GB2054685A - A machine for producing chenille yarns - Google Patents

Abstract

A machine for producing chenille yarns has a winding member (84) of triangular form around which an effect yarn (E) is wound in a series of turns such that the turns travel along the member (84). The turns of effect yarn wound on the member (84) are cut by a cutter (68) to form individual lengths of effect yarn which are to be held by binding yarns (L1, L2) two chenille yarns being simultaneously produced using the one winding member (84). The cutter 68 is movable longitudinally relative to the winding member (84) in slot (66A) so as to vary the size of the individual lengths of the effect yarn (E). By reciprocating the cutter (68), chenille yarns of cyclically-varying diameter can be produced. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A machine for producing chenille yarns The present invention relates to a machine for producing chenille yarns.

According to the invention, there is provided in a machine for producing chenille yarn, a winding member of progressively reducing transverse cross-section, means for winding an effect yarn in a series of turns around said member such that the turns travel along the member, cutter means for cutting the turns of effect yarn wound on said member to form individual lengths of effect yarn which are to be held by binding yarns, and means for adjusting the position of the cutter means longitudinally of the member so as to vary the size of the individual lengths of the effect yarn cut by the cutter means.

Further according to the invention, there is provided in a machine for the production of chenille yarn, a yarn-forming assembly comprising a rotary bell member with an axial bore therethrough for an effect yarn and two off-centre yarn-guide bushes for the effect yarn, a winding member for the effect yarn, said winding member comprising a shank and opposed edges converging towards the shank, said winding member including a slot which extends through the shank and between said edges and two opposed concave surfaces engaged with said shank, the effect yarn being wound onto said winding member by the rotation of the bell member to form turns on said member, a cutting blade including a cutting edge, said blade being disposed symmetrically between said concave surfaces and projecting into the slot in said member to shear the turns formed by said effect yarn and to form yarn lengths, means for feeding binding yarns for the chenille yarn, and means operable to adjust the position of the blade relative to the winding member so that its cutting edge lies in a selected portion of the slot extending between said convergent edges whereby said blades can cut lengths of yarn from turns which are of different size according to the position of the cutting edge relative to the winding member.

Preferably, the movement of the blade relative to the winding member is foilowed by two feel rollers co-operating with the concave surfaces to engage the lengths of effect yarn where the blade shears them.

To control this relative movement between the winding member and cutting blade, one of these two components is mounted on a slide.

The machine preferably has a plurality of such yarn-forming assemblies, with the slides of the assemblies in the same spindle plane being jointly controlled, for example by eccentric bearings operated by lever arms connected to a single control bar for all the assemblies on the same spindle plane.

Preferably, the slides support the blade and feed rollers.

Auxiliary rollers, which rest on the feed rollers, may resiliently follow these latter, or can alternatively be mounted on the slides.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine for producing chenille yarn; Figures 2 and 3 show an enlarged detail of Figure 1, with a cutting blade in two positions relative to a winding member; Figure 4 is a section taken on line Il-Il of Figure 2; Figures 5 and 6 are fragmentary perspective views showing the operation of the blade and the winding member; and Figures 7 and 8 are fragmentary side elevations of the winding member and blade in the two relative positions of Figures 2 and 3.

Overall, the machine illustrated is generally similar to that described in Italian Patent No.

9656 A/74 and U.S. Patent No. 3,969,881 the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

As shown in the accompanying drawings, the machine comprises a main structure in the form of a frame 1 , which carries spindles on winch spools of chenille yarn are wound. The machine has a number of yarn-forming assemblies each of which forms two chenille yarns. Each of the two chenille yarns formed in each respective assembly is constituted by two core or binding yarns and one or more effect yarns, which is sheared in order to form a plurality of substantially radial tufts in the yarn. The two chenille yarns which are formed in each assembly are wound onto two adjacent spindles arranged side-by-side. The two core yarns of each chenille yarn are twisted by the torsion imposed on them by the associated spindle.

Associated with each assembly are two spools for feeding core yarns LI, spools for feeding core yarns L2, and a spool for feeding an effect yarn E.

Each assembly comprises a support 40 mounted on a cross-member 10 of the frame 1, the support 40 having a vertical tubular shaft 40A, which supports. via suitable bearings, a bell member 44 which can be rotated by a drive belt engaged in a pulley groove provided in the member 44. The bell member 44 preferably has a plurality of pulley grooves of different diameters to enable the drive ratio to be adjusted. The bell member 44 comprises, in its periphery, a pair of bores fitted with bushes 54 and 56 (see Figure 4).

The effect yarn E is passed through an axial bore in the support 40 and bell member 44 and then through the bush 54 to the outside of the bell member 44 and finally through the bush 56 to the inside of the bell member 44, the yarn E leaving the bush 56 towards the inside along a path El.

