GB486304A - Improvements relating to yarn-winding apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

486,304. Counting -apparatus. FULTON, S. M., and KIMPTON, W. H. Dec. 1, 1936, No. 32909. [Class 106 (i)] [Also in Group IX] In a pirn-winding machine having mechanism for automatically doffing a completed pirn and donning an empty pirn tube upon which the winding of a new pirn continues, a counting device is actuated at each doffing and donning operation and controls means which automatically renders the doffing and donning mechanism inoperative after a predetermined number of pirns have been wound ; means may be provided for the hand-control of the counting device to allow of an initial setting of the mechanism to any predetermined number of pirns before the doffing and donning mechanism is rendered inoperative and means, coacting with the hand-control means, may be provided for visually indicating the number of pirns to be wound before the doffing and donning mechanism is rendered inoperative ; the counting device may be actuated by the donning member and may include a rotatable member which is driven from the donning member through part of a revolution for each complete motion of the donning member. As shown the counting device is applied to the automatic two-spindle pirn - winding machine described in Specification 475,157, [Group IX], and the counting device comprises a ratchet wheel 76 on a shaft 74 mounted in the wall 15 of the machine frame, the wheel being intermittently driven by a pawl. 77 on the end of a lever 78 freely mounted on the shaft 74 and oscillated by a rod 79 mounted in guides 80 and formed with a cam portion 82 engaged by a ram 83 on the end of the toothed rod 19 of the donning mechanism so that each time a completed pirn is doffed and the spindle 7 replenished with a fresh tube 9 the ratchet wheel 76, and consequently a disc 73 on the shaft 74, are rotated through a predetermined distance. The disc 73 has part of its periphery cut away and can be rotated by a knob 84 to set it in any desired position relatively to a projection 72 at the head of a lever 54, the projection bearing against the uncut periphery of the disc a distance from the cut-away portion 75 sufficient to allow the predetermined number of doffing and donning operations to take place before the rotation of the disc causes the cut-awav portions 75 to be presented to the projection 72 and release the lever 54 ; the lever 54 is pivoted on a shaft 55 and carries a guide 53 for a rod 52 carrying a compression spring 59 disposed between the guide 53 and a head 58 on the rod which is connected by a chain 50 to the latch 48 which controls the initiation of the doffing and donning operations, the chain being tensioned and tending to rotate the latch out of engagement with the catch 46 which, during winding, is restrained by the latch from engaging the dog 45 and locking it to the disc 42 so that the latter becomes coupled to the cam 32 which actuates the doffing and donning mechanism. The tendencv of the latch 48 to rotate under the influence of the tension in the chain 50 is restrained by the heads 60 of pivoted fingers which are rotated on completion of the pirns on the two spindles 7 to release the latch 48 and initiate the doffing and donning operations but when the predetermined number of pirns have been wound, the release of the lever 54 causes the tension in the chain 50 to be released and the latch 48 is held in position to engage the catch 46 and prevent further operation of the cam 32, irrespective of the positions of the pivoted fingers. To facilitate the setting of the disc 73, notches 85 are formed in its periphery each adapted to receive the projection 72 and spaced apart an extent corresponding to one complete doffing and donning operation; the notches may be numbered and a circular plate 86, formed near its edge with numbers corresponding with the notches 85, may be secured on the shaft 74 behind the plate 87 of the machine frame, the plate 87 having an aperture 88 through which may be seen the number on the plate 86 indicating the number of doffing and donning operations to be effected before the doffing and donning mechanism becomes inoperative. The counting device may be rendered inoperative by a hand lever 89 pivoted on the shaft 55 and formed with a projection 90 which is caused to engage the head 58 of the pin 52 and push it so as to release the tension in the chain 50 and the lever 89 may be locked in this position.