Combing machine with improved adjustment of the upper clamp opening

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a combing machine for spinning preparation, comprising at least one combing head, wherein the combing head includes a drive input shaft which is operatively connected to a drive motor of the combing machine, and wherein the combing head has a gripper drive with a gripper shaft which is drivenly connected to the drive input shaft and is configured to drive a gripper assembly with a lower gripper and an upper gripper, wherein at least one coupling device is provided in the driving operative connection between the upper gripper and the gripper shaft, with which the operative connection can be at least temporarily released in order to adjust the opening position of the gripper assembly. The invention further relates to a method for adjusting the opening position of the gripper assembly of such a combing machine.

[0002] Modern combing machines consist primarily of oscillating tongs, reversing stripping cylinders, a rotary comb, and cleaning brushes. These components form a combing head capable of performing successive combing cycles. With each cycle, the tongs oscillate, and the working cylinders reverse accordingly, while the rotary comb rotates and is cleaned by a brush. The fiber strand is separated by a simultaneous reversing motion of the tongs and a forward rotation of the stripping cylinders. The stripping cylinders then reverse, feeding the combed strand back into place so that the newly combed fiber can be laid on top. This allows the connection within the fiber strand to be re-established, a process known as soldering.

[0003] The amount of comb material released is determined by the break-off length, which is referred to as the écartement. By definition, the écartement is the spatial distance between a clamping line between the upper and lower jaws and the opposite clamping line between the front break-off cylinders. The écartement therefore represents the distance between the two clamping elements when the jaw assembly is closest to the front break-off cylinder.

[0004] The size of the écartement determines the length of the fiber tuft that hangs freely when the pliers are closed and can be combed out by the round comb. Assuming a constant fiber length distribution within the fiber band, the larger the écartement, the more fibers are combed out. Therefore, the shedding of combed fibers increases with a larger écartement and decreases accordingly when the écartement is smaller.

[0005] All known combing machines essentially control the amount of combed material removed by varying the machine-defined size of the écartement. This écartement is primarily achieved by adjusting the outer reversal point of the gripper's movement. The axes of the driven stripping rollers are spatially fixed, and the rollers perform only an oscillating, pilgrim-step-like rotational movement to facilitate the combing of the fiber strands and subsequent soldering.

[0006] In addition to adjusting the écartement, adjusting the opening between the upper and lower jaws is necessary, with the actual opening movement being performed by the upper jaw. To adjust the jaw opening between the upper and lower jaws, gauges are known that are inserted into the jaw opening in the forward inverted position between the upper and lower jaws. The gauge allows the measurement to be taken at a specific rotational position of the jaw shaft. The rotational position of the jaw shaft, and thus also the position of the upper jaw, is directly dependent on the écartement, so that the jaw opening changes depending on the écartement, and thus the closing point of the jaws remains constant at the same rotational position of the jaw shaft or the drive input shaft.

[0007] A gauge is therefore required for adjustment, but automating the adjustment of the jaw opening is difficult because the gauge must be inserted into the open jaws. Since the closing point is the technologically important factor, the jaw opening serves as an aid to avoid adjustments in a different jaw position within the jaw assembly.

[0008] US Patent 5,197,163 A discloses a combing machine in which, to compensate for écartement adjustments of the gripper, it is proposed that at least one gear of an additional gear stage be connected to the respective drive shaft via a detachable connection. According to this patent, the change in the distance (écartement) between the clamping point of the breaker rollers and the clamping point between the feed roller and the lower gripper plate in the forwardmost position of the gripper assembly is achieved by loosening and rotating a guide element relative to the gripper shaft by a specific angle. After rotation, the rotationally fixed connection between the shaft and the guide element is re-established. This adjustment also changes the movement of the upper gripper plate, which is influenced by the movement of the lower gripper plate.In order to restore the original movement relationships between the lower jaw plate and the upper jaw plate, it is proposed to rotate the drive wheel in relation to the drive shaft.

[0009] Another combing machine with manually adjustable écartement is known from GB 879 106 A.

[0010] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a combing machine and a method for operating a combing machine in which an improved adjustment of the upper jaw opening can be carried out. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to automate the adjustment of the upper jaw opening.

[0011] This problem is solved starting from a combing machine according to the preamble of claim 1 and starting from a method according to claim 9 in conjunction with the respective characterizing features. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

[0012] The invention includes the technical teaching that the coupling device has an electrically activatable actuating means.

