US3369764A - Builder motion for textile machines - Google Patents

Description

H. WHITTAKER ETAL BUILDER MOTION FOR TEXTILE MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 28, 1966 INVENTORS Feb. 20, 1968 H. WHlTTAKER ETAL BUILDER MOTION FOR TEXTILE MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 28, 1966 INVENTORS HAROLD WHITTA'KER JOSEPH WALMSL Y 20 e l e 1968 H. WHITTAKEI ETAL 3,369,754

BUILDER MOTION FOR TEXTILE MACHINES Filed March 28, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENTORS HARO WHITTAKER JOSE WALM SLEY 20% f/wfe United States Patent BUILDER MOTION FOR TEXTILE MACHINES Harold Whittaker, Alkrington, Middleton, and Joseph Walmsley, Breightmet, Bolton, England, assignors to T.M.M. (Research) Limited, Oldham, Lancashire,

England, a British company Filed Mar. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 537,947 11 Claims. (Cl. 24226.3)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention provides a builder motion for a textile machine, said builder motion including a traverse rail drive switch-able between first and second conditions in which said rail is driven in one direction and in the opposite direction respectively. Means for switching said drive alternately from one condition to the other which comprises two differential mechanisms each having a first rotary input member oscillated in synchronism with said rail, a second rotary input member responsive to a build adjusting mechanism, and a rotary output member. The two rotary output members, one in each differential mechanism, respectively initiate switching of said rail drive from said first to said second condition, and from said second to said first condition.

The present invention relates to builder motions for textile machines of the type in which yarn or filament is wound on to a bobbin and caused relatively to advance therealong to form a package by the traversing of a traverse rail.

On some ring spinning and twisting machines and particularly on drawtwisters it is desirable that provision should be made for building packages of different types and it is an object of the present invention to provide a builder motion of the type specified, which will facilitate the production of a variety of different builds.

According to the present invention, there is provided a builder motion for a textile machine of the type specified, comprising a traverse rail drive which can be switched between a first condition in which it imparts a drive to the traverse rail in one sense and a second condition in which it imparts a drive to the rail in the opposite sense, and switching means for switching the drive alternately from one of its conditions to the other, said switching means comprising two differential mechanisms each having a first rotary input member arranged to be oscillated in synchronism with the movement of the traverse rail, a second rotary input member responsive to a build adjusting mechanism and a rotary output member, the rotary output member of one of the mechanisms initiating the switching of the traverse rail drive from the first condition to the second condition and the rotary output member of the other mechanism initiating the switching of the traverse rail drive from the second condition to the first condition.

The build adjusting mechanism may with advantage comprise a cam operated from a rotary member of the machine and arranged to displace a cam follower causing a predetermined turning movement of the second rotary input member. The cam is preferably driven from the rotary member of the machine through an arrangement of gears which can readily be interchanged for the purpose of modifying the build of the package.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an end elevation of a drawtwister embodying a builder motion according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a broken scrap view showing one of the traverse rails of the drawtwist-er shown in FIG. 1,

3,369,764 Patented Feb. 20, 1968 FIG. 3 is an end elevation of the builder motion shown in FIG. 1, drawn to a larger scale, and

FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line IV'IV in FIG. 3.

Referring first to FIG. 1, this shows a builder motion 10, according to the invention, mounted at the end of a drawtwister in which drawn synthetic filaments are conventionally wound on to packages on vertical rotary spindles by means of rings and travellers carried by a ring on each side of the machine to which a variable traverse is imparted by the builder motion. The drive for the builder motion is provided by a hydraulic ram 11 comprising a cylinder 12 and a piston element 13. The lower end of the cylinder 12 is anchored to the machine frame and the upper end of the piston element 13 is connected to two racks l4 and 15 which are guided for vertical reciprocatory movement in upper guide channels 16 and 17 and lower guide channels 18 and 19. The rack 14 is engaged by a pinion 20 fixedly mounted on the end of a horizontal driving shaft 21 which extends the full length of the machine, and the rack 15 is engaged by a pinion 22 likewise fixedly mounted on the end of a further horizontal driving shaft 23 extending the full length of the machine. As shown in FIG. 2, the shaft 23 is rotatably supported at its end in frame members 24 and 25 and has fixedly mounted thereon pinions 26 and 27 which drivingly engage vertically arranged racks 28 and 29 supporting the ends of a ring rail 30 which is guided for vertical reciprocating movement on guide rods 31 secured to the machine frame.

In operation, hydraulic fluid is alternately fed to one side and then the other side of the piston element 13, causing the piston element 13 to raise and lower the racks 14 and 15. The pinions 20 and 22 are thus rotated first in one sense and then in the opposite sense, the oscillatory motion imparted to the shaft 23 serving to reciprocate the racks 28 and 29 and cause the raising and lowering of the ring rail 30 and the oscillatory motion imparted to the shaft 20 serving to reciprocate corresponding racks for the other ring rail and cause the raising and lowering thereof.

The pinion 22 as :best seen in FIG. 3 drivingly engages an idler pinion 31 which transmits the oscillatory motion of the pinion 22 to a pair of gear wheels 32 and 33 drivingly interconnected by an idler pinion 34. The gear Wheel 32 is, as shown in FIG. 4, anchored by a screw 35 to a bevel gear wheel 36 rotatably mounted on a stub axle 37 secured to a back plate 38. The bevel gear wheel 36 forms part of a differential comprising a further bevel gear wheel 39 rotatably mounted on the stub axle 37 and a bevel pinion "40 rotatably mounted on a shaft 41 extending radially from a drum 42 rotatably mounted on the axle 37. The *bevel gear wheel 39 is provided with an arm 43 which is secured thereto and which is fitted with an actuating pin 44. The drum 42 has secured thereto the ends of two steel tapes 45 and 46. The tape 45, as shown in FIG. 3, extends upwardly from the drum and is secured at its upper end to a cam follower arm 47 pivotally mounted on a shaft 48 and carrying a cam bowl 49. The steel tape 46, as shown in FIG. 1, depends from the drum and supports a weight 50.

Referring to FIG. 3, the gear wheel 33 is fixedly mounted on a bevel gear wheel of a further differential of the form shown in FIG. 4, the drum of the further differential being provided with a steel tape 51 corresponding to the tape 45 and secured to a cam follower arm 52 pivoted on a shaft 53 and carrying a cam bowl 54, and a further steel tape 55 supporting, as shown in FIG. 1, a weight 56. The output bevel pinion of the further differential is provided with an arm 57 carrying an actuating pin 58.

Referring again to FIG. 3 the actuating pins 44 and 58 engage in turn a pair of abutments 59 and 60 at the re spective ends of the oscillation of the gear wheels 32 and 33. The two a-butments 59 and 60 are mounted side by side on one end of a lever 61 pivoted near its middle on the back plate 38 and provided at its opposite end with a bowl 62 which is arranged to move the stem 63 of a slide valve 64 by engaging one or the other of a pair of collars 65 and 66 disposed on the stem 63. A quick change over of the position of the slide valve 64 is achieved by a second lever 67 secured to the lever 61 and extending at right angles across the pivot axis, each end of the lever 67 being connected to fixed points on the back plate 38 by extensible links 68 and 69 urged into the extended position by springs 70 and 71. When one of the pins 44 and 58 engages its respective abutment 59 or 60 it moves the two levers 61 and 67 about the pivot and when the lever 67 is thereby moved past its dead centre position a toggle efiect is provided by the extensible links 68 and 69 which rapidly urges the bowl 62 into contact with one of the collars 65 and 66 to move the stem 63 of the slide valve 64 to one of its end positions.

The slide valve 64 controls the flow of fluid to the ram 11 which operates the ring rail 30 so that when the valve 64 is changed over in the manner just described the fluid flows to the opposite side of the piston element 13 of the ram 11 and reverses the direction of movement of the rail 34].

The points of reversal at the top and bottom of the traverse are determined by the points at which the pins 44 and 58 engage their respective abutments 59 and 60 and effect change over of the valve 64.

Referring to FIG. 4, in the absence of any turning movement of the drum 42 the oscillatory motion of the gear wheel 32 is transmitted through the planet bevel pinion 40 to the bevel pinion 39, causing the actuating pin 44 to move in an arcuate path with a constant regular stroke, the oscillatory motion of the gear wheel 33 imparting a like motion to the actuating pinion 58 but in opposition to the pin 44. Such motion of the pins 44 and 58 would cause the slide valve 64 to switch over as the ring rail 30 reaches a predetermined uppermost point and a predetermined lowermost point, and would result in a constant traverse of the rail.

In order to provide a build with tapered ends, the traverse of the ring rail must be gradually reduced. This is achieved by imparting to the drum 42 a continuous slow turning movement which will cause the arm 43 to advance and bring the pin 44 to a position in which it causes an earlier switching over of the valve 64, the drum associated with the differential driving the pin 58 likewise being rotated to advance the pin 58. The required turning movement of the drum is effected by the angular turning of the cam follower arms 47 and 52 controlled by cams 72 and 73 fixed on shafts 74 and 75, which as shown in FIG. I carry worm wheels 76 and 77 driven by worms 78 and 79 fixed on a cross shaft 80 driven from a reduction gear box 81, the input to which is provided by the drive to the draw roll 82 of the machine.

