thread winding machine

Abstract

This reduces the possibility of the thread end on the package side, once the formation process is complete, getting tangled in the empty bobbin. [Solution] The spinning take-up machine 1 comprises bobbin holders 24A and 24B, a switching unit, a partition plate 65, and a control unit 26. In the completed state, when the switching operation is finished, the package P is held in the bobbin holder 24A, and the partition plate 65 is in the partition position, a first virtual line segment VLS1 is defined. Two virtual tangents (first virtual tangent VLT1 and second virtual tangent VLT2) are defined parallel to the first virtual line segment VLS1 and in contact with the outer edge of the bobbin holder 24B. The partition plate 65 extends across both of the two virtual tangents and is spaced apart from the yarn holding guide 44. After the switching operation is finished, the control unit 26 positions the partition plate 65 in the partition position and starts moving the yarn holding guide 44 from the holding position to the retracted position before the partition plate 65 reaches the partition position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a yarn winder.

Background Art

[0002] The spinning winder (yarn winder) disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes two bobbin holders extending in the axial direction. Each of the two bobbin holders rotatably supports a bobbin. A package is formed by winding the running yarn around the bobbin supported by one of the two bobbin holders. When the formation of the package is completed, in the yarn winder, an operation (switching operation) of transferring the yarn from the package to an empty bobbin held by the other bobbin holder is performed. More specifically, while the running yarn is being wound around the package, it is looped around the empty bobbin by a yarn transfer device (switching section). Tension is applied to the yarn looped around the empty bobbin, and the yarn is separated from the package. In this way, the switching operation is performed.

[0003] Here, the switching section has a first swivel plate that partitions the space between one bobbin holder and the other bobbin holder. In addition to the first swivel plate, a second swivel plate that partitions the above space is also provided. When the switching operation is completed, the tip of the first swivel plate and the tip of the second swivel plate are arranged to face each other. At this time, when viewed from the axial direction, the first swivel plate and the second swivel plate partition almost the entire above space. Thereby, it is intended to prevent the occurrence of a problem that the end (yarn end) on the package side of the separated yarn is caught on the empty bobbin side.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] A small gap is left between the first and second swivel plates described above to avoid interference between them. This gap is located on or near the line segment connecting the center of one bobbin holder to the center of the other bobbin holder. As a result, the thread end on the package side can be wound onto the empty bobbin side through this gap.

[0006] The objective of this invention is to reduce the possibility of the thread end on the package side, once formed, becoming entangled with the empty bobbin side. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The first invention's yarn winding machine includes a first bobbin holder extending along a predetermined axial direction for rotatably holding a first bobbin on which a running yarn is wound, a second bobbin holder extending along the axial direction and positioned alongside the first bobbin holder in a predetermined alignment direction intersecting the axial direction for rotatably holding a second bobbin on which the yarn is wound, and a yarn holding part that can be positioned in a holding position for temporarily holding the yarn while it is running, and the state of the first bobbin holder and the second bobbin holder is controlled before rotation A switching unit capable of performing a switching operation to switch from a state in which the yarn is wound onto the first bobbin and a package is formed to a state in which the yarn is wrapped around the rotating empty second bobbin and the yarn is separated from the package; a non-overlapping position that, when viewed from the axial direction, does not overlap with the running trajectory of the yarn held by the yarn holding unit located in the holding position during the switching operation; and a partitioning position that at least partially partitions the space between the second bobbin and the package when the switching operation is completed. The package is located in the first bobbin holder and the partition is in the partition position. In this completed state, the partition is located in the first bobbin holder and, when viewed from the axial direction, the center of rotation of the first bobbin holder and the second bobbin holder are separated. The partition extends across both the first and second virtual tangents, which are two virtual tangents that are in contact with the outer edge of the second bobbin holder and are parallel to the first virtual line segment connecting the rotation axis center of the holder, and is spaced apart from the thread holding portion. The control unit controls the partition drive unit to position the partition portion at the partition position after the switching operation is completed, and controls the holding drive unit to start moving the thread holding portion from the holding position toward the retracted position before the partition portion reaches the partition position.

[0008] According to the present invention, the partition does not interfere with the thread holding portion, and the partition can shield a wide area where the second bobbin and the package are particularly close together. Therefore, the possibility of the thread end on the package side, after formation, being wound onto the empty bobbin side (second bobbin side) can be reduced. Furthermore, by moving the thread holding portion to the retracted position after the switching operation is completed, interference between the partition portion and the thread holding portion can be more reliably avoided. Moreover, after the switching operation is completed, the partition portion is positioned in the partition position, and the thread holding portion begins to move from the holding position to the retracted position before the partition portion reaches the partition position. This ensures that interference between the partition portion and the thread holding portion after the switching operation is completed is reliably avoided.

[0009] The thread winding machine of the second invention is characterized in that, in the completed state, the partition is arranged to surround the second bobbin holder over an angular range of 90 degrees or more in the circumferential direction of the second bobbin holder.

[0010] In this invention, the second bobbin can be surrounded over a wide area in the circumferential direction of the second bobbin holder. Therefore, the possibility of the thread end on the package side getting tangled with the second bobbin side can be further effectively reduced.

[0011] The third invention is characterized in that, in the first or second invention, when viewed from the axial direction, the two virtual tangents include a first virtual tangent and a second virtual tangent, and in the completed state, the portion of the package on the first virtual line segment rotates to move from the first virtual tangent side to the second virtual tangent side, and the first angle between the second virtual line segment, which connects the end of the partition portion on the first virtual tangent side of the first virtual line segment and the rotation axis center of the second bobbin holder, and the first virtual line segment is greater than the second angle between the third virtual line segment, which connects the end of the partition portion on the second virtual tangent side of the first virtual line segment and the rotation axis center of the second bobbin holder, and the first virtual line segment.

[0012] The end of the thread on the package side extends downstream in the direction of the package's rotation, leaving a trailing tail. In this invention, the end of the thread located near the first virtual line segment extends further toward the first virtual tangent. In this respect, according to this invention, since the first angle is larger than the second angle, the partition is positioned to extend further toward the first virtual tangent. Therefore, the partition effectively prevents the extended end of the thread from getting tangled in the second bobbin.

[0013] The fourth invention is characterized in that, in any of the first to third inventions, the partition portion, when in the partition position, is positioned further from the second bobbin holder in the radial direction of the second bobbin holder than the thread holding portion when holding the thread during the switching operation.

[0014] After the switching operation is completed, a new package begins to form as the thread is wound onto the second bobbin, and the diameter of the package increases over time. Therefore, in order to avoid interference between the package and the partition, it is necessary to move the partition, which is located in the partition position, away from the package at an appropriate time. On the other hand, since the timing of the collection of the package after formation may be unintentionally delayed, it is preferable to keep the partition in the partition position for as long as possible after the switching operation is completed. In this regard, in the present invention, the partition located in the partition position is positioned farther away from the second bobbin holder in the radial direction of the second bobbin holder. Therefore, the partition can be kept in the partition position for a long time.

[0015] The fifth invention is a yarn winding machine, in any of the first to fourth inventions, wherein the switching unit is configured to interrupt the yarn by applying tension to the yarn traveling through the second bobbin toward the package during the switching operation, and the yarn holding unit is positioned between the second bobbin and the package in the direction of the yarn's movement during the switching operation, and is positioned to bend the yarn path through which the yarn travels, and is positioned closer to the second bobbin holder than the trajectory of the partition unit in the radial direction of the second bobbin holder.

[0016] The thread between the package and the second bobbin is divided by tension during the switching operation, separating into a thread end on the package side and a thread end on the second bobbin side. Since the thread end on the second bobbin side is not wound onto the second bobbin, it is preferable that it be as short as possible. Here, the tension is strongly applied to the portion of the thread that is held and bent by the thread holding part. Therefore, the position where the thread is divided is approximately the same as the position where the thread holding part is located. In this invention, during the switching operation, the thread holding part is located close to the second bobbin holder. Therefore, the thread end on the second bobbin side of the divided thread can be made shorter.

[0017] The sixth invention is characterized in that, in any of the first to fifth inventions, it comprises a thread-winding execution unit configured to perform a thread-winding operation in which the thread is wound onto the empty first bobbin before the switching operation is performed, the thread-winding execution unit has a thread-holding unit, and the thread-holding unit is configured to temporarily hold the thread during the thread-winding operation.

[0018] In this invention, the thread holding section can be used not only for switching operations but also for thread threading operations. Therefore, both switching and thread threading operations can be performed with a small number of components.

[0019] The thread take-up machine of the seventh invention, in the sixth invention, the thread hanging execution unit has a delivery unit configured to temporarily hold the thread during the thread hanging operation for delivering the thread to the thread holding unit, and a support unit that supports the delivery unit, and the support unit supports the partition unit in addition to the delivery unit.

[0020] In the present invention, the support unit supports both the delivery unit and the partition unit. Therefore, compared with a configuration in which the delivery unit and the partition unit are supported by separate members, an increase in the number of members can be suppressed.

[0021] The thread take-up machine of the eighth invention, in the seventh invention, is characterized in that a delivery drive source for driving the delivery unit to move and a partition drive source for driving the partition unit to move are provided separately.

[0022] The present invention is effective when the movement operation of the delivery unit and the movement operation of the partition unit are significantly different.

