US2985393A - Winding machine for the production of bobbins with predetermined thread tension overthe bobbin run - Google Patents

Description

May 23, 1961 w. ZANDER WINDING MACHINE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BOBBINS WITH PREDETERMINED THREAD TENSION OVER THE BOBBIN RUN Filed March 8, 1957 INVENTOR:

WERNER ZAND ER BY 91 ATT'YS WINDING MACHINE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BOBBINS WITH PREDETERMINED THREAD TENSION OVER THE BOBBIN RUN Werner Zander, Wuppertal-Elherfeld, Germany, assignor to Vereinigte Glanzstotf-Fabriken A.G., Wuppertal- Elberfeld, Germany Filed Mar. 8, 1957, Ser. No. 644,815

Claims priority, application Germany Mar. 12, 1956 12 Claims. (Cl. 242-18) This invention relates to thread-winding machines, in which the winding tension of the thread during the bobbin run is maintained at a predetermined, variable or nonvariable value.

Hitherto, in the regulation of the thread tension before the take-up on winding machines, the practice has been to install in the drive of the take-up bobbin a de vice controlling the rate of revolution. This device felt out the thread tension directly in front of the take-up bobbin, and, in the event of variation in thread tension, altered the rate of revolution of the bobbin drive in such a way that, with excessive thread tension, the winding speed of the take-up is diminished and, in the reverse situation, increased. Such drive regulating devices have the drawback that the intended fine adjustment of the tension in the thread being wound could never be perfectly achieved because only the altered thread tensions at the take-up gave the impulse for the adjustment of the setting devices. These altered thread tensions at full speeds could sometimes be appreciably large; in some cases, indeed, they might be so severe as to cause a breakdown of the driving mechanism.

Furthermore, regulating mechanisms are generally to be realized only by complicated and sensitive measuring and adjusting devices. They are, accordingly, very susceptible to damage in operation and extremely expensive.

The present invention avoids the disadvantages of a complicated and delicate regulating mechanism, but permits, on the other hand, a perfect winding of the thread at a predetermined thread tension with increasing takeup speed together with increasing bobbin travel. According to the arrangement of the invention, in the path of thread travel between the delivery bobbin and the take-up bobbin a separately driven drawing-01f device is provided, which device is adjustable with respect to the speed at which the thread is drawn off the delivery bobbin and is capable of varying the speed of drawing off to correspond with the variable thread speed over the winding bobbin run. Said device conducts the thread, without further'feeling out of its tension, to the take-up bobbin, which is driven by a slip clutch driven at a constant rate of rotation, so that the take-up thread tension is controlled by means of the variable drawing-off speed of the drawing-off device and by the varied torque transmitted with the slip of the slip clutch.

For a winding machine constructed in this manner, a slip clutch is required which functions according to an electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic or hydraulic or pneumatic principle, and whose transmitted torque is variable in dependence on the slip. When a thread is conducted to a take-up bobbin driven by such a slip clutch, the slip is increased with increasing diameter of the thread winding on the bobbin unless the thread supply speed is correspondingly raised at the same time. The increased slip results in a heightening of the transmission torque, which, with a corresponding synchronization with the increase in diameter of the thread body on the tes Patent 6 nal thread tension.

Patented May 23, 1961 "ice take-up bobbin, can result in a maintenance of the origi- If, however, the thread delivery speed is altered, then it is possible, by way of the resulting change of slip in the slip clutch to achieve by adjustment any desired alteration of the thread tension. Such a thread tension can increase over the winding bobbin run which effect is, in general, not desired. It can, however, besides the abovementioned constant maintenance of its value, be set for diminution in any desired manner, insofar as the required thread length is delivered by the corresponding alteration of the drawing-off speed of the drawing-01f device. Since it is usual to work with lower take-up tension with increasing winding diameter, in general the drawing-off speed will be raised at the drawing-off device in the course of the winding. By this increase of the delivery at will, any desired thread tension can be achieved.

The drawing-off speed can be controlled at the drawingofI device during the bobbin run according to a set time program; as, for example, by an arrangement such that an interposed stageless gear is set in a previously determined manner for the driving of the drawing-off device by clockwork. The drawing-off speed can, however, also be programmed in dependence on the previous winding process, for example, on the Winding diameter. In the latter case, the winding diameter is felt out by a feeler, as, for example, by the reciprocating thread guide. The constantly changing feeler values are then conducted by levers to an adjusting device for the drawing-off speed, either in front of or on the drawing-off device. Here, the drawing-off device can be constructed in such a way that the thread is conducted, for example, on a roller with a fixed diameter and the peripheral velocity of the roller is altered by stageless adjusting gears in dependence on the deflection of the feeling device. It is, however, also possible to employ conical rollers rotating at a constant rate, which may, for example, be constructed as clamping roller pairs, and on which the thread is pushed by the feeling device in the ranges of other peripheral velocities.

Essential conditions for the intended adjustment of the take-up thread tension are, on the one hand, the variable drawing-off speed of the drawing otl device and, on the other hand, the alterations of the transmission torque of the slip clutch in dependence on the change of slip. Since the slip clutch is to be set only in relation to its starting value before the beginning of the bobbin run, not, however, readjusted during the bobbin run, the drawing-off speed for the control of the thread tension must be variable within wide limits. For this purpose it is possible, for instance, in the. case of feeler control based on the winding diameter, to install an interchangeable transferring transmission member, as, for example, a curved intermediate member or the like for the programming the drawing-off speed, which member will produce the desired drawing-01f speed adjustment in accordance with a predetermined pattern. This can be accomplished in linear or other selected mathematical sequence, so that, hereby, undesired characteristics of the slip torque relationship of the slip clutch may be compensated.

The winding machine arrangement described above is distinguished by the fact that the driving devices used in it are controlled in a simple manner, so that simple mechanisms may be used, which are sturdy in operation and require only slight tending, and, furthermore, that a predetermined thread tension relationship is assured during the bobbin run, which is independent of spurts of speed and unforeseen increases in tension from the delivery spool, and, further, that it is possible, as the winding diameter increases, to achieve a heightening of the take-up speed, through which process the bobbin positions can be more rationally utilized.

The figure shows a perspective view of a winding machine for maintaining a predetermined tension during the bobbin run.

One embodiment of the winding machine of the present invention is explained in detail with the aid of the drawing. The embodiment illustrated comprises a winding or take-up bobbin having a thread body thereon and mounted on driving shaft 14. The shaft 14 is mounted in telescopic relation with a shaft '12 journalled in bearing 16 and is connected to the central cylinder 18 of an electromagnetic clutch having a driven hollow cylinder 20. The electromagnetic clutch is of a well known typethe cylinder portion 18 being driven in response to rotation of the hollow cylindrical portion 20 by means of a magnetic field in the clutch. The hollow cylindrical portion 20 of the electromagnet clutch is driven at a constant rate by driving belt 22 mounted over the hollow cylindrical portion 20 and a driving pulley 24 mounted on driving shaft 26. The slip between the hollow cylindrical portion 20 and the cylindrical portion 18 of the electromagnetic clutch can be adjusted before the winding operation is begun by loosening the set screw in the shaft 12 to release the shaft 14 and sliding the shaft 12 and cylindrical portion 18 of the electromagnetic clutch axially inside the hollow cylindrical portion 20 of the electromagnetic clutch. The set screw 12 is then again tightened, and the winding operation can be started.

The driving shaft 26 is journalled in bearings 28 and is driven by a pulley or other driving means connected to a motor (not shown). The driving shaft 26 has mounted thereon a conical driving roller 30 driven by rotation of said shaft. A second, freely rotatable, conical pressure roller 32 is mounted adjacent the conical roller 30 with the conical surfaces of the rollers in frictional contact. The conical rollers 30 and 32 comprise a pair of conical rollers for variably adjusting the rate of drawing-off of thread from thread source 34. The thread is drawn off thread source 34 through a fixed thread guide 38 and a preliminary friction brake 36 of any suitable construction and passes through an axially movable thread guide 40 and thence between the conical surfaces in frictional contact of conical rollers 30 and 32. The rate at which the thread is drawn off the thread source 34 is varied by positioning the thread path between the rollers 30 and 32 due to the differences in peripheral velocity of the various portions of the conical surfaces of the rollers 30 and 32tl1e higher velocities being attained as the thread moves toward the larger end of the conical rollers 30 and 32.

The means for shifting the thread path axially along the surfaces of the conical rollers 30 and 32 comprises the thread guide 40 mounted on a cam follower 44 journalled for axial movement in bearing 42. The thread T tends to move axially across the conical rollers 30 and 32 toward the smaller end, and this biases the follower 44 against the camming surface of pivotally mounted cam member 46. However, a light spring bias urging the cam follower 44 into contact with the camming surface of the cam member 46 may be provided if desired. The cam member 46 is mounted on a vertical shaft 48 pivotally journalled in bearings 50. The cam member 46 is operatively connected to a lever mechanism designated generally as 52 and comprises a link 54 connected with an integral arm 56 of cam member 46 by a horizontal pivotal connection 58. The link 54 is connected at its other end by a vertical pivotal connection 58 to arm 59 fixedly mounted on a reciprocable and pivotable shaft 60. The shaft 60 has fixedly mounted thereon a thread guide member 62 and is slidably and pivotally journalled in bearings 64. The shaft 60 is connected to a suitable, well known means for reciprocating the thread guide 62 axially along the winding bobbin 10 for distributing the thread as it is wound on the winding bobbin.

With the thread T running to the winding bobbin, the thread guide 62 is urged into contacting relationship with the thread body on the winding bobbin 10. However, a suitable light spring bias may be used to urge the'thread guide 62 into contacting relationship with the thread body, if desired. As the diameter of the thread body on the winding bobbin 10 changes during the winding operation, the thread guide 62, riding on the surface of the thread body, is pivoted. This pivotal movement, in turn, pivots the shaft 60, thereby rotating arm 59. Movement of the arm 59, in turn, pivots cam member 46 through link 54 and arm 56. When the cam member 46 pivots the cam follower 44 slides axially thereby axially moving the thread guide 40 and positioning the thread path over the conical rollers 30 and 32 on a portion of the rollers having a different peripheral velocity.

For example, as the diameter of the thread body on the winding bobbin 10 increases the peripheral velocity of the thread travelling to the winding bobbin increases. In order to maintain a thread feed to the winding bobbin adjusted to a value providing the desired thread tension, the velocity of thread drawn off the thread source 34 by the conical rollers 30 and 32 must be correspondingly increased. This is accomplished by virtue of the fact that the thread guide 62 is pivoted away from the axis of the winding bobbin 10 by the increasing diameter of the thread body. This pivotal movement induces, through the linkages heretofore described, a clockwise rotation of the cam member 46 as it is shown in the drawing. The clockwise rotation of'the cam member 46, in turn, axially moves the cam follower 44 with thread guide 40 in a direction toward the larger end of the conical rollers 30 and 32 and thereby urges the path of thread travel over said rollers toward the larger end thereof. This synchronizes the rate of drawing-oif of the thread T from thread source 34 by conical rollers 30 and 32 with the increased rate of thread travel induced by the increased diameter of the thread body on the winding bobbin 10. Asthe diameter of the thread body on the winding bobbin 10 induces an increased rate of drawingoif by the conical rollers 30 and 32, the thread tension immediately ahead of the winding bobbin 10 is diminished because of the now faster running slipping part 18 of the slip clutch and the associated lowering of the transmission torque during the bobbin run; This control can also take place in such a way that the slip and, accordingly, the transmission torque remain constant. In general, however, it is carried out in such a way that the slip is considerably reduced so that the thread tension can be reduced to extremely small values. The desired results can be attained by varying the initial values of the slip of the slip clutch by the manual adjustment heretofore described and by the design and shape of the V camming surface of the cam member 46.

For example, if a curved cam surface is provided on cam member 46, which curved surface brings about a quadratic increase in the drawing-off speed by conical rollers 30 and 32, it is possible to have the thread tension increase or decrease sharply with the increasing bobbin travel. If, in another execution, the characteristic curve of the slip in the slipping clutch to the transmission torque is plotted quadratically it is then possible, with a suitable curved camming surface of cam member 46 effecting a shifting of the thread guide 40 according to root values, to alter the access speed of the thread in such a way that a linear function of the thread tension over the bobbin run is achieved. It is also possible to arrange linear and quadratic shifting in succession so that during the bobbin run the shifting is linear up to a certain point and thereafter quadratic. It is apparent that there are many possibilities for achieving a desired thread tension pattern by merely varying the design of the camming surface in the combination of the present invention.

As slip clutches all the varieties that have become known of slipping electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic or flux as well as hydraulic types are usable. Because of their simple construction and the ease with which the characteristic of slip to transmission torque is influenced through the intermediate curved member, as well as the easy settlngof the starting values of slip by axial adjusting of the slipping part at the beginning of the bobbin run, magnetlc or electromagnetically operating eddy current clutches are especially suitable for the present purpose. In place of the device depicted with a feeling device on the take-up bobbin for the adjusting of the drawing-off speed of the drawing-off device, the latter can also be carried out as desired according to a preset program, as, for example, with the aid of a time-controlled curve disk similar to the curved intermediate member 14 controlled by the winding.

. In place of the pair of conical rollers depicted as drawlng-oif device, other rollers, as, for example, stagelessly controlled, constant diameter rollers of variable rate of revolution can also be employed, driven, for example, by way of friction gears and having the advantage that they simultaneously define the exact thread length on the takeup bobbin in dependence on the rate of rotation of the roller.

Variable speed friction drives which can be used to vary the rate of revolution of the aforesaid rollers include friction gearing of the disk wheel type having a small brush wheel with the round surface bearing against the flat face of a large disk driven at a constant rate of rotation. By radially moving the small brush wheel across the flat face of the driving disk the rate of rotation of the brush wheel can be increased or decreased depending upon the direction in which it is moved. In the combination of the present invention the small brush wheel is connected by a shaft to the drawing-01f roller and is moved radially on the driving disk by the follower 44 in response to axial movement of the follower upon rotation of the cam member 46. One other stageless frictional gear which may be employed in a similar manner comprises a conical friction gear driven at a constant rate in frictional contact with a cylindrical roller, the two rollers being axially movable with relation to each other. The thread-winding roller is connected to the cylindrical roller of the friction gear and the cam follower 44 may be used to slide either of said friction gears axially with respect to the other gear to effect a change in rotation rate of the thread-winding roller in response to pivotal movement of the cam member 46. The thread drawing-off rollers in these embodiments may be a pair of constant diameter rollers-one the driven roller and the other a pressure roller-or a single cylindrical roller about which the thead is looped one or more times. In either case, the thread is drawn off the thread source without slippage.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. In a thread winding machine having a thread delivery source and a winding bobbin rotatably driven through a slip clutch, means in the path of thread travel between said delivery source and said winding bobbin for drawing off thread at variable speeds from said thread source, feeler means for feeling the diameter of the thread body on said winding bobbin and movable in response to changes in diameter of said thread body, and means responsive to movement of said thread feeler means for adjusting the drawing oif rate of said thread by said firstmentioned means, whereby the take-up tension of the thread on said winding bobbin is controlled by the drawing-off speed of said first-mentioned means and by the transmission torque of said slip clutch.

2. In a thread-winding machine having a thread delivery source and a winding bobbin rotatably driven through a slip clutch means in the path of thread travel between said delivery source and said winding bobbin for drawing off thread at variable speeds from said thread source, pivotally mounted thread feeler means for feeling the diameter of the thread body on said winding bobbin and pivotable in response to changes in diameter of said thread body, and means including a pivotally mounted cam member operatively connected to said feeler means and pivotable in response to movement of said feeler means for adjusting the drawing-off rate of said thread by said firstmentioned means, whereby the take-up tension of the thread on said winding bobbin is controlled by the drawing-off speed of said first-mentioned means and by the transmission torque of said slip clutch.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said first mentioned means comprises a pair of conical rollers in frictional contact and said means responsive to movement of said thread feeler means moves the thread path axially across the surface of said rollers.

