US2295795A - Registering apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 15, 1942. E. A. KEELER 2,295,795

REGISTERING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 23, 1938 15 FIG.I. IO 9 INVENTOR EARL A. KEELER ATTORN EY Patented Sept. 15, 1942 REGISTERING APPARATUS Earl A. Keeler, Norristown, Pa., assignor to The Brown Instrument Company, Philadelphia, l'a., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 23, 1938, Serial No. 241,996

13 Claims.

This invention relates to the detection of broken filaments in a thread.

The present invention is a continuation in part of my prior application Serial No. 118.095, filed December 29, 1936, now Patent 2,188,754, January 30, .1940, which discloses various arrangements for detecting defective filaments in a thread together with means actuated thereby for indicating and/or recording the number of such imperfections.

The various arrangements disclosed in my prior application were devised by me with the'general object in view of providing simple and efilcient means for detecting defective filaments in a single thread or in a plurality of threads together with means actuated thereby for indicating the presence and/or recording the number of such imperfections.

The apparatus claimed herein is an arrangement embodying my invention in which the moving thread is chargedto a suitable potential and then passed through a loop of the proper clearance topermit defective filaments to touch the loop and thereby impart a charge to the latter,

. material in the form of fuzzy ends. Heretofore in order to eliminate these fuzzy ends provisions have been made for the inspection, by observationof a portion of the thread during transfer of the thread from spool to spool and rejection of any spools having an excessive number of broken filaments. This inspection operation is obviously expensive and, more important from the standpoint of producing quality material, is inadequate by virtue of the fact that only a small portion of the total output can practicably be inspected.

Moreover, visual inspection of the thread during transfer of the thread from spool to spool the arrangement claimed herein, the manual inspection operation referred to may be dispensed with and defective thread filaments may auto-.

matically be detected and indicated by readily distinguishable means.

As a means for such automatic detection, 1 employ suitable means arranged in the path of the thread. as the latter is being transferred from spool to spool, for applying an electrical charge to the thread and thereafter collecting part of said charge from the fuzzy or broken filaments. The electrical charge so collected is employed to control a sensitive electrical circuit andthereby the energization of suitable indicating means to be described. Thus, an indication of the presence of broken filaments of the thread, which are difficult of detection by visual means alone, may be had.

The various features of novelty which characterize my invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better under standing of the invention, however, its advantages and specific objects attained with its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing and descriptive matter in which I have illus-,

trateol and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Of the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a more or less dlagrammatical view illustrating oneform of the invention;

Fig. 2 illustrates a modification of the registering device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a wiring diagram illustrating a modification of the arrangement of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a modification of the device of Fig. 3. Referring to Fig. 1, provision is made, as illustrated, for arranging a detector .l in the path of the moving thread for detecting the presence of broken filaments in the thread. Normally in and detection of broken filaments is difilcult as will be readily appreciated when it is understood that rayon threads which themselves are extremely small in diameter are made up from 40 practice, the detector may desirably be arranged in the path of the thread as it is being unwound from a spindle on a spinning machine and wound on a. bobbin immediately after the spinning operation. For clarity and definiteness of illust.ation, however, I have shown, in a more or less diagrammatic way, the thread 2 as being unwound from a spool I and reeled on a spool I, the latter being mounted for rotation on a shaft 5 driven through suitable gearing, not shown, by a unidirectional electrical motor 6 energized for rotation from alternating current supply lines L and L. The spool 3 is mounted for rotation on a shaft 1 which may be disposed on suitable brackto 100-or more of such filaments. By means of ets l in any convenient manner. Preferably both spools 3 and 4 are so mounted for rotation as to facilitate quick removal and replacement by other spools.

The detector 1' includes an electrical conductor 9 arranged in the path of the thread and having a;. loop Ill at its upper end through which the thread is passed, and'which is adapted to receive an electrical charge from the thread when broken filaments engage the said loop. The thread is guided into the loop ID by guide rods H and I2 having saddle portions at their upper end for guiding the thread. The charge so imparted to the loop All! ansLhence to the conductor 9 is employed to control a sensitive electrical circuit to thereby indicate and/or record the imperfections in the thread.

