US3018974A - Multiple bobbin winding apparatus for yarn and the like - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 30, 1962 D. A. E. MATTINGLY l-TIAL 3,0 7

' MULTIPLE BOBBIN WINDING APPARATUS FOR YARN AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 18, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mr v 417174:

D. A. E. MATTINGLY EI'AL MULTIPLE BOBBIN WINDING APPARATUS FOR YARN AND THE LIKE Jan. 30, 1962 Filed Feb. 18, 1960 N \v m@ W V "1% Q m a 9 3 QN m6 v &

United States Patent i 3,018,974 MULTIPLE BOBBIN WINDING APPARATUS FOR YARN AND THE LIKE Denis Albert Edward Mattingly and Reginald SelbyGrlchrist, London, England, assignors to The Klmger Manufacturing Company Limited, London, England, a British company Filed Feb. 18, 1960, Ser. No. 9,600 Claims priority, application Great Britain Mar. 5, 1959 6 Claims. (Cl. 242-35.5)

This invention relates to multiple bobbin winding apparatus for yarns and like continuous threads and filament (hereinafter referred to as yarn). The term bobbin is intended to include cops and spools and the like having rotatable spindles or cores with or without end retaining flanges. The apparatus is of the kind in which a number of bobbins arranged with their axes of rotation extending in the same direction substantially parallel or coaxial with one another, means for simulta neously rotating the bobbins about their axes, an element extending across all the bobbins and reciprocable in the direction of said axes and carrying an engaging and traversing device opposite each bobbin so that the yarn may be laid evenly on the bobbin and means for imparting reciprocable movement to said element so that during one stroke of the reciprocation the yarn is wound in a helix of comparatively large pitch of one hand whereas during the return stroke the yarn is wound in a helix of a similar pitch but opposite handed to the first helix. By these means the yarn is self sustaining on the bobbin without the assistance of end flanges.

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the above kind in which the yarn is laid evenly along the length of the bobbin and this necessitates each yarn engaging and traversing device being moved along the bobbin in each direction at a uniform velocity with an instantaneous change in direction at the opposite ends of the reciprocation otherwise the yarn tends to build up at the ends of the bobbin. This form of motion is hereinafter referred to as constant velocity reciprocation. Such instantaneous changes in direction of movement present considerable problems of inertial effects which the pres ent invention goes a long way to solve.

According to this invention a multiple bobbin winding apparatus of the kind referred to is characterised in that means for imparting constant velocity reciprocation to the element carrying the yarn engaging and traversing devices is so applied to that element that for each stroke of the reciprocation the element is subjected to tension enabling the weight of the element to be reduced to a minimum without risk of buckling from compressive forces.

In one embodiment of the invention said flexible element may comprise a light stranded metal cable for example formed from steel.

In that case carriers between the yarn engaging and traversing devices may comprise guides formed from wear resisting material such as nylon or tungsten carbide.

The passage through each guide may be bell mouthed at opposite ends. The central part of the guide may be a good sliding fit on the cable. Alternatively the carriers may comprise rollers with circumferential grooves through which the cable extends. Two such rollers may be provided at each supporting location, one above and the other below the cable.

in an alternative embodiment the flexible element may comprise a thin tape or band. The tape or band may be formed from steel. in such an arrangement the guides between the yarn traversing and engaging devices may comprise suitably shaped slots through which the band extends.

The aforesaid cable or band may comprise two stretches fifll fiid Patented Jan. 30, 1962 which extend between and are attached to levers at the ends of said machine. Such an arrangement is particularly applicable to an apparatus where there are spaced rows of bobbins so that a stretch of the cable or band extends across the bobbins in each row.

Means may be provided for applying tension to said cable or band so as to maintain it taut.

Each said yarn engaging and traversing device in either embodiment may comprise a part secured to the flexible element and having a groove formed in it for accommodating said yarn whilst permitting its longitudinal movement in the groove. Each yarn engaging and traversing device may also be formed from wear resisting material. For example it may be formed from steel.

In the case of a yarn engaging and traversing device for use with a cable it may comprise a part which is circular in cross-section and its diameter may diminish as it extends towards its ends and the centre portion may be provided with a circumferential groove for accommodating the yarn. With this arrangement any rotational movement of the cable is quite inconsequential and should the yarn be disposed to one side of the block the tension in the yarn will tend to move it along the block until it automatically snaps into the groove. Preferably the block on either side of the groove is substantially conical.

In the case of a band or tape since there is little tendency for rotational movement thereof the yarn engaging and traversing device may comprise a substantially triangular plate extending along and secured to the band or tape so as to project from one side thereof and provided at its apex with a niche for receiving the yarn.

As previously indicated any known means may be provided for imparting the required constant velocity reciprocable movement to the cable or band providing the latter is always subjected to tension for example oscillatory movement may be imparted to one of the levers to which the cable or band is attached at one end of the rows of bobbins. For this purpose the lever may be provided with a cam follower which engages the periphery of a heart shaped cam which is rotated about an axis parallel with the axis of rotation of the lever the throw of the cam being selected in accordance with the required extent of reciprocation of the yarn engaging and traversing devices.

Alternatively there may be connected to one of the stretches of said cable, band or tape a cam follower which engages a groove in the periphery of a cam rotatable about an axis transverse to the axis of rotation of said lever, the plane in which said groove lies being inclined to the axis of rotation of the cam.

In either arrangement the shape of the cam is such that the velocity imparted to yarn engaging and tranvers ing devices in both directions is constant and there is instantaneous change in direction of their movements at the ends of the paths of movement.

In the case where the linear speed of winding of the yarn is about 300 feet per minute the rate of reciprocation is reciprocations per minute for a bobbin which is about 5 inches long.

The above arrangement is particularly suitable for an apparatus for false twisting a number of yarns simultaneously and in which at the bottom of the machine are mounted two rows of upright bobbins spaced apart along the length of the machine and from which the yarn is drawn upwardly through tensioning and twist controlling means and then through heating apparatus whereafter The following is a description of the upper part of a false twisting apparatus embodying the present invention for winding the false twisted yarn on take-up bobbins, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective diagrammatic view of the top part of the false twisting apparatus showing the wind ing bobbins and yarn traversing mechanism;

FIGURE 2 is a cross section through one of the guides for a cable carrying the yarn engaging and traversing device;

FIGURE 3 is a similar view to FIGURE 2 of an alternative guide;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a yarn traversing device embodying a metal band instead of a cable for the yarn traversing devices;

FIGURE 5 is an elevation of a yarn engaging traversing device for use with the metal band;

FIGURE 6 is a cross section through the device shown in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 shows alternative means for imparting reciprocatory movement to a cable or band carrying said yarn traversing devices; and

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged view in elevation of the yarn engaging and traversing device shown in FIGURE 1.

Referring to FIGURE 1 the yarns 10 extend upwardly from the false twisting apparatus and are wound up on bobbins 11 mounted at the top of the apparatus. A number of spinning heads are arranged side by side along the width of the apparatus and likewise a number of bobbins are arranged side by side along the width of the machine. The bobbin spindles (which are hidden to view in the drawing) are arranged to engage channels 12 in bracket arms 13 fixed to supporting rods 14 which extend across the width of the machine. The wound yarn on each bobbin rests in known manner on a cork faced roller 16 fixed to a driving shaft 17 which also extends across the width of the machine, which shafts are driven through a chain and sprocket transmission 74 from a motor driven gear box 75. Thus as the yarn on the bobbins builds up, the bobbin spindles move along the channels 12 of the bracket arms in known manner. In order to lay the yarns evenly backwards and forwards across the widths of the bobbins each yarn or pair of yarns which have been gathered together from a spinning head is arranged to pass over a yarn engaging and traversing device 19. The yarn engaging and traversing devices are fixed to a stranded cable which extends substantially parallel with the axes of rotation of the bobbins and close to those parts of the cork faced rollers which engage the bobbins. The invention is concerned with the means for imparting reciprocatory movement to the yarn engaging and traversing devices 19 so that an immediate reversal of movement is obtained at each limit of the width of the bobbin. The yarn engaging and traversing devices 19 for this purpose are fixed to the stranded cable 20 which extends across the whole width of the machine.

The machine may be provided with two banks of bobbins 11 one above the other, each bank of bobbins being driven by a separate set of cork faced rollers. Thus two stranded cables carrying the yarn engaging and traversing devices are required which are spaced apart in an up and down direction.

Two two cables 20 at one end are fixed to opposite ends of a lever 21 having a groove around its outer surfaces and shown to the left of FIGURE 1. The lever 21 is fixed to a spindle 22 mounted in a bearing (not shown) fixed to a part 9 of the frame of the apparatus. The lever has rotatably mounted upon it a cam follower in the form of a roller 23 which engages the periphery of a heart shaped cam 24. The cam is fixed to a spindle 25 which is driven through gearing 26 one element of which is fixed to a spindle 73 driven through the chain and sprocket transmission 74 from the motor driven gear box 75.

In order to maintain the cam follower in engagement with the periphery of the cam there is secured to the lever 21 or to a lever fixed to the spindle 22 one end of a tension spring 34 the other end of which is fixed to a fixed part of the apparatus. By this means the lever 21 is oscillated imparting reciprocatory movement to the aforesaid cables 20* and the cam 24 is so shaped that there is immediate reversal of the movement of the cables 20 whilst maintaining a constant velocity of traverse of the yarn engaging and traversing devices 19.

The yarn engaging and traversing devices 19 are circular in cross-section and are formed with a centrally disposed circumferential groove 65 and the diameter of the traversing device diminishes as it extends away from each side of the groove until it has substantially the same diameter as the cable. Thus should the yarn escape from the groove in the yarn engaging and traversing device it is automatically brought back again by the reciprocation of the cable and is self loading at the commencement of operation. Since the cable is of considerable length in extending from one end of the apparatus to the other it requires to be guided, for which purpose there are provided a number of nylon guide tubes 66 (see FIGURE 2) fixed to arms 27 secured to fixed supporting rod 23 which extends along the length of the machine and which is provided for supporting various yarn guides in known manner such as the guides 8.

