Title of Invention

A RING SPINNING FRAME

Abstract

In a spinning frame (10) with at least one drafting unit (16), a drafting unit drive (18), one ring frame (20) with one ring frame drive (22) and an exhaust air system (26), in case of a long extending frame at least two modules with frames (12) are arranged in longitudinal direction in alignment to each other, and between the modules two drafting unit drives are arranged next to each other, whereby each drafting unit drive (18c, 18d) consists of motor-gear units which are connected with drafting unit cylinders (16a) in the respective module. The ring frame drive (22) is characterized in that the latter is arranged between the ends of the frame, in particular in the centre of the frame (12) or of a module (12) of the spinning frame (10), whereby from this ring frame drive (22) pulling means (22a) run in opposite directions, lengthwise to the spinning frame, to one or several ring frames (20).

Full Text

Spinning frame The invention concerns a spinning frame according to the preamble of one of the independent claims. Spinning frames of the presented type are generally called longitudinal component machines, since they are of an overall oblong structure and consist of a large number of components which are directed particularly in longitudinal direction. Such machines are for example described in the US patent specifications 2,930,180 or 3,905,184. The mentioned examples concern ring spinning frames, with which so-called roving is led from a material supply means via a drafting unit to ring spinning devices, whereby numerous auxiliary drives are required for the realization of the operating function. For example a thread guiding rail (ring rail 18 in US 2930180) must be moved up and down, or the delivered material must be drafted by a drafting unit (roller system 12), or the finished cops must, by means of a doffer, be taken out of the machine and be led to a transport system, as is described in more detail in US 3,905,184. In developing modern machines there is the tendency to build ever-larger units. For this reason deformation (deviation) problems may arise in the power transmission line between the drives and the different operating components. It is therefore the object of the present invention to design individual drives of a long spinning frame in such a way, that an economical, cost effective design results, whereby unacceptable deformations (deviations) or strains are avoided. This task is solved according to the invention with the object of the independent claims. The dependent claims concern preferred further embodiments. The invention concerns a spinning frame with at least one drafting unit, a drafting unit drive, one ring frame with one ring frame drive, characterized in that the latter is arranged between the ends of the frame, in particular in the centre of the frame or of a module of the spinning frame, whereby, from this ring frame drive, pulling means run in opposite directions, lengthwise to the spinning frame, to one or several ring frames. A ring frame drive can consist of two drive units, which comprise a motor and a winch, whereby to each winch one pulling means is connected, where said pulling means are stretched in opposite directions, lengthwise to the spinning frame, and which are suspended on the ring frame by means of diverting means. In a ring frame drive several pulling means can be wound onto a winch, of which at least two run in opposite directions lengthwise to the spinning frame. In the case of a long extending spinning frame, at least two modules with frames are being arranged in longitudinal direction in alignment to each other, and between the modules at least two drafting unit drives are arranged next to each other, or several drafting unit drives are being arranged in the modules, whereby each drafting unit drive consists of a motor-gear unit, which is connected with drafting unit cylinders or at least with one such cylinder within the respective nriodule. To one or several drafting unit cylinders one or several drafting unit drives are assigned, whereby in each case two drafting unit drives of the same type are assigned to drafting unit cylinders of the same type are connected to one frequency converter, which can be monitored by one control unit. In a space between two modules and at the ends of the spinning frame, four or more drafting unit drives of the same type can be arranged. Individual drives can be coupled with one or with two drafting unit cylinders. The control means is laid out in such a way, that from one control module several, in particular 2 outlets lead to several or 2 machine modules, that is, one to a drive on a left machine half, and a further outlet to a right drive on a right machine half, and/or that in the spinning frame a drafting unit drive and a spindle drive or several such spindle drives are connected to the control unit, whereby, in place of the direct drive, a drive with a shaft extending across a part of the length of the spinning frame said shaft comprising a belt system and a further drive motor can be applied, and that the