US2852848A

US2852848A - Apparatus for measuring thread

Info

Publication number: US2852848A
Application number: US563144A
Authority: US
Inventors: Gollos Wolfgang
Original assignee: VERIENIGTE GLANZSTOFF FABRIKEN
Current assignee: VERIENIGTE GLANZSTOFF FABRIKEN; VERIENIGTE GLANZSTOFF-FABRIKEN AG
Priority date: 1955-02-04
Filing date: 1956-02-02
Publication date: 1958-09-23
Anticipated expiration: 1975-09-23
Also published as: DE1026106B

Description

APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THREAD Filed Feb. 2, 3.956

3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR: WOLFGANG GOLLOS ATT'Y S Sept 233 195% Filed Feb. 2 1.956

W. @OLLQfi APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THREAD mswa INVENTOR.

WOLFGANG GOLLOS ATT'YS APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THREAD Sept 23 Filed Feb. 2, 1956 3 Sheets-Shem FIG? INVENTOR.

WOLFGANG GOLLOS ATT'YS United States Patent ()fiice 2,852,848 Patented Sept. 23, 1958 APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THREAD Wolfgang Gollos, Kelsterbach, Germany, assignor to Verienigte Glanzstoti-Fabrilren A. G., Wuppertal-Elberfeld, Germany This invention relates to apparatus employed in thread winding machines for producing a predetermined length of thread.

Industries engaged in weaving or the like, for obvious economic reasons, require spooled thread' of uniform length. Attempts have been made to supply this need for uniformity by various methods. Some of these methods employ as an index of the length of thread wound the number of revolutions of the winding bobbin, the diameter of the winding bobbin, or the weight of the Winding bobbin. These methods have the disadvantage that they are adversely afiected by variations in the thread diameter or the thread weight which may occur as'a result of moisture which causes the threads to swell. Errors in the thread length measurement may amount to as much as 7% where these methods are employed.

Errors due to swelling of the threads may be practically eliminated if a method is employed in which the actual length of the passing thread is measured. Length measuring devices based on this method customarily employ a revolution counter which is drivenby the pass ing thread. These counters require a considerable amount of rotary power, and with every ten revolutions, additional gears are set into motion which require addi tional rotary power and place increased tension on the thread. As a result, thread breakage is a common occurrence.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a thread measuring device for a winding machine, which device automatically stops the winding operation when a predetermined length of thread has been measured.

Another object of the invention is to provide a thread measuring device which is not adversely affected by variations in the thread diameter or thread weight.

A further object of the invention is to provide a thread measuring device which is driven by the thread being measured and requires a minimum amount of driving energy from the passing thread.

In accordance with the invention these objects are accomplished by a device having a pulley mounted to rotate in engagement with the thread, and a plurality of gears operatively associated with the pulley and with each other. Each of the gears is coupled to rotate at an angular velocity different from the angular velocity of any other of the gears and has indexing means positioned to revolve around the axis of the gear as the gear is rotated. When all of the gears simultaneously attain predetermined positions, means responsive to the indexing means of all of the gears operate an electrical circuit in which the indexing means of each gear cooperates. The circuit may include a battery and a. relay which either stops the winding machine or actuates a thread breaking device.

The gears employed in the invention may conceivably be friction rollers of varied diameter but preferably are toothed gears. Each of the gears has a different number of teeth which number is non-divisible by a-common 2 factor larger than 1. However, the number of teeth on each gear should be' around the same number.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the aforementioned indexing means may be electrical conducting means which when the predetermined positions of the gears. are attained cooperate in operating the electrical circuit. In this embodiment the gears should be fabricated from a non-conducting material such as nylon.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention the indexing means is a light-transmitting means, and a photoelectric means is provided which is responsive to the light-transmitting means.

The invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which the same numbers are used throughout to designate. like parts and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective semi-diagrammatic view of one embodiment of. the invention;

Fig. 2 is a more detailed perspective view of portionsof the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective detailed view of a portion of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detailed elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a perspective semi-diagrammatic view of another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a further embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective semi-diagrammatic view of another embodiment of the invention.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, a pulley 1 is mounted to rotate in engagement with the thread 2 by which it is driven. The pulley may com prise a pair of calottes joined to form a wavy groove therebetween so as to provide a better grip on the thread. The rotation of the pulley 1 by the thread. 2 drives a series of gears which are operatively associated with. the pulley and with each other. The gears include a pair of terminal gears 4 and 5 and at least one intermediate gear. In the drawings three

intermediate gears

6, 7, and 8 are illustrated. The terminal gear 4 is mounted on the shaft3 so as to rotate with the pulley 1 and drive the

successive gears

6, 7, 8, and 5. The numbers of teeth on the gear wheels are close together but not alike. Furthermore, the number of teeth on each of the gear wheels must be non-divisible by a common factor larger than 1. For example, the number of teeth on the successive gears may be 36, 37, 41, 43, and 47. Each of the gears has electrical conducting means such as a Wire or strip of metal positioned to revolve around the axis of the gear as the gear is rotated. The terminal gears 4 and 5 have

