Title of Invention

AN APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING WOUND LAPS

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for producing wound taps (W) with at least one guide etement (20, 21) for supplying a web (1) to a winding apparatus (WV) in which the web (1) is wound up on a tube (H) and is connected with a reversible drive (8). It is the object of the present invention to improve existing devices and to perform the change of the winding direction of a wound lap (W) in a simple way. This is achieved in such a way that the guide element (20, 21) is arranged displaceably with respect to the winding apparatus (WV).

Full Text

The invention relates to an apparatus for producing wound laps with at least one guide element for supplying a web to a winding apparatus in which the web is wound up on a core and is connected with a reversible drive. A winding apparatus is known from EP-A1 799 337 for producing a wound lap, with the wound lap being formed in a loop of a continuously revolving belt. In the center of the loop there is a tube (core) which is held in a stationary and rotatable manner and on which the web is supplied by way of a guide plate. In the embodiment of EP"337 as shown in fig. 1 the web is supplied by way of a guide plate to the winding apparatus which is provided at its end with an arc-shaped guide surface through which the web is supplied downstream of the first guide pulley between the revolving belt and tube. The direction of winding is anticlockwise in the shown example. After completing the wound lap the same is delivered by swiveling out a guide pulley transversally to the rotational axis. Prior to the delivery of the wound lap there is the detachment of the lap. In this process, the wound lap is rotated a little further while the supply of lap is interrupted. The detachment or end of the lap thus produced faces against the winding direction. As is also shown by the published DE-A1-197 20 545, the wound lap ejected by the winding apparatus can be supplied to a transversal conveyor belt on which a row of wound laps is lined up for transfer by a conveying system. The wound laps are then transferred in a group to downstream combing machines where they are unwound for combing. It is necessary that the lap end faces in the right direction, so that the wound laps are present in the right position on the downstream combing machine for unwinding. If the combing machines need to be installed for logistical reasons offset by 180°, it is necessary to provide a swiveling apparatus for the wound laps as supplied by the lap-forming machines. Such an apparatus is shown for example in the published DE-A1-198 51 898. Although such swiveling apparatuses fulfill their purpose, they require additional drives and control means. It may also occur in practice that at least two groups of combing machines are supplied by a single lap-forming machine. For logistical reasons, however, it is necessary to install the respective combing machines of the individual groups offset by 1800 with respect to each other. For this purpose it is necessary, depending on the need for wound laps of the respective group, to supply the wound laps with a respectively aligned lap end to the conveying system. Instead of the above swiveling device for the wound laps, it has been proposed in EP Al-799 337 to wind up the wound lap in the reverse direction of rotation in the winding apparatus. It was proposed that the wound lap is supplied from the opposite side, so that the same can be introduced at the respective location between the belt and the tube. Although it is possible by this proposal to wind up the wound lap in the opposite direction of rotation, one still requires a respectively complex construction in order to supply the web on the opposite side. It is the object of the present invention to improve and simplify the known arrangement in such a way that the reversal of the direction of rotation in conjunction with the displaced supply of the web can be carried out without any major efforts. This object is achieved in such a way that the guide element with which the lap is supplied to the winding apparatus is arranged displaceable with respect to the winding apparatus. This allows, by a simple changeover of the guide element, controlling the supply of the web to the winding apparatus depending on the desired direction of winding from an unchanging supply point. Accordingly the present invention provides an apparatus for producing wound laps with at least one guide element for supplying a web to a winding apparatus in which the web is wound up on a tube and is connected with a reversible drive, characterized in that the guide element is arranged displaceable with respect to the winding apparatus. This control is supported even further if at least one sensor element is provided in the zone of movement of the guide, which sensor element is connected with a control unit which controls the drive of the winding apparatus. This allows initiating an automatic change of the direction of rotation of the winding apparatus during the changeover of the guide element via the activated sensor element. Preferably, the guide element is provided with a swivel ably fastened guide plate which is in connection with a swiveling means. For the purposeful transfer to the changed introduction point of the