US2952113A

US2952113A - Method and apparatus for loosening bobbins from spindles

Info

Publication number: US2952113A
Application number: US728352A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr Robert M Ingham
Original assignee: Milliken Research Corp
Current assignee: Deering Milliken Research Corp; Milliken Research Corp
Priority date: 1958-04-14
Filing date: 1958-04-14
Publication date: 1960-09-13
Anticipated expiration: 1977-09-13
Also published as: GB904739A

Description

Sept. 13, 1960 4 R. M. lNGHAM, JR 2,952,113

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOOSENING BOBBINS FROM SPINDLES Filed April 14, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I30 J i 8| 3- icy F/6."2 1 {30 I 1 8| 2| 1 13b INVENTOR.

ROBERT M. INGHAM,JR.

ATTORNEY p 1960 R. M. INGHAM, JR 2,952,113

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOOSENING BOBBINS FROM SPINDLES Filed April 14, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IINVENTOR.

Willi M ATTOR NEY ROBE RT M. INGHAM,JR.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOQSENING ROBBINS FROM SPINDLES Robert M. Ingham, Jr., Spartanburg, S.C., assignor to nited States PatentQ Deering Milliken Research Corporation, Pendleton, H

S.C., a'corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 14, 1958, Ser. No. 728,352

15 Claims. (Cl. '5752) This invention relates to the doffing of bobbins from the spindles of textile machines, such as spinning frames, twisting frames and the like, and more particularly to a method of loosening bobbins from a spindle through the 7 of a side of a frame, although such may be employed in other arrangements as may be desired.

In the dofiing of bobbins from a textile machine such as a spinning frame or the like, one problem lies in the tight -fit of the bobbins on the given spindles in order to provide a firm drive connection between the spindle and the bobbin. Consequently, the removal of the full bobbin packages after Winding often presents a problem not only to the hand dofier but particularly to automatic machine doifing such .as the type wherein a substantial plurality of bobbins are simultaneously doifed from a side or a portion of a side of a frame. In the case wherein a single carrier beam is employed to raise a plurality of bobbins from the spinning frame, it will be apparent that a substantial lifting force will be required to simultaneously lift all bobbins from their spindles due to the static frictional seated engagement of the bobbins with their respective spindles, no means is provided for breaking the bobbins loose from their spindles other than the mere lifting of the bobbins by the overhead common carrier. This would impose a substantial strain on the supports for the carrier which may be, for instance, cables or the like. And in the instance wherein a hand doffer is employed in the usual manner it will be apparent that many times the doffer will in jerking the bobbins loose cause the spindles to be pulled out of plumb, such being a common result of bobbins being too firmly seated on their spindles;

Accordingly, it is a major object and feature of this invention to provide .a unique method of loosening bobbins from their spindles and which is particularly advantageous in automatic or semi-automatic dofiing wherein a common carrier support is employed for doffing a plurality of bobbins.

Still a further feature of the invention is the provision of a unique loosening method which utilizes the conventional ring rail of a spinning frame and its push-type lifter rods to impart a force to the bobbins on the spindles to thereby loosen the same from their spindles.

A still further feature of this invention lies in a provision of a method of loosening bobbins from their spindles which includes the exertion of an upward force on the bobbins through the medium of additional empt bobbins which are spaced between the spindles.

. A still further feature 'is the provision of a unique Patented Sept. 13, 1960 ice apparatus which is particularly adapted to carrying out a method of loosening bobbins and wherein the force exerted is preferably initiated by pneumatic pressure.

Still another feature is the provision of a unique adapter arrangement for existing twister and spinning frames and the like which permits facile loosening of the bobbins from their spindles through the use of the conventional ring rail yet which restricts upward movement of the rail during operation while permitting full ring rail movement during Winding of the yarn package.

Briefly, according to the preferred mode of practicing the invention, a plurality of full bobbin packages are simultaneously loosened from their seated position on rotatable spindles by the exertion of an axial loosening force of the bobbins through the medium of a plurality of empty bobbins supported between the spindles and not disposed on spindles, such force being exerted by the conventional or other ring rail or other traversing guide member of the frame through the empty bobbins and a common carrier or support member which in turn transits the force to the seated bobbins, the upward movement of the bobbins preferably being positively restricted to a small distance during the loosening action, and the full unseated bobbins being subsequently removed from the spindles by raising the carrier after the initial loosening of the bobbins from their seated position.

Still other objects, features, and attendant advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment and mode of carrying out the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein Figure 1 is a schematic illustration showing an apparatus suitable for carrying out the method according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic illustration showing the position of the bobbins after loosening thereof according to the invention.

Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of the movable limit stop arrangement taken at right angle to the view of Figures 1 and 2, the full lines indicating the position in Figure 1 and the broken lines the position in Figure 2.