As illustrated, means are provided in the form of an electronic circuit l3 for imparting a charge to themoving thread ,2 immediately before it passes through the loop L and for indicating when part of the charge is imparted to the loop by defective thread filaments. This electronic circuit includes a rectifier circuit which is capable of delivering a high direct current potential, the positive side of which is connected by a conductor electronic circuits l3, each of the latter having a H to a brush l5, the latter being in engagement,

withthe moving thread 2 and adaptedto impart 'a charge thereon. The rectifier isenergized from secondary windings l6 and. I! of a transformer l8, the primarywinding l8 of which is energized from the alternating current supply lines L and L2. Secondary windings 20 and 2| are also disposed 0n. the transformer I8 and are employed for supplying current for heating the filament and for supplying anode voltage to a three-electrode electronic tube 22, respectively. The tube 22 includes the usual cathode 23, anode 24, and grid 25, the latter being connected to the conductor 9. A relay winding 26 is connected in the plate circuit of the tube 22 and is adapted to operate an armature 21 to close a circuit through a neon tube 28 connected through a resistance 29 to the alternating current supply lines L and L.

In operation the tube 22 is normally non-conductive, but-when a positive charge is imparted to the grid 25 as a result of engagement of a defective filament with the loop l0, the tube will become conductive during the half cycle when the anode 24 is positive. The resulting flow of pulsating current through the relay winding 26 will energize the latter to thereby efiect the closure of the energizing circuit to the neon tube 28. Thus, the presence of the thread imperfection will be indicated by glowing of the tube 28.

If desired, a permanent record of the presence relay winding 26 disposed in the output circuits thereof and associated elements 30, 32, 33 and 34. As will be readily understood, the number of threads which may practicably be simultaneously inspected in this man iger is limited only by the width of the chart employed. Print hammers may conveniently be spaced at a small distance, say an eighth of an inch apart, and hence fifty or a hundred threads may simultaneously be inspected and a record of imperfections thereof 1 had on a single record chart. For convenience in scanning the chart and noting the number of imperfections in any of the threads inspected by such a multiple unit, provision has been made in the form of a guide 40 disposed parallel to the chart roll 31, in close proximity therewith and slightly below the level of the print hammers. A sighting slide 4|, having a slot 42 running lengtl'iwise, is disposed at right angles to the guide 40 and is adapted to cooperate at its upper end with the latter so as to be manually slidable along the chart, and the marks in any single line may be seen through the slot 42. Preferably, each print hammer is consecutively numbered in either direction as desired, on the guide 40, and the slot 42 extended sothat the number may be seen therethrough, or a separate opening may be provided for this purpose, as desired. In this manner the marks denoting imperfections for any single: thread may be scanned individually, in that the marks pertaining to other threads simultaneously inspected and in close proximity to those it is desired to scan are excluded from view and thereby precludes any confusion which might of the thread imperfection may be had and in on the recorder chart each time that the relay winding 26 is energized. The lever 38 is normally biased for rotation in. a clockwise direction by spring means 35 into engagement with. a stop 36 so that when the relay winding 26 is deenergized, the print hammer 32 is held out of engagement with the recorder chart 33 and ribbon 34. The recorder chart is adapted to be drivenby a continuously rotating roller 31, the latter being driven in any convenient manner, as for example,

' loop l0, part of the charge on the thread will be otherwise result in scanning the chart.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated another embodiment of my invention in which repeated engagements of defective thread filarr'ients with the loop III are employed to charge a condenser 43 the latter being periodically discharged and the discharge current measured in any suitable manner. In this embodiment the thread 2 is shown asareceiving a charge from the positive terminal of a battery 44 through a conductor 45 connected to the brush l5, but it will be understood a rectifier arrangement as disclosed in Fig. 1 may be employed inlieu of the battery, if desired. Omengagement of defective thread filaments with'the transferred to the condenser 43, and as will become apparent, the magnitudegof the charge stored on the condenser will depend upon their number of such engagements and hence, upon the number of imperfections in the thread. aPeriodically, the condenser 43 is discharged by'closure of a switch 46, which switch may be actuated by means of any suitable time actuated mechanism. Preferably, I employ intermittently operating discharge means providing equal intervals of time between each discharge period, which discharge means as diagrammatically shown, includes a cam 41 driven by a continuously rotating shaft by a unidirectional electrical motor 38 through 7 48 for operating switch 46 alternately to its open and closed positions. The discharge current may be measured in any convenient manner, as for example, by a hot wire or other suitable current measuring instrument 49. As will be apparent, the magnitude of the discharge current will be a measure of the number of engagements of thread defects with the loop Ill occurringin the interval that the switch 46 is open. 1 v I In Fig. 4 I have shown a modification of the embodiment of my invention described in Fig. 3 in which repeated engagements of thread defects with the loop ili are employed to charge a lever 18 pivoted for rotation at the other end condenser 50, the iatter being automatically discharged whenthe charge stored up exceeds a certain predetermined/value. This discharge current is employed-"tojcontrol the fiow of anode current in electronic device 5| to thereby eifectindication, andl if desired, recording, each time a predetermined number of engagements of thread .defects'withthe loop II! have occurred.

The electronic device 5| includes a transformer 5!,havlng secondary windings 53,54, 55,'and a primary winding 56 energized directly from the alternating current supply lines L I and L. The secondary windings 53 and 5! supply. current for heating the filaments of electronic tubesjil and 58, and the winding 54 supplies anode voltage to the tube 51. The tube 51 is a full wave rectifier tube, the rectified voltage being impressed on the anode circuit of the triode 58. A condenser 59 and a divider resistor ill areemployed in the usual manner for smoothing out alternating current ripples in the rectified voltage. A point on the divider resistor 60 at a suitably high potential is connected by a conductor 6| to the brush I! for imparting a charge to the thread, a portion of which charge is adapted to be transferred to the condenser 50 by a conductor Bleach time defective thread filaments engage the loop l0.

The tube 581s a heater type tube and is comprised'i of theusual cathode 63, anode 64, and grid {55, the latter being connected through a resistor 68 to the negativeterminal of divider resistor 60. Negative bias is providedfor the grid 65 by means of a resistor 61 connected in the cathode circuit so that normally the tube is nonconductive. A gaseous discharge tube 68 isconnected by conductors B9 and Ill between the grid 55 and the conductor 62. This tube 68 has a current-voltage characteristic such that up to a certain voltage across the tube no current fiows, but when the'striking potential is reached, a discharge passes and the voltage across the tube drops and becomes quite constant regardless of the current taken irom the-tube. When the charge accumulated. on the condenser 50, as a result of repeated engagements of thread defects on the loop l0 exceeds a predetermined value, a discharge passes between the elements in the tube as and through the resistor back to the f other plate of the condenser. The potential differencemomentarily maintained across the resistor 66 by the discharge current reduces the negative biason the grid 65 to thereby render the tube 58 conductive. The anode current conducted by the tube may be employed in any suitable manner to aflord indication and, if desired, to effect a recording operation each time that predetermined number of engagements of thread defects with the loop Ill have occurred.

As shown in Fig. 4, a lamp H connected in the anode circuit of the tube is provided for indicating whenever a predetermined number of fuzz projections have passed the loop in. In-

disposed in inductive relation to the relay 13 so that when the latter is energized the armature will be rotated' counterclockwiselinto engagement with the relay. The armature .14 is connected by means of a link I1 toone end of a on, a shaft I9 and carrying a pawl intermediate its ends. This pawl 80 is adapted to cooperate with a ratchel wheel 8| also mounted for rotation on the shaft 19. A gear 82 integral with the ratchet wheel 8| is adapted to cooperate with a gear 83 connected in any suitable manner to a counter 84 so that rotation of the ratchet wheel 8|, as a result of energizationof the relay [3, results in actuation of the counter to thereby record the total number of engagements of fuzz projections with the loop l0. It is not to be construed, however, that the embodiment of the invention described in Fig. 4 is limited to the recording means shown, for any suitable recording means may be employed, as for example, described elsewhere herein.

While in accordance with the provisions of the statutes, I have illustrated and described the best form of my invention now known to me, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain changes may be made in the form of the apparatus disclosed without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claims, andthat certain features of my invention may sometimes be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus toindicate a variable characteristic of an electrical non-conducting body, means to place an electrical charge on the body, a device normally out of physical contact with but disposed in cooperative relation with the body and adapted to receive a charge therefrom 2. In apparatus to indicate a variable char-.

acteristic of an electrically non-conducting body, a source of electric potential, means connecting said source to impart an electrical charge to said body, a device normally out of physical contact with but disposed in cooperative relation with the body and adapted to receive a chargetherefrom in accordance with variations in saidcharact'eristic, electronic valve means, current responsive means connected to said valve means to indicate-the said variations in said characteristic, and means connected to said device and responsive to the charge thereon to control the fiowof electric current through said valve.

3. The method of detecting defective filaments projecting from an electrically non-conducting thread including the steps of applying an elecatrical charge to the thread, collecting the charge t'r'omthe defective filaments, and measuring said charge? 4. Apparatus-for detecting defective filaments projecting from an"electrically,.non conducting thread including means for imparting an electrical charge to the thread, means normally out of contact with said thread and engaged by said defective filaments for collecting .said charge, and a device operated by v the second mentioned means upon engagement therewith of said filaments. e

5. In apparatus for detecting defective filaments projecting from an electrical non-conducting thread, an electronic valve including an anode, a control electrode and a cathode, means for applying an electrical charge to said thread, detecting means disposed in-cooperative relation with said thread, means for relatively moving said thread and detecting means for imparting at least a portion or all of said electrical charge to said detecting means under control of said defective filaments, means connected to said control electrode responsive to the electrical charge collected by said detecting means for controlling the flow of electric current through said valve, and means responsive to said electric current for indicating whenever a charge is imparted to said detecting means.

6. In apparatus for ascertaining the number "of imperfections in a thread due to defective filaments, a source of voltage, a condenser, detecting means disposed in cooperative relation with said thread, means for relatively moving said thread and detecting means, said detecting means including means to momentarily connect said source of voltage to said condenser under control of said filaments for imparting a charge to said condenser, periodically operated means for discharging said condenser, and means for measuring the discharge current.

7. In apparatus for ascertaining the number of imperfections in a thread due to defective filaments, a condenser, an electronic valve compriscontrolling the flow of electric current through said valve, and means responsive to said electric current for indicating each such discharge.

8. In apparatus for ascertaining the number of imperfections in a thread due to defective filaments, a condenser, an electronic valve comprising an anode, grid, and a cathode, a source of direct current voltage for said condenser and said valve, an electrical resistance, a gaseous discharge tube connected in series with the resistance and both of the latter shunting said condenser, the said gaseous discharge tube having a current-voltage characteristic such that up to a certain critical voltage applied thereon, it is nonconductive and at the critical voltage becomes conductive, detecting means disposed in cooperative relation with the thread, means for relatively moving said thread and. detecting means to cause engagement of defective filaments with said detecting means for connecting said direct current voltage to said condenser for imparting. an electrical charge on the latter, the said gaseous dis charge tube being adapted to discharge said condenser through said resistance when. a predetermined number of electrical charges have been applied to the condenser for producing a voltage drop across said resistance to control the flow of anode current through said valve, and means disposed in the anode circuit of said valve for indicating whenever a predetermined number of engagements of defective filaments with said d tecting means have occurred.

9. In apparatus to indicate a size variation of an electrical non-conducting body, means to place an electrical charge on the body, a device normally out of physical contact with but disposed in cooperative relation with the body and adapted to receive a charge therefrom by contact of said device and said body upon variation in size of said body, and electronic valve means connected to said device and responsive to the charge thereon to indicate the variations in size of said body.

10; In apparatus for ascertaining the number of imperfections in a thread due to defective filaments projecting from the thread, a source of voltage, a condenser, detecting means disposed in cooperative relation with said thread, means for relatively moving said thread and detecting means, said detecting means including means to impart an electrical charg from said source of voltage to said thread and means adapted to contact said projecting filaments to collect said charge and to impart a charge to said condenser, intermittently operated means for discharging said condenser, and means for measuring the discharge current.

11. In apparatus for ascertaining the number of imperfections in an electricaly non-conducting thread due to defective filaments projecting from the thread, a source of voltage, a condenser, de tecting means disposed in cooperative relation with said thread, means for relatively moving said thread and detecting means, said detecting means including means to impart an electrical charge from said source of voltage to said thread and means adapted to contact said projecting filaments to collect said charge and to impart a charge to said condenser, periodically operated meansfor discharging said condenser, and means for measuring the discharge current.

12. In apparatus for ascertaining the number of imperfections in a thread due to defective filaments projecting from said thread, a condenser, an electronic valve comprising an anode and a cathode, a source of direct current voltage, detecting means disposed in cooperative relation with said thread, means for relatively moving said thread and detecting means, said detecting means including means to impart an electrical charge from said source of voltage to said thread and means adapted to contact said projecting filaments to collect said charge and to impart a charge to said condenser, a gaseous discharge tube to discharge said condenser when a predetermined number of electric charges hav been applied to said condenser, means responsive to each such discharge.

13. In apparatus for ascertaining the number of imperfections in a thread due to defective filaments, a condenser, an electronic valve comprising an anode, grid, and a cathode, a source of direct current voltage, an electrical resistance, a gaseous discharge tube connected in series with said resistance and both of the latter shunting said condenser, thesaid gaseous discharg tube 10 tacted said detecting means.

the said gaseous discharge tube being adapted to discharge said condenser through said resistance when a predetermined number of electrical charges have been applied to the condenser for producing a voltage drop across said resistance to control the flow of anode current through said valve, and means disposed in the anode circuit of said valve for indicating whenever a predetermined number of defective filaments have con- EARL A. KEELER.

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