Device and method for adjusting a carding gap of a carding machine

Abstract

The invention relates to a device and an associated method for dynamically adjusting a carding gap (15) of a carding machine (1). The device has a controller (31) and a cylinder (6) and a revolving flat assembly (10). The carding gap (15) is formed by a distance between the cylinder clothing (7) and the revolving flat (11). A sensor (32) is provided for detecting a position of the revolving flat (11) and a flat profile (38) is stored in the controller (31). An adjustment of a distance (30) between the flexible bow (24, 25) and the cylinder axis (9) is provided by at least one actuator (27), wherein the adjustment is adapted to the flat profile (38) during the movement of the revolving flat (11) such that the carding gap (15) is constant.

Description

[0001] Device and method for adjusting a carding gap of a card

[0002] The invention relates to a device and a method for dynamically adjusting a carding gap of a carding machine in operation.

[0003] Carding machines are used in spinning preparation plants. These machines contain various working elements for cleaning, sorting, opening, carding, etc., the fiber material to be processed. A wide variety of fiber types are processed, including cotton fibers, synthetic fibers, or mixtures thereof. In the carding machine, the revolving flat area, together with the drum, forms the main carding zone and is responsible for breaking down the tufts into individual fibers, separating impurities and dust, eliminating very short fibers, breaking up neps, and parallelizing the fibers.

[0004] A narrow gap forms between the clothing of the revolving flat and the clothing of the drum, which is called the carding gap. This occurs when revolving flats are used in which the revolving flats, guided by curved bars – so-called flexible bends, regulating bends, flex bends or sliding bends – are guided along the circumference of the drum at a distance determined by these bars. The size of the carding gap on a revolving flat card is between 0.10 and 0.30 mm for cotton or up to 0.40 mm for chemical fibers. Contact between the opposing elements must be avoided, however, as this can regularly lead to damage to the revolving flats and the drum. Therefore, adjusting the actual carding gap is of great importance. A revolving flat of this type has an accuracy of 0.01 mm.10 mm in height and flatness relative to the plane opposite the cylinder clothing, which is formed by the tips of the flat clothings. The revolving flats of a revolving flat unit are connected to one another via chains or belts, with up to one hundred or more revolving flats arranged one behind the other in modern carding machines. Due to the large differences between the individual revolving flats relative to the ideal carding gap, adjustment of the

[0005] Carding gap adjustment is difficult. The carding gap width to be adjusted depends on the fiber material to be processed, the production quantity, and the quality requirements of the processed product.

[0006] It is known that flexible bends must be designed to be radially adjustable in order to ensure a carding gap that is constant over the entire length of the flexible bend or that can be varied according to requirements. Radial adjustability is necessary for various reasons, for example for readjusting the carding gap during card manufacture or after replacing the drum clothing, or for readjusting the carding gap in the event of wear on the clothing, or for readjusting the carding gap after grinding the clothing. Actuators of various designs are used for this purpose; for example, EP 1 201 797 discloses a device in which the flexible bend is supported on rotatably mounted rollers, the rollers being designed as rotatable helical cams. The flexible bend is raised or lowered by rotating the cams.Furthermore, EP 2 392 703 A1 discloses a device in which the flexible bend is held on an eccentrically mounted bolt. EP 3 124 657 A1 discloses a device in which the flexible bend is mounted on a bearing bolt connected to an adjusting lever and provided with a spiral-shaped surface. The adjusting lever causes the bearing bolt to rotate, which subsequently leads to a radial adjustment of the flexible bend. The actuators can be pneumatic, electric, or electro-pneumatic.

[0007] The current state of the art attempts to measure the revolving flats required in a revolving flat unit in advance and to sort out revolving flats with large deviations. However, as soon as individual revolving flats have to be replaced due to wear or other defects, large height differences still arise. When adjusting the carding gap, the highest revolving flat is regularly sought and used as a reference for the adjustment. As a result, the carding gap fluctuates by up to a tenth of a millimeter in one revolution of the revolving flats. With correspondingly small specifications for the carding gap, this can lead to a doubling of the gap width. This means that only the part of the fiber material where the highest revolving flats are closest to the surface of the drum is carded according to the specifications.Accordingly, revolving flats with a greater distance from the surface of the drum result in quality losses or fluctuations in the quality of the processed fiber material.

[0008] The object of the present invention is to propose a device and a method which, regardless of manufacturing tolerances in garnished revolving flats, make it possible to achieve a constant carding gap during operation of the card.

