Service interruption processing system for yarn winding machine

Abstract: To provide a service interruption processing system wherein service interruptions are concurrently detected to allow winding units U to perform a predetermined operation until they stop, thereby enabling a yarn winding machine to easily recover to a winding-enabled state once the service interruption has been eliminated. A service interruption processing system has a system power supply 25 that supplies a current to each of a large number of winding units U, service interruption detecting means 26 for detecting interruptions of the system power supply 25, and an exclusive signal line 28 used by the service interruption means 26 to concurrently transmit a service interruption detecting signal to a large number of winding control apparatuses 8.

Description: Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a service interruption processing system for a yarn winding machine having a large number of winding units each driven by a single spindle. Background of the Invention An automatic winder is defined as a yarn winding machine having a large number of winding units each driven by a single spindle. These winding units are installed on its machine body in a row. A single winding unit has the function of winding yarn, rewound from a supply bobbin which is produced by a ring spinning machine, into a package of a specified shape, while also eliminating yarn defects. To fulfill this function, each winding unit includes winding control apparatuses, which are controllers using sequencers or microcomputers. In addition, a main control apparatus common to a large number of winding control apparatuses corresponding to a large number of winding units is provided at one end of the machine body. A controlling system power supply is disposed in the main control apparatus and a current supplied from the system power supply operates the large number of winding control apparatuses. If a service interruption occurs in such an automatic winder, the stop conditions affecting the winding units may vary due to variations in the characteristics of service interruption detecting elements and to slight differences in the service interruption detecting level among the large number of winding control apparatuses. A similar state may occur when a different load is to be controlled due to the operational conditions of each winding unit or to differences in the conditions of the bearings. If, for example, an instantaneous service interruption or voltage drop occurs that is not a complete service interruption, some winding units will detect a service interruption whereas others will not. In these conditions, the operator cannot determine whether this phenomenon has been caused by a service interruption or by a different factor, and is consequently at a loss as to what action to take. DE-A-4 338 283 discloses a service interruption processing system stopping the bobbin winding units after detection of a line drop. According to the present invention, it is intended to provide a service interruption processing system wherein a service interruption is concurrently detected, in order to stop all bobbin winding units in the same state, thereby enabling the yarn winding machine to easily recover to a winding-enabled state after the service interruption has been eliminated. Summary of the Invention The invention set forth in claim 1 is a service interruption processing system for a yarn winding machine, comprising a large number of winding control apparatuses each provided so as to correspond to each of a large number of winding units; a main control apparatus common to the large number of winding control apparatuses; a system power supply provided in the main control apparatus to supply a current to each of said large number of winding control apparatuses; a service interruption detecting means for detecting the interruption of the system power supply; and a signal line used by the service interruption detecting means to detect service interruptions in order to concurrently transmit a service interruption detecting signal to the large number of winding control apparatuses. The invention set forth in claim 2 is a service interruption processing system for a yarn winding machine according to claim 1 wherein the winding control apparatus includes a voltage retaining means for retaining a power voltage that enables normal operation, at least until the means receives the service interruption detection signal. The invention set forth in claim 3 is a service interruption processing system for a yarn winding machine according to claim 2 wherein the winding control apparatus performs a predetermined service interruption processing operation immediately after receiving the service interruption detecting signal and has a voltage retaining time required to perform the service interruption processing operation. The invention set forth in claim 4 is a service interruption processing system for a yarn winding machine according to claim 3 wherein the winding control apparatus includes a yarn length counter that measures the amount of yarn wound, and wherein upon receiving the service interruption detecting signal, the winding control apparatus stores, as a service interruption processing operation, a yarn length counter value in storage which is not deleted even if the power supply is interrupted. The invention set forth in claim 5 is a service interruption processing system for a yarn winding machine according to claim 3 or 4 wherein a rotation speed control apparatus for a driving motor used to wind yarn is provided as another control apparatus controlled by the winding control apparatus, and wherein upon receiving the service interruption detecting signal, the winding control apparatus instructs the rotation speed control apparatus to stop operating freely. Brief Description of the Drawing Figure 1 is s perspective view of an automatic winder which is a typical example of a yarn winding machine. Figure 2 describes a winding unit. Figure 3 is a block diagram of a yarn winding machine provided with a service interruption processing system. Figure 4 is a flowchart describing the operation of the service interruption processing system. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments An embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the drawings provided. In the following description, a yarn winding machine is an automatic winder. As shown in Figure 1, the automatic winder winds a yarn of a supply bobbin produced by a spinning machine into a winding package of a specified shape, and a large number of winding units U are installed in a row on a machine body of the yarn winding machine. A main controller MC and an automatic supply bobbin feeding apparatus CBF are disposed at the respective ends of the group of winding units. Each winding unit U can be driven by a single spindle, and the main controller MC controls each winding unit U or each group of a plurality of winding units U. Next, the arrangement of the apparatuses in each winding unit U is described. The winding unit U has a supply bobbin 1, balloon breaker 2, a tenser 3, a clearing apparatuses 4 and 9 for clearing defects in yarn, a winding drum 5 and a winding package 6 as shown in Figure 2. A yarn Y rewound from the supply bobbin 1 passes through the balloon breaker 2 and the tenser 3 and is then wound around the winding package 6 rotated by the winding drum 5 while simultaneously yarn defects are being cleared by the clearing apparatuses 4 and 9. Several to several tens of supply bobbins 1 are used to obtain a single winding package 6. The clearing apparatuses 4 and 9 has a slab catcher 4 that detects yarn defects, a yarn cutter 9 that cuts the yarn and a clearing control section 4a controlled by the winding control apparatus 8. The clearing control section 4a is connected to the winding control apparatus 8 via signal lines 7 and 11. When the yarn Y passes through the slab catcher 4, variations in the thickness of the yarn are detected and converted into an electric signal, which is then input to the clearing control section 4a. The clearing control section 4a compares the electric signal with a stored reference value, and if the signal exceeds an allowable range, determines that a yarn defect has passed through the slab catcher. In addition, the yarn cutter 9 is connected to the clearing control section 4a via the signal line 10, so upon determining that the yarn defect has passed, the clearing control section 4a immediately transmits a "yarn cut" instruction signal to the yarn cutter 9. The signal line 11 transmits a service interruption detecting signal from the winding control apparatus 8 to the clearing control section 4a, thereby operating the yarn cutter 9 to cut the yarn. When the yarn is cut by the yarn cutter 9, the slab catcher 4 cannot detect the thickness of the yarn, so a yarn travelling signal on the signal line 7 is turned off to allow the winding control apparatus 8 to detect that the yarn has been cut. The winding control apparatus 8 outputs a "stop" instruction signal to an inverter 18 of a driving motor for a winding drum 12, in order to stop the rotation of the winding drum 5. Thus, in the yarn winding machine, the clearing apparatuses 4 and 9 clear yarn defects and a yarn piecing apparatus 13 subsequently pieces the yarn. The yarn piecing apparatus 13 is connected to the winding control apparatus 8, and starts yarn piecing when a "yarn piecing start" signal is input from the winding control apparatus 8. It also executes yarn piecing when the yarn is cut in the tenser 3 etc. In addition, the winding unit U has two spare supply bobbins 1 at standby positions B1 and B2, located outside the supply bobbin 1 at a winding position A. When the supply bobbin 1 at the winding position A becomes empty, the yarn travelling signal on the signal line 7 is turned off as if the yarn was cut, thereby allowing yarn piecing to be carried out. A mechanical or optical yarn filler 23 is connected to the winding control apparatus 8 via a signal line 24 to detect a lower yarn. If the yarn filler 23 cannot detect the lower yarn, the lower yarn travelling signal 24 is turned off to cause the winding control apparatus 8 to output a "supply bobbin change" signal to a supply bobbin changer (not shown in the drawing). When the "supply bobbin change" signal is input, the supply bobbin changer ejects an empty bobbin 1' from the winding position A and loads the supply bobbin 1 from the standby position B1. For piecing a lower yarn suction pipe 16 that sucks the end of the yarn Y1. Next, an outline of the yarn piecing procedure is described. The end of an upper yarn on the winding package 6 comes out of a upper yarn suction pipe 15 that sucks the end of the yarn, while the end of the lower yarn on the yarn filler 23 comes out of the lower yarn suction pipe 16. The upper yarn suction pipe 15 swivels around a shaft 15a to the rolling contact portion between the winding drum 5 and the winding package 6. At the same time, the winding drum 5 uses the inverter 18 to reversely rotate the driving motor 12 at a low speed in order to make the upper yarn come out. That is, the yarn winding machine reversely rotates the winding drum 5 to make the upper yarn come out, and uses the upper yarn suction pipe 15 to suck the upper yarn that comes out. In addition, the lower yarn suction pipe 16 swivels around a shaft 16a to above the yarn filler 23 to suck the lower yarn that comes out. While holding the yarn that come out, the upper yarn suction pipe 15 and the lower yarn suction pipe 16 sequentially swivel to the position shown by the continuous line in order to place the upper and lower yarns in the slab catcher 4 and yarn piecing apparatus 13, respectively. After the yarn piecing apparatus 13 has finished its work, the yarn winding machine uses the driving motor 12 to further reversely rotate the winding drum 5 in order to return the pieced part to the slab catcher 4, thereby enabling the pieced part to be checked for a yarn defect. Next, a rotating mechanism of the winding drum 5 is described. The driving motor 12 transmits driving force to the winding drum 5, and the inverter 18 connected to the driving motor 12 is connected to the winding control apparatus 8 via signal lines 20 and 20a. The inverter 18 controls the rotational speed of the driving motor 12 and sets it in response to a control signal output from the winding control apparatus 8 via the signal line 20. That is, the inverter 18 controls the driving motor 12 to a rotational speed most suitable to the winding conditions for the winding unit. In addition, a "free run stop" instruction signal, which is described below, is input to the inverter 18 from the winding control apparatus 8 through the signal line 20a. The signal line 20a includes an inverter control instruction signal and the "free run stop" instruction signal, so it is actually composed of a plurality of lines. In addition, the winding unit U has a yarn length measuring mechanism (not shown in the drawing) for measuring the length of wound yarn from the rotation speed of the winding drum 5, and the yarn length measuring mechanism has a pulse generating apparatus 14. The pulse generating apparatus 14 comprises of a magnet that are fixed to part of the end surface of the winding drum 5 to detect the rotation of the winding drum 5 and a proximity sensor. Each winding unit U is connected to the main controller MC via the signal lines 22 and 22a, and the main controller MC controls each winding unit U or each group of a plurality of winding units U as described above. As control common to each winding unit U, the main controller MC provides control via the signal lines 22 and 22a, of the settings for basic yarn speed based on the type of yarn being processed yarn and on variations in the winding speed for the ribbon breaker. Next, a service interruption processing system for a yarn winding machine according to the present invention is explained. Figure 3 is a block diagram of a yarn winding machine having a service interruption processing system. The service interruption processing system for a yarn winding machine according to the present invention is composed of the main controller MC and a system power supply 25 constituting a main control apparatus 27, a service interruption detector 26 composing a service interruption detecting means, an exclusive signal line 28 that transmits the service interruption detecting signal from the service interruption detector 26 to each winding unit, and the winding control apparatus 8 connected in parallel to the exclusive signal line 28 and corresponding to the large number of winding units. The inverter 18 is connected to the winding control apparatus 8 via the signal line 20a, and the clearing control section 4a is connected to the winding control apparatus 8 via the signal line 11. The inverter 18 and the clearing control section 4a are other control apparatuses connected to the winding control apparatus 8. The service interruption detector 26 composing the service interruption detecting means is configured to detect the interruption of the system power supply 25 before the winding control apparatus 8 and the other control apparatuses connected to the winding control apparatus 8, that is, the inverter 18 and the clearing control section 4a individually detect interruptions and concurrently transmit the service interruption detecting signal to the large number of winding control apparatuses 8 via the