TENSOR, DRAFT DEVICE, AND SPINNING MACHINE
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tensor, a 5 draft
device, and a spinning machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is known a spinning machine including a draft
10 device adapted to draft a fiber bundle, and a spinning
device adapted to twist the drafted fiber bundle to produce
a spun yarn. The draft device includes a plurality of pairs
of rollers in a draft direction of the fiber bundle. An
apron belt adapted to grip (nip) and draft the fiber bundle
15 is stretched between a bottom roller of a pair of rollers
and a tensor (tensor bar).
DE102005000990A describes a draft device including
a tensor (belt bridge) in which five rotatable rollers are
arranged. According to the tensor of DE102005000990A,
20 friction between the tensor and the apron belt when the
apron belt is rotated can be reduced.
In such a draft device, a gripping position (nip
position) and a gripping force of the fiber bundle by the
apron belt affect quality of the yarn. The fiber bundle
25 has a different effective fiber length depending on its type.
Thus, when the effective fiber length is short, for example,
the fibers may be pulled following the fibers travelling
ahead, the fibers may travel in a bent state with respect
to the draft direction, and the like if the gripping
30 position of the fiber bundle is not appropriately set, and
hence the movement of the fibers may be difficult to control.
3 / 35
Thus, the thickness of the fiber bundle may vary, and the
yarn quality may be lowered.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to 5 provide
a tensor, a draft device, and a spinning machine that can
improve yarn quality.
A tensor according to the present invention is a
tensor which is provided in a draft device adapted to draft
10 a fiber bundle by a pair of rollers including a bottom roller
and a top roller, the tensor adapted to adjust a tension
of a bottom belt, the bottom belt being stretched between
the tensor and the bottom roller, the tensor including a
main body section extending in a rotation axis direction
15 of the bottom roller; and a supporting member arranged in
the main body section and adapted to support the bottom belt
to set a first nip position of the fiber bundle by a top
belt arranged in the top roller and the bottom belt, wherein
the supporting member is arranged at a position where a
20 distance between the first nip position and a second nip
position of the fiber bundle by the bottom roller and the
top roller is within a range of 11 mm or more and 22 mm or
less.
A tensor according to another aspect of the present
25 invention is a tensor which is provided in a draft device
adapted to draft a fiber bundle by a pair of rollers
including a bottom roller and a top roller, the tensor
adapted to adjust a tension of a bottom belt, the bottom
belt being stretched between the tensor and the bottom
30 roller, the tensor including a main body section extending
in a rotation axis direction of the bottom roller; and a
4 / 35
supporting member arranged in the main body section and
adapted to support the bottom belt to set a first nip
position of the fiber bundle by a top belt arranged in the
top roller and the bottom belt. The supporting member is
arranged at a position where the distance between the 5 first
nip position and the second nip position of the fiber bundle
by the bottom roller and the top roller is in a range equal
to or larger than half the average fiber length of the fiber
bundle to be drafted and smaller than the average fiber
10 length.
A draft device according to the present invention
includes a pair of rollers including a bottom roller and
a top roller; the tensor described above; and an apron belt
stretched across the bottom roller and the tensor.
15 A spinning machine according to the present invention
includes the draft device described above; a pneumatic
spinning device adapted to twist the fiber bundle drafted
by the draft device to produce a yarn; and a winding device
adapted to wind the yarn produced by the pneumatic spinning
20 device into a package.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating a spinning machine
including a draft device according to one embodiment;
25 FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating a spinning unit
of the spinning machine of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating the draft device
of the spinning unit of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating the draft device
30 of the spinning unit of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a pair of
5 / 35
middle rollers;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the
pair of middle rollers;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a tensor;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the 5 tensor
where illustration of the roller is omitted;
FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a main body
and a supporting body illustrated in FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view illustrating
10 a supporting body in which positions of bearings are
different;
FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a tensor
in which the roller is arranged on the supporting body of
FIG. 10;
15 FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating a tensor
according to another embodiment;
FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken along line
a-a in FIG. 12; and
FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating a tensor
20 according to another embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will
be hereinafter described in detail with reference to the
25 accompanying drawings. The same or corresponding
components are denoted with the same reference numerals in
the description of the drawings, and the redundant
description will be omitted.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, a spinning machine 1
30 includes a plurality of spinning units 2, a yarn joining
cart 3, a doffing cart (not illustrated), a first end frame
6 / 35
4, and a second end frame 5. The plurality of the spinning
units 2 are arranged in a row. Each of the spinning units
2 is adapted to produce a yarn Y and to wind the yarn Y into
a package P. The yarn joining cart 3 is adapted to perform
a yarn joining operation in a spinning unit 2 after the 5 e yarn
Y is cut, or is broken for some reason in such a spinning
unit 2. The doffing cart is adapted to doff the package
P and to supply a new bobbin B to the spinning unit 2 when
the package P is fully-wound in a spinning unit 2.
10 The first end frame 4 accommodates, for example, a
collecting device adapted to collect a fiber waste, a yarn
waste, and the like generated in the spinning units 2. The
second end frame 5 accommodates an air supplying section
adapted to adjust air pressure of compressed air (air) to
15 be supplied to the spinning machine 1 and to supply the air
to each section of the spinning machine 1, a drive motor
adapted to supply power to each section of the spinning unit
2, and the like. The second end frame 5 is provided with
a machine control device 100, a display screen 102, and
20 input keys 104. The machine control device 100 is adapted
to intensively manage and control each section of the
spinning machine 1. The display screen 102 is capable of
displaying information relating to set contents and/or
status of the spinning units 2, or the like. An operator
25 can perform an appropriate operation using the input keys
104 to carry out a setting operation of the spinning units
2. The display screen 102 may be a touch panel display,
and the touch panel display may be operated instead of the
input keys 104.
30 As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, each spinning unit
2 includes a draft device 6, a pneumatic spinning device
7 / 35
7, a yarn monitoring device 8, a tension sensor 9, a yarn
storage device 11, a waxing device 12, and a winding device
13 in this order from upstream in a travelling direction
of the yarn Y. A unit controller 10 is provided for every
predetermined number of spinning units 2 and is adapted 5 ed to
control operations of the spinning units 2.
The draft device 6 is adapted to draft a sliver (fiber
bundle) S. The draft device 6 includes a pair of back
rollers 14, a pair of third rollers 15, a pair of middle
10 rollers 16, and a pair of front rollers 17 in this order
from upstream in a travelling direction of the sliver S.
Each pair of rollers 14, 15, 16, and 17 includes a bottom
roller and a top roller. The bottom roller is rotationally
driven by the drive motor provided in the second end frame
15 5 or by a drive motor provided in each spinning unit 2. An
apron belt (bottom belt) 18a is provided with respect to
the bottom roller of the middle rollers 16. An apron belt
(top belt) 18b is provided with respect to the top roller
of the middle rollers 16.
20 The pneumatic spinning device 7 is adapted to produce
the yarn Y by twisting a fiber bundle F, which has been
drafted by the draft device 6, with a whirling airflow.
More specifically (however, not illustrated), the
pneumatic spinning device 7 includes a spinning chamber,
25 a fiber guiding section, a whirling airflow generating
nozzle, and a hollow guide shaft body. The fiber guiding
section is adapted to guide the fiber bundle F supplied from
the upstream draft device 6 into the spinning chamber. The
whirling airflow generating nozzle is arranged at a
30 periphery of a path where the fiber bundle F travels. A
whirling airflow is generated in the spinning chamber by
8 / 35
injecting air from the whirling airflow generating nozzle.
With the whirling airflow, each fiber end of a plurality
of fibers that form the fiber bundle F is reversed and
whirled. The hollow guide shaft body is adapted to guide
the yarn Y from the spinning chamber to an outside of 5 the
pneumatic spinning device 7.
The yarn monitoring device 8 is adapted to monitor
information on the travelling yarn Y between the pneumatic
spinning device 7 and the yarn storage device 11, and to
10 detect presence or absence of a yarn defect based on the
information acquired by the monitoring. When detecting
the yarn defect, the yarn monitoring device 8 transmits a
yarn defect detection signal to a unit controller 10. The
yarn monitoring device 8 detects a thickness abnormality
15 of the yarn Y and/or a foreign substance included in the
yarn Y, for example, as the yarn defect. The yarn
monitoring device 8 also detects a yarn breakage or the like.
The tension sensor 9 is adapted to measure tension of the
travelling yarn Y between the pneumatic spinning device 7
20 and the yarn storage device 11, and to transmit a tension
measurement signal to the unit controller 10. When the unit
controller 10 determines presence of an abnormality based
on a detection result of the yarn monitoring device 8 and/or
the tension sensor 9, the yarn Y is cut in the spinning unit
25 2. Specifically, by stopping air supply to the pneumatic
spinning device 7 to interrupt the production of the yarn
Y, the yarn Y is cut. Alternatively, the yarn Y may be cut
with a separately provided cutter.
The waxing device 12 is adapted to apply wax to the
30 yarn Y between the yarn storage device 11 and the winding
device 13.
9 / 35
The yarn storage device 11 is adapted to eliminate
a slack of the yarn Y between the pneumatic spinning device
7 and the winding device 13. The yarn storage device 11
has a function of stably pulling out the yarn Y from the
pneumatic spinning device 7, a function of preventing 5 the
yarn Y from slackening by accumulating the yarn Y fed from
the pneumatic spinning device 7 at the time of the yarn
joining operation or the like by the yarn joining cart 3,
and a function of preventing variation in the tension of
10 the yarn Y at downstream of the yarn storage device 11 from
being propagated to the pneumatic spinning device 7.
The winding device 13 is adapted to wind the yarn Y
around a bobbin B to form a package P. The winding device
13 includes a cradle arm 21, a winding drum 22, and a traverse
15 guide 23. The cradle arm 21 is adapted to rotatably support
the bobbin B. The cradle arm 21 is swingably supported by
a support shaft 24 and is adapted to bring a surface of the
bobbin B or a surface of the package P into contact with
a surface of the winding drum 22 under appropriate pressure.
20 A drive motor (not illustrated) provided in the second end
frame 5 is adapted to simultaneously drive the winding drums
22 each provided in the plurality of the spinning units 2.
Accordingly, in each spinning unit 2, the bobbin B or the
package P is rotated in a winding direction. The traverse
25 guide 23 of each spinning unit 2 is provided on a shaft 25
shared by the plurality of the spinning units 2. By the
drive motor in the second end frame 5 driving the shaft 25
to reciprocate in a direction of a rotational axis of the
winding drum 22, the traverse guide 23 traverses the yarn
30 Y in a predetermined width with respect to the rotating
bobbin B or package P.
10 / 35
After the yarn Y is cut, or is broken for some reason
in a spinning unit 2, the yarn joining cart 3 travels to
such a spinning unit 2 to perform the yarn joining operation.
The yarn joining cart 3 includes a yarn joining device 26,
a suction pipe 27, and a suction mouth 28. The suction 5 pipe
27 is swingably supported by a support shaft 31, and is
adapted to catch the yarn Y from the pneumatic spinning
device 7 and to guide the caught yarn Y to the yarn joining
device 26. The suction mouth 28 is swingably supported by
10 a support shaft 32, and is adapted to catch the yarn Y from
the winding device 13 and to guide the caught yarn Y to the
yarn joining device 26. The yarn joining device 26 is
adapted to join the guided yarns Y together. The yarn
joining device 26 is a splicer using the compressed air,
15 a knotter adapted to join the yarns Y together in a
mechanical manner, or the like.
When the yarn joining cart 3 performs the yarn joining
operation, the package P is rotated in an unwinding
direction (reversely rotated). At this time, the cradle
20 arm 21 is moved by an air cylinder (not illustrated) such
that the package P is located away from the winding drum
22, and the package P is reversely rotated by a
reversely-rotating roller (not illustrated) provided in
the yarn joining cart 3.
25 The draft device 6 described above will be more
specifically described.
As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the pair of back
rollers 14 includes a back bottom roller 14a and a back top
roller 14b facing each other with a travelling path R, where
30 the sliver S travels, therebetween. The pair of third
rollers 15 includes a third bottom roller 15a and a third
11 / 35
top roller 15b facing each other with the travelling path
R therebetween. The pair of middle rollers 16 includes a
middle bottom roller 16a and a middle top roller 16b facing
each other with the travelling path R therebetween. The
pair of front rollers 17 includes a front bottom roller 5 17a
and a front top roller 17b facing each other with the
travelling path R therebetween. Each of the plurality of
pairs of rollers 14, 15, 16, 17 feeds the sliver S supplied
from a can (not illustrated) and guided by a fiber bundle
10 guide 77 from the upstream toward the downstream while
drafting.
The back bottom roller 14a is rotatably supported by
a back roller housing 66. The third bottom roller 15a is
rotatably supported by a third roller housing 67. The
15 middle bottom roller 16a is rotatably supported by a middle
roller housing 68. The front bottom roller 17a is rotatably
supported by a front roller housing 69. Each of the bottom
rollers 14a, 15a, 16a, 17a is rotated at a rotation speed
different from each other so as to be faster toward the
20 downstream by the power from the second end frame 5. At
least part of or all of the bottom rollers 14a, 15a, 16a,
17a may be rotated by the drive motor provided in each
spinning unit 2.
The back top roller 14b, the third top roller 15b,
25 the middle top roller 16b, and the front top roller 17b are
rotatably supported by a draft cradle 71. Each top roller
14b, 15b, 16b, 17b is brought into contact with each bottom
roller 14a, 15a, 16a, 17a at a predetermined pressure to
be driven and rotated.
30 The draft cradle 71 can be swung with a support shaft
72 as a center to a position where each top roller 14b, 15b,
12 / 35
16b, 17b is brought into contact with each bottom roller
14a, 15a, 16a, 17a at a predetermined pressure, and a
position where each top roller 14b, 15b, 16b, 17b is
separated from each bottom roller 14a, 15a, 16a, 17a. The
draft cradle 71 is swung using a handle (5 not illustrated)
provided in the draft cradle 71. The draft cradle 71
rotatably supports each top roller 14b, 15b, 16b, 17b of
the draft devices 6 arranged in each of the pair of adjacent
spinning units 2. That is, the draft cradle 71 is shared
10 by the draft devices 6 arranged in each of the pair of
adjacent spinning units 2.
A regulating section 74 referred to as a sliver guide
or a capacitor, for example, is arranged between the pair
of third rollers 15 and the pair of middle rollers 16. A
15 through-hole 74a, through which the sliver S is passed, is
formed in the regulating section 74. The width of the
sliver S in a direction (hereinafter referred to as
“rotation axis direction”) in which the rotation axis of
each roller 14a, 14b, 15a, 15b, 16a, 16b, 17a, 17b extends
20 is regulated to the width of the through-hole 74a in the
rotation axis direction. Thus, the regulating section 74
regulates the path, where the sliver S travels, on the
travelling path R, and regulates the width of the sliver
S in the rotation axis direction to the width of the
25 through-hole 74a in the rotation axis direction. The
regulating section 74 is supported by a supporting section
75. The supporting section 75 is located on a lower side
of the travelling path R in a machine height direction, and
is attached to a middle roller housing 68 adapted to
30 rotatably support the middle bottom roller 16a. The
position of the regulating section 74 with respect to the
13 / 35
pair of middle rollers 16 is thereby maintained. In FIGS.
1 and 2, the regulating section 74 and the supporting
section 75 are omitted.
As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the apron belt 18a
is stretched across the middle bottom roller 16a and 5 a
tensor 40. The apron belt 18a is driven by the rotation
of the middle bottom roller 16a. The apron belt 18b is
stretched across the middle top roller 16b and an apron
tensioner 42. The apron tensioner 42 is supported by the
10 draft cradle 71. The apron belt 18b is driven by the
rotation of the top roller 16b that rotates accompanying
the rotation of the middle bottom roller 16a.
In the pair of middle rollers 16, the apron belt 18a
is pressed by the tensor 40 and the apron belt 18b is pressed
15 by the apron tensioner 42, so that the sliver S is nipped
(sandwiched) by the apron belt 18a and the apron belt 18b
while pressure is applied.
Next, a description will be made in detail on the
tensor 40. As illustrated in any of FIGS. 5 to 9, the tensor
20 40 includes a main body section 50, a supporting body
(replacement member) 52, and rollers (supporting members)
54a, 54b, 54c, 54d.
The main body section 50 is a member that extends in
one direction and that has a predetermined thickness. The
25 main body section 50 is, for example, made of a material
such as metal. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the main body
section 50 is arranged downstream (on the front bottom
roller 17a side) of the middle bottom roller 16a in the
travelling path R of the sliver S. As illustrated in FIG.
30 3, the main body section 50 is arranged to extend in the
same direction as the extending direction (direction in
14 / 35
which the spinning units 2 are arranged) of the bottom
roller 16a. In other words, the main body section 50 is
arranged to extend in the same direction as the direction
in which the rotation axis of the bottom roller 16a extends.
The main body section 50 is provided commonly for 5 the draft
devices 6 of the two adjacent spinning units 2. One main
body section 50 may be provided for one spinning unit 2.
The main body section 50 is supported by a supporting
mechanism (not illustrated). As illustrated in FIG. 9, the
10 main body section 50 includes a recess 51. The recess 51
is formed, for example, by partially cutting out the main
body section 50 in the thickness direction.
The supporting body 52 rotatably supports the rollers
54a to 54d (see FIG. 4). The supporting body 52 is made
15 of, for example, a material such as resin. As illustrated
in FIG. 9, the supporting body 52 is detachably provided
on the main body section 50. The supporting body 52 is
arranged and held in the recess 51 of the main body section
50. The supporting body 52 is fixed to the main body section
20 50 with, for example, a fixture (not illustrated) such as
a screw.
The supporting body 52 includes a main body portion
52a, a first end 52b, and a second end 52c. The main body
portion 52a, the first end 52b, and the second end 52c are,
25 for example, integrally molded. The main body portion 52a
is a plate-shaped member presenting a substantially
rectangular shape.
The first end 52b and the second end 52c are each
arranged at an end in a longitudinal direction of the main
30 body portion 52a, and are provided along a width direction
of the main body portion 52a. The first end 52b and the
15 / 35
second end 52c each project out from the surface of the main
body portion 52a. In other words, the thicknesses of the
first end 52b and the second end 52c are larger than the
thickness of the main body portion 52a. Thus, the
supporting body 52 presents a substantially recessed 5 ssed shape
when seen from a direction along the surface of the main
body portion 52a.
The first end 52b is provided with bearings
(positioning portions) 56a, 56b, 56c, 56d. At the first
10 end 52b, the bearings 56a to 56d are arranged in this order
from one end toward the other end in the longitudinal
direction of the first end 52b (width direction of the main
body portion 52a). The second end 52c is provided with
bearings (positioning portions) 58a, 58b, 58c, 58d. At the
15 second end 52c, the bearings 58a to 58d are arranged in this
order from one end toward the other end in the longitudinal
direction of the second end 52c. The bearing 56a and the
bearing 58a are arranged at positions facing each other with
the main body portion 52a therebetween. Similarly, the
20 bearing 56b and the bearing 58b, the bearing 56c and the
bearing 58c, and the bearing 56d and the bearing 58d are
respectively arranged at positions facing each other with
the main body portion 52a therebetween.
The bearings 56b, 56c and the bearings 58b, 58c are
25 grooves formed in each of the first end 52b and the second
end 52c. The bearings 56a, 56d and the bearings 58a, 58d
are cutouts formed in each of the first end 52b and the second
end 52c. A contacting surface with the rollers 54a to 54d
in the bearings 56a to 56d and the bearings 58a to 58d
30 presents a shape along the outer shape of the rollers 54a
to 54d (curved shape in the present embodiment). The shape
16 / 35
of each of the bearings 58a to 58d may be formed in a U-shape
or a V-shape when seen in the axial direction.
The bearings 56a to 56d and the bearings 58a to 58d
detachably support the rollers 54a to 54d. Specifically,
the bearing 56a and the bearing 58a are provided with 5 th the
roller 54a to rotatably support the roller 54a. The bearing
56b and the bearing 58b are provided with the roller 54b
to rotatably support the roller 54b. The bearing 56c and
the bearing 58c are provided with the roller 54c to
10 rotatably support the roller 54c. The bearing 56d and the
bearing 58d are provided with the roller 54d to rotatably
support the roller 54d.
The rollers 54a to 54d are rotatably supported by the
supporting body 52. The rollers 54a to 54d present a
15 circular column shape. In the present embodiment, the
cross-section of the rollers 54a to 54d presents a true
circular shape, as illustrated in FIG. 6. The rollers 54a
to 54d are, for example, made of a material having abrasion
resistance. The rollers 54a to 54d may be in a mode in which
20 a material having abrasion resistance is applied on the
surface. The surface of the rollers 54a to 54d may be in
a state (smooth state) without almost any bumps, or may be
subjected to mirror-like finish, pearskin finish, grain
finish, groove finish, or the like.
25 The diameters of the rollers 54a to 54d may be
appropriately set according to design between, for example,
3 mm and 7 mm. In the present embodiment, the diameters
of the roller 54b and the roller 54c are set to 3 mm. The
diameters of the roller 54a and the roller 54d are set to
30 4 mm. The axial lengths (hereinafter simply referred to
as “lengths”) of the rollers 54a to 54d are appropriately
17 / 35
set according to the width of the apron belt 18a within a
range where the rigidity can be ensured. Specifically, the
lengths of the rollers 54a to 54d merely need to be equal
to or larger than the width of the apron belt 18a. That
is, the lengths of the rollers 54a to 54d may be the 5 e same
as the width of the apron belt 18a, or may be larger than
the width of the apron belt 18a. In FIG. 5, a mode in which
the lengths of the rollers 54a to 54d are larger than the
width of the apron belt 18a is illustrated by way of example.
10 An identifiable mark may be given to each of the rollers
54a to 54d and/or the supporting body 52. Examples of the
mark include an engraved mark, a color coding, and a
sticker.
As illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, the roller 54a has
15 its ends supported by the bearing 56a and the bearing 58a.
The roller 54b has its ends supported by the bearing 56b
and the bearing 58b. The roller 54c has its ends supported
by the bearing 56c and the bearing 58c. The roller 54d has
its ends supported by the bearing 56d and the bearing 58d.
20 According to such a configuration, the rollers 54a to 54d
are arranged in this order from the upstream toward the
downstream in the draft direction in the present embodiment.
Both ends of the rollers 54a to 54d make contact with the
side surfaces of the recess 51 of the main body section 50.
25 The axial movement of the rollers 54a to 54d is thereby
restricted.
The rollers 54a to 54d in the width direction of the
main body portion 52a may be arranged at equal intervals
or at unequal intervals. In the present embodiment, the
30 rollers 54a to 54d are arranged at an interval (gap) with
each other along the width direction of the main body
18 / 35
portion 52a, but may be arranged with almost no interval
(with no gap).
The apron belt 18a is stretched across the bottom
roller 16a and the tensor 40. Specifically, the apron belt
18a is stretched across the bottom roller 16a and the 5 roller
54d of the tensor 40. The apron belt 18a is rotated
accompanying the rotation of the bottom roller 16a rotated
by the drive section (not illustrated). The upper part of
each of the rollers 54a to 54d is pressed toward the lower
10 side by the apron belt 18a. The vertical position of each
of the rollers 54a to 54d is thereby restricted. The
rollers 54a to 54d are rotated accompanying the rotation
of the apron belt 18a.
As described above, the rollers 54a to 54d are
15 detachably supported by the bearings 56a to 56d and the
bearings 58a to 58d, and hence the supporting body 52 may
be attached to the main body section 50 in a state where
the roller 54c is removed from the bearing 56c and the
bearing 58c, for example. The rollers 54a, 54b, 54c, 54d
20 can be removed from the bearings 56a to 56d and the bearings
58a to 58d like the roller 54c. Thus, the nip position P2
(see FIG. 6) in the width direction (direction in which the
rollers 54a to 54d are arranged) of the main body portion
52a can be adjusted. In the present embodiment, at least
25 the roller 54b and the roller 54d need to be attached. The
interval between the rollers 54a to 54d is appropriately
set according to the type of the sliver S.
The method for adjusting the nip position P2 in the
width direction of the main body section 50 is not limited
30 to the method described above. For example, the supporting
body 52 fixed to the main body section 50 may be replaced
19 / 35
with a supporting body 152 as illustrated in FIG. 10. In
the supporting body 152, the positions of the bearings 56a
to 56d and the bearings 58a to 58d in the width direction
of the main body section 50 are different from those in the
supporting body 52. As illustrated in FIG. 11, the 5 he nip
position P2 in the width direction of the main body section
50 can be adjusted by fixing the rollers 54a to 54d held
by such a supporting body 152 to the main body section 50.
An identifiable mark may be given to each of the rollers
10 54a to 54d and/or the supporting body 152. Examples of the
mark include an engraved mark, a color coding, and a
sticker.
Furthermore, the supporting body may be replaced with
the supporting body 152 in which not only the positions of
15 the bearings 56a to 56d and the bearings 58a to 58d in the
width direction of the main body section 50 are different
from those of the supporting body 52, but also the shapes
of the bearings 56a to 56d and the bearings 58a to 58d are
different. In such a case, in addition to adjustment of
20 the nip position in the width direction of the main body
section 50, replacement can also be made to rollers
(supporting members) in which the projection amount from
the supporting body 52, 152 differs from each other, or
replacement can be made to rollers (supporting members) in
25 which the contacting area with the apron belt 18a differ
from each other. Thus, the nip force of the sliver S by
the apron belt 18a can be easily adjusted.
As illustrated in FIG. 6, the roller 54b is arranged
at a position where the distance D1 between the nip position
30 (second nip position) P1 of the sliver S by the middle bottom
roller 16a and the middle top roller 16b and the nip position
20 / 35
(first nip position) P2 of the sliver S by the apron belt
18a and the apron belt 18b by the roller 54b is in a range
of 11 mm or more and 22 mm or less. That is, the bearing
56b and the bearing 58b are arranged at positions to support
the roller 54b where the distance D1 between the 5 nip
position P1 and the nip position P2 is in a range of 11 mm
or more and 22 mm or less. In the present embodiment, the
distance D1 is, for example, set between 16 mm and 17 mm.
The roller 54d is arranged at a position where a
10 distance D2 between the nip position P1 and the end on the
front bottom roller 17a side of the roller 54d is, for
example, 35 mm. A linear distance between the nip position
P1 and the nip position of the sliver S by the front bottom
roller 17a and the front top roller 17b is, for example,
15 47 mm.
As illustrated in FIG. 6, a height position of the
contacting point of the roller 54b and the apron belt 18a
is higher than height positions of the contacting points
of the other rollers 54a, 54c, 54d and the apron belt 18a.
20 In other words, the roller 54b projects farther out toward
the upper side than the rollers 54a, 54c, 54d. The
contacting point of the roller 54b and the apron belt 18a
is located above a line connecting the contacting point of
the roller 54a and the apron belt 18a and the contacting
25 point of the roller 54d and the apron belt 18a. The
contacting point of the roller 54a and the apron belt 18a
and the contacting point of the roller 54d and the apron
belt 18a may be at the same height position, or may be at
different height positions. The contacting point of the
30 roller 54c and the apron belt 18a is located above the line
connecting the contacting point of the roller 54a and the
21 / 35
apron belt 18a and the contacting point of the roller 54d
and the apron belt 18a, and located below the contacting
point of the roller 54b and the apron belt 18a.
As described above, in the tensor 40 according to the
present embodiment, the roller 54b is arranged at a pos5 ition
where the distance D1 of the nip position P1 of the sliver
S by the middle bottom roller 16a and the middle top roller
16b and the nip position P2 of the sliver S by the apron
belt 18a and the apron belt 18b by the roller 54b is in a
10 range of 11 mm or more and 22 mm or less. In other words,
the roller 54b is arranged such that the nip position P2
where the sliver S is stronger nipped than in other
positions (position in the draft direction of the sliver
S in the range where the apron belt 18a and the apron belt
15 18b makes contact) is set at a position located at a distance
of 11 mm or more and 22 mm or less from the nip position
P1. Thus, even if the sliver S of different effective fiber
lengths is drafted, the movement of the fibers of the sliver
S can be suppressed by setting the nip position P1 and the
20 nip position P2 in the above range. Specifically, for
example, the movement of the fibers can be suppressed even
with the sliver S having an effective fiber length of 25
mm or less. Therefore, variation and the like in the
thickness of the sliver S can be suppressed from occurring.
25 As a result, the yarn quality can be enhanced. In
particular, since the distance D1 is smaller than the
average fiber length (25 mm or more) of cotton, it is
effective for suppressing the movement of the cotton
fibers.
30 In the present embodiment, the supporting member
adapted to support the apron belt 18a corresponds to the
22 / 35
rollers 54a to 54d that can rotate with the rotation axis
extending in the same direction as the extending direction
of the main body section 50 as the center. According to
the tensor 40 having such a configuration, the friction
between the tensor 40 and the apron belt 18a when the 5 apron
belt 18a is rotated can be reduced.
In the present embodiment, the tensor 40 includes the
supporting body 52 in which the bearings 56a to 56d and the
bearings 58a to 58d for detachably positioning the rollers
10 54a to 54d are arranged in one direction. The main body
section 50 detachably fixes the supporting body 52 so as
to arrange the bearings 56a to 56d and the bearings 58a to
58d along the draft direction of the sliver S. In this
configuration, the nip position P2 can be changed by
15 changing the bearings 56a to 56d and the bearings 58a to
58d for attaching the rollers 54a to 54d. Furthermore, for
example, the positions of the rollers 54a to 54d in the
arrangement direction can be easily changed by replacement
with the supporting body 52 in which the positions of the
20 bearings 56a to 56d and the bearings 58a to 58d in the
arrangement direction differ from each other. In other
words, the nip position P2 can be easily adjusted.
In the tensor 40 of the embodiment described above,
the supporting body 52, 152 and/or the rollers 54a to 54d
25 are appropriately replaced by the operator according to the
yarn type. An identifiable mark is given to the supporting
body 52, 152 and/or the rollers 54a to 54d. Thus, the
operator can, for example, easily replace the supporting
body and/or the rollers with the supporting body and/or the
30 rollers adapted to the yarn type by looking at the
instruction manual (table) and the like. Therefore, each
23 / 35
of the rollers 54a to 54d can be easily and accurately
arranged in the supporting body 52, 152 according to the
type of sliver S.
One embodiment of the present invention has been
described above, but the present invention is not 5 limited
to the above embodiment.
In the embodiment described above, a mode in which
the supporting member is a roller has been described by way
of example. However, the supporting member is not limited
10 to the roller. In summary, the supporting member may be
any member as long as it has a configuration of supporting
the apron belt 18a such that the nip position is set between
the apron belt 18a and the apron belt 18b.
In the embodiment described above, a mode in which
15 the roller 54b is arranged at a position where the distance
D1 between the nip position P1 and the nip position P2 is
in a range of 11 mm or more and 22 mm or less has been
described by way of example. However, one of the rollers
54a to 54d merely needs to be arranged at a position where
20 the distance D1 between the nip position P1 and the nip
position P2 is in a range of 11 mm or more and 22 mm or less.
In the embodiment described above, a mode in which
a plurality of rollers 54a to 54d is provided to the
supporting body 52, 152 has been described by way of example,
25 but at least one roller merely needs to be arranged. In
summary, the roller (supporting member) merely needs to be
arranged at a position where the distance D1 between the
nip position P1 and the nip position P2 is in a range of
11 mm or more and 22 mm or less. The roller (supporting
30 member) merely needs to be arranged at a position where the
distance D1 between the nip position P1 and the nip position
24 / 35
P2 is in a range equal to or larger than half the average
fiber length of the fiber bundle to be drafted and smaller
than the average fiber length.
In the embodiment described above, a mode in which
the rollers 54a to 54d are detachably arranged on 5 the
supporting body 52, 152 has been described by way of example.
However, the supporting member adapted to support the apron
belt 18a may be fixed to the main body section 50. In other
words, the supporting body may not be provided.
10 In the embodiment described above, an example in
which the nip position in the width direction of the main
body section 50 can be easily adjusted by adjusting the
attachment/non-attachment of the rollers 54a to 54d with
respect to the bearings 56a to 56d and the bearings 58a to
15 58d of the supporting body 52, 152 has been described, but
the present invention is not limited thereto. For example,
as illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13, a stepped roller 59a to
59d in which diameters of shaft portions 59aa to 59da and
diameters of roller portions supporting the apron belt 18a
20 differ (may be large or small) may be removably and
rotatably arranged with respect to the bearings 53a to 53d
of the supporting body 153. Thus, even if the diameters
of the shaft portions 59aa to 59da are the same with respect
to each other, the rollers in which the projection amount
25 from the supporting body 153 differ from each other may be
held, or the rollers in which the contacting area with the
apron belt 18a differ from each other may be held by
replacing the rollers with the stepped rollers in which the
diameter of the roller portion differ from each other. Thus,
30 the nip force of the sliver S by the apron belt 18a can be
easily adjusted.
25 / 35
In the embodiment described above or the alternative
embodiment described above, an example in which the rollers
54a to 54d are rotatably held with respect to the bearings
56a to 56d and the bearings 58a to 58d of the supporting
body 52, 152 has been described, but a configuration 5 in
which the rollers 54a to 54d are held so as not to rotate
may be adopted.
In the embodiment described above or the alternative
embodiment described above, the roller that can rotate with
10 the rotation axis as the center has been described as an
example of the supporting member for supporting the apron
belt 18a, but the present invention is not limited thereto.
For example, a supporting member 154 in which only the
portion to be brought into contact with the apron belt 18a
15 is formed in a circular arc shape may be adopted, as
illustrated in FIG. 14. A groove 154a may be formed at the
portion to be brought into contact with the apron belt 18a.
