GB2136836A - A creel - Google Patents

Abstract

A creel (10) comprises a frame (14) mounted in a C-shaped support structure to be pivotal about its vertical central axis (17). The frame (14) defines four spaces (22) on each of three levels. In each space (22) are pivotally mounted a pair of rigidly spaced package support arms (24, 25) which are together pivotable between two operative positions offset towards each side of the space (22) so that a large diameter reserve package (12) can only be accommodated on one package arm (24) when the in-use package (11) on the other package arm (25) of that pair has been used sufficiently to reduce its diameter significantly. To this end, in each operative position, the median plane (31) between the support arms (24, 25) is spaced to one side or the other of the median plane (32) between the frame members (20) defining the space (22). This enables large packages (12) to be used in a creel (10) of lower height than would otherwise be required, to reduce package handling problems. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Creel This invention relates to creels for textile yarn processing machines.

Textile yarn processing machines require a supply of unprocessed yarn and from the economic standpoint it is preferable if the supply is continuous. Many types of such machines are of the multi-station variety and each station is supplied with yarn withdrawn from one of a large number of packages mounted in a creel structure standing near to the machine. Adjacent each package from which yarn is being withdrawn at any given moment a reserve package is mounted and the two packages have their yarn ends joined so that yarn withdrawal automatically transfers to to the reserve package when the first package is exhausted. The exhausted package is then replaced by a new package which then be: comes the reserve package.In this way the supply of unprocessed yarn to each station of the yarn processing machine is continuously maintained.

However, as yarn processing speeds have increased it has become more difficult and tiring for the machine operator to ensure that exhausted packages are replaced by full pack ages in good time to maintain the continuity of the processing, particularly in the case of a machine having a large number of yarn pro cessing stations and when using large and therefore heavy packages. For example a modern false twist crimping machine has ap proximately 200 yarn processing stations and the supply packages can each be up to 34kg in weight. Coupled with this increase in the weight of packages is their physical size which can be up to 445mm in diameter and 250mm in length.

It has always been an objective to reduce the overall size of textile machines. Typically false twist crimping machines are about 18,000 mm-in length, having some 216 processing stations disposed 1 2 on each ma chine side to a bay. In consequence 12 full packages in use are required per side per bay and therefore 1 2 full reserve packages adja cent thereto.

Conventionally creels have been of the 'gate' type which comprise a rectangular 'space-frame' structure of metal tubes. On the upright ones of such tubes package mounting arms are pivotally mounted so that the pack ages are normally disposed within the space frame but may be pivoted so as to extend outside the space frame for loading and un loading purposes. To supply such a machine, 24 packages are required within the length of a bay on each side of the machine whilst only four full large size packages can be housed at one level. In consequence the creel is formed to be six packages high, with the uppermost packages at up to 3 metres height. It is therefore very difficult for packages of 34kg weight to be placed on the uppermost package mounting arms.

It has therefore been proposed to provide creels of the 'rotary' type. Such creels are also of a metal tube 'space-frame' construction but in this case the package mounting arms are normally disposed to extend radially towards the centre of each bay-sized creel section, being pivotally mounted on the vertical tubes disposed on the circumference of the creel section. The package mounting arms are again pivotal to extend outside the creel section for loading and unloading. With such an arrangement it is possible to have six packages on any one level so that the creel section can be only four packages high. However, even in such an arrangement the uppermost packages are at about 2 metres height, and with the large and heavy packages currently used this still presents a problem for the machine operator.Furthermore in order that the packages farthest from the aisles at the outside of the creel can be loaded and unloaded, the creel section itself is mounted so as to be rotatable about a central shaft pivot structure. It is required that processing of the yarn is maintained during loading of new packages and unloading of empty package tubes, and in order that the yarn path lengths do not alter during such rotation of the creel, the yarns are led adjacent the central pivot shaft of the creel. This leads to a complicated arrangement of yarn guides in order to prevent entanglement of the yarns.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a creel in which the uppermost packages are at a more readily accessible height than with the creels used heretofore.

The invention provides a creel adapted to receive yarn packages comprising a frame defining a plurality of package receiving spaces, a pair of mutually spaced package support arms disposed in each package receiving space and movable therewithin between two operative positions in which the median plane between said arms is displaced from and to opposed sides of the median plane of said space. By this means a package of a predetermined large diameter may be supported by one arm of each pair of arms only when a package supported by the other arm of said pair of arms has a diameter of less than said predetermined large diameter.

By means of the invention a greater number of packages can be received on any one level of the creel, thereby allowing the creel to be of lesser height than was possible heretofore and yet still support the same number of packages per bay length of a textile machine.

Preferably said frame is mounted so as to be rotatable about a substantially vertical central axis, and said pairs of arms may be mounted adjacent said central axis so as to extend substantially radially therefrom. Each pair of arms may be mounted so as to be pivotal between said two operating positions about a respective axis adjacent and substantially parallel with said central axis. Said frame may comprise a support member for each pair of arms and disposed to support the respective pair of arms throughout the range of pivotal movement thereof between the two operating positions The frame may be mounted within a supporting structure which extends around said frame and provides pivot mountings for said frame on said central axis at the lower and upper ends of said frame.By means of this construction the central axis of the frame may be free from any central shaft pivot structure as required on rotary creels used heretofore, thereby enabling the yarns to be led from the packages in the creel to guides located on or very close to the central axis.

One embodiment of creel in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view with the package mounting arms removed for clarity, and Figure 2 is a sectional plan view of the creel of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the Figures there is shown a creel unit 10 for the servicing of a single bay of a textile machine (not shown). In practice a creel may have up to nine such units adjacent each other to service one side of the textile machine, the machine having 216 processing stations on its two sides with nine bays of twelve stations each per side of machine. Each creel unit 10 is adapted for the mounting thereon of twelve in-use packages 11 and twelve reserve packages 1 2 to supply the twelve stations per bay, each reserve package 1 2 being connected by transfer tail 1 3 to a respective processing station when the in-use package 11 is exhausted.

The creel unit 10 comprises a frame 14 which is pivotally mounted within a generally C-shaped support structure 1 5. In practice the nine support structures 1 5 are adjacent each other to form the complete creel. The support structure 1 5 comprises a lower bearing 18 and an upper bearing 1 6 in which the frame 14 is mounted for rotation about a vertical central axis 1 7.

The frame 14 comprises four vertical members 1 9 secured to each other by radial members 20 and by peripheral members 21. The structure provides three levels for the mounting of packages 11, 1 2 and four package receiving spaces 22 per level. At each level and in each package receiving space 22 there extends between each adjacent pair of radial members 20 a pivot carrying member 23, each carrying a pivot 28. Pivotally mounted on each pivot 28 are a pair of package support arms 24, 25 which are secured to each other with a fixed angle between them, for example by welding. Similarly the frame 14 may be constructed by welding together vertical members 19, radial members 20 peripheral members 21 and pivot carrying members 23.

At the free end of each package support arm 24, 25 is an upstanding package mounting post 26 onto which a package mounting arm 27 may be pivotally retained (omitted from Fig. 1 for clarity). The aforementioned fixed angle between a coupled pair of package support arms 24, 25 is such that, only when an 'in-use' package 11 mounted on the package mounting arm 27 mounted on one of the pair of support arms 24, 25 is of less diameter than the predetermined diameter for which the creel is designed, can a new 'reserve' package 1 2 be mounted on the package mounting arm 27 mounted on the other of the pair of support arms 24, 25.In this way more pairs of packages 11, 1 2 can be accomodated in a given space, or conversely the same number of pairs of packages 11, 1 2 can be accomodated in a reduced space, on one creel level in the creel of the present invention than was possible heretofore. Consequently even when using the large reserve packages of 445mm diameter four pairs of packages 11. 1 2 can be accomodated on one level of the creel of the present invention within the space required for one bay of the textile machine. The present creel need therefore be only three levels high, thereby reducing the height to which the heavy packages 12 have to be lifted and obviating the need for steps or the like for the operator to use, as was required with creels having four or more levels.

The package support arms 24, 25 with packages 11, 1 2 shown in full lines in Fig. 2, are supported by members 21 in a first operative position. In this position the median plane 31 between the arms 24, 25 is offset relative to the median plane 32 of the package receiving space 22 to one side thereof. When an 'in-use' package 11 has been used sufficiently that its diameter has reduced to substantially less than the predetermined diameter, a new reserve package 1 2 is placed on the adjacent package support arm 24 or 25 and the transfer tail 1 3 joined between the two packages 11, 12. The diameter of the 'in-use' package 11 at which this operation is performed may be for example of the order of 260mm, i.e.

approximately 60% of that of a new package.

The weight of such a partially used package will be of the order of 9.5 to 10kg. Such a sized package would generally be sufficient to ensure a supply of yarn for a 1 2 hour night shift in a yarn texturising mill, so that new packages need only be loaded during a daytime shift.

When an 'in-use' package 11 mounted on support arm 25 is empty, the 'reserve' pack age 1 2 becomes the 'in-use' package. When this second 'in-use' package has been used sufficiently that its diameter has reduced to about 60% or less of that of a new package the arms 24, 25 are rotated about pivot 28.

The 'in-use' package then assumes the second operative position shown in dashed lines in Fig. 2 at 11 a and a new 'reserve' package 1 2a may be placed on packages support arm 25, the new reserve package 1 2a also being shown in dashed lines in Fig. 2. In this second operative position the median plane between the arms 24, 25 is offset relative to, by the same amount as but to the opposite side of, the median plane 32 of the package receiving space 22, compared with the first operative position.

This procedure is repeated as each 'in-use' package 11 becomes of sufficiently small diameter, the package support arms 24, 25 being moved from one to the other of the two operative positions shown in Fig. 2 with each loading of a new reserve package 1 2. To facilitate this operation detents 29 or other stop means may be provided in peripheral members 21 to retain the support arms 24, 25 in the appropriate positions.

For the purpose of loading new reverse packages 1 2 and the removal of empty package bobbins the mounting arms 27 are rotatable on posts 26 so as to extend outwardly of the creel frame 14, as shown in dashed lines at 11 b, 1 2b in Fig. 2. In order that loading onto and unloading from the package mounting arms 27 disposed at the machine side of the creel can be achieved, the frame 14 can be rotated about axis 1 7 within the C-shaped support structure 1 5. Since the frame 14 is supported only in bearings 1 6, 1 8 there is no frame structure on the axis 1 7 within the frame 14 itself. As a consequence of this construction the yarns 30 from each of the 'in-use' packages 11 can be led to and along the axis 1 7 and thereafter to the input feed means of the textile machine, so that rotation of frame 14 does not cause entanglement of the yarns 30. Each pair of arms 24, 25 can be moved from one operative position to the other operative position independently of the other pairs of arms so that new packages can be loaded into the creel as necessary as individual in-use packages become used sufficiently.

Claims (16)

1. A creel adapted to receive yarn packages comprising a frame defining a plurality of package receiving spaces, a pair of mutually spaced package support arms disposed in each package receiving space and movable therewithin between two operative positions in which the median plane between said arms is displaced from and to opposed sides of the median plane of said space.

2. A creel according to claim 1 wherein said median plane between said arms moves between positions spaced equally from but on opposed sides of said median plane of said package receiving space when said arms move between said operative positions.

3. A creel according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the arms of each said pair of arms are mutually connected so as to be movable together between said operative positions.

4. A creel according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said frame comprises a respective support for each pair of arms disposed to support said pair of arms throughout the range of movement thereof between said operative positions.

5. A creel according to claim 4 wherein each support comprises stop means operable to locate said arms in either one of said operative positions.

6. A creel according to claim 5 wherein said support comprises an elongate member and said stop means comprise detents in said elongate member.

7. A creel according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein each pair of arms is mounted in said frame so as to be pivotal between respective operative positions independently of the other pairs of arms.

8. A creel according to claim 7 wherein each pair of arms is pivotal about a respective axis adjacent and substantially parallel with a central axis of said frame, and the arms of said pair extend substantially radially from said central axis.

9. A creel according to claim 8 wherein each support arm has a package mounting post upstanding thereon at the free end thereof.

10. A creel according to claim 9 wherein a package mounting arm is pivotally retained on said package mounting post.

11. A creel according to any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein said frame is mounted so as to be rotatable about a substantially vertical central axis thereof.

1 2. A creel according to claim 11 wherein said frame is mounted in a support structure which extends around said frame and provides pivot mountings for said frame on said axis at lower and upper ends of said frame.

1 3. A creel according to claim 1 2 comprising yarn guide means disposed adjacent said central axis.

14. A creel according to any one of claims 1 to 1 3 wherein said frame defines four package receiving spaces on each of a plurality of levels therein.

1 5. A creel according to claim 14 wherein said frame defines three levels each having four package receiving spaces defined thereon.

16. A creel substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.