US2640654A - Thread supplying mechanism - Google Patents

Description

June 2, 1953 w. ScHwElTER l 2,640,654

' I THREAD SUPPLYING MECI'INISVl Filed May' 27, 1947 2 sheets-sheet 1 H1' Z1-gf. 2.

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THREAD SUPPLYING MECHANISM Filed May 27, 1 947 2 sheets-sheet;

mlNVENR ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THREAD SUPPLYING MEcHANisM Walter Schweiter, Horgen, Switzerland, assigner to Maschinenfabrik Schweiter A. G., a corporation of Switzerland Application May 27, 1947, Serial No. 750,663 In Switzerland July 29, 1946 4 Claims. (Cl. 242-35.6)

This invention relates to devices for delivering l the threads from a number of cops or the like successively and joined together end to end. Such devices may be used to furnish threads to spoolers, so called; that is to say, machines which take .the threads from a number of cops joined end to end and wind them into larger packages of corresponding long thread lengths. Speaking generally however my thread-furnishing device can be used to furnish thread to any machine that may require such long lengths of thread las it is capable of providing.

lt is to be understood that the term cop is used in this specification and its claims in a generic sense; that is to say, regardless of whether .the thread package is cone shaped or otherwise,

and regardless of whether the thread is wound and carried on a pirn, spool, spindle, tube, cone etc., or is hollow wound.

Speaking generally the thread delivering or 'thread furnishing device of my invention involves a rotatable member, in which a number of cops are placed and which carries them successively to .an unwinding position, a thread-tying mechanism, and a device for bringing into tying relation the end portion of the thread of an unwound 'or nearly unwound cop and with the starting end of the thread of the cop that is next to be 'unwound The whole may be controlled by a tional cops can be supplied to the thread furnisher from time to time and thereby thread of vany length whatsoever can be delivered by the furnisher.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a preferred form of my invention. In these drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the rotatable mechamsm, the controller or gear box and the tying ,mechanism Fig. 2 shows a substantially transverse section of the same apparatus. Fig. 3 is a plan view of it, the arrow showing the direction of rotation. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the gear box of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the box. Fig. 6 is an elevation showing the side of the gear box opposite to that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a section of the gear box adjacent the side shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 illustrates the positioning of two threads ready for tying,

' and Fig. 9 illustrates the same threads after tying and cutting. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of a modiiied form of gear box in which the feeler acts y'through-solely mechanical means. Fig. 11 is al side elevation illustrating the preferred cooperative relation between the furnishing device of Fig. 1 and a spooler.

In the controller or gear box I is rotatingly mounted a control shaft 2 on which are rigidly mounted a drum 3 having a cam groove and also two cam disks 4 and 5. On the control shaft 2 is mounted also a driver sleeve l, which is free to rotate on the shaft and which carries a ratchet or teeth 6; on a portion 8 of sleeve I is xed a pulley 9. A pin III projects from one end of the grooved drum 3 and carries a pawl II toengage teeth 6 on the sleeve 1; a spring I2 tends to press the pawl to the teeth 6 (Fig. 7). A nger or catch I3, fixed to a shaft I4 that is journaled in the gear box I, holds the pawl II out of engagernent with teeth 6 on sleeve l (Fig. '7) whenever thread is being drawn from a cop carried by the device.

A column I6 projects from the cover I5 of the gear box; it may be screwed into the cover and an end II of the column projecting into the gear box may serve as a bearing for an arm I8.` A ring I9 on the end I'I may hold the arm on the column end. On the arm I8 is xed a pin 20 carrying, rotatably, a cam roller 2I engaging in the cam groove 22 of the drum 3. The cam groove 22 is so shaped (see Fig. 2) that during I5, reciprocatably, is a locking pin 26 which is continuously pressed in the same direction by spring 2l.

On column I6 is rotatably mounted a tube 23 to which are tted, at its bottom, a plate 29, or rotatable member having a number of positions for cops and serving to carry cops, and at its top a thread-guide or eye-and-clamp carrying member 30. The tube 28, plate 29 and threadguide 30 constitute what I call the revolving box. The lower face of plate 29 is provided with a ring of teeth 38 which are engaged by the driver pin 24 and locking pin 26; the driver pin 24 turns the revolving box step by step as the arm I8 is oscillated and the locking pin 26 prevents the box being turned backward. f To the top face of plate 29 are rigidly fixed, at regular intervals, cop holders 3| on which are set the cops 32 from which the thread is to be taken.

'The thread-guide 30 is providedWith a radial for each cop. Also spring plates Se, one for each cop 32 of the revolving box and `eachattached at one end at 35 to the guide 3 i..e. adjacent to the path of the movement of the threadguiding eyes, and serve as clamps for the respective `threads by pressing the threads to the face of the guide. The spring plates or eyes se yand vthe gthreadguiding eyes 33 are in substantially the same 'rotational plane as will be seen from the drawing. Above the thread-guide-30 a ring 35i, xed tothe column I5, carries a stationary finger or threaclcatchingihojok 541D v"that extends vradially outwardly to `the cop unwinding station ,G with its thread engaging area at about the position lwhereat the vthreads are drawn from the lbox, i. e. adjacent thereto, but more advanced in 'the direction of ,the rotation of the plate 29 than said -path of the unwinding threads. The thread Iengaging area of the hook is also adjacent to -the path lci .themovement of the thread guiding eyes so as .tobe close thereto.

In gearbox l'is oscillata-bly mounted a -shaft 4| ,on which are fixed, inside gear box Ii, an arm 42 resting onthe edge of the cam disk-il and, outside the gearbox .l,'a stirrup 43 having an :arm 4'4 projecting upward therefrom. The cam-disk disse shaped'that once Iin each rotation of shaft 2 (Fig. 11)., and at appropriate times as appears hereafter, it acts on the armfi2 to Aoscillate shaft .IH .and thereby swing the upwardly extending `arm substantially toward the vaxis ofthe revolving'box. At the top end of arm Mi is 'mounted a thread-tying mechanism d'5 which may be of conventional -design or another design suitable for .the purpose. As briefly illustrated here the thread-tying .mechanism has a casing -46 containing .moving parts of 'the mechanism, two thread guidesfli'i .and 4S extending 'from the casing d'5 and between which is mounted the knotter 49, fand, .on `the .rear of casing (i5, an operating lever 50. `#it is .fixed abolt 5i on which alever 52, to coact with the operating lever '50, is swivelingly seated. Toone arm of lever 52 is articulated a .rod '53 Vwhich is connected at its lower end 'by an .the particular cop that at the `moment is at the position, 65,. at `which 'the cops areunwound. On

`the .-pin 60 is fixed also an arm B1 that carries a fcontact vthat is connected to -a conductor (i2 which leads to two .-electromag-nets 63 (Figs. 5 iandf) and (Fig. 11) which are connected to yone side :of an electrical supply circuit. The

vcontact .onarm -BI is arranged to engage with an 'insulated `screwlfi, when permitted to do-so,

and this screw is connected by conductor (il tothe opposite sideof thesupply circuit. 'On the Yshaft IIL-:outsidegearbox I., is. mounted `a'marm Also to the uppermostpart of vrarm 68 that is attracted by the magnet 63 and thus rocks ill when this magnet is energized (Fig. 6). When the magnet G3 is not energized, the arm 68 falls by its own Weight and turns shaft I4 in the opposite direction. This latter movement causes locking pawl i3, also fixed on said shaft, to swing inward .into the path of the 'hose 69 on driver pawl H, and thus disengage 'the latter from the ratchet or teeth 6. This disconnects the control shaft 2 from the drive sleeve ,7 'andpermits the shaft 2 and the parts connected to it to come to and remain at rest despite the factthat 4their ldrive sleeve 'I may be rotating. The parts are in these positions while a cop, at 35, is being unwound.

4Alsoat one vside of the 'gear box l is xed a bolt .It (Fig. 5) on which is hinged a lever 'Il carrying .a pin 'i2 having a cam follower roller i3 'mounted on it (Fig. 2). This roller i3 ccntacts cam disk 5. To this lever H is articulated a connecting rod 14. This mechanism `serves to correlate the thread Afurnishing device, -i. e. `the revolving box and its associated mechanism, with whatever machine `may be supplied vwith thread by the revolving '-b'ox.

Fig. ll illustrates the correlation of the revolving box, gear box and-control -rnecha-nismfand the tying mechanism with a `spool'er which I prefer. conventionally a spooier consistso'ff 'some frame members 'I5 carrying brackets 'Ti rvonwhich are supported, side by side, a number 'of more or less independently operating spooler lme'chanisms such as 78. I provide one thread furnishing device, i. e. revolving Abox and jassociated mechanism, for each yspooler `mechanism. Each is mounted substantially in front yof 'thespo'oler mechanism which it supplies, and the group may be mounted on some brackets i6 also tcarried'by the spooler frame members-T5. Fig. A1l illustrates one spooler mechanism T8 andits-associatedturnishing device, the remainder being assumed `to be behind those shown.

The spooler mechanism 73 villustrated (like each 'of the others of the-machine is 'driven in a `conventional manner by 'means of friction wheels 'It and 3e from a shaft 8l serving, say, all the spooler mechanisms of the machine. These friction wheels drive a roller 8'2 of the respective mechanisms '#8, which causes the package 83 into which the thread is being 4Wound at 18, to rotate while a thread guidem, moving 'to and fro, directs the thread tothe ,growing .package or spool. The spocler mechanism 'i8 vcan vbe started and stopped .by the movement of its startinglever 85. When freed, the starting lever is drawn to its inoperative or :mechanism-'stopping position by a spring 86, and is'held-in'itsfoperating position by a locking device. The locking Ydevice comprises a Vhook '8'1 mounted nn'the starting levert?) and a lockingiiever 89 Which'has a .hookv to cooperate with 'hook 18.7. "The lockinglever .89 is ,pivotedat 911 one` side Wall of the spooler mechanism 1B. When the twohooks are engaged the starting lever .85 isghel'd in Vciperating position. During the winding -or.spoo`l ing process, the lockinglever'g i s.held inflocking position by a stop .motion arm 9.0 `afxed to 89 and which normally is held, .in its position shown, by the thread Bi passing over it onjts way tothe spooler. yAs soon assuchpull is,in terrupted however, as ,when Ithe .thread `breaks and thus releases arm 30., this `arri-i and the locking lever ,8-9 `are rotated .counterclock-Wise Aas :seen vin Fig. ll, by gravity, .andtherewith the hook -88 'falls away from -hookfl and spring f8.6. i.turns the starting lever 85 to its inoperative position. Additionally the locking lever 89 is provided with an armature 92 for the electromagnet 64, so that the locking lever is rotated to disengage 88 from 81 when the magnet is energized and thus caused to attract the armature 92. Accordingly the locking device is able to stop the spooling mechanism both when a rupture of the thread occurs and when it becomes necessary to bring a new cop into thread-delivering position. A lower shoulder 93 on locking lever 89 serves to lift the latter into locking position when the spooler is started anew. This result is attained by arranging the hook 81 on the starting lever 85 to press the shoulder 93 downward so as to engage hook 88 with hook 81 whenever the starting lever 85 is returned to starting position. The spooler mechanism is started automatically whenever a new cop is brought to thread-delivery position by so disposing the cam disk that this disk swings lever 1| downward at such times and connecting the connecting rod 14 to the starting lever as shown.

The revolving box and its associated mechanism are driven from the shaft 95 (which may be rotated continuously) by means of a pulley 96 fixed on it and a belt 91, running over this pulley and the pulleyT 9 (Figs. 2 and 5) on the driver sleeve 1.

The mechanism of my invention, including the connection of the furnisher to a spooler shown in Fig. 1l, operates in the following manner: Cops 32 to be unwound are placed on the cop holders 3| of plate 29, and the free end of the thread 34 of each cop is pulled into or through the respectively adjacent slot 33 of the guide 30, the guide wires 31 facilitating the threading and preventing the threads 34 from springing out of slots 33 again. The end of the thread 34 of each cop (excepting the cop that is at the station 65 W-hereat the unwinding occurs) is then pulled beneath the clamping spring 36 that is respectively adjacent the next preceding slot in the direction in which the revolving box rotates (see Fig. 3), and thus is clamped at this place, and is cut 01T, say by a sharp edge of clamping spring 36. The thread 98 of the cop at the station 65 however, after being pulled through its slot 33, is carried across the nger or thread-catcher 40, and then up over the thread guide 99 and the stop motion member 90 and through the thread guide 84, and wound, say a few times, on the spool 83. This being an entirely new start, the mechanism is brought into motion by turning the starting lever 85 to starting position by hand; the same is true following each rupture of the thread. The parts are then in the positions shown in Fig. 11, and from thence on the operations are automatic. The cop at station 65 is rst unwound until there remains only a small ring |00 of thread (Fig. 8) on, say, it spindle (designated |0| by Fig. 8). Because it is no longer supported by thread the feeler 59 now falls so far as to bring the contact of lever 6| against the contact screw 66 so that the electromagnets 63 and 64 are energized. As already described, the energization of the electromagnet 64 releases hook 88 from hook 81, the lever 85 shifts, and accordingly the spool 83 ceases to rotate. At the same time the energzation of the magnet 63 releases the pawl Fig. "1, and the shaft 2 starts to revolve. The consequent rotation of the grooved drum 3 and cam disks 4 and 5 thereon results in ythe following series of operations: Lever I8. because its cam roller 2| engages within the cam groove 22 in drum 3, swings through the angle a (Fig. 5) and back again, and this, acting, through the driver pin 24, turns the revolving box4 to bring the next cop in order toward working. position, i.. e. unwinding station 65 (or 65a inl Fig. 8). However the thread |02 from, say, the spindle |0| of the nearly unwound cop is engaged 'and kept hook by the stationary thread catchback 40 and is restrained against movement with the thread guiding eye of the unwound cop, eg. I0 as the turning of the box moves the unwound cop, e. g. l0|, from position 65, so that this thread |02 comes to lie substantially side by side with thread |03 of the cop newly moved to position 65, i. e. in a position favorable for the tying of the two together. This result occurs because the positions of the thread catching hook 40, the clamps 36, and the path of the movements of the thread guiding eyes and the unwinding thread of the cop at the unwinding station 65, are related to each other'as previously described.

Thereupon the further rotation of cam disk 4, acting through arm 42, shaft 4| and stirrup 43, causes arm 44 with the thread-tying mechanism 45 thereon to swing toward the axis of the revolving box between the adjacent two radial arms |04 and |05 of the thread-guide 30, at about the position 65. In the course of this movement the threads |02 and |03 are caught by thread guides 41 and 48 of thread-tying mechanism 45, and so guided that they are seized and knotted together by knotter 49,'which in the meantime has been actuated from cam groove 22 in drum 3 through arms 56 and 54, rod 53, lever 52 and the operating lever 50. Knotter 49 also cuts off the thread ends behind the knot |06 (Fig. 9). Continued rotation of cam disk 4 then causes the threadtying mechanism 45 to swing back to its initial position. The spooler 18 then is caused to start operation again by the disk 5 pressing down on the lever 1| to draw down the connecting rod 14 to restore the starting lever to its operating position and reengage the holding hooks 81 and 88. The cam disk 5 then rotates slightly further until the shift lever 1| is released by it, in order that at the next cop change, or in case of rupture ofthe thread, the lever 1| will lbe able to move upward along with the starting lever 85.

In the meantime the current supply to the electromagnets 63 and 64 has been interrupted by the feeler 59 which is again contacting a wound cop at station 65. Therefore the locking pawl I3 has been swung inward. However the rotation of shaft 2 and its cams continues until the revolution of the pawl again brings its nose 69 (Fig. 7) against the locking pawl I3, andas a result the driver pawl is disengaged. When this happens the control shaft 2 with its control members comes to rest. The winding or spooling operations at the spooler mechanism 18 now continue until the cop newly brought to position 65 1s almost completely unwound, and when this happens the operations described above are repeated, and thereafter will be repeated again and again until the supply of cops in the revolving box is exhausted, or will continue indefinitely if' the revolving box is kept supplied with wound cops,

As before indicated, in Fig. 10 is shown a modi-v fication of my invention in which the cop feeler acts through mechanical means rather than electrical contacts. In this case the feeler 59a is. provided with a locking pawl |01. A locking lever |08 pivoted on a bracket |09, remains in contact with pawl |01 as long as feeler 59a is prevented t' by' onwindingi'eop' from dnoppmgfdown. The armi-i Ile-of thel'loekinglleveril isi providedryvith apin I `l--I engaging 'into-'a slot ifi'z: ofi-a? lever :M3 that'is flxe'dfonishat LLM'a. This shaft :can be assumed to perform ithelsame vfiun'ctionsas `Ithe sli-aft 1M of 'the Searlierlli'lg'ures. To l lever al Ii3is Oanticu'lati-id :also :a rod i lid, which @may ibe, :for examplaarticulatetiitoarm 92 ofI-lookingilever S19-(Fig. il) -y.ltherrfcoioPtit-:iseammmnd .to such an extent that ifee'ler :59a is hable 2 to -drop and -thereby release the `looking lever m3, lever 4:,LI 3 -falrls Land, 1 acting l:through 11:11, ibrings spooler f .to a stop by fdravvingdciwn` the locking: lever :E9 .fand'i-theifeby freeing' fhook 181 from hook? t8. 'asbefore. `The lever :H3 .in dropping also, :acting thronghtslieitA ma, :cerresnonding to .lt-turns `the .locking paWl !:3,J.Fig, 7, thereby freeing .thetpawl f H l so1 that fthistdriving@awlaengages fa .toothiinn rotating sleeve f'i lax-idf brings l.the control shaft '2 -into faction. The subsequent .actions 'will -sthen a be quite lilsertl'iose4 described before, .aspwill be `i'understood.

.Itnwvillbe understood that-:my invention-iszznot limited1to1the detailsbf construction :and :operation@describedpraboye.andsshown1in the drawl.

ings, :except as1gapp i1rsf-hereaiter .in 'the claims.

I :claim: vLA thread furnishing mechanism comprising rotatable fmemb er havingi a plurality :of positions for oops 1to1carry :copsfto :an unwinding e station successively, ;a thread-guiding `@eye for :each '.ofisaidfplurality of-:cop positions, :afzthread .folampifor :each of saidueyestoV hold :the .starting --eirdnof a-threadextending from its .respectively .associated eyegsaidneyes .and clamps ybeingfcon- 3 y cla-mods adi acentzztheiithread' extending.: from; an incompletely unyvound copfatfisaidanothernstation, andsaltlu'eadtier v:to rtieithreadsextending from `saidmtwio stations, said ..tier ibeing disposed ,adiacentrtheizplaee uni-here the threads :are so adjacent.

2. -The subjeot I.'ifxiatter...of A claim 1, @characterized-:by thefaot -thatuneans:are.;provided,. located vtothe rear of :said another station, ato :engage thread of :an incompletely funwoun'dacop at; said ranother stationf and-lthe #eyes andtheir'.'clamp's arefsolrelatedthat aalthread extending ffroman eye'assocatedwithzacoppositionsatithennwinding station ;to Vits trespe'ctive :clamp is adjacent 'a Sthread extended from isaid means 'to an in- .complete'ly .unwound 4:oop 1 at .said Ianother :sta-

tion.

3. A? thread. furnislringilmechanism :comprising -a-notatablezmember havingia plurality of posittionsfforeops to carryoopstoan unwinding sta- -tionsuccessively andincludinganeye-and-clamp carrying member, isa-id ,carryingfzmember provid- 'infsubstantiallytheJsame rotational lplane, means yto rotate-said.rotatable"member'to".bringfcop. po- .sitions thereof to .the unwinding station .successively-.and movetliem therebeyon'd; afeeler to feel :cops Vyat the vnnWiI-iding tstation1'and 'effective before a cop being unwound at the unwindingfsta- `tio'nfiscompletely unwound 'to bring fsai'd means into action to' rotate: said member 'to `bring afcop xpo'sition with ia filled' cop vto the `unwinding :sta- Ation'land movea' cop position at theunwnding station .with an incompletely unwound cop vto another station beyond, means to -hold'adjacent fan' eye'atfthe unwindingfstation' thread of xan 'in- :completely uni/wondA ecp 4'extending vfrom the yeye .at-.saidl another: station-rai thread-'extending from van i'noonipletely 1in-wound copzat-said another stationfthereby .being placed :ad acent a! thread :of

vaflled cop extendingirom an leye at the unwinding station to itsrespectively associated clamp,

.and a thread :tier adjacent the place Where threads :are lthus brought Itogether to tie said threads.

4. Thesubjectmatter kof cla-im 3,2'charactenize`d bythe fact tliifatsa-id means to-liold thread of an .incompletely nnwoundvcop 'is afstation'ary member standing in the path of movement :of a thread .fof :an inoompletely unwoundoop :asfthe latter `moves from the unwinding station toward said anotherstation WALTER 'SGHWEI'IER.

References V`Citedin the 'le of-this `patent UNITED "STATES PATENTS 'Name 'Date Abbott Feb.' 9, 1926 Y Colman "Dec.28,'1`926 Esser et al A Dec. :29,: 1942

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