Patent Publication Number: US-4481763-A

Title: Arrangement of electrodes for monitoring thread breakage in ring spinning machines

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 251,811, filed Apr. 7, 1981, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,420,697. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART STATEMENT 
     This invention relates to an arrangement of electrodes for monitoring thread breakage in ring spinning machines, in methods for monitoring thread breakages which sense the electric charge on the moving thread, thus providing information on thread run and thread breakage. 
     It has been known that information on thread run and thread breakage in ring spinning machines can be obtained based on the electric charge of the thread by means of sensing electrodes provided on the thread or in the vicinity of the thread. In the known systems, the electric charge of the thread generates an opposing charge on the electrode which is then converted by electronic circuits into a further processable signal. Previously, electrodes of various forms, for instance, plane, concave or convex, have been proposed for such purpose. 
     For optimal formation, i.e., arrangement of the electronic circuit, it is necessary to arrange the electrodes at the operating points of a ring spinning machine in such a way that the charge of the thread can be received with sufficient strength. 
     Nothing has been known up to now about such arrangements of electrodes for monitoring the thread run at the operating points of ring spinning machines. 
     The invention has the object of providing an arrangement which makes it possible to monitor the thread run on ring spinning machines by means of electrodes. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the object of the invention to provide arrangements of electrodes for monitoring the thread run at the operating points of ring spinning machines which permit reception of the electrical charge of the running thread in a sufficiently strong manner and generation of a signal that can be further processed. 
     In accordance with the invention, this object is accomplished by arranging a metallic electrode that has been insulated in the proximity of the moving thread between a stretching mechanism and a thread guide and/or on a balloon constricting ring adjustable through displacement or turning of an insulated body, and connecting the electrode through an insulated line to an electronic circuit. The thread is not permanently positioned adjacent the electrode on the balloon constricting ring, but is always positioned adjacent the electrode on the thread guide. 
     In accordance with this invention, the object may also be accomplished by affixing the electrode on the thread guide in an adjustable manner. 
     At all arrangement points of the electrode of the invention, it is not necessary to provide an insulated connecting line since the electrode is directly connected to an electronic circuit. Thereby it is possible to receive sufficiently strong charges from the thread and to generate a further processable signal. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will now be explained by three examples of embodiments. 
     In the drawing: 
     FIG. 1 illustrates an arrangement of the electrode between the stretching mechanism and/or guide thread, 
     FIG. 2 illustrates an arrangement of the electrode on the balloon constricting ring, and 
     FIG. 3 illustrates the arrangement of the electrode on the thread guide. 
    
    
     FIG. 1 represents an arrangement in which electrode 3 is mounted by means of a clamping fixture of any desired kind in the proximity of moving thread 1, between stretching mechanism 2 and the thread guide 4, on insulating body 5. In this arrangement thread 1 runs past electrode 3 with a speed V and continuously generates an opposing charge on electrode 3, which can be measured as a steady-state signal with random overlays. 
     Other sufficiently strong results are obtained by the arrangements according to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. Thread 1 moves past electrode 3 at the revolution speed of spindle 7 which is arranged on insulated body 5, being either, according to FIG. 2, affixed on balloon constricting ring 6 or, according to FIG. 3, on thread guide 4, or with an electrode being arranged at each point. In view of the higher speed compared to FIG. 1, stronger charges are received which can be especially well evaluated, as thread 1 is not permanently positioned before the electrode 3 and, for this reason, a variable charge is received on electrode 3, whose frequency is proportional to the revolution number of the spindle 7. The electrode can be adjusted through displacement or turning of insulated body 5 on balloon constricting ring 6 or thread guide 4. 
     These arrangements make it possible to receive sufficiently strong charges with electrode 3 for further processing. 
     If two electrodes are provided, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it is possible to obtain a still stronger processable signal with an appropriate evaluation circuit.