Abstract:
A spinning machine is provided. The spinning machine includes a drafting arrangement for drafting a fibre structure. The spinning machine also includes a spinning device for spinning the fibre structure, the spinning device is located downstream from the drafting arrangement. Also, a condensing device is located between the drafting arrangement and the spinning device. The condensing device has a stationary suction element in fluid communication with a condensing element. The condensing device and the suction element are configured to allow for the removal of air from the condensing element. The suction element has a housing and an insert. The insert is displaceable with respect to the housing along a guide. The insert is arrestable with respect to the housing.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The invention relates to a spinning machine according to the preamble of the independent claim, in particular a ring spinning machine with a condensing device disposed between a drafting arrangement and a spinning device. 
     Such arrangements are known for example from the publications of the patent applications with the numbers 19726694.0 and 19944444.7. The content of the said patent applications is to be regarded as an integral part of the present disclosure. Spinning machines of the kind mentioned above are included in the international patent classification D 01H-1/22. 
     It has been noticed that during the operation of spinning machines with condensing devices in particular, it is important that a simple accessibility of the individual members is also ensured during the spinning operation. It is further an object of the present invention to provide individual parts for condensing devices which can be produced inexpensively and are easy to mount. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention. 
     One embodiment of the present invention provides for a spinning machine that has a drafting arrangement that is used for drafting a fibre structure. A spinning device is present for spinning the fibre structure and is located downstream from the drafting arrangement. A condensing device is also included and is located between the drafting arrangement and the spinning device. The condensing device has a stationary suction element that is in fluid communication with a condensing element. The condensing element and the suction element are configured to allow for the removal of air from the condensing element. The suction element has a housing and an insert, and the insert is displaceable with respect to the housing along a guide. Also, the insert is arrestable with respect to the housing. 
     The present invention also encompasses the spinning machine as previously discussed which further includes a lid that is attachable to the housing. The lid is also swiveable with respect to the housing, and the insert is lockable on the guide by the lid. 
     The present invention also includes an embodiment of a spinning machine as immediately discussed where the insert has a slot on an inlet side of the insert for airflow. The inlet has on an outlet side a first opening that is in alignment with a second opening on the lid when the lid is closed. The interior of the lid is configured as a conduit for guiding air. 
     Alternatively, the present invention includes an embodiment of a spinning machine as previously discussed where the inlet has a slot on an inlet side. Also, the housing has a tongue project therefrom and a side of the tongue faces the insert and is arranged congruently with a rear side of the insert towards the slot congruent with the tongue. In this configuration, the tongue forms the guide during the insertion of the insert into the housing. 
     Additionally, the present invention includes an embodiment of a spinning machine as previously discussed where the housing has on either side of the guide a first insert on one side and a second insert on an opposite side. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 schematically shows the view of a spinning place in the longitudinal direction of the spinning machine, shown by the way of an example of a ring spinning machine; 
     FIG. 2 shows a perspective representation the view of a part of a suction device; and 
     FIG. 3 shows a view of a suction housing with a part of a condensing element in the longitudinal direction of a spinning machine, with an adjacent nip roller. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, examples of which are shown in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, and not meant as a limitation of the invention. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used on another embodiment to yield still a third embodiment. These and other modifications and variations are within the scope and spirit of the present invention. 
     The material feed  7  according to FIG. 1 consists in a convention spinning machine either of a can or a roving bobbin. A sliver  71  (shown with a broken line) is supplied from the can to the drafting arrangement  1 . In the case of a roving bobbin the roving is drawn off from the circumference of the bobbin. The fibre structure, namely the roving or sliver, reaches the zone of the drafting arrangement  1  via a deflection apparatus. The drafting arrangement comprises several pairs of delivery rollers  11 , preferably equipped in part with aprons. The sliver  71  is drafted weakly between the first and second pair of delivery rollers  11   a  and  11   b,  and then strongly drafted between the second and subsequent pair of rollers  31 ,  33 . The draft ration can exceed in total the value of  100 . 