control unit comprises a program module which allows to either run the left or the right or both machine halves at the same time. To a doffer motor with gear a first yoke and a second yoke are connected by means of two spindles, whereby the doffer motor with gear is arranged between the yokes symmetrically in particular, and whereby the yokes, by means of connecting rods with multi-linkage gears, are coupled to a doffer beam. The doffer motor with gear is arranged within a frame or a module of the spinning frame, or the doffer motor with gear is arranged between two frames or modules of a spinning frame (Fig. 2). Several ring frame drives can be directly connected on the ring frames through pulling means, whereby pulling means essentially extend in vertical and not horizontal direction. In the following the invention is described in more detail by way of the drawing, wherein shows: Figure 1 a schematic illustration of essential components of a spinning frame in modular design, which is expandable (side view); Figure 2 a multiple arrangement of two modules of a spinning frame (side view); Figure 2a a part of a spinning frame corisisting of two modules with drafting unit drives and the associated control units arranged between them (plan view) Figure 3 an alternative design of a spinning frame in modular design (side view); Figure 4a an auxiliary drive for the logistics of a spinning frame (plan view); Figure 4b a side view of the arrangement in figure 4a; Figure 5 a spinning frame with a direct drive of a thread-guiding component (side view); Figure 6a an alternative design of a drive (side view); Figure 6b a further design of a drive for a thread guide component (side view). In the spinning frame 10 according to figure 1, a delivery material 3 is supplied in essentially vertical direction from above downwards to a ring-traveller-combination 4 by way of a drafting unit 16, said ring-traveller-combination being arranged on a spindle 1. This spindle 1 possesses either a direct drive 1, or the drive is being actuated by means of a shaft extending in longitudinal direction of the spinning frame through a belt system. The fibre material of the delivered material 3, being drawn in the drafting unit 16, is wound onto a cop 2 by means of the spindle 1 and the ring-traveller combination 4. The ring-traveller combination 4 is attached on a ring frame 20, which, by means of a ring frame drive 22, is moved back and forth in vertical direction. For this a winch 22' on the ring frame drive 22 is connected through a pulling means 22a and diverting means 22b with the ring frame 20. The diverting means 22b are provided as stationary arranged rollers which are mounted in the frame 12 of the spinning frame, and which divert the pulling means 22a from the vertical into horizontal direction. Several pulling means 22a are attached on a ring frame 20. Such devices are described in the German patent applications 41 06 290, 197 17 507 or 199 25 341, whose content is herewith declared to be an integrating part of the present application. The drives 22 for the ring frame 20 thus are usually electric motors which are operated according to a program of an electrical control unit 24. In the drafting unit 16, the drafting unit cylinders 16a each are driven by a drafting unit drive 18. According to figure 1 there is a right drafting unit drive 18 and a second, left drafting unit drive 18a, each at the end of the frame 12, whereby the drafting unit cylinder 16a can be interrupted in the centre of a rail. With the broken line in the upper left section of figure 1 is to be indicated that the second drafting unit drive 18a is connected with a drafting unit cylinder 16a, and the drafting unit drive 18 with a further drafting unit cylinder 16a, however, there is no connection between both drives. In a spinning frame several such drafting unit drives are provided, since also several drafting unit cylinders 16a are to be driven. The drafting unit drives 18 or 18a can be designed according to the description of one of the German patent applications 42 27 597, 42 44 922, 195 37 916, 196 47 542 or 197 17 135, whose content is herewith declared to be an integrating part of the present application. For the operation of the spinning frame, an exhaust air system 26 is necessary with a fan 26a and a channel 26b connected to it that extends across the length of the spinning frame. The frame 12 is assembled from a larger number of sections 14, whereby a spinning frame module can comprise up to six sections 14 with 96 spindles each, whereby said spindles are arranged in rows each row along one side of a section. Thereby thus up to 576 spindles 1 result for one module of the spinning frame. In the embodiment according to figure 2, two modules are combined into one spinning frame, whereby the drafting unit drive 18 in the centre of the spinning frame consists of two drives 18c,18d, which can be assembled to form one unit, as is illustrated schematically. Below two combined ring frame drives 22 are indicated. While the ring frame drives in the centre of the machine, according to figure 2, are connected with one pulling means 22a each, which extends across half of the machine length, on the machine ends a further drafting unit drive 18a on the left and a third drafting unit drive 18b on the right machine end can be arranged, and be connected with a drafting unit cylinder 16a, as this was already mentioned in the description of figure 1. The exhaust air system 26 can, as an ordinary design, be arranged at the left machine end, whereby a channel 26b extends across the entire length, that is, across two frames 12 of the machine. Such a machine, assembled from two modules according to figure 1, can comprise up to 2 x 576 spindles, thus comprise 1'I52 spindles, whereby on each longitudinal side of a machine 576 spindles are arranged in alignment. If the spinning frame is to be used for heavier articles, it would be suitable to plan on a second drafting unit drive 18a and a third drafting unit drive 18b, each at one of the machine ends, right from the beginning, while for lighter articles only one central drafting unit drive 18 can be sufficient, from which, towards the machine ends, a continuous drafting unit cylinder 16a extends to the right and a further cylinder 16b to the left. As mentioned, usually several drafting unit cylinders are provided, in particular six cylinders in parallel arrangement, whereby three drafting unit cylinders 16 each cooperate with one another. Figure 3 shows a further embodiment of a spinning frame, whereby, on the right and on the left of the drafting unit drive 18 which is arranged in the centre, two modules with frames 12 are arranged, each of which can comprise 1'152 spindles. Thus up to 2'304 productive operating places and/or spindles 1 result within one complex arrangement. In this case it is necessary to arrange, in addition to the central drafting unit drive 18, further drafting unit drives 18a, 18b at the machine ends, whereby the drafting unit drives 18 and 18a are connected with drafting unit cylinders 16a, which are connected in the centre of the left and/or right module, or which can also be operated independently of one another. The ring frame drives 22 can be arranged below the drafting unit drives 18a, 18 b at the machine ends, as is illustrated, or they are arranged at the height of the exhaust air system 26 next to the drafting unit drives 18 in the machine centre. Ring frame drives 22 can also be arranged at the machine ends and in the machine centre, whereby pulling means 22a each extend from a drive 22 in longitudinal direction of the spinning frame. For the transport of the cops 2 a conveying system 28 can be arranged, whereby preferably two such systems, that is, one on the left, and one on the right of the central drafting unit drives 18, are being provided. At a machine end each a reloading station 30 is provided, by means of which the cops 2 are taken away from the spinning frame 10, and the sleeves 5 are being supplied, respectively. A conveying system 28 for cops 2 and/or sleeves 5 can be designed for example according to the US patent specification 5,185,993, while a reloading station could be designed according to the German patent application 24 20 039 and according to the patent applications mentioned therein. The content of the mentioned disclosures is herewith declared to be an integrating part of the present application. Figure 2a illustrates a part of a spinning frame 10 in plan view between two modules, and/or frames 12 and 12a, whereby components of the drafting unit 16 are illustrated with a central drafting unit drive 18. Drafting unit cylinders 160, 162 and 164 can be connected with drafting unit drives 180, 182 and 184, or two drafting unit cylinders 162a and 164a are connected to a drafting unit drive 180. The drafting unit drives 180, 182, 184 each are to be understood as gear-motor units. As is illustrated in figure 2a, two drafting unit drives 184, 184' are connected to the same frequency converter 240 which is connected with a control unit 24. It is to be understood that both above and below an axis of symmetry of the spinning frame 10 in figure 2a, up to six equal or similarly designed gear-motor units 180, 182, 182', 184' could be arranged. In an overall arrangement according to figure 3 accordingly there could be totally twelve drafting unit cylinders 16a, and/or 160 to 164, extending across the entire length, or 24, across half of the length of a spinning frame module and up to 24 drafting unit drives. A doffer required for the removal of fully wound cops 2 from the spindles 1 is schematically illustrated in figure 4a and 4b, whereby the doffer 40 is preferably arranged centrically in a module with a frame 12. It is thus positioned in an overall arrangement according to figure 2 approximately at half length between a drafting unit drive 18a and a drafting unit drive 18 in the centre of the spinning frame 10. According to the invention a doffer motor 40a with a gear 40b is arranged between two yokes 42a and 44a, with connecting spindles 42 and 44. These spindles have an outside thread, whereby the thread of the spindle 42 is threaded in opposite direction of the thread of the spindle 44. The spindles 42 and 44 are screwed into respective tapped holes in the yokes 42a and 44a. When running the doffer motors 40a this results in a longitudinal shift of the yokes 42a and 44a towards or away from each other, likewise of the connecting rods 46 on the left side of a module and the second connecting rod 46a on the right side of a machine module. These connecting rods 46, 46a are guided in longitudinal direction of the machine according to the arrows in figure 4a und 4b. While the spinning frame 10 with the frame 12 and doffer 40 is illustrated in figure 4a in plan view, figure 4b shows a side view onto the right side part of the arrangement according to figure 4a. The connecting rods 46a are connected at one point with a multi-linkage gear 48, whereby the short arm of the multi-linkage gear 48 is rotatable mounted below in the lower part of the frame 12 and the upper end of the long arm of the multi-linkage gear 48 is connected on the doffer beam 49. When the second connecting rods 46a are shifted in horizontal direction, for example to the left, then the doffer beam 49 moves according to the arrow 49 in vertical direction, in order to accomplish an automatic withdrawal of the cops 2 out of the machine. Because of the symmetrical arrangement of the doffer 40 between yokes 42a, 44a, the longitudinal forces on the doffer motor 40a and at the gear 40b are neutralized, which is beneficiary for the layout of the holding means. The doffer and/or ring frame drives can be designed according to the descriptions of the German patent applications DE 4210494, 4439245, 4421477, 19755779 and 19925341, whereby the content of the descriptions of these mentioned patent applications is regarded to be an integrating part of the present description. The arrangement of the doffer motors 40a with the gear 40b and with the two spindles 42 and 44, shown in figure 4a, can be arranged within a frame 12 of a module, that is, according to figure 2 or 3, both in the left and as well as in the right section of the spinning frame, or the doffer motor 40a together with the gear 40b is arranged between the frames 12 of the modules of the spinning frame 10, according to the figure 2 and 3, that is, below the drafting unit drive 18. Figure 5 illustrates one more time the substantial components of a module of a spinning frame 10, whereby essentially the explanations regarding the figures 1 and 2 are valid also here. Therefore a repetition of the description of these designs is omitted. Furthermore, in figure 5 there are possible design details for the drives 22 and/or 23 of the ring frame. According to the embodiment variant of the ring frame drive 22 in the right section of figure 5, a motor with a winch 22' is arranged below the ring frame 20, whereby a pulling means 22a leads from the winch 22' to a diverting means 22b and which, after enveloping it over an angle of 180o it is fastened above on the ring frame 22. Due to the considerable longitudinal expansion of the ring frame 22, several such drives need to be distributed across the length of the machine frame. A possible embodiment variant is also shown in the arrangement in the left section of figure 5 below the ring frame 20. This ring frame drive 23 consists of a motor 23a with a worm gear 22", whereby the spindle 23b combs with a worm gear wheel that is arranged coaxially to a winch 22' and which is illustrated as a circle together with it. As has already been described for the first ring frame drive, here also a pulling means 22a can be wound onto the circumference of the winch 22', which is led upward over a diverting means in the form of a roller 22b to the ring frame 20. The ring frame can, due to force of gravity, be suspended freely downwards on the pulling means 22a, or it is positively led downwards by further pulling means 22'a, whereby the further pulling means 22'a, just like pulling means 22a, are retained on the outer circumference of the winch 22' and are partially wound-up and/or unwound on said winches. Due to the arrangement of the ring frame drives according to figure 5, components of the pulling means 22a to be guided across larger distances of a module, as is illustrated in figure 1, 2 and 3, can be omitted. For the reason that several drives 22' operate simultaneously on the same ring frame 20, without physical coupling, an accurate synchronisation of the movement processes of the respective motors is necessary. Therefore, for the ring frame drives 22, only electric synchronous motors or stepping motors are feasible for the application. Due to the multiple arrangement of the ring frame drives, independent of each other, these can be designed in a very compact manner. Transmission elements for the guidance of the pulling means 22a in longitudinal direction can be omitted, and the accuracy of the movements across the entire length of a ring frame 20 is increased in relation to conventional drives. Alternatively to the embodiments according to figure 5, a ring frame drive 22 according to figure 6 can be arranged on any arbitrary section, preferably centrically between the ends of a frame 12 of a spinning frame 10, and/or a module of a spinning frame 10. The ring frame drive 22 comprises a winch 22' provided with an electric motor, on whose outer circumference pulling means 22a can be wound. These pulling means 22a, according to figure 6a, are led upward from the circumference of the winch 22' to the diverting means 22b and from there run in horizontal direction along the spinning frame in the direction towards the ends of the spinning frame, and/or the ring frame 20. Several pulling means 22 can lead from a winch 22' to different diverting means 22 b, which are distributed across the length of the spinning frame, and from there downwards to the ring frame 22. Substantial with this design is that from a ring frame drive 22 pulling means 22a are led in opposite directions along the ring frame 20. Thereby a lower overall length of the pulling means 22a and higher precision of the transfer of the movement result. Instead of only one single ring frame drive 22 according to figure 6a, also several, according to figure 6b, two ring frame drives, can be arranged between the ends of a frame 12, with pulling means 22a led horizontally and led vertically over diverting means 22b. According to figure 6b a ring frame drive 22 consists of two identically constructed winches 22' with drive motors and with pulling means 22a fastened thereto in the above described manner. There could also be, as mentioned in the description of figure 5, for the variations according to figure 6a and 6b, further pulling means 22'a, which, in relation to the pulling means 22a, act in opposite direction downwards, are fastened on the ring frame,20 according to the figures 6a and 6b and which, according to figure 6b, are led over a lower diverting means directly to the winch 22'. The ring frame 20 can be pulled downwards by one or several spring elements 6, For the components of the spinning frame 10, in individual figures which refer to the components, but which are not described, the statements for the identical elements apply, as is described for other figures. A control unit 24 can be also be conceived in such a way that, as is indicated in figure 2a in broken line, 2 outlets run from a control module 240 to 2 machine modules, that is, one to a left machine half, to a drive 184, and a further outlet to a right drive 184' to a right machine half. Likewise in the spinning frame 10, according to figure 1, one drafting unit drive 18a and one spindle drive 1' or several such drives, can be connected to the control unit 24, as is indicated in broken lines. In place of the direct drive 1', a drive la, with a shaft extending across a partial length of the spinning frame with a belt system and a further drive motor, can be substituted. The control means 24 can comprise a program module which allows to either operate the left or the right or both machine halves at the same time. As can be seen from figure 2a, drafting unit drives 180" on cylinders 16a can be arranged in any location on the drafting unit and/or in a module, in single or multiple design. Details of such arrangements are disclosed in the patent application DE 100 40 420.0 whose content is to be considered as an integrating part of the present application. Patent Claims 1. Spinning frame (10) with at least a drafting unit (16), a drafting unit drive (18), a ring frame (20) with a ring frame drive (22), characterized in that the latter is arranged between the ends of the frame, in particular in the centre of the frame (12) or of a module (12) of the spinning frame (10), whereby, from this ring frame drive (22), pulling means (22a) run in opposite directions, lengthwise to the spinning frame, to one or several ring frames (20). 2. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that a ring frame drive (22) consists of two drive units (22'), which comprise a motor and a winch, whereby to each winch (22') one pulling means (22a) is connected, where said pulling means are stretched in opposite directions, lengthwise to the spinning frame, and which are suspended on the ring frame (20) by means of diverting means (22b). 3. Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that in a ring frame drive (22) several pulling means (22a) can be wound onto a winch (22'), of which at least two run in opposite directions lengthwise to the spinning frame. 4. Spinning frame (10) with at least one drafting unit (16), a drafting unit drive (18), one ring frame (20) with one ring frame drive (22) and an exhaust air system (26), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, characterized \n that in the case of a long extending spinning frame (10), at least two modules with frames (12) are being arranged in longitudinal direction in alignment to each other, and between the modules at least two drafting unit drives are arranged next to each other, or several drafting unit drives are being arranged in the modules, whereby each drafting unit drive consists of a motor-gear unit (18c, 18d), which is connected with drafting unit cylinders (16a) or at least with one such cylinder within the respective module. 