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 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: 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: 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.

Abstract: Servicing apparatus, such as rotor cleaning and yarn piecing apparatus, for servicing individual spinning assemblies of open-end spinning machines is provided. In order to accommodate usage of a single servicing instrument for several different spinning machines, operating at different conditions for producing different yarns, program control apparatus, including a plurality of control programs which are distinguished from one another as the sequence and timing of servicing operations, is provided. In preferred embodiments, the spinning machines include switch setting apparatus for switching the servicing instrument to the proper program in response to movement of the servicing instrument adjacent the spinning machine to be serviced.

Abstract: In order to be able to call a maintenance unit to a spinning point requiring maintenance in an open-end spinning machine comprising a plurality of spinning points, this spinning point provides a signal which can be recognized by a detector of the maintenance unit. The signal transmitter required herefor is connected with the sliver supply means, which are stopped in the event of a malfunction at the spinning point requiring maintenance. The signal transmitter therefore indicates the stopped condition of these means, which is recognized by the detector.

Abstract: In order to reduce the noise generated by the bearing means for a spinning rotor in which the spinning rotor is mounted in a wedge formed by supporting rings and driven by a tangential belt, one common pillow block is provided for all of the supporting rings of a spinning unit, whereby the pillow block is supported in an elastic manner. The bearing conditions do not change in spite of the resiliency, as the individual members do not perform any relative motions one to the other. In order to further preclude the formation of undesired axial forces as a result of the movement of the shaft of the spinning rotor relative to the tangential belt, the elastic supporting means permit movements in only one specific direction, thereby preventing alteration of the axial force between tangential belt and spinning rotor.

Abstract: In order to clean the fibrous material supplied to the spinning rotors of open-end spinning units, removal openings for impurities are arranged in the area of the opener roller. These removal openings lead to collection chambers for the impurities. In order to permit these impurities to be removed from these collection chambers without any additional constructional effort for transport means having to be provided for each spinning unit and without this removal being able to have an unfavorable effect on the spinning process, this removal of impurities is handled by a travelling maintenance unit which removes the impurities from the collection chambers of the individual spinning units from time to time.

Abstract: In order to provide effective cleaning of the opened fibrous material to be supplied to a spinning rotor, the fiber tuft projects into a removal opening opposite the opener roller, thereby permitting the impurities to be beaten out of the fibers, clamped between supply roller and supply table, by the clothing on the opener roller. They then fall directly into the removal opening without having to rebound from a wall.

Abstract: A fiber supply duct for an open-end spinning unit of the type having an opening device, such as an opening roller, for the opening of continuously fed fiber material. The fiber supply duct extends from the opening device and terminates in a spinning rotor with an air current effecting a conveyance of the fibers being generated in the fiber supply duct by means of a negative pressure ambient produced in the zone of the spinning rotor. The fiber supply duct is provided with a steadily widening flaring mouth section in the zone of the spinning rotor.

Abstract: A drawing system arrangement for spinning machines, in which there are at least two dies for holding the bottom rollers of the drawing system and the dies are connected by a carrying rod. In the new embodiment, the carrying rod is at least twice as long as the distance between two adjacent dies; the carrying rod is attached directly to the machine frame and supports the dies attached to it in addition to the top roller carrying and loading arm.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for folding material, particularly bulky textile material and the like which is to be packaged. A plurality of pivotal folding flap plates are provided for sequentially applying folds to the material. In order to prevent unfolding or undesired shifting of the material during the folding operation, gripping devices are provided at several of the movable folding plates, which gripping devices are movable between a position gripping the material against the respective folding plate and a non-gripping position. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the gripping members are constructed as C-shaped fingerlike elastic elements mounted on rotatable gripper shafts, which gripper shafts are connected to rotatable flexible shafts and a control mechanism for sequentially controlling the rotation of the flexible shaft. A cam, lever, and gear arrangement is provided for rotating the flexible shaft in a preferred embodiment of the invention.