Compactor device

A compactor device for compacting a sliver that is drawn by a drafting system of a textile machine is provided. In accordance with the invention, it is envisaged that the compactor device is designed as a channel compactor and has a guide channel, designed in the shape of a screw in the running direction of the sliver, wherein the entry opening of the guide channel is widest horizontally and the exit opening of the guide channel is arranged rotated at least 30° with respect to the entry opening.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from PCT International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2018/075750, filed Sep. 24, 2018, which claims priority from German National Patent Application No. 10 2017 122 318.5, filed Sep. 26, 2017, entitled “Verdichtereinrichtung”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention generally relates to a compactor device, more particularly to a compactor device for compacting a sliver that is drawn by a drafting system of a textile machine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Both drafting systems and associated compaction devices have long been well-known in the context of textile machines.

The known drafting systems are arranged in front of each of the spinning units of the textile machine, and they draw a material supplied to them, usually a sliver or roving frame fibre, to a desired fineness. These kinds of drafting systems have several pairs of rollers lying one in front of the other in the running direction of the sliver that rotate at different circumferential speeds and transport the sliver to the associated spinning unit.

Because the circumferential speed of the roller pairs increases in the running direction of the sliver, the sliver is constantly accelerated within the drafting system, thus undergoing a so-called draft warp. With known drafting systems, the total draft of the sliver differs greatly depending on the textile machine in question.

For the drafting systems of air spinning machines, the total draft of the sliver can be up to 180 times, while the drafting systems of pre-spinning machines, for example roving frames, usually work with significantly lower total drafting.

Among other things, the compactness and hairiness of the drafted sliver has a decisive influence on the quality of the yarn material supplied by the drafting system. This means that, when it is running into the drafting system, the sliver has a width that is first reduced to a significantly narrower width during the course of the drafting process. On the outgoing side of the drafting system, in the area of the so-called spinning triangle, there should be a width that is once again significantly lower than the intermediate width of the material running in.

During the drafting process, however, there is the problem that edge fibres are often either not bound in and increased peeling away of fibres occurs, or the edge fibres are bound in a disorganized way, leading to increased hairiness and an increased width of the spinning triangle, and therefore to a reduction in quality of the drafted sliver.

In order to achieve a secure guidance and as good a compacting of the sliver as possible during the drafting of the material in question, the known drafting systems often also have so-called compaction units.

In German Patent Publication DE 10 2011 015 748 A1, for example, a drafting system for a pre-spinning machine is described that has a pre-drafting field, a main drafting field and a downstream compaction zone.

A compaction unit is positioned in the compaction zone, which is described as a condenser component (“Kondenserbauteil”) in German Patent Publication DE 10 2011 015 748 A1. The condenser component has a guide slit that opens upward for the sliver, where the guide slit is significantly higher than it is wide. The condenser component serves to homogenise the thickness of the sliver and reduce the hairiness of the sliver, which means that the quality of the material is improved.

In German Patent Publication DE 10 2013 017 636 A1, in addition, drafting systems for the air spinning units of air spinning machines are known that are fitted with comparable compaction units.

One of the depicted embodiments shows and describes a drafting system that is designed as a so-called four-roller drafting system, and that has a pre-drafting field, a mid-drafting field and a main drafting field.

With this known four-roller drafting system, a pre-compactor is positioned in front of the input roller pair of the drafting system, and a second compactor is positioned in the pre-drafting field. Moreover, the main drafting field of the drafting system is equipped with a third compactor.

For this known drafting system too, the compaction units are designed to reduce the hairiness of the stretched sliver and increase the number of entwined fibres.

A four-roller drafting system for the air spinning units of air spinning machines is also described in German Patent Publication DE 10 2015 110 980 A1.

This known drafting system is also fitted with a special device for improving the quality of the drafted sliver. This means that, with this four-roller drafting system, a false spinning component is positioned in the pre-drafting field of the drafting system, which twists the sliver with alternating twist directions, before it is pulled to the desired yarn fineness in the main draft field and guided to an air spinning unit.

The alternating twisting direction of the sliver is intended to minimize edge fibres being diverted, which occurs in particular due to the air stream in the area of the output rollers of the drafting system, which rotate at a relatively higher speed.