     The drafted fibre structure is nipped between a nip roller  33  and a condensing element  31  and subsequently condensed on the condensing device  3 . The fibre structure leaving the draft arrangement  1  is provided with a width which decreases during the condensing. A guide means  39 , preferably in the form of a screen, can accompany the sliver on the surface of the condensing element  31  along the condensing zone  31 ′. Finally, a blocking roller  35  is disposed in the condensing zone  31 ′, and is pressed against the condensing element  31  and thus limits the imparting of twist from a spinning device  5  against the direction of the material flow. A suction element  37  is disposed in the interior of the condensing element  31  and is connected to a suction device  4 . The condensing element  31  is preferably a perforated rotating cylinder. The suction element  37  is provided with a suction opening in the zone of the perforation. 
     Thread guides  55 ,  55 ′ are disposed between the drafting arrangement  1  and the spinning device  5 . The thread guides  55  and  55 ′, in the case of a ring spinning device, upwardly limit the balloon of thread  73  according to FIG.  1 . In the lower zone of the spinning device, the thread  73  is wound up on a yarn package  75  by means of a traveller  53  on a ring which is fastened to a ring frame  51  as a result of the rotation of a spindle  59  having a drive. The height of the yarn package is defined by the range of movement of a ring frame drive  57  which reciprocates the ring frame  51  upwardly and downwardly in the vertical direction according to FIG.  1 . 
     The suction element  37  is schematically shown in detail in FIGS. 2 and 3. The suction element  37  consists of a housing  37 . 1  which is used as a conduit which transfers air to the suction device  4 . In this manner, the air sucked in is discharged. Guide means  44   b,    44   c  are attached to a tongue  44   a  in the front part of the housing  37 . 1 . The guide means  44   b,    44   c  are used to enable the holding of the inserts  37 . 2  and  37 . 3 . The housing  37 . 1  with the attached guide means  44   b  and  44   c  could also be designed in such a way that the housing  37 . 1  carries only one insert  37 . 2 . In this case the guide means  44   b  is not implement. The inserts  37 . 2  and  37 . 3  are inserted into the housing  37 . 1  when insert  37 . 2 , which is shown n FIG. 2 in the unmounted state, is lowered according to arrow “a” between the guide means  44   b  and  44   c.  The insert  37 . 2  is then displaced parallel to an axis A outwardly through the guide means  44   c  in the direction of arrow “a”. 
     Projections  49  on the side of the insert  37 . 2 , which face the housing  37 . 1 , prevent the insert  37 . 2  from being pushed so far through the guide means  44  that a defined position is lost. The projections  49  which rest laterally on the guide means  44  thus secure the position of the insert  37 . 2  relative to the housing  37 . 1  in combination with the guide means  44 . The insert  37 . 3  can be positioned in an analogous manner thereto in that it is moved at first in the direction of arrow “a” against the tongue  44   a  until it rests on the tongue  44   a.  Thereafter the insert  37 . 3  is displaced to the right against the direction of arrow “b” through the intermediate space between the guide means  44   b  and the tongue  44   a  until the projections (not shown) rest on the guide means  44   b.  After the introduction of the inserts  37 . 2  and  37 . 3 , a lid  37 . 4 , which is swivellable about an axis A on the housing  37 . 1 , is moved downwardly according to arrow “c” until the lower side of said lid  37 . 4  rests on the tongue  44   a.    
