GB2252107A - Separating the strands of a yarn - Google Patents

Abstract

To separate and recover the component strands of stranded yarn, yarn (8) from a package of two-ply yarn is supplied to a tensioning means (10), is divided by a divider finger (30) into its two strands and the latter are wound onto respective rotary skein-forming wheels or swifts (18). The finger (30) is pivotally mounted so as to move in response to the passage of the yarn. The swifts (18) are turned by a motor (M2) to draw off the yarn from the yarn package which is rotated in the direction opposite to the twist by a motor (M1). The yarn strands are evenly distributed on the swifts by a guide device (14) driven by a third motor. When the yarn breaks or is absent, the finger (30) operates a switch to stop the motor (M1). If the yarn is tangled, the finger (30) moves in the opposite direction to operate a switch to stop motor (M2) and the third motor. <IMAGE>

Description

YARN HANDLING The invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to yarn handling, particularly but not exclusively for the recovery of yarn strands from a plurality of twisted strands wound together to form a multi-ply yarn.

It is conventional practice to form a yarn from two, three or four strands which may be of the same colour or of differing colours according to the desired appearance of a fabric manufactured from the yarns, conveniently by a knitting process. However, when yarns are, for example, made up to a specific order by a customer, it is customary to provide more than the required amount in order to cope with flaws or other unforeseen occurrences. It is therefore not unusual for excess yarn to be produced which is waste material. Where the yarn is for example cashmere, it is desirable to recover the yarn in a useful form, i.e. in separated yarn strands. Hitherto, attempts to do this have proved expensive, labour-intensive and time-consuming.

An object of the present invention is to provide apparatus capable of recovering yarn strands in an economic operation.

The invention provides yarn handling apparatus comprising means to supply a multi-strand yarn from a source thereof, tensioning means to impart a predetermined degree of tension to the yarn, divider means adapted to project between strands of said yarn, a plurality of yarn-strand receiving rotary devices, each adapted to receive in a winding operation one of said yarns strands divided from each or the other strand(s), and means to rotate said rotary devices to draw yarn strands and yarn from the supply means in a predetermined path, wherein said divider means includes a movable finger adapted to move in an oscillatory manner in directions at least substantially parallel to the direction of supply of yarn thereto from said supply means, said divider means being arranged so as to be biassed in a direction upstream of said path, and sensing means capable of sensing absence of yarn or breakage of strands or yarn, or tangling yarn adjacent said divider means.

Conveniently, the supply means for the yarn comprises means to support a yarn package while yarn is drawn therefrom. Advantageously, where such package comprises a cone of yarn on a core, the support means is rotated by a drive means as the yarn is drawn off.

In a preferred example of the invention where the yarn path is direction vertically upwards towards the divider means, the divider means comprises a pivotable finger adapted to move in an at least substantially vertical plane so that the finger is biassed downward under the force of gravity. If preferred, light spring means may be provided to bias the finger into the desired position.

Sensing means are provided which operate when the yarn travel is abnormal for example when the finger is in its lowest possible position, the arrangement being that when this position is attained, no yarn is present, i.e. a breakage may have occurred or the yarn supply is exhausted.

The sensing means in the example, which is to be described below, may also serve to produce a control signal when the finger is in its uppermost position, since this will normally only occur when there is a tangled length of yarn to be separated. Thus the apparatus may be arranged to operate in a semi-automatic manner. Further features which add to this capability will be described below.

Conveniently, the separated yarn strands are wound onto skein-forming wheels, known as swifts which form said yarn-strand receiving rotary devices.

There will now be described an example of apparatus according to the invention. It will be understood that the description, which is intended to be read with reference to the drawings, is given by way of example only and not by way of limitation.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus with casing portions removed for clarity and a safety door thereof partially open; Figure 2 is a rear view of the apparatus illustrating the lay-out of a portion of the operative components thereof; Figure 3 is a fragmentary view to an enlarged scale of tensioning means of the apparatus; Figure 4 is a fragmentary, perspective view of a divider means of the apparatus; Figures 5 and 6 are rear and top plan views respectively of a yarn strand laying mechanism associated with swifts of the apparatus; and Figure 7 is a circuit diagram relating to the apparatus.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the apparatus comprises a support means 2 including a rotatable cage 4 and a spindle 6 adapted to receive a cone of two-ply yarn 8.

The yarn 8 is drawn, by means to be described, from the cone which is rotated in a sense opposite to that in which the yarn was originally twisted, along an upwardly direct path through tensioning means 10, is divided by dividing means indicated at 12, each separated strand 8a and 8b passing through one of two guide means 14, 16 to be wound onto an appropriate one of two skein-forming wheels or swifts 18, 20.

A motor M1 operates the spindle 6 and a motor M2 operates the swifts 18 as will be described below. Switch S1 enables the motor M1 to be reversed as required to deal with S- or Z- twisted yarns.

Figure 3 shows the tensioning means 10 which comprises a central axial passage 22 through which the yarn 8 passes and two yarn guides 24 of the type known as pot-eyes. The yarn then passes between two plates of a cymbal tensioner 26 and is guided by a further pot-eye 28 before containing the path towards the divider means 12 illustrated in Figure 4. The divider means comprises a movable finger 30 pivotally mounted at 32 on a frame portion 34 for movement in a vertical plane between a lower position shown in broken lines into which it is biased by gravity and an upper position shown in chain-dotted lines.

