US2842321A

US2842321A - Tension for a winding machine

Info

Publication number: US2842321A
Application number: US565697A
Authority: US
Inventors: John V Keith
Original assignee: Leesona Corp
Current assignee: Leesona Corp
Priority date: 1951-05-04
Filing date: 1956-02-15
Publication date: 1958-07-08
Anticipated expiration: 1975-07-08

Description

July 8, 1958 J. v. KEITH TENSION FOR A WINDING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet -1 Original Filed May 4, 1951 JNVENTOR. JOHN M KEITH A TTORNE Y y 1958 J. v. KEITH 2,842,321

TENSION FOR A WINDING MACHINE Original Filed May 4. 1951 4 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I IN V EN TOR.

JOHN V KEITH ATTOPNE Y y 1958 J. v. KEITH 2,842,321

ENsIoN FORA WINDING MACHINE Original Filed May 4, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR. JOHN M KEITH AT TORNE Y J ly 8, 19 J. v. KEITH 2,842,321

TENSION FOR A WINDING MACHINE Original Filed May 4, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 376 see 332 E 5?,330 A /336 356 374 380 3 2 L 82 \T' 330 22 328 see 328 ass 7 i j 132 i are fit *m 3/8" 33 o 356 3I9\ I fb 382 2 fl A I 378 Fi -7 INVENTOR. JOHN M. KEITH BY ATTORNEY 7 TENSION non A wiNurNo MACHINE John V. Keith, Warwick, R. 1., assignor to Universal Winding Company, Cranston, R. L, a corporation of Massachusetts 2 Claims. (Cl. 242-45) The present invention relates to a device for applying tension to a running strand of yarn and more particularly relates to a tension applying device that is self cleaning. The present invention is a division of my copending application Serial No. 224,491, filed May 4, 1951, now Patent 2,740,589 for Winding Machine.

In the following specification and claims the term yarn is employed in a general sense to apply to all kinds of strand materials, either textile or otherwise, and the designation package is intended to mean the product of the machine whatever its form.

One object of the present invention is to provide a self-cleaning yarn tensioning mechanism.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a yarn tensioning mechanism having a movable element adapted to discharge accumulations of foreign matter therefrom. I

Another object of the present invention is to provide a yarn tensioning mechanism having a rotating element adapted to discharge foreign matter therefrom.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a winding machine having a self-cleaning yarn tensioning mechanism driven by said winding machine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a winding machine adapted to actuate a self-cleaning yarn tensioning mechanism.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the apparatus possessing the construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is an elevation illustrating a winding machine, having three winding units thereon, incorporating the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of one of the winding units;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but shows the Winding unit in its inoperative position;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view with parts broken away showing details of the starting lever;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the tension means and showing the tension means in its inoperative position;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 11 but showing the tension means in operative position; and

Fig. 7 is a view of the other side of the tension mechanism and showing said mechanism in operative position- The present invention comprises a tension device for applying a predetermined tension to a running strand of yarn and is primarily intended for use in conjunction with a winding machine. The tension device is a magnetic type tension capable of automatic adjustment by the apparatus as the package being wound increases in diameter to provide a differential tension, i. e. a constantly decreasing tension from the start of the winding cycle to its end. The tension mechanism is provided with a self-cleaning pressure plate in the form of a rotatable disk having a plurality of grooves formed in its face. The disk is constantly rotated at a uniform rate of speed whereby foreign matter carried into the tension applying portion of the mechanism by the yarn are collected in the grooves and carried out of the tension applying portion and discharged before they can accumulate to an extent suflicient to interfere with the function of the tension.

The apparatus of the present invention is shown coopcrating with a plurality of winding units 10 adapted to be mounted on a bed formed from two parallel horizontal bars 12 supported by legs 14, and each of the winding units has one of the tension applying devices which comprise the present invention associated therewith. All of the winding units and tension devices on a side are driven by a single motor 16. A shelf 15 extends longitudinally of the apparatus supported by legs 14 and serves as a support for the supplies of yarn to be wound by the winding units.

Inasmuch as all of the winding units and tension devices comprising the present invention are similar, only one such unit will be explained in detail. Each winding unit j comprises a rotatable spindle adapted to receive a package core or yarn holder 18 and a traverse mechanism 20 adapted to traverse a strand of yarn longitudinally of the core 18 to wind a package of yarn thereon.

Traverse mechanism 20, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, is carried by a bracket 22 which is secured to the front rail 12 of the bed or table in such a manner that said traverse mechanism projects forwardly therefrom. The winding spindle is rotatably journaled in housing 36 adjacent the upper end thereof. Housing 36 is pivotally mounted at its lower end on horizontal bars 12,by means of shaft 38 to permit it and the winding spindle to swing towards and away from traverse mechanism 20.

A starting lever or handle is pivotally mounted on the right hand end of bracket 22, Figs. 2, 3 and 4. Start:

ing handle 80 is spring urged in an upward or clockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. .2, 3 and 4 by means of a helical spring 96. Handle 80 is connected to a clutch, in a manner explained in detail in my above mentioned copending application Serial No. 224,491, now Patent 2,740,589 so that when it is depressed, as shown in Fig. 2, the clutch is engaged to connect the winding spindle and traverse mechanism to motor 16 to start the winding operation and upon being moved to its raised position, as shown in Fig. 3, the clutch is disengaged to stop the winding operation.

A latch member 98, Figs. 2 and 3, is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on the lower edge of bracket 22 by means of a stud and its spring urged to rotate in a counterclockwise direction by means of a spring 102. The upper end of latchmember 98 is bent over to form a latch shoulder 104 adapted to engage over a keeper member 106 formed on the back side of starting handle 80 by the head of stud 108. Latch shoulder 104 is of sufiicient length so that keeper member 106 bears against its surface when starting handle- 80 is in its uppermost position as illustrated in Fig. 3. When starting handle 80 is depressed to cause the clutch mechanism to engage to start the winding unit, keeper 106 slides downwardly along the face of latch shoulder 104 until link 92 engages pin 91 at which time keeper member 106 passes below latch shoulder 104 and spring 102 rotates latch member 98 to move said shoulder 104 over said keeper member to thereby hold starting lever 80 in the operating position.

Means are provided for automatically releasing latch shoulder104 from keeper member'106 upon the breakage or exhaustion of the yarn being wound. The releasing means comprises an inverted Y-shaped lever 110 pivoted intermediate its ends by means of stud 112 to latch member 98 in such a manner that upward movement of said Y-shaped lever 110 will rotate said latch member 98 in a clockwise direction to move latch shoulder 104 off from keeper member 106. The upper arm 114 of Y-shaped lever 110 is provided with an elongated slot 116 which fits loosely over stud 108 to permit limited pivotal movement of said Y-shaped lever in a manner to be described hereinafter. The uppermost end of upper arm 114 is provided with an arcuate slot 118 adapted to adjustably hold a balancing weight 120. The lower right hand arm 122 of Y-shaped lever 110 is provided with a forwardly extending yarn engaging bar 124 adapted to engage the strand of yarn Y being wound on package core 18 to permit said strand of yarn to hold said Y-shaped lever against clockwise rotation. The lower left hand arm 126 of Y-shaped lever 110 is provided at its end with an abutment 128 formed by bending over the end of said arm. Abutment 128 is adapted to pass under one of the teeth on toothed wheel 130, carried by shaft 132, upon the breakage or exhaustion of the strand of yarn Y which permits Y-shaped lever 110 to pivot in a clockwise direction within the limits of slot 116. Toothed wheel 130 is rotated by shaft 132 in a clockwise direction as viewed from the left of Fig. 2 or Fig. 3, i. e. the front of wheel 130 is moved downwardly and the back upwardly. The lower left hand arm 126 of lever 110 is located in back of shaft 132; therefore when abutment 128 is engaged by one of the teeth on toothed wheel 130 rotation of said wheel lifts lever 110 to thereby rotate latch member 98 in a clockwise direction to release latch shoulder 104 from keeper member 106. Immediately upon the release of keeper 106 from latch shoulder 104 starting handle 80 swings upwardly under the influence of its spring 96 causing stud 108 to move upwardly in elongated slot 116. Elongated slot 116 is so shaped that the upward movement of stud 108 therein swings lever 110 in a small amount in a counterclockwise direction to disengage abutment 128 from toothed wheel 130 and to hold said abutment thus disengaged.

A depending arm 134 forming a part of a tension control mechanism and a speed regulating mechanism, to be explained in detail hereinafter, is adjustably mounted on the front of housing 36 adjacent shaft 38. The lower end of depending arm 134 is bent over to form a lug 136 which is adapted to engage the lowermost end 138 of latch member 98 to disengage latch shoulder 104 from keeper member 106 when the package being wound has reached its predetermined desired size.

The novel tension applying mechanism of the present invention is capable of applying a differential tension as the yarn package increases in diameter and is selfcleaning. Horizontal shaft 132 which drives toothed wheel 130, used in connection with the knockoff mechanism, for stopping the individual winding units upon the breakage or exhaustion of the strand of yarn being wound, is also employed to drive the self-cleaning tension disk employed in the tension mechanism. Shaft 132 is supported and suitably journaled by hanger members, to be explained in detail hereinafter, forming a part of each tension unit. Shaft 132 is driven by motor 16 through the medium of a belt 310 driven by idler pulley 254. Belt 310 in turn drives pulley 312, Fig. 1, carried by the input shaft of a speed reducing unit 314. The output shaft of speed reducing unit 314 carries a sprocket wheel which drives shaft 132 by means of sprocket chain 316 and a sprocket wheel carried by said shaft 132.

The individual tension applying units, Figs. 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7, each include a bracket 318, carried by the front horizontal bar 12 and located beneath the package core 12 Shaft 132 is supported and suitably journaled throughout the length of the apparatus by means of a forwardly extending hanger member 319 carried by bracket 318. A rotatable tension disk 320, formed from nonmagnetic material, is mounted for rotation on a stub shaft 322 carried by one end of an arm 324 pivotally connected to the lower end of bracket 318 by means of pivot pin 326. The periphery of tension disk 320 carries a rubber driving ring or tire 328 adapted to contact the periphery of a driving wheel 330 carried by shaft 132. A tension disk operating yoke 332 is mounted on shaft 132 for pivotal movement therearound. Yoke 332 is adapted to be pivoted by starting handle by means of a rod 334 having its upper end engaged in an opening in said starting handle 80 and its lower end engaged in a slot 336 in yoke 332. Yoke 332 is operatively connected to arm 324 by means of rod 338 which has its upper end engaged in an opening in yoke 332 and its lower end passing through an opening in said arm 324 and adapted to lift said arm and tension disc 320 by means of compression spring 340 interposed between the end of said rod 338 and the under surface of arm 324. Downward motion of starting handle 80 moves rod 334 downwardly to bring its lower end into engagement with the lower end of slot 336 on yoke 332, whereupon continued downward movement of said starting handle rotates said yoke in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 5 and 6. Clockwise rotation of yoke 332 lifts rod 338 to pivot arm 324 upwardly to bring rubber driving ring 328 carried by the periphery of tension disk 320 into engagement with the periphery of driving wheel 330 carried by shaft 132. Contact of rubber driving ring 328 with driving wheel 330 causes said driving wheel to rotate said tension disk to maintain the tension mechanism free from dirt and other foreign matter that may be carried thereinto by the running strand of yarn Y. Upward movement of starting handle 80 to release the clutch mechanism and thus stop the operation of the winding unit pivots yoke 332 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 5 and 6 to move tension disk 320 away from driving Wheel 330 to stop the rotation of said tension disk.

A tension plate 342 is held closely adjacent to one surface of tension disk 320 by means of arm 344, Fig. 7. Tension plate 342 is held loosely on arm 344 by means of a pin 346 attached to the back of said tension plate 342 and approximately on its center line to permit said plate to oscillate on said arm and to be drawn into contact with the adjacent face of tension disk 320 by magnetic means to be described hereinafter. An oscillation limiting member 348 having a-pair of spaced outwardly turned

abutments

350 and 352 formed on its upper edge is attached to the back surface of tension plate 342 beneath pin 346 and is so located on said tension plate 342 that the

abutments

350 and 352 can contact the lower edge of arm 344 to limit the amount that said plate can oscillate. Tension plate 342 is located between the axis of tension disk 320 and its periphery so that rotation of said tension disk causes the entire surface thereof covered by tension plate 342 to be constantly changing. The strand of yarn Y being wound passes between tension disk 320 and tension plate 342 to have applied thereto a predetermined tension by means of a magnet to be described hereinafter. A plurality of radial grooves 354 are formed in the face of tension disk 320 which contacts tension plate 342 to collect dirt and other foreign matter drawn between tension plate 342 and tension disk 320 by the running strand of yarn Y and to carry such foreign matter out from between said two members. I

-A fixed shaft 356 extends forwardly from hanger member 319 and pivotally carries U-shaped magnet holder 358. A permanent magnet 360 is carried by magnet holder 358 and is located by said holder opposite the upper portion of tension plate 342 and on the opposite side of tension disk 320 from said tension plate. Inasmuch as tension disk 320 is formed from a nonmagnetic material the lines of flux from magnet 360 pass through said disk and draw tension plate 342 against the surface of disk 320 and the strand of yarn therebetween. It will be seen that the force with which tension plate 342 is held against tension disk 320 and the strand of yarn Y can be varied to increase said force by moving magnet 360 closer to tension disk 320 and conversely the force can be decreased by moving magnet 360 away from said disk. Means are provided for readily adjusting the location of magnet 360 with respect to tension plate 320 and also for moving said magnet away from said disk as the package being wound increases in diameter to thereby cause the strand of yarn Y to be wound under a decreasing tension as it increases in diameter.

Differential tension controlling arm 294 is pivotally mounted on bushing or sleeve 292 and is held against rotation thereon relative to housing 36 by means of

bolts

280 and 304. Arm 294 is provided with an arcuate slot 306 which adjustably carries one end of a tension actuating link 308. As housing 36 pivots around shaft 38 as the winding package increases in diameter it swings arm 294 and link 308 towards the tension mechanism. The other end of link 308 is pivotally connected to the end of lever 362, Figs. 2 and 3, which is fast upon one end of shaft 364, Figs. 5 and 6. Shaft 364 is suitably journaled in a pair of lugs extending from the side of hanger 319. The other end of shaft 364 has a lever 366 fixedly attached thereto and which has a cam'slot 368 formed therein. Magnet adjusting plate 370 is pivotally carried adjacent its upper end by shaft 356 and is adjustably secured to one side of U-shaped magnet holder 358 by means of a bolt and nut 372 which passes through a hole in the side of magnet holder 358 and an arcuate slot in magnet adjusting plate 370. It will, therefore, be seen that the initial position of magnet 360 with respect to tension disk 320 can be established by loosening bolt and nut 372, locating said magnet in its desired starting position and tightening said bolt and nut. A cam following roller 374 carried by magnet adjusting plate 370 engages cam slot 368 in lever 366 so that movement of said lever 366 will pivot said adjusting plate 370, U-shaped magnet holder 358 and magnet 360. As the winding cycle progresses and differential tension controlling arm 294 swings in a clockwise direction link 308 is moved from right to left as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3. This movement of link 308 rotates lever 362 in a counterclockwise direction and lever 362 acting through shaft 364 rotates lever 366 in the same direction. The counterclockwise rotation of lever 366 acting through cam slot 368 and cam follower 374 pivots magnet adjusting plate 370 and with it magnet holder 358 and magnet 360 away from tension disk 320 to decrease the tension applied to the running strand of yarn Y as the package increases in diameter. The rate at which magnet 360 is moved away from tension disk 320 and the total distance which it is moved during a winding cycle can be adjusted by moving the location of the end of link 308 in arcuate slot 306.

The tension mechanism is provided with yarn guiding means to facilitate threading the apparatus, and to guide the strand of yarn Y as the package is being wound so that it passes between tension disk 320 and tension plate 342. A forwardly extending yarn engaging bar 376 is carried by the upper edge of hanger member 319 with one of its edges in substantially the same plane as the yarn slot is formed in the bottomleg of an L-sh'aped plate 380 which extends beneath tension disk 320 and tension plate 342. L-shaped plate 380 is supportedby an angular member 382 having one of itsends attached to the bottom of bracket 318 and its otherend attached to the end of shaft 356. A curved yarn threading guide 384 is attached to the angular member 382 adjacent shaft 356 and is'so shaped that it covers the forward edge of tension disk 320 to guide the strand of yarn Y between said disk 320 and tension plate 342 when the tension is being threaded. A curved rod 386 also is positioned infront of the forward edge of tension disk 320 by having its upper end attached to forwardly extending yarn engaging bar 376 and its lower end attached to the bottom leg 378 of the L-shaped plate 380. In threading the tension mechanism the strand of yarn is moved rearwardly on the right hand side of curved rod 386, as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3, and brought into engagement with curved yarn threading guide 384 which guides it between tension disk 320 and tension plate 342. The strand of yarn beneath the tension is then moved rearwardly to cause the lower portion of curved rod 386 to guide the strand of yarn into the yarn guiding slot formed in the bottom leg 378 of L-shaped plate 380.

The apparatus of the present invention is threaded preparatory to starting the winding cycle by placing a supply of yarn on shelf 15, passing the strand of yarn Y between tension disk 320 and tension plate 342 of the tension assembly and between forwardly extending yarn engaging bars 376 of the tension assembly and 124 of the stop mechanism and attaching it to the core or yarn holder 18. Starting handle is then depressed to start the operation of the winding spindle and traverse mechanism and to bring latch shoulder 104 on latch member 98 over keeper member 106 carried by starting handle 80 to latch said handle in its lowered or operating position. Lowering starting handle 80 moves rod 334 connected thereto downwardly to lift tension disk 320 to bring its periphery into contact with driving wheel 330 carried by shaft 132 to thereby rotate said tension disk to permit the radial grooves 354 formed in said disk to collect dirt and other foreign matter carried into the tension by the running strand of yarn and remove it therefrom before it has an opportunity to build up to an extent suflicient to affect the functioning of the tension. As the winding package increases in diameter housing 36 and diiferential tension controlling arm 294 swing in a clockwise direction and arm 294 moves tension actuating link 308 to pivot lever 366 carrying cam slot 368 by means of lever 362 connected to link 308 and shaft 364 which carries lever 366. Movement of cam slot 368 swings permanent magnet 360 away from the back of tension disk 320 by means of magnet adjusting plate 370 which engages said cam slot and is connected to U-shaped magnet holder 358.

Since certain changes may be made in the above apparatus without departing from the scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In a winding machine the combination comprising a winding spindle adapted to hold a package core, means for traversing a strand of yarn along said package core, a source of power for rotating said spindle and operating said traversing means, a shaft rotated by said source of power, a tension disk adapted to be rotated by said shaft, a tension plate, and means adapted to urge said tension plate against said tension disk to cause said disk and plate to bear against a strand of yarn feeding therebetween.

2. In a winding machine the combination comprising a winding spindle adapted to hold a package core, means for traversing a strand of yarn along said package core,

a.-source of power for rotatingsaid spindle and operating said traversing ,means,.a shaft rotatedby said source of power, a.tension disk, means. for moving said. tension disk to .bring itspen'pherywinto contact withsaid rotating shaft whereby said disk1isrotatedby said shaft, a tension plate, and. meansadapted to urge said tension plate against said tensionv disk to cause said disk and plate to bear against a strand of yarn therebetween.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hasbrouck Feb. 9, 1932 Reiners Feb. 4, 1936 Swanson Dec. 16, 1947 Kingsbury Aug. 16, 1949 Ammerall Oct. 21, 1952