web it is proposed further that the guide element is provided with an arrangement so as to be adjustable in its length. Preferably, the winding apparatus consists of an endlessly revolving belt, with the wound lap being formed in a loop formed between two guide pulleys. Further advantages of the invention are shown and described by reference to the following embodiments shown in the drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 shows a schematic side view of a winding apparatus with a guide element adjustable in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 shows a schematic top view of a spinning mill in the zone of the combing room. Fig. 1 shows a winding apparatus WV, with a belt R being guided via guide pulleys R1 -R5. The belt forms a loop 2 between the guide pulleys R1, R2 in which a wound lap W is formed. A web 1 is introduced between the two guide pulleys R1 and R2 and wound up on a tube H. The tube H is received by centering disks (not shown) which are held laterally and stationery and is subject internally to a pressure below atmospheric at least during the beginning of the winding process. Further details to this embodiment are explained for example in EP-A1-799 337. With a growing diameter of the wound lap W, the loop 2 also increases. The belt R is tensioned via a cylinder Z, so that the wound lap W is subject to a pressure force during the winding by way of the belt R. The cylinder Z is controlled by a valve 4 which is controlled via line 5 by the control unit ST. A drive 8 is trigged by said control unit ST via line 6, which drive drives the guide pulley R5 by way of the schematically indicated drive connection 9. A swivel arm 12 is held on the shaft 11 of pulley R5 which holds the guide roller R1 on the opposite side. A cylinder Z3 acts upon the swivel arm 12, through which the swivel arm, as schematically indicated, is swivel able in the direction towards a conveyor belt FB. When the pulley R1 is completely swiveled out, the completed wound lap W is supplied in the direction AR to the conveyor belt FB as a result of the displacement of the belt. The distance of the conveyor belt FB to the winding apparatus WV is not shown on the proper scale. This distance must in reality be larger, so that the pulley R1 can swivel to a lower position. The cylinder Z3 is actuated via valve 14 which is triggered via line 15 by the control unit ST. The supply of the web 1 is performed by way of a guide plate 20 which is provided in the zone of pulley R1 downwardly with a radius of curvature. A swivel ably attached guide plate 21 is provided at the end of the radius of curvature. In the zone of the swiveling axis 22 of the guide plate 21 a servo¬motor (not shown in closer detail) is provided which can be activated via line 24 by the control unit ST. The guide plate 20 is arranged in such a way that the end zone with the radius of curvature is displaceable by a certain amount in the direction towards pulley R2. A sensor 5 is also attached between the two guide pulleys R1 + R2, which sensor is connected via line 15 with the control unit ST. The sensor 5 is situated in the direction of movement of the guide plate 21. The web 1 supplied to the winding apparatus can be supplied for example by calendar rollers or by way of a drafting arrangement unit. The displacement of at least the end part of the guide plate 20 is carried out by a stationary attached cylinder Z2 which is articulated on the guide plate 20. The cylinder Z2 is activated via line 17 by the schematically indicated valve 18. The valve 18 is triggered via line 26 by the control unit ST. When the guide plate is situated in the position which is shown with the unbroken lines, the web 1 is supplied at the feed position E1 between the wound lap W (or the tube H) and the belt R. A direction of rotation D1 is produced thereby. Loop 2 increases as the wound lap increases in size. The belt tension is controlled via the displacement of the guide pulley R4 by the cylinder Z. Once the wound lap W has reached a predetermined size (which can be monitored by sensors which are not shown for example) the feed of web 1 is stopped. The belt R is continued to be driven for a short period of time, thus producing a detachment of the web in the zone between the rollers R1 + R2. Thereafter, the roller R1 is swiveled outwardly by means of the cylinder Z3, as a result of which the completed wound lap W is transferred to a conveyor belt FB as a result of the displacement of the belt. This conveyor belt FB will be mentioned below with reference to fig. 2. After the delivery of the wound lap W, the roller R1 is swiveled back to its original position by the swivel arm 12, with the belt being placed over a currently newly supplied tube H. The feed of the web 1 can be started again. As soon as one or several wound laps W with opposition position of the lap end are required however, the guide plate 20 is displaced in the direction towards roller R2 via the cylinder Z2 prior to the start of the feed of the web 1. Simultaneously, or shortly thereafter, the guide plate 21 is swiveled about the swivel pin 22 by a predetermined amount in the direction towards the roller R2 by means of a servomotor (not shown in closer detail) which is triggered via the line 24 by the control unit ST. The guide plate 21 passes over the scanning area of the sensor 