EP3326946A1

EP3326946A1 - Yarn winding machine and spinning machine

Info

Publication number: EP3326946A1
Application number: EP17200388.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Kenichi Ueda
Original assignee: Murata Machinery Ltd
Current assignee: Murata Machinery Ltd
Priority date: 2016-11-29
Filing date: 2017-11-07
Publication date: 2018-05-30
Also published as: CN108116942A; JP2018087067A

Abstract

A cradle (81) holding a package (P) is swingably supported by a swinging arm (83). By swinging the swinging arm (83), the cradle (81) can be moved between a winding position and a service position on a front side of the winding position and lower than the winding position. A service vehicle (3) movable in a left-right direction along a plurality of winding units includes a moving operation section (103). The moving operation section (103) includes cylinders (121, 122) and a hook (123). The moving operation section (103) extends/contracts the cylinders (121, 122) to swing the swinging arm (83) with the hook (123) connected to a connecting portion (83a) of the swinging arm (83).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

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 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 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 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 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 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 arranged at a portion higher than the spinning unit. Thus, 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 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.

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.
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 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 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 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 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 case where the operator performs the service on the package 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 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 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 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.
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.
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.
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 second direction.
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.
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.
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 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 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 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 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.
In the yarn winding machine of the present invention, 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 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.
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 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.
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, 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 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.
When the swinging arm is swung until the bobbin 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 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 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 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 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, 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 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 section between the winding position and the service 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 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, 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.
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 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; 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.
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 can be carried out by the moving operation section when a 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.
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.
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 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 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, 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, 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 recognize the package requiring the service.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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 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 is located when winding is carried out, and the service 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 operation section adapted to perform moving operation to move the bobbin holding section towards the service position.

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.
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 unit of FIGS. 1A and 1B.
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 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 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 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.
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 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 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.
FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating flow of processes 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 movably supporting the cradle according to an alternative embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will 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 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 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 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 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 moved in the left-right direction along two guide rails 11 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 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 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 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 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.
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 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 rollers 53.
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 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.
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 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 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 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 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 rotatable with respect to the yarn accumulating roller 61. 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.
The yarn joining device 34 is arranged between the 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. 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 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 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 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 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 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 out device 70 can be caught with the yarn catching and 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. 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 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 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. 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 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 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, a first sensor 88, and a second sensor 89. The cradle 81 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 direction. The shaft 91 connects central parts in a length 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 manually pulls out the yarn Y from the package P when the 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.
The swinging arm 83 is urged by a spring 92 (urging 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 spring 92 is located lower than the straight line L, the 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 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 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 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 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. 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 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 be prevented from being moved unnecessarily during the 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 direction around the axis J2 to urge the bobbin B so as to 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.
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 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, 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 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 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 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 front-back direction. The guide rail 12 is sandwiched by 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.
In the present embodiment, when the doffing section 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 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 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 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 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.
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 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 16 contracts the cylinders 121 and 122 to pull the 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 is pushed until the opposite end 92b of the spring 92 is 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 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 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 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 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), 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 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 3, for example. The home position may be located on the 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, 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 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 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 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 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 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 operator that abnormality has occurred (step S110). The 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 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 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 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 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 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.
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 may be a position at the same height as the winding position 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.
In the above-described embodiment, further swinging 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. 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 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. 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 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 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 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 holding sections 81a are located at the service position, 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 of the swinging arms 83 and 84 that are fixed by the lock 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 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 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.
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 ("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 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 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 illustrated) (the bobbin holding sections 81a are located 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 the doffing is carried out, and the position of the service 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 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 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 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 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 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. 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 moves the bobbin holding section 81a from the position 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 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 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 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, 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 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. 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, which is mounted on the cam 94, with the spring force, a 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 operator may carry out maintenance service and the like on 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 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.

Claims

A yarn winding machine (1) comprising:
a plurality of winding units (2) arranged in a horizontal first direction; and

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) 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

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 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

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.
The yarn winding machine (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the service position is a position lower than the winding position.
The yarn winding machine (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the winding section (33) includes a winding drum (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 winding drum (82).
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 direction, the second direction being a horizontal direction and orthogonal to the first direction.
The yarn winding machine (1) as claimed in claim 4, wherein a service path (5) is arranged at one side of 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.
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 (81a).
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 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.
The yarn winding machine (1) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein 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 (33) includes an urging member (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 position.
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 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),
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 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.
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 (81a) between the winding position and the service position.
The yarn winding machine (1) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein in the first direction, the service vehicle (3) does not overlap with the package (P) held by the bobbin holding section (81a) located at the service position.
The yarn winding machine (1) as claimed in any 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 holding sections (81a) are located at the service position.
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),

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 a winding unit (2).
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 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

a spinning device (42) adapted to form a yarn (Y) by applying twists to the fiber bundle (F) drafted by the draft device (41).
A spinning machine (1) comprising:
a plurality of winding units (2) arranged in a 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:
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);

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

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 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
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.