US2613884A

US2613884A - Strand cushioning device

Info

Publication number: US2613884A
Application number: US5589A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ingham S Roberts
Original assignee: American Viscose Corp
Current assignee: Akzo Nobel UK PLC
Priority date: 1948-01-31
Filing date: 1948-01-31
Publication date: 1952-10-14
Anticipated expiration: 1969-10-14

Description

Oct. 14, 1952 l. s. ROBERTS 2,613,884

STRAND CUSHIONING DEVICE Filed Jan. a1, 1948 INVEN TOR. //VGHAM -5. ROBERTS Patented Oct. 14, 1952 STRAND CUSHIONING DEVICE I Ingham S. Roberts, Ridley Park, Pa., assignor to American Viscose Corporation, Del.,'a corporation of Delaware Wilmington,

Application January 31, 1948, Serial No. 5,589

The present invention relates to holders for packages of strand materials which are particularly useful during unwinding of the packages.

In operating strand processing machinery such as winding machines, twisting machines, e. g.,--'

the multiple twist type, and the like, strand packages such as cakes, cones, tubes, and cheeses are unwound and rewound into other types of packages for reasons of processing or customer preference. A problem attendant upon the unwinding of a cross-wound strand package is that, before commencing withdrawal of strand from the package the strand tends to loosen away from the body of the package for as many convolutions as slackness in the strand permits. When unwinding draft is applied, a loop of the relaxed strand which may have fallen below the package catches under the edge of the package or about the central package support, and may break. When the strand is a low-twist yarn, the problem is intensified on account of the lower strength and the greater frictional properties of such yarn. Various fluffy or fibrous materials such as carpeting or sheepskin have been used as a support for strand packages during an untwisting operation. These materials have the disadvantage of the tufts or the pile thereof tending to retain the strand at the loops along the bottom edge of the package. As a result, tension variations are caused in the strand which vary the shape of the balloon and affect the quality of the yarn as it passes through a machine such as a twister.

It is an object of the invention to provide a support for strand packages during an unwinding operation. It is an object also to unwind a strand from a package with a minimum of tension variation, snagging, and breaking of the strand. Other objects, features and advantages of the inven-. tion will be apparent from the drawing and the following description of the invention.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment;

Figure 2 is a vertical section of a strand package in place on a twister package-holder illustrating the use of package support such as shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlargement of the package support illustrated in Figure l; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary radial section of the package support shown in the other figures.

According to the invention, a package support comprising a thin flexible sheet material, cut and formed to a desired shape, is placed on a package supporting surface of apparatus adapted for un- 3 Claims. (Cl. 242-130) winding an annular wound strand package of the type which may or may not have a supporting core but lacks flanges or other supporting elements adjacent theend windings of the package.

Referring to Figure l, a package support 4 has an outer diameter such that it may be placed within a package holder 5 of Figure 2 on a flat annular surface 5 therewithin, and a central circular aperture 8 which amply permits passage of 'an'extension 9 of the strand supporting core 10 of the package 13.

A radially outer margin of the package support 4' is' divided in a plurality of leaf members H2. The division of the leaves may be made by simple radial cuts it in the sheet material of which the support is made. All leaves [2 are crimped or scalloped to give an undulating outer peripheral portion, so that each leaf has a radially extending smoothly-ridged mid-portion l5 gently sloping radially inward as illustrated in Figure 4. The inward extent of the smoothly-ridged portion I5 is less than that of the cuts so as to form a relatively flat section I1 along the line AB of Figure 3 so that any leaf may bend or spring readily with respect to the rest of the package support when pressure is applied from above. All leaves are uniformly crimped upwardly away from the plane of the flat annular central section I 4 of the support 4 so that when a package is placed on the support the leaves spring slightly downward with respect to the section M. In this manner slight variations in the crimp of the leaves [2 do not cause failure of the leaves to press against the bottom of the package.

The package I3 rests upon the rounded ridges [5. The rounded surface is preferable particularly in unwinding packages of low-twist strand since the smooth frictionless surface of the leaves l2 does not restrict the withdrawal of occasional small loops of yarns formed at the end of the package by a traversing mechanism of a package builder, as do the sheepskin or carpet padsordinarily used as package supports. Moreover, plucking at the strand as it is withdrawn near the end of the package by tufts of sheep wool or carpet pile is avoided by a package support such as shown in Figure 1.

As yarn is progressively removed from the package, the lower corner of the package eventually loses contact with the flexible. leaves and,

yarn, slufling does not occur. The flexible leaves must be long enough to take care of the probable variation in the size of starting packages.

Package supports according to this invention are very inexpensive since they may be stamped and crimped from any light-gauge flexible material which exhibits springiness and which will maintain a permanent crimp. Among such mato be illustrative only, and it is to r be understood that'changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 1

I claim:

1. A member'for concentrically supporting an annular wound packagewith the windings at one end resting thereagainst comprising an annulus having a substantially flat circular inner portion,

and an outer portion of circumferentially spaced flexible leaves each of which extend in an upward and radially outward direction from the inner portion and have an upper convex surface facing the windingssaid surface having a smoothly contoured radiallyextending central ridge portion.

2. A member for supporting an annular wound package with the windings at one end resting thereagainst comprising a unitary annulus of flexible sheet material having a flat circular inner portion, and an outer portion of circumferentially spaced projecting leaves which extend upwardly and radially outwardly from the inner portion, eachof the :leaves having" an upper smoothly-contoured radially extending and symmetrically disposed convex ridge surface.

3. A member for supporting an annular Wound .package with the windings at one end resting thereagainst during unwinding comprising an annulus having circumferentially spaced outer individually and resiliently deflectable leaves each having a radially extending and symmetrically disposed smoothly contoured convex upper surface which faces the windings.

INGHAM S. ROBERTS.

REFERENCES :fll'llED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS McCrudden '-;May v23, 19.39