Title of Invention	FLYER FRAME
Abstract	In order to reduce the required time when changing full hank rovings for empty roving tubes, it is proposed that the rotary conveyor chain (12), on which the empty roving tubes (14), which are provided for the changing procedure, are hanging, and onto which the full hank rovings (9) are hung during the changing procedure, is mounted in a bobbin table (11), which for the changing procedure can be moved into the flyer frame (1) between the lower edge of the wings (6) and the upper edge of the full hank rovings (9), which are positioned on the bobbin carriers (8) of the bobbin bank.

Title of Invention

FLYER FRAME

Abstract

In order to reduce the required time when changing full hank rovings for empty roving tubes, it is proposed that the rotary conveyor chain (12), on which the empty roving tubes (14), which are provided for the changing procedure, are hanging, and onto which the full hank rovings (9) are hung during the changing procedure, is mounted in a bobbin table (11), which for the changing procedure can be moved into the flyer frame (1) between the lower edge of the wings (6) and the upper edge of the full hank rovings (9), which are positioned on the bobbin carriers (8) of the bobbin bank.

Full Text	FORM 2 THE PATENT ACT 1970 {39 of 1970) The Patents Rules, 2003 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION See Section 10, and rule 13 TITLE OF INVENTION FLYER FRAME WITH AUTOMATIC BOBBIN CHANGE DEVICE APPLICANT(S) a) Name b) Nationality c) Address OERLIKON TEXTILE GMBH & CO. GERMAN Company LEVERKUSER STRASSE 65, D-42897 REMSCHEID, GERMANY KG 3. PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed : - Technical area The invention relates to a flyer frame with two parallel rows of spinning stations along the machine, comprising a flyer rail, in which flyers are mounted by a centre spindle, and comprising a bobbin rail, which can be lifted and lowered, with bobbin carriers, and with an automatic device for changing full roving bobbins for empty roving tubes, wherein the bobbin change device has at least one continuous conveying chain with holders for full roving bobbins and holders for empty roving tubes, and extends along the flyer frame. Prior art A flyer frame with a device for automatically changing full roving bobbins for empty tubes is disclosed in DE 195 02 586 C2. It has a large number of guide rails running transversely to the longitudinal direction of the machine, in which short suspended carriage trains can be moved into the flyer region, comprising suspension holders on the suspended carriage trains, in which full roving bobbins or empty roving tubes can be suspended and can be resuspended by lifting and lowering the bobbin rail. The short suspended carriage trains in each case only serve one spinning station in each of the two rows of a two-row flyer frame. This device is very laborious both in terms of construction and mechanical engineering. The travelling movement has to be transmitted to all the individual suspended carriage trains. As the suspended carriage trains move into the flyers, the tubes are guided by centre spindles of the bobbin carriers on the bobbin rail. Therefore, when resuspending the full bobbins and the empty tubes, the bobbin rail has to be lifted and lowered by the full length of the centre spindles to release the tubes. This substantially increases the doffing time. DE 44 29 099 Al shows a flyer frame, in which, for automatic changing of the full bobbins and the empty tubes, a separate vertically moveable removal and attachment device arranged over the flyer frame is proposed. In order to allow this device access to the bobbins, the drafting arrangement and flyer rail can be displaced back transversely to the longitudinal direction of the machine. The movement of the heavy components having drives, the drafting arrangement and flyer rail, requires a special, substantial outlay and cannot be considered as a solution approach for changing the bobbins and tubes on a flyer frame. Two separate suspended carriage trains which can be moved on the flyer rail or on separate suspension rails are proposed in DE 196 31 445 Al and are functionally appropriately displaced upon a bobbin change. In one embodiment, the suspended carriage trains are arranged on two guide rails which can be moved to a different extent into the flyer/bobbin region of the flyer frame between the lower edges of the flyers and the upper edges of the bobbins. This solution also requires a bobbin rail which can be displaced transversely to the longitudinal direction of the flyer frame. General description of the invention The invention was therefore set the object of proposing a device which is simpler in terms of construction and mechanical engineering and faster during the change process for changing bobbins and tubes on a flyer frame. It achieves this object with the features mentioned in the characterising part of the main claim. Since the bobbin rail is lowered beyond its lowest position achieved during the build up of the bobbin winding into a change position, a spacing is produced between the lower edge of the flyers and upper edge of the