US2551986A - Twisting mechanism - Google Patents

Description

May 8, 1951 c. B. WELLER TWISTING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Oct; 22 1948 Y Fi' -1. 43 44 4b 9/ v 7 S g, 47 A 28 7 d 7 46 INVENTOR. CLAl/Z 5. WELLER ATTORNE Y y 1951 c. B. WELLER 2,551,986

TWISTING MECHANISM Original Filed Oct. 22, 1948 s sheets-sheet 2 /33 /95 a q U /.90 I32 /32 1 /29 Q u A 1/ 4 we no a;

a /28 0 i v t [8061" 0 /2 1 5 JNVENTOR.

Cur/x2 5. WELLER BY v ATTORNEY y 1951 c. B. WELLER 2,551,986

v TWISTING MECHANISM Original Filed Oct. 22. 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 III2% l VIIIIIII/III/l WM INVEN TOR. g m/2 B. WELLER AT ORNEY Patented May 8, 1951 um'rso STATES PATENT OFFICE TWISTING MECHANISM Clair B. Weller, Burbank, Calif.

Original application October 22, 1948, Serial No. 55,938. Divided and this application July 3, 1950, Serial No. 171,776

This application is a division of my co-pending application for patent on a chenille making machine, Serial No. 55,938, filed October 22, 1948, wherein is disclosed and claimed a mechanism by which two chenille strands are concurrently produced by using a single former or support on which filaments such as cotton threads, are Wound and fed axially in the shape of a tube or cylinder as pairs of wires are fed inside and outside of the tube and are twisted by a suitable twisting mechanism, with the tube being cut through diametrically between the twisted pairs of wires, so as to produce two chenille strands in a continuous operation so long as stock is fed to the machine. 7 a

The primary object of my present invention is to provide a twisting mechanism for use in conjunction with the forming mechanism of my copending application above identified, the twisting mechanism being structurally characterized by its compactness and its automatic continuous operation to effect of predetermined uniform twisting of the pairs of wires about the severed halves of the formed thread tube in synchronism with the axial feed of the tube from the former, and so as to cause the wires to tightly grip the threads and to advance the completed chenille strands at such speed as will prevent any longitudinal stress being imposed by the mechanism upon the strands, which might break, elongate, or otherwise damage the product, all so that the latter will be of uniformly high quality throughout its length.

With this and other objects in view, my invention resides in the combinations, arrangements and functional relationships of elements as set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a chenille making machine embodying the twisting mechanism of my present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the thread tube former and associated parts from which the pairs of coreforming wires are twisted about the severed halves of the thread tube by the twisting mechanism;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the twisting mechanism taken on the line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

9 Claims. (Cl. 5724) Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-45 of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is an enlarged horizontal sectional View taken on the line |-'l of Figure 4; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 6.

Referring specifically to the drawings, my present invention is shown embodied in a chenille making machine, a mechanism A of which includes means for forming a tube or cylinder of cotton or other threads, a means for delivering a plurality of wires or cords to the tube as same is being fed, and a means for cutting through the tube diametrically to divide the tube into separate halves for the making of two chenille strands concurrently. This mechanism A which forms no part per se, of my present invention, will be described as briefly as possible consistent with a comprehensive understanding of my twisting mechanism which is designated generally at B.

The mechanism A includes a base 25 to which is fixed a bracket 26 in which is secured a tubular shaft 21 supporting a conical head 28 in which is centrally fixed a former 30 having longitudinal bores 32 and 33 (Figure 2) at diametrically opposed points and terminating at their outer ends in longitudinal grooves 34 and 35, respectively, in the periphery of the former. These grooves are adapted to receive certain wires a and b used in the making of the chenille strands and fed from suitable reels (not shown) through the bore of the tubular shaft 21.

A winding element in the form of a relatively large disk 40 is provided with a hub 4| journaled on the stationary shaft 21 to mount the disk in proximity to the head 28 for rotation about a fixed axis. A pulley 42 is fixed to the hub 4| and is adapted to drive the winding element by means of a belt 43 trained about the pulley 4| and about a second pulley 44 fixed to a countershaft 46 journaled in bearings l'l and 48 supported respectively, by the bracket 26 and by a second bracket 5| fixed to the base 25.

Spools 59 of thread 60 such as cotton, are suitably mounted on the disk 40 to revolve therewith and to rotate on thier own axes. For the present invention it will suifice to state that upon rotation of the disk 40, the threads 60, which pass through openings in the disk and through suitable tensioning devices 63 on the latter, are caused to be wound on the former 30.

