Textiles: spinning – twisting – and twining – Apparatus and processes – Monitor and control
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-19
2001-05-08
Calvert, John J. (Department: 3741)
Textiles: spinning, twisting, and twining
Apparatus and processes
Monitor and control
C057S263000, C057S266000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06226971
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns a procedure for maintenance of work stations within a maintenance zone of a textile machine as well as a device for the execution of the procedure.
At a work station of an open-end spinning machine served by a programmable maintenance device, it is possible that the spinning-start or some other operation which requires maintenance cannot respond to the maintenance. In this case, in practice it is customary that, within the operational zone appointed to the programmable maintenance device, where the zone is comprised of a plurality of like work positions, the programmable maintenance device ends its attempts at spinning-start or other endeavor. When this is done, a corresponding command is input to the control apparatus of the maintenance device. The work station so involved is thereby marked in an identifying manner, while a signal emitter of this station is activated. In this case, optical, acoustic or even mechanical signals may be activated, which come to the attention of a maintenance person. These signals may also be interrogated by a seeking maintenance device patrolling its assigned work zone. This device, with the co-action of the control apparatus, so acts that the work station involved is excluded from the next maintenance attempt.
Experience has shown, however, that in spite of these measures, the matter can come to a multiplicity of failure attempts, particularly, when the cause for the failed attempts at spinning-start efforts is not to be found in the work station at all, but rather is within the maintenance device itself.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A principle object of the present invention is to create a procedure and a device, which helps avoided further failed attempts independent of the kind of maintenance ascribed to the maintenance device.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
This purpose can be achieved in accord with the invention by means of a procedure for maintenance of like work stations within a maintenance zone of a textile machine with the aid of a programmable maintenance device. Attempts at like maintenance, which fail at various work stations are counted. After reaching a specified number of failed attempts at maintenance, a preset function is initiated. In the case of successful maintenance procedures of this kind, the numbering of the failed maintenance attempts is reset to a zero point. Since not only the failed maintenance attempts are to be counted at one individual work station, but, moreover, the determination must be made as to whether or not the failures of like maintenance attempts, which are carried out at various work stations, are repetitive. When this is known, the decision can be made that the cause of failure lies not at the work position but in the maintenance device. In this interest, a preliminary determination of maintenance attempts at one and the same work station can be executed, before this station is abandoned and the maintenance attempt finally classified as a failure.
In accordance with the invention, it is advantageous if the count is carried out so that different types of maintenance attempts are counted separately, while the deletion of the various count totals are manually effected.
Expediently, the procedure in accord with the invention is further developed so that a preset function is only initiated after, in a succession of maintenance attempts, at least three different work positions have been classified as failed. In this way, the possibility is excluded that the preset function is immediately activated, when two successfully maintained work stations by chance have registered themselves as non-maintenance compliant, although it is not the maintenance device at fault, but rather the cause is to be found in the work stations which are being maintained.
In accord with a simple extension of the procedure, an acoustic or optical alarm is released to advise a maintenance person of the occurring failure.
Since a fault occurring in the maintenance device is not to be easily dispensed, it is expedient if the maintenance device in question relinquishes its usual zone of operation and reports to a repair station. Advantageously, at the same time, the assigned zone of operation of a neighboring maintenance device is enlarged by adding the abandoned operational zone, so that in this zone as well, a routinely correctable work stoppage can be ended.
Of special advantage is a development of the procedure to initiate a fault-analyzing program, since, in this way, the underlying cause for the failure of maintenance procedures is ascertained and the correction of the fault can be carried out with specific knowledge.
If the development shows, that previously occurring maintenance faults are to be ascribed to the maintenance device and not to the work station, then it is advantageous if previous classifications of the work stations as non-maintenance compliant are deleted. These work stations can be reclassified as being operable. Thus, the work stations are not deprived of services by another maintenance device nor deprived of the services of the original maintenance devices once they have been examined and returned to operation.
For the execution of the procedure, an apparatus for maintenance from within a maintenance zone of like work stations located in a textile machine with the help of a programmable maintenance device is provided. At the reaching of a specified threshold value with the aid of the various counting, adjustment and retro-setting devices on the apparatus, there can be an initiation of the ending of the maintenance work of the unsatisfactorily operating maintenance device as well as an initiation of a function by which a quick repair time of the maintenance device can be brought about. In order to avoid a chance classification of a work station as faulty, i.e., non-maintenance compliant, an additional counter, which counts like, sequential, failed maintenance attempts, is advantageous.
A checkout of the functional ability of a maintenance device should only be undertaken, after it has shown itself to be incapacitated in maintenance operations in the case of several, maintained, work stations which sequentially follow each other.
On these grounds, it is practical to provide a setting instrument for the determination of the state of the sequential work stations, which have been registered as non-maintenance compliant.
If the maintenance device is adaptable to the carrying out of various kinds of maintenance, then it is advantageous to provide for each type of maintenance work a separate counter (inclusive of input and back-setting apparatus) which advantageously can be set back.
In accord with a simple design of the device of the invention, an alarm apparatus is provided.
Advantageously, the device can be, within the framework of the invention, since the maintenance device in the repair station is particularly easily available for the repair to be carried out.
On such occasions, when the operator is made aware of a functional failure of the maintenance device by an alarm apparatus, or when other reasons show a need for the maintenance device to be checked, it is advantageous, if a call-out means for the maintenance device is provided. This device and its associated function can also operate, independently of the pending described steps of the stated procedure, and thus possesses a self-sufficient characteristic.
So that the work stations, which are abandoned by removal from service of the assigned maintenance device from its normal operating zone, may continue to be maintained as before, a control apparatus connected to limiting apparatuses is provided.
By means of a development of control apparatus, the repair of the faulty maintenance device is made more convenient for the repair person.
The procedure and the apparatus, in accord with the present invention, enable in a simple manner
Calvert John J.
Dority & Manning
Hurley Shaun R
Rieter Ingolstadt Spinnereimaschinenbau AG
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