Spun yarn take-up machine and package manufacturing method

Abstract

Entanglement of monofilament yarns during the production of a mother yarns MY is suppressed. A spun yarn take-up system 1 includes a traverse guide 22, a fulcrum guide 21, a yarn guide 16, and a bending guide 26. The fulcrum guide 21 is positioned above the traverse guide 22 and on the upstream side in the running direction of the mother yarn MY, and extends in the left-right direction (first axial direction). The yarn guide 16 is provided on the upstream side of the fulcrum guide 21 in the running direction. The bending guide 26 is provided between the yarn guide 16 and the fulcrum guide 21 in the running direction. When viewed in the first axial direction, a bending contact surface 26a of the bending guide 26 is arranged on the same side as the fulcrum guide 21 and faces the opposite side of the fulcrum virtual tangent VLP in the fulcrum normal direction, with reference to the fulcrum virtual tangent VLP.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a spun yarn take-up machine and a package manufacturing method.

[0002] Synthetic fiber yarns have been known. A yarn is spun out from a spinneret of a spinning apparatus and taken up by a spun yarn take-up machine (see, e.g., Patent Literature 1 (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2015-165060)). The yarn runs while being guided by multiple yarn guides in the spun yarn take-up machine and is wound onto a bobbin. A package is formed by the yarn being wound onto the bobbin. The package manufactured through such processes is used in subsequent processes (such as a weaving process).SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] As types of yarns, there is a monofilament yarn made of a single filament and a multifilament yarn made of plural filaments. Although not disclosed in Patent Literature 1, there are cases where multiple monofilament yarns are treated as a single multifilament yarn with the aim of improving yarn production efficiency. In other words, multiple filaments (monofilament yarns) spun out from a spinneret of a spinning apparatus may pass through essentially the same yarn path and be wound onto one bobbin. Hereafter, a bundle of yarns wound onto a bobbin in this manner will be referred to as a mother yarn for the sake of convenience in explanation. The mother yarn is treated as a single yarn in the spun yarn take-up machine, while in the later process, the mother yarn is divided into the original multiple monofilaments. Hereinafter, an act of unwinding a mother yarn from a package and dividing it into multiple monofilaments will be referred to as yarn separation, for the sake of convenience in explanation. The multiple monofilament yarns after the yarn separation are treated as separate yarns.

[0004] To smoothly unwind a mother yarn from a package and separate it into filament yarns in the subsequent process, it is necessary to run multiple monofilament yarns in the spun yarn take-up machine without causing the yarns to be entangled with each other. However, in known spun yarn take-up machines, there has been a problem where multiple monofilament yarns guided by a known yarn guide are disadvantageously entangled.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to suppress the entanglement of multiple monofilament yarns when a package is manufactured by winding a mother yarn.

[0006] A spun yarn take-up machine of a first aspect of the invention is configured to take up a mother yarn including monofilaments spun out from a spinning apparatus and to form a package by winding the mother yarn onto a bobbin, and includes: a traverse guide which is provided on the upstream side of the bobbin in a running direction of the mother yarn and is configured to traverse the mother yarn in a predetermined traverse direction; a fulcrum guide which is provided on the upstream side of the traverse guide in the running direction, extends in a first axial direction which is orthogonal to the traverse direction and is in parallel to a horizontal direction, and functions as a fulcrum when the mother yarn is traversed; an upstream guide which is provided on the upstream side of the fulcrum guide in the running direction; and a bending guide which is provided between the upstream guide and the fulcrum guide in the running direction, a fulcrum contact surface where the fulcrum guide makes contact with the mother yarn forming a curved fulcrum contact line when viewed in the first axial direction, and when viewed in the first axial direction, with reference to a fulcrum virtual tangent drawn from an upstream separation point where the mother yarn separates from the upstream guide to the fulcrum contact line, a bending contact surface where the bending guide makes contact with the mother yarn being on the same side as the fulcrum guide and facing the opposite side of the fulcrum virtual tangent, in a fulcrum normal direction which is orthogonal to a direction in which the fulcrum virtual tangent extends.

[0007] A mother yarn having multiple monofilament yarns is wound onto a bobbin without being interlaced, with the result that a package which allows the mother yarn to be separated in a later process is formed. Typically, the size of a yarn guide that guides a yarn is sufficiently smaller than the length of a yarn path. For this reason, when considering the arrangement of the yarn guide in relation to the yarn path, the yarn guide can be substantially regarded as a point. The fulcrum virtual tangent and the fulcrum normal direction do not therefore depends on the way of determining the upstream separation point.

[0008] In order for the mother yarn to be easily unwound and separated in a later process, multiple monofilament yarns need to run without being entangled with each other. The monofilament yarns are easily entangled if they float up from the guide and move erratically. In this regard, thanks to the arrangement of the bending guide, the present invention makes it possible to apply a tension to the mother yarn and to cause the mother yarn to run while pressing the mother yarn onto the fulcrum guide (as detailed in the embodiment).

[0009] As a result, it is possible to suppress the monofilament yarns from unintentionally floating up from the fulcrum guide. It is therefore possible to suppress the entanglement of the monofilament yarns when a package is manufactured by winding the mother yarn.

