Abstract: A mobile service device is provided for servicing spinning assemblies of an open-end spinning machine. The servicing device carries cleaning apparatus including a cleaning brush, a drive motor for rotatably driving the cleaning brush around its support shaft, and a selectively movable lever mechanism for moving the brush into and out of a penetrating position in a spinning rotor. Preferred embodiments of the invention include cleaning brushes having a diameter smaller than the open side of a spinning rotor to be cleaned, with the cleaning brush and its support shaft being carried by a crank mechanism for moving the shaft and brush in a circular motion so as to assure engagement of the brush with the yarn collecting groove in the spinning rotor being cleaned.

Abstract: An assembly is provided for detachably supporting an opener roll and supporting opener roll shaft at an open end spinning unit. The assembly includes a housing defining a cylindrical receptacle, a bearing sleeve attached to the opener roll shaft to be movable therewith as a unit, and being selectively lockable in the receptacle. To accommodate locking of the bearing sleeve in the cylindrical receptacle, a pressure piece which is movable radially into a recess in the receptacle to engage against the bearing sleeve is provided, along with an adjustable locking mechanism connected to the pressure piece for accommodating movement thereof between the respective locking and unlocking positions. In preferred embodiments, the locking mechanism includes a lever portion in the area adjacent the opener roll, which area is exposed when the opener roll is exposed, so that the locking mechanism can be easily released and the opener roll can be then easily removed along with the bearing sleeve from the receptacle.

Abstract: Bobbin exchange apparatus is provided for open-end spinning machines of the type having a plurality of spinning assemblies provided with respect to bobbin holders for holding bobbins to store thread. A depot device in the form of axially movable spring clamping jaws carried by a carrier rod extending along the length of the spinning machine is provided at each spinning assembly. To effect the ejection of a full bobbin from the bobbin holders and the insertion of an empty tube from the associated depot device, a mobile servicing device is provided which includes an empty tube engaging means for clampingly engaging an empty tube in the depot device and transferring the same to the bobbin holder with movement in a single plane.

Abstract: Open-end spinning machine apparatus is provided which includes a yarn measuring device at each of the individual spinning units for determining the transverse dimension of the running yarn produced at the spinning units. In addition, intermediate storage means are provided for electronically storing yarn measurement data at each of the individual spinning units. In order to process the yarn measurement data, a process computer is provided at a mobile servicing instrument which is selectively movable to respective servicing positions at the spinning units. The process computer and mobile servicing instrument also includes means for carrying out servicing operations at the respective spinning units in the event of detected yarn flaws or the like.

Abstract: A movable cleaning device is provided for cleaning the individual rotors on spinning assemblies of an open-end spinning machine. In order to accommodate cleaning of the rotors, with the rotor shafts being out of driving contact with their operational drives, the cleaning device is equipped with braking and/or driving means for controlling the rotational speed of the spinning rotor during cleaning operations. In this manner, cleaning elements such as rotary brushes, can be held in one position, while the relative rotational movement of the spinning rotor and the brush effects cleaning of the rotor. In certain preferred embodiments, the cleaning brush itself serves to impart rotational movement to the spinning rotor, with the drive for the brush being controllable so as to assure differential velocity of the brush and spinning rotor rotation.

Abstract: A mobile servicing device is provided for servicing spinning assemblies of an open-end spinning machine. The servicing device includes several cleaning elements carried on a drive member which is rotatably driven by a drive motor. The cleaning elements are selectively movable into and out of a penetrating position in a spinning rotor. The cleaning elements are connected to the drive member by way of spring members which accommodate radial movement of the cleaning elements during cleaning operations. In preferred embodiments, the cleaning elements are supported on leaf springs which permit movement of the cleaning elements in the radial direction in response to centrifugal forces during rotation of the drive member. Preferred embodiments also include vacuum means as well as cleaning nozzles, with the cleaning nozzles being carried by the rotatable drive member.

Abstract: Apparatus for accommodating changing of bobbins on open-end spinning machines. Spooling devices are provided for joining a thread reserve section and a starting winding to an empty spool tube which is to be inserted in place of a completed bobbin. The spooling devices are constructed to form a starting winding of sufficient length to form a plurality of one-time piecing operations at a spinning station. A spool transfer device is provided for transferring a prepared spool with starting winding and reserve thread section into a bobbin holder. In certain preferred embodiments the spooling device is carried on a movable unit which travels along the spinning stations and includes an auxiliary bobbin for supplying the reserve and starting winding thread section. In other preferred embodiments, the spooling device is provided separate from the movable unit along the spinning machine and includes apparatus for forming and storing a plurality of pre-prepared bobbins.

Abstract: Open-end spinning machine apparatus is provided which includes a spinning shaft with a spinning rotor at one end and a driving whorl at the other. A bearing assembly is provided including two sets of roller bearings spaced axially from one another and in bearing engagement with the spinning shaft. In order to accommodate replenishment of lubricant to the roller bearings during operation, an oil-feed device is provided which is responsive to the speed of the spinning shaft to supply oil thereto. In preferred embodiments, the oil-feed device includes an oil reservoir adjacent a sealing element which faces the spinning shaft, which sealing element is responsive to reduced pressure caused by rotation of the spinning shaft to supply oil thereto, with no oil being supplied with a stopped spinning shaft.

Abstract: A bearing arrangement for a shaft end which abuts a freely rotatable ball supported by an oscillatable holding fixture. The holding fixture is fashioned as a pin arranged in opposition to the shaft with the pin being fixably clamped at one end, the other end of which is provided with a socket for accommodating the freely rotatable ball.

Abstract: A vibration damping bearing arrangement for an open-end spinning turbine having a shaft urged axially against a thrust bearing and radially supported in a substantially V-shaped slot formed by pairs of guide rollers supported on a common bearing block. A vibration damping construction is provided for mounting the common bearing block at the spinning turbine with the step bearing being connected to the bearing block and supported thereby.

Abstract: An open-end spinning machine has a number of spinning units and a movable maintenance device. The maintenance device has means for deflecting the thread monitoring sensors of the spinning units, there being a sensor associated with the thread draw-off path of each unit. The deflecting means provides for indirect, non-contacting deflection of a thread monitoring sensor.

Abstract: Feeding apparatus is provided for an open-end spinning assembly which includes a feeding table and feed roller facing one another to form a nip which offers sliver to an opening roll disposed downstream thereof. Upstream of the feed roll and feeding table ther is provided a sliver funnel which has an outlet opening facing the feed table and feed roller. In order to accommodate correct laying of the sliver in the sliver funnel so that it is properly disposed with respect to the feeding apparatus, the sliver funnel is disposed and configured so that the outlet opening thereof is visually exposable without opening the housing for the feed roll and feed table. According to preferred embodiments, the sliver funnel is mounted for movement between an in-use position and a servicing position, with the outlet opening being visible when in the servicing position so as to accommodate laying in of the sliver.

Abstract: Open end spinning apparatus is provided which includes a magnetic reed switch for controlling sliver feed. A yarn sensor magnet attached to a movable yarn sensor engageable with a running yarn is disposed so as to open the magnetic switch and interrupt sliver feed upon occurrence of a yarn breakage. In order to prevent the need for moving the yarn after a piecing operation so as to properly engage the yarn sensor, an auxiliary magnet is provided which is movable into position to magnetically move the yarn sensor away from a blocking position in front of the yarn takeoff passage at a spinning unit. The auxiliary magnet is controlled by way of its position, and/or its magnetic field strength, so as to also selectively control the operation of the magnetic reed switch during piecing operations, while maintaining the sensor magnet, and yarn sensor out of a blocking position in front of the yarn takeoff passage.

Abstract: Open-end spinning machine apparatus is provided for accommodating sequential preparation of a plurality of spinning units of a spinning machine so that they may thereafter be simultaneously started up by common drive means with simultaneous thread piecing operations taking place at each of the spinning units. The piecing preparation apparatus includes one or more mobile units having cleaning apparatus for cleaning the spinning units and apparatus for preparing and transferring a thread end from a bobbin at each of the spinning units to the respective spinning rotors. Certain embodiments of the invention utilize a mobile piecing device which is operable to preform piecing operations at individual spinning units during normal operation of the spinning machine, to also carry the equipment for preparing the plurality of individual spinning units when the machine is completely shut down.

Abstract: Process and apparatus for yarn piecing in an open end spinning assembly are provided. 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 revolutionary speed that is below the operating revolutionary speed thereof. In order to avoid imprecisions in the piecing process caused by delays and/or differences in the running up characteristics of the individual spinning rotor, one or more predetermined spinning rotor revolutionary speeds are established, and upon reaching the same, the yarn piecing process is initiated and controlled.

Abstract: An improved thread monitoring arrangement for open-end spinning machines is provided. A traverse rod extending along a plurality of open-end spinning stations carries individual thread monitors, moveable therewith, for monitoring thread breakage at each of the respective stations. The thread monitors and traverse rod are disposed intermediate the spinning stations and take-off rolls, and are disposed and configured for accommodating thread-piecing operations without requiring movement of the thread monitors.

Abstract: In start-spinning a thread, which has to be performed after a condition in which the entire machine has been stopped or after a thread break, the individual working conditions have to be maintained as precisely as possible in order to keep the start-spinning points produced at the same spinning point and at different spinning points as uniform as possible and in order to ensure that they are of sufficient strength. An important criterion in this connection is the size and thickness of the ring of fibers located in the spinning rotor, on which the end of the thread is placed after it has been returned and from which the end of the thread is then drawn off again. This ring of fibers significantly influences the appearance and quality of the start-spinning point of the thread.

Abstract: In order to permit an open-end spinning unit to be opened with a relatively small amount of force, there is a swivel lid which covers all parts, without these parts being attached thereto. However in order to enable the opener roller to be stopped when the open-end spinning unit is opened, the opener roller is located in a swivel housing, which swivels when the lid is opened, thereby interrupting the drive of the opener roller, as a wharve of the opener roller lifts away from a tangential belt.

Abstract: A servicing device is provided for cleaning spinning rotors and spinning rotor housings of an open-end spinning machine. The servicing device includes a combined suction and blower device which alternately applies compressed air and suction forces to loosen and to withdraw fiber residues and the like from the spinning rotor and the housing. The servicing device is a mobile unit movable along a plurality of spinning units and includes a mechanism for opening the covers to the individual housings so as to expose the open sides of the spinning rotors to the combined suction and blowing device which is movable into position to perform cleaning operations. In order to assure control of the suction and blowing of cleaning air during cleaning operations, the cleaning device includes a suction flange which covers the housing of the spinning rotor in the manner of a lid when in the servicing position.

Abstract: In piecing a thread, it is important for each piecing operation to be performed under uniform conditions. In order to provide uniform conditions for the area of the fibre feed, the fibre tuft offered to the opening means is trimmed in a certain manner, which is then the same for every piecing operation, before the sliver feed is switched on.