In such a case, the friction between the tensor 40 and the
apron belt 18a when the apron belt 18a is rotated can be
20 reduced.
In the embodiment described above, a mode in which
the cross-section of the roller 54a to 54d presents a true
circular shape has been described by way of example.
However, the cross-section of the roller may present an
25 elliptical shape.
In the embodiment described above, an example in
which the rollers 54a to 54d are fixed to the supporting
body 52, 152 by inserting the rollers 54a to 54d from the
upper side with respect to the bearings 56a to 56d and the
30 bearings 58a to 58d has been described, but the present
invention is not limited thereto. For example, the
26 / 35
bearings may be formed as circular hole portions, and the
rollers 54a to 54d may be inserted while being sled in the
axial direction with respect to the bearings to fix the
rollers to the supporting body.
In the embodiment described above, a mode in 5 which
the rollers 54a to 54d serving as the supporting member are
detachably arranged on the supporting body 52, and the
rollers 54a to 54d having different diameters are arranged
on the supporting body 52 to adjust the projection amount
10 from the supporting body 53 has been described by way of
example. However, a mode in which the supporting member
is adjusted by the drive section may be adopted.
Specifically, a drive section for vertically moving the
supporting member may be arranged, and the supporting
15 member may be vertically moved by operation of the drive
section to adjust the projection amount of the supporting
member from the supporting body. There may be adopted a
mode in which a drive section for moving the supporting
member along the draft direction in the supporting body may
20 be arranged, and the position in the draft direction of the
supporting member is adjusted by operation of the drive
section.
In the embodiment described above, a mode in which
the contacting point of the roller 54b and the apron belt
25 18a is at a position higher than the contacting points of
the other rollers 54a, 54c, 54d and the apron belt 18a has
been described by way of example. However, the height
positions of the contacting points of the rollers 54a to
54d and the apron belt 18a may be the same in the draft
30 direction.
The spinning machine may be other than the spinning
27 / 35
machine 1 including the pneumatic spinning device 7, and
for example, may be a ring spinning machine.
A tensor according to the present invention is a
tensor which is provided in a draft device adapted to draft
a fiber bundle by a pair of rollers including a bottom 5 roller
and a top roller, the tensor adapted to adjust a tension
of a bottom belt, the bottom belt being stretched between
the tensor and the bottom roller, the tensor including a
main body section extending in a rotation axis direction
10 of the bottom roller; and a supporting member arranged in
the main body section and adapted to support the bottom belt
to set a first nip position of the fiber bundle by a top
belt arranged in the top roller and the bottom belt, wherein
the supporting member is arranged at a position where a
15 distance between the first nip position and a second nip
position of the fiber bundle by the bottom roller and the
top roller is within a range of 11 mm or more and 22 mm or
less.
In such a tensor, the supporting member is arranged
20 at a position where the distance between the first nip
position and the second nip position is within a range of
11 mm or more and 22 mm or less. Thus, even if the fiber
bundle of different effective fiber lengths is to be drafted,
by setting the first nip position and the second nip
25 position in the above range, the fiber bundle, even short
fibers, for example, can be appropriately sandwiched, and
the movement of the fibers can be suppressed. Therefore,
variation and the like in the thickness of the fiber bundle
can be suppressed from occurring. As a result, the yarn
30 quality can be enhanced. In particular, since the distance
between the first nip position and the second nip position
28 / 35
is smaller than an average fiber length (25 mm or more) of
cotton, it is effective for suppressing the movement of the
cotton fibers.
A tensor according to another aspect of the present
invention is a tensor which is provided in a 5 draft device
adapted to draft a fiber bundle by a pair of rollers
including a bottom roller and a top roller, the tensor
adapted to adjust a tension of a bottom belt, the bottom
belt being stretched between the tensor and the bottom
10 roller, the tensor including a main body section extending
in a rotation axis direction of the bottom roller; and a
supporting member arranged in the main body section and
adapted to support the bottom belt to set a first nip
position of the fiber bundle by a top belt arranged in the
15 top roller and the bottom belt. The supporting member is
arranged at a position where the distance between the first
nip position and the second nip position of the fiber bundle
by the bottom roller and the top roller is in a range equal
to or larger than half the average fiber length of the fiber
20 bundle to be drafted and smaller than the average fiber
length.
According to such a tensor, not only the fiber bundle
of 100% cotton fibers and the fiber bundle in which the
cotton fibers and the fibers other than the cotton fibers
25 are mixed, but also, for example, the fiber bundle of 100%
synthetic fibers cut to a predetermined length (e.g., 38
mm) and the fiber bundle of chemical fibers in which the
average fiber length is intentionally cut to an uneven
length may be appropriately sandwiched, and the yarn
30 quality can be enhanced. There is a case where the
synthetic fibers are intended to be aligned and cut to a
29 / 35
predetermined length (e.g., 38 mm) but unintentionally
became an uneven length, or a case where part of chemical
fibers are bent at the time of drafting, but the fiber bundle
can be appropriately sandwiched even in such cases and the
5 yarn quality can be enhanced.
In one embodiment, the supporting member may be
arranged such that the distance between the first nip
position and the second nip position can be adjusted to be
within a range of 11 mm or more and 22 mm or less (or within
10 a range equal to or larger than half the average fiber length
of the fiber bundle to be drafted and smaller than the
average fiber length). Thus, the supporting member can be
configured such that the distance between the first nip
position and the second nip position can be adjusted
15 (changed) within a range of 11 mm or more and 22 mm or less
(or within a range equal to or larger than half the average
fiber length of the fiber bundle to be drafted and smaller
than the average fiber length). Therefore, the first nip
position can be changed according to the type of fiber
20 bundle, and the movement of the fibers can be effectively
controlled.
