Spinning machine maintenance unit with fly catching needle

A servicing device is provided for a spinning machine which includes a plurality of spinning stations, which servicing device is moveable along the spinning stations and adjustably disposed adjacent to each. The servicing device is outfitted with at least one fly catching needle connected to a rotational drive unit. The fly catching needle is arranged at a holder which is moveably mounted and provided with a driving unit so that it is adjustable along one or several predetermined paths to predetermined parts of the spinning unit and especially plural positions of a drafting unit or frame.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to a maintenance unit which is moveably disposed 
along a spinning machine and adjustably positioned at the respective 
spinning units thereof and which includes at least one fiber end 
impurities or fly catching needle connected to a rotational driving unit. 
A maintenance device is known from German published unexamined application 
(DE-OS) No. 28 04 606 which includes a fiber fly catching needle drivingly 
connected to a rotational drive unit. The fiber fly catching needle is 
arranged in a stationary guide of the maintenance unit in this known 
construction and is designed to extend into the region of the driving 
elements or the like during the operation of the maintenance unit. In 
order to remove the captured impurities that are collected on the fiber 
fly catching needle during the operational movements, the same is movably 
returned in this stationary guide so that stripping elements there 
arranged strip off the impurities from the fiber fly catching needle. 
Although it is mentioned that the fiber fly catching needle should also be 
arranged for the cleaning of the drafting unit, it is however not possible 
by this known maintenance unit because the drafting device exhibits 
protruding construction parts in the travel direction of the fiber fly 
catching needle so that it cannot extend to the regions of the drafting 
unit to be cleaned. A maintenance device that can accommodate such 
cleaning of a drafting unit is not known in the practice at this time. 
In practice, hand cleaning devices are used which include fiber fly 
catching needles and which are adjusted to the regions to be cleaned by 
the maintenance person. With this type of hand cleaning devices, the 
cleaning effect is dependent very much on the carefulness of the 
maintenance person so that the desired cleaning results can not be 
achieved in all cases. 
The invention is based upon the problem to construct a maintenance unit of 
the above mentioned kind that makes possible an effective cleaning 
especially of the drafting units which are exposed especially to fiber fly 
impurities. 
This problem is thereby solved in that the fiber fly catching needle is 
held with a holder which is moveable in at least two directions and is 
outfitted with at least two controllable drives for adjustable movement of 
the fiber fly catching needle to several position of a spinning unit. 
Through this construction it is possible to adjustably move the maintenance 
unit to a spinning position or unit and to carry out an automatic and 
effective cleaning, especially of the dfafting unit of the spinning unit. 
The fiber fly catching needle can thereby be effectively adjusted to the 
regions to be cleaned, especially such regions of a drafting unit, so that 
a reliable cleaning is achieved. 
In advantageous forms of the invention it is provided that the drive for 
the holder is connected to a program switching unit which is programmed 
with at least one predetermined travel path of the adjusting movement of 
the fiber fly catching needle. The fiber fly catching needle and this 
arrangement carries out an exact predetermined movement at the spinning 
unit to be cleaned so that all of the parts or positions to be cleaned are 
reliably reached. Thereby it can be provided that the program switch 
exhibits different movement paths for different maintenance cycles so that 
also very different regions of the spinning station can be cleaned by a 
corresponding maintenance cycle. Thereby it is possible to carry out the 
cleaning at an operating spinning unit. 
It is also however contemplated by certain preferred embodiments of the 
invention to integrate the fly catching needle with its holding device in 
a maintenance unit for other maintenance procedures, for example in a 
start spinning or piecing device, so that then with the corresponding 
maintenance procedure, if the maintenance unit is adjusted to a spinning 
unit, also the cleaning process by the fiber fly catching needle can be 
carried out. 
According to further advantageous features of certain preferred embodiments 
of the invention it is provided that the maintenance unit includes at 
least one suction nozzle adjustably moveable to the spinning unit. With 
this suction nozzle, the cleaning can be intensified. In certain 
embodiments of the invention it is provided that the maintenance unit 
includes at least one air pressure nozzle adjustably moveable to the 
spinning units. With the help of this air pressure nozzle the cleaning 
process can be further intensified. With an advantageous embodiment of the 
invention it is thereby provided that the suction nozzle and/or air 
pressure nozzle is arranged at the holder for the fiber fly catching 
needle and is adjustably moveable together therewith. 
Further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will 
become more apparent from the following description when taken with the 
accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, 
several embodiments in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
The invention is here explained in connection with a winding yarn type 
spinning machine. It is however to be noted that the invention is usable 
in connection also with other kinds of spinning machines, especially if 
the spinning units of the spinning machines include drawing/drafting 
frames or units, for example as occurs with ring spinning machines and 
with air jet spinning machines. 
Five spinning units or stations 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of a winding yarn spinning 
machine can be seen in FIG. 1. Further there is illustrated a maintenance 
device 6 which is moveable along the spinning machine in the directions A 
and B along a travel rail 7 with running wheels 8 and 9, of which at least 
one of which wheels is driven. Above the spinning units 1-5 there is 
arranged a travel rail 10 supporting travel wheels 11, 12, 13 and 14. The 
travelling maintenance unit 6 is adjustable to the respective spinning 
units and carries out maintenance work at these spinning units, for 
example the spinning unit 3 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. 