A stirrup member 58 is mounted in an adjustable position below the member 44 on a cross-member 1 2 and is fixed to the crossmember 12 by clamping means 60. The adjustability of the stirrup member 58 is provided by means of an elongate slot 58A in the member 58. The stirrup member 58 comprises a bracket portion 62 with two opposite arcuate walls 64 which converge upwards and diverge downwards, with their concavity facing outwardly away from each other (see Figure 6). The two arcuate walls 64 are joined together adjacent to the stirrup 58, but along the remainder of their length, they are separated by a slot 66, in which a blade 68 is housed. The blade 68 lies in a vertical plane perpendicular to the plane containing the spindles, and has a horizontal cutting edge 68A which projects above the slot 66.The blade 68 lies in a vertical plane perpendicular to the plane containing the spindles, and has a horizontal cutting edge 68A which projects above the slot 66. The blade 68 moves with reciprocating movement as indicated by the arrow f3, in the direction of the cutting edge 68A. The blade 68 is supported between two plates 70 clamped together by a screw member 71 against a support 72. The support 72 is carried by a horizontal control rod 73 parallel to the cutting edge, the rod being slidably guided in a guide 74 mounted on a slide 75 which slides vertically on the crossmember 12. The slide is guided by pins 76A of a stirrup 76 fitted onto the cross-member 12 below the clamping means 6û for the stirrup 58.The rod 73 has an articulated part so that it can follow the movements of the slide 75, and is driven by a cam or the like which imparts to the rod 73 a reciprocating movement, which is also imposed on the blade 68. The slide 75 is displaced by a bearing 77 mounted eccentrically on the stirrup 76, and operated by an arm 78 which is linked by a connection rod 79 to a common operating bar 80, for all the yarn-forming assemblies in the same spindle plane.

A profiled winding member 84 is supported above the arcuate walls 64, and is of generally triangular shape, with a shank 84A connected to the edges of the slot 66. The slot 66 is continued at 66A into the shank 84A and into the triangular member 84, so as to receive the blade 68 projecting from the slot 66.

On rotating the bell member 44, which lies above the profiled winding member 84, the effect yarn El ,travelling from the bush 56 and into the member 44, winds on the winding member 84 to form a series of turns E2, which gradually tighten by sliding along the profile of the member 84 and then on to the shank 84A. In the lowered position of the blade 68 (Figures 2, 5 and 7), corresponding to the lowering of the slide 75, the effect yarn is sheared into a plurality of lengths E3 by the blade 68, these lengths having a size corresponding to the size of the shank 84A. These lengths are utilised in the manner described hereinafter, and are guided in the manner also described hereinafter. It should be noted that the lengths E3 are formed on both sides of the blade 68 and consequently on the outer concave surfaces of both the arcuate walls 64.On raising the slide 75, the cutting edge 68A is moved into a wider portion of the member 84, and it therefore then cuts turns of yarn E2 of greater length than the turns wound on the shank 84A.

Two oscillating supports 86 are mounted on the cross-member 12 on opposite sides of the plane in which the blade 68 lies. The supports 86 are in the form of arms pivoted at 88 to the crossmember 12, and pivotally biased by springs 89.

Pressure rollers 90 are mounted on the adjacent inner ends of the arms 86. A pair of support levers 92 of rectangular shape are pivoted at 91 to the slide 75 at opposite sides of the blade 68 and are provided with downwardly-extending stems 94.

The lower ends of the stems 94 are urged outwards by springs 96, so that the upper ends of the levers 92 tend to approach each other. At the upper ends of the levers 92, there are provided rotation bearings 98 for a pair of shafts 100 which extend approximately horizontally and are driven through suitable articulated joints to enable them to follow the movements of the slide 75, the shafts 100 being driven in opposite directions as indicated by arrows f6 in Figures 2 and 3. A knurled feed roller 120, having grooves parallel to the roller axis is mounted on each of the two shafts 100 to be driven thereby. The rollers 90 are biased against rollers 120 by the action of the springs 89, even with the movements of the slide 75. The rollers 90 and 120 each have a peripheral annular groove to guide at least the core yarn L1.