full bobbins standing on the bobbin carriers of the bobbin rail, into which the conveying chain can be moved with its guide plate. Since the roving tubes during operation are guided on centre spindles of the flyers, from which they are released when the bobbin rail is lowered into the change position, a short lifting/lowering movement thereof is sufficient to resuspend the full roving bobbins on the conveying chain. In order to place the empty tubes suspended on the conveying chain, which has been moved in, onto the bobbin carriers, a movement of the conveying chain by half a division of the holders and by another short lifting/lowering movement of the bobbin rail is sufficient. Then, the conveying chain with its guide plate can already be moved out again. The conveying chain is mounted, according to the invention, in a bobbin change table, which can be moved into the flyer frame. Moving in preferably takes place from the rear of the machine. According to the invention, the conveying chain in each case has a set of holders corresponding to the number of spindles of the flyer frame for the full bobbins and a set of holders for the empty tubes, which are alternately arranged at half the division spacing of the spindles of the flyer frame on the conveying chain. The conveying chain therefore does not need to be longer than the two rows, lined up next to one another of spindles of the flyer frame. Special description of the invention An embodiment of the invention is shown schematically in the figures of the drawings in a plurality of phases of the change process. In the drawings Fig. 1 shows the cross section through a flyer frame; Fig. 2 shows the plan view of a flyer frame in a first embodiment; Fig. 3 shows the plan view of a flyer frame similar to the second embodiment; Fig. 4 shows the plan view of a portion of the flyer frame of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 shows the flowchart of the change process on a flyer frame according to Fig. 1, 2 or 4; Fig. 6 shows the flowchart of the change process on a flyer frame according to Fig. 3; Fig. 7 shows the view of a workstation with a monitoring device; Fig. 8 shows the view of a workstation with another monitoring device. The invention proceeds from a flyer frame 1, the important working members of which necessary for the understanding of the invention are a frame-like machine frame 2, a drafting arrangement 3, a stationary flyer rail 4 and a liftable and lowerable bobbin rail 5 (see Fig. 1). Rotatably mounted in the flyer rail 4 are two rows of flyers 6, and the drive transmission to the flyers 6 is accommodated in the flyer rail. The flyers 6 have centre spindles. Rotatably mounted in the bobbin rail 5 are two rows of bobbin carriers 8 aligned with the flyers 6, by which roving bobbins 9 are carried and the drive transmission to the bobbin carriers 8 is accommodated in the bobbin rail 5. The bobbin rail 5 can be moved up and down by means of commonly used lifting members, not shown here, to build up the winding bodies 10. Arranged in the rear region of the machine frame 2 is a bobbin change table 11, which contains a conveying chain 12, on the chain members of which at the bottom are arranged holders 13 for full roving bobbins 9 and for empty roving tubes 14. The two sides 15,16 (Fig. 3) of the conveying chain 12 are at the spacing of the two rows from the flyers 6 and bobbin carriers 8. The holders 13 are arranged at half the division spacing T/2 of the flyers 6 and bobbin carriers 8 (Fig. 4). The conveying chain can be moved in the bobbin change table 11 by means of commonly used frictional wheel drives 17 driven by an electric motor. The holders 13 on the conveying chain 12 are provided with a commonly used automatic coupling, which, when a suspended roving tube is pushed up, releases the latter or couples a supplied roving tube to the holder 13. However, other tube grippers, for example fork-shaped holders may be used, which grasp the mushroom-shaped pins on the tubes. The bobbin change table 11 can be moved on a plurality of telescopic rail guides 18 distributed over the length of the flyer frame 1 and support rails 19, 20 on the machine frame 2 to the front into the region of the flyers 6 and the bobbin carriers 8 (Fig. 4). In the embodiment of Fig. 4, the movement takes place by means of a shaft 21 which extends over the length of the bobbin change table 11 and is driven by a motor 22 and on which pinions 23 are seated. The pinions 23 engage in toothed racks 24 on the bobbin change table 11. By rotating the shaft 21 back and forth, the bobbin change table 11 can be moved back and forth. It is obvious that other devices can also be provided to displace the bobbin change table 11. Thus, as shown in Fig. 2, it can be moved by means of cylinder/piston units 25 distributed over its length, which are supported at the rear on a stationary machine part and are connected at the front to the bobbin change table 11. As shown in Fig. 3, a push lever system may also be provided, in which a threaded spindle 28 is displaced by a motor 26 by means of a gearing 27. Its displacement is transmitted to expanding levers 30 by means of a push/pull rod 29, one of which is articulated to a stationary machine part and the other to the bobbin change table 11. As can be seen, the movement range of the bobbin change table 11 has to remain free of supports so as not to hinder the movement thereof (see Fig. 1). In order to nevertheless support the drafting arrangement 3 and the flyer rail 4 over the substantial length of the flyer frame 1, a plurality of portal-like bridges 31 distributed over the length of the flyer frame 1 are provided, on which these components are supported. The rail guide 18 and the support rails 19, 20 are also mounted on these bridges. In Fig. 3, the bobbin change table 11 is not moved obliquely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the flyer frame 1, but perpendicularly thereto. In this embodiment, the change device in the bobbin change table 11 has two conveying chains 15,16, which can be moved together by the frictional wheel drives 17 during the bobbin change and can also be displaced separately to remove the full bobbins 9. In this figure, the device 32 to remove the full bobbins from the transport chain and the equipping thereof with empty tubes is also shown, as well as a device 33 for clearing empty tubes of roving residues. To prepare the exchange of full roving bobbins 9 for empty roving tubes 14, the holders 13 for empty roving tubes 14 are equipped manually or mechanically therewith (see Fig. 1). For the exchange, the bobbin rail 5 is moved downward and, in fact, beyond its normal lift region when building up the winding 10 to such an extent that the full roving bobbins 9 exit from the bobbin spindles 7 into the flyers 6. As a result, a spacing is produced between the upper edge of the full bobbins 9 standing on the bobbin carriers 8 and the centre spindles 7 of the flyers 6, into which the bobbin change table 11 can be moved. In this case, it is guided on the support rails 19, 20 and its conveying chain 12 has a position in which the empty roving tubes 14 held suspended thereon can move between the full roving bobbins 9. In the embodiment of Figs 1, 2 and 3, the bobbin change table 11 can be moved obliquely in the direction of the lateral offset of the flyers 6 in the two flyer rows into the flyer frame 1. Fig. 5 shows the path of an empty tube 14 and a full bobbin 9 in relation to a workstation of the front bobbin row. The view is reproduced for the front bobbin row, as therein the path of the empty tubes and full bobbins through the bobbins and tubes standing in the rear bobbin row has to be taken into consideration. The synchronously proceeding change on the rear flyer row is unproblematical. The holders 13 equipped with empty roving tubes 14 move through on the path la drawn by dashed lines in Fig. 5 between the full bobbins 9 of the rear flyer row and the unequipped holders for the full bobbins 9 can move in the path Ib drawn by dot-dashed lines over the lowered full bobbins of the rear flyer row. The bobbin change table 11 moves into the flyer/bobbin region until the (empty) holders 13 of the conveying chain 12 align with the full roving bobbins 9 standing on the bobbin carriers 8. The bobbin rail 5 is then lifted, until these roving bobbins latch into the holders 13, and is then lowered again. The conveying chain 12 in the movement path IIa+b is then moved by half a spindle division T/2, so the empty roving tubes 14 come to stand over the bobbin carriers 8. By lifting and lowering the bobbin rail 5 again, these are unlatched from the holders 13 and placed on the bobbin carriers. The bobbin change table 11 is now moved back again, the full bobbins suspended on the holders 13 not being hindered on their path IIIb through the spindles of the rear flyer row now equipped with empty tubes. The bobbin rail 5 is then lifted into the position in which the renewed winding of the attached empty roving tubes 14 can begin. The change process is thus completed. The full roving bobbins 9 can be removed from the conveying chain 12, the latter being moved past a removal station. In the embodiment of Fig. 3, the bobbin change table 11 is moved linearly into the flyer frame. The dashed path in each case a, followed by the empty tubes 14, and dot-dashed path in each case b, followed by the full bobbins 9, is reproduced in Fig. 6 and designated by the numerals I to V. The change process can only proceed without hindrance if all the full bobbins 9 are removed from the bobbin carriers 8 and all the empty tubes 14 are removed from the holders 13 of the conveying chain 12 - otherwise, when the change table 11 is moved out, they collide with the empty bobbins placed in the rear flyer row. In order to ensure this, it is provided (see Fig. 7/8) that the holders 13 for full bobbins and the holders for empty bobbins 14 are arranged at a different height. Depending on whether the full bobbin 9 is seated higher or lower than the empty tube, different arrangements and sequences are produced. In both cases, a light barrier 34 extending over the length of the flyer frame 1 is provided closely over the two rows of bobbin carriers 8 in each case, which light barrier remains interrupted if at least one of the full bobbins 9 is not removed from its bobbin carrier 8. In this case, the change process is stopped and the operator is called over to eliminate the fault. If, as shown in Fig. 7, the empty tube 14 is suspended lower than the full bobbin 9, a light barrier 35 may be arranged next to the foot of the empty tube and is interrupted, when the change table 11 is moved out, by an empty tube 14 not delivered to its bobbin carrier 8. This also leads to the stoppage of the change process. If, on the other hand, as shown in Fig. 8, the empty tube 14 is seated higher than the full bobbin, a light barrier 36 must be provided in the upper region of the empty tube next to the holder 13 thereof, which is interrupted by an empty tube 14 not delivered to its bobbin carrier 8. The subject of the present invention does not only emerge from the subject of the individual claims, but also from the combination of the individual claims with one another. All the details and features disclosed in the documents, in particular the spatial configuration shown in the drawings, are claimed as essential to the invention in as much as they are novel individually or in combination relative to the prior art. List of reference numerals 1 flyer frame 2 machine frame 3 drafting arrangement 4 flyer rail 5 bobbin rail 6 flyers 7 centre spindles of the flyers 6 8 bobbin carrier 9 roving bobbins 10 winding body 11 bobbin change table 12 conveying chain 13 holder 14 roving tubes 15,16 sides of the conveying chain 17 frictional wheel drive 18 rail guide 19,20 support rails 21 shaft 22 motor 23 pinion 24 toothed racks 25 cylinder/piston units 26 motor 27 gearing 28 threaded spindle 29 push/pull rod 30 expanding lever 31 bridges 32 removal/equipping device 33 tube clearing device 34,35,36 i light barriers WE CLAIM: 1. Flyer frame (1) with two parallel rows of spinning stations along the machine, comprising a stationary flyer rail (4), in which flyers (6) are mounted by a centre spindle (7), and comprising a bobbin rail (5) which can be lifted and lowered but not displaced transversely to the longitudinal direction of the flyer frame (1), with bobbin carriers (8), and with an automatic device for changing full roving bobbins (9) for empty roving tubes (14), wherein the bobbin change device has at least one conveying chain (12) with holders (13) for full roving bobbins (9) and holders (13) for empty roving tubes (14), and extends along the flyer frame (1), characterised in that a bobbin change table (11) is provided, which, for the changing process, when the bobbin rail (5) is lowered into a change position, is displaceable into the flyer frame (1) between the lower edge of the flyers (6) and upper edge of the full roving bobbins (9) standing on the bobbin carriers (8) of the bobbin rail (5), and the conveying chain (12) can be moved as a function of the movement of the bobbin change table (11) in such a way that the holders (13) for full roving bobbins (9) are aligned with the full bobbins and can be suspended on the bobbin rail (5) by means of lifting and lowering thereof, whereupon the conveying chain (12) is displaceable by a holder division (T/2) until empty roving tubes (14) hanging in the holders (13) for empty roving tubes align with the empty bobbin carriers and can be placed on the bobbin rail (5) by lifting and lowering the bobbin rail (5). 2. Flyer frame (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the conveying chain (12) is mounted in a bobbin change table (11), which, for the change process, can be displaced between the lower edge of the flyers (6) and the upper edge of the full roving bobbins (9) standing on the bobbin carriers (8) of the bobbin rail (5) into the flyer frame (1). 3. Flyer frame (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the moving in of the bobbin change table (11) takes place from the rear of the flyer frame (1). 4. Flyer frame (1) according to claim 3, characterised in that the moving in of the bobbin change table (11) takes place in an oblique direction corresponding to the lateral offset of the flyers (6) in the two rows of flyers of the machine. 5. Flyer frame (1) according to claim 3, characterised in that the moving in of the bobbin change table (11) takes place in the direction perpendicular to the rows of flyers. 6. Flyer frame (1) according to claim 3, characterised in that two separate and separately displaceable conveying chains (15,16) are arranged in the bobbin change table (11). 7. Flyer frame (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the conveying chain (12) in each case has a set of holders (13) corresponding to the number of spindles of the flyer frame (1) for full roving bobbins (9) and a set of holders (13) for empty roving tubes (14). 8. Flyer frame (1) according to claim 7, characterised in that the number and the mutual spacing (the division T) of the holders (13) in the two sets of holders coincide with the number and the division of spinning stations of the flyer frame (1). 9. Flyer frame (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the conveying chain (12) in the moved-in state can be moved by twice half a spindle division (T/2). Dated this 21st day of October, 2008

Full Text

FORM 2
THE PATENT ACT 1970 {39 of 1970)
The Patents Rules, 2003 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION See Section 10, and rule 13
TITLE OF INVENTION
FLYER FRAME WITH AUTOMATIC BOBBIN CHANGE DEVICE

APPLICANT(S)
a) Name
b) Nationality
c) Address

OERLIKON TEXTILE GMBH & CO. GERMAN Company LEVERKUSER STRASSE 65, D-42897 REMSCHEID, GERMANY

KG

3. PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed : -

Technical area
The invention relates to a flyer frame with two parallel rows of spinning stations along the machine, comprising a flyer rail, in which flyers are mounted by a centre spindle, and comprising a bobbin rail, which can be lifted and lowered, with bobbin carriers, and with an automatic device for changing full roving bobbins for empty roving tubes, wherein the bobbin change device has at least one continuous conveying chain with holders for full roving bobbins and holders for empty roving tubes, and extends along the flyer frame.
Prior art
A flyer frame with a device for automatically changing full roving bobbins for empty tubes is disclosed in DE 195 02 586 C2. It has a large number of guide rails running transversely to the longitudinal direction of the machine, in which short suspended carriage trains can be moved into the flyer region, comprising suspension holders on the suspended carriage trains, in which full roving bobbins or empty roving tubes can be suspended and can be resuspended by lifting and lowering the bobbin rail. The short suspended carriage trains in each case only serve one spinning station in each of the two rows of a two-row flyer frame.
This device is very laborious both in terms of construction and mechanical engineering. The travelling movement has to be transmitted to all the individual suspended carriage trains. As the suspended carriage trains move into the flyers, the tubes are guided by centre spindles of the bobbin carriers on the bobbin rail. Therefore, when resuspending the full bobbins and the empty tubes, the bobbin rail has to be lifted and lowered by the full length of the centre spindles to release the tubes. This substantially increases the doffing time.
DE 44 29 099 Al shows a flyer frame, in which, for automatic changing of the full bobbins and the empty tubes, a separate vertically moveable removal and

attachment device arranged over the flyer frame is proposed. In order to allow this device access to the bobbins, the drafting arrangement and flyer rail can be displaced back transversely to the longitudinal direction of the machine. The movement of the heavy components having drives, the drafting arrangement and flyer rail, requires a special, substantial outlay and cannot be considered as a solution approach for changing the bobbins and tubes on a flyer frame.
Two separate suspended carriage trains which can be moved on the flyer rail or on separate suspension rails are proposed in DE 196 31 445 Al and are functionally appropriately displaced upon a bobbin change. In one embodiment, the suspended carriage trains are arranged on two guide rails which can be moved to a different extent into the flyer/bobbin region of the flyer frame between the lower edges of the flyers and the upper edges of the bobbins. This solution also requires a bobbin rail which can be displaced transversely to the longitudinal direction of the flyer frame.
General description of the invention
The invention was therefore set the object of proposing a device which is simpler in terms of construction and mechanical engineering and faster during the change process for changing bobbins and tubes on a flyer frame. It achieves this object with the features mentioned in the characterising part of the main claim.
Since the bobbin rail is lowered beyond its lowest position achieved during the build up of the bobbin winding into a change position, a spacing is produced between the lower edge of the flyers and upper edge of the full bobbins standing on the bobbin carriers of the bobbin rail, into which the conveying chain can be moved with its guide plate. Since the roving tubes during operation are guided on centre spindles of the flyers, from which they are released when the bobbin rail is lowered into the change position, a short lifting/lowering movement thereof is sufficient to resuspend the full roving bobbins on the conveying chain. In order to place the empty tubes suspended on the conveying chain, which has been moved in, onto the

bobbin carriers, a movement of the conveying chain by half a division of the holders and by another short lifting/lowering movement of the bobbin rail is sufficient. Then, the conveying chain with its guide plate can already be moved out again.
The conveying chain is mounted, according to the invention, in a bobbin change table, which can be moved into the flyer frame. Moving in preferably takes place from the rear of the machine.
According to the invention, the conveying chain in each case has a set of holders corresponding to the number of spindles of the flyer frame for the full bobbins and a set of holders for the empty tubes, which are alternately arranged at half the division spacing of the spindles of the flyer frame on the conveying chain. The conveying chain therefore does not need to be longer than the two rows, lined up next to one another of spindles of the flyer frame.
Special description of the invention
An embodiment of the invention is shown schematically in the figures of the drawings in a plurality of phases of the change process. In the drawings
Fig. 1 shows the cross section through a flyer frame;
Fig. 2 shows the plan view of a flyer frame in a first embodiment;
Fig. 3 shows the plan view of a flyer frame similar to the second embodiment;
Fig. 4 shows the plan view of a portion of the flyer frame of Fig. 1;
Fig. 5 shows the flowchart of the change process on a flyer frame according to Fig. 1, 2 or 4;

Fig. 6 shows the flowchart of the change process on a flyer frame according to Fig. 3;
Fig. 7 shows the view of a workstation with a monitoring device;
Fig. 8 shows the view of a workstation with another monitoring device.
The invention proceeds from a flyer frame 1, the important working members of which necessary for the understanding of the invention are a frame-like machine frame 2, a drafting arrangement 3, a stationary flyer rail 4 and a liftable and lowerable bobbin rail 5 (see Fig. 1). Rotatably mounted in the flyer rail 4 are two rows of flyers 6, and the drive transmission to the flyers 6 is accommodated in the flyer rail. The flyers 6 have centre spindles.
Rotatably mounted in the bobbin rail 5 are two rows of bobbin carriers 8 aligned with the flyers 6, by which roving bobbins 9 are carried and the drive transmission to the bobbin carriers 8 is accommodated in the bobbin rail 5. The bobbin rail 5 can be moved up and down by means of commonly used lifting members, not shown here, to build up the winding bodies 10.
Arranged in the rear region of the machine frame 2 is a bobbin change table 11, which contains a conveying chain 12, on the chain members of which at the bottom are arranged holders 13 for full roving bobbins 9 and for empty roving tubes 14. The two sides 15,16 (Fig. 3) of the conveying chain 12 are at the spacing of the two rows from the flyers 6 and bobbin carriers 8. The holders 13 are arranged at half the division spacing T/2 of the flyers 6 and bobbin carriers 8 (Fig. 4). The conveying chain can be moved in the bobbin change table 11 by means of commonly used frictional wheel drives 17 driven by an electric motor. The holders 13 on the conveying chain 12 are provided with a commonly used automatic coupling, which, when a suspended roving tube is pushed up, releases the latter or couples a supplied roving tube to the holder 13. However, other tube grippers, for example fork-shaped holders may be used, which grasp the mushroom-shaped pins on the tubes.

The bobbin change table 11 can be moved on a plurality of telescopic rail guides 18 distributed over the length of the flyer frame 1 and support rails 19, 20 on the machine frame 2 to the front into the region of the flyers 6 and the bobbin carriers 8 (Fig. 4). In the embodiment of Fig. 4, the movement takes place by means of a shaft 21 which extends over the length of the bobbin change table 11 and is driven by a motor 22 and on which pinions 23 are seated. The pinions 23 engage in toothed racks 24 on the bobbin change table 11. By rotating the shaft 21 back and forth, the bobbin change table 11 can be moved back and forth.
It is obvious that other devices can also be provided to displace the bobbin change table 11. Thus, as shown in Fig. 2, it can be moved by means of cylinder/piston units 25 distributed over its length, which are supported at the rear on a stationary machine part and are connected at the front to the bobbin change table 11. As shown in Fig. 3, a push lever system may also be provided, in which a threaded spindle 28 is displaced by a motor 26 by means of a gearing 27. Its displacement is transmitted to expanding levers 30 by means of a push/pull rod 29, one of which is articulated to a stationary machine part and the other to the bobbin change table 11.
As can be seen, the movement range of the bobbin change table 11 has to remain free of supports so as not to hinder the movement thereof (see Fig. 1). In order to nevertheless support the drafting arrangement 3 and the flyer rail 4 over the substantial length of the flyer frame 1, a plurality of portal-like bridges 31 distributed over the length of the flyer frame 1 are provided, on which these components are supported. The rail guide 18 and the support rails 19, 20 are also mounted on these bridges.
In Fig. 3, the bobbin change table 11 is not moved obliquely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the flyer frame 1, but perpendicularly thereto. In this embodiment, the change device in the bobbin change table 11 has two conveying chains 15,16, which can be moved together by the frictional wheel drives 17 during the bobbin change and can also be displaced separately to remove the full bobbins 9.

In this figure, the device 32 to remove the full bobbins from the transport chain and the equipping thereof with empty tubes is also shown, as well as a device 33 for clearing empty tubes of roving residues.
To prepare the exchange of full roving bobbins 9 for empty roving tubes 14, the holders 13 for empty roving tubes 14 are equipped manually or mechanically therewith (see Fig. 1). For the exchange, the bobbin rail 5 is moved downward and, in fact, beyond its normal lift region when building up the winding 10 to such an extent that the full roving bobbins 9 exit from the bobbin spindles 7 into the flyers 6. As a result, a spacing is produced between the upper edge of the full bobbins 9 standing on the bobbin carriers 8 and the centre spindles 7 of the flyers 6, into which the bobbin change table 11 can be moved. In this case, it is guided on the support rails 19, 20 and its conveying chain 12 has a position in which the empty roving tubes 14 held suspended thereon can move between the full roving bobbins 9.
In the embodiment of Figs 1, 2 and 3, the bobbin change table 11 can be moved obliquely in the direction of the lateral offset of the flyers 6 in the two flyer rows into the flyer frame 1. Fig. 5 shows the path of an empty tube 14 and a full bobbin 9 in relation to a workstation of the front bobbin row. The view is reproduced for the front bobbin row, as therein the path of the empty tubes and full bobbins through the bobbins and tubes standing in the rear bobbin row has to be taken into consideration. The synchronously proceeding change on the rear flyer row is unproblematical.
The holders 13 equipped with empty roving tubes 14 move through on the path la drawn by dashed lines in Fig. 5 between the full bobbins 9 of the rear flyer row and the unequipped holders for the full bobbins 9 can move in the path Ib drawn by dot-dashed lines over the lowered full bobbins of the rear flyer row. The bobbin change table 11 moves into the flyer/bobbin region until the (empty) holders 13 of the conveying chain 12 align with the full roving bobbins 9 standing on the bobbin

carriers 8. The bobbin rail 5 is then lifted, until these roving bobbins latch into the holders 13, and is then lowered again.
The conveying chain 12 in the movement path IIa+b is then moved by half a spindle division T/2, so the empty roving tubes 14 come to stand over the bobbin carriers 8. By lifting and lowering the bobbin rail 5 again, these are unlatched from the holders 13 and placed on the bobbin carriers. The bobbin change table 11 is now moved back again, the full bobbins suspended on the holders 13 not being hindered on their path IIIb through the spindles of the rear flyer row now equipped with empty tubes.
The bobbin rail 5 is then lifted into the position in which the renewed winding of the attached empty roving tubes 14 can begin. The change process is thus completed. The full roving bobbins 9 can be removed from the conveying chain 12, the latter being moved past a removal station.
In the embodiment of Fig. 3, the bobbin change table 11 is moved linearly into the flyer frame. The dashed path in each case a, followed by the empty tubes 14, and dot-dashed path in each case b, followed by the full bobbins 9, is reproduced in Fig. 6 and designated by the numerals I to V.
The change process can only proceed without hindrance if all the full bobbins 9 are removed from the bobbin carriers 8 and all the empty tubes 14 are removed from the holders 13 of the conveying chain 12 - otherwise, when the change table 11 is moved out, they collide with the empty bobbins placed in the rear flyer row.
In order to ensure this, it is provided (see Fig. 7/8) that the holders 13 for full bobbins and the holders for empty bobbins 14 are arranged at a different height. Depending on whether the full bobbin 9 is seated higher or lower than the empty tube, different arrangements and sequences are produced.

