US2767828A

US2767828A - Yarn travel control apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2767828A
Application number: US378270A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Frank S Pollock
Original assignee: EI Du Pont de Nemours and Co
Current assignee: EIDP Inc
Priority date: 1953-09-03
Filing date: 1953-09-03
Publication date: 1956-10-23
Anticipated expiration: 1973-10-23

Description

Oct. 23, 1956 F. s POLLOCK, JR 2,767,828

YARN TRAVEL CONTROL APPARATUS Filed Sept. 5, 1953 3 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR FRANK SPOLLOCK JR ATTORNEY Oct. '23, 1956 r-z's. POLLOCK, JR 8 YARN TRAVEL CONTROL APPARATUS Filed Sept. 3, 1953 3 Shets$heet 3 III/III IIIIII I Z.- m 12 iii\\\\ a IOITEB+ZONE4 l l .\L A

I rlulllllllllllllllilh,

FRANKPOLLOCIQJR J: ZONE ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiiice 2,767,828 Patented Oct. 23, 1956 2,767,828 YARN TRAVEL CONTROL APPARATUS Frank S. Pollock, Jr., Wilmington, Del., assignor to E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, DeL, a corporation of Delaware Application September 3, 1953, Serial No. 378,270 Claims. (Cl. 203-320) This invention relates to apparatus for the control of yarn travel and is applicable alike to yarn guiding, yarn guiding and windup and also to yarn advancing operations with relatively simple, inexpensive changes in one of the elements.

A great variety of yarn guiding and yarn guiding and windup mechanisms have been developed in the art but these possess disadvantages in that many of them have elements in contact with the yarn which do not travel at the same speed as the running yarn and, therefore, subject the yarn or the apparatus to excessive wear at contacting surfaces which is deleterious to the product and the apparatus alike. Furthermore, these mechanisms are conventionally designed for use with a fixed number of yarn ends and cannot be adapted to the processing of a different number without extensive changes or a complete substitution of one device for another. Many yarns, particularly those made from polymeric materials such' as polyamides, for example, have high inherent stresses imparted to them in the course of manufacture and are best wound in a relaxed condition, so that crushing of the bobbins and of the lower layers of yarn on the package can be forestalled, and presently available windup apparatus has not been completely satisfactory in this regard. The trend in yam manufacture is toward the winding of larger packages within a minimum of space for the winding apparatus per se and, while many different types of apparatus developed for the textile trade are adapted to winding large packages, the excessive space requirements of conventional apparatus have been objectionable. A further disadvantage of most of the commercially available equipment is that non-uniform dyeing occurs at points in the cake where a large number of wraps of yarn lie in close proximity to the edges of the package, a condition which results when the traversing action of the apparatus does not sufficiently distribute the yarn during winding. A yet further disadvantage is the crushing of a single lay of yarn, commonly known as ribboning, due to the close overlay of a multiplicity of subsequently wound wraps, another result of failure of traversing action to distribute the yarn evenly along the axis of the package. The yarn guiding and windup embodiment of this invention is intended to permit yarn, which term is hereinafter used to comprehend filaments, threads and the like as well, to be wound at highspeeds with better results at lower first cost for the apparatus with a minimum of space for accommodation of the equipment.

Much progress has been made in recent years in the design of yarn advancing reels; however, the mechanisms utilized for yarn advancing are complicated, expensive to manufacture and maintain, and also are single purpose in nature. The yarn advancing embodiment of this invention has advantages of simplicity of construction, and therefore economy, and is also adapted to ready conversion from yarn advancing service to yarn guiding and windup service if manufacturing requirements necessitate,

thus providing a flexibility in this regard which has not hitherto been achieved.

An object of this invention is, then, to provide a yarn travel control apparatus which, as a yarn guiding device, is an improvement over other devices known to the art. Another object is to provide a guiding and windup device which is adapted to wind yarn at high speeds with provision for relaxing the yarn between the apparatus and the windup bobbin under conditions wherein the differential speed between the running yarn and the surfaces of the apparatus is substantially zero. Other objects common to both yarn guiding and yarn guiding and windup include providing flexibility in the accommodation of multiple end yarns in the same apparatus by relatively simple changes, adaptability to processing relatively large packages of controlled layer pattern, and to accomplish all of the foregoing objects by apparatus low in first cost and maintenance and extremely compact as regards mill space. Yet another object of the invention is to incorporate in yarn guiding and guiding and windup appara-tus high speed traversing features which permit positive control of yarn travel at all times and which are fixed with respect to the rotating elements making up the apparatus, as distinguished from the high inertia reciprocatory traverse devices which are conventionally employed in textile manufacture. Still another object is to provide a yarn travel control apparatus which, as a yarn advancing device, is simple in construction and readily convertible into a yarn guiding or yarn guiding and windup apparatus cheaply and quickly. The manner in which these and other objects of this invention are obtained will be apparent from the detailed description and the following drawings in which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal cross section of a preferred embodiment of yarn guiding and windup apparatus according to this invention which is adapted to the winding of a single cake but which can be readily converted to the simultaneous winding of two, three, four or five cakes, depending upon requirements, only two guide elements, x and y, being shown to facilitate understanding of the invention,

Fig. 2 is partial section taken on line 22 of Figs. 1 and 3,

Fig. 3 is a developed diagram of the outside surface of the outer shell of the apparatus of Figs. 1 and 2, somewhat reduced in size, showing schematically the lines of yarn travel taken during the winding of from one to five cakes, the effect of the ribbon breaking eccentric not being depicted,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged end elevation view of a single guide element looking in the direction of the yarn guiding surface, the guide being in a position approaching an outer shell slot, showing a preferred construction of guide element and its support with respect to the apparatus of Figs. 1 and 2,

Figs. 5 to 8, inclusive, are schematic representations of different embodiments of yarn guiding and windup apparatus according to this invention wherein a showing of the guide elements and the slots in the outer shells is omitted in the interests of simplicity of representation,

Fig. 5 being an embodimentwherein the inner and outer shells are independently driven,

Fig. 6 being an embodiment wherein the outer shell is driven by a central shaft and the outer shell in turn drives the inner shell through a gear arrangement,

Fig. 7 being an embodiment wherein the drive shaft is substituted for the inner shell and the shaft and its surrounding shell are supported on spaced bearings which may be a considerable distance apart, thus providing a very large windup surface particularly adapted to the multiple end simultaneous winding of six or more cakes,

Fig. 8 being an embodiment wherein the outer shell is J journal ed eccentrically within the central shaft of the apparatus, and

Fig. 9 is a schematic representation of one embodiment of yarn advancing apparatus according to this invention, the showing being limited to the two shells co-operatively effective to advance the yarn along the path indicated in broken line representation and a portion of the outer shell being broken away to show the relative locations of the yarn guides in the first two rows of guides carried by the inner shell.

Generally, the objects of this invention are attained by providing an outer tubular shell-inner cylinder apparatus, the outer shell of which surrounds the inner cylinder, which may also be a tubular shell, the outer shell being provided with slots, and the outer shell being in contact throughout its solid expanse with the running yarn over a part or all of its outside periphery, depending upon whether the device is used for yarn guiding and yarn guiding and windup service or for yarn advancing service, respectively. The inner cylinder is disposed eccentrlcally with respect to the outer shell with its axis substantially parallel to the axis of the outer shell and is provided with a plurality of guide elements arranged thereupon in the winding pattern it is desired to maintain, the disposition of the outer shell and the inner cylinder with respect to one another being such that, upon rotation of both in unison, the guide elements of the inner cylinder successively advance into and retract away from the yarn path through the slots cut in the outer shell, thereby moving the yarn laterally to control positively its travel. Where the invention is employed as a yarn guiding and windup device the windup bobbin is preferably disposed in contact with the outer shell at a region wherein the guide elements are completely retracted, and thus the outer shell turns the bobbin by frictional engagement therewith at the same or substantially the same surface speed as that at which the outer shell turns. An oscillating eccentric connection for the inner cylinder is optionally provided for the yarn guiding and windup device to achieve random winding within the chosen pattern for the purpose of eliminating ribboning. Where the invention is employed solely for yarn guiding, as distinguished from guiding and windup, the bobbin, or the next following equipment receiving the yarn, if winding is not thereby conducted, may be independently driven at a speed matching the shell-cylinder apparatus of this invention. The bobbin in such a case would be out of contact with the outer shell of the apparatus, it being understood that the oscillating ribbon breaker may be used in conjunction with this embodiment also if desired.

The yarn guiding and windup embodiments of the invention will first be described with reference to Figs. l8 inclusive. As shown in detail in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, one embodiment of yarn guiding and windup apparatus according to this invention comprises the double-shell assembly incorporating an outer shell 10 within which is eccentrically journaled an inner shell 11, both of which may be fabricated from steel or other metals or materials. The assembly is journaled on a common drive shaft 12 which is preferably of considerable length, permitting the mounting thereon of a multiplicity of guiding-windup units identical with the assembly described, the end configurations of the assemblies being adapted to nest within adjacent neighboring units to provide the maximum yarn windup surface per unit length of drive shaft, the outline of adjoining apparatus being indicated by broken line delineation in Fig. 1.

The construction of the apparatus of Figs. 1-3 is hereinafter first particularly described with reference to the guiding and windup of a single yarn end, after which the description proceeds to multiple end winding.

Referring to Fig. l, the outer shell 10 is adapted to drive the inner shell 11, although this relationship can be reversed, if desired, for not only this embodiment but all of the other embodiments in a manner hereinafter described. The outer shell 10 of Fig. l is provided with an annular closed end 13, the inner periphery of which fits between two

dissimilar metal bushings

14 and 15, bushing 15 being securely attached to spider 16, which is in turn attached to drive shaft 12 by key 17. Bushing 14 is securely attached to annular drive plate 22 which is spring-biased against the outer face of end member 13. This bushing arrangement permits a regulable frictional drive of the two she ls of the apparatus, driving engagement being obtained by the compression of a spring 21 retained against drive plate 22 by a collar 23 fitted over the end of spider 16, and retained in place thereon by drive pins 25, spring 21 being backed by a conventional split retainer 24. Shaft 12 is recessed at the points at which the several assemblies are mounted to receive the two-part eccentric which comprises elements 28 and 2-9 secured together as a unit by bolts 39. The eccentric is journaled on shaft 12 through bearings 31 and the inner shell 11 is in turn journaled on the eccentric through bearings 32. An expanding spring lock 33, the outer periphery of which is fitted into a mating recess on the inner side of shell 11, is interposed between the bearings 32 and thus acts as a spacer, and also serves as a lock for the friction-retained gear-toothed sleeve 47 supported by shell 11 as will hereinafter be described. The assembly is completed by a ring 36, bolted to the eccentric by several bolts 37, only one of which is shown in Fig. 1. Ring 36 provides the connection for oscillating the eccem trio in a manner eliminating ribboning and is drilled at a convenient point to receive one arm of hell crank 33. Bell crank 38 is iournaled in bearing 39 and is oscillated in a manner hereinafter described by eccentric 41) pow ered through shaft 41 from a source not shown.

The details of the gear construction are best seen in Fig. 2, the inside of the outer shell 10 being provided with a continuous succession of gear teeth 42, which in this case comprise thirty-six in number cut with an odd pitch to accommodate the differential in speed with re spect to the outer shell at which the inner shell 11 rotates. A portion of the space between successive teeth of shell 10 is cut away to form slots 43 for the advance and retraction of guides 44 spaced equidistantly around the periphery of inner shell 11, the disposition and relative size of the slots 43 for this embodiment being shown in plan for onesixth of the periphery of shell 10, i. c. Zone 1, in Fig. 3. Shell 11 is driven through gear teeth 46. which may be of standard pitch, which teeth are formed in sleeve 47. Sleeve 47 is undercut in the central region as indicated at 48, Fig. 1, but fits shell 11 tightly at the ends, so that it is in secure engagement therewith. While sleeve 47 may be fabricated from metal it is preferred, especially for high speed applications, to employ a resilient material, such as a polyamide resin or rubber, either nat ural or synthetic, or the like, to reduce noise and increase the operating life. The attachment of sleeve 47 to shell 11 is strengthened by spring lock 33, one end of which is provided with an outwardly directed free end 49 which is passed through matching drilled holes in shell 11 and sleeve 47 at a point in the latter where it does not interfere with any of the guides 44. The yarn windup bobbin 53 is shown in a position where it is out of the zone of guide advance and retraction and therefore is always in contact with the smooth surface of outer shell 10, the rotation of which frictionally drives the bobbin, it being understood that bobbin 53 may be located at a variety of positions around the surface of shell 10 so long as it does not contact guides 44. The yarn is supplied to the apparatus, which is shown as rotating in a counterclockwise direction in Fig. 2, through a stationary pigtail or other conventional yarn guide 54 preferably disposed midway of the length of shell 10 for winding on bobbin 53.

As will be seen from Figs. 1, 2 and 4, yarn guides 44, of which there are thirty in number in the specific construction hereinabove described, are solid metal members provided at the top with a smooth, inclined yarn-contacting surface 55 and at the base with a T-ilange which is adapted to abut the inside surface of sleeve 47 within the clearance 48. Guides 44 are preferably slightly tapered at their yarn contacting ends (refer Fig. 4) and, as will be hereinafter described in detail, are adapted to be inserted through pre-drilled holes provided in sleeve 47 to present any preselected pattern to the single or multiple yarn ends it is desired to guide, or to guide and wind.

Referring to Fig. 3, the disposition of the yarn guides 44 with respect to

shells

10 and 11 is shown, together with the path of yarn tracking effected by the guides with respect to the developed surface of outer shell 10. As will be noted specifically in Fig. 1 for yarn guides x and y, and as represented generally in Fig. 3 for all of the yarn guides 44, the surfaces 55 of the guides are inclined in the direction in which yarn travel is to be effected and, of course, the inclinations of successive groups of guides are reversed where the direction of traverse is to be reversed. It will be further noted (Fig. 3) that successive guides are spaced apart axially of the shells an amount less than one full guide width. For simplification in representation only the slots 43 in one-sixth of the peripheral expanse of shell 10 are shown in Fig. 3; however, the dispositions of the entire thirty guides 44 carried by inner shell 11 at the beginning of a complete traversing cycle for a single yarn end are shown in solid line representation, it being understood that slots in shell 10 are of course provided for each of these guides, which slots repeat the pattern detailed for Zone 1. It will be noted that the dispositions of seven other guides 44 are depicted in dotdash representation in Zone 6 which, as will hereinafter become clear, delineates the positions taken by the guides of Zone 1 during each final one-sixth of a revolution of shell 1%}. In addition, the full complement of guides 44 which, together with those shown in full line representation are necessary for multiple end winding, are shown in dotted representation for Zone 1, it being understood that this pattern is repeated for each of the succeeding zones of Fig. 3 but the complex detailed showing of which is omitted from the drawing for clarity. As an aid in visualization, the dispositions of all guides in all of the zones for both single end and multiple end winding is indicated by the intersections of the paths of yarn tracking with the broken line horizontals drawn parallel to the axis of shell 10 across the full width of the shell, it being understood that the number of guides utilized in any specific installation depends upon the number of yarn ends being processed and that the total of the intersections therefore represents the maximum number of guides 44 necessary to guide and wind five yarn ends simultaneously and that lesser numbers are required for fewer ends, down to the thirty which have proved entirely adequate for the windup of a 4 /8" face width single end yarn cake. For the latter device, the outside diameter of shell 10 was 8 /2", the outside diameter of shell 11 was 6",.the eccentricity of shell 11 with respect to shell 10 was the overall outside diameter of sleeve 47 was 6 and the protrusion of guides 44 beyond the outside surface of shell 10 at full advance was 7 the guides being A wide below inclined surfaces 55, which had an inclination of 45. This design was adapted to the guiding and windup of yarn at a speed of 2.000 yds./min. with outer shell rotating at 2700 R. P. M. and inner shell 11 rotating at 324D R. P. M.

In yarn guiding and windup applications of this invention, slots 43 are preferably cut to the minimum length and width necessary to accommodate the guides 44 required for the particular service at hand, for the reason that bumping of the yarn cakes during'build up by contact with the slots is undesirable in that it interferes with even winding and might also bruise the yarn. As shown in Fig. 3, three difierent lengths of axially disposed slots 43, each proportioned to receive a different number of guides 44, are suitable for the guiding and windup of any number of yarn ends from one to five in number, inclusive, it being unnecessary with this design to substitute a different shell 19 for the one detailed upon discontinuing the windup of a certain number of ends within the range one to five hereinabove stated and commencing the windup of a different number of ends. It will be apparent that helically cut slots of sufiicient length to encompass several or all of the successively staggered guides 44 in adjacent rows may be substituted for the straight-sided. slots shown in Fig. 3, and that such helical slots may in some circumstances be more economical in manufacture than the straight slots, while at the same time eliminating bumping of the winding cake. Where helically cut slots are em ployed, guides 44 may be offset a slight degree along helices to make them conform more closely to the slot openings, in which case successive guides across the width of sleeve 47 will not of course lie along horizontal lines, in the pattern shown in Fig. 3, but along helical lines.

Referring to Fig. 3, the operation of the guiding and windup apparatus will first be described for the winding of a single yarn end. Traversing will, in this case, occur between the extremes denoted by guide x on the one hand and guide y on the other and it is convenient, for the specific apparatus detailed, to regard the peripheral surface of outer shell 10 as comprising six separate zones numbered chronologically in Fig. 3 from the bottom to the top, the yarn being traversed in sequence in the ascending order of zone numbers. For the design detailed one complete revolution of the inner shell 11 will have oc curred at the end of Zone 5, whereupon a new cycle of traversing is initiated at the beginning of Zone 6, although a complete rotation of outer shell 10 is not completed until the end of Zone 6 is reached during rotation. It will be understood that Fig. 3 depicts the instantaneous axial disposition of the yarn with respect to

shells

10 and 11 but that, in the yarn guiding and yarn guiding and windup embodiments of this invention, only a portion of the outer peripheral surface of shell 10 is in contact with the yarn at any one time, as clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and 2.

With a single end cake the yarn is laid against any one of the line of guides shown in full line representation in Fig. 3 whereupon, after the completion of five rotations of outer shell 10 the yarn will have followed the tracks denoted a, b, c, d and e, although not in the order recited. This movement of the yarn constitutes six complete to and fro traverses, or one for each rotation of inner shell 11. As an aid in tracing the course of the yarn from the guide x (path a) through a complete rotation of outer shell 10 it will be seen that the yarn is guided from left to right, as seen in Fig. 3, from the beginning of Zone 1 through to the middle of Zone 3, i. e., to guide y in the last row of guides in sequence from the left, where the yarn course reverses and reaches the left-hand guide 44 at the end of Zone 5. The guiding of the yarn is effected by lateral displacement of the yarn by the sequential advance of guides 44 through the slots in shell 10, the higher points of the guides being the first to contact the yarn, after which the progressively lower expanse of each surface 55 obtrudes across the normal path of the yarn, thereby shifting the yarn laterally. At the end of Zone 5 only five-sixths of the rotation of shell 10 has occurred, therefore the same guiding pattern occurs for the duration of the rotation of shell 10 in Zone 6 as occurred in Zone 1, the yarn then reaching the middle guide 44 at the end of Zone 6 (or the beginning of Zone 1). At this point the yarn takes the course shown by track 0, running from the beginning of Zone 1 to the eX- treme right guide in Zone 2, then reversing and running to the left-hand guide at the end of Zone 4, thence to the right-hand guide at the beginning of Zone 1. The yarn then takes its course along track e, following which it passes to track d during the succeeding revolution of shell 11, and to track b during the final revolution. The cycle then repeats itself in the entirety.

As seen in Fig. 2, the operation of the apparatus involves the progressive advance and retraction of the several guides 44 through the slots 43, which deflect the yarn in the pattern detailed in Fig. 3. The peripheral speed of bobbin 53 is the same as that of outer shell 10, from which 53 is driven, therefore there is no differential velocity, except perhaps some slight differential due to slippage, of the yarn with respect to shell 10, and thus neither the yarn nor the shell is exposed to a wearing action in the course of operation. The guiding surfaces 55 of guides 44 have a relatively low differential velocity with respect to the running yarn and furthermore are in intermittent contact with the yarn so that there is very little wear of either the surfaces or the yarn due to this contact. Under these conditions it will be apparent that the windup is substantially tensionless and that the yarn is relaxed throughout the area of contact with outer shell and during windup on bobbin 53. This is particularly advantageous in c winding of some polymeric yarns which may cont rather high residual stresses which should be relieved before yarn is wound into a cake, otherwise the inner layers of the cake are subjected to extremely high and sometimes damaging compressive stresses.

A further advantage of the device of this invention is that yarn guiding, with or without associated windup as hereinabove described, can be conducted at very high speeds, windage and other interferences accompanying high speed processing being overcome by the simple expedient of employing a companion set of guides 44 on the opposite side of the yarn track with yarn contacting surfaces oppositely inclined to the primary set, so that the yarn travels between closely spaced points along its full line of traverse. In this connection, all of the slots 43 of Fig. 3 are of sufficient length to accommodate at least one pair of guides 44 in the same guiding position, except the two extreme positions for each zone; however, the latter can be easily enlarged correspondingly if it is desired to employ double guides throughout.

Turning now to operation in the guiding and windup of multiple end yarn cakes, the simultaneous winding of five yarn ends will first be described with reference to Fig. 3. As hereinabove mentioned, the only change in the apparatus necessary to convert from single end processing to multiple end processing is the alteration of the guide pattern by the change in number and disposition of guides 44 in sleeve 47. In the simultaneous winding of five cakes, the full pattern of the thirty guides and guiding shown in Fig. 3 is not altered; however, other guides are added and disposed as shown in dotted line representation in Zone 1, the complete pattern, inclusive of both solid and dotted guides, being repeated (not shown in Fig. 3) for all succeeding zones. Operation is commenced by placing a yarn end, supplied from its own individual pigtail 54, against a guide in the path it is desired that the yarn follow. Thus, the first yarn might be placed against guide x, the second against the next succeeding guide to the right of guide x on the same horizontal line, the third against the second guide to the right of guide x on the same horizontal line, and so on, it being understood that placement against any other guides along the proper individual yarn tracks is equally satisfactory and that the foregoing order is recited merely for convenience in description.

A typical pattern for multiple end processing will then be, for the first yarn end, from guide x along track (1 until the intersection of track a with track b, whereupon the yarn traverse is reversed and continued along track b to the first row of guides at the beginning of Zone 2, when the pattern is repeated for each succeeding zone, there being one complete to and fro traverse in each zone. Similarly, the other ends will follow non-interfering definite tracks, the second end from the left in Fig. 3 taking the course b-a-d-b-e-d-c-c-ac-b-a and repeating, the third taking the course c-d-a-e-b-c-d-a-e-b-c-d and repeating, the fourth taking the course d-c-e-ac-b-a-d-be-dc and repeating, and the fifth end taking the course e-e-c-c-a-a-b-b-d- (1-0-2 and repeating. Obviously, if it is desired to process a number of ends less than five, only the guides defining the pattern required for the specific processing to be conducted are employed, the other guides being dispensed with, in which case the widths of the cakes obtained will all be equal and will be determined by the extent of traverse obtained between the first row of guides in each one and the fourth row. If widcr cakes are desired in the processing of less than five ends, it will be apparent that the pattern of predrilled holes in the sleeves 47 and the disposition and number of guides 44 attached to the sleeves may be varied to suit all possible requirements in this regard. The design described is therefore extremely flexible in adaptation to a wide variety of yarn processing applications, ready alteration of sleeves 47 or their replacement being accomplished by disengagement of the on lock member 33 by depressing its end 4) inwardly .a sliding the sleeves from their associated inner 11, the outer shells being first dismounted from the assembly to provide clearance for withdrawing the guides from the slots.

When the ribbon breaking auxiliary is employed with the windup apparatus of this invention, as is usually advantage-nus, I have found that a ratio of about 15:1 in terms of the R. P. M. of shell 16 to the R. P. M. of eccentric 4i: achieves good results. it will be understood that here is nothing particularly critical about this ratio and that other widely diflcrent ratios may be utilized to advantage, depending upon the circumstances. It is preferred to feed the yarn to the apparatus at such a point with respect to the location of the bell crank that the eccentric motion preserved during ribbon breaking amounts to about 15 forward motion, i. e., in a direction measured from the infeed point of tangency of the yarn toward the package, to about 15 backward motion, the backward motion not only breaking the ribbon but also cyclically narrowing and widening the cake (not indicated in Fig. 3). The approximate locations of the various elements shown in Figs. l3 are such that the foregoing ribbon-breaking action is obtained and, during operating experience with this design, it was found that good ribbon breaking was attained even in the primary region where the diameter of the wound yarn cake equaled that of shell ll, and also at multiples of integers of this region.

There are numerous other driving and supporting orrangernents which can be devised for the apparatus of this invention, those shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 3 being merely representative and not to be considered limiting. For purposes of simplification in representation these embodiments have been shown schematically with only the outer and inner shells detailed, it being understood that the arrangement of guides and slots is similar to that hereinabove described in detail, except that, of course, it will be understood that a wide variety of guide patterns may be utilized to achieve particular desired results.

Referring to Fig. 5, there is shown an embodiment wherein the outer shell 10 and the inner shell 11 are independently driven, shell 10 being secured to drive shaft 12 by key 17 while shell 11 is journaled on eccentric 28-29, rotatably mounted on shaft 12, through bearings 58 and is driven by a gear set 59--6t) powered from shaft 61.

Fig. 6 shows another embodiment in which shell 10 is provided with an internal drive gear 65 integral therewith which mates with the annular drive gear 66 integral with shell 11. Shell 10 is keyed to shaft 12 at 17 and shell 11 is journaled on eccentric 28-29, rotatably mounted on shaft 12, through bearings 67. With this construction it will be understood that conventional pitch gears may be utilized for the drive as distinguished from the odd-conventional pitch relationship described for the embodiment of Figs. 1-3.

Fig. 7 depicts a design of the apparatus which is especially preferred for the winding of a large number of multiple ends, since a relatively long working area of shell is presented to the yarn. In this case two external bearing housings 69 are provided to support outer shell 10 and drive shaft 12, shell being journaled on bearings 70 while shaft 12 is journaled on bearings 71. In this construction, shaft 12 may be solid, as shown, or tubular and is adapted to replace the inside shell 11 of the embodiments hereinabove described. With the construction of Fig. 7, a guide element carrying sleeve (not shown) concentrically fitted over shaft 12 is provided which is similar in all respects to sleeve 47 of Figs. 1 and 2, except that there is no driving connection between outer shell 10 and this sleeve, gear teeth 46 being omitted. Instead, shell 10 is driven from split gear '72, keyed to shaft 12, through internal gear 73 integral with the shell. 'As in the case of the construction of Fig. 6, standard pitches can be used for gears 72 and 73. It will be noted that no ribbon breaking eccentric 38 continuously varying the instantaneous position of the yarn contacting shell with respect to the yarn guide-carrying inner rotating element is shown for the embodiment of Fig. 7, this omission being to facilitate the representation. However, it will be understood that ribbon breaking can be readily incorporated in the design by providing identical eccentrics between shell 10 and bearings'70 within each of the housings 69 and co-ordinating the movements of these eccentrics by use of a common drive, or in other ways known to the art.

The construction of Fig. 8 is sometimes advantageous where a compact arrangement of apparatus is necessary and an outboard mounting is desirable. In this case the inner shell 11 is journaled on shaft 12 through bearings 77, whereas the outer shell 10 is journaled eccentrically within the outer end of shaft 12 through bearings 78, ribbon breaking action being thus obtained by movement of the outer shell with respect to the inner shell rather than in the reverse relationship described for the preceding embodiments. Shaft 12 is provided with an extension 79 which is journaled in the frame of the machine through bearings 80, shaft 12 being oscillated through hell crank 38 pinned at 76 to the inside end of 79. The drive arrangement for the apparatus of Fig. 8 is through pinion 82, driven by power shaft 83, which engages with annular gear 81 integral with shell 10. Inner shell 11 is driven by outer shell 10 in the same manner as hereinabove described for the embodiment of Figs. 1-3 inclusive. It will be undersood that the design of Fig. 8 requires some freedom of movement between the meshing gear teeth radially of shaft 12 during operation; however, this movement is relatively small and can be accommodated satisfactorily by the use of involute gear teeth for all the drives.

One embodiment of yarn advancing apparatus according to this invention is shown in Fig. 9, elements having functions common to the functions of the elements hereinbefore described for the yarn guiding and yarn guiding and windup embodiments being designated by the same reference numerals. No details of driving or supporting mechanism are delineated in Fig. 9, it being understood that wide modifications in these respects are possible, as indicated in the previous Figs. 1-8. For purposes of explanation it is assumed that outer shell 10 of Fig. 9 is provided with internal gear teeth, not shown, which mesh with companion gear teeth on sleeve 47 in the same manner as already described for the apparatus of Figs. l-3.

Sleeve 47 is provided with a multiplicity of guides 44 arranged in a helical pattern axially of the sleeve, the offset of adjacent teeth in the direction of yarn advance being slightly less than one guide width. With this disposition each guide in turn contacts the yarn at the point where it is left by the preceding guide, thereby shifting the yarn positively from right to left as seen in Fig. 9 and as represented by the continuous helical yarn track described around the full periphery of shell 10 and shown in broken line representation in Fig. 9. Thus, with the shells rotating in the direction of the reader, yarn fed in to guide x from a pigtail or other device not shown, is shifted a distance slightly less than one guide ,1 width to the left by the guide following guide x, shifted the same amount by guide y upon half a' revolution of sleeve 47, and this process repeated over the operative length of shell 10. Initial thread-up is effected by merely laying the yarn adjacent guide x and taking one turn around shell 10 to the next guide in the same row as x. Since all guides are disposed on spacings with reference to sleeve 47, outer shell 10 is provided with relatively long slots 43 for the accommodation of all guides lying along any particular parallel to the axis of sleeve 47, the slots being seven in number for the apparatus of Fig. 9, although only four appear in this view. The yarn is shown leaving the apparatus at the exit point adjacent the upper left-hand guide, although it will be understood that it can be drawn off elsewhere if desired.

In order to insure that the yarn will always contact succeeding guides of the yarn advancing apparatus, it is desirable to overlap the spacing of successive guides somewhat, a typical apparatus constructed in accordance with Fig. 9 employing six or eight guides 44 for each helix of yarn advance, which guides have a width in terms of projected face 55 of A5 with a spacing between guides apart of A3" and a protrusion height of A3" radially of shell 10 at full advance through slots 43. Ribbon breaking not being required in yarn advancing operations, bellcrank 38 and its powering eccentric 40 are dispensed with in this service. It will be apparent that the design of shell 10 and sleeve 47 may be easily laid out so that each of these components may be utilized interchangeably for yarn guiding, yarn guiding and windup or yarn advancing operations it manufacturing requirements necessitate or, in the alternative, one or both of these components may be designed for one type of service exclusively whereupon conversion would require substitution of a special design of the component depending upon the change.

From the foregoing it will be understood that this invention constitutes a means for yarn travel control adapted alike to yarn guiding, yarn guiding and windup and yarn advancing. Apparatus constructed according to this invention is capable of substantially tensionless ribbon-broken winding and is characterized by low wear of both yarn and yarn-contacting surfaces. In addition, the apparatus is low in first cost and maintenance, c0m pact and easily convertible from one type of service to another.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous modifications may be made to this invention without departing from its essential spirit, wherefor it is desired to be limited only within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A yarn travel control apparatus comprising an outer tubular shell provided with slots, a cylinder inside said shell, the axis of said cylinder being substantially parallel to the axis of said shell and one of the pair consisting of said shell and said cylinder being mounted in eccentric relationship with respect to the other, said cylinder being provided with yarn guides arranged in a pattern adapted to guide the yarn in a predetermined path, successive ones of said guides being spaced apart axially of said shell and said cylinder an amount less than one full guide width and being adapted to advance into and retract from the path of the traveling yarn through said slots during rotation of said shell and said cylinder, and means for rotating said shell and said cylinder in unison.

2. A yarn travel control apparatus according to claim 1 in which means are provided for continuously varying the eccentric relationship of one of the pair consisting o said shell and said cylinder with respect to the other during rotation of said shell and said cylinder.

3. A yarn travel control apparatus comprising an outer tubular shell provided with slots, a cylinder inside said shell, the axis of said cylinder being substantially parallel to the axis of said shell and one of the pair consisting of enemas said shell and said cylinder being mounted in eccentric relationship with respect to the other, a sleeve concentrically mounted on the outside periphery of said cylinder, said sleeve being provided with yarn guides arranged in a pattern adapted to guide the yarn in a predetermined path, successive ones of said guides being spaced apart axially of said shell and said cylinder an amount less than one full guide width and being adapted to advance into and retract from the path of the traveling yarn through said slots during rotation of said shell and said cylinder, and means for rotating said shell and said cylinder in unison.

4. A yarn travel control apparatus according to claim 3 in which said means for rotating said shell and said cylinder in unison comprise a rotatable drive shaft axial with one of the pair comprising said shell and said cylinder, means securing the co-axial one of said pair fixedly to said rotatable drive shaft, and intermeshing gear teeth on the inside periphery of said shell and on the outside periphery of said sleeve.

5. A yarn travel control apparatus according to claim 3 in which said sleeve is fabricated from a relatively resilient material of the class consisting of rubber and solid polymeric materials and said means for rotating said shell and said cylinder in unison comprise a rotatable drive shaft eo-axial with one of the pair comprising said shell and said cylinder, means securing the co-axial one of said pair fixedly to said rotatable drive shaft, and intermeshing gear teeth on the inside periphery of said shell and on the outside periphery of said sleeve.

6. A yarn travel control apparatus for yarn guiding and windup service according to claim 3 in which the pattern of arrangement for the slots of said shell and the pattern of arrangement for said yarn guides is preselected to permit interchangeably the winding of both a single yarn end and multiple yarn ends.

7. A yarn travel control apparatus for yarn advancing service according to claim 3 in which the pattern of arrange am for the slots of said shell and the pattern of arrangement for said yarn guides is preselected to advance the yarn helically along the outside periphery of said shell.

8. A yarn travel control apparatus comprising an outer tubular shell provided with slots, a cylinder inside said shell, the axis of said cylinder being substantially parallel to the axis of said shell and one of the pair consisting of said shell and said cylinder being mounted in eccentric relationship to the other, a sleeve concentrically mounted on the outside periphery of said cylinder, a multiplicity of yarn guides retained by said sleeve in a pattern adapted to guide the yarn in a predetermined path, successive ones of said yarn guides being spaced apart axially of said sleeve an amount less than one full yarn guide width and said eccentric relationship being predetermined to cause said yarn guides to advance into and retract from the path of the traveling yarn through said slots during rotation of said shell and said cylinder, and means for rotating said shell and said cylinder in unison.

9. A yarn travel control apparatus comprising an outer tubular shell provided with slots, a second tubular shell inside said outer tubular shell having its axis substantially parallel to the axis of said outer tubular shell but in eccentric relationship therewith, a rotatable drive shaft concentric with said outer tubular shell, a friction clutch carried by said drive shaft with the driving member of said clutch fixedly secured to said drive shaft and the driven member of said clutch fixedly secured to said outer tubular shell, an eccentric of the same eccentricity as the eccentric relationship of said outer tubular shell and said second tubular shell journaled on said drive shaft within said second tubular shell, bearings carried by said eccentric on which is journaled said second tubular shell, yarn guides arranged around the outside periphery of said second tubular shell in a pattern adapted to guide the yarn in a predetermined path, successive ones of said yarn guides being spaced apart axially of said tubular shells an amount less than one full guide Width and said eccentric relationship of said second tubu lar shell with respect to said outer tubular shell being such that, at the closest clearance between said shells, said yarn guides successively advance into and retract from the path of the traveling yarn through said slots during rotation of said shells, and means for rotating said inner shell in unison with said outer shell.

10. A yarn travel control apparatus according to claim 9 in which said yarn guides are provided with inclined yarn contacting surfaces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,633,231 Pilcher Mar. 3i, 1953 2,649,645 Cole Aug. 25, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 566,009 Germany Dec. 9, l932