Although the drafting systems described above have different options for improving the quality of a concealed sliver, they can have the problem that, when pulling the sliver, edge fibres occur or the sliver has insufficient compactness, so that on the output side of the drafting system a relatively wide spinning triangle occurs, which cannot be completely alleviated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Given the above-mentioned state of the art, the invention has the task of developing a compactor device or unit for one of the drafting systems positioned in front of the spinning device of a textile machine that is designed so that during the drafting process it is ensured that the width of the sliver to be drafted is reliably minimized both in the main drafting area and in the area of the spinning triangle occurring on the output side of the drafting system.

In accordance with the invention, this task is completed by a compactor device that is designed as a channel compactor and has a guide channel designed in the shape of a screw in the running direction of the sliver, where in the entry opening of the guide channel is widest horizontally and the exit opening of the guide channel is arranged rotated with respect to the entry opening.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are set forth in detail herein.

The design of a channel compactor in accordance with the invention has the particular advantage that the guided sliver, which initially runs in a flat horizontal direction into the entry opening of the guide channel of the channel compactor, is turned somewhat within the channel compactor, temporarily creating a false twist. This means that, when it is running out of the guide channel of the channel compactor, the sliver is rotated so that in the following draft roller pair, the edge fibres are immediately compacted, thereby leading to an initial compacting of the sliver.

This means that, through the compacting of the twisted sliver, the edge fibres are bound in to a high degree, which not only reduces the peeling away of fibres, but also minimizes the width of the spinning triangle, with the result that there is an overall increase in the quality of the material produced.

In the advantageous embodiment, it is envisaged that the rotation angle between the entry opening and the exit opening of the guide channel of the channel compactor is between 30° and 160°, and preferably 90°.

Due to this rotated positioning of the entry and exit opening of the guide channel, the sliver not only temporarily receives a so-called false spin, which leads to a positive stabilisation of the materials, but also preparation is done for further compacting by the downstream drafting rollers.

It has proven especially advantageous if the sliver is twisted by 90°, i.e. if the sliver that is originally running on a horizontal direction in the guide channel of the channel compactor is twisted in a vertical direction and runs into the downstream drafting system roller pair in this direction.

In the most advantageous embodiment it is moreover envisaged that the guide channel has a light cross-section area, which is depicted through two narrowing ellipses extending towards the centre from both sides.

Numerous trials have shown that in such a design, the guide channel cross-section can always ensure an even and secure guidance of the sliver in the depicted screw-shaped guide channel.

The channel compactor is preferably manufactured from an abrasion-resistant plastic in a 3D printing process. Polyamides have proven to be advantageous as plastics, these can be designed in almost any three-dimensional shape using fused deposition modelling. This means that the manufacturing of the channel compactor in a 3D printing process in accordance with the invention represents an advantageous, relatively simple manufacturing method.

The channel compactor in accordance with the invention can be manufactured in another 3D printing process.

Regarding the installation position of the channel compactor in accordance with the invention, various locations are possible.

For drafting systems of textile machines that work with relatively high draft values, such as the drafting systems of air spinning machines, positioning of the channel compactor in accordance with the invention can be advantageous both in the area of the pre-draft field of the drafting system and in the area of the mid-draft field of the drafting system of the air spinning unit.

Such a positioning keeps the distance between the channel compactor and the exit roller pair of the drafting system relatively small, which has a very positive effect on the development of the width of the spinning triangle that occurs at the exit side of the exit roller pair of the drafting system.

In the context of drafting systems for air spinning units, however, it has emerged that positioning the channel compactor in front of the entry roller pair of the drafting system or a simultaneous positioning of several channel compactors at various positions of a drafting system can be very advantageous.

Particularly for the simultaneous positioning of several channel compactors, multiple compacting of the twisted sliver, that is also processed by the roller pair of the drafting system, occurs so that the width of the sliver set in the area of the drafting system and in the area of the spinning triangle is minimized.

Various positions of the channel compactor can be advantageous in accordance with the invention, including for textile machines for which their drafting systems work with relatively low draft values, for example for roving frames.

