Patent Publication Number: US-6210143-B1

Title: Apparatus for producing yarns with yarn cutting and sucking units

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an apparatus for producing yarns of, for example, synthetic fibers. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     An apparatus for producing yarns, in which spun yarns are wound in the form of packages, includes a first yarn feed roller  11  and a second yarn feed roller  12  for feeding the yarns spun through spinnerets of spinning packs  5  to  10  in a spinning apparatus and cooled by a cooling device (not shown) at a predetermined rate, winders  1 -A and  1 -B for winding the yarns on tubes, yarn breakage detectors  15 -A and  15 -B for detecting that at least one yarn which is being wound by the winder  1 -A or  1 -B has broken, and a yarn cutting and sucking device  17  disposed upstream from the yarn feed roller  11 , which is operative in response to a yarn breakage detection signal to cut all yarns being wound and suck the same, as shown in FIG.  7 . 
     In the apparatus described above, if at least one yarn in the yarn group is broken for any reasons, the yarn breakage is detected by the yarn breakage detector  15 -A which issues a detection signal. Then, the yarn cutting and sucking device  17  is rapidly operated, by this signal, to cut all the yarns being wound via the first feed roller  11  and the second feed roller  12  by the winders  1 -A and  1 -B and suck the same thereinto, to prevent the yarns from being adversely wound around the first yarn feed roller  11 , the second yarn feed roller  12  and the winders  1 -A and  1 -B, which may result in an abnormality in the spinning operation. 
     In the above-mentioned method, wherein all the yarns are cut if only one yarn in the group belonging to one winder has broken, the yarns normally wound by another winder without yarn breakage must be cut, resulting in the reduction of yield of yarns as well as an increase in a burden on the operator caused by the threading operation. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to prevent a reduction in the yield of yarns and to prevent the operator&#39;s burden from increasing due to the threading operation which results from the fact that yarns of a normally operating winder having no yarn breakage are cut. 
     To solve the above problems, the present invention provides an apparatus for producing yarns wherein the respective one yarn cutting and sucking device and the respective one winder form one winding unit, and at least two winding units share at least one of the yarn feed rollers. 
     Additionally, the winders may be arranged in vertical row. 
     Also, a yarn path control guide may be provided for guiding yarns in such a manner that upon the threading operation of the rear side yarn group across the front side yarn group, due to an occurrence of yarn breakage or the like in the rear side yarn group, the rear side yarn group is moved from the front side region to the rear side region of the first common yarn feed roller while passing under or over the front side yarn group running through the first common yarn feed roller and then moved over or under the second yarn group running through the second common yarn feed roller. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of one embodiment of an apparatus for producing yarns according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, illustrating a portion below the first yarn feed roller; 
     FIG. 3 is a schematic respective view of the apparatus for producing yarns according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a view of yarn paths in another embodiment of the apparatus for producing yarns according to the present invention; 
     FIG. 5 is a view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a schematic respective view of a yarn path control guide disposed at a different position; and 
     FIG. 7 is a schematic respective view of a conventional apparatus for producing yarns; 
     FIG. 8 is a view of the manner in which a yarn from a group of yarns is laterally moved over another yarn from another group of yarns; 
     FIG. 9 is a view of the manner in which a yarn from a group of yarns is laterally moved underneath another yarn from group of yarns. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of one embodiment of an apparatus for producing yarns according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic side view thereof, wherein the apparatus for producing yarns includes a spinning device (not shown) for extruding molten polymer through spinnerets of spinning packs  5  to  10 , a yarn cooling device (not shown) disposed beneath the yarn spinning packs  5  to  10 , a first yarn feed roller  11  and a second yarn feed roller  12  for feeding the cooled yarn at a predetermined rate, winders  1 -A and  1 -B for winding the yarns on tubes, a yarn breakage detector  15 -A for detecting the yarn breakage corresponding to any one of the yarns  51 ,  52 ,  61 ,  62 ,  71  and  72  being wound on the winder  1 -A, a yarn breakage detector  15 -B for detecting the yarn breakage corresponding to any one of the yarns  81 ,  82 ,  91 ,  92 ,  101  and  102  being wound on the winder  1 -B, yarn cutting and sucking devices  17 -A and  17 -B disposed upstream from the first yarn feed roller  11  and operative in response to a yarn breakage signal to cut and suck all the yarns in a group to which the broken yarn detected by the yarn breakage detector belongs, a yarn separating guide  13  disposed beneath the yarn cutting and sucking devices  17 -A and  17 -B, for dividing the yarns into two groups and guide the same, and traverse motion fulcrum guides  14 -A and  14 -B disposed above the respective winders  1 -A and  1 -B. 