5, which in turn reports this via line 15 to the control unit ST. The signal from sensor 5 is then used to reverse the drive 8 by means of the control unit ST and line 6. This means that once drive 8 is put into motion, the roller 5 of the belt is driven in such a way that that the wound lap to be formed is wound up in an opposition direction of rotation D2. The ejection of the completed wound lap and the detachment of the lap occur according to the process as already described in connection with the winding direction D1. During the return of the guide plate 20 or 21, the sensor 5 is triggered again, as a result of which the direction of rotation is reversed again through drive 8. Fig. 2 shows a top view of an installation in the area of the combing room, with merely four combing machines K1, K2 and K7, K8 being shown by way of example. Usually, there can be a group of six combing machines each K1 - K6 and K7 - K12 on either side. The combing machines K1 and K2 have a draw-off direction A1 of the wound laps W, whereas the combing machines K7, K8 have a draw-off direction A2 of the wound laps W which is turned by 180°. Two driving rails SI and S2 are indicated schematically which rest on columns S. A crane runway K moves on said driving rails SI, S2 in the driving direction P. This means that the crane runway, which is provided with grippers (not shown in closer detail) for receiving the wound laps W, can serve both groups of the combing machines K1, K2 and K7, K8. According to the demand that follows next from a time point of view, the wound laps W are wound up in the winding apparatus WV of the wound-lap-forming machine KV with the direction of rotation D1 or the direction of rotation D2 and supplied to the downstream conveyor belt FB. The supplied wound laps W are lined up at predetermined distances on said conveyor belt FB, so that they are provided with a division which is also present in the downstream combing machines. The conveyance of the empty tubes from the combing machines to the wound-lap-forming machine KV shall not be explained in closer detail in this embodiment and is already known from prior publications. In order to coordinate the interaction between the demand in the individual combing machines, the conveying device K and the wound-lap-forming machine KV, a central control unit SZ is provided which cooperates with the control unit ST. The control unit SZ is also connected via link paths (indicated schematically) with the individual combing machines K1, K2 and K7, K8 as well as with the drive of the crane bridge K. According to demand, the control unit ST is informed by the control unit SZ about the winding direction (D1, D2) with which the wound laps need to be wound up. A complete group of wound laps needs to be produced which are provided with the same direction of winding. In the zone of the cross-conveyor FB respective sensors are present in order to monitor the provision of the wound laps W for the conveying system. With the shown embodiment it is now possible to provide a group of wound laps as required with the respectively demanded direction of winding. The arrangement of the layout of combing machines as shown herein shall be understood as being an example only; other layout variants are possible which are not shown herein. The shown arrangement of the winding apparatus WV allows many variants in the assignment of the wound-lap-forming machine KV to the operating combing machines. WE CLAIM: 1. An apparatus for producing wound laps (W) with at least one guide element (20, 21) for supplying a web (1) to a winding apparatus (WV) in which the web (1) is wound up on a tube (H) and is connected with a reversible drive (8), characterized in that the guide element (20, 21) is arranged displaceably with respect to the winding apparatus (WV). 2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the zone of movement of the guide element (20, 21) at least one sensor element (5) is provided which is connected with a control unit (ST) which controls the drive (8) of the winding apparatus (WV). 3. The apparatus as claimed in any one of the claims 1 and 2, wherein the guide element (20, 21) comprises a swivelably fastened guide plate (21) which is in connection with a swiveling means. 4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the guide element (20) is provided with an arrangement so as to be adjustable in its length. 5. The apparatus as claimed in any one of the claims 1 to 4, wherein the winding apparatus (WV) is provided with an endlessly revolving belt (R), with the wound lap (W) being formed in a loop (2) formed between two guide pulleys (Rl, R2). 4. An apparatus for producing wound laps, substantially as hereinabove described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Documents:

0951-mas-2001 abstract-duplicate.pdf

0951-mas-2001 abstract.jpg

0951-mas-2001 abstract.pdf

0951-mas-2001 claims-duplicate.pdf

0951-mas-2001 claims.pdf

0951-mas-2001 correspondence-others.pdf

0951-mas-2001 correspondence-po.pdf

0951-mas-2001 description (complete)-duplicate.pdf

0951-mas-2001 description (complete).pdf

0951-mas-2001 drawings-duplicate.pdf

0951-mas-2001 drawings.pdf

0951-mas-2001 form-1.pdf

0951-mas-2001 form-18.pdf

0951-mas-2001 form-26.pdf

0951-mas-2001 form-3.pdf

0951-mas-2001 form-5.pdf

0951-mas-2001 others.pdf

0951-mas-2001 petition.pdf