CN116438131A

CN116438131A - Yarn processing system

Info

Publication number: CN116438131A
Application number: CN202180063182.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: T·J·莫德拉; R·D·莫德拉; D·A·查得雷; T·H·杰克逊; A·J·史密斯
Original assignee: Modra Technology Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Modra Technology Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2020-09-08
Filing date: 2021-09-08
Publication date: 2023-07-14
Also published as: US20230331511A1; AU2021340273A1; EP4211066A1; AU2021340273A9; JP2023539939A; EP4211066A4; WO2022051803A1

Abstract

A system for handling yarn packages and hollow cores. The system includes a winder, a creel, and a gripper assembly. The winder is configured to receive a hollow core and wind a predetermined length of yarn onto the hollow core to form a yarn package. The creel is configured to provide an array of creel positions for receiving the yarn packages. The gripper assembly is configured to be movable between the winder and the creel. The gripper assembly has a claw member adapted to grip the yarn package as it is transferred from the winder to the creel and to grip the hollow core as it is removed from the creel and transferred to the winder. Devices, systems, and methods for controlling the yarn tail, loading a yarn spool into a creel, and feeding yarn through the creel are also disclosed.

Description

Yarn processing system

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to systems, methods, and apparatus for manufacturing woven or tufted products, including textiles such as carpets and rugs.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority from australian provisional application nos. AU2020903209, AU2020903210 and AU2020903212, the entire disclosures of each of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Background

Carpet manufacturing machines are used to manufacture mats and carpets. In general, there are two types of carpet manufacturing machines, namely looms and tufting machines.

Weaving involves interweaving vertical sets of weft and warp yarns. In the production of woven carpets, several evenly spaced parallel yarns extend along the length of the carpet. These strands are called menses. As the warp yarns are indexed forward by the loom, yarn strands are fed vertically through the warp yarn sets across the width of the carpet, sandwiched between the warp yarns to form the carpet. These strands are called weft strands. Each yarn constituting the warp and weft is fed by a different yarn, usually in the form of a bobbin, bobbin or spool.

Tufting includes stitching yarn through a mesh backing. In the production of tufted carpets using large tufting machines, a plurality of needles extend linearly across the width of the backing. The needles circulate the yarn through the backing as it is indexed forward through the tufting machine. Each needle is fed by a different yarn supply.

Instead, small tufting machines use a single needle mounted to a moving needle assembly that translates across the width of the carpet. Thus, such machines require only a single yarn supply. Such smaller tufting machines are particularly useful in the manufacture of smaller products and samples.

The gauge of a woven or tufted product is a measure of the number of strands or needles per unit inch of width. Typical carpets and mats are manufactured with 1/10 gauge, equivalent to 10 yarns per inch. Thus, a typical width carpet or mat may include a thousand or more yarns across its width, each yarn being supplied from a different yarn supply.

Traditionally, carpet manufacturing machines include multiple needles and/or "operating points" and provide yarn via a large stationary creel. A creel is a rack or frame that provides multiple positions for accommodating a spool or "package" of yarn. Each position within the creel provides a different operating point for the carpet manufacturing machine.

Early carpet manufacturing machines for producing cut-to-flat or loop carpet pile would equally use yarn from each package such that the packages would run out of yarn at approximately the same time. However, more modern carpet manufacturing machines can produce patterned carpets or mats having variable height loops or cut pile, resulting in different yarn consumption at different points of operation. Furthermore, the full width patterning capability of more modern carpet manufacturing machines means that the yarn consumption at each operating point, and thus the consumption for each yarn package, may be different. In addition, more recent machines can display one of a plurality of colors at a location within the pattern to produce various carpet or mat patterns, further increasing the variation in yarn usage between packages.

The yarn at each location within the creel is typically drawn toward a "header" device that in turn supplies the respective supply of yarn to the operating point of the carpet manufacturing machine. A typical creel can accommodate hundreds or even thousands of yarn packages. Traditionally, each yarn package in a creel is wound with a uniform length of yarn, approximating the required amount of yarn. This can lead to yarn wastage at the end of the job, with excess yarn left on the package at the completion of the job being pulled through the carpet manufacturing machine and disposed of before the next job begins.

Typically, a new yarn package is manually supplied by a worker to a location within the creel, the worker manually restraining the free end or "yarn tail end" of the yarn and delivering it to the creel where it is threaded through an eyelet or conduit to a header, typically where it is connected or "spliced" to the length of the previous yarn fed therein. Threading and feeding of the yarn tail end to the manifold and manual unloading of the hollow core can be a laborious and time-consuming task given the large number of positions in the creel that need to be loaded and unloaded. Alternatively, the creel structure may provide two yarn positions for each operating point of the carpet manufacturing machine, in which case new yarn may be connected to existing yarn within the creel. Furthermore, when multiple yarn packages are simultaneously loaded and spliced together at the header, there is a risk of adjacent yarns tangling.

The complete replacement or replenishment of these packages may represent many man-hours, for this example about 20 hours. Thus, while conventional large manual feed creels are well suited for early carpet making machines, more modern machines typically consume different amounts of yarn at different points of operation, which is less desirable because of the variability in yarn usage that results in increased amounts of yarn being wasted. Alternatively, a partially used yarn package may be removed from the creel and placed into a storage device until the color and number of yarns are needed, which increases the required storage.

Against this background, alternative systems have recently been developed which attempt to provide improvements to the creel and its yarn supply.

One such system relies on the use of smaller moving creels that can be filled with yarn outside the carpet manufacturing machine. The first moving creel is used to supply carpet making machines, while the second moving creel carries yarn packages, which can be exchanged with the second creel when the yarn use on the first creel is completed. Such a system reduces downtime associated with the emptying and refilling of a conventional stationary creel. However, such systems still require manual refilling of yarn packages to locations within each moving creel, and if the yarn consumption at each location is not equal, the yarn packages with a large amount of remaining yarn still have to be removed and stored.

Another alternative system involves the use of a winder configured to wind a precise length of yarn onto a hollow core with high precision. A label is then placed on the yarn packages to identify the specific location within the creel where each package will be uniquely placed. A collection of uniquely wound packages is then fed onto the creel, wherein each package is to be manually placed into a designated position indicated by a label on the package. One example of such a system is the Gilbs corporation "UniWinder" machine and associated software.

It is therefore desirable to provide an improved method of supplying yarn to a production machine that addresses some of the shortcomings of conventional creel-based systems. It would also be advantageous to provide systems and apparatus for practicing such methods.

The present invention was conceived in view of these drawbacks.

Disclosure of Invention

One aspect of the present invention provides a system for processing yarn packages and hollow cores, comprising: a creel comprising an array of creel positions, each creel position configured to receive a yarn package, wherein removal of yarn from the yarn package results in the yarn package becoming hollow; a winder positioned adjacent the creel, the winder configured to receive a hollow core, and wherein the winder is configured to wind a predetermined length of yarn onto the hollow core to form a yarn package; and a gripper assembly configured to be movable between the creel and the winder, the gripper assembly comprising a gripper jaw adapted to grip the yarn package or the hollow core, wherein the gripper assembly gripper jaw is adapted to grip the hollow core in a creel position and to remove the hollow core from the creel and to deliver the hollow core to the winder.

The removal of yarn from the yarn package may be performed by a process of forming a mat or carpet using the yarn. For example, the yarn may be removed from the yarn package by feeding it from a creel position to a header plate. The yarn may be fed to the header plate through a conduit in the center of the creel location. When the desired number of yarns has been used, there may be a small amount of residual yarn left on the package, which is removed resulting in a hollow core.

According to an embodiment, the creel comprises an array of tubes, each tube surrounding a respective creel position.

According to an embodiment, the creel comprises a first side and a second side. The first side includes a first array of creel positions. The second side includes a second array of creel positions. Optionally, at least one winder is positioned adjacent to a first side of the creel and at least one winder is positioned adjacent to a second side of the creel. Optionally, at least one of the winders is positioned adjacent to the first side in the initial orientation and the creel is configured to rotate such that the first side may be serviced by the winder in the initial orientation and the creel may rotate such that the second side may be serviced by the winder in the rotated configuration.

According to an embodiment, the creel is a moving creel. If desired, the moving creel may be filled with yarn packages at one location and moved to another location, such as adjacent to the tufting machine.

According to an embodiment, the winder comprises a plurality of winding regions. Each winding region may be adapted to wind a predetermined length of yarn onto a respective hollow core. The winder may simultaneously wind a predetermined length of yarn onto a plurality of hollow cores. The winder may include a plurality of heads, each of which may wind yarn onto the hollow core. Optionally, the winder comprises a plurality of cartridges adapted to receive the hollow core. Each head of the winder or winding zone may comprise a respective magazine. The cartridge may be configured to receive at least one hollow core at a time. Alternatively, the cartridge may be configured to receive multiple hollow cores simultaneously. The winder may include a storage buffer adapted to receive a single hollow core. In the case of a winder having multiple winding regions, the winder may include multiple reservoir buffers, each adapted to receive a single hollow core.

According to an embodiment, the winder comprises at least one port through which the winder receives the hollow core.

According to an embodiment, the gripper assembly is movable horizontally and vertically between the creel and the winder such that the gripper assembly can remove a hollow core from or transport a yarn package to any creel position in the array.

According to an embodiment, the system further comprises a gantry to which the gripper assembly is connected. A gripper assembly is movable horizontally and vertically on a gantry between the creel and the winder.

According to an embodiment, the gripper assembly is rotatable between a first orientation in which the gripper jaw is aligned towards the creel and a second orientation in which the gripper jaw is aligned towards the winder.

According to an embodiment, the gripper jaw is movable in the longitudinal direction of the gripper assembly towards and away from the creel position when in the first orientation, or the gripper jaw is movable in the longitudinal direction of the gripper assembly towards and away from the winder when in the second orientation. The gripper assembly and gripper jaw may be movable and actuated by air pressure and/or may include a pneumatic control system.

According to an embodiment, each creel position comprises a package holder. The core of the yarn package is placed on the package holder. Preferably, the package holder is positioned and dimensioned such that it does not interfere with the gripper assembly's gripping jaws when the gripper assembly is delivering a yarn package to the creel position or when the gripper assembly is removing a hollow core from the creel position.

According to an embodiment, the clamping jaw is adapted to clamp an inner surface of the yarn package or the hollow core. Optionally, the gripper jaw comprises a plurality of fingers. The fingers may have a low radial profile in the closed position and the fingers have an increased radial profile in the open position. The fingers may be adapted to engage an inner surface of a yarn package or core when in an open position and to release the yarn package or core when transitioning from the open position to the closed position.

According to an embodiment, the system further comprises a sensing device. The sensing means may comprise a feature recognition camera or sensor. The system may include a controller. The feature recognition camera or sensor may be adapted to recognize and locate each creel position and send a signal to the controller. Thus, the controller can control the gripper assembly to align with a corresponding creel position when yarn packages are delivered or empty cores are removed. The feature recognition camera or sensor and controller may also control the gripper assembly to align with the port of the cartridge or winder as the hollow core is delivered to the winder. The feature recognition camera or sensor and controller may control the gripper assembly to align the grippers on the wound package on the winder. The sensing device can use LiDAR (light detection and ranging) to accurately position the claw member. The sensor may utilize LiDAR.

Another aspect of the invention provides a method for treating yarn packages and hollow cores, comprising: providing a creel having an array of creel positions, wherein each creel position is adapted to receive a package of yarn; providing a winder configured to receive a hollow core, wherein the winder is configured to wind a predetermined length of yarn onto the hollow core to produce a yarn package, wherein the winder is positioned adjacent to the creel; providing a gripper assembly configured to be movable between the creel and the winder, the gripper assembly having a gripper jaw adapted to grip a yarn package or a hollow core; positioning the hollow core at a creel position; manipulating the gripper assembly to the creel position, wherein the hollow core is gripped with gripper jaws of the gripper assembly; moving the gripper assembly between the creel and the winder; delivering the hollow core to the winder; manipulating the gripper assembly such that the gripper jaw collects yarn packages from the winder; and delivering the yarn package to the creel position by manipulating the gripper assembly.

According to an embodiment, the method further comprises providing a gantry to which the gripper assembly is connected and adapted to move horizontally and vertically between the creel and the winder. Preferably, the gripper assembly is rotatable on the gantry between a first orientation in which the gripper jaw faces the creel and a second orientation in which the gripper jaw faces the winder.

According to an embodiment, the gripper assembly is moved on the gantry to a creel position corresponding to the hollow core before gripping said hollow core. To clamp the hollow core, the clamping jaw in the closed position may be moved in a longitudinal direction of the clamp assembly towards the hollow core, the clamping jaw may be actuated to the open position and engage an inner surface of the hollow core. Once the hollow core is gripped by the gripper jaw, it can be removed from its respective creel position by moving the gripper jaw in a direction opposite to said longitudinal direction, in other words away from the respective creel position. Similarly, to clamp the yarn package, the clamping jaw in the closed position may be moved in the longitudinal direction of the clamp assembly towards the yarn package, the clamping jaw may be actuated to the open position and engage an inner surface of the yarn package.