Figure 4 illustrates in end view the conventional pedal arm latch arrangement as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the latched position of Figure 1 being shown in full lines and the unla-tehed position of Figure 2 being shown in broken lines.

Figures 5 and 6 schematically illustrate alternative embodiments for carrying out the invention.

Referring now in detail to the figures of the drawings, the invention is illustrated as applied to a conventional spinning frame 11 for warp bobbins. As shown in Figure 1, the warp bobbins 13 are removably seated in a conventional manner, as by .a top drive connection 15, on a plurality of upright spindles 17 rotatably mounted on a spindle rail 19. Yarn may be wound upon the bobbins in the conventional manner as by a corresponding plurality of rings 21 and travelers 23 disposed upon a vertically movably ring rail 24 which is normally traversed along the desired length of the bobbins by a plurality of lifter rods 25 and associated lifter rod actuating mechanism in the conventional manner. The conventional lifter rod and ring rail motion imparting arrangement includes a lifter rod rocker arm 27 for each of the lifter rods 25 and which has a roller 29 at the end thereof engaging with a foot 31 formed or secured on thelower end of the lifter rod, the lifter rocker arm 27 being pivoted about individual transverse parallel axes on respective cross shafts 33 to move their respective lifter rods in a vertically downward direction by a pull exerted thereon through a builder connecting chain 35 and a connecting rod 37 or the like connected between the actuating upright lever arms 39 for the lifter rocker arms. As is conventional practice, the connecting chain 35 is pulled by a builder motion'imparting device (not shown) to impart a downward movement to the ring rail 24 and is controllably released to permit the ring rail 24 to be raised by the force exerted thereon by the counterweights W mounted on lever arms secured to the rocker cross shafts 33.

In a preferred arrangement and method according to the instant invention an auxiliary lever arm 41 is secured on one or more of the cross shafts 33 or directly to one or more of the lifter rocker arms 27 in order to provide a second source of lifting power movement for the lifter rocker arm and lifter rod arrangement. While a single auxiliary lever 41 has been found to be satisfactory in a practical working arrangement, some arrangements may require several auxiliary actuating levers 41 for sufficient and balanced force. The auxiliary actuating lever arm or arms are actuated preferably by one or more air cylinder and

piston arrangements

43, 45 operatively connected to a suitable source of air pressure 47 as through a conduit and

valve arrangement

49, 51. When the valve 51 is opened the piston 45 will be moved to the left (as viewed in the figures) to thereby apply a counterclockwise motion to the auxiliary lever arm 41 and lifter rocker arms and an upward motion to the lifter rods 25 and ring rail 24, this action being permitted and not interfering with the conventional builder flexible

chain drive linkage

35, 37 for the lifter rocker arms. While the preferred arrangement includes an auxiliary lever arm 41, it is within the broad scope of the invention to omit the auxiliary lever arm and actuate the conventional upright lever arm (or arms) 39 directly by the auxiliary air cylinder and piston assembly, if so desired.

In order to limit the upward movement of the ring rail during this auxiliary movement thereof by the air cylinder and piston arrangement 43, 45 a movable limit stop notch, or other stop 55 formed thereon is provided. The lever 53 is preferably pivotally mounted as indicated at, 57 adjacent a rocker arm27a or a foot on the rocker arm 27a, and is normally resiliently'biased in a direction away from the arm 2.7a or the foot thereon by a spring 59 to a position out of engagement with the adjacent rocker arm 2711 or foot on the rocker arm, thereby permitting unimpeded upward and downward movement of the ring rail 24 by the conventional linkage and drive arrangement for the traversing of the ring rail 24 during member in the form of a lever 53 having a shoulder, d

winding of the bobbins 13. To the end that the limit stop will limit upward movement of the ring rail during actuation of mean cylinder and piston arrangement 43, 45 a second air cylinder and

piston arrangement

63, 65 is connected in parallel with the first air cylinder and

piston

43, 45 and is thus simultaneously actuated with the ring-rail-rnoving air cylinder and piston. The piston 65 of this second air cylinder arrangement is operatively connected to or mounted in close proximity to the limit stop lever 53, and when actuated opposes the action of the spring 59 to thereby move the limit stop 55 into the path of upward movement of the adjacent rocker arm 27a or a suitable foot or lug thereon. The vertical distance between the arm 27a and the shoulder or notch 55 prior to this actuation may be adjustable and of any desired distance, as of the order of an inch or half inch, as may be necessary to effect the desired result in moving the ring rail upwardly.

A common carrier bar or beam 67 is vertically movably disposed, as by suspension on a cable or cables'69, above the spindles and extends along the length of the ring rail 24 and spindle rail 19, having a plurality of of full bobbin holders 73, the empty bobbin holders 71 holders such as inverted cup-shaped elastic members 71' as shown in Figure 1, or flat magnetic bobbin-holding discs 75 having annular flared guide skirts 77 for guiding and centering the bobbins, as shown in Figure 5. The full bobbin package holders may take the form of a plurality of pneumatically inwardly distensible elastic annulus members 79 each of which is secured in airtight annular relation to each end within a rigid supporting tube 81, as described in more detail in my copending application Serial No. 703,353. The annulus members 79 are normally deflated, as shown in Figure l, and may pass in circumferential relation about the yarn packages 13a, being selectively inflated by application of pneumatic pressure through line 74 to the sealed interior of each of the annulus members 79, to thereby grasp the packages 13:; and/or the bobbins 13 for raising thereof. The air pressure line 74 may be connected from any suitable source of pneumatic pressure (not shown) and is in turn in pneumatic connection to the sealed interior of each of the distensible graspers 79 as by a plurality of branch lines 74a. Other grasper arrangements for the full bobbin'packages might also include bobbin head end graspers or other pack-age graspers.

An alternative form of package grasper is schematically parting means such as an elastic element. for closing and a lever and linkage 93, for opening thereof, to selectively release or grasp the package and/or the bobbin on which the package is formed; The only requirement for the carrier and associated bobbin holders or graspers insofar as this instant invention is concerned is that the empty bobbin holders be capable of permitting a compression force to be applied to the empty bobbin holders by the ring rail and to the carrier beam to impart an upward movement to the carrier beam, with the full bobbin or package graspers being required to permit a tension stress thereon to pull the full bobbin packages upwardly. Thus it will be seen that various mechanical arrangements may be employed for holding the full and empty bobbins in carrying out the method according to this invention.

Referring again to Figures 1 and 2, in carrying out the method of loosening of the full bobbin packages from their spindles according to the instant invention, the ring rail 24 is lowered to the bottom of the full bobbin packages which are seated on then" spindles 17, with the conventional pivoted pedal arm latch 91 catching and retaining the pedal rocker arm 27b in this lower position, and the thread boards and separators (not shown) are turned back out of the way, as is conventional practice at the end of each complete winding operation. The carrier beam 67, having a plurality of empty bobbins 13 held thereby in the empty bobbin holders 71, is then moved into a position above the spindles 17 and in vertical alignment therewith, the depending empty bobbins 13 being disposed in spaced-apart relation between the full bobbin packages 13a on the spindles. The carrier beam 67 is then lowered to bring the full bobbin graspers 73 downwardly "about the full bobbin packages 13a with the empty bobbins 13 thus passing between the full bobbin packages and having their lower ends 13b adjacent to or in contact with the ring rail 24 or the rings 21. The graspers 73 for the full bobbin packages are then actuated as by the application of pneumatic pressure from a common supply source (not shown) to the plurality of elastic annulus members 79, or by application of a closing force as in the embodiment of Figure 6, to cause the graspers to efiect a firm grasp on the full bobbin packages 13a and/or the bobbins 13 themselves. The pedal arm latch 91 is then g returned under the action of the spring 59.

moved to release the arm 27b and thereby permit the exertion of 2. raising force on the ring rail by the weights W. This force W is normally not sufiicient to raise the combined weight of the ring rail 24 and the bobbins and the carrier'beam assembly as well as to freethe full bobbins 1301 from their spindles 17, and accordingly the air cylinder and piston arrangement 43 is employed in addition to the weights W for freeing the full bobbins 1311 from the spindles. The ring rail 24 is lifted upwardly by the opening of valve 51 and application of air pressure to the air cylinder and

piston arrangements

43, 45 and 63, 65. This causes the lifter rod rocker arms 27 to be moved counterclockwise (as viewed in the schematic illustration of Figures 1 and 2) thereby raising the lifter rod and

ring rail assembly

24, 25. The movement upwardly of the ring rail 24 elfects a corresponding upward movement of the empty bobbins 13 thereby transmitting an upward movement to the carrier beam 67 and the full bobbin package graspers 73. The full bobbin package graspers 73 thus pull their bobbin packages 1311 upwardly and thereby loosen the same from their respective spindles 17. Upon the opening of the valve 51 the auxiliary air cylinder and

piston

63, 65 associated with the movable limit stop lever arm 53 is also actuated to move the limit stop 55 into the path of the rocker lifter arm 27a, thereby limiting the upward movement of the lifter rods and ring rail 24 to a desired distance. The valve 51 may then be adjusted to vent the air from the

air cylinders

43 and 63 and the ring rail 24 may be relowered to its bottom position by stepping on the foot pedal 2711 on the rocker arm 27b and relatching the arm 2712 with the latch 91, the movable limit stop lever arm 53 being The carrier beam 67 may then be lifted by its supporting cables 69 to thereby remove the full bobbin package 13a from the spindles 17 without requiring the considerable pull on the carrier beam and its supporting arrangement including cables 69 that would have been necessary if the loosening were accomplished by this upward pulling action on the carrier beam alone. Subsequently, the empty bobbins 13 may be disposed on the spindles 17, by lateral shifting and relowering of the

carrier assembly

67, 71, 73.

