Bobbin transport device

Abstract

To provide a bobbin transport device which can inspect incorrect hooking of a bobbin to a hanger by an operator without adding new detection parts.SOLUTION: A bobbin transport device 10 includes: a first transport part 11 which performs bobbin delivery operations; an exchanger which performs bobbin exchange operations; a hanger detection part 16 which detects existence / absence and kinds of a hanger H at an exchange position C; a bobbin detection part 17 which detects existence / absence of a bobbin B; and a control part which controls the first transport part 11 and the exchanger based on detection results of the detection parts 16, 17. The control part allows a carriage of the first transport part 11 to circulate and move before performing bobbin receiving operations without allowing the exchanger to perform the bobbin exchange operations, determines whether or not the bobbin B is hooked on a full bobbin hanger Hf based on the detection results of the detection parts 16, 17 during circulating and moving, and determines a generation of an incorrect hooking of the bobbin B on the hanger H if the bobbin B is determined to be hooked on the full bobbin hanger Hf.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 16

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bobbin transport device. [Background technology]

[0002] The bobbin transport device transports full bobbins, which are bobbins around which roving is wound, and empty bobbins, which are bobbins without roving wound thereon, between a roving frame and a fine frame. The bobbin transport device includes a first transport unit, a second transport unit, an exchanger, and a control unit. The first transport unit has a loop rail, a carriage movable along the loop rail, and a plurality of hangers suspended from the carriage. The hangers are used as full bobbin hangers on which full bobbins are hung, or as empty bobbin hangers on which empty bobbins are hung. The full bobbin hangers and empty bobbin hangers are arranged alternately. The first transport unit receives full bobbins from the roving frame to the full bobbin hanger, and performs a bobbin transfer operation to transfer empty bobbins from the empty bobbin hanger to the roving frame. The second transport unit is connected to the fine frame. The exchanger performs a bobbin exchange operation to exchange full bobbins for empty bobbins between the first transport unit and the second transport unit. The control unit controls the first transport unit and the exchanger.

[0003] In such a bobbin transport device, if an empty bobbin is mistakenly hung on a full bobbin hanger, the empty bobbin will come into contact with a full bobbin on the roving frame during the bobbin transfer operation. Such contact between bobbins during the bobbin transfer operation may lead to a failure of the bobbin transfer operation or a breakdown of the roving frame and the bobbin transport device. Therefore, it is required that no bobbin is hung on the full bobbin hanger before the bobbin transfer operation.

[0004] If the exchanger has properly performed the bobbin replacement operation, no bobbin will be hung on the full bobbin hanger after the bobbin replacement operation. Therefore, conventional bobbin transport devices have ensured that no bobbin is hung on the full bobbin hanger before the bobbin transfer operation by confirming that the exchanger has properly performed the bobbin replacement operation. The following configuration, for example, can be considered as a configuration for confirming that the exchanger has properly performed the bobbin replacement operation. The bobbin transport device is equipped with a hanger detection unit and a bobbin detection unit. The position in the circumferential direction of the loop rail where the exchanger performs the bobbin replacement operation is defined as the replacement position. The hanger detection unit detects the presence or absence of a hanger at the replacement position, and, if it detects the presence of a hanger at the replacement position, detects whether the hanger is a full bobbin hanger or an empty bobbin hanger. The bobbin detection unit detects the presence or absence of a bobbin when the hanger detection unit detects the presence of a hanger at the replacement position.

[0005] In such a bobbin transport device, when a full bobbin hanger is transported to the replacement position after the bobbin transfer operation, the hanger detection unit detects that a hanger is present at the replacement position and that the hanger is a full bobbin hanger. Then, when the exchanger properly transfers the full bobbin from the full bobbin hanger at the replacement position to the second transport unit, the detection result of the bobbin detection unit for the full bobbin hanger changes from "bobbin present" to "bobbin absent." Also, when an empty bobbin hanger is transported to the replacement position after the bobbin transfer operation, the hanger detection unit detects that a hanger is present at the replacement position and that the hanger is an empty bobbin hanger. Then, when the exchanger properly transfers the empty bobbin from the second transport unit to the empty bobbin hanger at the replacement position, the detection result of the bobbin detection unit for the empty bobbin hanger changes from "bobbin absent" to "bobbin present." The control unit confirms that the exchanger has properly performed the bobbin exchange operation based on the detection results of the hanger detection unit and the bobbin detection unit. That is, the hanger detection unit and the bobbin detection unit are detection units used to confirm that the exchanger has properly performed the bobbin exchange operation.

[0006] Patent Document 1 also discloses a bobbin transport device that detects whether a bobbin has been reliably transferred between a roving frame and a bobbin transport device. A full bobbin hanger and an empty bobbin hanger are arranged at different heights. The bobbin transport device has a full bobbin detection unit that detects whether a bobbin is hung on the full bobbin hanger. The full bobbin detection unit has a light projector that projects light in the longitudinal direction of the roving frame, and a light receiver that is arranged opposite the light projector in the longitudinal direction of the roving frame. The full bobbin detection unit determines that a bobbin is not hung on the full bobbin hanger when the light receiver detects the light projected by the light projector. By employing this bobbin transport device, it is also possible to check whether an empty bobbin has been mistakenly hung on a full bobbin hanger. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-27041 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] Incidentally, when the exchanger breaks down, an operator may replace the bobbin on the hanger of the first transport unit instead of the exchanger. In this case, the operator visually checks that no bobbin is hung on the full bobbin hanger before operating the first transport unit. However, visual checks can lead to oversights. Furthermore, while the bobbin transport device described in Patent Document 1 can detect whether a bobbin is hung on the full bobbin hanger, this requires the addition of a new detection unit. For these reasons, there has been a demand for a system that can check whether an operator has hung a bobbin on a hanger incorrectly without adding a new detection unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A bobbin transport device for solving the above problems is a bobbin transport device that transports full bobbins, which are bobbins around which roving is wound, and empty bobbins, which are bobbins around which the roving is not wound, between a roving frame and a fine frame, and includes a loop rail, a carriage that is movable along the loop rail, and a plurality of hangers that are suspended from the carriage and are used as full bobbin hangers on which the full bobbins are hung or empty bobbin hangers on which the empty bobbins are hung, the full bobbin hangers and the empty bobbin hangers are arranged alternately, a first transport section that performs a bobbin handover operation of receiving the full bobbins from the roving frame to the full bobbin hangers and handing the empty bobbins from the empty bobbin hangers to the roving frame, and a second transport section that is connected to the fine frame, an exchanger that performs a bobbin exchange operation to exchange the full bobbin for the empty bobbin between the first transport unit and the second transport unit; a hanger detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the hanger at the exchange position when a position in the circumferential direction of the loop rail where the exchanger performs the bobbin exchange operation is set as an exchange position, and when it detects that the hanger is present at the exchange position, detects whether the hanger is a hanger for the full bobbin or a hanger for the empty bobbin; a bobbin detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the bobbin when the hanger detection unit detects that the hanger is present at the exchange position; and a control unit that controls the first transport unit and the exchanger based on detection results of the hanger detection unit and the bobbin detection unit, wherein the control unit After the worker has completed the bobbin replacement operation on the hanger of the first transport section, Before performing the bobbin transfer operation, the carriage is moved in a circular motion without causing the exchanger to perform the bobbin exchange operation, and based on the detection results of the hanger detection unit and the bobbin detection unit during the circular movement of the carriage, it is determined whether the bobbin is hung on the full bobbin hanger, and if the bobbin is hung on the full bobbin hanger, it is determined that the bobbin has been hung incorrectly on the hanger.

[0010] Before performing the bobbin transfer operation, the control unit moves the carriage in a circular motion without causing the exchanger to perform a bobbin replacement operation. The control unit determines whether a bobbin is hung on the full bobbin hanger based on the detection results of the hanger detection unit and the bobbin detection unit during the circular movement of the carriage. If the worker properly performs the bobbin replacement operation on the hanger of the first transport unit, an empty bobbin is not hung on the full bobbin hanger. Therefore, when the control unit determines that a bobbin is hung on the full bobbin hanger, it determines that an empty bobbin is mistakenly hung on the full bobbin hanger and that the bobbin has been mistakenly hung on the hanger. The control unit uses the hanger detection unit and the bobbin detection unit to determine whether a bobbin is hung on the full bobbin hanger. These hanger detection unit and the bobbin detection unit are existing detection units used to confirm that the exchanger properly performed the bobbin replacement operation. Therefore, it is possible to check whether the worker has mistakenly hung the bobbin on the hanger without adding any new detection units.

[0011] In the above-mentioned bobbin transport device, the control unit determines whether or not the bobbin is hung on the empty bobbin hanger based on the detection results of the hanger detection unit and the bobbin detection unit during the circular movement of the carriage, and may determine that the bobbin has been incorrectly hung on the hanger even if the bobbin is not hung on the empty bobbin hanger.

[0012] The control unit determines whether a bobbin is hung on the empty bobbin hanger based on the detection results of the hanger detection unit and the bobbin detection unit during the circular movement of the carriage. If the worker properly performs the bobbin replacement work on the hanger of the first transport unit, an empty bobbin is hung on the empty bobbin hanger. Therefore, even if the control unit determines that a bobbin is not hung on the empty bobbin hanger, it determines that an empty bobbin has been forgotten to be hung on the empty bobbin hanger, and that the bobbin has been mistakenly hung on the hanger. The control unit uses the existing detection units, the hanger detection unit and the bobbin detection unit, to determine whether a bobbin is hung on the empty bobbin hanger. Therefore, it is possible to check whether the worker has forgotten to hang an empty bobbin on the empty bobbin hanger without adding a new detection unit.

[0013] In the bobbin transport device, the control unit may restrict the bobbin transfer operation by the first transport unit when it is determined that the bobbin has been hung incorrectly on the hanger.

[0014] According to the above configuration, when an empty bobbin is mistakenly hung on a full bobbin hanger, the empty bobbin hung on the full bobbin hanger can be prevented from coming into contact with a full bobbin of the roving frame during the bobbin transfer operation.

[0015] In the bobbin transport device, the hanger detection unit and the bobbin detection unit may perform detection while the bobbin is being transported by the carriage. According to the above configuration, the time required to inspect whether or not the bobbin is hung on the hanger by mistake can be reduced compared to when the hanger is stopped at the replacement position every time the hanger is transported to the replacement position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to check whether an operator has hung a bobbin on a hanger in the wrong way, without adding a new detection unit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a roving frame, a fine frame, and a bobbin transport device. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the roving frame and the first transport section before the bobbin transfer operation. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the roving frame and the first transport section before the bobbin transfer operation. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the roving frame and the first transport section after the bobbin transfer operation. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the roving frame and the first transport section after the bobbin transfer operation. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the bobbin transport device. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the bobbin transport device. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a side view showing a hanger detection unit and a bobbin detection unit. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the roving frame and the first conveying section when a full bobbin is received. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the roving frame and the first conveying section after receiving a full bobbin. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the roving frame and the first conveying section after receiving a full bobbin. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the roving frame and the first transport section when an empty bobbin is being delivered. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the roving frame and the first transfer section when an empty bobbin is being delivered. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the roving frame and the first conveying section after the empty bobbin has been delivered. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the roving frame and the first conveying section after the empty bobbin has been delivered. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining inspection of incorrect bobbin hooking. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining inspection of incorrect bobbin hooking. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Hereinafter, one embodiment of a bobbin transport device will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in Fig. 1, a spinning factory is provided with a roving frame 100, a fine frame 200, and a bobbin transport device 10. The roving frame 100 performs a roving process. The fine frame 200 performs a spinning process. The bobbin transport device 10 transports bobbins B between the roving frame 100 and the fine frame 200.

[0019] <Rovering machine> As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the roving frame 100 includes a roving frame main body 101 and a rail transport unit 102.

[0020] The roving frame main body 101 has a frame 21 and a bobbin rail 23. The frame 21 has a plurality of flyers 22 extending downward. Although not shown, the plurality of flyers 22 are lined up in the longitudinal direction of the frame 21 so as to be positioned alternately in the lateral direction of the frame 21. The bobbin rail 23 has a plurality of bobbin wheels 24. Like the flyers 22, the plurality of bobbin wheels 24 are lined up in the longitudinal direction of the frame 21 so as to be positioned alternately in the lateral direction of the frame 21. The bobbin wheels 24 protrude from the upper surface of the bobbin rail 23. The bobbin wheels 24 are rotatably provided relative to the bobbin rail 23. The bobbin wheels 24 rotatably support the bobbins B.

[0021] The bobbin rail 23 can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction between a roving position where the bobbin B is located inside the flyer 22 and a non-roving position where the bobbin B is located below the flyer 22. Note that FIG. 2 illustrates the bobbin rail 23 in the non-roving position. When the bobbin rail 23 is in the roving position, the roving fed from the machine base 21 is wound onto the rotating bobbin B. Hereinafter, a bobbin B around which a roving is wound is referred to as a full bobbin Bf, and a bobbin B around which a roving is not wound is referred to as an empty bobbin Be. When the bobbin B becomes a full bobbin Bf, the bobbin rail 23 descends from the roving position to the non-roving position.

[0022] The rail conveying unit 102 is capable of reciprocating in the short direction of the machine base 21 between below the flyer 22 and below the first conveying unit 11 described below. When the bobbin rail 23 is in the non-roving position, the bobbin rail 23 is placed on the rail conveying unit 102. The rail conveying unit 102 conveys the bobbin rail 23 from below the flyer 22 to below the first conveying unit 11 by moving in a direction away from the machine base 21. The rail conveying unit 102 conveys the bobbin rail 23 from below the first conveying unit 11 to below the flyer 22 by moving in a direction approaching the machine base 21. Note that FIG. 2 illustrates the bobbin rail 23 and rail conveying unit 102 positioned below the flyer 22.

[0023] <Configuration of bobbin transport device> As shown in FIG. 1, the bobbin transport device 10 includes a first transport section 11, a second transport section 12, an exchanger 13, a receiving position sensor 14, a delivery position sensor 15, a hanger detection section 16, a bobbin detection section 17, and a control section 18.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the first transport section 11 has a loop rail 31, a carriage 32, and a plurality of hangers H. The loop rail 31 has a track shape. The loop rail 31 has a first linear portion 31a, a second linear portion 31b, a first arc portion 31c, and a second arc portion 31d. The first linear portion 31a and the second linear portion 31b extend along the longitudinal direction of the machine base 21. The first arc portion 31c connects one end of the first linear portion 31a to one end of the second linear portion 31b, and the second arc portion 31d connects the other end of the first linear portion 31a to the other end of the second linear portion 31b. The loop rail 31 is supported by a support 33. The loop rail 31 can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction.

[0025] The carriage 32 is attached to the underside of the loop rail 31. The carriage 32 is movable along the loop rail 31. The movement direction X of the carriage 32 is only one direction, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. A detected portion 32a is provided at the leading end of the carriage 32 in the movement direction X.

[0026] 2 and 3, a plurality of hangers H are suspended from the carriage 32. The plurality of hangers H are lined up in a row along the loop rail 31. The plurality of hangers H are transported along the loop rail 31 by the movement of the carriage 32. In other words, the carriage 32 transports the plurality of hangers H along the loop rail 31. Therefore, the movement direction X of the carriage 32 is also the transport direction of the hangers H.

[0027] The hangers H are used as full bobbin hangers Hf on which full bobbins Bf are hung, or as empty bobbin hangers He on which empty bobbins Be are hung. In the movement direction X of the carriage 32, the hanger H located at the front is used as the full bobbin hanger Hf. The second hanger H is used as the empty bobbin hanger He. The third hanger H is used as the full bobbin hanger Hf. The fourth hanger H is used as the empty bobbin hanger He. In this way, odd-numbered hangers H are used as full bobbin hangers Hf. Furthermore, even-numbered hangers H are used as empty bobbin hangers He. Therefore, full bobbin hangers Hf and empty bobbin hangers He are arranged alternately.

[0028] The positional relationship between each hanger H of the first transport section 11 and each bobbin wheel 24 of the bobbin rail 23 is determined by the position of the carriage 32 relative to the loop rail 31. 1 and 3, the position of the carriage 32 relative to the loop rail 31 when the position of each full bobbin hanger Hf in the longitudinal direction of the machine base 21 coincides with the position of each bobbin wheel 24 in the longitudinal direction of the machine base 21 is defined as the receiving position D1. When the carriage 32 is located at the receiving position D1, the detected portion 32a of the carriage 32 is located midway along the first straight portion 31a of the loop rail 31.

[0029] 4, the position of the carriage 32 relative to the loop rail 31 when the positions of each empty bobbin hanger He in the longitudinal direction of the machine base 21 and each bobbin wheel 24 in the longitudinal direction of the machine base 21 are aligned is defined as the delivery position D2. When the carriage 32 is located at the delivery position D2, the detected portion 32a of the carriage 32 is located midway along the first straight portion 31a of the loop rail 31. More specifically, when the carriage 32 is located at the delivery position D2, the detected portion 32a is located closer to the first arc portion 31c than the detected portion 32a when the carriage 32 is located at the receiving position D1.

[0030] The first transport unit 11 performs bobbin transfer operations with the roving frame 100. Specifically, the first transport unit 11 receives full bobbins Bf from the roving frame 100 onto a full bobbin hanger Hf. The first transport unit 11 also transfers empty bobbins Be from an empty bobbin hanger He to the roving frame 100. The first transport unit 11 of this embodiment performs bobbin transfer operations with the bobbin rail 23 transported below the first transport unit 11 by the rail transport unit 102.

[0031] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the second conveying section 12 has a rail main body 12a, a hanger conveying section 12b, and a plurality of hangers H. Although not shown, the rail main body 12a is loop-shaped. A portion of the circumferential direction of the rail main body 12a is connected to the spinning machine 200. Therefore, the second conveying section 12 is connected to the spinning machine 200. The hanger conveying section 12b is movable along the rail main body 12a. The plurality of hangers H are suspended from the hanger conveying section 12b. The hanger conveying section 12b moves along the rail main body 12a to convey the plurality of hangers H. As a result, the bobbins B hung on the hangers H of the second conveying section 12 are conveyed by the second conveying section 12.

[0032] The exchanger 13 is provided between the first transport section 11 and the second transport section 12. More specifically, the exchanger 13 is provided on the side of the first arcuate portion 31c of the loop rail 31.

[0033] The exchanger 13 of this embodiment has a rotating shaft 41 and an exchanging unit 42 that rotates integrally with the rotating shaft 41. The exchanger 13 is movable up and down. The exchanging unit 42 has a base plate 420, a first plate 421, and a second plate 422. The base plate 420 is rectangular. The rotating shaft 41 is inserted through the center of the base plate 420 in the longitudinal direction. The first plate 421 is provided at one end of the base plate 420 in the longitudinal direction, and the second plate 422 is provided at the other end of the base plate 420 in the longitudinal direction.

[0034] The first plate 421 has a full bobbin support portion 421a that supports a full bobbin Bf. The first plate 421 is reciprocatable between a non-protruding position where it is located on the base plate 420 and a protruding position where it protrudes in the longitudinal direction from one end of the base plate 420. The second plate 422 has an empty bobbin support portion 422a that supports an empty bobbin Be. The second plate 422 is reciprocatable between a non-protruding position where it is located on the base plate 420 and a protruding position where it protrudes in the longitudinal direction from the other end of the base plate 420. Note that FIGS. 6 and 7 show the first plate 421 and the second plate 422 in the non-protruding position.

[0035] The exchanger 13 performs a bobbin exchange operation to exchange a full bobbin Bf with an empty bobbin Be between the first transport section 11 and the second transport section 12. Specifically, the exchanger 13 transfers an empty bobbin Be from a hanger H of the second transport section 12 to an empty bobbin hanger He of the first transport section 11. The exchanger 13 also transfers a full bobbin Bf from a full bobbin hanger Hf of the first transport section 11 to a hanger H of the second transport section 12. The hanger H of the second transport section 12 to which the full bobbin Bf is transferred is the hanger H on which the empty bobbin Be to be transferred to the first transport section 11 was hung.

[0036] Therefore, among the multiple hangers H possessed by the second transport section 12, an empty bobbin Be is hung on a hanger H located upstream of the exchanger 13 in the transport direction Y of the hangers H. This empty bobbin Be is an empty bobbin Be that is handed over by the exchanger 13 to an empty bobbin hanger He of the first transport section 11. Furthermore, among the multiple hangers H possessed by the second transport section 12, a full bobbin Bf is hung on a hanger H located downstream of the exchanger 13 in the transport direction Y of the hangers H. This full bobbin Bf is a full bobbin Bf that has been handed over by the exchanger 13 from a full bobbin hanger Hf of the first transport section 11.

[0037] A position in the circumferential direction of the loop rail 31 where the exchanger 13 performs the bobbin exchange operation is defined as an exchange position C. In this embodiment, the exchange position C is provided midway along the first arcuate portion 31c.

[0038] 1 and 4, the receiving position sensor 14 is disposed to the side of the first straight portion 31a of the loop rail 31. The receiving position sensor 14 is configured to be able to detect the detected portion 32a of the carriage 32. When the carriage 32 is located at the receiving position D1, the receiving position sensor 14 detects the detected portion 32a.

[0039] The delivery position sensor 15 is provided next to the receiving position sensor 14 on the side of the first straight portion 31a of the loop rail 31. The delivery position sensor 15 is located closer to the first arc portion 31c than the receiving position sensor 14. The delivery position sensor 15 is configured to be able to detect the detected portion 32a of the carriage 32. When the carriage 32 is located at the delivery position D2, the delivery position sensor 15 detects the detected portion 32a.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 8, the hanger detection unit 16 is disposed to the side of the replacement position C. In this embodiment, the hanger detection unit 16 is disposed to the side of the first arc portion 31c. The hanger detection unit 16 detects the presence or absence of a hanger H at the replacement position C. Furthermore, when the hanger detection unit 16 detects the presence of a hanger H at the replacement position C, it detects whether the hanger H is a full bobbin hanger Hf or an empty bobbin hanger He. In this embodiment, the hanger detection unit 16 is one sensor 16a. That is, in this embodiment, the one sensor 16a detects the presence or absence of a hanger H at the replacement position C, and when it detects the presence of a hanger H at the replacement position C, it detects whether the hanger H is a full bobbin hanger Hf or an empty bobbin hanger He.

[0041] Specifically, the sensor 16a is configured to be able to detect hangers H. When the carriage 32 transports the hangers H to the replacement position C, the sensor 16a detects that the hangers H are at the replacement position C. Furthermore, when the sensor 16a detects that the hangers H are at the replacement position C, it counts the number of detected hangers H. As described above, hangers H positioned odd-numbered from the front in the movement direction X of the carriage 32, i.e., the transport direction of the hangers H, are hangers for full bobbins Hf, and hangers H positioned even-numbered are hangers for empty bobbins He. Therefore, the sensor 16a can detect whether the hanger H positioned at the replacement position C is a hanger for full bobbins Hf or a hanger for empty bobbins He, depending on the number of the detected hanger H. When the detected hanger H is an odd-numbered hanger H, the sensor 16a detects that the hanger H is a hanger for full bobbins Hf. If the detected hanger H is an even-numbered hanger H, the sensor 16a detects that the hanger H is an empty bobbin hanger He.

[0042] The bobbin detection unit 17 is disposed on the side of the replacement position C of the loop rail 31. In this embodiment, the bobbin detection unit 17 is disposed on the side of the first arc portion 31c. The bobbin detection unit 17 is disposed below the hanger detection unit 16. The bobbin detection unit 17 is configured to be able to detect a bobbin B. The bobbin detection unit 17 detects the presence or absence of a bobbin B when the hanger detection unit 16 detects that a hanger H is present at the replacement position C. In other words, the bobbin detection unit 17 detects whether a bobbin B is hung on a hanger H located at the replacement position C.

[0043] The control unit 18 includes a processor and a memory unit (not shown). Examples of the processor include a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), and a digital signal processor (DSP). The memory unit includes a random access memory (RAM) and a read-only memory (ROM). The memory unit stores program code or instructions configured to cause the processor to execute a process. The memory unit, i.e., a computer-readable medium, includes any available medium accessible by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer. The control unit 18 may be configured with hardware circuits such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The control unit 18, which is a processing circuit, may include one or more processors operating according to a computer program, one or more hardware circuits such as an ASIC or an FPGA, or a combination thereof.

[0044] The control unit 18 is connected to the receiving position sensor 14, the delivery position sensor 15, the hanger detection unit 16, and the bobbin detection unit 17. The control unit 18 controls the first transport unit 11 and the exchanger 13 based on the detection results of the receiving position sensor 14, the delivery position sensor 15, the hanger detection unit 16, and the bobbin detection unit 17.

[0045] In the event of a breakdown of the exchanger 13 described above, an operator may replace the bobbin B on the hanger H of the first transport section 11 instead of the exchanger 13. In this case, the control section 18 checks whether the operator has hung the bobbin B on the hanger H of the first transport section 11 incorrectly, based on the detection results of the hanger detection section 16 and the bobbin detection section 17.

[0046] <Operation of bobbin transport device> The operation of the bobbin transport device 10 will be described together with the operation of the roving frame 100. 1 to 3 show the roving frame 100 after the completion of the roving process and the first transport section 11 before the bobbin transfer operation. The bobbin rail 23 of the roving frame 100 is placed on the rail transport section 102 below the flyer 22. Each bobbin wheel 24 supports a full bobbin Bf. The loop rail 31 of the first transport section 11 is positioned above the machine base 21. The carriage 32 is positioned at the receiving position D1. No bobbin B is hung on each full bobbin hanger Hf. An empty bobbin Be is hung on the empty bobbin hanger He.

[0047] As shown in Fig. 9, the rail transport unit 102 transports the bobbin rail 23 below the first transport unit 11. As a result, each full bobbin hanger Hf and each bobbin wheel 24 face each other in the vertical direction. At the same time that the rail transport unit 102 transports the bobbin rail 23 below the first transport unit 11, the loop rail 31 descends. As a result, the full bobbin hanger Hf receives the full bobbin Bf from the bobbin wheel 24.

[0048] 10 and 11, when the full bobbin hanger Hf receives the full bobbin Bf from the bobbin wheel 24, the loop rail 31 rises. The full bobbin hanger Hf is now in a state where the full bobbin Bf is hung on it. Meanwhile, the bobbin wheel 24 is no longer supporting the bobbin B.

[0049] 12 and 13, the control unit 18 moves the carriage 32. Then, when the delivery position sensor 15 detects the detected portion 32a of the carriage 32, the control unit 18 stops the carriage 32. As a result, the carriage 32 stops at the delivery position D2. Each empty bobbin hanger He and each bobbin wheel 24 face each other in the vertical direction. In this state, the loop rail 31 descends, causing the empty bobbin hanger He to deliver the empty bobbin Be to the bobbin wheel 24.

[0050] 14 and 15, when the empty bobbin hanger He hands over the empty bobbin Be to the bobbin wheel 24, the loop rail 31 rises. The empty bobbin hanger He is no longer hanging the bobbin B. Meanwhile, the bobbin wheel 24 is now supporting the empty bobbin Be.

[0051] 4 and 5, the rail transport section 102 transports the bobbin rail 23 from below the first transport section 11 to below the flyer 22. When the bobbin rail 23 is transported below the flyer 22, it rises to the roving position. This puts the roving frame main body 101 in a state where it can start the roving process. In addition, the loop rail 31 rises to a position above the machine base 21. This completes the bobbin transfer operation of the first transport section 11. In the first transport section 11 after the bobbin transfer operation, a full bobbin Bf is hung on the full bobbin hanger Hf. No bobbin B is hung on the empty bobbin hanger He.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 18 moves the carriage 32 after the bobbin transfer operation is completed. When the full bobbin hanger Hf, which is the leading hanger H of the first transport unit 11, is transported to the replacement position C, the hanger detection unit 16 detects that there is a hanger H at the replacement position C. When the hanger detection unit 16 detects that there is a hanger H at the replacement position C, the control unit 18 suspends the movement of the carriage 32. As a result, the full bobbin hanger Hf stops at the replacement position C. The hanger detection unit 16 also counts up the number of detected hangers H. Because the detected hanger H is the first hanger H, the hanger detection unit 16 detects that the hanger H at the replacement position C is a full bobbin hanger Hf.

[0053] The first plate 421 of the exchanger 13 is located on the first transport section 11 side, and the second plate 422 is located on the second transport section 12 side. The control unit 18 moves the first plate 421 and the second plate 422 from the non-protruding position to the protruding position. Then, the first plate 421 moves to the lower side of the full bobbin hanger Hf located at the exchange position C. Also, the second plate 422 moves to the lower side of the hanger H of the second transport section 12 on which the empty bobbin Be is hung. In this state, the control unit 18 raises the exchanger 13. Then, the full bobbin support part 421a receives the full bobbin Bf from the full bobbin hanger Hf located at the exchange position C. As a result, the full bobbin hanger Hf, which is the leading hanger H, no longer has a bobbin B hung on it. Meanwhile, the empty bobbin support part 422a receives the empty bobbin Be from the hanger H of the second transport section 12. As a result, of the plurality of hangers H that the second transport section 12 has, the hanger H adjacent to the exchanger 13 is in a state where no bobbin B is hung thereon.

[0054] When the exchanger 13 properly receives a full bobbin Bf from the full bobbin hanger Hf located at the exchange position C, the detection result of the bobbin detector 17 for the full bobbin hanger Hf changes from "bobbin present" to "bobbin absent." The control unit 18 confirms that the exchanger 13 properly received the full bobbin Bf from the full bobbin hanger Hf of the first transport unit 11 when the detection result of the bobbin detector 17 changes to "bobbin absent." Thereafter, the control unit 18 lowers the exchanger 13 and moves the first plate 421 and the second plate 422 from the protruding position to the non-protruding position. The control unit 18 then rotates the rotating shaft 41 half a revolution, causing the exchange unit 42 to also rotate half a revolution.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 7, the exchanger 13 is in a state in which the second plate 422 is located on the first transport unit 11 side and the first plate 421 is located on the second transport unit 12 side. The control unit 18 also resumes the movement of the carriage 32. When the empty bobbin hanger He, which is the second hanger H of the first transport unit 11, is transported to the replacement position C, the hanger detection unit 16 detects that the hanger H is at the replacement position C. When the hanger detection unit 16 detects that the hanger H is at the replacement position C, the control unit 18 suspends the movement of the carriage 32. As a result, the empty bobbin hanger He stops at the replacement position C. The hanger detection unit 16 also counts up the number of detected hangers H. Because the detected hanger H is the second hanger H, the hanger detection unit 16 detects that the hanger H at the replacement position C is the empty bobbin hanger He.

[0056] The control unit 18 moves the first plate 421 and the second plate 422 from the non-protruding position to the protruding position. Then, the first plate 421 moves to below the hanger H of the second transporter 12 on which no bobbin B is hung. Furthermore, the second plate 422 moves to below the empty bobbin hanger He located at the exchange position C. In this state, the control unit 18 raises the exchanger 13. Then, the full bobbin support unit 421a transfers the full bobbin Bf received from the first transporter 11 to the hanger H of the second transporter 12 on which no bobbin B is hung. As a result, the hanger H adjacent to the exchanger 13, among the multiple hangers H of the second transporter 12, has a full bobbin Bf hung on it. Meanwhile, the empty bobbin support unit 422a transfers the empty bobbin Be received from the second transporter 12 to the empty bobbin hanger He of the first transporter 11. As a result, the second hanger H, ie, the empty bobbin hanger He, is in a state in which the empty bobbin Be is hung thereon.

[0057] When the exchanger 13 properly transfers the empty bobbin Be to the empty bobbin hanger He located at the exchange position C, the detection result of the bobbin detector 17 for the empty bobbin hanger He changes from "no bobbin present" to "bobbin present." The control unit 18 confirms that the exchanger 13 properly transferred the empty bobbin Be to the empty bobbin hanger He of the first transport unit 11 when the detection result of the bobbin detector 17 changes to "bobbin present." The control unit 18 then lowers the exchanger 13 and moves the first plate 421 and the second plate 422 from the protruding position to the non-protruding position. The control unit 18 then rotates the rotating shaft 41 half a revolution, causing the exchanging unit 42 to also rotate half a revolution. This returns the exchanger 13 to a state in which the first plate 421 is located on the first transport unit 11 side and the second plate 422 is located on the second transport unit 12 side. This completes one bobbin exchange operation by the exchanger 13.

[0058] The control unit 18 resumes the movement of the carriage 32. When the full bobbin hanger Hf, which is the third hanger H of the first transport unit 11, moves to the exchange position C, the hanger detection unit 16 detects that a hanger H is present at the exchange position C. When the hanger detection unit 16 detects that a hanger H is present at the exchange position C, the control unit 18 suspends the movement of the carriage 32. As a result, the full bobbin hanger Hf stops at the exchange position C. The hanger detection unit 16 also counts up the number of detected hangers H. Because the detected hanger H is the third hanger H, the hanger detection unit 16 detects that the hanger H at the exchange position C is a full bobbin hanger Hf. The second transport unit 12 transports one hanger H simultaneously with the movement of the carriage 32. As a result, the hanger H adjacent to the exchanger 13 becomes a hanger H on which an empty bobbin Be is hung.

[0059] The subsequent operation of the exchanger 13 is the same as that described above, and therefore will not be described here. When the control unit 18 confirms that the exchanger 13 has handed over the empty bobbin Be to the empty bobbin hanger He, which is the rearmost hanger H of the first transport unit 11, it causes the carriage 32 to resume movement. Then, when the receiving position sensor 14 detects the detected portion 32a of the carriage 32, the control unit 18 stops the movement of the carriage 32. As a result, the carriage 32 stops at the receiving position D1. Therefore, the first transport unit 11 returns to the state before the bobbin handover operation shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

[0060] In this way, when the bobbin B becomes a full bobbin Bf through the roving process performed by the roving frame main body 101, it is transferred from the roving frame 100 to the first conveying section 11. The full bobbin Bf transferred to the first conveying section 11 is delivered to the second conveying section 12 by the exchanger 13. The full bobbin Bf delivered to the second conveying section 12 is transported to the spinning frame 200. Then, the full bobbin Bf becomes an empty bobbin Be as the roving yarn is recovered in the spinning process. The empty bobbin Be is transported to the exchanger 13 by the second conveying section 12, and then delivered to the first conveying section 11 by the exchanger 13. The empty bobbin Be delivered to the first conveying section 11 is transferred to the roving frame 100.

[0061] So far, the bobbin replacement operation by the exchanger 13 has been described. However, in the event of a breakdown of the exchanger 13, an operator may replace the bobbin B on the hanger H of the first transport unit 11 instead of the exchanger 13. In this case, after the bobbin delivery operation of the first transport unit 11, the operator removes the full bobbin Bf from the full bobbin hanger Hf and attaches the empty bobbin Be to the empty bobbin hanger He while the carriage 32 is positioned at the delivery position D2. When the operator replaces the bobbin B on the hanger H of the first transport unit 11, the operator may mistakenly hang the empty bobbin Be on the hanger H, such as by mistakenly hanging the empty bobbin Be on the full bobbin hanger Hf or forgetting to hang the empty bobbin Be on the empty bobbin hanger He.

[0062] <Inspection for incorrect bobbin attachment> When an operator replaces a bobbin B on a hanger H of the first transport section 11, the control section 18 checks whether the operator has hung the bobbin B on the hanger H of the first transport section 11 incorrectly as follows.

[0063] When the operator completes the bobbin B replacement operation on the hanger H of the first transport unit 11, the control unit 18 returns the carriage 32 from the delivery position D2 to the receiving position D1 by moving the carriage 32 around before performing the next bobbin transfer operation. In other words, before performing the bobbin transfer operation, the control unit 18 moves the carriage 32 around without causing the exchanger 13 to perform the bobbin replacement operation. As a result, the multiple hangers H are transported to the replacement position C in order, starting with the leading hanger H. At this time, the hanger detection unit 16 detects the presence or absence of a hanger H at the replacement position C, and if it detects that a hanger H is present at the replacement position C, it detects whether the hanger H is a full bobbin hanger Hf or an empty bobbin hanger He. In this embodiment, the hanger detection unit 16 detects whether the hanger H at the replacement position C is a full bobbin hanger Hf or an empty bobbin hanger He, depending on the ordinal number of the detected hanger H. Further, when the hanger detector 16 detects that the hanger H is present at the exchange position C, the bobbin detector 17 detects whether the bobbin B is present or not.

[0064] In this embodiment, before performing the bobbin transfer operation, when the control unit 18 causes the carriage 32 to move around without causing the exchanger 13 to perform the bobbin replacement operation, the control unit 18 causes the carriage 32 to move continuously without stopping each hanger H at the replacement position C. Therefore, multiple hangers H are transported by the carriage 32 so that each hanger H passes through the replacement position C. In this embodiment, the hanger detection unit 16 and the bobbin detection unit 17 perform detection while the carriage 32 is transporting the bobbins B. Specifically, the hanger detection unit 16 detects that each hanger H is at the replacement position C when it passes through the replacement position C. In addition, the hanger detection unit 16 detects whether the hanger H passing through the replacement position C is a full bobbin hanger Hf or an empty bobbin hanger He. The bobbin detection unit 17 detects whether a bobbin B is hung on each hanger H passing through the replacement position C.

[0065] The control unit 18 determines whether or not the bobbin B has been mistakenly hung on the hanger H based on the detection results of the hanger detection unit 16 and the bobbin detection unit 17 while the carriage 32 is moving around.

[0066] For example, as shown in Fig. 16, suppose an empty bobbin Be is mistakenly hung on a full bobbin hanger Hf. In this case, when the hanger H is transported to the replacement position C, the hanger detection unit 16 detects that a hanger H is present at the replacement position C. Furthermore, when the hanger detection unit 16 detects that a hanger H is present at the replacement position C, it counts up the number of detected hangers H. Because the detected hanger H is an odd-numbered hanger H, the hanger detection unit 16 detects that the hanger H at the replacement position C is a full bobbin hanger Hf. When the hanger detection unit 16 detects that a hanger H is present at the replacement position C, the bobbin detection unit 17 detects that "bobbin present."

[0067] In this case, the control unit 18 determines that the bobbin B is hung on the full bobbin hanger Hf based on the detection results of the hanger detection unit 16 and the bobbin detection unit 17. If the control unit 18 determines that the bobbin B is hung on the full bobbin hanger Hf, it determines that an empty bobbin Be is mistakenly hung on the full bobbin hanger Hf, and that the bobbin B has been mistakenly hung on the hanger H.

[0068] For example, as shown in Fig. 17, assume that an empty bobbin Be has been forgotten to hang on an empty bobbin hanger He. In this case, when the hanger H is transported to the replacement position C, the hanger detection unit 16 detects that a hanger H is present at the replacement position C. Furthermore, when the hanger detection unit 16 detects that a hanger H is present at the replacement position C, it counts up the number of detected hangers H. Because the detected hanger H is an even-numbered hanger H, the hanger detection unit 16 detects that the hanger H at the replacement position C is an empty bobbin hanger He. When the hanger detection unit 16 detects that a hanger H is present at the replacement position C, the bobbin detection unit 17 detects that "no bobbin" is present.

[0069] In this case, the control unit 18 of this embodiment determines that the bobbin B is not hung on the empty bobbin hanger He based on the detection results of the hanger detection unit 16 and the bobbin detection unit 17. When the control unit 18 of this embodiment determines that the bobbin B is not hung on the empty bobbin hanger He, it determines that the empty bobbin Be has been forgotten to be hung on the empty bobbin hanger He, and that the bobbin B has been mistakenly hung on the hanger H.

[0070] In this way, before performing the bobbin transfer operation, the control unit 18 causes the carriage 32 to move in a circular motion without causing the exchanger 13 to perform a bobbin exchange operation. Then, the control unit 18 determines whether or not a bobbin B is hung on the full bobbin hanger Hf based on the detection results of the hanger detector 16 and the bobbin detector 17 while the carriage 32 is moving in a circular motion. If the control unit 18 determines that a bobbin B is hung on the full bobbin hanger Hf, it determines that the bobbin B has been hung incorrectly on the hanger H. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control unit 18 determines whether or not a bobbin B is hung on the empty bobbin hanger He based on the detection results of the hanger detector 16 and the bobbin detector 17 while the carriage 32 is moving in a circular motion. If the control unit 18 determines that a bobbin B is not hung on the empty bobbin hanger He, it determines that the bobbin B has been hung incorrectly on the hanger H.

[0071] On the other hand, if the control unit 18 determines that no bobbin B is hung on each full bobbin hanger Hf and that a bobbin B is hung on each empty bobbin hanger He during the period until the receiving position sensor 14 detects the detected portion 32a, i.e., until the carriage 32 returns to the receiving position D1, it determines that the bobbin B has not been hung on the hanger H incorrectly.

[0072] When the control unit 18 determines that the bobbin B has not been hung incorrectly on the hanger H, the control unit 18 permits the first transport unit 11 to perform the bobbin transfer operation. The control unit 18 causes the first transport unit 11 to start the bobbin transfer operation.

[0073] When the control unit 18 determines that the bobbin B has been hung incorrectly on the hanger H, it displays an error message on a display screen (not shown) indicating that the bobbin B has been hung incorrectly on the hanger H. In addition, the control unit 18 does not permit the first transport unit 11 to perform a bobbin transfer operation. The control unit 18 restricts the first transport unit 11 from performing a bobbin transfer operation.

[0074] The worker recognizes that the bobbin B has been mistakenly hung on the hanger H by checking the error message displayed on the display screen. The worker removes the empty bobbin Be that was mistakenly hung on the full bobbin hanger Hf, or hangs the empty bobbin Be on the empty bobbin hanger He on which the empty bobbin Be had been forgotten to be hung. The control unit 18 then checks for the bobbin B being mistakenly hung on the hanger H by moving the carriage 32 again without causing the exchanger 13 to perform a bobbin exchange operation. If the control unit 18 determines that the bobbin B has not been mistakenly hung on the hanger H, it cancels the display of the error message and permits the first transport unit 11 to perform a bobbin transfer operation. The control unit 18 causes the first transport unit 11 to start the bobbin transfer operation.

[0075] [Actions and Effects of This Embodiment] The operation and effects of this embodiment will be described. (1) Before performing the bobbin transfer operation, the control unit 18 moves the carriage 32 in a circular movement without causing the exchanger 13 to perform a bobbin replacement operation. The control unit 18 determines whether or not a bobbin B is hung on the full bobbin hanger Hf based on the detection results of the hanger detection unit 16 and the bobbin detection unit 17 while the carriage 32 is moving in a circular movement. If the worker properly replaces the bobbin B on the hanger H of the first transport unit 11, an empty bobbin Be is not hung on the full bobbin hanger Hf. Therefore, when the control unit 18 determines that a bobbin B is hung on the full bobbin hanger Hf, it determines that an empty bobbin Be is mistakenly hung on the full bobbin hanger Hf, and that the bobbin B has been mistakenly hung on the hanger H. The control unit 18 uses the hanger detection unit 16 and the bobbin detection unit 17 to determine whether or not a bobbin B is hung on the full bobbin hanger Hf. The hanger detector 16 and the bobbin detector 17 are existing detectors used to confirm that the exchanger 13 has properly performed the bobbin exchange operation. Therefore, it is possible to check whether an operator has hung the bobbin B on the hanger H incorrectly without adding a new detector.

[0076] (2) The control unit 18 determines whether or not a bobbin B is hung on the empty bobbin hanger He based on the detection results of the hanger detection unit 16 and the bobbin detection unit 17 during the circular movement of the carriage 32. If the worker properly performs the bobbin B replacement work on the hanger H of the first transport unit 11, an empty bobbin Be is hung on the empty bobbin hanger He. Therefore, when the control unit 18 determines that a bobbin B is not hung on the empty bobbin hanger He, it determines that the empty bobbin Be has been forgotten to be hung on the empty bobbin hanger He, and that the bobbin B has been mistakenly hung on the hanger H. The control unit 18 uses the existing detection units, the hanger detection unit 16 and the bobbin detection unit 17, to determine whether or not a bobbin B is hung on the empty bobbin hanger He. Therefore, it is possible to check whether or not the worker has forgotten to hang the empty bobbin Be on the empty bobbin hanger He without adding any new detection units. In this case, spinning failures that occur when empty bobbins Be are not supplied to the roving frame body 101 can be avoided.

[0077] (3) When the control unit 18 determines that the bobbin B has been mistakenly hung on the hanger H, it restricts the bobbin transfer operation by the first transport unit 11. Therefore, when an empty bobbin Be is mistakenly hung on the full bobbin hanger Hf, it is possible to prevent the empty bobbin Be hung on the full bobbin hanger Hf from coming into contact with the full bobbin Bf of the roving frame 100 during the bobbin transfer operation.

[0078] (4) The hanger detection unit 16 and the bobbin detection unit 17 perform detection while the bobbin B is being transported by the carriage 32. In this case, the time required to inspect whether the bobbin B is hung on the hanger H incorrectly can be reduced compared to when the hanger H is stopped at the exchange position C every time the hanger H is transported to the exchange position C, as is the case during a bobbin exchange operation by the exchanger 13.

[0079] (5) After the bobbin transfer operation, the carriage 32 of the first transport unit 11 is located at the delivery position D2. Therefore, when an operator replaces the bobbin B on the hanger H of the first transport unit 11, the carriage 32 must be moved circularly to return to the receiving position D1 in order to perform the next bobbin transfer operation. Inspection of whether the bobbin B has been hung incorrectly on the hanger H of the first transport unit 11 is performed during the circular movement of the carriage 32 to return from the delivery position D2 to the receiving position D1. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a separate process for inspecting whether the bobbin B has been hung incorrectly on the hanger H of the first transport unit 11.

[0080] (6) When using the full bobbin detector of the prior art, the distance between the light emitter and the light receiver is wide, which makes it easy for detection errors to occur due to misalignment of the full bobbin detector, tilt of the hanger H, foreign matter attached to the hanger H, etc. In contrast, in this embodiment, the hanger detector 16 and the bobbin detector 17 are located at the exchange position C and are therefore installed close to the hanger H. Therefore, the bobbin transport device 10 of this embodiment is less likely to cause detection errors. In addition, it is easy to adjust the position of the hanger detector 16 relative to the hanger H and the position of the bobbin detector 17 relative to the bobbin B.

[0081] (7) The control unit 18 detects whether or not the bobbin B is hung on the hanger H based on the detection results of the hanger detection unit 16 and the bobbin detection unit 17. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably check whether or not the bobbin B is hung on the hanger H incorrectly, compared to when an operator visually checks whether or not the bobbin B is hung on the hanger H.

[0082] (8) The hanger detection unit 16 of this embodiment is a single sensor 16a. This sensor 16a detects the presence or absence of a hanger H at the exchange position C, and, if it detects that a hanger H is present at the exchange position C, detects whether the hanger H is a full bobbin hanger Hf or an empty bobbin hanger He. Therefore, compared to a case in which the hanger detection unit 16 is configured with two sensors, namely, a first sensor that detects the presence or absence of a hanger H at the exchange position C, and a second sensor that, if the first sensor detects that a hanger H is present at the exchange position C, detects whether the hanger H is a full bobbin hanger Hf or an empty bobbin hanger He, the configuration of the bobbin transport device 10 can be simplified.

[0083] [Example of change] The above embodiment can be modified as follows: The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0084] The control unit 18 may determine that the bobbin B has been mistakenly hung on the hanger H only when it determines that the bobbin B is hung on the full bobbin hanger Hf based on the detection results of the hanger detection unit 16 and the bobbin detection unit 17 during the circular movement of the carriage 32. In other words, the control unit 18 does not need to check whether the empty bobbin Be has been left hanging on the empty bobbin hanger He.

[0085] When checking whether the worker has placed the bobbin B on the hanger H incorrectly, the control unit 18 may stop the carriage 32 each time the hanger H is transported to the exchange position C, as in the case of the bobbin exchange operation by the exchanger 13.

[0086] The control unit 18 may determine that all hangers H have been inspected for incorrect bobbins B when the number of hangers H counted by the hanger detection unit 16 matches the total number of hangers H.

[0087] The hanger detection unit 16 does not have to be composed of one sensor 16a. The hanger detection unit 16 may be composed of two sensors, a first sensor and a second sensor. The first sensor is a sensor that detects the presence or absence of a hanger H at the exchange position C. The second sensor is a sensor that, when the first sensor detects the presence of a hanger H at the exchange position C, detects whether the hanger H is a full bobbin hanger Hf or an empty bobbin hanger He.

[0088] In this case, for example, a dog is provided on the full bobbin hanger Hf. The second sensor is configured to be able to detect the dog. When the first sensor detects that a hanger H is at the replacement position C, the second sensor detects whether the hanger H at the replacement position C is a full bobbin hanger Hf or an empty bobbin hanger He based on the presence or absence of the dog on the hanger H. When the second sensor detects the dog, it detects that the hanger H is a full bobbin hanger Hf. On the other hand, when the second sensor does not detect the dog, it detects that the hanger H is an empty bobbin hanger He.

[0089] The dog may be provided on the empty bobbin hanger He instead of the full bobbin hanger Hf. In this case, if the second sensor detects the dog, it will determine that the hanger H is the empty bobbin hanger He. On the other hand, if the second sensor does not detect the dog, it will determine that the hanger H is the full bobbin hanger Hf.

[0090] The hanger detection unit 16 does not need to be located at the replacement position C as long as it is capable of detecting the presence or absence of a hanger H at the replacement position C and, if it detects that a hanger H is present at the replacement position C, can detect whether the hanger H is a hanger Hf for a full bobbin or a hanger He for an empty bobbin.

[0091] The bobbin detector 17 does not have to be located at the replacement position C as long as it can detect the presence or absence of the bobbin B when the hanger detector 16 detects that the hanger H is present at the replacement position C.

[0092] When the control unit 18 determines that the worker has hung the bobbin B on the wrong hanger H, the control unit 18 may sound a buzzer instead of displaying an error message on the display screen to notify the worker that the bobbin B has been hung on the wrong hanger H. Furthermore, the control unit 18 may sound a buzzer in addition to displaying an error message on the display screen to notify the worker that the bobbin B has been hung on the wrong hanger H.

[0093] The control unit 18 may display different error messages on the display screen depending on whether an empty bobbin Be is mistakenly hung on the full bobbin hanger Hf or whether an empty bobbin Be has been forgotten to be hung on the empty bobbin hanger He. In this case, the worker only needs to check the hanger H for which the error message is displayed, thereby reducing the burden on the worker.

[0094] The movement direction X of the carriage 32 may be opposite to that in the above embodiment. In this case, the receiving position sensor 14 and the delivery position sensor 15 are disposed to the side of the second straight section 31b. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the hanger H used as the full bobbin hanger Hf is used as the empty bobbin hanger He, and the hanger H used as the empty bobbin hanger He is used as the full bobbin hanger Hf.

[0095] The configuration of the exchanger 13 in the above embodiment is an example. The configuration of the exchanger 13 may be changed as appropriate as long as bobbin exchange operation between the first transport unit 11 and the second transport unit 12 is possible.

[0096] The roving frame 100 and the bobbin transport device 10 may be collectively controlled by a single control device. In this case, the control unit 18 is included in the control device that controls the roving frame 100 and the bobbin transport device 10.

[0097] [Note] The technical ideas that can be understood from the above-described embodiments and modifications will be described below. [1] A bobbin transport device that transports full bobbins, which are bobbins around which roving is wound, and empty bobbins, which are bobbins around which the roving is not wound, between a roving frame and a spinning frame, the device comprising: a loop rail; a carriage that is movable along the loop rail; and a plurality of hangers that are suspended from the carriage and are used as full bobbin hangers on which the full bobbins are hung or empty bobbin hangers on which the empty bobbins are hung, the full bobbin hangers and the empty bobbin hangers are arranged alternately; a first transport section that performs a bobbin handover operation of receiving the full bobbins from the roving frame to the full bobbin hangers and handing the empty bobbins from the empty bobbin hangers to the roving frame; a second transport section that is connected to the spinning frame; an exchanger that performs a bobbin exchange operation of exchanging the full bobbins with the empty bobbins between the first transport section and the second transport section; and when a position in the circumferential direction of the loop rail where the exchanger performs the bobbin exchange operation is set as an exchange position, the exchange position is set as an exchange position. a hanger detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the hanger at the exchange position and, when it detects that the hanger is present at the exchange position, detects whether the hanger is the full bobbin hanger or the empty bobbin hanger; a bobbin detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the bobbin when the hanger detection unit detects that the hanger is present at the exchange position; and a control unit that controls the first transport unit and the exchanger based on detection results of the hanger detection unit and the bobbin detection unit, wherein before performing the bobbin transfer operation, the control unit moves the carriage in a circular movement without causing the exchanger to perform the bobbin exchange operation, and determines whether the bobbin is hung on the full bobbin hanger based on detection results of the hanger detection unit and the bobbin detection unit during the circular movement of the carriage, and, when the bobbin is hung on the full bobbin hanger, determines that the bobbin has been mistakenly hung on the hanger.

[0098] [2] The control unit determines whether the bobbin is hung on the empty bobbin hanger based on the detection results of the hanger detection unit and the bobbin detection unit during the circular movement of the carriage, and determines that the bobbin has been incorrectly hung on the hanger even if the bobbin is not hung on the empty bobbin hanger. [1] The bobbin transport device described in [1]

[0099] [3] The bobbin transport device according to [1] or [2], wherein the control unit restricts the bobbin transfer operation by the first transport unit when it determines that the bobbin has been incorrectly hung on the hanger.

[0100] [4] The bobbin transport device according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the hanger detection unit and the bobbin detection unit perform detection while the bobbin is being transported by the carriage. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 10...bobbin transport device, 11...first transport section, 12...second transport section, 13...exchanger, 16...hanger detection section, 17...bobbin detection section, 18...control section, 31...loop rail, 32...carriage, 100...roving frame, 200...spinning frame, B...bobbin, Be...empty bobbin, Bf...full bobbin, C...exchange position, H...hanger, He...hanger for empty bobbins, Hf...hanger for full bobbins.

Claims

1. A bobbin transport device that transports full bobbins, which are bobbins around which a roving yarn is wound, and empty bobbins, which are bobbins around which the roving yarn is not wound, between a roving frame and a fine frame, a first transport unit having a loop rail, a carriage movable along the loop rail, and a plurality of hangers suspended from the carriage and used as full bobbin hangers on which the full bobbins are hung or empty bobbin hangers on which the empty bobbins are hung, the full bobbin hangers and the empty bobbin hangers being arranged alternately, the first transport unit performing a bobbin transfer operation of receiving the full bobbins from the roving frame to the full bobbin hangers and transferring the empty bobbins from the empty bobbin hangers to the roving frame; a second conveying section connected to the spinning machine; an exchanger that performs a bobbin exchange operation to exchange the full bobbin with the empty bobbin between the first transport unit and the second transport unit; a hanger detection unit that, when a position in the circumferential direction of the loop rail where the exchanger performs the bobbin exchange operation is set as an exchange position, detects the presence or absence of the hanger at the exchange position, and, when it detects that the hanger is present at the exchange position, detects whether the hanger is the full bobbin hanger or the empty bobbin hanger; a bobbin detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the bobbin when the hanger detection unit detects that the hanger is present at the replacement position; a control unit that controls the first transport unit and the exchanger based on detection results of the hanger detection unit and the bobbin detection unit, The control unit after the bobbin replacement operation on the hanger of the first transport section by the operator is completed and before the bobbin transfer operation is performed, the carriage is moved around in a state in which the exchanger is not performing the bobbin replacement operation; determining whether the bobbin is hung on the full bobbin hanger based on the detection results of the hanger detection unit and the bobbin detection unit during the circular movement of the carriage; When the bobbin is hung on the full bobbin hanger, the bobbin transport device determines that the bobbin has been hung on the wrong hanger.

2. The control unit determining whether or not the bobbin is hung on the empty bobbin hanger based on the detection results of the hanger detection unit and the bobbin detection unit during the circular movement of the carriage; 2. The bobbin transport device according to claim 1, wherein even when the bobbin is not hung on the empty bobbin hanger, it is determined that the bobbin has been mistakenly hung on the hanger.

3. The bobbin transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit restricts the bobbin transfer operation by the first transport unit when it determines that the bobbin has been hung incorrectly on the hanger.

4. The bobbin transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the hanger detector and the bobbin detector perform detection while the bobbin is being transported by the carriage.

Images