In one embodiment, the supporting member may be a
roller that can rotate with the rotation axis extending in
the same direction as the extending direction of the main
25 body section as the center. According to the tensor having
such a configuration, the friction between the tensor and
the apron belt when the apron belt is rotated can be reduced.
In one embodiment, the tensor further includes a
replacement member in which positioning portions adapted
30 to detachably position the supporting member are arranged
in one direction, wherein the main body section may
30 / 35
detachably fix the replacement member so that the
positioning portions are arranged along a draft direction
of the fiber bundle. In this configuration, the first nip
position can be changed by changing the positioning portion
for attaching the supporting member. Furthermore, 5 e, for
example, the position of the supporting member in the
arrangement direction can be easily changed by replacing
with the replacement member, in which the positions of the
positioning portions in the arrangement direction differ
10 from each other. In other words, the first nip position
can be easily adjusted.
A draft device according to the present invention
includes a pair of rollers including a bottom roller and
a top roller; the tensor described above; and an apron belt
15 stretched across the bottom roller and the tensor.
In such a draft device, the movement of the fibers
can be controlled and drafted even in the fiber bundle of
different effective fiber lengths. Thus, the variation
and the like in the thickness of the fiber bundle can be
20 suppressed from occurring, and the yarn quality can be
enhanced.
A spinning machine according to the present invention
includes the draft device described above; a pneumatic
spinning device adapted to twist the fiber bundle drafted
25 by the draft device to produce a yarn; and a winding device
adapted to wind the yarn produced by the pneumatic spinning
device into a package.
In such a spinning machine, the movement of the fibers
can be controlled and drafted in the draft device even in
30 the fiber bundle of different effective fiber lengths.
Thus, the pneumatic spinning device produces a yarn with
31 / 35
the fiber bundle without variation and the like in the
thickness, whereby the yarn of high quality can be produced.
According to the present invention, the yarn quality
is enhanced.

We claim:
1. A tensor (40) which is provided in a draft device
(6) adapted to draft a fiber bundle (S) by a pair of rollers
(16) including a bottom roller (16a) and a top roller (16b),
the tensor (40) adapted to adjust a tension of a bottom 5 m belt
(18a), the bottom belt (18a) being stretched between the
tensor (40) and the bottom roller (16a), the tensor (40)
comprising:
a main body section (50) extending in a rotation axis
10 direction of the bottom roller (16a); and
a supporting member (54b) arranged in the main body
section (50) and adapted to support the bottom belt (18a)
to set a first nip position (P2) of the fiber bundle (S)
by a top belt (18b) arranged in the top roller (16b) and
15 the bottom belt (18a),
characterized in that the supporting member (54b) is
arranged at a position where a distance (D1) between the
first nip position (P2) and a second nip position (P1) of
the fiber bundle (S) by the bottom roller (16a) and the top
20 roller (16b) is within a range of 11 mm or more and 22 mm
or less.
2. A tensor (40) which is provided in a draft device
(6) adapted to draft a fiber bundle (S) by a pair of rollers
25 (16) including a bottom roller (16a) and a top roller (16b),
the tensor (40) adapted to adjust a tension of a bottom belt
(18a), the bottom belt (18a) being stretched between the
tensor (40) and the bottom roller (16a), the tensor (40)
comprising:
30 a main body section (50) extending in a rotation axis
direction of the bottom roller (16a); and
33 / 35
a supporting member (54b) arranged in the main body
section (50) and adapted to support the bottom belt (18a)
to set a first nip position (P2) of the fiber bundle (S)
by a top belt (18b) arranged in the top roller (16b) and
the 5 bottom belt (18a),
characterized in that the supporting member (54b) is
arranged at a position where a distance (D1) between the
first nip position (P2) and a second nip position (P1) of
the fiber bundle (S) by the bottom roller (16a) and the top
10 roller (16b) is in a range equal to or larger than half the
average fiber length of the fiber bundle (S) to be drafted
and smaller than the average fiber length.
3. The tensor (40) according to claim 1,
15 characterized in that the supporting member (54b) is set
so that the distance (D1) between the first nip position
(P2) and the second nip position (P1) is adjustable within
the range of 11 mm or more and 22 mm or less.
20 4. The tensor (40) according to claim 2,
characterized in that the supporting member (54b) is set
so that the distance (D1) between the first nip position
(P2) and the second nip position (P1) is adjustable within
the range equal to or larger than half the average fiber
25 length of the fiber bundle (S) to be drafted and smaller
than the average fiber length.
5. The tensor (40) according to any one of claims
1 to 4, characterized in that the supporting member (54b)
30 is a roller which is rotatable with a rotation axis
extending in a same direction as an extending direction of
34 / 35
the main body section (50) as a center.
6. The tensor (40) according to any one of claims
1 to 5, further comprising a replacement member (52; 152)
in which positioning portions (56a to 56d, 58a to 5 o 58d)
adapted to detachably position the supporting member (54b)
are arranged in one direction,
characterized in that the main body section (50)
detachably fixes the replacement member (52; 152) so that
10 the positioning portions (56a to 56d, 58a to 58d) are
arranged along a draft direction of the fiber bundle (S).
7. A draft device (6) comprising:
a pair of rollers (16) including a bottom roller (16a)
15 and a top roller (16b);
the tensor (40) according to any one of claims 1 to
6; and
an apron belt (18a) stretched across the bottom
roller (16a) and the tensor (40).
20
8. A spinning machine (1) comprising:
the draft device (6) according to claim 7;
a pneumatic spinning device (7) adapted to twist the
fiber bundle (S) drafted by the draft device (6) to produce
25 a yarn (Y); and
a winding device (13) adapted to wind the yarn (Y)
produced by the pneumatic spinning device (7) into a package
(P).