[0023] The thread take-up machine of the ninth invention, in the eighth invention, is characterized in that the delivery unit is configured to be capable of translational movement, and the partition unit is configured to be capable of swinging movement.

[0024] If an attempt is made to realize the translational movement operation of the delivery unit and the swinging movement operation of the partition unit with one drive source, a complicated mechanism may be required. In the present invention, the delivery unit and the partition unit are driven to move by different drive sources. Therefore, complication of the mechanism can be suppressed.

[0025] The thread take-up machine of the tenth invention, in any one of the first to ninth inventions, includes a turret configured to support the first bobbin holder and the second bobbin holder so as to be rotatable about the axial direction as the revolution axis direction, and configured to be able to exchange the position where the first bobbin holder is arranged and the position where the second bobbin holder is arranged.

[0026] In the present invention, the positions of the first bobbin holder and the second bobbin holder can be easily interchanged by a known turret.

[0027] An eleventh invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to tenth inventions, in the completed state, the partition portion extends so as to cross both a third virtual tangent line and a fourth virtual tangent line that are two virtual tangent lines in contact with the outer peripheral edge of the second bobbin and are parallel to the first virtual line segment when viewed from the axial direction.

[0028] In the present invention, the partition portion can further widely shield a region where the second bobbin and the package are particularly close to each other. Therefore, the possibility that the yarn end on the package side after formation is wound into the empty bobbin side (the second bobbin side) can be further reduced.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0029] [Figure 1] It is a side view of a spinning take-up machine according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a front view of a spinning take-up machine. [Figure 3] It is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a spinning take-up machine. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing operations of a plurality of fulcrum guides. [Figure 5] It is a front view of a delivery mechanism and a yarn holding mechanism. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view of a delivery mechanism. [Figure 7] (a) and (b) are plan views showing a part of the delivery mechanism, and (c) is a view taken in the direction of arrow VII(c) of FIG. 5 showing a part of the yarn holding mechanism. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing a yarn gathering mechanism. [Figure 9] It is a perspective view of a partitioning mechanism. [Figure 10] It is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 9. <000​​​​(a) and (b) are diagrams showing the operation of the partition mechanism. [Figure 13] (a) and (b) are diagrams showing the operation of the partition mechanism. [Figure 14] (a) to (c) are diagrams showing the procedure for threading. [Figure 15] This diagram shows the procedure for threading the string. [Figure 16] (a) and (b) are diagrams illustrating the procedure for transferring multiple threads from multiple movable thread guides to multiple thread holding guides. [Figure 17] (a) to (c) are diagrams illustrating the switching operation, and (d) is a diagram showing the state of the partition mechanism after the switching operation is completed. [Figure 18] This is an enlarged view of Figure 17(d). [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0030] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described. For the sake of explanation, the directions shown in Figure 1 will be defined as the front-back, left-right, up-down, and down-down directions. The up-down direction (up-down direction on the plane of Figure 1) is the vertical direction in which gravity acts. The front-back direction (left-right direction on the plane of Figure 1) is the direction perpendicular to the up-down direction. The left-right direction (perpendicular direction on the plane of Figure 1) is the direction perpendicular to both the up-down and front-back directions. The direction in which the thread Y, which will be described later, travels will be defined as the travel direction.

[0031] (Spinning machine) The configuration of the spinning take-up machine will be explained with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is a side view of the spinning take-up machine 1 (the yarn winding machine of the present invention) according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a front view of the spinning take-up machine 1. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the spinning take-up machine 1. The spinning take-up machine 1 takes up a plurality of yarns Y spun from the spinning device 2 and winds the plurality of yarns Y onto a plurality of bobbins B to form a plurality of packages P. The above operation of the spinning take-up machine 1 will be referred to as the winding operation below. The spinning device 2 is, for example, a known melt spinning device. The spinning device 2 spins a plurality of yarns Y made of synthetic fibers such as polyester. Each of the plurality of yarns Y is, for example, a multifilament yarn made of a plurality of filaments (not shown). Alternatively, each yarn Y may be a monofilament yarn made of a single filament.

[0032] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the spinning take-up machine 1 includes, for example, a first godet roller 11, a second godet roller 12, and a winding device 13. The first godet roller 11 is a roller whose axial direction is approximately parallel to, for example, the left-right direction. The first godet roller 11 is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown). As a result, the first godet roller 11 feeds multiple yarns Y to the second godet roller 12. The second godet roller 12 is a roller whose axial direction is approximately parallel to, for example, the left-right direction. The second godet roller 12 is positioned, for example, above and behind the first godet roller 11. The second godet roller 12 is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown). As a result, the second godet roller 12 feeds multiple yarns Y to the winding device 13.

[0033] In the direction of travel, an aspirator 14 is positioned immediately upstream of the first godet roller 11. The aspirator 14 is configured to suck and hold the yarn Y spun from the spinning apparatus 2. The aspirator 14 is used to temporarily suck and hold the yarn Y, for example, before the yarn winding process described later.

[0034] The second godet roller 12 is movably supported on a guide rail 15. The guide rail 15 extends diagonally upward and backward from the vicinity of the first godet roller 11. The second godet roller 12 is configured to move along the guide rail 15 by, for example, a moving mechanism (not shown). The moving mechanism is driven by, for example, a roller moving motor 101 (see Figure 3). This allows the second godet roller 12 to move between a winding position (see solid line in Figure 1) and a thread-hanging position (see dashed line in Figure 1). The winding position (see solid line in Figure 1) is the position of the second godet roller 12 when the winding operation is performed. The thread-hanging position is a position closer to the first godet roller 11 than the winding position. The thread-hanging position is the position of the second godet roller 12 when the thread-hanging operation described later is performed. The roller moving motor 101 is electrically connected to the control unit 26 (see Figure 3).

[0035] The winding device 13 is configured to wind multiple threads Y onto multiple bobbins B to form multiple packages P. The winding device 13 is located, for example, below the second godet roller 12. As shown in Figure 2, the winding device 13 comprises a frame 20, multiple pivot guides 21, multiple traverse guides 22, a turret 23, two bobbin holders 24, and a contact roller 25.

[0036] The frame 20 is a member installed, for example, on the floor of a factory, to which the components of the winding device 13 are attached or housed. Multiple pivot guides 21 are provided, each corresponding to one of the multiple threads Y. Each of the multiple pivot guides 21 is a guide that serves as a pivot point when the corresponding thread Y is traversed. The multiple pivot guides 21 are arranged in the front-rear direction. Multiple traverse guides 22 are provided, each corresponding to one of the multiple threads Y. Each of the multiple traverse guides 22 is a guide for traversing the corresponding thread Y. The multiple traverse guides 22 are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction. The multiple traverse guides 22 are driven, for example, by a traverse motor 102 (see Figure 3). Each of the multiple traverse guides 22 has, for example, two vane guides 22a (see Figure 8) that are rotated in opposite directions to each other. The configuration of each traverse guide 22 is not limited to this.

[0037] The turret 23 is a disc-shaped member whose axial direction is approximately parallel to the front-rear direction. The turret 23 is rotationally driven by the turret motor 103 (see Figure 3). The turret 23 rotatably supports two bobbin holders 24.

[0038] Each of the two bobbin holders 24 is configured to rotatably hold (support) multiple bobbins B arranged in the front-to-back direction. Hereinafter, one of the two bobbin holders 24 will also be referred to as bobbin holder 24A (see Figure 2). The other of the two bobbin holders 24 will also be referred to as bobbin holder 24B (see Figure 2). Each of the bobbin holders 24A and 24B is rotatably supported by the turret 23. The bobbin holders 24A and 24B are arranged point-symmetrically with respect to the rotation axis center of the turret 23 as the center of symmetry (see Figure 2). For the sake of explanation, the bobbin holder 24A will correspond to the first bobbin holder of the present invention, and the bobbin holder 24B will correspond to the second bobbin holder of the present invention. The bobbin holders 24A and 24B extend along the front-to-back direction (see Figure 1). The direction in which the bobbin holder 24A extends corresponds to the axial direction of the present invention. The direction in which the bobbin holder 24B extends is approximately parallel to the direction in which the bobbin holder 24A extends. Each bobbin holder 24 supports multiple bobbins B arranged in a front-to-back direction. The bobbin holders 24A and 24B are arranged in a direction perpendicular (intersecting) to the axial direction.

[0039] For the sake of explanation, the multiple bobbins B held in bobbin holder 24A will be referred to as multiple bobbins B1 (first bobbins of the present invention). The multiple bobbins B held in bobbin holder 24B will be referred to as multiple bobbins B2 (second bobbins of the present invention). The two bobbin holders 24 are each rotationally driven by individual winding motors 104 (see Figure 3). More specifically, bobbin holder 24A is rotationally driven by winding motor 104A (see Figure 3). Bobbin holder 24B is rotationally driven by winding motor 104B (see Figure 3).

[0040] Assume a situation where multiple bobbins B are held in one of two bobbin holders 24, each winding multiple threads Y (see Figures 1 and 2). For the sake of explanation, one of the bobbin holders 24 will be referred to as the upper bobbin holder 24. In Figures 1 and 2, bobbin holder 24A is the upper bobbin holder 24.

[0041] The contact roller 25 is a roller positioned directly above the upper bobbin holder 24. The axial direction of the contact roller 25 is approximately parallel to the front-rear direction. The contact roller 25 contacts the surfaces of multiple packages P supported by the upper bobbin holder 24. As a result, the contact roller 25 applies contact pressure to the surfaces of the multiple packages P during winding, thereby shaping each package P.

[0042] The control unit 26 is a computer device that controls the operation of the spinning take-up machine 1. The control unit 26 includes, for example, a CPU, ROM, and RAM (not shown). The control unit 26 is electrically connected to drive units such as the roller moving motor 101, traverse motor 102, turret motor 103, and two winding motors 104. The control unit 26 is also electrically connected to other drive units, which will be described later.

[0043] In the winding device 13 having the above configuration, when the upper bobbin holder 24 is rotated, the yarn Y spun by the traverse guide 22 is wound onto the corresponding bobbin B to form a package P. When multiple packages P are fully wound, the turret 23 is rotated counterclockwise when viewed from the front. This swaps the upper and lower positions of the two bobbin holders 24. The series of operations of the winding device 13 (described in detail later), including the operation of swapping the upper and lower positions of the two bobbin holders 24, will be referred to as the switching operation for the convenience of explanation. Due to the switching operation, the bobbin holder 24 that was located on the lower side moves to the upper side. Multiple yarn Ys are wound onto multiple empty bobbins B mounted on the upper bobbin holder 24, thereby forming multiple packages P. The bobbin holder 24 with the multiple fully wound packages P mounted on it is then moved to the lower side. The multiple fully wound packages P are collected, for example, by a package collection device (not shown).

[0044] For the sake of explanation, the rotation of the bobbin holder 24 by the winding motor 104 will be referred to as the rotation of the bobbin holder 24. The rotation of the bobbin B or package P due to the rotation of the bobbin holder 24 will also be referred to as the rotation. Furthermore, the rotation of the turret 23 by the turret motor 103 (i.e., the movement of the bobbin holder 24) will be referred to as the revolution of the bobbin holder 24. The movement of multiple bobbins B or multiple packages P due to the revolution of the bobbin holder 24 will also be referred to as the revolution. The axis of the revolution of the bobbin holder 24 (axis of revolution) is approximately parallel to the front-to-back direction. The bobbin holders 24A and 24B can be swapped by revolving 180 degrees around the axis of revolution.

[0045] Incidentally, during the switching operation, the yarn Y is cut between the fully wound package P and the empty bobbin B (details will be described later). Of the cut yarn Y, the end of the yarn Y on the package P side that has finished forming (hereinafter referred to as the yarn end) may get caught on the empty bobbin B side. Therefore, in order to reduce the possibility that the yarn end on the package P side that has finished forming will get caught on the empty bobbin B side, the spinning take-up machine 1 is configured as follows. Reducing the possibility that the yarn end on the package P side will get caught on the empty bobbin B side will be referred to as winding suppression below for the sake of explanation.

[0046] (Components for threading) Although not directly related to preventing entanglement, in order to start the winding operation in the spinning take-up machine 1, it is necessary to load multiple threads Y onto the spinning take-up machine 1. In this embodiment, the configuration for loading threads is partially common with the configuration for performing the switching operation. Therefore, before describing the components for the switching operation, the components for loading threads will be described with reference to Figures 2, 4 to 8. Figure 4 is a diagram showing the operation of multiple pivot guides 21. Figure 5 is a front view of the transfer mechanism 27 and the thread holding mechanism 28, which will be described later. In Figure 5, the circles shown by the dashed lines are the orbits (hereinafter, orbital orbits 100) on which the axial centers of the two bobbin holders 24 revolve. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the transfer mechanism 27. Figures 7(a) and 7(b) are plan views showing a part of the transfer mechanism 27, and (c) is a view taken by arrow VII(c) in Figure 5, showing a part of the thread holding mechanism 28. Figure 8 is a diagram showing the thread gathering mechanism 29, which will be described later.

[0047] The spinning take-up machine 1 has the following components as components related to yarn threading. Specifically, the spinning take-up machine 1 comprises a first godet roller 11, a second godet roller 12, a plurality of pivot guides 21, a turret 23, a transfer mechanism 27, a yarn holding mechanism 28, and a yarn gathering mechanism 29 (see Figures 2, 4 to 8). In general, the plurality of yarns Y spun from the spinning device 2 are threaded onto the first godet roller 11, the second godet roller 12, and the plurality of pivot guides 21 in this order, for example, by an operator. Hereinafter, the work performed by the operator during yarn threading will be collectively referred to as yarn threading work. Subsequently, the plurality of yarns Y are transferred to the yarn holding mechanism 28 via the transfer mechanism 27, and then threaded onto the plurality of bobbins B by the yarn gathering mechanism 29. The turret 23 revolves the bobbin holder 24 so that the plurality of yarns Y are properly threaded onto the plurality of bobbins B. Hereinafter, the operation of the turret 23, transfer mechanism 27, thread holding mechanism 28, and thread gathering mechanism 29 during thread threading will be referred to as the thread threading operation. Details of the thread threading work and thread threading operation will be described later. The turret 23, transfer mechanism 27, thread holding mechanism 28, and thread gathering mechanism 29 correspond to the thread threading execution unit of the present invention.

[0048] The position of the first godet roller 11 is fixed. The second godet roller 12 is movable between the winding position and the thread-hanging position, as described above (see Figure 1). The multiple pivot guides 21 are configured to be movable between a discrete position (see Figure 1) and a converged position (see Figure 4). The discrete position is the position of the multiple pivot guides 21 when the winding operation is being performed. The converged position is the position of the multiple pivot guides 21 when they are gathered forward compared to the discrete position. The spacing between the multiple pivot guides 21 in the front-to-back direction when they are in the converged position is narrower than when they are in the discrete position. The multiple pivot guides 21 are driven to move between the discrete position and the converged position by a guide drive unit 105 (see Figure 3). The guide drive unit 105 may have, for example, a known air cylinder (not shown). Alternatively, the guide drive unit 105 may have, for example, a known air shifter (not shown). The configuration of the turret 23 is as described above. Details of the operation will be described later.

[0049] The transfer mechanism 27 is a mechanism for transferring the portion of the multiple threads Y downstream in the direction of travel from the multiple pivot guides 21 to the thread holding mechanism 28. As shown in Figure 2, the transfer mechanism 27 is located, for example, near the right end of the winding device 13. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the transfer mechanism 27 includes, for example, a support section 31, two air shifters 32 (transfer drive sources of the present invention), an extending member 33, and a plurality of movable thread guides 34 (transfer sections of the present invention). The two air shifters 32 supported by the support section 31 drive the extending member 33, which supports the plurality of movable thread guides 34, to move.

[0050] As shown in Figure 6, the support portion 31 has a support portion 31F located at the front end of the transfer mechanism 27 and a support portion 31R located at the rear end. Each of the support portions 31F and 31R is a substantially columnar member extending in the vertical direction. Each of the support portions 31F and 31R supports one air shifter 32.

[0051] The two air shifters 32 are the drive source for moving the extending member 33 and the multiple movable thread guides 34 in a substantially linear manner. The two air shifters 32 are operated by compressed air. The two air shifters 32 are included in the movement drive unit 106 (see Figure 3) that drives the extending member 33 to move. The movement drive unit 106 is electrically connected to the control unit 26 (see Figure 3). The two air shifters 32 are attached to the support unit 31. For convenience of explanation, the front air shifter 32 attached to the support unit 31F is called air shifter 32F. The rear air shifter 32 attached to the support unit 31R is called air shifter 32R. Air shifter 32F has a body 32aF and a slider 32bF. The body 32aF extends, for example, generally in the vertical direction. The body 32aF is tilted, for example, slightly in the left-right direction with respect to the vertical direction. The slider 32bF is movably mounted on the main body 32aF and is configured to move parallel to the longitudinal direction of the main body 32aF. The air shifter 32R, like the air shifter 32F, has a main body 32aR and a slider 32bR (detailed explanation omitted). The sliders 32bF and 32bR support the extending member 33 (see Figure 6) for example, in a substantially horizontal position.

[0052] The extending member 33 is, for example, a long member that extends substantially horizontally along the front-rear direction. The extending member 33 is driven to move by the moving drive unit 106. That is, the extending member 33 is fixed to the sliders 32bF and 32bR. By moving integrally with the sliders 32bF and 32bR, the extending member 33 can move in parallel between the standby position (see solid line in Figure 5) and the handover position (see dashed line in Figure 5). The extending member 33 supports a plurality of movable thread guides 34 so that they can move back and forth (details will be described later).

[0053] Multiple movable thread guides 34 are provided, each corresponding to a plurality of threads Y. Each movable thread guide 34 is configured to temporarily hold the corresponding thread Y during threading. The multiple movable thread guides 34 are supported by an extending member 33. More specifically, the multiple movable thread guides 34 are supported by a support portion 31 via the extending member 33 and two air shifters 32. Each movable thread guide 34 has a body 34a and a projection 34b. The body 34a is the portion supported by the extending member 33. The projection 34b extends, for example, backward from the body 34a. Each movable thread guide 34 hooks and holds the corresponding thread Y on the projection 34b.

[0054] The multiple movable thread guides 34 are supported by the extending member 33, allowing them to move in parallel with the extending member 33. Furthermore, the multiple movable thread guides 34 are supported by the extending member 33 via a guide drive unit 107 (see Figure 3) so as to be movable back and forth. The guide drive unit 107 has, for example, an air cylinder (not shown). The guide drive unit 107 is configured to move the multiple movable thread guides 34 between discrete positions (see Figure 7(a)) and a combined position (see Figure 7(b)) where they are gathered at the front. In this way, the multiple movable thread guides 34 can not only move in conjunction with the extending member 33, but can also move in the back and forth direction relative to the extending member 33.

[0055] The thread holding mechanism 28 is a mechanism capable of receiving multiple threads Y from the transfer mechanism 27 and bringing them into contact with multiple bobbins B, respectively. As shown in Figure 2, the thread holding mechanism 28 is located, for example, near the left end of the winding device 13. As shown in Figures 5 and 7(c), the thread holding mechanism 28 has, for example, a pivot shaft 41, two arm portions 42, an extending member 43, and multiple thread holding guides 44 (the thread holding portion of the present invention). The two arm portions 42, the extending member 43, and the multiple thread holding guides 44 pivot integrally around the pivot shaft 41.

[0056] The pivot axis 41 is the pivot axis center for the two arm portions 42, the extending member 43, and the multiple thread-holding guides 44. The axial direction of the pivot axis 41 extends, for example, along the front-rear direction. The pivot axis 41 pivotably supports the two arm portions 42. Each of the two arm portions 42 is, for example, a roughly rod-shaped member. The two arm portions 42 are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction. Note that only one of the two arm portions 42 is shown in Figure 5. Each arm portion 42 is pivotably supported, for example, on the pivot axis 41. The extending member 43 is attached to the end of each arm portion 42 opposite to the pivot axis (i.e., the tip). The extending member 43 is a member that extends in the front-rear direction (see Figure 7(c)). The front end of the extending member 43 is fixed to the tip of the arm portion 42 positioned on the front side. The rear end of the extending member 43 is fixed to the tip of the arm portion 42 located at the rear. Multiple thread-holding guides 44 are fixed to the extending member 43. The multiple thread-holding guides 44 are members fixed to the extending member 43. Each of the multiple thread-holding guides 44 is provided corresponding to each of the multiple threads Y. The multiple thread-holding guides 44 are arranged side by side in the front-to-back direction, for example (see Figure 7(c)). Each of the multiple thread-holding guides 44 is, for example, a hook-shaped member. Each thread-holding guide 44 has a guide groove 44a. The guide groove 44a is provided to temporarily hold the corresponding thread Y during switching operations. The multiple thread-holding guides 44 are pivotable (movable) integrally with the arm portion 42 and the extending member 43.

[0057] The arm portion 42, the extending member 43, and the thread holding guide 44 are configured to pivot integrally around the pivot shaft 41. These members are driven to pivot by, for example, a pivot drive unit 108 (see Figure 3; the holding drive unit of the present invention). The pivot drive unit 108 has, for example, an air cylinder (not shown) as a drive source. The pivot drive unit 108 is electrically connected to the control unit 26. When the piston rod (not shown) provided on the air cylinder is, for example, fully retracted, the plurality of thread holding guides 44 are configured to be in the retracted position shown by the solid line in Figure 5. When the piston rod is, for example, fully extended, the plurality of thread holding guides 44 are configured to be in the receiving position shown by the dashed line in Figure 5.

[0058] The thread gathering mechanism 29 is configured to temporarily change the paths (thread routes) of multiple threads Y. The thread gathering mechanism 29 is capable of performing an operation to hook the threads Y into the slit SL (see Figure 8) formed on the outer surface of an empty bobbin B. The thread gathering mechanism 29 is provided near multiple traverse guides 22. Here, only the part of the thread gathering mechanism 29 corresponding to one thread Y will be described. As shown in Figure 8, the thread gathering mechanism 29 has a rail section 51 and a guide member 52. The rail section 51 is a member that extends along the front-rear direction. The rail section 51 guides the guide member 52 in the front-rear direction. The guide member 52 has a capture section 52a configured to hook and capture the corresponding thread Y. Here, for convenience of explanation, the region in which the traverse guide 22 traverses the thread Y is called the traverse region T (see Figure 8). The guide member 52 is configured to move between an outer position (see solid line in Figure 8), which is outside the twill-swinging region T, and an inner position (see dashed line in Figure 8), which is inside the twill-swinging region T. Furthermore, the guide member 52 is configured to be able to assume a yarn release position (see dashed line in Figure 8). The yarn release position is a position for releasing the yarn Y captured by the capture unit 52a at a position between the outer position and the inner position in the front-rear direction. The guide member 52 in the yarn release position is tilted slightly backward compared to the guide member 52 located in the outer position. The yarn gathering mechanism 29 is provided with a number of guide members 52 corresponding to the number of yarn Y. The multiple guide members 52 are moved and driven by a yarn gathering drive unit 109 (see Figure 3). The yarn gathering drive unit 109 includes, for example, an air cylinder (not shown) and a cam mechanism (not shown). The air cylinder is, for example, a known two-stage stroke type cylinder. The cam mechanism is configured to change the position and / or orientation of the guide member 52 in accordance with the extension and retraction of the piston rod (not shown) of the air cylinder. One air cylinder may drive multiple guide members 52 to move simultaneously. Alternatively, multiple air cylinders may be provided, each corresponding to a multiple guide member 52. The thread-winding drive unit 109 is electrically connected to the control unit 26.

[0059] The above configuration is used to perform the threading. Details will be described later.

[0060] (Switching operation and related components) The switching operation and related components will be explained with reference to Figures 5, 9 to 13. Figure 9 is a perspective view of the partition mechanism 60, which will be described later. Figure 10 is an enlarged view of a part of Figure 9. Figures 11(a) to 13(b) show the operation of the partition mechanism 60. Figures 11(a), 12(a), and 13(a) are front views of the rear end of the partition mechanism 60. Figures 11(b), 12(b), and 13(b) are rear views of the rear end of the partition mechanism 60. Figures 11(a) and 11(b) show the state of the partition mechanism 60 when the partition plate 65 (partition part of the present invention), which will be described later, is located in the non-overlapping position, which will be described later. Figures 12(a) and 12(b) show the state of the partition mechanism 60 when the partition plate 65 is located between the non-overlapping position and the partition position, which will be described later. Figures 13(a) and 13(b) show the state of the partition mechanism 60 when the partition plate 65 is in the partition position.

[0061] The spinning take-up machine 1 includes, for example, a turret 23 (see Figure 2), a yarn holding mechanism 28 (see Figure 5), and a yarn gathering mechanism 29 (see Figure 8) as components for performing the switching operation. The turret 23, yarn holding mechanism 28, and yarn gathering mechanism 29 together constitute the switching section of the present invention. In this embodiment, the switching section is a common component used when either yarn loading or switching operations are performed.

[0062] Of the turret 23, thread holding mechanism 28, and thread gathering mechanism 29, the thread holding mechanism 28 will be described in more detail. The multiple thread holding guides 44 of the thread holding mechanism 28 can be temporarily stopped (more precisely, stationary) at the holding positions indicated by the dashed lines in Figure 5. The holding positions are between the retracted position and the receiving position in the circumferential direction of the oscillation of the multiple thread holding guides 44. Any means may be used to station the multiple thread holding guides 44 at the holding positions. For example, a stopper (not shown) that can revolve integrally with the bobbin holder 24 may be provided at a predetermined position on the radially outer side of the bobbin holder 24. Furthermore, for example, a contact portion (not shown) that can contact the stopper may be provided on the extending member 43 of the thread holding mechanism 28. In such a configuration, the multiple thread holding guides 44 may be stopped at the holding positions by the oscillation of the contact portion contacting the stopper. Alternatively, the stopper and contact portion may not be provided. For example, the air cylinder not shown above may have a known two-stage stroke mechanism. As described above, the multiple thread holding guides 44 are configured to be movable not only between the retracted position and the receiving position, but also between the holding position and the retracted position.

[0063] Furthermore, the spinning take-up machine 1 is equipped with a partition mechanism 60 (see Figures 9 to 13(b)). The partition mechanism 60 is a mechanism for suppressing winding after the switching operation is completed. The partition mechanism 60 shares some of its components with the transfer mechanism 27. More specifically, the partition mechanism 60 shares the support portion 31 described above with the transfer mechanism 27 (see Figure 9). As shown in Figure 10, the partition mechanism 60 includes, for example, a support portion 31, an air cylinder 61 (the partition drive source of the present invention), a lever 62, a first arm portion 63, a second arm portion 64, a partition plate 65, and a cam 66. The air cylinder 61 swings the lever 62, which operates a link mechanism having the first arm portion 63, the second arm portion 64, the partition plate 65, and the cam 66. This allows the partition plate 65 to temporarily partition the space formed between the bobbin holder 24A and the bobbin holder 24B.

[0064] The air cylinder 61 is a drive source included in the partition drive unit 110 (see Figure 3) for driving each part of the partition mechanism 60. In other words, the air cylinder 61 is a drive source for moving the partition plate 65. That is, separate drive sources are provided for moving the multiple movable thread guides 34 and for moving the partition plate 65. The partition drive unit 110 is electrically connected to the control unit 26. The air cylinder 61 is configured to swing the lever 62. The air cylinder 61 is attached to the upper end of the support unit 31R. The air cylinder 61 has, for example, a cylinder body 61a, a piston rod 61b, and a rod end 61c. The cylinder body 61a is pivotably attached to the support unit 31R. The cylinder body 61a extends, for example, along a direction slightly inclined with respect to the vertical direction. The piston rod 61b is configured to extend and retract relative to the cylinder body 61a. The rod end 61c is located at the tip of the piston rod 61b. The rod end 61c is connected to the tip of the lever 62.

[0065] The lever 62 is a member that is pivotably supported by the support portion 31R. The pivot axis direction of the lever 62 is approximately parallel to the front-rear direction. The base end of the lever 62 is fixed to the rear end of the shaft 63a (described later) of the first arm portion 63. The tip of the lever 62 is attached to the rod end 61c. The lever 62 is also pivotable relative to the rod end 61c.

[0066] The first arm portion 63 is a member that swings integrally with the lever 62. The first arm portion 63 is also a member that pivotably supports the second arm portion 64. The first arm portion 63 has a shaft 63a (see Figure 10) and a pair of arms 63b. In Figure 10, only arm 63bR, which will be described later, is shown among the pair of arms 63b. The shaft 63a is a member of the first arm portion 63 that extends long in the front-rear direction. The front end of the shaft 63a is rotatably supported in the middle of the support portion 31F in the vertical direction. The portion near the rear end of the shaft 63a is rotatably supported in the middle of the support portion 31R in the vertical direction. The rear end of the shaft 63a is fixed to the base end of the lever 62. The pair of arms 63b are, for example, elongated members that are roughly plate-shaped. The pair of arms 63b extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front-rear direction. The pair of arms 63b are formed integrally with the shaft 63a, for example by welding. The pair of arms 63b may be fixed to the shaft 63a by fasteners not shown. The pair of arms 63b swing integrally with the shaft 63a. The pair of arms 63b are positioned between the support portion 31F and the support portion 31R in the front-rear direction. One of the pair of arms 63b is fixed to the portion of the shaft 63a immediately behind the portion supported by the support portion 31F (not shown). The other of the pair of arms 63b (arm 63bR shown in Figure 10) is fixed to the portion of the shaft 63a immediately in front of the portion supported by the support portion 31R. Each of the pair of arms 63b swingably supports the second arm portion 64 and the partition plate 65. Arm 63bR is provided with a restricting portion 63c. The restricting portion 63c restricts the swinging of the second arm portion 64 by contacting the contact portion 64b (described later) of the second arm portion 64.

[0067] The second arm portion 64 (see Figure 10) is a roughly plate-shaped elongated member. The second arm portion 64 swings integrally with the partition plate 65 relative to the first arm portion 63. The posture of the second arm portion 64 is adjusted by a cam 66. The base end of the second arm portion 64 is fixed to the rear end of the partition plate 65. A cam follower 64a is attached to the tip of the second arm portion 64. The cam follower 64a is guided along a cam hole 66a formed in the cam 66. A contact portion 64b is provided in the middle of the second arm portion 64 in the longitudinal direction, configured to be able to contact the restricting portion 63c. The contact portion 64b is positioned to face the restricting portion 63c in the swinging direction of the second arm portion 64. When the contact portion 64b is not in contact with the restricting portion 63c, the second arm portion 64 and the partition plate 65 are able to swing. When the contact portion 64b is in contact with the restricting portion 63c, the swing of the second arm portion 64 toward the arm 63bR is restricted.

[0068] The partition plate 65 is a substantially plate-shaped member for partitioning the space formed between the bobbin holder 24A and the bobbin holder 24B. The partition plate 65 is formed of, for example, a known sheet metal member. The partition plate 65 extends long in the front-rear direction. The partition plate 65 has, for example, a curved portion 65a that is generally curved in an arc shape when viewed from the front-rear direction, and a straight portion 65b that is generally straight when viewed from the front-rear direction. The shape of the partition plate 65 is not limited to this, and the entire plate may be curved or extend in a straight line. Alternatively, a part of the partition plate 65 may be bent. The partition plate 65 is pivotably attached to a pair of arms 63b via a pivot shaft 65c. A second arm portion 64 is fixed to the partition plate 65. The partition plate 65 is supported by a support portion 31 via an air cylinder 61, a lever 62, a first arm portion 63, and a second arm portion 64. In other words, the support section 31 supports not only the multiple movable thread guides 34 but also the partition plate 65.

[0069] The cam 66 is a component for adjusting the orientation of the swinging second arm portion 64 and partition plate 65 to a desired orientation. The cam 66 is, for example, a substantially flat plate-shaped component. The cam 66 is fixed, for example, to the upper end of the support portion 31R. The cam 66 has, for example, a cam hole 66a that penetrates in the front-rear direction. The cam hole 66a extends, for example, in the vertical direction. The cam hole 66a may also be curved in the left-right direction. The cam hole 66a is provided to guide the cam follower 64a. A cam groove (not shown) may be formed instead of the cam hole 66a.

[0070] The operation of the partition mechanism 60 having the above configuration will be briefly explained. When the piston rod 61b of the air cylinder 61 is fully retracted (see Figure 11(b)), the entire partition mechanism 60 is retracted to the outside of the orbital path of the package P and bobbin B (see Figure 11(a)). The position of the partition plate 65 at this time corresponds to the non-overlapping position of the present invention. When the piston rod 61b begins to extend (see Figure 12(b)), the first arm portion 63 swings, and the second arm portion 64 follows the first arm portion 63 while its posture is adjusted by the cam 66. As a result, the partition plate 65 enters the orbital path of the package P and bobbin B (see Figure 12(a)). When the piston rod 61b is fully extended (see Figure 13(b)), when viewed from the front-rear direction, the partition plate 65 is positioned to partially surround the upper bobbin B (see Figure 13(a)).

[0071] (Threading procedure) Next, the yarn loading procedure in the spinning take-up machine 1 will be explained, mainly with reference to Figures 14(a) to 16(b). Figures 14(a) to 15 show the yarn loading procedure (in particular, the procedure for yarn loading by an operator). Figures 16(a) and 16(b) show the procedure for transferring multiple yarns Y from multiple movable yarn guides 34 to multiple yarn holding guides 44.

[0072] Immediately before yarn loading is performed, the spinning take-up machine 1 is in the state where multiple yarns Y spun from the spinning device 2 are held in place by the aspirator 14 (see Figure 4). The second godet roller 12 and the multiple pivot guides 21 are in the position where yarn loading will be performed (see Figure 4). The traverse guide 22 and bobbin holder 24 are stopped. The extended member 33 of the transfer mechanism 27 is in the standby position (see solid line in Figure 5). The multiple movable yarn guides 34 of the transfer mechanism 27 are in the discrete position (see Figure 7(a)). The multiple yarn holding guides 44 of the yarn holding mechanism 28 are in the retracted position (see solid line in Figure 5). The guide member 52 of the yarn gathering mechanism 29 is in the outer position (see solid line in Figure 8).

[0073] First, the operator threads the yarn onto the first godet roller 11, the second godet roller 12, and the multiple pivot guides 21, as shown in Figures 14(a) to 14(c). Specifically, the operator uses a known suction gun 70 capable of sucking and holding yarn Y to pull up the multiple yarns Y that are being sucked and held by the aspirator 14. Next, the operator threads the multiple yarns Y that are being sucked and held by the suction gun 70 onto the first godet roller 11 and then the second godet roller 12 in that order (see Figures 14(a) and 14(b)). Furthermore, the operator uses a yarn threading jig (not shown) to thread each of the multiple pivot guides 21 (see Figure 14(c)). After that, the operator performs the operation to cause the winding device 13 to perform the yarn threading operation. More specifically, the operator presses, for example, a first operation button (not shown) that is electrically connected to the control unit 26.

[0074] When the first operation button is pressed, the control unit 26 starts the thread-hanging operation on each part of the winding device 13. First, the control unit 26 controls the roller moving motor 101 (see Figure 3) and the guide drive unit 105 (see Figure 3) to move the second godet roller 12 and the pivot guide 21 to the winding operation position (see Figure 15). The control unit 26 also controls the guide drive unit 107 (see Figure 3) to move the multiple movable thread guides 34 to the assembly position (see Figure 7(b)). Next, the operator operates the suction gun 70 to hang the thread Y on the thread convergence guide 71 (see Figure 15) located at the front of the right end of the winding device 13. As a result, each of the multiple threads Y is positioned just behind the corresponding movable thread guide 34 (see Figure 7(b)). After that, the operator presses a second operation button (not shown) that is electrically connected to the control unit 26.

[0075] When the second operation button is pressed, the control unit 26 controls the swing drive unit 108 (see Figure 3) to swing the multiple thread holding guides 44 of the thread holding mechanism 28 from the retracted position (see solid line in Figure 5) to the receiving position (see dashed line in Figure 5). This moves the multiple thread holding guides 44 to the vicinity of the transfer mechanism 27. The control unit 26 also appropriately controls the turret motor 103 during the thread-hanging operation to position the bobbin holder 24 in a position that does not interfere with the thread holding mechanism 28. In parallel with the swinging timing of the thread holding guides 44, the control unit 26 controls the guide drive unit 107 (see Figure 3) to move the multiple movable thread guides 34 of the transfer mechanism 27 from the assembled position (see Figure 7(b)) to the discrete position (see Figure 7(a)). This temporarily hooks the thread Y onto each movable thread guide 34. The projection 34b prevents the thread Y from falling off each movable thread guide 34. In conjunction with controlling the guide drive unit 107, the control unit 26 controls, for example, the winding motor 104A (see Figure 3) to start the rotation of the bobbin holder 24A. Simultaneously with the start of the bobbin holder 24A's rotation, the control unit 26 controls the traverse motor 102 to start the operation of the traverse guide 22.

[0076] Next, the control unit 26 performs the transfer of yarn Y from the transfer mechanism 27 to the yarn holding mechanism 28. Specifically, the control unit 26 controls the movement drive unit 106 to move the multiple movable yarn guides 34 of the transfer mechanism 27 from the standby position (see solid line in Figure 5) to the transfer position (see dashed line in Figure 5). As a result, each of the multiple yarns Y moves to the vicinity of the corresponding yarn holding guide 44 (see Figure 16(a)). Next, the control unit 26 controls the guide drive unit 107 (see Figure 3) to move the multiple movable yarn guides 34 of the transfer mechanism 27 again from the discrete position (see Figure 7(a)) to the assembled position (see Figure 7(b)). As a result, each yarn Y is transferred from the corresponding movable yarn guide 34 to the corresponding yarn holding guide 44 (see Figure 16(b)). Specifically, each yarn Y falls into the inclined portion of the corresponding yarn holding guide 44 and enters the guide groove 44a. Thus, each thread holding guide 44 is configured to temporarily hold the thread Y during the threading operation.

[0077] Next, the control unit 26 controls the swing drive unit 108 to swing the yarn holding guide 44 of the yarn holding mechanism 28 to the left from the receiving position. As a result, the yarn Y is captured by the traverse guide 22 during operation and traversed.

[0078] Next, the control unit 26 causes the thread-gathering mechanism 29 to thread the bobbin B1. Specifically, the control unit 26 controls the turret motor 103 to move the rotating bobbin holder 24A upward. Furthermore, the control unit 26 controls the thread-gathering drive unit 109 to move each of the multiple guide members 52 from an outer position (see solid line in Figure 8) to an inner position (see dashed line in Figure 8). Each of the multiple threads Y being spun is captured by the capture portion 52a of the corresponding guide member 52. At this time, each thread Y is located in the vicinity of the slit SL of the corresponding bobbin B2 in the axial direction.

[0079] Furthermore, the control unit 26 controls the thread-gathering drive unit 109 to move the multiple guide members 52 from the inner position to the outer position (see solid line in Figure 8). As a result, each thread Y is temporarily removed from the traverse guide 22 and hooked onto the corresponding slit SL of the bobbin B1 (see dashed line in Figure 8). The slit SL has claws (not shown) formed therein. When the thread Y is hooked onto the claws, the thread Y is wound around the slit SL. This applies strong tension to the thread Y, and the portion of the thread Y located between the bobbin B1 and the suction gun 70 in the direction of travel is separated. Of the separated thread Y, the portion on the suction gun 70 side is sucked out by the suction gun 70. In this way, the thread-gathering operation is completed and the winding operation begins.

[0080] (switching action) Next, the switching operation of the spinning take-up machine 1 will be explained with reference to Figures 17(a) to 17(d). Figures 17(a) to 17(c) show the switching operation. Figure 17(d) shows the state of the partition mechanism 60 after the switching operation is completed.

[0081] Immediately before the switching operation is performed, the spinning take-up machine 1 is in a state where multiple yarns Y are wound onto multiple bobbins B1, forming multiple packages P (see Figure 17(a)). When viewed from the front, the packages P are rotating, for example, counterclockwise (see the arrow in Figure 17(a)). The multiple yarn holding guides 44 are in the retracted position. The partition plates 65 are in the non-overlapping position. When viewed from the front or back, the partition plates 65 in the non-overlapping position do not overlap with the travel path (yarn path) of the yarn Y held by the yarn holding guides 44 in the holding position during the switching operation.

[0082] When the control unit 26 determines that multiple packages P are fully wound, it initiates the following switching operations in each part. First, the control unit 26 controls the turret motor 103 to rotate the turret 23 (see arrow in Figure 17(b)). At this time, the yarn Y is connected to the packages P and is also in contact with the bobbin B2. At the appropriate timing, the control unit 26 controls the winding motor 104B to start the rotation of the bobbin holder 24B. When viewed from the front, the bobbin B2 is rotating, for example, counterclockwise (not shown). Also, the state in which the yarn Y is traversed by the traverse guide 22 is maintained.

[0083] Next, the control unit 26 controls the oscillating drive unit 108 to move the multiple thread holding guides 44 from the retracted position to the holding position (see Figure 17(c)). As a result, each thread holding guide 44 is pressed against the corresponding thread Y. The spun thread Y falls into the inclined portion of the corresponding thread holding guide 44 and enters the guide groove 44a. In this way, each thread Y is held by each thread holding guide 44.

[0084] Next, the control unit 26 controls the thread-gathering drive unit 109 (see Figure 3) to move each of the multiple guide members 52 of the thread-gathering mechanism 29 from the outer position (see solid line in Figure 8) to the inner position (see dashed line in Figure 8). The spun thread Y is captured by the capture portion 52a of the corresponding guide member 52. Furthermore, the control unit 26 controls the thread-gathering drive unit 109 to move the multiple guide members 52 from the inner position to the outer position (see solid line in Figure 8). As a result, each thread Y is temporarily removed from the corresponding traverse guide 22 and hooked onto the slit SL of the corresponding bobbin B2 (see dashed line in Figure 8). The thread Y is hooked onto the aforementioned claw portion (not shown), causing the thread Y to be wound around the slit SL. At this time, strong tension is applied to the thread Y located between the package P and the bobbin B2, causing the thread Y to break between the package P and the bobbin B2. In other words, the switching unit is configured to interrupt the thread Y by applying tension to the thread Y that is traveling from the bobbin B2 toward the package P during the switching operation.

[0085] As described above, multiple yarns Y are transferred from multiple packages P to multiple bobbins B2, and multiple yarns Y are wound onto multiple bobbins B2. The operation of the spinning take-up machine 1 (more specifically, the operation of the winding device 13) as described above is the switching operation in this embodiment.

[0086] The control unit 26 controls the partition drive unit 110 to move the partition plate 65 to the partition position when the switching operation is completed (see Figure 17(d)). The timing of the completion of the switching operation may be, for example, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the control unit 26 moved the guide member 52 from the inner position to the outer position. Also, when the switching operation is completed, the control unit 26 moves the multiple thread holding guides 44 from the holding position to the retracted position (see Figure 17(d)). The retracted position is a position that is further away from the partition plate 65, which is located in the partition position, compared to the holding position. More precisely, it is preferable that the control unit 26 controls the partition drive unit 110 to position the partition plate 65 in the partition position after the switching operation is completed, and controls the swing drive unit 108 to start moving the multiple thread holding guides 44 from the holding position to the retracted position before the partition plate 65 reaches the partition position.

[0087] After the switching operation, the control unit 26 controls the thread-gathering drive unit 109 to cause each of the multiple guide members 52 to assume a thread-release position (see the dashed line in Figure 8). As a result, each thread Y is captured by the corresponding traverse guide 22, and the traverse winding starts again (i.e., winding of the thread Y onto the bobbin B2 begins). The control unit 26 also controls the winding motor 104A to stop the rotation of the bobbin holder 24A. After that, the multiple packages P are collected.

[0088] Let's consider the state of the winding device 13 when the switching operation is complete, multiple packages P are held in the bobbin holder 24A, and the partition plate 65 is in the partition position. For the sake of explanation, this state will be referred to as the completed state below. When a predetermined time has elapsed since the partition plate 65 was moved to the partition position (i.e., after the completed state has been maintained for a predetermined time), the control unit 26 moves the partition plate 65 from the partition position to a non-overlapping position (not shown). This prevents the partition plate 65 from interfering with the multiple packages P formed by winding yarn Y onto multiple bobbins B2.

[0089] (Details regarding the arrangement of each component) Next, we will describe the details of the arrangement of each component in the winding device 13. More specifically, we will describe the positional relationship between the multiple thread holding guides 44 and the partition plate 65, and the positional relationship between the package P and bobbin B2 and the partition plate 65 in the completed state.

[0090] When the partition plate 65 (see solid line in Figure 18) is in the partition position, it is positioned further from the bobbin holder 24B (and the multiple bobbins B2) in the radial direction of the bobbin B2 (i.e., the radial direction of the bobbin holder 24B) than the multiple thread holding guides 44 (see dashed line in Figure 18) when each of the multiple threads Y is held during the switching operation.

[0091] During the switching operation, the multiple thread holding guides 44 are positioned between the bobbin B2 and the package P in the direction of the thread Y's movement (see Figure 17(c)). Furthermore, during the switching operation, the multiple thread holding guides 44 are positioned to bend the thread path through which the thread Y travels. In addition, during the switching operation, the multiple thread holding guides 44 are positioned in the radial direction of the bobbin holder 24B closer to the bobbin holder 24B (and bobbin B2) than the trajectory through which the partition plate 65 moves (see Figure 18).

[0092] Assume the completed state. As shown in Figure 18, a first virtual line segment VLS1 is defined that connects the rotation axis center (point P1) of bobbin holder 24A and the rotation axis center (point P2) of bobbin holder 24B when viewed from the front-to-back direction. The direction in which the first virtual line segment VLS1 extends is defined as the extension direction. Furthermore, two virtual tangents (first virtual tangent VLT1 and second virtual tangent VLT2) are defined that are parallel to the first virtual line segment VLS1 and tangent to the outer edge of bobbin holder 24B. When viewed from the front-to-back direction, the partition plate 65 extends so as to cross both the first virtual tangent VLT1 and the second virtual tangent VLT2, and is separated from the multiple thread holding guides 44. In addition, two virtual tangents (third virtual tangent VLT3 and fourth virtual tangent VLT4) are defined that are parallel to the first virtual line segment VLS1 and tangent to the outer edge of bobbin B2. When viewed from the front or rear, the partition plate 65 extends across both the third virtual tangent VLT3 and the fourth virtual tangent VLT4.

[0093] In the completed state, the partition plate 65 is positioned to surround the bobbin holder 24B (and the multiple bobbins B2) over an angular range of 90 degrees or more in the circumferential direction of the bobbin holder 24B. More specifically, a second virtual line segment VLS2 is defined connecting point P2 to the end of the partition plate 65 that is on the side of the first virtual tangent VLT1 to the first virtual line segment VLS1 (see Figure 18). Here, the end refers to the end of the portion of the partition plate 65 that surrounds the multiple bobbins B2 in the circumferential direction of the multiple bobbins B2, and does not necessarily refer to the base end (or tip) of the swing of the partition plate 65. Furthermore, a third virtual line segment VLS3 is defined connecting point P2 to the end of the partition plate 65 that is on the side of the second virtual tangent VLT2 to the first virtual line segment VLS1 (see Figure 18). The angular range defined by the second virtual line segment VLS2 and the third virtual line segment VLS3 is the angular range described above. More specifically, the angle between the first virtual line segment VLS1 and the second virtual line segment VLS2 is defined as the first angle θ1. The angle between the first virtual line segment VLS1 and the third virtual line segment VLS3 is defined as the second angle θ2. The sum of the first angle θ1 and the second angle θ2 is 90 degrees or more. Furthermore, the partition plate 65 is positioned to cover the entire area of ​​the multiple bobbins B2 in the front-to-back direction, over the above-mentioned angle range.

[0094] Furthermore, the direction in which multiple packages P rotate is defined as the package rotation direction. In the completed state, the package rotation direction is the direction in which the portion of package P located on the first virtual line segment VLS1 moves from the first virtual tangent VLT1 side to the second virtual tangent VLT2 side (see arrow in Figure 18). In this embodiment, the first angle θ1 is greater than the second angle θ2.

[0095] The arrangement of the partition plate 65 described above prevents the end of the yarn Y (yarn end Ye) of the rotating package P from getting caught on the rotating bobbin B2 side. More specifically, the yarn end Ye, shown by the solid line in Figure 18, is prevented from moving toward the bobbin B2 side by the partition plate 65. The yarn end Ye, shown by the dashed line in Figure 18, is prevented from moving toward the bobbin B2 side by the accompanying flow (see arrow shown in Figure 18) generated as the bobbin B2 rotates.

[0096] As described above, when viewed from the front and rear, the partition plate 65 extends across both of the two virtual tangents (first virtual tangent VLT1 and second virtual tangent VLT2) and is spaced apart from the multiple thread holding guides 44. This ensures that the partition plate 65 does not interfere with the thread holding guides 44, while the partition plate 65 can shield a wide area where the bobbin B2 and the package P are particularly close together. Therefore, the possibility of the thread end Ye on the package P side being wound onto the empty bobbin B side (bobbin B2 side) can be reduced.

[0097] Furthermore, the thread holding guide 44 is movable between the holding position and the retracted position. Therefore, by moving the thread holding guide 44 to the retracted position after the switching operation is completed, interference between the partition plate 65 and the thread holding guide 44 can be more reliably avoided.

[0098] Furthermore, the control unit 26 controls the partition drive unit 110 to position the partition plate 65 in the partition position after the switching operation is completed, and controls the swing drive unit 108 to start moving the multiple thread holding guides 44 from the holding position to the retracted position before the partition plate 65 reaches the partition position. This ensures that the partition plate 65 does not interfere with the thread holding guides 44 after the switching operation is completed.

[0099] Furthermore, the partition plate 65, when positioned in the partition position, is arranged to surround the bobbin holder 24B over an angular range of 90 degrees or more in the circumferential direction of the bobbin holder 24B. In this way, multiple bobbins B2 can be surrounded over a wide area in the circumferential direction of the bobbin holder 24B. Therefore, the possibility of the thread end Ye on the package P side getting tangled with the bobbin B2 side can be further effectively reduced.

[0100] Furthermore, the first angle θ1 is greater than the second angle θ2. Thus, the partition plate 65 is positioned to extend longer toward the first virtual tangent VLT1 side. Therefore, the partition plate 65 effectively prevents the extended thread end Ye from getting caught toward the bobbin B2 side.

[0101] Furthermore, when the partition plate 65 is in the partition position, it is positioned further from the bobbin holder 24B in the radial direction of the bobbin holder 24B than the multiple thread holding guides 44 that each hold multiple threads Y during the switching operation. Thus, the partition plate 65 in the partition position is positioned further from the bobbin holder 24B in the radial direction of the bobbin holder 24B. Therefore, the partition plate 65 can be kept in the partition position for a longer period of time.

[0102] Furthermore, the thread holding guide 44 is positioned between the bobbin B2 and the package P in the direction of thread Y's movement during the switching operation, and is positioned to bend the thread path through which thread Y travels. In addition, during the switching operation, the thread holding guide 44 is positioned closer to the bobbin holder 24B in the radial direction of the bobbin holder 24B than the trajectory through which the partition plate 65 moves. Thus, during the switching operation, the thread holding guide 44 is positioned close to the bobbin holder 24B. Therefore, the end of the divided thread Y on the bobbin B2 side can be shortened.

[0103] Furthermore, the thread holding guide 44 temporarily holds the thread Y during the threading operation. In other words, the thread holding guide 44 can be used not only for the switching operation but also for the threading operation. Therefore, both the switching operation and the threading operation can be performed with a small number of components.

[0104] Furthermore, the support section 31 supports not only the multiple movable thread guides 34 but also the partition plate 65. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the multiple movable thread guides 34 and the partition plate 65 are supported by separate members, the increase in the number of members can be suppressed.

[0105] Furthermore, separate drive sources are provided for moving the multiple movable thread guides 34 and for moving the partition plate 65. The multiple movable thread guides 34 are configured to move in parallel, and the partition plate 65 is configured to swing. If the parallel movement of the multiple movable thread guides 34 and the swinging motion of the partition plate 65 were to be realized with a single drive source, a complex mechanism would be required. In this embodiment, since the multiple movable thread guides 34 and the partition plate 65 are driven to move by separate drive sources, the complexity of the mechanism can be suppressed.

[0106] Furthermore, the spinning take-up machine 1 is equipped with a turret 23. Therefore, the known turret 23 allows for easy swapping of the positions of the bobbin holder 24A and the bobbin holder 24B.

[0107] Furthermore, when viewed from the front or back, the partition plate 65 extends across both the third virtual tangent VLT3 and the fourth virtual tangent VLT4. This ensures that the partition plate 65 does not interfere with the thread holding guide 44, while also shielding a wider area where the bobbin B2 and the package P are particularly close together. Therefore, the possibility of the formed thread end Ye on the package P side getting caught on the empty bobbin B side (bobbin B2 side) can be further reduced.

[0108] Next, modified examples of the above embodiments will be described. However, components having the same configuration as the above embodiments will be denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

[0109] (1) In the above embodiment, the partition plate 65 is positioned in the partition position and is arranged to surround a plurality of bobbins B2 over an angular range of 90 degrees or more in the circumferential direction of the bobbin holder 24B. However, it is not limited to this. The angular range may be less than 90 degrees.

[0110] (2) In the embodiments described above, the first angle θ1 is greater than the second angle θ2. However, this is not limited to this. The first angle θ1 may be less than or equal to the second angle θ2.

[0111] (3) In the embodiments described above, an air shifter 32 for driving the multiple movable thread guides 34 and an air cylinder 61 for driving the partition plate 65 were provided separately. However, this is not the only way. The drive source for driving the multiple movable thread guides 34 and the drive source for driving the partition plate 65 may be the same. However, in this case, a complex mechanism may be required to move the multiple movable thread guides 34 in parallel and swing the partition plate 65.

[0112] (4) In the embodiments described above, the multiple movable thread guides 34 were configured to be movable in parallel, and the partition plate 65 was configured to be pivotable. However, the invention is not limited to this. The multiple movable thread guides 34 may be configured to be pivotable. The partition plate 65 may be configured to be movable in parallel.

[0113] (5) In the embodiments described above, the support portion 31 was assumed to support both the multiple movable thread guides 34 and the partition plates 65. However, it is not limited to this. The support portion 31 may support only one of the multiple movable thread guides 34 and the partition plates 65. The other of the multiple movable thread guides 34 and the partition plates 65 may be supported by a member (not shown) separate from the support portion 31.

[0114] (6) In the embodiments described above, the multiple thread holding guides 44 can be used not only for the switching operation but also for the threading operation. However, this is not limited to this. The multiple thread holding guides 44 may be used only during the switching operation. In this case, instead of the multiple thread holding guides 44, multiple guides (not shown) used for the threading operation may be provided.

[0115] (7) In the embodiments described above, the plurality of thread holding guides 44 are positioned closer to the bobbin holder 24B in the radial direction of the bobbin B2 than the trajectory of the partition plate 65 during the switching operation. In other words, when the partition plate 65 is in the partition position, it is positioned further from the bobbin holder 24B in the radial direction of the bobbin holder 24B than the plurality of thread holding guides 44 are positioned when the switching operation is being performed. However, this is not limited to this. The positional relationship between the plurality of thread holding guides 44 and the partition plate 65 may be reversed. Alternatively, the trajectories of the plurality of thread holding guides 44 and the trajectory of the partition plate 65 may partially overlap. However, if these trajectories partially overlap, the control unit 26 needs to control the oscillating drive unit 108 to move the thread holding guides 44 away from the holding position after the switching operation is completed.

[0116] (8) In the embodiments described above, the control unit 26 controls the partition drive unit 110 to move the partition plate 65 to the partition position and controls the swing drive unit 108 to move the thread holding guide 44 to the retracted position after the switching operation is completed. However, it is not limited to this. If the trajectories of the multiple thread holding guides 44 and the trajectory of the partition plate 65 do not overlap, the control unit 26 may move the thread holding guide 44 to the retracted position after the partition plate 65 has reached the partition position.

[0117] (9) In the embodiments described above, the plurality of thread holding guides 44 were made movable between a holding position and a retracted position. However, this is not limited to this. The plurality of thread holding guides 44 may be fixed in position with respect to the turret 23, for example. However, in this case, a mechanism is required to transfer each thread Y to each thread holding guide 44 during the switching operation. Also, in order to avoid the package P interfering with the thread holding guide 44, the size of the package P that can be formed may be greatly limited.

[0118] (10) In the embodiments described above, the thread holding guide 44 is provided on the thread holding mechanism 28. However, it is not limited to this. The drive mechanism (not shown) for moving the thread holding guide 44 may be provided on, for example, the transfer mechanism 27 or the partition mechanism 60.

[0119] (11) In the embodiments described above, the partition plate 65 is provided in the partition mechanism 60. However, it is not limited to this. The drive mechanism (not shown) for moving the partition plate 65 may be provided in the thread holding mechanism 28, for example.

[0120] (12) In the embodiments described above, the partition plate 65 was assumed to extend across both the third virtual tangent VLT3 and the fourth virtual tangent VLT4 when viewed from the front-rear direction. However, it is not limited to this. The partition plate 65 does not need to extend across both the third virtual tangent VLT3 and the fourth virtual tangent VLT4, as long as it extends across both the first virtual tangent VLT1 and the second virtual tangent VLT2.

[0121] (13) In the embodiments described above, the winding device 13 has a turret 23. However, it is not limited to this. Instead of the turret 23, another mechanism may be provided to swap the positions of the bobbin holder 24A and the bobbin holder 24B.

[0122] (14) In the embodiments described above, the spinning take-up machine 1 was configured to be able to wind up multiple threads Y. However, it is not limited to this. The spinning take-up machine 1 may be configured to be able to wind up only one thread Y. [Explanation of symbols]

[0123] 1. Spinning machine (yarn winding machine) 23. Turret (switching unit, thread threading unit) 24A Bobbin Holder (First Bobbin Holder) 24B Bobbin Holder (Second Bobbin Holder) 26 Control Unit 27 Transfer mechanism (thread threading unit) 28. Thread holding mechanism (switching section, thread threading execution section) 29. Thread gathering mechanism (switching section, thread threading execution section) 31 Support part 32 Air shifter (transfer drive source) 34. Movable thread guide (transfer section) 44. Thread holding guide (thread holding section) 61 Air cylinder (partition drive source) 65 Partition plate (partition section) 108 Oscillating drive unit (holding drive unit) 110 Partition drive unit B1 Bobbin (First Bobbin) B2 Bobbin (Second Bobbin) P Package VLS1 First Virtual Line Segment VLS2 Second Virtual Line Segment VLS3 Third Virtual Line Segment VLT1 First virtual tangent VLT2 Second virtual tangent VLT3 Third virtual tangent VLT4 4th virtual tangent Y thread θ1 1st angle θ2 2nd angle

Claims

1. A first bobbin holder extending along a predetermined axial direction rotatably holds a first bobbin from which the running thread is wound, A second bobbin holder extending along the axial direction is positioned alongside the first bobbin holder in a predetermined alignment direction intersecting the axial direction, and rotatably holds the second bobbin on which the thread is wound, The device has a thread holding portion that can be positioned in a holding position for temporarily holding the thread while it is running, and a switching portion that can perform a switching operation to switch the state of the first bobbin holder and the second bobbin holder from a state in which the thread is wound onto the rotating first bobbin and a package is formed, to a state in which the thread is wrapped around the rotating empty second bobbin and the thread is separated from the package, A partition that is movable between a non-overlapping position, when viewed from the axial direction, where the thread holding portion is located in the holding position during the switching operation and does not overlap with the running trajectory of the thread, and a partition position, where the space between the second bobbin and the package is at least partially partitioned when the switching operation is completed, A partition drive unit that drives the partition to move, A holding drive unit drives the thread holding portion to move between a retracted position, which is located at the partition position and is separated from the partition portion, and the holding position, compared to the holding position. The system comprises a control unit and, in a completed state in which the switching operation is completed, the package is held in the first bobbin holder, and the partition is positioned at the partition position, The aforementioned partition is, When viewed from the axial direction, it extends so as to cross both the first virtual tangent and the second virtual tangent, which are two virtual tangents that are parallel to the first virtual line segment connecting the rotation axis center of the first bobbin holder and the rotation axis center of the second bobbin holder and are in contact with the outer edge of the second bobbin holder, and is separated from the thread holding portion. The control unit, A yarn winding machine characterized by controlling the partition drive unit to position the partition unit at the partition position after the completion of the switching operation, and controlling the holding drive unit to start moving the yarn holding unit from the holding position toward the retracted position before the partition unit reaches the partition position.

2. The thread winding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the completed state, the partition is arranged to surround the second bobbin holder over an angular range of 90 degrees or more in the circumferential direction of the second bobbin holder.

3. When viewed from the aforementioned axial direction, In the completed state, the portion of the package on the first virtual line segment is rotated so as to move from the first virtual tangent side to the second virtual tangent side. The first angle between the second virtual line segment, which connects the end of the partition portion on the side of the first virtual line segment closer to the first virtual line segment, and the rotation axis center of the second bobbin holder, and the first virtual line segment is: The thread winding machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the angle between the third virtual line segment, which connects the end of the partition portion on the second virtual tangential side of the first virtual line segment and the rotation axis center of the second bobbin holder, and the first virtual line segment is greater than the second angle between the third virtual line segment and the first virtual line segment.

4. The thread winding machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that when the partition is located in the partition position, the partition is positioned further from the second bobbin holder in the radial direction of the second bobbin holder than the thread holding portion when the thread is held during the switching operation.

5. The switching unit is configured to interrupt the thread by applying tension to the thread that is traveling through the second bobbin toward the package during the switching operation. The aforementioned thread holding part is During the aforementioned switching operation, A thread winding machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it is positioned between the second bobbin and the package in the direction of the thread's movement, is positioned to bend the thread path through which the thread travels, and is positioned in the radial direction of the second bobbin holder closer to the second bobbin holder than the trajectory on which the partition moves.

6. The thread-hanging execution unit is configured to perform a thread-hanging operation in which the thread is hung on the empty first bobbin before the aforementioned switching operation is performed. The thread-holding unit has the thread-holding unit, The thread winding machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the thread holding part is configured to temporarily hold the thread during the thread winding operation.

7. The aforementioned threading unit is A transfer unit for transferring the thread to the thread holding unit, configured to temporarily hold the thread during the thread-threading operation, It has a support portion that supports the transfer portion, The thread winding machine according to claim 6, characterized in that the support portion also supports the partition portion in addition to the transfer portion.

8. A transfer drive source for moving the transfer unit, The thread winding machine according to claim 7, characterized in that a partition drive source for moving the partition is provided separately.

9. The thread winding machine according to claim 8, characterized in that the transfer section is configured to be movable in parallel, and the partition section is configured to be swingable.

10. The thread winding machine according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it includes a turret configured to support the first bobbin holder and the second bobbin holder so that they can revolve with the axial direction as the axis of revolution, and to allow swapping of the position where the first bobbin holder is located and the position where the second bobbin holder is located.

11. In the completed state, The aforementioned partition is, The thread winding machine according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, when viewed from the axial direction, it extends across both the third virtual tangent and the fourth virtual tangent, which are two virtual tangents parallel to the first virtual line segment and tangent to the outer edge of the second bobbin.

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