[0013] The core concept of the invention is the possibility of temporarily decoupling the upper jaw from the rest of the jaw assembly, so that the comb head can first be brought into a defined comb clearance position, in particular a defined écartement position, and so that the jaw can then be closed in a defined manner. According to the invention, a coupling device is provided for this purpose, which is arranged in the driving connection of the jaw shaft to the drive of the lower jaw and the upper jaw.

[0014] The adjustment of the jaw contact point—that is, the point at which the upper jaw just touches the lower jaw, but no clamping force is yet established between the jaws—can be achieved at a specific rotational position of the jaw shaft, defined at a specific distance from the actual écartement position. The upper jaw can then be freely moved into the closing position. This position is subsequently referred to as the écartement secondary position. The coupling device can then be closed again, and the resulting jaw movement corresponds correctly to the phase progression of the comb cycle and thus also to the écartement position, without the need for a gauge to be inserted between the open jaws.

[0015] The coupling device can be integrated into a gear stage between the upper jaw and the jaw shaft. This gear stage can be a toothed connection or a traction element, such as a toothed belt, chain, or the like, with the coupling device mounted, for example, on a gear, sprocket, or the like, to temporarily release a shaft-hub connection. Alternatively, the coupling device can be integrated with a spring strut, which serves to generate the clamping force between the jaws and which applies force to the upper jaw in a manner known per se.

[0016] Furthermore, a control unit is provided with which the coupling device and, in particular, the actuating means can be controlled in order to open and close the operative connection between the upper jaw and the jaw shaft. The control unit can therefore be used to actuate the coupling device and, in particular, the actuating means, so that this actuation can also be carried out remotely from the coupling device and the actuating means. The control unit specifically concerns the control unit that serves to control the combing machine.

[0017] A further advantage is the integration of a rotary angle sensor, for example, mounted on the drive input shaft or on the clamp shaft. This sensor allows the angular position of the clamp shaft to be determined or detected and output to the control unit. In this way, the control unit can also detect the release position via the rotary angle sensor, enabling the upper clamp to be released from the rest of the clamping apparatus at the defined release position by the control unit appropriately activating the coupling device or the actuating mechanism.

[0018] A particular advantage is that the upper jaw can be designed so that, when the coupling device is open, it falls into the closed position against the lower jaw by gravity. This makes adjusting the closing position between the upper and lower jaws especially easy. Alternatively, a suitable actuator can be provided to move the upper jaw into the force-free closed position against the lower jaw when the coupling device is open. The coupling device can then be closed again.

[0019] The control unit for the combing machine is specifically designed to move the lower jaw to a defined ecratement secondary position and to stop the jaw assembly in this defined ecratement secondary position. The defined ecratement position is initially the position at which the jaws have the minimum distance to the front-facing stripping cylinders. In this position, the upper jaw is open furthest relative to the lower jaw, and this position also represents the forward reversal point of the jaws relative to the stripping rollers. Starting from this ecratement position, the combing action continues until a specific angular position can be reached, at which the ecratement secondary position is achieved. At precisely this position, the coupling device can disengage the connection between the upper jaw and the rest of the jaw assembly, and the upper jaw can close against the lower jaw without force.The coupling device can then be closed again. Following this, the clamping force can be built up, and the combing cycle can be repeated periodically. Approaching the corresponding position in the combing cycle can be configured for both forward and reverse feeds, with the combing clearance position—where the jaws should just barely be closed before the clamping force is built up between the upper and lower jaws—being known. This known position is approached accordingly; in this case, it is referred to as the secondary écartement position of the lower jaw relative to the breakaway cylinders.

[0020] In order to move to this position, the control unit for the combing machine is designed to move to this defined ecartement position of the lower jaw and to stop the jaw apparatus in the defined ecartement position.

[0021] The invention further relates to a method for adjusting the opening position of the gripper apparatus of the combing machine according to the preceding description, wherein the method comprises at least the following steps: approaching the defined écartement position of the lower gripper, releasing the driving operative connection between the upper gripper and the gripper shaft by means of the coupling device, moving the upper gripper into a closing position against the lower gripper and closing the operative connection between the upper gripper and the gripper shaft by means of the coupling device.

[0022] This method allows the position of the fixed comb relative to the tear-off rollers to be adjusted first, and then the closing point of the gripper assembly to be easily set. Thus, the adjustment of the technological parameters in the comb head can be completed with an automatic fixed comb depth adjustment. The change in the feed quantity and the feed trough adjustment within the gripper can be automated, requiring only a simple coupling device and corresponding programming in the machine control system.

[0023] This eliminates the need for the currently used scaling on the upper jaw shaft, and for a combing machine with automatic adjustment of the closing of the upper jaw relative to the lower jaw, the existing clamping connections on one or on the usually both end sides of the jaw shaft can be made significantly simpler.