Each of the spinning units 1-5 includes a hollow spindle 15 which is 
rotatably borne in a bearing housing 16. The hollow spindles 15 are driven 
by means a tangential belt 18 engaging the ends 17 thereof extending 
downwardly below the bearing housings 16. The tangential belt 18 extends 
in the machine longitudinal direction and is driven in the direction of 
the arrow C to drive all of the hollow spindles 15 at a machine side. The 
fiber band or sliver 35, which is a drafted in the drafting unit 22, is 
guided into the inlet end of the hollow spindle 15. Binding or winding 
yarn 21 is also guided into the inlet end of spindle 15. The inlet end of 
hollow spindle 15 includes a twisting unit 19. The winding yarn 21 is 
drawn off from the winding yarn spool 20 on the hollow spindle 15. The 
produced wound yarn 36 is drawn off out of the end of hollow spindle 15 
respective pressure rollers 38 at a lower cylinder 37 and is then wound at 
a cross spool 40 which is driven by a groove roller 41 which in turn is 
driven by a shaft 42 extending in the machine longitudinal direction. 
Each drafting unit 22 includes lower cylinders 23, 24 and 25 which extend 
through in the machine longitudinal direction and are driven in a not 
further illustrated manner. Pressure rollers 26, 27 and 28 are arranged at 
the lower cylinders 23, 24 and 25, which pressure rollers are held in 
bearing and loading arms 31 that are prestressed with loading springs. The 
bearing and loading arm 31 is pivotable about a holding rod 32 extending 
in the machine longitudinal direction. Each drafting unit is furthermore 
arranged at an inlet funnel 33 fastened at a common rod 34 extending in 
the machine longitudinal direction. The lower cylinder 24 is provided with 
a respectively lower belt 29. A corresponding upper belt 30 is arranged at 
the pressure roller 27. 
As can be seen in FIG. 1, the pressure rollers 26, 27 and 28 are normally 
formed as so called pressure roller twins which are held by the 
intermittently disposed bearing and loading arms 31. In winding yarn 
machines it is normal because of the relative large machine parts that 
oftentimes a row of the pressure rollers 26, 27 and 28 are not used and 
run empty as is illustrated in FIG. 1 for the respective left hand 
illustrated row. 
The maintenance unit 6 includes two fiber fly catching needles 43, 44 which 
are configured for the cleaning of the drafting units 22 respectively of 
respective ones of the spinning units 1-5. According to a first embodiment 
it is provided that fiber fly catching needles 43 and 44, including the 
holding device 47 described below, are components of a maintenance unit, 
with which maintenance unit at least one further maintenance process work 
is carried out, for example the yarn piecing after a yarn break. According 
to another embodiment it is provided that the maintenance unit 6 only 
includes the fiber fly catching needles 43 and 44 and is only designed for 
the cleaning of drafting units 22. In each case it is however provided 
that the maintenance unit 6 is adjustably moveable to the corresponding 
spinning unit, whereafter the fiber fly catching needles 43 and 44 can 
carry out their function. Thereby it is either provided that the 
corresponding spinning unit is stopped during the cleaning or that the 
cleaning is carried out with an operating spinning unit. The fiber fly 
catching needles 43 and 44, which preferably are made out of an elastic 
material, are adjustably moveable with their tips 45', 69 to the region to 
be cleaned. They are driven rotationally so that the captured fiber fly or 
the like is turned together to form a kind of thread which can be drawn 
off. The fiber fly catching needles 43 and 44 carry out a predetermined 
path at each spinning unit 1-5 by which they are adjustably moveable to 
the parts or the regions to be cleaned, as is more clearly explained below 
with respect to FIG. 3. 
The fiber fly catching needles 43 and 44 are rotatably borne in a bearing 
45 and are rotationally driven by an electric motor 46. The bearing 45 is 
arranged at a holding rod 51 which is guided in a holder 53 at a 
horizontally extending bent arm of rod 51. The arm guided in the holder 53 
is provided with a toothed rod section 51A which is engageable in a pinion 
54 of an electric motor 50 fastened to the holder 53. By means of the 
electric motor 50, the bearing 45, with the fiber fly catching needles 43 
or 44 held therein, is moveable in the horizontal direction 
perpendicularly to the machine longitudinal direction. The holder 53 is 
guided in a further holder 56 for vertical movement by means of a vertical 
rod 55. The rod 55 protruding out of the holder 56 is provided with a 
toothed rod section 55A which drivingly engages in the driving pinion 57 
of an electric motor 48, which electric motor 48 is fastened at the holder 
56. By means of the electric motor 48 the fiber fly catching needles 43 or 
45 are adjustably moveable in the vertical direction. The holder 56 is 
slideably guided in a not further illustrated manner in a guide of the 
maintenance unit 6 in the horizontal direction in the machine longitudinal 
direction. The holder 56 is provided with a tooth rod-type tooth section 
in which a pinion 58 of an electric motor 49 engages, which is arranged in 
the maintenance unit 6. Thereby the holder 56 is slideable or movable in 
the machine longitudinal direction. 