The guide tubes 66 for the cables may be hell mouthed at each end thereof as indicated at 69 in FIGURE 2.

At the opposite end of the machine to the lever 21 which is oscillated by said cam is a second and similar lever 30 which is an idler lever and is fixed on a spindle 31. The ends of the cables 20 are fixed to the lever 36 by tensioning devices 32 in the form of anchorages secured to the lever by adjusting screws 33.

An arm 70 is fixed to the spindle and disposed between stops 71 adjustably mounted in fixed carriers 72, so as to cancel the inertia effect of the lever 30 and cables and ensures that the cam follower remains in contact with the cam at the peak of its heart shape where there is a change in direction of movement of the follower and cables.

In place of a nylon tube forming the guide for the cable there may be provided a mounting for two rollers 58, the peripheries of which are shaped for engaging the cable and which rollers are mounted in a carrier 59 fixed to the arm 27 secured to the aforesaid rod 28.

Instead of the yarn traversing devices being fixed to a stranded cable they may be secured to a metal band 35 (see FIGURE 4) which is fixed to the plain surfaces of two levers 36 and 37 at opposite ends of the apparatus and which are oscillated in a similar manner to that described above. The guides for this band comprise U- shaped nylon elements 38 secured to the end of an arm 27 fixed to the aforesaid fixed supporting rod 28. The limbs of the U may be engaged by a screw which forms a keep 39 for preventing the band 35 from escaping from between the limbs. The yarn engaging and traversing devices may each comprise a metal clip (see FIGURES 5 and 6) having a portion 40 which extends across the width of the band and having at one end a hook portion 41 for engaging the underside of the band whereas the other end is provided with two hooked portions 42 spaced apart and having a central portion 43 inclined upwardly over the top of the band and provided with a niche 44 for receiving the yarn. Top edges of this latter portion are inclined downwardly at 45 towards the band so as to provide ramps on which the yarn may ride into the niche.

In an alternative arrangement as shown in FIGURE 7 for imparting reciprocatory movement to the band or a cable there may be provided a cam 50, the peripheral edge of which is provided with a groove 51 lying in a plane inclined to axis of rotation which is engaged by a follower S2 fixed to a rod 53 reciprocable in bearings 54, one end of the rod beyond one of the bearings has secured to it a cable 55 connected to a lever 21 mounted on a spindle 22 oscillatable in bearings (not shown) on a fixed part of the apparatus, the other end of the rod has secured to it one end of the aforesaid cable or band 56, the other end of the cable or band is secured to a lever 30. Another stretch of cable or band 57 is secured between the two levers 21 and 30 in a similar manner to that described in FIGURE 1.

We claim:

1. A multiple bobbin winding apparatus for yarns comprising an assemblage of rotatably and coaxially mounted bobbins, a transmission for simultaneously rotating said bobbins, a single oscillating lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on the apparatus at each end of said assemblage of bobbins to oscillate about an axis transverse to the axis of rotation of the bobbins, flexible incxtensible stretches of material positively and directly connected to each lever on the opposite sides of the axis of rotation thereof, a number of yarn guides fixed to and spaced apart along said stretches at distances corresponding to the spacing of said bobbins, and means imparting oscillatory movement directly to one of said levers to an extent corresponding to the axial width required for each wound bobbin.

2. A multiple bobbin winding apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said stretches comprise two separate lengths of flexible material each positively connected at opposite ends to the two levers.

3. A multiple bobbin winding apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said stretches comprise two separate lengths of flexible material each having positive connections at opposite ends attaching it to the two levers at least one of which positive connections is adjustable for tensioning said stretches.

4. A multiple bobbin winding apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said stretches comprise two separate lengths of flexible material each positively connected at opposite ends to the two levers, and wherein each said lever has arcuate portions to each of which one of said stretches is connected at one end of the are.

5. A multiple bobbin winding apparatus for yarns according to claim 1 wherein the means for imparting oscillatory movement to said levers comprise a heart-shaped cam mounted to rotate about an axis parallel to that of the levers, a cam follower on one of said levers in engagement with said cam, and means for continuously rotating said cam, which heart-shaped cam is so proportioned to apply constant and equal velocities in opposite directions.

6. A multiple bobbin winding apparatus for yarns according to claim 1 wherein the transmission for driving said bobbins comprises a number of friction rollers one for each bobbin and fixed to a driving shaft so as to engage the exposed surface of the wound yarn which transmission is adapted to drive said friction rollers at a constant speed and wherein the means for imparting oscillatory movement to said levers is driven from a part of the transmission which drives said friction rollers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,528,426 Holt Mar. 3, 1925

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