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 across 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.
20 According to the tensor of DE102005000990A, 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
25 apron belt affect quality of the yarn. In particular, in
the draft device adapted to draft a plurality of types of
fiber bundles, it is desired that the supporting state of
the fiber bundle by the apron belt can be changed at a high
degree of freedom according to the fiber bundle. However,
30 in the conventional tensor, the gripping position (nip
position) and the gripping force of the fiber bundle by the
3 / 32
apron belt cannot be easily adjusted.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide
a tensor, a draft device, and a spinning machine in 5 which
a supporting state of a fiber bundle by an apron belt can
be easily changed.
A tensor according to the present invention is
provided in a draft device adapted to draft a fiber bundle
10 by a pair of rollers including a bottom roller and a top
roller, the tensor adapted to adjust a tension of an apron
belt stretched across the bottom roller and the tensor, the
tensor including: a supporting member (at least one
supporting member) adapted to support the apron belt; a
15 replacement member in which positioning portions adapted
to detachably position the supporting member are arranged
in one direction; and a main body section extending in a
rotation axis direction of the bottom roller and on which
the replacement member is detachably fixed so that the
20 positioning portions are arranged along a draft direction
of the fiber bundle.
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
25 stretched across the bottom roller and the tensor.
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
30 adapted to wind the yarn produced by the pneumatic spinning
device into a package.
4 / 32
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front view of a spinning machine including
a draft device according to one embodiment;
FIG. 2 is a side view of a spinning unit of the 5 spinning
machine illustrated in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the draft device of the
spinning unit illustrated in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a side view of the draft device of the
10 spinning unit illustrated in FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a pair of
middle rollers;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the pair of middle
rollers;
15 FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a tensor;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the 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;
20 FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view illustrating
a supporting body in which positions of bearings are
different;
FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a tensor
in which the rollers are arranged on the supporting body
25 of FIG. 10;
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
30 FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating a tensor
according to another embodiment.
5 / 32
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will
be hereinafter described in detail with reference to the
accompanied drawings. The same or corresp5 onding
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
10 includes a plurality of spinning units 2, a yarn joining
cart 3, a doffing cart (not illustrated), a first end frame
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
15 a package P. The yarn joining cart 3 is adapted to perform
a yarn joining operation in a spinning unit 2 after the 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
20 the package P is fully-wound in a spinning unit 2.
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
25 adapted to adjust air pressure of compressed air (air) to
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
30 a machine control device 100, a display screen 102, and
input keys 104. The machine control device 100 is adapted
6 / 32
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 unit 2, or the like. An operator
can perform an appropriate operation using the input key5 s
104 to carry out a setting operation of the spinning unit
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.
10 As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, each spinning unit
2 includes a draft device 6, a pneumatic spinning device
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
15 of the yarn Y. A unit controller 10 is provided for every
predetermined number of spinning units 2 and is adapted 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
20 rollers 14, a pair of third rollers 15, a pair of middle
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
25 driven by a drive motor provided in the second end frame
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 pair of middle rollers 16. An apron
belt (top belt) 18b is provided with respect to the top
30 roller of the pair of middle rollers 16.
The pneumatic spinning device 7 is adapted to produce
7 / 32
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,
a fiber guiding section, a whirling airflow 5 generating
nozzle, and a hollow guide shaft body. The fiber guiding
section is adapted to guide, into the spinning chamber, the
fiber bundle F supplied from the upstream draft device 6.
The whirling airflow generating nozzle is arranged at a
10 periphery of a path where the fiber bundle F travels. A
whirling airflow is generated in the spinning chamber by
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
15 whirled. The hollow guide shaft body is adapted to guide
the yarn Y from the spinning chamber to an outside of the
pneumatic spinning device 7.
The yarn monitoring device 8 is adapted to monitor
information on the travelling yarn Y between the pneumatic
20 spinning device 7 and the yarn storage device 11, and to
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
25 yarn monitoring device 8 detects a thickness abnormality
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
30 travelling yarn Y between the pneumatic spinning device 7
and the yarn storage device 11, and to transmit a tension
8 / 32
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
2. Specifically, by stopping air supply to the 5 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
10 yarn Y between the yarn storage device 11 and the winding
device 13.
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
15 has a function of stably pulling out the yarn Y from the
pneumatic spinning device 7, a function of preventing 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,
20 and a function of preventing variation in the tension of
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
25 13 includes a cradle arm 21, a winding drum 22, and a traverse
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
30 a surface of the winding drum 22 under appropriate pressure.