It will be apparent that various modifications and improvements maybe made within the spirit and scope of the invention, accordingly it is to be understood that the invention is not limited by the specific illustrative example as described herein, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of loosening a first bobbin from a spindle having a ring rail movable longitudinally thereof, comprising exerting an upward force on said bobbin through application of an upward force by said ring rail on a second bobbin laterally adjacent said first bobbin and held by a common support supporting said first bobbin and said second bobbin.

2. The method of loosening a plurality of first bobbins from a corresponding plurality of laterally adjacent spindles and having a ring rai-l common to said plurality of spindles and movable longitudinally in traversing relation along said spindles, comprising substantially simultaneously exerting an upwardly directed force on each of said bobbins through application of an upward force by said ring rail on a plurality of second bobbins laterally adjacent and disposed between said first bobbins and held by a common support supporting both said first bobbins and said second bobbins.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein said upwardly directed force is a pneumatically exerted force.

4. The method of doffing a plurality of bobbin packages from a corresponding plurality of spaced-apart spindles on a textile frame having a relatively movable traversing rail common to said spindles, comprising grasping each of said bobbin packages with a respective vertically movable grasper mounted on a common longitudinally extending support member, forming a plurality of spacedapart mechanical force transmitting connections between said support member and, said ring rail, and moving said ring rail upwardly and exerting an upwardly directed force on said graspers through said connections and said common support member to thereby free said bobbin packages from said spindles.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein said plurality of spaced-apart force transmitting connections'are eflfected through mechanically interconnecting said common support member and said ring rail by a plurality of empty bobbins supported by said support member at alternate spaced positions between each of said spindles and extending substantially vertically between said support member and said traversing rail.

6. The method according to claim 4 wherein said empty bobbins are supported at their head ends by said common support member during dofi'ing of said bobbin packages, and said bobbin packages are grasped intermediate their ends during dofling thereof.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein said common support member is subsequently moved vertically without the combined aid of said ring rail to remove said bobbin packages from said spindles and then laterally to align said empty bobbins with respective ones of said spindles; then lowering said common support member, bobbin packages and empty bobbins and seating said empty bobbins on said spindles; freeing said empty bobbins from said common support member and thereafter laterally moving said common support member and removing said full packages from said common support member at a position laterally spaced away from said frame.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein said bobbin packages are resiliently grasped intermediate their ends during both the dofling and donning operations, the removal of said bobbin packages from said common support member being eifected through substantially simultaneous release of said resilient grasp on said bobbin packages.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein said grasping of each of said bobbin packages is eifected through air pressure exerted on a resilient inflatable member at least partially circumscribing each respective said bobbin package, and said simultaneous release is effected through release of said air pressure.

10. The method according to claim 4 wherein said bobbin packages are grasped intermediate their ends during dofling thereof.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein said grasping is etfected by at least one resilient member selectively inflated to grasping position by air pressure.

12. Apparatus for loosening a plurality of bobbins from their spindles on a textile frame having a movable traverse rail, a plurality of upstanding spindles, and means for traversing said rail vertically along said spindles through a selected package-forming path, comprising additional traverse rail moving means operatively connected to said rail and being selectively actuatable, said additional traverse rail moving means being effective only when said rail is at the lower end of its travel, said additional traverse rail moving means having a maximum movement imparting eifect on said rail of substantially less than said package-forming path.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, further comprisa stop adapted to limit movement of said rail during actuation by said additional traverse rail moving means, said stop being ineffective during movement of said rail by said first mentioned means for traversing said rail, said stop being actuatably responsive to actuation of said second traverse rail moving means.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said additional traverse rail moving means includes a pneumatic pressure-to-movement translating device operativelyconnected to said rail.

15. Apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said stop includes a movable stop member, resilient biasing means operatively connected to said stop member and adapted common pneumatic circuit relation with said first men- 'to bias said stop member toward its inoperative position, tioned pneumatic pressure-to-movement translating device a second pneumatic p ressure-to-movement translating device operatively connected to said stop member and adapted to bias said stop member into rail-movement- 5 References Cited in the file of this Patent restricting position in opposing relation to said resilient UNITED STATES PATENTS biasing means, said second pneumatic pressure-to-movement translating device being operatively connected in 2,628,468 Greene Feb. 17, 1953