The divider finger 30 is arranged to project between the two strands 8a and 8b to control their separation and to be supported by the yarn in positions intermediate of the two extreme positions. An intermediate position of the finger 30 is shown in full lines. However, should the yarn break or cease to be supplied, the absence of yarn is detected by the now unsupported finger dropping to its broken line position and contacting micro-switch S4 which initiates a signal to stop motor M1. If, on the other hand, the yarn tangles and pulls the finger into its chain-dot position, micro-switch S5 is operated and initiates a signal to stop motor M2 and the rotation of the swifts 18 and 20.

The yarn strands 8a and 8k are then guided through the pot-eyes 14 and 16 which are mounted on a reciprocating bar 36 slidable in a bracket 38 of a yarn distributing device 40 which is operated by motor M3 through linkage 42 and rotary plate 44. Yarn strands 8a and 8b are therefore wound in even layers upon the swifts 18 and 20, the rotation of which serves to draw the yarn from the cone along the path described.

The tension maintained in the yarn strands as they pass through the pot-eyes 14 and 16 is monitored by sensors S6 and S7 respectively which are linked to the pot-eyes by flexible leads 17. This breakage of either of the strands 8a and 8b is detected by interruption in the tension at 14 or 16 operating the appropriate sensor.

The operation of the apparatus will be described with additional reference to the circuit diagram of Figure 7.

A safety switch S3 is provided on a door 46 of a housing 48 and remains closed during the operation of the apparatus until the door 46 is opened. Switch S2 is a start (on/off) switch which when closed allows current at 240v to flow along line 50 to a transformer T1 to supply current at 24v to contacts C1 and C2 to close them thereby actuating motors M1, M2 and M3. The 24v circuit is identified at 52. Thus the cage 4 commences to rotate in the direction determined by S1, along with the spindle 6 and the cone 8; the swifts rotate to draw off the yarn 8 and the reciprocating bar 36 supporting the guides 14 and 16 commences to spread the separated strands of yarn being wound onto the swifts 18 and 20.

During normal operation, that is, while the finger 30 is in an intermediate position and switches S4, S5, S6 and S7 are closed (S6 and S7 being held closed by the presence of yarn strands 8a, Sb in the pot-eye guides 14,16 respectively as explained above), current flows to contact C2 to energise its coil (24v). This in turn operates the motors M2 and M3 by completing the path of line 54.

While the apparatus is operating, and the finger 30 is in an intermediate position, all three motors M1, M2 and M3 are running. If the finger drops so as to actuate switch S4, motor M1 is switched off allowing M2 and M3 to continue running. If the yarn then pulls the finger 30 up then M1 will re-commence. If the finger 30 moves from an intermediate operating position to a higher position so as to contact switch S5, motors M2 and M3 will be switched off. Thus the apparatus automatically controls the motor operations according to the run of yarn from the source.

Various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.

Claims (13)

CLAIMS:

1. Yarn handling apparatus comprising means to supply a stranded yarn from a source thereof, tensioning means to impart a predetermined degree to tension to the yarn, divider means adapted to project between strands of said yarn, a plurality of yarn-strand receiving rotary devices, each adapted to receive in a winding operation one of said yarns strands divided from each or the other strand(s), and means to rotate said rotary devices to draw yarn strands and yarn from the supply means in a predetermined path, wherein said divider means includes a movable finger adapted to move in a oscillatory manner in directions at least substantially parallel to the direction of supply of yarn thereto from said supply means, said divider means being arranged so as to be biassed in a direction upstream of said path, and sensing means capable of sensing absence of yarn or breakage of strands or yarn, or the presence of tangled yarn adjacent said divider means.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supply means for the yarn comprises means to support a yarn package while yarn is drawn therefrom.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein drive means are provided to rotate the yarn package support means as the yarn is drawn off.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said predetermined path of yarn strands and yarn is arranged in a vertically upward direction, said divider means comprising a pivotable finger adapted to move in an at least substantially vertical plane so that the finger is biassed downward under the force of gravity.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said finger is capable of movement in said plane between an upper position and a lower position, said sensing means being adapted to produce a control signal whenever the finger takes up either of said upper or said lower positions.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the finger is spring-biassed towards the lower position.

7. Apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the tensioning means includes a cymbal tensioner and annular yarn guides.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein there are provided sensors to detect breakage or absence of yarn at the tensioning means.

9. Apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a yarn strand distribution device is provided together with yarn strand receiving means, so as to ensure even distribution of the wound turns of yarn strand on said receiving means.

10. A method of handling a stranded yarn drawn from a source thereof in order to divide yarn strands separated therefrom, comprising drawing said multi-strand yarn from a source thereof, causing the yarn to be tensioned and to pass over a divider means, the separated strands then travelling to rotary yarn strand receiving means, providing a plurality of drive means and causing these (i) to operate so as to control rotation of the yarn from the source, (ii) to control distribution of the yarn strands on the rotary receiving means (iii) to rotate said receiving means, and providing movable yarn strand separating means adapted to control the pperation of the plurality of drive means by means of movement of said separating means into predetermined positions.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said drive means comprise three motors, comprising operating a first motor to control rotation of the yarn from the source, a second motor to control distribution of the yarn strands on the rotary receiving means, and a third motor to rotate said receiving means, movement of the yarn strand separating means into a first pre-determined position causing the operation of second and third motors to be halted, and movement of the yarn strand separating means into a second predetermined position causing the operation of the first motor to be interrupted, all three motors being adapted to operate at intermediate positions of the separating means.

12. Yarn handling apparatus constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the drawings.

13. A method of handling a stranded yarn, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawings.