GB2118983A - Yarn storage feeder for threads, tapes and ribbons - Google Patents

Abstract

The feeder comprises a rotary hollow arm (5) through which the material is wound as turns onto a supporting body (7, 9) comprising a plurality of rigid guides (9) each of which has a ring shape and a C-cross- section open to the ring outside. The guides accommodate balls (10) (or rollers) in contact with one another and outwardly projecting. Said body is mounted on bearings carried by the shaft (4) from which the arm projects, a worm screw (11) being mounted on said shaft and having the balls projecting from each guide engaging therewith. Rotation of the shaft, arm and worm screw causes the translation of said balls in the respective guides and in turn such balls forward the turns along the body to the free end thereof, where the thread is drawn for supply to use. Engaged, inclined, bevel gears (12, 13) having extensions (17, 18) engaged in seats (19, 20) prevent rotation of the body. An end body (30) is spring- retained on rods (32), and will fall if the pressure of wound turns builds up. Motor stop-start members respond to the number of windings. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A storing up and feed apparatus of threads, tapes, ribbons for textile use and the like to user machines This invention relates to a storing up and feed apparatus of threads, more particularly continuous tapes or thin ribbons for textile use and the like to user machines.

As well known, many user machines do not have the thread directly fed by the bobbin, cop, reel or the like, but such a thread is supplied to the user machine after being previously wound up on an apparatus or device where a supply of thread is formed and then drawn by the user machine.

The most usual type of apparatuses are substantially in the form of a drum, to the end of which thread turns are wound up, the thread being drawn away from the other end of the drum.

Members are provided as acting upon the thread turns would up on the drum, causing the translation of that end of the drum where they are fed to the other end where the thread is drawn.

In some types of apparatus, such as those described in U.S. Patent Specifications No.

3.672.590 and 3.702.176, the drum rotating about its own axis and drawing the thread through an eyelet or feed hook.

In other types of apparatuses, such as those described in U.S. Patent Specifications No.

3.093.339. and 3.834.635, the drum with the thread turns wound up thereon is stationary, and the thread is fed to the drum basis by a rotary arm.

Mechanical members of different design are known for translating the thread turns along the outer surface of the drum, such as those described in U.S. Patent Specifications No. 2.625.340, 3.419.225 and 3.093.339, comprising a plate oscillating relative to the drum and located at that end of the drum having the thread turns deposited thereon, such a plate having an arc of its surface which is always in contact with that turn of the plurality of turns which is closest thereto and which is the last turn deposited by the rotary arm.

The plate oscillation causes the displacement of the turn with which it is in contact, and such a turn urges and forward slides on the drum the turns adjacent thereto.

This translation system for the turns suffers from serious drawbacks consisting, for example, of that the turns would tend to become bound to one another, and that with some particular threads the turns would tend to pile up on one another. This is particularly the case where the thread is in the form of a thin ribbon or continuous tape having a somewhat enlarged and flattened cross-section, such as that normally made of synthetic material.

Other systems are also known from thread displacement or movement on the drum, such as those described in U.S. Patent Specification No.

1.052.212, wherein the apparatus comprises two units of circumferential bars and members for radially and axially driving each bar unit relative to the other unit, so that each bar unit respectively takes up the thread wound up about said bar units, axially moving or displacing it and releasing it onto the other bar unit. Also this thread turn moving system has drawbacks consisting for example of that the turns would tend to freely fall down and pile up on one another, and that no control is provided for the position of the thread turns.

In still further types of apparatuses, such as those described in U.S. Patent Specifications No.

3.131.729 and 3.776.480 (Fig. 10), the thread turns are wound up onto a plurality of belts, the latter being distributed all about the central axis of the apparatus. Each of said belts are in the form of a loop and wrapped on two pulleys, positioned one at each end of the apparatus. The pulleys arranged at one end of the apparatus are integral with gears meshing with a worm screw rotably driven by a motor and arranged coaxially with the apparatus. Rotation of said worm screw causes the rotation of the gears engaging therewith, and accordingly rotation of the pulleys and translation of the belts carried thereon. The other branch or run of the looped belts defines a bearing surface for the thread turns and also causes forward movement thereof to the free end of the apparatus.In other terms, the thread turns being wound up on the bearing surface comprising said belts, adjacent one end of the apparatus, are carried by said belts to the end of the apparatus, where such turns are drawn.

This type of apparatus has substantial drawbacks partially consisting of its highly complicated structure (requiring the use of a large number of pulleys and gears) and of that said belts will very rapidly wear out, since the thread is drawn therefrom at a very high speed, rubbing onto said belts. Moreover, since this type of apparatus is subjected to continuous stops and starts of very rapid nature, the thread being laid on the belts would tend to slip and as a result piling up of turns on one another would occur. Finally, owing to smooth and uniform surface thereof, these supporting and carrying belts for the thread turns do not enable any control for the position of the thread turns wound up thereon.

In those apparatuses having a stationary drum, on which the turns are laid down by a rotary arm, expedients of different nature are provided against rotation of the drum, which is mounted on a rotary shaft also carrying the thread distributing arm.

According to quite accepted embodiments, such as those described in U.S. Patent Specifications No.

3.093.339, 3.720.384, 3.737.112,3.796.384, 3.776.480 and French Patent No. 2.103.687, a series of gears are provided as mounted on the rotary arm or on the distributing arm and distinct ring gears coaxial with one another and integral with the fixed base plate and drum, respectively.

This mechanical system, comprising a large number of intermeshing gears, is of high cost of manufacture and assembling and high operation noise.

In other types of apparatus, such as those described in U.S. Patent Specification No.

3.834.635, the drum is prevented from rotating by incorporation of permanent magnets therein, while further permanent magnets are incorporated in a fixed structure outside of the drum and opposite to those integral with the drum. Also in this case, such drawbacks arise as those particularly due to not perfectly stationary condition for the drum, especially when the thread is intermittently drawn at high speed therefrom, and also because of high cost thereof.

Finally, in U.S. Patent Specifications No.

3.944.156 and 3.791.598, apparatuses are shown as provided with stationary drum and rotary thread distributing arm, in which drum rotation is prevented by rolling bearings. This system has the disadvantage of high cost of production due to high cost of bearings and substantial consumption of energy drawn by the bearings.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an apparatus of the above type, which is suitable to feed threads, and particularly continuous tapes or thin ribbons of synthetic material or the like, to user machines, assuring a correct spacing and positiening of the thread turns wound up thereon and having a simple and economical structure, of a long life and reliable in operation.

These and still further objects are achieved by an apparatus comprising a rigid body bondable.to a fixed structure, an elongated shaft freely rotable on at least one rolling bearing carried by said rigid body, a drive member for rotably driving said shaft, a thread turn supporting body carried at one end of said shaft by at least one rolling bearing, a thread turn distributing arm, the free end of which extends laterally of said turn supporting body, such an arm being integral with said shaft and being passed through by a conduit extending to and opening at the other end of the shaft, members for preventing said supporting body for said thread turns from rotating on said shaft, and means for causing said thread turns to advance along said turn supporting body to the free end of said body, the apparatus being characterised in that said thread turn supporting body comprises a plurality of rigid guides distributed about the axis of said shaft, each of said guides defining an annular channel open to the outside of said ring, and that said thread turn advancing means comprise a plurality of balls or rollers housed and movable within said annular channels, where the balls are substantially in contact with one another projecting outwardly of the channels, and a worm screw coaxial with said shaft and integral therewith, the balls or rollers housed in each annular channel engaging with said worm screw in a section of the annular path thereof.

In a preferred embodiment, the members provided against rotation of said thread turn supporting body comprise two distinct annular front bevel gears, one located at one side and the other at the other side of said thread turn distributing arm, said gears being mounted on said shaft by distinct rolling bearings, the axes of the two gears intersecting to each other and the axis of said shaft, the toothings of the two gears intermeshing in a zone which is substantially diametrically opposite to that where said arm projects from between the gears, a shaped extension being integral with each of said two gears, which extension outwardly radially projects and engages and oscillates in a shaped seat formed one on said rigid body and the other on said thread turn supporting body.

In order that the structure and features of the inventive apparatus be more clearly understood, a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a schematic fragmentary axial sectional view of the apparatus as a whole; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along line Il-Il of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the apparatus at the zone where the thread distributing arm is near the ball housing guides; Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a ball supporting guide; Fig. 5 is also a highly enlarged front view showing a portion of a gear and relating shaped extension housed within the relative fixed seat; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view showing the detail for the movable body which is mounted to the free end of the apparatus and acting as a safety element, as discussed hereinafter.

As shown in the accompanying drawings, an apparatus according to the invention comprises a rigid body 1 bondable to a fixed structure and having an electric motor mounted thereon, of which only the outer casing 2 is shown in Fig. 1.

On rolling bearings 3 an elongated shaft 4 is mounted and rotably driven by the electric motor.

This shaft 4 has laterally projecting therefrom an elongated arm 5, which is passed through by a conduit opening at the free end of the arm, extending along a portion of shaft 4, as shown in Fig. 1 , and opening at the free end of said shaft 4 at the left side of Fig. 1.

Rolling bearings 6 are mounted on shaft 4 and carry as freely rotable to the shaft said thread turn supporting body. Such a body comprises a substantially disc-shaped rigid structure 7, carrying eight rigid guides distributed all about the axis of shaft 4, each guide comprising a central rigid-shaped plate 8 shown in Fig. 1 (see also Figs.

3 and 4) which is enclosed between two side plates 9 integral therewith and clearly shown in Fig. 4. These plates 9, along with plate 8, define an outwardly open channel, having accommodated therein a continuous series of metal balls 10 rolling on the edge of plate 8 and retained within the channel or U-guide by plates 9.

As shown in the figures of the accompanying drawings, a portion or cap of each ball outwardly projects of the respective channel or U-guide. Of course, such ball may be replaced by rollers.

The outermost portion of each channel or Uguide is substantially rectilinear and these rectilinear outer sections of the several channel or U-guides are equally spaced apart from one another and distributed along a cylindrical surface.

as shown in Fig. 2 where only two of such channel or U-guides have been quite completely outlined, while the others have been outlined as hatched by radiant lines.

In the inwardly facing portion the channel or Uguides still have a short rectilinear section, at which said balls 10 engage in the helical groove of a worm screw 11 keyed on shaft 4. As a result, assuming that rotation of rigid structure 7 and channel or U-guides therewith is prevented, rotation of the shaft and therewith rotation of worm screw 11 causes the translation or movement of balls 10 in the respective channel or U-guides. As a result, all of the balls simultaneously move and at the same speed from left to right, as seen in Fig. 1, along the outer periphery of the channel or U-guides.

As apparent, should the electric motor rotably driving said shaft 4 have a reversed direction of rotation relative to that as first taken into account, use could be made of only a worm screw, the spiral of which having a suitable direction for causing the balls to move always from left to right (as shown in Fig. 1) in the radially outer section of the path thereof. Preferably, even if not shown for the sake of simplicity in the drawings as obvious, the worm screw comprises two consecutive portions of worm screws with channels or Uthreads which in one portion are reversed relative to the other portion, so that said worm screw can be keyed on the shaft 4, engaging the balls with that portion of the thread thereof causing the desired movement of the balls on the channel or U-guides.

In order to prevent rotation of the rigid structure 7 with the channel or U-guides relative to said shaft 4, two distinct annular front bevel gears 1 2 and 13, respectively, are provided, of which one is located on one side and the other of which on the other side of arm 5 (Fig. 1), such gears being mounted on shaft 4 by rolling bearings 14 and 15, respectively, the axes of which intersect each other as well as the axis of shaft 4, being obviously coplanar with the latter. In the embodiment shown, the axes for said two gears 12 and 13 make with the axis of shaft 4 angles of a same value.

As shown in Fig. 1, the toothings of said two gears 12 and 13 intermesh in a zone 1 6 which is diametrically opposite to that where said arm 5 projects between said gears.

A shaped extension 17, and respectively 18, is integral with said two gears, outwardly radially projecting (see also Fig. 5) and engaging and oscillating within a shaped seat defined by side walls 1 9 and 20, respectively, integral with body 1 and rigid structure 7, respectively.

It will clearly appear that, during rotation of shaft 4, gear 1 2 cannot rotate, as prevented by extension 1 6 engaging in the seat defined by walls 19. During rotation of said shaft, due to inclination of the axis of bearing 14, said shaped extension will translate and oscillate within said fixed seat.

Since gear 13 meshes at zone 16 with gear 12, evidently also this gear is inhibited from rotating, and also its extension 18 will swing or oscillate within the relative seat defining by walls, that accordingly cannot rotate, thus preventing any rotation of rigid structure 7, of which they are part, and channel or U-guides 8 and 9 with the relating balls 10.

During shaft rotation, owing to inclination of bearings 14 and 15, there will be a continuous variation in the zone at which the teeth of the two gears come into contact with one another, as a result the toothings being always in contact with one another at a zone which is diametrically opposite to that from which said arm projects from shaft 4, as it can be readily understood.

Now, assume that a tape or thin ribbon is entered in the direction of arrow A in Fig. 1, within the cavity of shaft 4, then passing through the cavity of arm 5, a distributing eyelet 21 integral with said arm, for spiral winding up onto the channel or U-guides. Such a ribbon or tape, shown by hatching in Fig. 1 and denoted by reference numeral 22, will be spirally wound up on guides 8 and 9 and being layed down between two successive balls, as shown in further detail in Fig.

3, where the several turns have been shown in a sectional view and are in the form of small rectangles 23 sliding or grazing on the free edges of plates 9. The thread being drawn off of the free end of the apparatus passes through a guide eyelet 25 carried by a fixed arm 26, and is unwound by sliding all about the smooth annular edge of a movable body 30 having a plurality of seats, in which the shaped ends 31 are inserted of a plurality of (eight in the case shown in the drawing) of elongated rigid rods 32, the latter being parallel to one another and projecting from said rigid structure 7.The movable body 30 is retained on the shaped ends 31 of rods 32 by one or more return springs 33 (Fig. 6), which are resiliently outwardly deformable and cause disconnection of body 30 off of the rods, and accordingly the outward fall of such a body when a too much large pressure is exerted by the thread turns wound up on the channel or U-guides.

To prevent this and allow a correct thread feed, the apparatus also inciudes one or more sensitive members causing the stop for the apparatus operating motor when a predetermined maximum number of turns is wound up on the channel pr Uguides, causing the automatic start of the motor when in presence of a too small number of turns because of thread withdrawal from the user machine. The member controlling motor stop and start is not herein described for the sake of simplicity as per se well known and, for example, comprises a microswitch actuated by the thread turns, of the type as that shown in the U.S. Patent Specifications No. 3.131.729 and 3.776.480.

The apparatus herein described has proved to be of extreme effectiveness in enabling a thread feed under controlled tension, particularly continuous tapes and thin ribbons, to user machines, preventing turn piling up, and assuring a correct transportation and spacing thereof during forward movement due to the balls. Such an apparatus has also proved to be extremely wear resistant and free of drawbacks both at start and rapid or fast stop of the operating motor.

As apparent, said rigid structure 7 with the channel or U-guides and other parts or components integral therewith could be retained at stationary condition, while said shaft 3 is rotating, by other members than said gears 12 and 13,for example by a ball bearing system or magnets or other gearing systems as those mentioned at the beginning df the present description. However, the embodiment shown and described with reference to the accompanying drawings is particularly preferred owing to its extreme simplicity, low cost and reliable operation.

Claims (5)

1. A storing up and feed apparatus of threads, tapes, ribbons for textile use and the like to user machines, comprising a rigid body bondable to a fixed structure, an elongated shaft freely rotable on at least one rolling bearing carried by said rigid body, a drive member for rotably driving said shaft, a thread turn supporting body carried at one end of said shaft by at least one rolling bearing, a thread turn distributing arm, the free end of which extends laterally of said turn supporting body, such an arm being integral with said shaft and passed through by a conduit extending to and opening at the other end of the shaft, members for preventing said thread turn supporting body from rotating on said shaft, and means for moving said thread turns along said turn supporting body to the free end of the body, wherein said thread turn supporting body comprises a plurality of rigid guides distributed about the axis of said shaft, each of said guides defining an annular channel outwardly open of the ring, and said thread turn moving means comprise a plurality of balls or rollers housed and movable within said annular channels, where said balls or rollers are substantially in contact with one another projecting outwardly of the channels and a worm screw coaxial with said shaft and integral therewith, the balls or rollers housed in each annular channel engaging with said worm screw in a section of the annular path thereof.

2. An apparatus according to Claim t-, wherein said worm screw is removably restrained to said shaft and comprises two consecutive worm screw portions with channel or U-threads which in one portion are reversed relative to those in the other portion, said balls engaging with only one portion of said worm screw portions.

3. An apparatus according to Claims 1 and 2, wherein adjacent the free end of said thread turn supporting body a movable body is mounted, to which the turns are moved as carried by said balls or rollers, such a movable body being displaceable by action of the pressure exerted thereon by said thread turns to a position, where it cuts off the thread feed.

4. An apparatus according to Claims 1 to 3, wherein said members for preventing the rotation of said thread turn supporting body comprise two distinct annular front bevel gears, of which one located on one side and the other located on the other side of said thread turn distributing arm, said gears being mounted on said shaft by separate rolling bearings, the axes of the two gears intersecting with each other and with the axis of said shaft, the toothings of the two gears intermeshing at a zone which is substantially diametrically opposite to that where said arm projects from between said two gears, a shaped extension being integral with each of the two gears, radially outwardly projecting and engaging and oscillating within a shaped seat formed one on said rigid body and the other on said thread turn supporting body.

5. An apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein the axes of said two gears make with the axis of said shaft ang!es of a same value.