[0010] In addition to the above, because the fulcrum guide is close to the traverse guide and the bobbin in the running direction, it is possible to cause the mother yarn to be wound onto the bobbin while maintaining the state in which the entanglement of the monofilament yarns is suppressed.

[0011] According to a second aspect of the invention, the spun yarn take-up machine of the first aspect is arranged so that, in a given cross section of the fulcrum guide, which is in parallel to the first axial direction and intersects with the fulcrum contact surface, the fulcrum contact surface forms either a line segment extending along the first axial direction or a curved line which bulges toward a yarn path of the mother yarn.

[0012] According to the present invention, thanks to the shape of the fulcrum contact surface, it is possible to cause the monofilament yarns included in the mother yarn to run while being side by side in the first axial direction, or to cause the monofilament yarns to run while being slightly separated from each other in the first axial direction (as detailed in the embodiment). In other words, it is possible to suppress the monofilament yarns from overlapping one another in the first axial direction on the fulcrum contact surface. It is therefore possible to further suppress the entanglement of the monofilament yarns at the time of the production of the mother yarn.

[0013] According to a third aspect of the invention, the spun yarn take-up machine is arranged so that the bending guide extends in a second axial direction that extends along the horizontal direction, and in a given cross section of the bending guide, which is in parallel to the second axial direction and intersects with the bending contact surface, the bending contact surface forms either a line segment extending along the second axial direction or a curved line which bulges toward the yarn path of the mother yarn.

[0014] According to the present invention, thanks to the shape of the bending contact surface, it is possible to cause the monofilament yarns included in the mother yarn to run while being side by side in the second axial direction, or to cause the monofilament yarns to run while being slightly separated from each other in the second axial direction. In other words, it is possible to suppress the filament yarns from overlapping one another in the second axial direction on the bending contact surface. It is therefore possible to further suppress the entanglement of the monofilament yarns at the time of the production of the mother yarn.

[0015] According to a fourth aspect of the invention, the spun yarn take-up machine of any one of the first to third aspects is arranged so that the fulcrum guide is provided to be non-rotatable while the mother yarn is running.

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to widen the intervals between the neighboring monofilament yarns (i.e., spreading is achieved), as the fulcrum guide rubs the running mother yarn. It is therefore possible to further suppress the entanglement of the monofilament yarns at the time of the production of the mother yarn.

[0017] According to a fifth aspect of the invention, a package manufacturing method of manufacturing the package by using the spun yarn take-up machine of any one of the first to fourth aspects of the invention includes a step of forming the package by winding the mother yarn onto the bobbin without interlacing the mother yarn.

[0018] The present invention makes it possible to effectively suppress the entanglement of the monofilament yarns. It is therefore easy to separate the mother yarn unwound from the package.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] FIG. 1 is a front view of a spun yarn take-up machine of an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view of a spinning apparatus. FIG. 3 is a profile of the spun yarn take-up machine. FIG. 4 shows a first definition of the positional relationship between a yarn guide, a fulcrum guide, and a bending guide. FIG. 5 shows a second definition of the positional relationship between the yarn guide, the fulcrum guide, and the bending guide. FIG. 6(a) is a longitudinal cross section view of the fulcrum guide, and FIG. 6(b) is a longitudinal cross section view of the bending guide. FIG. 7(a) is a longitudinal cross section view of a fulcrum guide of a modification, and FIG. 7(b) is a longitudinal cross section view of a bending guide of the modification. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] The following will describe an embodiment of the present invention. For the sake of convenience, directions shown in FIG. 1 are referred to as forward, rearward, leftward, rightward, upward, and downward directions. An up-down direction (direction in parallel to the up-down direction in the plane of FIG. 1) is a vertical direction in which the gravity acts. A left-right direction (direction in parallel to the left-right direction in the plane of FIG. 1) is a predetermined direction orthogonal to the up-down direction. A front-rear direction (direction in parallel to the direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 1) is orthogonal to both the up-down direction and the left-right direction. The left-right direction and the front-rear direction are in parallel to the horizontal direction. A direction in which a later-described mother yarn MY runs will be referred to as a running direction.(Structure of Spun Yarn Take-Up Machine)

[0021] FIG. 1 is a front view of a spun yarn take-up machine 1 of the present embodiment. The spun yarn take-up machine 1 is configured to take up mother yarns MY spun out from a spinning apparatus 2, to wind the mother yarns MY onto bobbins B, respectively, and to form packages P. The spun yarn take-up machine 1 winds each mother yarn MY onto a bobbin B without interlacing the mother yarn MY. In other words, the spun yarn take-up machine 1 is not provided with a known interlacing device which is configured to impart interlacing to typical multifilament yarns (not illustrated). Plural spun yarn take-up machines 1 (and plural spinning apparatuses 2) may be aligned in the left-right direction.

[0022] Before specifically describing the structure of the spun yarn take-up machine 1, the following will briefly explain the spinning apparatus 2 and the mother yarns MY with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a front view of the spinning apparatus 2. The spinning apparatus 2 is, for example, a known melt spinning device. The spinning apparatus 2 is configured to be able to spin out multiple filaments fm (monofilament yarns) made of a yarn material (e.g., polyester, nylon, etc.) which is a material of synthetic fibers. The spinning apparatus 2 includes a spinning beam 2a and multiple spinnerets 2b. The spinning beam 2a extends in, for example, the left-right direction. The spinnerets 2b are fixed to the spinning beam 2a and are aligned in the left-right direction. Molten yarn material (not illustrated) is supplied to the spinning beam 2a and is discharged (spun out) from the spinnerets 2b. The discharged yarn material is cooled and solidified by an unillustrated cooler, and becomes filaments fm. Multiple filaments fm are produced by the corresponding spinning spinnerets 2b.

[0023] The filaments fm corresponding to the respective spinning spinnerets 2b are treated as a single mother yarn MY, as oil is applied to the filaments fm by an oil applying guide 3 (see FIG. 2) so that the filaments fm become close to each other, for example. To put it differently, the mother yarn MY includes multiple filaments fm (monofilament yarns). The number of mother yarns MY is equal to the number of the spinnerets 2b. The mother yarn MY is treated as a single yarn in the spun yarn take-up machine 1. However, the mother yarn MY must be separated into multiple filaments fm again in a later process (i.e., yarn separation should be done). Due to this, being different from typical multifilament yarns that are interlaced for the prevention of loosening, the mother yarn MY is not interlaced. The mother yarn MY is wound onto a bobbin B without being interlaced at the spun yarn take-up machine 1. In this sense, the mother yarn MY differs from typical multifilament yarns.

[0024] The following will describe a specific structure of the spun yarn take-up machine 1 with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3. The spun yarn take-up machine 1 includes, for example, the following members which are provided in order from the upstream side in the running direction: a direction change guide 11, a pair of rollers 12, a pair of rollers 13, a godet roller 14, a regulatory guide 15, yarn guides 16 (upstream guides of the present invention), and a winding device 17 (see FIG. 1). The spun yarn take-up machine 1 of the present embodiment is used, for example, for winding up a nylon mother yarn MY.

[0025] The direction change guide 11 (see FIG. 1) is a guide for changing the direction in which mother yarns MY are aligned. The direction change guide 11 is provided on the downstream side in the running direction of oil applying guides 3 (see Fig. 2). The direction change guide 11 is inclined at substantially 45 degrees relative to the left-right direction, for example. As a result, the mother yarns MY aligned in the left-right direction and running on the upstream side in the running direction of the direction change guide 11 are allowed to be aligned in the front-rear direction and run on the downstream side in the running direction of the direction change guide.

[0026] The rollers 12 (see FIG. 1) are provided for drawing the mother yarns MY between the rollers 13 (see FIG. 1). The rollers 12 are provided, for example, on the downstream side of the direction change guide 11 and on the upstream side of the pair of rollers 13 in the running direction. The rollers 12 are, for example, known Nelson rollers. More specifically, the pair of rollers 12 includes, for example, a roller 12a and a roller 12b. The axial direction of the rollers 12a and the axial direction of the rollers 12b are, for example, inclined relative to each other. The axial direction of the rollers 12a or the axial direction of the rollers 12b may be substantially in parallel to the front-rear direction. The mother yarns MY are wound onto the outer circumferential surface of each roller 12 more than once. The mother yarns MY are wound onto each roller 12 in such a way that the wind positions of the respective mother yarns MY are gradually differentiated from one another in the axial direction on the outer circumferential surface of each roller 12. This prevents the mother yarns MY from interfering with each other on the roller 12. Each roller 12 is rotationally driven by an unillustrated motor. The circumferential speeds of the rotation of the rollers 12 are substantially identical with each other. Each roller 12 may be a heating roller which is configured to heat the mother yarns MY by using an unillustrated heater in accordance with the material of the mother yarns MY. In this case, the rollers 12 may be accommodated in an unillustrated insulation box to suppress cooling of the rollers by the outside air. Alternatively, each roller 12 may be a non-heating roller configured not to heat the mother yarns MY.

[0027] The rollers 13 (see FIG. 1) are provided for drawing the mother yarns MY between the rollers 13 and the rollers 12 (see FIG. 1). The rollers 13 are provided, for example, on the downstream side of the rollers 12 and on the upstream side of the godet roller 14 in the running direction. The rollers 13 are, for example, known Nelson rollers and are basically identical with the rollers 12 in terms of the structure. The pair of rollers 13 includes, for example, a roller 13a and a roller 13b. The mother yarns MY are wound onto the outer circumferential surface of each roller 13 more than once, in the same manner as the winding onto the rollers 12. Each roller 13 is rotationally driven by an unillustrated motor. The circumferential speeds of the rotation of the rollers 13 are substantially identical with each other. The circumferential speeds of the rollers 13 are higher than the circumferential speeds of the rollers 12. The mother yarns MY are drawn due to the difference between the circumferential speeds of the rollers 13 and the circumferential speeds of the rollers 12. Each roller 13 may be a heating roller which is configured to heat the mother yarns MY by using an unillustrated heater. The mother yarns MY are thermally set by the rollers 13. The rollers 13 are accommodated in an insulation box 18 having an internal space. The insulated box 18 is a box that suppresses the cooling of the rollers 13 by preventing the intrusion of the outside air into the internal space.

[0028] The godet roller 14 is provided for sending the mother yarns MY to the winding device 17 side. The godet roller 14 is provided on the downstream side of the rollers 13 and on the upstream side of the regulatory guide 15 in the running direction. The axial direction of the godet roller 14 is substantially in parallel to the front-rear direction, for example. The mother yarns MY are wound onto the outer circumference of the godet roller 14 at a winding angle of less than 360 degrees, while being aligned in the axial direction. The godet roller 14 is rotationally driven by an unillustrated motor.

[0029] The regulatory guide 15 is configured to prevent unintended widening of the intervals of the mother yarns MY in the axial direction on the outer circumferential surface of the godet roller 14. The regulatory guide 15 is, for example, structured to be comb teeth in shape. The regulatory guide 15 is provided on the downstream side of the godet roller 14 and on the upstream side of the yarn guides 16 in the running direction.

[0030] While the spun yarn take-up machine 1 having been explained includes the godet roller 14, the disclosure is not limited to this arrangement. For example, in a spun yarn take-up machine (not illustrated) configured to wind a mother yarn (not illustrated) made of polyester such as PET, a godet roller 14 may not be provided. In other words, in the running direction, the mother yarns may be, for example, sent directly from the rollers 13 to the regulatory guide 15.

[0031] The yarn guides 16 are members that guide the respective mother yarns MY to the downstream side in the running direction. Each of the yarn guides 16 is a known guide such as a snail guide or a dog tail guide. The yarn guides 16 are aligned in the front-rear direction, for example. The yarn guides 16 are provided on the downstream side of the regulatory guide 15 and on the upstream side of the winding device 17 in the running direction. The yarn guides 16 are provided for the respective mother yarns MY. Each mother yarn MY is threaded to the corresponding yarn guide 16. In this way, the passage (yarn path) of each mother yarn MY is defined.

[0032] The winding device 17 is configured to form packages P by winding the mother yarns MY onto the respective bobbins B. The winding device 17 is provided on the downstream side of the yarn guides 16 in the running direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the winding device 17 includes a frame 20, fulcrum guides 21, traverse guides 22, a turret 23, two bobbin holders 24, and a contact roller 25.

[0033] The frame 20 is a member which is placed on, for example, a floor surface of a factory, and to which components of the winding device 17 are attached or in which components of the winding device 17 are accommodated. Each fulcrum guide 21 functions as a fulcrum when a mother yarn MY is traversed by each traverse guide 22. Each fulcrum guide 21 is attached to a supporting body 27 (see FIG. 1) fixed to the frame 20, for example. The supporting body 27 is provided to protrude upward from the upper end of the frame 20, for example. The supporting body 27 extends in the front-rear direction (not illustrated) and is configured to be able to support the fulcrum guides 21. Each fulcrum guide 21 is arranged to guide the mother yarn MY to the downstream side in the running direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the fulcrum guides 21 are provided for the respective mother yarns MY. The fulcrum guides 21 are aligned in the front-rear direction.

[0034] The traverse guides 22 are provided for the respective mother yarns MY. The traverse guides 22 are aligned in the front-rear direction. Each traverse guide 22 is driven by an unillustrated motor and reciprocates in a traverse direction that is substantially in parallel to the front-rear direction (see FIG. 4). With this arrangement, the mother yarns MY threaded to the traverse guides 22 are traversed about the fulcrum guides 21. The turret 23 is a disc-shaped member having an axis substantially in parallel to the front-rear direction. The turret 23 is rotationally driven by a motor which is not illustrated. The two bobbin holders 24 are rotatably supported at an upper end portion and a lower end portion of the turret 23. The axial direction of each bobbin holder 24 is substantially in parallel to the front-rear direction. Each bobbin holder 24 supports bobbins B which are aligned in the front-rear direction. Each of the two bobbin holders 24 is rotationally driven by an individual motor (not illustrated). The contact roller 25 is provided in the vicinity of the upper bobbin holder 24. The axial direction of the contact roller 25 is substantially in parallel to the front-rear direction. The contact roller 25 is configured to make contact with the surfaces of the packages P supported by the upper bobbin holder 24. With this arrangement, the contact roller 25 applies a contact pressure to the surfaces of the unfinished packages P so as to adjust the shape of each package P.

[0035] In the winding device 17 structured as described above, when the upper bobbin holder 24 is rotationally driven, the mother yarns MY traversed by the traverse guides 22 are wound onto the bobbins B, with the result that the packages P are formed. When the formation of the packages P is completed, the turret 23 is rotated so as to switch over the upper and lower positions of the two bobbin holders 24. Because of this, the bobbin holder 24 having been at the lower position is accordingly moved to the upper position. The mother yarns MY are wound on the respective bobbins B attached to the upper bobbin holder 24, so as to form the packages P. In this regard, the bobbin holder 24 to which the fully-formed packages P are attached is moved to the lower position. The fully-formed packages P are collected by, e.g., an unillustrated package collector.

[0036] To smoothly unwind a mother yarn MY from a package P and separate it into filament yarns in the subsequent process, it is necessary to run filaments fm (monofilament yarns) in the spun yarn take-up machine 1 without entangling the filaments with each other. However, in known spun yarn take-up machines (not illustrated), there has been a problem where multiple monofilament yarns guided by a known yarn guide (not illustrated) are entangled. Therefore, in order to suppress the entanglement of monofilament yarns during the production of the mother yarns MY, the spun yarn take-up machine 1 has the following structure.(Details of Structure of Spun Yarn Take-Up Machine)

[0037] The following will describe the details of the structure of the spun yarn take-up machine 1 with reference to FIG. 3 to FIG. 6(b). FIG. 4 shows a first definition (described later) of the positional relationship between the yarn guide 16, the fulcrum guide 21, and a bending guide 26 (described later). FIG. 5 shows a second definition (described later) of the positional relationship between the yarn guide 16, the fulcrum guide 21, and the bending guide 26. FIG. 6(a) is a longitudinal cross section view of the fulcrum guide 21. FIG. 6(b) is a longitudinal cross section view of the bending guide 26.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 3, the spun yarn take-up machine 1 includes multiple bending guides 26. The bending guides 26 are provided for the respective mother yarns MY. As shown in FIG. 4, the bending guide 26 is provided on the downstream side of the yarn guide 16 and on the upstream side of the fulcrum guide 21 in the running direction. The bending guide 26 is attached to the supporting body 27, for example. The bending guide 26 and the fulcrum guide 21 are guides for allowing a mother yarn to run toward a bobbin B in a state in which monofilament yarns are aligned. Each of the bending guide 26 and the fulcrum guide 21 is, for example, substantially cylindrical in shape. The details will be given later. The bending guide 26 is attached to the supporting body 27 so as not to be rotatable. That is to say, while the mother yarn MY is running, the bending guide 26 does not rotate. The fulcrum guide 21 is attached to the supporting body 27 so as not to be rotatable. That is to say, while the mother yarn MY is running, the fulcrum guide 21 does not rotate. The bending guide 26 and the fulcrum guide 21 extend in the left-right direction, for example. The left-right direction corresponds to a first axial direction (the direction in which the fulcrum guide 21 extends) and a second axial direction (the direction in which the bending guide 26 extends) of the present invention.

[0039] The positional relationship between the yarn guide 16, the bending guide 26, and the fulcrum guide 21 corresponding to each mother yarn MY will be explained. There are two possible definitions (first definition and second definition) regarding the positional relationship between these members. The following will detail the first definition and the second definition in a specific manner.(First Definition)

[0040] The following will describe the first definition with reference to FIG. 4. In FIG. 4, the yarn guide 16, the bending guide 26, and the fulcrum guide 21 are schematically shown. In FIG. 4, the frontmost fulcrum guide 21 among the fulcrum guides 21 is shown as an example, along with a mother yarn MY, a yarn guide 16, and a bending guide 26 corresponding to that fulcrum guide 21. The bending guide 26 is provided above the fulcrum guide 21, for example. It is noted that the bending guide 26 may not be provided directly above the fulcrum guide 21. The position of the bending guide 26 in the front-rear direction may differ from the position of the fulcrum guide 21 in the front-rear direction in accordance with the running path of the mother yarn MY.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 4, a point where the mother yarn MY separates from the yarn guide 16 is defined as an upstream separation point PLu. The position of the upstream separation point PLu on the yarn guide 16 may slightly change when the mother yarn MY or part of the filaments fm is shaken. However, the positional change of the upstream separation point PLu is negligibly small as compared to the length of the yarn path from the yarn guide 16 to the fulcrum guide 21.

[0042] A surface of the bending guide 26, where the bending guide 26 makes contact with the mother yarn MY, is defined as a bending contact surface 26a. A surface of the fulcrum guide 21, where the fulcrum guide 21 makes contact with the mother yarn MY, is defined as a fulcrum contact surface 21a. When viewed in the left-right direction (i.e., the direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. 4), the fulcrum contact surface 21a forms a curved fulcrum contact line 21a1. A tangent drawn from the upstream separation point PLu to the fulcrum contact line 21a1 is defined as a fulcrum virtual tangent VLP, and the contact point is defined as a contact point PT. The direction in which the fulcrum virtual tangent VLP extends is defined as a fulcrum tangent direction. A direction orthogonal to the fulcrum tangent direction when viewed in the left-right direction is defined as a fulcrum normal direction. When viewed in the left-right direction, the bending contact surface 26a forms a curved bending contact line 26a1. The bending contact surface 26a is arranged on the same side as the fulcrum guide 21 in the fulcrum normal direction, with reference to the fulcrum virtual tangent VLP. Furthermore, when viewed in the left-right direction, the bending contact surface 26a faces the opposite side of the fulcrum virtual tangent VLP in the fulcrum normal direction. As a result, the yarn path is bent as compared to a case where the bending guide 26 is not provided (i.e., when the yarn path of the mother yarn MY is substantially linear from the yarn guide 16 to the fulcrum guide 21).(Second Definition)

[0043] The following will describe the second definition with reference to FIG. 5. Also in FIG. 5, the yarn guide 16, the bending guide 26, and the fulcrum guide 21 are schematically shown. Also in FIG. 5, the frontmost fulcrum guide 21 among the fulcrum guides 21 is shown as an example, along with a mother yarn MY, a yarn guide 16, and a bending guide 26 corresponding to that fulcrum guide 21.

[0044] Being similar to the first definition, a point where the mother yarn MY separates from the yarn guide 16 is defined as an upstream separation point PLu (see FIG. 5). As shown in FIG. 5, a point on the bending guide 26, where the mother yarn MY makes contact with the bending guide 26 first, is defined as a bending contact point PTm. Being similar to the upstream separation point PLu, a positional change of the bending contact point PTm is negligibly small as compared to the length of the yarn path from the yarn guide 16 to the fulcrum guide 21. A virtual straight line passing through the upstream separation point PLu and the bending contact point PTm when viewed in the left-right direction is defined as a first virtual straight line VL1 (see a two-dot chain line in FIG. 5). The direction in which the first virtual straight line VL1 extends is defined as an extending direction. A point on the bending guide 26, where the mother yarn MY separates from the bending guide 26, is defined as a bending separation point PLm. A point on the fulcrum guide 21, where the mother yarn MY makes contact with the fulcrum guide 21 first, is defined as a fulcrum contact point PTd. A point where the mother yarn MY separates from the fulcrum guide 21 is defined as a fulcrum separation point PLd. A virtual straight line passing through the bending separation point PLm and the fulcrum contact point PTd is defined as a second virtual straight line VL2. The second virtual straight line VL2 is a tangent of the bending guide 26 with the bending separation point PLm functioning as the contact point, and is a tangent of the fulcrum guide 21 with the fulcrum contact point PTd functioning as the contact point, too. The direction in which the second virtual straight line VL2 extends is defined as a tangent direction. A direction orthogonal to the tangent direction when viewed in the left-right direction is referred to as a normal direction.

[0045] When viewed in the left-right direction, the bending contact point PTm of the bending guide 26 is positioned on the opposite side of the fulcrum separation point PLd of the fulcrum guide 21, with reference to the second virtual straight line VL2 (see FIG. 5). As a result, the yarn path is bent as compared to a case where the bending guide 26 is not provided (i.e., when the yarn path of the mother yarn MY is substantially linear from the yarn guide 16 to the fulcrum guide 21).

[0046] In both the first definition and the second definition, when viewed in the left-right direction, the contact length of the mother yarn MY on the fulcrum guide 21 (i.e., the length of the fulcrum contact line 21a1) is long as compared to a case where the bending guide 26 is not provided. Because the mother yarn MY firmly makes contact with the fulcrum guide 21, it is possible to suppress the mother yarn MY from floating off from the fulcrum guide 21.

[0047] The following will describe the shape of the fulcrum guide 21. In a given cross section of the fulcrum guide 21, which is in parallel to the left-right direction and intersects with the fulcrum contact surface 21a, the fulcrum contact surface 21a forms a line segment extending along the left-right direction. As a specific example, assume a cross section (see FIG. 6(a)) of the fulcrum guide 21, which intersects with the tangent direction and includes the fulcrum contact point PTd (see FIG. 5). In the cross section, the fulcrum contact surface 21a forms a substantially linear fulcrum edge 21a2 (line segment LS1).

[0048] The following will describe the shape of the bending guide 26. In a given cross section of the bending guide 26, which is in parallel to the left-right direction and intersects with the bending contact surface 26a, the bending contact surface 26a forms a line segment extending along the left-right direction. As a specific example, assume a cross section (see FIG. 6(b)) of the bending guide 26, which intersects with the tangent direction and includes the bending contact point PTm (see FIG. 5). In the cross section, the bending contact surface 26a forms a substantially linear bending edge 26a2 (line segment LS2).

[0049] The yarn guide 16, the bending guide 26, and the fulcrum guide 21 structured as described above guide the mother yarn MY to the downstream side in the running direction in the following manner. To begin with, the mother yarn MY is bent by the bending guide 26. As a result, a certain degree of tension is applied to the mother yarn MY on the yarn path from the yarn guide 16 to the fulcrum guide 21. Furthermore, the bending contact surface 26a of the bending guide 26 extends in the left-right direction (second axial direction). As a result, because the tensioned mother yarn MY runs while being in contact with the bending contact surface 26a, the filaments fm included in the mother yarn MY are aligned along the left-right direction (see FIG. 6(b)). Furthermore, the fulcrum contact surface 21a of the fulcrum guide 21 extends in the left-right direction (first axial direction). Due to this, the tensioned mother yarn MY is pressed onto the fulcrum guide 21. Because the mother yarn MY runs while being in contact with the fulcrum contact surface 21a, the filaments fm are aligned along the left-right direction (see FIG. 6(a)). The mother yarn MY is traversed by the traverse guide 22 while maintaining the aligned state, and is wound onto the bobbin B. In this way, the mother yarn MY is wound onto the bobbin without being interlaced, and the package P is produced.

[0050] As described above, thanks to the arrangement of the bending guide 26, it is possible to apply a tension to the mother yarn MY and to cause the mother yarn MY to run while pressing the mother yarn MY onto the fulcrum guide 21. As a result, it is possible to suppress the filaments fm from unintentionally floating up from the fulcrum guide 21. It is therefore possible to suppress the entanglement of the filaments fm when a package P is manufactured by winding the mother yarn MY.

[0051] The mother yarn MY traversed by the traverse guide 22 is wound onto a bobbin provided immediately on the downstream side in the running direction of the traverse guide 22. In the present embodiment, because the fulcrum guide 21 is close to the bobbin B in the running direction, it is possible to cause the mother yarn MY to be wound onto the bobbin B while maintaining the state in which the entanglement of the filaments fm is suppressed.

[0052] In addition to the above, thanks to the shape of the fulcrum contact surface 21a, it is possible to cause the filaments fm in the mother yarn MY to run while being side by side in the first axial direction. In other words, it is possible to suppress the filaments fm from overlapping one another in the first axial direction on the fulcrum contact surface 21a. It is therefore possible to further suppress the entanglement of the filaments fm at the time of the production of the mother yarn MY.

[0053] In addition to the above, thanks to the shape of the bending contact surface 26a, it is possible to cause the filaments fm to run while being side by side in the second axial direction. In other words, it is possible to suppress the filaments fm from overlapping one another in the second axial direction on the bending contact surface 26a. It is therefore possible to further suppress the entanglement of the filaments fm at the time of the production of the mother yarn MY.

[0054] The fulcrum guide 21 is provided so as not to be rotatable. On this account, it is possible to widen the intervals between the neighboring filaments fm (i.e., spreading is achieved), as the fulcrum guide 21 rubs the running mother yarn MY. It is therefore possible to further suppress the entanglement of the filaments fm at the time of the production of the mother yarn MY.

[0055] In addition to the above, the method of manufacturing the package P (package manufacturing method) of the present embodiment can effectively suppress the entanglement of the filaments fm. It is therefore easy to separate the mother yarn MY unwound from the package P.

[0056] The following will describe modifications of the above-described embodiment. The members identical with those in the embodiment above will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and the explanations thereof are not repeated. (1) In the embodiment above, the positional relationship between the yarn guide 16, the bending guide 26, and the fulcrum guide 21 can be defined based on the first definition and the second definition. However, the disclosure is not limited to this. The above-described positional relationship and shape may be defined based only on either the first definition or the second definition. To put it differently, the above-described positional relationship and shape may satisfy only either the first definition or the second definition. Even in such a case, it is possible to suppress the entanglement of the filaments fm. (2) In the embodiment above, the fulcrum guide 21 is substantially cylindrical in shape. However, the disclosure is not limited to this. A specific explanation will be given with reference to FIG. 7(a). In place of the fulcrum guide 21, a fulcrum guide 31 may be provided. The directions shown in FIG. 7(a) are the same as the directions shown in FIG. 6(a). A fulcrum contact surface 31a where the mother yarn MY makes contact with the fulcrum guide 31 may bulges outward. The following will detail this "bulge outward". In a given cross section of the fulcrum guide 31, which is in parallel to the left-right direction and intersects with the fulcrum contact surface 31a, the fulcrum contact surface 31a forms a curved line that bulges toward the yarn path of the mother yarn MY. As a specific example, a fulcrum edge 31a2 (see FIG. 7(a)) corresponding to the above-described fulcrum edge 21a2 is curved to bulge toward the yarn path of the mother yarn MY in the left-right direction. More specifically, the center of curvature of the fulcrum edge 31a2 is positioned on the opposite side of the yarn path of the mother yarn MY over the fulcrum edge 31a2 in the normal direction. Although not illustrated, for example, the center of curvature is positioned to the right of the fulcrum guide 31 in the left-right direction on the plane of FIG. 7(a). As a result, it is possible to cause the filaments fm included in the mother yarn MY to run while being slightly separated from one another in the left-right direction (see FIG. 7(a)). In this way, as long as the fulcrum contact surface 31a bulges outward, the shape of the fulcrum guide 31 is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 7(a).

[0057] Alternatively, a fulcrum guide (not illustrated) having a fulcrum contact surface (not illustrated) which slightly bulges inward may be provided in place of the fulcrum guide 21 and the fulcrum guide 31. Even in such a fulcrum guide, the positional relationship with the bending guide 26 (or the bending guide 32 described later) can suppress the mother yarn MY from floating off from the fulcrum guide.

[0058] (3) In the embodiment above, the bending guide 26 is substantially cylindrical in shape. However, the disclosure is not limited to this. A specific explanation will be given with reference to FIG. 7(b). In place of the bending guide 26, a bending guide 32 may be provided. The directions shown in FIG. 7(b) are the same as the directions shown in FIG. 6(b). A bending contact surface 32a where the mother yarn MY makes contact with the bending guide 32 may bulge outward. In a given cross section of the bending guide 32, which is in parallel to the left-right direction and intersects with the bending contact surface 32a, the bending contact surface 32a forms a curved line that bulges toward the yarn path of the mother yarn MY. As a specific example, the bending edge 32a2 corresponding to the bending edge 26a2 described above (see Fig. 7(b)) is curved relative to the left-right direction. More specifically, the center of curvature of the bending edge 32a2 is positioned on the opposite side of the yarn path of the mother yarn MY over the bending edge 32a2 in the normal direction. Although not illustrated, for example, the center of curvature is positioned to the left of the bending guide 32 in the left-right direction on the plane of FIG. 7(b). As a result, it is possible to cause the filaments fm included in the mother yarn MY to run while being slightly separated from one another in the left-right direction (see FIG. 7(b)). In this way, when the bending contact surface 32a bulges outward, the shape of the bending guide 32 is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 7(b).

[0059] Alternatively, a bending guide (not illustrated) having a bending contact surface (not illustrated) which slightly bulges inward may be provided instead of the bending guides 26 and 32.

[0060] (4) In the embodiment above, the fulcrum guide 21 (or the fulcrum guide 31) is provided to be non-rotatable. However, the disclosure is not limited to this. The fulcrum guide 21 (or the fulcrum guide 31) may be a roller which is rotatable about a rotational axial direction in parallel to the left-right direction, for example. In the embodiment above, the bending guide 26 (or bending guide 32) is provided to be non-rotatable. However, the disclosure is not limited to this. The bending guide 26 (or the bending guide 32) may be a roller which is rotatable about a rotational axial direction in parallel to the left-right direction, for example.

[0061] (5) In the embodiment above, the direction in which the mother yarns MY are aligned on the bending guide 26 and the direction in which the mother yarns MY are aligned on the fulcrum guide 21 are substantially identical with each other (i.e., substantially in parallel to the left-right direction). However, the disclosure is not limited to this. The direction (second axial direction) in which the mother yarns MY are aligned on the bending guide 26 and the direction (first axial direction) in which the mother yarns MY are aligned on the fulcrum guide 21 may be inclined with each other.

[0062] (6) The number of the mother yarns MY taken up by the spun yarn take-up machine 1 is not limited to the number described above. The spun yarn take-up machine 1 may be arranged to take up only one mother yarn MY, for example.

Claims

1. A spun yarn take-up machine (1) configured to take up a mother yarn (MY) including monofilaments (fm) spun out from a spinning apparatus (2) and to form a package (P) by winding the mother yarn (MY) onto a bobbin (B), the spun yarn take-up machine (1) comprising: a traverse guide (22) which is provided on the upstream side of the bobbin (B) in a running direction of the mother yarn (MY) and is configured to traverse the mother yarn (MY) in a predetermined traverse direction; a fulcrum guide (21) which is provided on the upstream side of the traverse guide (22) in the running direction, extends in a first axial direction which is orthogonal to the traverse direction and is in parallel to a horizontal direction, and functions as a fulcrum when the mother yarn (MY) is traversed; an upstream guide (16) which is provided on the upstream side of the fulcrum guide (21) in the running direction; and a bending guide (26) which is provided between the upstream guide (16) and the fulcrum guide (21) in the running direction, a fulcrum contact surface (21a) where the fulcrum guide (21) makes contact with the mother yarn (MY) forming a curved fulcrum contact line (21a1) when viewed in the first axial direction, and when viewed in the first axial direction, with reference to a fulcrum virtual tangent (VLP) drawn from an upstream separation point (PLu) where the mother yarn (MY) separates from the upstream guide (16) to the fulcrum contact line (21a1), a bending contact surface (26a) where the bending guide (26) makes contact with the mother yarn (MY) being on the same side as the fulcrum guide (21) and facing the opposite side of the fulcrum virtual tangent (VLP), in a fulcrum normal direction which is orthogonal to a direction in which the fulcrum virtual tangent (VLP) extends.

2. The spun yarn take-up machine (1) according to claim 1, wherein, in a given cross section of the fulcrum guide (21), which is in parallel to the first axial direction and intersects with the fulcrum contact surface (21a), the fulcrum contact surface (21a) forms either a line segment extending along the first axial direction or a curved line which bulges toward a yarn path of the mother yarn (MY).

3. The spun yarn take-up machine (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, the bending guide (26) extends in a second axial direction that extends along the horizontal direction, and in a given cross section of the bending guide (26), which is in parallel to the second axial direction and intersects with the bending contact surface (26a), the bending contact surface (26a) forms either a line segment extending along the second axial direction or a curved line which bulges toward the yarn path of the mother yarn (MY).

4. The spun yarn take-up machine (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fulcrum guide (21) is provided to be non-rotatable while the mother yarn (MY) is running.

5. A package manufacturing method of manufacturing the package (P) by using the spun yarn take-up machine (1) of any one of claims 1 to 4, the package manufacturing method comprising a step of forming the package (P) by winding the mother yarn (MY) onto the bobbin (B) without interlacing the mother yarn (MY).

Images