RING SPINNER

Abstract: A method of guiding yarn during winding to a storage package (7), the method including the steps of: providing ring and track means adapted to reciprocate vertically in parallel with a spindle on which a storage package (7) is to be wound; dimensioning the ring means (14) relative to the track means (15) so that it is constrained thereby over a major part of the ring's circumference while moving clear of the track over a minor part of its circumference; running a yarn (4) being spun and wound onto a package through the gap between the ring and track means whilst the ring (14) is rotating on or in the track (15) to thereby wind the spun yarn onto the package whilst automatically clearing the track of accumulating fibre debris and other contaminants. The invention further provides a means for guiding yarn (4) during winding to a storage package (7), the means including a ring (14) dimensioned to rotate and reciprocate relative to a track (15), the track being dimensioned and orientated to retain the ring so that a major part of the ring's circumference whilst it is moving is retained by thetrack with a minor part of its circumference exposed, the arrangement being such that, in use, in a spinning machine a yarn being spun and wound onto a package runs substantially unimpeded through the gap between the ring (14) and the track (15) while the ring is rotating in or on the track.

Description: RING SPINNER The present invention relates to the manufacture of yarns, threads or like material. More particularly the invention relates to a processing system and apparatus for the production of spun yarns of conventional structure in which twist is the primary medium for consolidation and binding together the constituent fibres forming the yarn. The yarn may be composed of staple fibres or continuous filaments; in the former case twist is used primarily to develop inter- fibre frictional forces upon which the tensile strength of the yarn depends. The yarn may further be composed of two or more, previously spun singles yarns which are plied together with twist to form a plied or cabled yarn. The most common method of producing yarns from staple fibres is by means of ring spinning machines , more commonly known as ring frames. The method of ring spinning includes the concurrent steps of feeding an assembly of staple fibres such as a sliver, or roving or a slubbing, having little or no twist, drafting that sliver, roving or slubbing in a drafting zone, feeding the drafted strand at a controlled rate and inserting twist into that strand at a controlled rate by virtue of rotation of a spindle, and winding the yarn so spun onto a yarn storage package, mounted on the rotating spindle, and guiding that yarn during winding by means of a ring and traveller mechanism. PCI7GB90/00618 910 ^ In ring spinning machines the ring is mounted in a movable plate such that it is concentric with the axis of the spindle. During the spinning operation the plate is caused to reciprocate parallel with the spindle. The plate moves i small increments in one direction, parallel to the spindle, to form the well known cop build of the yarn storage package The yarn is threaded through a traveller which is free to ru around the ring, to which the traveller is constrained by virtue of its shaped design. The traveller is caused to run around the ring by yarn tension which has a nett component acting tangentially to the circle of the ring at a rotationa frequency less than the rotational frequency of the spindle. The primary function of the traveller is to guide and contro the yarn in its passage to the storage package on the spindle, and thus by virtue of the reciprocating motion of ring rail, to effect an orderly and convenient package build The rotational speed of the traveller varies continuously throughout the spinning cycle, its instantaneous speed is determined by the rotational speed of the spindle, the diameter of the yarn storage package at the point of windin and the speed of delivery to the system of a drafted strand. It is usual to lubricate the surface of the ring with oil o a similar lubricant in order to minimise the drag imposed upon the traveller by frictional contact and the localised heating this may cause. Nevertheless there is a practical 2910 limit to the speed at which a traveller may run around the ring, to avoid overheating and to ensure an adequate and practical life for both the traveller and its associated ring. This practical limit is commonly held to be 30 m/sec linear speed for travellers made from steel and 37 m/sec for travellers made from nylon, substantially irrespective of th diameter of the ring, and this limitation of the traveller forms the primary limitation on production speed for a spindle. Whilst the ring and traveller mechanism is generally effective for its intended purpose, there are often significant disadvantages to the system since travellers become worn both at the points of contact with the ring and the point of contact with yarn, and therefore need to be replaced on a regular basis, and travellers need to be selected according to count of yarn spun, so a change of counts may necessitate a change of travellers. One known method and apparatus which attempts to overcome some of the limitations of ring and traveller mechanisms provides a ring which itself is free to rotate with a bearing, or which may be positively driven, such that the relative speed of the traveller to the ring is reduced, or, being added to by the rotational speed of the ring, the absolute speed of the traveller can be increased, thereby increasing the speed of production of yarn. However, 910 equipment of this type is relatively expensive to manufactur and consumes relatively more power in operation, and has thu not found favour in industry. An example of this type of technology is described in E.P. No 225 660 of Marchioro et a which disclosed a variant of rotating ring in which the freely sliding traveller is replaced by a system of fixed yarn guides. The design of this mechanism offers a small diameter ring, which consumes less power, and low yarn tension in the balloon. It also, however, has the attendant disadvantageous complications of threading-up and doffing full packages. The principles of another method which aims to overcome the disadvantages of the ring and traveller mechanism were first described by Thorpe in an 1828 U.K. Patent and latterly in U.S.P. 3,172,249 of Thomas and Wood, and which provides a ring which is free to rotate around a stationary track in which it is supported. The track comprises a wall against which the ring rolls whilst rotati in its own plane, and flanges which serve to confine the ri to motion within its own plane. The ring and track are dimensioned such that there is a gap between the outer periphery of the ring and the inner periphery of the track through which a yarn may pass. During operation the ring is driven by the yarn tension and is caused to roll around the track as the yarn balloon rotates. This mechanism offers t advantages that it does not depend upon the use of a traveller, and the energy requirements to drive the ring ar low. The design of mechanism disclosed by Thomas and Wood, 910 however, has the major disadvantage in that extraneous matt such as fibre debris, dirt and fatty matter or finishes on the yarn are prone to accumulate and become trapped in the track, particularly when staple fibres are spun. The accumulated debris can affect the operation of the ring to the extent of causing the yarn to be broken. A further disadvantage of the Thomas and Wood design is in the frictional drag between the ring and its track at the points where the ring is re-entering the track and where th ring is emerging from the track. The instantaneous force exerted upon the ring by yarn tension can be resolved into three mutually perpendicular forces acting at the point of contact between the yarn and the ring. A first component o force, tangential to the ring, causes the yarn to slide around the circumference of the ring; a second component of force lying in the plane of the ring, drives the ring in it rotation around the track; and a third component, perpendicular to the plane of the ring, lifts the ring against the upper flange of the track, generating a high level of frictional drag between the ring and track, especially at the points of entry and emergence of the ring This frictional drag increases with yarn tension which, in turn, increases with the speed of the spindle, and thus imposes a limitation on the production speed. PCI7GB90/00618 An object of the present invention is to provide a method an apparatus which does not depend upon the use of a traveller or upon a rotating ring supported in a bearing and subtendin fixed yarn guides, the operation of which is unaffected by fibre debris, dirt and other extraneous matter normally associated with the raw materials used in the spinning operation, and which offers minimal frictional drag in operation. Futher objects and advantages of the invention are to provid means of guiding spun yarn during winding on to a storage package mounted on the spindle which absorbs little energy, and therefore has little influence upon yarn tension, which is simple and convenient to thread-up, which does not interfere with the package doffing operation and which includes means to automatically eliminate contaminant materials. According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of guiding yarn during winding to a stora package, the method including the steps of: providing ring and track means adapted to reciprocate vertically in parallel with a spindle on which a storage package is to be wound; 10 ~ dimensioning the ring means relative to the track means so that it is constrained thereby over a major part of the ri circumference while moving clear of the track over a minor part of its circumference; running a yarn being spun and wound onto a package through the gap between the ring and track means whilst the ring is rotating on or in the track to thereby wind the spun yarn onto the package whilst automatically clearing the track o accumulating fibre debris and other contaminants. According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a means for guiding yarn during winding to a stor package, the means including a ring dimensioned to rotate reciprocate relative to a track, the track being dimension and orientated to retain the ring so that a major part of rings circumference whilst it is moving is retained by the track with a minor part of its circumference exposed, the arrangement being such that, in use, in a spinning machine yarn being spun and wound onto a package runs substantiall unimpeded through the gap between the ring and the track while the ring is rotating in or on the track. The track can include apertures through which fibre debris and other contaminants can pass freely and without interfering with the normal operation of the ring, or the 10 % track can be designed without a recess or recesses in which debris may become lodged. The track can be circular in plan and formed by opposed radially extending flanges, with either one or both flanges including apertures through which fibre debris and other contaminants are ejected, or can be formed as a simple annulus. The ring can be formed as a plain cylinder, designed to run within a confining track, cr with a U-shape cross-section, designed to confine itself with respect to annular track. The ring and track can both be farmed as sections of a sphere or in such a way as to approximate to sections of a sphere. The ring can rotate b rolling on the track whilst simultaneously reciprocating in its plane whilst its plane lies at an angle rotating relati to the axis of the spindle. There are several possible designs of ring and track which fulfill the conditions of the invention. The present invention will now be described with reference the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 depicts diagrammatically in cross-section the basi elements of a type of ring spinning machine, operating in a collapsed balloon mode; PCI7GB90/00618 910 Figure 2 shows a detailed cross-section of the means shown Figure 1; depicting one preferred design of ring and track. Figure 3 shows in plan a means according to the invention f eliminating fibre debris and other contaminants shown, as part of the means shown in Figures 1 and 2, mounted on a ri rail of a ring spinning machine; Figure 4 shows spaced apart the region A shown in Figure 3. Figures 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 show other alternative preferred designs of ring and track. Referring now to Figure 1 a sliver, roving or slubbing 1 is drafted in a drafting system 2 (not specified) and delivere by front drafting rollers 3 as a strand 4, which passes via pigtail guide 5, a finger or other balloon collapsing means 20 and a ring guidance mechanism 6 and onto a storage packa 7 on a spindle 8. The ring means is supported on a ring ra 9 which reciprocates vertically and incrementally moves in parallel with the spindle 8 to effect the build of the package 7. The spindle 8 is driven via tape 10 driving against a pulley 11 forming part of the spindle blade, and mounted in a bearing 12 carried in a spindle rail 13. Referring now to Figures 2 and 4 the strand of yarn 4 is guided by a ring 14 around which it passes on route to the \0 yarn storage package 7. The ring 14 runs in a track 15 whic is supported relative to the ring rail 9. The track 15 consists of a wall 16, against which the ring 14 is caused t contact, and flanges 17 which confine the ring 14 in a fixed plane. The ring 14 has an outside diameter intermediate the distance between the diameter of the wall 16 of the track 15 and the inside of the flanges 17, such that the ring 14 is always constrained between the flanges 17 over a major part of its circumference whilst moving clear of the flanges 17 over a minor part of its circumference. Thus there is created a gap between the ring 14 and its track 15 through which the yarn 4 may pass unimpeded. In operation the balloon formed in yarn 4 rotates with, but lagging the motio of, the spindle 8, and slides around the periphery of the ring 14. The forces on the ring 14, due to the tensions in the sections of the yarn 4 upstream and downstream of the contact point with the ring 14, and frictional drag of the yarn on the ring 14, cause the ring 14 to roll around the wall 16 in the track 15. Referring to Figure 4, the plane of the ring 14 and the plan of the track 15, at any radial point are substantially parallel and inclined at an angle 0 to the plane of ring rai 9. The angle 0 may lie in the range 0° to 45°. Preferably the ring 14 and the track 15 are sections of a sphere, such that the ring 14 slides around and with the track 15 with a smooth motion similar to the action of a ball-and-socket 910 II universal joint, or a close approximation to spherical sections. The ring 14 then rolls within its track 15 with complex motion comprising rolling around the wall 16 of the track, whilst being confined between the flanges 17, and reciprocating parallel to the axis of the spindle 8 with its plane at a rotating angle 0 to the axis of the spindle 8. By constructing the ring 14 and the track 15 as sections of sphere, frictional drag of the ring in its track is substantially reduced since the force exerted upon the ring 14 by yarn tension is resultantly approximately parallel wi the instantaneous direction of motion of the ring 14 at the point of emergence of the ring 14 from its track 15 during operation. Because of the difference between the diameter of the ring and the track wall 16, the mass of ring 14 can be observed rotate with the opposite sense to that of the rotation of t spindle 8, the speed of rotation of the ring 14 being a sma fraction of the speed of rotation of the spindle 8, whilst the centre-of-mass of the ring 14 is observed to rotate in the same sense as the spindle 8 and at the rotational speed of the balloon in the yarn 4. The ring 14, therefore, has motion two components of rotational energy which are opposi in sense and substantially equal in magnitude. The nett energy consumption of the ring 4 is thus only the energy required to overcome sliding friction of the ring 4 between 910 the flanges 17, aerodynamic friction, and the frictional dr of the yarn 4 against the ring 14. Thus it is possible to run the ring 14 at high speed with little consumption of energy and little heating of the components since the speed of sliding between the ring 14 and its track 15 is low. Th speed of sliding of the yarn 4 on the ring 14 is high, but local heating is negligible because of the large contact we surface of ring 14. Referring now to Figure 3 the track 15 is in this example subtended from the ring-rail 9 in a plane perpendicular to the axis of, and concentric with, the spindle 8. For the purpose of threading the yarn 4 into the gap between the ri 14 and the track 15 a slot 18, which can be oblique to the plane of the ring 14, is cut through the track 15, the slot 18 being wide enough that the yarn can pass through easily, but not so wide as to significantly disturb the smooth rolling motion of the ring 14. In the vicinity of the slot 18, and also at other points around the track 15, the flanges 17 may be relieved by recesses 19, extending over a short arc of each flange 17, the depth of the track wall 16. The purpose of the recesses 19 is to provide a means of escape for fibre debris and oth contaminants which may collect within the confines of the track 15. 2910 IS The rolling motion of the ring 14 in the track 15 produces a air-pump action by virtue of air being pushed ahead of the ring 14 and confined between the ring 14 and the wall 16 and the flanges 17 of the track 15. Air is then pumped out at the recesses 19 in flanges 17 of the track 15, carrying with it fibre debris and other contaminants which may have entere the track 15. It is obvious that an aperture or apertures could be provided also in the wall 16 of the track 15 for th purpose of providing an escape means for contaminants, but this is not preferred since it is preferred to retain the wall 16 whole to ensure the smooth rolling action of the rin 14 against the track wall 16. Figure 5 shows an alternative preferred design of ring and track in which the cross-sectional shapes of the ring 14 an the track 15 are interchanged. By this design the ring 14 now runs on the track 15, the track is within the ring and the possibility of build-up of contaminants is obviated sin debris accumulating on the track 15 is continuously thrown clear of the working surfaces of the track 15 by the rollin and sliding action of the ring 14, whilst debris accumulati within the slot in the ring 14 is continuously ejected by centrifugal force deriving from the high speed of rolling o the ring 14. Figure 6 shows another design of ring and track in which th ring 14 runs in an outward facing track 15, the inside 90/12910 diameter of the ring 14 now being greater than the diameter of the wall 16 of the track 15. This offers the advantage that in operation, in rolling around the track wall 16, the ring 14 now rotates in the same direction as the spindle 8 5 . and the balloon made by the yarn 4, reducing the speed of f* * sliding of the yarn 4 around the periphery of the ring 14 and hence further reducing the frictional drag. It will be appreciated that in this design also the cross-sectional shapes of the ring 14 and the tank 15 may be interchanged. Figure 7 shows yet another alternative design of ring and track in which the track 15 serves only to restrain the ring 14 in the direction parallel to the axis of the spindle 8. The ring 14 now runs on the surface of the yarn storage package 7 (or the empty package centre at the start of the spinning cycle) which allows that the yarn guiding point 21, which is the periphery of the ring 14, remains at a constant distance, equal to the width of the ring 14, from the surfac of the yarn storage package 8, which, in turn, allows for th angle made by the yarn 4 in its passage from the guiding point 21 to the surface of the storage package 8, to the tangent to the ring 14 at the guiding point 21, to be substantially constant throughout the package build, thus providing for a substantially constant level of frictional -drag throughout the spinning cycle between the yarn 4 and th ring 14. It will again be understood that the cross- 910 14 sectional shapes of the ring 14 and the track 15 may be interchanged in this design. The track 15 and its associated ring 14 can be made from stainless steel or other suitably hard and durable material. The track 15 and the ring 14 can alternatively be made of different materials such as steel and plastic respectively minimise sliding frictional forces and the need for lubrication. Similarly the ring 14 is preferably highly polished and suitably profiled to minimise the forces of sliding friction between itself and the yarn 4. The track 15 can also incorporate a lubrication system to lubricate the sliding motion between itself and t ring 14. Such lubrication can be supplied by spinning lubricant from the yarn 14 itself or by means of a separate wick system similar to that commonly used on existing ring spinning machines. Figure 8 shows in cross-section another preferred design of ring and track in which the cross-sectional shape of the ri 14 is an L-section. The ring runs in a track of U-section having flanges 17 to confine the ring within its plane of rotation. The ring now runs on its track with the face 22 of the ring 14 running against the face 23 of one of the flanges 17. This offers the advantage that the face of the ring working against the track is