radial conducting means

9 and 10, each of which has a single peripheral contact point. The

intermediate gears

6, 7, and 8 have the respective chordal conducting means 11, 12, and13 which provide opposing, non-diametrical, peripheral, contact points. The peripheral contact points on all of the gears may be

metal caps

14 and 15 on contacting flanks of the gear teeth (Figs. 3 and 4). The

radial conducting means

9 and 19 of the terminal gears 4 and 5 are connected to their respective rotatable shafts 3 and 16. An electric circuit 17 including a source of electric current such. as a battery of dry cells 18 and a relay 19, is completed with the conducting means of the gears by means of

metal brushes

20 and 21. contacting respectively the metal shafts 3 and 16. When the rotating gears attain the configuration illustrated in Fig. 2, which is also normally the starting configuration, the electric circuit is completed, actuating the relay 19 which may, in turn, switch off the power for the winding operation or actuate a thread breaking device.

In order to repeat this configuration after employing it as the starting configuration, the first gear wheel 4 must make a number of rotations equal to the product of the numbersof teeth on the

wheels

6, 7, 8, and 5. Where the gears have the aforementioned number of teeth and the pulley 1 has a circumference of ten centimeters, a thread length of over 300 kilometers may be measured before the electric circuit actuating configuration of the gears repeats itself. By varying the number of teeth on the gears within the limits previously specified, the length of thread measured before actuating the electric circuit can be increased or decreased. For instance, in the aforementioned example, by varying the number of teeth on the last gear having 47 teeth, the thread length measured can be varied in intervals of 6.5 kilometers each. For varying the length of the thread measured it is not necessary to replace the gear with the 47 teeth by one having e. g. 37 teeth. The same effect will be obtained by advancing the gear having 47 teeth about 10 teeth (in sense of rotation) each time before beginning the measurement, when all gears-also the above mentioned 47-tee'th-gearvhave been put in actuating configuration- The thread length measured can also be varied by increasing or decreasing the number of gears in the series.

In Fig. another embodiment of the invention is illustrated employing a pair of toothed-gear trains parallel to each other. One train comprises a driving gear 22 and a driven gear 23 drivingly engaged by the driving gear 22. The other train comprises a driving gear 24 and a driven gear 25. The driving gears 22 and 24- are mounted so as to rotate on the shaft 26 driven by the pulley 1 by means of Worm gear 27 and worm gear wheel 28. The driven gears 23 and 25 have different numbers of teeth as compared to each other and as compared to each of the respective driving gears 22 and 24- which may have the same or a different number of teeth. As previously specified the number of differing numbers of teeth must be non-divisible by a common factor larger than 1. Electrical conducting means is provided between the

gears

22 and 24 such as by employing a shaft 26 of metal and by the

radial conducting elements

29, 30, 31, and 32 on the

gears

22, 23, 24, and 25 respectively. The electrical circuit 17 is completed through the metal shafts of

gears

23 and 25 in the previously described manner. When the

gears

22, 23, 24, and 25 attain the predetermined actuating positions, the electric current flows through

wheels

23, 22, shaft 26 and

wheels

24 and 25, actuating the relay 19 as previously described. A repetition of the actuating configuration of the gears occurs only when shaft 26 has made a number of revolutions equal to the product of the numbers of teeth on the

gear wheels

23 and 25.

To increase or decrease the length of thread measured, the number of teeth may be varied as in the previously described series arrangement. The length of thread measured may also be increased by adding additional gear wheels to either or both of the parallel trains or by adding an additional train of gears. The latter is illustrated in Fig. 7 where a third train of gears has been added including a drive gear 33 and a driven gear 34. With this arrangement an additional embodiment of the invention is obtained in which electrical conductors on the gears are dispensed with. Instead, light-transmitting means such as

holes

35, 36, and 37, are provided in the driven gears 34, 25, and 23 respectively. The remaining surface of these gears is opaque so that when the driven gears simultaneously attain predetermined positions a beam of light from the light source 38 passes through the

holes

35, 36, and 37, and actuates a photoelectric cell 39 in the electrical circuit 17, producing the same result as that obtained in the previous embodiments.

Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 6 in which a cluster of gears is employed. The central gear 443 serves as a driving gear, being driven by the pulley 1 which is not shown in the drawing. Alternately spaced pairs of opposed driven

gears

41 and 42 and 43 and 44 surround the central gear 4i) and are driven thereby. The dirven gears 41, 42, 43, and 44 have radial conducting means 45, 46, 47, and 48, respectively, each of which has a single peripheral contact point. The conducting means on the central driving gear 40 comprises separate conductors 49 and Stl each of which has a pair of opposing non-diametrical contact points. As previously specified, all of the gear wheels must have different numbers of teeth, which numbers are not divisible by a common factor larger than 1. When the actuating configuration of the gears is attained, the electric current from the circuit 17 flows through

gear wheels

44, 40, 43, a conductor 51 and

gear wheels

41, 40, and 42, to actuate the relay 19 in the previously described manner. The advantage of this embodiment lies in the installation of the mechanism in a relatively small housing.

By the employment of the invention, exact predetermined lengths of thread are obtained regardless of variations in thread diameter or thread weight, and where the gear Wheels are fabricated of a light material such as nylon and seated on practically frictionless points, an extremely small amount of driving energy is required from the passing thread being measured. The latter feature is particularly advantageous in that accidental thread breakage may be reduced to a minimum.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A device for measuring a predetermined length of thread and for operating an electrical circuit comprising a pulley mounted to rotate in engagement with the thread, a plurality of gears operatively associated with the pulley and with each other, each of said gears being coupled to rotate at an angular velocity different from the angular velocity of any other of the gears, each of said gears having indexing means positioned to revolve around the axis of the gear as the gear is rotated, and means responsive to the simultaneous positioning of all of said gears with their respective indexing means in their respective indexing positions for operating the electrical circuit whereby the indexing means of each gear cooperates in operating the electrical circuit.

2. A device for measuring a predetermined length of thread and for operating an electrical circuit comprising a pulley mounted to rotate in engagement with the thread, a plurality of toothed gears operatively associated with the pulley and with each other, said gears having different numbers of teeth, said numbers being non-divisible by a common factor larger than 1, each of said gears having indexing means positioned to revolve around the axis of the gear as the gear is rotated, and means responsive to the simultaneous positioning of all of said gears with their respective indexing means in their respective indexing positions for operating the electrical circuit whereby the indexing means of each gear cooperates in operating the electrical circuit.

3. A device for measuring a predetermined length of thread and for operating an electrical circuit comprising a pulley mounted to rotate in engagement with the thread, a plurality of toothed gears operatively associated with the pulley and with each other, said gears having different numbers of teeth, said numbers being non-divisible by a common factor larger than 1, each of the gears having electrical conducting means positioned to revolve around the axis of the gear as the gear is rotated, and means responsive to said conducting means of all of the gears for operating the electrical circuit when all of the gears simultaneously attain predetermined positions whereby said conducting means of each gear cooperates in operating the electrical circuit.

4. A device for measuring a predetermined length of thread and for operating an electrical circuit comprising a pulley mounted to rotate in engagement with the thread, a series of toothed gears including a pair of terminal gears and at least one intermediate gear operatively associated with the pulley and with each other, said gears having different numbers of teeth, said numhas being nondivisible by a common factor larger than 1, each of the gears having electrical conducting means positioned to revolve around the axis of the gear as the gear is rotated, the conducting means of the terminal gears having a single peripheral contact point and the conducting means of said intermediate gear having a pair of opposing non-diametrical contact points, and means responsive to the conducting means of all of the gears for operating the electrical circuit when all of the gears simultaneously attain predetermined positions whereby the conducting means of each gear cooperates at the contact points in operating the electrical circuit.

5. A device for measuring a predetermined length of thread and for operating an electrical circuit comprising a pulley mounted to rotate in engagement with the thread, a pair of toothed-gear trains parallel to each other, each of said trains including a driving gear drivingly engaged by said pulley and a driven gear drivingly engaged by said driving gear, the driven gears having different numbers of teeth as compared to each other and as compared to said driving gear, said numbers being non-divisible by a common factor larger than 1, electrical conducting means associated with each gear and between the driving gears, and means responsive to said conducting means of all of the gears for operating the electrical circuit when all of the gears simultaneously attain predetermined positions whereby the conducting means of each gear cooperates in operating the electrical circuit.

6. A device for measuring a predetermined length of thread and for operating an electrical circuit comprising a pulley mounted to rotate in engagement with the thread, a plurality of toothed-gear trains parallel to each other, each of said trains including a driving gear drivingly engaged by said pulley and a driven gear drivingly engaged by said driving gear, the driven gears having different numbers of teeth as compared to each other and as compared to said driving gear, said numbers being non-divisible by a common factor larger than 1, each of said driven gears being provided with a single lighttransmitting means positioned to revolve around the axis of the gear as the gear is rotated, and photoelectric means responsive to the light-transmitting means of all of said driven gears for operating the electrical circuit when all of said driven gears simultaneously attain predetermined positions whereby the light-transmitting means on each of said driven gears cooperates in actuating the electrical circuit.

7. A device for measuring a predetermined length of thread and for operating an electrical circuit comprising a pulley mounted to rotate in engagement with the thread, a cluster of toothed gears including a central driving gear drivingly engaged by said pulley and two alternately spaced pairs of opposed driven gears drivingly engaged by said driving gear, all of the gears having different numbers of teeth, said numbers being nondivisible by a common factor larger than 1, each of the gears having electrical conducting means positioned to revolve around the axis of the gear as the gear is rotated, the conducting means of each of said driven gears having a single peripheral contact point, and the conducting means of said driving gear including two conductors, each of the conductors having a pair of opposing peripheral non-diametrical contact points, and means responsive to the conducting means of all of the gears for operating the electrical circuit when all of the gears simultaneously attain predetermined positions whereby the conducting means of each gear cooperates at the contact points in operating the electrical circuit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS