US3055604A

US3055604A - Winding machine

Info

Publication number: US3055604A
Application number: US135602A
Authority: US
Inventors: Thomas E Pitts
Original assignee: Leesona Corp
Current assignee: Leesona Corp
Priority date: 1961-09-01
Filing date: 1961-09-01
Publication date: 1962-09-25
Anticipated expiration: 1979-09-25

Description

WINDING MACHINE Filed Sept. l, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS Sept. 25, 1962 T. E. PlTTs 3,055,604

WINDING MACHINE Filed Sept. l, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR fzamffz',

ATTORNEYS Sept 25, 1962 T. E. PlTTs 3,055,604

WINDING MACHINE Filed sept. 1, 1961 s sheets-sheet s ff y INV EN TOR ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ghhce 3,055,604 Patented Sept. 25, 1962 3,055,604 ING MACHINE Thomas E. Pitts, Cranston, RJ., assignor to Leesona Corporation, Cranston, R.I., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Sept. 1, 1961, Ser. No. 135,602 9 Claims. (Cl. 242-356) it is customary to wind the yarn from a supply package across or through a yarn servicing assembly which serves to tension, clean and remove unduly enlarged diameter portions or snarls from the yarn as well as to cooperate with mechanism for uniting the ends of the yarn where same becomes broken for any reason, or where it is desired to interconnect the free end of yarn from a new supply package to the end of a preceding package.

Customarily the yarn, in moving across the yarn servicing assembly, moves through tensioning discs or elements and through one or more slub catchers and, sometimes, through auxiliary attachments such as wax applicators. In the event it is necessary to unit the ends of yarn for any reason, due either to breakage or to the bringing of a new supply package into position, this is accomplished yby a conventional yarn uniting mechanism generally including a knotter together with a yarn pickup and transfer element which moves in a predetermined path across the yarn servicing assembly and the yarn extending thereover to pick up the free end of yarn extending from the supply and deliver it into the knotter to there be tied to a free end of yarn extending from the package being wound.

It is customary Ito employ a slub catcher or catchers, through which the yarn passes before leaving the yarn servicing assemblage, to detect and arrest the movement onto the wound package of snarls or enlarged diameter portions orf the yarn. Customarily, there is but a limited space provided in the yarn servicing assembly for the positioning of such slub catchers as are employed in existing winding machines. Notwithstanding this, it is desirable in some cases to provide either an additional slub catcher to those thus positioned or to provide a generally larger slub catcher not adapted for positioning in the limited space heretofore employed. This is particularly true where it is desired to utilize an electronic type of slub catcher such as is now commercially available, this particular type of slub catcher being comparatively large in size and particularly having greater dimensions in the direction of the length of the yarn with which it cooperates. In the conventional yarn servicing assembly the only space available lfor such an additional or extraordinarily large size slub catcher is in a position immediately following the tensioning elements or discs with reference to the direction of movement of the yarn. Normally such positioning would appear impractical due to the fact that the slub catcher as thus positioned will be disposed in the path of move- Yment of the aforesaid yarn pickup and transfer element and thus will render the latter inoperative.

With the foregoing considerations in mind, the present invention contemplates a particularly new and useful arrangement of a slub catcher normally disposed in the path of movement of the yarn pickup and transfer element but arranged for movement out of said path to a nonobstructing retracted position in coordination with the movement of the yarn pickup and transfer element.

To this end the slub catcher or that portion thereof -which is in obstructing position with respect to the path 0f movement of the yarn pickup and transfer element is disposed for movement to a retracted position and, in addition, means are provided for so moving it in coordinated relation with the movement of the pickup and transfer element. In a preferred embodiment, such last-mentioned means comprises a direct linkage connection between the slub catcher and the said transfer element.

A further feature of the invention consists in utilization of the slub catcher to maintain the free end of the yarn across the` path of movement of the pickup and transfer element when the slub catcher is in its retracted position.

With the foregoing concept of the invention in mind, it is obvious that various ways may be devised of practicing the invention and, accordingly, the preferred ernbodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings i-s to be considered as merely illustrative of the invention and not as restrictive in any way.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical cross section through the housing of the yarn servicing assembly and through a fragmentary portion of the control casing on which it is mounted, various elements of the invention in this view being shown in side elevation.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the yarn servicing assembly and its supporting cover plate; the free end portions of the yarn pickup and transfer element being fragmentarily illustrated in a position between the extremities of its operative movement.

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of the yarn servicing assembly cover plate, showing certain of the actuating or driving parts of the various components.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross section on the line 4 4 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic view of the actuating cam means for the slub catcher in the position which said means has assumed when the slub catcher has been moved to its retracted position and is dwelling therein while the yarn pickup and transfer element is completing its movement through the patch which would otherwise be obstructed by the slubcatcher.

Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawings and referring first to FIGURE l, the invention is shown as incorporated in ythe yarn servicing assembly of a winding machine of the type disclosed in the Goodhue et al. U.S. Patent 2,764,362, granted September 25, 1956. In this, the yarn servicing assembly is housed in and supported by a housing comprising an upwardly opening pan portion 10 covered by a flat supporting plate 12 on which are disposed the various yarn servicing elements, these being generally aligned in the direction of movement of the yarn Y to sequentially engage and act upon same. It will be understood that the yarn extends from a supply package which will normally be positioned on a suitable indexing mechanism (not shown) supported on the lower end of indexing shaft 11, journaled through housing 1t) and located to the left and somewhat below the housing 10 and will be unwound from said supply package and drawn across and above the plate 12 onto the new package being wound, which will be supported to the right of the cover plate 12 generally on the main frame of the machine. The said packages are not shown in the instant fragmentary drawing, Ithough for a better understanding of them, reference is made to the disclosure of the Goodhue et al. patent earlier identified.

The yarn thus extending across the plate y12 is identified by the reference character Y in FIGURE 2. It will be seen that this yarn is iirst guided through an eyelet 14 constituting part of a guide bar 16 iixedly supported on the plate 12 `as shown. From this eyelet the yarn passes between convention-al tensioning discs 18, 20 and thence in accordance with the present invention through a slub catcher 22 which, due 'both to its size and its position, will be normally disposed in the path of operative movement of the yarn transfer and pickup element 24. The slub catcher 22 accordingly is mounted in such manner that it is free to move out of said path (the latter being designated -by the broken arcuate line P in FIGURE 2), and to dwell in its retracted position out of such path until lthe yarn transfer element 24 has completed such portion of its operative cycle as might cause interference between these two parts.

To this end the slub catcher 22 is supported for swinging movement about the axis defined by a vertical shaft 26 freely journaled through a bearing 28 in the plate 12 and having its free lower end disposed within the interior of the housing 10, 12 whereby movement may be transmitted to the slub catcher in the manner more fully hereinafter disclosed. The slub catcher 22 itself may be of any usual type, though the particular form of slub catcher illustrated in the accompanying drawing is of a commercially available electronic type in which the capacitance between opposed condenser plates is subjected to variation in accordance with variations in diameter of the yarn passing 'between the plates to thereby actua-te the slub catcher. It will be seen by reference to FIGURE 4, that the free end of the slub catcher 22 has mounted thereon a guide plate 3ft having formed therein a downwardly opening and centered guide slot 32 for guiding retention of the yarn. Further the said plate is provided with a cammed edge portion 34 which is inclined downwardly as shown in FIGURES 1 and 4 to guide the yarn into the slot incident to the actuation of the pickup and transfer element as hereinafter described. A further auxiliary guide 36 having a downwardly sloping guide edge 38 is adjustably supported as by means of screws 41 disposed through slots ltherein as shown in FIGURE 1, whereby the yarn may be cammed down to a proper level for engagement with the cam surface or edge 34 of the primary cam or `guide 30.

The yarn Y will normally extend through `a downwardly opening slot beneath and generally along the major longitudinal axis of the slub catcher, as seen in plan in FIGURE 2, and then, if desired, may move through a Waxing attachment comprising essentially a disc of wax 40 having a non-circular central opening by means of which it is slidably supported on a similarly non-circular driven shaft 42 for rotary movement therewith to bring new areas of the wax constantly in engagement with the yarn, the yarn passing between the undersurface of the wax disc and the upper surface of a conventional anvil plate 44.

After emerging from the `waxing attachment, the yarn Y will normally pass over a suction slot 46 Which is coupled by means of the interconnected conduit sections 4S and 50 shown in FIGURE 1 to the main vacuum duct 52 of the machine carried beneath the control casing 54 and shown in part only in FIGURE l. This suction slot 46 serves not only to clean the yarn but -to draw in the broken free end of the yarn extending from the source of supply and hold same positioned when the break in the yarn has occurred due to the action of a conventional slub catcher, same being but schematically illustrated and being designated by the reference character 56. This slub catcher is positioned in usual manner to act upon the yarn just before it moves away from the yarn servicing assembly and onto the new package lbeing formed. Such a slub catcher is disclosed in detail in the Goodhue et al. Patent 2,764,362.

In the event the yarn is broken either by the `action of the conventionally located slub catcher 56 or by the action of the relocated slub catcher 22 as per the present invention, it will nevertheless extend between the tensioning discs 18, and the last-mentioned slub catcher 22. Where the yarn is thus broken it will, Iby its loss of tension, permit the usual yarn tension sensing arm 58 to rise slightly to trigger the action of the conventional yarn i end uniting means which will normally include both a conventional knotting device (not shown) as well as the yarn pickup and transfer element 24, all in the manner disclosed in the Goodhue et al. Patent 2,764,362.

'It will be seen by reference to FIGURES l and 2 that the yarn pickup and transfer element 24 is in the `form of a tube having a generally inverted U-shape, with one leg 4a of the U journaled through a bearing 60 supported by the main control casing and with its free end swingable in an arc which, as shown in FIGURE 3, will cause it to intersect and thus have its movement obstructed yby the slub catcher when the latter is in its normal operative position as shown in full lines in FIGURE 3. The arrangement is such, however, that when the slub catcher 22 is moved to its retracted position as shown in broken lines in FIGURE 3, the free end of the pickup and transfer element 24 may move in unobstructed manner along the arcuate path P shown in broken lines in FIGURE 3 on its advance stroke `across and in very close proximity to the yarn Y, which at this time will be supported 'between the tension discs and the free end of the slub catcher as indicated by the broken line Y".

The journaled end 24a of the element or conduit 24 extends completely on through its supporting bearing 60 and into communication with the vacuum duct 52 whereby it may, in passing over the yarn Y", draw same into the open free end. Thereupon, suitable yarn clamping and severing means (not shown) carried at the free end may be actuated in the manner disclosed in the Goodhue et al. patent, following which, on the return stroke of the transfer element, the yarn free end from supply will be carried back with it through substantially or slightly more and laid into the knotter or other end uniting device to be interconnected in usual manner to the free end extending from the package being wound.

Actuation of the yarn pickup and transfer element 24 to thus move it through its operative cycle constitutes no part of the present invention but may be substantially as shown and described in the Goodhue et al. patent. However, in order to promote a rapid understanding of the present invention, the operation may be very briefly summarized by stating that the desired operative advance and return strokes of the `transfer element are imparted thereto by the oscillating segmental drive gear 62 shown fragmentarily in FIGURE l. This gear meshes with a spur gear 64 fixed on a cross Shaft 66, and which imparts rotary movement to the transfer element through `bevel gearing 68 secured on the cross shaft 66 and on the journaled end portion 24a of the transfer element respectively.