5. Machine according to claim 4, characterized in that to one or several drafting unit cylinders (160, 162, 164, 162a, 164a) one or several drafting unit drives (180, 182, 184) are assigned, whereby in each case two drafting unit drives (184, 184*) of the same type are assigned to drafting unit cylinders (164, 164') of the same type are connected to one frequency converter (240), which can be monitored by one control unit (24). 6. Spinning frame according to claim 5, characterized in that in a space between two modules (12, 12a) four drafting unit drives (180) of the same type are arranged. 7. Machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that in the centre of the spinning frame (10) eight or twelve drafting unit drives (18, 180, 180', 182, 184, 182', 184') are arranged, whereby single drives (180) are coupled with one or with two drafting unit cylinders (160, 162a, 164a). 8. Machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a control means (24) is laid out in such a way, that from one control module (240) several, in particular 2 outlets lead to several or 2 machine modules, that is, one to a drive (184) on a left machine half, and a further outlet to a right drive (184') on a right machine half, and/or that in the spinning frame (10) a drafting unit drive (18a) and a spindle drive (1') or several such spindle drives are connected to the control unit (24), whereby, in place of the direct drive (V), a drive (la) with a shaft extending across a part of the length of the spinning frame comprising a belt system and a further drive motor can be applied, and that the control unit (24) comprises a program module which allows to either run the left or the right or both machine halves at the same time. 9. Machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that drafting unit drives (180") on cylinders (16a) can be arranged in any position in the drafting unit and/or in a module, in single or multiple number. 10. Spinning frame with a doffer (40), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that to a doffer motor (40a) with gear (40b) a first yoke (42a) and a second yoke (44a) are connected by means of two spindles (42, 44), whereby the doffer motor (40a) with gear is arranged between the yokes (42a, 44a) symmetrically in particular, and whereby the yokes (42a, 44a), by means of connecting rods (46) with multi-linkage gears (48) are coupled to a doffer beam (49). 11. Spinning frame according to claim 10, characterized in that the doffer motor (40a) with gear (40b) is arranged within a frame or a module (12) of the spinning frame. 12. Machine according to claim 10, characterized in that the doffer motor (40a) with gear (40b) is arranged between two frames or modules (12) of a spinning frame (10)(Fig.2). 13. Spinning frame (10) with at least one drafting unit (16), a drafting unit drive (18), one ring frame (20) with one ring frame drive (22) and an exhaust air system (26), in particular according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that several ring frame drives (22) are directly connected on the ring frames (20) through pulling means (22a), whereby pulling means (22a) essentially extend in vertical and not horizontal direction. 14. Spinning frame according to claim 13, characterized in that a further pulling means (22'a) extends likewise between the ring frame (20) and the ring frame drive (22). 15. Spinning frame according to one of the preceding claims, characterized \n that between the motor of the ring frame drive (22) and a pulling means (22a) a worm gear (22") is being arranged at a winch (22'). 16. A spinning frame substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 17. A machine substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 6 day of March 2003 Summary In a spinning frame (10) with at least one drafting unit (16), a drafting unit drive (18), one ring frame (20) with one ring frame drive (22) and an exhaust air system (26), in case of a long extending frame at least two modules with frames (12) are arranged in longitudinal direction in alignment to each other, and between the modules two drafting unit drives are arranged next to each other, whereby each drafting unit drive (18c, 18d) consists of motor-gear units which are connected with drafting unit cylinders (16a) in the respective module. The ring frame drive (22) is characterized in that the latter is arranged between the ends of the frame, in particular in the centre of the frame (12) or of a module (12) of the spinning frame (10), whereby from this ring frame drive (22) pulling means (22a) run in opposite directions, lengthwise to the spinning frame, to one or several ring frames (20). Figure 6a

Documents:

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0183-che-2003 abstract duplicate.pdf

0183-che-2003 claimsm duplicate.pdf

0183-che-2003 description(complete) duplicate.pdf

0183-che-2003 drawings duplicate.pdf

183-che-2003-claims.pdf

183-che-2003-correspondnece-others.pdf

183-che-2003-description(complete).pdf

183-che-2003-drawings.pdf

183-che-2003-form 1.pdf

183-che-2003-form 18.pdf

183-che-2003-form 26.pdf

183-che-2003-form 3.pdf

183-che-2003-form 5.pdf