Peripherally milled feed rollers and 9| are mounted on shafts l5 and I6 and peripherally engage the convolutions of thread wound on the former 30, so that upon rotation of the rollers in the directions of the arrows in Figure 2 in synchronism with the winding of thread on the former, the tube defined by the convolutions of thread will be fed axially towards the free end of the former.

The feed rollers 90 and 9| are provided with circumferential grooves 94 and 95, respectively, which are directly opposite the longitudinal grooves 34 and 35, respectively, of the former and at the points of engagement of the rollers with the wound thread on the former. The grooves 94 and 95 receive other wires and d, used in the making of the chenille strands, which wires are trained over idler pulleys; 96 and 91 and are supplied from suitable reels (not shown), through openings in the base 25.

The former 30 is provided with a diametrical slot I05 in which works a cutting blade I06 suitably mounted and driven to out diametrically through the tube of threads wound on the former 30 as the tube is fed axially thereon by the feed rollers 99 and 9| into the cutting edge of the blade.

The mechanism )3 comprises two identical feeding and twisting elements I2 0 and Ia which are relatively right and left hand. These elements are arranged side by side in close proximity, and are mounted for rotation upon spaced parallel axes at a distance from the mechanism A. Like reference characters will be used to designate like parts of the two elements I20 and I20a, with the parts of one element provided with exponents to distinguish them from the parts of the other element.

Each ofthe elements I20 and I20a comprises a tube I rigidly secured to a support I26, which latter is secured to the bracket 5I. An openended cylindrical shell I28 is secured by screws I29 and I30 to end plates I3I and I32, respectively, for co-action therewith in providing a cylindrical case enclosing the moving parts of the mechanism. The plate I32 is provided with a flanged pulley I33 by which the respective elementmay be rotated on bearings I34 and I35 supported on the tube I25 and in the plate I32 and in a retainer plate I36 which abuts the inner face of the plate I32.

A sun gear I40 is fixed to the stationary tube I25 and constantly meshes with identical planetary gears I4I and I42 fixed to shafts I43 and I44, respectively, journaled at one end in bearings I41 and I48 in the outer ends of bearing sleeves I49 and I50 supported in alined openings in the end plate I3I and retainer plate I36, respectively. Heads I5I and I52 on the inner ends of the respective bearing sleeves I49 and I50 co-act with the retainer plate I36 to confine the sleeves against axial displacement towards the end plate I3I, and the heads I5I and I 52 are provided with arcuate cut-outs I53 and I54 (Figure 8) which co-act with the periphery of the bearing I35 in preventing rotation of the sleeves about their own axes.

. Fixed to the shafts I43 and I44 within the respective bearing sleeves I49 and IE0. are worms I69 and I6I, respectively, which constantly mesh with worm gears I62 and I63 projecting into the respective bearing sleeves through slots I64 and I 65 therein. The worm gears I62 and I63 are fixed to shafts I66 and I61 journaled in bearings I68 and I69 in the sections of two-part gear boxes I10 and HI which constitute arms. The parts of the boxes I10 and "I are secured together by screws I12 and I13 and are provided on their confronting sides with semi-circular recesses I14 and I15 (Figure 4) receiving the respective bearing sleeves I49 and I50 to mount the boxes thereon for limited pivotal movement about the axes of the respective shafts I43 and I44.

The shafts I66 and I61 are extended in opposite directions from the respective boxes I10 and Ill and have fixed thereto feed wheels I and ISI whose milled peripheries are directly opposed for co-action in engaging a chenille strand entering the element I20 through a guide tube I82, for feeding of the strand through the tube I25. Springs I83 and I84 connect the respective boxes I10 and Ill to the plate I36 for co-action in urging the feed wheels I80 and IBI into gripping engagement with the chenille strand, so that upon rotation of the elements I20 and I20a in the directions indicated by the arrows in Figure 4, the pairs of feed wheels I80, I8I and I80a, I8Ia of the respective elements will be rotated in the directions indicated by the arrows in Figure 5, so as to feed as well as twist the steel wires forming the core of each chenille strand, in a manner to be later described.

A main driving belt I is trained about the pulley I33 and is adapted to be driven from a suitable source of power such as an electric motor (not shown), to drive the element I20, whose rotation is transmitted through pins I9I to a gear I92 rotatably mounted on the tube I25 within a housing I 93 and constantly meshing with an iden tical gear 192a rotatably mounted on the tube I250: and transmitting its rotational movement to the element I20a through pins I9Ia, all as clearly shown in Figure 5. A second driving belt I 95 is trained about the pulley I33a of the element I20a and about a pulley I96 fixed to the countershaft 46 to drive the latter and hence the winding disk 40 in synchronism with the elements I20 and I20a.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

Power is now applied to the belt I90 to drive the machine. As the winding disk 40 rotates, the threads 60 are wound on the former 30 and are axially fed thereon towards the cutting blade I05, concurrently with which the wires a and c which are being gripped between the feed wheels I80 and NH of the element I20, will be advanced through the tube I25 by the rotational movement of these feed wheels and will be twisted by the revolving motions thereof in response to the rotational movement of the element I20. Simultaneously, the wires b and d, which are likewise being gripped between the feed wheels IBM and I8Ia of the element I20a, will be advanced through the tube I25a by the rotational movement of these feed wheels and will be twisted by the revolving motions thereof as the element I20a rotates.

It will be noted from Figure 2 and 3, that as the thread tube wound upon the former 30 is being tightly gripped at diametrically opposed points between the Wires a and c and the wires b and d, the tube will be fed axially of the former 30 by the feed rollers 90, and 9I towards the cutting blade I05, so that upon reaching the latter, the tube will be cut through diametrically thereby medially between the gripped points of the tube.

As the twisting of the wires of each pair a, c and b, (1 starts at a point approximately opposite the cutting edge of the blade I06 as shown in Figure 2, the severed halves of the thread tube on the former 30 will be tightly gripped between the twisted pairs of wires and will pro-i ject equally from opposite sides thereof to form the two chenille strands S and S.

It will be noted that the mechanism B does not exert any pull upon the chenille strands S and S, but is synchronized with the mechanism A to advance the strands at the same'speed as they leave the mechanism A, so that in effect, slack is being continuously taken up and the strands maintained taut with a predetermined amount of twist being imparted to the wires by the mechanism 13 to securely grip the several threads between the wires of the respective pairs.

I claim:

1. In a chenille making machine of the type having a former on which thread is wound in tube formation and wires are disposed in diametrically opposed pairs with respect to the thread tube and with one Wire of each pair inside the tube and the other wire of each pair outside the tube, and with the tube being severed diametrically between the pairs of wires as the tube is being fed longitudinally on the former, so as to divide the tube into two portions, twisting mechanisms, one for each pair of wires, each of said mechanisms comprising: a pair of feed wheels; means urging said wheels to grip the respective pairs of wires; means for rotating said wheels; and means for revolving said wheels substantially about said wires as an axis, for co-action with the last said means in feeding and twisting said wires medially about the respective portion of the divided thread tube so as to produce a chenille strand.

2. In a chenille making machine of the type having a former on which thread is wound in tube formation and wires are disposed in diametrically opposed pairs with respect to the thread tube, with one wire of each pair inside the tube and the other wire of each pair outside the tube, and with the tube being severed diametrically between the pairs of wires as the tube is being fed longitudinally on the former,

so as to divide the tube into two portions, twisting mechanisms, one for each pair of wires, each of said mechanisms comprising: a pair of feed wheels; means mounting said wheels for revolving motion about a common fixed axis; means mounting said wheels for rotation about their own axes and for adjustment about fixed axes on the first said mounting means; means urging said wheels about the last mentioned axes to co-act in gripping the respective one of said pairs of wires; means for driving the first said mounting means to revolve said wheels in synchronism with said winding and thread feeding means, so as to twist the respective pair of wires; and means responsive to the revolving motion of said wheels, to rotate same in a direction for the wheels to feed the wires axially in synchronism with the feeding of the thread tube from the former.

3. In a chenille making machine of the type having a former on which thread is wound in tube formation and wires are disposed in diametrically opposed pairs with respect to the thread tube, with one Wire of each pair inside the tube and the other wire of each pair outside the tube, and with the tube being severed diametrically between the pairs of Wires as the tube is being fed longitudinally on the former, so as to divide the tube into two portions, twisting mechanisms, one for each pair of wires, each of said mechanisms comprising: a pair of feed wheels; means mounting said wheels for revolving motion about a common fixed axis; means mounting said wheels for rotation about their own axes and for adjustment about fixed axes on the first said mounting means; means urging said wheels about the last mentioned axes to co-act in gripping one of said pairs of wires; a sun gear fixed co-axially of said common axis; planetary gears rotatable, respectively, about the second said fixed axes; and gearing operatively connecting the planetary gears to the respective feed wheels so as to rotate the latter about their own axes as they are revolved about said common fixed axis, and in a direction for the wheels to co-act in feeding and twisting said pair of wires.

4. In a chenille making machine of the type havin a former on which thread is wound in tube formation and wires are disposed in diametrically opposed pairs with respect to the thread tube, with one Wire of each pair inside the tube and the other wire of each pair outside the tube, and with the tube being severed diametrically between the pairs of Wires as the tube is being fed longitudinally on the former, so as to divide the tube into two portions, twisting mechanisms, one foreach pair of wires, each of said mechanisms comprising: a stationary tube; an element including end plates rigidly connected together in spaced relation and rotatably mounted on said tube; a sun gear fixed to said tube; shafts journaled in said plates at opposite sides of and in parallelism with the axis of said tube; planetary gears fixed to said shafts and meshing with said sun gear; arms mounted for pivotal movement about the axes of said shafts; other shafts journaled in said arms and having gears fixed thereto and meshing, respectively, with said other gears; feed wheels fixed to said other shafts; and means urging said feed wheels to grip the respective pair i of wires therebetween, for the feeding and twisting of such wires in response to rotation of said element, so that the wires will co-act with the respective portion of the divided thread tube to produce a chenille strand.

5. In a chenille making machine of the type having a former on which thread is wound in tube formation and wires are disposed in diametrically opposed pairs with respect to the thread tube, with one wire of each pair inside the tube and the other wire of each pair outside the tube, and with the tube being severed diametrically between the pairs of wires as the tube is being fed longitudinally on the former, so as to divide the tube into two portions, twisting mechanisms, one for each pair of wires, each of said mechanisms comprising: a stationary tube; an element including end plates rigidly connected together in spaced relation and rotatably mounted on the stationary tube; a sun gear fixed to the stationary tube; bearing sleeves fixed in said plates at opposite sides of and in parallelism with the axis of said tube and having slots; shafts journaled in said plates; planetary gears fixed. to said shafts and meshing with said sun gear; worms fixed to said shafts; boxes pivotally mounted on said bearing sleeves; other shafts journaled in said boxes; worm gears fixed to said other shafts and projecting through said slots into meshing engagement with said worms; feed wheels fixed to said other shafts; and springs urging said boxes in directions for said feed wheels to grip said pair of wires therebetween, for the feeding 6. In a machine of the class described, twisting mechanism comprising: a pair of feed wheels; means mounting said wheels to revolve about a common fixed axis; means mounting said wheels for rotation about their own axes and for angular adjustment about fixed axes on the first said mounting means; means urging said wheels about the last mentioned axes to co-act in gripping a pair of wires; means for driving the first said mounting means to revolve said wheels so as to twist the gripped wires; and means for rotating said wheels in synchronism with their revolving motion, to feed the twisted wires axially.

7. In a machine of the class described, twisting mechanism comprising: a pair of feed wheels; means mounting said wheels to revolve about a common fixed axis; means mounting said wheels for rotation about their own axes and for angular adjustment about fixed axes on the first said mounting means; means urging said wheels about the last mentioned axes to co-act in gripping a pair of wires; a sun gearfixed co-axially of said common axis; planetary gears rotatable about the second said fixed axis; and gearing operatively connecting the planetary gears to the respective feed wheels so as to rotate the latter about their own axes as they are revolved about said common fixed axis, and in a direction for the wheels to co-act in feeding and twisting said pair of wires.

8. In a machine of the class described, twisting mechanism comprising: a stationary tube; an element including end plates rigidly connected together in spaced relation and rotatably mounted on said tube; a sun gear fixed to said tube; shafts journaled in said plates at opposite sides of and in parallelism with the axis of said tube; planetary gears fixed to said shafts and meshing with said sun gear; arms mounted for pivotal movement about the axes of said shafts; other shafts journaled in said arms and having gears fixed thereto and meshing, respectively, with said other gears; feed wheels fixed to said other shafts; and means urging said arms in directions for said feed wheels to grip said pair of wires therebetween, for the feeding and twisting of such wires in response to rotation of said element.

9. In a machine of the class described, twisting mechanism comprising: a stationary tube; an. element including end plates rigidly connected together in spaced relation and rotatably mounted on the stationary tube; a sun gear fixed to the stationary tube; bearing sleeves fixed in said plates at opposite sides of and in parallelism with the axis of said tube and having slots; shafts journaled in said plates; planetary gears fixed to said shafts and meshing with said sun gear; worms fixed to said shafts; boxes pivotally mounted on said bearing sleeves; other shafts journaled in said boxes; worm gears fixed to said other shafts and projecting through said slots into meshing engagement with said worms; feed wheels fixed to said other shafts; and springs urging said boxes in directions for said wheels to grip said pair of wires therebetween, for the feeding and twisting of such wires in response to rotation of said element.

CLAIR B. WELLER.

No references cited.

Images