EP0005083A1 — Apparatus and method for gathering and displaying…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 176 words

1 . Apparatus for displaying information regarding the operating conditions of a group of ring spinning machines ( 10 ) in a textile mill wherein each machine has delivery rolls (14) from which strand material issues and intermediate guides (15) through which strand material passes and ring rails (20) by which strand material is positioned relative to packages during winding, the apparatus including: sensor means (30, 35 or 39) mounted on each machine of the group for signalling occurrences of events characteristic of certain operating conditions of the machines, processor means (41, 42, 44) operatively communicating with each of said sensor means of the group of machines and responsive to sensor signals for determining from said signals an operating condition of respective ones of the machines and for generating display signals indicative of the determined conditions of the machines, and visual display means (CRT) operatively communicating with said processor means and responsive to generated display signals for presenting a visual display of the determined condition of at least a selected one of the group of machines.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 176 words

1 . Apparatus for displaying information regarding the operating conditions of a group of ring spinning machines ( 10 ) in a textile mill wherein each machine has delivery rolls (14) from which strand material issues and intermediate guides (15) through which strand material passes and ring rails (20) by which strand material is positioned relative to packages during winding, the apparatus including: sensor means (30, 35 or 39) mounted on each machine of the group for signalling occurrences of events characteristic of certain operating conditions of the machines, processor means (41, 42, 44) operatively communicating with each of said sensor means of the group of machines and responsive to sensor signals for determining from said signals an operating condition of respective ones of the machines and for generating display signals indicative of the determined conditions of the machines, and visual display means (CRT) operatively communicating with said processor means and responsive to generated display signals for presenting a visual display of the determined condition of at least a selected one of the group of machines.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 73 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including at least one traveling unit (11) supported for travel along a predetermined path (12) for traversing one or more of the machines, detectors mounted on the traveling unit for monitoring ends of strand material normally being formed by a traversed machine, and a data system responsive to the detectors for determining the ends down condition of the traversed machine from the conditions of the monitored ends.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 117 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the sensor means includes rotation sensor means ( 30 ) mounted on each machine for generating a train of e lec - trical pulse signals at a frequency proportional to revolutions of the rolls (14), the processor means being responsive to sensor signals for determining from said signals the operating time remaining before doffing, and/or the roll speed in revolutions per minute, of respective ones of the machines, and for generating a display signal indicative of the determined time and/or speed conditions, and the visual display means being responsive to display signals for presenting a numerical visual display of the determined time and/or speed conditions of the machines.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 116 words

Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the sensor means includes guide position sensor means (35) mounted on each machine for generating an electrical signal upon movement of the guides (15) to a predetermined position indicative that the machine is being doffed, the processor means being responsive to sensor signals for determining from said signals that doffing is in progress at respective ones of the machines, and/or the interval of time required for doffing, and for generating a display signal indicative of the determined doffing and/or time conditions, and the visual display means being responsive to display signals for presenting a visual display of the determined doffing and/or time conditions of the machines.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 104 words

Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the sensor means includes rail position sensor means (39) mounted on each machine for generating an electrical signal upon movement of the rails (20) to a predetermined position indicative that the machine is ready to be doffed, the processor means being responsive to sensor signals for determining from said signals the readiness for doffing of respective ones of the machines and for generating a iisplay signal indicative of the determined doffing readiness conditions, and the visual display means being responsive to display signals for presenting a visual display of the determined readiness conditions of the machines.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 70 words

Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said processor means includes a plurality of frame board means (41) corresponding in number to the number of the machines, each said frame board means being operatively connected with at least one of said sensor means (30,35,39) and responsive to signalling from said sensor means for registering an operating condition of a corresponding one of the machines as indicated by such signalling.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 55 words

Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said processor means include a plurality of circuit processor means (42) which number a fraction of the number of the machines, each said circuit processor means operatively communicating with a plurality of said sensor means for determining the operating conditions of the corresponding plurality of the machines.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 48 words

Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said processor means includes a single main processor means (44) operatively communicating with a plurality of said sensor means and with said display means , said main processor means being responsive to said sensor means, for generating said display signal.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 62 words

Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said visual display means (CRT) comprises a cathode ray tube video display device operatively communicating with said processor means and driven thereby for presenting a. representation of the machines and the determined conditions thereof, keyboard means being provided, operatively communicating with said processor means, for selecting one of the determined conditions to be displayed.

Claim 11

Independent Claim 105 words

A method of displaying information regarding the operating conditions of ring spinning machines ( 10 ) in a textile mill wherein strand material issues from delivery rolls (14) and passes through intermediate guides (15) and is positioned by ring rails (20) during winding, the method including: sensing at each machine occurrences of events characteristic of certain operating conditions of that machine and signalling such sensed occurrences, determining from signalled, sensed occurrences an operating condition of respective ones of the machines and generating display signals indicative of the determined conditions, and visually displaying indicia representative of the determined conditions in response to the generated display signals.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 105 words

A method of displaying information regarding the operating conditions of ring spinning machines ( 10 ) in a textile mill wherein strand material issues from delivery rolls (14) and passes through intermediate guides (15) and is positioned by ring rails (20) during winding, the method including: sensing at each machine occurrences of events characteristic of certain operating conditions of that machine and signalling such sensed occurrences, determining from signalled, sensed occurrences an operating condition of respective ones of the machines and generating display signals indicative of the determined conditions, and visually displaying indicia representative of the determined conditions in response to the generated display signals.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 53 words

A method as claimed in claim 10, including traversing one or more machines with a traveling unit (11) having a detector moving therewith while monitoring ends of strand material normally being formed by a traversed machine, and responding to the monitoring of ends by determining the ends down condition of the traversed machine.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 93 words

A method as claimed in claim 10 or 11, which includes: sensing at each machine revolutions of the rolls of that machine and generating a train of electrical pulse signals having a frequency proportional to such sensed movement, determining from signalled, sensed movement the rotational speed of the rolls of respective ones of the machines, and/or the time interval remaining before doffing, and generating display signals indicative of the determined speed and/or time conditions, and displaying numerical indicia representative of the determined speed and/or time conditions in response to the generated display signals.

Claim 15

Independent Claim 96 words

A method as claimed in any of claims 10 to 12, which includes: sensing at each machine movement of the guides to a predetermined position indicative of doffing of the machine and generating an electrical signal in response to such sensed movement, determining from signalled, sensed movement the occurrence of doffing of respective ones of the machines and/or the time interval during which doffing occurs and generating display signals indicative of the determined doffing and/or time conditions, and displaying numerical indicia representative of the determined doffing and/or time conditions in response to the generated display signals.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 87 words

A method as claimed in any of claims 10 to 13, which includes: sensing at each machine movement of the rails to a predetermined position and generating an electrical signal in response to such sensed movement and indicative that the machine% ready to be doffed, determining from signalled, sensed movement the readiness for doffing of respective ones of the machines and generating display signals indicative of the determined doffing readiness conditions, and displaying numerical indicia representative of the determined conditions in response to the generated display signals.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 62 words

A method as claimed in any of claims 10 to 14, wherein the steps of determining an operating condition and generating display signals include communicating signals indicative of sensed movement at a machine to a corresponding one of a plurality of frame boards (41) corresponding in number to the number of theimachines and registering the sensed movement signals at the frame board.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 71 words

A method as claimed in any of claims 10.to 15, wherein the steps of determining an operating condition and generating display signals include communicating signals indicative of sensed movement from a plurality of machines to a corresponding one of a plurality of circuit processors (42) which number a fraction of the number of the machines and determining from the communicated signals at the circuit processor the operating conditions of the machines.

Claim 19

Independent Claim 53 words

A method as claimed in any of claims 11 to 16, wherein the steps of determining an operating condition and generating display signals include communicating the determined operating conditions from a plurality of machines to a single main processor (44) and generating from the communicated signals at the main processor the display signals.

Apparatus and method for gathering and displaying information

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