In both cases, a light barrier 34 extending over the length of the flyer frame 1 is provided closely over the two rows of bobbin carriers 8 in each case, which light barrier remains interrupted if at least one of the full bobbins 9 is not removed from its bobbin carrier 8. In this case, the change process is stopped and the operator is called over to eliminate the fault.
If, as shown in Fig. 7, the empty tube 14 is suspended lower than the full bobbin 9, a light barrier 35 may be arranged next to the foot of the empty tube and is interrupted, when the change table 11 is moved out, by an empty tube 14 not delivered to its bobbin carrier 8. This also leads to the stoppage of the change process.
If, on the other hand, as shown in Fig. 8, the empty tube 14 is seated higher than the full bobbin, a light barrier 36 must be provided in the upper region of the empty tube next to the holder 13 thereof, which is interrupted by an empty tube 14 not delivered to its bobbin carrier 8.
The subject of the present invention does not only emerge from the subject of the individual claims, but also from the combination of the individual claims with one another.
All the details and features disclosed in the documents, in particular the spatial configuration shown in the drawings, are claimed as essential to the invention in as much as they are novel individually or in combination relative to the prior art.

List of reference numerals

1 flyer frame
2 machine frame
3 drafting arrangement
4 flyer rail
5 bobbin rail
6 flyers
7 centre spindles of the flyers 6
8 bobbin carrier
9 roving bobbins
10 winding body
11 bobbin change table
12 conveying chain
13 holder
14 roving tubes
15,16 sides of the conveying chain
17 frictional wheel drive
18 rail guide

19,20 support rails
21 shaft
22 motor
23 pinion
24 toothed racks
25 cylinder/piston units
26 motor
27 gearing
28 threaded spindle
29 push/pull rod
30 expanding lever
31 bridges
32 removal/equipping device
33 tube clearing device
34,35,36 i light barriers

WE CLAIM:
1. Flyer frame (1) with two parallel rows of spinning stations along the machine, comprising a stationary flyer rail (4), in which flyers (6) are mounted by a centre spindle (7), and comprising a bobbin rail (5) which can be lifted and lowered but not displaced transversely to the longitudinal direction of the flyer frame (1), with bobbin carriers (8), and with an automatic device for changing full roving bobbins (9) for empty roving tubes (14), wherein the bobbin change device has at least one conveying chain (12) with holders (13) for full roving bobbins (9) and holders (13) for empty roving tubes (14), and extends along the flyer frame (1), characterised in that a bobbin change table (11) is provided, which, for the changing process, when the bobbin rail (5) is lowered into a change position, is displaceable into the flyer frame (1) between the lower edge of the flyers (6) and upper edge of the full roving bobbins (9) standing on the bobbin carriers (8) of the bobbin rail (5), and the conveying chain (12) can be moved as a function of the movement of the bobbin change table (11) in such a way that the holders (13) for full roving bobbins (9) are aligned with the full bobbins and can be suspended on the bobbin rail (5) by means of lifting and lowering thereof, whereupon the conveying chain (12) is displaceable by a holder division (T/2) until empty roving tubes (14) hanging in the holders (13) for empty roving tubes align with the empty bobbin carriers and can be placed on the bobbin rail (5) by lifting and lowering the bobbin rail (5).
2. Flyer frame (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the conveying chain (12) is mounted in a bobbin change table (11), which, for the change process, can be displaced between the lower edge of the flyers (6) and the

upper edge of the full roving bobbins (9) standing on the bobbin carriers (8) of the bobbin rail (5) into the flyer frame (1).
3. Flyer frame (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the moving in of the bobbin change table (11) takes place from the rear of the flyer frame (1).
4. Flyer frame (1) according to claim 3, characterised in that the moving in of the bobbin change table (11) takes place in an oblique direction corresponding to the lateral offset of the flyers (6) in the two rows of flyers of the machine.
5. Flyer frame (1) according to claim 3, characterised in that the moving in of the bobbin change table (11) takes place in the direction perpendicular to the rows of flyers.
6. Flyer frame (1) according to claim 3, characterised in that two separate and separately displaceable conveying chains (15,16) are arranged in the bobbin change table (11).
7. Flyer frame (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the conveying chain (12) in each case has a set of holders (13) corresponding to the number of spindles of the flyer frame (1) for full roving bobbins (9) and a set of holders (13) for empty roving tubes (14).
8. Flyer frame (1) according to claim 7, characterised in that the number and the mutual spacing (the division T) of the holders (13) in the two sets of

holders coincide with the number and the division of spinning stations of the flyer frame (1).
9. Flyer frame (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised
in that the conveying chain (12) in the moved-in state can be moved by twice half a spindle division (T/2).
Dated this 21st day of October, 2008

FLYER FRAME

Documents:

Inventors:

PCT Conventions: