PNEUMATIC SPINNING MACHINE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
5 The present invention relates to a pneumatic
spinning machine including a pneumatic spinning device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is known a pneumatic
spinning machine that suctions and catches yarn from a
10 pneumatic spinning device by using a yarn suctioning and
catching device. JP 2018-53373 A (Patent Document 1)
discloses this type of pneumatic spinning machine.
The spinning machine of Patent Document 1 includes:
a first capture guiding device that captures a first
15 yarn from a pneumatic spinning device and guides it to
a yarn joining device; and a second capture guiding
device that captures a second yarn from a winding device
and guides it to the yarn joining device. Accordingly,
the spinning machine can perform a yarn joining operation
20 on yarn ends of a cut yarn when a yarn breakage or a
clearer cut occurs. After the second capture guiding
device reaches a predetermined position, the first
capture guiding device captures the first yarn at a first
yarn catching position and moves to a first yarn guiding
3
position.
In the spinning machine of Patent Document 1, a
standby time of the first capture guiding device may
increase depending on an operating time of the second
5 capture guiding device. As a result, a time of a yarn
joining cycle until completion of the yarn joining
operation becomes long. Further, while the first
capture guiding device is on standby, the yarn produced
by the pneumatic spinning device is wasted, which
10 increases yarn waste.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide
a pneumatic spinning machine capable of operating a first
15 yarn suctioning and catching device at an efficient
timing, improving operation efficiency, and reducing
yarn waste.
A pneumatic spinning machine that performs selfspinning for newly producing a yarn by applying a
20 whirling airflow on a fiber bundle and sending the
produced yarn to a downstream side, the pneumatic
spinning machine comprising:
a draft device adapted to draft a raw material to
produce the fiber bundle;
4
a pneumatic spinning device adapted to perform the
self-spinning;
a first yarn suctioning and catching device adapted
to suction and catch the yarn produced by the pneumatic
5 spinning device; and
a control section adapted to change a cycle time
of a cycle including an operation of the first yarn
suctioning and catching device, based on at least any of
a yarn speed that is a travelling speed of the yarn
10 produced by the pneumatic spinning device, or a draft
condition in the draft device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic front view illustrating an
15 overall configuration of a spinning machine according to
one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating a spinning unit,
a yarn joining cart, and a doffing cart;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a
20 structure inside a pneumatic spinning device; and
FIG. 4 is a timing chart of an operation of a first
nozzle, a suction pipe, and the like at a time of yarn
joining.
5
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Next, a spinning machine (a pneumatic spinning
machine) 100 according to one embodiment of the present
invention will be described below with reference to the
5 drawings. Hereinafter, the terms "upstream" and
"downstream" in the following description refer to
upstream and downstream in a travelling direction of a
sliver (a raw material) S, a fiber bundle F, and a spun
yarn (a yarn) Y, at a time of winding the spun yarn Y.
10 The spinning machine 100 illustrated in FIG. 1
includes a motor box 80, spinning units 1, a yarn joining
cart 6, and a doffing cart 7. A plurality of the
spinning units 1 are arranged in a row.
Although not illustrated, the spinning machine 100
15 includes a blower box. Inside the blower box, a negative
pressure source that generates negative pressure is
provided. The negative pressure generated by the
negative pressure source is supplied to each spinning
unit 1, the yarn joining cart 6, and the doffing cart 7
20 via a duct or the like (not illustrated).
The motor box 80 is provided with a management
device 9. The management device 9 can communicate with
a unit control section 50, which will be described later,
included in each spinning unit 1. One unit control
6
section 50 may be provided for every predetermined number
of the spinning units 1.
Further, the management device 9 can communicate
with a cart control section (not illustrated) included
5 in each of the yarn joining cart 6 and the doffing cart
7. The management device 9 can centrally manage
information about each spinning unit 1, the yarn joining
cart 6, the doffing cart 7, and the like by communicating
with the each unit control section 50 and the cart
10 control section.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the management device 9
includes a display 91, an input device 92, and a control
device (a control section) 90.