A drive motor (not illustrated) provided in the second end
9 / 32
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
guide 23 of each spinning unit 2 is provided on a shaft 5 ft 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
10 Y in a predetermined width with respect to the rotating
bobbin B or package P.
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.
15 The yarn joining cart 3 includes a yarn joining device 26,
a suction pipe 27, and a suction mouth 28. The suction 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
20 device 26. The suction mouth 28 is swingably supported by
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
25 joining device 26 is a splicer using the compressed air,
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
30 direction (reversely rotated). At this time, the cradle
arm 21 is moved by an air cylinder (not illustrated) such
10 / 32
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.
The draft device 6 described above will be 5 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
10 the sliver S travels, therebetween. The pair of third
rollers 15 includes a third bottom roller 15a and a third
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
15 each other with the travelling path R therebetween. The
pair of front rollers 17 includes a front bottom roller 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
20 from a can (not illustrated) and guided by a fiber bundle
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
25 rotatably supported by a third roller housing 67. The
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
30 different from each other so as to be faster toward the
downstream by the power from the second end frame 5. At
11 / 32
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,
the middle top roller 16b, and the front top roller 17b 5 b 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.
10 The draft cradle 71 can be swung with a support shaft
72 as a center to a position where each top roller 14b, 15b,
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
15 separated from each bottom roller 14a, 15a, 16a, 17a. The
draft cradle 71 is swung using a handle (not illustrated)
provided in the draft cradle 71. The draft cradle 71
rotatably supports each top roller 14b, 15b, 16b, 17b of
the draft device 6 arranged in each of the pair of adjacent
20 spinning units 2. That is, the draft cradle 71 is shared
by the two 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
25 of third rollers 15 and the pair of middle rollers 16. A
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
30 each roller 14a, 14b, 15a, 15b, 16a, 16b, 17a, 17b extends
is regulated to the width of the through-hole 74a in the
12 / 32
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
through-hole 74a in the rotation axis direction. 5 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
10 rotatably support the middle bottom roller 16a. The
position of the regulating section 74 with respect to the
pair of middle rollers 16 is thereby fixed. In FIGS. 1 and
2, the regulating section 74 and the supporting section 75
are omitted.
15 As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the apron belt 18a
is stretched across the middle bottom roller 16a and a
tensor 40. The apron belt 18a is driven by the rotation
of the middle bottom roller 16a. In FIG. 3, the tensor 40
is omitted. The apron belt 18b is stretched across the
20 middle top roller 16b and an apron tensioner 42. The apron
tensioner 42 is supported by the 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.
25 In the pair of middle rollers 16, the apron belt 18a
is pressed by the tensor 40 and the apron belt 18b is pressed
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.
30 Next, a description will be made in detail on the
tensor 40. As illustrated in any of FIGS. 5 to 9, the tensor
13 / 32
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. 5 The
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
10 travelling path R of the sliver S. As illustrated in FIG.
3, the main body section 50 is arranged to extend in the
same direction as the extending direction (direction in
which the spinning units 2 are arranged) of the bottom
roller 16a. In other words, the main body section 50 is
15 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, for example, provided commonly
for the draft devices 6 of the two adjacent spinning units
2. One main body section 50 may be provided for one spinning
20 unit 2. The main body section 50 is supported by a
supporting mechanism (not illustrated). As illustrated in
FIG. 9, the 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.
25 The supporting body 52 rotatably supports the rollers
54a to 54d (see FIG. 6). The supporting body 52 is made
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
30 arranged and held in the recess 51 of the main body section
50. The supporting body 52 is fixed to the main body section
14 / 32
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 5 c are,
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
10 arranged at an end in a longitudinal direction of the main
body portion 52a, and are provided along a width direction
of the main body portion 52a. The first end 52b and the
second end 52c each project out from the surface of the main
body portion 52a. In other words, the thicknesses of the
15 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 shape
when seen from a direction along the surface of the main
body portion 52a.
20 The first end 52b is provided with bearings
(positioning portions) 56a, 56b, 56c, 56d. At the first
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
25 body portion 52a). The second end 52c is provided with
bearings (positioning portions) 58a, 58b, 58c, 58d. At the
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
30 bearing 58a are arranged at positions facing each other with
the main body portion 52a therebetween. Similarly, the
15 / 32
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 5 c are
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. The bearings 56a to 56d and the bearings 58a to
10 58d each present a shape corresponding to the outer shape
of the rollers 54a to 54d (curved shape in the present
embodiment). The shape 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.