In tests it emerged that, for example, both a positioning of the channel compactor in front of the entry roller pair of the drafting system as well as a positioning of the channel compactor in the area of the pre-draft field of the drafting system are very advantageous.

It was shown, for example, that with such a positioning of the channel compactor with the drafting systems, roving flyers can be created that are significantly more compact and less hairy than previously known roving fibres.

This means that, with the drafting systems of roving frames in which a channel compactor is arranged front of the entry roller pair of the drafting system in the area of the pre-draft field of the drafting system, roving fibres can be created that have significant advantages during their further processing by ring spinning machines.

These improved roving fibres meant, for example, that spinning triangles were set up at the drafting systems of the ring spinning machines during the spinning process that were significantly lesser in width than the previously standard spinning triangles, which is a good sign for the excellent quality of the drafted sliver.

Also regarding the exact design of the guide channel of the channel compactor, various types of embodiment are possible.

In an initial embodiment type, the guide channel of the channel compactor can, for example, be designed so that it has its maximum width in the area of its horizontally positioned entry opening. This maximum width then reduces through the guide channel and has its final minimum width in the area of the exit opening, which is arranged rotated in a vertical direction compared to the entry opening.

In another advantageous embodiment, the guide channel of the channel compactor has a width in the area of its horizontally positioned entry opening that “grows” throughout the length of the guide channel, having its maximum width in the area of the exit opening, which is arranged rotated in a vertical direction compared to the entry opening.

Which of the above described embodiments is more advantageous can depend on a number of factors, for example the material of the sliver or roving fibres, the desired fineness of the drafted material, the degree of sliver drafting, etc.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1shows a schematic front view of an air spinning machine1. As shown, these types of air spinning machines1have a number of workstations2positioned in a row next to one another between their so-called end stations15,16at their end sides, which are often also designated as spinning positions.

Material is processed on these spinning positions2, for example sliver4stored in a spinning can3. This means that sliver4is spun into a yarn at this spinning position2.

For this purpose, spinning position2has various devices. The spinning positions2each have, for example, a drafting system5, an air spinning unit6, a thread drafting device7, a yarn clearer8and a winding device11.

The drafting system5, which can, for example, be designed as a four-roller drafting system or as a three-roller drafting system, also has a channel compactor in accordance with the invention, which is not represented inFIG. 1for reasons of improved clarity. This channel compactor40is explained below in detail usingFIGS. 2 to 9.

As indicated inFIG. 1, the yarn prepared in the air spinning unit6from sliver4is wound by an associated thread changing device9in cross-wound layers onto a take-up package17, creating a cross-wound package.

The cross-wound package17is held, in the usual way, in a package cradle (not shown) and is rotated during the spinning process by a package drive (also not shown).

As further represented inFIG. 1, the workstations2of the air spinning machine1are supplied by an independently working operating unit12, that can be moved on rails13,14along the workstations depicted as spinning positions2.

TheFIGS. 2, 3 and 4each show a positioning option of a channel compactor40in accordance with the invention positioned in the area of a drafting system5.

In the embodiment examples, the drafting system5, that drafts a sliver4, is depicted as a four-roller drafting system and is arranged in front of an air spinning unit6of an air spinning machine1.

In accordance withFIG. 2, the channel compactor40in accordance with the invention is positioned in the area of the so-called mid-draft field33.

As can be seen, a sliver4that is drawn from a (not shown) spinning can3by an intake roller pair22, which consists of an upper roller18and a lower roller19, is drawn into drafting system5, and is finally transported to air spinning unit6and drafted by means of the additional pairs24,26,28.

The roller pairs24,26,28are each consisting of an upper roller20and a lower roller25, and upper roller21and a lower roller27or an upper roller23and a lower roller29. The upper roller21and the lower roller27each work together with one of the aprons30or31, which are positioned in the area of the so-called main drafting field34. The upper roller23and the lower roller29represent the exit roller pair28of the drafting system5. This means that, in the present four-roller drafting system5, the first two roller pairs22,24represent a pre-drafting field32for the sliver4, looked at in running direction F of the sliver4. The following drafting system section between the roller pair24and the roller pair26form a so-called mid-drafting field33, in which the channel compactor40, designed in accordance with the invention, is also positioned, while the roller pairs26,28, as indicated above, form the main drafting field34of the drafting system5.