The various yarns reach the described working members in the following manner. The yarns L1 are guided by pulleys 124 and pass around the knurled rollers 120. These rollers are urged by the action of the springs 96 to rest against the outer concave surfaces of the arcuate walls 64, even though they participate in the slight displacements of the slide 75. The rollers 1 20 graze the lateral surfaces of the shank 84A of the profiled winding member 84, and by means of their knurled periphery they engage the two sets of yarn lengths E3 sheared from the yarn El by the blade 68. The lengths E3 remain between the surface of the walls 64 and rollers 120, and between the walls 64 and yarns L1 respectively, for any position of the blade 68 and any size of the lengths E3.The yarns L2 are guided by guide bushes 126 on the piate 12, and are led between the two walls 64 to respective bores 128 formed in the walls 64, to pass from the inside to the outside of the pair of walls 64. The yarns L2 emerging from the bores 1 28 become disposed between the outer surfaces of the walls 64 and the lengths E3. The consequence of this is that the lengths E3, while being entrained by the rollers 1 20 and yarns L1 and L2, reach a position between the two core yarns L1 and L2. Twisting systems similar to ring spinning systems impose twists on the pair of yarns L1 and L2 which pass between each roller 120 and the associated pressure roller 90. The twists in the yarns L1 and L2 reach the points of contact between each roller 1 20 and the associated roller 90, and pass beyond these points of contact along the grooves. In practice, the twists are present in the pair of yarns L1, L2 as far as the exit of these yarns from the nip defined between the periphery of the roller 1 20 and the concave surface of the associated wall 64.

Consequently, the lengths of effect yarn E3 are trapped, by the twist, between the two core yarns L1, L2 to form therewith a conventional chenille yarn, which is unwound along the path F1 to be wound onto the respective spool formed on the spindle.

The pressure rollers 90 are biased by the springs 89 in such a direction as to press against the rollers 120, even when these are moved about the respective pivots 91 of the supports 92 and when they move with the slide 75. The rollers 120 are biased by the springs 96 to press against the respective arcuate surfaces 64 to engage the lengths E3. When the operator wishes to separate the rollers 120 from the surfaces of the arcuate walls 64, it is only necessary to move the stems 94 agains the action of the springs 96.

When the slide 75 is moved, the dimension of the lengths E3 and thus the size of the chenille yarns is varied, but always in an equal manner for both chenille yarns produced by each yarnforming assembly, and by all of the assemblies having slides 75 which are operated by the same bar 80.

A yarn guide 1 50 limits the "balloon" described by the yarn El, to prevent interference, and follows the cyclic movements of the blade.

In a modified embodiment, an effect yarn E comprising portions of at least two relatively contrasting colours is engaged, to form successive chenille zones having colour differences. In this modification, the yarn is controlled by a photoelectric system indicated by 1 60 in Figure 1, to provide colour discrimination signals. These signals, suitably deiayed, are used to control the movement of the blade, so as to vary the chenille diameter to correspond to the colour change in the effect yarn.

In the machine described, by suitably displacing the blades, chenille yarns of cyclically-variable diameter can be produced, with the variation being uniform for each of the two yarns produced by each yarn-forming assembly.

Claims (7)

1. A machine for the production of chenille yarn, comprising a yarn-forming assembly comprising a rotary bell member having an axial bore therethrough for an effect yarn and two offcentre yarn-guide bushes for the effect yarn, a winding member for the effect yarn, said winding member comprising a shank and opposed edges converging towards the shank, said winding member including a slot which extends through the shank and between said edges and two opposed concave surfaces engaged with said shank, the effect yarn being wound onto said winding member by the rotation of the bell member to form turns on said member, a cutting blade including a cutting edge, said blade being disposed symmetrically between said concave surfaces and projecting into the slot in said member to shear the turns formed by said effect yarn and to form yarn lengths, means for feeding binding yarns for the chenille yarn, and means operable to adjust the position of the blade relative to the winding member so that its cutting edge lies in a selected portion of the slot extending between said convergent edges whereby said blades can cut lengths of yarn from turns which are of different size according to the position of the cutting edge relative to the winding member.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising feed rollers co-operating with the concave surfaces to engage the lengths of effect yarn where the blade shears them, a yarn guide for limiting the ballooning of the effect yarn, and means operable to move the feed rollers and yarn guide in correspondence with the adjustment of the blade position relative to the winding member.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, comprising a plurality of said yarn-forming assemblies, in each said assembly the means for adjusting the position of the blade relative to the winding member comprising a slide mounting one from the blade or winding member, said machine further comprising a common control member for moving the slides of said plurality of said assemblibs.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 2 and claim 3, wherein the slide supports the blade and feed rollers.

5. A machine as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 for use with an effect yarn having portions of different colour, said machine further comprising a photoelectric system operable to sense the different coloured portions of the effect yarn and adjust the position of the blade relative to the winding member according to the colour change of the effect yarn.

6. A machine for producing chenille yarn, comprising a winding member of progressively reducing transverse cross-section, means for winding an effect yarn in a series of turns around said member such that the turns travel along the member, cutter means for cutting the turns of effect yarn wound on said member to form individual lengths of effect yarn which are to be held by binding yarns, and means for adjusting the position of the cutter means longitudinally of the member so as to vary the size of the individual lengths of the effect yarn cut by the cutter means.

7. A machine for producing chenille yarn substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.