BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
5 The present invention relates to a yarn winding
machine and a spinning machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a spinning machine described in Unexamined
Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-101453, a plurality
10 of spinning units are arranged in a line. In each spinning
unit, a yarn spun by a spinning device and accumulated in
a yarn accumulating section is wound around a bobbin in a
winding device arranged higher than the yarn accumulating
section. In each spinning unit, a yarn joining device is
15 arranged between the yarn accumulating section and the
winding device. When the yarn is disconnected for some
reason, a yarn joining operation is carried out by the yarn
joining device. In such a case, when a yarn end had been
wound onto a package, the yarn is pulled out from the package
20 by a yarn pull out device. The pulled out yarn is caught
by a downstream transporting section and transported to a
yarn joining section. The yarn from the spinning device
is caught by an upstream transporting section and
transported to the yarn joining device. The yarns are then
25 joined in the yarn joining section.
In Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No.
2015-101453, the yarn is pulled out from the package by the
yarn pull out device when carrying out a yarn joining
operation as described above, but the yarn pull out device
30 may fail to pull out the yarn. In this case, an operator
manually carries out service of pulling out the yarn from
the package.
In the spinning unit described in Unexamined Japanese
Patent Publication No. 2015-101453, the winding device is
35 arranged at a portion higher than the spinning unit. Thus,
3 / 47
when attempting to carry out such service described above
with the package being located at a winding position, it
is difficult for a hand of the operator to reach the package
and the service may become cumbersome. Since the package
5 of the spinning unit to be serviced described above and the
packages of other spinning units are arranged in a line,
it is sometimes difficult for the operator to recognize the
package requiring the service when there are many spinning
units.
10
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide
a yarn winding machine and a spinning machine in which an
operator can easily perform service on a package.
15 A yarn winding machine comprising: a plurality of
winding units arranged in a horizontal first direction; and
a service vehicle arranged movable in the first direction
along the plurality of the winding units; wherein each
winding unit includes: a yarn supplying section; a winding
20 section having a cradle (81; 151) provided with bobbin
holding sections adapted to hold a bobbin, the winding
section being adapted to wind a yarn supplied from the yarn
supplying section around the bobbin to form a package;
characterized by a supporting mechanism (83, 84, 91; 152)
25 adapted to support the bobbin holding sections movably
between a winding position and a service position, the
winding position being a position where the bobbin holding
sections are located when winding is carried out, and the
service position being a position where the bobbin holding
30 sections are located when service is performed on the
package by an operator; the winding section is arranged
higher than the yarn supplying section; and the service
vehicle includes a moving operation section adapted to
perform moving operation to move the bobbin holding section
35 towards the service position.
4 / 47
A spinning machine comprising a plurality of winding
units arranged in a horizontal arrangement direction; and
a service vehicle arranged movable in the arrangement
direction along the plurality of the winding units; wherein
5 each winding unit includes: a draft device adapted to draft
a fiber bundle; a spinning device adapted to form a yarn
by applying twists to the fiber bundle drafted by the draft
device; a winding section having a cradle (81; 15) provided
with bobbin holding sections adapted to hold a bobbin, the
10 winding section being adapted to wind the yarn formed by
the spinning device around the bobbin to form a package;
and a supporting mechanism (83, 84, 91; 152) adapted to
support the bobbin holding sections movably between a
winding position and a service position, the winding
15 position being a position where the bobbin holding sections
are located when winding is carried out, and the service
position being a position where the bobbin holding sections
are located when service is performed on the package by an
operator, the winding section is arranged higher than the
20 spinning device, and the service vehicle includes a moving
operation section adapted to perform moving operation to
move the bobbin holding section towards the service
position.
25 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1A is a view illustrating an overall
configuration of a spinning machine of the present
invention, and is a view of the spinning machine seen from
above.
30 FIG. 1B is a view illustrating an overall
configuration of the spinning machine of the present
invention, and is a view of the spinning machine seen from
a front side.
FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration view of a winding
35 unit of FIGS. 1A and 1B.
5 / 47
FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a structure
of a winding section.
FIG. 4A is a view of the winding section and a service
vehicle seen from a left side while a cradle is located at
5 a winding position.
FIG. 4B is a view of the winding section and the
service vehicle seen from the left side while the cradle
is located at a service position.
FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a state where the cradle
10 is located at a prescribed position.
FIG. 6A is a view for describing an operation of a
lock member, and is a view illustrating a state where a
swinging lever is fixed by the lock member.
FIG. 6B is a view for describing the operation of the
15 lock member, and is a view illustrating a state where
fixation of the swinging lever is released by the lock
member.
FIG. 7A is a view for describing a contact pressure
adjusting section.
20 FIG. 7B is a view for describing the contact pressure
adjusting section, and is a view illustrating a state where
winding of a yarn around the bobbin has further progressed
from the state of FIG. 7A.
FIG. 8A is a view illustrating a state where a hook
25 of the moving operation section is connected to a connecting
portion of a swinging arm.
FIG. 8B is a view illustrating a state where the
swinging arm is swung from the state of FIG. 8A.
FIG. 9A is a view illustrating a state where the
30 swinging arm is swung by the moving operation section until
the cradle reaches the service position.
FIG. 9B is a view for describing an operation to return
the cradle from the service position to the winding
position.
35 FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating flow of processes
6 / 47
for controlling the service vehicle, the doffing section,
the moving operation section, the notifying section, and
the like during the operation of the spinning machine.
FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a configuration for
5 movably supporting the cradle according to an alternative
embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will
10 be described below.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a spinning machine
1 (yarn winding machine) according to the present
embodiment includes a plurality of spinning units 2
(winding units), a service vehicle 3, and a control unit
15 4. The plurality of spinning units 2 are arranged
horizontally in a line. A structure of the spinning unit
2 will be described in detail later.
Hereinafter, a description will be made with a
direction in which the plurality of spinning units 2 are
20 arranged being referred to as a left-right direction (first
direction or arrangement direction), and a right side and
a left side in the left-right direction being defined as
illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B. A description will be made
with a direction that is horizontal and that is orthogonal
25 to the left-right direction being a front-back direction
(second direction), and a front side and a back side in the
front-back direction being defined as illustrated in FIGS.
1A and 1B. A service path 5 for an operator to perform
service is arranged to extend in the left-right direction
30 on a front side (one side in the second direction) of the
plurality of spinning units 2.
As will be described later, the service vehicle 3
performs service such as doffing and moving a cradle 81 (see
FIG. 2) on each spinning unit 2. The service vehicle 3 is
35 moved in the left-right direction along two guide rails 11
7 / 47
and 12. The guide rail 11 is located substantially
immediately above the plurality of spinning units 2, and
extends in the left-right direction over the plurality of
spinning units 2. The guide rail 12 is arranged at a
5 position displaced towards the back side from the guide rail
11, and extends in the left-right direction over the
plurality of spinning units 2. A structure of the service
vehicle 3 will be described in detail later.
A control unit 4 is arranged on the left side of the
10 plurality of spinning units 2. The control unit 4 includes
a control device 16 and a notifying section 17. The control
device 16 is adapted to control an operation of the spinning
machine 1. The notifying section 17 is provided to notify,
when abnormality occurs in the spinning unit 2, the
15 abnormality to the operator and cause the operator to
perform service on a package P. The notifying section 17,
for example, displays in which spinning unit 2 the
abnormality has occurred, and/or issues an alarm sound to
notify the occurrence of abnormality. The notifying
20 section 17 is arranged at a portion facing the service path
5 of the control unit 4. The detailed description will be
omitted, but the control unit 4 further includes an
operation section adapted to be operated by the operator,
and the like.
25 Next, a description will be made on the spinning unit
2. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the spinning unit 2 includes
a yarn supplying section 31, a yarn accumulating device 32,
a winding section 33, a yarn joining device 34, and a yarn
monitoring device 35. The yarn supplying section 31
30 includes a draft device 41 and a pneumatic spinning device
42. The draft device 41 includes a pair of back rollers
51, a pair of third rollers 52, a pair of middle rollers
53, and a pair of front rollers 54. An apron belt 55 is
wound around each roller constituting the pair of middle
35 rollers 53.
8 / 47
The draft device 41 drafts a sliver S (fiber bundle),
which is a material of a yarn Y, to a predetermined thickness
with the pairs of rollers 51 to 54 to obtain a fiber bundle
F. A case accommodating section 44 adapted to accommodate
5 a sliver case 43 is arranged at a portion located lower than
the yarn supplying section 31 of the spinning unit 2. The
sliver S is supplied from the sliver case 43 accommodated
in the case accommodating section 44 to the draft device
41.
10 The pneumatic spinning device 42 generates a whirling
airflow for applying twists on the fiber bundle F to produce
the yarn Y. The yarn Y produced by the pneumatic spinning
device 42 is nipped by a delivery roller 56 and a nip roller
57, and fed to the yarn accumulating device 32. A structure
15 in which the delivery roller 56 and the nip roller 57 are
not arranged, and the yarn Y is pulled out from the pneumatic
spinning device 42 by the yarn accumulating device 32 may
be adopted.
The yarn accumulating device 32 is located behind the
20 yarn supplying section 31. The yarn accumulating device
32 includes a yarn accumulating roller 61 and a yarn hooking
member 62. The yarn accumulating roller 61 is rotatably
driven by a motor 63 so that the yarn Y is wound around and
accumulated on an outer peripheral surface of the yarn
25 accumulating roller 61. A yarn guide 71 is arranged
upstream of the yarn accumulating roller 61 in a travelling
direction of the yarn Y. The yarn guide 71 guides the yarn
Y fed by the delivery roller 56 and the nip roller 57 to
the yarn accumulating roller 61. Hereinafter, upstream
30 and downstream in the travelling direction of the yarn Y
are sometimes simply referred to as upstream and downstream,
respectively.
The yarn hooking member 62 is mounted on a downstream
end of the yarn accumulating roller 61, and is relatively
35 rotatable with respect to the yarn accumulating roller 61.
9 / 47
A permanent magnet is mounted on one of the yarn
accumulating roller 61 or the yarn hooking member 62, and
a magnetic hysteresis material is mounted on the other one
of the yarn accumulating roller 61 or the yarn hooking
5 member 62. Thus, a torque against the relative rotation
is generated between the yarn accumulating roller 61 and
the yarn hooking member 62.
When a tension of the yarn Y is greater than or equal
to a predetermined value, the tension of the yarn Y
10 overcomes the torque, and the yarn accumulating roller 61
and the yarn hooking member 62 are relatively rotated. The
yarn Y is thereby unwound from the yarn accumulating roller
61. When the tension of the yarn Y is smaller than the
predetermined value, the yarn accumulating roller 61 and
15 the yarn hooking member 62 are integrally rotated. The yarn
Y is thus not unwound from the yarn accumulating roller 61,
and the yarn Y is accumulated on the yarn accumulating
roller 61.
A yarn guide 72 is arranged downstream of the yarn
20 accumulating roller 61. The yarn guide 72 prevents the yarn
Y unwound from the yarn accumulating roller 61 from
spreading outward in a radial direction of the yarn
accumulating roller 61.
The winding section 33 is arranged higher than the
25 yarn supplying section 31 and at an upper end of the spinning
unit 2. The winding section 33 winds the supplied yarn Y
around a bobbin B to form a package P. The winding section
33 is provided with a yarn pull out device 70 adapted to
pull out the yarn Y on the package P towards the upstream
30 when the yarn Y is cut for some reason. A yarn guide 76
adapted to guide the yarn Y pulled out by the yarn pull out
device 70 towards the upstream is arranged immediately
upstream of the winding section 33. A structure of the
winding section 33 will be described in detail later.
35 The yarn joining device 34 is arranged between the
10 / 47
yarn guide 72 and the winding section 33. The yarn joining
device 34 joins the yarn Y supplied from the yarn supplying
section 31 and the yarn Y pulled out from the package P of
the winding section 33 when the yarn Y is cut for some reason.
5 The yarn joining device 34 is, for example, a splicer device
that carries out the yarn joining operation using the
whirling airflow, a mechanical knotter, or the like.
The spinning unit 2 includes two yarn catching and
guiding devices 73 and 74 adapted to guide the yarn Y to
10 the yarn joining device 34. The yarn catching and guiding
devices 73 and 74 are both hollow members and are connected
to a blower (not illustrated) to be able to suck the yarn
Y from a distal end portion thereof. The yarn catching and
guiding device 73 can be swung around a basal end portion
15 located lower than the yarn joining device 34. Thus, by
swinging the yarn catching and guiding device 73 to a
position where the distal end portion is located downstream
of the delivery roller 56 and the nip roller 57, as
illustrated with a chain dashed line in FIG. 2, the yarn
20 Y supplied from the yarn supplying section 31 can be caught
with the yarn catching and guiding device 73. By swinging
the yarn catching and guiding device 73 that has caught the
yarn Y up to a position where the distal end portion is
located higher than the yarn joining device 34, as indicated
25 with a solid line in FIG. 2, the yarn Y supplied from the
yarn supplying section 31 can be guided to the yarn joining
device 34.
The yarn catching and guiding device 74 can be swung
around a basal end portion located higher than the yarn
30 joining device 34. Thus, by swinging the yarn catching and
guiding device 74 to a position where the distal end portion
is located upstream of the winding section 33, as
illustrated with a chain dashed line in FIG. 2, the yarn
Y pulled out from the winding section 33 by the yarn pull
35 out device 70 can be caught with the yarn catching and
11 / 47
guiding device 74. By swinging the yarn catching and
guiding device 74 that has caught the yarn Y to a position
where the distal end portion is located lower than the yarn
joining device 34, as illustrated with a solid line in FIG.
5 2, the yarn Y from the winding section 33 can be guided to
the yarn joining device 34.
The yarn monitoring device 35 is arranged between the
winding section 33 and the yarn joining device 34. The yarn
monitoring device 35 is adapted to monitor a thickness of
10 the yarn Y, and is, for example, configured by a light
transmissive sensor and/or a capacitance sensor. When
detecting abnormality in the thickness of the yarn Y, the
yarn monitoring device 35 transmits a yarn defect detection
signal to the control device 16. When receiving the yarn
15 defect detection signal, the control device 16 causes a
cutter 75 arranged in the yarn monitoring device 35 to cut
the yarn Y. The cutter 75 is not limited to being arranged
in the yarn monitoring device 35, and may be arranged
separately from the yarn monitoring device 35.
20 Alternatively, the cutter may not be arranged, and the yarn
Y may be cut by transmitting a stop command for stopping
the supply of the yarn Y to the yarn supplying section 31.
A yarn guide 77 is arranged between the yarn monitoring
device 35 and the winding section 33. The yarn guide 77
25 is adapted to guide the yarn Y that has passed the yarn
monitoring device 35 to the winding section 33. The yarn
monitoring device 35 may be arranged between the yarn
supplying section 31 and the yarn accumulating device 32.
Next, a configuration of the winding section 33 will
30 be described in detail. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 7,
the winding section 33 includes a cradle 81 (bobbin holding
device) provided with a bobbin holding sections 81a, a
winding drum 82, two swinging arms 83, 84, a stopper 85,
a lock member 86, a contact pressure adjusting section 87,
35 a first sensor 88, and a second sensor 89. The cradle 81
12 / 47
includes a pair of bobbin holding sections 81a adapted to
support both ends of the bobbin B.
The bobbin holding sections 81a are portions adapted
to hold the bobbin B, and the cradle 81 rotatably supports
5 the bobbin B held by the bobbin holding sections 81a. At
the time of winding when the yarn Y is wound around the bobbin
B held by the bobbin holding sections 81a to form the package
P, the winding drum 82 makes contact with an outer
peripheral surface of the bobbin B or the package P. The
10 winding drum 82 is supported by a frame 21 of the spinning
unit 2 in a manner to be rotatable around an axis J1 extending
in the left-right direction. The yarn accumulating roller
61, the yarn joining device 34, the yarn monitoring device
35, and the like are also mounted on the frame 21, but
15 illustration of such devices is omitted in FIG. 3 and the
like.
The winding drum 82 is connected to a motor (not
illustrated), and rotatably driven by the motor. When the
winding drum 82 is rotated, the bobbin B (package P) held
20 by the bobbin holding sections 81a is rotated, and the yarn
Y is wound around the bobbin B. A traverse groove (not
illustrated) is formed on the surface of the winding drum
82. At the time of winding of the yarn Y around the bobbin
B, the yarn Y is traversed in an axial direction (left-right
25 direction) of the winding drum 82 by being guided by the
traverse groove.