now separate from the face of the ring against which the yarn slides, whilst the yarn 4 contacts PCI7GB90/00618 10 only the nose 25 of the ring 14. By this design is precluded the possibility that the highly polished finish o the nose 25 will be scuffed by friction against the wall 16 of the track. Figure 9 shows in cross-section a design of cylindrical rin and track which is dimensioned such that the resultant of t forces exerted on the ring by yarn tension is confined with the bearing surface(s) of the ring 14 and the track 15. T ring 14 can be a plain cylinder supported by and running against bearing surfaces 24 within the track, whilst being confined between the flanges 17 of the track. The length ' of the cylindrical ring 14 is chosen such that the resultan 'R' of the forces exerted on the ring by yarn tension is confined in direction to a point between the spaced bearing surfaces 24, thus substantially reducing frictional drag between the ring 14 and the upper flange 17 of the track at the points where the ring 14 is instantaneously emerging fr and re-entering the flanges 17 of the track. Thus by this invention there is provided a method and apparatus for guiding yarn during winding to a storage package, which is substantially free from problems associat with accumulation of fibre debris and other contaminants. PCI7GB90/00618 2910 Particular examples of the invention have been described and it is envisaged that modifications and variations can take place without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims: 10 n CLAIMS 1. A method of guiding yarn during winding to a storage package, the method including the steps of: providing ring and track means adapted to reciprocate vertically in parallel with a spindle on which a storage package is to be wound; dimensioning the ring means relative to the track means so that it is constrained thereby over a major part of the rin circumference while moving clear of the track over a minor part of its circumference; running a yam being spun and wound onto a package through the gap between the ring and track means whilst the ring is rotating on or in the track to thereby wind the spun yarn onto the package whilst automatically clearing the track of accumulating fibre debris and other contaminants. 2. A method of guiding yarn during winding to a storage package as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 3. A means for guiding yarn during winding to a storage package, the means including a ring dimensioned to rotate a reciprocate relative to a track, the track being dimensione and orientated to retain the ring so that a major part of t rings circumference whilst it is moving is retained by the track with a minor part of its circumference exposed, the arrangement being such that, in use, in a spinning machine 910 Y\ yarn being spun and wound onto a package runs substantially unimpeded through the gap between the ring and the track while the ring is rotating in or on the track. 4. A means as claimed in claim 3 wherein the track include apertures through which fibre debris and other contaminants can pass freely and without interfering with the normal operation of the ring. 5. A means as claimed in claim 4 wherein the track is designed without a recess or recesses in which debris may become lodged. 6. A means as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5 wherein the track is circular in plan and formed by opposed radiall extending flanges, with either one or both flanges includin apertures through which fibre debris and other contaminants are ejected. 7. A means as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5 wherein the track is formed as a simple annulus. 8. A means as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 7 wherein the ring is formed as a plain cylinder, designed to run within a confining track. 9. A means as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 7 wherein the ring is formed with a U-shaped cross-section and is designed to confine itself with respect to the annular trac 10. A means as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5 wherein the ring and track can both be formed as sections of a sphe or in such a way as to approximate to sections of a sphere. 11. A means as claimed in any one of the proceding claims wherein the ring can rotate by rolling on the track whilst 10 simultaneously reciprocating in its plane whilst its plane lies at an angle rotating relative to the axis of the spindle. 12. A means as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5 wherein the plane of the ring and the plane of the track, at any radial point are substantially parallel, and inclined at an angle of 0 of between 0 and 45° to the plane of a ring rail of the spinning machine. 13. A means as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 12 wherei the ring and/or track are manufactured from a metal or plastics material. 14. A means of guiding yarn during winding to a storage package as claimed in claim 3 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 15. A spinning machine incorporating a means for guiding yarn as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 14.

Inventors: HARTSHORN OWEN LESLIE ROGER, LAPPAGE JAMES, HARTSHORN, OWEN, LESLIE, ROGER, LAPPAGE, JAMES
Applicants: LAPPAGE JAMES, WOOL RES ORGANISATION, LAPPAGE, JAMES, WOOL RESEARCH ORGANISATION OF NEW ZEALAND INC.
Application year: 1990
Main classification: D01H7
IPC codes: D01H7