Yarn piecing process and apparatus for an open end spinning assembly

Claim 2

Process for yarn piecing in an open end spinning assembly on a spinning machine having a plurality of commonly driven spinning assemblies which can be selectively stopped and started independently of one another, where the individual steps of the yarn piecing process are controlled by a predetermined piecing program whose start is triggered as a function of the running up of a previously braked down spinning rotor, so that a yarn carried back into the spinning rotor will be applied in the spinning rotor to a fiber ring at a time during which the spinning rotor has only reached a rotational speed that is below the operating rotational speed thereof, said running up of a previously braked down spinning rotor being separately controllable for each of respective ones of said spinning assembly; said process including the steps of: monitoring the running up behavior of the spinning rotor, and triggering the start of the piecing program in dependence on the monitored running up behavior, thereby accommodating discrepancies in running up characteristics caused by different friction losses, drive train part tolerances, downtimes, and the like at the respective individual spinning assemblies.

Claim 3

Process according to claim 1, wherein said monitoring includes detecting a predetermined rotational speed of the spinning rotor, and wherein said triggering includes triggering the piecing program upon the detection of said predetermined rotational speed, said piecing program actually starting the predetermined operation a predetermined time after said triggering.

Claim 4

Process according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of programs with different time segments are provided for the individual process steps, said programs being fixedly subordinated to each other, the start and selection of which programs occur depending upon the running up behavior of the spinning rotor, whereby advantageously the running up behavior and time segments between the attaining of at least two characteristic rotational speeds of the spinning rotor are measured.

Claim 5

Process as in claim 1, wherein the individual process steps of the program are triggered with the attaining of predetermined and respectively associated rotational speeds of the spinning rotor.

Claim 6

Process according to claim 1, wherein said piecing process is carried out by means of a piecing device moveable along the open end spinning machine for servicing a plurality of separate individual spinning units.

Claim 7

Apparatus for yarn piecing in an open end spinning assembly on a spinning machine having a plurality of commonly driven spinning assemblies which can be selectively stopped and started independently of one another, where the individual steps of the yarn piecing process are controlled by a predetermined piecing program whose start is triggered as a function of the running up of the previously braked down spinning rotor, so that a yarn carried back into the spinning rotor will be applied in the spinning rotor to a fiber ring at a time during which the spinning rotor has only reached a rotational speed that is below the operating rotation speed thereof, said running up of a previously braked down spinning rotor being separately controllable for each of respective ones of said spinning assemblies; said apparatus including: means for monitoring the running up behavior of the spinning rotor, and means for triggering the start of the piecing program in dependence on the monitored running up behavior, thereby accommodating discrepancies in running up characteristics caused by different friction losses, drive train part tolerances, downtimes, and the like at the respective individual spinning assemblies.

Claim 8

Apparatus for yarn piecing in an open end spinning assembly on a spinning machine having a plurality of commonly driven spinning assemblies which can be selectively stopped and started independently of one another, where the individual steps of the yarn piecing process are controlled by a predetermined piecing program whose start is triggered as a function of the running up of the previously braked down spinning rotor, so that a yarn carried back into the spinning rotor will be applied in the spinning rotor to a fiber ring at a time during which the spinning rotor has only reached a rotational speed that is below the operating rotation speed thereof, said running up of a previously braked down spinning rotor being separately controllable for each of respective ones of said spinning assemblies; said apparatus including: means for monitoring the running up behavior of the spinning rotor, and means for triggering the start of the piecing program in dependence on the monitored running up behavior, thereby accommodating discrepancies in running up characteristics caused by different friction losses, drive train part tolerances, downtimes, and the like at the respective individual spinning assemblies.

Claim 9

Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said means for monitoring includes a signal transmitter that measures the rotational speed of the spinning rotor or a structural part moveable therewith in a predetermined relationship, said signal transmitter being connected with a signal receiver incorporated in the apparatus for carrying out the piecing program.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the signal transmitter is incorporated in each spinning assembly, which transmitter is associated with a pulse transmitter to which there is associated a pulse receiver of a mobile yarn piecing device, which yarn piecing device carries out the piecing process.

Claim 11

Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said piecing operation is carried out by a mobile yarn piecing device said mobile yarn piecing device is equipped with a signal transmitter and a setting device, said signal transmitter being adjustable by means of the setting device with reference to the spinning rotor or to a rotating structural part that turns in a given relationship to the spinning rotor.

Claim 12

Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said piecing operation is carried out by a mobile yarn piecing device which is mounted for movement adjacent a plurality of individual spinning units for servicing same, wherein said piecing device includes an auxiliary drive unit selectively engageable to rotatably drive the feed roll, and wherein said monitoring means includes means for determining the exact instance at which the spinning rotor reaches a predetermined rotational speed during the acceleration thereof from a braked condition to an operational rotational speed.