As a modification of the illustrated embodiment it can be further provided 
according to the invention that the bearing 45, in which the fiber fly 
catching needles 43 and 44 are borne, is pivotably borne at the arm 51 for 
movement about a vertical axis, whereby this pivotable movement is 
controlled through a further motor. The electric motors 48, 49 and 50, as 
well as also the driving motor 46 for the rotational drive of the fly 
catching needles 43 or 44, are operatively connected at a control unit 52 
of the maintenance unit 6. The control unit 52 controls the on and off 
switching of the driving motor 46, as well as the activation of the 
electric motors 48, 49 and 50, according to a predetermined program so 
that the fiber fly catching needles 43 and 44 follow a predetermined path 
in the region of the drafting unit 22. In order to establish a program of 
this type it can be provided according to especially preferred embodiments 
that the fly catching needles 43 or 44 are adjustably moveable by hand to 
the regions to be cleaned of the drafting unit 22 in the desired manner 
and in the desired order. The control unit 52 is provided with means to 
store the movement path of this manually carried out movement so that then 
upon command this movement pattern or previously programmed path can be 
fully automatically carried out. Thereby it is possible to store different 
programs in the control unit 52 for different cleaning paths so that 
different possibilities or different maintenance intervals can be carried 
out. For example one of these programs can be provided so that only the 
region of the lower belt 29 and upper belt 30 is cleaned by this cleaning 
interval, this means that the fiber fly catching needles 43 or 44 are 
automatically adjustably moveable only to these regions. Another program 
can for example be provided that accommodates the cleaning of the inlet 
upper roller 26 and the lower cylinder 23 belonging thereto. Further it is 
contemplated to have different separate programs for cleaning the 
respective bearings of the lower cylinders 23, 24 or 25 as well as for 
cleaning the left- or the right-side of the drafting unit 22. Each time 
when the maintenance unit 6 is return adjusted to the same spinning unit 
another program can be carried out. Thereby it is also contemplated that 
after a machine stoppage, for example after switching off for a weekend, 
the maintenance unit 6 can travel one time or several times along the 
machine carrying out a complete cleaning program at each spinning station. 
Details of the computerized control unit 52, including the manually 
programmable paths for the fiber fly catching needles, are dispensed with 
herein so as not to obscure the present invention. One skilled in the art, 
given the present disclosure, could select and program available 
computerized control units to carry out the disclosed steps, without undue 
experimentation. For example, computerized control systems for machine 
tools and engineering drawing machines could be simply adapted to carry 
out these steps based on the state of the art and the present disclosure. 
As can be seen in FIG. 3, and as only schematically depicted in FIG. 2, 
there is an illustrated embodiment provided wherein respective suction 
nozzles 63 and 66 as well as blowing nozzles 65 and 67 are arranged 
adjacent the fiber fly catching needles 43 and 44. A single holding device 
is provided for these suction nozzles 63, 66 and blowing nozzles 65 and 
67, which holding device in any event facilitates a controlled movement 
path. For example, in the illustrated embodiment it is provided that the 
suction and blowing nozzles 63, 65, 66, 67 are arranged at the holding arm 
51 which carries the bearing 45 for the fiber fly catching needles 43 and 
44. 
In FIG. 3 there is illustrated a drafting unit 22 in enlarged form, by 
means of which, as a contrast to the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, each 
side of the drafting unit guides and processes a sliver 35. As is depicted 
with dash-dotted lines, there is a predetermined path 68 provided for the 
fiber fly catching needle 43 along which path the tip 45' of the fly 
catching needle 43 travels. Path 68 begins for example in the region of 
the lower belt 29 and the upper belt 30 and extends then in the direction 
to the inlet funnel 33 with several adjusting movements and finally 
returns parallel to the bearing and loading arms 31. Thereby it is 
advantageous according to the invention to also have movements in the 
vertical direction with respect to the plane of the drawing, which 
movements are not visible in the FIG. 3 illustration. 
The second fiber fly catching needle 44 is so-constructed that it travels 
along a path 70 with its tip 69, which path 70 is a mirror image of the 
path 68 of the tip 45' of the fiber fly catching needle 43. It should be 
understood that is also contemplated to provide the maintenance unit 6 
with only one fiber fly catching needle and a corresponding holder 47 
which can sequentially travel along both of the paths illustrated in FIG. 
3. 
As a modification to the illustrated embodiment, it is provided according 
to other preferred embodiments that instead of the drive by means of 
electric motors for the individual holders and guides for the fiber fly 
catching needles 43 and 44, pneumatic and especially hydraulic drives are 
provided. Further embodiments are also contemplated by the invention 
wherein, instead of pure translatory movement, also rotational movement or 
combined movements by means of a suitable holding device is facilitated. 
Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in 
detail, it is to be clearly understood that the same is by way of 
illustration and example only, and is not to be taken by way of 
limitation. The spirit and scope of the present invention are to be 
limited only by the terms of the appended claims.