[0009] The problem is solved by the features in the characterizing part of the independent patent claim. To solve the problem, a device for dynamically adjusting a carding gap of an operating card is proposed, which device has a control system and a drum equipped with a drum clothing, having a drum axis, and a revolving flat unit provided with a plurality of revolving flats. The revolving flats are connected in the revolving flat unit to form an endlessly running chain. The connection of the revolving flats to form a chain is known from the prior art and is implemented, for example, by means of roller chains, belts, or bands. A drive drives the chain of revolving flats in an endless manner via deflection pulleys. The revolving flats each have a flat clothing consisting of individual wire hooks pierced into a foundation and directed towards the drum.The wire hooks engage with the fiber material conveyed through the drum and cause the fiber material to be separated and parallelized. The revolving flats are held on at least one flexible bend on either side of the drum in the direction of the drum axis, and movement of the revolving flats on the flexible bends along an outer surface of the drum clothing is provided. By appropriately arranging the deflection rollers, the revolving flats are pressed onto the flexible bends and guided accordingly. The flexible bends define a path for the revolving flats, which can be concentric to the surface of the drum clothing. However, it is common practice to guide the revolving flats through the flexible bends in such a way that the flat clothings are further away from the surface of the drum clothing where the fiber material enters the revolving flats than where the fibers exit. This results in a carding gap that narrows in the direction of rotation of the drum.The carding gap is formed by a distance between the outer surface of the cylinder clothing and a plane of the flat clothing of the revolving flats facing the cylinder clothing.

[0010] Furthermore, a sensor is provided to detect the position of the rotating chain of the revolving flats. To enable dynamic adjustment of the carding gap, the control system must know at all times which revolving flats are located opposite the drum at which point. For example, the revolving flats can be numbered and the sensor detects this numbering, or there can be a reference flat which is recognized by the sensor. A flat profile of one revolution of the revolving flat chain is stored in the control system. The flat profile indicates the deviations of the individual revolving flats in their height. The deviations of the individual revolving flats can be determined, for example, by measuring the individual revolving flats beforehand or after installation. The measurements can be taken optically, manually, or using other measuring techniques.The deviations of the revolving flats arranged one after the other in the chain are summarized to form a flat profile over an entire revolution of the chain.

[0011] At least one actuator is used to adjust the distance between the flexible arches guiding the revolving flats and the drum axis. An actuator is a motorized device that includes at least one drive and a travel measurement. The drive, in turn, includes at least one electric motor or a pneumatic cylinder and, if necessary, a transmission. Depending on the drive selected, the transmission is necessary for adjusting the flexible arch in the range of a few pm. The travel measurement is also capable of measuring an adjustment of a few pm in order to enable the flexible arch to be adjusted accordingly by the control system. Depending on the drive selected, the travel measurement can be integrated into the drive or attached to the actuator or device.The distance adjustment by the actuator is adapted to the flat profile during the movement of the revolving flats in such a way that the carding gap remains constant throughout the chain's rotation. Based on the flat profile and the position of the revolving flat chain, the control system can set a predetermined carding gap, regardless of the revolving flat's overall height. The actuator is controlled based on the corresponding flat profile as the revolving flats move along the surface of the cylinder clothing. The device constantly adjusts the distance to ensure a constant carding gap. Despite the constant movement of the revolving flats, the dynamic adjustment of the flexible bend ensures consistent processing quality that meets requirements.

[0012] Advantageously, the flat profile corresponds to a progression of the distance between the flexible arch guiding the revolving flats and the drum axis during one revolution of the revolving flat chain in the revolving flat unit with a carding gap of zero millimeters. By standardizing the flat profile with a carding gap approaching zero and simultaneously displaying it as a progression of the distance, the relative differences in the distances are shown independently of a predetermined gap width of the carding gap. During operation of the card, the flat profile is then calculated position-related based on the selected carding gap of, for example, 100 pm and the flexible arch is adjusted accordingly by the actuator. This means that the radial distance of the flexible arch varies, for example, between 100 pm and 200 pm due to the differences between the revolving flats during one revolution of the revolving flat chain.

[0013] Preferably, the chain of revolving flats, or at least one revolving flat, has a marking, and the sensor is provided to detect the marking. The marking has the advantage of enabling easy detection of the starting position of the chain. A marking can, for example, be in the form of a color marking, a depression, a protrusion, or an additional element on one or more revolving flats. Depending on the marking, the sensor is designed as an optical, inductive, capacitive, or tactile sensor. A barcode or QR code can also be used, which is advantageous when cameras are present for machine monitoring. If a marking is arranged on both ends of the revolving flat, viewed in the direction of the drum axis, it is possible to detect any skewed running of the revolving flats across the surface of the drum clothing.This allows the ends of the revolving flats arranged on both sides of the drum in the direction of the drum axis to be synchronized, for example when reinstalling the elements connecting the revolving flats.

[0014] It is also advantageous if independent flat profiles are provided for each of the flexible bends arranged on either side of the drum. This has the advantage that no calibration of the actuators in interaction with the flexible bends is necessary. Tolerances over the length of the revolving flats or their clothings can also be compensated. In this embodiment, the flexible bends arranged on either side of the drum are moved independently of one another using the assigned actuators. By controlling the card, the carding gap is thus influenced from both sides of the card, and any deviation in the overall height of the revolving flats that occurs across a width of the revolving flats viewed in the direction of the drum axis is also compensated.

[0015] In a further development, the flexible bends arranged on both sides of the drum are each divided into several segments, with each individual segment of the flexible bend being equipped with an actuator. This has the advantage that more than just a single actuator is available for adjusting the radial distance of the flexible bend to the drum axis. By dividing the flexible bend into several segments, greater variance in the design of the carding gap can be achieved over the length of the entire flexible bend. As a result, a separate flat profile is stored in the control system for each individual segment. Advantageously, the device features contact measurement. The basis for adjusting the carding gap is knowing when it is zero, i.e. when the opposing components come into contact.In this way, existing adjustment devices can be easily calibrated, taking into account the design characteristics of individual components such as flexible bends and revolving flats. Precise contact detection allows for precise maintenance of the carding gap and, at the same time, avoids damage to the components. Contact measurements for detecting contact between the flat clothing and the cylinder clothing are known in various designs from the prior art. For example, DE 10 2006 002 812 A1 discloses a device in which the cylinder and the flats are electrically insulated from one another. As respective contact elements, the cylinder and the flats are connected to an electrical circuit in which a measuring element for contact detection is located.Furthermore, DE 39 13 996 A1 discloses sensors for measuring the distance between clothings, including capacitive, inductive, and optical sensors. A measurement using spark discharge is disclosed in WO 2008 055 367 A1. CH 695 351 A5 discloses a measurement of structure-borne sound to detect contact between the drum clothing and the cover clothing.

[0016] Furthermore, to create the flat profile during one revolution of the revolving flats, the carding gap is regulated by the actuator via the control system in such a way that contact occurs between the surface of the cylinder clothing and the plane of the revolving flats, with the contact being detected by contact measurement. This makes it easy to record the course of the design and production-related differences between the individual revolving flats guided one after the other over the flexible bends in a profile. The profile created in this way during one revolution of the revolving flats is then calculated for a predetermined carding gap, whereby the dynamic control of the actuators results in a constant carding gap during card operation, regardless of the differences in the overall height of the individual revolving flats.Determining contact is much easier and more precise than measuring an actual distance, as no measurement tolerances or incorrect measurements can occur.

[0017] To create the flat profile, the revolving flats are preferably moved against the working direction and the drum is rotated against the operating direction. By moving the revolving flats against the working direction, the revolving flats hit the drum clothing at the point where the widest carding gap is provided, thus avoiding direct contact. By rotating the drum against the operating direction, the flat clothings or their tips touch the drum clothing on its back, thus preventing the flat clothing from getting caught in the drum clothing. This mode of operation also prevents unnecessary wear on the tips of the flat clothing and the drum clothing due to contact between the tip surfaces active in the carding process.

[0018] Preferably, the creation of a cover profile is provided separately for each flexible bend or each segment of the flexible bend, wherein during creation the other flexible bend or the other segments of the flexible bend are arranged by the corresponding actuators in a position in which no contact occurs. This procedure avoids the need to assign detection of a contact to one of the two sides of the drum. Due to the geometric arrangement of the revolving flats, contact can only occur on the moving side of the drum. Despite the disadvantage of two revolutions of the chain to detect both profiles, the advantages of locally limiting the possible contacts between the drum assembly and the cover assembly outweigh the disadvantages.

[0019] Advantageously, contact measurement is an electrical current measurement. The drum and the revolving flats are electrically insulated from one another, for example by an electrically insulating bearing of the drum axis in the machine frame, and connected to a voltage source. As soon as the drum fittings and the flat fittings touch, an electrical circuit is closed, which is detected by a corresponding measuring device. Compared to non-contact distance measurement, for example using optical sensors, this has the advantage that a clear distinction can be made between contact and approach. In an alternative embodiment, contact measurement is a structure-borne sound measurement. As soon as the fittings touch, a vibration is created which spreads in the form of structure-borne sound. The structure-borne sound can be measured using an acceleration sensor in the area of ​​the flexible bend, the machine frame, or even the drum.The advantage of a structure-borne sound measurement over a current measurement is that it can determine the intensity of the contact. This allows accidental contact between individual tips of the cover assembly and the drum assembly to be ruled out as irrelevant.

[0020] Furthermore, a method for the dynamic adjustment of a carding gap of an operating card with a control system and a drum equipped with a drum clothing, having a drum axis, and having a revolving flat unit provided with a plurality of revolving flats, wherein the revolving flats in the revolving flat unit are connected to form a continuously rotating chain. The revolving flats each have a flat clothing and are guided in the direction of the drum axis on both sides of the drum on at least one flexible bend and moved along an outer surface of the drum clothing in a working direction. The drum is rotated in a working direction. The carding gap is formed by a distance between the outer surface of the drum clothing and a plane of the flat clothings of the revolving flats facing the drum clothing.A flat profile of one revolution of the revolving flat chain is stored in the control system, and the control system detects the respective position of the revolving flat chain via a sensor. At least one actuator adjusts the distance between the flexible sheets guiding the revolving flats and the drum axis. The distance is adjusted during the movement of the revolving flats and adapted to the flat profile stored in the control system in such a way that the carding gap remains constant during the chain's revolution.

[0021] It is advantageous if the creation of the cover profile during rotation of the drum against the operating direction and movement of the chain of the revolving flats against the working direction comprises the following process steps: a) Determination of a starting position of the chain of the revolving flats; b) Reduction of the distance by the actuator until contact measurement detects contact between the surface of the drum assembly and the plane of the revolving flats; c) Registration of a position of the actuator with a reference to the position of the chain by the control system; d) Increasing the distance by the actuator until contact between the surface of the drum assembly and the plane of the revolving flats no longer occurs; e) Repeating steps b) to d) until the starting position of the chain of the revolving flats is reached again; f) Storing a history of the registered positions as a cover profile in the control system and switching off the rotation of the drum and the movement of the chain.

[0022] The flat profile created using this process reflects an exact recording of the geometric differences present in the revolving flats used. The control system then adds a specified carding gap of, for example, 150 pm to the value from the flat profile corresponding to the position of the chain. The resulting value is set via the actuator. Depending on the movement of the revolving flat chain, the value to be set is continuously corrected via the control system using the actuator, achieving a dynamic adjustment of the carding gap. Although the adjustment is dynamic, i.e. constantly changing over time, the current carding gap remains constant in its gap width acting on the fiber material.

[0023] Creating a flat profile using this method is advantageous for new installations, as well as after overhauls (repair or maintenance work such as replacing the cylinder clothing), or after replacing individual revolving flats due to damage. It is also advantageous to create a new flat profile after grinding the cylinder or flat clothing. Generally, creating a new flat profile is beneficial after a run-in phase for a new card (approximately after 20 tons of production) and after each card overhaul (approximately after 200 tons of production).

[0024] Preferably, a cover profile is created separately for each flexible bend, wherein during the creation of the cover profile of a first flexible bend, the second flexible bend is adjusted via the corresponding actuator and held in position during the creation of the cover profile of the first flexible bend such that in any area of ​​the second flexible bend there is no contact between the surface of the drum assembly and the plane of the revolving flats. By fixing the second flexible bend in a position in which contact is guaranteed when creating a cover profile for a first flexible bend, incorrect measurements are avoided. The same procedure should also be applied when creating separate cover profiles for individual segments of a flexible bend.

[0025] In a further development of the process, the cover profile stored in the control system is subjected to a correction factor which results from at least one of the following influences:

[0026] - Drum speed

[0027] - Process temperature

[0028] - Ambient temperature

[0029] - Operating time.

[0030] In order to achieve the most efficient carding effect on a card, it is necessary to keep the carding gap as small as possible, particularly in the main carding zone between the flat clothing of the revolving flat and the cylinder clothing. The cylinder clothing is applied to the outer surface of the card drum using a special mounting and fastening process. In order to achieve high production volumes, the speeds of the drums have increased steadily in recent years. This means that drums with speeds of over 600 rpm are now used. By increasing the speeds, the centrifugal forces on the card drum are increased, which cause uneven elastic deformations in the diameter area of ​​the card drum due to the uneven tensions that occur.Due to the described uneven elastic deformations in the drum area, the carding gap set in the idle state can change during operation, which can lead to deterioration of the carding process due to loss of carding area, as well as collisions between the carding wires and thus damage to the carding wires. This circumstance is taken into account by applying a correction factor to the flat profile.

[0031] During the carding process, temperatures rise in the carding area, or rather between the flat clothing and the cylinder clothing. This change in temperature causes the various components involved in the process, such as the revolving flats, the cylinder, or the flexible bends, to expand or deform. Furthermore, the geometric conditions are also influenced by changing ambient temperatures, for example, by an expansion of the machine frame, which directly affects the position of the attached flexible bends in relation to the position of the cylinder axis. These geometric changes in the components due to temperature differences, which affect the carding gap, should advantageously be taken into account using appropriate correction factors.

[0032] Operating time also affects the carding gap. With increasing use of the card and an increase in the amount of fiber processed in the card, wear on the individual components, especially the carding clothing, occurs. Wear on the carding clothing leads to an increase in the carding gap over the operating time, which must also be accounted for by an appropriate correction factor in the flat profile.

[0033] Furthermore, a carding machine with a device according to the above description is proposed. The invention is explained below using exemplary embodiments and further illustrated by figures.

[0034] Figure 1 schematic representation of a side view of a carding machine according to the prior art;

[0035] Figure 2 enlarged view of the area X according to Figure 1;

[0036] Figure 3 shows a schematic representation of a side view of an embodiment of the device;

[0037] Figure 4 shows a schematic representation of a side view of another embodiment of the device;

[0038] Figure 5 shows a schematic representation of a cross section of an embodiment of the device;

[0039] Figure 6 schematic representation of a cross section of another embodiment of the device and

[0040] Figure 7 graphic representation of a cover profile according to the invention.

[0041] Figure 1 shows a side view of a schematic representation of a carding machine 1 according to the prior art. The fiber material 2 to be carded, which can consist of natural fibers or chemical fibers or mixtures thereof, is fed into a filling chute 3 in the form of roughly cleaned and opened fiber flakes. From the filling chute 3, the fiber material 2 is fed to a feed roller 4 and taken over in the form of batting by a licker-in roller or licker-in 5. The licker-in 5 can consist of a single or multiple licker-in rollers. From the licker-in 5, the fibers are transferred to a spool or drum 6. The fiber flakes are opened into individual fibers on the drum 6, parallelized, and cleaned. The drum 6 is equipped with a drum clothing 7 on its outer circumference.The fiber material carried along by the drum clothing 7 reaches the area of ​​a main carding zone due to the rotational movement of the drum 6 in the operating direction 8, which is formed in cooperation with a revolving flat unit 10 arranged above the drum 6. The revolving flat unit 10 is provided with schematically shown, rotating revolving flats 11, which are equipped with flat clothings 12. A carding nip 15 is formed between the drum clothing 7 and the flat clothings 12, through which the fiber material passes. The individual revolving flats 11 are connected to one another and joined together to form an endlessly rotating chain 13. The chain 13 is moved endlessly in a working direction 14 in the revolving flat unit 10 by a drive (not shown). The working direction 14 of the revolving flats 11 is usually opposite to the operating direction 8 of the drum 6.The drum 6 is rotatably mounted on a drum axis 9 and, via bearings not shown, in a machine frame 15 of the carding machine 1. The drum axis 9 is connected to a drive of the carding machine 1 (not shown in detail).

[0042] Following the revolving flat unit 10, the carded fiber material enters the area of ​​a rotatably mounted doffer 17, which transfers the fiber material removed from the drum 6 to a rotatably mounted doffer roller 18. The doffer roller 18 conveys the fiber material removed by the doffer 17 via guide devices (not shown in detail) to a downstream pair of press rollers 19, which delivers the fiber material to a fleece funnel 20 via further guide means (e.g., a cross conveyor belt) (not shown). The fiber material formed in the fleece funnel 20 is calendered in the form of a card sliver 22 by a downstream pair of calender rollers 21 and transferred to a sliver depositor (not shown).

[0043] Figure 2 shows an enlarged view of the area X according to Figure 1 . Two revolving flats 11 are arranged on the chain 13, which is shown in detail. The revolving flats 11 are each equipped with a flat clothing 12 on a side assigned to the drum 6. The flat clothing 12 is formed from a large number of wire hooks provided with points, which form a plane 29. The drum 6, which is arranged opposite the revolving flats 11, is provided with a drum clothing 7. The points of the drum clothing 7 form its outer surface 28. A distance between the plane 29 of the flat clothings 12 and the surface 28 of the drum clothing 7 forms the carding gap 15. During operation, the drum 6 is moved in an operating direction 8 and the chain 13 in a working direction 14. When creating a cover profile, however, the drum (6) is rotated against the operating direction (8) and the chain (13) is moved against the working direction (14).

[0044] Figure 3 shows a schematic representation of a side view of an embodiment of the device with a revolving flat unit 10, which is arranged above drum 6. The drum 6 has a drum axis 9 and is provided on its outer circumference with a drum assembly 7 which forms an outer surface 28. The revolving flat unit 10 comprises a plurality of revolving flats 11 which are connected to one another and form an endless chain 13. The chain 13 is guided over deflection rollers 23 and guided via a flexible bend 24 along a surface 28 of the drum 6, wherein one of the deflection rollers 23 is designed as a drive roller (not shown). The revolving flats 11 are equipped with flat assembly sets 12 on a side opposite the drum assembly 7 and interact with the drum assembly 7. The working direction 14 of the revolving flats 11 is directed against the operating direction 8 of the drum 6 in the present example.

[0045] In the case of the revolving flats 11 which are directly opposite the drum 6, the tips of the flat clothing 12 point in the direction of the surface 28 which forms the tips of the drum clothing 7. As can be seen from the enlarged view of Figure 2, there is a distance between the plane 29 formed by the tips of the flat clothing 12 and the drum clothing 7, which distance is referred to as the carding gap 15. The carding gap ranges between 0.1 mm and 0.4 mm. In order to keep the carding gap 15 constant, a flexible arch 24 is attached, on which the revolving flats 11 are supported. The flexible arch 24 is connected to an actuator 27 which is arranged in such a way that the actuator 27 can adjust a distance 30 between the drum axis 9 and the flexible arch 24, or the plane 29 of the flat clothing 12.

[0046] Furthermore, a controller 31 is provided in which a cover profile 38 is stored. The controller 31 is further connected to the actuator 27 and a contact measurement 34 as well as a sensor 32. The sensor 32 detects a marking 33 applied to one of the revolving flats 11. The controller 31 thus knows the position of the chain 13 and can adjust the distance 30 of the flexible bend 24 via the actuator 27 according to the cover profile 38. The contact measurement 34 is necessary for creating the cover profile 38, but can be used during normal operation as a crash sensor to prevent accidental contact between the cover assembly 12 and the drum assembly 7.

[0047] Figure 4 shows a schematic side view of another embodiment of the device. In the following, only the differences from the embodiment shown in Figure 3 will be discussed to avoid unnecessary repetition of the partially identical structure of the device. The flexible arch 24 is divided into three segments 26. By means of correspondingly assigned actuators 27, the three segments 26 can be independently adjusted in their distance 30 from the drum axis 9. The different cover profiles 38 are stored in the control unit 31 according to the number of segments 26.

[0048] Figure 5 shows a schematic representation of a cross-section of an embodiment of the device with a drum 6 and a revolving flat 11. The drum 11 is provided on its outer circumference with a drum clothing 7, the tips of which form the outer surface 28. The drum 6 is mounted in a machine frame 16. The revolving flat 11 is equipped on a side facing the drum 6 with a flat clothing 12, the tips of which form the plane 29. The carding nip 15 is formed by a distance between the surface 28 and the plane 29. The revolving flat 11 is mounted and guided on both sides of the drum 6 on a first flexible arch 24 and a second flexible arch 25, respectively. An actuator 27 is provided between the machine frame 16 and the flexible arches 24 and 25, with which actuator a distance 30 between the plane 29 and the drum axis 9 can be adjusted.On the drum axis 9, an example of a structure-borne sound sensor 35 is shown, which is connected to a contact measurement 34 containing an evaluation.

[0049] Figure 6 shows a schematic representation of a cross section of another

[0050] Embodiment of the device during the creation of a flat profile 38 with a drum 6 and a revolving flat 11. The drum 11 is provided on its outer circumference with a drum assembly 7, the tips of which form the outer surface 28. The drum 6 is mounted in a machine frame 16. The revolving flat 11 is equipped with a flat assembly 12 on a side facing the drum 6, the tips of which form the plane 29. The carding nip 15 is formed by a distance between the surface 28 and the plane 29. The revolving flat 11 is mounted and guided on both sides of the drum 6 on a first flexible arch 24 and a second flexible arch 25, respectively. An actuator 27 is provided between the machine frame 16 and the flexible arches 24 and 25, with which actuator a distance 30 between the plane 29 and the drum axis 9 can be adjusted.In the illustration shown, a cover profile 38 (see Figure 7) is created for the second flexible bend 25. For this purpose, the actuator 27 of the first flexible bend 24 is fixed in a position in which contact can definitely not occur between the drum assembly 7 and the cover assembly 12 in the area of ​​the first flexible bend 24. Thus, all contacts occurring during profile creation can be attributed to the adjustment of the second flexible bend. Between the revolving cover 11 and the drum 6, a current sensor 36 is shown as an example, which is connected to a contact measurement 34 containing an evaluation. The revolving cover 11 and the drum 6 are electrically insulated from one another by an insulation 37, so that a current flow can only be detected in the contact measurement 34 when the cover assembly 12 and the drum assembly 7 touch.