One end of the swinging arm 83 is located in proximity
to a left end of the winding drum 82, and is supported by
the frame 21 in a manner to be swingable around the axis
30 J1. One end of the swinging arm 84 is located in proximity
to a right end of the winding drum 82, and is supported by
the frame 21 in a manner to be swingable around the axis
J1. The winding section 33 includes a substantially
circular column shaped shaft 91 extending in the left-right
35 direction. The shaft 91 connects central parts in a length
13 / 47
direction of the swinging arm 83 and the swinging arm 84.
In the present embodiment, the supporting mechanism
includes the swinging arms 83, 84 and the shaft 91.
A left end of the cradle 81 is connected to the
5 opposite end of the swinging arm 83. A right end of the
cradle 81 is connected to the opposite end of the swinging
arm 84. The cradle 81 is supported by the swinging arms
83 and 84 in a manner to be swingable around an axis J2
parallel to the left-right direction. A connecting
10 portion 83a is arranged at the opposite end of the swinging
arm 83. A hook 123 of a moving operation section 103, to
be described later, can be connected to the connecting
portion 83a.
In the winding section 33, the bobbin holding
15 sections 81a can be moved between a winding position and
a service position by swinging the swinging arms 83 and 84
around the axis J1, and swinging the cradle 81 around the
axis J2. The winding position is a position where the
bobbin holding sections 81a are located when the yarn Y is
20 wound around the bobbin B, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and
4A. The service position is a position where the bobbin
holding sections 81a are located when service is performed
on the package P by an operator, as will be described later,
as illustrated in FIG. 4B. As is apparent from FIGS. 4A
25 and 4B, the service position is a position lower than the
winding position and located to the front of the winding
position. The service position is a position lower than
the winding drum 82. Specifically, the service position
is, for example, a position lower than the winding position
30 by about 30 to 70 cm.
The operator performs service on the package P while
the bobbin holding sections 81a are located at the service
position. The service performed by the operator on the
package P is, for example, service in which the operator
35 manually pulls out the yarn Y from the package P when the
14 / 47
yarn pull out device 70 fails to pull out the yarn Y from
the package P. In a state where the bobbin holding sections
81a are located at the winding position, the package P is
located at a high position and the hand of the operator may
5 hardly reach the package P. In the spinning unit 2 of the
present embodiment, since the case accommodating section
44 is arranged below the yarn supplying section 31, the
winding section 33 is located at a high position and for
the hand of the operator it is particularly difficult to
10 reach the package P.
In the present embodiment, the bobbin holding
sections 81a located at the service position are located
lower than the winding position. Therefore, the hand of
the operator can easily reach the package P. In the present
15 embodiment, the bobbin holding sections 81a located at the
service position are located to the front of the winding
position. Therefore, when the operator carries out the
service on the package P, the package P of the adjacent
spinning unit 2 is unlikely to interfere with the operator
20 and the package P is located at a position close to the
service path 5. As compared to a case where the operator
performs the service on the package P while the bobbin
holding sections 81a are located at the winding position,
the service on the package P can be easily carried out in
25 the present embodiment.
In the present embodiment, the bobbin holding
sections 81a are located lower than the winding position
and located to the front of the winding position while the
bobbin holding sections 81a are located at the service
30 position. In a plane orthogonal to the left-right
direction, the position of the package P on which the
service is to be performed is displaced from those of the
other packages P. Therefore, the operator can easily
recognize the package P requiring the service.
35 The swinging arm 83 is urged by a spring 92 (urging
15 / 47
member). More specifically, one end 92a of the spring 92
is fixed to a portion, which is located to the back of the
bobbin holding sections 81a and the winding drum 82, of the
frame 21, and the opposite end 92b of the spring 92 is mounted
5 on the swinging arm 83. The spring 92 is a tension spring
adapted to urge the swinging arm 83 towards the back side.
In the course of moving the bobbin holding sections
81a between the winding position and the service position
by swinging the swinging arms 83 and 84, as illustrated in
10 FIG. 5, the opposite end 92b of the spring 92 is located
on a straight line L connecting the one end 92a of the spring
92 and the axis J1. In the present embodiment, the position
of the bobbin holding sections 81a in the state of FIG. 5
corresponds to a “prescribed position”. In a state where
15 the bobbin holding sections 81a are displaced towards the
winding position from the position (prescribed position)
of FIG. 5, the opposite end 92b of the spring 92 is located
higher than the straight line L (see e.g., FIG. 8B). In
a state where the bobbin holding section 81a is displaced
20 towards the service position from the position (prescribed
position) of FIG. 5, the opposite end 92b of the spring 92
is located lower than the straight line L, as illustrated
in FIG. 9B. In the present embodiment, the swinging arm
83 includes a portion that moves across the straight line
25 L when the bobbin holding section 81a pass the prescribed
position, and the opposite end 92b of the spring 92 is
mounted on such a portion.
In a state where the opposite end 92b of the spring
92 is located above the straight line L, the urging force
30 of the spring 92 acts in a direction in which the swinging
arms 83 and 84 are swung in a counterclockwise direction
when seen from the left side (direction in which the bobbin
holding sections 81a are moved towards the winding
position). In a state where the opposite end 92b of the
35 spring 92 is located lower than the straight line L, the
16 / 47
urging force of the spring 92 acts in a direction in which
the swinging arms 83 and 84 are swung in a clockwise
direction when seen from the left side (direction in which
the bobbin holding sections 81a are moved towards the
5 service position).
The stopper 85 is mounted on the frame 21 so as to
make contact with the swinging arm 83 while the bobbin
holding sections 81a are located at the service position.
Thus, when the bobbin holding sections 81a reach the service
10 position, the swinging arm 83 is restricted from being swung
any further by the stopper 85.
By restricting the swinging arms 83 and 84 from being
swung while the bobbin holding sections 81a are located at
the winding position, the lock member 86 fixes the bobbin
15 holding sections 81a at the winding position. As
illustrated in FIGS. 3, 6A, and 6B, while the bobbin holding
sections 81a are located at the winding position, the lock
member 86 is located in proximity to the shaft 91, and is
supported by the frame 21 in a manner to be swingable around
20 an axis J3 parallel to the left-right direction. A
hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder 93 is connected to a lower
end of the lock member 86. When the cylinder 93 is extended,
the lock member 86 is swung in the counterclockwise
direction around the axis J3 when seen from the left side.
25 When the cylinder 93 is contracted, the lock member 86 is
swung in the clockwise direction around the axis J3 when
seen from the left side.
When winding is being carried out in the winding
section 33, the cylinder 93 is contracted and an upper end
30 of the lock member 86 is engaged with the shaft 91, as
illustrated in FIG. 6A. In this state, the swinging of the
swinging arms 83 and 84 is restrict, and the cradle 81 is
fixed in a state where the bobbin holding section 81a is
located at the winding position. Thus, the cradle 81 can
35 be prevented from being moved unnecessarily during the
17 / 47
winding in the winding section 33. When moving the cradle
81 from the winding position to the service position, the
cylinder 93 is extended. Then, as illustrated in FIG. 6B,
the lock member 86 and the shaft 91 are disengaged, so that
5 the swinging arms 83 and 84 can be swung. In the present
embodiment, the lock member 86 is configured to be engaged
with the shaft 91 adapted to connect the swinging arm 83
and the swinging arm 84, but the lock member 86 may be
configured to be engaged with one of the swinging arms 83
10 and 84, or the cradle 81.
The contact pressure adjusting section 87 adjusts a
contact pressure between the package P and the winding drum
82 in accordance with, for example, an increase in a wound
diameter of the package P. More specifically, the contact
15 pressure adjusting section 87 includes a plate cam 94 and
a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder 95, as illustrated in FIGS.
3, 7A, and 7B. The plate cam 94 is a plate-shaped member
having a substantially fan shape, and an outer peripheral
surface of the plate cam 94 is a cam surface 94a. The plate
20 cam 94 is fixed to a basal end portion of the cradle 81,
and can be integrally swung with the cradle 81 around the
axis J2. The plate cam 94 may be arranged to move with the
cradle 81 when the bobbin holding sections 81a are moved
to the service position. A distal end portion of the
25 cylinder 95 is arranged in contact with the cam surface 94a.
