Claims:We claim:

1. A yarn winding device (4) that unwinds a yarn from a yarn supplying bobbin (6) on which a yarn spun in a ring spinning frame (2) that spins one yarn from a plurality of roved yarns has been wound, and winds the yarn to form a package (30), comprising:
a controlling section (50) that controls the yarn winding device (4);
a yarn supplying section (18) that supports the yarn supplying bobbin (6);
a package forming section (60) that unwinds the yarn from the yarn supplying section (18) and winds the yarn to form the package (30); and
a yarn monitoring device (15) that is arranged between the yarn supplying section (18) and the package forming section (60) and monitors a state of the traveling yarn,
wherein the controlling section (50) identifies, from a monitoring result obtained by the yarn monitoring device (15), a raw-material lacking bobbin that is a yarn supplying bobbin (6) on which a yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of an undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame (2).

2. The yarn winding device (4) as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the yarn monitoring device (15) monitors a thickness of the traveling yarn.

3. The yarn winding device (4) as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, further comprising a yarn joining device (14) that performs a yarn joining operation of joining the yarn from the yarn supplying section (18) and the yarn from the package forming section (60), wherein
the yarn monitoring device (15) checks a spliced point of the yarns joined by the yarn joining device (14),
the controlling section (50), when a check result of the spliced point obtained by the yarn monitoring device (15) does not satisfy a predetermined condition even after performing the yarn joining, cuts the yarn, and causes the yarn joining device (14) to perform the yarn joining again,
the controlling section (50) determines, when the check result of the spliced point obtained by the yarn monitoring device (15) does not satisfy the predetermined condition even after repeating the yarn joining a plurality of times, that the yarn supplying bobbin (6) supported by the yarn supplying section (18) is the raw-material lacking bobbin.

4. The yarn winding device (4) as claimed in Claim 3, further comprising a pulling section (25) that pulls the yarn by a suction operation from the yarn supplying section (18) and guides to the yarn joining device (14),
wherein the controlling section (50), as the spliced point that is to be checked to identify whether the bobbin is the raw-material lacking bobbin, includes a spliced point formed by the yarn joining device (14) by joining the yarn that has been sucked and pulled from the yarn supplying section (18) with the pulling section (25) for a longer time than in a usual suction operation.

5. The yarn winding device (4) as claimed in Claim 4, further comprising a pulling controlling section (17) that acts on the yarn supplying bobbin (6) supported by the yarn supplying section (18) and inhibits pulling of the yarn from the yarn supplying section (18),
wherein when the pulling section (25) pulls the yarn longer than usual from the yarn supplying section (18), the action of the pulling controlling section (17) on the yarn supplying bobbin (6) is released.

6. The yarn winding device (4) as claimed in Claim 4 or 5, wherein the pulling section (25) includes a suction port (32) for sucking the yarn, and
when the pulling section (25) pulls the yarn longer than usual from the yarn supplying section (18), the controlling section (50) controls the suction port (32) to make a reciprocating movement in a state in which a suction current acts on the suction port (32).

7. The yarn winding device (4) as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6, wherein the controlling section (50), upon identifying that the bobbin is the raw-material lacking bobbin, discharges the yarn supplying bobbin (6) supported by the yarn supplying section (18), causes the yarn supplying section (18) to support a new yarn supplying bobbin (6) in its place, and performs the winding of the yarn.
8. A yarn winding device (4) comprising:
a yarn supplying section (18) that supports a yarn supplying bobbin (6);
a package forming section (60) that unwinds a yarn from the yarn supplying section (18) and winds the yarn to form a package (30);
a yarn monitoring device (15) that is arranged between the yarn supplying section (18) and the package forming section (60) and monitors a thickness of the traveling yarn,
a yarn joining device (14) that joins the yarn when the yarn becomes discontinuous; and
a controlling section (50),
wherein the controlling section (50) causes the yarn monitoring device (15) to monitor a spliced point joined by the yarn joining device (14), and when a monitoring result is below a predetermined yarn thickness, removes a longer yarn from the yarn supplying bobbin (6) than that is removed in a usual yarn joining work, and causes the yarn monitoring device (15) to monitor a spliced point joined by the yarn joining device (14).

9. The yarn winding device (4) as claimed in Claim 8, wherein, after it is detected continuously for a plurality of times that the thickness of the yarn is lower than the predetermined yarn thickness, the yarn winding device (4) removes a longer yarn from the yarn supplying bobbin (6) than that is removed in the usual yarn joining work, causes the yarn monitoring device (15) to monitor the spliced point obtained by the yarn joining device (14) by joining the yarn from the yarn supplying bobbin (6) after the removal and the yarn from the package forming section (60), and
when a thickness of the spliced point is lower than the predetermined thickness, identifies the yarn supplying bobbin (6) supported by the yarn supplying section (18) as a raw-material lacking bobbin on which a yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of an undersupply of a roved yarn in a ring spinning frame (2).

10. The yarn winding device (4) as claimed in Claim 8 or 9, further comprising
a pulling section (25) that pulls the yarn from the yarn supplying section (18) by a suction operation and guides to the yarn joining device (14); and
a pulling controlling section (17) that acts on the yarn supplying bobbin (6) supported by the yarn supplying section (18) and inhibits pulling of the yarn from the yarn supplying section (18),
wherein when the pulling section (25) pulls the yarn longer than usual from the yarn supplying section (18), the action of the pulling controlling section (17) on the yarn supplying bobbin (6) is released.

11. The yarn winding device (4) as claimed in Claim 8 or 9, comprising the pulling section (25) that pulls the yarn from the yarn supplying section (18) by a suction operation and guides to the yarn joining device (14), the pulling section (25) including a suction port (32) for sucking the yarn,
wherein when the pulling section (25) pulls the yarn longer than usual from the yarn supplying section (18), the controlling section (50) controls the suction port (32) to make a reciprocating movement in a state in which a suction current acts on the suction port (32).

12. The yarn winding device (4) as claimed in any one of Claims 8 to 11, wherein the controlling section (50), upon identifying that the bobbin is the raw-material lacking bobbin on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame (2), discharges the yarn supplying bobbin (6) supported by the yarn supplying section (18), causes the yarn supplying section (18) to support a new yarn supplying bobbin (6) in its place, and performs the winding of the yarn.

13. A yarn winding device (4) comprising:
a yarn supplying section (18) that supports a yarn supplying bobbin (6) spun in a ring spinning frame (2) that spins one yarn from a plurality of roved yarns;
a package forming section (60) that unwinds a yarn from the yarn supplying section (18) and winds the yarn to form a package (30);
a yarn monitoring device (15) that is arranged between the yarn supplying section (18) and the package forming section (60) and monitors a thickness of the traveling yarn;
a yarn joining device (14) joins the yarns when the yarn is disconnected; and
an identifying section (56) that identifies a raw-material lacking bobbin that is a yarn supplying bobbin (6) on which a yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of an undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame (2),
wherein the identifying section (56) causes the yarn monitoring device (15) to monitor a spliced point joined by the yarn joining device (14), and when a second result, which indicates that a first result that is obtained upon detecting that a thickness of the yarn is lower than a predetermined yarn thickness is detected continuously for a plurality of times, after removing a longer yarn from the yarn supplying bobbin (6) than that is removed in a usual yarn joining operation, causes the yarn joining device (14) to perform the yarn joining, when a third result is obtained that indicates that the thickness of the spliced point is lower than the predetermined yarn thickness, identifies the yarn supplying bobbin (6) supported by the yarn supplying section (18) as the raw-material lacking bobbin on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame (2).

14. The yarn winding device (4) as claimed in Claim 13, further comprising:
a pulling section (25) that pulls the yarn from the yarn supplying section (18) by a suction operation and guides to the yarn joining device (14); and
a pulling controlling section (17) that acts on the yarn supplying bobbin (6) supported by the yarn supplying section (18) and inhibits pulling of the yarn from the yarn supplying section (18),
wherein when the pulling section (25) pulls the yarn longer than usual from the yarn supplying section (18), the action of the pulling controlling section (17) on the yarn supplying bobbin (6) is released.

15. The yarn winding device (4) as claimed in Claim 13, comprising the pulling section (25) that pulls the yarn from the yarn supplying section (18) by the suction operation and guides to the yarn joining device (14), the pulling section (25) including a suction port (32) for sucking the yarn,
wherein when the pulling section (25) pulls the yarn longer than usual from the yarn supplying section (18), the identifying section (56) controls the suction port (32) to make a reciprocating movement in a state in which a suction current acts on the suction port (32).

16. The yarn winding device (4) as claimed in any one of Claims 13 to 15, wherein the identifying section (56), upon identifying that the bobbin is the raw-material lacking bobbin on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame (2), discharges the yarn supplying bobbin (6) supported by the yarn supplying section (18), causes the yarn supplying section (18) to support a new yarn supplying bobbin (6) in its place, and performs the winding of the yarn.

17. An automatic winder (5) including a plurality of the yarn winding devices (4) as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 16 that further includes a transportation path (7) for transporting the yarn supplying bobbin (6); and a writing section (76, 96) that writes in a storage section work information mapped with the yarn supplying bobbin (6) or with a carrier (9) on which the yarn supplying bobbin (6) is mounted,
wherein when it is identified in a certain yarn winding device (4) that the bobbin is the raw-material lacking bobbin on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame (2),
the writing section (76, 96) writes in the storage section the work information indicating that the yarn lacking in raw material has been wound on the yarn supplying bobbin (6) mapped with the yarn supplying bobbin (6) supported by the yarn supplying section (18) of the yarn winding device (4) or with the carrier (9) on which the yarn supplying bobbin (6) is mounted.

18. The automatic winder (5) as claimed in Claim 17, wherein one yarn supplying bobbin (6) is mounted on a conveying tray (9) as the carrier (9) and transported along the transportation path (7), and each of the conveying trays (9) is provided with the storage section.

19. The automatic winder (5) as claimed in Claim 17 or 18, further comprising a reading section (77) that reads information stored in the storage section,
wherein the transportation path (7) includes a retreat path (74) to which a defective yarn supplying bobbin (6) is retreated, and
the raw-material lacking bobbin is transported to the retreat path (74) based on contents read by the reading section (77).

20. A textile machine system (1) comprising the automatic winder (5) as claimed in any one of Claims 17 to 19, and a ring spinning frame (2) that spins one yarn from a plurality of roved yarns,
wherein the ring spinning frame (2) includes a plurality of spinning units (21) capable of forming the yarn supplying bobbins (6),
when the yarn supplying bobbin (6) judged to be the raw-material lacking bobbin occurs in the automatic winder (5), the automatic winder (5) sends to the ring spinning frame (2) information to identify the spinning unit (21) of the ring spinning frame (2) that formed the yarn supplying bobbin (6).

21. A textile machine system (1) comprising the automatic winder (5) as claimed in any one of Claims 17 to 19, and a ring spinning frame (2) that spins one yarn from a plurality of roved yarns, further comprising a display section (97) for displaying information, and
the ring spinning frame (2) includes a plurality of the spinning units (21) capable of forming the yarn supplying bobbin (6),
wherein when the yarn supplying bobbin (6) judged to be the raw-material lacking bobbin occurs in the automatic winder (5), information to identify the spinning unit (21) of the ring spinning frame (2) that formed the yarn supplying bobbin (6) is displayed on the display section (97).

22. A yarn-supply bobbin abnormality detection method for implementing on a yarn winding device (4),
the yarn winding device (4) including
a yarn supplying section (18) that supports a yarn supplying bobbin (6) spun in a ring spinning frame (2) that spins one yarn from a plurality of roved yarns;
a package forming section (60) that unwinds a yarn from the yarn supplying section (18) and winds the yarn to form a package (30);
a yarn monitoring device (15) that is arranged between the yarn supplying section (18) and the package forming section (60) and monitors a state of the traveling yarn;
a yarn joining device (14) that performs a yarn joining operation of joining the yarn from the yarn supplying section (18) and the yarn from the package forming section (60); and
a pulling section (25) that pulls the yarn from the yarn supplying section (18) and guides to the yarn joining device (14),
the yarn-supply bobbin abnormality detection method being a method for detecting a raw-material lacking bobbin that is a yarn supplying bobbin (6) on which a yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of an undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame (2) and comprising:
a cutting step of cutting the yarn when an abnormality of a thickness of the yarn is detected by the yarn monitoring device (15);
a yarn joining step of joining with the yarn joining device (14), after the yarn is cut at the cutting step, the yarn pulled from the yarn supplying section (18) with the pulling section (25) to the yarn from the package forming section (60);
a spliced-point testing step of checking with the yarn monitoring device (15) a spliced point of the yarn formed at the yarn joining step;
a spliced-point re-testing step of cutting the yarn when a check result of the spliced point at the spliced-point testing step does not satisfy a predetermined condition, joining with the yarn joining device (14) the yarn pulled from the yarn supplying section (18) with the pulling section (25) to the yarn from the package forming section (60), and re-checking a thus formed spliced point; and
a determining step of determining, when a check result of the spliced point obtained at the spliced-point re-testing step does not satisfy the predetermined condition, that there is an abnormality because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame (2),
wherein the spliced point that is to be checked at the spliced-point re-testing step includes a spliced point formed by the yarn joining device (14) by joining the yarn that has been pulled with the pulling section (25) from the yarn supplying section (18) longer than usual.
, Description:BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a yarn winding device and the like that rewinds a yarn, which is being spun by a ring spinning frame and wound on a yarn supplying bobbin, into a package. Specifically, the present invention relates to a configuration and a method for detecting whether an abnormality has occurred due to a shortage and the like of a feed amount of a roved yarn in the ring spinning frame.

2. Description of the Related Art
A yarn winding device that unwinds a yarn, which has been spun by a ring spinning frame and wound on a yarn supplying bobbin, and winds the same into a package is known in the art. Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. H6-59365 discloses such a yarn winding device.
In Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. H6-59365, a winding unit of an automatic winder winds a yarn fed from a cop into a winding package. This winding unit includes a testing device that detects a yarn-defect part, such as yarn unevenness, in the yarn fed from the cop. Moreover, the winding unit includes a yarn cutting device that cuts and removes the yarn-defect part. When a yarn-defect part is detected by the testing device, the yarn is cut with the yarn cutting device, the yarns are joined by a yarn joining device, and whether the spliced point is normal is checked by the testing device.
Various kinds of yarns can be considered as the yarns for winding on a bobbin (a yarn supplying bobbin) disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. H6-59365. For example, it is possible to use a yarn obtained by spinning after immediately twisting two roved yarns adjacently held and drafted in a ring spinning frame. A yarn that is spun by performing spinning and twisting simultaneously when forming such a two-ply yarn is called a sirospun yarn ("sirospun", a registered trademark). When spinning such a sirospun yarn in a ring spinning frame, sometimes the supply of one of the two roved yarns is interrupted due to some kind of abnormality (for example, a state in which all the roved yarn wound on a roved yarn bobbin set in a roved-yarn supplying section of the ring spinning frame has been unwound) whereby a yarn spun with only one roved yarn thereby lacking in raw material is disadvantageously wound on the bobbin.
When such a bobbin (that is, a yarn supplying bobbin on which the yarn lacking in raw material has been wound) on which the yarn lacking in raw material has been wound is set in the winding unit disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. H6-59365, an abnormality (an abnormality that, for example, the thickness of the yarn is lower than a predetermined value) in the yarn is detected by the testing device, the yarn is cut with the cutting device to remove the yarn-defect part, and the yarns are joined. However, because the yarn supplied from the yarn supplying bobbin is still abnormal, even if the above-explained cutting, removal, and joining of the yarn are repeated a number of times, the testing device detects the abnormality of the spliced point again and again.
In Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. H6-59365, one approach is to provide a configuration that automatically stops the winding when an abnormality of the spliced point is detected frequently by the testing device, and prompts an operator to perform a maintenance activity.
However, it is difficult to differentiate at a glance a yarn supplying bobbin on which a yarn lacking in raw material has been wound from a normal yarn supplying bobbin on which a yarn having no particular abnormality has been wound. Accordingly, even if the winding is automatically stopped as explained above, it is possible that the operator overlooks that the cause of the trouble is the yarn lacking in raw material. If this happens, because the operator does not remove the yarn supplying bobbin on which the yarn lacking in raw material has been wound, the yarn supplying bobbin on which the yarn lacking in raw material has been wound is disadvantageously supplied to the winding unit again, and the testing device detects the yarn lacking in raw material as an abnormality again and again as in the above case. In the conventional yarn winding machine, there is a possibility that a yarn supplying bobbin on which a yarn lacking in raw material has been wound continues circulating in the automatic winder thereby degrading an operation efficiency of the machine. Thus, there is room for the improvement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is made in view of the above discussion. One object of the present invention is to provide a configuration that can automatically detect in a yarn winding device that a yarn spun in a state of an undersupply of a roved yarn lacking in raw material has been wound on a yarn supplying bobbin.
A yarn winding device that unwinds a yarn from a yarn supplying bobbin on which a yarn spun in a ring spinning frame that spins one yarn from a plurality of roved yarns has been wound, and winds the yarn to form a package according to one aspect of the present invention includes a controlling section that controls the yarn winding device; a yarn supplying section that supports the yarn supplying bobbin; a package forming section that unwinds the yarn from the yarn supplying section and winds the yarn to form the package; and a yarn monitoring device that is arranged between the yarn supplying section and the package forming section and monitors a state of the traveling yarn. The controlling section identifies, from a monitoring result obtained by the yarn monitoring device, a raw-material lacking bobbin that is a yarn supplying bobbin on which a yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of an undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame.
A yarn winding device according to another aspect of the present invention includes a yarn supplying section that supports a yarn supplying bobbin; a package forming section that unwinds a yarn from the yarn supplying section and winds the yarn to form a package; a yarn monitoring device that is arranged between the yarn supplying section and the package forming section and monitors a thickness of the traveling yarn, a yarn joining device that joins the yarn when the yarn becomes discontinuous; and a controlling section. The controlling section causes the yarn monitoring device to monitor a spliced point joined by the yarn joining device. When a monitoring result is below a predetermined yarn thickness, removes a longer yarn from the yarn supplying bobbin than that is removed in a usual yarn joining work, and causes the yarn monitoring device to monitor a spliced point joined by the yarn joining device.
A yarn winding device according to still another aspect of the present invention includes a yarn supplying section that supports a yarn supplying bobbin spun in a ring spinning frame that spins one yarn from a plurality of roved yarns; a package forming section that unwinds a yarn from the yarn supplying section and winds the yarn to form a package; a yarn monitoring device that is arranged between the yarn supplying section and the package forming section and monitors a thickness of the traveling yarn; a yarn joining device joins the yarns when the yarn is disconnected; and an identifying section that identifies a raw-material lacking bobbin that is a yarn supplying bobbin on which a yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of an undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame. The identifying section causes the yarn monitoring device to monitor a spliced point joined by the yarn joining device, and when a second result, which indicates that a first result that is obtained upon detecting that a thickness of the yarn is lower than a predetermined yarn thickness is detected continuously for a plurality of times, after removing a longer yarn from the yarn supplying bobbin than that is removed in a usual yarn joining operation, causes the yarn joining device to perform the yarn joining, when a third result is obtained that indicates that the thickness of the spliced point is lower than the predetermined yarn thickness, identifies the yarn supplying bobbin supported by the yarn supplying section as the raw-material lacking bobbin on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame.
An automatic winder according to still another aspect of the present invention that includes a plurality of the above yarn winding devices further includes a transportation path for transporting the yarn supplying bobbin to each of the yarn winding devices; and a writing section that writes in a storage section work information mapped with the yarn supplying bobbin or with a carrier on which the yarn supplying bobbin is mounted. When it is identified in a certain yarn winding device that the bobbin is the raw-material lacking bobbin on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame, the writing section writes in the storage section the work information indicating that the yarn lacking in raw material has been wound on the yarn supplying bobbin mapped with the yarn supplying bobbin supported by the yarn supplying section of the yarn winding device or with the carrier on which the yarn supplying bobbin is mounted.
A textile machine system according to still another aspect of the present invention includes the above automatic winder, and a ring spinning frame that spins one yarn from a plurality of roved yarns. The ring spinning frame includes a plurality of spinning units capable of forming the yarn supplying bobbins. When the yarn supplying bobbin judged to be the raw-material lacking bobbin occurs in the automatic winder, the automatic winder sends to the ring spinning frame information to identify the spinning unit of the ring spinning frame that formed the yarn supplying bobbin.
A textile machine system according to still another aspect of the present invention that includes the above automatic winder, and a ring spinning frame that spins one yarn from a plurality of roved yarns, further includes a display section for displaying information. The ring spinning frame includes a plurality of the spinning units capable of forming the yarn supplying bobbin. When the yarn supplying bobbin judged to be the raw-material lacking bobbin occurs in the automatic winder, information to identify the spinning unit of the ring spinning frame that formed the yarn supplying bobbin is displayed on the display section.
A yarn-supply bobbin abnormality detection method according to still another aspect of the present invention is for implementing on a yarn winding device. The yarn winding device includes a yarn supplying section that supports a yarn supplying bobbin spun in a ring spinning frame that spins one yarn from a plurality of roved yarns; a package forming section that unwinds a yarn from the yarn supplying section and winds the yarn to form a package; a yarn monitoring device that is arranged between the yarn supplying section and the package forming section and monitors a state of the traveling yarn; a yarn joining device that performs a yarn joining operation of joining the yarn from the yarn supplying section and the yarn from the package forming section; and a pulling section that pulls the yarn from the yarn supplying section and guides to the yarn joining device. The yarn-supply bobbin abnormality detection method is a method for detecting a raw-material lacking bobbin that is a yarn supplying bobbin on which a yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of an undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame. The method includes a cutting step of cutting the yarn when an abnormality of a thickness of the yarn is detected by the yarn monitoring device; a yarn joining step of joining with the yarn joining device, after the yarn is cut at the cutting step, the yarn pulled from the yarn supplying section with the pulling section to the yarn from the package forming section; a spliced-point testing step of checking with the yarn monitoring device a spliced point of the yarn formed at the yarn joining step; a spliced-point re-testing step of cutting the yarn when a check result of the spliced point at the spliced-point testing step does not satisfy a predetermined condition, joining with the yarn joining device the yarn pulled from the yarn supplying section with the pulling section to the yarn from the package forming section, and re-checking a thus formed spliced point; and a determining step of determining, when a check result of the spliced point obtained at the spliced-point re-testing step does not satisfy the predetermined condition, that there is an abnormality because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame. The spliced point that is to be checked at the spliced-point re-testing step includes a spliced point formed by the yarn joining device by joining the yarn that has been pulled with the pulling section from the yarn supplying section longer than usual.
The above and other objects, features, advantages and technical and industrial significance of this invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically illustrating an overall configuration of a textile machine system according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a front view schematically illustrating a configuration of an automatic winder provided in the textile machine system.
FIG. 3 is a side view of a configuration of a yarn winding unit of the automatic winder.
FIG. 4 is a front view and a block diagram of the configuration of the yarn winding unit.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a first half of a process performed upon detecting in the yarn winding unit an abnormality of a thickness of a yarn.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a second half of the process performed upon detecting in the yarn winding unit the abnormality of the thickness of the yarn.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically illustrating an overall configuration of a textile machine system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. A side view of a state of a yarn supplying bobbin 6 mounted on a conveying tray 9 is shown inside a circle pulled with a two-dotted line in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a front view schematically illustrating a configuration of an automatic winder 5 provided in the textile machine system 1.
The textile machine system 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes the automatic winder (a yarn winding machine) 5 and a transportation path 7. The textile machine system 1 works in cooperation with a ring spinning frame 2.
The ring spinning frame 2 includes a large number of spinning units 21, and a display device 3 that displays information about the entire ring spinning frame 2. Each of the spinning units 21 forms a yarn supplying bobbin 6 by spinning and winding a yarn. In the ring spinning frame 2, the spinning units 21 are arranged side-by-side. The display device 3 includes an LCD screen and the like and displays information about the entire ring spinning frame 2.
The automatic winder 5 includes a plurality of yarn winding units (yarn winding devices) 4. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the yarn winding units 4 unwinds a yarn 20 from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 and winds the yarn 20 into a package 30. Each of the yarn winding units 4 monitors a defect (for example, a thickness unevenness) in the yarn 20 by detecting a thickness of the yarn 20 and the like, and upon detecting the defect, automatically removes the yarn 20 in the defective part. In the automatic winder 5, the yarn winding units 4 are arranged side-by-side.
As shown in FIG. 1, the yarn supplying bobbin 6 formed in the ring spinning frame 2 is transported on the transportation path 7 to the automatic winder 5. Moreover, the yarn supplying bobbin 6 from which the yarn has been unwound in the automatic winder 5 is transported on the transportation path 7 to the ring spinning frame 2.
The textile machine system 1 can identify, based on a result of winding operation in the yarn winding unit 4 of the automatic winder 5, the spinning unit 21 in the ring spinning frame 2 that requires maintenance and the like.
The ring spinning frame 2 includes the spinning units 21. Each of the spinning units 21 pulls a roved yarn from a roved yarn bobbin on which the roved yarn has been wound and spins one yarn 20, and forms the yarn supplying bobbin 6 by winding the spun yarn 20 on a core tube 8.
In each of the spinning units 21 of the ring spinning frame 2 according to the present embodiment, the roved yarn from each of two roved yarn bobbins, on which the roved yarn has been wound, is pulled separately and the pulled roved yarns are spun in one yarn (a composite yarn). When the roved yarn of one of the two roved yarn bobbins comes to end, because a yarn (an abnormal yarn) of a thickness that does not satisfy the product specification of the yarn, as the yarn is spun with a single yarn, is wound around the core tube 8, a defective yarn supplying bobbin 6 is formed.
As explained above, each of the yarn winding units 4 includes a function to monitor a defect of the yarn 20. When the yarn supplying bobbin 6 on which a yarn lacking in raw material has been wound is supplied to the yarn winding unit 4 of the automatic winder 5, an abnormality of the yarn thickness is detected. If the abnormality in the thickness of the yarn is detected frequently in a certain yarn supplying bobbin 6, an error occurs in the yarn winding unit 4 and the winding is stopped, and the yarn winding unit 4 waits until the operator checks the status and restarts the winding.
However, as explained above, it is difficult for the operator to differentiate at a glance the yarn supplying bobbin 6 on which the yarn lacking in raw material has been wound from a normal yarn supplying bobbin 6 on which the yarn having no particular abnormality has been wound. Therefore, even if the yarn supplying bobbin 6 on which the yarn lacking in raw material has been wound is set in one of the yarn winding units 4 and an error occurs, it is difficult for the operator to determine that the cause of the error is the yarn lacking in raw material, so that he / she may consider this issue as a problem of the yarn winding unit 4. Therefore, the yarn supplying bobbin 6 on which the yarn lacking in raw material has been wound may be discharged to a collection path 72, a new yarn supplying bobbin 6 is supplied to the yarn winding unit 4, and the winding is restarted. When this happens, the yarn supplying bobbin 6 on which the yarn lacking in raw material has been wound is supplied to one of the yarn winding units 4 of the automatic winder 5 again via a later-explained bobbin return path 78 thereby degrading the operation efficiency of the automatic winder 5.
In the present embodiment, to avoid this, the fact that the yarn 20 lacking in raw material has been wound on the yarn supplying bobbin 6 is detected automatically by detecting with each of unit controlling sections 50 whether an undersupply of the roved yarn lacking in raw material has occurred, thereby allowing identification of the yarn supplying bobbin 6 on which the yarn 20 has been wound after being spun in a raw material lacking state. The details are explained later.
The automatic winder 5 according to the present embodiment and shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes the yarn winding units 4 arranged side-by-side in a row. One yarn supplying bobbin 6 is supplied to each of the yarn winding units 4 from a supply path 71. Each of the yarn winding units 4 unwinds the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 on which the yarn 20 that is spun by the ring spinning frame 2 has been wound, and forms the package 30 while removing a defect from the yarn 20. A configuration of the yarn winding unit 4 is explained in detail later.
The transportation path 7 shown in FIG. 1 is configured with, for example, a known transporting device such as a belt conveyor. The transportation path 7 transports the yarn supplying bobbin 6 to each of the yarn winding units 4. The transportation path 7 mainly includes the supply path 71 that transports the yarn supplying bobbin 6 formed in the ring spinning frame 2 to each of the yarn winding units 4 of the automatic winder 5, and the collection path 72 that transports an empty bobbin and the like, from which the yarn 20 has been unwound, and that is to be discharged from each of the yarn winding units 4. The collection path 72 diverges into two on the way. One of the paths is constituted by a bobbin collection path 73 that collects the empty bobbin and the like. Other of the paths is constituted by a defective-bobbin retreat path (a retreat path) 74 that allows a plurality of bobbins, which can be the yarn supplying bobbin 6 on which the yarn 20 lacking in raw material has been wound, or can be a yarn supplying bobbin having a severe abnormality, to be retreated.
The conveying tray (a carrier) 9 shown in FIG. 1 is transported along the transportation path 7 having such a configuration. In the ring spinning frame 2, one yarn supplying bobbin 6 is mounted on each of the conveying trays 9 in a substantially upright posture. The yarn supplying bobbin 6 mounted on the conveying tray 9 is transported along the transportation path 7 along with the conveying tray 9.
A preparation handling device 81 for performing preparation handling to make it easy to unwind the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 is arranged in a midway part of the supply path 71. Although not to be limited, as one example of such a preparation handling, cutting and removal of straight winding formed in an upper end of the yarn supplying bobbin 6 in the ring spinning frame 2 can be listed.
As shown in FIG. 1, each of the conveying trays 9 is provided with an RF tag 10. The RF tag 10 includes a not-shown writable and readable memory (a storage section). Unique identification information (for example, a number of the conveying tray) that allows identification of each of the conveying trays 9 is written beforehand in the memory. Furthermore, work information about the yarn supplying bobbin 6 mounted on the conveying tray 9 can be written and stored in the memory. As the work information, for example, information (a number of the spinning unit 21 and the like) that allows identification of the spinning unit that formed the yarn supplying bobbin 6, and the date and time etc. on which the yarn supplying bobbin 6 was formed can be listed. In the following explanation, a simple expression "write in the RF tag" will be used to mean writing information in the memory of the RF tag 10.
A first writing device 75 that writes the work information in the RF tag 10 is arranged upstream of the supply path 71. The first writing device 75 writes in the RF tag 10 of each of the conveying trays 9 the work information including a number of the spinning unit 21 that formed the yarn supplying bobbin 6 mounted on that conveying tray 9 and the date and time etc. on which the yarn supplying bobbin 6 was formed.
In the ring spinning frame 2, formation of the yarn supplying bobbin 6 is performed simultaneously in all the spinning units 21 that are arranged side-by-side. The order in which the yarn supplying bobbins 6 (the conveying trays 9) pass the first writing device 75 on the transportation path 7 corresponds with an alignment sequence of the spinning units 21 that formed the yarn supplying bobbins 6. Accordingly, when the first writing device 75 writes the information about the number of the spinning unit 21 in the RF tag 10 according to the order in which the conveying trays 9 pass, a correct mapping of the yarn supplying bobbin 6 mounted on the conveying tray 9 and the number of the spinning unit 21 that formed the yarn supplying bobbin 6 can be realized.
Each of the yarn winding units 4 includes a second writing device (a writing section) 76 that writes the work information in the RF tag 10. When an abnormality is detected in the yarn supplying bobbin 6 supplied to a certain yarn winding unit 4, the second writing device 76 of that yarn winding unit 4 writes information indicative of this fact in the RF tag 10 of the conveying tray 9 on which the yarn supplying bobbin 6 is mounted.
The abnormality of the yarn supplying bobbin 6 written in the RF tag 10 of the conveying tray 9 by the second writing device 76 can be of various kinds. For example, as such an abnormality, an abnormality that the yarn 20 cannot be unwound from the yarn supplying bobbin 6, an abnormality that the unevenness in the thickness of the yarn 20 is detected frequently, and the like, can be listed. In the present embodiment, when the abnormality that a yarn (for example, when spinning the sirospun yarn, the yarn is spun with only one roved yarn because of interruption in the supply of one of the two roved yarns due to some kind of abnormality) has been wound on the yarn supplying bobbin 6 after being spun in a state of an undersupply of the roved yarn is detected in the yarn winding unit 4, the second writing device 76 writes this fact as the abnormality in the RF tag 10.
The yarn winding unit 4 of the automatic winder 5 discharges to the transportation path 7 (the collection path 72) the yarn supplying bobbin 6 from which all the yarn 20 has been unwound and the yarn supplying bobbin 6 from which the yarn 20 was not unwound for some reason (for example, the yarn supplying bobbin 6 on which the yarn lacking in raw material has been wound, and the like).
A reading device (a reading section) 77 is arranged in a midway part of the collection path 72 but downstream of the automatic winder 5, more specifically, immediately upstream of a diverging point of the bobbin collection path 73 and the defective-bobbin retreat path 74. The reading device 77 reads information (particularly, the work information) written in the RF tag 10 of each of the conveying trays 9. A switchover guide 79 capable of switching a transportation direction of the yarn supplying bobbin 6 is arranged at the diverging point of the bobbin collection path 73 and the defective-bobbin retreat path 74. The switchover guide 79 is operated according to the information read from the RF tag 10 by the reading device 77 to switch the transportation direction of the yarn supplying bobbin 6.
With this arrangement, the yarn supplying bobbin 6 from which all the yarn 20 has been unwound without any problem, and the yarn supplying bobbin 6 having a minor abnormality are transported to the bobbin collection path 73. On the other hand, among the yarn supplying bobbins 6 that are returned from the automatic winder 5, the yarn supplying bobbin 6 having a major abnormality is transported to the defective-bobbin retreat path 74.
For example, as the minor abnormality of the yarn supplying bobbin 6, an abnormality that the yarn 20 cannot be pulled from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 by a yarn pulling mechanism of the yarn winding unit 4 can be listed. The minor abnormality can be fixed by performing the preparation handling by the preparation handling device 81 and, thereafter, in most cases, the yarn 20 can be unwound in the yarn winding unit 4 without problem. Accordingly, such a yarn supplying bobbin 6 is transported to the bobbin collection path 73, thereafter returned to the supply path 71 via the bobbin return path 78, and supplied to the automatic winder 5 again.
On the other hand, for example, as the major abnormality of the yarn supplying bobbin 6, an abnormality that the yarn 20 has been wound after being spun in a state of an undersupply of the roved yarn can be listed. Because such a yarn supplying bobbin 6 causes degradation of the production efficiency of the textile machine system 1, it is retreated to the defective-bobbin retreat path 74 (that is, removed from the transportation path 7).
A residual-yarn detecting device 80 is arranged in a midway part of the bobbin collection path 73 (at a point where the bobbin return path 78 diverges from the bobbin collection path 73). The residual-yarn detecting device 80 detects whether the yarn 20 is remaining on the yarn supplying bobbin 6. Upon detecting that the yarn 20 is remaining, the residual-yarn detecting device 80 causes the yarn supplying bobbin 6 to be transported to the bobbin return path 78. Upon detecting that the yarn 20 is not remaining, the residual-yarn detecting device 80 causes the yarn supplying bobbin 6 to be transported to the ring spinning frame 2. With this arrangement, the yarn supplying bobbin 6 having the minor abnormality can be returned to the supply path 71 from the bobbin return path 78 and supplied to the automatic winder 5 again.
With such a configuration, the yarn supplying bobbin 6 circulates in the textile machine system 1 along with the conveying tray 9. Specifically, the yarn supplying bobbin 6 formed in the ring spinning frame 2 is supplied to the automatic winder 5 via the transportation path 7, and the yarn 20 is unwound from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 in the automatic winder 5. Moreover, the yarn supplying bobbin 6 from which all the yarn 20 has been unwound (an empty bobbin) is returned to the ring spinning frame 2 via the transportation path 7 (the bobbin collection path 73), and the yarn 20 spun in the ring spinning frame 2 is wound on the empty bobbin again.
A configuration of the automatic winder 5 is explained more specifically below with reference to FIG. 2.
As shown in FIG. 2, the automatic winder 5 mainly includes the yarn winding units 4 arranged side-by-side, and a machine-frame controlling section 96 arranged at one end in the direction of arrangement of the yarn winding units 4.
The machine-frame controlling section 96 includes a display device 97 that displays information about each of the yarn winding units 4, an instruction input section 98 with which the operator can input various instructions into the machine-frame controlling section 96, and the like. The operator of the automatic winder 5 checks the various pieces of information displayed on the display device 97 and operates the instruction input section 98 appropriately. This allows the operator to manage all the yarn winding units 4 by using the machine-frame controlling section 96. The machine-frame controlling section 96 acquires information about each of the yarn winding units 4 by communicating with the unit controlling section 50 of each of the yarn winding units 4.
A configuration of the yarn winding unit 4 is explained in detail below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 is a side view of a configuration of the yarn winding unit 4 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a front view and a block diagram of the configuration of the yarn winding unit 4.
The yarn winding unit 4 winds the yarn 20, which is unwound from the yarn supplying bobbin 6, on a winding bobbin 22 while traversing the yarn 20 with a winding drum 24 to form the package 30. The yarn winding unit 4 includes a yarn supplying section 18 that supports the yarn supplying bobbin 6, and a package forming section 60 that winds the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying section 18 thereby forming the package 30.
As shown in FIG. 3, each of the yarn winding units 4 includes a unit frame 11. When viewed from the front, the unit frame 11 is arranged on one of the right and left sides, and a winding unit body 16 is arranged on a side of the unit frame 11. The unit controlling section (the controlling section) 50 that controls various components of the yarn winding unit 4 is arranged in the unit frame 11. The unit controlling section 50 includes a not-shown CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read-Only Memory), and a RAM (Random-Access Memory). A control program that allows detection of whether the yarn 20 lacking in raw material because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame 2 has been wound on the yarn supplying bobbin 6 is stored in the ROM. With the collaboration of the hardware and the software, the unit controlling section 50 can be operated as a later-explained roved-yarn undersupply detecting section (an identifying section that identifies a raw-material lacking bobbin) 56. As mentioned earlier, the unit controlling section 50 is capable of communicating with the machine-frame controlling section 96 thereby exchanging information with the machine-frame controlling section 96.
The winding unit body 16 includes a cradle 23 that holds the winding bobbin 22, and the winding drum (a traversing drum) 24 that traverses the yarn 20 as well as rotates the winding bobbin 22. The cradle 23 is pivotable in an approaching direction and a separating direction with respect to the winding drum 24. As a result, the package 30 can be caused to contact the winding drum 24 or to separate from the winding drum 24. As shown in FIG. 4, a spiral traversing groove 27 is formed in an outer peripheral surface of the winding drum 24. The yarn 20 is wound on the winding bobbin 22 while being traversed within a predetermined width by this traversing groove 27. As a result, the package 30 having a predetermined winding width can be formed.
Not-shown lifting-up mechanism and package braking mechanism are provided in the cradle 23. The lifting-up mechanism lifts up the cradle 23 in an event of a yarn breakage or the package 30 becoming full thereby separating the package 30 from the winding drum 24. The package braking mechanism, when the cradle 23 is lifted up by the lifting-up mechanism, stops the rotation of the package 30 held by the cradle 23.
The winding unit body 16 includes, in a yarn traveling path between the yarn supplying bobbin 6 and the winding drum 24, an unwinding assisting device 12, a yarn-tension applying section 13, a yarn joining device 14, and a yarn monitoring device 15, in this order from the yarn supplying bobbin 6. In the below explanation, upstream and downstream of the traveling direction of the yarn 20 may be simply called "upstream" and "downstream" respectively.
The yarn supplying section (a bobbin loading section) 18 is arranged in a lower part of the yarn winding unit 4. The yarn supplying bobbin 6 mounted on the conveying tray 9 is supplied to the yarn supplying section 18 along the supply path 71. The transported yarn supplying bobbin 6 is set in the yarn supplying section 18 along with the conveying tray 9 and the yarn 20 is supplied from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 to the downstream.
The unwinding assisting device 12 includes a regulating member 40 that can be put around the core tube 8 of the yarn supplying bobbin 6, and a not-shown actuator capable of moving the regulating member 40 vertically. The regulating member 40 touches to a balloon formed in an upper part of the yarn supplying bobbin 6 because of rotation and centrifugal force of the yarn 20 unwound from the yarn supplying bobbin 6. The regulating member 40 assists unwinding of the yarn 20 by maintaining a size of the balloon to an appropriate size. The unwinding assisting device 12 drives the actuator in conjunction with the unwinding of the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 to lower the regulating member 40. Specifically, a not-shown sensor that detects a chase portion of the yarn supplying bobbin 6 is arranged near the regulating member 40. When this sensor detects descent of the chase portion, a control to drive the actuator to lower the regulating member 40 is performed.
A kink preventer (a pulling controlling section) 17 is arranged near the unwinding assisting device 12. The kink preventer 17 controls a pulling amount (prevents excessive pulling) of the yarn 20 during a yarn joining work and the like. The kink preventer 17 includes a brush part 31 arranged at a tip of a pivotable brush arm, and a rotary-type solenoid 55 that pivots the brush arm.
In this configuration, during the yarn joining work and the like, in a state in which the regulating member 40 of the unwinding assisting device 12 is retreated to a most upper position, the brush arm is rotated to cause the brush part 31 to contact an upper end portion of the yarn supplying bobbin 6. With this arrangement, during the yarn joining work, an appropriate tension is applied to the yarn 20 thereby preventing a kink. As explained later, when the yarn 20 is to be pulled from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 longer than usual with a first relay pipe 25, an arrangement is made so that the kink preventer 17 does not act (that is, does not contact with the brush part 31).
The yarn-tension applying section 13 applies a predetermined tension to the traveling yarn 20. In the present embodiment, a known disk-type tensor can be used as the yarn-tension applying section 13. The yarn-tension applying section 13 according to the present embodiment includes opposing disks that pinch the yarn 20 therebetween. The yarn-tension applying section 13 includes a solenoid and a spring to press the disks against the yarn 20. With this arrangement, a predetermined tension is applied to the unwound yarn 20, and a quality of the package 30 can be improved. However, as the yarn-tension applying section 13, a gate-type tenser can be used instead of the disk-type tensor explained above.
The yarn joining device 14 performs a yarn joining operation of joining a yarn from the yarn supplying section 18 and a yarn from the package forming section 60. Specifically, when the yarn is cut when the yarn monitoring device 15 detects a defect (for example, a part where the thickness of the yarn 20 is out of a predetermined range) in the yarn 20, when a yarn breakage occurs when unwinding the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying bobbin 6, and the like, the yarn joining device 14 performs yarn joining of a lower yarn from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 and an upper yarn from the package 30. Upon cutting the yarn and performing the yarn joining work when the yarn monitoring device 15 detects a defect in the yarn 20, a gripping yarn part, which a catching member of the first relay pipe 25 and the like grips when catching the cut upper and lower yarns and guides to the yarn monitoring device 15, is removed during the yarn joining. The length of the gripping yarn part can be taken to be a rejection length of the yarn 20 when the yarn joining work is performed. As the yarn joining device 14, a device that uses a fluid, such as compressed air, a mechanical device, and the like, can be used.
The yarn joining device 14 includes a not-shown cutter that cuts extra upper yarn and lower yarn near a location where the yarn joining is actually performed. The extra upper yarn and lower yarn cut by the cutter is sucked by the later-explained first relay pipe 25 and a second relay pipe 26 and then discarded.
The yarn monitoring device 15 is arranged between the yarn supplying section 18 and the package forming section 60 and monitors a state of the traveling yarn 20. The yarn monitoring device 15 according to the present embodiment detects a yarn defect by detecting a quality (for example, a thickness) of the yarn 20 with an appropriate sensor (for example, an optical sensor). The yarn winding unit 4 can detect a defect such as a slub or yarn unevenness, by processing a signal output from the yarn monitoring device 15 with an analyzer 52 shown in FIG. 4.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the yarn winding unit 4 includes a cutter (a cutting device) 19 that immediately cuts the yarn 20 when an abnormality (for example, a yarn defect) of the traveling yarn 20 is detected by the yarn monitoring device 15. The cutter 19 can be realized by driving a blade with, for example, a not-shown solenoid to cut the yarn 20; however, the configuration is not limited to this. The cutter 19 is arranged in the yarn monitoring device 15 according to the present embodiment; however, the cutter 19 can be arranged outside of the yarn monitoring device 15.
The first relay pipe (a pulling section) 25 that catches and guides the lower yarn from the yarn supplying section 18 (the yarn supplying bobbin 6), and the second relay pipe 26 that catches and guides the upper yarn from the package forming section 60 (the package 30) are arranged in a lower part and an upper part of the yarn joining device 14, respectively.
The first relay pipe 25 includes a cylindrical suction pipe 28 having a suction port 32 at a tip end thereof, and a clamping member 29 attached to the tip end of the suction pipe 28. A not-shown negative pressure source arranged in the automatic winder 5 is connected to the suction pipe 28 whereby a suction current can be generated near the suction port 32. The clamping member 29 pinches and clamps the yarn 20 between thereof and a tip end surface of the suction pipe 28. When the clamping member 29 contacts the tip end surface of the suction pipe 28, the clamping member 29 closes the suction port 32 of the suction pipe 28 thereby preventing the suction. A not-shown clamping spring is attached to the clamping member 29. The clamping member 29 is biased in the direction of closing the suction port 32 by the clamping spring. Accordingly, in a default state, the suction port 32 is closed by the clamping member 29. When the clamping member 29 is pushed by a later-explained cam, only then the suction port 32 is opened and the suction current acts near the tip end of the suction pipe 28.
A suction mouth 34 is arranged on a tip end of the second relay pipe 26. Similarly to the first relay pipe 25, the negative pressure source is connected to the second relay pipe 26 whereby a suction current can be generated near the suction mouth 34.
In this configuration, in an event of a yarn breakage or a yarn cut, first, the suction port 32 of the first relay pipe 25 catches the lower yarn (the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying section 18), and then, the first relay pipe 25 pivots upward around a shaft 33 to guide the lower yarn to the yarn joining device 14. Substantially simultaneously with the above operation, the second relay pipe 26 pivots upward around a shaft 35, and the suction mouth 34 catches the upper yarn present on a surface of the package 30 that is rotated in a reverse direction by a drum driving motor 53. Subsequently, the second relay pipe 26 pivots downward around the shaft 35 and guides the upper yarn to the yarn joining device 14.
The yarn 20 unwound from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 is wound on the winding bobbin 22 arranged in the upper part (downstream) of the yarn joining device 14. The winding bobbin 22 is driven by rotationally driving the winding drum 24 arranged opposing the winding bobbin 22. As shown in FIG. 4, the winding drum 24 is coupled to an output shaft of the drum driving motor 53, and an operation of the drum driving motor 53 is controlled by a motor controlling section 54. The motor controlling section 54 performs an on / off control of the drum driving motor 53 based on an operation signal received from the unit controlling section 50.
In the above configuration, when the yarn supplying bobbin 6 is supplied to the lower part (the yarn supplying section 18) of the yarn winding unit 4, the winding bobbin 22 is driven, and the package 30 having a predetermined length can be formed by unwinding the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 and winding the yarn 20 on the winding bobbin 22.
Subsequently, a processing performed by the unit controlling section 50 to detect the yarn supplying bobbin 6 on which the yarn 20 was wound after being spun in a state of an undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame 2 is explained below while referring to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a flowchart indicating a first half and FIG. 6 is a flowchart indicating a second half of the processing performed by the unit controlling section 50 when detecting an abnormality relating to a thickness of the yarn 20.
The flowcharts shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a series of processes performed by the roved-yarn undersupply detecting section (the identifying section) of the unit controlling section 50. Specifically, these processes are performed to detect whether the yarn 20 spun with a single yarn has been wound on the yarn supplying bobbin 6.
When the process shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is started, the roved-yarn undersupply detecting section 56 of the unit controlling section 50 judges, based on a signal received from the yarn monitoring device 15, whether a thickness defect exists in the yarn 20 that is traveling because of being unwound from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 and wound into the package 30 (Step S101). This judgment is performed by the unit controlling section 50 based on an average thickness of the yarn 20 that is spun when the roved yarns are supplied normally from both the roved yarn bobbins in the spinning unit 21 of the ring spinning frame 2. Specifically, when a thick part thicker than a predetermined threshold or a thin part thinner than a predetermined threshold continues longer than a predetermined length of the yarn 20, the unit controlling section 50 determines that a defect has occurred in the yarn 20. Because the yarn 20 is fairly thin when the undersupply of the roved yarn occurs in the spinning unit 21, such a yarn 20 is determined to have a defect at Step S101. When no defect is detected in the yarn 20, the process at Step S101 is repeated and the traveling yarn 20 is monitored continuously.
If it is determined at Step S101 that a defect is present in the yarn 20, the unit controlling section 50 immediately cuts the yarn 20 with the cutter 19 and discontinues the winding (Step S102). Then, the unit controlling section 50 controls to pull an end of the yarn from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 with the first relay pipe 25 (Step S103). Although not shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5, at this time, an end of the yarn from the package 30 is also pulled with the second relay pipe 26 (this holds true also in later-explained Steps S108, S112, and S118).
Subsequently, the unit controlling section 50 controls the yarn joining device 14 so that the yarn joining device 14 joins the end of the yarn pulled with the first relay pipe 25 and the end of the yarn pulled with the second relay pipe 26 (Step S104). When the yarn joining device 14 is performing the yarn joining, an extra part (including the part determined to be defective at Step S101) of each of the yarns 20 that has been pulled with each of the first relay pipe 25 and the second relay pipe 26 is cut with the cutter of the yarn joining device 14 and discarded. After the yarn joining work by the yarn joining device 14 is completed, a winding work is restarted.
Soon after the winding work is restarted, a joint (a spliced point) formed by the yarn joining device 14 passes the yarn monitoring device 15. The unit controlling section 50 checks whether the thickness of the spliced point is normal (whether the thickness of the spliced point is within a predetermined range decided beforehand) (Step S105). If the thickness of the spliced point is within the predetermined range, the control is returned to Step S101, and winding and monitoring of the yarn 20 is continued.
If it is determined at Step S105 that the spliced point is too thin or too thick, it is determined that the spliced point formed by the yarn joining device 14 is defective. The unit controlling section 50 judges at Step S106 whether the abnormality (a first result) that the spliced point is too thin is consecutively detected twice.
If it is determined at Step S106 that the abnormality that the spliced point is too thick, or even too thin, is detected only once, the unit controlling section 50 cuts the yarn 20 in the same manner as at Steps S102 to S104 (Step S107), pulls the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 with the first relay pipe 25 (Step S108), and causes the yarn joining device 14 to join the yarn ends after removing the abnormal spliced point again (Step S109). Subsequently, the control is returned to Step S105, and the newly formed spliced point is checked by the yarn monitoring device 15 again.
If it is determined at Step S106 that the abnormality that the spliced point is too thin is consecutively detected twice (a second result), the cause of this is strongly suspected to be due to a fact that the yarn 20 wound on the yarn supplying bobbin 6 is in itself thin rather than a temporary disorder and the like of the yarn joining device 14 (that is, it is suspected that the yarn 20 was wound on the yarn supplying bobbin 6 after being spun in a state of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the spinning unit 21). In this case, the unit controlling section 50 attempts to perform the yarn joining at a point that is separated by a certain distance from the previous spliced point in the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 to perform the judgement of the thickness thereof.
Specifically, the unit controlling section 50, after cutting the yarn 20 (Step S110 of FIG. 6), to make it easy to pull the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying bobbin 6, controls the brush part 31 of the kink preventer 17 so as to separate it from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 (Step S111). Then, the unit controlling section 50 provides a control to pull the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 with the first relay pipe 25 (Step S112); however, when doing so, the length of the pulled yarn 20 is fairly longer than the same pulled from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 at Steps S103 and S108. The length of the yarn 20 pulled from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 with the first relay pipe 25 at Step S112 is set longer than the length that is generally detected as a yarn unevenness in the yarn monitoring device 15. Specifically, the length can be, for example, between six meters and nine meters, or even longer than nine meters.
Because the yarn 20 is pulled with the first relay pipe 25 for a longer distance than usual at Step S112, the operation performed by the first relay pipe 25 at Step S112 is different from the same at Steps S103 and S108.
Specifically, at Steps S103 and S108, the first relay pipe 25 immediately clamps the yarn 20 with the clamping member 29 when the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 is sucked from the suction port 32, and in this state, the first relay pipe 25 pivots upward to guide the yarn 20 to the yarn joining device 14. Because the clamping member 29 clamps the yarn 20 by closing the suction port 32, the suction of the yarn 20 from the suction port 32 is stopped along with beginning of the clamping operation.
On the other hand, at Step S112, even if the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 is sucked with the suction port 32, the first relay pipe 25 does not immediately clamp the yarn 20 with the clamping member 29 but maintains the released state of the clamp for a predetermined duration (the sucking of the yarn 20 from the suction port 32 is continued during this time). When a sufficiently longer yarn 20 is sucked from the suction port 32, the yarn 20 is clamped with the clamping member 29, and the first relay pipe 25 pivots upward. At Step S112, the unit controlling section 50 controls the first relay pipe 25, while maintaining the released state of the clamp explained above, to repeat a reciprocating pivoting motion with a small stroke near a position thereof shown in FIG. 3. As a result, because the suction port 32 performs a reciprocating movement, the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 can be sucked and pulled with the suction port 32 smoothly and surely while preventing the yarn 20 from getting caught and the like in the suction port 32. Furthermore, different from Steps S103 and S108, at Step S112, because the kink preventer 17 does not act, the yarn 20 can be smoothly unwound and pulled from the yarn supplying bobbin 6.
After having pulled a longer than usual yarn 20 from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 as explained above, the unit controlling section 50, while removing either of the longer than usual yarn 20 pulled part and the abnormal spliced point including part, controls the yarn joining device 14 to join the yarn ends again (Step S113). Subsequently, the newly formed spliced point is checked again (Step S114). If the thickness of the spliced point is normal (that is, when the thickness of the spliced point is within the predetermined range decided beforehand), the control is returned to Step S101.
If it is determined at Step S114 that the thickness of the spliced point is abnormal, the unit controlling section 50 judges whether the spliced point is too thin and therefore abnormal (Step S115). If the spliced point is too thick and therefore abnormal, the control is returned to Step S107.
If it is determined at Step S115 that the spliced point is too thin (a third result), this means that the spliced point, after having been pulled longer than the length of the yarn unevenness which usually occurs in the yarn 20, is really too thin. Accordingly, it is appropriate to think that the yarn 20 wound on the yarn supplying bobbin 6 has a problem (specifically, the undersupply of the roved yarn had occurred in the spinning unit 21 that spun the yarn 20). When this happens, the unit controlling section 50 (the roved-yarn undersupply detecting section 56) controls the second writing device 76 to write in the RF tag 10 of the conveying tray 9 (the conveying tray 9 that supports the yarn supplying bobbin 6) set in the yarn supplying section 18 of this yarn winding unit 4 information indicating that the yarn 20 lacking in raw material has been wound because an undersupply of the roved yarn had occurred in the ring spinning frame 2 (Step S116). Subsequently, the yarn supplying bobbin 6 is automatically discharged from the yarn supplying section 18 along with the conveying tray 9, and a new yarn supplying bobbin 6 is set in the yarn supplying section 18 (Step S117). The unit controlling section 50 pulls the yarn 20 from the new yarn supplying bobbin 6 with the first relay pipe 25 (Step S118) and controls the yarn joining device 14 to perform the yarn joining, and restarts the winding (Step S119). The length of the yarn 20 pulled by the first relay pipe 25 from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 at Step S118 can be the same as that pulled at Steps S103 and S108. Subsequently, the control is returned to Step S105, and the yarn monitoring device 15 checks a new spliced point.
In this manner, in the present embodiment, upon detecting that the yarn 20 lacking in raw material, which was spun in the spinning unit 21 in which the undersupply of the roved yarn had occurred, is wound on the yarn supplying bobbin 6, this yarn supplying bobbin 6 can be automatically replaced with another yarn supplying bobbin 6 without the intervention of the operator, and winding of the yarn 20 can be continued. That is, in comparison with the conventional configuration in which a yarn winding unit in which a defective yarn joining occurred consecutively is stopped and the winding is restarted only after the operator instructs to do so, the duration for which the winding work of the yarn 20 is interrupted can be suppressed.
The work information that is written in the RF tag 10 of each of the conveying trays 9 is, as explained above, read with the reading device 77 in the midway part of the collection path 72. If the information read from the RF tag 10 with the reading device 77 indicates that the yarn 20 lacking in raw material because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame 2 has been wound on the yarn supplying bobbin 6 mounted on the conveying tray 9, this yarn supplying bobbin 6 is transported to the defective-bobbin retreat path 74. As a result, degradation of the operation efficiency can be prevented in comparison to a situation in which the yarn supplying bobbin 6 on which the yarn 20 lacking in raw material has been wound is supplied to the automatic winder 5 again.
The second writing device 76 included in the yarn winding unit 4 is configured as a reading-writing device that also has a function to read information from the memory of the RF tag 10. Upon detecting that the yarn 20 lacking in raw material has been wound because the undersupply of the roved yarn had occurred in the ring spinning frame 2, the unit controlling section 50, based on the work information read by the second writing device 76 from the memory of the RF tag 10 of the conveying tray 9 that supports the yarn supplying bobbin 6, acquires the number of the spinning unit 21 of the ring spinning frame 2 that had wound the yarn 20 lacking in raw material on the yarn supplying bobbin 6. The unit controlling section 50 sends information indicative of the number to the machine-frame controlling section 96. The machine-frame controlling section 96 displays on the display device 97 that (a maintenance activity is necessary) the undersupply of the roved yarn may have occurred in the spinning unit 21 corresponding to the received number. As a result, the operator can easily grasp whether this spinning unit 21 requires maintenance. Moreover, it is allowable to send from the machine-frame controlling section 96 to the ring spinning frame 2 the number of the spinning unit 21 that formed the yarn supplying bobbin 6 on which the yarn lacking in raw material has been wound, display this number on the display device 3 of the ring spinning frame 2, and activate (for example, lit a lamp) an alarming section of the spinning unit 21 corresponding to the number. As a result, the maintenance activities can be performed smoothly.
As explained above, the yarn winding unit 4 according to the present embodiment unwinds the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 on which a yarn spun in the ring spinning frame 2 that spins one yarn from a plurality of the roved yarns has been wound, and winds the yarn 20 to form the package 30. The yarn winding unit 4 includes the unit controlling section 50, the yarn supplying section 18, the package forming section 60, and the yarn monitoring device 15. The unit controlling section 50 controls the yarn winding unit 4. The yarn supplying section 18 supports the yarn supplying bobbin 6. The package forming section 60 winds the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying section 18 to form the package 30. The yarn monitoring device 15 is arranged between the yarn supplying section 18 and the package forming section 60 and monitors the state of the traveling yarn 20. The unit controlling section 50 identifies, from a monitoring result obtained by the yarn monitoring device 15, a raw-material lacking bobbin that is a yarn supplying bobbin 6 on which a yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame 2.
As a result, the yarn supplying bobbin 6 on which the yarn 20 lacking in raw material is wound because there is an undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame 2 can be identified automatically.
In the yarn winding unit 4 according to the present embodiment, the unit controlling section 50 judges, based on the monitoring result obtained by the yarn monitoring device 15, whether the undersupply of the roved yarn occurred in the ring spinning frame 2.
As a result, the state (the state that is difficult to determine only by seeing the yarn supplying bobbin 6) in which the yarn 20 has become thinner than usual because the undersupply of the roved yarn occurred in the ring spinning frame 2 can be detected automatically.
In the yarn winding unit 4 according to the present embodiment, the yarn monitoring device 15 monitors the thickness of the traveling yarn 20.
As a result, the state that the yarn 20 was spun in the state in which the supply of one of two roved yarns had been stopped in the ring spinning frame 2 can be detected automatically by monitoring the thickness of the yarn 20.
The yarn winding unit 4 according to the present embodiment further includes the yarn joining device 14 that performs the yarn joining operation of joining the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying section 18 and the yarn 20 from the package forming section 60. The yarn monitoring device 15 checks the spliced point of the yarn 20 joined by the yarn joining device 14. Even after performing the yarn joining, if the check result of the spliced point obtained by the yarn monitoring device 15 does not satisfy a predetermined condition (not good), the unit controlling section 50 cuts the yarn 20 and causes the yarn joining device 14 to perform the yarn joining again. If the check result of the spliced point obtained by the yarn monitoring device 15 does not satisfy the predetermined condition (not good) even after repeating the yarn joining a plurality of times, the unit controlling section 50 determines that the yarn supplying bobbin 6 supported by the yarn supplying section 18 is the raw-material lacking bobbin.
As a result, if the check result obtained by the yarn monitoring device 15 does not satisfy the predetermined condition (not good) for none of the spliced points formed the plurality of times, because it can be determined that it is the yarn supplying bobbin 6 on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of the undersupply of the roved yarn, the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame 2 can be detected accurately.
The yarn winding unit 4 according to the present embodiment further includes the first relay pipe 25 that pulls the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying section 18 by a suction operation and guides the yarn 20 to the yarn joining device 14. The unit controlling section 50, as the spliced point that is to be checked to determine whether the bobbin is the raw-material lacking bobbin, includes a spliced point formed by the yarn joining device 14 by joining the yarn 20 that has been sucked and pulled by the first relay pipe 25 from the yarn supplying section 18 for a longer time than in a usual suction operation.
As a result, a spliced point is formed at a point that is separated by a longer distance than usual from the spliced point formed just before and whose check result did not meet the predetermined condition (not good), and it is judged whether the check result for this new spliced point satisfies the predetermined condition. If the check result for the new spliced point also does not satisfy the predetermined condition (not good), because it can be determined that it is the yarn supplying bobbin 6 on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of the undersupply of the roved yarn, the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame 2 can be detected more accurately.
The yarn winding unit 4 according to the present embodiment further includes the kink preventer 17 that acts on the yarn supplying bobbin 6 supported by the yarn supplying section 18 and inhibits pulling of the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying section 18. When the first relay pipe 25 pulls the yarn 20 longer than usual from the yarn supplying section 18, the action of the kink preventer 17 on the yarn supplying bobbin 6 is released.
As a result, when pulling the yarn 20 longer than usual from the yarn supplying section 18 (the yarn supplying bobbin 6) with the first relay pipe 25, the yarn 20 can be pulled smoothly and surely without the pulling of the yarn 20 being hindered by the kink preventer 17.
The yarn winding unit 4 according to the present embodiment includes the first relay pipe 25 that pulls the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying section 18 by the suction operation, and guides the yarn 20 to the yarn joining device 14. The first relay pipe 25 includes the suction port 32 to suck the yarn 20. When the first relay pipe 25 pulls the yarn 20 longer than usual from the yarn supplying section 18, the unit controlling section 50 controls the suction port 32 to make the reciprocating movement in a state in which the suction current acts on the suction port 32.
As a result, the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying section 18 (the yarn supplying bobbin 6) can be pulled with the first relay pipe 25 smoothly and surely while preventing the yarn 20 from getting caught and the like in the suction port 32.
In the yarn winding unit 4 according to the present embodiment, upon determining that it is the yarn supplying bobbin 6 (the raw-material lacking bobbin) on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame 2, the unit controlling section 50 discharges the yarn supplying bobbin 6 currently supported by the yarn supplying section 18, causes the yarn supplying section 18 to support a new yarn supplying bobbin 6 in its place, and performs the winding of the yarn 20.
As a result, the yarn supplying bobbin 6 on which the yarn 20 lacking in raw material has been wound can be automatically replaced with another yarn supplying bobbin 6 and winding can be performed thereon. Accordingly, the work efficiency of the yarn winding unit 4 can be improved.
The yarn winding unit 4 according to the present embodiment includes the yarn supplying section 18, the package forming section 60, the yarn monitoring device 15, the yarn joining device 14, and the unit controlling section 50. The yarn supplying section 18 supports the yarn supplying bobbin 6. The package forming section 60 winds the yarn 20 unwound from the yarn supplying section 18 to form the package 30. The yarn monitoring device 15 is arranged between the yarn supplying section 18 and the package forming section 60 and monitors the thickness of the traveling yarn 20. When the yarn 20 becomes discontinuous, the yarn joining device 14 joins the yarns 20. The unit controlling section 50 causes the yarn monitoring device 15 to monitor the spliced point joined by the yarn joining device 14. The unit controlling section 50, if the thickness of the yarn 20 is lower than a predetermined yarn thickness, removes a longer yarn 20 from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 than that is removed in usual yarn joining work, and causes the yarn monitoring device 15 to monitor the spliced point joined by the yarn joining device 14.
As a result, a portion of the yarn in which the yarn thickness (the thickness of the yarn) is less than a predetermined thickness continues in a long section can be detected accurately.
The yarn winding unit 4 according to the present embodiment, after it is detected that the thickness of the yarn 20 is lower than the predetermined yarn thickness, removes a longer yarn 20 from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 than that is removed in the usual yarn joining work. The yarn winding unit 4 causes the yarn monitoring device 15 to monitor the spliced point obtained by the yarn joining device 14 by joining the yarn from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 after the removal part and the yarn from the package forming section 60. If the thickness of this spliced point is lower than a predetermined thickness, the yarn winding unit 4 identifies the yarn supplying bobbin 6 supported by the yarn supplying section 18 as the raw-material lacking bobbin on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame 2.
As a result, a state in which the thickness of the yarn 20 wound on the yarn supplying bobbin 6 is lower than the predetermined value is continuing for some length can be detected with high reliability.
The yarn winding unit 4 according to the present embodiment further includes the first relay pipe 25 and the kink preventer 17. The first relay pipe 25 pulls the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying section 18 by the suction operation, and guides the yarn 20 to the yarn joining device 14. The kink preventer 17 acts on the yarn supplying bobbin 6 supported by the yarn supplying section 18 and inhibits pulling of the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying section 18. When the first relay pipe 25 pulls the yarn 20 longer than usual from the yarn supplying section 18, the action of the kink preventer 17 on the yarn supplying bobbin 6 is released.
As a result, when pulling the yarn 20 longer than usual from the yarn supplying section 18 (the yarn supplying bobbin 6) with the first relay pipe 25, the yarn 20 can be pulled smoothly and surely without the pulling of the yarn being hindered by the kink preventer 17.
The yarn winding unit 4 according to the present embodiment includes the first relay pipe 25 that pulls the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying section 18 by the suction operation and guides the yarn 20 to the yarn joining device 14. The first relay pipe 25 includes the suction port 32 to suck the yarn 20. When the first relay pipe 25 pulls the yarn 20 longer than usual from the yarn supplying section 18, the unit controlling section 50 controls the suction port 32 to make the reciprocating movement in a state in which the suction current acts on the suction port 32.
As a result, the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying section 18 (the yarn supplying bobbin 6) can be pulled with the first relay pipe 25 longer and smoothly while preventing the yarn 20 from getting caught and the like in the suction port 32.
In the yarn winding unit 4 according to the present embodiment, upon determining that the bobbin is a raw-material lacking bobbin, the unit controlling section 50 discharges the yarn supplying bobbin 6 currently supported by the yarn supplying section 18, causes the yarn supplying section 18 to support a new yarn supplying bobbin 6 in its place, and performs the winding of the yarn 20.
As a result, the yarn supplying bobbin on which the yarn 20 lacking in raw material is wound can be automatically replaced with another yarn supplying bobbin 6, and winding of the yarn 20 can be continued. Accordingly, the duration for which the winding work of the yarn 20 is interrupted can be suppressed, and the work efficiency of the yarn winding unit 4 can be improved.
The yarn winding unit 4 according to the present embodiment includes the yarn supplying section 18, the package forming section 60, the yarn monitoring device 15, the yarn joining device 14, and the roved-yarn undersupply detecting section 56 as the identifying section. The yarn supplying bobbin 6 spun in the ring spinning frame 2 that spins one yarn 20 from a plurality of the roved yarns is supported by the yarn supplying section 18. The package forming section 60 winds the yarn 20 unwound from the yarn supplying section 18 to form the package 30. The yarn monitoring device 15 is arranged between the yarn supplying section 18 and the package forming section 60 and monitors the thickness of the traveling yarn 20. When the yarn 20 becomes discontinuous, the yarn joining device 14 joins the yarns 20. The roved-yarn undersupply detecting section 56 identifies the raw-material lacking bobbin that is a yarn supplying bobbin 6 on which the yarn 20 lacking in raw material is wound because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame 2. The roved-yarn undersupply detecting section 56 causes the yarn monitoring device 15 to monitor the spliced point joined by the yarn joining device 14. The roved-yarn undersupply detecting section 56, when the second result, which indicates that the first result that is obtained upon detecting that the thickness of the yarn 20 is lower than the predetermined yarn thickness is detected continuously, is obtained, after removing a longer yarn 20 from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 than that is removed in usual yarn joining operation causes the yarn joining device 14 to perform the yarn joining, and when the third result is obtained which indicates that the thickness of the spliced point is lower than the predetermined yarn thickness, identifies the yarn supplying bobbin 6 supported by the yarn supplying section 18 as the raw-material lacking bobbin on which the yarn 20 lacking in raw material is wound because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame 2.
As a result, when the thickness of the yarn 20 is lower than the predetermined thickness, the yarn joining is performed after removing the yarn 20 for some length, the formed spliced point is checked, and if the yarn thickness is still lower than the predetermined thickness, it is determined that the bobbin is the raw-material lacking bobbin. As a result, because a situation can be excluded that the thickness of the yarn becomes lower than the predetermined thickness in a short section because of a sudden cause other than the lack of raw material, the raw-material lacking bobbin can be detected accurately.
The yarn winding unit 4 according to the present embodiment further includes the first relay pipe 25 and the kink preventer 17. The first relay pipe 25 pulls the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying section 18 by the suction operation, and guides the yarn 20 to the yarn joining device 14. The kink preventer 17 acts on the yarn supplying bobbin 6 supported by the yarn supplying section 18 and inhibits pulling of the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying section 18. When the first relay pipe 25 pulls the yarn 20 longer than usual from the yarn supplying section 18, the action of the kink preventer 17 on the yarn supplying bobbin 6 is released.
As a result, when pulling the yarn 20 longer than usual from the yarn supplying section 18 (the yarn supplying bobbin 6) with the first relay pipe 25, the yarn 20 can be pulled smoothly and surely without the pulling of the yarn 20 being hindered by the kink preventer 17.
The yarn winding unit 4 according to the present embodiment includes the first relay pipe 25 that pulls the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying section 18 by the suction operation and guides the yarn 20 to the yarn joining device 14. The first relay pipe 25 includes the suction port 32 to suck the yarn 20. When the first relay pipe 25 pulls the yarn 20 longer than usual from the yarn supplying section 18, the roved-yarn undersupply detecting section 56 controls the suction port 32 to make the reciprocating movement in a state in which the suction current acts on the suction port 32.
As a result, the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying section 18 (the yarn supplying bobbin 6) can be pulled with the first relay pipe 25 longer and smoothly while preventing the yarn 20 from getting caught and the like in the suction port 32.
In the yarn winding unit 4 according to the present embodiment, the roved-yarn undersupply detecting section 56, upon identifying that the bobbin is the raw-material lacking bobbin on which the yarn 20 lacking in raw material is wound because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame 2, discharges the yarn supplying bobbin 6 supported by the yarn supplying section 18, causes the yarn supplying section 18 to support a new yarn supplying bobbin 6 in its place, and performs the winding of the yarn 20.
As a result, the yarn supplying bobbin 6 (the raw-material lacking bobbin) on which the yarn 20 lacking in raw material is wound can be automatically replaced with another yarn supplying bobbin 6, and winding of the yarn 20 can be continued. Accordingly, the duration for which the winding work of the yarn 20 is interrupted can be suppressed, and the work efficiency of the yarn winding unit 4 can be improved.
The automatic winder 5 according to the present embodiment includes a large number of the yarn winding units 4. The automatic winder 5 further includes the transportation path 7 and the second writing device 76. The transportation path 7 transports the yarn supplying bobbin 6 to each of the yarn winding units 4. The second writing device 76 writes a mapping of the conveying tray 9 on which the yarn supplying bobbin 6 is mounted and the work information in the memory area of the RF tag 10. If it is determined in a certain yarn winding unit 4 that it is the yarn supplying bobbin 6 (the raw-material lacking bobbin) on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame 2, the second writing device 76 writes the work information about the yarn supplying bobbin 6 on which the yarn 20 lacking in raw material is wound in the memory area of the RF tag 10 of the conveying tray 9 on which the yarn supplying bobbin 6 supported in the yarn supplying section 18 of the yarn winding unit 4 is mounted.
As a result, based on the work information, the yarn supplying bobbin 6 on which the yarn 20 lacking in raw material is wound can be identified from among a plurality of the yarn supplying bobbins 6.
In the automatic winder 5 according to the present embodiment, the yarn supplying bobbin 6 is mounted on the conveying tray 9 and transported along the transportation path 7. Each of the conveying trays 9 is provided with the RF tag 10.
As a result, in comparison with a configuration in which the RF tag 10 is provided in each of the yarn supplying bobbins 6, the number of the required RF tags 10 can be reduced.
The automatic winder 5 according to the present embodiment further includes the reading device 77 that reads information stored in the memory area of the RF tag 10. The transportation path 7 includes the defective-bobbin retreat path 74 to retreat the defective yarn supplying bobbin 6. The automatic winder 5 transports, based on the contents read by the reading device 77, the yarn supplying bobbin 6 (the raw-material lacking bobbin) on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound to the defective-bobbin retreat path 74.
As a result, the yarn supplying bobbin 6 on which the yarn 20 lacking in raw material is wound can be retreated to the defective-bobbin retreat path 74. Accordingly, degradation of the operation efficiency can be prevented in comparison to a situation in which the yarn supplying bobbin 6 on which the yarn 20 lacking in raw material has been wound is repeatedly supplied to the automatic winder 5.
The textile machine system 1 according to the present embodiment includes the automatic winder 5 and the ring spinning frame 2 that spins one yarn 20 from a plurality of the roved yarns. The ring spinning frame 2 includes a large number of the spinning units 21 capable of forming the yarn supplying bobbins 6. In the automatic winder 5, when the yarn supplying bobbin 6 is determined to be the raw-material lacking bobbin, the automatic winder 5 sends to the ring spinning frame 2 the information to identify the spinning unit 21 of the ring spinning frame 2 that formed that yarn supplying bobbin 6.
As a result, the spinning unit 21 that formed the yarn supplying bobbin 6 (the raw-material lacking bobbin) on which the yarn 20 lacking in raw material is wound can be grasped on the ring spinning frame 2 side. As a result, the maintenance can be performed efficiently.
The textile machine system 1 according to the present embodiment includes the automatic winder 5 and the ring spinning frame 2 that spins one yarn 20 from a plurality of the roved yarns. The textile machine system 1 includes the display device 97 capable of displaying information. The ring spinning frame 2 includes a large number of the spinning units 21 capable of forming the yarn supplying bobbins 6. In the automatic winder 5, when the raw-material lacking bobbin (the bobbin on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame 2) was formed, the information to identify the spinning unit 21 of the ring spinning frame 2 that formed the yarn supplying bobbin 6 is displayed on the display device 97.
As a result, the operator can easily grasp the spinning unit 21 that formed the yarn supplying bobbin 6 (the raw-material lacking bobbin) on which the yarn 20 lacking in raw material is wound based on the information displayed on the display device 97. As a result, the maintenance can be performed efficiently.
In the present embodiment, the yarn winding unit 4 includes the yarn supplying section 18, the package forming section 60, the yarn monitoring device 15, the yarn joining device 14, and the first relay pipe 25. The yarn supplying section 18 supports the yarn supplying bobbin 6 on which the yarn 20 that is spun in the ring spinning frame 2 is wound. The package forming section 60 winds the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying section 18 to form the package 30. The yarn monitoring device 15 is arranged between the yarn supplying section 18 and the package forming section 60 and monitors the state of the traveling yarn 20. The yarn joining device 14 performs the yarn joining operation of joining the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying section 18 to the yarn 20 from the package forming section 60. The first relay pipe 25 pulls the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying section 18 and guides the yarn 20 to the yarn joining device 14. The yarn winding unit 4 detects the yarn supplying bobbin 6 (the raw-material lacking bobbin) on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame 2 by using the below explained yarn-supply bobbin abnormality detection method. The yarn-supply bobbin abnormality detection method includes a cutting step, a yarn joining step, a spliced-point testing step, a spliced-point re-testing step, and a determining step. The yarn 20 is cut at the cutting step when an abnormality of the thickness of the yarn 20 is detected by the yarn monitoring device 15 (Step S102). At the yarn joining step, after the yarn 20 is cut at the cutting step, the yarn 20 pulled from the yarn supplying section 18 with the first relay pipe 25 is joined to the yarn 20 from the package forming section 60 with the yarn joining device 14 (Step S104). At the spliced-point testing step, the spliced point of the yarn 20 formed at the yarn joining step is checked by the yarn monitoring device 15 (Step S105). In the spliced-point re-testing step, if the check result of the spliced point obtained at the spliced-point testing step does not satisfy a predetermined condition (not good), the yarn 20 is cut again, the yarn 20 pulled from the yarn supplying section 18 with the first relay pipe 25 is joined to the yarn 20 from the package forming section 60 with the yarn joining device 14, and the newly formed spliced point is checked (Steps S105 and S114). In the determining step, when the check result of the spliced point obtained at the spliced-point re-testing step does not satisfy the predetermined condition (not good), it is determined that there is an abnormality because of an undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame 2. The spliced point that is to be checked at the spliced-point re-testing step (the spliced point to be checked at Step 114) includes a spliced point formed by the yarn joining device 14 by joining the yarn 20 that has been pulled by the first relay pipe 25 from the yarn supplying section 18 longer than usual.
As a result, the fact that the yarn (a partial out of raw material yarn) 20 lacking in raw material is wound on the yarn supplying bobbin 6 because the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame 2 can be accurately detected in the yarn winding unit 4.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are explained above. The configuration explained above can, however, be modified as explained below.
At Step S112 shown in FIG. 6, how longer than usual the first relay pipe 25 is to pull the yarn 20 of the yarn supplying bobbin 6 can be changed appropriately. Moreover, at Step S106 shown in FIG. 5, how many times the abnormality that the spliced point is too thin needs to be detected to pull the yarn 20 of the yarn supplying bobbin 6 longer than usual can be changed appropriately.
In the above embodiment, each of the conveying trays 9 is provided with the RF tag 10. Alternatively, the RF tag 10 can be provided to the core tube 8 of the yarn supplying bobbin 6.
The RF tag 10 need not have the memory area for writing the work information but can have only the memory area for simply reading the unique identification information (the number of the conveying tray or the number of the yarn supplying bobbin) that allows identification of the conveying tray or the yarn supplying bobbin. Moreover, instead of providing the RF tag 10, information (for example, a bar code) including a tray number for identifying the conveying tray 9 can be attached to the conveying tray 9. Moreover, information (for example, a bar code) including a number of the yarn supplying bobbin for uniquely identifying the yarn supplying bobbin 6 can be attached to the core tube of the yarn supplying bobbin 6. When such a configuration is employed, the first writing device 75, the second writing device 76, and the reading device 77 can be replaced with a reading device capable of reading the identifying information of the RF tag 10, the bar code, and the like. Moreover, instead of writing information in the memory of the RF tag 10, it is allowable to store a correspondence of the read number of the conveying tray or the number of the yarn supplying bobbin and the work information (for example, the number of the spinning unit 21 that formed the yarn supplying bobbin 6, the date and time etc. on which the yarn supplying bobbin 6 was formed, whether the yarn 20 lacking in raw material because of the undersupply of the roved yarn has been wound or not, and the like) in tabular manner in, for example, a storage section provided in the machine-frame controlling section 96 (that is, the machine-frame controlling section 96 corresponding to the writing section). Furthermore, instead of reading the memory of the RF tag 10, the work information can be acquired by referring to the information stored in the tabular manner based on the read number of the conveying tray or the number of the yarn supplying bobbin.
However, as in the above embodiment, writing the work information in the RF tag 10 provided to each of the conveying trays 9 or the yarn supplying bobbins 6 is preferable; because, the work information can be mapped with the conveying trays 9 or the yarn supplying bobbins 6 with only this configuration whereby the processing is simplified.
In the above embodiment, before the yarn joining device 14 performs the yarn joining, in certain specific cases, the yarn 20 is pulled longer than usual with the first relay pipe 25 by sucking the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 for a longer time than usual. Furthermore, in certain specific cases, it is allowable to pull the yarn 20 longer than usual from the package 30 with the second relay pipe 26. For example, in the spinning frame having a special yarn property such as an uneven yarn, and a slub yarn, there are situations where a yarn having the desired characteristic is not formed in the beginning of the winding on the core tube 8. Originally, such a part should be detected as a yarn defect by the yarn monitoring device 15 of the automatic winder and removed; however, when winding the uneven yarn to form the package 30, it is difficult to detect with the yarn monitoring device 15 the fact that the characteristic of the unevenness is different from the original characteristic. To address this issue, when all the yarn 20 from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 set in the yarn supplying section 18 is wound into the package 30 in the automatic winder, in performing the yarn joining of this yarn 20 from the package 30 to the yarn 20 of the newly replaced yarn supplying bobbin 6, the yarn 20 wound on the package 30 is sucked for a longer time than usual with the second relay pipe 26. That is, because the part of the yarn wound on the core tube 8 in the beginning is unwound from the yarn supplying bobbin 6 in the yarn winding unit 4 last, the part of the yarn wound into the package 30 last is pulled from the package 30 with the second relay pipe 26 (longer than usual), and this part of the yarn is removed during the yarn joining in the yarn joining device 14. As a result, the package 30 can be formed after surely removing the yarn defect that often occurs when beginning the winding of the yarn 20 on the core tube 8 in the spinning frame.
The problem to be solved by the invention is as explained above and the means for solving the problem and the effect thereof are explained below.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a yarn winding device having the following configuration is provided. That is, the yarn winding device unwinds a yarn from a yarn supplying bobbin on which the yarn spun in a ring spinning frame that spins one yarn from a plurality of roved yarns has been wound, and winds the yarn to form a package. The yarn winding device includes a controlling section, a yarn supplying section, a package forming section, and a yarn monitoring device. The controlling section controls the yarn winding device. The yarn supplying section supports the yarn supplying bobbin. The package forming section unwinds the yarn from the yarn supplying section to form the package. The yarn monitoring device is arranged between the yarn supplying section and the package forming section and monitors a state of the traveling yarn. The controlling section identifies, from a monitoring result obtained by the yarn monitoring device, a raw-material lacking bobbin that is a yarn supplying bobbin on which a yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame.
As a result, the yarn supplying bobbin on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound because there is an undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame can be identified automatically.
In the yarn winding device, it is preferable that the controlling section determines the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame from the monitoring result of the yarn monitoring device.
As a result, a state (which is difficult to determine only by seeing the yarn supplying bobbin) that the yarn is thinner than usual because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame can be detected automatically.
In the yarn winding device, it is preferable to monitor the thickness of the traveling yarn.
As a result, a state that the yarn was spun in the state in which the supply of some of a plurality of the roved yarns (for example, one of the two) had been stopped in the ring spinning frame can be detected automatically by monitoring the thickness of the yarn.
It is preferable that the above yarn winding device has the following configuration. That is, the yarn winding device further includes a yarn joining device that performs a yarn joining operation of joining the yarn from the yarn supplying section and the yarn from the package forming section. The yarn monitoring device checks a spliced point of the yarn joined by the yarn joining device. The controlling section, when a check result of the spliced point obtained by the yarn monitoring device does not satisfy a predetermined condition even after performing the yarn joining, cuts the yarn, and causes the yarn joining device to perform the yarn joining again. The controlling section determines, when the check result of the spliced point obtained by the yarn monitoring device does not satisfy the predetermined condition even after repeating the yarn joining a plurality of times, that the yarn supplying bobbin supported by the yarn supplying section is the raw-material lacking bobbin. The "predetermined condition" can be a condition that the thickness of the yarn is, for example, a certain thickness or more.
As a result, when the check result obtained by the yarn monitoring device does not satisfy the predetermined condition for none of the spliced points formed a plurality of times, because it can be determined that it is the yarn supplying bobbin on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of the undersupply of the roved yarn, the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame can be detected accurately.
It is preferable that the above yarn winding device has the following configuration. That is, the yarn winding device further includes a pulling section that pulls the yarn from the yarn supplying section by a suction operation and guides to the yarn joining device. The controlling section, as the spliced point that is to be checked to identify whether a bobbin is the raw-material lacking bobbin, includes a spliced point formed by the yarn joining device by joining the yarn that has been sucked and pulled from the yarn supplying section with the pulling section for a longer time than in the usual suction operation.
As a result, a spliced point is formed at a point that is separated by a longer distance than usual from the spliced point formed just before and whose check result did not satisfy the predetermined condition (not good), and if the check result for the new spliced point also does not satisfy the predetermined condition (not good), because it can be determined that it is the yarn supplying bobbin on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of the undersupply of the roved yarn, the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame can be detected more accurately.
It is preferable that the above yarn winding device has the following configuration. That is, the yarn winding device further includes a pulling controlling section that acts on the yarn supplying bobbin supported by the yarn supplying section and inhibits pulling of the yarn from the yarn supplying section. When the pulling section pulls the yarn longer than usual from the yarn supplying section, the action of the pulling controlling section on the yarn supplying bobbin is released.
As a result, when pulling the yarn longer than usual from the yarn supplying section (the yarn supplying bobbin) with the pulling section, the yarn can be pulled smoothly and surely without the pulling of the yarn being hindered by the pulling controlling section.
It is preferable that the above yarn winding device has the following configuration. That is, the yarn winding device includes the pulling section that pulls the yarn from the yarn supplying section by the suction operation and guides to the yarn joining device. The pulling section includes a suction port for sucking the yarn. When the pulling section pulls the yarn longer than usual from the yarn supplying section, the controlling section controls the suction port to make a reciprocating movement in a state in which a suction current acts on the suction port.
As a result, the yarn from the yarn supplying section (the yarn supplying bobbin) can be pulled smoothly with the pulling section while preventing the yarn from getting caught and the like in the suction port.
In the yarn winding device, it is preferable that the controlling section, upon identifying that the bobbin is the raw-material lacking bobbin, discharges the yarn supplying bobbin supported by the yarn supplying section, causes the yarn supplying section to support a new yarn supplying bobbin in its place, and performs the winding of the yarn.
As a result, the yarn supplying bobbin on which the yarn lacking in raw material has been wound can be automatically replaced with another yarn supplying bobbin and winding can be performed thereon. Therefore, the work efficiency of the yarn winding device can be improved.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a yarn winding device having the following configuration is provided. That is, the yarn winding device includes a yarn supplying section, a package forming section, a yarn monitoring device, a yarn joining device, and a controlling section. The yarn supplying section supports a yarn supplying bobbin. The package forming section winds a yarn unwound from the yarn supplying section to form a package. The yarn monitoring device is arranged between the yarn supplying section and the package forming section and monitors a thickness of the traveling yarn. When the yarn becomes discontinuous, the yarn joining device joins the yarns. The controlling section causes the yarn monitoring device to monitor a spliced point joined by the yarn joining device. The controlling section, when the thickness of the yarn is lower than a predetermined yarn thickness, removes a longer yarn from the yarn supplying bobbin than that is removed in usual yarn joining work, and causes the yarn monitoring device to monitor the spliced point joined by the yarn joining device.
As a result, a portion of the yarn in which the yarn thickness (the thickness of the yarn) is less than a predetermined value continues in a long section can be detected accurately.
It is preferable that the above yarn winding device has the following configuration. That is, the yarn winding device, after it is detected continuously for a plurality of times that the thickness of the yarn is lower than the predetermined yarn thickness, removes a longer yarn from the yarn supplying bobbin than that is removed in the usual yarn joining work. Then, the yarn winding device causes the yarn monitoring device to monitor the spliced point obtained by the yarn joining device by joining the yarn from the yarn supplying bobbin after the removal and the yarn from the package forming section, and when the thickness of this spliced point is lower than the predetermined thickness, the yarn winding device identifies the yarn supplying bobbin supported by the yarn supplying section as the raw-material lacking bobbin on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame.
As a result, a state that the thickness of the yarn wound on the yarn supplying bobbin is lower than the predetermined value is continuing for some length can be detected with high reliability.
It is preferable that the above yarn winding device has the following configuration. That is, the yarn winding device further includes a pulling section and a pulling controlling section. The pulling section pulls the yarn from the yarn supplying section by a suction operation and guides to the yarn joining device. The pulling controlling section acts on the yarn supplying bobbin supported by the yarn supplying section and inhibits pulling of the yarn from the yarn supplying section. When the pulling section pulls the yarn longer than usual from the yarn supplying section, the action of the pulling controlling section on the yarn supplying bobbin is released.
As a result, when pulling the yarn longer than usual from the yarn supplying section (the yarn supplying bobbin) with the pulling section, the yarn can be pulled smoothly and surely without the pulling of the yarn being hindered by the pulling controlling section.
It is preferable that the above yarn winding device has the following configuration. That is, the yarn winding device includes the pulling section that pulls the yarn from the yarn supplying section by the suction operation and guides to the yarn joining device. The pulling section includes a suction port for sucking the yarn. When the pulling section pulls the yarn longer than usual from the yarn supplying section, the controlling section controls the suction port to make a reciprocating movement in a state in which a suction current acts on the suction port.
As a result, the yarn from the yarn supplying section (the yarn supplying bobbin) can be pulled longer and smoothly with the pulling section while preventing the yarn from getting caught and the like in the suction port.
In the yarn winding device, it is preferable that the controlling section, upon identifying that the bobbin is the raw-material lacking bobbin on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame, discharges the yarn supplying bobbin supported by the yarn supplying section, causes the yarn supplying section to support a new yarn supplying bobbin in its place, and performs the winding of the yarn.
As a result, the yarn supplying bobbin on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound can be automatically replaced with another yarn supplying bobbin, and winding of the yarn can be continued. Therefore, the duration for which the winding work of the yarn is interrupted can be suppressed, and the work efficiency of the yarn winding device can be improved.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a yarn winding device having the following configuration is provided. That is, the yarn winding device includes a yarn supplying section, a package forming section, a yarn monitoring device, a yarn joining device, and an identifying section. A yarn supplying bobbin spun in a ring spinning frame that spins one yarn from a plurality of roved yarns is supported by the yarn supplying section. The package forming section winds a yarn unwound from the yarn supplying section to form a package. The yarn monitoring device is arranged between the yarn supplying section and the package forming section and monitors a thickness of the traveling yarn. When the yarn becomes discontinuous, the yarn joining device joins the yarns. The identifying section identifies a raw-material lacking bobbin that is a yarn supplying bobbin on which a yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of an undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame. The identifying section causes the yarn monitoring device to monitor a spliced point joined by the yarn joining device. The identifying section, when a second result, which indicates that a first result that is obtained upon detecting that a thickness of the yarn is lower than a predetermined yarn thickness is detected continuously for a plurality of times, after removing a longer yarn from the yarn supplying bobbin than that is removed in a usual yarn joining operation, causes the yarn joining device to perform the yarn joining, and when a third result is obtained that indicates that the thickness of the spliced point is lower than the predetermined yarn thickness, identifies the yarn supplying bobbin supported by the yarn supplying section as the raw-material lacking bobbin on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame.
As a result, when the thickness of the yarn is lower than the predetermined thickness, the yarn joining is performed after removing a yarn for some length, the formed spliced point is checked, and if the thickness of the yarn is still lower than the predetermined thickness, it is determined that the bobbin is the raw-material lacking bobbin. As a result, because a situation can be excluded that the thickness of the yarn becomes lower than the predetermined thickness in a short section because of a sudden cause other than the lack of raw material, the raw-material lacking bobbin can be detected accurately.
It is preferable that the above yarn winding device has the following configuration. That is, the yarn winding device further includes a pulling section and a pulling controlling section. The pulling section pulls the yarn from the yarn supplying section by a suction operation and guides to the yarn joining device. The pulling controlling section acts on the yarn supplying bobbin supported by the yarn supplying section and inhibits pulling of the yarn from the yarn supplying section. When the pulling section pulls the yarn longer than usual from the yarn supplying section, the action of the pulling controlling section on the yarn supplying bobbin is released.
As a result, when pulling the yarn longer than usual from the yarn supplying section (the yarn supplying bobbin) with the pulling section, the yarn can be pulled smoothly and surely without the pulling of the yarn being hindered by the pulling controlling section.
It is preferable that the above yarn winding device has the following configuration. That is, the yarn winding device includes the pulling section that pulls the yarn from the yarn supplying section by the suction operation and guides to the yarn joining device. The pulling section includes a suction port for sucking the yarn. When the pulling section pulls the yarn longer than usual from the yarn supplying section, the identifying section controls the suction port to make a reciprocating movement in a state in which a suction current acts on the suction port.
As a result, the yarn from the yarn supplying section (the yarn supplying bobbin) can be pulled longer and smoothly with the pulling section while preventing the yarn from getting caught and the like in the suction port.
In the yarn winding device, the identifying section, upon identifying that the bobbin is the raw-material lacking bobbin on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame, discharges the yarn supplying bobbin supported by the yarn supplying section, causes the yarn supplying section to support a new yarn supplying bobbin in its place, and performs the winding of the yarn.
As a result, the yarn supplying bobbin on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound can be automatically replaced with another yarn supplying bobbin, and winding of the yarn can be continued. Therefore, the duration for which the winding work of the yarn is interrupted can be suppressed, and the work efficiency of the yarn winding device can be improved.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, an automatic winder having the following configuration is provided. That is, the automatic winder includes a plurality of yarn winding devices. The automatic winder further includes a transportation path and a writing section. The transportation path transports the yarn supplying bobbin to each of the yarn winding devices. The writing section writes in a storage section work information mapped with the yarn supplying bobbin or with a carrier on which the yarn supplying bobbin is mounted. When it is identified in a certain yarn winding device that the bobbin is the raw-material lacking bobbin, the writing section writes in the storage section the work information indicating that the yarn lacking in raw material has been wound on the yarn supplying bobbin mapped with the yarn supplying bobbin supported by the yarn supplying section of the yarn winding device or with the carrier on which the yarn supplying bobbin is mounted.
As a result, based on the work information, the yarn supplying bobbin on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound can be identified from among a plurality of the yarn supplying bobbins.
It is preferable that the automatic winder has the following configuration. That is, the yarn supplying bobbin is mounted on a conveying tray as the carrier and transported along the transportation path. Each of the conveying trays is provided with the storage section.
As a result, in comparison with a configuration in which the storage section is provided in each of the yarn supplying bobbins, the number of the storage sections can be reduced.
It is preferable that the automatic winder has the following configuration. That is, the automatic winder further includes a reading section that reads information written in the storage section. The transportation path includes a retreat path which a defective yarn supplying bobbin is retreated. The automatic winder transports, based on the contents read by the reading section, the yarn supplying bobbin (the raw-material lacking bobbin) on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound to the retreat path.
As a result, the yarn supplying bobbin on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound can be retreated to the retreat path. Accordingly, degradation of the operation efficiency of the automatic winder can be prevented in comparison to a situation in which the yarn supplying bobbin on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound is repeatedly supplied to the automatic winder.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a textile machine system having the following configuration is provided. That is, the textile machine system includes the automatic winder and a ring spinning frame that spins one yarn from a plurality of roved yarns. The ring spinning frame includes a large number of spinning units capable of forming the yarn supplying bobbins. In the automatic winder, when a yarn supplying bobbin that is judged to be a raw-material lacking bobbin occurs, the automatic winder sends to the ring spinning frame information to identify the spinning unit of the ring spinning frame that formed the yarn supplying bobbin.
As a result, the spinning unit that formed the yarn supplying bobbin (the raw-material lacking bobbin) on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound can be grasped on the ring spinning frame side. As a result, the maintenance can be performed efficiently.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, a textile machine system having the following configuration is provided. That is, the textile machine system includes the automatic winder and a ring spinning frame that spins one yarn from a plurality of roved yarns. The textile machine system includes a display section capable of displaying information. The ring spinning frame includes a large number of the spinning units capable of forming the yarn supplying bobbins. In the automatic winder, when a yarn supplying bobbin judged to be the raw-material lacking bobbin (the bobbin on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame) occurs in the automatic winder, information to identify the spinning unit of the ring spinning frame that formed the yarn supplying bobbin is displayed on the display section.
As a result, the operator can easily grasp the spinning unit that formed the yarn supplying bobbin (the raw-material lacking bobbin) on which the yarn lacking in raw material is wound based on the information displayed on the display section. As a result, the maintenance can be performed efficiently.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, a following yarn-supply bobbin abnormality detection method is provided. That is, the yarn-supply bobbin abnormality detection method is implemented on a yarn winding device including a yarn supplying section, a package forming section, a yarn monitoring device, a yarn joining device, and a pulling section. The yarn-supply bobbin abnormality detection method includes detecting a yarn supplying bobbin (a raw-material lacking bobbin) on which a yarn lacking in raw material because of an undersupply of roved yarn in a ring spinning frame that spins one yarn from a plurality of the roved yarns is wound. The yarn supplying section supports the yarn supplying bobbin on which the yarn that is spun in the ring spinning frame is wound. The package forming section winds the yarn unwound from the yarn supplying section to form a package. The yarn monitoring device is arranged between the yarn supplying section and the package forming section and monitors a state of the traveling yarn. The yarn joining device performs a yarn joining operation of joining the yarn from the yarn supplying section to the yarn from the package forming section. The pulling section pulls the yarn from the yarn supplying section and guides to the yarn joining device. The yarn-supply bobbin abnormality detection method includes a cutting step, a yarn joining step, a spliced-point testing step, a spliced-point re-testing step, and a determining step. At the cutting step, the yarn is cut when an abnormality of a thickness of the yarn is detected by the yarn monitoring device. At the yarn joining step, after a yarn is cut at the cutting step, the yarn pulled from the yarn supplying section with the pulling section is joined to the yarn from the package forming section with the yarn joining device. At the spliced-point testing step, a spliced point of the yarn formed at the yarn joining step is checked with the yarn monitoring device. At the spliced-point re-testing step, the yarn is cut when a check result of the spliced point at the spliced-point testing step does not satisfy a predetermined condition (not good), the yarn pulled from the yarn supplying section with the pulling section is joined to the yarn from the package forming section with the yarn joining device, and thus a formed spliced point is checked again. At the determining step, when a check result of the spliced point obtained at the spliced-point re-testing step does not satisfy the predetermined condition (not good), it is determined that there is an abnormality because of the undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame. The spliced point that is to be checked at the spliced-point re-testing step includes a spliced point formed by the yarn joining device by joining the yarn that has been pulled from the yarn supplying section with the pulling section longer than usual.
As a result, the fact that the yarn (a partial out of raw material yarn) lacking in raw material is wound on the yarn supplying bobbin because there is an undersupply of the roved yarn in the ring spinning frame can be accurately detected in the yarn winding device.
In the above explanation, the meaning of "a plurality of" also includes "a predetermined number of".
Although the invention has been explained with respect to specific embodiments for a complete and clear disclosure, the appended claims are not to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying all modifications and alternative constructions that may occur to one skilled in the art that fairly fall within the scope of the claims.