[0024] The defined écartement secondary position corresponds to the position in which the upper jaw must close against the lower jaw without force, immediately before the closing force between the upper and lower jaws is built up in the ongoing combing cycle. This position is to be differentiated from the actual écartement position, in which the distance between the lower jaw and the break-off cylinders is minimal. However, the distance between the écartement position and the écartement secondary position is technologically defined and therefore known for each écartement.

[0025] Particularly when the defined écartement secondary position of the clamping apparatus is reached and the coupling device is open, the upper clamp can fall into the closing position against the lower clamp due to gravity. Should the automatic, gravity-driven closing of the upper clamp relative to the lower clamp not function, a suitable actuator, for example a small servo motor, can be provided.

[0026] After the upper jaw has closed against the lower jaw without force, the coupling device can be closed again, in particular by means of the actuating means.

[0027] The process can be automated. It is intended that the lower jaw's approach to the defined ecartement secondary position and / or the actuation of the coupling device by means of the actuating means and / or the forceless closing of the upper jaw against the lower jaw is carried out by means of the control unit, so that the opening position of the jaw assembly is automatically set.

[0028] A particular advantage is that the control unit can have an input / output interface, for example in the form of a touch-sensitive screen. This allows the operator to trigger and / or monitor the automatic adjustment of the opening position of the clamping device.

[0029] Further measures improving the invention are described in more detail below, together with a description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, with reference to the figures. The figures show: Figure 1 a schematic side view of the comb head with the gripper apparatus, comprising the lower gripper and the upper gripper, as well as with the break-off cylinders, Figure 2 a view of a gear-replacement diagram of the comb head with the arrangement of the clutch device according to the invention, Figure 2a the clutch device in conjunction with the actuating means in an open position, Figure 2b the clutch device according to Figure 2a in a closed position and Figure 3a-c shows a sequence of part of the combing cycle with the upper pliers open ( Fig. 3a ) with a loosely closed upper pliers ( Fig. 3b ) and with a force-actuated upper clamp ( Fig. 3c ), Figure 4 a diagram of the closing force of the upper jaw against the lower jaw as a function of the angular position of the drive input shaft.

[0030] Figure 1Figure 1 shows a combing head 1, which serves to comb out a fiber strand 20, where the fiber strand 20 can also be referred to as a fiber fleece or cotton wool. The fiber strand 20 is stored on a fiber reel 21 in an uncombed state, and the fiber reel 21 is held on two winding rollers 22. The fiber reel 21 can thus be unwound by rotating the winding rollers 22 and fed to the combing head 1.

[0031] First, the fiber strand 20 passes over a feed cylinder 23 and is then fed to the gripper assembly, which forms the main component of the combing head 1. The gripper assembly has a lower gripper 14 and an upper gripper 15, with the fiber strand 20 passing between the upper gripper 14 and the lower gripper 15. When the upper gripper 14 and lower gripper 15 close, the fiber strand 20 is held and can be broken off via the break-off cylinders 24, while the gripper assembly moves away from the break-off cylinders 24 (to the right in the plane of the image). For this part of the cycle, the upper gripper 14 and lower gripper 15 are closed and subjected to force, so that the fiber strand 20 is held and breaks off.

[0032] On the underside of the feed cylinder 23, a round comb roller 28 with a round comb segment 29 is arranged, with which, by means of the round comb segment 29, the fiber strand 20 at the torn end, the so-called fiber beard, which protrudes from the grippers 14 and 15, is combed out by means of the rotation of the round comb roller 28. (This phase of the comb cycle is not shown in the illustration.)

[0033] The combed-out fiber strand 20 runs into the front and rear tear-off cylinders 24, after which the fiber strand 20 runs into the paired take-off rollers 25 and can then be deposited, for example, into appropriate cans.

[0034] The upper jaw 15 is pivotally mounted relative to the lower jaw 14 at a pivot point 26. The lower jaw 14 is connected to a jaw arm 27, which is attached to the jaw shaft 13. Due to the oscillating movement of the jaw shaft 13, the jaw arm 27, and thus also the upper jaw 15, performs an oscillating movement, so that the jaws 14 and 15 periodically move away from and towards the shear cylinders 24.

[0035] Figure 2 Figure 1 shows a gear diagram of the combing head 1, with the essential functions described below. The combing head 1 has a drive input shaft 10, which is driven by a drive motor 11. The drive motor 11 first drives an auxiliary shaft 30, which is part of an auxiliary gearbox 31, the auxiliary gearbox driving, for example, the table calendar rollers 32 and, for example, delivery rollers 33.