As can be seen, the sliver4is transported to air spinning unit6by the roller pairs22,24,26and28.

Because the circumferential speeds of the roller pairs22,24,26,28increase in the running direction F of the sliver, the sliver4is drafted during transport.

The drafting of the sliver4can be up to 180 times its original length.

As is moreover shown inFIG. 2, the air spinning aggregate6has a nozzle device42on its input side, the nozzles43,44of which are connected with a pressurised air source46via a pneumatic line45. A hollow spinning cone47is connected to the nozzle device42, which is surrounded by an air chamber48, which is connected with a low pressure source50via an additional pneumatic line49.

During the spinning operation, the air emerging from the nozzles43,44creates a rotation flow, which hits the drafted sliver4. This means that, through the cooperation of the nozzle device42and spinning cone47, a yarn10is formed in the air spinning unit6that is drawn from the air spinning device6through the hollow spinning cone47.

Further details on the spinning process using this type of air spinning unit6can be found in German Patent Publication DE 199 26 492 A1, for example.

The channel compactor40, designed in accordance with the invention and in accordance with the embodiment example ofFIG. 2, positioned in the area of the mid-drafting field33, ensures that during the drafting process the sliver4, which runs into the drafting system5in a flat horizontal direction, is turned in the channel compactor40in e.g. a vertical direction by means of its screw-shaped guide channel35. The sliver4thereby temporarily receives a false twist, which leads to the compacting of the sliver4on all sides.

This compacting of the sliver4on all sides is not only maintained during the passage of the sliver4through the drafting system5, but rather is enhanced even further in drafting system5.

The embodiment example depicted inFIG. 3differs from the embodiment example depicted inFIG. 2only in the positioning of the channel compactor40in the area of the drafting system5in accordance with the invention.

As can be seen, in the embodiment example inFIG. 3the channel compactor40in accordance with the invention is positioned in the area of the pre-drafting field32of the drafting system5.

Even with such a positioning of the channel compactor40, the sliver4temporarily receives a false twist and is thereby compacted on all sides.

The embodiment example depicted inFIG. 4also essentially differs from the embodiment examples depicted inFIGS. 2 and 3in the positioning of the channel compactor40in the area of the drafting system5in accordance with the invention.

As can be seen, in this embodiment example the channel compactor40in accordance with the invention is positioned in front of the entry roller pair22of the drafting system5. Such a positioning of the channel compactor40means that the sliver4is already turned in, for example, a vertical direction from a flat horizontal position before it enters drafting system5.

Even with a positioning of the channel compactor40in front of the entry roller pair22of the drafting system5, the sliver4temporarily receives a false twist and is thereby compacted on all sides.

The further integration of the edge fibres into the sliver4that is associated with the compacting of the vertically positioned sliver4not only leads to an improvement in the quality of the sliver4running into the air spinning unit, but also leads to a significant reduction in the peeling away of fibres that occurs during the spinning process.

FIG. 5shows a strongly schematic side view of a workstation of a pre-spinning machine, in the represented embodiment example, the workstation of a so-called roving frame51.

As is generally known, slivers4that are not rotated are drafted using roving frames such as roving frame51, and thereby processed into roving threads that already have some yarn rotation.

These roving threads with some yarn rotation are then spun into fine yarns in textile machines further downstream in the production process, for example ring spinning machines.

As depicted, the workstations of such roving frames51usually have two rotatable roving frame flyers53in one flyer bench52, which are usually supplied by an upstream three-roller drafting system5.

In the present embodiment example, there is also a channel compactor40in accordance with the invention positioned in the area of the pre-drafting field32of the drafting system5.

As can be seen, a sliver4that is drawn from a (not shown) spinning can3by an intake roller pair22, which consists of an upper roller18and a lower roller19, is drawn into drafting system5, and is finally transported to drafting system5and drafted by means of the additional roller pairs26,28of drafting system5.