The display 91 displays information such as an
15 operating status of each spinning unit 1, yarn quality,
and a spinning condition. The input device 92 includes
a plurality of input keys that can be operated by an
operator. The input device 92 is used for selecting
information to be displayed on the display 91, and for
20 setting a spinning condition and the like of the spinning
machine 100. The display 91 and the input device 92 may
be integrally configured by a touch panel display.
The spinning condition of the spinning machine 100
include, for example, a yarn speed that is a travelling
7
speed of the spun yarn Y produced by a pneumatic spinning
device 3, and/or a draft condition of a draft device 2,
which will be described later, included in the spinning
unit 1. In the present embodiment, the yarn speed is a
5 travelling speed of the spun yarn Y between the pneumatic
spinning device 3 and a yarn drawing device (a yarn
accumulating roller 11a, or a nip roller and a delivery
roller) described later. The spinning condition may be
set automatically in accordance with a yarn type selected
10 by the operator, or may be set manually by the operator.
The control device 90 is configured as a known
computer. The control device 90 includes a central
processing unit (CPU), a read only memory (ROM), a random
access memory (RAM), a hard disk drive (HDD), and the
15 like, which are not illustrated.
The control device 90 obtains an operation timing
and the like of each section of the spinning unit 1, the
yarn joining cart 6, and the doffing cart 7 based on the
set spinning condition. The control device 90 transmits
20 the obtained operation timing of each section of the
spinning unit 1 to the relevant unit control section 50
that controls each spinning unit 1. Further, the control
device 90 transmits the operation timing of each section
to the relevant cart control sections that control the
8
yarn joining cart 6 and the doffing cart 7. Details of
the operation timing of each section will be described
later.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, each spinning unit
5 1 mainly includes the draft device 2, the pneumatic
spinning device 3, a yarn winding device 4, and the unit
control section 50. In the spinning unit 1, the draft
device 2, the pneumatic spinning device 3, and the yarn
winding device 4 are arranged in order from upstream to
10 downstream.
The draft device 2 is provided near an upper end
of a frame 10 of the spinning machine 100. The draft
device 2 includes four draft rollers, as illustrated in
FIG. 2. The four draft rollers include a back roller (a
15 first roller) 21, a third roller 22, a middle roller 23,
and a front roller 24. In the draft device 2, the back
roller 21, the third roller 22, the middle roller 23,
and the front roller 24 are arranged in order from the
upstream side. The draft device 2 further includes four
20 opposing rollers provided to be opposed to the respective
four draft rollers. A rubber apron belt 25 is
respectively provided around the middle roller 23 and
the opposing roller thereof.
The draft device 2 stretches (drafts) the sliver S
9
supplied from a sliver case (not illustrated) to a
predetermined fiber quantity (or thickness) by conveying
while sandwiching between the draft roller and the
opposing roller thereof, to produce the fiber bundle F.
5 The fiber bundle F produced by the draft device 2 is
supplied to the pneumatic spinning device 3 and spun by
the pneumatic spinning device 3. As a result, the spun
yarn Y is produced.
In the present embodiment, each draft roller
10 provided in the draft device 2 is driven by an individual
electric motor (not illustrated). Accordingly, a
rotation speed of each draft roller can be changed
independently. An operation of each electric motor that
drives each draft roller is controlled by the unit
15 control section 50. The middle rollers 23 may be
configured to be driven all at once in the plurality of
the spinning units 1. The front rollers 24 may be
configured to be driven all at once in the plurality of
the spinning units 1.
20 In the draft device 2, a rotation speed of each
draft roller is set to be higher toward the downstream
side. As a result, the fiber bundle F is drafted while
being conveyed between the draft roller and the opposing
roller thereof, and a thickness of the fiber bundle F
10
becomes thinner toward the downstream side. A rotation
speed of each draft roller is set based on a yarn speed
and a draft condition described later inputted by the
operator via the input device 92.
5 By appropriately setting the rotation speed of each
draft roller, a ratio for stretching the fiber bundle F
can be changed. Accordingly, the fiber bundle F drafted
to a desired thickness can be supplied to the pneumatic
spinning device 3. Hereinafter, this ratio for
10 stretching is referred to as a "draft ratio".
Here, a draft condition of the draft device 2
including the above draft ratio will be briefly described.
The draft conditions include, for example, a total draft
ratio (TDR), a main draft ratio (MDR), a brake draft
15 ratio (BDR), a feed ratio, a gauge width, and the like.
Various draft conditions are set in accordance with a
type, a thickness, and the like of the spun yarn Y to be
produced by the spinning machine 100.
The total draft ratio is a ratio of a peripheral
20 speed of the front roller 24 to a peripheral speed of
the back roller 21. That is, the total draft ratio = (a
peripheral speed of the front roller 24)/(a peripheral
speed of the back roller 21).
The main draft ratio is a ratio of a peripheral
11
speed of the front roller 24 to a peripheral speed of
the middle roller 23. That is, the main draft ratio =
(a peripheral speed of the front roller 24)/(a peripheral
speed of the middle roller 23).
5 The brake draft ratio is a ratio of a peripheral
speed of the third roller 22 to a peripheral speed of
the back roller 21. That is, the brake draft ratio = (a
peripheral speed of the third roller 22)/(a peripheral
speed of the back roller 21).
10 By adjusting a rotation speed (a peripheral speed)
of each draft roller, the draft ratio (and thus a
thickness of the fiber bundle F or the spun yarn Y to be
produced) can be changed. Note that each of the above
draft ratios is not limited to being obtained as
15 described above, but may be obtained, for example, based
on an amount or number of fibers introduced between each
draft roller and the opposing roller thereof.
The gauge width is a distance between two draft
rollers adjacent to each other (specifically, for
20 example, a distance between axes of two adjacent draft
rollers) in a travelling direction of the fiber bundle
F. By adjusting this gauge width, a conveyance distance
of the fiber bundle F conveyed by the draft roller can
be changed.
12
The feed ratio is a ratio of a peripheral speed of
the front roller 24 to a peripheral speed of the yarn
accumulating roller 11a described later. That is, the
feed ratio = (a peripheral speed of the front roller
5 24)/(a peripheral speed of the yarn accumulating roller
11a).
The pneumatic spinning device 3 is arranged
immediately downstream of the front roller 24. The
pneumatic spinning device 3 uses a whirling airflow to
10 twist the fiber bundle F supplied from the draft device
2, to produce the spun yarn Y.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the pneumatic spinning
device 3 includes a nozzle block 30 and a hollow guide
shaft body 34. The nozzle block 30 includes a fiber
15 guide 31, a spinning chamber 32, and a first nozzle (a
spinning nozzle) 33. The hollow guide shaft body 34
includes a yarn passage 35 and a second nozzle 36. Each
section of the pneumatic spinning device 3 is controlled
by the unit control section 50. Although the nozzle
20 block 30 is illustrated in FIG. 3 as being configured by
a plurality of members, the nozzle block 30 may be
configured by one member.

WE CLAIM
1. A pneumatic spinning machine (100) that
performs self-spinning for newly producing a yarn (Y) by
applying a whirling airflow on a fiber bundle (F) and
5 sending the produced yarn (Y) to a downstream side, the
pneumatic spinning machine (100) comprising:
a draft device (2) adapted to draft a raw material
(S) to produce the fiber bundle (F);
a pneumatic spinning device (3) adapted to perform
10 the self-spinning;
a first yarn suctioning and catching device (63)
adapted to suction and catch the yarn (Y) produced by
the pneumatic spinning device (3); and
a control section (90; 50) adapted to change a
15 cycle time of a cycle including an operation of the first
yarn suctioning and catching device (63), based on at
least any of a yarn speed that is a travelling speed of
the yarn (Y) produced by the pneumatic spinning device
(3), or a draft condition in the draft device (2).