     Each of the winders  1 -A and  1 -B is provided with a traverse motion device  4  for traversing the yarn, a pair of spindles  2 - 1  and  2 - 2  for winding the yarn thereon alternately with each other, a roller bail  3  for applying a proper pressure to a surface of a package formed on the spindle to make the package to have a flat and uniform surface and a suitable hardness, and a yarn switching device (not shown) for switching the yarn from a full package tube to a waiting empty tube when the package has reached a predetermined size. Such winders are superposed in a vertical row, one above another, for the purpose of saving an installation space as much as possible relative to the number of yarns to be wound. 
     Pairs of yarns  51 ,  52  . . . , and  101 ,  102 , extruded from spinnerets of each of the spinning packs  5  to  10 , respectively, are cooled and solidified by the yarn cooling device (not shown) disposed directly beneath the spinnerets. After being imparted with process oil, the respective yarns are delivered to predetermined positions on the first yarn feed roller  11  and the second yarn feed roller  12  by the yarn separating guide  13 , via the yarn cutting and sucking devices  17 -A and  17 -B for treating the group of yarns, respectively, to cut and suck the same in response to the operation of the yarn breakage detectors  15  which are provided for every yarn to quickly detect any breakage of yarns due to an abnormality in the process and to deliver the signal to the control unit. The yarns are finally wound by the winders via the traverse motion fulcrum guides  14 . 
     The yarn separating guide  13  may be formed of a first set of guides  13 -A and a second set of guides  13 -B corresponding to the winders  1 -A and  1 -B, when the function thereof is divided. 
     In this case, the traverse motion fulcrum guide  14 -A or the yarn to be wound by the lower winder  1 -A is disposed far from the second yarn feed roller  12 , and the traverse motion fulcrum guide  14 -B for the yarn to be wound by the upper winder I-B is disposed close to the second yarn feed roller  12 . 
     In this respect, the yarn separating guide  13  ( 13 -A and  13 -B), a first yarn path control guide  16  having third  16 -A and fourth  16 -B sets of guides, a second yarn path control guide  18  having fifth  18 -B and sixth  18 -A sets of guides, and the traverse motion fulcrum guide  14  ( 14 -A and  14 -B) may be arranged in such a manner that they can be pulled forward during the threading operation and returned to the original position after the yarns have been threaded to the respective guides. 
     More specifically, six yarns  51 ,  52 ,  61 ,  62 ,  71 , and  72  extruded from the spinning packs  5  to  7  run through the yarn cutting and sucking device  17 -A, while six yarns  81 ,  82 ,  91 ,  92 ,  101 , and  102  extruded from the spinning packs  8  to  10  run through the yarn cutting and sucking device  17 -B. 
     The yarns  51 ,  52 ,  61 ,  62 , . . .  91 ,  92 ,  101 , and  102  run through the yarn separating guide  13  and maintain the positions arranged in this order. Such positions are invariable even on the first yarn feed roller  11  and the second yarn feed roller  12 , whereby the yarns  51  to  72  are wound by the lower winder  1 -A and the yarns  81  to  102  are wound by the upper winder  1 -B, via the traverse motion fulcrum guides  14 -A and  14 -B, respectively. 
     It will be understood that the winder  1 -A is combined with the yarn cutting and sucking device  17 -A, while the winder  1 -B is combined with the yarn cutting and sucking device  17 -B to form winder units, respectively. Accordingly, if the yarn  92  is broken during the winding operation of the winder  1 -B, the yarn breakage detector  15 -B provided in correspondence to the yarn  92  detects the breakage and informs the same to a controller (not shown). The controller promptly causes the corresponding yarn cutting and sucking device  17 -B to operate to cut yarns  81  to  102  belonging to the same group as the yarn  92  and suck the same thereinto so that no trouble occurs in the yarn spinning system now in operation. At this instant, all the yarns being wound by the winder I-B are severed. 
     In some cases, there might be an extremely small amount of yarn piece which is wound around the first yarn feed roller  11  or the second yarn feed roller  12  at a position corresponding to the running path of the broken yarn  92 . This yarn piece is easily displaceable to the front side (to the distal end of the roller), using a bamboo spatula or the like to remove the yarn piece from the roller without causing a trouble with another group of the yarn  51  to  72  being wound. Therefore, even if the winding operation of the one winder  1 -B is interrupted due to the yarn breakage, the other winder  1 -A continues a normal winding operation. 
     Upon the yarn breakage, the tubes in the winder  1 -B carrying incomplete packages thereon must be exchanged with fresh empty tubes, on which the spun yarns must be immediately threaded. At that time, the group of yarns  51  to  72  which are continuously wound by the winder  1 -A are running through the front side region of the first and second yarn feed rollers  11  and  12 . Therefore, the group of yarns  81  to  102  must slip into the rear side region of the first and second yarn feed rollers  11  and  12  and pass through the predetermined positions on the rollers without disturbing the running of the group of yarns  51 , to  72 . 
     It might be questioned if such a threading operation is possible. However, it is possible under the following conditions: 
     First, the group of yarns  81  to  102  which are being sucked into the yarn cutting and sucking device  17 -B are sucked together by a suction gun (not shown). The respective yarns are individually separated by the yarn separating guide  13  to be located at predetermined positions. While maintaining such a condition, the suction gun is displaced in the running direction of the yarn feed rollers, so that after the gun passes through the second yarn feed roller  12 , yarn suction nozzles of the suction gun (not shown) reach a point beneath the group of yarns subjected to the normal winding operation, i.e., a point on the side of the traverse motion fulcrum guide  14 -B, then, the respective yarns are automatically positioned in the order defined by the yarn separating guide  13 . That is, as seen in FIG. 8, on the first yarn feed roller  11 , the group of yarns to be threaded, in this case the second group of yarns (only yarn  81  is shown), laterally move over the group of yarns subjected to the normal winding operation, the first group of yarns (only yarn  51  is shown), and enter the rear side region. Meanwhile, on the second yarn feed roller  12 , the group of yarns to be threaded laterally move under the group of normal yarns and enter the rear side region. Since both groups of yarns run at the same speed and at an angle, the yarns are immediately positioned at the normal positions without the occurrence of tangling or any filament breakage in the respective yarn. FIG. 9 illustrates the condition in which the first group of yarns (only yarn  51  is shown) is laterally moved underneath the second group of yarns (only yarn  81  is shown). 
     In such a manner, the winding operation is started again on the winder  1 -B. 
     By the way, it realizes the same effect to use the method of polymer stop by a gear pump (not shown), without the yarn cutting and sucking device  17 . 
     Another embodiment of an apparatus for producing yarns according to the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 3, wherein a group of yarns moving via the yarn cutting and sucking device  17 -A pass through the yarn separating guide  13 -A of the yarn separating guide  13  disposed on the side of the second yarn feed roller  12  and run around the first yarn feed roller  11 . Another group of yarns moving via the yarn cutting and sucking device  17 -B pass through the yarn separating guide  13 -B of the yarn separating guide  13  on the side opposite to the second yarn feed roller  12  and run around the first yarn feed roller  11 , as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. 
     As best seen in FIG. 4, the second yarn separating guide  13 -A and the frist yarn separating guide  13 -B are arranged so that the respective yarns  51 ,  81 ,  52 ,  82 ,  61 ,  91 ,  62 ,  92 ,  71 ,  101 ,  72  and  102  are positioned alternately in this order prior to entering the first yarn feed roller  11 . The yarn separating guide  13  ( 13 -A and  13 -B) also functions in much the same manner as the first and second yarn path control guides. After the respective yarns have exited the first yarn feed roller  11  and before they have entered the second yarn feed roller  12 , the yarn path of the one group of yarns  51  to  72  is controlled by the third guides  16 -A of the first yarn path control guide  16  provided on one side thereof, and the yarn path of the other group of yarns  81  to  102  is controlled by the fourth guides  16 -B provided on the other side. After the respective yarns have exited the second feed roller  12 , the yarn path of the one group of yarns  51  to  72  is controlled by the sixth set guides  18 -A of the second yarn path control guide  18  provided on one side thereof, and the yarn path of the other group of yarns  81  to  102  is controlled by the fifth set of guides  18 -B of the second yarn path control guide  18  on the other side thereof. 
     The positioning of the yarn separating guides, first and second yarn feed rollers, and first and second yarn path control guides will now be described in greater detail with reference to FIG.  4 . The second yarn separating guides  13 -A are inside guides and the first yarn separating guides  13 -B are outside guides with respect to the first yarn feed roller  11 . The third yarn path control guides  16 -A are inside guides and the fourth yarn path control guides  16 -B are outside guides with respect to the first feed roller  11 . The fourth yarn path control guides  16 -B are inside guides and the third yarn path control guides  16 -A are outside guides with respect to the second yarn feed roller  12 . The fifth yarn path control guides  18 -B are inside guides and the sixth yarn path control guides  18 -A are outside guides with respect to the second yarn feed roller  12 . Thus, consideration of the third  16 -A and fourth  16 -B guides of the first yarn path control guide  16  as being inside or outside guides is determined by the particular reference to either the first  11  or second  12  yarn feed roller. After exiting the second yarn feed roller  12 , the respective yarns  51  to  72  in the one group pass through the sixth guide  18 -A of the second yarn path control guide  18  and the respective yarns  81  to  102  in the other group of yarns pass the fifth guide  18 -B of the second yarn path control guide  18 . The yarns are then wound by the winders  1 -A and  1 -B, respectively. 
     If at least one yarn, for example, a yarn  92  wound by the winder  1 -B has been broken during the normal winding operation, the yarn breakage detector  15 -B provided for this yarn  92  detects the yarn breakage and informs this fact to the controller (not shown). The controller promptly causes the corresponding yarn cutting and sucking device  17 -B to operate to cut the yarns  81  to  102  belonging to the same group and suck the same thereinto so that no trouble occurs in the other part of the yarn spinning apparatus. It will be apparent that all the yarns to be wound by the winder  1 -B are cut at this instant. 
     There might be an extremely small amount of yarn pieces wound on a running path of the yarn  92  around the first yarn feed roller  11  or the second yarn feed roller  12  due to conditions whereby the yarn breakage has been generated. The wound yarn pieces, however, can be easily pushed toward the front side (i.e., to a distal end of the roller), for example, by a bamboo spatula and removed from the roller without disturbing the group of yarns  51  to  72  being wound. Accordingly, it is possible to continue the normal winding operation by the winder  1 -A even though the winding operation of the winder  1 -B has been interrupted due to the yarn breakage. 
     Now, it is necessary to exchange incomplete yarn packages on the winder  1 -B caused by the yarn breakage with fresh empty tubes and thread the yarns thereon immediately. At this time, the group of yarns  51  to  72  belonging to the winder  1 -A are running through the first yarn feed roller  11  and the second yarn feed roller  12 . Therefore, the yarns  81  to  102  belonging to the winder  1 -B must be located at positions alternate with those  51  to  72  belonging to the winder  1 -A without disturbing the latter. 
     Also in this case, the threading operation can be smoothly carried out as described before, irrespective of existence of the group of yarns running in the front side region. 
     That is, the group of yarns  81  to  102  sucked into the yarn cutting and sucking device  17 -B are sucked together by the suction gun (not shown). The suction gun is displaced in the running direction of the first yarn feed roller  11  while maintaining the respective yarns in the predetermined positions in the section  13 -B of the yarn separating guide  13 , until reaching the yarn path control guide  16 , at which the respective yarns are threaded into the predetermined position in the section  16 -B. At this time, the respective yarns laterally move along the first yarn feed roller  11  to pass over the group of yarns normally being wound, into the predetermined positions. After the yarns are threaded to the group or guides in the section  16 -B, the suction gun is displaced in the running direction of the second yarn feed roller  12  and made to stop at a position somewhat exceeding the traverse motion fulcrum guide  18 . On the second yarn feed roller  12 , the group of yarns  81  to  102  laterally moves therealong to pass under the group of yarns normally being wound, by pushing the guides  16 -A and  16 -B at the same time into the predetermined position. Since both the groups of yarns run at the same speed and at an angle therebetween, the yarns are immediately positioned at normal positions without the occurrence of tangling or any filament breakage in the respective yarn. Then, the operator threads the respective yarn into the traverse motion fulcrum guide  14 -B to start the winding operation of the winder  1 -B. 
     In such a manner, the winder I-B is made to restart. 
     As seen in FIG. 3, the yarn paths on the second yarn feed roller  12  are defined in a generally middle region in a space occupied by the respective packages in the axial direction. If the distance between the first yarn feed roller  11  and the yarn control guide  16  or between the second yarn feed roller  12  and the winder fanning guide is so short that the yarns  52  and  102  running in the opposite end yarn paths have an excessively large braking angle from a center line, the second yarn path control guide  18  may be provided as shown in FIG. 6 in the vicinity of the second yarn feed roller  12 . The yarns enter the respective traverse motion fulcrum guides  14  via the second yarn path control guide  18  so that the yarn running conditions such as running angle, traverse length or others become optimum even though the profile take-up machine. 
     In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the yarn exiting the second yarn feed roller  12  directly reaches the traverse motion fulcrum guide  14 . However, a second yarn path control guide may be disposed at a position between the traverse motion fulcrum guide  14  and the second yarn feed roller  12  closer to the latter. 
     In such a case, the distance between the winder and the second yarn feed roller can be reduced compared with the first embodiment, which facilitates the threading operation and minimizes a machine height to reduce the size of the apparatus. 
     Even in a case wherein winders are superposed with each other to form a vertical row arrangement, it is possible to reduce a total height of the apparatus for producing yarns as well as an installation space compared with the prior art apparatus. 
     According to the apparatus for producing yarns of the present invention, since the respective one yarn cutting and sucking device and the respective one winder form winding units, and at least two winding units share at least one of the yarn feed rollers, the number of yarns to be cut and sucked when the yarn breakage has occurred is reduced to improve the yield of the yarns and mitigate the operator&#39;s load due to the threading operation. On the contrary, in the prior art, if at least one yarn in a group of yarns processed in the same apparatus has been broken, all the yarns including those belonging to the winder continuing the normal winding operation must be cut and sucked, as waste, to lower the yield. 
     According to the apparatus of the present invention wherein the winders are arranged in a vertical row, it is possible to save the installation space of the apparatus. According to the apparatus of the present invention, yarn path control guides are provided for guiding a first yarn group to be threaded from the front side region to the rear side region while passing under or over a second yarn group which is the front side yarn group running across the first common yarn feed roller and then passing over or under the second yarn group running across the second common yarn feed roller, for the purpose of carrying out the threading operation in the inner side yarn group while crossing the front side yarn group, for example, due to the yarn breakage generating in the rear side yarn group. Thereby, it is possible to reduce the distance between the winder and the second yarn feed roller and therefore facilitate the threading operation. Also, it is possible to reduce a total height of the apparatus, which enables the elimination of an intermediate floor for the threading operation.