It is to be understood that any individual feature provided above or described below or shown in the accompanying drawings may itself be the subject of the independent or dependent claims. Features as described herein may be used in any combination that provides a beneficial result and no single embodiment is considered to be limiting in nature to the scope of the invention.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a yarn control device for controlling a yarn end of a yarn, comprising: a movable body configured to capture the yarn and guide the yarn to an operative area of the body; an inlet for introducing a first fluid into the body; a first fluid outlet located adjacent to the operational area of the body and oriented to expel the first fluid in a first fluid flow; and a first movable member within the body that moves between an operative configuration to grip the yarn and a non-operative configuration to release the yarn; wherein in the operating configuration the yarn is clamped in the operating region of the body such that the first fluid flow captures the yarn end and orients the yarn end coaxially with the first fluid flow, whereby movement of the movable body adjusts the direction of the first fluid flow and the yarn end entrained therein to control the orientation of the yarn end.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a yarn control system for delivering a yarn tail end of a yarn to a receiver, comprising: a movable body configured to capture the yarn and guide the yarn to an operative area of the body; an inlet for introducing a first fluid into the body; a first fluid outlet located adjacent to the operational area of the body and oriented to expel the first fluid in a first fluid flow; and a movable member within the body that moves between an operative configuration and a non-operative configuration; and a nozzle having a second fluid outlet for discharging a second fluid in a second fluid flow toward the receptacle; wherein in the operating configuration the yarn is clamped in the operating region of the body such that the first fluid flow captures the yarn end and orients the yarn end coaxially with the first fluid flow, and upon moving the movable body, the first fluid flow is redirected to intersect the second fluid flow such that the second fluid flow expels the entrained yarn end from the first fluid flow, thereby delivering the yarn end to the receiver.

The winder is configured to receive a hollow core, wherein the winder is configured to wind a predetermined length of yarn onto the hollow core to produce a yarn package.

The gripper assembly is configured to be movable between the creel and the winder, the gripper assembly comprising a gripper jaw adapted to grip a package or a hollow core, the gripper assembly being configured to: (i) Removing the hollow core from the designated creel position and delivering the hollow core to a winder; (ii) The yarn package is removed from the winder and transported to a designated creel location.

Yarn is removed from the yarn package by feeding it from a designated creel location to a header plate or header. The yarn is fed to a receiver in the form of a conduit or tube located in the centre of the designated creel position and through there fed to a header.

According to an embodiment, each designated creel position includes a housing or package holder in which the yarn spool is positioned and supported. The housing is preferably positioned and sized such that it does not interfere with the loading members of the gripper assembly when the gripper assembly is delivering a package of yarn to a specified creel position or when the gripper assembly is removing an empty core from a specified creel position.

The housing may be a loading tube. The creel may include an array of loading tubes, each of which surrounds a designated creel location and receives and supports a yarn package or hollow core at the designated creel location. The housing may also include a positioning boss or bracket for supporting and retaining the yarn package thereon. The housing may house a catheter or tube. A conduit may be centrally located in the housing to support the yarn spool and allow yarn to be fed from the loading face of the creel to the opposite face thereof.

According to an embodiment, the system further comprises a gantry on which the gripper assembly is mounted. The gripper assembly may be movable horizontally and vertically on the gantry between the creel and the winder. The gripper assembly may have a telescopic motion to allow the gripper assembly to extend and retract. The gripper assembly may be configured to operate in three degrees of freedom. The gripper assembly may be mounted to allow rotation thereof. The rotation may be in a horizontal plane. The rotation may be in a vertical plane.

According to an embodiment, the gripper assembly may be movable towards and away from the specified creel position in the longitudinal direction of the gripper assembly when in the first orientation, or the gripper assembly may be movable towards and away from the winder in the longitudinal direction of the gripper assembly when in the second orientation. The gripper assembly may be movable and actuated by air pressure and/or may include a pneumatic control system or may be electronically actuated.

In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for loading a package of yarn into a creel, comprising: winding a length of yarn onto a hollow core in a winder to form a yarn package; capturing the yarn package with a gripper assembly configured to move between the creel and the winder, the gripper assembly adapted to grip the yarn package and comprising a yarn control device, wherein the yarn control device captures and retains a yarn end of the yarn package; moving the gripper assembly adjacent to the creel and transporting the yarn package to an empty creel position; and activating the yarn control device to push the yarn tail end toward the receiver.

In yet another aspect the invention provides a method for loading a yarn package into a creel and threading a tail end of the yarn through the creel, comprising: winding a length of yarn onto a hollow core in a winder to form a yarn package; capturing the yarn package with a gripper assembly configured to move between the creel and the winder, the gripper assembly adapted to grip the yarn package and including a yarn control system, wherein the yarn control system captures and retains a yarn tail end of the yarn package; moving the gripper assembly adjacent the creel and delivering the yarn package to a designated creel location; and activating the yarn control system to direct the yarn tail end to the receiver of the designated creel position and thread the yarn tail end past the receiver of the designated creel position.

In some embodiments, the receiver may be a conduit of a creel. The conduit may be a central tube. A plurality of center tubes may be spread over the creel, each center tube defining a designated creel location. The central tube of each creel location may be defined by a housing or loading tube for protecting the yarn packages therein. The yarn package may be coaxially located on the central tube to facilitate the feeding of yarn from the spool through the central tube to the working surface of the creel. The conduit may guide the yarn tail through the yarn package to the working surface of the creel. The yarn packages are loaded from the loading surface of the creel. The loading surface may be opposite the working surface of the creel. In some embodiments, the loading surface or creel is also the working surface.

In some embodiments, the receiver may be an eyelet or aperture for receiving the tail end of the yarn. In some embodiments, the receiver may be a header or header tank for storing the plurality of yarn tails of the loaded creel.

In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a method of controlling the feed of yarn from a yarn package to an outlet, comprising: determining a length of a yarn feed path extending between a package holder to which the yarn package is attached during production of a yarn product and the outlet; winding a first span of yarn onto a hollow core with a winding machine to form a winding core; winding a second span of yarn onto the winding core to form the yarn package, the second span having a length equal to or slightly greater than a length of the yarn feed path; and selectively feeding the trailing end of the yarn package to the outlet along the yarn feed path such that only a second span of the yarn is dispensed from the yarn package. By determining the length of the yarn feed path prior to winding the yarn package, the amount of excess yarn left on the yarn package at the completion of product production is reduced.

The winding of the first span of yarn may be an angled winding, the first span of yarn traversing along the hollow core from a first end of the hollow core to a second end of the hollow core. The angled winding may be a spiral winding, the first span of yarn repeatedly traversing between the first and second ends of the hollow core. The winding of the second span of yarn may be a straight winding, the second span of yarn being concentrated within a portion of the winding core. The direct winding may be concentrated in a substantially central portion of the winding core. By concentrating the winding of the second span in the central portion, the process of distributing only the second span from the yarn package is simplified.

The package holder may be one of a plurality of package holders, each of the plurality of package holders having a different yarn feed path, the method further comprising the steps of: before determining the length of the yarn feed path, a designated package holder is defined to which the yarn package is to be attached. A plurality of package holders may be disposed within the creel. The method may further comprise the step of transferring the yarn package from the winding machine to a designated package holder. The transfer of the yarn packages may involve the use of an automatic gripper that picks up the yarn packages from the winding machine and attaches the yarn packages to a designated package holder. By attaching the yarn brake to the automatic gripper, a single yarn brake can be moved between multiple yarn packages attached to different package holders to dispense yarn therefrom.

In some embodiments, feeding yarn from the yarn package may include applying tension to a trailing end of the yarn package and feeding the trailing end to the outlet along a yarn feeding path. The feeding of the yarn may include applying a frictional force to the first span of yarn with the yarn brake, thereby preventing dispensing of the first span of yarn from the yarn package. The yarn brake may be attached to or the automatic gripper that transfers the yarn package from the winding machine to the package holder. The yarn brake provides a simple mechanism for limiting the feed of yarn from the yarn package.

The method may further comprise the steps of: the total length of yarn required to produce the product is defined and a first span of yarn is calculated such that the first and second spans of yarn together provide the total length of yarn. By calculating the first and second yarn lengths prior to winding, the amount of yarn on each yarn package is limited to the amount of yarn that needs to be consumed at each operating point of the production machine. Thus, yarn waste associated with excess yarn remaining on the yarn package at the completion of the job is further reduced.

In a further aspect, the invention provides a yarn brake for controlling the feed of yarn from a yarn package to an outlet, the yarn package being attached to a package holder and comprising a core on which a first span and a second span of yarn are wound, the yarn brake comprising a friction element movable between a disengaged position in which the friction element does not contact the yarn package and an engaged position in which the friction element is engaged with the first span of yarn such that when the yarn brake is in the engaged position, applying tension to the trailing end of the yarn package results in dispensing only the second span of yarn from the yarn package, the second span of yarn having a predetermined length calculated to feed the trailing end along a yarn feed path extending from the package holder to the outlet. Since the length of the second span of yarn is a predetermined length related to the yarn feeding path, the amount of excess yarn wound on the yarn package can be reduced. Furthermore, by feeding only the second span of measured yarn, yarn protruding beyond the outlet is reduced, thereby reducing the risk of entanglement with adjacent yarn or other objects.

The friction element may engage the core when the first span and the second span of yarn have been dispensed from the yarn package. Thus, the yarn brake is configured to interact with yarn packages having different outer diameters, which are caused by different amounts of yarn wound thereon. The friction element may be engaged with a first span of yarn toward an opposite end of the yarn package from an end of the yarn package that dispenses the yarn. The friction element may be pivotally movable between a disengaged position and an engaged position. The friction element may be removably inserted into a slot of the housing of the cartridge holder.

In some embodiments, the package holder is one of a plurality of package holders provided within the creel, and the yarn brake is movable between the respective package holders. The yarn brake may be incorporated within or attachable to an automatic gripper adapted to load a yarn package into a creel. By attaching the yarn brake to the automatic gripper, the yarn brake can be easily implemented into existing automatic yarn handling systems.

In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a system for controlling yarn feed from a yarn package to an outlet, comprising: a winding machine configured to wind the first span of yarn and the second span of yarn onto a hollow core to form a yarn package; a package holder configured to hold the yarn package during production of a yarn product; and a yarn brake configured to selectively engage the yarn package; wherein the yarn of the second span has a predetermined length calculated to feed the trailing end of the yarn package along a yarn feed path extending from the yarn package holder to the outlet, such that when the yarn brake is engaged with the yarn of the first span, applying tension to the trailing end results in only the yarn of the second span being dispensed from the yarn package.

The system may also include an automatic gripper to transfer the yarn package between the winder and the package holder. The yarn brake may be incorporated within or attached to the automatic gripper.

In some embodiments, the package holder may be one of a plurality of package holders provided within a creel. The creel may be a moving creel. The outlet may be one of a plurality of outlets disposed within the manifold, each outlet being associated with a corresponding package holder. By providing a plurality of package holders within the creel, the length of the yarn feed path from each package holder to the corresponding outlet of the manifold can be determined simply.

It is to be understood that any individual feature provided above or described below or shown in the accompanying drawings may itself be the subject matter of the independent or dependent claims. Features as described herein may be used in any combination that provides a beneficial result and no single embodiment is considered to limit the scope of the present invention itself.

Drawings

Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1A shows a perspective view of a creel, a winder supply reservoir and a gantry assembly according to one embodiment;

FIG. 1B shows a side view of a creel, a winder supply reservoir and a gantry assembly according to one embodiment;

FIG. 1C shows a top view of a creel, a winder supply reservoir and a gantry assembly according to one embodiment;

FIG. 1D shows an end view of a creel, a winder supply reservoir and a gantry assembly according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2A is a front perspective view of a creel of the yarn feeding system of FIG. 1 showing a plurality of package holders;

FIG. 2B is a rear perspective view of the creel of FIG. 2A; a flexible conduit is shown extending from the rear aperture of the package holder to an outlet within the header;

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a package housing with a conduit centrally positioned therein;

FIG. 3B is an end view of the package housing of FIG. 3A showing a central boss or mounting bracket for mounting the core of the package such that the core is coaxially located on the mounting bracket within the housing;

FIG. 4A shows a perspective view of a roll holder according to one embodiment;

FIG. 4B shows a front view of a coil holder with the jaws closed according to one embodiment;

FIG. 4C is a front view of the gripper assembly of FIG. 4A, showing the jaw piece in a closed configuration;

FIG. 4D is a front view of the gripper assembly of FIG. 4B, showing the jaw piece in an open configuration;

fig. 5A is a perspective view of a yarn control device according to the first embodiment, showing a device body having three supply ports to which fluid is supplied;

FIG. 5B is a side view of the yarn control device of FIG. 5A, showing a cross-sectional view of the main body operating region in the first "open" mode;

FIG. 5C is a side view of the yarn control device of FIG. 5A, showing a cross-sectional view of the main body operating region in a second "clamping" mode of operation;

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the yarn control device of FIG. 5A showing the yarn tail extending through the body operating region when no fluid is flowing through the body;

FIG. 6B is a perspective view of the yarn control device of FIG. 5A showing the yarn tail extending through the body operating region as fluid flows through the body;

FIG. 6C is a perspective view of the yarn control device of FIG. 5A showing the yarn tail extending through the body operating region;

FIG. 7A is a side view of a yarn control device according to a second embodiment, showing a first fluid outlet near the operating region of the body;

FIG. 7B is a side view of the yarn control device of FIG. 7A showing the movable member traversing the operating region of the body to bind the yarn to the body;

FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional elevation view of the yarn control device of FIG. 7A, showing a first fluid outlet in fluid communication with the bore of the body;

FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional side view of the yarn control device of FIG. 7A, showing first and second movable members located within respective chambers of the body to reciprocate back and forth toward an operating region of the body, both of the movable members being illustrated in a non-operating configuration;

FIG. 8C is a cross-sectional side view of the yarn control device of FIG. 7A, showing the first movable member in an operative configuration whereby the head of the first movable member is urged into contact with the head of the second movable member to form an aperture for confining yarn therein;

FIG. 8D is a cross-sectional side view of the yarn control device of FIG. 7A, showing the first movable member in a non-operative configuration and the second movable member in an operative configuration whereby the head of the second movable member is pushed into the operative region of the body to clamp a yarn thereon;

FIG. 9A is a schematic view of the body and yarn approaching each other;

FIG. 9B is a schematic view of a pair of angled fingers that direct yarn toward the operative area of the body, capturing yarn therein;

FIG. 9C is a schematic view of the yarn being confined within the operative region of the body such that the yarn may traverse the operative region;

FIG. 9D is a schematic view of the yarn being clamped onto the operating region of the body such that the yarn cannot move;

FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a gun head having a nozzle adapted to push a second fluid stream showing the yarn tail passing through and entrained by the second fluid stream;

FIG. 11A shows a cross-sectional side view of an initial stage of the yarn feeding process showing the yarn brake in the disengaged position;

FIG. 11B shows the yarn brake of FIG. 11A in an engaged position;

FIG. 11C is a perspective view showing the yarn brake of FIG. 11A in a disengaged position and coupled to the gripper assembly of FIG. 4A;

FIGS. 12A through 12D show side views of a package holder with the hollow core removed from the package holder of the creel;

FIGS. 13A through 13C show side views of a spool holder transferring a hollow core to a spool;

fig. 14A is a perspective view of a core to be wound by the winding machine of fig. 1;

FIG. 14B is a perspective view of the winding core of FIG. 14A having been wound with a first span of yarn;

FIG. 14C is a perspective view of a yarn package with the winding core of FIG. 14B having been wound with a second span of yarn;

FIG. 15A is a rear view of the creel of FIG. 2A showing a first yarn feed path from a first package holder to a first outlet in the manifold and a second yarn feed path from a second package holder to a second outlet in the manifold;

FIG. 15B is a side view of the creel of FIG. 2A showing first and second portions of the first and second yarn feed paths;

FIGS. 16A through 16F show end views of a package holder removing a yarn package from a winder;

FIG. 17A is an enlarged view of the tail end of the doffing yarn of the winder or winder;

FIG. 17B is a view of the winding yarn spool with the yarn control device gripping the yarn tail of the yarn on the package;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the gripper assembly of FIG. 4A, showing the yarn control device mounted thereon;

19A-19E are side views of a gripper assembly loading a yarn package into a housing of a creel and threading a yarn tail through a conduit of the housing, wherein:

FIG. 19A shows the gripper assembly approaching the package housing with the yarn gripped by the yarn control device;

FIG. 19B shows the yarn package moving within the housing toward the support boss with the yarn still held by the claw member of the yarn control device;

FIG. 19C shows the yarn package mounted on a support boss within the housing, wherein the yarn is still constrained by the yarn control device;

FIG. 19D shows the body of the yarn control device having been rotated 180 degrees to direct the yarn tail over the inlet of the conduit to intersect the second fluid stream from the spray gun;

fig. 19E shows the conduit through which the yarn is threaded through the housing such that when the yarn control device is rotated 180 degrees back and the gripper assembly is retracted to perform any of the following operations, the yarn tail protrudes from the housing: extracting a new yarn package from the winder; extracting the hollow core from the creel;

FIG. 20A is a side view of the conduit within the housing and a second fluid outlet mounted on the spray gun, showing the second fluid outlet aligned with the opening of the conduit;

FIG. 20B is a cross-sectional view of a conduit aligned with the spray gun of FIG. 20A;

FIG. 20C is an enlarged view of the conduit opening aligned with the second fluid outlet to receive the trailing end of the yarn;

FIG. 21A shows the yarn control device holding the yarn tail near the package housing of the creel with the spray gun of the gripper assembly aligned with the inlet of the conduit;

FIG. 21B shows the yarn tail fed into the inlet and passing through the conduit by a second fluid flow exiting the gun toward the conduit inlet;

FIG. 21C is a schematic view of a conduit for yarn passing through the housing on the creel with the yarn tail captured by the covered header plate;

FIG. 22A illustrates an initial stage of the yarn feeding process showing the yarn brake of FIG. 11A in a disengaged position adjacent the yarn package;

FIG. 22B illustrates a subsequent stage of the yarn feeding process showing the yarn brake in an engaged position wherein yarn is fed from the yarn package under tension;

FIG. 22C illustrates a further stage of the yarn feeding process showing the yarn brake in the engaged position, preventing further yarn feeding; and

fig. 22D shows the final stage of the yarn feeding process, showing the yarn brake moving to the non-operative position after the yarn feeding has been completed.

Detailed Description

In the present specification, the term "yarn" is understood to mean a continuous strand consisting of natural or artificial fibres or filaments and used for weaving, tufting, sewing and knitting. The term is intended to be synonymous with the terms silk, fiber, string, filament, twine, strand, ply, cord, thread, wool or cotton, and the like.

In the present specification, the term "yarn package" is understood to mean a core wound with a known, predetermined amount of yarn for supplying a machine for producing yarn-based products, including textiles, e.g. soft floor coverings such as carpets and mats. This term is intended to be synonymous with the following term: spool, bobbin, etc.

In this specification, axes and motions in the X-direction, Y-direction, and Z-direction can be generally understood as horizontal motions, longitudinal motions, and vertical motions, respectively. For clarity, some of the figures include indicators for marking the respective orientations.

Yarn processing system

The following sections and figures are used to describe an automatic yarn handling system for loading and unloading yarn packages to and from a creel. Various aspects of the processing system will then be discussed in more detail in subsequent sections.

Fig. 1A to 1D show a yarn processing system 1 comprising a creel 10 and a winder 40. The yarn processing system 1 further comprises a gripper assembly 70 for transferring yarn packages 30 between the winder 40 and the creel 10 to facilitate loading and unloading of the creel 10. The gripper assembly 70 is connected to the gantry 50 so as to be movable between the creel 10 and the winder 40. The yarn package 30 comprises a core 31, onto which core 31 a quantity of yarn 32 is wound. The yarn package 30 will be discussed in detail below with reference to fig. 14A-14C.

Bobbin creel

The creel 10 shown in the figures is a mobile creel comprising a creel frame 11 and wheels 12. The frame 11 holds the components of the creel 10 together. The creel 10 is a double sided creel having two sides: a first side 13 and a second side 14, each side comprising an array of creel positions. Each

side

13, 14 of the creel 10 has an outwardly facing

loading face

13a, 14a, respectively, and an inwardly facing

non-loading face

13b, 14b, respectively. The loaded and unloaded faces are shown in fig. 1C. Each

loading surface

13a, 14a comprises an array of package holders 20 for receiving a designated yarn package 30 therein.

However, it should be understood that the creel 10 may also be a single sided creel, as shown in fig. 2A and 2B, wherein each creel position is provided on the first side 13 of the creel. In a single sided creel, the second side 14 is considered the non-loading side of the creel 10.

Each creel location includes a package holder 20 for receiving and supporting a yarn package 30. The package holders 20 are arranged in a hexagonal array. Each package holder 20 includes a mounting bracket 21 and a housing 22, the mounting bracket 21 being sized and shaped to receive a core 31 of a yarn package 30.

As best shown in fig. 3A and 3B, the housing 22 includes a tube at least partially surrounding the mounting bracket 21. One end of the housing 22 is open and extends to a closed end disposed on the non-loading face of the creel 10. The housing 22 serves as a protective cover for the yarn packages 30 contained therein, reducing the likelihood of debris falling thereon, and preventing the yarn tail end 33 of a yarn package 30 from falling into the adjacent package holder 20 below and tangling with the adjacent yarn package 30. This entanglement requires time to clear, otherwise it can cause the carpet manufacturing machine to shut down when evaluating problems, and the entangled yarns to clear, reducing the overall productivity of the system 1. As shown, each housing 22 extends circumferentially around a respective package holder 20. It is noted, however, that the housing 22 need only partially surround each package holder 20 in order to capture the yarn trailing end 33 from the yarn package 30 that falls therein under gravity towards the adjacent package holder 20.

Other methods of protecting the yarn package 30 from entanglement with the yarns of other yarn packages 30 in other package holders 20 and from debris are also within the general scope of the present disclosure.

Referring to fig. 3A-3B, the mounting bracket 21 is configured to receive and support a yarn package 30 thereon. The mounting bracket 21 is centrally located in the housing 22 towards the closed end thereof. The mounting bracket 21 includes a central base 21A (see, e.g., fig. 11A and 11B) configured to contact an inner surface 31A of the core 31 of the yarn package 30, and may include a resilient member 21B to engage and removably hold the yarn package 30 in place. The mounting bracket 21 is sized so that it does not contact the entire length of the yarn package 30.

Returning now to fig. 2A and 2B, each package holder 20 further includes a yarn conduit 24 through which a respective yarn tail 33 travels toward an outlet 60. The outlet 60 receives the respective yarn end 33 from the yarn package 30 and supplies the yarn to the production machine.

The yarn conduit 24 comprises a rigid conduit 24a extending from a central opening 25, from which the yarn is drawn out to a terminal orifice 23, the terminal orifice 23 being provided in the non-loading face of the creel 10. The opening 25 protrudes outwardly from the open end of the housing 22 such that the yarn conduit 24 extends therefrom when viewed from a side profile. In the illustrated embodiment, the yarn conduit 24 passes through the central base 21a of the mounting bracket 21. The rigid conduit 24a may be a plastic material or a metal, such as steel or aluminum. The rigid conduit 24a preferably has an inner diameter of between 2mm and 6mm, and preferably about 4.8mm.

The rigid conduit 24a directs the yarn end 33 through the housing 22 to exit the housing 22 at the aperture 26, where the yarn end 33 enters the flexible conduit 24b, which flexible conduit 24b directs the yarn end 23 to the outlet 60. The flexible conduit 24b is a tube or hose and may be made of plastic and other synthetic elastic materials or other elastic materials. The flexible conduit 24b may be transparent to allow the yarn tail end 33 to be visible as it exits the rigid conduit 24 a. This may provide a visual checkpoint to assess the progress of the yarn end 33 along the flexible conduit 24 b.

In other embodiments, it is contemplated that the customized conduit 24 may be separately sized as a rigid conduit that extends through the housing 22 and up to the outlet 60, replacing the flexible conduit 24b; however, for ease of manufacture, a combination of rigid portion 24a and flexible portion 24b is preferred.

Header pipe

As best shown in fig. 2A and 2B, the outlet 60 is one of a plurality of outlets provided in the manifold 61, each outlet 60 being associated with a respective package holder 20 in the creel 10. The manifold 61 is attached to the creel 10.

The header 61 includes a header plate 62 within which each of the plurality of outlets 60 is disposed. The header plate 62 is surrounded by a header cover 63. The manifold cover 63 is movable between an open position and a closed position. The manifold cover 63 is made of a perforated or screen type material that allows air to flow through the manifold cover 63 while the yarn end 33 remains contained therein.

In the closed position, the manifold cover 63 is configured to capture and restrain the yarn tail end 33 during transport of, for example, the creel 10. With the manifold cover 63 in the closed position, the yarn ends 33 are restrained therein to prevent them from interfering with the loading of other packages 30 into the creel 10.

In the open position, the manifold cover 63 provides access to the yarn tail end 33 for connection to a production machine via, for example, splicing the tail 33 to the machine for use. The open configuration of the manifold cover 63 is also shown in phantom in fig. 21D.

Winding device

Returning now to fig. 1A-1D, the winder 40 is positioned adjacent the first side 13 of the creel 10. According to an embodiment of the invention, a plurality of winders 40 may be positioned adjacent to the first side 13 of the creel. Similarly, one or more winders 40 may be positioned adjacent to the second side 14 of the creel 10.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 1A, the winder 40 includes three winding heads 41. Each winding head 41 is the area of the winder 10 in which yarn is wound onto the core 31 to form the yarn package 30. The winder 40 may be user controlled or may be automated to select a desired length of yarn to be wound onto each core 31.

The length of yarn wound on a particular yarn package 30 is calculated based on the amount of yarn required at the corresponding package holder 20 in which the yarn package 30 is to be placed. Thus, some yarn packages 30 may include more yarn than other yarn packages 30.

The winder supply reservoir 43 is positioned adjacent to the winder 40. The winder supply reservoir 43 has at least one yarn supply 44 which supplies yarn to each winding head 41 when required. Preferably, the yarn supply reservoir 43 comprises a plurality of yarn supply sources 44 in the form of large yarn packages. Each yarn supply 44 may provide a yarn of a desired color. Each winding head 41 may be supplied by a different yarn supply 44 relative to the other winding heads 41.

In order to simultaneously service the package holders 20 on each side of the creel 10, at least one winder 40 and a gantry 50 may be located adjacent to each of the first side 13 and the second side 14 of the creel 10, respectively.

Alternatively, in some cases, the or each winder 40 may be positioned adjacent only the first side 13 of the creel 10, as shown in fig. 1A-1D. In that case, the treatment system 1 can serve only one

side

13, 14 of the creel 10 at a time. For example, the first side 13 may be initially filled with yarn packages 20. Once the first side 13 is fully loaded with the package 30, the entire creel 10 can be rotated such that the second side 14 is positioned adjacent the winder 40 (i.e., before the first side 13 shown in fig. 1A-1D). The second side 14 may then be filled with yarn packages 30 and/or hollow cores 31 removed therefrom as desired. The creel 10 is preferably fixedly held in each position such that the

respective side

13, 14 adjacent the winder 40 is positioned in a known position relative to the winder 40 which is also fixedly held in place.

The winder 40 may include a reservoir buffer 42 configured to hold a single hollow core 31. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the winder 40 may include three storage buffers 42 (best shown in fig. 17A), each storage buffer 42 serving a respective one of the winding heads 41. The reservoir buffer 42 enables a hollow core to be wound while another hollow core is fed to the winder 40. Each reservoir buffer 42 may be provided with a hollow core 31 through a port in the side wall of the winder 40 through which the hollow core 31 may be inserted. When the winding head 41 requires the hollow core 31, the hollow core 31 in the storage buffer may be lifted up to the winding head 41 in the winder 40.

Alternatively, the storage buffer 42 may be a cartridge adapted to accommodate a plurality of hollow cores 31. When a new yarn package 30 needs to be formed, the hollow core 31 will be transferred from the magazine to the winding head 41. The winding heads 41 may share a common cartridge or, preferably, each winding area 41 may comprise its own different cartridge, so that, for example, there may be three cartridges where there are three winding heads 41. The cartridge may include a port sized to receive the hollow core 31. The hollow core 31 will remain in line in the magazine and be sent to the winding head 41 in sequence when a new yarn package 30 is required.

Portal frame

As shown in fig. 1A to 1D, the portal frame 50 includes a frame formed of a vertical member 51, a longitudinal member 52, and an inclined support 53. The vertical members 51 are located outside each corner of the creel 10 such that the gantry 50 surrounds the creel 10. The vertical members 51 at both ends of the system 1 are connected at their upper ends by longitudinal members 52, the longitudinal members 52 extending in the Y-direction, as shown in fig. 1. A tilt support 53 is connected to each vertical member 51 to provide stability to the frame structure of the gantry 50. The lower end of the vertical member 51 and the inclined support 53 are preferably connected to the ground, for example by bolts through the flange portion, to ensure that the gantry 50 remains stable in its position.

Brackets 54 are attached to longitudinal members 52 at spaced apart locations. The brackets 54 are positioned inboard of the longitudinal members 52 such that each bracket 54 on one longitudinal member 52 faces a bracket 54 on the other longitudinal member 52.

As shown in fig. 1A, the upper rail 55 is attached to the bracket 54 at either end such that the upper rail 55 extends horizontally between adjacent longitudinal members 52. The lower rail 56 is located directly below the upper rail 55, extending horizontally between the longitudinal members 52. The lower rail 56 is preferably rigidly held in place on the ground, such as by bolts or other suitable fastening means. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1A, only a single upper rail 55 is located outside of the first side 13 of the creel 10, but it is contemplated that another upper rail 55 may be located between the brackets 54 of the longitudinal member 52 outside of the second side 14 of the creel 10. Similarly, another lower rail 56 will be located below a second upper rail (not shown).

As best shown in fig. 1B, a vertical rail 57 extends between the upper rail 55 and the lower rail 56. The vertical rail 57 is movably connected to each of the upper rail 55 and the lower rail 56 such that the vertical rail 57 can move in the X direction as shown. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper end of the vertical rail 57 includes an upper platform 55a and the lower end of the vertical rail 57 includes a lower platform 56a. The upper platform 55a includes rollers 55b that engage tracks 55c in the upper track 55. Similarly, lower platform 56a includes rollers 56b that engage tracks 56c of lower track 56. The vertical rail 57 is thus adapted to maintain vertical alignment in the Z direction as it moves in the X direction. An upper motor 55d is attached to the upper platform 55a. A lower motor 56d is attached to the lower platform 56a. The upper motor 55d and the lower motor 56d are each controlled so that their movements are synchronized. In other words, when the upper motor 55d is operated to cause movement in the first direction, the lower motor 56d will be operated simultaneously to cause movement in the first direction, and each motor will start and stop simultaneously. The motors 55d, 56d are preferably computer controlled by suitable software.

The platform 57a is movably connected to the vertical rail 57. The vertical platform 57a has rollers 57b that engage the rails 57c of the vertical rail 57 such that the vertical platform 57a can move vertically along the length of the vertical rail 57. The vertical motor 57d controls the movement of the vertical platform 57 a. The vertical motor 57d preferably functions in a similar manner as the upper motor 55d, the lower motor 56 d. Any one or more of the

motors

55d, 56d, 57d may cooperate with rack and pinion and bearing arrangements to precisely control the movement of the vertical rail 57 and/or the vertical platform 57 a.

Arm rail 58 is attached to vertical platform 57a. As shown in fig. 1A and 1C, the arm rail 58 extends longitudinally in the Y direction. The rotatable connector 58a is adapted to move longitudinally along the arm rail 58 in the Z-direction. Rotatable connector 58a may have a roller 58b that engages a track 58c on arm rail 58. The rotatable connector 58a may include a connector motor 58d that controls movement of the rotatable connector 58a along the arm rail 58.

Clamp holder assembly

The gripper assembly 70 is connected to the gantry 50 via a rotatable connector 58a in such a way that it can move vertically, horizontally and rotatably. The gripper assembly 70 is preferably movable between any package holder 20 of the first side 13 of the creel 10 and can provide yarn packages 30 to the respective package holder 20 or withdraw the hollow core 31 from the respective package holder 20 as desired. In addition, the gripper assembly 70 may be manipulated and positioned to provide the hollow core 31 to the winder 40 or to retrieve the wound yarn package 30 from the winder 40.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 1A-1D, the single gripper assembly 70 is movable along the gantry 50 relative to the first side 13 of the creel 10 and the winder 40. In other possible embodiments, the system 1 may include a second winder 40' on the first side 13 of the creel 10. In such an embodiment, the second winder 40' would preferably be serviced by a second gripper assembly 70', the second gripper assembly 70' also coupled to the gantry 50. The second vertical rail 57' is horizontally movable on the upper rail 55 and the lower rail 56, preferably in a similar manner as already discussed with respect to the vertical rail 57. Thus, each gripper assembly 70 may be movable on the gantry 50 between its respective winder 40 and half of the package holder 20 at the end of the creel 10 closest to the respective winder 40.

Gripper assembly 70 is connected to a side of rotatable connector 58a opposite arm rail 58. The gripper assembly 70 is rotatably connected to the rotatable connector 58a in a manner such that the gripper assembly 70 can be rotated between a first orientation in which the front end 71 of the gripper assembly 70 is oriented in the Y-direction toward the creel 10 and a second position in which the front end 71 of the gripper assembly 70 is oriented in the Y-direction toward the winder 40. Thus, movement of the rotatable connector 58a in the Y-direction may cause the gripper assembly 70 to move toward or away from the creel 10 when in the first orientation. Similarly, movement of rotatable connector 58a in the Y-direction may cause gripper assembly 70 to move toward or away from winder 40 in the second orientation. The connector motor 58d may control rotation of the gripper assembly 70 between the first orientation and the second orientation. Alternatively, the gripper assembly 70 may include an additional motor that controls the rotation between the first and second orientations. The rotation of the gripper assembly 70 may be pneumatically controlled and may include a hydraulic bump stop.

According to a further embodiment (not shown), two winders 40 may be positioned on each

side

13, 14 of the creel. In other words, two of the winders 40 are positioned adjacent to the first side 13 of the creel 10 and two other winders 40 are positioned adjacent to the second side 14 of the creel 10. The winder 40 is preferably located at the opposite end of the creel 10. In this embodiment, the second upper and lower guide rails are located near the second side 14 of the creel 10, between the creel 10 and the two winders 40. Further, adjacent each

side

13, 14 of the creel 10, the gantry 50 can include two vertical rails 57, each vertical rail 57 being horizontally movable on a respective upper rail 55 and lower rail 56. Thus, two gripper assemblies 70 are vertically and horizontally movable and rotatable on respective vertical rails 57 on each side of the gantry 50, wherein each gripper assembly 70 is movable on the gantry 50 between its respective winder 40 and the half of the package holder 20 of the

respective side

13, 14 positioned towards the end of the creel 10 closest to the respective winder 40.

Reference is now made to fig. 4A-4C. The gripper assembly 70 has a rail 73 extending longitudinally between the front end 71 and the rear end 72 of the gripper assembly 70. The rail 73 provides the body of the gripper assembly 70. Front end 71 includes a head 74, head 74 being attached to a tab 75. The head assembly 74 is configured to be received within the central cavity of the core 31. The head 74 is in the form of a cylindrical member and the tab 75 extends from the head 74 toward the front end 71 of the holder assembly 70. The tab 75 is independently movable relative to the head 74. The protrusion 75 is also a cylindrical member having a radius smaller than that of the head 74. Further, the protrusion 75 has a length in the longitudinal direction of the gripper assembly 70 that is greater than the longitudinal length of the head 74.

The head 74 has four lugs 74a that extend in a longitudinal direction toward the front end 71 of the gripper assembly 70. The lugs 74a are evenly spaced around the circumference of the head 74. The protrusion 75 includes four ribs 75a that extend parallel to the projection 74a and longitudinally along the surface of the protrusion 75. The gripper assembly 70 also includes four fingers 76. Four hinge fingers 76 extend along the tab 75. Each tab 74a is connected to each finger 76 at the rear of the corresponding finger 76 via two connectors 77, one of the connectors 77 being located on each side of the tab 74 a. Each finger 76 is connected to a respective rib 75a via two connectors 70, one connector 77a, 77b on either side of the finger, toward the front of the finger 76. Each finger 76 is also coupled to a respective rib 75a towards the rear of the finger 76 via two additional connectors 70c, 70d on both sides of the finger 76. The connectors 77 together pivotally couple each of the respective fingers 76 to the respective ribs 75a and bumps 74b. The position of the pivot connector 77 is such that longitudinal movement of the tab 75 relative to the head 74 will cause the finger 76 to move radially relative to the tab 55.

The described arrangement of the head 74, the tab 75, the finger 76, the rib 74a, the bump 75a and the connector 70 forms a clamping jaw 78 that can be used to clamp the inner surface 31a of the yarn package 30. The jaw assembly 78 is configurable between a closed condition in which the fingers 76 rest against the tabs 75 and an open condition in which the fingers 76 extend radially outwardly and do not contact the tabs 75. Fig. 4C shows the jaw assembly 78 in a closed state, while fig. 4D shows the jaw assembly 78 in an open state. In fig. 4C and 4D, the diameter of the jaw defined by assembly 78 is indicated in dashed outline. In the closed configuration, the finger 76 is positioned radially inward adjacent the rib 75a. In the open configuration, the fingers 76 are positioned radially outwardly away from the ribs 75a.

The jaw assembly 78 is configured to be grasped from within the core 31 onto the core package 30 to facilitate transport thereof. With the jaw assembly 78 in the closed state, the head 74 is driven forward and the tab 75 is inserted into the core 30. The jaw assembly 78 is then expanded to an open state wherein the fingers 76 urge the inner surface 31a of the core 31 outwardly. The yarn package 30 is now secured to the jaw assembly 78, the head 54 is retracted, and the yarn package 30 is removed from the winding machine 40.

The gripping action of the jaw 48 may be a reverse chuck configuration. For example, the tab 75 may be longitudinally movable relative to the head 74. As the tab 75 moves longitudinally, the connector 70 interacts with the corresponding tab 74a, rib 75b, and finger 76 to cause radial movement of the finger 76. As the tab 75 moves longitudinally toward the front end 71, each finger 76 will move radially outward from the tab 75. Similarly, when the tab 75 is subsequently moved longitudinally toward the rear end 72, each finger 76 will move radially inward relative to the tab 75. Maximum inward radial movement of the finger 76 will cause the finger 76 to contact the rib 75a. Pressurized fluid, such as pressurized air, may be used to cause movement of the jaw 78. The radially inward or outward movement of the fingers 76 of the fingers 78 may be controlled by a controller.

As shown in fig. 4A and 4B, the gripper assembly 70 includes an air cylinder 79. The air cylinder 79 is located adjacent the gripper body 73 and extends longitudinally from the rear 72 toward the front end 71 of the gripper assembly 70. The application of compressed air may cause piston rod 79a to extend longitudinally outward from cylinder 79. The head 74 is connected to the front of the piston rod 79a such that the head 74 and the pawl 78 will move longitudinally as the piston rod 79a extends from the cylinder 79. In this way, the claw member 78 can be placed at a desired position, for example, when the yarn package 30 is collected from the winding area 41, when the yarn package 30 is conveyed to the package holder 20, when the hollow core 31 of the yarn package 30 is collected from the package holder 20, or when the hollow core 31 is conveyed to the winder 40.

To properly align the claw member 78 with the package holder 20, the gripper assembly 70 or creel 10 may include a sensor and/or camera (not shown). For example, the gripper assembly 70 or creel 10 may include a feature recognition camera that may be configured to align the claw member 78. The camera or sensor used may identify at least the corners of the creel 10 to manipulate the jaws 78 and properly align the jaws 78 with the desired package holder 20. The camera or sensor may be configured to identify each package holder 20 for accurate alignment, respectively. Similarly, cameras and/or sensors may be used to manipulate and position the pawl 78 relative to the winder 10. The sensing system used may utilize LiDAR (light detection and ranging) to precisely position the claw member 78.

The above description and figures show and describe a gripper assembly 70 that is operated and controlled by a pneumatic actuator and the flow of pressurized gas (e.g., pressurized air). However, liquids may be substituted for the working fluids described herein. Likewise, the gripper assembly 70 may be controlled and manipulated by mechanical or electrical means. A controller is preferably provided to control the movement and position of the gripper assembly 70. The gripper assembly 70 may be automated and utilize sensors to determine when the core 31 is to be removed from the creel position 20 or when the yarn package 30 is being delivered to the creel position 20. Computer software is preferably provided to control the movement of the gripper assembly 70 and the process of loading the package 30 into the housing 22 of the creel 10.

Yarn control device

The gripper assembly 70 preferably controllably holds the yarn ends 33 of the respective yarn packages 30. This process is facilitated by the yarn control device 101. It should be understood that the yarn control device 101 may also be used in other yarn processing applications than the yarn processing system 1.

Fig. 5 to 9 relate generally to a yarn control device 101 for controlling the yarn end 23 of a yarn 32 from a spool thereof, such as a yarn package 30. The yarn control device 101 includes: a movable body 102 configured to capture the yarn 32 and guide the yarn 32 to an operative area 105 of the body 102; an inlet 107 for introducing a first fluid into the body; a first fluid outlet 110 located near the operating region 105 of the body and oriented to expel a first fluid in a first fluid flow F; a first movable member 109 within the body 102 that moves between an operative configuration to grip the yarn 32 and a non-operative configuration to release the yarn 32; wherein in an operating configuration, yarn 32 is clamped in operating region 105 of body 102 such that the first fluid flow captures yarn end 33 and orients yarn end 33 coaxially with first fluid flow F, whereby movement of movable member 102 adjusts the direction of first fluid flow F and yarn end 33 entrained therein to control the orientation of yarn end 33.

The body 102 is configured to receive the yarn 32 and direct it to the operating region 105. The body 102 includes a pair of angled jaws including an upper jaw 103 and a lower jaw 104 that converge at a slot 121 in the operating region 105 of the body 102. The

claws

103, 104 have beveled edges to allow the yarn 32 to travel through the

claws

103, 104 without catching or catching on the

claws

103, 104.

On a first side of the body 102 are a plurality of supply ports for introducing fluid into the body 102, including: a first fluid inlet 107 that introduces a first fluid into the body 102 for discharge at a first fluid outlet 110. The first fluid may be a gas. In one embodiment, the first fluid is air supplied as compressed air to the first fluid inlet 107. In fig. 5, the first fluid outlet 110 is configured to expel a first fluid flow from the first fluid outlet 110 out of the body 102 in a direction perpendicular to the main axis X of the body. As the first fluid flow passes through the operating region 105 of the body 102, the first fluid flow is parallel to the direction of travel of the yarn 32. It is contemplated that the arrangement of the

fingers

103, 104 and the first fluid outlet 110 for receiving the yarn 32 may be configured in a variety of alternative configurations within the scope of the present invention.

Following the first fluid inlet 107 is a working fluid activation supply port 106 and a working fluid deactivation supply port 108. By introducing the working fluid into the body 102, the movable member 109 moves within the body 102 to contact the yarn 32 and clamp the yarn 32 within the operating region 105. The working fluid may be a gas. The working fluid may be compressed air. The working fluid may be a liquid.

The movable member 109 may be a piston configured to reciprocate within a bore or chamber 122 (not shown) of the body 102. When working fluid is introduced into the chamber 122, the movable member 109 is pushed towards the operating region 105 to clamp the yarn 32 therein, see fig. 5C.

The body 102 provides an upper access panel 112 and a lower access panel 113, each of which is mounted to the body 102 by at least one set screw 115. Removal of

access panels

112 and 113 provides access to the internal components of body 102. The body 102 includes a plurality of mounting holes 114 for mounting the body 102 to the support arm 120 to facilitate at least one of translational and rotational movement thereof.

The movable member 109 has a head 111a, the head 111a traversing the operating region 105 to desirably receive the yarn tail 33, as shown in fig. 5B. The cross-sectional area of the head 111 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the body 111a of the movable member 109, the body 111a presenting a stem across the slot 121 of the operating region 105 for retaining the yarn tail 33 on the shoulder 119 of the movable member 109.

When movable member 109 is activated by the working fluid, movable member 109 traverses operating region 105 until shoulder 119 contacts upper surface 121a of slot 121. When shoulder 119 contacts upper surface 121a, yarn 32 is sandwiched therebetween and can no longer move relative to operating region 105. The yarn 32 is then clamped in place relative to the body 102, see fig. 5C.

To release the yarn 32, the working fluid deactivation supply port 106 is opened, allowing working fluid to enter the secondary chamber 125 (not shown) to drive the movable member 109 away from the operating region 105. Since each

supply port

106 and 108 is an inlet, the movable member 109 can be driven back and forth by alternately introducing working fluid from the

respective supply port

106, 108 between the first chamber 122 and the secondary chamber 125.

Fig. 5B shows the movable member 109 in a non-operative configuration such that the upper surface of the slot 121a and the shoulder 119 are spaced apart in preparation for receiving the yarn 32 as the yarn 32 travels through at least one of the

pawls

103, 104. In this configuration, yarn 32 may enter operative region 105 of body 102 and be restrained within groove 121 against head 111 while on shoulder 119.

In fig. 5C, the movable member 109 has been driven through the operating region 105 to capture the yarn 32 between the shoulder 119 and the upper surface of the groove 121a. This clamps the yarn 32 adjacent to the first fluid outlet 110. As the first fluid is introduced into the body 102 via the first fluid inlet 107, the first fluid travels through an aperture 127 (not shown) within the body 102 to be expelled in the first fluid flow F at the first fluid outlet 110. The yarn end 33 is entrained within and axially aligned with the first fluid flow F.

With the yarn 32 clamped in the operating region 105, the yarn tail 33 of the yarn 32 is captured in a fixed relationship with the body 102. When no fluid is directed to the first fluid outlet 110, the yarn tail 33 will be pulled out of the operating zone 105, as shown in fig. 6A and 6C.

When the first fluid flow F is activated, the yarn tail 33 will be captured and entrained within the first fluid flow 102 and oriented to extend away from the body 102 from the operating region 105 parallel to the first fluid flow F. By moving the body 102 in at least one of translational and rotational motion, for example in the direction indicated by arrow R in fig. 6B, the yarn tail 33 may be moved and directed towards the target area or receiver.

Fig. 6C is a perspective view of yarn control device 101 operable to grip yarn end 33 with first fluid flow F inactive such that yarn 32 remains in operative region 105 of body 102 and yarn end 33 hangs freely under gravity alone.

Fig. 7A and 7B show a second embodiment of a yarn control device 201. Yarn control device 201 has the same external features as described herein with respect to yarn control device 101. For convenience, like reference numerals are used to describe like features. However, the movable member 109 is replaced with the first and second

movable members

209, 239, thus adding two additional

fluid supply ports

240, 241 to activate and deactivate the second movable member 239. Fig. 7A shows the yarn control device 201 deactivated, wherein fig. 7B is shown in an operative configuration, wherein the second movable member 239 has been activated to restrain the yarn 32 but not clamp the yarn 32.

The body 202 has a pair of claw members, shown as an upper claw member 203 and a lower claw member 204 having beveled

edges

203a, 204a, respectively. The slot 221 is located where the two

jaws

203, 204 converge to define an operating region 205 of the body 202.

The upper access panel 212 and the lower access panel 213 are provided for accessing the first chamber 222 and the second chamber 225 for maintaining and replacing the first movable member 209 and the second movable member 239, respectively.

On the opposite face of the body from the pair of

jaws

203, 204, there are four

supply ports

206, 208, 240, 241 and a first fluid inlet 207. The first fluid inlet 207 is centrally located in the body 202 to introduce a first fluid into the body 202 in communication with the aperture 227 for supplying the first fluid to the first fluid outlet 178. Below the first fluid inlet 207 is a second fluid activated supply port 240 and a second fluid deactivated supply port 241. Above the first fluid inlet 207 is a first fluid activated supply port 206 and a first fluid deactivated supply port 208.

It should be appreciated that the first and second working fluids may be gases. The first and second working fluids may be compressed air. The first and second working fluids may originate from the same compressed air supply or from two separate air supplies. The first and second working fluids may be liquids and may originate from two separate fluid supplies or a single fluid supply.

In fig. 7B, the head 226 of the second movable member 239 is shown traversing the operating region 205 to form an aperture 218 for constraining the yarn 32 therein. This is an operational configuration providing a yarn tail 33 feed mode of the yarn control device 201. This is in contrast to fig. 7A, which shows a non-operative configuration of the yarn control device 201, wherein the first and second

movable members

209, 239 are activated.

The body 202 of the yarn control device 201 provides mounting features 214 similar to those of the body 102 for driving the body 202 in at least one of translational and rotational movement.

Fig. 8A-8D are cross-sectional views of yarn control device 201 and illustrate the internal components thereof.

Fig. 8A is a front cross-sectional view of the yarn control device 201 in the clamping mode of operation, with each of the

movable members

209, 239 in their lowermost position, with the head 211 of the first movable member 209 clamped down on the lower surface 221n of the slot 221. The head 211 is concave and has an outer periphery 211a, the outer periphery 211a gripping the yarn 32 downwards, holding the yarn 32 firmly in place against the lower surface 221b of the groove 221. Fig. 8A also shows an end view of the aperture 227 that conveys the first fluid from the first fluid inlet 207 to the first fluid outlet 210.

Fig. 8B shows yarn control device 201 in a non-operational configuration waiting to be in contact with yarn 32.

The supply port arrangement shown in fig. 8C will be described with respect to the first active supply port 206. The supply port 206 is connected to a body port 242 of the body 202. The supply port 206 may be a snap fit or snap lock connector that delivers compressed air or an alternative second working fluid to the body port 242.

The first working fluid is held within the body 202 so that a liquid or gas may be selected to drive the

moveable members

209, 239. The body port 206 is in fluid communication with the first chamber 222 via the communication channel 243, allowing the first working fluid to be forced into the chamber 222 when the activation fluid is supplied to the supply port 206. Each of the

supply ports

206, 208, 240, 241 operates in the manner described above with reference to the supply port 240.

When the first working fluid enters the chamber 222, the first movable member 209 is driven toward the operation region 205. When the first movable member 209 is released, the working fluid is driven to the first deactivated supply port 206 and the supply of the first working fluid to the first activated supply port 206 is stopped. As shown in fig. 8C, this drives the first movable member 209 away from the operating region 205 and toward the access panel 212.

Fig. 8C shows the yarn control device 201 in an operational configuration, in a feed mode. The second working fluid is pumped into the body 202 via the second activation supply port 240, wherein the second movable member 239 is activated to drive the head 226 of the second movable member 239 into the operating region 205. The head 226 protrudes from the second movable member 239 in the form of a socket having a planar end 224. The planar end 224 is driven upwardly into contact with the head 211 of the first movable member 209, thereby forming an aperture 218 in which the yarn 32 is captured. Yarn 32 is confined within aperture 218, proximate to operating region 205 of body 202, but may slide or feed through aperture 218.

The head 211 of the first movable member is concave and has a diameter that is larger than the diameter of the head 226 of the second movable member. When the second head 226 is driven into the first head 211, the yarn 32 is captured in the aperture 218 formed in the operating region 205.

When the yarn control device 201 is in the feed mode, the first fluid flow F is activated, and the first fluid will be discharged from the first fluid outlet 210 to form the first fluid flow F. The first fluid outlet F is immediately adjacent to the operating region 205 and captures the yarn end 33 of the restricted yarn 32. Yarn end 33 is captured or entrained in first fluid flow F, guiding yarn end 33 perpendicular to body 202 and perpendicular to aperture 227 away from body 202.

Since yarn 32 is not clamped, the first fluid flow captures yarn end 33 and pulls yarn 32 through aperture 218 through operating region 205, increasing the length of yarn end 33. When the yarn end 33 reaches a sufficient length to thread into the creel 10, the first air flow F is deactivated and/or the first movable member 209 is activated to clamp the yarn 32 and terminate the feeding mode.

This feeding mode of fig. 8C is in contrast to the clamping mode shown in fig. 8D. The

movable members

209, 239 operate in reverse when the yarn control device 201 is still in the operating configuration.

In the clamping mode, the second movable member 239 is not activated and remains within the cavity 225 adjacent to the lower access panel 213. At the same time, the first fluid activation supply port 206 is opened to drive the first working fluid into the first chamber 222 and drive the first movable member 209 and its head 211 into the operating region 205. The concave head 211 is driven into contact with the lower surface 221b of the groove 221, whereby the outer peripheral edge 211a clamps the yarn 32 downwardly, holding the yarn 32 securely in place against the lower surface 221b of the groove 221.

In one embodiment, the

chambers

222, 225 are cylindrical and the

moveable members

209, 239 are also cylindrical, configured as pistons. The pistons are sized to reciprocate back and forth within the

respective chambers

222, 225, with an O-ring 236 providing a sealing means for each piston to manage the first and second working fluids within the body 202. These seals prevent the first and second working fluids from leaking within the

respective chambers

222, 225. Thus, the O-ring 236 improves the operating efficiency of the yarn control device 201 and improves the control of the operation of the yarn control device 201. The first working fluid and the second working fluid may be different fluids. In some embodiments, the first working fluid and the second working fluid may be the same fluid.

Figures 9A-9D schematically illustrate the steps taken by the yarn control device 201 to access, capture, limit and clamp the yarn tail 33. It should be understood that similar steps are contemplated as capturing and clamping the yarn end 33 with the yarn control device 101.

Fig. 9A shows the yarn control device 201 moving towards the yarn 32, wherein upon contact with the upper 203 or lower 204 jaw members, the yarn 32 will be guided to the operating region 205 of the body 202. As yarn 32 passes through

jaws

203, 204, yarn 32 is pulled into slot 221, see fig. 9B. In a different mode of operation, it may be that the yarn 32 is moved towards the yarn control device 201.

A working fluid is then introduced into the body 202 to activate the second movable member 239 and form the aperture 218 to bind the yarn 32 therein, as shown in fig. 9C. When the length of the yarn end 33 is insufficient, the first fluid inlet valve is opened to activate the first fluid flow F and pull the yarn end 33 through the operating region 205 of the body 202. When the yarn end 33 is considered long enough, the first fluid flow F is terminated to stop the feeding of the yarn 32, and the first working fluid is activated to push the first movable member 209 into the operating region 205 and clamp the yarn 32 on the lower surface 221b of the groove 221, thereby clamping the yarn 32 and terminating the extension of the yarn end 33 as shown in fig. 9D.

In case the yarn end 33 exceeds a predetermined length, the yarn end 33 may be shortened by moving the yarn control device 201 relative to the yarn 32. Thus, any relative movement therebetween may be used to reduce the length of the yarn end 33.

In some embodiments, the

yarn control device

101, 201 may be used as part of the yarn processing device 301. The yarn processing device 301 comprises a

yarn control device

101, 201 and a movable spray gun 302 which is independently movable with respect to the

yarn control device

101, 201. The movable spray gun is shown in fig. 10.

In the embodiment shown, the yarn processing device 301 comprises a yarn control device 101. However, it should be understood that the yarn control device 201 may also be used as part of the yarn processing device 301.

The lance 302 includes a central bore 303 for feeding the nozzle 304. The nozzle 304 is adapted to discharge the second fluid flow F' towards the target receiver. The target is the location to which the yarn end 33 is to be fed. The central bore 303 has a diameter of between 2mm and 8mm, and preferably a diameter of about 4.95mm, and narrows to a secondary bore 303a, the secondary bore 303a being between 4mm and 10mm and preferably having a length of about 8.65mm.

The secondary bore 303a terminates in the tip of the nozzle 304 with a diameter of between 0.5mm and 2.5mm and preferably about 1.5mm. The diameter between the central bore 303 and the secondary bore 303a of the lance 302 decreases progressively, which increases the velocity of the second fluid exiting the nozzle 304.

The second fluid flow F' is approximately between 50-150 liters/min and preferably 113 liters/min. The second fluid flow F' has a pressure between 3 bar and 10 bar and is preferably at a pressure of 7 bar.

The second fluid flow F ' is configured to have a higher flow rate than the first fluid flow F such that the second fluid flow F ' can move the entrained yarn end 33 away from the first fluid flow F to redirect the yarn end 33 coaxially with the second fluid flow F '. The yarn end 33 will be directed and pushed towards any target location at which the second air flow F 'is directed such that the second fluid flow F' expels the entrained yarn end 33 from the first fluid flow F, thereby transporting the yarn end 33 to the target.

The above dimensions are for specific working embodiments of the invention; however, it is contemplated that these dimensions and the pressure of the second fluid may be varied to provide a desired flow rate to supplement a given yarn density. For example, a light yarn of low linear mass density (referred to as dec-tex or dTex) may be controlled with a low flow rate, while a heavier yarn of higher dTex may be controlled with a higher flow rate to affect and manipulate yarn end 33.

Thus, it should be appreciated that in use, when the yarn control device 101 is in the operating configuration, the yarn 32 is clamped in the operating region 105 of the body 102 such that the first fluid flow F captures the yarn end 33 and orients the yarn end 33 coaxially with the first fluid flow F, which is redirected to intersect the second fluid flow F' from the nozzle 304 as the body 102 moves. The yarn end 33 is thus directed towards the target.

Yarn brake

The dispensing of yarn 32 from yarn package 30 is controlled by yarn brake 80, which will now be described in detail with reference to fig. 11A-11C.

Yarn brake 80 is used to control the dispensing of yarn 32 from yarn package 30 such that once yarn tail 33 reaches header 61, further dispensing of yarn 32 from yarn package 30 is inhibited.

Yarn brake 80 includes a support arm 81 and a friction element in the form of a brake finger 82. A linear actuator 83 extends along support arm 81 and is coupled to brake finger 82. The actuator 83 is shown as a cylinder comprising a piston rod 83a, but other types of actuators are also contemplated.

Actuation of the linear actuator 83 moves the brake finger 82 from the disengaged position to the engaged position. Fig. 11A shows the brake finger 82 in a disengaged position, outside the housing 22 of the package holder 20. In the disengaged position, the brake finger 82 extends substantially parallel to the brake support arm 81. However, in the engaged position, as shown in fig. 11B, the brake finger 82 pivots inwardly toward the yarn package 30. The brake finger 82 is received in the slot 23 of the housing 22.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 11C, yarn brake 80 is part of gripper assembly 70, with support arm 81 movably attached to and extending longitudinally from gripper body 73. Because the support arm 81 is offset from the body 73 of the gripper assembly 70, the yarn brake 80 is located entirely outside of the housing 22 during loading and is received in the gap between adjacent housings 22.

Method for automatically loading and unloading a creel

In general terms, the operation of the system 1 comprises the following phases:

i. taking out the empty yarn core 31 from the creel 10;

the hollow core 31 is fed to a winding machine 40;

winding machine 40 winds yarn 32 onto hollow core 31 to form yarn package 30;

the yarn package 30 is then collected from the winding machine 40 by the gripper assembly 70;

v. yarn packages 30 are transported and loaded into respective package holders 20 within the creel 10 by gripper assemblies 60;

threading the tail 33 of each yarn package 30 into the conduit 24 of the corresponding package holder 20, respectively; and

yarn tail ends 33 of each yarn package 30 in creel 10 are fed into their respective outlets 60 in header 31; wherein the outlet 60 supplies the yarn 32 to a corresponding operating point of the production machine where the yarn 32 is consumed in the production of a yarn product, such as a carpet.

The following sections of the present disclosure relate to processes (i) to (vii) as described above.

Retrieving hollow cores from a creel

Fig. 12A-12D show gripper assembly 70 collecting hollow core 31 from package holder 20. The head 74 of the gripper assembly 70 will be moved into alignment with the package holder 20 as shown in the partial cross-section of fig. 12A. The heads 74 are then moved longitudinally in the Y-direction through the open ends of the respective housings 22 and toward the hollow core 31. The head 74 and the tab 75 each include an axle on a central longitudinal axis. The shaft is positioned such that the yarn conduit 24 will pass through the shaft when the head 74 is moved into the housing 22 toward the hollow core 31.

Fig. 12B shows the tab 75 and the head 74 inserted into the housing 22 with the yarn conduit 24 extending through the rear of the head 74. The claw 78 is in a closed orientation such that the protrusion 75 including the finger 76 will be positioned within the center of the core 31 as the head 74 approaches. Once in a position in which the tab 75 and the finger 76 are fully or substantially within the core 31, as shown in fig. 12B, the tab 75 is not disturbed by the mounting bracket 21. For example, the mounting bracket 21 may engage only about half of the inner surface of the core 31 such that the tab 75 and the finger 76 may be positioned within the other half of the core 31.

When in the position shown in fig. 12B, the pawl 78 is activated by the application of pressurized gas (e.g., pressurized air). The pawl 78 will move from the closed orientation toward the open orientation until the finger 76 engages the inner surface 31a of the core 31.

Once the fingers 76 have engaged the inner surface 31a of the core 31, the hollow core 31 may be removed from the mounting bracket 21. The piston rod 79a is retracted and the head 74 moves longitudinally back toward the holder body 73. The head 74 and the tab 75 are thus removed from the housing 22. Further, the hollow core 31 is removed from the package holder 20. Fig. 12C shows the gripper assembly 70 when the piston rod 79a has been fully retracted, with the hollow core 31 removed from within the housing 22. The gripper assembly 70 is then moved longitudinally away from the housing 22, as shown in fig. 12D.

Conveying hollow cores to a winder

Fig. 13A-13C illustrate gripper assembly 70 delivering hollow core 31 to winder 40. The gripper assembly 70 rotates on the rotatable connector 58a and moves in the X-direction and Z-direction by moving the platform 57a in the Z-direction relative to the vertical rail 57 and moving the upper and

lower platforms

55a, 56a in the X-direction relative to the upper and

lower rails

55, 56, as needed. As shown in fig. 13A, this manipulation of gripper assembly 70 causes head 74 to face winder 40.

Then, the cylinder 79 is activated to extend the piston rod 79a outwardly toward the winder 40 in the longitudinal Y direction, as shown in fig. 13B.

The head 74 will be positioned in a hollow drop position adjacent to a port or other receiving portion of the winder 40, which provides access to the reservoir buffer 42. The pawl 78 will close to release the core 31 to provide the core 31 to the port or receiving portion of the winder 40. The winder 40 may have means for collecting the hollow core 31 and moving it to a magazine or storage buffer 42 when appropriate. According to one embodiment, not shown, the gripper assembly 70 may include a pushing member to push the hollow core 31 through a port or receiving portion of the winder 40 and into the storage buffer 42.

Once the hollow core 31 has been provided with a feeder box or reservoir buffer 42, as shown in fig. 13C, the head 74 and piston rod 79a may then be retracted away from the winder 40 in the Y-direction.

Winding of yarn packages

Turning now to fig. 14A-14C. Each yarn package 30 comprises a tubular core 31 around which the yarn 32 is wound by a winding machine 40. Fig. 14A shows the hollow core 31 before any yarn is wound. Fig. 14B shows an intermediate stage of forming the yarn package 30 in which the first span 34 of yarn has been wound to form a partially wound yarn package 30. The first span 34 of yarn is wound onto the core 31 in an angled manner. The spiral winding of the first span 34 substantially covers the core 31. Fig. 14C shows the finished yarn package 30 after the second span 35 of yarn has been wound onto the core 20' by the winding machine 12. The second span 32 "of yarn is wound in a straight line. Unlike the first span 34, the second span 32 "of yarn is concentrated in the central portion of the core 31. The yarn end 33 of the yarn package 30 is the free end of the second span 35.

The length of the first span 34 and the second span 35 of yarn on each yarn package 30 is variable and depends on (i) the designated package holder 20 to which the yarn package 30 is to be attached, and (ii) the amount of yarn 32 that the production machine needs to consume at the respective operating point. The total length of yarn wound on each yarn package 30 is equal to the amount of yarn that the production machine will consume at the corresponding active operating site. Thus, the advantage provided by calculating the first span 34 and the second span 35 is reduced yarn waste. This is because almost no yarn remains on the yarn package 30 at the completion of the production of the yarn product. Thus, the hollow core 31 can now be reused by the winding machine 40 to form a new yarn package 30. This is in contrast to conventional production methods in which the yarn remaining on the spool after the operation is completed is disposed of to allow the core 31 to be rewound for subsequent operations.

Before winding the first span 34 of yarn onto the hollow core 31, the winding machine 40 receives an input indicating the amount of yarn required by the production machine and an assigned package holder 20 where the yarn package 30 is to be placed. The winding machine 40 then determines the length of the second span 35 of yarn, which is equal to or slightly greater than the length of the yarn feed path P associated with the assigned package holder 20. It is contemplated that this process utilizes a look-up table wherein the yarn feed path P associated with each package holder 20 is predetermined and stored within the winding machine 40. The length of the first span 34 of yarn is then calculated by the winding machine 40, which is equal to the total amount of yarn required by the production machine minus the length of the second span 35.

Each respective package holder 20 is associated with its own yarn feed path P. The yarn feed path P is the path along which the yarn end 33 of each yarn package 30 in the creel 10 is fed to its respective outlet in the header 61.

Referring to fig. 15A and 15B, the yarn feed path P includes a first portion extending along the rigid portion 24a of the yarn conduit 24. The first portion terminates in an aperture 26, the aperture 26 being disposed on the non-loading face of the yarn conduit. As shown, each

side

13, 14 of the double-sided creel 10 has a

non-loading face

13b, 14b located between the first side 13 and the second side 14, respectively. It should be appreciated that in embodiments where the creel 10 is a single sided creel, the non-loading face would be the second side 14 of the creel.

The yarn feed path P further includes a second portion extending along the non-rigid conduit 24b from the aperture 26 in the non-loading face to a corresponding outlet in the manifold 61.

In fig. 15B, it is schematically shown that the yarn feed path P 'associated with the first creel position 20' is longer than the yarn feed path P "associated with the second creel position 20". Thus, a longer length of yarn needs to be delivered from the first package holder 20 'to the first outlet 60' than the length of yarn that needs to be delivered from the second package holder 20 "to the second outlet 60". The length of the yarn feeding path P' is one of the longest lengths on the creel 10. In contrast, the length of the yarn feed path p″ is one of the shortest lengths on the creel 10. There may be a length difference of 2 meters or more between the shortest length and the longest length of the yarn feeding path P depending on the size of the creel 10.

Collecting yarn packages from a winder

After the above steps there will be a package holder 20 in the creel 10 without the package 30 or core 31 on its mounting bracket 21.

The

yarn control device

101, 201 may be configured in conjunction with the gripper assembly 70 when retrieving the yarn package 30 from the winder 40 and delivering the package 30 to the creel 10.

Fig. 16A-16F show the gripper assembly 70 collecting the yarn package 30 from the winder 40 after the hollow core 31 has been wound with a desired length of yarn.

As previously described, the gripper assembly 70 is linearly movable along the gantry 50 between the creel 10 and the winder 40. As shown in fig. 16A, the gripper arm 70 is manipulated such that its gripper jaw 78 faces the position of the yarn package 30 on the winder 40. The gripper assembly 70 is retracted after the hollow core 31 is delivered to the port or receiving portion of the winder 40 as previously described, and the gripper assembly 70 may then be positioned in that location.

Starting from the position shown in fig. 16A, rotatable connector 58a is moved longitudinally along arm rail 58 in the Y-direction toward winder 40 to place gripper assembly 70 in the position shown in fig. 16B. The cylinder 79 may then be actuated to extend the piston rod 79a toward the package 30 until the claw member 78 is located within the core 31 and the head 74 is located adjacent thereto.

When moving towards the yarn package 30, the claw 78 is in a closed orientation such that when the head 74 approaches the package 30, the protrusion 75 comprising the finger 76 will be located in the center of the core 31. When in the position shown in fig. 16C, the tab 75 and the finger 76 are completely or substantially within the core 31, and then the pawl 78 is actuated by the application of pressurized gas (e.g., compressed air) or otherwise. As shown in fig. 16D, the pawl 78 will move from the closed orientation toward the open orientation until the finger 76 engages the inner surface 31a of the core 31. As shown in fig. 16E, the cylinder 79 may then be actuated again to move the retract piston rod 79a in the Y direction. Rotatable connector 58a may be moved in the Y-direction relative to arm rail 58 to move gripper assembly 70 away from winder 40 to the position shown in fig. 16F, if desired.

Notably, after the winder 40 completes winding of the package 20, the core 31 is released or "dropped" from the winder 40 and stays in the pick-up position, wherein the supply yarn 44 from the winder 40 is not cut or held in some way. This is shown in fig. 17A. This enables control of the yarn end 33 of the winding package 30 until the gripper assembly 70 can grasp said package 30, wherein the

yarn control device

101, 201 controls the yarn end 33.

As previously described, the

yarn control devices

101, 201 use V-shaped jaws to cross and capture the yarn 33 before the yarn 33 is cut and still under the control of the winder 40. This is shown in fig. 17B. Once under the control of the

yarn control device

101, 201, the yarn 32 is released or cut by the winder 40. The yarn end 33 is then constrained only by the

yarn control device

101, 201. Once the yarn end 33 is constrained in the yarn control device 101, the first fluid flow F 'can be activated so that the yarn 33 is entrained therein, coaxially aligned with the fluid flow F'.

Delivering yarn packages to creels

The next stage is to transport the yarn packages 30 to the assigned package holder 20. This stage is shown in fig. 18-19. During this stage, the gripper assembly 70 is moved along the gantry 50 until the inner surface 31a of the core 31 of the yarn package 30 attached thereto is positioned in axial alignment with the core mounting bracket 21 of the assigned package holder 20. The head 74 is then driven forward toward the housing 22 such that the yarn package 30 is received onto the core mounting bracket 21. At this time, the claw member 78 is returned to the closed state, so that the yarn package 30 is individually supported by the core mounting bracket 21. The head 74 is then retracted so that the gripper assembly 70 is disposed entirely outside of the housing 22. Each step of this stage is now described in more detail below.

Initially, the rotatable connector 58a is rotated such that the claw member 78 of the gripper assembly 70 is in an orientation facing the creel 10. In this step, the connector 58a preferably rotates in a direction opposite to the direction that causes the gripper assembly 70 to move from facing the creel 10 to facing the winder 40.

The gripper assembly 70 will also move in the X and Z directions by moving the arm platform 57a vertically along the vertical rail 57 in the Z direction and moving the upper and

lower platforms

55a and 56a horizontally along the upper and

lower rails

55 and 56 in the X direction, as needed. The gripper assembly 70 for holding the package 30 will then be in the position shown in fig. 19A.

The rotatable connector 58a is then moved in the Y-direction to move the gripper assembly 70 gripping the package 30 toward the corresponding housing 22 and into the corresponding housing 22, as shown in fig. 19B. As shown in fig. 19C, the air cylinder 79 is actuated therefrom to cause the piston rod 79a to extend until the yarn package 30 is located within the housing 22 and at the rear of the housing 22. The core 31 of the package 30 will then be located on the mounting bracket 21.

Once the yarn package 30 is on the mounting bracket 21, the claw 78 is again actuated in reverse, disengaging the finger 76 from the inner surface 31a of the core 31 until the claw 78 is in its closed position. At this time, the yarn package 30 is completely supported by the mounting bracket 21.

After the package 30 is secured, the gripper assembly 70 may then be partially retracted by engaging the cylinder 79 to retract the piston rod 79a until the gripper assembly head 74 is outside the housing 22 while maintaining control of the yarn tail 33 within the yarn control device 101. This is shown in fig. 19D.

Threading the tail end of the yarn into the catheter

Once the yarn packages 30 are supported on the core mounting brackets 21, it is necessary to send the yarn ends 33 via the conduits 24 to their respective outlets 60 within the header 61. The first step in the process is threading the yarn end 33 into the catheter opening 25, as shown in fig. 19E. In a preferred embodiment, the yarn processing device 301 assists in transporting the yarn tail end 33 to the respective outlet 69, the yarn processing device 301 comprising the

yarn control device

101, 201 as described herein. Yarn processing device 301 is coupled to gripper assembly 70. However, it is contemplated that the yarn processing device 301 may be movable via other methods and mechanisms other than the gripper assembly 60.

With reference to fig. 20A-20C, it can be appreciated that the yarn processing device 301 targets the conduit opening 25 of the corresponding package holder 20, wherein the head 74 and the tab 75 of the gripper assembly 70 provide a movable spray gun 302.

With the head 74 providing the movable spray gun 302, the nozzle 304 is thus brought into the vicinity of the conduit opening 25 when the gripper assembly 70 is pushed forward and the package 30 slides on the core mounting bracket 21. Preferably, in use, the nozzle 304 is located about 3mm + -2 from the conduit opening 25. This optimal distance G between the nozzle 304 and the conduit opening 25 is approximately twice the diameter of the nozzle 304, as shown in fig. 20A. The ratio of the diameter of the second fluid outlet provided by the nozzle 304 to the diameter of the conduit opening 25 is about 1:3. However, it is contemplated that different ratios from 1:2 to 1:5 may be selected for different yarns dTex. Once the head 74 is aligned with the conduit 24, the second fluid flow F' is activated.

Reference is now made to fig. 21A-21B. With the nozzle 304 of the head 74 aligned with the central opening 25 of the conduit 24 and located at an optimal distance from the conduit 24 (fig. 21A), the second fluid flow F' is activated and directed into the opening 25 of the conduit 24. Yarn control device 101 is then moved by rotation and/or translation of gripper assembly 70 to direct yarn tail 33 entrained within first fluid stream F through second fluid stream F' (fig. 21B).

The second fluid flow F' has a greater fluid flow than the first fluid flow F. Thus, once the yarn end 33 in the first fluid flow F passes through the second fluid flow F', the yarn end 33 is ejected from the first fluid flow F and into the conduit opening 25 and fed through both the rigid conduit 24a and the flexible conduit 24b to be received at the manifold 61.

The gripper assembly 60 is then fully retracted from the housing 22 to restart the process, as shown in fig. 19E.

Feeding yarn to an outlet

With the yarn package 30 now supported by the package holder 21 and the yarn tail 33 threaded into the catheter opening 25, tension T is applied to the yarn tail 33. The yarn 32 on the package 30 is thus pulled through the conduit 24 along the yarn feed path P. The tension T is provided by the second air flow F' from the nozzle 304. The second fluid flow F' thus pushes the yarn tail 33 into the duct opening 25 and along the yarn feed path P to the header 61. Header 61 receives and stores yarn ends 33 to prevent them from becoming tangled or hooked as the yarn ends fall into creel position 20 below header 61.

As described herein, in some embodiments, the second span 35 of yarn is wound onto the package 30 in a linear configuration, thereby defining a feed yarn that continues to unwind from the package 30 during loading of the package 30 into the outer shell 22 of the creel 11. As previously described, the particular length of the feed yarn 35 may be adjusted based on the position of the package 30 on the creel 10.

When feeding yarn 32 along yarn feed path P, it is desirable to feed only the minimum length of yarn required to reach the respective outlet 60. This is to reduce the likelihood of yarn from adjacent outlets 60 within the manifold 61 becoming entangled with each other. This selective feed is at least partially facilitated by yarn brake 80. The operation of the yarn brake 80 during feeding will now be described with reference to fig. 22A to 22D.

After the yarn tail end 33 has been inserted into the yarn conduit opening 25, the brake finger 82 moves to the engaged position to frictionally contact the first span 34 of the yarn package 30. This is shown in fig. 22A. The stop finger 82 is sized to contact the core 31 contained within the package holder 20. In this way, the brake 80 can be used with yarn packages 30 of different diameters having different numbers of yarns 32 wound thereon.

The engagement between brake finger 82 and yarn 32 creates a friction force R. Friction R is applied to the end of the first span 34, near where the spiral winding of the first span 34 transitions to the straight winding of the second span 35. The friction force R acts in a direction opposite to the tension force T. Since the brake finger 82 engages only the first span 34 of yarn, the second span 35 of yarn is free to unwind unrestricted under tension T, enabling the yarn tail 33 to feed toward the header 61. This is shown in fig. 22B.

Fig. 22C shows the arrangement of yarn brake 80 during the later stages of the yarn feeding process. As shown, the second span 35 of yarn has been completely unwound from the yarn package 30 such that the yarn tail 33 has reached the header 61. Further dispensing of yarn 32 from yarn package 30 is inhibited because the friction force F applied by brake finger 82 is greater than the tension T of fluid flow F ". Thus, only the second span 35 of yarn is fed along the conduit 24, while the entire first span 34 of yarn remains on the yarn package 30. This is advantageous because it reduces the overhang of the yarn tail end 33 at the corresponding outlet 60 in the header 61. Therefore, adjacent yarn ends 33 within header 61 are less likely to intertwine with each other. In addition, yarn waste generated during splicing of each yarn tail end 33 to a corresponding yarn supply at the production machine is reduced. This is because there is no need to remove the excess overhang of the yarn end 33.

After a predetermined duration, the tension T is deactivated. Notably, since the friction force F exerted by the yarn brake 80 prevents the dispensing of the first span 34 of yarn (even if the tension T is active), it is not necessary to accurately calculate the predetermined time for the yarn feed path P of each package holder 20. Instead, the predetermined time need only be sufficient to feed the yarn tail 33 from the package holder 20 having the longest yarn feed path P. Thus, the tension T is applied for the same predetermined time for each package holder 20 of the creel 10, simplifying the overall feeding process.

Once the tension T is deactivated, the actuator 83 is deactivated, causing the brake finger 82 to return to the disengaged position, outside the housing 22, as shown in fig. 22D. The yarn brake 80 is then retracted toward the gripper head 74 to the non-operative position. In the non-operative position, the yarn brake 85 and the entire gripper assembly 70 are located outside the creel 10. This process may then be repeated for subsequent yarn packages 30.

The above process may be repeated a number of times. In general terms, the process comprises the steps of: manipulating the gripper assembly 70 to withdraw the package 30 from the winder 40 and capture the yarn tail 33; delivering the package 30 to the housing 22 on the creel 10 and activating the first fluid flow F to orient the yarn tail 33; the body 102 is moved to pull the yarn tail 33 through the second fluid flow F' which drives the entrained yarn tail 33 from the first fluid flow F into the opening 25 of the conduit 24 and delivers the yarn tail 33 to the manifold 61 by controllably feeding the yarn 32 along the conduit 24 with the aid of the yarn brake 80.

It will be appreciated that if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art in australia or any other country.

In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, unless the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

List of reference numerals

Claims

1. A system for processing yarn packages and hollow cores, comprising:

a creel comprising an array of creel positions, each creel position configured to receive a yarn package, wherein removal of yarn from the yarn package results in the yarn package becoming hollow;

a winder positioned adjacent the creel, the winder configured to receive a hollow core, and wherein the winder is configured to wind a predetermined length of yarn onto the hollow core to form a yarn package; and

A gripper assembly configured to be movable between the creel and the winder, the gripper assembly comprising a gripper jaw adapted to grip the yarn package or hollow core,

wherein the gripper assembly gripper jaws are adapted to grip a hollow core in a creel position and remove the hollow core from the creel and deliver the hollow core to the winder.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the creel comprises an array of tubes, each tube surrounding a respective creel location.

3. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the creel comprises a first side and a second side, wherein the first side comprises a first array of creel positions and the second side comprises a second array of creel positions.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein at least one first winder is positioned adjacent to a first side of the creel and at least one second winder is positioned adjacent to a second side of the creel.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein at least one first gripper assembly is positioned between a creel position on a first side of the creel and a corresponding at least one first winder, and wherein at least one second gripper assembly is positioned between a creel position on a second side of the creel and a corresponding at least one second winder.

6. The system of claim 5, comprising two first gripper assemblies, two second gripper assemblies, two first winders, and two second winders.

7. The system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the creel is a mobile creel.

8. The system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the winder comprises a plurality of winding regions, and wherein each winding region is adapted to wind a predetermined length of yarn onto a respective hollow core.

9. The system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the winder comprises at least one magazine adapted to receive at least one hollow core.

10. The system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the winder comprises at least one port through which the winder receives a hollow core.

11. The system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the gripper assembly is movable horizontally and vertically between the creel and winder such that gripper assembly can remove a hollow core from or transport a yarn package to any creel location in the array.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a gantry to which the gripper assembly is connected to be horizontally and vertically movable between the creel and the winder.

13. The system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the gripper assembly is rotatable between a first orientation in which the gripper jaw is aligned toward the creel and a second orientation in which the gripper jaw is aligned toward a winder.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the gripper jaw is movable in a longitudinal direction of the gripper assembly toward and away from a creel position when in the first orientation or toward and away from the winder when in the second orientation.

15. The system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein each creel location includes a package holder on which a core of the yarn package is placed, the package holder being positioned and dimensioned such that the package holder does not interfere with a gripper jaw of the gripper assembly when the gripper assembly is delivering a yarn package to the creel location or when the gripper assembly is removing an empty core from the creel location.

