Method and apparatus for continuously unwinding and processing a yarn

• US 6,536,087 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2001
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Barmag AG (OC Oerlikon Corporation AG)
• Original Assignee: Barmag AG (OC Oerlikon Corporation AG)
• Inventors: Stüttem, Manfred
• Primary Examiner(s): WORRELL JR, LARRY D
• Application Number:
  US09/828,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20010037545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 661/25.R, 281/85, 281/86, 281/87, 282/48, 572/64, 572/65, 572/81, 226/11, 242/413, 242/413.1
• US Class Current: 28/248
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/31 Textiles threads or artificial strands of filaments
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 49/12 the reserve packages being mounted to permit manual or automatic transfer to operating position
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 63/086 responsive to completion of unwinding of a package

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for continuously unwinding a yarn from a yarn package which may be associated with a method and apparatus for texturing the withdrawn yarn. The yarn is withdrawn from a feed yarn package supported in a creel, and the trailing yarn end of the feed yarn package connects to a leading yarn end of a second feed yarn package (reserve package) by a knot-type piecing to achieve a continuous advance of the yarn for its treatment or processing. A sensor is provided which detects and signals the yarn change from the feed yarn package to the reserve package after the feed yarn package is unwound, and the signal may be used to control the texturing process.

Claims

1. A method of continuously processing a yarn comprising the steps of:

providing a yarn feed package and a yarn reserve package, with the trailing end of the yarn feed package joined to the leading end of the yarn reserve package by a piecing,

serially withdrawing the yarn from the yarn feed package and the yarn reserve package so that the withdrawn yarn is transferred from the yarn feed package to the yarn reserve package,

sensing when the withdrawn yarn is transferred from the feed yarn package to the yarn reserve package and generating a responsive signal,

subjecting the withdrawn yarn to a treatment process, and

supplying the signal to a controller to cause a change in the treatment process and/or a change of the feed yarn package.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the sensing step includes continuously advancing the withdrawn yarn through a sensor, with the sensor detecting and signaling the piecing between the trailing yarn end of the feed yarn package and the leading yarn end of the reserve package.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein a partial length of the yarn consisting of a yarn length at the trailing end of the feed yarn package and a yarn length at the leading end of the reserve package is guided through a sensor, with the sensor detecting and signaling the piecing between the trailing yarn end of the feed yarn package and the leading yarn end of the reserve package.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein a length of the yarn from the trailing end of the feed yarn package or from the leading end of the reserve package is scanned by a sensor, with the sensor detecting and signaling the movement of the yarn length.

5. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein the yarn length is formed by the piecing between the trailing yarn end of the feed yarn package and the leading yarn end of the reserve package.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller acts in response to receiving a signal from the sensor to cause a change in the treatment process.

7. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein the treatment process comprises texturizing the withdrawn yarn.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller interrupts the process for a period of time, when a signal is received.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller causes a temporary monitoring of at least one quality parameter, and that in the event of unacceptable deviations of the quality parameter the process is changed or interrupted.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the quality parameter is a product parameter characterizing the produced yarn and/or a process parameter characterizing the course of the process.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller causes a change of the feed yarn package and a registration of the new feed yarn package.

12. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein the registration of the new feed yarn package is stored by the controller and associated to the treatment process, when a signal indicates the yarn change to the feed yarn package.

13. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the yarn on the feed yarn package is fed as a flat yarn, textured in the treatment process, and wound as a textured yarn to a package.

14. A method of texturing a synthetic multifilament yarn, comprising the steps of

providing a yarn feed package and a yarn reserve package, with the trailing end of the yarn feed package joined to the leading end of the yarn reserve package by a piecing,

serially withdrawing the yarn from the yarn feed package and the yarn reserve package so that the withdrawn yarn is transferred from the yarn feed package to the yarn reserve package,

sensing when the withdrawn yarn is transferred from the feed yarn package to the yarn reserve package and generating a responsive signal,

texturing the withdrawn yarn,

winding the textured yarn to form cross wound packages, and

supplying the signal to a controller of the texturing process to cause a change in the process and/or a change of the feed yarn package.

15. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein the packages are produced in a takeup device which is associated to a feed position accommodating the feed yarn package and to a feed position accommodating the reserve package, and comprising the further step of registering the feed yarn package and the reserve package so as to be linked to the respective feed position.

16. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein upon signaling a yarn change from the feed yarn package to the reserve package, the package being wound during the yarn change receives an identification.

17. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein the feed yarn package includes a yarn length which is adequate for winding a plurality of produced packages, the produced packages being identified as related to a particular feed yarn package.

18. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein upon signaling the yarn change from the feed yarn package to a reserve package, the identification is changed for the subsequently produced packages.

19. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the package being produced during the yarn change from the feed yarn package to the reserve package receives an additional identification.

20. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein the identification occurs by a numbering related to the feed yarn package.

21. An apparatus for continuously unwinding a yarn, comprising

at least two feed positions, with one of the feed positions accommodating a feed yarn package and the other feed position a reserve package,

conveying means for withdrawing the yarn from the feed yarn package and from the reserve package, and with the trailing end of the yarn from the feed yarn package being knotted to the leading end of the yarn from the reserve package,

a sensor for detecting and signaling the transfer of the withdrawn yarn from the feed yarn package to the reserve package, and

a controller for causing a change in a subsequent treatment process and/or a change of the feed yarn package responsive to a signal from the sensor.

22. The apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein the sensor is arranged in the yarn path upstream of the conveying means and downstream of the feed positions, so that the advancing yarn can be continuously scanned by the sensor.

23. The apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein the sensor is arranged between the two feed positions, so that the yarn length from the trailing yarn end of the feed yarn package and the leading yarn end of the reserve package can be scanned.

24. The apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein the sensor is connected to a signaling device.

25. The apparatus as defined in claim 21, further comprising a processing apparatus for processing the withdrawn yarn in the subsequent treatment process, and wherein the controller controls the processing apparatus.

26. A texturing machine for texturing and winding a yarn comprising

at least two feed positions for mounting a feed yarn package and a reserve package, and wherein a trailing yarn end of the feed yarn package is knotted to a leading yarn end of the reserve package,

at least one yarn feed system positioned for alternately withdrawing the yarn from the feed positions, and advancing the withdrawn yarn along a path of travel leading to a takeup device for forming yarn packages,

a texturing device positioned along the yarn path of travel for imparting crimp to the advancing withdrawn yarn,

a sensor for detecting and signaling the transfer of the yarn from the feed yarn package to the reserve package, and

a controller for causing a change in the texturing device and/or a change of the feed yarn package responsive to a signal from the sensor.

27. A texturing machine as defined in claim 26, wherein the sensor is arranged between the two feed positions, so that the yarn length from the trailing yarn end of the feed yarn package and the leading yarn end of the reserve package can be scanned.

28. A texturing machine as defined in claim 27, wherein the sensor is designed and constructed as a yarn detector, which holds a yarn length in an idle position, and which reaches a signaling position by the movement of the yarn length and generates a signal in the signaling position.

29. A texturing machine as defined in claim 28, wherein the yarn detector comprises a movable yarn guide and a contact switch, the contact switch being activated for generating a signal by the movement of yarn guide from its idle position to its signaling position.

30. A texturing machine as defined in claim 26, wherein the at least one yarn feed system includes a first feed system positioned between the two feed positions and the texturing device, and wherein the sensor is arranged in the path of the yarn downstream of the two feed positions and upstream or downstream of the first feed system, so that the advancing yarn can be continuously scanned.

31. A texturing machine as defined in claim 30, wherein the sensor is designed and constructed as a yarn tensiometer, which measures the tension of the advancing yarn, and which generates a signal when a limit value of the yarn tension is exceeded.

32. The texturing machine as defined in claim 26, wherein the controller controls the operation of the texturing device.

33. The texturing machine as defined in claim 26, wherein the controller comprises means for detecting, evaluating, and outputting quality parameters and means for linking the quality parameters to the signals dependent on the yarn change.