[0036] A gear 34 is mounted on the auxiliary shaft 30, which meshes with a main drive gear 35, and the main drive gear 35 has a rigid connection to the drive input shaft 10, which is thus continuously driven by the drive motor 11.

[0037] The drive input shaft 10, with its rotary motion, drives the circular comb roller 28, and the break-off cylinders 24 are further driven by the rotary motion of the drive input shaft 10 via a gear stage 36. The break-off cylinders 24 can alternatively each have their own dedicated electric motor drives.

[0038] A crank arm 37 is arranged on the main drive wheel 35, via which the clamp shaft 13 is driven in an oscillating manner. The oscillating motion of the clamp shaft 13 is transferred to a clamping apparatus (not shown) to drive an upper clamp on a corresponding upper clamp shaft (shown at position 15) and a lower clamp on the lower clamp shaft 15. The oscillating motion of the clamp shaft 13, and thus of the lower clamp (not shown), enables the clamping apparatus to open and close by opening and closing the upper clamp 15 against the lower clamp (not shown).

[0039] A rotary angle sensor 19 is arranged on the clamping shaft 13 as shown by way of example, in order to transmit the angular position of the clamping shaft 13 to a control unit 18.

[0040] The upper jaw 15, shown as the jaw shaft, is connected to the jaw shaft 13 by means of coupling devices 16, so that the oscillating movement in the jaw shaft 13 can be transmitted to the upper jaw 15 via the coupling device 16. Two coupling devices 16 are shown as an example, since the jaw shaft of the upper jaw 15 can be connected to the jaw shaft 13 at both ends by a corresponding operative connection. The coupling devices 16 make it possible to decouple the upper jaw 15 from the lower jaw 14 on the jaw shaft 13 in order to adjust the jaw opening in the decoupled state.

[0041] Detail X according to Figure 2 is in the Figures 2a and 2b depicted, whereby in Figure 2a the coupling device 16 in an open and in Figure 2bThe coupling device 16 is shown in a closed state. An actuating device 17, which can be controlled by the control unit 18, is shown only schematically. The opening and closing states of the coupling device 16 can be controlled or triggered by means of the actuating device 17.

[0042] The Figures 3a, 3b and 3c The figures show different positions of the upper pliers 15 relative to the lower pliers 14 during the ongoing, periodically repeating combing cycle. Figure 3aThe upper jaw 15 is maximally open relative to the lower jaw 14, whereby the distance between the jaw assembly and the break-off cylinders is minimal in precisely this position, so that the actual écartement is set or results in this position. A spring strut 38 is arranged on the upper jaw 15, which is not compressed according to the opening position, since in the open position the upper jaw 15 is forceless against the lower jaw 14. To move the upper jaw 15 relative to the lower jaw 14, an eccentric 39 is mounted on the upper jaw shaft 40, so that when the upper jaw shaft 40 is rotated, the upper jaw 15 can be moved against the lower jaw 14, as shown in Figure 3b shown. In this position, the contact of the upper jaw 15 on the lower jaw 14 is still without force, and the strut 38 is not compressed. Figure 3cFigure 1 shows a further progression of the rotation of the upper jaw shaft 40, such that the spring strut 38 is compressed via the eccentric 39, thereby applying a defined force from the upper jaw 15 to the lower jaw 14. This force profile is shown in more detail in Figure 5 below.

[0043] Figure 5 shows the curve of the closing force F as a function of the angular position W of the upper jaw shaft 40. The force initially begins, as shown, in the first position P1 and continues with a value of 0 until the second position P2, after which the force increases via section A1. The subsequent section A2 is the section through which the upper jaw 15 is released from the lower jaw 14, with section A1 following again after this jaw opening, as described in section A2.

[0044] In the first position P1, the jaws are fully open, and the écartement is adjusted so that jaws 14 and 15 are at a minimal distance from the break-off cylinders 24—the écartement position. As the jaws move to the second position P2, the secondary écartement position, they close so that the upper jaw 14 just touches the lower jaw 15, without the closing force being applied. At this precise position, which results in the same technologically known angular progression W, the coupling device 16 can be opened. Ideally, the upper jaw 15 falls onto the lower jaw 14 by gravity, or it is brought into contact with each other by means of a suitable actuator without the application of a closing force F.The coupling device 16 can then be closed again, with the opening and closing of the coupling device 16 and the application of the upper jaw 15 to the lower jaw 14 taking place solely at the second point P2.