An inclination angle of a contacting portion of the
cam surface 94a and the cylinder 95 is gradually changed
by applying pressure to the cylinder 95. Thus, a constant
contact pressure can be applied to the package P during the
30 winding. Specifically, the plate cam 94 may be swung in
the clockwise direction around the axis J2 when seen from
the direction of FIGS. 7A and 7B to urge the bobbin B so
as to move closer to the winding drum 82, or on the other
hand, the plate cam 94 may be swung in the counterclockwise
35 direction around the axis J2 to urge the bobbin B so as to
18 / 47
move away from the winding drum 82. The cylinder 95 may
be moved with the cradle 81 when the bobbin holding sections
81a are moved to the service position. However, the
cylinder 95 may not move with the cradle 81.
5 The first sensor 88 is arranged at a portion, which
is located in proximity to the swinging arm 84 while the
bobbin holding sections 81a are located at the winding
position, of the frame 21. According to whether or not the
swinging arm 84 is located in proximity to the first sensor
10 88, the first sensor 88 detects whether or not the bobbin
holding sections 81a are located at the winding position.
The second sensor 89 is arranged at a position, which is
located in proximity to the swinging arm 84 while the bobbin
holding sections 81a are located at the service position,
15 of the frame 21. According to whether or not the swinging
arm 84 is located in proximity to the second sensor 89, the
second sensor 89 detects whether or not the bobbin holding
sections 81a are located at the service position.
Next, the service vehicle 3 will be described. As
20 described above, the service vehicle 3 is movable in the
left-right direction along the guide rails 11 and 12. More
specifically, the service vehicle 3 includes a drive wheel
111 that makes contact with an upper surface of the guide
rail 11, and a drive wheel 112 that makes contact with an
25 upper surface of the guide rail 12, as illustrated in FIGS.
4A and 4B. The drive wheels 111 and 112 are connected to
a motor (not illustrated), and when the motor is driven,
the drive wheels 111 and 112 are rotated and the service
vehicle 3 is moved in the left-right direction along the
30 guide rails 11 and 12. The service vehicle 3 includes
auxiliary wheels 113, 114, 115, and 116. The guide rail
11 is sandwiched by the drive wheel 111 and the auxiliary
wheel 113 from above and below. The auxiliary wheels 114
and 115 are arranged to sandwich the guide rail 11 from the
35 front-back direction. The guide rail 12 is sandwiched by
19 / 47
the drive wheel 112 and the auxiliary wheel 116 from above
and below. Thus, the service vehicle 3 can be prevented
from vibrating in a vertical direction or the front-back
direction during travelling, or the position in the
5 front-back direction can be prevented from being displaced.
As illustrated in FIGS. 1A, 1B, 4A, and 4B, the service
vehicle 3 is provided with a doffing section 102 and a moving
operation section 103. In each spinning unit 2, the doffing
section 102 is adapted to perform doffing to remove a fully
10 wound package P from the bobbin holding sections 81a and
to set a new bobbin B to the bobbin holding sections 81a.
The doffing section 102 is a known device described in
Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2015-101453 and
the like, for example, and thus further detailed
15 description will be omitted herein.
The moving operation section 103 is located to the
left of the doffing section 102. The moving operation
section 103 is a device adapted to carry out moving
operation to move the bobbin holding sections 81a to the
20 service position with respect to each spinning unit 2. The
moving operation section 103 includes two cylinders 121 and
122 (driving source), and a hook 123 (connecting portion).
A longitudinal direction of the cylinder 121 is arranged
substantially vertically. An axis J4 parallel to the
25 left-right direction is provided at an upper end of the
cylinder 121, and the cylinder 121 is swingable around the
axis J4. The cylinder 122 is mounted on the cylinder 121
and its longitudinal direction is arranged in a
substantially front-back direction. By extending and
30 contracting the cylinder 122, the cylinder 121 can be swung
around the axis J4. The hook 123 is mounted on a lower end
of the cylinder 121, and can move in the
extending/contracting direction of the cylinder 121 by the
extension/contraction of the cylinder 121.
35 In the present embodiment, when the doffing section
20 / 47
102 carries out the doffing, the service vehicle 3 is moved
to a position where the doffing section 102 faces the
package P in the front-back direction (hereinafter referred
to as doffing position). While the service vehicle 3 is
5 located at the doffing position, the hook 123 of the moving
operation section 103 is located at the same position as
the connecting portion 83a of the swinging arm 83 in the
left-right direction. In other words, in the service
vehicle 3, the moving operation section 103 is arranged at
10 a portion where moving operation, to be described later,
can be carried out while the service vehicle 3 is located
at the doffing position. In the present embodiment, the
doffing position is not a position where the service vehicle
3 is located only when the doffing is carried out but is
15 also a position where the service vehicle 3 is located when
the moving operation is carried out.
While the bobbin holding sections 81a are located at
the winding position and while the bobbin holding sections
81a are located at the service position, the service vehicle
20 3 does not overlap with the spinning unit 2 and the package
P in the left-right direction. Therefore, even if the
bobbin holding sections 81a are located at the service
position, the service vehicle 3 can be moved in the
left-right direction.
25 Next, a method for carrying out the moving operation
by the moving operation section 103 will be described. In
order to move the bobbin holding sections 81a from the
winding position to the service position, the control
device 16 first moves the service vehicle 3 to the doffing
30 position, as illustrated in FIG. 4A. As illustrated in FIG.
8A, the control device 16 drives the cylinder 122 to swing
the cylinder 121, and also extends the cylinder 121 to
connect the hook 123 to the connecting portion 83a.
Then, as illustrated in FIG. 8B, the control device
35 16 contracts the cylinders 121 and 122 to pull the
21 / 47
connecting portion 83a with the hook 123, and swings the
swinging arms 83 and 84 around the axis J1. Then, as
illustrated in FIG. 9A, the control device 16 extends the
cylinder 121 and further contracts the cylinder 122 to push
5 the connecting portion 83a with the hook 123, and swings
the swinging arms 83 and 84 around the axis J1 to move the
bobbin holding sections 81a to the service position. In
this case, the swinging arms 83 and 84 are swung until the
swinging arm 83 is brought into contact with the stopper
10 85.
The control device 16 extends the cylinder 122 and
swings the cylinder 121 in the clockwise direction when seen
from the left side to detach the hook 123 from the connecting
portion 83a, and further contracts the cylinders 121 and
15 122 to return the moving operation section 103 to an
original position. In the present embodiment, when the
swinging arm 84 is detected by the second sensor 89, the
control device 16 detaches the hook 123 from the connecting
portion 83a to return the moving operation section 103 to
20 the original position, as described above.
While the bobbin holding section 81a is located at
the service position, the opposite end 92b of the spring
92 is located lower than the straight line L, as described
above. Thus, the urging force of the spring 92 acts on the
25 swinging arms 83 and 84 to be swung in the clockwise
direction when seen from the left side, that is, in the
direction in which the swinging arm 83 is pushed against
the stopper 85. Therefore, even if the hook 123 is detached
from the connecting portion 83a, the bobbin holding section
30 81a is maintained at the service position.
Next, a method of returning the bobbin holding
section 81a from the service position to the winding
position will be described. As illustrated in FIG. 9B, the
operator pushes the package P upward. When the package P
35 is pushed until the opposite end 92b of the spring 92 is
22 / 47
located higher than the straight line L, the urging force
of the spring 92 acts on the swinging arms 83 and 84 to be
swung in the counterclockwise direction when seen from the
left side, that is, in the direction in which the bobbin
5 holding sections 81a are urged towards the winding position.
The bobbin holding sections 81a are thereby returned to the
winding position by the urging force of the spring 92. In
other words, provided that a moving range between the
winding position and the service position is divided into
10 a region closer to the winding position and a region closer
to the service position, the urging force of the spring 92
acts on the cradle 81 or the swinging arms 83, 84 in a
direction in which the bobbin holding sections 81a are urged
towards the winding position when the bobbin holding
15 sections 81a are located within at least the region closer
to the winding position.
Next, a description will be made on the control of
the service vehicle 3, the doffing section 102, the moving
operation section 103, the notifying section 17, and the
20 like by the control device 16. After the spinning machine
1 is started up, the control device 16 starts a process
illustrated in a flowchart of FIG. 10. The control device
16 executes processes of steps S102 to S110 described below
while the spinning machine 1 is operating (step S101: YES),
25 and terminates the process when the spinning machine 1 is
stopped (step S101: NO).
At the start-up of the spinning machine 1, the service
vehicle 3 is, for example, located at a home position on
the right side of the plurality of spinning units 2, as
30 illustrated with a broken line in FIGS. 1A and 1B. Detailed
description will be omitted, but in the spinning machine
1, while the service vehicle 3 is located at the home
position, yarn waste attached to the service vehicle 3 at
the time of doffing may be removed from the service vehicle
35 3, for example. The home position may be located on the
23 / 47
left side of the plurality of spinning units 2.
During the operation of the spinning machine 1, when
the winding of the yarn Y around the bobbin B is completed
and the package P is fully wound in the winding section 33,
5 each spinning unit 2 transmits to the control device 16,
a doffing signal requesting for doffing. During the
operation of the spinning machine 1, when the service on
the package P by the operator is required such as when the
pull out of the yarn Y by the yarn pull out device 70 has
10 failed, each spinning unit 2 transmits to the control device
16, an abnormal signal requesting for the service of the
operator.
Next, processes of steps S102 to S110 will be
described in detail. The control device 16 controls the
15 service vehicle 3 to stand by at the home position while
neither the doffing signal nor the abnormal signal is input
from the spinning unit 2 (step S102: NO, step S103: NO).
When the doffing signal is input (step S102: YES),
the control device 16 moves the service vehicle 3 to the
20 doffing position corresponding to the spinning unit 2 that
has transmitted the doffing signal (step S104), and causes
the doffing section 102 to carry out doffing (step S105).
After the doffing is finished, the service vehicle 3 is
moved to the home position (step S106), and the process
25 returns to step S101.
When the abnormal signal is input (step S103: YES),
the control device 16 moves the service vehicle 3 to the
doffing position (step S107). Then, the moving operation
section 103 is operated as described above to move the
30 bobbin holding sections 81a to the service position (step
S108). Next, the control device 16 moves the service
vehicle 3 to the home position such that the service vehicle
3 is receded from the front of the spinning unit 2 (step
S109), and causes the notifying section 17 to notify the
35 operator that abnormality has occurred (step S110). The
24 / 47
operator carries out the service on the package P upon
receipt of the notification from the notifying section 17.
After finishing the service on the package P, the operator
lifts the package P upward as described above to return the
5 bobbin holding sections 81a to the winding position.
As described above, in the present embodiment, the
notifying section 17 carries out the notification after the
bobbin holding sections 81a have moved to the service
position. Therefore, the operator receives the
10 notification from the notifying section 17 under a state
where the cradle 81 has moved to the service position, and
thus can easily recognize the package P requiring the
service. After the bobbin holding sections 81a have moved
to the service position, the service vehicle 3 is moved to
15 the home position, and hence the service vehicle 3 does not
interfere with the operator when the operator performs the
service on the package P. In step S108, the service vehicle
3 may be receded to a position other than the home position.
Next, an alternative embodiment in which various
20 changes are made on the present embodiment will be
described.
In the above-described embodiment, the service
position is located lower than the winding position and the
winding drum 82 and located to the front of the winding
25 position, but the service position is not limited to such
a position. For example, the service position may be a
position lower than the winding position and may be a
position at the same height as the winding drum 82 or may
be higher than the winding drum 82.
30 Depending on a layout of each section of the spinning
unit 2, the service position may be a position immediately
below the winding position, or may be a position located
lower than the winding position and located to the back of
the winding position. Alternatively, the service position
35 may be a position at the same height as the winding position
25 / 47
and displaced to the front side or the back side from the
winding position.
In the above-described embodiment, the position in
the left-right direction of the service vehicle 3 is the
5 same for when the doffing section 102 carries out doffing
on a spinning unit 2 and for when the moving operation
section 103 moves the cradle 81 of the relevant spinning
unit 2, but the position of the service vehicle 3 is not
limited to such a position. For example, the position in
10 the left-right direction of the service vehicle 3 when the
moving operation section 103 moves the cradle 81 of a
spinning unit 2 may be the same as the position in the
left-right direction of the service vehicle 3 when the
doffing section 102 carries out doffing with respect to a
15 spinning unit 2 (adjacent spinning unit 2, etc.) different
from the relevant spinning unit 2. Alternatively, the
position in the left-right direction of the service vehicle
3 when the moving operation section 103 moves the cradle
81 may be different from the position in the left-right
20 direction of the service vehicle 3 when the doffing section
102 carries out doffing on any of the spinning units 2.
In the above-described embodiment, the service
vehicle 3 includes the doffing section 102 and the moving
operation section 103, but the configuration of the service
25 vehicle 3 is not limited to such a configuration. For
example, the spinning machine 1 may separately include a
service vehicle provided with the doffing section 102 and
a service vehicle provided with the moving operation
section 103. Alternatively, the spinning machine 1 may be
30 configured to include a service vehicle provided with the
moving operation section 103, but not include the doffing
section 102. In such a case, for example, the operator
manually carries out doffing while the bobbin holding
sections 81a are located at the service position.
35 In the above-described embodiment, further swinging
26 / 47
of the swinging arms 83 and 84 by the urging force of the
spring 92 is prevented with the stopper 85 when the bobbin
holding sections 81a reach the service position, but the
present invention is not limited to such a configuration.
5 For example, the stopper 85 may be omitted, and in a state
where the bobbin holding sections 81a are located at the
service position, a force that acts on the swinging arm 83
from the spring 92 and other force (gravitational force,
etc.) that acts on the swinging arm 83 may be designed to
10 be balanced.
In the above-described embodiment, the swinging arms
83, 84 and the cradle 81 are fixed by the lock member 86
while the bobbin holding sections 81a are located at the
winding position, but the lock member 86 may be omitted.
15 For example, if the cradle 81 and the swinging arms 83, 84
are sufficiently heavy, the cradle 81 will not
unnecessarily move even if the lock member 86 is omitted.
In the above-described embodiment, also when the
bobbin holding sections 81a are moved between the winding
20 position and the service position, the portion where the
opposite end 92b of the spring 92 is mounted on the swinging
arm 83 is moved across the straight line L, but the present
invention is not limited to such a configuration. For
example, a positional relationship of the winding position
25 and the service position may be different from the
above-described embodiment, and the opposite end 92b of the
spring 92 may always be located higher than the straight
line L. In this case, when the bobbin holding sections 81a
are located at any position within the moving range between
30 the winding position and the service position, the urging
force of the spring 92 acts in the direction in which the
bobbin holding sections 81a are urged towards the winding
position. In this case, for example, by arranging the lock
member adapted to lock the cradle 81 while the bobbin
35 holding sections 81a are located at the service position,
27 / 47
the cradle 81 may be prevented from being moved by the urging
force of the spring 92 during the service. In this case,
by releasing the fixation by the lock member after the
service on the package P is finished, the cradle 81 can be
5 moved by the urging force of the spring 92 so that the bobbin
holding section 81a return to the winding position.
In the above-described embodiment, the moving
operation section 103 connects the hook 123 to the
connecting portion 83a of the swinging arm 83, and then
10 further extends the cylinder 121 and contracts the cylinder
122 to swing the swinging arm 83 and to move the bobbin
holding sections 81a to the service position, but the
present invention is not limited to such a configuration.
For example, the connecting portion to be connected to the
15 hook 123 may be provided on the cradle 81. Furthermore,
the moving operation section may have a configuration other
than extending/contracting the cylinder with the hook 123
connected to the swinging arms 83 and 84. For example, the
moving operation section may have a configuration of
20 applying force to the swinging arms 83 and 84 or the cradle
81 in the direction in which the bobbin holding sections
81a are urged towards the service position.
The moving operation section is also not limited to
the configuration of applying force to the swinging arms
25 83 and 84 or the cradle 81 in the direction in which the
bobbin holding sections 81a are urged towards the service
position . For example, in place of the spring 92 (see FIG.
3, etc.), a spring may be provided to urge the bobbin holding
sections 81a from the winding position to the service
30 position, and the moving operation section may have a
configuration of releasing the fixation of the swinging
arms 83 and 84 that are fixed by the lock member 86. In
this case, the cylinder 93 is not necessary in the spinning
unit 2. In this case, the operation to release the fixation
35 of the swinging arms 83 and 84 that are fixed by the lock
28 / 47
member 86 corresponds to the “moving operation”.
