Spinning machine comprising a plurality of adjacently arranged workstations and a displaceable maintenance unit with a pneumatic working element and method for supplying the pneumatic working element with vacuum

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11530496-B2
Application number	US-202016945882-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2020
Priority date	Aug 2, 2019
Publication date	Dec 20, 2022
Grant date	Dec 20, 2022

Abstract

A spinning machine and method of operation include a plurality of adjacently arranged workstations, each workstation having one of a spinning device or a suction nozzle to which a process vacuum is applied during spinning operation. A vacuum duct extends along the workstations for supplying the spinning devices or the suction nozzles with the process vacuum. A maintenance unit is displaceable along the workstations, the maintenance unit including a pneumatic working element and a vacuum line to supply the pneumatic working element with vacuum. A closeable connection opening is at each of the spinning devices or the suction nozzles, the connection opening connected to the process vacuum. The maintenance unit includes a suction head that is advanceable toward the connection opening and is connected to the vacuum line.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A spinning machine, comprising: a plurality of adjacently arranged workstations, each workstation comprising a spinning device to which a process vacuum is applied during spinning operation;
an internal vacuum system that provides the process vacuum for the workstations;
the vacuum system comprising a vacuum duct extending along the workstations for supplying the spinning devices with the process vacuum;
a maintenance unit that is displaceable along the workstations, the maintenance unit comprising a pneumatic working element and a vacuum line to supply the pneumatic working element with vacuum;
a closeable connection opening at each of the spinning devices;
the maintenance unit comprising a suction head that is advanceable toward the connection opening and is connected to the vacuum line to place the pneumatic working element in communication with the process vacuum supplied by the internal vacuum system of the spinning machine; and
the pneumatic working element comprising a suction tube configured to pick up a thread end or sliver end or comprising a pneumatic thread store, the pneumatic working element utilizing the process vacuum supplied by the vacuum line via connection of the suction head with the closeable connection.

2. The spinning machine as in claim 1 , wherein the spinning device is as an air-jet spinning device comprising a spinning chamber to which the process vacuum is applied.

3. The spinning machine as in claim 1 , wherein the spinning device is a rotor spinning device comprising a rotor housing.

4. The spinning machine as in claim 3 , wherein the connection opening is configured in the rotor housing and is closeable by a cover element.

5. The spinning machine as in claim 1 , wherein the suction head is movable out of a neutral position into a working position to be advanced toward the connection opening.

6. The spinning machine as in claim 5 , wherein in the working position the suction head completely covers the connection opening.

7. The spinning machine as in claim 6 , wherein in the working position the suction head cooperates with a sealing element of the spinning device to seal the connection opening.

8. The spinning machine as in claim 1 , wherein the suction head comprises a centering element to aid in centering the suction head with respect to the connection opening.

9. The spinning machine as in claim 1 , wherein the spinning device is a rotor spinning device comprising a rotor housing, the suction head comprising a cover element that covers a spinning rotor arranged in the rotor housing in a working position of the suction head.

10. The spinning machine as in claim 9 , wherein the cover element comprises a passage opening that connects the vacuum line of the maintenance unit to a suction opening of the rotor housing in the working position of the suction head.

11. The spinning machine as in claim 1 , wherein the pneumatic working element is configured as a sliver feeding device or a component of a sliver feeding device.

12. A method for supplying a pneumatic working element of a maintenance unit of a spinning machine with vacuum, wherein the spinning machine comprises a plurality of adjacently arranged workstations that each include a spinning device to which a process vacuum is applied, the maintenance unit displaceable along the workstations, the method comprising:
supplying the pneumatic working element with the process vacuum via a suction head of the maintenance unit, wherein the suction head is advanced toward a closeable connection opening of the spinning device; and
supplying the process vacuum to the spinning devices from a vacuum system that is internal to the spinning machine and that supplies all of the workstations with the process vacuum via a vacuum duct.

13. The method as in claim 12 , the spinning device is a rotor spinning device comprising a rotor housing, the pneumatic working element supplied with the process vacuum via an opening of the rotor housing.

14. The method as in claim 12 , comprising sealing the connection opening against vacuum loss with a sealing element during the supply of the pneumatic working element with the process vacuum.

15. A method for supplying a pneumatic working element of a maintenance unit of a spinning machine with vacuum, wherein the spinning machine comprises a plurality of adjacently arranged workstations that each include a spinning device to which a process vacuum is applied, the maintenance unit displaceable along the workstations, the method comprising:
supplying the pneumatic working element with the process vacuum via a suction head of the maintenance unit, wherein the suction head is advanced toward a closeable connection opening of the spinning; and
comprising using the pneumatic element to pick up a sliver end and feed the sliver end to a feeding device or to a drafting system of the spinning device.

16. The method as in claim 15 , comprising trimming the picked-up sliver end before feeding the sliver end to the spinning device or the drafting system, wherein a detached sliver piece is produced by the trimming.

17. The method as in claim 16 , comprising extracting the detached sliver piece via the suction head and the connection opening.

18. The method as in claim 17 , wherein the spinning device is a rotor spinning device comprising a rotor housing, the pneumatic working element supplied with the process vacuum via the connection opening of the rotor housing, the detached sliver piece extracted via the connection opening of the rotor housing and a suction opening of the rotor housing.

19. The method as in claim 18 , wherein the detached sliver piece is transported to a machine end of the spinning machine for disposal.

20. The method as in claim 16 , wherein the detached sliver piece is deposited in a collection container with the aid of the pneumatic working element.

21. The method as in claim 20 , wherein the detached sliver piece is transferred from the collection container to an empty can or a transport vehicle.

Assignees

• Rieter Ag Maschf

Inventors

• Pohn Romeo
• Widner Harald
• Fritz Sebastian
• Schoenberger Simon

Classifications

• D01H4/24

  in rotor spinning · CPC title

• D01H4/36

  with means for taking away impurities · CPC title

• D01H5/68

  Suction end-catchers · CPC title

• D01H11/005 Primary

  with blowing and/or suction devices (in general A47L7/00; in cooperation with thread breakage detecting means D01H13/1691) · CPC title

• D01H13/005 Primary

  Service carriages travelling along the machines (characteristics relating to the apparatus supported by the carriage, see relevant groups, e.g. D01H9/005, D01H9/10, D01H13/145, D01H15/00) · CPC title