The building motion as illustrated is set out to provide a warp or roving type build in which each successive chase on the bobbin is gradually reduced in length. In one complete bobbin build the earns 72 and 73 are driven through only part of a revolution so that only the curved portion of each cam surface engages the cam bowl. The effect of this cam action will be to gradually move actuating pins 44 and 58 towards each other so that the reversal point at each end of the traverse will occur earlier on each successive stroke throughout the build. Cams of any desired shape may be employed. The cam surface may be shaped to control the build through one part of a revolution or the cam may make several revolutions to give a repetition of a certain building operation throughout the build. A circular cam may if desired be employed so that there will be no gradual advance of the pins 44 and 58 and the ring rail will be reversed at the 4 same position after each excursion. The gear box 31 is referably made such that the reduction ratio can readily be changed to provide any one of a variety of time cycles; for the rotation of the cams 72 and 73 to suit various. builds.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. A builder motion for a textile machine of the type specified, comprising a traverse rail drive which can be switched between a first condition in which it imparts a drive to the traverse rail in one sense and a second condition in which it imparts a drive to the rail in the opposite sense, and switching means for switching the drive alternately from one of its conditions to the other, said switching means comprising two differential mechanisms each having a first rotary input member arranged to be oscillated in synchronism with the movement of the traverse rail, a second rotary input member responsive to a build adjusting mechanism, and a rotary output member, the rotary output member of one of the differential mechanisms initiating the switching of the traverse rail drive from the first condition to the second condition and the rotary output member of the other differential: mechanism initiating the switching of the traverse rail drive from the second condition to the first condition.

2. A builder motion according to claim 1, wherein said rotary output member includes a pin mounted eccentrically with respect to the rotary axis of the output member and adapted upon turning movement of the latterto deflect a control element initiating the switching of the traverse rail drive.

3. A builder motion according to claim 2, wherein the control element when deflected moves to either of tworest positions under the control of a mechanism ensuring; a quick change over from one position to the other.

4. A builder motion according to claim 2, wherein. the drive to the traverse rail comprises hydraulic ram. means which in said first condition is fed with pressure: fluid to impart a drive to the traverse rail in one sense: and in said second condition is fed with pressure fluid to impart a drive to the traverse rail in the opposite sense,. and wherein said control element serves to operate a pilot: valve controlling the feeding of pressure fluid to thehydraulic ram means.

5. A builder motion according to claim 2, wherein the control element is provided with spaced studs one: of which is adapted to be engaged by the eccentrically located pin on the rotary output member of one of the: differential mechanism to cause displacement of the com trol element to one of its two rest positions and theother of which is adapted to be engaged by an eccen-- trically located pin on the rotary output member of the other differential mechanism to cause displacement of the control element to the other of the two positions.

6. A builder motion according to claim 1', wherein the first rotary input member of each differential mechanism comprises an input bevel gear wheel mounted for rotation about a predetermined axis and arranged to be oscillated in synchronism with the movement of the traverse rail, wherein the rotary output member of the differential mechanism comprises an output bevel gear wheel mounted for rotation about the said predetermined axis and spaced from the input bevel gear wheel, and wherein the secondary rotary input member comprises a planetary bevel pinion meshing with the input and output bevel gear wheels and rotatably mounted on a rotary input element for rotation about an axis passing through said predetermined axis at right angles thereto, said rotary input element being mounted for rotation about said predetermined axis.

7. A builder motion according to claim 6, wherein said rotary element comprises a drum to which are secured and upon which are wound in opposite senses the ends of two elongate flexible elements, one of which extends from the drum and is secured at its other end to a cam 5 follower and the other of which extends from the drum in the opposite sense and is subjected to a biasing force maintaining it under tension.

8. A builder motion according to claim 7, wherein the said other of the flexible elements supports a weight providing said biasing force.

9. A building motion according to claim 1, wherein a separate build adjusting mechanism is provided for controlling the movement of the second rotary input member of each of the differential mechanisms.

10. A builder motion according to claim 1, wherein the build adjusting mechanism comprises a cam operated from a rotary element of the machine and arranged to displace a cam follower to cause a predetermined turning movement of the secondary rotary input member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,749,055 6/ 1956 Bauer 242-262 2,764,363 9/ 1956 StamInWitz 242-26 2 3,042,326 7/1962 Lamb et a1 29226.3 3,097,475 7/ 1963 Hooper et a1 242.--26.2 X 3,130,930 4/1964 Miller 242-263 15 STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner.

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