20
2. The pneumatic spinning machine (100) as claimed
in claim 1, wherein based on at least any of a yarn speed
that is a travelling speed of the yarn (Y) produced by
the pneumatic spinning device (3), or a draft condition
56
in the draft device (2), the control section (90; 50)
obtains an operation timing of the first yarn suctioning
and catching device (63) and changes the cycle time.
5 3. The pneumatic spinning machine (100) as claimed
in claim 1 or 2, wherein based on at least any of the
yarn speed or the draft condition, the control section
(90; 50) obtains a start timing of a suction operation
by the first yarn suctioning and catching device (63)
10 and changes the cycle time.
4. The pneumatic spinning machine (100) as claimed
in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein based on at least
any of the yarn speed or the draft condition, the control
15 section (90; 50) obtains a start timing for the first
yarn suctioning and catching device (63) to move from a
yarn catching position that is for catching the yarn,
toward a target position that is a guide destination of
the caught yarn (Y), and changes the cycle time.
20
5. The pneumatic spinning machine (100) as claimed
in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control section
(90; 50) is adapted to control a suction operation of
the first yarn suctioning and catching device (63), and
57
a movement of the first yarn suctioning and catching
device (63) toward a target position that is a guide
destination of the yarn (Y) caught by the suction
operation.
5
6. The pneumatic spinning machine (100) as claimed
in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein
the draft device (2) includes a first roller (21)
that is provided on an upstream side in a draft direction
10 of the raw material (S), the first roller (21) being
adapted to convey the raw material (S), and
the control section (90; 50) is adapted to start
the self-spinning by the pneumatic spinning device (3)
after an elapsed of a period based on at least any of
15 the yarn speed or the draft condition from a rotation
start of the first roller (21).
7. The pneumatic spinning machine (100) as claimed
in claim 6, wherein
20 the pneumatic spinning device (3) includes a
spinning nozzle (33) through which air injected into a
spinning chamber (32) formed inside passes, and
a period from a rotation start of the first roller
(21) to a start of an air injection operation from the
58
spinning nozzle (33) is obtained based on at least any
of the yarn speed or the draft condition.
8. The pneumatic spinning machine (100) as claimed
5 in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the draft condition
includes at least any of a total draft ratio, a main
draft ratio, a brake draft ratio, a feed ratio, or a
gauge width.
10 9. The pneumatic spinning machine (100) as claimed
in any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising:
a setting section (92) adapted to set the yarn
speed and/or the draft condition.
15 10. The pneumatic spinning machine (100) as
claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising:
a yarn winding device (4) adapted to wind the yarn
(Y) produced by the pneumatic spinning device (3) to
form a package (45);
20 a second yarn suctioning and catching device (64)
adapted to suction and catch the yarn (Y) from the yarn
winding device (4); and
a yarn joining device (62) adapted to perform a
yarn joining operation for joining the yarn (Y) suctioned
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and caught by the first yarn suctioning and catching
device (63) and the yarn (Y) suctioned and caught by the
second yarn suctioning and catching device (64), wherein
the yarn joining operation by the yarn joining
5 device (62) is performed after completion of the selfspinning by the pneumatic spinning device (3).
11. The pneumatic spinning machine (100) as
claimed in claim 10, comprising:
10 a plurality of spinning units (1); and
a yarn joining cart (6) adapted to travel for a
plurality of the spinning units (1), wherein
each of the spinning units (1) is provided with
the draft device (2) and the pneumatic spinning device
15 (3), and
the yarn joining cart (6) is provided with the
first yarn suctioning and catching device (63), the
second yarn suctioning and catching device (64), and the
yarn joining device (62).
20
12. The pneumatic spinning machine (100) as
claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising:
a plurality of spinning units (1); and
a doffing cart (7) adapted to travel for a
60
plurality of the spinning units (1), wherein
each of the spinning units (1) includes the draft
device (2) and the pneumatic spinning device (3), and
winds the yarn (Y) produced by the pneumatic spinning
5 device (3) to form a package (45),
the doffing cart (7) doffs the package (45) that
has been fully wound, and
the first yarn suctioning and catching device (63)
is provided on the doffing cart (7).