As is standard, the roller pairs26,28are each composed of a top roller21or23and a bottom roller27or29whereby, looked at in the running direction F of the sliver4, the first two roller pairs22,26form a pre-drafting field32, in which a channel compactor40is positioned and is designed in accordance with the invention.

The roller pairs26,28form the connected main drafting field34of the drafting system5, whereby the roller pair28also represents the exit roller pair28of the drafting system5.

The sliver4is transported through the roller pairs22,26and28to the roving frame flyer53, which is located on a rotatable flyer bench52, and is thereby drafted, because the circumferential speeds of the roller pairs22,26,28increase in the running direction F of the sliver4.

The rotating roving frame flyer51also ensures that the drafted sliver is twisted slightly, i.e. it becomes a so-called shaped roving frame fibre.

As with the drafting systems for air spinning units, the channel compactor40, positioned in the area of the pre-draft field32in accordance with the invention, also ensures that the sliver4, which is initially running into the drafting system5in a flat horizontal direction, is twisted in, for example, a vertical direction when it runs through the channel compactor40.

It does this by means of its screw-shaped guide channel35. The sliver4thereby temporarily receives a false twist, which leads to the compacting of the sliver4on all sides.

This compacting of the sliver4on all sides is not only maintained as the sliver4is running through the drafting system5, but rather in the area of the roller pairs26,28a compacting of the vertically positioned sliver4occurs with the result that there is further increased integration of the edge fibres into the sliver4.

The roving frame thread is significantly more compact and less hairy than previously known roving frame threads, which means that the roving frame thread can be better processed during the subsequent work process on a ring spinning machine. This means that, during the processing of such compact and less hairy roving frame threads, spinning triangles occur on the spinning positions of the ring spinning machines that are minimised as regards their width, which represents a significant improvement in the quality of the roving frame threads.

FIG. 6shows, on a larger scale and in a perspective view, an initial embodiment of a channel compactor40in accordance with the invention, which preferably is manufactured in a 3D printing process from an abrasion-resistant plastic.

As can be seen, the channel compactor40has a guide channel35with an entry opening36and an exit opening37, whereby the entry opening36, is positioned horizontally in the casing of the channel compactor40.

This means that the entry opening36of the channel compactor40has its greatest width horizontally, when the channel compactor40is attached to the relevant drafting system construction, for example by means of locking devices41.

In this mounted state a sliver4, the running direction of which is labelled with F inFIG. 5, can run into the guide channel35of the channel compactor40in a flat, horizontal direction through the entry opening36.

Because the exit opening37is positioned at an angle α with respect to the entry opening36, in the embodiment example ofFIGS. 6, 7, 8 and 9at 90°, the sliver4is also twisted when running through the channel compactor40and has a vertical direction after running out of channel compactor40.

According to the embodiment examples inFIGS. 6 and 7, the guide channel35has a light cross-section area, which is formed by two narrowing ellipses38extending towards the centre from both sides. This means that there are flange-like protrusions39between the ellipses38.

Such a design ensures an even, secure guiding of the sliver4through the channel compactor40during its passage.

FIG. 7shows a front view of the channel compactor40in accordance with the invention pursuant toFIG. 6.

As can clearly be seen here, the exit opening37is positioned at an angle of a with respect to the entry opening36. The angle α has a measurement in the embodiment example of, for example, 90°. However, other angles between, for example, 30° and 160° are also possible.

FIGS. 8 and 9show further possible embodiments of a channel compactor40according to the invention.

FIG. 8shows a channel compactor40, the guide channel35of which has a maximum width of B in the area of its horizontally positioned entry opening36. As, can be seen, this maximum width B then reduces throughout the guide channel35and has its final minimum width of B−X in the area of the exit opening37, which is arranged rotated in a vertical direction compared to the entry opening36.

FIG. 9shows a channel compactor40, which is comparable in principle. In this embodiment, the guide channel35of the channel compactor40has a minimum width of B1in the area of its horizontally positioned entry opening36.

This minimum width B1then reduces through the guide channel35and has its final maximum width B1+X in the area of the exit opening37, which is arranged rotated in a vertical direction compared to the entry opening36.

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