US2728531A - Pressure-applying mechanism for lap winding machine - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 27, 1955 G. SMITH 2,728,531

PRESSURE-APPLYING MECHANISM FOR LAP WINDING MACHINE Filed May 11, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. N GRAYDON SMITH W ATT Y.

Dec. 27, 1955 G. SMITH 2,728,531

PRESSURE-APPLYING MECHANISM FOR LAP WINDING MACHINE Filed May 11, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l I II 1x \"m'mu. GRAYDON SMITH.

ATTY.

United States Patent "ice PRESSURE-APPLYING MECHANISM FOR LAP WINDING MACHINE Graydon Smith, Concord, Mass., assignor to Whitin Machine Works, Whitinsville, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 11, 1953, Serial No. 354,149

1 Claim. (Cl. 24255.l)

This invention relates to machines for winding laps of cotton or other fibers into lap rolls to be supplied to cards, combers or to other subsequently operating machines. The roll of loose cotton lap is commonly supported by a pair of adjacent and continuously rotated winding drums, and is held in firm contact therewith by downward pressure applied to the rod or shaft on which the lap is wound.

Weights or springs acting through brake shoes on a brake drum having a pinion-and-rack connection to said rod or shaft are commonly used to supply the downward pressure. As the lap roll increases in diameter, the shaft and rack bars are lifted thereby, with corresponding angular movement and slipping of the brake drum relative to the brake shoes.

It has been found that pressure continuously applied by the brake shoes causes the brake drum and rack bars to move irregularly or with a jerky motion, which in turn causes irregular pressure on the lap roll and with resultant thick and thin places in the lap.

It is the general object of my invention to provide improved mechanism for applying pressure to the brake drums, which mechanism is so designed to allow a smooth and uniform upward movement of the rack bars and to provide a uniform pressure on the lap roll.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which Fig. l is a partial sectional side elevation of a lap winding machine having my improvements embodied therein and taken along the line 1-1 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a partial sectional plan view, taken substantially along the irregular line 22 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of certain parts on an enlarged scale and taken along the line 33 in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional 4-4 in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown parts of a lap winder of usual construction and comprising a frame F rotatably supporting a pair of adjacent winding drums and 11, a superposed series of calender rolls 12 and a pair of guide and feed rolls 14.

The lap L is supplied to the calender rolls 12 and passes therefrom through the guide-rolls 14 to the lap roll R which is wound on a loose rod or shaft 16.

The winding drums 10 and 11 and calender rolls 12 and one or both of the guide-rolls 14 are continuously rotated, and the lap roll R is rotated by its frictional contact with the drums 10 and 11 on which it is supported.

It will be noted that the drum 10 is at a substantially lower level than the drum 11, so that the lap roll R, when of full size, may be rolled off of the drum 10 to delivery brackets 18 with very slight effort. In fact if the roll R is of sufiicient size, it will roll to delivery position autoplan view, taken along the line 2,728,531 Patented Dec. 27, 1955 matically as soon as the pressure on the rod 16 is relieved.

Pressure is applied to the rod 16 by recessed blocks 20 mounted on rack bars 22, one such bar being supplied for each end of the rod 16. Each rack bar 22 is engaged by a pinion 24 rotatable on a fixed stud 25 and is held in contact with said pinion by a guide-roll 27.

Gears are mounted to rotate with the pinions 24 and engage pinions 31 and 32 on a brake shaft 34. A brake drum 36 is fixed to the shaft 34 and is engaged by brake shoes 40 and 41 (Fig. 3) mounted on studs 42 and 43 on a brake lever to be described. Each brake shoe is provided with a suitable friction pad or liner 44.

Braking pressure for the shoes 40 and 41 is supplied by a spring (Figs. 1 and 3) acting through a bolt 51 and nut 52 to apply pressure to the outer faces of lugs 53 and 54 on the free ends of the shoes 40 and 41. The pressure applied by the brake shoes may be regulated by adjusting the nut 52.

A brake lever (Fig. 1) is loosely pivoted on the shaft 34 and one or more weights 61 are adjustable on the outer end of the lever. The brake shoe studs 42 and 43 are fixed in said lever.

Swinging movement or oscillation of the lever 69 is controlled by a rod 62 (Fig. 1) which extends through a fixed bracket 63 and which is yieldingly positioned vertically by opposed springs 64 and 65 held against the upper and lower faces of the bracket 63 by adjustable nuts 66 and 67 threaded on the rod 62.

The rod 62 extends loosely through a vertical passage in a swivel block 68 adjustable longitudinally on the lever 60. Upper and lower collars 70 and 71 on the rod 62 limit upward and downward swinging movement of the lever 60, and the springs 64 and 65 cushion the engagement of the swivel block 68 with the collars 70 and 71. The swinging movement of the lever 60 is thus effectively limited and cushioned.

A double cam is loose on a short shaft 81 (Fig. 4) which is movably mounted in a bearing 83 in the lever 60. An arm 85 is fixed to one end of the shaft 81 and has an offset lug 86 which engages a guide-block 87 on an arm 88 (Fig. 1) secured to a fixed stud 89.

The lug 86 is held yieldingly against the guide-block 87 by a tension spring 90, connected at one end to the arm 85 and at the opposite end to the brake shoe bearing stud 42.

A yoke member 92 (Fig. 4) is secured to the other end of the shaft 81 and is provided with adjusting screws 94 which engage the opposite sides of an offset arm 96 which is preferably formed integral with the double cam 80. By adjustment of the screws 94, the relative angular relation of the cam 80 to the brake shoe lugs 53 and 54 may be conveniently adjusted and the cam locked to the shaft 81.

With this construction, swinging movement of the lever 60 with the brake drum 36 will force the lug 86 of the arm 85 upward against the guide-block 87. As the upward movement of the lever continues, the arm 85 will be given a slight anti-clockwise angular movement. Such angular movement of the arm 85 will cause the double cam 80, which engages the inner faces of the brake block extensions 53 and 54, to slightly separate the brake shoes and allow the brake drum to turn until extra pressure on the lap roll R is relieved. The lever 60 then slips back to its normal operating range. The building up of excessive pressure on the lap roll is thus prevented, and a smooth upward movement of the rack bars 22 is insured.

For manual release of the brake drum, a hand lever 100 is mounted on a cross shaft 101 which is connected by an arm 102 and link 103 to the arm 85. By use of the handle 100, the double cam 80 may be turned angularly to re- 3 1 lease the pressure on the brake drum, so that the rack bars 22 may be moved freely either upward or downward.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claim, but what I claim is:

Pressure-applying mechanism for a lap winding machine comprising a Winding roll, rack bars engaging said winding roll, a brake drum geared to said rack bars, brake shoes engaging said drum, means including a weighted lever pivoted coaxially with said drum and frictionally displaced angularly therewith on increase of upward force on said rack bars, said brake shoes being pivoted on said lever at points radially outside of said drum and movable with said lever about the axis of said drum, yielding means to force said shoes against said drum, separating cam means pivotally mounted between said brake shoes and engageable therewith but normally free therefrom, a fixed but adjustable device to turn said cam means to engage the shoes and relieve the brake-shoe pressure on substantial displacement of said weighted lever by increase of upward pressure .on said winding roll, and a spring to return the cam means to normal inoperative position pursuant to release of said brake drum for limited angular advance movement thereof when thus released.

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,395,830 Jones Nov. 1, 1921 2,421,347 Merwin May 27, 1947 2,430,022 Lambach Nov. 4, 1947 2,461,387 Medbery Feb. 8, 1949 2,594,925 Higginbotham Apr. 29, 1952 2,640,655 Johnson June 2, 1953 2,648,100 Henry Aug. 11, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 702,346 France Jan. 20, 1931 873,079 France Mar. 2, 19 42

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