4. The combination of claim 2 wherein said firstmentioned means comprises a pair of conical rollers in frictional contact, and the cam member operatively engages a follower slidably mounted adjacent said conical rollers and having thread guide means thereon, whereby the thread path over said conical rollers is changed in response to pivotal movement of said cam member.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein the slip clutch drive has manually adjustable means for setting the slip clutch at the desired slip value prior to commencement of the winding operation.

6. In a thread-winding machine having a thread-winding bobbin rotatably driven through a slip clutch and means in the path of thread travel between the thread delivery source and said winding bobbin for drawing off thread at variable speeds from said delivery source, the improvement comprising reciprocable thread guide means mounted adjacent said winding bobbin, said guide means being pivotally mounted and adapted for pivotal movement in response to changes in diameter of the thread body on said winding bobbin, a cam member having a cam surface pivotally mounted adjacent said first-mentioned means, cam follower means in contact with said cam surface and slidably mounted for linear movement in response to movement of said cam surface, means associated with said follower for varying the speed of drawing ofl thread by said first-mentioned means in response to linear movement of said cam follower means, and lever means operatively connecting said cam member and said thread guide means to pivot said cam means in response to pivotal movement of said thread guide means.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said firstmentioned means comprises a pair of conical rollers in frictional contact, and the means associated with said follower means is a thread guide adapted for linear movement with said follower means to move the thread path along the contacting surfaces of said rollers.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein the slip clutch is a magnetic slip clutch.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein one of said conical rollers and the drive means for said slip clutch are driven by a common drive shaft.

10. In a thread-winding machine having a thread delivery source and a winding bobbin rotatably driven through a slip clutch, means in the path of thread travel between said delivery source and said winding bobbin for drawing off thread at variable speeds from said thread source, and means responsive to changes in the radius of the frusto-conical thread winding at the winding point and operable independently of the tension of the running thread for programming the rate of drawing off thread by said first-mentioned means and the rate of take-up of the thread by said winding bobbin according to a predetermined pattern, whereby the take-up tension of the thread on said winding bobbin is controlled by the drawing oif speed of said first mentioned means and by the transmission torque of said slip clutch.

11. In a thread-winding machine, the combination for winding thread in a predetermined tension pattern comprising a thread delivery source, means for rotatably driving a winding bobbin, said means including a slip clutch, drawing-0E means in the path of thread travel between said delivery source and said means for rotatably driving said winding bobbin and separate from said last-mentioned means for drawing off thread at variable speeds from said thread source, and means, operable independently of the feeling of tension in the thread, for programming the rate of drawing off thread from said delivery source *by said drawing-off means with relation to the rate of take-up of thread on the winding bobbin according to a predetermined pattern, whereby the take-up tension of the thread wound on said winding bobbin is provided by the programmed control of the drawing-0E speed of said drawing-off means by said means for programming and by the transmission torque of said slip clutch.

12. In a thread-winding machine, the combination 'for winding thread in a predetermined tension pattern comprising a thread delivery source, a frusto-conical winding bobbin, means for rotatably driving said frustoconical winding bobbin, said means including a slip clutch, drawing-ofl? means in the path of thread travel between said delivery source and a frusto-conical winding bobbin and separate from said driving means for drawing off thread at variable speeds from said thread source, and means operable independently of the feeling of tension in the thread and responsive to changes in the radius of the frusto-conical shape of the threadwinding at the winding point on said bobbin for programming the rate of drawing off thread from said delivery source by said drawing-otf means with relation to the rate of take-up of thread on the winding bobbin according to a predetermined pattern, whereby the takeup tension of the thread wound on said Winding bobbin is provided by the programmed control of the drawingoff speed of said drawing-0E means by said means for programming and by the transmission torque of said slip clutch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 709,104 Great Britain May 19, 1954

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