     The lid  37 . 4  is open on a side which faces an insert  37 . 2  or  37 . 3  in order to receive the air from the insert  37 . 2  or  37 . 3 . The air sucked in by the suction device  4  by means of a fan (not shown) passes at first through a suction slot  40  on the insert  37 . 1  or  41  on insert  37 . 3  into the interior of the respective insert  37 . 2  or  37 . 3 . Flow occurs according to the direction of the arrow “d”, and then according to the direction of arrow “e”, “f” into the interior of the lid  37 . 4  which is used as a conduit. The air flowing into the insert  37 . 2  leaves through the side opening  45  and flows through the lid  37 . 4  or conduit  37 . 4  in order to then flow further according to the direction of arrow “g” through a third opening  48  into the housing  37 . 1 . In the closed state of the lid  37 . 4 , the first opening  45  is in alignment with the insert  37 . 2  and the second opening  46  is aligned with the conduit  37 . 4 . Furthermore, a fourth opening  48  of housing  37 . 1  and a third opening  47  on the rear side of conduit  37 . 4  are in alignment when the lid  37 . 4  is closed. 
     The suction element  37  which consists of the individual parts of the housing  37 . 1 , insert  37 . 2 , and optionally a further insert  37 . 3  and the lid  37 . 4 , can be brought to the machine in its entirety or individual parts. It is also possible to exchange only the inserts  37 . 2  and  37 . 3  according to the material to be processed. The slots  40  and  41  in the inserts  37 . 2  and  37 . 3  can be provided with a different design concerning shape and width of the slots  40  and  41  depending on the fibre material on the spinning machine. This is done so that changing of the spinning machine from one material to another allows a user to select an optimal slot shape. 
     FIG. 2 shows the condensing elements  31 ′ and  31 ″. Condensing elements  31 ′ and  31 ″ can be cylindrical or non-cylindrical, a solid or a flexible cylinder. Further it can be a narrow ribbon or a strip of fabric. A perforation is provided in the condensing elements at least in the part of the condensing elements which is disposed above the suction slot  40 ,  41  in order to allow the passage of air into the suction slot. Also the air may be applied to the fibre structure  71  and guided over the condensing elements in the zone of slots  40  and  41  according to FIG.  1 . It is understood that condensing element  31 ″ may be disposed above the other insert  37 . 2  in the mounted state of housing  37 . 2  in another embodiment of the invention. This is also shown in FIG. 3 where only a part of a condensing element  31  is shown in alignment with the housing  37 . 1 . If the condensing element  31 , as is schematically shown in FIG. 1, is arranged concentrically with a roller  11   c  and is torsionally rigidly connected with the same, it is appropriate for the housing  37 . 1  to rest on the roller  11   c.  The support can be made directly or by way of a spring  11   d.  The latter ensures a play-free contact of an insert  37 . 3  or  37 . 2  on the respectively associated condensing element  31 ′ or  31 ″. If the condensing element  31 ′ or  31 ″ is an apron or a narrow ribbon the condensing element does not have to be connected in a torsionally rigid manner with the roller  11   c.  In this case, it is provided with a supporting function for the housing  37 . 1 . In the zone of the insert  37 . 2  or  37 . 1  a blocking roller  35  can rest on the condensing element. This roller can also be used to drive the condensing element in the conveying direction of the sliver  71 . By arranging the condensing elements  31  adjacent to the housing  37 . 1 , it is possible to perform the mounting both of housing  37 . 1  as well as the inserts  37 . 2  and  37 . 3  during the operation of the spinning machine. The condensing element is moved relative to the housing and the insert  37 . 1  and  37 . 2  and  37 . 3  during operation of the spinning machine. In contrast to the inserts,  37 . 2  and  37 . 3  shown in FIG. 2 in arc shape with mutually converging inner and outer contours, it is possible to provide an embodiment in which the inner and outer contours substantially lie on concentric circles. If the condensing element  31 ′ or  31 ″ is guided in the zone of the insert  37 . 2 ,  37 . 3  in one plane it is necessary that the side of the insert  37 . 2  or  37 . 3  with slot  40  or  41  is also provided with a plane arrangement so that the slot  40  lies directly under the perforation of the respective condensing element. 
     It should be understood that the invention includes various modifications that can be made to the embodiments of the spinning machine described herein as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.