548,654. Winding yarns. UNIVERSAL WINDING CO. Dec. 5, 1941. No. 15735. Convention date, March 26. Addition to 520,038. [Class 120 (ii) A yarn winding machine as described in the parent Specification comprising doffing and donning means both automatically operated for respectively releasing a wound yarn carrier from and supplying an empty carrier to the winding. spindle and a controller for controlling the doffing and donning operations in timed relation is characterised in that electromagnetically controlled driving means for the controller comprises connecting means, e.g. a clutch, controlled by a controller electromagnet for operatively connecting the controller to a power-driven shaft and an electric circuit comprising the electromagnet and a switch arranged to be operated in dependence on the growth of the winding for energising the electromagnet and thereby operating the controller. The circuit may comprise two switches operated in succession whereof one is arranged to be closed upon completion of the winding for initially energising the controller electromagnet and the other is controlled by the controller so as to hold the electromagnet energised after the first switch has opened. The winding machine comprises any suitable number of winding units and includes a spindle drive shaft 4, traverse drive shaft 5 and a controller drive shaft 6, Fig. 1. Each bobbin b is mounted in a spindle cup 25 keyed on the winding spindle 10 and the yam is traversed by a guide 45 working on a two-part traverse rod 46, 64 under the action of a cam 47. The guide 45 is mounted on an internally threaded sleeve 101, Fig. 2, having a contact wheel 104 and is provided with a finger 108 adapted in association with a former bar 88 to control the winding of the base of the package. After a fully wound bobbin has been doffed the thread-guide 45 is automatically returned to its initial position by rotating the rod section 64 through sprocket chain and clutch mechanism operated from the control shaft 6. A yarn-retriever device 170 is provided and serves to traverse the yarn rearwardly to form a back-wind W, Fig. 15, to position the strand for attachment to an empty bobbin being donned and to restrict the traverse of the yarn at the beginning of a new winding operation so as to form a bunch. After the winding of the bobbin has been completed and the yarn retriever 170 traversed rearwardly to form the back-wind W the spindle 10 and thread-guide 45 are arrested by stopping means comprising a latch trip electromagnet 249 which acts to release the starting handle 240, Fig. 9. The wound bobbin is then doffed an empty bobbin donned in its place and rotation of the spindle 10 and reciprocation of the thread guide 45 automatically restarted by means of an electromagnet 262. If the solenoid 249 should fail to operate, a mechanical latch trip is provided to release the starting handle which is also released on breakage or exhaustion of the yarn supply by the drop wire 116. When the back wind W has been completed the spindle cup 25 is retracted to allow the wound bobbin to fall by gravity into the receiver 315, Fig. 4, and after a time interval is returned to engage the fresh bobbin. The wound bobbin is temporarily retained by a pivoted gate 317 during the severing of the trailing yarn and its attachment to the fresh bobbin. The fresh bobbin from a magazine 375 is positioned between the spindle cup 25 and the end 38 of the stub spindle 39, Fig. 15, by the action of a transferring cradle comprising laterally spaced shoots 377, 378 having pivotally mounted retaining gates 392, 393 and adjustable bobbin grippers. The electromagnet windings are connected in parallel in different branches C - - - M of an electric circuit provided with separate control switches C-1 - - - M-1 governed by cams C-2 - - - M-2 on a central controller 459, Fig. 40. The switches are mounted in closely adjacent relationship on a supporting frame 470, Fig. 37, and each switch comprises arms 471, 472 carrying contacts 476, 477, Fig. 36, and is mounted in operative relation to its cam on the shaft 490 which is driven from the shaft 6. The cam discs are set in angular relationship so as to operate the switches in timed sequence during one complete revolution of the shaft 490. The cams C-2 - - - L-2 are secured permanently in position on the shaft 490 while the cam M-2 which controls the retraction of the cradle and the release of the yarn retriever 170 for regulating the winding of the bunch is independently adjustable to suit different conditions of winding, e.g., size of yarn and type of bobbin. In operation an empty bobbin is mounted between the spindle cup 25 and the stub spindle 39. The starting handle 240 is moved counter-clockwise to withdraw the levers 15, 53 and allow engagement of the clutches 13, 51, Fig. 1, thus connecting the drive shafts 4, 5 to the spindle 10 and traverse cam 47. When the winding is completed the tailpiece 110 depending from the thread-guide 45 engages the collar 275 on the rod 274 and moves the latter to actuate the control member 272 and close the switch 467 and the circuit C. The controller solenoid 465 is then energised to engage the controller shaft 490 to the drive shaft 6, the rotation of which then closes the following switches in sequence :-switch C-1 to maintain the solenoid 465 energised ; switch D-1 to energise the solenoid 219 for moving the yarn retriever 170 rearwardly to form the back wind W ; switch E-1 to energise the solenoid 117 for opening the tension device 114 which is closed again on completion of the back wind ; switch F-1 to energise the solenoid 249 to release the starting handle 240 and disconnect the clutches 13, 51 ; switch G-1 to energise the solenoid 308 to retract the spindle cup 25 and allow the bobbin to drop into the shoot 315 the yarn being guided into position for attachment to a fresh bobbin ; switch H-1 to energise the solenoid 229 to release the plunger of the solenoid 219 which moves the yarn retriever rearwardly as the spindle cup is retracted ; switch I-1 to energise the solenoid 161 to connect the shaft 6 to rotate the threaded portion 64 of the traverse rod to return the thread guide rearwardly to its initial winding position; switch J-1 to energise the solenoid 362 for releasing the pivoted gate 317 in the shoot 315 and allowing the wound bobbin to drop; switch K-1 to energise the solenoid 453 and release the cradle and allow a fresh bobbin to be brought into position, the switch G-1 then being opened to de-energise the solenoid 308 and the yarn clamped against the butt end of the empty bobbin ; switch L-1 to energise the solenoid 262 for starting a new winding operation the switch E-1 acting simultaneously to relieve the initial tension on the yarn and then apply the normal winding tension the switch D-1 being opened to allow the yarn retriever 170 to be moved to the right for winding the bunch on the completion of which the switch M-1 is closed to energise the solenoid 445 to return the cradle to the bobbin receiving position and the yarn retriever 170 is returned to the position shown in Fig. 4 for the normal winding operation. After a complete doffing and donning operation the switch C-1 is opened to de-energize the solenoid 465 and disconnect the shaft 490 from the drive shaft 6. If the control member 272 should fail to operate the switch 467 or if the electric control means should fail to operate the stopping mechanism, continued movement of the rod 274 will serve to release the starting handle to arrest the spindle 10 and traverse cam 47 without operating the doffing and donning mechanism.