US2697561A

US2697561A - Centrifugal clutch driving connection

Info

Publication number: US2697561A
Application number: US245412A
Authority: US
Inventors: Curtis Geoffrey
Original assignee: Courtaulds PLC
Current assignee: Akzo Nobel UK PLC
Priority date: 1950-09-28
Filing date: 1951-09-06
Publication date: 1954-12-21
Anticipated expiration: 1971-12-21
Also published as: CH295965A; FR1043340A

Description

Dec. 21, 1954 e. CURTIS CENTRIFUGAL CLUTCH DRIVING CONNECTION Filed Sept. 6, 1951 V 7 W\ //////A INVENTOP ,BY HIS ATTO RNEYS United States Patent CENTRIFUGAL CLUTCH DRIVING CONNECTION Geotrrey Curtis, Coventry, England, assignor to Courtaulds Limited, London, England, a British company Application September 6, 1951, Serial No. 245,412

Claims priority, application Great Britain September 28, 1950 2 Claims. (Cl. 242-465) This invention relates to twisting and spinning spindles.

It has been proposed, see for example British patent specifications Nos. 151,806 and 222,438, to provide textile twisting and spinning spindles with clutch mechanism which grips the bobbin or like yarn holder under the action of centrifugal force when the spindle is rotating.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved type of centrifugal clutch for use in twisting and spinning spindles.

According to the present invention, a twisting or spinning spindle for driving textile-collecting bobbins at a speed of at least 2,000 revolutions per minute comprises a rotatable shaft, a tube concentrically fixed around and to the shaft for rotation therewith, a lower seating on the shaft providing a close fit with the bore of the bobbin and, at the upper end portion of the shaft and adjacent to the upper end portion of the tube, a centrifugal clutch comprising a flexible ring of substantially U-shaped crosssection concentric with the shaft and so arranged that, when the shaft is stationary, the bobbin can be passed over the upper end portion of the shaft, over the clutch and over the tube to a position where the lower end of the bobbin rests on the seating but that, when the shaft is rotating, the outer limb of the ring is urged outwardly by centrifugal force into driving contact with the wall defining the bore of the bobbin and the bobbin is thus automatically gripped. The flexible ring is preferably made of vulcanised soft rubber.

The spindle according to the invention is particularly suitable for driving bobbins described in my copending application Serial No. 245,411 of even date, now Patent No. 2,674,418 granted April 6, 1954. The seating may then be suitably tapered to fit closely in the splayed lower end of the bobbin. Alternatively, if the bobbin has a lower cylindrical part, the seating may also be cylindrical so that it fits of the bobbin.

It is an advantage of the spindle according to the present invention that it is self-centering.

An example of a spindle constructed in accordance with the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawing which is a front elevation partly in cross-section.

Referring to the drawing, a tube 1 is concentrically fixed around a driving shaft 2 of an electric motor 3 and has its lower end clamped between a collar 4 and a seating 5, and has its upper end positioned between a screw collar 6 and a threaded collar 7 located at the upper end portion of shaft 2, said screw collar 6 and said threaded collar 7 being fixed to the shaft and being rotatable therewith. The seating has a push fit on the casing 8 of the electric motor 3, and two ribs 9 in the bore of seating 5 are received in keyways 10 in the casing 8. The shaft 2 is secured to the casing 8 by a lock nut 18. The outer surfaces of the collar 4, the seating 5 and an outer ring 11 on the casing 8 are shaped to provide a close fit with the lower portion of the wall defining the bore of the bobbin placed thereon. The screw collar 6 at the upper end portion of the shaft 2 has a downwardly projecting annular flange 12 concentric with and spaced outwardly from the collar 7 fixed on the upper end portion of shaft 2, which annular flange enters between the limbs of a vulcanised rubber ring 13 of U- shaped cross-section. Ring 13 is concentric with the shaft 2, the collar 6 being held in place by a clamping nut 15 screwed on the threaded collar 7. Shaft 2, collar 7, and tube 1 may be said to constitute a shaft assembly which is surrounded by the flexible ring 13 and the anclosely in the lower cylindrical part nular flange 12-,Of collar 6, these component parts cooperat ng to form a positive driving, connection with the bobbin adapted to be driven by thejspindle when thel shaft is rotatingfthe annular flange 12'ofcollar 6 being spaced outwardly'frorn said shaft-assembly a distance slightly less than the thickness of the inner limb'ofsaid flexible 'ring.

The inner limb 14 of the ring 13 is gripped between the annular flange 12 of the collar 6 and the upper end portion of tube 1, whereas the outer limb 16 of said ring is free to move outwardly. When the spindle is stationary, a bobbin can be dropped over the upper part of the spindle on to the seating 5, but when the spindle is rotating at high speeds, the outer limb 16 is thrown outwardly b y centrifugal force to the position shown in dotted outline at 17 so that it bears against the internal surface of the bobbin. In this manner the ring 13 acts as a selfcentering frictional driving device for the bobbin.

What I claim is:

l. A twisting spindle for driving textile-collecting bobbins at a speed of at least 2,000 revolutions per minute comprising a rotatable shaft assembly including a shaft, 21 lower seating on the shaft adapted to provide a close fit with the wall defining the lower end portion of the bore of a bobbin adapted for mounting on said shaft, 21 centrifugal clutch mounted on the upper end portion of the shaft and comprising a flexible ring substantially U- shaped in transverse cross section and concentrically arranged with respect to said shaft assembly, a member mounted on the upper end of said shaft for rotation therewith and adjacent said flexible ring, said member including an annular flange concentrically arranged with respect to said shaft assembly and spaced outwardly therefrom a distance slightly less than the thickness of the inner limb of said flexible ring, said flange being disposed between the limbs of the flexible ring and clamping the inner limb of said ring between the shaft assembly and flange to cause rotation of said ring with said shaft, the outer limb of said flexible ring having, when the shaft is stationary, a maximum external diameter slightly less than the diameter of the wall defining the bore of a bobbin adapted for mounting on said shaft so that when the shaft is stationary, said bobbin can be passed over the upper end portion of the shaft and over the flexible ring to a position where the lower end of said bobbin rests on said lower seating, said outer limb of said flexible ring, when the shaft is rotating, being urged by centrifugal force into driving contact with the wall defining the upper end portion of the bore of said bobbin, whereby said bobbin is automatically gripped for rotation by said shaft.

2. A twisting spindle for driving textile-collecting bobbins at a speed of at least 2,000 revolutions per minute comprising a rotatable shaft assembly including a shaft, a lower seating on the shaft adapted to provide a close fit with the wall defining the lower end portion of the bore of a bobbin adapted for mounting on said shaft, said shaft assembly also including an externally-threaded collar secured to said shaft adjacent the upper end thereof for rotation by said shaft, an internally-threaded collar threadedly secured to said externally-threaded collar for rotation by said shaft, a centrifugal clutch mounted on the upper end portion of the shaft and comprising a flexible ring substantially U-shaped in transverse cross section and concentrically arranged with respect to said shaft assembly, said internally-threaded collar having an annular flange concentrically arranged with respect to said shaft assembly and spaced outwardly therefrom a distance slightly less than the thickness of the inner limb of said flexible ring, said flange being disposed between the limbs of the flexible ring and clamping the inner limb of said ring between the shaft assembly and said flange to cause rotation of said ring with said shaft, the outer limb of said flexible ring having, when the shaft is stationary, a maximum external diameter slightly less than the diameter of the wall defining the bore of a bobbin adapted for mounting on said shaft so that when the shaft is stationary, said bobbin can be passed over the upper end portion of the shaft and over the flexible ring to a position where the lower end of said bobbin rests on said lower seating, said outer limb of said flexible ring, when the shaft is rotating, being urged by centrifugal force into driving contact with the wall defining the upper end portion of the bore of said bobbin, whereby said bobbin is automatically gripped for rotation by said shaft.

2,575,776 White -IIIIIIIIIIIIIII'Nw. 20, 1951 10 4 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France May 18, 1927 Italy June 1, 1937