For imparting the desired retraction and position restoring movements to the slub catcher 22 in properly coordinated relation to the movement of the pickup and transfer element 24, there is provided in the preferred embodiment a direct mechanical interconnection between the respective parts. This will be seen to comprise a longitudinally movable actuating bar 79 pivotally supported at the free ends of relatively parallel links or cranks '72 and 74, these being respectively swingable about pivotal connections 76 and 78 to their respective supporting

brackets

30 and 32 rigid with the plate 12 in each instance. &1ch movement is transmitted to lthe bar 70 through a crank S4 fixed on the pivot or shaft 78 and thereby rigidly interconnected with the link 74 aforementioned. The free end of this crank 84 is connected by a rigid link 86, shown in FIGURE 1, to a radial drive crank 88 xedly associated with the spur gear 64 and thereby moved in accordance with the oscillation of the spur gear to first retract the bar 70 toward the right in FIGURE 1 and then to return it to its illustrated position in that figure. In the said illustrated position of the bar in FIGURE 1, the slub catcher will be in its normal operative position.

The means for translating this generally reciprocating movement of the bar 70 into the desired swinging movement or retraction of the slub catcher 22 will best ,be understood by reference to FIGURE 3 wherein it will be seen that a bracket 90 fixed on the bar is provided with a slot 92 extending normally to the bar. Slot 92 slidably receives a crank pin 94 xed on an Iactuating cam 96 ec- `centrically to the pivotal axis 98 of the latter. The cam axis 98 is provided by means of a pin iixedly carried' by the cover plate 12 and depending from its undersurface. A follower element 100 is fixed on the depending end of the slub catcher shaft and through it is xedly associ-ated with the slub catcher whereby swinging of the follower will cause a similar swinging or angular movement of the slub catcher. In the normal `operative position of the slub catcher 22, the cam 96 and follower 100 will be interengaged in the manner indicated in FIGURE 3, wherein it will be seen that both are provided with interengaging

arcuate edges

97 and 102 respectively, both concentric to the axis 98 of the cam. The said edge 102 of the follower is urged against its cooperating cam edge 9j7 by means of the spring 104 tensioned between the followerand the supporting plate 12. Thus the spring 104 tends to maintain both the follower 100 and the slub catcher 22 in the normal operating position of the latter.

However, it will be seen that the follower 100 is provided with a shoulder 106 adapted yfor abutting actuating engagement by a generally circumferentially presented or radially extending shoulder 108 on the cam, extending outwardly from one end of the smaller diameter cam edge 102 thereof to a larger diameter arcuate edge 110. As the follower is swung by interengagement between the said shoulders, the large diameter `arcuate edge portion 112 thereon which is curved on conformity with the coacting edge `of the cam will be brought into flush engagement with said edge 110. 'This action will occur immediately upon initiation of the movement of the pickup and transfer arm 24 on its advance stroke to thus immediately move the slub catcher 22 to its retracted position as shown in broken lines in FIGURE 2. The ensuing interengagement between the concentric arcuate surfaces of the cam and follower throughout the rest o-f the ladvance stroke 4and throughout the earlier portion of the return stroke will cause the slub catcher to dwell in its retracted position thereby to avoid interference with the movement of the pickup and transfer element. Thus the function of the cam 96 and follower 100 is generally similar to that of a usual mutilated geararrangement.

As has been earlier mentioned, during its advance stroke the pickup and transfer element 24 will engage the free end portion of the yarn designated by the reference character Y extending between the tensioning discs and the free end of the retracted slub catcher 22, and on the return stroke will carry this free end back through an arcuate path shown in part in FIGURE 2 extending for approximately 180 in a counterclockwise direction from the position of the tensioning discs in FIGURE 2. Thus, as the pickup and transfer element 24 nears the end of its return stroke to lay the free end of the yarn into the knotter, it will at the same time move the yarn back beneath and into operative relation with the slub catcher 22 of the instant invention as well as with the conventionally positioned slub catcher 56. The

guide plates

30 and 36 earlier described will coact with the yarn to guide it beneath the free end of the slub catcher of the invention incident to the relative movement between the free end and the yarn. A further yarn guide i114 may be provided to guide the yarn beneath the pivoted end of the slub catcher and also into proper operative relationship with the waxing attachment 40-44. Also to the same end there may be utilized the conventional guide bar 116 such as heretofore employed and substantially as shown in the Goodhue et al. Patent 2,764,362.

The improvements of the present invention are also Well adapted to use in a winding machine incorporating an automatic yarn supply package indexing mechanism such as is disclosed in the pending application of Thomas E.

Pitts et al., Serial No. 30,346, led May 19, 1960, and of common ownership herewith. In accordance with the ldisclosure of this pending application the free end of the yarn Y from a reserve package normally extends over a portion of the guide bar 16 which is parallel to the supporting plate 12 and thence is received and held within the suction nozzle in the manner indicated in connection with the yarn free end Y in FIGURE 2. When the yarn supply package magazine is Aautomatically indexed to bring the reserve supply package into operative position to replace an exhausted supply package, the yarn Y will be automatically moved along the horizontal bar portion 16 and into the eye :14 so that it will extend from said eye to the suction nozzle 118 and will thus `be disposed in the path of the yarn pickup and transfer element 24. Nozzle 118 communicates with suction conduit 48 through a duct 119 supported beneath plate 12. Exhaustion of the supply `of yarn and the resulting release of the tension sensing arm will trigger the actuation of the yarn y end uniting mechanism, thus causing the yarn pickup and transfer element 24 to move across the path of this new free end of yarn Y and carry it back into the knotter to be connected to the end of yarn extending from the package being wound while at the same time serving in the manner earlier described to properly lay the yarn into the slub catcher as well as into the `other yarn servicing elements as will be readily apparent.

The actual indexing operation in a device in accordance with the improvements of the aforesaid pending application is triggered responsive to exhaustion of the yarn from between the tension discs 18, 20, by the resulting downward movement or displacement of the sensing pin 120 shown in FIGURE 1. This pin operatively engages a cam 122 which is rotatably connected to the crank or crank arm 72 which also serves to support one end of the actuating bar 70. Also connected to the crank arm 72 and through it to the cam is a trip arm 124 for initiating the operative cycle of an automatic clutch 126 which imparts a complete driving cycle to the indexing mechanism. The tripping arm 124,V crank arm 72 and cam 122 are normally movable axially as a unit along the pivot pin or shaft 76 incident to operative engagement of the sensing pin 120 with the cam to thus position the tripping arm 124 for operative engagement with the clutch to actuate the latter. Thus, although the tripping arm 124 and its crank arm 72 are rocked each time the pickup and transfer element 24 runs through its operative cycle, the clutch tripping arm 124 will be operatively positioned to initiate an operative cycle of the indexing mechanism ,only when the pin 120 is projected downwardly into operative engagement with the cam as a result of exhaustion of the yarn from the supply package.

Operation Y Thus, in the operation of the mechanism herein described, when it becomes necessary to unite the free ends of the yarn arising either through Ibreakage or through the replacing of an exhausted yarn supply package with a fresh package, the end uniting mechanism will be automatically energized in either event through the intermediary of the yarn tension sensing arm 58 in the same manner as disclosed in the Goodhue et al. Patent 2,764,- 362 and in the pending application, Serial No. 30,346, to thus pick up the free end of yarn such as either Y or Y and to carry it back into the knotter or other end uniting device as well as to deliver it in proper manner into the various elements of the yarn servicing assembly, in-

clnding specifically the slub catchers and the waxing attachment. At the same time the yarn will be guided beneath the guide bar 116 and in proper operative relation over the tension sensing arm 58.

At the inception of the movement of the transfer element 24, the actuating bar 70 will be retracted lengthwise or toward the right in FIGURE 1. The interconnection afforded by the slotted bracket and pin 94 between 7 the bar 70 and the cam 96 will immediately swing the cam follower 100 and the slub catcher 22 about the axis of the slub catcher shaft 26 to the fully retracted position of the slub catcher in which its free end will be seen to lie entirely clear of the path of movement of the transfer element 24. lInterengalgement between the cam shoulder or lobe 108 and the follower shoulder 106 will have caused this movement immediately following the initiation of the advance stroke of the transfer element 24 toward the slub catcher 22 and will thus immediately move the slub catcher out of the path of this element. As soon as the aforesaid shoulders have moved past each other, however, the arcuate uniformly curved cam edge 11) will engage the concentrically and similarly curved portion 112 of the follower 100, thus allowing the slub catcher 22 to dwell in its retracted position throughout the balance of the advance stroke and throughout all but the latter portion of the return stroke of the transfer element thus at all times avoiding interference between the pickup and transfer element and the slub catcher. At the same time the slub catcher, when in its retracted position, will continue to maintain the free end of the yarn extended between it and the tension discs for operative engagement by the transfer element in the event the yarn has become parted. The action of the pickup and transfer element when disposing the yarn in proper operative relation to the slub catchers and other parts of the assembly on the completion of its return stroke has been heretofore fully explained.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that by virtue of the present invention it is made possible to apply a slub catcher to an existing type of yarn servicing assembly in a position heretofore considered impossible due to the resulting interference between parts. At the same time the invention makes possible the utilization of existing driving or actuating elements of the assembly for use in moving the slub catcher to and from its retracted and inoperative position in coordinated relation with the movement of the yarn pickup and transfer element. Thus, the instant invention may be readily applied to existing devices with but a minimum of modification or addition of parts to such devices.

In this application there is shown and described only the preferred embodiment of the invention simply by way of illustration of the preferred mode of carrying out the invention. It will be readily apparent, however, that the drawings and detailed description herein are merely illustrative in nature and are not intended by way of limitation of the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a machine for winding yarn from a supply source onto a package, yarn end uniting means including a yarn transfer element movable along a predetermined path, a slub catcher normally positioned in operative engagement with the yarn and in said predetermined path, means supporting the slub catcher for movement between its said normal position and a retracted position clear of said path, and means operative to move said slub catcher to its retracted position to permit movement of said transfer element along said path.

2. Mechanism for servicing yarn moving in the direction of its length comprising a yarn pickup and transfer element movable in a predetermined path to pick up a free end of said yarn and deliver it to a predetermined location, a slub catcher normally positioned in said predetermined path in operative engagement with said yarn, means supporting said slub catcher for movement between its said normal position and a retracted position out of said path, and actuating means coordinated with the movement of said element for moving said slub catcher to its retracted position to permit movement of said pick up and transfer element along said path and for returning it to its normal position after said element has completed its movement through the position normally occupied by said slub catcher.

3. The mechanism defined in claim l, wherein said means comprises mechanism interconnected between and coordinating the movements of said yarn transfer element and said slub catcher.

4. The mechanism dened in claim 2 in which the said slub catcher is swingable about a predetermined axis to a position wherein it is disposed out of the path of movement of said element, and including means carried at the free end of said slub catcher for extending the yarn across the said path of the pickup and transfer element.

5. A mechanism as defined in claim 3 wherein said actuating means comprises a follower fixedly connected `to said slub catcher and cam means driven from said element and in operative engagement with said follower.

6. In a winding machine having a yarn end uniting means including a yarn pickup and transfer element movable in a predetermined path, a slub catcher carried by said machine for movement into and from said path and drive means for said slub catcher connected to said element for retracting the slub catcher from said path incident to movement therethrough of the element.

7. A winding machine as defined in claim 6, in which said transfer element is swingable through a predetermined arcuate path, said slub catcher also being swingable about a fixed axis to one side of said path and having a free end normally projecting across said path and swingable to said one side, and means coordinating said swinging movements of the transfer element and the slub catcher to avoid interference therebetween.

8. A winding machine as defined in claim 7, including means at the free end of said slub catcher for supporting the yarn across said path when the slub catcher is swung to said one side of the path.

9. A winding machine as defined in claim 7, in which said fixed axis is located on the radially inner side of said arcuate path.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,365,701 Higgins Dec. 26, 1944 2,764,362 Goodhue et al. Sept. 25, 1956