15 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 the
roller 54a to rotatably support the roller 54a. The bearing
56b and the bearing 58b are provided with the roller 54b
20 to rotatably support the roller 54b. The bearing 56c and
the bearing 58c are provided with the roller 54c to
rotatably support the roller 54c. The bearing 56d and the
bearing 58d are provided with the roller 54d to rotatably
support the roller 54d.
25 The rollers 54a to 54d are rotatably supported by the
supporting body 52. The rollers 54a to 54d present a
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
30 to 54d are, for example, made of a material having abrasion
resistance. The rollers 54a to 54d may be in a mode in which
16 / 32
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
5 finish, groove finish, or the like.
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
10 diameters of the roller 54a and the roller 54d are set to
4 mm. The axial lengths (hereinafter simply referred to
as “lengths”) of the rollers 54a to 54d are appropriately
set according to the width of the apron belt 18a within a
range where the rigidity can be ensured. Specifically, the
15 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 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
20 the lengths of the rollers 54a to 54d are larger than the
width of the apron belt 18a is illustrated by way of example.
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
25 sticker.
As illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, the roller 54a has
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
30 by the bearing 56c and the bearing 58c. The roller 54d has
its ends supported by the bearing 56d and the bearing 58d.
17 / 32
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 505 .
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
10 or at unequal intervals. In the present embodiment, the
rollers 54a to 54d are arranged at an interval (gap) with
each other along the width direction of the main body
portion 52a, but may be arranged with almost no interval
(with no gap).
15 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 roller
54d of the tensor 40. The apron belt 18a is rotated
accompanying the rotation of the bottom roller 16a rotated
20 by the drive section (not illustrated). The upper part of
each of the rollers 54a to 54d is pressed toward the lower
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
25 of the apron belt 18a.
As described above, the rollers 54a to 54d are
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
30 the roller 54c is removed from the bearing 56c and the
bearing 58c, for example,. The rollers 54a to 54d can be
18 / 32
removed from the bearings 56a to 56d and the bearings 58a
to 58d like the roller 54c. Thus, a nip position P2 in the
width direction (direction in which the rollers 54a to 54d
are arranged) of the main body portion 52a can be adjusted.
The interval between the rollers 54a to 54d is 5 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
to the method described above. For example, the supporting
10 body 52 fixed to the main body section 50 may be replaced
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
15 supporting body 52. As illustrated in FIG. 11, the 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
20 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
25 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
30 the nip position P2 in the width direction of the main body
section 50, replacement can also be made to rollers
19 / 32
(supporting members) whose projection amounts from the
supporting body 52, 152 differ from each other, or
replacement can be made to rollers (supporting members)
whose contacting areas with the apron belt 18a differ from
each other. Thus, the nip force of the sliver S by the 5 apron
belt 18a can be easily adjusted.
As illustrated in FIG. 6, the roller 54b is arranged
at a position where a distance D1 between a nip position
P1 of the sliver S by the middle bottom roller 16a and the
10 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 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
15 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 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
20 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,
25 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.
30 In other words, the roller 54b projects father out toward
the upper side than the rollers 54a, 54c, and 54d. The
20 / 32
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
point of the roller 54d and the apron belt 18a. The
contacting point of the roller 54a and the apron belt 5 lt 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
roller 54c and the apron belt 18a is located above the line
10 connecting 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, 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
15 embodiment described above, since the rollers 54a to 54d
are detachably held by the supporting body 52, the nip
position P2 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.
20 Furthermore, by replacing the supporting bodies 52, 152 in
which the shapes of the bearings 56a to 56d and the bearings
58a to 58d are different from each other, the rollers whose
projection amounts from the supporting body 52, 152 differ
from each other can be held, and the rollers whose
25 contacting areas with the apron belt 18a differ from each
other can be held. Thus, the nip force of the sliver S by
the apron belt 18a can be easily adjusted. Consequently,
the supporting state of the sliver S by the apron belt 18a
can be easily changed.
30 Moreover, in the tensor 40 of the embodiment
described above, the supporting body 52, 152 and/or the
21 / 32
rollers 54a to 54d 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 5 the
supporting body and/or the rollers adapted to the yarn type
by looking at the instruction manual (table) and the like.
Therefore, each of the rollers 54a to 54d can be easily and
accurately arranged in the supporting body 52, 152
10 according to the type of sliver S.
In the tensor 40 of the embodiment described above,
the rollers 54a to 54d are arranged rotatable around the
rotation axis, which extends in the same direction as the
extending direction of the main body section 50, as the
15 center. Accordingly, the friction between the tensor 40
and the apron belt 18a when the apron belt 18a is rotated
can be reduced.
