[0051] The extractor cylinder 16 is driven to rapidly revolve by means of the motor means 12. The drive disc 30 starts intermittently indexing the device 3 by means of motor means 13. The drive disc 30, driven to rotate by the motor means 13, brings the device 3 to an opposite position to the first spindle 11, from which it must remove the windings 25 from their buildup seat 34.

[0052] During said translation step, the eccentric 31, driven by the motor means 13, ensures, by means of the movable slide 32, a rearwards position (see Figure 5) of the elements of suction, extraction and cutting, constituting a block integral with said slide 32, movable relatively to the support of the cleaning device 3 in a direction perpendicular to the translation trajectory along the machine front 5. The intermittent kinematic linkage operating through the grooved disc 30 positions, after the translation step, the device 3 in frontal correspondence between the vertical axis of symmetry of the sucking port 18 and the axis of revolution of spindle 11, ans makes device 3 to remain stationary in that position for the necessary time for the whole cleaning operation.

[0053] During said stationary step, the eccentric 31, in cooperation with the movable slide 32, secures initially the approaching to the spindle 11 of the suction, extraction and cutting elements and secures the permanence of said elements in said approached position (see Figure 4) for the necessary time for their cleaning action to be performed. Action, which starts at the time point at which the razor-blade-shaped cutting element 27 interferes with the taut yarn length 26 of connection of the reserve on spindle 11 with the yarn collected on bobbin 9, thus interrupting the continuity between the two buildups. Said yarn length is constrained in its circumferential position by the upper grooved disc 45 and by the lower grooved disc 46, which form a single body with the spindle 11. The cutting effect is generated by the cooperation of the rotation of the spindle 11, by the interference between the cutting element 27 and the yarn length 26 and by the circumferential constraint of the grooves of discs 45 and 46. The cutting action on the taut yarn length 26 generates two free yarn ends. The yarn end belonging to the reserve buildup 25 is immediately caught and conveyed into the suction duct 17, because of the continuous vacuum existing in correspondence of the ring-shaped port 18 surrounding the spindle at the level of the cylindrical seat 34. At the same time, the winding turns 25 become loosened contributing to and securing the contact of the intaken yarn end with the needle-like protrusions 19, provided along the circumferential surface of the seizing-­extracting element 16. This latter, while being kept rapidly revolving, is positioned in the nearby of the ring-shaped port 18 and occupies a large portion of the suction duct 17 (see Figure 4). The whole length of yarn belonging to the reserve windings 15, seized at its end by the protrusions 19 of the revolving element 16 is removed by tensile stress, and is reduced into a plurality of pieces, and mostly opened, as if it were carded.

[0054] The air stream existing inside the suction duct 17, generated by the vacuum generated by the electrical fan 29 delivers the said thread lengths and the fibrous dust into the collecting chamber 39, accumulating them on the front face of the perforated diaphragm 20, which prevents them from being dispersed into the air of the surrounding room. At the end of the disclosed cleaning step on the individual spinning spindle, the eccentric 31, actuated by the motor means 31 secures, through the movable slide 32, the displacement into a rearwards position (see Figure 5) of the suction, extraction and cutting elements forming an integral block with said slide 32.

[0055] The suction continues, and so does the revolution motion of extracting element 16. The device 3 progresses stepwise, i.e., is progresses by a length equal to the distance existing between two adjacent spindles, then it stops. The eccentric 31, always under cooperation with the movable slide 32, secures the approaching to the spindle 11 of the suction, extraction and cutting elements. The automatic cutting, extraction and cleaning cycle starts again, and is repeated on the new spinning spindle.

[0056] This synchronism between the eccentric 31 and the kinematic linkage for intermittent indexing, by means of the grooved disc 30, results facilitated, in as much as both of them are driven by the same motor means 13.

[0057] When the carriage-mounted device 3 comes to the end of spinning frame front 1, is stops in correspondence of a pre-established station, or reverses its motion, returning back to its initial position (see Figure 7c).

[0058] If the passage is required to the other front, or onto the fronts of a plurality of machines 1, the carriage-mounted device translates and rotates along running ways 2, constituted by a track, or by similar guides, suitably provided within the scope of a factory automation program (see Figures 7a, 7b, 7d).

[0059] In any case, the path to be followed by the carriage-mounted device of the invention must be made compatible with the motion of other movable elements, such as travelling cleaning units, automatic doffing cars, car for yarn re-connecting, and the like.

[0060] We have disclosed herein a preferred solution, together with some of the variants thereof, but other solutions are however possible.

[0061] Thus, ratios and dimensions of the operating elements may be varied; a suction duct may be provided, which is stationary, or telescopically movable, or swinging, of moving according to another motion pattern; shapes and dimensions may be varied of the suction port and of the cutting element; it is possible as well to provide a different system of control of the intermittent indexing and of the cooperating control of approachment and removal of the cutting element and of the suction element, so, e.g., in said cooperation, it is possible to use two coordinated motor units, instead of a single motor means 13; it is possible as well to couple, or to remove motor units for the purpose of advantageously coordinating the whole set of the various operating steps; and so forth.

[0062] These, and other, variants are hence possible, without thereby exiting the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. Automatic cleaning device (3), capable of extracting and removing the yarn windings from axialsymmetrical elements of a collecting textile machine, characterized in that it is provided, in coordinated cooperation, with:
- a cutting element (27), performing the function of interrupting the continuity of the yarn (26) between the reserve windings (25) and the bobbin under way of formation (9);
- a sucking nozzle (18) for intaking, conveying and dragging the cut yarn end into the suction duct (17) under the action of the vacuum generator (29);
- a revolving seizing, extracting and yarn opening element (16) for rapidly removing said reserve windings;
- a perforated diaphragm (20) for intercepting the fibrous dust and the yarn lengths, delivering them to build up inside the collecting chamber (39).

2. Automatic cleaning device (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that the cutting element (27) is in the form of a knife having the shape of a razor-blade, or, anyway, a lamellar or flat shape.

3. Automatic cleaning device (3) according to claim 1, characterized in that the cutting element (27) is placed in a position of interference with the taut yarn length between the upper grooved disc (45) and the lower grooved disc (46).

4. Automatic cleaning device (3), according to claim 1, characterized in that the cutting effect is accomplished by means of the cooperation between the rotation of the axialsymmetrical element (11), the interference of the cutting element (27) with the taut yarn length anf the constraint of circumferential positioning performed by the grooves of discs (45) and (46), inside the radial hollows of which the taut yarn is housed, which constitutes the connection (26) between the two buildups (25) and (9).

5. Automatic cleaning device (3), according to claim 1, characterized in that the cutting element (27) is positioned stationary on the support of said device (3).

6. Automatic cleaning device (3), according to claim 1, characterized in that the cutting element (27) is movable on the support of said device (3), in as much as it undergoes a transversal motion of approaching or of removal, or a swinging or oscillating movement relatively to the axis of rotation of the axialsymmetrical element (1) in order that the cutting edge of said cutting element (27) can be positioned into the right position of interference with the taut yarn length (26) while solidly rotating with the connection buildups (25) and (9).

7. Automatic cleaning device (3), according to claim 1, characterized in that the sucking nozzle (18) is provided, for the purpose of coming to a short distance from the yarn reserve (25), with a ring-like port surrounding the spindle along a wide arc of circle at the height of the cylindrical seat (34).

8. Automatic cleaning device (3), according to claim 1, characterized in that the sucking nozzle (18) is provided with a suction duct (17) which is connected to an electrical fan (29) or anyway to a vacuum generator capable of generating, in correspondence of the said sucking port (18), a high-head vacuum.

9. Automatic cleaning device (3), according to claim 1, characterized in that the sucking nozzle (18) and the suction duct (17) are mounted on a slide (32) sliding on the support of the said cleaning device (3) which allows them to perform translational movement of approaching to and removal from the axialsymmetrical element (11) by means of an eccentric (31) electromechanically driven, or driven by a whatever pneumatically or electrically actuated lever system.

10. Automatic cleaning device (3), according to claim 1, characterized in that the end of the suction duct (17), in the nearby of the sucking port, is telescopically sliding inside a tubular shell, or inside a bellows-shaped element, allowing the sucking port (18) to perform a movement of approaching to and of removal from the axialsymmetrical element (11).

11. Automatic cleaning device (3), according to claim 1 and one or more of claims from 2 to 10, characterized in that the action of aprroaching to and of removal from the axialsymmetrical element (11) occurs by the same means, and by the same action for both the cutting elements (27) and the sucking port (18).

12. Automatic cleaning device (3), according to claim 1, characterized in that the electrical fan (29) or vacuum generator is covered, on its intake side, by means of a perforated diaphragm (20), in front of which a collecting chamber (39) is provided for the purpose of periodically removing the buildup of fibrous dust, mixed with yarn lengths.

13. Automatic cleaning device (3), according to claim 12, characterized in that the perforated diaphragm (20) is a filter capable of intercepting the fibrous dust, suitable to be slid off from its seat for the periodical operation of shaking and regeneration.

14. Automatic cleaning device (3), according to claim 1, characterized in that the revolving element (16) for seizing and traction-extracting the yarn of the whole reserve (25), is given a cylindrical, or substantially cylindrical, shape, and is provided on its whole circumferential outer surface, with needle-like, either perpendicular or slanting protrusions (19).

15. Automatic cleaning device (3), according to claims 1 and 14, characterized in that the revolving element (16) for seizing and traction-extracting the yarn of the whole reserve (25) is so positioned and to occupy and engage a large portion of the suction duct (17) in the nearby of the ring-like sucking port (18) (see Figures 4 and 5).

16. Automatic cleaning device (3), according to claim 1, characterized in that the element for seizing and traction-extracting the yarn of the whole reserve (25), is constituted by two counter-rotating unwinding rollers, at least one of which can be positively driven.

17. Automatic cleaning device (3), according to claim 1, characterized in that the element for seizing and traction-extracting the yarn of the whole reserve (25), is constituted by a friction tape, taut between two rollers, at least one of which can be positively driven.

18. Automatic cleaning device (3), according to claim 1 and one or more of claims from 15 to 17, characterized in that the element for seizing and traction-extracting the yarn of the whole reserve (25), is provided with protrusions having saw-tooth-like or comb-tooth-like configurations.

19. Automatic cleaning device (3), according to claim 1 and one or more of claims from 2 to 18, characterized in that the element for seizing and traction-extracting the yarn of the whole reserve (25), is displaceable with approaching to and with removal from the axialsymmetrical element (11) and to/from the sucking port (18).

20. Automatic cleaning device (3), according to claim 1, characterized in that a motor-driven roller allows, by a suitable coupling, the axialsymmetrical element to revolve with the process being stationary.

21. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is prearranged for operating in correspondence of a single spinning station, or in correspondence of two or more spinning stations, by embracing them frontally.

22. Device according to claim 21, characterized in that it is integrally fastened onto a carriage-mounted frame (4) sliding along the front, or fronts, of the machine, on guides or tracks (23), by means of which it is brought in correspondence of the spindles (11) for the purpose of serving a plurality of spinning stations.

23. Device according to claim 22, characterized in that said carriage-mounted device (3) is sliding along the spinning stations with an automatic stepwise indexing by means of an intermittent mechanism (30), which alternates a motion of translation of a length equalling the pitch between the axialsymmetrical element (11) to a stop in front of said axialsymmetrical elements (11) for the cleaning operation.

24. Device according to claim 22, characterized in that it is sliding along the spinning stations with a manual-driven indexing.

25. Device according to claim 22, characterized in that it is suitable to be fastened onto or separated from the sliding carriage-mounted frame (4), along the front, or fronts, of the spinning stations of the machine, on guides or tracks (23).

26. Device according to claim 25, characterized in that it is displaceable from a carriage-mounted frame (4) prearranged for a machine to another frame (4) prearranged for another machine.

27. Automatic process for the cleaning of the axialsymmetrical elements of a collecting textile machine, characterized by: - cutting, by means of a cutting element performing the function of interrupting the continuity of the yarn between the reserve windings and the bobbin under way of formation;
- intaking the cut yarn by means of a sucking nozzle performing the function of intaking, conveying and dragging the cut yarn end into the suction duct under the action of the vacuum generator;
- seizing, extracting and opening the yarn of the whole reserve by means of a revolving element provided with needle-like protrusions;
- intercepting the fibrous dust and the yarn lengths by means of a perforated diaphragm.

28. Automatic device and process for the cleaning of axialsymmetrical elements substantially as herein disclosed, illustrated and claimed and for the allowed purposes.

29. Collecting textile machine equipped with an automatic cleaning device according to claims from 1 to 28.

Drawing