US2639576A

US2639576A - Spindle adapter for high-speed strand twisting machines

Info

Publication number: US2639576A
Application number: US246189A
Authority: US
Inventors: Bay Ernest
Original assignee: Owens Corning Fiberglas Corp
Current assignee: Owens Corning
Priority date: 1951-09-12
Filing date: 1951-09-12
Publication date: 1953-05-26
Anticipated expiration: 1970-05-26

Description

E. BAY

May 26, 1953 SPINDLE ADAPTER FOR HIGH-SPEED STRAND TWISTING MACHINES Filed Sept. 12, 1951 Patented May 26, 1953 .SPINDLE ADAPTER FOR HIGHFSPEED STRAND TWISTING MACHINES Ernest Bay, Saylesville, R. 1., assignor to Owens- Gorning .Fiberglas Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application September 12, 1951.. erial No. 246,18

(Cl. Sm-130) This invention relates to apparatus for twisting strands of textile and other fibers at high speeds and, more particularly, to adapter means for permitting the use of spindle spools of "different inside diameters Without the necessity for changing spindles themselves.

A rotary spindle for a high speed twister is usually a rod or shaft which is rotated on its longitudinal axis at a high rate of speed and on which there is placed a spool, frequently made of lightweight cardboard or similar material, with the strand being wrapped on the cardboard spool as it is twisted. Such machines are con.- ventional in the strand making arts but where a machine is equipped with a spindle having a certain outside diameter it has been the custom either to always employ spools having the same internal diameters which thus fitsnugly over the spindle or to use spacing collars each designed to accommodate a particular size of spool on 'a particular size of spindle.

Because of the variances in the inner diameters of cardboard tubes and similar materials which are used for spools and because of the necessity for disassembly of the spindle in order to insert a different spacer for each different type of spool employed, this conventional operation is unnecessarily lengthy and may result in only approximate matching in sizes between the interior of the spool on which the strand is being twisted and the exterior of such spacer or collar as may be employed.

It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide a spindle-adapter which will accommodate spools of many different inside 'diameters.

It is another object of this invention to provide a spindle adapter comprising means for frictionally grasping spools thereby to transfer rotary torque to the spools without loss due to slipping.

It is, another object of this invention to provide a spindle adapter adjustable to provide more or less frictional pressure against the spools being rotated and that is provided with means for accommodating spools having inner diameters of substantially different size.

These and more specific objects and advantages will become apparent from a study of the specification that follows and from the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic and fragmentary view in elevation of a high speed twisting machine equipped with a spindle adapter embodying the invention.

2 Fig. 2 is a greatly enlarged vertical sectional view of the spindle of the machine shown in .Fig. 1 and illustrating the construction of a spindl'e adapter embodying the invention.

Fig. 3 is a still further enlarged fragmentary view of a spindle adapter embodying the invention.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 44 of Fig. 3.

Ahigh speed twisting machine may be equipped with a vertically extending shaft-like spindle Id that is mounted for rotation on its longitudinal axis by a pair of bearings H and is driven, for example, by means of a belt [2 that is engaged in a pulley l3 pinned or otherwise secured on the spindle and driven by a motor M. The spindle [it has a disk-like collar is near its base.

Circumjacently surrounding the spindle ill there is located a rotatable annulus l6 that is mounted in a ring bearing ll held in turn by a support ring is mounted on the frame of the machine. The annulus I5 is free to rotate on a vertical axis coaxial with the axis of the spindle Ill. The annulus 5 at one side has a pair of oppositely directed notches or detent holes is for the reception of a wire loop 28 (or other similar elements) which provide an eye through which a strand 2! can pass. The strand 2 l, in the structure shown in Fig. l, is supplied from a package 22, for example, that is replaceably mounted on an arbor 23 rotatably mounted in a bracket or stand 24 near the top of the machine. The

strand 2! is led through a guiding eye 25, over a pair of tensioning rollers 26, for example, through a second eye 2? and then through the loop 20 on the rotatable annulus it. The strand is then engaged with a tubular spool 28 that is carried and rotated by the spindle ll As the motor it rotates the spindle It, the strand is wound thereon. The twisting annulus i5 is reciprocated vertically as shown by the arrow in Fig. 1 in a cycle so selected that the vertical movement is more rapid near the ends of its travel than at the center portion and thus the strand is built up on the rotating spool 28 with conical ends and a generally cylindrical center portion. This prevents the strand from spilling over the ends of the tubular spool 28 and builds a compact and tightly wrapped spool or strand. By controlling the tension required to pass the strand around the tensioning rollers 26 with respect to the linear speed of the wrap up of the strand on the spool 28, the linear speed of the strand as it leaves the package 22 can be varied with respect to its speed as it wraps on the spool 3 28. The diiference in linear speeds causes the twisting annulus Hi to rotate, revolving the loop 20 around the spool 28 as it reciprocates vertically. The revolution of the loop 20 around the spool causes the strand to be twisted in a number of turns per inch differentially resulting from the variance in the linear speed of the strand above the tensioning rollers 26 and onto the spool 28.

In order to provide for the acceptance and rotation of spools 28 of varying internal diameters and in order to insure that suiiicient frictional contact is maintained therewith to prevent slippage between the spindle l and spool 28, a spindle adapter 29 embodying the invention is removably mounted near the upper end of the spindle ID. The spindle adapter 29 comprises a generally cylindrical body 30 having an axial bore 3| of such diameter as to slip over the spindle ID. A radially extending threaded hole 32 in the adapter 29 receives a set screw 33 by means of which the adapter 29 can be fixedlypositioned on the spindle ID.

A plurality of axially and radially extending slots 34 are cut in the periphery of the body 36 for the reception of formed tension clips 35. At one end of each of the slots 34, the slot is undercut forming a pocket 36 for receiving one end of the clip 35. At the other end of each of the slots 34 the slot similarly is undercut forming a pocket 31 for the other end of the clip 35. The pocket 37 intersects a drilled hole 38 in which is threaded an adjusting screw 39 against which the end of the clip 35 bears.

By axially adjusting the screws 39 the clips 35 may be more or less bowed and thus their eifective retaining diameter increased or decreased as desired. The shape of the clips 35 is such that normally they do not contact the ends of the slots 34 in the pockets 35 or butt loosely the ends of the screws 39. Therefore, spools 23 of lesser diameter can be slid over the exterior of the adapter 29 and if the diameter of the spool is less than the effective diameter of the adapter the adapter clips 35 are forced inwardly.

In association with an adapter 29 embodying the invention there is employed a conical collar 43 which loosely fits the spindle l0 and is dropped thereover resting on the upper surface of the disk collar I5, for receiving the bottom ends of the spools 28. Because of the conical vertical surfaces of the collar 40 spools of substantially different inner diameters can be pushed downwardly thereon until they are snugly received. The upper ends of the spools thus pushed downwardly on the collar ii are resiliently engaged by the clips 35 and driven thereby when the spindle I0 is rotated.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. A spindle adapter for a high speed twisting machine having an elongated spindle that comprises, a generally cylindrical body removably mounted on said spindle, said body having a plurality of peripheral, axially extending slots with an undercut socket at each end of each slot, a resilient bowed clip mounted in each of said slots and extending radially therefrom with its ends in said sockets, means for varying the degree of bowing of said clip for varying its radial extent from said slot and means for retaining said adapter on said spindle.

2. A spindle adapter for a high speed twisting machine having an elongated spindle that comprises, a generally cylindrical body removably mounted on said spindle, said body having a plurality of peripheral, axially extending slots with an undercut socket at each end of each slot, a resilient bowed clip mounted in each of said slots and extending radially therefrom with its ends in said sockets, there being an axial bore in said body intersecting one end of said slot, a screw threaded in said bore and bearing against one end of said clip for varying the degree of bowing of said clip and thus for varying its radial extent from said slot and means for retaining said adapter on said spindle.

8. Means for mounting spools of varying diameters on a spindle of a twisting machine comprising the combination of a generally cylindrical adapter body mounted near one end of said spindle, said adapter body having axially extending slots in its periphery and undercut sockets at each end thereof, resilient clips having bowed bodies with the ends of said clips fitting in said sockets and the bowed bodies thereof protruding radially through said slots beyond the periphery of said body for resiliently engaging the inner surfaces of spools of diiierent interior diameters with a collar fitting over the other end of said spindle and having a cone shaped periphery with its smaller end directed toward said adapter body.

ERNEST BAY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,488,879 Pichette n Nov. 22, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 3,320 Great Britain Mar. 14, 1887 606,643 Germany Dec. 6, 1934 673,719 Germany Mar. 26, 1939 685,717 Germany Dec. 22, 1939 831,468 France June 7, 1938