exclusive signal line 28. Specifically, when the voltage of the controlling system power supply 25 remains a predetermined percentage below a predetermined value for a predetermined period of time, the service interruption detector 26 determines that a service interruption will occur and transmits the service interruption detecting signal. The exclusive signal line 28 is exclusively provided so that the large number of winding control apparatuses 8 and the other control apparatuses connected to the winding control apparatus 8, that is, the inverter 18 and the clearing control section 4a can recognize the service interruption within 1 ms. The service interruption detector 26 also transmits the service interruption detecting signal to the main controller MC. The main controller MC controls strong-current equipment such as the cam shaft driving motor and blow driving motor that cause the upper yarn suction pipe 15 and the lower yarn suction pipe 16 to perform a yarn piecing operation. The winding control apparatus 8 has a capacitor (a voltage retaining means) 29, the inverter 18 also has a capacitor 30 (a voltage retaining means), and the clearing control section 4a also has a capacitor 31. These capacitors 29, 30 and 31 provide a predetermined power supply retaining time after the winding control apparatus 8 and the other control apparatuses connected to the winding control apparatus 8, that is, the inverter 18 and the clearing control section 4a receive the service interruption detecting signal. In other words, the winding control apparatus 8, the inverter 18, and the clearing control section 4a retain at least their own power supply for normal operations after the voltage of the system power supply 25 has decreased and until the service interruption detector 26 determines that a service interruption will occur. This predetermined power supply retaining time is, for example, at least one cycle or more, and is 20 ms or more when the cycle is 50 Hz. During the power supply retaing time after reception of a service interruption detecting signal, the winding control apparatus 8 stores a yarn length counter value as described above, outputs a "free run stop" instruction to the inverter 18 via the signal line 20a, and outputs a "yarn cut" instruction signal to the clearing control section 4a via the signal line 11. In addition, during the same power supply retaining time, the inverter 18 stops the free run of the drive motor 12 while the clearing control section 4a activates the cutter 9. In the above configuration, the operation of the service interruption processing system for a yarn winding machine is explained with reference to the drawings. Upon detecting a service interruption (S1, YES), the service interruption detector 26 transmits the service interruption detecting signal to each winding control apparatus 8 (S2). Upon receiving the service interruption detecting signal (S3), each winding control apparatus 8 saves a yarn length counter value and stores it (where it will not be deleted even if a service interruption causes the yarn winding machine to be stopped, i.e., the power supply is shut down) (S4). In addition, in S3, each winding control apparatus 8 transmits the " yarn cut" instruction signal to the yarn cutter 9 (S5). Furthermore, in S3, each winding control apparatus 8 transmits the "free run stop" instruction signal to each inverter 18 (S6). In S5, when the yarn cutter 9 receives the "yarn cut" instruction signal, the yarn is cut (S7). In S6, when each inverter 18 receives the "free run stop" instruction signal, each inverter 18 stops the free run of the driving motor 12 connected thereto (S8). When the voltage of the power supply system further decreases, the winding control apparatus 8 and the other control apparatuses connected to the winding control apparatus 8 detect a service interruption and stop their own functions in order to concurrently stop all winding units U (S9) . In this manner, when all winding units U concurrently stop, all processing to wind the yarn from the supply package back to the winding package is aborted (END). Thus, at a specified period of time after the winding control apparatus 8 has received the service interruption detecting signal, service interruption causes all winding units U to concurrently stop. Before a winding unit U stops, however, the winding control apparatus 8 stores the yarn length counter value from the yarn length measuring mechanism and transmits the "yarn cut" instruction signal to the yarn cutter 9. Furthermore, the winding control apparatus 8 transmits the "free run stop" instruction signal to the inverter 18. Thus, while the winding control apparatus 8 is operative (i.e, the power supply is being retained), the yarn length counter value is immediately saved and stored in the storage provided in the winding control apparatus 8. In this storage, the yarn length counter value is not deleted even if the power supply is turned off. Upon receiving the "yarn cut" instruction signal, the yarn cutter 9 immediately cuts the yarn while the winding control apparatus 8 is operative. Furthermore, upon receiving the "free run stop" instruction signal, the inverter 18 stops the free run of the drive motor 12. Although the yarn cutter 9 cuts the yarn, the free run of the driving motor 12 is stopped. This is because this operation can prevent miss-traversing even if insufficient power causes the yarn winding machine to stop while the yarn remains uncut. Since the yarn winding machine has the large number of winding units U, all of them cannot reliably cut the yarn. If a service interruption causes the yarn winding machine to stop while the yarn remains uncut, miss-traversing occurs because the inertia caused by the sudden stop of the winding drum 5 causes the yarn to be loosened from the end surface of the winding package 6. Although the above embodiment has been described in conjunction with the automatic winder as the yarn winding machine, the present invention is applicable as long as the yarn winding machine comprises a twisting section and a winding section, as in a twister, and has a large number of winding control apparatuses each used to drive each spindle. In the invention, each winding unit concurrently recognizes a service interruption and then stops, preventing any difference in the recognition of a service interruption. Thus, the operator can determine the conditions of each winding unit easily, also, the yarn winding machine can recover to its winding-enabled state easily. In the invention, due to a predetermined power supply retaining time, after receiving the service interruption detecting signal, the winding control apparatus and the other control apparatuses perform a predetermined operation such as cutting the yarn, thereby preventing any difference in the recognition of a service interruption by the control apparatuses in each winding control apparatus. Thus, when a large number of winding units are concurrently stopped, the yarn remains cut, and the operator can easily determine the conditions of each winding unit and the yarn winding machine can easily recover its winding-enabled state. In the invention, even if the winding unit stops without cutting the yarn for any reason, the speed of the driving motor used to wind the yarn can be gradually reduced until it is stopped, thereby preventing the winding package from being loosened. In addition, since all winding units concurrently stop while preventing the winding package from being loosened, the operator can determine the conditions of each winding unit easily and the yarn winding machine can easily recover its winding-enabled state.

Claims: A service interruption processing system for a yarn winding machine characterized in that the system comprises: a large number of winding control apparatuses (8) each provided so as to correspond to each of a large number of winding units (U); a main control apparatus (27) common to said large number of winding control apparatuses (8); a system power supply (25) provided in said main control apparatus (27) to supply a current to each of said large number of winding control apparatuses (8); a service interruption detecting means (26) for detecting interruptions of the said system power supply (25); and a signal line (28) used by said service interruption detecting means (26) to detect service interruptions in order to concurrently transmit a service interruption detecting signal to said large number of winding control apparatuses (8). A service interruption processing system for a yarn winding machine according to claim 1 characterized in that said winding control apparatus (8) includes a voltage retaining means (29) for retaining a power voltage that enables normal operation, at least until the means receives said service interruption detecting signal. A service interruption processing system for a yarn winding machine according to claim 2 characterized in that said winding control apparatus (8) performs a predetermined service interruption processing operation immediately after receiving said service interruption detecting signal (S3) and has a voltage retaining time required to perform the service interruption processing operation. A service interruption processing system for a yarn winding machine according to claim 3 characterized in that said winding control apparatus (8) includes a yarn length counter that measures the amount of yarn wound, and in that upon receiving said service interruption detecting signal (S3), said winding control apparatus stores, as a service interruption processing operation, a yarn length counter value in storage which is not deleted even if the power supply is interrupted (S4). A service interruption processing system for a yarn winding machine according to claim 3 or 4 characterized in that a rotation speed control apparatus (18) for a driving motor (12) used to wind yarn is provided as another control apparatus controlled by said winding control apparatus, and in that upon receiving said service interruption detecting signal (S3), said winding control apparatus (8) instructs said rotation speed control apparatus to stop operating freely.

Inventors: YAMAUCHI TOSHIO, YAMAUCHI, TOSHIO
Applicants: MURATA MACHINERY LTD, MURATA KIKAI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1998
Main classification: B65H54
IPC codes: B65H54, D01H13