According to the spinning machine 1 including the
draft device 6 of the embodiment described above, the
20 supporting state of the sliver S by the apron belt 18a can
be changed with a high degree of freedom according to the
sliver S in the draft device 6. Thus, the gripping position
(nip position) and the gripping force of the sliver S by
the apron belt 18a can be appropriately adjusted according
25 to the sliver S. As a result, the yarn Y of high quality
can be produced.
One embodiment of the present invention has been
described above, but the present invention is not limited
to the above-described embodiment.
30 In the embodiment described above, an example in
which the nip position in the width direction of the main
22 / 32
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
58d of the supporting body 52, 152 has been described, but
the present invention is not limited thereto. For 5 example,
as illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13, in the tensor, 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 differ (may be large or small) from each other
10 may be detachably 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 whose
projection amounts from the supporting body 153 differ from
15 each other may be held, or the rollers whose contacting
areas with the apron belt 18a differ from each other may
be held by replacing the rollers with the stepped rollers
in which the diameters of the roller portions differ from
each other. Thus, the nip force of the sliver S by the apron
20 belt 18a can be easily adjusted.
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
25 body 52, 152 has been described, but a configuration 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
30 the rotation axis as the center has been described as an
example of the supporting member for supporting the apron
23 / 32
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
is formed in a circular arc shape may be adopted, as
illustrated in FIG. 14. A groove 154a may be formed at 5 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
reduced.
10 In the embodiment described above, a mode in which
the cross-section of the rollers 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
elliptical shape.
15 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
bearings 58a to 58d has been described, but the present
20 invention is not limited thereto. For example, the
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.
25 In the embodiment described above, a mode in which
the contacting point of the roller 54b and the apron belt
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
30 positions of the contacting points of the rollers 54a to
54d and the apron belt 18a may be the same in the draft
24 / 32
direction.
In the embodiment described above, a mode in which
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 5 s been
described by way of example. However, it is preferable if
at least one bearing (positioning portion) is formed at the
position where the distance D1 from the nip position P1 by
the pair of rollers 16 on which the apron belts 18a, 18b
10 are stretched across is in the range of 11 mm or more and
22 mm or less, or at the position where the distance D1 is
in the range equal to or greater than half the average fiber
length of the sliver S to draft and less than the average
fiber length.
15 In the embodiment described above, four bearings 56a
to 56d and four bearings 58a to 58d (four sets) are provided,
but the number of bearings is not limited thereto. The
number of bearings, that is, the positioning portions, is
preferably greater than 1 in plurals (plural sets). The
20 number of supporting members (rollers, etc.) to be
installed on the positioning portion merely needs to be at
least one.
The spinning machine may be other than the spinning
machine 1 including the pneumatic spinning device 7, and
25 for example, may be a ring spinning machine. The tensor
and the draft device of the present invention can also be
applied to a textile machine other than the spinning
machine.
A tensor according to the present invention is
30 provided in a draft device adapted to draft a fiber bundle
by a pair of rollers including a bottom roller and a top
25 / 32
roller, the tensor adapted to adjust a tension of an apron
belt stretched across the bottom roller and the tensor, the
tensor including: a supporting member (at least one
supporting member) adapted to support the apron belt; a
replacement member in which positioning 5 oning portions adapted
to detachably position the supporting member are arranged
in one direction; and a main body section extending in a
rotation axis direction of the bottom roller and on which
the replacement member is detachably fixed so that the
10 positioning portions are arranged along a draft direction
of the fiber bundle.
In the tensor having such a configuration, the
supporting member is detachably held on the replacement
member, so that the nip force of the fiber bundle by the
15 apron belt can be easily adjusted by, for example, replacing
with a supporting member which is different from the
supporting member in the amount of projection from the
replacement member, or replacing with a supporting member
which is different from the supporting member in contacting
20 area with the apron belt. Furthermore, 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
25 from each other. In other words, the nip position of the
fiber bundle by the apron belt can be easily adjusted.
Consequently, the supporting state of the fiber bundle by
the apron belt can be easily changed.
According to one embodiment, the positioning
30 portions may have shapes from which a plurality of
supporting members having shapes different from each other
26 / 32
are detachable. According to the tensor having such a
configuration, replacement can be made with supporting
members whose projection amounts from the replacement
member differ from each other, or with supporting members
whose contacting areas with the apron belt differ from 5 each
other, so that the nip force of the fiber bundle by the apron
belt can be easily adjusted. Furthermore, for example, the
nip position of the fiber bundle by the apron belt can be
easily adjusted by attaching or removing of the supporting
10 member.
In one embodiment, the main body section may have a
shape from which a replacement member in which the positions
of the positioning portions in the arrangement direction
differ from each other and/or the shapes of the positioning
15 portions differ from each other is detachable. According
to the tensor having such a configuration, the position of
the supporting member in the arrangement direction can be
changed by replacing with a replacement member in which the
positions of the positioning portions in the arrangement
20 direction differ from each other. In other words, the nip
position of the fiber bundle by the apron belt can be easily
adjusted. Moreover, according to the tensor having such
a configuration, since the shapes of the positioning
portions differ from each other, the supporting members
25 whose projection amounts from the replacement member differ
from each other can be held, or the supporting members whose
contacting areas with the apron belt differ from each other
can be held, so that the nip force of the fiber bundle by
the apron belt can be easily adjusted.
30 In one embodiment, the supporting member may be a
roller rotatable with a rotation axis as a center, the
27 / 32
rotation axis extending in the same direction as an
extending direction of the main body section. According
to the tensor having such a configuration, the friction
between the tensor and the apron belt when the apron belt
5 is rotated can be reduced.
In one embodiment, the positioning portion may be a
bearing adapted to rotatably support the rotation axis of
the roller. According to the tensor having such a
configuration, the supporting member of a roller
10 configuration can be easily held.
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 According to the draft device having such a
configuration, the supporting state of the fiber bundle by
the apron belt can be easily changed.
A spinning machine according to the present invention
includes: the draft device described above; a pneumatic
20 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
device into a package.
According to the spinning machine having such a
25 configuration, in the draft device, the supporting state
of the fiber bundle by the apron belt can be changed at a
high degree of freedom according to the type of the fiber
bundle. Thus, the gripping position (nip position) and the
gripping force of the fiber bundle by the apron belt can
30 be appropriately adjusted according to the type of the fiber
bundle. As a result, the yarn of high quality can be
28 / 32
produced.
According to the present invention, the supporting
state of the fiber bundle by the apron belt can be easily
changed.

We claim:
1. A tensor (40) 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 (5 16b),
the tensor (40) adapted to adjust a tension of an apron belt
(18a) stretched across the bottom roller (16a) and the
tensor (40),
the tensor (40) being characterized by comprising:
10 a supporting member (54a to 54d) adapted to support
the apron belt;
a replacement member (52; 152; 153) in which
positioning portions (56a to 56d, 58a to 58d) adapted to
detachably position the supporting member (54a to 54d) are
15 arranged in one direction; and
a main body section (50) extending in a rotation axis
direction of the bottom roller (16a) and on which the
replacement member (52; 152; 153) is detachably fixed so
that the positioning portions (56a to 56d, 58a to 58d) are
20 arranged along a draft direction of the fiber bundle(S).
2. The tensor (40) according to claim 1,
characterized in that a plurality of positioning portions
(56a to 56d, 58a to 58d) have shapes from which a plurality
25 of supporting members(54a to 54d) having shapes different
from each other are detachable.
3. The tensor (40) according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized in that the main body section (50) has a shape
30 from which a plurality of replacement members (52; 152; 153),
in which positions of the positioning portions (56a to 56d,
30 / 32
58a to 58d) in the arrangement direction differ from each
other, are detachable.
4. The tensor (40) according to any one of claims
1 to 3, characterized in that the main body section 5 (50)
has a shape from which the plurality of replacement members
(52; 152; 153), in which shapes of the positioning portions
(56a to 56d, 58a to 58d) differ from each other, are
detachable.
10
5. The tensor (40) according to any one of claims
1 to 4, characterized in that the supporting member (54a
to 54d) is a roller rotatable with a rotation axis as a center,
the rotation axis extending in the same direction as an
15 extending direction of the main body section (50).
6. The tensor (40) according to claim 5,
characterized in that the positioning portion (56a to 56d,
58a to 58d) is a bearing adapted to rotatably support the
20 rotation axis of the roller.
7. A draft device (6) comprising:
a pair of rollers (16) including a bottom roller (16a)
and a top roller (16b);
25 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).
30 8. A spinning machine (1) comprising:
the draft device (6) according to claim 7;
31 / 32
a pneumatic spinning device (7) adapted to twist the
fiber bundle(S) drafted by the draft device (6) to produce
a yarn (Y); and
a winding device (13) adapted to wind the yarn (Y)
produced by the pneumatic spinning device (7) into a 5 package
(P).