US2045469A - Lap winding machine - Google Patents

Description

Filed April 23, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR! ATTORNY- June 23, 1936. JQNES 2,045,469

LAP WINDING MACHINE Filed April 23, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 23, 1936. R. M. JONES LAP WINDING MACHINE Filed April 23, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 VENTOR 75, ATTORNEY Patented June 23, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LAP MACHINE Application April 23, 1934, Serial No. 721,918

11 Claims. (CL 19 158) This invention relates tolap winding machines of the character used in the textile industry, and it will be herein disclosed as embodied in a machine of the type known commercially as a "silver lap machine, it being understood, however, that some features of the invention'are also useful in other machines of a similar character, such as ribbon lap machines and ballers.

In a sliver lap machine a sliver or series of slivers are wound on a spool or core, usually immediately before or after and in connection with a drawing operation, and the lap so produced later is transferred to another machine where the slivers are further drawn, are spun, or are treated in some other manner. In prior commercial machines for doing this work the mechanisms for holding the spools in the machine during the winding operation have been so organized that an excessive proportion of the entire time required to wind the lap, remove it, replace the spool, and start the winding of a new lap is occupied merely in the dofilng operation; that is, the removal of the completed lap and the steps necessary to start winding again on an empty spool. The present invention is especially concerned with this problem, and it aims to improve machines of this general character with a view to reducing the labor involved in the dofling operation and materially shortening the time required by it. V

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sliver lap machine embodying features of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional view through the spool supporting and guiding mechanism of the machine shown in Fig. l; r

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing parts of the operating mechanism for the spool clamping means;

mechanism for revolving these rolls in the same direction and at the same peripheral speed may be provided, and the usual arrangement, such as that illustrated in Fig. 1, for feeding the sliver or slivers forward to the winding rolls may be employed. Referring more particularly to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the spool or core 4 on which the slivers are wound, and which usually comprises a wooden body, is provided with two hardened steel washers or collars 5-5, set into the opposite ends thereof, and surrounding the end portions of the central bore of the spool, these washers being connected by suitable tie rods 6. Other core or spool constructions can be used in place of that shown provided they have the necessary strength and other characteristics required to satisfy the practical requirements for such devices. For the purpose of supporting the spool in winding relationship to the rolls 2 and 3, two clamping members are arranged to engage its opposite ends and grip it securely between them. The clamping member at the right in Fig. 2 comprises a disk or head I, mounted on a hub or stub shaft 8, which'is supported in roller bearings II) for rotation about its own axis. The other clamping member is a duplicate of that just described and corresponding parts of it are indicated by the same, but primed numerals. The disks of these two clamping members are secured to their respective hubs at short distances from the inner ends of the latter so that those portions of the hubs projecting toward each other and beyond the inner faces of the disks serve as pintles or stub shafts to support and center the core or spool 4, and thus to provide for the rotation of the spool about its own axis by its peripheral engagement with the winding rolls 2 and 3, the clamping members revolving in unison with the spool.

As the winding operation progresses the axis of the spool moves upwardly away from the peripheral surfaces of the winding rolls, and in order to maintain a firm driving contact between the rolls and the lap, and at the same time to produce the pressure necessary to make a hard lap, means is provided to resist the upward movement of the spool. This arrangement comprises two racks l2 and I2, meshing with gears, one

of which is shown in Fig. 1 at I 3, and both of which are secured fast on the shaft I 4. A band brake mechanism acts on the peripherybkthe brake wheel l5 secured fast on the shaft I 4 to resist rotation of this shaft, .the brake pressure being applied by a lever l6 carrying an adjustable weight This mechanism is similar to that 3 used heretofore.

In this machine, however, the racks l2 and I2 are provided at their upper ends with heads I8 and I8 in which the roller bearings l8 and Ill, respectively, are mounted, and these heads are guided vertically in grooved guideways 20 and 20', respectively, best shown in Fig. 4, carried by, or forming parts of, the side frames of the machine.

In order to produce the proper operative engagement of the clamping members with the ends of the spool, it is necessary to force these members inwardly toward each other with considerable pressure and to maintain them in their clamping relationship to the spool while the spool moves away from the rolls as the winding operation progresses. This function is performed by a mechanism which comprises two thrust plates or bars 22 and 22' mounted at opposite sides of the machine frame in position to bear against the outer ends of the two hubs 8 and 8'. The hubs slide on the bars, or have a movement of translation relatively to them, so that the bars hold the clamping members pressed firmly against the opposite ends of the lap throughout the entire winding operation. An anti-friction device is provided between the thrust bar 22 and its hub 8 consisting of a ball 23 for engaging the face of the bar and a hardened plug or step 24 set into the hub and providing a bearing for the ball 23, similar parts being used at the opposite side of the machine. Preferably, also, a hardened steel wear plate 25 is set into the bar 22, as best shown in Fig. 4, for the ball 23 to run on. Also, since most of the pressure is applied through the central portion of the bar, this member is provided with an integral flange 26 projecting outwardly at right angles to the main body of the bar and serving to stiffen this part and to add materially to its rigidity.

The supporting means for the thrust bars 22 comprises upper and lower pairs of parallel links 21 and 28, respectively, these links serving to hold the face of the bar in a vertical position as it is moved inward or outward. The same arrangement is provided for the bar 22' and consequently, the inner faces of both bars are held parallel to each other and in vertical planes at all times. Pivoted to the lower end of the bar 22 is a link 30, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, which is also connected at its lower end to the horizontal arm of a bell crank lever 3| secured fast on a rocker shaft 32 that extends horizontally through the machine frome one side to the other. The upright arm 33 of this lever is also pivoted to one end of a rod 34 which extends forwardly to the front of the machine and is there provided with a large eye 35 in which an eccentric disk 36 is fitted. This disk is made integral with, or is secured rigidly to, a handle 31 which is mounted to rotate on a stud 38 that is secured in a part of the machine frame. It will be clear from an inspection of Figs. 2 and 3 that when the handle 31 is in its full line position, Fig. 3, the center of the eccentric 38 then is slightly past the dead center position with reference to the stud 38 and the rod 34. Further movement of the handle in this direction is prevented by the engagement of a lug 40 on the handle with a portion of the rod 84. In this position both thrust bars 22 and 22' are pulled downwardly and locked against upward movement. If, however, the handle 31 is swung in a clockwise direction, Fig. 3, into the dotted line position there shown, it will operate through the connections above described to raise the thrust bars, and this movement will also resuit in swinging the bars outwardly away from each other-because of the action oi the parallel link mechanisms on which they are supported. thus releasing the pressure of the clamping members on the spool, In fact, this movement posi- 5 tively withdraws the ends of the shafts or hubs 8-8 from the spools since these hubs have disks 4l4l, respectively, secured rigidly to their outer ends. and running in grooves 42-42 and 42'42', Figs. 2 and 4, formed in the thrust bars 22--22', respectively.

In using this machine a spool or core is placed in the machine while the handle 3! is in its dotted line position, Fig. 3, and the handle then is swung into its full line or locking position, thus clamping the spool between the clamping members, as above described, a short portion of the lap being wrapped around the roll prior to starting the winding operation. As this operation progresses, the spec] is moved upwardly by the winding of additional material on it until finally the lap reaches the desired diameter. The handle 31 is then pushed back, thus moving the thrust bars 22 and 22' away from each other, as above described, and releasing the spool 4. The completed lap next is rolled out of its position between the disks and down into the lap pan 44, Fig. 1, the web of fiber is broken, and the lap is removed from the pan. A new spool is placed between the clamping members, the handle 31 is pulled forward to clamp this spool securely between the clamping members, and the operator then steps on the treadle 45, Fig. 1, at the forward end of the brake lever l6, thus allowing the racks l2--I2' to drop down until the spool is in contact, through the web of fiber, with the fluted winding rolls 2 and 3, the end of the new lap being wrapped around this spool after reaching its lowermost position. This starts the winding of the new lap.

With this construction, therefore, the dofling operation can be performed very quickly and with a minimum of effort. In addition, the arrangement is such that the clamping devices are held securely to the spool so that the disks 1 and 1' revolve in unison with the core 4 and thus prevent any lag n of the disks which would produce roughened selvages. The ball thrusts provided at the outer ends of the hubs 8 and 8 reduce end friction to a minimum while the roller bearings I 8 and i0 reduce the bearing friction, and the presence of these anti-friction devices is important because of the heavy pressures transmitted through all of them.

While I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I 60 desire to claim as new is:

1. In a lap winding machine, the combination of a pair of winding rolls, two rotary clamping members for releasably engaging the opposite bers and said bearings being mounted to have a movement of translation relatively to the last named means as the winding operation progresses.

2. In a lap winding machine, the combination of a pair of winding rolls, two rotary clamping members for releasably engaging the opposite ends of a spool to center it in position to be revolved by said rolls, bearings supporting said members for rotation, means for guiding said bearings for bodily movement with'the spool as its axis moves away from said rolls during the winding operation, a pair of racks in which said bearings are supported, gears meshing with said racks, a shaft connecting said gears, means for resisting the rotation of said shaft, whereby said means operates through said racks to press said spool and the material wound thereon firmly against said rolls as the winding operation progresses, and means for forcing said members endwise simultaneously toward each other to clamp said spool between them and to hold the spool so clamped during the winding operation, said clamping members and said bearings being mounted to have a movement of translation relatively to the last named means as the winding operation progresses.

'3. In a machine according topreceding claim l, a construction in which the means for forcing said members toward each other to clamp said spool between .them comprises two substantially parallel bars movable toward and from the path of travel of the spool and between which the spool is mounted, and mechanism for forcing said bars simultaneously toward and from each other.

4. In a lap winding machine, the combination of a pair of winding rolls, a pair of stub shafts arranged to engage opposite ends of a spool to center it in position to be revolved by said rolls, bearings supporting said shafts for rotation, means for guiding said bearings for bodily movement with the spool as its axis moves away from said rolls during the winding operation, mechanism for pressing said spool and the material wound thereon firmly against said rolls as the winding operation progresses to produce a hard lap, two parallel thrust bars at opposite sides of the machine and extending parallel to the path of travel of said axis, means supporting said bars for movement toward and from the. ends of said spool to force said shafts toward each other into operative engagement with the spool, mechanism for operating said bars to give them their operative movement, and antifriction means between the respective shafts and said'bars to cause said barsto operate through said shafts to operatively support the spool as it is moved away from said rolls while offering relatively little resistance to the latter movement of said spool.

5. A machine according to preceding claim 4 in which the means for supporting said bars maintains them in parallel relationship to each other while they are moved toward and from each other.

6. A machine according to preceding claim 4 in which the means for supporting said bars comprises a parallel link mechanism for each bar.

- '7. A machine according to preceding claim 4 in which the means for supporting said bars comprises a parallel link mechanism for each bar and the operating mechanism for said bars includes means movable about a center into locking and unlocking relationship to said center.

8. A machine according to preceding claim 4 in which the connection between said bars and said shafts is operative to move the shafts positively both toward and from the spool while enabling the shafts to slide longitudinally on the bars.

9. In a lap winding machine, the combination of two rotary members for releasably engaging opposite ends of a lap to clamp the lap between them and to center it for the winding operation, mechanism for acting on the periphery of said lap to revolve the lap and thereby to give it its winding movement, means for pressing said lap toward said mechanism to compress the material in it as it is wound up and thereby to produce a hard lap, two thrust bars mounted, respectively, at opposite sides of the machine for holding said clamping members in their clamping relationship to the lap, said members being slidable longitudinally of said bars as the lap builds up, and means operable to move said bars toward said lap to cause said members to clamp the lap between them.

10. In a lap winding machine, the combination of two rotary members for releasably engaging opposite ends of a lap to clamp the lap between them and to center it for the winding operation, mechanism for acting on the periphery of said lap to revolve the lap and thereby to give it its winding movement, means for pressing said lap toward said mechanism to compress the material in it as it is wound up and thereby to produce a hard lap, two thrust bars mounted, respectively, at opposite sides of the machine for holding said clamping members in their clamping relationship to the lap, said members being slidable longitudinally of said bars as the lap builds up, and means operable to move said bars toward and from said lap to cause said members to clamp and release the lap, said bars being connected with said respective clamping members to move said members positively both toward and from the lap.

11. Ina lap winding machine, the combination of two rotary members for releasably engaging opposite ends of a lap to clamp the lap between them and to center it for the winding operation, each of said members comprising a disk to bear on one end of the lap and a stub shaft to center the lap, mechanism for acting on the periphery of said lap to revolve the lap and thereby to give it its winding movement, means for pressing said lap toward said mechanism to compress the material in it as it is wound up and thereby to produce a hard lap, two parallel thrust bars mounted, respectively, at opposite sides of the machine for holding said clamping members in their clamping relationship to the lap, said members being slidable longitudinally of said bars as the lap builds up, and means operable to move said bars and said members toward and from' said lap to cause said members to clamp and release the lap.

ROBERT MOLYNEUX JONES,

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