FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a sliver-can arrangement of the combing machine. More particularly the invention relates to a improved method for arranging the empty sliver-cans and filled sliver-can on the delivery side of a spinning machine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The sliver filling station of sliver-processing textile machines such as comber, draw frame and carding or the like comprises a coiler can handling apparatus, includes a turntable rotatable about a substantially vertical platform axis for rotating a coiler can standing thereon; a plurality of coiler can changing arms for moving a empty can onto and moving a sliver filled can off the platform; and a centering device for centering a coiler can on the platform relative to the platform axis. Sliver can handling and transport has already been automated to such an extent that human intervention is no longer necessary.

Can changing apparatus are capable of exchanging empty cans for filled cans at the work stations of said sliver-processing machine. The empty cans are propelled into a sliver storage unit and then the filled can is automatically shifted to delivery position at a sliver-producing textile machine. The replacement or removal of the full cans is therefore completed by automatic work of the can changing mechanism of said sliver-processing machine. The operation of the can changer arms is designed in such a manner, that the fiber sliver is deposited into the full can exists in the filling station, until this can leaves the zone of the turntable. The sliver is then deposited into the empty can which has been brought into the filling station, as soon as this empty can reaches the zone of the turntable. This has been carried out of by the action of pushing arms of the can changer unit.

For enhancing the performance and for avoiding the time delay, the said automation is provided with reserve can lay-out arrangement near the sliver filling unit. Upon the substitution of the filled can by an empty, the empty cans are being held in a ready-state position near the said sliver filling unit.
At present almost all the combers are equipped with 24" dia sliver-can or lesser can dia. Therefore keeping the reserve can within the machine's width (A) is possible. Moreover the machine to machine pitch gap (B) is decided only by the lap feeding trolley movement space.

When the production rate of the machine is increased, it is imperative to go for higher content can size (for eg. 40") to avoid production losses occurred due to frequent change of cans. Also the use of higher can size effectively increases mean time between assist. For achieving further increase in mean time between assist, a reserve can to be placed.

If the larger can size (for eg. 40"), is used as in the prior art arrangement (which is meant for lesser can dia (D) 24"), where reserve can and its moving mechanism placed behind the filling can, the machine space will be increased considerably because of the sum of the reserve and filling can diameters(2xD) is more than the machine's width(A). Since the reserve can and its can changing arm is projecting outside of the machine's width, which hinders movement of persons and lap trolley

Therefore the machine to machine pitch gap to be increased for facilitating the movement of operators and lap feeding trolley which results in over all combing plant's space increase.

Figure-1 of the drawings shows the schematic view of the mill layout of existing art wherein the machines (1' &1") are provided with sliver-can changing arrangement. The empty sliver-cans (2' & 2") are being feed traversely or perpendicularly with respect to the machine length. In this arrangement, if larger can size (for eg 40") is used, the space occupied by the machine is increased considerably because of the sum of the reserve and filling can diameters(2xD) is more than the machine's width(A). The reserve can and the can changing arm is projecting outside the machine's width, which hinders movement of persons and lap trolley movement space (E). Hence the said space (E) cannot be utilized.

Therefore during machine installation itself, a considerable floor space should be reserved for these layout requirements which results in more space occupation for entire combing department.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved sliver-can arrangement that allows sufficient space for man, material movement without any interference.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved sliver-can arrangement that provides effective space saving machine layout in a spinning mill.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved sliver-can arrangement that allows hindrance free loading, unloading and movement of larger sized sliver-cans.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, the improved sliver-can arrangement for textile spinning preparatory machines is provided with a improved layout for sliver-cans in order to accommodate sufficient space for man, material movement without any interference. For example in a combing machine, plurality of slivers are collected from each combing head and consolidated as sliver web, and gets the travel path along the machine table towards the drafting unit and coiling unit. Said slivers are then coiled and stored into the sliver-can for predetermined quantity which then transferred to the subsequent processes after gets filled. As per the present invention, the sliver-can arrangement of the textile spinning preparatory machine comprises a sliver filling unit for filling the consolidated sliver in a empty sliver-can; a coiler device for coiling the said sliver; a table for accommodating the filling sliver-can; and a can-changing unit for replacing the filled can by an empty sliver-can wherein the said empty sliver-can feeding is carried out in inclined direction to the sliver traveling path and the filled sliver-can is ejected out in inclined or substantially parallel direction to the sliver traveling path. Said empty sliver-can feeding is carried out in inclined direction to the sliver traveling direction without any intermediate staying position. And the filled sliver-can is being ejected out in inclined or substantially parallel direction to the sliver traveling direction without any intermediate staying position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Figure-1 schematically illustrates the prior art machine provided with traverse or perpendicular can feeding and parallel ejection of filled can or delivery with respect to sliver travelling path.

Figure - 2 & 3 illustrates the schematic view of the machine with incline feeding of reserve sliver-can and inclined ejection or delivery of filled sliver-can with respect to sliver travelling path according to the present invention. Figure-4 illustrates the schematic view of the machine with inclined feeding of reserve sliver-can and substantially axial delivery of filled sliver-can with respect to sliver travelling path according to the alternate embodiment of the present invention.

Figure-5 schematically shows the view of the machine with inclined feeding of reserve sliver-can and inclined delivery of filled sliver-can on the front side of the machine with respect to sliver travelling path according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure-6 illustrates the schematic view of the machine with inclined feeding of reserve sliver-can and inclined delivery of filled sliver-can on the rear side of the machine with respect to sliver travelling path according to furthermore embodiment of the present invention.

Figure-7 schematically illustrates the mill layout of the sliver-can arrangement according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Figure-1 represents the exemplary view of the spinning preparatory machine according to the existing art which was already explained with its limitations in the back ground of the invention. To overcome those limitations, the present invention provides an improved sliver-can arrangement as shown in Figures-2 to 6.

According to Figures-2 to 6, the processing sliver-can size is larger in diameter (for eg.40") than the conventional smaller cans (such as 18720724" etc.). As shown in Figures-2 & 3 the combing machine (1) comprises a sliver filling unit (2) for filling the consolidated slivers (3) in a empty sliver-can. Said consolidated slivers (3) are the delivery material from each combing head of the machine (1). This consolidated slivers (3) are then travelled along the machine table to reach the drafting unit (9) where these sliver web is well drafted before condensing and coiling. The sliver travelling path towards the said drafting unit (9) is shown by the dotted arrow along the machine length.

Then the condensed sliver gets into coil form in the coiler device (4) for the convenience of storing in the sliver-cans (6). Sliver-can according to this invention referred by three numerals (6, 7 &8) depending upon their positions at "filling", "reserve" and "filled" respectively. A table (5) which generally being called as rotary table accommodates the filling sliver-can (6).

During the sliver filling process, said filling can (6) rotates along with table (5) in order to facilitate a smooth sliver storing process. For interchanging or replacing the filling can (6) by a empty can (7), a can-changing arrangement is provided which is not shown. Said empty sliver-can (7) is placed immediately after the filling/working sliver-can (6).This replacing operation is said to be "doffing" process where ejection of filling sliver-can (6) and feeding a fresh reserve can (7) onto the table (5) at filling position take place According to embodiments (Figures-2 & 3) of the present invention the said empty reserve sliver-can (7) feeding is carried out in a inclined direction to the sliver travelling path without intermediate staying position. And the filling can (6) is also being ejected out in a inclined direction to the said sliver travelling path without intermediate staying position. Here the variants of inclined direction path is shown by the arrows at sliver filling unit (2). Then the reserve can (7) is being moved to the filling position in a inclined direction to the sliver travelling path and the a new reserve can (7) is placed again for next feeding. As of in Figure-2, the empty can (7) is fed from rear side and the filled can (8) is ejected in the front side of the machine. Whereas in Figure-3, the empty can (7) is fed from front side and the filled can (8) is ejected in the rear side of the machine. Since there is no intermediate staying position for reserve can or filled can during the movement, the sliver-cans are being accommodated substantially within the machine width (A) or trade off can be done between the machine width and length for achieving optimum the space by changing the inclination angle.

Further embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure - 4 in which the machine (1) with incline feeding of reserve sliver-can (7) and axial delivery of filled sliver-can (8) with respect to sliver travelling path. Here the empty can (7) is fed from rear side of the machine and the filled can (8) is ejected in the sideways parallel to the sliver traveling path.

Whereas the Figure - 5 shows the machine (1) the empty can (7) is fed from rear side of the machine and the filled can (8) is ejected in the front side inclined to sliver traveling path (figure 5) according to another embodiment of this invention.

One more embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figure - 6 wherein the empty can (7) is fed from rear side of the machine and the filled can (8) is ejected in the rear side (figure 6).

With the implementation of any of aforesaid embodiments, the mill layout as shown in Figure-4, deserves an effective space saving arrangement. Here the plurality of machines (1) having width "A" are arranged successively with maintaining a space (E) between one another. Since the machine frame to frame space "B" accommodates the "machine steps", the mean space "E" is being considered as the effective space for men-material movement space and need not be increased for accommodating larger can.

In usage of larger size cans (for eg. 40"), the time taken for each filling cycle is also more when compared to the smaller size cans (18720724"). Therefore this layout provides a considerable space utilization advantages while going for larger size sliver-cans. Moreover the same feature can be implemented for machine layout with smaller sliver-can also which will result in same advantages in their counterpart. Since the filled can (8) is taken away from the place after ejection, the lap trolley movement space (E) can be properly utilized without a disturbance of filled or reserve sliver-can. Moreover even if filled can (8) is not taken away immediately from the place after ejection, the lap trolley movement space (E) wont be disturbed by it since the whole space occupation of cans (reserve, filling and filled) lays under the total machine width (A+B-E). Though the present invention shown herein are only exemplary, further embodiments are also possible within the scope of the invention.

We Claim

1. A sliver-can arrangement for spinning machines comprises a sliver filling unit for filling the consolidated sliver in a empty sliver-can; a coiler device for coiling the said sliver; a table for accommodating the filling sliver-can; and a can-changing unit for replacing the filled can by an empty sliver-can wherein said empty sliver-can feeding is carried out in inclined direction to the sliver traveling path and the filled sliver-can is ejected out in inclined or substantially parallel direction to the sliver traveling path.

2. A sliver-can arrangement for spinning machines as claimed in claim -1, wherein empty sliver-can feeding is carried out in inclined direction to the sliver traveling direction without any intermediate staying position.

3. A sliver-can arrangement for spinning machines as claimed in claim -1, wherein the filled sliver-can is being ejected out in inclined or substantially parallel direction to the sliver traveling direction without any intermediate staying position.

4. A sliver-can arrangement for spinning machines as claimed in claim -1, wherein the empty sliver-can is placed immediately after the filling/working can.

5. A sliver-can arrangement for spinning machines as claimed in claim -1, wherein the empty can is fed from rear side and the filled can is ejected in the front side (figure 2).

6. A sliver-can arrangement for spinning machines as claimed in claim -1, wherein the empty can is fed from front side and the filled can is ejected in the rear side (figure 3).

7. A sliver-can arrangement for spinning machines as claimed in claim -1, wherein the empty can is fed from rear side and the filled can is ejected in the sideways parallel to the sliver traveling path (figure 4).

8. A sliver-can arrangement for spinning machines as claimed in claim -1, wherein the empty can is fed from rear side and the filled can is ejected in the front side inclined to sliver traveling path (figure 5).

9. A sliver-can arrangement for spinning machines as claimed in claim -1, wherein the empty can is fed from rear side and the filled can is ejected in the rear side (figure 6).

10. A sliver-can arrangement for spinning machines as claimed in claim -1, wherein the working and empty sliver-cans are accommodated within the machine width A+B-E.