Textiles: spinning – twisting – and twining – Apparatus and processes – Package handling
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-02
2001-07-10
Calvert, John J. (Department: 3765)
Textiles: spinning, twisting, and twining
Apparatus and processes
Package handling
C057S090000, C019S15900A
Reexamination Certificate
active
06256973
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a transporting and storage system for rectangular spinning cans with can storage areas and can conveyors between first machines, such as drawframes, which fill empty spinning cans and second machines, such as open-end spinning machines or flyers or jet spinning machines, which empty full spinning cans.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In a large spinning machine operation, which for instance includes many drawframe machines followed by open-end spinning machines, or many flyers and jet spinning machines that follow the drawframes, the goal is to keep at least those spinning machines that function substantially automatically producing uninterruptedly, day and night. The prerequisite is that the spinning machines be supplied continuously with sufficient preliminary material, that is, full spinning cans. Since the degree of automation in these systems, which can begin with the opening of a bale of fibers shipped as raw material, has not yet been as advanced as that of the actual spinning mill, the attempt is made to prepare and store the preliminary material during the day or during the working week in such a great amount that the actual spinning mill can keep operating during the night and on weekends without interruption.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to create an automatic supply of full cans between the first and second machines or systems, without any, or with the least possible, loss in terms of both travel distance and utility caused by the transporting and storage system.
The invention relates to a transporting and storage system for spinning cans overall. The system encompasses the region of a spinning mill between the can outlet from the drawframes and the can inlet to the spinning machines. In the open-end or jet spinning mill, the spinning machines directly follow the drawframes, optionally via an intervening can storage area. In the ring spinning mill, generally at least one flyer stage is placed between the drawframe and the spinning machines.
By means of the invention, a transporting and storage system for spinning machines is created, whose object is to achieve supply between machines that fill spinning cans and machines that empty spinning cans with the least possible loss in terms of travel distance and utility. According to the invention, the can distribution from the machine that fills the spinning cans to the storage areas before the machine that empties the spinning cans is maintained unchanged. Between the two machines, preferably three types of storage areas are provided, namely a storage area to be filled with full cans following the first machine, a main storage area for absorbing production fluctuations between the first and second machine, and a removal storage area for the second machine. In the third storage area, there must always be empty cans, while in the first storage area there must always be full cans, so that no down times of the machines for lack of cans will occur.
The transporting and storage system of the invention preferably has substantially the following components:
a) Drawframe storage area.
At the can filling position of a drawframe machine (or flyer), spinning cams (empty cans) are filled and placed in the drawframe can storage area or the first can storage area. The drawframe can storage area contains at least one empty can and at least storage space for full cans. The cans are each setup in order, side by side, in uniform multi-can groups, such as groups of four, groups with only empty cans, or groups with only full cans. The drawframe can storage area may preferably comprise a row of individual storage spaces located side by side. On one end of this storage row, the empty cans are brought in groups, for instance with the aid of a can conveyor (drawframe displacement carriage), and on the other end of the row, the full cans are taken away, preferably in groups of the same size as the empty cans and with the same drawframe displacement carriage.
b) Drawframe displacement carriage.
The drawframe displacement carriage or first can conveyor can hold from one to n, preferably four, empty cans or full cans, and can thus supply the drawframe can storage area with groups of empty cans and can take groups of full cans away from the drawframe can storage area. Optionally, the drawframe displacement carriage retrieves empty cans from a downstream can storage area and brings groups, preferably of the same size, of full cans to that can storage area.
c) Second can storage area.
The second can storage area according to the invention comprises at least one can conveyor system for empty cans and at least one can conveyor system for full cans. Each of these can conveyor systems should be capable of transporting a row of a plurality of can groups standing in line with one another in some way from one end (back end) of the area to the other end (head end) of the area.
The can conveyor systems may hold from one to n cans side by side, with n preferably being the same size as in the drawframe displacement carriage, and a plurality of such can groups in line with one another. If more than two can conveyor systems are provided in the storage area, then they can selectively hold empty cans or full cans. In each can conveyor system, that is, in each row of cans, the cans are delivered in groups from the drawframe can storage area at the end of the row and removed again from the other longitudinal end of the row, that is, the head of the row, expediently in groups of the same size in each case. Transportation within the respective row is preferably done with the aid of a conveyor means disposed in the bottom of the storage area of each row, which allows advancement of the row of cans, preferably up to a defined position at the head of the row. For removal of the groups of cans at the respective head of the row, a storage displacement carriage is provided.
d) Storage displacement carriage.
The storage displacement carriage or second can conveyor represents a connecting member between the aforementioned storage second can storage area and a downstream machine or a third can storage area. The storage displacement carriage should be embodied according to the invention such that it can hold a group of from 1 to n empty cans, or an equal-sized group of full cans, and preferably once again n=4 (as in the case of the drawframe displacement carriage and the second can storage area). Optionally, it takes empty cans from whatever system follows it and takes these cans to the second can storage area. The storage displacement carriage retrieves an equal-sized group of full cans from the second can storage area and delivers these cans to a receiving position in the downstream machine.
e) Machine storage area.
Within the scope of the invention, each of the two machines may be assigned a third or machine can storage area. This storage area should have a larger number m (preferably m=n+2) of can parking places or storage spaces than what one of the aforementioned displacement carriages, especially the storage displacement carriage, can hold. The result attained is that in the machine can storage area, at least one full can is always ready for replacing a can that has run empty at a spindle. In principle, in this last- named machine can storage area, however, a larger storage space may also be furnished, so that any possible emergency situations will be covered.
f) Can changing carriage.
To supply the respective second machine, a third can conveyor or can changing carriage may be provided. It should preferably be capable of bringing from 1 to h (preferably h is at most equal to n) empty cans to the machine can storage area (third can storage area) and to retrieve the same number of full cans from there. The can changing carriage retrieves and brings only so many full cans and empty cans as it still has a free place for, however. This is advantageous if the cans are in closed rows next to one another below the work positions or spindles of the respective spinning machines (it
Calvert John J.
Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman LLP
Welch Gary L.
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