16. The system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the clamping jaw is adapted to clamp an inner surface of the yarn package or hollow core.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the gripper jaw comprises a plurality of fingers, wherein the fingers have a low radial profile in a closed position and the fingers have an increased radial profile in an open position such that the fingers will engage an inner surface of a yarn package or core when in an open position and will release the yarn package or core when transitioning from the open position to the closed position.

18. The system of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a feature recognition camera or sensor, and a controller, wherein the feature recognition camera or sensor is adapted to recognize and locate each creel position and send a signal to the controller to enable the controller to control the gripper assembly to align with a respective creel position when yarn packages are delivered or hollow cores are removed.

19. A method of treating yarn packages and hollow cores, comprising:

providing a creel having an array of creel positions, wherein each creel position is adapted to receive a package of yarn;

Providing a winder configured to receive a hollow core, wherein the winder is configured to wind a predetermined length of yarn onto the hollow core to produce a yarn package, wherein the winder is positioned adjacent the creel;

providing a gripper assembly configured to be movable between the creel and the winder, the gripper assembly having a gripper jaw adapted to grip a yarn package or a hollow core;

manipulating the gripper assembly to the creel position and gripping the hollow core with the gripper assembly gripper jaws;

moving the gripper assembly between the creel and the winder;

delivering the hollow core to the winder;

manipulating the gripper assembly such that the gripper jaw collects yarn packages from the winder; and

the yarn package is transported to the creel position by manipulating the gripper assembly.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

a gantry is provided, and the gripper assembly is connected to the gantry and adapted to move horizontally and vertically between the creel and the winder.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the gripper assembly is rotatable on the gantry between a first orientation in which the gripper jaw faces the creel and a second orientation in which the gripper jaw faces the winder.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein to clamp the hollow core or yarn package, the gripper jaw in a closed position moves in a longitudinal direction of the gripper jaw assembly toward the hollow core or yarn package, the gripper jaw being actuated to an open position and engaging an inner surface of the hollow core or yarn package.

23. The method of any of claims 19 to 22, comprising:

providing the creel with a first side having a first creel position and a second side having a second creel position;

providing at least one first winder positioned adjacent the first side;

providing at least one second winder positioned adjacent the second side;

providing at least one first gripper assembly positioned between a first side of the creel and the at least one first winder; and

providing at least one second gripper assembly positioned between a second side of the creel and the at least one second winder,

wherein each gripper assembly is configured to collect a hollow core from a creel position on a respective side of the creel, to deliver the hollow core to its respective winder, to collect a yarn package from the respective winder, and to deliver the yarn package to the creel position.

24. A yarn control device for controlling a yarn end of a yarn, comprising:

a movable body configured to capture the yarn and guide the yarn to an operative area of the body;

an inlet for introducing a first fluid into the body;

a first fluid outlet located adjacent to the operational area of the body and oriented to expel the first fluid in a first fluid flow; and

a first movable member within the body that moves between an operative configuration to grip the yarn and a non-operative configuration to release the yarn;

wherein in the operating configuration, the yarn is held in the operating region of the body such that the first fluid flow captures the yarn end and orients the yarn end coaxially with the first fluid flow, whereby movement of the movable body adjusts the direction of the first fluid flow and yarn end entrained therein to control the orientation of the yarn end.

25. The yarn control device of claim 24, further comprising a second movable member having the body, the second movable member configured to operate with the first movable member to provide a feed configuration in which the yarn tail is held in an operating region of the body and pulled through the operating region by the first fluid stream to change a length of the yarn tail.

26. The yarn control device of claim 25, wherein the first and second movable members are a pair of reciprocating pistons.

27. The yarn control device of claim 26, wherein each of the first and second pistons includes an independent operating configuration and a non-operating configuration.

28. The yarn control device of any of claims 24-27, wherein the first movable member has a head for clamping and securing the yarn to the body.

29. The yarn control device of any of claims 25-28 when dependent on claim 25, wherein the second movable member has a head that forms an aperture when in contact with an operating region of the body to confine the yarn in the operating region and allow the yarn to be pulled through the aperture.

30. The yarn control device of claim 28 or claim 29, wherein each of the first and second movable members includes at least one seal, respectively, to control the flow of the working fluid within the respective aperture.

31. The yarn control device of claim 30, wherein the at least one seal is an O-ring.

32. The yarn control device of any of claims 24-31, wherein a series of fluid inlet and outlet valves are located within the body to control the flow of working fluid into and out of respective first and second apertures, wherein the first and second movable members are located in the first and second apertures, respectively.

33. The yarn control device of any of claims 24-32, wherein the body has a wedge-shaped cross section to provide a pair of angled jaws for capturing and guiding yarn to the operating area.

34. The yarn control device according to any of claims 24-33, wherein said first movable member is activated to clamp said yarn once in said operative area of said body by supplying working fluid to an activation supply port to allow said working fluid to enter an aperture in which said first movable member is located.

35. The yarn control device according to any of claims 24-34, wherein said first movable member is deactivated to release said yarn from the operative area of said body by supplying working fluid to a deactivated supply port to allow said working fluid to escape an aperture in which said first movable member is located.

36. The yarn control device of any of claims 24-35, wherein the first fluid outlet is positioned very close to the operating area and directed away from the body.

37. The yarn control device of any of claims 24-36, wherein the first fluid outlet is on a surface of the body.

38. The yarn control device of any of claims 24-37, wherein the first fluid outlet is in fluid communication with the first fluid inlet via an aperture in the body.

39. The yarn control device of claim 38, wherein the aperture is oriented perpendicular to the body to discharge the first fluid stream.

40. The yarn control device of any of claims 24-39, wherein the first fluid outlet is centrally located in the body and disposed on opposite faces of the pair of opposing jaws.

41. The yarn control device of any of claims 24-40, wherein at least one of the first fluid, the second fluid, and the working fluid is air.

42. The yarn control device of any of claims 24-40, wherein the working fluid is a liquid.

43. A yarn control system for delivering a yarn tail end of a yarn to a receiver, comprising:

an inlet for introducing a first fluid into the body;

a movable member within the body, the movable member moving between an operative configuration and a non-operative configuration; and

a nozzle having a second fluid outlet for discharging a second fluid in a second fluid flow toward the receiver;

wherein in the operating configuration, the yarn is fixedly held in an operating region of the body such that the first fluid stream captures the yarn tail end and orients the yarn tail end coaxially with the first fluid stream as the body moves, the first fluid stream being redirected to intersect the second fluid stream such that the second fluid stream expels entrained yarn tail end from the first fluid stream, thereby delivering the yarn tail end to the receiver.

44. The yarn control system according to claim 43, wherein said second fluid flow is stronger than said first fluid flow.

45. The yarn control system of claim 44, wherein said second fluid stream has a higher flow rate than a flow rate of said first fluid.

46. The yarn control system of any of claims 43-45, wherein the diameter of the second fluid outlet is greater than the diameter of the first fluid outlet.

47. The yarn control system of any of claims 43-46, wherein said receiver is selected from any of the following: catheters, center tubes, eyelets, apertures, needles, yarn feed tubes, and the like.

48. The yarn control system of any of claims 43-47, wherein at least one of said first fluid, said second fluid, and said working fluid is air.

49. The yarn control system of any of claims 43-48, wherein said working fluid is a liquid.

50. A spool handling device comprising a yarn control device according to any one of claims 24 to 42.

51. A spool handling device comprising a yarn control system according to any one of claims 43 to 49.

52. A method of using a yarn control device to load a creel, the method comprising:

winding a predetermined length of yarn onto a hollow core in a winder to form a yarn spool;

capturing the yarn spool with a gripper assembly configured to move between the creel and the winder, the gripper assembly comprising a yarn control device, wherein the yarn control device captures and retains a yarn tail of the yarn spool;

moving the gripper assembly to a position adjacent the creel and transporting the yarn spool to an empty creel position; and

the yarn control device is activated to push the yarn tail end towards the receiver.

53. A method of loading a yarn spool into a creel and threading the yarn tail end through the creel, comprising:

winding a length of yarn onto a hollow core in a winder to form a yarn spool;

capturing the yarn spool with a gripper assembly configured to move between the creel and the winder, the gripper assembly adapted to grip the yarn spool and including a yarn control system, wherein the yarn control system captures and retains a yarn tail end of the yarn spool;

Moving the gripper assembly to a position adjacent the creel and delivering the yarn spool to a designated creel position; and

the yarn control system is activated to direct the yarn tail end to and thread the yarn tail end past the receiver of the designated creel position.

54. A method of threading a trailing end of a yarn through a receiver, comprising:

activating the yarn control device to retain the yarn end of the length of yarn in the body;

activating a first fluid flow of the yarn control device to orient the yarn tail coaxially with the first fluid flow;

activating a second fluid flow of the yarn control system to direct the second fluid flow to the receiver; and

moving the body such that the second fluid stream intersects the first fluid stream and the trailing end of the yarn entrained therein to transport the trailing end of the yarn to the receptacle and thread the trailing end of the yarn through the receptacle.

55. A method of controlling the feed of yarn from a yarn package to an outlet, comprising:

determining a length of a yarn feed path extending between a package holder to which the yarn package is attached during production of a yarn product and the outlet;

Winding a first span of yarn onto a hollow core with a winding machine to form a winding core;

winding a second span of yarn onto the winding core to form the yarn package, the second span having a length equal to or slightly greater than a length of the yarn feed path; and

the trailing end of the yarn package is selectively fed to the outlet along the yarn feed path such that only a second span of the yarn is dispensed from the yarn package.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the winding of the first span of yarn is an angled winding, the first span of yarn traversing along the hollow core from a first end of the hollow core to a second end of the hollow core.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the angled winding is a spiral winding and the first span of yarn repeatedly traverses between the first and second ends of the hollow core.

58. The method of any of claims 55-57, wherein the winding of the second span of yarn is a straight winding, the second span of yarn being concentrated along a portion of the winding.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein the linear winding is concentrated along a substantially central portion of the winding core.

60. The method of any of claims 55-59, wherein the package holder is one of a plurality of package holders, each of the plurality of package holders being associated with a respective outlet, the method further comprising the steps of:

before determining the length of the yarn feed path, a designated package holder is defined to which the yarn package is to be attached.

61. The method of claim 60, wherein the plurality of package holders are disposed within a creel.

62. The method of claim 60 or claim 61, further comprising the steps of:

the yarn package is transferred from the winding machine to the designated package holder.

63. The method of claim 62 wherein the delivering of the yarn packages includes using an automatic gripper that picks up the yarn packages from the winding machine and attaches the yarn packages to the designated package holder.

64. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein feeding yarn from the yarn package comprises applying tension to a tail end of the yarn package and feeding the tail end along the yarn feed path to the outlet.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein the feeding of the yarn includes applying a frictional force to the first span of the yarn using a yarn brake to thereby inhibit dispensing of the first span of the yarn from the yarn package.

66. The method of claim 65 wherein the yarn brake is attached to an automatic gripper or the automatic gripper that transfers the yarn package from the winding machine to the package holder.

67. The method of any of claims 55-66, further comprising the steps of:

the total amount of yarn required to produce the woven product is defined and a first span of the yarn is calculated such that the first and second spans of yarn together provide the total amount of yarn.

68. A yarn brake for controlling the feed of yarn from a yarn package to an outlet, the yarn package being attached to a package holder and comprising a core on which a first span and a second span of yarn are wound, the yarn brake comprising a friction element movable between a disengaged position in which the friction element does not contact the yarn package and an engaged position in which the friction element is engaged with the first span of yarn such that when the yarn brake is in the engaged position, applying tension to the trailing end of the yarn package results in only the second span of yarn being dispensed from the yarn package, the second span of yarn having a predetermined length calculated to feed the trailing end along a yarn feed path extending from the package holder to the outlet.

69. The yarn brake of claim 68, wherein the friction element is pivotally movable between the disengaged position and the engaged position.

70. The yarn brake of claim 69, wherein the friction element is removably insertable into a slot of the housing of the package holder.

71. The yarn brake of any of claims 68 to 70, wherein the package holder is one of a plurality of package holders disposed within a creel, the yarn brake being movable between the package holders.

72. The yarn brake of claim 71, wherein the yarn brake is incorporated within or attachable to an automatic gripper adapted to load the yarn package into the creel.

73. The yarn brake of any of claims 68-72, wherein the friction element is configured to be engageable with a core of the yarn package.

74. The yarn brake of any of claims 68 to 73, wherein the friction element engages the first span of yarn toward an opposite end of the yarn package relative to an end of the dispensed yarn of the yarn package.

75. A system for controlling the feed of yarn from a yarn package to an outlet, comprising:

a winder configured to wind a first span of yarn and a second span of yarn onto a hollow core to form a yarn package;

a package holder configured to hold the yarn package during production of a yarn product; and

a yarn brake configured to selectively engage the yarn package;

wherein the second span of yarn has a predetermined length calculated to feed the trailing end of the yarn package along a yarn feed path extending from the yarn package holder to the outlet, such that when the yarn brake is engaged with the first span of yarn, applying tension to the trailing end results in only the second span of yarn being dispensed from the yarn package.

76. The system of claim 75, wherein the package holder is one of a plurality of package holders provided within a creel.

77. The system of claim 76, wherein the outlet is one of a plurality of outlets provided within the manifold, each outlet being associated with a corresponding package holder.

78. The system of any one of claims 75-77, further comprising an automatic gripper to transfer the yarn package between the winding machine and the package holder.

79. The system of claim 78, wherein the yarn brake is incorporated within or attached to the automatic gripper.