[0051] Figure 7 shows a graphic representation of a flat profile 38 in the form of a diagram according to the invention. The flat profile 38 shows the course 41 of the distance between a first flexible arch and the drum axis (see Figure 3 or 4), as well as the course 42 of the distance between a second flexible arch and the drum axis 9. The first and second flexible arches are, for example, the two flexible arches arranged on either side of the drum in a carding machine, with a separate flat profile 38, or a separate course 41, 42, being created for each of the flexible arches. In the diagram shown, a revolution 39 of the revolving flat chain is plotted on the abscissa, and a measured value 40 in pm is plotted on the ordinate. The differences in the measured distances between the drum axis and the flexible arch in relation to the position in a revolution 39 are subsequently entered as measured value 40.The flat profile 38 with the profiles 41 and 42 serves the control system to correct a specified carding gap when adjusting the actuators. As can be seen in the diagram, the maximum deviation 43 of 42 pm occurs at position 0.4 of the circuit 39. Without the option of dynamically adjusting the carding gap, with a specified carding gap of 150 pm, this would mean that the card would have to be operated with a carding gap of at least 193 pm to avoid collision of the clothings. This would result in a corresponding loss of quality in the processed fiber material.

[0052] The present invention is not limited to the illustrated and described embodiments. Modifications within the scope of the patent claims are possible, as are combinations of features, even if they are illustrated and described in different embodiments.

[0053] legend

[0054] 1 carder

[0055] 2 Fiber material

[0056] 3 filling shaft

[0057] 4 feed roller

[0058] 5 licker-ahead

[0059] 6 drum

[0060] 7 drum set

[0061] 8 Operating direction drum

[0062] 9 Drum axle

[0063] 10 revolving lid unit

[0064] 11 revolving lids

[0065] 12 lid fittings

[0066] 13 Chain

[0067] 14 Working direction 15 Carding gap

[0068] 16 Machine frame

[0069] 17 customers

[0070] 18 Pick-up roller

[0071] 19 pairs of press rollers

[0072] 20 fleece funnels

[0073] 21 pairs of calender rolls

[0074] 22 card sliver

[0075] 23 pulley

[0076] 24 First flexible arch

[0077] 25 Second flexible arch

[0078] 26 segment flexible arch

[0079] 27 Actuator

[0080] 28 Surface drum fitting

[0081] 29 Level lid fittings

[0082] 30 distance

[0083] 31 Control

[0084] 32 sensors

[0085] 33 Marking

[0086] 34 Contact measurement

[0087] 35 Structure-borne sound sensor

[0088] 36 Current sensor

[0089] 37 Isolation

[0090] 38 cover profile

[0091] 39 circulation

[0092] 40 measurement quantities

[0093] 41 Course of the first flexible arch

[0094] 42 Course of second flexible arch

[0095] 43 Maximum deviation

Claims

Patent claims 1. A device for dynamically adjusting a carding gap (15) of an operating carding machine (1), the device comprising a control system (31) and a drum (6) equipped with a drum assembly (7) having a drum axis (9), and a revolving flat assembly (10) provided with a plurality of revolving flats (11), wherein the revolving flats (11) are connected in the revolving flat assembly (10) to form an endlessly circulating chain (13), wherein the revolving flats (11) each have a flat assembly (12) and are held on at least one flexible sheet (24, 25) on both sides of the drum (6) in the direction of the drum axis (9), and a movement of the revolving flats (11) in a working direction (14) on the flexible sheet (24, 25) along an outer surface (28) of the drum assembly (7) and a rotation of the drum (6) in an operating direction (8) is provided,and wherein the carding gap (15) is formed by a distance between the outer surface (28) of the drum clothing (7) and a plane (29) of the flat clothings (12) of the revolving flats (11) facing the drum clothing (7), characterized in that a sensor (32) is provided for detecting a position of the circulating chain (13) of the revolving flats (11), and in that a flat profile (38) of a circuit (39) of the chain (13) of the revolving flats (11) is stored in the control (31), and an adjustment of a distance (30) between the flexible sheets (24, 25) guiding the revolving flats (11) and the drum axis (9) is provided by at least one actuator (27), wherein the adjustment is adapted to the flat profile (38) during the movement of the revolving flats (11) in such a way that the carding gap (15) during the circuit (39) of the chain (13) is constant., 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cover profile (38) corresponds to a course (41, 42) of the distance (30) between the flexible arch (24, 25) guiding the revolving flats (11) and the drum axis (9) during one revolution (39) of the chain (13) of the revolving flats (11) in the revolving flat unit (10) at a carding gap (15) of zero millimeters. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the chain (13) of the revolving flats (11) or at least one revolving flat (11) has a marking (33) and the sensor (32) is provided for detecting the marking (33). Device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that independent cover profiles (38) are provided for the flexible arches (24, 25) arranged on both sides of the drum (6). Device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the flexible arches (24, 25) arranged on both sides of the drum (6) are each divided into several segments (26), wherein the individual segments (26) of the flexible arches (24, 25) are each provided with an actuator (27).Device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device has a contact measurement (34) and that, in order to create the flat profile (38) during one revolution (39) of the revolving flats (11), a control of the carding gap (15) with the actuator (27) is provided by the controller (31) in such a way that contact occurs between the surface (28) of the drum clothing (7) and the plane (29) of the revolving flats (11), wherein the contact is detected by the contact measurement (34). Device according to claim 6, characterized in that, in order to create the flat profile (38), the revolving flats (11) are moved counter to the working direction (14) and the drum (6) is rotated counter to the operating direction (8).Device according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the creation of a cover profile (38) is provided separately for each flexible arch (24, 25) or each segment (26) of the flexible arches (24, 25), wherein during the creation the respective other flexible arch (24, 25) or the respective other segments (26). the flexible sheets (24, 25) are arranged by the corresponding actuators (27) in a position in which no contact occurs. Device according to at least one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the contact measurement (34) comprises an electrical current measurement (36). Device according to at least one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the contact measurement (34) comprises a structure-borne sound sensor (36). Method for the dynamic adjustment of a carding gap (15) of an operating card 1 () with a controller (31) and a drum (6) equipped with a drum clothing (7) with a drum axis (9) and with a revolving flat unit (10) provided with a plurality of revolving flats (11), wherein the revolving flats (11) in the revolving flat unit (10) are connected to form an endlessly circulating chain (13),wherein the revolving flats (11) each have a flat clothing (12) and are guided in the direction of the drum axis (9) on both sides of the drum (6) on at least one flexible sheet (24, 25) in each case and are moved along an outer surface (28) of the drum clothing (7) in a working direction (14), and the drum (6) is rotated in an operating direction (8), and wherein the carding gap (15) is formed by a distance between the outer surface (28) of the drum clothing (7) and a plane (29) of the flat clothings (12) of the revolving flats (11) facing the drum clothing (7), characterized in that a flat profile (38) of a circuit (39) of the chain (13) of the revolving flats (11) is stored in the control unit (31), and the control unit (31) detects a respective position of the circulating chain (13) of the revolving flats (11) via a sensor (32). and that by at least one actuator (27) a distance (30) between the flexible bends (24,25) and the drum axis (9), wherein the distance (30) is adjusted during the movement of the revolving flats (11) and adapted to the flat profile (38) stored in the control (31) such that the carding gap (15) is constant during the circulation (39) of the chain (13). Method according to claim 11, characterized in that the creation of the cover profile () during the rotation of the drum (6) counter to the operating direction (8) and the movement of the chain (13) of the revolving flats (11) counter to the working direction (14) comprises the following method steps: a) determining a starting position of the chain (13) of the revolving flats (11); b) reducing the distance (30) by the actuator (27) until contact between the surface (28) of the drum assembly (7) and the plane (29) of the revolving flats (11) is determined by a contact measurement (34); c) registering a position of the actuator (27) with a reference to the position of the chain (13) by the controller (31); d) increasing the distance (30) by the actuator (27) until contact between the surface (28) of the drum assembly (7) and the plane (29) of the revolving flats (11) no longer occurs; e) repeating steps b) to d) until the starting position of the chain (13) of the revolving flats (11) is reached again;f) storing a history (41, 42) of the registered positions as a cover profile (38) in the control system (31) and deactivating the rotation of the drum (6) and the movement of the chain (13). Method according to claim 12, characterized in that a cover profile (38) is created separately for each flexible sheet (24, 25), wherein, during the creation of the cover profile (38) of a first flexible sheet (24), the second flexible sheet (25) is adjusted via the corresponding actuator (27) and held in its position during the creation of the cover profile (38) of the first flexible sheet (24) such that, in a region of the second flexible sheet (25), there is no contact between the surface (28) of the drum assembly (7) and the plane (29) of the revolving flats (11). Method according to at least one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the cover profile (38) stored in the control (31) is subjected to a correction factor which results from at least one of the following influences: - speed of the drum - Process temperature - Ambient temperature - Operating time. Carding machine (1) with a device according to at least one of claims 1 to 10.

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