Textile machine with a central control device and local control devices at the work stations

• US 5,801,949 A
• Filed: 02/07/1996
• Issued: 09/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: W. Schlafhorst AG & Co. (OC Oerlikon Corporation AG)
• Original Assignee: W. Schlafhorst AG & Co. (OC Oerlikon Corporation AG)
• Inventors: Remmerie, Johan, Rienas, Gerhard, Raasch, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Elmore, Reba I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, Monica
• Application Number:
  US08/597,827
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 364/470, 66/75.2, 57/264, 55/324
• US Class Current: 700/130
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/09 indicating that several of an entity are present
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2557/20 Calculating means; Controlling methods
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2557/23 Recording or storing data
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/31 Textiles threads or artificial strands of filaments
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 54/26 having one or more servicing units moving along a plurality of fixed winding units
• CPC Class Codes: D01H 13/005 Service carriages travelling along the machines characteristics relating to the apparatus supported by the carriage, see relevant groups, e.g. D01H9/005, D01H9/10, D01H13/145, D01H15/00
• CPC Class Codes: D01H 13/32 Counting, measuring, recording or registering devices

Abstract

As an alternative to an expensive bus system commonly utilized in multi-station automatically operating textile machines for exchange of data between a central control device and local control devices at the individual work stations, the present invention provides a central control device disposed on a traveling service unit which can be positioned sequentially at each work station, particularly in the course of a restart of the textile machine, for transmitting data between the central control device and the individual control device of each work station, e.g., for supplying control data to the work stations, for collecting event data, production data and yarn quality data from the work stations, and for assimilating the collected data when the service unit is positioned in front of a work station.

Claims

1. A textile machine having a plurality of identical machine work stations at which textile machine operations are performed, the textile machine comprising a traveling service unit arranged to move along the work stations and a system for supplying control data to and deriving operational data from the work stations, the data system comprising a central control device for controlling all work stations associated with the textile machine and having data processing means, a central memory for data storage unit associated with the textile machine, and a data input device, the central control device being disposed on the traveling service unit, a plurality of local control devices each being disposed at a respective one of the plural work stations and each having data processing means and memory means for data storage, and means for individually connecting each of the local control devices with the central control device for data exchange therebetween when the traveling service unit is disposed at a respective work station, the connecting means comprising a first data transmitting and receiving device disposed on the service unit and operatively connected with the central control device and a plurality of second data transmitting and receiving devices each disposed at a respective one of the work stations and operatively connected with the respective local control device thereof, the first and second data transmitting and receiving devices being compatible for transferring control and operational data between the central and local control devices.

2. A textile machine in accordance with claim 1,wherein each work station includes a yarn quality monitor connected with the local control device thereof for data exchange therewith, and that the input device of the central control device comprises means for inputting control programs for the yarn quality monitors.

3. A textile machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the input device of the central control device is equipped for inputting complete programs for controlling the work stations.

4. A textile machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the central control device of the service unit comprises means for storing predetermined standards for operational parameters at a work station, means for determining deviations in the data collected at a work station from the predetermined standards, and means for initiating corrective action at a work station at which deviations from a predetermined standard are determined.

5. A textile machine in accordance with claim 4, wherein the means for initiating corrective action comprises means for stopping the work station.

6. A textile machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the central control device further comprises a device for outputting data derived from a work station.

7. A textile machine in accordance with claim 6, wherein the data processing means of the central control device comprises means for assimilating data collected at the work stations and for outputting the assimilated data.