Alternatively, each spinning unit 2 may include a
driving source adapted to swing the swinging arms 83 and
84, a switch adapted to drive the driving source, and the
5 like, and the moving operation section may operate the
switch and the like to drive the driving source. In this
case, the operation of the switch and the like corresponds
to the “moving operation”.
In the above-described embodiment, the rotational
10 axis of the winding drum 82 and the swing axis of the swinging
arms 83 and 84 are the same axis J1, but the present invention
is not limited to such a configuration. The swinging arms
83 and 84 may be swung around an axis different from the
rotational axis of the winding drum 82.
15 The supporting mechanism adapted to movably support
the bobbin holding section between the winding position and
the service position is not limited to the swinging arm
connected with the cradle. In an alternative embodiment,
a cradle 151 is supported by a slide mechanism 152
20 (“supporting mechanism”), as illustrated in FIG. 11. The
slide mechanism 152 includes a slider 153 and a guide rail
154. The slider 153 is connected to a basal end portion
of the cradle 151. The slider 153 includes a connecting
portion 153a, and the hook 123 (see FIG. 4A, etc.) of the
25 moving operation section 103 is connected to the connecting
portion 153a. The guide rail 154 extends along the
front-back direction, and is inclined with respect to the
front-back direction such that the front side is located
more on the lower side. The slider 153 is movable along
30 the guide rail 154.
While the slider 153 is located at an upper left
portion of the guide rail 154 in FIG. 11, the bobbin B or
the package P held by the bobbin holding sections 81a is
brought into contact with the winding drum (not
35 illustrated) (the bobbin holding sections 81a are located
29 / 47
at the winding position). From such a state, the hook 123
is connected to the connecting portion 153a, and then the
cylinders 121 and 122 are appropriately extended or
contracted to move the slider 153 to a lower right portion
5 of the guide rail 154. The bobbin holding sections 81a are
thereby moved to the service position located to the front
of the winding position and lower than the winding position.
Since the service position is located lower than the winding
position, the gravitational force can be used when moving
10 the bobbin holding sections 81a from the winding position
to the service position, and a force applied to the slider
153 can be reduced.
The configuration of moving the bobbin holding
section between the winding position and the service
15 position may be different from both the mechanism using the
swinging arm as in the above-described embodiment and the
slide mechanism as in the above-described alternative
embodiment.
In the above-described embodiment, the control
20 device 16 moves the bobbin holding sections 81a to the
service position, and then recedes the service vehicle 3
to the home position, but the present invention is not
limited to such a configuration. For example, a sensor
adapted to detect the approach of the operator and the like
25 may be arranged in the service vehicle 3, and when the sensor
detects the approach of the operator, the service vehicle
3 may be receded to an arbitrary position.
Alternatively, after the bobbin holding sections 81a
are moved from the winding position to the service position
30 by the moving operation section 103, the service vehicle
3 may remain stopped. For example, in case the position
of the service vehicle 3 when the bobbin holding sections
81a are moved by the moving operation section 103 is
different from the position of the service vehicle 3 when
35 the doffing is carried out, and the position of the service
30 / 47
vehicle 3 when the bobbin holding sections 81a are moved
by the moving operation section 103 is the position that
does not interfere with the service on the package P
performed by the operator, the service vehicle 3 does not
5 need to be receded. Furthermore, when the service vehicle
3 is not receded after the bobbin holding sections 81a are
moved to the service position, the service vehicle 3 may
overlap with the package P in the left-right direction while
the bobbin holding sections 81a are located at the service
10 position.
In the above-described embodiment, the notifying
section 17 carries out a notification to the operator after
the bobbin holding sections 81a are moved to the service
position, but the present invention is not limited to such
15 a configuration. For example, the notifying section 17 may
carry out the notification at the same time as when moving
the bobbin holding sections 81a. Alternatively, the
notifying section 17 may carry out the notification before
moving the bobbin holding sections 81a. In this case, for
20 example, the operator recognizes the package P requiring
the service based on the display of the notifying section
17.
In the above-described embodiment, the winding
section 33 includes the first sensor 88 and the second
25 sensor 89, but at least one of the sensors may be omitted.
In the above example, the moving operation section
has a configuration of moving the bobbin holding sections
from the winding position to the service position, but the
present invention is not limited to such a configuration.
30 For example, when the engagement between the shaft 91 and
the lock member 86 is released, the position of the bobbin
holding sections 81a may be slightly displaced from the
winding position, for example, the cradle 81 may be slightly
lifted up. In such a case, the moving operation section
35 moves the bobbin holding section 81a from the position
31 / 47
slightly displaced from the winding position to the service
position.
In the above-described embodiment, when the operator
lifts the package P upward, the cradle 81 is moved by the
5 urging force of the spring 92 so that the bobbin holding
sections 81a return to the winding position, but the present
invention is not limited to such a configuration. For
example, after the service on the package P performed by
the operator is finished, the moving operation section 103
10 may return the bobbin holding sections 81a from the service
position to the winding position. In this case, the spring
92 may be omitted.
An example in which the present invention is applied
to the spinning machine adapted to carry out spinning has
15 been described above, but the present invention is not
limited to such a configuration. For example, the present
invention may be applied to a yarn winding machine other
than the spinning machine such as an automatic winder
adapted to unwind the yarn from a yarn supplying bobbin,
20 and wind the yarn around a different winding bobbin to form
a package, as described in Unexamined Japanese Patent
Publication No. 2016-172602.
In the above example, vibration sometimes occurs in
the cradle 81, 151, and the like during the winding of the
25 package P, and the winding unit 2 may include a vibration
prevention section adapted to prevent such a vibration. In
this case, the lock member 86 may function as the vibration
prevention section. Alternatively, the lock member 86 and
the vibration prevention section may be separately arranged.
30 For example, the vibration prevention section may be a
vibration absorbing member adapted to make pressure contact
with the cradle 81, 151 or a member integrally provided with
the cradle 81, 151 at the winding position. By way of
example, the vibration absorbing member may push the member,
35 which is mounted on the cam 94, with the spring force, a
32 / 47
pressure of compressed air, or the like.
In the above example, in the case of the configuration
in which the spinning machine 1 includes the yarn pull out
device 70, the yarn pull out device 70 is preferably moved
5 from the yarn pull out position illustrated in FIG. 2 to
a different position before the moving operation section
103 carries out the moving operation. For example, the yarn
pull out device 70 may be moved above the winding section
33, moved to one side in the left-right direction, or moved
10 below the service position. Alternatively, the winding
unit 2 may include a storage section adapted to store the
yarn pull out device 70 so as not to become an obstacle of
the moving operation. Alternatively, the moving operation
section 103 may move the cradle 81, 151 to follow a path
15 that does not interfere with the yarn pull out device 70.
In the above example, the configuration of pulling
out the yarn Y from the package P is not limited to the yarn
pull out device 70. For example, the yarn Y from the package
P may be directly caught with the yarn catching and guiding
20 device 74 or a known suction mouth. Alternatively, the yarn
pull out device 70 may be arranged on the service vehicle
3. In this case, if the pull out of the yarn Y by the yarn
pull out device 70 fails, the service vehicle 3 is moved
to a position where the moving operation section 103 can
25 carry out the moving operation with respect to the winding
unit 2. However, depending on the configuration of the
service vehicle 3, the moving operation by the moving
operation section 103 may be carried out without moving the
service vehicle 3. In addition to the yarn pull out device
30 70, a device similar to the yarn catching and guiding device
74 may be arranged in the service vehicle 3.
In the above example, the operator carries out the
service on the package P while the bobbin holding sections
81a are located at the service position. However, the
35 operator may carry out maintenance service and the like on
33 / 47
the cradle 81, 151. For example, the operator may replace
the bobbin holding sections 81a.
Even if the bobbin holding sections 81a are located
at the service position of any of the examples above, the
5 position of the package to be performed with service is
displaced from the position of another package within a
plane orthogonal to the first direction, and hence the
operator can easily recognize the package requiring the
service.
10 A yarn winding machine of the present invention
includes a plurality of winding units arranged in a
horizontal first direction; and a service vehicle arranged
movable in the first direction along the plurality of the
winding units, wherein each winding unit includes a yarn
15 supplying section, a winding section having a cradle
provided with a bobbin holding section adapted to hold a
bobbin, the winding section being adapted to wind a yarn
supplied from the yarn supplying section around the bobbin
to form a package, and a supporting mechanism adapted to
20 support the bobbin holding section movably between a
winding position and a service position, the winding
position being a position where the bobbin holding section
is located when winding is carried out, and the service
position being a position where the bobbin holding section
25 is located when service is performed on the package by an
operator, the winding section is arranged higher than the
yarn supplying section, and the service vehicle includes
a moving operation section adapted to perform moving
operation to move the bobbin holding section towards the
30 service position.
According to the present invention, the operator
performs service on the package after the bobbin holding
section has been moved to the service position. Thus, the
operator can easily perform the service as compared to a
35 case where the operator performs the service on the package
34 / 47
with the bobbin holding section left at the winding position.
Furthermore, since the moving operation section arranged
on the service vehicle moves the bobbin holding section of
each winding unit to the service position, the service of
5 the operator can be simplified as compared to a case where
the operator manually moves the bobbin holding section to
the service position.
In the yarn winding machine of the present invention,
the service position is a position lower than the winding
10 position.
According to the present invention, the operator can
easily perform service on the package.
In the yarn winding machine of the present invention,
the winding section further includes a winding drum adapted
15 to rotate in contact with a surface of the bobbin or the
package held by the bobbin holding section, and the service
position is a position lower than the winding drum.
According to the present invention, the operator can
easily perform service on the package.
20 In the yarn winding machine of the present invention,
the service position is a position displaced from the
winding position in a second direction, the second
direction being a horizontal direction and orthogonal to
the first direction.
25 According to the present invention, the service
position is displaced from the winding position in the
second direction, and thus a package of an adjacent winding
unit is unlikely to interfere when performing service on
the package.
30 In the yarn winding machine of the present invention,
a service path is arranged at one side of the plurality of
the winding units in the second direction for an operator
to perform service, and the service position is a position
offset to the one side from the winding position in the
35 second direction.
35 / 47
In the second direction, the service position is
closer to the service path than the winding position is,
and hence the operator can easily perform service on the
package at the service path.
5 In the yarn winding machine of the present invention,
the service vehicle further includes a doffing section
adapted to perform doffing to remove the package from the
bobbin holding section and set a new bobbin to the bobbin
holding section.
10 Conventionally, a service vehicle including only a
doffing section is known. In the present invention, the
service vehicle including the doffing section is provided
with the moving operation section, and thus the service
vehicle including the moving operation section is not
15 required separately from the service vehicle including the
doffing section.
In the yarn winding machine of the present invention,
the moving operation section is arranged at a portion where
the moving operation can be carried out while the service
20 vehicle is located at a position where the doffing is
performed by the doffing section.
The position of the service vehicle may be the same
for when performing the doffing by the doffing section and
for when performing the moving operation by the moving
25 operation section, and thus the control of the service
vehicle is simplified.
In the yarn winding machine of the present invention,
the moving operation section includes a driving source
adapted to apply a force to the cradle or the supporting
30 mechanism in a direction to urge the bobbin holding section
towards the service position.
According to the present invention, the bobbin
holding section can be moved to the service position by the
driving source of the moving operation section.
35 In the yarn winding machine of the present invention,
36 / 47
the moving operation section includes a connecting portion
adapted to be connected to the cradle or the supporting
mechanism, and the driving source adapted to move the
connecting portion connected to the cradle or the
5 supporting mechanism.
By moving the connecting portion with the driving
source, a force can be applied to the cradle or the
supporting mechanism in a direction to urge the bobbin
holding section towards the service position.
10 In the yarn winding machine of the present invention,
provided that a moving range between the winding position
and the service position is divided into a region closer
to the winding position and a region closer to the service
position, the winding section further includes an urging
15 member adapted to urge the cradle or the supporting
mechanism in a direction in which the bobbin holding section
is urged towards the winding position when the bobbin
holding section is located within at least the region closer
to the winding position.
20 According to the present invention, the bobbin
holding section moved to the service position can be
returned to the winding position using the urging force of
the urging member.
In the yarn winding machine of the present invention,
25 the supporting mechanism includes a swinging arm connected
to the cradle and swingably supported around a swing axis
parallel to the first direction, the urging member includes
one end arranged fixed and an opposite end mounted on the
swinging arm, and the swinging arm includes a portion that
30 moves across a straight line connecting the one end of the
urging member and the swing axis when the bobbin holding
section passes a prescribed position between the winding
position and the service position, and the opposite end of
the urging member is mounted to such a portion.
35 When the swinging arm is swung until the bobbin
37 / 47
holding section is moved closer to the service position side
than to the prescribed position, the direction of the urging
force of the urging member acting on the swinging arm
becomes a direction in which the bobbin holding section is
5 urged towards the service position. Thus, the bobbin
holding section can be moved to the service position by the
urging force of the urging member. When the swinging arm
is swung until the bobbin holding section located at the
service position is closer to the winding position side than
10 to the prescribed position, the direction of the urging
force of the urging member acting on the swinging arm
becomes a direction in which the bobbin holding section is
urged towards the winding position. Thus, the bobbin
holding section can be returned to the winding position
15 using the urging force of the urging member.
In the yarn winding machine of the present invention,
the winding section further includes a winding drum adapted
to rotate in contact with a surface of the bobbin or the
package held by the bobbin holding section, and the swinging
20 arm is swingably supported around an axis of the winding
drum.
According to the present invention, a configuration
of the supporting mechanism can be simplified.
In the yarn winding machine of the present invention,
25 the winding section further includes a stopper adapted to
restrict further movement of the bobbin holding section
that has reached the service position.
According to the present invention, the stopper can
prevent the bobbin holding section that has reached the
30 service position from being moved further by the urging
force of the urging member.
In the yarn winding machine of the present invention,
the supporting mechanism includes a slide mechanism adapted
to slidably support the cradle to move the bobbin holding
35 section between the winding position and the service
38 / 47
position.
According to the present invention, the supporting
mechanism can be realized with a simple configuration. If
the service position is a position lower than the winding
5 position, the bobbin holding section can be moved by using
a weight of the cradle and the package when moving the bobbin
holding section from the winding position to the service
position.
In the yarn winding machine of the present invention,
10 the winding section further includes a lock member adapted
to fix the cradle while the bobbin holding section is
located at the winding position.
The cradle can be prevented from being moved
unnecessarily at the time of winding.
15 In the yarn winding machine of the present invention,
in the first direction, the service vehicle does not overlap
with the package held by the bobbin holding section located
at the service position.
According to the present invention, the service
20 vehicle can be moved in the first direction while the bobbin
holding section is located at the service position.
The yarn winding machine of the present invention
further includes a first sensor adapted to detect that the
bobbin holding section is located at the winding position;
25 and a second sensor adapted to detect that the bobbin
holding section is located at the service position.
According to the present invention, detection can be
made that the bobbin holding section is located at the
winding position and the service position.
30 The yarn winding machine of the present invention
further includes a control device adapted to control the
service vehicle and the moving operation section, wherein
the control device is adapted to move the service vehicle
to a position where the moving operation on the winding unit
35 can be carried out by the moving operation section when a
39 / 47
signal instructing service on the package to be performed
by an operator is input from the winding unit, and to cause
the moving operation section to carry out the moving
operation.
5 According to the present invention, when the signal
instructing the service on the package to be performed by
the operator is input, the bobbin holding section is moved
to the service position so that the service on the package
can be performed by the operator.
10 The yarn winding machine of the present invention
further includes a control device adapted to control the
service vehicle and the moving operation section, wherein
the control device is adapted to move the bobbin holding
section to the service position by controlling the moving
15 operation section to carry out the moving operation, and
then to move the service vehicle in the first direction to
be receded from the winding unit.
According to the present invention, when performing
service on the package held by the bobbin holding section
20 located at the service position, the service vehicle can
be prevented from interfering with the operator.
The yarn winding machine of the present invention
further includes a notifying section adapted to notify the
operator that service on the package needs to be performed,
25 and a control device adapted to control the service vehicle,
the moving operation section, and the notifying section,
wherein the control device is adapted to move the bobbin
holding section to the service position by controlling the
moving operation section to carry out the moving operation,
30 and then to cause the notifying section to carry out a
notification.
Since the notification to the operator is made after
the bobbin holding section is moved to the service position,
the operator who received the notification can easily
35 recognize the package requiring the service.
40 / 47
The yarn winding machine of the present invention
further includes a case accommodating section adapted to
accommodate a case storing a fiber bundle, the case
accommodating section being arranged lower than the yarn
5 supplying section, wherein the yarn supplying section
includes a draft device adapted to draft the fiber bundle
from the case accommodating section, and a spinning device
adapted to form a yarn by applying twists to the fiber bundle
drafted by the draft device.
10 If the case accommodating section is arranged lower
than the yarn supplying section, the winding section will
be arranged higher as compared to a case where the case
accommodating section is arranged at other positions.
When the bobbin holding section is located at the winding
15 position, a possibility that the hand of the operator cannot
reach the package is high. In the present invention, even
if the winding section is arranged at a high position, the
service on the package can be easily carried out by moving
the bobbin holding section to the service position.
20 A spinning machine of the present invention includes
a plurality of spinning units arranged in a horizontal
arrangement direction; and a service vehicle arranged
movable in the arrangement direction along the plurality
of the winding units, wherein each winding unit includes
25 a draft device adapted to draft a fiber bundle, a spinning
device adapted to form a yarn by applying twists to the fiber
bundle drafted by the draft device, a winding section having
a cradle provided with a bobbin holding section adapted to
hold a bobbin, the winding section being adapted to wind
30 the yarn formed by the spinning device around the bobbin
to form a package, and a supporting mechanism adapted to
support the bobbin holding section movably between a
winding position and a service position, the winding
position being a position where the bobbin holding section
35 is located when winding is carried out, and the service
41 / 47
position being a position where the bobbin holding section
is located when service is performed on the package by an
operator, the winding section is arranged higher than the
spinning device, and the service vehicle includes a moving
5 operation section adapted to perform moving operation to
move the bobbin holding section towards the service
position.

WE CLAIM
1. A yarn winding machine (1) comprising:
a plurality of winding units (2) arranged in a
horizontal first direction; and
5 a service vehicle (3) arranged movable in the first
direction along the plurality of the winding units (2);
wherein each winding unit (2) includes:
a yarn supplying section (31);
a winding section (33) having a cradle (81; 151)
10 provided with bobbin holding sections (81a) adapted to
hold a bobbin (B), the winding section (33) being adapted
to wind a yarn (Y) supplied from the yarn supplying section
(31) around the bobbin (B) to form a package (P);
characterized by
15 a supporting mechanism (83, 84, 91; 152) adapted to
support the bobbin holding sections (81a) movably between
a winding position and a service position, the winding
position being a position where the bobbin holding sections
(81a) are located when winding is carried out, and the
20 service position being a position where the bobbin holding
sections (81a) are located when service is performed on the
package (P) by an operator;
the winding section (33) is arranged higher than the
yarn supplying section (31); and
25 the service vehicle (3) includes a moving operation
section (103) adapted to perform moving operation to move
the bobbin holding section (81a) towards the service
position.
30 2. The yarn winding machine (1) as claimed in claim
1, wherein the service position is a position lower than
the winding position.
3. The yarn winding machine (1) as claimed in claim
35 2, wherein the winding section (33) includes a winding drum
43 / 47
(82) adapted to rotate in contact with a surface of the
bobbin (B) or the package (P) held by the bobbin holding
sections (81a), and
the service position is a position lower than the
5 winding drum (82).
4. The yarn winding machine (1) as claimed in any
one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the service position is a
position displaced from the winding position in a second
10 direction, the second direction being a horizontal
direction and orthogonal to the first direction.
5. The yarn winding machine (1) as claimed in claim
4, wherein a service path (5) is arranged at one side of
15 the plurality of the winding units (2) in the second
direction for an operator to perform service, and
the service position is a position offset to the one
side from the winding position in the second direction.
20 6. The yarn winding machine (1) as claimed in any
one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the service vehicle (3)
includes a doffing section (102) adapted to perform doffing
to remove the package (P) from the bobbin holding sections
(81a) and set a new bobbin (B) to the bobbin holding sections
25 (81a).
7. The yarn winding machine (1) as claimed in any
one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the moving operation section
(103) includes a driving source (121, 122) adapted to apply
30 a force to the cradle (81; 151) or the supporting mechanism
(83, 84, 91; 152) in a direction to urge the bobbin holding
sections (81a) towards the service position.
8. The yarn winding machine (1) as claimed in any
35 one of claims 1 to 7, wherein provided that a moving range
44 / 47
between the winding position and the service position is
divided into a region closer to the winding position and
a region closer to the service position,
the winding section (33) includes an urging member
5 (92) adapted to urge the bobbin holding sections (81a) or
the supporting mechanism (83, 84, 91; 152) in a direction
in which the bobbin holding sections (81a) are urged towards
the winding position when the bobbin holding section (81a)
are located within at least the region closer to the winding
10 position.
9. The yarn winding machine (1) as claimed in claim
8, wherein the winding section (33) includes a winding drum
(82) adapted to rotate in contact with a surface of the
15 bobbin (B) or the package (P) held by the bobbin holding
sections (81a),
the supporting mechanism includes a swinging arm (83)
connected to the cradle (81; 151) and swingable around a
rotational axis (J1) of the winding drum (82),
20 the urging member (92) includes one end (92a)
arranged fixed and an opposite end (92b) mounted on the
swinging arm (83), and
the swinging arm (83) includes a portion that moves
across a straight line (L) connecting the one end (92a) of
25 the urging member (92) and the rotational axis (J1) of the
winding drum (82) when the bobbin holding sections (81a)
pass a prescribed position between the winding position and
the service position, and the opposite end (92b) of the
urging member (92) is mounted to such a portion.
30
10. The yarn winding machine (1) as claimed in any
one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the supporting mechanism
includes a slide mechanism (152) adapted to slidably
support the cradle (151) to move the bobbin holding sections
35 (81a) between the winding position and the service
45 / 47
position.
11. The yarn winding machine (1) as claimed in any
one of claims 1 to 10, wherein in the first direction, the
5 service vehicle (3) does not overlap with the package (P)
held by the bobbin holding section (81a) located at the
service position.
12. The yarn winding machine (1) as claimed in any
10 one of claims 1 to 11, comprising:
a first sensor (88) adapted to detect that the bobbin
holding sections (81a) are located at the winding position;
and
a second sensor (89) adapted to detect that the bobbin
15 holding sections (81a) are located at the service position.
13. The yarn winding machine (1) as claimed in any
one of claims 1 to 12, comprising:
a control device (16) adapted to control the service
vehicle (3) and the moving operation section (103),
20 wherein the control device (16) is adapted to move
the bobbin holding section (81a) to the service position
by controlling the moving operation section (103) to carry
out the moving operation, and then to move the service
vehicle (3) in the first direction to be receded from such
25 a winding unit (2).
14. The yarn winding machine (1) as claimed in any
one of claims 1 to 13, comprising:
a case accommodating section (44) adapted to
accommodate a case storing a fiber bundle (S), the case
30 accommodating section (44) being arranged lower than the
yarn supplying section (31),
wherein the yarn supplying section (31) includes:
a draft device (41) adapted to draft the fiber bundle
(S) from the case accommodating section (44); and
35 a spinning device (42) adapted to form a yarn (Y) by
46 / 47
applying twists to the fiber bundle (F) drafted by the draft
device (41).
15. A spinning machine (1) comprising:
a plurality of winding units (2) arranged in a
5 horizontal arrangement direction; and
a service vehicle (3) arranged movable in the
arrangement direction along the plurality of the winding
units (2);
wherein each winding unit (2) includes:
10 a draft device (41) adapted to draft a fiber bundle
(S);
a spinning device (42) adapted to form a yarn (Y) by
applying twists to the fiber bundle (F) drafted by the draft
device (41);
15 a winding section (33) having a cradle (81; 15)
provided with bobbin holding sections (81a) adapted to hold
a bobbin (B), the winding section (33) being adapted to wind
the yarn (Y) formed by the spinning device (42) around the
bobbin (B) to form a package (P); and
20 a supporting mechanism (83, 84, 91; 152) adapted to
support the bobbin holding sections (81a) movably between
a winding position and a service position, the winding
position being a position where the bobbin holding sections
(81a) are located when winding is carried out, and the
25 service position being a position where the bobbin holding
sections (81a) are located when service is performed on the
package (P) by an operator,
the winding section (33) is arranged higher than the
spinning device (42), and
30 the service vehicle (3) includes a moving operation section
(103) adapted to perform moving operation to move the bobbin
holding section (81a) towards the service position.