[0045] This finding makes it possible to easily adjust not only the écartement setting but also the jaw opening by approaching the second point P2, which always traverses the same angular segment of the angular position W relative to the first point P1. Thus, with the écartement set at the first point of the first position P1, the angular segment can continue in the comb cycle, allowing the jaw setting to be achieved by temporarily opening the coupling device 16, based on the then known second position P2. Reference symbol

[0046] 1 comb head 10 Input shaft 11 Drive motor 12 Clamp gearbox 13 Clamp shaft 14 Lower clamp 15 Upper clamp 16 Clutch device 17 Actuator 18 Control unit 19 Rotation angle sensor 20 Fiber strand 21 Fiber winding 22 Winding roller 23 Feed cylinder 24 Tear-off cylinder 25 Take-off rollers 26 Pivot point 28 Round comb roller 29 Round comb segment 30 Countershaft 31 Countershaft 32 Table calendar rollers 33 Delivery rollers 34 Gear 35 Main drive gear 36 Gear stage 37 Crank arm 38 Shock absorber 39 Eccentric 40 Upper clamp shaft FClosing force WAngle position

Claims

1. Combing machine for spinning preparation, having at least one combing head (1), wherein the combing head (1) comprises a drive input shaft (10) which has been brought into operative connection with a drive motor (11) of the combing machine, and wherein the combing head (1) has a nipper gear (12) having a nipper shaft (13) which is connected to and driven by the drive input shaft (10) and is adapted for driving a nipper unit having a lower nipper (14) and having an upper nipper (15), wherein at least one coupling device (16) is provided in the driving operative connection between the upper nipper (15) and the nipper shaft (13), with which coupling device the operative connection can be released at least temporarily in order to adjust the opening position of the nipper unit, characterised in that the coupling device (16) has an electrically activatable actuating means (17).

2. Combing machine (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that the coupling device (16) is integrated in a gear stage (36) between the upper nipper (15) and the nipper shaft (13).

3. Combing machine (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that there is provided a control unit (18) with which the coupling device (16) and especially the actuating means (17) can be controlled in order to release and to open the operative connection between the upper nipper (15) and the nipper shaft (13).

4. Combing machine (1) according to claim 3, characterised in that the control unit (18) is configured for controlling the combing machine (1).

5. Combing machine (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that a rotation angle sensor (19) is provided, especially arranged on the drive input shaft (10) and / or on the nipper shaft (13), with which an angular position of the nipper shaft (13) can be determined and / or detected and can be outputted to the control unit (18).

6. Combing machine (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the upper nipper (15) is so adapted that, when the coupling device (16) is open, the upper nipper falls under the force of gravity into a closed position against the lower nipper (14).

7. Combing machine (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the control unit (18) for controlling the combing machine (1) is configured to effect movement to a defined ecartement position of the lower nipper (14) and to stop the nipper unit in the defined ecartement position.

8. Combing machine (1) according to claim 7, characterised in that the defined ecartement position corresponds to the position in which the upper nipper (15) closes without force against the lower nipper (14), immediately before the closing force between the upper nipper (15) and the lower nipper (14) is built up in the combing cycle that is taking place.

9. Method for adjusting the opening position of the nipper unit of a combing machine (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising at least the following steps: - effecting movement to a defined ecartement position of the lower nipper (14), - releasing the driving operative connection between the upper nipper (15) and the nipper shaft (13) by means of the coupling device (16), - transferring the upper nipper (15) into a closed position against the lower nipper (14), and - closing the operative connection between the upper nipper (15) and the nipper shaft (13) by means of the coupling device (16).

10. Method according to claim 9, characterised in that the defined ecartement position corresponds to the position in which the upper nipper (15) closes without force against the lower nipper (14), immediately before the closing force between the upper nipper (15) and the lower nipper (14) is built up in the combing cycle that is taking place.

11. Method according to claim 9 or 10, characterised in that, when the defined ecartement position of the nipper unit has been reached and the coupling device (16) has been opened, the upper nipper (15) is allowed to fall under the force of gravity into the closed position against the lower nipper (14).

12. Method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterised in that, after the upper nipper (15) has closed without force against the lower nipper (14), the coupling device (16) is closed again by means of the actuating means (17).

13. Method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, characterised in that movement to the defined ecartement position of the lower nipper (14) and / or actuation of the coupling device (16) by means of the actuating means (17) and / or closing of the upper nipper (15) without force against the lower nipper (14) is carried out by means of the control unit (18), so that the opening position of the nipper unit is adjusted automatically.

14. Method according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterised in that the control unit (18) has an input-output interface, especially in the form of a touch-sensitive screen, wherein the automatic adjustment of the opening position of the nipper unit can be initiated and / or monitored by an operator.