Sliver feeder and method

Abstract

A sliver feeder for a textile machine having at least one pick-up unit and at least one feeder unit. In order to improve the handling of fiber material and to increase the quality of a sliver to be transferred to a pre-compactor and thereby increase the process stability and thereby save resources, the pick-up is designed and arranged to pick up a sliver, in particular from a can of the textile machine, and to transfer the sliver to the feeder unit, wherein the feeder unit has a takeover section and is designed and arranged in such a way as to transfer the sliver to a sliver guide, in particular to a pick-up section of a pre-compactor.

1 . A sliver feeder for a textile machine comprising:
 at least one pick-up unit; and   at least one feeder unit;   the at least one pick-up unit being designed and arranged to pick up a sliver from a can of the textile machine and to transfer the sliver to the at least one feeder unit, wherein the at least one feeder unit has a takeover section and is designed and arranged in such a way as to transfer the sliver to a sliver guide.   
     
     
         2 . The sliver feeder according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one feeder unit is designed in such a way as to take over a sliver end of the sliver from the at least one pick-up unit in one station, wherein the takeover section of the at least one feeder unit is designed as a suction section and is oriented parallel to a holding orientation of the at least one pick-up unit in order to suck in the sliver. 
     
     
         3 . The sliver feeder according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one feeder unit is designed to perform a movement in order to transfer the sliver to the at least one pick-up section, wherein the sliver undergoes a curvature upon transfer thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The sliver feeder according to  claim 1 , further including at least one preparation apparatus that is designed and arranged in such a way as to pick up a sliver end from the at least one pick-up unit and to prepare the sliver end for transfer to the at least one feeder unit, and wherein at least one of the following functions can be performed by the preparation apparatus:
 severing of the sliver end to form a new sliver end; and   sharpening of the sliver end to form a sharpened sliver.   
     
     
         5 . The sliver feeder according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pick-up unit and/or the at least one feeder unit has a negative pressure sensor for monitoring the sliver, wherein the negative pressure sensor is designed and arranged to monitor a negative pressure in the at least one pick-up unit or the at least one feeder unit in order to initiate a further sliver search based on a threshold value. 
     
     
         6 . The sliver feeder according to  claim 1 , further including a holding apparatus for the sliver, wherein the holding apparatus comprises at least one of the following:
 a placement structure;   a guide structure; and   an at least partially movable blocking apparatus arranged and designed in such a way that, in a first state, the placement structure is blocked for moving out the sliver and, in a second state, the placement structure is made accessible for inserting the sliver;   wherein the at least one feeder unit is designed to insert the sliver into the at least one pick-up unit via the blocking apparatus for transferring the sliver from the at least one feeder unit to the placement structure.   
     
     
         7 . A nozzle body formed for the sliver feeder according to  claim 1 , wherein the nozzle body comprises a vortex nozzle, wherein the vortex nozzle is formed to be arranged in the nozzle body or wherein the vortex nozzle is arranged in the nozzle body in order to pick up a sliver end from the at least one pick-up unit of the sliver feeder and to prepare the sliver end for a transfer to the at least one feeder unit of the sliver feeder, wherein the vortex nozzle has at least one pressurized fluid nozzle for feeding a pressurized fluid flow into a cavity of the vortex nozzle, wherein the at least one pressurized fluid nozzle is designed and arranged in such a way as to generate a pressurized fluid flow vortex in the cavity by the pressurized fluid flow, as a result of which a severing of the sliver end that is picked up to form a new sliver end or a sharpening of the sliver end to form a sharpened sliver end is enabled. 
     
     
         8 . A service unit having the sliver feeder according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one pick-up unit for picking up a section of the sliver and an intake apparatus with a suction section are arranged on the service unit, the at least one pick-up unit and the intake apparatus are assigned to one another in such a way that a sliver section with a sliver end of the sliver picked up by the at least one pick-up unit is at least temporarily and at least partially sucked into the suction section of the intake apparatus, wherein a flow section is arranged downstream of the suction section in the service unit and is designed in such a way as to form a suction flow at the suction section of the intake apparatus, wherein at least one filter is arranged in the flow section. 
     
     
         9 . A method for picking up a sliver in a textile machine comprising:
 picking up a section of the sliver by a pick-up unit;   transferring the sliver from the pick-up unit to a feeder unit; and   transferring the sliver from the feeder unit to a pick-up section of a pre-compactor.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , further including:
 sliver monitoring, wherein a negative pressure sensor monitors a negative pressure in the pick-up unit and/or the feeder unit and initiates a further sliver search based on a threshold value.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9 , further including:
 severing of a sliver end to form a new sliver end; or   sharpening of the sliver end to form a sharpened sliver end.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 9 , further including:
 inserting the sliver into a holding apparatus, wherein the sliver is placed on a placement structure of the holding apparatus and/or is inserted into a guide structure of the holding apparatus for transfer to the pick-up section of the pre-compactor.   
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The sliver feeder according to  claim 1 , wherein the sliver guide comprises a pick-up section of a pre-compactor.